Don't settle for works so as to box God in. Don't settle for walls so as to block God out. And especially, don't settle for the world so as to brush God off. Sometimes we are tempted by the world and caught up in it, seeking to obtain the things of this world, not the Kingdom of God. Rather than focusing on the future and the hope God has promised us, we settle for what the world has to offer right now. But grace is faithful, and God seeks out those who belong to Him, reminding them that they are in the world, but not of the world.
"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:14)
One of the temptations the Israelites struggled with was the tendency to forget where they had come from and how they had gotten to the blessings of the Promised Land. The Lord knew that they would tend to look around them and settle for the tremendous blessings the land had to offer, forgetting all about God or putting off their responsibility to Him for another day. That is why the festivals were so important; they served to remind the people that they had been saved by God's grace. We have our own festival or feast, of course, which is the Lord's Supper. That is God's way of reminding us of how we have arrived where we are, lest we forget and settle for what the world has to offer. We must not forget that we are saved by grace through faith, and that as wonderful as this world is, a far better one awaits.
"Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead." (Psalm 143:1-3)
No one is righteous before God. All of us need grace in order to be declared righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from sin. In this Psalm the author speaks of the enemy who pursues him and crushes him into the ground. You and I are unlikely to have enemies like that. But it is quite possible for us to be pursued and crushed by the cares of the world. When we find ourselves caught up in seeking to attain the things of this world the end result will surely be a crushed soul. It does not profit someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul. And yet that is precisely what happens when we settle for worldly things. Don't settle for the things of this world and brushing God off, for that way leads to a crushed soul.
It never stops amazing me that we, somehow, matter to Him and, thru His Grace he continues to use us, refine us, bless us. One wall I see us putting up is the wall called “deserve”. We certainly know our failures and , by focusing on them, we hesitate to ask for the blessings, for the talents, for the opportunities to serve and grow closed to Him. But, then He knows our every failure as well and, through His Grace, we lack nothing! (James 1:4) How utterly amazing is that?! A verse I go back to is Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” …...”NEVER” …… not even when I act or react stupidly without even thinking to “consult” w/ Him ---That’s Grace! He will continue to accomplish what He wants through me and will not turn away by my stupidity – even when I’m clueless about what He wants me to do. ABBA, thank you
This week I've been studying the given scriptures, making copious notes, crossing out, rewording, LOOKING FOR THE WALL. Is that one of our assignments from God? Look for the wall.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. (Matthew 14:15-18)
Here's the funny thing about settling for the world so as to block God out: He is the one who provides all we need anyway. He is "Jehovah Jireh," the provider. When the sick came to Jesus, He healed them. Some had spent everything they had in order to find a cure, but it was God's touch which delivered them. Even the medical knowledge we have is a simple case of discovering what God already knows and applying it. Our food is provided by God. Our shelter is taken care of by God. When we settle for the world so as to brush God off, we are chasing what He already plans to give us. Why not, then, have both?
"What, then, shall we say in response 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, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32)
After working through the fact that everyone is saved by grace through faith alone, Paul ends this section of Romans with a soaring hymn to the grace and mercy of God. He revisits the point made in Matthew 14, pointing out that God will graciously provide all that we need. The world is against us and would separate us from God if it had that power, but it does not. No matter what forces array themselves against us, God is the stronger and nothing can stand between Him and His beloved. Rejoice today knowing that God is for you and has demonstrated His love for you in that He did not spare even His own Son in order to have a relationship with His chosen people.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
If nothing can separate us from God, why would we want to brush God off and settle for the world? There is much in the world that is good. There is much that is not. All of those things, good and bad, may tempt us to settle for the things of this world rather than the grace of God. But God has embraced us, and calls us to embrace His grace. When we do so there is nothing that can come between us and our Lord, and what once tempted us to brush Him off pales in comparison to the love and mercy we find in our glorious God.
Don't settle for works so as to box God in. Don't settle for walls so as to block God out. And especially, don't settle for the world so as to brush God off. Sometimes we are tempted by the world and caught up in it, seeking to obtain the things of this world, not the Kingdom of God. Rather than focusing on the future and the hope God has promised us, we settle for what the world has to offer right now. But grace is faithful, and God seeks out those who belong to Him, reminding them that they are in the world, but not of the world.
ReplyDelete"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance." (Exodus 12:14)
ReplyDeleteOne of the temptations the Israelites struggled with was the tendency to forget where they had come from and how they had gotten to the blessings of the Promised Land. The Lord knew that they would tend to look around them and settle for the tremendous blessings the land had to offer, forgetting all about God or putting off their responsibility to Him for another day. That is why the festivals were so important; they served to remind the people that they had been saved by God's grace. We have our own festival or feast, of course, which is the Lord's Supper. That is God's way of reminding us of how we have arrived where we are, lest we forget and settle for what the world has to offer. We must not forget that we are saved by grace through faith, and that as wonderful as this world is, a far better one awaits.
"Lord, hear my prayer,
ReplyDeletelisten to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead." (Psalm 143:1-3)
No one is righteous before God. All of us need grace in order to be declared righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from sin. In this Psalm the author speaks of the enemy who pursues him and crushes him into the ground. You and I are unlikely to have enemies like that. But it is quite possible for us to be pursued and crushed by the cares of the world. When we find ourselves caught up in seeking to attain the things of this world the end result will surely be a crushed soul. It does not profit someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul. And yet that is precisely what happens when we settle for worldly things. Don't settle for the things of this world and brushing God off, for that way leads to a crushed soul.
It never stops amazing me that we, somehow, matter to Him and, thru His Grace he continues to use us, refine us, bless us. One wall I see us putting up is the wall called “deserve”. We certainly know our failures and , by focusing on them, we hesitate to ask for the blessings, for the talents, for the opportunities to serve and grow closed to Him. But, then He knows our every failure as well and, through His Grace, we lack nothing! (James 1:4) How utterly amazing is that?!
ReplyDeleteA verse I go back to is Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” …...”NEVER” …… not even when I act or react stupidly without even thinking to “consult” w/ Him ---That’s Grace! He will continue to accomplish what He wants through me and will not turn away by my stupidity – even when I’m clueless about what He wants me to do.
ABBA, thank you
This week I've been studying the given scriptures, making copious notes, crossing out, rewording, LOOKING FOR THE WALL. Is that one of our assignments from God?
ReplyDeleteLook for the wall.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said.
ReplyDelete(Matthew 14:15-18)
Here's the funny thing about settling for the world so as to block God out: He is the one who provides all we need anyway. He is "Jehovah Jireh," the provider. When the sick came to Jesus, He healed them. Some had spent everything they had in order to find a cure, but it was God's touch which delivered them. Even the medical knowledge we have is a simple case of discovering what God already knows and applying it. Our food is provided by God. Our shelter is taken care of by God. When we settle for the world so as to brush God off, we are chasing what He already plans to give us. Why not, then, have both?
"What, then, shall we say in response 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, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31-32)
ReplyDeleteAfter working through the fact that everyone is saved by grace through faith alone, Paul ends this section of Romans with a soaring hymn to the grace and mercy of God. He revisits the point made in Matthew 14, pointing out that God will graciously provide all that we need. The world is against us and would separate us from God if it had that power, but it does not. No matter what forces array themselves against us, God is the stronger and nothing can stand between Him and His beloved. Rejoice today knowing that God is for you and has demonstrated His love for you in that He did not spare even His own Son in order to have a relationship with His chosen people.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
ReplyDeleteIf nothing can separate us from God, why would we want to brush God off and settle for the world? There is much in the world that is good. There is much that is not. All of those things, good and bad, may tempt us to settle for the things of this world rather than the grace of God. But God has embraced us, and calls us to embrace His grace. When we do so there is nothing that can come between us and our Lord, and what once tempted us to brush Him off pales in comparison to the love and mercy we find in our glorious God.
Good Sabbath! May we all enjoy God's blessings as we gather to celebrate His love for us today. It's all about that grace!
ReplyDelete