Suppose you were given the task of building a team that was responsible for learning some teachings and convincing everyone else in the world that those teachings were true. What kind of people would you pick for this team? I would go with an all-star team of doctors, lawyers, scholars, politicians, successful business people, and someone famous. Jesus had this same task, but he built an all-star team of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, probably some tradesmen, and more fishermen. These were the occupations of the twelve disciples. Think about how unremarkable this group was, and yet they were chosen to carry out probably the most important job in the history of mankind, to spread the gospel to the whole world. They were ordinary people on an extraordinary mission.
And guess what…the mission is not over, especially considering there are about seven billion people alive today that were not living a couple thousand years ago. I’m pretty sure all of the disciples died so they are not able to help with the work anymore. God needs a team now to carry on the mission and I suspect he is still counting on ordinary people to join the team. Yes, I am talking about you. God wants you to help preach the gospel to all of the nations.
But what is the message? In Matthew 10:12, Jesus said he wanted them to go out and preach about the kingdom. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the coming kingdom. Is everyone going to accept the message? Absolutely not. Jesus said if they don’t accept the message, shake off the dust of your feet and move on to the next place. It might seem odd that Jesus was sending them to places where they would be rejected, but he still thought it was important that everyone should hear the message so they can make the choice themselves. If someone doesn’t hear about the kingdom, they don’t have a chance to accept the kingdom message.
Is it going to be easy? Nope. Jesus said we are like sheep in the midst of wolves. He told us that it won’t be easy, and in fact, it could be dangerous. Moreover, if you choose to be on this team, the message is not always viewed favorably and your own family may hate you for it, even to the point of your own family having you killed. Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 that no one was ever greater than John the Baptist, yet his life ended when they chopped off his head. However, Jesus tells us the good news in Matthew 10:39, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.”
In Matthew 12:19, it talks about Jesus’ approach. He won’t quarrel or cry out, and nobody in the streets will hear his voice. I believe this is our model of how to spread the gospel message. We are not looking for a fight. We don’t have to get angry with people because they disagree with us. We do not have to stand on street corners and scream at people that they are going to hell if they don’t repent. We just need to speak the truth in love. Explain to people what is going to happen in the future, especially what happens to them after they die. Tell them about the kingdom and how to attain salvation. If they are not interested in what you are saying, move on. There is no need for a heated debate and there is no need to keep pestering them. Just shake off the dust and move on. You can feel good that you gave them a chance for eternal life. The only time you should feel bad is when you had the opportunity to talk to someone and kept silent. What if they would have embraced the gospel message, but nobody ever gave them that chance? That would be a tragedy to let someone die eternally without ever trying to save them.
Fortunately, it is not our responsibility to make sure others attain salvation. It is only our responsibility to make sure they hear the gospel message. Don’t put any pressure on yourself for results. It is only your job to make sure that people have a choice and they don’t have a choice unless someone tells them about the choice. Matthew 12:50 says that whoever does the will of Jesus’ Father is a brother, sister, or mother of Jesus. That is a family I hope you want to be a part of.
-Rick McClain
(originally posted April 30, 2017 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
Do you consider yourself a part of Jesus’ family – why or why not? What do you think Jesus would say?
How do you do at telling others of the choice they have? What can you do this week to tell someone else – who, how, when?
I was touched by the beautiful imagery of the LORD calling to Israel as a child. Teaching him to walk and taking him into His arms. Here the LORD is also leading with kindness and bonded to His people in love. And I can just imagine a compassionate care taker releasing an animal from its burden-taking off the bridle and bit to allow the animal to freely eat and drink. The love and compassion of God are so evident in these passages. But Israel’s obstinance is also evident. These collections of poetry are calling out again to the people. Turn to God, do what is right and be saved. God desires for people to come to Him to be healed, forgiven and saved, but as we have seen over and over, the people continued to reject Him.
We are told what the result is, “Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes (4:1-3a)”. It is disturbing that this scripture could be describing parts of our own country today. But the poetic words of the prophet Hosea still speak through this book. Telling us about the LORD’S perfect character and His justice. We still hear a main theme of not rejecting, but accepting and remaining faithful to our God. How horrible to become stubborn and self-willed against the Only True Living God. That is a place that we never want to occupy. Unfortunately, I know that we could name some individuals who have turned away and have chosen lives that are in complete opposition to God. But we want to be those that faithfully hold to God. Hosea 14 describes it this way, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them (v.9)”. Hosea explains that someday the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God; they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness. It is incredible that we can know, walk with, and most of all be in a loving relationship with Him right now.
-Rebecca Dauksas
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on November 4, 2022)
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How is your nation like Israel? How are they different from Israel? How are you like Israel? How are you different from Israel?
How would you describe God as a parent?
How will you respond as His child? When have you been rebelled against Him? What is His desire for You?
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
After commissioning the twelve apostles, Jesus proceeds to teach them about what this commissioning entails. First, they will be persecuted (vv. 16-25), but they don’t need to be afraid because God will be with them and cares for them (vv. 26-31). Then comes a section that deals with the seriousness of the need to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, which can be a controversial subject (vv. 32-39). Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace but a sword (v. 34). This proclamation is not Jesus’ war cry as though his intention is to bring violence, but rather, it reveals that Jesus recognizes and discloses that he will be a point of contention and disagreement for many people. In other words, the truth that Jesus came to bring (and which he represents) will inevitably cause disunity and conflict.
It is on the heels of this declaration by Jesus that we read of the even more severe nature of this conflict—it may happen even within one’s own family. Jesus assumes the natural love of one’s family as a premise and then moves to identify that as a lesser priority in life than love for him. When he says that a person who loves him less than their family is “not worthy” of me (v. 37), he is making a value claim upon himself as more important than them. To be “worthy of me” means to “be fit to be a disciple.” It is important to clarify that Jesus is not advocating that his disciples not love their families. Instead, he is simply stipulating that the value attachment of a person to their family must not exceed their value attachment to him. To be Jesus’ disciple is to prize him above even one’s own flesh and blood.
The implications of this statement are far reaching. Who would say that loving a brother, sister, child, or parent should be subservient to the love of another? But this is precisely the demand that Jesus is making of his disciples. It is a declaration of discipleship that calls for absolute devotion. This extreme requirement is extended as Jesus also says that those who would follow him must “take [up] their cross” (v. 38). This is an expression referring to being willing to self-identify and endure the shame and suffering of one who is crucified.
Jesus elaborates by uttering one of the most interesting paradoxes: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (v. 39). In essence, Jesus is saying that the life that matters is the life that is lived for the sake of Christ. To take the road of self-denial and live for something other than one’s self is to “find life.”
From these three criteria of discipleship, where do we find ourselves? Are we willing to follow Jesus no matter what? Does our love for him exceed our love for anything else? Are we willing to take up our cross? Are we will to die to self in order to find that which may truly be called “life”? Such a price is the price of being a disciple. Are we willing to pay that price? What might be stopping us from wholehearted devotion and service to the Master?
-Jerry Wierwille
(Originally posted March 12, 2018 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
Consider the great questions at the end of Jerry’s devotion.
What happens when we love/value our family (or our job or our pleasure) more than Jesus?
What does it look like when we love Jesus more than we love other people and things?
It has been said that to love and care for our children well we need to first love and care for our spouse well. Do you think this concept can be applied a step up – to love and care for our family well, we need to first love Jesus well?
In this chapter (Matthew 9) we see that Jesus and the disciples are continuing an active pace proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. This lively passage not only records 6 healing incidents, but also shows 3 incidents where the teachers of the law are becoming rattled by the actions and rising popularity of Jesus.
Ready for anything and everything, the action rolls out as follows for Jesus and the disciples: 1) heals a paralyzed man, 2) calls Matthew the tax collector, 3) stops a hemorrhage in a woman, 4) raises a dead girl, 5) gives sight to 2 blind men, 6) and loosens the tongue of a mute man
Not only was Christ seemingly running a mobile emergency room, he was “hiring” new workers, contending with naysayers, and stopping to notice the big picture of the work ahead.
Verse 36 takes my breath away. “He saw the crowds and had compassion on them.” We are not lost in a crowd to Him. He knows our name and our needs. There is no end to His goodness. No bottom to the well. You can’t wear Jesus out. He’s not running on low. He’s not in a bad mood because it’s you again. “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16
The biggest problem in these 38 verses is that Jesus needed assistance to support the needs of the “harassed & helpless.” Nothing’s changed. May God stir your heart and mine this day to be a worker fit and ready to support the hurting. Let God’s “grace upon grace” compel us to action to not overthink but DO!
-Julie Driskill
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove January 14, 2019)
Reflection Questions
What do you learn about Jesus in Matthew 9? In what ways does he give?
Who do you see who are harassed and helpless? What can you give to them?
In what ways have you received “grace upon grace”? How can you share that with others?
In Matthew 8, Jesus is recorded as miraculously healing several distinct individuals that represent three classification of people who were viewed with lesser status in Jewish eyes. The first is a leper, who is considered unclean for a Jewish man to touch (vv. 1-4). Next is a servant of a Roman centurion, who was a Gentile foreigner and likely part of the oppressive Roman Empire, which Jews considered to be their enemy (vv. 5-13). Lastly, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 14-15), which is unique as women were not looked upon with much recognition or significance in Jewish society. In addition, the passage also reveals that Jesus healed numerous other people who were demon-possessed around Capernaum as well (vv. 16-17).
In verses 5-10 when Jesus is approached by the centurion, he concedes to the centurion’s request to come and heal his servant. Jesus’ agreement to come to the centurion’s home is quite a startlingly turn of events in this passage as a Jewish person would be deemed ceremonially unclean if they entered the house of a Gentile (cf. Jn 18:28; Acts 10:28). But nevertheless, Jesus humbly agrees to go and heal the man (vv. 5-7).
But the centurion replies quickly to Jesus expressing his “unworthiness” for Jesus to make the effort to come to his house. Rather, the centurion reveals a keen understanding of Jesus’ authority to speak with the power of God. The centurion explains that he knows what authority means because he speaks, and someone obeys, and the task is accomplished. In the same way, he claims that Jesus only needs to speak the “word,” and according to the authority of his “word,” the centurion’s servant will be healed (v. 8).
This proclamation amazes Jesus because the centurion understood the power and authority of God that Jesus represented. And in response to the centurion’s understanding of this reality, Jesus declares, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith” (v. 10). What an unsuspecting pronouncement—that Jesus would confess such a great faith from this Gentile that superseded any he had seen in all of Israel. The emphasis here is that even a Gentile, who was not considered a member of God’s people, will see the power of God at work when they trust in Jesus, God’s Anointed.
What the passage can teach us is that God’s power flows in response to the exercising of faith (trust) in God as the source of all power and in Jesus as God’s Messiah. If we want to see God’s power at work in our lives, it begins by recognizing that God moves when we believe and trust in him, knowing that he is able to do even what may seem impossible in our eyes. Our trust in God doesn’t make God move; rather, God responds when we trust in him. And we must also trust in his character—that he responds as the good and loving God that we know he is.
-Jerry Wierwille
(originally posted on March 11, 2018 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
What do you learn about Jesus in Matthew 8? What makes him worthy of celebrating and following?
What has Jesus done that his followers ought to do too? How can you do that this week? What did Jesus do that only he could do?
As the wife of a pastor, I know first hand that many unintentional happenings in our lives often later become fantastic sermon illustrations. Sometimes, once we recover from the initial shock of a momentous event, my husband Dan and I will look at each other knowingly as if to say, “this will be a great sermon story someday.” Once in a while, Dan will remember and share stories off the cuff while he is preaching. He’s always very respectful of me, choosing to present me in a positive light and make himself the butt of any jokes, but as an introvert who prefers to blend in, I still feel embarrassed when the eyes of the congregation turn to me mid-sermon to take in my reaction to reliving the story. (I’ve joked with Dan that I need to attach a shock collar to him, and every time he starts to say my name, I will activate the shock collar so he will stop talking about me!)
The prophet Hosea was a living, breathing sermon illustration tasked with the responsibility to demonstrate God’s relationship with Israel by marrying a prostitute and having children with her. The whole book is a metaphor about the intimacy, or lack thereof, between YHWH God and his chosen people. It reads almost like a soap opera, declaring how God continues to pursue them even though they keep turning away from Him as Hosea continues to redeem and love his wayward Gomer. (This seems to be the overall theme of the entire Old Testament, doesn’t it?)
It is frustrating to see how our world overall devalues true committed relationships, referring to marriage as a prison, for example. Likewise, our post-Christian culture does not understand the blessing of an intimate relationship with God, our Creator and Sustainer who loves us so much. I am grateful that, though I have sometimes rejected God, He still pursues me. Psalm 121 from today’s reading is evidence of God’s love for us – he wouldn’t help us so much if He didn’t love us and desire to draw us back into a relationship with Him!
I am still in awe that, despite our wishy-washiness toward Him and even knowing that humankind would tend to always have such a desultory demeanor, still “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
Reflection questions:
-How has God pursued you?
-In what practical ways can you demonstrate the never-failing love of our Father YHWH to those around you?
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.”
As a fifth-grade introvert who wanted nothing more to blend in with the small class in my little Christian school, “weird” was about the meanest name one could call me. Because I didn’t even want anyone to so much as notice me, remaining quiet and going with the flow was the most obvious way to camouflage among my peers.
I’ve had a bit of a wake-up call since my private school elementary days. In my public secondary and post-secondary education, God called me to stand up for my faith on several occasions, even when it meant that I was standing alone – resulting in <gasp> people noticing me! More recently, ever since my husband and I felt God leading us to do things that go against the culture, such as home-birthing and home-educating all four of our children, I’ve had to learn to be confident in those decisions and keep my eyes focused on God, no matter if others think I am weird. (As fate would have it, since opposites attract, I married an extrovert who thinks “weird” is a compliment and loves nothing more than helping others laugh at his own expense, so he tries to do silly things when we are out in public – which then, of course, draws attention to me too! I’ve learned to loosen up and not care as much what others think, and he’s learned to rein in the silly antics a little bit when I am with him.)
Jesus was the epitome of weird, but not in a bad way; in fact, many people were drawn to him because they could sense his sincerity and wisdom. (Some even failed to recognize him as the Messiah for whom they were searching because he didn’t meet their expectations!) Most of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5 are quite counter-cultural; for example, the Beatitudes is a list of dichotomous concepts which indicate (in my simple summary) that bad things can be blessings in disguise.
Because God is love (I John 4:8) and Jesus is God’s Son and representative, one could deduce that the primary mission of Jesus’ ministry was to demonstrate the love of his Father to this broken world. That, I believe, is why the end of this chapter (Matthew 5:43-48 NIV) gives perhaps his most controversial nugget of wise advice yet: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Showing love to people who are not like me or who don’t deserve it can be hard enough, but to show love to my enemies and those people who have hurt me? Well, that just takes Jesus’ weird, radical love to a whole new level. Jesus demonstrated this love throughout his ministry, though, by dying for generations of sinners including you and me (see Romans 5:8) and even forgiving the people who brutally murdered him (see Luke 23:34).
Romans 12:1-2 is one of my favorite passages; I especially love the down-to-earth wording of The Message paraphrase that reminds us why it is important to be weird: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
(This is a reminder to myself, but you can read it too if you like: Because I am following Jesus, I need to not be so afraid of being weird that no one around me even knows I am a Christian. I need to be weird in a Jesus kind of way so that people want to have the eternally-focused hope that I radiate, the kind of contagious joy that shows others there’s something different and gives me a reason to share my faith with them (see 1 Peter 3:15). In Matthew 5:14 & 16 (NIV) Jesus says, “you are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our light must have a source, and today’s Psalm 119 has a great bit of wisdom in verse 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Help me, Lord, to know you more through your Word and relationship with you. May I not be so afraid to be weird that I fail to shine your light in this dark world.)
Let’s take courage together to be weird in a countercultural, Jesus kind of way!
Reflection questions:
-What are ways that you have blended in with the culture rather than standing out for Jesus?
-Pray about the actions God wants you to take to be more “weird” in a Jesus kind of way.
In our homeschool history lessons, my children and I have been learning about much of the world exploration that happened following the Reformation. Prior to this time period, two entire continents – North and South America – were largely unknown to the charted world. When there was religious persecution in England, the Puritans, who believed they should be able to worship God in their own way rather than under the thumb of the Church of England, decided to venture to the New World, where they could be truly free. Explorers had already paved the way for their travels; some colonies survived, but some did not. These Pilgrims were supposed to arrive at an existing Virginian village, but because a fierce storm blew The Mayflower off course, they ended up in Massachusetts instead. Their journey was wrought with difficulties, but they were careful to make note of God’s provision along the way, such as providing a kind Native American named Squanto who knew English (as a result of his own hardship of being sold into slavery in England for a time) and taught them how to grow food and survive the winter. Though half of the Pilgrims died that first year, they joined with their new Native American family after the first fall harvest to give thanks to God for his blessings.
Psalm 118 begins and ends with praise; what a great reminder of how we should start and finish each day! It continues on to tell of difficulties and challenges, but immediately shares how YHWH God showed up each time, a reminder of His faithfulness and provision.
Last week, many of us gathered to thank God for our blessings, remember the historical first Thanksgiving, and express gratitude for our religious freedom. Thanksgiving is perhaps my favorite holiday; it’s often a simple gathering with a mighty feast of both food and gratitude. My favorite part of the day is participating in the Cain family prayer song. Before we dig into our meal, thirty or more of us – original Cains, their spouses and families and extended families, and many friends – hold hands and sing “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” in a variety of harmonies. This sends shivers through my body as it reverberates through the large room that was once a church sanctuary and in which there have been countless prayers offered and innumerable songs sung. I always think of the bookend verses of Psalm 118 (verses 1 and 29, NIV) on Thanksgiving, but it is wise to remember at the beginning and end of every day of the year: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
Reflection:
-Commit to memory the first and final verses of Psalm 118. Then practice saying them as you wake up for the day and as you tuck yourself back into bed at night.
-Gratitude is an attitude! How can you cultivate more gratitude?
As a parent, there have been many times that I beamed with pride at the accomplishments of my children. Proud that my preschool-age son could write and was learning how to spell using the “oo” digraph, I was simultaneously embarrassed when he covered his church bulletin in the crooked letters “POOP” and gave it to our youth leader, Chris Lucas, with a big smile of accomplishment plastered across his face. Though slightly red-faced at the nature of my son’s first penmanship successes, I am always thrilled when I see my children building on their strengths and recognizing their potential! When they finally master the algorithm for double-digit multiplication, earn accolades at their very first session of gymnastics, build intricate LEGO creations, seamlessly play a song on their instrument, stand up for what is right, encourage a hurting friend, or create a fun craft independently in Sunday School, pride for my children fills my spirit. This year, my husband and I celebrated with tears of joy as our two oldest children were baptized on Easter and Christmas, respectively. Their decisions to follow Jesus were balm to my soul because “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4).
In our New Testament reading today, we learn about the beginnings of baptism and God’s pride in His Son, Jesus. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin – the baby who lept in the womb of his mother Elizabeth when Mary, mother of Jesus (who was still in utero, too), came to visit. We are familiar with Jesus’ virgin birth, but John came from a miraculous birth as well; his mother was well past child-bearing years when he was born as her first child. John had a public ministry to prepare the way for Jesus and was famous for introducing the concept of baptism (hence his nickname, “the Baptist”). John was a bit of an odd fellow: his attire was made from camel hair, and his most common sustenance while wandering in the desert was locusts smothered in honey. (Anyone else hungry for such a delicacy? Yum!) John was not fond of the Pharisees and made sure they knew it; you can read his reprimand to them in this passage.
Aware that his cousin was the Son of God, John almost refused to baptize Jesus due to feelings of inadequacy but finally consented when Jesus explained the significance of the event. When Jesus rose out of the water, God’s Spirit descended like a dove and everyone in attendance could hear His voice from Heaven: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV)
God’s pride and joy literally shone down as the world prepared for Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection would make a way for man to have a personal relationship with God again. I imagine God’s heart absolutely bubbling over with pride as he watched his Son fulfill his calling. To paraphrase a motif from Sally Lloyd Jones’ The Jesus Storybook Bible, Jesus was making the sad things come untrue; he was mending this broken world.
All of us have, at one time or another, felt pride in our own accomplishments or for the successes of those around us; how much more pride must God have felt, finally seeing His great rescue plan begin to come to fruition!
While the wrong kind of pride can be a dangerous thing that leads to sin, we can have a humble pride – satisfaction that we have done a job well, confidence in a God-given talent, etc. – and use those opportunities of success to give glory and praise to God.
Reflection questions:
-When have you felt pride in a confident, godly kind of way?
-How can you use your gifts to minister to others and shine the light of Jesus?
Seek Grow Love 