Sing a Psalm

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. (Psalm 95:1-2)

What is a psalm? We know there is a book of those things in the middle of our Bibles, but what exactly is the purpose of a psalm? In Old Testament times, they used poems and songs in worship, known as psalms. They were often recited or sung while a stringed instrument (similar to a harp) was played. I don't play a musical instrument, but I am capable of raising my voice in worship to the Lord. Does all my worship sound like a 'poem' or 'psalm'? Not always, but even words of thanks are words of worship!

We are instructed to 'shout joyfully' to the Rock of our salvation. Ever just feel like you needed to express something to God, but didn't know how? Maybe you just needed to let loose with a good old, "Wahoo", or the like! What did David show us in the Book of Psalms? He shared his experiences with God - highs and lows, rough seasons and seasons of plenty. He shared his fears, anxious thoughts, and dashed hopes. Equally important to note is that he also shared how God helped with each of those fears, anxious thoughts, and disappointments.

The purpose of a psalm is to express the heart. Does our heart always want to shout 'hymns of praise'? Nope! In fact, there are times when we just want to cry out in our disappointment and despair, knowing that someone who loves us so deeply will hear us and take notice of our extreme need. I know my heart is free to express whatever my spirit and soul needs to express, and God is not offended in the least when those things are not always joy-filled or triumphant.

How about you? Do you feel free to express your spirit and soul to God openly and honestly? You can, you know. It just takes the first word, followed closely by the second, and so on. Why not open your time with God today with your very own psalm - words that express your heart to the one who holds your heart so very, very close to his? You might be amazed how soon those words of worry, dashed hopes, and frustrations begin to turn into words of trust, vision, and peace. Just sayin!

Day AND Night?

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Arthur Helps reminds us to, "Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment." How 'chilly' is your spiritual environment right now? Have you surrendered to that chill, my friend? Where there is no delight in the Word of God, a chill is sure to come.

How on earth do we cultivate this 'meditating day and night' thing in our lives? If we want a constantly 'hot' relationship with Jesus, we will do well to understand this instruction. Too many times we think of meditating upon something as sitting legs crossed, eyes closed, and environment totally still around us. In truth, the Hebrew word for meditate is quite different from what we might imagine.

Hagad is the Hebrew term used for 'meditate' and carries the idea of active thinking which actually demands some form of expression. When God instructs us to meditate day and night upon his Word, he is telling us to 'give it expression' in our lives. In other words, we live out his Word. It is more than heart-warming concepts on a page - it is life-transforming truth that sets a soul free to express itself. 

When we 'take in' the Word of God, it is important that we allow it to bring forth an expression from within us. I have been reading along and then just heard myself say, "Hmmmm....", right out loud. Why? Something within those words caught my attention and touched my spirit - in turn, my soul cried out. When God's Word begins to delight you like that, you are learning to meditate upon it. It brings forth expression - right then, and then in the actions that come later on. Just sayin!

God gave us his Word

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. (John 17:14-17)

God gave us his Word - not to just thrill us, but to keep us safe when all manner of evil is surrounding us on every side. We can trust that evil will abound on this earth - that is an assurance we are given in the scriptures. We can trust even more in the commitment of God to protect us from all that evil, regardless of how much it abounds. 

As we are taught the Word of God, truth invades every core fiber of our being. That truth 'solidifies' our strength to withstand any evil attack the enemy hurls our way. Jesus never asked his Father to take us out of the world, but to give us the tools to live in the world. To that end, we are to take the Word of God, learn from it, and then stand upon it right where we are today.

We do not belong to this world - we belong to Christ. As believers, we find our strength and balance in him. Did you know it is possible to be too smart, or even too physically strong? We can 'build' our intelligence, while being pretty foolish in our actions. We can 'build' our physical endurance and muscle strength, while neglecting the greatest strength - our spiritual strength.

If Jesus cared enough to give us his Word, how is it we don't care enough to use it as the standard by which we combat all manner of evil around us? Just askin!

Something isn't right

Something that has become quite apparent to me after viewing ad after ad on TV, in the magazines, and on social media is the fact most of us seeing these ads had absolutely no idea we actually "needed" or "wanted" this stuff until we saw it! Have you ever seen those little videos featuring some product they 'found' on some shopping site and didn't know they needed? That's what I am talking about. It is just like us humans to be content with what has worked for so long until we see the next amazing device and then our appetite is whet! We want it! Wouldn't it just dazzle God to no end if we had such a tremendous desire for the things he reveals to us of his power, grace, and truth?

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. (Matthew 5:5)

The ads cultivate a sense of "need" for somethings we had no previous desire for - in other words, they cultivated our discontent!
Sensing the "next move" in your life is a little different from having a sense of discontent, though. Discontent really is a restlessness coupled with a craving for something you don't have - even when you might not actually need it. In one sense, discontent has a positive effect - it gets us up off our posterior end and gets us moving toward what it is we see as our need. We need to tap into our discontent - but only as far as it leads us into the things God has purposed for our lives. If I was married and I no longer found the "love of my life" to meet my "needs", it would be totally wrong for me to allow this discontent to drive me to find a new mate or to have an affair. That would be using my discontent to drive me in the direction of my flesh, not my spirit. When we allow God to direct our contentment, he also influences the sense of discontent we might experience in life. In turn, the discontent drives us toward the things of the Spirit he desires for us to engage with and incorporate into our lives. In this sense, discontent is a good thing - it drives us closer to God.

Learning to rely less upon what makes us content and focusing on what might actually be the object of our discontent may not seem like a big deal at first, but if we are to accurately respond to our discontent, we need to focus on it. The issue arises when we focus on our discontent apart from the advice and guidance of scripture, mature brothers or sisters in the Lord, and good biblical counsel. We cannot figure out our discontent on our own - we need God's oversight in order to evaluate the source, the potential ways of dealing with it, and how it will impact our lives once we deal with it. Just sayin!

Do you ask for directions?

Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! (Psalm 119:17-19)

Have you ever heard the saying, "You have not because you ask not"? In reality, many of us spend very little time asking God to open his word to us. We go right to it, open it up, then start reading. When nothing seems to 'pop off the pages' at us, we get a little concerned. We ought to! We neglected to ask God to open the truths hidden deep within those words. Sometimes they are quite obvious, but at others, we need help understanding how they apply to our lives right now.

When the psalmist (King David) said he was a 'foreigner in the land', he wasn't applying that term to a real strip of land. He was saying he was a foreigner when it came to understanding God's word. There are lots of times we probably feel like 'foreigners' in God's presence, but nothing could be further from the truth. What does someone who doesn't know the lay of the land need to do? They need to ask for directions! If we want to make the most out of our 'quiet time' with God, we need to ask him to help us get the most of it!

Richard Evans reminded us: "The undertaking of a new action brings new strength." If your times with Jesus have been less than stellar, leaving you feeling a little 'depressed' because you didn't seem to get much out of them, then maybe it is time to 'undertake a new action'. It is time to ask for his help - for his direction! If we want all the strength that comes from spending time with Jesus - in his word, mulling it over and over until it sinks in, and then taking it along with us throughout the day, we will want to begin by asking for him to assist us. Just sayin!

True Riches

B.C. Forbes reminds us, "Real riches are the riches possessed inside." I am going to say some of us have riches galore, while others may only be beginning to see those riches building bit by bit in their lives. According to God's Word, true riches come as we give Christ his rightful place in our lives - when he is at the center of our lives, all the riches of heaven are poured into us. We become 'enriched' individuals at the foot of the cross.

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. (Proverbs 22:1-4)

We have been looking on what is on the 'inside' of a man - for that is what really matters. If the 'fool inside' is the thing we feed the most, heeding its every whim and fancy, then the reputation one will possess is likely less than 'stellar'. Deal with the 'fool inside' and what begins to happen is a transformation of reputation. Some think there is no way 'back' from a bad reputation, but I believe Christ paves the way for us.

Having Christ in the 'right place' in our lives means we give him the reins. I know how hard that can truly be because I am a 'rein taker'. I don't like to give up 'control', but if you can learn anything from this 'rein taker' today, let it be this: God isn't going to settle for being our 'co-pilot' - he is meant to be our PILOT. For those of you who think this means we no longer think for ourselves, that is not the case. It just means we run our thinking through the filters of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the still small voice of our heavenly Father. 

A good reputation can be like gold, but how does gold really gain value? Through the refining process. How does a good reputation come? Through the refining process! We may want it to be instantaneous, but it is 'worked out' daily in our times with Jesus. The fires burn hotter some days than others - probably because there is something 'within' that needs to 'come out' in order for the greatest of riches to be left behind. We may not like the refining process, but true riches aren't just 'produced' without it. Just sayin!

The Fool Within

"What were you thinking?", I said. Then I realized I wasn't thinking! It is necessary to set my understanding straight on occasion, or you allow the 'inner fool' to go on thinking that thinking was "spot on". What happens when we don't respond to the foolishness? We allow a plethora of other stuff to continue on as though it did not matter. The inner fool looks for validation - when it doesn't find resistance to its actions, it takes this as validation. It is difficult to stop, take the effort and extreme amount of patience to speak with the fool around you, but sometimes it is harder to speak to the one within you! Yet, it is the very best course of action to prevent a flood of ill-effects from that 'inner' folly.

Answer a fool in simple terms so he doesn’t get a swelled head. (Proverbs 26:5)

We use simple terms to speak to the simpleton. No fool (even our inner fool) is responsive to some lengthy theological argument - the simplicity of scripture taken in is all the fool may need to understand that choice as not being the wisest. Ours is not the role of correcting the fool, but we can bring truth where it doesn't exist naturally - even to our inner man. When we do bring or take in truth, we need to do it with simplicity and accuracy. The 'inner fool' cannot figure out subtlety. What is needed is direct, head-on instruction to know where we got off course and how to turn things around. Once truth is put out there, it is up to us to embrace it and walk in it, or to reject it and continue to stray off course.

Too many of us fail when we are faced with the folly of the fool because we want to "own" the road out of the mess we find ourselves in. We need to allow the inner fool to experience the muddle of the mess and then figure the steps we need to take to get out of it. We have the road map with the truth we take in, but we don't might need a little hand holding from a higher source to ensure we read the map correctly! The road map is in our possession once we take in truth - the responsibility to consult it with each step doesn't stop just because we have the map.

We may want to avoid the confrontation with the inner fool, but we really cannot because those actions are impacting our lives. We have to know how to approach the inner fool (in simplicity), with what it is we approach (the truth), and then how to let go of the foolishness so we can embrace the right actions (in the care of the capable hands of the Holy Spirit to convict us where necessary). Just sayin!

You are beautiful - inside and out

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God.... (I Peter 3:3-5)

I might just burst your bubble today - that new hairstyle is nice, but your real beauty comes from within. The more 'beauty' your heart develops, the greater the true beauty within your life will begin to shine forth. This type of 'beauty' is only possible for those who have said a resounding 'yes' to Jesus' authority in their lives - not a casual acquaintance with him, but a deeply committed relationship with him. Some have used this passage to say we should not wear make-up, dye our hair, or adorn ourselves with jewelry, but this was not the meaning. The goal of these verses is summed up in the beginning of verse 5: They put their trust in Jesus. This is the only thing that will produce lasting beauty when all the other forms of 'adornment' begin to fade. A gentle and quiet spirit is not the byproduct of anything this world has to offer us. It is the byproduct of spending time with Jesus. The beauty produced in just a few dedicated moments with him in the quiet of your day can surpass all the masking of any beauty product, tuck, or peel you can find on this earth. We search for beauty in various places, but it is found at the foot of the cross. The moments we spend with him each day begin to soften our hearts - clarify our minds - and settle our emotions. Nothing produces such a beautiful 'adornment' as these three!

Was does it mean to put our trust in God? It means we stop trusting in the things 'we' can do for ourselves, and we begin to trust in the things God has already done for us. I had to see how the dictionary actually defined beauty and this was the first definition I found: the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest). That part about a 'meaningful design' caught my attention. Why? I think God has given each of us a 'meaningful design' that only he can create and complete within us. That 'design' doesn't come together by casual encounter, but by consistent contact and submission to the one who loves us so much. Our 'design' is realized at the cross - it is completed with each contact we have with the one who makes all of life 'meaningful' - Jesus. So, get your true beauty on today by taking the best of your day and spending it with him. Your heart, mind, and will will be transformed so that the highest spiritual, mental, and physical qualities are manifest. Just sayin!

A Gardener's Delight

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. (Colossians 1:9-10)

The moment we say 'yes' to Jesus, this 'grow as you learn' thing begins to happen. We might 'know' a little bit about God from what he has created, for creation speaks of him all around us. We might 'know' something about him because we went to church as a kid and heard 'things' about what he had done in the past. This walk with Jesus really begins in earnest once we move from just knowing 'things' about God into a place of really learning from him directly.

Good fruit is produced at the hand of a skilled gardener. I have tried my hand at planting this or that in the 'garden', but I must not be a gardener. In truth, what I am not - a patient, attentive worker in the garden. I can prepare the soil, bring home the seedlings, plant them, ensure they have water, and then I kind of leave it be. I forget it needs tending. Leaves need nipped, soil needs to be loosened, bugs need to be sprayed away, and buds need to be pollinated.

It is a good thing God is not a gardener who 'plants' and then 'forgets' to tend. He spends a tremendous amount of time 'tending' the garden of our hearts because he is looking for the very best harvest of fruit. Things in our character that will honor and please him are being produced - to neglect such good fruit would be terrible. We might not even realize the fruit is there in our lives, because just like in my raised garden beds, some of the greatest finds have been behind the leaves in my garden.

Prepared soil will not always ensure a good harvest. Tended gardens are what produce the ample harvest that will keep us well-nourished and 'healthy' for a good long time. Nothing please God more than asking to have the 'garden of our hearts' tended under his watchful and skillful hand. Just sayin!

Give - not in part - but in whole

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (I Peter 5:7)

Anxieties and worries don't just disappear - they have to be dealt with, but it isn't always our effort that is needed to deal with them. All will probably agree that the most beneficial thing to do is to take them to God in prayer. Some will think there are going to be times when you just gotta fix things yourself. I have to challenge that this morning. There is never a time when our anxieties and worries are best dealt with in our own power. As we take them to God in prayer, there will be times when he asks us to do something, but that doesn't mean we are 'fixing' the problem on our own. It means we were humble enough to recognize we don't possess all the knowledge, have all the power, or understand fully how to 'deal with' the issue at hand - then when God tells us how to deal with it, we do as we are told!

Sometimes we will be told to lay it right there at the foot of the cross and leave it alone. We are supposed to take our hands off of the issue and just let God be God. At others, he will show us where we may take action, then we are supposed to take it. Probably one other thing occurs as we take these things to God - he shows us where any of those anxieties or worries are 'unfounded' - our mind working things over and over again until we are tied up in knots. The anxiety is real - we get so emotionally invested in what is churning within our minds and hearts, that we just cannot stop it. It is like a self-fueling fire - it just doesn't burn out or go away. Those are the worries we definitely don't want to carry - for they will consume us if we continue to carry them ourselves.

Notice that God doesn't tell us to give him the worries and cares that we don't think we can deal with on our own. He tells us to give him ALL of them - the big and little ones, the real and imagined ones, the ones that leave us hurting and the ones that bring fear. ALL of them - none excluded. He may take some and work on them himself. He may show us where we can take action ourselves - but it doesn't mean we still carry the worry ourselves. It means he is enabling us to take the necessary steps to be free of those worries once and for all. For example, if we are in debt, we bring that worry to God and he may ask us to cut up our credit cards - to begin to live within our means. The debt will be worked off in time - maybe because he helps us find a debt consolidation program, or a second job, or overtime at our present one. We do what he tells us to do - but not before we take the worry to him.

Give ALL to him - hold nothing back. Don't believe the self-help gurus who proclaim "God helps those who help themselves" because that is nowhere in the Bible! Just sayin!

How do we get there from here?

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (Ephesians 4:2-4)

A moment of confession here - I am not always humble - my pride gets in the way a lot of times. I am not always gentle - my desire to be first, be right, be whatever brings out some of the harshness of my human nature. Am I always patient? Nope, I don't have that one down either! Do I see your faults and just want to roll my eyes? Sometimes - until I look in the mirror and see my own! Then I just hush-up and hope you haven't noticed I have the same faults. 

Living together in peace is the goal - but all this 'human' stuff gets in the way at times, doesn't it? We waste a whole lot of time arguing over things that won't matter a few years from now. We let pride carry us away down some path that says we have the 'right' to be mad, sad, or feeling like we are all alone in the circumstances. Unity isn't capable apart from Christ - we need his Spirit within us to unite us in his love and grace. As long as we attempt to live apart from his Spirit's direction in our lives, we will do a pretty lame job at keeping peace among the brethren.

Marcus Aurelius reminded us that "the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts". Does that possibly mean we might be able to live in unity with each other if we allowed a little bit more of Christ's thoughts to be ours? I think it does. As long as we are thinking about ourselves, we don't see each other. As long as we are considering the outcome as it will affect us, we don't see the impact on our brothers and sisters around us. One of the most powerful things the Spirit of God can do within us is help us change our way of thinking - and in so doing, change our way of acting toward one another.

There is no room for self-made individuals in God's family - we are all God-made and in need of his careful attention in our lives, as a result. The transition from "me - me" to "we - we" begins at the moment we lay down our desire to be in control. Will unity come overnight? No, but the more we turn our eyes toward Christ, the more we will reflect his actions. The more we allow the Word of God to affect our thinking, the more we will begin to see others first. Kindness, unity, and patience are not outflows of a self-made man - they are the outflow of a Christ-centered heart and mind. Just sayin!

You still gonna stink

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good.
Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.  “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. (Isaiah 1:16-18)

When something is settled, there is no further discussion. It is fixed - established - no change is forthcoming. The condition of relationship is to come - to lay down one's own agenda and to submit oneself to obedience to the Lord's will. We can try to wash ourselves up and be clean all on our own, but we still gonna stink! Until we are willing to give up and learn at his feet, we are still gonna stink. We can do all manner of good works, but we still gonna stink. Until we come, lay down our sins, and sit at the foot of the cross, we are gonna stink!

Obedience is what comes next - we get that backwards, though. We work on all the 'steps' of obedience before we get ourselves into right relationship with Jesus. We think we can somehow work our way to God, forgetting or not even realizing that he has worked his way to us through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ! We NEED relationship - not good works. Good works alone is religion, pure and simple. Volunteer all you want - you still gonna stink. Give all that you have to the poor and needy - you still gonna stink. Come to the cross, submit your heart to Christ, and that 'stink' is gone!

I have pointed out the 'stench' of sin and the sin nature more than a few times today. Why? Too many times we get so caught up in the 'signs' of right-living that we forget there has to be a heart-change that comes with them. The heart needs to be made right with God FIRST, then the 'signs' of right-living we might refer to as 'good works' or 'good deeds' actually flow from a different place in us. They begin to flow from the place of trust, not the place of hope. Good works to GET us somewhere or something in life is a place of hope. Good works that God actually blesses flow from a heart that has trusted in the finished work of Christ to deal with our sins once and for all. 

The washing up we need most is accomplished at the cross. The 'cleaning of the slate' or the 'removal of all sin' is done at the cross. We 'give up' as we come - we leave behind as we go. The cross is no place for weaklings - it requires a significant amount of strength to give up and leave behind all that we have hoped in up till that point. To move into a place of trusting in the finished work of Christ to remove our stink requires strength - the strength to admit we are weak, unable to cleanse ourselves from the stink, and standing in need of a change of heart and mind. Just sayin!

I thought I was doing so good

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

What is justice? As you might well imagine, this term can be quite different depending on the circumstances observed or encountered by the individual you are asking. For a great many, justice is 'situational' - it depends upon the circumstances and the individuals involved. Have you ever shown grace to someone for something and then been harsh on another when they do the same thing? Was that justice? Not likely, but what made the difference in the way you treated them? Was it your mood, the other stuff happening, or perhaps someone that was watching you at that moment? With God, justice is consistent - not dependent upon who's watching, what other 'stuff' is happening - justice is just another word for integrity - God manifests integrity in all his dealings.

How do we get to the place of moral consistency in our lives? The place of integrity that God models is our aim, but how do we get from where we are with all our inconsistency to the place where we are consistently upright in our attitude and actions? We are to pursue kindness, truth, and all things wise, but we don't always act kind, live in truth, or make smart decisions. If we want to become more consistent, we have to do the things that lead to consistency. I am trying to maintain good heart health, so I am watching my saturated fats, taking a lipid-lowering agent, and get exercise every day - even when I don't feel like it. One thing I have learned is that we rarely 'feel like' being consistent. In fact, we find all kinds of excuses to avoid it! What we try to do ourselves in terms of being 'righteous' (good, sincere, consistent, and upright) is nothing more than good works that boast about our 'self-righteousness'. What we need to remember is that self-righteousness was actually pointed out as worthless just a few verses later.

We can 'hunger and thirst' for a whole lot of things - some are worth the pursuit, while others just get us even further down the 'self-righteousness' path. The riches of this world are nothing compared to those God gives. The honor or fame we could seek in career are nothing compared to the honor God gives his kids. The pleasures we seek today might actually be okay, but there are times when our focus is on nothing more than what brings us pleasure. In the end, all these things will fail. The more we pursue time with God, time in his Word, and time with other believers, the more we will be challenged to live justly - to do away with our self-righteous acts and embrace the actions of God's righteousness being worked out in our lives. Consistency is a moment-by-moment thing - never dependent upon the circumstances or our feelings. The more we seek God's help to respond in obedience rather than because we 'feel like it', the more consistent our walk will become. Just sayin!

Humble enough to ask

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:2)

Many believe to be 'poor' is to be without money, goods, or even the means by which to obtain these. There is a deeper meaning in the original Greek language we sometimes miss - (Ptochos - Gk) to be spiritually poor, humble, and devout. In the original language, it carries the meaning of being humble in one's attitude. It is indeed a character trait we each need to have 'worked into' our lives. It does not usually come naturally to any of us - we tend to be a bit too 'self-centered' in our own nature. When God's nature begins to take hold within any believer who has said 'yes' to Jesus, there is a change in how one views self and others - a good change!

What does 'being humble in one's attitude' look like? We come into this world, each of us 'spiritually poor' - we don't possess any means by which to atone for our sins - something we need since all are born with a sin nature. When it comes to approaching God, we have to come to a place where we recognize the extreme poverty of spirit we actually have when is Spirit does not fill that 'empty space' within us designed specifically for him. Spiritual emptiness is likely the meaning of this passage - God rewards those who recognize their spiritual emptiness and come to him to be filled.

What makes the poor or beggar so unique in scripture? They are never too proud to ask for what it is they have need of. I think this is what Jesus was telling each of us as he preached this sermon that day - we all need to be humble enough to ask for what it is we most need at this moment. If you are anything like me, there have been moments when you wanted to ask, but you were too stubborn or proud to ask. Why? Who really knows, but somehow, and oftentimes without reason, we convinced ourselves that 'asking' was not going to 'work'. When we finally came to the place to ask, we found our need met. 

Don't be surprised to find that you 'every' need matters to God. It isn't just the 'big stuff', or the 'spiritual stuff' that matters. We want to believe these things take priority, but God has a different 'system' of determining what takes priority in our lives most of the time. All he asks is that we be humble enough to ask - then leave the rest to him. Just sayin!

More than deep sentiment

"All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action." (James Russell Lowell) I know a lot of people that reveal a whole lot of nice sentiment, but all that sentiment is rarely backed by any kind of action. Sentiment is a mental emotion - a feeling that is supposed to be tied to an action, but many times it stops right there with the 'thought' of taking a particular action. God calls his children into action - not just into 'mental thought' of right and loving actions.

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. (I John 3:18-19)

Show the truth of God's love by the actions of love in our lives. So, how does that work? Truth gets worked into our hearts not just by osmosis - it gets worked into the fibers of our hearts by the actions we take based upon the truth that has been revealed to us. Love is an outflow of the love of God within us - but it is possible to give 'lip service' to any truth without actually backing it with any of the actions that show we understand and appreciate that truth.

As we become the person God desires us to be, the first thing we need to realize is that God is a God of action, not inaction. God reveals his love to us in action. Creation was an action. Parting a sea was an action. Consuming an offering on the altar was an action. Jesus on the cross was an action. A stone rolled away and Jesus coming forth was an action. All of God's love and care is revealed in actions. Why should our love be anything less?

Sentiment is a feeling - if it never leads to an action of love, it is pretty much useless. On the other hand, love actually needs the 'sentiment' (emotion) behind it for it to be more than 'obligation'. We can take many an action without love - because we feel obliged to do it. Obligation means we feel 'bound by duty' - there is a necessity to carry out the action, but there is no real 'heart' behind it. God's children are called to have both - the 'feeling' and the 'action'. Not out of a sense of 'duty' or 'obligation' (that is rule-keeping), but out of a heart that is deeply in love with Jesus first and above all. Just sayin!

Behold...

Blaise Pascal told us, "You always admire what you really don't understand." To admire something, one is merely regarding something with a sense of awe or wonder - there is an element of surprise or beauty in what one comprehends in that moment, evoking some sort of 'feeling'. It creates a sense of 'desire' or 'wanting' within us that makes us look for more of what it is we are beholding. If we are 'admiring' a work of art, we might just be able to view it in the local museum - returning time after time to 'refresh' that sense of pleasure it evokes. We don't own it, though. It has not become fully acquired as our own. If we approach God this way, we might 'return' from time to time to get that 'feeling', but we aren't able to sustain it for very long. God isn't to be simply 'admired' as someone we don't fully understand - he wants close, personal, and continual relationship with us.

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 8:33-35)

Listen as Wisdom calls out...hear as understanding raises her voice (v.1). God is calling out - hear his voice. We may not fully understand his ways when we first respond to him, but that doesn't mean we won't come into a deeper understanding as we draw closer and closer to him. If you didn't realize this already, there is an 'intentional' placing of oneself into his care each and every day. We don't just wake up, gaze upon him as a 'work of art', admire him a bit, and then go about our business. We may bring Jesus into our home, treating him as a 'work of art' to be admired from time to time, but that isn't relationship - it won't bring a greater understanding of who he is and how he moves.

Watching implies a readiness to not only see, but to interpret what we are seeing, allowing the recognition to spur us into action. Not all 'watching' is done with the eyes, though. Sometimes it is our heart that is pondering something we have learned - ruminating on it until we come into a fuller understanding of what it is we have 'beheld'. This is how truth moves from words on a page into the wisdom that forms the basis of all our actions of the day. Wisdom is more than deeper understanding - it is the personality and heart of Christ actually beginning to come alive within us, affecting our thoughts, helping to choose our actions. We might not fully appreciate truth the first time we are exposed to it but behold it often enough and it begins to transform our lives. Just sayin!

Learn from the best

Don’t be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life. Products named after Christ don’t seem to do much for those who buy them. (Hebrews 13:9)

I like the imagery of this passage - "Products named after Christ don't seem to do much for those who buy them." It might speak to each of us about some of the "products named after Christ" we might have bought into over the years. For example, have any of us have been duped into believing something from scripture just because someone else told us it was in scripture? Perhaps we think the adage "God helps those who help themselves" is from scripture - a direct quote of sorts. Have you ever been told this by a well-meaning brother or sister in the Lord? Well, the adage is attributable to Ben Franklin, or even apparent in Aesop's Fables - but not God! Does that one shock you? We find ourselves buying into many "products named after Christ" without really testing them to see if they are indeed the "real deal". The Bereans were given kudos for taking what they were taught, then going home, studying these things over and over again against scripture to see if the teachings were in alignment with scripture. This is something which might just help us not buy into products "about" Christ and draw us nearer to learning directly "from" him!

There is a vast difference between learning "about" someone and learning directly "from" that person. When we learn "about" someone, we are learning things that are closely associated with that individual, but we are not necessarily learning what makes that person "tick" - how they think or move. When we get to learn "from" them, we get to know the original and nothing is quite the same -anything less doesn't quite reach the same level of experience. As it comes to our relationship with Christ, there is a danger of never drawing close enough to recognize the real thing when we see it. As long as we are just learning about Christ from someone else, we get familiar with some of the nuances of his character as they know them, but we don't sense the action of that character within us. When we are learning from Christ, it is most often because we have leaned into him ourselves, heard the beat of his heart, and drawn strength from that nearness. To know about him doesn't help us spot the imitation when it comes, but when we know him ourselves, we can differentiate more accurately between what is "genuine" and what is the cleverly designed "imitation".

Knowing about him opens us up to being lured away by the latest speculations and 'half-truths'. We have to live "in" grace - not just appreciate that grace exists. We have to live "in" Christ - not just appreciate him as a good man, a great teacher, or as a means for us to get into heaven. We need a close, intimate relationship with him in order to learn from him - otherwise we are just learning about him. I have good friends and then I have my best friend. What she knows about me that some of the others don't might not seem significant at first, but the closeness we have developed allows her to tune into my moods, know when I need to talk, and then know when we just need to be quiet together while we enjoy just hanging out. We have learned from each other - not just about each other. We have developed a level of relational intimacy which allows us to understand more than the superficial stuff about each other.

If we can begin to see the value of daily drawing close to Jesus, allowing his Word to penetrate our lives, even if we don't get every little thing we read each time we read it, we will begin to develop the protections we need that keep us from buying into "products named after Christ". In time, the more we expose ourselves to truth, the more truth begins to penetrate the recesses of our minds and thoughts. When we hear or see something that might seem to appeal to our senses, we will be met with the inward warning of that thing just not being truly correct. All falsehood bears some semblance of truth, or we'd never be drawn into believing the falsehood. We learn fully of God's grace in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. We learn of the actions of grace in his life actions - those things he modeled on our behalf. We learn the generosity of grace when we begin to see the sacrifice grace made on our behalf in the person of Christ. We learn "from" Christ - not just about him - building safety into our lives. To keep from being lured into stuff that merely proclaims to be a product which carries the name of Christianity, we have to learn from the one who Christianity is all about! Jesus! Just sayin!

Discussing (Read: Arguing) with God

Have you ever been in one of those 'discussions' (read: arguments) with God where you are explaining to him why it is you MUST have things a certain way, or absolutely 'need' something so badly? I have 'argued' with God on many an occasion - 'discussing' all the ins and outs of why it is I feel the course I am about to take is the 'best' one for me. I forget who is in control of the bigger picture on occasion. How about you?

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” (I Samuel 8:6-9)

This was the case with the Nation of Israel as Samuel was nearing the end of his life. He had functioned as a loyal and gracious prophet to the people, but when his sons were appointed as part of the succession plan, the people were none too happy. Why? The sons didn't follow in their father's footsteps - they were greedy, and they 'perverted justice'. In other words, they were lousy leaders! So, what do you think the Israelites asked for? A 'king' just like all the other nations around them had. They wanted a guy on the throne to rule over them.

It amazes me how we can see things as 'so perfect' but be totally oblivious to what the thing we are seeking with such great effort will actually produce in our lives. The nations who had a 'physical king' upon the throne were not as well cared for as Israel was when serving the one who was supposed to be the one on 'the throne' of their lives - Jehovah God. They actually go so far as to 'demand' a king to 'judge' them. Aye! When we see things through rose-colored glasses, we rarely see things clearly!

You might know the rest of the story, but just in case you don't, it goes something like this... When there was an 'agreeable' and 'just' king upon the throne, they were happy. When the king was a little less agreeable and perhaps a little unjust in his dealings, they were grieved by his rulings. When there was peace, the land was prosperous, and all was well. When there was hardship and calamity all around, everyone bemoaned the one who ruled them.

God has to deal with a whole lot of 'fickle' choices on our behalf. It would be wonderful if we'd just let him sit on the throne of our lives, but we have this 'free-will' thing that gets in the way. We 'argue' why our choices will 'work best' but forget about what happened the last time we demanded our own way. I imagine God must just shake his head on occasion as he hears us making all these 'lame arguments' for why we need something he knows we will regret in the end. It would be far wiser to just stop 'arguing' (read: discussing) and let him be on the throne! Just sayin!

Begin, Spread, Maintain

 They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (I Peter 2:8-9)

Obedience is a hard topic to discuss, but a much harder lifestyle to maintain. We WANT to be obedient at ALL times, but we honestly do well to be obedient MOST of the time. How do we get from MOST to ALL? This is the question that has plagued mankind since the Garden of Eden. God's Word seems to be central in what it is we are to use as a 'guide' for our actions, but how is it that we actually get the Word of God to produce the right actions within us when our human nature wants something entirely different?

If we look closely, maybe even read between the lines of these verses, we can probably begin to pick up it isn't about what we know, but about who we are in relationship with at ALL times. While the Word of God is our 'manual' of instruction toward obedient actions, the real obedience begins in taking time to get to know the God we serve. Relationship vs. Religion - the two seem similar, but there is a huge difference. Religion demands obedience to the rules. Relationship shows us how to actually incorporate the rules into our lives, so they become 'first nature' to us and our human nature becomes 'second nature'.

Relationship isn't attained through casual contact - it may be attained in a moment, but it is maintained in many moments, each day, without fail. This is where we get a little 'off course' in our lives - we take a moment 'here and there' thinking all will be well in our lives. While any moment with Jesus is going to strengthen our lives, it is the repetitiveness of being together that actually helps us get to know him and understand his ways. It is as we get to know him deeper and get to know his ways better that we find obedience easier and more frequent in our lives. 

We are God's holy people, called out of darkness and into light - not just to enjoy the light, but to have that light reflected into the lives of others. In order to do that, we need to allow the relationship we build moment by moment with Jesus to be built into the lives of those we touch moment by moment. Just think how many 'need' light, but who have no idea where to find it - then you come along, and they begin to see something in you that is different from every other relationship they have experienced. Light began with relationship - it is spread by relationship - it is maintained within relationship. Just sayin!

Resisting those advances

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

I absolutely love the Book of Ephesians - all of the Pauline Epistles, in fact. As this chapter begins, we find the words: "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins." If that doesn't explain things well enough, Paul goes on to say: "You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else." Obeying the devil, following all of those passionate desires and weird inclinations of our sinful nature - just 'living' as we wanted to, but not really all that concerned with living as we were 'created' to! Then we have one of those 'but then' moments - those moments in scripture where all that has come before is somehow explained or 'dealt with' in the following portion: "But God is so rich in mercy...gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved) ...God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus." I just absolutely love those 'but God' transitions!

We ALL live in sin - none of us is without the need for grace, no matter how 'good' we have lived our lives. The very presence of a 'sin nature' means we all need grace. It is kind of sobering to know that there is a 'power of the unseen world' who works overtime to get people to follow the passionate desires of their own hearts, but it also explains how we can be just going along and then be tempted with things we haven't really been considering all that closely. The truth is, we were considering these things - at least with a seed thought at some point - then we find ourselves focusing on them intently. We wonder where that desire came from and then we get all 'down' on ourselves for even having the thought. The most amazing part of grace is that 'but then' moment - 'but then' God's Spirit made us aware of the futility of following that desire. 'But then' God's Spirit gave us the power to turn away from that desire, urge, pull, or craving. We count on grace's pull to be stronger than our own passionate desires and those weird inclinations that seem to 'come out of nowhere', don't we?

I may not always make the right choices, but this one thing I am certain of - God's grace is always there for me when I am facing any choice! You and I can be faced with one of two paths, knowing full-well one is going to bring immediate enjoyment or thrill, but lead us into some not so enjoyable consequences. 'But then' God's Spirit reveals just a bit of what some call that moment of 'conviction' about that choice, and we pull back, taking the other path that may not promise all the same thrill and excitement, but that we know will bring us better things in the long run. Conviction is an 'anti-terrorism' weapon in our arsenal of weaponry as Christians. Think as the enemy of your soul as a terrorist of sorts and you will certainly understand the need for effective weaponry to be used against him! Those who have said a loud and resounding 'yes' to Jesus in their lives have received grace and all the 'fire-power' they need to resist the enemy's advances. Just sayin!

Rule-Maker Focused

Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope. I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed. How I delight in your commands! How I love them! I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees. (Psalm 119:43-48)

As I have mentioned on other occasions, it can be hard to keep 'rules' - some believing that God's commandments are merely a set of 'rules' that must be kept or else. It is the 'or else' that keeps them constantly striving to 'do' as the commandments require, but if we live our lives with an 'or else' kind of faith, we are always going to be looking over our shoulders or fearing the hammer is about to fall. Yes, God is a God of justice. Yes, he has laid out his commandments or 'spiritual rules' for each of us to clearly understand. He has NOT left us powerless to 'live within' the boundaries of his commandments, though. We don't 'do' obedience - we 'live' obedience. There is a difference. The difference comes in the attitude of heart toward the 'rule' or commandment. If we are constantly living in fear of 'not keeping the rule' to the letter of the rule, we are living with chains on - bound to the rule. We are meant to be heart-bound to the one who gives the rules, not soul-bound to the rule itself. What is established when a surveyor sets out a marker of boundaries for the builder? Is it not showing the builder the area of land that is 'safe' for the work that needs to be done? The builder begins to work 'within' those boundaries because the 'scale' and 'scope' of the work is established by those boundaries.

The boundaries God gives in our lives (his commandments) are meant to help us stay within the 'scale' and 'scope' of work, play, and relationships he knows will allow us to enjoy our lives. The 'scope' is our 'space of movement' - within the boundaries, we can move as freely as we like. As soon as we start to approach the limits of those boundaries, we begin to encroach upon territory not declared to be ours. It could be because it will be unsafe for us to traverse that territory - we aren't ready for it, aren't mature enough to explore it, or it will not produce good things within our lives. To push beyond the boundaries into what is not within our 'scope' is indeed unwise. The 'scale' determines the extend or range of activities that are deemed to be safe for us within those boundaries. Some might think of this as the 'spectrum' of things that are 'okay' for us to explore. The boundaries God establishes through his commands may not leave a lot of wiggle room for us - such as don't steal, don't commit adultery, and don't covet. Then there could be a little bit of wiggle room for some other things - such as do I get my ears pierced, can a Christian get a tattoo, or is it okay to drink a glass of wine with supper. Scripture declares some commandments as 'absolutes' and then it may afford us the 'choice of conscience' as to other things.

To be bound to the rule may actually keep us from understanding the extreme love of the rule-maker. Every 'rule' is given in love - protection being at the core of each set of boundaries. So, we shouldn't let the rule be our focus - we need to let God be our focus and the rule will not seem like a limitation as much as it will become our choice in order to enjoy absolute protection. Just sayin!

Get to know your enemy

"The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honor. If there were no difficulties there would be no success; if there were nothing to struggle for, there would be nothing to be achieved." (Samuel Smiles) All 'battles' have a battleground. All 'wars' have some strategy of warfare. The hardest battles are those where we find it hardest to zero in on the 'right' form of warfare for the battle at hand.

O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, “I will give you victory!” (Psalm 35:1-3)

There are battles of words and there are battles of wits. Which one would you want to fight? Words can be harsh or healing, helpful or devoid of real depth, critical or poignant - maybe that is the battle you will fight. Wit can put you in a place where you perceive something a bit better than another - perhaps this is the battle you should fight. Wit is what actually reveals the connection between the words and the intent or meaning of those words. 

Perception is paramount to success on the battlefield. We need to understand our enemy and then be open to formulating a plan that actually shows how well we perceive our enemy's every move. How do we get to know our enemy that well? I think we find out most about the enemy we are fighting by observing what he does. His words will reveal one thing, but his actions reveal something else. See what causes him to advance and formulate the plan to staunch his advance. See what causes him to halt in his path and create the plan that stops him dead in his tracks.

Get into the Word of God - learn how God moves and you will surely recognize when the army advancing against you is NOT his! You don't have to get to know the devil as much as you need to get to know your God! When you recognize the movement and tact of the one who sits as Commander & Chief in your life, you soon recognize when any movement is contrary to how he moves. That contrary movement is sure to be something cooked up by the enemy of your soul! Just sayin!

He doesn't want this

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

Back in the day when Paul penned these words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the church goers would have understood all about 'sacrifices'. As was the established custom under the Law of Moses, Israelites would bring various sacrifices to the Temple as an act of worship - especially during certain seasons of the year. It was in addition to their 'tithe' of their harvest, flock or herd increase. The sacrifices were specific such as, for atonement (dealing with the sins of the nation), while others were for 'jubilee' or celebration. Even the 'pagan' religions of the times brought 'sacrifices' to their pagan gods - burning them on the altar of their pagan gods. We don't have the same form of 'sacrificial offerings' anymore - because Christ's death did away with the need for those burnt or grain offerings of the Law of Moses. That doesn't mean God doesn't still desire 'sacrificial' dedication to his teaching and his direction for our lives.

Today's sacrificial offerings can still be 'tangible' - you can bring a sacrificial offering of a sum of money to the 'storehouse' known as your local church - something above and beyond your tithe. Some offerings are what we might refer to as 'intangible' - those would be more like the gift of your heart in loyal dedication to the principles God teaches. God's hope is that each of us finds our way to his altar through his Son, Jesus Christ - no other sacrifice being necessary in order to approach his holy altar. In approaching his altar, we may begin to sup with him, enjoy his presence, and 'keep company' with him. At times, he may ask us to 'lay down' something we have been holding onto right there at the foot of that altar. I don't know what it may be, but you likely do. Whatever we are holding onto may actually be what is keeping us from fully trusting God with some area of our lives. This is why he asks us to offer it at the foot of the altar - to lay it down and allow him to 'dispose of it' once and for all - so we can enter in a depth of trust that brings us deliverance from our fear, anger, bitterness, or other plaguing sin.

The altar was always a place of sacrifice - a place to see things 'dealt with' through the means of 'laying down' something of great value and importance. If the offering was a blood sacrifice, such as a lamb or dove, that life was of great value and importance to the one bringing it. It was to have been without blemish - making it one of the most valued parts of your flock or herd. It was to be of a specific age - such as a newborn or yearling - not some old, haggard animal that had outlived its usefulness to you. Today, we bring our 'offerings' to the altar, not so much as 'without blemish', or even all that 'valuable' to us. In fact, we bring our sins, worries, dashed dreams, and even our unholy thoughts. These things have definitely 'outlived their usefulness' in our lives - they aren't exactly those 'unblemished' sacrifices of great value, are they? Yet, God doesn't turn us away - in fact, he instructs us to lay them down so he might fill us with greater things in their place.

The 'prized sacrifice' has already been made by Christ, in order that we can bring the things that need to find their way to the healing of his altar. Many of us think we have nothing to bring that is 'of value' to God. The next time you think you have nothing to give to God, you might begin by asking if there is anything that has outlived its usefulness in our lives that needs to be left at the altar. You could just be surprised at what he points out! In bringing what needs to be 'laid down' at the altar, we could just find he is opening us up to realize there is something of 'utter beauty and worth' he puts in its place, making our presence with him the greatest 'sacrifice' he desires. Just sayin!

Sometimes we need to take the first step

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18)

Seeing allows us to perceive many times, but that is not guaranteed. We could become alert to something happening through our other senses of hearing, touch, or smell, but seeing is what often "connects the dots" for us. Some call this being a "visual learner" - we can read all about some process, but once we see it done a couple of times, we've got it! Without seeing, we don't have the fullest perception. Yet, it is possible to "bypass" this element of perception - functioning pretty well, as a matter of fact - but we miss out on the splendor of color, the mystery of the twinkle in someone's eye, and the awing wonder of following the trail of a jet high up in the sky. We function okay, but we don't "get the full picture" when our seeing is not partnered with us perceiving.

Seeing what God is doing is sometimes one of the hardest things to really comprehend. We often miss his subtle moves simply because we aren't tuned into him as well as we should be. I never actually learned to paint even though I was given great lessons by a woman living at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. Although I was exposed to her work, understood her techniques as she taught them, and had many of the same "tools" to use as she did, I never quite mastered the skill of watercolor. Why? I didn't put that skill into practice. This is often how we miss out on so much God would like to involve us in - we simply don't put into practice what it is he provides in the way of instruction or insight for our lives.

Although seeing is part of perception, it is not the end-all. We have to see and then "attend to" what he reveals. When we "attend to" something, we are taking it to heart. We keep it in the forefront of our minds, allowing the very thought of what has been revealed to permeate our 'spiritual senses'. It means we give service to that knowledge - we invest in it, spend time with it. We may miss the fullness of perception because we "see", but we neglect the importance of "giving service to" what it is we perceive. I know a lot of things about various people in my life - their likes, dislikes, what makes them laugh, what could make them cry, what words shut them down, what words build them up. How did I learn these things? By paying attention to them. How foolish would it be to know all these things and then ignore each and every one of them?

God's place of impacting our lives is at the point of our attentiveness to the details he reveals. Revelation is one thing - action taken upon what is revealed is quite another. If we find ourselves "stumbling around" a little in our daily walk, it might just be related to having NOT "put into practice" what it is we already have been taught. God knowing exactly what he desires to bring forth on the canvas of our lives. He gives us various tools, shows us the steps to follow to allow the creation of his "artwork" in our lives, but if we never pick up the brush and apply a little paint, we will still be blank canvases when it is all said and done! Just sayin!

It isn't always new - it could be unused

Get the word out. Teach all these things... Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given...keep that dusted off and in use. Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. (I Timothy 4:11-16)

There is much to be learned, much more to be incorporated into our lives, and way more to we can become consistent in practicing than most of us really want to admit. I always say it is a good day when I have learned something new. It might just be a clever way to recycle some object into a newly purposed item for my home or garden, or something more academic which I can use over and over to solve problems. As I go about the day "learning" new stuff, when and where I choose to use this newly acquired knowledge is entirely my decision. Just because I get exposed to a truth doesn't mean it is of use - at least not until I am willing to believe it, act upon it, and stand in it fully. This is often where we fall short in the realm of moving from "learning" to the place of making the stuff we learn impact our daily practical life. A lot of times, we don't need new truth - we just need to bring out the stuff we have learned some time ago, dust it off and put it into fresh use in our lives!

The best opportunity to learn comes when we see an example of how it is we are to do something. I am self-taught in a good many things. Unfortunately, this means a lot of trial and error. It I don't put any new knowledge into regular and consistent use, we have just tucked it away without really mastering it. We often treat God's truth this way. We get exposure to it, even have someone willing to live as an example of that truth right in front of us, and then we do nothing more than "tuck it away". We have just fallen short of really "learning" the truth. How are we 'taught'? Most of the time, we find learning occurs more cy what is 'caught' than what is 'taught'. What we speak is important. What we choose to remain silent about also speaks volumes. Choosing words well, using them to encourage, building up each other unto full maturity, this is proper use of our words. Choosing words which correct may also be throwing someone a lifeline. As important as other things are in our lives, our words have to match our walk. Any amount of disconnect between what is spoken and what is lived out gives those who look upon our lives a "mark" far from mid-center at which to aim with their own actions and attitudes.

Our demeanor matters. This is nothing more than how we conduct our daily business. We can look all "put together" and "self-righteous", but when the chips are down, how we walk out the truth we proclaim to live by becomes apparent. Our behavior has to register true to the words we proclaim, otherwise the message comes across "mixed" and "impure". Genuine love looks outside of what one can "get" from a relationship and looks at what one can "give" into the relationship. There is this desire to lay it all down for another, no strings attached, not to get something from them, but because it matters that they get something instead. Our example for this is none other than Christ himself - having it all, he laid it all down, not because he had to, but because he wanted to see us get back into close relationship with God!

We get this idea of faith all trumped up in our minds and think it is something we "attain" rather than something we receive as a gift from God. We don't "pump up" faith - we have faith built in us. Faith comes by hearing - hearing by the Word of God - hearing the Good News of God's love for us and his grace toward us. What we choose to do when we hear truth determines if our faith will grow, or simply wither away. We can embrace or reject it. We can stand upon it or walk away from it. Our faith in the midst of moments of decision is based on whether we will believe what we hear! Most think of integrity as the "honesty" or "trustworthiness" of an individual. When integrity is evident, there is "unity" within the parts. A life put together by grace's touch is a testimony of vast proportion. Grace affords the means to "pull together" what life has made a mess of and when you look upon how truly awesome this "put together" life is when it is genuine, you see the beauty of God's grace in action.

We discount our ability to teach another - thinking we don't possess the "book learning" or the "theological knowledge". No amount of book learning can substitute for words which speak peace into a troubled life, reaching out to draw in those who have been rejected by others, and then living out life together with them each and every day. All God ever asks of his kids is to live as examples of his grace - pure and simple. We might "shelf" truth for a while, but when we finally bring it down of the shelf and dust it off, beginning to put it into practice in our lives, we are on a journey which will begin to speak volumes to those looking on. Just sayin!

Looking and Feeling Our Best

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. (Psalm 119:4-8)

To what or whom do your compare your life's actions? God charges us with the responsibility and "goal" of keeping his commands - with consistency and dogged determination. We are actually reminded that the 'comparison' we need to make is with his commands - how well are we measuring up to what he asks of us? How consistent are we in making right choices? How much does 'obedience' out-trump all the other choices we could make?

Did you ever stop to consider that your life of obedience is actually an offering of 'thanksgiving' to God? Our passage reminds us that when we live as we should (obedience), we are actually lifting thanks to God with each 'right action' that aligns with his commandments. If we don't know his commandments, how can we live by them? If we don't take time to know the one who gives us those commands, how can we understand the heart behind each one? To know God is more than attending church and hanging around with other church folks. To know God means we take time to actually form a relationship with him.

As relationships are formed, we get to know each other - feeling free to point out something that isn't just right with the other person. My BFF helps me see those tiny wayward 'chin hairs' that sometimes escape my glances in the mirror. They catch her eye at just the right moment, and she is able to point them out to me so I can 'deal with them' when I get home. I want that kind of relationship with God, too. I want him to be able to 'point out' those 'wayward' things in my life that don't bring him honor - choices I have been making that don't reflect his holiness in me. When those things 'catch his eye', it isn't by accident - it is because he is the perfect light, and they NEVER escape him. 

Some think commandments are 'laws' or 'rules' that make it hard to live the way we want. Could it be that the 'way we want' isn't actually the best way for us to be living? Could it possibly be that a loving, all-knowing God sees the end even before we begin down that path? Might it be he loves us too much to see us hurt ourselves with unwise choices? I think all of us need a little time with Jesus each day - to get to know him and to allow us to see just how much he already knows all about us. In that 'sharing' of time, don't be surprised if he points out some 'wayward' choice that needs your attention. It isn't to shame you, but to make you look and feel your best! Just sayin!

A laden soul

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

John Maxwell reminds us, "People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude." What does your attitude say today? Does it reveal your tiredness or frustration? Does it shine forth with encouragement and hope? We actually 'choose' our attitude, but we would like to blame our attitude on others or circumstances. If it is bad, we blame it on the bad stuff happening in our lives. If it is jubilant, we attribute it to the good stuff going on around us. Spoken words reveal much, but our unspoken thoughts often come across in our attitude. Don't believe me? When was the last time you looked at your posture when you are in the depths of thought about something that is giving you a bit of trouble? How is your posture when you are well-rested versus weary from a lack of the proper rest? Your posture might just reveal a bit of that 'inner thought' attitude you have going on right now!

When both our spoken words and unspoken thoughts are influenced by the Spirit of God within us, we are more likely to reveal an attitude of grace, love, and forgiveness. Those three things go a long, long way toward elevating one's attitude! They can unburden even the most laden of souls. Holding onto a grudge - the feeling that you have been wronged - will just lead to a 'laden attitude'. Your inner thoughts will betray your outward facade. What you believe about the other person will eventually come through loud and clear even when you don't say a thing! Love generously, forgive freely, and give grace where it is least deserved - then see what that does to lighten your burden. 

In closing today, I'd like us to each answer the questions posed by clergyman Henri Nouwen: "Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." What fruit will you bear today isn't just revealed in your spoken words - the real fruit may be hidden in the recesses of your unspoken thoughts. Let the Spirit of God lead you into those recesses today - bringing to light any area where you are holding onto things that only serve to burden your soul. Then let go. Just sayin!

A life more fruitful

Mark Twain said that the human race had one really 'effective' weapon - laughter. I think our most effective weapon is not really laughter as much as it is the Word of God. Laughter might give us a momentary release - the Word of God and what it can accomplish within us is lasting and sure. Have you ever been reading through scripture only to find something within the passage 'calls out' some behavior you have been struggling with, or reveals some answer to a worry you have been mulling over? The purpose of the Word of God is to teach us - to make us wise. We are able to discern direction once hidden from us because of the work of the Spirit of God within us and the revelation of the Word of God to us. If we want more than an 'immediate release', we need to take in what can give us a permanent and secure hope.

If you rebuke a mocker, you will only get a smart retort; yes, he will snarl at you. So don’t bother with him; he will only hate you for trying to help him. But a wise man, when rebuked, will love you all the more. Teach a wise man, and he will be the wiser; teach a good man, and he will learn more. For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. “I, Wisdom, will make the hours of your day more profitable and the years of your life more fruitful.” Wisdom is its own reward, and if you scorn her, you hurt only yourself. (Proverbs 9:8-12)

Who among us doesn't want a more fruitful life? If we embrace God's wisdom - the holy scriptures - we are bound to see fruit. Why? The seed of truth isn't just casually cast into our lives - it is purposefully placed. Teach a wise man and he will be wiser - because the seed is taken in, then it is turned over in the fertile soil of his heart and nurtured there by the Spirit of God until it takes root. When good seed takes root, fruit is bound to come forth. Knowing God results in every kind of understanding - even though we are unlearned in so many ways, God's Spirit can give us wisdom far beyond our years or education. 

Wisdom adds years to our lives - years that become more settled and certain as we allow God to impart his wisdom within. We could go through life on our own, but the wise man or woman will embrace all the help to sort out life's woes and worries as much as possible. Why? They have learned trusting in one's own ability to consistently produce the best outcomes (fruit) is pretty close to impossible. Good men exist, but any goodness that is 'self-made' is still flawed goodness. There is but one 'goodness' that is perfect - Christ's. There is but one source of true goodness of heart, mind, and spirit - to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all we have within us. 

Seeds will be planted today. They can be seeds of goodness and grace, springing forth in season in an even bigger harvest of that which reveals the goodness and grace of God within. They can be seeds of self-seeking, pride, or mistrust - all producing a harvest, but not always a good one that is 'unmixed' with the tares of this world. God's Word isn't to be trifled with - it is the source of much life and goodness. Take it in - trust it to accomplish its work. That work may be correction - reminding us of choices that have not been all that wise. It may be confirmation - allowing us to feel at peace with decisions we are about to make. How is that? The Word of God is purposeful - it is focused on the harvest that is about to be produced by being introduced to the soil of our hearts and minds. A ready heart and an open mind go a long way in providing soil that is fertile for fruitful growth. Just sayin!

Share that burden

Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong. Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command. If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself. He is really a nobody. (Romans 6:1-3)

It is easy to share another's happiness or celebration, isn't it? It isn't as easy to share their troubles or problems. A gentle and humble response to another's shortcomings is just as hard, isn't it? The spirit of man can be downcast and burdened beyond one's ability to stand against. The heart becomes darkened by steps taken in the wrong direction and the spirit can be weighed down by woes beyond one's own control. We are told to come alongside another who is overcome and lighten their burden - if even in the slightest sense. It isn't so we will receive glory and praise, but because it is the right 'action' of a believer's heart toward another who is caught up in sin, weighed down under burdens, or in difficult circumstances. Why? It is what Jesus would do and he lives in you!

Do we have to assume the troubles of the other individual in order to fulfill this command? Not at all - we just need to help them as God leads us. The one burdened is attempting to carry much more than they can handle alone - in whatever form that burden may manifest. Burdens come in the form of anxieties, trials, mishaps, shifting circumstances, downturns, and even hindrances. How can we make a difference in these? Perhaps we can pray - that is a good start, but have you ever heard that sometimes we need to 'put feet to our prayers'? There might be some 'action' God asks of us in the form of easing that burden. When we 'act upon' that urging of the Spirit of God within, we are beginning to share that burden just a bit. Does it become 'our' burden to bear? No, it is still theirs, but they aren't bearing it alone any longer - they have Jesus and us on their side!

Does sharing another's burdens always make 'sense'? Not always - in fact, there are times when we have similar anxieties and just have no idea how 'sharing' those can actually help either one of us. As we open up to each other, sharing those burdens and missteps, we can begin to see we are not in the challenge alone. We might know we have Jesus on our side, but to realize someone else shares similar circumstances and is struggling in similar ways, we can begin to pray and care for each other. Somehow that lightens our burden - to not just pray for our own issues, but to begin to pray for someone else's burden. We might not feel the lifting of our burden immediately, but the more we come alongside each other, the more we will feel our burden lifting. I don't know how Jesus does that, but he somehow eases our burden as we begin to be there for one another. So, be open to share a burden as God leads. When you choose to serve one another as God leads, you are choosing to serve Jesus. Just sayin!

Reasoning and Will

Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time! (Proverbs 15:23)

I don't know about you, but 'giving' advice is much easier for me than 'heeding' it when someone else gives it to me. I want to think it through, mull it over, and determine 'if' I should actually take it to heart. I have had appliance repairmen tell me not to buy 'X' appliances, only to find those who own them say they are the most dependable appliances they have had. Whose advice do I rely upon - the one who made the purchase and uses the device, or the one who comes along when things don't function as they should? If the one purchasing is also the one who is responsible to maintain what is purchased, I might just rely upon their 'advice' a little more! Why? The one paying the price is also the one having to do what it takes to keep things running as they should. Jesus paid the price for the sins of this world AND he is the one who takes the responsibility to see to it that things are 'running as they should be' in our lives.

When the Word of God points out something in my life that isn't quite working correctly, is this just 'good advice' that I can mull over and come to my own conclusion as to embrace it or not? Not hardly! It is truth and truth embraced is what will keep me 'running' as I should! Too many times we treat the Word of God as though there were sections we can easily embrace and others we 'need to mull over' to see if they should apply to our lives. What we are doing is deciding which 'truth' is good for us and then rejecting other 'truth' because it seems too difficult or harsh. We may not easily embrace what it says, but it doesn't make the truth any less truth! God doesn't give us 'advice' - he gives us truth. He knows what will keep us running the course he has set out for us to run. He knows what will keep us from completing our course, as well. Heed truth and you shall run well. Ignore it and you might just find yourself 'paying a price' you never wanted to pay.

Pope Paul VI said, "Of all human activities, man's listening to God is the supreme act of his reasoning and will." We might not listen when another speaks, but when God speaks into our lives, we'd do well to listen. Listening involves more than just a bit of reasoning - we make judgments, form conclusions, and look for proofs. Incorrect conclusions based on 'flawed proofs' can lead us to making bad choices (the part of listening that involves our will). I have had to ask God to help me with my power of reasoning - not just once, but time after time again - so I am not making flawed choices based upon my own flawed conclusions. How about you? Do you listen, then 'reason away' truth based on some 'flawed conclusion' you might be making? If you and I are to 'run as we should', we need to be 'maintained' by the one who not only 'created us', but who also 'maintains' what he has paid for by his death, burial, and resurrection. It will do us well to treat his Word as truth not to be argued with but was the truth that brings ultimate freedom when heeded. Just sayin!