2006 Lenten Devotional
Setting Priorities (2006 March 1-8)
March 1, 2006
Revelation 2:1-5
Shawn Robinson, Clayton Community Church
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What are the positive things God has to say about the church in Ephesus?
2. What does God have against them?
3. What is the promise for those who “overcome”?
The season of Lent is a time of reflection and remembrance. Through this time we are reminded of both the great love and the great cost that was paid at the Cross to ransom humankind from their sins. Jesus’ love for you is clear, but have you stopped to ask yourself if Jesus is your first love?
¼br /> The church of Ephesus had to ask this question. They were devoted to doing hard work for God and persevering under difficult circumstances. They were workhorses for Jesus! Yet somewhere in the midst of Godly pursuits, their passion and love for their Savior had dried up; their activity was devoid of love.
Do you remember when you first fell in love with Jesus? I know I do. I was hungry to be with Him, always looking for times when we could be alone together, whether in prayer or through His Word. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I was always talking to others about the difference he made in my life, and I changed many of my priorities just so I could keep him as the center of my devotion.
Yet over time, some of the luster began to fade. Relationship turned to ritual, love faded to cordial friendship. Passionate devotion gave way to busy activity—and I was trapped! Trapped in a “God machine” that had little to do with God.
Does this sound like your experience lately? The good news is that it’s not too late to fall back into love with Jesus. His words to the Ephesians are not to give up, but to “remember the height from which you have fallen!” and to “repent and do the things you did at first.” These days I’m still busy, but I try to take a regular time out each day to be with my first love—and when God seems distant, I remember and repent. My prayer for you this day is that you would do the same!
prayer
Dear Lord, right now I need to stop all that I am doing and let you know that I love you. I have been busy and I am tired and I need to surrender my activity to you. Will you meet me today so we can be close? Come alongside me; guide me in every activity, thought, and conversation this day. Embrace me in all I do and am. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen
March 2, 2006
Isaiah 55:1-5
Floyd Roseberry, Fair Oaks Baptist (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. Ultimately, what is the difference between the groceries we buy and the products God wants us to invest in?
2. What are the promises of God in this passage?
This text begins as an invitation to “come.” It is addressed to all who are thirsty. Wine and milk are offered to quench that thirst. They are offered to us as gifts of grace “without money and without cost.” There is food as well as drink. We are invited to “eat what is good” and “delight in the richest of fare.”
What is offered as drink and food is in fact spiritual nourishment. God wants to renew his everlasting covenant with his people and assure them of his faithful love. It is this fare that we all need during this Lenten season as we prepare for Easter. We need to be reminded of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ and that we are God’s beloved children in Him.
How are we to do this? The key word is “listen.” God invites us, “Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live”. We are invited to solitude and silence and listening. We are to take time away from the noise and mental clutter of our lives and allow some space to hear God speak to us. He has a Word for us! In Psalm 81:13ff God pleads for his people to listen to him and promises, “You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Lent is the season when we give special attention to the One who says to us, “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:3).
prayer
Pray with Henri Nouwen: “O Lord Jesus: There is so much talking going on within me. It seems that I am always involved in inner debates with myself, my friends, my opponents, my colleagues, and my rivals…. These arguments show my insecurity….and my need for being recognized and receiving attention. You, O Lord, will give me all the attention I need if I would simply stop talking and start listening to you. I know that in the silence of my heart you will speak to me and show me your love.”
March 3, 2006
Isaiah 55:6-11
Jim Shields, Sanctuary (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What actions you are urged to take in Isaiah’s prophecy? List them.
2. What actions and attributes of God mentioned here give you confidence to do the things you identified in question 1?
I was approached the other day by a man named Eric. He was obviously homeless. He was a nice enough fellow. He seemed to be fairly intelligent, although a bit dirty and not far from his last alcoholic indulgence. Do you ever wonder how a homeless person ends up without a home? I wonder if homelessness was their plan. Probably not. But if it not, what happened? As we begin this season, let us look to the Prophet Isaiah and search for some answers for Eric.
Eric started his journey with a plan. I don’t know who the advisor was for his plan, maybe an intellectually inspiring teacher or a somewhat distant dad. I don’t know, Eric probably doesn’t even remember. But I am certain he didn’t “seek the Lord” or “call upon Him” as Isaiah suggests.
As time went on, Eric’s plan began to mutate into something he hadn’t originally decided upon. Like all of us, he made mistakes; he sinned. That isn’t the tragedy. The real turn for Eric came when he began to rationalize his mistakes and his sin—most likely pride. Most of us are tripped up by that. The Prophet leads us to the Lord’s mercy, hands us our pardon and everything it takes to forsake our ways and our thoughts. But Eric continues to have a “death grip” on his own ways. His plan has been reduced to answering the need of the moment, but refuses to say to the Lord, “My plan isn’t going to work.”
Isaiah opens the door to the thoughts and ways of God. It requires but a small step. Anyone can take it. Eric, mine or yours. Whose plan are you following? You may live in a house, but maybe your life isn’t really leading you home.
prayer
Listen to Isaiah and follow his profound priorities today: Seek the Lord today, call on Him. Say out loud, “Jesus I want you in my life today!” Turn to Him. Really, I suggest you stand up and physically turn. And, as you turn, say to Him, “I turn to you. I turn away from my ways. I need your mercy, your pardon, your grace.”And finally, ask Him to give you His thoughts for this season. Let Him know that you don’t want to live in a house without moving toward home. And while you’re at it, say a prayer for Eric.
March 4, 2006
Psalm 1
Eric Strom, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What is the basic contrast between the “blessed man” (v. 1-3) and the wicked (v. 4-5)?
2. In more detail, what characterizes the “blessed man”? What is the key condition that yields the fruitful result?
Near my home, there’s a trail that my wife and I walk on occasion. It’s one of those trails that goes through the neighborhood, away from the roads, away from the noise and busy-ness of the traffic. For part of it we walk alongside a creek bed. We know it’s a creek bed because we see water flowing in the winter.
The rest of the year, it’s pretty dry. There is a wonderful collection of trees in there—palms, locusts, pepper trees. It’s beautiful year-round. There’s not a time in the year when there isn’t greenery among those trees. And in the spring some of them put out striking flowers. Here’s the interesting thing, though. Not very far away are some hills that have nothing but grass on them – not a single tree. It’s a pretty startling contrast.
Psalm 1 says that a person who meditates on God’s law is like a tree planted by streams of water. Such trees are fed and nourished by the stream, like the ones on our walking trail. They are beautiful and healthy. Without God’s word, life can end up like a dry, treeless landscape. But a life steeped in and nourished by God’s word is a life strong and joyful in all seasons.
prayer
Holy God, help me not to let less important things distract me from spending time with you. Instead, grow in me an ever greater yearning to seek your word for guidance, wisdom, and nourishment. Amen.
March 5, 2006
Psalm 63
Sean Blomquist, Shelter (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. David makes some comparisons in this psalm. What is of greatest value?
2. What do you find “gritty” and “gutsy” about David’s psalm? What is the attitude behind these statements?
The Psalms are real prayers of real experiences of God’s people throughout history. Psalm 63 is a gutsy, gritty, prayer from David who is in the desert. It’s gutsy because it is a prayer from his very inner most being. It is a prayer from his soul. It is gritty because it is earthy. David is thirsty; he is aching, tired, hungry and fed up with his season in the desert. Have you ever been in that place where you’re done with the dry season of your faith?
You have seen and experienced the power and goodness of Jesus in your life, it is undeniable— but it is past tense. This part of David’s journey is the opposite of what he had tasted in the past. David expresses something that paints a picture of a real relationship with Yahweh.
Beyond David’s desert, beyond his enemies, beyond his circumstances, he finds that deep place in his soul, that with utter confidence and guts, he can pray, “Lord, your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you and remember you, my soul clings to you.” David never flinches from his faith, but in the gutsy, gritty, earthy realness of life, he draws from the well of his soul and sings a prayer of the reality of who Yahweh is to him. Yahweh is his God and nothing will quench his deepest longings, but God alone.
prayer
Lord, help me to be honest with you about my need and confident in your presence.
March 6, 2006
Lamentations 3:21-26
Chris McCabe, Freedom Church (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. The prophet Jeremiah is suffering with “the daughter of Zion” (Israel) the wrath of God’s judgment. How does this passage fit into the broader context?
2. What kind of “waiting” is Jeremiah referring to in verse 25?
3. What is your greatest challenge in waiting “quietly” for the Lord?
I remember a family vacation to the Grand Canyon when I was a very young child. What I remember of the experience is that it wasn’t very memorable. I was bored. I was bored even at the points that I was supposed to be most amazed.
Looking over the rail of the canyon, I remember those much older and much more mature than I being overwhelmed by what they observed. I didn’t get it. I knew I was supposed to be impressed with my surroundings. I knew we had driven a long way to get to this place, and the whole point of this trip was to stand where I was standing. My parents told me that God created this great wonder and that it was a testimony to His greatness, but I couldn’t grasp what it was I was seeing. The experience left me unchanged, because I didn’t know how to let the experience change me.
If I visited the Grand Canyon again as an adult, I would most likely have a completely different reaction. I’m sure I would sense God’s glory and fear His greatness when seeing its vastness. As a child, the problem wasn’t with my surroundings, the problem was with me. I was ill-equipped, ignorant really, to be able to process and to properly take in what it was I was experiencing.
I would like to say that I’ve outgrown this, that the years have given me a greater appreciation for the Divine –that I am no longer so naïve. I would like to say that I am mature and intellectual and possess great understanding of those things I formerly did not understand. But, the sad truth is, I live my life every day like I’m still four years old. I’m completely numb to the greatness of God. It’s not that I haven’t been there or done that.
I have seen God, yet His mystery leaves me baffled, so I don’t take time to process His greatness. I interact with amazing men and women, but I pass them off as ordinary or unimportant because I constantly think about me and how to make my life easier. I interact with His creation, His Word, His church . . . often with the same result: the inability to see His daily work in my life.
Can you identify? Do you forget that God is still at work? The same God that gave us the Grand Canyon wishes to work and move in your life today. His mercies, His faithfulness, His love – all listed in this passage, never end, never fail, and are continually new and fresh and awe-inspiring each day we open our eyes and get out of bed.
prayer
Jesus, open my eyes to see your glory as I stand on the cliff of your mystery and greatness. Open my eyes to a fresh movement of You in my life today.
March 7, 2006
James 4:7-10
Jim Stilwell, Family of Faith
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “the cart before the horse”? Many live their lives before God with the frustration of trying to obey Him before truly submitting to Him. We get the cart of obedience before the horse of wholehearted love and surrender to His will. It is difficult to obey over the long haul without surrendering to His will.
Recently I asked my 9- and 13-year-old sons what this scripture verse meant to them. My 8-year-old responded, “It means to let God into your life and don’t worry about the devil.” My older son responded, “Just give in to God in every area of your life.” Ah! the simplicity of youthful hearts. Yet, as our hearts live life under the sun, we get burned from its experiences and learn not to let anyone in, let alone giving in to anyone, even God the Father. Where does He need to come in to your life? Where have you have been burned by life? Where do you just need to give in to Him?
James says to us “come on, come a little closer to God and you will experience how close He is to you. As you read these words you are moving toward Him and He has come close to you. Why? He can’t resist a heart that makes a move toward Him. Even in the weakest attempt. Notice all the things James tells us to do—wash, purify, grieve, mourn, change—all happen as we come close to the One who empowers us to do all those things.
Where is God asking for your obedience in life? You are sons and daughters of the Father and He has your best interest in His heart. When we know this we will obey without gritting our teeth. We can humble ourselves and be lifted up and encouraged by Him. God loves humility; this is how He set up His Kingdom. Jesus wore the garment of humility and the Father loved it.
prayer
Lord, I surrender to your will today. Bring my heart closer to you, and clothe me with humility. Help me to set right priorities that line up with you. Fulfill your promise to be with me with every step I take today.
March 8, 2006
Luke 6:12-16
Art Barrett, New Life Christian Fellowship (Pleasant Hill)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What kept Jesus awake all night?
2. What might be the connection between his focus overnight and his action of the next day?
If you are too young (and who isn’t) to have heard of “Make Room For Daddy” a.k.a. “The Danny Thomas Show,” check it out on Nick at Nite or just use your imagination. I remember it because it began its popular run the year I was born (lets just say 1960ish okay?).
Whether you think of “Make Room for Daddy,” “Andy Griffith,” “The Lone Ranger,” or “My Three Sons,” there was an era during which people actually talked to their dads. An important decision or question would be resolved only after an interview with Dad. I can almost hear “Beaver” starting up the ladder of wisdom with his brother and being told to ask Dad. “Hey, Wally, why is Joey so dumb? Gee, I don’t know Beav, You better ask Dad.”
In today’s passages we find Jesus taking his business to Dad, making room to listen to his Father’s heart. “One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night” (v. 12 nlt).
• Jesus got away from distractions.
• Jesus had a purpose on his mind. He was about to select the twelve men who he would entrust his life mission, men whose witness would change the world.
• Having humbled himself and taken on the nature of man, Jesus related to God—his Father in heaven.
• Jesus talked and listened to his Heavenly Father all night about what he should do.
If perfect Jesus is on the mountain all night, what should my prayer life look like? I am a doer. I resist prayer. Without intentionality I won’t make the room for Daddy. Why am I like that? Answer the question for me and then see how well it describes your life.
Do you take stuff to your Daddy in heaven before you act or just suggest he bless what you already did? What kind of listening do you think Jesus did?
Imagine the scene: Who talked the most in this all night prayer? How did time with Dad affect Jesus’ confidence? At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. (v. 13 nlt)
How could it shape your life if, before you chose your life partner, or before your next occupational adventure, you were to “Make Room For Daddy?”
prayer
Lord, let me hear your voice and guide me into my next big decision.
The New Covenant (2006 March 9-13)
March 9, 2006
Exodus 19
Shawn Robinson, Clayton Community Church (Clayton)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. how would you characterize God as he revealed Himself to Moses and the Israelites?
2. What was God’s fundamental message to the Israelites on this day?
3. How were the people called to demonstrate their part of the bargain?
In this encounter between Moses and God we see the special relationship God desires between Himself and His people. He has brought them out of captivity on “eagles wings,” drawing them near to himself. He sees his people as a treasured possession, hungering for them to follow Him in obedience so they can shine with his radiance. He longs to draw near to his people and to be heard by them so they may place their trust in Him.
Here’s the amazing part of this story…God desires this same intimacy with you! You are his treasured possession with whom He longs to be close. One author said it best when he commented, “The story of the Bible isn’t primarily about the desire of people to be with God; it’s the desire of God to be with people.” The rest of Scripture rings true with this same message. Consider Paul’s repeated desire to be found in Christ. Consider his famous heart’s cry in Philippians 3 to know “know him.” Of course, Paul is not saying anything different than Jesus himself, who said that eternal life is knowing the Father and His Son (John 17.3).
prayer
Today, let the focus of your time with God be to reflect on his love for you, his care for you, and your value in his eyes. You are His treasured possession!
March 10, 2006
Exodus 34:10, 27-35
Eric Strom, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. Who was initiating and making the covenant spoken of here?
2. What was expected to be the other party’s response to the covenant?
3. What was the purpose of the veil (vs. 33-35)?
When I was young, I would go on skiing trips with my family. Each morning, part of our routine involved my father slapping some sunscreen on my face. I hated that part. Inevitably, the sunscreen had been sitting in the car all night, so it was really cold. Here I was already cold, it being winter in the mountains, and my dad is putting freezing goop on my face. Then one day – a sunny day, I might add – my father forgot the sunscreen. I didn’t say anything, since I hated it so much, and just hit the slopes. To call that a mistake is an understatement. Never before or since have I had such a sunburn in my life! I remember well the looks of mild horror on people’s faces when they saw how red I was. My burn practically glowed. It was not a good thing.
After Moses first spent some time alone with God up on Mount Sinai, his face radiated, too. Only in his case it was a good thing. His radiance came from spending time with God. Having never seen or experienced anything like it, the people were frightened by it. They had never been so close to God before.
Part of the good news of Jesus Christ is that we can now come near to God in prayer. We don’t need an intermediary to speak to God for us. In Christ, we have the privilege and joy of speaking to God, of basking in God’s presence.
prayer
Mighty God, as we bask in your presence even now, fill us with your Spirit, so that we radiate your love and grace to those around us, so that in us they see Christ. Amen.
March 11, 2006
Jeremiah 31:31-34
John Milgate, A Community of Grace (Concord)
Father, Please reveal something of Yourself to me today as Your Spirit takes the things of Jesus and shows them to me.
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. How is this covenant like the covenant through Moses (see March 9 & 10) and how is it different from the earlier covenant? ¼br /> 2. What thoughts are connected by the words “but,” “and” and “for”?¼br /> God says He will write on our heart and fellowship with us, “for” He will do something. God’s explanatory “for” takes us to the heart of the new covenant. It’s in verse 34: “for their sins and iniquities I will remember no more!” God says that, in this “new covenant” in which we live, He doesn’t remember our sins. Jesus makes us pure! Are you still holding on to the memory of something God refuses to remember about you? You won’t enjoy the sweetness of God’s other provisions in the “new covenant” unless you embrace the pureness of your heart in Jesus. Pause right now and thank Him that you are a “saint.” Ask Him to cause you to forget your sins!
Because God no longer remembers our sins, we can commune with Him without fear (vs. 33 “and I will be their God, and they will be my people”). Think in terms of newlyweds; each partner enraptured in the other’s love and living out his or her own love for the other. Do you find pleasure in being His beloved? Talk with Him about it!
To such lovers, enjoying God as our own beloved and conscious of His love for us, confident of a heart made pure by Him, God reveals His personal desires (“I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts . . .”). Not the Law of Moses, but “My law.” This “law” is the mind of Christ in our day-to-day life. It is the fruit of the Spirit, the tangible expression of His life within. Not a law of letters, but the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, including His moment-by-moment leading, guidance, assurance, and enabling.
In the “old covenant,” God wrote commands to the people of Israel on tablets of stone to be read, learned, and obeyed. In the “new covenant” God first effects a transformation within, then communes heart to heart, and then continually impresses His own image on our innermost being.
prayer
Lord Jesus, in You I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. Thank You!
March 12, 2006
Romans 3:19-28
Art Barrett, New Life Christian Fellowship (Pleasant Hill)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What is the true purpose of “the Law”?
2. How does the righteousness of God contrast with the righteousness of the Law?
3. What happened to give sinners hope that they could be righteous?
Once upon a time, people who wanted to meet people talked to people about meeting people; soon people met people whom they then dated. Today there is a whole new way to meet people. Online dating is the No. 1 paid content category on the web.
Consider Trish McDermott, co-founder of Match.com, who left the company saying online dating doesn’t work. It sounds easy, “A few dollars down and you’ll discover the love of your life.” Months later and hundreds of dollars lighter, alone on Valentine’s Day, you may feel gypped! But McDermott has a new way, Engage.com, and she claims its solves all the problems!
History shows people dealing with a relationship with God the same way. “Check out the latest new way to God, it solves all your problems.” We have 21st century ideas and sensitivities. Even Oprah tries to help us find new ways of being cool with God. Do this and don’t do that . . . . But before we actually quit doing ‘that,’ we fail at doing ‘this.’
If we are honest, the whole idea that we could really become good by doing good begins to just look stupid. Paul says, “No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God’s law, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying it.”(vs. 20 nlt)
Only our ignorance allows us to imagine we could suddenly get good. We aren’t good enough be “good enough.” The more we know what God says is “good” the more we see we can’t make a way to do enough good to be good.
Only one who is “good” can make a “good new way.” So God himself made the way. God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight—not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. The new way is not predicated on our doing enough good.
What is God’s new way? “We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins.”
Now watch this . . . “And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.” (vs. 21-22 nlt)
Underline, “no matter who we are or what we have done.” How does that make you feel about your past, about your future?
March 13, 2006
2 Corinthians 3:4-18
Kevin Murphy, St. Matthew Lutheran (Walnut Creek)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. For what have we been called? where can we find the confidence to do what we are called to do?
2. Is there a ministry for which you have felt inadequate but still sense that god is calling you to do? What word of encouragement do you find in this passage?
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17, nrsv). How do we adequately represent the New Covenant that is only found in Jesus Christ, Paul asks?
• by recognizing that “apart from Him we can do nothing” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6; cf. John 15:5);
• by preaching 90% less Law and 90% more Good News (2 Corinthians 3:7-11);
• by not feigning some false spirituality (like Moses did, 2 Corinthians 3:12-14); and
• by daring to be people who live lives of Christian freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
What will this Christian freedom look like? It will be transparent. We must be transparent in the places where we are weak and inadequate, which will allow us also to reflect transparently the Lord’s power and glory in our lives.
We can’t do this by pretending or “play acting” (literally “hypocrisy’). It is the work of God’s Spirit in our lives. Paul warns the Galatian Christians that they cannot complete by human will power what God has begun in their lives by the Spirit (Galatians 3:1-5). It is by “believing in God” that the Spirit is able to make the necessary difference in our lives (Galatians 3:6-9).
Prayer
Gracious God, teach us to so trust in your love and mercy that we can live transparently before You and one another. In Jesus’ name and through the Spirit’s power we pray. Amen.
Our Need For Forgiveness (2006 March 14-20)
March 14, 2006
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-9
Jim Shields, Sanctuary (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. Compare God’s specific command with the woman’s later quotation and the serpent’s interpretation.
2. What was Eve’s fundamental problem with God’s instruction?
I’ll never understand God. He must love us with a love that is beyond our ability to comprehend. Which is absolutely true of course. Like the story found in Genesis, the book of Beginnings. What a start we got off too. He creates us, breathes His life into us and sets us in a garden ripe with amazing possibilities—all of this because He wants to be with us. Think about that. He wants to be with you. He created you so He could be with you.
And what do we do? Get tricked, that’s what. Thinking all the time we know more than the trickster. Read about it. The “more crafty” serpent says that we can be like God. And we fall for it. Being like God sounds so appealing that we willingly turn away from being with God. What a disastrous mistake. That is what sin does. It makes us hide from Him, move away and cover up.
Think about it, Adam chose to be his own “little god,” rather that being with God. And we still make the same mistake. There is no third option really. We cannot go into partnership, becoming “God and little god, Inc.” Nope, it is just you doing your own thing or you being romanced by Him. But it is always your choice, because He has already made His. And He chose you.
So this is where the need of His forgiveness comes in. Are you hiding? Have you moved away from Him? Showing up at church but still far away? Listen for a moment. He says, “Where are you?” All He needs is for you to answer Him. He will author the rest.
I will never understand God. I’m so thankful He understands me.
prayer
Gracious God, protect me from the trickery of the evil one and help me instead to trust your Word and walk in your way.
March 15, 2006
Romans 3:23; 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:22
Art Barrett, New Life Christian Fellowship (Pleasant Hill)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. Why isn’t being “good” good enough?
2. How would you explain to someone why we need forgiveness?
3. Why did Jesus die? What is the connection between the cross, my sin, and God’s glorious standard?
“All have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard” Rom 3:23 (nlt).
My daughter Katie’s favorite actor is Seth Green. You may know him as Scott Evil of “Austin Powers,” the computer whiz in “The Italian Job,” or as Oz in “Buffy.” Seth’s charm is that he is short. How short is short? Anyone shorter than my 5′8″ is short: Seth is 5′4″.
When we think about “How good is good,” we use a similar standard. “Good” is “as good as me!” “Bad” begins somewhere just below my level of goodness. We usually don’t put the mark of “good” far above our own reach. It’s somewhere below us that people tend not to qualify as “good.”
The NT word for “short” means “to come short; to not reach or qualify.” When I was a kid, I fell short. I didn’t reach the 48″ marker that allowed me to qualify as a rider on Santa Cruz’s giant roller coaster. Kids taller than 48″ got to ride. “It’s not fair,” I would cry! I was taller than my little brother! I was taller than kids 24, 36, or even 44 inches! But I was only 47 inches, and I could not reach the mark. I watched the “48 inchers” shoot off and roll away on the Giant Dipper.
God says, “Everyone as good as I am qualifies as good.” Jesus said, “There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Mat 19:17). Good is simple: keep the commandments . . . every one . . . perfectly. . . then you are good.
If you are perfect now, have always been, and will always be perfect, then you are “good.” If not, you may be “gooder” than I, but you’re still not “good” because the mark is out of reach. You sinned, and you fall short of God’s glorious standard.
“It’s not fair that no one is good enough!” That’s the thing about standards, especially “glorious” ones. But it’s not about being fair. It’s about who measures up and who doesn’t. Doxa, Greek meaning “glory,” refers to an opinion or estimate. All of God’s opinions are glorious.
Whoever makes the standard determines what is fair, not the “short” people. God’s opinion is that if you sin, you are a sinner; not “good.” It’s not derogatory, it’s just true. No one else measures up to God’s glorious standard, no matter who else you’re taller than or “gooder” than. We all fall short!
Prayer
Lord, help me to see my true height in your estimation, and help me to stand in Your love and glory because of what Jesus did for me.
March 16, 2006
1 John 1:5—2:11
Kurt Holm, The Creek Covenant Church (Walnut Creek)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What does this passage say about following Christ’s teaching?
2. After reading it a second time, what does it mean for the follower?
3. And lastly, here’s the clincher, how are you going to change because of this teaching? Don’t skip ahead without applying the truth!
What a contrast there is between bright light and complete darkness. It’s the same stark contrast as God’s goodness and everything absent of his goodness. God is light and sin represents darkness, void of God.
God’s light gives direction. When you walk in the light you have a relationship with the one who is the light. God is the only one who can lead you out of the darkness of sin. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, sin cannot exist in the presence of God. If you want a relationship with God you must put aside your sinful ways. Any sin of darkness is incompatible with the God of light.
God’s light exposes reality. Good and evil may be difficult to distinguish in the dark but is fully visible in the light. When driving on long road trips your windshield likely gets splattered with bugs. While looking through it during dark hours you hardly even notice a smudge. But when the lights from an oncoming car reflect through your windshield, you’ll be appalled by the mess! Light has a way of exposing every flaw and mistake and dead bug!
Something that gets in my windshield (and grill) are difficult people that push me toward disliking them and maybe an occasional hating them. There is no way to claim to walk in the light with that kind of dark attitude. Have you ever been with me here? What must we do with this sin or any other sin?
“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all righteousness” (1 John 1:9). Confess and receive God’s forgiveness and light.
If you want power in your walk with God, if you want power over sin, if you want power to influence others, then you need to walk in the light. A plant takes the sunlight and through a process called photosynthesis uses the light to transform it into power for the plant. If you walk in God’s light, you can have the power to be what God has made you.
Prayer
Lord, shine your light into my light and help me see what is obscuring my vision of You and Your will for my life.
March 17, 2006
Psalm 51
Rob Kirk, Concord United Methodist Church
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
Which of the Ten Commandments did David break in his affair with Bathsheba? (see 2 Samuel 11:1—12:15 and Exodus 20:1-17)
David’s sin involved Bathsheba and Uriah, too. Why does he say, “Against you [God], you only, have I sinned” (v. 4)?
What are the two things David fears to lose through his sin? What is their significance? (v. 11)
“Surely You desire truth in the inner parts” (Psalm 51:6).
Sin thrives and grows in secret. After his adulterous affair, David tried to cover it up by encouraging Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba. When that failed, David secretly had Uriah murdered. Each secret sin led to an even greater secret sin.
Ted Bundy was a serial murderer who preyed on women. He got away with it for a long time because outwardly he looked and acted like an ordinary guy. When he was finally caught, friends and family were shocked and dismayed that he had been able to hide such evil from them for so long. In an interview with Dr. James Dobson just hours before execution, Bundy said that inside of him was a “black hole” where he was able to hide his evil deeds even from himself.
God desires truth in our “inward parts.” None of us should have a “black hole” inside. That is why confession is so important. Confession is the anti-sin. Confession shines the light of God’s truth into our “black hole” of sin. The darkness is driven away, and healing starts.
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:3-5)
prayer
Pray for the courage to “desire truth in the inner parts,” and confess your sins.
March 18, 2006
Romans 7:7-25
Chris McCabe, Freedom Church (Concord)
read the passage and respond to these questions
1. Dig into Romans 6.15-23 and Romans 8.1-11. What do they say about the meaning of Romans 7?
2. Are you really engaged in the fight that Paul mentions here, or are there areas in your life where you’ve given up fighting?
3. What does the Apostle really mean when he writes what he does in verse 25? How is that helpful in your struggle against sin?
In the novel Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is frightened by what he sees in himself. He asks the question that many of us have asked: “What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare?” John Calvin answers the question by saying, “There remains in us a smoldering cinder of evil, from which desires continually leap forth to allure and spur to commit sin.”
I’m sure you can relate with Ahab and Paul that there seems to be some sort of propensity within each of us to do the opposite of what we know if the right thing to do. After sinning, do you ever wonder whether God is even at work in your life? You might ask yourself, have I even been transformed? Is Jesus really my savior if I can sin so blatantly? What is so beautiful about this passage is that Paul never asks these questions. His susceptibility to sin does not cause him to have some sort of crisis of belief. In fact, it seems to bolster his faith, causing him to live to Christ all the more passionately. He ends this teaching on the battle within him with these words: “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
If you are struggling with sin today, don’t be afraid of it. Don’t question your faith. Part of living out our faith is engaging in the battle against our old, sinful nature. Fight the fight. Thank God for the victories, trust Him in the failures.
March 19, 2006
Psalm 103
Rob Kirk, Concord United Methodist Church
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
David lists six benefits from the Lord that are reasons to praise Him. What are they? (v. 2-5)
David lists one condition required from us in order to receive God’s compassion and love. What is it? (v. 11, 13, 17)
What are the two behaviors that prove we fear the Lord? (v. 18)
“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:11).
Go to Yosemite and stand at the top of Vernal Falls. Get close to the edge. Look down from the terrifying height. Feel the gusting wind and hear the roar of the water. Lean a little weight against the skinny guardrail separating safety from death. But don’t lean too hard! Vernal Falls is beautiful, terrifying, powerful, unforgiving, enormous, sublime. It was there before we were born. It will be there long after we’re dead. It has the power to thrill us. It has the power to kill us. When I stand at the top of Vernal Falls, I fear it.
That fear is a mixture of awe, respect, fear of dying, fascination, beauty. It is a faint shadow of what we should feel toward God. God is way bigger, more beautiful, awesome and dangerous than Vernal Falls. Yet how many of us truly fear Him? Psalm 103 reminds us that we are dust, no more significant than grass that dries up, blows away and is forgotten. Fear of the Lord begins by recognizing that fact. It means having the humility to recognize that “we are dust,” and therefore our pride is delusional. It means having the sense and honesty to admit that we don’t define sin, God does, and therefore our only hope is to obey His law. It is because God is incomprehensibly awesome that we must fear Him.
But when we do, then the benefits of His mercy will follow: forgiveness, healing, salvation from death, love, satisfaction, and restoration of youth.
“Now all has been heard. Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)prayer
Today, and always, pray for an increase in your fear of the Lord.
March 20, 2006
Acts 2:37-39
Chuck McKinney, Valley Christian Church (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What was the message that “cut” these people to the heart?
2. What did Peter say would happen when they were baptized?
3. To whom are the blessings directed?
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter was speaking to a large crowd of Jews. His words caused them to realize their complicity in the crucifixion of Jesus, and they were “cut to the heart” How relieved they must have been to learn that they need only repent and be baptized in order to be forgiven. In fact, about 3,000 were baptized that very day!
We don’t often connect our wrongdoings and shortcomings with the death of Jesus. But His death was in order to atone for every sin that ever has been, or will be, committed.
I wasn’t present at His trial, shouting “Crucify! Crucify Him!”, but my sin was there, along with yours. And I must also repent and be baptized. And you must, too. I committed myself to Christ and was immersed over 50 years ago. I wish that my sin had ended when it was forgiven that day. But again and again, even now, I fail.
If we had to be baptized again each time we sin, we would be as wrinkled as a prune. That is not necessary. Praise God! Our baptism is a once-for-all-time affair, but we must continue to recognize and repent of each sin, one at a time, for our own sakes. There must be a “cutting” of the heart, a painful sorrow for the pain we have caused God.
Today is the first day of spring. Soon there will be fresh blooms, and new life all around us. Will you join me in repenting for every mistake, every failure, so you can enjoy the freshness of renewal in your heart?
prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of repentance.
How Have I Sinned (2006 March 21-28)
March 21, 2006
Exodus 20:1-11
John Milgate, A Community of Grace
Father, allow me to gaze upon Jesus today.
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. To whom are these commands given? (vs. 2)
2. How many times are the words “God” or “Lord” used in these verses?
3. Can you summarize the commands given here?
If we are to consider “how have I sinned” there is no better place to look than the Law of Moses. Sin – “falling short of the mark” – is made known through the Law (consider Rm. 7:7, 8) . Like using a mirror to see a blemish on our face, the law shows us our faults but can’t remove them.
These first four commandments focus on the relationship between the Israelites and God: Give Me first place, make no image of Me, never use My name frivolously, and observe the Sabbath. The Israelites, confident in their ability to obey, thought they could establish their own righteousness by following rules (Ex. 24:3, Rm. 10:3). This same approach to righteousness was proposed by some in the early church – “command them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5).
How have I sinned? Maybe instead of allowing the Law to do its fault finding, you have tried to follow it as the way to righteous living. Perhaps you are “testing God” in a way the Apostle Peter warned against (Acts 15:10). If the Spirit convicts, confess and be restored; but don’t change your conduct without His leading – because even following sound teaching is a “falling short” if it is not done by faith (Rm. 14:23)!
God’s words from Sinai terrified the Israelites (Ex. 19:16, 20:18). Today His Spirit prompts us to call to Him with the closest of family terms – “Papa” or “Daddy” (Rm. 8:15, Gal. 4:6). To be prompted by Him to such intimacy, but to insist instead on formality, may be another “falling short.” I know many older people for whom I express respect by calling them “Mr.” or “Mrs.”. But when one of them asks me to call them by their first name, I show disrespect if I continue with the formalities. I invite you to “draw near” to “Papa” today, receive His expressions of love to you, and respond from your heart. “In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us, and gave His Son to wash away our sins and give us His blessings” (1 Jn. 4:10).
May our thoughts and words about Him be pure.
Prayer
Daddy, I draw near to you today and desire to honor You in all I think, do and say.
March 22, 2006
Exodus 20:12-17
Mike McCoy, Hills Vineyard (Concord)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. Which of these commands is a challenge for you to obey?
2. Why do you think God cares so much about how we treat each other?
3. How do you need to be changed so you can love your neighbor as you love yourself?
In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge attempts to extinguish the light of truth that is in the spirit of Christmas past. Even though he makes her disappear, her words echo in his room, ‘Truth lives.’ God spoke the truth, the Torah, to Moses on Mount Sinai. Like Scrooge, many of us have tried to extinguish these words of life giving truth, jokingly calling these commands of God the ‘ten suggestions.’ More seriously, many have claimed that these commands are ‘old fashioned’ and ‘out of date,’ meant for people of another time and culture. Even the morally thoughtful may question whether these commands are relevant to the complex issues we face today.
When does human life begin? Is the use of embryonic stem cells killing a human being? How will we know if we go too far with genetic engineering?
Has the possibility of a ‘just war’ become impossible in an age of ‘weapons of mass destruction’? When is divorce permitted? Is cosmetic plastic surgery coveting? How do we relate to those who are struggling with sexual identity issues? Do we stone them or condone them? How do we honor parents who raised us in such a dysfunctional way that we have serious ‘family of origin’ issues that may never be completely healed? As you reflect for a moment, you will probably think of your own questions. These dilemmas are important because they deal with the big question - what is sin? What breaks our relationship with God and each other? When God gave the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai His voice sounded like thunder and it shook the very mountain. God spoke and His truth cannot be silenced.
So what is the Lord saying to us? Our neighbors matter to God. He is telling us how to treat people because He loves them. He wants us to love them just as He loves them. All of our moral and ethical quandaries involve people and how we are to relate to them. If we ask the Lord to show us how to love our neighbors, if we listen to His Word with a desire to obey, He will lead us through the toughest dilemmas our world faces by writing His law upon our hearts and giving us a Spirit to obey Him.
Prayer
Pray today that this would be true for you, your church, and your world. Ask God to show you a specific way that you can love your neighbor today.
March 23, 2006
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Ron Musch, Lighthouse Regional Church (Concord)
It is my desire that today, through some reflective questions, this passage might be used by the Spirit of the Lord to minister to you. I hope you will see how much you are loved by your Father in heaven, and to walk more deeply in His love for others.
Have you read the passage? Good. Now let me ask you this; are you patient? As you more fully understand how patient God is towards you it will produce a freedom in you to begin to be patient to others. I invite you to pray this prayer, “Father, forgive me for the lack of patience I have displayed to (name). I ask you to show me how patient you are towards me, then help me to reflect your patient love to others. Thank you, Amen.”
Take some time to reflect on His patience towards you. Once you begin to understand that you have been loved in this way, then you are set free to begin to love others the same way.
Are you kind? If not, is it that you have not fully understood the kindness of God to you? Are you jealous of what others have? Is it because you doubt how deeply the Father desires to give all good things to you? Continue to read this passage asking similar questions and praying that the Lord will reveal to you how deeply he loves you.
I invite to do another simple exercise. Since 1 John 4:8 states that God is love, insert the name of God every place the word love appears. You may want to do this three times. The first time I invite you to do so using the phrase “The Father in Heaven”, the second time “Jesus” and third time “The Holy Spirit”. For example; starting in verse 4, “The Father in heaven is patient towards me.” Take a moment and think about that…wow, even when we do not deserve such patience. It is really true! Now do that with the whole passage.
The exercise does not really work with “… love is not jealous and does not brag…”, without some deeper explanations, but you will get the idea. Suffice it to say that the sense of jealous and brag in this passage are self-centered and self-promoting, whereas God’s jealously over you desires your best and that He brags about you as a parent would their child, and in that you can take great delight.
May the Spirit of Truth set you free to know His love and to be empowered to love others.
March 24, 2006
Colossians 3:12-17
Sean Blomquist, Shelter (Concord)
The first word is “therefore,” which means, as pastors often explain, you need to know what it is there for. Verses 1-11 set up the context for verses 12-17. Paul has laid out a way we can “work out our salvation in fear and trembling” (as he says in Phil. 1:12). Whether new or established Jesus-followers, we all have to continue to work out our relationship with Jesus. In Col. 3 we see the vision, intention and means Paul has laid out for this process.¼br /> VISION: What is God’s vision for us? Check out verses1,4, 10, and 12. See God’s great vision for who we are suppose to become!
INTENTION: Do we really intend to become this person? If Col. 3 is simply a list of dos and don’ts and our motives don’t resonate from the great vision of the kingdom of God, then true change is impossible. In verses 1-2, Paul lets us know where our intentions begin. This takes great effort on our part because as we know our thoughts and feelings are quite contrary to Gods perspective.
MEANS: How do we participate in change? In verses 9, 10, and 12, Paul has a simple, yet profound means for transformation. Take any area of your life that you struggle with and use the tool below. Remember we are “working out our salvation” in cooperation with God, “who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
* Resist – (take off). We can’t begin to change without an intent to stop/resist what we are doing, which we know is bringing death to us and others. Is there an area in your life you know needs to be resisted?
* Replace – (put on—clothe yourself). We must replace the old with the new. For example, my judgmentalism needs to be replaced with kindness, humility, and gentleness. Those are hard for me, and that’s why traditionally they are called disciplines, because they don’t come naturally. What might you need to replace so you’re not just saying ‘no’?
* Embrace – (take off) When we take off something, there is a nakedness. We are exposed. Often our sins are old clothes hiding shame and other deeper areas of our life. We need to own this in ourselves. Do you see any of these areas in your life?
* Engage – (put on—clothe yourself)f. As you reflect on verses 12-17 how often is “one another” is used? We need to engage in this journey with each other. Who might you engage with about this in your life?
Prayer
Lord, sustain your godly vision for my life, help me want to follow you, and give me the handles I need to grab hold of your changes you want to make in me.
March 25, 2006
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Dean Honnette, Hope Center (Pleasant Hill)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. How many commands appear in this passage? Arrange them by category.
2. If you were to obey these admonitions faithfully, what area(s) of your life would be most affected?
What a great passage! Paul starts with these rapid-fire commands addressing the wide-ranging areas of our lives—from internal attitudes to church activities to our moral behavior. If we could take a day of so to consider each command perhaps we could absorb them, but taken in altogether we can be left feeling quite overwhelmed. One unconscious response we might have to reduce that feeling is to pick a couple of commands to take seriously and shelve the others as too much to carry. Another escape route is to start thinking about people in my life who need to obey one of these instructions “more than I do” – “Sally should just pray more consistently”; “Joe needs to ‘test everything’ and not be so gullible.” Then I can conclude—since they need this command more than I do—I don’t need to worry about applying it to myself. Or we could simply lie to ourselves and tell ourselves that we are doing really well in all of them and go blindly on our way.
The truth is that none of us can keep all these spiritual plates spinning consistently on our own. Perhaps the healthiest response to these machine-gunned commands is to be overwhelmed and to throw up our hands in surrender. But in order to move forward on the road of discipleship we need to be embracing all eight of these instructions. In order to progress toward the lofty goal Paul places before us in verse 23 – “That our whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” obeying three or four or even five of these eight won’t do. We need to obey all eight so we need help.
That’s why the last phrase in this text is such very good news – “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” Jesus has called us on the wonderful and difficult path to wholeness of “spirit, soul and body”. But He does not intend for us to try to walk that path alone or by our own strength. We can only move forward in obedience to these eight life giving instructions by His strength working in and through us. He obeyed these commands completely when he walked this planet so He can surely help us to move in that direction today.
So, which of these eight commands do you find easiest to embrace? the hardest? By identifying these as one or the other, what temptation must you avoid?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I long to be whole in spirit, soul and body, so I declare my dependency on your faithfulness today to call me, and move me forward in blessed obedience. Amen.
March 26, 2006
Matthew 25:31-46
Mary Naegeli, First Presbyterian Church of Concord
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What is the scene described here, and when does it occur?
2. How are the people divided, and what happens to them?
3. What questions does this account raise for you, at this point in your Christian life?
A person living as a citizen of a Kingdom is going to live somehow according to the laws of that Kingdom. You’re going to speak the language (even if with the accent of your mother tongue), adopt the customs, and relate in the society of that Kingdom in some way defined as “normal.” In Christ’s Kingdom, those who are citizens of God’s realm will be identified by their manner of life. There’s no way—according to God’s economy—for people to say they believe, but then not do what is expected of a person of faith. Jesus’ frustration came out one day with the crowds when he said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Good question!
So here at the End of life’s journey, the Moment of Truth, Jesus is going to be looking at your passport to see if your travels lined up with the itinerary he designed for his citizens. Stops along the way include where the hungry congregate, where the sick suffer, and where the convicted are imprisoned. Were you there? Were you alleviating suffering? Were you willing to give and to serve the people everybody else overlooks? Jesus said, “Hey, this is a test of how you feel about me!” How we feel about Jesus, our willingness to live our lives for him and identify with his Kingdom—that is, faith—is the basis of our salvation. Jesus says faith expresses itself in real, tangible ways consistent with Kingdom values. Faith acts. Faith responds to the helpless. Faith believes that our Savior takes special care of the weak, through us. Jesus is so definite about this, he says, “What you do for the lowly, you do directly for me.” Whew
So here’s a good test of how you are doing in this area of obedience. Observe your instincts and notice where you gravitate the next time you walk into a crowded room, or step off BART at Union Square, or attend a meeting. To whom are you drawn? Whom do you see in the room, and whom do you overlook? With whom do you feel most comfortable, and to whom do you speak? I realized, when challenged with this question, that I gravitated toward the friendliest, cleanest-looking, and most powerful person. What would it take for me to look consciously for the wall-flower? the meekest? the needy one? or the one who doesn’t fit in? It would take new eyes and a new heart, which Christ wants to give me (and you!) for a transformation of attitude and action required of Kingdom citizenship.
Prayer
Lord, give me eyes to see the needy around me and a generous heart to serve them in your name.
March 27, 2006
James 1:19-26
Kurt Holm, The Creek Covenant Church (Walnut Creek)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. What does this passage say about following Christ’s teaching?
2. After reading it a second time, what does it mean for the follower?
3. And lastly, here’s the clincher, how are you going to change because of this teaching? Don’t skip ahead without applying the truth!
There was a talk show host who was so baffled that he had to ask his body builder guest what he used all his muscles for. The guest answered by flexing his oiled muscles in one of those body building poses. The host interrupted him and asked the question again. The guest said he’d show him and repositioned himself in another flexing pose. The host was not getting through to the guy so he said Read my lips. What do you use your muscles for? The body builder posed again.
Ironic, we say, but aren’t we a little like that? We have so much knowledge stored up about what it means to follow Jesus and yet it can often be just for show. We keep building up spiritual muscle but it’s rarely put to use. Information but no transformation. It’s as if we looked into a mirror to see our reflection, but then made no attempt to make needed changes. Let’s not fool ourselves. God wants to see our lives changing and not just our information accumulating.
James says to look intently into God’s Word to see what it will reflect back. If I look earnestly I will see myself in the light of truth. I would do well to reflect on these possible questions: Is there sin I must confess? Is there a promise to claim? Is there an attitude to change? Is there an example to follow? Is there something to thank God for? Take the time to reflect on God’s Word.
Secondly, James says I must do something about it, act on it, live it, and practice it. What good is a mirror if you look at it and don’t do anything? Knowledge alone is not enough. Put into practice what God’s Word is pointing out to you. Take courage (the bridge between a needed idea and it becoming reality) and ruthlessly make it happen in your life. Flex your spiritual muscle in a new way.
Hear the promise: “But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue in it – not forgetting what they heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25).
Prayer
Help me, Lord, to put my faith into action, by Your strength and for Your glory.
March 28, 2006
Hebrews 12:1-13
Kevin Murphy, St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Walnut Creek)
Read the passage and respond to these questions:
1. How is God available to help us resist sin?
2. How do you sense that God is disciplining you spiritually? Are you yielding or resisting?
3. What fruit will discipline bear in your life?
“…for the sake of the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2, nrsv). Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, we think, consider the saints too much. We probably consider them too little. The writer of Hebrews asks us to consider the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. Look at the prices they paid. Look at the suffering they were willing to endure. She (Priscilla?) uses their example to encourage us to “lay aside every sin and weight” that keeps us from the running the race.
But among this great cloud of witnesses there is none to compare with Jesus, the first witness (literally “martyr,” Revelation 1:5). If you are like me, you have wondered how Jesus was able to face and endure the unspeakable passion and suffering of the cross. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “for the sake of the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus kept a picture of his own resurrection in his mind while he was on the cross. He knew he would hear the Father’s voice again, “This is my Son, my Beloved, in Him I am well pleased.”
I also believe Jesus had our salvation in his mind – yours and mine. We saw that great cloud of witnesses that had gone before and he knew he would “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “For I know you had me on your mind, when you climbed up on that hill…”
After all that Jesus has done (and endured) for us, there is only one fitting response, that we give all of our lives to Him!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you did not shrink from the cross and its shame. But having us on your mind, gave your life for us. Give us the grace to daily give our lives to you. Amen.