Know Why You're Here

 Luke 4:42-43

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

There are things that can only be done by you. There are words which, when spoken by you, can bring healing to someone. There are people who will only understand when you explain things to them.

Did you know your uniqueness is of great importance to God?

Jesus wasn’t the only one with a purpose. We all have significant contributions to make in this world. Just like Jesus knew why God had sent him to a geographical location, we should know what we’re doing here.

How do you find out your unique purpose?

Jesus knew his goals, his itinerary, and his focus for the day because he knew His Father. Because of that relationship, He was able to avoid time-wasting relationships. Not everyone who spoke to Him was interested in what He had to say. Some just wanted to kill Him.

If your relationship with God is close because you've been seeking God's face, then you can avoid wasting time with activities you weren’t supposed to do. Sometimes people will ask you to do something with them, but because of your good relationship with God, you know He is leading you somewhere else. If you know your goals, your itinerary, and your focus because you’ve been listening to God's guidance, then you can leave those people with love in your voice.

Once you find out you’re a child of God, get to know Him. If you know God, then you know He is love. Call to Him and develop that relationship. From that close relationship, you’ll learn how He leads by His love and why you were put on this earth. Then you won’t just be busy all day, you will feel the satisfaction of worthy accomplishment.

If you need help learning to pray, check out my new short nonfiction book Prayer That Works. You can find the eBook at Amazon or in other bookstores.

The Harvest is Plentiful

Luke 10:2

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

With all of the evacuations out of hurricane-affected areas, many people in the greater Houston area found themselves in a shelter with hundreds, if not thousands of others. In early August, none of them would have guessed they’d be sleeping on a cot, an air mattress, or even the floor before September arrived.

These people needed necessities. They were being given free room and board at the shelters. Meals were being donated by charities and random generous people. Having to swallow their pride is difficult for some, but necessary.

In their current circumstances, they still have major needs.

Among all the other needs, these people need comfort. It is difficult to have your normal life taken away by flooding and high winds. If we can give them something to bring a smile and help them not think about their stress and frustrations, we should do it.

How can you help them? Give with your prayers.

Most people accept prayer. Be bold. Ask someone if they’d like you to pray with them for God’s sustaining presence through all of the coming months of recovery. A lot of people will let you pray with them. Serious times require serious conversations about spiritual topics.

God’s love has been shared in all kinds of ways in shelters and in neighborhoods. Love comes to those in need in the form of food, blankets, medical attention, and prayers.

If you plan to donate to the organizations caring for those affected by the hurricanes, don’t forget to pray for the victims to reach out for and receive God’s comforting presence too. It doesn’t take much time to pray for, or even pray with, people to receive God’s wisdom and comfort.

Don’t overlook this time when many will be ready to receive Jesus as their Savior.

The Enduring Word

Luke 16:17

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

If you’ve studied the Bible, you may have noticed that there are a lot of places where God said something would happen, and then later a different place in the Bible shows that it did happen. God isn’t into gambling. If he says something is going to happen, it’s truly a sure thing. So when God tells us he loves us, we don’t have to wonder if that’s true. When Jesus says he’s preparing a place for us, don’t say, “Really?” Instead, say, “What color are the walls?”

God wants us to believe what he says. This is also stated in Matthew 5:18, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Through the ages, God’s word has proven to our ancestors that though our technology changes from ark to chariot to car to jet, he’s always with us, providing solutions to our problems. God has given us promises in the Bible that many of us don’t take seriously enough. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because we’re trying to see how much we can accomplish without God’s help. I have kids in school who come to me, asking for help when they need to figure out what to do next. God waits for us to come to him, asking for help too. We’re his kids. And he has all the answers.

The same words Moses wrote so many years ago still apply to us today. We have the same wisdom God gave to Solomon because Solomon wrote down much of it for us to read. Should we tell God that the Bible available to us today is antiquated and useless? Just because it was written a very long time ago, doesn’t mean it’s powerless. The age of the text doesn’t give it power. And there’s no expiration date.

The reason God’s words have endured  is because God said them. If I made a promise that my neighbor would give you twenty dollars, you wouldn’t expect to receive that money like you would if my neighbor made that promise himself. God has made promises to us that he backs up with his presence and his power.

God’s word endures because God endures. God’s word is powerful because God is powerful. God’s word is true because God is truth.

New Teacher

Luke 6:4

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

I don’t think that many of us earthly parents have heard our kids tell us, “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” That comes from Psalm 119:68 where someone said it to God. God, our Heavenly Father, wants to hear that from us every bit as much as we want to hear that from our kids.

If we want to hear that from our kids, we should be taking the time to learn from God. If God is our Heavenly Father, we will trust his correction and learn his ways. We can’t be good parents if we’re not watching the best example of a good parent. We can learn how to pour our wisdom into our kids by the way God helps us grow in wisdom.

Proverbs 1:23 reminds us of the call of wisdom, “Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.”

The obstinate fool will ignore wise correction in order to have things under their control. We all want things to go our way, but that’s not always the way of wisdom. Can a wise person hear the call for repentance and not do some immediate soul searching?

Just as someone who wants to build his muscles must use his muscles, one who wants to wants to have more wisdom must use the wisdom he has. Everyone starts small and builds with what they have. If not all personal trainers are equal, then it follows that not all who call themselves wise are actually wise. Be careful who your teacher is. If your teacher is not terribly wise, you also will be not terribly wise. The teacher can only train you with what they already have achieved for themselves.

In Isaiah 48:17, we read, “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” With this, God was fussing at stubborn Israel. He was reminding them who he is and why they should be listening to him. God wasn’t trying to get their attention in order to sell them something. He was simply trying to help them along the right path.

God is a good parent to all who run to him. As a good parent, he wants to teach his children how to think things through so they know why they should be doing a particular thing in a particular way. Parents don’t really want blind obedience. They want smart, thoughtful children who obey and know what they’re doing is the best way. They want children who trust them.

If you don’t have a wise teacher, maybe you should think about getting a new teacher. God lets us know all through the Bible that he is available for us. And he’s a great teacher.

Thanks for seeking God with me today.

New Season

Luke 11:31

The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.

Whether you’re starting a new school year in kindergarten, high school, or college, starting school begins a new season in the life of any student. School is an important place. Those who hunger for valuable knowledge search for helpful teachers. Students must be ready to listen, adapt, and obey teachers in this new season of learning.  

If you’re in a new season of learning, looking for a new job, or beginning a new marriage, you’ll need wisdom.

In Proverbs 4:7, we read, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” I love that. Basically, it tells us that if you want to be seen as wise, don’t stand around telling people you’re wise. Get wisdom. Don’t put the word wise in your email address. Just get the wisdom. Don’t start a blog about how wise you are. Just get the wisdom.

How do you get wisdom? You can read about getting wisdom in the Bible. We read in Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” If we want to listen to wise teachers, to whom should we turn? People in the Bible agree with today’s generation of wise people that those who fear the Lord and follow his principles are the wise teachers.

The Queen of the South came a great distance to listen to Solomon. It wasn’t for entertainment purposes. Solomon’s words were important. Many people came to listen to Solomon because he was the wisest person in the world. God had given him the ability to speak more wisdom than anyone else before him. It seems to me that if you want to be wise, you listen to the wisest people.

Solomon, the wisest man, wrote some pretty wise words in the Proverbs. For instance, Proverbs 2:6, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” If the wisest man gives you instruction, do what he says. Solomon tells us to listen to the Lord if we want to get wisdom and understanding. Why? Because that’s where he got his wisdom and understanding.

Seek out wisdom in God’s presence and in his words. Ask God to guide you into wisdom. And when he says to do something, do it.

Do you listen to God and obey him? That’s wisdom.

Praying for Stuff, part one

Psalm 73:25  

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

When Jesus was explaining to Martha in Luke 10:38-42 about her sister Mary’s priorities, he said, “few things are needed—or indeed only one”. If only one thing is needed, shouldn’t we desire that one thing? What is that one thing?

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, getting to know God. Jesus said that the time she spent focusing on what was important will not be taken from her. Are you and I doing what Jesus considers important? Do we have the same priorities as Jesus?

What would Jesus tell you to pray for this Christmas?

I think Mary had the right idea. I think we should all pray to be closer to God.

However, we should never pray for something we aren’t willing to do something to get. If we pray for a promotion at work, then we should be willing to do what it takes to look like an acceptable candidate for that promotion. If we pray to be closer to God, we should be willing to change our priorities so something on the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book isn’t topping our list – and God a close 2^nd.

Pray to be close to God, but take action by desiring God above all else.

Facing Disease

Luke 17:15-16

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.

I understand from Bible stories that Jews and Samaritans did not get along very well. Yet two popular stories speak well of Samaritans. The Good Samaritan was someone who took care of a wounded person on the side of the road – someone who probably wouldn’t have taken care of him if their roles were reversed. Another Samaritan was one of ten men with leprosy.

Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of the one out of ten who thanked God for healing him. The oft-asked question is: why didn’t the other nine throw themselves at the feet of Jesus and thank him?

I couldn’t begin to put myself in their position since I’ve never been faced with that kind of torturous, flesh-eating disease. It would be a very scary situation. It’s a rot-while-you-wait kind of slow death. I would imagine living in a colony of lepers and watching everyone around you go through the same pain you’re feeling could destroy anyone’s positive outlook.

When these ten men saw Jesus, they yelled and tried to get his attention. They wanted relief, and Jesus had a reputation for giving people their lives back. When Jesus yelled back for them to go to the priest, he wasn’t putting them off. They were supposed to let the priest officially pronounce them clean and healed.

I don’t know what the other nine were thinking as they went on their way. However, I know that when your life is given back to you because of a miraculous healing, God did it. God should be thanked.

If something good happens to you that turns your life upside down, I wonder if you automatically think, “Wow, this is my lucky day.” Or do you thank God?

I’m pretty sure Jesus appreciated the joyful praises that came from the Samaritan. You and I don’t have to wait for God to perform another miracle. We can fill the air with joyful praises to God for what he’s already done. Why wait for God to answer another prayer when he’s already done so much for us? We don’t have to wait. We can praise God right now.

It's Not Church Snacks

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Have you ever tied a string around your finger to help you remember something?

String doesn’t usually help me remember anything. I write notes to myself. There must be details in the notes to help me get where I need to be when I need to be there. I use the alarm on my phone to help me stop doing something and move to the next thing.

What helps you remember things?

Jesus knows we sometimes need help remembering things. When he was about to change all our lives forever by going to the cross to pay for our sins, he did something to help us remember the moment. He celebrated Passover with his disciples in a special way. He took the long-held tradition of Passover and made it a memory-jogger. He linked the taking of the bread and the cup to the whole reason for doing it in the first place.

Passover started with Moses right before they were given freedom. The first Passover was held just before Moses led his people out of slavery on the journey to the Promised Land, their new home.

Jesus was about to buy our freedom with his blood. He led us out of our slavery to sin on the journey to our Promised Land and new home, Heaven.

He said that the bread and wine were to remind us of his body and blood. It’s almost like he said to use the bread and wine as a string around our finger to remind us that he has paid for our freedom. If you show up at a movie theater with a free ticket in your hand, you don’t have to pay for the ticket someone gave you. It was already paid for. Don’t ask the theater manager if you can earn your seat in the theater when you have a ticket in your hand. Just use the ticket. Walk in and enjoy the theater.

Jesus doesn’t want us to try to pay for our own freedom. Our freedom is already paid for. We can’t buy salvation. We’ve already been given our ticket. We’re supposed to use it. Live like we’ve been given freedom.

I don’t think any of the disciples at the Last Supper understood fully what they were hearing when Jesus changed the rules. Jesus told them about a new covenant in his blood. But they learned more about it as time went by. It must have been like one of those infomercials that shout, “But wait, there’s more!”

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can live free from slavery to sin. But wait, there’s more. We can also have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But wait, there’s more. We can also receive healing and wisdom and guidance. But wait, there’s more.

There’s so much more. 

The next time you eat bread and drink wine, will you remember the body and blood of Jesus? Will you remember to shake off the lies of the devil and live in your blood-bought freedom?

I hope you will. Stick around and seek God with me.