God’s Word Daily

Grad School Fear Factor

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Scripture:  1 Peter 4:12-14

12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Observations:

Beloved:  Peter, loves this gathering of Believers and he knows God does too.
Don’t be surprised with troubles come because of following Jesus.
Rejoice when you are insulted because of Jesus.
You are blessed.
Because the Spirit of Glory and of God rests on you.

Application:

In his book, What Americans Really Believe, Rodney Stark observes that

people who did not enter college (34%) and those who attended college (33%) were equally likely to witness, but those who attended graduate school (16%) were much less likely to do so.  This may be partly due to the fact that the graduate-educated were more likely than others to agree with the statement: “‘I have kept my religious beliefs to myself for fear of ridicule.’”  A university faculty lounge would be a very uncomfortable place to do any witnessing.  p. 26, What Americans Really Believe.

Fear of ridicule is another form of our fear of people.  Social pressure is real.  But the Spirit of God is calling us to lean into that realm of fear and actually let the glory of Jesus be revealed through our lives.  Faith in the academy persists.  But is does come with its social pressures.  If you find yourself in such circles of humiliation because of your identification with Jesus Christ, count yourself blessed.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I have friends who are in the midst of their grad-school fear-factor.  And I have friends who do indeed face the risk of “fiery trials” because of their faith in other countries.  May your Spirit give them courage and wisdom to love people in your name and to proclaim your Gospel clearly.  AMEN.

Gifts that make God bigger

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Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11 (Focus on verses 10-11)

7The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Observations:

God is gifting his people.
We are to serve one another as stewards a of God’s grace.
as one who speaks — speaking what God gives.
as one who serves — serving with the strength God gives.

So that God is glorified in everything.

 

Application:

Sometimes my problems seem bigger than God.  Sometimes the crap people are living through seems bigger than God.  Sometimes the complexity and mystery of this world seems bigger than my view of God.

No doubt, we are in a spiritual battle.  The powers of darkness are arrayed against the knowledge of God.  Satan seeks to pervert and diminish the greatness and the truth of God from the minds of people and will do anything to keep us from trusting Him and receiving His love, grace and truth in the Gospel.

Every follower of Jesus Christ who has received His grace has been gifted by Him.  Through the faithful application of those gifts we get to bring glory to God.  We get to  enlarging the world’s view, understanding, and experience of God.  Whether by serving or by speaking– words and actions are meant to enlarge the view of God in this world.  Jesus gives gifts that “make” God bigger.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father I was dismayed yesterday to hear of how one of your children is being kicked around by sin.  Its awful what has happened to him.  May your grace prevail in this broken world through your people. Please bring healing.  Please empower your church to speak your words and to serve with your strength.  AMEN.

Who’s coming to dinner?

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Scripture:  1 Peter 4:7-11 (Focus on verse 9)

7The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Observations:

Show hospitality to one another
Without grumbling.

Application:

Hospitality:
is the act of welcoming another person into your space.
is the act of welcoming another person to your table.
shares.
puts the other at ease.
recognizes that everyone who comes to the table has something to give.
creates space for the gifts of the other to be received.
honours the other.
loves.

We are hospitality-challenged.  So much so, we don’t even remember what its like to grumble about hospitality.  The loss of the table and simple hospitality makes us poorer even as we become richer.  When we do go off of the fiscal cliff our poverty of relationships may become more apparent.

The Gospel encourages us to create space for relationships by using “our” spaces to welcome and honour others.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you have welcomed us to your table.  May my table be a glimpse of your great banquet table in heaven.  May your Son always be the guest of honour.  May strangers become your friends at our tables.  AMEN.

 

Love is not a cover-up

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Scripture:  1 Peter 4:7-11 (Focus on verse 8)

7The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Observations:

Above all:  of great importance.

Keep on loving one another earnestly.

Since, love covers a multitude of sins.

Application:

At the end of an exhausting and stressful day my margins were spent and my mouth was the evidence:  @&! *%^##!!!!

The next day I was amused and convicted as my wife proceeded to tell me how glad she was to hear me express my frustration.  Ha!

Love is a not a cover-up when it comes to sin.  There is no pretending about reality.  Rather love deals with and metabolizes sin in an effort to value and build up the relationship.  We leave and are done with sin because of a greater experience and vision of love.  Being confronted, forgiven, and loved is life changing.

Love is a choice.  The importance of being earnest cannot be underestimated!  Earnestness is an attitude that keeps us leaning into the relationship.  As a follower of Jesus we lean in with grace seeking to call out the Holy Spirit’s deep yearnings and longings for us to be to revealed as God’s children.

How can we be this way in the church?  Where is the earnest community of Jesus’ disciples?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me with a long-suffering enduring love.  Thank you for the grace of Jesus that mercifully covers our sin.  I need your healing touch again today and the Spirit’s reminder to freely give.  AMEN.

Imagine a Conversation with God

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Scripture:  1 Peter 4:7-11.  Focus on verse 7

7The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Observations:

Peter is living with an expectation that “the end” is close.
For that reason: be self-controlled and sober minded
For the sake of your prayers.

Application:

Peter is aware of how desperately followers of Jesus require conversation with God.  I recently read that men are particularly prayer-challenged because they do not put their imagination to great use.  I’m not so sure of that.  But you know, having a conversation with God does require the intuitive, imaginative side of me.  I trust that Someone is listening.

Peter knew what it was to physically walk with Jesus and to have conversations about life and the Kingdom of God.  Now after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus he knows what it is to have a conversation with God that is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Any conversation becomes difficult when we lack self-control and when our mind is running fast with the desire to fulfill or deal with the consequences of our passions.  Prayer is a conversation that requires us to be still and listen.  I don’t mean you have to be sitting down for this conversation.  I mean that you have to get below the noise in our mind.  To talk with God is to have a conversation about real life: all the issues we are happy, sad, angry or afraid of.  I think sober-mindedness means that we are adjusting our expectations about life and God.  The Gospel lets us look forward to the end of all of suffering and pain when we are with Him in heaven.  So now our hope is that a measure of the Kingdom of God will come as we pray:

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  AMEN.