Devotion.al

  • Follow the Call

    1 Samuel 2:27–3:18, 1 Samuel 16:1–13, Matthew 7:15–27 (read online ⧉)

    Often we are oblivious to God’s . We succumb to the world’s that things “just happen” and we “earned” it all. While in some regards there is in the world’s words, there is a conflict between the underlying great Truth that undergirds many of the world, and Christians. Much of the world believes that there is no God or (at best) God “set and forgot” the world and walk away. Christians, on the other hand, believe that God is active and moving in the world, especially through the work of the Spirit who works through each of us.

    Eli was aware of God. Yet, he chose to disregard God’s blessings by allowing his sons and servants to ignore the Law about the sacrifices. What Eli was thinking is not in the . His response was either fatalistic or more along the lines of disbelief. One would think that disbelief was far from Eli’s thought process, especially with the morning’s revelations from Samuel. There is no sign or mention of repentance. Yes, Eli was upset with his sons, just not upset enough to place God before them.

    The story of Saul follows a somewhat similar line as Saul’s behavior was a lack of in God. That lack of faith removed the of Israel from Saul’s (and his descendants’) hands before it was even firmly established. Saul’s efforts were vapor in the wind. Still, he strived and strived. Despite having had God-directed encounters, unbelief still ended up sending him down a path that wasn’t what he wanted.

    Sometimes God calls us to great things. Sometimes God calls us to small things. From small to large, God calls us. Sometimes what we think are great things (that are beyond our abilities or gifts) are really only a collection of a lot of small (even tiny) little steps of following God’s call on our lives. Sometimes it is only when we look back and see the little things stack up that we realize how large and great God’s call was on our lives.

    No matter what stage of we are in, we are always called to follow God into new things.

    1) What do you think Eli’s s struggles were based on? Pride? Unfaithfulness? Tiredness?

    2) Have you had a refreshing of God’s call on your life? If so, what it is? If not, will you pursue it?

  • Called to do or be?

    2 Kings 2:11–15, Malachi 4:4–6, Mark 9:11–13, Luke 9:18–21, John 1:19–28 (read online ⧉)

    Moses was the Great Propet of Israel, as he brought the Torah to Israel. Through the and humanness of Moses, the Israelites became more than a collection of related families. They became a nation. You would think, therefore, with his place at the forefront of Israelite history, Moses would be the one the First Century Jews would be waiting for. He, Moses, led them out of captivity to the most powerful nation (at that time) on earth. Who else would lead the Jews (the remnants of Israel) out of their current captivity/oppression of the First Century’s most powerful nation on earth, Rome? Yet, it was Elijah who was expected.

    To be clear, this is not a reincarnation story. Neither Moses nor Elijah were expected to be reincarnated. Our familiarity with other religions can actually lead us down false trails, as we all use the same language and words to convey different understandings. The language used is similar, but its intent is to convey something different. From the perspectives of the , whether we’re talking about Malachi or all the words spoken about John the Baptist or Jesus Christ regarding Elijah, it is not literally Elijah, but the person whose time and place it is to be an Elijah. In other words, the person called has called at a particular time or place to bring the descendants of Israel back into with God.

    Malachi expected this “ of Elijah” to lead Israel back to God, restoring relationship and right to the people. By the time of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, Elijah was more of—though not solely—a cleansing spiritual that would restore the people’s desire for God, not just relationship and worship. In that regard, John the Baptists did “carry” the “spirit of Elijah.” People came to him in repentance and to be spiritually restored and healed. Jesus Christ, himself, recognized that John the Baptists bore the “spirit of Elijah.” Only John denied it.

    There could be a number of reasons why. There are two likely reasons. The first reason would be that he didn’t want to draw attention away from the Messiah. That is a reasonable thing, as everyone was looking to a Messiah, just as they were looking for an Elijah. There would be pressure and (as if John the Baptist probably didn’t already have it) to be an Elijah. John the Baptist already knew he wasn’t the Messiah.

    Probably the most likely reason is that John the Baptist didn’t seem himself as Elijah. Yes, John the Baptist probably did see prophetic ministry in himself. Whether it was quiet (does not see himself as an Elijah) or studied humility (did not want to take away from the Messiah), either one is defensible and either one is good. John also, however, did not stop being who God called him to be and doing what the Spirit led him to do.

    1) Does it really matter whether John the Baptist bore the “spirit of Elijah?” Why or why not?

    2) Often people dismiss themselves, their abilities, or their calling by saying something like, “I’m not like…,” or “I don’t have….” How have you dismissed your calling lately?

    3) People expected whoever had “the spirit of Elijah” to lead them. What is wrong with that expectation? What is valid with that expectation?

  • Learn Deeply

    Mark 9:2–13, Mark 9:30–32 (read online ⧉)

    School could bring happiness to some, and great misery to . Often the refrain of children is, “what’s the point.” “This is useless.” “I’ll never use this.” Perhaps you’ve said it yourself. Learning can often be hard. Learning new concepts can be even harder. Learning things that shatter your self-perception or perception of the world are the hardest of all.

    With ‘ fame as extensive as it was and growing, he and the disciples were probably not often alone, although we don’t really know. Only 3 of the disciples witnessed the . Did the 3 really not tell the others? Can you imagine witnessing such a and having to keep quiet? Apparently, they did. Was it possibly just one of those amazing things among other amazing things that they experienced.

    Perhaps it was time to process all those events. Jesus seems to have set some focused time with the disciples. They experienced yet something else that didn’t fit. They had to understand at some point. What is interesting is that this particular time is framed in reference to the coming cross. The implication is that Jesus did some more extensive teaching of his disciples to understand what would happen. Based on responses, it is likely that Jesus was setting the foundation/groundwork for them to be able to understand in the future, even while they didn’t understand at that point.

    Was it frustrating to Jesus? Many would say, “of course not! He’s Jesus!” On the other hand, Jesus is man, so it makes sense that he would be quite frustrated with their thick-headedness. Teachers deal with this on a constant basis. Parents deal with this on a constant basis. Trying to pass on requires them the framework to build on future knowledge. In an often desperate attempt for the “them” to get it, though, there is this push to get information into them. Yet, that often results in frustration and setbacks.

    Jesus provides us a small example. space to process. However, in today’s world, everything is pushing information to us. We often don’t have time—and don’t make time—to process information. This means that the information we are given becomes a confused mess, and often our responses are the same. This leads to hard feelings and wall-building, which is not the intent at all.

    1) What is God calling on you to sit and process? What is one big thing/goal/learning that God has brought into your that you need God’s help to work through?

    2) Who do you have in your life do you have to help you process things, especially “God” sorts of things?

    3) How do you process things? Do you have another for “process”?

  • Connectional Motivation

    Mark 8:27–33, Luke 4:1–13

    up to God’s hands can be very hard. It’s interesting that explained (in basic terms) what was going to happen. It wasn’t could happen; it was would happen. Peter, emotional Peter, didn’t want to lose his friend. There also could have been a bit or, “things are going so well for you (and us). Why wreck it now?” We often look at Peter with something less than sympathy, saying, “don’t you know?” No! Peter didn’t know. He didn’t understand at all. Besides, the Messiah was supposed to be a triumphant (some form of it) figure, not a tragic figure.

    Jesus’ calling Peter out as, “…Satan…” it always interesting. Some imagine that Satan possessed Peter or whispered to Peter, and Jesus responded to Satan. Yet, the real issue isn’t so much Satan (though it is an issue), but the worldly that Peter was operating under. This worldly view was present with Jesus’ in the desert.

    When Jesus addressed Peter as “Satanas”, it was likely more a title or appellation, rather than the called Satan. We can draw this from the words that Jesus continued with afterward. Satanas means adversary or someone being in the role of adversary. One could go so far as to say that this was a temptation to worldly things presented by a friend (Peter) rather than an opponent (the Devil who tempted Jesus in the desert); harder to dismiss because of one’s feelings.

    Depending on where one is on their journey with Jesus Christ, choosing to follow God’s path can be a very hard path of suffering and cross-bearing. Depending on what one has to , it could be quite difficult (parents, spouse, children). This is not to say we are to develop some of the Eastern austerity traditions of disassociation or detachment. It does mean we are called to practice releasing to God.

    As long as we live in the world, the world will upon us to put it first, along with what it values. God calls upon us to value God first. If we are properly oriented in that direction, other concerns and cares will take their appropriate place.

    1) In what ways are you currently struggling with what the world wants and what you believe God wants? How do you what God wants?

    2) Where and when have you been guilty of responding like Peter, putting what you think God should want versus what the world expects?

    3) Why would detachment or disassociation from the world be bad from a Godly perspective?

  • Chained

    Romans 5:12–21, Philippians 2:5–11, Hebrews 5:1–10 (read online ⧉)

    Obedience is hard. God knows that it is hard for us. That doesn’t excuse us from it, however.

    It seems perfectly reasonable to draw from the that part of ‘ unspoken mission was to show obedience and that obedience is possible. There were points in Jesus’ earthly ministry that he could have not obeyed and had a completely different result. Obedience was hard. Jesus did it anyway.

    It is amazing (and depressing) that the first disobedience led to a very long line of disobedience. points out that Adam was the first man, and through Adam death came. This is, for the record, more of a story, as it does exclude Eve’s contribution. Paul was trying to tie all the prophets , even Moses, into a big line of and death. This chain of sin and death was a result of disobedience. The Jewish perspective by this point was not an overwhelmingly positive one. Sin and death were very much a part of their concepts. To some degree, First Century Jews had an almost dystopian view of the world (as do many people today). Finding the positive was hard.

    Paul states that while the sin that brought sin and death to the world may be overwhelming, the and wrought through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was greater still. So much greater was this that it didn’t stop merely with canceling sin and death, it brought abundant life.

    This gift of grace and mercy is given through obedience. It is not an obedience of . It is an obedience of for the sacrifice made that we couldn’t make and acceptance of it.

    1) As a child, what was the hardest rule of your parents to obey? Why?

    2) Why is it important to understand that sin and death are chains? Whose chains are they?

    3) What is your understanding of Jesus’ obedience? What does that mean right now for your life?

  • Give Us More to Bear

    Psalm 119:9–16, Proverbs 2:1–22, Ephesians 1:17–19 (read online ⧉)

    There is an old editorial cartoon…2 people come up to a fence with a . On the sign it reads, “do not cross over fence.” One person says to the other, “ rules are meant to keep you under control,” and the person jumps over the fence. The fence? Well, it was to keep a person from going over the cliff…

    On the opposite of the spectrum is the sheer number of choices people have regarding food, toiletries, college majors, college , cars, homes, and so on. In fact, since Barry Swartz wrote The Paradox of Choice in 2004, psychologists and anthropologies have started to document what happens when we have too much choice…we actually become paralyzed in our thinking: analysis paralysis. There have also some business studies that show when there are boundaries, people make more creative and even out-of-the- solutions to solve problems.

    The rules that Adam and Eve…correction, the single rule that Adam and Eve had to follow…they didn’t. apologists and theologians have for centuries knocked the rules set out in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as overly onerous. Yet, the civic code for many cities far outweighs the 613 rules (both positive and negative ones) that were a result. There are around 200 basic rules for American Football. If you add the permutations/variables, some counts put it close to 400. Think about that for a moment. People declare that the rules were too hard in Jesus’ time, but scream at the television during a football because the referee got the wrong (maybe).

    A report from 1982 (the last time this was attempted) put the number of federal crimes as around 3000. First, that was 1982. While some offenses have definitely been eliminated, have been created. Even the U.S. Federal Government cannot count how many laws, regulations, and even criminal offenses there are. This also doesn’t account for other rules regarding international behavior, nor does it cover states, nor does it cover counties, nor does it cover cities. Any organization you are a member of (including businesses, schools, churches) have their own sets of rules, too. Just setting aside speeding, most people break laws every day, and a lot of them we may not even know (if the monitors of the laws don’t even know what the laws are).

    We don’t seem to mind the laws of man. In fact, in pretty much every election cycle there is some call for some new regulation/law/crime…but God better not tell us what to do! There is something…bothersome…that just bugs us that God tells us, “no”. Part of it, so it seems, is that we think we understand other humans. So, we regulate them to protect ourselves. We push for laws for “them”, but don’t think of ourselves as “them”. Of course, “they” want to regulate us, so they pass their laws, too.

    God, on the other hand, really is not the God of regulations. That’s a thing. God gives us free will. God did us boundaries. As the Creator, God might just happen to know what is best for us. Still, we seem to struggle.

    1) What is the one “don’t” from God that you struggle with? Are sure that is a God don’t, and not a human don’t?

    2) Human don’ts can be good, too. What human don’t (or don’ts) can you think of that align with God’s?

    3) Why do you think it appears to be easier to obey 3000+ human laws, but harder to obey 613 of God’s laws?*

    *Note that the 613 laws are being used as an example and to make a point. They are not automatically rules for . Jesus Christ transformed the Law into something completely different.

  • Bacon Obedience

    Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21, Numbers 15:37–41 (read online ⧉)

    According to some people, bacon deserves its own food group. There is a somewhat true adage, cook bacon and the men will come. Sad, but true. A mercifully short culinary path was bacon everything: bacon mints, bacon gum, bacon ice cream, bacon shaped bandages, bacon jelly beans. Pretty much the bacon theme was done. And some of it was just disgusting. In Israelite (and subsequent Jewish) culture/religion, pigs were unclean animals. They weren’t to be eaten. There is a lot of speculation as to why pigs were prohibited. One of the theories revolves around a particular parisite that was common in pigs (and is still an issue today to a far lesser degree). Another theory is that pigs are, effectively, scavengers. They eat pretty much anything. That has its own health issues. Scavengers and bottom feeders (think shellfish) were also prohibited food. A slightly off-the-beaten-path theory is that pigs are so easy to raise for food, that sheep (and other clean animals) were a manifestation of God’s of the Israelites.

    The Shema Yisrael (this collection of today’s passages) isn’t about bacon or pork, or even food. It is about a with God. The tassels (Numbers 15:27) were another physical manifestation of a person declaring their loyalty to God. By their food (or lack of particular kinds) and clothing, they displayed that they were in relationship and fellowship with God. We focus a lot on the “rules” in the Old Testament. Yet, the rules were never the point. The rules were actually the that the Israelites loved God more than other gods, cultures, nations, or tribes. They were to show that God was more important to them than anything or anyone else.

    The Christian world is a mixed bag when it comes to obeying the food laws of the Old Testament. Certain traditions hold to some of them. Some hold to a “Garden of Eden” level. Most of the Christian world, however, does not view the Old Testament dietary laws as binding. Of course, while perhaps not viewing them as binding, they look at them as guidelines and will try to follow them to some degree. So, no bacon for you.

    If you don’t like bacon, that’s easy for you. However, it isn’t about the bacon. It’s about the relationship. In the Christian circle, even among those the food adherents, that is the recognized reality. Even in the Roman Catholic (often being accused about being more about law than ) acknowledges and teaches that relationship is primary. It’s not as if rules and practices are bad, quite the contrary. It is the reason between the practices and rules that is important: of God.

    1) How do rules affect and influence between people?

    2) If, through prayer, God revealed that you had to never eat your favorite food again (even bacon), what would you do? Why? Would you struggle?

    3) Bacon can also provide an allegory to our spiritual . Something that God forbade one, may have not forbidden another. How do you interact with people whose forbidden thing (, pot, smoking, pork, movies, etc.) is different than yours? What is your forbidding thing or things?

  • Long Road of Obedience

    James 1:2–8, 1 Peter 1:3–9 (read online ⧉)

    “No ; no gain.” It’s highly likely that you heard this phrase at some point in your . Often the phrase was/is used in weight-lifting/-training. The understanding is that the resistance (lifting the weight for repetition) will hurt (especially the next day). The result is muscles that are better capable the next time to repeat the effort. When a muscle is “gained” this way, it is torn. We don’t think of improving our clothing by tearing it (yes, there is a fashion “sense” that does this, but it isn’t an improvement, per se).

    Sometimes it isn’t pain that grows us. Mental pain improves us (think schooling). Emotional pain makes us resilient. Pain still isn’t any fun.

    Spiritually, often the greatest growth is due to the greatest pain. Some have called it a time of being in a spiritual desert. Some have called it the long night of the soul. Some have called it being empty. Contrary to our usual emotional and intellectual , this is when we need to lean most heavily upon God. This is also often when we don’t. We avoid God. We avoid talking to God. We avoid reading of God. We avoid all things about God. Then we wonder where God went, failing (or choosing not) to recognize that it is not God who left us, but we who left God.

    On the other hand, if we instead develop practices that continue in , reading, and , our foundation becomes firm. Often it is obedience to those practices during the dry time that produces the deepest growth as we exit the desert. The obedience learned in the desert prepare each of our steps so that we can see the ‘s love in the steps we take, follow ‘ path, and live by the .

    1) When was the last spiritual desert you experienced? What was the result? How did you make it through?

    2) People often view spiritual things and practices as if they ought to be different than everything else. Why do you think that is?

    3) “Going through the motions” often seems false, yet that is often when we are most deeply trained. Why is that? What spiritual practices are so ingrained that you cannot imagine not doing them?

Devotion.al

Follow the Call

1 Samuel 2:27–3:18, 1 Samuel 16:1–13, Matthew 7:15–27 (read online ⧉)

Often we are oblivious to God’s . We succumb to the world’s perspective that things “just happen” and we “earned” it all. While in some regards there is in the world’s words, there is a conflict between the underlying great Truth that undergirds many of the world, and Christians. Much of the world believes that there is no God or (at best) God “set and forgot” the world and walk away. Christians, on the other hand, believe that God is active and moving in the world, especially through the work of the Spirit who works through each of us.

Eli was aware of God. Yet, he chose to disregard God’s blessings by allowing his sons and servants to ignore the Law about the sacrifices. What Eli was thinking is not in the . His was either fatalistic or more along the lines of disbelief. One would think that disbelief was far from Eli’s thought process, especially with the morning’s revelations from Samuel. There is no or mention of repentance. Yes, Eli was upset with his sons, just not upset enough to place God before them.

The story of Saul follows a somewhat similar line as Saul’s behavior was a lack of in God. That lack of faith removed the of Israel from Saul’s (and his descendants’) hands before it was even firmly established. Saul’s efforts were vapor in the wind. Still, he strived and strived. Despite having had God-directed encounters, unbelief still ended up sending him down a path that wasn’t what he wanted.

Sometimes God calls us to great things. Sometimes God calls us to small things. From small to large, God calls us. Sometimes what we think are great things (that are beyond our abilities or gifts) are really only a collection of a lot of small (even tiny) little faithful steps of following God’s on our lives. Sometimes it is only when we look back and see the little things stack up that we realize how large and great God’s call was on our lives.

No matter what stage of life we are in, we are always called to follow God into new things.

1) What do you think Eli’s s struggles were based on? Pride? Unfaithfulness? Tiredness?

2) Have you had a refreshing of God’s call on your life? If so, what it is? If not, will you pursue it?