Enjoyment of the Ordinary

With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the Lord your God." On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. (Ezekiel 20:5 b -6)

God exclaimed to Moses His faithfulness to His people. With uplifted hand He said to them, I am the Lord your God. This happened at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-10) and God appointed Moses as the people's deliverer. Delivering the people to a land flowing with milk and honey. Ordinary ingredients for us tea drinkers.

God promised deliverance from bondage, from whatever has us tied up and bound tight. He provides blessings and assurances and can be certain He will be with us. He assured Israel He would take her out of Egypt into a land... flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. He promises to take care of us today also.

We worship God in all things; a good meal, a rich conversation, a quiet moment, a glorious sunrise, fresh new snow, a pungent green forest, a simple cup of tea or coffee, a good glass of wine, or the enticing order of bacon cooking. God created us to enjoy His good gifts. Take time today to savor God.

God is all around us and He is good. By taking time and paying attention to the good things around us, we employ all our senses to experience God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. 

Ezekiel 20:5-6

Coming King

Zechariah 9:9-11

Advent season gives us much cause for rejoicing—rejoicing in the celebration of our Savior’s birth, foremost, but also rejoicing in the promise of a coming King.

A preview of Zechariah 9:9 is given to us in Zechariah 2:10: "Sing and shout for joy, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming and will live among you." The people of Israel had cause to rejoice because God came to them not as a conquering warrior-King, but as a King of peace, riding on a humble donkey. We rejoice because of the promise that He will come again in power and glory to rule over the entire earth.

At the time of Zechariah's writing, the people of Israel had endured 70 years of exile and had been living in the "dry well" of suffering and despair. God promised them freedom because of His unbreakable covenant. And this is where God meets us in our own lives and promises us His deliverance.

Just as God announced His coming to the people of Israel in Zechariah, Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead comes into our lives as our Savior our King, our Master.

QUESTIONS:

1. How can you use the example of the humility of Jesus to show His love to those God has placed in your life?

2. What is standing in the way of you fully surrendering every part of your life to God?

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, show me areas of my life that need to be more fully surrendered to You. Teach me to rejoice in you every day.

Ann Brubaker

The Power of THE Unbalanced Force

Matthew 6:13

Matthew 6

 Newton's first Law of Motion reads like this:

 “An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”

 According to teachertech.rice.edu, “This means that there is a natural tendency of objects to keep on doing what they're doing. All objects resist changes in their state of motion. In the absence of an unbalanced force, an object in motion will maintain this state of motion.”         

 Newton’s three Laws of Motion are the foundation of classical physics. I hated physics! It just didn’t make any sense to me. Apparently though, the main goal of physics is to understand how the universe behaves. Now that interests me, because we as humans are a part of the universe.

If you apply Newton’s first Law of Motion to people it might read like this:

Every person has their own beliefs, attitudes and habits which will remain the

same unless acted on by an unbalanced force. The result is that our human nature resists change.

Like Newton’s physical laws, there are spiritual laws at work in our world, and in our hearts.

 ²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:21-25 NIV

Because of this battle with us, it is critical for us to pray in the way that Jesus taught his followers including, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Or from the Good News Translation: “Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.”

In other words, “Lord, please be that unbalanced force that redirects my life; that engages me where I am at; that leads me through trials and temptations; that delivers me from evil; that protects me from myself and from the evil of the world; that changes me into the person you created me to be.”

 But, if you pray this prayer, be ready for THE unbalanced force.

The good news about the bad news

So do you want the good news first, or the bad news? 

Someone said, “Bad news.”  OK ...

Here’s the bad news: We are going to be tempted.  We will be enticed to do something that appeals to us, even though we know it to be wrong.  The allure may be to deceive, because we want to avoid confrontation ... or to take what is not ours, in order to alleviate our discontent ... or to hold grudges, so to insulate ourselves from being vulnerable again ... or to boast, assuaging self-doubt ... or to speak ill of another and get “sweet revenge.”  It’s not a matter of “if” we will be tempted, but of “when” and “how.” And, of course, “what” we will do in the face of it!

Recalling the Israelites in exodus from Egypt, the Apostle Paul observed that all proceeded forth under a spectacular pillar of cloud, but some became idolaters ... all miraculously passed through the sea, but some committed sexual immorality ... all ate the same spiritual food (manna), but some tested the Lord ... all drank the same spiritual drink that poured forth from the rock, yet some grumbled.  I think it would be safe to say that all were lured in these ways and that, while some took the bait, others resisted it.

And that’s the good news: We can stand up under temptation.  It is helpful to know there is nothing unusual about the specific types of enticement we face at any given moment; people around the globe encounter the same ones every day ... and many stand up to them.  Their trust and obedience inspire us.  We are not alone.

In fact, when we are tempted, God, himself, is right there with us ... and not just passively so, but actively engaged on our behalf!  Paul promises us in today’s reading, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”  And James assures us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:7-8a)”

Temptation is inevitable, but deliverance is available.  The good news overpowers the bad.

[To see the daily reading, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, click here.]