Sunday, May 11th Child-like faith…

Oh how we manage to make life complicated at times. Wouldn’t you agree? Last week (May 4th) Aric talked about how “religion” usually seems to run interference with our relationship with the living God, and more often than not, those self-inflicted rules and regulations just make matter worse. The end result is a complicated life of staying between the lines and simply following the rules so we can “please” God (or at least the ones who created the rules).

On May 11th we talked about how Jesus simply asks us to come to him “like a child” and in doing so we find hope, peace and a way of life that leads to freedom. So, ask yourself;

 How have I complicated my relationship with God?
 What could I remove from my life that would strengthen my walk with Him?

Take a look at Micah 6:6-8 and read it a few times; at least until you could recount the story from memory (I’ve included two different translations)…

Micah 6:6-8 (New International Version)
6 With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8 (The Message)
6-7How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
8But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don't take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.

Here are a few more questions to ponder:

 What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
 What questions of God do I ask that get in the way of deepening my walk with him?
 Would an answer to the question really make a difference? If so what difference?
 Why is it so hard for us to trust God with the details of life?
 What are some barriers to faith with which I have wrestled?


Personal note:

One of my wrestling matches is making hard decisions when fearing a not so exciting outcome (e.g., a relational loss). I’ve recently learned that making, or not making, a decision based on fear is usually grounded in mistrust – not trusting God for the outcome. Leaning on Him, as a child trusts a parent, is the better way to live…