My Daily Pause

Jesus healing the servant of a Centurion – Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)

In Luke 7:1-10, the centurion’s servant is healed. Jesus marveled at his faith compared to what he was finding among the Jews.

The centurion had good references (Luke 7:4) from the Jewish elders even though he was a Gentile. He was also an officer in the hated army of Rome. He built the synagogue for the Jews and as far as we can tell, he believed in Jesus as soon as he knew about him.

It might be human nature to size people up based on external factors, but it is not God’s nature to do so. (cf. Acts 10:34, James 2:1) As today’s call to action, try to reach out to someone that others might have written off because of who they are.

We might find a centurion.

We might even be impressed like Jesus was. (Luke 7:9)

As Daniel noted the new decree that no one should be worshiped except the king, he went straight to his room and prayed. (Daniel 6:10)

Daniel’s attitude is a model for all Christians, no matter how God and his followers are attacked.

• He was not defiant – we see that he didn’t make a big deal out the fact he was going to worship his God. He just went about it as was his habit.
• He was not a coward – we do not see Daniel hiding his worship either. In fact, the folks that set him up to commit a “crime” easily caught him in the act of worshiping.
• He continued as always – It is difficult to fight for the right to practice something when we failed to exercise that right before it was threatened.
• His window was open toward Jerusalem – We send mixed messages when we claim to put God first but “open our windows” toward money, fashions, government or any other type of secular concern.
• He was faithful – Daniel didn’t have any concern for what his enemies thought, what the government legislated or his personal safety. Trusting God always works out in the long run

By the end of Daniel 6, God was recognized by the kingdom and the freedom to worship not only was preserved, but was enhanced.

Through Daniel’s example of faith, we see that God’s plan will prevail without our having to force it. We just need to …

• keep living faithful lives
• worship regularly without apology but without an air of defiance
• teach others when we can
• be an influence that makes others notice

… and let God use us to complete his work.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den circa 1614/1616 – Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 – 1640 )

Daily Bible reading for September 5

Psalm 34
1 Samuel 25
Daniel 6
Luke 3:23-4:13

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance – Gal 5:22-23

The underlying Greek word here is pistis defined as assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

When asked to describe faith or faithfulness, we often think:

• fidelity
• loyalty
• trustworthy
• steadfast
• dependable

These are some excellent words to describe what we see in faithful people, but they are not what makes them faithful. Faith is a belief  in something so strong that we will take an action based on it. For instance I believe my boss will write me a paycheck, therefore I go to work each day.

Hebrews 11 teaches us the essence of that kind of faith:

• Able offered his sacrifices the way God wanted them
• Enoch did things in a way that pleased God
• Noah built an ark with only a warning
• Abraham moved his family to an unfamiliar land
• An angel had to stop the knife in Abraham’s hand so he wouldn’t sacrifice his son
• Moses chose to be numbered among his people and not the Egyptians

…the list goes on. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without this kind of faith, we can’t please him.

Here are some ways we need to respond once we understand that God is who the Bible says he is:

• Obey his Gospel plan
• Live in a way that demonstrates your faith (James 2:14-26)
• Supplement it with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

There are those that tell you that God’s salvation is available through faith only. This concept is foreign to the Bible.  When the Bible tells you that faith saves you, it is talking about a faith so strong that you are willing to move and do something.  It means that when you have gotten into Christ, you are living and acting in a Christ-Like manner all the time. This kind of faith takes a lot of maintenance, so keep reading your Bible and it will grow! (Romans 10:17)

 Daily Bible reading for July 15

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10
Joshua 15
Jeremiah 8:4-9:22
Matthew 23

Peter looked around and saw the waves and felt the wind pulling at his cloak. Then he saw how far away the shore was and that was enough.

Do you feel the disappointment in Jesus’ voice as he reaches out and grabs Peter?

Matthew 14:22-32 is the account of Jesus walking on the water. That Jesus could walk on the water isn’t the surprising part. What is surprising is even after all that Peter has been through with Jesus – after being able to heal the sick, just like Jesus – his faith faded.

Wouldn’t Jesus be disappointed in us if we let our faith slip a little bit? Doesn’t our situation often worsen when we forget to give our fears and doubts to him? Some of the little things we do (or forget to do) is a symptom of that happening.

• When our giving isn’t at the top of our budget, our faith has slipped.
• When we worry about the little things in life, our faith has slipped.
• When we don’t pray regularly and earnestly, our faith has slipped.
• When we choose not to mention Jesus when given an opportunity, our faith has slipped.

Just as when he got into the boat, when we let Jesus in our lives, the winds cease.

Daily Bible reading for July 5

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Joshua 3
Zephaniah 3:1-8
Matthew 14

We should all know by now that we are saved by the faith of Christ (Galatians 2:16)

As we prepare for our next worship, I suggest that be the focus during that time. Christ had enough faith in God’s love and his plan that he went willingly to die for our sins.

Can you, like Paul, say that you have been “…crucified with Christ. It is not I who lives, but Christ who lives in me”? (Galatians 2:20)