Category: trusting God

Recognized by Your Fruit

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5 & 6

Poetry: Psalm 71

New Testament: Galatians 5:22

Matthew 7:15-20:

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (NIV)

“By their fruit, you will recognize them.” The fruit we bear in our lives is a litmus test for our spiritual health and the strength of our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. We just read yesterday how apart from Christ we can do nothing. So our ability to bear good fruit depends on our willingness to abide in Christ. Take an inventory of your life. Do you see evidence of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Taking this inventory of my life highlights areas where I need to repent of sin and abide more deeply in Christ. It is also important not to just take a cursory, shallow glance at that list of fruits, but to dig deeper and investigate more in depth what the scriptures have to say about the various fruits. For example, with the fruit of love, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Does my life show evidence of loving my enemies? Whew, I’m going to be real here, that is a tough one! To actually pray for someone who might be actively working against you or for your demise seems so counterintuitive to our human nature and our survival instinct. God, you want me to give my enemy a salt shaker so that they can rub it into my raw wound even more? Doesn’t that leave me vulnerable and unprotected? Do the scriptures support that God leaves us vulnerable and unprotected? In a couple of weeks you will be reading in Ephesians 6:10-17 about the spiritual suit of armor that God provides us. I won’t go too in depth with it since there are devotions coming that week, but that passage shows us that God protects us from head to toe. Also, remember we are talking about the fruit of the Spirit and John 15 reminds us that we are not alone in this battle.

John 15

26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (NASB 1995)

The scriptures also have something to say about who fights our battles. Let’s take a close look at Romans 12:19-21: 

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

Did you catch that part about putting that love of our enemies into action by feeding them if they are hungry, giving them something to drink if they are thirsty? That’s taking that command to love your enemies to the next level, isn’t it?!?!  Are you prepared to do that? Am I? It’s time for a heart check.

It really boils down to trusting God, doesn’t it? Do we believe Him when He says that He’s got it handled? If we find our faith lacking in this area, this is something we can pray about. It brings to mind the passage in Mark 9:

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” (NIV)

Later we read in verses 21-24:

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (NIV)

That verse always touches my heart because I can relate to it so well. I know what the scriptures tell us, but sometimes my trust and faith are lacking. Sometimes my prayers sound something like this, “Father, I know that Your word tells me that I am to love my enemies, but it’s so hard, God. It hurts so much. I need Your strength to show them the love Your word says I should show them. Father, I know that Your word says that You will work all things together for the good of those who love Him. Help me to love You more deeply and fully and to trust that promise so that my fear does not hold me back from being obedient to Your word to love my enemies. Help my lack of faith in this area. Help my unbelief.”

In today’s passage in Psalm 71 we read how God handled David’s enemies:

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

    all day long,

for those who wanted to harm me

    have been put to shame and confusion. (NIV)

Our only job in regards to our enemies is to love them and to follow through with loving action that helps meet their needs. God’s got the rest of it.

-Kristy Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. If a stranger watched you for an hour yesterday, would they have seen good fruit or bad? Would they guess that you abide in Christ? Do you? How can you do so more and more?
  2. Who might you consider as your enemy? How do you typically treat them? What is Jesus asking you to do for them? Will you? When and how?
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By Choice, By Prophecy, By Lot

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 66

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 9

Before David, Saul becomes king of Israel. 

How does a person become king? 

Romulus, the “first king” of Rome, supposedly built Rome with his followers and then asked for the consent of the people who lived in the city. I guess being raised by wolves is helpful in courtly duties. 

Arthur Pendragon pulls a sword from a stone, whether his horse was simply two halves of a coconut or Merlin’s owl spoke. 

T’Challa took a heart-shaped herb and fought a Panther I think? I don’t quite remember that movie. 

“Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”, boringly, inherited it from his mother. 

At least one of those kings is fake, the historicity of two others are greatly debated, and personally, I still have my doubts about Charles. 

How does someone become king?

In 1 Samuel 8:19-20, the people cried out for a king. 

In 1 Samuel 9, Saul is chosen by Samuel. 

In 1 Samuel 10:20-24, Saul is chosen by lot. 

In 1 Samuel 11:14-15, *Saul* is chosen by the people.

So, how did he become King? 

People’s choice award? 

Pulling the short straw?

One old guy’s decision?

Saul’s reign is not because the people demanded it, or because Saul got lucky at dice (or pot shards). God is involved in the process. In 1 Samuel 9:17 is was not Samuel but GOD who chose Saul. 

In every authority, in every government, this is true. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Rom. 13:1) It is clear that God does not approve of every leader and certainly not of their actions. God lets humans make their bad and destructive choices (including, in democracies, choosing bad leaders). Then he works with, and in spite of, those choices. God works to bring about glory for himself; he works toward the coming of the Messiah and his Kingdom. 

Saul was given an opportunity by God to be a person who would bring God’s plan into fruition. God took Saul from chasing donkeys to ruling a nation. God gave Saul every opportunity to be a ruler “after God’s own heart” and yet Saul chose to disobey. 

Kings, rulers, presidents, emperors are only ruling because God has given them the opportunity; the opportunity to obey or disobey, to listen to his voice and to his commands. The same choice he gives to each of us.

Remember, no matter who sits upon any throne, any seat, or behind any desk…

God is on his throne and in control.

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Preempting “Godwin’s Law”: “What about Hitler?” “What about Mao?” “What about Pol Pot?” Yes those leaders were truly awful. Still, Paul wrote Roman’s to the people who were in the heart of one of the most powerful, most militaristic empires the world has ever known. Paul died by beheading in Rome, and yet he still was inspired by God to write Romans. What is the Christian response to wicked leaders? How much should we obey leaders who are acting against our values? (Maybe check Acts 5:27-32 to compare to Romans 13)
  2. The Lion from Benjamin?: From prophecy in Genesis (Gen. 49:10), it seems like a Benjaminite should never have been king. We see God chose Saul. Now a question for you to chew on for a long time, why Saul? David was a man after God’s own heart and a descendant of Judah. Was Saul always destined to failure? Why THIS choice? (There is not a clear cut reason in scripture, but having read through this chapter, what do you make of it?)
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God on Call?

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3-4

Poetry: Psalm 64

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 6

I want to be very clear from the outset: YHWH, the God who created everything, who spoke the universe into existence, who watches the explosions of supernovas and the random dance of  each of the electrons in the subatomic particles, THIS God is *on your side*. YHWH (usually written as LORD in the Bible) is a *someone* who has relationships, not just a power or a force; he loves you and wants to be with you in the Kingdom, the eternal life after death on the Earth made new. To that end, God gave us his son Jesus of Nazareth, to die in our place and for our sins so that we could be forgiven and live eternally. God did not have to do that but he did because he is on our side, even when we haven’t been on his. 

BUT…

God is not “on call”. 

Have you ever wondered why witchcraft was banned in Israel? (Ex. 22:17, Lev. 19:26) Part of it is that God wanted the Israelites to have a clean break with everything that was in the land of Canaan before them. But there was an ancient belief that by practicing witchcraft, humans could control the supernatural. When God revealed that he is the only God, then witchcraft was a presumption that humans can control God, that we can make demands on the Almighty. This was still the assumption of the culture all the way to the time of the early church (see Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:9-24).

Read 1 Samuel 4:2-4 again. The Israelites are defeated by the Philistines. At that point, they probably should have prayed to know the will of the Lord. They could have sacrificed and cast the urim and thummim to discern the wise solution. But what they actually did was to try and control God. “Let’s take the Ark, and it will deliver us!” Or, said another way, “God certainly won’t let us lose if we carry his Ark into battle; he’ll have to let us win!” They don’t look to the God who would deliver them; they were looking to the tools that were used to remind them of God. 

We don’t have the Ark today; maybe it was melted down by the Babylonians, or maybe it was taken to Ethiopia, or maybe it’s on Oak Island. No one knows, and it doesn’t really matter. We don’t want to fall into the same trap that the Israelites did. We shouldn’t presume that God will do what we desire, even though he is on our side. 

Today, we don’t march with the ark, but we think of God in wrong ways. Some of the WRONG ways to think about God are:

  • God is a loving grandfather, who dotes upon his grandkids and makes sure to sneak them candy or a crisp $5 bill when mom and dad aren’t looking. The grandkids may not ask, but they do expect. 
  • God is a genie, who will grant our wishes when we believe hard enough and pray long enough. 
  • God is a vending machine; we put in the “belief” and “prayer” coins and God spits out the requested deliverance. At this point, God has lost all personality.  

What happens to those who presume to demand God show up when and how they desire? Death, destruction, pain, and despair. (1 Samuel 4 is a depressing chapter!)

But there is a better word for you. God is on your side, and you approach him as a father that has the best plans for you, even though that may be painful work to make you full and complete. You must approach him as God, believing that he will work all things for good and knowing that the ultimate good of the universe is His glory and our worship, not our happiness or comfort.  You must approach him as God, that hears and responds to the prayers of his people, but not beholden to us to work like a machine at his request. 

May we honor the God who is not controlled by us, but is on our side!

Questions

  1. If you do not know the saving power and love of God, seek that out today. God REALLY is on your side. He loves you deeply, he wants the best for you, and he knows what you need better than even you do. Will you trust in him to bring you to life and salvation?
  2. How have you treated God in ways other than God deserves to be treated? Have you thought of God as your grandfather, or your genie, or your vending machine? Maybe some other way that you make demands of God? If you have, how can you repent, and trust in God without demanding anything of him?
  3. “God’s ultimate goal is his glory, not your happiness.” This is one of the hardest truths to accept when pride and the flesh is still being worked out of us. How can we give God the glory and worship he deserves, and not get hung up on our own desires, preferences, and pleasures?

Jake Ballard

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Delighting in Lies

Old Testament: Ruth 1

*Poetry: Psalm 62

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 1

One major theme in Psalms 62 is slander. According to Merriam-Webster slander is “the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation.” In this Psalm, David is being slandered by his enemies. He shares in Psalms 62:3-4 about the way he is being slandered:

“How long will you assault me?

    Would all of you throw me down—

    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

Surely they intend to topple me

    from my lofty place;

    they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

    but in their hearts they curse.”

Have you ever been the victim of slander, or even slandered someone else? Slander is a form of gossip. In my personal opinion, slander is one of the biggest issues we have in the church today. Slander is gossip personified—it’s deliberately telling information with the intent of harming someone else. Slander is not only an Old Testament issue, it’s talked about throughout the Bible. In Romans 1:28-32, Paul lists the traits of someone who is not close to God and slander is included within the list.

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;” (Romans 1:29-30)

We need to find ways to move away from these things. Colossians 3:7-8 states:

“You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

The only way we can move away from slander is with a new heart. Psalms 62 is a poem of instruction on trust. We need to trust that God will deal with our enemies, so we don’t need to take revenge. The Psalm tells us that we should trust in God, but if we trust in men or our negative emotions, we are depending on that which is lighter than breath. We must remember what is said in Psalms 62:12:

“You reward everyone according to what they have done.”

If we are slandering, God will not reward us but judge us.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. How much do you value and appreciate the truth from others? Do you hold yourself to the same standard when it comes to gossip, lies and slander?
  2. How does trusting in God relate to your feelings and expectations, words and actions toward anyone you might consider your enemy?
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Astronomical Measures

Old Testament: Joshua 9-10

Poetry: Psalm 49

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 4

My inner science nerd was more excited than a kid in a free candy store last week as I donned my (un)fashionable cardboard glasses in preparation for a once-in-a-lifetime event: for the first time in over 200 years, my Midwest residence would be within the path of totality for a total solar eclipse – an alignment promised to not reoccur in this area for three quarters of a century. Seven years ago, we watched a partial eclipse (around 90% totality) from our home, which was very… underwhelming. However, after learning that there is a vast difference between even 99 and 100% totality, I bought into the hype and prepared for amazement. We hosted a watch party on our church property and our friends even flew in from Alaska to experience it with us! The weather was abnormally lovely for April. As the coverage increased, we detected a cool wind breaking through the warm air, and then street lights began to light up. Then, the millisecond that it reached total coverage, a wave of deep twilight blanketed the field and an evening chill washed over us; I could instantly sense the distinct change in my peripheral vision from behind the safety of my glasses. For about 3 minutes, we eschewed our disposable spectacles as we stared into the void of the sun, soaking in the uniqueness of a mid-afternoon that felt like a near-midnight. We were awed by the surreal experience and applauded the workmanship of our Creator! And then, as suddenly as it had been hidden, the sun again commenced its glorious shine, changing the temporary night back into day. 

Our reading in Joshua today tells of another rare astronomical event – “the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day” while Joshua fought the Amorites. There are many theories about what actually went down on the day the sun didn’t, from an annular eclipse (which even secular scientists agree did occur in Canaan around that time) to a variation in rotation speed and everything in between (you can start your rabbit hole dive here), but what is most important is that God did something very miraculous to help Joshua win the battle. God was on Joshua’s side, and he took “astronomical” measures to help Joshua do what God had called him to do. Joshua and his men put forth the effort as wise and persistent soldiers, but they called on God for a miracle to help them win the battle – and He did, in an awesome display of His power. “There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!” (Joshua 10:14, NIV)

God fought for His people, and God fights for us. God is on our side, and He loves to show up in mighty ways. BUT… God usually expects us to be actively involved as well. Joshua had to go out and fight the battle – many of them, actually – and God showed up, often miraculously. This is a good reminder for our own lives. God has given us gifts and abilities, and He wants us to be engaged and active in this life. (For example, we don’t really have a legitimate reason to complain about not having a job if we’ve never submitted any applications, right?) Sometimes the best and only thing we can do is pray and let God work, but often, we will pray while we fight right there on the battlefield, trusting in God’s supernatural provision. He still performs miracles! 

In whatever battles you will face, remember that God is with you and still works in miraculous ways. Keep your eyes open to see His handwork in your life! 

-Rachel Cain

Reflection: 

– Watch for God moments in your day and thank him for them. It might be something as small as a daffodil field to bring a smile to your face as you drive to work, or as large as seeing God’s might during a solar eclipse. Either way, praise Him in all those moments! 

– How can you depend on God more to fight your battles? How might God be calling you to be more engaged in the battles yourself?

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Keep Walking

OT – Joshua 5-6

Poetry – Psalm 47

NT – 1 Corinthians 2

Keep walking, but you won’t knock down our wall. 

Keep walking, but she isn’t gonna fall! 

It’s plain to see your brains are very small 

to think walking will be knocking down our wall.

– the Pea soldiers, from Veggie Tales “Josh and the Big Wall”

I’ve never been in the military (even preschool gymnastics was beyond my capabilities, and let’s just say I was usually a last pick in gym class), but even I can imagine that the mighty Israelite soldiers felt mighty silly walking around the city once a day for six days. Just walking behind the ark. And blowing some trumpets. Wow, fierce. I wonder if they wondered what God was thinking? Had they accidentally signed up for the (mostly-silent) marching band instead of the military? But on the seventh day – seven is the biblical number of completion – they marched around the city seven times, and then, a different kind of trumpet blast sounded, and Joshua ordered everyone to shout. And then, the wall collapsed. The mighty, impenetrable wall of the great city of Jericho, along with everything inside (save Rahab and her family), became a pile of rubble. Yet again, the people obeyed what seemed like ridiculous commands for an impossible task, and God worked through it all. I don’t know why God chose to take over Jericho in such a strange way, but I bet part of the reason was to display His awesome power and make sure everyone knew that He was the One True God. 

Psalm 47 even sounds like a song of praise that might have been shared after conquering Jericho: “He subdued the nations under us… He chose our inheritance for us… God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets…”

All of our lives should reflect back to the power of God. In our New Testament reading today, Paul also says, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might rest not on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (I Cor 2:4-5) Just like when God made it clear that it was only by His power – not the marches and shouts – that the walls fell down, God likes to use ordinary, untrained people to do His biggest work, so His might is evident through their humility. 


God displays His power by working in big ways through us. He doesn’t NEED us; after all, God created the whole world without any input from mankind! But He wants to use us as part of HisStory, to help tell the world the greater message of His saving power. Will you join in the Greatest Mission of all time? 

-Rachel Cain

Reflection Questions

  1. How will you join in the Greatest Mission of all time?
  2. How/when have you seen God at work doing what seemed impossible in a way that you wouldn’t have expected? Who did He use in the mission?

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God is Trustworthy

*Old Testament Reading:  Deuteronomy 31

Poetry Reading:  Psalm 42

New Testament Reading:  Romans 11 

“The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’“  – Deuteronomy 31:2b (ESV)

Deuteronomy 31 begins with Moses acknowledging his advanced age (120 years) and telling the Israelites that he will no longer be their leader.  Deuteronomy 31:2b says, “The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’“  Moses does not get to enter the promised land because he broke faith with God – but he does get to see it from a mountain before he dies (Deuteronomy 32). We learn in this brief statement that God’s word WILL hold true, He had told Moses he wouldn’t get to enter (Numbers 20:12) and His stated consequences will apply (helpful parenting tip).

This might seem overly harsh, but it helps us trust that what God says will happen, will happen.  Moses accepted this consequence from God and went on to give the Israelites some parting words.  He begins with telling them to be strong and courageous (verse 6) and reminds them that God will never leave them.  Then he commissions Joshua to lead the people and tells him to be strong and courageous and that God will never leave him.  He tells the Levites to read the law every seven years, specifically so that the next generation will hear it and fear God (verses 12-13). 

After God reminds Moses that he’s going to die soon, He tells him that the Israelites will break His covenant.  How sad that must have made Moses!   God then has a final instruction for Moses.  In verse 19a God says to Moses, “Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel” and verse 22 says, “So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.”

What was so important that it was one of the last things God wanted Moses to do for Him?  You can read the song itself in chapter 32, but basically it was a warning to the Israelites.  The song Moses was instructed to write begins with a reminder of God’s faithfulness, then moves to their future failures and turning away from God and then of God’s punishment that will follow. 

So what can we learn from this passage that was directed very specifically at the Israelites of that day? 

First, can people trust us when we speak?  Do we do what we say we will?  It is important to know that we can trust God.  It is also important that we are trustworthy.

Second, it’s easy to look at the Israelites and think, “What was wrong with them?  God told them how they would fail Him and they didn’t stop it from happening!”  However, if we are honest with ourselves, we do the same thing.  God has told us in Romans 3:23 that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  We all sin.  We all turn away from God.  But the good news is that God is there, waiting for us to turn back to Him!

Amy Blanchard

Reflection Questions

  1. It is important that we are trustworthy.  Do your actions line up with your words? 
  2. Just like the Israelites needed to not get stuck in the place of accepting and acknowledging their sin but doing nothing about it, we are not to sit there, either.  God tells them in verse 21 that, “this song shall confront them as a witness”.  What confronts you when you reject God’s plan for you?  Do you heed the warning?
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It’s All Good Now

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 25 & 26

Poetry: Job 40

*New Testament: Romans 8

 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”  – Romans 8:28 (ESV)

Of all the books of the Bible, Romans is my favorite. Chapter 8 may very well be my favorite chapter in the book for many reasons. It starts with the declaration that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and it ends with the encouraging reassurance that there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God. In between, however, is a great life verse that provides comfort and hope regardless of your situation or circumstance.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

It is just as important to understand what is not said as it is to understand what is said. Paul does not say that all things are good but rather all things work together for good. It is often a matter of time and/or a change of perspective to see that the bad things that happen end up working for your good. I can speak specifically to that being the case. My salvation story depends on it.

On Easter Sunday in 1995 I was invited to come to church and help the men cook breakfast for the congregation. It was a tradition that had been going for a while and continues to this day at Pine Grove Bible Church. I was not a member or even a Christian at that time but as a former short order cook and someone who enjoys hanging around with other guys I agreed to come and help.

As a result of me driving in early to help cook, we had two vehicles at church and then two vehicles at my in-laws as we celebrated Easter dinner. When it was time to leave, my wife Amy and our two children were going to get in the car she was driving and I would get in mine to head home. I asked my almost 7-year-old son David if he wanted to ride with me and he said no. I told him we could beat mom home and he could ride in the front seat (this was pre-airbag times) and so he agreed to hop in with me. This was not a common occurrence as he often would sit in the middle of the back seat loosely buckled and leaning forward between the front bucket seats to entertain his incredibly crabby sister. As fate would have it, we made a stoplight that Amy and Stephanie did not, so we did indeed arrive home first.

I was busy unpacking the leftovers and Easter baskets (at that point we had the only two grandchildren, so it was always a bonanza for them) when I noticed a message blinking on the answering machine. It was Amy, calling from someone’s cell phone (very few people had them back then) letting me know that she had been in an accident and the car had flipped and she was very shaken up. I couldn’t hear Stephanie crying in the background (if any of you reading this were around at that time you know that she was always crying in the background) so I grabbed David and raced back to the accident site.

When I got there, I saw her mangled car in the ditch on its side facing the wrong way. I recall heading to the squad car and then desperately clinging to my 18-month-old daughter as tears ran down my face. I came to find out that a car traveling in the opposite direction had a blowout, lost control, and ended up hitting them almost head on. Thankfully, Amy was able to turn quickly enough to have the car hit her by the driver door, slide down the side to the rear wheel well where it caused the car to flip 180 degrees over and backwards. It was an Easter miracle that neither Amy nor Stephanie was seriously injured.

The accident was not good, in fact it was bad, very bad, as Amy still suffers neck pain as a result. But, given the ability to look back, I can honestly say that it worked for the good. I was working in a sales job where I was gone most nights and the realization that what mattered most to me could have been lost in the blink of an eye caused me to quit that job that next week. Wanting to spend more time with my family caused me to start attending church and Wednesday night Bible study and eventually I gave my life to Christ.

Now, nearly 29 years removed from that horrible accident I can see God’s hand working through all things, even accidents, for the good of those He has called according to his purposes. Trust in His timing, God is good!

Todd Blanchard

Reflection Questions

1. Can you identify a specific time in your life that seemed devastating at the time (i.e. job loss, death, relationship ending) but now you can see how it shaped you into who you are today?

2. Who do you know that is going through a tough time that you can share your story with?

3. How can you remind yourself to trust in God’s timing for your life?

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Why NOT Me?

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 23 & 24

*Poetry Reading:  Job 39

New Testament Reading:  Romans 7

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If you’ve been reading along in Job you have watched terrible tragedy come upon Job time after time.  You have seen his friends come to be with him.   You have heard those same friends accuse Job of sinning; all of their advice coming from the perspective that he needs to repent in order for God to end his punishment.  You have also heard Job defend himself, holding fast to his innocence.  He boldly tells his friends what he would do if God would answer him. 

  • 23:4-7:  I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me.  Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?   No; he would pay attention to me. There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.
  • 31:35-37:  Oh, that I had one to hear me!  (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
        Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!   Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
        I would bind it on me as a crown; I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him.

Job 39 is part of a “rant” by God that puts Job in his place.  God first joins in the conversation between Job and his friends in Job 38:3, “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.”  God repeats this in Job 40:7, “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” 

We will look at God’s reply and Job’s response in a couple of days.  Today, I want to focus on a few other thoughts. 

First, God is BIG and we are small. 

  • Omniscient – God is all-knowing – we are ignorant
  • Omnipotent – God is all-powerful – we are weak
  • Omnipresent – God is everywhere, all the time – we are limited

We need to keep these differences in mind at all times.  This is what allows us to fully trust in God and His plan for our lives. 

Second, we need to have a proper perspective of our lives on this earth. 

  •  2 Timothy 3:12a:  “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
  • John 16:33:  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Both of these verses are directed to those who are in Christ.  The Bible’s perspective is that we will face trials and persecution.  It is much more difficult to face those trials when we have the perspective that it shouldn’t happen to us.  Sin, evil, suffering – these are normal for this life.  They should be expected.  If we are in Christ, our perspective and expectations should be that these things should happen to us.

Having the right perspective of who we are compared to God and what expectations we should have regarding life in this age will help us trust God as we face whatever circumstances come our way. 

Amy Blanchard

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you accept that you are ignorant, weak, and limited….at least in comparison with God?  He wants us to depend on Him, to trust in Him, and to let His power be seen in us (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  To do this, we need to begin to see how great God is.
  2. I desire to live a godly life.  I am in Christ.  I still don’t want to be persecuted.  However, I am trying to accept that if I am living a godly life, I will face persecution.  Are you trusting God to bring you peace in your troubles? 
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How will your story end?

Old Testament: Numbers 14

Poetry: Job 13

New Testament: Acts 27

One of our readings today has a very good ending. One of our readings today has a very bad ending. The story with the very good ending could have ended very differently and many lives could have been lost at sea, including Paul’s. The story with the very bad ending could have ended very differently and many lives could have been saved including the ten spies who died in a plague and all those over twenty years of age who died in the wilderness.

I won’t retell the stories here. Make sure you read the account of the grumbling Israelites who listened to the ten scared spies instead of the two faithful ones in Numbers 14, and see what the consequences were for their actions and especially their attitudes. It is a powerful chapter that would have a huge devastating effect on the lives of every single Israelite young and old.

And also read the detailed account of Paul’s voyages towards Rome which included hurricane strength storms that went on for days with no sun or stars. Read of God’s promise to Paul in the midst of the storm.

God could have saved all onboard Paul’s ship by simply stopping the storm. But He didn’t. He let them endure the storm that raged for days. Maybe He was building character and perseverance and teaching the other 275 onboard to listen to Paul and Paul’s faithful God. Perhaps He was preparing the Malta islanders to receive all the castaways who would miraculously survive as well as receiving the good news of the God that saves. Maybe he was giving Paul one more great adventure and answer to prayer before arriving in Rome.

God could have sent earthquakes, fire or plagues to instantaneously wipe out the Amalekites and Canaanites so the Israelites wouldn’t need to face opposition and could just march in and take the land God promised to them. But He didn’t. We don’t always get to hear the mind of God and reasons He has for doing it His way, but in this case we do get one interesting reason I wouldn’t have thought of in Deuteronomy 7:21-24.

Do you believe the promises of God? Do you trust Him enough to not grumble against Him when there are obstacles in the way? Do you believe that safety and rest are on the other side of those storm clouds? When you face storms, trials and opposition it is not because God doesn’t care or He is not powerful or smart enough to have avoided the speed bump. Can we trust God knows more than we do and the troubles we face are not too big for Him? We tend to get into pretty big trouble when we decide we know more than God and we want to do it our way instead or we are too scared to go where He guides. Will we listen to the Joshuas, Calebs and Pauls who remind us of God’s promises and His power to provide, when we obey? Or will we grumble against our God in fear of what is in front of us?

How will your story end?

It depends on your view of God and what you do in the storms. Will you believe Him? When the easy way is enticing, when the opposition is scary, when the storm is big, will you remain faithful to God remembering the promises He has given? Will you remember how big and great your God is?

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions:

  1. What promises has God given to you? How do they help you when you are scared or unsure of the future?
  2. What obstacles have you encountered on the way? How have you grumbled against the Lord which leads to rebellion?
  3. How can you build your trust in Him so you aren’t tempted to join the masses when they grumble and rebel and try to jump ship but you stand strong with the Joshuas and Calebs and Pauls.
  4. How do you see your story ending?
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