Hebrews 12:2a - ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and Perfecter of our faith

Mathew 21:28-32The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

³¹“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³²For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The context of these verses involves Jesus speaking with some of the Jewish leaders. He proceeds with a few parables that very much fly in the face of these leaders. Being told that you would enter the kingdom of God behind prostitutes and tax collectors didn’t sit very well with these leaders either.

The main point I pull out of these verses is that ‘change matters‘. The one son immediately said he wouldn’t go. That, to often, reminds me of myself. My initial reaction to a lot of things, probably isn’t the best/right one. I’ve gotten better about ‘digesting’ something before I ‘weigh-in’ on a topic. Still, there are times with things I’m most passionate about that I just say ‘No…I’m not doing that’, or ‘Sure I can’ only to end up regretting it. The beauty of these pages though, is that Jesus is telling us that we can make mistakes…and although we can’t ‘take them back’…we can change.

I’ve been posting a lot about change here lately. My life is in a bit of a ‘changing’ stage. Getting married…starting a life with someone…feeling excited and nervous at the same time. I think change always feels like that. Embracing something new and different. The tag line for this blog…”Today is a New Day… Today I Pray for Change… Today I Begin My Change…” is something I hope to live by each and every day.

Prayer

Father,

I know ‘change’ will come in my life. I know that your will for me involves that. Thank you for the struggles that strengthen me. Guide me so that ‘change’ is not something I fear…but something I embrace and become closer to You through.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Revelation 1:8 - ⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

1 Timonthy 6:11-16 - ¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Your Word is sufficient for me…

Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen

1 Peter 2:9 - ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

You have been chosen. You have been called by God to belong to Him….’a people belonging to God’. He chose you for His own.

The word ‘Belong‘ is a powerful word. Everyone, from the time they are born, searches for a sense of ‘belonging’, or another way to put it, ‘a place to call home’. I think one of the biggest struggles that a young adult faces is this. If it isn’t found at home, it will be sought out elsewhere. This scripture is a comfort to all seeking that place to just be and be at peace. For me, it’s usually not until I go back to the farm place that I grew up on, do I truly feel at home. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been away. Whenever I’m there…I just feel more like me. The other place that I feel like this is at my church. The thing I’ve decided though is that it’s not about the building…it’s about the people that are there. People that I love and care about and that love and care about me.

Do you have a place to ‘belong‘ to? If not, know that God has chosen you and you belong to Him. If you still have other desires to ‘belong to a family’, ‘belong to a church’, or ‘belong to a significant other’, realize that God knows these desires. He placed them within you. He intends to fulfill them in His time.

Prayer

Father,

I belong to You. Praise be to Your blessed name. Thank You for choosing me to be Your child. My identity as belonging to You is the best thing that could ever happen to me. Remind me during the times where I struggle to find a ’sense of belonging,’ that Your will for me is perfect, that Your love for me is immeasurable, and that Your Son Jesus bought me with the sacrifice of His life.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.