God Does Not Force Hard Hearts

Scripture: And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58

Observation: Jesus returns to his hometown, yet finds that people cannot relate to him as messiah. They only see the son of Mary and Joseph (the one born under sketchy circumstances). Jesus did very few miracles here, because of the unbelief of the people. As one note in my bible says, “The Holy Spirit does not force his miracles on a hostile, skeptical audience.”

Application: Hard-heartedness prevents the ministry of God. Oh, God can overcome that, to be sure. But it seems that when God finds hearts hardened to him, he leaves them be. I wonder if God wants to do something great, but passes by because of lack of faith. Do I really believe? Can that believe help me overcome doubt, grumbling, rejection? It seems that all great works are accompanied by opposition. But to those children who persevere in hope, they see God at work.

Prayer: God, help me believe you want to do something greater. Stretch my faith. I do believe; help my unbelief. I want to trust you and lead our people to expect great things from you.

Hearts Wide Open

Scripture: We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. 2 Corinthians 6:11-13

Observation: Paul is baring his soul to the Corinthians, asking them to respond to him the way he has responded to them. He is trying to lead them, yet they have been resistant. Paul’s heart is wide open to them, and he requests, not demands, their love in return.

Application: I have been surprised over the years how some people respond to pastoral leadership with mistrust and hostility. They meet each new initiative and direction with resistance and suspicion. While there are many reasons for that that have nothing to do with the leader, I can see why some people might feel that way. They have had leaders whose hearts were not wide open. Leaders who saw their position as a stepping stone to another role. Leaders who were temporary. Leaders who started things they would not be around to finish. These actions leave people wary of leaders. If the leader’s heart is closed off, why should they open theirs? Paul does not demand their love, but as a father requests the love of his kids, Paul requests the love (and trust) of the Corinthians.

I need to lead with heart wide open. With honestly, with genuineness, with no hiddenness or secret agendas. Some people are so jaded that they will not be able to handle this, but nevertheless, I must lead this way. And in the end, I cannot convince or cajole someone into loving me and my direction---I can only request their respect.

Prayer: God, let me lead with my heart wide open. Let me lead with integrity and honesty. Protect me from discouragement when I am not trusted or attacked. Grant me favor with our people. Help them to trust my heart and leadership.

Willing to remain silent

Scripture: Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. Mark 15:32

Observation: Jesus was humiliated on the cross. Mocked, abused, insulted. Everyone from the rich to the poor, from the nobles to the outcasts, looked down on him as they looked upon him. Mark tells us that even those who were being crucified with Jesus reviled him. These are the last people on earth who should be mocking Jesus. Besides the torture of their own pain, they were being hung before people as the ultimate failures. They were being put to death for their utter collapse of life. Yet even in their dying moments, they find breath to shower hate on the Christ. If someone being crucified can look down on you, you have sunk as low as you possibly could.

I am amazed that Christ was willing to sink this low for me. Enduring the shame for me. Willing to allow lies and slander to fly all around him while he remained mute for me.

Application: It really bothers me when my motives or actions are maligned. When someone who does not have all the facts calls me out. I want to rise up, to defend myself. I want to show them the facts. But as I meditate on Jesus here, I see that he can give me the power to stay silent. To let accusations and questions roll off of me. To be content with having people misunderstand my motives or actions. I don't have to fix everyone's views. People of integrity act, expecting to be believed. When they are not, they trust that time will prove them right.

Prayer: God, free me today from my need to correct. If the greatest slander in history could go unresponded to by you, then I can certainly trust you to take care of minor misunderstandings in my life. Show me when to speak in love, and when to let things go. Your back is strong enough to bear it; I take shelter there today.

Increasing Faith

Scripture: And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." Mark 9:29

Observation: The disciples have failed to cast out a demon. Jesus has to step in and do it for teem. Later, when alone with Jesus, they ask him why they could not do it. Jesus replies that some things only can be done by prayer. I have always taken is to be a spiritual principle of dependence. That we do not have the power and we need to ask God for help. So in the moment of spiritual need, we ought to stop and pray.
However, the context of the story shows Jesus frustrated with the faithlessness of this generation, including the disciples. It seems the issue might not just be that the disciples are trying to do spiritual work with physical effort, but that they lack the faith to do it. That maybe Jesus is calling them not only to pray in the moment to insure dependence, but he is calling them to a lifetime of prayer to increase faith. Some manuscripts add the words, "and fasting" to the end of the sentence, which is not something you could stop and go do in the moment, but has to be a habit and lifestyle.

Application: I think I am practicing the pausing to pray for spiritual power. But I am not practicing the ongoing prayer to increase faith. These times of devotion give me part of that. My faith is increased each time I meet with God in his word. But I want to grow in my faith. I have battles and tests ahead of me, and the only way I will overcome is through faith, faith that has grown through prayer.

Prayer: God, help my faith grow. Give me eyes to see what is coming and how faith will play a role in the victory. Show me how to pray for the faith to overcome.

I Know that my Redeemer Lives

Scripture: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! Job19:25-26

Observation: Job wishes he could write a book about his experience. Why? So he could tell everyone of his belief that his redeemer lives. In spite of all the pain and suffering he still believes he will see God. What is remarkable about this is that in Job's day, the theology of the afterlife was still developing. These people believed that the grave was the end. So Job is declaring his belief in God as his redeemer, even if that redemption or vindication comes "too late". Job is confident that God will vindicate him, even if it is after Job is long dead and gone. His hope is greater than rescue; it is redemption. It is a trust in God that goes beyond God fixing his life.

Application: I hold strongly to Christ as my redeemer. I know that he will one day recuse me from out of this earth. But do I trust him to do what is right even if it is after possible benefit to me? Do I trust him beyond the fixing of the situation?

Prayer: God, help me know that my redeemer lives today, and at the last he will stand upon the Earth.

Filled with Joy

Scripture:    And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52

Observation:   In the midst of persecution and being kicked out of the city, the disciples are able to shake the dust off their feet and leave.  But they leave full of joy and the Holy Spirit.  There is a powerful connection between the filling of the Spirit and attitude.   

Attitude is not something I produce, but the Spirit produces in me.  It is not about bucking up, putting on a good face, but connecting with the Spirit and letting him drive my joy.  Then, even in the midst of tough times, I can have an inner joy and peace and maintain control of my attitude and responses.

Application:  God has been speaking to me recently about attitude.  Specifically, the attitudes he wants me to have and not have.   Today, I hear him reminding me that the source of my attitude is not my own willpower, but hinges on my connection with his Spirit.

Prayer:  Today, I have a day planned to pray and think about my life.  I pray that it would be a day of reconnecting with the Spirit, letting you fill and control my life.  I pray I will leave this day refreshed and filled with the joy of the Spirit.

My Birthday Blog

Scripture: "Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more." Job 8:20-22

Observation: Bildad offers Job an explanation for his suffering, namely that Job must have done wrong and his suffering is a punishment from God. He asserts that truly righteous people will not suffer and truly unrighteous people will be punished. Yet Job will argue and ultimately reject this counsel as unbiblical. He will arrive at this conclusion: God and God alone dictates the course of people's lives.

Bildad's counsel is sound in every way except one: it is unbiblical. Logically, religiously, ethically, we expect karma. Good gets blessed and evil gets punished. So if we see blessing or punishment, then we should be able to assume good or evil. But that is not always the case. Sometimes suffering befalls good believers. Sometimes grace and patience comes to evil doers. The bottom line is that God's ways are higher than our ways.

Application: I like to live in a world where blessing and punishment are clearly connected to my behavior. That if I work hard enough and live good enough, I can control my own destiny. That I can avoid pain if I try hard enough. But that was not true for Job and it is not true for me. Yes, generally blessing comes to the righteous and difficulty to the unrighteous, but I must trust God in what he deems He needs to bring my way. This is true in my own life and in the life of my church. I need to be careful about assigning reasons behind why some gins have or have not happened. Without blaming God, I must ultimately trust God and seek him and submit to him.

Prayer: Make me like Job and not Bildad. Help me submit to your sovereignty in my life and model that to others, rather than go down Bildad's blaming road. Help me shift my trust from my own ability to secure your blessing to your ability to decide what is best for me.