It’s often the person who seems least likely to be used by God who is the one He decides to use for His purposes.
The posting for November 18, 2022 (link below) focused on a person who considered himself least likely to be used by God, but found out that his perspective was not God’s. Let’s take another look at this and focus on how we might be used by God for His kingdom.
“I was talking with a friend the other day,” Stan mentioned one morning at breakfast, “about how so much of the church today is what he called ‘seeker friendly,’ and that seeking is kind of the end of the story.”
“End of the story?” I said. “Like the church doesn’t really encourage discipleship after those who were seeking have come to faith?”
“That’s it,” Stan replied. “From a lot of personal experience, I can tell you that I agree with my friend.”
“In what way?”
“For a long time after I came to faith,” Stan replied, “I didn’t pursue discipleship. I was content knowing that I had the assurance of salvation and redemption and didn’t see any reason to go beyond that.”
“But there is a reason, isn’t there?”
“There certainly is,” Stan replied. “Jesus.”
“In how He talked about discipleship? Is that it?”
“Not only that,” Stan responded, “but I think also it’s in what Jesus said about seeking.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“He said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” Stan said. “It seems to me that what Jesus was really saying was to seek first the kingdom of God, and then seek His righteousness.”
“By being a disciple?” I asked. “Is that it?”
“Seek His righteousness by being a disciple,” Stan repeated. “That seems like a good way to put it! Seek first God and His kingdom; and then go on to what’s next, which is being a disciple!”
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Bible verses to consider:
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, . . . . Matthew 6:33.
On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. Luke 9:23-24.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of life eternally with you through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Thank you for those people you brought into my life so I would seek your kingdom and know that I have life eternally with you. I confess that too often I do not take the next step of seeking your righteousness by being the disciple you intend. Please forgive that foolishness and help me to follow every step of your lead, just as you intend. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you sought, found, and claimed your place in God’s kingdom so you have life eternally with Him? If no, why? What’s in the way of removing your eternal separation from Him? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with pursuing God’s righteousness by being a disciple? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how’s is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
The main takeaway for each day this past week.
The full version of each posting can be found at www.waiting4thetrain.com
Note: Please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, etc. as a way to introduce them to Stan, S. Tory Teller, and the conversations about faith, discipleship, and what it means to be a Christian.
Also, don’t forget that S. Tory Teller’s book, the 100-day devotional, Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going, is available from amazon.com, other on-line book sellers, and directly from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com
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Monday, July 31 (Going to Capernaum) — After the feeding of the five thousand, people got in boats and went to Capernaum seeking Jesus. Have you sought Jesus? Are we helping other people to go where they need to go to find Jesus?
Tuesday, August 1 (Obey and see God in action) — If we don’t see God doing anything in our lives, could lack of obedience have anything to do with it?
Wednesday, August 2 (“Sin no more” isn’t that hard to understand) — We who are forgiven because we have accepted God’s free and gracious gift of salvation are supposed to live differently than we did before. Are we?
Thursday, August 3 (An example of what?) — We are to be an example of one who believes, but too often we are an example of something else. Why is that?
Friday, August 4 (He’s waiting to be asked) — The woman at the well asked Jesus for what He had to give her. God is waiting for us to ask Him for all He has to give us. Are we asking? If no, why?
“About a month ago,” Stan commented one morning during breakfast,”we talked a little bit about the woman at the well. Do you remember that?”
“I do remember,” I replied. “We were talking about her and what happened when she told some people about Jesus. Why do you ask?” [Note to reader: see the posting for July 5, 2023, “They listened to her and then they listened to Him”]
“I was looking again at that story,” Stan replied, “and I saw that she did exactly what James said to do.”
“James? He wasn’t there, was he?”
“You’re right,” Stan replied, “James wasn’t there. In fact, he hadn’t even written his letter at the time Jesus and this woman were talking at the well.”
“”Then how can you say that she did what James said to do?”
“James wrote about a truth that this woman knew she should do.”
“What’s that?”
“Ask,” was Stan’s one-word response. “James wrote that we don’t have because we don’t ask.”
“So?”
“The woman asked. She asked Jesus to give her the living water He was talking about. It’s the same thing for me, for you, and for all of us. Ask.”
“Ask for what?”
“Whatever God has to give,” Stan replied. “With the woman at the well, she asked for the living water Jesus had for her. Jesus wanted her to ask so He could give it to her. It’s the same thing with everything God wants to give us. He’s just waiting for us to ask!”
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Bible verses to consider:
You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2.
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” John 4:15.
Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for all you have for me that can be mine for the asking. I confess that too often I do not have from you what you have to give because I don’t ask. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me to be open to asking for all you have to give, whatever that may be. And please help me to receive and embrace all you have for me. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you asked for and received life eternally with God that is available through the finished work of Jesus’ cross? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with asking for, receiving, and embracing all that God has for you in an ever-deepening relationship? If you sense the need for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
When the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he told him to be an example of those who believe. It’s to be the same thing with us, but too often we are examples of something else.
The posting for November 17, 2022 (link below) focused on what Paul wrote and how too often we are good bad examples. Let’s take another look at this and spend some time with God listening to what He has to say about what kind of example we are by how we live our lives.
One morning while we were waiting for Ricky to bring our breakfast, I said to Stan, “Have you ever known people who say they have come to faith and become Christians, but there’s not a whole lot of difference in their lives?”
“You might as well ask me if I’ve ever taken a breath,” Stan replied with a smile. “In fact, one person I know quite well fits into that category. For way too long, there was no change.”
“Was there eventually a change with this person?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Stan replied. “I eventually started to change.”
“You? You’re talking about yourself?”
“That’s it,” he replied. “For way too long I was content to know that I had the assurance of salvation and redemption through the cross of Christ for when I step into eternity, but it didn’t really make a difference in how I lived.”
“What caused you to start to change?” I asked.
“Something Jesus and the apostle Paul said about sinning,” Stan replied.
“What’d they say?”
“Don’t,” was his one-word answer.
“Don’t what?”
“Sin,” Stan replied. “In the first place, Jesus said to at least a couple of people that they should go and sin no more. Seems like He was talking to me!”
“And then,” he continued, “the apostle Paul when he was talking about the fact that my sins are forgiven by the grace of God, said that I shouldn’t keep on sinning to increase God’s grace.”
“So,” I said, “just because people have the assurance of salvation due to their acceptance of God’s free and gracious gift, that doesn’t mean that they should just keep on living the way they were until it’s time to get on the train. Is that it?”
“That’s it, my friend,” Stan replied. “It seems to me that ‘sin no more’ isn’t that hard to understand!”
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Bible verses to consider:
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may befall you.” John 5:14.
And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord,” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.” John 8:10-11.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2.
Prayer: Thank, you, Father, for your free and gracious provision of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus’ cross. Thank you, too, that you want me to live a different life because I have accepted your provision of life eternally with you. I confess that too often my life is not a whole lot different than it was before I accepted your provision. Please forgive the foolishness of not wanting to change. Help me to follow every step of your lead so I live the life you have me to live for you and your kingdom. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him, not just for when your time here is completed, but also for the time you have remaining here? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in being transformed so you are following what Jesus said about “Go and sin no more”? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
With the feeding of the 5000, the disciples’ obedience had a role in seeing what God could do. It’s the same thing with us each day.
The posting for November 16, 2022 (link below) focused on how doing what Jesus said enabled the disciples to see the miracle of what God did. Let’s take another look at this and spend some time with God listening to what He has to say about our obedience and how greater obedience can impact what we see Him do.