Month: October 2023

To be able to see our best option, we sometimes need to wait.

Genesis 25:29-34

We all know the phrase “You reap what you sow,” but did you know it’s actually a biblical principle? (See Job 4:8 and Proverbs 11:18.) In today’s passage, Esau learned this truth the hard way. Famished, he returned from hunting and requested some of the stew his brother made. Seizing upon the opportunity, Jacob agreed in exchange for his twin’s birthright.

In Old Testament times, the firstborn enjoyed special privileges, which included authority over younger siblings, a double share of the inheritance, and being the spiritual leader of the family. Yet Esau, deciding that food was more of a necessity, traded his birthright for dinner. He later grieved when he realized what was lost, but at that point, it was too late.

Like Esau, we all face critical choices. And though God forgives, the consequences remain. So we must learn how to choose wisely. We should take to heart two warnings from this story. First, to be able to determine our best options, we should wait until we’re physically, emotionally, and spiritually stable.

Second, it’s often important to delay gratification. Though our human desires feel overwhelming at times, we should prayerfully wait for God’s timing.

Think about the longings that you have. Pray for wisdom and patience so that you can make godly decisions during critical moments.

When we truly agree with God about our failures, He sets us free to enjoy an abundant life.

Hebrews 4:13-16

Have you ever gotten caught in a “guilt cycle”? You confess sin, tell God you’re sorry, and promise not to do it anymore—only to find yourself sinning again. You’ve come before the Lord to confess dozens of times but still find yourself repeating the same sins. It’s easy to get discouraged, but God promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Friends, God is holding up His end of that promise. When we truly confess, He forgives us. Psalm 103:12 gives this assuring description of His forgiveness: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.”

So, how do we genuinely confess? True confession means agreeing with the Lord about sin, and it is inseparably linked with repentance; they’re two sides of the same coin. In the Greek, repent literally means “a change of mind,” so to repent is to turn our back upon wrong and change our actions.

In practical terms, to confess and repent requires the intentional decision to say, “By the Holy Spirit’s power, I’m turning away.” Satan will still tempt you, and failure remains a possibility. But God can break the chains of your sin, and He wants to set you free—free to live the abundant life (John 10:10).

In His timing, God will reveal everything we need to know.

Matthew 13:10-13

Jesus’ teaching about His kingdom was sometimes direct, with the Sermon on the Mount serving as a prime example. In the Beatitudes and the other teachings of that sermon, Jesus explained how to live as a kingdom citizen. “When you fast …,” He said. “When you pray …”

At other times, Jesus revealed His kingdom through parables. These simple stories, which use familiar characters or scenes to convey rich truths, are easy to understand. “The sower went out to sow,” one parable begins. The story then tells what happens when the seed falls on different kinds of soil. But parables have a deeper meaning, too. Even the disciples needed help interpreting some of them.

Jesus still speaks to us today—in the words of Scripture and through the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ. And though the “secret” is out, we may feel that we lack understanding. In different seasons of life, we may experience clarity on spiritual questions we struggled with in the past. Or things that once appeared simple suddenly seem mysteriously complex.

Part of our growth is in learning to accept God’s timing, even when it comes to understanding Scripture. Whatever season we find ourselves in—whether a time of clarity or confusion— humility in approaching the Lord is essential. We can trust that He will reveal all we need to know. No hand-wringing required.

All Christians are called to tell others that the Messiah has come.

Mark 8:29-30

When Jesus was born, His mother knew His identity—and she treasured the things she knew about Him, “pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). It wasn’t until He became a public figure at age 30 that Jesus began to fulfill some of what she already believed to be true.

Strangely, He continued to fly under the radar for a while, operating in obscurity or on the margins. It created some frustration for His followers who believed He was the Messiah, the prophesied king of Israel. But there is a gospel theme known as the “messianic secret,” which refers to the times Jesus performed a miracle and said not to tell anyone about it. (See Mark 8:30.)

The great mystery of God becoming man was that Israel’s king was coming, but incognito. Even during the last week of His life, when the marks of His ministry took on a fully messianic character, Jesus was still holding off on the full explanation of who He was.

The irony of all this secrecy, though, was that those who met Jesus told everyone about Him. And the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) makes that the norm for all Christians. Because we have experienced the salvation and freedom that comes from trusting Jesus, we’re called to tell everyone the now-known secret that the King has come and is coming again.