Closed or Open?

As we have been studying 'seeds' throughout scripture, we cannot neglect the parable of the sower and the seeds. The seed in this parable is clearly defined by Jesus as the Word of God. The importance of receiving and nurturing the seed is emphasized, but also the condition of the 'soil' or heart of the one who receives the 'seed'. 

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. (Luke 8:11-15)

Receptiveness is a key component in determining if the seed sown will actually come to fruition. A closed heart indicates a closed mind. The more we close ourselves off from receiving God's Word (in all its truth), the more we will squelch growth, being open to all manner of deception. An open heart embraces God's word, not always easily, but willingly.

The more we are 'in' God's word, the more we are likely to be challenged to 'correct' or 'embrace' something. Perhaps this is why so many don't take the time to discover what is within his word - they don't want to change, and they fear what they might be asked to embrace. Our enemy, the devil, works overtime to keep us out of God's word and if he cannot do that, he works overtime to steal away any hope of transformation we may have after reading it.

When we embrace God's word, we are welcoming change. That may frighten some, but truth cannot abide untruth, so God will 'weed out' any lies of the devil we have embraced, replacing them with his truth. Unyielding, unprepared soil might just require a bit more 'tilling' than we'd like. When God sets his sights on the soil of our hearts, what will he find? Just askin...

To the very end

When the grandboys were little, I recall my daughter painting some stones golden color, then burying them just beneath the surface in their sandpit. In a short while, the grands began to dig, discovering all the 'hidden treasure' just beneath that sand. Excited to discover their 'pirate booty', they giggled, dug, and showed off their 'find'. Wouldn't it be great if we approached God's word in just that way? With anticipation for what we'd find next, excited to share what we had found, and digging even harder each time we went back to it. 

Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end. (Psalm 119:111-112)

What do you treasure more than God's word? That could be the hardest question for us to answer today because anytime we value the advice of man, the chances are that we will be putting the cart before the horse! God's word contains very practical advice for living, but we sometimes 'discount' its value because we don't always see it as relevant for today. The truth of the matter is that there is absolutely nothing new under the sun - what changes is the look or feel of the thing before us, not the basic premise upon which it was established.

An electric car is only possible because someone developed the gasoline engine, created the first chassis system, and figured out how to make those gears all mesh together to get the thing moving in the first place. The electric car is built on an established pattern - just made to be more environmentally friendly. God's word never goes out of date - it is always relevant. We may just have to get into it a bit more in order to understand the basic principles taught within those pages are actually quite relevant to our present-day issues - we just have to use them!

As with each new year, some will commit to reading God's word daily, but rather than just reading it for the sake of plowing through the pages, perhaps we could be a bit more 'tactical' in our approach. Maybe we should be asking God to show us the basic principles and how they can apply to our present circumstances. We might just be surprised to discover the truth within those pages help us make sense of today's struggles and present-day issues. Just sayin!

Advice isn't wisdom

Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful. (Psalm 1:1-3)

We receive all manner of advice on how to invest our money, where to buy a car, what neighborhood is the best for our children, and what to wear if we want to impress. All this advice may be of some benefit to us, but there is no 'advice' on this earth that is going to open the door for us to share in relationship with Jesus. We need the wisdom to listen to truth, not just advice. 

Advice might be formed after many trials and errors on someone's part. After failing a good number of times, when they finally find the 'formula' that works, they feel like they can offer their advice with some amount of integrity. While this may be good in terms of which automobile may last us the longest and have the best warranty, it is seldom the 'formula' that will help us to meet Jesus, much less learn to live with him at the center of our lives each day.

Some of us need to listen to less of this world's advice and start pouring over scripture a bit more. It is the wisdom that comes from hearing and incorporating his word into our lives that really helps us live well, make better decisions, and enjoy the company of each other. Yes, we need to understand how interest is compounded so we can make the most of our money, but we also need to know that God is the one who provides for all our needs. We use the wisdom gained through trial and error, comparing it with what God says, and leave behind any 'advice' that doesn't match up to his word.

We all want God's blessing on our life, so we need to forsake the 'advice' of this world and embrace the 'wisdom' God gives through is word, the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and the 'learned wisdom' of those who also follow this path with Christ. The teachings we listen to the most are likely the ones we will embrace the easiest. If we are embracing too much of this world's 'advice', perhaps it is time we listen a bit more to God's word! Just sayin!

Advice or Wisdom?

Your parents give you commands and teachings that are like lights to show you the right way. This teaching corrects you and trains you to follow the path to life. (Proverbs 6:23)

A parent's advice was not something I relished as a kid, teenager, or even as a very young adult. Somewhere along the way into my adult years, my parents became the smartest and wisest people I knew! It is a miracle what God can do to change our parents, isn't it? Really, I am being a little sarcastic there because the one who changed because of God's help was ME. My parents gave me 'commands' - the rules I should live by. Did I always follow them? Nope! Did I get in a bit more trouble than I really wanted to be in? Yep! Have I learned that their 'advice' and 'teaching' was pretty doggone 'solid' and 'trustworthy'? Absolutely! God's plan for us is that we learn from our parents, listening closely to the teaching that actually will 'train us' for life. Do they always have the best advice for us? Not always, but as with everything else, we run it through the 'filter' of the Holy Spirit's confirmation within our spirit and the Word of God. If it doesn't line up with what God says, then we need to adhere to the strictest of the two - the Word of God!

God's plan was for the parent to actually be in a deep, personal relationship with Jesus themselves. If they are, the teaching they give a child is likely to be according to the Word of God and less likely to lead a child down pathways they should not be going. God's wisdom comes through relationship - first with him, then with each other. We find his teaching correcting our lives repeatedly - it isn't just a one-time thing and then all is well in our lives. His teachings don't change, but he does expand upon them as we grow up a bit. That is what we call maturing in Jesus. We don't just 'become wise' because we said 'yes' to Jesus - we have to sit under the 'parenting' of our heavenly Father in order to have his wisdom developed within our lives. The more we listen to his commands and seek to incorporate his teaching into our lives, the deeper our connection will be with him. Maturity is not just 'getting older' in Christ - it is learning to obediently respond to his teaching each and every time we hear it. Maybe God doesn't 'parent' us the way our earthly parents did, but when we finally realize he isn't just setting 'rules' to 'inhibit' our lives, but to protect our lives, we might push back in disobedience a little less.

Teaching corrects us and trains us to follow the plan God has for our lives. It gives us the directions to live, but even the best of directions has to be followed. There are some who treat God's Word as 'good advice', but it is far more than advice - it is wisdom! Just sayin!

True peace

Those who love your teachings will find true peace. Nothing can make them fall. (Psalm 119:165)

True peace is different from what the world offers through its various self-help, or self-care. We might 'retreat' to the mountains, take a beach trip, or just veg on the back patio for the weekend, but all the 'self-care' won't restore our soul as much as Christ will when we lean into him. Some will proport that if you find something within yourself that brings you joy, that joy will burn out the pain in life. I suggest that if your joy is found in Christ and him alone, your pain will be 'burned out' by his healing touch and nothing else!

Fall in love with the teachings contained in God's Word and you are well underway toward finding true and lasting peace. It is the peace that isn't found in circumstances, but in his presence. Nothing can make a man or woman of God fall - although the temptation still remains to compromise. That temptation doesn't 'make' you fall - it lures you in wherever you are the weakest. Satan's ploy from the very beginning of time was to exploit the weaknesses of the individual. Shore up those weak areas, not through self-care or self-actualization, but through the blood of Christ!

We learn to love the teachings of God the more we are willing to trust what he says. The Word of God can be relied upon - God even challenges us to 'test the spirits' and see what is true (I John 4:1). God never tells us to latch onto some scripture just because it agrees with an opinion we hold. We may think some scripture is hard to comprehend - even wanting to avoid it all together because we simply cannot make sense of it. ALL scripture is God-breathed and 'good' - even the 'hard stuff'. We might just need to ask God to help us understand it, learn the context of it, and find a good study that guides us into deeper understanding.

The Word of God brings peace - even when it brings conviction. That may seem like a contradictory statement to some, but God's Word always produces the best in us, even when it brings us to a place of repentance. Whenever God uses his Word to bring an 'end' to something in our lives, he is simply bringing us to the place where we will find the new beginning we so desperately need. In turn, we are renewed, reenergized, and recommitted to the pursuit of holiness. Just sayin!

Opening the cabinet door

As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. (Psalm 119:130)

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon)

I need light, especially when it is the darkest. In the middle of the day, I even need light in some of those 'recessed places' in my life. Not everything is evident to light until light comes into the place where it has been excluded from exploring. Some of us need a little 'exploring' by Light, don't we? I have often heard believers say they don't know what the Bible has to say - that it is a bit too hard to understand. In answer, I often ask what 'translation' they are using. It could just be that the 'understanding' of the Word is a little 'blunted' because we choose to read the Word of God from a translation that is too hard for us to understand. Most commonly, it is that we haven't asked God to open our eyes of understanding to what it is we are reading. Once we ask for understanding, we also need to ask for help in implementing what it is we are reading!

Light in our lives isn't just automatic. I have several good lights in the kitchen, but the recesses of that corner cabinet next to the stove are not reached by those lights. I still need the flashlight to see 'way back there' in the recesses. Some of us have 'corner cabinets' in our lives that get a 'glimpse' of light on occasion, but there needs to be some very specific 'light shining' done in order to uncover what has been masked and hidden away in the recesses of our heart and mind. It is the stuff in the 'recesses' that God often focuses on when we spend time in his Word, but unless we actually open the 'door' to the light he brings, it is as useless as the flashlight with a closed cabinet door! I am still not going to know what is hidden in the recesses of that cabinet if I keep the door tightly shut! Some of us have tightly shut those areas of our heart where we have secret sins, hard to break habits, and humiliating hurts. Don't be surprised when God actually asks you to open the 'cabinet door' so he can reveal them!

God wants us to do more than just 'know' the Word of God. Many will memorize portions of scripture, but what do they really mean to them? What life-change has occurred because those words have penetrated the recesses? As we have likely heard, we need to both here and do what the Word of God commands. James 1:25 reminds us, "But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard." Pray for wisdom, but don't expect it to be automatic. Sometimes we need to take steps of obedience in order to have the light reflected into those 'recesses'. I have to open the cabinet door to find the rolling pin way back there in the recesses. You and I might just have to open up a few unpleasant thoughts, memories, or habitual patterns to his review in order to find the root and be rid of it once and for all. Just sayin!

The true picture

If words are but pictures of our thoughts, what picture are you painting? It is possible the picture painted would enthrall some, put off others, and not even faze the rest. It is quite possible the words we choose to speak, as well as the ones we choose to never speak, allow others to see 'into' our hearts. God wanted us to know his heart well, so he gave us his WORD to reveal it!

My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life. (Proverbs 4:20-23)

God tells us to pay attention to what he says because it reveals his inner thoughts, purposes, and power. Herein is the rub - we hear without really listening - not really coming to understand how he works, what he desires, or what is available to us in him. Maybe it is time we learn to put away or pull ourselves away from those things that are distracting us from really listening!

He reminds us we have to listen closely - meaning we might actually miss what he says or misunderstand it all together. When we listen closely to hear something, what do we do? If you are like me, you remove as many of the 'interfering' things as possible in order to 'zero in on' that which I am attempting to hear. I open the door to hear the noise outside. I turn off the TV volume to hear the wind roaring. If we want to hear, perhaps we need to remove some of the 'barriers' to hearing.

Part of hearing is achieved in reconsidering or pondering what it is we have heard. I have a friend who has lost part of her hearing, not able to hear some pitches of sound, and she can miss those sounds totally. There are times she has to ponder the words I speak in order to make sense of them because of that hearing deficit. Maybe we each have a bit of a hearing deficit that we need to deal with, my friends. Ponder for a while the things God is revealing in his Word and you might just decide you haven't been seeing the 'true picture' he wants you to see. Just sayin!

Shore up those gaps

Building upon a strong foundation is important. The materials we acquire for the building must be put to use. I have a home improvement store (one of those huge ones) about one mile from the house. I love to take time to go up and down the aisles exploring the various things they have there. If I could have my "run of the store" without worrying about paying for the stuff, it would be like "heaven on earth"! From the little fasteners which seemingly disappear as they are put into the wood, or the drill bit adapter which creates that perfect angle by which you get that screw in at a perfect 45-degree angle, I could create and create and create! As long as those tools and materials remain at the local home improvement store, they are just materials. Unless we actually take into our possession what God gives us for building up our lives and put them to use in our lives, they are simply dreams we hold. We have been given great resources, but if we don't put into practice the Word of God, it is like a great pile of resources which goes untapped. Untapped resources might mean the difference between being able to withstand the storms of life and 'going under' when they come.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.” When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority. (Matthew 7:23-29)

The storms will come, but we don't have to be obsessed with them. I don't make a living staring at those radar screens like the meteorologists do at our local TV stations. Their mission in life is to give us as much "early warning" of inclement weather as possible so we stay safe and are prepared for what will come. If I spent all my life watching the horizon for what may come next, I would miss out on what is right in front of me today. The wise builder doesn't build "in the moment", reinforcing the structure for whatever "weather" is predicted for the day. He prepares for what will come by building for all manner of weather. He doesn't build in a flood area because he knows waters might come with such force so as to wash away his hard work. He doesn't forget to nail down the shingles because he knows the winds will come and leave his home exposed if he does. He doesn't neglect sealing the cracks and crevices because he knows the heat and cold will seek a way inside, making life hard to bear. He prepares in advance of what is sure to come. 

I think we can take a lesson here - not to be so concerned about what will come, but to allow the right attention to the details of what gets "worked into" our lives up front so that we are prepared when the issues arise which might come against us like gale force winds and raging currents. If they do, we are well-prepared and on a strongly anchored foundation. Get God's Word into you and you will be amazed at how strong that foundation becomes. Let his Word change the way you respond to life's events, and you will likely 'shore up' places where you once were weak and your resistance to the storms was quite ineffective. Just sayin!

Bad habits are hard to break, so...

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Benjamin Franklin said, "It is easier to prevent bad habits than it is to break them." Maybe this is why God encouraged his people to commit themselves to getting into God's Word every day. Recalling his Word on occasion is okay, but 'rehearsing' it until it gets inside of you and begins to affect what you are doing is much closer to what he commanded!

Bad habits form a whole lot easier than good ones - at least, that is what I have observed in my own life. The good ones seem to be more difficult because of how I view them - as hard, requiring a 'whole lot of change'. If we didn't form them in the first place, the struggle wouldn't be there! The more we commit to making God's Word a 'normal part' of our daily life, the more we will 'crave' time in it. 

At first, the study of his Word may be a little onerous. If you get yourself a good translation, one that makes it easier for you to read and comprehend, then you might not find it so hard to 'get into'. Once you begin, you won't want to stop, but the enemy of your soul will do everything he can to stop you. Why? He knows that God's Word gives us power - truth bringing all of his lies into the light. 

There is something powerful in repeating God's Word - in rehearsing it time and time again. I sometimes think I go to the same passages a lot, kind of like they are my 'favorite' places to explore in his Word. There is nothing wrong with that process, though. God's Word resonates with us in different ways at different times - depending on the circumstances we are facing at that moment. All of his Word is powerful, but there are times when we will find he draws us back to something we already studied, knowing that we need whatever light that rehearsal will bring into the present darkness we face. Just sayin!

So, is that how you see me?

Be a friend to yourself; do all you can to be wise. Try hard to understand, and you will be rewarded. (Proverbs 19:8)

The little things you neglect and are quite critical of in yourself are ways we show we aren't being a very good friend to ourselves. Perhaps you have a tendency to be quite "down" on whatever character flaw it is that has caught your attention at that moment. You see that flaw in yourself, and then the contradictory "perfection" in someone else. You might even see that same "flaw" in another, but you are more likely to just look at how someone else "has it all together" in that area and then be even more "down" on yourself because of your perceived "flaw". How well are you pursuing the things in life that make you wise? When you apply yourself to wisdom, there is little time to be "down" on the stuff that you get hung up on when all you are doing is looking at your reflection in a mirror!

Mirrors produce a "reflected" image bounced back to whoever is looking at the image. The closer you get to the mirror, the closer the image appears and the more the "inspection" can get into the not otherwise noticeable nooks and crannies. The mirror we choose to use to reflect back an image to us is important. Try using one of those high-powered mirrors to get a perspective of how an outfit looks on you and you will get a pretty distorted image. Try using a full-length mirror to determine which eyebrow needs to be plucked and you are just not going to narrow in on the culprit you can feel, but not see! We need the right mirror for the job at hand, don't we? Why is it we use the "wrong mirror" to look at ourselves when it comes to considering the work of grace within us? We choose to look at ourselves through a mirror of judgment and disgust - God is looking at us through a mirror of grace and acceptance.

When we are looking in the right mirror, what we see reflected back at us is a more accurate representation of the true character of what is being beheld. This is why it so important to pursue wisdom - to pursue the things which are truth rather than fiction in our lives. Sometimes the greatest understanding comes in the times we are reflective - looking intently into the right image of how God sees us. In science, we have microscopes with high-powered lenses. You spin the right lens into place and "poof" - what was hidden is revealed! Things appearing one way on the surface come to light in a totally different way under the magnification of that lens. Why? The "power" of sight is increased because we are seeing the object through a very focused lens.

When we allow God's Spirit to be the lens by which we focus on ourselves (and others for that matter), we often begin to see things once hidden from our view - things appearing one way on the surface, but that have a totally different view when scrutinized through the right lens. I think we need to do a little scrutinizing in our lives from time to time, but when we are, we need to be conscientious about using the right lens by which the hidden is revealed! We can use the lens of popular opinion but trust me on this one - it is flawed! We can use the lens of misguided beliefs, but we will just see what we want to see when we do. We need the lens of truth if we are to ever uncover the hidden. We are at our best when we apprehend our learning and use it in everyday life. We see most accurately when we use God's Word to allow the most accurate reflection of how God sees us. Just sayin!

Recommendation vs. Communication

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:20-21)

If you are a 'planner' like I am, you probably use a variety of electronic applications and even paper lists to keep track of the 'stuff' you need to get done in order to accomplish those plans. One thing I might not have learned early in my life was the need to ask God for his 'list'. I made all the lists, exclusive of seeking his perspective on the list. If you have ever made a few of those lists only to see that they didn't really pan out all that well, you know how frustrating that can be - so, is it any wonder that I ask God to show me his perspective on my list now?

God's purpose will prevail - that is a pretty 'set in stone' kind of statement, isn't it? We go about getting all the 'advice' and 'instruction' we can find, but are we really getting ALL of it if we aren't seeking his perspective? I daresay we are missing the main element in all our planning if we don't! That statement indicates there will be but ONE winner in the end and it will be him! Leave him out of your planning and you might just find the 'advice' and 'instruction' you held onto doesn't hold up in the end.

God's 'advice' and 'instruction' comes as we take time to read the Word, listening intently to what he reveals to us. Human advice is a 'best guess' opinion or recommendation offered in order to guide some action on our part. We take it or leave it - embracing all or parts of it as we see it applying to our lives. Godly advice is a direct communication from God that gives us information on how to proceed. It differs from human advice in that is not an opinion or recommendation - it is clear cut, remains consistent, and always holds true to the principles outlined in scripture.

Too many times we treat God's Word as though it were a 'recommendation' for how we are to live, but we do ourselves a disservice whenever we think we can 'pick and choose' the parts of his instructions we will abide by and those we will reject. God's Word provides a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, but we must explore it, embrace it, and then allow it to eliminate the 'earthly advice' that only serves to cloud our choices. Only then will we really be able to make wise choices and see the Lord's purpose prevail in our lives. Just sayin!

Discovery Required

No one can oppose you, because you have the power to do what you want. You asked why I talk so much when I know so little. I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding. You told me to listen and answer your questions. I heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes. (Job 42:1-5 CEV)

There are always going to be things in life we have "heard about", but have never seen. If we are to be perfectly honest here, we have heard about a whole lot that we don't understand, but we just accept it as fact. If we take everything at face value which we see or hear, we will sometimes form some pretty wrong opinions of others, jump to conclusions about the issues, or get ourselves buying into something that will just rob us of things we hold dear. We often jump to conclusions based on what we hear, but never take the thing we hear about and put it to the test. In turn, we just "react" to the thing we hear and then we might find we are off-base in our understanding. We need both - hearing and listening; discovery and understanding.

Some people "talk a great deal" about what they know very "little" about. Just spend about 20 minutes one day scrolling through the posts online and you will find a great deal which may have your head spinning. It is a truly "prolific" period in terms of our "media" opportunities, is it not? We can post almost anything and in short order, it can go "viral". Why? People are hungry for the "scoop" - they just don't take time to investigate the facts behind the latest "rant", "fad", or "hype". Diseases like COVID19 or CDiff are not exactly beyond my understanding, as I have some basic microbiology classes and understand the basics of how viruses and bacteria find hosts, replicate, and soon cause devastating disease of mass proportion. I have a "working knowledge" of disease, but I cannot say I understand more resistant strains of these "bugs" any better than I understand the basics of the original disease. I "do" understand the principles of disease, how to protect myself and others from "contact" with potential disease, and the best infection control practices I have learned over the years. This is what I can speak to - but maybe not all the details of the actual disease I am protecting myself and others against.

Job is in conversation with God and at this very moment recorded for us for all time, he admits to what we all have a tendency to do on occasion - we talk about things which are beyond our present understanding. In time, we may come into fuller understanding, but if we just hold onto what we believe to be true and never expand our knowledge of the subject at hand, we may have either a "flawed" impression of the truth, or we may never get to the "full" truth. It is indeed God's intent for each of us to become students of the truth - to accept small bits of truth, but to go on to discover the fuller and deeper meaning of truth in our lives. Without this growth, we are always living with something less than the "bigger picture". God's view is infinite - ours is finite. Yet, even in our "finite" view of life, God gives us glimpses into truth beyond our means of discovery - asking us to embrace it and put it to the test. God never accuses us of wrongdoing when we put truth to the test.

"Don’t believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. But when someone doesn’t say this about Jesus, you know that person has a spirit that doesn’t come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew that this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here."   (I John 4:1-3 CEV) Learning to speak about what we have clear and certain knowledge of is important because then we can identify when we are being "fed" something which is untrue or not quite on the mark. We can "judge" the spirit of a man by the spirit which indwells him, so we are told to test those who "claim" truth - not just accept it at face value. We can hear a great deal "about" God from others - coming into a revelation of what is true of God for ourselves is quite different. We can hear about - or we can discover for ourselves. The choice is ours. Just sayin!

The "right" way

Learning to choose wisely those words we embrace (take to heart) is important just based on the constant barrage of words we each hear.  Even words we may find a little difficult to embrace are often the very words we need to hear at the moment - this is especially true as it applies to the words of God's commands.  There are times when we'd rather not consider those words - seeing them as onerous and a little too "restricting".  We give what I would call "lip service" to them.  When God tells us to love unconditionally, we think this is a good idea and we even proclaim to do so, but putting this into "operation" in our lives is quite another thing.  When we begin to see God's commands as something other than "restrictions", but more like "miracle words", we might just consider them differently.  If you haven't stop to consider the miracle of obedience to what God says - then maybe it is time to do so!

Every word you give me is a miracle word— how could I help but obey? Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning. Mouth open and panting, I wanted your commands more than anything. Turn my way, look kindly on me, as you always do to those who personally love you. Steady my steps with your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women so I can live life your way. Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live. (Psalm 119:129-135)

A miracle is something which surpasses all human or natural powers.  We might just begin to see the connection between embracing his words (those which surpass our human or natural power) in helping us to actually "do" the things in our life which have escaped our ability to do in our own power or strength.  The one thing we struggle with the most is us "trying" to do what is right, but then producing what is wrong.  We need power which surpasses our own ability - all 'trying' is really just us relying upon our own ability!  When we embrace God's Word as a tool by which we see released God's "surpassing power" in our lives - there is a transformation made possible in those very words!

We are kind of "undistinguished" in our walk on this earth until God's Word ignites a fire within us which begins to change our actions and attitude.  The "miracle-power" of his Word actually brings about a transformation for the "undistinguished" character we have into this unique individual referred to as a child of God.  Whenever we go about living as though we are 'ordinary', we are living far below the potential God has for us in this life.  He has determined to make us 'extraordinary' by the effect of his "miracle-words" in our lives.

There is somewhat of a transformation which happens to us when we begin to see God's surpassing power break into areas of our lives that were previously areas of struggle and defeat, isn't there?  We begin to see life through different "eyes" when God's Word begins to transform the tough areas of our character which were previously 'untouched' by divine power.  We observe our life changing from being so "ordinary" into us being quite "extraordinary" through the application of his power within.  In the process of God speaking to us through his Word, we are brought to a place of choice - that of continuing in the limiting "rat-race" of trying to be transformed in our own power, or that of stepping aside and allowing God's power to invade the spaces of our lives which have been areas of continual defeat and struggle for us.  We don't overcome addictions - God's power within us does!  We don't break free of harmful sins - God's power within us does!  We don't walk away from hurtful pasts - God's power within us does! 

We are rescued (kept) from all that maligns (is harmful and hurtful to us) when we allow God's words to begin to take deep root within.  They actually "steady our steps", so to speak.  If you have ever walked on a very uneven surface, or perhaps across a suspension bridge, you know how "unsteady" your steps can be.  Trying to do things in our own power is just like walking on than uneven surface, or swaying suspension bridge. The more we try to "steady" our steps, the harder it becomes to take the next step forward - because each step forward only brings a return of the unsteadiness of our journey!  We find it hard to find firm footing when it is us trying to control the sway, or produce "evenness" in our path!

The "right" way to live is not learned by trial and error.  Although we do a lot of "trying" and equally as much "erring", I don't think we actually make much progress forward in our lives by these means.  It isn't until God's power is released within that we begin to make our steps count.  Herein is the challenge - will we keep seeing God's commands as onerous (impossible to keep), or will we embrace them as having the potential and promise of producing "miracle-power" within?  Just askin!

An elusive goal?

Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit. (Hosea Ballou)

We can find many ways to seek happiness in this lifetime, but few measure up to true happiness. In fact, ask any ten people for their definition of happiness and you will receive ten different answers. What becomes evident is that happiness is pretty much 'accomplished' when something we want comes to fruition. We are happy when it is a sunny day, and we are not working so we can enjoy it. We are happy when there is money in our bank account, sufficient to pay the bills, but with a bit left over to enjoy some 'free time'. Contentment differs from happiness, because it is not based upon some external condition being met. When the heart and mind are at rest, peace abounding within, spirit in communion with God, we are content. We may not be 'happy' because there are clouds in the sky, but we can be content to know God is at the helm of our day.

I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever— what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say— I always have and always will. (Psalm 119:112)

True happiness is based on who we are, not what we can achieve or accomplish. We are redeemed children of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. We are heirs of grace and benefactors of forgiveness. We are restored lives, broken no longer by life's bad choices. Happiness is an emotion we experience because we realize these things - contentment is a state of mind, heart, and soul because we know these things. God's Word has a way of creating 'discontentment' within us - it drives us to seek with all we possess, confess what doesn't belong any longer in our lives, and reach out to be enveloped in God's open arms. Why? To bring us into the place of contentment - the place where we don't just seek the 'highs' of happiness, but we abide in the 'evenness' of true contentment.

What a gift! Yes, the Word of God can produce many emotions within - ranging from angst over something we knew wasn't the best for us to pursue to the peace of knowing we are right where we need to be right now. Are we to dwell on these emotions? No, but we are to allow them to stir within us the desire to understand why it is we are experiencing them at that moment. The angst should drive us to stop, turn around, and take a different course. The peace should assure us we are traveling on a good course. Too many times we pursue the emotional avenue - if it feels good, we do it; if not, we don't. Truth be told, not every step of obedience will come with the emotional 'high'. Some steps of obedience actually come with some emotions like 'fear', 'doubt', and 'frustration'. 

How can that be if God's desire for us is to take those steps of obedience? Obedience doesn't mean the way will be easy - it just means the way will be marked by his presence affirming we are on the right path. If we live by the standard of 'happiness', we will be chasing an elusive goal. If we live by the standard outlined in the Word of God above all else, we are likely to experience this 'condition' of contentment. Just sayin!

It is an intersection

Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said, The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers wilt, God’s Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. (1 Peter 1:24-25)

For the past few days we have been looking intently at God's Word - how it impacts our lives, changing us from the inside out. Today's passage contains another important aspect of God's Word that we don't want to overlook - the ability for God's Word to 'conceive' new life in us. Think for a moment about how 'conception' happens in the natural sense. Two completely separate objects intersect and within that intersection the two become one. This is what God has in mind when he tells us his Word will 'conceive' new life within us - our life intersects with his and when that happens, we become one with him. We assume his character - forsaking our pretty flawed one. We take on his attitude - laying aside our pity, worry, anger, and pride. The 'two becoming one' thing is pretty awesome, but remember - - - it takes an 'intersection'.

Most will assume an intersection is nothing more than a place where two cross paths - allowing for a direction change where appropriate. They wouldn't be wrong in that observation - any intersection with God's Word is designed to bring about a 'direction change' of some sort. We are not to read it casually, so as to be unaffected by the truth contained therein. We are to read it with intention, allowing it to 'intersect' our thoughts, emotions, and willfulness. Did you know 'intersect' is just a fancy word for 'separate'? God's Word is doing the work of separating us from those things we need to leave behind and allowing us to see the things he is creating within us that will make us stronger in the journey.

When scripture references the ability of God's Word to 'separate', we need to remember this: God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what. (Hebrews 4:12) We are being told his Word is meant to 'intersect' our lives right where we live - moment by moment, not just on Sundays. The 'separating' of the good from the bad doesn't happen just because we have a casual acquaintance with the Word. It happens because we take the Word in regularly and allow it to begin to fashion us into the 'new creation' that was conceived at the point of that 'intersection'. Today could be a very important 'intersection' in your life, but if you are to make the right choices at that 'intersection', you will need to know how God purposes for you to respond. As he stand at that intersection waiting for us to enter, he begins the work of separating us from those things we don't need to carry along - those things we might describes as 'bothersome'. All of God's words have the power to conceive - to separate truth from fiction, holy from impure, good from bad, and peace from chaos. Maybe we all could benefit from a little bit of God's intersections today. Just sayin!

Mirror Moments

You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do! (Psalm 73:25-26)

Got some saggy skin or brittle bones? My skin isn't as 'taut' as it used to be and there are a few more wrinkle lines that have come with age. I am pleased to say there are a whole lot of smile and 'laugh lines' there, too! By bones aren't what they used to be, but if I'd stop stubbing them on immovable objects, I would be less 'bruised' and 'bunged' up! We all feel a little 'exposed' sometimes, don't we? Exposed isn't a bad thing because we are all messed up people on a journey toward being 'not so messed up' people! The most important thing I look for when I look in the mirror is how much of Jesus I see today, but I am not using the reflective mirror on the wall - I am using the Word of God. In the presence of God, we are refreshed - those saggy skin and brittle bones we may see in the wall mirror just fade in comparison to the beauty we behold about ourselves whenever we look deep into the mirror of his Word.

I know most of us get dressed each day and look into the mirror at some point. There also comes a moment when we say, "That's good for now", and move onto the rest of our day's routine. Some mornings my hair may go up in a pony tail - while others will see me put a little more effort into it. The most important thing is that I am ready for the day and that doesn't really begin at my bathroom mirror. It begins wherever I am when I am looking into God's Word, enjoying his presence, and allowing it to begin to prepare me for the various events of the day. If the basis of day's beginning is on a firm foundation, how can the day's journey go wrong? Those 'mirror moments' make all the difference, don't they?

We are refreshed when we look into his 'mirror'. I know I am far from refreshed at times when I look into that mirror on my bathroom wall. My hair is askew, my eyebrows have sprouted in all directions, the grey hairs on my head protrude in unyielding wisps, and my eyes revealing the weariness I feel in my bones. At those same moments, I can settle for that image of myself, or go to God's Word for the refreshing and renewal my weary bones so deeply desire. How about you? Do you settle for the weariness and disheveled life, or do you go into God's presence for the renewal you hunger for? When we make God's presence our starting and ending place, we will never be disappointed. Just sayin!

Preach it!

Ever wonder why we have 'preachers'? Men and women, proclaiming the message of hope found in Christ Jesus - some share the message with regularity, while others are called upon at various intervals, but all 'preach' the message with clarity, certainty, and credibility. The truth is that God chose 'preaching' as the way to bring the message of salvation to a lost and hurting world - to a people with hurts, hang-ups, and habits that needed a way to find healing, deliverance, and stability in their lives. God chose what others may consider kind of silly as his means to deliver this message and he quite often chooses those who have been all bound up in their own issues to become the best of 'preachers'!

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.  (1 Corinthians 1:18 MSG)

God chose preaching and in so doing, he chose preachers. Herein is something quite remarkable - God chooses to use words to help us understand his ways. He chooses examples given in illustration as a means of grasping our deliverance. Should it surprise us that he left us with 'words' to help guide our decisions? While there could have been many other things that would serve as a means of declaring who and what God is and has done for his creation, he knows perfectly well that we connect through words. We find meaning in them and they help us to experience things at a different level.

We can get very well educated by the study of words and miss the whole meaning of the message! The truth is that we need those in our lives who will consistently bring those words to life before us until we finally grasp the meaning! We need 'preachers' of the Word and we need their consistency. We need their illustrations and we need their honesty in sharing their own struggles with the discovery of the truths they have learned in their own lives. The Word of God is not up for anyone's own interpretation, but we do need those who are willing to prepare to bring it forth in a skilled manner.

All our fancy wisdom pales in comparison to one simple message of hope spoken from a life genuinely changed by the Word of God. It seems like we are 'hard' on preachers at times. We find fault with their sermons not having enough 'variety' and some even change churches because they are 'tired of the same old message'. Let me just caution us here - the message is never old! The message is always consistent and it is always powerful when it is delivered under the anointing of God's Spirit. The foolishness of 'the same old message' is that it is the only message that is really needed! There is but ONE God, ONE way to restored relationship with him, and ONE path to 'enlightenment' - Christ Jesus. It might seem like an odd way to get that message out to us, but God chose preaching. Just sayin!

Not gullible...nor naive

Have you ever noticed how some mornings the coffee just tastes better than other mornings?  It is the same coffee you scoop from the canister - you didn't change brands.  It is the same water you take from the tap - you didn't get a new water source.  It is even the same favorite coffee cup - you didn't change the vessel into which it is poured.  It is the same brewer you are using - you didn't even get a new coffee maker.  So, what is the difference?  I think if may just be something "internal" to us which appreciates the flavor, warmth, and rich body of that dark liquid that particular morning!  WE are the difference - it is our attitude toward that coffee - our perception of it is different today than it might have been yesterday.  We craved it a little more, our taste buds were "tuned up" to receive it, and the flow of the warm liquid over our tongues and into our stomach just caused us to sit up and take notice of the richness of the brew. It is often the way we approach God's Word which makes it come alive to us, as well.  When we are looking forward to it because there is something which kind of craves getting something out of it that day, it brings a much greater sense of having "enjoyed it", doesn't it?  We also might just not realize how many other places we are looking for that "satisfaction" until we take in the "good stuff" God has for us.

O people! I am calling to you; I have a message for all humanity.  You gullible people, acquire insight.  You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.  Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty; what I am about to say will set things right.  I will only speak the truth; I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips.  Everything I say promotes justice; not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.  Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people, upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.  Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession, authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.  (Proverbs 8:4-10 VOICE)

Gullible people are easily deceived - there is a tendency to believe all that is said, not ever really testing it to see if it is genuine or not.  They are told to acquire insight.  Insight is simply the ability to apprehend the true nature of a thing or matter.  It is the process of "intuitive understanding" which makes some kind of connection within us and tells us what we are "taking in" is good for us.  Gullible people just consume - they don't question what they are consuming, nor do they really have to know it is good for them - they just consume for the sake of consuming.  To counter this they need to acquire (get, go after, don't let up until they have it in their possession) this "understanding" or "apprehension" of the true nature of whatever it is they are taking in.

Naive people are pretty much relying upon whatever judgment they can muster at the moment, but they lack the consistency of judgment to really make wise choices all of the time.  Sometimes this is because they haven't been exposed to something before, so they believe that is the way things are all of the time.  Whenever something counters that perception of "reality", they might be a little confused, or even reject it simply because it didn't fit their perception of what was supposed to happen or the way they had come to know something to be.  There is a general lack of experience with the subject of their attention, so they just don't know better and they may make bad decisions simply because they are not "schooled" in the subject.  This is why they are told to cultivate a heart which truly understands - for they need to apply themselves to learning what it is they don't know.

God's Word is straight talk to perceptive people and upright and honest instruction to knowledge-seekers.  In other words, when we come to God's Word with an open mind to receive whatever it is he has prepared for us this day, then we seek to gain insight and acquire knowledge of truth, we won't be disappointed.  Perceptive people are discerning - they show good judgment.  Perception occurs because there is a focus toward being observant of the little stuff - there is this tendency to get all we can out of something by dividing it into its parts.  As a kid, I took things apart to figure out how they work.  Well, I am no different today - I still like to take things apart because when I understand how they fit together to produce whatever it is they are designed to produce, I find I appreciate all the "working parts".  What we discover in God's Word today may just be because we are desirous of understanding all the "working parts"!

Instruction is merely direction - it gives us the framework by which something is accomplished.  A recipe is nothing more than a framework.  If you have ever made something for the first time, you may have followed the recipe (put in all the right ingredients), but what you "produce" as the finished product doesn't even come close to resembling the finished product in the image on the recipe card!  Why?  You are a novice at preparing the dish.  The more you "work" that recipe, the closer and closer you will come to producing the similar "product" in the end.  The more and more we allow God's Word to work within us, the closer and closer we will come to seeing what it is God wants to produce by the application of that Word within us.

We don't have to be gullible or naive when it comes to the study of God's Word.  It may not come easy to us the first, second, or even fiftieth time we consider a passage. But...with the consistency of application, we will see the evidence of truth doing its work within!  Just sayin!