Author: NBibens

Are you seeking God, or do you rely on others to do so? People claim to follow Jesus but often leave things like Bible study to the so-called experts. They expect pastors, preachers, or priests to spend time delving deep into Scripture, but such efforts aren’t for the ordinary or “lay person.” But that isn’t what Jesus wants from us. Yes, church leaders should study and teach the Bible. But every person is responsible for learning what God’s Word teaches to the best of our ability.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Notice who God rewards—those who seek Him. Not those who leave seeking Him to others. If you want to know the Lord, you must know His Word. While others can help you with that, don’t leave such an important task entirely in the hands of others.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 reads, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’”

Ancient Israel wasn’t so different than modern America. Think about the things we typically take pride in. Often, we’re proud of our education. Or we are proud of our talents and abilities. Or we’re proud of our wealth. But God says that these things aren’t worth boasting about. Instead, our desire should be to know Him. Even if you are uneducated, untalented, and poor—if you know the Lord, you are most blessed! And if we are educated, talented, or wealthy, we should recognize those things are not nearly as important as knowing and serving the Lord.

It wasn’t long after leaving Egypt that Israel faced a major problem—how were they going to eat? Barely two weeks free, many people were ready to go back to Egypt. After all, even if they had been slaves, at least they had food to eat. But then God did something amazing—He rained bread heaven. This miraculous manna fed the nation until they finally entered Canaan.

In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses provides this commentary on the provision of manna: “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna…that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” God didn’t provide manna the first day Israel left Egypt. He let them understand their lack and their need and then see how God could provide. Are we open to learning from the hardship we face? Do our trials teach us to rely on the Lord?

The Biblical prophets often point out how silly it is to trust in and worship idols. Isaiah 40:19-20 says, “An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.” The picture is quite remarkable—Isaiah describes people who do a lot of work for their gods to exist. They try to choose precious materials that won’t rot. If a god relies upon human activity to ensure it does not rot, it’s not much of a god!

Sadly, many today are just as guilty. Maybe they don’t build gold or silver idols—instead, they just worship the gold and silver. Or they prop up some other thing that ultimately will pass away. But just like statues, our modern idols have no power to save. So, instead, turn to the one true God and serve Him!

Recently, the Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker sparked nationwide outrage because of comments he made at a college commencement speech—particularly about wives and mothers. Many labeled the speech misogynistic and even called for his immediate firing.

Initially, I was blown away by the outrage. Why were people so shocked by his remarks? But then I asked myself the same question. Why am I surprised when the world hates Biblical viewpoints? Why are Christians surprised when the world does worldly things? Jesus once said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world…the world hates you.”

Jesus doesn’t call us to return that hate. We love and pray for our enemies and share Jesus’ love with them. But Jesus was clear—such love will often be met with hatred instead of respect and gratitude.

In Luke 23, we meet Joseph—the very Joseph whose tomb Jesus was buried in. Joseph was a Jewish leader, but he disagreed with the decision to hand Jesus over for execution. Luke says Joseph “…was looking for the kingdom of God.”[1] Joseph wasn’t looking for religious comfort or a social group. And his desire for the kingdom separated him from his peers. Not going along with the decision of the group and then openly requesting the body of Jesus to give Him an honorable burial must have marked Joseph as an outlier and possibly brought consequences to the man. But what he sought was of great value.

What are you looking for today? Are you looking for a convenient church? Are you looking for a group of friends? Are you looking just to fit in where you are? Or are you actively searching for the Lord’s kingdom and willing to stand apart from the crowd to serve the Lord faithfully?

[1] Luke 23:51

Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of virtues that can transform our minds. That verse says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Our minds are a great spiritual battleground, and following the advice of this passage will be incredibly helpful. Too often, we stop at verse eight and the admonition to think about these things, though.

But listen to verse nine: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Paul didn’t just admonish Christians to think about good things—He exhorts us also to practice such things! It’s good to shape our minds by thinking about good and honorable things. But such focus should then permeate the actions of our lives. We will find true transformation as we think and act upon good things!

We are blessed to live in a time and place where education is readily available, from preschool through higher education. But we should have a healthy view of education. Often, the “uneducated” are referred to or viewed in a negative light. However, education level is not an accurate gauge of one’s worth or spiritual strength.

In Acts 4, Peter and John were on trial before the Jewish leaders. Acts 4:13 says of the Jewish Sanhedrin, “…when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Peter and John were simple fishermen, yet they boldly stood before and even corrected the group of educated elites. They may have been common and uneducated, but they possessed the more critical knowledge—they knew Jesus. Education and learning are good, but remember that knowing Jesus is the only knowledge that will matter in eternity.

In Genesis 13, we read about the events that led to Abraham and Lot separating. Lot lived with and among his Uncle Abraham, but both men had vast flocks and livestock. Strife arose between the two men’s herdsmen because the land could not support such vast herds. On this occasion, Abraham says something that should be a reminder for all of us, even today. In Genesis 13:8, he says to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.” Abraham valued peace and unity and was willing to make great sacrifices to attain it. He was willing to put Lot’s needs before his own to avoid strife.

How highly do we value peace? Do we actively seek unity with our families—both physical and spiritual? What are we willing to do and even sacrifice to have peace? Let’s learn from Abraham and remember that there should not be strife between kinsmen!