2 Samuel 24:18-25
18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. 20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked. David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”
22 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.”
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.
25 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
What struck me most in this story was the heart of King David. I can see why he was such a good king. He had recently sinned against the Lord by taking a census of his people, which cost the people to do it. David was not acting on the direction of the Lord and did this to punish the people. This is not the way God wanted him to deal with them. In the verses leading up to these the Lord had given David a choice of three punishments.
13 “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”
David chose three days of severe plague. After 70,000 people died David pled with the Lord to stop and He did. David saw the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite and then the Lord directed David to build an altar there. When David went to buy the threshing floor the owner wanted to give it to him, but David would not have it. His comment in verse 24 is very telling of just why David was a great king. "I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing." That is awesome teaching for today. I wonder how often people present their offerings to the Lord that don't cost them anything.
When I was growing up my parents were not tithers, that I was aware of. They would give $5.00 per week into the offering and $25.00 on holidays. I know my parents made more than $3,000.00 per year so it didn't take long to know that they were not tithing. I would say that an offering like that is one that cost them nothing. This is why the Lord requires the tithe. A person who offers 10% of the income to the Lord is sacrificing. It shows Who is in control and who is not. It shows an acknowledgment that everything comes from God and my tithe is to be used for His Kingdom work on earth. God doesn't need my money He wants my heart. The Word says this in Matthew:
Matthew 6:21
"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
If my treasures (money) is not subject to the Lord to be used as He sees fit then it will be consumed by me and used for nothing of lasting value or worth. Everything on earth is subject to decay, theft and swindle. Why would I want to invest in that? I believe in investing heavily into the Kingdom and for His glory. I thank King David for setting an example that I can follow when it comes to my offerings to the Lord. May it never be said that my offerings cost me nothing.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Good Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Although I never had sheep growing up, I can understand what the Word is saying here in these passages. Verse 1 lets me know that the Lord will take care of me and I will have all that I need, not want.
The vision I have in verse 2 is when the cows we had growing up would lay down in the pasture was when they were full of the grass they had consumed. This tells me that the Lord will provide for me in a bountiful way that I do not need to consume everything he gives me and to stop when I am satisfied. When He leads me beside peacefule streams He is telling me that I should be at peace with Him and that He will not lead me into turbulent waters. He is the Prince of Peace not chaos and destruction.
If I allow Him to minister to me my strength is renewed as I follow His path for my life. Learning to listen to His voice and obeying His voice allow honor to go to whom it is do, which is not me and all on the Lord. For He is the one who directs me and guides me. If I tried to do this on my own then I might as well be blind and deaf because I would not be able to function properly.
Verse 4 used to trouble me somewhat. It wasn't until pondering this for a while that it finally made sense to me. The fact that I am going through a dark valley is probably due to my wanting to do something my way and not the Lord's way. Even though I may choose to do this He is saying to me that He will be close beside me and will protect and comfort me when I need it. Praise God for His faithfulness!
I love the ending of verse 5. Doesn't God know when our glass is full? Of course He does, but He is a God of the overflow. He has so much for us that He wants to get into our hands so that it can be used for His Kingdom that we can't take it all in and it overflows our lives. That is the idea that He has for us. He will provide so much for us that anything above and beyond our needs we will desire to sow it into His Kingdom.
I find the though of God's goodness and love pursuing me and interesting word picture. I vision a game of tag where God is wanting to be in relationship with me, Erik Vakula, so much that He will pursue me as long as I live. Why? Becuase He wants me to live in His house with Him forever. Praise God!
An important thing to remember is that God wants to have a relationship with you just as much as He wants one with me. The only way to be in relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus. You must be willing to believe in Jesus work on the cross for your sins and confess it with your mouth to someone else and you too can be in relationship with the One who knows everything about you and still wants to be in relationship with you. There is nothing that you have done that surprises Him or is too bad that He can't forgive you for what you have done. When Jesus died on the cross He took and bore ALL your sins, including the ones you haven't commited yet. He took your sickness and your diseases upon Him and by the stipes on His back from the whips you ARE healed. Take the gifts He gives to you of total salvation and healing and walk in them as a child of the King. Own them and walk securely in them. Seek His Wisdom and He will give it to you richly and abundantly. Praise and glory belong to Jesus forever and ever! AMEN!
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Although I never had sheep growing up, I can understand what the Word is saying here in these passages. Verse 1 lets me know that the Lord will take care of me and I will have all that I need, not want.
The vision I have in verse 2 is when the cows we had growing up would lay down in the pasture was when they were full of the grass they had consumed. This tells me that the Lord will provide for me in a bountiful way that I do not need to consume everything he gives me and to stop when I am satisfied. When He leads me beside peacefule streams He is telling me that I should be at peace with Him and that He will not lead me into turbulent waters. He is the Prince of Peace not chaos and destruction.
If I allow Him to minister to me my strength is renewed as I follow His path for my life. Learning to listen to His voice and obeying His voice allow honor to go to whom it is do, which is not me and all on the Lord. For He is the one who directs me and guides me. If I tried to do this on my own then I might as well be blind and deaf because I would not be able to function properly.
Verse 4 used to trouble me somewhat. It wasn't until pondering this for a while that it finally made sense to me. The fact that I am going through a dark valley is probably due to my wanting to do something my way and not the Lord's way. Even though I may choose to do this He is saying to me that He will be close beside me and will protect and comfort me when I need it. Praise God for His faithfulness!
I love the ending of verse 5. Doesn't God know when our glass is full? Of course He does, but He is a God of the overflow. He has so much for us that He wants to get into our hands so that it can be used for His Kingdom that we can't take it all in and it overflows our lives. That is the idea that He has for us. He will provide so much for us that anything above and beyond our needs we will desire to sow it into His Kingdom.
I find the though of God's goodness and love pursuing me and interesting word picture. I vision a game of tag where God is wanting to be in relationship with me, Erik Vakula, so much that He will pursue me as long as I live. Why? Becuase He wants me to live in His house with Him forever. Praise God!
An important thing to remember is that God wants to have a relationship with you just as much as He wants one with me. The only way to be in relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus. You must be willing to believe in Jesus work on the cross for your sins and confess it with your mouth to someone else and you too can be in relationship with the One who knows everything about you and still wants to be in relationship with you. There is nothing that you have done that surprises Him or is too bad that He can't forgive you for what you have done. When Jesus died on the cross He took and bore ALL your sins, including the ones you haven't commited yet. He took your sickness and your diseases upon Him and by the stipes on His back from the whips you ARE healed. Take the gifts He gives to you of total salvation and healing and walk in them as a child of the King. Own them and walk securely in them. Seek His Wisdom and He will give it to you richly and abundantly. Praise and glory belong to Jesus forever and ever! AMEN!
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Father of Faith
Genesis 22:1-19
1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”
6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.
I love this story! This is such a powerful one to illustrate what it means to have faith in God and also shows the kind of obedience we are to show to God when He asks us to do something.
So the story starts out with Abraham receiving some interesting news from God. He wants Abraham to go and sacrifice this son that was promised to him in his old age. Some commentaries place Isaac's age at around 17 when this takes place. This means that Isaac was very capable of running away once he finds out what is going on. First to note here is that Abraham knows that it is the voice of God telling him to do this. When God tempts us to something it is to test our faith, not to lead us into sin. Notice that Abraham doesn't say a word to Sarah, he doesn't form a committee and he doesn't start a prayer chain. He knows that when God asks Him to do something he needs to obey quickly and quietly.
Verse 3 starts off with showing us how quickly Abraham listens, the next morning he does what God asks. What is not relayed here is that the journey he takes is 3 days long. This would give him plenty of time to think about God's request and ways to get out of it. He is also not only to supposed to kill his son, but offer him as a burnt offering. There were a lot of things that needed to happen in order to offer up burnt offerings and Abraham would have follow all of them on his own son. What Abraham says in verse 5 is the key to the end of the story. He says this, “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” Notice the last sentence. "WE will worship there, and then WE will come right back." WOW! Did I miss something? God never told him that his son would live. He told him just the opposite. The key to the outcome was Abraham's faith. He knew that if God had promised him this son, that the son arrived and this was the child that would lead to Abraham's blessing of many descendents, the God would have to resurrect Isaac. That would be the only way for God's promise to be fulfilled. What Abraham may not have known is that by his being willing to offer up his son of promise as a sacrifice that God would then be able to offer up His Son to die for our sins.
Verse 6 is also a foreshadowing of what would happen with Jesus. When Isaac was loaded down with the wood that would be what he would be sacrificed on is a symbol of Jesus carrying the cross that he would die on.
Verse 7 was probably the hardest question Abraham would ever have to answer. His son, whom he intends to sacrifice, asks him, "where's the sheep for the burnt offering?" Notice that Isaac is very aware of what it was like to offer up burnt offerings. He knew that they usually used a sheep for this offering, yet they had no sheep with them. Abraham's response is another sign of his faith. In Verse 8 he says it with these three words, "God will provide". That should be our response to questions we have about provision. When it comes to doing what God called you to do the appropriate response is God will provide.
I can speak to this firsthand. When my son, Brady, was 4 turning 5 we started praying about where to send him to school. My wife attended a mandatory meeting for Sunday school teachers at our former church. They were having a guest speaker for this training, who we later found out was the superintendant of a Christain private school. The first guest speaker ended up to be unavailable due to an injury. The guest speaker ended up being the principal of the elementary section of this school. Just before she took to the podium the Lord told Dawn this, "Where this woman works is where you are to send Brady to school." Dawn did not know who this woman was or even where she was from. Her first impression was, "I don't know where this woman lives. What if she is from Oregon or some other state?" She discovered that she was the principal at Maranatha Christian Academy. She asked the people at her table where this place was and they told her is was through Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park. Dawn came home after the meeting and told me what had happened. My response was, "I guess we know where Brady is going to school." We then sent away for information and found out how much the school would cost. Dawn thought this would be the reason why she did not think that she heard properly. I told her that if God said this is where Brady is to go then He would provide the financing for it. Praise God he has provided not only the financing for Brady but for Tiffany to attend as well.
Verses 9-10 speak to the commitment Abraham had to the instructions God has given him. He had to build the altar, tie up his son and then prepare to offer him up as the sacrifice. Praise God that the Lord stepped in and told Abraham to wait. What the Lord said to Abraham is key in verse 11, “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” The Lord knew that Abraham was the man of faith he knew he could be. He also knew that by Abraham's actions that He could then one day sacifice His only Son.
Verse 13 shows that God did provide. I have a question here, "What was the ram doing in the hours leading up to this?" God must have been leading the ram to be in that place at that exact moment so that Abraham could see it and kill it instead of his son. How awesome is that!
Verses 16-18 show that God acknowledges the obedience of Abraham. He will be rewarded for his faith in what God instructed him to do. Nothing that Abraham owned, even his own son of promise, was unavailable for God to use for His purposes. This is exactly what God has in store for each of us if we have the faith to follow what He asks us to do and to make everything we have available to Him if He needs it for His Kingdom.
Lord I pray today that I have the faith of Abraham and I make everything I have available to You for Your purposes to be met here on earth. I pray that Your will be done on earth, just as it is in heaven. Use me Lord for what every You want and for what ever purpose You deem necessary. I thank You that You are the Lord that does provide for me and my family. I thank You for offering up Your Son as a sacrifice for the sins of all and that anyone who believes in His sacrifice will enjoy eternal life with You in heaven. PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!
1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”
6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”
13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.
I love this story! This is such a powerful one to illustrate what it means to have faith in God and also shows the kind of obedience we are to show to God when He asks us to do something.
So the story starts out with Abraham receiving some interesting news from God. He wants Abraham to go and sacrifice this son that was promised to him in his old age. Some commentaries place Isaac's age at around 17 when this takes place. This means that Isaac was very capable of running away once he finds out what is going on. First to note here is that Abraham knows that it is the voice of God telling him to do this. When God tempts us to something it is to test our faith, not to lead us into sin. Notice that Abraham doesn't say a word to Sarah, he doesn't form a committee and he doesn't start a prayer chain. He knows that when God asks Him to do something he needs to obey quickly and quietly.
Verse 3 starts off with showing us how quickly Abraham listens, the next morning he does what God asks. What is not relayed here is that the journey he takes is 3 days long. This would give him plenty of time to think about God's request and ways to get out of it. He is also not only to supposed to kill his son, but offer him as a burnt offering. There were a lot of things that needed to happen in order to offer up burnt offerings and Abraham would have follow all of them on his own son. What Abraham says in verse 5 is the key to the end of the story. He says this, “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” Notice the last sentence. "WE will worship there, and then WE will come right back." WOW! Did I miss something? God never told him that his son would live. He told him just the opposite. The key to the outcome was Abraham's faith. He knew that if God had promised him this son, that the son arrived and this was the child that would lead to Abraham's blessing of many descendents, the God would have to resurrect Isaac. That would be the only way for God's promise to be fulfilled. What Abraham may not have known is that by his being willing to offer up his son of promise as a sacrifice that God would then be able to offer up His Son to die for our sins.
Verse 6 is also a foreshadowing of what would happen with Jesus. When Isaac was loaded down with the wood that would be what he would be sacrificed on is a symbol of Jesus carrying the cross that he would die on.
Verse 7 was probably the hardest question Abraham would ever have to answer. His son, whom he intends to sacrifice, asks him, "where's the sheep for the burnt offering?" Notice that Isaac is very aware of what it was like to offer up burnt offerings. He knew that they usually used a sheep for this offering, yet they had no sheep with them. Abraham's response is another sign of his faith. In Verse 8 he says it with these three words, "God will provide". That should be our response to questions we have about provision. When it comes to doing what God called you to do the appropriate response is God will provide.
I can speak to this firsthand. When my son, Brady, was 4 turning 5 we started praying about where to send him to school. My wife attended a mandatory meeting for Sunday school teachers at our former church. They were having a guest speaker for this training, who we later found out was the superintendant of a Christain private school. The first guest speaker ended up to be unavailable due to an injury. The guest speaker ended up being the principal of the elementary section of this school. Just before she took to the podium the Lord told Dawn this, "Where this woman works is where you are to send Brady to school." Dawn did not know who this woman was or even where she was from. Her first impression was, "I don't know where this woman lives. What if she is from Oregon or some other state?" She discovered that she was the principal at Maranatha Christian Academy. She asked the people at her table where this place was and they told her is was through Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park. Dawn came home after the meeting and told me what had happened. My response was, "I guess we know where Brady is going to school." We then sent away for information and found out how much the school would cost. Dawn thought this would be the reason why she did not think that she heard properly. I told her that if God said this is where Brady is to go then He would provide the financing for it. Praise God he has provided not only the financing for Brady but for Tiffany to attend as well.
Verses 9-10 speak to the commitment Abraham had to the instructions God has given him. He had to build the altar, tie up his son and then prepare to offer him up as the sacrifice. Praise God that the Lord stepped in and told Abraham to wait. What the Lord said to Abraham is key in verse 11, “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” The Lord knew that Abraham was the man of faith he knew he could be. He also knew that by Abraham's actions that He could then one day sacifice His only Son.
Verse 13 shows that God did provide. I have a question here, "What was the ram doing in the hours leading up to this?" God must have been leading the ram to be in that place at that exact moment so that Abraham could see it and kill it instead of his son. How awesome is that!
Verses 16-18 show that God acknowledges the obedience of Abraham. He will be rewarded for his faith in what God instructed him to do. Nothing that Abraham owned, even his own son of promise, was unavailable for God to use for His purposes. This is exactly what God has in store for each of us if we have the faith to follow what He asks us to do and to make everything we have available to Him if He needs it for His Kingdom.
Lord I pray today that I have the faith of Abraham and I make everything I have available to You for Your purposes to be met here on earth. I pray that Your will be done on earth, just as it is in heaven. Use me Lord for what every You want and for what ever purpose You deem necessary. I thank You that You are the Lord that does provide for me and my family. I thank You for offering up Your Son as a sacrifice for the sins of all and that anyone who believes in His sacrifice will enjoy eternal life with You in heaven. PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Don’t Get Too Impatient With God’s Plan
Numbers 21:4-9
4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
In these verses the children of Israel were impatient with the time it was taking them to get to where the Lord had told them about. They don't seem too much unlike people of today. They thought it was taking too long and they were getting sick of eating this manna from heaven. Apparently having food dropped outside your door was not convenient enough for them. All they had to do to get food was to walk outside their door, pick up what they would eat for the day and go back inside. I understand that their menu was very limited, but if they had actually listened to God in the first place they would have been in the land that He promised them and they would be enjoying the fruit of that land.
Most of the time, when it comes to following God's plan, it is our fault for the length of time it takes to get to where God is taking us. We become impatient and then start complaining about how long the journey is taking. We never think it's our fault for the length of the journey, we just assume it must be God's fault. Every time we complain or grumble against God's plan for us we set ourselves up for more waiting, more time and a longer journey. Which one of us wants to assist our children out with something if all they do is complain about what is going on and how long it is taking? I know that I don't exactly jump to my feet to assist them if they have an attitude with me like that. I know that God doesn't do things the way I do them, but our complaining doesn't help things.
Notice that God did not just let them all die by the poisonous snakes. He provided a way out for them once they repented of their ways. He is still doing that today. Once we are humbled enough to realize that it is our fault and not God's and that we need to repent, He is right there with a way out for us. That way out is usually through Jesus and His Word. All our answers to life's questions are found in the Word. Praise God for that!
My prayer today is that I be patient with God's plans for my life and work hard to not be a stumbling block for His plan for me. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, and His sacrifice for me so that I can come to You with my requests. Amen.
4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
In these verses the children of Israel were impatient with the time it was taking them to get to where the Lord had told them about. They don't seem too much unlike people of today. They thought it was taking too long and they were getting sick of eating this manna from heaven. Apparently having food dropped outside your door was not convenient enough for them. All they had to do to get food was to walk outside their door, pick up what they would eat for the day and go back inside. I understand that their menu was very limited, but if they had actually listened to God in the first place they would have been in the land that He promised them and they would be enjoying the fruit of that land.
Most of the time, when it comes to following God's plan, it is our fault for the length of time it takes to get to where God is taking us. We become impatient and then start complaining about how long the journey is taking. We never think it's our fault for the length of the journey, we just assume it must be God's fault. Every time we complain or grumble against God's plan for us we set ourselves up for more waiting, more time and a longer journey. Which one of us wants to assist our children out with something if all they do is complain about what is going on and how long it is taking? I know that I don't exactly jump to my feet to assist them if they have an attitude with me like that. I know that God doesn't do things the way I do them, but our complaining doesn't help things.
Notice that God did not just let them all die by the poisonous snakes. He provided a way out for them once they repented of their ways. He is still doing that today. Once we are humbled enough to realize that it is our fault and not God's and that we need to repent, He is right there with a way out for us. That way out is usually through Jesus and His Word. All our answers to life's questions are found in the Word. Praise God for that!
My prayer today is that I be patient with God's plans for my life and work hard to not be a stumbling block for His plan for me. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, and His sacrifice for me so that I can come to You with my requests. Amen.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Why Did He Come?
Luke 20:1-18
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
PRAISE GOD!! In this season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is a great refresher to read and ponder the reason for His coming. He came to conquer sin, death and the grave so we didn't have to. He came to provide a way to everlasting life in heaven through His shed blood. He came to save that which was lost in the garden when Adam sinned. He came to restore the creation He helped create. He came to die so that I may live. PRAISE GOD!!
What a turn of events for the followers of Jesus. They had recently witnessed His betrayal, His crucifixion and now some where witnesses of the confirmation of His resurrection. I still don't think they had truly realized what this meant for their future here on earth and their future in eternity. I am thankful that they wrote down these events so that I could learn about this man, Jesus, who I call Lord and Savior. I am truly thankful and blessed to have Him in my life and I do not want to even think about where my life would be if it weren't for Him. I am nothing without Him.
PRAISE GOD!! Thank You Father for sending Your Son to earth to live as a human so He could truly understand what we go through here on earth. Thank You Jesus for giving up Your place in heaven to make Yourself poor so that I could be rich. Thank You Holy Spirit for coming and staying until Jesus comes back again so that I could understand the Word and how to apply it in my life each day. PRAISE GOD!!
My prayer for today is that I live out the blessings that He bought and paid for on the cross and redeemed by His resurrection. I pray that during this season that everyone who reads this will also be truly humbled by what Jesus has done for them. Just saying thank you is not enough, Lord. Reveal Yourself to me in a new way today and may Your love shine through me today so that others may see what I see in You. Thank You for coming and saving me. I know that Your love for me is unconditional and that Your love changes lives for eternity. I thank You today through my words, my actions and my attitude. PRAISE GOD!!
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.
PRAISE GOD!! In this season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is a great refresher to read and ponder the reason for His coming. He came to conquer sin, death and the grave so we didn't have to. He came to provide a way to everlasting life in heaven through His shed blood. He came to save that which was lost in the garden when Adam sinned. He came to restore the creation He helped create. He came to die so that I may live. PRAISE GOD!!
What a turn of events for the followers of Jesus. They had recently witnessed His betrayal, His crucifixion and now some where witnesses of the confirmation of His resurrection. I still don't think they had truly realized what this meant for their future here on earth and their future in eternity. I am thankful that they wrote down these events so that I could learn about this man, Jesus, who I call Lord and Savior. I am truly thankful and blessed to have Him in my life and I do not want to even think about where my life would be if it weren't for Him. I am nothing without Him.
PRAISE GOD!! Thank You Father for sending Your Son to earth to live as a human so He could truly understand what we go through here on earth. Thank You Jesus for giving up Your place in heaven to make Yourself poor so that I could be rich. Thank You Holy Spirit for coming and staying until Jesus comes back again so that I could understand the Word and how to apply it in my life each day. PRAISE GOD!!
My prayer for today is that I live out the blessings that He bought and paid for on the cross and redeemed by His resurrection. I pray that during this season that everyone who reads this will also be truly humbled by what Jesus has done for them. Just saying thank you is not enough, Lord. Reveal Yourself to me in a new way today and may Your love shine through me today so that others may see what I see in You. Thank You for coming and saving me. I know that Your love for me is unconditional and that Your love changes lives for eternity. I thank You today through my words, my actions and my attitude. PRAISE GOD!!
Friday, December 19, 2008
How's My Personal Conduct?
Leviticus 19:1-4, 11-18, 26-37
1 The Lord also said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
3 “Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.
4 “Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
11 “Do not steal.
“Do not deceive or cheat one another.
12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.
13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.
14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.
16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.
“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
26 “Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood.
“Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.
27 “Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.
28 “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.
29 “Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness.
30 “Keep my Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary. I am the Lord.
31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.
32 “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
33 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35 “Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume. 36 Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 “You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the Lord.”
The Lord starts off here with and awesome statement in verse 2, "You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." We cannot go to God with any prayers if we are not holy in His sight. Thank God for Jesus and the holiness He bought for me on the cross. The verses following that look like a long list of rules that most people don't like to be confined to following. I look at them as a guide to living the way God wants me to live.
The first part of verse 3 I do better at than I do the last part. I do respect and honor my parents, but I do not totally rest on the Sabbath. I try to rest as much as possible but I have a wife with a never ending to-do list that reminds me of what is on it and that the tasks need to get done. Verse 4 seems to be an obvious one, but we don't normally consider things as idols when we really treat them that way. For me an idol in my life is the TV. I like to sit and watch TV. I should spend the time I watch TV with the kids or reading the bible or working on that to-do list.
Verse 11 is obvious. Verse 12 is one that many people use, mostly when they are in trouble. The verbage I can relate to that is, "I swear to God that I didn't...." This is what I think the Lord is talking about here. Verse 13 is also very obvious. Apparently in the times of Moses people got paid daily for their work. They must not have had HR departments or payroll or taxes to worry about.
I can't imagine who would do what verse 14 says, but if someone does then they should be ashamed for their actions.
Verse 15 has special meaning to me in the line of work I do with collections. It also has applicability in doing evictions and will be very applicable when I start doing mediation work next year.
The first part of verse 16 is hard to do sometimes. I usually try to justify it by saying to myself that I was only telling my wife because I should tell her everything. I didn't see the Lord put in an escape clause in that verse so I shouldn't try and use it to justify my actions. The last part of that verse is very obvious to me. Growing up in a small town community this becomes very real to you. If a neighbor is in need you go and help them out. I can remember a neighbor who was diagnosed with cancer and he had four children and the crops in his fields needed to be tended to. The community gathered around the family and worked in their fields until the work was done and then tended to their own fields. This was a normal way of life for me growing up.
Verse 17 is one that is very hard to do sometimes. When you have an uncle who was a convicted child molester how do you naturally not want to hold a hatred in your heart towards him? I had to learn to forgive him for what he did to the family and realize that hating him did nothing to him and only hurt me.
Verse 18 is very key in walking in love. My flesh wants revenge if it feels that it was harmed in some way. I must not seek revenge and learn to show God's love to the offending party and let God's love minister to them.
The first part of verse 26 is comforting to me because I like my steaks cooked medium well to well done. I have a friend who likes his steak to be introduced to the grill enough for the flames to kiss the meat on each side and then call it done. The last part of the verse is common sense to me.
I obviously don't follow verse 27, but for those who are under the old covenant must follow it.
I have not done verse 28 and don't have intention of doing it either. I definitely will not allow my daughter to participate in verse 29. I am working on verse 30. I will not do verse 31, which means no horoscopes for me. Why look to the stars for answers when I can look to the One who made those stars?
I have to work on verse 32 because my parents now qualify for this and I need to get better at it. Verses 33-34 applies to me in my vocational endeavors. It is hard to bridge the language and cultural barriers but I must do so in order to get to the desired solution for all the parties involved.
Verses 35-36 are also very applicable to my vocational pursuits. I must not use dishonest standards when I deal with the people I deal with each day. I need to be accurate and fair in my dealings or I can get sued and pay huge fines.
I strive to live up to verse 37 because this means that I would be doing what God wants me to do and in the way He wants me to do it.
1 The Lord also said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
3 “Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.
4 “Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
11 “Do not steal.
“Do not deceive or cheat one another.
12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.
13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.
14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.
16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.
“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
26 “Do not eat meat that has not been drained of its blood.
“Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.
27 “Do not trim off the hair on your temples or trim your beards.
28 “Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord.
29 “Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with prostitution and wickedness.
30 “Keep my Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary. I am the Lord.
31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.
32 “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
33 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
35 “Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume. 36 Your scales and weights must be accurate. Your containers for measuring dry materials or liquids must be accurate. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 “You must be careful to keep all of my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice. I am the Lord.”
The Lord starts off here with and awesome statement in verse 2, "You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." We cannot go to God with any prayers if we are not holy in His sight. Thank God for Jesus and the holiness He bought for me on the cross. The verses following that look like a long list of rules that most people don't like to be confined to following. I look at them as a guide to living the way God wants me to live.
The first part of verse 3 I do better at than I do the last part. I do respect and honor my parents, but I do not totally rest on the Sabbath. I try to rest as much as possible but I have a wife with a never ending to-do list that reminds me of what is on it and that the tasks need to get done. Verse 4 seems to be an obvious one, but we don't normally consider things as idols when we really treat them that way. For me an idol in my life is the TV. I like to sit and watch TV. I should spend the time I watch TV with the kids or reading the bible or working on that to-do list.
Verse 11 is obvious. Verse 12 is one that many people use, mostly when they are in trouble. The verbage I can relate to that is, "I swear to God that I didn't...." This is what I think the Lord is talking about here. Verse 13 is also very obvious. Apparently in the times of Moses people got paid daily for their work. They must not have had HR departments or payroll or taxes to worry about.
I can't imagine who would do what verse 14 says, but if someone does then they should be ashamed for their actions.
Verse 15 has special meaning to me in the line of work I do with collections. It also has applicability in doing evictions and will be very applicable when I start doing mediation work next year.
The first part of verse 16 is hard to do sometimes. I usually try to justify it by saying to myself that I was only telling my wife because I should tell her everything. I didn't see the Lord put in an escape clause in that verse so I shouldn't try and use it to justify my actions. The last part of that verse is very obvious to me. Growing up in a small town community this becomes very real to you. If a neighbor is in need you go and help them out. I can remember a neighbor who was diagnosed with cancer and he had four children and the crops in his fields needed to be tended to. The community gathered around the family and worked in their fields until the work was done and then tended to their own fields. This was a normal way of life for me growing up.
Verse 17 is one that is very hard to do sometimes. When you have an uncle who was a convicted child molester how do you naturally not want to hold a hatred in your heart towards him? I had to learn to forgive him for what he did to the family and realize that hating him did nothing to him and only hurt me.
Verse 18 is very key in walking in love. My flesh wants revenge if it feels that it was harmed in some way. I must not seek revenge and learn to show God's love to the offending party and let God's love minister to them.
The first part of verse 26 is comforting to me because I like my steaks cooked medium well to well done. I have a friend who likes his steak to be introduced to the grill enough for the flames to kiss the meat on each side and then call it done. The last part of the verse is common sense to me.
I obviously don't follow verse 27, but for those who are under the old covenant must follow it.
I have not done verse 28 and don't have intention of doing it either. I definitely will not allow my daughter to participate in verse 29. I am working on verse 30. I will not do verse 31, which means no horoscopes for me. Why look to the stars for answers when I can look to the One who made those stars?
I have to work on verse 32 because my parents now qualify for this and I need to get better at it. Verses 33-34 applies to me in my vocational endeavors. It is hard to bridge the language and cultural barriers but I must do so in order to get to the desired solution for all the parties involved.
Verses 35-36 are also very applicable to my vocational pursuits. I must not use dishonest standards when I deal with the people I deal with each day. I need to be accurate and fair in my dealings or I can get sued and pay huge fines.
I strive to live up to verse 37 because this means that I would be doing what God wants me to do and in the way He wants me to do it.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Greatest in the Kingdom
Matthew 18:1-10
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
These verses are very eye opening to me. When I look at my children and see their complete trust of their teachers and what their teachers are telling them I can see what the Word is talking about. I am also thankful that my kids go to a school where the Word is taught in every subject so they are incorporating a biblical world view at an early age. I also think about the teachers themselves. They have a lot of influence on the development of the children in their care each day and the Word here is pretty harsh on what would happen if they cause any of them to sin.
When you think about why Jesus uses a child as an example of who is the greatest in the Kingdom it doesn't take long to figure out why He chose them as His example. When kids are in their pre-school years they are very dependent on their parents for almost everything. This dependance is how we are to be with Jesus. We are to be dependent upon Him for everything. We are to trust everything He tells us to do and do be obedient to do it when He tells us to do it. Just like my kids did when they were younger. I can't count how many times a day they would ask for help or guidance or have a question about what they wanted to learn. They obeyed more quickly than they do now, but I attribute that to their independence growing. Whe we are dependent upon someone we are more obedient to their request for us to do something.
WOW! Thank You Jesus for bringing that revelation to me this morning! How awesome You are to reach out to me and show me this from Your Word. My dependence on You leads to greater obedience on my part, which leads to greater measure of Your blessing upon me. Lord, renew within me the desire to follow You more closely than I did yesterday and the day before. Stir up my spirit to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so I can be in Your will for my life more and more each second. Lord, use my tongue to bring Your life into the lives of others around me today and may I reap the bountiful goodness You have for those Who follow You and Your plan for their life. I thank You that You cared enough for me to leave heaven, come to earth, reveal the Father to us, take my sins upon Yourself on the cross, die for me, defeat death, hell and the grave by coming to life on the third day, ascending to heaven and being my Advocate with the Father. I thank You that You did this not just for me, but for everyone. I thank You that You sent the Holy Spirit to be with me until You come again and that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me the plans You have for me. May I be obedient to You leading and obey quickly and quietly when instructed to do so. May all the praise, honor and glory go to You this day. Amen.
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
These verses are very eye opening to me. When I look at my children and see their complete trust of their teachers and what their teachers are telling them I can see what the Word is talking about. I am also thankful that my kids go to a school where the Word is taught in every subject so they are incorporating a biblical world view at an early age. I also think about the teachers themselves. They have a lot of influence on the development of the children in their care each day and the Word here is pretty harsh on what would happen if they cause any of them to sin.
When you think about why Jesus uses a child as an example of who is the greatest in the Kingdom it doesn't take long to figure out why He chose them as His example. When kids are in their pre-school years they are very dependent on their parents for almost everything. This dependance is how we are to be with Jesus. We are to be dependent upon Him for everything. We are to trust everything He tells us to do and do be obedient to do it when He tells us to do it. Just like my kids did when they were younger. I can't count how many times a day they would ask for help or guidance or have a question about what they wanted to learn. They obeyed more quickly than they do now, but I attribute that to their independence growing. Whe we are dependent upon someone we are more obedient to their request for us to do something.
WOW! Thank You Jesus for bringing that revelation to me this morning! How awesome You are to reach out to me and show me this from Your Word. My dependence on You leads to greater obedience on my part, which leads to greater measure of Your blessing upon me. Lord, renew within me the desire to follow You more closely than I did yesterday and the day before. Stir up my spirit to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so I can be in Your will for my life more and more each second. Lord, use my tongue to bring Your life into the lives of others around me today and may I reap the bountiful goodness You have for those Who follow You and Your plan for their life. I thank You that You cared enough for me to leave heaven, come to earth, reveal the Father to us, take my sins upon Yourself on the cross, die for me, defeat death, hell and the grave by coming to life on the third day, ascending to heaven and being my Advocate with the Father. I thank You that You did this not just for me, but for everyone. I thank You that You sent the Holy Spirit to be with me until You come again and that the Holy Spirit will reveal to me the plans You have for me. May I be obedient to You leading and obey quickly and quietly when instructed to do so. May all the praise, honor and glory go to You this day. Amen.
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