The cure for the mold of the soul!

A century ago many homes were shut tightly from Fall to late Spring, trapping dust and dampness which, when combined, became petri dishes that fed growth of bacteria and molds that sickened the residents. Though germ theory was developed by Louis Pasteur in the middle of the 19th century, it was another 100 years before scientists began to understand the germicidal power of something abundant and healthful – Sunlight!  People who live in homes that are constructed to admit sunlight, that are ventilated to admit fresh air, and that are kept free of dust have fewer respiratory illnesses, lower rates of asthma and infectious diseases; this according to various published studies.

There are powerful spiritual parallels.  "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, NIV)  When Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, He told him “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ “  (Acts 26:17-18, NIV).

We are transformed from sinner to saint by the offering of Jesus on the Cross.  The challenge then is to become holy, to see the sins that are part of the old sinful nature eradicated. That happens when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to let Him throw open the windows of our soul, to shine the Light into every part of our being.  We sometimes hide parts of ourselves keeping some habit, some difficulty, some attitude  in a dark place. Perhaps it is fear that makes us unwilling to let God deal with it.  Maybe, hard though it can be to admit to ourselves, we like that part of us too much to surrender it to the Lord.  Or, we may have become convinced that thing is ‘just part of who I am.’  

When, by faith, we open up, give it up, and let the Light shine in – like the sun that kills those molds and germs that thrive in dark, dank places – the Son defeats the sin, and brings wholeness and health.  Look at this amazing declaration - "For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT)  The same God Who spoke the sun into existence, gives us Light and because of that Light the old colorless life we once knew is replaced with one resplendent with the radiance of Jesus!  That makes me want to shout, “Hallelujah!” How about you?

Today, choose the Light! Turn your face towards the Son. 

Here is a word from the Word.  Meditate on the promise and live in the joy.  "This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him. If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin." (1 John 1:5-7, The Message)

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Shine Jesus Shine

(worship along with this video)

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness shining

Jesus Light of the world shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine on me shine on me

Lord I come to Your awesome presence

From the shadows into Your radiance

By the blood I may enter Your brightness

Search me try me consume all my darkness

Shine on me shine on me

Shine Jesus shine

Fill this land

With the Father's glory

Blaze Spirit blaze

Set our hearts on fire

Flow river flow

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy

Send forth Your word Lord

And let there be light

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story

Shine on me shine on me

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

While grenades land, have dinner!

The movie playing on my TV was tense; a true story of four American soldiers in Afghanistan. pinned down, taking fire from every direction. Rocket propelled grenades exploded, spraying the men with shrapnel. Bullets whined passing by. Men shouted.  Then, I hit the ‘pause’ button!  All was still.  The action was suspended!  This morning I would sure like a ‘pause’ button for life, a way to make it all just stop.  How about you? Are you under pressure,  wishing for an escape? Are the grenades landing close, so to speak?

In this life we are in a daily war with Self, with sin, with Satan and there is no pause button.  The conflict is is unstoppable but there is this amazing word from David.. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”  (Psalm 23:5)  The mental image is almost absurd.  David says that God invites him to sit down to dinner right in the middle of the war!  That Scripture held my heart together this morning.  There is an invitation not to escape, but to know that God is near, here, ready to meet my basic needs. 

Today, whatever the struggle, whoever is firing on you – man or Devil – you can choose to sit down to renewal with the One who knows you best and in whose hands are held every moment of every day stretching from yesterday into eternity. David knew hard times and difficult places. Some were the result of his own failures and mistakes. Some came his way because of those whose hatred for him was implacable.  Being human, David wearied in it all, and even sometimes wondered aloud if God had abandoned him. He felt alone and afraid.  But, he also knew where to turn in those moments.

He paused and waited!  And, we are instructed and strengthened by the songs he left us as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord protects me from danger— so why should I tremble?" (Psalm 27:1, NLT) "The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple." (Psalm 27:4, NLT) "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close." (Psalm 27:10, NLT)  "Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14, NLT)

While life does not come with a pause button, we can make the choice to sit down to dinner with God on the battlefield.  And, we must. I must!  When the conflict rages, it is most difficult is to stop, to wait.  We want relief, answers, rest.  God invites us to His Presence, to His counsel. David did not run off to some far distant place, nor did he slip into a cave and try to sleep!  He waited - focused and expectant.

Finding renewal in the Presence of the Lord can happen in so many different ways.

We can a break for a few moments to refocus, to sing a song, to read a Bible passage of promise.
We might need to find a day in our full schedule where we only reflect, meditate, and pray.

We may be called to simply ‘stand,’ to choose to go forward in life, expectant, even as God seems hidden, as we feel forgotten. 

Are you facing something that looks impossible? Does tomorrow seem to be full of  uncertainty and confusion?  Are you broken, bloodied, perhaps even full of self-doubt? Have you given it your best, been tested to the limits, and apparently came up wanting?  Let David’s Psalms give you Abba’s counsel.

Come, wait on the Lord!  Do not seek soul solace in things, pleasures, or diversions. Refuse fear.

Take this word from the Word and live in it, by choice.

"Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; … 

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Psalm 130:1, 5-6, NIV)

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." (Psalm 23:5-6, NIV)

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O come to the Savior,

He patiently waits

To save by His power divine;

Come, anchor your soul

In the "Haven of Rest,"

And say, My Beloved is mine."

I've anchored my soul

In the "Haven of Rest,"

I'll sail the wide seas no more;

The tempest may sweep,

O'er the wild stormy deep;

In Jesus I'm safe evermore.

The Haven Of Rest

Gilmour, Henry L. / Moore, George D.

© Public Domain

Clouded eyes?

On Saturday, I was driving my Jeep along Route 611, just below East Stroudsburg, PA, a twisting narrow road tucked into the rocky cliffs that rise steeply from the Delaware River. I was thinking about the hazards of the roadway and the need of maintenance on it. Then, I looked up and took in the amazing view of the Delaware Water Gap. At that moment, I came upon a scenic overlook where I could park and take in the sight. Right then an ordinary trip turned into a feast of beauty! I was so captivated by the scene that a couple of miles down the road, I pulled over and got out to take a few more pictures of the Fall foliage, the river, and the cliffs of the Gap.  Same place, different vision!

So, how’s your vision, not your eyesight, though I hope that it is sharp and clear, but rather your outlook on life?
Do you see the situations of life as they are or through the clouded lens of self interest or wishful thinking?
Do you grasp the opportunities that are coming your way or is your vision so limited that you are just plodding along?
Are you connecting the reality of the Spirit with your daily walk?

There is a tiny phrase tucked into the Chronicles of the people of God. The sons of Issachar were commended as those “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”  (1 Chronicles 12:32, NIV) They were leaders because they had vision.  God, the Holy Spirit, offers us the gift of vision! We do not have to stumble along, confused, just trying to cope with the things of life as they come at us seeming ‘out of nowhere.’  But, Christian, we will suffer from impaired vision if we fail to worship deeply, pray often and sincerely, and give our best energies only to the stuff of this earthly life.

Pastor Kris Vallotton offers this provocative word about three aspects of vision.  “True Godly vision consists of foresight, insight and oversight that come from His sight. Foresight is like looking at life through a telescope. This outlook allows us to know what is ahead as it connects us to our future. Foresight is the element of vision that helps life make sense and gives us motivation …  Insight is like viewing life through a microscope. This perception gives us an understanding of why things happen in life. It also helps determine the underlying motivations of the heart. Oversight puts life into context. It is like flying over our house in a helicopter.” 

Too often even well-meaning and devout people just keeping plugging away, letting life happen, dutifully doing what they think ‘has to be done’ day in and day out.  We need to take a pause every now and then, a day away, time to pray, a long conversation with someone who loves us enough to ask us the hard questions, to determine if we are actually ‘seeing’ things as they are, or just as they seem to be. 

Last week, in the middle of a challenge in my life, I grew frustrated and angry. I fumed and fretted. Seeing only the difficulties, I felt trapped and reacted much like an animal that is backed into a corner. I snarled and snapped, complained, and acted like a child!  But, after the storm blew through, after a couple of friends patiently listened to my fulminations, and after I spent extended time prayerfully giving myself to the Lord;  my sight was restored!  The situation is still there, the solution not yet presenting itself, but there is also vision of God’s promise and provision, a perspective that is important to my walk with Christ. By the way, it’s not the first time my vision was clouded by some hard things in life, nor do I expect it will be the last.

This Monday morning I want to encourage you to seek clear vision!  Pray that the Lord will give you foresight so that you can anticipate and prepare for the day, equipped by the Spirit to accept the blessings and deal with the challenges.  Pray for insight, for the wisdom of the Spirit that does not limit what you see to what seems so obvious, but perceives the realities of relationships and the spiritual realm that surrounds us all.  And, pray for oversight, the wider lens that allows you to see eternity at the end of this present life, connected the Lord’s ultimate promise with the need of the moment.

Here are a couple of words from the Word. May the Spirit make them living truth for us as we begin a new week."When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But, whoever obeys the law is joyful." (Proverbs 29:18, NLT)
And, then these words of Jesus, given to His disciples about the opportunities for spiritual harvest in what they only saw as barren fields. "As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! “The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant." (John 4:35-38, The Message)

Abba, as we make our way into this new week
clear our vision.
Stir us to take in the opportunities that come our way –
to care lovingly for others, to bring Your Presence and peace to difficult and dark places.
Keep us from plodding along, defeated and discouraged,
seeing only the stones that lie on our pathway.

Call us, gently and persistently, to see You at work,
to become people who “who understand the times and know what we should do.”
In this may we make Your praises great, Your radiance bright,
and live in the peace of Christ. Amen