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When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. Genesis 15:17
All of us, at one time or another have suffered from broken promises. It started when we were young with the promises of parents and other ‘trusted adults’ who promised to play with us, take us to the zoo, or go on that fishing trip.
As we grew older the promises became more complex, but no more secure.
“I’ll be your best friend forever.”
“I promise I won’t tell anyone your secret. You can trust me.”
“I promise I will never leave you. I will always be here for you.”
Broken promises break our hearts, wound our souls and cause us to doubt others as well as ourselves.
The problem with promises is that they are only as strong as the person making them. A common misconception we have is that some promises are conditional.
“I promise I’ll go to the dance with you if…”
“We’ll watch the ball game together if you promise you’ll clean your room.”
But promises are unconditional. Once you add a condition to a promise the promise and it’s accompanying obedience becomes a rule/wage situation. None of this is more true than with the story of Abram and Jehovah God.
Abram bursts onto the Old Testament scene rather abruptly and from out of nowhere. For no apparent reason, God promises him tremendous blessing both in wealth in this life and in a legacy that will last throughout history.
In Abram’s day, promises were covenants that were sealed with sacrifice. The ceremony involved cutting animals in half and laying them end to end. The participants in the sacrifice would walk together through the carcasses as a sign of their allegiance to the sacrifice. In a sense it would be like saying, ‘may I be like one of these animals if I break this promise.’
The interesting thing is, Abram didn’t walk down the path, only God did. The meaning is amazing. The promise of God’s love and blessing is entirely dependent on him alone, not Abram. The blazing torch symbolizes the Shekinah Glory, God himself in all his power and majesty. The smoking fire pot may symbolize despair and pain. To me, it symbolizes the pain Jesus bore on the cross for me.
God’s promise is not dependent on us in the least. There is nothing we can do to tear us away from his love and power and forgiveness. Without God’s love, our lives are full of pain and broken promises. With him we shine as lights in the darkness.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your promise of salvation. Thank you that there is nothing I can do to invalidate the covenant because it all rides on you. And thank you for the forgiveness that only comes through Jesus. Amen.
So then, everything depends, not on what we humans want or do, but only on God’s mercy. Romans 9:16 (GNT)
This time there was no avoiding it. I was cornered with no way out. He’d been my friend since, well, since I can remember. We grew up together, fished together, played ball together and occasionally, got into childhood fights together.
During a particularly tough time in my life I was in dire need of financial help. Jim was the guy who’d come to my rescue. It was a significantly large amount of money, a loan with no interest and no payback date. At the time I saw no other options. I accepted the offer and eventually dug myself out of a hole I’d prepared for myself.
Lately, I’d been avoiding Jim. I didn’t even realize it until later, but every time our paths crossed I felt a twinge of guilt and apprehension. I’d fallen behind on some of the payments and felt guilty for it. He’d trusted me. He’d known my situation and was willing to take a chance on me. Now, I’d failed him and I wasn’t sure how to dig myself out of this new hole. That’s why his words dug so deeply and so quickly.
“Is there something wrong between us man? You seem distant.”
I had to come clean. “I’ve fallen behind on my payments and I feel terrible. I feel like I’ve really let you down, like I’ve failed you, like…”
That’s when he stepped back and looked at me with a look of confusion and shock.
“Is this all about that stupid money? Good grief man! Don’t worry about it. Debt forgiven.”
I was taken back, moved to the point of tears. I didn’t know what to say. Then I mumbled something like, “That’s very gracious of you. Thank you. I’ll try to pay it back somehow.”
I wish I could have grabbed that word bubble back. As soon as I said it I realized how stupid it sounded.
Jim smiled, “No Pastor, you don’t understand. I forgave you. There’s nothing you did to earn it. There’s nothing you can do to repay it. It’s forgiven.”
As we parted, closer than ever, I realized what had just happened. I’d been reminded of two things. One is that God’s grace and forgiveness is nothing we can earn. The second thing I learned is how silly we humans sound when we try to repay a debt we can never repay.
Jim taught me what grace really means that day, and I realized how often to make promises to a God that he knows I can’t fulfill, but he loves me anyway. Why do we try to repay him when the debt has already been paid?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. There are some any times I fail you. So many times I make silly promises I know I can never fulfill. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. I receive it willingly. Amen.
Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:7 (NLT)
Feeling inadequate?
One time I was coaching basketball. It was one of the first games of the season and the first game of ‘school ball’ for the girls on my team. Early in the game one of the kids who’d shown some real potential in practice got the ball just outside the lane. She had an open shot at the basket, but looked to pass the ball off to one of her teammates, all of whom were well guarded. I called to her from the bench and said, “Shoot the ball!”
It was as if the thought had never occurred to her. She looked at the basket tentatively and then threw up a shot that hit nothing but net. That was over 15 years ago now and I still remember the look of jubilation, shock and excitement in her face. Later she told me she didn’t think she could make the basket. She went on to be one of my top scorers.
So what kept her from shooting the ball in a game when she did it often in practice? A feeling of inadequacy. I knew she had the skills and ability. I’d seen it in practice. She on the other hand had herself believing that her skill level wasn’t adequate.
The most successful people in the world are those who overcome their feelings of inadequacy and move forward in spite of them. They see a problem as a challenge, not an obstacle. They have no time for the reasons that something can’t be done, the look for ways it CAN be done.
When Jesus left the disciples on the hillside outside Jerusalem he reminded them of their challenge while he was gone. They would be his witnesses. This bunch of uneducated, obscure men and women were left with the challenge of starting a whole new movement. But he didn’t leave them without power. He didn’t leave them without the gifts they would need to accomplish the task of building relationships and teaching about him.
Paul says, “Now you have every spiritual gift you need.”
Few outside ministry realize the huge feelings of inadequacy we in ministry face every week. Our reminder, whether our ministry is up front or in the corner; at the church or in the workplace; as a career person or a stay-at-home parent is this. You have all the gifts you need to accomplish your task. Go in the power of the Holy Spirit and act within your giftedness to do the work of reconciliation.
PRAYER: Father, even though I ‘know’ you have empowered me, I still feel weak. I still fight the false feelings of inadequacy. Help me to live in the power of your Spirit and the realm of my giftedness in Jesus name, Amen.
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
We’re looking at the ‘YOU ARE’ statements of Jesus. The ‘YOU ARE’ statements of Jesus remind us of the identity we have through our faith in Christ. Jesus never indicated in his teaching that his followers would be obscure and unprepared for the challenges before them. Quite the opposite. We are the salt that brings out the best in the world; we are the light to guide the world to fulfillment; we are so intertwined with the Son of God that others would be hard-pressed to see the difference between us and Him.
Now, Jesus moves further yet. Salt, light and abiding in him bring us into a friendship like none other. The fourth of our ‘YOU ARE’ statements is one that we tend to forget most often. Jesus tells us in John 15:15 that, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Think about what that verse is really saying. Jesus, the Son of God, the one who stood beside the Father and helped him create this beautiful world we live in calls us friends. Too often we get wrapped up in religious tradition and focus on the theology of scripture and, in so doing, lose the significance of the fact that God wants to be friends with you.
What must it have been like in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool evening air. The human couple, no doubt, had so many questions to ask their friend, and he enjoyed their company immensely.
That friendship was lost when Adam and Eve fell into sin. The whole story of mankind is God’s attempt at regaining the friendship he lost with us as a result of sin. That’s why Jesus came to die on the cross. It wasn’t just to forgive our sins. It wasn’t just so we could live in eternity with Christ in Heaven. It was because he wanted to restore a lost and cherished friendship with us.
When I was about 6 years old, my family spent an entire summer living in a small, borrowed cottage on a lake. A few cottages down from us, another family moved in to spend the summer as well. I was excited because this family had a boy my age. My new found friend and I played from sunrise to sunset exploring the shoreline, walking nearby trails, having all sorts of adventures.
One day we got into a horrible argument. I don’t remember to this day what it was about, but I do remember spending the next two or three days without my friend because we refused to talk with one another. I remember the loneliness. I remember the sadness. When good friends fight it cuts a part of you out.
I also remember reconciling the relationship. We both said we were sorry. There were a few moments of awkwardness, and then, as if nothing had happened, we were off on some new, exciting, great adventure. Our friendship was restored!
When Jesus says, I no longer call you servants, I call you friends, what he’s really doing is calling us back to the relationship he’d always wanted to have with us. A relationship that sin has kept us from having with him.
Sin isn’t a very popular term in our society. We like to call it poor choices, bad decisions or any number of other things. But the fact is, sin is sin and it separates us from a God who wants to befriend us but simply can’t outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, what does friendship with Jesus look like? I want to leave you with an acronym that reminds us of true friendship in our earthly realm and, especially with God through Jesus Christ. The acronym is the word CRUSH. Now, you might think it’s an odd acronym because usually we associate this word with passing feeling temporary infatuation, but bear with me on that part.
- The C in CRUSH stands for Confidant. Jesus says, in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
A good friend is one who is willing to confide in you about their deepest, darkest secrets. They are comfortable telling you their true feelings because they know they can trust you and that you won’t think less of them for how they feel.
Friendship with Jesus means he is willing to listen to our struggles, but not only that, he wants to help us understand life, others, and God himself. The deeper our friendship with Jesus, the easier it is to understand life.
- The R in CRUSH stands for Reliable. Proverbs 18:24 says “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Reliable friends are friends you can trust. They won’t lead you into things you shouldn’t be in. They won’t drag you into gossip or other activities that tarnish your relationship with family, God or others. You can trust a reliable friend to think of your best interests. You can trust Jesus to think of your best interests too.
- The U in CRUSH stands for Understanding. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Loyal friends understand your feelings. They may not agree with them, but they will stand by you. Who better to understand you than Jesus? He was there when you were formed in your mothers womb. He has watched you grow up, been there through the struggles, sees your pain, your emotional scars, your fears, your worries. He will always be there for you.
- The S in CRUSH stands for Sincere. Proverbs 27:5-6 tells us, ‘Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.’ This verse reminds us that good friends are sincere. When they see you on a slippery path to destruction they will warn you of the consequences; they may try to show you the error of your ways. But they will always do so in love. They will always stand by you even if you make the wrong choices.
- The H in CRUSH stands for Healing. The ultimate sacrifice is the sacrifice of one’s life for another. Jesus said, in John 15:13, ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’
We celebrate the heroes of our lives, but the greatest hero of all is Jesus Christ. He gave his life so we can live, not only here on earth, but in eternity with him. By giving his life for us we can be healed or forgiven of our sins. He is a friend we can count on, and he earnestly wants to have a deepening friendship with us.
My prayer for us today is that we will remember that Jesus wants to grow deeper in friendship with us. There is nothing you have done, or will do that will cause him to longer be your friend. He offers you forgiveness and strength to face the battles ahead.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’m amazed that you would choose to be my friend. Thank you for giving your life for me and that you base your love for me on who you are and not on what I can do for you. In your name I pray, Amen.
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:21 (NLT)
Remember the game you played in Jr. High? A friend punches you, kicks you or plays a prank of some sort on you and yells, “Even”. Maybe this was more of a guy thing, but I remember it well. It usually started out relatively harmless. Sometimes it could escalate into a full-blown war. It may have started with an accidental push and usually you never knew who really started it. One thing you did know is that ‘Even’ never happened because you always had to get in the last act of (usually) playful violence.
There is, deep within us, the desire to win, to stand for ourselves, to be victorious. It may be buried under years of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. It still lies beneath the scars of our pain, but it’s there. It’s longing cries out to us. Its desire cloaks itself in anger, hopelessness, fear and worry. We use chemicals, lifestyle and other control issues to soothe its longing.
The fact of the matter is, we’ll never be victorious as long as we have the attitude of “It’s me against the world.” Until we realize we are nothing more than pawns in a cosmic, spiritual battle we’ll continue to try to win a battle we can never emerge from victorious.
The lifestyle of the Christ-follower is one of dichotomies. The war for our souls is no exception. The best way to ‘win’ is to ‘lose’. The best way to ‘be strong’, is to ‘be weak’. The best way to ‘get even’ is to ‘give in’. The best way to combat the evil in our lives is to do good. Evil acts will always conceive more evil. The only remedy is to allow the Holy Spirit of God enter into your life and develop his fruit in your soul. “God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways” (Galatians 5:22-23 —CEV).
The Christian life is one of dichotomies. Society says, “Revenge is the best way to handle conflict”. God says, “Doing good in the face of evil destroys evil.” Society says lives by the adage, “I did it my way”. God says, “It’s my power working in you, not your power that accomplishes things.”
When faced with the desire to ‘get even’, remember you will accomplish much more by taking a step back and seeking God’s power and wisdom to know how you can best turn this evil into good; to show Christ-like character to those needing the freedom grace has to offer.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times when I’m mistreated, offended, ignored and blamed. During those times when I seek to get even give me the wisdom to follow your path and show Christ’s love in response to those who persecute me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 