ALL – Psalm 67:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 23:29-35
OT – Isaiah 41:17-43:13
NT – Ephesians 2:1-22
Interesting passage for the day: Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian. – Galatians 2:19, The Living Bible
Thought: It’s nice to belong. No, it’s amazing to belong.
Everyone’s been an outsider at some point. Being an outsider is just…awkward. Perhaps you spend some time living in someone else’s house. You’re used to having chores at home, but in their house you feel like you have no role at all and you’re useless. Maybe you’re visiting a new church and you discover that they have some sort of “understood” pattern for when to stand and when to sit—but they don’t communicate it verbally, so you’re constantly finding yourself in the wrong position. Or perhaps you’re not into sports and someone takes you to a basketball game. You’re barely interested but you feel stupid knowing nothing, and you can’t even begin to follow what’s going on.
It’s that first-ever day of school feeling. “Will I ever really belong here?”
When we first get to know God’s people, everything’s new and foreign. They open up the Bible and tell us strange things. We realize we don’t belong. But we want to belong. We recognize the truth, the grace, the love, the righteousness. We want to know Jesus.
And then we give our lives to Jesus—we submit to Him, confess how awful we’ve been, ask for forgiveness and receive it. He welcomes us into His family, takes us by the hand and walks us up to the throne of His Father—now ours. And the heavenly Father says, “You belong in my household with every other Christian.”
We who trust in Jesus Christ are no longer strangers. We belong in God’s house. We belong.
Question: Do you still feel like an outsider, or have you realized in your heart that you belong with God? What is keeping you from being at rest in Jesus’ family?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label stranger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stranger. Show all posts
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
I Can’t Understand You!
ALL – Psalm 37:12-28
ALL – Proverbs 21:25-26
OT – Job 1:1-3:26
NT – 1 Corinthians 14:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: I suppose that there are hundreds of different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, but to me they mean nothing. A person talking to me in one of these languages will be a stranger to me and I will be a stranger to him. – 1 Corinthians 14:10-11, The Living Bible
Thought: During my recent trip to Brazil, I learned a few words in Portuguese. I learned more Portuguese words than many people expected me to learn, and it was very enjoyable. But I have to be honest: if our hosts had not been able to communicate at least a bit in English, or to share praise songs with us that have the same tunes and meanings in both English and Portuguese, it would have been impossible to develop the relationships that blossomed during our time there. Understanding binds people together; mutual meaninglessness creates strangers and, sometimes, even enemies.
The first goal of a missionary in a foreign culture is understanding the language. Without that understanding, he/she will be a stranger to the host nation forever.
The first goal of a teacher in a classroom is to explain ideas clearly and to carefully define the meaning of any technical words as they come along. Using technical language without defining its meaning for the students would leave the teacher alone in understanding his lesson.
The first goal of a pastor in his assigned church is to help people hear God’s Word clearly. Without understanding God’s Word, no one would have a reason to zealously love and serve Jesus Christ.
And the first goal of a Christian with other believers or with neighbors and co-workers is to be plain about the basis for his hope of eternal life—to be able to say, “The God who created life plans to give me life forever, even if I die first, because the crimes that separated me from Him have already been punished. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died the death I deserved. And I know that God can raise me to life, because God raised Jesus to life again. I’ve entrusted my life into Jesus’ hands, and I’m following His teachings until God brings me home forever.”
Can we be clear? Jesus is alive, even though He died. He invites us to be His people. And I’ve accepted the invitation.
Question: Do you have the kind of hope I have? What would happen if we all expressed our hope clearly to the people in our lives? If you don’t have this hope yet, would you want it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 21:25-26
OT – Job 1:1-3:26
NT – 1 Corinthians 14:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: I suppose that there are hundreds of different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, but to me they mean nothing. A person talking to me in one of these languages will be a stranger to me and I will be a stranger to him. – 1 Corinthians 14:10-11, The Living Bible
Thought: During my recent trip to Brazil, I learned a few words in Portuguese. I learned more Portuguese words than many people expected me to learn, and it was very enjoyable. But I have to be honest: if our hosts had not been able to communicate at least a bit in English, or to share praise songs with us that have the same tunes and meanings in both English and Portuguese, it would have been impossible to develop the relationships that blossomed during our time there. Understanding binds people together; mutual meaninglessness creates strangers and, sometimes, even enemies.
The first goal of a missionary in a foreign culture is understanding the language. Without that understanding, he/she will be a stranger to the host nation forever.
The first goal of a teacher in a classroom is to explain ideas clearly and to carefully define the meaning of any technical words as they come along. Using technical language without defining its meaning for the students would leave the teacher alone in understanding his lesson.
The first goal of a pastor in his assigned church is to help people hear God’s Word clearly. Without understanding God’s Word, no one would have a reason to zealously love and serve Jesus Christ.
And the first goal of a Christian with other believers or with neighbors and co-workers is to be plain about the basis for his hope of eternal life—to be able to say, “The God who created life plans to give me life forever, even if I die first, because the crimes that separated me from Him have already been punished. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died the death I deserved. And I know that God can raise me to life, because God raised Jesus to life again. I’ve entrusted my life into Jesus’ hands, and I’m following His teachings until God brings me home forever.”
Can we be clear? Jesus is alive, even though He died. He invites us to be His people. And I’ve accepted the invitation.
Question: Do you have the kind of hope I have? What would happen if we all expressed our hope clearly to the people in our lives? If you don’t have this hope yet, would you want it?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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