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This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of the Video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is from Acts chapters 27 and 28. I’d like to give attention to Acts 27: 23-24, 43-44.

“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Verse 43 says:

But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

There’s a debate going on in the religious world today, and it’s been going on for centuries. The question is–Is it God or is it us? How much of God and how much of us? This story gives me so insight into that question. This story asks the question–Is it God or is it us?–and it gives the resounding answer…YES! 

First of all, we see that these folks were in a shipwreck and yet all of them survived. Who was it? Was it God or was it the people? Well, the angel of the Lord had said that God was granting that all of them should live for the sake of Paul. So it was God. But Luke also records that those who could swim jumped overboard and swam and those who couldn’t grabbed a hold of wreckage and floated to land. And so because of their swimming and their floating, they were saved. So it was the men.

Was it God or the men? YES!

You see, some folks, afraid that we’re going to take glory away from God, don’t want to admit that there’s something we have to do. Other folks don’t want to talk about what God is doing because they’re afraid we’re going to tell people that they don’t have to do anything. What we see in this story is  that the work of these men was only beneficial because God was working on their behalf. It’s like that statement attributed to Augustine: “Without God, I cannot. Without me, God will not. ” If the men hadn’t swam or grabbed hold of the wreckage, God wouldn’t save them. But if God wasn’t going to save them, it wouldn’t matter how much they swam or grabbed hold of the wreckage; they were going to die.

I have no idea exactly what God did in saving these men. But I know the angel says God was the one doing it. When I look at my own life, I have no idea exactly what it is that God is going to do so that I might be saved in the end. I don’t know how He’s going to work in my life today. But that doesn’t change the fact that when I’m done doing what I see in His Word, I need to glorify Him. My work is only beneficial because God is working on my behalf.

So, today, instead of getting bogged down in trying to figure out how much of it’s God and how much of it’s me, I just want to get in His Word. I just want to do what He says because I know He’s working for me. And because He’s working on my behalf, what I’m doing can actually accomplish something.

Praise God for working in our lives!

What are you going to do today?

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to know what you thought about today’s post. I’d love to know what else you got out of today’s reading. So feel free to drop down to the comments section and join the discussion. And don’t forget to come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of the Video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is from Acts chapters 25 and 26. I’d like to give attention to Acts 26:22.

To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass.

Amazing! Paul is on trial for his life. He’s been arrested. He’s put in prison. He’s going to have to go to Rome and face Caesar and has no idea what’s going to happen. But in the midst of all this, he says, “I’ve had the help that comes from God.” What a great attitude, an attitude that I need to have.

How is it in the midst of all these bad things, Paul can say, “I’ve got the help that comes from God”? I think there’s two major things here.

First of all, one, despite all these negative things, he’s still alive. Every day that he’s alive he knows he’s had the help that is from God. Sure, he’s on trial; sure, he’s in prison; but there had been a conspiracy against his life that had been exposed and he was saved.

The second thing is that Paul’s goal is about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, and, here, he gets the opportunity to speak to both small and great. He’s talking to kings. How many of us would like to talk to the President about the gospel? How many of us are ever going to get that opportunity? And while it came about while being on trial, Paul was able to look at the side of it that said he was getting to talk to kings.

I have the sad tendency to take a look at my life and notice all the bad things. Things aren’t going my way. People aren’t doing what I want them to do. I’m not getting all the situations and events to happen the way I want. So I start to get upset and wonder why God’s not helping me out. But I need to realize I got to eat today; I’ve got clothes today; I’ve got a car that’s working today; I get to spread the gospel today;  I get to talk to people all over the world on this wide web about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s face it; God has helped me out a lot today.

So, today, I need to spend my time seeing God’s help. How about you?

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to know what you thought of today’s post or what else you got out of today’s reading. So drop down to the comments section and feel free to join in the discussion. And don’t forget to come back on Monday for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of Video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is from Acts chapters 11 and 12. I’d like to give attention to Acts 12:12-16.

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

I’ve heard people say about this passage, that this showed a great lack of faith on these Christians’ part. What they say is, “Well, here these folks were praying that Peter would get to escape from prison, and when he did, they didn’t believe it.” I’m not sure that’s what’s going on here. I think these folks demonstrate a great deal of faith. They’re praying into the middle of the night. People who don’t believe that their prayers are going to work don’t pray that persistently and that intensely. Rather, I see something else happening. 

I think what’s going in this passage is that these folks were putting God in a box. Sure, they believed that God could respond to their requests that Peter would live. But they must have thought God would do it in a certain way. Maybe changing Herod’s mind, or granting a stay of execution. What had not occurred to them was that God would just miraculously walk Peter out of the prison in the middle of the night. And so they were shocked.

The lesson that I get from this is certainly that if I’m going to pray, I need to have faith. But the bigger lesson is when I pray, I don’t need to put God in a box. God can do what He wants how He wants when He wants the way He wants. And He doesn’t have to answer my prayers the way I expect Him to answer them. Far too often I only think God has said, “Yes,” if He has says, “Yes,” and answers yes the way I expected Him to. The fact is God can grant my requests whatever way He wants.

Now don’t misunderstand. I certainly believe I can say, “Here is what God has said He will do,” based upon His Word. But apart from that, when I make my requests known to God, I need to let God be God and let God and let God decide how things are going to be done. And I just need to put my faith and trust in Him to do the right thing, to do the best thing, and remember that He does, in fact, want to bless me.

So, today, I’m going to make my requests known to God, and I’m going to let God decide how He’s going to answer.

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to hear what you thought of today’s post or what else you got out of today’s reading. So drop down to the comments section and feel free to join in the discussion. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of Video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading comes from Acts chapters 7 and 8. I’d like to give attention to Acts 7:25:

He supposed that his brothers would understand that god was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.

And also Acts 7:35:

This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?’–this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This demonstrates the great problem that I often have. At first, Moses supposed that everyone would just understand that God was going to deliver them by his hand. I have that problem sometimes. I have a tendency to think that everyone else ought to understand the great things that God is going to accomplish by my hand.

My family’s going to be great by my hand.

My local congregation is going to do amazing things by my hand.

I can overcome your marriage problems by my hand.

I can fix your personal problems by my hand.

And I tend to suppose that everyone else agrees with me. But they rarely do. They just accuse me of being arrogant. The nerve of them.

But what made it really work for Moses? Not when he supposed that they would understand that God was going to deliver them by his hand. But when he finally began to realize that Moses could accomplish things by the hand of God. That’s what I need to recognize–not that God is going to accomplish amazing things by my hand, but that I can only accomplish anything by His hand.

And so, today, I need to quit thinking that God is lucky that I’m on His team, and, rather, recognize how lucky I am that God let’s me on His team. I need to quit thinking that God’s going to accomplish amazing things by my hand. And instead, today, simply surrender to His will, do what He says I’m supposed to do, and I’ll let Him decide what He’s going to let me accomplish by His hand.

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to hear what you think about today’s post or what else you got out of today’s reading. So drop down to the comments section and feel free to join the discussion. And don’t forget to come back tomorrow to get another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of Video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is Luke chapters 17 and 18. I’d like to give attention to Luke 18:9-14, where Jesus tells us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Phariess and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his hosue justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I get one amazing lesson from this parable. How on earth could I ever think that I could impress God with my power and my righteousness? But that’s exactly what the Pharisee was trying to do. It’s as if he was saying, “Look at me, God. Look at how wonderful I am. Look at how awesome I am. Look at how righteous and holy I am.” How could he possibly think that he could impress God with his holiness and his righteousness? The God who created light from nothing. The God in whom is light and there is no darkness. How could he impress Him with his holiness and power?

Could you imagine me saying, “Hey, God, look at me. I did 5 giveattentiontoreading posts in just one week”?

“Really? I created the universe in just one week. Come back when you can beat that.”

And yet, that’s exactly what I try to do sometimes. I try to impress God with my righteousness. I do that because sometimes I convince myself that the only way I can get to heaven is if I impress God with how good I am.

But then I remember the tax collector. He didn’t try to impress God. In fact, he understood completely and utterly that he couldn’t impress God. And so he simply threw himself on God’s mercy. “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

I’m going to quit trying to impress God. I’m just going to put myself into His merciful hands, surrendering myself to Him. I’m going to do what He says because I love His mercy. I’m going to go where He sends because God’s Way Works. (“You know that’s right!”)

So, I’m not going to impress God today. I’m just going to surrender myself to His mercy. How about you?

Thanks again for checking in at giveattentiontoreading.com today. I’d love to hear what you think about today’s post and what you thought about today’s reading. So, feel free to drop down to the comments section and join the discussion. And make sure you come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

For my e-mail subscribers who can’t see the video, click here.

Transcript of video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading is from Luke chapters 15 and 16. I’d like to give attention to Luke 16:13, where Jesus says:

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Jesus makes this comment in the context of financial matters. But I think we need to think about it in other areas of our lives as well.

You cannot serve God and fame.

You cannot serve God and power.

You cannot serve God and pleasure.

You cannot serve God and food.

You cannot serve God and lust.

You cannot serve God and sex.

You cannot serve God and your family.

You cannot serve God and your friends.

You cannot serve God and your self.

No matter what is vying to be put up on the pedestal with God, we’re going to have problems. Because we’ll end up loving the one and hating the other. Now some of those things I mentioned aren’t bad in and of themselves. But when they are vying to be  god in our lives, then it becomes a problem.

Only when God is first in our lives can everything else be in its proper place, if it has one. So the question we need to ask today is who am I going to serve today? Who am I going to let tell me how to live my life today? Today, I want to serve God. I want to go where He sends me, do what He tells me? How about you?

Thanks again for checking out giveattentiontoreading.com where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. I’d love to hear what you thought about this post or what you thought about today’s reading. Drop down to the comments section and be a part of the discussion. Let’s hear what you have to say. And as always, come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.

Hebrews 5-6 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Hebrews 5:1-6:20.

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Yesterday we learned the #1 key to getting God’s promised blessings. Faith. Believing that God’s way really will work and thus pursuing God’s plans. Today we learn the #1 reason we can have that faith.

God never lies.

Honesty is completely underrated in today’s world. But God’s honesty and commitment to His promises is profound. We do not have to worry that He will go back on what He has said. We do not have to fear that He will change the rules midstream. We can give ourselves whole-heartedly and with reckless abandon to God and His way because we know He will do what He says. We do not have to go behind Him, checking up on Him. We can just act based on His promises knowing fully that He will keep up His end.

How great is that?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 10-11 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 10:1-11:33.

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

I need to read this every day. How easily I want to boast in me. I preached a sermon. I wrote a post. I put together some class material. I led a study. I baptized someone. I, I, I, I, I. Me, me, me, me, me. Someone complimented a sermon or class. Someone told me a blog post meant something to them. My head begins to swell, I start checking my stats. I start thinking I’m something.

God? Who is God?

Of course, I would never say that out loud. I would never even consciously think that. Instead, I would just not consciously think about God and His involvement. I just sometimes tacitly forget about God in my fervor to make sure you’ve heard about me. Have I told you about me yet? I’m pretty cool.

But then I remember that I am nothing. I think about where I’ve actually ended up when I was doing things my way and on my own. It wasn’t pretty. Anything I may accomplish for good is totally and completely by the grace of God. If I preach a sermon, it is because God gave the opportunity. If I actually say something meaningful and helpful, it is because God granted the words. If I get to baptize someone, it is because God caused the growth. I’m just a servant. I just go where I’m told and do what God says. Have I told you about God yet? He’s pretty cool.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

2 Corinthians 4-5 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 2 Corinthians 4:1-5:21.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The Wordle above really says it all. Who is important in 2 Corinthians 4-5? Not me. Not you. God. Look at how small “self” is in that picture. Can you even find it? But look at how large “God” is. Look at how large “Christ” is. Look at how large “Jesus” is.

God has granted us exceeding great treasures through His ministry of reconciliation. We are growing from glory to glory. We can be ministers of reconciliation. We can accomplish amazing things in God’s kingdom and plan. How easy it is to get puffed up. I study with someone and think I’m special. I convince someone of the truth and I really think it was me. I baptize someone and I begin to think I saved them.

And yet, here we are still stuck in these earthly jars of clay. We still struggle and stumble. We still have troubles. We still lose jobs. Our bodies still get old and frail. Why? This is our ever-deepening reminder that the real power behind this ministry of reconciliation is God. Not us. God’s gospel is the power of God for salvation, not me. The surpassing power belongs to God, not me. I need to remember that.

Whenever I begin to think I’m starting to be pretty important in God’s eyes and plan. I need to come back to today’s Wordle and remember this is about God, not me. I can’t do anything apart from Him. He is the real power.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.