Be Willing

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 

1 Peter 5:1-2 NIV

One character trait of Peter that we may miss is that he was willing. Willing to be the only one to follow Christ. Willing to step off the boat, onto the water. Willing to fight for Christ. Willing to try to follow Christ on the night of his betrayal. Willing to shepherd and feed Christ's sheep. Peter was willing. 

As an elder, as a Christian, being willing is part of the life of faith. Faith is really trusting God to do whatever he wants through you. Are you willing to let God use you? 

The Benefit of Love

Praise the Lord, my soul,

   and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins 

   and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit 

   and crowns you with love and compassion,

Psalms 103:2-4 NIV

The benefit of love, God's love for us, is that he crowns us with his love. That crown of love has three jewels, if you would, in it. 

The first jewel is that God is abounding in love for you (verse 8). If you are abounding in love means you have great quantities of love. God has great quantities of love for you. First and foremost he sent his One and Only Son to die for your sins. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. Also, think of how many times in your life God's love has abounded toward you...

The second jewel is that his love is great for those who fear him (verse 11). The greatness of love that God displayed in Christ is almost incomprehensible. Yet, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Not only that but he ever lives to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. Great is his love, to choose you to be his child... 

The third jewel is that God's love is with you from everlasting to everlasting (verse 17). Before the creation of the world, before you or I were even a twinkle in our mama's eyes, God loved us. He knew he choose  to redeem us in Jesus Christ, knowing the sins we would commit. His love will not cease. The love of God for you and me is from everlasting to everlasting. From eternity, God chose to love us, not for a moment, but from  everlasting to everlasting...

Thank you, Father, for crowning us with love. Open our eyes to see your abounding, great and everlasting love in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

The Word of the Day: Redeems

who redeems your life from the pit 

   and crowns you with love and compassion,

Psalms 103:4 NIV

One of the benefits of being a child of God is that he redeems our lives from the pit. I am involved with the Scout Center where I live. This past Saturday evening we had our annual fund raising Spaghetti dinner. Scouts had sold tickets and people brought them in, redeemed them, and enjoyed a salad, garlic bread and spaghetti. In a sense, redemption is when something is used for its' intended purpose. We were created to know God and serve him. Christ redeems us to abide in him and bear good fruit. 

Another side of redemption is the Redeemer. Paul teaches us that Christ is our redemption (I Corinthians 1:30). Knowing Christ, our Redeemer is no small thing. That is our life. Jesus does not redeems us to give us another chance to do things on our own. He redeems us to live a new life, as a new creation, created for good works, loving and serving by faith. My alma mater's (Columbia Bible College, now Columbia International University) motto is, "To know Him and make Him known". The more I walk with the Lord, the more I appreciate that statement.

Finally, the pit. From a purely devotional and personal position, are you in a "pit"? Maybe a pit you dug yourself or a trap of the enemy. Whatever the pit you have fallen into, Christ died to redeem you from it. Be redeemed! Praise God for all his benefits, and today we thank him because he redeems our lives from the pit. Thank you, Lord!

Send Help, Be the Help

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:35-38 NIV

Two Sides of Gracious Sovereignty

   And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

   “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 

Genesis 45:5-8 NIV

There's two very different perspectives here. One from Joseph's position and the other from his brothers experience. Joseph had worked out the "why me" issues but his brothers were stuck on the "why did I do that", "if only I had" questions. Both perspectives, both experiences are covered by the gracious sovereignty of God.  

Maybe you are like me and there are a few choices, sins even, that you made that you honestly wish you hadn't made. I would be surprised if you weren't the recipient of the result of someone else's choices and actions. Some more harmful than others. "But God.." Those two words flip everything around, turning what is meant for harm into what was good, very good. This is a wonderful example of God sovereignly working all things out for good. Don't you think it is amazing that God shows us both sides; Joseph who really didn't do anything and his brothers who definitely sinned? 

In the end God worked out salvation for Joseph, his brothers and his father. So, I wonder what "salvation" God has planned for you and I? 

Father, you are Sovereign Lord, Almighty Father. You work all things out for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purposes. We are yours. Graciously work in our lives and bring salvation through us. 

Remember the Benefits

Praise the Lord, my soul;

   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

   and forget not all his benefits—

Psalms 103:1-2 NIV

The benefits knowing and serving Christ are many. Forgiveness, healing, redemption, his holiness for ours, and many more. Now, think for a moment of the fruit of those benefits. 

The benefits of forgiveness are not just that we don't go to hell. Forgiveness becomes a part of all our relationships. We forgive because Christ first forgave us. Forgiveness keeps our relationships open and alive. Without the benefit of forgiveness our relationships suffer separation and deadness. The benefits of forgiveness, the fruit that results from it, are at the very core of abiding in Christ.

Let me ask you. What are the fruits of all the benefits of knowing Christ that you have experienced or are experiencing? His healing, redemption, love, compassion and... How are you benefiting from these? 

Immeasurably More

I'll be honest, most of the time when I pray, I pray within myself. What I mean by that is that I pray and ask with the limits that I can possibly foresee. It's not that I mean to try to limit God, I just naturally don't see things from an eternal perspective. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

When we pray, it is good to stop and remember that God is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine. Think about that. What is immeasurably more than you are asking for now? 

In 1:19-20 Paul describes God's power at work within us as the same as the mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him at the Father's right hand. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work within us. That is a lot of power. 

Honestly, I don't think I even get how much power that actually is. Probably because God is interested in changing my heart, my mind, my inner being, while I am interested in paying of my bills or something like that. When I think of power I think of pure brute force, which can often just destroy. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, brought life, not destruction. 

Where does God want to do immeasurably more than you are asking or imagining? Sometimes we are a bit afraid when we pray "Not my will, but your will be done" because we only think of what God may not do or take away. But God wants to do immeasurably more than we ask. 

Father, we come before you and ask you to do what you want, immeasurably more than we can imagine...