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But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Mark 8:33
I remember hearing a story about a young couple who lived in a small town in theMidwest. They were high school sweethearts and went away toBibleCollege. One day as they spoke of their future together they both realized they had a desire to go to the foreign mission field. They prayed about it, talked to some close friends and when they were quite certain that this was indeed a ‘calling of the Lord’, went home to tell their parents.
This news was not taken well by the parents. In fact, there was weeping and pleading and even a few threats along the way. ‘How could they abandon their families like this?’ ‘Why go waste your lives overseas when there are plenty of people who need ‘saving’ close to home?’ ‘Why not just teach Sunday School or lead the youth group at church? We’re always looking for good youth leaders.’
Eventually the nagging and pleading and arguments took their toll. The couple abandoned their quest for missions and tried to settle into a life in the quiet town in which they grew up. Life wasn’t easy. There was financial hardship. The life of love they expected didn’t turn out as well as hoped. It seemed like they endured set-back after set-back. Finally, they divorced and went their separate ways.
Now, I’m not saying that the reason for the calamity in this couple’s life was their decision not to go to the mission field, but one has to wonder if that wasn’t the case. A similar situation happens with Jesus and the disciples. After discussing his real identity as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus begins to tell them the next step in the chapter of his life.
Peter, however, would have nothing of that. There was plenty of work for Jesus to do here on earth. He rebuked Jesus for even thinking such a thing! One wonders if there wasn’t the sound of “We won’t let anything happen to you Jesus, count on us!” in Peter’s voice.
Jesus looked at Peter but spoke to the one who always prompts us to go our own way. The enemy, Satan will use every tactic possible to keep us from making an impact in our world for Jesus. He can use jobs, children, spouses, parents and any other tactic to keep us from the work God has for us. In this case, Satan used Peter to try to distract Jesus from his ultimate goal, to glorify God (which is each of our tasks).
There are many ‘good reasons’ not to step out of our comfort zones for Jesus but none of them are will bring fulfillment in our lives. The message is clear. Stay true to your calling. Pursue it at all costs. Don’t allow the pleasures and comforts of this world keep you from the eternal rewards stepping out for Christ will bring.
There is another lesson in this story and it comes to those of us on the other side. Jesus referred to Peter as a stumbling block. Be cautious when someone comes to you with a vision of what God wants them to do, especially if that person is someone you ‘can’t live without’. Don’t allow your personal security to hinder their opportunity to do the work God has for them. Honestly pray with them to determine if this vision of theirs is of God or not. Don’t be a stumbling block.
PRAYER: Father, stepping out into the unknown is hard for me. I like the false security that my life brings to me. Still I want to be open to your leading. Protect me from the arguments the enemy will use to keep me from stepping out for you. Give me wisdom so that I won’t be a stumbling block to others as they seek your will. In Jesus name, Amen.
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27
The prophet Jeremiah was confused. The walls of Jerusalem were surrounded by an enemy much larger and more powerful than the army of the people of God. Defeat was imminent. There was no hope. Yet in the midst of this struggle Jeremiah is told to go buy a particular piece of land. He questions God about this, “Why buy land if we’re going to be killed or, at best, led into captivity?”
To paraphrase, God tells the prophet: “I’m God. I’m God of everything. I’m God of the enemy, I’m God of you. I’m God of those who doubt my existence; I’m God of those who refuse to obey me. I’m in control of every living thing and all of nature. I’m in control of any aspect of life. Of those who acknowledge me and those who don’t.
Times really haven’t changed much since the days of Jeremiah. People still doubt God’s existence. People still question why he acts the way he does. People still determine for themselves how God will respond to their situation. It’s especially hard at times to trust a God who, from our perspective, allows natural disasters to wipe out towns and entire families. It’s easy to question God when divorce devastates ‘good families’ and leaves children emotionally scarred in its wake or when trusted public figures deceive us.
Our Heavenly Father is passionately in love with us. He could make us comfortable, but he chooses to make us strong. As a loving parent he realizes that the best way to make us strong is to bring things into our lives that may hurt or make us struggle, but will, in the end make us able to withstand greater adversity.
Regardless of what you are going through, remember that ultimately God is in control. It may seem the enemy is closing in. It may seem, from our perspective that we are in a hopeless situation. If so, we are right where God wants us, for when we come to the point where we realize we can’t, God shows us he can!
If you water a young tree every day its roots will never grow deep. The tree that endures the drought and the storm and the dead cold of winter is the tree that has placed roots deep in the soil for nurture, strength and endurance.
The Christ-follower who endures the attacks of the enemy and learns to withstand the unfair assault of our evil generation will be able to stand because their roots of faith have grown deep in the knowledge that no matter what happens, their God is in control.
PRAYER: Father God. I thank you for the fact that you are God of all things. Sometimes I feel surrounded by people and circumstances that make me question your actions or your strength. Forgive me for those times of doubt. Empower me to trust you even when I don’t understand you. Help me to be comfortable even in the hard times. In your name, Amen.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Revelation 21:2(NLT)
There is nothing so stunning as the bride as she walks down the aisle. We all stand as she enters. All eyes are on her. Even those of us guys who maintain our stoic ‘masculine’ image will admit in our honest times, that we are taken back by the moment.
The groom watches her enter. His face mesmerized by her beauty. To him, there’ s no one else in the room. In fact, both the groom and the bride, when their eyes meet are taken out of this world for a moment. They are the only two in the whole world that matters. She is the most important thing in his life at that moment. He is the prince of her dreams.
The moment is filled with hope and passion. Those of us lucky enough to look on remember our own weddings or the dreams we have of one day, walking that aisle or watching the one we love come to us in radiance.
What a marvelous picture of hope, expectation and passion. How fitting that this is the picture the Word of God gives of us as the church meeting the object of our passion: Jesus of Nazareth. Regardless of how we or others view ourselves, He views us as the groom views the bride. We are spotless, pure, perfect in every way, the object of his passion. Forever.
Not one of us has ever walked that aisle or waited at the front of the room without believing that this was it, this was the happily ever after, this was the ‘til death do us part.’ Even those of us who have experienced the painful reality of divorce entered that relationship believing that this was the ‘one for us.’
The difference is, this relationship with Jesus…it never will end. We are his and his forever. Every day, when we get out of bed, no matter how bad we look in the mirror, he sees us as his radiant bride, the object of his passion. He smiles whenever he looks at us. He pauses constantly to think of us. We are always on his mind. This marriage relationship will never grow old, never be taken for granted, never lose the passion of that wedding day.
What a glorious feast that will be! Now we struggle. We rebel. We endure the pain of broken relationships, financial hardship and political turmoil. In the midst of our struggle, even during those times we can’t see Jesus clearly, he sees us…and smiles.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I have a hard time imagining the fact of your passionate love for me. My love is so often shallow and built on performance. Relationships here on earth are marked by trouble and calamity. They grow cold and even die. Thank you that you always see me with the passion of a groom on his wedding day. In your name, Amen.
All of us were like sheep that had wandered off. We had each gone our own way, but the LORD gave him the punishment we deserved. Isaiah 53:6 (CEV)
Jesus wants each of us to know two things, we are all sheep and we’ve all wandered. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO of a major company or a Single parent living in low-income housing. You are a sheep. It doesn’t matter if you are a teen struggling to get through school or a leading professor in a major university, you are a sheep. It doesn’t matter if you have a bank-roll the size of Rhode Islandor are unemployed and living on welfare and food stamps, you are a sheep. It doesn’t matter if you are on your sixth marriage (and it’s in trouble) or are celebrating your 75th wedding anniversary with your high school sweetheart, you are a sheep.
Before you conjure up in your minds the picture of a cute little lamb drinking from a bottle and looking all cute and cuddly, take a look at some sheep facts.
- Sheep have to have a leader to follow. Experiments with sheep have shown that usually one sheep is the dominant one. If that sheep is taken from the flock and the sheep are sent out to the same pasture they’ve gone to a thousand times, they will become confused. Some will lie down. Others will wander aimlessly or simply stand in one place and not know what to do.
- Sheep are crowd followers. They rarely think for themselves. They’d just as soon have someone else do that for them. As long as they are fed and comfortable they are happy.
- Sheep become very stressed with change and when separated from their friends. When danger comes they tend to panic and flee in different directions without thought of the consequences.
- Sheep tend to be closest to those who are ‘related’ to them and don’t interact well with sheep ‘of another color’ so to speak.
- Although not considered intelligent at all, sheep do tend to remember faces and voices very well and can differentiate between a familiar voice and an unfamiliar voice.
Consider, for a moment how many times we react like sheep in our daily lives, in our relationships with others and with God and during times of stress. Remember…we are ALL sheep.
Secondly, we have all wandered away. When I was young I remember hearing testimonies of men and women who had been delivered from the most horrendous lifestyle imaginable. I often wished that I could have a great testimony like that. One that speaks of God’s deliverance from terrible things. Of course, since then I’ve learned two things. One is that I’ve made enough blunders of my own to qualify. Secondly, in God’s eyes we are all sheep (have I mentioned that?) and we have all wandered. It doesn’t matter where we’ve wandered or how far or why. We have all wandered away from God. We all have stories of his deliverance.
It’s no wonder then that Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd. The good shepherd knows the struggles sheep have. He knows they depend on him for protection, guidance and companionship. He knows their ways and they know his voice. Even though we, as sheep, wander we have a good shepherd who constantly looks after us to guide comfort and forgive.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you for being the good shepherd. Thank you for forgiving me, being patient when I wander and seeking me out when I stray. Help me to follow your voice and not the other voices. In your name, Amen.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19
When we were young we lived on a small hobby farm in the country. Often, on warm summer night we would go for walks in the woods, following a makeshift trail. One time in particular we were using the opportunity to try out our new flashlights we’d gotten from our grandparents. Halfway through the adventure, my flashlight quit working. It was a moonless night and it was dark!
We’d made this hike hundreds of times at day and at night, but since I’d had light and now was ‘in the dark’ it was scary. I had been in the lead but my brother and I decided that I should relinquish that position since he had the working flashlight. With his guidance (and flashlight!) we were able to make it safely back to the house avoiding the obstacles in our way.
I think of that situation every once in awhile when I read this verse. Jesus invites me to follow him. He doesn’t order me to follow him. It’s my choice. I can decide to take shortcuts. I can go off on my own and try to make my way ‘home’ taking my chances at stumbling over rocks, falling into holes or having a branch slap me across the face. Or, I can follow the light and let it guide me through the troubled times.
Following Jesus isn’t the same as ‘following’ someone on some social networking site. He doesn’t ask me to follow him for his sake; he invites me to follow him for my safety and protection. Jesus knows the safest, and the most fulfilling path for me to follow. It may not be the easiest. It may not be the most glamorous. But it’s the best path for me.
Following Jesus takes risk. I risk being the most popular. I risk being wealthy. I risk having the most toys. What I lose following Jesus pales in comparison to what I gain. Rev. Billy Graham had a friend, George Beverly Shea, who turned down a lucrative recording contract to sing for Jesus. His voice could have brought him millions of dollars. Instead, his songs were instrumental in winning millions to Jesus. I may lose temporary treasure here on earth, but what I gain lasts for eternity.
Following Jesus is exclusive. There are many in the world that will tell you of other ways to happiness, other ways to fame and fortune, other ways to fulfillment of your true self. Who knows better what you need? Someone you have never met or the one who formed you in your mother’s womb? Jesus knows the very best path for you to follow because he made you…and he made the path!
Following Jesus is passionate. When you are in a passion filled relationship you want nothing more than to be in close proximity to the one whom you love. Jesus longs for a passionate relationship with you so that, like Adam and Eve, you can walk the path of life together.
PRAYER: Jesus it’s so easy for me to stray from the path. So many times when I decide my way is faster, safer, quicker and more profitable. Following my path has led to nothing but heartache and frustration. I want to follow you completely. Forgive me for straying. Empower me with your Spirit to follow only you. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 