The Best Education

Have you been looking for someone who keeps their word? Are you looking for someone who fulfills their promises? Are you seeking someone who you can trust? Have you found that person? Have you decided to put your trust and faith in God?

We all like having someone in our lives we know we can trust. We like having someone we can go to who will tell us the truth, even if it is not pleasant for us to hear. Having someone who will speak truth to us is very valuable for us. That person can help keep us from making mistakes.

It can be a challenge to find someone like that. It seems as though it is harder today than it has ever been. Especially, with all the false narratives we see on social media and so many people spouting those false narratives as though they were true. To find someone who does their research to determine the truth, then speak that truth to us is priceless.

Unfortunately, we too often forget that God is truth. Everything we hear or read should be evaluated against the truth of God. He can speak no lies. Not only does God speak truth, but he also fulfills all his promises. Again, an extremely rare quality.  To speak with a person of God, someone who is steeped in God’s Word, and who speaks truth is of more benefit than all the education provided in universities.

I know, some may argue that last point. Theodore Roosevelt said a thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. Why should we believe that? It our knowledge and trust of God’s Word along with choosing to follow Jesus that grants us an eternal life with God. Though a college education may provide an opportunity for us to prosper in this world, it is the education provided by the Bible that grants us the joy, peace, and contentment in this world that no college education can.

I pray we all choose to spend time reading God’s Word. I pray we obtain the best education by studying the Bible. I pray each one of us know God fulfills his promises and put our faith in him. Read God’s Word. Study God’s Word. Know that God fulfills his promises. Put your trust and faith in God.

Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.

Fishing or Catching

Do you like to fish? Do you enjoy sitting along a lake or river casting your line in the water seeking to hook a fish? Is it more enjoyable for you to fish and catch nothing? Or, to catch a good batch of fish? How do you feel about catching people for the kingdom of God?

I have enjoyed fishing during my life. I have even enjoyed just sitting on the bank and not catching anything. But catching brings along a lot more excitement! There’s the rush of adrenalin when the pole bends from a bite and the fight to bring the fish in.

Fishing for people is much the same. We can enjoy our time being a positive representative of Jesus and His church. We can enjoy telling others about Jesus. But there is a whole ‘nother level when someone wants to learn more and commit their lives to Jesus because of the message we brought to them.

Let’s not fool ourselves. We are not the sole reason someone decides to come to Christ. God is working in that person. He has primed their heart to hear the message we bring. He has filled us with his Spirit who has nudged us down the path he wants us to go. We play a part in it—we are willing to be used by God.

Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to fish for people. He calls us to do the same. Peter and Andrew had profound impacts on the church, helping grow it in the first century. We, too, can help grow the church by being willing to go fishing AND catching for Jesus.

I pray we all are willing to be used by God. I pray we choose to fish for people. I pray each one of us will earnestly seek to catch people for Jesus and bring them into His church. Be willing to work for God. Go fishing for people. Ask God to guide you. Seek to bring people into the kingdom.

Mark 1:16-17 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

The Kingdom is Near

Are you looking for something to come to fruition? Have you been working hard on a project and anticipating your hard work to pay off? Are you implementing a new plan you believe will produce the windfall you desire? Do you have all the steps and details defined?

If you have ever developed a project plan, you know defining every step is important. That definition needs to not only state what needs to happen but state how long it will take to complete the step. Linking the steps with dependencies is another key component.

Good project management abides by a set of principles and methods. Once you fully understand them, you can manage any project from a simple birthday party to the construction of a billion-dollar building. The difference is the size and magnitude, but the principles and methods are the same.

The principles and methods of God work the same way. The steps are to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. We also remember Jesus’ command to his apostles in Matthew 28:19-20 where He commanded them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them. Jesus had 2 main missions when He came to earth—preach the good news and be the perfect Lamb of God.

The good news, or gospel, is that God has made a way for humans to be reconciled to him through his Son, Jesus Christ. His plan is simple, easy to remember. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we enter the kingdom of God. His kingdom has come near. It is within reach for each one of us. It is our choice to follow the steps to enter the kingdom or to decline and continue to be lost.

I pray we all see the kingdom of God that has come near. I pray we follow the steps to enter the kingdom. I pray each one of us will decide to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Know God’s principles. Know God’s commands. Choose to follow them. Accept Jesus as your Savior. Accept Jesus as your Lord.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

God’s Perspective

Do you feel out of place? Or do you feel as though you are right where you are supposed to be? Are things going along smoothly? Or have you hit a rough patch in life? Is your life going as you planned? Or has it been derailed? Are you living your life as God would have you live it?

Sometimes we fit in and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes life flows along smoothly and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes our lives go as planned and sometimes it doesn’t. Living our lives how we want can go smoothly for a while, but it often gets derailed at some point.

Life takes some odd twists and turns. One day it is all smooth sailing and the next it’s a shipwreck. We may have missed the iceberg just below the surface, much like the captain of the Titanic. Suddenly we are lurched into emergency mode, reacting to things gone badly.

When we look at today’s passage, we may think the Apostle Paul has gone mad. But don’t read just the individual words, read the passage as a whole. What is he saying? In effect, he is saying be sober minded. Be serious about life. Now, that doesn’t mean can’t have some fun. We can enjoy the birthday parties, Christmas celebration, and be jubilant while watching our children.

Paul is talking about the day-to-day attitude concerning life. He is encouraging us to keep our eyes wide open. See things for what they really are. Stop looking through rose-colored glasses. We are to stop holding onto worldly possessions. Not to say we are to sell them off, but to realize they all belong to God, and we are temporary stewards of them.

Why is this important. This is part of seeing our lives and the world as God see them. This is acquiring God’s perspective. The more we understand and see according to God’s perspective, the closer our relationship with him. This world is passing away. Everything in this world decays, rots, and withers away. We are to look forward to the perfect kingdom in which we will spend eternity.

I pray we all take a sober approach to life. I pray we hold on loosely to worldly possessions. I pray each one of us see from God’s perspective and grow closer to him. Have a change of attitude. Change your perspective. Live life soberly. See as God sees. Look forward to eternity.

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

God’s Reward

Are you seeking to be rewarded for your efforts? Have you been working and seen little in return? What are you working at? Is it worldly tasks? Have you heard God speak? Have you spent time in his Word? Do you know that he rewards those who work for him?

There are thankless jobs in this world. We are often guilty of being thankless toward someone working in one of those jobs. It may be our trash pickup person or our mail delivery person or department store attendant or the farmer or truck driver we never see.

We give no thought about the people in thankless jobs unless they don’t do something the way we think they should. Yet, we need these people just as we need good CEO’s, doctors and nurses, government leaders, and business owners. If we feel as though our reward has been delayed or forgotten, perhaps we can be the rewarder by thanking those people who do the jobs we don’t want to do.

There is One who will reward us for the work we do. God is the ultimate rewarder. But he doesn’t reward us for completing worldly tasks. He rewards us for completing heavenly tasks. What are those heavenly tasks? To name a few, they include spreading the gospel, being kind to one another, showing the love of Christ to others, praying for one another, and being willing to be used by God to carry out his mission.

Lest we become disillusioned, God doesn’t bless us with worldly wealth as a reward for doing his work. He rewards us with blessings that allow us to continue to work for him. He rewards us with an eternity spent with him. He grants us grace, hope, talents, skills, peace, and comfort. The rewards God grants us are far more important and lasting than any worldly reward we may receive.

I pray we all determine to work for God. I pray we spend ask God to guide us in the work he would have us do. I pray each one of us will say thank you to others and to God for his wonderful blessings. Seek God’s rewards. Know that God is the ultimate rewarder. Work for God. Ask God to guide you.

Psalm 62:11-12

Once God has spoken; 

twice have I heard this: 

that power belongs to God, 

and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all 

according to their work.

I Will Not Be Shaken

Where do you stand? On what do you stand? Is your footing on solid ground? Or is it sinking sand? Are you standing on a solid foundation? Or is it crumbling beneath you? Do you know? Have you taken time to look at it objectively? Have you chosen to stand on the only true rock?

Far too many people in this world have no idea what they are standing on. They may think they do, but they are living under false pretenses. They may think they have it all together, but one stumble along the way crushes their assumptions. They quickly realize their perilous state.

Our lives can be shaken to our core in the blink of an eye. A medical diagnosis for ourselves or a loved one can change the rest of our lives. An accident resulting in a significant injury can escort us into a new reality. A broken relationship can cause us to lose our trust in every other human being. Losing a job can put us into financial straits and leave us scrambling for help.

When “bad things” happen, we become disoriented, disillusioned, and may question everything we thought we knew unless…. If our foundation is God, we may feel the reverberations of the earthquake, but we trust God is in control. Putting our faith in God does not mean we will never face those “bad things” in our lives. It does mean we are confident God has a plan and he will prevail.

With God as our rock on which we stand, we can withstand events that cause others to fall. When we trust that God is in control and he has our best interest at heart, we see things in a positive way. We are confident God is with us. We know our final home is with him forever. We understand that nothing on earth can change that. That knowledge and faith brings us comfort, peace, and strength in our time of trouble.

I pray we all stand on the Rock. I pray our foundation is God and his promises. I pray each one of us put our faith in God, accept his salvation, and not be shaken when “bad things” happen. Put your faith in God. Trust in his promises. Stand on the Rock. Do not be shaken. Know that God is in control.

Psalm 65:5-6

For God alone my soul waits in silence, 

for my hope is from him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation, 

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Avoiding Calamity

Do you wonder if it is too late to turn things around? Do you want to be on a better path for your life? Do you wish there was a way? Have you considered trying to make a change? Have you made a change but not stuck with it? Do you know that God will bless your positive change?

We may be stuck in a rut. We may have gone down the wrong path and don’t know how to get out of it. We may desire a better life but don’t know how to obtain it. Making a New Year’s resolution may not have worked. Perhaps multiple attempts at change have failed.

Changing our lives is not easy, even if it is simple. We become accustomed to doing certain things and they become habits. We may like to have things a certain way, which we call obsessive-compulsive disorder. We hang out with a group of people we call friends who may not be a good influence for us. We have a yearning for change but don’t know how to begin.

If we really want to change and truly want a better life, there is only one thing to do—turn to God. It sounds simple, but it can be a significant challenge for us. We may need to give up hanging out with people we consider friends. We may need to ask God to remove bad habits. We certainly need to start communing with God and his people, meaning we need to go to church regularly.

When we decide to turn away from our former selves to be better, and we accept God into our lives, he blesses us. We may not see the immediate blessings. Just as God held back the calamity that was to befall the people of Nineveh, he may hold back something bad that was to happen to us. It is an unseen blessing. As we continue to follow him, we will start to see his blessings. It may take time to begin to see God working, but it will be well worth it.

I pray we all turn to God. I pray we ask God to help us make the change we need in our lives. I pray each one of us make a positive change in our lives with the help of God. Make the decision today. Give up your former life. Take on a new life. Accept God’s invitation. Accept God’s blessings.

Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Listen for God’s Plan

Do you do what you are told the first time? Or do you have to be told multiple times? Do you expect everyone else to do what you tell them the first time you tell them? How do you feel if they don’t? How many times does God need to tell you what he wants you to do?

In our individualistic society, we think we know better than anyone else. We don’t want to be told what to do, unless we want someone else to blame for things going wrong. If we ask what we should do, it is usually to confirm what we think we should do, not to get advice.

Coming together for the purpose of collective wisdom is rare. Our meetings are often filled with point and counterpoint and the one who speaks the loudest or is most insistent often has their suggestion implemented. Nothing about that is seeking the collective wisdom of the group. It is all about the individual, being competitive, and winning an argument.

We have forgotten collective wisdom is a means to make wise choices, keep us from making mistakes. In addition, we have migrated toward having people of like mind in our groups rather than diversity. It is through the diverse ways of looking at things that we often find our best options and solutions.

Not doing something we don’t want to do isn’t new. Jonah also did not want to do what God told him to do. However, God gave him a second chance and Jonah obeyed. Jonah discovered something we often say, “God’s plan is not my plan.” Yet, Jonah didn’t like it; and we often don’t either. Despite whether we like God’s plan or not, we need to obey as Jonah did. Yes, it took God telling him a second time, but Jonah finally obeyed. Rather than continuing to disobey, we need to accept God’s plan just as Jonah did.

I pray we all seek collective wisdom. I pray we listen for God’s plan in the diversity of suggestions presented. I pray each one of us decide to obey God’s plan just as Jonah did. Participate in collective wisdom. Listen for God’s plan. Obey God’s commands. Follow God’s plan.

Jonah 3:1-2 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.”

Voice from Heaven

Have you ever heard God speak? Not a few words in your head or a feeling in your heart, but have you heard him speak audibly? Have you heard stories of others who have heard God speak audibly to them? What do you think it would sound like?

God still speaks to us today. However, most of us will hear him speak through the Holy Spirit who nudges us through heartfelt feelings to act or an encouragement or phrase that comes to our minds. Very rarely will we hear an audible voice.

When Jesus was baptized, God spoke audibly to Jesus and the others who were there with Him. John the Baptist would have heard God’s voice. The others who had come out to see John would have heard him. Can you imagine what that might have sounded like?

James Earl Jones was regarded as a person who had one of the biggest narrative voices of our time. I love to hear him read the Bible. But I imagine God’s voice being so much bigger. I imagine it sounding like thunder, yet peaceful; it being overpowering, yet comforting.

God declared who Jesus was at His baptism. God also declares who we are at our baptism. We may not audibly hear him speak, but the angels in heaven do. And whether we think so or not, God declares he is well pleased with us. Not because we have achieved something great, but because we have decided to accept his gift.

I pray we all seek to hear God speaking to us. I pray we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to us. I pray each one of us know that God is pleased with our decision to follow His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen for the Holy Spirit to speak. Know that God is pleased with you. God has declared you his child.

Mark 1:9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Bold, Humble Servant

Who do you look up to? Who do you revere? What are their qualities? Are they great leaders? Are they people of high integrity? Are they a person who would give you the shirt off their back? Are they humble? Are they servants? Would you revere a humble servant?

There are many kinds of people we look up to or are in awe of. They may be extremely gifted athletes. They may be world leaders. They may be a person who has broken through a glass ceiling. They may be trendsetters. They may be people with great integrity.

Yet not many of us look up to a person who is a humble servant. No, a servant is likely the last person we will hold in high esteem. They are often near invisible. They come and go quietly and do nothing to bring attention to themselves. In royal palaces, they often know far more than anyone else. Their integrity and discipline to hold their tongue is uncanny.

But that is a human viewpoint of a servant. God’s viewpoint of a servant is different. Take a look at John the Baptist. He wasn’t quiet. In fact, he tangled with the religious leaders. He proclaimed loudly the Messiah was coming. He warned the people to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. He proclaimed something new.

John was a humble servant. He submitted to God’s plan. He did not hold himself in high esteem but, instead, lifted high the Lord Jesus. John saw himself as being lower than a servant. For a servant would remove a rabbi’s sandals. John didn’t view himself worthy to do that for Jesus. Yet he loudly proclaimed His coming.

A humble servant of God’s is a person who sits quietly in the corner. They submit to God’s plan and carry out the tasks God lays before them, even (perhaps especially) when those tasks are counter to their personality. Did you know a large percentage of pastors are introverts? They answer God’s calling on their lives despite feeling inadequate to do so. Each of us are being called by God to carry a task. Whether we feel equipped or not, we are to submit to God’s plan humbly and become his servant.

I pray we all humbly submit to God and his plan. I pray we seek to be a servant of God’s. I pray each one of us will boldly go with the confidence of God to perform the tasks he lays before us. Be humble. Be a servant. Seek to know God’s plan. Perform the tasks he gives you. Go with God’s boldness.

Mark 1:7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.”