Tag: bible

God Promises Freedom. Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1-15 English Standard Version

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,[b] still preach [c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Freedom Found in Faith

As we immerse ourselves in the profound wisdom of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we are immediately confronted with the idea of liberty.

This liberty, Paul tells us, is not a worldly freedom, but a spiritual one.

It’s a freedom that Christ has granted us, a freedom that we are urged to stand firm in.

This is not a freedom that comes from our own efforts or deeds, but a freedom that is found in faith.

In the world we live in, we often associate freedom with the ability to do as we please.

But the freedom that Paul speaks of is not a license for self-indulgence.

It’s a freedom from the bondage of sin, a freedom from the law, a freedom that allows us to live in the Spirit.

This freedom is not something we earn or achieve, but something we receive through faith in Christ.

Paul warns us not to become entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

This bondage, he explains, is the law.

The law, in this context, refers to the Old Testament laws that the Jews were required to follow.

These laws were numerous and meticulous, covering every aspect of life.

But they were also impossible to keep perfectly.

As a result, those who tried to live by the law were constantly in a state of guilt and condemnation.

But Christ has set us free from this bondage.

Through His death and resurrection, He has fulfilled the law on our behalf.

We are no longer required to live by the law, but by faith in Christ.

This faith is not a passive belief, but an active trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

It’s a faith that acknowledges our inability to save ourselves and our total dependence on Christ for salvation.

As we live by this faith, we experience a freedom that is both liberating and transforming.

We are liberated from the guilt and condemnation of the law, and we are transformed into the likeness of Christ.

This transformation is not a result of our own efforts, but the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit, which includes these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

This freedom, however, is not an excuse for self-indulgence.

Paul warns us not to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

The flesh, in this context, refers to our sinful nature, our natural inclination to sin.

If we use our freedom as an excuse to indulge in sinful behaviors, we are not truly living in the freedom that Christ has given us.

Instead, we are abusing this freedom and turning it into a form of bondage.

Instead, Paul urges us to use our freedom to serve one another in love.

This is the essence of Christian freedom.

It’s not freedom for self, but freedom for others.

It’s a freedom that compels us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to put their needs above our own, to serve them with the love of Christ.

This is the freedom that Christ has called us to, a freedom that is found in faith, a freedom that is lived out in love.

True Faith Leads to Freedom Leads to Humble Service

Galatians 5:13-15 The Message

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Paul was astonished at how quickly the Galatian believers were giving up on the gospel he had brought.

And it wasn’t for an easier freedom; people were going back to being burdened with rules and rituals.

Apostle Paul’s message: the freedom bought by Christ’s blood must not be forsaken so quickly and so readily.

It’s infinitely too precious!

It’s a freedom designed to lead to showing Christ’s love to others by humbly serving in whatever ways we are gifted.

Living as people who are freed in Christ, we’re called to walk the “narrow road,” avoiding the ditches of legalism on one side. lawlessness on the other.

Either ditch leads us astray.

Either ditch leads us directly into the stagnant waters and the mud within it.

There might even me a million mosquitos per square inch and a snake or two!

Freed from sin’s yoke, we’re free to serve neighbors—showing Christ’s love!

In doing so, we humbly honor God for the precious freedom we have in Christ.

When we serve one another in love, we’re following Christ’s example and we are obeying his command (John 13:34-35).

John 13:34-35 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This can include a willingness to literally go the extra mile and take someone to an appointment for example.

Or to mentor a teenager, young adult, or do outreach, or teach Sunday school.

Or to serve in another way we are gifted.

Fueled by grace, our freedom leads to serving others gracefully.

Led by God’s Spirit, we’ll find ways to express our freedom by being a blessing.

And in doing so, we too are blessed!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Gloating: When we simply cannot get along, or simply refuse to get along with someone. Proverbs 24:17-18

Proverbs 24:17-18 New International Version

Saying 28

17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
    when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
    and turn his wrath away from them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Love Thy Neighbor as You Love Thy God and Savior?

We don’t often think of people in terms of enemies and foes, and so when we come to read and study verses like these in Proverbs it may be hard to relate.

For this reason, let me bring it down to a level you may understand.

Are there people in your life who you just don’t like or really can’t get along with or refuse to get along with? Does that hit a more realistic nerve for you? 

While you may not call someone an enemy, I can be certain you the reader can name some people in your life you just don’t any have warm, fuzzy feelings for.

In all walks of life, you are going to encounter people that are hard to like and hard to root for and easier to hate with every kind of passion you can think of.

I usually get along with everyone yet there was this one person who really got so deep under my skin to the point that I just did not want to be around him.

I will spare you the details of why this person impacted me in this fashion.

Recently I discovered that life did not work out so well for this person, and when I heard what happened, my first reaction was, I am not very surprised.

I didn’t realize it at that moment but what I was doing was gloating.

One definition of gloating is when you find some kind of pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, to show in an annoying way that you are proud of your own success or excessively, expressively happy about someone else’s failure and I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but that is exactly what I was doing. 

The hypocritical nature of gloating is sometimes we wrap our gloating and mix it with highest praise, even mightily thanking God for the calamity or trouble of the person we don’t like because they we feel they mightily deserved all of it.

After all, they messed with me, and I am a child of the king.

Yet when we lay our hearts before Scripture and come to verses like these in Proverbs 24:17-18, we realize that is not the way God desires us to respond.

When we do behave in this manner our response could have the opposite effect.

“Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, 
 for the Lord will see and disapprove
 and turn his wrath away from them.” – Proverbs 24:17-18

To say this as plainly as possible, God is not pleased when we gloat over our enemies.

How should you respond to those you don’t like?

Thankfully the Bible lays out an essential framework for how to address those we don’t like, we refuse to get along with or who are our sworn enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” – Matthew 5:43-44

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” – Colossians 3:8

Jesus commands you to love and pray for those who persecute you.

Paul instructs us to get rid of all malice, and one of the definitions of malice is to gloat over someone else’s misfortune.

When we lay the cards on the table, gloating is sinful.

The interesting thing about this type of sin is no one around you would ever know unless you opened your mouth and told them.

Gloating and malice are things we keep in our hearts; and while we can hide them from others, God sees what lives there. (2 Samuel 11)

Intersecting Faith and Life:

Proverbs 24:17-18 The Message

28

17-18 Don’t laugh when your enemy falls;
    don’t gloat over his collapse.
God might see, and become very provoked,
    and then take pity on his plight.

Here is a hard test of character.

Here is strong evidence if you are a child of God.

Here is a real measure of godliness and wisdom.

Here is a challenge for your faith, whether you want one or not.

Think now.

Are you happy when bad things happen to your enemies?

God commands you to love your personal enemies, and it is one of the chief measures of a true Christian.

Such love includes being grieved when your enemy falls or stumbles in life.

If you are glad or rejoice when he is hit by adversity, you have sinned.

In this proverb, the Lord God offers a simple rule for spiritual victory in your life.

Read on.

The proverb is not complete by itself, for the next verse, verse 18, explains the consequences of rejoicing at his troubles, “Lest the LORD see it, and it displeases him, and he turn away his wrath from him” (Proverbs 24:18).

God may switch from your side to your enemy’s side, if He detects you gloating about pain or trouble in your enemy’s life.

Beware!

If you are happy when bad things happen to your enemy, the Lord will see your selfish and vengeful glee; He will be angry at your wicked attitude; and He may lift His punishment of your enemy (Proverbs 24:18).

You will have stooped lower than your enemy, all the way to murderous thoughts of the heart – at those, A holy and righteous God cannot stand by.

Revenge is sin; vengeance is God’s (Romans 12:17-21).

But the proverb is not that simple.

The Preacher will not let you escape just because you have not actively sought to injure an enemy.

The wisdom of God is broader, more comprehensive than that (Psalm 119:96).

Solomon is going after your secret malignant thoughts that enjoy seeing your enemies in pain or trouble (Proverbs 24:9).

Do you rejoice – in your thoughts – when your enemy falls?

Are you glad – in your secret heart – when your enemy stumbles?

Do you feel a sense of vindication and pleasure at hearing of his or her misfortune?

These are the sins Solomon condemned.

Ah, dear reader, the glorious light of God’s word shines deep – all the way to your inner feelings. (Hebrews 4:12)

How do enemies fall and stumble?

They can fall and stumble into sin, which gives you no right to joy, because love “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (I Corinthians 13:6).

If you care about someone, even in the least degree, you would not be glad to hear of their involvement in sin, for you should have the desire for all men to live righteously.

Enemies can fall and stumble into earthly troubles.

They may lose a job, get a divorce, have problems with their children, contract a disease, have an automobile accident, lose their dog, or catch the flu or a cold.

Wicked men secretly smile in their malicious hearts, for there are few things sweeter to the depraved soul of man than to see his enemy having troubles.

There is a right way to exact holy revenge or retribution on your enemy.

Are you ready for the secret of inspired wisdom?

Treat your enemy with love and kindness, even in your thoughts, and let the Lord deal with him (Proverbs 25:20-21; 20:22).

You prove a righteous heart; the Lord is pleased by your actions; and your enemy will face your angry Father.

Dealing With This All-Too-Common sin called Gloating

Let’s deal with this issue by doing something practical.

Think about anyone in your life you either don’t really like or that you would consider an enemy.

Write their name down and spend the next week praying for that person or people if there is more than one.

I know what you may be thinking, but you don’t know how they are, you don’t know what they have done, or you don’t know what it is like to deal with them.

You are probably right about that, but God’s Word puts no qualifiers on this.

We are to love them, pray for them, hold no malice in our hearts toward them.

Here is why this is important for you.

It is your own heart that is at stake.

When you refuse to get along with them, or harbor malice and gloat over that person’s misfortune, you allow that person to keep a measure and degree of control over you, and you give room for bitterness to take root in your heart.

However, when you pray for them and love them, they no longer have influence over your life. 

Who is that enemy of yours?

Do they work at your job?

Are they your neighbors?

Do they live in your neighborhood?

Do they go to your church?

Are they in your family?

Are they yourselves – are you the one who hates yourself the most?

Wherever they are, love them and pray for them.

James 5:16 New American Standard Bible 1995

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [a]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

I can’t guarantee this will change them, but one thing it will definitely do is it will definitely change you, and just maybe that is what God was after all along.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

How to Listen Well: Keeping Those Lines Of Communication Wide Open. Proverbs 18:13

Proverbs 18:13 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 He who gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Talking About Listening

James 1:19-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

19 [a]This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all [b]that remains of wickedness, in [c]humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [d]natural face in a mirror;  24  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

It doesn’t seem to matter how often we’re reminded that God made us with two ears and one mouth.

Some folks are just not good at listening! We talk to them, and before our story is half done, they’re responding with a better story of their own. How annoying!

When we listen too little and talk too much, we show that we think our ideas are more important than the ideas of others.

But James grabs us by the elbow, turns us aside, and warns us, “Everyone should be quick to listen, [and] slow to speak …”

We may think we’ve had a wonderful conversation with someone—until we are asked what they’ve said.

If we can’t recall, that’s probably a danger sign.

Someone else may have been a good listener, but we weren’t.

James’s letter is about applying our faith and making sure that we live out our faith in line with God’s will.

Words about being saved by grace and not by works are wonderful, but our faith, if it’s real, will come to expression in what we say and do.

Jesus teaches this in his parables.

James applies it to our need to treat people well in all our relationships.

Are we quick to become angry because we haven’t bothered to listen carefully?

If so, we’d listen better by hearing both the words and the heart of the person who is talking.

That takes both ears!

I try to listen more than I talk.

Growing up, I started that practice because I was shy.

Now, I’ve overcome my shyness and enjoy talking as well as listening.

But I still try to listen more than I talk, because I’ve learned that listening –really listening – to people is vitally important.

When I listen to people well, God’s love flows through me, and people get the message that they matter.

Listening is a valuable gift I can give people.

It’s also a valuable gift to me, because of what I learn from others when I truly listen to them. 

Listening is not a passive act; it’s an active engagement of the heart and mind.

It requires intentionality, humility, a willingness to set aside our agendas, and an openness to learning.

Listening honors the inherent worth and dignity of the people speaking.

It recognizes their humanity, their experiences, and their perspective.

It’s a vital part of living the grace filled loving lives God wants us to live.

When we listen well, we cultivate connections, spread kindness, and pave the way for healing relationships. 

However, in our fallen world, too many people talk more than they listen.

They “answer before listening”, as Proverbs 18:13 says.

In this tech crazed stressful world, it can be tempting to rush to judgment, to interject with our own opinions, or to allow anger to affect our interactions.

Yet, the Bible reminds us of the importance of listening, in Proverbs 18:13 and in other verses, such as James 1:19-20:

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

When we fail to listen, we not only dishonor others but also diminish ourselves, since we miss out on opportunities to grow in holiness through listening well.

So, how can we learn to listen well?

It begins by recognizing we don’t have all the answers and others have valuable insights to offer and from there, we can start to build listening skills like these: 

–Being present:

When someone is speaking to us, we should give them our full attention.

That means putting away distractions like phones or laptops and maintaining eye contact to show that we are fully engaged.

Giving someone the gift of our full attention is a powerful act of love. 

-Practicing empathetic listening:

It’s important to understand not only the words being spoken but also the emotions and experiences underlying them.

So, we need to pay attention to nonverbal cues in the people speaking, such as body language and tone of voice.

Those cues can often convey more than words alone.

Also, our own body language and tone of voice can affect the quality of our listening.

We can maintain an open posture and friendly tone of voice, nod occasionally to show we’re following along and avoid fidgeting. 

-Practicing patience:

We should allow space for people to express themselves fully and without interruption.

Avoid the urge to jump in with our own thoughts or opinions before they have finished speaking.

Rather than planning what we’re going to say in response, focus on what messages the people who are speaking are communicating to us. 

-Suspending judgment:

Instead of immediately forming opinions or mentally preparing our response while the other person is speaking, try to suspend all judgment and truly listen with an open mind.

This allows for a deeper understanding of the speaker’s perspective. 

-Asking clarifying questions:

If something is unclear or we need more context, we shouldn’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions.

This demonstrates our genuine interest in understanding other people’s points of view.

Seek to learn from other people’s perspectives. 

-Reflecting on what we’ve heard:

Summarize or paraphrase what we’ve heard to ensure that we’ve understood correctly.

This not only confirms our understanding but also shows respect for people’s messages.

As we carefully reflect on what we’ve learned, we may experience a wide range of emotional responses.

Even if the messages we hear are challenging, tough for us to listen to, it’s important to make sure we connect to the person and hear people accurately. 

The more we ask the Holy Spirit to help us, the more we can learn to listen well, because the Spirit will help us develop the qualities that make us good listeners – qualities such as love, patience, peace, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

We need to pray for help to truly listen when people talk with us and try to listen more than we talk.

We’ll be blessed by what we learn as a listener, while also blessing others in the process! 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear God, please give me the grace to listen well – to hear not only with my ears but also with my heart. Help me set aside my own agenda so I can fully focus on the messages other people are trying to communicate to me. Please give me the patience to listen without interruption, the empathy to understand deeply, and the love to respond with kindness and compassion. May I listen well to you, too, so I can notice your presence with me and practice discernment as you lead me. Thank you, God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

What Should We Consider Knowing While We Are Waiting For God to Act? Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 40:28-31 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will [b]mount up with [c]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

A Holy Ignorance?

The people are lamenting, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.”

Even when life appears cheerful, there is this undercurrent of sadness among the people.

It’s life in exile.

The people feel abandoned by God.

But Isaiah wants the people to reconsider what they already know, to hear what they’ve heard before.

“Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God.”

No one can even minimally fathom the mind and thoughts and the ways of God.

As a teaspoon cannot hope to take the measure of the oceans, so the ever so finite human mind of mankind cannot begin to fathom the mind of God.

There’s a vast gap between the Creator and the creation.

Life itself is full of mystery–a newborn baby, love, gravity.

Who can fully explain these things?

According to A Short History of Nearly Everything, “There are perhaps 140 billion galaxies in the still unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than three billion times.”

Over the centuries, Christians have spoken of a “holy ignorance,” an ignorance that is deeply humbling.

It revels in the knowledge the unfathomable Lord has everything, including you and me, in his hands.

We need not fathom God’s ways in order to trust him.

It’s enough to know his heart.

But, Even In Our Ignorance We Will Still Have to Wait

A good friend often shares this reminder: 

God is never late, and rarely early; He is an on-time God. 

These are encouraging words for all of God’s people who believe in prayer and worship a sovereign God.

God doesn’t work on our timetable, but accomplishes all that He wills according to His own schedule.

No one likes waiting.

We live in an age of microwave meals, instant access to information, and next-day and even same day shipping.

The idea behind all our modern-day conveniences is that they will “save” time for us, but the reality is, we are far busier than our ancestors ever were.

We strive to accomplish more and more, to pack as much as we possibly can into the twenty-four hours allotted to each day.

And if by chance we must wait longer than we feel we should, we will grow ever more impatient, rude, and discontent.

I don’t believe this is the way God intended us to live.

Life in the Garden of Eden was simple, as Adam and Eve enjoyed the beautiful world the Father had created for them.

As each day ended, they had time to enjoy what surely was a spectacular sunset and looked forward each evening to walking with God in the cool of the day and enjoying His presence (Genesis 3:8).

Now, we’ll squeeze as much as we can out of every minute of everyday and drop exhausted into our beds, only to do it all over again the next day.

No wonder we find it difficult to wait on God.

How do you respond when God fails to answer your prayers, or your questions, or change your circumstances in what you feel is a “timely” manner?

Does it grow your faith, or challenge what you believe about Him?

Here are six things we need to consider as we wait on God.

1. Trust God Has a Path for You, Will Keep You on It

Psalm 25:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.

A Psalm of David.

25 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
[a]Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.

Proverbs 16:1-3 English Standard Version

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.[a]
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:9 English Standard Version

9 The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.

It can be frustrating when we make plans that don’t work out.

We can’t see into the future; we can only make decisions based on what we know, what we’ve experienced, the good counsel, wisdom we find in and throughout God’s Word.

As we wait, we must trust that God’s Spirit will speak to us, directing our steps, and that He is able to orchestrate events so that things work out exactly as He alone desires and has planned for us.

Have you ever found yourself in a traffic jam, frustrated and anxious that you are going to be late, only to find out later that the delay was a blessing in disguise, perhaps keeping you from a greater tragedy?

Instead of seeing a perpetual array of roadblocks and delays as frustrations or failures, trust that God is working behind the scenes for the perfect outcome, according to His plans for you.

2. Remember God Is Good, and Desires Good for You

Psalm 27:13-14 New American Standard Bible 1995

13 [a]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

We all would prefer to avoid any kind of suffering or trials.

Perhaps you’ve planned a long-awaited trip, bought the tickets, and packed your bags, only to get sick, or have something come up that demands your attention and cancels your plans.

Without a steadfast solid belief in God’s character, His divine interruptions can derail us spiritually. 

Waiting on God for healing or for any change to better and easier circumstances requires us to remember He is essentially good in His nature, that His goodness is eternal and infinite.

Romans 8:28 New American Standard Bible 1995

28 And we know that [a]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

All His actions toward us are good and designed to accomplish good in our lives.

3. Know That God Is Aware of Your Heart’s Desires

Psalm 37:3-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

7 [b]Rest in the Lord and wait [c]patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

These scriptures remind us that God is not “playing” with our feelings when He causes us to wait.

He knows us intimately and designed us personally.

As our Creator, He knows what satisfies our hearts, meet our deepest needs.

Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or something more tangible and physical, trust that what God provides for you will be worth the wait.

Ultimately, He meets the desires of our heart with Himself as we deepen our relationship with Him.

4. Be Assured God Sees You, Is Thinking about You

Psalm 40:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

When God isn’t answering our prayers as quickly as we’d like, it can seem like He doesn’t hear us.

We may feel forgotten, as if He doesn’t care.

According to His Word, this is never true.

God’s thoughts toward us are too numerous to count.

Speaking of His beloved city, Jerusalem, and His people, the children of Israel, God says,

“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

All who have put their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, are His beloved children.

God inscribed us on the palm of His hands with the scars from the nails that held Jesus to the cross on our behalf.

Never doubt that God sees you while you are waiting on Him to act.

5. Trust That God Is Present with You

Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible 1995

God the Refuge of His People.

For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
[b]A very present help in [c]trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. [e]Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her [f]when morning dawns.
6 The [g]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He [h]raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[i]Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[j]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [k]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Waiting is hard at any time, but never harder than when we feel we are waiting alone.

God said it was not good for man to be alone; that’s why He created Eve, so that Adam would have a companion (Genesis 2:18).

Our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family, and our friends can make our burdens lighter as we wait, but the ultimate Helper we need is God Himself.

We must believe He is present, and that He is with us in our waiting.

Knowing and believing that God is present with us gives us hope and courage while we wait for Him to act.

Speaking to His disciples in anticipation of His return to heaven, Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).

He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who would be sent by the Father to indwell His followers. God is always present with us; He is in us, and He waits with us.

6. Ponder and Meditate on God’s Word, Which Will Sustain You

Psalm 119:9-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

Beth.

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.

Waiting patiently for the Lord to act requires occupying our minds and hearts with something greater.

Our focus must not be only on what we need God to do for us, but on who He is and what He has already done.

Waiting will not seem like waiting if we sustain our souls with the abundant spiritual nourishment we find in His Word.

Instead, we will find that the waiting becomes a place of joy and peace, trusting that our Father is perpetually working, and he will answer at just the right time.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible 1995

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the [a]defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I [b]shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the [c]beauty of the Lord
And to [d]meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [e]tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices [f]with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
10 [g]For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of [h]my foes.
12 Do not deliver me over to the [i]desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 [j]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Resurrection Culture. John 11:25-27

John 11:25-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are [a]the Christ, the Son of God, even [b]He who comes into the world.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The Resurrection and the Life

After delivering a sermon and a devotional about Jesus’ resurrection to a group of new youth, young adult leaders at a weekend retreat, the Pastor was asked,

“Do you mean that if I don’t believe in the resurrection, I can’t be a Christian?”

When the Pastor said that believing in the resur­rection is at the very heart of Christianity, the room went quiet and the students turned away disappointed.

In his fifth “I am” statement, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

According to science, it’s easy to reject Jesus’ claim, because people have not actually observed nor witnessed anyone ever coming back to life.

Nevertheless, Christians believe on the third day following his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus’ resurrection sealed the victory over sin and death.

The resurrection is so essential, Paul says, that if God didn’t raise Jesus from the dead, our faith is useless and “we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

1 Corinthians 15:16-20 The Message

16-20 If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

By faith, however, through the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts, we believe that God did raise Jesus from the dead.

And we enjoy new life in Jesus and look forward to life with him for­ever.

This is no myth or fanciful escape from the present; it is simply the very central truth at the heart of being a Christian.

Do you believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

Resurrection Culture

John 11:25-27 English Standard Version

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

We serve a God of powerful and miraculous transformations.

All throughout Scripture God takes those whom the world deemed the lowest, the hopeless, and the helpless and uses them to change the world.

You are not beyond transformation.

God longs to break off that which inhibits you from experiencing fullness of life.

He longs to heal you, deliver you, and set you free.

Through the indelible reality of the resurrection of Jesus, we have been given the opportunity to live life in a new way. 

Romans 6:4 says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” 

The power of the resurrection is not just over our deaths, but over our lives.

God didn’t just pay for our freedom for all of eternity, but for right now—for this very moment.

He’s calling you and me to live a resurrected lifestyle.

He’s ushering us into a resurrection culture.

Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” 

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 even says, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 

Your life is changed because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Because Christ rose from the dead, you have been raised from spiritual death.

In these days of hardcore division and conflict and cancel culture, too often we are content to live our lives apart from the present reality of new life in Jesus.

Too often we are satisfied living according to how we so readily advocate, and accept and we define the sins of the flesh when we have been given a whole new way of living according the very Spirit of God who dwells within us as believers. 

Romans 8:1-2 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” 

We have been freed from condemnation through the new law of the Spirit ratified by the death and resurrection of Christ. 

“There is therefore now no condemnation.” Let that sink in for a minute.

Through the grace of God, not by anything you could ever do, you have been freed from condemnation.

The only one who could ever truly condemn you is now your heavenly Father.

You are the child of the only righteous Judge, and he has offered you continual and uncompromising pardon because of his love for you.

And past being pardoned from condemnation, Romans 8 tells us that we have now been crowned as co-heirs with Christ. 

Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” 

Because of the life we have been given in the Spirit, we are “fellow heirs with Christ.” 

I’m not sure we even fully understand all that means for us.

So often we live as if we are automatically forced into submission to the world.

We live according to the principles of the flesh rather than life in the Spirit.

You have been freed from slavery to sin.

You have been freed from the condemnation of the world.

Christ defeated the enemy at the cross, and through him you have obtained total and complete victory.

You are now crowned with Christ and given his authority to see heaven come to earth through your life.

And most importantly, Romans 8 concludes by telling us of the incredible love available to us in our resurrection and victory with Christ. 

Romans 8:37-39 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

There is nothing you or anyone else could do to separate you from the love of God.

Through the undeniable reality of Christ’s resurrection, you have been offered unchanging and unshakable love.

Living life in the Spirit is living with the constant knowledge that you are and will forever be loved.

Spend time today allowing the Word and presence of God to empower you, to mightily stir up your desire to live according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

In what ways can the reality of Jesus’ resurrection shape how you live today?

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may your life be forever changed as you spend seriously quality time discovering God’s heart for transformation.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the life available to you in the Spirit. 

Allow your desire to walk in fullness of life to be stirred up by God’s word.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16-17

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

2. Reflect on your own life. 

Where are you still living your life according to the flesh? Where do you feel condemned or unloved? Where do you feel conquered rather than a conqueror?

3. Ask the Lord to guide you into life in the Spirit today. 

Life your live with a renewed mind according to God’s word.

As you go throughout your day, know that you have the choice to live your life differently.

You are not bound by the way you’ve lived your life in the past.

There is “newness of life” available to you every single day through the power of the Spirit working in you as a believer.

Yield to the Spirit’s leadership and live in light of the freedom purchased for you by the death of Jesus.

Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life, and in you we have new life and the hope of eternal life. Help us to work through our unbelief’s, Work in our hearts and our lives today as we serve you and look forward to spending eternity with you. Amen.

https://translate.google.com

Holding On to Hope When Life’s Not Fair – Our Encouragement for Today. Lamentations 3:19-24

Lamentations 3:19-24 New American Standard Bible 1995

Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy

19 Remember my affliction and my [a]wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses [b]indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When have you ever felt like your soul was screaming in pain?

Sure, on the outside, you look the same.

You show up, dress up, and tell yourself to hurry up and move past this … but deeper inside, you feel a deeper chasm of grief that shouts, This is not fair!

For you, maybe it’s a broken heart you never expected or a season where it feels like the hard things never end.

Maybe you’re longing for days gone by and wondering if life will ever be good again.

Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

As you go through your day, you cannot help but wonder, God, where exactly are You in those moments when I need you the very most?

As you lie in bed at night, you can’t help but wonder, God where are You in this?

For me, it was depression.
I didn’t want to cry, but I couldn’t stop.
I wanted to get better, but I didn’t know how.
I wanted to have more faith and pull myself out of it, but I felt helpless.

I was screaming inwardly because I didn’t want to be the burden that I felt I was to God and others. I wanted to be carefree and full of hope, but instead I was broken and unsure of how to move forward in faith.

As I turned to Scripture for encouragement, I came to Lamentations 3.

The author poured out his own sorrow as he shared how he had seen affliction, bitterness and hardship.

I found comfort in the fact that he was so honest about his pain.

This whole book in the Bible is about lament, which means “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.”

Yet right smack in the middle of his cries, he made this bold statement: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:21-22).

These verses opened a crack of light into my darkness that day, and I felt my faith slowly stir up once again.

I didn’t have to deny my suffering — in fact, it was good to acknowledge it.

But even in the midst of post surgery depression, I could call truth to my mind.

I pray this encouragement from Lamentations stirs up your faith as well.

Even when our souls scream for relief, we’re tempted to wonder if God has left us alone, we can know His great compassion never has failed and never will fail.

Yes, our circumstances may be painful, but because of God’s great love, the pain will not consume us.

We can both acknowledge our pain and remember God’s goodness.

When we choose to remember who God is, we find hope to hold on to.

Audacious Hope

Lamentations 3:19-24 Easy-to-Read Version

19 Remember, I am very sad,
    and I have no home.
    Remember the bitter poison that you gave me.
20 I remember well all my troubles,
    and I am very sad.
21 But then I think about this,
    and I have hope:
22 We are still alive because
    the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
23 Every morning he shows it in new ways!
    You are so very true and loyal!
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God,
    and I trust him.”[a]

Hope is a Christian virtue. It’s a good and positive thing.

We need hope because the world is not yet the way God intends it to be.

We need hope because we are waiting for things to get better.

Hope means believing in the light even when we are in the darkness.  

Psalm 9:18 Easy-to-Read Version

18 It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten,
    but God will not forget them.
    He will not leave them without hope.

Psalm 39:6-8 Easy-to-Read Version

6 Our life is like an image in a mirror.[a]
    We rush through life collecting things,
    but we don’t know who will get them after we die.

7 So, Lord, what hope do I have?
    You are my hope!
8 Save me from the bad things I did.
    Don’t let me be treated like a fool.

Psalm 62:5-6 Easy-to-Read Version

5 I must calm down and turn to God;
    he is my only hope.
6 He is my Rock, the only one who can save me.
    He is my high place of safety, where no army can defeat me.

Romans 12:9-13 Easy-to-Read Version

9 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is good. 10 Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. 11 As you serve the Lord, work hard and don’t be lazy. Be excited about serving him! 12 Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. 13 Share with God’s people who need help. Look for people who need help and welcome them into your homes.

Hope opens us to have joy whatever the facts may be.

The facts around us show that the world can be a scary place.

But Christian hope is bold to say that even in the darkest times, God’s light still shines -even when we are afraid, God remains in absolute control of the entire universe, and he absolutely loves and cares for us more than we can ­imagine.

To those who do not know the Lord, having hope might seem like a crazy virtue.

If we consider the facts, we could be frightened about our lives and our world.

But because of the great love God has for us, we have sufficient reason for hope.

We have sufficient reason to believe that we are safe in the care of a faithful and powerful God. We can boldly hope in God and in the promises God makes to us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Our Lenten Journey: I Believe what is meant for Evil God turns it into Good. Genesis 50:20-21

Genesis 50:15-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they [a]sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19  But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [b]this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [c]kindly to them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

I am no stranger to conflict.

But a conflict with a friend was fiercer than any other I had experienced before.

Backbiting words and accusations sought to ruin my reputation.

It was as if someone had stabbed me in the back and was twisting the knife deeper and deeper.

Saddened and greatly angered, I cried out to God, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I being treated this way?” But all I got in return, was His silence. 

One day, a couple of years later at a former colleagues funeral I ran into the friend who had so badly mistreated me.

All the anger and sadness flooded my mind and heart once again.

I knew I couldn’t carry the anger around anymore.

Everything in me wanted to retaliate a thousand fold to seek any necessary recompense for what I had suffered at that persons hands.

But I knew that it was against what Jesus would call me to do.

I knew I had to do something in response, but what?

I quietly walked up beside him in the church and I blessed him with a hand of encouragement, in other words, I reached out and I shook his hand.

I looked him square in the eye, and spoke kind words the next time I saw him.

An immensely hurtful situation that seemed as though Satan would emerge victorious turned out to give God glory instead. 

Out of jealousy, Joseph’s brothers had sought to grievously harm him.

His brothers’ jealousy compelled them to retaliate against Joseph.

When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph had every right to be angry.

Once he became Prime Minister many years later, he could have held on to that grudge.

He could have made his family pay for all the horrible things they had done to him.

But instead, he used his power for good instead of for evil.

He chose forgiveness rather than retaliation and kindness rather than evil. 

Have you ever been hurt by people you love?

Have you ever had a friend betray your trust?

Have you ever had a family member betray your confidence?

In these transformational moments when our human emotions want us to act in the worst kind of retaliation, we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can act in ways that show unusual kindness to the same people who do not deserve it.

God is a just God.

Only he can truly pay back the evil that someone has done.

As much as it feels as though it should be our responsibility to achieve justice, the reality is only a righteous God can get vengeance and pay back evil for evil.  

Ephesians 4:30-32 New American Standard Bible 1995

30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [a]by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven [b] you.

As Christians, we are called to act with the grace and forgiveness toward others that Christ has given to us.

Luke 23:34 New American Standard Bible 1995

34 [a]But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

When we understand the harsh reality of our sinfulness, we realize we truly don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy.

Yet, Jesus gives his grace and mercy to everyone, regardless of how horrible their deeds were.

His grace is widespread and covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

7 The end of all things [a]is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [b]prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

God wants us to act with the same grace and mercy that Jesus gave even to the people who betrayed him the most.

It is by these loving acts of kindness in the face of persecution that the world will know who Jesus truly is.

Romans 5:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [a]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [b]by His life.

They will see who he is through our selfless example.

Vengeance and justice are strictly up to God, not us. 

Joseph chose not to use his power for retaliation yet showed his brothers kindness because of the forgiveness and love that God had given him.

He, in turn, helped his family, as well as the whole nation, survive a famine. In what ways can you demonstrate grace, mercy, in the face of highest betrayal?

God’s Expressed Purpose: Saving Many Lives

Genesis 50:20-21 New American Standard Bible 1995

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [a]this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [b]kindly to them.

The Body of Christ, the church, is the carrier of the story of God and how God is creating a new people to make up a community of grace.

There are many twists and turns, both gentle and severe, in our life’s story.

There are twists and turns in the story, as we can see in the life of Joseph, for example.

A highly favored son gets sold into slavery by his jealous ­brothers.

When it seems like things might get better for Joseph, something else happens and he lands in prison with no hope of release.

Then God gives Joseph the ability to interpret dreams to bring about not only his release but also the saving of his family and many others from famine. (See Genesis 37-49.)

Genesis 50 brings us to the moment when Joseph’s father, Jacob, has died, and the ­brothers of Joseph worry that he might punish them.

What will Joseph do now as payback for all the wrong they had done to him?

Joseph looks beyond their actions to the ultimate purpose of God.

God desires to save people.

God desires to use people like Joseph—and us—to bring about a new day and provide new life for his people.

In this story we see a picture of how God is at work in the twists and turns of life—and he is still at work in our lives today!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

God of grace and forgiveness, help us to look beyond our hurts and troubles to see that you are at work in our lives too—day in and day out. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Our Lenten Journey: Trading in My Alleged Agenda for Abiding in Jesus. Psalm 91 

Psalm 91 New American Standard Bible 1995

Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that [a]stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 [b]For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your [c]tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the [d]serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in [e]trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With [f]a long life I will satisfy him
And [g]let him see My salvation.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Safe and Sound

If you know how big and scary and difficult the world is, this psalm is for you.

These are powerful words of comfort: God is our shelter; God will cover us with his feathers spread wide, and under God’s wings we will find refuge.

Birds do that by instinct; they see a threat and spread their wings, forming a canopy of protection.

Their offspring run for cover and huddle there until the danger passes.

Reflecting on the relationship between God and ourselves, the psalmist says God will protect us in a way like that.

We can find refuge under his wings. Surely God will shield and protect us.

But it also happens that sometimes a threat doesn’t pass us by, and we don’t feel protected at all.

The promise is not that pain and tragedy will magically flow around us, but that ultimately nothing can, will, ever separate us from the reach of our God’s arms.

We live “in the shelter of the Most High”; we rest and find comfort “in the shadow of the Almighty.”

We do not fear because the all-powerful God of heaven and earth is here with us, walking alongside and standing beside us, in front of us and behind us, as a mother hen who will never abandon her young.

We’re safe in God’s care, and he is always with us.

When the Terror Comes and the Arrows Start Flying

June 2023 that terror came and the arrows started flying right at my own heart.

Up and until my 3 bypass open heart surgery in July 2023 I was a doer by nature.

I loved setting goals, scheduling, and keeping life tied up in a tidy little bow.

Now, all these seven months later my goal-setting took on a new life of its own.

At this phase of my rehabilitation, with all the good things I wanted to do, I give myself one pep talk after another and I have tried to convince myself I could do it all, with a lot of rest, little help from my trusty goal-planner (wife), of course.

Soon, my morning prayer and Bible reading were pushed to the forefront to make room for more God-given steps forward toward reaching those goals.

Yet, still, too easily, I would become winded, exhausted, utterly unmotivated.

All my wife’s careful planning would go by the wayside devolving into my naps.

I had become so accustomed to consulting the pages of my agenda at the start of each day that I didn’t realize how it affected my relationship with the Lord.

Now, instead of waking up looking forward to spending a few minutes in God’s presence, I was reaching straight for my planner to see what needed to be done.

My choice to start each day with my own strength began affecting every part of my life. I needed to be willing to set aside my agenda and learn to abide in Jesus.

In the Gospel narrative of John, in the Upper Room discourse, Jesus had over emphasized the essence of abiding when he described himself as the vine and his followers as the branches.

In John chapter 15, we see the word “abide” used several times.

John 15:1-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He  [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit [c]of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  6  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [d]prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  11  These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

ABIDE: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3306/kjv/tr/0-1

Our taking a much deeper dive into Scripture to carefully look at the original meaning behind Jesus’ message reveals this God spoken life-changing truth.

There’s no better place to be than abiding in him. 

Psalm 91:1 illustrates this truth well, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Jesus also knew our tendency toward striving, so in his message to his people, he added,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 

We can do nothing of value apart from Christ.

Only average, tasteless fruit comes from a branch separated from the richness of his love.

I believe Jesus knew how hard it would be for us go-getter types to “abide.”

We want to do good things and share the love of Jesus through serving others.

But goals, absent God, can become idols, stealing the focus of our hearts.

The amazing truth I have discovered in this long course of my cardiac rehab is that learning to re-discipline myself to abide in the Lord draws me into a deeper awareness of the Holy Spirit working in our (mine, my wife’s) maturing lives.

Through these difficult and challenging heart agenda weighted times, it helps us stay patient with each other, love each other more and aligned with his will.

God enjoys our fellowship with him, and in those precious times of awareness, our faith filled connection to him will grow in miraculous and unexpected ways.

One way we have found we can learn to abide is by setting the planner down for a while and just sitting with God for a while.

No prayer requests, no specific agenda, just spending time being present with the Creator of the universe.

Sitting in God’s presence isn’t easy at first.

It takes a continual return to total dependence.

It means opening our hearts to what God wants to do in us, again and again and again, it involves picturing ourselves setting aside our fears, resting amidst the vastly strong arms of a loving Father, as his shadow offers protection, respite.

The more we learn to abide, the more we will long to abide.

So before we return to our agenda’s and to-do lists for the day, let’s commit to spending time simply learning about, praying over and then practicing abiding.

Even five minutes a day will cultivate a deeper connection. As we lean into God’s transforming presence, may we trade our agenda for all the Father has for us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 91:11-16 New American Standard Bible 1995

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the [a]serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in [b]trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With [c]a long life I will satisfy him
And [d]let him see My salvation.”

Lord God, protect and shelter us, we pray. Gather us under your wings and shield us. Be our refuge in every storm of life. Be our only daily agenda In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father God, You weaved me together on my Mother’s womb, Your thoughts of me and my future so infinite. Forgive me for the times I’ve gotten so busy with my own goals that I’ve forgotten to spend time in your presence. You are a good and faithful God, but in my rush to get things done, I forget to abide in you. Help me to lay down my own agenda and simply enjoy being connected to you. Thank you for reminding me to spend time with you as I learn how to abide. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Our Lenten Journey: True Humanity. John 14:18-23

John 14:18-23 New American Standard Bible 1995

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 [a]After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will  disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Do you know how God chooses a place to live?

He looks for someone who is obedient to him, and then the Father and the Son come to live in that person through the Holy Spirit.

Not only do they live there, but they also reveal their presence.

In other words, Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, but he comes to live in us until we can come to live with him.

Our invitation for him to come and live in us is our love for him, shown in our obedience.

There is nothing more important for us than to understand the earthly life of Jesus Christ.

There is a very mistaken concept among Christians that Jesus came to show us what God was like and how he would behave among men.

This is far from the truth, for Jesus did not come to show us how God behaves.

It is true that he came to reveal the Father in his character, but in his activity he came to reveal humanity as God intended humanity to be.

In everything he did we see humanity acting as God intended us to act, from the very beginning.

At the very heart of that manifestation is the key and secret of human life.

The principle on which he lived is the principle on which God intended man to live and by which we are to live.

Throughout our Lord’s ministry he reminded us continually of that great principle, not only by his words, but by his deeds.

You put Christ back into the Christian and you put God back into the man.

This is the revolutionary claim of Christianity.

Unfortunately, it is often obscured in our day.

This is why there are so many false claims and so many attempts to substitute something dramatic, something which would appeal to the human heart to distinguish Christianity from other faiths.

The radical claim of Christianity is that Jesus Christ offers to live his human life all over again in you, in the midst of the situations that you daily face.

There are few who seem to step out into this kind of living, but wherever it is attempted, strange things begin to happen.

Not that the life becomes suddenly spectacular and people go around doing miracles and other wonders, but in the quiet daily experience of life, in the various decisions that come to us, there is a quiet trust in the wisdom of God to meet our need, and things begin to work out in unexpected ways.

Extraordinary things follow ordinary activity, as God begins to work in human life.

This is the secret of human life, as our Lord had demonstrated it, making it 100% available to us as we by faith receive Jesus Christ, that his life may be lived again in us.

Love is much more than a feeling or an attitude: love is an action.

When we love, we show it by our deeds.

As disciples of Jesus, our love is shown by our obedience to the things Jesus taught.

Of course, that obedience brings an incredible blessing — Jesus reveals himself to those that obey him!

Jesus loves His people, and He wants us to love Him back. 

Jesus wants to make his home within us, that we should reveal him to others.

This has been the message in the Bible from the beginning. 

He has already made the first move – He left everything and he came to us.  

Philippians 2:5-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Have this attitude [a]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b]grasped, 7 but [c]emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d]on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  11  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work  for His good pleasure.

The very human response to such a divine revelation of humility is up to us.

The revelation of Jesus Christ living in my humanity, guiding my humanity.

Revealed to the Jesus Christ living and guiding the humanity of the next person.

However small and inconsequential or large and in charge that may be in them.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

God, Author of my life, final judge of my humanity, Convict me of my sin, not for my condemnation but so that I might repent and learn the new ways of righteousness. Let me walk each day in closer harmony and fellowship with you. Let your Holy Spirit live, work both in me and through me so I might experience the true joy of life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com

Our Lenten Journey: A Prayer to Surrender All. Matthew 16:24-26

Matthew 16:24-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

Discipleship Is Costly

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his [a]life will lose it; but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake will find it.  26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Self-denial

Let us just come right out and say it – Believers in Christ face the daunting challenge of being desensitized to the utter filth in the world around them.

The line between what is holy and unholy too often becomes fogged, unclear.

In the midst of the corruption and sin in our world, how can we be re-sensitized to live holy lives for the Lord?

Jesus explains, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…”

And what does it mean to deny ourselves?

It means putting to death our sinful nature and putting on the spiritual nature of new life in Christ (Ephesians 4:14-5:20).

We cannot ever hope to do this task on our own, but all of this is made possible because Jesus came to live among us, as fully human, and to die in our place so that we can be completely freed from the slavery of sin and the curse of death.

In Christ we are called to put sinful ways behind us—all immorality and all impurity such as hatred, discord, jealousy, envy, rage, selfish ambition, greed, drunkenness, brawling, gossip, slander, and any kind of malice.

Instead, Paul writes we are to walk “in step with the Spirit” of God, bearing good spiritual fruit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-25).

Jesus is our example.

He gave up his whole life for our sake, so that we might live.

Will we give up our old, corrupt nature to live the full life God wants us to enjoy?

In Christ we can!

A Prayer to Surrender All

Matthew 16:24-26 Easy-to-Read Version

24 Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. 25 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life. 26 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life.

I often think about what it must have been like to live in the days of Jesus.

Even more, what it must have been like to encounter Jesus face to face, witness the miracles, to listen to him speak, try and anticipate his next journey, touch His cloak, or better yet, to walk and be one of His followers or beloved disciples.

The personal relationships that Jesus built with each of His disciples is truly touching.

The beautiful thing is that today we get to experience it all and can almost hear their conversations and interactions as we read, study and pray through each account in the New Testament.

Jesus’ teachings were not only intimate as He gathered the disciples and the people around and shared wisdom and truth with such love and grace, they were also a direct message to us as well!

Yet, some of the lessons must have been difficult to hear and understand, just as we struggle to read and decipher His Word today.

I specifically think of the verses noted above for instance.

We see parallel verses in Mark and Luke, where Jesus is informing the disciples that if they wish to follow Him, they must deny themselves and they must take up their own cross on a daily basis. (Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24)

Jesus has reminded the disciples of the price they will pay for following Him.

The cost is denial of self and to bear their own cross.

This is the high price we all must pay when we seek to follow Jesus and fully surrender our lives to the one and only God.

So, what exactly does that look like?

First, we are called to deny ourselves.

That means to disown our own interests, desires, and natural tendencies and replace them with what God loves and honors.

It’s essentially a mindset shift that chooses and craves to be more like Jesus – His attitude, His mannerisms, His faithfulness.

Second, we are called to take up our own cross. 

The cross was a bold instrument of execution in Jesus’ day.

It was meant for pain and torture along with public humiliation.

As followers, we must be ready (and willing) to undergo suffering and shame.

That is because this world will mock, ridicule, reject, and torment those who claim Christ as Lord.

Lastly, we are to follow Him by surrendering all.

Jesus is the direct access and path to a good, righteous, and abundant life beyond this one (John 14:6).

When we follow His way, truth, and life examples, we fully surrender our lives to Him and seek His will and way.

So, we must discipline our spirits to daily ask ourselves, are we surrendering all to Christ in order to follow Him?

Well, are we?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995

BOOK 2

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him
For the [j]help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
[o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The [p]help of my countenance and my God.

O Lord, our souls thirst for you, the living God. Guide us to live for you. Our only hope is in you, our God, the Creator and Author of our whole entire lives and Savior. Amen.

We humbly submit ourselves to You, Lord and seek Your face. We surrender our heart, mind, soul, and physical body all to You. We ask that You give us a means to seek only after Your heart and the plan and purpose You have for our lives. Align all our desires and passions to Your passions and allow us to be shaped and molded to be more and more like Jesus. Grant us such a measure and degree of wisdom and strength to bear the cross and sufficient power to resist the evil ways of this world. Please forgive us where we fail and cave under pressure, while offering us the courage to still fight the everyday battles. Be in our midst through each and every situation, showing us areas in our lives where we can improve and bring glory to Your holy name. Alleluia, Amen

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com