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(This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series, “The Power of a Fresh Start!” WATCH HERE)

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At times in life we experience a life event that helps us realize, “God still has a purpose for me.”  These situations put life into perspective and we leave with a perspective that life is much bigger and more important than I had realized up to that point.  These situations might be walking away from a severe car accident.  One might have this thought when they head home from the doctor after being declared cancer free after an initial Stage 4 diagnosis.  

We don’t want to have to reach a point where we need a crisis to wake us up to the fact that God has something big for us to do.  He has a big, important reason for us to be here that is rooted in the big life purpose that Isaiah writes of in chapter 49:5-6:

Isaiah 49:5 And now the LORD says—

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength—

6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” 

If the LORD was going to send his only Son to this earth, he was not going to do it just for one group of people.  He was going to do it for the world.  It was too small of a thing just to restore the people of Israel.  Rather his mission was much bigger…to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

The result?  You and I are recipients of the “big work” that Jesus did and enjoy the reality and promise of salvation today.

It’s this big work that is at the heart of us having big work to do.

In no way am I imply that we are a second Jesus.  Rather, we were born into Christ to carry the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Yet, all too often we settle for small things.  We settle for things that really aren’t significant in the grand scheme of things.  How would Isaiah 49:6 sound if written about you?

It is too small of a thing for you to just pastor a small church, I will also make you an impact for others outside of your community.

It is too small of a thing just to be a leader in your company, I will also make you an influence for Christ among all those you lead.

It is too small of a thing to “just be a mom/dad,” I will also make you a catalyst for the faith of your children and grandchildren. 

It is too small of a thing for you just to serve in the military, I will also make you a voice of truth and grace among your whole company.

It is too small of a thing…(you fill in the blank), I will also make you (you fill in the blank.)

God has formed you in your mothers womb to be alive today.  He has put his name on you in the waters of baptism to be his servant.  He now has a mission that goes beyond the temporal and bridges to the eternal.  It’s too small of a thing not for us to realize the big mission God has saved you to be part of!

 

Apply: What bigger mission of grace do you see God calling you to be part of?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace that sets me apart to do your big work and your power which equips me for that to which you call me. AMEN.

(This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series, “The Power of a Fresh Start!” WATCH HERE)

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But I said, “I have labored in vain;

    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,

    and my reward is with my God.” (Isaiah 49:4)

 

Well, that was worthless.

Have you ever felt this way after working hard a project, only to have the outcome be nothing or far less than you anticipated?  It could be something as simple as washing your car, only to have rain get it dirty later the same day.  However, it could be something you invest a large part of your life in trying to get right.  Perhaps you have felt this way as a parent as you poured your heart and soul into raising your children, only for them to go down a very different path than you desired for them.  Maybe you worked years to get a company off the ground, only to have to file bankruptcy.  Maybe you invested in a relationship that after years crumbled and broke apart.

There are many things in life that we spend time doing that we feel like we have labored in vain.

But would Jesus feel this way?

If I were in Jesus’ sandals, I think I would feel this way as I carried the cross out to Golgotha.  I left heaven to come to this end?  I invested life in teaching, in healing, in conversation with many people only to have them turn on me? I came to bring good news to people that have been waiting for years for the Messiah to come, only for them to receive it as a threat to their power and concern over the fall of their country.

“I have spent my strength for nothing at all.”

Maybe the feeling would drift to Jesus’ ascension where less than 150 people after three years of intense ministry, were following him.  “I have labored in vain.”

Often from earthly perspectives, we can feel like we are investing a lot of time, energy and effort and having very little to show for it from the aspect of finances, relationships, or notoriety.  

The reality is this: If we labor just for earthly reward, we will labor in vain.  Sure we can benefit people along the way, but someday, everything will come to an end when Christ returns and then what will we think?

“I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.”

Or will we?

When we feel like we are laboring in vain, Isaiah continues:

“Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”

When I embrace a new perspective and realize that not only is my life one that now labors for the Lord, it is also a life that the Lord will use for his purposes.  When I allow the Lord to identify the reward, the success, instead of me, I realize that God can and does work all for my good and for his eternal glory.

Even work that no one notices, pays nothing, or does not contribute to a promotion, I know the Lord sees. And when the Lord sees it, the Lord uses it, and the Lord will reward it.  The Apostle Paul reminds us:

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

The Psalmist reminds us as well:

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

So embrace the new perspective today and whatever activities you are engaged in, allow the purpose of doing them NOT be for self-defined success but for the glory of God.  And as you labor for the Lord, notice how the Lord brings great reward to your work, helping you realize that all work for the Lord is never in vain and always used by the Lord for his purposes. 

 

Apply: What work have you done/are you doing that seems “in vain”?  What changes when you ask the Lord to give you a new perspective that reminds you to labor for the Lord and let him reward you for it?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing meaning and purpose to my work and tasks.  AMEN.

(This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series, “The Power of a Fresh Start!” WATCH HERE)

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Isaiah 49   Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the LORD called me;

from my birth he has made mention of my name.

2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 

3 He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” 

 

Perhaps one of the most notable monarchies is the royal family of England.  They often make the real news and the tabloid news with the scandals of relationships or the birth of new princes and princesses.

What’s interesting about a royal family, is that even before a child is born, there is a title waiting for them.  Before Prince William was born, he was heir to the throne, second only to his father who is now the king.  Before William’s son George was born, he was already next in line to the throne.

I am not a “Royal watcher” but the monarchy has some intriguing points to it.  Merely by birth do you hold a title and responsibility.  That right can be abdicated if you remove yourself from the Royal family, or you can be removed if your rule is deemed destructive.  You can only inherit the throne as a supporter of the Church of England and if you were Catholic, you are disqualified.

Not many people have their life position and occupation dictated to them at or before birth.  However, one much greater than any British Royal was set apart before his birth for a special task…of being the Savior of the world and ruler over all.

Like a Royal birth announcement, Isaiah wants the world to hear: “Listen to me, you islands, hear this, you distant nations.” What is about to be shared has ramifications for all people…down to you and me.  There was someone of importance coming on the scene who would be the servant of the Lord and display the Lord’s splendor.  He was one whose main weapon would not be a sword of polished steel, but a mouth of powerful words.

What would those words do?

Jesus words would bring truth the world so desperately needed.  Far greater than any earthly ruler, would the words that Jesus spoke influence the hearts and lives of people.  They would be words of good news that people would be led to believe and find peace, joy and hope in Jesus.  They would be words that would cut to the heart, for the sole purpose of exposing and eliminating sin and all that could destroy one’s relationship with the Lord.  They were precise words that the Spirit would use to convict of sin and comfort with forgiveness.  They would be words that would display the promises and power of God.  How do we know?  Consider just a few verses:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

This is what Jesus came to bring…the power of God’s Word to the heart of God’s people.

And that’s way more significant than any message or work the British royals could ever do.

 

Apply: What impact has the Word of God made on you?  What is one way to bring the power of God’s Word into your life daily?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for connecting me to your family of grace through the power of your word.  AMEN.

(This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series, “The Power of a Fresh Start!” WATCH HERE)

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Happy New Year!

A week into the new year has the “newness” of the year worn off?  Perhaps you have gotten used to seeing “2024” and even mastered writing “24” instead of “23.”  The celebration of the new year quickly fades into the routine that make it just “another” year.  The brief relief of letting go of the year past and embracing the new year perhaps has quickly faded.

But there is something about new starts that we all love.  Fresh starts allow us to put something in the past and embrace the possibilities of the future.  A fresh start allows us to let go of failures and embark on a new vision ahead.

The start of a new year is a natural time for a new beginning.  Perhaps you have made some resolutions to do some things differently this year (How are you doing on yours?).  There is power in a fresh start.

New starts are not foreign to the Christian.  In fact the power of a fresh start comes from our relationship with Jesus.  Our life as Christians is the reality of a fresh start.  The Apostle Paul put it this way: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Consider these “fresh starts” God gives us.

In our baptism…

Romans 6:3-4 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

In the Lord’s Supper we live in the new covenant of forgiveness instead of the Old Testament law:

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

The promise of heaven is a promise of an eternity in the new heavens void of all the suffering of the current earth:

Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The truth is that when we are with Jesus by faith, he makes everything new.  He gives us a new identity (Child of God); he gives us new purpose (to live for him); he gives us a new relationship with him (Our sins are forgiven); and much more.  There is nothing better than a fresh start that the Spirit of God gives us when we are connected to the Lord by faith in Jesus.  It’s this new, fresh start that we will unpack in the days ahead.  It’s this fresh start that we get to enjoy every day of 2024!

 

Apply: In what part of your life do you need a fresh start?  How does your connection to Jesus give that new, fresh start?

Prayer: Lord, thank you in your grace for giving me new life, forgiveness, and new connection to you.  Enable me to enjoy and live in this fresh start each day!  AMEN.

This coming Saturday (January 6) in the Christian Church Year is the Festival of Epiphany.  It is also the “12th Day of Christmas.”  Epiphany marks the coming of the Magi or Wisemen to worship Jesus and present gifts to him.

The story is amazing in its content and sparks questions of curiosity.

Who were these wise men?

What was the star and did it actually move?

How old was Jesus at the time of the visit?

The Gospel of Matthew records the visit with these words:

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; or out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

I invite you to read up on the details to get your questions answered.  The Magi were probably believers who were descendants of faithful Jews in the Babylonian Captivity (think Daniel).  The star, I believe, was a special star that miraculously guided the Magi.  And Jesus was probably around a year old (simply because Herod orders all babies under 2 years of age to be killed).  However, the detail that catches my attention is this.

“When they saw the star…they were overjoyed.”

“When they saw Jesus…they worshipped.”

The point of the Epiphany story is the reality of God’s promises and the certainty of God’s salvation found in Jesus, the one who’s name and mission is and was to save.  

God was revealing his Son to the world…and the Magi were the first foreign visitors to see Jesus and worship him.

However, they were not the first ones to see Jesus by faith and rejoice in him.  To conclude our look at the first part of Psalm 51, King David prayed (Psalm 51:10-12):

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

The joy of salvation is restored when we see Jesus, our Savior.  The joy of salvation is knowing that the Spirit of God creates in us a new heart and welcomes us into his presence.  He does not cast us away, but welcomes us to find joy and worship him as well.

I pray your 2024 is filled with moments where you find joy in worshiping Jesus, knowing the salvation he came to secure is the salvation he gives to you!

A happy and blessed 2024!

Apply: If you were the Magi, what would bring joy to your heart as you saw Jesus?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for orchestrating a solution to my sin in the person of your Son Jesus Christ.  May my year be filled with joy and my days be filled with worship for all you are and all you have done. AMEN.