There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die.....Ecclesiastes 3
There comes time in everyone's life when they experience a significant loss of a friend or family member. I myself lost my grandfather last week. For a moment in time I lost my hope in God and his greater plans. I was overwhelmed with sadness and a deep sense of emptiness. When I stopped to think about the meaning of life and the new beginning we receive after our death here on earth I found this scripture that reassured me that death is indeed a part of life. At my grandpa's funeral the pastor talked about the differences between human death and the way God perceives death. God doesn't want us to feel as though this is an ending; he wants us to embrace a joyous homecoming. My grandpa had given his life to God a long time ago and I know now that someday I will meet me grandpa again in heaven. When you experience a loss remember God allows us a chance to weep for those we have lost but wants us to ultimately find comfort and joy in the homecoming of all his children
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Overflow by Dan Miller
This devotional is taken from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers from October 19th. Found at http://utmost.org/. At the bottom is my interpretation of this devotion. I have highlighted important parts that I took away from this devotional. My interpretation is at the bottom. I encourage you to pick out your own message from this and let God speak to you as you read this.
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world - John 18:36
"The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation . . . . For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). It is a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives to be seen by others, while it is the innermost, personal area that reveals the power of a person’s life.
We must get rid of the plague of the spirit of this religious age in which we live. In our Lord’s life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.
It is not the practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College— its entire strength lies in the fact that here you are immersed in the truths of God to soak in them before Him. You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in overactivity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God’s redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
_________________________________________________
My interpretation of this is not meant to scare you away from service, but to refocus your purpose of service. The service you are involved in should not be simply to show others you are a Christian. I am too often guilty of this without even knowing it. (If you truly live a Christian life like Jesus, then people will notice without effort from you). The service should be an extra thing. The service should come because you love God so much that you can't contain it yourself. That it overflows to others. I have spent a lot of time lately figuring out the purpose of my service. If it's truly something I am doing out of the relationship I have with God, then there is no question I will engage in that action. But if the purpose is to impress other people and prove my worth to them, I must learn to say no to those things and focus on my relationship with God.
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world - John 18:36
"The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation . . . . For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). It is a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives to be seen by others, while it is the innermost, personal area that reveals the power of a person’s life.
We must get rid of the plague of the spirit of this religious age in which we live. In our Lord’s life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.
It is not the practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College— its entire strength lies in the fact that here you are immersed in the truths of God to soak in them before Him. You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in overactivity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God’s redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
_________________________________________________
My interpretation of this is not meant to scare you away from service, but to refocus your purpose of service. The service you are involved in should not be simply to show others you are a Christian. I am too often guilty of this without even knowing it. (If you truly live a Christian life like Jesus, then people will notice without effort from you). The service should be an extra thing. The service should come because you love God so much that you can't contain it yourself. That it overflows to others. I have spent a lot of time lately figuring out the purpose of my service. If it's truly something I am doing out of the relationship I have with God, then there is no question I will engage in that action. But if the purpose is to impress other people and prove my worth to them, I must learn to say no to those things and focus on my relationship with God.
In Quietness and Confidence by Ben Prather
Isaiah 30:15The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”
One distinct memory I have as a child is my first crime. When I was 5 years old I stole a Micro-machine race car model from Walgreens. I remember I was so happy that I could walk out of the store with that prized possession, so happy in fact I felt I needed to tell my mother about it! When she realized what I had done she told me I needed to apologize and return the toy. I felt I needed to explain the situation, that if she only understood how much I wanted this one and that the store had millions of toy cars so they couldn’t miss having this one. To no avail I walked slowly into the Walgreens, warm tears rushing down my face and placed the toy car on the check out counter.I think this example might illustrate our relationship with God. Instead of relying on our faith in God we choose to take care of the situation ourselves (as if we knew what is best for us).
Isaiah 30:15The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”
In this passage, God warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only God could do that. They must wait for him in “quietness and confidence.” No amount of fast talking or hasty activity could speed up God’s grand design. We have nothing to say to God but thank you. Salvation comes from God alone. Because he has saved us, we can trust him and be peacefully confident that he will give us strength to face our difficulties. We should lay aside our well-laid plans and allow him to act. When was the last time you returned to God and patiently waited for His direction? How has your faith been your confidence through trials?
One distinct memory I have as a child is my first crime. When I was 5 years old I stole a Micro-machine race car model from Walgreens. I remember I was so happy that I could walk out of the store with that prized possession, so happy in fact I felt I needed to tell my mother about it! When she realized what I had done she told me I needed to apologize and return the toy. I felt I needed to explain the situation, that if she only understood how much I wanted this one and that the store had millions of toy cars so they couldn’t miss having this one. To no avail I walked slowly into the Walgreens, warm tears rushing down my face and placed the toy car on the check out counter.I think this example might illustrate our relationship with God. Instead of relying on our faith in God we choose to take care of the situation ourselves (as if we knew what is best for us).
Isaiah 30:15The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”
In this passage, God warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only God could do that. They must wait for him in “quietness and confidence.” No amount of fast talking or hasty activity could speed up God’s grand design. We have nothing to say to God but thank you. Salvation comes from God alone. Because he has saved us, we can trust him and be peacefully confident that he will give us strength to face our difficulties. We should lay aside our well-laid plans and allow him to act. When was the last time you returned to God and patiently waited for His direction? How has your faith been your confidence through trials?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
