Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
5 And He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his [c]shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, [d]ask, and it will be given to you; [e]seek, and you will find; [f]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [g] which one of you fathers will his son ask for a [h]fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? 12 Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? 13So if you, despite being [i]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [j]your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
“What a man is on his knees before God, that he is—and nothing more.” Robert Murray McCheyne, 1813-1843
What a man is before God that he is and nothing more?
“A man is what he is on his knees before God—nothing more.” — Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Our truest identity is not in our title, following, or platform… It’s who we are alone with God.
This phrase “He who kneels before God can stand before anyone” means that having faith and humility before God gives one the strength and courage to face any challenge or person.
It suggests that spiritual strength empowers one to overcome worldly obstacles.
“What a person is before God, that he is and no more,” is perhaps the most powerful thing that SaintFrancis of Assisi ever said.
It’s tempting to think that talking about God is the principal expression of our relationship with Him.
It’s possible, though, for us to talk about God without any intimate knowledge of who He truly is.
Evidence of our personal relationship with God is often found not in our public words but in our private prayers—not in what we say about Him but in what we say to Him.
Indeed, as Robert Murray M’Cheyne was said to have observed, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is—and nothing more.”
Therein lies a challenge!
If we’re honest, many of our prayers reflect a static or distant relationship, not the dynamism that should mark a warm friendship.
But if this is true of us, then we can be assured that we are not alone.
Jesus’ disciples also desired to grow in intimacy with their heavenly Father but knew they needed the Lord to teach them how to do so (Luke 11:1)—and by way of answer, Jesus, having outlined what came to be called the “Lord’s Prayer,” told them a parable about a friend’s bold request.
Jesus begins His illustration by establishing the relationship of the two men within His story: they are friends.
He then continues to explain how the one man, wishing to show hospitality to a traveling guest, goes to the other’s home at midnight to borrow bread.
He even risks waking his friend’s entire family just to make his request.
Because of his bold persistence, Jesus says, the second man rises and gives the first what he needs.
What we need to grasp from Jesus’ story is this: if a sincere human friendship produces such a generous response, we can rest assured that God will never refuse us anything we truly need when we come to Him in prayer.
The man’s request is a bold one, but as demanding as it may seem, it is heard by a friend and answered because of his persistence.
How much more, then, can we be absolutely confident that our heavenly Father is prepared to respond when we approach Him with a sincere, humble heart.
Assurance before God is not necessarily presumptuous.
Rather, we can have confidence before His throne because of the friendship He has established with us through Jesus.
Because of Him, we can speak to our Creator with the “impudence” of a close friend.
What a thought!
There is no midnight with God, nor will there ever be a moment when He is inconvenienced by our coming to Him as our Friend. All we must do is knock.
In the name of God the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
praying ….
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where our sin has increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Today, we need to start in the beginning.
Paul is going to talk about Adam so we must remember what happened.
God gave Adam one command in Gen 2:17, “Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you eat of it you will surely die.”
Then, in Chapter 3, what did he do?
He ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and verse 7 says that his eyes were opened and he knew that he was naked.
The knowledge of good and evil made him and his wife aware and ashamed of their current situation.
So they made clothes out of fig leaves.
Then, verse 8 says they hid themselves from the presence of God.
When God comes walking into the garden, he finds them and immediately God knows what they have done so he immediately strikes them dead?
No, that’s not what happened.
God clothes them with animal skins and then he removes them from the garden in verses 22-24.
Cherubim with flaming swords were placed outside, preventing them from entering the garden again.
They did not die physically on that day, but their relationship was severed because of their transgression.
They lost access to the tree of life, eventually leading to physical decay, death.
“Father, I am an athlete. I know I only have a few years; then I will be too old for playing this game. My body is hurt and aging, I can hardly admit it to myself. I come to church once a year at this service. So rub the ashes on. Rub them hard.”
During the coming season of Lent we’ll return to a years long tradition: with futility, confess again and again, sin is in our hearts and death is in our bones.
We make our home in the valley of the shadow of death.
We are decaying and we are dying.
Like the Israelites in exile, we lament: “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off” (Ezekiel 37:11).
We have no future.
Jesus Christ, the one greater than Adam, enters our “valley of dry bones” to get us out of the mess Adam got us into, undo what Adam did, succeed where Adam failed.
During these coming days of holy week, as our battles grows fierce, and fiercer still, pray we “fix our eyes on Jesus … who for the joy set before him [the joy of bringing us to glory], endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Let us be astonished!
SOMETHING TO PONDER?
When you study the characters of the Bible, especially the people God used in mighty ways, there is one thing most of them had in common.
On their journey, at some point, they failed miserably.
For most, their failures did not come before God called them or used them, but after.
Here are some examples:
-Abraham, the father of the faith, twice lied and called Sarah his sister, lost hope, slept with Hagar to attempt to bring forth a son to fulfill God’s promise. -Jacob deceived his brother Esau out of his birthright. Lied to his blind father, Isaac and stole Esau’s rightful first born blessing, running away into slavery. -At Meribah, Moses got angry with the Israelites and struck the rock a second time after God told him to speak to it, was denied his place in the promised land. -Rahab was a prostitute who betrayed her people and hid the Israelite spies. -David committed adultery with Bathsheba, conspired, murdered her husband. -Peter publicly denied Jesus three times before looking directly into His eyes. -Paul zealously killed Christians.
The names listed above are iconic in the halls of faith. (Hebrews 11)
We often stand amazed at what these people accomplished for God, often in the face of extreme challenges.
Yet, when we study deeper, we see they were simply imperfect people who were used by a perfect God to accomplish, fulfill, what he long desired for them to do.
My friends, that is exactly what grace is.
Grace that works despite…
If I were telling the story of heroes of the faith, I would probably leave the failing parts out.
After all, why do we need to tell that part of the story, anyway?
The reason God tells the story is that it gives generations of “you and me” hope.
God didn’t use these people because of who they were but despite of who they were in their time periods.
The stories of your life and mine are no different.
You have failed and made poor choices, and so have I, more than I can confess.
Yet what we discover is God doesn’t kick us aside because of the mistakes and past failures in our lives. If he did, none of us would be left standing or available for use. Instead, those places of our greatest failures can become the places of our greatest growth because we’ll experience the greatest amount of his grace.
There is no sin, mistake, or failure that is too great for God’s grace to cover.
If God can take a murderer (Moses) and turn him into the greatest apostle, then there is authentic hope for all of us.
God’s grace specializes in taking sinners and turning them into something they could never become on their own.
That is God’s love on display, his compassion on display, and his grace on display. Remember, it is not because of who you are but despite who you are.
Grace does not cancel but restores
We live in the age of cancel culture.
At least in baseball, you get three strikes before you are out, but today, you may only get one.
That is the culture of the world and, sadly, of some in the church as well.
That is not God’s character.
Romans tells us, where sin increases, grace increases even more.
This means that God’s grace is not intimidated by our sins or failures, but it is there to help you overcome it. (John 16:31-33, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
In fact, God’s grace exists to deal with the failures in our lives.
My friend, if you are wrestling with the things you have done, thinking God is done with you, rest assured, he is not.
His capacity to love is too great and his reservoirs of grace run too deep to leave us where you are.
I encourage all of you today to bring all your sins, failures, and mistakes to him and allow his boundless grace to heal you.
Regardless of what we have done, he is not here to cancel us but to restore us.
When we finally grasp that, then we will understand what His grace is all about.
Your daily Prayer
ABBA, Father,
I come before you, weighed down by the enormous burden of my past mistakes.
As much as I try, I can’t seem to let them go.
I have allowed them to define me for far too long and I cannot get past them.
Today, I pray for a fresh revelation of your grace that lets me know you have not forsaken me and you love me as just much today as you have from conception.
I pray you would allow your grace to heal those past failures and allow me to walk in the freedom that comes from your grace.
I repent and wait to receive your forgiveness and move forward knowing your grace is than sufficient for me, assured of continual service unto your kingdom . In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. You don’t stand in Christ in your own strength, but in the power of his grace.
2. Grace is a reminder that we were never worthy to begin with, so don’t think you have to try to be worthy now.
3. Rather than focusing on our inefficiencies, focus on His sufficiency of grace.
John 16:31-33 The Message
31-33 Jesus answered, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you’ll be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you’ll continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
23 1-3 God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
20 In those days Hezekiah became [a]mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Please, Lord, just remember how I have walked before You wholeheartedly and in truth, and have done what is good in Your sight!” And Hezekiah wept [b]profusely. 4 And even before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. 6 And I will add fifteen years to your [c]life, and I will save you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”’” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” And they took it and placed it on the inflamed spot, and he recovered.
8 Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?” 9 Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will perform the word that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” 10 So Hezekiah said, “It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but have the shadow turn backward ten steps.” 11 Then Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow on the [d]stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the [e]stairway of Ahaz.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Hezekiah Walked With God
Hezekiah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his [ancestor] David had done” (2 Kings 18:3).
Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, had been a king who did evil in God’s sight.
Hezekiah tore down the altars and sacred stones his father had used to worship other gods, and the Lord blessed Hezekiah’s devotion and his zeal by giving him victories over enemy oppressors who tried to ruin God’s people.
But then Hezekiah became critically ill, the Lord said that he would soon die.
So Hezekiah cried. pleaded with God for healing, reminding the Lord in prayer he had always walked before him “faithfully and with wholehearted devotion.”
And he wept bitterly.
God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by adding fifteen years to his life. Hezekiah was thankful, but he did not always use his extra time wisely.
He had a weakness in that he was proud of all the treasures of his kingdom. And when visitors came from Babylon, he proudly showed them all his treasures.
Later the prophet Isaiah said that one day those treasures would be carried off to Babylon. God’s cure of Hezekiah’s illness did not cure him of his pride.
A mountain-top spiritual experience doesn’t protect us against a fall back into the valley of sin. If you have been to the mountaintop, pray for sustaining grace.
And if you have fallen, Psalm 51 repent knowing God’s forgiving grace is great.
Since the days of David and Solomon, there had not been a king of Judah as faithful as Hezekiah. Not only did he purge idolatry from Judah, but he also humbled himself, trusted the Lord to deliver him from the Assyrian Empire.
Given Assyria’s successful imperial expansion, it would have made more sense, humanly speaking, for Hezekiah to surrender and ask for mercy. But Hezekiah walked by faith, not by sight, and Assyria was turned away (2 Kings 18–19).
We see another example of Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord in today’s passage, which tells us of a critical moment when the king almost lost his life.
At the point of death, King Hezekiah received a visit from Isaiah the great prophet who played a critical role during the righteous monarch’s reign.
Isaiah delivered a message from the Lord that Hezekiah was about to die (20:1).
But Hezekiah did not take God’s words as an unalterable decree; instead, he chose faith over fear, courage not timidity, went to the Lord in prayer (vv. 2–3).
In the vulnerability of King Hezekiah’s desperate prayer, we see the essence of our relationship with God. It’s not about eloquence or perfection but coming to Him just exactly as we are: spiritually broken, seeking strength, being hopeful.
God’s response to Hezekiah isn’t just about the promise of healing; it’s a crystal clear declaration of His congoing, continuous nearness in our deepest struggles.
This interaction reminds us that our tears are never invisible to God. Each one a silent prayer, seen and too understood by Him. In our moments of helplessness, as words fail us, our tears speak volumes to the heart of our Father. Psalm 56:8
This illustrates the reality that not everything the prophets declared from God was part of His unchangeable decree that determines whatsoever comes to pass (Eph. 1:11).
Sometimes the Lord, through His prophets, announced things that He knew would not ultimately occur in order to spur His people to action.
Consider Jeremiah 18:5–10, that the Lord will relent and not fulfill a warning to sinful people when they repent, or He will bring judgment and not fulfill an announced blessing when men and women turn away from heeding His law.
In light of the Lord’s omniscience—He knows all things past, present, and future—God obviously knows how people will respond confronted by crisis.
In Hezekiah’s case, His ultimate intention was to heal the king and not to end his life through the illness described in 2 Kings 20:1–11.
But our actions are one means through which the Lord brings His plans to pass, He makes our decisions meaningful by acting in ways that prompt us to pray.
So, the Lord called for Hezekiah to be restored to health through the means of a poultice made from figs, He even added fifteen years to the king’s life (vv. 4–7).
Moreover, God did not refuse Hezekiah’s request for a sign the healing would be accomplished. This request shows that Hezekiah’s faith was true but imperfect, for he needed confirmation of God’s words when the promise should have been enough. But our Creator is kind, and He bolstered Hezekiah’s faith with a sign (vv. 8–11).
When we pray, we must remember God is sovereign, will answer us according to His eternal purposes. That does not mean, however, we should not be earnest in prayer. Hezekiah prayed earnestly, and he was healed. We should express our needs to God earnestly as well, knowing that He just may grant us what we ask.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Praying ….
Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.
1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you. 2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”[b] 3 As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. 4 The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
5 Lord, you are my portion[c] and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d] 8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e] Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. 10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. 11 You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 but if ye forgive not men of their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Foundational biblical truths found in The Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Today we are going to look at: Where there is injury, pardon.
Have you ever been injured by someone?
Have you ever caused injury to someone?
Injury:
Words spoken. Failed relationships. Life circumstances – minimal to horrific.
Injury is everywhere. In the church, in the world. At work. In marriages. In families. It is very easy to take offense and to cause offense. We don’t easily let go of our offenses. We keep that someone in jail so to speak. The incident locked tight in our heart. Injury is common, pardoning is not.
Here are a few common responses when we have been injured.
Where there is injury let me – have at it.
Where there is injury, let me pardon and then let them pay.
Where there is injury, let me major on the minors.
Where there is injury, let me always have the last word.
Where there is injury, let me always be right.
Knowing that these responses are not very Jesus – like:
What does Jesus have to say about this?
Matthew 6: 9-15
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11) Give us today our daily bread. 12) Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Sobering stuff.
We are asking in this prayer for Jesus to pardon us just as much as we choose to pardon those who have injured us. No more. No less.
For us it is about settling accounts.
Being right.
For Jesus it is about pardoning.
Being reconciled.
Matthew 18: 21-22“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’
Seventy-seven means times without number.
No limit how many times we are to pardon, forgive those who have injured us.
It is clear that Jesus means business.
There is no wiggle room when it comes to pardoning.
The cool part about that challenge is that Jesus didn’t just tell us to do it but He modeled it for us.
The ultimate act of forgiveness was going to the cross for all of us.
The ultimate pardon.
When He hung on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34
Is it more important to you to be right than to reconcile?
Is it more important to you to hold onto your grudges and injuries than it is to be pardoning?
To hold on to your offenses rather than pardon?
To hold that person in the jail of your heart?
Not far from dying, in a condition of unspeakable sufferings, we have Jesus’ spoken words about pardoning as well as His model, yet as we stand here today with our injuries and the memories of injuries that we have afflicted on others.
We may end up looking like the elder son in the Prodigal story.
Let’s look at the Rembrandt painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”
Let’s put a face on this.
The elder son was angry, cold hearted, unforgiving. He was one that kept his heart locked tight. Kept his younger brother locked in the jail of his hard heart.
We don’t know what happened to the elder son. Scary.
He would rather be right in his own thinking, to hang on to his offenses than trying to welcome home and forgive his brother.
BEING RIGHT VS. BEING RECONCILED.
Remember: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
We are asking for Jesus to pardon us just as much as we are willing to pardon all those who have injured us.
“Search us, Help us Lord to stop settling accounts, stop holding our offenders prisoners in our jails and to pardon out of obedience to You and Your word.”
PRAYER: “Lord, show us where we are hanging on at all costs as if our very lives would utterly crumble to being right and are unwilling to be reconciling.” “Show us areas where we have been injured and have chosen to carry the grudge until…that person comes to us and apologizes.” “Show us where we have now hardened our hearts to receive forgiveness from You, there by passing up the attempts of the Father to love up on us.”
Our Kingdom Living for What Purpose? God’s Kingdom to Come ….
Matthew 6:9-10 Authorized (King James) Version
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
From simple to complex, most of us face many, many choices each day.
What clothes will I wear?
What will I have for breakfast?
What route will I take to work?
What do I need at the store?
Which projects, which tasks will I focus on?
There is one choice, however, far more important than all the others:
Which kingdom will I serve?
How will I spend my money, time; on what efforts—the kingdom of God or the kingdom or domain or country or community or family that I am dwelling in?
Jesus teaches us to pray, “Father . . . your kingdom come.”
As we pray these words, we are making a true commitment to living God’s way.
“Your kingdom come” means, first of all,
“Rule over me! Master my soul. Make me a loyal citizen of your kingdom.”
It means,
“Lord, rule in my whole life, master me such a way my deepest desire is to walk only with you. May your principles and ways be the only air that I breathe.”
“Your kingdom come” also means God’s Kingdom alone.
“Help me to see your kingdom advance in the people around me—my family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors, to foster a love and a depth of integrity, truth and highest respect for thy kingdom, living in them as well.”
This also means seeing churches, High Schools, institutions and organizations align with the principles of God’s kingdom. And as the Lord’s kingdom comes, any forces that dare to revolt against him will be overwhelmed and shattered.
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is [a]not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you, your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
When I first became a Christian, I decided I would somehow find a way to live in two different worlds.
I was planning to hang out with my old friends and still be a Christian.
For a time, I felt as though I were in a state of suspended animation.
I wasn’t comfortable with my old buddies, but I wasn’t quite comfortable with the Christians, either.
So, I decided to be Mr. Solo Christian.
I even said to my friends,
“Don’t worry about me. You’re thinking that I’ll become a fanatic and carry a Bible, spontaneously say, ‘Praise the Lord.’ It will never happen. I’m going to be cool about this. I won’t embarrass you, but I’m going to believe in God now.”
However, as God became more real to me, I began to follow Him more closely, He changed my life and my outlook. As a result, my priorities began to change.
Without exception, on our Christian journey, we’ll find that there are always going to be people who will impede, discourage us, from growing spiritually.
They’ll say things like,
“I think it’s truly wonderful that you’re a Christian. I go to church too—but only at Christmas and Easter and for weddings. But you’re getting a little too fanatical. You brought a Bible to work the other day. That’s going a little too far. We were both so embarrassed. You’re no fun anymore. We are glad you’ve made changes in your life, but we’re afraid that you’re going to become too extreme.”
When we’re confronted with people like this, we have the choice of either to do what God wants us to do or to go with the flow of their lukewarm commitment.
We’ll find that there are biblical consequences for each option.
Deuteronomy 30:19
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Choosing life includes choosing people who encourage you to live the life God offers.
Luke 18:9-14 New American Standard Bible
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the [a] temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be [b]merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Which Would We Despise, Be Discouraged By Today?
Tax collectors were despised for two reasons.
They are traitors because they collected taxes for the oppressive Roman Empire.
And they knowingly overcharged their fellow Jews and kept the extra money for themselves.
Because of these sins against God’s people, tax collectors were considered unclean. So it’s a surprise that in his parable Jesus speaks of a tax collector observed, set apart, praying at the temple, where he wouldn’t be welcome.
The Pharisees, however, worked hard to be pure and spotless, to be able to say, with
Psalm 26:4-5, “I do not sit with the deceitful … I … refuse to sit with the wicked.”
If any of the Jews were righteous, it was the Pharisees.
But Jesus says the tax collector in this story was justified—and not the Pharisee.
That surely shocked his first listeners!
Today, however, we may have to avoid a similar pitfall.
We might tend to despise the Pharisee and treat the tax collector as a hero.
But that would be a mistake.
We have to be careful not to be like the Pharisee, the one who despises others, even as we see that he’s a hypocrite.
Jesus’ judgment in this parable raises the question of how our assessment of people squares with God’s assessment.
If we judge people as less than ourselves—whether Pharisee or tax collector—we are in serious danger of excluding ourselves from God. It’s that serious.
The apostle Paul’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 are clear:
“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
The believers who take those instructions to heart are the ones we should be surrounding ourselves with.
The Christian life is a challenge.
The people who recognize that and offer words of comfort, wisdom, and encouragement along the way are extremely valuable resources. They counteract the negativity and discouragement that others throw our way.
Why are we going to let people hold us back?
Why are we going to let people discourage us from wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ?
Reflection question:
Where can we find encouragement and support in our walks with Christ?
Jesus Chooses Life for Us
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Complete Jewish Bible
(RY: iv, LY: vii)15 “Look! I am presenting you today with, on the one hand, life and good; and on the other, death and evil — 16 in that I am ordering you today to love Adonai your God, to follow his ways, to obey his mitzvot, regulations and rulings ; for if you do, you will live and increase your numbers; and Adonai your God will bless you in the land you are entering in order to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, if you refuse to listen, if you are drawn away to prostrate yourselves before other gods and serve them; (LY: Maftir)18 I am announcing to you today that you will certainly perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to enter and possess.
19 “I call on heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have presented you with life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore, choose life, so that you will live, you and your descendants, 20 loving Adonai your God, paying attention to what he says and clinging to him — for that is the purpose of your life! On this depends the length of time you will live in the land Adonai swore he would give to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.”
In Deuteronomy, Moses is giving his farewell speech to God’s people Israel.
So he tells the Israelites straight up: “You can go one of two ways—the way of blessings and life, or the way of curses and death. Choose life!”
The choice seems rather simple and obvious, right?
I can’t imagine people saying, “Well, I’ll choose curses and death.”
But some do.
Some people reject or ignore the choice that God gives them.
The same thing happens today.
People reject or ignore the choice to follow Christ.
In Moses’ day, God laid the choice in front of Israel in terms of a “covenant.”
That was a pact between God and his people—a pledge of fidelity on both sides.
God promised to be faithful to his people, and the people were summoned to reciprocate.
They needed to be faithful to God.
They needed to keep the terms of the covenant.
Those terms made up the law, summarized in the Ten Commandments:
do not worship or serve other gods; do not harm your neighbor; and so on.
Yet no human could keep the terms of that covenant perfectly—till Jesus came.
John 3:16-21 Complete Jewish Bible
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son.
19 “Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. 20 For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. 21 But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God.”
Jesus is, will be, the only human who kept every stipulation of the covenant.
And he not only chose life for himself but, once and for all time, also made it available to all who would choose life in him.
Thanks to Jesus, we have blessings and life!
In summation ….
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …..
Praying …..
Psalm 40 Complete Jewish Bible
40 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) I waited patiently for Adonai, till he turned toward me and heard my cry. 3 (2) He brought me up from the roaring pit, up from the muddy ooze, and set my feet on a rock, making my footing firm. 4 (3) He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will look on in awe and put their trust in Adonai.
5 (4) How blessed the man who trusts in Adonai and does not look to the arrogant or to those who rely on things that are false.
6 (5) How much you have done, Adonai my God! Your wonders and your thoughts toward us — none can compare with you! I would proclaim them, I would speak about them; but there’s too much to tell!
7 (6) Sacrifices and grain offerings you don’t want; burnt offerings and sin offerings you don’t demand. Instead, you have given me open ears; 8 (7) so then I said, “Here I am! I’m coming! In the scroll of a book it is written about me. 9 (8) Doing your will, my God, is my joy; your Torah is in my inmost being. 10 (9) I have proclaimed what is right in the great assembly; I did not restrain my lips, Adonai, as you know. 11 (10) I did not hide your righteousness in my heart but declared your faithfulness and salvation; I did not conceal your grace and truth from the great assembly.”
12 (11) Adonai, don’t withhold your mercy from me. Let your grace and truth preserve me always. 13 (12) For numberless evils surround me; my iniquities engulf me — I can’t even see; there are more of them than hairs on my head, so that my courage fails me. 14 (13) Be pleased, Adonai, to rescue me! Adonai, hurry and help me! 15 (14) May those who seek to sweep me away be disgraced and humiliated together. May those who take pleasure in doing me harm be turned back and put to confusion. 16 (15) May those who jeer at me, “Aha! Aha!” be aghast because of their shame.
17 (16) But may all those who seek you be glad and take joy in you. May those who love your salvation say always, “Adonai is great and glorious!”
18 (17) But I am poor and needy; may Adonai think of me. You are my helper and rescuer; my God, don’t delay!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 New American Standard Bible
Christian Conduct
12 But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and [a]are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you [b] instruction, 13 and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the [c]unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 New American Standard Bible
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and [a] perseverance of hope [b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.
1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 New American Standard Bible
14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and [a]drove us out. [b]They are not pleasing to God, [c]but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always[d]reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them [e]fully.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 New American Standard Bible
Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit
3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, 3 so that no one would be [a]disturbed by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; [b]and so it happened, [c]as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to [d] find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; 8 for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New American Standard Bible
Those Who Died in Christ
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who [a]are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [b]through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [c]and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [d]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, [e]comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 New American Standard Bible
15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always,17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
What message was Paul trying so hard to convey to the Thessalonian church he planted with his constant repetition and implications, of the word “always?”
First Question … What does always from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 mean?
Paul says that we must always seek after that which is good for them.
This word “always” tells us that we cannot pick and choose when or to whom we will do this. It doesn’t distinguish from who did or did not commit an evil act against you. It doesn’t depend on how many times they did it. It doesn’t depend on how much it hurt or how much it may have blessed, healed or rewarded you.
Do you ever think the Bible’s commands seem impossibly all-encompassing?
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is chock-full of such directives:
“Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
“Pray without ceasing” (v 17).
Sometimes verses like these seem to raise far more rhetorical questions than provide authentic true biblical answers for.
A bit of detail or a few caveats couldn’t hurt, could they?
And what about the command in verse 15? “Seek to do good.”
For whom? “Everyone.”
When? “Always.” That’s a whole lot of good to a whole lot of people for a whole lot of applied effort, a whole lot of sacrifices of time and material resources!
But perhaps instead of thinking of a command like this as impossibly general, a better way to think of it is that it is abundantly generous.
We have a God who gives and gives and keeps on giving.
No matter how many times we fail Him, He still meets us with both guidance, inspiration, kindness and sometimes fatherly discipline (Hebrews 12:4-11).
Along with Paul, we should ask ourselves,
“What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing. It is simply in God’s nature and disposition to overflow with kindness, mercy, and grace—and as His children, we should be always, continually, learning to imitate Him as best we can.
We all have bad days, of course.
Inevitably, we will displease, or even hurt, someone at some point.
But what if we went through today or tomorrow with the aim of always seeking to do good to everyone?
What do you think would change?
How would others respond?
Perhaps instead of seeing others as obstacles or roadblocks, we’d see them more as men and women with dignity, who are worthy of love and respect?
Or perhaps instead of us treating some people like enemies, we would begin to try to understand their positions and even genuinely begin to appreciate them.
Whatever the specific situations we encounter, God has placed us in this world for good.
It is our privilege and our good pleasure to share His always abundant kindness and His always abundant goodness with anyone and everyone we possibly can.
Gratitude in Community
1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 The Message
The Way He Wants You to Live
12-13 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!
13-15 Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.
16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
One of the most gratifying experiences in life, I believe, is to see all of Christ’s followers living as Christ’s followers.
I often get glimpses when I visit a person who is sick and I see the many cards they have received, about a meal someone brought the night before, learn that another church member will be bringing them to an appointment the next day.
I get glimpses when I see Christ’s followers teaching Sunday school, sharing their resources with people in need, leading Bible studies in prisons, serving meals to people who are struggling to pay for their next meals for themselves or homeless, or working toward justice and peace in our world. I could go on.
As Paul describes the way we should live and serve and be the church together, I feel both challenged and thankful and regretful I didn’t try harder to help them.
I’m challenged in realizing that living for Jesus is hard work. Perhaps the Lord’s hardest instruction is to live peacefully together and to always strive to do good to others, including, those with whom we deeply disagree. (Matthew 5:38-48)
It must be why Paul calls us to always remember our rootedness in Christ.
Jeremiah 17:8 New American Standard Bible
8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water That extends its roots by a stream, And does not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought, Nor cease to yield fruit.
like a tree planted by the water That extends its roots by a stream, always rejoice and always pray and always be thankful, always and continually to honor God.
To be clear, ‘continually’ isn’t about skipping through life with our head buried in the ground or so haughty that we can smell and taste and touch the clouds.
It’s about remembering, in all we do, the sacrificial love and grace we’ve been shown in Christ.
Carrying gratitude around with us daily, as Christ carried his Cross, helps to shape our testimony and our witness of Christ’s true saving love to the world.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ……
Praying ….
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Psalm 119:73-80 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. 75 I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right and that in faithfulness you have humbled me. 76 Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant. 77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live, for your law is my delight. 78 Let the arrogant be put to shame, for they have subverted me with guile; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 79 Let those who fear you turn to me, so that they may know your decrees. 80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes, so that I may not be put to shame.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
How Much More Knowledge Shall We Receive From the Lord?
God knows us so well that he knows the best way to teach us what he wants us to know. Let’s celebrate when we learn the lesson, believe the promise, obey the command or trust in faith. We are all learning how to selflessly follow our Lord.
Which verse or passage in the Bible – or maybe it’s an entire book – do you find too difficult to understand? What parts of the Bible do you feel you have to wade through every word trying figure out exactly what’s being said?
The reality is that there are some things that our human minds simply cannot grasp – such as the true grandeur of heaven – until we pass from this life and into eternity and we are able to see things as God sees them.
But the Bible is God’s letter to us and his instructions for how to live. He wants us to understand it.
The good news is that because God is the one that created us, he understands the limitations of our understanding.
So when we get frustrated with trying to understand something in the Bible, we can first remember God is our creator and already knows we are struggling.
The same God that fashioned and created us with His own hands, paying attention to every minute little detail even to the point of every human being having different fingerprints, is the same God who understands our weaknesses and frailties.
But God did not leave us alone to figure things out.
At the moment we became a Christian, the Holy Spirit moved in and took up residence within us.
Part of the job of the Holy Spirit is to help us understand the Bible.
In Psalm 119:73, the psalmist is asking God to give him understanding so he could learn God’s commandments.
In essence, saying, “God you are the one you made me, now help me understand.”
Any time we open God’s Word, we should begin with a prayer before reading the first word – a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help us understand.
1 John 2:27 says, “The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:10 “Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”
So when you are having a difficult time understanding the Bible, stop where you are and ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
Another element to understanding God’s Word is that we must have a heart that is willing to do whatever God is saying to us.
We don’t just read it so we can check the box on our daily Bible reading plan.
We should be reading with the expectation that God will reveal something new to us – whether that is something about His character, the way He expects us to live as His children, or He uses His Word to convict us of sin.
Whatever He reveals, the purpose is to make us more and more like Christ and to grow us as Christians as He prepares us to do His will.
James 1:22“Be doers of the word and not hearers only.”
John 7:17 says, “If anyone wants to do His will, he will understand whether the teaching is from God or if I am speaking on My own.”
So be sure you are willing to do whatever God might reveal to you as you are asking the Holy Spirit to help you understand.
We also have to be willing to give up our own ideas.
In Isaiah 53:6, we find that “we have all turned to our own way.”
We can’t take a single verse out of the Bible and make it say what we want it to say to fit what we want to do.
Proverbs 16:25 teaches, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
Satan is called the “deceiver” in the Bible.
From the very beginning of the Bible we find Satan deceiving Eve and he continues to deceive all the way through to Revelation.
2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
And in Revelation 12:9, the Bible tells us what will happen to Satan:
“The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.”
Satan knows that because you have been saved, that you do not belong to him.
But if he can insert a spike strip in your roadway, and trip you up so you don’t understand the Bible, then you may not live the abundant, victorious life God intends for you or perhaps it will keep you from winning someone else to Christ.
He wants to deceive us so we do not have a good understanding of the Bible.
Rather than bringing our own creative clever ideas to the table when we open God’s Word, we should initially have a desire, a passion, to understand God’s Word His way, digging into the context and depend on Him to reveal it to us.
If we expect to truly understand God’s Word, we can’t just sit down and read it – we have to study it.
You might say, I go to church on Sunday and listen to the preacher and I’m part of a small group too.
But how do you know if what they are teaching is Biblical truth if you are not studying it for yourself?
2 Timothy 2:15 teaches, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of the truth.”
If you want to truly understand the Bible, you have to study it in depth so that you can understand it accurately.
Don’t just depend on your pastor to do the study work.
Study it for yourself!
As we are studying God’s Word, we need to compare spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13).
In other words we use the Bible to interpret the Bible.
Let’s say you wanted to put a complex puzzle together or a modeled car.
With all the pieces lying around you, how do you know what the finished product is supposed to look like?
You look at the picture on the box.
Studying God’s Word is much like that.
When we come to a part we don’t understand we need to take the main topic of what we are studying, search the entire Bible for everything it has to say about that topic.
There are many online helps for this.
One of the easiest ways to see verses all on a single topic is go to openbible.info.
The search bar will say, “What does the Bible say about” and you type in the topic. The website will pull up all the verses that pertain to that topic.
You can then begin to study each verse in it’s own scriptural context. We can then get a full picture about what God has to say on the topic you are studying.
Sometimes, we just need a sounding board too so we can process the thoughts that are revealed as we study.
So we can maybe make an appointment with our pastors or another Godly saint more spiritually mature than us and talk with them about what we are studying.
God can use these people to help us connect all the dots so we can understand what He is saying to us. Again, we should not just rely on their understanding.
We have to do our own study work.
We need to follow the teaching in Proverbs 3:5-6,
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
Understanding God’s Word requires us to trust God with all that we are, to set aside our own biased and faulty thinking as we acknowledge God and His truth. Then he alone will direct our paths and bring the understanding He wants to reveal to us.
Lastly, remember God’s Word is “living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Because it is living, each time we come to study it, we can learn something new from it.
Never think nor believe you will reach the maximum point of understanding the entirety of God’s Word.
As we live and move through life and face different problems or seasons of life, God will assuredly reveal to us just what we need for that moment – then in the next moment, He will certainly show us something new to ponder and reflect.
So, if you find yourself praying like the psalmist, “Give me understanding” remember:
Remember that God’s Word is living and active.
We can never stop studying His Word for each time we study it, he will reveal something new.
God is our creator, He understands all of the limitations of our human minds.
God didn’t leave us on our own to figure it out – He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth.
We must have the heart to do His will as He reveals His truth to us.
We must be willing to give up our ideas, trade them for understanding it God’s way
We must be willing to study it – in depth – not just read it and we need to study it for ourselves rather than only depend on what someone else is saying.
When trying to understand God’s Word we must compare spiritual things with spiritual by leaning hard into what the entire Bible has to say on a topic rather than a single verse.
We can discuss what we are studying with spiritually mature Christians who can help us process our thoughts – but not to depend on them to give us the answer.
We can utilize Bible study tools to help guide our study, but they should never replace the hard work of study or work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and they should not be our sole source of truth – only God can be our source of truth.
We need walk ourselves to that place from which to trust God to bring us to the understanding He wants for us rather than leaning on our own understanding.
in the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 119:105-112 The Message
105-112 By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything’s falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Adorn me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever— what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say— I always have and always will.
* * *
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
23 And when they[a] were released, they went to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they[b] heard it, [c] they lifted their voices with one mind to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, 25 the one who said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant,
‘Why do the nations[d] rage, and the peoples conspire in vain? 26 The kings of the earth stood opposed, and the rulers assembled together at the same place, against the Lord and against his Christ.’[e]
27 For in truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, 28 to do all that your hand and plan[f] had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, concern yourself with their threats and grant your slaves to speak your message with all boldness, 30 as you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when[g] they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak[h] the word[i] of God with boldness.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Danger and threats come against people in many different ways. It can be from other people threatening someone or it can be just natural disasters occurring.
When a person’s life, a person’s life of faith and service is being threatened, people run to others scared; and race into hiding out of fear (1 Kings 19:1-8.)
Having the boldness to face (fight or flight) the mounting gravity of the danger is something that many people do not have.
Fear of dying or going against something larger and stronger, and experienced, than them overcomes their ability to face it.
Luke records in Acts 4:23-31 that when the church was being threatened with persecution, the people prayed to God to address the threats being presented and to give His people more boldness to be able to continue to speak His Word.
With the many threats of the religious rulers lingering over them, Peter and John return to their church family and report what has just happened. And in response to these threats, the community of believers prays together to God.
I am always struck by what they did not pray.
They did not ask God to bring destruction on the religious leaders.
They did not ask God to take them out of their time of trouble.
Instead, they prayed that God would consider the threats against them and enable them to speak with much more boldness. That prayer was specifically answered as the Holy Spirit filled them and the place they were in was shaken.
How could the believers come to pray such a prayer?
The prayer itself gives us the insight that they looked not just to the moment but also surveyed the history of God’s people.
They knew the promises and prophecies of God.
They placed their current situation within the setting of Scripture.
For us, that would be like having the Bible’s teachings in mind as we sift through the daily news.
What’s more, at the beginning of their prayer, the believers put all of their troubles and threats in perspective under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty.
They knew that God was still in control.
What they prayed was they would be able to keep being inspired, empowered, witnesses to the Sovereign Lord, who was still at work in the world he so loved.
The world hates God and anyone who has anything to do with Him. As a result, the world will do what it can to persecute believers in any way possible.
They want to stop all believers from spreading the truth about Jesus.
Inside the church, many people are praying and seeking God for many things.
Most common things being sought for are healing and provision in different ways for self and others.
Some will also pray for God to remove those who are evil and persecuting believers.
While all these types of prayers are good, very seldom do believers pray for boldness in the face of evil.
God has a plan for every believer to be His witness to this fallen world. No one can come to the Lord if no one is willing to speak the truth with boldness.
During times of trouble and hardship, the first thing believers should seek is for God to give them boldness to be His witness.
As one testifies for God, He will be able to do mighty miracles and touch the hearts of the lost.
Trouble is guaranteed to come your way, sometimes as a threat, other times just as difficulties. Facing all of those troubles can be scary and intimidating.
In a world where truth is often vigorously challenged and compromise feels easier, standing for hardcore true and iron clad biblical values requires courage, clarity, and deep reliance on the Holy Spirit.
Just like the early church, we are called to speak His truth—not arrogantly, but boldly and graciously (2 Timothy 2:14-19, 2 Timothy 3:10-17, Hebrews 4:12).
This devotional offers a prayer for those who want to be faithful in word and witness—unafraid to represent Christ in their homes, communities, culture.
Lord God, Thank You for the truth of Your Word that never changes. In a time when biblical truth is often opposed or misunderstood, I ask for boldness to stand for biblical values with both conviction and compassion. Help me not to be silent when I should speak. Let my words reflect Your wisdom and my actions reflect Your grace. When fear rises, remind me that I am not alone—
Your Spirit empowers and goes before me. Teach me to speak the truth in love. To hold fast to righteousness without becoming self-righteous. To represent You well in how I live, love, and lead.
Let me be like those in Acts 4:29 who prayed for boldness—not comfort—when faced with resistance. May my life point others directly to Jesus and stand firm in the foundation of Scripture. In Your mighty name, Amen.
Seek God’s boldness to stand up to those troubles and speak His Word. Jesus has already overcome the world and you have His strength to do the same. You have something the world will never have, the promise of salvation and eternal life.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
84 How lovely are your dwelling places, O Yahweh of hosts! 2 My soul longs and even fails for the courtyards of Yahweh. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, near your altars, O Yahweh of hosts, my king and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;[b] they can ever praise you. Selah 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in you; in their heart are the highways to Zion. 6 Passing through the Valley of Baca,[c] they make it a spring. The early rain covers it with blessings[d] as well. 7 They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.[e] 8 O Yahweh, God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah 9 Look at our shield, O God, and have regard for the face of your anointed one. 10 Because better is a day in your courtyards than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be at the threshold of the house[f] of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 Because Yahweh God is a sun and a shield; Yahweh gives grace and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly. 12 O Yahweh of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts you.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and up to now I have proclaimed your wonderful deeds. 18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me until I proclaim your strength[a] to this generation, your power to every one that comes after. 19 And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? 20 You who have caused me[b] to see many troubles and evils, you will again revive me.[c] And from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my greatness, and you will comfort me all around.[d] 22 On my part, I will praise you with a stringed instrument, and your faithfulness, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to you, and my soul, which you have redeemed. 24 My tongue also will speak of your righteousness all the day, because they have been put to shame, because they have been humiliated who seek my harm.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As you grow older, you may get tired more often than you used to.
Maybe your schedule is less busy than before because you’ve retired and your children are grown. It can be easy to feel like your best days are behind you.
But the truth is, every day of life that God gives you is valuable and full of potential.
Psalm 71:17-18 New Living Translation
17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. 18 Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
WANTED: MATURE PEOPLE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY!
That’s the message contained in these verses.
The Psalmist exclaims God needs him for youth ministry even though he is an old and gray haired man.
The Psalmist reasons that a person of maturity who has known and benefited, blessed from God’s grace and mercy for a long time is the person best prepared to declare God’s power to the next generation.
It almost seems like the Psalmist is saying that youth ministry is the responsibility of the more mature.
But maybe you think you and your gray hairs are too old for youth ministry.
Now I don’t mean that you have to hold a position as a youth minister in a church.
What I mean is that God needs the older people to testify to the younger people about how God has worked in their lives.
However you choose to do it, God has assigned all us older people to tell the younger people about Jesus.
The younger people need the older people to pass on the message of how Jesus has changed their lives and older people need to be around the younger people to stay young at heart.
Proverbs 22:6 Amplified Bible
6 Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Maybe your youth ministry is telling your own children, your grandchildren, even your great grandchildren about Jesus. Or maybe your youth ministry is working in the nursery or children’s church or with the youth group at your local church or even teaching a Sunday School class for children or youth.
Whatever your youth ministry is and however the Holy Spirit leads guides and directs your steps, you absolutely should be proclaiming the wonderful works of God in your life to the incoming younger generations, to all those youth who are coming after you, because you are never too old to tell people about Jesus!
No matter how old you are, you can still make a positive, eternal impact through your choices.
God is not limited by age, nor are you when you walk with him!
Here are seven reminders that you’re never too old to make an eternal impact.
1. God is Not Finished with You Yet
It’s painful to feel forgotten or overlooked because you’re aging. But God will never forget or overlook you. God sees you, knows you, and is still working through you.
Isaiah 46:4, God says: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you.”
God’s purposes for you don’t expire with age.
He doesn’t stop loving or working with any of his children when they grow older.
Some of God’s most significant work can happen in the later chapters of your life.
There are still new lessons to learn, people to love, and ways to serve.
Each day you wake up is a gift and a calling from God.
So be encouraged you are still God’s beloved child, with important work to do.
Ask God daily to help you live into your purpose well, so you can keep shining your light as brightly as possible into the darkness of our fallen world.
Pray specifically about all the ways God wants you to keep loving and serving people, and keep moving forward as God leads you daily.
God is not finished with you yet.
Let every day be a brand new opportunity to walk with God in fresh ways and participate in God’s work, bringing hope to our world.
2. God Still Has Work for You To Do
You may easily assume that getting older means stepping aside from the most critical job in God’s kingdom, but the Bible tells a much different story. God often used older men and women to accomplish something significant. Moses was 80 + years old when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Exodus 7:7 reports: “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.”
Age didn’t disqualify them.
Participating in that vital meeting was part of God’s plan for them.
You may not be leading a nation, but you can lead others in powerful ways through prayer, Scriptural studies wisdom, and Godly encouragement.
Colossians 3:1-4 Amplified Bible
Put On the New Self
3 Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 3 For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, [a]appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
You have decades and decades of invaluable life experience that younger people can learn from.
You know how to seek God in both good and bad times.
That kind of faith is valuable in a world that often moves too fast and tends to forget what truly matters. So, set your mind on what has eternal value and let that empower, and inspire you to do whatever work God is leading you to do.
Don’t underestimate the power of any small service projects you take on, or of any times you encourage younger believers as they work in God’s kingdom in their ways.
Philippians 1:6 points out that you can be confident: “… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Even if your physical strength has changed, your spiritual strength can grow stronger. You can still listen, support, study, teach, and pray. God still has work for you, and the world still needs the contributions that only you can make.
3. Your Wisdom Is a Gift to the Next Generation
One of the most powerful contributions you can make as an older Christian is sharing God’s wisdom and showing those younger people how to be lifelong learners. You have walked with God through all seasons, and that strong faith is invaluable to teach others how to trust God through different seasons in their own lives.
Titus 2:2-3 urges: “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live … to teach what is good.”
Your example can help younger believers live wisely by discovering and fulfilling God’s purposes for them day by day.
You know what it means to endure and trust God through years of change. Sharing stories of how God has worked in your life through the years may be the encouragement someone else needs.
Mentoring, teaching a Bible study, or simply listening and advising during conversations are other important ways to share your wisdom with others who can benefit from it.
Don’t worry that you have little to offer; you have plenty of wisdom gained through years of walking with Jesus. You can tell others lovingly about God in ways less experienced people can’t. You can also help younger believers learn how to pray and faithfully wait for God’s answers in all circumstances.
Psalm 92:14 says about righteous people: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”
Your life will still be fruitful when you share what God has done in your life.
Don’t keep that treasure to yourself!
Your experience holds lessons that younger generations need to hear.
4. Prayer Is a Powerful Ministry
You may not be able to do the same ministry work you did as a younger person, but you can always do something vitally important: pray. Prayer is one of the most powerful and far-reaching ways to serve God.
James 5:16 declares, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Through fervent meditation and prayer, you can make an eternal impact on people worldwide, and even across time. You can pray for your children, grandchildren, church, community, and others anywhere and anytime!
So, make prayer a high priority in your schedule every day.
Plan to pray regularly at certain times (such as when you start your day in the morning or end your day in the evening at bedtime), but also ponder praying spontaneously whenever a person or a topic crosses your mind. God wants you to pray about everything that concerns you.
Give it all to God and trust God to work in every situation you ask him to help.
Many older people in the Bible served God through prayer.
For example, Anna was an elderly widow who spent her days in the temple worshipping and praying.
Luke 2:37 says: “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
God honored her devotion and allowed her to meet the infant Jesus.
Your prayer life is compelling.
You can pray for countless important topics and those who need your prayer support.
You may never see all the results, but God will always answer your prayers.
Even when you feel unseen, God sees your heart and hears your prayers. You make a positive, eternal impact every time you speak with God through prayer.
5. Your Life Testifies to God’s Faithfulness
Living a long life with God is a powerful testimony.
Every wrinkle and gray hair you have speaks to your life experiences as a person in a long relationship with Jesus.
Psalm 71:18“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.”
You may not always feel strong, but your life proves God keeps his promises.
When you tell others how God carried you through loss or change and met all your needs, you remind them of God’s character. People need to hear stories of lives lived with real authentic trust in God. You have those stories to share.
They‘re more powerful than any sermon because you live them out daily.
When you share your stories of how God has been faithful to you, you inspire people to keep trusting God in all the circumstances they’re going through in their own lives.
You become a living example of how our loving Heavenly Father helps his children with whatever we need.
Your faithful life shows others walking with God through the years is possible and worthwhile.
6. Encouragement Is a Lasting Gift
Encouraging someone in a conversation or through a note or phone call may seem simple, but it can significantly change someone’s life.
Hebrews 3:13 advises: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that sin’s deceitfulness may harden none of you.”
As someone who has seen life’s ups and downs, you deeply understand how much a kind word or action can encourage people.
When you encourage people, you remind them they are seen and loved.
You help them keep going.
You can encourage people in various ways, as God leads you.
You can share a Bible verse, listen without judgment, let people know you’re praying for them, help them with a practical need when they’re going through a crisis.
You can also encourage people by showing up and showing more interest in their lives.
People need to know they’re not alone.
Encouragement builds community and strengthens relationships between God’s beloved children.
You can be a part of that excellent work every day, no matter how old you are!
7. Your Legacy Can Point People to Jesus
Leaving a legacy involves passing on love, faith, and values to others after completing your earthly life.
Your Legacy Can Point People to Jesus.
Leaving a legacy involves passing on love, faith, and values to others after completing your earthly life.
Proverbs 13:22 “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children.”
That inheritance is spiritual.
So, no matter how much money or material things you can give to others when you go to heaven, what matters most is what you leave for people spiritually.
Every act of kindness you do, every lesson you teach, and every prayer you pray adds to the legacy you leave.
You are building something that will outlast your earthly years.
So, do your best daily to live a good life, set a good example after you pass away.
Make choices to help future generations know Jesus better as they remember your life. It’s never too late to build a legacy.
If your life leads even one soul that much closer to Jesus, it will make an eternal impact!
Your age doesn’t have to limit you.
It can be a valuable platform to make an eternal impact in God’s kingdom.
You carry valuable life experience from walking with Jesus for many years, and younger people can benefit from what you share with them. So even when you feel tired or discouraged, trust that God is still working through you.
Keep doing all you can as you can to let your life inspire people and make an eternal difference for the better!
Proverbs 13:22 “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children.”
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 71 International Children’s Bible
An Old Person’s Prayer
71 In you, Lord, is my protection. Never let me be ashamed. 2 Because you do what is right, save and rescue me. Listen to me and save me. 3 Be my place of safety where I can always come. Give the command to save me. You are my rock and my strong, walled city. 4 My God, save me from the power of the wicked. Save me from the hold of evil and cruel people. 5 Lord God, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young. 6 I have depended on you since I was born. You have been my help from the day I was born. I will always praise you.
7 I am an example to many people. You are my strong protection. 8 I am always praising you. All day long I honor you. 9 Do not reject me when I am old. Do not leave me when my strength is gone. 10 My enemies have made plans against me. They meet together to kill me. 11 They say, “God has left him. Go after him and take him. No one will save him.”
12 God, don’t be far off. My God, hurry to help me. 13 Let them be ashamed. Destroy those who accuse me. They are trying to hurt me. Cover them with shame and disgrace. 14 But I will always have hope. And I will praise you more and more. 15 I will tell about how you do what is right. I will tell about your salvation all day long, even though it is more than I can tell. 16 I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord God. I will tell only about you and how you do what is right.
17 God, you have taught me since I was young. Even until today I tell about the miracles you do. 18 Even though I am old and gray, do not leave me, God. I will tell the children about your power. I will tell those who will live after me about your might.
19 God, your justice reaches to the skies. You have done great things. God, there is no one like you. 20 You have given me many troubles and bad times. But you will give me life again. When I am almost dead, you will keep me alive. 21 You will make me greater than ever. And you will comfort me again.
22 I will praise you with the harp. I trust you, my God. I will sing to you with the lyre. You are the Holy One of Israel. 23 I will shout for joy when I sing praises to you. You have saved me. 24 I will tell about your justice all day long. And those who want to hurt me will be ashamed and disgraced.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9-16 How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As parents, hopefully, we are all concerned for our children’s spiritual growth.
I’m assuming you’ve read this far into this article because you want tangible ways to nurture this growth. The great news is that caring is half the battle.
You’ve cared enough to lay the foundation in their formidable years, but now, as your children enter their adolescence it’s time to pivot. Our children are now critical thinkers and questioning their worldviews.
They will have serious questions about faith, the world, culture, themselves.
It’s time to create a culture within our homes for conversation and even doubt.
In her book Saving Leonardo, Professor Nancy Pearcey references a Fuller Youth Institute study that backs the idea that when adolescents are given their space to wrestle with their doubts, it actually deepens and strengthens their faith.
Becoming a safe space to wrestle with doubts might sound scary to us as parents, but it turns out that our children really, desperately, need this.
So, how do we brave the waters of becoming a safe place for doubt without accidentally wading into deconstructionism?
What is the main idea of deconstructionism?
Deconstruction denotes the pursuing of the meaning of a text to the point of exposing the supposed contradictions and internal oppositions upon which it is founded, grounded—supposedly showing that those foundations are 100% irreducibly complex, unstable, or impossible.
What is the core concept of deconstruction?
It challenges the traditional notions of language, meaning, and truth by exposing the contradictions and inconsistencies within texts and ideas.
At its core, deconstruction argues that all texts and ideas are composed of a series of oppositions or binary pairs, such as good/evil, presence/absence, or male/female.
What do deconstructionists believe?
Essentially, deconstructionists think they can interpret the real meaning of Scripture using their finite, fleshly understanding. They deny the existence of absolute truth because they are filled with confusion, conflict, and doubt.
Deconstructionism argues that logical structures based on binaries, or binary pairs, are the bones of society and language.
What is an example of deconstructionism?
A binary consists of two concepts that are presented as being at odds with each other. Examples include life/death, mind/body, and masculine/feminine.
3 Ways to Help Your Children’s Faith Grow This Summer
Step One: Open Up Your Heart
If you are a parent, which I assume you are because you’re still reading this article, you have an opportunity to meet your child on their terms.
We’ve already discussed all the factors that adolescents are currently facing, but the reality is that we just don’t know what we don’t know.
We don’t know what young people today are internalizing.
We likely don’t know what it’s like to be challenged with worldviews antithetical to a Christian worldview.
We don’t know what it’s like to have LGBTQ+ literature in our middle school libraries (if your child is in public school), we don’t know what it’s like to have gender-neutral bathrooms in our school or to have to compete against trans-athletes or forfeit, and we don’t know what it’s like to our gender challenged by our own peers at such a critical time of physical and cognitive development.
Sure, we had our own challenges in our upbringing, but the challenges our children face are almost incomprehensible to us. Given these factors and more, our hearts must be incredibly tender towards our children and their friends.
Keeping a tender heart opens us up in empathy to pray over the intricate aspects of our children’s lives. It helps us orient ourselves towards prayer, not just for our children but for their friends, the other children in their schools—and by extension—families in our communities.
Step Two: Open Up Your Home
I’ll be completely transparent when I tell you that this part is hard for me. Opening up my home means that I’m inviting loud, messy, stinky and sometimes crude teenage boys into my home.
And when I say stinky, I really mean it. I love a clean house. I love order.
I really love quiet.
Becoming “the house” means that my house is going to get messy, disorderly, and very loud, but becoming “the house” also means that I get to walk out my Christian faith right in front of my children.
Through meals and conversation the gospel is shared.
My children observe that a life dedicated to Christ is a life lived in action.
We do not close ourselves off from the rest of the world, instead we dig in, get messy and become as inclusive as possible.
This summer, consider starting a prayer journal in which you record your prayers over your children and all of their friends.
Next, model this for your children.
Engage your children in prayer, praying with them, over them, and for their friends.
Modeling an active prayer life for your children may have a massive ripple effect.
Step Three: Open Up Your Head
Okay, so you’ve become “the house,” now what?
Now, you listen, serve, and attend to the needs of your children and their friends. You feed them, stay engaged, invite them (youth group or Bible study), and create an environment where your children and their friends can ask the hard questions.
This part may feel somewhat tedious, but creating a safe environment in which young people can ask questions about faith will be fundamental in their spiritual development.
Now, this part might make you feel nervous.
“What if I don’t have all the answers?”
“What if my own child stumps me?”
My 11-year-old grandson stumps me all the time, but I’m willing to engage in a conversation with him.
Sometimes the best response is, “I don’t know the answer, but I’d love to research and pursue that with you.”
The reality is that we don’t have to know it all, but Christian responsibility means being open to learning and wrestling.
Don’t be in a rush to answer questions; instead be humble and willing to grow alongside your children.
Who knows, their questions might actually drive you to a deeper faith.
Bonus Step: Open Up Your Wallet
In opening up my heart, home, and head, I quickly learned that a fourth step was necessary.
I had to open my wallet, because snacks and tacos are expensive.
Gas money for driving all the kids everywhere they want to go is expensive.
Engaging our children and facilitating spiritual growth will always come at a cost, and, more often than not, that cost is monetary.
Additionally, the cost can be our time, or our preferences when we make choices that benefit our children and their friends more than ourselves.
Scripture reminds us time and time again, walking in faith is costly, but hopefully, when it comes to our children’s spiritual growth, we count that cost as gain.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
Praying …
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 