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Matthew 2:9-15

13 Dec

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

Matthew 2:9-15

Dear God, it was probably right about 20 years ago that I asked myself about those gifts from the wise men for the first time. What was that about? I’m sure they brought them out of honor, but I’ll bet they ended up being used for more practical things. For example, it doesn’t say how much gold they brought, but I would think it came in handy when it was time to head to Egypt. The same with the other gifts. This flight to Egypt was so spur-of-the-moment that I’m sure Joseph didn’t have money saved up for it. But here you go, bringing some men from far away to meet a need that not even they knew they were meeting.

My wife and I sat down today to do some year-end giving. While we supported some nonprofits that are not in our town, most of the money stayed locally. For some, the donation will be a drop in the bucket. For others, it might enable them to do something they didn’t realize would need done. We just bring our gifts to the table and turn them over to you. How they use them under your authority (whether they acknowledge you as their Lord or not) is totally up to them. We give the money freely and expect nothing in return.

As someone who receives the gifts of others to run our ministry, I try to be cognizant of spending the money with honor. I’m not a miser with it. I try to be fair to employees and clients alike. If there is a need, I want us to be available to meet it. I want to glorify you, and I want those who partner with us to feel the joy of the good that their money does in the world.

Father, there have been countless times (literally countless) when you have shown up with a resource either in my personal or professional life that made all of the difference in the world. There was the year we had really low donations, but two bequests (decisions that had been made by the donors years before they died) made all of the difference in our success. In my personal life, I’ve seen you bring me jobs or opportunities right when I needed them. And I’ve tried to be generous back, although I know there are times when I am still selfish and self-indulgent with the gifts of time and money you give to me. So I guess my prayer is that I recognize you as the giver of all of the things that I see and perceive as good around me, and I also recognize that the challenges and struggles around me are also meant for my good. You are my God, and I will ever praise and trust you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2020 in Matthew

 

Isaiah 7:10-25

11 Dec

Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead. ” But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.” Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!” In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River —the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people. In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.

Isaiah 7:10-25

Dear God, this is yet another verse taken out of context. The original “verse of the day” from Bible Gateway was:

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

Modern Christians read that and think, “Jesus! Yay, Jesus!” Or they think, “See, there was prophecy about Jesus. Yay!” But this is one little verse of hope–actually, it was just a sign–in the midst of calamity. The setting was not good into which this child of a virgin would be born, and the prophecy doesn’t claim that the life circumstances of everyone around at that time will get better. And you said this to a seemingly good king who loved you.

I talked a couple of days ago about prosperity gospel and how much I am against it. Now, I find myself wondering over the last few months if we aren’t seeing the beginning of our own nation’s decline. Are we seeing a rotting from within? I even see it within the church. Divisiveness. Hatred. Satan’s Plan A is working to perfection, and things like social media are fueling it. The idea that our nation is called “The United States” is almost laughable because we are not united among the states, within the states, or even within communities. Everyone is fighting so hard for their own rights they are losing sight of each other, and social media seems to be the fuel.

Father, it’s funny that children want to have sex before they are ready and their parents want them to wait as long as possible. It’s because the parents know what’s on the other side of it. The irony is that they parents still practice as much sexual immorality as they try to prevent among their children. The same is true for social media. I was on a call this week where we talked about the dangers of social media among children and the mental health consequences, but when I brought up our own addictions to it as adults the conversation got uncomfortable and quiet. But right now it feels like the water is rushing through the dam and I have no idea how to stop it. I don’t know that it can be stopped, so I am just going to love you as best as I can today. I’m sorry for where I fail in these areas. I’m sorry for my own hypocrisy. I’m sorry I’m not a better ambassador for you. Please forgive me, and, Holy Spirit, please help me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2020 in Isaiah

 

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

10 Dec

Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Dear God, there sure are a lot of “prophets” running around, and they have a much larger voice than they used to because of our technology. But I have to say that I don’t think many of them are for real.

So what is the litmus test I use? How do I determine whether or not a “prophet” is to be embraced or shunned? I had a coworker come into my office a couple of days ago and tell me that her husband really wants to go and hear a pastor in another city who has a large following not only in his city, but also around the world. My personal opinion of him is that he falls into the category of “false prophet,” and I told her exactly what I though of him. Why? What is it about him that makes me reject him so thoroughly? Am I right or am I wrong?

First, I’ll categorize him as a prosperity gospel preacher. His sermons are all about the individual and the wonderful things you have for us here on earth. Now there’s a place for positive attitudes, working hard, self-discipline, etc., but I think characterizing you as being there to fulfill our dreams is false. At its most basic level, life is about us being here to worship and serve you, giving up our lives so that you might use us however you need to use us. Four hundred years of Israelites lived and died and slavery in Egypt so that you could build the Israelite nation. The widow who put her two coins into the collection serves as an example to us 2,000 years after her death, and yet she probably died as poor as she was when she woke up that morning that Jesus saw her. Frankly, I often look at my own life and wonder why I have it so good. Yes, my life has had challenges, but I cannot believe how good I have it.

So what does a real prophet do? One, I think they challenge me with my sin. They make me confront where I am failing you, my loved ones, my community, and myself. You did this through Moses, Elijah, Nathan, Jonah, and many other prophets. Second, I think they teach us to serve and to decrease as you increase. I heard a sermon a few months ago that I’ve mentioned in these prayers to you a few times by Andy Stanley called “Not in it to Win It.” In that sermon, he talked about how Jesus was willing to lose any number of battles so that he could win our souls. How much more should we be willing to lose battles too? Third, I think they teach us to die to our rights. Andy mentioned in that sermon that the church is at its worst when it is fighting for its own rights, but it is at its best when it is fighting for the rights of others. When we fight for our own rights then we start to look like the world. When we fight for others we look like Jesus. There are any number of truths that real prophets teach us, but I think that is a good start. In essence, it is all about you and not about us. It is about our utmost for your highest. It is all about us decreasing and you increasing.

Father, help me to find your prophets who can pour into my spirit, and help me to be someone who can bring your words to others. Be glorified through me. Love through me. Help others through me. For your glory’s sake, oh Lord. For your glory alone.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 10, 2020 in Deuteronomy

 

John 14:1-14

09 Dec

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

John 14:1-14

Dear God, I cannot imagine how confusing it must have been to be a disciple following Jesus in that moment. I mean, it seems to me that Jesus was always the one with the questions to which no one but him knew the answers. I do not like situations like that. I have the advantage of reading all of this in retrospect. In the moment, I would have been totally confused, and I suspect I would have just left.

That being said, I am grateful I am on this side of things with this perspective on you. There is still so much happening around me that I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you are working in the lives of those I love. I don’t understand where I country is heading in terms of politics, international affairs, or even how social media is feeding conspiracy theories. I don’t understand so much, but I know that I don’t have to worry about how this all ends.

Father, this chapter starts with, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” So I will be at peace. I’m sorry for having trouble setting aside time to spend with you in prayer like this. I have excuses, but the sum total of them still don’t add up to a reasonable explanation. I’ve made choices, and I’m sorry. I will follow you on this way. I will go where you go. My hope, joy, and peace are in you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2020 in John

 

John 10:1-21

05 Dec

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

John 10:1-21

Dear God, there is so much here. Almost too much. But it all goes together. It was impossible to look at one part without the context of the other parts.

First, I confess to you that if I had been there 2,000 years ago listening to this, I would have been in the demon-possessed camp. I wouldn’t have believed. Would you have held that against me?

Now I sit here and think about who Jesus is to me. He is my shepherd. He is my gateway to you. He owns me, protects me, and provides me with a clear pathway to you. The Holy Spirit as well. Though I walk down any road, whether it be in the valley of the shadow of death, a mountaintop road, or just the long, winding road in the middle, you are there with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of everyone, including my enemies. My cup is overflowing with good things from you. Your attention to detail is amazing. My wife and I were talking this morning over breakfast about your attention to detail in our lives. Amazing. Surely goodness and mercy have and will continue to follow me all of the days of my life. And I know that when my time here is done, I will dwell with you forever.

Father, I praise you because all blessings flow from you. I praise you as one of your creatures here below. I praise you above everything on earth and in heaven. I praise you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In Jesus’s name I approach your throne and pray all of this,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 5, 2020 in John

 

2 Peter 3:8-13

30 Nov

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

2 Peter 3:8-13

Dear God, I’ve always tried to not spend too much time thinking about the second coming, the afterlife, the rapture, the tribulation, and then the new kingdom. It seems like a distraction to me. It feels like something that takes my mind off of the present and being engaged in what you’ve called me to do today.

My wife and I just finished watching The Good Place. We normally wouldn’t have watched it, but a friend I trust recommended it. We saw the final episode last night and I was left a little…I don’t know how to describe it. It was just wrong. First and foremost, it was missing you. That was a problem. Second, it treated time like it will be experienced like we experience it now, and I don’t think that’s how it will be. You are timeless and I think that somehow we will become timeless as well. In fact, making us experience time forever seems like a form of hell. Third, and I guess finally for my purposes here tonight, it was all about earning your access to “the good place.” There was no sacrificial love. No mercy.

So how do I see my eternity after death? I see it as 1.) focused on you as God. Worshiping you. Praising you. Knowing you. 2.) I don’t think I will experience passage of time. I think time will be meaningless and there will just be existence in your realm. 3.) I know I will never get there on my own, but you’ve shown me too many times in this life how much you love me regardless of how good I am. I know your mercy is all that will get me there.

Father, help me to just plug away moment to moment. I know that I need to be ready, as Peter says here, but I’ll never be ready in the moment if I’m actually looking for the moment. I’ll only be ready if I am simply serving and following you in the present moment. Help me to stay focused on the present.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2020 in 2 Peter

 

Luke 1 – Prophecy

28 Nov

Dear God, this is the time of the Christmas season when we start to look at the prophecies that lead up to Jesus’s birth and life and marvel at how you enabled people to foresee what would happen. Isaiah. David. Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father). So many others. Sure, sometimes I read these passages that are supposed to be prophecies and I wonder if we aren’t stretching just a little, but that’s not the point of what I’m talking about here. What is the point? It’s that even those who lived to see them fulfilled didn’t realize what was happening until after it was all over.

Take Zechariah, for example, in Luke 1. He gets his angel visit and then is muted until eight days after John the Baptist is born. For those 10-ish months, he had a lot of time to think. He presumably communicated via writing to Elizabeth because she knew to name their son John (Luke 1:61), but he sat silent. During that 10 months, he saw Mary come and visit them. She had her own extraordinary story about an angel visit and being pregnant. Elizabeth’s baby in the womb leapt when he heard the sound of Mary’s voice. Some really great stuff was happening. So what did he do? He misinterpreted it. Here are some examples of what he got wrong in his own prophecy (at least as he understood it in the moment): (Verse 71) “Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.” (Verses 74 and 75) “We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.” Sure, out of 12 verses he only missed on three, but, still, I know he would have been shocked if someone had told him exactly what was going to happen over the next 34 years. I’m sure he didn’t live to see it since he was “very old” (verse 7) when he got his angel visit, but it would have devastated him that day to know how his son’s life would end.

I think that’s why it is important to not try to figure out the bigger meaning of what is happening or what might happen right now. I have a friend who is an Aggie football fan. Okay, I have two friends who are Aggie football fans, and each of them sent me a long text this week detailing what has to happen for Texas A&M to make the college football playoff. I replied back that they just need to win and not worry about the rest because it will work itself out. They are ranked 5th. There are four teams in front of them and two of them play each other one more time. But Texas A&M still has three games left. There is no chance they get into the playoff without winning those games, so just win. Take each moment at a time–each play at a time–and win your games. The odds are that the rest will take care of itself.

The same is true for me. There are too many moving parts in life for me to figure out. I have my hopes for my children, but I have no idea which actions I take today will lead them down your path for them. The same is true for my work, my marriage, my community, my church, and my world. I don’t can’t sit and make the list of all of the steps that need to happen to achieve what I want to achieve. I just need to play the next play as best as I can. Today, that means starting this Saturday with this prayer time before I get about helping my wife decorate for Christmas, watch some college football, and meet with a friend about appraising some furniture.

Father, help me to just take life “one play at a time.” And sometimes the right play might be to lose a battle. I might need to take an intentional safety in order to get where I want to go. I might have to let the other team score to get the ball back one more time. So I put the outcomes of each activity in your hand, trusting that you will not let anything happen that is outside of your will. I will just show up for the next play. Holy Spirit, please be with me, guide me, and empower me to do what I need to do.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 28, 2020 in Luke, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

Colossians 3:16-17

27 Nov

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:16-17

Dear God, what kind of representative of you am I? I think that maybe I’m not giving others a hypocritical life to observe, and that’s good. But going back to my prayer the other journal about the cycling program I use and how much better I am about being an ambassador for that than I am for you and my faith in you. But it all starts with the example I am living because I can say all of the things I want to say, but if my actions don’t back it up then I am, to quote Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, a clanging gong.

I’m listening to a Christian music mix on Pandora while I type this, and I just saw an artist come up who lost his son due to tragic circumstances in the last two years. I don’t know the details, and I don’t need to know the details, but I get the feeling that it was a devastating cause of death. And now as I sit here the day after Thanksgiving, thinking about how my own Thanksgiving Day didn’t fit the American mold of what Thanksgiving should look like I find myself taking my eyes off of my own self-pity and thinking about how hard Thanksgiving must have been for him and his family. What went wrong? What went wrong? It’s a question that haunts a lot of us.

Father, I simply have a life to live today. I get to see my parents and love them. I get to spend the day with my wife. A front is supposed to be coming and it will be colder so I’ll respond to that accordingly. My point is, I just have this day in front of my, and it’s my job to worship you, thank you for all you’ve done, and simply ask that the Holy Spirit will grow in me to the point that others will see you and not me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 27, 2020 in Colossians

 

Luke 21:12-19

25 Nov

“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But not a hair of your head will perish! By standing firm, you will win your souls.

Luke 21:12-19

Dear God, several months ago, Andy Stanley preached a sermon I loved called, “Not in it to Win It.”

It helped put words to what I was feeling and what. You were showing me through these times of prayer. You are not dedicated to the success of the United States. You are not dedicated to my success. You are dedicated to the world. You will gladly lose a battle to win the war. You will choose the loss of being crucified for the victory of saving my soul. You will allow hundreds of years of Hebrews being enslaved in order to form the Israelite nation. Why would I assume that you wouldn’t sacrifice me for a greater purpose? I just pray that I am ready to accept my fate should that day come

As I sit here on Thanksgiving morning, there is so much for which I’m grateful. I can think of friends and family who died this year and wonder what life would be like today if they were here. I have a friend who lost her dad last night. And her husband and one of her sons cannot be with her because they are with her husband’s ailing father in another state. While you don’t promise us every victory in battle, you do promise us that the war is yours and you will be there to comfort us in the losses. I know a man who died from COVID-19 last week. I know our hospital had someone die from it on Tuesday. These families are experiencing loss. They lost their battles. Please comfort them as they continue on fighting for you. Help them to be stronger and closer to you as a result of these struggles. Don’t let this pain be wasted. Make it count.

Father, I really am grateful. There are some things in my life that confuse me, and I’m not sure if they are the way you want them or not. There are broken and dysfunctional relationships. I don’t like it, but maybe you are using this for your purposes. It feels like the battles are being lost–and maybe they are–but I trust you that if I keep simply pursuing you day by day you will eventually work all things out for my good (whether I live to see it or not). So thank you for every single circumstance in my life–the many good and the few bad.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2020 in Luke

 

Colossians 2:6-7

24 Nov

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Dear God, my head is just not in the game today. I had visions of fasting today to cover our organizations big fundraiser and ask that your spirit be with it, but I’m taking an antibiotic that must be taken with food so I can’t do that. I chose to wore glasses today instead of contacts, so that always tweaks my mood for the worse. I found out about a staffing issue that is brewing that will need to be addressed at some point. It just feels like a lot o things are swirling and I started my day out selfishly instead of stopping to pray to you. In fact, I’m typing this during my lunch hour because I feel so unbalanced. I cannot go another minute without connecting to you.

I love the imagery of this passage from Paul: “Let your roots grow down into him.” Over a year ago, I started using a new exercise program for cycling. I’ve loved it so much that I’ve told a lot of people about it. I’ve even convinced at least one person to get it too. Last night, I told my wife that I had mentioned it to someone else that day and then I said, “It’s too bad I don’t share Jesus like I share about Zwift.” I said it as a joke, but it stuck with me. Why am I not as excited to share about my faith with people as I am my cycling program? Is it that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me as much as I appreciate the cycling program? How much do I really take you for granted.

Father, I am humbled before you right now. I’m so sorry. I’m just sorry. I’m sorry for the sin I commit. I’m sorry for not worshipping you as you deserve. I’m sorry for not appreciating the very basic grace and freedom from my sin that you’ve given to me. I’m so sorry. Help me to grow my roots through the bedrock they seem to have hit and “grow down into [you].”

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2020 in Colossians

 
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