Wait, Hope, Remain

Do you like to wait? What have you put your hope in? What does it mean to you to remain or to be steadfast? Have you grown weary? Do you need to be reenergized? Are you holding on to your faith and putting your hope in God?

We don’t like to wait. Sometimes our hopes are nothing more than mere wishes. It is challenging to be steadfast and hold on to our principles. We grow tired of the constant battle. We need a new source of energy and determination.

If we are going about our daily tasks in our own strength, growing tired and weary will happen. We only have so much stamina, regardless of our desire, education, and training. Sooner or later, we will crumble like a dried-out potato chip.

It is only as we remain in God that we gain the new energy we need. The word “wait” in the third line can be translated as wait for, hope, or remain. In other words, the prophet was stating so long as we put our faith in God and stand strong in our belief, God will renew us. We release our timeline and follow God’s. We give up our will to follow his.

God answers our plea for help, even if he does not answer in the way we prefer. Though we live in a world filled with chaos, hate, discord, prejudice, and abuse, we can rise above the fray. It is in our submitting to him that we can truly soar above the chaos on wings like eagles. It is in our submission that we can live the abundant life Jesus said He came to give us.

I pray we all seek to remain in God. I pray we give up our will to be in his. I pray each one of us will wait for the Lord by putting our faith and trust in him. Remain in God’s will. Put your hope in him. Wait for God to show the way. Have your strength renewed. Soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths will faint and be weary, 

and the young will fall exhausted; 

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles, 

they shall run and not be weary, 

they shall walk and not faint.

Have You Heard?

Today’s questions come from our Scripture passage. Take a moment and read them first. They are rhetorical questions. The prophet Isaiah knew the Israelites knew, heard, been told, but may not understand. We are in the same boat today.

We have heard about God. In fact, there is a growing curiosity among the young, the very young. Children in school are asking questions. We have even seen a few cases in the news or courts in which teachers have been accused of bringing up the subject of God…falsely.

Children are curious by nature. They are sponges who soak up everything they hear. It is their parents who may not want to know about God. Why? They had a bad experience with someone in the church. You know? That can happen in Walmart, Home Depot, or Kohls. They don’t stop shopping at those stores because they had one bad experience. Yet, they will stop going to church for that reason.

Isaiah has the same situation on his hands. The Israelites had been led astray. They had worshiped idols. They had turned to evil. They also had been taken into captivity as punishment for their sins as a nation. Isaiah is reminding them of God, who had chosen them. He is seeking to turn them back to God.

Sound familiar? We live in the same situation today. Perhaps we have not been taken into captivity by another country, but we are prisoners of our culture. We need to be reminded just as the Israelites need to be reminded. God is far greater than any ruler, person, or nation on this earth. We, like children who are curious, need to seek to know God better and build a close relationship with him.

I pray we all seek to know God better. I pray we seek to build a closer relationship with him. I pray each one of us will turn our hearts back to God and join his children to worship him together. Know God better. Build your relationship with him. Give God you heart. Be curious. Worship him together.

Isaiah 40:21-23

Have you not known? Have you not heard? 

Has it not been told you from the beginning? 

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, 

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; 

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, 

and spreads them like a tent to live in; 

who brings princes to naught, 

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Fear the Lord

Do you seek to prove yourself to others? Are you a weightlifter? Do you want to be stronger physically? Do you seek to be stronger mentally? Are you seeking to have power or authority over others? Why do you seek strength or power? Is it to boost your self-esteem?

Humans have sought power for thousands of years. It may be physical strength or mental strength or political power. We often seek it to outperform or to rule over others. Physical strength is rewarded with trophies and medals. Winners are put on a pedestal.

Those who seek power often desire to tell others what to do. It may be in our workplaces or in the political arena. Though many seek that power to make things better, many also seek it out of personal ambition, seeking personal glory. We seek the power for selfish reasons. But that does not please God.

The Psalmist tells us that God is not impressed by physical strength. And why should he be? He is the one who has given us the strength we have. We are to recognize that God has given us the body we have and give him thanks for it. Realizing God has blessed us to be who we are is a step in the right direction. Thanking him and using the talents he has blessed us with for his glory is the next step.

God honors those who fear him. Yes, that word means to be afraid. We may balk at that based on what we have been taught. Yet, it makes sense. When we realize the awesome power God has, we should be afraid. Our fear should cause us to submit to him and put our hope in him, since we also know he has our best interest at heart. Putting our hope in him and loving him because of his power and love for us is what pleases God.

I pray we all recognize God’s awesome power. I pray we submit to him. I pray each one of us will put our hope in him and love him with our whole heart. Recognize God’s power. Know that you cannot impress him. Submit to his will. Put your hope in God. Love God as he loves you.

Psalm 147:10:11

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 

nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Communicate Well

How well do you communicate across generations? If you are a few decades old, can you speak the language of the teenager? If you are a teenager, can you speak the language of the elderly? Is it important to you to be able to communicate across generations?

Communication is the key to relationships. If communication is poor, the relationship will be poor. It does not matter if we have wonderful things to offer, if we don’t communicate well. That applies to generational and cultural differences in communication.

The Apostle Paul knew that communication was important to building relationships. He knew that building relationships was how he could spread the gospel. He states in today’s passage that he became all things to all people, so that he could save them through the gospel. He made it a priority to learn to identify with and communicate with people of various backgrounds.

We would do good to learn this lesson from Paul. Learning to communicate with different generations and cultures will allow us to build relationships, which can lead to spreading the gospel and saving people. After all, each of us has been given the great commission, even if we are not all evangelists.

This may mean learning to speak with people we work with in a way they understand our meaning. It may mean we learn cultural values, so we can effectively relate to their situation. It certainly means we must set aside our own preferences, put ourselves in the other persons shoes, and have conversations that are meaningful to them. If we are unwilling to do that, we are unwilling to carry out Jesus’ command to spread the gospel.

I pray we all decide to learn to communicate with all people. I pray we seek to understand their culture and language. I pray each one of us desire to spread the gospel effectively to all people. Learn the language. Learn the culture. Seek to understand. Spread the gospel. Save people.

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23 I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Obligation

What obligations do you have? Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of them? Have you taken time to list your obligations? How many of them are obligations and how many are things you want to do? Do you know you have an obligation to God?

Our to-do lists may be longer than our arms. We may be so busy we feel we cannot take time to list all we need to do. Our list is maintained in our heads, which leads to us forgetting to do something. We feel overwhelmed, which can lead to depression.

Despite what many may think, as a pastor I understand. My wife has said I am busier now than when I worked as an enterprise architect for a large IT company. She is 100% correct. Unless you are a pastor or married to one or a child of one, you don’t fully comprehend all they have on their plates. The work is never done, even though they often work ten or more hours per day.

There are many jobs like that. It is especially true the higher in management you ascend. By the time you reach middle management, forty-five-to-fifty-hour weeks become normal. On top of that, there are family commitments. Throw in vacation and recreational events, and there is no time left for personal time.

Yet, just as Paul states he is obligated to proclaim the gospel, so are we. We call it the great commission. It is the commission Jesus gave the apostles…and to us. Why does Paul carry out his obligation? So that the gospel is given free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:18). We should have the mindset of Paul. Bringing eternal life to others without looking for any return other than the joy of seeing people come to Christ and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.

I pray we all seek to fulfill our obligation to God. I pray we prioritize our to-do lists to we can spread the gospel. I pray each one of us will set a goal to bring at least one person to Christ every year. Fulfill your obligation to God. Spread the gospel. Bring someone to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!

Dedicate Yourself to Prayer

How often do you pray? What priority do you place on prayer? Do you pray every day? Do you pray multiple times per day? What are your prayers composed of? Do they include thanksgiving? Do they include praise? Or are they only composed of wants?

Prayer should be an important part of our daily lives. Often our prayers include our wants. We ask for healing of a loved one or ourselves. We ask God to guide us in the search for a job. We may occasionally thank him for specific blessings or answer to our requests.

There is nothing wrong with making requests of God. In fact, Jesus tells us to make our requests. He even states that anything we ask will be given to us…if it is in accordance with God’s will. That “if” can be a test of our faith. We wonder why God doesn’t heal a loved one. We may even blame him for the person being ill. We must remember that God does not cause the illness, we live in a broken world. But he also may choose not to heal the person for a reason we do not understand…yet.

But how dedicated are we to prayer? We see Jesus got up early to spend time in prayer with the Father. This after a long night of healing people and casting out demons. He knew that He must rely on the Father to guide Him along the path laid out for Him. He knew He needed to submit to the Father’s will to be the perfect Lamb of God.

We, too, need to dedicate time for prayer, for conversation with the Father. It is in our conversations with the Father that we grow our relationship with him. It is through conversation we gain an understanding of who God is and what he desires for us and how we fit into his will. Through our dedicated conversations with him our prayers become more in line with his will, and we see more of our prayers answered the way we want because our will is the same as his.

I pray we all dedicate time to be in conversation with God daily. I pray we seek to know God’s will. I pray each one of us will align our will with God’s will and our prayers become more effective. Dedicate time for prayer. Spend time in conversation with God. Align your will with his.

Mark 1:35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

Healing Touch

How special is touch to you? Does it bring you comfort when you are sad? Does a hug from a family member bring you joy? Does it depend on who is touching you? Do you consider touch part of being sociable with others? Do you consider touch to be part of healing?

Touching can bring us great joy. It can provide us comfort when needed. Generally speaking, we all need human touch. Of course, it should be the right touch at the right time. When it is, it can be healing for our soul. It can be an expression of caring and love.

Touching is far more a part of our lives than we realize. Whether it is holding hands or a caring caress, patting someone on a shoulder or a playful slug to the shoulder, a handshake or a sportsman’s hug. Touching occurs throughout our daily lives.

Touching is especially important when we seek to comfort one another. Praying with someone who is sick typically includes holding their hands. When someone is grieving, we often hug them and allow them to cry on our shoulder. It is often the touch that provides the healing we need.

Have you noticed that most of the healings Jesus performed include touch? Today’s passage is just one example of how Jesus touched someone and healed them. Jesus took Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand and her fever left her. It is the compassion of Jesus that comes through in His touch. Our compassion can also be reflected in our touch.

I pray we all express our compassion through touch. I pray we provide comfort through touch. I pray each one of us receive the healing touch of Jesus in our lives. Be compassionate. Comfort one another. Express your compassion through touch. Provide comfort with a hug. Experience the healing touch of Jesus.

Mark 1:30-31 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Sinning Against Christ

Most of us don’t want to hear about sin. We have heard about sin for most of our lives. We have been beaten down by it. We are all too aware of the sin in our lives. Or are we?

We have our list of what we consider to be sin. There are what we call the big sins, such as stealing, murder, and adultery. We may have our personal list of other things we like to do but know they do not please God.

We may not think many of our daily interactions can be sin. Think about some of your recent encounters with others. Did you wound them by something you said? Did you purposely trip them up or make them feel small and insignificant?

Family encounters can be a challenge. Siblings often fight and argue. Brothers wrestle in the backyard and in the house. Sisters argue over the bathroom and who borrowed whose shirt. We also see or hear of siblings who demean one another for sport.

But notice what Paul tells the Corinthians, when we belittle our family members, which includes our church family, we sin against Christ. Ouch! That hits home sometimes, doesn’t it? How do we stop it or avoid it? One step at a time.

We first need to ask God for self-control. We know it is a gift of the Spirit. So, we need to ask God to gift it to us. With self-control, we can stop ourselves from continuing the behavior we have come accustomed to. We can learn to be better, be more like Jesus.

I pray we all ask God to gift us self-control. I pray we seek to be more like Jesus. I pray each one of us will strive to treat our family members better and stop belittling one another. Ask God for self-control. Stop the negative behavior. Treat one another with respect. Show Christ’s love for one another.

1 Corinthians 8:12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Other Gods

Are you aware there are many gods? Do you worship other gods? Do you scoff at the thought of worshiping other gods? Do you believe there are other gods? Why do you doubt? Why do you scoff? Are you willing to open your eyes and see them?

For Christians, there is only one God. In fact, many of us would say there is no other God than God. Yet, we do not always live that way. We often worship many other gods. We simply do not see them as that. We trivialize who they are while they occupy our time and energy.

Who are these gods? Any one or thing that we put above God. They are idols that come in the form of houses, cars, and recreational vehicles. They are idols who are put on a platform by their talent as singers, actors, and athletes. We idolize them and put them ahead of God. We say we don’t. But our actions speak louder than words.

Here’s a quick test. Tally the amount of money you spent on entertainment last year and balance it against what you gave to the church. Tally the amount of money you spent on vehicle payments, house payments, or repairs, and balance that against what you gave the church. If you are like most Americans, the discrepancy is glaring.

No, we will say there are no other gods. Yet, our actions tell us there are. We forget that God is a jealous God and wants to be number one in our hearts, minds, and spirits. He doesn’t like being relegated to the back of our minds and only brought to the forefront when we are in need. As stated in today’s Scripture, we live in God, and everything exists because of Him.

I pray we all choose to make God number one in our lives. I pray we ask for forgiveness for pushing him to the back of our minds. I pray each one of us will stop making other things or people our gods. Put God first. Seek his forgiveness. Set aside other gods. Know that you exist within God.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Use Freedom Wisely

Do you a “know-it-all?” Does it frustrate you to no end that they always think they know the answer? Have you purposely tried to trip them up? Were you successful? Do you come across to others as a “know-it-all?” Do you know that no one knows everything?

We all have encountered someone who thinks they know everything. They give us advice that simply isn’t sound or perhaps completely wrong. They answer questions with full confidence but are wrong. Oh, they know a lot, but not everything.

I know that I have come across as though I have all the answers at times. Or, I have made others feel inferior because of the way I answer or provide advice. I believe we all do at times. Yet, that is not how we should be. Whether we admit it or not, we know we do not know everything. No one can!

The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthian church that if they think they know something, they do not know what they need to know. He was talking to them about their behavior. They claimed to know there is one God and anything associated with idols had no effect on them. Though they were technically correct, their actions based on their knowledge could cause someone else to stumble.

I wonder how many times my actions have been the reason for someone else to stumble. Have I done something in the freedom I have in Christ that someone else considers to be a sin and they do the same thing, therefore sinning in their own mind? It is a question each of us should wrestle with. We have a lot of freedom in Christ. Yet, we are not to use that freedom to cause someone else to stumble. You see, the closer we are with God, the more we see our freedoms. We simply should not use them incorrectly.

I pray we all grow closer to God. I pray we recognize the freedom we have in Christ. I pray each one of us will use our freedom wisely, not causing others to stumble. Grow closer to God. Recognize your freedom. Use your freedom wisely. Do not cause others to stumble.

1 Corinthians 8:2-3 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.