The Joy of the Lord

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”    Nehemiah 8:10

 

God’s joy is free and available for all who will receive. The joy of the Lord is limitless. It is like a wellspring of living water that flows forever. You cannot pump it dry. No thirsty soul who has ever tasted God’s joy has been dissatisfied or found their thirst unquenched. The weak soul is rejuvenated under the influence of heavenly joy.  An athletic victory is fleeting, to be enjoyed only so briefly; but the joy of the Lord penetrates the depths of who you are. God’s joy wells up to provide resilience during times of testing. This is the result of tapping into His divine resource. Natural resources deplete over time but the joy of the Lord is infinite. The joy of the Lord also travels way beyond happiness. Happiness is based on your circumstances; joy is based on your faith and relationship with God. Your circumstances will change, and with every change comes the possibility of losing your happiness.

 

God never changes not. Therefore, the chances of losing your joy are null and void, if you are focused on the Joy-Giver. Just as you depend on the local power company to provide your home with electricity, so the wise follower of Christ looks to God for his provision of joy. God’s joy is ready and waiting to be deployed into your heart. He is not stingy. Go to the eternal dispenser of joy and receive what the world cannot sustain and money cannot buy: the joy of the Lord; it is your strength. So, how can His joy be retained?

 

The joy of the Lord comes through the channel of faith. This is the coupon you need in exchange for this wonderful prize. Your faith is bolstered and made alive through the word of God. This joyful energy does not come from a cursory reading of God’s word, but rather a reading for understanding, application, and transformation. Joy explodes from the pages of Scripture as we understand our utter dependence on God and His tender compassion and mercy. Your mind is washed of the sin-stained lies of the world, and you begin to believe the truth that you have great significance in God’s eyes. Your exposure to the repetition and teaching of the Bible garners understanding. Your understanding of whom God is and what He has done, and is doing,for you, will cause joy to explode in your heart.

 

Furthermore, His strength created by His joy will sustain you even in the most difficult of circumstances. Holy Spirit-initiated life-change spews joy over you and everyone around you. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”(3 John 4). When a more mature Christian witnesses a young believer growing in the faith as a result of their discipleship time, it brings joy. When a spouse experiences unconditional love from their life mate as a result of a divine encounter, it brings joy. Application of God’s word elicits joy.

 

Lastly, joy comes from celebrating God’s faithfulness. Regularly recall the goodness of God. Once you were blind, but now you see. Your family, your health, your friends, your career, your opportunities, your joy, and countless other blessings are all gifts from God. These precious memories are cause for celebration. This is reason to be joyful. This is the joy of the Lord. This is the source of your strength. Be joyful in Jesus, so you can be strong in your Savior.

My thinking His mind

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8

 

God’s will does not always make sense. It may not make sense because we factor in our own understanding. If left to our understanding, we would be miserable. There is a greater pool of knowledge reserved for us in Christ. Do not underestimate its value and availability. It is valuable because of the divine direction that can save us from running down paths that waste our time and the time of others. God’s way may not make sense now, but it will later. His thoughts and ways are easily accessible by faith.

 

Faith is our constant connection to God-thinking, but we struggle with this because we have been programmed differently. Some of us wrongly think we don’t deserve God’s grace, so we don’t feel the need to receive it. We cannot, however, live the Christian life without the grace of God. God’s way is the grace way. We give Him glory and He gives us grace. We give Him praise and He gives us peace. We give Him worship and He gives us confidence. This is the way of God. He created the original “road less traveled.” Avoid the mindless masses and follow God. His ways may not be the most popular, but they are the most productive. His thoughts transcend our thoughts.

 

God-thinking takes discipline. This temporal world does not necessarily reward eternal thinking. In fact, it may punish you for thinking God-thoughts. You think people outside of Christ are lost in their sins and hell-bound; the world thinks you are narrow in your thinking. Yet these are Jesus’ thoughts. This is not popular thinking, and may be not practical, but it is true. As a follower of Christ, you can think God-thoughts. You can think like God because you have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16).

 

Your conversion experience infused you with a new worldview. No longer are you limited by what you can do, but by faith, you anticipate what God can do through you. Instead of thinking self-centered thoughts, you focus on God-centric thinking. When you think like Jesus, you do not have to be in control. You trust Him to handle people and circumstances in His timing. This is tapping into the mind of Christ to renew your thinking on a moment-by-moment basis. God-thinking is only a faith-step away.

 

The mind of Christ gives you an advantage. You do not have to think inaccurate thoughts. Zealous ignorance tears down, while passionate truth-thinking builds up. Test what you believe and see if it withstands the scrutiny of critical thinking (Acts 17:11), that is, critical thinking based on the Word of God. You may currently believe something that is untrue. You may believe God does not love you and He will not forgive you. This is not true. He loves you right where you are, and wants His very best for you. God’s best is best. Why settle for anything less?

 

Think God-sized thoughts, and expect God-sized results. Make His ways your ways, and incorporate His thinking into your thinking. It may seem peculiar at first, and others may label you as strange, but you know better. This is right-thinking. And when your thinking is right, you can’t go wrong.

Spiritual Amnesia

Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15

 

As human beings, we are forgetful people. We’re prone to forget important events like birthdays and anniversaries, and I’m sure we’ve all, at one time or another, turned the house upside down looking for a lost wallet or set of keys. While these kinds of mistakes may be embarrassing or frustrating, the consequences are relatively small. What’s far more costly and significant is spiritual amnesia.

 

Spiritual amnesia is something that every single person is vulnerable to and must learn to defend against. If, as the old hymn says, we are “prone to wander,” in our spiritual lives we are also “prone to forget.” This is why in just a few short verses Peter three times encourages his readers to remember the ways of the Lord and the hope that we have in Christ. He is fully aware of the fact that, though our intentions may be good and sincere, without a consistent rhythm of prayer, worship, and study, our thoughts and lives turn away from the things of God and turn instead to the countless things that vie for our attention.

 

Did you notice how Peter prays that they would “be able at any time to recall these things?” There is a profound lesson for us in this phrase. We must learn to be people who trust in God and live lives that look like Jesus at all times and in all places. Following Jesus isn’t just for Sunday services, small group studies, or early morning devotions. It is also for office break rooms, soccer fields, and grocery stores. This is the heart of Peter’s prayer: his desire is that we would be so deeply formed in the ways of Jesus that in life’s greatest joys and darkest fears, in the most sacred of moments and those that seem unbearably mundane, we would recall in our minds and know deep in our bones that God is good, faithful, and true.

 

The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart, today, right here and right now. He desires deeply to fill you with his joy and peace. Do you hear him?

 

Protect yourself today from spiritual amnesia and learn to encounter the Lord afresh in every area of your life

Bridge building

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.     2 Samuel 14:14

 

Sometimes, people do dumb, stupid, and even shameful things. Their unwise choices may have inflicted great harm and even compounded into calamity and crisis. They are foolish because they chose to inflict pain when they knew better. Sin has caused them to suspend their good sense and Biblical worldview for a season. It is a season of misery and messiness. They are confused, alone, and humiliated.

 

However, they may not be at a point where they’re ready to admit their mistakes, but deep down in their soul there is a wondering of how much they have disappointed God and those who love them the most. They feel confused, for sin does complicate matters. And now they are caught in a web of deceit that will not let them go. They have lost perspective and seem to be swirling down into a spiritual and a relational vortex. Not only are they estranged from their loved ones; they are estranged from their heavenly Father.

   

Separation from God is a lonely place. You can know for certain that your estranged loved one is conflicted, confused, and bitter. It is the love of God and your love that will bring them back to their senses. Sin has confused them and they have lost their bearings, but you know the way. It may take a third party to counsel you and coach you through this process of reaching out, but do not underestimate the effectiveness of your ability to build a relational bridge.

   

Relational bridge-building is not easy, and it takes time. But it can become necessary to woo the wandering one back home. Yes, they have made their bed, and now they are sleeping between its twin sheets of fear and insecurity. However, the bridge you are building leads to a bed of acceptance and peace. This current war of words is in need of a cease-fire. No one wins in a vicious and venomous volley of blame. Instead, a bridge-builder prays; he prays to first be changed. They accept blame and replace perceived rejection with action-oriented acceptance. A bridge-builder calls, writes, and sends gifts of encouragement and even takes the initiative to over-communicate. A bridge-builder seeks to understand and then love the estranged one at their point of need.

   

Maybe your child is living with an undesirable roommate. Reach out and get to know this person who is negatively influencing your son or daughter. By God’s grace, become the influencer of the influencer. Invite them into your home and love them to God. Let your home become a magnet of grace that draws them into a reminder of what’s good and right.  The bridge you build may not be crossed immediately. But just its presence speaks volumes to your availability, care, and compassion. One day, circumstances will unravel for your estranged loved one. When it does, you want your bridge of love and acceptance staring them right in the face. Stay faithful as a relational bridge-builder, just as the cross of Christ is God’s bridge to you. The cross you bear is your bridge to broken people. So, continue to pray and pursue this Christ-honoring outcome.

Simple prayer

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Matthew 6:7-8

I believe the Lord teaches us profound truths about life and faith through our children, especially when they are young. If you are a parent or have spent any time around children, you know this to be true. At times, without even knowing it, in a single sentence they can speak a deeper truth about God than an entire sermon or book on the same topic.

In my own life, my children have taught me a great deal about how to approach God in prayer. Prayer for them is never a display of the sincerity of their piety or the depths of their Biblical knowledge. Prayer is instead the simple request from the heart of a child, offered to a heavenly Father that they believe and know hears them, loves them, and desires a relationship with them. They also remind me of the profound truth of Jesus’s words in Matthew 6: God knows the needs and desires of our hearts before we ever speak a single word.

The Lord knows us and loves us more than we even know and love ourselves. The concerns, burdens, bruises, and hurts that we carry with us are already known by a God who deeply desires to wash our wounds and heal us from the inside out. Your connection to God in prayer is never based upon the eloquence or length of your prayers but upon the fact that God is a loving Father who has called you His son or His daughter.

Prayer is never a transactional agreement but is always an exchange of love where we encounter the goodness and faithfulness of God and we in turn respond with a renewed, childlike faith.

When you pray, remember that you are first and foremost entering into a relationship in which you are loved and learn to love in return. This will forever free you from the pressure to impress the Lord with persuasive, articulate, or extensive prayers. Come instead with a simple faith that always remembers that the Lord knows your needs before you even ask.

Ambitions

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you. 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Every new year, we find ourselves filled with ambitions and dreams for the year ahead. During this first week each year countless individuals set goals for themselves in hopes of improving and bettering their lives. Common resolutions include eating healthy, exercising more, getting out of debt, or taking up a new hobby. 

If you’re anything like me, your ambition for these resolutions/goals greatly exceeds what you’re actually able to accomplish. I’ll set a dozen highly ambitious goals and faithfully pursue them for a few weeks, but by the time March rolls around I can barely remember what those goals even were or I have given up on them cause my hear got bigger than my ability. Perhaps you can relate.

As we look to the Scripture today, we’re confronted with a rather unusual resolution. We’re told to be ambitious, yet our ambition is to pursue a peaceful and quiet life. What a paradox On the one hand, we’re told to have great ambition, to strive and seek after the goal set before us. Yet unlike virtually all other resolutions, our ambition is directed towards a calm and gentle spirit that finds peace in the simple and the ordinary.

At the root of our ambition we often find discontent. We are unhappy with our lives, our health, or our jobs, so we seek new ways to expand our identities or enhance our lifestyle. Yet so often this striving fails to deliver what it promises, and instead of finding contentment and peace, we find ourselves stuck in a vicious cycle of unrest and anxiety.

This year, I challenge each of us to make one very simple yet profoundly radical resolution: be content to live a quiet life.

Look for ways to find peace and joy in who God has made you to be. Encounter His blessings in small and simple ways, finding satisfaction in His presence and in time spent with those you love. Free yourself from the pressure to perform, to land your dream job, or to have a perfect body. Instead, take time this year to ambitiously pursue the peace and contentment that comes from leading a quiet and simple life with God and others.

Model it

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  John 13:15

 

Attitude is everything. It is the difference between goodness and greatness. It separates the mature from the immature. Attitude is what causes people to give up or persevere. Indeed, every leader has a responsibility to inspire hope with an optimistic attitude. Anyone can be negative and assign blame, but wise is the leader who is positive and takes responsibility. This is the attitude God blesses. He dispenses more opportunity to one whose attitude is aligned with His agenda/will. The attitude God honors is humble, unselfish, and hopeful in Him.

 

Therefore, proper attitude alignment requires a prayerful attitude. This attitude depends on God and seeks His wisdom. It is a positive attitude that always looks for the good in an individual or situation. It is also an appreciative attitude. Gratitude generates a right attitude because it rarely complains. So, our attitude is infectious, but our actions also speak volumes. It is imperative that we model with attractive actions. Behavior validates our beliefs. If we say one thing and do another, we are dishonest with others and ourselves. Actions are a barometer of our character. Appropriate actions earn us the right to influence and lead. If we are inconsistent in our actions, we confuse the team. Consistent actions facilitate faithfulness in followers.

 

Moreover, the manner in which we arrive at our definition of right actions is important. The greater context of work expectations is based on the principles found in God’s Word. The Bible is our baseline and guide for attitude and behavior. Respectful behavior is illustrated with collaborative discussions over strategy and execution. Wise actions then become the pattern of an effective and efficient culture. Wise actions align around follow-through. We do what we say and say what we do. Wise actions also solicit feedback from everyone. We rely on the wisdom of the team over our own perspective. The Bible defines right actions; so while everyone on the team may not believe in Jesus, they all agree to act like Jesus.

 

Lastly, model with your words. Words can build up or tear down. Your words can be pure and encouraging or poisonous and discouraging. Moment by moment, you have the opportunity to inject courage into your colleagues with truthful, kind, and caring words. A good rule of thumb is to measure your words prayerfully and patiently before you speak. Do not allow anger and harshness to dominate your delivery. Use words as an ointment rather than an irritant. Your words are a reflection of your heart. A healed heart produces healing words. Therefore, use words wisely by speaking as you would like to be spoken to, with a spirit of compassion. When you speak, build up rather than tear down. Speak the truth in love. Choose caring conflict over insensitive passive aggression. Words matter, so model your speech well.

 

Trust Him

A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. Psalm 33:16-17

We are tempted to put our hope and trust in countless things: military might, economic strength, education and beauty, to name but a few. Each of these offers a promise of significance, success, and safety. Yet if we have learned anything from history, we know that armies are defeated, economies can crumble, and beauty is fleeting ( See Proverbs 31:30).

When we live surrounded by prosperity and success, it is easy to think that these promises are true. As a result, though we may not say it, we live in ways that show how we’ve placed our hope and trust in these earthly powers. We misplace our hope when we allow anxiety and fear to arise within us when one of these powers begins to fail. In times of political strife and turmoil, for example, are we as Christians able to remain hopeful in the steadfast love and unshakable power of the Lord? This is the way of life that the Psalmist invites us into (See Psalm 33:20-22).

In each and every generation, God’s people must learn and live out this profound truth. The Lord alone is our source of help and protection. Our joy and happiness is not linked to our personal success or national strength but is found only in the love of God that He freely lavishes upon us. And when we encounter times of great trial, conflict, or pain, we are never to despair for we know that the Lord is with us. As we are reminded in the book of Isaiah, “though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, my unfailing love for you will not be shaken” (Isaiah 54:10).

If you are tempted today to put your trust in the empty promises of this world, turn again to the Lord and trust in him. If the storms that swirl about you cause fear and turmoil within, hear afresh the words of the Lord Jesus, “do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” ( See John 14:27). Trust in the Lord, for He alone is our strength and our salvation.

Don't be afraid

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:35-36

 

Of all the things that burden us and weigh on our souls, sickness and suffering in the lives of those we love is likely at the top of the list. Is there any greater trial than to observe a loved one in pain and yet be entirely helpless to bring them relief and rest? Though we do all that we can to comfort and console, we reach a point of exhaustion, desperation, and helplessness. This is exactly the sort of person Jesus encounters in Mark chapter 5.

 

Jairus, we are told, was “one of the rulers of the synagogue,” clearly a man of personal means and great influence. When his daughter fell gravely ill, he certainly would have secured for her the best care in the entire region, sparing no expense. Yet in spite of this, we find him begging and pleading with the Lord Jesus for his daughter to be made well. He was, as we say, at the end of his rope. 

 

As the story unfolds, we see the situation go from bad to worse as the last light of hope goes out, with word reaching the man that his daughter had already died. In light of this tragic news, as the messengers say, “why bother the teacher anymore?” When all hope is lost, why continue to pursue Jesus? Jesus’ response to this question invites us deeper into the mystery of God’s love, nature, and power.

 

To follow Jesus is to believe that there is never a time, moment, or situation in which all hope is lost.   Even when staring death in the face, we must learn to hear the words of Jesus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” We must remember that we serve a God who is Lord of heaven and earth, in whose hand “is the life of every living thing.” (see Job 12:10) We must believe that the God who defeated death on the cross is powerful enough to bring hope and healing to the darkest and most painful moments of life, even when all hope seems to be lost.

 

Do we seek Jesus in prayer only for the things that seem likely to be answered, or are you and I willing to learn from this story and continue to open ourselves up to God’s plan and power even when it is beyond what we can see or understand?

 

Take whatever weighs heavy on your heart today to the Lord in prayer, and find comfort and peace for your soul. Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you and will never abandon you, and in light of the resurrection we know that a day is coming when all shall be made well. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus

Handling stress

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45, NLT

 

When stress begins to drizzle down and dampen my soul, or anger bubbles up in my heart, I am almost certain to be in a mode where I am focused on a person or circumstance that is out of my control. Why would I try to harness another person’s heart and seek to change them, anymore than I could attempt to guide the weather into conditions pleasing to my desires? It’s my heart that I’m expected to monitor and make better under the influence of God’s grace and love. If I let go of trying to control the uncontrollable, I can work on the stubbornness of my own wandering heart.

 

Jesus describes our heart as a treasury of good and evil, a repository of abundance for good or bad. For example, a healthy government treasury is full of resources necessary to invest in opportunities and to step in during times of crisis and calamity. So it is with a healthy heart. Instead of being jealous of another’s success or angered by pride, we can store up in our hearts: humility, forgiveness, acceptance and love. In collaboration with Christ, we daily invest into His righteous treasures and over time the compounding interest of gracious words flow from our heart.

 

Has not getting your way caused you to lose your way? What started out as feeling slighted has grown into a combative posture of full blown rejection. Maybe at work you have run into a rough spot and there needs to be clarity around your expectations and your supervisor’s expectations. Because of the warp speed pace of your work, your boss may have assumed they clearly communicated their changes to you, but they didn’t. Big decisions require all involved to slow down and understand each other. Respectful, candid conversations invite the team’s influence.

 

Once you’ve given your input, the results are in the Lord’s hands and with those in a position of authority over you. Trust. Believe the best and rest in Christ’s control. If the direction of your company grows contrary to your convictions, perhaps they are doing you a favor, by giving you an open door to do something different. Better to move on and not be tempted to be disloyal. Or, by waiting out the uncertainty at work, a new day may arrive where you are rewarded for your patience. Most of all, deposit into the treasury of your heart, good things, so your words give life.

The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. Revelation 11:10

 

Sometimes we receive the opposite of what we expect, as when our good deeds encounter an evil reaction. Some we have served seem to have forgotten our faithfulness, and gratitude has faded from their memory. They forgot the fruit from our labors, and it has become all about what might inconvenience them. You were there for them at their point of need but now in your need, they reject your request. It seems like a cruel joke. How could they forget your love and loyalty?

 

So what do you do when you are repaid evil for good? What is your prayerful response?

 

The only prophet an unbelieving world likes is a dead prophet, so for three and a half days contempt is shown for the two bold witnesses of Christ by leaving their corpses in the street, unburied, an insult to God and His spokesmen. A celebration breaks out in honor of the anti-Christ who has temporarily quieted the pesky and persistent voices of truth. This occasion for rejoicing during the tribulation is an aberration, not seen before or after. God eventually makes right the shamelessness of evil’s ugly acts in His sight.

 

When evil intent is injected into a relationship, we must resist firing back with equally evil reactions. We cannot lower ourselves to this kind of schoolyard revenge. The question is not, “What is the right thing for them to do?” The question is, “What is the right thing for me to do?” You can reverse the force of the verbal jabs by returning good for evil. When you choose not to fight false accusations by accosting your accusers, you repay good for evil. You trust the truth will come out at the right time, in the right way, be patient, and pray for God to have His way.

 

The Lord can take care of the business of dealing with evil people and their actions. Wait on Him to settle matters as He sees fit, especially if you have the option to hurt someone. Trust Christ to deal with them in His timing. Evildoers may never change, but they might. It is a heart issue between them and God. In the meantime, when you encounter evil, repay it with good and trust Jesus. The goodness of God trumps evil, for evil is no match for God’s goodness.

 

Prayer: Lord, give us holy restraint to not react to unholy accusations.

God qualified

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”     1 Samuel 16:7

 

Sometimes we limit ourselves because we use the wrong measure of what is meaningful to God. What means most to our Lord is what’s in our heart. Our heart is His measurement for potential. A heart after God has unlimited potential. Heaven hunts down a heart hungry for God to accomplish its purposes. We can wait for the right opportunity because He is in control, or we can spend an inordinate amount of energy arranging our lives, when ultimately God is the one who opens or shuts doors. God chooses who He wants to carry out His causes, and He first looks inward for a pure heart.

 

Therefore, a pure heart is our first step in doing God’s will, for the heart is where our motivations reside. Why we do what we do incubates within our heart. This is why it is imperative that the Holy Spirit rubs our heart with the oil of authenticity. He massages away toxic motives and keeps us honest. He is the best at calling our commitment into question. Am I serving Him for what I can get or for what I can give? He calls us to place the welfare of others above our own needs. The heart is where goodness grows, as it is nurtured in a heart with the Holy ambition of knowing the Lord. 

 

Sometimes we attempt to compliment someone by saying he or she has a good heart. However, in some cases, our comments carry a tinge of condescension. We add a ‘but.” He has a good heart, but he gives no attention to details; She has a good heart, but she is not good with follow-up; He has a good heart, but he cannot think strategically; He has a good heart, but he is not an effective leader; She has a good heart, but she is not very smart; So, what do we really mean when we say someone has a good heart?

 

A good heart does not guarantee success in a certain skill set, but it does position us for success. Indeed, both character and competence are necessary for success. A superb salesman without a good heart should be shunned. A dependable manager without a good heart will bring you grief. A leader who gets results without a good heart will run off good people. Make sure to align goodness of heart with goodness in skill, otherwise this disconnect will erode your work or family culture. Require goodness of heart with giftedness.

 

Goodness of heart comes from God. It is His gift, not to be taken for granted. Learn to diagnose the heart. Outward trappings can fool you into recruiting or relying on the wrong person. Get to the heart of the matter, and observe how they relate to their spouse. Is there love? Is there respect? Marriage interactions bring out the heart. Look beyond a résumé, to results based on courage. Did she take risks for the sake of the team? The heart is the best long-term indicator of dependability. Skill can be taught, but character is conformed by a heart enamored with Christ. Allow the Spirit to keep your heart healthy for Him, and qualify others based on God’s qualifications. Good hearts attract and keep good-hearted people. They attract God and retain His blessings.

 

 

Our Prayer: Lord, thank You for qualifying me for Your call on my life.

Stillness over doing

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

 

God created us as human beings, not human doers. Yet everything, from our culture to our career, defaults to doing. We are taught by western society that if we are not busy, we must be lazy. There is a contemporary guilt that keeps us on the go. We are driven to do by some unseen capitalistic force. We are so intent on getting things done that we forget why we engaged in the process to begin with. It’s all about progress and seeing it through to the end. It’s all about the results, making the grade, and exceeding the earnings estimates. After all, if you are really important, your cell phone will constantly vibrate and your e-mail will seduce you 24/7. This is the sad state of those of us who are trapped by doing. Like an alcoholic in denial, we are intoxicated by activity.

 

Our ego glosses over the need for God, as we justify driven behavior with bad theology. We act like the Lord’s hands are tied and it is up to us to make things happen. But God is not limited by our view of Him. He still governs the universe and our lives. Kings, presidents, and dictators are still accountable to the Lord and His agenda. CEOs, entertainers, and athletes still have a higher power in Jesus Christ to whom they must answer. It is wise to get off our high horse of self-importance and be still before God. If we continue to race through life at a breakneck pace, we will break. Our health, finances, and relationships are fragile, and eventually they will fracture under the pressure of habitual doing.

 

We are humans in need, in need of being who God created us to be. Our God-given roles in life are a great place to cultivate our human being-ness. For example, when we take the time to be a respectful child who honors his parents, we are being. Visit, call, or write regularly and you will be the child your parents need. You honor God when you honor them. Above all else, be with God. There is a knowing and understanding of God that comes only from spending time with Him. In-depth knowledge of God is not derived from service only, but in sitting and reflecting on the Holy One being served. It is in your doing that you validate your being, and it is in your being that you purify your reasons for doing.

 

So, our life with the Lord begins by being with Him. It is in the stillness beside the waters of worship that you feel His presence. God is not on the go, exhausted from His last intimate encounter with a needy saint. Therefore, make sure you make time for your soul’s maintenance.  Peace comes by aligning with the Lord, and stillness with Him sharpens your body, soul and spirit. In stillness, you see God. In stillness, you feel God. In stillness, you worship God. In stillness, you receive from God. In stillness, you are loved by God. In stillness, you love God. In stillness, you believe God. In stillness, you see and know God. Allow your “doing” to flow from your “being.” The equation is simple: “stillness” plus “being” equals dynamic “doing” for the glory of the Lord.

 

Prayer: Lord, remind us to be with You in engaging prayer, before we go out to do for You with good deeds.

Deal with it now so it doesn't deal with you later

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up. Revelation 8:7

 

Spiritual fruit from the past is no substitute for fruit produced in the present. Praise God for our faithful ancestors of the faith, but their fruit was for their time. The Spirit of God looks to harvest fruit of repentance for this generation. The good old days of spiritual renewal are inspiring to reminisce upon, but today the Lord calls those of us with a little gray hair to grow up in His grace. We who identify with Jesus have a significant role and responsibility to produce fruit of repentance.

 

Those who ignore spiritual fruit bearing in this life will experience the severe discipline of the Lord in the next life. Indeed, as we close in on Christ’s second coming, it is imperative we are prepared to meet our Maker with lives that reflect God’s standards, not the anemic morality of a sick society. The picture of a world that rejects repentance of sin and turning to Jesus is not a pretty site: the discipline of the Lord on unrepentant sinners will escalate across a scorched earth.

 

How do we know if we produce fruit of repentance? Private belief for salvation and public confession in baptism are the first fruits of repentance, but just the beginning point. The ongoing fruit bearing process is a lifetime of leaning and learning into the Lord. The Spirit reminds us when we drift into bad habits or wrong thinking. We confess spiritual pride and remember that only by the grace of God can we do good. We turn from self righteousness and turn to God’s righteousness.

 

What is the proof of fruit produced by repentance? Good deeds from a heart of humility and grace are fruit that glorifies God. Your Spirit-filled actions of abstinence, generosity, tutoring, public service, and faith sharing, our Heavenly Father. Jesus smiles when you are hospitable or when you visit the sick or those in prison. Our authentic repentance keeps us broken to care for the broken. What breaks God’s heart is to break our heart.

 

 

Our prayer:  Lord,  grow in us a humble heart that is quick to confess and repent of sin.

A good voice to hear

And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Revelation 4:1-2

 

God’s voice has not vanished. He has not lost His voice because of overuse. His vocal cords are not strained but strong. His voice is clear and intelligible. His voice is all around us; listen and be in awe. His voice reminds us of His glory. 

 

John wrote earlier about Jesus standing at the door of a life, waiting to be invited in, now the Lord opens the door to heaven and invites John to come in and experience Him. The voice of God sounds like a trumpet, similar to the sound of the trumpet announcing the resurrection of the dead in Christ (See 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The Lord is drawing John closer to His throne of grace and worship so He might reveal to his humble servant His vision of things to come. Worship and grace escort us into the presence of our Father, who is ready to show us His ways.

 

The power of His voice is applied in our life. His voice can be stern in discipline or tender in grace. The powerful voice of Jesus called Lazarus back from the dead, and on the cross He interceded to His Heavenly Father for forgiveness on behalf of His enemies. Use your voice to pray for people who are dead in their sin and in need of a Savior. Lift up your voice on behalf of others who have offended or hurt you. God hears your voice. You are not a lone voice for the Lord.

 

God’s voice is majestic and regal. He is enthroned above all His creation. Jesus is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When He speaks, we listen. His words matter most. The Bible is the wisdom of His words in written form. His voice speaks through the pages of Scripture. So, take what He tells you and obediently apply it to your life. Tell others what Christ tells you. Those of us who hear the voice of God cannot keep quiet. Be a clean conduit for His voice to speak. The voice of God is clear and comprehendible to the ears of a humble heart.

Our Prayer:  Lord by your Spirit make us attentive and sensitive to Your voice, and when we hear Your voice clearly let us be bold in declaring and sharing what You say Amen.