Will God honor you at death?
19 Mar 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
Deuteronomy 33
Deuteronomy 34
Luke 1:24-56
And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 34:6).
Will God honor you at death?
God buries Moses. This is the only place recorded in Scripture when God honored one of His servants by personally burying him. A special relationship existed between God and Moses. The Lord spoke to Moses directly at the burning bush and called him into ministry (Exodus 3). Then God defended Moses when Miriam and Aaron sought to usurp his leadership. “I speak with him face to face,” says the Lord, who then asks, “Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:8). Moses honored the Lord in life and God honored him in death. Stephen also glorified God in life, and Jesus stands to greet him in heaven at his death (Acts 7:55-56). We should live for the Lord now, to be honored by Him later.
Employment Point: Honor God in life and He’ll honor you in death.
———————-
Reflections
“And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is.”
Deuteronomy 34:5-6 NIV
- what an honour to be buried by God and to be shown what He has given to His people even though Moses would not have a chance to enter it. The Lord and Moses are like best friends. Their relationship special and intimate. Yet we saw how the Lord is still unbiased when Moses failed.
- This is the man we know as God. Who love all, each and every one of us. But no matter how close we are to Him, there is no escaping judgement. It felt like the judge personally sentencing him to death even though they are best friends. He had to do what He had to do but that doesn’t mean He have to give up the friendship.
- May we not come to a point where we have to face God like this.
“For no word from God will ever fail.””
Luke 1:37 NIV
- this verse is such an encouragement and also a great promise that we can remember and fall back on whenever we meet with any challenges. If He has promised us, He will bring it to pass. For no word from God will ever fail and we have all known our Lord to be the faithful Lord, whom we can fully trust.
““I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”Luke 1:38 NIV
- I am not sure how many of us upon hearing from an angel something beyond our understanding, will truly respond like Mary. I can imagine how much faith it takes her, and perhaps of her own walk with God, that the Lord favours her and she fully understands her position, even though she is a woman.
- Back in those times, this would be so rare but perhaps only for reasons known to God that she is special and understands her place, not only that, she is also humble and accepting of servant status. i am truly amazed by this.
- May this too be a reminder to us that when the Lord calls us, we will humble ourselves like Mary and say to the Lord that we will surrender and do as He plans, for we are His servants.
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Luke 1:41, 43 NIV
- Such wonders can only be fulfilled by the Holy Spirit for which human would know what happened to Mary and say the things that Elizabeth has said.
- Therefore we should not be surprised when out of nowhere we speak of things not known to us, just like how Jesus told Peter that he would not have known that Jesus is the Messiah if it’s not for His Father that has revealed it to him. But just be discerning to not mouth anything that may not be from the Spirit. We need to guard our tongues.
————————
The Faith of Abraham
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
March 19
By faith Abraham . . . obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. — Hebrews 11:8
In the Old Testament, people demonstrated a close, personal relationship with God by separating themselves physically from friends, family, and home. Abraham “obeyed and went,” leaving everything behind. Today, the separation God asks of us is more of a mental and moral separation. We must maintain a radically different mindset from those who do not have a personal relationship with him, even if they happen to be our nearest and dearest. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother,” Jesus said, “such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
As disciples, we are called to walk by faith. Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason. It is a life of knowing the One who sends us out. The root of faith is knowledge of a person—Jesus Christ himself. One of the biggest traps we fall into is the idea that God will surely lead us to worldly success. He will surely lead us into a personal relationship with Jesus. That is his measure of success.
The final stage of the life of faith is the development of our character. There are many moments in our walk with God when we feel our character being transformed. We might feel God’s blessings wrap around us when we pray, and for a moment we are changed. Then we go back to the ordinary days and ways and the sense of glory vanishes. The life of faith isn’t a life of mounting up with wings but a life of walking and not fainting (Isaiah 40:31). It isn’t a question of sanctification but of something infinitely greater: of faith that has been tried and has stood the test. This was the faith of Abraham, a tried-and-tested faith built on a real God. “Abram believed the Lord” (Genesis 15:6).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
————————
Reflections
Having doing the book of Abraham in my CG and coming to an end, what I realised was that Abraham does have his ups and downs as well. It was not always easy and smooth sailing but over time, he did experience God’s faithfulness and He learnt to hear God’s voice and follow His commands.
I think many people struggle to hear God’s voice. A common question is how do you hear from God or how do you discern His voice, especially between His and our own voice. But over time I do realise that when He speaks, it is quite different from our thoughts. He speaks with great wisdom and authority, something that is usually beyond us.
I also realised that He will, at times, give us some form of small tests which are totally beyond our understanding or of any logical sense. But I believe it is through all these tests that helps builds our own trust in Him too, just like how Abraham builds his trust and gain his faith in the Lord.
When we have a close relationship with Him, we do not really question why. The only question we should ask is how and allow Him to lead the way.
—————————
Lent devotion Day 30/53
taken from YouVersion, Lent for Everyone
Lent for Everyone is a devotional created and written by N.T. (Tom) Wright. For each day of Lent, there is a reading chosen from the Gospel of Matthew, plus a reflection by Wright. These readings have grown out of a project encouraging Lent reading in Northern England. This is the second in a three-volume series based on the Revised Common Lectionary of the Church of England.
Today’s reading:
Matthew 21:23-46
WEEK 4: THURSDAY
I was taking a service in a local church when this passage was the second reading. Over at the side of the church was a family with a three-year-old boy who appeared to be playing with his toys, taking no notice of the service. But when the reader finished this parable, about the wicked tenants who beat up the owner's messengers and finally kill his son, there was a momentary pause; and, in the silence, the boy's voice stood out loud and clear: 'That's not a very nice story!'
Well, no, it isn't, and that's part of the point. We come to the gospels hoping and imagining that they are going to be 'nice'; that we will find a Jesus who tells us it's all right, we don't have to worry, nobody's going to get hurt, no one will even be cross. But with the world the way it is, if God doesn't get cross about it he is not a good God. If he doesn't do something about it, sooner or later, he's quite simply not God.
The whole New Testament is based on the belief that in Jesus of Nazareth the living God took the world into his hands at last in judgment and mercy. When I say 'took it into his hands', there are various different meanings there, which have to be explored in due course. Tragically, it was God's own people, Jesus' own people, Israel itself that stood in the way of what God was wanting to do.
In the Bible, the 'vineyard' is often used as an image for the people of Israel. In the old prophets, the vineyard has often gone wrong, gone wild, rebelled against its planter. In this story, though, it's the tenants who are at fault. The 'vineyard' itself seems to be God's inner purpose, Israel as the bearer of his saving plan for the world. As in the Old Testament, God sent prophets to his people, but his people refused to listen. Now at last he is sending his son — and his people, instead of listening, think that if they kill the son they can have the vineyard for themselves.
This is at the heart of it. Jesus' challenge to Israel — that it was time at last for God to become king, and that this was happening through him and his work — was too much. As with the young man two chapters earlier, his contemporaries couldn't match the total demand of God's kingdom. And, to explain the result, Jesus called on other biblical images: the stone that won't fit the wall but will go nicely at the very top (Psalm 118.22—23), and the stone that will crush all opposition (Daniel 2.34). The English words 'son' and 'stone' are very similar; in the same way the Hebrew words ben (son) and eben (stone) are very much alike. The rejected son, like the rejected stone, will become the Lord of all and judge of all.
This parable is Jesus' own explanation for what was happening. Once again, telling cryptic stories is the only way you can say the really important things. As we watch, we find ourselves drawn into the action. Are we part of the group that don't want the Owner to take control of his own vineyard? Would we rather keep it for ourselves?
TODAY
Almighty God, give us grace to produce the fruits of your kingdom, that we may celebrate your Son, the chief cornerstone of your new Temple.
—————————
Let’s pray:
Dear Abba Father, as the Lenten season is about 3/4 through, help us Lord to persevere in the study of Your word and to assign time with intentionality to be with You and to hear from You. Help us Father, to learn to pause and be still at Your feet, surrendering everything and including ourselves into Your hands. May You guide our every thought, word and deed and let it all be for Your glory alone. Help us to honour You in every calling or tasks that You have called us to. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen 🙏🏻
Comments
Post a Comment