As Far as the East is from the West

Psalm 130:3-4 (ESV)

³ If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.

I don't know how you feel about it, but it seems to me some days there's an abundance of sins to be confessed. It's easy for the enemy to slip in and try to convince us we are failing in the Christian walk. Sins do need to be confessed and we do need to repent by turning and going the opposite direction, but when the enemy whispers lies about our guilty state, we need to concentrate on what God's Word says about our transgressions. We can use scripture to help us focus our praise and adoration on Jesus Christ  for the redeeming sacrifice He made for us. I've listed some verses for further meditation. Let these penetrate your heart and mind and drown out what the enemy is trying to say. Have a blessed day!

Psalm 32:1-2(ESV)

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Psalm 39:8 (ESV)

⁸ Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!

Psalm 103:12(ESV)

¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Can't Serve Two Masters

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

So many things in the world want to be master over us. Jesus makes it clear that He is to be our only master. He is to be the only One we serve. What is trying to be the master over you today? Money? Food? Work? Material possessions? Internet? Projects? Ministries?  All these things, as good as they are, can work their way in and try to control us. I cannot serve GOD and ___________! What adjustments do you need to make today in order for Jesus to know you are solely devoted to Him?

Remedy for a Heart Weighed Down

Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

²⁵ Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,
    but a good word makes him glad.

According to Webster's Dictionary, anxiety is a state of being uneasy, apprehensive, or worried about what may happen. I think all of us would agree that anxiety does weigh us down as Prov. 12:25 states. According to the proverb, a remedy for anxiety is a good word. I like what the prophet Isaiah said,

Isaiah 50:4 (ESV)

⁴ The Lord God has given me
    the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
    him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.

He recognized that God had given him the ability to hear and give a word of encouragement to the weary. How does this apply to you and me?
First, when we are weighed down with anxiety, we can ask the Lord for a "good word" and seek that word in the scriptures. Remember, His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. When we lack wisdom, He promises to give it to us, if we ask Him for it. Plus, simply getting into His Word and getting His Word into us will begin to lift the weight.-
Second, we should consider those we know who are weighed down with anxiety. Could we, like Isaiah, be the ones to hear the "good word" and take it to them? Would a note, phone call, or spoken word of encouragement and a hug lift some of the weight? Is God asking us to remind them their present situation will not be master over them? We can ask God to give us a "good word" of encouragement for them from His Word, the Bible.  They will be encouraged and we will grow in our faith and in trusting that the Lord will use us.
Lord, awaken our ears to hear the "good words" you have for us and to hear "good words" to share with others! Let's be listening! Let's be obedient!

Professional Development

2 Peter 1:3-8 (NLT)

³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I read this passage, it makes me think of professional development for disciples of  Jesus Christ. This type of growth is guaranteed to make us more productive and useful for the Lord(v.8). Have you ever been sent away to special training to become more productive and useful in your work? It doesn't mean you are doing a bad job, just means there is an opportunity to learn and grow.  In these verses, we see tips for being more effective as a believer. Let's look at some of the truths in this passage:
#1. God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. Because we know Him, He has equipped us by His power. What excuses have we used for not acting in a godly way? Who have we blamed?
#2. He has given us great and precious promises that enable us to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. For example John 6:55-56 where Jesus says if we abide in Him, He abides in us and He promises us to raise us up to eternal life on the last day. What other promises come to mind?
#3. We can respond to His promises with these supplements to our faith: moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Which ones are strengths? Which ones are a struggle to maintain?
Everything we need, great and precious promises, and supplements to our faith...clearly our Lord is eager for us to succeed! We can know/believe/trust that He has given us all we need for a godly life. We can cling to and claim His great and precious promises. We can ask Him to develop us in these supplements to our faith and expect that He will. Will you join me in praying that He make us more productive and useful?

Pierced Hearts

Acts 2:37-39 (NLT)

³⁷ Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

Peter had just shared with the "People of Israel" in vs. 22-36 how God "publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene."  Peter wanted them to understand Jesus is the real deal! There is salvation in no one else!(Acts 4:12a) Peter's words pierced their hearts. Who are you praying for that their heart will be pierced with the truth of the Gospel? Is the Holy Spirit nudging you to talk to them? Will you ask the Lord for opportunities to build relationships and share the Gospel? Will you step outside your comfort zone and rely on Him for courage, boldness, and the right words? Will you keep on praying for that person even when it's tempting to give up?

Romans 10:14-15 (NLT)

¹⁴ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? ¹⁵ And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

My prayer for us today is that we will make the most of the opportunities the Lord gives us for sharing our faith and that He will let us see the fruit of pierced hearts and repentance!

Saturday in the Psalms (Psalm 1)

Psalm 1 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹ Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

² But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

³ And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

⁴ Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].

⁶ For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God’s will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).

Sometimes just reading a different translation of a familiar passage will bring new depth or freshness to it. That is the case for me (and I hope you) when I read Psalm 1 from the Amplified Version.  It is helpful to see the words of the Text literally "amplified"...similar to when an object is placed under the lens of a microscope and magnified.  We are able to zoom in, focus on the words, and understand them more clearly. 
Let's look at some of the truths listed regarding the "blessed" man:
*He does not listen to, submit himself to, or hangout with the ungodly/sinner/scornful.
*He finds pleasure/satisfaction in knowing the law of the Lord.
*He has a routine/discipline of spending time in the scripture.
*He is blessed.
*He never experiences spiritual drought.
This guy has it together spiritually because he takes his own personal discipleship seriously. He does not let his spiritual growth rest in what he gleans from group settings like church services, Sunday school, or small group. He makes spending time alone in the Word a daily priority. He knows that the "word of God is living and active" (Heb. 4:12) and he feeds on it everyday letting it do it's work in him.  His steadfastness is paying off because he is becoming perfect/mature/complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4).  On a scale of 1-10, how serious are you about your own discipleship? What principles taught by the "blessed" man are already a part your life? What new disciplines will you add?  I hope you will take time on your own to focus on the "wicked" man. Who do you know in his position and how can you reach out to them?

Where to go? What to do?

Jeremiah 42:1-3, 6 (ESV)

42 Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near ² and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us—³ that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”

⁶ Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

Today is a BIG day for our family as we are off to a perspective college with our youngest daughter for an important interview. As in the passage above, all of us from the least to the greatest are seeking the Lord about where He wants her to go and what He wants her to do. It's hard not to wonder, "What if the path to God's best involves a disappointing outcome from this interview?" As her parents, we do not want to see her hopes crushed, but she has a Heavenly Father that is much more capable in directing her path than we are. In this our faith must sustain us. We know as Prov. 16:9 states "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Like the Israelites in verse 6, whether she gets good news or bad news after the interview, she desires more than anything to obey the voice of the Lord.  Is someone you love standing at the threshold of a BIG decision? Are you? Could it be you have faced disappointment recently? Is there something that just did not turn out like you hoped? Will you muster your faith and remember that your Lord is in control and He has your best interest at heart? Will you trust Him to establish your steps?

Throne Room-Always Open

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Let's face it...the fact is: There are times as we travel along on life's highway that we are broadsided from seemingly out-of-nowhere. Never saw it coming. Not prepared. Not dead, but possibly injured. Some unexpected reality has been forced upon us. This was not on the radar. In that moment when our earthly/fleshly confidence has been shattered, what a blessing to know we have a High Priest who understands. We can approach His throne with confidence. The throne room is always open to His children. He is accessible. Inside, we will find mercy and grace to help us whatever our need. I needed to be reminded of this truth today.  Did you?

Taste and See

Psalm 34:8a (ESV)

⁸ Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Yesterday, I heard great teaching about how important it is for us to grow in our knowledge of God through personal experience.We naturally think we grow in the knowledge of God through His written Word and certainly we learn about Him that way, but look what A.W. Tozer says in The Pursuit of God:

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.

No matter how much we learn about the Lord, we cannot truly know Him until we have experienced Him for ourselves. Let me illustrate it this way: On Saturday, my girls had the most wonderful french fries for the first time at a local restaurant. I never tasted the fries, but it was obvious how wonderful they were by the way they looked and smelled, by the way they crunched, and by the way the girls raved about them. Later, I remarked to someone that the fries were wonderful. The truth is I had no idea how good they were, because I had never tasted them. I only knew about them. Isn't that what Tozer and my Bible study teacher were trying to say? It is not enough to just know about Him. Of course, the first experience in knowing the Lord is to accept His free gift of salvation and in that moment to have His Holy Spirit come to live inside us. Isn't that the experiential knowing of John 3:16 and Romans 6:23? It's hard to imagine more knowing than that, but over time and time spent in His Word, we come to know by experience truths like "I will never leave you or forsake you," "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand," and "I can do all things through Christ who give me strength." What truth of His Word is He waiting for you and me to take hold of today? What personal experience with our Lord awaits us? Whatever might come our way today, let's take it as an opportunity to apply His truth and get to know Him better!

Lessons from the Disciples

John 21:4-13 (ESV)

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

What a sweet encounter between the Lord Jesus and His disciples! Here are some lessons I think we can learn from Peter and the others:
*Listen to the Lord's voice.
*Answer and obey His commands.
*Recognize His presence.
*Stop what you are doing to spend time with Him.
*Return to Him a portion of what He has given you.
*Partake of what He has prepared for you.
*Know Him so well you don't have to ask if it's really Him.
The Lord makes His presence known by calling us to Himself for times of encouragement, teaching, training, equipping, and blessing. He delights in spending time with us. The One who knows all about us is eager to be known by us. 
Lord, Help us to be quick to respond like the disciples when we hear your voice calling to us!

Spiritual Growth...a guest blog by Christie Loboda

From time to time, I hope to be able to bring you a guest blog. Here's the first one by my friend, Christie Loboda. Enjoy and please feel free to leave your comments below! ~Christy V.

            One sure fire way to spiritual growth is obedience.  WHAT?  "Well duuuh," as my kids would say.   But, as all moms know, there's obedience and there's OBEDIENCE.  The way you obey makes a difference!  In fact - obedience is not only a great tool toward spiritual growth it's also a great sign of how your growth is going!

            Two guys come to mind at different points in their spiritual walk.  Moses at the burning bush was just beginning his spiritual growth.  God gave him a job - you can read the discussion in Exodus 3 - lots of discussion - God simply promises to be with him.  Abraham in Genesis 22 is much farther along in his spiritual walk.  God gave him a job - there was no discussion only "Here I am" and prompt obedience.

          Want to "measure" your spiritual growth?  What does your obedience look like?  When God calls you - what is your reply? -  run the other way, a tentative, shaking "yeees", or a simple "Here I am."?  What is your "routine" when He asks you to do an "impossible" thing? - ramble off a list of reasons why it's not a good idea, a list of your faults and past failures, whine and complain with a list of hardships it will cause, … or obey immediately, trusting God's call, His outcome, and His provision?

James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ESV

Gathered to Worship

Hebrews 10:19-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹ And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

I participate in a large community Bible study in our town and before we go into our small groups each week we spend a few minutes in worship together. I truly enjoy this time of worshiping with ladies from other walks of life. We represent different age groups, towns, churches, and denominations, but when we stand there together with voices raised in worship and praise to the One True God, we are all the same. We are  family lifting high our Father, Redeemer, King! We are the body...His body...the Church! We make up His temple...the place where His Holy Spirit dwells! I want to challenge us this Sunday to think about the obstacles that stand in the way of our corporate worship. Am I more focused on the ones who lead us than the One we are worshiping? Does my mind slip away to some worry I cannot seem to put down or some hurt I cannot leave behind? Am I easily distracted by other things happening in the room? Do my thoughts turn to what the rest of the day holds? Will I contemplate my own preferences in worship style? You can probably think of many other distractions. What would it look like if today we engaged fully and did not let one thing stand between us and complete surrender in worship? How would we be different? How would it impact us? How would it impact the worship service we attend? Wonder what it would be like if I was giving all of myself in worship and you were giving all of yourself and the next person gave all of herself and so on...let's give it a try!

Saturday in the Psalms

Psalm 32

English Standard Version (ESV)

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
⁷ You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹ Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
¹¹ Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

The Lord brought me back to this Psalm yesterday as confirmation regarding something I've been praying about. As I read through it and remembered how He had used it in my life before, I felt led to pray it back to Him and to meditate on how it's truth affects my life. When we pray God's Word as our personal confession, I believe it works in us to strengthen us in Him and give us boldness and confidence. These 11 verses have been linked to David's repentance of his sin with Bathsheba and the relief he felt once he had confessed. Haven't you and I been there many times and felt the pressure of conviction and then finally, the sweet relief of knowing we have repented and turned from the sin that ensnared us? The fact that Christ Jesus died for the sin I committed before I knew Him, the ones I've committed since I've known Him, and the one's I'll commit in the future is reason to rejoice! Would you join me today in praying these words of David back to the Lord? Like David, let's celebrate our forgiveness!

Come, buy and eat!

Isaiah 55:1-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

55 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    my steadfast, sure love for David.

Yesterday's blog regarding being "thirsty" for the Lord reminded me of these verses. The Lord so longs to satisfy us but often we are tempted to go out and find satisfaction for ourselves. He has prepared all that is good for us and yet we chose our own way. He questions us, "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" I want him to open my eyes to see my worthless investments. I want to come and buy what he has for me that is available without money and without price. I want his bread and his wine. Don't you? Lord, help us not to settle for anything less than what you have provided for us in Christ Jesus! He has paid the price for our redemption! He has bought us! Let us rejoice!

1 Peter 1:18-19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Romans 6:23 New International Version (NIV)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thirsty?

Psalm 143:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
² Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

³ For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴ Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

⁵ I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
⁶ I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

When have you been desperate to be heard by God?
When have you felt the weight of your own guilt?
When has your enemy chased you and knocked you to the ground?
When have you felt as though you were living in the darkness?
When has all hope seemed lost?
When have you been paralyzed with fear?

As close as David was to the Lord, he still went through times when the Lord felt far away...times when he felt dry and he craved the Lord. In what area of your life are thirsty for the Lord? Will you as David did lift your hands to him in prayer? Will you hold his written word in your hands and let its testimony of his faithfulness and righteousness feed your soul? Ps. 107:9 says "For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." I challenge us to be honest before him, maybe even kneel before him, and let him come and satisfy us.

Chosen Instruments

Acts 9:15-16

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Saul of Tarsus(aka Paul) was on his way to Damascus with the intent to find Christians, bind them and bring them to Jerusalem when he was literally stopped in his tracks by none other than the Lord Jesus himself. I hope you will take time to read the full account in Acts 9 but basically, the Lord sent him into the city where he was blind and did not eat or drink for 3 days. Then the Lord told a disciple named Ananias to go to Saul so he could regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ananias mentioned to the Lord that Saul was a persecutor of Christians, but the Lord explained to Ananias that Saul was His "chosen instrument" to bring His Name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel. There is a sharp contrast between being a persecutor and a chosen instrument. Saul's encounter with the Lord made all the difference in the world. It turned his life around and pointed him in a new direction. Later, Saul went to Jerusalem to join the disciples who were skeptical and afraid of him.

Where were you when the Lord stopped you in your tracks and you met Jesus? What was it like when He turned your life around through repentance and pointed you in a new direction? Do you recognize that you too are his chosen instrument to represent him? Paul went out to the world. Where does the Lord plan to send you? I imagine it was hard for Paul each time he was reminded of his past. Is it hard for you? Do people doubt you? Does Satan, the father of lies, cause you to doubt yourself? In verse 16, Jesus made it clear that suffering would be a part of Saul's life. We don't like to think of "chosen instruments" suffering. Listen to Paul's words in Phil. 3:8, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ..." May the Lord give us this attitude in whatever capacity He chooses to use us today.

Emergency Mode

Isaiah 43:1-4

English Standard Version (ESV)

Israel's Only Savior

43 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.

I awakened at 2:58AM to the faint sound of an ambulance siren in the distance. As I lay warm in my  bed, I prayed for the person who was being rushed to the hospital and thought about how all of a sudden their lives had been thrown into emergency mode. Then my thoughts turned to all of you and me. We don't have any idea what red lights and sirens might interrupt our otherwise peaceful day today. Emergency mode isn't always loud and flashy.  It might come in the form of a phone call or text message from a brokenhearted suffering friend or a prayer request whispered in your Sunday School class. Emergency mode kicks in at that moment when we become aware and therefore involved in something serious that has taken center stage in our own life or someone else's. I'm reminded of the parable Jesus told of the good Samaritan. Suddenly, the Samaritan's life was in emergency mode. He had wounds to bind, care to seek, and provision to make for this man he did not even know. This story is a parable told by Jesus to make a point, but the Bible is full of real life examples of people who found themselves launched into emergency mode and one thing the Word makes clear every time is the Lord always knew and was always present. Isn't that the comfort for us, friend? He doesn't leave us or forsake us(Deut. 31:8). He upholds us by his righteous right hand(Is.41:10). When I feel things are getting out of control, I envision HIS hand steadying me, holding me safe and secure, keeping my foot from stumbling, breaking my fall, drawing me to Himself. Regardless of what we face this day, let us trust these truths...

Rock Solid Results

Luke 6:46-49

New Living Translation (NLT)

Building on a Solid Foundation

⁴⁶ “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸ It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹ But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

We are now 14 days into the new year. I thought it might be a good idea to remind us of the commitments we made to the LORD two whole weeks ago...remember those New Year's Resolutions? In particular, I want to talk about the spiritual ones. Maybe you started a new devotion book, set the alarm clock a little earlier to have time with the LORD, asked a friend to be your prayer partner, joined a new Bible study, or started writing a blog (this is getting personal). Whatever your commitment, it's supposed to take 30 days to develop a discipline or habit. Two weeks is probably about crisis time. It would be easy to lapse back into our old 2012 habits, but DON'T DO IT!!!
We've come way to far to let this happen! We are half way to having developed a discipline that will grow us in Christ Jesus our LORD. Take a look at the scripture above...Jesus says we keep calling him Lord, but we aren't faithful in doing what He says for us to do. His instructions to us are to come, listen, and follow. We need to position ourselves to hear Him, ask Him to open our ears, eyes, minds, and hearts to take in what He is teaching us and then give us His energy and strength to follow through with what we know He is telling us to do. Then our spiritual lives will be built on rock solid foundations.  If we don't follow these instructions, we end up without any foundation at all .
These disciplines we started two weeks ago were designed by Him to develop us and make our foundations stronger. They were meant to position us to spend time with Him and train us to hear His voice and act on what He is telling us. Let's hang on to our commitments knowing that our Lord guarantees ROCK SOLID results!