“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
It is important that we are trustworthy. Do your actions line up with your words?
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?
“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, forthose 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?
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
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.
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?
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:
What promises has God given to you? How do they help you when you are scared or unsure of the future?
What obstacles have you encountered on the way? How have you grumbled against the Lord which leads to rebellion?
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.
Have you ever gotten your fingers pinched, or crushed in a door? Ouch. That stings. Have you ever watched as someone walked (or ran) right into a closed door, falling backwards? I watch a lot of preschoolers – it’s a regular thing. Some handle it well, and dust themselves off as they go on, sometimes even laughing. Others need to take some time on the floor (and sometimes in my arms) to get over the shock and pain.
Have you ever been excitedly making plans of how your day, your trip or your life would go – only to find closed or closing doors. Maybe your fingers gets pinched in the process, or maybe your whole body and spirit are totally knocked out from a closing opportunity you were planning on and excitedly anticipating?
There are a lot of closed and closing doors in Acts 16. Paul and his companions (including Silas and Timothy at this point) were at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. It is helpful to look at a map as you read Acts 16:6-10 to see what is really going on with Paul’s travel plans. (I also found William Schlegel’s Satellite Bible Atlas handy). Verse 6 says the Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the word in the province (not continent) of Asia. This indicates that they had wanted to, were planning on, and would have taken the gospel message to the province of Asia. That sounds like a very good thing! But, Asia became a closed door – because of the Holy Spirit. The map shows that the province of Asia would have been to their west as they were traveling. The very next verse says that at the border of Mysia (indicating that they did indeed continue traveling after their first way was blocked), “they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7 NIV). Bithynia would be to their east. Closed door, again! Can’t go west, then, further down the road they can’t go east.
It would be interesting to know what these closed doors looked like. Maybe government red tape and passport issues that prevented travel to certain areas. Maybe a prophecy or just plain “bad feeling” about proceeding in the intended direction. Maybe advice from others regarding weather or disasters or unrest ahead. Maybe we will know one day what their closed doors were. Probably you can see what your closed doors are. What has kept you from the day, the trip or the life you envisioned? Maybe you have become discouraged because of all the things you were planning on doing, that aren’t working out right now as you had planned. If so, keep reading Acts.
It’s easy to ask, “What’s up, God? Don’t you want these on-fire evangelists to carry your word to the world?” How many closed doors are we supposed to come across and still keep going? It is so easy to let road blocks and closed doors defeat us, but Paul kept traveling, wherever he could. Can’t go to Asia, can’t go to Bithynia, let’s try heading to Troas. He was rewarded with a vision of a man from Macedonia calling out for help. The Bible tells us, when Paul received the vision, “We got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
So off to Macedonia they went. And what adventures – and lots of open doors – awaited them in Macedonia! There were new churches and hearts God was preparing in Philippi and Thessalonica and Berea (all cities of Macedonia). But God had planned that they would hear the message from Paul and his companions. He just needed to get Paul to them. If God had allowed Paul to enter Asia or Bithynia when they had wanted to, Lydia and the Philippian jailer and so many others would have been left waiting.
God’s plans were better than Paul’s . God’s plans are better than ours. His open doors are the best. His closed doors are closed for a reason – and that is okay – even good – even when it pinches a bit or throws us to the ground for a spell. Get up and try another door. Keep traveling and testing doors. The one He wants you to go through will indeed open. And behind THAT door are adventures and blessings that He has prepared for you – and people that He has prepared for you to carry the good news to. Don’t miss out on finding the open doors because you are sulking at the closed ones.
(Note on Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus: both of these spirits were blocking Paul’s way at different times. I think it is not saying these are the same – but they did have the same purpose which was to get Paul to where God wanted him by keeping Paul from going other places, at least for now (later he would travel to Asia and work with the people who God had prepared at that time). Just as God and His Son are two side by side in heaven right now, they are active in the same spiritual battle for saving lives by sending their spirits to guide, empower, and close and open doors. It’s kind of like getting two superheroes on your side instead of just one.)
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions:
Do you sometimes tell yourself that your plans are better than God’s? How can you trust Him more?
What doors have been closed that you were anticipating traveling through? How did you handle it?
What doors have been opened that you hadn’t been anticipating or planning? What blessings would you have missed out on if you had taken the closed door route instead?
Psalms 37 is one of my favorite psalms. It holds a special place in my heart. When I saw there was a whole week dedicated to this passage, I knew for which week I wanted to write. This week we also will look at some exciting and pivotal moments of the early church. Finally, we start Leviticus. As someone who enjoys culture and history, I appreciated these passages in Leviticus as they gave insight to what life was like for the early Israelites. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
I am poor. I do not say this to gain pity, but rather as a matter of fact. I make $17.50 an hour working full time at a daycare. I live by myself, with no roommates to split rent. I’ve got a senior dog who is on a special diet and needs joint supplements. I’ve got car payments, insurance, internet bills, and an expensive prescription medication I need every month. I am the woman in the grocery store with her phone–not texting but using the calculator feature to ensure I stay under budget. I have a second job teaching dance to give myself a small savings cushion. I tithe and trust God. I do this living from paycheck to paycheck life for one simple reason: I love my job!
I have been teaching preschool for the past five years. I am in my second year of having my own classroom of five year olds to prepare for Kindergarten. I have a college degree and could make more money elsewhere, but I truly enjoy what I do. I also feel I am using my God given gifts to serve my community. So, while I am poor, I chose to be. This makes my situation easier as I am not stuck like so many in real poverty are. There was a time, though, when I did not have as much financial peace as I do now.
There are videos going around on social media of women who make adult content bragging about how much money they have and showing off their amazing homes. When I discovered these videos, I was infuriated. Here I was struggling to get by, while these women who were deliberately going against God lived worry free. What’s more is they had a surplus of money to give away! There are even videos of them passing out cash to random strangers or handing out mystery electronic gifts. How I would love to be able to surprise bless people like that. My anger turned to jealousy. It was not as if I was jealous of some amazing singer, actress, or athlete whose hard work and talent was deserving of the monetary recognition. The internet has made it easier than ever to create adult content. Many of these women were the same age as me. We both had access to the internet. It was not a matter of opportunity but of morality that separated us. My jealousy soon turned to bitterness. I felt like I was suffering for doing the right thing.
Through my studies in scripture I came to realize this was not a new concept; that those who live lives of sin may also live lives of luxury. The first few verses of Psalms 37 address this:
Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass. they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the LORD and do good, then you will live safely in the land and prosper. (verses 1-3 NLT)
The writer addresses the financial differences between those who follow God and those who do not: “It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will shatter but the LORD takes care of the godly.” (verses 16 & 17 NLT). Throughout this passage the writer refers to a future reward. It is described as “an inheritance that lasts forever” (verse 18 NLT). We know this to be the Kingdom of God. This writer urges God’s people to refrain from anger but trust in a future land of prosperity and peace. It took me a while, but eventually, I began to let go of my frustrations and take the advice in Psalms 37 to not fret and worry about the success of the wicked. Soon, the bitterness, jealousy and anger I felt faded away and was replaced by a quiet peace in God.
Psalms 37 tells of a great future for those who trust in God. Jesus brings news of this future in the Gospels. It is the promise of this same future that gave the early church members boldness when they first began facing persecution as we see in Acts 4. My prayer for you is on days when the world seems full of evil and unfairness, you too will hold fast to the promise of eternal inheritance and future glory in the Kingdom of God.
-Emilee Ross
Reflection Questions
What are your feelings when you see evil people prosper? What can you gain from Psalm 37?
Do you have the promise and hope of an inheritance that lasts forever? If so, what difference does it make in your life now? If not, do you want it?
What is the problem with putting your trust in money? What is better than money?
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your own trust in God? Would you like to see it grow? What do you already know about God’s character? How can you learn about His character? How have you seen God provide?
Some of my favorite commercials have come from the Klondike Bar ice cream company. Their catchphrase is “What would you do for a Klondike?”, followed by some of the most extreme examples of people doing something to get their ice cream bar. One of my favorite commercials involved a man willing to shave off one of his eyebrows and looking ridiculous for the ice cream (I apparently am not willing to do much, because I’ve never actually eaten one).
We are asked a similar question in our devotion today, but not involving ice cream: this involves the kingdom of God. In Matthew 13, the kingdom of God is compared to two gentlemen willing to sell everything that they possess to acquire it, like a hidden treasure or a precious pearl. They recognize two things: the kingdom of God is something of tremendous value, and that everything they own cannot compare with its marvelous wonder. Although they are sacrificing much, they are making the wisest investment of their life. Imagine if you had the opportunity to possess a winning lottery ticket that would give you 100 million dollars: all it would take is to sell all your possessions… would you take that deal? Would that lottery ticket not be able to buy back everything you had and more?
See, Jesus also promised that if we give our lives for the kingdom of God, we would receive a hundred times as much in this life and in the next age (see Matthew 19:27-30). He wasn’t asking us to simply give up everything just because he felt like it: he promised infinitely more than we could ever imagine, if we would simply trust him and follow his kingdom-way. You would be making the wisest investment of your life if you chose the kingdom of God over every possible path that this life has to offer, and you would gain much more than this life could ever offer. So, “What would you do for the kingdom of God?” What are you willing to risk for eternal life?
Perhaps a more direct question is in order as well: “What are you NOT willing to risk for the kingdom of God?” We all have something we hold dear, whether that be personal possessions, a deeply-held family connection, or a desired career path. There are some things that will be difficult to let go of to pursue Jesus and the kingdom of God, but that’s the point: he wants you FULLY committed, willing to give him everything because he gave everything for you. This is something that we must consistently ask ourselves and reflect on what we are holding back from our Lord.
What would you do for the kingdom of God?
Talon Paul
Reflection Questions
Both men in today’s parables recognized the kingdom of God as something of great value. What value do you place on the kingdom of God? Why?
What have you already given up to pursue Jesus and the Kingdom of God?
What are you having a difficult time letting go of in order to gain the kingdom of God?
Explain how giving it all can be a wise investment.
What is the wisest investment you can make with your day today, and with the week ahead of you, if you are fully committed to living for the kingdom?
Jumping into our Old Testament reading today of Genesis 27-28, we find ourselves among a muddy set of characters. Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau are quite the dysfunctional family in a lot of ways. As a kid I heard the story of Jacob and Esau many times, and I remember coming home from Sunday School one week quite indignant as to why the “liar” got the blessing. That just didn’t make sense to my immature brain which was picking up information from stories in isolation, and in many ways, is still working on weaving them all together. Jacob and his manipulative mother had stood out to me as being the “bad guys” in the story since they were busy lying, sneaking around, wearing hairy disguises, whipping up really good goat stews that just might taste like something Esau’s hunting could have contributed to, and yet somehow, they got away with it. What good Sunday school teacher would have the moral of the story be “lie, cheat, and steal and you’ll be blessed”?
Now when I read this story, I realize….it’s kinda like war. Ultimately, like most stories of human beings, all of the characters are wrong in different ways at different times and full of mistakes. In this case, at times they were all conniving and trusting in themselves to fix problems versus trusting God wholly and His sovereign plan. While Rebekah had been told the older would serve the younger, she certainly hadn’t been told to take matters in her own hands and assume she had to be manipulative and conniving to achieve what God himself had already told her was going to happen. Nor had Jacob been instructed to trick and lie to his father. And Esau certainly was not just an innocent victim with his misplaced priorities like bowls of red stew and pagan wives. Interestingly, according to commentaries, Isaac lived 40 more years after giving the blessing to Jacob. I always pictured him on his deathbed in this story, but apparently he had another 40 years to see what unfolded!
God had a plan, a promise, a land and blessings to give, despite this family’s actions, not because of them. The story of this imperfect crew in Genesis 27-28 falls after Abraham has died. They are descendants of the promises given to Abraham already, and in Chapter 28, Jacob hears those promises reiterated again to him personally. As promised, not because his costume was really good and his lying skills were top notch, Jacob’s descendants are bountiful, and form the biological lineage of King David and our Messiah, Jesus. Genesis in fact, is a book full of beautiful promises, and not just promises found in interesting tales of old, full of characters who like red stew. They are full of incredibly relevant promises for any Christian today, and are absolutely central to the gospel message. For that matter, these passages are also very relevant to current events today and a land that we must trust to God’s sovereign plan. He doesn’t need our plotting, manipulating, and worrying. Not only that, He doesn’t want them. God alone knows the who, what, when, where, why, and how of it all. Jesus will return. The meek will inherit the earth.
In trying to come up with an analogy for the importance of the promises of Genesis in relationship to the gospel, and how they impact what we live for, hope in, and are sustained by, I realized Anthony Buzzard, a faithful teacher of the Abrahamic faith, had already done it for me. In an article I ran across recently in his Focus on the Kingdom magazine, I found comfort and inspiration in his golden thread description:
Underlying the entire Bible story, running like a golden thread through Scripture, is the promise made to Abraham that he would receive, as a reward for his obedience to God’s call to leave Ur of the Chaldees, prosperity, progeny, and property. This amazing, divinely promised guarantee of success, which Christians are invited to share as spiritual children of Abraham, is summed up in the compact phrase “the blessing of Abraham.” This beautiful and memorable phrase is found only twice in Scripture, in Galatians 3:14 and Genesis 28:4. This provides the essential link between the two Testaments.
The article, The Land Promise to Abraham and His Descendants: The Key to the Whole Bible Plot, can be read here.
May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, so that you may possess the land where you live as a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.
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.
I was so distraught when I realized that my mom, who kept our small house under control by regularly donating unwelcomed items, had found a new home for my favorite ALF stuffed animal, my prized merchandise from the cheesy late-80s sitcom by the same name. Mom must not have realized how much I enjoyed that stuffy, and I never understood her constant need to purge… until I became a mom.
Now that I am a mom too, I understand! A self-proclaimed reformed packrat, I have a permanent location for a Goodwill bag in my garage that is always ready to accept our rejects. No sooner is it sent to the donation center than another bag begins to fill in that vacant space. Stuff multiplies quicker than rabbits in my house! Some stuff is helpful, but too much of it becomes a burden. With a six-person family, I have to be careful – ruthless, even – about balancing what comes in with getting more out, or our home will be overflowing in no time. Though we were never anywhere near “hoarder status”, throughout the past two years, I have removed close to 50% of the items we owned, and I’m not finished yet. I am searching for simplicity.
My recent mission towards minimalism has strengthened my faith as I learn more of what the Bible says about “stuff.” I would even argue that Jesus was the ultimate minimalist – he had “no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20) and when he sent the disciples out in pairs to minister to communities, he instructed them to “take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt” (Luke 9:3).
The text of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 is full of great minimalist concepts. The simple yet powerful Lord’s Prayer, which begins in verse 9, reminds us to focus on God and trust in Him and His providence rather than ourselves. Then in verses 19-21 (NIV), Jesus steps on our toes by discussing our worldly treasures. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Nothing prepares you to consider your true treasures like a natural disaster. As a resident of the Midwest, I have been rudely awakened by sirens in the middle of the night announcing the threat of a tornado more times than I can count. Since I am a worst-case-scenario person, I’ve thought often of what I would want to save, if possible, in case of a disaster; if I know in advance that the weather is favorable for a funnel cloud, I will move our most precious belongings to the basement in case we don’t have time to grab them. It’s never easy to get the six of us to the basement in a jiffy (it can be challenging enough to bring 4 sleepy children to consciousness suddenly, not to mention a husband who sleeps soundly and disregards the urgency of a tornado warning, certain that it will never happen to us whilst forgetting about the EF-0 that caused roof damage when it spun right over our home a few years ago, but I digress). I grab the smallest child in my arms, yell at all the others to get out of bed while I rush said child to the basement, and then go back upstairs to loudly remind my sleepy stragglers of the critical nature of the situation, all while praying the tornado does not hit our house – at least until all of the humans are safe. If there is time, we may try to grab a few special things from the upper levels, but usually we choose to remain in the safety of the basement since none of the belongings in my home are worth the life of my family.
We all have our terrestrial treasures, and that’s not necessarily wrong, as long as we realize that little of it is of eternal value and we keep our perspective in line with God’s values. Someday, it’s all gonna burn! But it won’t even matter when we dwell with our Savior in the Kingdom in perfect peace.
Lastly, Jesus reminds us not to worry. To one prone to anxiety, this seems an impossible feat; however, it is important that he reminds us that nothing on earth is eternal and we must depend on him for all of our needs. Jesus reminds us that God takes care of the animals and the flowers, so how much more will He care for the humans made in His image? I could never hoard enough to outdo my need for God, and I could never prepare for every possible disaster in life! He challenges us to put our priorities in order by seeking God first, and then trusting that God will meet all of our needs. Jesus wants us to focus on Kingdom work more than our stuff, which can easily tie up our time, money, resources, and energy.
Please note: I am NOT advocating for not taking care of our families and just expecting God to provide all that we need without doing anything. I think these verses are primarily about our attitude towards our stuff and our trust in our Heavenly Father. It is a good idea to try to save money for future needs, stash some food in case of emergency (and toilet paper, of course… remember the TP fiasco of 2020?!), and plan for some problems, because rainy days will come. Is it okay to have possessions? Of course; I enjoy resources just like anyone else. I have a home furnished with items our family uses and needs throughout all four seasons, plus some extras like a comprehensive collection of family board games, a nearly-complete set of Dr. Seuss books, and a handful of manatee souvenirs (hey, we all have our weaknesses!). Pursuing minimalism by getting rid of the excess clutter and unused items while still making sure the current needs of my family are met has helped to simplify my mind so I can be more present with my family, to evaluate wants versus needs so I spend less money, and to free up the mental and physical energy required to manage everything.
Consider how you can simplify your life physically, mentally, and any “other-ly” you can think of, so that you can be more available to do the work God has entrusted to you.
(Oh, and about that ALF stuffed animal… I must have made a big deal about missing it, because my mom replaced it that following Christmas. And yes, I still have it!!!)
Reflection questions:
-Is your stuff weighing you down and taking your focus off the important things of God? How can you simplify? -Why do you think we tend to overcomplicate prayer when Jesus gave us a simple but powerful template of how to pray?
-If you want to learn more about simplifying your life, I recommend following The Minimal Mom on YouTube. She is a Christian and sometimes shares how her faith influences minimalism. If you want more fantastic faith-based (or just wholesome) resources about simplifying, feel free to contact me at rachel1213@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to share some!
Rachel Cain
Minor Prophets Introduction
The minor prophets include the 12 final books in the Old Testament, including: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi. These books aren’t minor because they are unimportant, they are just shorter than (most of) the major prophets. All of these prophets warned their respective audiences over a period of about 300 years to repent and return to God. Many also contain prophecies of Jesus’ first or second coming, or both.
Hosea shows a parallel between Hosea’s adulterous wife and Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness to God.
Joel talks about the “Day of the Lord” when God will pour out his judgment on wayward people.
Amos was written to prosperous Israel, whom he condemned because of their greed and forsaking justice.
Obadiah pronounced judgment against Edom for helping destroy Jerusalem.
Jonah is probably the most well-known of the minor prophets, telling the story of how Jonah himself initially rebelled against God, but eventually obeyed, and evangelized Nineveh – his mortal enemy.
Micah preached coming judgment for Jerusalem and Samaria because of the unfaithfulness of the people. He also prophesied about the coming Messiah.
Nahum prophesied the doom of Nineveh about 150 years after Jonah, because the people had fallen back into their sinful ways.
Habakkuk contains the prophet’s frustrations that God would use a more wicked nation to punish a more righteous one; but ends with him still rejoicing in the Lord his God despite calamity.
Zephaniah prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and called the people to return to God. He also prophesied that God would gather a remnant of His people even after He punished them.
Haggai preached after the return from Babylonian captivity, calling the people to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem.
Zechariah’s main focus was on the coming Messiah, and Jerusalem’s enemies to eventually be destroyed.
Malachi wrote about 100 years after the return from captivity, and was still encouraging the people to repent and return to God.
Even though these 12 books were written 2500+ years ago, and are fascinating from a historical and prophetic point of view, they are also still relevant today. These prophets preached against hypocrisy, idolatry, and spiritual apathy – messages we need to hear again today.
I’ll close with Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Seek Grow Love 