Confessions of a Passionate Pastor – Paul

Almighty, Victorious, Ancient of Days!

You are most gracious! Who is like you? Your great name, I praise your great name! I could shout it from the mountain tops! I want the world to know what I know!

Lord, I wrack my brain to think of what I can do to capture people’s attention. I will run through the streets in just my underclothes like King David if that is what would make them listen. They seem so lackluster. So asleep! I want to wave my hands in front of their faces and scream to get them to wake up. Don’t they notice?!? Don’t they care?

They talk about things that seem so dull and unimportant. All I hear is how much the cattle are going for, the strange disease over the goats, the rising cost of cotton, what the Romans are up to these days, and even the weather! WHO CARES?! Don’t they care at all that salvation is at hand?!

This is life or death! Even the Christians seem sluggish. Who has time for sleeping, eating, and parties? What a waste! How can I make them see?! How can I help them understand?

A Passionate Pastor

My Dear Paul,

You are exactly who I made you! I have loved seeing you throw your entire heart, soul, and body into whatever you do. You have been that way since you were a young man. You’ve accomplished many things as a result of that gifting.

Every good personality trait you have comes from Me – your love for people, endless energy, and especially your passion for this life. That is a reflection of my heart to yours. I know you don’t always understand other people, and that’s okay. You don’t have to. I don’t want everyone to be the same. I know you try so hard.

Remember when you told me you would become all things to all people to save just one? Oh, did that make me smile. You couldn’t be shy or quiet if you tried!

I want to remind you not to get so caught up in the mission you miss the ministry. It wasn’t that long ago that your passions resulted in killing Christians. I don’t bring it up to condemn you but to remind you to give others grace. Love is patient, and love is kind. I have each person on a journey towards me. My timing is not your timing. My ways are not your ways.

Above all, my grace is enough for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness.

Your Loving Father

Recommended Bible Readings: (Click the links to read)

• Philippians 1:21
• Philippians 3:7-8
• Acts 21:13
• 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
• Romans 9:1-5

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Job 42:7-17 | After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

Romans 8:28 | And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Isaiah 43:1 | But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Each of us is somewhere in the middle of our stories. No one’s story is finished yet, but I approach situations like I am on the story’s last page.

• “Lord, things are just not happening at work the way they are supposed to!”
• “Jesus, I lost my patience again. This is how I am going to be forever.”
• “Heavenly Father, I can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep. I guess I’ll never know what it feels like to be rested again.”

When I am stuck in the middle of a situation where I can’t figure out the ending, it can feel discouraging. I want to know how it all turns out.

I struggle to relate to people in the Bible because it all worked out for them. I know how their story ends.

• I know Job lost everything, but God had a plan to redeem him and restore his life.
• I know Nicodemus couldn’t get past his confusion, but Jesus shared with him some of the most famous passages of the Bible. (John 3:16)
• I know Elizabeth battled with infertility, but in the end, she had a son named John the Baptist.

When we get to the end, we forget the middle.

The middle is where transformation happens! In this study, we will look at different people in the Bible who are stuck in the middle. For each devotion, we will observe these four things:

1) the confession of the person in the middle of a difficult situation

2) God’s response to us

3) questions to ponder

4) follow up Scripture readings to see how it all turns out

Spoiler alert! They are all happy endings. That spoiler alert doesn’t just apply to these individuals. Every one of our situations has happy endings because God is writing our stories, and we know the end.

As you read, notice how the men and women won’t use their names in their confessions because their situation becomes their whole identity. God always flips our identity from where we are to WHO we are. God always calls us by name and gives us a new identity as a child of our Heavenly Father. Your identity is not your situation. You are loved, redeemed, and called by name. You are His!

* These are works of creative license and are not excerpts from the Bible. They are works of fiction based on the facts taken from the Bible stories. For your reference, the Scriptures used are listed each day.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Acts 17:26-27 | From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

Psalm 139:15-16 | My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 

YOU MATTER

God’s determined will is what He’s going to do, and what you and I must understand is that He doesn’t make such plans exclusively for world events or nations. Rather, He also makes such plans for individuals. He makes them for you (Psalm 139:15–16).

We can know for certain that there are aspects of our lives that are part of God’s determined will. For example, today’s verse tells us the Father chose where, when, and to whom we would be born. God actively chooses our personalities, talents, and abilities. Likewise, the Lord creates and equips us with His purposes in mind.

So take heart that you are not a mistake. Understand that there are certain aspects of your life that are part of God’s sovereign, determined, unchangeable plan that will happen. Of course, this may raise questions for you—especially when thinking about the hardships you’ve experienced and even the unfortunate decisions you’ve made. But do not lose sight of the fact that He planned your existence, and your life matters immensely to Him. Therefore, look for His good purposes in every part of His plan for you.

Jesus, thank You for Your determined plan for me. To You be the glory. Amen.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Romans 15:7 | Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

ACCEPTED COMPLETELY

The inner drive for acceptance—either from ourselves or from others—can lead us down dangerous paths. We can engage in destructive behaviors with the desire to prove ourselves valuable, desirable, capable, or worthwhile. It never begins that way, of course. Initially, we may engage in activities and habits that are quite harmless to bring out the best in ourselves or show ourselves worthy. But when one thing after another fails to address our deep inner need, we can become addicted to that which covers over or dulls our pain rather than heals it.

Friend, understand that at the core of what you feel is ultimately a deep need to be accepted by God. You must understand that you were created by the Lord with purpose and excellence (Psalm 139:13– 16). You don’t have to run from your mistakes, because He forgives you of them through Christ’s death on the cross. And regardless of your past, you have a good, worthwhile, and wonderful future.

So right now, repeat to yourself: “In Jesus, I am accepted by God. I am who He wanted me to be. I have purpose and worth.” Stop doubting your value and seeking significance through sin. Instead, embrace who He created you to be.

Jesus, thank You for accepting me. Help me take hold of Your love. Amen.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.