God’s generosity extends further than we can imagine.
Matthew 8:10 (ESV)—When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
“God is generous to give us this time,” I told my husband while he drove us along Interstate 90 through South Dakota during a spur-of-the-moment trip. He agreed and we continued to enjoy the scenery.
What sparked this thought?
A moment of clarity about faith as I thought about a devotional I was writing. God loves and wants to be there for us even when our faith is not immediate or when our belief wavers. Even more, he marvels when we recognize his authority in our lives.
This recognition of God’s authority brings his Kingdom to life for others as well as ourselves. Our declaration that “God is generous” reveals the blessings we have received and it may lead others to put on the same faith so they may receive their own blessings from God.
Luke 10:8-11 (ESV)—Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
Settling in my coach class seat, I shot my hubby a hopeful look. “Maybe the train attendants will offer dining reservations to us today.” I crossed my fingers. From past experience I knew that the staff would offer the three-course dining-car meal to the coach passengers only when room was available. My reservation wasn’t guaranteed, and even if I received one, it locked us into a specific time.
Unlike a reservation, Jesus’ invitation of salvation is available to everyone, everywhere, at any time. This formal request for us to live for him on earth while we wait to live with him in heaven is ours for acceptance.
When we accept this invitation, we accept God’s mission for our lives, the same as the seventy-two’s: to spread the message of salvation.
Proverbs 27:8 (ESV)—Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.
Sunset, in Denver, Colorado, shadows streaked across the sky, a flock of birds dancing as one while twenty or more lined up on a power line in the distance. Their back-and-forth dance, a choreographed masterpiece, lasted about five minutes. My feathered friends then, all at once, as if they’d heard a signal, shot down from the sky and into the trees lining the sidewalk, and a symphony of birdsong exploded into the air.
A sight to behold, for sure, and a reminder of God’s design for seeking wisdom in friendship. When we flock together and seek heartfelt, biblical wisdom from one another, our friendships become a restful “home” and a safe, secure place for our relationships to grow and thrive.
With our friendship homes, we don’t need to stray to find our heart’s desires; instead, we settle into the firm foundation of God with a community of believers. We pray for, gently guide, serve, and confide in one another. Most important, we love one another, settling into the tree and creating a symphony of friendship that puts our soul at ease.
Proverbs 16:1 (ESV)—The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
A caption caught my attention while I browsed photos telling stories of Frank Lloyd Wright. The simple landscape photo, part of an exhibit in the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, showed a field with cows in the foreground. According to the caption, Wright pointed out to the landowner that the cows in the foreground made the view of the grassy field better.
The same can be said when we fix God in our foreground. The plans of our heart transform from a flat view of a grassy field to a field with a clear focal point. The next steps of God’s plan for us become more evident.
Before we take our next steps, let us seek the Lord’s wisdom. When we seek his wisdom, we can hear his voice and discern his purpose. Then we can move forward with God in the foreground to guide us.
Psalm 25:20 (ESV)—Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
I admit, I love a good airfare deal. The question becomes, do I pay the price as is or do I upgrade? Do I suffer the one-in-the-morning landing time with eight-hour layover or pay more for the arrive-at-a-decent-hour nonstop flight? Do I settle for the economy seat and hope for the best comfort possible or shell out the money for the extra-legroom-included seat?
Such questions tempt us to look to the value of creature comforts, a right-now solution with no guarantees of our future comfort. When this “promise” of comfort comes from Satan, he tempts us away from the best deal in life we’ll ever receive: obedience in exchange for God’s refuge.
Our obedience to God reveals value greater than creature comforts: protection from shame, God’s forgiveness and mercy, freedom from anguish, and God’s instruction.
As we strive for obedience, let us evaluate the value of our choice and ask if it offers God’s refuge.
Luke 9:24 (ESV)—For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Headphones on a bus to the airport. iPhone on an airplane. Glasses either at a bed and breakfast or at the terminal gate. Reading light and pajama pants in a hotel room.
I am a woman who loses things while traveling.
Although I know these things have only earthly value, and I lost money when I replaced some of the items, I mourn my losses. Especially the pretty purple headphones my hubby ordered in my favorite color. Sigh.
One loss we do not have to mourn: our old self. Because, when we pick up the cross and follow Jesus, the death of our old self saves our new self. Our life in Christ gains us our eternal reward.
As we examine our life today, let’s ask ourselves, “What other loss leads to gain?”
Colossians 1:24-27 (NIV)—I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.
The beach teemed with people lounging under umbrellas and tents. Cooler tops were popped open and towels were draped over chair backs.
The perfect beach scene…until I looked more closely. The tide touched an abandoned plastic bottle, pulling it out to sea. A broken bottle cap played hide-and-seek in the seaweed.
Beach lover that I am, I picked up the trash. I wanted the aquatic life to live by God’s design, not live a shortened life caused by clumsy human disposal.
Like stewardship makes a more beautiful beach, our stewardship of God’s ministry on earth makes God’s word more meaningful. Our rejoicing in our God-appointed commission even during our afflictions reveals to the people around us the mystery of God, our hope of glory.
Because Christ lives in us, we do not suffer for nothing. Our suffering acts as a beacon of light for other sinners to find salvation. And when other sinners find salvation, they too, like us, live life by God’s design.
Job 42:2 (ESV)—“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
Cue a sad face. Our household had been struck. With the virus. The excitement of our weekend getaway dissolved like salt in hot water, the salty brine a damper on our weekend, no more so than when I hit the Cancel Reservation button for the very first time. Sigh.
Have you ever tried to hit the Cancel button on God? Cue an inward cringe, because who hasn’t been there? Hitting this button obscures the truth that God is sovereign. The message confirming the cancellation says we’re free to question, complain, and challenge God, because why else does debt rule our lives, why did our friend abandon our relationship, why did our child die in a car accident?
The answer to these questions (and more): God is sovereign. He has the power to give and take abundance. Just ask Job.
Thankfully, God also rejects our cancellation request. He fixes our broken spirit, giving us eyes of faith and lips that confess and repent. He restores our souls.
Hebrews 2:1 (ESV)—Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
The soft brush of stringy tentacles wrapped around my leg; it was as if I’d run into a spider web, only I was knee deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Cue a shudder.
Deep down I knew the source of the underwater creature, but still my mind said, “Please not a shark!”
At another bump against my leg, I plunged my hand in, grabbed the offending entity, and flung the seaweed away from me. Toward the other seaweed floating in the waves, not to mention the seaweed along the shoreline.
The unknown creatures of the (knee) deep can cause us to lose our grip on reality. The little bumps in our journey may make us feel lonely. Maybe we question God’s purpose for our struggles because our worst fear came true. Or maybe the little fears have us dreaming up the worst-case scenario (nothing like seaweed to make your brain scream, “Jellyfish!”)
Our deep-down truth, though, is God has paid for our salvation. This message moors us to God. Loneliness is a human emotion, but in these moments we can talk with God as did Job and Jeremiah. Struggles happen, but God uses them to refine us and achieve his plan. And fears, love banishes them, so if we have God’s love, we do not have to fear.
The evidence of God’s love and plans surround us. The truth reminds us to not worry about the creatures living deep down in the unknown. We can toss away our fears like a handful of seaweed and trust in the knowledge that he has saved us.
Psalm 51:11–13 (ESV)—Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
A beautiful day beckoned with sunshine and seventy-degree weather. So my husband and I drove to a local state park, where we established ourselves on the dock, with camping chairs and books.
A few chapters into my book, I heard a shuffle that stole my attention from reading. Given no other people on the dock with us, I turned my head toward the sound.
A raccoon climbed onto the top of the trash can, pressed open the lid, disappeared inside, and came out dragging trash and discarded food. It hauled its meal into the overgrowth of trees and bushes.
Not a long time later, it emerged again, head peeking out from tall grasses. The creature scurried the same path to the trash can, climbed the wooden railings and onto the receptacle, then pushed open the door and emerged once again.
Watching this masked bandit, I thought it seemed ultra familiar with the location and ins and outs of this receptacle. Now, I wonder about the health of this (undeniably cute) trash thief. It takes the path back and forth from human food to natural home in the trees. The food fills its stomach, but it doesn’t receive its daily nutritional needs.
Like the raccoon, I sometimes find myself digging in the trash (metaphorically, of course) to try to find sustenance. For example, after a vacation, my hubby and I often hash out our trip. “What could have gone better” is an often-discussed topic, like that bedroom in the shared condo where we had to walk into the hallway for the bathroom. Affordable but awkward, to say the least. By the end of our nitpicking, I usually end up with a furrowed brow and a bad feeling. Not good for my mental health, for certain.
Our spiritual health also suffers when we try to find nutrition in the past rather than in the present in the presence of God. When we pull a sin from the trash, we’re tempted to pick it apart and mull over the negative aspects. Going back and forth to the same thing over and over again isn’t healthy.
Fortunately, this psalm of David shows us a better way of examining our sin: in light of God’s mercy and grace. Our past sins don’t hold us in the past but rather, when treated properly, sustain our spirit now and in the future. Our repentance puts praise on our tongues that can motivate others to seek the same forgiveness. A lesson that reaches further than any nitpicking of “what could have gone better.”
The better is in the sustenance of the Spirit, and only God’s love and mercy can help us find peace for our sins.
