Upside-down
A difficult day as friends are dealing with the death of a young son and another friend is dealing with a severe shoulder injury. Father, the world about us is never stagnant. Life moves forward, often at an alarming rate, caring not who is hurt as it barrels forward. Father, I would pray for my friends, may they find comfort in Your arms and in the arms of Your children who embrace them, as well. Amen.
Luke 1:46-56 (<<click to read the passage)
A few years back I preached a sermon series on the upside-down Kingdom. God’s ways are most certainly not man’s ways. Here are a few of them.
- To become a leader, be a servant (Matthew 20:24-28)
- To truly find life, die to self (Matthew 16:24-25)
- To get back at your enemy, love him (Matthew 5:43-44; Romans 12:19-21)
- To become rich, give money away (Luke 6:38; Luke 16:9; 2 Corinthians 9:10; Matthew 6:33)
As I was reading through Mary’s song of praise, verses 51-53 grabbed my attention.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
That’s a little topsy-turvy to the way the world thinks. As a follower of Jesus in the “real” world, if you will, it is a challenge to get our brains to think the way God thinks (the more time we spend with Him the easier it becomes!) But what is a common mindset amongst all of us? Get to the top of the heap! That seems to be the goal no matter where you are. I have kindergarteners already complaining that they have to sit in the front of the bus, they want the seats of prestige in the back of the bus! Many people’s goals are to be the leaders, the supervisors the managers – and really its no different in the church. It’s all about power and the sway we can wield.
The proud and haughty ones…the princes on their thrones have been brought down but the humble are exalted.
The haves become the have nots and visa versa. The hungry have been filled…with good things and those with everything are sent away with empty hands.
Our culture touts that we deserve to have everything we want regardless of cost, regardless of who gets hurt. And many of us, followers of Jesus included, live that way!
Lord Jesus, may we take Paul’s statement in Romans 12:2 (AMP) to heart.
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
Oct 14th, 2019, Mon, 5:40 pm
Avoid Envy
No bus trips this weekend, Father, but a full slate nonetheless. Thank You for the strength and ability to accomplish some things around the house, for time spent in worship, and for the blessing of being out and about with Karen on some errands this afternoon. What a good, good Father I have!
Luke 1:39-45 (<<click to read the passage)
Sometimes, even though we may be in a good position, we can find ourselves being envious of someone who is in a better position.
For example, I have to say I was very impressed last weekend when I drove one of three buses taking our band to a competition just outside of Columbus. The band really did a great job but not well enough against the competition in their category to get a trophy. The Color Guard, on the other hand, received a trophy for being the best in their category.
As the students were loading up, I heard several of them talking – and these were all instrumentalists, no Color Guard members had gotten on the bus yet. And their conversation centered on how they should react to the recognition the Color Guard had gotten when the band as a whole had not gotten any recognition. There were no adults on board yet either. I remained silent and I am proud to say that they quickly came to the conclusion that congratulations were in order. And when a majority of the Color Guard did board, they were welcomed by genuine, joyous celebratory comments from their fellow band members. We really have great kids!
When Mary went to visit Elizabeth upon hearing about her unexpected pregnancy, Elizabeth, though abundantly blessed with her own miraculous pregnancy, could have been envious in the fact that Mary’s son would overshadow her son. But her reaction reflected her true relationship with God. And that relationship also made her a very open recipient for an infilling of the Holy Spirit.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered by Him. And she exclaimed loudly, “Blessed [worthy to be praised] are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.” vs.41-45 (AMP)
Lord Jesus, help us to set ourselves above the petty envies in our lives. May we be directed with Your mindsets. May we find total contentment in where we find ourselves when we are diligently following You. And may we rightly rejoice with others when blessings overflow in their lives, as well. Amen.
Oct 13th, 2019, Sun, 8:03 pm
Gracious Submission
According to Merriam-Webster.com
adventure – an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks: an exciting or remarkable experience
So how is this adventure, heading to the birth of Christ, going so far? Over the last several days we’ve looked at seeing ourselves for who we really are. We’ve come to realize that whatever may cross our path, that God has allowed it to be so because it is all a part of His plan. We’ve learned that absolutely everything is possible in His hands, knowing that even what may seem unattainable is totally attainable! We know we will struggle but we also know that we are not alone, for You are with us! I pray that you are being given tools to use along the way and that your anticipation is building every day!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Oh, my Father, I lean on You today. Life has been very busy and long, deep sleep has eluded me. Sustain me today, Father. Keep Your hand upon my shoulder. Amen.
Luke 1:38 (<<click to read the passage)
What do we do when the unexpected drops in our laps? Some things surely cause us to weep. Others may cause us to laugh – for joy or maybe out of our nervousness and fear. Some things are devasting, while others are simply amazing! We have no control over any of it – it is what it is. But…we do have the choice as to how we will respond. Regardless of the circumstances, how will we respond?
It is interesting to look back at three of the well known unexpected birth announcements in the Bible and the responses each garnered. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, responded with laughter. (Genesis 18:9-15) As we have seen, Zechariah expressed doubt – it was unbelievable after all! (Luke 1:18)
But what was Mary’s reaction that we see here in verse 38? She didn’t laugh. She didn’t doubt. She graciously submitted to the will of God her Father. She responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
She really was not much more than a kid. She didn’t freak out. She didn’t pass out! She simply submitted. She willingly accepted what God asked of her.
Lord Jesus, only You know what is around the next bend. That is at the same time unnerving and reassuring. I don’t know what will happen but You do and You are right there with Your hand upon my shoulder. What better companion on this adventure of life? Who better can I trust? Who is stronger than I can lean upon? Jesus, I am Your servant. Let us move forward as You will. Amen.
Oct 10th, 2019, Thurs, 12:41 pm
Not an Easy Road
What a day! Thank You, Father, for helping me get everything for the churches’ new laptop together. We have been hobbling around with the other one for a while now. Thank You for friends, family, and my own abilities – given by You! – to accomplish the task at hand. Amen!
Luke 1:26-38 (<<click to read the passage)
There are many lessons that Scripture can teach us. Many people, who we hold in such high esteem in hindsight, were individuals just like you and me who took up God’s challenge to be more than they could be in and of themselves, but instead took God’s challenge to be who He called them to be.
Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus, was definitely one of these individuals. She is admired by many but really, nothing she did was easy.
First, let me ask, is your life a cakewalk? (OK…stop laughing!) Does everything always go as planned? As a believer are you just cruising through life without a care in the world? If you are like me – for that matter if you are like most human beings the answer to those questions is a big fat “NO!”
Just because we follow Christ doesn’t mean we are going to avoid heartache and loss. Someday that will come…but for the most part not here and now.
Again, my Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation has a wonderful paragraph in this line of thought,
“God’s favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of the Messiah, would lead to much pain; her peers would ridicule her; her fiancé would come close to leaving her; her son would be rejected and murdered. But through her son would come the world’s only hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations. Her submission was part of God’s plan to bring about our salvation. If sorrow weights you down and dims your hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working out his plan.”
There’s an old song by John W. Peterson written back in 1952 that comes to mind (We sang it frequently in my favorite church choir when I was in high school in Parsons, WV!) Its title is “It’s Not an Easy Road”.
It’s not an easy road we are trav’ling to heaven,
For many are the thorns on the way;
It’s not and easy road, but the Savior is with us,
His presence gives us joy ev’ry day.
Chorus
No, no, it’s not an easy road,
No, no, it’s not an easy road;
But Jesus walks beside me and brightens the journey,
And lightens ev’ry heavy load.
It’s not an easy road – there are trials and troubles,
And many are the dangers we meet;
But Jesus guards and keeps so that nothing can harm us,
And smooths the rugged path for our feet.
Tho I am often footsore and weary from travel,
Tho I am often bowed down with care,
A better day is coming when home in the glory
We’ll rest in perfect peace over there.
Lord Jesus, we struggle so here…and that is nothing new to You, for You struggled here, too. And most importantly, You walk with us in our struggle even yet today. May we never lose heart but may we cling to You, for Your plan is not yet fulfilled. Amen.
Oct 9th, 2019, Wed, 12:35 1:10 pm
On the Back Burner
I stand in awe of the unending variety of nature, Father! A foggy morning for driving but a beautiful beginning to the day! Blessed be our Awesome Creator God!
Luke 1:26-38 (<<click to read the passage)
Many of us struggle with tasks that seem to be so much bigger than we are…especially when it comes to things that we feel that God is directing us to do. Have you dreamed of things and though there may be a lot of enthusiasm to begin with, after that initial burst of energy and excitement, we put it on the back burner if for whatever reason it doesn’t automatically take off like we thought it would?
My one church has struggled. Their heart is so big…but time and time again they have tried this, that and the other thing to reach those in our community and nothing has clicked…nothing has impacted like they have dreamed it would.
Well, a few years back I had a dream. I dreamed of beginning a specially targeted worship service. The dream was to have a Contemporary Country Music-oriented service that would take place on Saturday night. A well-established Country Music station in the area assured me that their listeners in our area numbered in the 1000s! And we felt that, at least at the time, there was no other church reaching out in that time slot and for sure not to that particular demographic. The church sent me and my family to a church in Pennsylvania that was using this format and was impacting the community in a great way! We were excited about the possibilities!
We took a really good run at it but… It took off, in a way, but not the way it needed to and instead of soaring it crashed and burned. Sadly, we’ve never been able to get it off the ground.
I’ve not given up, mind you, but it just seems insurmountable! The talent needed just seems unattainable.
As I read the study notes from my Life Application Study Bible today, I read this note in relation to Mary’s visit by the angel Gabriel.
“Mary was young, poor, female – all characteristics that, to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God’s service. Don’t limit God’s choices. He can use you if you trust Him.”
Now maybe this was for me…but just maybe it was for you. We – you and I – were both created with unique qualities that absolutely no one else in all the world is blessed with. What does God have for you? It may seem insurmountable and unattainable but “don’t limit God’s choices. He can use you if you trust Him”!
Lord Jesus, don’t let us close doors that You have opened. Help us to see the way that You have forged ahead. May we trust You when all seems unattainable! Amen.