aSacredRebel

Joy

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126 ESV)

How many times have you wondered how will I go on? You have come to a space where you thought things could not get any worse and they do. It is like the bottom drops out of your boat, or you realize you replaced the door on your submarine with a screen door…

Everything that can go wrong and about 20 other things just went so wrong that you have no idea how you will ever recover. You are ready to curl up in the fetal position and cry your self to sleep.

But God tells us here that those who continue in His service, even in the darkest valleys, will sow in tears, but will reap in joy! We might go out weeping, but the harvest will be as such that we can not help but be joy filled!

Notice the psalmist does not say that God will take all our troubles away but we will be filled with laughter and joy in doing the work that He needs us to go and do. We might still be in a terrible place, but He is with us and because He is with us and we are following Him we are joy filled!

So follow God where He calls you to, not wanting Him to take away your pain, but help sow seeds that helps others see the joy that God can bring them and live in the joy He will give to you.

Hope

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:22-25 ESV)

Can you have hope in something you can see?

If you can see it and hold it, maybe it is certainty and not hope…

For we have not seen God yet we know that he is there. We have seen the effects of Him working in our lives and we know the promises He has given are true from the things He has done for our ancestors and the Israelite people.

We are certain that He will bring us into the family and adopt us as children! We will be with Him fro all eternity, but are we really certain?

Do we know this to be 100% true?

Were is the proof?

Truth be told there is no proof. That is where hope comes in…

Hope is that wonderful thing that allows us to believe the promises are true and are for me. Hope is the understanding that God loves me as I am, and will be with me through thick and thin.

There is always hope. We can not see it or be certain of it, but it is there. God is always walking with you through the pain, and darkness, He will see you through, and that is hope.

purifier of silver…

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord . Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. (Malachi 3:1-4 ESV)

For today’s devotional I share a story I have read many places. I have verified it is correct with a friend who works in jewelry…

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three they came across verse three which says, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s the easy part — when I see my image reflected in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you until He sees His image in you.

So know that God is always with you and working on you until His image is clear in you.

Stubble

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse. (Malachi 4:1-6 NRSV)

Evildoers are going to be stubble. They will be burned up and there will be nothing left of them for God can not stand the evildoers to be in His presence. That is why we need to make sure that all of the evildoers know they are evil and correct them. Because we are the ones who revere the Lord and uphold His statutes and ordinances…

Have you ever heard this from someone? Sounds a bit arrogant, which means something… The person who said this has a different translation of the passage above from me, or they did not read it clearly. The passage above says that the arrogant and the evildoers will be stubble, burned until nothing is left. God does not like the arrogant, and seems like from the passage puts them in the same class as evildoers. Those who think they got it all together and will help every one else be saved are just as bad as those they are trying to save…

We need to be humble and realize we can not make it on our own. We need God and the whole community of believers not just the ones we agree with or like, but all of them. We are one body knit together by God to send His message of love, mercy, grace and healing into a dark and broken world. So humbly go and help everyone see the relationship God has for them, knowing you are in need of Him just as much (or maybe even more) than the others…

in vain to serve…

“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Malachi 3:13-18 ESV)

Does it ever seem like all those evil people are getting the good stuff when the true followers of God are getting the shaft?

Do you feel like you are serving God in vain and not getting any where but just spinning your wheels?

We do not serve God in vain…

God has written down everything we have done in public and in secret. He will judge us for everything we have said and done and every action we have taken. He knows every motive for every process you have undertaken and if it is for personal gain, then you were not following the commandments, love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself. If you have ever done anything to promote yourself, then you have let God down and are serving in vain…

If you are not worried about this, you had better check your pulse, because we are all guilty of looking out for #1… We look out for our selves and what we think is best for us before anyone else usually. It is a rare case that we are looking out for someone else over ourselves…

So who will be in the Book of Remembrance? Who’s name will be written down as being one who feared the Lord and esteemed Him? I can not say… I think though it will not be the ones worried about keeping the rules in spite of loving God and neighbor… If we can not put the other first, as God did, how can we say we love God and neighbor?

Look to your motivation, is it for you or the other? If it is for the other it is not in vain, if it is for you… Maybe you should think again…

My situation…

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18 NET)

While you and I may never find ourselves in prison, we can understand Paul in his
letter to the Philippians. He is advancing the gospel. Do you k ow anyone who advances the gospel, and through that gets others to advance the gospel?

Does your life have an impact on someone so that their life is touched by God? Do you live through the pains of lose and wanting to show others how much God has given you? When you could cry out why have you forsaken me to God, yet live so that the mercy you have received is show forth even in the midst of darkness all around you…

We have been called to be beacons of hope even, especially in the darkness. So cling to the promise and know that He is faithful and will never leave you or forsake you.

Evil…

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
(Luke 11:29-32 ESV)

Why do we always look for a sign? Why do we want God to prove to us that He is the creator of the universe and that He loves us and will seek the best for us? Gideon had God make the ground wet and the towel dry, then the towel wet and the ground dry, or something like that. And God does it to prove to him that He is in it.

Why must we always see something spectacular to make us believe God is for us. Is not the fact you were able to get out of bed this morning, that you have a roof over your head and food to eat enough of a miracle to prove to you that God loves you?

The queen of the south came to Solomon because of his wisdom, but something greater than Solomon is here! And the people of Nineveh turned and followed God because of Jonah’s preaching, but something greater than Jonah is here! And that something wants a relationship with you! And yet we ask for a sign!

Have we not already received enough?

Wordle to Accompany Week #1 Advent Devotion

Wordle to Accompany Week #1 Advent Devotion.

Who am I?

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” (2 Samuel 7:18-29 ESV)

Who am I that you have brought me thus far? Last night at the dinner table we discussed has God ever done anything to pass over me. Has God ever done something for me that I did not deserve? All the time, God is doing things for me I do not deserve. I can recount endless acts of mercies on God’s part towards me.

My wife
My daughters
the roof over my head
my health
the ability to be there for others
a job that allows me to be a role model
friends who love me for me
friends who ave given of themselves for me and my family
The list could go on and on…

I invite you on this 3rd day of Advent to reflect on how God has been merciful to you.

I wonder every day how this passage starts, who am I Lord, that you have given me favor and mercy and allowed me to live this long… Who am I oh Lord that you still use me and work through me even through all of the junk I do and sin that keeps me from you. God’s promises ring true today, the same as they did yesterday and the way they will tomorrow and forever more.

This passage reminded me of one of my favorite songs by Casting Crowns, Who Am I. Why does the Lord know my name, why does He feel my hurt, it is not because of what I’ve done, or who I am, but all because of Jesus. It is not because of anything I have done or could have done or could do, but God loves me and knows my name, and my hurt and the number of hairs on my head because I am His child and because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.

You are loved and worthy of more than you could possibly image because of the coming king. So prepare your heart for Him and make ready! For He is coming and it is going to be a wonderful party!