Tag Archives: trust

Take care of the small things, July 8, 2019

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

If you’ve never been to Niagara Falls, I can tell you from experience, it is an awe inspiring sight. Standing on the bow of the Maiden of the Mist, feeling the spray of that avalanche of water, hearing the thunder of millions of gallons of water rushing past. It is something you never forget. When you feel the mighty power surrounding you, little doubt remains about the existence of a powerful God of creation. Someone did this. It didn’t just happen.

The same feeling rushes into your head when you stand at the precipice of a volcano and peer down the side of throat, feel the heat of the lava boiling below, and know the immense geothermal energy trapped within that opening, ready to spew its lava out across the countryside. Or stand in the center of what used to be a city ravaged by a category five hurricane and see what the wind and water have done to that place. Not much stands that isn’t damaged. In fact, not much stands. We recognize immediately the power God can unleash on the world. His heart and awesome power most often restrained, but ever present in nature.

We think about his power and the stories of his miracles, the calming of the storm, the feeding of the thousands, the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead. We think, “I want to be part of that. I want to be part of those majestic events. I want to experience what those first disciples experienced by witnessing first hand some of those miracles. Then my faith will really take off. Then I can really be a great witness for God since I can tell of his great miracles and be an instrument in those actions.

There is a story in the Old Testament, though, that reminds us of what our walk with God will be like most of the time and what he expects from us most of the time. It comes from yesterday’s lectionary reading from 2 Kings 5:

Naaman’s master considered him an extraordinary man. He was the military commander of Aram’s army, and he had won many important battles for Aram by the power of the Eternal. Naturally he was greatly esteemed by his king. Naaman was a fierce warrior, but he also had a skin disease.

Now one time, the Arameans went out in raiding parties and took a little girl from Israel as their prisoner. The little girl became a servant to Naaman’s wife.

Girl (to Naaman’s wife): If only my master could be near the prophet in Samaria, the prophet there could heal my master’s disease.

Naaman became hopeful, and he went and told his king what the little girl from Israel said.

King of Aram: I am going to write a letter to Israel’s king, and I want you to take it to him immediately.

Naaman left with the king’s letter in his hand, plus 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of fine clothing. Naaman handed the letter to Israel’s king, and the king read it.

King of Aram’s Message: The man carrying this letter is my servant, Naaman. He has a skin disease, and I request that you heal him.

King of Israel (ripping his clothing): Who does he think I am—God? Why does Aram’s king think I have the power to kill and make alive again? What in the world makes him think that I can heal you of your disease? It is obvious that Aram’s king is trying to create trouble between us.

Elisha, the man of God, received word that Israel’s king had ripped his clothing, so he sent a message to Israel’s king.

Elisha’s Message: What has caused you to rip your clothing? Tell the man who has come to you for healing to come to me. Then he will be assured that a prophet lives in Israel.

The king told Naaman to go find Elisha, so Naaman showed up at Elisha’s door with his horses and chariots. Elisha did not show his face to Naaman, but instead sent instructions: “Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. The waters will heal you, and your skin will be back to normal. You will be cleansed.”

Naaman boiled with anger as he left Elisha. He had come to his house expecting something much different.

Naaman: What is this! I came here thinking that Elisha would come outside and call upon the name of the Eternal One his God, and that Elisha’s hand would pass over my sores and heal my skin disease, not the waters of the Jordan River . The Abanah and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus are greater rivers than all the rivers of Israel combined, so why couldn’t I just go bathe in those and be healed?

Naaman then stormed away, boiling with anger. Later his servants approached and spoke to him with respect.

Naaman’s Servants: Father, if the prophet had told you to do some important thing, wouldn’t you have done what he asked? Why is it difficult for you to follow his instructions when he tells you, “Bathe yourself in the Jordan River, and be cleansed”?

So Naaman swallowed his pride, walked down to the Jordan River, and washed himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed him to do. There, the miracle occurred. Naaman’s disease was healed: his skin was as new as an infant’s, and he was clean from the disease. Naaman and all his entourage went back to the man of God.

Naaman: I am convinced that there is no God who exists in the entire world like the True God in Israel. Please accept this gift from me, your humble servant.

Elisha: As certain as the life of the Eternal whom I worship, I refuse to take any gifts. Naaman tried again to give Elisha a gift, but Elisha would not take it.

Naaman: OK. If you won’t take my gift, at least allow me to take two mule-loads of earth. I, your servant, will no longer give burnt offerings or sacrifices to other gods. The Eternal One is my only God now. May the Eternal One forgive me when I walk into the house of Rimmon, the storm god of Aram, to worship there beside my master. As his first officer, I must be by his side wherever he goes, even when he worships. May He forgive me for bowing down in that place.

In this story, Naaman learned, as we heard in Elijah’s story a few weeks ago, that God doesn’t necessarily care about the grandiose, the spectacular, the awe-inspiring. He wants us to understand that he is God always. In every circumstance and every situation. Naaman needed help. In his day, there was no cure for leprosy and he had it. Soon he would be banished from civilization because of the disease.

Aram wanted Naaman around because of his military prowess. Naaman wanted to be around. He certainly didn’t want to know the isolation and stigma leprosy carried in those times. But soon he would not be able to hide the sores, the symptoms, and he would be among those banished from others, forced to hide himself and cry out “unclean” when anyone neared him.

But a servant girl told him about a miracle making prophet in Israel, Elisha. It was worth a chance. There was nothing to lose. Naaman went. He expected something special. He expected this man of God to come out and perform some kind of special ritual, some incantation, some soothing salve to put on his body, some potion he would drink every day. Instead, Elisha didn’t even come to the door. He sent his servant out to tell him to go wash in the filthy Jordan River seven times.

Naaman was livid. He was an important man. How dare the prophet not even speak to him. Who did Elisha think he was? After all, he just came from the king. And his king sent him. Israel’s king was a vassal to Aram and Naaman was Aram’s right hand man. This prophet didn’t even take the time to come out of his shabby little shack and greet him. Now he wanted him to go wash in the Jordan River? Hrmph! Not on your life!

I grew up in Tennessee. In the Smoky mountains, the headwaters of some of the creeks rivers that flow into the Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio, and others that feed into the Mississippi River are crystal clear. Many of them I still wouldn’t have a problem dipping my hand into those headwaters and drinking their clean, clear water. But drink from the Mississippi River? Not on your life. The Mississippi? Never. They have become so polluted over the years through industrial waste and outgrowth of people dumping whatever they please into the river, you have no idea what might happen if you drank that unfiltered water.

The Jordan River was like that even in Naaman’s day. Dirty brown water where everyone did their laundry, dumped their waste, and every other imaginable disgusting thing. And Elisha wanted him to wash in this filthy river not just once, but seven times. He would be sicker than he was. He just knew it! Why should he stoop so low as to infect himself in this countries filth? There were cleaner rivers in Samaria, he would just go back there and wash himself. After all, water was water, right?

It wasn’t about the water at all, though. It was about obedience. Just like it is with us. Why would God entrust us with massive, spectacular things, if he can’t trust us with minor, simple things? I used to counsel people that came to work for me in similar terms. Everyone is on a leash. If I’m responsible for the outcome of events, I want to know what people that work for me are doing. I want to shape what happens so I know the outcome will be what I want the outcome to be. So when someone first comes into the team, I don’t know how they work, what they think, how they interpret my instructions. So they are on a short leash. I want frequent reports. The tasks are simple. The projects are inconsequential to the total effort if they fail.

But the more I get to know the person, their work, their trustworthiness, the longer leash. I don’t need to check as often or as thoroughly. The leash is still there if I’m responsible for the outcome. I never let go of the leash, but instead of a two foot leash, it may become a six foot or ten foot or thirty foot leash. The more I can trust that someone who works for me understands how to interpret my desired outcomes and how to get there, the less I need to overwatch what they do.

I think it is the same with God. The more he can trust us with the little things in life, the more he can trust us with the big things in life. The more we trust him, the more he trusts us. Why would he take us to the moon if we’ve never climbed a ladder? As you look at the lives of biblical characters, I think you’ll see that pattern of growth in all of them. God gave them small things to do before they could be trusted with greater things. He knew their heart, but tested them first so they knew their own heart, too.

Do you want to see great, spectacular, monumental things happen around you? Then take care of the little things around you. Pay attention to the everyday, mundane activities that need to be handled diligently. Watch for opportunities to do the things no one will ever see or know about and take care of those with no fanfare. When God can trust you with the little things in life, he will begin to trust you with the bigger things in life. Remember the story of the three servants and the talents. Take care of the small things and God will reward you richly.

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 Bible based teaching. 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 Battle Begins, October 16, 2017

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Bible Reading Plan – www.Bible-Reading.com; The Story, Chapter 7; You Version Bible app, days 43-49

Today we look at a book of the Old Testament that was required reading for every soldier in the Israeli army before their 1967 war with Egypt. As you read through the book, you’ll understand why. It’s filled with stories of battle. It’s story after story of God intervening for His people, bringing victory to His new nation as they moved into the land He promised Abraham as an inheritance more than 600 years earlier. It’s a book that inspires courage. In fact, three times in the first chapter, We read the words, “Do not fear, for the Lord your God will be with you.” Do you think He means it?

Of course He does. Because God will ask us to do some crazy sounding things that would ordinarily bring fear to the most fearless among us. Just take a look at the first thing God asks Joshua to do in this conquest of the promised land and you’ll understand why He tells Joshua not to be afraid. God has to remind Joshua not to be afraid because He is the master of the events in the upper story and all we can see is the lower story we live in. We can’t always see Him at work so it’s easy for us to be afraid.

Look at the facts Joshua was dealing with as God told him not to fear the people of Jericho.

Forty years had passed but the Canaanites were no smaller than when the Israelites seemed like grasshoppers in their own eyes.
The fortifications around Jericho had been impenetrable against every enemy that tried to oppose it.
Joshua had to take more than a million people across a river without bridges, so there was no hope for surprise.
God told Joshua to circumcise all the males when they crossed the Jordan river just days before they were to attack Jericho.
The strategy God gave them to breach this impenetrable fortress was march around the city in silence once a day for six day, then march around it seven times on the seventh day, blow their trumpets, then take the city.

I’ve been part of planning several combat operations and even more contingency plans in case we were to go to war in various parts of the world. We spend days, weeks, sometimes years refining contingency plans to put the right force in the right place. Making sure the ratios are right. Making sure the supplies are available. Making sure the routes in and out of the objectives can be cleared and kept clear. Putting together everything we could think of to ensure victory before we ever started out on a campaign.

But I never saw a plan like this one…except in the book of Joshua. I think if our planning staff had ever presented something like this to our commander he would have fired us on the spot. Talk about a ludicrous plan. Talk about a way to dishearten your warriors before battle. Talk about a plan sure to fail before it starts. This is it.

Drag a million people across a fast moving river with no bridges and then give all of them minor surgery and tell them you’re going into hand to hand combat. Right! What would you think if you were those soldiers reporting to Joshua? “Don’t be afraid Joshua, I’m with you.”

But God, do you understand how war works? Do you understand that those guys are at least a head taller than all of us and have been warriors from birth? Do you understand that those walls are so thick that people build houses inside them? Do you understand you’re asking us to do the impossible?

“Joshua, don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you.”

When Joshua looked at what God asked him to do from his lower story point of view, it’s hard not to fear. The plan God laid out looked impossible, foolhardy. So God needed to remind Joshua it’s not us, but Him. Joshua had to look back through the last forty years and remember God was bigger than all the problems they had faced during their desert journey. Joshua, his soldiers, the rest of the Israelites, the people of Jericho before they perished, all the other nations around them, there was no question who won that battle. It wasn’t Israel’s soldiers. It wasn’t Joshua and his brilliant military tactics. It was all God.

So what has God asked you to do that seems ridiculous? What has He put in your mind that if you took the first step just makes you sweat bullets because you are so afraid of the outcome? What plan do you think He has for your life that seems so outrageous that others will look at you and think you’ve lost your mind because it is surely impossible to accomplish and the risks are just too great to even think about stepping out on that journey?

God told us in His word more than one hundred times, “Don’t be afraid.” He told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid. For I, the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Can you trust God to fulfill His promises in your life the way He did for Joshua and Moses and Jacob and Abraham? Each of those heroes we’ve watched in God’s Story have made the same mistakes you and I have (or worse). Yet God used them in tremendous ways, why? Because they trusted God had an upper story that was far superior to their knowledge in their lower story. They trusted God knew a better future than they could see in their short-sighted present.

That’s all God asks of us. Look up and recognize God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than ours. His upper story reaches far beyond what we can see in our lower story and He always works for good for those who love Him and work according to His purposes. When God asks us to do something others might think crazy. Something that even brings a bit of fear to our hearts. Remember God’s admonition, “Don’t be afraid. For I will be with you wherever you go.”

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.

How well can you be trusted? (Luke 16:10-12), July 1, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Trust cannot be underrated at home, in business, or with God. Jesus tells us about it in Luke.
Scripture
1. Luke 16:10-12
2. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Devotional
1. I know a lot of people who want more
  1. Money
  2. Property
  3. Time
  4. Friends
2. I don’t know very many people who want the things that go with ownership of those things
  1. Responsibility
  2. Maintenance
  3. Worry
  4. Additional workload
3. But Solomon gave us the proverbs about financial security a long time ago and Jesus reiterates it in these parables.
  1. He just talked to those around Him about the shrewd dealings of the world and the way they use their assets judiciously to better their situation
  2. Jesus then talks about this principle of trustworthiness
  3. Why would anyone entrust you with their assets if you were not trustworthy?
  4. They would be foolish
4. The government goes through pretty elaborate processes to grant security clearances to individuals
  1. Background checks into criminal records, finances, friends and family
  2. They look at business associates and foreign travel
  3. They look at your parents’ and siblings histories and anything that might cause you to be untrustworthy with the nation’s secrets
  4. If you’re not trustworthy in little things they don’t expect you to be trustworthy with big things
5. And so it goes
  1. Do you return extra change you get from a cashier’s mistake?
  2. Do you claim questionable things on your taxes?
  3. Do you take supplies from your employer?
  4. Do you work the time you say you work or spend it on Facebook or other personal activities?
  5. Are you trustworthy in the little things of life?
6. Before God can entrust you with the important things of His kingdom, He needs to trust you with the mundane things here. The stuff around us won’t last. If we can’t take of it in a responsible way, how can God trust us with the things that last forever?
7. Check your trustworthiness against His standard and see where you need to improve. Ask Him and He promises He will help.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
Bible Reading Plan – Luke 15-16

Can a leopard change his spots? (Acts 9:10-16), May 7, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
How hard is it to believe someone can change their ways? Particularly someone who has been a really bad character?
Scripture
1. Acts 9:10-16
2. The Lord: Ananias.

Ananias: Here I am, Lord.

The Lord: Get up and go to Straight Boulevard. Go to the house of Judas, and inquire about a man from Tarsus, Saul by name. He is praying to Me at this very instant. He has had a vision—a vision of a man by your name who will come, lay hands on him, and heal his eyesight.

Ananias: Lord, I know whom You’re talking about. I’ve heard rumors about this fellow. He’s an evil man and has caused great harm for Your special people in Jerusalem. I’ve heard that he has been authorized by the religious authorities to come here and chain everyone who associates with Your name.

The Lord: Yes, but you must go! I have chosen him to be My instrument to bring My name far and wide—to outsiders, to kings, and to the people of Israel as well. I have much to show him, including how much he must suffer for My name.

Devotional
1. It’s really hard to put your trust in someone who has lost your trust, isn’t it?
  1. Convicts difficulty in getting jobs
  2. Embezzlers never trusted
  3. Those who have wronged you never brought into the inner circle or even into friendships
  4. Always afraid they will repeat their actions and you’ll get hurt again
2. Jesus comes to Ananias and tells him to reach out to Saul of Tarsus
  1. Ananias knows Saul’s reputation
  2. Knows he has authority to arrest followers and knows their destination after arrest
  3. Ananias knows Saul cannot be trusted because of his previous actions
  4. Jesus says go and teach him
  5. What do you do?
3. You do what Jesus tells you to do!
  1. Might be hard for us to believe people can change but..
  2. Think about the change he made in you
  3. If he can change you, can’t he change the one you don’t want to trust?
  4. Can’t He transform the redeemed?
  5. That’s what He told Ananias and that’s what He tells us
4. So you’ve been burned by someone who says they are born again and they proved they were not by their actions
  1. Some things to think about
  2. God doesn’t expect us to put someone back into their place of greatest temptation, that would be foolish for them and us
    1. Don’t send alcoholics into a bar
    2. Don’t give embezzlers positions as treasurer
    3. Don’t put temptations in front of those who you know succumb to those temptations
    4. But use their skills
  3. Still, befriend, encourage, teach, help as new members of God’s kingdom
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Big brother gives commands (John 8:25-26), February 22, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Did your mom ever send your brother or sister to tell you to do something? How did you like it? That just how some people felt when Jesus came around.
Scripture
1. John 8:25-26

“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

Devotional
1. My daughter doesn’t do it very often, but every once in awhile, she sends her oldest child to tell her younger ones to do something. “Jonathon, go tell Grayson to put on her shoes so we can go.”
  1. Doesn’t do it often because of the backlash
  2. Youngest doesn’t like to be told by the oldest
  3. Both are her children
  4. Grayson feels like an equal
  5. Doesn’t want to hear from anyone but her mother
  6. Certainly doesn’t think Jonathon should tell her what to do
2. Many of those who heard Jesus looked at Him the same way
  1. He’s just a man
  2. He’s the same as us
  3. Born of a woman, eats and drinks and breathes like us
  4. Who does He think He is telling us what to do
3. Just like Jonathon gets yelled at by his sister when he passes on a command from his mother, Jesus wasn’t liked by those with whom He shared the Father’s commands
  1. He only passed on what the Father told Him to share
  2. His words were those of the Father and His commands were those of the Father
  3. Until people believed He truly was the Son of God, He was just another man trying to tell them what to do and they didn’t want to listen anymore than a younger child wants to listen to what an older child passes on from his mother
4. We can begin to see some of the danger involved in the dynamics that played out around Jesus during His time on earth as we put ourselves back in His time and in that place. We can be obstinate and raise the hackles on the back of our neck and refuse to believe the Father spoke through Him. We can refuse to believe Jesus is God incarnate who gave Himself for us. We can refuse to trust Him and so suffer the wrath of the Father because of our disobedience. Or we can be obedient children and understand that God sent His Son, Jesus to tell save us from ourselves.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

Are you one of those “show me” folks? (Luke 22:26-69), January 11, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Missouri is known as the Show Me state. It is said her residents don’t believe anything they don’t see for themselves. Do you know anyone like that? Are you one of those? Jesus met a few…in court.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:67-69
2. Sanhedrin: If you are the Anointed One whom God promised us, tell us plainly.

Jesus: If I give you an answer, you won’t believe it. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer it. But this I will say to you: from now on, the Son of Man will take His seat at the right hand of the power of God.

Sanhedrin: So You are the Son of God, then?

Jesus: It’s as you say.

Devotional

If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

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.

How to face the toughest tasks (Luke 22:40-42), January 9, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
What is the one thing you hate doing most of all? So why do you do it? Out of a sense of duty, fear, responsibility, love, all of those? We all face those tasks at some point, Jesus taught us how.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:40-42
2. Jesus: Pray for yourselves, that you will not sink into temptation.

He distanced Himself from them about a stone’s throw and knelt there, praying.

Jesus: Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Yet not My will, but Your will, be done.

Devotional
1. Jobs you just don’t want to do.
  1. Dusting
  2. Dishes
  3. Yardword
  4. Painting
2. We do them most of the time without too much complaint even when we don’t want to
  1. Sometimes talk others into doing them
  2. Sometimes swap with others
  3. Sometimes hire out the work
3. Every once in awhile get tasks that no one can do but us
  1. Our responsibility
  2. Can’t shirk or put it off
  3. Must be done
  4. But nothing like what Jesus faced
4. He wanted out of His task
  1. About to bear the weight of the world’s sins on His shoulders
  2. Pay the penalty required for each of our sins
  3. Guiltless but paying anyway
  4. Asked if there was any other way to let Him take that alternate way
5. Resolved to do what the Father wanted rather than what He wanted
  1. May ask us to do some things we don’t want to do
  2. May be unpleasant or difficult
  3. Can be sure they will never be as difficult as what Jesus did for us
  4. He will help us accomplish whatever He tells us to do
  5. He understands our reluctance to do difficult things because He’s been there
  6. He also knows the importance of doing what the Father asks, because He’s been there
6. Not my will but Your will, can you say that from your heart
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

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.

So just believe (Luke 17:6) December 13, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nehemiah 10-13

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 17:6
Jesus (pointing to a nearby mulberry tree): It’s not like you need a huge amount of faith. If you just had faith the size of a single, tiny mustard seed, you could say to this huge tree, “Pull up your roots and replant yourself in the sea,” and it would fly through the sky and do what you said. So even a little faith can accomplish the seemingly impossible.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus talks about faith a lot. And He talks about how little faith it takes to have incredible miracles take place around you. So what is it about us that keeps us from exercising that kind of faith and seeing miracles happen today? Have we become so sophisticated in our understanding of science that we no longer believe in miracles? Do we not believe that God is still God and can twist and turn the laws of science to do what He wants the way He wants?

When you think about it, that’s really what miracles are all about. Miracles are things that seem to break the natural laws of chemistry and physics that we think govern the physical realm in which we live. God heals when doctors say there is no hope or heals faster than the medical profession says is possible. God creates assets or puts them in place in ways that seem to defy all the rules bankers and economists use in their profession.

At the beginning of creation, God put all those laws of science in place. Can’t He bend them if He wants? Can’t He set aside a rule He made or bend it to His will? He is God and existed before any of those rules came to be. He’s the One who put them in place. So if He put them in place, surely He can change them if He wants. He can use them to fit His needs. He can suspend them to make miracles happen for us. And what does it take? A little faith. Jesus says it takes faith the size of a mustard seed.

Some people tell me they just don’t have enough faith, but everyone has faith. We just don’t put it in the right thing. We have faith the sun will come up. We have faith the earth will still be spinning tomorrow. We have faith our car will start (usually). We have faith the lights will work when we flip the switch. We have faith we will get a paycheck from our employer. We have faith the government will still be in place tomorrow. We have a lot of faith.

Except for the first two about the sun coming up and the earth spinning, a lot of people around the world may not have much faith in those things. But in the United States we do. Why? Because we have experience that has shown us these things are true. But quite frankly, it’s not our experience, but the experience of thousands of others that stand together to help us have faith that these things will be true for us tomorrow.

The same is true for our faith in God. Countless have gone before us and experienced God’s goodness. They have watched Him perform miracles for His children. They have seen His faithfulness and know that He cares for us. Thousands can testify to His love and His hand at work in their lives in so many ways that can only be explained as the hand of God. That empiracle knowledge should give us confidence that translates into faith. We can believe that God will work on our behalf when we exercise faith in Him.

Faith is really that simple. It’s just a question of what we put our faith in. I’d rather put my faith in God than my car. He is certainly more reliable than my car. And my lights go out every once in a while in a storm. God never does. He’s always there in the storms of life. He never quits. He never rests. He listens to our prayers and cares for us as His dear children because we are.

Faith in Him is what He requires. Just believe. That’s all. From the deepest part of your heart believe He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. Believe He is God. Creator. Savior. Redeemer. Believe He came and lived with us for a time in an earthly body and died on a cross for your sins and mine. Believe He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power over death and the grave. Believe Jesus, God’s Son, lives forever, one with the Father and Spirit, interceding for us. Believe. Trust Him with your life. Thousands and thousands have gone before you trusting Him and believing in Him. Their testimonies join together and give us confidence that God will not fail us either. So just believe.

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.

Get out of the children’s way (Mark 10/14-15) August 19, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Hosea 1-7

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:14-15
Jesus (to the disciples): Let the children come to Me, and don’t ever stand in their way, for this is what the kingdom of God is all about. Truly anyone who doesn’t accept the kingdom of God as a little child does can never enter it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I’m visiting my two year old grandson today. It’s always interesting to watch these little guys as they explore the world around them. He’s fascinated by so many things we just take for granted as old folks. We forget the wonder of the world around us. It’s good to stop and watch the world through the eyes of a two year old again every once in a while.

A few minutes ago a landscaping crew came to the neighborhood to mow several lawns around his house. He loves to watch them. He’s fascinated by the sound, the smells, the way the workers race through the yards with their mowers and neatly cut and trim the yard then finish up by blowing the grass off all the sidewalks. We see it as work. A chore that must be done every other week throughout the summer. He sees it as a minor miracle to watch the grass change shape from that scraggly mess to a beautiful carpet he can play run and play on.

He’s fascinated by trash. I know. It sounds a little weird. He probably gets the weird side from my gene pool. But he likes to find trash because he likes to open the trash can. It has one of those foot pedals that opens the lid when you step on it. He’s just heavy enough to push the pedal down, open the lid, and deposit his find. So far, he’s found trash for the can. My granddaughter like to do the same thing at that age, but with keys, phones, remotes. So we’re happy Gideon likes trash.

Little children teach us a multitude of things when we watch them. They don’t care about the color of other children’s skin. They just play together. They ask each other why one is brown or tan or white, but they play together great. Kids are fascinated by older kids. Just watch a two year old around a crowd of older kids and see where his eyes go. He’ll immediately start watching what the three and four year olds are doing. Kids love to ape their slightly older peers.

Put him down and in just a few minutes he’ll be trying what the older kids were doing. He might not do it well, but he’ll keep trying and eventually, he’ll learn the task. The same thing happens with language, behavior, mannerisms, all sorts of things. Winning and losing doesn’t matter to them when they play together, they just play. It’s the fun of the game that interests kids and they seem to get along.

That is until adults intervene in their playing together. Then the color of skin seems to matter. The rules must be followed. There has to be winners and losers with every game. Someone has to be the best. If you don’t get it right, you’re labeled and either given special help or distracted and encouraged to do something else so you won’t be embarrassed by your failure. We adults really mess kids up sometimes with thinking we know what’s best, you know?

Jesus said some pretty smart things during His short ministry. All of them are really good. This is one of His great one. “Don’t ever stand in the children’s way, for this is what the kingdom of God is all about.”

How much do we stifle our children by trying to mold them into something the world says they should be? How much do we crush their spirit by trying to make them into what we want them to be? I’m not saying we should let our kids just run wild and always do what they want and live carefree without discipline and always do what they want. That would be irresponsible and negligent as a parent. But God made each of us different and we forget that children are inquisitive by nature. We should encourage that curiosity and help them learn and absorb all of the beauty of God’s creation around them.

We should teach them self discipline. We should teach them about God’s love and His will for all humankind. We should help them explore His goodness, grace, and mercy. We should emulate children in their trust and love and acceptance of all people.

Don’t get in the way of the children. The kingdom of God is all about them, their behavior, their curiosity, their innocence, their love and acceptance. Jesus says, get out of their way and instead follow their example. So go find a two year old and learn from him.

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 don’t need signs (Mark 8:12) August 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Daniel 1-6

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 8:12
Jesus (sighing with disappointment): Why does this generation ask for a sign before they will believe? Believe Me when I say that you will not see one.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Pharisees must have all been born and raised in Missouri. We know that state’s nickname as “the show me state” because of Missourian’s tendency to ask for evidence to support every statement. They want to statements followed up with verifiable facts before they believe it. “Show me.” The Pharisees would fit right in. This encounter with Jesus teaches us that about them. He had just fed thousands of people. He showed up on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee after no boat was available to transport Him there. He healed every illness and disease they were unable to heal. He spoke about the scripture with an authority and understanding they could not match. And still they come to Jesus with this demand, “Give us some sign so we know your teaching is from God.”

Really? This guy is doing things that no one can dispute. What other sign do you need than feeding 4,000 people from one lunch? Who can do that? What other sign do you need than people watching Him climb up the hill to pray while all the boats leave the shore and then He shows up on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in the morning with all the people in those boats telling you about their experience with the storm and their seeing Him walking on the water in the early morning hours? What other sign do you need that watching hundreds of lame, deaf, blind, diseased, deformed, sick, healed of their various maladies with just a spoken word or a touch of His hand?

These guys are even worse than Missourians. We would probably call them nut jobs needing more evidence than what they had already seen and heard to this point. And it seems Jesus feels the same way. You get no more signs. His actions speak for themselves. The healing, the teaching, the feeding, the compassion, the preaching, the love He pours out all around Him is enough to show He is who He says He is and no other sign is necessary.

It wasn’t enough for the Pharisees. They still rejected Him. Why? Because they just didn’t want to believe that God would visit us from heaven. They couldn’t believe He would correct their thinking about the law He had given Moses and they had been interpreting for Him through the centuries. Surely they were right and God in the flesh was wrong. They just couldn’t believe they needed to adjust their way of thinking.

But then…

What about us? Do we need a sign to believe that Jesus is who He says He is? Do we ask Him to do one more thing before we believe? Do ask for one more miracle or one more piece of evidence. Do we need one more fact before we can give our life to Him? What one more would it take? That was Jesus point with the Pharisees. They were not going to believe no matter what He did. So what about you? Does it matter what sign you see? If you’re waiting for a sign, it really doesn’t matter what that sign is, you still won’t believe, because you’ll ask for one more.

You’re answer when you see it will be, “Well, maybe that was a fluke. Well, it might not have been God. It was probably going to happen anyway.” And you’ll ask for one more sign. Just like the Pharisees. You see, it’s not about signs, it’s about faith. Do you believe He is the Son of God, able to forgive your sins or not? It’s really that simple a question. And when you believe He can and ask Him to, He will and He does. It’s just that easy.

But He doesn’t deal in signs. He doesn’t deal in hocus-pocus. He doesn’t make deals. He works in issues of faith. You believe or you don’t. You love Him or you don’t. You obey His word or you don’t. You live for Him or you don’t. It’s pretty black and white. No signs. No flashes in the sky. No banner headlines. No great visions or spirits rising from the grave. Just faith in Him. That’s the deal.

He still cares. He shows us that by what He did for those who were with Him for those three days without food. He fed them all until they were full. Probably some of those in that crowd hadn’t eaten until they were full in a while. But they did that day with baskets of food left over. Jesus cares. He showed it to those crowds by sticking around and healing all those who came to Him for healing. He touched everyone of them and took away whatever was wrong with them. They didn’t ask for a sign, they just asked for help and believed He could do it.

That’s what He asks from us. Just believe. Just trust. Just know that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. He was there at creation, He loves us and cares about our needs. And when we meet Him with eyes of faith, we don’t need any signs, we know who He is without them.

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.