March 9:  Following His Guidance.

HIS IMMUTABILITY.
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."--John 8:58

There are days that feel completely out of control.  I remember one such day when I was a child and we lived in Buenos Aires.  One morning there was a fire at the Church Publishing House, and my dad rushed to help.  After a few hours, he came back, showered and left for the office.  He returned an hour later and told us that he had been held at gunpoint, his car was stolen, and he had been kidnapped. Later the robbers dropped him off in a remote place, and he walked home.

Much more happened that day, yet even on days like that, God is still on His throne and our salvation is still assured.  He is eternal, constant, unchangeable, and in complete control.  He does not get bogged down by the things that overwhelm us, nor is He fearful, neither is He rushed nor late.  He has been there from eternity and will be there for eternity.  The immutability of God is our security and anchor in times of distress; and His love for us is our guarantee.  You might not be battling a fire or being held at gunpoint, but you might be battling cancer or find yourself in an oppressive situation.  During these difficult seasons in our lives, we find comfort in focusing on who God is, what He has done for us, and how His Presence is always with us.  The eternal God of the mountaintop is also the God of the valleys.  The Gospel of John starts by stating Jesus' eternal preexistence: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).  Later, in a controversy with the Jews, Jesus Himself asserted His preexistence: "Before Abraham was born, I am: (John 8:58).  He didn't say "I was" but "I am," which echoes the powerful name of God's immutability and sovereignty as revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14: "I AM WHO I AM."  Be assured that the eternal and unchangeable God of the universe is also your Redeemer and Deliverer.  He guides us through the valley of the shadow of death; and He secures our eternal life on the cross.  "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end" (Psalm 48:14, NIV).  Amen!

My Response:________________________________________________________

March 8:  Following His Guidance.

HIS IMPERATIVE.
"Get behind Me, Satan!...for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."--Matthew 16:23

In one class of my master's degree in organizational behavior, I was reproved by a substitute professor, and it changed my life.  We were studying Kohlberg's Moral Development Model, and she challenged me because of a comment I made.  I realized that she was right, and that my view of God needed realignment.  This reprimand was a pivotal moment for me, and it provoked a reassessment of my understanding of God's will for humankind.

Peter had just made a ground-breaking confession about Jesus being the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), and Jesus said that this understanding was given to Peter by His Father in heaven.  Only a few verses later, things had changed dramatically.  Jesus was revealing that it was imperative for Him to go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and be raised on the third day (verse 21).  "That He must go..." (verse 21) uses the Greek verb dei which means that "it is necessary."  Jesus had to go through this (see also Luke 24:26).  The suffering of Jesus was an absolute necessity in order to achieve His redemptive plan.  Peter cannot reconcile this perspective with his preconceived ideas of what the Messiah was to achieve.  Taking Jesus aside, he "began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord!  This shall never happen to You' " (Matthew 16:22).  Using a double negative (translated as never), Peter tries to impress upon Jesus that this is not the way.  In doing so, Peter has taken Satan's position, trying to divert Jesus from the cross (see Matthew 4:1-11).  Jesus recognizes the intention of the enemy and utters a stern reprimand: "Get behind Me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23; see Matthew 4:10); and goes on to explain that Peter's mind is not set on the things of God but on the things of humans (verse 23).  At that moment, Peter had become a stumbling block for the redemptive act of Jesus.  In our spiritual walk, we must also surrender to God's interests instead of ours.  God is more interested in our salvation than in our comfort.  Let's trust God's viewpoint of what is necessary in our lives for His redemptive purposes.

My Response:______________________________________________________

March 7:  Following His Guidance.

HIS SILENCE.
"The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force."--Matthew 11:12

As a child, I listened to the Mission Spotlight stories, and it seemed that God's children never had to experience pain, because their houses were always shielded from disasters, and their lives were protected from violent attacks.  But as I grew older, life challenged that concept.  In the second half of his book about John the Baptist,* Gene Edwards imagines John's agonizing thoughts in Herod's dark prison, as he realizes that Jesus is not coming to deliver him, even though He has the power to do so.  He ponders the paradox of Jesus helping many, but not all.

There is often a temptation to ignore the painful biblical accounts in which God seems to be silent.  John the Baptist wrestled with a God who wasn't meeting his expectations.  You can read his questions and the tribute Jesus gave to him, in Matthew 11:1-15.  We could accept his doubts as trials, but it gets harder when we are faced with John's senseless beheading (narrated in Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29).  We are told that when Herod heard of Jesus, he thought he was John the Baptist risen from the dead (Mark 6:16), because Herod had a remorseful conscience.  That's when we find out that, having been incarcerated for denouncing Herod for taking his brother's wife, John was killed in the mindless craze of out-of-control entertainment at a royal banquet (Mark 6:17-29).  Herod is so taken by the dance of Herodias's daughter, that he promises the girl up to half of the kingdom (verse 23).  Prompted by her evil mother, she asks for the head of John the Baptist (verses 24, 25).  Even though Herod is grieved by the request, he grants it because of his oath; his pride and his reputation are at stake before his guests (verse 26).  They bring John's head on a platter (verse 28).  Wicked people ended the life of God's highly esteemed prophet, yet God was silent.  In His sovereignty, God often did not prevent the death of His prophets and martyrs, and He definitely did not stop the death of His Son on our behalf.  When we don't understand the silences of God, we are invited to trust His plans, His viewpoint, His wisdom, and, overall, His love.

My Response:_________________________________________________________
* Gene Edwards, The Prisoner in the Third Cell (Auburn, ME: The Seedsowers, 1991).

March 6:  Following His Guidance.

HIS REPORT.
"Go and report to John...: the lepers are cleansed...the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them."--Luke 7:22

As I write this devotional, there have been two mass shootings in the United States in the last two weeks.  Many people lost their lives in these disastrous events. In the midst of personal and corporate tragedy, many may ask, "Where is God in all of this?"  Sometimes the effect of unbearable and unexplained pain in our lives may translate into doubts in our minds and darkness in our hearts.  What answers does Jesus provide for us in moments like these?

Jesus had been healing the sick, raising the dead, and proclaiming the good news.  And John the Baptist, who had devoted his public ministry to proclaiming the arrival of the Expected One, is now sitting in his dark and smelly cell, alone and in pain.  He has a question for Jesus: "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" (Luke 7:19).  Wow!  Obviously, John was struggling with his own expectations about the Coming One, unlike the way in which Jesus was carrying out His ministry.  Perhaps the same is happening to you today, and you are wondering about Jesus and His intervention in your life: "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else (verse 20).  The emphasis on "the Expected One," or "the Coming One" is repeated in both verses (verses 19, 20).  Drawing from several verses in Isaiah, especially Isaiah 61:1, Jesus answered by sending John a report about His salvific activity: the blind received sight, the lame walked, the dead were being raised, and the gospel was being preached to the poor.  All of these were proofs, enacted parables of His redemptive purposes.  That was the report to be given to John; that was the evidence of who Jesus was and is.  Even though all of us can witness about God's miraculous intervention in our lives, we often aren't able to explain pain, tragedy, and the reason why God allows certain things.  During those times, let's cleave to the core evidence that God has provided through Jesus: His salvific deeds in the plan of redemption.  Someday we will understand all things. Until then, let's cling to the cross and trust.

My Response:____________________________________________________________

March 5:  Following His Guidance.

HIS LEADING.
The Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life.--Revelation 7:17

Public transportation was the main way we got around when I was a little girl.  One evening, we thought we had boarded the right bus but soon realized that we were in an area that we didn't recognize, and it was getting dark.  We got off the bus and found ourselves in a dangerous part of town.  I had no idea where we were; all I could do was hang on to mom's hand and follow her lead.  As we walked, we kept reciting Psalm 34:7.  Finally, she led us to a residential area and found a way to get us home.  I had fully expected her to lead us to safety.  She was my mom!

Today we discuss a picture of Jesus that has brought comfort to countless people in distress.  Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, find themselves before the throne of God, who spreads His tent or tabernacle over them (Revelation 7:15).  The Greek word for tabernacle is the same word that was used in the Greek Old Testament for the tent of meeting in the wilderness (see Exodus 26:13).  All the evils that God's own suffered on this earth are no more.  We are reminded of their blissful eternal existence: "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat" (Revelation 7:16; compare with Isaiah 49:10 and 25:8).  What follows is one of the most comforting pictures of Jesus: "For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17).  In a striking expansion of the role of the Lamb, the Lamb now becomes their eternal Shepherd!  He has provided for their salvation, and He will supply whatever else they need forever and ever.  He guides them to springs of water; He leads them to places of rest.  Jesus Himself announced that He was the good Shepherd (John 10:11).  In Revelation 7, the Lamb becomes the Shepherd for eternity!  He provided for our salvation and will lead us to safety.  If you find yourself in a difficult place today, just don't let go of His hand; He will lead you and restore your soul!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

March 4:  Following His Guidance.

HIS ABUNDANCE.
"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."--John 10:10


I was attending a worship service in a local church and inadvertently stepped into a youth group Bible study.  There I saw a video that made a profound impact on me.  It was a real-life video showing how the sheep know the shepherd's voice.  There were many sheep and different people tried calling them, but the sheep didn't attempt to move.  But then the camera captured their shepherd calling them, with the same sounds as the previous callers, and this time all the sheep came running to him.  It was amazing!

Jesus said that the sheep know the voice of their shepherd, the one who has their best interests in mind (John 10:2-4).  Over the years, I have collected some information about sheep because they are a commonly used scriptural metaphor to describe the people of God in need of His guidance and provision.*  In doing so, I have learned that in general sheep are very helpless animals.  They can't find food or water instinctively; they need protection from predators; they can easily drown if they try to drink from deep water; and they can't sleep if there are tensions in the flock.  Sheep are absolutely and completely dependent on the shepherd to provide everything for them, including a peaceful place, a green pasture, quiet waters, et cetera.  The sheep don't know where they are; they just need to follow their shepherd.  As in Psalm 23, the abundance of the shepherd's provision may be visualized in terms of a flock finding food, rest, and comfort in nurturing pastures and restful waters.  Jesus announced that He came to give His sheep an abundant life! (verse 10).  But the sheep's abundant life would come through the death of the Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).  This is an emphatic "I am" statement of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, highlighting that He is the Only One who is able to provide for all that we need, and that he paid the high price with His blood for our abundance.  May we be keenly aware of our need for the Shepherd: for His guidance, provision, healing, restoration, permanent love, and death, which gives us eternal life.

My Response:______________________________________________________
* See Information on this topic in my book: Elizabeth Talbot, I Will Give You Rest (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2015), 78.

March 3:  Following His Guidance.

HIS SHEEP
"He who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep....and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."--John 10:2, 3

My parents fully trusted and rested in the arms of their heavenly Shepherd--in sickness and in health, in difficulties and in abundance, as well as when facing death.  That's why my homily at my dad's memorial service was entitled "Rest Assured," based on Psalm 23.  Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice (John 10:3), and I am certain that my parents will recognize their Shepherd's voice on the resurrection morning and will follow Him throughout eternity.

One of the most outstanding features of Psalm 23 is that in the first part (verses 1-3) David talks about His Shepherd, in the third person singular: He is my shepherd; He makes me lie down; He leads me; He restores my soul; He guides me.  But when he enters the dark valley of the shadow of death, he switches to the second person singular and begins talking in a prayer with God: "I fear no evil for You are with me" (verse 4).  The presence of his divine Shepherd was his antidote against fear.  Later on, there was a prophecy, written many years after David's death, that clearly pointed to the upcoming Messiah, a descendant of David, who would come to shepherd God's people: "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd" (Ezekiel 34:23).  When Jesus, the awaited Davidic king, came to live and die for us, He identified Himself with the metaphor of the Good Shepherd who would give His life for His sheep (John 10:2-4, 11, 14).  And the antidote against fear continues to be the presence of our Shepherd!  I particularly love the fact that He calls us, "His own sheep" (verses 3, 14), for we belong to Him!  I don't know what you are needing right now, but He offers that.  Or maybe you are wounded and in need of restoration; your Shepherd provides that as well.  Or maybe you are facing the valley of death and need assurance of eternal life; your Shepherd guarantees that through His merits!  Whatever your needs, rest assured in your Shepherd's arms.

My Response:___________________________________________________________

March 2:  Following His Guidance.

I have a mug that I really like because it inspires me.  It was sent to me by my dear friends Mirta and Alan.  It reads: "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."  So many times, circumstances seem final to us, but from heaven's viewpoint it is not an end but a beginning, filled with newness and meaning.  For the  believer in Jesus, there are no dead-ends in this world, not even death, because in Christ we will have eternal life.

It all seemed done and final for the two travelers on their way to Emmaus.  They tried to explain the finality of the situation to the stranger who had joined them: "The chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:20, 21).  They sounded defeated; their dreams were a thing of the past.  They didn't know that they were talking to the risen Christ.  Their finite interpretation rendered them helpless and hopeless, but this was not an end but a most glorious beginning.  Jesus had told them many times that the Crucifixion would not be the end.  But it felt like the end to them.  Have you ever felt like that?  Your marriage is on the rocks; your job is gone; a friendship just ended.  That's it!  It is hard to imagine that there is anything good left, that God, in fact, has the ability to turn all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  Yet from the viewpoint of Jesus, it was completely different.  He explained that it was necessary for Christ to die and rise again, and that His plan had been revealed in the Law and the prophets (Luke 24:26, 27, 44).  He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  The verb "to open" had been used for Jesus opening the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind.  Now their minds were open to understand the good news.  This was not  the end!  No!  On the contrary, Jesus had opened a new glorious beginning.  Sin was supposed to be the end for us, but it wasn't because a Savior came.  Trust in Him!  He will see you through!

My Response:____________________________________________________________

March 1:  Following His Guidance.

HIS PATH.
He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?"--Luke 24:17


Life is a journey into ever deepening understanding.  Many years ago, as I was going through painful transitions in my life, I realized that the longest journey a person may take is only a few inches long: from the hand to the heart.  And it is often pain that exposes us to deeper perceptions of reality, especially about God's will for our lives.  Our brokenness has a purpose, and we are not alone in this journey.  God is always with us, inviting us to choose His path instead of ours.

One of the themes of the Gospel of Luke is about journeys.  Everyone is on the move!  But these are not just geographical travels; they are journeys of perception.  And the journey to the village of Emmaus is no exception.  The distance is approximately seven miles (Luke 24:13), and on the way the two disciples are discussing all "these things" that had happened, including the report of the women, which the men had deemed nonsense  (verses 11, 12, 14, 22-24).  "While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached them and began traveling with them" (verse 15).  This is so like Jesus!  He comes and meets us where we are; He joins us in our journey in order to invite us to trust Him, His way, and His will.  In the Gospels, sight and blindness are usually associated with spiritual insight, or lack thereof, regarding the mission and identity of Jesus.  In this case their eyes don't recognize Jesus (verse 16).  Sometimes our tears block our view of Jesus, and our mistaken perceptions delay our joy.  In order to help them in their journey, Jesus asked them a question, which He already had the answer for: "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" (verse 17).  God listens when we tell Him about our version of the story.  Then He lovingly and graciously invites us to trust His path for us; unlike us, He sees all things from a heavenly viewpoint.  Jesus had just died and had victoriously resurrected, on their  behalf, but they didn't understand.  He walked with them on their journey of understanding, and He won't abandon us on ours.

My Response:______________________________________________________

February 28:  Trusting His Provision.

HIS RESOLUTION.
The word of Gods kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem.--Acts 6:7

I am keenly aware of the need to understand the cultural anthropology and sociology reflected in the Bible. Background commentaries help us understand the customs and social history at play, and how various social groups interacted in the ancient Mediterranean world.  For example, in the New Testament we see that during the infancy of the Christian church there were relational problems among groups, and how God provided timely resolutions.

Paul clearly points out that we are all equal at the foot of the cross: "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:27, 28).  It seems so clear, yet Luke, who was Paul's traveling companion, reports in the book of Acts that the apostles had to deal with claims of discrimination at the very start of the believing fellowship.  The Christian community was growing, and a complaint arose on the side of the believing Greeks that the widows from their group were being overlooked in the daily serving (Greek diakonia) of food (Acts 6:1).  The apostles did not dismiss their claim, but instead sought a resolution.  God provided wisdom to His disciples, who selected deacons to minister in this task.  The first deacons were filled with the Spirit, and they were of Hellenistic (Greek) background (verse 5), which meant that God provided leaders with whom the complaining group could identify.  Right after their selection, we find today's devotional text, one of six such progress reports about how the word of God kept spreading and the numbers of believers increased.  Conflicts often threatened the growth of the first century church (as in Acts 15), yet God provided wise leaders who prayed for heavenly guidance and whose priorities were the spreading of the good news, and the salvation of the people.  Let's pray for our leaders and communities, that no conflict may have the power to hinder the proclamation of the gospel.

My Response:________________________________________________________