Five Minute Devotional — 03/02/2011
- By John Batts
- •
- 03 Mar, 2011
- •
I have driven literally hundreds of thousands of miles all around the United States. In all my travels, I’ve noticed two important things: 1) Every single state has incredible natural beauty. 2) When it comes to being on the road, … Continue reading →
I have driven literally hundreds of thousands of miles all around the United States. In all my travels, I’ve noticed two important things:
1) Every single state has incredible natural beauty.
2) When it comes to being on the road, there are only two driving seasons – winter and construction.
It’s funny that, no matter what the state, the signs used in construction zones are very similar. It’s common to see things like “Prepare to Stop” and “Lane Closed Ahead — Merge Right” and “Fines Doubled in Construction Zone”.
Added to that are flashing lights and arrows and those incessant lines of orange barrels lining the road by the hundreds! (Oh, to have been in on the invention of those!)
Of course, there’s always the people who want to ignore the signs and keep driving, pretending the construction isn’t happening — and then move over at the last minute, invariably cutting someone off and causing a traffic “snarl” and making other drivers frustrated.
But once the aggravation is over and people have moved into the actual construction zone, there are some key observations:
- people drive slower in construction — going too fast can lead to someone getting hurt
- traffic lanes are usually narrower, and there might even be a detour…both of which help make construction tough to navigate sometimes
- no matter when you go through it, it never is convenient
- there are more people impacted by construction other than just you
As Christians, we go through “construction zones”, too. In James 1:2-4
, the Bible says this…
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (NKJV)
…And in Romans 5:3-4
…
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (NKJV)
The fact is, as Christians, it’s construction season A LOT. God is always in the process of molding us and shaping us to be the sons and daughters He created us to be. Often, He’ll use tough times to shape us, which builds in us the “stick-to-it” attitude we need to get through life, strengthens our character and our resolve, and ultimately teaches us to hope in Him.
Sometimes He will use “signs” to let us know that “construction is coming” — other times, we’re not expecting it at all. Either way, when we enter the “construction zones” of life…
- We need to slow down to navigate through it, because it’s easy to go too fast and make a wrong move that hurts you or someone else.
- Frequently, the “construction zones” that God allows us to go through will also take us on a detour. It might be a detour of facing a past sin in our lives. It might be a detour to deal with some issue in our lives. Often, it’s a detour to get us on our knees in prayer, seeking God’s face.
- It rarely comes at a time when we want it. I’ve never heard someone say, “I’m going through a difficult time in my life right now, and it’s WONDERFUL! This is PERFECT TIMING!”
- When God takes you through a “construction zone”, it rarely impacts just you. Often, the people around you will be impacted as well. It could be your family. It could be your church family. It could be Christian friends you have. But often, it seems that God is at work in multiple people’s lives at the same time – maybe not in the same way, but often at the same time.
Ultimately, we need to just be aware that God will always be “at work” in our lives in some capacity. We will regularly go through “construction zones” in life – things that God allows to happen to shape our character and teach us to trust in Him more. When He does, “Give Him a Brake” – slow down and allow Him to do what He wants to do in your life. Don’t get aggravated or irritated. While it might not seem to fit into your schedule well, it fits into God’s schedule well…and He ALWAYS has perfect timing!
Have a blessed day!
–Pastor John
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) -- "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound
from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues,
as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance."
Following Jesus' ascension, the disciples did just as Jesus had commanded them -- they remained together in Jerusalem and waited on the giving of the Holy Spirit before they continued with what is known as the Great Commission. (Jesus said, as recorded in Acts 1:8 -- "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV) As we read in Acts 2:1-4 (shown above), the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, empowering the disciples to speak in other languages, resulting in the message of the Gospel being shared simultaneously with thousands of people!
But why did this happen on the Day of Pentecost? Certainly, there were a lot of people in Jerusalem -- this was a celebration day that would be accompanied by a lot of activity. So, from a strategic sense, there was good reason for this to happen on this day. However, could there be more? I think so...in fact, from my initial study of Scripture, it appears to be linked to the Old Testament in a way that completely glorifies God!
First, it's important to understand the significance of the Day of Pentecost. The word "Pentecost" refers to "fifty days". In the Old Testament, the Day of Pentecost is directly linked to the Jewish festival "Shavuot", in the Bible known as the Festival (or Feast) of Weeks. It is a celebration that commemorates when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai -- an event that occurred fifty days after the Passover, when the Jewish people were freed from bondage and enslavement to the Egyptians. (From Wikipedia -- "On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.")
Interestingly, the Festival of Weeks is also referred to in Scripture as Day of First Fruits, a celebration of the harvest that God gave His people, and is linked to the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16 ) as well. God's people would celebrate how God had taken care of them and would offer back to God the first-fruits of their harvest as a way of honoring God.
Here's where it gets so incredible -- look at the similarities and the significance of the two events, from the Old Testament and the New Testament:
1) In the Old Testament, the Passover celebrated when the Jews were freed from enslavement and Pentecost celebrated when they became a nation committed to God. In the New Testament, the crucifixion of Christ during Passover week is something we look back to as a time when humanity was provided freedom from being enslaved to sin...and at Pentecost, through the giving of the Holy Spirit, it's a celebration of entering a new relationship with God.
2) In the Old Testament, as you read the accounts, you find that -- when God gave the law (the Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai, He wrote the 10 Commandments Himself on the tablets of stone. (see Deuteronomy 9:10 ) God Himself carved the 10 Commandments into the stone to signify the covenant relationship He had with His people. In the New Testament, the image of the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples mimics the finger of God -- in this case, it was as tongues of fire, signifying the beginning of a new covenant relationship God was initiating with all of humanity, to all those who would trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. In both cases, God "sealed the deal" symbolically through a direct intervention.
3) Of course, with Pentecost being directly tied to the Feast of Harvest, there is a direct correlation to the harvest the disciples experienced following the giving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41 tells us the following: "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (NKJV) And, just as the Jewish people would make a sacrifice of first-fruits on this day, we see the early church members also making a sacrifice of their own -- Acts 2:44-45 says, "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."
These are just some parallels that I felt God impressing upon my heart as I was preparing for a Bible study in 2009. While not meant to be exhaustive in any way, for me it just serves as a reminder of how intentional God is about everything He does... He is truly amazing!
Following Jesus' ascension, the disciples did just as Jesus had commanded them -- they remained together in Jerusalem and waited on the giving of the Holy Spirit before they continued with what is known as the Great Commission. (Jesus said, as recorded in Acts 1:8 -- "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV) As we read in Acts 2:1-4 (shown above), the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, empowering the disciples to speak in other languages, resulting in the message of the Gospel being shared simultaneously with thousands of people!
But why did this happen on the Day of Pentecost? Certainly, there were a lot of people in Jerusalem -- this was a celebration day that would be accompanied by a lot of activity. So, from a strategic sense, there was good reason for this to happen on this day. However, could there be more? I think so...in fact, from my initial study of Scripture, it appears to be linked to the Old Testament in a way that completely glorifies God!
First, it's important to understand the significance of the Day of Pentecost. The word "Pentecost" refers to "fifty days". In the Old Testament, the Day of Pentecost is directly linked to the Jewish festival "Shavuot", in the Bible known as the Festival (or Feast) of Weeks. It is a celebration that commemorates when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai -- an event that occurred fifty days after the Passover, when the Jewish people were freed from bondage and enslavement to the Egyptians. (From Wikipedia -- "On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.")
Interestingly, the Festival of Weeks is also referred to in Scripture as Day of First Fruits, a celebration of the harvest that God gave His people, and is linked to the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16 ) as well. God's people would celebrate how God had taken care of them and would offer back to God the first-fruits of their harvest as a way of honoring God.
Here's where it gets so incredible -- look at the similarities and the significance of the two events, from the Old Testament and the New Testament:
1) In the Old Testament, the Passover celebrated when the Jews were freed from enslavement and Pentecost celebrated when they became a nation committed to God. In the New Testament, the crucifixion of Christ during Passover week is something we look back to as a time when humanity was provided freedom from being enslaved to sin...and at Pentecost, through the giving of the Holy Spirit, it's a celebration of entering a new relationship with God.
2) In the Old Testament, as you read the accounts, you find that -- when God gave the law (the Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai, He wrote the 10 Commandments Himself on the tablets of stone. (see Deuteronomy 9:10 ) God Himself carved the 10 Commandments into the stone to signify the covenant relationship He had with His people. In the New Testament, the image of the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples mimics the finger of God -- in this case, it was as tongues of fire, signifying the beginning of a new covenant relationship God was initiating with all of humanity, to all those who would trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. In both cases, God "sealed the deal" symbolically through a direct intervention.
3) Of course, with Pentecost being directly tied to the Feast of Harvest, there is a direct correlation to the harvest the disciples experienced following the giving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41 tells us the following: "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (NKJV) And, just as the Jewish people would make a sacrifice of first-fruits on this day, we see the early church members also making a sacrifice of their own -- Acts 2:44-45 says, "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."
These are just some parallels that I felt God impressing upon my heart as I was preparing for a Bible study in 2009. While not meant to be exhaustive in any way, for me it just serves as a reminder of how intentional God is about everything He does... He is truly amazing!
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