ALL – Psalm 8:1-9
ALL – Proverbs 18:23-24
OT – 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14
NT – Acts 27:21-44
Interesting passage for the day: “For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ ” – Acts 27:23-24, The Living Bible
Thought: If I were in a boat riding through the storm of my life, expecting the ship to go down, what would I be doing? I’d be praying for safety and keeping my eye on the nearest lifeboat, making sure that I could get to it quickly! That’s what I’d be doing!
But what was Paul doing? He was praying, but his focus was a bit less selfish than mine would be. He was praying for the rest of the men on board the ship with him—all 276 of them. And in response to Paul’s prayers, God sent an angel with a message of hope. Every single man would live, because God had granted Paul’s request!
Question: When trouble comes, do you look out only for yourself? Do you pray only for yourself? Or do you work and pray for the good of everyone around you?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label selfish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selfish. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
L.O.V.E.
ALL – Psalm 48:1-14
ALL – Proverbs 10:26
OT – Numbers 4:1-5:31
NT – Mark 12:18-37
It’s amazing how quickly we forget what we’re up to. Not just in the little things of life, but the big things. Our expectations and perspectives are too quickly warped.
For instance, in marriage. We get married, usually, very much aware that our spouse wants us to be happy and that we want our spouse to be happy. But then, what happens? Well, unfortunately, no one pays us to make our spouse happy (wouldn’t that be an awesome job!). So we go off to work. At first, our intention at work is still largely to make our spouse happy; we’re there, after all, so that we can afford a place to stay, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a variety of fun things to do together. But then, it’s easy for work to become more and more important in our lives, and soon it’s our employers we are trying to please rather than our spouses. Work life goes great. Home life? Not so much.
It’s like that with God sometimes, too. We know that our relationship with Him is first. And we want to respond appropriately, lovingly, wholeheartedly. And then we begin to do things out of love for Him. And then we begin to do the same things to prove how much we love Him. And soon we’re doing those things to prove how much God ought to love us—and not just God, but everyone else, too. We begin to get caught up in the work we first did because of God’s love for us, and that same work becomes a matter of our love for us—our self-justifications, our basis for boasting, our reputations, our honor. No longer Christ’s. No longer Christ’s.
It’s amazing how quickly we forget what we’re up to. We forget what drives us. We forget who gives us strength. We begin to take control. We begin to set up our own goals, our own masterplans, our own motivations. And rather than living a life powered by love of and for God, we do the same things in a life powered by love of and for ourselves.
Jesus always knew what He was up to, and what we all should be up to:
One of the teachers of religion who was standing there listening to the discussion realized that Jesus had answered well. So he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The one that says, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.’ The second is, ‘You must love others as much as yourself.’ No other commandments are greater than these.” – Mark 12:28-31, The Living Bible
Have you forgotten what you’re up to? How can we help to turn one another back to a wholehearted love for God and for those He’s put into our lives?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 10:26
OT – Numbers 4:1-5:31
NT – Mark 12:18-37
It’s amazing how quickly we forget what we’re up to. Not just in the little things of life, but the big things. Our expectations and perspectives are too quickly warped.
For instance, in marriage. We get married, usually, very much aware that our spouse wants us to be happy and that we want our spouse to be happy. But then, what happens? Well, unfortunately, no one pays us to make our spouse happy (wouldn’t that be an awesome job!). So we go off to work. At first, our intention at work is still largely to make our spouse happy; we’re there, after all, so that we can afford a place to stay, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a variety of fun things to do together. But then, it’s easy for work to become more and more important in our lives, and soon it’s our employers we are trying to please rather than our spouses. Work life goes great. Home life? Not so much.
It’s like that with God sometimes, too. We know that our relationship with Him is first. And we want to respond appropriately, lovingly, wholeheartedly. And then we begin to do things out of love for Him. And then we begin to do the same things to prove how much we love Him. And soon we’re doing those things to prove how much God ought to love us—and not just God, but everyone else, too. We begin to get caught up in the work we first did because of God’s love for us, and that same work becomes a matter of our love for us—our self-justifications, our basis for boasting, our reputations, our honor. No longer Christ’s. No longer Christ’s.
It’s amazing how quickly we forget what we’re up to. We forget what drives us. We forget who gives us strength. We begin to take control. We begin to set up our own goals, our own masterplans, our own motivations. And rather than living a life powered by love of and for God, we do the same things in a life powered by love of and for ourselves.
Jesus always knew what He was up to, and what we all should be up to:
One of the teachers of religion who was standing there listening to the discussion realized that Jesus had answered well. So he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The one that says, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.’ The second is, ‘You must love others as much as yourself.’ No other commandments are greater than these.” – Mark 12:28-31, The Living Bible
Have you forgotten what you’re up to? How can we help to turn one another back to a wholehearted love for God and for those He’s put into our lives?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, February 1, 2010
When God’s People Rebel
ALL – Psalm 26:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 6:16-19
OT – Exodus 13:17-15:18
NT – Matthew 21:23-46
The good news is wonderful! When we first learn that Jesus, the King and Creator of the world, would rather forgive and restore us than kill us for our sins, we’re ecstatic! We can’t praise and obey Him enough! But then as time goes on, the wonderful grace of Jesus becomes the familiar grace of Jesus. We enjoy so much of God’s grace over time that we sometimes forget how gracious it is. And as we grow familiar with Jesus’ grace, we begin to feel comfortable. And then we begin to desire comfort and to seek it out, because it’s so enjoyable. We begin to set aside the work God’s given us to do, which is not always comfortable. We become lazy in His service. And sometimes, we even get to the point where we rebel against any suggestions Jesus sends us via His Word and via His messengers that we ought to be working. We cling to our comfort and safety, forgetting that the safety and comfort we’ve been given is designed to give us the freedom to serve our King. We replace service with laziness and self-enjoyment, and we use Jesus’ grace as our excuse, attacking anyone who asks us to serve God wholeheartedly.
Jesus told a parable about when God’s people try to keep all of God’s blessings for themselves, rather than giving God the return He wants. In the parable, some farmers (God’s people) rent land, from which they are able to grow enough crops for themselves and for their landlord (God). But when the landlord sends servants (prophets, priests, pastors, apostles) to collect the landlord’s share of the crops, the farmers rebel. They abuse the servants, even killing some of them. The landlord tries again, with the same results. Finally, the landlord sends his own son (Jesus), hoping that the farmers will at least respect his son. But the farmers kill the landlord’s son, thinking that they will now be able to keep the land and all its blessings for themselves. In other words, God’s people rebel, seeking to use God’s grace (the land) only for their self-enjoyment and not for God. They try to take the kingdom away from the King.
The Jews listening to this story were horrified. When Jesus asked them what the landlord would do, they were quick to say:
He will put the wicked men to a horrible death, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him promptly. – Matthew 21:41, The Living Bible
Jesus confirmed what they said. At that point, of course, He was talking about them. The Jews were not serving God. Instead, their leaders were trying to take control of the whole Jewish religion for their own benefit. And Jesus was warning them that God would punish their wickedness and give God’s kingdom to people who would “pay him promptly.”
But now we are the people of God—not only Jews, but also Gentiles, all who believe in Jesus Christ. We are the ones who are expected to “pay him promptly.” We should not become self-contented and self-satisfied, assuming that because we have received God’s grace we are spend His blessings only on ourselves. We are still called to serve Jesus with all our hearts, souls, minds, strength—to give God His portion of the crops. We would do well to err on the side of being over-generous toward God, rather than toward ourselves.
Why are we holding back? Why are we risking our destruction?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 6:16-19
OT – Exodus 13:17-15:18
NT – Matthew 21:23-46
The good news is wonderful! When we first learn that Jesus, the King and Creator of the world, would rather forgive and restore us than kill us for our sins, we’re ecstatic! We can’t praise and obey Him enough! But then as time goes on, the wonderful grace of Jesus becomes the familiar grace of Jesus. We enjoy so much of God’s grace over time that we sometimes forget how gracious it is. And as we grow familiar with Jesus’ grace, we begin to feel comfortable. And then we begin to desire comfort and to seek it out, because it’s so enjoyable. We begin to set aside the work God’s given us to do, which is not always comfortable. We become lazy in His service. And sometimes, we even get to the point where we rebel against any suggestions Jesus sends us via His Word and via His messengers that we ought to be working. We cling to our comfort and safety, forgetting that the safety and comfort we’ve been given is designed to give us the freedom to serve our King. We replace service with laziness and self-enjoyment, and we use Jesus’ grace as our excuse, attacking anyone who asks us to serve God wholeheartedly.
Jesus told a parable about when God’s people try to keep all of God’s blessings for themselves, rather than giving God the return He wants. In the parable, some farmers (God’s people) rent land, from which they are able to grow enough crops for themselves and for their landlord (God). But when the landlord sends servants (prophets, priests, pastors, apostles) to collect the landlord’s share of the crops, the farmers rebel. They abuse the servants, even killing some of them. The landlord tries again, with the same results. Finally, the landlord sends his own son (Jesus), hoping that the farmers will at least respect his son. But the farmers kill the landlord’s son, thinking that they will now be able to keep the land and all its blessings for themselves. In other words, God’s people rebel, seeking to use God’s grace (the land) only for their self-enjoyment and not for God. They try to take the kingdom away from the King.
The Jews listening to this story were horrified. When Jesus asked them what the landlord would do, they were quick to say:
He will put the wicked men to a horrible death, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him promptly. – Matthew 21:41, The Living Bible
Jesus confirmed what they said. At that point, of course, He was talking about them. The Jews were not serving God. Instead, their leaders were trying to take control of the whole Jewish religion for their own benefit. And Jesus was warning them that God would punish their wickedness and give God’s kingdom to people who would “pay him promptly.”
But now we are the people of God—not only Jews, but also Gentiles, all who believe in Jesus Christ. We are the ones who are expected to “pay him promptly.” We should not become self-contented and self-satisfied, assuming that because we have received God’s grace we are spend His blessings only on ourselves. We are still called to serve Jesus with all our hearts, souls, minds, strength—to give God His portion of the crops. We would do well to err on the side of being over-generous toward God, rather than toward ourselves.
Why are we holding back? Why are we risking our destruction?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Neglecting God
Haggai; Psalm 140; Proverbs 30:17
Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? – Haggai 1:4
We know from what God said to David back in 1 Chronicles 17 that God was not really all that concerned to have “better housing” than His people. But that did not mean God wanted His people to neglect Him. By neglecting His house, the Israelites were now showing a lack of concern for God Himself. In their hearts they were putting themselves first.
God cares about our hearts, and our earthly efforts demonstrate whether our hearts are concerned about His glory or our own. What would the evidence in your life show right now? Is your heart filled to overflowing with the glory of God?
Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? – Haggai 1:4
We know from what God said to David back in 1 Chronicles 17 that God was not really all that concerned to have “better housing” than His people. But that did not mean God wanted His people to neglect Him. By neglecting His house, the Israelites were now showing a lack of concern for God Himself. In their hearts they were putting themselves first.
God cares about our hearts, and our earthly efforts demonstrate whether our hearts are concerned about His glory or our own. What would the evidence in your life show right now? Is your heart filled to overflowing with the glory of God?
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