What We Can Learn From a Sunrise, part 1:

God does not change, but our perceptions of Him do

Yesterday I was treated to an extended, unobstructed, view of the sunrise. I had to get on the road before dawn, the highway went steadily northeast, the sun rose over my passenger side dashboard as I drove, and the clouds moved little in relation to the sun. In spite of that relatively static set of circumstances, the colors and light patterns changed dramatically as dawn changed to full morning.  

Those changes were not caused by the sun’s movement; it stayed constant. Instead, they resulted from of my movement in relation to the sun: the earth’s rotation, to a lesser extent the earth’s orbit around the sun, and lesser still my moving across the earth’s surface.  

It strikes me that the same dynamic occurs in our perception of the Son.  He has not changed, Hebrews 13:8, but  I know that my perception/understanding of Him has over the years, and even over the course of individual days. 

What Can We Learn About Prayer From Luke 18:1-17?

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

How does this relate to what Jesus taught in Luke 11:1, 5- 13?

What principles can we draw from both passages?

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

How does this relate to what Jesus taught in Matthew 6:5-8?

What principles can we draw from both passages?

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

How does this relate to what Jesus taught in  Matthew 6:6-9, 26, 31-32?

What principles can we draw from both passages?