Dimly Know

How much do you think you know? How much do you really know? Do you pride yourself in knowing more than others? Are you continually seeking to know something new? What are you seeking to know? Are you longing to know the whole story?

We know many things. We learn many things in school. We learn more things in our jobs. We seek to know more about those things we are interested in. It seems there is always something new to learn. Our thirst for learning never ceases.

Learning is a lifelong project. Some of us attempt to keep up with the latest news on movie stars or television stars or sports stars or music artists or politics. Some of us love to hear the scoop on our neighbor or a relative. Some thrive on drama. Some thrill to be the “first” to know, even if we know we aren’t the first.

The Apostle Paul gives us a reality check. We don’t know as much as we think we know. He, of course, was talking about his knowledge of God. God is far more, far larger, and way beyond any of us. We know only part of who God is. We know only small pieces of his plan. Why is it important for us to recognize this? So that we trust God more, trusting that he has it all under control.

The more we realize how much we don’t know, the more we trust by faith. Rather than letting fear rule our lives, we can boldly go forward knowing God is with us. We can also rest assured that one day we will fully understand. One day it will all make sense. Until then, keep taking the next step, trusting God knows it all.

I pray we all realize we do not know it all. I pray we put our faith in God and his plan. I pray each one of us believe that one day we will fully understand and continue trusting God until then. Know you don’t know it all. Put your faith in God. Trust his plan. Know that one day you will fully understand.

1 Corinthians 13:21 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Definition of Love

Are you a patient person? Do you show kindness to others? Are you envious of others? Do you boast about your accomplishments? Are you arrogant? Do you insist on getting your way? Are regularly irritable? Are you resentful? Do you celebrate wrongdoing or truth?

Most of us like to think of ourselves as good people. We want to be good people. But what do others think us? Others may have a different perspective on us. We may not know how others view us if we do not ask. This is especially true if their opinion of us is negative.

Today’s passage provides us a list of what love is and what it is not. If we want to show the love of God, we need to study this passage, memorize it, and evaluate our motives and actions constantly. We also need a handful of people who we can trust to be open and honest with us. People who will let us know we are not showing the love of God.

Please understand, none of us will do this perfectly. Yet, many in our world today are not showing the love of God near enough. The moment something doesn’t go our way, we become irritable and maybe resentful. We see many rejoicing over wrongdoing, including spewing hateful speech at others, disobeying directives, destroying property, and more. Are you one of them?

Showing the love of God means we are patient with those who are different or have a different opinion. It means being kind, even when we want to retaliate. It means we do not boast about our accomplishments. It means we rejoice in the truth, while presenting the truth with patience, kindness, and humility. Learning to show the love of God is not for the faint of heart. It requires strength and courage. We should ask God to guide us in the right path.

I pray we all seek to show the love of God to others. I pray we read, memorize, and understand this definition of love. I pray each one of us ask God to guide us in showing his love to all we meet. Seek to show God’s love. Know and understand what God’s love is. Ask God to help you show his love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Clanging Cymbal

What talents do you have? Can you speak multiple languages? Do you have the ability to learn things quickly? Is grasping new ideas and concept easy for you? Can you foresee what will happen based on circumstances and historical information? Do you love others?

Some of us have many talents. Others have only one or two. For those with many talents, life may seem to come easy. For those with few, life may seem to be a struggle. For those who learn quickly, they may receive promotions sooner than others.

Yet, it does not matter how many talents we have nor how powerful those talents are, if we do not love others. Sure, those talents may help us be successful in this life. They may make our lives easier. They may help us get promoted before others. Having many talents can make us versatile and able to take on many different professions.

But it is love that makes our lives valuable. It is love that brings us joy. It is love that allows us to bring joy to others. It is love that makes us more like Jesus. It is love that will drive us to sacrifice for others. It is love that is the impetus for serving others. It is our demonstrating the love of Christ to others that makes God happy.

I pray we all recognize our talents. I pray we use our talents to carry God’s work on this earth. I pray each one of us will show the love of Christ to others and use our talents to serve them. Know your talents. Use your talents. Do everything with love. Show the love of Christ to others.

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

God Is Our Hope

Are you being persecuted for your faith? Have you been persecuted in the past? Do you know someone who is or was persecuted? Are there people who seek your downfall? Are you facing an uphill battle to recover from a bad situation? Who have you turned to for help?

Many of us have faced persecution of one type or another during our lives. We may have been excluded from gatherings and felt jilted. We may have been laughed at for refusing to go along with a cruel joke. We may have been the target of physical or verbal abuse.

When the persecution occurs, it can be challenging to hold on to our faith. Depending on the intensity of it, we may be ready to give up and give in to the temptation to join our persecutors. It is in those moments of trial and possibly weakness that we need to remember to hold on to our faith.

Standing for what is right in the face of opposition is difficult. We cannot do it alone. The good news is we don’t have to. We can turn to God. We can ask him to rescue us from the situation. We can ask him to show us the way through it. We can ask him to strengthen us and give us the courage we need to face it.

The Psalmist asks God to rescue him from the wicked, those who are unjust and cruel. He states plainly that God is his hope, and he trusts God. It is amazing how much saying those words can fortify us. Repeating those words again and again can give us the strength to go on when we are ready to give up. We should remind ourselves every day that God is our hope.

I pray we all call on God when we are being persecuted. I pray we seek to build our relationship before persecution occurs. I pray each one of us are reminded daily of our hope in God. Call on God. Spend time in prayer. Ask God for strength. Know that God is your hope. Trust in him.

Psalm 71:4-5

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, 

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. 

For you, O Lord, are my hope, 

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

God’s Calling

What have you been called to do? Have you given it serious thought? Have you been able to discern your purpose in life? Have you ever wondered what it is? Do you know that God is calling you to something special? Would you like to know what he is calling you to?

Each of us has a specific set of knowledge, skills, and abilities. We were blessed with our skills and abilities by God. We gain knowledge through study and because God has blessed us to learn. Therefore, every knowledge, skill, and ability are blessings for a purpose.

Many of us go through life without knowing what God’s purpose for us is. Our first purpose and top priority is to worship God. Yet, God has another purpose for us that furthers his will in this world. For us to know what that purpose is, we need to ask God to reveal it to us. Once revealed, we can take on that purpose.

God won’t necessarily tell us as he did Jeremiah. God specifically told Jeremiah what he was calling him to. Jeremiah was to be a prophet. He was to take God’s word to the nations. He was to speak Gods word to the kings of Israel and Judah. Jeremiah was to let people across the many nations of his time as well as the nations of the future what God was planning and that it would be fulfilled.

We may not be called to the same task as Jeremiah. We may think our task is less important than Jeremiah’s. Yet, every piece of the puzzle must be put in place for the entire picture to be seen. Though some tasks seem more important, all are equally required to complete the work God has planned for this world.

I pray we all seek to hear God’s call for us. I pray we grasp our knowledge, skills, and abilities. I pray each one of us takes on accomplishing whatever task God gives us to further his work in this world. Hear God’s call. Know what you can do. Accomplish the task God gives you.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, 

and before you were born I consecrated you; 

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Fulfilled

Jesus was fully aware of His purpose. He knew why He had left the riches of heaven to step into His creation. He knew the prophecies the Spirit had given to the prophets hundreds of years beforehand. Jesus knew every word and what was meant by them.

Jesus steps into a synagogue on a sabbath day. He stands to read a selection from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolls it to a specific spot, which we identify as chapter 61 verses 1 and 2. He read the Scripture for those in attendance and makes a proclamation.

The passage Jesus read states the Spirit of the Lord was on Him. It states that He was anointed. We know that these were fulfilled when John baptized Him in the Jordan. We remember that the Spirit came upon Him like a dove and the Father stated that Jesus was his Beloved in whom he was pleased.

As Jesus continues reading the passage, it states His purpose was to bring good news to the poor. Jesus does that throughout His ministry by teaching and interpreting the prophecies. He was to proclaim the release of the captives, which meant to set us free from the sin that binds us. His death on the cross and resurrection on the third day has set us free.

Jesus opens the eyes of the blind. He can and does open our eyes when we ask Him to do so. He will show us the true meaning of God’s Word. He will reveal to us how God is working in our world today. The passage continues by says He sets the oppressed free. Again, Jesus releases us from fear and oppression by opening our hearts and minds to God’s eternal victory.

I pray we all know that Jesus fulfilled prophecy. I pray we see His fulfillment in our lives. I pray each one of us take a closer look at how Jesus has set us free and continues to work in our lives. See Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy. See Him work in your life. Be set free by Jesus.

Luke 4:20-21 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Learning from Trials

Have you been through trials? Have you suffered through hard times? How did you get through them? Did you learn anything from those trials or hard times? Did you take what you learned and apply it to your life? What did you do when the trials were over?

We face a variety of trials during our lives. Some of them we can quickly point to our own decisions as the cause. Others seem to come out of nowhere, blindsiding us. We may never know where they came from or why they singled us out. Such is life.

Yet, we can learn from each trial we go through. It is up to us to choose how we weather them. We can try to gut it out, overcome them on our own, and get through them by sheer determination. Or we can turn to God, asking him to intervene, or ask him for strength and wisdom to get through them. It is our choice.

As we go through those trials, we can also seek to learn from them. There is always a lesson, even if it is nothing more than we need to lean on God. But most often, God will teach us something through the trial. Perhaps it is to make wiser choices. It may be that we need to learn to listen to people who are older, wiser, and have a wide range of experiences. We may learn that we need to go to God in prayer before making decisions and seek the peace that goes beyond understanding. Then we need to apply those lessons throughout our lives.

Jesus went through trials when He was in the wilderness for forty days. His faith was tested. He leaned on the Father to get Him through it. Afterward, He was strengthened for the ministry He came to complete. He began by going into the synagogues and teaching. As He spread the good news, everyone was amazed. We should emulate Him.

I pray we all lean on God as we go through trials. I pray we seek to learn the lessons God is teaching us. I pray we apply those lessons in our lives and help others with what we learned. Lean on God. Learn the lessons he is teaching you. Apply those lessons in your life.

Luke 4:14-15 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

One Body, Many Members

Have you played a team sport? Have you been a member of a band? Have you worked on a team project? What did you learn from your experience? Did you discover there were different personalities and different skills coming together for a common goal?

Being part of a team, if the team is going to be successful, each member must put their skills to work for the betterment of the team. Personalities may not always fit, but selfishness has no place in a successful team. Egos must get set aside. Focusing on the goal must be top priority.

We have seen successful teams and wonder how they can sustain it. In baseball, the Yankees have experienced periods of extended success, winning multiple World Series championships in just a few years. The Patriots did the same in football, just has the Chiefs have done over the past few years. These teams have one thing in common. When they step onto the field, they are a cohesive team of individuals, all striving for the same goal.

We can say the same for successful bands. Whether it is the New York Philharmonic or the President’s Own, each member is individually talented yet can only be successful by playing their part in the larger group. The best trumpet player cannot perform every part of a song. It requires the clarinet, trombone, tuba, saxophone, percussion, and a conductor to make the music beautiful.

The same is true of the body of Christ. Each of us have talents and skills to contribute to the work God has prepared for the church. It is only when everyone comes together as a cohesive unit, setting aside personal ambition, and using our individual skills that we can be successful. Each of us have been given gifts by the Holy Spirit. God has placed each of us where we are for a purpose. Working together, we can accomplish the mission he has given us.

I pray we all set aside our ego to work together. I pray we know we have gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us seek to be part of the team, or body of Christ, to accomplish the mission God has given the local church. Set aside your ego. Know your gifts. Be part of the team. Be part of the body. Put your skills to work to accomplish God’s mission. 

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

One Cohesive Unit

Have you seen dissension? Have you noticed the finger pointing and shouting at one another? Have you witnessed family feuds? Are you aware of grudges being held like they were gold? Have you played a part in any of these situations? Have you seen them in the church?

We see dissension, finger pointing, shouting, and grudges. It may start as a small disagreement but grow into hatred. Someone feels slighted and allows it to fester. Someone slights another but refuses to apologize. Forgiveness never occurs to anyone. It becomes a downward spiral.

The Apostle Paul tells the church in Corinth they are all members of one body. He uses the example of our human body to make the point. He states that when one member hurts, every member hurts with it. Therefore, when one member of the church is hurt or not doing well, it has a negative impact on the rest of the body.

It makes sense. Think about it. If you are hammering a nail and accidently hit your finger, a shock of pain runs all the way up your arm. The nerves carry the pain signal to the brain. Our whole body has a reaction. The same is true if we burn ourselves on the stove or by reaching in the oven. It becomes even more pronounced when a bone is broken. It affects what we can do and how we must do things.

When the church has dissension, grudges, or hatred going on within it, we cannot be as effective in ministry. We are not attractive to the people we are trying to reach. Our ability to reach others is diminished. We cannot carry the mission Jesus has given us. We should keep Paul’s analogy of the body of Christ in mind and seek healing of relationships throughout the church.

I pray we all realize we are members of one body. I pray we work for healing among the members. I pray each one of us do what we can to make the body of Christ one cohesive unit. You are part of the body of Christ. Seek healing of the body. Work to make the body a cohesive unit.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

Meditations of the Heart

Do you speak your mind? Does that get you into trouble? Have you attempted to control what you say? What is in your heart? Have you spent time meditating? What do you meditate on? What occupies your thoughts, other than work, most of the day?

We all know people who speak whatever comes to their mind. Often, they blurt something out before thinking about it. They may say hurtful things without first considering their impact. Whether they want to admit it or not, they don’t have a good foundation within their heart.

How do we correct our impulse to speak whatever comes to our mind? It starts within our heart. It starts with what we are feeding our minds. We can meditate on all the wrong in the world and the wrong being done to us. Or we can meditate on the good in the world and good God is providing for us.

Just as we have heard that we are what we eat, we are what we are feeding our hearts and minds. If we are feasting on revenge, hatred, and compulsion, we will act and speak the same. But if we are feeding our hearts and minds God’s Word, we will act and speak as he wants us to.

As the Psalmist states, we are to desire that what we speak and meditate on is acceptable to God. Focus on his blessings. Meditate on his instruction. Digest God’s Word and apply it to what we say and what we ponder throughout the day. By changing our focus, we can change our speech and behavior.

I pray we all seek a positive change in our speech and behavior. I pray we meditate on God’s Word. I pray each one of us will seek to make our thoughts, speech, and actions acceptable to God. Seek positive change. Meditate on God’s Word. Speak and act acceptably. Focus on God.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 

be acceptable to you, 

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.