Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Hiding
Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.
Read: Isaiah 58
Think: So many of us work so hard to keep up …..the house, the car, the yard, entertainment, travel, etc. A friend saw this statement on twitter “People are funny. They spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like.”
Pastor spoke recently about the related issue, people-pleasing, being a form of idolatry. Indeed, anything that takes our eyes away from the Lord and His precepts is placing another god before Him. Becoming over-committed and doing too many things, trying to please too many people leads to stress and sometimes health problems. When we add something into our already busy lives, the house can get messy, the laundry can stack up and we may have to eat out. But, what is God’s priority for us? I think His way is balanced and does not require us to be stressed out. “He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.” Micah 6:8 MSG
He knows our heart. He makes allowances for our weakness and our inability to do it all. I suspect He is not too concerned about the condition of my laundry room. Imagine what Jesus’ place would look like if He were living here today. Would He use a fresh towel every time he showered? What kind of car would He drive? Or would He take the bus? I think He wouldn’t have a lot of stuff in His little flat. I doubt He’d be dining out much, making investments and dreaming about the Caribbean. His priorities were for us to love one another, feed the poor, heal the sick and preach the Gospel, just as He did.
Do: Study the life of Jesus. Obey His word. Ask God how to help you do what He’s calling you to today. Drop the unnecessary baggage from your life and schedule. Forget about what your friend or neighbor is doing and ask Jesus what He would do.
Pray: Forgive me, God for the idolatry in my life and for caring more about things and impressions than I should. Jesus, I want to be more like You. Make Your priorities for me my priorities for me. Reveal Yourself to me so that I know You more. Help me to want to serve you and please You more than others.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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