Tag Archives: journey

Wandering, October 9, 2017

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Today’s Podcast


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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com ; The Story, Chapter 6, You Version Bible app, days 36 through 42

We continue our journey through God’s Story. We’ve looked at God’s creation of the perfect garden and His desire to walk with us and interact with us in personal, intimate ways. We discovered how our decisions severed that relationship by bringing sin into the world and so God, in His holiness, could not walk in the garden with us anymore because He cannot tolerate sin. We also learned that from the time of that first act of disobedience, God has been working to make a way to restore that perfect relationship with us so that we can once again walk with Him.

We discovered how God uses the most unlikely people to carry out His plan so that no one can claim ownership of that plan. It becomes obvious that only God can be the author of the restoration between God and humanity. He built a special nation through which His plan would come together. He built that nation through Abraham and Sarah and their son, Isaac, born to them at their perfect child bearing ages of 100 and 90 respectively. We saw how God used a slave and prisoner to save His special people and all the other nations of North Africa and the Middle East during a seven year famine that swept that region.

And we learned why God gives us rules so that we can learn to get along with each other. Remember the premise. If we can’t get along with and live with each other, how can we broken, imperfect, selfish, sinful people expect to live with a holy God. Those commands God gave us are not burdensome, gotcha rules and regulations, but rather, the means by which we can live in community with those around us and with God in the center of our community.

So this week, as you read the stories that will come from Numbers and Deuteronomy we will learn something about the Israelites journey in the wilderness. They have escaped from their Egyptian tormentors. Pharaoh’s chariots rest at the bottom of the Sea of Reeds and his army’s bloated bodies float face down in its waters or wash up on the shores. The Israelites have camped out at the foot of Mount Sinai for a year learning about God’s instructions and then God says, “Ok, it’s time to go. Head out to the land I promised you.”

Have you ever headed out on one of those multi-day drive vacation trips? I have to admit, I don’t do those much anymore. When I was younger I took more of them, but I think like me, most people choose to fly rather than spend days in the car to get to their destination these days. Find cheap flights a few months in advance and it’s probably cheaper than the extra days in motel rooms and the gas for the car, right? And certainly better for my back and my psyche.

But when I was a kid, I remember going to Ohio with my parents to visit my grandparents. My dad would sometimes try to make the drive overnight so all of us kids would sleep in the back of the car and not ask THE questions. “Are we there yet?” “How much farther?” “When can we stop to eat?” “What is there to do? I’m bored.” Back then travel was a little different than today. Remember, the first interstate highway wasn’t built until 1954, so by the early sixties many trips still took place on two lane roads. Nashville to Sebring, Ohio was one of those trips.

When it was daylight, the questions started and occasionally my mom or dad’s arm would reach across the front bench seat and swat a leg to let us know it was time to stop whatever it was we were doing. The questions, picking at each other, trying to grab whatever one or the other had. The swat said straighten up, act right, behave yourself. We’ll be at our destination when we get there. Be patient.

Back to God’s story. God told Moses to get going. It was time to leave for their final destination. The promised land awaited. Everyone is thrilled…for a day or two. They complained they needed food. So God sent them manna. Then they complained about the manna. So God gave them quail. But this time God gave them what they wanted. He gave them so much quail that it “came out their nostrils” the Bible says. I’m not sure how much quail that was, but I’m sure I don’t want to find out.

So they complained about the quail. And Aaron and Miriam complain about their brother, Moses! Why is he the leader and not them? He can’t even talk right. Why does he get to go into the tabernacle alone and not them. They want to see God, too. They want to be part of this plan. They have the same blood running through their veins, don’t they? They have the same mother and father as Moses, don’t they? It was Miriam that helped save Moses from being drowned in the Nile after all. This just wasn’t fair! Miriam came away from that argument with leprosy.

Just the year before, these same people were slaves making handmade bricks out of mud and straw for Pharaoh’s buildings. They had a diet of cucumbers and onions. They were beaten by their masters. Pharaoh had all the male babies thrown into the Nile as crocodile snacks. But they thought they were better off there than on their dusty journey through the desert to the promised land described as flowing with milk and honey.

Sounds just like us, doesn’t it? God can do the miraculous for us one moment and then we complain about some minor struggle we have the next moment. He can do the impossible for us and then we question how we will make it through the next day. We lift some prayer request to Him in a study group or prayer circle and then we are amazed when there is an answer to that prayer. We’re just like the Israelites sometimes, aren’t we?

Can I ask you to look back over your life and see how God is working in His upper story to restore His relationship with you? There might be some deserts you’ve gone through. There might be some places where the only thing you had to eat was that plain old manna or you had what you asked for but it was like quail coming out your nose until you just wanted to be rid of it. Maybe you look back and it’s hard to see many places where God worked His miracles because you’re on that dusty road and the winds block your view as if in a sandstorm. Can I challenge you then to remember that we live in the lower story where it is hard to see very far ahead. We only see to the bend in the road and that bend my not be just to the end of our arm. But remember God operates in His upper story and His desire is to bring you into an intimate relationship with Him. He wants more than anything else to walk with you face to face in the perfect garden He has prepared for those who love Him and work according to His purpose.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more about The Story and our part in it. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The hated Master (Luke 19:12-27) December 24, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 25-26

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 19:12-27
Jesus: A ruler once planned a journey to a distant country to take the throne of that country and then return home. Before his departure, he called 10 of his servants and gave them each about three months of wages. “Use this money to buy and sell until I return.” After he departed, the people under his rule despised him and sent messengers with a clear message: “We do not want this man to rule over us.”
He successfully assumed kingship of the distant country and returned home. He called his 10 servants together and told them to give an account of their success in doing business with the money he had entrusted to them.
The first came before him and said, “Lord, I have made 10 times the amount you entrusted to me.” The ruler replied, “Well done! You’re a good servant indeed! Since you have been faithful in handling a small amount of money, I’ll entrust you with authority over 10 cities in my new kingdom.”
The second came and said, “Lord, I’ve made five times the original amount.” The ruler replied, “I’ll entrust you with authority over five cities.”
A third came and said, “Lord, I have successfully preserved the money you gave me. I wrapped it up in a napkin and hid it away because I was afraid of you. After all, you’re a tough man. You have a way of taking a profit without making an investment and harvesting when you didn’t plant any seed.”
The ruler replied, “I will condemn you using your very own words, you worthless servant! So I’m a severe man, am I? So I take a profit without making an investment and harvest without planting seed? Then why didn’t you invest my money in the bank so I could have at least gained some interest on it?” The ruler told the onlookers, “Take the money I gave him, and give it to the one who multiplied my investment by 10.”
Then the onlookers replied, “Lord, he already has 10 times the original amount!”
The ruler responded, “Listen, whoever has some will be given more, and whoever doesn’t have anything will lose what he thinks he has. And these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to rule over them—bring them here and execute them in my presence.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Here’s another one of those stories I’ve read a lot, but overlooked a part until today. But that one sentence stuck out for me like a sore thumb and I couldn’t get past it. So let’s look at it today. The sentence I’ve ignored? “After he departed, the people under his rule despised him and sent messengers with a clear message: ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’”

So why would that sentence pop out at me today? I’m not real sure, except I think our whole society fits that description pretty well. Jesus left physically a couple thousand years ago when ascended into heaven and told us He would return. We don’t know exactly what He’s been doing since then. We know He’s preparing a place for us to spend eternity, but it’s a big universe out there. Maybe He’s visiting some of those other planets He created. Maybe UFOs are real and there are some other sentient beings He is offering His salvation? We just don’t have a clue what God is doing other than intervening for us with the Father and preparing a place for us. But He’s God and that doesn’t take much time when you’re God and can do anything and everything without being concerned about time, a meaningless concept for Him.

Since He left, however, we have not gotten better in our sensibilities toward solving the social problems of the planet. We still build thick walls between us. Whether nationally, racially, economically, just pick any trait and if there is a difference between any group of people, we’ll use it to build a wall so we don’t have to associate with “those” people. That’s not what God planned for us when He created us. That has been our doing.

And in the process, as God has tried to teach us with His word and His example, our selfish desires have so gotten in the way, that the world has learned to despise Him. Even those who follow His example are despised. Just take a look at the increase in martyrdom since He left. More and more Christians are killed because of following Him every year. It wasn’t just ISIS when they came on the scene. Christians have died at the hand of evil men since Jesus departed 2000 years ago for claiming Him as Lord.

Society despised Jesus so much, they even try to blot out His name. We can’t even celebrate Christmas in public anymore. Now it’s the holiday season instead of Christmas. Strange how we lose the name of the very person for whom the holiday came to be in the first place, isn’t it? How does it happen? Because we want our way. We don’t want anyone, even God, telling us how to live. We can choose to follow Him or not, though. We don’t get to choose the consequences of that decision, but we can choose to follow Him or not. Be forewarned, if you follow God, the rest of the world will despise you, just like the Master that left on a long journey 2,000 years ago. He’s coming back, though, and will ask for a reckoning of what He has entrusted to us. Choose well.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

We are going to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:18-19) May 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Corinthians 6-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:18-19
Jesus: We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the teachers of the law. He will be condemned to death, and the priests and teachers will turn Him over to the Romans, who will mock Him and flog Him and crucify Him. But on the third day, He will be raised from the dead to new resurrected life.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are going to Jerusalem. Jesus knew what would happen there. He laid it out in pretty clear terms to His disciples. No pulled punches. Betrayal. Condemnation. Beatings and floggings. Crucifixion. But also hope and victory. By the time He got to the raising from the dead part, I’m not sure His disciples were listening any more. I’m not sure I would be if this were the speech I was hearing at the time.

We are going to Jerusalem. Let’s go there so I can die! All you guys who have been following Me to see My kingdom come to fruition, watch Me go to the seat of our religious power and hang on a cross. Sound like a good idea to you? Oh, by the way, betrayal, that means one of you will be part of a conspiracy against Me. Which one of you wants to fill that role? Okay, pack your bags. Let’s hit the road. Let’s whistle a happy tune and get going.

What did He just say? That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Two things that are important for us to think about today and emulate in our walk with Him. First, Jesus knew His path and steadfastly took it. Even though He knew what was coming, Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem and went. He knew His mission ended in Jerusalem and He had to go. He knew He would die there. He knew He would face pain, torture, ridicule, death, but those did not deter Him because He knew God’s plan for Him meant going to Jerusalem and nothing would stop Him from taking the path God laid out for Him. He set His face toward Jerusalem. We are going to Jerusalem. That was it. No question about it. Done deal.

So, the question I have for you today is, Do you know what God wants you to do? If so, are you so determined to fulfill it that nothing will stand in your way to complete it? Jesus knew what completing His mission entailed. It meant betrayal, condemnation, torture, and death. But despite the obstacles that Satan put in His path, Jesus knew His mission would not fail because it was not His plan but His Father’s.

When we know God’s plan and get to it, nothing can stop it. We can boldly move toward the culmination of God’s plan even when it looks impossible. See, God works in the realm of the impossible. He takes our efforts and fills that gap between what we can do and what He plans and makes the impossible happen when He wants His plans completed.

The second thing we should learn from Jesus’ words today, let’s look at the words again. We are going to Jerusalem. We are going. You can’t get anywhere without taking those first steps. The old Chinese proverb says, the longest journey begins with the first step. It’s true with God’s missions for our lives. We might know what God wants us to do. But until we take that first step, we will never get it completed. We have to get up off our best intentions and get moving.

Jesus made a declaration to His disciples. It was not a question or a request. He made a statement and then set out doing it. You have to get up and move accomplish God’s will, not necessarily literally, but most of the time, literally. But always you have to do something. More often that not, that something will be service to others. Helping in some way. Doing something to show others God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Will there be difficult times when we serve others? Absolutely. Serving others is messy business. Getting involved in people’s lives is tough. It’s never easy, but the rewards are great. So what’s stopping you? Do you question what God wants you to do or where He wants you to go? I’ve had that problem at times. So what do you do then? Just work where you are. Maybe God has you exactly where He wants you. So just do something where you are. Maybe it’s not the distance you need to travel, but the service you need to perform in the very spot you’re standing.

So there it is. Jesus says, “We are going to Jerusalem.” So figure out what God’s plan is, get on board and just go do it. It’s really that simple. Is it always easy? No. But God will be with you every step of the way. He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us. So just take that first step and see where your journey leads.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.