Following God When You Are Young… And When You Are Old

Explore the impact of youth on faith and calling through Jeremiah’s journey and personal reflections on devotion and God’s purpose.

Jer 1-2

Ps 122

Luke 5

-Devotion by Cayce Fletcher

Growing up in the COGGC, one rite of passage, and the highlight of everyone’s year, was the annual national youth camp, FUEL. We all loved to load up in the big charter bus at 2 am and drive the 14+ hours to a campus nestled between cornfields in northern Indiana. 

We would worship, learn, and play—and at the end of the week, everyone would be faced with a choice: How was this week going to impact the rest of their life? What would they do when they returned home? 

For some, this was the moment when they made the decision to be baptized. Others recommitted themselves to a life lived for Christ. Still others made the big leap to attend Bible college, some even dedicating their lives to a life of ministry. 

It’s been over a decade since those high school days, and a lot of life has happened. You never realize how much can change from the bright-eyed days of your youth until you live through it. Friends have grown up, married, had kids, and gotten divorced. Friends have gone to college, moved, started businesses and careers, and changed those again and again. And friends have grown closer to God and away from Him. 

Jeremiah is one of the longest books of the Bible and is nestled between the books of the prophets. It’s easy to read these books and gloss over them, thinking, ‘I’ll just understand this when I’m older.’ (Hey, I still think that sometimes!) 

But Jeremiah actually begins with him feeling the inadequacy of youth. He was probably 15–25 years old, the son of a priest (aka a Levite) from one of the towns in the land of Benjamin. 

God called him: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  before you were born I set you apart;  I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’” (Jer. 1:4–5). 

God had a plan for Jeremiah. He wanted to use him in great ways. 

But Jeremiah responded in v. 6, “‘Alas, Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’”

It’s interesting to me that one of the first messages that Jeremiah was told to give to Jerusalem was about how Israel was so devoted in “the days of her youth” (Jer. 2:2). It reminds me of those days at camp when my friends and I all sat around and dreamed of the big things we would do for God. 

But as I’ve seen, Israel also went on a wayward path. Just like in marriage, the wedding is not the hardest part. It’s the daily choosing to be devoted to one another despite the trials of life. 

This passage in Jeremiah tells us two important principles: 

  1. God can use anyone, no matter what their age, to do his work. If he calls you, he’ll equip you. 
  2. There is a reason God says that we must become like a little child to enter into the Kingdom of God. Yes, folly is bound up in the heart of the youth—but so is unreserved passion and devotion. It’s easy to let the worries, pleasures, and cares of this life suck out our fruitfulness. We have to choose daily to seek the Kingdom of God. 

Maybe you came to faith later in life. Maybe you got baptized when you were still in the single digits. Your testimony can be full of twists and turns… or it can be rather boring. 

Regardless, you need to choose to follow God daily, when you are young and when you are old. 

Like Jeremiah, you were also knit together in your mother’s womb by God (Ps. 134). He knew you. He called you. And he loves you. 

Will you live for Him? 

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and mom of three. In addition to homeschooling and other ministry projects, she writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com about faith, motherhood, and theology. 

Reflection Questions

  1. How would you describe your testimony? When did you feel “called” by God? 
  2. Do you believe that you can do “big things” for God now? How is God equipping you for ministry? 
  3. Where might our love for God have “grown cold”? 

Prayer

Dear Lord, may we always keep you at the forefront of our minds. May our eyes not turn to the right or the left, desiring something that is not you. Please equip us for the good work that you want to do with our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

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What path are you walking on?

Explore the call to holiness in Isaiah 65-66 and discover the hope of redemption through God’s sovereign love and grace.

Isa 65-66

Ps 122

Luke 4

-Devotion by Cayce Fletcher

We live in a world that takes a soft view of sin. Our highest virtue is acceptance. We believe that a person is noble if they are flexible on their boundaries. The person who is the most “loving” is the one who is willing to conform their beliefs to what is trending in culture. 

Isaiah 65 speaks to the same tendencies. The people are “obstinate” and pursue “their own imaginations” (v. 2). They say they are holy (v. 5), but they are actually doing the most base and unclean acts (“burning incense in altars of bricks,” “sit among graves”, eating the “flesh of pigs” (v. 3–4)). Quite simply, they call good evil and evil good (Is. 5:20). 

Though the sins of the people are different from those we see today, the heart behind it is the same. Pastor Adrian Rogers said, “We may not have metal idols, but we may have mental idols.” And when we choose to pursue these idols, we exchange the good things of good for the “dirty” things of sin. 

Romans 1 describes this downward slope into sin that comes from a heart of rebellion. It is the great exchange. We exchange the almighty Creator for these simple and unfulfilling created things. That ultimately results in a life that is debased and defiled. 

The beauty of the gospel is that we are rescued from this even if—on our own—we would never choose it. Is. 65:1 says, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name,  I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’”

God calls us to him. He beckons us. 

We may be caught in the downward spiral of sin, but even there, God meets us and invites us back into relationship with him. 

The ending of our reading in Isaiah today points to our great and glorious hope. We see God’s sovereignty over all of time and space (“The heavens are his throne and the earth his footstool” (Is. 66:1)). And we see that the sovereign plan of God is ultimately to bring redemption to the world. 

God sets before us a choice—echoing that of Deuteronomy 30—in Is. 66:17: “‘Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,’ declares the Lord.”

Under the New Covenant, we don’t have to worry about what we put into our bodies (other than making sure that we choose things that are healthy). But we do have to worry about what is coming out: our speech, actions, and attitude. 

Will we choose to follow the right, holy, and righteous path of God? Or will we pursue idolatry? Will we choose the unclean act of sin? 

May we choose the path of life!

If we do, we will dwell in the new heavens and the new earth. We will see the beauty, delight, and joy of the promises of Isaiah 65:17-25. There will be no more death, no more grief, no more mourning, no more scarcity. 

God will dwell with us. We will be His people. And He will be our God. 

What a wonderful hope! 

Cayce Fletcher is a wife and mom of three. In addition to homeschooling and other ministry projects, she writes and podcasts at amorebeautifullifecollective.com about faith, motherhood, and theology. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What are some of the idols that people pursue today? 
  2. What is the relationship between sin and uncleanliness or impurity?
  3. How does your future hope help you to live for God now? 

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for the gift of your Son. Thank you for the ability we have to take off the clothes of sin and unrighteousness and be dressed in the perfect, white clothes of righteousness. We look forward to your Kingdom. Help us to glorify you in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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Jesus Announces His Ministry

Isaiah 62-64    

Psalm 121        

Luke 4

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI) – Some days are hard…but taking some extra time in God’s Word never hurts..so today – you get to have two devotions – here’s your second one on today’s passages.!

What an extraordinary series of readings we have today.  We read in Isaiah so much revelation showing us the true nature of God.  These chapters give us so many examples of how God relates to his people and how they should respond to Him.  We read in Isaiah 64.

Isaiah 64:4-6(NLT) For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
  and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

Why does God always have to bring up the problem of sin in our lives?

When we walk with God on the pathway to life, we are constantly faced with the problem of our sins and their consequences on our lives.  As Isaiah says to us our “sins sweep us away like the wind” sweeping away the autumn leaves.  UGH!  Why are the best works that I can do by myself compared to “filthy rags”? I am captured by the ugly thoughts and depression of constantly being less than I know I should be.  Our memories of our sins and shortcomings follow us around like a bad smell keeping us from relationships with God and others. 

However, God doesn’t leave us in the midst of our bad smell and depression.  He has given us an answer in the person of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  Read the uplifting verses from Luke about what Jesus does in synagogue when he reads that daily reading.

Luke 4:14-21(NLT) Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

God gives us the answer to sin and death, and his name is Jesus Christ.  Jesus reads the daily reading from Isaiah 61 which we looked at yesterday.  God sees the spiritual captivity of people, and their need for help because we are poor in all parts of our lives.  God sends Jesus to open our eyes and unstop our ears that we can see and hear the truth of His Word.  God has not left us in our sins and faced with death.  Jesus reads and then claims the prophetic mantel that Isaiah spoke so long ago. 

Does this section of scripture send your heart to God for help?

Jesus begins his ministry that starts here in his hometown of Nazareth and then proceeds to go about Galilee and then further throughout the land there.  What starts here goes to the uttermost parts of the earth.  Indeed, there is no place where the Word of God has not gone with the record of His love for us and the salvation He has offered to all who obey Him.  God is the author and originator of salvation, and then Jesus is the agent that God uses to bring mankind back to Him.  God desires to save us from captivity, heal our diseases, give us an abundant life, and then save us from death with gift of life eternal with Him.

Isaiah 64:8-9(NLT)  And yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
9 Don’t be so angry with us, LORD.
Please don’t remember our sins forever.
Look at us, we pray,
and see that we are all your people.

What is the form of the clay of your life that God is shaping you into?

Luke 4:42-43(NLT)  Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. 43 But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Jesus is sent by God to preach the good news of the gospel to the children of Israel.  Then  as well to those that heard his words and saw God’s power revealed in Jesus’ life.  This responsibility of speaking these words of life have now been given to us that are the followers of Jesus.  We are now the agents of salvation speaking the words of life to all that will hear.  We are God’s chosen people today.

Acts 1:7-8(NLT) He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Reflection Questions – and above

What is the message of salvation that we bring to all the world?

Can you give a summary of this to people who ask?

PRAYER

Father God, the God who is like no other, we pray earnestly to You today.  We ask for the reassurance of Your love for us that comes from Your Word.  We thank you for this  forgiveness of sins that You have so freely extended to us.  God shape our lives to Your purposes and direction.  We pray for Your help in all our lives as we strive to find You and obey You.  Thank you for this wonderful gift of life in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ name we pray to You. We love You Father.

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Learning from Jesus

Quote from Luke 4:43 (NIV) on a blurred map background, stating the necessity of proclaiming the good news of God's kingdom.

Isaiah 62-64

Psalm 121

Luke 4

-Devotion by Kyle McClain (originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Dec 5, 2019)

In Luke chapter four, we finally get to see the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  However, before we get there, Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness by himself with no food.  He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.  We are never told the purpose of the Spirit leading Jesus to the wilderness, but I imagine it served as a great time for Jesus to focus in on God all by himself before he began his earthly ministry.

While Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, the devil came to tempt Jesus.  Three times the devil tempted Jesus, but he had zero success.  To combat the temptation, Jesus responded each time with scripture (verses 4, 8 and 12).  Scripture offers us a great way to combat temptation, as Jesus demonstrated here.  Psalm 119:11 supports this notion, as it states, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Whenever we are confronted with temptation, as we all are, a great way to resist and combat that temptation is by quoting scripture.  Now, this is only possible if you have scripture memorized in the first place.  This is a big reason why it is important to store God’s Word in our hearts.

After Jesus withstood the temptation of the devil in the wilderness, Jesus officially began his earthly ministry in his hometown of Nazareth.  He did not have quite the warm welcoming, as the Jews tried to throw him off of a cliff (Luke 4:29).  This was just the beginning of the Jews seeking to end and kill Jesus.  They were constantly taken back by Jesus’ bold claims that he makes.  In the end, the Jews send him to the Roman government to have him killed because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 26:54).  The Jews seldom got along with Jesus because they did not believe that he was the Christ, the Son of God.

Luke chapter four ends with Jesus telling us his purpose, as Jesus states, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent,” (Luke 4:43).  Jesus himself stated that his purpose was to preach the good news of the kingdom of God.  From the very beginning of his ministry, he preached all about the Kingdom.  The message of the kingdom was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry, and it should be at the heart of our ministry as well.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think Jesus fought temptation with Scripture? What Scriptures could be most helpful when you are facing temptation?
  2. What Scriptures do you already know and have memorized? When do you bring them to mind? How have they been helpful? What verse would you like to memorize next?
  3. What is your God-given purpose? How will you seek to do that today?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father – Thank you for Your Son Jesus who You gave to save the world including me. Help me learn from him and follow in his steps. Show me how to be victorious against temptation. Guide me in fulfilling the purpose You have for me, that I might be faithful to You in all things. Protect me from evil until that glorious day Your Son returns to earth. In his name I pray, Amen.

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Where Are We Looking?

Isaiah 60-61

Psalm 121

Luke 3

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 121:1-4(NLT) I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

This Psalm has some of the greatest lines of poetry in it.  “Shall I lift my eyes up to the hills?” the psalmist asks.  The song was sung as the pilgrims ascended from Jericho uphill to Jerusalem for the feast days there at the temple.  The pagan worship places were often on the top of hills where the Astaroth and Baal idols were worshipped. The decision that we make is whether we will look to the hilltops of this earth or look to our God who made the heavens and the earth.  It seems an easy choice but we must consciously and willfully decide that this is where we are going to look and where to follow.  The world gives us religious thoughts and activities which are not truly Christian but close.  We need to raise our sights above the hills and purposes of this world to God above.

Where is our sight aimed?  What are the things that are close to our heart?

What a rich set of readings from the Word today.  After the uplifting of the Psalm 121 to build up our renewed minds to look to our God, we now read about John the Baptist and the ministry that he fulfills.  We don’t have to wonder who he is and what God has planned for him to do as Isaiah gives us the picture.

Luke 3:3-6(NLT)  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”

(From Is 40:3-5 if you are interested in looking it up.)

What is John’s true ministry?

Much of the teaching about John focuses on his coming before Jesus to prepare his way.  This teaching is not completely true.  John’s ministry is to come before Yahweh and prepare the way for repentance and change to bring the people back to God.  This ministry will also get people to look for the coming Messiah who is very close to them physically and will become revealed very shortly.  John is only months older than Jesus, and it would appear that both start their ministries when they are the age of 30 years, which in Jewish culture would be the minimum when you could start a ministry or teach. 

The preparation that John preaches is the coming of the LORD who is God Almighty. God is going to reveal His Son the Messiah to the world, and then obviously this will reveal Him in the ministries that both men have.  John is the servant of the most high God, and then Jesus as we will come to see is the ultimate faithful servant for God. 

Luke 3:15-16(NLT) Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John tells them that Messiah is coming soon and will be the promised one of God bringing salvation and judgment to Israel and the whole world. John tells them that he can only baptize them with the water of repentance, but Messiah will baptize them with holy spirit and power.  His message is of repentance for the people and that they will look to God to be obedient to God’s Law and promises.  Then to look for the coming Messiah.

Where does John aim our vision?

What is the baptism of water and holy spirit mean today?

Now read from Isaiah 60 where the prophesy of Jesus coming and his ministry are foretold to Israel.  Raise our sights again!

Isaiah 60:1-3(NLT) Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

And then even more specifically in Isaiah 61 where we see God telling His people about Messiah to come.

Isaiah 61:1-3(NLT) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

What is it like to say that God will plant people like mighty oaks of righteousness?

What would be another way to say this?

By extension as spiritual children of Abraham we are the nations and Gentiles that are also blessed by the coming of Messiah. God desires for all men to be saved and to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth. He sends his servants and prophets all through history to tell His story.  The New Testament gives us the revealed picture and understanding of what Jesus has accomplished for all the people of the world.  Repentance today is for people to make him Lord over their life and then believe that God has raised him from the dead. 

What is the true confession of repentance that God requires of us?

Isaiah 61:10-11(NLT)  I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!
For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world.
Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
with plants springing up everywhere.

Reflection Questions above in bold

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that we are planted as Your lush garden of spring.  We thank you for planting us firmly as mighty oaks of righteousness showing Your power in our lives and establishing us as strong people of God.  Father please give us understanding of the spirit and power You have given us, and help us to grow into the people of God You have called us to be.  We praise Your Mighty Name and pray today in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Your Righteousness Will Go Before You

A serene background featuring a soft gradient of purple and orange hues with inspirational text from Isaiah 58:10, emphasizing offering oneself to help others and the promise of light in darkness.

Isaiah 58-59

Psalm 120

Luke 3

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN) – Originally Jeremy chose just THIS day to write devotions this week – but he then took on several more days when he very recently became aware of the need for more days to be filled. Thank you, Jeremy!

            I believe that today’s devotional may be the most important one I ever write.  In fact, I normally write a “block” of articles in a group, to create less of a headache for the lady who runs this website, but today is different.  I singled out this one specific bit of today’s reading because it is so important, so absolutely critical, that it may literally save your life (as I believe it did mine).  Even more critically, this may make the difference on whether you enter the kingdom of God, or are cast out “where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”, it’s that important.  So please, listen closely today, because a whole lot could depend on it.

            Isaiah 58:1-5 goes right into it, God (through His servant Isaiah) is chastising the people for the manner in which they are fasting.  The people are making grand displays of deprivation and wondering why God isn’t hearing them, thinking that fasting is like some magic trick that you perform to manipulate God, while continuing to act unrighteously.  That’s not what God wants, and if you want God to listen to your prayers, first act righteously (See for reference: John 9:31, Proverbs 15:29, Ps 66:18).  This is also what God spoke into my heart on about day 3 or 4 of my own fast after my father went blind, which led to a complete lifestyle change.  Reading through verses 1-5 here will give you a great idea of how not to do it, but the next verses immediately go into a remedial course on how you should do it.

            Isaiah 58:6-12 gives us not only a laundry list of things we should be doing, but an even more extensive list of why we should be doing them and what benefit it will bring.  This is the good stuff folks, pay heed.  I suppose I should also say that attitude matters; if you go into some of this thinking “Well, I’ll just do this and God will owe me…” you’re wrong.  God owns you already, and nothing you could ever do will be able to repay the debt that you owe God.  This is a way to humbly obey some of the things He has told us to do that please Him.  Going down line by line (this is from the LSB translation):

Isaiah 58:6-Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to release the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?

            Wickedness is a trap, and people are enslaved by their sin.  When you choose to fast it’s not just a denial of food, it’s an opportunity to loosen the noose that is constricting your holiness before the Father.  Are you addicted to something that is taking your attention and focus away from God? Drugs, alcohol, sex, entertainment, money, your appearance, social media, cars, stuff: anything and everything that takes your attention away from God can be a sin.  Take a break from it.  This is an opportunity to loosen the leash a little, to not be a slave for a time, for freedom under God.  Take it.

Isaiah 58:7-Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the afflicted homeless into the house; when you see the naked, you cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

            Feed, shelter, and clothe people.  Engage with your family.  When Job was protesting his righteousness, one of his arguments was that he had done these things (Job 29:12-16, Job 31:16-17).  Keeping that in mind, remember how proud God was of Job at the beginning of the book.  These are the things that please God.  When we are told to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18, Mark 12:31) it equates this action to loving God.  Think about that, the next time you drive past a homeless person.  You were created in the image of God to have dominion on the earth, to represent the Creator to His creation.  This is an opportunity to love God, take it.

Isaiah 58:8-Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of Yahweh will be your rear guard.

            This is one of the most important bits.  Not just that your illumination will rend forth from the darkness around you, not just that your recovery will speedily spring forth (and that’s a pretty important bit, if you’re struggling physically), but that your צִדְקֶ֔ךָ ( Tzedakah, or Sedaqa) will go before you.  The translation of “righteousness” is a pale shadow of the actual meaning, which can be more accurately translated as: “righteousness, fairness, justice”: all rolled up into one.  Do yourself a favor and look up Tzedakah on Wikipedia, and read it very carefully.  If you by your own actions are about to receive a bad judgement from God, to have your name erased from the Book of Life and written in another, less favorable book: this is one of the 3 things that can avert that judgment according to Jewish tradition: Tzedakah (not charity, but equity towards your fellow man), Tefila (sincere prayer, “crying out” to God), and Teshuva (repentance, turning away from evil and changing behavior).  Add all of those things to the fact that you’ll no longer have to watch your back, because Yahweh will be your rearguard, and it makes it a little silly not to actively seek to do these things.  When you help others you are literally helping yourself.

Silhouette of a person standing on the beach at sunset, with a biblical quote from Isaiah 58:9a NIV inscribed above.

Isaiah 58:9-12:  9 Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, 10 and if you offer your soul to the hungry and satisfy the soul of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your thick darkness will become like midday. 11 and Yahweh will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched places, and fortify your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you will rebuild the ancient waste places; you will raise up the foundations of past generation upon generation; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the paths for one to inhabit.

            I have felt at times that when I called out to God He wasn’t listening to me.  On reflection, why would He listen to me? I hadn’t been listening to Him!  He has given us very clear instructions on how to make Him proud, and how we are supposed to act, and told us very plainly when we do these things He will answer when we cry out.  He will reveal Himself to us.  He will continually guide us and satisfy us, even in uncomfortable or dangerous places, and strengthen us. 

            The unfathomable grace of God can not be overstated.  He’s trying to give it to you now.  Please believe me when I tell you that these things are absolutely true,  I’m not speaking from a confident book-learning but from an experiential knowledge and certainty based on my own life experiences that God will do all of these things, and more.  If you want to truly experience God in your life, to have God whisper to you in your sleep and at quiet times, to have God utterly smash the things that come at you sideways to do you harm: try living this chapter.  Do you need healing? Do you feel lost and enslaved in darkness?  Do you want to see miracles? Then humble yourself, do these things in Isaiah 58, cry out to God, turn from any wickedness and stand back and be amazed.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How many times a week do you seek an opportunity to perform Tzedekah (see above for definition)?
  2. Is there something in your life, any yoke or chain,  that is distracting you from God that you could either loosen or remove?
  3. Do you have a time scheduled for fasting?

PRAYER

Father God, help us to listen.  Guide us, satisfy us, and help us to reflect your love to the rest of your creation.  Thank you for everything, you are amazing.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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My Salvation is Soon to Come

"Guard justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come..." Isaiah 56:1 NASB

Isaiah 56-57

Psalms 120

Luke 2

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Today’s reading is one of those instances where digging deeper into the scripture really pays off, when you should really be rooting around in the original languages because if you like easter eggs, here are some juicy ones.  I don’t want to spoil all of the surprises, as some of these things will also be covered tomorrow in the devotion in greater detail.

            First off, let me clarify: “easter eggs” is the term that is used to describe a hidden surprise, usually in a video game, movie, tv show, etc.  The term was coined in 1979 by Steve Wright of Atari, who named hidden surprises in the game Adventure after the holiday tradition of hunting for eggs. There are a couple in today’s scripture that are huge.  It starts immediately in Isaiah 56:1 “This is what Yahweh says: ‘Maintain justice and do righteousness, for my salvation is soon to come and my righteousness is soon to be revealed.‘” (REV).

            In the above verse, the word that is translated as “righteousness” is tzedekah.  You’re going to hear me a lot talking about “sedeq” or “tzedakah”, the word that is normally translated as “righteousness” or “justice” and sometimes “charity” throughout scripture.  This is because it is SO PREVALENT throughout scripture (it or it’s root word occurs over 500 times) and yet almost no practicing Christian understands it, or the concept.  To translate it simply as “righteousness” is truly a disservice.

            Simply put, tzedakah is the understanding that our extremely generous God is the creator of all things and all people, and that as his representative you are to reflect that generosity as a form of religious obedience to the rest of his creation.  This is the heart of what Jesus calls the second greatest commandment “loving your neighbor as yourself”, and it also is a way to perform the greatest commandment of loving God with all of your heart (See Mark 12, starting at verse 29). It can be translated as righteousness, justice, or charity.  All are applicable, and all at the same time. 

            I like to translate this verse in Isaiah like this: “Maintain divine law (mitzpah) and do tzedakah, for Yeshua is soon to come, and MY tzedakah is soon to be revealed”.  To put this another way;  the reason that we should obey God’s word and to be obediently charitable, is because Jesus is coming soon, and then God will show us HIS charity.  The word charity here falls short of the full meaning of the word tzedakah, which will be an intense focus for tomorrow’s study, but I feel like it most accurately reflects a good portion of the meaning.

            When Jesus was asked what to do to gain eternal life in the age to come, he answered the man and told him to keep the commandments (this is told in multiple accounts, and can be found in Matt 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, and Luke 18:18-23).  The “mitzpah”, justice or divine law, as it can also be translated, are necessary and critical components to pleasing God.  The root of all growth as a servant of God is to do this: maintain divine law (also translated as “justice”), that is,  obey God’s word.  If you don’t start there, you don’t have life.

            I’m not going to belabor tzedakah, because tomorrow’s devotion focuses on that very thing, but I will say I think it is one of the most important, and one of the most overlooked, aspects of Christian obedience in scripture, and one that we fail at consistently.  Look it up on wikipedia for a full “flavorful” understanding of the word, and know that there are a huge number of teachings in the Jewish faith on specifically that term which I’ve found extremely enlightening.  It’s a critical aspect of salvation, it shows your trust in God.

            Here’s the coolest thing: the reason that you should be maintaining divine law and being justly charitable is that JESUS (Yeshua) is coming soon and then the just charity of God will be revealed.  If that doesn’t make your toes tingle it should.  Most of the time when you see “salvation” in the bible, it’s probably an easter egg, and Yeshua (Jesus) is probably inside.  Yeshua, Jesus’ actual name in Hebrew,  means “the salvation of God”.  You can determine if this is the root word used by digging in to the original language, any time you see “salvation” in the old testament.   It’s all over, once you start digging, lots of folks would call that “foreshadowing”.

Isaiah 56:2-7 “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast: who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh speak, saying, “Yahweh will surely separate me from his people,” nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For this is what Yahweh says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and hold fast to my covenant, to them I will give in my house and inside my walls a memorial and a name better than that of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.  Also the foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh, to minister to him and to love the name of Yahweh, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it and holds firmly to my covenant—even those I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

            Scripture is full of clever word plays that sound even better in the original tongue.  Did you catch some of them just now?  “Let not the foreigner who has joined say Yahweh will separate me…”.  Did you catch the assurance to the faithful eunuch who will be given an everlasting name that will “not be cut off”?  That’s probably pretty reassuring to a recently made eunuch.  Another thing I notice in the above portion of scripture is that the Sabbath seems to be a prevalent and recurring theme of importance, even for the foreigners.  Interesting, isn’t it?  Just something to think about.

            Here is the heart of the matter: to be effective servants of God, there are just a few things we need to do, and to do fully.  We need to follow the commandments (mitzpah).  We need to represent God to the rest of His creation, and be righteous, just, and charitable (do tzedekah).  We need to love the Lord God with our whole heart, and love our neighbor as ourself, and commit ourselves to obeying God wholeheartedly.  These are the things that please God.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. The commandments are listed as a critical aspect toward attaining salvation, according to Jesus.  Have you got them all memorized, and do you follow them all specifically as stated in scripture? Why, or why not? (the “letter” of the law)
  2. How effective are you at loving God with your whole heart, and loving your neighbor as much as you do yourself? What can be done to increase either?  (the “heart” of the law)
  3. If you were to give yourself an honest exam, based on the criteria of scripture, how well are you  obediently doing the things that lead back to God and to redemption? (the “purpose” or “intent” of the law)

PRAYER

Father God, I need you.  Please keep me from getting distracted, and fill my heart with your purpose.  Please let me see and hear clearly when you speak to me.  Teach me with hidden wisdom.  Speak to my heart, and write your laws within it so that I can please you.  Help me, Father.  Thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.

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This is the Psalm that…

Open Bible on a wooden surface with a glowing background, featuring the text 'I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:16 NIV' in bold white font.

Isaiah 54-55

Psalms 119

Luke 2

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            For many of you “of a certain age” that grew up watching kid shows on TV, you might remember a cute little sock puppet named “Lamb Chop”, a creation of childrens show host and puppeteer Shari Lewis.  Lamb Chop made it’s debut on the “Captain Kangaroo” show in 1956, and starred in “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” show through ’97 (which won 5 emmys), in addition to appearing in a number of other shows.

            On the “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” show, they’d play a certain song at the end of every show to play them off, and if you’ve seen it you’re probably way ahead of me here.  The song was called “The Song That Never Ends”, and I’ve included it here for your amusement and a tongue-in-cheek punitive action.  If you’re young enough to have never heard it, look it up on youtube, and I’m sorry (because it will be stuck in your head forever).

The Song that Never Ends

This is the song that doesn’t end
Yes, it goes on and on, my friend
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was,
And they’ll continue singing it forever just because …. (repeats, ad infinitum, ad nauseam)

            When we read Psalms 119, the longest chapter of the bible, it seems like it doesn’t end. In my bible, it takes up about 3 full pages for this one chapter, with 176 verses in it.  About midway through reading it today, I heard the Lamb Chop song in my head and transliterated it “This is the Psalm that doesn’t end…”.  Good luck getting that out of your brain now. 

            All joking aside though, this is a great study with one overwhelming and pervasive message about God’s word.  It should be a very interesting point of study that the longest chapter in the book of  God’s word is about the importance of God’s word.   The author uses about ten different terms for Scripture such as law, statutes, precepts, commandments, etc. to highlight its perfection and necessity.

            Psalms 119 portrays the author’s deep love for and obedience to God’s instruction, presenting Scripture as a lamp and light for guidance and a source of comfort and strength during persecution, affliction, and trials. It emphasizes that meditating on and living by God’s Word brings joy, wisdom, and spiritual renewal, serving as the ultimate refuge and authority for a believer’s life. There are a couple very well known and often quoted verses that you’ll recognize as you read this Psalm.

            It seems like there have been quite a few additions made to God’s word, starting just a few generations after Jesus was resurrected.  Traditions, theories, and speculations.  These are dangerous, and everything you hear from the pulpit should be carefully weighed against the word of God.  1 Corinthians 4:6 warns us “…not to go beyond the things that are written… ” (REV).  Jeremiah 8:8 laments: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us?’ But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.” (REV). Revelation warns us in chapter 22:18-19 that: “I testify to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book, 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.” (REV).  Seems pretty important, right?

            Jesus says in John 5:39: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have life in the age to come …” (REV) so yes, it’s super important, if you want to enter the kingdom of God. 2 Tim 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the person dedicated to God can be fully capable, thoroughly equipped for every good work. ” (REV).  Jesus himself (in Matt 4:4, and quoting Leviticus 19:18) declares that humanity lives not by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

            So if the word of God is that important (as we patently see that it is, as exhibited throughout scripture), if the understanding and practice of it can grant us life and literally be the difference between life and death both now and eternally; why don’t people read the bible more?  Why don’t we study it, dissect it, and spend almost every waking hour trying to love it as much as the author of Psalm 119, and to implement it into our lives actively?  We have a God who loves us and seeks to redeem us.  According to the scriptures there is also an adversary, who desparately seeks to distract us and draw our attention to other things.

            Here’s the thing: we are not promised tomorrow.  We live our lives as if they will never end, because we are so short sighted it’s hard for us to even accept that our bodies are finite.  We go through our lives blindly assuming that tomorrow will be just like today, only maybe better, but the reality is: God has set a timeline for these things, from creation to the time of the establishment of His kingdom.  We do not know that timeline, the angels didn’t know it, Jesus didn’t know it, only God knows it.  The point is, our time is limited, we don’t have forever; it would behoove us to do what we can while we’re able to study God’s word and to do His will.

            The below verse highlights this concept perfectly, taken from a portion of our other reading today: Isaiah 55:6-11: “Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked person forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and let him return to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow comes down from heaven and does not return there, but waters the earth and makes it bring forth and bud and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will my word be that goes forth out of my mouth; it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do.“

            Each of us goes through different seasons in our lives.  Sometimes, we prioritize different things during these different seasons.  Psalms 119 tells us clearly that we need to prioritize the word of God, always.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Right now, in this season of your life, what is your priority?

What is the potential gain that you possess by making this your priority?

What is the potential loss that you possess by making this your priority?

How can we shift our priorities to properly align with the design God has for us?

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for caring enough to give us your word, to send us your son, and to continually reach out towards your creation for reconciliation.  Please help us to seek you while you are near, to seek understanding in your word, and to listen when your spirit guides us.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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The Suffering Servant

*Isaiah 52-53

Psalm 119

*Luke 2

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            Isaiah has just so much good stuff in it that every time I read it I feel like I find something new.  When’s the last time you’ve read Isaiah from beginning to end? I recommend it, it’s just got so much good stuff in it, and particularly if you really dig down into the original languages you might find some nice hidden “easter eggs”.  The suffering servant passages are one of those that I recommend doing a deep, original language, dissection of.  You may gain a new understanding.

            Don’t speak Hebrew or Greek?  Not to worry, even a layman can do a moderately accurate dissection nowadays thanks to modern technology: if you look on biblehub.com and enter any verse, you can scroll all the way down to the bottom and it’s got the original language broken down word for word with all of the potential translations of that word.  While that will not give you as full of an understanding as learning the original language deeply, and you may not get some of the syntax or idioms of the original language, it’s still a handy way that anyone can become an armchair textual critic and examine the scriptures.

            Starting in the last portion of Isaiah 52, and continuing through 53, we see the famous “Suffering Servant” passage of scripture, which is a prophetic description of the Messiah, the one whom God has chosen.  Did they understand all of the significance of these prophecies in ancient Israel? It doesn’t seem that way, it seems like they were looking for an immediate restoration of Israel into a position of pre-eminence.  Look at the way the people greeted him at the triumphal entry (listed in all the gospels, Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19,  and John 12).  Think of how quickly this esteem changed, as this event was the beginning of the week that he was crucified (and then resurrected).  Like many prophecies, the full significance of these passages weren’t really understood until later.

            Beginning in 52:1 we see (REV): “Behold, my servant will act wisely. He will be high and lifted up and exalted.”  Do you remember when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemene shortly after that triumphal entry into Jerusalem, praying fiercely to his God (and ours, see John 20:17) to spare him from the suffering which was coming?  During this gut-level, deep pleading for an escape, Jesus also said “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).  This is Jesus acting wisely, and trusting in his God.  He is later lifted up (on a cross), and then exalted (from the grave).  Please note: the definition of wisdom is submitting yourself to the will of God.  Even if you really want to do something else (like Jesus did), even if your will is different than God’s will (like Jesus’ will at the time was, by his own words), submit yourself to God’s will (like Jesus did).

            The body of Isaiah 53 really gets specific on some of the things that the servant will be and do, and have done to him.  It’s impossible for anyone to read this now and not think of some of the things that Jesus endured.  He grows up (v2),  he is despised (v3), he carries our sickness and suffering (v4), he was pierced for our transgressions and by his wounds we are healed (v5).  Verse 6 tells us that “We all like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way, but Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (REV), much like the scapegoat in ancient Israel.  That last line “…the iniquity of us all” strikes me pretty deeply, because I know I had enough iniquity just by myself to make a heavy load.  Imagine the weight of the iniquity of us all; it was laid on Jesus, as a way for God to reconcile with man.  That’s deep.

            Isaiah 53:10 is just a terrible laundry list of things that the servant of God must go through, and an explanation of why (the iniquity of us all).  When we get down to 53:11-12, we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel: “After the anguish of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will make many righteous by the knowledge of himself, and he will bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will give him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul to death and he permitted himself to be counted among the transgressors. Yet he himself carried the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. “

            So while Jesus’ will was not to die and suffer, he permitted himself to, to submit himself to the will of God.  God didn’t force it upon him but allowed him the choice, and he chose to do God’s will, and by doing so redeemed us all.  To carry the sins of the entire world is indisputably a heavy, heavy burden, but he chose to do so, because it was God’s will.  As a result, he has become and fulfilled the prophecy of the righteous servant who would suffer.  This is our king, a man worthy enough to lead us because he was willing to bear all of our collective iniquities, the servant of God.

            Luke 2:1-20 describes the wonderful birth of our king, the Messiah, and the first portion of the chapter relays a number of glorious events and declarations that happen.  I think my favorite verse in this section is v19 “But Mary was treasuring up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ” (REV).  Consider what a high honor it was, to be the mother that would birth the Messiah, the one who would save the world.  There are a couple things later in this chapter that give us both a confirmation that this is indeed going to be the Messiah, but also a foreshadowing of the events prophesied in the “Suffering Servant” passages of Isaiah.

            Luke 2:25-35 tell of Simeon, a deeply religious man whom the spirit of God was upon, who was promised to see the Messiah before he passed.  He confirms that Jesus is the Messiah, and rejoices in the honor that God has given him, but tells Mary down in v35 that “…a broadsword will pierce through your own soul.”.  Imagine how you’d feel as a mother, later on.

            One thing that should be painfully clear to us all as we read Luke 11:21-52 is that Jesus was an “orthodox” Jew.  He obeyed all of the Jewish Law, every jot and tittle (the little marks that are identifiers in the hebrew written language).  He had to be, to fulfill all of the prophecies regarding the Messiah.  Later on he would clarify much of this law, to more fully explain the “spirit” of the law as well as the exact letter of the law.

            While we know from scripture that God doesn’t change (Mal 3:6, Ps 102:27, Num 23:19, James 1:17) the last verse in Luke 2 (and the last verse in Luke 1) clearly indicates that Jesus did:  Luke 2:52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (REV).  He grew in wisdom and in stature, and he also grew in favor with God and his fellow man.  This presents a problem verse for some of the more traditional “orthodox” presentations of the nature of the Christ, but the scriptures themselves are pretty clear and simple and as always; when our interpretations or traditions are in opposition to scripture, we should defer to scripture. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you ever considered the weight of the burden of not just your sin but the sin of the entire world, every other human being throughout all time, placed on the shoulders of one obedient man?
  2. Had you ever considered how proud Mary was of her son, and then tried to imagine what she felt as she watched him suffer on the cross?
  3. Isaiah 53:11 says “my righteous servant”, but did you know the word for righteous is צַדִּ֛יק (tzedekh), and has much deeper connotations than “righteousness”? Do a deep study on this word (it will come up again soon, in another devotion).

PRAYER

Father God, I am humbled that my sins were carried by another.  Please forgive me.  Thank you for life, breath, and all things, and especially for sending us your son.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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A Lesson in Obedience, and Humility

*Isaiah 50-51

Psalms 119

Luke 1

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            In our initial reading of Isaiah 50-51, God is (justifiably) upset with His people, reminding them that He’s still their father and that He didn’t sell them off but it was their own sins that has removed them, and then moves on to say in verse 2: “Why was no one there when I came? When I called, why was there no one to answer?...” (REV translation).  Can you feel the pain?  I am constantly amazed at the longsuffering patience of God toward His creation, and particularly the longsuffering patience of God toward me specifically.  I read stuff like this, as a father, and I can imagine the pain: the righteous indignation of a faithful father whose children have abandoned him to chase after their own foolishness.  I was also that child who chased after foolishness, and now with my new perspective it makes me even more ashamed.

             Isaiah 50: 4-6:(REV translation) “The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, so that I will know how to sustain with words the one who is weary. Morning by morning he wakens me, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.  The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn backward. I gave my back to those who strike me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.” There are some critical traits we should emulate here, there are some habits that this servant of God has that we who wish to be servants of God should follow.  First note that God has given him words to say, to sustain the weary.  Every morning, God speaks to him and teaches him.  God speaks to him, and he humbly listens, and then walks in humility: accepting abuse, violence, and shame from those around him, while remaining obedient to God.

            I am fully convinced that God is still speaking to us.  The real question is, how many of us are listening?  “When I called, why was there no one to answer?”  On the rare occasions that we do listen, how many times do we rebel, or go backward?  “No, I don’t really have time for that right now, I’m busy ______ing my _____.”  Fill in your own blanks.  How many of us will humbly accept scorn or abuse (like Jesus did), and compare that to how many of us “know my rights and will defend them!” If we were to grade ourselves, what do you think your grade would be? Is it a passing or a failing mark?

            The thing is, we are supposed to examine and test ourselves, and to make sure that we are in line with our master.  2 Corinthians 13:5 says (REV translation): “5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test?”  Did you catch that?  You can fail this test, this isn’t like field day at school where everybody gets a trophy.  Just because you once were “saved” (I hate that term, and prefer “redeemed”) doesn’t mean you are saved forever.  Paul is writing the above verse to active Christians, so that should immediately dispel that erroneous teaching, and also make us sit up straighter at our desks and pay attention to our Teacher.

            So listen.  Being a servant of God is more than just calling yourself a Christian and then going to church on Saturday/Sunday.  Being a Christian is more than just putting on a nice set of clothes for one day and then making sure you’ve got a smiling face for a couple of hours when you’re in a church building.  It’s more than just reading the bible on occasion.  Being a servant of God means that you are listening for God to speak to you, every day, and then obediently doing whatever it is that God tells you.  That’s going to be uncomfortable sometimes, but it’s not about you.  It’s about you being a servant of God.

            Most of us today have become so narcissistically involved in our own well being and self promotion that we don’t even listen for the voice of God anymore and if that’s the case I would caution you: to be a servant of the living God, you need to be listening to God, every day.  He will speak to you in your dreams, and give you instructions and testing.  He will whisper into your ear in the morning when you wake up.  He will place opportunities in front of you throughout the day to be patient, to be humble, to reflect His majesty toward the rest of His creation, and to do the good works which God has prepared for you.

            Forgive your coworker when they are an absolutely offensive jerk.  Help a little old lady with her groceries.  Tell someone God loves them, and you do too, even if you don’t know them.  Next time the driver in front of you is being an absolute idiot, remember that you were an absolute idiot too at least once in your life, and reflect the patience that God had for you upon that driver.  See that homeless guy over in the corner of the parking lot looking hungry? What if that was Jesus?  For the love of God, go buy Jesus a hamburger, if you can spare it.  DO SOMETHING besides just sitting there contently in your redemption.  Every one of these things is a chance to listen to God, go out of your way to show God you’re trying to listen.

            So, can I work my way into the kingdom?  Nope, not even close to what I’m saying.  This is not an action that’s led by you, this is an action that’s led by God: but if you’re sitting on your butt and thinking “I believe correctly and don’t do bad things and that’s enough” you’re incorrect.  Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are his handiwork, created in union with Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.”  God didn’t redeem us to put us on the shelf and look pretty, God redeemed us to “do good works”.  James 2:26 goes so far as to say: “Therefore, just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also trust (or faith) without works is dead. “(REV translation).  It’s not that what you do is going to redeem you, it’s that since you have been redeemed you are required to do some things, specifically, the things God has prepared in advance for you to do, for His glory.  If you’re not listening to God to know what these things are, you might not do well.

            Isaiah 50: 10-11 (REV): “Who among you fears Yahweh? Who obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in the name of Yahweh and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with torches. Walk in the light of your fire and among the torches that you have kindled. You will have this of my hand: you will lie down in a place of torment.”  This tells us that even if we don’t see (like my father), we are to trust and rely on God (also like my father) and not ourselves.  If you rely on yourself, even if you think you’ve got it all together, you’re going to be painfully disappointed.

“Why was no one there when I came? When I called, why was there no one to answer?...”

I want to be there and I want to answer, because I can feel the pain, and I’ve already caused God enough pain.  What about you?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

(and some of these are very, very, serious questions that you should give deep thought to)

How can we better listen to God every day?

What opportunities did we have today to reflect God’s glory back upon His creation? Did we take them, or miss out?

PRAYER

Father God, help me to listen; to stop talking long enough to hear your voice, to shut out the clamoring of this world and to hear the words of the spirit that you are constantly whispering to me.  Help me to remember the instruction you give me in my dreams, and to pass the tests of my character when I slumber.  Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me, to your glory, and to the glory of your son.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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