Journey to the Promised Land

Are you, or have you ever found yourself in a season that was undesirable, uncomfortable, or even unbearable?

Such was the case with the Israelites who had suffered under slavery in Egypt for 430 years.  So unbearable was their situation that they cried out to God for deliverance.  And God heard them.  He made a way out.  With Moses to lead them, they conquered numerous obstacles by God's supernatural power.  Pursued by Pharoah's army, God parted the Red Sea and they were led out of Egypt.  They were free and were headed to a new land flowing with milk and honey.

But the Promised Land wasn't just across the Red Sea from Egypt.  Hope led to despair when the Israelites found themselves in a harsh and desolate wasteland, and realized they had to cross that wasteland before entering the Promised Land.  Furthermore, once reports came in from the scouting party telling of the people occupying the land God promised them, their despair grew even more (they were going to have to displace these people and didn't feel they were strong enough!) They complained and cursed and wished they had never left Egypt.  They had grown impatient and worried.  Although they had seen God part the Red Sea, they lost their trust in God, thinking He led them to die in the wilderness. 

Yet, through His supernatural power, God was still leading them, and providing food and water in a desert more desolate than our own here in Arizona.

It took forty years, but God delivered on His promise.  He not only provided a way out of Egypt, but He also provided a way through the wilderness.  Although Moses did not actually go into the Promised Land, he did get to see it with his own eyes.  After all the waiting and wandering and wondering, the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan River and began to take possession of their homeland.  

How about you?  Are you being patient and trusting God to lead you to your Promised Land?  Are you about to cross your own Jordan River?

Read:  Exodus 2:23, Exodus 12:40-41, Exodus 14:15-31, Joshua 3:14-17

A Better Bible Reading Plan for Beginners (and Anyone Else!)

I have found a resource that I think will better serve you in your reading of the Gospels.  It is found on Bible.org and there is a dedicated page for reading through the Gospels.  I have the link here: [LINK].

I figured, "Why should I reinvent the wheel when there's already an excellent resource?"  This plan has a good pace already built in (of course you can take it at your own pace) and offers excellent commentary and reflection.  So, for the time being I have decided to leave you in better hands in completing your Gospel readings, while I take time to create a better resource that can adequately meet your needs.  After all, as children of God, you deserve the best.

As always, I encourage you to get into the Word.  Make it a habit.  Ask questions.

And remember my suggestion for reading your Bible:

1. Start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  These four books tell us everything that Jesus said and what he did.  It is the foundation of your Christian faith. If you read nothing else of the Bible, read this.
2. Continue on with the rest of the New Testament.  Here you will learn the history of the early church (Acts) and read the letters that were written to give encouragement (and sometimes even constructive criticism!) to the early churches and church leaders.  Even today these words are relevant to us. To finish off the New Testament we have the Book of Revelation. Even this book is a letter to some of the early churches (encouraging and admonishing them) before it gets into the visions of future prophecy.
3. Once you've read the entire New Testament you will have a good foundation to build from.  Then go back to Genesis and start reading the Old Testament.  You will find that the Old Testament is basically a prequel.  Everything that Jesus taught is based on the Old Testament - he didn't leave anything out.  Everything that happened in Jesus' life - his birth, his ministry, his death, his resurrection - is referred to in the Old Testament.  Even his return is mentioned there!  There are some wonderfully awesome stories in the Old Testament.  And granted, there's some really dry and boring stuff there, too - you can skim through those parts (there are extremely detailed instructions on how to build the tabernacle - right down to the material, color, and measurements of the curtains, the curtain rods, and even the curtain rings - chances are you won't be asked to build a tabernacle).  Again, just skim through those parts so you get a general idea.

So, I leave you now with hope and prayer that will continue to grow and learn in the Christian faith.  Remember that it is a life-long process.

Pearls: Discomfort Makes for Growth

A friend of mine once said that if we have grown too comfortable in a situation then perhaps it's time to make a change. What a pearl of wisdom!

Whenever a grain of sand or some other small irritant gets caught inside an oyster shell, it's not unlike getting a splinter. To counteract the irritation, the oyster's body secretes a substance called nacre which covers the irritant with a thin layer of material and hardens. Over time, additional layers of nacre are secreted over the irritant and the end result is a pearl.

In a similar way, God may use an uncomfortable situation to cultivate our spiritual growth and maturity. He may even use it to lead us on a different path altogether. It could be argued that there was enough discomfort in each of the disciples' lives that they felt compelled to heed Jesus' call, "Follow me."

Paul spoke of a "thorn in his flesh," Although we don't know what that thorn was, we do know that it contributed to Paul's spiritual maturity; he stated that it kept him from being too conceited. In other words, it made him lean on God more.

Our English word "pearl" comes from the Sanskrit word for "pure."  A fine pearl is a valuable treasure that only God could create and perfect.

You may find yourself in an uncomfortable situation right now. Perhaps you feel you are being pushed out of a situation, or pulled into another one, or both. Meditate on it and listen to God, for He wants to create a pearl in you!

Read:  Romans 5:3-5, 2nd Corinthians 12:7b-10, Matthew 13:45-46

Keeping the Fire Alive: Christian Community

There is the story of a woman who would gather her children together every Sunday morning and go to church while her husband stayed at home to read the newspaper. One Sunday she asked the pastor to come visit her husband and try to convince him to come back to church with the family.

As promised, the pastor came over for a visit. The two sat together in the room watching the fire in the fireplace, not speaking a word. After a few moments the pastor got up and removed a single coal and set it away from the fire. As the coal began to cool, it was dying and losing its glow. Then the pastor got up again to place the coal back into the fire. It wasn't long before the coal began to glow brightly again.

Finally, the pastor noticed a tear in the man's eye, and the man said, "I'll be in church this Sunday."

The man had realized in that moment that not only his relationship with God was dying, but that his relationship with his family was also suffering.

1 John 1:6-7a states that ”If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..."

Beginning a relationship with Jesus is an individual decision however, in order to maintain that relationship, we need the community of believers. We need each others' encouragement and the sharing of each others' faith.

The past two years have been challenging to say the least. And it underscores the importance of relationship in all aspects of our lives - in our families, our workplaces, our schools, our marketplaces, and even church.

Our spirit is like that coal in the fire. When in community with other believers, the fire in our spirit glows brightly. But away from that community, that fire dies out along with our relationship with God and with each other.

How is the fire in your spirit?

Read:  1 John 6-7, Hebrews 10:24-25, Romans 12:4-5, Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 18:20

Comfort Others As You Were Comforted

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." ...Matthew 5:4

Along with the others noted here today, this verse is very personal to me. In 2017 my wife of 24 years suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. I was plunged into a season of grief like none I had ever experienced. Since then, I have managed to get through it with the help of my friends, my family, and my faith.

Each and all of us experience grief in varying degrees. Besides the obvious - death and divorce - grief can have dozens of causes that cannot be overlooked. These may include loss of a friendship, health problems, financial loss, financial gain, legal problems, losing a job, or even starting a job, moving to a new place, starting school, graduation, retirement, etc. Any unresolved loss in our lives will result in grief.

Healing from a loss is not "getting over it" nor is it finding closure. Instead, we are to get through it. Psalm 23:4 reminds us that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, not around it. Grief recovery is the process of completing a loss that is limiting or restricting your life.

Scripture also teaches us that we are comforted so that we may, in turn, comfort others. This is also a crucial step in the healing process. Just four months into my grief journey, I was asked by one of our pastors if I would be willing to meet with a man who had just lost his wife. I wasn't sure I was ready but then I agreed and, in doing so, I found my own healing taking place. God was able to use me and my experience - which were sufficient for the moment - to help this man as he began to navigate his own journey.

His rod and His staff comforted me on my journey through that dark valley. Because of that, I have completed the loss of my wife. That doesn't mean she is forgotten. I will always have the scar but the pain is gone. I have been healed as the grief no longer has any power over me.

Because I was comforted, I now have the honor to take up His rod and His staff so that I can comfort others on their own grief journey. What better way to honor my departed loved ones! What better way to thank God for comforting me!

Read also:  2nd Corinthians 1:3-7, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 30:11-12