A Place For Me

One of my favorite biographies of the Bible is the one of King David. When David was very young God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David because God had preordained that he would be king. David went through hell and high water for several years after that and it appeared that he would never be king.  David faced battle after battle on his way to the throne.  He was belittled by his brother.  He was challenged by a giant opponent. And after having risked his own life for King Saul, King Saul vehemently sought out David's life out of jealousy. Nonetheless, just as God had established years before, David became king. One of the best.

 

I love this Biblical account because it tells us that it doesn't matter if things aren't going the way it seems they should.  God has established a place for us and after all is said and done, we will without fail arrive at that place. That place will be perfect for us and we will be perfect for that place.

 

Scripture: Psalm 37:34-40

 34Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, see, he was not: yes, I sought him, but he could not be found. 37Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

 

Prayer:

Dear God, show us the place that you have established for each of us.  May we work, pray, and keep the faith as we each move to get there. May our trust in you always maintain because you are always faithful and true. Amen.

Dirty

Dishes get dirty.  We thoroughly clean them before use and we thoroughly clean them after use.  Still  as it is shelved it collects dust and things from the atmosphere leave it less than desirable for use.  So, when we are in need of the dish again do we discard it.  By no means. We take that thing out and thoroughly wash it down. We know it is still very capable of doing the job it is intended to do.

People get dirty.  Most of us work hard to uphold Godly standards, but not one of us is perfect.  We may be on fire for God for a while, but after some time of dealing with our atmosphere we begin to collect some less than desirable elements in our spirits and become unclean. Thank the Lord that God sees us like we see our dishes.  He knows we have been dirtied up a bit, but he is more than willing to clean us right up.  He knows that we, also, are still very capable of doing the job he intended us to do.

What's a little disheartening is that people don't think like God.  We show more grace to our pots and pans than we do to the people in our lives.  We clean up a dust-ridden serving tray and proceed to put it on display as if it never had cobwebs in it's corner before we pulled it out for Thanksgiving.  But let a person we know get a little dirty and we are ready to forever shun them and God forbid that he should ever use that person again in life. Our minds keep going back to when they were dirty. 

God's ways are not like our ways and his thoughts are not like our thoughts.  God recognizes that none of us are perfect. He knows that if he waited on flawlessness to use one of us, nothing would ever get done.  No, instead God uses his divine sense of order and timing.  He waits on us.  He knows that we will be in error a large part of the time in our lives, but he also knows that we will have times that our hearts are perfect towards him. He knows that our spirits will reconcile with him and want only what he wants...for a time.  He uses that time. He uses that person during that time. 

Consider the greats of the Bible. None of them were without error. They all turned their hearts toward their own desires at some point. David truly loved God. David also led a woman into adultery and committed murder.  Paul had a time in his life when he served God in everything he did.  He also had a time in his life when he was a Christian killer.  These men authored some of the Bible. They wrote words under the inspiration of God that represent God himself. Still, they were not always under that inspiration.  God couldn't use them everyday. God used them during the moments that their hearts were pure towards him.

All of this said to say, when you are like those dirty dishes don't allow that to hinder you from approaching God.  It is times like these that we need God most.  And let us not judge others who are making genuine efforts to cleanse their spirit and serve God with their whole heart.  What sense does it make for the pot to call the kettle black?   At some point, we all have been and will again be dirty dishes.  God's expectation is that we continually help clean one another up.

Scripture:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

I John 1:9
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your grace is always sufficient and your mercy is everlasting. Lead us towards being gracious and merciful to one another as you are to us.

Standards for Forced Situations

We all rooted for Cinderella. You remember the story.  A young girl's mother died and her father remarried.  He was a loving father but the stepmother, well, not so much.  Tragedy struck.  The father died too.  Cinderella was left with a stepmother and stepsisters who treated her horribly.  By no fault of her own, Cinderella was stuck in cruel situation. We can all relate to having our lives negatively impacted by situations that are out of our control.  So we read Cinderella's story to the end with great anticipation needing the fairy tale ending for what it speaks to our lives.

 

How do we handle forced situations?  What do we do when we have tried to handle things God's way to the best of our ability, but other people purposely do things to bring us down.  Well, the Bible is full of examples of people dealing with situations like this. In Genesis, we can read the story of Joseph.  Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him. Instead they sold him away.  Joseph was forced to leave his country and family and be treated as a slave by no choice of his own.  Joseph overcame that and became a prominent person.  He was so excellent that he caught the eye of his master's wife.  Joseph refused to dishonor his master by sleeping with his wife.  She accused him of attempting rape and Joseph was sent to prison.  He was forced into another unjust situation that had brought him down. 

 

I could go on and on with other accounts in the Bible much like Joseph's.  I believe there are so many instances of forced situations in the Bible because God knows that we deal with so many instances of it in everyday life.  I am sure we each have a story of our own we could tell about how we were hurt or brought low because of something someone else did to us. What's more is the story we have will probably not be our last.  That being said, it is important that we know how to handle times in our lives like these.  The Bible demonstrates some standards for dealing with forced situations and I want to share what I've noted with you.

 

Standard One: Honor God

No matter what has happened to you or how, we can never allow it to affect our love and reverence for God.  Through all that Joseph went through, Joseph remained connected to and faithful to God.

Standard Two: Respect Authority and Trust God

Sometimes the people who harm us are people in authority over us.  When we are making efforts to rectify the situation, we should maintain a level of respect for those in authority over us.  The Bible says that God sets people in positions of authority.  When they wrong us, it is God's job to get them in line not ours.  We have to trust that God will defend us.  God says he is our defense.  He doesn't lie.  When we take situations into our own hands in a disorderly, disrespectful way, things are guaranteed to get worse. Joseph had every reason to go head to head with his master and his master's wife , but he humbled himself.  He trusted God to fix it.

Standard Three: Keep Going To Sleep and Waking Up

That just means don't stop. Don't give up.  Keep going to sleep and waking up and the day will surely come that you will be vindicated.  Joseph kept going to sleep and waking up. Joseph had been in prison for more than two years and then one day he woke up and the king called for him because he needed him.  Joseph went before the king and gave the king an interpretation of a dream God had sent the king.  The king was so impressed with Joseph that he made him second in charge after him. 

If you are dealing with a forced situation, remember Cinderella.  The position of honor she deserved surely did come to her.   Too much of a fairytale?  Then get in the Word.  God shows us time and again in the Bible that he has a history of bringing about justice for the sake of his own.  Research  David, Daniel, Esther, and Ruth in the Bible.  Notice how they follow the standards for forced situations. Then take note of the outcomes. God brings his people out.


Scripture: Isaiah 54:17    
No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord vindicate us when we are wronged. May our faith always rest in you.

Why Wait

Have you introduced your children to our Savior?  It's good for them to know that there is someone who loves them even more than you.  We, as parents, will fail our children at some point in time.  It will not be intentional.  It will simply be the result of our humanity.  There will also be times when our children just won't feel comfortable addressing certain concerns that they have with us.  Even if they did share everything with us, we still wouldn't be able to help them with everything.  So they need to understand that they have a Father who is able and willing to attend to all of their needs.  Introduce your kids to God.  When you wake Sunday morning and prepare to go to church, get them up and take them too.  Let them witness your worship.  When you make choices in your life in the interest of honoring God, share with them why you make the choices.  Don't just expose them to religion and ritualistic Christianity.  Show them that you are a friend of God.  When you hum a tune of worship while riding in the car, they'll hear.  When you are cozy in bed holding the Bible as your reading choice for the night, they'll notice.  When you take time to pray with your kids, they'll remember.  They may not understand or acknowledge the example that you are setting while they are young (some will), but wait and watch.  Time will march on and it will become apparent in the lives of your children that you have left a legacy of involving God in everyday life.  So don't wait.  Invite Jesus into your kids lives now so later they can choose to invite him into their hearts.

 

Scripture:

Mark 10: 13,14

 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

 

Prayer:

Lord draw our children into a relationship with you.  May our children know you, serve you, fellowship with you, and love you from generation to generation. Help us leave a legacy of worship.

 

A Gift

You've been walking around with your shoulders drooping, countenance fallen, and eyes blazing for about.....five to ten years now.  You've even managed to develop at least ten distinctly different frowning faces to display your precise level of dissatisfaction.  People are starting to wonder if you have a muscle disorder that prohibits you from smiling, because in the last few years they've known you your pearly whites have yet to surface.  Come on... you're a Christian. If anyone should have reason to be joyful, it's you.  You have a savior who put his life on the line so that you can have a better shot at living yours to the fullest.  The Bible says that Jesus came to give us life, and not just any ordinary life. He came so we could live life abundantly.  Don't waste your days being angry about things from your past or being upset over things that are out of your control in the present.  You're missing out on so much.  Seek out a trustworthy confidant that can help you work through the inner issues of your heart so you can get past them and really live again.  Prayer is a great for that. Then face each day with the intent of enjoying people and purposely enjoying the simple pleasures. Be resolved to embrace the hope and possibilities that come with each new horizon.  Each day is a gift.

Scripture:
Psalm 144:15 Happy is that people whose God is the Lord
Proverbs 16:20 whoso trusts in the Lord, happy is he
Psalm 35:9 my soul shall be joyful in the Lord

Prayer:
Lord help me get to the root of our unhappiness then steer me beyond it.  Please restore my joy.

A Fear to Desire

Fear has many faces.  There is a fear that warns.  This fear is a tool that indicates when something is out of place or that we are in over our heads.  It is helpful in that it comes only when necessary and its intent is to let us know that we need to seek out God's guidance/help in the situation. Then there is the spirit of fear.  This fear is not from God.  It is a vice of the enemy.  This fear often cries wolf causing one to be overly concerned and cautious when there is no need.  The spirit of fear stifles, hinders, and can be very damaging.  Then there is a third kind of fear.  This fear is beautiful and beneficial.  It is a blessing if you obtain it.  It is a fear to desire.

I know the thought of desiring any kind of fear seems wrong, but walk with me for a minute and I'll explain.  Have you ever been to court?  You go into the courtroom and you dress appropriately, you unplug yourself from your devices, and you behave yourself as professionally as you know how.  You address the judge as your honor, judge, or at the least sir/mam.    There is an element of fearing doing anything to disrespect the judge.  The fear is not about you being afraid.  The fear is a recognition of the judges authority.  You know that he can charge you fines or even sentence you to jail.  More than that you know that the ultimate goal of the judge is to keep everyone safe and orderly.  So you choose to honor and respect the authority of that judge.  This is the kind of fear of which I speak.   This is the kind of fear to desire.

We should desire to fear God. That is not to mean we should be afraid of him as though he is an unapproachable tyrant. No. Fearing God is holding him in the highest regard in recognition of the fact that he has all power and sovereignty. The Bible has many scriptures about the fear of the Lord and it is definitely something to want for.  In Psalm 111:10 the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  We can gain all the knowledge in the world, but we need wisdom to know how to manage that knowledge properly.  The fear of the Lord  precedes that wisdom.  So if we don't fear the Lord, we are limiting our potential in a major way.  There's more.  In Proverbs 10:27, the Bible says the fear of the Lord prolongs our days.  Proverbs 22:4 tells us that the fear of the Lord brings riches, honor, and life.  In Psalms 25:14 we learn that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them His covenant.  Psalm 112:2 tells us that the descendants of those that fear the Lord shall be blessed and mighty in the earth.  In Psalm 25:12 it tells us that those who fear God receive great mercy.  

The promises of God go on and on in the Bible.  Fearing God gives us access to many of them.  Study the fear of God and I'll think you'll agree.  Fearing God is indeed a fear to desire.  

Scripture:

Psalm 147:11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those that hope in his mercy

Prayer:

Lord give it to us to reverently and worshipfully fear you and you alone.

Love Beyond Fear

How do you love without fear. The majority of us share a guarded love, because experience has taught us that people will mishandle our love.  We are talking about love in all forms: romantic, parental, friendly, or whatever the case may be.  There is a silent, inconspicuous fear present that the love we are experiencing will, sooner or later, cause us pain. If we are parents, we try to protect our kids from everything. We try to protect them from things that we really have no business trying to protect them from.  But we love them deeply and fear the love that we have for them would crush us if it were taken away.  We love our spouse.  We share ourselves with them. But we operate our relationship in a way that limits our acts of love for them out of the fear that they will damage our love.  We treat our friends the same way.  It is clear to us now that they are also human and will inevitably disappoint us.  So we will only go so far for them.  Why? We fear what bad things will come of our love.

 

In John 4:18 the Bible says that there is no fear in love.  Really? How can that be?  How can there be no fear in love? Well, let's start with what love really is. In I Corinthians 13, God gives us a clear picture of love.  Love is patience and kindness.  Love doesn't envy.  It isn't prideful, rude, and doesn't act selfishly. Love isn't easily angered. Love doesn't take pleasure in sin or evil doing. Love takes pleasure in truth. Love deals with a lot, believes in people, is hopeful, and stands up to everything. Love doesn't fail.  So then love isn't that warm and fuzzy feeling a person gives you. Love is selflessness. Love is putting the other person before ourselves.  Fear is quite different.  The root of fear is selfishness, or at the very least self-preservationism. Fear, any kind of fear, is in essence a sense of needing to protect one's self from something or someone.  Fear always boils down to us thinking of ourselves. So, if everything that is love is selfless, than fear has no part in love.

I believe that we do have moments that we love purely.  Once again it has nothing to do with our feelings. It's actions that we take that are love.  Fear may rear it's head, but we get past it and love beyond the fear. For example, you remain patient with a troublesome neighbor who is less than friendly.  You share a kind word and a warm smile with them though it will likely not be reciprocated.  That's love.  Or...you remain hopeful for a troubled child. You help them though they are undeserving and regardless of the fact that you may end up with the short end of the stick. That's love.  Or...your marriage has been difficult and has had some extremely rough patches. You both wanted to throw in the towel sometimes, but each of you never really wanted to hurt the other. You withstand the trials together and look out after each other no mater what.  That is love. Sometimes these selfless acts come easily and naturally. Sometimes they are a choice.  Either way you've put someone else before yourself. You have loved.

 

So, yes, we love and, yes, we fear.  We just don't fear while we are truly acting out of love.  When we act out of love, we cast out our concerns and love beyond the fear.  

Scripture:
I John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that doesn't love doesn't know God; for God is love.

Prayer:
Lord, help us to get past ourselves and love beyond our fears.