Recommit to God

Have you encountered people who say there is no God? Do you think there are many people who do not believe in God? Do you think there are many people who may acknowledge God exists, but do not obey him? Do you see evidence of it in our world today?

What we see in our daily news is mostly disagreement, anger, fighting, catastrophes, accidents, and other bad news. People we interact with are disgruntled, upset, fearful, anxious, and angry. For many of us, the world seems to be falling apart. We see evidence of it every day.

It can be disheartening to see all the negative things going on in our communities, nations, and around the world. Because of all the bad going on, some are predicting the end of the world. Yet, we can see in Psalm 14, written about three-thousand years ago, the same thing was happening. The people were corrupt. They were doing horrible things. They did not even acknowledge God existed.

In God’s long-standing patience, he endures our cycles of straying and returning. When the Israelites strayed from him, they were punished. The same happens to us today, both collectively and individually. When we return, God blesses us. As the old saying goes, we often need to hit rock bottom before we look up to God and plea for his forgiveness.

Yes, there has been a cycle of walking away from God across our country for the past few decades. We are paying the price for that now. Yet, there are indications that there is a movement starting in which people are returning to him. It is by returning to God that we will experience God’s blessings again.

I pray we all know there have always been people who refuse God. I pray we continue to hold onto God’s promises. I pray each one of us will redouble our efforts to know God and increase our faith. God will punish evil. Hold onto God’s promises. Recommit yourself to God each day.

Psalm 14:1

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” 

They are corrupt; they do abominable deeds; 

there is no one who does good.

Evil Will Be Defeated

Have you ever tried to view the world through God’s eyes? Have you taken a step back to see the bigger picture? Have you tried to think as God thinks when he looks at this world? Have you concluded the world is not worth saving? Would you simply give up on it?

Seeing the world as God sees it is a challenge. First, we can’t see everything God sees. We are aware of what goes on in our local community more than any other place. We are only cursorily aware of what is going on in our nation and around the world. We only see what the news broadcast shows us.

Yet, we see enough to know there are far few people who worship God. We know of the hate, anger, discrimination, violence, and disobedience. We can only imagine God shaking his head in disappointment. In these acts he sees people who have disobeyed his commands and may have no inclination to ever submit and obey him.

So why is he patient with us? What we don’t see but God does are the people who are doing their best to be good people. We don’t see all the sorrow, worry, sadness, and lack of hope. We don’t see all the people who have not heard about God or have been led astray by false teaching. God sees them and desires for them to be taught and to turn to him.

Make no mistake, when we purposely turn away from God, we can be sure there will be consequences. God is patient, but he is not patient forever. God cannot stand in the midst of evil. He will destroy evil forever. We, God’s children, must take his Word to those who need it. We must be the ones who seek to make this world a better place. And we need to do so with a sense of urgency.

I pray we all know God is patient with us. I pray we know that God will not allow evil to win. I pray each one of us speak the good news of God to all we meet and obey his commands. God is patient. God will stamp out evil. Seek to make the world a better place. Speak the good news.

Jeremiah 4:22

“For my people are foolish; 

they do not know me; 

they are stupid children; 

they have no understanding. 

They are skilled in doing evil 

but do not know how to do good.”

Be A Disciple

What are your priorities? Do you have they firmly set in your mind? Have you taken time to think about them? Or are you simply running from one thing to another? Are you a planning kind of person? Or are you a spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants kind of person?

There are many people in this world who have no plan. If they have a plan, it is short term, perhaps as short as just getting through the day. Some will plan for the week. Some will plan a vacation a few months out. But all their plans are about activities.

What about a life plan? Setting priorities for our lives is key to living a good life. Those priorities will include putting certain things at the top of our list. For those who teach life planning or setting priorities, often the difficulty is getting everyone to understand they have set priorities, whether they realize it or not.

There are those who seem to fly by the seat of their pants. That’s because their priority is to follow current culture or to be people pleasers. There are others who have set a priority to reach a certain status within the corporate world. They often work long hours and may even drive their family away because of it. There are still others who seek a music or sports profession and spend all their time practicing and going to try outs.

There are many things we can make our top priority. Jesus tells us He must be our top priority for us to be His disciple. Though it appears today’s verse is telling us to sell off all our possessions, that is a misinterpretation. Jesus is telling us that our possessions cannot own us, and they are not to be our top priority.

What does making Jesus being our top priority look like? It will be different for each person, but it starts with focusing on Him every day. It means that all we do, we do for Him. It means we support and participate in His work in this world. That often means participating in the church. It also means that we give up our desires to focus on His. Are we choosing to be His disciples?

I pray we all choose to be Jesus’ disciples. I pray we make Him our top priority. I pray we don’t allow our possessions to possess us and fully participate in God’s work in this world. Be a disciple. Make Jesus your top priority. Give up your possessions. Participate in God’s work.

Luke 14:33 “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

No Contradiction

Have You ever questioned something Jesus said? Have you scratched your head in confusion? Have you thought this is not what I was taught in Sunday School or heard in a sermon? Have you thought this sounds contradictory to everything I’ve heard about Jesus?

Jesus uses hyperbole in some of His teachings. We must understand this, and we must identify it. If we don’t, we risk taking His words literally rather than grasping the point He is making. Jesus would over exaggerate to drive home His point, often astonishing His audience.

Today’s passage is a prime example of Jesus using hyperbole. When He states that we must hate in order to be His disciple. It is an over exaggeration to drive His point home. The is the same Jesus who says we are to love everyone. Why the contradiction? It isn’t a contradiction. Jesus still wants us to love everyone. His point is that we cannot love anyone more than we love Him.

To be a disciple, or follower, of Jesus, we must make Him our number one love. He must come first in our life. It is only by putting Him first and loving Him with all our heart, mind, and soul that we can truly love others. It is only by loving Him with our entire being that we can be His disciple. As His disciple, we are His ambassador’s.

As Jesus’ ambassador, we are to represent Him and show His love to everyone we meet. In doing so, we can lead others to follow Him as well, which is our mission, our purpose in life. Yes, Jesus uses hyperbole, just like we do still today when we say, “I haven’t seen you in forever.” Forever isn’t quantified in time, though we use it to mean a relatively long time. So, don’t always take Jesus’ words literally. Ask yourself if He is using hyperbole, then learn the lesson He is teaching.

I pray we all seek to understand the point Jesus is teaching. I pray we discern Jesus using hyperbole at times. I pray each one of us makes Jesus number one in our lives and love everyone we meet. Seek understanding. Learn the lesson. Make Jesus number one. Love everyone.

Luke 14:25-26 Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”

Appeal to God

Have ever asked the question, “Why me?” Has something happened to delay a project you were working on, and you were frustrated? Did you ask God, “Why?” Did you later realize it was for your benefit? Did you see God at work on your behalf in the delay?

There can be times when we experience setbacks, and we are frustrated. We may even become angry. Yet, God may be working in that setback, doing something for our benefit. Rather than being upset, we are to trust God is in control and everything will work out for our good.

The Apostle Paul exposes a situation as he writes a letter to Philemon. Paul calls him a co-worker and mentions that Philemon hosts a church within his house. Based on what Paul’s description of Philemon, we can also assume he was somewhat wealthy. Paul appeals to Philemon in his letter, explaining that God has done a good work on his behalf.

Onesimus was a slave of Philemon’s who had evidently run away. He ended up with Paul and Paul spoke to him of Christ. Onesimus becomes a Christian and is serving Paul as he is in prison. According to Paul’s letter, Onesimus was not a good worker beforehand but has now become a good worker. Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon and asking that Philemon both accept him back warmly and treat him as a brother.

There are many lessons in this single chapter letter of Paul’s. One is that God is working for our good, even when we don’t see it. A second lesson is that when someone commits their life to Christ and the Holy Spirit works on them, they change for the better. A third lesson is, we are to do what is right according to the laws of the land, even when we don’t agree with them, and trust God with the results. When we trust God is in control and appeal to him, we relieve ourselves of stress and grow in our faith.

I pray we all choose to trust that God is in control. I pray we choose to follow the laws of our nation. I pray each one of us will appeal to God in all situations, turning the results over to him. Know God is in control. Follow the laws. Appeal to God. Know he is working for your good.

Philemon 15-16 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

See Faith

How often do you recognize the faith of people you know? Do you recognize the love others have for their brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you thank God you know them, and they are in your life? Do pray their faith will be strengthened and they recognize their blessings?

Recognizing the faith in our brothers and sisters in Christ is important. Seeing their love for others by their actions lifts us up. It is also important that we thank God for the faithful people in our lives. For it is God who put them in our lives and us in their lives.

Praying for one another is important. Each of us has our own struggles—some spoke, others not. As we pray for the faith of others and give thanks to God for him blessing us through them, we not only praise God but bless them as well. It is also good for us to tell them that we recognize their faith, that they have been an encouragement to us, and let them know we are praying for the continued strengthening of their faith.

Mutually praying for one another, not just to heal illnesses or recovering from surgeries, but that the faith of each other is strengthened blesses all of us. God works through each of us so that we may be a blessing to others. That blessing comes in many ways, not the least of which is praying for one another. That is what the community, family of Christ does for one another.

I pray we all recognize the faith others have. I pray we take time to pray for one another. I pray each one of us share the blessings God has blessed us with to be an encouragement to others. See the faith of others. Pray for one another. Share God’s blessings. Be an encouragement.

Philemon 4-6 I thank my God always when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the partnership of your faith may become effective as you comprehend all the good that we share in Christ.

Wonderfully Made

Have you ever stopped to consider the amazing human body? Have you thought about how a baby is formed? How one cell splits into two? How two splits into four, and so on until there is a fully formed infant? Have you considered that God knows exactly how many days you will live?

The human body is amazing. To think that God created each one of us. I know some will say it is our DNA that gives us our physical form. Yet, who created DNA? The deeper you dig into how things began, the more you realize there is no other answer than we were created by God.

Though we don’t like to think about it, our days are numbered as well. We have a set number of days on this earth. God knows exactly how many each of us have. Our limited view cannot see the future. We plan. We save. We procrastinate. We wait. We rush. All the while not knowing what the next day will bring. Why?

The simple answer is…faith. We may not call it that. In fact, many won’t. Yet, it is faith, nonetheless. Unfortunately, for far too many, it is blind faith. Without faith in God, trusting he is in control, we blindly run down the road of life. When we realize God has created us for a purpose, trust and seek his guidance, we then run the race he designed for us.

The Psalmist states the wonder of God creating us and having seen our lives from beginning to end. He saw all of it before we ever existed in the timeline in which we live. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around. Yet, when we try, not fully comprehend, and realize God is far more than we can understand, we begin to see a glimpse of who God is.

I pray we all know that God created us. I pray we understand that God knows the number of our days. I pray each one of us will put our faith in God and run the race he designed for us. God created you. God knows the number of your days. Put your faith in God. Follow the path he has set before you.

Psalm 139:13-14a, 16

For it was you who formed my inward parts; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. 

In your book were written 

all the days that were formed for me, 

when none of them as yet existed.

God Knows All

Have you ever felt déjà vu? Have you seen something or done something and like you have seen it or done it before? Ever wonder why that could happen? What if everything you see, everything you do, and everything you say is already known? How would you feel?

Déjà vu feels puzzling to us. We may say it is a weird feeling. We don’t understand it. Some will explain it as there being parallel universes and the knowledge of something happening in the other universe crosses over to us. There is a much simpler explanation, if you are willing to accept it.

God knows everything we will do, everything we will say, and every situation we will face. He doesn’t force us to do anything. He has granted us free will. We make our choices. Yet, because God lives outside of time, he sees all of time in a single moment. The Apostle Peter tells us a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a single day in God’s eyes (2 Peter 3:8).

The Psalmist says that God knows our path. He knows all our thoughts. He knows how we will react to specific situations. He even knows what we will say before we say it. It is hard for us to wrap our mind around it. I like how C. S. Lewis describes how this happens in his book Mere Christianity. He says for us to imagine a piece of paper. Draw a line on it. Put a dot on the line. God is the paper. The line is time. Our life is the dot. We live within God, and therefore, God knows everything all at once.

So, how does God change his mind? I don’t think he does. He already knows what we are going to ask. He already knows how we will change. He doesn’t change. He does exactly what he decided to do all along. We change. We gain a new perspective. We misinterpret our change for God’s change. Again, something that is hard for us to understand. Yet, déjà vu is God giving us a glimpse into his knowledge.

I pray we all know that God already knows everything about us. I pray we seek to follow his guidance. I pray each one of us trust that God is leading us on the path he wants us to walk. God knows all. God sees all. God is directing all. Follow the path God has for you. 

Psalm 139:3-4

You search out my path and my lying down 

and are acquainted with all my ways. 

Even before a word is on my tongue, 

O Lord, you know it completely.

Molded By God

Children can be molded by their environment, teaching, and discipline. If we teach them good life skills at a young age, we set them up for success later in life. Yet, if they turn away from the good life skills they were taught, calamity can befall them. They are much more open to learn when they are young.

How pliable are you? Are you open to learn something new? Are you open to changing your ways for the good? Will you learn good life skills to be successful? Unfortunately, far too many of us are not. We are comfortable where we are at, even if it is lying in a ditch.

God compares Israel to clay in a potter’s hands and God is the potter. He says that he can do what he wants with Israel. If Israel obeys God, he will bless them and make them successful. If they disobey, he will bring calamity on them, just as the potter flattens the clay if the mold he was making isn’t going as planned.

What we need to remember is that God can do the same to us. Not that he is holding a hammer over our heads. Quite the contrary. God is extremely patient. Yet, if we continually discard his guidance, he will eventually discard us. It is not something God wants to do any more than we want it. Knowing that God could discard us, why would we continue to tempt him? The simple answer? We’re human and have our own fleshly desires.

What can we do to follow God? We need to go back to those principles for being taught good life skills ­­­— seek a good environment, seek a good teacher (Jesus), and discipline ourselves. If we are willing to change and put in the effort, God is willing to invest in us and bless us.

I pray we all are willing to change for the good. I pray we seek to learn from Jesus. I pray each one of us will commit to discipline ourselves and allow God to mold into the person he wants us to be. Be willing to change. Learn from Jesus. Commit yourself to God. Allow him to mold you.

Jeremiah 18:5-6 Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Share Your Blessings

What are your dinners like? Is it only your family who is invited to join you? Do you occasionally invite friends over? What about parties? Do you invite anyone other than friends and family? Have you ever considered inviting someone else? Why not? Will you in the future?

Family dinners can be a wonderful time of laughing, remembrance, and enjoying a good meal. Inviting friends to dinner can be much the same. There is the familiarity and common stories to be shared. The collective memory of the group fills in the details of those stories.

Most of us will not invite people we do not know to dinner. Yet, Jesus tells us to do so. Let’s not go overboard here. What Jesus is saying is that we are to care for those on the margins as much as we care for our family. When we host a meal for the homeless, we are doing good for those who can never repay us. Jesus says that is when we are repaid by God.

However, we should not invite those on the margins with the intent of being rewarded by God. Yes, our motivation and intent are important. We are to do things for others, especially those who are less fortunate, not to gain a reward, but with the love of God in our hearts. Our motivation is to be us returning God’s love for us by sharing his love for others.

On multiple occasions Jesus demonstrates His care for people, especially those who are in need, less fortunate, rejected, or outcast. He set the example for us. When He says we are to care for the widow, the hungry, and the orphans, He is telling us to follow His example. If we are going to follow His example, we must overcome stereotypes and prejudices. May we all do so.

I pray we all choose to follow Jesus’ example. I pray we choose to care for people on the margins. I pray each one of us will choose to share our blessings from God with others. Follow Jesus’ example. Care for others. Care for people on the margins. Share your blessings with others.

Luke 14:13-14 “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”