Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

“…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

I can relax today. I don’t have to give myself ulcers worrying about how I’m ever going to be pleasing to God. I don’t have to fret that I’m just not ever going to be good enough for Him. He’s working on that. He is working in me both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Part of me wants to rebel against that. Part of me wants to say, “NO! I will do this.” But a very real part of me has come face to face with exactly how badly it goes when I am trying to do this. I have failed again and again and again. Today, instead of failing, I can just give up. That’s right. I can quit. I can surrender. I can admit I am powerless and only botch things myself, so I’ll just have to surrender my life to God and let Him be in control, simply doing what He says.

No, this doesn’t mean I sit on my backside and wait for the cosmic puppet master to pull my strings. It means I can have confidence to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. Why? Because God is working in me. It means all I have to do is learn God’s will and surrender to that. My job is simply to do the next right thing. God is working in me. I can trust that He will get me where I need to go if I simply surrender to Him today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Ephesians 1:1-2:22.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

What a thought! I am not my workmanship. I am God’s workmanship. Obviously, I’m making choices in my daily life. This doesn’t mean I’m nothing more than a puppet with God literally pulling the strings. But it does mean I’m not alone. It means I don’t have to direct the way for me to be all that God wants me to be, all that I want me to be.

God has created me in Christ Jesus to walk in His good works. But is His workmanship merely a moment in time switcheroo? Does Paul simply mean when I was baptized into Christ, God did some work but now He is sitting back hoping the switch took? I don’t think so. This verse means God is still working in me. He is providing me with progressive victory over sin and progressive victory in righteousness.

This doesn’t mean I sit on my backside and wait for God to pull the strings. But it does mean I can take comfort today that God is working in me. I am His workmanship and He is the Master Craftsman. He may not always work on my timetable, but He is working.

I think today, I’ll just surrender to God’s way. I’m pretty sure it works. And I’m pretty sure it will work on me.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

PPS. For those who haven’t seen it elsewhere, here is a great video from the Skit Guys about God working on us. Even if you have seen it, you may want to watch it again. Enjoy.

God’s Chisel by the Skit Guys

Here is the link for my e-mail subscribers: http://giveattentiontoreading.com/?p=1620

Today’s reading is Acts 27:1-28:31.

“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 th eland, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land” (Acts 27:43-44).

That is phenomenal. 276 people in a shipwreck and every single one survived. Boy they sure were lucky to have all that flotsam and jetsam to help them get to land. I can’t help but remember Acts 27:24. “God has granted you all those who sail with you.” God did this. What intrigues me is trying to actually find God in the saving. What did He do exactly? I don’t know. Did he give those who could swim extra strength? Did He do it miraculously or had He prepared them for this moment all their lives so they would have the right amount of strength? Did he provide the flotsam at just the right place?

I just don’t know the answer to these questions. All I know is God was working. God did the saving. I may not be able to see God working in my life today. But I can take comfort that He is. Since that is the case, I think I can keep working too (cf. Philippians 2:12-13).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 13:1-14:28.

“…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Paul didn’t say tribulations come with the kingdom of God. He didn’t say tribulations happen to coincide with entering the kingdom of God. He actually said we enter the kingdom of God through tribulations. In other words, if there are no tribulations we won’t get into the kingdom of God.

Too often, I have the mindset that since I’m entering the kingdom, I shouldn’t have tribulations. Why isn’t God taking better care of me? Then I read this and learn that God actually knows better. In some way, the tribulations prepare me for the kingdom and usher me into it. If God took my tribulations away, then I wouldn’t enter the kingdom.

This is what Paul says in Romans 5:3-5. Suffering produces endurance. Endurance produces character. Character produces hope. Hope doesn’t put us to shame. But without suffering and tribulation, there is no endurance, no character, no hope.

Thank you, God, for not giving me everything I want, but instead giving me what I need.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 7:1-8:40.

“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household” (Acts 7:9-10).

But that took 13 years (cf. Genesis 37:2; 41:46), over 1/3 of Joseph’s life to that time. Then it was at least another 7 years before seeing his family again. What were those 13 to 20 years like for Joseph? While enslaved did he wonder if God was with him? When his enslavement ended in imprisonment, did he begin to think that maybe God had forgotten him? I don’t know about him, but that is the kind of thinking I do. If my afflictions aren’t resolved in a matter of months, weeks, and even days, I begin to wonder what on earth God is doing up there in heaven.

I learn from Joseph that God is with me during my afflictions, not that God is with me if I’m kept out of affliction. Some afflictions may even last for quite some time. But I can trust God to see me through to the other side. If there is no great “victory” in this life, there will be eternal life in the next.

I can have confidence that whatever affliction I’m facing today, no matter how long it lingers with me, God is with me and He is stronger than the affliction. In His good time, He’ll get me through it to glory and victory on the other side.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 7:1-8:56.

“And as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger” (Luke 8:23).

What? God in the flesh asleep on the job? How can that be? Doesn’t He know we are in danger? Doesn’t He know we might perish? Doesn’t He know if He doesn’t act right now all will be lost?

I know that feeling. Too many times I’ve thought God was asleep on the job. Why doesn’t He fix this problem? Why doesn’t He resolve that issue? Why doesn’t He help me overcome some struggle? I can’t see the ends from the moment. But God does.

The disciples could have had faith that even while Jesus was asleep, God would do what was right by them and take care of them. I need that faith as well. It may seem to me like God is asleep because He isn’t calming the storm on my timetable. But God knows how to calm the storms. More importantly, God knows when to calm the storms. My job is to keep bailing water and turning to Him for help. I’m sure that He is probably giving me more help already than I even realize.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 1:1-2:52.

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John’” (Luke 1:13).

How long has it been since Zechariah actually offered that prayer? Clearly, by his response, he didn’t think having children was possible at his age. He thought God had simply said, “No” and let it go at that. But now, in God’s good time, in the time that could most glorify God, He granted Zechariah’s request.

I’m so happy to read this today. I may think God is saying, “No,” when really He is simply saying, “In My time, not yours.” I have to learn to trust God’s judgment because He can see all ends and what will most glorify Him. Of course, what that means is today, I have to be more concerned about what will glorify Him in the long run than what I want in the moment.

I just hope I don’t have to be struck mute for 9 months to learn to trust God and His timing.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 23:1-24:27.

Things were bad for Paul. He had been arrested, unfairly accused, nearly beaten, life threatened. Claudius Lysias knew he was innocent and hadn’t done anything worthy of imprisonment, let alone death (Acts 23:29). I can hardly imagine what it must have been like to endure this part of Paul’s life. I can imagine how I would have felt. I might have despaired. I might have wondered how God could let this happen when I had been serving Him so faithfully. It would have been hard to see any good in what was going on.

However, because of this, Paul had opportunity to speak to the Council, soldiers, prisoners, governors, kings, and then on to Rome and preaching to those even in the emperor’s household.

This is a great reminder to me. As I look at the moment in which I live, I can sometimes see some really bad things. Life seems awful. I can go from negativity, to depression, to despair. However, if I could see my life like I see Paul’s, written out from beginning to end, I might see a different picture. I might see how today’s discouraging occurrence builds together with yesterday’s and tomorrow’s to accomplish great things in God’s service. I would likely be completely surprised at what God is doing through my life if I could see the whole picture. But I can’t see that. So I have to take it on faith. I have trust God.

Today is not in a vacuum. Whether good or bad happens today, I can trust God to weave it in to the tapestry of my life and His glory. Instead of despairing, I need simply to trust God and let Him do His job. I need to do the next right thing. God can already see how he is going to use today. I need to trust Him and some day, I’ll be able to look back and see the good that comes out of whatever happens today.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

Today’s reading is Luke 23:1-24:53.

I can hardly fathom, hanging on a cross in immense torment and agony, dying, but then crying out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46). What absolute trust. What absolute surrender.

Jesus was quoting Psalm 31:5. Just listen to the beginning of that Psalm: “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

We know how the story ends so this statement may not seem as powerful as it really was. Having seen the end, we know Jesus was wise to commit His spirit into the Father’s hands. He was going to be resurrected on the third day. He was going to be delivered. But thing of this from the stand point of hanging on the cross. Think of this from the standpoint of being in the midst of the separation of the Father. How hard it must have been to look at the big picture of where all this would lead when distracted by the intense agony both physically and spiritually. Yet, Jesus trusted the Father.

I need to learn this kind of trust. Letting God be my refuge doesn’t mean I’ll never suffer. It means I know God will use it for good and I trust His knowledge of the big picture of my life, the lives around me, and eternity.

This helps me knowing that God if God is letting me go through some suffering, He has His reasons that will be for my good in the long run. When I actually have this concept firmly in my mind and heart, it produces a peace that passes understanding. I don’t have to live in fear that something awful might happen. If it does, I can know that God is working. He is my refuge. He is my stronghold. He is my deliverer. Instead of taking my spirit into my own hands, I can commit it into the hands of my loving, faithful Creator who really does have my best intentions at heart.

I’m going to make this prayer of Jesus a regular prayer for me, especially if I’m in the midst of something that I don’t like.

Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 11:1-12:59.

What father among us would give his children a snake or a scorpion when they are asking for a fish or an egg. Even though we can mess things up pretty royally, we’re generally smarter than handing our child a rattlesnake or scorpion. Generally.

However, the great thing is that for God it is not “generally.” It is always. This teaching in Luke 11:11-13 is a powerful statement about God. God gives good gifts. He doesn’t give bad gifts.

Here are the two really important aspects of this that I have to learn.

1) Even when I think the gift is bad, I need to trust God that it is good. That is, some tough things happen in life. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out how what is going on is really good for me. In fact, I may not be able to figure it out. That is when I simply have to trust God. His gifts are good. Since He’s God, He can see the good from them. Since I’m not God, I can’t always see the good. But His gifts are good.

2) This text says God won’t give me a snake when I ask for a fish and He won’t give me a scorpion when I ask for an egg. Here’s the great thing. Sometimes, due to my own immaturity, I’ve asked for the snake and the scorpion without realizing it. God will give me the fish and the egg anyway. God’s gifts are good.

We can trust God. When things aren’t going our way, that is when we need to simply trust that our refuge really is taking care of us. He really is helping us grow. His way will work best if we just trust it. All I know is this, when I quit trusting God and start trying to fix things on my own, I really mess them up. Today, I’m going to trust that God’s gifts really are good. One day I may see that. Today, I’m just going to walk by faith.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?