NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Having Heart In A Sometimes Heartless World Day 104 - The "less thans" Scripture focus: Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Proverbs 3:5-8 The Message "When Jesus spoke to the crowds in what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount, he described the masses in a way that no one else saw them. The thousands who pressed against each other to listen to the teachings of Jesus were the social outcasts of their time." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 22, Destiny Who are the social outcasts of our time? "They were the unwanted, the poor, the criminal, and the sick. Yet when Jesus described them, his words were filled with both affection and admiration. "You are the light of the world," he told them. Their lives should not be hidden, but open for the world to see". Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 22, Destiny What secrets have you been keeping about your personal "less thans"? What "strengths" have you been counting on to make you a person who counts? These masses were the invisible. They were part of the countless number of people who are lost in the shadows of great civilizations. They were the throwaways. They were seen as liabilities, burdens to society, but not to Jesus. He saw them as lights hidden under a bushel. He knew that there was something deep inside them waiting to come out, something beautiful, something breathtaking. They were created by God to be luminous if only Jesus could make them see it." Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus, entry 22, Destiny I received one of those emails this morning that I hate to read. Another person in our community has become a social outcast. Caught in bad behaving - and trust me, it's bad - he's been asked to leave his church of thirty years and never return. As a leader in their midst, his "less than" living has proven more than his community can stomach. And they want him out of sight and out of mind. I understand. I don't blame them. I feel their pain. The unwanted, poor, criminal and sick aren't always loveable - but they are redeemable. It takes a big heart and an ability to see as Jesus sees - to take in these "less thans" and hold their hope for them while we wait. We wait to see if they'll be willing to say, like Balaam, "I have sinned." We wait to see if they meant what they said, or only said what they knew we wanted to hear. We wait to see if they're willing to believe. And in believing, come to trust. Trust in the God who saves, the God who gives us soul cravings. Will they fight the good fight, and do what it takes to beat back the cries of a distressed mid-brain - craving for more of the same - the same thing that cost them careers, families, and social standing? Will they? Will we? Will you? Recommended reading: Joshua 7 and 8 in the morning; Luke 16 and Psalm 82 in the evening