Moving into my tenth year as a missionary, I can relate to the twelve disciples in the beginning of Luke chapter nine. “. . .if people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town as a testimony against them.”
I started work with this idea that I, with the power of Jesus, was going to get every kid on South Eugene’s campus saved. What high school kid could resist this powerful message that I was so eloquently delivering to them? . .boy, was I wrong about the whole thing, especially the “eloquently delivered” part.
In this great book, Jesus reminds us over and over about his love for every person that walks this Earth. He reminds us that you can’t force someone to love you. You can’t persuade someone to love you. You can’t eloquently deliver a message to someone and expect them to respond. People have to hear truth and love and more importantly SEE truth and love before they can fall in love with truth and love. Thank you Jesus for this reminder. There are hundreds of kids that by just knowing who I am hate me. It sure is fun to show them love but I have freedom in being a disciple of God to not throw my pearls to swine. There are people that just don’t want to know the truth but there are thousands that crave it. Hard to understand, but true. I am a long way from being a great evangelist. All I know is that I want to love on the person that is right in front of me so they can see Christ in and through me. Right now that is my wife . . YES HONEY, I WILL CHANGE THE BABY!!

Record: “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Reflect: Humanity and divinity collide once again as mere mortals are exposed to the presence and power of the omnipotent almighty…Jesus. This brief account sets sail with a weary Jesus sound asleep in the boat. Without warning a serious squall arises and the boat begins to get swamped.  The reaction of the disciples is akin to what many of us do when a serious storm arises in our lives. We can find ourselves in panic mode, reacting with peak emotions, steering ourselves directly toward the worst-case scenario. “Jesus! Wake Up! We’re all going to DIE!”

Jesus made a direct correlation between the disciples’ response to their dire circumstances and the depth of their trust in Him. “Where is your faith?” I can’t sit in judgment of their reaction in the stress and duress, because I would have been howling right along with the wind. Jesus’ demonstration of power proved that He is able to provide for us the safety and security that we long for, because He is in control of all of the elements of our circumstances.

There is no doubt that the situation was serious. As the waves crashed over the sides of the boat, Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and stilled the raging waters. The response of Jesus to the impending need left the disciples with a very real sense of security, that Jesus was an ever-present help in the time of trouble. And the far-reaching expanse of His power was shown, reaching from the highest heavens to the deepest seas.When the howling squall died down, the disciples responded in fear and amazement. In short, they worshiped. They began to get a clearer picture of Jesus… for who He is and what He does.

Respond: Lord, when the winds begin to blow in my life, may I not jump to emotionally charged conclusions. May I trust in Your power, and understand that You are in control. And when the squalls rage, may I rest in Your presence at the center of the storm, knowing that all of the elements of my circumstance are obedient to You. And through it all, may I have a true sense of Your calm, knowing that He who brought peace to the waters, cares more for my heart that the waves. You have a reason for the rain and a purpose for the pain. May those purposes be fulfilled for Your glory.

Proverbs 12:3  “A man cannot be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted.”

Where am I planted?

The Bible says that in Christ I am righteous.  Not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus has done for me and by placing my faith in the work of Jesus Christ, I am made right with God.  I am reminded of Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-9.  “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

My righteousness is from God and God alone and by placing my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ I am righteous in the eyes of God.  And I love the fact that Proverbs says, “the righteous cannot be uprooted.”  I’m grafted in, I’m planted, I’m secure, the seed has been sown and is growing and maturing.  My roots are continuing to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus as I get to know him better and more intimately.

That is encouraging and reminds me to keep planting myself in the Word, planting myself in the church, planting myself in prayer, and planting myself in service to the Lord, so that I may continue to stay “rooted” and growing in Jesus.

Jesus, thank you that the “righteous cannot be uprooted.”  Help me Lord to “Bloom where I am planted” and daily look to you for guidance and direction and the power of your Holy Spirit to mold me and motivate me to live a righteous life that is honoring and pleasing to you.

Luke 7:45-46 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

This is a passage that has struck me in a different way today.  Every other time, I have focused on the cost of the perfume as the sign of the depth of this woman’s devotion to Jesus. What hit me today is that as she poured out her perfume, she must have known that it could not be gathered back up and taken with her as she left that day.  Her perfume was gone just as her tears and kisses were irretrievable. Once given, the other person receives them and is affected by them. Jesus, very obviously, was appreciative of her love and the evidence of it that she showed to Him that day. Many sins forgiven equaled much love for Jesus who forgave them.

What is it that I give to Jesus that I know is irretrievable? Is it given in an act of love? The one thing that sticks out in my mind the most is time. Do I willingly give that to God as the woman in this passage willingly poured out her perfume? God had my days numbered before I was born (Job 14:4) so I have enough time to do all that He has prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).  Do I give my time effectively to Him in order that I accomplish those things? The lady in this passage was willing to give something costly.  My time is worth much to me because there seems to be so little of it.  I want to make certain that everything I do, every moment of each day, is one of worship.  I want to be showing the Lord how much I love Him, bringing Him honor and glory just as this woman showed love and honor in the way she treated Jesus. May the depth of my love for Him be evident today in how I give Him my time. May I love Him much because He has forgiven me of so much.
Lord, I love you.  I want to give to you that which is so precious to me…my time…all of it.  Help me today to see those ways that I can give my time to you wholeheartedly.  Thanks you for your forgiveness.  I praise you for it and for how it has changed my life for eternity.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7

To accomplish what God has commanded in these verses requires focus and discipline, a determination that God and his word are valuable and to be valued.  If I step back and look at this command, it makes perfect sense.  God has spoken to me and he wants me to remember what he has said, he wants his word to become so ingrained in my mind that it bears fruit in my heart.  He wants me to commit myself to making sure my children know him and his word.  The next generation should experience the blessing of knowing God as I have.

But why is this so difficult to do?  Everything, all day long, seems to crowd this simple command to the edges of my life.  Good things, important things, fun things, and worst of all meaningless things.  They all vie for my time, my attention and yes, my heart.  But God is clear, my heart is to be his and he wants to fill it with the knowledge of himself.  While it is easy to blame the hectic pace of life for my lack of discipline, that’s not the problem.  God knew life would be hectic, the verse tells us that… “while you are sitting, walking, lying down or getting up”.  The problem is one of value.  What I value I protect, I serve, I devote time to.  Frankly, this journaling has been great for me.  I have been much more successful in fulfilling this very command.  And here’s the amazing thing, I had to “sacrifice” very little, I just needed to adjust my values and the blessing was all mine.

Mark 6:39-40 - “He also told them this parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit! A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

In this simple, yet profound story, Jesus tells us that we must be careful who we choose to listen to…learn from… follow in life, for as goes the teacher, so goes the student. In the case of the blind leading the blind, the results can be the “pits” for all involved!

When I consider the people I want to be “my teachers” in life, the ones I want to follow, I’m convinced they must be men and women of certain “values.” They must be “teachers” who: 1) Value wisdom over knowledge; 2) Value character over charisma; 3) Value diligence and consistency over momentary flashes of brilliance; 4) Value loving people over using them; 5) Value the Word of God over the opinions of others; 6) Value exalting His Name over their own; and, 7) Value seeking after Jesus above all else. Granted, my “value criteria” is not exhaustive, but I think it’s a good start for keeping me away from the pits, that is, as long as I remain willing to learn from those God wants to teach me.

Father, please keep me teachable in life, for if I stop learning, I will stop living. But also guard me from following anyone who may lead me away from You in any way. I echo this especially for my own children, for there are so many “teachers” in the world today screaming for their attention. May they follow after You and learn from “Your teachers” who have hearts to do the same. And for any “students” who I have the responsibility and honor of teaching, may I be the kind of teacher who helps them become more like my Savior, the ONLY ONE truly worth following!

Luke 6:35-36 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

If I am a ‘decent’, law-abiding citizen, it’s natural for me to want justice to be done to those who live outside the rules. In fact, the more I follow the rules myself, the stronger my sense of justice becomes.  Like James & John, I want to have the power to call down fire from heaven to do destroy the wicked. However, God has made it clear that he has not given me that power (for good reason).  He tells me in His Word that HE is the one who will judge and mete out punishment.  Not only that, but He says He is merciful to the wicked.  

It’s this trait of God that can make my blood boil.   I think of the prophet Jonah’s response when God had compassion on Nineveh and did not destroy them as he had threatened to.  Jonah said, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love…Now O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah was so intent on seeing the wicked city destroyed that he couldn’t handle it when God gave them a second chance.

Now the problem with this manner of justice - that which Jonah wanted, and I sometimes find myself wanting as well - is that I have forgotten that I am also a recipient of God’s mercy.  If I want justice to be done to others, than I should be willing to accept the full penalty for my sins.  Of course, the penalty for one sin in God’s eyes is death.  How many times I would have died already! God calls me to have mercy in my heart toward those who are wicked, even against me.  He also commands me to SHOW mercy to all people, just as He has shown mercy to me.

Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to the cross to pay the full penalty for my sins.  I admit that my version of justice is short-sighted and that I need to trust that you will make a right judgment and show mercy where you will. Amen!

Psalm 66:10-12
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,
But you brought us to a place of abundance.
 

Burdens: not to weigh me down, but to strengthen me up.

Fire: not to scorch me, but to refine me.

Water: not to drown me, but to wash me clean.

Trials: not to turn me away, but to point me to God.

God works through trials, but it is my attitude that can determine whether or not I am truly being taught.  I have to ask myself if I am recognizing or resenting His hand in my life.  God doesn’t delight in seeing me heavy-laden, burnt, suffocated and disenchanted in the midst of hardship.  He wants to build me up, to purify me, to cleanse me, and to focus my eyes on the Lord.  He desires not to torment me, but to teach me. 

LORD, thank you for loving me enough to teach me discipline.  When it seems more painful than pleasant, fix my heart and my attitude.  In victory, you bring me to the place of abundance.  You are so good.  AMEN

I was in high school when I first heard the account of the group of friends who wanted to bring their paralyzed buddy to Jesus. I was struck both then and now again by the heart, resolve,creativity and perseverance that these friends exhibited as they sought to bring their friend to Christ. Firstly, their friend had a need to be healed and they recognized with their eyes of faith that Jesus was the one to heal him. Their resolve to bring him to Jesus not only displayed their own faith, but also the the healing power of the Great Physician.

Because of the magnitude of the crowd, they could not get near enough to Jesus to have him attend to their friend. Not to be turned away, they formulated a strategy to overcome the obstacle of the crowd and got up in order to get down. (I wonder what expression jesus had as He looked up to see these folks dismantling the roof while he was speaking.) Others might have turned away when they saw the crowd and decided to come back another time. But these friends seized the moment, got creative, persevered and put feet to their faith.

The response of Christ set the religious leaders on their heels as they took issue with the One who heals. Once again, Jesus seized the opportunity to not only meet the needs of the man’s physical maladies, but to also display His power as the One who can wash away our sins and provide us with salvation.

Lord, help me first see and recognize Your power to heal and to forgive. And let my faith be so quick and sure that I can know…and then go to You. May I also have the sesitivity to those who are in need around me that I would not only notice, but seek to bring them to the One who is able to help restore them. Grant me the heart to help, as well as the resolve, creativity, and perseverance to serve in a way that they would be ministered to and You would be honored and glorified.

**Just a note, if you haven’t read Matt’s recent entry about “leaving it all”, you should. That’s a good one. The theme continues with a tax collector named Levi… leaving it all behind.

Luke 5:11  “And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.”

They left everything and followed Jesus.  That is a huge statement.  What does that look like in my world today?  What have I given up for the cause of Christ?  What have I released, let go of, and abandoned?  What am I still holding on to?

“Everything” is a pretty absolute word.  There isn’t a lot of wiggle room there.  The verse doesn’t say they left most things, or some things, it says they left everything and followed.  It is a picture of commitment, a display of faith, an example of deciding to follow and letting nothing hinder that decision.

I like the realness of this section of scripture.  Peter realizes what has happened and understands that Jesus is someone extremely special.  He addresses Jesus as Lord and acknowledges and admits that he himself is “too much of a sinner to be around you.”  But Jesus reassures and just simply states…  “don’t be afraid, from now on you’ll be fishing for people.”  Jesus calls them to follow, to join him in his ministry, and to leave all that they know (fishing) and venture out into the unknown.  And they respond.

I don’t know if this verse means that they left everything, related to fishing, in that moment of a miraculous catch.  (I mean, they probably had a lot of fish that they could have cleaned and sold for a significant sum of money.)  Or if it means they left everything related to their entire lives.  (I’m thinking it meant in the moment, their livelihood of fishing and the mega catch they had just experienced.)  But either way, they left, stepped out in faith, and followed.  It took an act of their will, a willingness to believe, a leap of faith, and a desire to experience life differently.  In making that decision to leave everthing and follow, in an instant, everything in their lives changed.

It is a challenging, refreshing, convicting reminder to me.  I need to evaluate what I have given up, released, let go of, turned from, and am still holding onto.  Everything is a lot, but I want to daily leave it all behind and follow my Lord.

Jesus help me today to follow.  To give up the things I’m holding onto and to follow you willingly, obediently, and faithfully.  Lord, may your Spirit work within me to guide, direct, and move me into deeper waters of commitment to you.