“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
TO PONDER
Today’s verses end with the statement “not to turn away from your own flesh and blood” which kind of sounds a bit like what we talked about yesterday in; “love your neighbour as yourself”.
In yesterday’s verses we looked at how Jesus removed a whole classification of people, He removed the ‘neighbour’ (neighbour being anyone who is not you, the ‘other’), in fact He went as far as saying, via a story about a ‘good Samaritan’, even the hated ‘other’ needs to be treated as our very own flesh and blood. We have a saying out at LifeWay Westside; BBQ’s before sermons (and it’s not only because of BBQ Church) or to put it another way, invite people to dinner before inviting them to church. We want to practice no-strings-attached hospitality as a way of life (it’s the ‘sharing’ part of LifeWay’s vision).
But we do have to remember that hospitality doesn’t end with a BBQ, it doesn’t even start at the BBQ, Hospitality as a way of life begins on the other side of grace, because He first loved us and reached out to show hospitality to us when we were lifeless in the ditch.
PRAYER
Saviour Jesus, I thank you for pouring out your grace upon me, for you becoming a servant to demonstrate true hospitality, teach me to show and share your grace daily. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is written by LifeWay Westside's Church Planter, Danny Brock
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
TO PONDER
Way back on July 2nd, 2021 Tim Soutphommasane, a professor at the University of Sydney, wrote in an article in the Guardian; ‘We’ve become a nation divided: by politics, by state, by age, even by vaccine.’
We are told that we were well on our way to that divided culture years before COVID with the increase of digital tribalism, identity politics and our world view being fortified by confirmation bias have increased the idea of the “other”, all thanks to the internet. We have never been so divided…
Or have we?
In today’s verses we read about Jesus addressing the same issues as above sans internet.
An ‘expert in the law’ (read a religious Jewish leader) was trying to prove Jesus was indeed the ‘other’, not actually part of his tribe so not to be trusted, by asking a question. If you read verse 25 down to verse 37 you will see how the man began wrapped in his identity politics, he tried to create the other, he even attempted to receive confirmation bias but Jesus removed a whole classification of people in response, Jesus removed the classification of ‘other’.
“Love your neighbour as yourself” negates tribalism, your neighbour is anyone who is not you! Even the dirty Samaritans (insert your ‘other’ instead of Samaritans).
PRAYER
Father God, I ask your forgiveness for the times I have created the ‘other’ and forgot to love my neighbour as myself. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is written by LifeWay Westside's Church Planter, Danny Brock
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
TO PONDER
We are family…
Families all have their own different idiosyncrasies because they are made up of different people, people with their own personalities, their own journeys.
We used to tease my grandfather about his seemingly never-ending painting of his back veranda with green paint, the joke was that if you stood still too long around him he would probably paint you with that same green paint.
In taking a bit of a deeper dive into today’s verse I was reminded of the above story of my grandfather and his near obsession with painting the veranda. The Greek words used by Paul here we see interpreted to ‘Keep on’ were actually ‘menō menō’, the word ‘menō’ has the implications of beginning and continuing, keep on keeping on!
Now some of you may have been triggered by the phrase ‘keep on keeping on’ who, like me, had flash backs of house paint commercials from the 70’s spruiking ‘Berger Paints’ where they kept on keeping on playing the commercial until the tag-line was burnt into your brain... Today’s verse is reminding us to keep on keeping on being family, to begin and never stop. To be like my grandfather with his never-ending painting, whenever he noticed some fading paint, or a scuff or blemish on his veranda he would take action and rectify it. We are family and we should keep on keeping on living out that love towards each other continuously and if we are doing it right those who are not already in our family will be painted by God’s version of green paint by just being around us.
PRAYER
Loving God, I thank you for inviting me into your family, for adopting me as your child and for all my brothers and sisters who are walking beside me, I ask that you would help me to keep on keeping on in loving my church family. Amen.
Today's Daily Verse is written by Westside's Church Planter, Danny Brock
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’
TO PONDER:
‘I worked hard for my money and lifestyle’, said every comfortable retiree ever. I’ve worked hard too and worked long hours, but my retirement is likely to be more moderate. I’ve known many labourers over the years who have worked hard and worked extra hours just to get by, and then with too much month left at the end of the money. Their retirements will be confined entirely to an old age pension and in rented accommodation.
We all have the same number of hours in a week. Most of us are honest and hardworking and give our tasks our best and full efforts. Why do those who earn more believe it is because of their efforts alone? Maybe they believe it is because of their superior intellect but many university graduates are driving taxis and working on road crews.
I’m grateful to God for those who have flourished financially in this life, but it is God’s Spiritual gift to them not their own efforts. The reward of effort is the satisfaction of a job well done and a life well spent, but as we have seen intellect and effort don’t necessarily result in material wealth.
Money, wealth, position, and power are gifts of God, and we forget this at our eternal peril. The real had work that has an eternal payoff is the care of souls. Eternal blessing comes from giving of ourselves and sharing our gifts and talents with those in need. The financially impoverished as well as the spiritually poor.
Spiritual Intelligence is thankfulness for wealth in all its forms and the understanding that all forms of wealth are gifts from God.
PRAYER
Father, if I am attached too much to my treasurers, give me the humility necessary to walk through this world gently and with a light grip. May my true joy and contentment be found in using my treasurers to bless others greatly. Amen.
Today's devotion is written by LifeWay Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
TO PONDER:
Some things never change. The materialism that ravaged The Teacher’s world, around the 3rd century BCE, ravages ours today. While this text is focused on the hyper-rich, the love of money and the consumables it can acquire is not limited to them.
If you are reading this, you must have an electronic device, internet access, and maybe a mobile phone plan. In terms of world poverty, this probably places you in the global middle income bracket. We middle class people share a broad income range, but we all manage to surround ourselves with gadgets and nick-nacks, even if we are toward the bottom of that income range. To what real advantage in the end? Items of pleasure, convenience and the sparkly things that catch our eye are all temporary and mostly disposable after a relatively short period of time. It’s all meaningless, or as the old translations said, ‘vanity’; empty, vacuous and without any eternal purpose.
What can I take into eternity? None of the meaningless material stuff which will go to dust and ashes. What can I take to eternity? Friendships, relationships, people! These are our only real and lasting treasurers.
Spiritual Intelligence is knowing that only people and relationships have eternal value.
PRAYER
Father, thanks for all the wonderful things of this world and all that can be purchased with the income you supply. Don’t let me be distracted by the new and flashy material things, but rather, keep me firmly focused on Jesus and the people he sends my way. Amen.
Today's devotion is written by LifeWay Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
TO PONDER
‘Seek’ is the operative word here. We want to be a part of God’s kingdom and to be defined by his righteousness and no one wants the gut-wrenching stress of worry, but to achieve this kind of peaceful contentment we must learn to be seekers.
As modern Christians, we talk a lot about belief, faith and trust but rarely about seeking, unless we are talking about mission and those who are ‘seekers’ that we may be training as disciples. Perhaps we should understand that our belief and faith and trust in Jesus relies heavily on God’s call for us to be constant seekers of truth.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, ‘‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Love seeks out the desires of its heart. God, who is love, found a way to us through his Son Jesus who is Truth in a person; transparent, believable, trustworthy and who alone is worthy of our faith. As God has pursued us, he desires us to seek him out so that we may have a growing and intimate knowledge of his Truth, Jesus.
When we become dedicated seekers, Jesus will reveal himself, each day, in ever different circumstances. The Kingdom and his righteousness, which are ours by promise, will become evident and substantial to the seeker of The Truth.
Spiritual Intelligence is asking daily for the deep and lasting desire to seek the Way the Truth and the Life.
PRAYER:
Father, make me a genuine seeker of the Truth, Jesus my Lord. Amen.
Today's devotion is written by LifeWay Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.
17 Better a dish of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.
TO PONDER:
Why proverbs, parables, and riddles? So, the listener will take responsibility for their own education and learn how to ‘figure it out’ for themselves.
St. Paul said to his congregation in Philippi, ‘continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.’ (Philippians 2:12,13)
To follow Jesus, we must each seek our own path and must work it out for ourselves, in light of Scripture and godly teaching, but ultimately our path is our own.
The writer of these proverbs says, ‘The discerning heart seeks knowledge’. That is, intimacy with the mind of God. A fool is one who speaks without this intimacy and without knowledge of God, their path is hidden and without direction.
The author says surely, it’s better to be joyful rather than miserable, better to pursue God than to pursue great wealth and the trouble it brings. Better to live simply with loving friends than to have our appetite for a prime rib destroyed by hatred. Walk your path, work out your salvation as you seek the way of the Lord.
Spiritual Intelligence is choosing to be a seeker of the way of the Lord. Discern the knowledge of the Lord, live simply, love and choose a cheerful heart.
PRAYER
Father, reveal to me my secret desire to pursue wealth, my jealous desires, and my hatred instead of love. Forgive me and resolve all grudges and conflicts within me. Heal me and be a light to my feet and a lamp to my path. Amen.
Today's devotion is written by LifeWay Illawarra Pastor, David Schuppan
20 ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
TO PONDER:
Following on from yesterday’s warning and encouragement from St. Paul, Jesus has his own stern warning to offer about temporary worldly riches. Jesus is telling a story about people who accumulate wealth and property, for fear that God will not provide daily for our needs.
In the story, at the very moment you feel that you have successfully stocked your provisions for your personal wellbeing and future needs, God will demand your life from you. Well, that was a waste of time and effort.
I’ve often wondered if there will be personal interviews with Jesus as we enter eternity. There will certainly be a judgement, where we will need to give an account of ourselves as the stewards of God’s gifts. How will we answer? ‘I didn’t trust you Lord for my daily supply’? ‘I didn’t trust you to use ‘my’ money wisely’? Awkward!
Best to let go of fear and control don’t you think. Have faith, trust God, and live for today with today’s tasks and today’s people and today’s celebrations.
Spiritual Intelligence is awareness of workplace demarcation. Doing what is mine to do and leaving God to do his thing.
PRAYER:
Lord, get it into my thick skull, that I am not the solo leading hand on this Gospel mission but one of many tradies under your leadership. Let me find peace in that. Let me trust you above all things. Amen.
Today's devotion is written by LifeWay Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
TO PONDER
Life would be easy if money was unnecessary, but money is grease, and grease is required to smooth the way for any endeavour. Wealthy people know this, it’s how they run their businesses. Poor people know this because without it, their lives quickly grind to a halt.
Congregations also know what it is to be stuck. Each local church has all that it needs to do God’s work, but the wealth needed is often locked away in the hearts of its members.
Talents and gifts are often not shared for the common good, and like all spiritual gifts, money can be held onto tightly by fearful hearts, but if God’s gifts do not serve his purposes in this temporary world, then there are more than just our own souls at stake.
Our work in this world is the Care of Souls. For ‘widows and orphans’, which is shorthand for anyone needing financial, physical, and emotional help. The grease God has shared with you is for you, but not only for you. Money and other spiritual gifts are given for the purposes of doing good to others as Jesus does good for you.
Spiritual Intelligence is holding this world lightly with a generous heart.
PRAYER
Lord, set me free from control and fear, from clinging too tightly to thing that will turn to dust. Give me the wisdom and courage to invest in eternal things, my soul, and the souls of others. Amen.
Today's daily devotion is written by Lifeway Illawarra's Pastor, David Schuppan