Day 5: Wisdom and Forgiveness

Luke 7:18-50; Genesis 11; Psalm 5

The truths that the Lord speaks in his Word are so powerful. Many of them, I have heard over and over again, and yet, reading them today, they are new and refreshed. The whole idea of neutrality is impossible in your eyes. According to God's word, a person is either for something, or you are not for it (against it). There is ability for a person’s mind not to be made up for a short time, but when judgment comes, an undecided mind is the same as not accepting. Jesus, we are on your side, the winning, glorious, awesome side!  

I don’t completely understand the message of Jesus here: “Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what its followers do.” Wisdom is often associated with God, especially when capitalized. Perhaps it means that because of the impact of wisdom, the followers of Jesus and John had changed lives. Not only were some of them healed physically, but they were spiritual alive and set free. Or maybe it has to do with the thought that God's followers will do what God tells them. I'm not sure.

 I looked it up and found a interesting discussion on this website. What this talks about is that wisdom is the pursuit of what is best, not just the best means. It also says that this verse demonstrates that those who are wise will all pursue what is best. So if wise people are seeking the same thing, then it proves they are wise. And finally, it states that those who are unwise will stumble at wisdom.

Speaking of confusion, I think the same thing is true for those who do not follow Christ.  The things of The Lord are so confusing to those who do not follow God. The forgivness, humility, selflessness, peace, and gentleness seem ridiculous to those who do not believe in Jesus. That is one of the things that believers need to be aware of, and recognize that what Jesus expects of us is so different from what the world expects. May we pursue wisdom and be wise, for it will show that we are God's followers.

Forgiveness is a big issue in this world. People struggle to forgive. The story in Luke verses 36-50 is a powerful reminder of what God does for us and what he expects of us. The amount of forgiveness is not determined by what you are willing to give—it is determined by a broken, contrite, humble heart that recognizes sin and asks for forgiveness. The Pharisee felt holy, whereas the woman knew she was a sinner. She was forgiven of all her sins because she was humble enough to admit them in her heart.

God, you hate evil, you hate sin, you hate violence. God, it is incredible that you have any patience left with humanity. Lord, thank you for answering our prayers. Thank you for your faithfulness. Lord, I pray that you would continue to reveal your wisdom to us through your word so that we are prepared to give an answer and live in faith no matter what we face. Lord, my words sometimes do not reflect the loving, gracious Spirit that you have placed inside me. Help me to bring good things out of my heart, and remove those things which are bad and broken. I want to stand before you on judgment day and hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Day 4: Noah's Time

Luke 7:1-17; Genesis 9-10; Psalm 4

The story of the faith of the centurion is awesome. Here is a man who is not a Jew, in fact, the Jews hate these kind of people. This man was in control of a hundred soldiers that had to obey his every whim. And yet, it was this obedience that he commanded that probably helped him to understand the authority of Jesus. He recognized his insufficiency and sinfulness and had faith in the power of Jesus. God uses the unexpected to teach his truths and for that I am so thankful.

There will always be people who refuse to turn to Jesus. Some people just like to be defiant and rebellious. Lord, make them without excuse. The Lord reveals himself in so many ways, and though they are often subtle, they cannot be ignored. Reading these verses show me just how loving and compassionate Jesus' heart is. In life, we have to carry a yoke, that is what living is about. There is a burden I must bear, however, if I, or anyone, comes to Jesus, the burden is light and the yoke is easy. Jesus has taken the heaviest of burdens and carried it for us and for that I am extremely grateful.

So what did Noah do first when the water disappeared?  Form a committee?  Plan programs?  Stress about how things were going to work out?

 The very first thing Noah did was to give glory to the God who had saved him and his family.  He built an altar lifted up praises to heaven. Imagine how much obedience and worship please our Creator, perhaps more than anything else. 

It is also in this passage that God reminds us that he made humans in his image. I often am quick to pass judgment upon others based on their looks, their life choices, and their philosophies, instead of looking at them and seeing another eternal soul made in God's likeness. May God forgive me for being quick to judge and forgetting who they really are. I miss opportunities to be compassionate and loving to them when I refuse to open my heart and eyes and see them for the beautiful creation that they are.

Lord, make us humble. Show us our sins. Reveal to us where we are falling short so that we can repent of them and draw nearer to you.

Day 3: God Cares

Luke 6:27-49; Genesis 6-8; Psalm 3

God cares just as much, if not more, about the state of our hearts and minds as he does our outward appearance at actions. That is why Jesus is doing so much teaching about the blessed in God’s kingdom, the problem of anger or bitterness, and the concept of adultery. Christians’ hearts should be changed, they shouldn't just look good. The Lord would rather I suffer the pain of losing a body part (maybe figuratively, maybe literally) than go to Hell because of my sin. I pray that he would reveal to you and to me areas of sin so that we can work to remove them. I do not want to live life with sin, either known or unknown. May God show us all areas where we fall short so that we can remove them and grow closer to him and be more like Jesus.

Loving enemies—that is so hard. It is so difficult to love and be generous to people who don’t, in my eyes, deserve it. However, I must constantly remind myself that I didn't deserve Christ’s sacrifice, and yet he gave it freely for me, before I was even born.  Each person is an eternal soul, often struggling with battles that I know nothing about.  If I treat them as my sinful nature wants me to, I don't demonstrate love to them--the kind of love that Christ has shown me.

The world was full of sin.  All people are guilty of living for themselves and pursing evil.  I can totally understand why God would be grieved. He made this wonderful creature to be like him, and it decided to defile everything it originally stood for. Only Noah found favor because of his righteous life. I can’t imagine how difficult his time must have been. First, that he was living according to God’s ways surrounded by people who were not. Even with all the evil around him, he managed to remain uninfluenced. And secondly, God tells him to build the ark and despite the ridicule, he continues faithfully. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” Obedience has great rewards, as seen with Noah. I hope and pray that we can all be obedient to the call of God.

Noah spent a year inside the ark. He had such patience, even when the rain had stopped and the waters began to recede. He waited for God's timing. I want to make sure that in my life, I wait for the Lord's timing on things, whether it be personal or professional. I know that God can and will speak to us and communicate his message through our hearts and in his Word and I pray that we are open enough and quiet enough to hear and ultimately listen to his voice.

This Psalm is all about help. God is the supreme helper; however, I don’t want to simply take advantage of that without regard to worshiping him. It seems selfish to ask for help if I am unwilling to surrender my whole life to God.  He is also the great Protector. There is no reason for us to fear. God shows himself to be truly loving and truly capable to save anyone from eternal danger.  He also provides opportunities for us to avoid dangerous situations if we are willing to pay attention. And the way for us to repay such an amazing blessing is by loving my enemies and praying for those who do not like me.  Lord, I pray that in every situation, every moment, that you would be my focus. I pray that my life reflects my love for you and more importantly your love for your people.

Day 2: Everyone in the Garden

Luke 6:1-26; Genesis 3-5; Psalm 2

God, you bless those that struggle; those that have nothing, you will give much. Help me to be prepared for the struggles I will face this year—personal or professional—and may I depend on you with all my heart to make it through.

When Eve was tempted, it wasn't that she didn't know God’s commands—she just didn't obey the teachings that were in her heart. She wasn't wrong to seek wisdom, but she did it in a way that disobeyed God. Learning is a good thing, wisdom is a good thing, but the greatest way I can show love to the Lord is through loving obedience and obeying his commands because I know they are best for me. May God be in our hearts so that our mouth and actions reflect him this year.

Satan convinced Eve that God wasn't as good as she thought and instead he is selfish and strict. Satan made her feel like she was lacking something and convinced her to focus on what she did not have, rather than what she did have. Satan does the same today. He tries to convince us that God doesn't have our best interests at heart and we can’t fully depend on him. It’s amazing how similar we are to Adam and Eve, even when they lived thousands of years ago. First, they wanted to be more like God. We do this in lots of ways in our culture: attempting to gain power or more money. Secondly, Adam was passive in dealing with sin: we often don’t see things as a big deal, when really they are. Third, all of us attempt to hide our sins and imperfections from God as if the all-knowing God will not be able to see them. Finally, we blame God for things that really should fall on our own shoulders.

 
In this Genesis story, the blame game is so interesting. Adam blames God and Eve, Eve blames the snake, and God, knowing that it was Adam and Eve’s choice, still chooses to fight for them and curses the snake. What is interesting though, is that God cursed the serpent first. He took care of Satan before he turned to man and his sin. This is also the moment in which certain things in our world came about: the desire of women for a man who may or may not be worthy of her affection, pain in childbirth, and thorns and weeds. I imagine that the Lord was so heart-broken. He had to inflict pain upon his creation and banish them from the perfect garden he created. But then, amazingly, God's actions are still out of love. He cared for the man and woman, even though they made the only mistake they ever could—he clothed them and sent them away to protect them from living in sin forever. Had they eaten of the fruit then perhaps Jesus and the opportunity for salvation, and ending this toil on earth to live with God in heaven, would not have been available.This began the longstanding separation between him and his people.


God, you are so loving, even when we mess up terribly.

Day 1: Where it all starts

Luke 5:27-39; Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1

God, your word has been given for the sinners, the lost, the sick, to make them well. The purpose is to return to a community with God as it was in the beginning of time.

My tiny brain cannot even fathom the creation of the heavens and earth. The universe is so vast, so incredible, and to think that God created all that! God's greatness and power stretch beyond what I am capable of grasping with my human mind. How did He do it? What did He do before He had earth to watch over? If God knew that sin would enter the world, why did He create us anyway—is all the sin really worth a relationship with us? Or maybe that’s not it at all…GOD is worth the relationship. It isn't all about me. God created the universe so that You could be glorified through Your creation. Maybe that’s it.

The details are also incredible—God said there should be light, and so there was, but where did it come from? He doesn't make the sun until day 4. On at that same day, he wants there to be vegetation, and it happens, but in order to produce the diversity and intricacies of every plant and tree and flower, God must have to be incredibly creative and all-knowing. I picture the Lord moving through the waters and on the earth, with his hand outstretched, and from his fingertips flow all types of vegetation: maple trees, exotic flowers, plants of every shape and kind, like his very hand is a paint brush and the world is his canvas. And then he paints the zenith of his creation—mankind. I feel so disappointed because when I think of mankind and humanity today, in a lot of ways, it is not as wonderful as it would have been at our beginnings. We hurt and steal and kill one another—so far from the image of God we have fallen. God, you gave us responsibility to govern the earth and work with one another, and yet we attempt to dominate our own race with force, destroy our resources, and display a general lack of apathy towards your creation. And then I have to remember, that you chose to create us anyway. You made us special, with intellect, a moral compass, and a heart that is filled only when it is worshiping you. There are still humans out there that are living and loving in a way that does reflect your original creation. I thank you that some of us are trying to reflect your image.

Were humans ever really capable of not sinning? When God made us, why was he willing to take a risk, allowing us to make our own decisions? They say that true love is a choice, so when applied here, it makes sense—God gave us free will so that we would be free to love him truly. Choices allow us to make decisions and be free, God did not want us to be captive, so he provided options for life and living—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil next to the tree to life. It was good that Adam and Eve had choices and liberty to live and to love, without that choice, there would be nothing special about God’s relationship to mankind.Adam and Eve were created for each other and completed each other. God wanted to create a relationship that resembled his relationship with the Trinity—oneness. The relationship, the marriage, was characterized by complete openness, honesty, and mutual respect. That is the way God designed it to be and even still, that is what we should strive to be, in marriage and in the family of Christ.