Theme:   Is It Just Me?

Read: Job 1:6-12 (The Message); Matthew 6:33-34 (The Message); Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 22:41-43

Think:  The title of the series beginning this week is, “Is It Just Me?”  Thankfully, each of just might discover that, no it isn’t just you.   If you are thinking it, feeling it, believing it, pretty good chance you have some good company in the near vicinity.

If you were able to catch the sermon this weekend, we were blessed with Dave Nelson visiting Timberlake once again.  Dave is an energetic, engaging, and funny speaker.  But what I appreciate most about Dave is he is real.  He doesn’t sugar coat the message, and he humbly admits his own shortcomings.  Dave challenged us as individuals, and as a church body, and warned us about becoming insular and self serving. Dave reflected upon the early Church, and the willingness and boldness of the band of believers to hold fast in their faith in spite of the very real threat of death.  A relatively tiny band of believers trusted in God’s plan over their own fears, and we can forever be thankful for this. Make no mistake, their actions required boldness.   

What about you?  What fears do you have? Where are you seeking comfort rather than seeking God’s plan?  Dave asked us to pray for boldness in our faith and our walk with the Lord.  You know, the scary kind of prayer, the kind of prayer where we are unsure of the results, or maybe more realistically we are unsure about the discomfort it may cause us.  Are you willing to pray for boldness to forgive someone who harmed you?  Are you willing to pray for boldness to share your faith, even when your knees are trembling?  Are you willing to pray to God that He would use you without self imposed limitations, or restrictions?  Are you willing to pray that His will be done, not yours?  I know, these are hard prayers, bold prayers, but they are prayers that begin to move us from about us, to about Him. 

Do: Below are some of the lyrics to Matthew West’s “My Own Little World”.  I think you will see this artists own struggle between comfort and following God’s commands and desires for our life.

In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world
Population me

I try to stay awake during Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate, but I never give ’til it hurts
I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see
Yeah,it’s easy to do when it’s
Population: me

What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world

Stopped at a red light, looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign, said “Help this homeless widow”
Above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh how many times have I just passed her by?
So I gave her some money then I drove on through
And my own little world reached
Population two

What if there’s a bigger picture?
What if I’m missing out?
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world
My own little world

Pray:  Heavenly Father there is something that You and I know that needs to be changed in me. Perhaps I need to forgive someone, perhaps I need to serve someone or somewhere, perhaps I need to cry out to You that Your will be done, not mine.  Lord give me the strength and courage to truthfully and boldly go where You need and desire me to go.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.                

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.