My husband packed snacks in kids’ backpacks, fed impatient fur babies, and did other morning chores while I clung desperately to eight more minutes of snooze time. Before the alarm sounded again to urge me out of bed, he came into the bedroom to get his phone.
“I’ve got to go help a little lost girl in our yard,” he said. “Huh?” I thought, but I was too sleepy and confused to say it out loud. "There's a lost kid in our yard??" The storm door clanged, and I got up to see just what was going on. Peeking through the blinds on the kitchen window, I saw Alex standing at the bottom of our driveway with a child I didn’t recognize, both of them with bare feet. As curious as I was, I had to wake our children and pick out their clothes for the day. Whatever the situation, it appeared Alex was handling it. I peeked out the window again a couple minutes later to see Alex and the child sitting on the ground together, looking out toward the street. The next time I checked, as our kids got ready for school and preschool, an SUV was parked at the end of our driveway and Alex stood talking to the driver. When he came back in, my curiosity was satisfied as I listened to the story. He had taken some trash outside, and on the way back in, couldn’t get the storm door to latch. As he tried, he heard a child call, “I’m lost! I’m lost!” The child turned out not to be a girl, but an eleven-year-old boy with braids, who lives two streets over. He had opened the door to check for his school bus, when his two dogs pushed past him and ran outside. He chased after them but never caught up. When he stopped running, he didn’t know where he was. I was happy that the child wound up in our yard instead of someone else’s. I was glad the door hadn’t latched, so Alex was there when the child was searching for someone to help him. It was no surprise to us that the door closed with no problem the next time Alex tried it. Sometimes there are just divine appointments to be kept. I am grateful for a kind-hearted husband who will wait outside in his sleep clothes on a chilly morning, for a stranger to come pick up her lost son. And I am grateful for a beautiful reminder—one day, when I was lost, Jesus was there with the door open, ready to help me find my way to the Father.
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We are bombarded by information, all the time, from every direction. Much of it is useful and valuable, but much of it can be harmful to us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Let’s take some time to talk about how we can sort out all the information and guide our thoughts toward the positive.
Philippians 4:8 is a verse that I need constantly. If I were going to tattoo scripture on my arm, I think this would be a helpful one to have. (Since I’m not going to do that, I need to tattoo it on my heart, with the help of the Holy Spirit.) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I love that we have a checklist of sorts, for the kinds of things we should be thinking about! Here’s another way to break it down. We should spend our mental energy on things that are:
I have to admit, many things that I spend my focus on during the day don’t fit into one of these categories. So often, I find myself reading “news” stories that do nothing but leave me sad or angry. There are few things in the news that are “of good report”, and certainly not much on television or in movies is "virtuous". I'm guilty of spending half an hour reading arguments on Facebook, which are certainly not "praiseworthy", between people I don't even know. It's a disgusting waste of my time! And it's often difficult to discern if much of the information we are getting from all the various sources is even "true" and "honest". When we fill our brains with things that are the opposite of what this verse says we should think about (dishonest, sinful, condemnable things), it has an effect on the way we act and think. So, here’s what I want you (and me) to remember: It’s OKAY to just shut out the negative influences. Take a break from Facebook, turn off the news, and politely tell trash-talking people that you have other things to do. Then seek out something "pure", or "lovely", or "praiseworthy" to think on. GUARD YOUR MIND! Another takeaway from Philippians 4:8 is a lesson on how we should think about people. Instead of focusing on people's faults (and yes, I'm talking to myself as a spouse) let's practice "thinking on" the things that are lovely in people. We need to make a conscious effort to NOT think on the gossipy things we hear, and focus on all the good things that we know to be true about them. Use this verse as a checklist for what you should allow into your mind. Ask yourself, "Is it true?", "Is it pure?", "Is it praiseworthy?", etc.. It's not an easy thing, but I'm trying to put this into practice. And I hope you will, too. I'm tired of listening to people's problems. It may seem harsh, but I'm tired of just listening to the constant noise about the number of things wrong in our communities, and you should be tired of it, too. The time has come for the body of Christ to do more than listen. We need to stand up and actually be the solution for our broken world, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Nehemiah, one hundred and sixty years after the start of Israel's captivity by the Babylonians, God stoked the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the capital city of his ancestors. Nehemiah heard the news that "the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire (Nehemiah 1:3)", then he wept and mourned over the situation. He also prayed and sought direction from the Lord, and God paved the way for Nehemiah to carry out a plan of action to fix the problem. We've been weeping over the brokenness of society for a long time. Now it's time to get our hands dirty and rebuild. When Nehemiah organized the rebuilding of the wall and its gates, there were different groups that stepped up to take a section. Over forty individuals, families, and groups are specifically named in Nehemiah 3. The Word tells us in what order they worked along the wall, and in many cases, the specific job they had. Here's what stands out to me about the process: 1.) They worked alongside each other. The rebuilding didn't start in random sections all around the city. The groups came together and worked side-by-side. 2.) Everyone had a specific assignment. Each group was assigned a task to get the whole thing completed, so that the city could be fortified again as soon as possible. I see the different groups in Nehemiah 3, not as different members of a church, but as individual churches in a community. And I see each section of the wall as a ministry opportunity that can help rebuild those communities. One church, no matter how motivated the members are, or how many resources the church has, cannot be the answer to all the problems in a community. But with planning and communication, imagine what can be accomplished when churches in a community work together! I've never tried to organize a coalition of churches, and it sounds like a grandiose, and slightly crazy task. But it all starts with a vision! Here are some ideas a group of churches might consider to start being problem-solvers in their communities.
Now, I believe the most important mission within every church is to preach the "power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). The solution to all the problems isn't really "Christians", it's Christ. But we can show the love of Christ by meeting the lost where they are, and by encouraging other believers beyond the walls of the church. So, what are some ministry opportunities on which a church might focus? Here are a few:
Collectively, we need to be organized. If every church in a community visits the nursing home once a month, that's wonderful! But if no churches in a community are working to help the homeless, then there's a gap in the wall. If we coordinate our efforts, we can close the gap. At the same time, if a church has ten different outreaches, their resources may be stretched too thin to be effective. That's a gap that could be filled by another congregation. We can't fix it all. Until the return of Christ, there will be sin in the world, which leads to all the problems we see around us. But we've been acting defeated for too long. It's time to work hard and let the world know we have the answer- his name is Jesus. Driving with my smartphone in my lap, I became aware that I had reached for it several times to make sure it was still there, as if the phone had a history of walking away. In that moment, I acknowledged my dependence on and obsession with the little device. Then in an attempt at self-absolution, I said, "Oh, I know God is all I need, and I could live without electronics as long as I still had Him." But God wasn't done with the teaching moment, and this isn't a devotional about not putting your devices ahead of God.
After exploring the idea of living without technology and convincing myself I could handle it if necessary, I was confronted with a few questions: What about the Bible? What if I had to live without it? If for some reason my Bible, and my Bible app, were suddenly unavailable to me, would I have enough of it hidden away in my heart to be satisfied? The Holy Bible is a method of communication which God provided to teach us about Him and to guide us in righteousness. The Bible is more accessible and more available throughout the world now than it has been at any other time in history (although in some places, people put themselves at great risk for owning a Bible). Knowing that I don't appreciate the ease of access to the Bible as much as I should, I have to question how it would affect me if it were taken away. Would the fact that I've memorized John 3:16 and 17 be enough to satisfy me? Would the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23 be enough to me? How would I hunger for it and grieve over it, if I couldn't have it? Psalms 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Although I believe the Lord will preserve His word, it is a good exercise to imagine how life would change if the Bible suddenly vanished and it wasn't here to light my path. I imagine I would write down every verse of scripture I know, and pray to remember more. I would probably ask everyone around me what verses they remembered as well. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit can never be taken away and will always be my Guide, but I pray that God will continue to speak to me through His word, and that I will treasure it. We should commit scripture to memory, not for fear that it will be taken away, but to allow it to work in our lives. Have you ever been praying and realized your words were actually from His Word? We know God speaks to us through the scripture, but we can use the scripture in our communication to Him as well. We are given the model prayer by Our Lord in Matthew 6 and in Luke 11, and there is power in reciting this prayer (sincerely and not out of vain repetition) every day. Indeed, all our prayers should center around four words from the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done." But I'd like to present you with some other verses that can be used in prayer. From the Old Testament, I like to use the words from the heart of King David in the book of Psalms as my own plea to God. There are so many we can reference, but for today, these are the verses I've connected together as my personal prayer. This is what is on my heart: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalms 19:14) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10) Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. (Psalms 143:10) From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalms 61:2)" The words from Psalms need no editing, because they are already directed to God. From the New Testament, I've taken the prayer of the Apostle Paul for the church at Phillipi and personalized it. This prayer is based on Philippians 1:9-11: "May my love abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,that I may approve the things that are excellent, that I may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." What more can we ask for in life than to grow in love, for the glory of God? This is my sincere prayer. The Word is full of examples of righteous requests we can make. Thankfully, we also have the Holy Spirit to guide us in our communication with God, we have Jesus as our intercessor with the Father, and there is no required formula or specific liturgy needed. 1 John 5:14,15 says: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. Whatever format you use, take time to talk to God today. What scriptures do you pray? Do you have specific verses for praying for others, for our leaders, or for certain situations? Please share them with me in the Comments!
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" Ephesians 5:20 As we enter the month of November and near the holiday we call Thanksgiving, I am reminded that every day in the life of a Christian should be a day of thanksgiving.
The scripture says it very clearly in Ephesians 5:20. The verse answers three important questions about thankfulness: when, what, and to whom. When do we give thanks? ALWAYS. For what do we give thanks? ALL THINGS. To whom do we give thanks? GOD. Having an “attitude of gratitude” is not just a catch phrase. It’s not just a good idea, although it is. It is a commandment of scripture. We are to give thanks to God always, for everything. There is a well-known story about the famous bible commentator Matthew Henry having his wallet stolen. While there’s debate about the accuracy of how Henry was quoted, the story is a good illustration either way. It’s said that after he was robbed, Henry thanked God in his diary for four things: that he had never been robbed before; that they took his wallet only and not his life; that he didn’t have much in his wallet to be stolen; and, that he was the one who was robbed and not the one robbing. An attitude of thanksgiving helps us put any situation into the right perspective. In Luke, we are given a great example of thankfulness to God in the beautiful story of ten lepers cleansed by Jesus. It’s a familiar story, and there is much we can analyze and learn from it. But focusing just on the idea of thankfulness, let’s look at what the one leper out of ten did to show thankfulness. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks…” (Luke 17:15-16) First, he wasn’t quiet with his praise. He didn’t slip Jesus a note. He didn’t whisper his appreciation. He cried with a loud voice, glorifying God! Like this man, we should be willing to proclaim the goodness of God in a way that others can see and hear. Secondly, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, with his face to the ground. This was a scene of complete humility. When we give thanks, it must be done with the attitude that God alone is worthy of thanks for every good thing, and it is nothing of ourselves. Teaching on this passage, Charles Spurgeon said, “External religious exercises are easy enough, and common enough; but the internal matter, the drawing out of the heart in thankful love, how scarce a thing it is!” My prayer, in this season of thankfulness and all the time, is that the “drawing out of the heart in thankful love” will not be a scarce thing in my life. I pray the Holy Spirit will prompt us all to live in a state of continual thanksgiving. There are many verses in scripture that warn us NOT to look back. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." This reference to looking back means longing for an old lifestyle or a turning away from the calling of God. But looking back in the right way is a good thing!
If you need a dose of joy in your day, spend some time taking inventory of the blessings God has poured out. Look back over the course of your life and see where he has brought you from. We sometimes take for granted the way he keeps us from day to day, but if we look back over the span of several years it is mind-blowing and obvious what the Lord has worked. I recently found myself reflecting on a conversation I had with my husband 13 or 14 years ago, before he and I started dating. We were just "work friends" then, and he was admittedly a non-believer. In conversation, I asked him if he was concerned about what would happen to him after death, to which he replied, "Not really." This memory almost made me shout! Why? Because now this "work friend" is my husband who has been a believer for years, and he's now a minister telling other people about Jesus. Wow! Who but God can do that? We need to remember where we came from, not lamenting for the "good old days" but praising God for leading us toward His purpose! Read the words of Moses from Deuteronomy 6:10-12: "And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." He was saying: Don't forget where God brought you from! None of what you have is by your own hand! God did it! I encourage you to take time to reflect today. What has God done that amazes you when you take a look back? I saw pictures today that broke my heart, and immediately brought a certain verse of scripture to mind. The pictures were of people walking through flooded streets in Houston, Texas, in the devastating wake of Tropical Storm Harvey. The people in the images on the news look so helpless and desperate, overwhelmed by water. I saw their faces, and I ached for their ordeal, and I prayed for their safety, and I thought, "Oh, if they could just get to higher ground!" I don't know much about the landscape of Houston. I think of Texas as being very flat. And with the water coming down so fast, it seems their only refuge would be an elevated place. Many times in life, we feel flooded with trouble, much like the literal flood being experienced right now in Texas. It rains down on us and overtakes us, and we feel like we just need to get to a place of refuge. King David certainly felt like this, when he wrote the psalm that says, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:1,2) This is the verse that came to mind when I saw pictures of the flooding. There is a rock that is higher than all of us- a place of spiritual safety above the storms of life. When we trust Him, God is our rock. Psalms 62:7 says, "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."
Rocks are solid, and they can provide stability. In the New Testament, Jesus compares those who follow his teaching to "a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (Matthew 7:24-25) The Word of God provides a sure foundation for life. No matter what circumstances we may face, we can trust in the Bible to point us in the right direction and teach us how to endure trials. I pray for the people in the path of the storms in Texas. I pray that God will provide physical safety and refuge. My hope for those overwhelmed by this terrible situation is that they will trust in Him as their Rock, that their hearts will be comforted by Him and He will give them courage. It is often said that money is the root of all evil. Indeed the scriptures tell us (1 Timothy 6:10) that specifically the “love of money” is the root of all evil. But we understand there are many sins that have nothing to do with money, so we have to look at the verse in context. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Here we see money was the root of all the evils of those who coveted after it and allowed it to compromise the tenets of their faith. There is, however, another portion of scripture in the New Testament that I believe provides us an explanation of the cause of ALL evil in the world. It seems too simple that there is a singular problem with mankind that causes us to sin, but I believe the first chapter of Romans does provide us with a powerful and concise explanation. Romans 1:20-25: "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." I underlined the parts of the passage I want to bring out as key points. There is no such thing as an atheist. I find it hard to believe that anyone could look at the beauty and majesty of creation and arrive at the conclusion that it is all a serendipitous result of cosmic happenstance. We have the evidence of God the creator right in front of us, so there is no excuse for unbelief. So, what is the cause of evil? Not glorifying God as God and not being thankful. (I suppose that really is two causes, but I believe they go together.) Along with that comes worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator (which brings us back to the love of money- a “thing” that people have created and tried to elevate above God). In this same chapter, verses 26 and 27 specifically address homosexuality; then verses 29-31 give us a list of some of the other problems in the world, all prompted by the failure to honor God as God- the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Creator- and to be thankful for His perfect design: “fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful”.
It is easy to understand that sin is disobedience, but we disobey whenever we fail to recognize His creative power and His authority over all creation. I believe that much of the moral decline of our society can be attributed to the theory of evolution being widely embraced as scientific fact. People have bent and stretched the definition of science for the express purpose of denying the Creator. Not honoring God as Creator is the starting point of sin for many, while others may espouse the idea of Intelligent Design and still fail to honor God as God in other areas by simply not following His divine instructions outlined for us in the Bible. Now that we understand the cause of sin, at a base level, what is the antithesis of a sinful life? Romans 1 gives us the answer for that, too! Verse 16 says: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." And verse 17 delivers the final answer: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (For further study, the last part of verse 17 is a reference to Habakkuk 2:4.) How beautifully the Word of God fits together! It doesn't condemn and just point out all the weaknesses of man. It mercifully gives us instruction for how not to fail. The antithesis of a sinful life- one of wickedness, deceitfulness, envy, pride, etc.- is one of faith in Jesus and the redemption that comes from Him alone. I’m sure there will be tons of devotional articles about the “Great American Eclipse”. On August 21, 2017, people in a 66-mile-wide path, stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, will be able to witness the sun be completely blocked from view by the moon, and the rest of the United States will experience a partial eclipse. Obviously, the eclipse is a big deal, and there are several spiritual applications that can be drawn from it. Here are my thoughts about this grandiose celestial event.
Darkness and Light are common spiritual themes. We know that Light is symbolic of goodness and God, and darkness is symbolic of evil and Satan. But, the analogy I draw from thinking about the eclipse doesn’t deal with the most obvious symbolism. When I think about the eclipse, I think about the massive, powerful sun being covered up, blocked out, at least from our line of sight. The sun is so big and powerful, yet it will be hidden from view. Right now, especially, in our country and in our world, it feels like sin abounds- against God and against our fellow man. It’s easy to feel like the egregious acts of evil we witness daily are too rampant and too serious to be overcome. But the Bible clearly gives us the answer: “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)” This verse is a reference to Proverbs 10:12, which says: “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Love eclipses sin. Just as the sun will negate the effect of the sun during the eclipse, love can negate the power of sin in the world. I’m thankful for the total spiritual eclipse that has taken place in the life of every believer. When a person repents of their sin and believes on Jesus as their Savior, the sins of the past are blocked out, never to be seen again by God. Where I live, 95% of the sun will be covered by the moon during the solar eclipse. But, Jesus, who’s love is perfect, has covered up 100% of my sin. The Bible says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)” Not a little bit free. Not mostly free. Free, indeed. |
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