Wednesday September 18, 2013

Jesus Challenge:

Do you think it would be worthwhile having a sub-goal concerning your friends and family?

If yes, what would such a goal look like? If no, why not?

What factors need to be considered when putting together a goal concerning our friends and family?

Discuss the pros and cons of having this type of goal for the relationships in your life.

 

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

The Jewish calendar was based on the seasons of the years. Seasons for us mean primarily a change of wardrobe. In winter it’s time to get the woollies out. In summer it’s time to break out the board shorts and T-shirts. Many shops now anticipate a new season and bring out the next season’s range well before we’ve even had time to think about the current season, let alone the next one.

 

Not so in Jerusalem. The various seasons were all tied to farming and thus to life. Each person had to know when to sow or plant crops. Each person had to know when to harvest, or when to pull up weak or damaged crops. One’s own harvesting had to correlate with the seasons and hence with the festivals that the Lord Himself had instituted. Life and meaning revolved around the seasons. Unfortunately our seasons have nothing to do with life because we shop at supermarkets and expect everything we need to be stocked in the aisles. Most city folk would have no idea about when to plant, when to harvest and so on. The harvest festivals have little meaning to city folk.

 

But the seasons, especially the need to plant and harvest and to pull  reminded the people that they had to work with God not against God. They relied on Him for everything. They had to bow down and beseech God for rain, for warmth, for growth and for herds to increase. In Israel, the people relied on God and had to work with God, not against God.

 

Where and how do we have to rely on God? We work. We get paid. If we don’t work the government gives us handouts and the charities make sure we have enough. Do we really need to rely on God? Perhaps the dwindling numbers in churches across the western world, the small turnouts at prayer meetings and the low priority given to cell, home-group or Bible study attendance suggest that we don’t have to rely on God.

 

God is seen most powerfully at work when His people have to rely on Him and desperately call out to Him.

 

Prayer:

Write down at least one prayer point in each category based on the following verse.

Give thanks to the Lord and call on His name’ make known among the nations what He has done and proclaim that His name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:4

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

 

 

Supplication:

¥ Ask the Lord to bless the work of the Reformed Bible College in Myanmar. Ask Him to provide their needs and to raise up godly men and women who can faithfully peach the Word. Pray that God would be powerfully at work in that country.

¥ Pray that God would also provide the needs of the Mustard Seed orphanage in Myanmar as they seek to support orphans, widows and handicapped people.