March 16 - Numbers 16, Luke 6

 Key verse: Numbers 16:10

Big idea: God appoints leaders to move us forward.

I apologize, I had an emergency tonight that I had to handle which kept me out until about 12:30. I just can't seem to string any words together. I will update this post tomorrow so that on Wednesday, you will be able to see both.  The concept I will try to get across is that the people resisted Moses' leadership because they observed (correctly) that they were all God's people. Nevertheless, God gave Moses a special role, although not greater value. Today, God puts people over us at specific times and for specific reasons and we ought to have the humility to follow that. 

I once read about a young pastor who complained about the size of his congregation, and an older, wiser man said "I can assure you, that when you give an account for them in the day of judgment, you will find that they were more than enough." We should all realize that we have plenty to be accountable to God for without getting out of our lane. Hopefully tomorrow that will all make more sense. Thanks for your patience.

-Justin

The Luke 6 devotional can be found below.

Key Verse: Luke 6:48

Big Idea: The Son of Man is the foundation of our lives.

In the town where I used to live, they built a new neighborhood with massive homes on big lots. Their HOA has a private boat ramp and a private dog park. The developer who set it up undeniably made a fortune. But you can hardly get there because they did not take all of the steps necessary to build quality roads. Instead, when pulling off of FM-2004 in Brazoria County, you are teleported to the potholes of Louisiana. 

Everyone is building something with their life. Some people are building lives that look impressive physically: lots of friends, lots of money, and lots of influence. Some people are building lives that look impressive spiritually: lots of followers, lots of Scripture memorized, and lots of good deeds. None of those things are wrong! But if you could dig just a little bit beneath the surface, you might be surprised at what you would find. Some lives that look unimpressive are built on a sturdy foundation, and can safely be expanded and improved. Some lives that seem to be amazing have no foundation, and the first storm will bring them crashing to the ground.

In the parable which concludes the Sermon on the Plain, today’s chapter, Jesus tells us that hearing His words may seem impressive, and people may be amazed at our knowledge, but if we do not follow them, we are a house with no foundation. At the first crisis, the life that seemed so beautiful is suddenly so much rubble and disappointment. Too often, we are caught up in what is visible and forget that God is looking at our hearts. If we are to build our lives on Jesus, sometimes it will seem counter-intuitive to those around us, who are mostly concerned with what is visible. But it is the life founded on the rock which can stand the storm. When we make all of who we are on the Rock of Jesus, then even death itself cannot shake us. If we follow Him, He holds us securely in His hand.

Discussion Idea: The most important things cannot be lost in life or by death. What are some things that seem important, but are not on the foundation of Jesus? What are some things that seem unimportant, but will last forever?

Prayer Focus: Pray for the strength and wisdom to build your life on Jesus alone, repent of any areas of your life which are not.