365 Days with God - Day 21: Bowing before God

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 21, January 10, 2014

Readings: Psalm 20, Genesis 20, 1 Chronicles 23, 1 Chronicles 24, Luke 12:49-59, Luke 13:1-9
(This post was delayed due to me having food poisoning. I did my reading, but was not well enough to form a coherent post, so...I'll spare you the rest of the details.)

What an odd time to be contemplating the depth of my reliance on God. It's some ungodly hour of the morning. I am on my knees, in front of the toilet, begging God to remove the sickness that is wracking my body from the inside out. At this moment, I am completely and utterly powerless. Laid low by something I didn't expect, didn't invite in, and can do nothing about.

Without going into any more detail about the illness and my symptoms, I can truly say that I have not been in such agony before. What it did do is bring to light a stark reality of my own powerlessness. Sure, there are many things that I have a choice about - what I eat, where I will go - but a level above that, I am powerless. I only have the ability to choose what I eat because God has provided me with food. And choices. I didn't invent the different types of food that comprises the 5 food groups. They were already here. I can no more add or subtract from their existence than I can change the color of the sky.

What do I do with my powerlessness? Like so many, I could resist. Try to convince myself that I do have control. That I do have power. Or I can surrender. I can beg on my knees. I can relinquish the illusion of control that I have, and instead allow God to direct my path. To thank Him for the choices he gives me. To acknowledge His sovereignty, and my own limitations. I will strive to think as David thought, when he wrote Psalm 20:

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.
Oh LORD, save the king!
May he answer us when we call. (Psalm 20:6-9)

365 Days with God - Day 20: The Sinner in all of us

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 20, January 9, 2014

Readings: Psalm 19, Genesis 19, 1 Chronicles 21:18-30, 1 Chronicles 22:1-19 Luke 12:13-48

I have never struggled with writing something as much as I have writing this. Even now, I want to stop writing, put away the Word, or write about something else. But I can't. And so I will write, and it will probably be inflammatory, and painful, and challenging. So I pray, as David did:

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

 Let me begin with a statement:

God hates sin.

There it is. I said it. God hates sin. All of it. Every single type of sin, God detests it. Loathes it. Wants to rid it from the earth. And have no doubt, He will do so in His time. He will judge the earth, and every person will have to atone for what they have done. But amidst all this talk of sin, and depravity, of judging and judgement, or throwing stones, very seldom is the question asked:

Why does God hate sin?

God hates sin because it destroys everything it touches. At it's core, sin destroys relationships. The first sin demonstrates this perfectly - Adam and Eve were separated from God. Their relationship was broken. And because of this sin, and all the trillions of sins committed since, relationships have been continually destroyed. Lives broken.

And sadly, we have taken God's hatred of sin and turned it into a right to judge. To condemn. To cast out. And that is the exact opposite of what God does for us. Instead of closing the doors of heaven, they have been opened, and God's own Son sent to redeem mankind. God could have easily cast us out, cast us aside, and been done with us. We have taken the statement "Love the sinner, hate the sin" and turned it into "Label the sinner, hate only other people's sin."

Friends, we are all sinners. "There is no one righteous, no, not one." "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."The Bible is full of passages detailing various sins - and many of them are not something we rail at from the pulpit, or chastise on Facebook, or have rallies about. Why? because we are guilty. All of us. And if we were willing to be honest, open and truthful, we would see that we are just as messed up as the popular outcasts of our church - the homosexuals, the prostitutes, the unbeliever.

At this moment, this sounds quite bleak. In the last few days, I have read of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, David's distrust of God and the subsequent plague set upon Israel, the religiosity and works-based judgement of the Pharisees, and the gluttony of the rich man who said "relax, eat, drink and be merry." But there is good news. There is the gospel.

Jesus came to save us all from our sin. He didn't come so that the "lesser" sinners, could convert the "greater" sinners, the homosexuals, the prostitutes and everyone else we condemn. No. He came for everyone, because each and every one of us needs Jesus in ways we can't fathom. I can't do it alone. And neither can you. And the great news is, Jesus also gave us each other. He gave us a community, and a family of believers whose sole purpose is to love one another into the greatness that is God's redemptive plan for us.

And that purpose is the second commandment - to love your neighbor as yourself. I know that I sure as heck wouldn't want my sins paraded about in front of the church - but I would want brothers and sisters to surround me, support me, and help me overcome sin. I wouldn't want to be someone's project, but I would want to be loved with a genuine love. I would want restoration of my relationship with God and others.

That, friends, is God's purpose for the Church. The restoration of all things to Him. All sinners. All brokenness. All relationships. Restored. We shouldn't speak of reaching out to a particular group of sinners, we should be reaching out to all people, because all people are sinners. All people need His love. His gospel. His truth. A restorative relationship with the God of the universe. A relationship where sin is destroyed.

God hates sin. God loves the sinners. All of us. Are we willing to love like brothers and sisters? Are we willing to collapse to our knees and beg God to forgive us of our superior attitude, our pride and wickedness?

365 Days with God - Day 19: Unlimited trust

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 19, January 8, 2014

Readings: Psalm 18, Genesis 18:16-33, 1 Chronicles 21:1-17, Luke 11:37-54, Luke 12:1-12

"Trust is not something easily gained. And once broken, only time and trustworthy deeds can repair it."

This is something my father often said to me as I was growing up. Each time I faltered, struggled and damaged relationships, we had a conversation about trust. Suffice to say, the older I got, the more I valued it. The trust of my parents, friends and teachers was very important to me. And it still is today.

But I often struggle to trust the one I should trust the most. And it's not because he has broken his promises, lied or done me great harm. Rather, it's because if I trust him, then I lose all control.And down to the very fabric of our beings, of our society, and laws, and culture, we value control.

As if we had any. As if we could stop death, disease and injury. Or create lasting happiness, joy and community. No, we are merely struggling to regain our illusion of control. And so often I find myself not trusting the God who has never let me down. Never done something that wasn't for my best (by his definition, not mine!)

David, a man after God's own heart, struggled with this too. Not much time had passed since he saw God's provision, over and over again in 1st Chronicles 18: "And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went." So what's not to trust? David never lost a battle in this time. His people prospered. His boundaries grew. God promised him a home, and a kingdom established forever!

But David still succumbed to the sin of trying to wrest control from God. Trying to trust in his own strength, his own ability to handle conflict that would threaten Israel. He didn't trust God's promise:

"So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, 'Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.' But Joab said, 'May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?' But the king's word prevailed against Joab." (1st Chronicles 21:2-4)

Despite God's fantastic show of power, his unwavering care for David, David still acted like every other king. He had the God of the universe on his side, and he chose to count how many people were in Israel. Not for a mere census, but to count how many fighting men he had - to defend Israel, and to attack other nations.

While this may seem innocuous, it flies directly in the face of God's promises. Against overwhelming odds in battle, God had provided for David again and again. God had also promised Abraham that their descendants would be more numerous than the stars...and that David's descendants would rule forever. By taking a count of the people, David said to God: I don't trust your promises. I don't believe you. I'm taking charge.

And this broke God's heart. 

I want to be different, but I know at times I'm not. God has promised to care for me, provide for me, and give me a place in His kingdom when I go to be with him. Yet still I try to wrest control of my life, my job, my bank accounts from His guidance. I still try to rely on me. As if my resources, my wisdom, my abilities were greater than God. I want to have an unlimited trust in God. I want to relinquish control. Will you trust in God's promises?

365 Days with God - Day 18: Credit where credit is due

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 18, January 7, 2014

Readings: Psalm 17, Genesis 18:1-15, 1 Chronicles 18, 1 Chronicles 19, 1 Chronicles 20, Luke 11:1-36

Have you ever wondered why David was lauded as a man after God's own heart?

This is pretty big stuff. Despite his flaws, to be given this title is very significant. And it's not because he slew Goliath, or was the king of Israel. It's because of the life he lived, day in and day out. In his lowest lows, he repented on his knees, begging for forgiveness. In his highest highs, he gave credit where it was due. To God. David knew that without God, his victories would have been defeats. His sacrifices meaningless. His life, forfeit. David gave the honor, glory and recognition to God.

Recognition. Even those of us who do not desire the spotlight, or a place of honor, secretly desire recognition. Appreciation. Knowing that our work, or our effort, is meaningful and valued. We can rest in the knowledge that what we have done is not in vain.

But this is a tricky subject. There are many times when we are given the opportunity to take credit that is not ours. To rejoice in the glory and adoration that we did not earn. For if we desire this recognition, this appreciation, and we must work for it, then we could also take someone's work. Take someone's glory. Add it to our account.


King David takes the opposite tack.

"Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. With it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze.

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek. (1st Chronicles 18:6-11)

The Lord gave David victory wherever he went. David could have done anything he wanted with that victory. Who would know where it came from? David amassed wealth, power, prestige, everything a King needs to rule. But he dedicated it to the Lord.

 

Everything I have - my health, my family, my friends, my job and more - these are because of the Lord's provision. It's in my hands what I do with it. Do I use it all for me? Or do I dedicate it to the Lord as David did? I need to ask - if I want to be a man after God's own heart, like David - am I using the victories that He has given me for my own glory, or for His?

 

 

365 Days with God - Day 17: Living for Tomorrow

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 17, January 6, 2014

Readings: Psalm 16, Genesis 17, 1 Chronicles 17, Luke 10:25-42

We all put a lot of stock in the future. Future values, future earnings, future experiences, a future home, a future reality. Suffice to say, everything that cannot be changed for today, could be changed in the future. Or at least that's what we want to believe. For if we had no hope of change, then why try? If our hard work, planning and diligence amount to nothing, then what's the point?

The hard truth is, there is very little certainty in an our earthly futures. I too, wish it was like Back to the Future, where Marty Mcfly goes back in time with an almanac and can predict sports scores, with the potential of making millions on a "sure thing." But we don't have an almanac for the future. We put our security in the hands of chaos. And God calls us to something better.

King David sings of this in the Psalms, claiming that for him, God will be his future. Rather than relying on the success of his investments, or kingdom, he will take the LORD as his portion, his inheritance:

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." (Psalm 16:5-6)

David knows that his earthly riches cannot last. God's plans are David's inheritance. David is content to serve while he can on earth, but the earth is not where his security lies. His riches, his hope, is in the God who never fails. Everything he own can fall to pieces, but he is secure in the LORD:

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption." (Psalm 16:9-10)

Jesus also brings this lesson to the forefront in a very real way with some of his close friends, and uses it as a teaching moment - to instruct us in what matters, what lasts:

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

Mary has chosen the good portion. Martha is distracted. Jesus makes the contrast here very clear. Martha is relying upon her good deeds, her service, to supply her future. She expects that because of her sacrifice, she will be rewarded. She is doing work to receive a reward.

Jesus doesn't call us to work for a reward. We are not paid laborers, receiving our due. We are children of the King. He owes us nothing, but has given us an inheritance. We came to him as nothing, but He has given us everything. If there was a work we could do for salvation, then we could demand our reward, our payment from God. But it is a price we cannot pay. A debt we cannot afford.

Our future rests not in our ability to produce, or create wealth, or even in our ability to do good things for God. Our future is secure because of who God is, and what He's done. We can be glad and rejoice. God will not abandon our souls. He holds our future, and His inheritance, our portion, is beautiful.

365 Days with God - Day 16: When I'm tired

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 16, January 5, 2014

Readings: Psalm 15, Genesis 16, 1 Chronicles 16:4-43, Luke 9:51-62, Luke 10:1-24

When I am tired, when I am weary, when I am ready to give up, I need to remember the goodness and might of God. For he is never tired, never overwhelmed, never on the verge of throwing in the towel. he is infinite, and he is good.

Giving thanks is a twofold expression. One part is expressing gratitude for a gift given, a good deed or kind word. But the second part is remembering that deed. Not only at the moment that it was done, but how it has continued to benefit the receiver. Being thankful is the reverse of holding a grudge - it strengthens a relationship instead of weakening it.

You may have heard it said that love keeps no record of wrongs. What it does is keep a record of rights - things done that are due love, appreciation and thankfulness. Remembering, and being thankful for these things is a wonderful gift for both the giver and receiver.

When I am about to quit is the moment (well, it should have been long before) that I need to stop thinking so much about myself and start thinking of the good things God has done, is doing, and will do for me and for others. It brings my mind outside of my present misery and to the present reality that I have more than I deserve. That despite my feeling blue, I am rich beyond my wildest dreams.

Elisha and I have a thing we do. I'll tell you, when you're on the "thanking" end, it feels like punishment. When one of us is grumpy, and funky, and generally causing things to spiral downwards, the other asks them to name 10 things that they're thankful for. Big, small, it doesn't matter. But they have to name 10 things before anything else happens.

You know what? It works. At the beginning, whoever is grumpy feels upset. Nothing can make this better, especially not just listing 10 stupid things that I'm stupid thankful for...you get the idea. But by the end, I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief for all that I've been given. All that I have to be thankful for. And it's all because of God's goodness.

King David knew this as well. After a long war with the Philistines, Israel was on the brink. Their first king, Saul, and his family, had been slain. It was certainly a time to mourn, and many had lost friends, family in the war. But David knew that the key to recovery was being thankful. Remembering and rejoicing in the victory that God had brought them, not only over the Philistines, but throughout Israel's history. And so he appointed some of the priests of the Levites to "invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel." (1st Chronicles 16:4)

David even wrote a song (which comprises the majority of 1st Chronicles 16) to be sung before all the people of Israel. And these ministers were not just there to sing for a day, no, they were to be thankful each day, bringing burnt offerings before the LORD in the morning and evening, and some "chosen expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever." (1st Chronicles 16:41)

God is deserving of my thanks, my praise, my offerings. He has given me so many things. When I am tired, when I am grumpy, when I just want to think all about me, I need to think about Him instead. About what He has done. About what He has sacrificed, for my sake. To remember. When you are down, will you remember how great our God is?

365 Days with God - Day 15: A proud fool

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 15, January 4, 2014

Readings: Psalm 14, Genesis 15, 1 Chronicles 15:1-29, 1 Chronicles 16:1-3, Luke 9:1-50

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good." (Psalm 14:1)

Even now, these words are hard to write. Hard to accept. Hard not to make excuses, and to talk about how I'm not that bad, and I'm mostly good, and that I try real hard.

But the words are there on the page. Very clear. When I think that I'm good, I'm being proud. I'm not good. I am a selfish wreck without Jesus. The hardest part? There's a thousand, a million advice books, shows, blogs, whatevers out there, telling me that I'm good. Telling me to believe in myself. Telling our entire nation, influencing our culture, nurturing a sense of pride, accomplishment. We are great. We deserve this, that, and a million other things. 

We don't.

We are corrupt. We do abominable things. We are fools who don't believe in God. Who exchange his truth for a lie that we are self-sufficient. Yet everything we have, down to the air we breathe, is because He made it, and He sustains it. Our arrogance and pride is so thick I can taste it. And yet I struggle with it, every day. Every day I want to be in charge of my own destiny. To make my own path. To control my own outcomes. And each day, I have to tell myself that I can't. That it's not up to me.

And each day that I own this truth, each day that I submit myself to God's authority, is another day that I live free of the illusion that I have some type of power. I have none. I am at the mercy of a million things outside of my control - sickness, terrorism, natural disasters and more. And I could choose to live in fear, hiding from all these things, though never being safe. I could live in defiant ignorance, daring the world to challenge me. Or I can run to the arms of my heavenly Father, who is in control over everything.

And He loves me. He cares for me. He knows what is good, and He does what is good, unlike me.

"for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is his refuge." (Psalm 14:5b-6)