It is Monday and I don't know who has a capacity to hear this on a Monday morning but this passage keeps coming to mind. It explains an invisible dynamic.
Job's wife seems to fall into the trap but not Job.
"And the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?' Then Satan answered the LORD and said, 'Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.' And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD." - Job 1:8-12 ESV
"But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.' And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.' But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." - Job 2:5-10 ESV
Grace is a beautiful thing. We may say, 'Wow. I hope that never happens to me.' and I think that is a good natural response but then we see something about God. He wants to bless us. He blessed Job and then after this trial He blessed him even more.
"And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days." - Job 42:12-17 ESV
Times of uncertainty are part of it. God is interrelational. He allows things but His activity is blessing. His joy is to bring blessings. He loves us and trusts that grace can and does create a deep abiding bond that goes beyond sight and material things.
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Showing posts with label Desire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desire. Show all posts
Monday, January 22, 2018
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Possibilities
This morning I am thinking of the desires people have and the scripture is speaking to me. I know it is a long passage of scripture but please look at it with me and let it speak to you.
There are three people involved with different needs and desires. The rich young ruler, Peter and Jesus.
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, 'How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' But he said, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'
And Peter said, 'See, we have left our homes and followed you.' And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.'
And taking the twelve, he said to them, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.' But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said." - Luke 18:22-34 ESV
Do we grasp what Jesus is saying? We look in hindsight and see the cross but Jesus is speaking about more than that historical event isn't He?
Rich young rulers have a wide range of possibilities open to them. Perhaps of all the groups in humanity they seem to have the best options but human satisfaction in a tricky thing.
I identify strongly with Peter here. Perhaps I was a rich young ruler for a few minutes a long time ago but now I am much more like Peter. I have gone in the faith direction. Peter sees in part and understands in part. He sees benefits but he also sees that he does not have anymore to give. He has given all... up until this point.
Then there is Jesus. Wow. Jesus. He is looking to the cross. Nobody understands his direction. They all want something. But Jesus has something. He has a life to give. He sees his mission as a scriptural mission.
{I go back and read the scripture a few more times.}
The rich young ruler says, 'What should I do?, and Peter says, 'Look at what we have done.' but Jesus is the only one moving with hope into the future knowing death awaits Him but that life will triumph over death.
"Those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' But he said, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.' " - Luke 18:26-27 ESV
The world exalts rich young rulers.
Looking at Jesus this morning I am saved from myself. Man couldn't do that for me.
Grace.
Not what was. Not even what is. I have hope for what will be starting right now. I shake off the dust of my expectations, regrets and personal evaluations and venture down the road to an empty cross. Jesus died there but now He sits at the right hand of the Father.
Where He goes I follow. His satisfaction can be my satisfaction.
Jesus felt sorry for the rich young ruler.
We have choices today. We can live wanting or regretting or we can shake those things off and follow Jesus into the future with hope.
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There are three people involved with different needs and desires. The rich young ruler, Peter and Jesus.
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, 'How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' But he said, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'
And Peter said, 'See, we have left our homes and followed you.' And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.'
And taking the twelve, he said to them, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.' But they understood none of these things.
This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said." - Luke 18:22-34 ESV
Do we grasp what Jesus is saying? We look in hindsight and see the cross but Jesus is speaking about more than that historical event isn't He?
Rich young rulers have a wide range of possibilities open to them. Perhaps of all the groups in humanity they seem to have the best options but human satisfaction in a tricky thing.
I identify strongly with Peter here. Perhaps I was a rich young ruler for a few minutes a long time ago but now I am much more like Peter. I have gone in the faith direction. Peter sees in part and understands in part. He sees benefits but he also sees that he does not have anymore to give. He has given all... up until this point.
Then there is Jesus. Wow. Jesus. He is looking to the cross. Nobody understands his direction. They all want something. But Jesus has something. He has a life to give. He sees his mission as a scriptural mission.
{I go back and read the scripture a few more times.}
The rich young ruler says, 'What should I do?, and Peter says, 'Look at what we have done.' but Jesus is the only one moving with hope into the future knowing death awaits Him but that life will triumph over death.
"Those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' But he said, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.' " - Luke 18:26-27 ESV
The world exalts rich young rulers.
Looking at Jesus this morning I am saved from myself. Man couldn't do that for me.
Grace.
Not what was. Not even what is. I have hope for what will be starting right now. I shake off the dust of my expectations, regrets and personal evaluations and venture down the road to an empty cross. Jesus died there but now He sits at the right hand of the Father.
Where He goes I follow. His satisfaction can be my satisfaction.
Jesus felt sorry for the rich young ruler.
We have choices today. We can live wanting or regretting or we can shake those things off and follow Jesus into the future with hope.
--
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Hope Deferred
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12 ESV
Are people heart sick because they don't have what they want yet or because they don't want what they already have?
I think it's both. If you spend any time with older people they treasure what they had and remember their youth and middle age vividly. It's like those times come into focus for them. Some fictionalize their past, others have deep regrets but there are others that appreciated things in the moment and then look back with appreciation and insight. The stories they tell about what happened to them in the past instruct a younger generation on what is happening in the present.
Yesterday we spoke about Jesus being the embodiment of hope and I'm looking at this verse in Proverbs in that context. I understand what it is like to live in a battle that rarely seems to end and suffer heartbreak after heartbreak. I know what it's like to want something and have that thing postponed again and again until you don't want to want it anymore but you can't change your heart's desire.
'But God...'
He Is what we have (if we have believed in His Son). Do we want Him?
He wants us.
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
We can enter into His love and have a present hope that is not postponed.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" - Titus 2:13 KJV
Yes He Is coming later but His appearing is also the day of His visitation.
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." - Matthew 18:20 ESV
People talk about living in the moment and I understand that but that falls short in so many ways because unless that moment is eternal it will turn to dust. Time does that to biological things because of the fall.
Hope is living in the eternal mind of the One who has won the victory over death and Hell. It is a tree of life and trees reproduce in multiplication as they give nourishment.
You may not have what you want but do you want what you have? We are stewards of hope. If we appreciate and take care of what we have God may just give us more to take care of.
--
Are people heart sick because they don't have what they want yet or because they don't want what they already have?
I think it's both. If you spend any time with older people they treasure what they had and remember their youth and middle age vividly. It's like those times come into focus for them. Some fictionalize their past, others have deep regrets but there are others that appreciated things in the moment and then look back with appreciation and insight. The stories they tell about what happened to them in the past instruct a younger generation on what is happening in the present.
Yesterday we spoke about Jesus being the embodiment of hope and I'm looking at this verse in Proverbs in that context. I understand what it is like to live in a battle that rarely seems to end and suffer heartbreak after heartbreak. I know what it's like to want something and have that thing postponed again and again until you don't want to want it anymore but you can't change your heart's desire.
'But God...'
He Is what we have (if we have believed in His Son). Do we want Him?
He wants us.
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
We can enter into His love and have a present hope that is not postponed.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" - Titus 2:13 KJV
Yes He Is coming later but His appearing is also the day of His visitation.
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." - Matthew 18:20 ESV
People talk about living in the moment and I understand that but that falls short in so many ways because unless that moment is eternal it will turn to dust. Time does that to biological things because of the fall.
Hope is living in the eternal mind of the One who has won the victory over death and Hell. It is a tree of life and trees reproduce in multiplication as they give nourishment.
You may not have what you want but do you want what you have? We are stewards of hope. If we appreciate and take care of what we have God may just give us more to take care of.
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Saturday, January 16, 2016
Expectations
How many of us are where we thought we would be when we were younger?
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV
What a great promise.
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4 ESV
Does this mean that God is going to give us what we want or that He is going to change what we want? I think it is both.
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"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV
What a great promise.
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4 ESV
Does this mean that God is going to give us what we want or that He is going to change what we want? I think it is both.
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