JUST LEAD. THEY'LL FOLLOW

"Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers." 

II Chronicles 11:16

The Levites led. The godly followed. As a husband, as a father and as a man I need to set my heart upon seeking the Lord. I need to be like the Levites and just go seek the Lord. Then my wife, my children and people around me will seek the Lord also. 

If you notice it doesn't describe some extraordinary act of faith by the Levites. The Bible just says that they went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. They left their homes because Jeroboam had rejected God (and in turn the Levites) and worshiped idols. They Levites could of been passive and just stayed. No, they had to go and they knew they had to go. They had to serve God. They had to serve God, God's way.  

God is not expecting some extraordinary act of faith from you. He just wants you to seek him. Don't wait for your spouse to say, "Let's go to church." You lead. Don't wait for your children to ask you to  pray with them. You lead. Don't wait for someone else to do the right thing. You lead. 

Father, help us to be like the Levites and just go seek you. Praise be to you in us today!

COURAGE TO TELL THE TRUTH!

"The man answered , "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening  the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."" John 9:30-33

I love this story! The courage of this man to tell the truth about what Jesus had done in his life despite the doubts and insults of the Pharisees is courage born in faith.

The Pharisees, like all legalists, get hung up on technicalities. But, the real issue is power. Power over others and the illusion of power over their own lives. They tried to set the rules and interpret the Bible in ways that made them righteous by their actions. Jesus came and threatened (in their eyes) everything they thought about God and themselves! They couldn't get to Jesus yet so they went after the man whose eyes Jesus had opened. 

Sometimes telling the truth about Jesus will get you ridiculed and ostracized. The cool thing is that after the Pharisees threw the out the man whose sight was given to him, Jesus found him (John 9:35ff). After every battle, look for Jesus because he will find you. 

Father, give us the courage to tell the truth about Jesus no matter what others may think. Praise be to you in us today! 

BIG COURAGE

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
     do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
 I will strengthen you and help you;
     I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
 Isaiah 41:10

When I think of people I have know who have shown courage in their faith I am always reminded of a little lady from Uganda I met while attending Capernwray Bible School in England. She seemed so small and so fragile but, after talking to her I was blown away by her courage and faith.

She told me that while she, her husband and her sons were attend a home bible study the notoriously brutal Idi Amin's (Uganda) men barged into the house and told everyone to lay face down on the ground. They were warned to not look up or be shot! After 20-30 minutes someone finally looked up and said they were gone. All the men and boys were gone! Although she searched for them she never saw her husband or sons again. 

I asked her how she was able to move on from that. She told me that she did not know how, she only knew that God gave her the strength each day to make it through that day.  

Father, help us to courageously hold on to you by faith. Thank you for giving us the strength we need for today. Praise be to you in us today!

Stephen's Courage vs. Stones

At church we have been studying people of courage in the Bible. I was thinking about it when I thought of a few people who I think demonstrate tremendous courage. One of them is Stephen in the book of Acts. He was chosen to help overlook the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1) and was described as "a man full of God's grace and power" (Acts 6:8). 

After being seized by the Sanhedrin and being accused of blasphemy Stephen spoke. He recounted a few points in Jewish history where they rejected God's prophets. Then he flat-out called his accusers "stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears" (Acts 7:51ff). He let them know that they, like there ancestors, persecuted and killed those who told them the truth about the Messiah and now that he actually came, they killed him too! 

So, true to form, they mob rushed him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. 

Just before he died Stephen "fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"" (Acts 7:60). 

I am amazed at Stephen's courage to speak the truth to a hostile crowd, knowing that they probably would kill him. What really hits me is that as he is dying, while being stoned, he asks God to not hold it against those stoning him! He did not shout out, "See! Just like I said, you're killing me too!" He told them they were stiff necked yet he knew they needed God's forgiveness and grace in Christ. He told the truth of Christ even though it cost him his life. That's courage. 

Father, help us to tell the truth in love even if we know we will be rejected. Praise be to you in us today!