2020-03-03
1 Peter 1:8 NIV
In his book, Talking Dogs, Sam Mason continues: “During the last couple of years of his life, Tigger, one of our dearly loved Italian greyhounds, gradually lost his sight. He’d developed cataracts. They robbed him of his vision, but they couldn’t steal his precious relationship with his masters. My wife Carol often referred to Tigger as her ‘lovey-dovey boy.’ He would stand (not sit!) on our laps, putting his paws on either side of our necks, then affectionately tuck his head under our chins. It was adorable. Blind though he was, Tigger’s desire for the ones he could no longer see was unaffected. In spite of the cataracts that blurred our features, somehow he still managed to look us in the face. His diminished capacities may have hampered his movements, but his love and trust toward his masters remained rock solid. All of us who have placed our trust in the Lord possess handicaps…even spiritual ones. Do we use them as excuses for not pursuing God as intensely as we ought? Do we allow these hindrances to ration our love for Him? Or do we, with God’s help, find the strength to reach past our limitations to experience the unbounded joy of His presence, and fulfill the calling He’s placed on our lives? Yes, we may sometimes grope about in darkness every now and then, even stumbling and falling. But we can trust the One who understands our seasons of blindness. We can open our hearts to His love and love Him back…sight unseen!”
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
1 Peter 1:8 NLT
In yesterday’s reading, we explored what seeking God means. But it can seem really challenging to seek somebody we can’t see. How are we supposed to deepen our relationship with God when we can’t see Him? Peter said: ‘You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him.’ It’s possible to seek, love, and trust God without physically seeing Him. We can find out more about Him through reading the Bible, from looking at things He’s created, and listening to His voice in prayer. We can’t seek God without doing these things. We have to open our eyes up to see Him in the things and people around us. We also have to allow the Holy Spirit to show us more of God. It’s important to be disciplined. We need to be setting aside time to intentionally seek Him through reading the Bible, prayer, and times of silence. We might not feel like we’re getting closer to God, but that doesn’t mean we’re not. We can’t rely on our feelings. The Bible says: ‘The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him’ (Lamentation 3:25 NIV). God loves it when we make the choice to seek Him and discover more about Him. He wants us to discover just how good and loving He is. Seeking Him isn’t challenging, but it does require sacrifice. We need to put seeking Him at the top of our priority list. We can’t just do what we want, and expect to know more about Him. Jesus said: ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV). We have to set aside the other things we want to do, and focus on drawing close to Him.
Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2020-02-14
Matthew 10:14 NIV
There are some people in life we get along well with, and others we don’t. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we should be unloving, insensitive, or divisive. After all, Paul says, ‘Do all…you can to live in peace with everyone’ (Romans 12:18 NLT). We’re talking about people God specifically tells us to break away from. There may be people in our lives right now who God doesn’t want us to be connected to. Perhaps they lead us away from Him, change our character, or hold us back from fulfilling our God-given purposes. Paul said: ‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers…what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?…what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?’ (2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NIV). This doesn’t mean we should never be friends with non-Christians, but we need to be careful who is speaking into our lives, influencing us, and who we spend the most time with. When Jesus was sending out the disciples, He said: ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.’ If people don’t accept us, or don’t accept Jesus, we don’t have to stay around them. Sometimes we can feel like we have to be the hero and fix people’s situations. It’s true that God can use us in people’s lives. But if God’s telling us that it’s not right, we need to let them go. Our relationships with others should lead us to become more like Christ; if they’re not, we need to honestly assess whether it’s a relationship God wants us to have. And when God tells us that a certain relationship is not right for us, we need to listen and obey Him.
Eph 5:21-33; S of Sol 2:1-7; Ps 45; Prov 5:15-19
1 John 2:19 NIV
There are some people in life we get along with well, and others we don’t. And in some cases, we’re not supposed to! Now let’s be clear: We’re not talking about being unloving, insensitive, or divisive. Paul says, “Do all…you can to live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18 NLT). We’re talking about people God specifically tells us to break away from. When it comes to those who don’t belong in your life, here are two things to consider. First, there’s the revelation. The Bible says: “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us…if they had…they would have remained…but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” Just like you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole, or mix oil and water, there are people who simply don’t belong in your life. Second, there’s the separation. Paul said: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers…what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?…what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them…walk among them…be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate…and I will receive you.’… ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters'” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV). Bottom line: When God tells you a relationship is not right for you, listen, and obey Him.
Soul food: Eph 5:21-33; S of Sol 2:1-7; Ps 45; Prov 5:15-19
2020-02-04
1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV
In yesterday’s reading, we looked at how we can grow our relationships. The second place we can find growth in relationships is in ourselves. Relationships help us to get to know ourselves better. Even when we’re committed to being a good friend, family member, or partner, we’ll still have days when we struggle with the relationship. People will frustrate us. People will make mistakes. But the tough times in relationships can grow us. It’s in those times when we learn how we respond to frustrations. Do we communicate well or do we give people the silent treatment? Are we quick to forgive or do we hold on to bitterness and resentment? In order for us to grow, we have to be able to evaluate ourselves honestly, and our relationships with other people provide good opportunities for us to do this. The people closest to us help to shape our beliefs, character, and faith. They influence our choices and habits. In 1 Corinthians 13, we find a list of the characteristics of love. It’s a useful checklist for our character in our relationships. It says: ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIVUK). If we want to grow through our relationships, we need to evaluate where we’re at, what we need to improve on, and then put the work in to grow in those areas.
Isa 38-41; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 111; Prov 3:29-30
