And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
TO PONDER
I'm keeping things short today. I think when we talk about God's calling on our lives or discovering his 'purpose' for each of us as individuals, we tend to over complicate it. God has never hidden his purpose from us. In fact, if you actually read through scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, God's purpose seems pretty clear, to restore what was lost at the fall. To restore humanity and all of creation to God's original sin free plan. To bring back into a right relationship with himself, all things.
This is why he chose Abraham and his descendants, 'to be a blessing to all nations'. He was at work through the descendants of Abraham to bring about his plan of salvation for all the World, Jesus Christ. Now Jesus has sent us, his followers and disciples to go and make more disciples. There is almost an echo of God's command to all living things in Genesis 1, "go forth, be fruitful and multiply, ... fill the earth". In the same way Jesus says, 'go forth you disciples and make more disciples in all nations of the world, go fill the earth with disciples."
That's the purpose God has for each of us, it might be carried out in different ways and through different gifts, but the purpose is the same, to reunite us with himself, and then to be at work through us, calling and uniting others to himself. That's it, God works all things towards that end. You've been called to be part of the process.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to walk each day according to your plan and your purpose.
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
TO PONDER
Our focus has been on the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies in Joshua chapter 2. But today I want to talk about the fall out of the events of that story. Many of you might already know this but Rahab is one of four women, apart from Mary, mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's gospel. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba all get a mention, and all had lives that had been affected by scandal or tragedy in one way or another. Not the kind of thing you might expect to see in the family tree of God's promised messiah. Tamar was the widowed daughter-in-law of Judah who refused to offer her the protection she should have had under Jewish law so she had to disguise herself as a prostitute to finally seek justice for herself, Rahab was a foreigner and a harlot in a doomed city, Ruth was another outsider and widow who turned her back on her own people to care for and support her Jewish mother-in-law, and Bathsheba's husband was killed when King David decided he wanter her for himself.
And yet, despite the mess of this family tree, God was faithful to those who put their trust in Him, even these women who for the most part were from outside of the tribes of Israel. To them he showed that his love remained with them and his righteousness with their descendants because it was through their descendants, that Jesus came into the world and God's righteousness made available to all.
So, if your life, or your family, feels like a mess at the moment, just take a deep breath. Remember that God has redeemed bigger messes than the one you might be facing. Hear again the words of the Psalmist, "the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children." God loves you, he is with you, trust him.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You know better that I do, the messes that are part of my life at the moment. But you are the great redeemer of mess, and have shown time and time again how you bring good from the bad and turn everything to your purposes. I ask that you would do that again with my life, redeem the mess and grant me and my children's children your righteousness, for Jesus sake, Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.
TO PONDER
Do you have any enemies? I don't think many of us here in Australia would answer 'yes' to that these days. We are not facing any immediate military threat from neighbouring countries and those of us who try to just live as decent people living on the right side of the law, generally do not have anything to worry about from our own government or law enforcement agencies, no one is 'out to get us'.
Yet what is kind of strange is that from the time God chose Abraham and his descendants to be his specially chosen people, other nations were out to get them. They were enslaved by Egyptians, heckled, raided, and resisted by the Moabites, Amelekites, Canaanites, and all-the-other-'ites'. They were conquered and exiled by the Babylonians and Assyrians, and by the time that Jesus arrived they were rules by the Romans. These were a people beset by enemies of one kind or another in almost every generation.
And while our relatively isolated position on the globe offers us some protection, or at least distance, from international or foreign enemies, I think we are beginning to look for enemies within. The 'us' against 'them' mentality seems to be a commonly heard kind of language in the public square these days. We may be a bit light on for physical enemies, but now we are wanting to draw the battle lines over ideologies. You're either "one of us", or "one of them". It's in our media, it's throughout the culture, and sadly it's in the church.
Let's put all that aside and listen to the wisdom of this verse today. Wouldn't you rather turn your attention, your energy and devotion to the God who has already given you victory over your enemies, victory over sin, death, and the devil? Remember that in Christ there is on 'us' and 'them', we are all one in Christ Jesus who died for us. Wouldn't you rather worship the Lord your God; because it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. Trust him to do what he sys, and give all your effort and attention to Him and let him take care of the rest.
PRAYER:Lord Jesus, you are the victor over sin, death, and the devil, the only three real enemies that I have. Help me never to see other people as the enemy, but rather as your dearly loved children, created in your image, just like I am. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
TO PONDER
The two spies in the Bible story from Joshua 2, this past Sunday had an anxious 3 day wait in the hill country outside of Jericho before it was safe for them to travel back to Joshua and the Israelite encampment. I imagine that whole time could have been spend wondering when the kings men would find them because they had been betrayed by Rahab. But of course, that never happened.
Sometimes it is our fears that rob us of the joy of living in the moment. Sometimes it is the fears of what might be, that make us unable to see what God is doing in the here and now. think of it this way. You have three days to wait, you can wait in confident trust that you are in Gods plan and that he has things covered, or you can wait for three days expecting at any moment to be found by the agents of the king of Jericho.
Either way you have to wait. In one scenario you have peace and courage, in the other you have only anxiety and fear. Waiting and trusting in the Lord is not about simply waiting around doing nothing. Waiting on the Lord is about seeking his presence even in the waiting, especially when it feels like maybe he has abandoned you. Those are the times to seek him and be reminded of his promises to never leave or forsake you.
So wait on the Lord this week. Seek him in all circumstances. May he be your strength and your shield, the rock on which you stand.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, you are my strong tower and refuge my comfort and my defender. Help me to rest in you and wait on you in all circumstances knowing that you plan will work it's way out in your perfect timing. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
TO PONDER
This week we are looking at living courageously through the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies. You probably heard a lot about Rahab at church in the sermon today and there's good reason for that, she is really the focus of the story. However, spare a thought for the courage of the two spies as well. They also put their trust in this woman who had a 'reputation' around town. She was not an Israelite, she had no real reason or motivation to help them except the fear of their God which she had shared with them.
But a deal, or covenant, was struck between them. The spies had to trust that Rahab would not give them away or sell them out to the King of Jericho, and Rahab had to trust the Israelite spies to keep their word as the Israelites took the city a short time later.
It just reminds me that while God promises to be with us and protect us, especially while we are busy trying to do His will in the world, the help he provides may sometimes come from unexpected quarters. At those times we have to ask ourselves, is God at work here through this unexpected person to deliver me from whatever danger or trouble I might be facing?
God used incredibly unlikely people in many situations to bring about his will throughout the Bible. Don't write off the help he might be sending you just because it doesn't look like the help you had expected. Likewise, don't write yourself off as the help God might be sending to someone else, even though you may feel the most unlikely of helpers.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to see the ways you are at work delivering me from harm and danger. May I always give you thanks and praise for the ways you sustain my life, even the unexpected ways. Amen
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
TO PONDER:
Have you ever lost your keys or phone, an earring or perhaps even a child in a shop? Can you recall that exact moment of realisation when you noticed that thing of value is gone? You rack your brain trying to work out where you have been. You look in the same spot over and over again? You are frantic, desperate...sometimes even irrational as you consider the implications of losing that which is important to you. You look and look and look again. Fear is a powerful emotion.
Which is what makes this passage so powerful and words we need to hear. The Holy Spirit who is at work in us and through us, comes alongside of us in our fear and anxiousness to point us to the love of Christ which drives out all fear. A love that gives us an identity as children of God. A love that hugs us tightly and says we belong to God. A love that enables us to live powerfully and with purpose and confidence in the promises which God has given to us. That is good news...and it's that good news that Jesus wants you to receive, bask in, and share with others today. No matter what happens, you are held in the palm of Jesus. That's the gift of his love, a love that is now possible to live because the resurrected Lord has given us his Holy Spirit.
PRAYER:
Lord, your love, never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out of me. Thankyou Lord for your grace which enables us to live well, and with purpose because of what you have for me. Mark
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
TO PONDER:
What do your social media accounts say about you? If our thoughts guide our actions, our decisions and our words, they also guide what we type with our fingers! So what do your social media accounts say about your thoughts and what's important to you? Is it food, or friends, or family, or furry friends? Is it inspirational quotes or Bible readings? Do you share funny memes. If people looking at your social media feeds only had that to understand and paint a picture of who you are and what is important to you, what would they conclude?
Paul in this section contrasts two lives, as he does in the book of Galatians. Life "according to the Spirit" and life "according to the flesh" (See Galatians 5:16-26). What characterises your life? What is at the core of your life? Where does your mind wander when it is doing nothing? Paul gives only two options...it is either the things of the Spirit or the things of the flesh. Whatever is at your core will affect where your mind goes, how you speak, how you act, what you decide. Only the mind set on the Spirit leads to life. Only the mind set on the Spirit brings peace. Only the mind set on the Spirit will produce fruit that reflects Jesus.
Spend some time thinking today about where your mind naturally heads. What does the Spirit of God need to change and transform in your life so your mind and heart and actions intentionally go towards the things of Jesus?
PRAYER:
Holy Spirit come, Holy Spirit come. Heal our hearts, our lives, Cleanse our thoughts, our minds. Holy Spirit come, Oh come to us. Amen.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.
TO PONDER:
It's beautiful to see when it happens. Synchronicity. When things come together perfectly. When two things are in sync with each other. Forwards in sync with their midfield. Dancers in sync. An orchestra in time with one another. A couple who are totally on the same page. A working dog working seamlessly with their owner. Trapeze artists and their catchers wowing the audience with perfect timing.
Synchronicity is at the heart of the reading today. The Word of God and the Spirit of God working in perfect sync. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. In tandem. In perfect timing. On the same page. And it is beautiful to see. That's always the way when God's Word in spoken. In the speaking of the Word, the Spirit of God is working to open hearts and minds to Jesus. We see it throughout the book of Acts...Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, the jailer and in our reading today with Cornelius. When you hear the Word of God today, the Spirit of God will speak what your heart needs to hear. When you speak the Word of God to someone today, the power of the Spirit will be in sync with that Word, to powerfully work what God desires in the heart of that person. We are seeing that happen, across LifeWay at the moment. And it is so beautiful to see.
May you experience that synchronicity as you hear God's word today in your own life. May you see it at work as you speak the Word of God to someone today.
PRAYER:
Father God, give me courage to share the good news of the Gospel with someone, trusting that your Word and Spirit will be in sync to powerfully work in the lives of those you are calling to you. Amen.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
TO PONDER:
Many of you will remember doing multiple choice questions at school. You may have four or five possible answers that you need to choose from. Some were easy to discard but normally you would come down to two - one that was correct and one that was almost right. An undiscerning mind could easily mistake the almost right one for the actual correct answer.
Discernment is really important and seems to be increasingly so. Just this morning, I have already received 3 text messages, one telling me that my order from Amazon couldn't be delivered and to click the link to get it redelivered, another from the ATO, telling me to update my details before the end of the financial year to ensure my account details were right for receiving a refund, and a third telling me that I had unpaid Tolls. Without discernment, I could easily click on a link and give access to my details to unknown persons who would use that information to scam me.
Paul is exhorting the Church to be discerning in how we live. To walk with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to keep in step with the Spirit as we heard this last Sunday from Galatians. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth leads and guides us in our daily living, in walking Jesus' way. But we can douse the flames of the Spirit, we can turn off the light of the Spirit in our lives, when we hear what he says to us through his Word, when we know what he is calling us to, but we don't put into practice what the Spirit is telling us. When we refuse to live at peace with one another, when we are idle or vengeful, when we fail to worship and pray and give thanks (see verses 12-18).
So Paul encourage the Church to be discerning, to test everything against that baseline of God's Word. That our opinions, or those of others, our actions and the actions of others are evaluated against God's Word to us in the Bible. As we spend time with the Word of God and hear what God says to us. As we receive God's Word and listen to the Spirit revealing God's heart, his character and his way to us, we will not quench the Spirit, but fan into flame the Spirit in us and through us. God's Spirit will show us what is right and good and lead us into the fullness of life God desires for each of us.
How discerning are you? Another way of reflecting on that question is to ask yourself, 'How much time am I spending in God's Word and hearing from him?'
PRAYER
Spirit of truth, lead me into all truth today, that in every situation I may discern what it true and good and profitable for the only thing that matters - life with you. Amen.