south ridge blog

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Genesis 38:26 Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am.”

We see hurt, pain, and brokenness all throughout the Scriptures. Abraham lied about his wife. Jacob deceived his brother, uncle, and others. King David committed adultery. Matthew was a tax collector. The Apostle Paul murdered some of the earliest Christians. 

God did not – and this is important – God did not turn a blind eye to their sinful decisions. He didn’t say, “It’s OK. Don’t worry about it.” But He also didn’t allow those decisions to completely define their lives. Instead, God used those situations to shape each of them. Despite the brokenness they experienced or created in their lives and in their families, God still invited them into His story. 

Peter Scazzero, author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality writes this, “God never loses any of our past for his future when we surrender ourselves to him. Every mistake, sin, and detour we take in the journey of life is taken by God and becomes his gift for a future of blessing.”

READING & PRAYERS:

    GENESIS 38:24-30 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: In what ways has God already shaped you for life in the Kingdom of God? 

QUESTION: In what ways may God be specifically inviting you to recognize and remember that you live primarily in the Kingdom of God today? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it’s always good to remember that I live first in the Kingdom of God. The world, as much as I enjoy the beauty of it, is not my home. I am a stranger in this world and You continue to use the brokenness I’ve experienced to shape me for life in Your kingdom. Continue to help this truth permeate my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Genesis 38:15 Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face.

If you are ill or injured and find yourself in a hospital, it’s likely the medical staff will ask you to share the level of pain you’re currently experiencing between 1-10. But when it comes to emotional hurt, pain, and brokenness, there is no specific pain scale. What is extremely painful for one person may not be very painful to another, and vice-versa. 

What cannot be ignored, however, is one universal truth: Everybody experiences pain, hurt, and brokenness. Nobody is immune from it. We may all feel different emotions but none of us are ever completely alone in our brokenness. 

The beautiful thing about the Gospel message is that restoration (or in Jesus’ case, resurrection) comes after embracing the brokenness. We may not immediately understand why things happen the way they do. But we can remain confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6). God uses our brokenness to shape us for life in the Kingdom of God.

READING & PRAYERS:

     GENESIS 38:12-23 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: In what ways may God be using your experiences of brokenness to shape you? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the Gospel message is a beautiful reminder that death leads to life. Just as a seed is buried deep in the dirt, it emerges into a towering tree that can provide fruit and shade for years and years. Continue to reveal to me the seed that has been planted deep within me in my moments of hurt, pain, and brokenness. And allow that seed shape me into a stronger person who can better reflect your love and grace onto others. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Genesis 38:6 In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.

The story of Tamar is a difficult one to digest. On the one hand, the one reading the story may think to themselves, “Oh, that poor lady.” On the other hand, the one reading the story has many emotions that stir up deep inside. Because even though you haven’t experienced everything Tamar experienced, the hurt, pain, brokenness, and overall feeling of aloneness that Tamar must’ve felt is universal.  We have all felt those difficult emotions. 

So why did Matthew include Tamar as part of Jesus’ genealogy? We may not know for certain, but it seems plausible that her story was another way for Jesus to say, “The brokenness in my family history cannot be denied, I don’t want it to be ignored, and I don’t need to numb it away or pretend it didn’t happen. Because in the Kingdom I’m ushering in, everybody has experienced brokenness. In my family, we’re no longer going to ignore it. We’re going to come together and experience healing from it.”

READING & PRAYERS:

     GENESIS 38:1-11 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Take a moment to think of a hurtful, painful, or moment of brokenness in your life history. Are you currently trying to deny, compare, ignore, or numb any of your past experiences? If so, why? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Today, take the opportunity to write out your own prayer to God.

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The Gospel of Matthew begins with a long genealogy of Jesus. Those who read through the Scriptures may get to these long lists of names and just want to move forward and get back into the story. (Confession, I’m often in that camp too!) 

However, these genealogies are important. Not only are they important, but they often highlight some important information about the family. For example, the family lineage Matthew provides for Jesus includes a number of women. This is interesting for several reasons: 

• Ancient genealogies rarely mentioned women. 
• Many of the women in Jesus’ genealogy are ethnically diverse. Tamar (an Adullamite), Rahab (a Canaanite), Ruth (a Moabite),  and Uriah (a Hittite).
• Their stories are full of brokenness. 
• Their stories arouse suspicion of illegitimacy. 

The simple fact that Matthew includes these stories is fascinating. It’s as if Matthew was writing this important principle: God uses the brokenness of your past to shape you for life in the Kingdom of God. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     MATTHEW 1:1-17

QUESTION: Reflect on this statement – God uses the brokenness of your past to shape you for life in the Kingdom of God. What emotions do you experience as you reflect on this statement. (Focus on specific emotions / feeling words.) 

QUESTION: Why do you think these emotions are the ones that rise to the surface?

Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I know it’s one thing for me to say I believe that You use the brokenness of my past to shape me for life in Your Kingdom. But it’s much more difficult to live this out. When I experience hurt, pain, and brokenness, it’s much easier for me to numb it away or ignore it than it is to embrace it. As I enter this week, bring to light the aspects of my past I have failed to embrace, and reveal to me how You are using these experiences to shape me for life in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:

In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with? 

In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

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Matthew 9:37-38 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Sometimes, churches will use this passage to encourage people to go out and share the gospel message with others. On the surface, this seems like an excellent passage for this purpose. But for those listening to Jesus teach, what He said had a much deeper meaning. 

The CSB Study Bible notes that this passage occurs directly before Matthew 10:5, which is when Jesus sends out the twelve disciples. As such, it’s highly likely that Jesus was referring to Himself as “the Lord of the Harvest” when He said, “So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Immediately after teaching this passage, Jesus Himself sent more workers into the fields. 

This all ties in with the ongoing theme of the Kingdom of God throughout the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus was building His kingdom and sending workers out to participate in the process. He is continuing to invite you to join Him in His work.

READING & PRAYERS:

     MATTHEW 9:18-38 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What is one way God may be inviting you to participate in the building of His kingdom today? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I know You have given me a purpose but sometimes I wonder what exactly it is You have called me to do. Today’s reading is a reminder that it’s not primarily about what You’ve called me to do, but is instead about who You have called me to be. You have called me to be a builder in Your kingdom. You have affirmed that I have something to contribute. Whether great or small, You have invited me to participate. Today, may You continue to reveal to me the countless invitations You provide for me to do so. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Matthew 9:11-12 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”

Chances are pretty high that Matthew wasn’t well-liked in many Jewish circles. Being a tax collector meant Matthew worked directly for the Roman Empire. As such, he was likely an outcast by Jewish standards. 

But then Matthew did something even more profane – he held a large dinner gathering and invited many other disreputable sinners. What did Jesus do? Did he come along side Matthew and say, “You know, maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all?” Of course not! Jesus enjoyed the dinner party and took the opportunity to hang out with the sinners there. Why? Because they had rarely received mercy from others and Jesus desired to reflect the mercy of God upon them. 

Living like Jesus means that you live with a strong desire to reflect the mercy of God upon others. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     MATTHEW 9:1-17 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: On a scale of 1-10, how strong is your desire to reflect the mercy of God upon others? 

QUESTION: What steps can you take to increase this desire within the next week? Month? Year? (Be specific.) 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, every day I see aspects of the brokenness of our world. And I confess that sometimes when I see this lack of emotional and spiritual health in others, I’m quick to judge or criticize them for their uncleanliness instead of being quick to invite them to the table. Continue to help me become like You, quick to invite other disreputable sinners to the table. Quick to call them friends, not outcasts. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Matthew 8:20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

What are the things you turn to when you hope to decompress and not have to think for a while? For some, there’s the TV show or series of movies you can binge on some streaming network. For others, scrolling through social media may be what you turn to. Others still may turn to comfort foods.

In Jesus’ day, when some came to him saying they were willing to follow Him anywhere, He responded by indicating that following Him has a high cost. “I don’t even have a bed to lay my head on at night. Are you willing to give up your home in order to follow me?” Or, “I know you have a commitment to bury your close relatives. Are you willing to let go of that commitment to follow me?” 

The principle He was teaching was clear to all who were listening: An essential step of discipleship is to identify the things we may not want to let go of, and then release them.

READING & PRAYERS:

     MATTHEW 8:18-34 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What is at least one thing you know you would struggle to let go of in order to follow Jesus more closely? 

QUESTION: What would it looks like for you to begin to release this area of your life over to Jesus? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, if I take one minute to reflect I can probably identify something that would be difficult to let go of in order to follow You more closely. But I know that if I took 30 minutes, or hours, or days to reflect, I would probably identify dozens or hundreds of things that I gravitate to instead of gravitating toward You. May I continue to recognize the cost of what it takes to follow You, and may I continue to be willing to lay down what I need to lay down in order to follow You. In Jesus name. Amen. 

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Matthew 8:10b “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” — In our modern day in the United States, it’s difficult for us to fully grasp how the people of ancient Israel felt about the Roman Empire. We can only try to imagine what our lives would be like if another nation (China, Russia, etc.) overthrew the United States. Then, we’d have to try to imagine what it would be like seeing military guards on every street corner. Chances are high that the people of the U.S. would see those occupying our country with a great deal of contempt. But the people of Israel didn’t have to imagine such a scenario. They were living it out in real life. 

So imagine their shock and awe when a leader of the occupying Empire’s military approaches Jesus and pleads for Him to heal one of his servants. Surely Jesus, the one who came to be King of Israel will set things straight, right? 

Jesus responds in such a way that would’ve made the people of Israel gasp. Jesus turned to the crowd of pure-blooded Israelites and said, “This Roman Solider — I haven’t seen a faith like his in all of Israel!” For Jesus, love for others includes those we may see as unloveable.

READING & PRAYERS:

     MATTHEW 8:1-17 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Do you currently have anybody in your life you see as unloveable? What is one way you can offer them real, genuine appreciation, encouragement, and love today? 

Take a Step: This week, continue to utilize the One Minute Pause app at least twice daily to begin practicing being with God and resting in His presence. The app is free, and is available on iPhone and Android devices. See pauseapp.com for details.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, It’s easy for me to read, “For Jesus, love for others includes those who may see as unloveable,” but it’s very difficult to love those who live very differently than I do. In this passage, Jesus reflected the love of God to an military soldier who was occupying Jesus’ home nation of Israel. Continue to refine me to love so deeply that this becomes my natural instinct with all people who live with very different beliefs and ideologies. In Jesus name, Amen. 

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Take some time today to journal and reflect on the following questions:

In what ways have you seen God at work within you this week? Within your family? Within others you may interact with? 

In what ways have you resisted God’s word within you this week? 

Take a Step: Remember to continue utilizing the One Minute Pause app throughout the week. If possible, begin to explore and practice the 3, 5 or 10 minute pause to more deeply root yourself in Christ.

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