Unfolding Words

The desire for self-promotion is part of the evil condition of the human heart. We are all tempted to exalt ourselves in some way—if it’s not through social media, it’s some other way. But social media has a special way of encouraging and showcasing one’s indulgence in this temptation. Of course, social media is not the cause of self-promotion; it is only the platform through which the human heart displays its desires. But the prevalence of such self-promotion should urge us to think more about the issue, especially because so many Christians seem to be walking in step with a trend the Bible so clearly discourages.

Prayer by Charles de Foucauld 
Deliver Me, Jesus 
—from the desire to be praised, honored, glorified, preferred, consulted, or approved. Deliver me, Jesus, from the fear of being humiliated, criticized, forgotten, ridiculed, maltreated, and from the fear of what others will think. O Jesus, give me the grace to desire: that others would be loved and esteemed ahead of me, that in the eyes of the world they would increase while I decrease, and praised while I pass by unnoticed; that others would be preferred in all situations; that others would become more than myself—in order that I would be as holy as You want me to be. 

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The last miracle that Jesus performed before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem was restoring sight to a blind man named Bartimaeus. This is such a symbolic miracle based on the timing. 

Although he as blind, Bartimaeus knew something up was up by the movement and sounds of the crowd. So much so that he asked what was going on. When He discovered that Jesus was going to pass by—He took advantage of that small window. But He didn’t ask for the obvious—sight. Instead, He asked for mercy. 

Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus for mercy, calling Him “Son of David”. This shows extraordinary messianic insight on Bartimaeus’ part because “Son of David” is a title for the Messiah and Jesus has not been openly sharing His messianic identity (see 8:27–30)—

Bartimaeus’ request for the restoration of his sight also shows his amazing understanding of what the Messiah is supposed to do. Bartimaeus understands Jesus as the promised Son of David who comes to restore all things, even his lost eyesight.

The formerly-blind man’s first action after being healed is to follow Jesus. This means he was now a disciple and joins Jesus' group. The word translated "followed" is akoloutheo, which means "to follow someone as a disciple, accompany."

Bartimaeus is such an encouragement for us today as we seek God in prayer. 

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Storms are an inevitable part of life. If we pay attention, they can teach us valuable lessons about God and life. Acts 27 is a chapter that provides great insights on how to navigate storms.

When Paul and his companions were in the thick of the storm verse 20 says: “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”

Hopelessness came on them as they had to sail blind—on the open sea. With no navigational tools on the open seas, their only means of getting their bearings was the sun and stars. But even those hadn’t appeared for may days. 

Has anybody been there? Tossed about by the storms of life with nothing to help you navigate. You feel weak and eventually helpless. The passengers on the ship had thrown the cargo and tackle overboard to lighten the load. But it appears they’d thrown their hope away with it as well. 

Paul’s attitude about the storm provides so many teachable moments for believers.

In life, contrary winds are par for the course. When Paul, the prisoners, and sailors set out for sea, little did they know what would befall them. But in the middle of that storm, they had one word from God to hold on to.

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 An inheritance is not limited to money. It also includes godly character qualities like integrity and trustworthiness. Combining a financial inheritance with wisdom and godliness ensures that the next generation will also manage God’s blessings God’s way for God’s glory long after you've graduated to heaven.

We ought to leave a legacy through:

- The Word of God - teach it, memorize it, speak it.

- The life we live: let them see you trust God

- The testimonies share of God’s goodness

- Something tangible: wealth is good and so is a Bible with notes, letters, remembrances of God’s work in our lives.

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Psalm 65 paints a picture of the earth and our lives being blessed with the bounty and glory of God. As we set out into 2019, may God encircle your year with His presence and crown it. 

God crowning the year has a meaning that points to how God can make a year which was naturally prosperous even more abundant. In Old Testament days, the harvest was the plainest display of the divine bounty of God. A full and plentiful harvest is the crown of the year, and by extension, the unmerited goodness of God is seen. Today we can look at our lives as the harvest. The Lord himself orchestrates the coronation and sets the golden crown upon the dawn of the year.

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“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things”. Jesus repeats Martha’s name as a gentle rebuke. He points out her distraction rather than her hospitality. Certainly, he was appreciative of her heart to serve, but at the time discipleship was of more importance. He is on the road to Jerusalem and the cross, and this is one of his final visits in Luke’s Gospel to the home of these dear friends. Martha and Mary need Jesus because He will soon depart from them, and Martha’s busyness distances her from him. 

In contrast, Mary chose the good portion”. The better part that Mary chose was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening—being a disciple. There will be time later for serving and doing. First, the disciple must learn from the master—otherwise, the disciple’s busyness would lead them to miss crucial teachings from Jesus.

Sounds familiar in your life? Our schedules are jam-packed. We, too, are troubled and distracted. We, too, need to choose the better part—to sit at the master’s feet—to listen and learn from Him and His word. Busyness without sitting at Jesus’ feet first will not further His kingdom. 

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You are gifted for God’s glory. Use every single gift He’s given us—whether it’s in a small and seemingly unseen arena like your home or on a larger platform. The issue isn’t how big the audience is your gift (because God is the biggest audience there is) the issue is whether or not you value what God has placed in you enough to cultivate it and max it out.

I'm sure you're familiar with the story of Moses in Egypt when He went before Pharaoh. He was worried about Pharaoh not taking heed to what he had to say. But God assured Him he was already equipped with the gifts He needed to go before the royal leader. Exodus 4:1-3 says: Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

Often the very thing we consider common, uninteresting or "just that thing I've always done" is the very thing God uses for His glory. God took Moses' ordinary staff which he probably used in his days of shepherding behind the mountain and transformed it into a vehicle for a miracle. And He can do the same with that gift that you think is no big deal.

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Mary, the mother of Jesus, is esteemed for her faith in hearing the word that she would carry the promised Messiah.  But also consider that she was carrying the Word which was from the beginning in her womb as mentioned in John 1. Given this, it seems natural that she would accept God’s word concerning her with faith. For her to carry Jesus she had to first accept the written word. 

Mary’s faith was already rich and full by her response: let it be to me according to your word. Even her cousin Elisabeth praises her faith in God’s word. Mary was blessed because she believed there would be a fulfillment of the word spoken to her. Mary’s trust in the word didn’t start at the moment the angel came to her. Instead, she had years of storing up the word, trusting it, letting it richly dwell in her. Her song of praise, known as The Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55, is a testament of her trust and dwelling in the scriptures.

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It's easy to get exasperated and overwhelmed with the daily routines. Mounds of laundry. The piles of dirty dishes. The discipline that has to be doled out daily. But God never designed it to be this way. 

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)  

When offered up to God, even the everyday tasks can be holy.

Mopping the floors is ministry? Sounds ludicrous. And it felt especially ludicrous to me as I mopped floors this weekend only to find them dirtied by three sets of little feet this week. But bless God those little feet who can dirty and who are still here alive and breathing. That I get to provide a clean, stable and loving home for them is an honor. An honor that many women want, but can't have. 

Every act of service is counted worthy in God's eye. This small shift in perspective has changed my grumbling into holy wonder. God sees every little act of service and sacrifice I do and He honors it.

Resources Mentioned:
Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren

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We often hear much talk about free will. But God is relentless in His pursuit of us even though we have the free will to turn down His persistent chasing. The whole Bible is the story of how God is seeking out His people to return to Him. That’s the heart of the gospel—God going after sinful people. We are constantly hiding and running from a loving God. Many people define religion as man’s search for God. However, the Bible paints a beautiful portrait of God’s search for man. The mystery of it all is that God pursues man! When Adam and Eve hid from His presence, the Lord called, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).

It’s our sin that makes us hide. 

There’s a poem by Francis Thompson called the The Hound of Heaven that so beautifully depicts this truth. In The Hound of Heaven, Thompson runs from God in order to maintain the pleasures of his riotous living. 

What God banished Adam and Eve from, He wanted to replace what was taken with Himself. God is pursuing us with the same intent. His purpose in HIs pursuit is so that we find in Him our soul's desire.

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