Monday, March 2nd
Judges 6:1-32 (selected passages)
1
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave
them into the hands of the Midianites. Whenever the Israelites planted their
crops, the Midianites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They
camped on the land and ruined the crops and did not spare a living thing for
Israel. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for
help.
11
The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah where
Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the
Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The
LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all
this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about
when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD
13
has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save
Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,”
Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh,
and I am the least in my family.” 16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and
you will strike down all the Midianites”
-
'The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave
them into the hands of the Midianites' -After Moses dies, the nation of
Israel enters the Land flowing with milk and honey as God promised them.
But, they go through a trying period of being oppressed. This period is
documented in the section of the Bible called 'Judges.' Judges were
national leader-priests during this time.
-
‘The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak where Gideon was
threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.’— The
winepress is not where you would thresh wheat. So, the picture here is of
Gideon crouching inside a winepress hiding in fear, threshing wheat out of
sight.
-
‘When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is
with you, mighty warrior.’—To call Gideon a mighty warrior when he is
cowering in the winepress can seem out of touch with reality. But, there is
often a disconnect between what we're doing and who we really are
inside. God is calling out potential in Gideon that can get him connected
to his true self. Our hope is that something true in all of you would get
called out by God during this 40 Days of Faith.
-
‘Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all
this happened to us?’—Gideon ignores the 'mighty warrior' part, and
focuses on all the troubles in his life. It's easy to focus on what stands in
the way of our dreams. As we saw last week, this leads to alienation from
our own life.
-
‘Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us?’—This is the problem
with faith rooted in past stories. It is not enough to be ‘told’ about God.
Faith must be built on our own experiences. Our connection to God must
become personal and real to each to us today.
-
‘how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the
least in my family. The LORD answered, “I will be with you...’—The
journey of faith begins with a sense of self that transcends all the negative
and accusing voices in our own head. Gideon doesn’t think much of
himself, his clan, and his nation. He’s threshing wheat in a winepress like
a coward. But, God sees more than that as the ‘true self’ for Gideon. God
is being a ‘good friend’ to Gideon. We need to emulate God and be a
'good friend' to ourselves and to our world.
Reflection question.
If there were no limits to your resources, what would you do with your life?
Taking It Home:
-
For you: Do you feel like circumstances are setting your life agenda (pushed
into winepress) or are you able to set goals and make them happen like a
'mighty warrior?' Ask God for the ability to set your life's course and
pursue them with power.
-
For ‘My Six’ : Do you see any of your friends hiding their gifts and passions
and dreams out of fear of disappointment or rejection? Ask God to free
your friends so that they would at least understand what they want and
who they are.
For our church: Ask God to make our church a place of power where people can
be called out of their 'winepresses,' a place that gives courage and drive so that
people can build their life with purpose and direction.
Tuesday, March 3rd
1 Samuel 3
1
The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those
days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could
barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had
not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the
LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I
am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay
down.
6
Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to
Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
7
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD
had not yet been revealed to him.
8
A third time the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and
went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told
Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for
your servant is listening.' "So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times,
"Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Points of Interest
•
‘Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli’—After Gideon,
the nation of Israel continues to drift. Eli is a 'judge' (national
leader-priest) in a city called Shiloh where the Israelites could go
to seek the presence of God. Samuel is Eli’s servant.
•
‘the LORD called Samuel… And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I
am; you called me."
—Samuel mistakes God’s voice for Eli’s. It is easy to mistake
God’s voice for some other voice. We must work on our ability
to recognize God’s voice.
•
‘A third time the LORD called, .. Then Eli realized’—It is
interesting why God doesn’t say to Samuel, ‘Stop! It’s me, God.
Don’t run to Eli.’ God doesn’t identify Himself until Samuel is
ready to listen.
•
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening’—I wonder if this is
the key to it all. Perhaps ‘Heroes of Faith’ like Abraham, Moses,
and Samuel aren’t so unique in that God called to them, but in
that they were listening when God does. Many of us don’t
expect to hear God’s voice. But what if the promises of Jesus
are true? New Covenant is all about ordinary people being able
to hear God’s voice. What if we can connect to God like a good
friend? It takes willingness to ‘listen.’ God can be found
anywhere. God’s voice can sound like anyone’s, even an old
man’s voice like Eli’s! After this encounter, Samuel becomes
successor (Judge) to Eli.
Reflection question
Is there a quiet voice within you that you have ignored for a long
time? Perhaps this is a good time to listen. Make time and space by
journalling. This is a great way to listen to the quiet voice of God that
can guide us to our true path.
Taking It Home: Journal!
•
For you: It took Samuel four tries until he learned that the voice
was God’s. Think about the past few months or maybe the
entire past year, Are there ways God has been trying to get
your attention that you might not have recognized? Take the
time journal what God might have been trying to say. Ask
yourself what lesson keeps coming up for you.
•
For my six
•
: For Samuel to recognize God's voice, it took Eli's advice. Is it
possible God is speaking to your friends through repeated
experiences or dreams or some such thing? Can you play Eli's
role for your friends?
•
For our church: Pray that our church will be guided by God's
living voice. Pray that we would continue to extend the effort to
say, 'Your servant is listening, speak, Lord.'
Wednesday, March 4th
1 Samuel 16:1-13
The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I
have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be
on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen
one of his sons to be king.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul
hears about it, he will kill me.”
The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to
sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show
you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." Samuel
did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of
the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in
peace?”
Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he
consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the
LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” But the LORD said
to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the
heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of
Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one
either.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel
said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the
sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he
arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing
with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his
brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came
powerfully upon David.
Points of Interest
-
‘The
LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since
I have rejected him as king over Israel?‘—Saul is the first king of
Israel, but God rejects him as king, because he was excessively
insecure. Fear controlled Saul. When fear controls us, we lose
touch with our true destiny, with God, and with others.
-
‘I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his
sons to be king... I will show you what to do.’—It is curious why God
does not reveal which son of Jesse is to be king. God only says, ‘I
will show you what to do.’ God doesn’t lay out every step of the
way. He wants us to take a step in faith and lean on His living
guidance. The model here is one of constant relational connection
with God rather than just carrying out His commands.
-
Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands
here...’ But, the LORD said to Samuel, “People look at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’—Eliab was the eldest
son, and he must have cut a striking figure. It is tempting to focus
on outward appearance. People of faith tend to look at the moral
appearance, whereas the world focuses on the outward success or
beauty. "The way of the Right or the way of the Might." Either way,
outward focus does not help us connect to true reality.
-
‘Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is
still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.’—Can
you imagine how it feels to be David? Samuel is the most
celebrated leader of Israel. And, your own father leaves you out of
the banquet with Samuel. Being overlooked like this can become a
wound in your soul. How we deal with such wounds will have big
impact on how life turns out. For example, David’s brothers do not
react well to being overlooked.
-
‘Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his
brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came
powerfully upon David.’—Anointing was an ancient ceremony where
very expensive oil was poured all over you as a sign of God’s favor
and His choice as the leader of Israel. The Bible gives us this detail
that the anointing of David happened ‘in the presence of his
brothers.‘ It can take time, but what is truly in us will come out for all
to see.
Reflection Question
Have you ever been overlooked? Are there ways in which you
behave/react in response to the social cues around you as opposed
to living out of who you really are? Journal with God about how your
outside aligns with your inside.
Taking it home
For you: Do you carry any resentment/hurt from being overlooked?
Ask God for healing so you can move forward.
- For ‘My Six’: Pray today for God’s presence to lift up your friends’
spirits in any way they feel overlooked. Ask your friends whether
they have ever been unjustly treated. Listen and connect to your
friends.
For our church: Ask God for our church to be a place where our true
inner worth can be called out no matter where a person is coming
from. Ask for God's power and favor to be on us as we seek to bless
everyone who comes to Blue Ocean Faith to truly fulfill all their
potential.
-
Thursday, March 5th
1 Samuel 17:1-58 (selected passages)
One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and
these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your
brothers. He arrived at the camp just as Goliath, the Philistine
champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks.
As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in
fright. David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man
get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is
this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of
the living God?” But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David
talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here
anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re
supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit.
You just want to see the battle!” “What have I done now?” David
replied. “I was only asking a question!” Then David’s question was
reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine! You’re only
a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David
persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,”
he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I
go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth... The
LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will
rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go
ahead,” he said. Then Saul gave David his own armor. David put it
on and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never
worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul.
“I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up
five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s
bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started
across the valley to fight the Philistine.
As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.
Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it
with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in,
and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
Points of Interest
-
‘One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and
carry them quickly to your brothers.’—David is the errand boy of the
family even after the anointing by Samuel. Sometimes, your own
family is the last to recognize your worth. David keeps getting
overlooked. He could have chosen to have an attitude, but instead
he does it without complaining. This results in his big break.
- ‘David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “Who is this pagan
Philistine that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’—
When everyone else is terrified of this giant warrior, David shows
fearless courage. What gives him such confidence?
- ‘But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the
men, he was angry. “I know about your pride and deceit.”—This
seems like unprovoked attack. So, Eliab is likely lashing out
because Samuel chose David over himself. On the other hand, your
siblings tend to have sixth sense about your underlying character
flaws. We will see these flaws of David play out in tomorrow's
passage.
- ‘‘When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go
after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth.‘—No one
would blame David for hanging back from a lion, but David goes
above and beyond. He owned his responsibilities as a shepherd for
a family who overlooks him. It is this attitude that trained him for this
critical moment with Goliath. Do you feel overlooked and underappreciated? Do you feel stuck in life’s routines, feeling alone and
unseen? This could be the time when you get trained for your
‘Goliath moment.’
-
‘Then Saul gave David his own armor. David put it on and took a
step or two. “I can’t go in these,”—So many of us put on 'Saul's
armor' because that's how it's supposed to be done. It's better to
know who we are and our limits. Even though David had very little
going for him as the youngest son, God fulfilled his destiny as he
stays true to God and to himself.
Reflection question.
Being overlooked can make us put on 'Saul's armor' trying to be
someone even if it's not our authentic self. Are you doing something
because of fear of failure? What is your 'smooth stone?' If you
weren't afraid of anything, is there any way you'd be different?
Taking It Home
For you: Are there voices of doubt and discouragement in your life
like Eliab to David? How does it affect you? Ask God to help you
stay true to who you are and your authentic dreams.
- For ‘My Six’: Do any of your sixfriends have difficult family situation
or background? Ask God to help them be free from lingering
negative effects of family history.
- For our church: Ask God for our church to be the kind of faith
community that can help people feel less afraid. Everybody has a
'Goliath' in their life. I want our community to help each other face
down our 'Goliaths' not in Saul's armor, but as we are. We want to
produce many 'Davids' as a faith community.
-
Friday, March 6th
2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 (selected Passages)
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab
out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. But David
remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and
walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a
woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent
someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the
wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She
came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. The
woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” When
Uriah came to him, David asked how the war was going. Then David
said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” But Uriah
slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and
did not go down to his house. David was told, “Uriah did not go
home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military
campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11
Uriah said to David, “The
ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander
Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I
go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely
as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it
he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then
withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” So while Joab
had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the
strongest defenders were.
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned
for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought
to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the
thing David had done displeased the LORD.
Points of Interest
-
‘In
the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab
out with the whole Israelite army. But David remained in
Jerusalem.’—David is now the king of Israel. There are certain
duties kings have to perform for the nation like fighting for its
interests, but David shirks his duties.
- ‘One evening, He saw a woman bathing. The wife of Uriah the
Hittite. Then David sent messengers to get her and he slept with
her.’—David is acting like a tyrant. He’s behaving as if he’s entitled
to whatever he wants. He doesn’t do king’s duty, and now he just
takes whatever he wants. He suffered under Saul’s tyranny. He
should know what it feels like to be oppressed by a whimsical king.
But now, he’s the one dealing out oppression.
-
‘The woman sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” So David
sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah” Then David said to Uriah,
“Go down to your house and wash your feet.”‘— David recalls Uriah
from the battle and sends him home so that Uriah will think the
coming baby is his. This is a plan to protect David’s reputation by
covering up his misdeeds. Pride and deceit. Recall Eliab’s words
from yesterday's passage, ‘I know about your pride and deceit.‘ It
now becomes clear these was some truth to this accusation.
David’s character flaws are coming out in full force once he’s in
power. Power is a double edged sword.
- ‘Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in
tents. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love
to my wife?’—David’s plan of deception fails, because Uriah is a
righteous man. Uriah was one of the thirty mighty men who stayed
with David throughout the seven years he was running for his life.
Uriah has been loyal and faithful friend from the very beginning,
risking his life for David.
- “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw
from him so he will be struck down and die.”—David refrained from
killing Saul in the cave in order to honor God. But now, he betrays
Uriah, a faithful and loyal man in order to protect his reputation.
Fear of being found out drives David to terrible betrayal of his
friends and his own ideals. David is drunk on power and forgets his
true self.
Reflection question
Is there any pride and deceit getting in your way of being true to your
true ideals? Nothing is worth compromising your integrity. Life is
better when we can look at ourselves without having to cover up.
Taking It Home
For you: Have you ever done something you're ashamed of? Don't
try to cover up. Find someone trustworthy who knows the power of
the Cross to forgive all sins, and share your deepest shame.
Receive God's forgiveness and acceptance. You will feel like a new
person.
- For ‘My Six’: Is any of your five tempted to do something destructive
to satisfy their craving? Ask God to help them realize it's not worth
it.
- For our church--Ask God to make our church a community where
people are honest with each other. Not 'pride and deceit,' but a
humble community that accepts one another with God's grace.
-
Saturday March 7th,
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, 2:10-11 (NIV)
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;7th
nothing was gained under the sun.
Points of Interest.
-
-
‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher -- Israel is now
secured and at the peak of it's power under Solomon, David's
son. The Teacher is supposed to be Solomon (traditional
understanding) or someone who purports to write for Solomon
(more modern understanding) Either way, it describes
disappointment and disillusionment in the Promised Land after
all God's promises are fulfilled. This reinforces our conviction
that the best thing God has for is God Himself. During this 40
Days of Faith, we're encouraging you to pray for a breakthrough
for yourself. But, the deeper purpose is to discover and connect
to God Himself who can bring true fulfillment deep in your heart.
‘I denied myself nothing... Yet everything was meaningless, a
chasing after the wind’ -- This ultimate sense of
meaninglessness is not coming from a failed life. The teacher
(Solomon?) has achieved everything a human being could
aspire to, yet ultimately ‘nothing was gained under the sun.’
This is why connection is even more important than answers.
-
A modern day ‘Ecclesiastes’ can be found in the lyrics of Pink
Floyd:
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day.
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town;
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but your’e older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to
say...
-- “Time” in “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd
Reflection question
Is there any part of your life that feels devoid of meaning? Write it
down. Where we don't find meaning, we become alienated from that
part of our life. Instead of chasing after success and wealth and
beauty for meaning, ask God to light up the world with His divine
presence.
Taking it home
For me -- Even as you pray for a breakthrough in circumstance, ask
God to fill you with a sense of purpose as it is.
For ‘My Six’—Ask God to bring more joy into their life supernaturally,
for no reason. Ask God to remove cynicism and alienation from
their life, and pour in more of joy from heaven for no good reason!
For our church -- Our church hopes to empower people feel more
connected to the divine purpose in everyday life.
Bonus: Check out Ted talk titled “Sam Berm’s philosophy of life.”
This short talk will help you see that meaning and purpose don't
come from success and impact, but from the soul.
Sunday, March 8th
Jeremiah 29:7-14 (NIV)
Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they
produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your
sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have
sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have
carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers,
you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of
Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive
you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They
are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,”
declares the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed
for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring
you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come
and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find
me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you.
Israel comes to full circle. They are enslaved again by the
Babylonian empire. The surprise here is God saying, don't hate
Babylon, but pray for it's prosperity.
Points of Interest
--'Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they
produce.' -- This seems like a natural thing for people to do without
having to be commanded by God. But, it is not. Israel has come full
circle. After many years in the Promised Land, Israel is once again
enslaved by an empire. They have been carried away to Babylon.
Israel wants to be restored in it's homeland, but God commands them
to put down roots in Babylon, the godless enemy city of all that is holy
and faithful as they saw it.
--Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried
you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too
will prosper.” -- Even more shocking is that God wants them to pray
for Babylon's prosperity. Does this mean Babylon is a godly city?
No. But, God wants His people to connect to the broken world as
friends, not as enemies. 'God so loved the world He gave His only
begotten Son.' So, our attitude cannot be 'against and opposed,' but
to come alongside like a good friend to the world. This doesn't mean
we go along with everything. But, we must cultivate genuine
connection and enjoyment of the world as a good friend would.
--8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do
not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. -- The
prophets of God are wont to pronounce doom on the godless.
Babylon is an easy target as it is full of idols and violence. But, the
right rubric in all circumstances is the Greatest Commandment.
--13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart. 14 I will be found by you -- This is the great promise of good
news. God will be found if we want Him. God has given us Himself
in Jesus. This is the heart of the New Covenant that we'll begin to
explore the coming week.
Reflection question
Putting down roots is not a necessity, but a very important factor in
establishing good connections. Have you decided where to put down
your roots? Ask yourself how important community and faith is in
determining how often you move and where. Ask God for guidance
in a good place to put down roots to invest in your relationships.
For you -- Is there a 'golden past' that makes you unhappy with your
present or a 'dream' that makes it impossible for you to put down
roots? Ask God for a healthy sense of investment in your present life.
For ’My Six’ -- Are any of your friends feeling rootless? Ask God to
give them a good base to build their life.
For our church -- Ask God to make our church a blessing to the A2
Ypsi area. Ask God to make us a community of faith that acts like a
good friend to the city.