Dying to Be a Servant: A Parable

Dying to Be a Servant: A Parable

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 12:23-26

Once upon a time there were two grains of wheat lying on the floor of a warm and cozy barn. But one day, the farmer came in and told them, "I want to take you out of this comfortable barn and plant you in the earth. I'm going to place you in the cold ground and cover you with soil. It will be dark, and you will die. But I promise that you will multiply and become very fruitful."

The first grain of wheat turned down the suggestion. "No way!" he said. "Count me out. I like my comfort, and I don't want to die." But the second one, after carefully considering the pain and discomfort of dying, decided the promise of a future harvest was worth the sacrifice. So the farmer took him outside and planted him in the ground, while allowing the first grain of wheat to remain inside the barn.

A few days later, a small green sprout appeared over where the seed had been planted. Then it grew and became a tall stalk of wheat that produced one hundred more grains. For the next forty years, the farmer planted all the seeds that had originated from that first grain of wheat, and year after year, the harvest multiplied. However, the grain of wheat that stayed in the barn remained there by itself, never multiplying--but he was very comfortable.

Which grain of wheat are you? Are you playing it safe, or have you let Christ plant you in the world? The only way you'll ever become useful and fruitful in God's kingdom is to abandon your own selfish desires, get out of your comfort zone, and serve the Lord by serving others.

How to Be Ready for Anything and Laugh at Days to Come

How to Be Ready for Anything and Laugh at Days to Come
KATHI LIPP

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Proverbs 31:25 (NIV) 

I need to make a confession.

Promise to keep it between us?

For years, there was one part of the Bible I kinda, sorta just skipped over.

Proverbs 31.

Yep. The wife of “noble character” (Proverbs 31:10, NIV).

Ugh. (Sorry, did I write that aloud?)

Have you seen the rundown of what it takes to live up to her standard? Here’s a partial list of what she gets done on the regular:

She works with textiles. (I failed eighth grade home economics.)

She starts working and cooking before the crack of dawn. (I need at least two cups of coffee before I even attempt to function.)

She is a real estate mogul and a farmer. (I can’t keep a houseplant alive.)

She has buff arms. (I can’t even …)

She makes her family’s clothes. (See my eighth-grade failure.)

Not only was she not behind, she was so far ahead of the game, she couldn’t hear the game calling out to her.

I mean, couldn’t I just be a wife of OK character and try a little less hard?

As you might have guessed, there was very little about me that was like the Proverbs 31 woman. Especially when it came to being prepared.

I would buy groceries that sounded great to me. “Carrots! I want to be healthy! Nutella! I deserve a treat!”

But when I brought them home and tried to create actual meals out of the mishmash of stuff, let’s just say my culinary efforts would have gotten me kicked off of Chopped. Actually, I would have been a contender for Worst Cooks in America.

And if I had a dollar, I spent a dollar … and a half. I was always overdrawn. In my bank account, on my calendar and in my relationships. I was constantly borrowing against my future, always falling further behind.

I justified this lack of being prepared by telling myself that being prepared is for people who don’t trust God.

But that statement wasn’t faith — it was fear dressed up in its Sunday best.

Let’s get back to the Proverbs 31 woman.

It took me really reading this portion of Scripture to understand that she wasn’t showing off or trying to show me up. She was taking care of her family so she could also take care of others.

She wasn’t just looking out for herself. She was prepared so she could also help her community.

And then, just a few verses down, these words stopped me.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25).

Instead of living in fear and making excuses for why she wasn’t prepared, not only did she prepare her family, but she was prepared enough to help others who couldn’t help themselves.

She wasn’t frantic. She wasn’t in a panic. She wasn’t perfect — but she was ready for anything. She could laugh at the days to come because she was at peace through her preparedness.

The Proverbs 31 woman used to sound super-human to me, but the truth is, she was a pro at taking care of her future self. The idea of job loss, injury or crisis used to be so overwhelming to me that I didn’t even want to think about it, much less build up a savings account or a few extra freezer meals to prepare for it.

I’ve learned I only need to be concerned about things I can control. When I cannot control circumstances, I can be at rest because I am loved by the One who is in control. The combination of wisdom (knowing what to do and doing it) and faith (knowing what I can’t do and trusting God with it) produces a peace the world cannot supply.

Friend, do not be overwhelmed by all you need to do. When you ready your heart and your mind for the days to come, you can be at peace. And you can share that peace with others in your life.

Heavenly Father, please show me how to faithfully be prepared so I can not only be at peace myself, but also meet the needs of those around me. I want to be a powerful force of gentle peace in a world that needs You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 30:25, “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” (NIV)

Titus 3:1, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.” (NIV)

Creating Rainbows

Creating Rainbows
by Katherine Britton

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." - Genesis 9:8

On Friday night, I saw one of the most beautiful sights I will ever see. No, I wasn't hiking in the mountains or watching the sunset. I was in a very ordinary setting actually - just driving home through downtown Richmond in rush hour traffic. The weather had developed schizophrenia and my windshield wipers were flashing at full speed even though the sun was shining. People were huddled under trees as they waited for their bus, and businessmen in suits were dashing toward their parking garages. The traffic report was not in my favor, and I resigned myself to a long drive home. That's when I saw it.

One end of a rainbow touched the end of my street, seeming completely out of place with the city skyline and blaring horns. But the rainbow was there all the same; in fact, it grew brighter, until the colors were as distinct as they are in a child's coloring book. Then a second rainbow appeared over this first one, and as I got closer I could see both ends of the rainbows. I kept snapping pictures on my cell phone, even though I knew that no camera in the world could really capture those colors. That dreary late afternoon commute changed into something that was, well, magical - or, as Noah would have said, miraculous. That very ordinary day was transformed by the visible reminder of God's promise to Noah.

The commentator Matthew Henry read the Genesis passage and wrote these words: "The rainbow is the reflection of the beams of the sun, which intimates that all the glory and significancy of the seals of the covenant are derived from Christ the Sun of righteousness… As God looks upon the bow, that he may remember the covenant, so should we, that we also may be ever mindful of the covenant, with faith and thankfulness."

God displayed a visible reminder of His everyday grace on Friday for anyone who looked up, reminding me of the promise He made to extend a common grace to all living things. How often do I take that promise for granted? The truth is, I nearly yelled at a driver on that same drive home after I saw the rainbows, letting a momentary panic get in the way of meditating on an eternal promise. My perspective so often slips into the ordinary, when God's daily grace is all around me. My prayer this week is that I will not lose focus, but instead, remember the rainbow. Everything else pales in comparison with the brilliance of His glory.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Rainbows appear where the circumstances are just right - where there's rain and sun. Am I letting rainy day blues crowd out the sun, like I did in responding to the driver who cut me off? Or am I letting the sun break through the ordinary clouds and circumstances? The glory of the Lord shines most brilliantly not when everything is right with the world, but when I live my daily life in remembrance of what He has done for me.

When Ezra Prayed

When Ezra Prayed
by Bible Pathways

"Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore."  - Ezra 10:1

Ezra grieved over the nation of Israel because of their sin. In this verse, he lays it all out before God and this chosen nation of God. The verse goes on to say that he confesses to the Lord. Through Ezra, the people repented and returned to the will of the Lord.

This is a great example of how to obtain a revival in the whole nation. One might ask, can one man really make a difference? The Word of God shows example after example of that very thing happening. One person following the Lord will always make a majority. What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).

The Bible is full of individuals who made a difference by standing for what was right. They made a difference by standing for God. You only need to read the "roll call of faith" in Hebrews 11 to get a fairly comprehensive list of these individuals. There have also been many since the days the Bible was written. Many who have given their lives for the cause of Christ and the promotion of the Word of God. There are some who have become well known for their sacrifice. Others are only known to a few. Some may have had no one to mourn their passing. However, their gift is known greatly in heaven.

Others may not have died for the cause of Christ, but have lived their lives dedicated to God. These too have brought change in the world around them. The Scripture compares a child of God to salt and light. Both being agents of change. Matthew 5:13-14 tells us, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Ezra was a leader, of that there is little doubt. His heart was turned towards godly things. He set his life to seeing the work of God completed. This work changed the heart of a nation. Any of us could be used in a similar manner. It is all about living in obedience to the Lord and His will.

A Prayer for You to Love Others with Grace and Truth

A Prayer for You to Love Others with Grace and TruthBy Pete Briscoe

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

A while ago, I was conversing with the leader of a thriving college ministry who had an openly gay believer join his group. The campus leader invited the young man to walk through several Scriptures with him spanning multiple meetings. Finally, the young man said, “This is good stuff, but I’m still gay.” My friend decided to separate himself from this student so others wouldn’t think he was endorsing gay identity.

When he and I talked, I encouraged him to think differently. Believers need not worry about perception management. It’s okay if people misunderstand us. We are traffickers of grace following the example of Jesus, and He was constantly misunderstood.

So let’s be full of grace and love people. But let’s also be full of truth and lead people.

I had a conversation with a different young man. He’s an atheist and we were discussing marriage. He believes marriage is a commitment of hearts, while I believe marriage is a covenant with God.

“I have my opinion and you have yours,” my friend said. “We don’t have to agree.”

This is the essence of pluralism – believing two very different ideas are equally valid and true. The problem is both ideas aren’t equal. One is true and one is false. To follow false ideas is to be led blindly by someone who is blind.

When we are fully trained, we can expect to be full of grace and full of truth. Free from judgment. We’ll forgive as we’re forgiven, and we’ll give as we’ve been given.

Lord, train us to see others as you would see them. Help us use truth as a light to guide us, and grace as a hand to hold the weary. Help us to be your disciples. We ask also for your forgiveness. We have failed to show grace to our neighbor. We have used truth as a club rather than a bandage. Help us to refine these gifts you have given us, and speak with your voice.

Amen.