Photo by...Photo by KEEM IBARRA on Unsplash
Do you get the feeling that God has changed over your lifetime?
In the last book of the Old Testament God says through the prophet Malachi, “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” (Mal 3:6)
James says something similar in 1:17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.
God doesn’t change but our understanding of God does. Paul says when he was a child he thought like a child and so do we. Once we’ve matured we no longer have a childish view of God.
It’s interesting to consider how the Bible gives us a developing view of God. For example the Israelites gradually moved from believing that God was one among many gods to the only God. Now it’s quite clear God hadn’t changed but the people’s understanding of God and the truth about God had.
God doesn’t grow up with our faith but our faith in God grows and develops. It might be interesting for you to take a break from reading this and think about how your view of God has changed over time and how this affects the way you relate to God.
One of the big questions I’ve been puzzling over because of the theme I was given for the Lenten services is did the incarnation change God? When the word was made flesh, as John puts it, when Jesus was born and became one of us, did that change God?
As we continue on our journey to Easter I wonder in particular whether Jesus experience of death on the cross changed God? Does God understand us better now than he did before? I don’t know the answer but I know that Jesus’ death and resurrection makes a world of difference to each of us. Praise God for his amazing love!
Persistence in prayer
by Faye Schmidt
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? (Luke 18:7a)
Read Luke 18:1–8
Luke 18:1–8 is a parable that the Lord uses to encourage his disciples to pray persistently. Prayer is a circular action – faith drives our prayer, and prayer gives steadfastness to our faith.
The parable tells of a judge who initially refuses the request of the poor widow; however, he eventually grants her justice only to stop her incessant demands.
If a corrupt, uncaring judge will grant justice out of weariness, a righteous and loving God in heaven will much more eagerly grant justice to his children who persistently ask him day and night.
Some aids can assist us in a persistent prayer life – a journal or prayer list can support consistency and focus. By keeping a record and praying until the Lord resolves the issue, one cannot help but notice God’s faithfulness in answering our prayers. Also, a record facilitates persistence. As we all understand, the Lord answers some petitions quickly. Others can take months or even years. Remember, we think of time from our own perspective. We pray to God not only with a petition but also with a timetable. God must answer my petition my way, according to my schedule.
The disciples pleaded with Jesus in Luke 11:1–4: ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’
What a comfort! Even the disciples needed help with prayer! Our Father in Heaven wants us to speak to him, and his Son pleads on our behalf so that, as his children, we may be in a relationship with him.
Give me grace, O God, to pray now with purity and sincerity for all around me. Let me remember now my friends with love and my enemies with forgiveness, entrusting them all to your protection, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Victoria–Tasmania District Church Board and the General Church Board, currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer. She is passionate about new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
Completely under God’s care
by Charles Bertelsmeier
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:7,8).
Read Psalm 121
Over the past week, we have considered how God is actively involved in our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not, and how various people responded to God’s involvement.
Firstly, we had 10 lepers healed, but only one wanted to accept the new opportunities the healing offered. Then we had King Saul, blessed with the Holy Spirit living in him to guide him; however, he gave in to peer pressure, ignoring the Spirit’s guidance.
After King Saul lost the guidance of the Holy Spirit due to his disobedience, his refusal to repent further damaged his relationship with God, causing him to drift even farther from the Lord, despite God’s continued efforts to lead him to repentance.
We saw how the jealousy of David’s eldest brother blinded him from seeing God working powerfully in David’s life. And yesterday, we saw how God’s powerful involvement in the life of David completely demoralised the Philistines and finally put some backbone into the fearful Israelites.
Today’s reading is about the confidence the psalmist has that he is entirely under God’s watchful care. The God he trusts in is not some vague spiritual force that inspires people to do great things if they have faith in him. Rather, he is a powerful God who can create a vast cosmos out of nothing (‘My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth’ – verse 2).
Our astrophysicist God created all this to provide a home for his very special creation – human beings – for them to live in a special relationship with him. God’s focus is his relationship with us, proven by his Son taking on our humanity to restore our broken relationship with him. So, our Heavenly family, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is involved in every minute of our lives, to help us see that we cannot live life fully under our own efforts, but in submission to God’s will and purpose for us.
Yes, life will have its challenges. But God has promised to be with us in those challenges. And his purpose in everything that happens to us, everything he is calling us to experience, is for our growth in our relationship with him and for our everlasting good with him in eternity.
He does want us to talk to him about what we are experiencing and struggling with. There are a whole 150 psalms in the Bible that record people struggling with understanding their relationship with God, and then giving praise and thanks when they see the light that God provides.
Heavenly Father, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the ways you care for us, drawing us closer every day into our intimate relationship with you. Thank you for being very close to us as you take us through difficult times. Please help us never stop trusting your love for us. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
Inspiring others
by Charles Bertelsmeier
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:51b,52a).
Read 1 Samuel 17:50 – 18:4
So here is the situation: the Philistines are camped on a hill on one side of the valley. They vastly outnumber the Israelite army, and they have the monster, Goliath, on their side. On the other side of the valley are the Israelites, afraid and not knowing what to do. They are busy searching within their ranks for someone brave enough to take on Goliath.
Then God steps in, with the aid of this young lad, a shepherd boy, with no army experience. God guides the stone from the slingshot to land in the middle of Goliath’s skull. When David kills Goliath, both the Philistines and Israelites see this as a miracle from God. God proves to be more powerful than Goliath, and the Philistines, realising that they cannot fight this awesome God of the Israelites, try to get out of there as fast as they can.
On the other hand, the Israelites finally find some backbone and head after the fleeing Philistines with devastating effect.
Many of you reading this may be facing your own ‘Philistines’ at the moment. It might be related to health, finances or relationships. Talk to your Heavenly Father about your struggles. Seek his wisdom on whom the ‘shepherd boy kids’ will be in your life to encourage you and help you see the way forward. They may be medical professionals, counsellors or just friends who have been there before you. Grab your Bible and read some of the psalms and see how others have dealt with the pain they are feeling.
Heavenly Father, when we are in pain of whatever kind, it is hard not to be dominated by it. It saps our strength and the joy of anything in life. Thank you for understanding. We thank you that your Son went through the pain of rescuing us from our self‑centred lives so that we could be restored as your children. Thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for being with us in our pain and staying with us all the way through it. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.