Regardless of what you are facing today, remember that your holy, wise, and powerful Father in heaven cares for you. Let your faith be cultivated by the knowledge of His providence.
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It begins with prayer. As we commit to pray for one another, our actions will follow. We will start inviting others into our homes and reaching out to friends who attend different churches to ask how we can pray for them. We will find ourselves wanting to send a note of encouragement to a pastor of a Calvary church that we have never met. We will end up on our knees, praying for churches around the world that we may never see on this side of eternity. We will become a church that is known for its love.
Read MoreThe answer to these questions is simple, yet challenging. The reason the ways of the world enamor us is because of the ease of the path. We have been deceived into believing that we know what is best for our lives. In this deception, the world consumes us. John Piper writes, “If you love the world, it will pass away and take you with it.” This consumption is one of a slow fade from truth. Slowly we buy into the lies of the enemy. Gradually we compromise truth to pursue our best life. Leisurely we justify our lives in the fractured shadow of our pursuit of happiness.
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This path of righteousness is a worthy journey. It will require the Lord’s providential hand to go before us and guide us on the path, but, it also requires our discipline and delight in the Word of God. The Word of God is the foundational source in which we learn to walk, live, and love as Jesus. It is how we know our Lord. It is how we recognize the attacks from the enemy. It is the way we yield fruit. It is the truth in which we are sanctified. Delight in it!
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There have also been times in our lives when we have been distracted by busyness, our own growing family, or the pursuits of this world and have chosen to sit back and ignore God’s call. We’ve been guilty of taking a back seat at church; just showing up, and little else. We were pretty sure in these moments that our lives were too busy to give any of our leftovers to the church. Someone else was going, someone else was sending, and we were sure, someone else was making disciples. We were living in disobedience to God’s call on our lives. During these seasons, however, God has always gotten our attention. He has drawn our eyes back to him and off of this world. He has never stopped pursuing us..
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Remember, my brothers and sisters in Christ, this walk with Him is a journey. Run the race well. Remain faithful to Him. Remain faithful to His Church. Remember and pursue Paul’s words to his young disciple, Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2. Timothy 4:7).”
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“What if, instead of our goals being about ourselves, they were focused on serving the Lord? What if our goals were to grow closer to Him, spend more time in His word, and develop a consistent time of prayer each day? What if we did make goals for exercising and eating healthier, but at the heart of those goals is a desire to have more energy to serve others? What if our goals for organizing our home and creating better systems were not just for ourselves but to make it easier to invite church members over to share a meal and build relationships? How can we serve Him daily in 2024? “
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Many of the things we long for are just fleshed-filled empty vessels compared to what the Lord has planned. In our waiting, the Lord desires us to draw near to him. In our waiting, He desires for us to grow in him. In our waiting, He is preparing us for His will. In our waiting, He is sanctifying us for what is to come.
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“And finally, the Incarnation of Christ granted us the gift of salvation, a new identity, and the church. This truth compels us to live as Jesus lived, serve as Jesus served, and love as Jesus loved. In Christ's coming to earth, we are granted a response to make much of Him to the ends of the earth. “
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Remember, when you do have those amazing opportunities to relax and recharge, don’t forget to sit and dwell at the foot of the cross. Spend the extra time in prayer. Go deep into God’s word. Don’t just casually read it because it is routine; “delight” in His presence. Read through Psalm 119 this week and let your excitement for God’s word be contagious to those He puts in your path.
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“This Advent masterpiece was written from the beautiful scripture of Haggai, chapter 2. It is a proclamation from the Prophet Haggai of a future treasure and blessings that would fulfill the covenant of the Lord. The longing anticipation of the prophet and the people is palpable. Their hope, their longing, was in the coming King, Christ Jesus. Today, we walk in the joy and overflow of that anticipation. The longing of Jesus to bring mercy, peace and restoration has come. “
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Church, we have been set free from the bondage of these insignificant things. We are in fact, the righteousness of Christ. New name! New Identity! New pursuit! We are his sons and daughters. We are His ambassadors. We are His disciples. So, go and “seek things that are above, where Christ is seated…set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
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As we approach this Thanksgiving holiday and reflect on the blessings that we have in Christ, may our response be like Paul’s; a heart of praise. May we wake up this week longing for more of God’s word in the morning, reflecting on His blessings for us throughout the day, and singing songs of praise to Him in the night.
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From that point forward, their lives were changed forever. Their obedience to follow Jesus allowed them to walk with Him during His earthly ministry. They simply obeyed and spent the next three years walking, traveling, sleeping, learning, watching, and listening to the King of Kings teach them how to be a disciple. They had the greatest teacher of all time.
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“Has God called you to do something out of obedience to Him and you are still sitting on the sidelines? Are you waiting for the perfect timing or circumstances? Paul’s modeled for us to use the time we are given, even if the circumstances aren’t perfect.”
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