Jesus and His disciples were standing at the Temple entrance near the Court of Women. At the gate there were thirteen trumpet-shaped offering boxes, each with inscriptions showing the use to which the donations would be directed. As they observed people putting their gifts into the collection boxes, a very poor widow placed her total livelihood of two copper coins into the coffer. Jesus immediately took notice and was moved. He then explained to His disciples that her gift was more valuable than all those who out of their wealth had given. He then commended her for her strength of faith and devotion…showing that true generosity is measured by the heart and sacrifice behind the gift, not by its monetary value. In II Corinthians 8:1-15, The Apostle Paul expounded on this by encouraging the Church in Corinth to be generous in their giving…desiring that their donations be voluntary…a result of God’s grace to both provide the resources and the willingness to give.
Jeremiah 23:11 ” Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture.”
In Ezekiel 34:1-6, we see God condemning the leaders of Israel for neglecting, exploiting, and ruling harshly over His people. He calls them selfish and contrasts their behavior with that of the Good Shepherd in Isaiah 40:11, “He leads His flock like a Shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young.” That’s because shepherds/Church leaders are to guide, guard, lead, and protect the flock, not destroy and scatter them. For ultimately, they will be accountable to God for their actions.
Jesus can use everything we’ve experienced…both the good and the bad, to make us stronger and bear fruit for His glory and our good.
Every event in our life is an opportunity for God’s grace and love to be exemplified as we bear spiritual fruit. Romans 7:4 tells us that bearing fruit for God means doing good works, a moral transformation, and a taking on of our new life that reflects God’s character. Proverbs 11:30 reminds us that by accepting God’s wisdom we will bear the fruit of righteousness. Finally, Colossians 1:9-12 shows us that bearing fruit means spiritual maturity and a deep practical understanding of God’s plan and purpose for our life. And as we bear fruit for His glory, we’ll be able to discern and follow God’s Will and reflect His character in such a way as to honor Him. Thus, bearing fruit for His glory will become a life full of purpose, patience, and joy.
On the Road to Emmaus
This story in Luke 24:13-35 captures the human struggle to make sense of confusing events that happen in life. The setting is in the quiet rural countryside as the two men walk along…showing that God’s Presence and revelation can be found in our ordinary everyday life…and that faith can be forged in those hushed moments of quiet reflection. Soon Jesus joins them as they travel and listens as they explain the recent happenings. He then starts to explain & interpret the Scriptures in the fulfillment and unity of prophecy concerning the Messiah. (Luke 24:27) And methodically, Jesus takes them through the Old Testament showing them the promises and foreshadowing of Himself and His earthly mission. In a way then, we are all on that road to Emmaus… traveling on life’s often confusing path. But we also need to remember that God will always meet us in our confusion, grief, and uncertainty as He walks steadily beside us.
Philippians 1:10 “…that you may be able to discern what is best.”
God-given discernment matters, because our emotions can be very convincing. But remember, the guidance from God will never pull you away from wisdom, truth, and prudence. In I Kings 3:9, Solomon’s prayer was for wisdom…him asking for and receiving a discerning heart. And in Psalm 119:25 the same request was echoed, “I am Your servant; give me discernment.” So why is discernment, insight, and sage wisdom far superior to feelings and emotions? It’s simple, we need truth not feelings. Emotions can be volatile, often unreasonable, and can change in a blink of an eye. When we operate from our emotions, our state of mind can run the gambit from aroused to agitated to shut down…with not a hint of truth in sight. So we need to be daily seeking a discerning heart from God in order to receive divine knowledge and wisdom. (Proverbs 15:14)
Psalm 105:4 ” Seek His face always.”
My prayer has always been that I be so hidden in Christ that others see Him first not me. For I’ve met people like that in the past…Believers so hidden in Christ, that when you look in their eyes, you see Jesus smiling back. But this takes a concerted effort daily to seek His Presence. Colossians 3:3 tells us that our life is hidden in Christ…that we are inseparably united to Jesus by our new self. And as we grow in godly wisdom and knowledge, (Colossians 2:3) and draw ever nearer to God, (Hebrews 11:6) we are rewarded by becoming more and more like Him everyday.
Matthew 9:11 ” When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ “
With their self-righteous attitude, the Pharisees were taking offense seeing Jesus dining with “sinners”. They didn’t have the courage to ask Jesus Himself, so instead they asked His disciples…but Jesus overheard their skeptical question and answered back, ” It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. For I haven’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” This is the origin of the concept of Jesus as the Great Physician. (Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:31) And we see this throughout the Gospels as He healed not only the body, but the heart, mind, and soul of many. Jesus’ mission on earth was simple, to seek and save the lost…and challenge the social and religious norms of the day.
Psalm 62:1 ” My soul finds rest in God alone.”
Rest is the weapon God gives us to combat busyness. Because busyness can easily steal our time from God, and the enemy loves that…for he wants us to be busy, distracted, and immersed in “doing”. Sure, doing good for others is a vital part of calling yourself a Christian…but doing just for the sake of doing is not. When busyness replaces rest, we’ll quickly find ourselves burnt-out, anxious, and joyless. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn…mainly because I’ve always had a hard time saying “No”. But with age comes wisdom, and I’ve been able to clearly now see that my busyness was only a trap set by the enemy to keep me from focusing on God’s Will, and distracting me from the basic priorities of God and family. So there needs to be a balance between action and stillness…with the realization that our quiet wellbeing can only be found within God’s rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Romans 14:4 ” He will be able to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
Sometimes God calms the storm. But sometimes He teaches us how to stand in the pouring rain. God allowed Daniel to get thrown into the lions den, but didn’t let him be eaten. He allowed Peter to jump in the water, but didn’t let him drown. Standing in the storm is so much more than just enduring…it’s God’s chance to shape, build, and strengthen us as we are conformed more and more like Him. So don’t fear the storm…for they all are still under His total control.
Psalm 66:10 ” For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver.”
Ponder this for a moment…God’s testing isn’t whether He’ll be faithful…it’s whether we’ll be. From the Old to New Testament we see the faithfulness of God. Deuteronomy 7:9 tells us that, “Your God is God: He is the faithful God Who does no wrong.” But when trials and tribulations come into our life, many times we want to throw in the towel and give up. But James 1:12 reminds us that, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” So it’s our steadfastness that matters, not His. That’s because with every trial God takes us through comes the proving of the authenticity of our faith…a strengthening of our moral character, and a testing of our integrity.
Safetypinlove 