There is no doubt that as Christians, we suffer each and every day with persecution, adversity, and down right meanness from others.

This morning as I read in the book of Mark, I see that desolation is coming and we are instructed to run get away as soon and quickly as possible. But then comes the part that is so lovely and calming from our Lord.

“²⁰And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” – Mark 13:20 (ESV)

Me, as a child of God, am going to be spared the length of suffering in those days. When the desolation and destruction come from Satan here on earth, I will be rescued by God so that my suffering is shortened.

What a wonderful thought and comfort that I have already punched my ticket. I liken it to the time spent in the gym. Lifting, running, stretching, and working hard and painfully, only to experience a healthier and longer life. It may take some time to realize the change and frankly while on the journey, the change may not be noticed. But continue on suffering in the gym and ultimately, the result is realized.

I have punched my ticket with all of the suffering, persecution, and adversity as a child of God and that suffering is oh so worth it for the reward I receive.

Are you seeing the suffering today? Will you continue to press on for the reward you will receive? Will your suffering be shortened by the work you do for Christ today?

I am one of those people that used to think, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. Whereas this is certainly a noble concept, it is not very sustainable and really what am I teaching others.

“¹⁷Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” – Exodus 18:17-18 (ESV)

Moses had been sitting from morning til night each day working as mediator and judge over the people, in addition to providing the word of God. Again, this is very noble and he should be commended for his dedication to the people. But, wouldn’t his time be put to better use by working to provide the word of God as opposed to sitting and working through the minor squabbles of the people of Israel. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing and offered that advice to him.

“²⁴So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. ²⁵Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²⁶And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.” – Exodus 18:24-26 (ESV)

This is a great example of delegation and empowerment. Moses took the advice of his father-in-law and separated out the smaller thing and delegated them to those that were closer to the situation. This freed him up to handle the more significant matters and more importantly, the ability to provide the word of God to the people more consistently.

I have learned that I cannot do it all myself, and I have to okay with allowing others to take on some things, even if they are not done the way I would have done them. My way is not always the best way. I should be there to provide guidance, however I should allow others to do the work (the small matters) and them provide feedback and coaching when necessary (the more significant matters).

Have you been doing “all” the work because others “don’t do it right”? What would happen if you allowed them to take on some of the smaller things? Will you choose some to do the work and free you up for the larger, more significant items?

In my life I have many choices to make and the reasons for my decision is often selfish. I want to have something. I want to experience something., I want this or I want that.

“¹¹So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.” – Genesis 13:11 (ESV)

When I look at this verse and only this verse, I see that Lot made the decision to take the fertile lands that would be beneficial to his family. What is not seen is the choice that Abram made in allowing Lot to choose.

Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen had been quarreling related to the land for the livestock of each man’s possession. Abram wanted the quarreling to stop and therefore he offered to have Lot take his choice of the land.

“⁹Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right had, then I will go to the left.” – Genesis 13:9 (ESV)

I see that Abram made the unselfish choice while Lot immediately found the best in his view and chose accordingly. Now, I do not blame Lot for his choice as he was choosing for his needs, but where was his thought for others. His chose was a selfish one and he certainly took the “easy road”.

Abram chose to give to Lot knowing that God would ultimately provide for he and his family. Abram thought of others prior to himself and was rewarded.

“¹⁴The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.’” – Genesis 13:14-15 (ESV)

I have to remember that my choices are important to me and my family. They must be from the point of first providing for others. God will take care of me and my family and I have to hang my hat on that fact. My/our needs will be met by my Lord in the time He declares. And all of this starts with the reasons for my choices being grounded in thinking of others first.

What kind of decisions are you encountering each day? When you think about those decisions, who is first in your choice of helping, others or yourself? What are the reasons for the choices you are making?

This morning as I study, I am reminded to be gracious and seasoned in my communication of Christ. I am responsible to spread the gospel, and do so in a way that is structured, tempered, and useful. Paul writes in Colossians:

“⁵Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV)

These words are in his final instructions to the Colossians. I find them to be eye opening as a part of that final instruction and wrap up to the letter. Here is what is said in the commentary of my NIV:

“No matter how much sense the message makes, we lose our effectiveness if we are not courteous… ‘Seasoned with Salt’ means that what we say should be ‘tasty’ and should encourage further dialogue.”

Passion for the Word of God is certainly needed and should be demonstrated. That passion should not be wasted on forceful words and actions. I have to harness that passion and put it to good, thoughtful use so that I am able to reach others and draw them in as opposed to pushing them away.

Gracious actions and communication will yield deeper results than only those on the surface and used in manipulation. I think of zealots in society and how they speak and act to please a certain group. Those that do not listen or believe them, are considered “lost” and eventually pushed out/away for not following. God’s Word is inspiring and my approach must be one of inspiration as well. I have to remember that is was so important, that Paul left it in his final instructions to the church in Colossae.

When you are entering an interaction, what thoughts do you have surrounding your communication and actions? Are you prepared to be ‘courteous’ and ‘seasoned with salt’? Is your approach to spreading the gospel one of grace and inviting to others?

I have a choice of whether to come to God or continue on my own. I know and have studied that God is waiting on me to come to Him. He wants me to commune with Him.

Chapter 5 of the book of Amos is titled “Seek the Lord and Live” in my ESV Bible. Here I am led to understand that God wants me to seek Him and it culminates in verses 14 and 15.

“¹⁴Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. ¹⁵Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” – Amos 5:14-15 (ESV)

God has not given up on me and it is not too late for me to come to Him. I always have the chance to repent and return to God. Even in the New Covenant, Christ died so that I did not have to suffer with my sins. I can repent and follow Him and I will be saved. The thief being crucified with Jesus repented before he died and received the grace of God. Why not me, as I am not at the point of dying yet?

I have time, however I need to make the decision for time is running out. How much time do I have, I don’t know, but that time is running out. I choose to come to Christ and the grace he gives.

What about you, are you aware that you still have time to repent and come to Christ? Will you seek Him and live? Will you accept the grace that God has for each of us?

I remember the time my son and some of his friends were at the amusement park and he called at the time he was ready to be picked up. I made my way to the pickup area and waited. And waited and waited and waited. For an hour I waited, texting every now and again wondering where he was.

“¹⁸Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” – Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)

Now I am not saying that I am God, waiting on my son. I only use this as an analogy of the generousness of God. God waits for me to to accept Him. He waits for my repentance and turning to Him. He reaches out to me every now and again in an attempt to bring me in, yet does not force me to comply. I am still allowed to be my own person and choose my own path while God waits for me so that He can heap on the grace. He waits to show mercy and discuss with me the errors I have made. He is just in His response to me and blesses me once I have come to Him.

I am to stop running and come to God. When I do, I will find Him waiting to embrace me like the father with the prodigal son. It is up to me to come to Him for the grace that awaits.

Are you the child who has lost track of time and forgot that God is there? Are you aware that God continues to wait on you, patiently? Will you come back to Him and receive the grace He has been waiting to give?

Even just my words have great value.

“²³The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. ²⁴Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” – Proverbs 16:23-24 (ESV)

The wisdom of the Lord brought me to read in Proverbs this morning. These verses bring out to me the value of choosing my words carefully. When asked, and when speaking, I find myself often taking a moment. I begin by thinking of the “right” words to say as opposed to just blurting out a response or rhetoric. I realize the value of what I say and how I say it and the impact it will have on the individual as well as the situation.

I am grateful for the Lord and his wisdom to remind me of the patience and thoughtfulness needed when speaking and communicating. It is important that I continue to choose my communications carefully so as to be “judicious and add persuasiveness”. Speaking is a privilege that I have to take seriously and recognize that even small words can wreck a productive encounter.

In my ESV commentary for verses 20-24 of Proverbs 16 is this: “the wise consider their words carefully so that their words are both persuasive and good for the body and soul…Persuasiveness is a skill that can be learned and improved.”

First off, I have to continue choosing my words carefully, even to the point of knowing when to speak and not to speak as an impact to others as well as myself both physically and spiritually. And second, I am not done with my learning and growing. It is up to me to continue improving in my walk with Christ and that goes especially for the words I choose.

Are you always careful with the words you say? Have you ever really looked at those words and thought afterward, “what did I just say/do?” What are your thoughts on the value to grace of the words you choose?

I am not complex, at least in the eyes of God. I am a simple being in need of care and guidance.

“⁵Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. ⁶The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. ⁷Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” – Psalm 116:5-7 (ESV)

God does not see me as complex at all. In fact, I am simple to the point that God has already scripted all for me. He has put together the flow chart for me to follow. Yes, I have choices, however the consequences to those choices have already been formulated by God.

Think of traveling. When I travel, I rely on a map or GPS to get me to the destination. I have scripted the route and even, alternate routes, “just in case”. God has already put together the map for us, and we are here to follow that map and let things fall as God has planned.

Why do I make things so difficult. I spend too much time and effort to be more than I am to “please” others. I am constantly worn to a frazzle as I continue trying to drive change when it is clear that change is not something that others are interested in.

I am here to do the work of the Lord and there is where I should place my energy. I cannot “save” anyone. I cannot “fix” things for others. I can only do the will of God and He will take care of the saving, fixing, and changing.

Are you still trying to make things complex? What can you do to simplify your approach? What if you allowed God to provide the grace to your simple life?

This morning as I study I am again in Psalm. Today in Psalm 103 which is titled in my ESV; “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”. This Psalm is a glorification of God that focuses, as I am looking, at just how complete and full God’s grace and mercy is for us.

“⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” – Psalm 103:8 (ESV)

You can see in the verse, the word “abounding” which means according to Merriam-Webster Online: existing in or providing a great or plentiful quantity or supply. As I looked at this passage that abundance and plentiful quantity really stood out to me in the words and phrases used throughout Psalm 103, as you can see here.

all – (used 9 times)

abounding

forever

as high as the heavens are above the earth

as far as the east is from the west

from everlasting to everlasting

in the heavens

I saw in these verses the unending mercy and grace of God. I am reminded of the fullness of His love for me. I am humbled by how He does not and will not give up on me. I am gracious for the care he provides for me always.

Will you reflect on the completeness of God’s Love for you? Is your take on God’s mercy and grace one that is full and complete? Are you able to see God’s grace as all and unending?

The phrase, “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” is one that I thought of this morning as I study God’s Word. God is waiting for me, and shouldn’t I be the one to acknowledge Him first?

“¹⁵But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” – Psalm 86:15 (ESV)

Here I see that David is glorifying God with praise and definition of what He is “merciful and gracious”. And this should be an example of my approach. I should praise and identify God’s qualities and their impact to me as I continue to do His work.

As a child of God, there is no expectation of stopping simply with the praise and adoration. I have the ability to then ask. I give and God will give back. David asked plenty and was given by God to fulfill his need. Look here at David’s ask immediately following the praise offered to God.

“¹⁶Turn to me and be gracious to be; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. ¹⁷Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” – Psalm 86:16-17 (ESV)

Notice the ask of David here. Not to defeat his enemies, but to “be gracious” and give “strength”. David simply asks God to give him a way to deal. David is asking for the ability to persevere through the adversity that has befallen him.

I have to remember that God is not there to solve all of and take away the adversity. He is there to simply help me get through it in service to Him. And how does he do that, through mercy and grace. I live for a merciful and gracious God and deliverance is His to give.

When you ask God, have you gone through the process of praise? Are you asking for more than you are willing to give to Him? Are you willing to declare before you ask?