Devotion.al

Tag: expectation

  • Sinning Fear

    Hebrews 10:26–11:1, 1 Corinthians 10:1–14 (read online ⧉)

    When we read verse 26 many people will become consumed by fear. There are a lot of people who were taught (and are being taught) that if you confess your sins (usually at church) then commit one immediately after, and then die, it’s as if the confession never existed. That is an incredibly hard place to live. There have been many Christians who have been worn down by this belief and it is heartbreaking, for it is not what the author of Hebrews intended.

    The concept of deliberately sinning is something that needs careful unpacking, and it is (in many respects) far beyond today’s devotional to dig into it. When we look at it with John Wesley’s understanding of sin (Sin is a willful transgression of a revealed and known law of God.) it not only helps, it ties in much better. The reality is that we will sin. However, it’s whether it is a lifestyle, or not. We can always try to convince ourselves that we are not making it a lifestyle. That is likely a tell that we are indeed a lifestyle of sin. What helps us to not continue walking down the slippery slope (for it is one), is the expectation of judgment and fury.

    This is where a real balancing act has to occur. We don’t want to live in a life of fear, nor should we. Yet, we need to be aware that without Jesus Christ we are in that danger of judgment and fury. In other words, we ought to seek to not sin not because we fear, but out of thankfulness and gratitude that we do not have to fear.

    On the other hand, self-justification is what the author of Hebrews wants us to avoid. The understands (or should) that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and any temptations we have ought to be tempered by the thought of crucifying Jesus. While this sounds severe and even brutal, this is what keeps us from losing our way. When we stop being horrified at crucifying Jesus Christ, then are we a Christian any longer? As the writer continues, he recalls to his readers/hearers that they have already suffered and persevered through abuse and persecutions. The author is telling them that by continuing in sinful behavior they are spitting on their own sacrifices. As the writer reminds us, it is faith that leads us through temptations and even our sins. We are ever reliant upon the and mercy of God!

    Of course, what constitutes sin is always asked in these situations. That’s pretty . reminds us that the Israelites all ate the same food and drank the same water as Moses. A portion died as a result of their behavior. Special food or drink didn’t save them ( as a means of grace is something different). They were drawn and tempted into old patterns, just as we are today.

    1) What is your initial to 1 Corinthians 10:13? How do you think it applies to our passage in Hebrews?

    2) Are you fearful of the consequence of your sin? Why or why not? If so, how do you beyond the fear?

    3) Do you really trust that a way out is provided (1 Corinthians 10:13)?

    : Write out a to God using 1 Corinthians 10:13 as a starting point; perhaps a prayer of thanksgiving.

  • Anticipatory Expectation

    Romans 8:18–25, Revelation 5:1–10 (read online ⧉)

    What are we expecting? What are we anticipating? Expectation and anticipation are not always positive, as we often “wait” for the other shoe to drop. It is in this mindset that anxiety can step in and take over us.

    is personified in Paul’s text. This anthropomorphic thinking of Creation puts a different spin on things. We could then get in line with those that say things link, “Mother Nature is angry at humanity.” Almost. Environmental degradation was not a strong concern in Paul’s era. However, people did experience hurricanes, cyclones, severe storms, ice, hail, volcanoes, earthquakes, etcetera. When we think of these severe events, we can sympathize with Paul’s thinking.

    What is more interesting is the implication of Paul’s words. You see, it is not just about us. We finite creations are not all that are affected by . All of creation was affected. The Fall of humanity was not just about humanity, but the consequence that was then delivered to all of creation. In the carol, to the World, we sing:
       No more let sins and sorrows grow,
         Nor thorns infest the ground;
    He comes to make his blessings flow
    Far as the curse is found.

    The infestation of thorns (and weeds), plus the sweat now required of humanity to farm, and even the fact that creatures eat one another, are all signs of fallen creation. All of Creation waits to be restored, too.

    That is at the core of John’s of Heaven. The Seven-Sealed Scroll was the fulfillment of all from Heaven to Earth. We can understand that in John’s vision, the scroll not being opened meant that God’s plan wouldn’t/couldn’t be fulfilled for just the brief moment. That brief moment is all that it takes to get that “drop in the stomach” feeling of . If all were truly based on a scroll, then hope would be pointless. True hope relies not on the scroll, but on . Heaven and Earth rejoice, indeed.

    1) Are you constantly waiting for the “other shoe to drop”? If no, how do you plan for and thrive beyond things to go bad? If yes, how do you under all that emotional weight?

    2) Do you think it is important that Creation is waiting, too? Why or why not?

  • Stars of Hope

    Genesis 22:15–18, Deuteronomy 1:10, Isaiah 54:1–10, Romans 4:13–25 (read online ⧉)

    Twice God promised Abraham (and once for Jacob) that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Imagine all the stars without our modern lights drowning them out. For Abraham that was a promise beyond , and certainly beyond anything that God needed to promise for Abraham’s obedience. God made this promise of God’s own free will.

    As inheritor’s of God’s promise, Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s fulfilled promise prior to their entry into the Promised Land. The Israelites were the result of Abraham’s . That God was gave them hope as they entered the promised land, as long as they listened to God.

    Often keeping the of hope going is a challenge while everyone else’s seems to be a huge successful bonfire. The promise of uncountable descendants is extraordinarily painful when one is childless. Isaiah speaks of Israel that has no children. This symbolic Israel is God’s faithful . She has no children of , for they have all left the faith. The enemies of and in the world have drawn her offspring away from the Water of Life. God, however, promises the now barren Israel will have innumerable children.

    This is what Paul is referring to as the Promise of Faith. Being the of Nations (Abraham) is no longer an issue of blood, but the fulfillment of the faith that Abraham showed to God and those that put their hope in . Through Jesus, we all become part of “the blood” of Abraham, and part of the “nations” that he fathered.

    1) Why do you think Isaiah used barren as a of hope?

    2) Why is important to recall the fulfilled promises of God? What does it do for us?

    FD) Why do you think hope often symbolized by a flame?

  • The First Sunday of Advent

    Psalm 122, Isaiah 32:1–20, Ezekiel 37:26–28 (read online ⧉)

    There was a (awful) Superman movie in the ’80s called the Quest for Peace. In it, Superman takes care of the bad guy (of course) and takes care of (i.e., eliminates) all the nuclear weapons (which the US and USSR were rapidly building up at the time). The superhero movie genre hadn’t broken out, yet. In the movie, there was a kernel of this American (and some would say Christian) optimism that if we get rid of all the weapons, there would be no war or strife.

    That, sadly, is not demonstrated by humanity over the years. Humanity doesn’t seem to do well in peace. Despite the internet and 24-hour news, we currently live in a time when fewer people are in wars than ever before, and that even includes terrorism. However, almost as if there is a perverse understanding that this couldn’t possibly be the case, we are deluged with stories about bloody conflict after bloody conflict.

    David’s psalm starts with a focus on rejoicing on praising God. David continues on with the focus on praying for peace within walls and within brothers and friends. We all want peace at home, whether it be in our country, state, city, neighborhood, or behind the doors of our homes. While we all seem to understand this almost unachievable peace, we still pursue it.

    God’s peace has a strong tendency to overthrow the status quo and . Isaiah calls nobles fools and important people scoundrels. Isaiah notes that the will pour out, and our perspectives will . and will spread, and peace will be its fruit.

    The as the underlying producer of peace makes sense with Ezekiel, as God declares a new of peace. God will establish. God will multiply it. God’s new covenant is by God’s power, not by ours.

    1) What is the difference between God’s peace versus mankind’s peace?

    2) Why is God needed for true peace?

    3) What is one thing you can do to encourage true peace in and for ?

  • Peace By God

    Psalm 122, Isaiah 32:1–20, Ezekiel 37:26–28

    ‌There was a (awful) Superman movie in the ‘80s called the Quest for Peace. In it Superman takes care of the bad guy (of course) and takes care of (i.e., eliminates) all the nuclear weapons (which the US and USSR were rapidly building up at the time). The superhero movie genre hadn’t broken out, yet. In the movie, there was a kernel of this American (and some would say ) optimism that if we get rid of all the weapons, there would be no war or strife.

    ‌That, sadly, is not demonstrated by humanity over the years. Humanity doesn’t seem to do well in peace. Despite the and 24-hour news, we currently live in a time when fewer people are in wars than ever before, and that even includes terrorism. However, almost as if there is a perverse understanding that this couldn’t possibly be the case, we are deluged with stories about bloody conflict after bloody conflict.

    ‌David’s psalm starts with a focus on rejoicing on praising God. David continues on with the focus on praying for peace within walls and within brothers and friends. We all want peace at home, whether it be in our country, state, city, neighborhood, or behind the doors of our homes. While we all seem to understand this almost unachievable peace, we still pursue it.

    ‌God’s peace has a strong tendency to overthrow the status quo and . Isaiah calls nobles fools and important people scoundrels. Isaiah notes that the will pour out, and our perspectives will change. and will spread, and peace will be its fruit.

    ‌The Sprit as the underlying producer of peace makes sense with Ezekiel, as God declares a new covenant of peace. God will establish. God will multiply it. God’s new covenant is by God’s , not by ours.

    • ‌1) What is the different of God’s peace versus mankind’s peace?
    • ‌2) Why is God needed for true peace?
    • ‌3) What is one thing you can do to encourage true peace in and for ?

  • Rules of Mercy

    Exodus 25:16–22, Isaiah 33:17–22, Psalm 118 (read online ⧉)

    So much of the Levitical law was about the dos and don’ts. Israelites and (later) Christians became overly concerned about the blood being shed, and all the sins committed requiring it. Yet, God set out an that was right there for anyone to see, if they were able.

    God talks about the Ark of the in this passage. The that carried the 10 Commandments, a sample of mana, and later Aaron’s sprouted staff was capped with the seat. The mercy seat. All of this was covered by mercy. God’s mercy. Then God goes and states that the mercy seat is where God will the people.

    Why is this significant? Perhaps if people had focused on mercy, rather than the rules, God’s great commandments ( the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and . Love your neighbor as yourself.) would not have been so lost in rules that were lived out in a way that made God into a horrible vicious creature that so many people feared (the bad kind of ) and didn’t love.

    When you can “see” God as sitting on the mercy seat, you can better understand Isaiah’s words about the beauty of God. Isaiah continues on about the majesty of God. This passage ends with God being judge (with mercy), lawgiver (in mercy), and king (of mercy).

    1) Having a right understanding of God is essential to having a good with God. Can you have a good relationship with someone seemingly always angry, bitter, belittling, dismissive, judgemental, unforgiving, or harsh?

    2) If we do not start with God seated on the mercy seat, how would we relate to God?

    3) When we read Psalm 118 we read about God being the source of true . How does this fit into the narrative of God being seated on the mercy seat?

  • Who Restores

    Deuteronomy 30:1–5, Jonah 2:2–9, Isaiah 44:24–28

    Have you ever recognized that there is an implied title and of God that gets missed? Restorer.

    We use Healer, often, which is close. Another word could be Reconciler. We don’t use Restorer or Reconciler, because in most cases of their use (restore and reconcile), they are verbs, not nouns.

    Yet, and are at the heart of . Think of it this way. Through Jesus’ sinless walk on Earth and his sacrificial on the cross, we are reconciled to God (). Through and Jesus’ resurrection, we are restored (position) to the “place” we would have had prior to the Fall (Adam and Eve).

    It can be easy to fall into the reconciliation way of thinking, because while on Earth that is both our and our experience.

    We get a taste of restoration in baptism, but it really is a poor experience in comparison to the full restoration once we are in Heaven.

    1) What do you think of restoration and reconciliation?

    2) How do you think restoration and reconciliation work with other people?

    3) We can understand how reconciliation works with our interpersonal . How does restoration work? Thinking about restoration as God restores, is it possible for a damaged relationship to be restored? Why or why not?

  • Blind to the Signs

    Ezekiel 12:21–28, Jeremiah 32:17–23, Matthew 16:1–4

    In the Post-Enlightenment or Scientific (depending on how you want to define either or both), evidence has been crucial. It’s not as if we are all that different than the Israelites.

    Ezekiel’s words come at a time when there have been many Men of God who, by God’s direction, preached repentance and warned of impending doom. Yet, instead of taking such to heart, the people hardened their hearts away from God. They thought that the so-called Men of God must have been delusional because the doom hasn’t come. This is instead of seeing it as God’s (conveyed) , grace, and forbearance. The lack of doom caused them to think that those that were promising were more-likely from God than those preaching doom.

    Yet, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were almost (plus or minus a few years) contemporaries. Jeremiah comments on God’s past and present (implied of ) signs and wonders. What different perspectives these 2 Men of God have compared to the people! It is definitely a case of at work in the world, rather closing one’s eyes to it.

    It’s not as if didn’t have the same issues. When it came to signs (the weather), the “great” leaders had no problems interpreting the signs. However, when it came to God acting they were blind!

    1) While the world can claim ignorance of God working, we cannot. Where are you seeing God working both miraculously and in the mundane?

    2) Signs of significance continue to be an issue. What signs do people demand in the world (i.e., corporations, , environmental, people, etc.)?

    3) Acts of forbearance are often seen as , rather than love and grace. Why do you think that is? With the results of the demise of Jerusalem, and the exile of the Jews, why do you think God acted that way?