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abandon

Screenshot Day 13 The Story Isn’t Over

September 5, 2018 by Stacy Daniel Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 13:24-30
Matthew 13:36-43
Job 1:6-12
Hebrews 4:15-16
John 16:25-33 

Screenshot, Day 13

I often hear my husband say, “Don’t put a period where God has put a comma.” 
Sometimes, I’m tempted to give up when I can’t see progress.

In ministry, it’s disheartening when someone who once followed Jesus wholeheartedly, has abandoned those ways, choosing to chase the world instead.
Especially after you’ve invested time and energy into that relationship.
I’ve been discouraged, questioning what I may have done wrong, or could have done better.  The following story of Jesus reminds me never to lose hope,
remembering that what I can see isn’t the whole story.  

Jesus tells the story of a farmer who sowed wheat in his field. In the night, an enemy came and contaminated the field with weeds.  As they both grew, it became apparent there were both weeds and wheat in the field so the servants asked the farmer if they should pull the weeds.  The farmer told them to let both grow together.
At harvest, the reapers would bind and burn the weeds, while storing the wheat safely in the barn. 

Unlike most parables, we get the benefit of Jesus’ interpretation of this one.
Since He took the time to give its meaning, we should listen closely!

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 
the field is the world; 
and the good seed – these are the children of the kingdom.  
The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.  
The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are angels.  
Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness.  They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.  
Let anyone who has ears listen”
Matthew 13:36-43 

God is the one responsible for planting the seed. 
He alone is responsible for salvation and already knows the eternally fate of every person He created. Regardless of our desire to see the ones we love and serve begin a relationship with Jesus, we do not have the power to save them.
Only Jesus does.
Certainly, we have a responsibility to share the gospel and pray for them.
Remain faithfully obedient in that task, no matter how long it takes! 
But only Jesus has the power to save.  

Evil exists in this world.
God has allowed Satan certain liberties on earth for a time, and the Enemy has not wasted his opportunities to sow weeds of Death and Destruction.
In the book of Job, Satan, intent on stealing, killing and destroying (John 10:10), is busying himself with God and His people.  After a time of roaming the earth, Satan appears before the Lord, which makes it clear that he answers to God’s authority, not the other way around.
During their conversation, God asks if Satan has considered Job, to which Satan replies, “Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns?”
He concluded by saying that, without all the blessings from God, Job would not be a faithful follower.  God then gives Satan permission to do whatever he desires with Job’s possessions, but not to touch Job himself.  

Nothing can come into our lives that hasn’t passed through the loving thought of our Heavenly Father.
Weeds from the Enemy are abundant in this world, 
but we are not abandoned by our Heavenly Father!
While He does not cause evil, He does allow certain things to enter our lives to refine us, grow us, and ultimately bring Him glory. (Romans 8:28)

We also must remember our Savior is not immune to our suffering.
Hebrews 4:15, teaches that Jesus knows and understands our pain for He was tempted and tried in every way as we are.
Because He has experienced our suffering, He invites us to come boldly to Him in our need!  

I have a friend with a challenging parenting situation.
She and her husband have made some tough decisions concerning their child and much pain has been involved. It’s hard to understand why they’ve had to endure such difficult circumstances and I’m sure they’ve asked “why” many times.
Just as each of us have at various points in life as well. 

My friends both serve and love God, having purposed to parent according to godly principles.  And yet, for a season, their difficulties make it appear the enemy has prevailed.

But, as my friend continually reminds, “the story is not over”.
Her hope is not in what she sees right now,
but in the One who has full authority over what is allowed to enter our lives.
She views the pain of her present situation through the lens of God’s final authority and goodness, choosing to remain faithfully committed to Him, despite the weeds growing around her.  

Jesus concludes His parable by reminding us that in the end, God wins.
Evil will be bound and burned.
God’s children will “shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom”.
What a beautiful hope we have!

Yes, my friend, weeds will grow around you, 
but be reminded, “The Story Isn’t Over!” 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Screenshot Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Screenshot!

Posted in: Busy, Enemies, Faith, Follow, God, Gospel, Grace, Hope, Jesus, Kingdom, Power, Prayer, Relationship, Scripture, Service, Significance, Sin, Struggle, Truth, Wisdom Tagged: abandon, enemy, follow, God, harvest, hope, kingdom, parable, power, pray, relationship, Sin, story, weeds

Passionate Day 8
Forsaken

April 5, 2017 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:1-11
Hebrews 12:2
Isaiah 53:10-12
John 1:29
2 Corinthians 5:21 

I’ve known the loss of our unborn baby. Ached to touch fingers I never would. Wept for a smile I would never see. Saw in my mind a little boy whose features I would only ever dream of. I carried him inside for a short while, his heart beating strong and steady, his body growing and then his heart beat for the last time and his short life was over. He was with me and then he wasn’t. I carried him safely, and then his body was gone from mine, leaving me empty in a way I never had been before.
I know that one day, I will see all that God had planned for my little boy. I will see his face. And I will be astounded by God’s majesty through it all. But for now, I wait. Sometimes weeping, sometimes smiling for the joy of that future hope, but always holding that place in my heart carved out for Elijah James.

My God knows what it’s like to lose a son.
Perhaps you too know the grievous hallways of loss.
But the depths of His pain are infinitely greater than my own.
The scale of His loss infinitely higher.

The relationship I have with my other children, the one I have with my husband, the ones I cherish with my friends are only darkened mirrors reflecting the depth and intimacy of the relationship and unity among the persons of the godhead as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As humans, we simply cannot fathom the sheer delight of community, the intricate intimacies that are shared, and the wholesome unity that exists between the persons of the Trinity, our 3-in-1 God, but we do know that it is perfect.

But a choice was made.
An intentional one.
To break unity among the godhead.

The impossible was planned to become possible.
The agony would be unlike anything we are capable of knowing.
The rendering of perfection would literally shake the heavens and the earth.
Because unity, because community, because relationships are what the Creator longs for with His created.
Intimacy.
Fellowship.
Perfection.
Bliss.

But that intimacy wasn’t possible,
that glorious relationship between the Master and His Beloved.

Sin marked each of His creations by their own prideful, arrogant choices.
And a wholly righteous God can have no part of sin, cannot tolerate even a drop. So separation existed, from the first sin until this moment. Every wicked thought, every murderous action, every lie, every evil deed, word, and motive bringing eternal separation, a breaking of that divinely desired intimacy.

There was only one hope.
A redemption.
The Perfect would have to take the place of the imperfect.
The Holy accepting the consequence of evil in our place.
Your sin and mine. Our collective shame.
The innocent One would bear the charge of guilty.
Gentleness dying the death of the gossiper.
Kindness carrying the weight of Hateful’s wicked schemes.

The lies you’ve told, the temptations you’ve given into, the times you’ve cheated, the rudeness, the self-seeking, the bitterness, the murderer, the thief, the abuser, the manipulator, the rapist, the drunk, the addicted one, the lustful one, the adulterer, the angry one.
All the consequence.
Every sin.
Jesus bore it all in His blameless body.
For. Us.
The weight of our rebellion pressing down on Him.
The shame laid on Him.
The hell of separation digging a chasm between Himself and the Father as He drank the cup of God’s wrath….intended for us. Rightly judged to be our own.

And in that moment, as the Son hung naked, cloaked only in ugly disgrace,
The Father Turned Away.
He could not look at His only Son, because all He could see was our sin.

“My God! My God! Why have You forsaken me?”
Jesus cried out in deepest agony.
It wasn’t for the pain of impending death that Jesus yelled from the cross;
it was for the torture of disownment and broken unity.

He was separated, so we wouldn’t have to be.
He accepted our separation from the God of Life, so we wouldn’t die in it.
He was abandoned, so we could have fellowship.

Why was this sacrifice enough?
Just one man pitted against the world’s sin.

Yes, one perfect, flawless man, who was also God.
A righteous and holy and blameless God who took on sin,
carrying its punishment in His body,
dying its death,
but rising to defeat it!

Death could not kill the author of Life.

And so, for the joy set before Him, of extending the offer of righteousness to us, the godhead chose to forsake the Son, to cut him off, to lose Him entirely, to give Him over to Death, in order to make a way for us to never be lost.

Oh, but Beloved, that choice is ours.
The whole problem of sin separating us from God exists because He graciously allowed us the freedom to choose to love Him….or not.
He will not force His love upon us.
And without accepting His sacrifice, we are still utterly lost in our sin, destined for eternal separation.

Let the Son’s anguished cry be the balm that soothes your own agony.
Choose to never be the lost, abandoned daughter, curled up in Death’s grip.
Come away to Life and the Fullness of His eternal relationship with us!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Passionate Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Passionate!

Posted in: Believe, Broken, church, Community, Emptiness, Faith, Fear, Forgiven, Freedom, Generous, God, Gospel, Grace, Hope, Jesus, Lonely, Love, Need, Power, Relationship, Restored, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: abandon, Community, cross, forsaken, gospel, Jesus, Last Words

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