Perspective is a good thing. In our melodramatic lives where everything is exaggerated, somehow heightened, blown out of proportion, you know over the top, we sometimes lose perspective. We (I) sometimes lose the ability to see what’s really relevant and meaningful. You know, the important stuff.
Well, I was reminded of what was really important the other day. I was given a little perspective. A friend and I had previously shared with each other our schedules for our days leading up to Easter Sunday. All things we were excited about doing, but looking for ways to wring out extra minutes in which to do them. Holiday times are busy weeks for everyone, especially Holy Holidays. But as I was adding one more thing to her week (in addition to what she was already doing for me – don’t you love friends!) anyway, as I was mentioning she had a few things going on, this was her response:
Oh my!! I was thinking about how busy this week is and then I think of how Jesus’ week went. Mine will be alright.
Thwack! Humiliated. Humbled. Embarrassed. Rattled. Shamed. Truth spoken. Whoa! Hard Stop. Sometimes the Truth hurts, and it should.
I have read and reread that text so many times. I don’t ever want to forget the message within it, especially this Holy Week. No matter how our days and weeks go, they could never compare, not even one iota, to how Jesus’ week went. Mentally, physically, and spiritually Jesus’ week was torn apart. I don’t ever want to forget the gravity of what He experienced. His pain and suffering, His hard work (agony) at the Cross, all for me, all for you. That’s some perspective, isn’t it?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
May we not forget Jesus’ week as we work our way through this Holy Week.
A wind warning has been posted for today. It seems we’ve had many of those warnings the past recent years. This picture is from 2019 when some high winds caused this tree to snap because of it’s inner condition. The state of it’s middle. Today’s wind warning reminded me of this tree and of the blog posted around that time in March 11, 2019. As I read over the blog for that day, I thought, how divinely aligned.
The Wind
The wind blew. Coming from the west. It began out of nowhere. A soft breeze, a little swirling of the clouds. At first, the breeze didn’t seem to be a problem. A clean the leaves out of the flower bed breeze. Those are always good. It was a sun shining, breeze blowing, flag billowing kind of day. We remarked at the beauty. At some point though, things changed. The sky became a little ominous, from sun gold to gray, you know the look. The breeze picked up and it was wind storm watch. As the day progressed, the momentum of the wind picked up and we were at wind storm warning. The soft gentle breeze had turned to a wind advisory before we knew what was going on. Batten down the hatches, mates.
One thing I noticed about the wind storm was the sound. The wind usually pops over the mountain and flows right down Clock Makers Way. Like a child’s slide. You can actually hear it when it tops the mountain. Then as it flows down the driveway, gaining speed and filling all the empty space all around it sounds like a freight train barreling by our house. No kidding. The force of the wind was so intense I prayed our windows would hold as our curtains danced to the 66 mph tune.
The wind can be refreshing on a hot summer day. The wind can dry the saturated surface. The wind can sweep earth’s floor. I’ve often wondered if I opened my front and back doors on a windy day, if that could be considered vacuuming? The dirt wouldn’t be sucked up, it would just blow through.
It is a mighty force, though. The destructive forces of the wind are amazing. Things in its path are broken, uprooted, torn, ripped, fallen, crushed. We move our lawn chairs into the garage, we take down our flagpoles, we move our cars from under the trees, we try to build up, build around, and protect smaller outdoor stuff. But sometimes, there’s nothing you can do to prevent the damage, or is there?
See that tree there? It’s been there since we moved in seven years ago. It’s a great tree, or was. A big sugar maple momma. It did its part, it shielded that side of our house from the sun, and provided a cool sitting spot in the summer. It also provided a little protection from the wind. But, it was no match for the 66 mph song. Why not? Because it was rotten inside, soft. Oh, it didn’t look like it, it was beautiful on the outside, but decaying on the inside. It was not strong enough to withstand the winds. We had warning, over the last year or so, we had a branch down here, a crack in the trunk there. But, when the really strong winds came, it simply could not stand.
Just like trees on a windy day, life has destructive forces that can tear us apart and leave us broken, battered, sometimes limbless and cracked. Many are self-imposed, all are harmful. We are neglectful, decaying, sick in spirit and we simply can’t stand. When gale force blows a dying tree will break. There will almost always be warning signs.
I’m not a treeologist, I can’t tell you how to keep a tree from rotting, from decaying, from dying. I do know, without a shadow of a doubt though how we can keep from rotting, from decaying, from dying from the inside out. How? The right answer to everything, Jesus!
You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. John 11:25-26
See that? We don’t have to wait until the end to be alive! His resurrecting power is resurrecting us, right now. Do we live as Believers? Jesus told Martha, if you live like that, you are alive, you don’t have to wait to be resurrected to be alive. What’s that mean? We are to live inside like Believers. Not old, rotted wood, that may crumble at any time. Not like we’re just waiting for the next branch to fall. But live like we know whom we have believeth and are persuaded that He is able! Live as Believers on the inside, allowing His resurrection power to work in and through us. Doing so will enable us to sway to the winds of life that blow our way.
We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:8-12
The wind storms of life will blow us and we may lose a leaf here and there, a twig here and there, a branch here and there, but we will never perish. We may be bent but we will never break. Just as a rotted tree, has death working within it, so is an unbelieving life. We know what will ultimately happen to that tree. The evidence is above. It may not be an instant death, it may happen branch by branch. But we also know what will happen to a believing life, we will never die!
Something I’ve been chewing on a lot lately is rushing. As an ADHD kind of gal, rushing is one of my built in components. You know, do as many things as you can, all at the same time!
Now, as I’ve said before, I consider my lack of focus and energy to be great gifts. I can get many things done and feel very accomplished. But something I read a couple of weeks ago got me thinking.
Nowhere in the Bible is Jesus rushed, hurried, frantically doing.
In fact, I get just the exact opposite vibe from the Bible. In speaking about Jesus’s ministry, the Bible doesn’t say “He rushed from town to town…” It doesn’t say “In order to accomplish His work here on earth (His to-do list) Jesus hurried on…” and no where could I find in the Bible that “Jesus felt so burdened by the things He had to do on this earth, in such a short period of time, that He was franticly moving about.”
We are a rushed, hurried, frantic people. The world in which we live nowadays is certainly fast paced. It definitely demands a certain amount of mania, or you will get run over. We pack our heads full of requirements of things we must do. Our calendars have no free spaces and we struggle to keep up with the demands we place on ourselves. Life is busy for everyone. It should be, living takes a lot of work. Some would say it’s overwhelming. But sometimes I’m not sure the way we’re (I’m) living is the way Jesus would have me live. Frenetically moving to the next things, even the very good things, can be detrimental. Detrimental, study on that word.
Look at Jesus’s life. He was One Busy Man. Think about what was on His to-do list. Put a plan (one formed before the universe forming) in action in three year’s time, to save the entire world. Talk about busy! Three years to save mankind. And yet Jesus still moved along enacting His plan, without hurry, without rushing, without being frantic. If anyone had a right to feel overwhelmed by what needed to be done, it was Jesus. Hmmm.
We’re not to abandon our living here on earth. We’re not to abandon our ministries, our families, our work, our living. But we are to do it in the way Jesus did it. If our lives and our ministries are frantic, we’re not likely to attract people to the Jesus. Why? Because we don’t look different. We look like the rest of the world. Panicked, agitated, frenetic. No one wants more of that.
Jesus waited 30 years to start His public ministry, He didn’t rush out of the house at 18 to take on the world. Jesus waited 2 days before returning to Judea to bring glory to the Son of God by raising Lazarus from the dead dead. After 3 days Jesus rose from the dead to save us. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
We are to mirror Jesus’s life. His life drew people unto Him. Our lives should draw people unto Him. We need to look to Him as our example and not to the world. Jesus moved along with laser focus on His purpose, with calmness and with peace. How are we moving along?
One of my Dear Sister’s in Christ, persevered through some struggles last year. We all have struggles, don’t we? On a daily basis. Some are bigger, some are smaller. We can’t escape them. Cathy’s faith and hope throughout her experiences was such an encouragement to me. I asked her to share with you so that you could be encouraged too! Today’s blog was written by Cathy Mudge.
PRAISE OF JOY
A year ago, I faced some unexpected health challenges that are still lingering today. In the dry wilderness, the Lord showered me with His refreshing love, mercy, and grace. The more I feasted on His Holy Word, the more He transformed my life, healed my brokenness, and gave me joy. Jo Ann Leavell explains it this way: “When you have clung to Jesus through pain and problems and experienced His amazing grace, you find JOY IN HIM.” Our joy increases as we become more intimate in our fellowship with God!
Often, I’ve considered memorizing scripture; but sadly, I never put forth the effort. Last month Psalm 103 kept surfacing from several resources, so I pledged to memorize the first six verses. I wanted this to be a sign of my devotion and praise to God the Father, King Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. A ‘thank you’ for the many lessons and blessings I received while He walked with me through my wilderness to a place of balance and restoration. Look at this golden psalm, a treasure from King David. (I replaced ‘your’ with ‘my’ so it’s from my heart.)
Psalm 103: 1-6:
Praise the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me. Praise His Holy Name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His blessings and benefits.
Who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
Who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love, mercy, and compassion.
Who satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Ponder this passage and think about what the Lord is saying to YOU in the middle of your situation. Begin by praising His Name. I like to remember how he has taken care of us ALL our DAYS on earth. Only the Lord can heal us and take away our regrets, resentment, grudges, anger, selfish pride, fear, anxiety, and grief. He forgives our sins, failures, and mistakes. Jesus saves us from the pits of hell and gives us the peace that only comes from a relationship with Him! God walks with us every single day and provides strength to keep going. As we read His Word and follow His Light, He supplies us with energy and passion like we had when we were young. He holds us up so we can soar and fly like an eagle reaching new heights. His Holy Spirit is the sustaining wind that guides our flight path as we face challenging obstacles and trials. The Lord is our strength, courage, and peace when we become weak. He is on our side and rescues us from the enemy. God is delighted when HE WORKS FOR US and IN US as WE WORK FOR HIM. Praises of Joy for His Glory, Praise His Holy Name.
I can wholeheartedly say that memorizing Psalm 103 has changed my heart and mind and transformed my life. My prayer is that YOU may find a Psalm or specific scripture passage that touches your soul, one that you can read over and over again that brings praises and joy. Pray it, sing it, study it, memorize it, share it, and teach it to someone else. Use the power in scripture to replace your anxiety with the Peace of Christ. Shout it out loud when you are happy and recite it when the enemy tries to discourage you with fear. Let the Living Word of God heal your brokenness and make you strong and courageous. Then the fullness of HIS JOY on earth will point us toward HIS PERFECT JOY in Heaven.
A few months ago I stuck a note on my spindle. A pointy thing that holds some of my thoughts I want to hang on to. I can only hang on to them if I write them down. If I come across a thought, I write it in my journal and then I write it on a scrap paper and jab it onto a pointy thing. There’s something satisfying about the jab. Periodically, I’ll go through the spindle and be reminded of why something was meaningful to me and sometimes I toss them thinking, why in the world did I write that down.
Anyway, at the end of last year a thought made the spindle and it’s staying there. It is a reminder that is pertinent to my life.
If I trust God with my eternity, why don’t I trust Him with my nows?
This thought comes up nearly every day, for me. When I’m thinking about circumstances or situations in my life or the lives of others and I see no way out, I dwell on this thought. It gives me perspective. The perspective is that if I trust God to keep His promises that I will go live with Him forever, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain, etc., and to be honest, I don’t doubt that one bit, then why don’t I trust Him to keep His promises in my right nows? If I trust Him in death why don’t I trust Him in life? Maybe because I’m not afraid to die, but I just might be afraid to live. Hmmm. Chew on that a bit.
It’s a matter of trust. Trust is not always the flip of a switch – click, I trust. Living grows trust. Living through hard stuff grows trust. When we do not trust God’s handling, God’s timing, God’s love for us, we take matters into our own hands and oh boy, what a mess we make. Right?
Am I more determined to navigate my own course than leaving it to Him?
I read something similar to this a while back and it gave me pause. After careful consideration, I’d have to say a lot of times, yes. I know, that shouldn’t be the case. I should be relying on God to steer me through life’s happenings instead of trying to pilot my own course and trying to control the outcomes. And when I’m piloting the course and trying to control the outcomes, which by-the-way I can’t do anyhow, that means I have a trust problem.
If I’m navigating my own course, or some might say trying anxiously to control, it means I do not trust Him. Plain and simple. Wait! No, I do trust Him, but… We either trust Him or we don’t. Granted, there is a disconnect sometimes between our minds and our hearts, sometimes we don’t always line up, remember the hind’s feet? It is perilous when our back feet (heart and mind) don’t land in the front feet (soul and strength) steps? We risk falling on the treacherous terrain.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27
Trust. Reliance. Confidence. Hope. Faith. We cannot stumble through life with half-trust, picking and choosing the situations that God is capable of handling and those that we must handle for Him. This creates so many bad decisions on our part and frankly, just a miserable existence.
Trust is a tricky thing, though. We may feel it with our minds, but don’t know it with our hearts. Or, we may feel it with our hearts, but don’t know it in our minds. Trust is getting it all to line up and that’s a process.
If I am more determined to navigate my own course, my life will be a constant battle, kind of like a Pushmi-Pullyu. My head and my heart are connected to one body but constantly battling for control. Visualize that. Only when we give up control are we given freedom from the tug of war. Freedom to trust. Freedom to allow Him to navigate our lives. If we are constantly trying to control the outcomes of life, we will never have freedom.
When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
Matthew 8:23:27
Do we not think that the One that controls the oceans cannot control the seas of our lives? We are so like the Disciples charting our own course and then being engulfed by the waves. Here’s the thing I love about this passage. He rebuked the winds and the waves, but He did not rebuke the Disciples for their little faith. I can’t imagine that the Disciples were not trying to control their boat during this storm. I can’t imagine that they were not trying to navigate the waters, control the sails and bailing the water out of the boat. Only when they saw they were not able to manage the crisis did they cry out to Him. And He answered.
Freedom comes when we cry out to Him. Our freedom comes when we trust Him enough to take control. It is a process. But just like the Disciples, we can breathe a sigh of relief when we see He is true to His promises and trust Him more.
Only when we cry out to Him will we begin to believe that we can trust God with our eternity and our nows. Then we can really start living. Living in hope. Living without fear. Living in His promises. Living in His Light. Spreading His Light.
Do you ever look at the world today and wonder what has happened? Have you ever viewed a particular situation or event and thought people have completely lost their minds. How could they? What are they thinking? What’s wrong with them? What are they doing? I know people have looked at me (you) in the same way. Is she crazy? How could she? What’s she doing? What’s she thinking? Has she lost her mind? Quite possibly!
What does losing one’s mind look like? How does one who can’t find their mind act? How does one who is gone from their senses behave? One (because I don’t want to point fingers at you or me) may act irrational (world’s opinion) – never! One (again, no pointing) may have extreme thoughts (changing things that you never thought you would) – never! One (again, the pointing thing) may become very outspoken and say extraordinary things (speak truth) – never! One (again) may have responses that are not considered appropriate or acceptable responses to a particular situation (take a stand) – never! Anyway, coming round the bend of Robin Hood’s barn, losing one’s mind calls one’s actions into question. So, I ask myself, is losing touch with my senses such a bad thing? Some may think so, but maybe not.
One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
Mark 3:20-21
Folks thought Jesus had lost his mind too. Why did they think that? Because, to them, that’s what it looked like. Of course, Jesus did lose His mind on them and went on to chastise and warn them in the strongest way – read the rest of the chapter.
But, they actually thought He had lost His mind because of the way He acted. His fervent displays of healing and supernatural power, was out of the ordinary. Jesus was so bent on addressing the people that pressed in on Him with their cares, their brokenness, their need for healing, that He pulled long hours and didn’t take time out for a meal or a rest. The kind of perseverance that He displayed caused his friends and family to become concerned about Him. Existemi, that’s the Greek word used here for losing one’s mind. It actually means to be displaced, to be outside of, to be astonished, amazed, out of mind, mad. His family and friends tried to rescue Him because they thought he had become some type of fanatic, that He’d lost His mind. So, they showed up. I remember as a kid my parents fetching me from someplace I wasn’t supposed to be. That’s really kind of embarrassing, not for Jesus. His mission was not to be deterred. Check out His response.
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:31-35
Jesus’ family came to fetch Him because they thought He was crazy, because they didn’t understand. Do people look at us the same way? They should you know. Why? Because we are to be like Christ. Our lives must be so radically different that people want to understand.
If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:11-17
As in Jesus’ day, today anyone who displays a zealousness for Christ is considered fanatical and someone who has lost their mind, someone who needs to come to their senses. But the truth is that anyone who displays a zealousness for Christ actually brings glory to God. In a nutshell, if we are out of our minds it is for God and if we are in our minds it is for others. It’s circular. Being crazy is being in the right mind. Being in the right mind is crazy. Humbly delivering the truth (being in the right mind) to others brings glory to God (crazy).
Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
2 Timothy 2:22-26
When folks look at you and ask “Have you lost your mind?” The answer should be a resounding “Yes!” In today’s world losing one’s mind looks normal to us, doesn’t it? So, if our words, our responses, our actions do not look different, if we appear to be like everyone else, if we do not stand out as different, if we look normal by today’s standards, we need to come to our senses. We need to humbly persevere, despite the cost, just as Jesus did.
Happy Love Day! Everyday should be Love Day, shouldn’t it? It’s a day to express love, give love, receive love. To eat red hots shaped like hearts, give red roses and boxes of the good chocolates, to show someone how much you love someone. When I think of Valentine’s Day, I know it is about romantic love, but all I can think about is God’s love for us. This is obviously not romantic love, it is so much more than that. It is not just brotherly love, a love of the will, a love in return, a love because we’re loveable. It is a pure, incomprehensible, blood flowing red, heart on fire, sweet pursuit, lay down your life kind of loves. All loves rolled into one love divine.
Charles Wesley penned this love poem in the 1700s. It can’t be said any better today. Soak in these beautiful words.
Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav’n to earth come down, fix in us Thy humble dwelling; all Thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art; visit us with Thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit, let us find the promised rest. Take away our love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be; end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver; let us all Thy life receive; suddenly return and never, nevermore Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve Thee as Thy hosts above; pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish then, Thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be; let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee. Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place, till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Has His love entered our trembling hearts? Has His love set our hearts free? Do we glory in His perfect love? Do we get lost in the wonder, love and praise?
Some things just seem obvious, right? Well, at least they should, right? But have you ever had the occasion when the obvious was starring you right in the face all along, it’s been obvious all along? You’ve even acted the obvious, lived the obvious, centered your life around the obvious and then the obvious became obviouser (yes, that’s a new word)? Here’s what I mean.
I do the Youversion study each morning — Verse of the Day, Guided Scripture, Guided Prayer — this is a fantastic way to start meeting with God when you don’t know how to go about doing that, or even when you do. Anyway, more often than not, what starts as a two minute read ends up setting the tone for the day, cueing me and coming to mind over and over and over throughout the day. In fact, sometimes, I don’t even realize how deeply His Word applies to my life until I stop and think about it. Stop and be still, stop and look, stop and listen. When I do, when I surrender my thoughts, my ideas, my endless mind chatter and lip chatter, He speaks — every time. If you want to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you, to do what He came to do, guide, direct, comfort, aid, advocate, counsel, petition, carry, heal — all those things and many more things, it is all done through the Word of God — you have to get into the Word.
Ok. Sorry, off that tangent and back to the obviouser. So as I was moving throughout the scriptures yesterday, Psalm 90:2, was pointed out:
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
Sometimes I read a verse like that and say how nice, that’s great, I like it, it’s good. You know, sometimes I rush through and move on. I don’t always stop and think, I’m on to the next. But, I’m coming to realize that the Word of God is something to sit in. Even what I (in my wrongness) would deem not as significant as another part of the Word, every single word of the Word is in the Word for a reason. In case we haven’t noticed, our God is not a frivolous God — He doesn’t speak needlessly. Every Word is important, whether I think so, or not. His Words are not weighted. One is not more important than another. All carry the same weight, the same importance, the same power.
Sorry, I keep digressing. Obviouser. So I sat in Psalm 90:2 for a couple of hours intensely, and then I carried it with me throughout my day, reminding me of the obvious over and over again. Here’s how it went:
From the beginning to end, You are God. From the beginning to end, You are God. From beginning to end, you are God! You are God, I am not! You are God, I am not! You are God, I am not! You are God. You are God. You are God!
I know, it seems quite odd, but I wrote those words out, I repeated them over and over until they became obviouser to me. He is God and I am not. I live like I am most of the time. You know, getting all dragged down into the details of life (you know who they say is in the details), the distractions of life’s circumstances. The how, when, where, what of things. I try to work out the details and then tell God how I’d like things to go. Don’t act surprised, I’m sure you have too! I come up with solutions to every life problem and make suggestions to the Lord. In fact, sometimes my if/then solutions are quite elaborate and frankly, some of them aren’t terrible ideas. The problem is that because He is God and I am not, I do not see the big picture. I do not see what He sees. I do not know the plans He has for me. When I act like I do, shamefully quite often, those details become distractions. The planning of the details, the solutions, become busyness in my mind completely distracting me and causing me to focus on the wrong thing. Myself. He is God.
You see, there can only be one in charge. God or me. When I run through the scenarios of life in my mind, plan, scheme and suggest them to God (ahem) or brazenly just tell myself I know what’s best, God is not in control, I am. Oh sure, I can say that God is in control, but my thoughts, actions and words are a reflection of what I believe. I am God, He is not.
In every season of our life, God is good. He is God. He is in control. He loves us in every season of our life. He is God. He is sovereign over all our circumstances. Not one thing happens in this world, not one thing, that God does not cause or allow. Every circumstance, every situation in my life, in your life, in the lives of every person on this earth. He is God, I am not.
So next time we start solving our own problems which we cannot solve anyway, they are God problems, why don’t we just think on this verse. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, of you, of me, of all good things, is God. Let’s ask Him how to work that reality out in our lives. We are givers and takers. We give Him control, we take it back. For me, this happens hundreds of times a day.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the Word of God. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for speaking this Word into that deep part of my soul. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for teaching me the obviouser, that He is God, I am not. Show me what that means in my life. Show me how to work that out. Show me how to live that out. Work in us to change, transform, encourage us, hold us, carry us. He is God, I am not. Spirit help my unbelief. You are God! I am not! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
There’s never a command in the Word of God that we cannot obey, no matter how difficult it seems, for God always empowers what He commands.
This is a quote from a devotional by Alistair Begg. Chew on it a little bit. Since I read this, I’ve mentioned it to friends, meditated on it, and talked to God about it. It’s so perfectly clear. It is perfectly true.
The Word of God holds many commands for us who believe. His Word is chock full. Every command for our good and for God’s glory. Let’s take the command of fear as an example. There’s a lot of that roaming among us all. Of course, we all say we’re not fearful, but our actions, our words, and emotional and spiritual states beg otherwise, so let’s look into that one.
In the Word, God has commanded us at least 365 times – do not be afraid, fear not, don’t-th be-th afraid-th. One command, 365 times. We often talk about how the things repeated in the Bible are the things we need to take note of. I’m thinking we need to take big note of this command and follow. But how, you say? I know, this one is a struggle.
The first step in beginning to follow the commands of the Lord is to recognize them. That can only be done through His Word. If you don’t know the Word, you can’t follow His commands. If you’re not following Jesus, you’re following a completely different set of commands, the worlds commands, and they lead to the City of Destruction. I think the second step is admitting that you’re not following a command. That’s a toughy. In our sample command, do not fear, it would look like admitting that we are fearful of something, of a few things, of most things. Fear is one of Satan’s most effective tools. Fear paralyzes us, it preoccupies us and distracts us, it puts us on an endless anxiety/depression cycle that’s hard to break, it breaks down our minds, it breaks down our bodies, it breaks down our spirits. Before we know it, if we allow fear to languish in our minds, we are completely broken down. Think about your life, your actions, your reactions, your words, your thoughts, your motives. Where do you see fear?
So, we know the Word of God so we can recognize His commands. Second, we admit we’re not following God’s Word. Next, we look and see how this lack of obedience is impacting our lives and the lives of those around us because we’re broken. Next…we seek a solution.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you have received God’s Spirit, when he adopted you as his own children…For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Romans 8:12-15
If you are a believer, the solution lies within you at all times. Kind of sounds like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, doesn’t it? If we are children of God, His Spirit lives in us. The Holy Spirit, who lives within us, is our solution.
So we recognize, we admit, we look at the impact, we find the solution and then we just get to it, right? No. We cannot, in our own power, follow the commands God gave to us. But, we can tap into the Power that can.
God can apply the power of the Spirit within our lives to enable us to do what He’s commanded. Alistair Begg
How’s He do that?
This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Zechariah 4:6
There is no way we can follow God without keeping His commands and we cannot be obedient to God without His Spirit. His Spirit is who enables us to keep His commands and to be obedient to Him. The Holy Spirit living in us guides us, directs, protects us, intervenes, intercessors, loves, fills, carries. He is God living in us.
In looking at our sample command, fear, the Word of God says there is no way we can wish hard enough, think positive enough, block from our minds enough, take action on our own enough, fight enough, master our thoughts enough, come up with enough solutions on our own, change our circumstances enough, to overcome our fears.
We follow God’s command not by our power, not by our might, but by the Spirit of the Living God. That’s our action plan.
Lord, today may we take your yoke upon us and find rest for our souls. Show us today what it would look like to surrender our fears to you. You know them anyway. You see us struggling beneath the loads of them. Lord, we pray for You to cease our struggling, help us in your power to release those fears to You. You will not wrestle them away from us, Lord. But you do give us the power through the Holy Spirit to release them to you. In fact, Lord, you command us to and Lord you don’t command us to do anything that you have not enabled us to do — through Your power, Your strength. Holy Spirit fall afresh on us. Infuse us with Your wonder-working power to deflect the fiery arrows of the evil one who is constantly on the prowl. Lord, make us bold, make us strong to stand up against the fear. Lord, cause Satan to flee from our minds. Lord, hold us in Your humble and gentle arms and give us rest for our souls. Your yoke is light — Your yoke is Light! All praise to the One who is able to do more than we can ever think or imagine. Amen.
Have you ever noticed that it’s the little things in life that sometimes have the biggest impact? Take a diamond ring for instance. It’s a tiny little thing. So tiny that in fact it is often lost or misplaced. But, give that to someone asking for their forever, and it’s huge. The same can be said for a grain of sand. One teeny tiny grain in and of itself is not noticeable. Most times we cannot even see a single microscopic speck. But, put that tininess on a beach with billions of other tininess and you have a huge seashore. Or, what about a star. From earth they appear to be tiny, don’t they? But, on a dark night, look up into the sky and seeing a single star, the way it twinkles its light and illuminates the whole sky with its star friends is huge. Sometimes, seeing those Lights in the darkness illuminates our whole world, in an instant.
In scripture this week, the tiny little word “is” leapt out at me. A tiny little word really, but I was struck by its hugeness, especially when spoken by Jesus. The significance to me was like a twinkling star. Now I hate to sound like a big goof, but as that word appeared over and over in a couple of scriptures I was reading, I had to look it up. It is the “present tense singular of the word be.” Duh?
“Is” means “be.” Remember, I almost failed language class, the best I can come up with is “is” means “is.” “Be” means “is.” See, there you have it. That’s all just as clear as mud, isn’t it? Let’s get to the Word and maybe I can explain my jumbled thoughts.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT
God’s Word is alive, it is active. God’s Word is powerful. It is an active, effective force. Think about that for a hot second. God’s Word is living, moving, breathing life as it works in us. Hallelujah!
The Master Physician cuts into our beings with His Word as His scalpel. He is carefully cutting away and exposing my moral and spiritual character. Ouch. Nothing can be hidden from God. My life is all laid before Him. I am completely exposed to Him. He sees my guts. I am vulnerable, helpless and utterly exposed. That’s hard to think about.
His Word is alive and powerful. Right now, right at this moment, working in me, if you are a child of God, working in you, working to separate the evil from the good. Changing me, transforming me, healing me, from the inside out. He’s cutting a path to holiness. Amen!
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
There it was again. That word “is.” My word of the year is “foundation,” so this passage particularly struck me. Bedrock, foundation. The New Living Translation says that even though trials come, even through the storms of life, that because my house “is” built on bedrock — the solid rock, Jesus, it won’t collapse. I might sway a bit. I might take on some water. I will not collapse, crumble, or go under.
Now both of these scriptures have pertinent life lessons, the whole of the Bible does, but as I read and reread them, something started to percolate in my mind. Two separate readings kept connecting in my mind. I couldn’t get away from the word “is” and how it was used in both scriptures. The Holy Spirit kept nudging me to meditate on these verses. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would reveal the message to me, why was I hung up on these verses, that word? What was the connection? As I prayed, He revealed. Lately, that’s how it’s been for me. As I write out my scripture prayers and pleadings to Him, He teaches me.
It makes me a little raw to share for all the world to see, but I’m not sure I can put into words the way He taught me, except through my prayer.
Lord, my Word of the year – Foundation! You knew that! How firm is my foundation? How firm is my bedrock? I love in Your Word where it says “it is built on bedrock” it doesn’t say “it was built on bedrock,” or “it will be.” Not only in the past and not something I have to wait for in the future but in the now. Profound again! The Word of God is active, living, breathing, it doesn’t say it “was” even though I know you are the omnipresent God so you were, you are, you will be. Your Word is still active, is always active. Does that mean, Lord, that my foundation is being built through Your active, Living Word?!?!? Does that mean, Lord, that as Your Living Word is working in me, cutting through, that the active, powerful force of Your Word is building my foundation??
It’s outrageous, Lord, that you would reveal to me the working of Your Word. Even me! Thank you Most Kind Heavenly Father for Your Word revealed! Lord, you have shown me that Your Word is continuing to build my foundation in You. You didn’t just build it, send Jesus, and walk away and say stay right where you are, no need to go further. O, God you are so good! My Light in this darkness. You continue the work of Jesus through Your Living Word, sanctification, illuminating the holiness path. All built on Jesus’s blood and perfected (?) in Your Word.
Father, may I be obedient to You! Holy Spirit, my Counselor and Advocate teach me more. More about my God. Reveal to me Your Living Word!
Your Living Word has raised the dead, calmed the storms, brought chaos to order. Please, Lord, work in my life and the life of those I love. Raise the dead! Calm the storms! Bring order to the chaotic messes of our lives!
Lord, please activate Your Word in my life, the life of my family, the life of my friends, the life of my church!!! Lord Your Word is sent out and it never hits the ground — Your Word will never fail!
Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. Your Word is deep. Your Word is lasting. Thank you, Lord, for Your Word! Amen.
Such a little word is “is.” But God spoke it, that makes it huge.
