Our Hill . . . Our Beans!

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35-39

                                                         

When my wife and I got married, we moved into a house near her parents.  We did not have very much, and at times, we struggled.  We once had the power shut off, and we endured a stretch of being unemployed.  That was nearly two decades ago, but I still remember like it was yesterday. I’m blessed to have such an amazing wife who stuck with me. Together, we have enjoyed a lot of good times, and endured some bad times.  In thinking of those tough times, I thought about a line from the comical movie, The Naked Gun.  It is something I should remind myself of more because the world can be tough and cruel.  It said, “It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans!”  It sounds silly, but that is what my wife and my lives are together.  I might not have gotten everything for her that I wanted, and it may have taken longer to get some of the things she wanted.  But what we have together is this beautiful hill.  It wasn’t always pretty looking, and others might want something more.  But it’s ours.  The beans that built it didn’t always fit, and some whittled away where we need to fill it with others.  But again it’s ours.  Our hill.  Our beans.  And with God as our foundation, we can make it through anything.

The relationship we build with God is ours, and there is nothing that we cannot endure with it.  There is nothing perfect about our life because we are not perfect.  We all fall short of God’s glory.  Furthermore, the world will attack you pointing out that you are not worth much.  Chants in the wind sound something like, “You do not matter,” and “You cannot possibly make a difference.”  These are not just the voices from others but also the voices within you.  When we get to God, we look saying we are not worthy of His love and affection.  We are but . . . a hill of beans.  But when you are built on a foundation of the relationship with Jesus Christ, you come as you are, and let Him be your support system.  You may have just a hill of beans, but God accepts you as you are.  Even if you have a house of brick on a street of gold, God will be your foundation when you still feel you have nothing.

Our God is a God of all.  He does not discriminate, and He saves no matter who you are and what you have.  He does not count what you bring, but He expects you to surrender all.  So whether you feel worthy or not, fully connected or totally disconnected, spiritually content or filled with holy discontent, realize He is always there for you.  Trust in Him as you struggle with all that is around you.  What situation or feelings have you feeling disconnected with God?  How can you focus less about what you bring to Him and focus on bringing all to Him?  My prayer is that when you feel like you don’t have much going for you, remember an awesome God wants to remind you, “This is our hill. And these are our beans!”  Amen.

Full Confidence

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.  And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  2 Corinthians 1:8-10

Lately, I feel like my mind is in a maze from which there is no escape.  There are worries about family and work.  Then there has been the massive uproar on spiritual topics ranging from same sex marriages to The Ten Commandments being removed from a courthouse.  All of this comes in the aftermath of a church shooting, and many have said that with all of this happening the end of days is near.  It has left my mind and soul tired and fatigued.  However as I was feeling those things, I was reminded of the words of Isaiah 40:30-31, which says, “Even youths grow tired and wear, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  And as I read those words, my strength and resolve to move forward grew, and the wisdom to find a way through the maze returned.

In times of struggle and turmoil, we must always have full confidence in the Lord because He is without fail.  There are numerous quotes of scripture that we should remember when overcome with fear and anxiety of the happenings in the world.  We need to focus on confidence.  Confidence not in what we see, but rather confidence in what we know.  We know that God is control.  Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)  Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”  Finally, the Psalms of David remind us that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.  He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” (Psalm 18:2)

God is in always in control.  While much of what happens in the world may bring us grief and disappointment, we must continue to have surety in God to do all things.  So as many will worry about the laws of the land changing, we must remember the words of Jeremiah 31:33b, which says, “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  Let the laws of the Lord we live by be forever in our hearts.  How confident are you in God’s righteousness?  What can you do to gain assurance in God’s all-knowing authority?  My prayer is that we, like Paul, have full confidence in God beyond our present circumstances.  Amen.

Thurs Devo - Questioning God's Choice

Have you ever thought you could do someone else’s job better than them?
Have you thought you should have been selected for a particular position, but someone else was?
Or, did the person you like pick someone else to date?
At different points in my life, I could answer yes to all three questions.

We don’t always understand why certain people are chosen. We can often complain about decisions that are made, especially by those in leadership. It’s one thing to ask legitimate questions or to bring up valid concerns in a respectful and appropriate format. However, it is a dangerous place to be to think we are better and superior to someone else or deserve to have the same authority as them.

Numbers 12:1-4    Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. ³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) ⁴ At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out.

Miriam and Aaron didn’t seem to like Moses’ wife. However, that doesn’t seem to be the real issue. Their words reveal their haughty heart attitude. They pridefully thought they deserved equal authority with Moses. God had used them to speak for Him and to help Moses, but they seemed to want more and felt they deserved it.

Interestingly, verse three mentions how humble Moses was! This is in quite contrast to prideful Miriam and Aaron! Moses didn’t deserve or earn his position, but he was God’s choice to be the main leader for the Israelites. Moses wasn’t a perfect leader, but God purposed to work through him.

Are you and I discontent with one of our positions?

How will you and I accept the position(s) God’s given to you and me at this time?   

Alice