Fall From Grace

How well do you hold it together? What or who is the reason you can hold it together? What happens when that reason is no longer there for you? Do you fall apart? Do you start going down a bad path? Do you feel like you have been left all alone?

Sometimes we are able to stay on the straight and narrow because there is someone in our life that we aspire to be like. The inspiration the other person provides is enough to help us continue a good path. Then when that person is gone, we fall apart and lose control.

We may stay on a good path as we pursue a goal. We strive for it, putting all our effort into achieving it. Then we accomplish our goal, and we stop doing what got us there. We let out all those pent-up desires we didn’t dare allow ourselves to do while pursuing our goal. The next thing we know we have fallen from grace.

The Israelites had this occur to them on several occasions. In today’s passage, it happened after Ehud died. He was a man of God who was sent on a mission to free the Israelites from fear of the Moabites. He carried out God’s plan and the Israelites continued to follow God until he died. But when he died, they fell apart and started pursuing everything but God.

When our stabilizing force in this life is gone, it can be challenging to continue on a righteous path. There is only one way we can stick with it. We must rely on God to guide us. He has given us his Holy Spirit to be with us through everything we experience and to be our guide when we feel as though we are rudderless. We have the gift of the Spirit the Israelites did not have. We are blessed to have the Spirit of God living within us.

I pray we all seek God, especially when our inspiration on this earth is gone. I pray we listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. I pray each one of us will continue the righteous path for our entire lives. Hold onto your inspiration. Make God your inspiration. Listen for his Spirit to guide you.

Judges 4:1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died.

Always Be Prepared

Are you the type of person who likes to be prepared? Or are you more of a handle it on the fly kind of person? Do you ever find yourself ill prepared and wish you were more prepared? Are you prepared for Jesus to return?

Some of us work hard to be prepared. Others are less worried about it. Most of us fall in between the two extremes but will lean more one way than the other. It is all about choice and what we are comfortable with. Or is it?

Jesus tells the parable of the ten bridesmaids to make a single point. We are to be prepared at all times for His return. We do not know when He will return. There is no appointment to put on our calendar. He did not set the date while walking this earth. In fact, He stated that neither He nor the angels in heaven knew when He would return, but only the Father knows (Matthew 24:36).

What does this mean to us? It means we are to be ready today, tomorrow, and every day of our lives. In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, five of them were wise and ready, five of them were foolish and not ready. The bridegroom came and the wise went into the banquet with him. The foolish were locked out.

We do not want to be counted among the foolish. It is far better that we be among the wise. This means being ready to greet Jesus at His return, whenever that may be. Always being prepared is a wise choice.

I pray we all are wise in our preparation. I pray we choose to be prepared for Jesus’ return. I pray each one of us will seek to be prepared each and every day of our lives. Be counted among the wise. Be prepared for Jesus’ return. Commit to becoming like Jesus.

Matthew 25:13 “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Wise or Foolish

Do you like using analogies? Do you like it when someone else uses an analogy? How many analogies do you hear each day? Are some of them cliché? Are some ones you have heard many times? Have you learned anything from the analogies or parables Jesus told?

Analogies can help us understand complicated things. They can help us understand something we otherwise wouldn’t by give us an example of something we know. But there are also times when the analogy is of no more help than if we hadn’t heard it to begin with.

Jesus told many parables about what the kingdom of heaven is like. He used commonly understand analogies to give us a glimpse into what it is like. Some of them are relatively easy to understand and others not so much. One reason we do not always understand the analogies is that we do not understand nor take the time to research first century practices.

The ten bridesmaids or virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom may not make sense to us. But when we take time to understand first century practices, it makes a lot of sense. For first century Jewish weddings, the bride’s parents would pay a dowry. The groom and his parents would count it to verify what was promised was delivered. This process may cause a delay in the bridegroom arriving.

The bridesmaids would wait between the bride and groom’s houses. When the groom came, they would escort him to the bride’s house where he would meet her and take her to his house. The bridesmaids would light the way with torches since this normally occurred after dark. Now that we know this, we understand why there were five wise and five foolish bridesmaids.

We need to strive to be among the wise. To be wise, we need to be prepared for the groom to be on time and to be delayed. In other words, we are to be prepared at all times. Jesus is the groom who will come to take His bride, the church, for the ultimate wedding, eternity spent with Him.

I pray we all are prepared for Jesus to return. I pray we look forward to the day He will come to take His bride home. I pray each one of us seeks to live our lives for Jesus in all that we do. Be wise. Be prepared. Know that Jesus will return. Be ready for His return. Look forward to eternity with Jesus.

Matthew 25:1-2 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.”

Trumpet Call

What is your long-range plan? Where do you see yourself twenty or thirty or forty years from now? What will you be doing? Where will you be? Who will be with you? Will you even be alive? Where will you be when Jesus Christ returns?

If we have been in professional classes or in business, we have been asked to make plans. Some plans are short-term, and some are long-term. But even long-term business plans do not usually go beyond ten years. So how can I ask you to think about forty years down the road?

Those are the terms we should be thinking in as a follower of Christ. Our view should be a long-term view. There will be hiccups, stumbles, setbacks, and troubles in this life. But they are only short-term things we must deal with. The good news is, we do not need to deal with them alone. Jesus promised a helper for us, that is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17).

When we take the long-term view, we can withstand the short-term interruptions. It takes focus and discipline to maintain a long-term view. We must continually remind ourselves that Jesus will return, and we will be with Him for eternity. Yes, there will be a resurrection. Yet, we will not stay in our old bodies. We do not know what we will be, but we will be like Christ (1 John 3:2).

When Christ returns, no one will miss it. Everyone will hear the command. Everyone will hear the archangel’s call. Everyone will hear God’s trumpet. Everyone will see Christ descend. We cannot fathom how that will be, but God knows. We do not need to understand everything to believe. What we need to do is be ready for His return.

I pray we all take a long-term view. I pray we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us get through the short-term interruptions. I pray each one of us are ready for Christ’s return. Lean on the Holy Spirit. Know there will be a resurrection. Know you won’t miss Christ’s return. Be ready when He does.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Promised Hope

Have you grieved during your life? Was it for a loved one? Was it for a pet? How did you handle your grief? Was your grief overwhelming? Were you unable to function? Did hope have a positive impact on your grief? Do you know it could?

Grieving can be difficult. When we lose a parent, sibling, or child, it is often more difficult. In some cases, I have witnessed wailing and people falling to their knees, unable to walk due to their grief. But it does not have to be that way. For those in Christ, there is hope.

Each person grieves differently. Some grieve internally, not allowing others to see it outwardly. Some grieve outwardly, not worrying if others see them grieve. Some grieve for months or years. Some grieve for a few weeks and move on. In none of these types of grief does it mean the person grieving or over their grief has forgotten the lost loved one.

For those of us who are in Christ, there is hope. This is not a wishful thinking kind of hope, but a hope full of confidence that is promised in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:21-23). It is a hope in which we can glory (Hebrews 3:6). Our hope in Christ it our anchor (Hebrews 6:19-20). This hope tells us there is an eternal life in which we will live with all who are in Christ forever.

When we have hope in Christ and our loved ones are in Christ, we can confidently state we will see them again. We say our goodbye’s and see you later’s with peace in our hearts. We will still grieve, but it will not be the overwhelming grief that immobilizes us. Rather than grieving for the lost loved one, we grieve for the empty space in our lives, and we learn how to fill that hole, at least partially. We lean on God and the hope he provides. We accept the peace he grants us.

I pray we all know the hope promised in the gospel of Jesus. I pray we seek to convince others to accept the same hope. I pray each one of us will lean on God and the hope he provides in times of grieving. Put your hope in Jesus. Accept the hope He promised. Lean on God in times of grief. Know you have eternal life.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Learning Something New

Are you willing to be taught? Do you yearn to learn new things? Or do you prefer to continue to think you know it all? How many questions do you ask each day? How many do you answer? Are you willing to hear the words of truth? Are you willing to learn from God?

Whether we think about it or not, we continue to learn new things. Just a little more than a couple decades ago, cell phones were a novelty. Sure, you could get one, but all you could do was make a phone call. Who needed the extra expense to have a phone with you at all times?

Fast-forward twenty or so years and our cell phones can do far more than make phone calls. In fact, we make relatively few calls on them compared to everything else we do on them. We surf the web, text one another, read email, play games, take photos, and we can even design web pages on them. They are a computer in our pocket, and we have learned a lot over the past twenty years as we have used them.

But what about learning from others? How many of us are willing to listen to and learn something from someone who doesn’t have the right look nor speak in our language? Most of us would not sit down and listen to advice from a homeless person. However, they know how to survive the bitter cold winter nights on the street. They know where to get food. They know where there is shelter from the storm. They may not look the way they think teachers should look, but they have a lot they can teach us.

We cannot physically see God face-to-face. Yet, he has a lot to teach us as well. We don’t want to read a book that was written thousands of years ago, but truths are truths no matter how old they are. God has continually told the truth. In fact, he is the one by which truth is measured. It doesn’t matter if we like it or not. God is truth and is continually trying to teach us. It is a matter of us listening to his words.

I pray we all will listen to God’s words. I pray we will spend time reading his truth. I pray each one of us will spend time seeking to understand God’s truths so that we may live better lives. Listen to God’s words. Read God’s Word. Know that his words are truth. Seek to understand God’s truths.

Psalm 78:1

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; 

incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Covenant

Have you ever taken an oath? Was it an oath in court? Was it an oath to enter the military? Have you entered into a covenant? Was it a covenant of marriage? Was it a business contract? Have you made a covenant to obey God?

We swear oaths in many different settings. It may be an oath of friendship. We are required to swear an oath when we testify in court. I have sworn an oath to join the military and reiterated it when reenlisting or being promoted. Even the boy and girl scouts make an oath.

We do not often think of covenants today, but they are really the same as a contract. Each side promises something. When we recite marriage vows, we make a covenant with our spouse. When a contract is signed, both parties are promising to do something for the other. Usually, one party is performing a service and the other is paying for the service.

The Israelites accepted God’s covenant under Joshua. They promised to obey and serve God. By doing so, Joshua told them they must give up foreign gods, those gods they had either acquired or knew about from other peoples. They were to worship only God.

When we are baptized, we are entering into covenant with God. We not only accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but we also promise to obey God’s commands. Jesus has already paid the price for us, and God has already made promises for us. We are accepting God’s grace, mercy, and commands. But much like any contract we make during our life, we are to take our covenant with God seriously, for God certainly takes it seriously.

I pray we all accept the covenant with God. I pray we take our covenant with God seriously. I pray each one of us will accept God’s grace and mercy and obey his commands. Accept God’s covenant. Understand his covenant. Take your covenant with God seriously. Obey God’s commands.

Joshua 24:34-35 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.”

Choose God

How many choices do you make every day? Have you ever thought about it? What thought process do you go through to make a choice? Is it different depending on the question? Have you made the most important decision? Have you decided to serve God?

We make more choices each day than we think we do. We decide what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We choose what clothes we will wear. We choose the route we will take to work, even if it is the same one each day. We choose when to go to bed and when to wake up.

Our choices are numerous. There are many choices in our jobs. How we will tackle a specific task. When to take a problem to a manager. We make choices for entertainment. We can watch a sitcom or a movie. We can decide on an action or drama or comedy. Some of these choices are dependent upon our mood.

Above all those choices is the choice to serve God. It is not one that can be made lightly. We must carefully consider it. For God is a jealous God. He does not want to share our heart with any other. When we decide to serve God, it must be a commitment from our heart, one that runs deep and will never be rescinded. God will have it no other way.

We must give up our other gods. They may other people or things. We cannot continue to put them above God. That may sound harsh, but it need not be. We can still love our family and care for our possessions. We simply need to love God more than any of them and know they all belong to God, too.

I pray we all think carefully through our choice to serve God. I pray after careful consideration we commit to him. I pray each one of us will love God more than any other person or possession. Choose to serve God. Love God will all your heart. Put God above anything else.

Joshua 24:15 “Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Humble and Exalted

Do you consider yourself a humble person? If so, you might not be as humble as you think. Do you like to be put on a pedestal? If so, you might find yourself knocked off of it. What if you knew you could be humble and exalted simultaneously?

Being humble is challenging. When we start thinking we are humble, we discover we are being prideful in our humility. To be truly humble, we must continually strive to be humble. This doesn’t mean we are a floor mat that everyone wipes their feet on.

True humility is strength. We are humble before God, submitting to his plan for our lives. We follow where he leads us. We do what he instructs us to do. We bow before a holy God.

Jesus was the most humble person to ever walk this earth. Yet He had righteous anger when the money changers were conducting business on the temple grounds. He followed God’s desires to make the temple a holy place rather than a place of business.

Far too often, we desire to have our ten minutes of fame (or more). Even if we say we don’t, we feel good when others recognize our works and honor us. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. However, it is when we do what we do in order to be honored that we have given up humility for pride.

Jesus tells us to be humble. When we are humble like He was, God will lift us up and honor us. There is no greater honor than the honor God will give us. Be humble and be honored by God.

I pray we all strive to be humble. I pray we follow Jesus’ example of humility. I pray each one of us give up our pride for humility. Stop chasing your ten minutes of fame. Submit to God’s will. Seek to follow Jesus. Be humble before God. Know that God will honor your humility.

Matthew 23:11-12 “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Obey the Teacher

Are you good at obeying rules, policies, and the law? How do you feel if someone who is telling you the rules does not obey them? Do you want to justify your disobedience with their disobedience? Do know justifying your actions by someone else’s actions doesn’t fly?

We may experience in our jobs bosses who spout policies but do not follow them themselves. It likely burns us to the core. We wonder how anyone can proclaim a policy and not follow it. The same goes for the law and rules. It angers us to see someone disobeying when they help set the law.

We have seen in recent years more of our lawmakers, CEOs, and other leaders being held accountable for disobedience. We applaud it. We relish their squeamishness as they go before the court. We may even say, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” Yet, we are to continue to obey the law, policies, and rules regardless of what the leaders have done.

Jesus tells his disciples and those in the crowd to obey the Jewish leaders, even when they do not do what they teach. That makes it challenging for us when the leaders don’t set a good example to follow. Challenging or not, it is the right thing for us to do. After all, a person can state what the rules are, even if they don’t follow them. Don’t we do that? How often do we break the speed limit? How many times have we taken a little too long for lunch?

Jesus tells us to follow the teachers of God’s law, commands, and guidance, even if those teachers do not follow it themselves. It is not for their good that we follow it, but it is for our good. Obeying God’s Word brings us peace. We experience the joy of the Lord. God blesses us as we obey.

I pray we all obey the teaching of God’s Word. I pray we obey whether our teacher does or not. I pray each one of us will experience the peace, joy, love, and blessings of God through our obedience. Obey God’s Word. Learn as the teacher teaches. Be blessed by God in your obedience.

Matthew 23:2-3 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.”