Taking time to learn

I’m sure someone among our group has a 12-year-old boy.  If you do not have one yourself, I’m sure at some point you have known one.  Boys at this age tend to like to play with their friends.  Maybe ride bikes, play sports, or many other things.  When you think of 12-year-old boys, you probably don’t think of a kid that wants to be at the Temple, listening and asking questions among a group of teachers. 

Luke 2:41-52

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.  When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.  After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.  Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.  When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.  After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.  When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Here Jesus was, as an ordinary man (boy) doing extraordinary things. How often do we take the time to sit among others to listen and ask questions?  While Jesus was at the temple, we can gather anywhere to take the time to be with our Heavenly Father. 

Thursday Devotional - Worship While Waiting

Are you still waiting for God to fulfill something He’s promised? Or, are you still waiting for an answer from Him about something you’ve prayed about for years? What are you and I doing while we wait?

Let’s see what Abraham did while he waited…

Romans 4:18-21            “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”  Romans 4:18-21

Abraham didn’t pout or wallow in disappointment. He didn’t weaken in faith or waver in unbelief, but was strengthened in his faith while he waited! He didn’t blame God or get angry with God, but gave glory to God!!!

Worshiping God in “bad” times and difficult situations can be hard. The more we are fully persuaded that God is all-powerful and sovereign over everything, the easier it is. God used our wait for children to grow me in this area.

So, when most of our basement flooded last week with water continually coming up through the floor with no where to go (while the sump pump ran non-stop), I was able to stop and praise God. I praised Him for who He is, knowing He is sovereign, in control and has power over everything. I could trust Him to help us, guide us and get us through. I then thanked Him for what I did like about our house 😉 and that we had a roof over our head! God then helped me put things in perspective, realizing it could be a whole lot worse. He also reminded me of some of the things I take for granted.   

How will you and I remember to stop and worship God in good times and bad or while waiting? He’s always worthy of our worship!!!

Alice

How Can I Win Today?

I hear the tumult of the raging seas
    as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
    and through each night I sing his songs,
    praying to God who gives me life.  Psalm 42:7-8

I have little notes at my desk.  Some are flip cards that I read every day.  Others are notes that I have made to keep me focused on the important things.  One of those notes simply reads, “How can I win today?”  It is a reminder that regardless of how the prior day went, it is over, and I must rise up to meet the challenges of a new day.  This made me think about my relationship with God.  Yes, I am saved, and I know I will spend eternal life with Him.  But have I made a difference in the world?  Have I stayed comfortable or do I continue to challenge my own faith to do better?  What have I done to win for God?

We should be asking questions on how we can better be God’s light in the world each and every day.  I came across today’s verses thinking how David loved God through good times and bad.  In the 42^nd Psalm, he seemed to be dealing with some rough times, but yet, he went to bed singing praises of God.  We should be going into each day thanking God for it.  Along those lines, day offers an opportunity to serve Him and reach newer heights in our faith.  It could be we read a bit more of God’s word, or perhaps we show love for someone who does not know God.  No matter what the we decide to do, we should remember as David did that God “pours His unfailing love upon” us each and every day.  Unfailing is important to note meaning it is a constant that never changes.  As such, we should focus on serving God in new and inspiring ways each and every day.  I say ‘new‘ because if we just do the same old things, we may never grow.

Each day is a gift from God.  Whether we feel great or not, we have an obligation to serve Him as best as we can today for while we are certain in our destination, we are uncertain as to our arrival date.  Thus, we must make a difference in our life and the lives of others each and every day God has gifted us with.  So let us be bold and determined to show the awesomeness of God just as He shows His unfailing love to us.  What plan do you have to make each day the Lord’s Day?  What can you change to grow in Christ? My prayer is that we look to God each and every day asking Him the question, “How do we win today?”  Amen.

Tues Devo: But I

Hello,

It is inevitable. We see opportunity to make an impact for Christ – and then Satan plants that little thought in our mind. The one that describes our inadequacy. The one that points out our failure. The one that implies we may be a hypocrite.

We cannot let that voice win. That voice is right. We have failed, we are not fully adequate, we do things against our better judgement – but instead of that disqualifying us from advancing His kingdom, we need to recognize that He called us knowing our failures. He uses us through our inadequacies.

Don’t let the voice win – trust the redemptive and forgiving work of Jesus to fill in our shortcomings, to be that qualifier for us.

Some verses related to this:

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (NASB)

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (NASB)

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anthing as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (NASB)

I hope this gives you a renewed strength and hope today,

Will Hill