On Wednesday,
February 10, as I left the Palmer Post Office, I walked to my vehicle and went
to get in and drive back to St. John. My
view was somewhat blocked, but I knew where my car was parked, so I walked to
the maroon SUV. However, . . . that SUV
wasn’t my vehicle! My vehicle was next
to the SUV I approached. Both vehicles were
maroon. Both had a similar shape and
size. My vehicle is a Dodge, and the
other SUV was a General Motors car. But,
if I hadn’t looked up and noticed where I was going, I might have tried to get
into the wrong car.
And guess
what? This is not the first time I have
approached a vehicle which wasn’t mine.
Last summer I tried to open the door of another SUV parked near me,
which again looked surprisingly similar.
When a dog in that car started barking, it got my attention. Realizing I did not have my dog with me I
took a closer look. Nope, this wasn’t my
vehicle. In fact, after this incident I
started looking around and realized how many vehicles look alike. It is easy, especially for someone not that
knowledgeable about different cars, to go choose a vehicle which is not the one
I own, or the one I want.
We talked in two
Bible Classes this past week at St. John about the issue of choosing the wrong
treasure. We discussed being distracted
or fooled by treasure, which isn’t the real
prize. In our Tuesday evening Promise
Keepers’ Men’s Bible study we read Joshua 1:6-9 and asked ourselves, “What
brings real success or make us truly prosperous? What is the right “way” to live? What are the real treasures of life?”
Then on Wednesday
our Lifelight Class on the book of Genesis asked the following question. “Christians are . . . challenged to leave
their excess baggage behind in exchange for something better. How does this challenge apply to you?” As we considered the answer to this inquiry, we
then read Jesus’ explanation to the parable of the sower, or the planter. Concerning seed which fell among the weeds,
Jesus taught, “18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear
the word; 19 but the worries of this
life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and
choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19) Earthly possessions are
deceitful. The things of this world can
seem like treasure. But, do the seeming treasures
of this life choke the treasure of God’s word and of His love from our lives?
The love God
gives us in His Son, the grace and forgiveness we receive through Jesus in this
life, the sure promise of eternal life in heaven, are so precious we do not
want to miss these gifts. Consider 2
Corinthians 8:9. “For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” We have the riches of heaven because of
Jesus. The real treasure of life is
Jesus! But, is there something in your
life which seems important, which might really be important, but distracts you
from what is most important? Is there
any pleasure, any life goal, any person, which causes you to forget God’s love,
or even turn away from Him, even for a little while?
Hebrews
12:1-3 gives good advice about throwing off “sin that entangles.” “1 Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured
the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you
will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus
endured the cross to save us. Jesus gives
the real treasures of life. It is vital
not to be distracted by other treasures that can seem important, which might
really be treasure on earth, so that we miss the real prize – the love of God
in Jesus. To think that God Himself went
through this for me grabs my attention and points me to what is most important
of all. When I consider the price God
paid and the gifts He offers, that “fixes my eyes on Jesus.” Those are the treasures I want!
Other maroon
vehicles look like mine. At times I have tried to go to someone else’s
SUV. But, the car I want is the one I chose, the one I paid for, the one
I legally own. I don’t want someone else’s vehicle, I want mine.
What I want for my life is the love, the grace, the salvation God gives me in
Jesus. I don’t want some other seemingly important thing to draw me away
from my Savior. What distracts you from
the real treasure of Life – Jesus?
A Child of God, Seeking
to Not Be Distracted from Jesus By Other Treasures in Life,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here is a picture of 2 vehicles next to one another in the parking
lot of the post office on Wednesday, February 10. Mine is the Dodge on the right. But, when I came out of the post office I
went toward the GM vehicle on the left. https://photos.app.goo.gl/E4zfwM8rePYeKstMA
P.P.S. The St. John Promise Keepers are sponsoring
the Shane Woods Memorial Ice Fishing
Outing on Saturday, February 20. WE WILL MEET AT NOON AT SEVENTEEN MILE LAKE,
north of town off the Glenn Highway.
This outing is for families of all ages and sizes!
Here
is an ADFG map with directions. Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Also,
we are looking for people who would like to help make this a great outing for
the kids at St. John. If you can help, or if you have a snow
machine with which you could give rides to children, please contact
Eric Wyatt or Pastor Rockey.
P.P.P.S. I went fishing quite a bit this week.
·
On Thursday, February 4, I went to a favorite
lake. I caught no fish ( I did get one
to the surface.) but helped some other guys drill a hole, and got my auger full
of water. Here are pictures of the
setting. https://photos.app.goo.gl/XGRnwJwbA16L4HJW9
·
On Friday, February 5, I took Pastor Craig Schultz
fishing. We caught 2 limits of rainbow
trout. But, it was windy and cold and I
frostbit my index finger putting frozen bait on the hook. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/TAEtmi3WQdsroSUo8
·
On Saturday, February 6, I went with Rod and Adam Christiansen
to check out a lake for our Shane Woods Ice Fishing Outing. We fished at Seventeen Mile Lake. Here are pictures from that outing. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mYXvJU5a2KPSyEny5
·
On Monday, February 8, Kym Miller texted and wanted to
go fishing. Another adventure. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/BMPpPJb6Wy4KDWKV7
P.P.P.P.S. I urge all of you who receive this e-mail to
make sure you get a Red Letter Challenge devotional book from St. John to use
during the Lenten season with other Christians throughout this penitential
season (time of repentance). You can
pick up a book when you attend worship.
Or, you can stop by St. John to get a book. Or you can even ask to have a book
delivered. The books cost St. John
$10.00 each, but the church is trying to get everyone to participate, so only
asking $5.00 for each book. You can
donate, or not donate, for your book as you decide is right. The idea is that everyone is in God’s Word
together.
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as senior
pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly
devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."
When I retired many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing. However, with life's changes I now call this
weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."
Since
I am no longer senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this
message to those who asked to receive it. (Though I am now serving again
part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.) Perhaps you also know that I “killed” my
computer on November 7, 2020. In so
doing I lost, for a time at least, all my e-mail contacts. So, I was really goofed up. Many who were receiving this devotion each
week were no longer receiving it. I
tried to rebuild my distribution list, but I am not sure how accurate I have
been.
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions
help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father,
Son, Grandfather
Pastor Emeritus,
St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
cell phone -
907-841-4066
Home phone -
907-746-5131
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