Saturday, January 12: Hebrews 13- .

The writer ends his ‘letter of exhortation’ with a series of practical final thoughts. Any one of them pondered serves the Christ follower well. My heart was drawn to verses 5 & 6.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

I am a planner. I have to do lists. I make plans and check plans. I like to think things through before I do something. Many of these are good traits, at least they work for me.

I save for the future and know that someday I will retire from working for an income. And some days I question myself, “Have I stewarded my income well enough to be able to retire.” With stock market news ubiquitous on news outlets, particularly as 2018 closed out, I can easily get sucked into concern about retirement and if my stewarding of resources has been wise enough over the years to cover the years of retirement ahead.

Verses 5-6 are a great reminder for me that the Lord is my true security net. Yes, I am a steward of the resources the Lord gives me, but He is my bedrock. He is my future. He is my confidence. He is my life.

Confidence in Jesus doesn’t mean I will be healthy, wealthy and wise all of my life. The Lord’s plans can have strange twist and turns. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians 4:12: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Contentment in whatever situation the Lord deals to me is the goal. And I am able to find contentment precisely because the Lord never leaves or forsakes me? He is my Helper so I need not fear what humans or life will deal to me.

Hopefully my stewarding will provide for my life when I do not earn a paycheck. This seems to be the way of wisdom, but no matter what happens, God is with me and He is all I truly need.

Thank You, Jesus, for the peace that comes knowing You are with me. Give me ears to hear Your voice so that I stay in step with You and do not stray from You. I pray in Your name Jesus. Amen.

 

Friday, January 11: Hebrews 12- Take one more step.

After saying that Jesus endured the cross and scorned its shame, the writer goes on to admonish believers writing: Consider him [Jesus] who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (3). Jesus remains our example as one who perseveres in the call of God.

The writers point is when I grow weary, when I am tired of the walk of faith, look to Jesus and draw strength from His example. Take one more step forward, like Jesus needed to do as He carried his own cross to Calvary. Take one more step forward like Jesus did as He pushed through the jeers and insults of the crowd. Take one more breath like Jesus needed to do on the cross so He had the strength to forgive those who persecuted Him.

Take one more step faithfully following God’s will. Take one more breath faithfully living God’s will. When tired and fed up, take one more step in the name of Jesus, your Savior. Consider him [Jesus] who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Lord, there are days I am exhausted from following Jesus, when I don’t want to love that enemy or that neighbor, when I don’t want to forgive, when I want to seek revenge, when I want to strike back rather than turn the other cheek… Oh, God, I have those days.

First, please forgive me for choosing the low road rather than Jesus’ way. Lord, when those selfish, sin-filled desires rise up within me help me to look to and see Jesus. Burn on my retinas Jesus on the cross, Jesus forgiving those who taunt Him… and I pray, Lord, that through the aid of Your Holy Spirit those images of Jesus will soften my hardened heart helping me to choose Jesus’ way rather than my own. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Thursday, January 10: Hebrews 11- By Faith.

The event of the other day still stings, I wish you could have seen my face when I realized that Hebrews 11 was my reading today. The famous FAITH chapter was my reading this morning.

It did not disappoint. Two words, ‘by faith,’ crossed from the page into my heart. We live by faith...

People back in the day, the original recipients of the letter to Hebrews, and Christ followers like me today live by faith. Yes, we live by faith.

This thought touched me in my hurting places. Disappointments, hurts, persecutions, illnesses, and the like last for a season. Sometimes these seasons are long and arduous continuing through our earthly life. Still we live by faith in this world and the next. In fact faith opens the door to the next eternal life.

Many of the people named in this chapter went through arduous times. Faith helped them persevere. And faith carried them to their reward; a reward never fully realized this side of eternity.

My personal pain right now is nowhere on the scale of many named in this chapter... still the reminder that I live by faith not circumstances was a God-gift for my aching heart today.

By Faith... my work, my relationships, my everything is lived by faith. It is time to look to Jesus the author and finisher of my faith rather than wallow in my disappointment of the hour.

By Faith... I choose to live by faith in Jesus

Thank You, Lord, for this simple word –By Faith –to me today. Your gift is a blessing. Thank You. Thank You. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 9: Hebrews 10- God's timing; impecable.

It never ceases to amaze me how to-the-point my daily Bible reading can be. How it can touch places of the heart. I received some crappy news this morning. On the scale of major life issues, it is not all that big. Still I am wounded, frustrated, angry... a jumble of emotions. It is something I cannot really talk about beyond the vagaries of what I just wrote.

It was an early morning happening, so my Bible reading happened after the event when I got home. And what do I read, Hebrews 10! While the particular situation was very different than my personal situation, the bottom line connected directly with my heart. As the NIV heading above verse 19 put it: A Call to Persevere.

That is just what I needed. A bit of my heart was ripped out, but it was not time to devolve into a pity party or get sidetracked. It is time to persevere in Jesus. Knowing that He alone can heal wounds. He has tasks for me as His ambassador. He has good works for me to do, that I am strategically placed to do on his behalf and I need to keep on.

Through the pain –not avoiding the pain –Jesus has things for me to do.

Verses 35 and 36 stuck to me. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

When my heart gets ripped my confidence flags. These words remind me not throw away [my] confidence. Were they ever timely. As was the writers rejoinder to persevere. The will of God needs doing and at the end of this life God has promised me His eternal life and there is no prize, no delight better than that.

Lord, I am re-upping my pledge to be Your son, Your ambassador, Your agent, Your... in the world. Use me. Bandage my wounds and send me back out into the work. I pray in Jesus’ name and for the sake of the elect... those who need encouragement and invitation. Amen and amen.

 

 

 

Wednesday, November 14: Isaiah 56- God cares for all people and so should I.

 

This chapter strikes a resonant cord with me. The opening reminds me that we should keep first things first. This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed (1).

Maintain justice… it is so easy to devolve into life that is all about me. Me, me, me. I, I, I. To maintain justice means I have to lift my eyes from myself and scan the world. See what is happening and then do what I can to make sure everyone is being treated with fairness and justice. To maintain justice I have to look out for people who are looked past and looked over and do what I can to rectify situations and systems that are unjust.

This is not easy… to maintain justice I have to buck trends and swim upstream. In our world I have to be prepared to seem like an odd person who cares about others over self and/or over the advancement of certain privileged segments of society.

Maintain justice…

Then later in the chapter the prophet declares that God's arms are open to the eunuch. The eunuch was an imperfect person who was excluded from the house of God. Now the doors are open for the eunuch who keeps the Sabbath and covenant (4). And from this position of openness Isaiah goes on to declare for God that my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations (8). This is a powerful statement and one that Jesus quotes in Mark 11:7.

As I ponder my reading I see a house of prayer for all nations connecting with maintaining justice… God cares for all… God loves all. And we, his people, need to work to see these values of God are fulfilled in this world to the best of our ability.

Lord, today help me to keep my eyes open for the needs of justice. If there are things I can do to advance justice, give me strength to do those things. Along with this, Lord, help me to willingly share Your love with all people, people from all nations and tribes and tongues to the best of my ability. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

Tuesday, November 13: Isaiah 55- God's life-giving presence.

The last few days for me have been emotionally tough for me; some insecurity and anxiety consumed a bunch of my thoughts and interrupted my sleep. I bared my soul with my wife last night and met with a trusted brother in Christ first thing this am. Both were healthy steps for me to take. Then I opened the Word for my time with the Lord. Oh my, did God show up. (It continually amazes me how often my standard Bible reading provides a perfect touch from the Lord. God is good.)

Right out of the gate these words greeted me: Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Immediately I could feel stress washing off me. I came... and God provided what only God can, Himself.

A few moments later I read: Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near (6). Every day when I sit with my Bible open I am seeking the Lord. Not only was God found by me, it was like the Lord was standing there all along just waiting for me to glance His way!

And just a few verses later came these words: As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (9-11). More encouragement and more peace came to me.

I don't understand why I (we) go through times like I am going through, but God's ways are higher than mine. And His Word nourishes in tough times and good times. I am feeling nourished by the Lord and His Word this morning. 

Finally the following verse 12a placed an exclamation mark on God's visit with me this morning. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace...

Thank You, Lord. Bless You, Lord. You have given me exceedingly more than I could have asked for or imagined as I sat with You today. Halleluiah. Amen.

 

Monday, November 12: Isaiah 54- God's word moves people to action.

The word of God is alive... Isaiah 54:2 particularly the second half of verse 2, launched the modern day mission movement. William Carey, the father of modern missions, preached his world changing sermon from verse 2-3: "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.

As F. W. Boreham writes*: "At length, on May 31, 1792, Carey preached his great sermon, the sermon that gave rise to our modern missionary movement, the sermon that made history. It was at Nottingham. "Lengthen thy cords' — so ran the text — 'lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes, for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.'

'Lengthen thy cords!' said the text.

'Strengthen thy stakes!' said the text.

'Expect great things from God!' said the preacher.

'Attempt great things for God!' said the preacher."

As a result of that sermon a mission society was formed and Carey offered himself to be its first missionary.  

As I think about this, I am realizing anew the power of God's Word. If we will let it into our lives it will move us to action... action which blesses God by revealing the gospel message of Jesus to others. I am reminded of Jesus in His sermon on the mount: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:13-16).

We are salt and light. We are God's agents in the world that through our good deeds people will see God through us.

Lord, am I shining my light as brightly as You wish or am I hiding it under a bowl? Lead and direct me, Lord. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

* https://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/bcarey7.html