Saturday, January 26, 2013

Day 26: Hardship Redefined



Reading: Psalm 16:1-11

God is our refuge Who watches over us and our inheritance which is in Him alone. We can rejoice because the things of this earth don't matter, so when we lose them we will not be shaken. This life can come with its share of ups and downs, but we can rest assured that our greatest value can never be striped of us. Our relationship in Jesus Christ and our souls rest at peace in our Creator's hands. He will guide us through this world until we go to the place He has prepared for us. Take heart, because all of our troubles and trials of this world are in God's hands, and He watches over the most meaningful inheritance we have.


Reading: Matthew 18:10-35

There are many things that can cause hardships in our lives. Some of those hardships are caused by our own choices, or the choices of those around us. Jesus sets forth some good examples of what can bring about hardships in this reading.

- Wandering away: When we stray off the path God has laid out for us, we will most likely run into some tough stuff. Many teenagers tend to do this, though many adults do too. Rebellion against a parent's beliefs can lead kids into drugs and immoral behavior. I sound like a PSA, but when we choose a path apart from God out of hurt or rebellion, the choice we make probably won't be happy in the end. With that wandering though, we need to realize that God is never don't looking for us. He's always there, waiting with open arms to take you back and guide you.

- Sin: The definition of sin is separation from the will of God. We can wrong people, and sometimes we may not even realize it. Sometimes we sin out of selfishness. Much of the suffering in the world today is caused by other people's sin. God calls people to move, and they don't. God calls people to have compassion, and they don't. God calls people to put others ahead of themselves, and they don't. When we are called to go, as God tells us to do in the Great Commission, and we would prefer to stay in our cozy, comfortable houses and churches, we miss the point of God's mission. He has made us His plan A, and unfortunately, He doesn't have a plan B.

- Refusing to Forgive: This one's a biggy, but also the hardest one at times. When we are wronged by others, forgiveness can be rough. But we read here in Matthew that we are called to dish out unlimited forgiveness, no matter how much someone's wronged us. Why? Let's think about it this way: If God sent His Son to die an ultimate death to wash us clean of our lifetime of mess ups and wrongdoings, would it be comforting to think about if God went through and refused to forgive some sins because they hurt Him more? Not a comforting thought at all.
So what right do we have to hold someone's apology over their heads because they hurt us? This reading lays it out pretty firmly when it comes to forgiving others. If we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. Simple as that. Forgiveness doesn't mean you have to forget, or that you even have to accept what was done to you. It does mean you won't hold it over the other person's head from then on though. Forgive if you want forgiveness back. And be very generous about it.


Reading: Job 1:1-3:26

Job faced some pretty terrible things as we dive into his story. Satan sure can stir up trouble and do all he can to turn a heart from God. But even after we see Job lose his wealth, possessions, children, health and livestock, the response he gives is astounding. He tore his robe, shaved his head and bowed down to worship The Lord. Would you respond like that if you had just lost everything? He even faces temptation from his wife to curse God and to die, but he never sins in blaming God, in fact he continues to trust Go, saying we are happy to accept good things God sends us, why not the bad things. His is a man of true faith. Job knows where his true riches lie, and he knows not to compromise it. Job certainly felt grief and anger though. He just didn't sin by blaming God.


Where are you placing what means the most to you? In the things you have on this earth, or in the greatest investment of heaven? Are you able to set aside your pride, your riches, your possessions, even your family to do what is right in God's eyes? We read some pretty challenging scripture today, but the Book is real, and if we truly believe it, we need to fully follow it.

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