A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 1 Peter 5:1-11. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. Why the title "Growing Small"?
2. What are the three "Ts" mentioned in the sermon?
3. What two things does the word "mighty" refer too?
4. What is the difference between worry and humility?
5. What should we know about God that helps us trust him? How do we grow in this trust?
6. What were some of the examples given from the Bible in which we see God's timing?
7. Why is it so difficult to trust in God's timing? How long may we need to wait?

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved and will endure forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, now and forevermore. Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil (Psalm 125:1-3).

Jerusalem was a walled city on the top of a mountain surrounded by other mountains. Standing on top of those walls, looking out at those mountains, an Israelite could feel secure. From those walls the psalmist declares: like the mountains surrounding this city, so the Lord surrounds His people.

Even today, many Christians have 'holy spaces'—places and/or times where they regularly encounter God. There we look to our Lord to surround us. The Songs of the Ascents remind us that holy spaces are an important part of our faith—they provide focal points for our relationship with God. They aren't necessary, but they are helpful.

In his covenant with Israel, God promised to be their God and called them to follow His ways. If they reject His ways, they cannot count on His protection. He will be against them if they persist in rebellion.

How do we use this psalm to strengthen our own faith? One way is to consider Jesus' beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meek does not refer to someone who gets walked over, but rather, to someone who has trained to do what is right. They do it even when it is difficult. They are the righteous, those who trust in the Lord and are not shaken. Such folks will inherit the earth, a promise that will be completely fulfilled with Christ's return.

This psalm concerns the refugees who came back from Babylon and struggled to establish a righteous Israelite society in the land. They were opposed by various stronger nations, and by many fellow Israelites who gave up on righteous living to pursue dishonest gain.

The righteous were often left in the economic dust of these two groups. They wondered where God's protection for them was. It was tempting to abandon their vision of an obedient nation. 'Don't give up,' says the psalmist, 'evil folks will not endure. In the end, the righteous will dwell securely in the land.' God will see to it.

As they gathered in Jerusalem, the holy city, and worshipped together at the temple, some measure of confidence was restored. In our holy spaces, we call on God to surround us like the mountains and keep us safe from the wicked ones and those who turn aside to crookedness. May we all find our 'holy spaces' in which we gain new strength for the days of our journeys.

Life in God's church is not much different from that of Israel of old. It is not easy to live righteously before God, to love him and neighbour. May this psalm fire our imaginations to hear with new ears Jesus' solemn assurance, "In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the world" (John 16:33). May this psalm encourage us to live faithfully before him in the year 2026.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

After three days [Jesus' parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).

Of all the stories about Jesus' childhood, why would Luke choose to tell this story? Certainly, there were more interesting ones; stories that would give us a flavour of what his youth was like.

This story fills in the portrait of Jesus being painted. In Philippians 3, Paul details how he had been the perfect Jew. Luke is picturing Jesus with similar colours. He was born to and raised by pious Jewish parents. Only men were required to attend the religious festivals, so Mary's going shows deep family piety.

With this family setting, Luke invites us to consider the kinds of things our children learn from us. Do our words and actions match the faith teaching that our children and grandchildren receive? Is our piety mostly showy, as Jesus decries in Matthew 6, or does it reveal a deep faith in God's activity in this world? Can those around us notice our growing faith?

Jesus and his parents were well integrated into their community. This three-day trip was traveled in caravans for protection. That Jesus' parents did not worry about him for the first day, indicates that they expected others to be looking out for him. They were likely looking out for other children and youth. Jesus' family seems very ordinary.

In that day, it was not unusual for students to gather at the feet of the rabbis to discuss the Jewish faith and how to live faithfully with God. This was usually in a group question-and-answer format, as Luke indicates. Thus, Jesus' interaction with the rabbis was not unusual. That he didn't leave Jerusalem with his parents was unusual, but the focus not here.

Luke wants us to recognize that even at this young age, Jesus has amazing knowledge of the things of God. Those listening to him are astonished at his understanding, a reaction that will occur later to Jesus' miraculous work (8:56). Already early in life Jesus values the pursuit of comprehending God.

Jesus' interest in God was not a product of his unique divine sonship. Rather, it was the outcome of a life lived among those who walked with God. It pictures how all of us should prioritize our lives before God. The way he lived his life and pursued God faithfully reflects how we should seek God's face. When David was dying, he counselled his son with these words, "If you seek [the Lord], he will be found by you" (1 Chronicles 28:9). Luke is illustrating this truth.

Finally, this story illustrates something that one of Jesus' brothers would later write, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17). Jesus and the religious leaders would come to logger heads, but that was because they were threatened by him, refusing to believe that he was the Son of God. They pursued their own power rather than submitting to the Lord. Jesus began by submitting to them.

As you ponder the year that was, consider these things.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the God who gives hope fill you with great joy. May you have perfect peace as you trust in him. May the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.