From the Master . . .

Leviticus 2–3; Proverbs 18; John 21; Colossians 1

Reading from four places can mess with my focus or like today, can give me four strong thoughts for the day. They are thoughts about worship, confession and repentance, seeking God’s advice in my activities, and instruction about increasing my love for others.

Worship: Peace with God is incredibly precious. The OT peace offering had to be perfect, but even then, it was only temporary: “If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.” (Leviticus 3:1) This offering pointed to the offering of Jesus Christ who made peace with God an eternal joy:

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:19–20)

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14)

This reality is one huge reason to worship God today. No matter what might go wrong, my relationship with God can never be lost because it is based on the work of Christ who secured peace for me. He is my peace.

Confession: I’m learning more about listening to others but sometimes find my mind wanting to talk more than listen, to interrupt instead of hearing the other person finish. The Word of God rebukes me for this and tells me what to do instead.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. (Proverbs 18:13)

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. (Proverbs 18:15)

That last line suggests I’m not as smart or as wise as I think I am. Time to deal with this bad attitude.

Seeking His guidance: Peter was an experienced fisherman but after Jesus rose from the dead, things changed. He was not as skilled as he thought he was. (Nor am I.)

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. (John 21:3–6)

Just because I was good at an activity in my BC days does not mean I can carry on without Jesus being my instructor in those things now. Peter and the others were astonished at their catch, particularly after not having the success they were accustomed to having. This passage does not encourage me to go back to those old days and ways; it tells me to rely on Jesus no matter what I am doing, even things that I already know how to do. If I want results, I need to listen to Him and do what He says. My stubborn pride is taking a long time to learn this and obey it.

Loving others: Today’s reading makes a connection I’d not noticed before . . .

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven . . . . (Colossians 1:3–5)

Subtle suggestion here — that my faith in Christ and my love from others flow out of my hope (not a hope-so hope) of eternal life. In other words, the deeper my realization of what God has promised me the deeper my faith in Jesus and my ability to love others. I’ve noticed that the less I am concerned about me, the more I can focus on Christ and on His people. Lately, I’ve noticed that the greater my anticipation of being with Jesus, the easier it is to care about what happens to other people. I’m not worried about me. He is taking care of my needs. I’m free to love without concern for the cost. Awesome. Only God can do such a thing in my selfish heart.

APPLY: Reread. Worship. Confess my selfish arrogance and repent. Seek His guidance, even for the activities I think I know, and love others without concern for any cost to me in time, energy or resources. Thank You Jesus for filling my cup.

Saving faith changes everything

Faith often begins when disaster strikes. Because of a threatening situation, the human heart is desperate for deliverance and calls out to the God they know exists, a God that they see is the author of creation and the only One who can do anything about the troubles they are experiencing.

A friend was in a building struck by a huge tornado. She said everyone was praying, even praying aloud. However, when the storm was over and life returned to a semblence of normal, nothing had changed in their spiritual lives. Most of them returned to a life without faith.

Sometimes the Bible describes faith like an outcry in trouble. Consider this portion of a psalm:

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!’” (Psalm 116:1–4)

The psalmist was in trouble and great distress. He cried out to God to rescue him, yet this was not the actions of one with ‘temporary’ faith — because he asked for more than physical deliverance. His prayer asked also that God would save his soul.

Some would call the first kind of faith ‘temporary faith’ because it came during a felt need for God but left when that need was satisfied. It was partial faith, not faith concerning the salvation from sin that is the main focus of biblical faith. It was temporary in that it didn’t last.

Biblical faith has an eternal component because it is about eternal life. It also comes with a declaration. That is, those with faith share with others a testimony of what God has done for them:

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11–12)

Biblical faith is not about faith that God will rescue me when I am in trouble, even though that is part of it. Rather, it is faith that God, through Christ, has forgiven my sin and given me the life of His Son. Because of Jesus, I am changed!

Actually, who could not change when the Son of God comes into their hearts, their very being! And since He is eternal, that new life is also eternal, an amazing gift from God that changes everything.

As proclaimed in the Old Testament and by Jesus, the two most important commands are that we love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, and we love one another. Without Jesus, this does not happen. Temporary faith is insufficient because that focus of self-preservation is always there. So is that immature, ‘I want what I want when I want it.’ We can dress it up, but it remains the driving force of life.

Saving faith has a new objective. It takes my eyes off me and turns my heart upward and outward. I can love God love others because of new life in me. Even though the ‘old me’ sometimes fights that, because God is God, He gives victory over that sinfulness and changes my focus from here and now into eternal hope.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven . . . .” (Colossians 1:3–5)

^^^^^^^

Jesus, I love You because You first loved me and gave Yourself for me. I love others, because You have taken care of my love needs and set me free from selfish concerns that rob me of the joy of serving You. When I slip back into that old life, You pick me up and turn my heart again toward eternal matters. You are the most amazing God and I thank You for saving me!