Oh, what a good boy am I ... or am I?

2 Chronicles 32:22 -25  "So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. And many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

"In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

"Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart."

Hezekiah is described in Scripture as having been one of Judah's godliest kings, a man who, like David, served The Lord wholeheartedly.  As a result, God blessed him beyond measure.  Because Hezekiah was humble of heart, he was the recipient of miraculous intervention by God.  Even though he foolishly sought help by allying himself with Egypt, God rescued Jerusalem by destroying the Assyrian army overnight.  When Hezekiah became mortally ill, God healed him and extended his life by fifteen years.

How did Hezekiah respond to God's miracles?  The king of Babylon heard how The Lord had blessed Hezekiah and sent envoys to learn more about it.  Rather than simply giving God credit, Hezekiah pridefully displayed all of the treasures in his kingdom, thus setting the stage for the coming Babylon invasion.  After being miraculously healed, he didn't even say thank you.

It reminds me of a nursery rhyme I learned as an infant.  "Little Jack Horner sat in a corner eating his Christmas pie.  He stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum, and said, 'Oh what a good boy am I.'"

How many times is it like that with me?  It is so easy for me to take God's blessings for granted and to assume credit for what He has done.  I don't want to be like that.  I need to be like our students on the playground when they hear the supervisor's whistle.  They're trained to "stop, drop, and listen".  I need to do that periodically throughout the day.  Periodically I should hit the "pause button", direct my attention to the Holy Spirit, and thankfully reflect on what God is doing in and around me.

Dear Lord, I confess to You that I too often get so caught up in my goals and busy-ness that I completely ignore You.  When You answer prayers and bring unexpected success, it is easy to receive the credit rather than to direct it towards You.  I pray that You will develop within me a heart of humility and gratitude.  Remind me today to pause and recognize Your hand in the day's events.  I do love You.  Let my attitude, words, and actions demonstrate that today.  Amen.

I can do it myself!...or can I?

2 Chronicles 18:1     "Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and allied himself in marriage with Ahab."

2 Chronicles 19:2    "And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, 'Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate the LORD, and so bring wrath on yourself from the LORD?'
Nevertheless there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land, and you have set your  heart to seek God.  And Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers."

I remember driving on the 710 Freeway one foggy night in the 1960's with my cousin Johnnie.  The fog was so thick, we could barely see the road, and we became disoriented.  I was sure we were headed north.  As we proceeded ever so cautiously, Johnnie had his head out the window so he could help me navigate.  He was able to make out some of the offramp signs and, according to them, we were headed south, not north.  I was so sure of myself that I argued with him, saying the signs must be wrong.  How foolish!  I finally got off the freeway and drove back in the opposite direction.

It's like that in life sometimes.  King Jehosophat had a heart to serve God, and God blessed him abundantly.  After awhile, Jehosophat became full of himself, "disoriented", and made some poor choices, one of which was to depend upon a military alliance rather than to depend on God.  And, to make matters worse, he allied himself with the most wicked king in history.

After a battle in which God rescued Jehosophat and punished Ahab, a man of God reprimanded the king for his foolishness.  Fortunately, Jehosophat took the confrontation to heart and once again led his people back to The Lord.

Like Jehosophat (and many others in Scripture), I find it easy to take God's provision and protection for granted.  As my sense of dependence and my gratitude wane, a deceptive feeling of self-sufficiency arises.  That's when I get in trouble.  I think I can fix things, handle situations, solve my own problems, chart my own course. And, of course, I can't. That's when God steps in.

How thankful I am that God looks beyond my foolishness and sees my heart.  He knows that I love Him and want to serve Him.  Because of that, He chooses to discipline me rather than to destroy me.  Hebrews 12:3-13 speaks of the process.  God disciplines us "for our good" and as we respond humbly and obediently, it "yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

Dear Lord, I am so grateful that You see beyond my sometimes foolish choices and reactions, and you look at my heart.  Thank You that You don't allow me to  continue in a wrong direction.  Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit and for surrounding me with a wife and good friends who help keep me in check.  I do love You with my whole heart.  Please let my words, attitude, and actions reflect it today. I can't do it myself.  I need You!  Amen.

Faith, Obedience, Provision...

1 Kings 17:1  "Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.'"

1 Kings 17:2-4  "The word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.  It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.'"

1 Kings 17:8-9  "Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'"

1 Kings 17:13-16 "Then Elijah said to her, 'Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.  For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'"  So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.  The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah."

Matthew 6:33  "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Have you ever been at the end of your rope, your resources exhausted, your hope having nearly faded away?  To say the least, it's a frightening, uncomfortable place to be.  It can also be a place of great blessing and renewed faith.

I was reading about Elijah this morning.  He appears abruptly in 1 Kings 17 and makes a startling proclamation to Ahab, the most degenerate, evil king Israel would ever have.  He proclaimed an impending draught (and subsequent famine) that would last years.  Then he left town.

Over the next few years Elijah's faith was tested to the breaking point;  he became so discouraged that he just wanted to die.  Have you been there?

God's commands sometimes don't make sense.  He told Elijah to go to a stream in the desert where some ravens would bring him food twice a day.  Then, when the stream dried up, he sent him to a poor widow who was about to starve to death, and said she would feed him.  Elijah found the widow preparing her last meal and asked her to feed him first.

Each time, as Elijah, and then the woman, trusted God's word and obeyed, God miraculously provided for them.  In faith they ignored common sense and did what God said to do, and He kept His promise.

Oh, how that encourages me!  Even though I have experienced the truth of these words many times over the years, I need to hear them again.  Every time I encounter a similar situation, it feels like its the first time.  The Enemy tries to get me so focused on the present crisis that I don't remember His faithfulness in times past.  Fortunately, the Holy Spirit gently brings to mind those previous experiences and uses them to strengthen my faith enough to trust my Father today.

Dear Lord, thank You for telling me about people like Elijah and the desperate widow of Zarephath.  Thank You for using them to renew and strengthen my faith.  Please, Holy Spirit, keep reminding me of the Father's faithfulness in my life; keep me ever thankful and trusting.  Help me to follow You today, one step at a time.  Amen

It's a matter of heart...

1 Samuel 16:7  "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Acts 13:22 "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'"

1 Kings 15:5 "...because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite."

1 Kings 9:4 "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances..."

Lately I've been spending time in the Old Testament, reading through Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.  In all six of those books, one name stands out among all others... David.  The second of Israel's kings, he is the standard against which all who follow are measured.  They either walked in the way of David or they didn't.

What was it about David that set him apart, that caused God to esteem him so highly?  It was his heart.  From his youth through his old age, David loved God wholeheartedly.  His heart revealed humility, dependence, and trust; it produced obedience, courage, and faithfulness.

I was encouraged by the description in 1 Kings 15:5 where David's life was summed up as one of integrity of heart, uprightness, and consistent obedience.  The only sin mentioned was his murder of Uriah.  But that wasn't David's only misstep.  As I read about his reign, there are numerous times when he doesn't get it right, when he acts presumptuously and is disciplined by The Lord. Yet, in his description of David, God seems to overlook them.

What was it about David's heart that set him apart from all others?  I believe it was tenderness.  Yes, David sinned.  But when his sin was revealed, he was heart-broken and repentant.  Just read Psalm 51 and you'll see.  It was that tenderness and transparency before God that kept David's relationship with Him strong and vibrant.

How that encourages me!  David's life is a living testimony to the truth of 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When The Lord summarizes my life, I hope He will say that I walked in the way of David, in integrity of heart and uprightness.  It's all a matter of heart!

Lord, I am so grateful that you have given me a new heart, one whose sole purpose is to honor You.  Please, Holy Spirit, protect my heart today from anything that would distract me from that goal.  Help me to listen carefully for Your voice, to discern it from all of the others that vie for my attention.  I want to be a "man after God's heart."  Amen.

I know, but...

1 John 5:20  "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, guard yourselves from idols."

1 Thessalonians 1:9  "... you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God..."

Proverbs 4:23  "Guard your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."

John uses the phrase, "we know..." quite often in his Epistle.  In this verse he uses three different words that give different shades of meaning to the concept of "knowing".  The first ("we know that the Son of God has come") carries the sense of acquiring information; it has the idea of certainty, of conviction.  The second word ("understanding") literally means "thinking through", and speaks of how the pieces of information (knowledge) relate or fit together.  The third word ("that we may know Him") has to do with relationship, the idea of getting to know someone.  It has a sense of progression; of a deepening intimacy through personal experience.

All three words together describe a Believer's life of faith.  We have come to a settled conviction regarding the Gospel Message.  The Message rings true, makes sense, as the Holy Spirit helps us think through the various aspects of Gospel Truth.  This conviction and understanding lead us into a relationship with Jesus and, as we walk in faith and obedience, we get to know him better every day.

John describes our relationship with our Lord eloquently, but then he concludes his letter with a caution that troubles me.  He warns us to guard ourselves from idols.  How could I, knowing, understanding, and experiencing the Grace of God, turn away to an idol?

The Holy Spirit knows me all too well.  He knows my inclinations, my weaknesses, my vulnerabilities.  And He is not the only one with that knowledge.  Satan sees them too, and he is constantly seeking opportunities to distract my attention, to turn me towards other things.  Anything that turns me from God, that shifts my focus and pulls my allegiance away  becomes an idol.

An idol can be a person, a passion, a position, a problem, or a possession.  It can vary from person to person and from one stage of life to another.  The point John makes is that idols are all around us, vying for our attention.  Resisting them requires vigilance.  It takes me back to Moses' charge to his successor, Joshua: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8)

Dear Father, thank You for living in me through the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for His promptings, warnings, and encouragement.  Please help me to keep alert today, that I might recognize the enemy's ploys.  I want my focus to be fixed on You and Your will for me.  I want to know You more!  Amen.

Speak up!

Acts 4:8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people..."    13... Now as they observed the boldness of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Acts 4:29 "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all boldness"... 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness....

Acts 28: 31  Paul was preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered.

Ephesians 3: 12 in whom (Jesus) we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

Ephesians 6:19-20.  And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Philippians 1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Hebrews 4: 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence (boldness) to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 10: 35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.

1 John 2:28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have boldness and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

1 John 3:21 -22 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

1 John 5:14  This is the boldness which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Let me introduce you to Chris.  Chris was a 2nd grader who, like many boys his age, had difficulty with self-control.  For awhile he was a frequent visitor to my office, usually after a playground scuffle.  He would shuffle in, head down, his eyes averted from mine, and he would respond to my questions with a timid, barely audible mumble.  I always had to tell him to speak up.  One Friday  (Chris having been sent to my office five times that week) I left for lunch, telling Him that I didn't want to see him in the office again unless it was good news.  Upon my return, there was Chris.  He was seated on the office bench with another little boy.  I walked past them and, when I reached my office door, I turned and asked, "Tell me Chris, is it good news or bad news?"  He looked up, his face brightened, his smile beamed, he pointed to the other boy and boldly, cheerfully proclaimed, "It's good news, Mr. Brown!  It's him!"  Chris was there as a witness instead of the perpetrator and it made all the difference in his demeanor.  No need to remind him to speak up.

Boldness, confidence, the ability to speak freely.  The New Testament writers use that word 33 times.  It describes Jesus as He interacted with His enemies.  We're told that it should describe how we share the Good News with others and how we approach our Heavenly Father, both in prayer and when we stand before Him face-to-face "on the other side."

Unfortunately that word doesn't consistently describe me in either situation.  So, what makes the difference?  Why do I sometimes mumble like Chris-in-trouble and other times speak boldly?  According to Scripture, it has to do with my being controlled by the Holy Spirit.  When I purposefully begin my day in prayer, conversing with my Father, asking for His guidance, yielding my will to His, the Holy Spirit responds by transforming timidness into confidence, fear into boldness.  That is when others notice, as with Peter and John, that I have been with Jesus.

Dear Lord, I want to speak up for You today.  I know that's Your plan, so I confidently ask You for boldness as I interact with those whom You lead  across my path.  Holy Spirit, please guide my conversations so others can see Jesus in me. Thank You! Amen.

Overcoming... Simple, but not Easy

1 John 5:4 - 5. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.  Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

"Easy to assemble". "No tools required". "Assemble in minutes!"  I tremble with frustration whenever I read those words.  I remember the hours it took to assemble a Christmas toy for my children.  The step-by-step instructions were simple, but following them wasn't easy!

I sometimes find myself feeling that way regarding my walk with Jesus.  The message is simple.  All I need to do is believe Who He is and What He has done on my behalf.  That makes me an "Overcomer".  It opens the door to all of those glorious promises John referred to in the Book of Revelation.  It assures my place in Heaven with my Savior (1 John 5:13).  Simple.

Believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.  How hard can that be?!!  It's all wrapped up in the word "believe". That simple concept involves every aspect of my life.  It's not merely intellectually assenting to the truth of a statement.  The word implies complete, total trust in the Person of Jesus.  It means turning over the control of my life - my hopes, ambitions, desires, decisions, lifestyle... everything - to Him.  That's not so easy!

There is a constant power struggle raging in my soul.  Although I long ago relinquished control of my life to the Holy Spirit, my self-will still tries to wrest it from Him.  It is usually not a conscious decision on my part.
I simply move forward with my daily plans, forgetting to "check in" with Him.  Sometimes He tries to get my attention and I ignore Him.

So, how can I be an Overcomer today?  How can I consistently live out my faith over the next 18 hours?  It's simple.  Really!  I just do what I'm doing right now.  Start the day with Him.  Read, think about, meditate on the Word of God. Open my calendar and consciously turn it over to Him, asking the Holy Spirit to make me sensitive to unwritten appointments He may have scheduled.  Beginning my day on my knees helps me to walk the path Jesus has already marked for me.  Simple, but not so easy.

Thank You, Jesus, not only for what You have done for me, but for what You promise to do today.  Thank You, Holy Spirit for Your promptings, Your guidance.  Please help me to listen well and check in with You often.  I can't wait to get started!  Amen.