Worship I’d like to See

FOCUS READING

Revelation 7:9 (NRSV)

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.

DAILY BYTE

For the last three days of this week, we are going to focus on three specific aspects of the passage from Revelation you read yesterday. The first is this:

Revelation 7 describes a vision of a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.”
If you’ve read Revelation, then you know that the writer loves using numbers. The book is riddled with specific numbers of things that people have been trying to decode for centuries. The number 7, which is the number of completion or perfection in the scriptures, is particularly popular.

So, I think it’s important to notice that in this vision in Revelation 7, the writer says the people who are included are impossible to count. No one could do it!

And not only that, but they are every different kind of person – from all places and cultures.

Think for a moment how radical this statement was and is. In the ancient world and still today, other nations, tribes and peoples on this earth did not and often still do not know or profess the name of Jesus.
And yet, there they are – every kind of person, standing before the throne and the lamb of God crying out in one voice!

We get a glimpse of this when we worship in church, I think. The kingdom of heaven breaks through as we worship with people of different backgrounds, colours, languages, even different beliefs. On a Sunday, we get to see a little of what this will be like for an eternity, and it’s good.

But it seems it will be even better.

More people. More languages. More tribes. More nations.
Because unlike our world now with borders, divisions, denominations, and religions – in the fullness of the kingdom, God wants us all singing praise to the Lamb together.

And I believe I’d like to see that. Wouldn’t you?

Heaven On Earth?

FOCUS READING

Revelation 7:9-17 (NRSV)

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing,‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

DAILY BYTE

One thing we first need to discuss this week before we continue talking about who gets in and who’s kicked out – is what exactly is heaven? What is this place that we’re trying to get into and kick others out of? Write down or talk with a friend about where and what you think heaven is.
What are some of your thoughts?

Standard answers are usually things like – heaven is a place where everything is light, and we spend all our time praising God. We’re with everyone we love who’s gone before us. It’s someplace where everything is good and beautiful. It’s someplace else.

These images give us a beautiful picture of what we can look forward to when we finally get out of the world we live in, but there is one problem. Jesus consistently tells us in the scriptures that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is here. It is not a faraway place but a reality that is breaking into our world now. He tells us that we haven’t seen the fullness of what’s still coming, but we are a part of bringing that kingdom into existence right now.

So as hard as it is in our present day reality, as we look around and see how messed up things can be, I challenge you to try and remember that heaven is here – today.

As you picture heaven breaking into our world right now, go back and read the focus reading from Revelation again. This scripture is often described to be a vision of the ‘end times’ - in other words, in popular culture, what happens at the end of everything when Jesus comes back and we all go someplace else. But, it’s also a vision that we often turn to for comfort when we think about those we love who have died and when we anticipate our own deaths. As you anticipate a future heaven for yourself and those you love, what hope does this scripture give you about witnessing heaven in life right now – today?

In or Out?

FOCUS READING

Romans 3: 23-25 (NRSV)

...since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed...

DAILY BYTE

I must begin by telling you that a lot of the content and ideas in the BDC this week comes from a book released this past March by Rob Bell called, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person that Ever Lived. This book has created a firestorm of controversy, and we don’t have enough time to get into the nitty gritty of all the arguments that are being made for and against Bell’s particular stance, but the book and its study guide, The Love Wins Companion, are available over the internet, and I encourage you in small groups, preferably, or on your own, to get them and go deeper into this discussion. I’ll be pretty blunt about the convictions that this book and the passage from Revelation that we’ll explore this week have brought to my heart. But, my hope is that whether you agree with me, or agree with Rob Bell, or not, that exploring these issues of life and death will encourage us all to think deeply and examine our own lives in light of the scriptures.

But I do want to tell you the story that Rob Bell tells at the very beginning of his book because I think it’s an important story for the passage from Revelation that we’re going to talk about this week.

He says that several years ago there was an art show at his church, and the theme was peacemaking, so artists displayed their paintings, poems and sculptures on what it means to be a peacemaker. “One woman included in her work a quote from Mahatma Ghandi,” which many people found inspiring. But, he says, not everyone. One person attached a piece of paper to the artwork that said, “Reality check: He’s in hell.”

Rob Bell’s reaction was much like mine – “Really?” he says. “Gandhi’s in hell? He is? We have confirmation of this? Somebody knows this? Without a doubt? And that somebody decided to take on the responsibility of letting the rest of us know?”

Now, there’s a bit of cheek in that response. I realize that. I also realize that we do need to take seriously the concern of many people that others will not “make it to heaven.” It’s a very real concern – maybe even for you, who are reading this. Perhaps you are terribly worried that people you love are not in “heaven” – that you may never see them again.
It’s not actually a laughing matter – for, say, a woman who lost her son to suicide, who’s been told that it’s a great tragedy not just because he cut his earthly life short but because he’s condemned himself to an eternity of hell. It’s not a laughing matter for parents who lose a baby before its been baptized and are told that it’s a terrible shame because it was never given God’s grace and welcomed into God’s family, so there is no hope.

Now, these may seem like harsh statements that you can’t imagine yourself making, but they are actually not that much different from saying and thinking things like ‘the man who was shot and killed for trying to break into my neighbor’s house got what he deserved.” Or, “men like Ghaddafi are monsters who are better off dead in a place where they’ll get the judgment they deserve.” These people are someone’s children, too.

Isn’t it interesting that we are so quick to judge who gets to spend an eternity with God in heaven in that better place and who must suffer punishment and be tormented for eternity because of what they’ve done or who they are?

Rob Bell asks the question, “Does God punish people for thousands of years with infinite, eternal torment for things they did in their few finite years of life?” Many do interpret scripture this way. If so, what are the criteria that God uses for this judgment? If it’s true, as it says in Romans 3 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – that “they are now justified by his grace as a gift” - Why are some condemned and not others? Why later? Why now?

Bell asks the question, “Have you ever heard people make claims about a select few being chosen [for heaven] and then claim that they’re not part of that group?”

It seems that we think, whether we consciously admit it, or not, that we have the power to decide who is saved and who is condemned.

Do we think that our criteria and timing for salvation is the same as God’s? Do you?

God and Second Choice

DAILY BYTE

Some of you may have been reading through this week’s devotions and thinking to yourselves, “Well this is all ok for God. He never has to deal with unwelcome changes, or a second choice world not of his choosing. God is powerful enough to sort it all out with just a wave of his hand”.

If you have ever found yourself thinking like that then you would, of course, have been forgetting about the Garden of Eden. Remember that? God’s first choice world is seen in the Garden of Eden – a place of beauty, justice, peace, love and deep communion between God and humanity. This peaceful place was, however, fractured by humanity’s poor choices, and thereafter sin entered the picture.

It is interesting to note what God did at this stage. God didn’t in righteous anger destroy us with a click of his fingers. Nor did God give up on us by turning away on us and leaving us to our own devices.
No! God, in passionate love, decided on an entirely different, yet far more difficult way. God chose to sacrificially enter this “second choice world” through Jesus and to impact it. God faced human temptations and shared human sufferings. God did this so that he might show us a way back into relationship with him, and so that he might restore us into Life as he originally created us to live it.

It was the long way round but God saw us as worth it.

Make no mistake, God is powerful enough to sort out the situation with a wave of his hand, but love demands following an entirely more difficult route. You see for love to truly be real, free choice has to exist. Relationships have to be chosen, they cannot be forced.

This is why God did not use power to sort us out, but gave up power for the sake of love, (see Philippians 2. 6-8). God’s extravagant love for us means that he would never give up on us, that he would enter into a world comprising the very worst of our mistakes, just so that he could bring us back to him.

This should help us to remember that God can do something wonderful even in the very worst of second choice worlds!

God does not necessarily give us an easy way out of a bad situation with a click of his fingers, but he does offer us all the grace and strength we need to get through it.

Although the path may be narrow, God takes us by the hand and remains with us to the very end of our journey.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord, we learn from the Bible that you are not necessarily into “easy-way outs” of difficult situations. For you did not abandon us when we turned from you, nor did you destroy us when we sinned. Instead you took the narrow road, the long and difficult way of love that has brought us a wonderful message of redemption and hope. Give us the strength we need to follow you always even if it takes us down some narrow roads, and help us to keep trusting in you always. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Matthew 7.13-14 (The Message)

Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with sure-fire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life — to God! — is vigorous and requires total attention.

Abandoning Perfectionism

DAILY BYTE

The movie, “The Truman Show”, was a clever satire which poked fun at how people choose to live their lives. Jim Carrey played a character called Truman who unknowingly grows up as the central figure on a reality show. He had no idea that all his friends and family members were nothing more than actors, and that the town in which he lived was a giant indoor set.

His was a pretend and commercially driven world where everything worked perfectly. The sun rose exactly the same way everyday, the rains always came on time, his neighbours were unfailingly polite, and his wife was perfect in every possible sense. And yet within all this perfection, Truman constantly struggled with the feeling that he was not actually living and that there was something vital missing in his life.

Scarily enough, we often perceive that our lives should be exactly like Truman’s... perfect. We pray and hope for a nice life in a nice world with no problems. A world where being problem free proves that God loves us and that we are doing something right.

However this perfectionist view of the world is not the world the Bible speaks of. For in the Bible we find that saints make error judgements, Christians die, the innocent face unfair judgements, loved ones are lost, and prominent Christian leaders have strong disagreements.

In other words, life is not always perfect. In fact it is often downright unfair and tough. Life can be messy, and that is the simple reality of it all.

Faith is not about never having problems, and never being stressed, tired or angry. Faith is not even about never having doubts. Faith is about holding onto God and the life God wants us to live, even though everything around us becomes messed up for a while.

So much of our prayer lives has to do with convincing God to buy into things as we would have them done, and to make our lives perfect. We forget about Jesus’ great prayer - ‘not my will but yours be done’. There is no doubt that God wants to bless our lives in an extraordinary way, but sometimes our view of what it means to be blessed differs from God’s. For example, God would rather have us be faithful than successful.

Paul managed to abandon perfectionism when he saw that although he had arrived in Rome as a prisoner and not as a preacher, Christ was still being proclaimed in a wonderful way. Paul managed to see his prison guards as a potential congregation!

Perhaps it is time that we started working through the kind of process that Paul obviously went through. We should commit our lives to God’s agenda and not our own. We should look again at difficult and imperfect situations and see what God could do through them. We should pray for faithfulness before we pray for success.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy God, help us to abandon our often vain and selfish ideas of perfectionism. If we face difficult situations, it is not necessarily because we have sinned, but simply because they are part and parcel of life. We commit ourselves to following you no matter what. We trust that your ways are greater than our own, and that your wisdom far exceeds ours. We pray that you would grant us a spirit of deep faithfulness to you and to your plan for the world. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Philippians 1:18-21 (The Message)

And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.

Paul’s Second Choice World

DAILY BYTE

The book of Philippians describes a person whose first choice world came crashing down around his ears. Paul the Apostle had nurtured a dream for well over 20 years: to go to Rome and to preach the Gospel and strengthen the church in that strategically important city. Paul eventually did get to Rome, but not as he had always hoped. For Paul arrived in Rome as a prisoner of the state and not a preacher of the Gospel.

Paul’s first choice dream was rudely interrupted by the second choice reality of a prison cell and chains!

Paul not only had to contend with life chained between two Roman guards, but also with other preachers who treated him as a rival and badmouthed him behind his back. It always hurts to take cheap shots like that from people who should be on your side and who should know better. Finally, Paul also admits in his letter to the Philippians, that he was feeling weary after a long and fruitful ministry.

Paul’s life had taken a dramatic and unexpected turn for the worse on more than one front. Yet his attitude was nothing like you would expect it to be. He did not react with bitterness or anger, but with joy, peace and love. He managed to see the Godly possibilities behind his truly difficult circumstances.

How did he do this? The temptation is to see Paul as some sort of superhuman saint who lived life on a level too high for anyone else to attain. If we do this we are doing a disservice to Paul himself, who continually spoke of his very real human mistakes and weaknesses. He often referred to himself as the “Chief of Sinners”, and spoke of his “thorn in the flesh”.

No, Paul’s ability to cope with a horrible second choice scenario was not based upon any abilities of his own. It was simply because he had learnt through a lifetime of hardship and difficulties, to trust in God through all things.

We need to know that the God who sustained Paul through his most difficult times, is the same God who offers to strengthen us as well. Paul was not a superhuman being, but he did have a remarkable trust in God. Paul is a shining example to everyone who would also want to entrust their lives to God, even though they may be facing painful second choice worlds.
Tomorrow we will look more closely at what else we can learn from Paul’s example.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Almighty God, when it comes to unwelcome changes and second choice worlds, help us to remember that we are never alone. Even the greatest of Biblical figures faced up to failures, disappointments, grief and shattered dreams. Help us to learn from their examples and to model our faith on theirs. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Philippians 1:12-18 (NIV)

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Second Choice Worlds

DAILY BYTE

As we concluded yesterday, change happens. As difficult as it sometimes may be, that is a truth we simply have to learn to embrace.

I say difficult because sometimes we find ourselves in situations of change that are distinctly unwelcome. Our lives may have changed for the worse over the last couple of months.

Perhaps you didn’t get the exam results you were hoping for, or that promotion at work. Or you may have had to move to a new town, or you may be facing up to some situation of hurt or grief like an unwanted pregnancy, or the loss of a loved one. Maybe you are struggling with the thought of another year doing a soulless job, or living with a toxic relationship.

The author, Viv Thomas, has a phrase to describe situations such as these. He calls them, “Second Choice Worlds”. Everyone likes to make choices in life, and of course we all would like to choose only the best for ourselves. In the ideal world, we all would have wonderful relationships, fulfilling jobs, more than enough money, and fantastically good looks. Most of us would nominate all these things and more as our first choice situations. However, in the real world, things don’t always happen that smoothly.

Often our first choices just are not realistically available to us, or they don’t turn out in the way we hoped.

It is then we have to deal with situations of difficult change, because the reality of second choice worlds can come as rude and unwelcome intrusions. We may get frightened and stressed, or angry and bitter as a result.

Sometimes we even respond by indulging ourselves in “First Choice World” fantasies. We daydream ourselves right out of our situations and into a better reality.

The problem is that these daydreams have no real power to help us deal with the difficult situation at hand. As a young boy, my family often moved town because of the nature of my dad’s job. As I got older, I struggled to adapt to my new schools, and so used to daydream all the time about being back in my old school with all my mates. I did this to such an extent that it took me much longer than it should have to deal with the change. I made new friends more slowly because I was refusing to come to terms with my changed reality.

Of course there is nothing wrong with having the occasional daydream, but we need to remember that continually fantasising about “First Choice Worlds” that just do not exist, will never help us move beyond our pain and struggles. Unfortunately, “Second Choice Worlds”, are part of the reality of life.
Unwelcome change may have brought all sorts of trials and grief to us, but the Bible promises us that God will “refine” our faith through these difficult moments. This message builds on yesterdays, because it is a reminder that not only will God always be with us, but also that God can press divine meaning even into the most unwelcome of “Second Choice Worlds”.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord, sometimes life brings us into unfair and painful circumstances. We acknowledge that we can often have unhealthy methods of dealing with circumstances like that. We ask that you would teach us healthy and wise ways of dealing with our “Second Choice Worlds”. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOCUS VERSE

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Embracing Change

(This week’s BDC was written by Rev Gareth Killeen)

DAILY BYTE

2011 is nearly over and we all find ourselves yet another year older. Some of us find getting old and all the changes associated with increasing age hard to cope with. I recently came across the following list which humorously deals with getting older:

“You know you are getting older ... when most of your dreams are re-runs; when the airline attendant offers you ‘coffee, tea or milk-of-magnesia’; when you sit down in your rocking chair and can’t get it started; when you watch a pretty girl walk by and your pace-maker opens a nearby garage door”.

But of course age is not the only change we struggle with. The world around us seems to evolve with ever increasing rapidity. For example, we have constant technological changes. New technologies are constantly hitting the markets. By the time you get your new PC home and out of the box, it is already outdated by a newer model!

We also have constantly evolving cosmological changes. This is just a fancy way of saying that what we know about the universe, and the way we view the world around us, are shifting all the time. Scientists are constantly changing their minds about stuff like how the world came into being, whether Pluto can be considered a planet or not, and what ingredients may or may not cause cancer.

I guess what I am trying to say is that whether we like it or not, change happens! As much as we may sometimes struggle with it, change is a fact of life. As Heraklietos once said: “Change alone is unchanging”.

Alvin Toffler, author of the best-selling “Future Shock”, says that when people go through times of change, they need what he calls, “islands of stability”. What he is meaning is that we need to learn what we can hold onto and what we can let go of when our circumstances change. For example, we need to let go of our resistance to change and our fixation with things as they once may have been. We need to embrace the fact of change.

But we also need to know that as we move into an ever-changing future, there are certain things we can still hold onto as being dependable and true, our “islands of stability”.

Read today’s focus reading (Hebrews 13:8), and then remind yourself that no matter what happens in our lives, God’s love for us always has been and always will be. We are God’s beloved children yesterday, today and tomorrow. God will never stop reaching out to us and God will never let go of us.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord, in our constantly changing society, it is good to remember that your love for us always has been and always will be. That you will never let go of us and never give up on us. Give us strength to hold onto this timeless and unchanging truth. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The Great Risk – Part 5

DAILY BYTE

If you’ve been hearing the challenge of the gospel this week to risk yourself a little more for life’s sake and love’s sake, then I’d urge you to act. Now is the time for you to do something about that nagging sense of conviction you’ve been feeling inside – to invite someone to church, or get involved in a new area of service, or offer greater hospitality, or change your job, or open your wallet in greater generosity, or open our mouth more boldly in speaking out against injustice, or daring to love more lavishly. Whatever God is calling you to, I urge you to go for it. And you will discover God’s abundance flowing to you and through you in the most remarkable & joyous way.

As we bring this week’s devotions to a close, I’d like to share a personal story.

A couple of years ago I was invited by the music teacher at my daughter’s school to be a part of a string ensemble that was to play at a special Easter concert. I was to play second violin. I knew the deal – music that was beyond my limited technical ability; just one practice immediately before the concert; and other musicians of superior ability. It just so happened that on this particular occasion the first violinist right next to me was none other than the associate concert master of the KZN Philharmonic. The double bass two seats to my right is also a member of the KZN Philharmonic. The chap on the cello next to me used to play for the KZN Youth Orchestra. And then there was me, just to round off the ensemble.

(Can you see where this is going?)

Well, it was an Easter concert, and thankfully this is an Easter story of good news. Because believe it or not, I didn’t screw up. I played. I participated. Of course, I missed many of the notes, and many that I played were wrong. But that’s not the point. The point is that I played, and the music sounded really really good. Which had nothing to do with the merits of my playing, but everything to do with the fact that a diverse group of people were risking themselves in making music together. And as I did so it was for me an experience of great joy.

Now I’m fully aware that if another member of the KZN Philharmonic had been playing second violin the music would have been even better. But dare I say it, what we had that day was certainly more ... interesting.

Maybe that’s why the master entrusts his bounty to all, including the little ones, and asks us to risk putting it all into play.

And what if you risk and lose? Well, imagine another ending to the parable, as suggested by Paul Duke.

He writes, “Suppose the third servant did not hide his gift. Let’s say he took that million bucks and built a shelter for the homeless. He fed the poor, gave job training, gave literacy training, told them of God’s love. Some flourished, but others were not grateful, did not get better. And one night a gang of them stole everything and burned the place to the ground.

And the master came back. And the third servant having heard the fine reports of his friends, had to step forward and say, “I have nothing. I lost everything you gave me. And the master said, ‘Well done, I’ll give you more, come into my joy.”

Of course in the parable Jesus told, the ones who took the risk didn’t lose at all. That’s the amazing thing about God’s fortune in our hands – to give it, is never in the end to lose it.

Have you known anybody in your life who risked something for love’s sake or for Christ’s sake, and were sorry that they did?

The time for playing it safe is past. Take the great risk that God entrusts to you. It is truly a gift of great love.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Thank you, gracious God, for entrusting me with a part to play in your great ensemble. Thank you that under your hand, the contribution of my life can add to the music of love that can fill this world with healing and transforming grace. Help me to let go of my insecurities, uncertainties, inadequacies and fears and trust that your power really is made perfect in weakness. Amen.

The Great Risk – Part 4

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday we wandered through the first part of the parable of the talents. Today, we pick up the story when the master finally returned, and summoned his slaves to give account. The first one reported an impressive return. Seems like the markets bounced back after all. Similarly the second had good news. The developer had made good on his promises, and the new airport had been a great help in pushing up property values in the area.

Hearing what they had done, the master said to each of these, “Well done, good and faithful slave. I trusted you and you have been trustworthy. I will continue to entrust my things to you. Come and share my joy.”

Now it’s the little guy’s turn. First thing he does is start attacking the master, “You’re a harsh man. You reap where you did not sow, and gather where you did not scatter seed.” What? Nothing in the story thus far supports this outrageous accusation. And nothing could be further from the truth. All the master does in the story is give and trust in the most prodigal way, and sow and scatter with reckless generosity, and invite others to share his joy.

And suddenly we understand why the third slave has been so afraid – because he’s got the master all wrong. He thinks the master is out to get him. And so he cannot trust the master’s trust in him.

He was invited to participate in the richly abundant life of the master, to risk himself in a whole new way, but he refused. And in his refusal he brings judgement on himself, and is thrown into outer darkness.

If that sounds harsh to you, and it does to me, maybe it’s because Jesus didn’t want to sugarcoat the difficult truth that ordinary people, like us, need to hear.

Yes, this parable speaks a challenging and uncomfortable truth. Whether we like it or not, God hands us an invitation that is both exciting and scary at the same time. It’s an invitation to take hold of this great gift of life, and to risk playing it, investing it, living it, in the audacious belief that it can become even more.

We did not choose this, but we can choose our response. We can refuse the invitation. We can refuse to participate. We can bury our hearts. Our dreams. Our passion to see this world renewed. We can bury our sense of being called.

Or, we can say OK. Let me risk it.

That’s what Abram said in response to God’s risky call for him to leave the comfort and security of the life he had always known. And that’s how the story of the people of God began. With a great risk. And in every age there have been others, ordinary people of faith, who in similar ways have risked themselves in the hands of God, and have found life in the process.

In the living of your life today, will you dare to join their ranks, as you abandon yourself into the hands of God and risk living your ordinary life in quite extraordinary ways?

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord God, remind me who you are. Remind me what you are like. Remind me that you are a God of generosity, mercy, compassion and grace. Remind me that you long to bless me that I might be a blessing to others. Remind me of these things, because when I remember rightly who you really are, it is then that I can more freely embrace and trust the person that you declare me to be – a beloved child of yours. Amen

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 12:1-4

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed.

The Great Risk – Part 3

DAILY BYTE

Over these next few days we’ll be looking at the difficult truth contained in the parable of the talents, particularly for the ‘little ones’ in this life who prefer to play it safe. Today, let’s walk through the first part of this challenging parable.

A man was heading out of town, and so summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. He knew they had different abilities, and so apportioned his property accordingly. To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to the third slave, the little one amongst them, he gave one. Notice he didn’t give all eight talents to the one with the most ability. All the slaves, from the greatest to the least, were entrusted with the master’s property. And then he leaves, for a long time.

To get this parable, it’s essential to grasp that a talent was a unit of money that was big big bucks. We’re talking lotto jackpot here. In Jesus’ day, one talent was the equivalent of 15 years’ wages. So for us to hear this story as the original hearers did, we could say that a talent was roughly a million rand, and we’d be more or less in the right ballpark.

So there we find these three slaves. One is holding in his shaking hand a cheque, with his name on it, for a million rand. Eish! The other is blinking his eyes as he stares at his cheque for two million. The third has one for five million rand. He’s the first to make a move. “I think I’ll take this off-shore, “ he says, “and play the stock market.” The little guy looks at him with disbelief, “Are you out of your mind?” he says. “We’re in the midst of a global economic recession, and the Eurozone Debt Crisis still hasn’t been resolved.” But the first slave isn’t listening because he’s already got a broker on the line.

The second slave then says, “Hmmm. Two million... I know. Property development. KZN North Coast.” And again the little guy grabs his hair and says, “Don’t be crazy. The property market is hugely deflated at the moment. And what if the master returns and his money is all tied up? Or the developer goes bust? Or…” But the second slave has already gone.

So there the little guy stands, cheque for a million rand in his hand, terrified.

The master had given no instructions as to what he should do with the money.

The decision is all his.

Don’t you feel at least a little bit sorry for him? I reckon he felt pretty sorry for himself. I reckon he felt sorry that he had such a master, who would take such a great risk as to entrust him, no… burden him with so much.

And so he wraps it up. And goes outside. And digs a hole. And buries it.

Which is not just to say that he did nothing with the money, but that it had to be hidden away. Maybe because he could not bear to look at the audacious invitation for him to risk himself in a wild and prodigal way.

I think that this little guy in the story represents all of us, at some time or another in all of our lives. For who of us can say that there haven’t been times when we’ve turned away from life’s audacious invitation to risk ourselves in wild and prodigal ways?

Maybe right now you’re aware of something that you’ve buried, for fear. Maybe it’s your heart. Maybe you loved someone, and it didn’t work out, and it hurt so bad that you made a promise to yourself that you’ll never allow yourself to get hurt like that again. And so, rather than risking yourself in vulnerability and love, you’ve buried your heart.

Maybe you’ve buried a lifelong dream. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that it could never happen for you anyway and that you’re crazy for even thinking it might. And so, rather than risking yourself in a great, soul-stirring venture, you’ve settled for mediocrity, as you’ve buried even the possibility of trying.

Can you feel the deep sense of disappointment, and waste, and regret that this kind of response ultimately generates. Is that what you want for your life?

SCRIPTURE READING

Matthew 25:18

But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

The Great Risk – Part 2

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday I shared the fictional story of the great risk that a golf pro by the name of Roy McAvoy once took in the US Open, as depicted in the movie Tin Cup. But there are real-life stories of risky heroism that could be shared as well.

Recently, I read the story of Ellen MacArthur, a young British sailor who a few years back broke the world record for the fastest non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world. It was the most unbelievable story of courage and endurance as she risked herself in this heroic quest. Over and over again, in seemingly impossible situations on the high seas, she chose to go for it, and in the end the record was hers.

The only trouble with fictional stories like Roy McAvoy’s, or real-life ones like that of Ellen MacArthur, is that these courageous risk-takers seem so far-removed from ordinary people like us. Let’s face it; our lives are lived on a much smaller stage. And many people are content with that. They’re aware of their limitations and shortcomings, and accept that in the great scheme of things, they are one of the little ones, whose lives will pass by largely unnoticed. And who think that great risks are not really for them.

If you’re one of those people who prefers being anonymous as you get on with your life in a largely unnoticed way, then I’d remind you that no-one, in fact, is anonymous to God, and no-one goes unnoticed by Him. In fact, there is no-one who does not have a very particular part to play in God’s great plan to mend the entire universe. Which means that everyone faces the great risk of colliding with a call from God upon their lives, sooner or later.

Jesus noticed the little ones. He took great interest in their lives and wellbeing. The fullness of life that he came to bring was not just for superstars, but for ordinary people, for whom he had a particular love and concern. So much so that he was unafraid to speak hard truth into the lives of ordinary people.

Over the rest of this week we’ll take a closer look at a story that contained such difficult truth. It’s known as the parable of the talents. In preparation to hear its challenge, maybe you’d like to read it now and begin to reflect upon what it might be saying to your life. It’s found in Matthew 25:14-30.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Forgive me Lord for the times when I hide behind my own sense of inadequacy, assuming that my limitations are limitations for you. Remind me that you are the Sovereign Lord of all the earth, and that when you call ordinary people like me into your service that you know what you are doing. Help me to trust that even my little life can be lived out on the great canvass of your purposes for the world, not because of any merit of my own, but because of the immensity of your grace. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

Psalm 8:3-9

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The Great Risk – Part 1

DAILY BYTE

Some of you may have seen the movie Tin Cup. It’s about a washed up golf pro by the name of Roy ‘Tin Cup’ McAvoy, played in the movie by Kevin Costner. He lives in a caravan on a dusty armadillo-infested driving range in some backwater town in Texas.

When a beautiful, sophisticated woman by the name of Dr Molly Griswold, played by Rene Russo, signs up for some golf lessons, she thinks that McAvoy is just a dead beat frat boy whose future plans extend only as far as his next beer. And so, to show her that he is, in fact, made of sterner stuff he sets out to qualify for the US Open, which he does.

In true schmaltzy Hollywood style, the movie comes to its climax with McAvoy needing a birdie on the final hole to win the US Open. He’s faced with a tough decision. Should he play it safe by laying up in front of the water hazard on this long par 5? Or should he play a far more risky shot, hitting over the water and going straight for the green? In earlier rounds he had tried the riskier option, and on each occasion had failed. The conventional wisdom was that he should play it safe.

But McAvoy would have none of that. He’s convinced he can pull off this audacious shot, and so he goes for it. And sure enough, hits the ball in the water. Undeterred, he takes out another ball, and tries the shot again, and again hits it in the water. So he takes out another ball, and another, and another, and another. Each time, hitting it into the water. Until he has only one ball left in his bag, and in even schmaltzier Hollywood style, he hits that last ball into the hole.

This movie was hardly a cinemagraphical tour de force, but it made a compelling point. There are times when life presents to us a risky choice, and we must decide: do we go for it, or do we play it safe? How we choose in those defining moments, shapes the kind of people we will be.

As we will be discovering in our devotions this week, God’s intention for us is to take the great risk of giving ourselves completely to this magnificent, miraculous gift that is our Life.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord Jesus Christ, you held nothing back in risking yourself completely in your great adventure of love by coming to share life with us. May we be inspired by your example to give ourselves completely to that higher purpose to which you call each one of us. Help us, today, to live in such a way that demonstrates our desire to trust you completely. Amen.

A FURTHER THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“A ship in harbour is safe – but that is not what ships are for.” John A. Shedd

More Than Enough

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday we discussed how Jesus responded to the disciples asking him to send the crowds away by saying, ‘YOU feed them.’

I am going to allow my imagination to go into override again as I picture their reaction to this challenge.

‘Now wait a minute Lord,’ the disciples may have said. ‘Wait just one cotton-picking moment. We have with us just 5 loaves and 2 fish! And yet there are 5000 people! There’s just not enough for everyone.’

How many times have we reacted in a similar way to God’s challenge?

‘God, I do not have enough love to do what you ask me to do.’ Or ‘I do not have enough faith. I don’t have enough gifts, or talent, or confidence, or vision, or hope, or courage. I’m too old, too young, too poor and too insignificant. There is so much need out there God that I am overwhelmed by it before I even begin and quite frankly, I have so little to begin with and certainly not enough to share with others!’

God does not remain silent in the face of such protests. God’s compassion covers even our inadequacies!

‘Bring it here,’ Jesus said to the disciples, ‘bring your 5 loaves and 2 fish.’

Bring it here God tells us. Bring your little bits of love, bring your small faith, bring your inadequacies and fears, bring your little bits of money and carefully hoarded possessions, bring whatever you lack but just make sure you bring ALL of you.

We have been through a progression with this story in that I first asked you to see yourself as one of the crowds before Jesus – loved! Then I asked you to see yourself as one of Jesus’ disciples – challenged! Now I would ask you to see yourself as what Oswald Chamber’s describes as ‘broken up bread and poured out wine’. To be given in self-sacrificing service to the world.

This is part of our overall destiny. To be given as part of God’s amazing love for all. And unless we give our lives in this way, we will find that we will always in fact ‘lack’ in some way.

There will be something missing from our lives and there will always be a ‘smallness’ about us.

For we have been created in love, by love and for love and so unless we learn to love then we will always lack. And we will always be searching for our meaning, purpose and significance in life.

But the Good News is that in the hands of Jesus, even our scarcity will prove to be enough. There is in fact more than enough for us, more than enough for our friends, and more than enough even for crowds of strangers. Even enough as 12 baskets left over! For we are all part of God’s abundant life and love. And there is MORE THAN ENOUGH of that for all!

PRAY AS YOU GO

Abundantly loving God, we bring to you our scarcity, our lack of love and faith, and we give thanks to you for the way you can multiply these things into abundance. Because of your generosity there is in fact more than enough for all and so teach us to trust in you and to give ourselves to you unselfishly. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Matthew 14. 17-21 (NIV)

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
"Bring them here to me," he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

YOU feed them

DAILY BYTE

So Jesus, filled with compassion, ended up spending the whole day in the wilderness with the crowds – healing, teaching and preaching. Near the end of the day, a group of disciples approach Jesus with a concern: "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

You know how it is often said that you have to read between the lines of what someone is saying to get the true meaning? Well, if I had to read between the lines here, I would imagine the disciples were saying something like: “Look Jesus, it’s getting late and we are tired and hungry! So let’s chase everyone away!”

And then in my imagination I see the disciples tugging on Jesus’ cloak as their voices drop to a conspiratorial whisper: “you see the real problem, Jesus, is that there is barely enough food for just us here. There’s not enough for everyone to share. And we are REALLY hungry.”

At least that is how it would have been if I was one of the disciples!

However, there on the shores of some distant lake, God’s compassion meets human selfishness as it always has from the very beginning.

‘You give them something to eat,’ Jesus retorts.

The word ‘you’ is emphatic in the Greek, ‘YOU feed them,’ Jesus said.

Imagine yourself as one of the disciples at this point, which should be relatively easy to do considering our own innate selfishness is constantly being challenged by God’s compassion. Think about all the prayers you might have prayed: ‘Lord, won’t you please take care of all the starving people in the world?’ ‘YOU feed them!’

‘Lord, won’t you please take care of all the little orphans in the world?’ ‘YOU care for them!’

‘Lord, don’t you see how many people have to live in shacks, won’t you please give them somewhere to sleep?’ ‘YOU shelter them’.

Hectic stuff to hear I know but this is the thing – God’s love finds us, holds us, heals us and then challenges us. God challenges us to love others as he has loved us!

Compassion is more than mere sentimentality and more than just feelings because compassion compels us into action. Michael W. Smith profoundly expressed this truth when he sang: “Love is not really love until you give it away.”

In what direction and towards what need do you think God might be challenging you to love? Hearing God’s challenge to care for others is quite frankly both scary and intimidating. And yet, it is an essential part of being a disciple of Christ. If we follow Jesus, we will find that he walks us into situations of great human need.

‘YOU feed them’.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy God, it is so scary and intimidating to hear you call to love. But we know that your will is that we love others as you have loved us. Help us to put aside our selfishness and follow you always – even if that following means we have to love others in extremely challenging ways. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Matthew 14. 15-16 (NIV)

As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

The Healing Power of God’s Love

DAILY BYTE

Of all the many human needs, perhaps the greatest is for love.

I remember talking to a psychologist once who told me that at the root of many people’s problems is a lack of love. If when we were young and did not receive healthy, giving love from our parents or carers, then the chances are we will walk around the rest of our lives carrying the hurts and scars of those childhood experiences.

Perhaps this has been your experience and one you are still struggling with now?

Remember yesterday’s focus reading, that after Jesus’ heart was ‘squeezed’ with compassion for the crowds, he began to heal them (Matthew 14.14). We need to know that God’s love can truly heal our wounds!

God’s love can give us a deep sense of self-worth that is not tied up in arrogance or selfishness. God’s love can give us a hope worth living for even when all else seems lost. God’s love will never give up on us and never rest (even if it means we have to be challenged and disciplined) until we become whole again.

As I have been saying to you all week, this is why it is so vitally important to open up your heart, mind and soul to the love of God. If you don’t you may forever be spiritually stunted, unable to grow past your wounds and hurts, and unable to grow past the life limitations others have set on you by their unloving actions.

As Jesus reached out in love and healed the crowd, so does God reach out to you. Know that nothing can separate you from the love of God and know that God’s love is powerful enough to heal even the very greatest of hurts.

However, such healing does not happen by accident. If you are carrying deep wounds around with you, I would encourage you to seek help. Go to a trusted person who can shepherd you spiritually and point the way for you towards God’s extravagant and healing love. Or what about writing down some of your hurtful experiences in the form of a prayer, asking God to heal and help you.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord God, we pray for healing. We lift up to you those areas of our lives that have been devastated by unloving and selfish actions. We bring to you those parts of our soul that have been affected by the neglect and abuse of others. We pray that your extravagent love would heal and help us. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Romans 8:35-39 (MSG)

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

‘They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.’
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

God’s Heart is ‘squeezed’!

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday, we spoke about the love of God. Throughout this week we are going to be reflecting more deeply on that love by looking at a particular story found in the Gospels.

The story of the feeding of the 5000 gives us some wonderful insights into the love of God for all people. Often when we encounter the miracle stories in the Gospels, we find ourselves sidetracked by the ‘how’ questions. Questions such as: How exactly did Jesus multiply a scarcity of food so that there would be more than enough for all?

While these types of questions have some value at certain times and places, I think that the most valuable question we can bring to this text is not ‘how’ but ‘why’?

For as soon as we bring the question of ‘why’ to this text we immediately find the very essence of this miracle – that God’s love and compassion for a hungry crowd moved him to miraculously feed them.

The story begins with Jesus hearing the news of his cousin’s death, John the Baptist. We are told that Jesus immediately seeks to retreat from his ministry. We don’t know exactly why he retreated so swiftly, but it was more than likely for a combination of reasons such as grief and the need to rest. So Jesus got on a boat and went to a ‘solitary place’.

However, as soon as Jesus set foot in his chosen place of rest, he was swamped by the crowds who had followed him. This is where Jesus’ compassion first strikes me. It can be really hard to love those who interrupt your rest!

Often my first reaction to such interruptions is one of irritation and exasperation. Yet Jesus’ first reaction was compassion. He looked out at the crowd and saw their tremendous need. The Greek word used to describe Jesus’ feelings towards the crowd literally conveys the idea of his heart contracting compulsively with compassion. Jesus’ heart was ‘squeezed’ by love for the crowds.

This is vital for us to remember – if Jesus is the human face of God, then God is not some distant and disinterested being sitting on a throne somewhere. Instead, when God looks upon you as part of the great human crowd, God’s heart is ‘squeezed’ with love for you.

Think about the people in your life that your heart gets ‘squeezed’ by – then think about how awesome it is that God feels that way, and more, about you!

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord God, our prayer today is that you would not only open our hearts to the reality of your love, but our minds as well. Help us to grasp the fully extent of your love, help us to be consumed by your compassion. For it is only in receiving your love, that our souls will find the food they truly need. Amen.

FOCUS VERSE

Matthew 14:13-14 (NIV)

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Summing it all up

DAILY BYTE

(This week’s BDC was written by Rev Gareth Killeen)

If people had to use one word to describe you, what would it be? A man once asked his two friends the following question, ‘What is the one thing you would like people to say about you at your funeral?’

The first almost immediately replied: ‘I would like people to say that I was a good provider.’

The second thought for a bit longer and then said: ‘I would like people to say that I was a good family man.’

Both then looked back at the man who had originally asked them the question. ‘And what you like people to say about you,’ they queried.
To which he replied: ‘the only thing I want people to say about me at my funeral is – look, he’s moving!’

In the whole of the Bible, in all the books written about God, in all the songs and hymns composed, in all the sermons preached and prayers prayed, what is the one word we could use to describe God? If I could take a stab at it, it would be the word ‘love.’ Throughout Scripture we learn of the amazing love story between God and humanity. The Hebrew Bible tells stories of how God longed to be in relationship with his people, the Psalms sing of God’s faithfulness, and the New Testament affirms how Christ lived out the love of God in tangible ways.

If love is such a deep and profound part of the very nature of God, then it stands to reason that if we cannot grasp the reality of God’s love for us, we will struggle to draw closer to him. If we cannot accept with humility and wonder the truth that we are God’s beloved children, we will probably find ourselves spiritually stunted – unable to grow past a certain point.

What will it take for you to accept God’s love for you? I cannot fully explain to you why God loves us. He loves us just because. God loves us because it is part of his nature to love. We cannot earn or deserve this love. It really doesn’t matter how few people in this world may love us, or how totally unlovable we may feel, it doesn’t change that fact that God still loves us! We should grasp this truth with both hands and run with it. We should let this love inspire and transform us.

Let me end by asking you the same question I began with - if people had to use one word to describe you, what would it be? Think about this for a while especially in the light of what we have discussed. Does the fact that the creator of the universe has chosen the word ‘love’ to describe his nature challenge you to change in any way? How would you change if you could accept deep within yourself, that you are God’s beloved child?

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy and Almighty God. You are our creator and our saviour. You are our God and our friend. For this we give thanks. We pray that our hearts would be opened every more deeply to your extravagant love. We pray also that we would be changed and transformed by that same love. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOCUS READING

John 4:16 (NIV)

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Lost!

DAILY BYTE

There is another image – another reminder – of God’s goodness contained in Psalm 23 that I would like to bring to your attention. This is the image of the table being prepared, a head being anointed and a cup overflowing (see verse 5).

The power of this image is sometimes lost to us in today’s society. Back in the ancient East there was a common tradition that when a guest had overstayed their welcome at a table, the host would only half-fill their cup. In this way the guest knew it was time to pack up and go home!

However, if a host wanted the guest to know that they were welcome at their table for as long as they liked then they would fill the cup to overflowing. The wine would be poured into the cup in such a way that it would spill out onto the tablecloth.

This Psalm is reminding us that we are ALWAYS welcome at God’s table. We are being reminded that God’s generous love and mercy is continually being poured down upon us and that God’s hospitality knows no boundaries and no end.

Psalm 23 is chock-full of such powerful images of God’s goodness which is why it has served to encourage the discouraged for over 3000 years.

Discouragement, disillusionment, despair … call it what you will. We all go through it at times. Sometimes it is self-inflicted and sometimes it is caused by others. Sometimes it arrives with sledge-hammer like suddenness and sometimes it arrives by a slow creep characterised in times of hard work, stress and too little inner reflection.

But whatever you call it, however it arrives and whatever causes it, the result can often be the same.

We forget.

God fades into the distance and we feel unable to deal with anything else but our discouragement. Ps 23 is not some glib or trite explanation as to why life can sometimes go wrong but rather it is a simple, yet profound affirmation of faith. Faith that has obviously been furnished in life’s furnace of pain and turmoil.

And perhaps the greatest wisdom of Ps 23 is its message that inner peace during difficult times, is not for sale and nor can it be bought. It is simply a gift. And this gift comes to us when we stop and remember exactly who we are and who God is.

For the LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Life is tough but God is good.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Almighty and Holy God, we give thanks to you for your extravagant hospitality and for the merciful way you have welcomed paupers at your table and fed us on food fit for royalty. May this love of yours give us the encouragement we need to face up to any of life’s difficult situations without losing trust in you. In Christ name we pray. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Psalm 23:5-6

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Dealing with Discouragement - Part 4

DAILY BYTE

The second way that Ps 23 helps us through moments of discouragement is that it calls us to remember that God is good. That God is good, kind and loving.

Philip Yancey when writing on the Psalms, once remarked that 70% of them are lamentations. What he means by this is that they are gritty and real – they speak of human doubts, fears, disappointments and even anger with God. Yet their other remarkable feature is that they almost always at the same time affirm the goodness of God. It is like they hold those two apparently contradicting truths in tension: life can be disheartening and tough BUT God is good.

Life is tough BUT God is good.

Ps 23 reminds us that although there are valleys and shadows in life, God is still wonderfully kind and loving. The Psalm is filled with some beautifully tender images that vividly remind us of this goodness. I would like to bring just a few of these images to your attention.

The first such image is where the Psalm affirms that God will ‘lead us to quiet waters’. Did you know that sheep are afraid of loud noises and so shepherds always seek out quiet pools of water for them to drink from? This is an image of God taking us to a place where we feel safe and unthreatened. God calls us to come out of the chaos that life can sometimes become to remind us that there is more to us than just smoke and noise. God cares enough about us to seek out the quiet waters for us – places that will restore our souls and remind us of our true purpose.

The second image I would like to emphasise is that of the rod and staff being used to comfort us. Anyone who grew up in an era when corporal punishment was still legal would certainly not find the image of a rod to be comforting at all! However, what is important for us to know is that ancient Eastern shepherds never used the staff and rod to beat the sheep but rather to protect them from predators. Furthermore, when sheep were climbing dangerous mountain paths, the shepherd would use the staff to prod their haunches to keep them from straying too close to dangerous edges. This image is one of a God who cares for us daily in such a way as to protect us from danger and to carefully guide our lives through difficult situations.

Let these two images remind you of what it is quite easy to forget when we go through discouraging times – that God is not just good but God is exceedingly good; and that God does not just love us but God loves us absolutely!

When we go through tough times it is easy to feel that God is far away but Ps 23 reminds us that is JUST a feeling, and we can’t always trust our feelings. For the truth of the matter is that God is close to us ALWAYS, God is good ALWAYS and God loves us ALWAYS!

PRAY AS YOU GO

Loving God, help me remember, even in the midst of tough and discouraging times, that your love for me never fades. Help me to remember that you are always there to guide and protect me. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Psalm 23:3-4

God restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

Dealing with Discouragement - Part 3

DAILY BYTE

Ps 23 reminds us of who we are and of who God is and in this way can help us through our moments of discouragement.

‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’.

The Psalm urges us to remember exactly who God is – that God is our shepherd. This is about remembering our life’s true priorities. Sometimes we allow other things like careers or studies or relationships to become our shepherd - to become that which defines or completes us and when we do so we will find ourselves to suddenly be IN WANT; to be dissatisfied, unfulfilled and not understanding why.

David had to remember that even a great king could not be his own shepherd, and Ps 23 is a powerful reminder that in fact NONE of us can be.

And if the Lord is our shepherd, then it occurs to me we have to remember that we are sheep. Personally, I feel insulted at being called a sheep for as far as I understand it, sheep are dumb, timid, defenceless and helpless. Being called a sheep offends my individual nature, my pride.

Well, quite frankly, sometimes the Gospel can be offensive, especially when it is true and not what we want to hear about ourselves. For if we are honest with ourselves, then we can often be like a sheep and follow the crowd – we can too easily be moulded and shaped by peer pressure. If we are honest with ourselves, then we can often be like sheep and wander off and get lost – we can too easily forget our life’s true priorities. If we are honest with ourselves, then we can sometimes be silly enough to get ourselves into self-destructive habits that negatively impact on the rest of our lives.

The prophet Isaiah said it best: ‘We are all like sheep gone astray, we turned everyone to our own way.’ We all struggle with tendencies towards self-indulgent behaviour and toward blindly following the crowd around us. That’s us – we can be like sheep, and if that is so we can never forget that we NEED God as our shepherd. We need God to guide us, protect us and help us.

So perhaps the very first thing we need to do in order to deal with discouragement is to never forget this – that God should always be our life’s highest priority otherwise we will find ourselves to be lacking in some way (we will be ‘in want’). We need to remember that we are a people who NEED a shepherd – someone to guide us and protect us.

No amount of discouragement should ever make us forget this.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy and Life-giving God, sometimes we become discouraged because we have forgotten how much we need you to be our shepherd. Help us to remember who you are and who we are. Help us to remember how much we need you in all things to guide, protect and fulfil us. Amen.

FOCUS VERSE

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

Dealing with Discouragement - Part 2

DAILY BYTE

Yesterday, it was mentioned that King David possibly wrote Psalm 23, and if he did so it was during an incredibly traumatic time. At a time when for whatever reasons, many of them probably his own fault, his loved ones had turned against him. David’s own son Absalom led a rebellion against him that included in its numbers many of David’s most trusted friends and allies. All of which resulted in the great King David - slayer of giants - fleeing for his very life from his own palace. Fleeing up into the mountains with only a small portion left of a once mighty army.

But it was exactly in this middle of this terrible event – in the agony of a son’s betrayal, in the discomfort of losing a home, in the fear of losing life and livelihood – it was in the middle of all this that David remembered. David remembered that God was good and would be always be with him during even the very worst of moments.

We can only guess at the actual scene of his remembering. Perhaps David had been tossing and turning through the night, until finally frustrated at his inability to sleep, he got up just before sunlight and went for a walk to clear his head. Perhaps he stopped for a rest on a hill somewhere with a nice view. Except, he wasn’t really seeing anything before him, he was just chewing on his lip as his thoughts tumbled and his heart almost break. The rejection, hurt and utter loneliness of the last few days threatening to defeat him forever.

But it was exactly at that grey, foggy moment of human despair that grace broke through into his heart like the sun breaking through storm clouds. For suddenly David saw something that brought back memories recently forgotten – memories that had been drowned out in his life’s discouragement. For David saw a shepherd tending to his flock … and it was then that David remembered.

He remembered how it had been in his own youth when he had grown up looking after his father’s sheep. He remembered the strong sense of God’s presence with him always as he slept out nights in the dangerous wilderness. He remembered how God had always cared for him just as he cared for his own sheep and how God had protected and guided him through all dangers just as he did for his own sheep. The pastoral scene before him brought back such powerful and evocative memories that his senses were awakened and his faith stirred once more – faith that slowly but surely began to warm his heart with hope and trust.

It was then that King David began to sing: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want …’

You may be someone who is suffering through great discouragement and disillusionment. It is common at this time of the year when life gets so busy and hectic. Stress abounds! Well, the message of Ps 23 is one of great hope and renewed faith. During dark gloomy days of discouragement, Ps 23 can be like that sunray which breaks through the clouds, because, like it did with David, Ps 23 REMINDS us of some of the things we may have forgotten in our discouragement.

Spend some time today looking back over your life. Try to remember the different ways God has acted in your life and let these memories stir your faith and bring encouragement to you.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy God, you are the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. You have always been there for us and you always will be. Help us to remember the incredible ways your grace has been worked into our lives in the past, and like it did for David, let those memories stir our faith into life once more. Amen.

FOCUS VERSE

Psalm 23:3a

God restores my soul.