September 11th, 2016
Devotional
“Wild Goose Chase: Putting God in a Box” - Hebrews 11:9 and Romans 4: 13-25
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “The Promise” - Romans 4: 13-15
At times the apostle Paul is hard to understand for a myriad of reasons, translations, using theological terms, the way he presents an argument - the list goes on and on. Perhaps no letter that Paul wrote is harder for most of us to grasp than his letter to the Roamns. Yet, that is where we find ourselves today.
In today’s passage, Paul is talking to the Romans about the promise that came to Abraham - the promise that he would have decedents more numerous than the stars. While this promise was initially made to Abraham and his wife, Sarah, because it spans generations it was a promise passed down through a lineage, including to the those who have faith in Christ. However, Paul wants to emphasize that the Romans, and other believers, cannot force God to be faithful to his promise to Abraham, just as Abraham could not force the promise to come to fruition is his own way or time. Instead, it is God’s faithfulness alone that makes a promise of this magnitude blossom.
If someone asked you why they should trust God to be faithful, how would you answer?
Tell of a time that you tried to make God’s will happen in your own way and time. What happened?
Prayer: God of the Promise, God of Abraham, God of the decedents more numerous than the stars - we confess that at times, we try to force your hand. We try to make you act the way that we want you to act. We try to box you into our ideas and concepts. Forgive us, O Lord. Free us to follow you and believe in your promises, fully. Amen.
Tuesday: “Not the Law” - Romans 4: 13-15
For years, even as far backs as the early Christians Paul is writing to, we have struggled with the tension between faith and the law. This was particularly hard for those who were Jewish believers, for they knew the Hebrew Scripture (what we refer to as the Old Testament) which contained over 600 laws.
Paul believed that the law is important, because it is the word of God. But the law does not replace a relationship with God. Another way to state this is to say that one cannot simply be good and follow all the rules and get to heaven. Being in a relationship with God is about trust and faith.
The law also does not make God’s promises come to pass, only God can do this. Further, what is the law used for? To convict. Paul wants the Romans, yes, to follow the law, but more importantly to look to the one who made the law for assurance.
How can we balance a relationship with God and following the law?
Prayer: Lord, at times we substitute your word for a relationship with you. We believe that if we are a good person and read our Bible, that we will be joined with you in heaven, while skipping over the relationship that you made us to have with you. Let us follow the law, O God, because of that relationship with you, not instead of it. Amen.
Wednesday: “Hope Against Hope” - Romans 4: 16-19
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “hope against hope?” To me, I hear that something is impossible, but that you keep believing in it anyway. Keep trusting that it will come to pass. What is important to remember as Abraham hoped against hope is who he was placing that hope in - not himself or his circumstances. Not his wealth. Not his past or his present. He was hoping in the living God alone, the God who had made the promise with him in the first place.
Because he hoped God, he believed in God’s word, despite all the things of the world that seemed to be against him - including age and barrenness. He didn’t make assumptions about how God would make the promise come to be, or when God would make it comes to pass. Instead, he lived each day simply trusting God.
What assumptions in your life could be limiting God’s actions? How can you challenge these assumptions?
How can you hope against hope in all circumstances?
Prayer: Lord, we believe that you want what is best for us - even if it is not exactly what we expect. Free us from our expectations and assumptions so that we can have a renewed sense of hope in you and your promises to us. Amen.
Thursday: “Fully Convinced” - Romans 4: 20-25
I love the verse in today’s scripture passage that proclaims “being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” You don’t become fully convinced in something or someone over night. Abraham became fully convinced that God was true and faithful and trustworthy because of how God had worked in his life in the past.
We need to remember, brothers and sisters. We need to remember how God has been faithful to use in the past so that we can be fully convinced about God’s faithfulness in our lives here and now and in the future. The problem is we too quickly forget the actions of God for us, and when we forget we become stuck. We need to have reminders in our lives of God’s faithfulness and continually say thank you to God, in order to faithfully live trusting God now.
What reminders do you have in your life of God’s faithfulness?
How can you become free from your spiritual ruts?
Prayer: Lord, you are so good to us! Even when we forget. Even when we lack trust in you. Even when we don’t say thank you. You are still so good to us! Free us to faithfully follow you, wherever your Spirit may lead, with a sense of trust! Amen.
Friday: “By Faith” -Hebrews 11:9
While preparing for this weeks sermon I came across a line in a commentary that really struck me - it went something like this - faith isn’t believing in something when there is little or no evidence, it is believing is someone - God alone. That is the faith of Abraham. A faith that didn’t just believe in the promise of God, but believed in the one making the promise in the first place. Believing in God alone is what prompted Abraham to leave the land he knew. It is what he clung to when times were hard. And it was that type of faith that was his legacy from generation to generation.
When we are no longer on this earth, what will other’s say about our faith? Will they talk about the God we believed in? And will our faith effect generations to come?
Think about how you would like to be remembered - what would you like people to say about your faith life?
Prayer: God, we are blessed to have the opportunity to have faith in you alone. May our faith stretch from generation to generation as we proclaim your name. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Wild Goose Chase: A Rooster’s Crow” - John 18:13-27 and Matthew 18: 21-22.
Family Activity: Talk about promises. What are some promises that your children have made or have had made to them? Do we always fulfill our promises? Why or why not? What about the promises God makes - does God always come through for us? Why?
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