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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.

Matthew 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 3:1-4:25.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! for it is written, ” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” ‘ ” (Matthew 4:8-10).

Don’t miss the real temptation. Satan is not tempting Jesus with kingship, rule, and power. According to Psalm 110:1-7, Jesus was already promised all this from His Father. He was going to rule all the kingdoms of the world anyway. The temptation was that God’s way to the throne was going to be hard. He had already had to leave heaven to accomplish it. He was going to spend 3 years wandering as an itinerant teacher. He was going to be rejected, mocked, ridiculed, and eventually crucified to get to rule. Satan essentially said, “Hey, why bother with all of that? Here is an easier, softer way. Just bow down and worship me once. Just once. You don’t have to do it for the rest of your life. If you just worship me here and now, you won’t have to take up that cross.” But Jesus refused. He chose God’s way, though it included the cross. And I’m so thankful, because God’s way allowed me to be saved. Satan’s way might have given Jesus rule of the world (though I’m convinced Satan is a liar and would have yanked it out from under Jesus instead of really giving Him the rule), but it would have kept me and you from being saved.

I’m so glad to see this. First, because it lets me know I’m not alone. Satan tempts me all the time. Sometimes I begin to think I’m the only one going through this pressure. But even Jesus went through it. Second, it lets me know how to defeat the temptation. Just rely on God, His Word, and His way. God’s way always works. Third, I’m glad to read it because it helps me really identify Satan’s temptations. I often overlook temptation and sin with a dismissive, “Oh, surely God wouldn’t have a problem with that.” What I need to look for is when my choices include God’s way and the easier softer way. Satan often promises me the very same thing God does. He simply says I don’t have pick up my cross to get the promise. I need to be able to say, “Not today, Satan. I’m going God’s way. It may be harder, but it works.”

Which way are you going today? God’s way or the easier softer way?

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 Thessalonians 1 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

How easy it is to get bogged down with fear that we aren’t going to make it. We mess up so much and we have been so blistered by the concept that one mistake can blast us to hell. Some of us just want to throw our hands up in the air and give up.

But Paul encourages us. We are not alone. God will sanctify us. He is setting us apart. He is growing us. He is working in us. He will keep us blameless. He is faithful. We can trust Him to do it.

We just need to hang on to Him. Don’t give up today. Hang on to God today. He is working on you. He will do it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your in put by clicking the following link: Post a comment.

I Peter 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is I Peter 1:1-2:25.

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (I Peter 2:23).

If only I could learn this. When I am reviled, I want to revile in return. When I suffer, I want to threaten. I call up my friends to vent and fume in my own frustration. I want others to know I have been wronged. I want vindication. I want vengeance. And I want it on my terms. I want the one who has wronged me to grovel at my feet, declaring to the whole world how wrong they were to mistreat me. And if no one else will get them to do it, then I will. I start to turn a cold shoulder. I start to harp on their sins. I try to get sideways digs whenever I can. I always do that with a passive aggressive approach so I can say I was just kidding or they didn’t understand what I really meant.

But that is not how Jesus responded. Jesus simply entrusted Himself to God. God will judge justly. If the other person deserves judgment, God will give it. Jesus did not have to. That left Him free to simply save the world.

How freeing is that? God doesn’t need me to do His judging job. I can let Him do that. When I increase my faith in Him to do what is right by me and everyone else, I am free to love as He loves. I am free to have peace because I don’t have to anxiously be worried that somebody might get away with something. I don’t have to develop ulcers over worrying about what everyone else is doing. I can just accept what is happening, own my side of it, and trust God to take care of it. Not to mention all the work I can get done if I use that venting and fuming time for more constructive purposes.

Today, I’ll let God be the judge. I’ll just work on trusting Him and loving others.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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

Mark 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 7:1-8:38.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

A scene from a movie comes to my mind. Toward the end of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” they have actually found the Holy Grail. However, Dr. Elsa Schneider defied the command of the guardian and took the Grail across the seal. The earth quaked and the rock floor split open. Schneider fell in the crack and was only saved by Jones’s quick reaction of grabbing her hand. But the Grail, which had also dropped in the crack, was on a ledge just out of arm’s reach. Jones pleaded with her to let it go and let him pull her up. But how could she? If she had the Grail, she would be rich? She tried to save the life she imagined if she possessed the Grail and slipped from Jones’s hand to lose her life.

As this happened, the earth shook and now Indiana Jones was in the same position as Dr. Schneider. He was dangling in the crack, held by his father’s hands. Despite his protests for Dr. Schneider to climb out of the crack, he was being pulled by the Grail. It had been his father’s life’s work to find that Grail. He had gone through adventure, turmoil, and strife to get it. He wanted to please his father and his father’s life was in that Grail. But Henry Jones (Sean Connery’s character) calmly said, “Indiana, let it go.” Jones reached up and took his father’s hand and was pulled to safety. He gave up his life in that Grail to save his life.

For me, that is a picture of this verse. Our lives can get wrapped up in so many things–education, recreation, occupation, infatuation,etc. Sometimes we want to hold on to Jesus with one hand, while stretching out for something else that we think is what our life is all about. We hope that we can bridge the gap between the two things. But we can’t. If we try to save our lives as we see what is important about them and our goals and desires, we will lose our actual lives. However, if we are willing to give up life on our terms, we can gain real life through Jesus Christ.

We are hanging in the gap, our Grail is just out of arm’s reach. We can attempt to save our life by reaching for the Grail. But we will only lose our lives. Or we can sacrifice our lives to reach up and grab our Father’s hands and allow Him to pull us to safety, saving our lives. The choice is ours.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in this passage? Click here to add your input.

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

Romans 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Romans 7:1-8:39.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32).

For some reason, I keep thinking I need to save myself. I want the reins of my life. I want to be the one in control. I need to get it all fixed and then bring it to God to show how pleased He can be with me. And I wonder why I continue to be covered up with stress, anxiety, and then wander back into sin. It’s like I want to be able to say to God, “What then shall you say to these things? If I’m for You, God, does it matter who else is against You?” I need to see that this is getting everything backwards.

Instead, God is for me. Who can be against me? Satan wants me to believe that my mistakes mean God is against me. He’s not. He is for me. He is so for me, He sent Jesus to die for me. If He did that, how will He not give me all I need to overcome? I simply have to let go of my control and grant Him control. I have to trust Him. When I do, then I start to have peace and joy.

I have a choice today. I can either focus on how bad I mess things up or I can focus on how powerful God is to fix things? The first leads to despair and sin; the second leads to peace and victory. Today, I want to focus on God and His power to fix things. How about you?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. The struggle with these two chapters is they are my two favorites, jam-packed with all kinds of helpful stuff to me. I return to these chapters over and over again. It was hard to pick just one thing to talk about . So, what struck you in today’s reading? I know something had to impact you on than what I mentioned. You can 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.