Monday, May 23, 2022

Supply Chain Issues

 


From computer chips to Christmas toys to baby formula, there are countless stories about the impact supply chain issues are having on our economy and people’s lives.  A lack of important commodities has a bull whip effect on all the other products that need them.   Guess what, God doesn’t have supply chain issues!

 

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

 

Things to think about:

·       How have you been impacted by a delay, total lack of availability, or just skyrocketing prices due to the global supply chain?

o   Has it triggered a change in your behavior like hoarding certain products, or maybe doing without something, or deferring a purchase until a later time?

·       Fear, insecurity, frustration, and anger are some emotions that come to mind when I think about how I react to the inconvenience (or worse) of not being able to get what I want, when I want, how I want it

·       Our God however doesn’t have any supply chain issues!

o   Eph.2:4,6-7 - But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved…And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

§  God is rich in mercy and grace

§  Mercy to make us alive while we were yet dead in our sins

§  Grace expressed in His kindness to us in the coming ages

o   He has enough for our spiritual wisdom and knowledge

§  Romans 11:33 - Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

o   He has enough for our strength and power

§  Eph. 3:16-17 - I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

o   He has enough to give you hope for the future

§  Eph. 1:18 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.

o   He also has enough to richly provide for our enjoyment

§  1 Tim.6 - Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 

·       And the list goes on and on and on!

o   Our God is a God of abundance, not scarcity

§  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

 


Monday, May 16, 2022

A House with No Mirrors

 


While on vacation recently, we stayed at a house that was being remodeled.  As part of the remodeling, all of the mirrors had been removed.  Imagine that, a house with no mirrors. There were no visual reminders of ME, which was so therapeutic.  I’m not sure I could defend this with Scripture, but I bet the mansions in Heaven don’t have mirrors either.


o   Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

 

Things to think about:

·       When I look into a mirror, by definition, I am focusing on myself. 

o   I take in my overall appearance, see how I’m aging with my wrinkles and gray hair, key in on the flaws my eye is naturally drawn to, how do my clothes look, my physical condition, etc.

§  Sometimes I’m OK with what I see, other times not so much

·       In a house with no mirrors, I found I stopped worrying about (even thinking about) “how’s my hair look?” or “how’s my paunchy stomach?”

o   It was liberating to stop caring about stuff that didn’t really matter

·       According to our verse, to the extent we do think about ourselves, it is to be with humility and with an accurate understanding of ourselves as God allows us to understand

o   A mirror can be used for preening or pruning!

 

·       Thinking less about me gave me the time and space to think about other, more important things like:

o   God’s creation

o   God’s Word

o   My spiritual condition (as opposed to my physical appearance)

o   My wife and family

o   Other people

·       Hebrews 12:2 – “…  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

·       Psalm 123:1-2 – “I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.”

·       Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”