Greater Love | Day 5
Podcast Intro [00:00:00]:
Are you experiencing greater things in this season? We want to hear about it. Share your story at transformation at soulcitychurch.com.
Host [00:00:10]:
Welcome to the Greater Things Daily Devotional where we're asking the question, God, what is the greater thing you want to do in me and through me? Wherever you are, quiet your soul and pray this ancient prayer after me. Come, Holy Spirit. 10. It says, God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. I love to watch nature shows as a way to relax. I find it really interesting to observe the various mating rituals that the different species engage in. One of my favorites and possibly one of the most peculiar is a particular species of bird.
Host [00:01:26]:
The male birds have to compete for an opportunity to mate with the females. In order to make themselves stand out from the crowd they do 2 things. 1, they create a welcoming environment. And 2, they devise a unique dance. They clear an area of extremely dense brush on the forest floor and then they build a nest composed of sticks, leaves, and most importantly miscellaneous items that you and I would generally think of as trash. These male birds worked tirelessly for weeks just to create the perfect backdrop for their dance. Then they practice the dance moves and they perfect the area. When the day finally arrives, female birds come and view the male birds dance and the surrounding area.
Host [00:02:17]:
Despite the many hours of effort and planning that have gone in and the care with which the area has been prepared, often the female bird is unimpressed. She flies away, leaving the male bird overlooked and without a mate, despite his best efforts. Have you ever been overlooked for something? Like you did the work, put in the time, the effort, stepped up on the team, carried the load in the relationship, but it wasn't reciprocated? It seemed like all of your efforts went unnoticed or worse yet noticed but unacknowledged. Perhaps it has felt like this in your relationship with God as though he has overlooked you or the things that you desire. Unlike the female bird who flew away or the boss that overlooked you for that promotion, God is actually just, righteous, and perfect in every way. As our verse for today says, for God is not unjust, he will not overlook your work and the love that you show for his sake in serving the saints as you still do. In the chapters leading up to today's verse, the redemptive work of the cross is placed in the context of the Old Testament system of sacrifice and seasons and times of uncertainty. Make your promises known to me.
Host [00:09:34]:
In Jesus' name.