Sometimes, Busy, Broke & Tired Can Be a Blessing

“Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

That’s what the onlookers asked when Jesus spoke of His own death in third person.

He tells this group of Greeks who’d gathered to meet Him that the time had come for the Son of Man to die. That much like a kernel of wheat that is planted in soil & dies, so must He, for from the one seed, a plentiful harvest will sprout!

The Embodiment of Resurrection declares before them that if they desire life, they must first be willing to die. How can something be resurrected if it doesn’t die first?😳

He reminds the listeners that those who love their life on this earth will lose it, but those who care nothing for their life in THIS world, will have life eternal.

I sometimes think that times of plenty can be harder to follow Jesus than impoverished times.

When our boys were little, we had a funny phrase that may ring true for all. When people asked about raising four men, we’d half joking say, “Keep ‘em busy, broke & tired…busy enough to not have time for shenanigans, broke enough to not have money for foolishness & tired enough to not have the energy to do stupid stuff.”

It’s kinda funny & didn’t always work, but the principle rings true for all ages & stages of life this side of heaven, don’t ya think?

Plenty of money, plenty of peace, plenty of time provide margin for great distraction from following Jesus.

The passage tells us that His heart is deeply troubled as He reminds the listeners, “Anyone who wants to be my disciple MUST follow Me, because my servants MUST be where I am….”

There are two “musts” in that sentence….talk about a double imperative! Too much time, too much money & unbridled energy can become a temptation to go places He doesn’t want to take us!

Oh Father, it’s so easy to stumble into darkness when things are good. Do not let the blessings of life distract us from following close behind You even unto death. We thank you for the abundant life that comes from following the Author of Resurrection Life. Remind us that we may be the only Bible some people will ever read. Use the time, treasures & talents You richly provide to cause the onlookers in our life to ask, “Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

#OneYearBible

May 21st One Year Bible Readings 1 SAMUEL 29:1-31:13 JOHN 11:55-12:19 PSALM 118:1-18 PROVERBS 15:24-26

Facing Loss? Let Me Tell You about the Time Jesus’s Eyes Leaked

Today I read about the time Jesus eyes leaked. It’s the shortest verse in the Bible, comprised of 2 words:

Jesus wept.

There’s comfort knowing that our fully divine Lord experienced the same emotions He gave us. Not only did He weep, a few verses later tell us He was also angry.

I wonder about the myriad of emotions He felt in this moment…compassion for the mourners. sadness for their lack of hope & even anger that they didn’t take Him, The Word, at His word?

He told them that Lazarus would die SO THAT God would be glorified, & yet they continue to question The One with all the answers.

His patience is enduring, His love unending & in this moment, He’s like a parent at their wit’s end, wanting to force Truth upon the people so they’d fully see & hear.

But He doesn’t.

When The All-powerful One could’ve done anything to awaken them, He pauses in compassion.

He weeps with the weepers,

loves when love seems lost,

& wields power not to punish, but to reveal to the mourning bystanders that The Resurrection Life stands WITH them.

Now MY eyes leak…He loves us so much that He’ll not force belief upon us. He sometimes delays His delivery so we too will come to our wit’s end, sometimes at a dead end, so He can reveal resurrection life.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall see God. Sometimes it takes loss to see The One Whom we need.

I don’t know what you’re facing, but I’ve got my own circumstances where hope seems lost, time feels short & the need for My Savior to do something expired months ago…& yet, I’m still here. You’re still here & our Sustainer is here, revealing Himself on a much deeper level than maybe we’d desire at times?

Hard moments are hardest in the cloudy middle when nothing is as it was & we can’t see a way to something new.

If we allow ourselves to go all the way to the end of fear, the greatest fear is death. But when we remember what Jesus did, death loses it’s sting & we become blessed mourners because we ‘re reminded that seeing God is just around the corner.

So whether we face life or death, there is comfort in knowing it’s ok to cry. Jesus wept with & for the people who lost Lazarus, & as Emmanuel, He is ever WITH us when we weep too.

#OneYearBible

May 20th One Year Bible Readings

1 SAMUEL 26:1-28:25

JOHN 11:1-54

PSALM 117:1-2

PROVERBS 15:22-23

The Problem with Pronouns

Never in a million years did I think it possible someone could be fired for using the wrong pronoun, but such is the case in the crazy world we live. Although I can’t fully grasp the justice, there’s a principle with pronouns that creates a problem for people who profess to be Christians.

A pronoun, by definition, is a word standing in place of a noun, but a possessive pronoun denotes ownership.

I love my New Living Translation Bible because it uses common language while aligning close to the original meaning. They missed the mark B-I-G time, however, with Psalm 116:11.

The writer seems to be in an anxious place as he declares, “In my anxiety, I cried out to you…”

Did you catch the possessive pronoun? Why in the world would you ever want to own anxiety? And if you have children, why assign it to them as theirs?

I may experience feelings of anxiety, but that doesn’t define who I am, right?

Y’all, we HAVE to be so careful with the words we speak because they carry creative power of life & death!

Want to know the double whammy about POSSESSIVE pronouns?! They negate the Lordship of Jesus Christ.😳

If I declare that HE is MY Lord, then I have relinquished all ownership rights of my life to Him. The only possessive pronoun we have left is, “His”!

The original translation of Psalm 116:11 says, “In my haste…” it acknowledges that the writer took ownership back from the Lord, rushing ahead in panic. He is referring to something he DID rather than something he IS.

I’m not anxious, but I might feel it.

I’m not depressed, but I might feel sad.

I’m not angry, but may be tempted to react in anger.

Do you hear the difference?

We’re not many things, but the one thing we will forever be is His! 

If we are His, then our Savior saves us, our Redeemer redeems, our Healer heals, our Provider provides…any lack or deficiency we see in ourselves can only be met by The All Sufficient One!

Oh Father, forgive us for the times we hop back up onto Your throne in our hearts, taking back lordship from You by the simple use of possessive pronouns. May we live & speak in such a way that reflects your Lordship, making others want to know You because we are clearly “His”!

#OneYearBible

May 19th One Year Bible Readings

1 SAMUEL 24:1-25:44

JOHN 10:22-42

PSALM 116:1-19

PROVERBS 15:20-21