Fierce and Loving

September 30 (Mark 1:25)

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”  (ESV)

A man with an unclean spirit accosted Jesus in the synagogue one day, and Jesus flared up and commanded the spirit to leave.  Most translations read that He rebuked the spirit, and this is a fair rendering of the Greek verb, but the earliest translation puts it even more strongly.  In the Latin version from the late fourth century, it says Jesus threatened the spirit.  Either way, we see Jesus with fire in His eyes and thunder in His voice setting this man free.

Now go on just a bit more to verses 29-31.  As soon as He left the synagogue, He went to Simon Peter’s house, where Peter’s mother-in-law was ill with a fever.  “And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”  Can you imagine a more tender, loving scene than this?  There is no fire or thunder or rebuke this time, just a gentle act of love.  She was lying in bed with a fever, and Jesus carefully gives her His hand and helps her up.

Friends, this is Jesus.  He is the one you want when the demons and the monsters come to call, for He is afraid of nothing and will stand up to the dark forces, fiercely and authoritatively sending them back where they belong.  He is also the one you want when you are breaking and shaking and at your wit’s end, for He will gently and lovingly help you to stand.

Jesus, I need You.  I need You to fight my battles and to help me stand.  Sometimes I am too scared even to list all the ways I need You, so I ask the Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf, knowing You are all and only what I need.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

Where Do You Go First For Help?

January 14 (Psalm 118:9)

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

     than to trust in princes.  (ESV)

We are born into a story already well under way.  As a result, we assume and expect that the structures in place around us have it all together and exist for our benefit.  This is a reasonable perspective of parents for an infant to hold, but we often maintain it long afterward and extend it to teachers, coaches, and business and government leaders.  Even our casual conversations challenging the leaders around us are based on the idea that they should be able to meet all our needs and solve all our problems.

Friends, this is not even remotely realistic.  Yes, God often works through other people and sometimes intervenes directly in our lives, but we must always start by going to Him.  He may then direct us to someone or lead another person to speak into our situation, but the help comes from Him.  He is our refuge.

Sometimes my first thought is to email friends.  In my worse moments I try to handle problems myself or simply seek refuge in my own turbulent thoughts.  This, however, is more than a mistake.  It is a missed opportunity.  God wants us to take refuge in Him and to come to Him for the help we truly need.

Father, it is such a deep part of my approach to life to try to do things on my own, and because of that earth-bound outlook, when I do seek help, it is often not from You.  I confess and renounce that approach right now.  May my first call for help always be to You.  May You, and nothing else from which I have ever tried to get strength, be my refuge.  In the name of Jesus, Who has cleared the way for me to come freely to You, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

February 1 (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  (ESV)

You and I have a responsibility, a duty, to let God comfort us.  For many of us, that sounds weak.  “I’ll take care of myself, thank you very much.”  We see it as a sign of weakness if we do not pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.  Yet the fact is, we have an obligation to let God comfort us, and it is not an obligation to ourselves.

As Paul reminds us, when we are comforted by God, we can then comfort others who are suffering any kind of affliction.  Why?  It is because we can speak from experience.  Which would you rather hear?  Someone who can quote a lot of platitudes or theory they have gained from a book, or someone who has personal experience of God’s love and mercy?

The next time you think you should not bother God with your problems, consider this.  What do you need to experience from Him that He wants you to share with someone else?  If you block Him out, not only do you miss your own comfort, you lose an opportunity to experience something first hand from God that you could share with someone else.

Father, I need Your comfort and mercy today.  There is so much surrounding me, pulling at me, weighing me down.  Strengthen and guide me, Lord, not just to handle the things in front of me, but so that I may be able to share Your love and grace with someone else who needs.  In the name of Jesus, my loving Savior, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins