Tag: Tom Siderius

What Does God Require of Us?

Leviticus 8-9     

Psalm 9                

Matthew 23

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Religious practice is exactly what is said.  It is our habitual practices that we bring to our walk with God and make rules for our lives.  These practices are not necessarily good or evil but become the habits that we follow as people in our daily life.  We also build habits that govern our time together as the body of Christ at church or fellowship.  Once again, these practices are neither good or evil but are the way that we have decided to fellowship together.

The law of Moses covered almost every aspect of life for the nation of Israel and gave instruction in how to do righteous actions and have righteous thoughts.  As we read in Leviticus these instructions can be very complex and to our culture maybe not very understandable. 

In our reading in Matthew, we are at almost the end of Jesus’ life here on earth and he is at the temple. He has many debates with the leaders there and also spends time teaching the people. He throws out the moneychangers and vendors and then has many interactions with them that are maybe not the most decorous from their viewpoint.

Matthew 23:1-13(NLT) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

Jesus gives us a compact instruction on how we are to practice our religious life in these short verses. 

  • We are to obey the true Word of God which does not fall
  • We should not add rules and conditions of man to the Word of God
  • We need to worship and practice with humility to God and His instructions to us.
  • Bring people into the kingdom of God not draw lines to exclude them

In Micah God reminds us of what is important to Him and what we really need to do to live out the life of compassion and grace that He has called us to. 

Micah 6:6-8)NLT) What can we bring to the LORD?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Why does this judge our hearts so well?

We must be careful every day not to start to exalt our minds against God by patting ourselves on our backs for the great works of righteousness for Him that we do.  Just doing religious practices and ignoring the grace that God has given us is the way to go down the wrong road (that’s when the pat on the back needs to be down lower).  If our religious practices bring us closer to God through prayer, praise, love for others, and Christian service then we are building our relationship with God. 

This is what He truly desires from us, not a showy religious practice.  Contrast this with what so much of Christianity does today and the consequences of religious practice become immediately evident.  Our God wants us to have the heart of grace and mercy towards this fallen world and people that He has.  He has built the way to life through His Son Jesus Christ, and he is who we are to become like.

Galatians 2:16(NLT) Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

God’s grace is the important thing to bring to every part of life and practice.  It is so human and wrong to be judgmental of people based on how I think they should act or think.  I am offended in my mind by their lack of doing of the things that I think they ought to be doing.

Is this the mind of Christ towards others?

Titus 2:11-15a (NLT) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them

Hope of life with God and Christ in the kingdom to come is the guiding light for everything that we should be doing.  When our motivations and intents of our hearts towards others is right with God then our actions will be godly and good.  Our religious practices will become pleasing to God. 

How can we examine our hearts in light of this understanding?

Romans 14:10-11(NLT) So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

Ultimately the motives of our hearts will be examined before all the creation and we will be judged at the “bema” for our actions and thoughts.  It is not in the actions but our hearts that God sees as important to Him.  To renew our minds is to change to become like Christ and do the true instruction of God in this world.

Matthew 23:37-39(NLT) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

Reflection Questions

See questions in bold above.

Prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for the gifts of Your Word and Your Son where we see what You desire and the perfect example of loving and pleasing You. Forgive me for the times I have had a Pharisee’s heart. I want instead the mind of Christ. Help me see myself and others with Your eyes and remembering Your grace humbly respond as You want me to.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Praise Our God

Leviticus 6-7 

Psalm 9              

Matthew 22

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 9:1-2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Praises should flow from our hearts all our lives because of the great God and Father that we have.  Yahweh is His name and it means our God who is in a relationship with us. 

One of the things that has taken me a long time to understand and also to help me let the Word interpret itself to us is the question of agency.  God is the ultimate power and creator of all the universe, but He delegates His power and authority to those that He chooses to give it to.  All created beings are given freedom of will to obey God, and are given various levels of authority to exercise on His behalf.

For example, God is the author of our salvation, but Jesus is the agent of our salvation.  God has decided to give us His grace, but it comes to us through His agent Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

God decided to save us, but the way that He does it is through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.   God also has judged His Son worthy of authority to judge the whole world in the future.  Only Jesus Christ has the qualifications to do the judging and giving of rewards to all the world’s present, past and future populations.  We see the results of this agency here in Psalm 9.

Psalms 9:7-8 But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.

Yahweh executes judgement from His throne, but the agency for that judgement will come from His Son.  God has ultimate authority over all the creation but gives Jesus the rulership over the nations.

Acts 17:30-31(NLT) God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Revelation 19:15-16(NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

As we read Psalm 9 there is so much that we could unpack from it.  It has declarations of praise, and proclamations of confidence in God’s care and instruction, and declarations of what the ultimate kingdom of God will be.

Psalms 9:7-10(NLT) But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

The other thing that we should contemplate today is what authority and power has God delegated to you?

Ephesians 1:19-20(NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 3:20-21(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Thanks be to our God for His great love and grace that we have received and that we need to accept and exercise our position and power that God has given us in Christ.

Psalms 9:15-18(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the grave.
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

Reflection:

How does God ultimately judge the world and the nations?

Who is His agent of judgment?

Prayer: 

Our God and Father, creator and ruler of all the cosmos, we lift our hearts in praise to you today.  Thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son who is the agent of our salvation and future.  We look to You Father for the power to do Your good in this life.  Thank you for the Christ in us which gives us this power.  In Jesus wonderful name we pray.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Our Sin Against God

Leviticus 4-5

Psalm 8                

Matthew 22

We are reading today in the book of Leviticus which is where many Bible reading plans go out the window.  Tough going I admit but full of truths for us to mine if we can look past the intricacies of the law of Moses set down.  Reading from Leviticus 4 and 5 today there are some words that we could examine more deeply.  We read about sin offerings, trespass offerings and others.  What is this all about?

Leviticus 4:2-3(NKJV) If a person sin (ha’ta  Strong’s H2398)  unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.

When God  talks about sin, He is talking about something much deeper and more complex than regulatory lists of good and bad behaviors or choices. He is concerned with the corruption of God’s intentions for us that show up in human relationships and choices. This can be something that we do or something that happens to us.

(ha’ta  Strong’s H2398)  is translated as sin but means “to miss the mark”,  like shooting an arrow at the target and missing.  We miss the direction that God wants and has asked us to go in, and then end up in a place He did not intend us to be.  All the words in bold below are this word (ha’ta)

Leviticus 5:5-6(NKJV) And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

Leviticus 5:17(NKJV) If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)

We start down the path of sin by doing something or saying something that misses the mark, but then we are told that we must bear that “iniquity” (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)  This is a different word  that starts from the missing of the mark, but then causes us to become “bent or twisted”.  When we intentionally or unintentionally miss God’s standard of life, we become bent by our sin.  In the Old Testament the answer was the sin offering for the original sin, or a trespass offering for the bent nature of our lives.  Unfortunately, we all have missed the mark of the standards of God’s Word and have become twisted in our human natures.  Examples of this type of twisted behavior include deceitfulness, violence, and other kinds of harm we might do to others.

This is the root cause of our human sin nature that no amount of self-discipline or self-chastisement can make us straight again.  We are never able by our own efforts to make ourselves perfect before God, only by His grace and mercy can we come before Him. 

Take a paper clip and unbend it to a more or less straight piece of wire which is what it was to begin with.  Can you make it straight?  Close maybe, but not really.  Now bend it back into the same shape as it was before coming out of the box.  Can you bend it back to the original?  These are the results of our sin nature that we have in our human lives.  Our sin causes us to become bent or twisted, and no amount of effort on our parts can make us straight or perfectly formed again. 

Our “Good News” though is that there is an answer to our bent nature coming from the sacrifice that God gives us in the life of His Son.   Look at this familiar passage from Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:4-6(NKJV) Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities (ʿāôn Strong’s H5771)” 
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus brings our sin, trespass and bent nature to the cross and takes it all on him to heal us in every way.  “He has born our griefs” which is our sicknesses and “by His stripes we are healed”  which is to take away our pain. 

Luke 22:41-44(NKJV) And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Questions for Reflection:

How great is the grace of God in Christ to us?

What can we do to live out our walks in Christ today?

Has the discussion changed your perception of what sin is?

Prayer:

Father God thank you for straightening us out in Christ and keeping us on the straight paths to You.  Give us help today to confess our sin and walk with You in the spirit that you have given us.  Bless the works of our hands and keep them that they would do the good works that You have ordained for them.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray this day.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Our Peace with God

Leviticus 1-3    

Psalm 8                

Matthew  21

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Leviticus 3:1-3(NLT) If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the LORD, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. 2 Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then Aaron’s sons, the priests, will splatter its blood against all sides of the altar. 3 The priest must present part of this peace offering as a special gift to the LORD.

The peace offering is also known as the fellowship offering and one of the five types of sacrifices that are shown in Leviticus.  The five types of offerings described in Leviticus are the burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. Each has a purpose but also look forward to a perfect sacrifice coming in the future where Christ will fulfill all their purposes. The peace-offering is one of communal fellowship and thanksgiving.  It served as a means for the Israelites to express gratitude, fulfill vows, or seek reconciliation with God.

The sacrifice also became a communal meal with the giver, priests and other people invited to eat and enjoy the meat while the other parts of the animal were burned as the sacrifice to God.  These fellowship aspects of the sacrifice are the important thing for us to look at here.  We as the body of Christ have now the peace fellowship with all the believers and with our Father and His Son.

The peace offering points to the ultimate reconciliation brought through Jesus Christ. Christ is seen as the complete fulfillment of the sacrificial system, including the peace offering. 

Ephesians 2:11-18(NLT) Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Does this change your perception of what true peace is?

We can praise the great name of Our God who has accepted this sacrifice and made us part of His family and fellowship.  When we were far away and did not know Him at all God saw you and called you to Him.  Praise His name for the wonderful fellowship He has given us today and in the future.

Psalms 8 O LORD(NKJV), our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

In Christ we have fellowship and reconciliation with God.  Jesus has broken down the walls of separation that kept us from God and given to us the position as children of God whether Jew or Gentile, male or female. 

Hebrews 13:20-21(NLT) Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21 may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,

every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Reflection:

Who is the sacrifice of peace for us today?

How should we view our fellow believers today in light of what we have seen here?

PRAYER:

We pray to you God our Father this day asking for your peace on our hearts and lives, as well as the fellowship of believers that we are part of.  Father, we thank you for the gift of Your Son becoming the sacrifice that we need for all parts of our lives.  Help us today to see your Hand of blessing and help in all we do.  Thanking you in the name of Jesus Christ.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Wisdom of God’s Word

Exodus 13-14

Psalm 1

Matthew 15

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Our reading today includes so much powerful material and wisdom.  The reading from the Psalms is from Psalm 1 and tells us how to live and worship our God in 6 easy verses.  Just do these things and your life is on path and blessed by God.  How is it that God distills such great truth so many times into passages that give us such pure direction in a short section. This should be a familiar section of scripture to many and be a comfort and help in our lives. I have it here quoted in the KJV because of the familiarity of the section wording, and also that it does a good job of showing us the poetic nature of the Psalm.

Psalms 1(KKJV) Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Old Testament was memorized by the Hebrews and many of them knew the whole of the scrolls by heart. The poetic nature of the original writing helped them to remember the passages. Some of the easiest passages to memorize are those that are poetic in their structure for us in English. The Psalms were also written to be sung which is an even more powerful way that helps us remember scripture. Think about small songs that you may have sung as a child.  For me many taught me were verses from the Bible and etched those verses in my memory.

How about you?  What puts the words of the Word into your memory?

Do you meditate on the Word of God every day? 

What is a good way to bring it to mind for you?

When we read the section of Matthew 15 this morning Jesus cuts right to the chase with the people there and then puts us on the right track of understanding and action.  The argument he has with scribes and Pharisees is over the disciples hand washing rituals before a meal. It wasn’t for sanitary purposes that these rules were developed but were regulations made up to control people’s lives by ritual.

Matthew 15:1-9(NLT) Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

This passage is from Isaiah 29 and Jesus knowing the scriptures draws on a section where God judges the standard for our actions and faith. 

Isaiah 29:13(NKJV) Therefore the Lord said:
“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Then God tells us in this section of Ezekial another prophecy about Jesus:

Ezekiel 33:30-33(NKJV) As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ 31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

I am aways astounded by God’s anticipation of all that Jesus does in his life here on earth and in his ministry.  These words of God’s true wisdom that Jesus speaks are ignored then and ignored today by all that don’t believe his words.  When we hear God’s Word with our ears but don’t hear with our hearts then we are far from the God that made us and created His life in us. 

Isaiah 29:15-16(NLT) What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their evil deeds in the dark!
“The LORD can’t see us,” they say.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on!”
16 How foolish can you be?
He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!
Should the created thing say of the one who made it,
“He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say,
“The potter who made me is stupid”?

How can we change our hearts and actions today?

What will put this Word into our hearts and minds?

Our lives are determined by what we truly believe in our hearts and not by what we do and Jesus shows us this again in Matthew 15. 

Matthew 15:15-20(NLT)Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

See questions in bold above

PRAYER: 

Father, please open our hearts to hear your Words and believe them.  Give strength to us to do the actions You ask us to do.  Give us works of righteousness to do to show others your greatness and deliverance.  Let us not be defiled by our unrighteous thoughts but changed to become like Your Son in every way.  In Jesus name we pray this day.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

You Feed Them

Exodus 11-12

Proverbs 31

Matthew 14

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Matthew 14:13-16(NLT) As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

As we read in Matthew 14 today, we find the “feeding of the five thousand”, a famous story of Jesus doing a notable miracle.  But what is the real lesson and reason for doing this miracle?  The disciples are very logical and show common sense.  “Send the people away to the local Kroger or Aldi and let them buy their own supper while the shops are still open”.  For most people their bread would be the staple of their diet, and where most of their calories would come from.  As we read the Word, we see the emphasis on bread  as sustenance for us repeatedly. 

Try to be one of the disciples in this situation. Five thousand with nothing to eat and Jesus just says Hey you feed them!!  No prob Jesus we’ll get right on that, lets see.  Hey Matthew what’s in the lunch pail you brought?  Hello John how about those granola bars you have in your pockets?  Hey, Peter and Andrew, how about those sandwiches your Mom made for lunch for us? 

Sorry, Jesus, only 5 loaves and a couple of salt fish, not going to get it done, lets go with our plan.

Matthew 14:18-21(NLT) “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Wow what a miracle and how about those leftovers they’ll be eating for days!!  Actually, Jesus is using this as a teachable moment for all his disciples both then and now.  It is not about the miracle but rather that we would trust God for our sufficiency and nourishment, not our own ability to take care of every situation we find ourselves in.  If you examine your life, you will see the hand of God feeding you all through it.  Only by His grace and mercy does the rain fall on the just and also the unjust.  

What did it take to bring the bread to your table today?

Why are we always so hungry?

John 6:29-40(NLT) Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” 30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

What is the bread of life we all desire to have?

How can we give it to others?

True believing in our Father and God and the Son He has sent is the only good work that we can do.  Nothing else we can do has real value except to believe and act on that belief walking day by day with our Father and our brother Jesus Christ.  Beware of the temptations and the sin of religion in this world and see that our help and sufficiency for our lives can only come from the God that loves us and has called us to Him. 

Mark 8:14-21(NLT) But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” 16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”
“Twelve,” they said.
20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

You feed them!!

Reflection Questions:

See questions in bold above

Prayer: 

Father God help us to look to you for our help in time of need, and for our very lives.  Thank you for your sufficiency for every day’s challenges and opportunities as we believe your Word.  Help us to become like our big brother Christ as people we see have needs that we can minister to.  We thank you every day for calling us to this time and place of fellowship and love.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Who is Agur?

Exodus 9-10 

Proverbs 30     

Matthew 14

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Agur son of Jakeh is not normally a familiar character in our English Bibles.  Here we are reading right along with the chapters of Proverbs, mining every nugget of gold and truth from these verses and wondering how Solomon is so wise.  And now along comes Agur who writes a whole chapter in the book and is a complete unknown to us. 

His name “Agur” can be translated to mean “gatherer” and his father’s name Jakeh means “pious”.  So from the name we gain some clues about who this man may have been.  He could have been a scholar or writer of their time who wrote down or compiled wise sayings, maybe even from Solomon himself.  It is a mystery for us, but we can see from his writing God’s familiar wisdom pattern.  He compares the physical with the eternal, the earthly with the heavenly, and the corrupt with the pure. 

Agur starts with some statements which are deeply humble in God’s sight and remind me of the later chapters of Job where the majesty of God is compared to our puny, small efforts of this earth.

Proverbs 30:1-4(NLT) The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.
2 I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name?
Tell me if you know!

Right when it seems that I have the wisdom of God for a situation figured out and internalized in my life then failure rears its ugly head.  I am confronted with the reality that there is nothing I can do for God that would indebt Him to me for my goodness.  Nor can I accomplish any great work that God could not do by lifting his little finger.  When we begin to approach God by understanding that with Him we are everything, and without Him we are a complete nothing, then we start to gain wisdom.  The only thing we can do for God is to love Him and believe His Word.  This is Agur’s message in chapter 30 to us.

Proverbs 30:5-9(NLT) Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8 First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Jesus prays in the Lord’s Prayer:  “give us today the bread of our need”.  Our prayers and our desires need to be grounded in what we truly need, and what God is so willing to give us.  Our words and actions need to be true to His Word, and we need to stop telling lies to ourselves or to others to shade statements to give ourselves the credit. 

I was a truck salesman for more than 40 years during my career. Shades of truth in statements about what was good for the customers are sources of scorn and humor about how salesman deal with people.  My products and services weren’t always the best but those were the ones I had to sell to our customers.  I always took the view that I would not lie about anything but also promise that my efforts, and that of our dealership, would support their purchases.  Greed for riches would turn my lips to lies, acknowledging God’s sufficiency for myself and family made telling the truth an easy path.

What are the easy lies that come to your lips?

How do we guard against this?

Look at some more of these pure gold statements that are recorded for us to read by our teacher Agur..

Proverbs 30:18-19(NLT) There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.

Just like our explaining to God how He should form, make and create the world and everything in it, we cannot explain from human knowledge exactly how these things work.  We think we know and understand but true to humility towards God will show us the shallow nature of our understanding and knowledge.  Only God’s wisdom is eternal and everlasting.

Reflection Questions

  1. See 2 questions above in bold.
  2. What can bring us to true humility?
  3. How can we turn these lights of understanding towards our hearts and lives?

Prayer

Abba Father, give us today the bread of our need and lead us in paths of righteousness following Your Son and our Savior.  God, we have no words or explanations for Your greatness and Your love for us.  Help us today to turn our hearts to hear, give us ears to hear Your voice.  In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ we pray.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Ears to Hear

Exodus 7-8

Proverbs 29

Matthew 13

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Matthew 13:9-12(NLT) Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

The parables of Jesus are beloved by so many of us.  They are stories that illustrate the true purposes of God by comparing them to physical activities that are familiar to the people hearing the story.  The great question that Jesus asks of us is:   “Do you have ears to hear?”.  The question goes to the state of the ears of our heart, not our physical ears.  We will come to an understanding of the secrets of the Kingdom of God when we listen to God’s Word with our hearts and minds.  In the Greek the mind is considered to be the place of our thoughts, where the heart is the place of what we truly believe and treasure. 

What is the “pearl of great price” of your heart?

Then Jesus quotes from the book of Isaiah chapter 6. 

Matthew 13:13-16(NLT) That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,


‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’


16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

In such a few words Jesus cuts right to the important things of life.  We will be blessed when hear God’s Word with our hearts, not just having good thoughts.  He also shows us what the righteous people of Israel have that makes them the people of God.  They desired to understand the wonderful truths that come so easily to us today.  Our access to Biblical understanding and the support and support that we have is amazing.  The history and scholarship that we have to access brings us a great knowledge, but also a great responsibility. 

How precious to you is this truth of God’s Word you have received?

Just in the time of my walk with God we have gone from typing a paper on a manual typewriter to using this wonderful Microsoft Word program I am using.  With my less than perfect typing and grammar being constantly corrected, I can put down decent communication without whiteout or retypes.  We have access to 20 different Bible versions at the ready and the Internet full of research and commentary to help search out this great truth.  I still have research books and materials that are paper bound and treasure them, but to find the passages or section with a search of material online is amazing. 

But still the Word needs to become rooted in our hearts.  Read Psalm 119:11 with me this morning.

Psalms 119:11(NLT) I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

Also, Psalm 1 tells us to meditate, which is to consider carefully our thoughts, motives, and actions in the framework of God’s Word.

Psalms 1:1-3(NKJV) Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Part of the strength of the Word to change us is that God uses so many figures of speech as well as parables to get us to examine our lives.  Knowledge is great, but the understanding of a section comes from the spirit of God within you. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10(NKJV) But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

What are the truths that you have learned that have most changed your heart to love God?

Have a wonderful day today with the meditation of your heart focused on God’s truths, and building our love for Him and His Son in all we do. 

Love in Christ Tom S.

Reflection Questions –

See bold questions above

Prayer

Dear God Almighty – I thank you for the wonderful gift of your Words and Wisdom delivered to us, through your dear Son Jesus, the master of parables, through all 66 books of the Bible, and through Your Spirit. I pray for eyes to see and ears to hear Your truths. Help me discern what knowledge, wisdom and direction is from You that I may go in the way You want me to go and say what you want me to say. I want my heart to be focused on You, Your truth, what You have done, are doing today and will do. Thank You for Your Son who is Coming Again! In his name we pray, Amen.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

Walk in Wisdom

Exodus 5-6

Proverbs 28

Matthew 13

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

As we read this morning, I am convicted so many times by the pure and simple understanding that the true Word of God brings to the situations of life.  As I read and hear the news of the world around us, the complexity of the situations and actions sometimes is very puzzling.  I cannot immediately discern by my own understanding and knowledge what is the best path or the correct statements.  But when I read verses like these from Proverbs 28 I am convicted so quickly in my heart about what are the right things to think and to do.  These verses cut right to the chase or where our hearts need to be.

Proverbs 28:19-28(ESV) Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.

We also see in the New Testament in Timothy where God identifies for us where our hearts should be when we walk with Him and His Son Jesus Christ.  God’s wisdom is pure and simple.

1 Timothy 6:9-10(NKJV) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

God shows us that prosperity is good, but when we desire to be rich, we are sinful and separate ourselves from God’s fellowship.  Money is not the root of ALL EVIL as some teach, but if we read carefully the verse says it is A root of evil.  Only when we desire to have it to enrich and pleasure ourselves does it become an evil purpose for us.  As we read the verses from Proverbs 28 we find so many pure thoughts and clear statements of how we are to handle our work, money, lives and relationships.  When we trust in God we become like that tree planted by the waters which is never without the water, help and love of Our Father. 

Psalms 1(NKJV)  Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Reflection Questions:

What are the priorities of your financial decisions?

How can we get the God perspective on our finances and relationships?

What can we do today to advance the message of the Gospel to others?

PRAYER:

Father God help us to turn our hearts to You.  Give us the wisdom that You promise here in Your Word to guide us in our lives.  We ask You for the prosperity that is needed to take care of our families and people, and the surplus that we need to support those who are in need.  Truly give us today the bread of our need and then help us to forgive those who trespass against us, keeping our lives pure and unblemished before You.  We pray these things in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload

El-Shaddai God Almighty

*Genesis 35-36, Proverbs 18, Matthew 8

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Today, as we read, we see one of the great covenants of the Old Testament where the promises made to Abraham and Isaac are now extended to Jacob.  The first time God speaks to Jacob is when he was on the way to Laban’s household and he has a dream at Bethel (or Luz).  We see this dream in Genesis 28.

Genesis 28:13-15(NLT) At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Genesis 35:9-15(NLT) Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, 10 saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. 11 Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! 12 And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob. 14 Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. 15 And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.

God declares Himself to Jacob as the God who is Almighty, El-Shaddai.  It is a multifaceted name and does not have a direct English translation.  Read the following from “Prepare For Life Bible Study”  https://prepareforlifebiblestudy.com/el-shaddai.

“What Does El Shaddai Mean?

Knowing God as El Shaddai was pivotal in the faith/walk of Abraham.  Yet we are not certain of the exact meaning of this name for God although we have clues.  We know the El, the Hebrew name that is translated God, means prominent, preeminent, to be in front, strong.  The meaning of the Hebrew root for Shaddai is not totally clear.  There are at least four concepts wrapped up in these Hebrew characters. Each one brings more meaning to the name El Shaddai.

The root for Shaddai is similar to the root in Hebrew for mountain.  Mountains in the Bible connote might, strength and power.  They are often the symbol for governments.  They literally rule.  El Shaddai has the last say, He rules.

Tying in with this concept, the root for Shaddai also has the suggestion that he is mighty and awesome, even terrible and fierce.  El Shaddai is not a wimpy god who will back down and cower.  He is God Almighty.  He will accomplish His purposes.

A third concept brings a different connotation. The Hebrew word shad means breast.  The idea is that God is the one who nourishes, comforts and gives strength and sustenance to his people.  He meets their needs just as a nursing mother meets the needs of her child.  Think of the words bountiful and sufficient when you think of El Shaddai. Think of a nursing baby who comes to his mother worked into a frenzy and then receives from her resources and is content and satisfied and rests securely.

Closely following this concept is the fourth connotation that comes from the Hebrew word shadha meaning to pour out or shed forth.  The idea is that El Shaddai pours forth out of his bounty to meet our needs.”

Does this expand our knowledge and understanding about what God says to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by calling himself El-Shaddai? 

Our God is the God of all sufficiency who is able to do whatever He decides to do.  When He promises mankind His care, we can take that as an absolute promise of performance.  This is so different from what we receive from the world and the performance of the promises made by people. 

Also let’s examine the record of believing which we read in Matthew 8 where we read the story of the Roman centurion and his servant.  He would be the equivalent of a Captain or Major in our Army who would lead a company of 100-250 men.  You don’t get this position by being a shrinking violet personality. 

Matthew 8:5-11(NLT) When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed.

Our faith comes when the believing of our heart lines up with the promises of God’s Word. When we have faith, we will act in accordance with the instruction that the Word gives us in a certain situation or relationships. We can mentally assent to much of what God says that it is true but not have faith to make it come to pass in our lives.  This is an important question we need to ask every day about our hearts and then our actions. 

Reflection Questions

  1. What is the most important decision we need to make in any given situation?
  2. What do you imagine when you hear and study the name El-Shaddai? Is there any way your view of God should change?
  3. How have you heard the promises of God? What promises of God do you believe?
  4. What actions should accompany what you believe?

Prayer

Father, I look to You today to give me help in my time of need and effort. Thank you for your mercy and love which brings to pass the promises that You have made to us. I thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ who is my life and guide. I look to you today to give us all that we need from Your bountiful sufficiency. Love your son, Tom (insert your name if this is your prayer, too). In Jesus name we pray.

SGL.2026.CalendarDownload