The Real Deal
Father, I have a full day ahead. There are endless possibilities for what I can do and where I can go. May Your hand be upon me so that Your love will influence each and every step. Amen.
Matthew 16:13-17 (<<click the green)
I think we all can relate to the Apostle Peter. When we look at his life as revealed in Scripture, we can tell that he is the real deal. Everywhere we see him, he’s the genuine article – real responses, he says what comes to mind (for better or worse). There is absolutely no pretense, for what you see is what you get – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Lord, for the most part, there is great comfort in the realization that You know everything there is to know about us – our strengths, our weaknesses, our potential. You knew Peter. In fact Ephesians 1:4 applies to him as it does to us all. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
In today’s passage, it’s not too surprising that Peter figured out that You were the Messiah. Messiah (a Hebrew term) and Christ (a Greek term) both mean “anointed one.” You were the One prophesied to come, the One who was to be the answer to all of Israel’s problems, anointed by God to accomplish His will. Peter had witnessed much to back up this truth.
But “the Son of the living God” thing? That was not a Peter thing, it was a God thing! With this proclamation, You replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, [Peter] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.”
Peter was a rough, well-seasoned shall we say, fisherman but beyond that, he was sensitive to the most important thing in life – You. He heard and answered Your call to follow You. And although he regularly was caught with his foot in his mouth, he loved You and sought You with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
Lord Jesus, may I take after Peter in that I would be sensitive to You and what You would have me know and do on my own journey of life. Amen.
May 31st, 2018, Thurs, 7:17 am
Beware Yeast?
Thank You for Your many blessings, Father. All the goodness of life surely comes from You. You deserve the praise. Where would I be without You? Lost, most assuredly. But only because of You I am found!
Matthew 16:5-12 (<<click the green)
A show of hands – who likes dinner rolls? Some people probably know this but one batch of dinner rolls – and most recipes I read yielded 12 rolls – takes only 1 package of yeast. (My wife says she buys yeast in bulk, and for her, a package equals 1 tablespoon.) So if she was following a recipe I read online for classic dinner rolls she would use 2 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of yeast. Proportionally that is not much yeast. You’d need 32 tablespoons to total 2 cups. So a little yeast goes a long way. It greatly impacts the other ingredients to bring us those scrumptious dinner rolls – mmmmmmm!
In rolls, yeast is wonderful – not so much if it refers to “deceptive [spiritual] teaching”. Jesus warned the disciples to be wary of the “deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The same applies to us today. A small amount of deception can permeate an entire ministry. The truth can become tainted if just a small amount of falsehood is introduced into the whole.
We are encouraged to not swallow everything we hear or read hook, line, and sinker. Paul commends the “people of Bereans” for as “they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” (Acts 17:11)
We are fallible. We can make mistakes. Even people we trust as spiritual leaders can deliberately lead us astray. Be diligent! If something doesn’t sound right, check it out! And if your spiritual leader takes offense? Then maybe it’s time to look for another spiritual leader, it makes no difference who he or she might be.
Lord Jesus, help us to be discerning. Help us to be diligent in searching the Scriptures day after day to see if we are being taught the truth. Amen.
May 30th, 2018, Wed, 9:54 pm
Adulterous
Good morning, Father! Thank You for the good night’s rest! Right off the bat, I give this day over to You. Use me as You will to impact Your world for Your kingdom! Amen.
Matthew 16:1-4 (<<click the green)
First of all, I have to say that I am appalled at the audacity of these religious “leaders” demanding that Jesus “show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.”
It brings to mind a portion of my post from this past April. “…they seem like children who have ruled the playground, bullying those about them to play by the rules they have come up with. And now someone who knows the rules –actual someone who wrote the rules – has shown up and their shenanigans are over. And, as the children they are, they are none too happy and begin plotting how to rule the playground once more…even if that means eliminating the competition.”
The other thing that grabs my attention is when Jesus refers to them as “an evil, adulterous generation”. In reality, from the very beginning, God’s relationship with Israel was very much a marital relationship. God was the groom, Israel was the bride. (The book of the prophet Hosea portrays this beautifully!) But as Scripture clearly displays, throughout her history, Israel had been unfaithful (adulterous) far more frequently than she had been faithful. And the Pharisees and Sadducees brazenly carry on with the same mindset.
Mark, in writing of this incident in his Gospel, includes that when You heard their demand, You “sighed deeply in [Your] spirit”. (Mark 8:11-13)
Lord Jesus, how often do we (and I am most definitely included in that), how often do we cause You to sigh deeply in Your spirit? We continue to do things we swear we will never to again. Our faith is small. Our defiance is not neglected. How many times do You just shake Your head at us? I’m sure You could give us a number but from our perspective they are incalculable! If You were us You would have given up on us eons ago. But…You are not us. You are faithful even when we are not, “…nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38
We fall at Your feet in gratitude and praise. Help us, we pray.
May 29th, 2018, Tues, 6:24 am
Been There, Done That
Father, it was a full day, with a lot getting accomplished. Thank You for the strength to get it done. I am weary but want to spend some time with You before I crash for the evening. Enable me to hear what You have for me to hear. Amen.
Matthew 15:32-39 (<<click the green)
Several years ago, “been there, done that” was a popular catchphrase. Many used it to basically state that they had experienced an event previously. In my study Bible, I only have to turn back one page to Matthew 14:13-21 and it tells of Jesus feeding 5000 men plus women and children with “five loaves and two fish”. Yet, here we are.
Lord, You had been teaching this group of 4000 plus people and they had been with You for so long that You were afraid they might “faint along the way” if they were sent to find food on their own.
So…the disciples, of course, remember You previous miracle and immediately express their faith that even though they only have “seven loaves and a few small fish” that they know with the utmost of certainty that You’ve got this covered! Right? Wrong!!!
When You say You want to feed them Your disciples were totally stymied asking, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?” Duh, think about it guys! “Been there, done that” – remember?
But before we start pointing fingers, how many times do we do pretty much the same thing? Lord, You are faithful to help us time and time again but something comes up that we aren’t able to handle and the fretting and the worrying starts anew. Duh, think about! “Been there, done that”– remember? Instead of anxiety getting the best of us, the first thing we should do is to take it to You, Lord! Instead of trying to handle all on our own, we would be best served to see what You can do with it. No need to fret and worry, Lord, with You we know it will be taken care of, no doubt about it!
May 28th, 2018, Mon, 7:59 pm
How Wonderful Is Love Like This!
It’s a little foggy out this morning, Father, and my brain feels much the same. I’ve not been up too awfully long but I am ready to sit with You, to listen to what You have for me this day. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your love.
Lord, it’s been almost a year ago to the day that I shared a portion of one of my favorite hymns. And that’s all I was going to do today but I grabbed my hymnal and read through the text. I can’t read it without the tune popping in but the words are wonderful! So many exclamation points! Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness and love!
That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh –
How wonderful is love like this!
Refrain
Such love, such wondrous love!
Such love, such wondrous love!
That God should love a sinner such as I –
How wonderful is love like this!
That Christ should join so freely in the scheme,
Although it meant His death on Calvary –
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me?
That for a willful outcast such as I
The Father planned, the Savior bled and died,
Redemption for a worthless slave to buy,
Who long had law and grace defied!
And now He takes me to His heart- a son;
He asks me not to fill a servant’s place.
The far-off country wand’rings all are done;
Wide open are His arms of grace!
– C. Bishop, 1929
©1929, Renewed 1957 by Lillenas Publishing Co.
(If you’d like to listen to the tune, here’s a link to a beautiful piano/organ duet – Such Love. RIght click the link and choose “Open in new tab” and you can listen as you look at the text.)
May 27th, 2018, Sun, 6:14 am