Masterpiece

Our Responsibility Toward the Government

READ: PSALM 118:9, PROVERBS 29:2; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20118%3A9%2C%20PROVERBS%2029%3A2%3B%201%20TIMOTHY%202%3A1-4&version=NLT] Where I live in the United States, the 4th of July tends to be a holiday dominated by fireworks, parades, patriotic renditions of songs like “God Bless America,” and family picnics. It’s a time to commemorate our nation’s independence. However, it can also be a time when the divisiveness of politics is on display, splitting families and friendships between polarizing opinions and harsh interactions with each other. No matter which side of the political aisle you support, if any, 1 Timothy 2 gives us specific instructions about how we should view and interact with government: prayer. Paul instructs us to pray for “all who are in authority” and says we should “ask God to help them” (verses 1-2). But help with what? And why? We are to pray for all of these authority figures to put their trust in Jesus and experience Him personally. We can pray for them to be drawn to God’s Word and rely on Him to guide them, to be convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent where needed, and to walk humbly before God. We can pray that God gives them a heart to serve the greater good of those under their authority—not just their own good. We should ask God to give them wisdom, discernment, and insight, so they can know what is right and have the courage to act on it. We should pray for these things, in part, because wise leaders will allow us to live in safety and peace, letting us share Christ freely with our neighbors in whatever creative ways He has called us to. But we should primarily pray for our leaders because God wants everyone, even our politicians, to be saved and understand the truth of the gospel—the good news of Jesus. No matter how difficult it feels to pray for politicians and people of authority that you don’t agree with, like, or respect, this is what God calls us to do, and He will empower us to do it. And we can know that, ultimately, we get to submit to the perfect Authority, Jesus Christ, who laid down His life out of love for us. And one day, He will return to destroy every earthly kingdom, and we will flourish as we live under His perfect Kingship. • Abigail Aswegen • Sometimes it can be hard to pray for our government leaders, especially when they make decisions we think are wrong. In these moments, it can be helpful to remember how we all fall short and we all need Jesus. Consider taking some time to bring all of this to Jesus in prayer. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)

For Good

READ: GENESIS 37:17-28; 50:15-21; PSALM 23:4-6 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=GENESIS%2037%3A17-28%3B%2050%3A15-21%3B%20PSALM%2023%3A4-6&version=NIV] Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. They sold him! I have younger siblings. And I admit there have been times I’ve thought this sounded like a good idea. But these guys actually did it! Can you imagine the betrayal Joseph must have felt? The outrage? The terror? Overnight, Joseph became a slave. Sometimes our lives take a turn for the worse too—disappointments, illnesses, tragedies, or any number of other unwelcome surprises. In those moments, we often forget God is still with us, and He is still sovereign. When that happens, we can be well served to look at Joseph’s life. Joseph’s next thirteen years were an amazing story of hard knocks, unfair treatment, and prison. Yet, “the LORD was with him and…gave him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:3). Eventually, God raised Joseph to a place of power and worked through him to save countless lives from famine, including his own family. Yet his brothers were still terrified Joseph would exact his revenge. But look how Joseph responded to them—with forgiveness: “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19-20). Joseph understood God had a plan all along. From our historical vantage point, we can also see God was doing much more than just saving Joseph’s family. He was preserving the line through which He would one day redeem the world—the line that would lead to the birth of Jesus. Jesus faced hard knocks and unfair treatment—even death on a cross—because He loves us and wants to forgive us. And when Jesus was raised again, He accomplished the saving of many lives! When we end up in one of life’s dark valleys, we can remember Joseph, and how his story points to Jesus. We can trust God is so good, and He loves us so much, that He promises to work through even the worst of situations for the good of His people—and to be with us every step of the way (Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:28, 38-39). • Michelle Isenhoff • Can you think of any examples, in your own life or in the lives of others, when God worked through a bad situation and brought good? Whenever we suffer, God has so much compassion on us. He can truly empathize with us because Jesus stepped into our suffering with us, and even now He grieves our hurts alongside us. How could it be comforting to know that God grieves suffering, and He also promises to bring something good out of it? [Joseph said to his brothers,] “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Popular

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 15:1-7; 1 PETER 2:22-24 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%203%3A16-17%3B%20ROMANS%2015%3A1-7%3B%201%20PETER%202%3A22-24&version=NIV] Our need for love and appreciation is written deeply into our nature. We want to be seen and accepted by those around us. But, in this broken world, humans are selfish, and human attention is fickle. Popularity can tease those who don’t find it...and wreck those who do. Jesus knows about popularity. He understands people. Humans were created through Him—and He came and lived among us, fully God yet also fully human. He knows firsthand that people can crown you one day and crucify you the next. So, during His ministry on earth, how did Jesus deal with that oh-so-human desire for attention and acceptance? How did He deal with popularity? John 2:23-25 says, “Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Instead, Jesus often spent time alone with the Father, and He “entrusted himself to him who judges justly,” even in suffering (Luke 5:16; 1 Peter 2:23). Yet Jesus was not detached. He cared. He loved. He had a mission to accomplish for our sake. He made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up His life on the cross, because He so loved us (John 3:16-17). And when He rose again, Jesus declared that all who belong to Him are fully and completely accepted. So now, we are free to love others instead of comparing ourselves to them. Consider taking a moment to talk to God, perhaps using this prayer as a guide: Lord, thank You that, because of Jesus, I can entrust my heart to You, loving others with abandon as I follow Your leading. Remind me I am secure in Your great love, and may that love overflow from me to each one You bring into my life today. • Trent D. Schrock • God created us to be in community (Genesis 2:18). But sin has broken our relationships with God and others (Genesis 3). How has Jesus made the way for our broken relationships to be reconciled? As we wait for full reconciliation at Jesus’s return, how can we see glimpses of it today? How does Jesus’s love for us make it possible for us to love others? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 5; 2 Corinthians 5; Colossians 1; 1 John 4:19.) • What might it look like for you to set aside time in your day to be alone with God in His Word and in prayer so you can be refreshed, reminded of His love for you, and strengthened to overflow it to others? Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

Popular

READ: JOHN 3:16-17; ROMANS 15:1-7; 1 PETER 2:22-24 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%203%3A16-17%3B%20ROMANS%2015%3A1-7%3B%201%20PETER%202%3A22-24&version=NIV] Our need for love and appreciation is written deeply into our nature. We want to be seen and accepted by those around us. But, in this broken world, humans are selfish, and human attention is fickle. Popularity can tease those who don’t find it...and wreck those who do. Jesus knows about popularity. He understands people. Humans were created through Him—and He came and lived among us, fully God yet also fully human. He knows firsthand that people can crown you one day and crucify you the next. So, during His ministry on earth, how did Jesus deal with that oh-so-human desire for attention and acceptance? How did He deal with popularity? John 2:23-25 says, “Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” Instead, Jesus often spent time alone with the Father, and He “entrusted himself to him who judges justly,” even in suffering (Luke 5:16; 1 Peter 2:23). Yet Jesus was not detached. He cared. He loved. He had a mission to accomplish for our sake. He made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up His life on the cross, because He so loved us (John 3:16-17). And when He rose again, Jesus declared that all who belong to Him are fully and completely accepted. So now, we are free to love others instead of comparing ourselves to them. Consider taking a moment to talk to God, perhaps using this prayer as a guide: Lord, thank You that, because of Jesus, I can entrust my heart to You, loving others with abandon as I follow Your leading. Remind me I am secure in Your great love, and may that love overflow from me to each one You bring into my life today. • Trent D. Schrock • God created us to be in community (Genesis 2:18). But sin has broken our relationships with God and others (Genesis 3). How has Jesus made the way for our broken relationships to be reconciled? As we wait for full reconciliation at Jesus’s return, how can we see glimpses of it today? How does Jesus’s love for us make it possible for us to love others? (If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 5; 2 Corinthians 5; Colossians 1; 1 John 4:19.) • What might it look like for you to set aside time in your day to be alone with God in His Word and in prayer so you can be refreshed, reminded of His love for you, and strengthened to overflow it to others? Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7 (NIV)

Heaven on Earth

READ: JOHN 14:1-6; PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21; REVELATION 21:1-5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%2014%3A1-6%3B%20PHILIPPIANS%203%3A20-21%3B%20REVELATION%2021%3A1-5&version=NIV] Too often, Christians have a vague understanding of heaven as a cloudy, indistinct place where we’ll wear white bathrobes and strum on harps. No wonder so many people don’t want to go there! If we take a good look at what the Bible actually says about heaven, we’ll find that it sounds pretty good. Heaven will ultimately be on earth (Revelation 21:1-5). I remember being so relieved when I first understood this. It’s a familiar, concrete idea I can wrap my mind around. God created the Earth uniquely for habitation, with the intention that people live on it. That objective won’t change, but the earth will be made better—healed from sin and all the brokenness it caused. The Bible tells us the first earth will pass away and be made new—minus the sin, hunger, sickness, death, and war we’re all too accustomed to on the current one. We will have physical bodies (Philippians 3:20-21). Another relief, isn’t it? We’re accustomed to our five senses, to the pressure of air in our lungs and dirt under our feet. God intended us to be physical as well as spiritual beings. When Jesus rose from the dead, he had His physical body that bore scars and could consume food. Since Christ set the pattern we will follow, we can expect physical bodies too. His resurrection secures ours (1 Corinthians 15). God will dwell with us (Revelation 21:3). We were created for fellowship with God such as Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden. Sin broke that relationship, but Jesus conquered sin. One day, His work on the cross will come to full realization, and everyone who has put their trust in Jesus will once again enjoy the presence of the Creator of the universe in this way. Scripture tells us we are sojourners on this present earth, and our true citizenship is in heaven because that’s where Jesus is. We can rejoice knowing that we will dwell with Him and His people forever—and that He will exceed our expectations in every way. • Michelle Isenhoff • How have you imagined heaven, both when you were a kid and more recently? • After reading today’s Bible passages, what questions do you have about heaven? • Jesus is in heaven, and at the same time, He is also with us! What questions do you have about this? (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:19; 1 Peter 1:8; 3:22) But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)