God is faithful – Be Still…

John 10:1-21 – Being a Good Sheep

Jesus identifies himself as the gate and as the shepherd. Jesus is clever to come at his identity from two different angles. He is the way to salvation and also our protector and guide. Jesus is more than capable of handling both jobs well.

Even though Jesus used a common example for His time, using sheep and shepherds, the people weren’t grasping the message. To others, it made perfect sense. Those people would follow Jesus anywhere. Perhaps it was hard for some to imagine themselves as a sheep, and that’s why people took offense to Jesus. Continue reading “John 10:1-21 – Being a Good Sheep”

1 Corinthians 10:13 – Way Out

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

This is one of those verses that is often misrepresented to include more than just temptations. Has anyone ever said to you, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” when it comes to trials or tragedy? As a pastor’s wife, I heard people misquoting this verse often. While we have a loving God who hates our adversity as much as we do, our comfort comes from knowing we’re never alone.

Context (1 Corinthians 10:1-13): This verse is speaking of the temptations we face in life because evil is running rampant. Paul is teaching the Corinthians in this section about idolatry and the dangers of craving evil. He wants us to learn from the mistakes of the Israelites, who were easily distracted by pagan rituals, building idols, and grumbling about God. The promise is that God always gives us a way out, a way to endure. It’s up to us to be looking for it. Continue reading “1 Corinthians 10:13 – Way Out”

James 1:2-3 – Being Tested

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” (James 1:2-3)

James’ words can be very reassuring, and he opens his letter with this encouragement. He probably knew firsthand about troubles since Jesus’ family and followers would have endured a lot of heartache and fear following Jesus’ death and resurrection. They would have been very open to attack for their faith.

Context (James 1:2-18): What a great chapter for us, even though it was originally written for James’ Jewish brothers and sisters scattered abroad. It’s all about faith and endurance. James tells us how to approach God, what being faithful looks like, how easy it is to fall into bad habits, and how God rewards our faithfulness. Continue reading “James 1:2-3 – Being Tested”

Numbers 31:1-54 – Conquest of the Midianites

Read Numbers 31:1-54

I’m not sure this victory is the legacy that Moses was wanting as one of his last duties as God’s leader of the Israelites. As I understand it, there are details in this account that don’t fit with reality or seem over the top in terms of the sheer amounts recorded. When we encounter difficult texts like this, it’s best to take a step back and see what God’s message is for us today despite all of those “distractions.”

So what do we see as messages from God in this reading? One I see fits with God’s character as he reveals himself and his desire for his people to have the best opportunity for success. The Midianites were the enemy in terms of distracting people from God and “leading them into idolatry.” This would be a clear violation of God’s desire for us to put him first. Without trusting God 100%, the people would not have that “best” opportunity available to them. Continue reading “Numbers 31:1-54 – Conquest of the Midianites”

Numbers 2:1-34 – Keep God in the Center

Read Numbers 2:1-34

With so many of God’s people roaming around in the wilderness, it makes sense that God would command them to be orderly. I can just imagine the chaos of establishing a highly mobile residence in a desert-like region like that if each tribe didn’t have their assigned space.

When it came time to move, there was also an order for leaving established for the clan leadership to follow. I had a flashback to being in school, choosing line leaders, and lining up at the designated time to walk the halls. Classrooms also had their dismissal order to follow. Having an orderly progression helped us students know when and where to move. For the Israelites’, God thought of everything! Continue reading “Numbers 2:1-34 – Keep God in the Center”