Thank God In Advance....Then Step Out In Faith

Luke 17:11-14 - As they continued onward toward Jerusalem, they reached the border between Galilee and Samaria, and as they entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance,  crying out, “Jesus, sir, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go to the Jewish priest and show him that you are healed!” And as they were going, their leprosy disappeared.

 

Everywhere that Jesus walked people begged for Him to heal them. These men…cut off from society because of a contagious…life altering disease…gathered together as close as they dared to shout at Jesus as He passed by to have mercy on them. He did…and simply told them to go show themselves to the priest…so that they could be proclaimed free of the disease that separated them from family and friends for years.

 

They did…knowing that when their feet left that spot the disease was still evident on their skin. They left in great faith…even before the healing happened. It was as they traveled toward the priest….as they followed the command of Jesus…that their skin lost all signs of the leprosy.  

 

The one that came back to thank Jesus was even a Samaritan.  He had no other religious experiences to gauge what had happened to him.  Jesus was quick to exclaim that he had greater faith than the ones who had been raised with Moses law all their lives.

 

I needed the reminder this morning that sometimes God asks us to do things that we see no obvious reason for. He has asked me to move from a comfortable home…successful job…and a great church and friends to a huge unknown.  There are blessings in the move.  I will be retired.  I will be close to my family again.  I will be able to go to the church where I was raised. But I will be living on less income…and have no clue what he is sending me there to do for Him.

 

In less than a month I will be moving into a new season of life with many unknowns.  I think that I will praise God in advance for the wonderful thing he is about to do. I will let my faith keep me from being scared….and trust that God has a wonderful plan or me….it will prosper me beyond my own dreams…and give me continued hope that He is the most important thing in my life. I will cling to that promise in Jeremiah 29:11 harder than ever as I prepare for this move.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to have more faith. Forgive me for the times that I have let fear and doubt keep me from being completely obedient.  Give me the strength and courage that I need to step out in total faith so I can see the wonder of what you have planned for me.  Amen.

No One Can Serve Two Masters Equally

Luke 16:11-13  -  And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own? “For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around—you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

 

Jesus knew the heart of everyone that came to hear Him teach or heal.  He saw their longing for material wealth to make life easier…but knew in the long run that the money they longed for would separate them from the father. He saw the little white lies they told to justify having things…or not being completely honest with others about what they treasured most.

 

Jesus walked this earth with nothing but the clothes on His back….He relied on His father to provide everything He needed. Jesus did not let any material possession get in the way of serving others…or completing the task His father had sent Him to do. Jesus’ radical way He dealt with wealth….helped Him focus completely on serving others.

 

I admit that it is a very hard thing to do. But I know in my heart that this is one of the keys to a closer relationship with God. Jesus said in Matthew 19:24…. “I say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!” The less we have …the easier it is to rely completely on God.  The more we have…the bigger the temptation to be self-sufficient. 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are all I need.  Forgive me for the times that I have replaced serving you with gathering things about me. Help me to keep foremost in my heart and mind that all the material things you have blessed me with really belong to you…and you gave them to me to use for you. Amen.

Love All People The Same

Luke 15:1-2 - Dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus’ sermons;  but this caused complaints from the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law because he was associating with such despicable people—even eating with them!

 

Jesus was surrounded with people who came to listen to Him teach.  Some were high in positions of honor…..some were poor and needy…and others were dishonest and notorious sinners. Jesus loved them all…and met each one where they were willing to sit and talk about their soul. Jesus was a friend to sinners…he did not hide form them or judge them because of the things they had done in their past.

 

What a great reminder that we should feel the same way about people. We should love others and meet them where they are in life…offering our friendship and love.  We are not to judge them…just love them with the love that God has given us. We are not to be fearful of them…but let God’s power and strength give us all that we need to minister to their needs. And as they see Jesus in our lives…they may just want to know what gives us the power to love all people.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that all people deserve your love the same. Forgive me for the times that I have judged instead of seen the pain of others….ran away in fear instead of hugged and loved….or made excuses not to help because of pride. Help me to see all people the same…and not to judge them by the things they have done in their past.  Amen.

Keep Humility High On Your Proirity List

Luke 14:10-11 - “Do this instead—start at the foot; and when your host sees you he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place than this for you!’ Thus you will be honored in front of all the other guests.  For everyone who tries to honor himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be honored.”

 

Jesus had attended a fancy dinner as a guest and noticed how all the people struggled for the best seats of honor at the table. He took one more opportunity to remind those that attended of the importance of humility.  He told them to choose the lowliest seat in the arrangement…and let the host decide if they deserved a seat with more honor.

 

I admit that humbleness is one of the hardest skills to maintain…if you have mastered it at all. Anyone that has started at the bottom of any career choice works hard to move up the corporate ladder of success.  Jesus wanted to remind is of the need to always keep the promotions we get in life in the proper perspective.

 

The other point He wanted us to remember is that we should do things without even thinking about the reward we will get when we do it.  Our motives should be to help others…not think about being repaid ….or patted on the back for our help.  Our choice to follow Him means we count our blessings…but always turn every one of them over to God and make Him first in our lives.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to keep humility at the center of our walk with you. Forgive me for the times that I let my heart feel discouraged because I put my need for attention before my need to serve. Help me to love you so fully that I see and perform the many tasks you give me to do that will get no reward o earth….just because I love you that much. Amen.

Focus On Today

Luke 13:31-33 - A few minutes later some Pharisees said to him, “Get out of here if you want to live, for King Herod is after you!” Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow; and the third day I will reach my destination. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day! For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

 

Three days away from His own death….served with cruelty that He did not deserve….Jesus spent His time healing and serving others. His determination to help as many people physically as he could…before He gave everyone the opportunity to be completely healed spiritually…was unstoppable.  God had filled Him with power to see His hard task…and yet walk toward it with a resolve to keep modeling how to be a perfect servant to others.

 

It proves to this woman…struggling with lesser troubles…that I haven’t begun to learn everything there is to know about love yet.  Jesus knew exactly where He was headed…and he did not run away from the task.  He walked toward it…focusing on others instead of Himself….gaining strength from the healing He did for others.

 

It makes my tendency to focus on my own problems….to stop and pause….to let fear freeze my feet ….to worry instead of keep working….an enormous reminder that this behavior weakens me instead of helping me. I have to somehow be more reliant on God’s big picture…and let go of the future fear that keeps me from focusing on the present. Sometime before this Jesus had already told them not to worry about tomorrow.  His words are recorded in Matthew 6:34…  “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have everything under control.  All that happens is allowed only if it is according to your will.  Forgive me for letting worry and fear freeze ….pause too long….and maybe even miss the task you had for me in that moment. Help me to keep my eyes so completely focused on you that I can see the task and yet keep serving others as I walk toward it…even if it is hard. Amen.

Hypocrisy Cannot Be Hidden

Luke 12:1-2 -Meanwhile the crowds grew until thousands upon thousands were milling about and crushing each other. He turned now to his disciples and warned them, “More than anything else, beware of these Pharisees and the way they pretend to be good when they aren’t. But such hypocrisy cannot be hidden forever. It will become as evident as yeast in dough.

 

Jesus was constantly surrounded by crowds of people. Some came for healing….some came to seek inner peace …..some came just to see what the big deal was about this man. Jesus ministered to them all….helping each one as time allowed.  But Jesus constantly felt the darkness around Him as well….from those that came to taunt Him….to persecute Him…to kill Him.

 

He warned His disciples to be careful of hypocrites above anything else.  He saw the dangers that their fake goodness caused in the hearts of those that followed rules that brought order to the world…but left compassion and love completely out of the picture. He saw the hate that hid deep in the heart of these men….a jealously….a pride that hid the sin in their hearts from ever being forgiven.

 

I know this sin very well…I was a hypocrite for many years. I judged without ever trying to know the heart of the sinner…I loved myself more than I loved the one that God sent me to help and serve. In some ways it is a sin that is much like other addictive diseases.  I have to confess my addiction to myself every day…so that I never let it take root in my heart again. I have to remind myself every moment that helping others know God is more important than any need I will ever have again.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that you are the most important thing about life. Forgive me for all the times I fail to make it about you because I am so focused on my own needs. Help me to grow daily in my walk with you so that I will see clearly the people you let cross my path that need to hear how you have changed my life…and helped me through evry tough time I have known. Amen.

Praise God...Just For Being Holy

Luke 11:2-4 - And this is the prayer he taught them: “Father, may your name be honored for its holiness; send your Kingdom soon.  Give us our food day by day. And forgive our sins—for we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And don’t allow us to be tempted.”

 

Jesus prayed a lot….but this time the disciples noticed.  They noticed enough to ask Jesus to teach them what was so special about His prayers. The answer He gave them was beyond wise….so simple…yet so hard to complete with our whole heart and soul and mind…and body…and spirit.

 

He told them to acknowledge the Father who had sent Him there…and worship Him in His holiness. Then ask for His kingdom to come as soon as He could send it. He included a reminder that food from God is freshest and most beneficial to our lives if we feed ourselves on a daily basis…and to forgive others just because God forgives us. Then He ended His best advice on prayer with a reminder to ask God to help us weather temptations.

 

What a great reminder that Prayer isn’t so much about me as it is the one who allows me to live on this earth even one millisecond. I am not given life to be served…but to serve the one who sent me here.  I will admit quickly that I get it backwards more that I get it right….my prayers more like God help this and God do this…and oh God you know how much my heart wants this too.

 

I am so very thankful to God that the forgiveness part of His model prayer is there….because I cash in my need for it every day. I fail so many more times than I succeed in the thing He sent me to do…and will admit that most of the time I have no clue what that really is on any given day. Perhaps the key is in that middle part….forgiveness.  I will say that things seem so much richer and purposeful in my life since I started to practice this more in my life. And…forgiving others is getting easier the older I get.  Maybe it is just that we weather so many storms that we relax in His grasp a little….and He does it for us.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to come to you on a daily basis….if for no other reason than to praise you for being Holy.  Forgive me for the many times I have made my prayers about me and my needs.  Help me to follow your advice and make my prayer time with you more about worshiping you than requesting help.  Amen.