Devotion | Pedestrian God

Titus: God’s Timing

Jul 21 2015

Okay, so we spent three full blogs on the first verse of Titus. We’ll be moving a tad faster from here. At a minimum, we’ll finish the greeting of Paul’s letter in today’s blog!

In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior: To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Titus 1:2-4

If I could just repeat the words “in His own time” over and over in different situations I would be a more mature Christian. The problem is – I want God to work in MY own time. Well, not just God. Pretty much everyone should work on my time table – my husband, friends, family, boss, cashiers…

Titus: God Cannot Lie

Jul 10 2015

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
Titus 1:1-2

In my Bible, this truth is packed in three little words and squished in the middle of a long sentence. It’s easy to miss. And in fact, I did miss it, several times while reading this verse. Even more than just skimming over it, the words can be removed from the text altogether and it’s still a sentence. So why did Paul include it? Why did he feel the need to write that God cannot lie?

First, it doesn’t say that God does not lie. This would imply that it is possible for Him to slip up on occasion. It’s hard for us to wrap our tiny flesh-contained brains around the idea that God cannot lie. Because all of us are capable of lying. In fact, sometimes when we don’t even mean to we do. Just the other day I was telling a story from my week when I suddenly realized that it had actually happened the week before. Did that make me a huge liar? No. It showed the inadequacy of my memory – and the fact that I am prone to sinning without planning to sin.

Titus: Reasons for Writing

Jun 15 2015

In my previous blog, we looked at how Paul introduced himself in his letter. Today, let’s briefly look at two reasons why Paul wrote the letter.

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness…
Titus 1:1

Reason Number One: To build up the faith of God’s elect

Reason Number Two: To build up their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness

Titus: An Introduction

May 22 2015

How do you introduce yourself? I probably have a dozen ways to answer that question. Renae Adelsberger, Commercial Account Manager at Allison Insurance. Renae, wife of Kevin, daughter of Randy and Cindy, sister of Adam, lover of llamas, teacher of Sunday School, member of FBC Jackson, fan of the Minnesota Vikings, friend of Rachel, resident of Tennessee. The list continues.

If you could only pick one way to introduce yourself for the rest of your life – what would it be?

In the first words of Titus, the Apostle Paul introduces himself this way, “Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.”

Why the double introduction? Why a reference to both God and Jesus? Why a slave an also an apostle?

Remembering Promises in Boredom

Apr 23 2015

But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”

Now the word of the Lord came to him, “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”

– Genesis 15:2-5

Out of 66 books in the Bible, my favorite books to reread are those like Genesis that are driven by narrative. It reads like a novel; we read about the lives of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we end with the people of God living in Egypt due to the famine. Exodus picks up with the whirlwind of Moses’ adoption, calling by God, plagues and Passover. We then slow down in the narrative to Leviticus where we read the law and the word “clean” and “unclean” frequently. By the time I get to Numbers, I’m ready for more action but am instead confronted with a series of genealogies.

And I would venture to say that it’s at this point many of us have broken our New Year’s resolution to read through the entire Bible, cover to cover.

Or at a minimum, we scan through the names and keep flipping until we hit a passage of Scripture we deem “more substantial.”

Category - Devotion

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