Test Your Faith

Luke 22:31-32 (msg)

"Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I've prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start."

Have you ever felt like you were being singled out? Going through something that you feel you don't deserve? How do you respond? Do you retreat, trying to stay away from others to be alone to wallow in your misery? Or maybe you find yourself lashing out at anyone and everyone, forcing them to taste your suffering. Why do you think God allows some people to go through some trials while others seem to always have everything go their way?

The devil works through our weakness, feeding us lies that we cultivate and allow to fester when things don't go our way. Remember that nothing happens without God's permission, and that sometimes he allows us to go through some things so that we have a testimony to share with those around us. This is exactly the situation we find Simon Peter in.

THE SCENE: after the Lord's supper, before Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray (before his arrest).

When Jesus first selected Simon to be a disciple, he changed his name to Peter (or Cephas), meaning rock. He planned for Peter to be one of the primary players in the foundation of the church following his death, but at this point he is not yet ready. He has the enthusiasm of a good disciple, boldly claiming that "[he is] ready to go with [Jesus] to prison and to death" (v. 33), yet he still manages to deny his relationship with Christ not once, but three times that very same day.

Stay on guard against the devil's lies, particularly when you find yourself getting into a rut. When it seems like God's not listening and things are falling apart around you, it's time to elevate your witness. Perhaps the lessons you learn now will come in handy down the line when you won't have the time to go through all the steps and you'll need to go straight to the answer. Perhaps you'll come away with a testimony that helps someone else you haven't even met yet. Fixate on God's goodness, and the things you take for granted that he has afforded you. Don't give up on God, because he certainly will not give up on us, no matter how much we deserve it.

-AMR

The Message

Romans 1:1-5, msg

I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God's words and acts. I write this letter to all the Christians in in Rome, God's friends. The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God's Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. (emphasis mine)

At my church here in Durham we often read the passage we're studying in both NRSV and also in Eugene Peterson's translation, The Message Bible. I was reading through the salutation to Paul's letter to the Romans and I was struck by Paul's fervor, which comes through very early on in the letter. This translation's version of verse 5 (highlighted above) describes our role as evangelists as an "urgent task." In fact, that's exactly what it means to be an apostle-- to be one who carries the good news to others. Paul writes with the same urgency that he exhorts us to have when sharing the gospel with others.

Think about the most exciting thing that may have happened recently, be it a cool vacation, a new job, a new toy, etc. What was your first inclination once you found out about it? You probably felt an urge to pick up the phone to call a friend, parent, significant other, etc. Why? because it's good news that you want those around you to be able to share with you.

You may have felt the same fervor with regards to sharing about your newfound relationship with Christ when you first became a christian but for those of you who have known Christ for a long time, how do you feel now? Have you allowed yourself to become comfortable to the point that you never really think about sharing about what should be the most important thing in your life?

My pastor always challenges us to take the trinity challenge, and I pass this challenge onto you. Share with three people in the next week-- whether it be testifying about how God has worked in your life recently, inviting someone to church, or simply saying "God loves you". Paul says that "[he] is not ashamed of the gospel" (v.16). Can you say the same thing? Is this reflected in your actions?

-AMR

Lean on Me

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
matthew 11:28

This time of year can be very difficult. The summer is winding down, and with it, that sense of freedom and flexibility. I've found that whether your life changes significantly come summer or not, there's a change in mindset that accompanies the change in temperature. Similar to new years, you start to make plans for all the things you're finally gonna get around to doing, and one day, you wake up and realize that it's August 19th and those plans haven't gotten beyond the planning stages. For some, school is starting back up, adding a level of complexity to what is already a busy life. For others, the realization that at least for the foreseeable future, that school will *not* be starting up again has finally come. Say goodbye to the security of having the next year already planned out for you.

You're probably wondering why I choose to remind you of this. Well, I have intimate knowledge of how crappy life can seem at this time of year. When we start to feel down, we basically have two options: 1) to turn away from God, and try to "work harder" to make our lives right or 2) to just surrender our fears and doubts to him. God knows that we are weak. He knows that we have a tendency to break down when things don't seem to be going our way. The good news is that when we are weak, he is strong. Unlike our friends, family, etc, he is the definition of faithful. If we call on him, he will answer.

Going through a rough spot? Ask the Lord to give you relief. If you call on him, he will answer (not necessarily in the way you would like, but that's a story for another day :-p). Spend time with the Lord. If you're not listening, you won't hear what he has to say. Allow him to give you the peace you need to get through your trial.

-AMR

Check out Oswald Chamber's devotional of the day.

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Free Money

Provision. That's the subject the following devotional was filed under. What really comes to mind when you think about that term? Are you thinking of that new car you wish you could afford? the digital camera that everyone else has while your stuck in the dark ages with your 35mm? What about the hot new fourth generation iPod? At what point do you stop and think about the essentials of life, health, and strength that allows us the opportunity to even think about anything else? It seems that only when we are lacking in one of those things that we even stop to consider that God woke us up on yet another day. That he allowed us to have a roof over our heads. When was the last time that you thanked God for these simple blessings?

God is good. All the time, and he knows our needs intimately. He hears our prayers and always answers them, although not always with the timing or answer that we desire. Regardless of the things that we feel that we are lacking in life, remember that God doesn't owe us anything, so we don't have any right to covet someone else's blessings. Rejoice in the Lord and wait on him. He will never leave you the way that people can (and will). Let his grace carry you through your tough times.

Paul wrote in his letter to the Phillippians that we ought to "rejoice in the Lord always" (4:4). Think about what that means in practical terms. Ask God to open your heart, and to help you understand what true "provision" is all about.

-AMR

Read the devotional from RBC Ministries "Soul Journey" (june 7, 2003)

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