Rindy's Devotional Tidbits
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The Spiritual Cafe is pleased to share her daily facebook thoughts. It is our hope that her reflections will be a service to you on your spiritual growth journey.
Week 40 Archives
Year 5; Day 275 Willing...or Not?
In yesterday's post I quoted Luke 13:34, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" The last phrase, "...but you were not willing!" is still in my mind. Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life and worship. How did they not recognize the Messiah? How did they not recognize those sent by God...the One they supposedly knew and worshiped? I am thinking that last phrase sums it up, "...but you were not willing!" Not willing to what? Perhaps not willing to be humble and humbled. Over the years the religious leaders had added layer upon layer of interpretations to the Scriptures...to the point where the spiritual needs of the people were secondary to obeying the religious laws. And when God in the flesh stood before them and rebuked their hypocrisy, instead of feeling convicted, they chose to be angry and resentful. The people of the day had a pre-conceived notion of what the Messiah would be like...not based on Scripture, but based on what they wanted. Instead of shaping their ideas and thoughts to Scripture, they took Scripture and shaped it to their way of thinking. There was an arrogance and self-centeredness to Jerusalem that broke Jesus' heart. Are we any different today...even as believers? Are we willing to be rebuked and corrected? Or does it suit us to mold Scripture to our way of thinking? Do we pick and choose through God's Word the parts that please us and ignore what doesn't? Do we like the blessings and ignore the warnings? Are we willing to allow God to do His will through us? I expect our answers range from a few yeses to a lot of sometimes, maybes, depends, and not always. Jerusalem crucified their own Messiah. What do we do with our Savior? Today is Monday. What exactly are we willing to do...to be...to become?
In yesterday's post I quoted Luke 13:34, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" The last phrase, "...but you were not willing!" is still in my mind. Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life and worship. How did they not recognize the Messiah? How did they not recognize those sent by God...the One they supposedly knew and worshiped? I am thinking that last phrase sums it up, "...but you were not willing!" Not willing to what? Perhaps not willing to be humble and humbled. Over the years the religious leaders had added layer upon layer of interpretations to the Scriptures...to the point where the spiritual needs of the people were secondary to obeying the religious laws. And when God in the flesh stood before them and rebuked their hypocrisy, instead of feeling convicted, they chose to be angry and resentful. The people of the day had a pre-conceived notion of what the Messiah would be like...not based on Scripture, but based on what they wanted. Instead of shaping their ideas and thoughts to Scripture, they took Scripture and shaped it to their way of thinking. There was an arrogance and self-centeredness to Jerusalem that broke Jesus' heart. Are we any different today...even as believers? Are we willing to be rebuked and corrected? Or does it suit us to mold Scripture to our way of thinking? Do we pick and choose through God's Word the parts that please us and ignore what doesn't? Do we like the blessings and ignore the warnings? Are we willing to allow God to do His will through us? I expect our answers range from a few yeses to a lot of sometimes, maybes, depends, and not always. Jerusalem crucified their own Messiah. What do we do with our Savior? Today is Monday. What exactly are we willing to do...to be...to become?
Year 5; Day 276 Willing...or Not
"...but you were not willing!" (Luke 13:34) How much heartache and strife can be traced back to those few words? Since the very beginning...Adam and Eve were not willing to obey one command and so sin came into the world. Cain was not willing to accept God's standard for a sacrifice and so the first murder was committed. Abraham was not willing to wait for God's timing in giving him an heir and so set up an historical conflict between brothers that is felt to this day. Samson was not willing to control his sensual desires and wound up a blind slave doing the work of an animal. Saul was not willing to obey God's prophet and lost the right to rule. David was not willing to discipline his children and saw the consequences of jealousy, incest, betrayal, and murder. Jezebel was not willing to listen to God's prophet and ended up in pieces on the ground. Uzziah was not willing to stay within the boundaries of his job description and spent the latter years of his reign separated from others because of leprosy. Jonah was not willing to obey orders to go to Nineveh and spent three days in the belly of a great fish getting an attitude adjustment. God was not willing that any should perish and so He sent His prophets and recorded His words and finally sent His Son. And His Son was willing...willing to leave heaven, willing to suffer, willing to die, willing to obey in every detail. And I am not willing/willing to...surrender? obey? be humble? be corrected? serve? follow? submit? forgive? be disciplined? be thankful? praise? pray? worship? be faithful? be His instrument? Today is Tuesday. Lots of choices. Lots of consequences. All mine to make.
"...but you were not willing!" (Luke 13:34) How much heartache and strife can be traced back to those few words? Since the very beginning...Adam and Eve were not willing to obey one command and so sin came into the world. Cain was not willing to accept God's standard for a sacrifice and so the first murder was committed. Abraham was not willing to wait for God's timing in giving him an heir and so set up an historical conflict between brothers that is felt to this day. Samson was not willing to control his sensual desires and wound up a blind slave doing the work of an animal. Saul was not willing to obey God's prophet and lost the right to rule. David was not willing to discipline his children and saw the consequences of jealousy, incest, betrayal, and murder. Jezebel was not willing to listen to God's prophet and ended up in pieces on the ground. Uzziah was not willing to stay within the boundaries of his job description and spent the latter years of his reign separated from others because of leprosy. Jonah was not willing to obey orders to go to Nineveh and spent three days in the belly of a great fish getting an attitude adjustment. God was not willing that any should perish and so He sent His prophets and recorded His words and finally sent His Son. And His Son was willing...willing to leave heaven, willing to suffer, willing to die, willing to obey in every detail. And I am not willing/willing to...surrender? obey? be humble? be corrected? serve? follow? submit? forgive? be disciplined? be thankful? praise? pray? worship? be faithful? be His instrument? Today is Tuesday. Lots of choices. Lots of consequences. All mine to make.
Year 5; Day 277 I Will Trust in You
The tragedies, disasters, and heartaches of these last days and weeks have been hard to take in. The hurricanes and earthquakes are disasters that we have no real control over. But Las Vegas seems different because it was a choice. Someone chose to plan and prepare and execute a horrific act on people who just happened to be there. It seems so senseless and heartless and evil and that is what it is. Jesus talks about the signs of the end times. "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold;" (Matthew 24:10-12) An act like Vegas is a betrayal. Society can only function if there are certain basic beliefs shared by all. When someone decides in their heart to do violence towards others, there is often little we can do to protect ourselves. God's heart must be so grieved. He has given humanity time...time to make choices...choices to have a relationship with Him, choices to do good, choices to love and care for each other. And more and more seem to be choosing to gratify their desires for greed, power, and revenge. I think our time is running out. Today is Wednesday. "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) Even when I don't understand and this world makes no sense...I will trust in You.
The tragedies, disasters, and heartaches of these last days and weeks have been hard to take in. The hurricanes and earthquakes are disasters that we have no real control over. But Las Vegas seems different because it was a choice. Someone chose to plan and prepare and execute a horrific act on people who just happened to be there. It seems so senseless and heartless and evil and that is what it is. Jesus talks about the signs of the end times. "At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold;" (Matthew 24:10-12) An act like Vegas is a betrayal. Society can only function if there are certain basic beliefs shared by all. When someone decides in their heart to do violence towards others, there is often little we can do to protect ourselves. God's heart must be so grieved. He has given humanity time...time to make choices...choices to have a relationship with Him, choices to do good, choices to love and care for each other. And more and more seem to be choosing to gratify their desires for greed, power, and revenge. I think our time is running out. Today is Wednesday. "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) Even when I don't understand and this world makes no sense...I will trust in You.
Year 5; Day 278 To Listen...or Not
Jesus told the story about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man had everything and Lazarus had nothing. He waited for the crumbs from the rich man's table. The dogs came and licked his sores. The beggar died and was carried to Abraham's side...a place of peace and comfort. When the rich man died, he was in a place of torment. There was an unbreachable chasm between the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man begged for Lazarus to dip even the tip of his finger into some water and come and cool the rich man's tongue for he was in torturous agony. When told this was impossible, the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about this place of torment. The answer came back that the brothers (and everyone else) had the words of the prophets to warn them. The rich man said that the brothers wouldn't listen to the prophets but if someone came back from the dead (like Lazarus), they would listen. Abraham's answer was, "...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:31) In other words, you can't make someone listen or believe if they flat don't want to. People refused to believe Jesus Himself. Even His miracles and fulfilment of prophecy didn't help. It is no different now. We still make the choice. Today is Thursday. It is amazing how we can dismiss Truth even when it is right in front of us because we don't like it, it doesn't suit, or we choose to deny the inherent consequences. Amazing and sad...very sad.
Jesus told the story about a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The rich man had everything and Lazarus had nothing. He waited for the crumbs from the rich man's table. The dogs came and licked his sores. The beggar died and was carried to Abraham's side...a place of peace and comfort. When the rich man died, he was in a place of torment. There was an unbreachable chasm between the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man begged for Lazarus to dip even the tip of his finger into some water and come and cool the rich man's tongue for he was in torturous agony. When told this was impossible, the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers about this place of torment. The answer came back that the brothers (and everyone else) had the words of the prophets to warn them. The rich man said that the brothers wouldn't listen to the prophets but if someone came back from the dead (like Lazarus), they would listen. Abraham's answer was, "...If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:31) In other words, you can't make someone listen or believe if they flat don't want to. People refused to believe Jesus Himself. Even His miracles and fulfilment of prophecy didn't help. It is no different now. We still make the choice. Today is Thursday. It is amazing how we can dismiss Truth even when it is right in front of us because we don't like it, it doesn't suit, or we choose to deny the inherent consequences. Amazing and sad...very sad.
Year 5; Day 279 In the Minority...or Majority?
Jesus entered a village and there were ten men with leprosy who heard about His coming. I can't imagine what they felt like. Excited. Hopeful. Because of their disease the group had to stand away from the others. They couldn't come close to make their case. "and they called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luke 17:13) Maybe they figured without pity, Jesus wouldn't give them a look-see. But Jesus can meet a need even at a distance. When He saw them (and heard them), He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed." (verse 14) I can hardly imagine what that must have been like for those men. To see their skin clearing up as they walked. To know their lives would have a chance at normalcy. To be reunited with family and able to participate in daily life. To no longer be an outcast. You would think their gratitude and thankfulness towards Christ would be overflowing. "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him..." (verses 15,16) Only one came back. 10%. Only one took the time to say, "Thank you." Only one expressed his gratitude to the Source of his healing, to the impactful change in direction to his life, to the compassion that was extended across a yelling distance. Only one. The other 90%...well, I don't know. Went back to normal living, I guess. Somehow, I don't think the thankful one ever went back to "normal" living. I think meeting Christ changed him from the inside out. How do we allow Christ to change us? Do we take what we can get and go on? Or do we take what He has to offer with a heart that overflows with thanksgiving? Today is Friday. Are we in the 10%...or the 90%?
Jesus entered a village and there were ten men with leprosy who heard about His coming. I can't imagine what they felt like. Excited. Hopeful. Because of their disease the group had to stand away from the others. They couldn't come close to make their case. "and they called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luke 17:13) Maybe they figured without pity, Jesus wouldn't give them a look-see. But Jesus can meet a need even at a distance. When He saw them (and heard them), He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed." (verse 14) I can hardly imagine what that must have been like for those men. To see their skin clearing up as they walked. To know their lives would have a chance at normalcy. To be reunited with family and able to participate in daily life. To no longer be an outcast. You would think their gratitude and thankfulness towards Christ would be overflowing. "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him..." (verses 15,16) Only one came back. 10%. Only one took the time to say, "Thank you." Only one expressed his gratitude to the Source of his healing, to the impactful change in direction to his life, to the compassion that was extended across a yelling distance. Only one. The other 90%...well, I don't know. Went back to normal living, I guess. Somehow, I don't think the thankful one ever went back to "normal" living. I think meeting Christ changed him from the inside out. How do we allow Christ to change us? Do we take what we can get and go on? Or do we take what He has to offer with a heart that overflows with thanksgiving? Today is Friday. Are we in the 10%...or the 90%?
Year 5; Day 280 Lost...or Found?
When Jesus started His ministry, He consistently taught, spoke, and reached out to the masses, the everyday person. He could easily have hob-knobbed with the rich and famous, travelled in high circles, made a name for Himself among the wealthy and people of influence. But Christ never detoured from His purpose. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10) Lost what? Lost how? I guess the first step to being lost is to recognize that is what you are. Just because you're driving doesn't mean you know where you are going. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day were quite confident in their rules and regulations and forms and rituals. They were confident and pleased and proud...of themselves. They had little compassion for the rest of the people. Yet without a genuine relationship with the Father, they were as spiritually lost as the biggest sinner in town. And it is not that Christ didn't come for everyone, He did. It is just that not everyone was willing to admit they were lost. Lost in sin. Lost without a Savior. Lost with no heart relationship. Lost without a real purpose and focus. Christ's mandate has not changed. He still seeks to save the lost. Lost is the only criteria. Not wealth. Not fame. Not position. Not looks. Just lost. And without Him that is what we are...each of us...lost. The good news then and the good news now...we don't have to stay lost. Christ still seeks today. He still looks and longs for a relationship. Today is Saturday. We can be found. And for that, I am most thankful.
When Jesus started His ministry, He consistently taught, spoke, and reached out to the masses, the everyday person. He could easily have hob-knobbed with the rich and famous, travelled in high circles, made a name for Himself among the wealthy and people of influence. But Christ never detoured from His purpose. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10) Lost what? Lost how? I guess the first step to being lost is to recognize that is what you are. Just because you're driving doesn't mean you know where you are going. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day were quite confident in their rules and regulations and forms and rituals. They were confident and pleased and proud...of themselves. They had little compassion for the rest of the people. Yet without a genuine relationship with the Father, they were as spiritually lost as the biggest sinner in town. And it is not that Christ didn't come for everyone, He did. It is just that not everyone was willing to admit they were lost. Lost in sin. Lost without a Savior. Lost with no heart relationship. Lost without a real purpose and focus. Christ's mandate has not changed. He still seeks to save the lost. Lost is the only criteria. Not wealth. Not fame. Not position. Not looks. Just lost. And without Him that is what we are...each of us...lost. The good news then and the good news now...we don't have to stay lost. Christ still seeks today. He still looks and longs for a relationship. Today is Saturday. We can be found. And for that, I am most thankful.
Year 5; Day 281 What Brings You Peace
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, His ministry on Earth was coming to a close. His purpose would soon be completed. He knew the shouts of joy would soon be shouts to crucify Him, but few others did. "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace---but now it is hidden from your eyes." (Luke 19:41,42) Most of us think we know what would bring us peace. More money for a lot of us. The problem with money is the more you have, the more you spend...or the more you think you can spend. Sometimes we think certain people coming in or going out of our lives will bring peace. Or if we just had this or that. Or if we could just do this one thing or go to that one place...that would bring peace. Or we expect the government to bring peace. Sometimes they do...for a while. And sometimes they don't. People, places, things, the peace they may bring is at best fleeting and temporary. Life can change in a literal heartbeat. But God has promised a peace that can guard our hearts in the storm, among the chaos, and during the turmoil. We are not immune from the struggles of this life but we are never alone as we go through it. God in the flesh entered Jerusalem that day and many didn't recognize Him, didn't care, weren't interested. It is no different today. He is here...waiting, loving, and ready to get in the boat with us. Do we know the peace only He can bring? "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7) On this Thanksgiving Sunday, I am truly thankful for His guardian peace.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, His ministry on Earth was coming to a close. His purpose would soon be completed. He knew the shouts of joy would soon be shouts to crucify Him, but few others did. "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace---but now it is hidden from your eyes." (Luke 19:41,42) Most of us think we know what would bring us peace. More money for a lot of us. The problem with money is the more you have, the more you spend...or the more you think you can spend. Sometimes we think certain people coming in or going out of our lives will bring peace. Or if we just had this or that. Or if we could just do this one thing or go to that one place...that would bring peace. Or we expect the government to bring peace. Sometimes they do...for a while. And sometimes they don't. People, places, things, the peace they may bring is at best fleeting and temporary. Life can change in a literal heartbeat. But God has promised a peace that can guard our hearts in the storm, among the chaos, and during the turmoil. We are not immune from the struggles of this life but we are never alone as we go through it. God in the flesh entered Jerusalem that day and many didn't recognize Him, didn't care, weren't interested. It is no different today. He is here...waiting, loving, and ready to get in the boat with us. Do we know the peace only He can bring? "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7) On this Thanksgiving Sunday, I am truly thankful for His guardian peace.