Dear Reader,
"Be all that you can be." was the slogan for the Army. Now I think that it's, "An Army of one." You've heard phrases like, "Climb the corporate ladder" and "You are the master of your own destiny." Society values achievement and status. We were told from almost the womb that we can be anything and anyone that we set for ourselves. We live in a very individualistic society. Now I'm not advocating that success and achievement are bad things. But as Jesus, "Not so with you."
Our lesson is from Mark 10:35-45.
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask you." "What do you want me to do for you?" He asked them. They answered him, "Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptize with the baptism I am baptized with?" "We are able." they told him. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead it is for those it have been prepared for." Then the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. Jesus called them over and said to them, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life - a ransom for many. (Christian Standard Bible Translation)
The world's philosophy is simple. Be as good as you can, nobody can stop you from reaching your goals except you. You are the most important person. The implication is you will do things only if those things elevate you or your status among other people. The philosophy of the day of James and John was the same. But Jesus was about to turn the way that they think and the way the world thinks upside down. Jesus says to us, greatness is dependent upon service. If you want to be a great person among people, serve them. If you want to be "the top dog," be a slave to people. This is so foreign to people. Yet it is Jesus' basic understanding for his people. Self glorification or doing things in order to receive honor and glory from other people is not the way to be great in his eyes. Serve people, care for them, tend to their needs, and put others ahead of you is the way Jesus wants his people to act.
Now the next question is, "Why?" Jesus tells us. Jesus didn't come into the world to be glorified by the world. Jesus didn't come into the world to "toot his own horn." Jesus came into the world to serve us by means of giving up of his life. Jesus is the sacrifice for all our sins, especially in this case, the sin of ego and pride in our own achievements. Jesus came and took away our sins and sinfulness and replace them with his grace; his wonderful grace and love and self-sacrificing service for the sake of all the people of the world. Because Jesus did this, we serve. We serve people and their needs. Jesus gave to us what we needed most; forgiveness of sins and a new resurrected life. Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we put the needs of others ahead of ourselves.
Does this mean we are at the beck and call of every person's wants and desires? No. Jesus wasn't. He didn't give James and John what they wanted. Jesus gave them what they truly needed. Our service is the same. We serve people by giving to them the free grace of God so that their sins are forgiven and their lives are restored. We also give them what they need in this world in order to live. Things such as health awareness, food gifts, financial advice even. As we meet their needs, we also are in a position to give them what they truly need as well. We take our service as we trust in God to serve us with forgiveness and life.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Trust in God to Lead
Dear Readers,
Have you ever thought that best person to follow was yourself? We all have at one point in time or the other. The nation of Israel at the time of Moses did. More accurately, they didn't want to follow God's lead. If there was a pattern of behavior in the Old Testament, it is this one. The nation of Israel was saved by God either from their own sins or the oppression of others, then they went off in their own direction either ignoring of God's lead or following the lead of other people and their false gods, then God sent calamity and punishment in their lives, they cried out to God for forgiveness and rescue, and then God withdrew His punishment and restored the nation of Israel to step one again. You'd think that they would get an idea that they need to follow God's lead and not wander off. You'd think that they would learn. They didn't. If you ever get a chance to read the book of Judges, at the very least, you will see that pattern develop.
And that pattern of behavior is no different today than it once almost six thousand years ago. We, believers of God in Christ Jesus, fall into the same trap of behavior. We sin against God and follow our own devices and desires. We create and have "false gods too." God sends to us a "wake up call." He points out our sins and sinfulness as well as the consequences of those sins. We then realize our sins and sinfulness and cry out to God to forgive us of all our sins. And here is where the pattern breaks. Instead of God sending "judges" to lead the people out of sin and death, God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son into our world and our existence in order to forgive our sins in His ONE TIME act of love. Jesus came into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him so that the world would believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son. God the Father sent His Son as a one time sacrifice for all sins of all the people of every age all over the world.
Because God forgave us of our sins, we follow God to wherever He is leading us. And where is that? With the ancient nation of Israel, God was leading them home to the promised land. He led them through Moses and Joshua, the many judges, priests, scribes, pharisees. God was leading the ancient Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey, the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God, through Jesus Christ, is leading us believers in Jesus who are the new nation of "Israel," to the ultimate land flowing with milk and honey. God is leading us home to heaven.
Someday, we'll get there. So what do we do now? Put your trust into the hands of a loving and merciful God, who is full of grace and love. Follow Him to the cross and live in the shadow of the cross. Trust in God to lead you home.
Talk to you next week.
Pastor Hemsath
Have you ever thought that best person to follow was yourself? We all have at one point in time or the other. The nation of Israel at the time of Moses did. More accurately, they didn't want to follow God's lead. If there was a pattern of behavior in the Old Testament, it is this one. The nation of Israel was saved by God either from their own sins or the oppression of others, then they went off in their own direction either ignoring of God's lead or following the lead of other people and their false gods, then God sent calamity and punishment in their lives, they cried out to God for forgiveness and rescue, and then God withdrew His punishment and restored the nation of Israel to step one again. You'd think that they would get an idea that they need to follow God's lead and not wander off. You'd think that they would learn. They didn't. If you ever get a chance to read the book of Judges, at the very least, you will see that pattern develop.
And that pattern of behavior is no different today than it once almost six thousand years ago. We, believers of God in Christ Jesus, fall into the same trap of behavior. We sin against God and follow our own devices and desires. We create and have "false gods too." God sends to us a "wake up call." He points out our sins and sinfulness as well as the consequences of those sins. We then realize our sins and sinfulness and cry out to God to forgive us of all our sins. And here is where the pattern breaks. Instead of God sending "judges" to lead the people out of sin and death, God sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son into our world and our existence in order to forgive our sins in His ONE TIME act of love. Jesus came into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him so that the world would believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son. God the Father sent His Son as a one time sacrifice for all sins of all the people of every age all over the world.
Because God forgave us of our sins, we follow God to wherever He is leading us. And where is that? With the ancient nation of Israel, God was leading them home to the promised land. He led them through Moses and Joshua, the many judges, priests, scribes, pharisees. God was leading the ancient Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey, the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God, through Jesus Christ, is leading us believers in Jesus who are the new nation of "Israel," to the ultimate land flowing with milk and honey. God is leading us home to heaven.
Someday, we'll get there. So what do we do now? Put your trust into the hands of a loving and merciful God, who is full of grace and love. Follow Him to the cross and live in the shadow of the cross. Trust in God to lead you home.
Talk to you next week.
Pastor Hemsath
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Trust in God's Wisdom
Dear Reader,
"These are the times that try men's souls." Do you know who wrote that? I was pondering the times, the hardships financially that many people are in, this sentence popped into my head. At that time, I didn't know who wrote it. My first thoughts were either Winston Churchill or FDR. So I "google'd" the phrase and I was totally surprised. Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary author of "Common Sense" wrote it. It is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the booklet, "The American Crisis."
This phrase from Paine over 230 years ago, still apply to us today. These are times that sorely test our souls today. We look to our leaders, both corporate and government, for guidance and wisdom in order to lead us out of these trying times. And our leaders are saying to us, "We don't know what to do. We don't know how to fix this. We are as scared as you are." The wisdom and intelligence of man in this crisis is failing. And people are asking, "Who's going to lead us through these times?" When the times are tough, and human wisdom fails, we turn to the wisdom of God. The text for us this week is from 1st Corinthians 1:18-31.
For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for sings and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who He called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame to strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things - the things viewed as nothing - so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
We believe that God through Jesus Christ, will lead us through these times that are trying our souls. We believe that God will be the light in the darkness. We believe that God is our guide, not only in troubling times, and also in times of great joy and prosperity. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, guides us believers through the problems we are currently facing.
Won't God make the life of the believer immune for all trials? No, God will not transport us out of troubling times. God will lead us by means of His grace, love, mercy, and wisdom, through the problems that we all humans face. If God had a weakness, that weakness is much stronger than any of man's strengths. If God was foolish, His foolishness is much wiser that the wisest man or woman in human existence.
So, does God tell us what to do in this financially troubling times? Does His Word tell us what to do? There is much from God and His Word that can lead us in these times. Yet I think God says much more about placing our total lives and existence and experiences into His hands. His hands have saved us from our sins and sinfulness. His hands have given to us His wisdom to follow. His hands have given to us expertise in certain areas to use as tools when we follow him. We don't trust our own expertise, because it will ultimately fail. We trust God to lead us so that we use our expertise to serve Him, to serve others, and then to serve ourselves. We trust our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to lead us in our daily lives.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
"These are the times that try men's souls." Do you know who wrote that? I was pondering the times, the hardships financially that many people are in, this sentence popped into my head. At that time, I didn't know who wrote it. My first thoughts were either Winston Churchill or FDR. So I "google'd" the phrase and I was totally surprised. Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary author of "Common Sense" wrote it. It is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the booklet, "The American Crisis."
This phrase from Paine over 230 years ago, still apply to us today. These are times that sorely test our souls today. We look to our leaders, both corporate and government, for guidance and wisdom in order to lead us out of these trying times. And our leaders are saying to us, "We don't know what to do. We don't know how to fix this. We are as scared as you are." The wisdom and intelligence of man in this crisis is failing. And people are asking, "Who's going to lead us through these times?" When the times are tough, and human wisdom fails, we turn to the wisdom of God. The text for us this week is from 1st Corinthians 1:18-31.
For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for sings and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who He called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom, because God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame to strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things - the things viewed as nothing - so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: the one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
We believe that God through Jesus Christ, will lead us through these times that are trying our souls. We believe that God will be the light in the darkness. We believe that God is our guide, not only in troubling times, and also in times of great joy and prosperity. We believe that God, the Holy Spirit, guides us believers through the problems we are currently facing.
Won't God make the life of the believer immune for all trials? No, God will not transport us out of troubling times. God will lead us by means of His grace, love, mercy, and wisdom, through the problems that we all humans face. If God had a weakness, that weakness is much stronger than any of man's strengths. If God was foolish, His foolishness is much wiser that the wisest man or woman in human existence.
So, does God tell us what to do in this financially troubling times? Does His Word tell us what to do? There is much from God and His Word that can lead us in these times. Yet I think God says much more about placing our total lives and existence and experiences into His hands. His hands have saved us from our sins and sinfulness. His hands have given to us His wisdom to follow. His hands have given to us expertise in certain areas to use as tools when we follow him. We don't trust our own expertise, because it will ultimately fail. We trust God to lead us so that we use our expertise to serve Him, to serve others, and then to serve ourselves. We trust our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, in order to lead us in our daily lives.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Monday, March 09, 2009
"Who Can You Trust?"
Dear Readers,
My title comes from a line from the movie, "Batman." This was the original with Michael Keaton playing Batman and Jack Nicholson playing the Joker. The Joker used this line to make himself look like someone who the people could trust instead of Batman.
Yet this is a good question. Who can you trust? There are so many people in our lives who are trustworthy and many who are not. Think about the people in your life. Think about your boss or your co-worker. Think about your parents, grandparents, and children. Think about your friends and neighbors. Who can you trust? What about your pastor? What about your teacher? There are so many people in your lives that you trust. Some, and I hope all, have proven themselves trustworthy.
But you know as well as I, no person is 100 percent trustworthy. We all let others down in some way. For example, when I fail someone, two things are happening. The first is the guilt I feel for "letting him/her down." It is not a good feeling. The second thing that happens is that person will not trust me as before when he/she asks me to do something for them. In other words, I have to prove myself trustworthy again.
And why did I fail? Mostly it was because I was thinking of other things that needed to be done, rather than putting a priority on the needs of the other person. In other words, I was being selfish.
There is a Bible story for you this week about being trustworthy and to answer the question, "Who can you trust?" In Mark 8:22-38, Jesus asks a couple of questions of His disciples. The first question is, "Who do the people say that I am?" The answer was, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and some others say one of the prophets." The answers are varied and all wrong. The right answer came when Jesus the disciples, "And who do you (or in Texas language 'All y'all') say that I am?" Peter spoke up, "You are the Christ." Peter was correct. Jesus was telling the disciples then as well as the disciples now, that He is the Christ, aka the Messiah, the one who came in order to save the world from it's sin and sinfulness. Jesus then told them what the Messiah was supposed to do in order to save the world from it's sinfulness. Jesus was to be betrayed, handed over to the elders, chief priests, and the scribes so that He would be crucified and die, then on the third day, be raised to life. The same Peter, who just moments before confessed his faith in who was Jesus, now sets Jesus aside to tell Jesus, "This isn't going to happen. I'm not going to let it. I want you to remain here with me." Peter went from acting on His faith and trusting the truth of Jesus' words, to acting upon selfish desires and thoughts. Then Jesus spoke to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking about the things of God but of man." The name Satan is translated as "Adversary," or "barrier," or "detraction." Peter was not trusting Jesus. He wanted what he wanted; Jesus all to himself.
And now, Jesus, using this episode, teaches the disciples and the crowd who had gathered, about trust. "If anyone wants to be my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it." Jesus is saying to you, "When you trust me and believe in me, you will follow me. Yet it will be challenging. You will bear a cross, or better said today, you will have burdens for following me. And your burden will be light. You see, I have carried your burdens of sin, death, and the influence of the devil on your behalf. I have taken away that burden from you. You do not have to carry the weight of guilt, grief, and sadness over sin and its' consequences. I have done that for you. That is why my cross is huge. I carried yours as well as the same for every living person, past, present, and future. Believe me. It's true. I am God. I am trustworthy. I have done it for you. I "proved" myself to you and for you. Now I will lead you to where I want you to go. Bring your cross, the burdens of life because you are following me, and follow me to heaven."
And Jesus is trustworthy. He died for you. He rose for you. He gave you the gift of a new life with Him. Believe in Him and follow. Trust him.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
My title comes from a line from the movie, "Batman." This was the original with Michael Keaton playing Batman and Jack Nicholson playing the Joker. The Joker used this line to make himself look like someone who the people could trust instead of Batman.
Yet this is a good question. Who can you trust? There are so many people in our lives who are trustworthy and many who are not. Think about the people in your life. Think about your boss or your co-worker. Think about your parents, grandparents, and children. Think about your friends and neighbors. Who can you trust? What about your pastor? What about your teacher? There are so many people in your lives that you trust. Some, and I hope all, have proven themselves trustworthy.
But you know as well as I, no person is 100 percent trustworthy. We all let others down in some way. For example, when I fail someone, two things are happening. The first is the guilt I feel for "letting him/her down." It is not a good feeling. The second thing that happens is that person will not trust me as before when he/she asks me to do something for them. In other words, I have to prove myself trustworthy again.
And why did I fail? Mostly it was because I was thinking of other things that needed to be done, rather than putting a priority on the needs of the other person. In other words, I was being selfish.
There is a Bible story for you this week about being trustworthy and to answer the question, "Who can you trust?" In Mark 8:22-38, Jesus asks a couple of questions of His disciples. The first question is, "Who do the people say that I am?" The answer was, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and some others say one of the prophets." The answers are varied and all wrong. The right answer came when Jesus the disciples, "And who do you (or in Texas language 'All y'all') say that I am?" Peter spoke up, "You are the Christ." Peter was correct. Jesus was telling the disciples then as well as the disciples now, that He is the Christ, aka the Messiah, the one who came in order to save the world from it's sin and sinfulness. Jesus then told them what the Messiah was supposed to do in order to save the world from it's sinfulness. Jesus was to be betrayed, handed over to the elders, chief priests, and the scribes so that He would be crucified and die, then on the third day, be raised to life. The same Peter, who just moments before confessed his faith in who was Jesus, now sets Jesus aside to tell Jesus, "This isn't going to happen. I'm not going to let it. I want you to remain here with me." Peter went from acting on His faith and trusting the truth of Jesus' words, to acting upon selfish desires and thoughts. Then Jesus spoke to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking about the things of God but of man." The name Satan is translated as "Adversary," or "barrier," or "detraction." Peter was not trusting Jesus. He wanted what he wanted; Jesus all to himself.
And now, Jesus, using this episode, teaches the disciples and the crowd who had gathered, about trust. "If anyone wants to be my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it." Jesus is saying to you, "When you trust me and believe in me, you will follow me. Yet it will be challenging. You will bear a cross, or better said today, you will have burdens for following me. And your burden will be light. You see, I have carried your burdens of sin, death, and the influence of the devil on your behalf. I have taken away that burden from you. You do not have to carry the weight of guilt, grief, and sadness over sin and its' consequences. I have done that for you. That is why my cross is huge. I carried yours as well as the same for every living person, past, present, and future. Believe me. It's true. I am God. I am trustworthy. I have done it for you. I "proved" myself to you and for you. Now I will lead you to where I want you to go. Bring your cross, the burdens of life because you are following me, and follow me to heaven."
And Jesus is trustworthy. He died for you. He rose for you. He gave you the gift of a new life with Him. Believe in Him and follow. Trust him.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Hemsath
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Trust
Good afternoon, readers.
I hope that your week is starting out on a good note. Mine, so far, has been good. One of the constancy's of being a pastor is the constant state of busyness. There is always something going on, some opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and some opportunity to bring the comfort of forgiveness of sins to a needy member. Part of what I need as a pastor in order to care for the congregation is, "Trust." They need to know me and my habits and my behaviors and my thoughts so that they'll know what I'll say when they need God's representative. They can trust me to bring them comfort when down, counsel when struggling, and the Word of God to encourage and uplift their faith. And more than me, they can trust God and His ways.
In my messages to you and the congregation, the readings I will use will focus on the theme of, "Trust." In Proverbs 3:5, God says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding." These are great words of God. Trust in God, because He proves Himself trustworthy time and time again. There is an episode in the Bible about Abraham and his son Isaac. Isaac was the son that God promised to Abraham and Sarah. Both of them were very old and did not have any children. God told Abraham that he was have a son, and that Abraham would be the father of many nations. God proved himself trustworthy by breaking through the barreness of Sarah and allowing her to conceive Isaac. Abraham believed in God and believed that God would provide for him. Then God did something a little weird. God asked Abraham to take Isaac and to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. I can't imagine the thoughts and feelings that Abraham experienced. Yet through it all, Abraham trusted that God would do the right thing.
Trust like that was super-human. No one could do what Abraham did. Most of us, if not all, would run from that requirement. Probably all of us wouldn't be able to go through with it. I think what kept Abraham on task is, God is trustworthy in fulfilling His promises. Abraham could have thought, "God promised me Isaac. He promised me that I would be the father of many nations. Isaac is a miracle son. God will not allow Isaac to be sacrificed. So I will do what God says. I will trust Him with my son's life." God didn't stop Abraham until the very last moment. Abraham puts his son's life in the hands of God. And God again did what was right.
Trust like that is super-human. And it is that trust we have too. We who believe in God, trust in God. Faith trusts God with everything that it has. Faith that we have, trusts God. Temptations are out there not to trust God. Temptations are those things as James writes, "But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires." (James 1:14). Temptations seem so clear and alluring and enticing. We also see God's way that He laid out for us. But it seems a little fuzzy, like an out of focus photo. The reason that God's way seems fuzzy is not because of God but because our sinful nature clouds the way of God and Satan doesn't want us to see God's way. Yet the faithful person doesn't lean on his or her thoughts, reason, emotions, and experiences for guidance. The faithful person relies on the faith and trust in God for the right thing and the right way to go. The faithful person uses his or her thoughts, reason, emotions, and experiences as tools to follow God's way. Trust in God is super-human. Trust in God is doable. Trust in God follows faith. Trust in God believes and knows that God will do what He says and said He will do.
Have a great trusting week in God.
I hope that your week is starting out on a good note. Mine, so far, has been good. One of the constancy's of being a pastor is the constant state of busyness. There is always something going on, some opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and some opportunity to bring the comfort of forgiveness of sins to a needy member. Part of what I need as a pastor in order to care for the congregation is, "Trust." They need to know me and my habits and my behaviors and my thoughts so that they'll know what I'll say when they need God's representative. They can trust me to bring them comfort when down, counsel when struggling, and the Word of God to encourage and uplift their faith. And more than me, they can trust God and His ways.
In my messages to you and the congregation, the readings I will use will focus on the theme of, "Trust." In Proverbs 3:5, God says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding." These are great words of God. Trust in God, because He proves Himself trustworthy time and time again. There is an episode in the Bible about Abraham and his son Isaac. Isaac was the son that God promised to Abraham and Sarah. Both of them were very old and did not have any children. God told Abraham that he was have a son, and that Abraham would be the father of many nations. God proved himself trustworthy by breaking through the barreness of Sarah and allowing her to conceive Isaac. Abraham believed in God and believed that God would provide for him. Then God did something a little weird. God asked Abraham to take Isaac and to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. I can't imagine the thoughts and feelings that Abraham experienced. Yet through it all, Abraham trusted that God would do the right thing.
Trust like that was super-human. No one could do what Abraham did. Most of us, if not all, would run from that requirement. Probably all of us wouldn't be able to go through with it. I think what kept Abraham on task is, God is trustworthy in fulfilling His promises. Abraham could have thought, "God promised me Isaac. He promised me that I would be the father of many nations. Isaac is a miracle son. God will not allow Isaac to be sacrificed. So I will do what God says. I will trust Him with my son's life." God didn't stop Abraham until the very last moment. Abraham puts his son's life in the hands of God. And God again did what was right.
Trust like that is super-human. And it is that trust we have too. We who believe in God, trust in God. Faith trusts God with everything that it has. Faith that we have, trusts God. Temptations are out there not to trust God. Temptations are those things as James writes, "But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires." (James 1:14). Temptations seem so clear and alluring and enticing. We also see God's way that He laid out for us. But it seems a little fuzzy, like an out of focus photo. The reason that God's way seems fuzzy is not because of God but because our sinful nature clouds the way of God and Satan doesn't want us to see God's way. Yet the faithful person doesn't lean on his or her thoughts, reason, emotions, and experiences for guidance. The faithful person relies on the faith and trust in God for the right thing and the right way to go. The faithful person uses his or her thoughts, reason, emotions, and experiences as tools to follow God's way. Trust in God is super-human. Trust in God is doable. Trust in God follows faith. Trust in God believes and knows that God will do what He says and said He will do.
Have a great trusting week in God.
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