Tag: word and sacrament

When Life Truly Begins

Sometimes it feels like we’re in a holding pattern, just waiting for life to get started.

Life will begin when we finally get to high school. Or is it college?

Life will really get started when we graduate and get that first big job. Or maybe it’s when we — at last! — meet that woman (or man) of our dreams, our soul-mate, our life’s companion.

Or maybe life will truly commence once I’ve achieved financial freedom. Then again, it could be when my health issue is resolved. Or is it when I finally get to retire and travel the world? No, no, I mean move to that cabin in the woods.

Or is it a beach house?

Surely, that’s when life truly begins.

Jesus has a different take. He tells us that life — true, eternal life — begins the moment the Holy Spirit moves our heart to trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And how does the Holy Spirit move our hearts? The Spirit moves when we listen to Jesus’ word!

That’s what the Creator of all life tells us. We give life a chance to commence when we put ourselves in position to listen to the Bible. And true life begins when faith in Jesus begins. At that moment, as Jesus says, we “cross over from death to life!”

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬ NIV).

Our Bible reading for Thursday, May 7, 2015 is Judges 6:1 – 7:8a, John 5:16-30 and Psalm 57:7-11.

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me life. I no longer have to wait for it. You have already granted it to me, when you sent your Spirit to give me faith in you!

Authentic

How important it is to hear the voice of Jesus, to tune in to the words of the Son of God. We can trust what Jesus says, and stop living in fear. We can know that what he says is true and real, and not worry so much what everyone else has to say.

The beauty is this. Now when we need true wisdom, we can listen to just one voice, and tune out the rest. His words are the words we will lift up and praise. His words are the words that will shield us from harm. His words put our fears to rest.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4, NIV).

Jesus’ words are convincing. That’s because his words are real, and that authenticity inspires faith.

“And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'” (John 4:41-42, NIV).

It’s so important that we carve out time every day to listen to Jesus’ voice. As we do so, his Spirit enters our hearts, and he persuades and convinces us that Jesus is real. And he especially assures us that Jesus is real help in times of trouble.

Our Bible reading for Tuesday, May 5, is Judges 2:6 – 3:31, John 4:27-42 and Psalm 56:1-13.

Lord Jesus, your words are real, and they are the words of eternal life. Send me your Spirit to help me take your authentic words into my heart and trust you as the Savior of the world.

Header image based on "Real" by takomabibelot, CC By 2.0

Found, and Held Fast

Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habit, calls them “keystone habits.” These are single habits or patterns that, once successfully established, will “pay forward” and help us create other positive, productive habits and patterns in our lives.

It can be something apparently small. Did you know, for instance, that people who have the keystone habit of making their bed in the morning tend to be more organized and focused in other areas of their lives–making them more successful than the general population?

It can also be something very big. Making a habit of searching for God’s wisdom is one of those keystone habits, according to Solomon, the author of Proverbs. It’s extremely profitable to find and hold on to wisdom, he says. In fact, “nothing you desire can compare with her” is Solomon’s big claim for the Lord’s wisdom.

Really? Nothing?

That’s what Solomon says. And he guarantees that blessings will follow our acquisition of that wisdom.

As you’ll see in just a moment, Solomon makes a lot of promises about wisdom. They are huge promises. The thing is, right now in our daily readings (see below), we are also reading the book of Job. So we know that sometimes these blessings are not received immediately. Sometimes, in fact, big blessings from the past can even be stripped away.

That’s why it’s important to remember what Paul tells us in the book of 2 Corinthians: “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV). And that applies here too. We seek God’s wisdom and its accompanying blessings by faith. Even when we don’t see the results right away, we know that they will come. If they don’t come today, then tomorrow they will. If they don’t come tomorrow, then next week, next month or next year.

And even if they never come in this life, faith in Christ teaches us that they will certainly come in eternity. So find wisdom, and hold it fast!

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed” (Proverbs 3:13-18, NIV).

Jesus, I believe that when I find your wisdom, I find everything. Your word is the one thing necessary. Bless me with your wisdom as I read your word and put it into practice in my life–by faith.

Our Bible reading for Wednesday, January 28, is Job 8:1 – 10:22, Matthew 19:16-30 and Proverbs 3:11-20.

Header image based on "Bible" by Sebastian, CC by 2.0

Wrestle God Down.

It’s so interesting when one Bible passage informs another. It might be two different books of the Bible, written by different authors, written hundreds of years apart even. But when you lay the two passages alongside one another, they show us exactly what God desires for us, and from us.

Today the lesson is this: Sometimes it’s just about grabbing hold and not letting go. Jacob wrestled with God, and God could not overpower him. God even wrenched Jacob’s hip out of his socket, and still Jacob wouldn’t let go.

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me'” (Genesis 32:24-26, NIV).

Wow. Really? I will not let you go unless you bless me. That’s saying something, isn’t it? This guy is Navy SEAL tough when it comes to getting God to bless him.

In Proverbs 2, Solomon writes to us. And while he uses different language, he means exactly the same thing. Grab hold, don’t let go. Don’t release him, or his wisdom, until he blesses you.

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5, NIV).

God, I will wrestle you down!

Our reading for Friday, January 16, is Genesis 32:1 – 33:20, Matthew 12:22-45 and Proverbs 2:1-11.

Header image based on "Four Soldiers Make Team USA" by U.S. Army, CC by 2.0

How to Stay in the Day (and Stop Worrying So Much!)

Have you ever noticed that when you’re busy and active, you have less time to worry? Well, Jesus takes this one step further.

He says that if we correctly identify, and then stay busy with, our highest priority, then we will have far less time and opportunity to worry about tomorrow. It will be far easier for us to stop worrying about tomorrow, because the little things we tend to worry about will fade into the background.

We’ll have an important truth running through our mind: “Let tomorrow worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

So, what is our highest priority? Jesus gives that one to us. Our highest priority is to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness.

This means we start taking time to connect with God through word and sacrament, and asking God to rule in our hearts and minds, as Paul says, “…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).

It also means we stop thinking that a restored relationship with God is about what we do, and realize that Jesus has arranged for us to receive his holiness and righteousness as a gift (and how great that moment of realization is!).

Once we’re busy and active seeking these every day, then the worries about what we’re going to eat, or drink, or wear, or what kind of home we’re going to live in, or what kind of car we’re going to drive, etc. will fade into the background. We will commit ourselves to seeking Jesus in this day and stop worrying so much about the next day.

So, busy your mind, your heart and your hands! Worry will fade, and God’s kingdom will come.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34, NIV).

Lord, I repent of seeking to please everyone and obtain everything except you. Forgive me. Give me Jesus’ righteous record of seeking you. Make his obedient record my record. Help me to change and invest my life in seeking your kingdom and your righteousness above all else. As I do this, help me to stay in the day. I submit all my plans to you, and I commit myself to not worrying about tomorrow.

Our Bible reading for Thursday, January 8, is Genesis 17:1 – 18:33, Matthew 6:25 – 7:23 and Proverbs 1:8-19.

Header image based on "Worried!" by Alon, CC by 2.0

Temple Project

The temple in Jerusalem had to be rebuilt at the end of the exile in Babylon. God called the Jewish governor, Zerubbabel, to play an important role in this rebuilding (Haggai 2:23). God instructed Zerubbabel through the prophet Zechariah that the beginning of the temple project would be all-important. It would determine success or failure.

“Then he said to me, ‘This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies… Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand'” (Zechariah 4:6, 10a, NLT).

Because Jesus redeemed us at a high price, our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So with 2015 rapidly approaching, we can begin right away on our own “temple project” for the new year. What a great approach God gives us through Zechariah too!

  1. Success in building the temple is by no means impossible for me.
  2. I won’t rely on my own force or strength, but the Holy Spirit’s.
  3. Small beginnings are important. I won’t downplay them.
  4. Grab the tools (God’s spiritual “plumb line” = word and sacrament) I need and get going right away with the first task.

What a great encouragement to continue reading our Bibles daily in 2015. God rejoices to see the “plumb line” in our hand!

Our reading for Saturday, December 27, is Zechariah 4:1 – 6:15, Psalm 148:1-6, Proverbs 30:24-28 and Revelation 17:1-18.