Focus on God – Page 2

Mark 12:38-40 – Beware!

Read Mark 12:38-40

Jesus felt it necessary to warn us about false teachers of religious law. He had certainly encountered plenty of religious leaders who were not focused on the right thing. Verses like these made my pastor husband uncomfortable with (and eventually led him to abandon) the robes that pastors of our denomination traditionally wear.

We need to remember that pastors, priests, and other religious leaders are people. People can be misguided and go astray. People can be power hungry. People sin. Too often we put our religious leaders on pedestals, thinking they have more of an “in” with God. How do I know this? Because I’ve had plenty of people over the years ask me to have my husband pray for something because he was “closer to God.” Yes, they said that!

Jeremiah 3:6-10 – Who Else Is Guilty?

Read Jeremiah 3:6-10

There might be some hidden gems in today’s reading, or at the very least a skillful use of human analogies. We see that Jeremiah is recalling a conversation with God and confirms it was during the reign of King Josiah. God was lamenting that both Israel and Judah had left him for other gods.

Did you find it interesting, too, that God used the word “adultery” to describe what Israel and Judah were doing? That’s just one of those “human analogies” used as a way of helping the people understand the significance of betrayal with a recognizable situation. There will be a price for this disloyalty.

Philippians 1:12-19 – God Can Use It All

Read Philippians 1:12-19

Holy Spirit stained glass in circle shape

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one that doesn’t have it all together? I know lots of women who confess on social media they are simply a “hot mess” struggling to pull it all together to be a positive influence on their families and in the workplace. Why do we all feel it necessary to put on a good show for the rest of the world? Isn’t it better to just be ourselves, comfortable in our own skin, thankful for what God has provided?

One of my favorite sayings we used often in our Celebrate Recovery ministry over the years was, “God never wastes a hurt.” Think about that one for a moment. God can use everything we experience and make something good out of it. Paul is alluding to this in this passage when he gives credit to how his less than desirable circumstances have helped him spread the Good News!

1 Corinthians 10:1-22 – Being Tempted

Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-22

direction signs that say "over here" and "no this way"

There is a lot going on in this reading, and we’ll reflect on a couple things I have missed before. What was it that spoke to you today? It’s cool that the Holy Spirit will reveal new insights to God’s word each time when we allow him to speak to our hearts and minds. Sometimes we need to slow down so we can listen for what the Spirit is prompting us to hear.

Did you notice how Paul uses the story of the Israelites in the wilderness to help illustrate the whole food issue he’s been talking about? Keep in mind that the majority of his audience would be Gentiles, so using “our ancestors” is a nice way of bringing them into a story they were not originally part of.

Judges 10:1-5 – A Reboot

Read Judges 10:1-5

a pocket watch nestled in white flowers on the sand

I wasn’t sure what to make with the reading today. The rules of our judges, Tola and Jair, comprise a total of 45 years. We don’t see any big conquests or bloodshed. Personally, that’s a bit of a relief for me.

We also don’t see the familiar “cycle” called out of (1) Israel’s rebellion and turning away from God, followed by (2) oppression from a foreign power, followed by (3) crying out to God for help, and (4) God raising up a judge to rescue his people. After the fiasco with Abimelech, it’s almost as if we see a “reboot” going on. God was giving the people a bit of a reprieve by having back-to-back judges to keep the peace for this period of time.