Wednesday, October 24, 2018

God's Hands


Devotion (25 Oct 2018)
from Holy Word Pflugerville sermon notes from 21 Oct 2018 (Pastor Daron Lindemann)
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God's Hands Discipline and Deliver
1 Peter 5:6-11

Think about suffering.
We question it.  Why, God?
We complain about it.
We even make it worse by suffering about how we are suffering it...worrying, wondering, pondering, obsessing, sharing, over-sharing...

God's discipline of a Christian is often mistaken for wrath and punishment.
We think that "God is just getting back at me for..."

ABSOLUTELY NOT!  You can be 100% sure that God is NOT doing that.
How do we know?
Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Not "just a little" condemnation, not "God puts in some and then you put in some to cover it", but NO condemnation.

So why am I/we/they suffering?
God is a loving parent and you are his child.
It's discipline. 
God loves you so much that he is delivering either an little electric shock to get your attention or a focused laser to surgically remove something harmful.  Yes - that creates a wound but one that is guaranteed to heal better than it was before.

BUT - guess what - the devil wants to infect that wound.
He wants it to fester and grow and to increase your pain.
Being the devil - though - he does not tell you that.
Instead - he offers and promises "relief".
Oh - God is being so mean to you - I've got just the thing to ease your pain...

The devil offers to give you "relief" in many ways - here are some.
- You should self-medicate.  Indulge in something else that makes you feel good (for a bit, perhaps) like drugs, alcohol, binge-watching, etc.
- Don't worry about it.  It will go away.  It's nothing.  Just ignore it.  Work harder, play harder - but whatever you do - don't pay attention to what God is trying to draw your attention to.
- Deflect it.  If only everyone I know could hear about my suffering that would make me feel better.  Ah - Facebook is my link to all my friends...let's post it all NOW!
- Project it.  It's not really your fault that this is happening.  It is his/hers/theirs and by golly, they really should know that it's all their fault.  Ah - now I've told them and I feel so much better...

And that "relief" ends up being no relief at all. 

1 Peter 5:6,7
MSG - 6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

NIV - 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Curious thing about these verses.  Think about God's mighty hand.  Isn't it ALL-mighty? 
So - are you too heavy (your burdens and your suffering) for God to lift up?
No - the "lifting up" referred to here is not by force.  It is by faith.

God lifts up and delivers by "removing and replacing"
- Removing fear and replacing with courage
- Removing pride and replacing with humility
- Removing guilt and replacing with release and true relief

Cast all (ALL) your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

So - why the trials and the suffering?
OK - think about a parent teaching a child to catch a ball.
Will the parent throw the ball into the child's hands every time?
Would that teach them to catch a ball?  No - not in the real world.
The parent will throw the ball just outside of their reach - just outside of where they can catch it.
And after 5 times - the child realizes - if i just stretch my arm out or move over here - I can catch that ball.  It might not be comfortable and it means I have to change - but I caught the ball!

Jesus is throwing the ball outside of where YOU can catch it.
Jesus told Peter to walk on the water.  And he DID.
Talk about out of your comfort zone!

So - get out there and walk on water because He will lift you up.

Stop for a moment and think about Jesus' hands
- Baby hands
- Young carpenter (or stonemason) hands learning a trade
- Hands of healing and hope
- Hands in prayer
- Hands extended to help
- Hands extended on the cross
Luke 23:46
46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

- Resurrected hands extended
Luke 24:39
39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

- In heaven
Romans 8:34
34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

NOTHING will ever happen to you and I that is worse than what Jesus endured.
Nothing!

God the Father has delivered you and I through the saving hands of his Son.
God's hands both discipline and deliver.

So - what should I do with my hands?


1 comment:

  1. Pray! Use your hands to further the good news of salvation. Salvation and eternal life are attained only by having true faith in Jesus, our Savior. That faith comes to us from the Holy Spirit. Praise be the Lord!

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