Interpret

We are taught that our God is a God of Power and Might. He is Goodness and Light, separated from all evil. Yet in scripture today, I read of Jonah in Nineveh, “…He (God) repented of the evil He had threatened to do…” How, can we say God does not do evil when He had to repent of it? We find questions again in “temptation” verses: James says God tempts no one. He allowed Job to be tempted. In 1 Peter we pray to not be put to the test. Our Lord’s Prayer asks to “lead us not into temptation…”. Why do we ask this of God if He will never do it? The Word of God is meant to be interpreted by the mind and spirit. When we relegate it to earthly intellect rather than divine, we confine the description of God to our own minds rather than His. The scriptures are a gift to mankind to draw us into the essence of God. When we seek Him in spirit instead of the physical limitations of our minds, we find purpose, acceptance and peace in His unconditional Love.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

Status

In the hierarchy of life, the Christian stands at the bottom. Even though you manage a company, organization, classroom, event, or home, you are the subservient. An organization chart does not mean that one person is above another, but that the efforts must flow in harmony between the sources in order to be successful, no matter where the work originates. Jesus, the one true Son of God, never placed himself above another. He stepped into the system to walk alongside us, as a guiding, supporting role model, completely immersed in the desire to do anything needed to achieve the Father’s Will.  As we manage our life and the tasks placed before us each day, we will do good to remember our Lord. Without complaint, without gossip, but by lifting each other, and being willing to do anything necessary to achieve, we will see greatness.

So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty.” – Luke 17:10

Influence

Back in more youthful days, I coached my daughters' peewee football cheerleader squad. I made up a cute little cheer perfect for the eight girls on the squad. We did the same cheer for about two years, then moved on as young families do. It was a great surprise several years later, while attending a homecoming at the local high school, I saw "my" cheer being performed by the varsity squad.  The eight girls I had taught had long since graduated, yet the cheer lived on.  I was blessed to see goodness come of a small gesture, but I wonder how often I lost patience, made a rude comment, or any other number of things I may have done in front of those little girls. Had these actions had the same lasting effect as the little good? As we go throughout our day today, let us ask God to guide our actions so that our influence on those around us will glorify His Holy Name.

God, who has saved His whole people, conferring heritage, kingdom, priesthood, and sanctification on all of us, as He has promised in the Law, will surely, as our hope is in Him, be swift to show us mercy and gather us together from everywhere under heaven to the holy place, since he has rescued us from great evils and has purified it.  2 Maccabees 2:17-18