x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
12 friends have opened a study shared with them.
You've repeatedly asked God the same question, hoping for a different answer. You've journaled about it, asked three friends for advice, and scrolled TikTok to find confirmation. But no matter how much you want a different answer, you can't help but think God's answer is the one you don't want to hear.
Read John 10:22-30
For a hundred and fifty years, the Jewish people celebrated the Festival of Dedication, or Hanukkah, in remembrance of the heroic exploits of Judas Maccabaeus. Against all odds, he'd led a guerrilla uprising that recaptured Jerusalem from a powerful Greek army and rededicated the Temple to the worship of God. As Roman soldiers look down from the Fortress of Antonia, Jesus circles the temple. The crowd closes in. "Tell us plainly," they demanded. They're impatient. They want a warrior-leader who will defeat Rome. And here's a miracle worker who claims to be from God. Will he take us where we want to go? When I was an undergraduate at Rhodes College, I wanted to go to law school or grad school. A career as a lawyer or a professor seemed promising. But God kept making it extremely clear: raise support and go into campus ministry. So, I kept praying and asking for his guidance. I wasn't confused about God's will. I just wanted it to change. Jesus could have told me what he told them: "I did tell you and you don't believe." A man was born blind. Then light filled his eyes, and he could see. The evidence pointed to Jesus being the Light of the World. The challenge is that what we want limits what we can see. Imagine showing up at the White House on the Fourth of July and announcing, "I am the true meaning of Independence Day." The Secret Service reaches for their earpieces. The crowd leans in. And then you say, "I'm not here to celebrate American power. It's time to surrender your lives to God. I and the Father are one." Jesus says something that should stop us cold: "You don't believe because you are not my sheep." The problem isn't a lack of belief but a lack of belonging. Their nationalistic commitment prevents them from living as God's people. They wanted a general; he told them he was a shepherd. They wanted freedom from the hands of Rome; he invited them to be secure in his Father's hands. This wasn't the Messiah they'd ordered. It's winter in Jerusalem. As the crowd clutches stones, Jesus and his Father are holding their sheep.
What's the difference between not believing and not belonging?
How do your desires affect your ability to hear what God is saying?
What would change if you trusted that no one could take you out of your Father's hands?
Finish this sentence: "I think God might be telling me __, and I'm not sure I'm ready to hear it." Then text your sentence to a friend.
Check your email
Tap the link inside to sign in and start receiving The Daily.
Didn't see it? Check your spam folder.