To Trust or Be Offended

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Matthew 11 (click the link)


KEY PASSAGE:
Jesus replied… "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." (Matthew 11:6, NIV)


Reflections:
The word for stumbling in Greek is skandalizó meaning: trip and fall, become offended, indignant, be shocked, fall into a trap.

This is a very powerful verse to meditate on, not only for me individually, but for the church as a whole.  In this chapter we have John the Baptist, who has lived a life in obedience to God, who has laid his life down to fulfill his purpose, paving the way for Christ, preaching repentance, and the kingdom of heaven.  He now sits in jail, and upon hearing what Jesus is doing he sends his disciples to Jesus, “Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

Not only can understand John’s question, I can hear a similar question echoing in my own mind when faced with a situation my mind can’t quite grasp.  “God, is this really You,” or “Are You really in this?”  I’ve had moments like these from my earliest memories of being a Christian to just a few days ago.  I think, like me, John found himself in a situation where what he saw, and what he was experiencing didn’t make sense to him, he had a lack of understanding.

Speaking of Jesus, John the Baptist proclaimed, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out” (Matthew 3:11-12).

For John, I think it may have also been, that his expectations of how this was to play out looked differently than what was taking place.

The blind receiving sight, the lame walking, lepers being cleansed, deaf hearing, the dead are raised, the poor are being ministered to.  Jesus answered, “Go and report to John what you hear and see.”  I love that Jesus didn’t just say, “Yes I’m Him, the One you’ve been waiting for.”  It was presented as a challenge to John, as if saying, “Meditate on all you have learned and experienced of God, breathe in deeply the fragrance of My fruit, do you recognize Me?”  The circumstances and Christ’s answer allow one of two responses, not only from John, but us in moments like these.  We could either reject or be offended by what we can’t reconcile in our minds, or we can trust who God says He is, and Who He says He wants to be in our lives, and in the lives of others.

John 16:13 says, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” 

We can walk forward with Him in the anticipation He will make things clearer in His timing.

1 Peter 3:22 says, “And He (Jesus) has now entered into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with (all) angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him.”

In our uncertainty we can be assured He is strong enough to protect us from deception, and the powers of darkness along the way. 

2 Corinthians 2:16 says, “For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge?  But we have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.” 

Being clothed in humility, we must recognize that no matter how much God reveals to us, there is always more to learn.  We must remain teachable, allowing Him to continue to conform us into a clearer reflection of Him.

Zephaniah 2:3, “Seek the Lord (inquire for Him, inquire of Him, and require Him as the foremost necessity of your life), all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility (inquire for them, require them as vital).” 

Seek, seek, seek His face.  Let everything you experience in this life push you toward Him.

And we’ll end with Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired?  Worn out? Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover you life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live free and lightly.” 

There is no striving, or living in a state of anxiety or confusion when watching and walking with Him.  Our aim is to learn to keep company with Him.

PRAYER:

Father God, forgive us for times when we’ve tried to box You into the limitations of our own minds.  Times when we’ve allowed confusion, or our lack of understanding to bear it’s rotten fruit, instead of inquiring of You, and allowing it to drive us into a deeper awareness of your Sovereignty.  Thank you Lord that we can trust You, that Your desires, and plans are good.  Thank you that your ways are not our ways, and that You bring us revelation in your time.  Thank you for loving us when we are unlovely, picking us up when we fall, and placing your Spirit within us.  Increase our understanding of who You’ve called us to be, and what it means to have the kingdom of heaven inside us.  Help us to listen more and speak less.  Increase our faith so that we can be risk takers as we follow after You.  Thank You Lord, that You are faithful to complete the work that You have begun in us.

WHO AM I?

My first thought is, “A daughter of the King, under construction.”  I liken it to the construction on Hwy 71, it seems like it will never end, but I get to experience the re-done sections bit by bit.  My name is Nicole Robinson, and I’ve been married to part-time comedian Rob Robinson for 16 years.  I am the blessed mother of 14 and 12 year old boys, Tristen and Alex.  I can say that the challenges and blessings of family life continue to be a tool in my Father’s hand to “shape” me into who He has called me to be.  One of my favorite things to do is hike, and explore the outdoors with my family, but being an extrovert I love, love, love, spending time with friends in multiple ways.  Games, yes, coffee, yes, shopping, yes, just hangin’, yes, movies, yes, outreach, yes, travel, yes I’m up for just about anything.  I’m the type of person who just can’t seem to fit it all into a day, and am totally, and completely in love with my Savior.