Devotion.al

Tag: promise

  • It’s Forever

    Psalm 68, Genesis 28:10-22, Hebrews 11:13-22

    How often do we look at the world asking, “what’s wrong with the world today?” How often do we look around ourselves asking, “what’s wrong with everyone?” How often do we look at ourselves in the mirror asking, “what’s wrong with me?” Often this question comes when we feel as if we have no control, even over ourselves.

    How do we then respond to the faithfulness of the psalmist? I have no doubts that the psalmist saw many things that were wrong in the world. Whether it was foreign nations, the powerful around him, the struggles within his , or even the struggles inside himself. Despite all of this, the psalmist still trusted God. The concepts of good and evil, positive and negative, right and wrong, just or unjust are going through dramatic changes and challenges in our current culture. Many Christians are searching for solid ground to put their feet upon in the midst of this turmoil. All are seeking to be true to Jesus Christ, to their , and to their framily.

    Jacob was in disarray himself, at the time of his . Regardless of how you perceive of Jacob at this point, from a practical point of view, he was an exile from everything he knew. He was on his way to his uncle, who he didn’t know. In between the past and the , Jacob had a vision. In this vision, Jacob received a that was the continuation of the promise God gave his grandfather.

    While the psalmist may not have seen the Godly justice he anticipated, for sure Jacob (and his and Grandfather) did not see the fulfillment of the promise. Yet, they held onto God. The author of Hebrews emphasizes their and faith. The author noted that they viewed themselves as foreigners and temporary residents. This should also be our perspective of things. When we have the long-seeing and long-reaching understanding that this is temporary, it gives us some relief from our responses to everything around us, and to instead develop a Godly to the world.

    1) Why is it important to understand in your head and your heart that forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) didn’t see the fulfillment of the promise that God made to them?

    2) Why might long-seeing and long-reaching be important to developing your Godly response to the world?

    KD) Has someone made a promise to you that it took forever to be completed? How does that feel?

  • Holy Path of Doing

    Psalm 147:12-20, 1 Chronicles 28:1-10, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17

    “[God] has not this for every nation; they do not know his judgments…”
    Psalm 147:20

    “Realize now that the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”
    1 Chronicles 28:10

    “If anyone destroys God’s , God will destroy him; for God’s temple is , and that is what you are.”
    1 Corinthians 3:10-17

    Israel was chosen. From the time of Abraham, its was to bless the world. There was a time when it seemed that all was . Solomon had been chosen as king, and had been chosen to build the Temple. Solomon knew what his tasks and paths were. Yet, he wandered off. Israel, through , ultimately fulfilled God’s to bless the world, but not without many generations failing and paying the price of not following God.

    Each of us has been chosen for a task. If we have been blessed (especially with discernment), we may know what task God has chosen for us. Otherwise, we could be blessed with people who know us, and are able to guide us onto God’s chosen path. Then there is the most frustrating path of all: doing your best, and not knowing if that is God’s path for you.

    does provide some guidance for us, if we are able to accept it. Our path is to be God’s holy temple here on earth. All of us. “,” you may say, “how can I be a holy temple?” Let God build the temple inside of you. “Wait,” you may say, “what am I supposed to do?” That’s the rub, isn’t it. Do? Let God build the temple inside of you. Do? Let God build the temple inside of you, while the world attempts to destroy it from the outside-in.

    Do? Be strong.

    1) Why do we often feel inadequate unless we are “doing”?

    2) In of God building the temple inside of you, how do you now , “be still and know that I am God”?

    3) In what new way can you be strong to allow the building of God’s temple inside of you?

    KD) If God’s temple inside of you was an actual building, what would it look like?

  • Working At Peace

    Working At Peace

    Psalm 29, Romans 5:1-11, Philippians 4:2-9,

    “The LORD gives his people ; the LORD blesses his people with .”
    Psalm 29:11

    “…we have peace with God through our Lord Christ.”
    Romans 5:1

    “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
    Philippians 4:7

    Through Jesus Christ we are at peace with God (reconciled). This is also expressed as being God’s children, the LORD’s people. So, God gives us strength. This strength, the through Christ, is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

    Peace isn’t a one-time thing. Peace is not something that just happens. Peace is hard work. For us to be reconciled to God (“…peace with God…”), the of God came to earth, became one of us, and died for all of us. If Jesus died for this peace, why do we ever think it is easy?

    It takes strength to be at peace. It takes effort to be at peace. “That person cut me off, they…” Be at peace? Have you driven around here? Just driving can cause one to not be at peace with the people around them! Then there are the , work, and general people dynamics which just makes being at peace hard!

    PEACE IS HARD WORK! “I’m at peace about this.” If one is truly at peace about something, there was effort involved. Sometimes we are at “peace” because we are fatalistic about it. Sometimes we are at “peace”, because we “know” the result. Sometimes we are at peace because we surrendered it to God.

    1) Why do you think “spiritual” peace is viewed as something “just” given?

    2) Have you ever had to work really hard to be at peace about something?

    3) Should you feel guilty about having to work at being at peace?

    4) Is being at peace the effort?

    KD) Are you at peace with God? If not, why not? If you are, how?

  • Free to Feel

    Free to Feel

    Psalm 42, 2 Samuel 7:18-29, Romans 15:7-13

    “…Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”
    Psalm 42:5

    “…Do as you have promised, so that your name will be exalted forever…”
    2 Samuel 7:25-26

    The Psalmist and David have different emotions in their words. The Psalmist seems exhausted mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It would be reasonable to say that the Psalmist was very depressed. David on the other hand was -filled for God had made a to him that his family (his house) would forever have a place before God. In a culture where family was of greater importance than the , this was a big deal.

    Both Psalmist and David, regardless of circumstances, put their hope in God. Both understood that they were insignificant in comparison to God, but that they were not insignificant to God. That is hope built on solid ground. An individual’s daily struggles may be small in comparison to the big picture, but the God who continues to draw the big picture knows that every person has their right place in the picture, and because of that, they are significant to God.

    The social and cultural events that occur around Christmas (company parties, family get togethers, even activities) can often exhaust and overwhelm us. Many of these activities can feel more like obligations, rather than times of joy and warm-heartedness. The times around Christmas can find feeling like both the Psalmist (exhausted/depressed) and David (joy-filled and thanks-filled). Sometimes the change in moods can catch us by surprise, and we might even feel guilty for our feelings. As long as our hope rests on/in God, we are free to feel. We are free in Christ.

    1) How can you strengthen other people’s hope in ? How will you?

    2) The best “tool” we have to feel hope is the . How can you “use” the Holy Spirit to strengthen your hope?

    3/KD) Christmas is a time to and receive gifts. Not everyone gets presents. How can you show and share that the best gift is Jesus?

    “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the of the Holy Spirit.”
    Romans 15:13

  • Secured Hope

    Secured Hope

    Job 8:13-18, Psalm 62:5-8, 2 Peter 3:1-18

    “…the hope of the godless will perish.”
    Job 8:13

    “ in God alone…for my hope comes from him.”
    Psalm 62:5

    “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
    2 Peter 3:9

    While many might consider me patient, I know my own impatience. While I for something, I still want it now. Yet, I wait.

    1) Do you think of yourself as impatient? Do think of you as impatient?

    2) Can you think of someone you feel is impatient?

    Yesterday, hope was the focus, just as it is today. In fact, hope is part of the foundation of the Christian faith. Faith is trust. Hope and faith are tied together. They really cannot be separated. While Job’s friends had questionable motives and an unclear understanding of God, there is still truth in them. Bildad reminds Job that hope not founded on God is useless. In the Psalm, David reminds himself and us that unshakable hope can only come from God. In other words, true hope is based upon faith (trust) in God.

    The birth, , death and of , the Son of God, was (and remains) hope. Peter reminds the that this is not the of hope. Jesus will come again. In Peter’s day, people were already losing hope because God had not yet come back. Around 2000 years later, Jesus has still not returned! If our hope is based on our understanding, how easy it is to lose hope. When our hope is based upon God, God, and relying on God’s nature, our hope remains secure!

    3) Do you lose hope quickly? Why?

    4) If you trust God today, why would you not trust God with tomorrow?

    5) How does being impatient undermine trusting God?