Time to get up

The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges—stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—remind me of you, and I’m spoiled for anyone else! Your beauty, within and without, is absolute, dear lover, close companion. (Song of Solomon 7:5-6)

If you have ever been "in love", you might just understand this intense longing just to enjoy the "presence" of the one you love so dearly. When separation occurs - whether by choice or because of something out of your control - the longing builds. What many describe as "stirrings" for the presence of their loved one is really similar to how God feels about each of us - longing to just hold us close, gently stroking our backs with the tenderness of his hand, and then encompassing us with the warmth and protection of his full presence. How long has it been since you have experienced the "stirrings" in your heart for the presence of your "first love" - God himself?

It could be we need to "stir" these feelings back to life, finding they have "waned" a little in intensity. Begin by remembering just how much God loves us and with what intensity he directs his attentive care over our lives. God's words to us: "I am spoiled for anyone else!" In other words, no one else will bring such intensity of response, nor fulfillment to the heart of God other than you! If you have ever been in a relationship with another, you know that this would be the most "ideal" feeling someone could express to you. The thought of no one else being able to fill the place your love fills in their life is almost electrifying, isn't it? Now, transition your thoughts to God - your life, in his hands, electrifies him! He is magnificently touched when we are near.

Take inventory of the things which have gotten in the way of having this intensity of longing for him. The things which separate only serve to build the intensity, not shut down the pursuit. The things which block us from each other, even for a little while, are not going to "stunt" love, but cause love to be magnified and ignited until our desire to be together causes us to get past those blockades. The distracting influences are nothing in comparison to the magnificence of love - don't "settle" for anything less than the presence of God. When we find things or people getting "in the way" of our times with Jesus, it is time to begin to use those things to heighten our awareness of the "lack of his presence" and then to drive us forward from our present position. They will not stop one whose eyes are fixed on Jesus!

Consider where it is we find our passion ignited. Some of the most trying times have fully ignited passion afresh in my life. Times of retreat and refreshing may do the trick. Each of us have different ways we connect with Jesus, but no one way is the "right" way to find this connection and to build upon this intimacy. ANY and ALL avenues which lead us into his arms are pathways toward his grace. Passion grows when the separation occurs - after all, absence is touted as making the heart grow stronger, is it not? We might just want to "capitalize" on those times when we feel the stirrings of "absence" within our hearts - for these tiny stirrings are the very things which will fan into flame the embers of the fullness of love.

We can "settle" for the absence - becoming content to simply remember the good times we experienced at the feet of Jesus. No amount of "remembering" will fan the flames of our first love, though. We have to get up from our places of slumber, points of compromise, and positions of comfort in order to come face-to-face with the one and only love of our lives that will truly satisfy our every longing and stoke the fires of our heart once again. Just sayin!

We are in the same boat

His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

His love has the first and last word in everything we do...

How true are these words in your life? I'd have to admit to you that Christ is not always the one in control of my actions - sometimes I just plain take over and cast his sage wisdom aside in pursuit of something I want to do. I deliberate over my actions and sometimes still choose the wrong path. Anyone else here with me? The good news is that if we are in Christ and he is in us, his LOVE has the first and last word in everything we do - even when we get a little out of control sometimes. His love pulls us back - not once, but repeatedly. For some of us, that 'repetitive action' in our lives is kind of 'shameful'. We see the frequency of our departure from his control in our lives and we get down on ourselves. Before long, the guilt of our wrong choices begins to make us feel 'full of shame' - as though we had a 'new identity' because of our wrong actions. The opposite is quite assuredly the truth - our identity is based upon OUR actions, but HIS.

Everyone is in the same boat...

All are included in his death because all deserved the same judgment for their sin - regardless of how 'big' or 'little' that sin is, how frequently it is committed, or how 'bad' one feels. His death included all so all could be included in his life. There is no lie the enemy of our souls can tell us that will keep us from that life - no lie we can tell ourselves about how 'unworthy' we are to experience his love. Everyone is in the same boat and it isn't a sinking ship! It is a very 'sea-worthy' vessel because he built it and he captains it! We have not gone too far - nor are we too lost. His love has the first and last word not only in what we do, but in who we are!

A couple of things for us to think about today:

- We make wrong choices, sometimes more than others. We make right choices, sometimes less frequently than we desire. Even in the midst of this 'up and down' kind of existence, God remains the same. We are not going to be tossed to the side and declared unworthy of his love just because we fall from time to time. His love is what actually picks us up, cleans us up, sets us right again, and helps us actually begin moving in the same direction with him. Not once, but each and every time we choose unwisely and need his forgiveness and restoration.

- We may not realize how much we are loved, but that doesn't make us any less loved. We may not appreciate fully his grace, but that doesn't mean we aren't showered with the blessings of grace over and over again. His love has the first and last word - that word is grace. We don't deserve grace - we don't earn grace - we don't even want it sometimes. We just receive it and experience the intensity of his love when we do.

- We don't realize just how messed up we are, but we see how messed up others are all around us. Why? Shame turns the eye away from our sin and it sees the magnitude of sin in another - oftentimes the same sin as we are trying to avoid seeing in ourselves. Shame makes us critical of others - grace helps us see the sin in ourselves and it brings it to the foot of the cross. The 'same boat' means we aren't unique in our struggles - it means we are all equally in need of this grace! Just sayin!

How bright is your bulb?

For a moment, I would like us to consider "intensity".  There are words we use each and every day without really having a thorough understanding of their meaning.  When we "dig into" the meaning of a word, we often get insight into how God describes things in scripture.  Intensity if often thought of as that event or circumstance that creates some type of emotional response within us that has us "sitting on the edge of our seats", tension mounting, blood pressure rising, heart rate increasing, the mind set to respond with fight or flight.  As a matter of fact, we pay good money to go see movies that will elicit this response from us all within a two-hour window!

I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple. 
(2 Timothy 4:1-2 MSG)

I'd like to look at intensity from the vantage point of that which displays the most vibrant color or the most radiant light.  When we look at rows and rows of light bulbs on a shelf, we make our selection based on the amount of "intensity" we want from the light.  If we hope to read by that light, we want a light with focused intensity - one that will illuminate the words on the page.  If we want a soft glow in the room without specific focus on one particular thing, we get a bulb that has a "muted" intensity - because we want calm and just a hint of illumination.  When we look at walls of paint swatches, we see various colors of what we could call "white", "yellow", or "blue" - but there are so many varieties of "color" within each of those palettes.  What makes one different from the other is the degree of intensity - the specific blend of colors that produces the more vibrant hues is said to have a higher intensity than the more muted color.

The persecution of the church did much to enhance the "intensity" of the believers.  When the pressure mounted, the degree of their "intensity" also rose.  Great energy, strength, and passion became apparent in their walk.  As they were made the focus of the attention of men intent on silencing their message, their commitment to follow Christ regardless of the cost became more apparent.  We could say that their "true colors" began to emerge!  There was a "radiance" about them that made the gospel message even more evident in their lives.  As they were scattered to Samaria and the outermost parts of the then known world, theirs was a clear and vibrant message of hope, not despair. Why? They had "intensity".

Intensity is a result of depth - the depth of a person's focus.  When we put a standard light bulb in a spotlight, we would have light "aimed" at a particular subject, but it would lack focus.  If we exchanged that bulb for a spotlight bulb, backed by mirrored substance, we'd see that the "reflected" light becomes more intense, giving us a better focus on the subject.  Now, exchange that for a halogen or LED spotlight bulb and wow!  You have not only focus, but vibrant and very clear light!  

What persecution's impact did in the lives of those believers long ago acted to increase their intensity.  It gave them an even greater "focus".  They were scattered, but in that scattering they had to grow.  The scripture points out that the apostles remained in Jerusalem.  That meant that the scattered believers would have to "dig into" the Word, learn to feed their spirits, and then allow the Spirit of God to "grow them up" in Christ.  The local church exists today because of the intensity of a few then.  First, the few gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem awaiting the power of God to be displayed in their midst.  Then the believers who were gathered in Jerusalem who would hear the message for the first time and embrace it with commitment and intensity.  Ultimately, the "few" that would be scattered to the ends of the earth - the first missionaries - brought much needed exposure to the Word of God and the truth of the resurrection of Christ! 

Intensity is always going to be because of directed focus.  There is nothing more powerful than directed focus - it can change the world - when that focus is magnified by the illumination that comes directly from Christ himself!  How's your focus? Just askin!

Fire stoked?

If you have ever been "in love", you might just understand the longing for the "presence" of the one you love so dearly.  When separation occurs - whether by choice or because of something out of your control - the longing builds. Today, with so many men and women deployed into our battlefields, families are experiencing the tremendous loss of the presence of their loved ones. There is this anticipation of return which stirs the heart and keeps the embers of love alive within, but because of the uncertainty of their safety, there is also the fear that their loved one may not return at all.  What many describe as "stirrings" for the presence of their loved one is really similar to how God feels about each of us - longing to just hold us close, gently stroking our backs with the tenderness of his hand, and then encompassing us with the warmth and protection of his full presence.  How long has it been since you have experienced the "stirrings" in your heart for the presence of your "first love" - God himself?

The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges—stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—remind me of you, and I’m spoiled for anyone else!  Your beauty, within and without, is absolute, dear lover, close companion. (Song of Solomon 7:5-6 MSG)

There are some things we can do to "stir" these feelings back to life, if we find they have "waned" a little in intensity.  First and foremost, we can begin by remembering just how much God loves us and with what intensity he directs his attentive care over our lives.  God's words to us:  "I am spoiled for anyone else!"  In other words, no one else will bring such intensity of response, not fulfillment to the heart of God other than you!  It applies to each of us, as we can each personalize these words.  He is "spoiled" for anyone else.  If you have ever been in a relationship with another, you know that this would be the most "ideal" feelings someone could express to you. The thought of no one else being able to fill the place your love fills in their life is almost electrifying, isn't it?  Now, transition your thoughts to God - your life, in his hands, electrifies him!  He is magnificently touched when we are near.

Second, we need to take inventory of the things which have gotten in the way of us having this intensity of longing for him.  If you were to read through this entire Song of Solomon, you would see this intensity building, complete with times of separation, partitions which seem to block them from each other, and the complexity of distracting influences all around.  The things which separate only serve to build the intensity, not shut down the pursuit.  The things which block them from each other, even for a little while, are not going to "stunt" their love, but cause their love to be magnified and ignited until their desire to be together causes them to get past those blockades.  The distracting influences are nothing in comparison to the magnificence of their love - keeping this in mind helps them to not "settle" for anything less than the presence of each other.  When we find things or people getting "in the way" of our times with Jesus, it is time to begin to use those things to heighten our awareness of the "lack of his presence" and then to drive us forward from our present position.  They will not stop one whose eyes are fixed on Jesus!

Last, we consider where it is we find our passion ignited.  For me, some of the most trying times have fully ignited passion afresh in my life.  For others, it is times of retreat and refreshing.  Each of us have different ways we connect with Jesus, but no one way is the "right" way to find this connection and to build upon this intimacy.  Indeed, ANY and ALL avenues which lead us into his arms are pathways toward his grace.  Passion grows when the separation occurs - after all, absence is touted as making the heart grow stronger, is it not?  We might just want to "capitalize" on those times when we feel the stirrings of "absence" within our hearts - for these tiny stirrings are the very things which will fan into flame the embers of fullness of love. 

We can "settle" for the absence - becoming content to simply remember the good times we experienced at the feet of Jesus.  No amount of "remembering" will fan the flames of our first love, though.  We have to get up from our places of slumber, points of compromise, and positions of comfort in order to come face-to-face with the one and only love of our lives which will satisfy our every longing and stoke the fires of our heart once again.  Just sayin!

You reading my mind?

If you have ever used the term, "You must have read my mind", then you probably had someone show up with just the right thing you needed at that moment, coming through for you without you even having to ask for their assist, etc.  Truth be told, they didn't read your mind - they anticipated your needs, did the neighborly thing, or just listened to the voice of God!  Man does not read man's thought - God does!  Wouldn't it be great if we could read God's mind?  To truly figure out this whole mess we call life and know the end from the beginning?  Well, according to what he told Jeremiah, we can!

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.  Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.  Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 AMP)

Thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, not for evil, and to give us hope in our final outcome!  Welfare is really our "well-being" - the condition of being and doing well.  Peace is something which eludes us at times because we live in the opposite of peace, being affected by our circumstances so much our emotions are in a frenzy most of the time!  God's plans are for us to know AND live in peace - not frenzy, worry, or fear.  God doesn't plan or have thoughts of evil for our lives - but of good.  He doesn't want us to lose hope, though the journey will be long and the road ahead pocked with potential pitfalls.  His plans and his thoughts are for our good!  

So how is it we don't understand the mind of God?  He puts it quite plainly in this passage.  It might just be because we don't finish the passage!  The rest of the passage gives us hints on how it is we learn to tap into the thoughts and plans of God for our lives:

* We have to ask.  He says we need to "call upon him".  Too many times, we get in the midst of our mess and we forget who holds the mess in the palm of his hands!  We don't ask, so we don't receive the understanding we need.  James reminds us, "If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves."  (James 1:5-6 MSG)  If we don't know, we are to ask.  We only get to know another's thoughts when we take time to explore them.  Isn't it silly how much time we actually take "worrying" our way through life and the answer is really right at our fingertips?

* We have to seek.  If you really take this in context, you will see there is a sense of urgency or earnest which is described in this passage.  We are to require God as a vital necessity for life itself.  It is a seeking which is directed from the heart.  Since the heart is made up of our emotions, this is suggestive of some form of passionate and intense seeking.  Earnest is an intense and serious state of mind, with a sense of importance planed on that which is sought after.  In other words, we place an "importance" on finding what it is we seek.  When we do so, there is a drive from within which is deeply felt.  It is not casual, or cursory.  When we get serious about finding God's plan, we realize seeking takes some effort on our part.  If you have ever sat down to truly get to know another you have an interest in, you know only a fraction of the "investment" it takes to develop that relationship.  God asks nothing less of us - in fact, he asks more.  Seeking involves not only our minds, but our hearts.  In turn, it involves our obedience.  

What is the outcome of this asking and seeking?  I think it is found later in the 29th chapter, verse 27, when Jeremiah hears from God, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for Me?"  We learn God has it all in his hands.  Nothing is out of his control or exceeds his abilities / capabilities.  What escapes our minds-eye never escapes his.  What befuddles our thinking is clear as crystal to him.  If we want to know God's thoughts and his plans for our lives, we need to follow the pattern he lays out for actually finding them.  Just sayin!

Don't hide your zeal!

Zeal:  Enthusiastic diligence; eager desire; fervor.  There are two synonyms for this word - passion and intensity.  Anything which is done with great "fervor" is done with great intensity - there is a robustness to the action.  Maybe this is why God looks for a people who will have great zeal - he desires a robustness of relationship!  

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].  Now who is there to hurt you if you are zealous followers of that which is good?  But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition].  (I Peter 3:12-14 AMP)

Thomas Fuller penned the words:  "Zeal without knowledge is fire without light."  Chew on that one a little.  Desire, enthusiasm, and intensity are one thing - to have them rightly directed so they produce something of the greatest value is another!  Thomas Fuller also wrote, "All things are difficult before they are easy."  If you don't know who Thomas Fuller was, look him up.  He was an English churchman and an author - entering college at the age of thirteen.  He wrote a book entitled "Good Thoughts in Bad Times", a book of prayers and meditations.  Maybe some of his writings got him into a little trouble, as he told things as they were, but he had some good thoughts which I honestly believe he gleaned from bad times!

He also penned the words, "A good garden may have some weeds."  This should give each of us a moment of hope!  We all desire to be fruitful gardens, profitable in every way.  Yet, we struggle with "weeds" which seem to interfere with our "good growth" on occasion, don't we?  I think Thomas had come to realize the weeds are common - the fruit requires the skilled hand of the gardener!  Weeds will grow wherever there is prepared soil - it is just part of the growth process.  It is God's intention for us to allow him the privilege of "weeding" in our gardens!

As we wrap up our 28-day journey through the character traits of God's kids, let's not forget this final trait of zeal.  God exercises great zeal over our lives.  In turn, he asks but one thing for us - be eager to embrace the work he is doing.  In our eagerness to embrace his inner work, we will soon begin to reveal the intensity of this work to those who live around us.  Intensity is something which cannot be contained.  It is like a brilliant light - it cannot be held back - it must invade the darkness.  

Peter's words to us are full of instruction and hope:

* When we embrace "right-living" (righteousness), God's eyes are upon us.  As one who needs a whole lot of "watching" in order to stay the course, I take heart in this promise!  I need to be "watched" - how about you?  

* His words are full of instruction - but a listening ear is paramount to hearing!  It is one thing to be spoken to - it is another to take action upon what has been revealed.  Zeal without knowledge is like fire without light - God enjoys our zeal, but he also wants us to have knowledge about what it is he would have us do with all that zeal!  Getting to know his Word, and listening for his voice, will ensure we don't go off "half-cocked" in our zeal.

* Being zealous for the good things in life will not keep us from problems - it just keeps us from harm!  Bad things happen to good people, don't they?  So how can I say God keeps us from harm?  Think on this one a little - God never forsakes us.  To forsake means to abandon, to quit or leave entirely.  His presence is with us, even in bad times.  His grace is what preserves us in the midst of stupid and ugly stuff.  We may quit God, but it is impossible for him to quit us!  This is counter to his character.  So, even in the midst of the problems, he is watchful over us.  

Passion, intensity, earnest desire - these sum up the "drive" behind all the other character traits.  One who seeks with intensity will not have his seeking unrewarded!  Zeal is evidence of the Gardener at work in the garden of your life.  The weeds may still grow up alongside the "good stuff", but he is actively weeding them away.  All he asks from us is the willingness to allow him access.  Do you grow brilliantly beautiful flowers to keep them hidden away from view?  Nope!  So, don't you think God will put on display the brilliance of his care in our lives?  How?  In the beauty of these character traits!  His touch becomes the change agent - his continual care becomes the growth agent - his light becomes the transforming agent.  Truth be told, we need all three.  Just sayin!

Integrity and intensity - the "I" list

Two words come to mind when I think of our "I" List of character traits God would like for us to possess:  Integrity and Intensity.  At first, these two seem to stand alone, but I think you will come to see how they are uniquely interwoven traits which actually compliment each other.  As you can see from our passage below, Paul begins with "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it."  Now, consider our two traits - he asks for us to have some intensity (fervor) in how we love (from the center of who we are), but he also expects us to have integrity in our love as he asks us to be real in our love (don't fake it).  They are indeed integral to each other.  

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.   Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.  (Romans 12:9-12 MSG)

At first, we may only think of integrity as honesty - some adherence to a moral code within.  I believe there is a little more to integrity than meets the eye.  In the most literal sense, integrity is a state of wholeness - speaking to the "entirety" of something.  When Paul asks us to love this way, he is asking us to make our expression (action) of love complete - thorough, lacking nothing, completely undiminished in any way.  It also carries the idea of being unimpaired - nothing stands in its way of expression.  

We may think of intensity as something which burns hot - has some gusto to it.  You wouldn't be far off if you went with this definition, but there is just a little more I think we need to see.  It is a focusing of energies - so what is produced is more powerful than when energies are unfocused.  It includes the idea of height and depth - for something with intensity is sharpest when it is focused.  For example, take a regular light bulb and put it in a lamp.  The light gives a glow to the room.  Now, put a spotlight bulb in the same socket and what happens?  There is light for the whole room, but the intensity of light is in the direct line of the "focused" light of the bulb.  What makes the bulbs different?  They add a "mirror" effect to the spotlight bulb to get the light to focus in a direct path.  So, for our purposes today, begin to think of intensity as being focused, intent, and directed.

As we glimpse the instructions Paul lays out for us, we can begin to see how each of these must have both character traits in order to be fully met. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.  He reminds us of the importance of focus - running from evil, turning toward what is good.  He also reminds of the integrity we must maintain in doing this - it is as though our entire life depended upon this action.  Indeed it does - for what we run toward determines the outcome of our pursuit; how we run toward it determines how quickly we will attain our pursuit.  Are you getting how these two traits are related?  

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.  This is probably the hardest part of this passage.  We all burn out at some time or another, in one pursuit or another.  Why?  Well, maybe the pursuit was not right for us at the time - we were simply running after, focusing our energies toward, without thought of whether it was the right thing for us, the right timing, or with the right intent.  When we do this, we find ourselves kind of running on a hamster wheel - just spinning and spinning, but not really getting anywhere.  There is nothing more exhausting than just spinning your wheels.  So, how do we avoid burn-out?  In the first place, burn-out is never God's fault - it is ours.  We didn't keep the right focus.  So, being vigilant to consistently evaluate our focus is paramount to avoiding burn-out.  When a pilot is going from point A to point B, his eyes are on the gauges - not just the wings of the plane.  He could focus intently on the wings, but it he never notices he is nearly out of fuel, he will find those wings do him little good as he is plummeting toward earth!  The gauges show him his air speed, the fuel remaining, the altitude he maintains, etc.  We have some similar "gauges" in our lives we'd do well to watch with diligence!

What gauges do we have?  There are all kinds, but here are just a few.  We have the gauge of our time - what are we giving our time toward?  Most of us "spend" our time - God's method of operating is to "give" our time.  We have the gauge of our emotions - when we find ourselves getting a little frazzled or fraying around the edges, it may just be time to pull back a little.  We have the gauge of our inner spirit - giving us a little "check" here and there to remind us our "prayer" gauge is a little low.  We need to make connection with the one who refuels us - so when our prayer gauge sends off a warning light, we likely need to get connected again!  These are just some examples of what we have been given as gauges.  You will likely think of others.  Let God show you those which often "scream" their warnings in your life the loudest.  When you identify them, begin to see how they relate to your focus and your intent.  Remember the light bulb?  They both serve the purpose of casting light into the room.  Each has an effect - but only one does it with intensity.  The gauges can help us to focus so our intensity allows for a brilliant display of God's light from within.  Just sayin!

Joy in the following

¹ Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.
 ² Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.
 ³ They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
 ⁴ You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.
 ⁵ Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!
 ⁶ Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
 ⁷ As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!
 ⁸ I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!

(Psalm 119:1-8)

A man or woman of integrity follows hard after the commands of God - searches with all their heart and obeys with a willing submission.  To follow implies that we look toward a leader.  One who follows has the vantage point of seeing the one who has set the course before them.  The follower falls into step with the leader and anticipates every movement of that leader.  For this reason, it is important to have the correct leader before us.  

Searching really describes the anticipation of satisfaction - we move toward something because we believe the attainment of that goal will meet a need or satisfy a craving.  A man or woman of integrity follows with an intensity in their search - there is no half-hearted pursuit here, but a full-on eagerness that is spurred on by renewed expectation.  In the pursuit of God, there is a laying down of what we feel is our right in order to fall into step with God.

Look at the list of character traits that David describes about the man or woman of integrity - no compromise with evil, stays on course, carefully obeys God's commands.  There is no settling for the first thing that presents itself - instead, there is a desire to wait for God's timing and his purpose.  In fact, there is also a desire to live by the standards outlined by God as our leader - not desiring to change the standards to fit the moment.  When we have a reliable guide (leader), it is easier to stay on course.

In turn, the man or woman of integrity reflects the one they are following.  This is a principle of leadership - those that follow somehow reflect the character of the one they are following.  This is because the follower is continually comparing his/her life with the standard of the leader and then adjusting to meet that standard.  We reflect what we most often behold.  The outcome is that we become examples of Christ on this earth.  When there is obedience to principles that are "sure", peace is produced.  Principles that are consistent and trustworthy are easy to follow - there is a certainty in them that makes the next step we take reliable.

Three things I leave you with today:

1. Integrity is to be desired - comes by following hard.  We have to stay on course and keep the right standard before us.  If we live with a sense of careful focus in our lives, we are able to avoid compromise and will reap the fruit of thankfulness and peace.
2. Intensity is suggested as the means of attaining this peace.  It is hard work to follow Jesus.  We have to pay attention - and that is hard.  We will never be aware of evil, of opportunity to compromise the standard held out before us, if we are not attentive to the one leading.
3. Intimacy is promised to those who walk in integrity.  When we are aware of the one leading, open to his leading, the outcome should be that we live right.  In turn, we learn to "relate" to those around us in a manner that always honors.  Our heart needs will be met, as well as those we relate to.

Happy is the man...

Intensity - directed focus

 ^3-8And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!

(Acts 7:3-8)

Stephen was martyred for his faith - stoned on the outskirts of the city - guilty of nothing more than his passionate pursuit of Christ.  Saul was an onlooker to those events that day.  We read that he was there, congratulating the killers of Stephen.  Then scripture defines the "scattering of the believers" all over the world - because they were being persecuted terribly in Jerusalem.  One of the leading players in the role of persecutor was Saul of Tarsus.  There was a "passion" behind what Saul was doing - he wanted to stop the message of hope. Scripture tells us that it was his goal to destroy the church - in turn, he caused the message of hope to be scattered to the regions well beyond Jerusalem.

For a moment, I would like us to consider "intensity".  There are words we use without really having a thorough understanding of their meaning.  When we "dig into" the meaning of a word, we often get insight into how God describes things in scripture.  Intensity if often thought of as that event or circumstance that creates some type of emotional response within us that has us "sitting on the edge of our seats", tension mounting, blood pressure rising, heart rate increasing, the mind set to respond with fight or flight.  As a matter of fact, we pay good money to go see movies that will elicit this response from us all within a two-hour window!

I'd like to look at intensity from the vantage point of that which displays the most vibrant color or the most radiant light.  When we look at rows and rows of light bulbs on a shelf, we make our selection based on the amount of "intensity" we want from the light.  If we hope to read by that light, we want a light with focused intensity.  If we want a soft glow in the room without specific focus on one particular thing, we get a bulb that has a "muted" intensity.  When we look at walls of paint swatches, we see various colors of what we could call "white", "yellow", or "blue" - but there are so many varieties of "color" within each of those palettes.  What makes one different from the other is the degree of intensity - the specific blend of colors that produces the more vibrant hues is said to have a higher intensity than the more muted color.

The persecution of the church did much to enhance the "intensity" of the believers.  When the pressure mounted, the degree of their "intensity" also rose.  Great energy, strength, and passion became apparent in their walk.  As they are made the focus of the attention of Saul and his followers, their commitment to follow Christ regardless of the cost becomes more apparent.  We could say that their "true colors" began to emerge!  There was a "radiance" about them that made the gospel message even more evident in their lives.  As they scatter to Samaria and the outer parts of the then known world, theirs is a message of hope, not despair.  Why?  They had "intensity".

Intensity is a result of depth - the depth of a person's focus.  When we put a standard light bulb in a spotlight, we would have light "aimed" at a particular subject, but it would lack focus.  If we exchanged that bulb for a spotlight bulb, backed by mirrored substance, we'd see that the "reflected" light becomes more intense, giving us a better focus on the subject.  Now, exchange that for a halogen or LED spotlight bulb and wow!  You have not only focus, but vibrant light!  

What persecution's impact did in the lives of these believers was to increase their intensity.  It was giving them an even greater "focus".  They were scattered, but in that scattering they had to grow.  The scripture points out that the apostles remained in Jerusalem.  That meant that these believers would have to "dig into" the Word, learn to feed their spirits, and then allow the Spirit of God to "grow them up" in Christ.  The local church exists today because of the intensity of a few.  First, the few gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem awaiting the power of God to be displayed in their midst.  Then the believers who were gathered in Jerusalem.  Ultimately, the "few" that would be scattered to the ends of the earth - the first missionaries!

Intensity is directed focus.  There is nothing more powerful than directed focus - it can change the world!  How's your focus?