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Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2
In the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” all the contestants of the contest are in competition for the grand prize of owning their own chocolate factory. What an awesome prize. As the troop tours the chocolate factory, ‘Willie’ gives them only one rule. Obey him. Follow the rules. Listen to him.
Sounds simple enough until you factor in greed and the human nature. Each of the children (except one) fails miserably because they want their own way. Their parents struggle because they have always granted every wish their ‘little boy’ or ‘little girl’ wanted. The end result was that they were all spoiled brats and completely unaware that other people may have feelings or rights.
We laugh at the story. We scoff at the parents that allow their children such power. We are amazed that parents who love their children would allow them to be so controlled by greed. So demanding of their own way. “Why if that were my child they’d realize they can’t have things the way they want all the time” we say self-righteously.
Before we are too hard on the parents in this movie we need to think about how we respond to God when our prayers aren’t answered in the way we’d like them to be answered. We pray. We pray earnestly. We pray for good things…from our perspective. And when they don’t get answered we react. Sometimes we react with anger. “God doesn’t love me” or “God is angry with me for my sin. I thought I was forgiven” or we may even doubt that God exists!
Part of the problem is that we need to look at prayer, and life, from God’s perspective. We tend to think of God as some sort of ‘Divine Santa Clause’ and the angels as being happy, goofy elves. The whole spirit world is intent on making us comfortable in this life.
But God’s desire for us is salvation and purity. Sometimes earthly comforts may accompany that and we may be blessed financially. Other times his path on earth may be scattered with potholes of uncertainly, illness and relational disaster. The goal of life isn’t earthly comfort but eternal blessing. Our heavenly Father will do whatever he can to bring that to fruition.
No parent would give their child everything they want. What if your child were to ask to play in the middle of the highway? What if your child were to ask for a good drink of rat poison? Would you allow that? Of course not! Even though the child would see no danger, you know better.
In the same way, your Heavenly Father knows better what you need, even if that means bringing some pain and uncertainty into your life. As you pray, pray with your eyes open to what will be best for eternity. God’s desire is for salvation, nothing more. Be thankful that even when God’s answers don’t give you what you are hoping for, he always gives us what is best for eternity.
PRAYER: Father God, I worship you today for your great and mighty love. I thank you that you know exactly what I need and will bless me according to my need and not always my want. I praise you that everything that happens in my life is a preparation for eternity. In Jesus name, Amen.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:11-12
High maintenance people are usually described as those people who are always in need of attention, always demanding to be the center of every conversation and demanding their needs and opinions be accepted as fact. It’s their way or no way. One word describes high maintenance people: needy.
We may not like to think of ourselves this way, but in a sense, each of us is high maintenance when God is concerned. Think about that for a moment. High maintenance people always need to have their own way. What is it that gets us into trouble in our spiritual walk? Wanting to have things our way!
We want toys so we run up the credit card. We want exciting, passionate ‘romance’ so we when one partner gets boring we seek out another one. We want a pastor or church that does things our way so we change churches as soon as we are offended. We want our prayers answered when and how we feel so we get mad at God when he chooses a different path for our lives. Like it or not, if you are human, you are high maintenance.
The good news is, your Heavenly Father knew you’d be high maintenance from the very beginning. After all, wasn’t it the desire to have things their own way that led Adam and Eve to rebel against God? Wasn’t it David’s uncontrolled ‘want’ that led him to sleep with another man’s wife? Wasn’t Jesus murdered by the Jews because they wanted to keep their religion pure?
That’s why, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray he included provision for the things we need the most. “Give us this day our daily bread” speaks to our need for physical needs to be met. Not just food, but health, or the strength to endure when health is taken from us. Jesus knows what we need and wants us to ask for it.
Jesus doesn’t just stop at physical need even though that is the focus of our attention. Jesus goes deeper. He knew we’d need forgiveness. He knew we’d need mercy. He knew we’d need grace. He also knew our ex-spouses would need our forgiveness (even if it’s not offered or deserved). He knew our rebellious kids would need to be extended grace even though they’ve ignored their curfew for the third night in a row. He knew that the people who’ve hurt us the most would need forgiveness just like we do.
For us, high maintenance people are draining, frustrating and hopeless. Not for Jesus. With Jesus there is always hope. He doesn’t see us as high maintenance. He sees us as sheep who’ve wandered far from the flock, as little children who need understanding and a lap to sit on. Jesus always has plenty of grace and forgiveness to extend to you. All he asks is that you extend the same to the high maintenance people around you.
PRAYER: Father God, I confess to you that I’m high maintenance. I want my way. I want my needs met. I want to control my own destiny and don’t want anyone getting in the way of that. Forgive me for my stubbornness. Forgive me for my unwillingness to be patient with the high maintenance people around me. Empower me with your spirit to grant grace and forgiveness to those around me who need it as much as I do. In Jesus name, Amen.
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. James 4:8 (NLT)
One day I was out doing errands when my wife called and asked me to grab her ‘a bite to eat’ since she was hungry. I pulled into the drive through and bought two hamburgers, two fries, and two sodas. By the time I got home I’d managed to finish all the food in the bag.
I walked into the house and my wife asked where the food was she asked me for. I was rather confused by this. I explained to her that she’d asked me to grab her food to eat. I naturally assumed she wanted me to eat it. I also was surprised she was still hungry since I ate the food for her!
Before you think I’m totally off my rocker, the above story is untrue. Seems ridiculous doesn’t it? No one can eat food and expect others to benefit from it. I can’t eat to cure your hunger pains. I can’t breathe for you. I can’t exercise for you. There are certain things in life that we have to do for ourselves.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. We can listen to good speakers. We can read a multitude of good books about the Bible or about the Christian life. But none of that compares to personally spending time with God. God can speak to you through good speakers, but he’d rather speak directly to you.
Suppose, for example, you had a crush on some person, we’ll call him Fred. Fred has a friend (Bill) who comes to you every day to tell you how much Fred loves you. Yet when you are with Fred he says nothing and does nothing to indicate any affection at all. Would you believe Bill? Probably not. You’d want to hear from Fred himself.
Sometimes we feel far from God. We feel he’s forgotten us or doesn’t love us. We hear all about His love but never experience it for ourselves. Hearing about God’s love but not experiencing God’s love is nothing more than religion. It’s empty, meaningless and cold.
Relationships aren’t built by hearing about someone. Relationships are built by learning firsthand about that person by talking with that person. To know God means we make the time daily to talk with him (prayer) and learn more about him (Bible reading). Good sermons and good books are great, but nothing compares to discovering God on your own through prayer and Bible reading.
Feel like God has drifted far from you? Guess what. He hasn’t moved. But the distractions of the world can make him seem distant if we neglect our relationship with him.
PRAYER: Father God. I know about you. I’ve heard about you and read about you. But I’m not sure I really know you personally. Help me to grow closer to you. I want to be your friend; to feel your presence; to know your love in a way I’ve never felt before. Help me to draw closer to you by talking with you more and reading the letter you sent me. In Jesus name, Amen.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20 (NLT)
How can you believe in something you can’t see? People ask that question regarding God as they seek spiritual freedom. In reality we believe in many things we can’t see. It’s our choice to believe in them or not. For example, I can say I no longer believe oxygen is required for life because I can’t see oxygen. Does that change the life-giving qualities of oxygen? Nope. How about gravity? Suppose I climb to the highest peak of my roof and announce to the world, “Gravity, I no longer accept your existence! I can’t see you. You have done me no good. Therefore you either don’t exist or don’t care!” If I then proceed to jump from my roof, what will be the result? Will gravity have any less effect? Unfortunately, no.
Ok, (you may say) suppose I choose to believe in God. What proof can you give of his existence? Gravity shows itself every day. Science has been able to ‘see’ oxygen. Where can I see proof of God? My answer to you will be to look out the window. When I look out the window or take a walk or travel I see many things about God that point me to him.
- I see that God is creative. Just looking outside now I see at least 10 different shades of green. Just one color! Yet many different shades.
- I see that God admires beauty when I look at a sunset or scan the horizon from a high peak, or look into the face of the one I love.
- I see that God is gentle when I touch the petal of a flower and feel its softness.
- I see God enjoys mystery when I contemplate how life begins and the many different life forms that are seen and unseen, extinct and still walking our planet. It takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe in the creator God of Genesis.
- I see God is very smart when I look at the scientific community and hear of the things we’ve ‘discovered’. I admit I chuckle when we use that term. We don’t ‘discover’ things. We simply find the things God has put into our world for us to find.
- I see God is powerful when I see the power of an earthquake or storm and realize that all of our human resources alone can’t control nature. But God can control it with a spoken word.
- I see God is passionate when I watch people who are truly in love interact with life.
- I see God is forgiving when I remember that he sent his very own son to die for me when I least deserve it.
There are so many other ways God shows himself to us on a daily basis. Too often we are too busy to notice. Take time today, as you go about your tasks, to look for examples of god’s inner qualities in nature around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I’m in awe when I contemplate the great power of your world. I worship and praise you for showing us so many things about you. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your Spirit that dwells within. Empower me to day to give you glory with every step I take, every word I speak and every action I take. In Jesus name, Amen.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6
I wonder how many times the scene of Jesus’ last breath played itself over and over in the minds of the Mary’s and the other disciples of Jesus that Sabbath day after the crucifixion. What was it like in the synagogue services the next day.
Remember. It was Passover. The city was full of people who had come toJerusalemfor the celebration. Many of them had no doubt heard Jesus speak. They had seen him heal the blind and the lame. They’d seen him cast out demons and raise people from the dead. Some of them may even have been the recipient of Jesus’ touch…and now he was dead.
There must have been a tremendous amount of fear. The Synagogue rulers had always been powerful. They had made rules that were impossible to keep. And now, if the Jews could kill Jesus, what could stop them? Who was next? Would this bring down the Roman guard against others? Even the Roman that watched Jesus die said “Surely, this was the son of God!”
In the homes and gathering places of thousands of Jews there had to have been confusion. So many had thought this was truly the Messiah, and now he was gone. Some may have celebrated. With ever one of these ‘religious zealots’ that came along they carried a threat that the Romans would come in and smash the uprising. Others were no doubt angry. Angry at the Jews for killing a good man. Angry at God for not protecting Jesus. Angry at Jesus for getting their hopes up. Anger doesn’t have to make sense. It only needs an object to attack.
Were the Mary’s at the Synagogue that day? I’ll bet they were. So were many other followers of Jesus. Maybe even a few of the disciples. They came to pray, to worship, to ask ‘why?’ Sabbath was so much more than a ‘Sunday’ in our culture. There was nothing else going on. It was a time of reflection. A time for families. And on this endless Sabbath, a day of remembering.
It’s no wonder then that early the next morning a handful of women made their way through the quiet streets ofJerusalemwith a few vials of oil. They went to remember. They went to worship. They went so that one more time they could say good-bye to their Lord and Savior.
But what joy would await them. Two shining angels. A rolled away stone. An empty tomb. An announcement that would become the battle cry of Christ-followers through the ages.
“We know why you came here this morning. You came looking for Jesus. He’s not here. He’s risen…just like he said he would.
Isn’t that just like Jesus? He did EXACTLY as he said he would. He still does today. Every promise will come true. HE IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED!
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you so much for dying for my sins. Thank you for the forgiveness, grace and mercy you make available to me. I give you all the honor, all the praise for you are God! Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 