Persistence from Faith

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 16th of August, 2026.  If all went well, a recording of the service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

I bet somewhere along the line you’ve heard the expression, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”  It’s usually applied to mean that the people who complain the loudest or make the most noise are the ones who get what they want, while the quiet people, those that don’t make a fuss, are usually ignored.  The quiet person may have just as great or greater need than the louder person, everyone may think they’re OK since they’re not complaining.  There’s another expression, that, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Well, if we don’t know it’s broken, we can’t fix it.

Now, the complainer usually gets on our nerves after a while, but it can be an effective tool for them.  So while it may be an irritating practice, constant, loud complaining can be a way to get what you want or need.

After feeding the five thousand, and Jesus walking on the water and Peter trying to, Jesus and His disciples sailed back across the sea to the town of Gennesaret, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  This town was not far from Capernaum, kind of the homebase for Jesus during His ministry.

I imagine they were all pretty exhausted – physically and emotionally – after that night on the stormy sea and what transpired between Jesus and Peter.  And then here come some Pharisees, all the way from Jerusalem, just to harass Jesus, berating Him about His disciples not following the Jewish tradition of ceremonial hand washing before eating, of all things.  Jesus told the gathered crowd that it is not what goes into the mouth – food and drink - that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth - words.  For what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and from the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.  He referred to the Pharisees as the blind leading the blind, causing others to follow them on the road to perdition.

All of that is just to set the stage for what came next.  Please listen and follow along as the Apostle Matthew reports what came afterwards, in verses 21 through 31 of the 15th chapter of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then His disciples urged Him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep — the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped Him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to Him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

--Matthew 15:21-31 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for letting us know that it’s OK to be persistent when asking You for something we need.  Through our faith, we know that You can take care of any need we may have, and we know that You know what our needs are before asking.  But You do so love to hear from us, Father, when we come to You in prayer, even if we come begging all the time.  Father, please open our hearts to receive Your message, Your word, this morning.  Touch each of us with Your most Holy Spirit that we might be moved to better serve You.  In the precious name of Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

The little Today in the Word magazine once noted that, “Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions.  Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God.  Over time the paths to these places became well worn.  As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others.  They would kindly remind the negligent one, ‘Brother, the grass grows on your path.’”

I think that a good prayer life is very important to our spiritual health, but sometimes it can be easy to tell when someone hasn't spent as much time with God as they should.  Their path has become obscured, overgrown.  They may not even be able to find their way anymore.  We could all stand to check our own path, to see how high the grass has grown.

The woman in our scripture reading knew that Jesus could do what she asked, if He were only willing.  Although she was a Gentile, she recognized Him as Lord, even as her Lord, and used the Jewish expression “Son of David”.  Her faith gave her the strength and courage to be persistent, even when facing the Lord.

She must have been seeking help for her daughter very persistently, maybe even annoyingly, for the disciples said that, “She is bothering us with all her begging.”  Still she persisted.  Jesus tried to ignore her, not responding to her pleas.  Still she persevered.  And her faith and persistence were rewarded.

I mentioned the importance of a good prayer life.  Our prayer life is strengthened when it is consistent.  In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul told them – and us – to “never stop praying”.

Paul knew the importance of consistent, persistent prayer.  And so did Jesus.  Of all the people written of in our bible, none prayed more than Jesus.  Did you get that?  The Son of God prayed to our Father God more than anyone else recorded in our bible.  If that doesn’t show how important a good prayer life is, I don’t know what could.

We can read where Jesus often went off by Himself to pray.  He wanted to get away from the crowds, from His disciples, from the noise and distractions of the day so He could spend some good, quality time with His Father.  We saw that when, after feeding the five thousand and as His disciples struggled against the storm on the sea, Jesus went up on the mountain, by Himself, to pray.

Yes, Jesus knew the importance of prayer.  Please listen as Jesus tells a story about persistence and the power of prayer, as reported by the Apostle Luke in the first 8 verses of the 18th chapter of his Gospel account…

1 One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?”

--Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)

That last question is scary, isn’t it?  When Jesus returns, who many people will He find on this earth who still have faith?

But again, the point is that persistence pays off.  Jesus is telling us to be persistent in our prayer, to let our faith drive our prayer life.  Persistent prayer strengthens our faith, just as daily exercise strengthens our muscles.

I don’t think a person would have to spend very much time here in our services at Pilgrim to realize that prayer is important to me.  After giving the opening prayer at a recent club membership meeting, a gentleman who knows me and my calling came up and said, “You may be Reformed Church preacher, but you pray like a Baptist.”  I took that as a compliment.

As I’ve said before, prayer is just our chance, our time, to talk with God.  It doesn’t need to be high-falutin’, filled with fifty-cent words, trying to reach up to heaven with our voice.  When I pray I’m just talking to my Father, my Daddy.  Most times I’m praying for other people.  A lot of times I’m asking for help.  Every time I’m thanking Him for something.

Some prayers are really short, some are maybe a little too long, at least according to some when they’re waiting for me to get through so they can dig into their meal.  But I’m persistent in praying, led by my faith.

So do like I do.  Follow Jesus’ lead.  Pray persistently, and you will feel your faith become stronger than ever before.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for adopting us into Your family so that we can call You Father, Daddy.  Thank You for giving us the opportunity to come to You any time we want, asking for whatever we want, even though You know exactly what we need.  Thank You for giving us so many examples in our bible of people coming to You in prayer.  And thank You most of all when You always listen to our prayer.  We put all our trust in You, Father, knowing You can do anything You will.  Forgive us, please, when we ask for things we don’t need, but only want selfishly.  Remind us that You meet all our needs.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment so that each of us can speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your and our Lord’s commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us how important it is for us to spend time with our Father God in prayer.  You showed this by Your own example, often going off to pray, getting away from distractions to talk with Your Father.  You set the bar for us, and we thank You.

Please help us be a better witness for You, Jesus - of Your teachings, of Your mighty deeds, and of Your love.  Please help us love in the same way that You love: selflessly, unconditionally, sacrificially.  Help us show Your love and God’s love as we reach out to others, sharing the wonderful Gospel message.  Help us carry out the mission You gave us, seeking the lost sheep and leading them to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 9th of August, 2026.  If all went well, a recording of the service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

Family, our world throws so many distractions at us every single day.  There are so many things we have to do, so many places we need to go, so many tasks to be completed.  Our attention is pulled this way and that, in all different directions, seemingly all at once.  We’re presented with reports and findings that contradict each other.  Which do we believe, if any?  Which way do we turn?  How can we shut out all the noise so we can focus on what really matters?

When He heard that His kinsman John, the Baptist, had been executed by Herod, Jesus went off by Himself to a deserted place to grieve.  But the multitudes always managed to follow Him no matter where He went, or why.  So when they gathered around Him, He took pity on them and began teaching them and healing their illnesses and infirmities.  When it grew late, the crowd needed to eat, but there was no food, only five loaves and two fish.  Jesus took these meager portions, gave thanks for them, blessed them, and over five thousand people were fed, with plenty left over.

Please listen and follow along as the Apostle Matthew gives us a first-hand testimony of the miraculous event that happened next, in verses 22 through 33 of the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

--Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for inspiring Matthew to write down so much of Jesus’ ministry so it would be saved for us to read about today.  Matthew and John both walked with Your Son, and Mark and Luke gathered the recollections of the others who were with Him during those three short years.  Without their reports, and the letters of Paul, we would not know Jesus like we do.  Father, please open our hearts to pay heed to Your message this morning, to receive Your word.  Touch each of us with Your most Holy Spirit that we might be moved to better serve You.  In the precious name of Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

The little Guideposts magazine once noted that, “Nothing that is valuable is achieved without effort. Fritz Kreisler, the famous violinist, testified to this point when he said, ‘Narrow is the road that leads to the life of a violinist. Hour after hour, day after day and week after week, for years, I lived with my violin. There were so many things that I wanted to do that I had to leave undone; there were so many places I wanted to go that I had to miss if I was to master the violin. The road that I traveled was a narrow road and the way was hard.’”

Kreisler experienced those distractions that I mentioned a bit ago, yet he kept his attention on one thing.  He said that mastering the violin was like traveling a narrow road, requiring constant and disciplined focus.

Jesus said, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:14 (NKJV))  If we want to stay on that narrow way and not get lost, we must keep our focus on Jesus.

Matthew is the only Gospel writer who recorded and told of this particular event for us, of Jesus walking on the surface of the sea and Peter’s attempt to do so.  This story speaks of faith, and of how tenuous our human faith can be, and usually is.  “O you of little faith”, Jesus said.  “Why did you doubt?”

Peter believed Jesus could do anything He wanted to do, so he knew that if he asked Jesus to command him to walk on water, and if Jesus would do so, that he could indeed walk on water.  He was sure of it.  His faith was strong.  And Peter was doing fine, at first – walking on the water toward his Master.  But then he took his eyes off of Jesus.  He was distracted by the wind and the waves.  The storm raging around him pulled his attention away and he began to sink into the sea.  “Lord!  Save me!”, he cried, and of course Jesus did.  And as they climbed into the boat, the storm ceased.

There was a time when the Pharisee Nicodemus – a teacher of the Jews – wanted desperately to speak with Jesus.  He acknowledged that Jesus had to have been sent from God, for how else could He do all those wondrous works and signs.  Please hear a part of their conversation, as recorded by the Apostle John in verses 12 through 17 of the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account…

12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” 

--John 3:12-17 (NKJV)

John 3:16 – the verse known round the world by believers and non-believers alike – is in that passage, but I want to look at what Jesus said before this.  He used an analogy that He must be lifted up just as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness.  This refers to the records of Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness after escaping Egypt, when God sent fiery serpents into their camp after they had sinned.  Please hear what God said to Moses, and how Moses responded, as saved for us in the Book of Numbers, chapter 21, verses 8 and 9…

8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

--Numbers 21:8-9 (NKJV)

It makes no sense that simply looking at the figure of a snake on a pole could cure someone of snakebite, but it did.  It makes no sense that simply believing in Jesus as Lord could grant us eternal life in heaven, but it does.  This isn't about making sense.  It's about having faith, faith in God’s promises, faith that God can do anything.  The people had merely to turn their eyes upon that bronze serpent to live.  We have merely to turn our eyes upon Jesus to live forever.

So, what do we do when bombarded daily?  How do we ignore all the world’s distractions?  How do we block out all the noise?  How do we maintain our sanity?

By keeping our focus on Jesus.  By not letting whatever is going on around us pull our eyes off Him.  By knowing that when we do get in trouble, His hand will save us.  He may not calm the storm raging around us, but He will calm the storm raging within us if we will stop, look at Him, listen to His words, and trust wholly in Him.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.  In the light of His glory and grace.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for showing us that reason may mislead us, that what makes sense might not lead us in the right direction.  Through Your word to Moses and Your inspiration to Matthew and John to record Jesus’ words, we know that in the final analysis, faith is all that matters.  Faith leads us to truth, and truth to everlasting life.  We thank You, Father, for giving each of us a measure of faith.  We trust You, Father, when You tell us it’s all about faith, so we nourish our faith, keeping it strong and growing.  Sadly though, Father, too often we let our faith weaken as our spirit weakens.  We grow lukewarm or even cold when hard times hit.  Please remind us, Father, that all things will pass, and that any suffering we endure in this present age will not compare to the glory and joy which will be revealed in us and to us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment so that each of us can speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your and our Lord’s commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, thank You for using the incident that Moses and the children of Israel experienced in the wilderness to express what You would soon endure, and how it would affect us, how our faith would play a crucial role in dealing with it.  You knew that You would be raised up on a cross, and all anyone has to do is turn their eyes upon You, to focus on You, and they will live.  We look to You, Jesus, for our comfort, our guidance, our healing, and for Your love.  And we thank You, Lord.

Please help us be a better witness for You, of Your teachings, of Your mighty deeds, and of Your love.  Please help us love in the same way that You love: selflessly, unconditionally, sacrificially.  Help us show Your love and God’s love as we reach out to others, sharing the wonderful Gospel message.  Help us carry out the mission You gave us, seeking the lost sheep and leading them to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

It's God's Choice

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 2nd of August, 2026.  If all went well, a recording of the service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

You know, Family, when you think about how much some people have compared to how little so many others have, it just seems unfair, doesn’t it?  I mean we have billionaires with more money than they know what to do with, while there are way too many families struggling to get the basic necessities.  Redistribution of wealth is not the answer, but it just seems unfair.

And what about the people who can get away with anything?  They do crazy things with impunity, while we’d get caught and thrown under the jail if we tried any of their shenanigans.  It's unfair that a person can do all manner of bad things and not be punished.  It's just not fair!  Why doesn’t God do something about this?!?  Well, the answer is simple: God gets to do whatever God wants to do!

I want to continue working with the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome for a while.  This book can be challenging to understand in places, but I think it gives us a good picture of what our relationship with God and Jesus should look like.  For instance, it teaches us that we are all sinners – all humankind – but that we are justified in God’s eyes by our faith in His Son Jesus, through which we are granted salvation and not through any good works alone we might perform.

Paul also speaks to God’s supremacy.  He is God, the Creator of everything that exists, the ultimate Authority, the great Designer of all there is.  He made it all and He can destroy it all.  It’s all His – everything there is belongs to Him, including us.  But God is truly impartial and fair in dealing with us.  And He is ever faithful to His word.

Please listen and follow along as the Apostle Paul speaks to us about the faithfulness and authority of God, in the first 18 verses of the 9th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, and I’ll be reading from The Living Bible version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1-3 O Israel, my people! O my Jewish brothers! How I long for you to come to Christ. My heart is heavy within me, and I grieve bitterly day and night because of you. Christ knows and the Holy Spirit knows that it is no mere pretense when I say that I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you. 4 God has given you so much, but still you will not listen to Him. He took you as His own special, chosen people and led you along with a bright cloud of glory and told you how very much He wanted to bless you. He gave you His rules for daily life so you would know what He wanted you to do. He let you worship Him and gave you mighty promises. 5 Great men of God were your fathers, and Christ Himself was one of you, a Jew so far as His human nature is concerned, He who now rules over all things. Praise God forever!

6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill His promises to the Jews? No! For these promises are only to those who are truly Jews. And not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew! 7 Just the fact that they come from Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say that the promises apply only to Abraham’s son Isaac and Isaac’s descendants, though Abraham had other children too. 8 This means that not all of Abraham’s children are children of God, but only those who believe the promise of salvation which He made to Abraham.

9 For God had promised, “Next year I will give you and Sarah a son.” 10-13 And years later, when this son Isaac was grown up and married and Rebecca his wife was about to bear him twin children, God told her that Esau, the child born first, would be a servant to Jacob, his twin brother. In the words of the Scripture, “I chose to bless Jacob but not Esau.” And God said this before the children were even born, before they had done anything either good or bad. This proves that God was doing what He had decided from the beginning; it was not because of what the children did but because of what God wanted and chose.

14 Was God being unfair? Of course not. 15 For God had said to Moses, “If I want to be kind to someone, I will. And I will take pity on anyone I want to.” 16 And so God’s blessings are not given just because someone decides to have them or works hard to get them. They are given because God takes pity on those He wants to.

17 Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was an example of this fact. For God told him He had given him the kingdom of Egypt for the very purpose of displaying the awesome power of God against him, so that all the world would hear about God’s glorious name. 18 So you see, God is kind to some just because He wants to be, and He makes some refuse to listen.

--Romans 9:1-18 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for inspiring Paul to teach us so much about You and Jesus.  Through his letters and sermons, we gain a better understanding of how we can improve our relationship with You.  Father, please open our hearts to hear Your message this morning, to receive Your word.  Touch each of us with Your most Holy Spirit that we might be moved to serve You.  In the precious name of Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Back in 1993, the magazine, Today in the Word, noted that British prime minister Herbert Asquith once spent a weekend at the Waddesdon estate of the 19th-century Rothschild family. One day, as Asquith was being waited on at teatime by the butler, the following conversation ensued:

"Tea, coffee, or a peach from off the wall, sir?", asked the butler.

"Tea, please," answered Asquith.

"China, India, or Ceylon, sir?"

"China, please."

"Lemon, milk, or cream, sir?"

"Milk, please."

"Jersey, Hereford, or Shorthorn, sir?"

I've had similar encounters just trying to order dinner in a restaurant.  The thing is, we often have to make a series of decisions just to resolve one – often small - issue.  Throughout our life, we end up making countless decisions, some with major impacts.  But the greatest decision we can ever make is whether to follow Jesus or not.  The neat things is, it was already decided for us.  God chose us to follow Jesus.  He just wants us to realize it was the right decision.

Paul opens our scripture reading by acknowledging his family heritage when he sorrowfully cries, “O Israel, my people! O my Jewish brothers!”  Paul was a Jew, and a devout Jew at that.  He was born of pure Jewish parents of the house of Benjamin, and circumcised on the eighth day according to Jewish custom.  He studied at the feet of the great Jewish scholar Gamaliel.  Before his confrontation with Jesus on the road to Damascus and his subsequent conversion to Christianity, Paul was a Pharisee, one of the religious leaders of the Jews.  Paul was a Jew, but he was also a Roman citizen, born in the city of Tarsus, inheriting his citizenship from his father.  And Jesus, in His human form, was a Jew who could trace His heritage to King David through both His earthly father Joseph and His mother Mary.

The church in Rome was a rather diverse mix of Jewish converts and Gentiles who also came to accept Jesus as Lord.  When he laments how he longs for his Jewish brothers to come to Christ, he is not talking about those Jewish converts in that church, but about all the Jews who will not listen to the truth, who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, who will not follow the Christ.  God sent Jesus to His chosen people, the Jews, as one of them, to offer them salvation.  But so many refused to accept Jesus, and still do today.  And this breaks Paul’s heart.

Then Paul gets into a fairly lengthy discourse about whether God is being fair in His application and fulfillment of promises.  He poses the question: Is God unfair when He blessed some but not others?  And he answers: Of course not!  He backs up his response when he writes, “God’s blessings are not given just because someone decides to have them or works hard to get them.  They are given because God takes pity on those He wants to.”  God blesses who He wants to.  It’s as simple as that.  God doesn’t play favorites, but He doesn’t give to everyone equally.

When Daniel interpreted the "writing on the wall" to King Belshazzar, son of King Nebuchadnezzar, he mentioned what happened to Nebuchadnezzar because he put himself higher than God, even though God had given him authority over the people.  Daniel said that Nebuchadnezzar became as a “beast in the fields” until he understood this one basic concept, that God does what He wants to do.  Please hear what the great prophet Daniel told King Belshazzar, as he wrote in the latter portion of verse 21 of the 5th chapter of the book bearing his name…

21d "The Most High God overrules the kingdoms of men and appoints anyone He desires to reign over them."

--Daniel 5:21d (TLB)

I don’t know if Paul was referring to what Daniel said to Belshazzar, but it certainly fits the occasion, as he noted again that it's God's choice who leads us.  Earlier in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul instructs us to honor the choices God has made.  Please hear what Paul wrote to the Romans in the first 3 verses of the 13th chapter of this letter…

1 Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. 2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3 For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don’t want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well.

--Romans 13:1-3 (TLB)

God chooses who will lead us.  We in the United States think we vote our leaders into positions of authority.  So we’re all concerned with whether our elections are fair and legitimate, whether we can trust the veracity of mail-in ballots, whether there are people voting who shouldn’t be.  But ultimately, God has already chosen for us.  It's been said we get the leaders we deserve, and there may be a lot of truth in that.

Really, though, this isn't about our governments or our leaders or our election process.  It's about how God chooses who gets what and who does what, not us.  God gave Pharaoh the kingdom of Egypt just so He – God – could show His great and awesome power against him – Pharaoh – and He certainly did that!  Makes me wonder if some people have been put into positions of power just so God could humble them.

Paul sums everything up when he closes our passage this morning by saying, “God is kind to some just because He wants to be, and He makes some refuse to listen.”  I think I may be an example of both.

I believe I’ve told my story before.  I refused to listen for decades, around 40 years, before answering God’s call.  Just as Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus, I was smacked upside the head by God’s 2x4.  He has been very kind to me, blessing me in so many ways, but He has also humbled me, time after time after time.  And I’ve known many folks who have experienced similar series of being blessed and being humbled.  Of course, I also know of some people who I am still waiting to see them be humbled.  It’s all in God’s time, though, and I may never see it happen.  After all, it’s God’s choice.  And who is in a better position to make that choice, any choice, but God?  Only God.

So next time you’re trying to decide between a roll or biscuit or cornbread or Texas toast, maybe let God decide for you.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for being fair and impartial when dealing with us.  We know that You make the rains to fall and the sun to shine on the good and the bad alike.  And we understand that You can do whatever You want to do.  You can bless us, or You can humble us.  We thank You, Father, for the many blessings, and we pray that when You must humble us, that You be gentle.  We trust You, Father, because we know You are working things for our good and You always keep Your word.  Sadly though, Father, too often we think we know better and question Your decisions.  We want Your blessing because we think we deserve it, and we want You to punish someone because we think they deserve it.  Please remind us, Father, that the decision is Yours.  You are the ultimate Authority and You can do what You want.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment so that each of us can speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your and our Lord’s commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, thank You for staying true to all the Messianic prophesies, especially those regarding Gentiles.  You included us when working God’s plan of reconciliation.  You showed us the same mercy as Your Jewish brothers and sisters.  You washed us clean with Your blood.  And we thank You, Lord.

Please help us be a better witness for You, of Your teachings, of Your mighty deeds, and of Your love.  Please help us love in the same way that You love: selflessly, unconditionally, sacrificially.  Help us show Your love and God’s love as we reach out to others, sharing the wonderful Gospel message.  Help us carry out the mission You gave us, seeking the lost sheep and leading them to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.