Today’s reading is Luke 17: 14-31 Today’s reading has within it one of my favorite teachings of Jesus – the kingdom of God is in among you. That’s one of those powerful truths that we can really ponder. What does … Continue reading
How many of us as kids, or even now as adults, are told to quit daydreaming? Focus on what you are doing? Focus on the task in front of you? Don’t get your head stuck in the clouds? While there … Continue reading
One of the things that Paul talks about a good bit in his writings is that whatever is behind us is not as great as what is to come. All the stuff of the past, it doesn’t hold a candle to the stuff that is to come. And we often think of that as negative. The past is done. The future is great. God will take away the past mistakes, the past failings, the past stuff, and give us amazing, full, life.
That’s how I think about it, a lot. But listen to something that Paul writes today in 2 Corinthians 3:9-10:
For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.
He’s talking about the old law, how the people used to have live, what they ate, how they washed, all the stuff that they had to do under the old covenant. And Paul says what had glory before, now has no glory. Because of this glory that surpasses it all.
What is this glory that surpasses it all?
Grace. The love of God that sweeps us off our feet, the love of God that restores us. The love of God that forgives us. The love of God that makes us new.
Yeah, the past as good as it may have been, it really doesn’t compare to the future. Even the best of the best, the things that were the greatest, the things with the most glory and most purpose, they are not what really matters or counts.
What does? The glory of God that comes through grace. The glory of God that comes through relationship. The glory of God that comes through His life. The glory of God.
Today, no matter how great the past was, the glory of God is better. No matter how dark the past was, the glory of God redeems. No matter how unworthy you may feel, the glory of God restores. Today, may matter how drift less you may feel, the glory of God gives purpose.
This glory, it is the anchor for our life. You were made for it.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
There are certain passages of scripture that we all know so very well. Verses that we all have memorized, or at least have a good idea about they say. John 3:16, for instance, is a verse that most all of us know pretty well.
Another verse that a good many of us are familiar with is Jeremiah 29:11. Listen to what it says:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
That’s a verse that is close to many of us, a verse that has been a rock of help and support in difficult times. God has a plan for us, a good plan, a plan that will be for our benefit and for our good.
I love verses like that. Verses that give hope and peace. Verses that we can hold onto.
But, something I like to do, when looking at a “famous” verse, is look at the next verse. Look at what happens next. Look at what follow. Listen to Jeremiah 29:12-14:
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
In 11 God talks about a hope and a future for us. But look what it says in these. When you seek me with all of your heart, you will find me. I will be found by you.
God will be found today, by you. Are you looking for Him? For hope? For peace? For life? Are you really looking for what counts? Are you broken, discouraged, or doubtful?
Today, are you looking for God?
Hear His promise. You will find Him. You will. He has promised us that.
Today, He has promised us a hope and a future. And has promised something even better. If we search for Him, we will find Him. We will.
Seek Him today. And you will find what you are looking for.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phone.
Sometimes in life, we can think that the stress of this exact moment is the worst thing in all of human history and in all of creation. Nothing, nothing, nothing could ever be worse that this.
The world is ended. It is over. It is finished. It just is.
Sometimes in that moment, we loose the gift of perspective. We really cane lose that and forget how things really are, and how things really work.
Now there are some things that are truly and utterly life changing, things that rock our world, shake our core and change the direction of our lives.
There are those moments.
And there are the other moments, the rest of the moments that define our lives. And these moments that cause of great stress, stop and think for a moment. This event. This time, this thing.
Will it matter in a year? Will you remember it in a year? Will it be important in a year. What will it matter in the scope of eternity.
Listen to what it says in Psalm 102:11-12:
My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.
Our days are finite. Our days are limited. We are just a shadow that is here for a moment, and then is gone. What are our lives in the scope of eternity.
So, this issue that you are worried about, what is it in the scope of eternity?
Keep your perspective. Remember what is important. Remember what counts. Don’t get bogged down on these things.
And here’s the really cool thing. Yes, our lives are fleeting. They are short. They are small. And God Almighty that knows all, sees all, understands all, knows you.
Knows the hairs upon your head. Knows your thoughts, your dreams, your hopes.
Knows and loves you.
We may seem insignificant. But to the God of the universe, we matter a great deal. So, keep your problems in perspective. And know that the God of creation knows you, loves you, and will be with you.
And that’s bigger than any problem we face!
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
Sometimes in life, we don’t know what the future holds. Well, actually, at all times in life, we don’t know what the future holds.
None of us have an understanding of what is in store for us in the days to come. We may have an idea. We may have a notion. But none of us are sure as to what the future may hold.
And that can be scary. That can worrisome. I may not like what the future holds. It may be something that I’m unsure of.
Even if I’m in a situation that I may not like. Even if I know I’m somewhere that I don’t need to be.
Sometimes the fear of the unknown is greater than the fear or the pain of where we may be.
Sometimes we are afraid to jump because we don’t know where we will land.
Listen to what happens to the people of God today in Exodus 16:2-3:
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
They didn’t like slavery. But, they were now afraid of the future. And as much as they didn’t like being slaves, they were afraid of the future and afraid of the unknown. And they were willing to go back to slavery, instead of jumping to the unknown.
Today, I don’t know the future. I don’t know all the details of what will happen. I’m unsure of the future. There are many, many things that I don’t know. That are unknown.
But, there is this that is known. God. He is good. He loves us. He will not forsake us. We are His. He will not leave.
So, even in the unknown, trust what is known. God.
Today, even if you are afraid, and don’t know what the future holds, know who holds that future. God.
Trust in Him, even in the unknown.
Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.
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