Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? Why are you here? What am I suppose to accomplish in this lifetime?
I think it’s pretty simple yet we make it so complicated sometimes, or at least I do.
Luke 12:22-23
Do Not Be Anxious
[22] And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
I am blessed because I rarely worry about what I am going to eat or what I am going to wear. If Jesus is telling his disciples not to worry about their essential needs, I highly doubt I should be worried about what others may think concerning the kind of car I drive, the shoes I wear, the house I live in, or even if I’m going to have enough money saved so I retire in 30 years, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is value in planning ahead and being wise with your money, but if you do it at the expense of being less generous, spending less time with family and friends, and most importantly getting so consumed that you forget about your relationship with God. It’s all in vain and meaningless.
Luke 12:31
[31] Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
This sums up how we ought to live and where our priorities should lie. Seeking the Kingdom isn’t always the easiest decision in the moment, but it is always the best decision. Seeking the kingdom isn’t always the best financial decision in the moment, but it’s always the best financial choice in the end. Seeking the kingdom won’t always give you everything you think you need and want now, but it will give you everything you thought you wanted and needed and so much more when the Kingdom is revealed.
I challenge you and myself to see how we can make a real difference for the coming kingdom now, and how we can store up treasure in heaven where no thief can steal and no moth can destroy!
Luke 12:33-34
[33] Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. [34] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
-Luke Elwell
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove December 19, 2022)
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Is there a time when you where anxious about something? How else could you have reacted?
What are some ways to seek the Kingdom? How will you personally seek the Kingdom today?
The world’s most powerful navigational tool, the compass, has been around in some form for over 2000 years. Originally used in divination, it found its way to navigation a few centuries before the age of exploration. When blinded by snow, when tossed at sea, when wandering through a dense forest, it works without fail for all who seek direction. When unobstructed by friction or gravity, the magnetized metal responds in the same true way to of the Earth’s gravitational field, aligning with poles of the Earth. This means that a compass is actually influenced by two directions at once, polar opposites. It seems silly to say, but you cannot travel in the direction of north and south at the same time. All of these elements ring true in our faith.
“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I [Wisdom] hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.” – Proverbs 8:13-14
It is equally foolish to say that we can move in the direction of God and evil and be on the same course. They are truly polar opposites. To love God is to hate evil (Psa 97:10). To honor God is to give up pride (Jam 4:6). To pursue God makes the pursuit of anything else secondary (Matt 6:24). We can acknowledge the fact that our journey will not be perfect, but the direction we are pointed is true, faithful, and unchanging. It doesn’t adjust with time or relativism (Isa 40:8). Be conscious of the friction and the pull that is in the present evil age that will skew your target. Chart a course from God’s word and prepare yourself because there is more than one force at work.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12
The military command of “standing firm” is far from passive (Eph 6:13). In 2 Samuel 23, we see a captivating glimpse of David’s mighty warriors. Many of them, like Eleazar (v. 10), are not commended for their brilliant offensives, but holding their ground to the very end to eliminate enemy forces. Likewise, the grace we accept from God is through faith, not deed (Eph 2:8-9), and by seeking and finding Him, we have already arrived at the destination in some sense (Eph 2:19-20). Therefore, we cannot rest our laurels because there are all-out assaults coming. It is not a battle of mortality, flesh and blood, but a battle against rulers, authorities, powers of darkness, and even spiritual forces for the spoils of eternity. We are to armor ourselves with truth, peace, faith, salvation, righteousness, holding close to the Spirit and ready to wage war until the end.
In conclusion, today’s lesson is two-fold. First, make sure that you are allowing God’s direction to guide you as you move. Know that when you are moving towards God, you are fleeing from evil influence, relative morality, and sin and towards a loving God and restored perfection (2 Tim 2:22). Second, once we arrive in grace, our job is to stand our ground. We are to set a fortress around our hearts (Pro 4:23), as both a guard and a vigil, petitioning for God to intercede and help us withstand the battle. Like Paul, our prayer should be for fearlessness (Eph 6:20), eyes-locked on the prize , so we can stand firm in the truth of the Coming Kingdom.
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
Towards God or towards evil? What does each path look like? What is at the end of each path? Which direction are you pointed?
What or who has turned you around before, pointing you in the wrong direction? What are you leaving behind you when you move towards God?
What acts as your compass? How valuable is your compass to you? Have you ever been lost without it?
What are the stories you remember from Sunday School lessons? What videos did you watch or what murals were painted on the wall?
Jonah.
Noah.
Zacchaeus.
If you take away the cartoon animals, the talking vegetables (as much as I love them), and the flannelgraph, and describe the story as experienced by the people in the moment, they become traumatizing. Horrifying. Or, at the very least, shocking.
A man devoured by a great water beast that digests him for three days.
The world is covered in a flood that wipes out all life, causing them to drown as torrential rain falls from blackened skies and geysers shoot from the ground in every direction.
You have been living your whole life obeying God’s law and waiting for the coming of his Messiah, and instead of him coming to your home, he chooses to spend his time with the short, traitorous Zacchaeus and his rag-tag group of ne’er-do-wells.
Traumatizing. Horrifying. Shocking.
The story of Goliath is similar. It’s not about a piece of broccoli with gourd brothers who sings to an asparagus and a giant pickle; it is about a young man who is ready to kill an enemy because he dares defy the army of the living God.
The story is not funny or fun; it is awe-inspiring.
David looks into the eyes of his enemy and says “This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.” (17:46)
What strikes me is this: we should be careful before we sanitize the Bible.
The Bible is not a list of propositions to believe, they are stories about the past of a nation and their encounter with the living God.
Bible stories, moreover, are not nice, or clean, or simple.
Characters are rarely one dimensional.
Good characters do bad things and bad characters can do good things.
Rarely do those good or bad things fit nicely into our models of morality; David was a man of bloodshed and war and a man after God’s heart. And Jesus said “love your enemies.” That’s not clean or simple.
The Bible, this amazing library of sixty-six books that teach us about the God of the universe and his amazing interaction with people who are looking for him, is not a book that is *given* to children. Jesus does love the little children of the world, but the stories of scripture are meant to be read, understood, questioned, and applied by mature, wise disciples of Jesus.
The Bible is a big book, and the stories of the Bible grow as we grow.
We shouldn’t lose sight of what we learned in Sunday School; but the stories of the Bible go far beyond Sunday School, and can impact all aspects of our lives.
-Jake Ballard
Reflection Questions
Sunday School Stories: As you read the stories of David and Saul, how often are you thinking of the “sanitized” versions from Sunday School? Of course, we shouldn’t tell toddlers about the slaughter of the Philistines, but the story of Goliath is grim; God isn’t pleased with Goliath or the Philistines. Should we shy away from the judgement of God because it makes us uncomfortable?
Encountering God: When you are being honest with yourself, do you want the Bible to be simple, clean, or nice? Do you *want* the Bible simplified, or do you *want* the Bible to be the complicated, holy, challenging collection of books that it is?
A final thought: The Bible can be understood by someone who knows nothing about it. However, someone who knows nothing about the Bible also wouldn’t have WRONG ideas when reading it for the first time. Are we OK admitting that we might be bringing wrong ideas to the text when we read?
What is the most you have ever paid for something? What is the most you have ever gotten from selling something? We value our things and we value our money. It seems that prices keep going up and up on everything that we need. Yet when we sell something it seems the price is never quite as high as we would like it to be. When we buy or sell we must ask ourselves, “What is this really worth to me?” That question will help us decide if we want to buy or sell at the price offered.
Jesus asks His followers to place value on what may be the single most valuable thing we have, our life and the choices we make in it. In Mark 8:31 Jesus teaches that He, “must suffer many things and be rejected … and be killed, and after three days rise again.” In the verses that follow He tells Peter that Peter had not set his mind on God’s interests, but his own. Then Jesus tells us, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) Jesus is saying that we must place a value on being His follower. We must also place a value on following our own desires. We must decide which is of greater value to us. If our desires win and we choose to seek the things of this life and avoid the suffering of following Jesus it is a steep price to pay. Jesus says, “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:35) Proverbs puts it this way, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25)
I leave you with the 2 questions that Jesus asked His disciples in verses 36 and 37, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
-Bill Dunn
(originally posted May 10, 2017 for SGL)
Reflection Questions
What did Jesus call Peter when he called him out for having in mind the things of men instead of the things of God? How often do you find yourself in the same mindset? How can we work at being more intentionally focused on the things/interests of God?
Who have you seen deny themself, take up their cross and follow Jesus? What did it look like? What does it look like when you deny yourself and take up your cross to follow Jesus?
What might it look like for you to “lose your life” for Jesus and the gospel?
Is there anything more valuable to you than your soul? Are your life choices and daily decisions aligning with what you say you value most?
A teacher poses a challenging question in his class. Most students begin to ponder, some begin to turn and whisper, some cross their fingers and hope they are not asked to contribute. Not a single hand goes in the air. The teacher repeats the question; this time, he says it in a different way. It doesn’t help. Thoughts become more frantic. Anxiety increases. Some students begin to avoid eye contact. At the moment that it seems that the teacher will start combing the class for a response, a lone hand ascends into the air. It is that kid who knows everything. Thank you, that kid who knows everything! The teacher calls on her, and you are saved from having to answer the question. All’s right with the world; you now can rest easy.
I have seen this scenario played out many times as both a student and a teacher. No matter how difficult the question, it seems there is always one person in our lives who is prepared to answer it. Whether it is at school, in your family, your circles of friends, or your work, there is always that one person (who very well may be you) that you turn to that has the experience, knowledge, or wisdom it takes to figure out life’s most difficult questions.
A passage in today’s text is like “that kid who knows everything.” It is the all-encompassing answer that holds God’s key and fundamental truth in which we can fix our hope. It stops us from over-thinking, stifles our anxiety, and helps us to take on, not avoid challenging situations, like:
When you are having trouble making sense of the world around you
When you feel like your prayers are not being answered
When you seek “the reason” THIS is happening to YOU
When you lose someone or something you dearly love
When justice cannot be found
When we lose our health or happiness
When we face many other examples from Job 19:7-20
This is Job’s answer and ours:
Job 19:25-27 – “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
It is not resignation. It is not a cop-out. It does not mean you stop seeking, studying, or pursuing. It is the assurance and peace which you can rest in and be guided in while you are waiting.
-Aaron Winner
(Originally posted December 18, 2016)
Reflection Questions
What are some of the hard questions Job was wrestling with? What hard questions do you have?
What was Job’s “that kid who knows everything” answer in Job 19? What is the definition of redeemer? Do you have one – who lives? How do you know?
What is your hope for the future? How does this give you peace today?
My college kids and I just completed a 2100 mile spring break trip with Apple Maps guiding the way – telling us when to turn, when to go straight and when to reroute. The Israelites preparing to set out into the wilderness missed out on this modern technology, but they had something so much better.
They had been camped out in the region of Sinai and it had now been two years since they had left Egypt. During this time they were learning God’s commands and learning what happens when you break them. Also, the tabernacle was being built and furnished and set up so God would have a dwelling amongst them, even during their coming travels to the Promised Land.
But, without maps (print or digital) how would they know where to go? I enjoyed what Kyle McClain had to say about their direction system in his March 4, 2021 devotion for SeekGrowLove, so I will share that here:
“Truth be told, there are a ton of events recorded in the Bible that would be flat out awesome to see firsthand! Of all the awesome things to see, Numbers chapter 9 records one of the top 10 things that I would have liked to have witnessed firsthand – maybe top 5. That awesome thing recorded is the pillar of fire that guided the Israelites where to go at night. During the day, a pillar of cloud guided them, but at night it had the appearance of fire. How cool would it be to see the pillar of fire in the sky at night?! I would say top 10 throughout the whole Bible! Our God is incredible, and he is capable of some awesome feats.
I don’t think many of us are going to be led by a pillar of cloud or fire. However, similar to the Israelites, we can and should still be guided by God. There’s a very good chance that the guidance that God provides you will not be as obvious as the pillar of cloud or fire. Therefore, we really need to be in tune with God and keep our eyes, ears, heart, and mind open to His guidance. There are a number of ways in which God can lead us, so we should be ready at all times. If we are actively seeking God’s guidance, then we are much more likely to see it. That has to do with our Reticular Activating System in our brains. If you don’t know what that is, then look it up on Google or YouTube. You’ll be amazed.
I would encourage you all to pray to God to help you become susceptible to God’s guidance. You may be surprised with all the ways that God attempts to guide you.”
Also in Numbers 9 we see Moses setting a great example of what to do when we are unsure of how to proceed and don’t know what God wants us to say or do. Some Israelites asked Moses if they were able to celebrate the Passover because they were unclean at the time (had recent contact with a dead body). Moses wasn’t sure. God hadn’t told him, yet. Instead of making up something on the spot that sounded smart at the time, Moses said, “Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you” (Numbers 9:8). And God rewarded Moses’ wisdom by giving His answer.
What do you do when you don’t know where to go or when to go and when to stay? Seek direction from the Lord! When you don’t know the answer, like Moses, wait until you find out from the Lord. And what do you do as you wait? I do not recall any time I have received direction from God while I am watching the latest tv show or scrolling on my phone. However, I have lost count of the number of times I have received God’s direction while reading from His Word. His answers are there for your life, too. Faithfully stay in His Word, following His guidance system.
-Marcia Railton and Kyle McClain
Reflection Questions
What do you do when you don’t know where or when God wants you to go or stay or say or do?
When have you received God’s direction in your life? Did you follow it?
What do we also learn from Paul in our Acts reading today about following God’s direction?
Treasures and worry – those two things go hand and hand so often. No matter how much treasure or money one has or doesn’t have it is common to grow anxious about getting more or protecting or hoarding what one already has. And I am guessing it isn’t just a modern problem, as Jesus so wisely blends his teaching on these two topics in the second half of Matthew 6.
Today’s passage has so much wisdom! Make sure you read it for yourself – even multiple times – it is short. Jesus begins this section (Matthew 6:19-34) by warning about storing up wealth here on earth where all sorts of uncertainty can steal it away in a jiffy (and that was even before the stock market). He asks us to examine what we hold dear, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:21). And your heart can’t love and treasure both God and money. You have to choose which you will serve. Which will you go after? Which will you give your life to?
It is recorded that immediately after saying, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…” Do you notice the correlation? If you choose to serve money – be prepared for the worry that goes along with that – do you have enough, will it buy what you want, will you look good enough, will it run out, what will you do if or when it does? But, if you choose to be wholeheartedly devoted to serving a great big God and keeping His first things first in your life, the rest of the worries of life practically dissolve as you put your trust in the One who cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and loves you so much more. What comfort and peace comes to replace the worry and striving when we know that God knows what we need and He is the best at providing that and more when we seek Him first.
Right now, we are half way into an anti-worry/money experiment at our house. About a year and a half ago my husband decided it was a good time to start looking for a new job. I was working hard at giving him my full support. And yet…there was a little cloud of uncertainty as to if this was the right timing – because anyone serving money would be quick to say it didn’t make any sense to change jobs then. At the time his current employer was an educational institution which generously paid out very healthy tuition benefits to the school of choice for our college age kids. It was a pretty good deal we had already benefitted from for several semesters and many college bills. But, we still had two in college and weren’t sure how in the world we would make up all the thousands and thousands of dollars we would not receive for their college bills for the next three years, while also not wanting them to graduate deep in debt.
The unknown can be hard! Of course we want to provide for our kids and be wise with our finances and sometimes it’s hard to know what that should look like. But while wrestling with this decision: pursue a new job now or wait – a light-bulb moment gave me peace. My light-bulb said, “Marcia, you have been trusting (insert name of husband’s employer) to pay those college bills, but don’t you know that God can be trusted much much more?” And with that came peace, not all the answers of where the money was going to come from – but peace that my God was indeed much bigger than anything or anyone else I could put my trust in – and He knows what I need and He can provide it in ways I never would have thought of.
So, we are half-way in. We had three years of college bills left and now we have just 1 ½ years. My husband DID start a new job and it has been a great change for us all! He likes his new employer and responsibilities a lot. And, he is able to work from home and my daycare kids and I love that! I have found I also enjoy tutoring and teaching sewing lessons and the people that has brought into my life, which I probably never would have thought to try if I hadn’t been searching for ideas to contribute a little bit more. And those college bills, they are getting paid. We aren’t even always sure how, but the money is there over and over again. Ask me again in 1 ½ years and I am sure I will have even more examples of God’s overwhelming faithfulness.
Our Father loves to prove Himself true and reliable, but we will never know it and see it and experience it for ourselves if we keep serving and trusting in our man-made treasures and pleasures.
Keep Him first! He is big enough to provide what you need and more and He also knows what you don’t need. Keep your eyes on Him, His righteousness and His Kingdom. You don’t need a fast buck or a larger bank account. You need eternal life and your treasures on earth can’t buy that. Release your worry and grow in your trust in the God who creates, sustains, and makes all things new.
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
Every life serves something or someone, sometimes self. Who or what are you trying to serve? Are there any instances where you are missing the mark or competing with mixed loyalties or masters? What corrections can you make? Will you? Why or why not?
How has God shown Himself faithful in providing?
How can you focus on God, His Kingdom and His righteousness? If you do that well, will this help you worry less?
Looking for some more help on overcoming worry (especially over money)? I found very helpful a UPS driver illustration Rick McClain shared in a SeekGrowLove devotion in 2021 and have brought it to mind many times since. You can read it here.
Today’s Old Testament reading of Isaiah 55-56 is another encouraging message for those who reflect and return to God. Along with instructions to listen carefully, incline ears, and come to Him, we also read terms like mercy, compassion, and the phrase “abundantly pardon”. People who return to God ( a daily need it seems!) are not just scraping by in a free trial period or conditional agreement. They are abundantly pardoned. The preceding chapters told us how (and through whom) that works, and it is not through anything we do. We are unworthy, but when we seek Him, we are recipients of abundant love, provision, and pardon in ways we far too often take for granted.
Some of my favorite passages in the Bible are the ones that remind me that God’s ways are perfect, and He has a plan and understanding that is superior to mine. One example is Proverbs 16:9, and another is right here in Isaiah 55:9:
I don’t know how you feel, but I read this and I say…..thank goodness!
As I was reading along in Isaiah 55 the reference to the plants stood out to me in verse 13. I really enjoy plants….learning about them, looking at them, growing them, sometimes killing them, watching perennials spread and annuals do their thing, seeing flowers turn into fruits, milkweed attract monarchs, learning about their medicinal and nutritional uses, smelling them. Pretty much, God’s creation of plants and nature are good things for us all around! (In fact, I learned a new term at work recently from a colleague who works with me with our pediatric patients who all need more time outside it seems, and if you haven’t heard of “forest bathing”…..it’s a thing!) But, back to verse 13. I was familiar with juniper, but wanted a reminder what the myrtle plant was that was going to replace stinging nettle.
And while I learned myrtle is apparently a lovely, fragrant, evergreen shrub, I also learned that it is quite Biblically significant. It is referenced as a choice plant according to Isaiah 41 and included in Zechariah’s prophecy. Interestingly, it also pops up in the book of Esther since her Hebrew name (instead of the Persian one), Hadassah, is the feminine form of the word “hadas” or “myrtle”. Jews and Christians celebrating the Feast of Booths often use myrtle in their sukkots and celebrations. In fact, that is coming up next week so myrtle of the world is undoubtedly getting ready to make some appearances!
But, whether or not you ever see or grow myrtle, the message of a beautiful, fragrant, fertile, eternal hope God has in store for you is one to keep alive no matter what!
Isaiah 56 continues to call God’s people to a pursuit of righteousness and obedience and shares the promise with those of us who may not be biological descendants of Jacob.
-Jennifer Hall
Reflection Questions:
1. Consider the abundant, complete, and perfect pardoning you have received regardless of the gunk in your life. Have you allowed God to share that forgiveness and hope?
2. What is hard about sharing forgiveness and mercy toward others as we are called to do as followers of Jesus? How can you extend abundant pardon toward another today?
3. As you reflect on God’s ways being higher than yours, how can you better trust and rely on Him to plan your steps and make sense of this world even when you don’t get it?
Book of James Introduction
The Book of James was written by a man named James, who was probably the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55) and the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13). The book was written to the Jews who were scattered among the nations. These Jews were obviously persecuted based on the way James started chapter 1. These may have been Jews who were part of the Jerusalem church that were scattered after Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 8:1).
The main point of the book is to encourage the reader to actively live faithfully for God. This can be summed up by looking at a couple of verses:
James 1:21 – Therefore, 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.
James 1:22 – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 2:17 – …faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 4:17 – Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Here are some interesting verses about the author:
Acts 12:17 – After Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James and the other brothers and sisters…
Acts 15:13 – James was an important member of the council that met in Jerusalem
Acts 21:18 – Paul went to see James after Paul’s last missionary journey to give James a detailed report of his missionary journeys
1 Corinthians 15:7 – Jesus appeared to James, then to all the apostles
Galatians 1:19 – Paul went to see James on his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion
Galatians 2:9 – Paul called James a pillar of the church
Jude 1:1 – Jude identified himself as the brother of James
As you read the book of James, consider how it applies to you: How do you react during trials? How do you treat those who are less fortunate than yourself? How do you speak? Do you resist the devil and draw near to God? Are your prayers powerful and effective?
I’ll close with James 5:20, “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God;”
Psalm 42 starts off with a piece of beautiful imagery. The writer of the Psalm compares himself to a deer who is thirsting for water. Deer – like all living creatures – need water to survive. However, deer may use the plants they eat as a supplement to the water they need, in order to lessen the amount of times they need to find a water source. Most deer need to drink water daily, especially if they have been running around lots. By the time a deer chooses to look for water, it is extremely thirsty.
In the comparison of the desire for God and a deer panting for water, we see a deep longing. To want God as extremely as a deer wants water is incredible. The author, by writing this, admits that he cannot live without God, just as a deer cannot live without water. He is not saying that he would like to follow God some of the time when it is convenient, but instead is saying that he needs God every single day of his life. Do you realize and accept that you need God every moment of your life to survive? Are you looking for Him in your life as eagerly as a deer searching for a singular water source to get it through the day?
Further on in the Psalm, the author says, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.” He explains that he thirsts for God because of the help of His presence. The author acknowledges that hoping in God is like a deer being refreshed with a drink of water. Are you seeking after God and hoping in Him like a deer panting for the water?
-Kaitlyn Hamilton
Reflection Questions
Do you find yourself longing for God everyday?
When you are thirsty for more of God what do you do, where do you go, what quenches your thirst?
What do you do when your soul is in despair? Where do you find hope?
How can you share God with someone who is thirsty?
Titus Introduction
Paul wrote the book of Titus to his mentee, Titus, Paul’s “true son in our common faith,” whom Paul had left in Crete to strengthen the new churches there and to appoint elders in every town. Paul detailed the qualifications of an elder in Titus 1:5-9.
Paul reminded all Christians to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return (which Paul also called our blessed hope). Paul also told Titus to remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, etc.
Finally, in Titus 3:9-11, Paul pointed out that Christians should have unity, where he said, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
It is not unusual for me to carry around a Ziploc bag full of fruits and vegetables as I meander across the cafeteria crunching through school lunch. A few years ago, I made changes for the sake of my health, improving my diet and exercising regularly. I dropped some weight, I felt better, and I was healthier in my late 30s than in the whole of my 20s. I had finally mastered my body once and for all; however, this control was an illusion.
Early this summer I experienced significant changes to my health. My heart was beating out of control. I went from marathon running to huffing and puffing up the short flight of stairs at my house. I was sweaty, panicked, and dropping pounds no matter what I ate. I was heading, as I now know, full-throttle into a thyroid storm and quickly losing the gains that I had worked so hard to maintain. It was then I was given this sobering reminder: I’m not in control; not even a little bit.
Throughout the course of this week, my goal is to focus on trusting God’s plan. The rain equally falls on the just and the unjust, but we often fix our gaze on our wet shoes in the puddles and mud. This is where we find Job in Chapter 7. He ponders the calamities that befall him, and even torment him in his sleep. He is looking for a reason that God has placed him in this circumstance and even “targeted” him (v.20), removing his wealth, health, and happiness. In what looks like an ironic spin of Psalm 8, Job asks “What is mankind, that you make so much of them? That you give them so much attention?” It is a fair question. Why would God place so much attention on my life, seemingly ruining it, especially when I have put in so much time, effort, and energy into making something good?
We find our focus in the lens of eternity. When we surrender our lives to Christ, our possessions, our status, our health, and the whole of our lives are assets of the Gospel message. There is profound peace in the perfect plan of our Heavenly Father, but it requires us to relax the white knuckle grip we have over the course of our life. We must surrender in faith, fully trusting that our storm, our season, our suffering is for the glory of God. Psalm 34 states when we seek the Lord, our fears are quelled (v. 4) and in His time, he will deliver us (v. 6, 17, 19, & 22). While it is hard not to let our hearts be troubled (John 14:1), God is still good in our struggle, and for many of us, more present to taste and see it, when we are broken, poor, ill, hungry, or in peril.
When things seem out of control, we have to realize they were never in our hands. Thinking we have the power to redeem or fix our struggle alone means we are intoxicated with our own glory, one that will ultimately fail. Conversely, if we hand our lives over to Christ, declaring our lives are forfeit for His glory in faith, God will use us in a way that will infinitely diminish what we can accomplish by ourselves. Thank God, I am not in control, and His perfect will can redeem us all.
“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” – Psalm 34:1-2
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
What do you think and feel when you hear you are not in control?
What evidence do you have to prove you are, or are not, in control?
How can you bring glory to God, even if your feet are in (or have been in) a muddy puddle?
(Originally posted December 18, 2016)
Seek Grow Love 