The Right Focus
A very full day Father, and I am grateful that You were part of it from start to finish. Early this morning I thought to “expect the unexpected” and though it didn’t cross my mind again – it’s a start. I felt Your hand upon my shoulder numerous times throughout the day. Thank You, Father.
John 6:28-32a (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the most difficult aspects of following Jesus for many believers is struggling to do all the things that we think we should be doing. For many, it includes a fairly hefty list of things we are not supposed to be doing as well.
Growing up the list of “do nots” was more prominent in my mind than the list of “dos”. (I wrote about my experience with do not go to movies a couple of years back – clink on STAR WARS – My Downfall?) Besides movies, and the Ten Commandments, we weren’t allowed to dance, and early on the list forbade billiards (pool), circuses, wearing jewelry, no pants, or makeup or short hair for women, no long hair for men, boys and girls couldn’t swim together, just to name a few of the many “do nots!
I truly believe that those who came up with these lists were honorable in their intentions. They were trying to place a hedge of protection around followers of Christ. If all those things were shunned, you wouldn’t be exposed to the temptations they could bring. But like many who placed great emphasis on those types of legalism, it led to believers being very judgmental of others who didn’t closely follow their list of “do nots” – believers and non-believers alike.
My Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation as this to say,
Many sincere seekers for God are puzzled about what he wants them to do. The religions of the world are people’s attempts to answer this question. But Jesus’ reply is brief and simple: We must believe on him whom God has sent. Satisfying God does not come from the work we do, but from whom we believe. The first step involves accepting that Jesus is who he claims to be. All spiritual development is built on this affirmation. Declare to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16) and embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to your Creator.
We surely must shun evil, as it is always lurking about attempting to lure us in with all kinds of enticing appeals. But in the end, the most important aspect of our relationship with Jesus is not about what we do or don’t do…it is about whom we believe.
Lord Jesus, may we truly come to believe that You are the God in the flesh, the Chosen One of the Father. By our sin, we disconnected ourselves from You, but You came here to enable us, by sacrificing Yourself on the cross, to be reconnected to You. May our focus be not on the doing but on the believing and may we let Your working in us take care of the rest! Amen.
June 2nd, 2021, Wed, 9:41 pm
A Shift of Perspective
A day of getting things done…thank You, Father, for the ability – physically and mentally – to accomplish the tasks at hand. I am thoroughly blessed!
John 6:22-27 (<<click here to read the passage)
Some two thousand years later, Jesus’ words still confront us. A goodly portion of adult life – even my time in the ministry – has been about providing for my physical needs and desires. And surely there is nothing wrong with being gainfully employed to make sure there is a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. But what do I do with Jesus’ statement in verse 27,
“…don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food.
It’s important to take things in perspective, Jesus was making a very pointed statement to those whose main goal was to fill their stomachs. In truth, many who followed Him after His miraculous feeding of the 5000 were hoping for another dinner and a show! And Jesus, by no stretch of the imagination, had not come to earth to simply meet our physical needs of nourishment and entertainment. He had come for so much more. And thus, the challenge…
“…don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” v27 NLT
And that is where our perspective needs to shift.
Throughout my lifetime how many hours have I spent in a concerted effort to meet the needs of my life here on earth? That would be a pretty big number that I could not even begin to compute but the bigger question is, how would that number line up with the number of hours I have spent in a concerted effort seeking the eternal life that [Jesus] the Son of Man can give you.
I don’t believe my tally in column B would be negligible but, in all honesty, at least in my early years, I would say it would fall far short of column B. I have been a follower of Jesus from my childhood and, yes, I have worked for food that endures [and leads] to eternal life, as the Amplified Bible translates this same passage.
I think one of the things with which we will be confronted at the Last Judgement will be all of the things that we didn’t accomplish that we could have. How much time, the precious commodity that it is, have we wasted? How many hours have we spent on inconsequential things?
I am taking this not as something to tear me down…to knock me down a notch or two…but as an encouraging challenge! The past is the past, and I can do nothing to change it…but I can sure set my heart and mind on a different course as I move forward. I also realize that even as each new day begins, I will not be a master of working for food that endures to eternal life, but I have to begin! And Lord willing, that’s exactly what I will do! Amen!!!
June 1st, 2021, Tues, 7:29 pm
Expect the Unexpected
Father, thank You for those who regardless of religion, race, or creed, gave willingly of themselves to preserve what we hold dear. May You be especially close to those who by no choice of their own, were left behind to pick up the pieces and move forward with their lives. Amen.
John 6:15-21 (<<click here to read the passage)
I have to admit I was challenged as I sat down to write this evening. I read through this passage recalling Jesus’ walking on the water to the overwhelmed disciples attempting to row across the Sea of Galilea. It is approximately 8 miles across and they were about halfway across. And as the sea was want to do, a violent storm had overtaken them. High winds lead to rough seas and high waves. Many on board were seasoned fishermen but even men of experience can be put to the test.
The storm was one thing but what caught them off guard was Jesus’ arrival. That kind of thing would raise anybody’s hackles! They were three to four miles out in the middle of the water and there He was! Verse 19 tells us that they were [terribly] frightened. In Marks Gospel, he communicated that they thought they were seeing a ghost (Mark 6:49).
And as I continued to read the study note for this passage, what it had to say is what I was challenged by…
But if they had thought about all they had already seen Jesus do, they could have accepted this miracle. They were frightened – they didn’t expect Jesus to come, and they weren’t prepared for his help. Faith is a mind-set that expects God to act. When we act on this expectation, we can overcome our fears. *
I believe that God could do absolutely anything that needed to take place at any given time on any given day but when I rise each day, do I expect God to act? Do I live my life in eager expectation of God making Himself known to me or through me, even? Far too often I do not. I believe He could I just don’t expect Him to!
Each day I go through all the motions of life. I’m sure most of us live a pretty mundane life of routine normalcy. On occasion, we are caught off guard by something glorious or, more often than not, something terrifying. But in those moments do we anticipate God making an appearance or do we just hold on, hoping we will make it through?
Lord Jesus, I would pray that I would wake up with a mindset of faith that expects You to act! With You in the lead, I can take on anything no matter how terrifying it may be! May I cling to the exhortation You made to the disciples when they saw You walking to them on the sea, “It is I (I Am); do not be afraid.” AMP
What power and strength are found there! Help me to expect the unexpected! Amen!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
May 31st, 2021, Mon, 8:02 pm
Diversity of Creation
(Miami Mist, Golden Alexander, Callery Pear Tree)
Father, thank You for the ability to put in some serious walking with Massey the last couple of days – over 13 miles! We both need it and You are providing the motivation to do it!
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I am one to firmly proclaim that we and the world around us are most definitely not a cosmic happenstance! The is far too much diversity. detail, and consistency for it all to come together on its own.
I snapped these pictures on a walk I took last week. Plants were blooming here and there along a paved path that had been a railroad bed years ago. I was making good progress and maintaining a pretty decent clip, but I had to stop and snap a few pictures – a minute representation of God’s creation!
The detail seen in each of these images reflects the creativity and attention given to each one by our Awesome God. And I would dare say that if I walked that same path tomorrow, the blooms if any at all would be left, would be but withered remnants of their former glory.
Yes, they are wondrous things of beauty but, they are also, here today and gone tomorrow. God invested time and energy in His creation even to the minute detail of life. There are portions of our world where beauty grows but no one but God alone ever sees their beauty to appreciate it. But it makes no difference for God needs no praise for those things for Him to call them good as He did “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1)
In 1864 Folliot S. Pierpoint wrote a hymn entitled For the Beauty of the Earth. It is a lovely hymn praising our God! Here is a wonderful video for your enjoyment. It is a bit lengthy but well worth the time to listen and enjoy. Praise our Mighty Good for the breathtaking beauty of His great creation!
May 30th, 2021, Sun, 9:19 pm
Simple Fare
But as for me, I will sing about your power.
….Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
….a place of safety when I am in distress. Psalm 59:16 NLT
John 6:1-14 (<<click here to see read the passage)
My one church, Beulah, for as long as I have been their pastor (I’ll have been there 15 years this coming August!) has been a bit untraditional when it comes to serving communion. But I would have it no other way! One Sunday a month we observe the Lord’s Supper (at least until the pandemic began), we have a chalice of grape juice (traditional) and a full loaf of bread.
Traditionally unleavened bread is used for many reasons, but an entire loaf of bread – yeast and all! – is what we use. My communion steward is kind enough to slice the loaf down the middle leaving just the very bottom uncut. When I go to “break” the bread for our service I heartily agree that it is a beautiful visual for those taking part. What better symbol than that for Christ, the Bread of Life?
Bread is used in many stories throughout the Bible. In today’s passage from John 6, Jesus has a multitude on His hands and all He has at His disposal is five barley loaves and two fish, the meager lunch of a small boy in the crowd.
One source I discovered had this to say about the loaves and fish.
The five loaves did not resemble large loaves of bread such as one might purchase at a bakery today. Rather the unleavened wafers of barley bread resembled small, flat pitas, each one, perhaps sufficient as one or two servings. The course barley bread, less expensive than wheat flour, made a staple for the poor. The two fish were probably dried sardines such as the fisheries from Magdala produced.
What Jesus had at his disposal was not extravagant…it was simple fare. It was something that, in all likelihood, every man, woman, and child had consumed on numerous occasions in their lives.
Jesus’ miraculous sign is astounding in its magnitude! 5,000 was the number of men gathered to listen to Jesus, which could easily be doubled when adding in women and children who were there as well! It is simple math but well over 10,000 people ate as much as they wanted and there were still 12 baskets full of leftover bread collected!
Yes, that is amazing, but the point I want to bring to the forefront is that Jesus used the simple things of everyday life to bring about astonishing results! Am I another John Wesley? Nope. Have I taken on the mantel of Billy Graham? Not even close. There are many Christians if we were to stand side by side that I would make a poor comparison…and I’m not casting myself in the light of false humility. I am a very small fish in a massively large ocean of humanity. But I know that God has used my small offerings – my writing, my speaking, my life even – to impact those in my immediate life as well as those from many parts across the globe, at least when it comes to this blog.
Yes, it is very humbling…but God doesn’t need flashy and exciting. He just needs “loaves and fish” kind of people to willingly give themselves over to Him. All we have to do is sit back and watch the Master at work!
May 27th, 2021, Thurs, 8:02 pm