Romans 5:3 "...we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint..."
In my younger days I used to run 10K races regularly. I use the word "run" loosely, for anyone who saw me would describe it differently. Let's just say it was a faster pace than walking. I remember my first race. I saw all these athletes in their cool running gear stretching and warming up. I asked myself what I was doing there. I'm not in their class; I can't compete with them. Then I remembered why I had entered in the first place. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wasn't competing with anyone but myself. My goal: to finish the race.
I did finish the race, but it certainly wasn't easy. There came a few points along the course where breathing became difficult, my legs ached, and I could easily have justified giving up. But I didn't. Something inside me wouldn't let me. I had made a commitment and I was going to keep it.
Here's what I learned from my 10K "career": After that first race, I never again doubted that I could complete the course. My goal changed from finishing the race to trying to beat my previous time. Persevering through the pain and doubts developed confidence (proven character) that gave me hope.
There have been times in my life when I have prayed for guidance, for direction, and God has clearly answered the prayer. Then, having committed to follow His lead and acting upon it, I found the going a lot tougher than I had expected. I began to doubt my decision, to second guess my understanding of God's plan. I seriously considered quitting the "race". Wise friends counseled me to keep going, and I did. Looking back, I can see that God used those experiences, difficult as they were, to develop perseverance, confidence, and hope in me. That wasn't my goal, but it was His.
Are you struggling today to keep moving forward? Are you doubting God's leading? Before you quit, ask yourself if you believe God opened the door and directed you on this course. If He did, He will sustain you. He will give you the resources to finish what you have started and along the way He will develop perseverance, confidence, and hope.
Lord, I would rather have an easy than a difficult road, but I know that's not how You work. All I have to do is look at Jesus to see that. Please keep me focused on You rather than on my problems. Please confirm Your plan and give me the faith and strength to follow You.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Let's get better acquainted...
2 Peter 1:3 "...Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."
The more I get to know Jesus, the better I understand how to live. Everything I need to know about living a life that is pleasing to God is tied to my relationship with His Son. The word "knowledge" in the verse speaks of "experience" and "relationship".
How do I get to know someone? By spending time with him, conversing with him, doing things together. That's just how I get better acquainted with Jesus. The more time I spend with Him each day, listening and learning from His Word, and the more I seek to walk with Him throughout the day, the more intimate our relationship will become.
Lord, I do want to know you more. I want to sense your presence throughout today. Thank you that you desire the same thing.
The more I get to know Jesus, the better I understand how to live. Everything I need to know about living a life that is pleasing to God is tied to my relationship with His Son. The word "knowledge" in the verse speaks of "experience" and "relationship".
How do I get to know someone? By spending time with him, conversing with him, doing things together. That's just how I get better acquainted with Jesus. The more time I spend with Him each day, listening and learning from His Word, and the more I seek to walk with Him throughout the day, the more intimate our relationship will become.
Lord, I do want to know you more. I want to sense your presence throughout today. Thank you that you desire the same thing.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
"All I want is peace..."
2 Peter 1:2 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord...."
Peace. That's number one on nearly everyone's wish list for 1012. Unfortunately, for most, it's just that... a wish. True peace isn't the merely the absence of conflict, whether between nations or individuals. It goes much deeper than that. It is the settled knowledge and experience deep in your soul that all is right between you and God.. All other manifestations of peace flow from that.
Peter says peace is coupled with grace (God's grace) and it grows as we get to know Him better. It becomes the basis for who we are and everything we do. It increases our ability to trust God; it gives us the confidence to reach out of our comfort zone in serving Him. Peace with God is the foundation and the motivation for my life.
Lord Jesus, thank you for making peace with God a reality in my life. Your sacrifice on my behalf has freed me from sin's shackles and has opened the way for me to serve you wholeheartedly.
Peace. That's number one on nearly everyone's wish list for 1012. Unfortunately, for most, it's just that... a wish. True peace isn't the merely the absence of conflict, whether between nations or individuals. It goes much deeper than that. It is the settled knowledge and experience deep in your soul that all is right between you and God.. All other manifestations of peace flow from that.
Peter says peace is coupled with grace (God's grace) and it grows as we get to know Him better. It becomes the basis for who we are and everything we do. It increases our ability to trust God; it gives us the confidence to reach out of our comfort zone in serving Him. Peace with God is the foundation and the motivation for my life.
Lord Jesus, thank you for making peace with God a reality in my life. Your sacrifice on my behalf has freed me from sin's shackles and has opened the way for me to serve you wholeheartedly.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Looking below the surface, beyond the obvious...
Galatians 6:15 "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation; and those who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them..."
Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite. One of the "mantras" in our school is, "It's what's inside that counts." We teach our students that God looks past the external and examines our hearts. Yet I find that no matter how hard I try, I still tend to react/respond to how a person speaks, acts, looks. If we're honest, this is a struggle common to each of us, child or adult.
Have you noticed that often, when you take the time to delve below the surface, to get past the obvious, you are pleasantly surprised at what you find? Paul tells the Galatian Christians that the key for real fellowship is not how a person looks, it is Whose he is. Believers in Jesus come in all shapes, sizes, and appearances, but we all have one thing in common: we each are undeserving sinners saved by the mercy and grace of God.
Lord, please give me the grace and discernment to see You in those I encounter today. Help me get beyond the obvious.
Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite. One of the "mantras" in our school is, "It's what's inside that counts." We teach our students that God looks past the external and examines our hearts. Yet I find that no matter how hard I try, I still tend to react/respond to how a person speaks, acts, looks. If we're honest, this is a struggle common to each of us, child or adult.
Have you noticed that often, when you take the time to delve below the surface, to get past the obvious, you are pleasantly surprised at what you find? Paul tells the Galatian Christians that the key for real fellowship is not how a person looks, it is Whose he is. Believers in Jesus come in all shapes, sizes, and appearances, but we all have one thing in common: we each are undeserving sinners saved by the mercy and grace of God.
Lord, please give me the grace and discernment to see You in those I encounter today. Help me get beyond the obvious.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Net-mending (part 2)...
Galatians 6:3 "If anyone thinks you are something when you are nothing, you deceive yourself."
To illustrate what it is to be a true friend (neighbor), Jesus told the parable of the "Good Samaritan". You know the story...the Jew had been set upon, beaten, robbed, left for dead. Two religious leaders saw him and they each passed him by, thinking themselves too good, too important, or too busy to become involved. In passing, I imagine them saying, "I'll pray for you." Then one least expected comes upon the man, stops to help, and goes out of his way (and spends his money!) to provide for his care.
That's the picture that comes to mind with this verse. God calls us to be "net-menders". Net-mending is neither easy nor convenient. It is tedious and sometimes costly. It forces us out of our comfort zone, interrupts our schedule, takes us out of our way, requires us to sacrifice on behalf of our friend. How much easier to gloss over the problem, promise to pray for him, and go on our way. We have things to do, people to see, schedules to keep. And in so doing, the Bible says we deceive ourselves.
How do you see yourself? If I am honest, I see myself as a forgiven-by-grace sinner, walking with Jesus, but vulnerable to transgression. I walk with brothers in Christ towards Heaven and we help keep each other on the path.
Lord, thank you for the net-menders in my life, friends who watch out for me, who hold me accountable, who help me stay on the "narrow road". Please help me to be a faithful friend and do the same for them.
To illustrate what it is to be a true friend (neighbor), Jesus told the parable of the "Good Samaritan". You know the story...the Jew had been set upon, beaten, robbed, left for dead. Two religious leaders saw him and they each passed him by, thinking themselves too good, too important, or too busy to become involved. In passing, I imagine them saying, "I'll pray for you." Then one least expected comes upon the man, stops to help, and goes out of his way (and spends his money!) to provide for his care.
That's the picture that comes to mind with this verse. God calls us to be "net-menders". Net-mending is neither easy nor convenient. It is tedious and sometimes costly. It forces us out of our comfort zone, interrupts our schedule, takes us out of our way, requires us to sacrifice on behalf of our friend. How much easier to gloss over the problem, promise to pray for him, and go on our way. We have things to do, people to see, schedules to keep. And in so doing, the Bible says we deceive ourselves.
How do you see yourself? If I am honest, I see myself as a forgiven-by-grace sinner, walking with Jesus, but vulnerable to transgression. I walk with brothers in Christ towards Heaven and we help keep each other on the path.
Lord, thank you for the net-menders in my life, friends who watch out for me, who hold me accountable, who help me stay on the "narrow road". Please help me to be a faithful friend and do the same for them.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Net-mending...(part 1)
Galatians 6:1 "Brothers, so if a man is taken by surprise in some trespass, you - the spiritual ones- restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, watching attentively yourselves, lest you also be tempted."
In one of his first encounters with his disciples, Jesus finds them doing maintenance work - fishermen mending their nets. Nets were torn by various means, usually by being caught upon some unseen rock on the bottom of the lake. Discovering and repairing the tears in their nets was vital to their business. A small tear undiscovered soon became a gaping hole and rendered the net useless until major repairs were made. It was much easier to carefully inspect the nets daily and mend the minor tears as they occurred.
The word "restore" is the same word translated "mend" in the Gospels. What a vivid picture of what should be a normal process in our spiritual lives. Each of us is occasionally caught by surprise by a situation, an unexpected encounter, a temptation we didn't expect. The result? A tiny tear in our net. What do we need? Someone to notice and help us mend it.
Paul says we are to be "net-menders" for each other. In order for that to happen, we must allow "spiritual" people into our lives. Each of us needs someone to whom we are accountable, someone we trust, someone with whom we can be transparent and vulnerable. It is that person who will notice and call to our attention the little rip in our net and join us in mending it.
Lord, thank you for the "net-menders" in my life. Thank you for their love, honesty, openness, and faithfulness. Please guide me away from hidden rocks today. Amen.
In one of his first encounters with his disciples, Jesus finds them doing maintenance work - fishermen mending their nets. Nets were torn by various means, usually by being caught upon some unseen rock on the bottom of the lake. Discovering and repairing the tears in their nets was vital to their business. A small tear undiscovered soon became a gaping hole and rendered the net useless until major repairs were made. It was much easier to carefully inspect the nets daily and mend the minor tears as they occurred.
The word "restore" is the same word translated "mend" in the Gospels. What a vivid picture of what should be a normal process in our spiritual lives. Each of us is occasionally caught by surprise by a situation, an unexpected encounter, a temptation we didn't expect. The result? A tiny tear in our net. What do we need? Someone to notice and help us mend it.
Paul says we are to be "net-menders" for each other. In order for that to happen, we must allow "spiritual" people into our lives. Each of us needs someone to whom we are accountable, someone we trust, someone with whom we can be transparent and vulnerable. It is that person who will notice and call to our attention the little rip in our net and join us in mending it.
Lord, thank you for the "net-menders" in my life. Thank you for their love, honesty, openness, and faithfulness. Please guide me away from hidden rocks today. Amen.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Who keeps your appointment book?
Galatians 6:10 "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith."
How do you start your day? What is your outlook? Do you see it as a task list to be accomplished or as an adventure to enjoy? One does not necessarily exclude the other, but your outlook will determine how much you enjoy it and how many people you can bless.
A key word in the verse is "opportunity". It speaks of "Divine appointments". I have a schedule to keep each day. My Outlook Calendar is booked with people to see and things to accomplish. However, God also has an appointment book for me that I don't see in advance. It's preplanned, but not by me. I find that when I start my day by acknowledging God's "Daytimer" and "giving Him permission" to insert His appointments into my schedule, my day becomes much more exciting and enjoyable.
These days, I try to view every encounter, every interruption as something arranged beforehand by the Holy Spirit. It might be someone who pops his head in the door and asks, "Are you busy?", or someone with whom I stand in line at the grocery store. It is a parent or student I greet at the beginning of the school day. It's a person I pass on the sidewalk or for whom I open a door. Every encounter brings with it the opportunity to bless someone.
Lord, as I go about my day today, please let it be more than just checking off tasks on my to-do list. Please keep me sensitive to the appointments you have for me. I can hardly wait!
How do you start your day? What is your outlook? Do you see it as a task list to be accomplished or as an adventure to enjoy? One does not necessarily exclude the other, but your outlook will determine how much you enjoy it and how many people you can bless.
A key word in the verse is "opportunity". It speaks of "Divine appointments". I have a schedule to keep each day. My Outlook Calendar is booked with people to see and things to accomplish. However, God also has an appointment book for me that I don't see in advance. It's preplanned, but not by me. I find that when I start my day by acknowledging God's "Daytimer" and "giving Him permission" to insert His appointments into my schedule, my day becomes much more exciting and enjoyable.
These days, I try to view every encounter, every interruption as something arranged beforehand by the Holy Spirit. It might be someone who pops his head in the door and asks, "Are you busy?", or someone with whom I stand in line at the grocery store. It is a parent or student I greet at the beginning of the school day. It's a person I pass on the sidewalk or for whom I open a door. Every encounter brings with it the opportunity to bless someone.
Lord, as I go about my day today, please let it be more than just checking off tasks on my to-do list. Please keep me sensitive to the appointments you have for me. I can hardly wait!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Hanging in there is tough...
Galatians 6 :19 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at just the right time we shall reap a harvest, if we do not give up."
When I turned 40, I celebrated five years of being cancer-free by entering the Seal Beach Triathlon. I was not (am not) a highly competitive athlete, but I had been running and biking regularly, and I swam the distance between the jetty and the pier a couple of times to make sure I could do it. Race day came and I plunged into the ocean, being pummeled by the elbows and feet of 600 other competitors. When I finally emerged from the waves, there wasn't much of a crowd...just me and a dozen or so others. I transitioned to the bike for a 20K ride, passed a few people, and got to the starting line for the 10K run. Dismounting from the bike, I nearly collapsed - my legs felt like spaghetti. It took everything in me to put one foot in front of the other, but I finally settled into a pace that I felt I could maintain. Eventually (2 hrs. 20 min.) I crossed the finish line, falling into the arms of my wife. What kept me going? Why didn't I just quit? Two things: My wife was cheering me on and I wanted her to be proud of me; I had committed to do this and I wanted to prove to myself that I could.
These days, when occasionally I get really tired, and nothing I do seems to make a difference, it is easy to become discouraged, to want to "throw in the towel". God says to "hang in there", not lose my grip, persist in doing good even when I don't see results. At just the right time, He will lift us up (see 1 Pet 5:6), we will reap a harvest, we'll see what He has been doing through us all along (even when we didn't think anything was happening). Think about it...Jesus hung in there (literally) for us. I want to do the same for Him; I want to make Him proud.
Lord, I know You see the end from the beginning. You know what You are accomplishing in and through me, even when I see no results. Please help me to faithfully trust You today.
When I turned 40, I celebrated five years of being cancer-free by entering the Seal Beach Triathlon. I was not (am not) a highly competitive athlete, but I had been running and biking regularly, and I swam the distance between the jetty and the pier a couple of times to make sure I could do it. Race day came and I plunged into the ocean, being pummeled by the elbows and feet of 600 other competitors. When I finally emerged from the waves, there wasn't much of a crowd...just me and a dozen or so others. I transitioned to the bike for a 20K ride, passed a few people, and got to the starting line for the 10K run. Dismounting from the bike, I nearly collapsed - my legs felt like spaghetti. It took everything in me to put one foot in front of the other, but I finally settled into a pace that I felt I could maintain. Eventually (2 hrs. 20 min.) I crossed the finish line, falling into the arms of my wife. What kept me going? Why didn't I just quit? Two things: My wife was cheering me on and I wanted her to be proud of me; I had committed to do this and I wanted to prove to myself that I could.
These days, when occasionally I get really tired, and nothing I do seems to make a difference, it is easy to become discouraged, to want to "throw in the towel". God says to "hang in there", not lose my grip, persist in doing good even when I don't see results. At just the right time, He will lift us up (see 1 Pet 5:6), we will reap a harvest, we'll see what He has been doing through us all along (even when we didn't think anything was happening). Think about it...Jesus hung in there (literally) for us. I want to do the same for Him; I want to make Him proud.
Lord, I know You see the end from the beginning. You know what You are accomplishing in and through me, even when I see no results. Please help me to faithfully trust You today.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Chipping away at my heart...
Mark 6:52 "They were greatly astonished for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened."
Each year my three brothers and I look forward to the last weekend in April. It's Opening Day for trout fishing in the Sierras! We drive to Bishop on Friday afternoon and get up early on Saturday, ready for an adventure. Rather than fishing the overcrowded "low land" lakes, we drive up the mountain to Sabrina Lake (elevation: 9,136'), which almost always is covered with at least a foot of ice. We use an auger to bore 6"diameter holes in the ice. Once we break through, the water is cold, fresh, clear, and teeming with hungry Rainbow Trout just waiting for our worms.
Jesus' disciples had hearts that were just as hard as the Lake Sabrina ice. Not hardened against God, like Pharoah, but insensitive, calloused to spiritual realities. They were clueless as to Jesus' real identity and purpose. They had just watched Him use a little boy's sack lunch to feed ten thousand people. You would think that would prepare them for miracles to come, but it didn't. They just didn't get it! So when Jesus came to them later that stormy night walking on the water, and when He instantly stopped the gale-force winds, they were totally blown away.
It occurs to me that God is continually having to chip away at the hard places in my heart, places that I don't even realize exist. I think my heart is soft and pliable, but He knows differently. God keeps revealing new facets of Himself and in so doing, He breaks through another section of "ice", and my faith increases. I get to know Him better. It's a process that will last a lifetime. It's called sanctification. It's becoming conformed to the image of Christ. The more pliable my heart, the more usable I am to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, please "tenderize" my heart today. Let me see more of You. Please use change me and use me today.
Each year my three brothers and I look forward to the last weekend in April. It's Opening Day for trout fishing in the Sierras! We drive to Bishop on Friday afternoon and get up early on Saturday, ready for an adventure. Rather than fishing the overcrowded "low land" lakes, we drive up the mountain to Sabrina Lake (elevation: 9,136'), which almost always is covered with at least a foot of ice. We use an auger to bore 6"diameter holes in the ice. Once we break through, the water is cold, fresh, clear, and teeming with hungry Rainbow Trout just waiting for our worms.
Jesus' disciples had hearts that were just as hard as the Lake Sabrina ice. Not hardened against God, like Pharoah, but insensitive, calloused to spiritual realities. They were clueless as to Jesus' real identity and purpose. They had just watched Him use a little boy's sack lunch to feed ten thousand people. You would think that would prepare them for miracles to come, but it didn't. They just didn't get it! So when Jesus came to them later that stormy night walking on the water, and when He instantly stopped the gale-force winds, they were totally blown away.
It occurs to me that God is continually having to chip away at the hard places in my heart, places that I don't even realize exist. I think my heart is soft and pliable, but He knows differently. God keeps revealing new facets of Himself and in so doing, He breaks through another section of "ice", and my faith increases. I get to know Him better. It's a process that will last a lifetime. It's called sanctification. It's becoming conformed to the image of Christ. The more pliable my heart, the more usable I am to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, please "tenderize" my heart today. Let me see more of You. Please use change me and use me today.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
"Under new ownership"...
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me."
Occasionally I will walk into a familiar store and be greeted with a sign that proclaims, "Under new ownership". Immediately I begin to look for changes, to see what's different than it was before. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised with the changes and sometimes I'm disappointed.
Scripture says that when we come to Christ, He hangs a similar sign on us. The concept is that when I responded in faith to the Holy Spirit calling me to salvation, I died to my old way of thinking, responding, behaving. Jesus has taken up residence in my heart in the person of the Holy Spirit, and my lifestyle is to reflect His ownership.
Just as I evaluate the owner of a business by the employees with whom I come in contact, so people I encounter will judge my Owner by what they see in me. Do my attitudes, speech, and actions accurately reflect Jesus? What will others think of Him by what they see in me?
Lord, please use me today to represent You well. Let others see You clearly in me. Amen.
Occasionally I will walk into a familiar store and be greeted with a sign that proclaims, "Under new ownership". Immediately I begin to look for changes, to see what's different than it was before. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised with the changes and sometimes I'm disappointed.
Scripture says that when we come to Christ, He hangs a similar sign on us. The concept is that when I responded in faith to the Holy Spirit calling me to salvation, I died to my old way of thinking, responding, behaving. Jesus has taken up residence in my heart in the person of the Holy Spirit, and my lifestyle is to reflect His ownership.
Just as I evaluate the owner of a business by the employees with whom I come in contact, so people I encounter will judge my Owner by what they see in me. Do my attitudes, speech, and actions accurately reflect Jesus? What will others think of Him by what they see in me?
Lord, please use me today to represent You well. Let others see You clearly in me. Amen.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Why do I keep failing the test?...
John 6:6 "And this He was saying to test him; for He Himself knew what He was intending to do."
Jesus had been teaching and healing in and around Capernaum, and the crowds kept growing and pressing on Him. He and the disciples needed a break, so they got into a boat and went to the other side of the the Sea of Galilee for some "alone time". Some of the people took note, and before long, a multitude had taken off on foot, hiking around the north end of the sea in search of the Miracle Worker.
Meanwhile, Jesus and the Twelve were relaxing on the hillside. Jesus looked up, saw the approaching crowd, and pulled Philip aside to ask a question. "Where are we going to buy food for these hungry people?" He already knew that He would feed them with a paltry kid's meal. He wanted Philip to ponder the question. He was testing him to see if he would rely on Jesus or on his own resources.
Think about it...Philip and the eleven had seen water turned into wine, lepers cleansed, lame men walking. Yet, he still focused on his own lack of resources rather than turning it over to the Son of God. How could he be so blind?!!
Oops. Philip and I have a lot in common. Just like him, I fail that test regularly. I find myself in situations beyond my control and, instead of giving way to Jesus, I fret about my lack of resources. Like Philip, I, too, have seen the Miracle Worker in action; I've experienced His touch; I've seen His provision. Yet, I still fall into the Devil's trap of self-sufficiency.
Lord, thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for providing, in spite of my slowness to trust You and acknowledge Your power. Please help me to pass the test next time.
Jesus had been teaching and healing in and around Capernaum, and the crowds kept growing and pressing on Him. He and the disciples needed a break, so they got into a boat and went to the other side of the the Sea of Galilee for some "alone time". Some of the people took note, and before long, a multitude had taken off on foot, hiking around the north end of the sea in search of the Miracle Worker.
Meanwhile, Jesus and the Twelve were relaxing on the hillside. Jesus looked up, saw the approaching crowd, and pulled Philip aside to ask a question. "Where are we going to buy food for these hungry people?" He already knew that He would feed them with a paltry kid's meal. He wanted Philip to ponder the question. He was testing him to see if he would rely on Jesus or on his own resources.
Think about it...Philip and the eleven had seen water turned into wine, lepers cleansed, lame men walking. Yet, he still focused on his own lack of resources rather than turning it over to the Son of God. How could he be so blind?!!
Oops. Philip and I have a lot in common. Just like him, I fail that test regularly. I find myself in situations beyond my control and, instead of giving way to Jesus, I fret about my lack of resources. Like Philip, I, too, have seen the Miracle Worker in action; I've experienced His touch; I've seen His provision. Yet, I still fall into the Devil's trap of self-sufficiency.
Lord, thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for providing, in spite of my slowness to trust You and acknowledge Your power. Please help me to pass the test next time.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Do your roots go deep?...
Proverbs 12:3 "A man will not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will not be moved."
Some time back I decided to remove a yucca tree from our front garden. It looked to be a relatively easy, straightforward Saturday morning job, a quick task list check mark. Boy, was I mistaken! I quickly cut away the trunk with a chainsaw, but I still had to remove the stump. I dug and yanked, dug some more and pulled until my back ached. I bent my steel pry bar! Still it would not budge. "I know...I'll drag it out with my truck!" I attached a towing strap to the stump, secured the other end to my truck and slowly accelerated. The strap went taught...and snapped! I had no idea the roots of that yucca were so firmly established.
Lucifer (Satan) pridefully thought he could wrest God's kingdom from Him and, to this day, thinks he will prevail. Wrong. The Bible is clear about the outcome: God wins! Satan will end up in the Lake of Fire. But, he'll not be alone. He is constantly trying to lure us away from the truth, to turn us from the Light. He attacks relentlessly, chopping away, digging, trying to pull us from the truth. Those whom he has deceived, who choose to follow his lies will share his fate.
I want to be like that yucca. Though the enemy hacks away at me and yanks with all his might, his attacks are futile because I am rooted deeply, firmly in the Truth - God's Word. As Believers, we have the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Book, to teach us and lead us. He uses God's Word in us to protect our hearts and minds and helps us discern Satan's deceptive schemes. He uses Satan's attacks to produce Christ's character in us.
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for living in me, for guiding me into Truth and protecting me from Satan's wiles. Please help me to sink my roots deeper into the Word, that I might not be moved.
Some time back I decided to remove a yucca tree from our front garden. It looked to be a relatively easy, straightforward Saturday morning job, a quick task list check mark. Boy, was I mistaken! I quickly cut away the trunk with a chainsaw, but I still had to remove the stump. I dug and yanked, dug some more and pulled until my back ached. I bent my steel pry bar! Still it would not budge. "I know...I'll drag it out with my truck!" I attached a towing strap to the stump, secured the other end to my truck and slowly accelerated. The strap went taught...and snapped! I had no idea the roots of that yucca were so firmly established.
Lucifer (Satan) pridefully thought he could wrest God's kingdom from Him and, to this day, thinks he will prevail. Wrong. The Bible is clear about the outcome: God wins! Satan will end up in the Lake of Fire. But, he'll not be alone. He is constantly trying to lure us away from the truth, to turn us from the Light. He attacks relentlessly, chopping away, digging, trying to pull us from the truth. Those whom he has deceived, who choose to follow his lies will share his fate.
I want to be like that yucca. Though the enemy hacks away at me and yanks with all his might, his attacks are futile because I am rooted deeply, firmly in the Truth - God's Word. As Believers, we have the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Book, to teach us and lead us. He uses God's Word in us to protect our hearts and minds and helps us discern Satan's deceptive schemes. He uses Satan's attacks to produce Christ's character in us.
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for living in me, for guiding me into Truth and protecting me from Satan's wiles. Please help me to sink my roots deeper into the Word, that I might not be moved.
Friday, December 9, 2011
God's department of search and rescue...
2 Peter 2:9 "...the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials..."
In my role as a chaplain with our city's department of fire and rescue, I watch how diligently the firefighters train every day so that they will be ready when their help is needed. They are passionate and focused on their mission and If I ever find myself in a precarious situation, in need of rescue, these are the guys I want to help me! They're the best!
In the verses preceding v.9, Peter reminds his readers of several instances in the Old Testament where God dramatically rescued His people...people like Noah and Lot. He goes on to say that if God was able to rescue them, He surely can and will do the same for us.
God is the ultimate search and rescue expert. His expertise, power, passion, and focus are limitless. He is aware of our situations and needs. He is ever present with us. Not only does He know how to rescue us from trials, He knows when to rescue us so that the trials actually turn out to be blessings. He uses trials for our benefit, for our growth. Here's what Peter said about it in 1 Peter 5:10, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."
Lord, I know that you are ready and able and willing, not only to rescue me from trials, but to actually use the trials for my benefit. Thank you. Please help me to remember this. Amen.
In my role as a chaplain with our city's department of fire and rescue, I watch how diligently the firefighters train every day so that they will be ready when their help is needed. They are passionate and focused on their mission and If I ever find myself in a precarious situation, in need of rescue, these are the guys I want to help me! They're the best!
In the verses preceding v.9, Peter reminds his readers of several instances in the Old Testament where God dramatically rescued His people...people like Noah and Lot. He goes on to say that if God was able to rescue them, He surely can and will do the same for us.
God is the ultimate search and rescue expert. His expertise, power, passion, and focus are limitless. He is aware of our situations and needs. He is ever present with us. Not only does He know how to rescue us from trials, He knows when to rescue us so that the trials actually turn out to be blessings. He uses trials for our benefit, for our growth. Here's what Peter said about it in 1 Peter 5:10, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."
Lord, I know that you are ready and able and willing, not only to rescue me from trials, but to actually use the trials for my benefit. Thank you. Please help me to remember this. Amen.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Keeping the muck off...
Romans 16:19 "...I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent ("unmixed", "uncontaminated") in what is evil."
Last month some friends from church and I made our monthly trek to an area outside Tijuana, not far from Tecate, B.C. We take food, toys, supplies to needy people who live in shanties alongside a railroad track, and to a local pastor. It was a rainy day, and the wetter it got, the more mucky the adobe clay became. At one point it nearly sucked the boot off my foot. Once I got home, it took a good bit of scrubbing to clean off my boots and the floor mats of my truck. The heavy rain on the way home cleaned the exterior pretty well. :-)
If we're to obey God's Word, we will get involved with our world so we can share the Gospel. In so doing, it is hard not to have the world's values, and philosophy rub off on us. It sticks to us like that mucky Mexican clay. How do I get rid of it?
In another passage, Paul tells us that we must be lights in the world (Phil 2:15), but we must keep our lens clean. How do we do that?
The answer to both questions is clear: We need daily cleansing in the Word of God and prayer. (Ps 119:9, 11; 1 Jn 1:9) I find that when I am consistent in my time with God's Word my perspective remains accurate. When I am inconsistent, it becomes distorted.
Lord, please help me today to be in the world but not of it. Let me be a clear light shining in the darkness. Amen
Last month some friends from church and I made our monthly trek to an area outside Tijuana, not far from Tecate, B.C. We take food, toys, supplies to needy people who live in shanties alongside a railroad track, and to a local pastor. It was a rainy day, and the wetter it got, the more mucky the adobe clay became. At one point it nearly sucked the boot off my foot. Once I got home, it took a good bit of scrubbing to clean off my boots and the floor mats of my truck. The heavy rain on the way home cleaned the exterior pretty well. :-)
If we're to obey God's Word, we will get involved with our world so we can share the Gospel. In so doing, it is hard not to have the world's values, and philosophy rub off on us. It sticks to us like that mucky Mexican clay. How do I get rid of it?
In another passage, Paul tells us that we must be lights in the world (Phil 2:15), but we must keep our lens clean. How do we do that?
The answer to both questions is clear: We need daily cleansing in the Word of God and prayer. (Ps 119:9, 11; 1 Jn 1:9) I find that when I am consistent in my time with God's Word my perspective remains accurate. When I am inconsistent, it becomes distorted.
Lord, please help me today to be in the world but not of it. Let me be a clear light shining in the darkness. Amen
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Goodness needs an outlet...
Romans 15:14 "...I am convinced that you are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, and are able to admonish (remind) one another."
The Sea of Galilee is beautiful, healthy, swarming with sea life. In contrast, the Dead Sea, located just a few miles south, has tremendously high levels of salinity and is virtually devoid of life. They are both fed by the Jordan river. The difference between them is that the Sea of Galilee has an outlet, whereas the Dead Sea does not.
We are similar. Each of us as Believers has goodness. It's a fruit of the Holy Spirit that He is constantly developing and nurturing in us (Gal 5:22). We also have knowledge of God's Word. How much we know varies from person to person, but we at least have sufficient knowledge to be useful.
It's not enough to be good and to know God's Word. If there is no outlet, we will become stale and useless. We must let God use that goodness and knowledge to help each other. We are responsible to keep each other on track, reminding one another of scriptural truth. But we must be sure we are speaking from right motives (goodness) and with right content (knowledge).
Lord, please use me today to speak truth kindly, reflecting Your goodness. Please bless someone through me today.
The Sea of Galilee is beautiful, healthy, swarming with sea life. In contrast, the Dead Sea, located just a few miles south, has tremendously high levels of salinity and is virtually devoid of life. They are both fed by the Jordan river. The difference between them is that the Sea of Galilee has an outlet, whereas the Dead Sea does not.
We are similar. Each of us as Believers has goodness. It's a fruit of the Holy Spirit that He is constantly developing and nurturing in us (Gal 5:22). We also have knowledge of God's Word. How much we know varies from person to person, but we at least have sufficient knowledge to be useful.
It's not enough to be good and to know God's Word. If there is no outlet, we will become stale and useless. We must let God use that goodness and knowledge to help each other. We are responsible to keep each other on track, reminding one another of scriptural truth. But we must be sure we are speaking from right motives (goodness) and with right content (knowledge).
Lord, please use me today to speak truth kindly, reflecting Your goodness. Please bless someone through me today.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
It's not nice to be stingy!
Romans 15:13 "No may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Peace. Joy. Hope...these three words adorn Christmas displays all around us. They're on people's minds, hearts, and lips this time of year. Unfortunately, what the world offers us is a counterfeit. It's not the real thing. We're told that if we get the right car, the right toy, the right gadget or gismo, the right person, we'll be happy and filled with peace and joy. Wrong.
You and I have the greatest Christmas gift to offer to those who are searching, holding out their hands in anticipation or desperation. My prayer today is that I (we) will be alert to the opportunities to share my joy, peace, and hope with someone who needs it. After all, it's not nice to be stingy, especially at Christmas. :-)
Peace. Joy. Hope...these three words adorn Christmas displays all around us. They're on people's minds, hearts, and lips this time of year. Unfortunately, what the world offers us is a counterfeit. It's not the real thing. We're told that if we get the right car, the right toy, the right gadget or gismo, the right person, we'll be happy and filled with peace and joy. Wrong.
You and I have the greatest Christmas gift to offer to those who are searching, holding out their hands in anticipation or desperation. My prayer today is that I (we) will be alert to the opportunities to share my joy, peace, and hope with someone who needs it. After all, it's not nice to be stingy, especially at Christmas. :-)
Monday, December 5, 2011
You're not the boss of me!...
Romans 14:19 "So then let us pursue the things that lead to peace and the mutual building of of one another."
I have three younger brothers. When we were growing up, my parents would occasionally leave me in charge while they went out for awhile. I took my responsibility (and my temporary authority) seriously and tried to run a tight ship. Inevitably, when they were corrected, one or all of them would retort, "You're not the boss of me!", which led to some interesting confrontations. Needless to say, it didn't lead to peace.:-)
We have abundant freedoms in Christ; however, we are to exercise them responsibly. The goal for us is not self-satisfaction but rather mutual edification. Love isn't self- seeking, insisting on its own way (1 Cor 13:5), but is to look out for the interests of others (Phil 2:4).
Insisting on my rights leads to confrontation and schism. It doesn't promote unity and it doesn't bring a smile to God's face. What if Jesus had insisted on His rights?! Where would we be? I don't even want to think about that alternative.
Lord, please help me to be sensitive to Your leading today, to be others-oriented rather than self-centered. Let me be patient and long-suffering, seeking peace and seeking to build someone else up in the process. Amen.
I have three younger brothers. When we were growing up, my parents would occasionally leave me in charge while they went out for awhile. I took my responsibility (and my temporary authority) seriously and tried to run a tight ship. Inevitably, when they were corrected, one or all of them would retort, "You're not the boss of me!", which led to some interesting confrontations. Needless to say, it didn't lead to peace.:-)
We have abundant freedoms in Christ; however, we are to exercise them responsibly. The goal for us is not self-satisfaction but rather mutual edification. Love isn't self- seeking, insisting on its own way (1 Cor 13:5), but is to look out for the interests of others (Phil 2:4).
Insisting on my rights leads to confrontation and schism. It doesn't promote unity and it doesn't bring a smile to God's face. What if Jesus had insisted on His rights?! Where would we be? I don't even want to think about that alternative.
Lord, please help me to be sensitive to Your leading today, to be others-oriented rather than self-centered. Let me be patient and long-suffering, seeking peace and seeking to build someone else up in the process. Amen.
Friday, December 2, 2011
What will it be...diligence or dallying?
Romans 14:12 "So then, each one of us shall give an account of himself to God."
It's not what you "expect", but what you "inspect" that happens. I learned that lesson a long time ago. Part of my role as a principal is to monitor and evaluate the job performance of my staff. Each one has the resources and training to do his or her job, and each is accountable for how well they manage them. Accountability is key to success.
God gives us great freedom, resources, and opportunities for ministry, but also great responsibility. We will one day stand before Jesus, accountable to our Savior for how we managed the time, talent, and gifts He provided for us. I am by nature easy-going and I am still learning to be more task-oriented and diligent in doing things in a timely, orderly fashion. It's much easier to wait until the last minute, but the last minute usually brings with it undue pressure and panic.
I want, more than anything, to stand before the Lord Jesus someday, see a big smile on His face, and hear the words, "Good job, I'm proud of you."
Lord, please help me to be a wise, diligent steward today. At the end of the day, let me feel the warmth of your approval. Amen.
It's not what you "expect", but what you "inspect" that happens. I learned that lesson a long time ago. Part of my role as a principal is to monitor and evaluate the job performance of my staff. Each one has the resources and training to do his or her job, and each is accountable for how well they manage them. Accountability is key to success.
God gives us great freedom, resources, and opportunities for ministry, but also great responsibility. We will one day stand before Jesus, accountable to our Savior for how we managed the time, talent, and gifts He provided for us. I am by nature easy-going and I am still learning to be more task-oriented and diligent in doing things in a timely, orderly fashion. It's much easier to wait until the last minute, but the last minute usually brings with it undue pressure and panic.
I want, more than anything, to stand before the Lord Jesus someday, see a big smile on His face, and hear the words, "Good job, I'm proud of you."
Lord, please help me to be a wise, diligent steward today. At the end of the day, let me feel the warmth of your approval. Amen.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wake up!!
Romans 13:11 "...the hour has already come for you to wake up...because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here"
The farther I get into the week, the less welcome the sound of the clock radio. It doesn't matter that the music is Christian. It's still an invasion of my sleep. It was all I could do to get out of bed this morning Once up, showered, shaved, and dressed, I was okay and ready for my daily time with the Lord.
The text in Romans goes on to say that we should put off the deeds of the night and put on the armor of light...clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus. Unless I consciously do that, my days rush past, becoming a blur, with nothing noticeably accomplished that has eternal consequences.
I so easily slip into my daily routine, oblivious to the needs, the opportunities to make a difference in someone's life. I need to have a "last days" frame of mind. I want to gaze at the sky and wonder if this is the Day we'll see Jesus in the clouds. I want to view every encounter as an opportunity for Jesus to touch someone.
Lord, please help me to make every minute count today. Amen.
The farther I get into the week, the less welcome the sound of the clock radio. It doesn't matter that the music is Christian. It's still an invasion of my sleep. It was all I could do to get out of bed this morning Once up, showered, shaved, and dressed, I was okay and ready for my daily time with the Lord.
The text in Romans goes on to say that we should put off the deeds of the night and put on the armor of light...clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus. Unless I consciously do that, my days rush past, becoming a blur, with nothing noticeably accomplished that has eternal consequences.
I so easily slip into my daily routine, oblivious to the needs, the opportunities to make a difference in someone's life. I need to have a "last days" frame of mind. I want to gaze at the sky and wonder if this is the Day we'll see Jesus in the clouds. I want to view every encounter as an opportunity for Jesus to touch someone.
Lord, please help me to make every minute count today. Amen.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
No bankruptcy allowed!....
Romans 13:8 "Owe nothing to any man except to love one another...".
In this day of overwhelming credit card debt and maxed out lines of credit, we are barraged by ads touting bankruptcy as our solution. While that is a viable option for some, the real issue is trying to stay out of debt in the first place. Throughout the Bible we are reminded both of the dangers of debt and the obligation to pay what we owe.
However, there is a debt I can never fully repay, and I don't have the option of filing bankruptcy. Based upon God's undeserved, unfailing, never-ending love for me, I owe a debt of love back to Him, and He wants me to repay it by giving it freely to others.
Just as I don't like "automatic deductions" from my checking account, neither do I want them from my spiritual account. I want to be actively invoved in paying my debt of love to God (the "principal") by loving others (the "interest"). I don't know who the Holy Spirit will bring across my path today, but I do know He wants me to share His concern for them and to find a way to express God's love to them.
Lord, thank you for entrusting me with your love. Please love through me those I encounter today. Amen
In this day of overwhelming credit card debt and maxed out lines of credit, we are barraged by ads touting bankruptcy as our solution. While that is a viable option for some, the real issue is trying to stay out of debt in the first place. Throughout the Bible we are reminded both of the dangers of debt and the obligation to pay what we owe.
However, there is a debt I can never fully repay, and I don't have the option of filing bankruptcy. Based upon God's undeserved, unfailing, never-ending love for me, I owe a debt of love back to Him, and He wants me to repay it by giving it freely to others.
Just as I don't like "automatic deductions" from my checking account, neither do I want them from my spiritual account. I want to be actively invoved in paying my debt of love to God (the "principal") by loving others (the "interest"). I don't know who the Holy Spirit will bring across my path today, but I do know He wants me to share His concern for them and to find a way to express God's love to them.
Lord, thank you for entrusting me with your love. Please love through me those I encounter today. Amen
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Rules are rules!...
John 5:10 "So the Jews kept saying to the man who was healed, 'It is not lawful to pick up your bed.'"
I put the following scenario to my teachers this morning: They have a student who struggles with creative writing. He just can't get his ideas organized and on paper. After a lesson in which the teacher tried a new approach, she saw the young man smile and start scribbling furiously on his paper. He finally got it and she could hardly wait to read his story. When she came to his paper, much to her dismay, she noticed that he had written his rough draft in ink...a cardinal sin! The rule said it must be done in pencil or it automatically goes in the trash. So....what should she do? After all, rules are rules.
The man in this passage had just been miraculously healed. After 38 years of being crippled, he found himself walking around with his bed roll under his arm! When the Jewish leaders (who must have seen him daily, lying at the side of the pool) saw him walking, their response was to me unthinkable. They accused him of breaking the law (which carried the punishment of stoning). He was breaking their law (not God's law!). They focused so much on the offense that they missed the miracle!
How often do I miss what God is doing in someone's life because I can't see past his "offenses"? Rules and procedures are necessary and good, but they sometimes get in the way of mercy and grace. I find it challenging to keep both concepts in perspective. That's why I must start my day in the Word, learning and remembering what Jesus would have me to do, realigning my priorities with His. Only then can I hope to consistently see others through His eyes.
God, please help me to balance rules with mercy today. Thank you that you do that in my life.
I put the following scenario to my teachers this morning: They have a student who struggles with creative writing. He just can't get his ideas organized and on paper. After a lesson in which the teacher tried a new approach, she saw the young man smile and start scribbling furiously on his paper. He finally got it and she could hardly wait to read his story. When she came to his paper, much to her dismay, she noticed that he had written his rough draft in ink...a cardinal sin! The rule said it must be done in pencil or it automatically goes in the trash. So....what should she do? After all, rules are rules.
The man in this passage had just been miraculously healed. After 38 years of being crippled, he found himself walking around with his bed roll under his arm! When the Jewish leaders (who must have seen him daily, lying at the side of the pool) saw him walking, their response was to me unthinkable. They accused him of breaking the law (which carried the punishment of stoning). He was breaking their law (not God's law!). They focused so much on the offense that they missed the miracle!
How often do I miss what God is doing in someone's life because I can't see past his "offenses"? Rules and procedures are necessary and good, but they sometimes get in the way of mercy and grace. I find it challenging to keep both concepts in perspective. That's why I must start my day in the Word, learning and remembering what Jesus would have me to do, realigning my priorities with His. Only then can I hope to consistently see others through His eyes.
God, please help me to balance rules with mercy today. Thank you that you do that in my life.
Monday, November 28, 2011
No ordinary response allowed...
Romans 12:17 "Not repaying anyone evil for evil; being careful to do what is right in the sight of all men."
How do you respond/react when someone attacks you? My natural inclination is to defend myself and counter-attack. After all, isn't that my right? Isn't that natural?
The little phrase, "being careful to do" is literally translated, "thinking beforehand", and the word, "right" means that which is intrinsically good (the exact opposite of "evil"). God wants me to to think before I react. He doesn't say not to defend myself, but He does say to be careful not to stoop to the level of the attacker.
We are constantly being observed, both by others and by God Himself (2 Cor 8:21). Both Christians and non-Christians are watching our actions and reactions to see if we are any different than themselves. It is easy to be ordinary in my reactions, but God wants me to be extraordinary. How do I do it? By thinking ahead of time; by anticipating; by asking God at the beginning of my day to help me respond to everyone in a way that directs them to Him.
Lord, I want to honor You in all things today. Please guard my heart, mind, and emotions. Help me, Holy Spirit, to respond to others as You would. Thank you for not repaying me evil for evil! Amen.
How do you respond/react when someone attacks you? My natural inclination is to defend myself and counter-attack. After all, isn't that my right? Isn't that natural?
The little phrase, "being careful to do" is literally translated, "thinking beforehand", and the word, "right" means that which is intrinsically good (the exact opposite of "evil"). God wants me to to think before I react. He doesn't say not to defend myself, but He does say to be careful not to stoop to the level of the attacker.
We are constantly being observed, both by others and by God Himself (2 Cor 8:21). Both Christians and non-Christians are watching our actions and reactions to see if we are any different than themselves. It is easy to be ordinary in my reactions, but God wants me to be extraordinary. How do I do it? By thinking ahead of time; by anticipating; by asking God at the beginning of my day to help me respond to everyone in a way that directs them to Him.
Lord, I want to honor You in all things today. Please guard my heart, mind, and emotions. Help me, Holy Spirit, to respond to others as You would. Thank you for not repaying me evil for evil! Amen.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Humble and proud of it!
Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."
We all know people who are "full of themselves", self important, "legends in their own minds." We think to ourselves, "I'm glad I'm not like that." But...are we that different from them?
I like to think of myself as humble, not above associating with anyone. But am I really? How did I respond the last time an obviously needy person asked if he could clean my windshield while I pumped gas into my truck? Did I engage him in conversation? Did I even think of sharing the Good News with him? Was I genuinely concerned about his situation? Or did I brush him off, hoping he would go bother someone else?
I find myself facing decisions like that more and more often. My usual response troubles me, as I am sure it must trouble God. I don't need to always give money to those who ask, but I could go into the shop and buy him a cup of coffee and something to eat. I could take a few minutes to "associate with the lowly", hear his story, pray with him.
Where would I be if Jesus chose not to "associate with the lowly"? I'd rather not think about it.
Lord, as always, I ask You to direct my steps today and to see interruptions as Divine appointments, especially when I am "accosted" by those with whom I'd rather not interact. Lord, please let me see through your eyes, love with your heart, act as your hands.
We all know people who are "full of themselves", self important, "legends in their own minds." We think to ourselves, "I'm glad I'm not like that." But...are we that different from them?
I like to think of myself as humble, not above associating with anyone. But am I really? How did I respond the last time an obviously needy person asked if he could clean my windshield while I pumped gas into my truck? Did I engage him in conversation? Did I even think of sharing the Good News with him? Was I genuinely concerned about his situation? Or did I brush him off, hoping he would go bother someone else?
I find myself facing decisions like that more and more often. My usual response troubles me, as I am sure it must trouble God. I don't need to always give money to those who ask, but I could go into the shop and buy him a cup of coffee and something to eat. I could take a few minutes to "associate with the lowly", hear his story, pray with him.
Where would I be if Jesus chose not to "associate with the lowly"? I'd rather not think about it.
Lord, as always, I ask You to direct my steps today and to see interruptions as Divine appointments, especially when I am "accosted" by those with whom I'd rather not interact. Lord, please let me see through your eyes, love with your heart, act as your hands.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
What do you mean, it's not all about me?
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, weep with those who are weeping."
I heard an amusing, though uncomfortably accurate, definition of major and minor surgery. Major surgery is what happens to me. Minor surgery is what happens to you.
One of the best lines in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, is "It's not about you." Therein lies the problem for many of us (me!). I become so self-absorbed and preoccupied with what's going on with me that I am oblivious to the situations of my brothers and sisters, at the most paying lip service to them ("I'll pray for you.").
Nestled in Paul's description of the church as the body of Christ is the phrase, "if one member suffers, all the members suffer; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." What happens to you affects me and vice versa. We're interconnected, interdependent. Fellowship, a key concept in body life, means that I participate with you in times of rejoicing and in times of sorrow. I'm not merely a spectator.
Lord, help me today to pay attention to my brothers and sisters. Help me feel with them, to encourage them, to bless them and, in so doing, to honor You.
I heard an amusing, though uncomfortably accurate, definition of major and minor surgery. Major surgery is what happens to me. Minor surgery is what happens to you.
One of the best lines in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, is "It's not about you." Therein lies the problem for many of us (me!). I become so self-absorbed and preoccupied with what's going on with me that I am oblivious to the situations of my brothers and sisters, at the most paying lip service to them ("I'll pray for you.").
Nestled in Paul's description of the church as the body of Christ is the phrase, "if one member suffers, all the members suffer; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it." What happens to you affects me and vice versa. We're interconnected, interdependent. Fellowship, a key concept in body life, means that I participate with you in times of rejoicing and in times of sorrow. I'm not merely a spectator.
Lord, help me today to pay attention to my brothers and sisters. Help me feel with them, to encourage them, to bless them and, in so doing, to honor You.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
How to deal with those who bug you...
Romans 12:14 "as to those who persecute ("pursue") you, bless them, do not curse them."
Our little ADHD puppy loves to pursue his two older "brothers". I'm sure Bentley and Rascal see him as persecuting them. He is constantly wanting to rough-house with them. Their reaction? From their ferocious growling, I take it that they are not blessing him!
For the early church (and the church in many countries today) this situation was the norm. They were constantly being persecuted. Just look at how the Jewish leaders doggedly pursued Paul in city after city. He didn't "roll over"...he confronted them. But in those confrontations, we never see him cursing them. I don't see him blessing them either, for that matter, but I assume he did.
This is a hard one for me. Why should I bless someone who is wrongly attacking me? It goes back to God wanting to make me more like Jesus (Rom 8:29). Look how He responded when persecuted. It also has to do with God's sovereignty and omniscience. He sees the "big picture" and has a plan, not only for us, but for those who are giving us a hard time...and He is allowing us the privilege of participating with Him in the process!
I can't remember a time when someone was pursuing me and seeking to harm me, but I often find myself harassed by telemarketers and others who want something from me, who interrupt my schedule. I'm afraid that I react a lot like my dogs. My first inclination is to growl. I think God would be more pleased if I saw those irritating interruptions as Divine appointments. What would that telemarketer think if I blessed him and asked if I could pray for him?
Lord, help me to respond like Jesus to everyone I encounter today.
Our little ADHD puppy loves to pursue his two older "brothers". I'm sure Bentley and Rascal see him as persecuting them. He is constantly wanting to rough-house with them. Their reaction? From their ferocious growling, I take it that they are not blessing him!
For the early church (and the church in many countries today) this situation was the norm. They were constantly being persecuted. Just look at how the Jewish leaders doggedly pursued Paul in city after city. He didn't "roll over"...he confronted them. But in those confrontations, we never see him cursing them. I don't see him blessing them either, for that matter, but I assume he did.
This is a hard one for me. Why should I bless someone who is wrongly attacking me? It goes back to God wanting to make me more like Jesus (Rom 8:29). Look how He responded when persecuted. It also has to do with God's sovereignty and omniscience. He sees the "big picture" and has a plan, not only for us, but for those who are giving us a hard time...and He is allowing us the privilege of participating with Him in the process!
I can't remember a time when someone was pursuing me and seeking to harm me, but I often find myself harassed by telemarketers and others who want something from me, who interrupt my schedule. I'm afraid that I react a lot like my dogs. My first inclination is to growl. I think God would be more pleased if I saw those irritating interruptions as Divine appointments. What would that telemarketer think if I blessed him and asked if I could pray for him?
Lord, help me to respond like Jesus to everyone I encounter today.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
How do I discern between better and best?...
Philippians 1:9-10 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ."
God's goal for me is to live like Jesus ("sincere and blameless"). He wants my journey to be marked by wise choices, growing in my ability to sort out the "best" from the "good" and the "better". I don't have much difficulty distinguishing good from bad, but as the differences become more subtle, it gets harder to discern which direction to take.
Paul's prayer sheds some light on the process. The key for me is to consistently demonstrate God's selfless, outward-oriented love toward those He brings across my path. In turn, that causes me to abound (cool word..."to grow greatly") in "real knowledge" (knowledge coupled with experience) and discernment (the ability to sort things out). This leads to my being able to see which choice is the best ("excellent").
As I walk consistently with God, I become more attuned to His voice, His nudging, and I am able to confidently follow His lead. It all starts with Him and He graciously involves me in the process.
I love this "faith walk" and can hardly wait to see what He has planned for today!
God's goal for me is to live like Jesus ("sincere and blameless"). He wants my journey to be marked by wise choices, growing in my ability to sort out the "best" from the "good" and the "better". I don't have much difficulty distinguishing good from bad, but as the differences become more subtle, it gets harder to discern which direction to take.
Paul's prayer sheds some light on the process. The key for me is to consistently demonstrate God's selfless, outward-oriented love toward those He brings across my path. In turn, that causes me to abound (cool word..."to grow greatly") in "real knowledge" (knowledge coupled with experience) and discernment (the ability to sort things out). This leads to my being able to see which choice is the best ("excellent").
As I walk consistently with God, I become more attuned to His voice, His nudging, and I am able to confidently follow His lead. It all starts with Him and He graciously involves me in the process.
I love this "faith walk" and can hardly wait to see what He has planned for today!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Lord, you're moving me out of my comfort zone...
Romans 12:13 "...as to the needs of the saints: contributing, practicing hospitality..."
When I was a little kid growing up in church, one of my favorite words was "fellowship". I loved to see it in the church bulletin and it caught my attention when it was mentioned from the pulpit. You see, to me, fellowship equated to food, lots of it. As I have matured, so has my concept of fellowship. It actually means to participate with others based on something you have in common.
When Paul was reviewing characteristics of the church, fellowship had to do with helping those in need, participating in blessing them financially. How do I respond when the Holy Spirit makes me aware of someone's need? Do I pray for them? Do I go beyond praying and become involved? That's what scripture says we should do.
The other key concept that is mentioned in this passage is "practicing hospitality". I always equated this with food also. I must have been a hungry kid! I thought it meant having someone over for dinner. Hospitality comes from a word that means, "love of strangers". The word "practice" means "to pursue". Hospitality goes far beyond a dinner invitation. To practice hospitality is to be proactive, to be looking for opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love to someone we may not know. It goes hand in hand with participating in the needs of the saints.
The early church was a persecuted church; Christians were on the move, fleeing from the likes of a young Saul. When they came into a strange town or city, it was the local fellowship of Believers to whom they turned for food and shelter.
I like to be comfortable, but the Holy Spirit is constantly moving me out of my comfort zone. I find security in my schedule, but He continually disrupts my routine. I "need" to hold on to my "stuff", but God keeps loosening my grip and reminding me that what He has given me is for His use. He pushes me to pursue hospitality and sharing with those in need.
Lord, who I am and what I have is yours. Please feel free to use me today in whatever way You like.
When I was a little kid growing up in church, one of my favorite words was "fellowship". I loved to see it in the church bulletin and it caught my attention when it was mentioned from the pulpit. You see, to me, fellowship equated to food, lots of it. As I have matured, so has my concept of fellowship. It actually means to participate with others based on something you have in common.
When Paul was reviewing characteristics of the church, fellowship had to do with helping those in need, participating in blessing them financially. How do I respond when the Holy Spirit makes me aware of someone's need? Do I pray for them? Do I go beyond praying and become involved? That's what scripture says we should do.
The other key concept that is mentioned in this passage is "practicing hospitality". I always equated this with food also. I must have been a hungry kid! I thought it meant having someone over for dinner. Hospitality comes from a word that means, "love of strangers". The word "practice" means "to pursue". Hospitality goes far beyond a dinner invitation. To practice hospitality is to be proactive, to be looking for opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love to someone we may not know. It goes hand in hand with participating in the needs of the saints.
The early church was a persecuted church; Christians were on the move, fleeing from the likes of a young Saul. When they came into a strange town or city, it was the local fellowship of Believers to whom they turned for food and shelter.
I like to be comfortable, but the Holy Spirit is constantly moving me out of my comfort zone. I find security in my schedule, but He continually disrupts my routine. I "need" to hold on to my "stuff", but God keeps loosening my grip and reminding me that what He has given me is for His use. He pushes me to pursue hospitality and sharing with those in need.
Lord, who I am and what I have is yours. Please feel free to use me today in whatever way You like.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Baby steps from faith to FAITH...
John 4:50, 53 "The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and he started off...so the father knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus had said, 'Your son lives', and he himself believed and his household."
The nobleman in this passage had heard (or possibly witnessed) the miracles Jesus had done in Jerusalem and he found himself in a crisis. His son was dying. He heard that Jesus was in Cana of Galilee, so he set off to find Him and bring Him to his son in Capernaum. He had seen and heard enough to believe Jesus might be able to do something for him. Upon encountering Jesus and begging Him to come heal his son, he was told to go home, that his son would live. His faith grew to the point that he obeyed and headed home. Part way there his servants met him and told him that his son's fever had broken (at the exact time Jesus spoke those words to him)...and his faith increased. Baby steps.
Jesus accepts us where we are, but he won't allow us to stay there. He constantly works in and around us to deepen our faith. Sometimes it's baby steps; other times it is a leap of faith. He wants us to move out of our comfort zone. I love the adventure of "faith-walking"! At times it feels precarious because I have relinquished control, but it is exhilarating when God come through and I realize that I've marked another step in my spiritual growth.
Lord, I trust You. Please guide my steps today. Help me to grow in my faith, even if it's baby steps.
The nobleman in this passage had heard (or possibly witnessed) the miracles Jesus had done in Jerusalem and he found himself in a crisis. His son was dying. He heard that Jesus was in Cana of Galilee, so he set off to find Him and bring Him to his son in Capernaum. He had seen and heard enough to believe Jesus might be able to do something for him. Upon encountering Jesus and begging Him to come heal his son, he was told to go home, that his son would live. His faith grew to the point that he obeyed and headed home. Part way there his servants met him and told him that his son's fever had broken (at the exact time Jesus spoke those words to him)...and his faith increased. Baby steps.
Jesus accepts us where we are, but he won't allow us to stay there. He constantly works in and around us to deepen our faith. Sometimes it's baby steps; other times it is a leap of faith. He wants us to move out of our comfort zone. I love the adventure of "faith-walking"! At times it feels precarious because I have relinquished control, but it is exhilarating when God come through and I realize that I've marked another step in my spiritual growth.
Lord, I trust You. Please guide my steps today. Help me to grow in my faith, even if it's baby steps.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Grow up!!
Ephesians 4:15 "But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."
The jamb on the door leading form the garage into the house needs repainting. It's smudged and marked up with "graffiti", but as long as I live in that house, it will never be covered up with paint. Why not? Because that "graffiti" is comprised of pen and pencil marks chronicling the growth of my four granddaughters. Beside each mark is a date, a name, and a measurement. My, how they have grown!
When I was growing up, I had the goal of being over 6' tall. I didn't have much control over it, but I measured myself regularly, hoping to see some indication of progress. Finally during the summer between 9th and 10th grades I had a growth spurt and I surpassed my goal.
God measures my spiritual growth. It may not be written on a door jamb, but it is noted somewhere. He measures me against a standard to which I'll never fully attain. He is working in me to grow me to the stature of His Son, Jesus. He uses His Word, interaction with other believers, "equipping" from spirit-gifted pastors and teachers, and exercising my gifts; He does it in the context of the body (the church). That's where we are equipped and have opportunity to use our spiritual gifts.
God doesn't force me to go to church. He has placed me in the body of believers and offers me the fellowship and teaching I need to grow. If I want to progress in my journey toward the image of Christ, I will joyfully do it in the company of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
The jamb on the door leading form the garage into the house needs repainting. It's smudged and marked up with "graffiti", but as long as I live in that house, it will never be covered up with paint. Why not? Because that "graffiti" is comprised of pen and pencil marks chronicling the growth of my four granddaughters. Beside each mark is a date, a name, and a measurement. My, how they have grown!
When I was growing up, I had the goal of being over 6' tall. I didn't have much control over it, but I measured myself regularly, hoping to see some indication of progress. Finally during the summer between 9th and 10th grades I had a growth spurt and I surpassed my goal.
God measures my spiritual growth. It may not be written on a door jamb, but it is noted somewhere. He measures me against a standard to which I'll never fully attain. He is working in me to grow me to the stature of His Son, Jesus. He uses His Word, interaction with other believers, "equipping" from spirit-gifted pastors and teachers, and exercising my gifts; He does it in the context of the body (the church). That's where we are equipped and have opportunity to use our spiritual gifts.
God doesn't force me to go to church. He has placed me in the body of believers and offers me the fellowship and teaching I need to grow. If I want to progress in my journey toward the image of Christ, I will joyfully do it in the company of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Second Hand Faith...
John 4:39-42 "And from that city many believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified...and He stayed there two days...and many more believed because of His word; and they were saying, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.'"
Most of us with children raise them in the context of our faith. We read Bible stories with them, take them to Sunday School and youth activities, and teach them to pray. We teach them at an early age and somewhere along the line they come to believe in Jesus.
However, as they mature, there comes a time when they must personally take ownership of their faith. "Second hand" faith doesn't suffice; they need a first hand encounter with Christ. Depending upon what form this process takes, it is more or less a painful experience for us as parents. It's normal and natural for young people to ask tough questions, to bump against the boundaries, to see for themselves what is real and what is not. A "rebellious" teen doesn't necessarily equate with failed parenting.
Just as God is long suffering toward us, so He wants us to be with our kids. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who "fills in the gaps" in my parenting, Who loves my children more than I, and Who knows them inside out. I love it when I finally see them living out THEIR faith!
Most of us with children raise them in the context of our faith. We read Bible stories with them, take them to Sunday School and youth activities, and teach them to pray. We teach them at an early age and somewhere along the line they come to believe in Jesus.
However, as they mature, there comes a time when they must personally take ownership of their faith. "Second hand" faith doesn't suffice; they need a first hand encounter with Christ. Depending upon what form this process takes, it is more or less a painful experience for us as parents. It's normal and natural for young people to ask tough questions, to bump against the boundaries, to see for themselves what is real and what is not. A "rebellious" teen doesn't necessarily equate with failed parenting.
Just as God is long suffering toward us, so He wants us to be with our kids. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who "fills in the gaps" in my parenting, Who loves my children more than I, and Who knows them inside out. I love it when I finally see them living out THEIR faith!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Hope and Prayer - the Prerequisites for Perseverence
Romans 12:12 "rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer..."
These three concepts are intertwined and somewhat interdependent. As I rejoice in the hope I have in Jesus, trusting His plan and timing, and as I am pushing forward in prayer so that I have open communication with the Father, I then am able to persevere in whatever trials I encounter. Take away the hope or the prayer and I lose my ability to cope with suffering.
Jesus is our prime example of this. Heb 12:2 says, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Lord, as I see what You did for me, how Your hope ("the joy set before Him") and your communion with the Father gave You the strength to suffer for me, I ask that You would build in me that same hope and dedication to prayer.
These three concepts are intertwined and somewhat interdependent. As I rejoice in the hope I have in Jesus, trusting His plan and timing, and as I am pushing forward in prayer so that I have open communication with the Father, I then am able to persevere in whatever trials I encounter. Take away the hope or the prayer and I lose my ability to cope with suffering.
Jesus is our prime example of this. Heb 12:2 says, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Lord, as I see what You did for me, how Your hope ("the joy set before Him") and your communion with the Father gave You the strength to suffer for me, I ask that You would build in me that same hope and dedication to prayer.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Which way to you pull on the leash?
Romans 12:11 "not lagging behind in diligence fervent in spirit, serving the Lord..."
Each morning our little dogs take me for a brief walk before I head for the office. They each walk at a pace that reflects their personality. Oliver, our hyperactive puppy, would pull my arm off if he were bigger. He's always on the lookout for an adventure, ever on the go. Rascal is also active, but more controlled, and he walks right beside me. Bentley, our little "OCD" (obsessive compulsive disorder) dog lags behind, occasionally digging in his feet and refusing to go in the direction I'm leading. The four of us must be a sight!!
Depending on my mood and energy level, my walk with Jesus can resemble any one of our dogs. How would He want me to walk? I think He'd prefer that I walk alongside, attentive to His direction. Paul describes it as fervent, a word that describes a boiling pot of liquid. He wants us to be excited, anticipating, attentive, and willing to go in whatever direction the Holy Spirit leads.
Unfortunately, I sometimes tend to be "slothful". The word has the idea of lagging behind, procrastinating. I find myself battling procrastination more than I like to admit. It's so much easier to "think about it tomorrow", that is until "tomorrow" comes. My desire is to discern God's priorities for my time and energy and to invest in them diligently, excitedly, wholeheartedly.
Lord, help me today to actively look for the divine appointments you have for me and let me serve you with my whole heart.. Amen
Each morning our little dogs take me for a brief walk before I head for the office. They each walk at a pace that reflects their personality. Oliver, our hyperactive puppy, would pull my arm off if he were bigger. He's always on the lookout for an adventure, ever on the go. Rascal is also active, but more controlled, and he walks right beside me. Bentley, our little "OCD" (obsessive compulsive disorder) dog lags behind, occasionally digging in his feet and refusing to go in the direction I'm leading. The four of us must be a sight!!
Depending on my mood and energy level, my walk with Jesus can resemble any one of our dogs. How would He want me to walk? I think He'd prefer that I walk alongside, attentive to His direction. Paul describes it as fervent, a word that describes a boiling pot of liquid. He wants us to be excited, anticipating, attentive, and willing to go in whatever direction the Holy Spirit leads.
Unfortunately, I sometimes tend to be "slothful". The word has the idea of lagging behind, procrastinating. I find myself battling procrastination more than I like to admit. It's so much easier to "think about it tomorrow", that is until "tomorrow" comes. My desire is to discern God's priorities for my time and energy and to invest in them diligently, excitedly, wholeheartedly.
Lord, help me today to actively look for the divine appointments you have for me and let me serve you with my whole heart.. Amen
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Love, hate, and hypocrisy...
Romans 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy, abhoring what is evil and clinging to that which is good."
Two interesting descriptions of love..."without hypocrisy" and "abhoring/clinging". Hypocrisy has to do with do with putting on a false front, having a hidden agenda. To abhor something is to shrink back from, to hate or detest that which is evil. The word translated "clinging" has to do with being glued or cemented in such a way that the two pieces are inseparable.
If we love someone in this way, we will be open and honest with them; no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. In that spirit of honesty, we are to be careful not to compromise when there is sin. If I truly love someone, I will confront and expose sin if it is present. I will do it lovingly, but I will not gloss it over. Similarly, I will endorse and emphasize the good that I see.
God's love towards us is like that...He doesn't compromise, won't let us get away with sinning. He holds us accountable. He loves us so much that He is totally open and honest...no hidden agendas, no sugar coating. We also bask in the glow of His pleasure as He sees us doing good, making wise choices.
I always know where I stand with Him. His Holy Spirit in me makes sure of that. I love it when I sense Him smiling at me. It motivates me to follow Him more closely.
Two interesting descriptions of love..."without hypocrisy" and "abhoring/clinging". Hypocrisy has to do with do with putting on a false front, having a hidden agenda. To abhor something is to shrink back from, to hate or detest that which is evil. The word translated "clinging" has to do with being glued or cemented in such a way that the two pieces are inseparable.
If we love someone in this way, we will be open and honest with them; no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. In that spirit of honesty, we are to be careful not to compromise when there is sin. If I truly love someone, I will confront and expose sin if it is present. I will do it lovingly, but I will not gloss it over. Similarly, I will endorse and emphasize the good that I see.
God's love towards us is like that...He doesn't compromise, won't let us get away with sinning. He holds us accountable. He loves us so much that He is totally open and honest...no hidden agendas, no sugar coating. We also bask in the glow of His pleasure as He sees us doing good, making wise choices.
I always know where I stand with Him. His Holy Spirit in me makes sure of that. I love it when I sense Him smiling at me. It motivates me to follow Him more closely.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Worship 24/7...
John 4:23 "...true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers."
I grew up going to church. My mom was my Sunday School teacher, my dad was an elder and one of the worship leaders. Church was at the core of our family experience. I identified worship with that location. It was something we did in that building on Sundays and Wednesdays.
As I look back on it, that mindset was pretty convenient. If worship, and therefore God, was in that building, I was free to do as I pleased when I wasn't there. My spiritual life was compartmentalized.
As I matured and gained more understanding of the Word, my concept of worship expanded. I came to realize that worship of God isn't confined to a location. Although I need and desire the fellowship of believers that I experience on Sundays, I don't have to go to "church" to worship. As I understand Scripture, all I do each day ought to be an act of worship. Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." That's worship!
Lord, I give this day to You, asking that You give me discerning ears and eyes, so that every conversation, every task is done in Your Name as an act of worship. Amen.
I grew up going to church. My mom was my Sunday School teacher, my dad was an elder and one of the worship leaders. Church was at the core of our family experience. I identified worship with that location. It was something we did in that building on Sundays and Wednesdays.
As I look back on it, that mindset was pretty convenient. If worship, and therefore God, was in that building, I was free to do as I pleased when I wasn't there. My spiritual life was compartmentalized.
As I matured and gained more understanding of the Word, my concept of worship expanded. I came to realize that worship of God isn't confined to a location. Although I need and desire the fellowship of believers that I experience on Sundays, I don't have to go to "church" to worship. As I understand Scripture, all I do each day ought to be an act of worship. Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." That's worship!
Lord, I give this day to You, asking that You give me discerning ears and eyes, so that every conversation, every task is done in Your Name as an act of worship. Amen.
Monday, November 7, 2011
"Under Construction"....that's me!
Romans 12:2 "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
I was watching a public television program last night about restoring vintage camping trailers. These guys would find an old Airstream and make the outside look like it had just come from the factory. But the real work was on the inside. They gutted them and rebuilt the insides to their personal specifications. These customized interiors were not just restored, they were made new ("renewed"). Every trailer, though they might look alike on the exterior, was a unique creation on the inside.
It's like that with us. God wants to make us new from the inside out. This "renewal" process keeps going until we get to Heaven. While on earth, we're never a finished project.
Renewing...it's a joint process between the Holy Spirit and us. He uses God's Word and our daily walk. We read, memorize, meditate on Scripture and the Holy Spirit applies it to our experience to grow us, to renew our minds, so that each day we think more like Jesus. (Col 3:10; 2 Cor 4:16; Tit 3:5; Eph 4:23; Ps 119:9,11)
I was watching a public television program last night about restoring vintage camping trailers. These guys would find an old Airstream and make the outside look like it had just come from the factory. But the real work was on the inside. They gutted them and rebuilt the insides to their personal specifications. These customized interiors were not just restored, they were made new ("renewed"). Every trailer, though they might look alike on the exterior, was a unique creation on the inside.
It's like that with us. God wants to make us new from the inside out. This "renewal" process keeps going until we get to Heaven. While on earth, we're never a finished project.
Renewing...it's a joint process between the Holy Spirit and us. He uses God's Word and our daily walk. We read, memorize, meditate on Scripture and the Holy Spirit applies it to our experience to grow us, to renew our minds, so that each day we think more like Jesus. (Col 3:10; 2 Cor 4:16; Tit 3:5; Eph 4:23; Ps 119:9,11)
Friday, November 4, 2011
Faith...size doesn't matter!
Rom 12:3 "...do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but think so as to have sound judgment, as God as allotted to each a measure of faith."
We have three little white dogs. When giving them treats, Rascal and Oliver devour theirs, but Bentley takes his sweet time. He spends more time protecting his snack from his brothers than he does eating it! So...(don't tell Bentley this!) we usually give bigger portions of the snacks to Rascal and Oliver in hopes that by the time they're done, Bentley will also have finished.
Although there's something about it that doesn't quite seem fair, God does the same thing when He gives us faith. Eph 2:8 tells me that faith is a gift from God. In the Rom 12 passage, Paul says that God gives us each an allotment, and infers that the allotment differs from believer to believer. The larger context is that of exercising our spiritual gifts within the life of the "body". It sounds like exercising some gifts might require more faith.
Here's a comparison...We each differ in the size of our brain, in our intellectual capacity. That's something that was determined when we were conceived. It was "allotted" by God. People more intelligent than I tell me that, regardless of the size of my brain, I will never come close to fully utilizing it's capacity.
It's like that with my faith. It may be smaller than yours, but regardless of it's size, I will never exercise it to its fullest extent. God keeps stretching it, expanding my ability to trust Him. My goal is to trust God more tomorrow than I do today...and so on....and so on.
We have three little white dogs. When giving them treats, Rascal and Oliver devour theirs, but Bentley takes his sweet time. He spends more time protecting his snack from his brothers than he does eating it! So...(don't tell Bentley this!) we usually give bigger portions of the snacks to Rascal and Oliver in hopes that by the time they're done, Bentley will also have finished.
Although there's something about it that doesn't quite seem fair, God does the same thing when He gives us faith. Eph 2:8 tells me that faith is a gift from God. In the Rom 12 passage, Paul says that God gives us each an allotment, and infers that the allotment differs from believer to believer. The larger context is that of exercising our spiritual gifts within the life of the "body". It sounds like exercising some gifts might require more faith.
Here's a comparison...We each differ in the size of our brain, in our intellectual capacity. That's something that was determined when we were conceived. It was "allotted" by God. People more intelligent than I tell me that, regardless of the size of my brain, I will never come close to fully utilizing it's capacity.
It's like that with my faith. It may be smaller than yours, but regardless of it's size, I will never exercise it to its fullest extent. God keeps stretching it, expanding my ability to trust Him. My goal is to trust God more tomorrow than I do today...and so on....and so on.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Standing with and for Jesus...
John 3:33 "He who has received His message has set his seal to this, that God is true."
Setting my seal to something is to affirm, to stake my reputation, to proclaim as true. When I confess my faith in Jesus, I am taking a stand for all to see and hear. At the same time, God sets His seal on me (Eph 1:13). He has proclaimed me to be His; He has promised His protection.
Since I have taken a stand for Jesus, my daily attitudes, conversations, decisions, and actions ought to be consistent with that stand. That's really difficult. Thank God it's not a one-way street. I stand for Him and He stands with me.
Thank you, Lord!
Setting my seal to something is to affirm, to stake my reputation, to proclaim as true. When I confess my faith in Jesus, I am taking a stand for all to see and hear. At the same time, God sets His seal on me (Eph 1:13). He has proclaimed me to be His; He has promised His protection.
Since I have taken a stand for Jesus, my daily attitudes, conversations, decisions, and actions ought to be consistent with that stand. That's really difficult. Thank God it's not a one-way street. I stand for Him and He stands with me.
Thank you, Lord!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
I can't figure this out....
John 3:9 "Nicodemus answered, 'How can these things be?'"
There was a time when I was younger that I sincerely believed I could understand anything. All I needed was for someone to explain it to me. When a professor tired of my questions and in exasperation finally said, "There are some things that are too infinite for our finite minds to comprehend." I dismissed his answer as a "cop out" (a 1960's term).
Now that I'm older, and hopefully a little wiser, I see my professor's response as a true statement. There are lots of things beyond my comprehension, some because I'm not smart enough, but others because there are infinite concepts that just won't fit into a finite brain.
Nicodemus couldn't comprehend what Jesus had told him. He wasn't even sure what questions he wanted to ask, so he opened the conversation with a "generic" statement. Instead of responding to what Nicodemus said, Jesus answered the deeper questions that were yet to take form in his heart. Nicodemus didn't know what to think or how to process the information. So he went away pondering it, observed Jesus over the next three years, and eventually came to faith.
That's how God wants me to respond when I can't figure out what He's doing or why He's doing it. I need to patiently trust Him and be willing to wait for His answer. He knows my questions before I ask. He knows what I need before it is apparent to me. I must remain open, seeking, observing, responding to what He does and says. Trusting God moment by moment is the adventure of a lifetime!
There was a time when I was younger that I sincerely believed I could understand anything. All I needed was for someone to explain it to me. When a professor tired of my questions and in exasperation finally said, "There are some things that are too infinite for our finite minds to comprehend." I dismissed his answer as a "cop out" (a 1960's term).
Now that I'm older, and hopefully a little wiser, I see my professor's response as a true statement. There are lots of things beyond my comprehension, some because I'm not smart enough, but others because there are infinite concepts that just won't fit into a finite brain.
Nicodemus couldn't comprehend what Jesus had told him. He wasn't even sure what questions he wanted to ask, so he opened the conversation with a "generic" statement. Instead of responding to what Nicodemus said, Jesus answered the deeper questions that were yet to take form in his heart. Nicodemus didn't know what to think or how to process the information. So he went away pondering it, observed Jesus over the next three years, and eventually came to faith.
That's how God wants me to respond when I can't figure out what He's doing or why He's doing it. I need to patiently trust Him and be willing to wait for His answer. He knows my questions before I ask. He knows what I need before it is apparent to me. I must remain open, seeking, observing, responding to what He does and says. Trusting God moment by moment is the adventure of a lifetime!
Monday, October 31, 2011
The ultimate stain remover...
Romans 12:1 "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to Him, which is your reasonable service of worship."
One of my favorite photos was taken when our kids were little. We had just moved into our first house and we were working in the back yard, getting ready to plant grass. Three year old Michael and 1 year old Maureen were standing with their shovels and you could hardly see their faces for the dirt and mud. All it took was a little soap and a lot of water to get them back to normal. They cleaned up well, although I was surprised that our drains didn't back up when we emptied the bath tub!
God likes clean and pure. In Jesus' day, in order to be received by God, a sacrifice had to be without blemish, innocent, pure. I'm not. So how can I ever expect the holy God of Israel to accept me, to be pleased with me? I can never be good enough. There's not enough soap and water in the universe to cleanse me.
Thank God it's not up to me! He has washed me in the blood of the Lamb, and I am clean clear through. Sure, I get a little dirty as I maneuver through the day, but as I bring my sins to Him, Jesus cleans me up again. (1 John 1:9).
Lord, I start this day clean, righteous, pure, and blameless. Please let my sacrifice today bring a smile of approval to Your face. I live to serve You. Amen.
One of my favorite photos was taken when our kids were little. We had just moved into our first house and we were working in the back yard, getting ready to plant grass. Three year old Michael and 1 year old Maureen were standing with their shovels and you could hardly see their faces for the dirt and mud. All it took was a little soap and a lot of water to get them back to normal. They cleaned up well, although I was surprised that our drains didn't back up when we emptied the bath tub!
God likes clean and pure. In Jesus' day, in order to be received by God, a sacrifice had to be without blemish, innocent, pure. I'm not. So how can I ever expect the holy God of Israel to accept me, to be pleased with me? I can never be good enough. There's not enough soap and water in the universe to cleanse me.
Thank God it's not up to me! He has washed me in the blood of the Lamb, and I am clean clear through. Sure, I get a little dirty as I maneuver through the day, but as I bring my sins to Him, Jesus cleans me up again. (1 John 1:9).
Lord, I start this day clean, righteous, pure, and blameless. Please let my sacrifice today bring a smile of approval to Your face. I live to serve You. Amen.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Watching the "body" in action...
1 Corinthians 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
Our elementary school football team had a rough time yesterday afternoon. Undefeated so far, they were playing the other undefeated team. It was a hard-hitting affair and both teams came away with their share of bumps and bruises. One of our boys had a tougher time than the rest. He was blocked hard, fell backwards awkwardly, and broke both bones in his left forearm.
While waiting for x-rays in Urgent Care, three of his teammates and their parents showed up to wait with him. When he came out of x-ray and it was confirmed that his arm was broken, the three teammates, along with a neighbor friend, spontaneously huddled together to pray for their buddy. I wish you could have heard the compassion and faith that radiated from those words. I have never been as thankful to be involved in a Christian school as I was at that moment.
Scripture is so accurate in describing us as a body, interrelated and interdependent. What a blessing it is to be both on the giving and receiving end of the love and care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I thank God for the privilege of seeing it reproduced in our children.
Our elementary school football team had a rough time yesterday afternoon. Undefeated so far, they were playing the other undefeated team. It was a hard-hitting affair and both teams came away with their share of bumps and bruises. One of our boys had a tougher time than the rest. He was blocked hard, fell backwards awkwardly, and broke both bones in his left forearm.
While waiting for x-rays in Urgent Care, three of his teammates and their parents showed up to wait with him. When he came out of x-ray and it was confirmed that his arm was broken, the three teammates, along with a neighbor friend, spontaneously huddled together to pray for their buddy. I wish you could have heard the compassion and faith that radiated from those words. I have never been as thankful to be involved in a Christian school as I was at that moment.
Scripture is so accurate in describing us as a body, interrelated and interdependent. What a blessing it is to be both on the giving and receiving end of the love and care of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I thank God for the privilege of seeing it reproduced in our children.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Stealth disciples....
John 3:1-2 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews, who came to Him by night..."
Nicodemus was a "stealth disciple". A respected leader, a Pharisee who was expected to oppose Jesus, he came secretly, lest others find out. Nicodemus asked good questions, not trying to trick or trap the Teacher. He was a sincere seeker who didn't quite know how to handle the situation. Jesus knew Nicodemus' heart and met him where he was. Jesus didn't reject or ridicule him. He gently stretched his understanding and piqued his curiosity. As we encounter Nicodemus twice more in the Gospel, it appears that he comes to faith in the Messiah and in the end joins another believer, Joseph of Arimathea, in taking Jesus' body to the tomb.
Sometimes I'm like that....not wanting to be noticed or pointed out. So, I keep quiet. Later I feel ashamed that I didn't speak up. It's then that I hear the gentle reassuring voice of my Savior telling me that it's okay....we'll do better next time. Praise God, Jesus loves and receives even "stealth disciples!"
Nicodemus was a "stealth disciple". A respected leader, a Pharisee who was expected to oppose Jesus, he came secretly, lest others find out. Nicodemus asked good questions, not trying to trick or trap the Teacher. He was a sincere seeker who didn't quite know how to handle the situation. Jesus knew Nicodemus' heart and met him where he was. Jesus didn't reject or ridicule him. He gently stretched his understanding and piqued his curiosity. As we encounter Nicodemus twice more in the Gospel, it appears that he comes to faith in the Messiah and in the end joins another believer, Joseph of Arimathea, in taking Jesus' body to the tomb.
Sometimes I'm like that....not wanting to be noticed or pointed out. So, I keep quiet. Later I feel ashamed that I didn't speak up. It's then that I hear the gentle reassuring voice of my Savior telling me that it's okay....we'll do better next time. Praise God, Jesus loves and receives even "stealth disciples!"
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Why do I always ask Why?
Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom & knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and untraceable His ways!"
One of the first words out of a toddler's mouth is, "Why?" I've found that it doesn't do much good to try and explain to him the rationale for my decision. The little guy just doesn't have a frame of reference, the capacity, for understanding abstract reasoning. It's not that I'm omniscient and he's not. I just know a lot more than he does and my brain has more fully developed than his has. So, my answer to him is, "Because I said so. Trust me."
It's no different for an adult, particularly when God asks something from me that makes me uncomfortable. Only, in this case, He is omniscient and there really is no way for me to fully comprehend where He's coming from. Nevertheless, my "Why?" is often very persistent. and I suspect it is annoying to Him. What I hear Him say in response is, "If you trust me, don't ask why, just do it!"
Lord, I do trust You. Please take the "Why?" out of our conversation. Help me to "just do it" and leave the results to You.
One of the first words out of a toddler's mouth is, "Why?" I've found that it doesn't do much good to try and explain to him the rationale for my decision. The little guy just doesn't have a frame of reference, the capacity, for understanding abstract reasoning. It's not that I'm omniscient and he's not. I just know a lot more than he does and my brain has more fully developed than his has. So, my answer to him is, "Because I said so. Trust me."
It's no different for an adult, particularly when God asks something from me that makes me uncomfortable. Only, in this case, He is omniscient and there really is no way for me to fully comprehend where He's coming from. Nevertheless, my "Why?" is often very persistent. and I suspect it is annoying to Him. What I hear Him say in response is, "If you trust me, don't ask why, just do it!"
Lord, I do trust You. Please take the "Why?" out of our conversation. Help me to "just do it" and leave the results to You.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Cleaning house...
John 2:14-15 "In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves...so he made a whip out of cords, and drove them all from the temple area..."
1 Cor 6:19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...?"
Encroachment. I don't like that word. I think that's what happened with the moneychangers in the temple courts. I don't think it was an overnight decision - "Let's make some money, let's set up shop in the temple."
No, I imagine it started as a service to Jewish pilgrims coming to the Feast in Jerusalem. Some of them wouldn't have had their animals to sacrifice. After awhile business started booming and it became more convenient to conduct it within the temple walls. And the holy became profane. That's what I think happened.
That's what happens to God's temple in me. Encroachment. What seems harmless, maybe even helpful, grows in my heart until, before long, my heart is clouded with the values, cares, concerns of the world. The light that is supposed to radiate from me is dimmed by the fog of compromised values.
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to clean house. I need Him to regularly do a "white glove inspection" of my heart. I need Him to reveal to me where the world has encroached. I need Him to get rid of the "junk" in my life so that I can see Him more clearly and others can see Him in me.
Lord, I love a clean house! Please come in and make yourself at home. :-)
1 Cor 6:19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...?"
Encroachment. I don't like that word. I think that's what happened with the moneychangers in the temple courts. I don't think it was an overnight decision - "Let's make some money, let's set up shop in the temple."
No, I imagine it started as a service to Jewish pilgrims coming to the Feast in Jerusalem. Some of them wouldn't have had their animals to sacrifice. After awhile business started booming and it became more convenient to conduct it within the temple walls. And the holy became profane. That's what I think happened.
That's what happens to God's temple in me. Encroachment. What seems harmless, maybe even helpful, grows in my heart until, before long, my heart is clouded with the values, cares, concerns of the world. The light that is supposed to radiate from me is dimmed by the fog of compromised values.
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to clean house. I need Him to regularly do a "white glove inspection" of my heart. I need Him to reveal to me where the world has encroached. I need Him to get rid of the "junk" in my life so that I can see Him more clearly and others can see Him in me.
Lord, I love a clean house! Please come in and make yourself at home. :-)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Life is like a coffee filter...
Psalm 91:12, 17 "So teach us to number our days, that we my present to You a heart of wisdom ...and let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and do confirm for us the work of our hands..."
This morning I used the last coffee filter. I thought this day would never come. Over a year ago I bought a "Costco-sized" package of coffee filters. The stack was huge and the filters were so thin that the supply never seemed to diminish. But it did, one by one. A few weeks ago it dawned on me that the end was near, and my perspective shifted. As I got nearer the end of the stack, each filter seemed to gain significance.
For me, time is like that stack of coffee filters, a seemingly endless supply of minutes, hours, days, years, decades. Compared to the "stack", one day didn't seem that important, but the older I get, the more I tend to look back and wonder if I have used the time allotted to me wisely. I think I have wasted much of it, drifting from day to day as though the supply was endless. I spent much of it looking forward to the "next thing" instead of making the most of what God had for me that day.
I view time differently these days. There is no endless supply. My time has a beginning and and end. It is temporary. I am much nearer the bottom of the stack and I realize that time is a precious commodity. Each minute is something to cherish, every breath is a gift from God. I don't want to waste them. I want them to matter, to count for something.
Lord, I don't know where the bottom of the stack is for me, but You do. You tell me that my times are in Your hands (Ps 31:15). Please guide me through this day so that tonight I can look back and sense your smile of pleasure because I have used my time wisely.
This morning I used the last coffee filter. I thought this day would never come. Over a year ago I bought a "Costco-sized" package of coffee filters. The stack was huge and the filters were so thin that the supply never seemed to diminish. But it did, one by one. A few weeks ago it dawned on me that the end was near, and my perspective shifted. As I got nearer the end of the stack, each filter seemed to gain significance.
For me, time is like that stack of coffee filters, a seemingly endless supply of minutes, hours, days, years, decades. Compared to the "stack", one day didn't seem that important, but the older I get, the more I tend to look back and wonder if I have used the time allotted to me wisely. I think I have wasted much of it, drifting from day to day as though the supply was endless. I spent much of it looking forward to the "next thing" instead of making the most of what God had for me that day.
I view time differently these days. There is no endless supply. My time has a beginning and and end. It is temporary. I am much nearer the bottom of the stack and I realize that time is a precious commodity. Each minute is something to cherish, every breath is a gift from God. I don't want to waste them. I want them to matter, to count for something.
Lord, I don't know where the bottom of the stack is for me, but You do. You tell me that my times are in Your hands (Ps 31:15). Please guide me through this day so that tonight I can look back and sense your smile of pleasure because I have used my time wisely.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
What does God look like?
John 1:8 "No one has ever seen God, but the only Begotten of the Father, He has made Him known." Col 1:15 "and He is the image of the invisible God..." Rom 8:29 "and whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son..."
A kindergartner was busily drawing a picture. His intensity caught the teacher's attention and she came to see his paper. What she saw was a 5-year-old's portrait of an old, bearded man with a smiling face. "What a nice picture! Who is that man?," she asked. "It's God!," the little boy proudly announced. "But no one has ever seen God," replied the teacher, slightly amused. "They have now!," said the child matter-of-factly.
Have you ever wondered what God looks like? The Bible clearly teaches that He is essentially Spirit...no bodily form. So, whatever Scripture says regarding His form or image, it has to do with His character. Follow this reasoning...Jesus reveals what the Father looks like (all of His attributes and character traits). The Holy Spirit is crafting us, His children, into conformity with Jesus' image (His character traits).
Therefore, if someone wants to see what God looks like, they just have to look at us. I hope that, even though I am a work in progress, they can see in me a family resemblance!
A kindergartner was busily drawing a picture. His intensity caught the teacher's attention and she came to see his paper. What she saw was a 5-year-old's portrait of an old, bearded man with a smiling face. "What a nice picture! Who is that man?," she asked. "It's God!," the little boy proudly announced. "But no one has ever seen God," replied the teacher, slightly amused. "They have now!," said the child matter-of-factly.
Have you ever wondered what God looks like? The Bible clearly teaches that He is essentially Spirit...no bodily form. So, whatever Scripture says regarding His form or image, it has to do with His character. Follow this reasoning...Jesus reveals what the Father looks like (all of His attributes and character traits). The Holy Spirit is crafting us, His children, into conformity with Jesus' image (His character traits).
Therefore, if someone wants to see what God looks like, they just have to look at us. I hope that, even though I am a work in progress, they can see in me a family resemblance!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Is your sword sharp?
Eph 6:17 "Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the (spoken) Word of God."
Our country has been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for 10 years now, with no end in sight. The conflict has taken its toll on us, but someday it will be over and our soldiers will come home.
Like it or not, we are all engaged in another war that will last our lifetimes. It's an ongoing conflict with the enemy of our souls, the Devil. He is powerful, wily, knowledgeable, and determined. He never lets up.
Fortunately, the Lord has given us protective armor and a powerful weapon the "sword of the Spirit, the Word of God." The Greek word used in that verse refers to the spoken word. It's the Holy Spirit using God's Word in us, so that the words we speak are His...true, powerful, effective, appropriate.
I don't want to go into battle against Satan with a dull sword! I need to keep it sharp by saturating my mind and spirit with the (written) Word...listening to, reading, meditating on the Bible so that when I need it, it is available and the Holy Spirit is able to wield it effectively through me.
Our country has been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for 10 years now, with no end in sight. The conflict has taken its toll on us, but someday it will be over and our soldiers will come home.
Like it or not, we are all engaged in another war that will last our lifetimes. It's an ongoing conflict with the enemy of our souls, the Devil. He is powerful, wily, knowledgeable, and determined. He never lets up.
Fortunately, the Lord has given us protective armor and a powerful weapon the "sword of the Spirit, the Word of God." The Greek word used in that verse refers to the spoken word. It's the Holy Spirit using God's Word in us, so that the words we speak are His...true, powerful, effective, appropriate.
I don't want to go into battle against Satan with a dull sword! I need to keep it sharp by saturating my mind and spirit with the (written) Word...listening to, reading, meditating on the Bible so that when I need it, it is available and the Holy Spirit is able to wield it effectively through me.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
For what purpose Miracles?
John 2:11 "This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."
How often, when maneuvering through the maze of Southern California freeways, do we trust that Cal Trans has accurately placed signs to guide us? I would be lost without them. I would also be lost if I focused on the signs for the signs' sake (admiring the color and design, rejoicing in them being placed in such strategic locations) rather than following their directions to our destination.
For what purpose miracles? They are directional signs pointing us to Jesus. His miracles in the New Testament manifested His glory for the purpose of bringing people to faith in Him. They resulted, not only in transforming non-believers into believers, but in building the faith of His disciples. Too often, people became focused on the signs themselves and missed the destination to which they were directing. Jesus condemned their misdirected fascination.
It's no different today. God often chooses to reveal Himself through us, not for our glory, but for His, so that He might bring others to Himself and that He might increase our level of trust in Him. It's so easy for us to get caught up in the excitement and wonder of the "miracle" and miss the Person to whom it is pointing. Lord, thank you for choosing to use us in Your plan for evangelism. Please help me to point others to You, not to myself. Help me to see You, not just the sign. Amen.
How often, when maneuvering through the maze of Southern California freeways, do we trust that Cal Trans has accurately placed signs to guide us? I would be lost without them. I would also be lost if I focused on the signs for the signs' sake (admiring the color and design, rejoicing in them being placed in such strategic locations) rather than following their directions to our destination.
For what purpose miracles? They are directional signs pointing us to Jesus. His miracles in the New Testament manifested His glory for the purpose of bringing people to faith in Him. They resulted, not only in transforming non-believers into believers, but in building the faith of His disciples. Too often, people became focused on the signs themselves and missed the destination to which they were directing. Jesus condemned their misdirected fascination.
It's no different today. God often chooses to reveal Himself through us, not for our glory, but for His, so that He might bring others to Himself and that He might increase our level of trust in Him. It's so easy for us to get caught up in the excitement and wonder of the "miracle" and miss the Person to whom it is pointing. Lord, thank you for choosing to use us in Your plan for evangelism. Please help me to point others to You, not to myself. Help me to see You, not just the sign. Amen.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Who can you count on?
Romans 11:29 "for the calling and gifts of God are irrevocable."
Last Thursday I was standing on a balcony in the Peace Museum on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Just below was a gorgeous grassy bluff that fell away to the volcanic rocks below. It was low tide, and the subsiding sea had left tide pools in its wake. Before we finished our tour of the museum, the sea reclaimed the area it had so recently abandoned.
My spiritual life is something like the sea. Ebbing and flowing, I find myself sometimes close to God and at other times feeling quite distant. It's me, not God who moves.
Everything in this world, everything in our lives is changeable, temporary, transient. Thank God for His immutability - unchangableness - His mercy, love, grace stand firm. They are my anchor. Though my faith may ebb and flow, He stands solid. He will never pull away or turn His back. He won't renege on His promises or His gifts. Oh, what peace, joy, freedom that gives me!
Lord, help me to be more like you...steadfast, sure, solid in my faith and in my relationships. Amen.
Last Thursday I was standing on a balcony in the Peace Museum on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Just below was a gorgeous grassy bluff that fell away to the volcanic rocks below. It was low tide, and the subsiding sea had left tide pools in its wake. Before we finished our tour of the museum, the sea reclaimed the area it had so recently abandoned.
My spiritual life is something like the sea. Ebbing and flowing, I find myself sometimes close to God and at other times feeling quite distant. It's me, not God who moves.
Everything in this world, everything in our lives is changeable, temporary, transient. Thank God for His immutability - unchangableness - His mercy, love, grace stand firm. They are my anchor. Though my faith may ebb and flow, He stands solid. He will never pull away or turn His back. He won't renege on His promises or His gifts. Oh, what peace, joy, freedom that gives me!
Lord, help me to be more like you...steadfast, sure, solid in my faith and in my relationships. Amen.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Church? Who needs it? I can handle it by myself!!?
Romans1:12 "I long to see you...that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
"I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." I don't know how many times I've heard that from someone who has been hurt by or who is disillusioned with the established church. I have yet to find one of them who is a thriving, growing, joyful Believer.
God designed us as social beings. It's in our DNA. In the Garden, He looked at Adam and declared that was not good for him to be alone, and He created Eve. That's why He said in Hebrews 10:25 that we're not to forsake getting together.
We need fellowship with other Christians. Satan's goal is to isolate us, to discourage and defeat us. Fellowship encourages, protects, strengthens, and sharpens us. It hold us accountable and helps us to grow. It comforts us when we're hurting, provides for us when we are in need, and holds us up when we falter.
Lord, thank you for my Christian brothers. You keep using them to keep me faithful and growing in my relationship with You.
"I don't need to go to church to be a Christian." I don't know how many times I've heard that from someone who has been hurt by or who is disillusioned with the established church. I have yet to find one of them who is a thriving, growing, joyful Believer.
God designed us as social beings. It's in our DNA. In the Garden, He looked at Adam and declared that was not good for him to be alone, and He created Eve. That's why He said in Hebrews 10:25 that we're not to forsake getting together.
We need fellowship with other Christians. Satan's goal is to isolate us, to discourage and defeat us. Fellowship encourages, protects, strengthens, and sharpens us. It hold us accountable and helps us to grow. It comforts us when we're hurting, provides for us when we are in need, and holds us up when we falter.
Lord, thank you for my Christian brothers. You keep using them to keep me faithful and growing in my relationship with You.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
What's the problem...I'm telling you the truth.
Proverbs 3:3 "Do not let kindness and truth leave you. Bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."
Not too long ago I woke up feeling a bit strange. I didn't recognize the problem until I got to my feet and walked (or tried to walk) . I must have looked like I was drunk as I bobbed and weaved to the bathroom. Try as I might, I could not maintain my balance. I had an ear infection and my eustachian tube was clogged.
It's like that for me occasionally in my daily walk. It's hard for maintain the balance between truth and kindness. I am either brutally honest or "half-truthed" kind with those I encounter. Jesus mastered that issue. He was "full of grace and truth", not compromising His standards, but exercising kindness and grace in applying them.
When my spiritual "eustachian tube" is clear, I am much better at being like Jesus. When it's clogged because of sin, selfishness, pride, or just lack of communication, then I'm out of balance and my interaction with others is out of whack.
Lord, please help me today to listen to You and respond to others as You would.
Not too long ago I woke up feeling a bit strange. I didn't recognize the problem until I got to my feet and walked (or tried to walk) . I must have looked like I was drunk as I bobbed and weaved to the bathroom. Try as I might, I could not maintain my balance. I had an ear infection and my eustachian tube was clogged.
It's like that for me occasionally in my daily walk. It's hard for maintain the balance between truth and kindness. I am either brutally honest or "half-truthed" kind with those I encounter. Jesus mastered that issue. He was "full of grace and truth", not compromising His standards, but exercising kindness and grace in applying them.
When my spiritual "eustachian tube" is clear, I am much better at being like Jesus. When it's clogged because of sin, selfishness, pride, or just lack of communication, then I'm out of balance and my interaction with others is out of whack.
Lord, please help me today to listen to You and respond to others as You would.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
If it's not mine, why do I hold on so tightly?
Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it."
I went to get into my truck this morning and something wasn't quite right. I didn't remember leaving the driver's door ajar. I got in and saw that the console was open and the contents were scattered on the passenger seat. I didn't remember doing that! I guess I'm kind of slow on the uptake. It took me a few seconds before it dawned on me that someone had ransacked my truck. MY truck!
Although there was nothing of consequence missing, I stewed over it all morning. I still have to go the police station this afternoon to file a report...didn't have time this morning. Throughout the day, the Holy Spirit kept asking me why I was so upset. Whose truck is it anyway? Oh, I forgot. I handed the keys to God when He let me buy it. I get so attached to my stuff. :-(
So...I'm still learning. In my mind, everything is God's. In my heart, it's not always that way.
Thank you, Lord, for being patient with me. Oh...and thank You that YOUR truck didn't get messed up.
I went to get into my truck this morning and something wasn't quite right. I didn't remember leaving the driver's door ajar. I got in and saw that the console was open and the contents were scattered on the passenger seat. I didn't remember doing that! I guess I'm kind of slow on the uptake. It took me a few seconds before it dawned on me that someone had ransacked my truck. MY truck!
Although there was nothing of consequence missing, I stewed over it all morning. I still have to go the police station this afternoon to file a report...didn't have time this morning. Throughout the day, the Holy Spirit kept asking me why I was so upset. Whose truck is it anyway? Oh, I forgot. I handed the keys to God when He let me buy it. I get so attached to my stuff. :-(
So...I'm still learning. In my mind, everything is God's. In my heart, it's not always that way.
Thank you, Lord, for being patient with me. Oh...and thank You that YOUR truck didn't get messed up.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thank God for my wife!
Proverbs 31:10, 30 "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above rubies...charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
I'm sitting here thinking how blessed I am and thanking God for my wife. She not only loves the Lord, but is beautiful as well! I'm also feeling ashamed for how I so often take for granted who she is and all that she does. Proverbs 31 describes her pretty well. Her love for God plays out in her care for her family and for anyone in need whom God leads across her path. As described in this passage, she puts the needs of others above those of her own, not for recognition or praise, but because she loves.
It's so easy for me to get caught up in all the "important" things on my schedule and to be oblivious to those I love. I need to be more attentive and grateful to my wife, to notice what she does, to really listen to what she says.
God, thank you for my loving, lovely wife. Please help me today to be the husband she deserves and the man you designed me to be.
I'm sitting here thinking how blessed I am and thanking God for my wife. She not only loves the Lord, but is beautiful as well! I'm also feeling ashamed for how I so often take for granted who she is and all that she does. Proverbs 31 describes her pretty well. Her love for God plays out in her care for her family and for anyone in need whom God leads across her path. As described in this passage, she puts the needs of others above those of her own, not for recognition or praise, but because she loves.
It's so easy for me to get caught up in all the "important" things on my schedule and to be oblivious to those I love. I need to be more attentive and grateful to my wife, to notice what she does, to really listen to what she says.
God, thank you for my loving, lovely wife. Please help me today to be the husband she deserves and the man you designed me to be.
Friday, September 30, 2011
What's the big deal? It's just a lottery ticket....
Proverbs 30:8-9 "...give me neither poverty or riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, 'Who is the Lord?', or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of God."
Every time I drive by the corner liquor store the lottery posters beckon me with their promises of millions. Occasionally they win and I plunk down a couple dollars for a "quick pick", envisioning all the things I could do for God if I won. (That's right...for God. I'm not selfish.!?? Yeah, right) Then I think of all the hassles and stress that would accompany sudden wealth, and the Holy Spirit drags me back to these verses in Proverbs.
If I'm honest with myself, I pray this prayer reluctantly, with mixed emotions. There's always a struggle going on inside me. Part of me is pulling me to seek my security in money. The Spirit is pulling me to trust God and be content with what He provides (Matt 6:33). One thing I know...the more I have, the less I tend to rely on Him. That's not good. So...I push ahead, trusting Him and trying to be a good steward of what He's put in my care.
Lord, You know me inside out. You know the bottom line is that I do trust You. You also see the tug-of-war that occasionally surfaces. Please help me to "live out" that trust today, that I might bring a smile of pleasure to Your face.
Every time I drive by the corner liquor store the lottery posters beckon me with their promises of millions. Occasionally they win and I plunk down a couple dollars for a "quick pick", envisioning all the things I could do for God if I won. (That's right...for God. I'm not selfish.!?? Yeah, right) Then I think of all the hassles and stress that would accompany sudden wealth, and the Holy Spirit drags me back to these verses in Proverbs.
If I'm honest with myself, I pray this prayer reluctantly, with mixed emotions. There's always a struggle going on inside me. Part of me is pulling me to seek my security in money. The Spirit is pulling me to trust God and be content with what He provides (Matt 6:33). One thing I know...the more I have, the less I tend to rely on Him. That's not good. So...I push ahead, trusting Him and trying to be a good steward of what He's put in my care.
Lord, You know me inside out. You know the bottom line is that I do trust You. You also see the tug-of-war that occasionally surfaces. Please help me to "live out" that trust today, that I might bring a smile of pleasure to Your face.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Jesus take the wheel!!
1 Peter 5:5-6 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you."
Carrie Underwood's first big hit, "Jesus Take the Wheel", underscores Peter's message in these familiar verses. As I read them once again, something jumped out at me that I hadn't noticed before. The phrase "casting all your anxiety" describe the process of humbling ourselves before God. If that is true, then holding on to my anxiety and worry is a sign of pride.
Why do I become anxious? Why do I worry? It's usually because something is out of my control, and I want or need to control it. That's pride. God wants me to release my anxiety to Him. After all, He's the only One who can really deal with it. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us that worry is needless, useless, and faithless. If God promises to take care of me and to meet all my needs, why am I so reluctant to let Him do it? I cast my anxiety on Him like I cast a lure on a lake...sure, I throw it out there, but then I reel it back in. God wants me to cut the line...cast it and leave it.
Lord, I do trust You. I believe You can and want to and will take care of every aspect of my life. Please help me to leave my cares with You today, really leave them. Amen.
Carrie Underwood's first big hit, "Jesus Take the Wheel", underscores Peter's message in these familiar verses. As I read them once again, something jumped out at me that I hadn't noticed before. The phrase "casting all your anxiety" describe the process of humbling ourselves before God. If that is true, then holding on to my anxiety and worry is a sign of pride.
Why do I become anxious? Why do I worry? It's usually because something is out of my control, and I want or need to control it. That's pride. God wants me to release my anxiety to Him. After all, He's the only One who can really deal with it. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us that worry is needless, useless, and faithless. If God promises to take care of me and to meet all my needs, why am I so reluctant to let Him do it? I cast my anxiety on Him like I cast a lure on a lake...sure, I throw it out there, but then I reel it back in. God wants me to cut the line...cast it and leave it.
Lord, I do trust You. I believe You can and want to and will take care of every aspect of my life. Please help me to leave my cares with You today, really leave them. Amen.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
You always hurt the one you love...
Prov 27:5-6 "Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a Friend..."
Prov 28:23 "He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue."
Nearly every Saturday morning at 7:00 you'll find me and my dogs at C.J.'s house, ready for a walk. It started 21 years ago when we both realized the need for accountability. Over the years our casual friendship has developed into a "Jonathan-David" relationship. To say we know each other well would be an understatement. What started as a weekly 30 minute jog and prayer time in 1990 is now a 30 minute walk. We talk, listen, pray about anything and everything. Occasionally we ask each other tough, probing questions or make penetrating observations. Sometimes that hurts, but the pain is inflicted in love.
My natural inclination is to hide my foibles and weaknesses, protect myself, but that tends to stunt my spiritual growth. Trusting a close friend allows me to be transparent, vulnerable, to risk hurt. It allows the Holy Spirit to do His work of transforming me into the image of Christ. I desperately want to grow, to become more like Jesus. No pain, no gain. I'm okay with that. Bring it on.
Lord, thank You for giving me friends who care enough about me to be honest. Please help me to be real today.
Prov 28:23 "He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue."
Nearly every Saturday morning at 7:00 you'll find me and my dogs at C.J.'s house, ready for a walk. It started 21 years ago when we both realized the need for accountability. Over the years our casual friendship has developed into a "Jonathan-David" relationship. To say we know each other well would be an understatement. What started as a weekly 30 minute jog and prayer time in 1990 is now a 30 minute walk. We talk, listen, pray about anything and everything. Occasionally we ask each other tough, probing questions or make penetrating observations. Sometimes that hurts, but the pain is inflicted in love.
My natural inclination is to hide my foibles and weaknesses, protect myself, but that tends to stunt my spiritual growth. Trusting a close friend allows me to be transparent, vulnerable, to risk hurt. It allows the Holy Spirit to do His work of transforming me into the image of Christ. I desperately want to grow, to become more like Jesus. No pain, no gain. I'm okay with that. Bring it on.
Lord, thank You for giving me friends who care enough about me to be honest. Please help me to be real today.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Help...I've lost my brain!!
Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me..."
Two days ago I booted up (or attempted to) my laptop and saw a frightening message: "unable to locate boot drive". :-( After several unsuccessful tries, I texted my I.T. friend who gave me some options, but none of them worked. So...for the past few days I've been without my "brains". Finally, this afternoon I am up and running again, working with something of a clean slate. I get to reconfigure all my programs, websites, etc. Time-consuming, but kind of fun.
That happens to me spiritually every once in awhile. I find myself unable to connect with God. Just as the internet was still there over the past few days, so also was God. The problem with the connection was with my "hard drive", my heart. Once I figured that out, my prayer echoed that of David's. Thank God that He is patient, faithful, compassionate, and that He wants the connection to be restored even more than I do! Now I get to "reconfigure my programs", starting with a clean slate, a pure heart.
Thank You, Jesus, for making a way for me to relate to my Heavenly Father. Thanks for helping me to "reboot" my relationship with a pure heart. Amen.
Two days ago I booted up (or attempted to) my laptop and saw a frightening message: "unable to locate boot drive". :-( After several unsuccessful tries, I texted my I.T. friend who gave me some options, but none of them worked. So...for the past few days I've been without my "brains". Finally, this afternoon I am up and running again, working with something of a clean slate. I get to reconfigure all my programs, websites, etc. Time-consuming, but kind of fun.
That happens to me spiritually every once in awhile. I find myself unable to connect with God. Just as the internet was still there over the past few days, so also was God. The problem with the connection was with my "hard drive", my heart. Once I figured that out, my prayer echoed that of David's. Thank God that He is patient, faithful, compassionate, and that He wants the connection to be restored even more than I do! Now I get to "reconfigure my programs", starting with a clean slate, a pure heart.
Thank You, Jesus, for making a way for me to relate to my Heavenly Father. Thanks for helping me to "reboot" my relationship with a pure heart. Amen.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
In what direction does your ear lean??
Proverbs 22:17 "Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips."
We have a 6 month old, cute, Maltipoo puppy named Oliver. Ollie has outstanding hearing and is ADHD to the max! He can't stay focused for more than a few seconds and his head is constantly turning toward whatever catches his attention. Yet, in the midst of all the distractions, when one of us mentions his name, he stops what he's doing, cocks his head, and rushes to us.
I'm somewhat like Oliver, in that I'm constantly distracted by the cacophony of voices vying for my attention. Sometimes lost amidst the noise is the soft voice of the Holy Spirit. I find that when I start my day in conversation with God, I am more likely to pick His voice out from among all the others. I find myself "inclining my ear", leaning toward Him so I don't miss a word of His message.
Lord, I need to hear you today. I'm leaning toward You, anxiously waiting for your voice. Thanks for taking the time out of Your busy day to talk with me. :-)
We have a 6 month old, cute, Maltipoo puppy named Oliver. Ollie has outstanding hearing and is ADHD to the max! He can't stay focused for more than a few seconds and his head is constantly turning toward whatever catches his attention. Yet, in the midst of all the distractions, when one of us mentions his name, he stops what he's doing, cocks his head, and rushes to us.
I'm somewhat like Oliver, in that I'm constantly distracted by the cacophony of voices vying for my attention. Sometimes lost amidst the noise is the soft voice of the Holy Spirit. I find that when I start my day in conversation with God, I am more likely to pick His voice out from among all the others. I find myself "inclining my ear", leaning toward Him so I don't miss a word of His message.
Lord, I need to hear you today. I'm leaning toward You, anxiously waiting for your voice. Thanks for taking the time out of Your busy day to talk with me. :-)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Is your heart out of balance?...
Proverbs 21:2 "Everyone's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."
When confronted, I am quick to justify my choices and actions. If I have messed up, the tendency is to cover up, do damage control. Although everything may look good on the outside, and even if I can convince myself that things are okay, I can't fool God. He knows me inside out and the Holy Spirit cuts through my defenses to evaluate my motives, my intentions in the light of His Word. Too often, He shows me that my heart is out of balance -- it is heavy with my desires and light with His. Uh-oh.
The good news is that God loves me in spite of what He knows about me. He wants me to be transparent, totally honest with Him and with myself. He's teaching me to do my own regular self-evaluation so that I get in the habit of listening to the Spirit and evaluating my decisions based on His revealed will.
God, please help me to listen carefully to You today and to be open and honest with myself and You.
When confronted, I am quick to justify my choices and actions. If I have messed up, the tendency is to cover up, do damage control. Although everything may look good on the outside, and even if I can convince myself that things are okay, I can't fool God. He knows me inside out and the Holy Spirit cuts through my defenses to evaluate my motives, my intentions in the light of His Word. Too often, He shows me that my heart is out of balance -- it is heavy with my desires and light with His. Uh-oh.
The good news is that God loves me in spite of what He knows about me. He wants me to be transparent, totally honest with Him and with myself. He's teaching me to do my own regular self-evaluation so that I get in the habit of listening to the Spirit and evaluating my decisions based on His revealed will.
God, please help me to listen carefully to You today and to be open and honest with myself and You.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
What does God look like?...
John 1:18 "No one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the the Father, He has explained Him." John 14:9 "...he who has seen Me has seen the Father." Colossians 1:15 "...He (Jesus) is the exact representation of the invisible God..."
A 5-year-old was busy drawing a picture of an old man, bald and bearded, when his Sunday School teacher walked over and asked him who he was drawing. "It's God", the boy explained, whereupon the teacher said, "But Johnny, no one knows what God looks like." "They do now.", Johnny answered manner-of-factly.
God is essentially a spirit, so Johnny's teacher was right in saying that no one knows what He looks like. Physically, that is. However, Scripture tells us that in Jesus we discover who God is and what He "looks like"...His character.
Consider this...God is in the process of making us look like Jesus (Rom 8:29). His goal is that people will see Him in us. In a small way, just like Jesus, we too can "explain God", show people what He looks like. Wow!!! Question...what will others think of the "God" they see in you?
Lord, please control my attitudes, my motives, my words and actions so those with whom I interact today might see more of You than of me.
A 5-year-old was busy drawing a picture of an old man, bald and bearded, when his Sunday School teacher walked over and asked him who he was drawing. "It's God", the boy explained, whereupon the teacher said, "But Johnny, no one knows what God looks like." "They do now.", Johnny answered manner-of-factly.
God is essentially a spirit, so Johnny's teacher was right in saying that no one knows what He looks like. Physically, that is. However, Scripture tells us that in Jesus we discover who God is and what He "looks like"...His character.
Consider this...God is in the process of making us look like Jesus (Rom 8:29). His goal is that people will see Him in us. In a small way, just like Jesus, we too can "explain God", show people what He looks like. Wow!!! Question...what will others think of the "God" they see in you?
Lord, please control my attitudes, my motives, my words and actions so those with whom I interact today might see more of You than of me.
Monday, September 19, 2011
It's what's inside that counts...
Proverbs 28:6 "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked, though he be rich."
At our school we diligently attempt to instil the principle that it is what's inside a person that counts. It is an uphill battle, made difficult by the barrage of media messages that proclaim the opposite. Our message runs counter to the American culture, which emphasizes the external. Society values wealth, power, beauty, fame, athletic prowess. How often such people, who are sought after and admired, disappoint us.
God's Word says that integrity is of much more value than wealth. A person's worth is based on his character, his uprightness, not his balance sheet. When you need a friend, to whom would you turn... an obscure person you can trust or a famous person who is shallow and pretentious?
Lord, I want to be a person whose word is trustworthy, whose walk with God is consistent, whose heart is pure. Please help me to be more like that today.
At our school we diligently attempt to instil the principle that it is what's inside a person that counts. It is an uphill battle, made difficult by the barrage of media messages that proclaim the opposite. Our message runs counter to the American culture, which emphasizes the external. Society values wealth, power, beauty, fame, athletic prowess. How often such people, who are sought after and admired, disappoint us.
God's Word says that integrity is of much more value than wealth. A person's worth is based on his character, his uprightness, not his balance sheet. When you need a friend, to whom would you turn... an obscure person you can trust or a famous person who is shallow and pretentious?
Lord, I want to be a person whose word is trustworthy, whose walk with God is consistent, whose heart is pure. Please help me to be more like that today.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Are you a casual or a committed friend?...
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
We've all been through tough times. One of the byproducts of adversity is revealing who your true friends are. I remember being surprised at who stood with me and who turned the other way when I was in a difficult situation. It was the loyalty, strength, compassion, honesty, wisdom, and discernment of a few close friends that got me through.
Friendship is a commitment. Just like the marriage vows say, "for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...", friends stick with each other. Adversity strengthens the bond, deepens the relationship.
I thank God for my friends, particularly for my best friend - my wife. God is gracious to give us the gift of these special people.
Lord, please help me to be a loyal friend. Keep me from taking these relationships for granted. Show me how to express my appreciation to them. Amen.
We've all been through tough times. One of the byproducts of adversity is revealing who your true friends are. I remember being surprised at who stood with me and who turned the other way when I was in a difficult situation. It was the loyalty, strength, compassion, honesty, wisdom, and discernment of a few close friends that got me through.
Friendship is a commitment. Just like the marriage vows say, "for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...", friends stick with each other. Adversity strengthens the bond, deepens the relationship.
I thank God for my friends, particularly for my best friend - my wife. God is gracious to give us the gift of these special people.
Lord, please help me to be a loyal friend. Keep me from taking these relationships for granted. Show me how to express my appreciation to them. Amen.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Father knows best...
Proverbs 16:9 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."
We have done a few "remodels" on our house over the last 32 years. Each time I was "owner-builder". Designing the projects and drawing the plans was one of my favorite phases. Joan and I had great ideas, but before we could implement them, we had to submit to a "plan check". The city planner asked questions, made suggestions, and requested revisions so our project would meet the codes and regulations.
My life is like that. Too often I make plans and assume God will "rubber stamp" them, not making allowances for His revisions. I need to submit my plans to Him and honestly ask Him for input. I need to humbly, enthusiastically embrace His revisions, trusting that the Father knows best. :-)
Father, You know my plans for this day. Please help me to hear You clearly as You make adjustments that will better accomplish Your plan. Amen.
We have done a few "remodels" on our house over the last 32 years. Each time I was "owner-builder". Designing the projects and drawing the plans was one of my favorite phases. Joan and I had great ideas, but before we could implement them, we had to submit to a "plan check". The city planner asked questions, made suggestions, and requested revisions so our project would meet the codes and regulations.
My life is like that. Too often I make plans and assume God will "rubber stamp" them, not making allowances for His revisions. I need to submit my plans to Him and honestly ask Him for input. I need to humbly, enthusiastically embrace His revisions, trusting that the Father knows best. :-)
Father, You know my plans for this day. Please help me to hear You clearly as You make adjustments that will better accomplish Your plan. Amen.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Are you Eeyore or Tigger??
Proverbs 15:15 "All of the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast."
My attitude, my outlook, colors everything I experience. It's a choice to see things as a victim or as a victor. Outward circumstances don't determine my outlook. That comes from within, from my heart. I see people whose situation seems hopeless, yet they are joyful. Ont the other hand, I see people who experience minor setbacks or discomfort and you would think it was the end of the world.
With whom would you rather associate? Who has the better testimony? Who will you chose to be today> Will you be Eeyore or will you be Tigger?
Lord, let my smile be genuine today, radiating from a grateful heart that overflows with peace and joy.
My attitude, my outlook, colors everything I experience. It's a choice to see things as a victim or as a victor. Outward circumstances don't determine my outlook. That comes from within, from my heart. I see people whose situation seems hopeless, yet they are joyful. Ont the other hand, I see people who experience minor setbacks or discomfort and you would think it was the end of the world.
With whom would you rather associate? Who has the better testimony? Who will you chose to be today> Will you be Eeyore or will you be Tigger?
Lord, let my smile be genuine today, radiating from a grateful heart that overflows with peace and joy.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Where there's Milk, there's Manure....
Proverbs 14:4 "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox."
I love to work with wood. I have a workshop in my garage and I love to build things. It is relaxing and refreshing for me to design and build a cabinet or piece of furniture. There's a sense of pride and satisfaction with the finished product. But... there's also a cost involved. When I'm building, my shop gets messy. Cutting wood produces a lot of sawdust and scraps.
My shop would be much neater if I never flipped the power switch on my table saw, but I wouldn't get anything built either. So it is with life, both individually and corporately. Status quo is neat and clean. Growth is messy. Misunderstandings, hurt feelings, frustrations are byproducts of change. As we move forward, we must be diligent to regularly "muck out the stalls" - working at maintaining relationships. Managing growth successfully requires sensitivity, patience, forgiveness, and seeking forgiveness.
Lord, I don't want to stay the same. I want to continue to grow and change. Please help me today to be both focused and sensitive, aware of those around me. Please use me.
I love to work with wood. I have a workshop in my garage and I love to build things. It is relaxing and refreshing for me to design and build a cabinet or piece of furniture. There's a sense of pride and satisfaction with the finished product. But... there's also a cost involved. When I'm building, my shop gets messy. Cutting wood produces a lot of sawdust and scraps.
My shop would be much neater if I never flipped the power switch on my table saw, but I wouldn't get anything built either. So it is with life, both individually and corporately. Status quo is neat and clean. Growth is messy. Misunderstandings, hurt feelings, frustrations are byproducts of change. As we move forward, we must be diligent to regularly "muck out the stalls" - working at maintaining relationships. Managing growth successfully requires sensitivity, patience, forgiveness, and seeking forgiveness.
Lord, I don't want to stay the same. I want to continue to grow and change. Please help me today to be both focused and sensitive, aware of those around me. Please use me.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Be careful....Your friends are infectious...
Prov 13:20 "He who walks with wise men will become wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers." 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived, evil companions corrupt good morals.:
When I was a little boy, the moms in our neighborhood had a practice that may or may not have been wise. Whenever one of us would get sick with the mumps, measles, chicken pox, or other contagious illness, they would get us together so we would all be exposed. Their thinking was that it would be good for us all to be sick at the same time and get those "childhood diseases" out of our system.
Just like exposure to chicken pox will most likely result in my getting sick, so the thinking, attitudes, behavior, and reputation of my friends are contagious. I will most likely become like those with whom I regularly associate. While I must rub shoulders with and relate to non-Believers, God consistently tells me to be careful in choosing my friends.
Lord, thank You for giving me friends who hold me accountable and who help me stay on the right path. You keep using them to bless me. Please use me to bless them today.
When I was a little boy, the moms in our neighborhood had a practice that may or may not have been wise. Whenever one of us would get sick with the mumps, measles, chicken pox, or other contagious illness, they would get us together so we would all be exposed. Their thinking was that it would be good for us all to be sick at the same time and get those "childhood diseases" out of our system.
Just like exposure to chicken pox will most likely result in my getting sick, so the thinking, attitudes, behavior, and reputation of my friends are contagious. I will most likely become like those with whom I regularly associate. While I must rub shoulders with and relate to non-Believers, God consistently tells me to be careful in choosing my friends.
Lord, thank You for giving me friends who hold me accountable and who help me stay on the right path. You keep using them to bless me. Please use me to bless them today.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The power of a good word...
Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad." Isaiah 50:4 "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary..."
I can remember a few times when I was so discouraged, so low that I "had to look up to look down." In each of those instances, God sent a friend to listen and to speak a timely word of encouragement. God moved that person to come to me; God gave him the words to say. Fortunately for me, my friend was "tuned in" to the Holy Spirit and chose to respond in obedience to His prompting. What a difference it made in my life!
Is someone you know hurting? Is God prompting you to do something? Has He given you a word of encouragement to share? Don't rush by those opportunities. It may not be an appropriate time to go to the person, but thank God for the multiple means of communication. Email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, texting...even as a last resort, the telephone or a hand-written note! :-)
Lord, I know You want to use me to encourage someone today. Please give me an open ear, a discerning heart, and a willing spirit. I want to make a difference.
I can remember a few times when I was so discouraged, so low that I "had to look up to look down." In each of those instances, God sent a friend to listen and to speak a timely word of encouragement. God moved that person to come to me; God gave him the words to say. Fortunately for me, my friend was "tuned in" to the Holy Spirit and chose to respond in obedience to His prompting. What a difference it made in my life!
Is someone you know hurting? Is God prompting you to do something? Has He given you a word of encouragement to share? Don't rush by those opportunities. It may not be an appropriate time to go to the person, but thank God for the multiple means of communication. Email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, texting...even as a last resort, the telephone or a hand-written note! :-)
Lord, I know You want to use me to encourage someone today. Please give me an open ear, a discerning heart, and a willing spirit. I want to make a difference.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
How deep do your roots go?...
Proverbs 12:3 "A man will not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will not be moved." Proverbs 10:25 "...the righteous has an everlasting foundation."
A few years ago I was determined to remove a yucca tree from our front yard. Having hacked away the trunk, I was just left with the easy part -- pulling out the stump. Easy part? I don't think so! I dug and dug. I bent a 2 inch-thick pry bar. Finally I attached a heavy duty tow strap from the stump to my truck. I put it into gear, hit the gas, and snapped the tow strap. :-( That was one tough stump!
Solomon likens a Believer, a "righteous one", to that yucca tree. It says our roots will not be moved; we will not easily be shaken. In other passages he likens us to a building whose foundation is solid and enduring.
Hurricanes will rage. Earthquakes will shake and sift us. Tornadoes will tear up the landscape. Life is full of storms... cancer...lay-offs...financial distress...disintegrating relationships. Are you rooted deeply in the Word, anchored to His promises? Is your foundation built upon the bedrock of His unchanging character...His unlimited mercy and grace?
Lord, thank You that my security is not dependent upon me and my resources, but in You alone...in your faithfulness. Help me to trust you on my own behalf and on behalf of those I love.
A few years ago I was determined to remove a yucca tree from our front yard. Having hacked away the trunk, I was just left with the easy part -- pulling out the stump. Easy part? I don't think so! I dug and dug. I bent a 2 inch-thick pry bar. Finally I attached a heavy duty tow strap from the stump to my truck. I put it into gear, hit the gas, and snapped the tow strap. :-( That was one tough stump!
Solomon likens a Believer, a "righteous one", to that yucca tree. It says our roots will not be moved; we will not easily be shaken. In other passages he likens us to a building whose foundation is solid and enduring.
Hurricanes will rage. Earthquakes will shake and sift us. Tornadoes will tear up the landscape. Life is full of storms... cancer...lay-offs...financial distress...disintegrating relationships. Are you rooted deeply in the Word, anchored to His promises? Is your foundation built upon the bedrock of His unchanging character...His unlimited mercy and grace?
Lord, thank You that my security is not dependent upon me and my resources, but in You alone...in your faithfulness. Help me to trust you on my own behalf and on behalf of those I love.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
How's your virus protection?...
Prov 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
One of my "dreads" is a virus-infected computer. So much of my life is on my laptop. It makes my feel a little more secure each time I see the message, "scanning for viruses". There's a little sentry somewhere inside my computer checking everyone's credentials, and he's not about to let an imposter get in. That's not technologically accurate, but it's the picture in my mind. :-)
The Hebrew word for "guard" is the military term for a sentry, a soldier tasked with keeping things secure, keeping the bad guys out. It is, in a sense, anti-virus protection. Just like the computer hackers and other techno-bad-guys who strategize to infect my computer, Satan and his minions are constantly trying to find ways to infiltrate my heart. He likes nothing more than to distract me, confuse me, distort God's message. It was that way in the beginning in the Garden with Eve and it hasn't changed over the centuries.
How do I guard my heart? It's very basic. Keep short accounts with God...don't let sin and guilt linger. Keep "prayed-up"...have regular conversations with God. It helps me to distinguish His voice from the Devil's. Read His Word regularly...it makes it harder for the Deceiver to distort the message. Have an "accountability partner", someone trustworthy with whom I can be transparently honest and who will not let me get by with anything. Fellowship with other believers...praise and worship are "good infections"!
Lord, thank you for all the many "virus protections" You provide for me. Please help me to keep up to date!
One of my "dreads" is a virus-infected computer. So much of my life is on my laptop. It makes my feel a little more secure each time I see the message, "scanning for viruses". There's a little sentry somewhere inside my computer checking everyone's credentials, and he's not about to let an imposter get in. That's not technologically accurate, but it's the picture in my mind. :-)
The Hebrew word for "guard" is the military term for a sentry, a soldier tasked with keeping things secure, keeping the bad guys out. It is, in a sense, anti-virus protection. Just like the computer hackers and other techno-bad-guys who strategize to infect my computer, Satan and his minions are constantly trying to find ways to infiltrate my heart. He likes nothing more than to distract me, confuse me, distort God's message. It was that way in the beginning in the Garden with Eve and it hasn't changed over the centuries.
How do I guard my heart? It's very basic. Keep short accounts with God...don't let sin and guilt linger. Keep "prayed-up"...have regular conversations with God. It helps me to distinguish His voice from the Devil's. Read His Word regularly...it makes it harder for the Deceiver to distort the message. Have an "accountability partner", someone trustworthy with whom I can be transparently honest and who will not let me get by with anything. Fellowship with other believers...praise and worship are "good infections"!
Lord, thank you for all the many "virus protections" You provide for me. Please help me to keep up to date!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A habit I don't want to kick...
Proverbs 6:20-23 "...observe the commandment of your father...bind them continually on your heart...they will guide you...watch over you...talk to you...for the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life."
You think GPS is cool? I once had a 1956 Chevy that had "auto pilot"! When I was in college, every evening around 5:30 p.m. it would automatically navigate to my girlfriend's house. Joan and her mom were terrific cooks and somehow I was always "in the neighborhood" at dinner time. It happened so regularly that they began setting a place for me at the table each evening.
God wants us to have an "auto pilot" of sorts...He wants us to habitually, automatically navigate to a daily "quiet time" with Him. For me,it's early morning. I'm in my study at 5 a.m., cup of coffee in one hand, Bible on my lap, ready to spend some time with Him... and He's always there first, waiting for me! Don't get me wrong...I don't necessarily look forward to the alarm sounding at 4:30. Just like I craved those daily meals at Joan's house, I love my daily time with God. It's what frames my day. It gives me fresh perspective and sets the tone for all that I will do. It opens my heart and my ears to His Word. It "tunes me in" to the voice of His Spirit. It helps me to see the path ahead more clearly.
Lord, thank You for wanting to meet with me each morning. Thank You for always showing up, even when I don't. Thank You for the day You've planned for me today. I'm ready to follow Your lead.
You think GPS is cool? I once had a 1956 Chevy that had "auto pilot"! When I was in college, every evening around 5:30 p.m. it would automatically navigate to my girlfriend's house. Joan and her mom were terrific cooks and somehow I was always "in the neighborhood" at dinner time. It happened so regularly that they began setting a place for me at the table each evening.
God wants us to have an "auto pilot" of sorts...He wants us to habitually, automatically navigate to a daily "quiet time" with Him. For me,it's early morning. I'm in my study at 5 a.m., cup of coffee in one hand, Bible on my lap, ready to spend some time with Him... and He's always there first, waiting for me! Don't get me wrong...I don't necessarily look forward to the alarm sounding at 4:30. Just like I craved those daily meals at Joan's house, I love my daily time with God. It's what frames my day. It gives me fresh perspective and sets the tone for all that I will do. It opens my heart and my ears to His Word. It "tunes me in" to the voice of His Spirit. It helps me to see the path ahead more clearly.
Lord, thank You for wanting to meet with me each morning. Thank You for always showing up, even when I don't. Thank You for the day You've planned for me today. I'm ready to follow Your lead.
Monday, September 5, 2011
He's watching...He cares!
Prov 5:21 "For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and H watches all his paths."
I must have been six or seven and I had a sweet tooth. I also knew where my mom hid the candy. It was in the left upper kitchen cabinet on the right hand side of the second shelf. Sure, it was high, but not out of reach for a hungry, determined little boy. I waited until she was busy in the other room, scooted a chair to the counter, and climbed up. Looking around, I quickly grabbed a handful of M&Ms, scrambled down and put the chair back in place. I escaped to my bedroom and devoured my stolen loot. Later that day, mom causally asked if I had enjoyed the candy. How could she have known? For the next few years I was convinced that she knew every move I made!
Believing that my mom knew what I was doing influenced my decision making. It occasionally kept me out of trouble, as I didn't want to disappoint her and I didn't want to be punished. As I grew up, I learned that she wasn't omniscient after all.
I did, however, become intimately acquainted with One, a facet of whose character is that He is all-knowing. There is a wonderful sense of security and protection in the realization that I cannot hide from God. Psalm 139 says that He is behind, ahead, below, and above me. He knows me inside out and He observes my coming and going. Understanding this helps me to make wise choices and keeps me on the right path most of the time. The closer I become to Him, the more I sense His presence, and the better I am able to discern His directions.
Thank you, Lord, for caring enough about me to notice me. Please let me feel Your presence with me today; let me follow You closely throughout the day. Amen.
I must have been six or seven and I had a sweet tooth. I also knew where my mom hid the candy. It was in the left upper kitchen cabinet on the right hand side of the second shelf. Sure, it was high, but not out of reach for a hungry, determined little boy. I waited until she was busy in the other room, scooted a chair to the counter, and climbed up. Looking around, I quickly grabbed a handful of M&Ms, scrambled down and put the chair back in place. I escaped to my bedroom and devoured my stolen loot. Later that day, mom causally asked if I had enjoyed the candy. How could she have known? For the next few years I was convinced that she knew every move I made!
Believing that my mom knew what I was doing influenced my decision making. It occasionally kept me out of trouble, as I didn't want to disappoint her and I didn't want to be punished. As I grew up, I learned that she wasn't omniscient after all.
I did, however, become intimately acquainted with One, a facet of whose character is that He is all-knowing. There is a wonderful sense of security and protection in the realization that I cannot hide from God. Psalm 139 says that He is behind, ahead, below, and above me. He knows me inside out and He observes my coming and going. Understanding this helps me to make wise choices and keeps me on the right path most of the time. The closer I become to Him, the more I sense His presence, and the better I am able to discern His directions.
Thank you, Lord, for caring enough about me to notice me. Please let me feel Your presence with me today; let me follow You closely throughout the day. Amen.
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