FBC Daily Devotions

By Mike Kurtz

Yesterday we saw how pride can cause a person to pursue fame, fortune, admiration, respect, and the like. Pride is a powerful motivator for the ambitious, and if not kept in check, can actually feed pride as one increases in those pursuits. Today, though, I want to look at the opposite effect of pride; that is, how pride can paralyze a person rather than drive a person.

We are all probably familiar with the story of Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush. There God asked Moses to lead his people out of Egyptian exile. That would, of course, include speaking the words of God to the ruler of Egypt. Let’s pick up the account after God has instructed Moses what he is to do. Read Exodus 5:10-14.

Now most if not all of us can relate to Moses apprehension. I don’t know anyone who feels comfortable or confident speaking in front of people, even more the ruler of the most powerful nation in the world at that time. What is Moses’ problem? Of course, it is pride. He was too proud to fail. He was too proud to appear foolish, too proud to be less than his pride demanded. His pride paralyzed him and prevented him from doing what God was asking of him. You see, while pride can drive a person to seek stardom, it can also drive him to hide chinks in his armor. We all play this game of hide and seek. We all hide our weaknesses and seek to highlight our strengths. It’s the terrible sin of pride that keeps us from trusting God and getting out of His way.

What did God say to Moses at his first complaint? He said: “Who has made man’s mouth. Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Ex. 4:11) God appeals to himself. Pride appeals to ourselves. God says, “I am the one who made you; is there nothing I can’t accomplish through my creation if want?” I can speak for myself, I do not like to try things I am not good at. I do not like to look like a fool. And so I will practice and practice before I make a public attempt. Why? Because I am too proud to fail. I am even too proud to be average. Pride has the very subtle power to hold us back from trusting God. Thus it prevents us from becoming used by God and being transformed to become all that we were meant to be.

How about you? Are you too proud to be average? Are you too proud to look foolish in the hands of God? Are you too proud to “fail” in your own eyes? Don’t let pride paralyze you. Remember, your Creator can do anything through His creation. So swallow your pride and trust Him.

By Mike Kurtz

Last weekend we held our annual FBC Fall Conference. It was a time of very practical consideration on matters of communication. This was not an easy weekend because as we learned, communication (or lack of it) is a reflection of what is in the heart. And as we all can attest to, the heart is a deceitful source when it succumbs to the temptation, impulses, and sway of the flesh.

There is perhaps no greater sin than pride. It often drives us. It motivates us. It attempts to take control. It seeks for self gain, self fame, and so on. I noted in my notes from the weekend that pride competes for power. It tries to gain the upper hand and greater control in a relationship. Pride wants to show our way is better than anyone else’s. And so we fight and defend to gain the upper position. There is no place for pride as followers of Christ, and yet we all struggle with it so terribly in one way or another. Let me ask you today: Where does pride rear its ugly head in your life? Which relationships do you see it happening most in? Why do you think that is?

The picture of pride is seen so clearly in King Uzziah. Take time today to read an account of his life in 2 Chronicles 26:3-21. There is much to be gleaned from this account. Note how pride drove his life. Note how pride guided his decisions, how it affected others around him, how it affected his relationship with God. The signs of pride are obvious in Uzziah’s life. Perhaps this particular expression of pride is not so obvious in yours. Consider if the need for importance, success, respect, and admiration runs through your life. If so, get right with God. Remember who He is and who you are. Remember who is the source of any good work in your life. Remember that apart from Christ you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Tomorrow, we will look at a different expression of pride… just as dangerous as Uzziah’s pride, but not nearly as obvious.

by Mako Kato

I want to share some of my personal story from this past year.  Many of you have been praying for me and I appreciate you very much.

Today I want to talk about God’s sustaining love.  Even when we are weak: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, God is with us.  He never leaves us or forsakes us.  And sometimes we do go through tough times.  It is in these tough times that we learn to trust in the God who sustains us.

I had a condition that began in late 2008, where I would regurgitate food after meals. It started out with just spit during the summer, then I started regurgitating more and more food.  My weight dropped.  My sleep schedule got messed up.  I would have to leave the table a number of times after eating to go regurgitate into  the trash.

Some of it would stay down.  Sometimes it would be hard to tell how much.  But enough of it stayed down that I still had the energy to study, to play tennis, and to almost live normally (except for mealtimes).  I went to a number of doctors: Gastroenterologists and surgeons who had ideas, but didn’t have any lasting solutions.

We had basically decided on surgery, but that surgery was stopped due to the fact that it probably wouldn’t have worked.  (That’s another cool God story.  Talk to me about it.)  But later on in the summer I was slated for a surgery to insert a food tube and a gastric pacemaker, which would forcibly push food out of my stomach.  But before the surgery, the gastroenterologist, Dr. Patterson, sent me to another doctor, Dr. Schneier, to try one more medicine.  Dr. Schneier set in motion the process to get that medicine, but in the meantime he had me try a different medicine called mestinon.  This medicine has to do with the nerves and was an unorthodox effort at fixing my problem.  I was skeptical.  I had tried a lot of medicines and most of them made me very drowsy and didn’t seem to help much.

But this medicine seemed to work.

Wait.  I know this is a story about God’s sustaining love.

Where is God in the choice of a medicine?  It makes me think that sometimes, God’s miracles are subtle.  If you look at the process that got me taking this medicine, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  I was going to do one thing with one doc, who sent me to another doc for one medicine, but that doc didn’t think that medicine would work so he gave me a different medicine that none of the other doctors had mentioned before.

I guess I’m not completely healed, but I’m basically eating normally now and as long as I don’t overeat, nothing will come up.  (Even if I do overeat, I might spit a small amount just once, instead of larger amounts upwards of five or six times.)  I’m no longer worried about eating too much, or about grossing anybody out.  The past couple days I’ve been sleeping better too, which is another praise.

All thing’s considered, I’ve gone from weighing 110 lb to 120 lb over the past few months and I haven’t weighed myself for a couple weeks.  It’s such a blessing to be able to eat normally again.  God has sustained me through that trial and he has healed me, at least for now.  I know that in everything I can trust Him.

During these problems with my health, I found encouragement in His Word and in the Psalms.  (Not to mention the many who were praying for me, God’s kids, from preschool to the older members of our church.)  One Psalm I read a number of times was Psalm 139.  I’m posting a link to it, since it is a long passage, but it is the Psalm that begins, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” (ESV)  It goes on to describe the almighty, loving power of God.  He knows when we sit down and stand up.  He knows our thoughts.  He made us and He cares about what happens to us.

We don’t have to worry in hard times, because God will provide.  His love gives us strength to persevere. (Oh, and if you haven’t finished reading Psalm 139, please do.)

God Bless You.  He always does, doesn’t he?  We may not always understand why things happen the way they do, but God is good, and He loves us.

Failure. We all struggle with the fear of failure in one way or another. Many people are stunted or live inhibited and isolated lives for fear of failure. People are often afraid to try things because they might fail. We were made to soar, and yet so many choose to live like clams within protected hard shells.

What does it mean to fail? It means missing our intended mark. That mark, of course, varies from person to person. Some people set such high expectations that they are bound to fail – perfection is impossible. Others set their marks so low because they are afraid they might fail a higher goal. Some stop trying altogether for fear of failure. Is that what God really wants for His children?

When I read Psalm 52, the writer speaks of himself as blossoming or flourishing in the house of God:

 ⁷ “Here now is the man
       who did not make God his stronghold
       but trusted in his great wealth
       and grew strong by destroying others!”

 ⁸ But I am like an olive tree
       flourishing in the house of God;
       I trust in God’s unfailing love
       for ever and ever.

 ⁹ I will praise you forever for what you have done;
       in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
       I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

How can he flourish like an olive tree? How can he praise God so freely in the presence of other saints? It is this: He trusts in God’s unfailing love.

Humanly we think if we miss our mark, people will think less of us. We are perhaps more foolish or less capable or less worthy as a result of missing the mark. Consequently, people either overwork themselves to ensure perfect results, or they don’t even try. You know what the main problem with this is? These people are too concerned about what others think of them. Now, I’m not talking about mission critical activities where a bomb is going to blow the world to smitherines if they fail. I’m talking about people afraid to soar by stepping off the ledge of insecurity and fear, people afraid what others will think.

Do you want to live as God intended, to soar rather than hide? The answer lies in trusting in God’s unfailing love. We may miss the mark at times (perhaps many times), but knowing that God’s love will never fail despite our failures ought to give us strength to keep on trying to fly. How might you live knowing that no matter the outcome, there is our Father in heaven whose love and care will never miss the mark in our life?

For those struggling with fear, consider Whose thoughts of you matter most. If we will care more about God’s thoughts of us rather than man’s… ah, now that’s when we can begin to step out of our shells and “flourish in the house of God.” Remember, God’s love is unfailing. There are no conditions placed on His children. There are no perfomance requirements. His love will never fail us. Amen.

It’s been a while since I lasted posted a devotional. Things have been busy these last few weeks, and putting thoughts down on paper has been sacrificed. Hopefully, you have been taking time on your own to spend with Him in His Word and prayer.

This weekend is our annual Fall Conference. It’s always a great time to get to know others in our church family and learn together. Since we won’t be working through the book of Revelation next Sunday, I thought this week I’d spend some time on random meditations in Scripture and life, in general.  Hope you don’t mind!

*****

I was driving into the U district this morning, and as I was waiting at a stop light, I noticed a house with a nice porch and an inviting entry. Above the door was a sign – almost like a street sign that you see on street corners.  The sign simply said, “SUNRISE”. And I thought, wow, what a great reminder of God’s love that as one passes through that door every day, that the rising of the sun is a great testament of God’s enduring love. Every day the sun rises. Every day God’s love endures on. There are so many references to God’s enduring love, among them, Ps. 100:4-5:

 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
       and his courts with praise;
       give thanks to him and praise his name.

 ⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
       his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Think about God’s enduring love and the rising sun. Both have endured since the beginning of time. All of man’s strife, kingdom after kingdom, war after war, generation after generation — you name it, God’s love and the rising sun have endured them all. And God’s love will continue to endure… forever and ever. No matter what we might be facing now or in the coming days, it is good to know that God’s love will endure through it. God’s love will never be defeated, it will never end, it will never temporarily cease. It will endure everything and anything forever.

The next time the sun rises (and I think that’s just about every day), let that be a reminder of God’s enduring love. And then do as the psalmist, and thank Him for a new day because it is evidence of His enduring love for you.