Devotion.al

Tag: repent

  • Untrashed

    Untrashed

    Malachi 1:6-9

    Perhaps you’ve heard an acquaintance, a friend, a member say, “God won’t accept me until I clean myself up.” Or perhaps, “if I enter the , lightning will come down and/or the church will catch on fire.”

    Behave, believe, belong has long been the order in the church. That’s likely where these saddening responses likely come from. Even worse, some church-type folks might have said to clean up their so that God loves them.

    It’s strange. Long after the Reformation brought us back to saved through , it amazes and horrifies me that people who claim “the faith” still believe and (even worse) tell others that they must behave first before belief can kick in.

    The don’t, I think, lead us that direction. God has long pursued those who left God behind and does so today. Which leads me to Malachi.

    Malachi’s oracle is about people claiming to worship God, which was (per the rules, the Law) including a healthy animal and viable grain. Instead, people were God anything besides the “good stuff”. Set aside the whole part (that does tend to trip up we modern folks) and recognize the intent behind the actions. The people claimed to love God and worship God, but deliberately chose not to, because the sacrifice of the good animal and good grain was too much.

    It could be tempting to equate the broken animals and rotten food to the people we see in the opening paragraph, but we must not. Such a person is bringing the best to God, themselves. If they are lame, God will love them. If they are blind, God will love them. If they are diseased, God will love them.

    God accepts broken people. I know this because I too am broken and was more broken still when I began my true with God.

    The sacrifices that are condemned in Malachi reflect the people who brought them. They were blind, lame, and diseased. Yet, they chose to neither acknowledge it nor of it. In fact, it seems they took pride in it.

    The blind, lame, diseased person who comes to God saying, “here I am, broken and all.” God says, “welcome, beloved.”

    ⁜ Reflection ⁜

    • How do you see yourself in this? Do you see yourself in this?
    • Does this challenge or change how you view those whose decisions (including lifestyles) and their place before God?
    • How often do we see the blindness, lameness, and illnesses of others rather than our own? Why does that matter?

    ⁜ Prayer ⁜

    Gracious God, help us to learn how to be gracious and welcoming to others, just as you have been to us, and because you have been to us. Amen.

  • Sackcloth and Ashes

    Sackcloth and Ashes

    Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5–15; John 16:16–24

    Collective guilt has been on the top of many lists in the last year. Regardless of your political, philosophical, or religious perspective of the collective guilt issues, it does allow us to better understand the pressure that Ezra felt…somewhat.

    Ezra was trying to make up for generations of sin against God. Granted, with the wages of slavery, it’s not as if the US doesn’t have its own weight to bear. Yet, it is not the same insofar as the US is not Israel (whether ancient or modern). There were expectations of ancient Israel that they chose not to follow. The Scriptures were clear. They forgot God and disregarded God so much that they followed false gods made of metal and/or wood.

    Ezra knew that there really was no way to “make up” what had occurred. The order of Ezra’s actions should be noted. Ezra “ended” his penitential acts and THEN prayed to God, asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that it would only be by God’s will, grace, love, mercy, and grace that the Israelites could be forgiven.

    While many reject the US guilt-debt, the guilt-debts are really quite small in comparison to all the guilt and shame we bear because of our personal, , and corporate sin (this is not to belittle them). As an overly individualistic culture, we object to being held to account for something we think we have no responsibility for. Perhaps it is not the US collective guilt that will be the big turning point for the US and the church. Perhaps it will be the recognition that scripturally we do have corporate responsibilities, and it is our individualistic framework that has led us to ignore them.

    This continues to be a cultural time of learning. We are learning about ourselves (both good and bad). We are learning about (again, both good and bad). It’s not as if this is particularly different than how it should be. The exception is that the world is holding a mirror to the church, and the church doesn’t like what it sees. One might argue that the world is holding up a distorted mirror, except that much of the church sees the same distortion as the world.

    This pain that we are feeling is one of death and birth. The old self must die. The new one must come alive.

    Out of pain, , and being overwhelmed, many are understandably asking God, “what next?” It could be regarding finances. It could be about loving and serving your neighbor. It could be about what’s next for “the church”. It could be how to be more like .

    Jesus told his disciples that they wouldn’t for anything from God when Jesus left. This is the true gift of the . When we are fully in tune with God through the Holy Spirit (rather than wants, desires, and even needs), then we don’t need to ask for anything for we will already be in the midst of God’s will, plan, and action.

    The most dangerous thing to both our individualistic notions and our corporate notions is when we pray to be in God’s will. When we ask that in Jesus’ name and mean it from the , we begin to our will to God’s…and that truly is only the beginning.

    ※※

    What is your perspective of collective guilt? What brings you to that?How are collective and personal guilt different? How are they the same?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, our initial turn to you included our repentance. We know that as fallible beings, repentance needs to be a constant companion. Guide us into perseverance and humility to be people who pursue your righteousness in the face of our unrighteousness. Amen.

  • Restoration

    Restoration

    Psalm 95; Micah 7:8–20; Mark 14:26–31

    In this passage in Micah, Zion is the personification of Jerusalem and the Promised Land. Zion also takes on the aspect of the people themselves. What is interesting is that Zion proclaims in regards to God, but the actual people weren’t open to that way of thinking.

    The recognition that the consequences of destruction are well-earned is also something many of the people would not understand. If we are honest with ourselves, none of us like the negative consequences of our actions. We only want the positive ones.

    The poetic hyperbole of the rebuilding of Zion is about the speed of versus the speed of falling into one’s own mire. God gave the descendents of Israel plenty of time to allow themselves to descend into the mess of their own making. God also gave them plenty of time to . They chose not to.

    God still them, though, just as God still loves us even when continue to do things that God does not want us to do. That is the beauty and the in the poetic rebuilding of Zion. In many respects, we can see a resemblance to what occurs when a person first truly gives their heart to Jesus Christ. Restoration! Restoration of our with God is always there waiting for our .

    When the disciples made such sure and quick promises to Jesus that they would never betray him, their words were honest to the best of their understanding. However, once the hard times came, they quickly ran away (granted, after today’s verses). They were truly overwhelmed by the (, religious, cultural, and political) that came to take Jesus.

    They made a rash proclamation and broke it quickly after. Jesus still came and restored the relationship. Restoration is always around the corner.

    ※Reflection※

    • How has God restored you? Can you recall how many times? What lessons were learned from them? What person or people were common in any of these experiences (whether individuals or roles)?
    • What does this tell you about God? What does it tell you about yourself?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, under your grace and , we are always under construction. Thank you for working on us. Help us to surrender each wall, door, or room of our hearts that is not like you. Amen.

  • Beyond Confessing

    Beyond Confessing

    Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:1–14; 1 John 1:3–10

    “But if we our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong.” —1 John 1:9

    Have you said those words to yourself lately or ever? The and grace in those simple words are awe-inspiring.

    Daniel understood this. He analyzed Jeremiah’s words and recognized that there was no quick way back to the way things were. Daniel, being the faithful God-follower that he was, likely wasn’t eager to the way things were, as they hadn’t been working, especially in regard to Israel’s relationship with God.

    Daniel recognizes—confesses—that Israel went its own way and purposefully ignored the of God through the and the prophets. Unlike many people, whether Jeremiah’s,  Daniel’s, or our day, Daniel notes that it is not the fault of God that Israel (or anyone) wanders away from God. Especially in the case of Israel, there was no blaming God. The penalties and (ultimately) exile were the result of the path Israel chose to walk in spite of God’s persistent voice calling them to repentance.

    Repentance may be a bigger stumbling block than confession. The Roman Catholic practice of confession could lead to a confession of words without repentance of the . Roman Catholicism isn’t the only one. The opening words of 1 John are stated weekly in the Lutheran churches. Other words of confession are spoken in other liturgical traditions (Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.). People say these words, but they may not actually of that which they confessed.

    Most Evangelical traditions, like the of the Nazarene, don’t have a confessional creed. The confession has moved into specialized small groups (general Bible studies not fitting that mold), where people actually live life . Here repentance has the opportunity to occur in ways other methods often don’t. In these groups, we can be shaped personally and be held accountable.

    Regardless, if we are not willing to confess, repent, and change, we should really question if we are Christ-followers. Being a Christ-follower means being willing to be changed.

    ※Reflection※

    • Thinking about your confessional, repenting, and changing activities, where can you improve?
    • How would you rate the difficulty of each: confessing, repenting, changing? Why in that order?

    ※Prayer※

    , guide our hearts to confess and repent all that we have done against your will for our lives. Work in us and through in our lives so that we are shaped from the inside out into Christ-shaped people. Amen.

  • Abandon Ship

    Abandon Ship

    Jonah 3:1–5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31; Mark 1:14–20

    Jonah may have been the most successful preacher in history. He preached and an entire city repented, and a large city, at that. The celebrates 4000 in one day as a supreme act, yet cranky Jonah exceeded that by far.

    We often question and scorn Jonah for running away from his call. It would be similar to you being called to North Korea to preach, “.” The destination is a scary place for such a preacher.

    Nineveh was known for the cruelty visited upon the defeated. People were impaled, beheaded, “stretched”. They worshipped a number of gods. They were enemies of Israel, and they were not friends of God. It was a good place to avoid.

    Jonah just followed his common sense. It seemed suicidal to go to Nineveh. There seemed no of safety by God, so why go?

    Plus, the demise of Nineveh seemed to be a positive for Israel. With the fall of Nineveh, perhaps things would be better for Israel.

    If Jonah’s logic were to be followed, then the world would be lost. This is why ‘s call for a sort of “disengagement” is very important to evangelism.

    Often, going to those crazy places is what we are called to do. There are people from many Christian denominations that willing went where they are not welcomed to the . In many of those same countries (and more besides), there are indigenous believers whose very lives are in danger for the common faith they hold with us.

    Holding too firmly onto our understanding of the way things “should be” is generally us being too tied to the ways of the world. Holding on too firmly to the world often blinds us to the call on our life that God has made.

    Simon, Andrew, James, and John did not hold too tightly onto the world. Although the don’t tell us such, it would be inhuman if the 4 men felt nothing as they left their livelihood, families, and much of their identity. There was still something about that caused them to release the world and follow him.

    ※Reflection※

    • What would you do or where would you go if you believed God was sending you?
    • What are some of the ways of the world that hold Christians back from reaching the world for Christ?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, us the to forgo the world in whatever ways you call us. Give us the discernment to recognize your will and your call. Amen.

  • Saving Love

    Saving Love

    “Indeed, God did not send the into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
    —John 3:17 (NRSV)

    Have you ever started disciplining a kid (whether your own, relative, or perhaps you were bold and disciplined a complete stranger’s kid) and you caught yourself wagging your finger in their face?! I catch myself doing this quite often with my own kids – I must admit. I am not proud of it. When I realize I am doing it; I try to stop myself because I don’t want to get in their face of make them feel condemned. I just want to correct them and lovingly guide them.

    This is what I think of when I think of this passage. God didn’t come to wag His finger in our faces. We weren’t made to feel badly about the brokenness that entered the world with Adam and Eve—we are also not meant to be made out to feel bad for our personal . Should we —you bet! But God doesn’t want us to feel shameful or bad about our sin. God desires right with each of us. That’s you!

    God desires to fix the separation that was so that we might be whole again with God. God desires for us, in turn, to to that they might find and follow so they will not live in brokenness but live free in Jesus Christ. As you enter into the final day(s) leading up to the celebration of Christmas – be reminded of the “why” of Jesus coming. Because God loves us and so that we could be saved through Him and be made whole. Amen.

  • Clear the Earth

    Clear the Earth

    Exodus 10:3–15; Joel 1:2–4; Mark 1:4–8

    We read the Little House on the Prairie series to our kids. Ingalls relates how locusts one annihilated their crops. A family that barely lived on a shoestring certainly couldn’t afford that loss. That same swarm swept much of the United States, causing horrendous loss of crops and farms.

    When we read the story of the plague of locusts in Exodus, we can be very clinical in our reading of it. We can also be judgmental (they got what they deserved). Most of the Egyptians were probably not as anti-Hebrew as the leadership, certainly Pharaoh. Many innocent people suffered as a result of disobedience to God.

    The story of the plagues was a story of victory to the Israelites for Generations. Even today, for both Jews and Christians, this story is still told as a victory for the of God.

    We must remember, though, that one of the biggest issues for the pharaoh (and the Egyptians) was pride. Pharaoh’s pride (with and without God’s hardening) was a key factor of the whole story. It was a person’s pride against God.

    By the time of Joel, the pride of Israel/Judah was the issue. It was their pride against God. Like other prophets, Joel was warning the descendants of Israel to turn to God. In parlance, we’d say “!”

    The devastation of locusts would directly affect any harvest festivals and . It threatens the lives of the people. It might well drive them to go outside of the lands of Israel to survive. It threatened the destruction of Israel by abandonment.

    Through advanced agricultural science (and serendipity, supposedly), locust swarms like that from the late 1800s are no more in the US. It seems, then, that it is pointless to talk about locusts. Except that there are two major things to reflect upon.

    The first thing is that the locusts are no longer six-legged creatures, but two-legged. Some are blatant despoilers of . take advantage of others through perceived needs ( and corporations both practice this).  The locusts of being like the Jones (or, I guess, the Kardashians) despoil families and futures by over-consuming the money, time, and energy of people.

    The second thing, and that which is, even more, the issue, is pride. Humans are full of pride. We are all too full of pride. Often the locusts are just the result of pride, seeking to consume everything at others’ expense.

    Often, we are unaware of our own pride and so sometimes become the locusts. We are quick to see such behavior in others; we always find it difficult to see in ourselves. As our culture (and the world’s) becomes more of a “throw-away” society, whether for convenience or the ability to reasonably fix something, the locust-effect increases in both potential and actual.

    As convenience and throw-away become a way of thinking, it doesn’t take that long before we start to think that way about people or God.

    ※Questions※

    1) How does pride “clear the earth” similar to locust swarms?

    2) How does this behavior damage or hinder our relationship with God and with others?

    3) How does John’s eating locusts us an image of God’s actions in the world?

    ※Prayer※

    Creator, you have created all things. Help us to look at all things to learn more deeply about you and your . Amen.

  • A Time To Sin

    A Time To Sin

    Job 1:9–22; Ecclesiastes 3:1–11; Ezekiel 18:5–18

    You are probably familiar with Pete Seeger’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season). Written in the late 50s, it was commercially via The Byrds in 1965. It takes Ecclesiastes verses 3:1–8 and puts them to music.

    Pete Seeger’s intent behind the song was to promote world . That’s a very laudable goal. The irony of that goal is that the lyrics are almost a fatalistic response to the fallen and unpeaceful ways of the world.

    There are a lot of things not specifically mentioned as having time for. Certainly, singing and learning were part of life at that point, but they aren’t specifically mentioned (though singing could be inferred with dancing). The and driving weren’t mentioned specifically (of course) but would be covered under “everything”.

    The “everything” is a pretty big catch-all. Does that mean, then, that there is a time to ?

    That might seem to be a stupid question, yet, depending on one’s view of God, it isn’t stupid at all. The answer to that question may very well display what you think about God in several significant ways (though we won’t get them all).

    When you read the story of Job (whether allegorical or true) how do you “read” the conversation between Satan and God? Is God allowing or directing?

    Based on the of this section of verses, Job did not assign wrongdoing to God (blame), and as such, did not sin. Then should we conclude that God allowed this to happen?

    For many, leaving it as “a mystery” is fine, except for the problem of blame. If God wills/desires it, and if God is omnipotent, then how can God be loving and full of grace and mercy. The rejoinder often is, we can’t know the mind of God. This is true, in so far as finite creatures (us) trying to fully understand the infinite (God).

    Yet, the (given by God) also provide us insights into who God is, so the conclusions we draw from the Scriptures also deeply affect how we view and relate to God.

    Is this that important? Yes. When you sin, is it you sinning by your will, or is God willing you to do something then assigning the sin to you? That is the choice laid before us.

    Ezekiel’s words reinforce one answer. Your sin is a result of your will (or weakness in the face of temptation).

    What is also part of this is that your sin cannot be laid at another’s feet (God’s or ‘s). It is yours. Own it. Yes, own your sin.

    This is not go and sin again. It is own your sin so as to and restore right with God.

    “‘…For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death.’ This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. ‘So repent and live!’” (Ezekiel 18:32)

    ※Questions※

    1) Repent is based on the root of “turn from” or “turn around”. What do you need to repent from? If you cannot think of a “sin” (or even if you can), what is something else that you might need to turn from to improve or deepen your relationship with God?

    2) How do you define sin? How do you know/learn if something new (such as a behavior) is a sin, or not?

    3) What your current or past Job moments? How do/did they affect your relationship with God?

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly , as we read your word, we learn about you. Help us to be stirred to read your word that we continue to in our knowledge of and relationship with you. Amen.