God’s Way—My Way

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

It seems so easy at times to question God. After all, He doesn’t choose to do things I want Him to do, or the way I want Him to do them. I have my way, and He has His. I’m sure if God put up an eternal “Suggestion Box,” we’d fill it to overflowing with how He could “improve” things. 

Thankfully, He doesn’t do things our way. His plans are ALWAYS better.

Why should God take advice from any of us? Our abilities and wisdom are limited. The truth is, we misplace our car keys and can't keep most of our houseplants alive [at least, that’s me]. And yet, we find ourselves advising God on how to run the universe. How foolish. Which of us knows better than God!

God sees things from an eternal perspective. His abilities, well, they’re endless. His wisdom, flawless. Who can fathom the complexity of the universe? God can, and does. He created it and sustains it by the word of His power [Hebrews 1:3].

As we start our weekend, let’s go and be in awe of God’s plan. If you really think about it, His plan is better than yours. Ponder the painted sky at sunset. Marvel at the innumerable stars spread across the night’s sky. God did that. If He can create and maintain that, He can handle your problems and mine. 

Greater yet, look to Jesus. There you will see God’s perfect plan for your salvation through His death and resurrection. God has a perfect plan for you.

1    Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

2     “Who is this that darkens my counsel

with words without knowledge? 

3 Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

4     “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

Tell me, if you understand. 

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it? 

6 On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone— 

7 while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

8     “Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb, 

9 when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness, 

10 when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place, 

11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 38:1-11

When the Majority Is Not Right

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

The majority is not always right. Take Israel, for example. If the majority had ruled, they would never have left Egypt. That’s right, if a vote had been taken, they would have stayed in bondage. David is another example. If the majority had ruled, he would never have fought Goliath. By vote, David would have been sent back to tend his father’s flock. 

You may be asking, OK Rick, what’s your point; so what? The point is, we must take to heart what is written in the Bible — listen to what God says, not what the majority says. 

Sometimes Christ followers question if things will turn out right when they do what is right. Or they’ve tried to do something right and nothing goes as planned. Don’t worry about the outcome, do what is right. The prophet Micah told the people of Israel, “The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God [Micah 6:8 - bold emphasis added].

Do what is right. It really doesn’t matter what the majority says. When you do what it right, God knows.

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Bread of Life

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I ran across an interesting factoid the other day. It came back to me as I was reading the book of John this morning. It said everyday, Americans spend 67 minutes eating or drinking as their primary activity and another 24 minutes eating or drinking while doing something else. If my math is correct, that’s just over an hour and a half each day! [Data taken from a USDA blog] Man, if only that “Happy Meal” would last just a little longer…like forever!

Jesus made a shocking claim. He said He was a bread that if eaten, one would never die. Even the disciples were stunned by such a claim. Of course we know that He was referring to spiritual life. 

Natural food, as good as it is, cannot provide what we need to satisfy our deepest need—our spiritual hunger. It is not the solution for our guilt or physical and eternal death. Furthermore, it is totally inadequate to supply us with any hope of a right standing before God. Physical food just can’t do that. But Jesus can.

Jesus handed Himself over to death that you and I could have life. So do as He said and “eat this bread.” You’ll discover the truth of the psalmist who said, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” [ Psalm 34:8].

Believe it. Enjoy “eating” Him every day by ingesting the Word of God. Learn about who He is and what He can do. He is the “Bread of Life.” Feeding on Him provides abundant life now, and evermore.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6:51

Hope

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Most of you reading this blog post will not be able to name the Oscar winning, Best Original Song at the 32nd Academy Awards in 1960 from the movie Hole in the Head, but I’m sure you know the song. Frank Sinatra made it popular, and it peaked at #6 on the Billboard Charts in 1959. The song was High Hopes.

The song spoke about an ant we all know about. You know, the one who couldn’t “move a rubber tree plant.” Then comes the famous line, “But he had high hopes.” We’re left with a picture of a hope-filled ant that not only moved the “rubber tree plant,” but also who punched a hole in a “billion kilowatt dam!” “Can’t” vanishes from our thoughts. Overcoming the impossible fills the void. 

The despairing gloom of sin overshadows this sin-sick world. Is there no hope? Yes, there is. His name is Jesus. John the baptizer said of Him, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overtake it” [John 1:4-5].  

Life in our Lord Jesus sweeps away the darkness both in this life and the one to come. He endured the cross and rose victorious over death. He loosened sin’s grip and opened the gates of heaven for us. The impossible has become possible — “For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” [Colossians 1:13-14].

Now, nothing, not even death itself, can darken our bright future. Why? Because our hope is already stored up for us in heaven. Maybe an ant can't move a rubber tree plant, but our Lord Jesus still does the impossible. In Him, we have the highest of hopes!

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Colossians 1:3-6a

Together

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Here is a biblical truth that some Christ followers forget: the Bible knows nothing of Lone Ranger Christians. There is no such thing as a solitary saint or Christian hermit. God never intended Christ followers to be isolated from other Christ followers nor a Christ follower to be deprived of fellowship. We belong to each other. 

Listen to Paul’s exhortation to the early saints. We are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together, and we will be caught up together [1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:21-22, 3:6, 4:16; Colossians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:17].

To be sure, your relationship with Christ is personal. Absolutely. But God never intended that relationship to be private. As a Christ follower, you are connected to every Christ follower. We belong to each other now and forever. 

The world has corrupted the idea of membership. To Wall Street types, members are nothing more than mailing lists to offer exclusive discounts. Some churches have gutted membership by simply adding your name to a roll with no expectations. That is so unlike God’s way of thinking. Membership in the body of Christ is like being a vital part of a living body. You are interconnected and indispensable. You are needed for the body to function as it should [Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 12:12-27].

In that sense, connection to the body fortifies your faith and strengthens you to fulfill your mission in life. There is nothing else on earth like the Church, the Body of Christ.

In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5 

The Help We Need

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I have over 40 translations of the Bible on my computer. This morning, I chose the New English Bible as I read the book of Romans. The wording of the first part of Romans 8:26 caught my attention: “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.” I wanted to take my highlighter out and mark up the monitor!

The word “weakness” can refer to the body, like the invalid unable to walk for thirty-eight years [John 5:5], or a spiritual impotence, like the “utterly helpless” [Romans 5:6]. Weak in soul or weak in body or both, there’s a grand finale in verse 26, “… the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us…” 

That’s good to know. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us. That’s the kind of help we need.

 The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. Romans 8:26a

Love Talk

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

When describing love to the Corinthian Christ followers, Paul talked about it both positively and negatively. Paul put rudeness on the negative side. “[It’s] not rude,” he said. This is especially true of how we talk. The Greek word translated “rude” in 1 Corinthians 13:5 means, shameful or disgraceful. 

God calls Christ followers to a higher level of speech. Paul said, “Speak the truth…” And we should. Never back away or back down from truth. But, “Speak the truth…in love” [Ephesians 4:15]. 

Don’t I have the right to speak my mind? Sure, but if you’re going to let it rip, immerse it in love. Don’t I have the right to dominate the conversation and speak condescendingly? Yes, but is it loving to do so? 

Love talk matters in every area of life. While it is within your right to bark at the grocery clerk, snap at your wife, and yell at your kids, is it the loving thing to do? I didn’t think so!

[Love] is not rude. 1 Corinthians 13:5