Are You Enjoying The Gifts of God After The Storm?
Good Afternoon Friends,
Well it was sixteen days ago, on a Sunday, and our family had just finished watching the Star Wars movie, Rogue One on DVD and Hurricane Irma had dropped some limbs but nothing too severe yet. As the final credits came up we lost power and internet connection. Then the storm really hit and the many of the fifty-foot pine trees in our yard snapped producing the smell of Christmas. Then we were in the eye of the storm, having experienced 142 mile an hour winds. It would be eleven days before power would be restored and fifteen days for cable and internet for us. But normality is still not the reality. So, I am rebooting the daily devotionals on the lectionary selection of that day Irma hit and then adding in the current passages about the rebuilding of the Temple as recounted in the book of Ezra to reestablish the routines of my life. The scriptures from both days seem appropriate to help put this experience in perspective. But aside from my personal experience, it makes me mindful that way too many people in Immokalee are living in tents and in damaged trailers. And I am mindful that during the demands of everyday life and especially the storms of life, the Lord not only gives us the Sabbath, but he also invites all who are weary and burdened to both rejoice and rest in the act of rebuilding a place of worship in our lives as well as a home in our hearts. Friends, there is a gift that we are to appreciate whenever we need it, for Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and the calmer of storms. Still there are basic needs we think we must have before we allow a resolution. And so, it is that we are to experience the contributions of the church and the called-out assembly of believers for this body benefits the community of God after the storms we have experienced. It is all for our benefit but it takes our engagement to experience the joy. Are You Enjoying The Gifts of God After The Storm?
Scripture: I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 1:24-2:3 (NRSV)
On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Luke 6:6-11 (NRSV)
let the work on this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God: the cost is to be paid to these people, in full and without delay, from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province Beyond the River. May the God who has established his name there overthrow any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the passover. For both the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were clean. So they killed the passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
Message: I think that one of the great joys in life is to be able to give a gift and then watch the recipient enjoy the gift. After working hard, as slaves for the Egyptians, God lovingly gave the Israelites a day off. The Sabbath was for the people of God, because God wanted the very best for them. God didn’t need to rest, but God consecrated the Sabbath by resting on the sixth day after creation. But unfortunately the religious leaders of the Jews of Jesus’ time on earth took a love inspired gift and made it totally unenjoyable. Jesus makes it clear that the Sabbath was made for people to enjoy God and not for God to control people. Perhaps some of the problem is that we do not really understand what the Sabbath is. We define the Sabbath as either a time to go to church or a time to do nothing. But that misses the point and purpose of storms and the point and purpose of the Sabbath. You see the Sabbath is a time to turn our attention away from the world and towards God. The Sabbath is a time to celebrate God’s love and grace. It is for us to be refreshed, renewed, and revived. The Sabbath is a time to love…. a Selah…a time to pause and reflect. But also, to make a commitment to rebuild after the storm.
Pray we focus on Christ. Pray we rejoice in all things. Pray we keep the Word of God central to our living. Pray we actively work at making disciples. Pray we rely on the Holy Spirit’s power not our own. Pray we are dedicated to striving for joy with sacrifice. Pray we are dedicated to striving for joy is with service, separation and strength. Pray we find the joy of the Sabbath but also the purpose of the storms in gathering us together in rebuilding places of worship in our hearts and homes. Pray we realize the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ but also our role in helping to restore that which has been lost. Pray we have the hope and comfort of being committed together for a cause. Pray we come in agreement as to what God is prompting in our hearts so that the abundance of God might be shared.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 