One of the characteristics of our present society that I deeply despise is the tendency to make decisions, not based on what is right or even good, but on what limits liability! More than once when I've proposed some project to an organization, the response has not been around the good that potentially could be accomplished. The questions focus on "how does this expose us to liability?" Where once we trusted each other's intent to do the right things and accepted that living involves risks, many among us now see the accidents that happen as evidence of bad intentions and thus, as an opportunity for gain through lawsuits. By way of example, I am told that physicians are often pressured to practice medicine based on avoiding being sued for malpractice. Tests that are marginally valuable are ordered so that there can be no accusation of negligence. Treatments that might work are not used because, if they fail, there is a greater risk of liability. I smile as I report that even the church which I serve as Pastor carries a 'clergy malpractice' policy for me! Imagine being sued for being a bad spiritual leader... well, actually clergy malpractice usually involves clergy sin that leads to very bad things which I must not minimize.
A network of trust frees us to get on with life, to experiment with choices that involve greater risk, but which also maximizes our ability to achieve greater results. In an excellent book, The World is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman, I read this quote from Dov Seidman - "Norms and institutions that create predictability and confidence and trust... propel innovation. Without trust there is no risk-taking, and without risk-taking there is no innovation. . . if you want to get more people to take the necessary risk to innovate, just put more trust in the room. ... Having an abundance of trust is essential in the world of collaboration because the more that people trust each other, the more likely it is that they are going to work well together."
I have been thinking about that for days in terms of the Church. What might we accomplish in the cause of Christ if we trusted each other and encouraged each other to accept gifts of the Spirit, to experiment in the ways that we offer up service, to discover the best ways we can minister in His name, within the context of a loving, supportive Body that steadies and provides solid guidance? I see that trust as extending up and down the line of spiritual authority. As a Pastor I cannot fulfill my calling to teach and lead the people of God if they do not trust me. Of course, I must give those I lead reason to trust by exhibiting a deep love for God, a spiritual maturity, an unselfish heart, and constantly improving professional skills. But I also realize that I must trust those with whom I serve, looking for the best in their efforts, extending them a steadying hand even as I encourage them to take the risk of doing something new for God, thus widening the reach of the Kingdom! Maybe for you this is all just obvious stuff, but for me it is like a revelation!
Trust is not automatic and it is fragile! Most of us do not naturally trust, taught as we are both by experience and lesson, to question and to be skeptical. And all of us know how quickly trust can be broken by actions that are self-centered or words that are accusatory, based on perception and judgment. That is one reason that the command of Christ to love is so very important. Paul quotes Jesus reminding us - “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements. (Romans 13.10 NLT) When I think how the church would be transformed if all of us really took that command seriously, I am filled with excited anticipation.
Just imagine the possibilities created within a 'high trust' ministry where the first question asked is always - "how can we help that person feel secure in our love so that they can pursue the will and purpose of God fearlessly?"
Then, too, let me close by reminding you that God has secured you and me in His love! He wants to relieve us of fear so that we will not cower before Him, but work diligently for Him for the joy of accomplishing His plans and purposes in this world. He does not desire that we live defensively. Instead He wants us to go into our world boldly, risking failure, even as we serve Him with the gifts He's invested in us. Isn't that what Jesus says at the end of the parable of the talents when confronted with the one talent servant who buried the investment of the Master instead of putting it to good use? That servant came before the Master to give an accounting, but because he was fearful, having completely mis-understood the true nature of the Master, he had done nothing with the investment except to keep it safe. In case you think that was good enough for God, read on! In Matthew 25 (The Message) we read,
The servant said, "I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb."
Friend, God trusts you, loves you, and desires that you love and trust Him in return! That trust should provide a context for service that is joyful, fruitful, and that wins His approval with a "Well done, good and faithful servant."
___________________________
TFTD will return on Monday, August 14. Thanks for reading along!It is a joy to come into your life day by day.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Forgiveness, easier said than done!
On hearing the news of the woman's choice, anger surged through me like an ocean wave. "How could she do this? Whatever is she thinking?" were my more rational thoughts. On a parallel track in my mind played the words I had used to counsel a Believer that same day about choosing to forgive. I had urged that angry person to remember that forgiveness is as much a benefit to the forgiver as the forgiven, that forgiveness requires that we give up the need to be right, or vindicated, or even appreciated. Now I was faced with the challenge of practicing what I preach.
We can find hundreds of excuses to dodge the issue of forgiveness, can't we? "He hasn't apologized." "She needs to face up to what she's done to me." "What about justice?" "He doesn't deserve to be forgiven!" "If I forgive her, what will she learn about consequences of her actions?" Who hasn't said something like one of those comments at one time or another? And there is much merit in each of them, too. Apologies do pave the road of forgiveness. God cares about justice. Learning to accept responsibility for things we've said and done to harm others is a major part of maturity, but none of those statements gives you or me a pass on forgiveness.
Finding the way to forgiveness is a critically important discipline for the person who wants to live like Jesus. He does not give us much wiggle room on the subject. In the model prayer, one phrase is "forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. " (Matthew 6:12, NKJV) And then Jesus explains that we have the power of choice in the matter of forgiveness and that our decision to forgive really matters to God. He goes on to say, “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part." (Matthew 6:14-15, The Message)
From God's forgiveness of those who sin against Him, we can learn much about how to forgive.
- Forgiveness begins with you and me, not the person who has offended us. God extends the offer of forgiveness to us at His own expense. He initiates the process. So must we! We cannot be passive, waiting for someone to seek forgiveness. We must work through our anger, hurt, and offense with God, doing the spiritual and emotional work necessary to forgiveness with the help of the Spirit. Then we will be able to reach out graciously.
- Forgiveness with God is not partial, nor conditional. When He forgives and we accept His forgiveness, there is a wonderful phrase that describes the extent of His forgiveness - "You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!" (Micah 7:19, NLT)
- Forgiveness is a process, not an event. We offend God, He forgives... again and again. Our sins are not to pile up. Instead, His desire is that we live close to Him, with no guilt, no shame, alienating us from His love. In our relationships, we must not wait 'til Christmas, or a birthday, or some family gathering - for example - to decide to 'clean up' the junk that has accumulated. We need to be forgiving, gently finding ways to keep our relationships with others close and safe and trusting.
- Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. God offers forgiveness, but for real reconciliation to occur, we must receive it appropriately with repentance. Finding peace with another person requires the involvement of both, but releasing them from indebtedness to us over an offense is a personal choice!
Are you feuding with someone, feeling offended by another's actions, dealing with anxiety over an unresolved dispute?
Dear friend, it's time to start to forgive. Honestly take your emotions to the Lord. Tell Him how you feel, what you feel, why you think you're feeling that way. Listen for the inner voice of the Spirit and ask Him to help you to find a way to genuine forgiveness. Hand over the offender to the Lord for judgment! No, I don't mean that you should ask God to blast her with some terrible tragedy. Just give Him the issue for His justice. Tell Him that you don't want to carry the load of resentment any longer, that you trust Him to deal justly, that He knows the motives, the reality of the situation better than you do. Then, as Jesus teaches, begin to "bless those who curse you!"
You will find a new sweetness of spirit enveloping you, a sense of health overtaking you, a newly peaceful sleep pattern coming on your nights. In forgiveness you are like your Father in Heaven.
Here's a word from the Word to ponder today:
"Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven!"
“For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. But the man fell down before the king and begged him, ‘Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened.
Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.”" (Matthew 18:21-35, NLT)
Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
Washington Assembly of God
http://www.WashingtonAG.com
We can find hundreds of excuses to dodge the issue of forgiveness, can't we? "He hasn't apologized." "She needs to face up to what she's done to me." "What about justice?" "He doesn't deserve to be forgiven!" "If I forgive her, what will she learn about consequences of her actions?" Who hasn't said something like one of those comments at one time or another? And there is much merit in each of them, too. Apologies do pave the road of forgiveness. God cares about justice. Learning to accept responsibility for things we've said and done to harm others is a major part of maturity, but none of those statements gives you or me a pass on forgiveness.
Finding the way to forgiveness is a critically important discipline for the person who wants to live like Jesus. He does not give us much wiggle room on the subject. In the model prayer, one phrase is "forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. " (Matthew 6:12, NKJV) And then Jesus explains that we have the power of choice in the matter of forgiveness and that our decision to forgive really matters to God. He goes on to say, “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part." (Matthew 6:14-15, The Message)
From God's forgiveness of those who sin against Him, we can learn much about how to forgive.
- Forgiveness begins with you and me, not the person who has offended us. God extends the offer of forgiveness to us at His own expense. He initiates the process. So must we! We cannot be passive, waiting for someone to seek forgiveness. We must work through our anger, hurt, and offense with God, doing the spiritual and emotional work necessary to forgiveness with the help of the Spirit. Then we will be able to reach out graciously.
- Forgiveness with God is not partial, nor conditional. When He forgives and we accept His forgiveness, there is a wonderful phrase that describes the extent of His forgiveness - "You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!" (Micah 7:19, NLT)
- Forgiveness is a process, not an event. We offend God, He forgives... again and again. Our sins are not to pile up. Instead, His desire is that we live close to Him, with no guilt, no shame, alienating us from His love. In our relationships, we must not wait 'til Christmas, or a birthday, or some family gathering - for example - to decide to 'clean up' the junk that has accumulated. We need to be forgiving, gently finding ways to keep our relationships with others close and safe and trusting.
- Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. God offers forgiveness, but for real reconciliation to occur, we must receive it appropriately with repentance. Finding peace with another person requires the involvement of both, but releasing them from indebtedness to us over an offense is a personal choice!
Are you feuding with someone, feeling offended by another's actions, dealing with anxiety over an unresolved dispute?
Dear friend, it's time to start to forgive. Honestly take your emotions to the Lord. Tell Him how you feel, what you feel, why you think you're feeling that way. Listen for the inner voice of the Spirit and ask Him to help you to find a way to genuine forgiveness. Hand over the offender to the Lord for judgment! No, I don't mean that you should ask God to blast her with some terrible tragedy. Just give Him the issue for His justice. Tell Him that you don't want to carry the load of resentment any longer, that you trust Him to deal justly, that He knows the motives, the reality of the situation better than you do. Then, as Jesus teaches, begin to "bless those who curse you!"
You will find a new sweetness of spirit enveloping you, a sense of health overtaking you, a newly peaceful sleep pattern coming on your nights. In forgiveness you are like your Father in Heaven.
Here's a word from the Word to ponder today:
"Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven!"
“For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. But the man fell down before the king and begged him, ‘Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened.
Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.”" (Matthew 18:21-35, NLT)
Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
Washington Assembly of God
http://www.WashingtonAG.com
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
When we are in the wilderness
A long time ago, I settled my mind on the question of God's existence. All of Creation is one big argument that God is. From time to time I do have to deal with a different question and yesterday was one of those days. Does He care, is He present? Have I done something that caused me to wander from His side? Amazing, isn't it, that I can go from a wonderful time of intimate prayer, knowing the touch of the Hand of the Lord one day to wondering where He is the next? But, that is to be human. We react to our circumstances, are stressed by the suffering that is real, and cry out - "May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth!" sometimes more out of desperation than real faith.
The window into the war zones of the Middle East is a like a view of Hell for me. Realizing that men and women are dying, that their homes and property are being destroyed by hatred, leaves me too sad for words and sometimes wondering, "Why God, do you permit such things?"
Standing by the side of a suffering Christian who is in terrible pain despite our prayers causes me to feel a little like Job who prayed - “My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his throne and talk with him there." (Job 23:2-3, NLT)
Standing in a funeral home seeing the body of a brave woman who lived with ALS for three long years and feeling only a fraction of the grief her family must know, I grew angry - for a moment - with God. For a while, I felt alone, almost forsaken.
Matthew 4 helps me to understand the source of my questions. Jesus was led by the Spirit to a time of temptation in the wilderness. Matthew 4 reports - Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger..." (4:1-2, The Message) Who showed up next? Satan, with his various offers. It was Jesus' hunger that the devil exploited. In the middle of the battle for his soul, Jesus wanted food, comfort, and meaning.
You and I live in a 'wilderness' as long as we are on this earth! We are often engaged with challenges - spiritual and physical - that deplete our reserves and leave us hungry. Not just physically, either. We hunger for love. We hunger for meaning in our life. We hunger for peace and soul rest. We hunger for our Father's embrace after we have given our all in the battles of life. The Bible teaches us that the Enemy of our soul exploits that hunger. Note what Satan did when Jesus was near exhausted, depleted, and vulnerable. He lied - offering temporary satisfaction for the hunger that Jesus experienced.
"Make a stone into bread!
Throw yourself down and make God, your Father, show up to rescue you.
Worship me, just for a moment, and I'll give you recognition among men!"
Similarly, when we ache for comfort, when we want life to be easier to understand, he comes to offer us 'solutions' too.
Feeling emotionally empty? Throw an abusive tantrum and get some attention.
Need to be comforted? Overeat. Buy a new toy.
Want meaning? Pour yourself into getting power or gaining awards for your 'selfless' service.
Manipulate religion to make it serve your needs and desires.
Behind all of his suggestions is the great lie: "God doesn't care about you. If He did, He wouldn't allow you to be hungry! SO, it's time to take care of yourself."
Here's the faith challenge in such moments. It is the very love of God that allows us to feel hunger -- for that hunger should drive us to Him, to seek for Him! That is why Jesus replied to the devil with the Word Truth again and again. Jesus insists - "My need will be met by my Father!" And so should we! That does not mean that God will take away our hunger or fill us up in the way we always want Him to. If He did, we would not worship Him. Fatness, not leanness, is the greater test of the soul. And, we must never forget in it all - God is still Present! Jesus was in the wilderness by the will of His Father. God, our Father, calls us to contentment in Him, trusting in His promise even when our hunger diminishes our ability to sense Him there.
Contentment is something entirely different than being satisfied. John Eldredge writes, "Contentment is not freedom from desire (hunger), but freedom of desire. Being content is not pretending that everything is way we wish it to be; it is not acting as though we have no wishes. Rather, contentment is no longer being ruled by our desires."
Are you feeling an ache of spiritual hunger today? Has a trip through a wilderness left you worn out, wondering where God is, why He letting it happen?
I ache with you. But, don't let your human emotions or the Deceiver turn that hunger into an occasion for sin- either by trying to satisfy it with temporal things or by accusing your Father of leaving you orphaned.
Rather, let that hunger drive to a place of quiet before Him. And consider this:
"... if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:24-28, NLT)
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Traveling Stand-by
Sean, my son, is able to fly at reduced rates because his father-in-law is a pilot with a major air carrier. It's one of those nice perks, except for one thing; it's stand-by. That means he cannot make a confirmed reservation and can only get on a flight if there is a seat available at the last moment. Much of the time, that's not a problem. In peak travel seasons and on busy routes, it can be. Today, he had hoped to fly home, albeit on a circuitous route, but when he checked the flight status this morning, every flight was status 'red' meaning they were already oversold with the likelihood of getting on board near zero. Young as he is, stand-by flying is somewhat of an adventure. But it is not for me! When I go to the airport, I want to be assured of a seat on that plane.
I know a lot of people who think they're going to enjoy eternal life on a stand-by basis. They make no advance reservations, pay little attention to their spiritual life, they think they will appear at the gates of Glory and hope they will get in on a space available basis! What an awful way to think about eternity. The stakes are too high for 'hope so, could be' thinking. No wonder so many fear death with such intense dread. Death for me holds no terrors. Sure, I'm not exactly gleeful over the process of dying, but once the transit from earth to glory is made, I have no fear. Why? Because, I have a confirmed reservation, purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, made available to me by His amazing grace. Like Paul, I can say, "I know in Whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I've entrusted to Him..."
The Word makes this promise to those who live in faith - "So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever." (Hebrews 9:11-12, NLT)
That is a wonderful phrase - "He secured our salvation forever!" You and I can enter into eternal life, right here, right now. We don't have to wait to die to see if there is room in the Father's house for us. We need not be anxious about our inevitable trip beyond the skies. He, at His own expense, purchased our salvation and gives us life, eternal and full! The ticket is issued, paid in full.
As I've just mentioned, salvation is not just about 'getting into Heaven.' Some mistakenly think that praying a prayer to receive Christ, a prayer affirming their hope in Him, is the whole thing wrapped up and done in one little package. Wrong! Being 'saved' is as much about how we live now as it is about going to Heaven. When Christ saves us from sin and the penalty of death and Hell, He gives us a high and holy calling to become Kingdom people, responsible for extending the reign of God here on earth. We are commissioned to 'go into all the world' and preach - both with words and actions - the goodness of God. Like Abraham of old, we realize that we are looking forward to a city not built with human hands, and we begin to live differently, focused on the values of Heaven, even as we live here on earth.
I want to be one of those Believers who brings a little bit of Heaven down to earth, don't you? I want people to sense the Presence of God in me, to catch a bit of the fragrance of Heaven when I pass by. And, as I walk in the Spirit, with a heart that is already at home in God's house, with a mind that is filled with the wisdom of Heaven, that will happen.
Here's a word from the Word for you today. Believe it and live!
"... because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God’s purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God." (Ephesians 1:11-14, NLT)
Got your ticket? If not, confirm your reservation for Heaven today, right now.
I know a lot of people who think they're going to enjoy eternal life on a stand-by basis. They make no advance reservations, pay little attention to their spiritual life, they think they will appear at the gates of Glory and hope they will get in on a space available basis! What an awful way to think about eternity. The stakes are too high for 'hope so, could be' thinking. No wonder so many fear death with such intense dread. Death for me holds no terrors. Sure, I'm not exactly gleeful over the process of dying, but once the transit from earth to glory is made, I have no fear. Why? Because, I have a confirmed reservation, purchased by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, made available to me by His amazing grace. Like Paul, I can say, "I know in Whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I've entrusted to Him..."
The Word makes this promise to those who live in faith - "So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that great, perfect sanctuary in heaven, not made by human hands and not part of this created world. Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever." (Hebrews 9:11-12, NLT)
That is a wonderful phrase - "He secured our salvation forever!" You and I can enter into eternal life, right here, right now. We don't have to wait to die to see if there is room in the Father's house for us. We need not be anxious about our inevitable trip beyond the skies. He, at His own expense, purchased our salvation and gives us life, eternal and full! The ticket is issued, paid in full.
As I've just mentioned, salvation is not just about 'getting into Heaven.' Some mistakenly think that praying a prayer to receive Christ, a prayer affirming their hope in Him, is the whole thing wrapped up and done in one little package. Wrong! Being 'saved' is as much about how we live now as it is about going to Heaven. When Christ saves us from sin and the penalty of death and Hell, He gives us a high and holy calling to become Kingdom people, responsible for extending the reign of God here on earth. We are commissioned to 'go into all the world' and preach - both with words and actions - the goodness of God. Like Abraham of old, we realize that we are looking forward to a city not built with human hands, and we begin to live differently, focused on the values of Heaven, even as we live here on earth.
I want to be one of those Believers who brings a little bit of Heaven down to earth, don't you? I want people to sense the Presence of God in me, to catch a bit of the fragrance of Heaven when I pass by. And, as I walk in the Spirit, with a heart that is already at home in God's house, with a mind that is filled with the wisdom of Heaven, that will happen.
Here's a word from the Word for you today. Believe it and live!
"... because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God’s purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God." (Ephesians 1:11-14, NLT)
Got your ticket? If not, confirm your reservation for Heaven today, right now.
Monday, July 31, 2006
A Present Help - My God!
In that little waiting room in the hospital, I sat with my head bowed. With a broken heart and troubled mind I went to prayer - at first not sure even how to pray. A beautiful young woman lay just steps away, holding onto life by a thin thread. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God" - was all I could manage, at first; but then with the help of the Spirit, I began to thank Him for His beauty, His majesty, His greatness, the love He has shown to us. From that praise came a boldness to ask God to intervene. Nearly an hour slipped quickly by as I prayed in quiet murmuring of petition and silent ponderings of praise. That alcove became a sanctuary! I felt Him come close and touch us!
How do people face life alone, without God? I cannot answer that question, because I have been blessed all my life with the knowledge of His love for me. From the earliest days of my childhood, prayer and the Presence of the Lord have been part of my the world I live in. No, I am not always a perfect saint! I don't always live close to God, but I've always known He is there, sometimes even abusing His mercy and grace in my immaturity and ingratitude. Yet, He loves me. Don't read this paragraph as indicating that my life has been without disappointment, without moments of doubt or confusion, or even fear. Sometimes, for reasons I cannot know, it seems that God stands aside and I feel like I'm on my own. Sometimes He allows situations to develop for which I can find no purpose and I'm left with the stark option of faith! The truth is that I never walk alone. In the darkest situation, He is there.
David writes -
"You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
"You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." (Psalm 139:3-12, NIV)
Even the darkness will not be dark to You! What a wonderful assurance. The Father walks with us and sees the way - even in the dark. He knows our frail nature, our tendency to fall, and loves us anyway.
Do you live in His Presence?
Do you walk with Him?
Is your first inclination in times of joy and trouble to share it with your Friend, Jesus Christ?
If you answer those questions with a 'yes,' then you know what I'm writing about. If 'no,' then let me urge you to receive Him into your life today! Open your heart and mind to Him. Hand over your life to Him. Sell out - irrevocably! The transaction is one born in faith. It doesn't require a priest or preacher, just a hungry heart that says, "Jesus save me. Love me. Be my Lord!" Becoming a child of God does not mean that you will be exempt from the trials and tests of living. That's the nonsense of prosperity preachers imaginations. Those of us who walk with Him continue to live in a world where there is war, pain, suffering, and death. But, we never walk alone!
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WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
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