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.

Today’s reading is John 17:1-18:40.

“So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?’” (John 18:11).

How many times have I read Jesus’ prayer in the Garden? How many times have I noted that Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will”? And yet, saying that in a prayer is altogether different than actually following through with it. Here in John 18:11 I see that Jesus meant what He prayed.

It is easy to pray that God’s will be done in my life. It is a lot harder when I face the day and find that it didn’t contain the ease I had hoped. To be sure, many days are filled with obvious blessing from God. On other days, the blessing is blurred a bit. Those are the days that I have to ask myself if I really mean it when I pray that God’s will and not mine be done.

Today, I will drink the cup the Father has given me and respond simply by doing His will.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you today?

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 16:1-24; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24.

“For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits” (1 Corinthians 16:7).

How often I forget the Lord in my plans. How often I want to figure out how my future is going to work out, what I’m going to do, what plans will be in place without taking the Lord into consideration. When I act like that, my plans fall flat. My life goes exceedingly better when I live by the Lord’s permission. When I recognize that I can go here and there, accomplish this and that only if the Lord wills, my life runs smoother, if only because I recognize a stronger and better hand is leading it. When I remember in my praying to seek His will above mine, to ask not simply for what I want but that God will give me the strength to accept and respond appropriately when He gives me what He wants, my life is more peaceful, if only because I have prepared the way to accept what comes from God’s hand instead of expecting God’s gifts to be what I want.

If the Lord permits. That will be my motto today. And if the Lord permits, we’ll read and comment on more of His word on Monday.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 23:1-24:53.

“And he said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’” (Luke 24:25).

I like to think this rebuke doesn’t apply to me. I very readily accept the resurrection of Jesus. I have no problem with the prophecies that claim Jesus would come, live in the flesh, be a servant, die, be buried, then be resurrected on the third day. Then I recognize, that while I don’t have a problem with these things, there are numerous other prophecies I struggle with. Not the ones that talk about the future, but prophecy simply in the sense of a message from God.

For instance, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Or “be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Or “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Part of me wants to hang on to my old, in the world, way of thinking. I will seek God’s kingdom first, right after I get my salary in order. Maybe a little sin while I’m angry is okay. After all I’m angry; surely that can’t be held against me. It’s not conceit; it’s conviction (what a laugh).

I’m a foolish one when I won’t just believe what Jesus said through His word and live accordingly. After all, God’s way works and mine doesn’t.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 21:1-22:71.

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

For me, this should be the model prayer. I know I need to pray for my daily bread and for forgiveness, but at the heart of everything I do, I need this prayer. “Not my will but Yours be done.” I need a daily reminder that today is about God and not about me. A friend once shared a prayer he prays with me, “Lord, let me know your will for today and grant me the strength to do it.”

That’s really all I need for today. I need simply to do the next right thing. What does God want me to do next and may I surrender to God’s strength and power to accomplish it.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is I Peter 3:1-4:19.

I Peter 4:2 hit me today because it goes right along with some thoughts I’ve had over the past few weeks based on a book I’m reading (get ready for it, here it comes, look out it’s an associate link), The Practice of the Presence of God by Nicholas Herman, more commonly known as Brother Lawrence.  

My family and I have a running joke based on Marita’s recent experience teaching 4th-7th graders in our congregation’s Bible class program. One of her great frustrations was trying to ask “why” discussion questions and receiving the most common answer, “So we can go to heaven.” It has become our running joke to ask questions in our family devotion time or in conversation and respond, “So we can go to heaven.” Of course, for most of us, that is likely the ultimate answer for all of those why questions we ask. Why do we do what we do? So we can go to heaven.

Now please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say. I hope we all have the goal of going to heaven. However, can we consider a better motivation for our daily actions? I Peter 4:2 doesn’t say, “So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but so we can go to heaven.” Instead it says, “So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” 

Nicholas Herman (“Brother Lawrence”) suggested we not do things in order to go to heaven, receive blessings, or get some other reward. Rather, perhaps our motivation ought simply be to do what we do because we love God and it is His will. Certainly, God welcomes those who surrender their lives to Him into heaven. I Peter 1:3-5 demonstrates that an inheritance is waiting for us who are protected by God through our faith. However, if that is our motivation, I think we lose sight of what is important. In fact, when that is our motivation I think we will naturally get into a checklist mindset that says, “Alright, what must I do to go to heaven? How far do I have to go? Do I really have to do that?”

On the other hand, if my mindset is simply that I love God and I want to do everything I do because I love Him and it is His will, there are no limits on what I will do for Him. Further, I’m not trying to earn anything from Him by doing it. I’m simply trying to draw closer to Him. Isn’t that what He deserves? He is the Creator. He is the Savior. 

Again, there is nothing wrong with the goal of heaven. I think we can see Paul demonstrate that goal in Philippians 3:7-11. I just want us to consider another great motivation that needs to be part of our spiritual journey with God.

***Question: What do you do on a regular basis to draw closer to God?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC