“Would Jesus eat cheese doodles and lime jello at the church potluck dinner?” was the question posed by Leslie Fields in a provocative article in Christianity Today magazine, November, 2010. (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/november/9.22.html)
It was enough to get my attention. Initially, I was ready to dismiss her as another tree-hugging, nut-eating goof who is completely out of touch with the real world, but her thoughts made a lot of sense! While we don’t worship our food, nor do we think that we can somehow become more acceptable to God by keeping dietary laws, how and what we eat is connected to our stewardship of the earth and our bodies. Both of those issues are of real concern to the Lord as a part of our discipleship!
Many Christians are very sensitive about using alcohol and tobacco, as we should be, yet they think eating a ton of sugary, fatty foods is of no consequence to the Lord. If the true issue is maintaining our bodies as ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’ then eating ourselves to death ought to concern us as much as drink or smokes. Then yesterday, my assistant pastor sent along a article with the title – Pastor, you’re probably fat. 6 things to do about it. (http://theresurgence.com/2010/04/16/pastor-youre-probably-fat-6-things-to-do-about-it)
After reading that, I realized that the Lord was trying to get my attention. (Did I tell you that I am one of His slower children?) Isn’t it amazing that we can be so blind in certain areas of our lives?
As Fields points out with clarity, Christians must not fall into the ‘food as righteousness’ cult that has become the obsession of many Americans. She writes, “We have become mindful and puritanical about food, and mindless and licentious about sex.” In another insight, she says, “Perhaps in no other time has our culture so widely absorbed the largely Eastern concept that physical, mental, and spiritual purity can be derived from food—and that we earn our virtue through vigilance over fork and plate … this approach can lead to myopic self-absorption and legalism.”
Paul’s instructions need to be taken more seriously by those who be Christ’s disciples. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. … So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:26, 31, NIV) We eat the way we do, in part, because our schedules are so over-full that we grab fast food on the run, allowing little time to prepare or consume healthful foods and to enjoy the relationships that are built by humans over shared bread! Ask my adult children about their best memories, about the altar at which they received holy instruction. They won’t talk about church. They will tell you about our family table and dinner time.
Might we start to recover spiritual health by weaning ourselves from the quick, easy to eat, empty diets that also rob us of time to appreciate all that the Lord has given us? Jesus never wanted us to fall into the trap of thinking we could make ourselves acceptable to God by what we eat. The kingdom of heaven is not a matter of eating and drinking. Yet, like so many parts of our lives, the Lordship of Christ will extend to our consumption habits, both to what we eat, how we eat it, and how much we eat.
Now, what are we going to do about it?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Taken off the farm
Self-anointed, self appointed prophets are annoying and bring disgrace on the name of Christ Jesus. Remember the crank in Florida a couple of months ago whose cockeyed scheme to burn the Quran caused such a tempest? It’s since been reported that this wasn’t his first publicity stunt. Seems that he enjoys the spotlight a little too much. Amos, the prophet to Israel, whose sermons form a small book of the Bible, got under the skin of the priest in Bethel. Amaziah told him to shut up and go home. “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!” (Amos 7:12-13, NLT) Amaziah concluded that Amos was a nobody, from nowhere, who had appointed himself a gadfly in Israel.
But, the humble prophet offers this defense for his messages that stabbed the conscience of that nation.
“I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’" (Amos 7:14-15, NIV) The Lord took me off the farm! Amos had not chosen the job, nor was it a family thing. The Spirit of the Lord seized him and sent him to a job he would rather have left to another – bringing a word of warning of God’s impending judgment to Israel.
If you’re a genuine Christian, you have been called off the farm and sent with a message! “Who me?” you ask? “But I’m just a project manager, a teacher, a mom, a sales representative …. ! How could I possibly have anything to say to anyone about God’s work?” When God calls us, He equips us with abilities that come from the Spirit. It is a mistaken notion that only the pastors can represent Jesus Christ before the world. In fact, you have a unique audience that no preacher will ever get in his church. Disciple, your life is a sermon. What does it say about the Lord to those among whom you work and live?
The Spirit of God lives in you if you belong to Christ. He will use you if you’re willing, if you’re devoted. The key is not to become a grandstanding publicity hound, a person who enjoys attracting attention. When we do that, the issue becomes us, not God’s Word! Jesus calls us ‘salt and light,’ our lives serving as a preservative in a corrupt society, with a radiance that shows others the Way to go in a very dark world! Find that calling daunting? Me, too! Here’s the promise. This word from the Word is lengthy, but take the time to read it, believe it, and thank God for the privilege of being called off of the farm and into His world.
"He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NLT)
"We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, NLT)
_________________
Father, thank you for calling me off of the farm.
Though I may feel unqualified by human standards
to do holy work, You have promised to equip me
with the powerful gifts of Your Holy Spirit.
I humbly present myself for holy work.
Eclipse my personality with Your radiance.
Clean me up, washing away my sins,
and make my life a quiet and convincing sermon,
an illustration of God’s grace that is offered
to those who are hungry for Him.
Fill me, Lord, with holy boldness that lets me
live fearlessly, relentlessly pursuing Your purpose.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
But, the humble prophet offers this defense for his messages that stabbed the conscience of that nation.
“I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’" (Amos 7:14-15, NIV) The Lord took me off the farm! Amos had not chosen the job, nor was it a family thing. The Spirit of the Lord seized him and sent him to a job he would rather have left to another – bringing a word of warning of God’s impending judgment to Israel.
If you’re a genuine Christian, you have been called off the farm and sent with a message! “Who me?” you ask? “But I’m just a project manager, a teacher, a mom, a sales representative …. ! How could I possibly have anything to say to anyone about God’s work?” When God calls us, He equips us with abilities that come from the Spirit. It is a mistaken notion that only the pastors can represent Jesus Christ before the world. In fact, you have a unique audience that no preacher will ever get in his church. Disciple, your life is a sermon. What does it say about the Lord to those among whom you work and live?
The Spirit of God lives in you if you belong to Christ. He will use you if you’re willing, if you’re devoted. The key is not to become a grandstanding publicity hound, a person who enjoys attracting attention. When we do that, the issue becomes us, not God’s Word! Jesus calls us ‘salt and light,’ our lives serving as a preservative in a corrupt society, with a radiance that shows others the Way to go in a very dark world! Find that calling daunting? Me, too! Here’s the promise. This word from the Word is lengthy, but take the time to read it, believe it, and thank God for the privilege of being called off of the farm and into His world.
"He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NLT)
"We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, NLT)
_________________
Father, thank you for calling me off of the farm.
Though I may feel unqualified by human standards
to do holy work, You have promised to equip me
with the powerful gifts of Your Holy Spirit.
I humbly present myself for holy work.
Eclipse my personality with Your radiance.
Clean me up, washing away my sins,
and make my life a quiet and convincing sermon,
an illustration of God’s grace that is offered
to those who are hungry for Him.
Fill me, Lord, with holy boldness that lets me
live fearlessly, relentlessly pursuing Your purpose.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Knock me off my feet!
My life is devoted to serving the Lord. His wisdom guides my life but I would be lying if I told you that He appears to me every day to chat about life. Do I know Him? Yes; yet He is not my Buddy and there is much about Him I cannot understand, even as what I know of Him gives me great comfort. Have you ever had to deal with a Christian who talks of God in overly familiar terms? “God told me to buy this car. God told me to wear this shirt.” Makes you wonder if your spirituality is deficient, doesn’t it? Could God tell them such things? Of course He could. Did He? Maybe He did, maybe they just had a feeling! We can sense the personal leading of the Holy Spirit, but we should be cautious about declaring that “God told me,” because our perception of His voice is sometimes flawed, especially when we go beyond what He has revealed in the Scripture as His will.
Reverence demands great humility from us when we lay claim to hearing God’s voice. Speaking for Him orclaiming His authority for what we say is so serious that the Decalogue addresses the issue: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7, NIV)
I am very skeptical of the veracity of claims many make to have ‘met God’ if they show no radical transformation of heart and/or character. In the Bible we learn that people who met the Lord, face to face, were left permanently changed by the encounter. Often they were literally knocked off their feet! Saul, later called Paul, met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. He was knocked down and was left speechless and blind for days! God’s glory was so intense that Moses was not allowed to gaze directly on Him, seeing only His ‘back parts.’ (Exodus 33:23) No passage describes the awesomeness of a Divine Encounter better than this one from Isaiah. "Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:2-5, NIV) His vision did not cause his to run out with happy chatter! He was shaken to the core of his being by a new sense of his sinfulness, which was only remedied by a gracious cleansing offered by the Lord.
Disciple, my prayer is “Lord, knock me off my feet!” I do not think I am praying that because I am looking for a thrill or for an experience to talk about to impress my friends. I desire a holy encounter that restores my perspective of Who He is, that causes me to serve Him faithfully and with fewer questions. I do not desire to tame Him, but I want to be transformed by the weight of His Majesty. Yes, true intimacy with God, our Father, will humble us and make us holy. False intimacy will only deepen self-deception.
Have you grown too familiar with the Lord of Glory?
Are you prone to speak as though He is your Buddy, not thinking much of the awesomeness of His Name? It is true that Jesus Christ is our Friend, that the Incarnate God showed us that He is approachable and loving. Yet, we must never forget that He is God, and we are not.
Here’s the word from the Word.
"I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2, NLT)
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)" (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)
__________
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God, Almighty!
All thy works
Shall praise Thy Name
In earth and sky and sea.
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Merciful and Mighty.
God in three Persons,
Blessed Trinity!
- Dykes and Heber, Public Domain
Reverence demands great humility from us when we lay claim to hearing God’s voice. Speaking for Him orclaiming His authority for what we say is so serious that the Decalogue addresses the issue: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7, NIV)
I am very skeptical of the veracity of claims many make to have ‘met God’ if they show no radical transformation of heart and/or character. In the Bible we learn that people who met the Lord, face to face, were left permanently changed by the encounter. Often they were literally knocked off their feet! Saul, later called Paul, met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. He was knocked down and was left speechless and blind for days! God’s glory was so intense that Moses was not allowed to gaze directly on Him, seeing only His ‘back parts.’ (Exodus 33:23) No passage describes the awesomeness of a Divine Encounter better than this one from Isaiah. "Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:2-5, NIV) His vision did not cause his to run out with happy chatter! He was shaken to the core of his being by a new sense of his sinfulness, which was only remedied by a gracious cleansing offered by the Lord.
Disciple, my prayer is “Lord, knock me off my feet!” I do not think I am praying that because I am looking for a thrill or for an experience to talk about to impress my friends. I desire a holy encounter that restores my perspective of Who He is, that causes me to serve Him faithfully and with fewer questions. I do not desire to tame Him, but I want to be transformed by the weight of His Majesty. Yes, true intimacy with God, our Father, will humble us and make us holy. False intimacy will only deepen self-deception.
Have you grown too familiar with the Lord of Glory?
Are you prone to speak as though He is your Buddy, not thinking much of the awesomeness of His Name? It is true that Jesus Christ is our Friend, that the Incarnate God showed us that He is approachable and loving. Yet, we must never forget that He is God, and we are not.
Here’s the word from the Word.
"I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2, NLT)
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)" (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)
__________
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God, Almighty!
All thy works
Shall praise Thy Name
In earth and sky and sea.
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Merciful and Mighty.
God in three Persons,
Blessed Trinity!
- Dykes and Heber, Public Domain
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Too much, too soon?
China, home to a fifth of the earth’s human population, is an economic powerhouse. While it still is not even close to the USA in gross domestic product, it is coming on strong and fast! In a news report last night, the discipline of the people was noted as remarkable. Employees work long hours at high levels of production without complaint. Parents sacrifice hugely to help their children get an education. Hunger and want is a first-hand experience that fuels the drive to succeed. I believe that one of the reasons America is quickly slipping to second-rate status is that most have too much, too soon. Most of us have never experienced the kind of desperation that creates a ‘never again’ kind of mentality that makes us hard-working, productive, and thrifty citizens.
Let’s turn our thoughts to things spiritual.
Disciple, do we know a desperate hunger for the things of God, or have we created a little heaven right here on earth that keeps us satisfied?
Are we content to amuse ourselves with trinkets and games instead of pressing in with earnest desire to know the Lord of Glory?
Have we so tamed our faith that it is but a weekend diversion, a momentary pause in our Self serving ways?
The Scripture says "…it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands." (Lamentations 3:26-28, NLT) Before you nod in agreement, think about that. Who really wants to wait for anything? Who chooses to submit without complaining about the violation of his rights? Are we taught by our pastors to ask the Lord for His discipline? Do we teach those who we lead to Christ to willingly surrender their expectations of an easy road in this life?
Our right standing with God is a gift, given by Christ to all those who call on His Name. A holy life emerges from a disciplined pursuit of the Lord, from our choices of priorities that make Him first, above all things. Jesus challenges those of us who have had a life where we gain too much, too soon. He asks us to think again about how we are spending our days. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:35-36, NIV)
Today, I am asking myself, “Jerry, what do you really want from your life? What are your best efforts being expended to gain: the kingdom of God or the success of this world?” I pray that I have not taken too much, too soon. I pray that I will know the true hunger that turns my heart to the One who satisfies the best and deepest longings.
________________
All my lifelong I had panted,
For a draught from some cool spring
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Poor I was and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy;
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Thro' His blood I now am saved.
Satisfied
Williams, Clara Teare / Hudson, Ralph E.
© Public Domain
Let’s turn our thoughts to things spiritual.
Disciple, do we know a desperate hunger for the things of God, or have we created a little heaven right here on earth that keeps us satisfied?
Are we content to amuse ourselves with trinkets and games instead of pressing in with earnest desire to know the Lord of Glory?
Have we so tamed our faith that it is but a weekend diversion, a momentary pause in our Self serving ways?
The Scripture says "…it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands." (Lamentations 3:26-28, NLT) Before you nod in agreement, think about that. Who really wants to wait for anything? Who chooses to submit without complaining about the violation of his rights? Are we taught by our pastors to ask the Lord for His discipline? Do we teach those who we lead to Christ to willingly surrender their expectations of an easy road in this life?
Our right standing with God is a gift, given by Christ to all those who call on His Name. A holy life emerges from a disciplined pursuit of the Lord, from our choices of priorities that make Him first, above all things. Jesus challenges those of us who have had a life where we gain too much, too soon. He asks us to think again about how we are spending our days. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:35-36, NIV)
Today, I am asking myself, “Jerry, what do you really want from your life? What are your best efforts being expended to gain: the kingdom of God or the success of this world?” I pray that I have not taken too much, too soon. I pray that I will know the true hunger that turns my heart to the One who satisfies the best and deepest longings.
________________
All my lifelong I had panted,
For a draught from some cool spring
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Poor I was and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy;
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Thro' His blood I now am saved.
Satisfied
Williams, Clara Teare / Hudson, Ralph E.
© Public Domain
Monday, November 15, 2010
In love with a feeling?
Are you emotional? We all are. Some of us are more prone to display our emotions than others, but emotions are present in every man, woman, and child. God made us with the ability to know joy, to be able to feel afraid, to become anxious or to settle into a state of serenity. A person who has learned how to ‘deal with his emotions’ is richer for them. If feelings are put in charge that person is in at great risk. Where emotions rule, you find a person who is unstable and unproductive; yes, childish. We expect a toddler to plummet from giddy heights of laughter to stormy tumult of tears within 5 minutes. That same emotional roller coaster in an adult is cause for concern! At the opposite extreme, the person who represses emotions, who refuses to experience them, is bereft of true humanity.
Recently, as I prayed, I realized that I was chasing a feeling, that I was trying to find God through a certain state of mind. It became clear to me that I am much more likely to praise Him when I feel peace, when my emotions are running in a specific direction. Sensing the Presence of the Lord through our emotions is clearly a good thing. There are moments when I find myself so full of emotion that it spills over in tears or bursts out in a rolling laugh. But, Jesus taught us to love God more deeply than that. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NIV) Our walk with the Lord is a combination of emotion and truth, of passion and discipline, of feeling and fact.
God’s love for us is not at the mercy of our emotions. He does not only love us when we feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they sing our favorite worship song in church! He is not just present when tears spill over in a particularly touching time of prayer. He is equally God on the bad days as He is in the good ones. He is still Lord when exhaustion steals our passion. He is Lord when anxiety about the future produces a temporary soul paralysis. Disciple, don’t fall in love with a feeling. Choose to love the Truth! If we build our salvation on a special state of mind, on emotional well-being, we are resting on a foundation of sand. Yes, we will find ourselves then chasing a feeling, looking for a religious high, running here and there wanting somebody to renew the excitement.
Zephaniah reminds the people of the Lord to trust the Truth! "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV) Jeremiah, a man who knew God through much suffering, urges us to be steady. "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV) Do you see the focus of that faith? It is not on the person, on finding a state of mind, even on doing something to provoke a response from the Lord. That person who would stay consistent in devotion focuses on God’s faithfulness!
______________________
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible
Hid from our eyes;
Most blessed, most glorious,
The Ancient of Days;
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting
And silent as light;
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice, like mountains,
High soaring above;
Thy clouds, which are fountains
Of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest,
To both great and small;
In all, life Thou livest,
The true life of all;
We blossom and flourish
As leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish
But naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory,
Pure Father of light;
Thine angels adore Thee
All veiling their sight.
All praise we would render,
O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor
Of light hideth Thee.
Immortal Invisible
Smith, Walter Chalmers / Robert, John
© Public Domain
Recently, as I prayed, I realized that I was chasing a feeling, that I was trying to find God through a certain state of mind. It became clear to me that I am much more likely to praise Him when I feel peace, when my emotions are running in a specific direction. Sensing the Presence of the Lord through our emotions is clearly a good thing. There are moments when I find myself so full of emotion that it spills over in tears or bursts out in a rolling laugh. But, Jesus taught us to love God more deeply than that. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NIV) Our walk with the Lord is a combination of emotion and truth, of passion and discipline, of feeling and fact.
God’s love for us is not at the mercy of our emotions. He does not only love us when we feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they sing our favorite worship song in church! He is not just present when tears spill over in a particularly touching time of prayer. He is equally God on the bad days as He is in the good ones. He is still Lord when exhaustion steals our passion. He is Lord when anxiety about the future produces a temporary soul paralysis. Disciple, don’t fall in love with a feeling. Choose to love the Truth! If we build our salvation on a special state of mind, on emotional well-being, we are resting on a foundation of sand. Yes, we will find ourselves then chasing a feeling, looking for a religious high, running here and there wanting somebody to renew the excitement.
Zephaniah reminds the people of the Lord to trust the Truth! "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV) Jeremiah, a man who knew God through much suffering, urges us to be steady. "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV) Do you see the focus of that faith? It is not on the person, on finding a state of mind, even on doing something to provoke a response from the Lord. That person who would stay consistent in devotion focuses on God’s faithfulness!
______________________
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible
Hid from our eyes;
Most blessed, most glorious,
The Ancient of Days;
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting
And silent as light;
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice, like mountains,
High soaring above;
Thy clouds, which are fountains
Of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest,
To both great and small;
In all, life Thou livest,
The true life of all;
We blossom and flourish
As leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish
But naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory,
Pure Father of light;
Thine angels adore Thee
All veiling their sight.
All praise we would render,
O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor
Of light hideth Thee.
Immortal Invisible
Smith, Walter Chalmers / Robert, John
© Public Domain
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