It’s hunting season here in Ohio! All around the countryside, hunters are sneaking though the fields, climbing tree stands, and checking their trail cams. The deer are careful and on alert, listening and sniffing the air for the sign of trouble. Failure to sniff out the enemy can have deadly results for the hunted.
As Christians, we have to be on guard against temptations and situations that can cause us to fall away from the Lord God. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. Peter, in his letter to the Christians across Asia Minor (modern Turkey), has tried to encourage the believers to stand firm in the face of persecution. Instead of getting revenge or lashing out against people who have hurt us, Peter encourages us to rejoice in our sufferings and be thankful for the opportunity to do good to those who hurt us (1 Peter 3:8-12).
It is easy to want to strike back, to say something hurtful, or to defend ourselves. But God has a higher purpose in mind behind our suffering. He wants to shape and mold us into mature Christians. Sometimes, we have to endure hard times to allow that change towards maturity to occur. It is tempting to want to respond in kind to those who hurt us. We have to stand firm and resist the urge to take the bait!
Peter reminds the Christians that this is a sneaky trap, set by our enemy, the devil. We have to be on the alert, and watchful to avoid falling into the traps set by the enemy. Like deer trying to avoid the hunter, we avoid the traps of temptation by seeking to do God’s will. Peter asks us to be alert and sober minded. Resisting the temptation to lash out at our enemies or to hurt other people is not easy. But the more we resist, the easier it is to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. God wants us to trust Him. As we obey Him, He will “restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (NKJV)
Devotion by Merry Peterson (Canada)
Do you remember the Sunday school chorus you may have learned when you were young that went something like this: ‘O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see. There’s a father up above who is looking down in love. O be careful little eyes what you see.’ This simple song with several more verses served as a reminder to us that what we take into our minds and what we allow our bodies to do can either lead us in good directions or bad directions and that God was looking down on us lovingly wanting us to make the best choices for ourselves.
There are bad directions we can go in that cause us to become filthy before God both in our inner spiritual life and how we outwardly conduct ourselves. In this verse we, like those first Christian believers, are being encouraged to pursue holiness in a world that is full of temptations that bring filthiness before God. In Corinth idol worship, temple prostitution and general perversion was normal in that day – all things that would be part of everyday life and could be a temptation to take part in unless you were of the new Christian faith.
Unfortunately, we live in a similar kind of culture today but the temptations are different. Today virtual reality, artificial intelligence interactions, violent gaming, tik-tok influences the whole pandora’s box on the internet present the most daily temptations to succumb to filthiness instead of pursuing holiness. Don’t get me wrong – you are reading this on the internet so not everything is an invitation to filthiness – congratulations on choosing to view something that will encourage you to pursue holiness! The Corinthians, and we, are faced with the same challenge. To pursue holiness. What does holiness look like in body and spirit anyway? Glad you asked.
Holiness means to be set apart – to choose differently. Part of holiness is choosing to fill our hearts and minds with the things that will draw us closer to the Lord and to use our bodies in ways that would be pleasing and honoring to him. A good way to keep your mind focused to pursue holiness is to follow Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things.” If we follow this advice we are less likely to fall into the trap of allowing ourselves to become filthy before God in our thoughts and consequently our actions.
For Reflection:
Are there ways that I am allowing myself to be influenced towards pursuing filthiness before God instead of holiness? Are there habits that I should give up?
What plan can I put in place to help myself pursue choices that will help me to live a life that points towards holiness in choosing God’s best in my life?
Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 24, 2017, for Ezekiel 20-21.
In Ezekiel 20 God reviews Israel’s history. Over and over God provided for His people, over and over He warned them to get rid of their idols, keep His commands and observe His Sabbaths. Over and over Israel failed to obey God and experienced the consequences. Over and over God was compassionate and loving and forgave His people and restored them to blessings.
Israel has repeated this history again. They failed to get rid of idols, they failed to keep his commands and observe his Sabbaths, and now they were about to experience the consequences of their sins. God would once again treat them with mercy, not as their sins deserved and restore them to their land.
Ezekiel juxtaposes God’s promise to be merciful and restore His people with the threat that His judgment is coming and that both the evil and the good will be cut off from the land and the city and the temple. Yes, everyone will suffer the consequences of the evil behavior of some.
There is tension throughout Ezekiel. The wicked will suffer for their sins and the righteous will not suffer, except that at first they will suffer for the sins of others. Sometimes when God brings his judgment designed to bring people to repentance there is collateral damage. Good people suffer when bad people sin. It’s how it was then, it’s still how it is today. God’s salvation is coming, earth will one day be restored and made whole and good, but in the meantime, good people will suffer alongside the wicked. Christians are martyred in places like Pakistan and Syria. Christians sometimes suffer persecution in the United States. Trials may come to God’s people during times of judgment, but those who trust God and repent of their sins will be saved.
Reflection Questions
How often do we fall into the same cycle of disobedience that the Israelites followed for generations? What can be done to help break the cycle for you personally?
How does God’s mercy and justice coexist throughout Ezekiel and today?
What trials are you willing to persevere to avoid disobedience to God?
In Second Chronicles 22:10-12 we find the account of Jehosheba hiding her nephew, Prince Joash, when he was one year old so he is not murdered by his wicked grandmother after his father dies. Joash is hidden until he is seven years old when he becomes king, which will be included in some of next week’s readings. This is the kind of storyline we would typically find in fictional writings or movies.
Jehosheba is a hero of the Bible who saves a toddler from the evil schemes of a power-hungry authority. Consider how Moses was saved under Pharaoh’s reign, or Jesus during the time of King Herod. Even with this heroic act, we know little about Jehosheba. She was the daughter of King Jehoram and married the priest Jehoiada. These are two historical figures most people know little about. Her husband led a rebellion to instill the rightful heir of David to the throne in Jerusalem. Her father was so evil the Bible says that when he died it was to no one’s regret (2 Chron. 21:20).
I want us to consider this last fact, the daughter of a wicked king performed a righteous act that preserved the line of David. We all come from somewhere. I know some whose parents, although not perfect, may be considered by the Bible as ‘wise’ or ‘righteous’. They follow(ed) the ways of God and set a great example for their children. I am thankful that this is the experience I have. However, I also know some whose parents may be considered by the Bible as ‘foolish’ or ‘unrighteous’. They follow(ed) their own ways or the ways of the world, giving no regard to God, and setting a poor example for their children. This would have been the experience of Jehosheba. As she grew up she would have witnessed terrible things. It is very easy to follow the lead set for us by our parents.
As an adult, Jehosheba chose to do the right thing no matter the influence of others in her past. She made a choice to help rather than harm. She chose righteousness, not evil. It may be a challenge for us to move beyond the example set for us by others, even our parents, if that example was negative. However, we can see from the example of Jehosheba that we can do it. We can choose to help rather than harm. We can choose righteousness, not evil. Our past does not have to dictate how we choose to live today.
When we choose to do the right thing, it will often not look like saving a toddler from an evil Queen. This was Jehosheba’s heroic act, not ours. Sometimes our right action might be showing kindness to someone who hurts us. If our example in life has been returning an insult for an insult, then responding to an insult with kindness will be a great action! Sometimes our right action might be obeying the law, when others insist we break it. If our example in life has been disregard for authority and giving in to the pressures of bad influences, then responding with abiding the law and saying no to temptation will be a great action!
No matter our past, let’s look to Jehosheba as our heroic example!
-Michael Cisler
Reflection Questions
What other people from the Bible followed God more closely than their parents?
What are some of the ways in which they did this?
How could a person overcome some of the multi-generational dysfunctions that sometimes follow them into adulthood, and choose to live heroically instead?
But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites. Joshua 7:1 (NRSV)
As God promised, He led the Israelites to victory over Jericho. It is to be ransacked and destroyed, and there are to be none left alive, aside from Rahab and her family. There were specific items (gold, silver, etc.) that were taken from the rubble that were to be set aside and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord.
After this great blessing of victory, one would assume that everyone would honor the directives of God and be obedient to him, but alas, we’ve been here before. Despite God proving himself time and time again to be a God of his word, both in blessing and in punishment, this knucklehead named Achan decides to take a heap of these goods for himself, and he buries them underneath his tent.
The stuff is hidden, there was so much of it, no one is going to know. The only one that this affects is him, and he’s going to keep it a secret. Maybe, eventually, it will just seem like this is some of the swag that was received from the Egyptians as they sent their ancestors out of Egypt. I don’t know what exactly was going through Achan’s mind, but I’m sure we’ve all been there, deceiving ourselves, justifying the stupid decisions that we have made to disobey or to take something that we have no business possessing.
As I sit here, I am reminded of an instance where one of my brothers took something that did not belong to him. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 90s and I’m a little fuzzy on some of the peripheral details. But we get home after a trip to the grocery store (Bohning’s in Ponchatoula, LA, I believe), and we discover that my brother has in his possession a whistle pop. After further investigation, it is discovered that he has many of them; in fact, he has a FULL BOX of whistle pops. At some point while we were standing in the check-out line, he grabbed the box off the candy shelf and shoved it under his shirt or down his pants. Now, I’m assuming that my mom took him back to Bohning’s to return it, as had happened when other contraband candy items had “shown up” in our house.
Now, a 5-year-old is not going to get arrested for petty theft and is probably going to get some sort of punishment for their misbehavior, but that action did not just affect him. There is embarrassment when a parent brings their child in to cop to a misdeed, apologize, and return the uneaten contraband. The stakes are low in this situation, but the principle is there: sin and error do not just affect the perpetrator.
Israel is feeling a kind of high as their God has just handed their enemies to them, and they are going to press forward into the land. They go make military advances on Ai, but they are driven back; they do not experience deliverance against their enemies; they are driven back and several dozen of their comrades fall to the enemy.
How? Why? Why would God deliver them a fortress and then allow them to fall to a less powerful fortification?
Because sin doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Sin affects everything. You don’t have to sin against someone for them to be affected; there are plenty of indirect effects of sin. We don’t have to go into a laundry list of sins, but different sins can cause us to behave and think in certain ways that harm others. Sin can lead to anger. Sin can lead to spousal abuse or neglect. Sin can lead to broken relationships. Sin can lead to more and more sins being perpetrated. Sin can break hearts. Sin can put a wedge between a person and God, and I’m not talking about the person that sinned.
Achan’s sin caused God to be furious, and he withheld his blessing and protection from Israel. Achan’s misappropriation of riches, which had nothing to do with the battle against the people at Ai, led to the loss of a battle. The sin affected all of Israel. In this case, Achan lost his life because of his sin.
So, if there is unrepentant sin in our homes, in our churches, in our relationships, and our individual hiding places, we can expect that it is going to affect others in one way or another. Sin cannot be reconciled with good. Jesus died to free you from sin, not to free you to sin. Yes, sin is crouching at our door; your enemy, the devil, is on the prowl like a lion to devour you with temptation that leads to sin (1 Peter 5:8). But when we sin, we are not to try to justify it or explain it away. I’ve cited it already this week, but here it is again:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Achan confessed his sin, but the damage had been done. He waited till he had been found out and others had suffered extreme loss due to his actions.
When we fall short, it is best to confess quickly before it becomes a bigger mess in our lives and the lives of those we love (or don’t even know).
-JJ Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Why is it so easy to overlook God’s commands?
Is it difficult to read about the punishment for sin that is described in scripture? Does it lead you to a greater appreciation for the New Covenant in Christ’s blood?
What thoughts did you have on Achan’s sin as you read through today’s reading in Joshua 5-8?
Why is it easy to be blind to the way that our sin affects others?
“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.” — Isaiah 33:22 NIV
Hate is a strong word. I tend to avoid using it because it feels so absolute. There’s no wiggle room for love when you use the word hate. Sure, I don’t love waiting in the drive thru of McDonald’s for half an hour when I only ordered a large number 7 with a Diet Coke, but I do love listening to Spotify. In thirty minutes I can listen to maybe ten songs, and those ten streams made the lucky artist approximately $0.04! It’s all about perspective… (I was not lovin’ it)
Verse 13 in Psalm 119 makes two things absolutely clear, “I hate double-minded people, but I love your law.” I put the reference to Isaiah at the top of this post because today’s selection of poetry calls to mind one of the titles we use to address God: the Judge. Lawful diction is used throughout the passage with words like statutes, decrees, and commands. We are reminded that our God is a just one, so imagine the blessings in store for us if we keep on choosing to honor the laws he laid out for our life.
If that doesn’t light a fire under you, then I recommend rereading the end of the selection, which states, “You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their delusions come to nothing. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.” (Psalm 119: 118-120 NIV)
There are two sides on the coin of justice. I don’t always know which side my decisions land on but I know that I don’t want to be rejected by Him, so it’s important to continue studying Scripture and to develop a relationship with the Lord. Then we can stop relying on probability, flipping a coin with every choice, and just rest in his sustaining power.
— Austin Kizer
Reflection Questions
Are there areas of your life that have “wiggle room” for more of the Lord? Consider how you can invite God into those moments and listen for Him.
It’s easy to focus on our wrongdoings, so ponder and celebrate times you felt like you brought honor to God. How are you honoring the Lord on a daily basis?
What “evildoers” do you need to stay away from? How are you keeping up your shield and taking refuge in Him?
I love looking at my children and seeing which traits of theirs are mine and which are my husband’s. My eldest is my miniature, with her blue eyes and wavy brown hair. She also has all my attitude, but also my creative flair. My second has her father’s eyes and coloring and his gentle spirit. And our son…I’m not sure if either of us were ever that mischievous, but I think we can both claim his cleverness.
What a beautiful thing to be recognized as God’s child, though. 1 John 3 starts out with this proclamation. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” He claims us as his own, and loves when people recognize us as being children of God. And who can recognize us as such? Only those who know the Father as well.
Those who know me well, can likely look at my children and see that they belong to me. They recognize characteristics. But those that don’t know me? It’s not so obvious. And that is why the world does not understand us. If the world doesn’t know God, it won’t recognize God’s traits in us.
This chapter speaks a great deal on sin and how we must turn from it. It speaks on love and hate. But my favorite part of this passage is the promise that it offers, right off the bat. Verse 2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
One day, we will be without sin. One day, our relationship to God will be obvious. We will look like his son, Jesus Christ our savior. Everyone will see the resemblance. But until that time, we struggle against sin and imperfection. Verse 9 tells us, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”
The world is looking at us, Christians. They are seeing us proclaim to be children of God, followers of Christ, and they are suspicious. If they don’t know God, they won’t recognize our conviction and our faith. But they recognize sin as we all do. And they see when we proclaim to follow God but refuse to turn from our sin. They see when we don’t love. They see when we are spiteful, or petty, or cruel. They see when we say “Love your neighbor” but do not carry out the actions. They see selfishness, pride, and haughtiness. These traits are fully recognizable as worldly traits.
The world may not always understand true, Godly love, but we are to show it anyway so that others can see glimpses of God’s love for them. It is his great desire that we all be his children, and that one day, at Christ’s return, we are all made pure and fully known as Children of God.
Reflection Questions:
What traits do you show that you hope others see as Godly traits? Which areas in your actions and attitude do you feel you need to work on so that others better recognize you as God’s child?
How can you better love those around you? Is there someone in your life right now that frustrates or hurts you that you find difficult to love and be kind towards? Read through verses 21-23 and pray now for some extra strength and grace from God to be more loving toward them, so that they can see God in you.
Praying over you this week, my brothers and sisters. I’m so grateful to be a part of God’s chosen family with you.
Have you ever spoken without thinking and hurt someone as a result? Maybe you have seen this object lesson before, but think of a tube of toothpaste. It is really easy to squeeze the toothpaste out (my kids are happy to do so in excess if they make it to the counter before me). But once it is out, it is incredibly difficult, time consuming, and messy to get that toothpaste back in. Once you speak, you can’t take your words back. You can apologize, but that doesn’t change the fact of what you said.
How quickly do you become angry? I like verse 20 which gives us a reason why we should be slow to become angry – “for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
It is easy to get angry, to speak rudely, to interrupt others’ speech. But these things do not help us to live the life God wants us to. It might make us feel better for a second to have an outburst, but usually, we feel worse afterwards and it has done nothing to improve our lives.
But how do we go about avoiding this temptation that is easy to slide into?
“get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
In a small group I was a part of in the spring, there was an idea that kept coming up from discussing the sermons – if you aren’t producing good fruit in your life, take a look – are you letting sin have a hold in your life? We have to be constantly on the lookout for where sin seeps in and push it out in order that our fruit can show.
Verse 22 – “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says[!]” You have to act. It is great to go to church, listen to sermons, classes, read the Bible on your own, etc. All great things. But if all you do is listen, it isn’t going to make a difference. You need to actively push the sin out of your life and pursue the good.
To circle back to the beginning of this section, here is what James writes in verse 26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
That is strong language! Do you thing about your words having such an impact as to make your religion worthless if you do not control your tongue?
Think about your speech – do you need to work on controlling what you say? Is there speech you need to ask for forgiveness for? Is there speech you need to forgive someone else for? What moral filth do you need to get rid of in your life in order to be able to accept God’s word?
Silence has value. In the words of Thumper “if ya can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”
~Stephanie Fletcher
Reflection Questions
Do you thing about your words having such an impact as to make your religion worthless if you do not control your tongue? When might you have questioned someone else’s religion because of what they said? When was the worth of your own religion decreased due to what you said?
Think about your speech – do you need to work on controlling what you say? Is there speech you need to ask for forgiveness for? Is there speech you need to forgive someone else for?
What moral filth do you need to get rid of in your life in order to be able to accept God’s word?
Sometime in the Advent season, my family gathers round and we read out these words. There is a familiarity to this “scary ghost story”; who hasn’t seen, or watched, or read, or heard some version of *A Christmas Carol*. There are dozens, scores, of different versions: stages plays, to ballets, to movies, to the MUPPETS. Seriously, if you haven’t seen a Muppet’s Christmas Carol, what are you doing in the Holiday season?
As I was saying, my family reads these words every year, and I particularly love Dickens’s dry humor and wit, which is somewhat lessened by the theatrical productions of his creation.
But he also makes very clear why he begins his illustrious novel with a death of a character we know nothing about : “The mention of Marley’s Funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”
It is in the exact same vein that the author of 1 Samuel 28 reminds us, “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.” We already knew that from 25:1, but the author wants to be really sure. Absolutely positive that we get it.
Saul is going to attack the Philistines but the Lord doesn’t answer him. And so Saul, in stupidity and desperation, decides to go to Endor, looking for a witch. The witch, in fear and trepidation, speaks as and for Samuel whom she “brought up”. Up from the dead, speaking to Saul. “Samuel was dead to begin with.” This was a big deal. This was massive. We are expecting something wonderful, or maybe in this case, something awful to come of the story which the author is going to relate.
There are some great questions that come to mind when we read this story (see below), but I want us to pick up on what Samuel says to Saul : “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?”
When Saul drags him up, Samuel says “What do you want me to do about it?” Like I said, I expected wonderful or awful; I did not expect grumpy and sassy.
Sometimes, when we find ourselves in sin, and our lives start going poorly, we think, in stupidity and desperation, “more sin will fix this.” Of course, we never say those exact words. Saul didn’t either, but he also didn’t listen to the commands of the Lord. A little compromise here, a little not following the will of God there. “I didn’t kill the sheep so they could be sacrificed!” God stops listening to his prayers, and so he turns his inward sin of rebellion into the outward sin of divination. He does fulfill the prophecy of Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:23.
We tend to do the same. We tell a lie, and to cover up that lie we have to tell more. (Like Junior Asparagus covering up breaking the Art Bigotti Plate.) Instead of dealing with our lust and desires of the flesh head on, we heap false prophecy onto it and say “God told me we should be together.” We lump pride onto sloth: “Sure I was mentally checked out when I was physically clocked in on the job, but I just need some self care. I deserve it! Treat yo self!”
You might think the words used (pride, sloth, lust) in those examples (“stuff that everybody does”) is a bit extreme. Maybe, but sin is usually insidious. Saul didn’t start off thinking he was going to be cavorting with witches in the middle of the night. David didn’t think that avoiding his duty of going to war would end up with him murdering his companion.
Maybe, through you reading the story, you can begin to see that nothing good comes from heaping one sin on top of another. If you find yourself walking down the road of sin, I know how hard it is to change; still, confess your sins, seek the help of pastors and friends who want the best for you, change your ways. Only in turning from sin to the God who wants the best for us will we be able to seek his forgiveness, and not find him as an enemy, but relate to him as a Father who loves his children. Christ will empower us, advocate for us, give us his spirit and put us in a place where God can change us and bless us.
“And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!”
-Jake Ballard
Reflection Questions
Do you need to confess and stop sinning?: Start off by focusing on the thrust of the devotion; are there any sins in your life that need confession? Where you need help to get out of addictive patterns or habits that are hard to break? Stop the sin as soon as possible so the healing can begin. Only then should we think about the rest of these questions.
Did the magic work?: I have heard some people say the witch was scared *because the magic worked.* As in, she wasn’t expecting a real appearing. But the text indicates that she was scared because she recognized Saul while doing her magic. Saul had killed all the diviners. Why was she scared? The ancient people believed magic worked : The witch in Endor, like the slave girl of Acts 16, make us ask do *we* believe that magic works? Should we be more afraid of participating in the occult and magic than merely saying “that’s make believe”?
Are ghosts real?: Samuel seems to be a ghost. Are ghosts real? What is the Biblical picture of the afterlife? Jesus compared it to sleep, Ecclesiastes talks about the dead knowing nothing and not praising God, but the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. Does the Bible teach that people can become ghosts? If it doesn’t (and I think it doesn’t), then why did the disciples think people could become ghosts?
Coming *up*?: Where was Samuel coming from? It says Samuel was coming up? If the dead keep on living, we should expect him coming down out of heaven; Samuel seems grumpy, like a man awoken untimely from his sleep. What did the Israelites believe about Sheol?
If you’re like me, that is, *if you are human*, then you have made mistakes. Some of those mistakes are major; not just a small white lie, but sins that harm others and put us out of sync with God. Sometimes, when we make those big sins, we feel like God could never forgive us, could never love us. The words of Samuel to the Israelites from the end of 1 Samuel 12 should give us hope in those moments.
“Do not fear.” “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31), and we should not excuse the sins we commit. The first command given to the Israelites is to not let fear make them flee from the Lord. Instead, we should listen more closely to God than ever. If we recognize our sin, we also recognize that God’s ways are higher than our own, and his ways are better than the ways of the world. If we flee from God, we turn toward things that cannot give us hope, cannot give us a future, cannot redeem us. As Samuel says, they cannot profit or deliver. They are futile.
This all seems very good. “Maybe our sin wasn’t so bad”… we might say, foolishly. God does not ignore your sin because he is ignorant of it, or because he doesn’t care. Instead, “God will not abandon His people *on account of His great name*.” God has chosen a people to be his own possession. In the ancient world, it was Israel, those who were born from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, children of the promise. Today, he has also chosen a people, also those born according to a promise, but now, it is all who have a faith like Abraham’s, who trust God like Isaac, who believe and wrestle with the Lord like Jacob, those who choose to trust in the final and ultimate descendant of the Patriarchs, Jesus Christ. God has made you a part of his people when you trusted in Jesus. Now, the reality is that we are not merely performing the law, but the law of God has been enacted in the life of Jesus, and by connecting with him, we both enact the law and go beyond it to the truth Christ taught! Christ taught us the truth of God, Christ showed us the life that God wants us to live, Christ died so that we might have life. “Consider the great things the Lord has done for you.” It is now more true than ever. Our sin was nailed to the cross with Christ. It was so terrible it cost Christ everything and he willingly paid it all.
We are called to avoid sin, and we are warned by Christ himself that if we live wicked lives, his words will judge us in the last day. But now, if we do sin, we do not need to fear because we have an advocate who loves us, who gives us a spirit who can change us from the inside out, so we might stop sinning and stop desiring to sin. That is the glory and the power of living in the age of grace, of living in the shadow of the cross.
“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”
And so, this day and every day, may you be blessed as you “Seek, Grow, Love”. Far be it from me to cease praying for you!
-Jake Ballard
Reflection Questions
Do Not Fear: We are commanded “do not fear” again and again in scripture. We are even told that perfect love drives out fear. But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Moreover, Jesus did not encourage his disciples out of their fear when they were in awe and terrified when the winds and waves obey him. With all those confusing passages in mind, what is the Christian relationship with fear? What should we fear? What should we not fear?
Consider the great things the Lord has done for you: Make a list throughout the day today of all the blessings that God has given you. What are the big, great amazing things, and what are the small, everyday good. Consider them all and see that the Lord is good.
Far be it from me…: Would you take the next few minutes, and pray earnestly, for those who are reading Seek Grow Love. Pray for the blessings of God to be upon them. Amen.
Seek Grow Love 