Bryce Canyon Sunrise
GOD’S GLORY – International Day of the Bible
Category Archives: Obedience
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground. You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear. [Matthew 10:29-31 (VOICE)]
I recently walked by a home that has a large sign at its front door: “Smile, you’re on camera!” We’ve got baby monitors and nanny cams and can see who is at the door with a glance at our cell phones! Cameras are disguised as working clocks, lightbulbs, phone chargers and smoke detectors. No moment is private if a cell phone is nearby and our most embarrassing moments may find their way onto Facebook or YouTube. Police have body cams, cyclists have Go-Pros, drivers have dash cams, drones can watch us sunbathing in the yard, and schools embed RFID chips in student ID badges. We’re even monitored while in department store dressing rooms (an unsettling thought when trying on bathing suits!) Two years ago, hidden cameras were found in a beach house that was rented out to unsuspecting vacationers. Cameras are everywhere and no place is private; this whole surveillance thing is rather disquieting.
While I find human surveillance and our lack of privacy disturbing, I’m reassured by God’s knowledge of our comings and goings. Surveillance means “watching over” and is derived from the French words “sur,” meaning “from above,” and “veiller,” meaning “to watch.” Our Heavenly Father truly surveils or watches over us from above. While most of today’s surveillance is to record us doing something wrong in order to catch and punish us, to capture us at our worst for others’ entertainment, or to record our intimate moments for salacious reasons, that’s not so with God’s surveillance. Although He sees us when we’re erring and straying (at our best and worst and even in our bedrooms), He’s not going to post anything on Facebook, sell our secrets to the tabloids, send us traffic tickets, arrest us for jaywalking, or exploit our privacy. The purpose of His surveillance has as much to do with guiding us when we’re lost, protecting us from harm, helping us in difficulty, comforting us in sorrow and encouraging us in weakness as it does with admonishing or correcting us when we’re in error.
El Roi, the God Who Sees Me, is what a slave girl named Hagar called God when she realized her plight was not hidden from the Lord of the Universe. She took comfort in knowing that He watched over her and knew all about her troubles. Like Hagar, I’m comforted by having a God who sees me. Nothing escapes El Roi and, knowing that His eye is on the sparrow, I can be sure that He sees and cares for me.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
[“His Eye is on the Sparrow” (Civilla D. Martin)]
O Eternal One, You have explored my heart and know exactly who I am; You even know the small details like when I take a seat and when I stand up again. Even when I am far away, You know what I’m thinking. You observe my wanderings and my sleeping, my waking and my dreaming, and You know everything I do in more detail than even I know. You know what I’m going to say long before I say it. It is true, Eternal One, that You know everything and everyone. You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me, and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder. It is the most amazing feeling to know how deeply You know me, inside and out; the realization of it is so great that I cannot comprehend it. [Psalm 139:1-6 (VOICE)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
THE TRAFFIC STOP
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. [Hebrews 12:1-2a (NLT)]
In our part of Florida, yellow lights tend to mean “speed up” and red lights are just mere suggestions so no one really expects anyone to stop at a yellow. Although the light had just turned yellow, the elderly gentleman stopped his car. “The #@!% idiot should have sped through the intersection!” said the women following him. Having been tailgating his car, she was furious at having to brake so abruptly. Already late, now she’d be even later. Moreover, the unexpected stop caused her to spill her coffee and drop both her cell phone and makeup. Angry, she laid on the horn, called him a few more choice expletives, shook her fists and even gave him the middle-finger salute! She was in mid-rant when she looked up to see a police officer at her window. He politely ordered her to exit the car. Having forgotten her driver’s license in another purse, she was transported to the police station, fingerprinted, photographed, and finally placed in a holding cell.
A few hours later, the woman was released and escorted her to the booking desk where the arresting officer waited for her. “I’m so sorry for this mistake,” he meekly apologized. “You see, I pulled up behind you while you were honking your horn, cussing a blue streak, and flipping off the old man. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ and ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper stickers, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate, the cross decal and the chrome-plated Christian fish on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car!”
I thought of this Internet humor today when I received an ad for a new line of Christian sportswear. Founded by Christian athletes, the apparel has faith inspired designs and messages like “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” or “My Game His Glory.” If we wear our faith on our shirts or cars, we better make sure our conduct lives up to it. We wouldn’t want anyone to think we stole either the shirt or the car. We should be sure that our behavior would make someone want to follow us to Sunday school rather than run the other way!
Father in heaven, guide us today so that our actions reflect our faith. Let everything we do demonstrate not only our love for you but also the love we should have for our neighbors. Don’t let our poor behavior contradict your message of peace, love and forgiveness. May our conduct show the world that we truly are your disciples. In those moments that try our patience or spark our temper, remind us to lovingly pray for people when we’d much prefer yelling at them.
Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life like yours, this earth would be God’s Paradise. [Phillips Brooks]
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. [John 13:34 (NLT)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV)]
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. [2 Timothy 2:1 (NKJV)]
Printed on the tee-shirt were Paul’s words from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things.” While the shirt, part of a new line of Christian workout wear, would be a great conversation starter at the gym, the message is somewhat misleading. I could wear that shirt and say those words but, try as I might, I’d still be unable to bench press 450 pounds! That, however, is not why the message is misleading. It’s because the rest and most important part of Paul’s words—“through Christ who strengthens me”—are missing. Paul’s words are not words of self-sufficiency but of God’s all-sufficiency. The apostle was not boasting of himself and his strength but rather of God’s strength and power that enable us to do His work.
There are many things we cannot and probably will never be able to do. When relying on Christ’s power, however, we can do all the things He calls us to do. I suppose, if He truly wanted me to lift 450 pounds, He would empower me to do it. Most likely, though, that’s not the sort of task He has for either me or you. We are called to do God’s good works, to glorify Him and make Christ known. We are called to bear the fruit of His spirit— to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are called to be witnesses and bearers of His light in a darkened world and we are called to use our spiritual gifts to serve Him. While we may not be able to win weight lifting contests, we can do those other things (and much more) through Christ who strengthens us. Moreover, while doing those things for God, like Paul, we can be content in whatever circumstance He’s placed us.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)]
I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] [Philippians 4:13 (AMP)]
Copyright ©2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
FOLLOWING THE RULES
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. [Matthew 23:23 (NLT)]
Many years ago, we had a teen-aged foster daughter. Along with a smoking habit, she brought along plenty of emotional baggage. Choosing our battles carefully, we decided that an outright prohibition on smoking would not top our list. Instead, we made the rule that she couldn’t smoke in our presence or in our house. One night, after walking outside for a cigarette, she immediately returned. She explained that while she knew smoking outside was allowed, she also understood it was something we didn’t want her to do. Wanting to please us, she returned to the house and decided to quit. Hallelujah! She’d seen the difference between obeying the letter of the law and living the spirit of it. She recognized that rules aren’t necessarily made to keep something from us, but are made to get something better for us. She’d come to experience the joy that comes from pleasing the ones who love her.
If simply following the letter of the law was enough to guarantee a place in heaven, the scribes and Pharisees had a guaranteed spot. They followed over 600 laws governing diet, fabric, attire, tithing and bathing. Following those rules, however, wasn’t nearly enough for salvation. Jesus criticized them for missing the whole point behind God’s laws. While following the letter of the law, they ignored the spirit behind God’s laws: love, generosity, fairness, compassion, and commitment.
The New Testament has only two laws but, even then, it’s not easy to obey the simple directions to love God and to love others as ourselves. Once we have the saving grace of faith, however, obedience becomes much easier. Our foster daughter’s obedience came not from fear of punishment, but from her trust in and growing love for us. Like her, when we have faith in God, our obedience comes from love instead of fear. With faith, we want to please God; without it, we want to please ourselves. With faith, we know that God’s laws were given in love and we want to live within them. If we love and trust God, we will live to obey and please Him. Only then will we come to know the joy that comes from living in His light.
Your laws please me; they give me wise advice. [Psalm 119:24 (NLT)]
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. [1 John 5:1-3 (NLT)]
Copyright © 2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
All the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron, and all the people said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or in this desert. [Numbers 14:2 (NCV)]
A severely ill 12-year old girl’s wish was to be a singing star and, thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, last Sunday her dream came true. Over a year’s worth of planning went into creating a full concert experience for her. The flashing lights of a police car announced her arrival and, when the professionally made-up, coifed, and gowned star exited her limo, we joined hundreds of others and screamed like adoring fans. While her security team (complete with dark glasses and earpieces) cleared the way, she and her entourage walked down the red carpet to the theater. The crowd cheered, took photos, waved banners and begged for autographs. Once in the theater, backed up by the choir from her school, she sang to an auditorium filled with 300 admiring fans.
While being a pop star is not an unusual wish for a tween, if someone offered to fulfill one wish for you, what would it be? Some of us may have exotic trips on our bucket list. At $76,950, however, that 24-day “Around the World by Private Jet” tour sponsored by National Geographic will probably remain just a fantasy. Others of us might wish to complete a major feat—hike the Appalachian Trail, bike across America, get a book published or have 600 species of birds on our Life List. It certainly isn’t wrong to wish big dreams; after all, wishes often become goals and goals can become reality. Good wishes are ones that center on God and His desires for us: wisdom, peace, spiritual gifts, the coming of God’s kingdom, or the salvation of others. On the other hand, our wishes should never lead us to sin, be for more material goods than needed, harm others, erase what God has already given us or try to circumvent His plan for our lives.
The behavior of the Israelites on their trek to the Promised Land is a perfect example of wrongful wishing. Tired of God’s generous provision of manna and desiring more than necessary, they cried “We want meat!” That wish certainly didn’t turn out well for them. Although they got what they wanted—60 bushels of quail apiece—they also got something extra. Before the quail had been eaten, God sent a plague and thousands died. Unfortunately, the Israelites were slow learners. Ready to enter the Promised Land but afraid of the Canaanites, they expressed their dissatisfaction with God’s plan. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this desert!” Again, God accommodated them. Over the next forty years, all of those faithless people got exactly what they wanted and died in the desert. Although Moses lived long enough to see Canaan again, only Caleb and Joshua and the Israelites who’d been under twenty at the time of the rebellion entered the Promised Land.
Their experience should teach us to be careful what we wish for—we just might get it!
A prayer in its simplest definition is merely a wish turned Godward. [Phillips Brooks]
