Joy where you are

“How’s life?” a casual friend asked me, knowing I was semi-retired recently.  I told him that I slept better than I had in years, that I awakened with anticipation of each new day, and that my life was rich in every way.  His response made me smile – “You mean it?”   I assured him that I did, that the right decision was to step away from full-time pastoral ministry and give myself to volunteer service. 

Is life all that I wish it might be? Of course not, it’s not heaven yet. Are there regrets and disappointments? Yes, again. When I think back about my life, I know for certain that there are many things I might have done differently.  But, I am a contented man who finds joy in life, now, where I am, just about every day!

You might well respond to me and say, “Well, if I could retire I’d be happy too.”   Maybe, maybe not- really!  Plenty of people retire and find themselves bored or unhappy. Many relocate to a new city, abandon a marriage, change their job, buy some new thing … and remain miserable and discontent. Why?  Contentment grows from the inside out, not the outside in.   

In memorable words recorded in his letter to the Christians in Philippi (and us!)  Paul says - “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Philippians 4:11-12, NIV) Note that phrase ‘I have learned.’  

Through practice and experience he had discovered that if he hoped to know the joy that Jesus promises to us all, he would have to stop kicking, screaming, and complaining about life and choose to trust God instead.  If you know Paul’s story you know his contentment was not the result of a lottery win or an easy life. He gave himself to Christ and the work of taking the Gospel to an empire that was hostile to his faith. He was tossed out of city after city, often arrested, beaten, and jailed. He had to deal with jealous men who made false accusations. Beside that, he constantly lived with the danger and difficulties of travel at that time. Yet he could sincerely claim to be content and to know joy.

We can know that kind of joy too.  The Proverb teaches us the starting point:  "The fear of the LORD leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble." (Proverbs 19:23, NIV)  Let’s not misunderstand what the ‘fear of the Lord’ really is.  It is not living in terror of His majesty, worried that He is about to drop the weight of His judgment on us.  That is not the heart of our Father!  Rather, we are taught to grow a deep, strong faith that leads us to awe and reverence, willing to trust Him completely.  When we choose a child-like faith, leaning into His love, expecting Him to care for us – now and into eternity – we ‘rest content.’  We say ‘my life is in His hands’ and it’s not just a motto or slogan; it is the truth that gives us a contented heart.

The disciples of Jesus illustrate the principle. One night they found themselves caught up in a storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee. Focused on the tempest, they screamed at Jesus – “Don’t you care?”  He awakened, quieted the storm, and left them speechless, amazed that ‘even the winds and waves obey Him.’  What are focusing on today, my friend?  Are you looking only at the storms, the uncertainties of life *(and there are plenty of those, aren’t there?)  Or, are you leaning on the promises of a mighty God, trusting in the salvation provided by Jesus’ grace gift, and drinking deeply of the Spirit?  The latter choice will lead to contentment, which is not be confused with apathy. 

Contented Christians still cry.  They are not stoics denying their pain. 
Contented Christians still work for change.  They see a world in need and give themselves to make it better. 

All the while, they are secure in their faith in God Who is greater than anything or anyone they may encounter in this world.

Want to know the best life that can be found?  Grow in faith by focusing on the Word of God, by giving yourself to daily prayer and meditation, and by becoming more aware of your weakness, matched by His majesty.  You cannot will yourself into contentment unless you are willing to adopt a Zen-life detachment from life, which is not the plan of God for us.  He desires that we live with engagement with the world around us, loving others, sharing their joys and sorrows, and being available to the Spirit to serve.  And, He also promises that we can avoid miserable discontent and enter into joyful contentment.  Will we?

Here is the word from the Word to take with you today.  Think about it, pray about it, and let peace take root.  "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

In The Presence Of Jehovah

In and out of situations
That tug-a-war at me
All day long I struggle
For answers that I need
Then I come into Your presence
All my questions become clear
And for a sacred moment
No doubt can interfere

In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish hearts are mended
In the presence of the King

Through His love the Lord provided
A place for us to rest
A place to find the answers
In hours of distress
There is never any reason
To give up in despair
Just slip away and breathe His name
He will come and meet you there

 

Becky Davis, Geron Davis 1983, 1985 Meadowgreen Music Company; Songchannel Music

CCLI License #810055

Just fumes

"I’m just running on fumes these days.”  The expression comes from when the car’s gas tank is nearly empty and the engine continues to run on the vapors that are left.  I cannot recall when I was that close to being out of gas.  My concern kicks in when the indicator shows me that I have less than a quarter of a tank left and I ‘fill up.’  But, I readily admit to seasons in my life when I have been spent, exhausted, discouraged, and felt like I was running on fumes. When there is no energy, motivation, or desire to start a new day – you’re running on fumes, my friend.

Why do we understand the need to refuel our vehicles but so often fail to understand the need to renew our souls?  Why do we understand that a nearly empty gas tank is demanding our attention but do not grasp that an empty soul, a starving spirit, is an even greater issue that requires some important choices?  When we are ‘running on fumes’  we are at much greater risk of making really stupid decisions, tempted by quick fixes that only complicate life.

Sometimes all we need is a day to recollect ourselves or a good, solid night’s rest. Sometimes we need a longer break, a friend who holds us up, words of encouragement that go beyond cliché. 

Good habits are important to build resilience in us.  Just as a well-maintained vehicle will run longer and more efficiently, we do better physically, emotionally, and spiritually IF we do the important work of care before urgent moments come along with exhaustion.
Regular sleep, good eating habits, getting exercise and fresh air – yes, these are basic.
Forgiving others, learning to be generous, refusing to carry around resentments – are also basic.
Time for prayerful reflection, corporate worship, and quiet meditation are more of those basics.

Can we always manage that kind of living?  No, we cannot. Emergencies come. Illness or death brings grief into life. Our work requires a sustained effort for a season that drains our resources. Disappointment comes our way when our expectations and hopes crash on the rocks of reality.  But, a person who has chosen to live with habits of health – emotional, spiritual, and physical – will generally regain hope and momentum more quickly, meeting hardships with resilience.

Jesus invites us to share life with Him.  We need not manage our complex world all by ourselves.  “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)   Interestingly, He does not invite us to a perpetual vacation.  That yoke of which He speaks is about doing work, being productive. However, His yoke will not chafe or wound. It makes the burdens bearable!

We must never forget that even Jesus, the perfect God-Man, knew the temptation of the urgent which would overwhelm the truly important. What did He do? He chose to retreat, to pray, to be with His Father.  Can we do anything less?  God has prepared renewal and refreshment for us. The words that the Lord spoke to Isaiah are not just poetry. "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams." (Isaiah 44:3-4, NIV) 

Here is an invitation - “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:1-2, NIV)

With such regret, I remember those seasons when I failed to find His renewal and thus did not live in the flow of the Spirit. In my frustration and emptiness, I was not the source of ‘living water’ that He desired me to be. Whenever we take life into our own hands, when we do not balance work and worship, when we let ourselves be tricked into thinking “I have to do something, anything, right now, or all is lost,” we will become empty and desperate.  The songs around us will go unheard; the beauty of His blessings unseen.

With Israel’s ancient pilgrims, let’s pray: "I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1-2, NLT)

Are you running on empty? Do what seems impossible- Stop! Wait! Look up!

Pray, perhaps simple sentence prayers, “Lord, show me the way.” “Jesus, be my peace.” “Father, give me vision.”

Worship.  Find a place where you can be reminded that that the God of Creation knows your name, your greatest need.

Sabbath. God wove a principle of rest into His plan.  In Genesis, we are told that “He rested on the 7^th day.”  He concluded that His work was complete. We, too, need to take time, not just to play, but to pause the ordinary activities in order to give ourselves to those spiritual things that complete us.

 Running on empty? Lost sight of the goodness of life?  Here is a word from the Word.

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, NLT) 

There is no need to run on empty because God promises Christians the fullness of the Spirit.  "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts." (Ephesians 5:15-19, NLT)  In that fullness, desperation will be replaced with "life… more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

Holy Spirit

 There's nothing worth more
that will ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your Presence

 I've tasted and seen
of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
and my shame is undone
In Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Your Presence Lord
Your Presence
Oh God how we love Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness (Lord) 

Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt © 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Ashamed? No More!

One of the most powerful emotional toxins common to the human experience is shame – feelings of worthlessness that create a desire to hide our true selves.  “If they really knew me, they would hate me.” is the conclusion comes from carrying shame.  Shame can flow from within ourselves if we think we are unattractive, too thin, too fat, or that we lack intelligence. It can grow in us if we are ‘shamed’ by someone else. If we grow up in a home where we are told, “You are not worth the food I provide for you,” or “You will never amount to anything of worth,”  shame finds fertile soil in which to grow. 

Shame may result from some poor choices, things we did even though we knew they were wrong. Unable to find forgiveness or to allow ourselves to accept it, we begin to carry around an awful weight of feelings of unworthiness.

Shame is different from guilt. Guilt over real sins and wrongs will serve us, motivating us to seek change, to make things right. (There is false guilt, but that’s for another day’s thought.)  Shame that tells us “you are a worthless piece of garbage, unloveable, unacceptable to others,  will always cause us to engage in self-destructive behaviors. Guilt says, “I did something wrong.” Shame says “There is something wrong with me.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ addresses both Guilt and Shame!  The Bible opens with the story of God and Creation, then it shifts to humanity’s failure to walk with God in obedient faith.  Listening to the invitation of temptation, Adam and Eve ‘fell,’ choosing to ignore God’s direction. 

The account gives us deep insight about the human conditions  of guilt and shame.  "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (Genesis 3:7-10, NIV)

With the loss of innocence came self-awareness and shame caused to cover themselves from each other and to hide from God!  That is exactly what happens to each one of us when we become aware of ourselves and our actions, capable of knowing that we have not lived up to God’s desire for us and/or able to compare ourselves to others.  So what can we do?

The story of the Fall lays the foundation for the plan of redemption that comes in the grand scope of the Bible’s revelation of God.  We learn that God does not, like many people, choose to be disgusted with us or to walk away from us leaving us to struggle alone with our shame while we desperately try to keep all our fig leaves in place. He pursues us, loves us, and offers restoration of the life that sin stole from us. 

"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.”  (Ephesians 2:4-5, NLT)  That is grace – God’s love given, not because we have done so much good, but because He made us to be loved and, in that love, to make us good!

We devise all manner of mechanisms to cope with shame- long work hours, gaining accolades, creating fancier ‘fig leaves’ with clothing, cars, or homes that we think give us status, and even religiosity.  Some of us just collapse under the weight of our sense of ‘worthlessness’ and addictions – sex, drugs, alcohol, perfectionism - become our choice to feel better, even if for a moment.

The answer for both guilt and shame is salvation!  God holds out the offer of forgiveness and restoration to each one of through Jesus Christ. In His love we find a promise of healing.  "We all did … what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish!" (Ephesians 2:3-8, The Message)

Oh, our full discovery of a whole life and freedom from shame seldom arrives instantly.

With the help of a loving community, we learn to talk about our true perceptions, admit to our real mistakes, and realize that we live in a world where sin and failure is not the exception but the rule!  In faith we meditate on God’s truth of amazing, deep, and persistent love such as the wayward son in the story told by Jesus found in his father. 

When the son finally went ‘home’ he did not find shame. He found love. “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20, NLT)

Are you living ashamed, hiding from relationships, avoiding God?   You can attempt to excuse yourself or explain away that which creates guilt. You can retreat into shame’s isolation but your conscience will not be easily stilled. Take your guilt to Him. Don’t hide!

Prayerfully, in a quiet place, let the Spirit find you and open up to Him, with honest confession – about your confusion, about your guilt, about that shame that makes you feel so worthless. Then, by faith, accept the grace that makes you new and whole! Discard the ‘fig leaves’ and put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness (right standing with God) that He gives to us, freely in Christ Jesus.

Here is a word from the Word. May this Truth find a place to take root and grow in you, replacing guilt with forgiveness and shame with wholeness. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16-17, NIV)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

Does Jesus Care

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song
As the burdens press and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long

O yes He cares I know He cares
His heart is touched with my grief
When the days are weary
The long nights dreary
I know my Savior cares

Does Jesus care when I've tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong
When for my deep grief I find no relief
Though my tears flow all the night long

Does Jesus care when I've said goodbye
To the dearest on earth to me
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks
Is it aught to Him does He see

 

Frank E. Graeff, Joseph Lincoln Hall

© Public Domain

I Saw The Light!

Who doesn’t love the dawn of a new day? Most mornings around 5:30 my eyes open in the darkness of my bedroom. I ask Alexa™ to turn on the lights and the gloom is instantly dispelled!  There is a simple joy found when I stand on the porch while the sun creeps up over the eastern horizon, streaks of bright streaming through the trees and pastel colors painted in the sky. Light changes everything!  The shapes of black and white become splashes of colors that delight the eyes.   

I wondered  “What is light?”  This answer is offered by a Google search. “No single answer to the question “What is light?” satisfies the many contexts in which light is experienced, explored, and exploited. The physicist is interested in the physical properties of light, and the artist has an aesthetic appreciation of the visual world. Through the sense of sight, light is a primary tool for perceiving the world and communicating within it. Light from the Sun warms the Earth, drives global weather patterns, and initiates the life-sustaining process of photosynthesis.”   - Brittanica

Without light, life is impossible.  We may survive a season in the darkness, but to thrive we must have light. No wonder Jesus borrowed light to illustrate the critical role of His followers in the world. He is the LIGHT of life and we are to carry that light wherever we go, in what we say and do.  His commission is simple and clear. “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:16, NLT)  

When I was a little child we sang -"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."   The concept is not just a kid’s idea or for Sunday School!  The darkness that surrounds us-  hate, greed, injustice, oppression, corruption, abuse, lies - can be dispelled by courageous Light-bearers. Make no mistake, we are not talking about being the scolds of the world, increasing guilt and shame. We are to be beautiful lights that attract, transform, expose, and bring life-change.  

 The Light in us is not from our own charisma or intellect.  Like the moon that reflects the Sun’s radiance; we reflect the radiance of Christ’s light.  The Word says "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5-6, NIV)

Darkness envelopes too many lives.
Greed darkens minds to the joy of generosity.
Hate darkens hearts to genuine self-less love!
Pornography darkens God’s gift of sexuality.
Boasters, braggarts, crooks, and thieves darken the ‘entertainment’ that our culture consumes.
Power often darkens the mind of those entrusted with it and they become corrupt.

Want be a source of light for the darkness in your world?  The secret is prayer for the Spirit to change us, first, before we try to change the world!  Like Moses who went to the mountain to be the Presence of God, we take time for worship, for meditation, for prayer and His light shines through us.  When Moses returned to the people of God from his time with the Lord, his face literally shone with the glory of God, so much that he had to put a veil over it because the people were frightened!  How I pray that my life will have a radiance that comes from Christ living in me!  How about you?

Christians committed to being good- loving, kind, humble, serving, generous, encouraging, and authentic become lights. Our little light, by itself, seems pitifully small but when combined with millions of lights, we can light up the world! Believe it. Shine!

Here is a word from the Word. May the truth help you see the glorious mission and destiny God has for you – to be a light in dark places. Here’s a passage for your meditation. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3, NIV)  "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." (Isaiah 60:19, NIV)

Lord, let the promise be real to us. Shine through us.
Amen.

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(Video of this blog at this link)

I Saw The Light

I wandered so aimless life filled with sin
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night
Praise the Lord I saw the light

 

I saw the light I saw the light
No more in darkness no more in night
(And) now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight
Praise the Lord I saw the light

 

Just like a blind man I wandered along
Worries and fears I claimed for my own
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight
Praise the Lord I saw the light

 

I was a fool to wander and stray
Straight is the gate and narrow the way
Now I have traded the wrong for the right
Praise the Lord I saw the light

 

Hank Williams Sr.

© 1948. Renewed 1975 Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music

Cleansed of the grime

 

 

It is said that one of the most beautiful places in the Vatican is the Sistine Chapel. (a note - I have never been there!) It was built about 1481. Its walls were decorated by Renaissance painters. Between 1508 and 1512 Michelangelo painted the Creation of Adam. The works are among the most notable works of Western art ever created.  One could only imagine what was under the accumulated smoke, grime, and dust of 5 centuries.  What was the vibrancy of the art like when it was created? Imagine no more!   Restorations done over the last half century have uncovered colors and details that had not been seen for centuries.

Christians use the Latin term ' imago dei’  to describe God’s work of Creation in human beings, stamping His own likeness and image in us.  Imago Dei describes the unique relationship between God and humans that makes us distinct from all other creatures.  Genesis says "So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, NLT)   Since God is Spirit, it is not our temporal body, made mostly of carbon atoms, that bears His likeness. It is soul and spirit, intellect and will, emotions and relationships, primary among them - LOVE!

We were made to display His creativity in our lives, to show His love in our relationships, to demonstrate His qualities in our character and work. Then, sin entered the world, the image marred, and over time, increasing obscured by corruption, selfishness, worship of created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1), and the abuse of the gifts He gave to us.  The image of God remains but under such layers of corruption as to be all but invisible in the lives of those who have not undergone a Divine Restoration!

The Scripture tells us this of Jesus - "The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. " (Hebrews 1:3, NLT)  "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15, NLT)   Then there is the amazingly wonderful promise for humanity - you and me!   God acts to restore His image in us,  by conforming us to the image of Christ.   

Through a gift of divine grace, by faith, we receive union with Christ so that we are made like Him: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29).   Again, we read - “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

When we speak of being ‘saved,’ we must not only think of having the sting of separation from God taken from us.  We are saved TO the work of showing off His goodness.   The Word says that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).   Because we are given the Spirit, it si possible to take "off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:9-10, NIV)

You might wonder why I am focused on this, why it matters?    Because I believe that many Christians do not grasp the high calling, the joyous privilege they are given, in Christ to show off God’s glory.  Many think that Jesus came to forgive their sins and help them limp into Heaven whenever they die.  Yes, He did come to release us from sin’s grasp, and to open the Way to Life eternal to us, yet there is so much more.  God wants to restore the imago dei in YOU.   He wants our lives to be so full of Christ’s goodness, grace, love, and truth that the radiance cannot be ignored by the world around us.  In colloquial terms,He wants us to look like our Dad.

The reason that so many do not find our Christian experience compelling and beautiful is that we have turned this amazing gift into a system of moral laws, often only known through church attendance, with rote recitations of Scripture, and such things.  Nobody is looking for more rules in life or greater duty.  But, we all love beauty!  When Christ Jesus forgives us, He washes and when we lean on Him, we are restored through the Holy Spirit’s action.  The Word says that  "we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. " (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV)   We can become amazingly loving, beautifully authentic, creative, whole, and holy people - beautiful.  No it’s not a superficial beauty of face or social status. It is a beauty that is the reflection of Jesus.

Are you growing in the image of God, the grime and corruption peeled away by the Spirit’s work as you live in holy discipleship?  Ah, yes, it is a process.  The restored beauty of the Sistine Chapel emerged only over decades through the hard work of skilled craftsmen.  So in us, this work - often called sanctification - happens our whole life long.

It will only be completed when Christ appears in His glory. Take this final thought with you today as you pray for and aspire to the Imago Dei to be more and visible in your life. "Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." (1 John 3:2, NLT)  

Let’s grow into His likeness anticipating the Day when it is made complete in us and we become eternal beings of such glory we are called “children of God!

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart!
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night.
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word.
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, and I thy true son!
Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one.

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,
Thou my inheritance now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart.
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art!

High King of heaven when battle is done,
Grant heaven's joy to me, Bright Heaven's Sun.
Christ of my own heart whatever befall,
Still be my vision thou ruler of all.

 Public Domain

Anger, Fear, and Hopelessness

An article I read yesterday reported that anger is now the emotion we share most.  Three-quarters of Americans are angered by the state of the world and their own place in life! That is a lot of angry people!  The writer went on to opine that the source of that anger is the sense of powerlessness over the future that so many people feel.

Confidence in our institutions has eroded leaving us with the feeling that there is no place of safety. 
Christian churches enjoy the confidence of less than a third of us. 
The justice system is viewed by many as corrupt, from the Supreme Court of the US on down. 
Politicians are viewed as self-serving and corrupt by the majority of Americans.  Yes, all this and more, has robbed so many of hope.  How about you?  

 Angry people are not generally hopeful people. They become survivors, protective of themselves, lacking vision and purpose that leads them into the future.

Hope can be dimmed in our lives by personal troubles and crises as well. When our days are overtaken by difficulties for which we cannot find answers or problems that defy any solution that we can think of, hope may fail and with that failure can come depression and darkness.  This kind of hopelessness is magnified in our time by the loss of faith, the feeling that we are alone, the captain of our ship without a god to guide us!  Has hope dimmed for you?  Are you unmotivated in life, wishing to escape to someplace far away, perhaps even despairing of life itself some days.

I would like to invite you to regain perspective by stepping back and reconsidering your conclusions about life and hope.  The Lord God is present. His purposes remain secure.  We can trust Him. His purposes for you and me are greater than the moment in which we find ourselves today!  The Scripture says “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV)

Peter tells us to "set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13, NIV)  Peter, at a most critical moment, had failed.  As he saw Jesus, his hope, on trial before a corrupt court, he grew afraid and hope was lost.  The Gospels tell us that after his dramatic denial of Jesus, he ‘went out and wept bitterly.’   He abandoned his call and went home to Galilee to his fishing boat. Until… the resurrected Jesus found him and restored him to love and faith.

He will restore us, just as He did Peter, IF we are willing to listen, to think, to worship (as in ‘sacrifice of praise’), and turn from our false hopes. Without slipping into cynicism I can agree with you that people fail, governments become corrupt, and preachers and priests can turn out to be empty suits.  Our financial security can evaporate with an economic recession. Our family can fall apart when things like death or divorce visit us.  But, here is what is true:  Jesus never fails.  He is our HOPE. 

Meditate on this passage. "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:2-3, NKJV)  Our hope in Christ Jesus will create a single-minded focus in us that lifts us out of the gloom, allows us to see past the difficulties of the moment, and to live for that Day when sin, death, and Hell are forgotten as we enter into eternal life.   A hope built on the gift of eternal life through Christ will never be disappointed, nor lost! Nothing can take away God’s gift of salvation and the promise of a home in Heaven.

Remember the focus of our faith, and thus the source of our hope, is not what we believe, but Who we trust!  Near the end of his life, when he was imprisoned on Rome’s death row, Paul said to his young friend, Timothy, that his faithfulness to Christ’s Gospel was solid … “because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV)

On who or what have you set your hope?

Give some prayerful thought to that today.  Take a break from the cycle of anger, fear, and hopelessness. Find a quiet place to think deeply about these words from the Word.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17, NIV)

"Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!" (Psalm 42:11, NLT)

"I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:5-8, NLT)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

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Build My Life

(let this worship song speak to you today)

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

 

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

 

Holy there is no one like You

There is none besides You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

 

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

 

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

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