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Psalm 116:12

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?

TO PONDER

For those who grew up in the church, do you recall this passage in the liturgy? We would stand and as the first notes from the organ began, the offering was brought to the altar.

It’s an appropriate response, or question. When we stop and think about Gods’ gifts to us, when we are reminded of all the good things we have, when we look back at the joy we have received from God, what indeed is our appropriate response? How do we pay Him back? What should we give in return?

Do you remember what comes next in this passage? Verses 13 and 14 say, ‘I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people’.

It reminds us to remain faithful, call on God at all times, and be thankful – especially for our salvation. Easy to say but it can be hard to do. How often do you call on the name of the Lord?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, it’s so easy to forget what you’ve done for us. Please prompt us, somehow, to be thankful for all you’ve done, and then thank you – for all you’ve done! Amen

Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping

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1 Samuel 17:36-37

Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

TO PONDER

"God prepare our heart for what you have for us next, and give us a heart to go where you call us to go. Amen.' That's a prayer of faith we have been praying as a community for over 5 years now. A prayer that is enabling us to reimagine and step boldly into what God has for us, even when it seems too big for us. But as I read the verse above this morning, it struck me that in a way that David had been praying that prayer too.

David was not a one shot wonder. He didn't just do a "Stephen Bradbury' and become a legend overnight by being the last man standing. God had been preparing David through the challenges of life, the battles of life, for what was in store next. So when David was confronted with something he hadn't faced before, he looked back at the challenges he had faced, with the lion and the bear, and saw that God had led him through that. In this challenge, David simply applied the same logic, 'If I approach this battle with the giant with the same faith in God who enabled me to get over past challenges, then God, who is the same, will enable me to overcome this challenge!'

What challenges or giants are you facing today that seem too big to handle? What is keeping you up at night or causing you fear? Maybe God is asking you to reimagine the challenges as opportunities to see him at work. The same God who has been faithful to you and brought you this far, will be faithful in the battles you face now. So 'go' - the Lord is with you...you will overcome.

PRAYER:

Lord, in every challenge of my life, you have been there. Help me to trust you and step forward in faith in all the challenges I face, big or small, knowing you are the same God who is with me always. Amen.

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Numbers 13:27-28, 30

They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there...Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

TO PONDER:

It's a common sign on Australian roads. The bold yellow diamond sign with a black kangaroo in the middle of it. Underneath that sign is one which says 'NEXT 15 KM'. What do you do when you see that sign? Do you pull over and try to check the GPS for another option? Or stop the car on the side of the road and refuse to go any further because you are afraid you will hit one? Do you slow your speed to walking pace and keep your eyes scanning everywhere for jumping roos? Chances are you do none of those things. You keep going because you needed to get to your destination. You weighed up the risk and lived with the uncertainty, and kept on moving forward.

After years of wandering in the desert, the people of God were about to enter the Promised Land. They were on the edge of great opportunity, of receiving all that God has promised them. Twelve spies were sent out on a fact finding, due diligence mission to discover everything they can about the land, its people, economy and defences. They want the answers up front before they take another step. But when they come back there are two reports - a majority report and a minority report. Ten saw obstacles. Two saw opportunities. Ten saw barriers. Two saw blessings. Ten saw giants. Two saw God.

What do you do when you face obstacles or the uncertainty of tomorrow? Does your imagination run wild with worst-case scenarios? Are you prone to overstate the problems, exaggerate the obstacles or magnify the difficulties that you could occur? Are you like the Ten who conclude it can't be done?

Caleb and Joshua were in the minority. They saw the same land, the same obstacles and barriers but came to a radically different conclusion. In the face of uncertainty, they placed their trust in the promises of God. When all seemed impossible, they stepped out boldly in faith, into the opportunity that God had given to them. It's not what they knew, it was who they knew that made the difference. It gave them the courage to say, "we can certainly do it." That's true for you today too...whatever uncertainty, obstacle, or difficulty you encounter. With God, you can certainly do it.

PRAYER:

Lord, prepare my heart for what you have for me next, that in the face of uncertainty, you may give me a heart of faith that will go where you call me to go. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

TO PONDER:

As I prepared to go through security at the airport last week, it struck me again how conformity is such a powerful force in our lives. Those simple barriers that funnel us down a certain path, snaking back and forth until we get to the front of the line where we are then directed to one of the security scanning lines. Conformity is easy. It requires little effort. All you need to do is follow the path where it leads. It happened at the Tennis and the standing for the National anthem. It happens when we join the line at the checkout in any store. It happens as we follow local customs in countries that we visit in order to fit in. Conformity is easy. Every day the culture in which we live has an impact on us. It subtly squeezes us into its mold of living, thinking, acting.

Paul says, as people who are alive in the Spirit, as people who have received the mercy of God, we are called to live a reimagined life. To daily walk in newness of life. When Paul says, be transformed, he is saying, 'let God continue to transform you'. Let God continue to shape you and mold you. It's not a once off thing. It's a daily occurrence.

Let God shape you in the decisions you make today. Let God's will form you in the actions that you take today. Let God's heart inspire and motivate what you do today. That's hard work. It requires effort. And it always involves radical change. It's walking up the escalator when everyone else is going down. It's being prepared to take a stand for truth, when everyone else has subscribed to Groupthink. It's consciously choosing to see the world through God's eyes. And when we do that Paul says, we will find ourselves being changed by that, we will start living reimagined lives that will begin to impact the world and culture in which we live, move and have our being.

PRAYER:

Lord God, transform my thinking and my actions today, that in everything I am and do, I may consciously choose to live the reimagined life you have graciously given to me. Amen.

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Matthew 14:15-17

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

TO PONDER:

"We have only five loaves here and two fish.' Have you had a "five loaves and two fish" kind of day? When the problems of life, the struggles in your family, the circumstances before you, or the needs confronting you have caused you to say, "I have only five loaves and two fish".

'A five loaves and two fish' day is a day that is overwhelming, a day where things feel desolate and hopeless. A day where you feel powerless and helpless. A day when you think you cannot either make a difference or deal with what is in front of you. What is your five loaves and two fish day at the present time?

The problem with a five loaves and two fish day, Jesus says, is not a lack of resources, but a lack of imagination and vision for our lives. "...you give them something to eat" Jesus is inviting us to see the circumstances, situations and problems of life in a new way. Where the disciples see limitations, Jesus sees opportunity. Where the disciples focus on the impossible, Jesus imagines the possible. Where the disciples see the problem and look to move it on, Jesus sees the need and moves toward it with compassion.

Jesus is asking us today to reimagine the five loaves and two fish moments of our lives and move with compassion for the crowd (the world) before us. When we wonder if we can make a difference, Jesus says, 'you can" Look around with compassion. Look up in prayer and move with the grace of Jesus to bless those in your midst today. You just don't know what Jesus will do, until you start to feed the crowd!

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, in every moment today when I don't feel I can make a difference, help me to reimagine with your eyes and move with compassion toward the problem with trust in your unfailing grace. Amen.

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Matthew 17:5-8

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

TO PONDER:

'What just happened?' Have you ever had one of those moments where you woke up and wondered 'what just happened?' You wake up the day after you're married and wonder, "what just happened?" You hold your child in your hands for the first time and wonder "what just happened"? You experience or witness an event either good or bad that leaves you speechless and asking, "what just happened"?

I imagine Peter, James and John were asking themselves that very question after their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. In a short space of time, they had heard Jesus tell them that he must suffer and die, that they must follow him on the way of the cross, and then they are given a vision of Jesus that is so glorious, so wonderful that leaves James and John speechless and Peter scrambling for something to say.

What these disciples were given was a gift for the changes that lie ahead; a gift for when they were frightened and struggling to understand. A gift when moments of life were too great for them. A gift when things when change in life was too overwhelming for them. A gift when the noise of the world and the voices of the world confuse us and demand from us.

The gift? The voice of Jesus that speaks more powerfully and gloriously in the midst of changing moments. "Listen to him", God says. His voice is one of hope. His voice is one of life. His voice is one of clarity. His voice is one of healing. His voice is full of love and compassion. His voice gives courage in the midst of things that are overwhelming, confusing, mind boggling and which cause us to say or think, "What just happened?"

"Rise, do not fear" - Jesus says. In every change, in every confusion, in every challenge, rise. Take the first step, the next step with courage as you listen to me. Where do you need to hear that word today?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, in every moment of change, give me courage to rise and take the next step with you. Amen.

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Ezra 1, 1, 5

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

TO PONDER:

Have you ever felt that God is silent in your life? Have you ever felt you are living in a time where things are changing and you have no control over it? Where life is a battle and full of disruption? Where you feel marginalised and alone?

The people of God experienced the same thing. Taken into captivity, they were removed from everything that was important to them, their home, their people, their place of worship. In exile, everything had changed. A whole new normal had been imposed on them with new rhythms and patterns in life. God seemed far away...their prayers seemed to remain unanswered.

The book of Ezra reminds us that in those moments, God is still moving. God is still faithful to his promises. The people of God had been in exile for 70 years. But God had promised through the prophet Jeremiah that they would return home, and God moved the heart of a pagan King Cyrus, to make that happen. Then God moved or stirred up the hearts of a remnant of people to return home, to accomplish what God has purposed. Not only did God move the hearts, he provided the resources to fulfil what he was moving hearts to do!

Where is God stirring your heart? Where is God moving you forward, nagging away and putting a burden on your heart to do something that will accomplish his purposes in the world? Is God putting a person's name on your heart that God needs you to have a conversation with? Is God nudging you to a new ministry that brings life to those who are stuck, hope to those who are discouraged, his presence to someone who feels alone? Will you respond to God's push, as enormous and overwhelming as it may feel, knowing that God will resource and bless you with what you need to accomplish it? When God stirs, he is calling you to move and act!

PRAYER:

Lord prepare my heart for what you have for me next and give me a heart of faith to go where you call me to go, and to do what you call me to do. Amen.

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Nehemiah 1:11-11

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

TO PONDER:

This last Friday I had a fascinating conversation with my Uber driver in Melbourne. He was Ethiopian, in his early 30’s; a former banker who spoke four languages. He hated working in the banking sector and now works as a translator most of the time. When he needs a break from the intensity of the work, he works as an Uber driver. It was a fascinating story. But what struck me about his story was the burden he had for helping his people rebuild their lives after the last two years where Ethiopia has been at war with itself.

The fighting has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. My driver had personally lost 67 close family, friends and work colleagues. One of the real issues has been how to get financial aid to people when the banking system has been shut down. The only way to transfer money currently is through blackmarket bankers and they are taking a 50% cut of any funds transferred. This former banker was now working with NGO’s to set up a system where the money sent actually got into the hands of those who need it to rebuild. It’s a heavy burden he carries; a burden that is moving him to go home in a couple of months to help.

Nehemiah also carried a burden for his people. The Persian King Cyrus had issued an edict to allow the Israelites to return home to Jerusalem after decades in captivity. The people of God were finally free. But as Nehemiah heard the story of what was happening, his heart was burdened for those who were free but not living in freedom. He was heartbroken for those who had settled for complacency amidst the chaos. They had given up and it caused Nehemiah to weep and to pray and repent on behalf of his people. God placed on Nehemiah’s heart a burden for his people…a burden that would not go away unto he acted.

What is the 'burden' in our community or world that is heavy on your heart or causing you to weep? Like Nehemiah, God may be giving you a burden for the part of the puzzle of his vision that he needs you to work on or contribute to. The burden you bear often reveals the purpose God is calling you to passionately pursue for his glory. So what may that be for you today. Where is God calling you, moving you to act?

PRAYER:

Lord God, I believe you have placed me in this world for a reason, to play my part in your greater plan. Help me recognise the burden you are placing on my heart, and give me the courage to act, that your will may be done. Amen.

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Colossians 3:15

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

TO PONDER

By definition, Christians are to love one another and offer loving service to Christ as the peace of God enters into our hearts and rules our lives. We can deploy our God given abilities in many and varied ways in our professions, our families, our neighbourhoods and communities but we don't always use them to serve God or others. With the peace of God directing us, we should use our skills and abilities in ways that serve God well. God calls all Christians into His peace and into one body, one church through which he uses us to bring his light and life into all the world.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me not only to put off those attitudes and behaviours that separate me from you but also to clothe myself with attitudes and actions that reflect who you are to the world. Help me to be thankful for all that you have done for me and to daily work towards unity and peace with others. Amen.

Today's devotion written by Francis Leung, LifeWay Epping.

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