Tag: relationships

Relationship Inventory

Ephesians 4-6

Devotion by Jenn Haynes (OH)

Relationships are tricky things. They are a blessing to us, and yet they don’t come without thorns. God decided in the very beginning that we weren’t to be alone. We were created to be with others. The final three chapters of Ephesians center around how to be in relationships. From the bond found in church bodies and friendships,to slave/servant and master, to children and parents, to husband and wife, we see a wide array of relationships. And they all start in the same place: unity in Christ. 

What a tricky thing to do, being one in spirit and purpose when we aren’t always one in mind. For example, you could look at the political atmosphere in our country. I know Christians who are Democrat, and Christians who are Republican, and a vast array in between or beyond. They are definitely not of one mind, though I like to believe that most are of one spirit: they want our country to be a good, safe place to live. We just all have a different ideas of how that should happen, and we prioritize different ideals, right? 

The same goes in every relationship. In churches, I rarely see a lack of peace because someone desperately WANTS to go against Christ and destroy his church. Usually I just see different groups of people with different priorities and different ideas of how things should be done. One in spirit, but not one in mind. This holds true in every relationship. No matter how united we are in our goal, we will find differences that lead to conflict. 

So how do we handle relationships when we differ in mind? Paul gives us a lot of advice here, so I’ll list some highlights: 

1. Be humble, gentle, and patient in love. Show humility by admitting that maybe your way doesn’t have to be THE way. And of course be gentle and patient when you are disagreeing.

2. Seek God in determining your place in the body of Christ, as well as in your relationships. Many times our conflicts occur because we have stepped away from where God wants us. 

3. Deal with your anger in a Godly way. Don’t let it take root and stew in your bitterness. Evaluate what you’re actually angry about. Is it righteous anger? Is this anger God would have in the same situation, or is this YOUR anger – anger that things aren’t going the way YOU want them to. If it’s Godly anger, then you need to speak up in truth. If it’s your anger, then you need to stop letting it get in the way of the work God wants to do in you and through you. 

4. No unwholesome talk. This means you DON’T put others down. You don’t gossip, and you don’t say hurtful things about those who are one with you in the body of Christ. You don’t put down your children, you don’t put down your spouse, you don’t put down your friends, and you don’t put down your church body. You can’t be unified in mind and purpose if your speech is keeping you apart.

5. Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  That verse is so important to good relationships that I put it to song and had my children memorize it when they were small. God forgave you for all your stupid, stupid mistakes, sins and words. So forgive others for theirs. 

6. Do not wait for others to follow Paul’s advice here. It starts with you. Paul didn’t say this, but we see it in every example of a good disciple. You can’t control others’ actions and emotions. But you can control yours. And good disciples take the first steps and live as an example to others. 

Paul goes on in the rest of Ephesians with more good advice, specifically pertaining to certain relationships. But these foundations he lays out in chapter four pave the way. You are called to be united in Christ. So it’s time for a relationship inventory. 

Reflection Questions:

 First, are you united in spirit in this relationship? (As in, do you have the same goal, and is that goal Godly?) If you aren’t, then maybe it’s time to place some safety distance in that relationship so that it doesn’t affect the work God would like to do in your life. If you ARE united in spirit, you can move on to further analysis. 

If you’re united in Spirit, are you currently not united in mind about an issue? 

Are there negative feelings attached to that issue? Are you angry, bitter, hurt, jealous, anxious, or something similar? You need to find out the root cause. Do those feelings stem from something that is ungodly, or do they come from a more personal place? If you look at it hard enough, is this really just a difference of opinion, or is this an issue of righteousness? Most of the time, it’s a difference of opinion. If that’s the case, it’s time to start looking at Paul’s suggestions there in chapter 4. Most of all, show love. Rather than saying, “I’m angry at this person because of….” start actively saying, “I love this person because…” and you will see a radical shift in your relationships with others. Even if you have to start small with, “I love this person because God told me to.” Doing what God asks is a wonderful place to start. 

Prayer Thoughts:

My prayer for you today is that you read through these passages and really try to apply them to your relationships. I pray that you are able to recognize a difference of opinion for what it is – a difference in how your beautiful brains think, not a reason to be angry and distrustful. I pray that you find unity in spirit and unity in mind in your relationships. I pray that when you don’t find that unity, you step up and be a good disciple by making the first move toward togetherness. I pray that you love and forgive others as Christ forgave you.

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Enlightening Wisdom to Live By

Proverbs 25-26

1 Kings 4:29-34(NLT)  God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. 30 In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. 32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. 34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Proverbs in their basic elements are statements about life.  Solomon composed some 3000 proverbs according to the record in 1 Kings.  They are comparisons of concrete examples of physical life with the eternal truth of God’s message to us.  In our reading today we see a familiar set of verses which are quoted by Paul in Romans in a section of Romans dealing with how to get along with others in the church and without.  Our two chapters we are reading today have many statements which should help us govern our hearts and how we relate to others.  Let’s look at the section in Proverbs and quoted in Romans.

Proverbs 25:21-22(NKJV) 1 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.

Romans 12:17-21(NKJV) Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

One common explanation of these verses are that we will heap coals of fire on our enemy to burn him up when we do good to him.  My understanding of this section is much different.  In the ancient cultures they didn’t have boxes of safety matches or Bic lighters to make fire with.  When it was cold especially the household would try to keep a fire going all the time so that when fire was needed for cooking or heating it would be available.  As anyone who has tried to start a fire with friction or flint and steel will attest, this is no small matter to get a fire going when needed.  An easier method would be to go to the neighbors who have an existing fire and borrow some coals from them.  If their fire went out, borrowing coals from you would be very neighborly.  When they took the coals, they would put them in a clay pot to handle them.  It was very common to put the pot on the top on their head to carry it, and they would have a pad to protect the head even.  This would warm up the person carrying the coals to the other household and the proverb is comparing this physical action that this would warm them, be a blessing, to them in their hearts.  By doing this we overcome the evil of having an enemy with the blessing that we give them by our actions.

In Proverbs 26 there are sections that deal with our speech and how it should be handled.  This first one shows us a comparison of a lie to a deadly weapon against another.

Proverbs 26:18-26(NLT) 18 Just as damaging
as a madman shooting a deadly weapon
19 is someone who lies to a friend
and then says, “I was only joking.”

How about this next section that deals with gossip and quarrels.  Would we have quarrels in our churches if we followed the wisdom found here?  Jesus echoes this when he tells us that out of our hearts we speak what we really believe whether for good or evil.  As we read God’s Word it is drawn into our hearts by God’s love found there and this becomes the way that we react when in the situations of life. 


Proverbs 26:20-26(NLT)  Fire goes out without wood,
and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.
21 A quarrelsome person starts fights
as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.

Rumors are dainty morsels
that sink deep into one’s heart.
23 Smooth words may hide a wicked heart,
just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.
24 People may cover their hatred with pleasant words,
but they’re deceiving you.
25 They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them.
Their hearts are full of many evils.
26 While their hatred may be concealed by trickery,
their wrongdoing will be exposed in public.

One of my favorites of these wisdom sayings of Solomon is in this verse:

Proverbs 27:17(NLT) As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Praying that you all will be sharpened by the love and wisdom of these lessons which you are reading every day. 

Love in Christ, Tom Siderius

Reflection Questions

  1. In today’s Bible reading which verses stood out to you as particularly wise? What stood out as something you need to work on?
  2. How do you treat your enemies? How can you follow the wisdom of Solomon and Paul and the teaching of Jesus in how you respond to them?
  3. When would you do well to remember Solomon’s wisdom regarding quarrels?
  4. How can you help sharpen a friend? Who has helped sharpen you?
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Reconciliation

2 Samuel 13-15

Have you ever been in a conflict where you feel extremely wronged in a situation? Everyone is like yes and amen. The story of our lives. Haha. Now secretly, to a really close friend you may be able to admit that you also did some wrong stuff, too; but there ain’t no way that anyone else is finding out about that. In fact, to all your friends you portray yourself as something resembling Jesus in the situation. I hope that you aren’t so disillusioned that you actually believe this has never happened to you. We really enjoy this social feedback loop.

There are other situations that come up in life where you have a single incident and then everything spirals out of control and that one incident ends up messing up everything in that relationship. I have totally had one of those.

It seems that there is nothing new under the sun because that is exactly what has happened with Absalom and David. The worst and most ridiculous thing about this story is that the catalyst to this relational tension didn’t even involve them. As you’ve read, this caused years of tension and problems and separation between father and son.

I am not going to speculate on whether David was right in not sentencing Amnon to death after rapping Tamar or whether Absalom should have killed his brother. There comes a certain point at which what has happened in life has happened. There is nothing you can do to change it and now you just need to live your life with the future in mind. In most of these cases keeping the tension and the bad blood in the relationship isn’t profitable to our own spiritual health and doesn’t promote godliness.

The section of today’s reading that I would like to discuss is 2 Samuel 13.37-39 and 2 Samuel 14.21-24, 28.  After Absalom killed Amnon, in worry and anxiety he fled to Geshur. It says that David mourned for his son in 2 Samuel 13.37. I am not sure which son he was mourning for but I believe that given the context of the paragraph and the verses around it the verse is telling us that David mourned for Absalom. This is also supported by v.39 where David says he longed to go out to Absalom. So why didn’t he?

David didn’t go out to seek his son Absalom, even though, he wanted to. He left him out in Geshur for 3 years. In fact, it wasn’t even David’s prompting that brought him back. Joab had to step in as mediator and be the counselor in this situation for Absalom to return. I think the responsibility falls on David to take the initiative to mend the relationship with his son instead of just leaving the situation in the wind. David essentially stuck his head in the sand and ignored the problem. Ultimately, this just caused problems between David and Absalom later on.

Finally, after Joab’s prompting David brings Absalom back to Jerusalem but tells Joab that Absalom can’t enter his presence. Absalom spends 2 years in Jerusalem before any action is taken in this relationship and the initiative once again wasn’t taken by David. It took Absalom saying it would have been better if I hadn’t left Geshur than to live like this and I would rather just have David do to me what seems right to him. Absalom hit the point where he would rather die if he had any guilt in him than live with this relational separation.

Surveying this whole situation, we see problems on both sides but I think the judgement ultimately lies with David. He took none of the initiative to repair this relationship. There is a real danger to leaving things unsaid that should have been said. I believe David’s longing to see his son at Geshur should have moved him to take action and confront the problems in relationship instead of just waiting. David longed for his son but out of pride or anger or stubbornness didn’t take the initiative to reconcile with Absalom.

When you consider the intensity of distress Absalom must have felt at the tension and loss of relationship that he would be willing to die if he had any guilt it is obvious that this weighed heavily on him. The two men’s reconciliation is sweet but was so long overdue that I think irreversible damage was done to the relationship given what happens in Chapter 15.

So, what can we draw from this? Firstly, to not let our conflicts go on forever. Secondly, when it is on your heart to apologize or you are longing for someone who you are in conflict with, it may be God working on your heart to repair the relationship. Thirdly, get a mediator or a counselor involved if needed. Don’t wait until someone else feels like something needs to be done. Fourthly, you are responsible for taking the initiative to reconcile or apologize for what you have done. Fifthly, don’t be afraid to let someone have the ability to go second. In this final scene where Absalom goes to his father, his father embraced him and kissed him. I have a feeling that David had longed for this moment. I can remember a moment in my relationship with my wife where we were in conflict and I had my defenses up to keep myself from over apologizing or taking too much of the blame. I remember so vividly her apologizing first and immediately all the weight was lifted, my defenses dropped, and I was no longer looking out for myself but I was looking for the good of the relationship. It gave me the freedom to really say the things I wanted to say when, at first, I may have even been hostile.

Finally, our relationships will only be as good as our communication in them. Remember it is wise to address conflicts as soon as possible. Do not leave things unsaid or problems unaddressed. They don’t just go away.

Daniel Wall

(originally posted May 14, 2020 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you typically deal with conflict with someone close to you? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this approach? What would be better?
  2. What is the best response to our own sin? What is the best response to someone else’s sin?
  3. What was Joab’s role? How did he do it? Do you think God was pleased with Joab?
  4. Is there a situation where you might be able to help work towards reconciliation? (first in your own life, and then perhaps in someone else’s)
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A God of Justice

Old Testament: Amos 5 & 6

Poetry: Psalm 73

New Testament: Luke 13:10-35

Justice is a solid theme throughout the book of Amos. Through the prophet Amos, God is pronouncing judgement upon Israel and neighboring nations. He first announces why said nation is being punished, and then warns of the coming consequences. It stood out to me how God cast judgment upon the same nations he would also be defending. For example, in Amos 1:12, the people of Edom are to be punished for crimes committed against Israelites. In 2:1, Moabites are punished for having desecrated the bones of Edom’s king. In later chapters, Israel is being punished for idolatry. God’s justice reigns. 

Whether a group was victimized or guilty, God did not let wrongs go unnoticed. 

God is a God of compassion and mercy, but he is also just. It can be difficult for us to fully comprehend how these attributes coexist, but that is because we are understanding these concepts in mere human terms. To simply put, God has a God brain, and we, with our human brain, will never be able to fully understand how God works through both grace and justice. Fortunately, we don’t need to know the how in order to believe He does. 

Everyone experiences injustice in their lives. Whether large scale injustice like racism or sexism, to smaller personal injustices within relationships and friend groups. No matter the severity, God is aware of them all. It is the smaller injustices I want to address, today. 

When our feelings are hurt, when lies or gossip has been spread about us, when we are betrayed by people we trust, we feel robbed and empty. We want someone to hear our side of the story. If we’re honest with ourselves, we really aren’t looking for God to rain down fire upon the guilty individual(s). Usually, all we really want is an apology. But there are some situations in which we will never get this. This can hurt, so deeply. I know. I’m in a situation like that now. 

If you’re like me, dealing with a relational injustice, you probably aren’t wishing terrible horrible judgment upon said person. You are probably just wanting closure or a chance to be heard. Take comfort in today’s reading. God is a God of justice, one who rights wrongs. While I may never get the respect I deserve, or the chance to rewrite the narrative believed about me, God knows, and God sees. In these cases, punishment need not necessarily occur in order for us to feel justified. The fact the LORD knows and sees can be justice enough.

~ Emilee Ross

(originally posted July 10, 2020 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. Amos 6:12 says: “But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness”. What might this look like?
  2. Justice is important to God. How does He show justice?
  3. How can you work to establish justice?
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My Strength

Old Testament: Judges 16 & 17

Poetry: Psalm 59

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 14

In this devotion I want to delve into a chapter in Psalms. What we see is David sharing a dark time in his life, one of the things that makes it difficult is people turning on him. One of the hardest things in life is having people you trust betray you. Jesus dealt with this same thing when Judas betrayed him.

Have you ever had to deal with a betrayal? What did you do in that instance? Many people unfortunately want to take revenge. Others spin into a depression, but David gives us strong advice on how to handle adversity. He tells us to allow God to protect us and keep us strong. He likens God to a strong tower that we can take refuge in. In Psalm 59 David is in his house surrounded by Saul’s soldiers who were sent to kill him.

The Psalm is both a prayer and a praise for God’s saving help. Psalms 59 is an important chapter because it reminds us of God’s unfailing love. David was hunted by people whose love had turned into jealousy which drove them to try to kill him. David had trusted friends and the king who he considered a mentor who all turned against him.

As humans, relationships are so important and necessary. We all hope and strive for dependable, long-lasting relationships but that’s not always the case. We all have dealt with broken relationships. Maybe it was the loss of a friendship, a break up, a church split, or family estrangement. At some point everyone deals with finding out that someone was not a trustworthy, dependable person like you thought. This is the hard side of human relationships. Humans are far from perfect, people will disappoint you and you will disappoint others. Regardless of the state of your relationships in this world, God’s relationship to you is unchanging and unfailing.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever felt betrayed? What was your response?
  2. When have you turned to God for strength when human relationships disappointed you? What did you find in Him?
  3. What do you appreciate about God’s unchanging and unfailing character? How will you praise Him for this?
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A Heart that Desires Wisdom

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 11 & 12

*Poetry: Proverbs 7

New Testament: Acts 1

Proverbs 7 is a warning to young men and women about the dangers of sexual desires when they are not pursued properly within God’s intended design, which is within the covenant of marriage. It is written from the viewpoint of a father warning his son about not being enticed by women and drawn away after them. There is an assumption in the text that the young man is marriage, and the warning is about being lured into an adulterous affair with a woman who is not his wife, referred to as the “strange” or “foreign” woman because she is “strange” or “foreign” to his covenant of marriage—she is an outsider.

While this extended speech in Proverbs 7 is aimed at marriage faithfulness and loyalty, its application extends beyond that. Faithfulness and loyalty are not necessary in just a marriage relationship, they are necessary in any relationship, whether it is a family relationship, friendship, or even professional relationship. Anyone will quickly come to learn the importance of faithfulness and loyalty if they betray a relationship and break that bond of trust and commitment. In a family, privileges might be taken away from you. In a friendship, the other person may not confide in you any longer. In a professional relationship, you might lose responsibility, or worse, lose your job entirely.

In Proverbs 7:1-4, the father is telling his son to hold on to his teaching and instruction. The metaphor that he uses is to “bind” them on your fingers,” and “write them on the tablet of your heart.” Furthermore, the son is to treat Wisdom as like a sibling—someone who is part of your family. The purpose for this figurative language is to reinforce the attitude that the son is supposed to have toward Wisdom and living with the fear of Yahweh. Not only that, but the admonition of the father is to also build desire for Wisdom. And the explicit purpose is “in order to keep you from the strange woman, from the foreign woman who flatters with her words” (v. 5).

I think that having a heart that desires Wisdom is vitally important for young people to develop. The world is filled with foolishness, especially in regard to sexuality. It implicitly condones a “do whatever feels good” mindset that is completely opposed to God’s intended way for humans to view sex and to enjoy it. But if a young person doesn’t listen to Wisdom, but follows the ways of the world and allows themselves to be enticed and led astray into sexual passions, they will inevitably suffer and learn the hard way that the world’s way of living is not what produces healthy, loving relationships that lead to the life-long commitment of marriage where sex is intended to be fully explored and enjoyed as God designed for it to be.

-Jerry Wierwille

Reflection Questions

  1. What dangers are warned of in Proverbs 7?
  2. What are some examples of worldly foolishness in the area of sexuality? Why are these problems?
  3. How can you increase your faithfulness and loyalty?
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Scatter and Preach It

Acts 8

April 26

Acts 8:4 – Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

I once went on a mission trip that included an evening of street evangelism. It was one of the most overwhelming and intimidating experiences I’ve had. For some people, walking up to strangers and asking them “How’s your relationship with God?” is exciting and effortless. For me, it was incredibly awkward – I stumbled over my words, I felt panicked and I just wanted to run back to our bus. 

As I read through Acts chapter eight, verse four caught my attention. My imagination runs wild with scenes of the disciples speaking with random people at the market, or attending a synagogue to share the radical gospel of Jesus Christ, or even standing at the center of the town square and preaching to anyone and everyone who passes by. 

I don’t think that I would employ similar evangelism tactics as the disciples did back in the day or even as some continue today in our modern culture. 

For me, it’s about building authentic relationships with others. Getting to know others and letting others get to know me. And while this is much more in my zone of comfort, I still sometimes get hung up on how much I share with others about my faith. I greatly admire people who seamlessly weave the gospel into their daily conversations with others. It’s an area of growth for me, I know. But if I genuinely care about others, I must get over my own insecurities in order to share the best news of all – the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God! 

We have been scattered into the workplace, schools, community organizations, as well as our online associations with others for a purpose. Let’s not waste the opportunity to preach the word wherever we are!

-Bethany Ligon

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Why share the gospel? Is that just a preacher’s job?
  2. How would you rate yourself when it comes to how often or how well you share the gospel? If you want to improve in this area, what 2-3 specific steps can you take?
  3. Consider your circles (work, school, family, church, community & online). How can you share God’s love, what Jesus means to you and your kingdom hope in each of these circles?
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A Dare

Genesis 3

January 31

      I had an art teacher in elementary school who was used to students making mistakes, and at the start of a school year he would advise his students about the need to be careful in his classroom. He told us about the student who spilled a pot of melted wax on his pants. He told us about the student who was sliced with the paper cutter. He told us about the student who, having been warned that the pottery kiln remains hot long after it shuts off, chose to unlatch and open it to see how the artwork looked. Our teacher wanted to make sure we would not be harmed, and he used the damage that others had suffered to warn us. He knew about the risks, and his knowledge had been proven and tested.

      I think that is part of the problem we see played out in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were like inexperienced children, so unused to the risks they faced they would not take them seriously. And what could God point back to? No one had ever died, it seems, so saying that they risked dying may not have meant much to them. It even seems like somewhere along the way someone started trying to expand on the rules, not just saying the fruit wasn’t supposed to be eaten but that it wasn’t supposed to be touched. We don’t know whether Adam invented that idea in passing on the rule to Eve, or if Eve created that rule as a reminder for herself to keep herself mindful not to do what God said not to do. But making extra rules can just be a distraction from what God wants, they are hard to justify. When she looked at the fruit it seemed like the kind people could eat, which was totally beside the point – nobody ever said the reason people shouldn’t eat it was because it was poisonous. God entered into this situation like my art teacher if he had simply said “don’t touch these pieces of equipment in these ways” – and students would have invented reasons for why that mattered, and worked out their own solutions for how to avoid the problems they thought were the issues.

      The whole scene with the serpent reminds me of someone getting dared. It isn’t how it is presented, but it is how it comes across. The nudging, suggesting ideas that wouldn’t have come into the mind otherwise, and like so many dares getting a person to cross lines into a bad idea.

      I hate dares.

      And the results of the situation are such incredible losses we can’t really understand them, because we are only used to the results. A world with death and suffering. A world with toil and sweat. One of the most disturbing is what happened to Eve, she had been created to be an appropriate helper for Adam. In chapter 1 they had been blessed and told to rule over the animals of the world. But by chapter three we are told that the man would seek to rule over the woman, and the desire of the woman would be for the man – perhaps meaning she would desire to return to the closeness and openness they previously had.

      Happily, I see no rule requiring us to treat these words as a command. Just as farmers can use pesticides and herbicides rather than letting the struggles of the soil continue as they were originally set up, we can try to improve our situation as humans with each other. Jesus offers us a new pattern for living, based not on rule but on self-giving. The core promise of this passage is that a child would come who would allow changes to be made, breaking the head of the serpent. This is part of the classic “now and not-yet” that affects so much of what the Bible teaches, we know that the ultimate fulfillment is for later, but the start of what we have been offered is already with us and we can rejoice to have it.

-Daniel Smead

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. In what ways today does the Deceiver still use the line, “Did God really say…”? How are God’s words and commands being questioned, twisted and discarded?
  2. What are your greatest temptations? What excuses have you used when you gave into them? Any blaming? How can you better fight the urge to give in to these or other temptations? What do you think would have happened if Eve would have taken her new questions raised by the serpent back to God before eating the fruit? How can God be a part of your fight against temptation?
  3. In their guilt they tried to hide from God. Can you think of a time your guilt has led you to try to distance yourself from God, the church, your family or your Christian brothers and sisters? What was best for Adam and Eve when they were ashamed? What do you think is best for you?
  4. How has the serpent attacked Jesus, the child prophesied? In what ways has Jesus already beat the serpent? What battle is yet to come – with what results? Which side will you be on?
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Heartbreak

Hosea 1,2

      Have you ever had a broken heart?  Perhaps, your first experience with a broken heart was as a child.  That first crush was a “crushing” experience.  You gave your true love a note: “Do you like me?  Check yes or no.”  The answer was “no” and you were devastated.  Your heart was broken.  However, broken hearts are not just for kids or teens. (How many of you parents had to console your teenager who was just dumped?)  Broken hearts are for big girls and big boys too.  I remember hearing the story of a woman.  Her husband came home from work one day and simply announced, “I want a divorce!”  There was no warning or reason given.  His mind could not be changed.  She was devastated.  I also had a friend who arrived home to an apartment that appeared ransacked.  He discovered that his wife had taken all her stuff and anything else that was valuable and left without a word.  A few days later he learned that she had actually moved to another state.  The divorce papers arrived in the mail.  It is no wonder that there are so many country songs about heartbreak.  In heartbreak, it is not only the pain of separation.  It is also the message that you are not loved, that you are not good enough, and that you are not valuable to the one that you love.  It is a personal injury and It hurts… bad!  Did you know that God feels heartbreak?

     Hosea was a prophet.  Hosea had a message for the wayward people of Israel.  However, his message did not merely take the form of words.  Hosea’s message was found in his tragic life of heartbreak.  God commanded Hosea to marry a wife of harlotry.  In other words, Hosea was to marry a prostitute!  He married Gomer, however, it was not marital bliss.  Gomer was not a woman who was in the habit of being faithful.  She pursued other lovers.  In fact, Hosea had reason to doubt if the children born into marriage were even his.  Eventually, Gomer ran away and became enslaved. The names of their children not only reflect the tumultuous relationship between Hosea and Gomer, but they also represent the strained relationship between God and Israel.  The children are named “Jezreel” (a place of a massacre and symbol of the violence in Israel), Lo-ruhamah (No compassion) and Lo-ammi (not my people).  The relationship between Hosea and Gomer was a parallel to God’s relationship with Israel at the time.  For Israel had been an unfaithful wife to the LORD.  The nation of Israel had forgotten their one true God and went off in pursuit of idols.  They had broken God’s covenant by indulging in all sorts of immoral acts and by embracing violence and by allowing injustice.  God was heartbroken.  Hosea, in his sorrow, could see the heartbreak of God.

    Now, if Hosea and Gomer were your next-door neighbors, what advice would you give to Hosea?  You would probably sympathize with Hosea.  You would say, “Forget that woman.  Move on with your life!”  However, the surprise in the book of Hosea is that God commanded Hosea to seek Gomer out and rescue her from her enslavement.  In a strange twist of fate, Hosea “redeemed” or bought his own wife out of slavery and brought her back home.  In the same way, God has not given up on us sinners.  He seeks us out.  He has sent His son to die on the cross for our sins that we might be redeemed.  Also, we begin to appreciate the hurt and sorrow that God feels over the human race.  For we have broken His heart.  Yet, God still loves you.

-Scott Deane

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Hosea 1-2 and 1 John 2

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Identity in Christ: A Well-Dressed Knight

Ephesians 6

Last week, we talked about our identity in Christ, grounded and rooted in him and made new in his grace and mercy. Today, we have one last look at this identity, and I think it’s important to read Ephesians 5 and 6. In response to this new identity, we are called to a new and better way. 

First, husbands and wives are called to love and to submit to one another in reverence for Christ. (5:21-33) Children are called to honor their father and mother. (6:1-3) Fathers are called to train and instruct their children. (6:4) Relationships between slaves and masters were expressed to show a better way to treat common social relationships in that day, and that Christ makes slave and master equal. (6:5-9) Praise God that as we have expanded on the promises of Scripture, slavery has been eradicated in the US and is fought against around the world. 

BUT, what I really want us to look at is how we are called to dress. I really enjoy renaissance fairs. It’s great; enjoying nature, seeing people dressed in amazing costumes, laughing at jokes and enjoying fair food! Who doesn’t love gnawing on a GIANT turkey leg or getting ye olde bratwurst? But my favorite part is the jousting tournaments. Knights dressed in armor, charming on horseback. In most jousts, the joust is real : they don’t plan who will hit the other, who will unseat the other, and who will win. How cool is that?!

I know Paul was thinking about Roman armor, but when I think about the armor of God, I imagine a medieval knight. A shining breastplate, a broad and defensive shield, a powerful sword! But is God really calling us to dress with armor, Roman or medieval? He is using the armor as a metaphor. We are in a war, but we protect our heart with righteousness and our head with salvation. We run in peace and wrap ourselves up with truth. When it finally comes time to battle, we pull out the sword of the spirit, the word of God. This means both Scripture and the gospel message, the written and living word of God! 

God is calling you to live in response to your identity in Christ. In how you treat your family and friends, in how you fight your battles, your identity in Christ should define everything about you. 

May you allow your identity in Christ to better your relationships. 

May you fight your battles against Satan, evil, and sin in the power and grace of God. 

May you be more like Jesus, this day and every day. 

-Jake Ballard

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway here – Isaiah 5-6 and Ephesians 6

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