Friday, August 2, 2013

Day Five Casper Serve

"Better Than Anything"
Mat 13:44  "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Did you like Broccoli when you were a kid?  O come on, not really.  No one really likes that stuff do they?  I understand that it is good for you, but health benefits aside, it was hard to get down as a little one.  I'm only joking, but you get the idea.  Sometimes we think god is like Broccoli.  We think that while God is good for us he doesn't taste very good.  Consequently we seek after the really great things this life has to offer and maybe, we think, one day we will get around to seeing what God has to offer.  Maybe we will be able to stomach him when we are older.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  There is an old hymn that says it like this "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."  This is absolutely true.  God is not suggesting you choose him over your joy and happiness, he doesn't want you to be so easily satisfied with that which can't really make you happy.

That is the transaction that takes place in this verse.  This man is travelling through a field and in days with no banks, found a treasure hidden there.  He doesn't want to steal it, but wants to gain it legally if it has been forgotten or the owner is dead.  He offers to buy the land, which he does.  In order to have the funds to buy the land though, he has to sell everything else he has.  he stacks up his whole existence against the treasure, and realizes the treasure is more desirable.  He lets go of everything to get it and no buyers remorse here, he goes away with joy.

This is how the Lord is.  He is not only good for you but he tastes good and satisfies.  His invitation to live your life with him is not calling you to choose a life of drudgery over pleasure but a call to enjoy the deepest pleasures we were made for in Him.


Day four Casper Serve

What Are You Afraid Of?
Mar 4:39-41  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  (40)  He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"  (41)  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

The context of this passage takes us to the disciples of Jesus with Jesus in a boat and afraid for their lives in a horrible "man swallowing" storm.  These disciples were no hacks, some of them were fisherman and had been raised on the sea.  They had seems storms like this one, they had lost friends to storms like this one.  They were afraid that they might be the next statistic; "How many has the sea taken this year?" 

Though the boat was heaving and tossing, Jesus was asleep in the stern.  The disciples (like we often do amidst the storms of life) mistake Jesus apparent lack of involvement for a lack of care.  Yet it wasn't that Jesus was uncaring it is that he was unafraid. He stood and spoke and the storm ceased!  Read that last sentence again...seriously. 

Jesus called the disciples away from fear and to faith.  Despite this call, the next thing we read is that the disciples remain in fear.  In fact, they are filled with fear.  Now they are afraid of the man who stood and spoke and the storm ceased.  What manner of man or who then is this that even the wind and sea obey him. They got in that moment a glimpse of Jesus divinity.  In other words they realized they were riding in a boat with God.  They were afraid because God is holy and we are not.  Jesus had come to save them from storms and from sin.

Today consider the Lords hand in your own life.  Are you trusting him in the midst of your circumstances and trying situations?  Have you trusted him to save you from your sins? As you pause for prayer, consider how big God really is.