Let Him flow

He that believeth on Me as the scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.

John 7:38

The height and depth of walking with Christ and living as a believer is when God’s Holy Spirit

flows through you. The greatest challenge we face in ministry and in life is to get the flesh out of the

way of God’s movement. Our meditation for today points to how it can be done on a continual basis.

Jesus very clearly states on the last day of the feast that his invitation involves believing on Him as the

scriptures hath said. Let us keep in mind that those he said it to did not believe on him as the scriptures

had said; they had their own interpretation. 

I have a simple equation to offer to you today. It is: False

Doctrine= False God. Even today, there are so many churches and denominations that believe what

they want to believe about Jesus and have formed doctrines that have absolutely nothing to do with

him. When Jesus said, “He that believeth on Me as the scriptures has said,” there was no New

Testament written. The scriptures Jesus was referring to were what we now know as the Old

Testament. This tells us right away that anyone who forms a doctrine that eradicates the Old Testament

has already formed a false doctrine and created a false god. The challenge for us now is to go back to

the Old Testament and see how it points to Christ. Out of that belief and structure will unlock the door

to the invitation Jesus gave here in John 7:38.

I don’t know about you, but I want and desperately need God’s power to flow through me.

Notice here the way of God. He wants to pour Himself out through us. God’s power is never meant to

be contained. In other words, I can’t keep it to myself. This is the way Oswald Chambers puts it:

“If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that counts.

It is not that God makes us beautifully rounded grapes, but that He squeezes the

sweetness out of us. Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by

what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.”

Beloved, we must examine the scriptures afresh today. We must believe on Jesus as the Old Testament

has said. The promise of Christ Jesus is that out of our belly shall flow rivers of living water. The Holy

Spirit will perpetually flow through us to accomplish His work. This is the height and depth of walking

with Christ. Our challenge is to simply Let Him Flow.

Double-minded

 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:6-8

Double mindedness comes from doubt. Doubt about being in the right career. Doubt related to investing in the right relationships. Doubt in the Lord’s ability to handle the circumstances or the people. Chronic doubt is a detriment to faith and hope, because it causes instability and insecurity. Has doubt and double mindedness frozen your faith?

Do you feel torn between two people? Have your divided loyalties at work created conflict and confusion? Does your lack of conviction cause you to react like a whipsaw to the latest advice? Like a ship without a rudder or sail, you are tossed back and forth by the winds of change and conflict. Without confidence from Christ there is confusion.

“I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty” (Galatians 5:10).

Wavering faith is made stable by reassurance from the Lord’s faithfulness. There is nothing distrustful about wisdom from above. You can count on Christ to lead you through the valley of uncertainty, along the upward path of prayer to the mountaintop of trust. Challenges allow you to grow in grace—and live out the advice you give to others.

So, determine by God’s grace to be single-minded, not double-minded. Your single-minded devotion to Jesus is simple, but powerful. Like the tip of a razor sharp spear, it cuts through the noise of competing voices and allows you to hear from heaven. This humble posture of believing prayer unlocks the Lord’s wisdom and discernment.

Whatever Jesus says to be—be, and whatever Jesus says to do—do. Do not complicate your conversation with Christ with contingency plans. Rather, simply trust and obey the truth. Do what He says to do today and trust Him with tomorrow. The Lord will handle the little details and the big outcomes—your part is to remain faithful. Wisdom is what He wants you to follow by faith. Single-mindedness is stable and secure in all its ways.

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).

Honor

 Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

To honor is to give preference to another. It is the act of extending to another the first opportunity. Giving preference is more than good manners; it gives preference of another person’s needs over our personal needs and wants. For example, deferring to another’s choice for a meeting time and location or allowing a person to go ahead in line shows respect, and courtesy. Honor is incubated in a heart full of humility. It is the art of serving someone else, even at personal expense.

We can disrespect the process, but still honor the person. We may have been left out of the decision-making loop at work, but we can still honor those who made decisions that disturbed our work. How do we honor them? Honor does not gossip or make disparaging remarks about those who brought us despair. Honor thinks the best and does not assume the worst. Honor values the relationship over being right. It looks for potential in others.

How else can you honor those in your circle of influence? One wise habit of humility is to ask a friend for advice and then act on their advice. A spouse or colleague feels valued when their suggestion makes a positive impact on our life. When we truly listen to another’s opinion we give oxygen to their esteem and we give respect/honor to the relationship. Honor accepts a person where they are and looks to discern their heart.

Therefore, give others the honor of knowing what you really think and feel. Your authenticity is a gift of honor given to those who want to know you in an intimate way. Dishonor is shallow and sentimental, while honor is deep and substantial. Furthermore, make sure to give honor to the people, places and things that those you love honor. A loved one’s objects of honor, become your objects of honor, as you grow to know them.

Put off the fear of embarrassment and put on trust in God. He shows honor to those who extend honor. The Lord Jesus Christ is the most honorable example. His standards for honor are the good housekeeping seal of heaven. Thus, honor the Lord in all you do and say. His ways reap respect and the right results. It is the greatest honor to serve God and people above yourself. Invite others to the seat of honor, Jesus will find you a seat with Him.

“But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 14:10-11).

From grumbling to gratitude

 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he’s listened to your complaints against him. You haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against God. Exodus 16:6-7

I remember as a teenager complaining more than I should, though sometimes unspoken, “Why do I have to be home by midnight, everyone else can stay out later?” A friend used to tell his teenager when he complained about his curfew, “After 10pm, flirting with sin” Worn down, my parents would sometimes give in to my grumblings. 

God set free His people from 430 years of slavery, but quickly they stopped being grateful for their epic freedom and complained bitterly. The wilderness is not what they signed up for, instead they expected the promised land—full of milk and honey. But the Lord in His wisdom knew that the wilderness temptations and tests were a needed prerequisite to prune pride and grow humility in His people. Gratitude from being set free from physical and spiritual slavery grows a loving and generous heart to bless others. Complaints to God can be converted into gratitude to God. 

“And these children will honor me by living holy lives. In holy worship they’ll honor the Holy One of Jacob and stand in holy awe of the God of Israel. Those who got off-track will get back on-track, and complainers and whiners will learn gratitude” (Isaiah 29:24, The Message).

Are you tempted to not trust the Lord because of a trial or test you face? If so, remind yourself of His track record of faithfulness. Once you were blind to the grace and love of Jesus, now you can see how He has led in love to experience total forgiveness and acceptance in your beloved Savior and Lord. When you encountered Christ, you came face to face with the One who has your back, especially during a spiritual dry time. Just like your merciful Father wooed you to Himself before you tasted His satisfying salvation, so He still woos you back to His table of grace. Fear requires you to check boxes of performance, grace reminds you that all boxes were checked on the cross. Rest and be grateful for the rich relationships in your life. Glad gratitude replaces sad grumbling.

Of course, there are times to bring our complaints to God. Jesus even lamented, Why have you forsaken me? But our life in Christ does not consist of chronic complaining, but on occasion we do bring our grumblings to God and He graciously meets us with gentle doses of His love to revive our thankful hearts and remind us of His generous blessings. Trials and tests are preparation for the promised land of abundant living. Convert grumbling into gratitude! 

“Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner” (James 5:9)

Love one another

 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

There is a debt of love owed between believers in Jesus Christ. It’s wise to be debt free, but the debt of love is never paid off.  Love is a mortgage we take out to our Landlord Jesus to pay back on His behalf. It is an interest rate of integrity based on our consistent interest to love well. Love is an appreciating asset that never declines in value. We experience true riches when our wealth is measured in how well we love one another.

The job description of Jesus followers is love. The qualifications are: a child of God who regularly receives the love of their Heavenly Father, who then loves freely from the overflow of their heart. Like showering, sleeping and eating, love becomes the habit of our heart. Because gratitude grips our soul, our love for others spontaneously erupts in enthusiastic generosity. We love much, because we have been forgiven and loved much by Jesus.

“Therefore, I [Jesus] tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47).

The love of Christ for us constrains us to love in Jesus’ name. His love does not harm, it heals. The Lord’s love is longsuffering, not intolerant. The love of Jesus gives joy, not ill will. God’s love goes the extra mile, it doesn’t give up for it is ever hopeful. So, since our Savior has filled us by faith with His great love, we replace: hate with love, hurt with love, judgment with love, anger with love, ego with love, manipulation with love and lust with love.

Who in our life needs our unconditional love? What is their love language? Perhaps they crave affirming words, kind deeds, generous gifts, warm affection or a sense of security. Look to love others like they want to be loved, which may not be like you naturally prefer to be loved. Moreover, be open to a loved one’s love for you. Let your cold shoulder warm, receive the love of your friends and family. Your genuine love invites love from others. Therefore, love and be loved for Christ’s sake.

“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2)

Getting to Jesus

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. Mark 2:4

Faith finds Jesus, especially when He seems hard to access. Faith is persistent to get to God, because it knows He knows what’s best. Like a honey bee is drawn back to the honeycomb for community and nutrition, so the soul is drawn to God by the Holy Spirit. In the presence of Jesus is forgiveness, healing, peace and contentment. So, faith does not rest until it rests in Christ. The condition of forgiveness and healing is faith and obedience is the fruit of faith. Faith finds Jesus.

Furthermore, faith finds creative ways to get friends and family to Jesus. Because we enjoy the love, healing and forgiveness of God, we want others to have access to His life changing blessings. Thus, we pray for opportunities to expose a person’s felt need to the power of Christ’s care. We may invite them to a Christian concert to enjoy an uplifting night of praise and worship. Or, we can take them for coffee, listen to their hurts, and pray for their heart to be healed by Jesus.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23, KJV

Yes, our faith compels us to help friends find Jesus in personal salvation and forgiveness of sin. Perhaps, we pick them up in our automobile, promise them lunch after church, and take them to hear the Bible taught and the Gospel preached. Some religious people will criticize our zeal and even question the sincerity of someone’s salvation, but the fruit of faith is up to the Holy Spirit. Our part is to love people to the Lord, but it is God’s part to change their heart. Faith finds Jesus.

Lastly, if our faith does not compel us to help others find faith, we may have a false faith, or at best an immature belief. Mature saints are moved to tears over the sin stained souls of the lost. As we enjoy our sweet salvation, how can we sit still and not engage in serving those who have yet to taste the satisfying grace of God. Thus, by God’s grace we pray for innovative opportunities to get people to Jesus. Perhaps we give a book, offer a prayer, share a video or sit and listen. Whatever pure means we employ, we can trust the Holy Spirit to bring joy. Faith finds Jesus!

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Our God is approachable

 Another time Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples approached Him. Teacher, would You teach us Your way of prayer? John taught his disciples his way of prayer, and we’re hoping You’ll do the same. Luke 11:1

Jesus is approachable to all who desire His company. God did not create the earth like a watch, winding it up and then stepping back to let it run without His intervention. No, the Lord is personal and approachable. He invites His children to ask questions on how to pray, how to love, how to forgive, how to live holy, how to serve, how to minister, and how to give. Yes, He loves to engage and instruct in His ways. Jesus moves the mind with clear teaching and He captures the heart with riveting and relevant stories.

A disciple who walked with Jesus on earth struggled with his prayers to heaven. He watched Jesus pray, but the student still needed some direction in how to pray. So, even today as we grow in our faith, we still need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the ways of God. We are disciples who sincerely want to know how to live for the Lord. He is not shy in showing us what to say and how to serve. Just as we love giving to our children, God loves to give His Spirit to all who ask.

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 1 Kings 3:5

Are you approachable? Do others feel the freedom to seek your counsel and ideas? When people see the fruit of your character they want to ask you about how you live life. As you lovingly lead others, learners will want to know why you lead so unselfishly. Questions are your opportunity to point people back to the Lord’s love for you and your reciprocal approach to leading others. Tell stories of your struggles to lead in love and how you grew in grace over time. Invite questions.

Approachability is the outcome of acceptance. When your children, grandchildren, friends and co-workers know you accept them for who they are, they will want to know who you are. Your unconditional acceptance of someone is an invitation to love them for Jesus' sake. Lastly, approach the Lord often with your fears, dreams and desires. He delights in your prayers and He unleashes His Spirit to all who call on His name. Humbly approach Him and expect to be loved!

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. Hebrews 4:16

Loving discipline

 .the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:12

There have been times in my life I have wondered about the Lord’s discipline. Exactly how does He discipline us and why does He do it?
 
Hebrews 12:7 says, “Endure hardship as discipline.”
 
This scripture reveals God disciplines us through difficult circumstances. Some of these circumstances come from our sin; some come from someone else’s sin that affects us, and some just come from the trouble of life and way of our world.
 
God can use any difficult circumstance to discipline us.
 
To ensure hardship as discipline says we need to trust God has our best interest in mind, that every difficult circumstance, no matter how awful, is being used by Him for our good and His glory. But it isn’t always easy to trust God during difficult times. Why?
 
First, because we may not have the right perspective of the Lord. We may not trust His heart and His love. Instead, we may see Him as mean, angry, or hateful.
 
This reminds me of a college friend who only saw Scriptures of wrath and punishment when they opened the Bible. They feared God and didn’t believe He loved them, so rather than being able to rejoice in their circumstances and trust He was working all things together for their good, they felt burdened under the weight of feeling they where not good enough and that the Lord wanted to punish them when they did something wrong.
 
If we have the wrong view of God when we go through troubles, we won’t be able to count it all joy as James 1:2 says and we won’t be able to see that His discipline is done in love. Instead, we will blame him and become angry with Him, perhaps even feeling betrayed and abandoned. But, the Lord wants us to have a deep conviction that we are held in His loving hands and that we are blessed in difficult times. 
 
Why does God discipline us? Hebrews 12:10 says, “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” The purpose of God’s discipline is never to punish. Punishment is rooted in fear, but God’s discipline is rooted in love, because Love is who He is.
 
Discipline is never to subtract from us, but always to add to us so that we can become more like Christ. Even if that means God is removing bad habits or ungodly behaviors from us by disciplining us.
 
If the purpose of hardship is for us to share in His holiness, we must trust God knows exactly what kind of hardship and how much hardship to allow in our lives to make us more like Him.
 
He will never give us more than we can handle with His power.
 
During our time of discipline, it can be very difficult to see what God is doing. It’s only after we look back that we can see how He was molding, shaping, and changing us. It’s only after we have moved through the storm that we can see the purpose. As a result, we will experience greater faith and our relationship with Christ will be stronger.
 
Are you going through a difficult time? Remember that everything that happens in your life is filtered through His loving hand, and that He will never betray you.
 
“For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).

Depend on God

 But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:8

We all from time to time like to take the time to plan a vacation and what better way to do that then to look at travel sites, magazines and brouchures. I picked up a brochure describing the statistics of Lake Tahoe’s massive expanse: 39 trillion gallons of water, average depth 1,000 feet, 72 miles of shoreline and 99.9% pure glacier run off into this ancient crater. Stunningly, if you could pour all the water in Tahoe over the state of California it would be covered in 14 inches of water. God graciously spoke to my heart, “focus on the depth of our relationship and I will take care of the breadth of your ministry.” Deep spiritual roots create a sustainable dependence on God.

The prophet Jeremiah gives us a picture of a tree planted next to an ever flowing stream of water. Its root system gradually digs deep into the moist soil. It never lacks liquid nourishment for the green leaves high above the ground. God’s prophet says those whose confidence is in the Lord is like one who stays planted beside His living waters. Daily doses of Jesus grow us in grace, mercy, anointing, and strength. A life that always lingers near the source of life is sustained by the Spirit. The winds of adversity only cause us to bow down to Christ in praise. Faithfulness bears fruit even in heated situations.

“Remain in me [Christ], as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).

Our need for autonomy can be an enemy to our dependence on God. Jesus is not an add on to a full and balanced life, He is our life. It dishonors our Savior to use Him as a last resort only after we have exhausted ourselves and our resources. In contrast, when our confidence is in Christ our default is to depend on Him. Like a healthy tree’s roots automatically reach beyond itself for sustenance, so we who trust in the Lord, as a matter of course, cling to Christ for our spiritual sustenance. Autonomy thinks it sustains itself, dependency knows it is sustained by God.

Therefore, make sure the roots of your trust flow deeply in dependence on your Savior Jesus. Burst out of your cocoon of false security and fly by faith like a beautiful butterfly on a mission. Seek first God’s kingdom, not striving to build your own kingdom. Pray for bigger ways to give and avoid building bigger barns to stockpile stuff. Perhaps you downsize so you can upsize for the Lord. Faith rooted in Jesus remains fruitful, growing the green leaves of God’s grace, even during a spiritual drought. Autonomy fears loss, dependency rests in God’s peace and love.

“Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3).

Stillness

 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Be still with the Savior, for it positions us to see and hear God clearly. Stillness sets us free from busyness that can betray our trust in God. It is hard to be still in a society that values busyness and suspects and downplays the importance of stillness. We are made to feel guilty if we are not constantly on the go by the world. Why else would we stay habitually connected to computers, ipads, phones, social media, television, netflix, hulu, etc. etc. and caffeine? However, busyness is not a badge of honor, but a sad and seductive addiction. Overdone busyness is a lack of focus on God and His provision. However, to “be still” is the standard for serious followers of Jesus. Be still and rest; Be still and reflect; Be still and think; Be still and pray; Be still and write; Be still and enjoy your family; Be still with no agenda; Be still and see things more clearly; Be still and know He is God. Be still and remember His word and promises to us.  Being still is an investment that pays into eternity. Practicing stillness regularly means we trust God with the big things such as relationships, the future, finances, family, a job, and our health. Stillness also means we come to understand the small things and don’t sweat them because we know our Savior is in control. Stillness aligns our hearts with God. It is in our expressive stillness that we muse and meditate on His grace. Yes, there are seasons of busyness that make stillness seem foreign. An infant requires intense attention. A move to another home involves significantly increased activity. Launching a business or a ministry is an all-consuming affair. Starting something new most likely means you are extremely busy. However, do not use your busyness as an excuse to ignore God. Push back from your fatigue that comes from forgetting to be still. In our busyness, we can still carve out time to be still with Christ. Busyness is not meant to be a habit; it’s meant to be for a time. We are not designed to stay there. We move on and don’t allow busyness to backlog. We pass through busyness on the way to being still. Lastly, fill your stillness with the significance of knowing God. This is a potent perspective that facilitates faith and trust in the Lord. It is here that we are humbled with a massive dose of dependency on divine guidance and wisdom. It is in our stillness that we see God for who He is, high and lifted up, deserving of our honor, praise, and adoration. The sovereignty of God screams in our stillness. God grows bigger when we slow down and rest in the shadow of His stature. It is in our stillness that we see the unseen activity of the Lord our God. The Holy Spirit is melting hard hearts. He is orchestrating authorities in our life to bend them and us toward God. He is drawing men and women to Himself in the middle of Christless cultures. Stillness shows us what our Savior is up to, and gives us a living hope that can be ours daily and regularly. Stillness shows us the way. Stillness is God’s way of working with us. Stillness saves time. Be still, and we will see Him exalted among the nations and in the earth. Stillness knows God.

A leaders heart

His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 17:6

What is the difference between devotion and discipline? Is one more valuable than the other? Devotion is an overriding commitment to Christ and His way of doing things. It engages the heart, mind, and soul in learning the ways of the Lord and then applying them through our daily living. Devotion must be the driving force behind a disciple’s faith for them to persevere in Christ’s call on their life of being influential and impactful. Your devotion to God dictates how you will live your life.

Discipline, on the other hand, is the ability to stay focused on the task at hand. It finishes the assignment or completes the course. A disciplined person trains to improve their strength and self-control. They are religious at carrying out routines, fulfilling checklists, and getting things done. Discipline is designed to grow your faith, with regular readings from God’s Word, and engaging prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, and repentance.

However, we must make sure our discipline is driven by our devotion or we become judgmental, callous, and insensitive like a pharisee. Devotion to Christ first keeps our heart of faith full of grace, love, compassion, forgiveness, and truth. Discipline without devotion is like a billowing cloud that gives no refreshing rain. It can become so rigid in its rules that it causes decent and devoted people to flee. Disciplined leaders are wise to not substitute their warm devotion for cold discipline. So, apply devotion to both God and people. 

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

We need to be into practice directing our passionate devotion to focus on one thing. Like Paul, learn to channel all our energies into one endeavor, and see it through to the end. “Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:5). It is better to complete one task than to start a dozen and leave them all incomplete. Indeed, our devotion to Christ determines our discipline over the long term. Keep this your motivation, and discipline will follow. A heart devoted to the Lord’s ways does not stray away.

Start at home

 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

What does it mean to be the spiritual leader of my home? Do I have to reach a certain level of spiritual maturity before I qualify? What if my wife is more spiritual than I am? Shouldn’t she be the spiritual leader? Spiritual leadership is determined by position, not knowledge. God places a man in the role of spiritual leader to lead his wife and children in faith. 

Our wife and children may know more of the Bible, but the Lord still holds us responsible for their spiritual well-being. So as husbands and fathers, we have to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to lead our family spiritually?” This non-optional assignment from Almighty God forces us into faith-based behavior. We want to model daily time in Bible reading and prayer. Spiritual leaders show the way in knowing God. 

“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family” (Acts 16:34). 

Spiritual leadership does not require a graduate degree in theology, but it does require a degree of planning and preparation. Spiritual leaders create a prayerful plan of intentional actions that expose their family to faith opportunities. You spend time looking for houses of worship that meet the needs of your wife and child, much as you would seek out the right home or school that also meet their needs. Spiritual leadership seeks out a church. 

“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool” (Psalm 132:7). 

Men who make it a big deal to lead their family spiritually make the most difference at home and in the community. Your investment in family Bible study, your example of faith under fire, and your Christlike character are living testaments to the truth of God. 

Talk about the Lord when you linger in traffic with your children, pray with them when they are fearful and upset, hold your wife’s hand and listen to her heart, sign up for the next marriage retreat, and serve others unselfishly. You can’t control the culture, but you and your house can serve the Lord. Spiritual leaders lead their family to love God. 

“For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:23-24). 

Silence is golden

 In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15

A five-day silent retreat is not required if you want to hear from God or grow a disciplined walk with Christ. But if you can afford this investment of time beloved you will not be disappointed. Always remember, prayer saves us time by aligning our agendas and will with God’s agenda and will for the day and our lives. Prayer is what fuels our faith and empowers our work, and service unto the Lord and others. It is important that we creatively manage our routines around experiencing the Lord in prayer, meditation, praise, fellowship,  Bible study, reflection, and worship. As there is a universal language the Lord speaks, it is silence. Quietly read these next few sentences. Perhaps turn off your phone, tv, music and all distracting things. Listen: the Lord is speaking, and He is speaking to you.  Avail the ear of your soul.
 
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it…Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:15,18).
 
Isaiah in this moment described the Sovereign Lord’s heart for His people to enjoy their salvation through repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. These attributes were the fuel for their strength. Though they initially resisted, the Lord remained compassionate to remind them of His justice. If they would wait for Him, He would fulfill His promises to His people. Blessings come when we wait for God’s hand and His best. When burdens beset us we don’t panic and act like we are alone, but quietly trust in the Lord. 
 
Silence is the soul’s remedy for spiritual fatigue. Be still, be quiet and listen to the voice of Love that comes from our Lord.
 
Are you becoming fluent in God’s language of silence? Are you able to comprehend what the Lord says to your heart through Holy Spirit inspired scripture, and through His creation? Be still and know He is God. Be still and know He is. Be still and know Him. Be still and know. Be still. Be. This is something to be learned, just like any new language. A linguist devotes their skill and energy to learn a new language, and in time is conversationally fluent. So, stay immersed in the process. Our heavenly Father is patient to work with us where we are. Also learn from others who speak the language of silence fluently. God’s language is not to be taken lightly. Let us take the time to silence our heart and we will grow into a disciples who finish well.

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
 
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:2-3).

Walk in freedom

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  2 Kings 6:17

When someone you love is struggling with sin or they are making choices you know won’t be good for them or others, it can really hurt. You grieve with the thought of them destroying their life because you love them so. 

So, you may try to step in. You speak truth to them. You try to stop them from doing what you know won’t go well for them. It’s good to gently point out someone’s sin to them in hopes of restoration (Galatians 6:1). But if they are unwilling to listen to what you, or others, have to say, it’s time to let go and give them to God. 

The Lord has recently reminded me that as much as I want to keep a loved one from the pain that will come from their sinful choices, it’s not my job. They are firmly in His hand. When a heart is hardened, and when eyes are blind, softness can only come through trouble and restored sight can only come through crushing.

For most of us, when we are caught in the snare of deception, a breakthrough only comes through a breaking.

“For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as a child” (Hebrews 12:6).

When I look back on my own journey, I am so grateful for the LORD’s discipline. Because He allowed me to feel the pain of my choices and sin, I am now on a straight path and will never go back to where I was before. No one could have lived my life for me back then or fixed my direction with a word. I had to learn difficult lessons that came from my sin on my own.

It’s so tough to see others walking into a situation that you know will burn them and hurt others. Today I am reminded I can’t fix anyone or their life, but I can pray, pray, pray.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

I know it’s the Lord’s will that my loved one walk in freedom, so I can pray. I know it’s the Lord’s desire that they personally know Him, so I can pray. I know it’s His best for them that they be loosened from the snare of sin, so I can pray. And I know He loves them more than I do, so I can pray. I may not be able to change their heart, but I can pray that they come full circle to Christ, experience a humbling through their circumstances, and find Him once more. 

Be encouraged today. Those you love are held in His loving, mighty hand. 

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Pain relief

 Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5, NKJV

Pain hurts.

How many of us have multiple splinters embedded in our souls—forgotten, festering or fresh? Your hurt may be buried deep in the recesses of your memories, but on occasion it raises its ugly head and you discover your pain was buried alive. Forgotten from denial, but not dead because ongoing forgiveness in the power of the Spirit is the only remedy to remove the pain of past sins inflicted on your heart. You may never hear the words, “Will you forgive me?”, but you can still forgive and by God’s grace not be controlled by someone else’s past shaming. 

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

A festering hurt like a physical wound lingers with infection just below the surface: puffy, red and swollen intently waiting for love’s lance to bring relief. The puss of pride infects the blood of our emotions as it flows through our hurting heart with venomous affect—only the antivenom of humility can counteract pride’s deadly outcome. Humility recognizes and admits that the struggle of unresolved conflict corrodes relationships and clouds our judgment. Only when we go to our offender or the one we have offended and seek reconciliation, can we clear our consciences. 

“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Or maybe your wound is fresh. Take courage and forgive fast so the hurt doesn’t fester and lie dormant in resentment ready to attack unaware. When you are hurt or offended the amount of time it takes you to thank God and forgive is an indicator of how close your walk is with Christ. Some die in bitterness, for others it takes years to forgive, fewer months, fewer weeks, even fewer days, the more mature in their faith hours, saints seconds and those who walk closest to Christ, their thanksgiving and forgiveness are simultaneous to the offense. By God’s grace keep no record of wrongs and you will be free to love others as your heavenly Father loves you. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mathew 11:28-29).