Good Morning Friends,
Today we look at the plans and the people in our lives and the work of God in choosing them. We look at how we invest our time and money and energy and how God invests in us. And when we look at these situations it might just bogle our minds enough to bring us to our knees and ask God and ourselves. Were We Thinking And As A Whole?
Scripture: Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NRSV)
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30 (NRSV)
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the Lord’s wrath. For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord— the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13 (NRSV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12a (NRSV)
I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel: After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 (NRSV)
Message: We are on a journey toward holiness and the saints are cheering us on, but I for one am not there yet and frankly the image of all the suffering is a bit discouraging. Thankfully I believe there will be a time when God shall wipe away all tears from all the saint’s eyes. Maybe we should experience the courage of that time even now as a show of victory. Friends, every one of us, and every human being on earth, is called to be a saint. And that means that we are called to be holy, set apart for God’s service. We are not called to be merely kind or popular or admired or even famous. We are not called to just avoid sin. We are called to be holy. And in this future, we hope and believe with the conviction that suffering in this life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, will one day yield to unfathomable bliss and blessings. Friends, sorrow shall not always have the upper hand. Sure, we might get depressed and angry and be in denial of it all. Grief is after all a reality. But a day is coming on earth when God will have removed every trace of the cause of tears. Friends we live in a culture that tells us we deserve everything that makes us happy…but somehow in this perspective we miss the truth, that the cost must be paid for everything… Here we face the reality that suffering might just be part of the God’s good, wise, and perfect plan. The reality is that becoming a Christian does not make us healthy, and wealthy and free of pain. In fact, we might thrive best in the tension of life. The deal is not about being happy but becoming holy. That is our purpose! Everything in our lives… our jobs…our marriage…our family and church…everything is designed to accomplish this goal. Here we discover our sufferings are not necessarily random or meaningless. There can be a hard purpose to it all. Perhaps we are made weak to eventually become strong. Perhaps that is the way of God’s plan. So, let love motivate our attitude, our mind, our will, and belief. Trust and obey in the love of Christ. Know the truth about the trials of life. Get up and take the next step with Jesus. We do not need to be anxious or fearful. We can succeed through faith in Christ during the trials of our lives and in the grace of a loving heart that witnesses the comfort and encouragement of the Spirit in us. And yes, we are to aspire to this holiness even in the face of misfortune and even in facing death.
And So, imagine all the saints across all time are praying with us and our creator, redeemer, and sustainer right now in the hope for a new heaven and a new earth. When I think about my favorite saints I am inspired by their actions and the reality that they faced real challenges and still had peace.
So, this day I do not mourn the dead saints, but celebrate the life we together have in Christ. And so, this morning we consider the joys before us in communion, realizing that terror takes the joy out of the moment but might also prepare us for the fight ahead. Thankfully, despite the evil in the world, divine love transcends time…all time…even this time as we look to a future without tears. Yes, we aspire to this holiness even in the face of suffering. But scripture is clear. There will be a time when God shall wipe away all tears from all the saint’s eyes. So, maybe we should experience the courage of that time even now as a show of victory as we face the ordeals of life. Friends, every one of us, and every human being on earth, is called to be a saint. And that means that we are called to be holy, set apart for God’s service. We are not called to be merely kind or popular or admired or even famous. We are not called to just avoid sin. We are called to be holy. And in this future, we hope and believe with the conviction that suffering in this life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, will one day yield to unfathomable bliss and blessings but perhaps a bit of excitement as well. Friends, sorrow shall not always have the upper hand. Sure, we might get depressed and angry and be in denial of it all, but a day is coming on earth when God will have removed every trace of the cause of tears but not the challenge of joining with others in prayer until all is accomplished in God’s plan.
Pray for the coming of a new heaven and a new earth. Pray we all become new creatures in Christ as our King. Pray that the Holy Spirit provides us with the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we should, and the wisdom to know the difference in this life and the next. Pray that we experience a peace that passes understanding. Pray we are anxious for nothing but extending the love of God. Pray that the Lord help us exhibit serenity under pressure, courage during intense opposition and wisdom in times of great confusion. Pray we realize that joy, and peace and contentment do not come from our circumstances but from God’s grace-filled love. Pray we trust and obey. Pray we become more holy. Pray
God encourage us and sustain us in service to others as we join with the saints in Spirit. Pray in the spirit of unity for all believers across all time that have glorified God. Pray that even though we live in a topsy-turvy world, we keep trusting God. Pray we are equipped for sanctified living. Pray we are part of a love that lasts.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 