We are entering the time of the
year which is sometimes called the “dog days of August.” I have always pictured this as the hot, dry
time of the year when vacations come to an end, school activities begin in some
form, cutting our lawns are not nearly as enjoyable as it was in early May, and
many people are beginning to feel the summer is coming to a close. We are not quite ready for the fall, and we
think of the summer plans which have not been accomplished, and probably will
not happen. There is a tendency to feel
like we are stuck in place. If we are
not careful, our focus on living for Christ may also lose some of its edge, and
there can be complacency in our daily faith walk. Recently I was feeling some of this, and to
help change this way of thought I looked on-line for quotations from people of
all walks of life encouraging us to look more positively on living on the
edge. Here are some of the many I found:
“If things seem under control, you are just not going fast
enough.” Mario Andretti
“Go out on a limb. That’s where
the fruit is.” Jimmy Carter
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor
Roosevelt
“I don’t think you are human if you don’t get nervous.” Sidney Crosby
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built
for.” John A. Shedd
If your personality is like mine
when we read quotations like these, we may feel a sense of excitement of
thinking, doing, or dreaming things which energize us and hopefully bring good
to those around us. But the potential
missing piece in these quotations are they do not necessarily speak to the
challenge, risk, and dreaming of being a part of something which brings glory
to God! My hope is this Sunday we can
begin to see through God’s Word some possible risks God may be calling you and
me to take. Risks taken not so we can
feel good about ourselves, but risks that help us to see God in a clearer
vision, serve Him well, and glorify Him.
In preparation for this, look at
some of the following examples we see in scripture of those who took
significant risks for God, and look to see what we can learn from their
weighing the risk.
- Read II Samuel 10:1-14 and see how Joab responded to the challenge set before him that day.
- Read Esther 4:1-17 and think of the consequences Esther was facing as Mordecai encouraged her to speak up for God’s people before the King.
- Read Numbers 13:25-33 and see how the report of Joshua and Caleb differed from that of the 10 other spies, and the consequence of the people’s disobedience.
- Read Daniel 3:30 where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not worship King Nebuchadnezzar.
