Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
TO PONDER
I think this is a very fitting Bible verse from the New Testament that echoes the call of God to Joshua and then from Joshua to the Israelites when we began going through the book of Joshua some 8 weeks ago, "be strong and courageous".
One of the thing my wife Elise (a Primary School teacher) and I have been talking about recently is the lack of resilience that seems to be present in young people these days. I'm sure there are lots of different contributing factors to the decline of resilience in young people but it seems to me that one of the biggest things is hat we no longer expect people to do hard things. I'm sure many of you reading this will be my vintage or older and remember a time where if you found a task or a subject as school difficult, you were told by both your parents and your teacher to work harder, to practice more, and stick at it until you got it done.
That just doesn't seem to be how things work any more. If something does not come easily to a child, parents are much more likely to say these days, how are you going to make it easier for my chid to succeed. Now please don't mishear me, there are children who have genuine additional needs when it comes to education and legitimate adjustments do sometimes need to be made, but just because something is difficult, doesn't mean you give up on it.
This is an important skill because Jesus said following him would not be easy. In fact, there are many people I know who used to be followers of Jesus who now no longer follow him simply because it was hard. It was easier in the long run to go out with their friends on Saturday evening and get outrageously drunk and then sleep it off on Sunday morning than it was to exercise some self control, set a good example and still be okay the next morning. It was easier to accept the evolutionary arguments from their academic friends about evolution and the origins of life, than to think deeply about the truth of Scripture and defend their beliefs in the face of criticism.
Being a follower of Jesus today requires resilience, strength, and courage. It always has and it always will.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, nothing is more courageous that your decision to go to the cross for my sake. I pray that you might use my life in such a way that others may come to know what you have done for them as they see you alive in me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
TO PONDER
One way that people have understood 'personhood' throughout human history is by describing it in three, sometimes four, different elements. He heart represents our emotions and desires (see yesterday's reflection), soul is usually understood as our being and will, and mind is our intellect and reason. The fourth you sometimes hear is 'strength' which usually refers to our physical body.
The reason for pointing this out is that in the modern world we don't tend to think in those terms so much any more, so a Bible verse like this can seem strange. However, I think ti explains a fairly common phenomenon. Psychologists often call it 'compartmentalisation'. It's the idea that we break our lives into different compartments and there are many reasons a person might do this. However, in the life of a Christian, I think the most common is so we can justify doing things we know are not in alignment with the way God calls us to live. We can say to ourselves that we will give Sunday morning to God by going to church and singing a few songs at God, but then the rest of my week,l the rest of my life is mine to live however I see fit.
You see the problem don't you? Jesus tells us you cant break your life up and just give God a few 'bits' of it. God want you to love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. The minute we hold anything back, we have fallen short of this command of Jesus.
How wonderful it is that even knowing we would hold parts of ourselves back from Hm, Jesus still remained dedicated to us and has provided a way for us to more on and be reconciled and re-dedicated to God when we fall. What part of your life are you holding back from God at the moment? How could you come to him and hand it over today?
PRAYER: Lord God, You are the giver of all good things and I know that all your promises are sure. And yet, I also know that I regularly hold parts of myself, my life back from you and all that you have promised me in your son Jesus. Please help me to lay all of my life at your feet and to walk each day more completely in the fullness of life that you have given me in Jesus. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
TO PONDER
I know Pastor Nich and I talk about this all the time but there is a good reason for it - Jesus spoke about it a lot too. It's the desires of our hearts.
So often the Bible talks, like it does here in psalm 119, about loving or seeking God with 'all our hearts'. Jesus and the apostles often spoke or wrote about the things our hearts desire - "where your treasure is, there your heart is also", or "Love the Lord your God with ALL YOUR HEART, soul mind and strength," that kind of thing.
This is because our desires are often the thing that run away with us first. You see it in young children at daycare who see a toy they want and simply snatch it from another child. They are too young to filter their behaviour through the reasoning processes we learn as we mature but their actions are driving in those moment by their desire for the toy.
Adults are not really much different. Most of us hold in our heart, a picture of the way we think life ought to be. This is the life that our heart desires. That picture might look slightly different for everyone. Now unlike the simply mind of a toddler, we have the capacity to be much more subtle about our behaviour choices and to cover up the true desires of our hearts. However, you had better believe that when someone gets in the way or disrupts that little picture of how we think things should work, that beautiful dream which our heart has decided is the perfect world, that there is a reaction on the way.
At that point we have 2 possible reactions. One is to take it upon ourselves to restore the perfect image that our self centred hearts have concocted for us, or we can seek God with all our hearts. See the reality is that only God can see the whole scene clearly, and only his picture of the way things should be is truely 'right'. As the wisdom writer tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6, we should trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. If we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will make our paths straight.
God has given us a wonderful gift by giving us minds that can reason and hearts that desire good things, however our hearts are not always to be trusted. So put your trust in God instead.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I know that I do not fully understand the consequences of even some of my simplest decisions. I pray that you would lead me and guide me today and make my paths straight and give me a heart that longs for the same things as your own heart. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
TO PONDER
What is the purpose of your life? It's not an insignificant question. In fact, it is a question every person has to grapple with at some point or another and the way we answer it has potential to really shape who we are and who we become.
Because our purpose is not simply found in our occupation. You might argue that the purpose of being a doctor or surgeon is to alleviate suffering and save lives, but you might also be able to answer the questions another, more self centred way - to earn a lot of money.
How we perceive our purpose has some role in helping us determine what we do but the deeper thing it influences is why we do it.
So how does your dedication to Jesus influence they way you do your job, or interact with others on the train or in the office? How does doing everything in the name of Jesus help you to bring glory to him, to give thanks to God and to help others know the love of God which you already know?
It doesn't matter what your occupation is, it doesn't matter your age, your ethnicity, your gender or any other personal trait you might like to use to distinguish one person from another, the purpose we have is to bring glory to Jesus and give thanks to God for all he has done. So how will you do that in all the tasks you have to accomplish today?
PRAYER: Father God, There are so many things need to be attended to each day. Often the busyness leads me to forget that you are with me and that in everything I do there is an opportunity to do it in a way that glorifies you and helps others encounter you through me. Please help me to keep my eyes on that reality and to do everything I do today in your name and for your glory. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
TO PONDER
I think we can sometimes make the mistake of thinking of worship and sacrifice as a similar, if not the same, thing. After all, most of the gathering and worship in the Old Testament temple system centred around animal sacrifice. I want to offer us a different way to think about it.
Here in Romans 12, as in just about every other epistle he wrote, the apostle Paul begins his admonition by reminding his readers of what God has already done for them. This is the first thing I think we forget.
I can't tell you the number of people who, over the years, have explained their attendance at church every Sunday as part of their 'sacrifice' to God. That somehow missing out on a Sunday morning sleep in is a sacrifice that somehow impresses God and demonstrated their dedication to God. They speak of it in a way that sounds as if they expect something more from God because they 'turn up'. Paul is saying that's wrong. We don't turn up because we need to earn something from God, we turn up because of what he has already done.
Any time we have the attitude that we have to do something to "keep God happy" something is out of order in our thinking. We offer ourselves to God because of what he has already done for us. This is how we demonstrate to God our gratitude for what he has done. It is how we demonstrate the 'worth' (from worthship) which we place on what God has done and communicate that to those around us.
Being dedicated to God simply means to be set apart for His purpose, to put aside our own interests and selfish desires and allow him to be the one to set the direction and the agenda. That is how we worship him.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I know that my motives are often selfish. Sometimes even my involvement at church or other community groups is motivated more by what I get out of the arrangement that what I might contribute or provide for others. Please help me to grow in your understanding of what it means to serve and worship you with all of my life. Help me to make my life a living sacrifice to you in light of all that you have done for me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
TO PONDER
This is perhaps my favourite part of the whole book of Joshua. It reminds me of Simon/Peter the disciple and it also reminds me of myself. When Joshua asked the assembled people of Israel to "Choose this day who you will serve..." they gave the response from today's reading. Joshua didn't believe them.
If you read on through the verses following this, Joshua asks the Israelites at least three times to affirm their commitment to serving God and he makes them accountable to one another as witnesses to the fact that they had promised to dedicate themselves to serving God. But someone like Joshua who had led those people for so many years and who had walked with them years earlier while he was still Moses' apprentice, knows that they will not keep this promise. Joshua knows it, God knows it, we know it. The continuing story of the Israelites is one of a people who consistantly back out of their commitment to God.
However, it is also a story of a God who, despite the people's lack of commitment and dedication to him, always remains steadfast and dedicated to his people.
Which is why I don't want to separate today's reading too much from yesterday's. Joshua asked the people of Israel to "choose this day who you will serve..." The joy of living in Christ on this side of his death and resurrection is that we can confidently answer that question anew every day, regardless of how we badly we have succeeded or failed at serving God the day before. It's what Martin Luther called "daily baptismal living". It's waking up each day completely free from the failures and disappointments of the previous day and being able to dedicate each new day to following Jesus more closely.
So don't let your failure yesterday determine your answer today. Choose this day to serve the Lord God and obey him. And when you fail, get up and choose to follow him again tomorrow.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You prayed just before you were arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, "not my will but yours be done" and set your face towards the cross for me. I am sorry for the times that my dedication to following you is not as strong, for the times that I fail to serve you love others the way you would have me do. Thank you that you have opened up the way for me to repent and come back to you when I realise I have lost my way. Please help me keep my steps in line with yours and help me to pray devotedly those same words, "yet not my will but yours be done". Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
TO PONDER
One of the things I think people get confused about these days is 'freedom'. People seem to think that freedom should mean being able to do whatever you want to do without experiencing any negative consequences. It's one of he common complaints you sometimes hear about God. Many people these days will describe him as a bully because he only allows those who believe in him and follow him into his kingdom.
Now there's a number of misconceptions in that previous statement, but let me just address one today. What our individual freedoms obsessed culture often perceives as the 'exclusive' bullying of God, is in fact a God extending to us the most complete expression of freedom that we experience in our lives. God says, "I have made a way for you and it is open to all who wish to walk it - no one is excluded" The problem is, many people don't choose to walk it. They want what God promises at the end of it, but they want to get there their own way.
That's kind of what Joshua is saying to the Israelites in Joshua 24. He reminds them of everything God has done to get them to this point. He reminds them that without God they would still be slaves in Egypt. Yet even at this point, God does not demand their allegiance. They are free in this moment, to choose to follow the gods of other nations. They are free to make a choice to abandon the one who has brought them this far. But in making a choice they also have to recognise the consequences.
Today 'other gods' may not look like tiny household shrines or statues of mythical beings, but we do still have a choice each day who we will serve. Our own selfish desires, the expectations of others, the demands of a world that has largely turned it's back on the one who created and sustains it, or will we, with Joshua dedicate ourselves to serving the Lord, even when everyone around us seems to have made a different choice?
PRAYER:Lord Jesus, You often told your disciples that following you would be difficult; that the world would hate them because of you. We experience that in many different ways on any given day. Please help me each day to conciously follow and serve you. Help me to lead my household, my workplace, my social networks and people in all places where I have influence to know your love and the joy of serving you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
TO PONDER
I have to confess that, to date, my understanding of this verse has been on the exclusiveness of Jesus as the means of gaining access to our Heavenly Father. We can become God’s children (and have eternal life) only because of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. I have glossed over the “truth” and “life” claims of Jesus. This is understandable to some extent since Jesus had been talking about the ‘way” to where He was going to prepare a place for them. When His disciple, Thomas, said he didn’t know the “way”, we have Jesus confirming that He was the “way”, the “truth” and the “life”.
When Thomas said he didn’t know the way to where Jesus was going, Jesus could have just said the He was the “way”. Why did He add that He was also the “truth” and the “life”?
When we talk about how to get from one place to another, we older people would usually reference a physical map to find a way. Now we would reference a GPS based app on a phone or one provided by our vehicle. It basically gives impersonal directions.
But when Jesus says He is the way, He is saying come with me and I will take you along the way. So instead of getting on the highway and just going as fast as possible from A to B, Jesus offers us the scenic route where we experience life with Him while we journey from today to the last day of our life on this earth. Jesus is there with us as we face challenges and obstacles along the way. He is also there as He takes us on little side excursions to grow in knowing Him and learning His truths. The mental picture I have here is Jesus sitting with His disciples in a field of wild flowers while He teaches them and tells them how to live life as His disciples.
Prayer: Dear brother Jesus, thank You for not only showing us the way, but going with us on the way, to encourage and support us on our life’s journey. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
TO PONDER
Psalm 37 is a list of contrasts between those who commit themselves to following God’s leading in their lives and those who think that they have it all under control themselves. But verse 23 takes it beyond just following God’s leading, but actually delighting in God. I felt challenged by what this actually meant so went off to do some research.
To stay healthy in my retirement, I have organised a roughly hour‑long exercise regime for each morning. I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I do it to stay healthy. I have also included a time of prayer and bible reading into my morning schedule to stay healthy spiritually. I generally don’t approach this spiritual exercise time with much more enthusiasm than my physical exercise time. For both of these there is a sense that if I don’t do them I will deteriorate in my physical and spiritual health.
A few weeks ago, independently of writing this devotion, God challenged me to look on our times together with more joy and anticipation. When thinking about this, I realised that I mostly came away from my times spent with God spiritually uplifted, and sometimes almost blown away by what God had revealed to me during our times together. Yet I had still seemed to sometimes have to push myself to get started. So, I prayed about my attitude and asked God to help me look forward to our times together as a special time of fellowship. I guess a bit like meeting up with a best friend over a favourite drink.
I also think back to a time when our grandchildren were much younger. Whenever we went to visit, they would come running, first to get a big hug and then to tell us the exciting things happening in their lives. I’m sure this is more like the relationship our Heavenly Father wants to have with us, one that is so enjoyable that we look forward to our times together with great anticipation.
Having this sort of relationship with the Heavenly Family (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) will change our attitudes to a lot of things and will align us more closely with God’s plans for our lives, not reluctantly but with joyful anticipation of how God will be using us to share His love to others.
Prayer: Heavenly Family, we apologise to You for the low expectations we often have about the times we spend with You. Thank You for the wonderful surprises You give us when we do put the effort into finding time to be with You. Please help us to look forward with anticipation of the times we dedicate to spending with You. Amen
Today's devotion written by Charles Bertelsmeier, LifeWay Epping