Bible Study: Placing our futures in God's hands

Romans 15:28-29
Joshua 2:1-7

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Paul didn't plan, when he was writing his letter to the Romans, to arrive a few years later in chains. What he did plan, though, was to keep his future in God's hands and to arrive in God's timing with Christ's blessing.
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My life today doesn't look much like what I had hoped it would back when I was an ignorant teenage girl. I overhear my daughters scheme about their futures and I laugh at their plans, knowing that most of them will never take place and that they will be the happier for it. Their plans include wealthy husbands, farmer husbands, world travels, wildly successful careers, business opportunities, charitable works, children of their own, and many luxuries they read about in fairy tales. They would be excellent authors for the plots they come up with to pretend they are wealthy widows or destitute widows, successful entrepreneurs, famous artists, or nuns whose holiness rivals that of Mother Teresa. They are too young to move in a definite direction and too inexperienced to realize how impractical their role-playing is. I let them dream, knowing that one or more of their dreams may actually come true, and that if they don't then the action of acting out their fairy tales may lead to another type of opportunity, be it in authoring books or in more easily accepting the failure the precedes success.
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God knows that sometimes what we think we want is not what will truly bring us the most joy. Because of his years in chains, Paul has been a comfort to Christian prisoners throughout the centuries. Would he have chosen the life given to him if offered the opportunity? Perhaps he would have preferred to avoid the beatings and shipwrecks and confinement in prison. Yet perhaps he rejoiced in the suffering, agreeing with his fellow apostle (James 1:2) that it would bring him greater treasures in heaven.
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I'm certain Rahab never expected to become the great-great-(...)grandmother of the Israelite Messiah. She was a prostitute among the Israelites' enemies. Yet she placed her future in God's hands and received blessings for it which extended far beyond her own lifespan.

Bible Study: Honoring our spiritual parents

Romans 15:27
Deuteronomy 5:16

No child would survive into adulthood without parents to help out. Whether those are natural parents, foster parents, older relatives, or a sad conglomeration of reluctant caretakers, babies are not capable of obtaining their own food and clothing and other basic needs for the first several years. Having received so much, it is both natural and appropriate to give back to those who provide for us when they become needy and we are the capable ones. For us as Christians, it is also a commandment with the promise of a blessing.
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We give back to our spiritual parents for the same reasons. We have been blessed so we acknowledge a certain responsibility to return the blessing. The return might look quite different, as Paul describes a material gift responding to a spiritual inheritance. The return might look more like a passing forward or a sharing in mission. Honoring our parents when we are older might include verbal respect, helping them maintain their independence, physically caring for them, financially providing for them, contributing to organizations or causes they were (/are) passionate about, encouraging their relationships with grandchildren, caring for the needs of other young children. Honoring our spiritual parents can look similar, depending on our relationship with those who have helped us become the Christians we are today. We won't generally care for the physical needs of authors whose books have transformed our worldview. But we might contribute to what they are passionate about and care for other "children" who also need that transformation. We might share that book with others, act on its call to action, or communicate its message to others we encounter. We might pray for them. We also "give back" to those who have blessed us when we "give forward" by praying and caring for people who are in the position we used to be in. If you don't know anyone...well, 1) Make a change so you are meeting people who need the prayers and spiritual or physical care you have to offer and 2) Ask other Christians around you to help connect you to people in need. I know many more people in need than I can provide for, from individuals who just need prayers to persons who need friends to reach out to them to people who could benefit from buckets of love yet will probably never be in a position to return the investment poured into their lives. We might not be able to give back to Paul directly for the spiritual blessings we receive when we read his letters to early Christians, but we honor him in a very real way when we evangelize other "gentiles" to a relationship with Christ Jesus.

Bible Study: Support among Christians

Romans 15:26
2 Corinthians 8:10-15

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The parish we belong to has 20 Masses scheduled a week, not counting weddings, funerals, and holy days. Paul may have made every effort to preach to people who had never heard of Christ before (Rom 15:20), but someone has to stay behind to continue ministering to those converted through Paul's efforts. All those Masses aren't scheduled because the bored priests have to look busy somehow (ha!): they're scheduled because they're attended, some by a small crowd and some by a full church. As a Church we need both the missionaries and the individuals to continue at home and we need to maintain our connection between the two. We need the Pauls working where Christ is unknown and we need the local pastors strengthening the faith of those who have already responded. There will be no one to fund or fill the mission field unless the home group is healthy and vibrant, and the act of supporting missionary efforts improves the health of the home church. We both have gifts to share with one another. We are both stronger for our connection with one another.
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Of course it's not just the leaders of the Church who are working for the health of the Christian community, both at home and abroad. I may be sitting in the pew rather than standing at the pulpit, but I have just as great a responsibility for strengthening the bonds between Christians. If I try to live my faith in isolation, thinking that I don't have to support others or be supported by them, my faith will suffer and the Church as a whole will be weaker. No one will be reaching out to bring new members in and no one will be ministering to those who have already joined, strengthening my faith and that of my Christian family. Whether I am figuratively living in Jerusalem, the home church who sends out the missionaries to the hinterlands, or living in the foreign mission field, financially positioned to support those whose efforts originally evangelized me, I need to recognize my connection with other Christians and actively support them.

Bible Study: Good plans overruled

Romans 15:23-25
Jeremiah 29:4-7

When we got married, several people asked how many children we planned to have. Even then my husband and I didn't know how to respond. I suppose people ask the question for their own amusement when the couple with a particular number in mind finds their plans completely upset. We know couples who wanted large families but end up with few or none due to trouble with fertility. We know other couples who wanted small families and ended up with far more children than they had "planned" to have. Yes, there are ways to plan out a family, and most newlyweds have at least a general idea of the family size they are hoping for. Yet this is simply one area of life where it is especially easy for God to change things up on us. How many children...born "too close together" or "too far apart"...adoption...health issues... Our plans may be good and pleasing to God, yet He may still lead us on another path.
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Paul had plans for his future, plans which should have been pleasing to the Lord. He didn't expect to visit Rome or Spain for his own amusement; he planned to share the Gospel everywhere he traveled. He did make it to Rome, but he arrived as a prisoner quite awhile after he initially planned to go. Did he ever arrive in Spain? There are no letters of his to or from Spain. That's not a clear-cut no, but he probably did not. I'm not a Bible scholar who's examined the travels of Paul in minute detail, but the case seems pretty good to me for Paul arriving in Rome as a prisoner and never being released. Never walking freely through the streets of the city, executed before another trip as a missionary. His plans were good and probably delighted the Lord, yet God had another path for his life.
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The exiles in Babylon were told by God's prophet to rearrange their life plans. They were to settle down and stay rather than expect a quick return to Jerusalem. It wasn't wrong for them to desire a quick return to home. It wasn't wrong that they identified themselves with the land God had given to them and their ancestors. Yet God still chose a different life story for them.
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What good plans have you made which God has overruled? Have you been able to see afterward greater blessings from His plans than those which would have come from yours? Have you been able to rejoice in a participation with the Lord although things did not continue according to your plan? (I love this reflection on the privilege of mothering a miscarried child). Sometimes I don't see how a change in my plans could possibly be better than my original. Sometimes I just have to live with the new direction and rearrange my life accordingly.

Bible Study: Assigning chores

Romans 15:22
Jeremiah 29:10-14

I have a vision for my children to become responsible, capable adults. I know from both my life and the lives of many others I know that responsibilities given to them as children will help them learn the skills they will need when they grow up and, conversely, a childhood filled with nothing but play will burden them with unnecessary challenges in adulthood. But they don't see these things. They wonder when I delegate chores and schoolwork whether I don't want them to enjoy the freedom to play. They don't see the opportunity to overcome innate laziness and the small proportion of chores to playtime that they are actually given. They don't realize that learning diligence now while mixed with a hefty dose of fun will make their later life an easier and healthier balance of hard work with relaxation. But I see their lives from a different perspective and my love for them motivates me to continue handing out small responsibilities out of a desire that they will make the bigger responsibilities they encounter later on will just a little bit easier to manage.
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Life doesn't always follow the plans we organize for it. That is why we find Jeremiah 29:11 so reassuring: someone knows what is going on when we do not and has a plan to arrange our lives in a way that will bless us. We are like children who would rather spend our days on our own toys and hobbies but find circumstances switch up our plans when we least expect it. We know how things ought to turn out from our perspective and become confused when our plans become upset. Yet the Lord sees our lives from a very different angle. We might think that life should have continued along our original path--that Paul should have been able to travel to Rome earlier--yet trust that when reality turns us in another direction that the Lord, who sees from a better perspective, must have a purpose in the new path which will bless us more than we can understand right now. Even more effectively than a parent's perspective to bless children by assigning chores.

Bible Study: Share the Good News

Romans 15:21
Matthew 28:16-20

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Are there any hidden tribes of people anymore, tucked away in a remote rainforest somewhere? Do we imagine that because only a few people have never encountered Christianity, our commission from Jesus is complete? I've heard that some believe that once every last tribe hears the Gospel, Christ will certainly come again. But although those in my neighborhood have encountered Christianity to one extent or another, many have not seen the true power of the Lord. Their encounters have inoculated them against Christ rather than attracted them to Him. Someone needs to carry the message, like Paul, to those who have never heard it. Yet someone also needs to carry the message to those we see every day who have also never truly heard it.
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I have a responsibility to share the Good News, as good news, to those I encounter every day. It is part of my commission from Jesus. It might not be the first time they have heard the Gospel, but it might be and it might be the first time they have seen it lived out.

Bible Study: Sloppy action devoid of faith

Romans 15:20
1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Is your faith more mature than that of an infant?

Many movies show a character sloppily making the sign of the Cross in a desperate situation. Certainly it is shown as a sort of prayer, a hope that the individual will survive, but what is the prayer worth without belief in the One being prayed to, a mental (let alone vocal) prayer to accompany the action, an ongoing faith before and after the current crisis? The action is often as unrefined as my 14 month old's attempt to make the sign of the Cross for herself, and she seems to understand better what it actually means.
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Although the people we encounter every day have had a certain exposure to Christianity, that exposure is often flawed to the point of being counter-productive. We have the opportunity, in a certain sense, of imitating Paul in preaching the gospel where it is not known. If Paul's group of Christians in Corinth were still immature enough to receive only milk, some of the people we encounter are ready for nothing more substantial than colostrum. We should take care not to be one of those immature Christians, childishly imitating a prayer without the power of faith supporting it.
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While Paul sought out those who had never heard the gospel, Apollos was willing to follow behind and water the seeds. Some of us today will be called to preach primarily to the unreached, but others are certainly needed to water the seeds and tend the young plants. There is no reason to believe one role is somehow better than the other. But before heading off to carry Christ to anyone, turn the question around and ask how you yourself are doing. Are you inclined to throw out a hasty act of faith only when a desperate situation arises? Are you a baby Christian, surviving only or primarily on milk? Or are you an older child, a teenager, or an adult Christian, understanding and living the faith day in and day out, witnessing to others even when you're not trying to?

Bible Study: Proclaiming the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 15:19

John 14:15-17

The gift of having the Holy Spirit in us extends FAR beyond the standard marks of a charismatic Christian: energetic verbal prayers and praying in tongues. As a charismatic Christian myself, I appreciate the value of those things, but they are really only tools for the truly important work for which the Holy Spirit was given to us by Christ Jesus.
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Paul attributed to the Holy Spirit his ability to evangelize people throughout his various travels. To do that he was gifted with the ability to perform various signs and wonders. God is just as willing and capable of evangelizing people today if we will only be open to cooperating with Him. If that means we need to be able to heal people and raise them from the dead, there is no reason to think the Holy Spirit isn't available to us to do just that. But the culture we live in is very different from that of the Roman Empire so the people we are reaching out to respond differently. Not that they don't respond to miraculous physical healings, for they (we!) certainly still do, but their expectations of God are altogether different. They want to see, for example, our lives transformed and our love for God made manifest in our love for one another. The Holy Spirit is available to help us do that and to help us share that with those who need to witness it.
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Consider for a moment the non-Christians you are closest to today. What do you think it would take for them to become Christians? We don't always know, of course, yet often we can have a certain indication of whether they claim to resist Christ because of the behavior of Christians toward one another, or blaming Him for the desperate poverty of people in other countries, or a prayer they once made that seemed to go unanswered. Has the Lord given you the gifts to address these objections? Are you open to the Holy Spirit providing what you need to overcome them? Will you be the one to proclaim the gospel to those who need to hear it?

Bible Study: The Lord's accomplishments through us

Romans 15:18
John 14:12-14

It would be a worthwhile activity for each of us to prayerfully make a list every few years of the accomplishments that God has worked through us. Some of them may be large, such as taking an active role in His working miracles in this world. Some may be as "small" as living in a way that is faithful to His calling. Large and small, it builds our faith to recognize God's power and our hope to realize He is working through us. He has chosen to include us as active coworkers with Him in His mission.
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It wouldn't be fair for me to ask others to complete an assignment like this without doing it myself, would it? I can't say the Lord has worked incredibly obvious miracles through me such as raising people from the dead or healing the paralyzed. Yet if I only told of ways He is working in and through me I would be able to fill a book, for He is constantly amazing me by the way small decisions for Him lead to big results. Here's a short list of ways the Lord has worked through me in the last year:

• Encouraging others to have a daily prayer time and Bible study
• Giving birth to four children now
• Attempting to teach my children to love the Lord, by example and by hands-on instruction
• Beginning friendships with whomever I am put into contact with
• Demonstrating an active faith in the Lord to overcome obstacles and make the improbable happen
• Living an example of faithfulness to God through regular church attendance and daily prayer
• Regularly repenting of my sins

Bible Study: Practicing sacrificial love

Romans 15:17
Ephesians 5:1-2

Rejoicing in the opportunity to love

I was feeling worn out a couple months ago, my body being used up to nourish my unborn baby. As many benefits as there are to having children, there is still an undeniable toll on a mother's body. Yet, is that necessarily a bad thing? Spiritually, we learn to love like Christ when it is difficult, not when it is easy. When it takes an effort on our part, demands something of us, comes at a price, then we are demonstrating toward others the love that Christ Jesus demonstrated toward us. We might begin through God's grace by loving those we are naturally inclined toward, such as the child nurtured in the womb. He calls us to love everyone we encounter with this type of love, but He might allow us to practice first with individuals we would love anyway with a selfish love. I doubt it was in God's original plan for humanity that a mother's body should suffer for the sake of each unborn child. Yet it could be a blessing rather than a curse, or at least a curse transformed into a blessing when we see it as an opportunity to live the same kind of sacrificial love toward others that Christ lived toward us.
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How is your love toward another human causing you to suffer today? Whether in your health, your pocketbook, your career, or in some other way, the sacrifices you are making are a limited imitation of the sacrificial love of Christ and as such can help you share His message to the world.

Bible Study: Changes we would never expect

Romans 15:16
Acts 9:1-16

Whatever the young man Saul planned to become when he grew up, I'm fairly certain he did not expect to be a traveling evangelist for Christ. God's plan for him was different from his own. The Lord caught him by surprise when the time was right and changed his future forever.
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We're always making plans for our futures, aren't we? A certain amount of planning is wise; I don't believe God wants us to use His propensity to change things up on us as an excuse to avoid commitments. Yet He sees many things which we do not and adjusts our course in life in ways we would never expect. Two years ago at a June retreat He spoke to both my husband and myself about being open to a radical change in our lives. He didn't tell us what that radical change was. Missionaries? Adoption? An entirely new career? A big move? A new service? We said yes individually and together, then waited to hear further instructions. Neither of us expected the change to be two babies arriving the next two years, preventing us from attending that retreat again. What will the next step be? Only the Lord knows so far. He will reveal it, I know, when the time is right, and give us the grace we need to carry out His will. [I'm willing if it's Your will, Lord, but please don't be offended when I say I hope it's not a third baby next June! Not that I don't appreciate the gifts You've given...] Maybe a larger house; a few years of simply raising our children; some new or deeper friendships.
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It's often much easier to appreciate the changes the Lord makes in retrospect. Paul never seemed to regret the change in his life course. He speaks of his role as apostle with full ownership of his mission, not with any nostalgia for the time when he was known as Saul. Perhaps you notice that in your own life as you look back at the things that have taken place instead of what might have been if the Lord had left you to your own resources. Acknowledging and thanking Him for those positive changes can make it easier to welcome any new paths He leads you on in the future. At least, it helps me when I face changes I'm not sure I'm prepared for.

Bible Study: Correcting weakness in others

Romans 15:15
Matthew 5:43-48

My children have terrible table manners. If I left them to their own devices they would find it perfectly acceptable to kick, squirm, blow bubbles, show off their chewed up food, throw food, etc. Rather than leave them to their games I choose to correct their poor choices, knowing that their behavior at the table has an impact now (who wants to be a guest at a home where flying food might land on you??) and in the future (business lunches; dates; roommates; social gatherings).
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First Paul assures his readers that he has the utmost confidence in their goodness, then he explains why he is willing to be the one to correct their weaknesses. They might have been content on their own to remain in their status quo. They might not have grown up in the right direction; they might not have known what or how to change; they might not have listened to just anyone correcting their actions. Nor would it have been appropriate for just anyone to correct them. But Paul is their spiritual father with authority from the Lord Himself over the Christians he is writing to. He has the calling from God making it right for him to tell them what to keep and what to change. It probably wasn't easy for them to receive his correction, but he has their best in mind. Their actions have an impact on their present (their positive or negative witness to the non-Christians they come into contact with) and their future (eternity). He knows they are called by Christ to become perfect, he is in a position of authority over them, and he loves them enough to say what might be uncomfortable for them to hear.

Bible Study: Source of strength

Romans 15:14
Acts 2:1-4

3yr old Reese learning to work WITH her father
and accomplishing more than she could have on her own

Some days I don't feel very competent. I don't feel competent enough to call myself a Christian, let alone instruct others, including (especially?) my children. Full of goodness? Filled with knowledge? Sadly, these are often not the case. The key to my competency or lack thereof lies securely in who I am depending on. If I am my own source of strength, I will fail in every area of my life, but especially in my ability to love others. The limit to what I am capable of is MUCH lower when I depend upon myself. Only when I rely upon the Lord can I fulfill His commandments. Only then can I give more than I have, for He is the one providing all that I need.
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All too often I insist on doing it all myself, like a toddler intent on learning a new skill. Unfortunately, my determination produces about the same results as that toddler, not helping me become perfect like the Lord wants me to be (Mt 5:48). I need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who will enable me to accomplish all that God asks of me.
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Linked with Works for Me Wednesday

Bible Study: Hope for our now

Romans 15:13
Lamentations 3:19-26

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The circumstances of our lives might be awful. We might wish they were different. Yet our hope is in the Lord both for our eternity and for our now. While it's comparatively easy to hope in the Lord for eternity, to trust His word that someday when this life is over we will be with Him, the real struggle is to hope in Him today, for our present lives.
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Life can be very discouraging. I know that I give in far too easily to the feeling that all is lost. Yet it is when our circumstances are the most difficult that our faith moves beyond lip-service to reality. It is when we struggle to hope that our success in doing so becomes believable. We hope in the Lord that someday He will return and show Himself the victor over the enemy. We hope in the Lord that He will fulfill His word to bring us to Himself at the end of our lives. But we also hope in the Lord to bring good out of the terrible conditions we live in. We hope in the Lord that He knows what He is doing despite our incomplete perspective seeming to contradict His word. We hope in the Lord to bring us through, clinging to Him when we cannot carry ourselves. We hope in the Lord because we realize that our circumstances would carry us to places we don't want to go so we hold fast to the One who will keep us exactly where we need to be despite every attack against us.

Bible Study: God makes the impossible happen

Romans 15:12

Isaiah 11:10-12

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We too easily forget how truly great God is. The people of Israel are scattered beyond recovery. Yet He promises to bring them back together, and even rally the non-Jews around "the Root of Jesse". He has already brought about the fulfillment of a small part of His promise, bringing the non-Jews to Himself through Jesus, the descendant of Jesse. We know that He will bring about a complete fulfillment, including making every impossibility a reality. Because our Lord makes the impossible happen, we can bring our own impossibilities to Him. He might not complete them in the time or manner we expect, yet we can trust His ability and trust His love in acting for our very best.
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What impossibilities do you face, to bring to the Lord today? Perhaps you find yourself committing essentially the same sin repeatedly and your efforts to stop have failed. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed in your current responsibilities. Perhaps someone you love has made it very clear that they are unwilling to submit to the Lordship of Christ. Whatever it is, remember that God makes the impossible a reality. Have faith in Him.

Bible Study: Praise the Lord all nations

Romans 15:11
Psalm 117:1-2
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What do you struggle with the most these days? Recently my biggest trial has been a screaming toddler. All day, every day, for everything she wants to communicate she screams. Loudly and shrilly. I end most days with a headache. But if she were not a screamer, then I would probably complain about another trial the Lord has entrusted to me: perhaps the amount of work involved in life with two babies, or differences in communication among family members, or struggles to defeat particular areas of sin in my life. Meanwhile, other individuals are dealing with far more significant trials than a screaming toddler: cancer, or life changing disability, or poverty, or religious persecution. I'd rather stick with my screaming one year old trial than many of the other difficulties people in this world face. (And someday she won't scream--this is only for a short while!) For we live in a fallen world and we all face trials of one type or another.
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Once upon a time all Gentiles were excluded from full participation in worship of the one true God. They could not expect to be counted as members of His people. They could not enter far into the temple in Jerusalem to worship. They did not have the Holy Spirit guiding and helping them every day. In fact, even the Jews did not have the Holy Spirit aiding them every day. We rejoice now as God's people because 1) We are God's people, a privilege not always given to the Gentiles, 2) His Spirit helps us not just "someday" when we reach heaven, but today as we encounter various trials. His love and faithfulness are truly incredible, transforming impossible situations into opportunities to rejoice. He changes our perspective. He carries us through the difficulties. He provides all the grace we need to overcome each trial. He names us His own, claiming us as His children. Praise the Lord: for He has poured out blessing upon blessing on us throughout our lives and into eternity.

Bible Study: Together

Romans 15:10
1 Corinthians 12:4-11

A man stands on a street corner not far from where I live and plays his guitar in all sorts of weather. I imagine the instrument doesn't produce beautiful music anymore (traffic noise drowns out whatever he is playing) for he has had it out in the rain, sun, and snow. He hopes I will hand some money out the window. I wonder why he doesn't get a job after all these years, in a metropolis with numerous fast food places and retail stores. Of course, I don't know his particular circumstances which might make a regular job impossible and I am quite aware that it is not easy to get any job. But I don't hand anything out the window.
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In a certain sense, we don't want to identify ourselves with particular people in our churches any more than I want to support that guitarist on the street. They're not making choices we approve of; we don't want to be mistaken as one of them; they're difficult to get along with. While that is normal in the world, we cannot have that attitude within the Church. Just as it was seemingly impossible for the first Jewish and Gentile Christians to worship together, we find immense differences within our churches difficult to overcome. Yet the Lord obviously wants there to be differences, since He created each of us with different personalities and gives us different gifts. When it comes to other Christians, we are called to identify ourselves together with people who have different ministries, different personalities (even difficult ones!), making different choices in life, fighting different battles, living with different economic means. The Lord has brought us together through a wonderful gift of salvation to all humanity, to Jews and Gentiles (and singles and marrieds and young and old and poor and rich and everyone in between). While our differences don't always require us to lend practical support to one another (I'm still not handing money out the window to panhandlers, even if their sign says "God bless you"), sometimes that is required of us (there are other ways to financially support those with legitimate needs). Whether that visible support is required or not, the choice to love always is. We come alongside those who are different because the Lord has entrusted us all with the treasure of salvation. Jews and Gentiles. With all our different gifts. And all our different lifestyles.

Bible Study: Even in the face of torture

Romans 15:9

Psalm 18:46-49

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Will you praise God in all situations, in all circumstances? Even when you want Him to change your situation and He says no?
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In my dream I was faced with the scenario of fleeing persecution or staying put knowing that I would be tortured and killed for my beliefs. Like a European Jew in the early '40s, the enemy was coming and would try to kill me after making me suffer as much as possible beforehand. I might have the possibility of escaping if I left immediately and certain persecution if I stayed. Many others were in fact leaving, but the Lord told me to stay. He didn't tell everyone the same: I had to assume that those who left the country were also obeying the Lord, so the faith would continue even if all who stayed were killed. But I was told to stay, not to flee, and to stand firm in my witness while waiting for the torture to come and enduring it when the time was right. This was only a dream for me, at least so far, yet it has been reality for many others throughout the generations. Most never had the opportunity to flee yet they still remained faithful to the Lord as they were tortured and killed.
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Key to glorifying the Lord in such a situation is understanding why. His abundant mercy brings us so many blessings that a shortened life of persecution with Him is far better than a longer, easier life without Him. What is it to lose a few years of life (or endure any other difficulty) when the Lord provides so much for us in this life, preserves us from the atrocities of our own sins, and promises us eternal (persecution-free!) life with Himself?

Bible Study: God is faithful to keep His promises

Romans 15:8
Matthew 10:16-31
Matthew 6:25-34

It's apparently difficult turning 1 year old. Or at least it is when you've just had a stomach bug, are currently teething, find yourself compelled to practice your cruising and climbing skills incessantly, cannot communicate in any way except by screaming, and have to share your Mommy with a newborn brother. By the way, as difficult as the day might be for a new 1 year old, it is even more difficult on her mother. Princess loves her little brother and doesn't try to make the adjustment from 3 to 4 children challenging, but she is still a baby herself. She has needs that an older child has grown out of. So my hands are full, to say the least, as I try to give her the love and attention she needs while caring for a newborn and figuring out how to manage our home. (It's only been 3 weeks now. This will take quite awhile longer.)
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Christ didn't promise us an easy life or a glamorous life or a wealthy life as His disciples. We can get caught up in the challenges we face, big and small, and find ourselves frustrated that the way isn't smoother for us as we try our best to remain faithful to the Lord. Didn't He promise to care for us in even the details of life? Didn't He say we are worth far more than sparrows and promise to provide for us in every area? Is He not fulfilling His promise? Yet in actually reading the promises Jesus made to His followers regarding our value as far above that of sparrows we find that both passages in Matthew are predicting troubles. Each day is filled with trouble, we will be persecuted, others will oppose us, we will be as sheep among wolves. But what about the value of sparrows?? In the midst of the trials and persecutions we should trust the Lord for He will provide what we need and will hold us as we endure the difficulties of the Christian life.
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Challenges in life come in large and small packages. They occur on a daily basis as we simply try to handle life with Christian grace despite babies screaming as their only means of communication and they occur as life-changing events when we must choose to remain faithful to the Lord and be killed for it or preserve the body and lose Him. Christ's coming as man provides witness that the Lord will always remain faithful, keeping His promises to us. The difficulties we face in life do not contradict that, but rather provide opportunities for us to lean on Him, trusting Him to provide all we truly need despite the challenges.

Bible Study: Unique and precious

Romans 15:7
Matthew 10:28-31

Maria is intelligent, personable, and generous. Giving of herself as well as her possessions, she shares her life story with whoever will listen--even the grocery store cashier she has never met before and will probably never see again after we finish paying our bill.
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Reese is much more deliberate about who she interacts with. Carefully precise, she is willing to fight fiercely for what she wants, if she truly wants it. We were initially concerned for her as the only non-firstborn (at the time) in our family, but she quickly proved her ability and desire to dominate us all.
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We were often asked when Princess was born who she takes after. We could only answer that she is her own person. Laid back, she lets her big sisters treat her like a living baby doll. Loving and lovable, she is always eager to cuddle someone who is important to her. Loyal, she decides who is important, and no one else: even grandparents haven't made the cut yet (much to their chagrin!).
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Each one is unique. Each one has a different path ahead of her. Each one has different strengths and will struggle with different weaknesses in life. How narrow-minded we are when we select one person as more important than another! As if one were perfect and we were qualified to judge who that was! God doesn't call us more precious than sparrows because we have an easy life as His children (ever notice how quickly sparrows die??). Rather, He is aware of each and every trial we endure and will bring about justice on our behalf. When we treat other people as precious individuals, we are imitating the Lord who also treasures them. When we treat them poorly then we can be sure He is aware of our actions and will bring about justice even if that seems to take awhile.