When I first started reading my Bible regularly as a teenager, my youth pastor suggested reading a Proverb each day because they were full of wisdom and you can read one for each day of the month. Years later, I heard my pastor at the time, John Railton, suggest the same to his church. I have implemented that strategy intermittently over the years, and while I don’t do it every month, I have come to learn that the book of Proverbs is a terrific source of reading for wisdom/comfort/practical teachings. I would definitely recommend reading words from “wise King Solomon” to anyone! And, no matter how many times I read them, I still find new lessons and comforts.
Just this week I was reading Proverbs 3, and found a few of them to be very relevant with what I had read a few minutes before in the current events of this world! In fact, if there is one thing that makes me realize how much I need to read the Bible more, it is reading the news these days. So, in case a few words of wisdom that brightened my day brightens yours, here goes. And there are lots more where these came from. Smack dab in the middle of your Bible. Or under “P” in your trusty Bible app.
Proverbs 3:5-7
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
And a few more wise words of comfort, verses 21-26
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, 26 for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
If you had told me as a youth, when I was attending FUEL, that there would be these little boxes you held and talked to and they could tell you anything, connect you to anyone, and navigate/track you anywhere, I would have thought that sounded as futuristic as the Jetsons. Yeah, I remember the Jetsons. On our little black and white antenna TV that required you walking over to turn the knob to channels A, B, D, and some numbers too I think.
If there is one thing that has changed the world over its history, it has been technological developments! I remember my Great Grandma, who died at 103 in Oregon, Illinois, telling us that when she was a child there were still wars going on with the American Indians over land and people rode horses to church…. and by the end of her life, people were flying across the world, driving cars with all sorts of gizmos and gadgets, and going into space. My family was really impressed to hear what had changed in her century. But, change has always been a part of life and always will be- just like Ecclesiastes tells us. Despite the advancements she saw, she never knew what a cell phone or the internet was, but when we went to visit her we didn’t bring work, Zoom meetings, social media, texts or ask her to take a selfie with us. She would have undoubtedly been fascinated with our magic screens and boxes and always loved to hear about current events. But, I think there is a very good chance if she told me them today amidst the stream of visual/auditory distractions and demands that are in front of me, I wouldn’t have truly heard them enough to remember them 30 years later.
There are pros and cons to technology and our culture/work/schools are built on technology which I am sure will continue to increase between now and Jesus’s return. Technology isn’t inherently bad and I am grateful for many aspects of it. You are obviously reading this on some sort of device yourself. But, until the kingdom, we know there will continue to be deceit and intentional battles to draw us away from God and to the world, and those wars seem to be running rampant in our little magic screens and virtual worlds. We live amidst crafty deceivers. Enticing distractions. Ones sometimes masquerading as “neutral” when they are anything but, and instead are very effective at destroying spiritual minds and health.
As an occupational therapist, part of my job is working with children with sensory processing challenges. They are absolutely exploding in frequency, and the screen addictions, visual problems, learning/attention problems, and social/mental health challenges associated with too much technology/screen time are very very real. I am reading the book “12 ways your phone is changing you” by Tony Reinke and learned that the average American checks his/her phone every 4 minutes. How often does the average American pray? Does the “average American” even pray? How often does the average follower of Christ spend time with God? Even think of God at all? The list of convicting questions could go on and on. As technology and culture continue to change, we have one source of constancy we are asked to hold onto. That can be very hard. I don’t have the solution, but God does. And we can be thankful that He never changes and doesn’t require an IT department to access.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16
-Jennifer Hall
If you’ve been working on the SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan this year – keep it up! You can read or listen to today’s Bible reading passages at BibleGateway here – Job 15-16 and 2 Corinthians 9
Earlier this week we read about the importance of being set apart from the world as a follower of Christ. To be called out. Sometimes at work, I get “called out” of a meeting to talk to someone. Sometimes I help patients of mine by intentionally setting him/her apart from other distractions to complete a task. Since I work at a hospital, I frequently go to the waiting room to call out a name, asking that person to stand up and separate from the others to come with me. Depending on your contexts in life, being called out or set apart might bring that visual of being alone or isolated from others. Maybe sometimes that might sound nice? For sure at other times, that can sound scary and undesirable.
While we are asked to be set apart from the world in the spiritual sense, we are not created to live, love, worship, and serve in isolation. In fact, 2020 shed some light into the devastations that can be caused by being set apart….alone. That isn’t what Jesus was talking about. The Greek word most frequently translated as church in our Bible is “ekklesia” which means the idea of an assembly of called out people. The church is called to be set apart from the world. Since our English language often associates the word “church” with building and not the group of people, it is easy to overlook the meaning of the importance of our calling sometimes. In the New Testament we see a group of people called out from the world…..TO GOD. A group asked to be set apart together.
Ephesians 3:16-21:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
He calls us out to love one another. To be mindful of other’s needs and meet them. To edify one another. To be unified. To bring glory to God and Jesus in what we do as an ekklesia. To come together in prayer. To find strength and function as one member of a greater body.
As we navigate another season of viruses and news stories laden with fear and confusion, let us not do it alone. And let us also not find our church families looking and sounding just like the world. Instead, let us actively seek to be set apart from the world following Jesus in our own individual lives, to find the planks in our own eye, so we can best build up the ekklesia as we await the return of His son.
We are the church.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:20
-Jennifer Hall
This week the devotions are on other passages reminding us of the importance of of being connected to God, Christ and the church, but if you are using the SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan keep enjoying the daily passages. They can be read or listened to here at BibleGateway – Job 13-14 and 2 Corinthians 8
John 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes [a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
One of my favorite things about summer is the chance to have a garden and watch seeds grow from tiny seeds into plants taller than me sometimes. This summer I planted a spaghetti squash seed for the first time. The tiny seed I planted in the spring has now become a huge plant, growing into a vine so big that it keeps spreading into the neighbor’s yard and crowding many of my other plants. At first I tried to wind it around our fence to keep it climbing there, but that vine continued to spread and really wanted to bear fruit next door too! It has forced me to really watch to see which branches have the flowers turning to fruit and which do not so that I can determine which to remove.
The branches I cut off are tossed away, turning brown and withering very quickly. While I have removed many branches and seen withered plants over the years, this particular squash plant has been so prolific with fruit (which not everyone in my household is thrilled about!) and grown into such a large vine, it has really been a good practical lesson for me regarding this passage.
Fruit doesn’t grow unless it is attached to the vine. But, flowers/branches attached to the vine can grow bigger and bigger producing exponentially more seeds than I started with in April. It is clear from the book of John that is true of us also. It is a nice picture really, but one we should take seriously considering what happens to the branches in verse 6. God is the perfect creator and gardener. He knew we couldn’t bear fruit alone and sent His son, Jesus, to be our mediator and through his sacrifice and forgiveness we are able to have a relationship with God and bear fruit for His glory. To bear fruit we must remain on the vine. If you read further in John 15 you will see some descriptions of what remaining in the vine involves. Keeping the commands of Jesus, laying down our lives for other followers of Jesus, and loving one another as we have been loved.
But, we aren’t asked to do it alone. We are asked to bear fruit alongside other believers growing in love and obedience to Jesus together. And we aren’t told to do it just so we aren’t cast away and die. In fact, we are appointed to do it “so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (v.11)”. God’s master gardener plan is to bring us joy, and that can be found nowhere but in Him.
-Jennifer Hall
Even when the devotions are on other great passages – you can keep on reading through the Bible plan – read or listen to today’s passages at BibleGateway.com – Job 9-10 and 2 Corinthians 6.
Yesterday, we began to read the book of Esther. Let’s quickly summarize what happened in the first couple of chapters to bring us up to speed for today’s reading:
Chapter 1: King Xerxes, King of Persia, is having a pretty awesome party. He is serving up an endless buffet with unlimited refills. He has a few too many refills and calls for his wife, Vashti, because he wants to look at her. She refuses. He consults with his friends (who might have had a few too many as well),and they decide to execute her as an example to prevent disrespect throughout the kingdom. Buzzkill. Proclamation in Caveman Voice: Men Strong. Women Weak.
Chapter 2: King Xerxes decides it is time for a new queen. Hmm. What’s a good way to pick my next wife? Personality. No. Virtuous qualities? No. Oh! Beauty contest. Proclamation in Caveman Voice: Send Pretty Women. Enter Esther – fits the bill. Also, she’s Jewish, although Xerxes doesn’t know, doesn’t care because that doesn’t affect her looks. Another party. Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, uncovers a plot to assassinate Xerxes. Mordecai tells Esther who tells Xerxes. Esther trusted. Mordecai trusted. Conspirators impaled.
Have your plot uncovered and being impaled? Unfortunate. But having the car ahead of me pay for my weekly McDonalds run? Being seated in the section at the ballpark that receives a free loaf of bread? Sitting down at a restaurant and having a meal served on the house? All of this, and more, has happened to me. I’m a pretty lucky guy. It seems that I find myself at the right place, the right time. It’s either that or people just really think that I need food. Being in the correct location at a critical moment is important. Ask anyone who has ever been late for an interview, or ended up at the wrong Starbucks. But in many circumstances, those two factors are simply not enough. An equally important prerequisite that isn’t always taken into account (and makes the expression way too long like in the title) is the right action. Many times you must DO something in order to take advantage of the golden opportunity that is being presented. Just existing in a place or a moment isn’t enough.
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:12-14
Christians are already in some of the prime real estate for evangelizing. Christians are in schools. Christians are in workplaces. Christians are on TV and radio. They make TikToks and podcasts. I would say that for most of us, we err on the side of being in the world a little more than not. Having a presence in each of these locations, at this time in history, is not in itself a bad thing. In a caveman voice: School good. Work good. TikTok, umn, me no say. But when you sit on your hands and let the world continue to spin in the same way it always has, then you are in the midst of the right location, the right time, but the wrong action. Simply being an elevated, passive Jew in the kingdom of Persia was not going to save her people from being put to death. Xerxes, didn’t even know. Being a passive Christian in the same manner is equally reckless. They may not even know. THEY. MAY. NOT. EVEN. KNOW. This is most definitely the correct time. Heed Mordecai’s warning. You MUST become an influencer, not in a manner that will get you more clout or draw attention to yourself, but in a manner that draws attention to God. You most definitely were made for a time such as this.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light…Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. – 1 Peter 2: 9,12
–Aaron Winner
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here –Esther 3-4 and 1 Corinthians 14
The simplest truth about human relationships is that if we just loved one another a bit more, we would have fewer problems. I know, it is a bit cliche, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Our focus would be consistently outward. We would be ready to listen and meet the needs of others. God has made it pretty clear that the most hardened heart can soften by showing the quality that embodies who He is, yet it is a weapon we often leave unwelded. We often list our harshness or judgements under the guise of “tough love”, and this may or may not be true on a case-by-case basis. However, we must stick closely to the prescribed path in 1 Corinthians 13. It actually might be simpler to love “toughly”, but if you simply write people off, or find a way to punish them, or speak your mind without backing it up with the many other qualities listed here, you are a hollow box and a lot of noise. What’s tough love, really tough love, is to love someone who isn’t concerned in the slightest with being like God at the moment, or even ever. Love never fails. So you must love. You absolutely must. And your love must be like God’s love. Below I reworded one of the most famous passages of scriptures (v.4-7) that coincides with our reading and, most likely, one of the last handful of weddings you attended. My goal isn’t to add to the list, only to reword it to give it novelty in hopes to make it challenging or convicting instead of a rehearsal of familiar words. If it helps tune your mind to God’s love, wonderful. If it is a confusing mess, don’t read it. My concern is that you know loving is tough, especially those whose actions betray your love. That shouldn’t stop you. But THAT is tough love. And THAT is what God shows to each one of us on the daily.
For God to come in and change the “unlovable” (mind you, this can be and has been you), you must sit and listen. Listen to their problems and hear them say what they think, even if you don’t agree. You have to include them, share with them, and treat them with dignity, even if they are not concerned in the slightest about having any. To love, you have to let others be great and cheer them on. Sometimes this means the spotlight will come off of you, or you are treated as less important. If you are loving, you’re not concerned with that, because in love, others come first. Love holds back the insults, name-calling, and doesn’t attack a person made in the image of God. True love can be shown without expecting anything in return and can be left unreciprocated. On rare occasions, you can have angry love. You can be mad at someone because they are doing some serious sin damage to others or even him/herself. But you don’t start there. You don’t live there. You are truthful with someone, because lying is not loving. But you retreat quickly from the fight, and fill the space with mercy, more patience, and more kindness. That means love is forgiveness, and not holding grudges. We can love those who have wronged us. We can love those who have besmirched our reputation, injured our family through carelessness, or hate us because of our beliefs. We may know their wrong to us as a historical account, but not as an emotional one, and we thank God we have an opportunity to show love to them in such a way. In fact, loving like God means that you would actually stand-up for this person who has done you the greatest harm. Loving someone means that you are trusting without “but.” And that can be so hard. But trusting in God first and foremost allows you to do that. Believe in people. Never give up on people. Much easier said than done. It’s tough. So tough. But don’t let it stop you from trying. Your efforts are to help others see God, and they will know His love because it has been extended to and shown through you.
-Aaron Winner
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here –Esther 1-2 and 1 Corinthians 13
When we think of the ear, we most likely are thinking about those lumpy, peculiar bits of cartilage just on the outside of our head. While their shape helps us to ping the location of the sound, the majority of the work is being done on the inside. The eardrum is vibrating, creating the analog beating that is then turned to electronic impulses that our brain interprets. But even just beyond the eardrum, there is great work happening that is equally important to the overall function and health of the body, although this is assuming you are not hearing alarming noises at the present. Enter the eustachian tube. It is the gravity-driven country road between the other side of your ear and the top of your throat. This little pathway is responsible for a couple of very key functions, which you may never be aware of if all is going according to plan. It sends any junk the ear makes down and out. It prevents bacteria and any other intruders from creeping up. But finally, its primary function might just sweep you off your feet, literally. The regulation of gas and pressure behind our eardrum is important to hearing, but even more important to balance. If this is the slightest bit off, we may be experiencing a case of vertigo, an internal roller coaster that never leaves the station. The room will spin. Sweat forms on our brow. Our eyes jitter. Our head pounds. Nausea fills our belly until our body cannot take it any longer and we “blow chunks” as one might put it more indelicately. Oh, and yes, you may lose your hearing too. All because a space less than a quarter of a square inch doesn’t have the right amount of pressurized gas.
In Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks of the ear, but also hands, feet, and eyes. The metaphors for the functions of each part of our body are endless. Physically, we can “survive” without some parts, but we recognize that functioning as a whole is disabled because something, or to Paul’s analogy, someone, is missing. While it may be more obvious when a man or woman is missing an eye or a digit, it is equally important to recognize when we are missing the kidneys and a liver which are removing the poison, or the amygdala which is controlling our rage and lashing out, and yes, the eustachian tube which is providing a steady balance. These parts are easily overlooked, and many times, the people fulfilling these roles are not only disregarded, but are themselves unaware they are doing them. These aren’t the folks performing miracles, preaching in the street, or speaking in tongues. These are the ones who watchfully discern, the ones who are unflinchingly faithful, who make and show perfect peace, and those who have an infinite amount of helping hands to extend. These are of special modesty, but of equal concern (v.25).
“But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18
Now, for the bit with application. We often give much love to the “showier” bits. Those who take on a responsibility during a worship service or teach a class, but for a moment, think about the hidden parts among your church body. Who stands watch (physically or emotionally) at the door of your church? Who finds a way to create harmony between a foot and a hand vying for the same attention? Who shares their faith when doubt is beginning to spread among the believers? It is time to take notice. To recognize. Find a way to show this part of the body some love today. A call, a text, a card, a small token, or a chore done. It is a very important bit of “self” care. Chances are they will be modest. They will say they aren’t really doing anything important. The truth is, they might be the very part keeping the church on their feet, preventing potential headaches, heading off a building rejection of the stomach, or simply lending a listening ear. If they suffer, so do we, BUT if they rejoice, so do we. We absolutely need all the parts to be the church we are called to be.
“On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.” – 1 Corinthians 12:22-24a
Everyone needs compassion. Our gracious God, the ultimate source of love and mercy, readily extends compassion to us when we face the great challenges in our life. But it doesn’t stop there. God is not “deservingly” showing compassion to us because we have made sacrifices for his namesake. He overwhelms us with compassion when we deserve it the least. When our ears have been deaf to his calling, when our back has been turned, when our eyes are glistening with selfish pride, that is when he is most compassionate. It is pretty simple: life is best lived in and by the design of God. Anything else is to be pitied. But we do not serve a God of overwhelming pity. He doesn’t stop at, “man, that stinks, wish you would have made some better choices there, bud.” He picks us up in our filth, gives us the full concentration of his blessings, and turns our feet back on the path that leads to him. Over and over again. Undeservedly. In today’s reading, we get a quick lesson in the history of compassion of Israel from Abraham to Nehemiah. Draw some (rather easy) parallels to your own life as your study this account of the rich mercies of God.
“But they, our ancestors, were arrogant; bullheaded, they wouldn’t obey your commands. They turned a deaf ear, they refused to remember the miracles you had done for them;…And you, a forgiving God, gracious andcompassionate, Incredibly patient, with tons of love – you didn’t dump them.” – Nehemiah 9:16 MSG
God still has compassion for you, even after you have been arrogant. You can attempt to go it alone. God doesn’t give up that easily. When the miracles no longer come, when the blessing subside, and you decide to turn back, he doesn’t merely say, “told you so.” He says “turn around, I’m still here.”
“Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calf and said, “This is your god Who brought you out of Egypt,” and continued from bad to worse, You in your amazingcompassion didn’t walk off and leave them in the desert.” – Nehemiah 9:18 MSG
God still has compassion for you, even when you don’t give him credit. Oh, how we like to take credit. How scorned are we when we don’t get the little credit due to us? And we haven’t really done anything. It would be simple enough to say, “Good luck in the desert by yourself,” yet God hears the cries of his people and comes rushing in to, again, fight the battles.
But then they mutinied, rebelled against you, threw out your laws and killed your prophets, the very prophets who tried to get them back on your side— and then things went from bad to worse. And in keeping with your bottomless compassion you gave them saviors: saviors who saved them from the cruel abuse of their enemies. – Nehemiah 9:27
God still has compassion for you, even when you stab him in the back. That’s right, literal stabbing of prophets delivering the word of God. Maybe you are not guilty of such a crime, but openly denying the word of God delivered to you in your life is an equal abuse of the Word of God. That’s pretty much what sin is. But guess what? Those who openly and defiantly deny the gospel, receive sanctification and redemption through Jesus Christ if they make him the Lord and Savior of their life. Your confession is never rejected, if done so from the heart.
But as soon as they had it easy again they were right back at it—more evil. So you turned away and left them again to their fate, to the enemies who came right back. They cried out to you again; in your great compassion you heard and helped them again.
This went on over and over and over. They turned their backs on you and didn’t listen. – Nehemiah 9: 28, 29 MSG
God still has compassion for you when you return right back to your sin. That’s right, we are almost cartoonish in our behavior sometimes. Do the sin. Ask for forgiveness. <5 min later> Do the sin. Ask forgiveness. Thankfully, we have a God of infinite mercies, BUT as Paul says our goal is not to exhaust the grace of God. If you haven’t figured it out, somewhere in our sinful nature is the habit to turn back to sin, but we must try to actively stop or flee from it. God is unfatigued with extending his compassions if we truly seek him through repentance.
You put up with them year after year and warned them by your spirit through your prophets; But when they refused to listen you abandoned them to foreigners. Still, because of your great compassion, you didn’t make a total end to them. You didn’t walk out and leave them for good; yes, you are a God of grace and compassion. – Nehemiah 9:30,31 MSG
If you’re reading this, God still has compassion for you. You are not abandoned. It may feel foreign because you have pitched a tent outside the wall, but there is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Maybe you’re seemingly satisfied to be out there for now. Man, that’s awful. You will not receive even the pity of men if this is where you stand. But God looks compassionately upon you, and leaves the gate open, giving every opportunity to be a part of his grace, love, forgiveness and hope. There is a time limit though, an end game. Once you stop breathing, it’s over. There are no guarantees when this will be. An even more compelling argument than “no guarantees” is every moment you are not living in the presence of God, you walk around heavily burdened with sin, guilt, doubt, and shame because you don’t know His compassion. He will take it all from you and cast it as far as the east is from the west. Stop. Turn. Cry. Listen. Let go. It is time to let His compassion overwhelm you.
Nehemiah’s vision is complete. The wall of Jerusalem has been repaired and the Jews reestablished their home, yet there is much to contemplate. It would be easy to focus on what isn’t present at this moment. Generations have passed away in captivity and exile, to close their eyes in death as slaves. The present state of a skeletal city is a reminder that there is still so much work left to do to bring Israel to its former glory. There are fears of the future and the foes taking camp around a city that is trying to put itself back on the map. Instead of being driven by doubt, regret, or worry, Nehemiah and the priest of Israel establish the completion of the wall as a time to celebrate the return of God’s people.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
As God’s timing would have it, the completion of the wall shared a seam with the Festival of Tabernacles of the Feast of Booths and the words shared from the Laws of Moses. You may be familiar with this week-long celebration from your earlier reading this year, but this might be a good time to summarize the origin and purpose of this festival. God had redeemed his people, the Hebrews, out of enslavement in Egypt. He did this through sending a series of plagues to Egypt, parting the Red Sea, and giving his commandments. There were a few bumps in the road. The Jews spent a great deal of time wandering in the desert because of their lack of faith and disobedience, yet he remained with them wherever they were, and he still blessed them with receiving the Promised Land, the very place where Nehemiah and those who followed him out of exile had returned.
We don’t serve a God who is solely responsible for the harvest. We don’t serve a God who is solely responsible for the rain. We serve a God who works in the harvest, and works in the rain, but also works on the days that are in between. We may endure a great deal of prosperity or adversity, but ultimately, we take count of the blessings and realize that compared to eternity and the Kingdom of God, we are just living in booths, moving, temporary structures built from our feeble attempts to gather a few sticks or a few bricks. After a long journey, we may seek to call it home, but it won’t be, right? It is only a place to eat a few meals and get some rest until we no longer want it, it is destroyed by the elements, or someone else is enjoying it because we are pushing up daisies.
The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. – Nehemiah 8:17,18a
Therefore our home as we wait is not established in a certain location, but is rooted in the Word of God – in our Savior Christ Jesus, The Word and Cornerstone. Additionally, His Word, is the saving knowledge of the Gospel testified to by the Living Word, that is meant to be shared with all, especially those who have not prepared (v.10). The harvest has not yet come, so we could be freshly stepping out of captivity, like the Hebrew or those returning from Babylon. If this be the case, there is a lot to do to ensure our initial success – like create some solid boundaries. Maybe we feel as though we are in exile, we are a far cry from the person who was once called Christian. Listen to God’s calling. Recognize his blessings. There is a promised land, even for those who wander (and truly, only for those who wander). No matter the season, God is there, and the greatest of harvest is coming soon. Enjoy this spectacular vista from the shack of your (but really, God’s) choice.
-Aaron Winner
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Nehemiah 7-8 and 1 Corinthians 10
Just like many of you, the familiar John Williams Olympic anthem, “Daaa…Daaa…Da. Da. Da. Da.” has already rang through my ears a handful of times as I watched the opening of the summer Olympic games. It has always marked anticipation, but more so this year, an end to a long sigh created by the indefinite postponement of the Tokyo 2020 a year ago. While there are no crowds in attendance, the athletes are masked, and there is some political drama that often surrounds countries in participation, the beating of those timpani drums and the blaring french horns help us to remember a place we’ve been before. All of this solely from a spectator’s point-of-view. How much more have the athletes participating in the games marked this moment? A year of extra training and sacrifice to compete at the highest level on a global stage, doing so maneuvering through a world experiencing a global crisis. These medals given this year are seemingly worth more because of the delay and extra challenges these athletes faced in their training.
It is fortuitous that our reading befits this moment where we are consumed with this competition for medals and crowing of our victors:
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air” – 1 Corinthians 9:26
So, if you’re reading this blog, chances are you are not one of the 15,000+ athletes competing in the summer Olympic or Paralympic games (although, we would welcome any Olympian to read). You may be accomplished at a single sport, but you’re undoubtedly not at the next level. You may be dedicated to a fitness program, but you are not sacrificing all of your playtime or rearranging your schedule for your athletic pursuits. You haven’t hired a trainer. You haven’t shaved your legs to remove a hundredths of a second from your personal best. You may not even be inspired to any athletic pursuit simply by watching (although many future Olympians are). Yet, by being a follower of Christ (not the games), you are being called, challenged, and elicited into a training that is more demanding, more exasperating, and more punishing than any Olympian has ever faced in the context of competition at the games.
While there are several paths of metaphors we could draw from, the one that is most striking are the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians. It is the most intense description, hyperbole that could very well be made literal in some contexts. Ultimately, we must slave away at becoming the most disciplined evangelist, with the purpose of preaching and living out the gospel of Jesus Christ or plainly face disqualification from the prize.
“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:27
This is a scary thought. That my faith must be trained and disciplined in such a way that it would be on that next-level, to compete for a prize that is longer lasting than precious metals. My evangelism could be record-setting. My ministry could be to a worldwide audience. But what stands in the way is my greatest opponent. Who is it? Me. Because I must be willing to give up the life that I could have in order to live for the glory that I am supposed to attain. I must be willing to strike a self-blow, to cut off my hand, to gouge out my eye, and to die daily. Or more realistically, get off my phone, read and pray consistently, have uncomfortable conversations, be filled with the Spirit of God, and let my coach and my God call all the shots. This is what I must do in order to make gains, receiving the strength and knowledge that comes through Christ Jesus. While it must be an incredible experience for the world to see you lower your head to receive your medal as a victor, representing your people and country, how much greater will it be to receive the crown of life which represents a kingdom and people that are far more perfect than the ideals that guide the games we currently watch? Whether you have started your training already, are coming out of retirement, or beginning your training today, take a good look at your opponent in the mirror. Size him/her up. You ultimately will have to be disciplined enough to take him/her on, become enslaved to Christ, and with the grace of God, beat yourself into submission, so God can see you through to the victory.
-Aaron Winner
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – Nehemiah 5-6 and 1 Corinthians 9
Seek Grow Love 