Drawn in Two Directions
Father, this part of my life has been wearing on my body and mind. Getting up at 4:00 am the last couple of the days and then pushing through the whole day has drained me. Strengthen me. Empower me. Use me as You will. Amen.
Matthew 21:18-22 (<<click to read the passage)
I can’t leave this passage without touching on one other thought. I have mentioned before about how I really enjoy reading the Amplified Bible. Wikipedia says, “It is designed to ‘amplify’ the text by using additional wording…to bring out all shades of meaning present in the original texts.”
This is verse 21 in from the Amplified Bible,
Jesus replied to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt or allow yourself to be drawn in two directions, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen [if God wills it].
Isn’t that what doubting is? We have multiple options and we are unsure of which direction to go, so we are stuck in the middle and we allow ourselves to be drawn in two directions. And when that happens we get absolutely nowhere!
That’s where I have found myself recently. Do I stick with “A” a good, solid, dependable option that has stood the test of time? It’s comfortable. It has its stress, sure, but it is relatively predictable stress. I’ve dealt with it before and will very likely deal with it repeatedly for years to come.
Or do I change course and go with option “B”? It’s new and uncharted territory. It’s exciting but scary at the same time. It has a few things missing that “A” has to offer but it also gives me lots of benefits that “A” simply can’t provide.
It’s an uncomfortable place in which to find myself. Honestly, I’ve decided to go with “B” but it’s not been without a ton of prayer and seeking out what I believe God wants for me. I talked to family, friends, and colleagues and there are some hurdles which still need to be taken on but in the long-term, I feel this is the proper course of action.
Do I still have my doubts? Undoubtedly! But I’m praying that I can accept the challenge at hand and with my hand in God’s hand, I can do it!
Sept 6th, 2018, Thurs, 7:07 pm
All Leaves and No Fruit
Father, I don’t want to sound trite but Your grace is amazing! How many times have I used those words together? But they never grow old! I am indebted to Your grace. I humbly bow before You with a heart full of reverence and submission…
Matthew 21:18-22 (<<click to read the passage)
First of all, this is not an outburst of anger on the part of Jesus. We must see this as an illustration taking place right before the eyes of the disciples.
It was a little early in the year for figs but the tree’s full manifestation of leaves gave the distinct impression that with the leaves would be fruit. The tree looked good but there was no fruit – it was deceptive.
If we could see ourselves, as Christians, standing before the world, what would we look like? Promising of truth? Upright? A shining example? The question we must ask ourselves then is, do we just look good from a distance or are we good to the core?
Jesus said in Luke 6:43-45,
43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Lord Jesus, help me to constantly fill my heart with good things so that that is what flows from my heart. Some things are not “bad” per se but they are just so much rubbish – of no benefit to anyone. Fill me, Lord, with You. Amen.
Sept 5th, 2018, Wed, 7:27 pm
He Pulled No Punches
What an extremely full week this is going to be, Father! In the midst of it all may I draw from Your strength and may Your grace flow through me. I praise You for your ever-abiding presence!
Matthew 21:12-17 (<<click to read the passage)
After Jesus drove out the riff-raff from the outer court he took the opportunity to heal many. “The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David.’” And surprise, surprise “…the leaders were indignant.”
They whined to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” And as usual, Jesus pulled no punches with them and replied, “Yes…Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”
I love looking back at Old Testament passages that are quoted in the New Testament. Of course, those speaking and listening in the New would often know the fuller passage of ones quoted and would know their context. The passage that Jesus quoted? Here is the whole verse,
You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you. Psalm 8:2
Hmmm….now the Greek version of that second line reads “to give you praise.” But what Jesus didn’t quote was most assuredly understood by His listeners – the “leading priests and the teachers of religious law” – the rest of the verse states, “silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.”
It had to have left them speechless…and fuming. They were totally out of line, and Jesus didn’t hesitate to set them straight.
Lord, help me to be humble. Help me to not be full of myself but to always strive to be full of You. Amen.
Sept 4th, 2018, Tues, 6:18 pm
All Are Welcome!
Father, it was a day of unknowns. We had no plans for the day but let the day unfold as it would. Thank You for a beautiful day together – nice conversation, delicious meals, some fun finds – all in all, a day full of blessings!
Matthew 21:12-17 (<<click to read the passage)
Many of us realize that the Jewish people are God’s chosen people, to whom the Law was given and from whom the Messiah – the Christ – came, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
And though it may seem so, it was never, ever meant to be an exclusive club. God has always been about bringing all of humanity into His family. Take today’s passage for instance.
First of all, this is the second time the Gospels tell us that Jesus cleared the Temple (see John 2:13-17) – the center of Jewish worship. My study Bible* tells me, “Merchants and money changers set up their booths in the Court of the Gentiles who had come from all over the civilized world to worship God.”
Jesus was livid for the fact that because of their deception and unscrupulous behavior no room was given those who were not Jews to worship the one true God. Jesus said, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer…’”
The rest of that verse, which is found in Isaiah 56:7, reads, “for all nations” NLT or “for all the peoples” AMP and we can rest assured that Jesus hadn’t forgotten that part! Keep in mind, too, that Isaiah had written these words, as directed by God, some 700 years prior to the time Jesus proclaimed them. God has always been about bringing all of humanity into His family!
All are welcome – absolutely no one is excluded! And all the glory goes to God for that!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 3rd, 2018, Mon, 6:52 pm
Between Your Thumb and Forefinger
Something we sing every Sunday – may it never get old – may it never become rote.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (<<click to read the passage)
This past week I had this privilege of serving a family by officiating at the funeral services of the family matriarch. I knew this beautiful woman – a faithful servant of God who passed at 94 years of age – but I knew none of her family. One of her great-grandsons spoke to me prior to the funeral service; I would guess him to possibly be of school age – a very sweet boy. After we had traveled to the cemetery and had completed the graveside service, he was overcome with grief. He clung to his mother and then to his father. He was suffering the loss of a loved one dear to his heart.
Later I thought of him and his bereavement. How do we explain such things to a child? It would most certainly be a difficult challenge. But as I pondered, a thought came to mind. If we pressed our thumb and our forefinger tightly together, it could illustrate the length of time his great-grandmother had lived upon this earth – all 94 years in that tight space. And if we measured from that span to the very ends of the known universe, we might possibly catch just a glimpse of just a portion of eternity. She may have gone before but we are but a few steps behind.
All of us have lost loved ones near and dear to our hearts – we mourn their departure from us. But before we know it, in the blink of an eye, we will be reunited for all of eternity…if we, as she had done, accept Christ’s gift of salvation. And once that threshold of death – merely the end of life for these “jars of clay” in which we now travel – once that threshold is crossed, our glorified bodies will exist forever – no more suffering, no more loss, no more separation. What a hope we have – when that hope is placed in Christ!
Sept 2nd, 2018, Sun, 9:06 pm