9.17.17
"Guiding Power"
TEXT: Ps. 8:3; Jude 1:11-13; Ecc. 11:9-10, 12:1-14
TRUTHS:
1. Comparable to how we can handle items such as phones and other small objects with our hands, God handles and controls the cosmos. He has set the orbital path of stars and all that we see in creation. But we can observe that some stars are "wandering." These stars, referred to as meteors, are out of orbit and crash around causing destruction. Jude calls certain people wandering stars in his letter. He is alluding to people who attend worship services yet refuse to honor, serve, and obey God. The life of such a person is "out of orbit" and they will find themselves crashing around and causing destruction to themselves and others.
2. We can reject God's guidance and become those who wander when we place more importance on the material world than we do on eternity and honoring God. Solomon, through the Book of Ecclesiastes, aims to steer us away from making such a tragic mistake. He uses his own experience with the material world to warn us about making it our primary focus. He had everything this world has to offer to the fullest--and it did not satisfy. He lets us know that the material world will cease and, despite what we often think, we don't own any of it! We are only stewards.
3. God has pre-ordained everything in this world for the good and benefit of those who submit to His guidance. Not only the things we perceive as good, but the difficult and bad circumstances as well. The Lord intends to loosen our grip and remove our focus from things that don't matter so we pay attention to what really does.
4. God guides us primarily through the Scriptures. Even for those who love Jesus and have been changed by His grace, being guided by the Bible is not always easy--sometimes we may not even want to submit in a certain area. But if we trust the Lord and move forward in humble submission, it will give meaning to our lives now and forever. God will also take care of the secondary things if we make the primary focus of our lives following Him.
TALK TO EACH OTHER:2. We can reject God's guidance and become those who wander when we place more importance on the material world than we do on eternity and honoring God. Solomon, through the Book of Ecclesiastes, aims to steer us away from making such a tragic mistake. He uses his own experience with the material world to warn us about making it our primary focus. He had everything this world has to offer to the fullest--and it did not satisfy. He lets us know that the material world will cease and, despite what we often think, we don't own any of it! We are only stewards.
3. God has pre-ordained everything in this world for the good and benefit of those who submit to His guidance. Not only the things we perceive as good, but the difficult and bad circumstances as well. The Lord intends to loosen our grip and remove our focus from things that don't matter so we pay attention to what really does.
4. God guides us primarily through the Scriptures. Even for those who love Jesus and have been changed by His grace, being guided by the Bible is not always easy--sometimes we may not even want to submit in a certain area. But if we trust the Lord and move forward in humble submission, it will give meaning to our lives now and forever. God will also take care of the secondary things if we make the primary focus of our lives following Him.
1. Why is being a good steward such an important part of our lives? What has God called us to steward over?
2. What should you do when you are having trouble submitting to God's guidance?
3. How does the Lord use the difficult circumstances in your life for your benefit and good?
TALK TO GOD:
3. How does the Lord use the difficult circumstances in your life for your benefit and good?
TALK TO GOD:
Pray as you feel led concerning the following area(s):
That you would be focused on the eternal rather than the temporary.
That you would have perseverance and the right view of difficult circumstances and their purpose in your life.
That you, your family, and your church would be good stewards of everything the Lord has provided!
That you would have perseverance and the right view of difficult circumstances and their purpose in your life.
That you, your family, and your church would be good stewards of everything the Lord has provided!