Daily Reflections from our Re:Verse Scripture
Re: Verse reading – Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8 (day two)
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
Even in our flawed state we know how to treat someone who is persistent in their requests. If this is the case for us, how much more will this be true for the Father when he hears us consistently pray as we should. He has given us the pattern, and commanded us to follow. Won’t you?
Re: Verse reading – Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8 (day one)
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” (18:1)
[Sorry for the late post. Yesterday was a full, happy day at FBCSA.] Jesus believed it. Squeaky wheels get grease. People who pray get answers. Significant effort is required. Maybe, that is why the Lord knew he needed to encourage us not to give up. Sometimes when I don’t talk to Holly, don’t tell her what I feel or want, it is because I don’t know, myself. It is an attempt to avoid the emotionally taxing exercise of listening to my own soul, being honest with myself and with her. Talk is easy. Truth is hard. Same with God. Is it possible to live without prayer? Yes. It is possible to do so and experience what He promised? NO. “Come let us reason” says the Lord. Talk! Be honest! The squeaky wheel . . .
Re: Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day seven)
” ‘But I did obey the Lord,’ Saul said.” (v 20) I have been thinking this week of Abraham, how FULLY he obeyed God. Even to the point of sacrificing his own son. See Genesis 22. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been, but need to do so because obedience to God doesn’t allow me to “lean on my own understanding” and omit the rest. I have Saul’ heart. (Apart from the grace of God his heart is ALL that I would have.) My tendency is to propose a new definition for obedience. Doing “mostly” what God requires and rationalizing the rest, being self-deceived that partial obedience is enough. That’s what I do. What Saul did. It does not work. Ever. What God wants, requires, deserves is the full surrender of my will, a deep change in my heart. I suspect Saul looked back with regret. Unless I take different steps, I will too.
Re Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day six)
“WHY did you not obey the Lord?” (v 19) It is a question that we should hope to never hear. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says that “we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” What if, on that day, we hear the words He used with Saul? Why? What possible reason did you have for not immediately, happily obeying the expressed will of your creator? WHY did you give avoidance and reluctance to the ONE worthy of life and loyalty? I am certain that our excuses will sound as hollow as Saul’s. Because God KNOWS the true answer. In v 23 He identifies the problem– rebellion and arrogance. As much as we hate to face it, the true explanation for our disobedience is that we don’t WANT to obey God and we think we know a BETTER plan. Embarrassing to admit? Wait until the blaze of His glory makes this question impossible to answer! Why? Why?
Re: Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day five)
Social scientists tell us that middle schoolers facing rapid changes emotionally, physically, relationally, and socially will compartmentalize these different areas to be able to process and manage their lives. They are not capable yet of the required multitasking needed to navigate all the new and different environments they encounter daily. They will need adults to equip them and encourage them to think about the “whole” and how the separate parts fit together. They will need time as their brains grow and develop. As they are discipled, they also need to recognize and understand how God deals with the “whole” of our lives and hearts. His Lordship reigns over our “whole” heart and life. His demand for our obedience is the same. Not a compartment or a part of us, but our complete and undivided loyalty and obedience. Sometimes adults need that understanding too. God’s expectation for obedience and loyalty is very clear.
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day four) 1 Samuel 15 gives us clear instruction about obedience. God expects full and complete obedience…it is more important than any sacrifice we can make. As believers, God expects our obedience. We cannot say we are followers of Christ and there not be a difference in our life as a result. Just like an athlete pushes his limit to be the very best he can be, we should push ourselves to excel in our obedience…excel in our witness… excel in our prayer…excel in our bible knowledge…and excel in our service. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” Are you disciplining your life to be obedient in all that God has commanded you to do?
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day three)
“‘Enough!’ Samuel said to Saul.” The Bible says that the Lord let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. He used words to shed light on the world as it actually is. Saul, on the other hand, used words to attempt to conceal the world as it actually is. How about you?
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day two)
But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen….and all that was good. 1 Samuel 15:9
We have a saying in our house, perhaps you do too. Partial obedience is disobedience. This has been a challenge to teach. Inevitably we hear a list of the things that were done, and to specification, and “didn’t I do a good job on this part?” Apparently, this was a hard lesson for King Saul as well. We don’t have the whole picture, we may never understand the whole outcome, all we may have is our assignment and our duty to obey. The cost was very steep for Saul. We will do well to learn a better kind of obedience, complete obedience.
Re: Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day one)
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel. . . go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.” (v 2) The basic assumption of our faith is that God speaks and when He does, we are obligated to obey. No protest is allowed for personal or humanitarian reasons. God is judge. He is holy and fair in all that He decides–who can doubt this without placing ourselves above Him? Like the authorities in Romans 13 who are given a “sword” and commanded to use it for good, Saul is obligated to obey and guilty when he fails. “Faith comes through hearing” says Romans 10:17. When we hear God, we have the opportunity to trust him. When we trust God, we have the responsibility to obey Him. Until I hear, I cannot believe. Unless I obey, I do not believe. Hearing =faith. Faith = obedience. Always.
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day seven)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear.” (v 18) “Little children, let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” (1 John 3:18-19) What sort of love drives out fear? It is a question that many believers still have. Having come to Christ, we still face a daily battle with anxiety, fear of loss or punishment. Where can we find assurance for our anxious hearts? John teaches us where to find this desperately needed power. Perfect love (fully matured) is required. We must be “all in”, remaining in Christ until His love has its way with us. It must also be practical love, faith that receives God’s goodness and answers back “in kind” by loving others. Only this perfect and practical love has power to liberate us from fear.