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Devotion.al

Tag: response

  • Freely Walking

    1 Samuel 2:1–10, John 8:31–36

    Hannah’s joy-filled prayer of praise for her son Samuel is the wonderful response of a woman who had been denied the (cultural) gift children…and then was gifted Samuel. In her case, it was the rival wife (Peninnah) who continually taunted her. Hannah’s (and Peninnah’s) husband, Elkanah, loved her despite her childlessness, and during the special festivals, gave her a double portion, giving her honor above Peninnah. Elkanah did his best to make Hannah feel worthy and loved, but her heart wasn’t on the same page. She went to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord answered her.

    Samuel was born, and Hannah’s shame was done away with. This prayer is amazing. There is joy, praise, thanksgiving…and bittersweetness.

    In faith and faithfulness, Hannah gave her son to the Lord. There is an echo here of the firstborn belonging to God. Hannah did not perform an animal sacrifice. She gave her son. While her heart was full of finally being a mother, her heart was hurting.

    However, just as she was faithful to God, God was gracious to her. She had more children and was now the mother she longed to be. She had been freed to be who she wanted to be.

    One of the greatest promises of Jesus is to be free of the chains that bind us. We can be like Hannah, bound by both societal/cultural chains, by the chains we set upon ourselves, or by the chains that our mistakes become.

    The Jews, for example, had chains of blood. They believed their salvation was tied to their bloodline. By that understanding, they had chained themselves to rigors that God had not intended. Instead of being children of God, they had become “slaves” of the rules in the house of God.

    Jesus wanted to break them free of their chains. The sad truth is that we often become so comfortable in our chains that we do not want them to go away. The weight, while still weighing us down, is comfortable.

    Transformation of our relationship with God is the fulfillment of the Christian life. When we follow our understanding of God’s desires for us, it is not about rules. It is about a loving response to God the Father who loved us before we knew him.

    When we cannot step beyond the rules to relationship, we do not get the true power of living free in Jesus Christ. When we don’t invest in our relationship with God, we are just statues in the house of God that cannot sing the praise and glory of God.

    • 1) What thoughts and habits are still keeping your walk with Christ empty or shallow?
    • 2) Can you relate to Hannah’s freedom? How is it different than we often think of freedom?
    • 3) We often tie our self-worth to others’ perceptions and values of us. How does looking at the freedom that Jesus offers challenge that?
    • FD) How do rules create and limit relationships?

  • It Makes A Difference

    Psalm 54, Isaiah 50:1–11, Mark 6:47–56

    There is an old military quip that went something like, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” How much truth in that statement is up to question, yet there is a strong human tendency to ask for help or deliverance from something greater than themselves. The current culture of press media, social media, politicians, and celebrities is encouraged by this tendency. Somehow, someone else will make it better for us, or at least make us feel better.

    The Psalmist knows who he is asking for deliverance. The psalmist believes that God is indeed faithful and powerful, and can deliver him from all his troubles. Now, to be clear, this deliverance is based upon trust/faith in God, the implied following of God’s will, and that deliverance is within God’s plan. The psalmist does seem to be quite clear that God has delivered him before, which causes him to believe that God will deliver him again. The psalmist’s trust is based upon God’s character, not his own, or someone else’s.

    In the Psalm, it is looking to the past and is for future assurance. On the other hand, in Isaiah we come to the lack of deliverance of Israel. They are not in a place of deliverance. They have been looking to other gods, other peoples…anyone other than God. Now, at their wits end, God becomes a source of hope. It would seem that the divorce certificate and being sold to creditors is the result of their behavior. Not so fast!

    The point being made is that God did not divorce Israel. There is no certificate of divorce, meaning that Israel’s willful separation from God is not permanent! Creditors? That just means a debt has to be paid! Israel may be in a bad place. They are not stuck there! God then assures them that he can deliver them!

    It is strange and sad, that often God has to remind them that he is God, and that he has the power of Creation and salvation. Yet, that is what God is doing here, reminding them (again) that their God can save and restore them! This is God also telling them they are not too far gone. They can be saved.

    The second section of the Isaiah passage is the response of the faithful servant. There are multiple layers in this “servant” passage. This could be considered the words of Isaiah himself, as the faithful prophet trying to get God’s people to recover themselves. This passage (along with the other “servant” passages in Isaiah) are often connected to Jesus. Another layer is a general faithful servant.

    As a generality, it can be seen as the idealized Israel trying to draw-in prodigal Jacob, which is odd on the face, since they are the same person. Yet, Israel is the one chosen and named by God, and Jacob is the one not quite there. We ourselves often walk that line between faithful and faithless. Sometimes we hold tight to God, other times we wander away. Sometimes we are just lukewarm toward God.

    The disciples had their own struggles with this, and they were physically with Jesus! Jesus just fed thousands. The disciples were sent off in a boat. After Jesus had some personal prayer time, he walked on the water to the boat. The disciples then freak out thinking that Jesus is a ghost (or some sort of spirit). Only after he speaks with assurance that they accept that it really is Jesus.

    Mark ends this story with an interesting phrase, “…their hearts were hardened.” Mark uses this passage later on as Jesus is still working on the disciples so they get it. The hardened heart echoes the Pharoah in Exodus, along with the Israelites in the wilderness, immediately prior to and during exile. This is not something to skip over. In the midst of regular undeniable miracles, the hearts of the disciples still did not get it.

    • 1) How were the disciples different than the Israelites? How were they similar?
    • 2) What is the one think you think ultimately made the difference for the disciples to “get it”?
    • 3) How can we follow the psalmist’s example and strengthen our resolve to trust God? How can you strengthen others today in their resolve to trust God?
    • FD) When the arteries/pipes of physical heart become hard, our heart does not work as well. How is that like our spiritual heart?

  • Salvation of Becoming

    Psalm 2; Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 56:1-8; Luke 2:41-52

    Many people have taught and believed that once a person prays the Sinner’s Prayer that they are safe from Hell. The most famous one was used by Billy Graham to lead people to Christ. It is:

    Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.

    Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) has a slightly different version, which is:

    Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

    And there are plenty more. While Billy Graham led people to Christ through this prayer, something is missing. The Cru version both simplifies and expands on the famous Billy Graham version. Do you see the biggest difference? Look to the end. The Billy Graham version goes, “…I want to…” The Cru version says, “…Take control…Make me…” Billy Graham firmly believed that relationship with Jesus was not, “say the prayer, and you are done.” Yet, many Christians, using Billy Graham’s prayer, believed exactly that. Many responded (related) to Jesus and lived (or live) a life of daily transformation. Others, sadly, said the prayer, did not change (nor submit to being changed), went on the way they already lived, but assumed they were saved.

    The Cru version is better in that there is an identification that God will be doing the work, and the person will be doing the submission/inviting/surrendering. The Cru version gets closer to the heart of the matter. Salvation isn’t just a series of words, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

    In Psalm 2 we read, “You are my son; today I have become your Father.” This a relational transformation. This is the next step of salvation. Both passages of Isaiah consist of relational transformation, you were this, you are now this. Relational transformation is not new to Christ. Through the prophets, God was saying it constantly. It is not the rules, it is the living.

    This past Sunday, we heard about Jesus having difficulties of being a 12-year old boy, and doing things as a 12-year old boy would do. Part of the teaching was how after the event of being lost (okay, left behind) and found (at the Temple), Jesus was obedient, and increased in wisdom and stature. This too is relational transformation. There is a tidbit that wasn’t discussed, as it would have distracted from the message: the question of Jesus’ response.

    There are 2 common translations of Jesus’ words, “…being about my Father’s business…,” and “…be in my Father’s house…” There is a continuity in Jesus’ words, and that is the relationship to God the Father. While we might take it for granted (especially, since it’s Jesus), in the context of the day, Jesus was connecting his identity (and his inheritance) to God the Father, not Joseph his father. Culturally, this is similar to saying, “you’re dead to me,” to Joseph. While this, of course, wasn’t Jesus’ intent, we can take a lesson from it.

    When we pray the sinner’s prayer, make the commitment to allow ourselves to be transformed, and choose to be in relationship with God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), we are telling the death, the powers of darkness, the world, and our sin, “you are dead to me.” We then take on the mantle of a child of God.

    1. If Jesus is the Savior, the Lord, why is the temptation so strong to just “get it done” with a prayer? How should the knowledge of that temptation inform your life with Jesus?
    2. Regarding your spiritual life (church, life groups, devotional reading, bible reading, prayer), are you tempted to just, “get it done,” so that you can check it off the list?
    3. Why does “get it done” work against a relationship?
    4. [FD] Why do you want a relationship with Jesus? What is a relationship?

  • Great Expectations

    Psalm 55:1–7; Luke 2:21–38; 2 Corinthians 11:18–30

    Families are often quick to share their expectations of a newborn (or coming) baby. The pressure can be on pretty quickly. The parents, too, have expectations of their children. They are often called “dreams” or “maybe someday.” As much as this can put pressure on the child, it can also put as much (or even more) pressure on the parents. Children are, through no fault of their own, the extension and legacy of their parents. Social media puts pressure on both, for the child to be a star performer, and the parent to be the parent of the star.

    Pressure can take on many forms, but there are only 2 types: inside and outside. In the Psalm, we can almost feel the stress and strain that David is under. Many scholars think that this was written while Absalom was in the midst of the overthrow of David (2 Samuel 15–19). That being the case, it makes sense that David is feeling betrayed, and feels very much under pressure. He’s supposed to be the leader of the country and leader of his family, and now he is neither.

    In the days of Jesus, the firstborn son would receive the majority of the family property, take over the occupation of their father, lead the family, and strengthen the family legacy. There was no expectation that the son would change occupation (more like pressure to retain the occupation of their father). Joseph and Mary would have this cultural expectation of their son. Yet, on top of it, there is this awareness that this son is not normal, and something unusual is foretold to happen with them. In honor of the Law and tradition, they go to the Temple to have Jesus circumcised. If they had any expectation of this being just a normal thing, the words of Simeon and Anna remind them that all is not normal with Jesus.

    We can only imagine the interesting dynamic this created in the immediate family, but also the extended family. The extended family would have the expectation that Jesus would be the leader of his immediate family and follow in his father’s trade, and repeatedly reinforce that expectation. Joseph and Mary would have to be both soft and firm toward the extended family. They probably also lived with an underlying tension that the earthly expectation of Jesus was not the heavenly expectation they had been repeatedly told.

    Based on the gap in Scripture regarding Jesus’ life, we are pretty certain that Jesus did follow his father’s, Joseph, trade prior to commencing his ministry. For the family, this would have put off the inevitable, yet it was still coming. The longer Jesus did everyday things, it would be understandable for Mary and Jesus’ siblings to anxiously await for Jesus to up and leave. If we re-read the scriptures, it is quite understandable for the family to be concerned that their entire legacy would be lost, as the powerful don’t like to be taken down. With the example of the Roman power around them, they could have been very afraid that Jesus’ call would negatively affect them, if not cause them to die.

    In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul mentions all the troubles he has gone through as he has traveled. There are natural, criminal, and cultural troubles. Then are troubles of hunger and clothing. While it seems to be almost a tag-on of troubles, we read about Paul’s “pressure” regarding the church. Other than following Jesus, Paul’s biggest concern, his biggest pressure, is regarding the churches. He loves them. He is concerned about and for them. While this phrase seems to be just tossed in there, Paul’s heart shows up in the 13 books of the New Testament that he wrote, THIRTEEN! His heart is for the churches and the people he loves that are in them. He feels responsible for them as leader, shepherd, teacher…and parent.

    Jesus came to earth as one of us. He took responsibility for us. As an infant, there wouldn’t be any pressure purposely put on him, but it would still be there.

    1. What puts the most “pressure” on you? Job performance? Child performance? Financial success? Material success?
    2. When you are under a high amount of pressure, what is your normal response? Do you “just deal” with the pressure? Do you work through to resolve the pressure? Do you surrender it?
    3. Jesus bore the “weight” of the world, yet said that his burden was light. How do you think that works?
    4. [KD] Did someone ever tell you that you had to do something that you felt you should not do? What did that feel like? What did you do?

  • God Uncontained

    Psalm 72; Isaiah 6:1–5; Acts 7:44–53

    The opening verse of Psalm 72 is a passionate plea to God regarding the transition from David (the king) to Solomon (the king’s son). The plea consists of a having a wise, compassionate, righteous, and feared earthly king of Israel, whose backing is the King of Creation. Up through verse 17, it is about humankind. Verses 18 and 19 show all that precedes is based upon God’s wondrous deeds and glory.

    The glory of God takes center stage in Isaiah’s vision. Confronted with God’s glory, Isaiah gives in to despair, knowing that he is unworthy of being there, and on top of it, he lives among people who have forgotten by whose name they are called. These people proclaim God’s name, praise him and offer sacrifices to him. Yet, as Isaiah knows the words that come from their mouths are far from their hearts. Isaiah feels guilt of association, and likely the feeling of having failed to change their hearts.

    The people had exchanged the God of the Living for the god that was the temple and rules. The people had exchanged relationship with God for empty phrases and actions. In the midst of his response to the Sanhedrin, Stephen (Acts 7:44-53) recalls that God made it all and that the Tabernacle (the tent of worship) and the Temple (built by Solomon to replace the Tabernacle) were just human places. Whether Tabernacle, Temple, or church building, nothing can contain the glory of God.

    1) Scripture is filled with specific places where God met with people. If God is everywhere, why are places still important?

    2) Why is limiting God to specific places a problem? Why can it be a problem when there are not places set aside to meet with God?

    3/KD) Can you think of a specific place where you have met or experienced God? Have you ever gone back to that place? How did it feel?

  • 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 family, 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 faith community, and to their framily.

    Jacob was in disarray himself, at the time of his vision. 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 future, Jacob had a vision. In this vision, Jacob received a promise 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 father and Grandfather) did not see the fulfillment of the promise. Yet, they held onto God. The author of Hebrews emphasizes their trust 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 human responses to everything around us, and to instead develop a Godly response 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?

  • Abandoned to Joy

    Abandoned to Joy

    1 Chronicles 15:11-29, 2 Samuel 6:16-22, Luke 15:4-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9

    Have you ever leapt for joy? David did. He and his men were proudly and joyfully bringing God’s Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. In Hebrew, the underlying emotion of all David’s celebrating/leaping/whirling/skipping is joy. David is so filled with joy, he expresses it in such a physical way that the bride of his youth despises him. We know little about Michal, but we can guess that she had certain expectations of how the King (oh, and her husband) should behave. David was having nothing to do with her expectations. His audience of joy was God. David did understand that others understood David’s behavior better than proud Michal.

    The shepherd and woman in Jesus’ parables also acted exuberantly. It was time to Holy Party and it was okay for them to party. They were “only” lowly people. The kind that Michal looked down upon. Jesus makes it clear, though, that Heaven doesn’t care about where they fit in society. To add insult to the Michals of the world, Jesus then tells a tale of the wealthy father who dropped everything and gave a huge party for his wayward son who had abandoned his family, but had now returned. It was disgraceful.

    David’s “inappropriate” joyful leaping and the wealthy father’s “disgraceful” party represent the unbounded love of God and the inhabitants of Heaven as one more person turns to Jesus as Savior. Think of the mess that accompany the opening of presents by little children. The paper and tape and ribbon and…it’s everywhere. Undisguised and unabashed abandon at ripping off the paper and ribbons. Yep, God can’t wait to open the “present” of someone turning to him.

    Many of us were taught that God was angry, or vengeful, or judgmental, or unloving, or distant. Contrast this to the dirty shepherd hugging the missing sheep, the woman who turned her house upside down to find a coin, a dignified king willing to be a fool, and a father who saw his son and not a failure. That IS God. We talk about joy during Christmas. Any (and hopefully every) day is “Christmas” for God as he opens another present of a person rescued!

    1) Why is it important to understand abandoning oneself when joyful?

    2) Can you think of a time you “forgot” yourself, and where you were, and just let go? Think back, and compare the feeling (body, soul, mind) of “abandoning” joy, versus a time when you controlled your joyful response. Is there a difference?

    KD) What do you do when you are joyful? Do you dance, sing, scream, or run around? Do you think God does that when someone chooses Jesus? Why or why not?

  • Beyond Hope

    Beyond Hope

    Luke:1:46b-55, James 5:7-10, Hebrews 12:1-2

    Mary’s song/poem of praise is often called the Magnificat in the Protestant/Roman Catholic tradition, or the Ode of the Theotokos (Bearer of God) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is a joy-filled response to God by Mary that appears to be a response to Elizabeth’s joy-filled pronouncement of the Sprit-filled joy of John the Baptist (in utero, of all things) to hearing the voice of the Mother of God (Jesus).

    The double-meaning of Mary’s praise of “…my spirit rejoices in God my savior…” is the Jewish understanding of God (the Father) as the savior of their people, along side the coming salvation of Jew and Gentile through the death of Jesus (God the Son). There is the reality of God as past, present and future savior.

    The Jews knew many experiences of God as savior. The expectation for the coming Messiah was built upon an understanding of a God that was faithful and would fulfill promises made.

    As a Jew, James had the same Jewish understanding as pregnant Mary, and he had seen fulfillment of the Messiah’s coming and salvation. Now James is passing the hope on. It is the expectation based upon God’s faithfulness that the Messiah will come again and the hope that remains strong in the face of adversity.

    In Hebrews, the author notes that Jesus went to the cross joyfully, not because Jesus was looking forward to the pain, anguish, betrayal and death. Jesus was looking beyond the cross, beyond the grave, and even beyond the Resurrection. The author notes that Jesus’ prize was the throne of God. Though the author doesn’t say it here, the other prize was you and me before the throne of God, not in fear of judgement, but as Children of the Most High God.

    Elsewhere, the author of Hebrews notes that Jesus, our Savior, is continually interceding on our behalf and for all eternity. No matter how you feel about yourself being worthy, it doesn’t matter. As shirts and bumper stickers read, “I may not be perfect, but Jesus thinks I’m to die for.” That is our hope and joy.

    1) Are hope and joy the same thing?

    2) Why are having hope and joy important for a Christian?

    3) Why is it important to look at the Old Testament in regards to salvation?

    KD) Why does the author of Hebrews compare faith to running a race?