Faith in God – Be Still…

Matthew 6:25-34 – Above All Else

Our final theme, “Seeking God’s Kingdom,” explores Bible texts describing what God’s Kingdom is. Where do we look, and how do we know when we’ve found it? Simply stated, the Kingdom of God is where we find God sitting on his throne. Often referred to as “heaven,” God’s kingdom is where King Jesus rules, and everyone who believes is welcome.

Jesus commands us to seek His Kingdom rather than get distracted by all the wrong things. We can all identify with what it means to worry and how, in times of crisis, we are often stuck in a spiral of worry and dread. Jesus knows how lost we can get when our thoughts run rampant, chasing after “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios. Even the most devout of believers can fall prey to the evil one’s schemes to distract us with worry or concerns of the day. Continue reading “Matthew 6:25-34 – Above All Else”

2 Chronicles 15:1-19 – Real Victory

Read 2 Chronicles 15:1-19

This reading begins with Asa’s victorious return from battle. However, I just wonder how “victorious” he really felt when he remembered it was relatives who fell at the hand of his troops. Yet, it was God who helped defend Asa and the Israelites living in the southern kingdom.

The first message from God he received from Azariah who had had a visit from the “Spirit of God.” The LORD’s message confirmed what Asa was to do. Asa would be a strong leader charged with keeping his people true to the LORD. Asa knew that the only way that was going to happen was to remove the reminders and distractions of the false gods that were apparently still in existence.

Zechariah 2:1-5 – Think Bigger

Read Zechariah 2:1-5

On my first read through this reading, I couldn’t help but wonder, “God, what do you want for me to reflect on?” Then I realized I needed to think bigger, just like the man with the measuring tool trying to measure Jerusalem. He was measuring what was left, as if to reconstruct exactly what was there before.

That man wasn’t doing anything wrong, but he was limiting what God could do. Jerusalem had laid in ruin for 70 years. Now the people were returning. I imagine it was something like a “homing device” calling the people back to their homeland. Zechariah’s vision speaks to just how many people. “Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls.”

James 2:14-26 – Living Out Your Faith

Read James 2:14-26

James introduces this section by suggesting a problem he must have observed. “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” Certainly we’d all agree that faith should show itself through deeds of loving service.

In a recent Bible study discussion, I marveled at my pastor husband, David’s comment about this text. He posed an interesting scenario of observing a discussion about faith between our author here, James, and the apostle Paul. We’d see two very faithful men with two very different perspectives. Is that a bad thing? After all, the gospels all talk about Jesus’ life and ministry from different viewpoints. When it comes to understanding our faith, these differences can be confusing.

Hebrews 11:1-16 – Got Faith?

Read Hebrews 11:1-16

What a beautiful Chapter this will be to reflect on faith. We can’t help but be refreshed and renewed when we receive clarity like this! Before we can know if we’ve “got faith,” we need to understand what faith is. The Preacher does a great job here of clarifying that for us. How can you not have faith when you truly believe this statement. “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

The Preacher also uses Old Testament heroes of faith to illustrate how faith works. We can take clues from their faithfulness and apply them to our lives. Which of these spoke to you the most? (1) giving back to God; (2) pleasing God; (3) seeking God; (4) listen to God even when it’s unpopular; (5) obeying God even when you don’t understand; and (6) confidently trusting God to keep his promises.