Keeping Our Eyes On God's Promise

Have you ever tried to count all of the promises that are in the Bible? I know I haven't! According to one source, there are 3,573 promises (source). How accurate that is I'm not sure but even if it is off a little those are a lot of promises!

This past Sunday I just concluded our Christmas series entitled "The Promise: A Celebration of Christmas" (listen here). In this series, we unpacked the overarching promise of redemption that gave way to the Christmas story. It was because of God's promise to redeem that He sent His Son as a helpless baby. It was because of God's promise of redemption that God the Son lived a perfect life which gave way to a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. It is because of God's promise of redemption that we know that He will never stop working on us or for us (Eph. 2:10). It is because of God's promise of redemption that we know that when we feel like it's all over God has already written the true ending and it is marvelous (Rev. 21-22)!

You get the point!

What we have to see here is that every single promise in the Bible is because of God's one singular promise of redemption. It was declared from the very beginning in the midst of tragedy and chaos in the garden (Gen. 3:15) and it continues through today--yes even amidst your chaos!-- and for all of time! So, in light of this, how are you viewing God's promises? Do you realize when you start to doubt what God says you are really doubting His complete plan of redemption? Why? Because everything, and I mean everything, is staked upon that! If God were to ever be untrue to any one of His promises then that would mean that God would be untrue to THE promise!

We know this can't be the case so today let's heed Jesus' words amidst our doubt:


“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:25-34

A Prayer For Strength

Father,

How often we lack the strength that the day, circumstance, decision, task, and demands. How often we find ourselves trying to muster a strength from within ourselves which can only carry us so far. Lord, how often are You the last one that we look to for the things that we need. Father, we don't understand why You allow us to go through so many of the things that we do. How often would our ways and plans be different. Yet, Father, we desire your will above our own and when our desire is not for what you desire, we know that you understand that we are but dust. Please, we pray, grant us the strength which we do not have. Grant us that special strength that only comes from above that we, too, may glory in the cross of Your Son. Take what is a blessing and bless us with it. Take what is a trial and bless us with it. Take what is an adversity and bless us with it. Give us strength as we learn to trust. For Your name's sake, for Your glory, for Your children.

In the name of Your beloved Son,

Amen

The True Leader

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Hebrews 2:10

How do you view God? Do you see Him as a demanding task master barking our orders and ready to call you out at the sign of any misstep or failure? I think many of us view God as the first depiction described in this image. Yet, is this mindset correct? How can we know what God is like?

Jesus answers this question for us. In John 14:7 He says, "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." So, according to Jesus' own words and explanation, we know the Father by the Son. Jesus is our perfect example of who the Father is and what He is like. 

So what example does the Son present of the Father to us? Hebrews 2:10 answers this question. Jesus is our "pioneer" or leader who paved the way to the Father for us through the perfection of His suffering on our behalf. You see, Jesus is the perfect representation of the bottom image of the picture. He is our leader and we walk in the path of His perfection and finished work. 

So, going back to the original question, how do you view God? God is not the apathetic, harsh boss barking out orders relentlessly. He is the one who stepped down from the pedestal of exaltation to lead the way for us to Himself. Walk in this truth today and go forth boldly knowing you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus!

A Lesson From "The Law"

Well, today (Monday) is my day off. We usually try to travel outside of our small town to just get
away for the better part of the day. On our drive, my wife and I were having a great conversation when I realized I was traveling downhill and was going about 80 mph. I started to break as I saw a police officer still a good way off parked in the median. As I passed (at only around 65 mph at this point), sure enough, I watched him in my rear view mirror as he slowly pulled onto the road eventually flashing his lights to pull over.

"Oh, no!" I thought. Not only was the reality that I would be given a ticket suddenly sinking in, but that this would be my second ticket in the past 2 months was eerily creeping over me! "This is not good!" I thought. Rachel was very calm and understanding in light of my current predicament!

As I sat in the car during that seemingly eternal time when the officer takes your information back to his car to make sure you are not a murderer or anything, I couldn't help but feeling like kicking myself for not heeding the last officer's warning 2 months ago to "watch my speed!". You see, I took my chances with the law and the law won!

As I continue to think back upon the events of today I cannot help but think of an even deeper principle. The Law (God's Law) is meant to crush us. It will win every time! It is meant to show us the deep depravity and error of our ways. It is meant to show us of our great need. While we can try to "do better next time" (like the police officer's words to me 2 months ago!) when it comes to the law, we always fall short. No matter how hard we may try, it will not be long before we find ourselves pulled over along the road of life having broken God's perfect Law.

BUT, thanks be to our God for a Redeemer! Where I have broken the Law, Christ has perfectly obeyed the Law.  Where I have failed, Christ has fully succeeded. Where I fall short, Christ has reached God's perfect standard. Now, when I fail and must pull over alongside the roadways of life to look at my "ticket" of failures and insufficiencies, I see the blood red words of Christ written all over them and it says this: "PAID IN FULL".

Thank you Father that your Law points me first to my failure but does not end there! Thank you that your Law points me to Jesus and my daily need for Him!

Today's Prayer: A Prayer of Worship

Father,

We come to You with grateful hearts, O LORD! How magnificent are Your ways and Your dealings with man! Our minds could never comprehend You yet You came down to our level by means of Your Son so that we could truly have a relationship with You. How blessed we are, Lord. No depth of riches, prestige, or earthly success could ever match what You have already done for us. Father, we are eternally grateful. May today our minds focus on what we have in You, not what temporal desires we would relish in even for only a few brief moment. God, You know what is good for You are good. You know what we need for You are what we need. Thank you for choosing us for Your own good pleasure. Thank You for making us Your very own. May we live everyday in light of these eternal truths, Father. We glorify Your name today. We desire, this day, to be living testimonies of praise for what You have done in and through us. Lord, we worship You today. May our praise be acceptable in Your sight. We are Your children.

Through Jesus we pray,

Amen

Today's Prayer: The Need for Guidance

Please grant us Your mercy and Your goodness for the day. Make us aware of our own selfish pride and arrogant views that we so often hold against others. Release from the guilt that has already been taken care of at the cross. Guide us to the individuals you would have us touch with your love and favor. Help us to see that this life is not one in which we live for self but one in which we live for You and for Your glory. Please let us, as Your children, dwell in thankfulness, reliance, joy, and peace. Help us to see that the difficulties and trials we encounter are allowed by Your divine hand and that You will lead us through them as we place our trust in You. Help us to remember that You are the One who will lead us beside the still waters of refreshment. Father, may we never lose our focus. May we never take our eyes off of Your Son. May we go boldly on knowing You are in control. Thank you for providing a love that has never been known in this world before. Thank you for entrusting us with a divine call. Thank you for equipping us to serve You. God, give us this day Your gentle guidance.

In Your Son's name we come,

Amen

Show Us Christ

I am currently doing a short sermon series at church on how to view the Scriptures. I find that there are generally 2 ways that we can approach the Bible. The first is a man-centered approach. This approach sees self at the center of the Bible. This view misses or minimizes the grand narrative of the Bible: God's mission of redemption of all things for His glory. In other words, the Scriptures are all about me: the path I must follow, my guide to blessing, my list of "do's" and "don'ts", etc. etc. etc. When we come to the Bible in this way, how burdened we become! How off track we can go! Sure the Bible has many commands. Sure the Bible speaks of blessing and fruitfulness. Yet, is all of this dependent upon us?

I believe the Scriptures point to a better way. In Luke 24:25-27 Jesus tells us that all of the Scriptures point to Him. Jesus is to be the focal point of our approach to Scripture! He is the one who has already perfectly obeyed every command of God. He is the One who sits enthroned in heaven with all blessings and any blessing we receive comes because of Him. He is the One who brings us freedom to live free from the shackles of sin and self for a greater purpose! It is all about Jesus! The Old Testament points us to Jesus and the New Testament expounds upon Him.

Much more could be said about this topic and will be in future posts. For now, I want to close by sharing with you a beautiful song that should be the prayer of our hearts every time we open the pages of Scripture both privately and corporately. Enjoy!

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