Good Morning Friends,
Sitting safely in the shelter of our homes and in small groups among ourselves complaining to one another about the horrible state of today’s society, does nothing to unleash the power of God. The long journey inward and outward must be made before we enter the Promised Land. For here God meets us in the experience of our gifts and weakness in the process of how we are deployed for a holy purpose in history. A friend of mine prompted my thinking on this when he shared some thoughts of Dag Hammarskjold who once offered this prayer that seems so appropriate for the family time between Thanksgiving and Christmas: “For everything that has been – Thank you! For everything that will be – Yes!” Dag Hammarskjold also said: “Life yields only to the conqueror. Never accept what can be gained by giving in. You will be living off stolen goods, and your muscles will atrophy.” Apparently if one tries to reconcile these thoughts there is a moment of tension which decides whether the path will be good or evil, pointing out, as I interpret it, that God energizes us to good only if we have a thankful heart for what God has chosen. Now I do not really understand all this completely, but I do grasp the importance of being thankful in making us less lonely and more courageous… in loving one person well instead of trying to love everyone. So, friends, it is clear that on this path of salvation there are pitfalls. So, we must learn that to claim the promises of God that are intended for us, we must have the right attitude of complete confidence in God for deliverance no matter what appears to be in front of us. We are to trust that God knows the way to reconciliation. So, Have You Claimed The Power Of A Thankful Heart That Believes In And Trust God’s Love?
Scripture: The Lord will turn away from you every illness; all the dread diseases of Egypt that you experienced, he will not inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you. You shall devour all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to you, showing them no pity; you shall not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. If you say to yourself, “These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?” do not be afraid of them. Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, the Lord your God will send the pestilence against them, until even the survivors and the fugitives are destroyed. Have no dread of them, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to make a quick end of them, otherwise the wild animals would become too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and throw them into great panic, until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you and you shall blot out their name from under heaven; no one will be able to stand against you, until you have destroyed them. The images of their gods you shall burn with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them and take it for yourself, because you could be ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. Do not bring an abhorrent thing into your house, or you will be set apart for destruction like it. You must utterly detest and abhor it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Deuteronomy 7:15-27 (NRSV)
“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34-36 (NRSV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be let out for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 20:1-4, 11—21:2 (NRSV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NRSV)
Message: Today we look at the way of a Christian in a world that is changing.
We are to realize that each of us matters beyond measure. We are to trust in the love of God for the people of God for we are to be part of the plan. Before the Israelites possessed any of the promises and moved into the promised land, they had to face a formidable resistance. They had success and failures, but they did it together. Ultimately what made them successful was having a thankful heart. Believing in the promises of God and the plan is essential. You see Israel had been chosen because they were able to respond. They had learned how not to whine. So too we are chosen. Not for our skill but more so because of our faith to act with the right attitude. Here we just might realize that with the right attitude our weakness is made strong in God and that our giftedness and skill can be used for good, but that even great skills will turn to evil if they do not have the love of a thankful heart. And here we are to understand that God acts in history and in our lives in similar fashion. And that conquest of any kind seems harder than it really is. So, friends, if God is working in our lives, and I believe God is, there is no room for fear. Every person’s part is essential in the creative whole of God’s plan. Giving thanks for each other and each experience makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress. The message is about connecting our heart and head in a way that transforms.
And So, there are uncertainties in life. And sometimes rather sobering and sudden judgement. The deal is that God has given us life limits that we cannot pass. There are also different seasons in our life. Then when the end is expected and the mana’s expiration date has long passed… when nothing is left, when everything tumbles in, when the precarious dependence
of our human existence asks God to enter the picture., then we discover the answer to today’s question. The thing is that the solemn assurance our salvation is awesome but there is so much more to a relationship with God. The beauty is that we can partner with the Lord and through the supernatural hand of Jesus defeat those things that would keep us in the wilderness instead of entering the land of promise. Here God’s love saves, refreshes and compels us to be obedient. Here the love of God prompts us to turn to God for the things we need for victory. Friends, we have been chosen, even though we do not deserve it. Friends, when everything is wiped away…when nothing is left…only God remains. And God is more than enough. For if we keep attached to the old, we will miss the blessings that God has in store for each one of us. We cannot live in the past. The best is yet to come, and God has many other things in store for us if we just submit to the Holy Spirit and allow God to renew our mind.
Pray we accept God’s love and discover its abundance in our thankfulness. Pray we are actively engaged in bringing freedom from fear to those oppressed realizing that living is not to be so much about us as about God. Pray we are thankful for new mercies every morning. Pray we love as God loves us with a love that lasts. Pray we reach next generation with the reconciling Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that this season bless us each with a thankful heart.
Pray we are to be watchful and prayerful so we might live above anxiety but be thankful for even the anxiety. Pray that our courage developed out of love has a foundation of thanksgiving for God and all that comes in the experience of life. Pray we accept our moral and spiritual responsibility. Pray we expect great things from God. Pray we are part of something intended by God to be connected in a magnificent completeness. Pray we have a conviction in God’s providence ruling and risking loving us. Pray that our hearts are filled with love, thanksgiving and courage. Pray we have the power of being thankful for God’s purpose manifested in both our strengths and weaknesses reconciled as part of God’s Holy plan. Pray we have thankful hearts and heads for the long journey inward and the loving expression of it outward.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 