A transition of power

 But don’t let sin control your life here on earth. You must not be ruled by the things your sinful self makes you want to do. Don’t offer the parts of your body to serve sin. Don’t use your bodies to do evil, but offer yourselves to God, as people who have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used for doing good. Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace. (Romans 6:12-14)

To be controlled is to be dominated by someone or something. We can be controlled by 'things' as easily as we can be controlled by another person. We can also be controlled by thoughts, emotions, and even desires. Perhaps this is why it is so important to be constantly aware of who or what is exerting control over our lives - giving direction to our lives. When we are allowing control to anyone or anything other than Christ, we are in danger of being controlled by what could bring us harm. That which has 'direction over' our lives will either move us in the right direction, bringing positive change, or it will drive us further into depravity.

How unwise is it to be controlled by our own desires? Those desires are more than a bit selfish, aren't they? They might not seem that way at first, but given time and enough space in our lives, those desires can lead us into all manner of compromising choices. They are more than 'mistakes' we make, or lapses in judgment - they become a pattern. Patterns of behavior that elevate self, focus on what pleasures self, or what belittles others are never good patterns. Self has a way of directing our lives down paths we might not have explored until we gave self a place of dominant focus. As our scripture aptly points out, we offer ourselves to sin. We actually allow the domination of our minds, hearts, and souls even when we are passive. Not paying attention to choices we make is as dangerous as consciously making them!

The good news is that self doesn't have to be the master of our lives. The 'transition of power' within our lives will not come as easily as we might want it to, but whenever we make a conscious decision to serve Christ, put him first in our lives, and then seek his wisdom with our choices, the 'transition of power' begins to occur. We lean into him, seeking his wisdom and his power, and we find our 'power', 'wisdom', and 'strength' pale in comparison. We soon become dissatisfied with those things that once held our attention and seemed to be so important for us to pursue. Why? The transition of power is bringing less and less reliance and trust in our self (fleshly desires). We might long for the 'transition' to be complete, but as long as we are experiencing even gradual progress in that direction, we are on the right path! Just saying!

Trading?

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Mark 8:32-37)

Are you a follower of Christ? If so, your life is marked by some very unique things, such as embracing suffering, not being so intent on yourself that you cannot see the needs of others and being willing to allow Christ to take the lead in your life. How many times do we ask Jesus to take the lead in our lives, intending to live a holy, upright, and circumspect life, only to take the lead right back from him whenever the urge hits us? If you are anything like me, it has been like a game of musical chairs!

Followers LET Jesus lead - that means we do more than invite him to lead - we actually put our own self-reliance to rest and allow him to actually lead. It is easy to slip back into that 'self-reliant' phase in our daily walk - especially when things are going well for us. As soon as something begins to rattle our cage a bit, we become acutely aware of what we lack in dealing with the issues at hand. That's when we ask Jesus to take the lead once again. Jesus is either on the throne, or he is not, but he isn't going to lead if we keep relying upon our own abilities all the time.

Embracing suffering seems to be an odd thing to say right after Jesus tells us to let him take the lead - to be in the driver's seat of our lives. If you think about it, he is actually telling us that our self-reliant way of living will do all it can to avoid suffering and pain. To give up the control might just seem a little like we are entering into a place that could have some suffering and unknown pain. Embrace it - follow him. That momentary 'suffering' or 'pain' we endure by not getting our own way all the time, doing things under our own strength or power, isn't all that hard to bear up under when he is leading the way.

All good things in life come with a little, if not a lot, of sacrifice. Allowing Christ to lead will actually mean we sacrifice our desire to be in control. It might be scary to not have all the 'say' over our actions but having all the 'say' over my actions hasn't always resulted in the best outcome! How about you? Have you a desire to allow Christ to lead? If so, it will require less reliance upon self, a 'dethroning' of some desires, and more than just a bit of willingness to do what may be a little frightening to us at times. Just sayin!

What have you been saying?

Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing. (Proverbs 12:18) 

Tennyson reminds us, "Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within." There are words we speak that 'reveal' little bits and pieces of our inner thoughts and dreams. Equally important are those words we never 'reveal' - for they are the truest words that reveal the inner soul of a man, are they not? Most of us have learned to 'weigh' our words - considering if they should be spoken or not. There are times when we should have 'weighed' them a bit but didn't take the time. Those are words that might have revealed a bit more of ourselves than we wanted others to see. When those words have escaped our lips, it leaves us vulnerable - feeling a little 'naked' in the end. 

We have all had those times when our words were just the right ones for the moment, but I daresay we have all had many moments when we 'emptied' a bit of our soul out in expression to another, not really intending to do so. What do your words reveal? What do they conceal? These are two very important 'discussions' to have with yourself - and with God. Words can draw others to us, or they can repel those who wanted to draw near. When we discuss those two questions with God, we must be prepared to hear what he has to say to us about what is uncovered. He may just put his finger on something we would not have really wanted him to know - forgetting that he knows all things!

God isn't concerned with how we 'look' or what others think about us - he is concerned about how we 'are' and what he thinks about us. In turn, he wants us to think about ourselves the same way he does. He may point out something we are trying to hide with our words - like when we put ourselves down because we don't think anyone would appreciate our talents. Many things we tell ourselves are not always true, but we have come to believe them as truth because we have said them so many times. God will never use our words to hurt us, but he may use them to help us know ourselves just a bit better. Just sayin!

Seen, Spoken, Heard - Made Alive

Plato tells us that "thinking is the talking of the soul with itself." He also reminds us "we are twice armed if we fight with faith." Do you ever wonder why there is so much power in the spoken Word of God? We hear it read out loud and somehow it just sounds 'stronger'. If we truly value our soul, we will 'talk' to it with the scripture. The 'strength' of those words on the pages of our Bibles actually will begin to build up our inner man as they are not only 'seen' with our eyes, 'heard' with our ears, and 'soaked into' our hearts. 

The rebel walks a thorny, treacherous road; the man who values his soul will stay away. (Proverbs 22:5)

In scripture, the soul refers to all the desires, wishes, cravings, and needs of a human. As such, don't you think the soul deserves some 'special attention'? Without the attention of the Word, our souls will follow some pretty treacherous, and even 'thorny' paths. The desires of a soul left to its own devices will lead it down paths that lead to a very impoverished life. The soul's needs must be met - humans pursue what 'appears' to meet those needs. God asks that we take those needs to him - allowing him to help us see the best way those needs can be met.

The emotions are up one day and down the next - sometimes in the same breath. Faith evens out the emotions. We cannot live life by the 'seat of our emotions' - giving into every whim or fancy our soul might conjure up. We have to take those desires, wishes, cravings, and deep-seated needs to Christ. How do we do this? Sometimes we just sit in quiet prayer and can begin so see how he desires to meet them. Other times we are taking a walk, observing the sunrise, and then we begin to think upon how God's plans are being orchestrated. There is nothing quite like hearing the Word of God spoken, knowing the words we are hearing are for us.

Then we just stand in awe. In awe of all he is speaking. In awe of all he is showing us. In awe of his greatness and love. In awe of his extreme care for even the slightest of our cares or concerns. Let your words be few - allow his Words to be many. See your faith built by getting into the Word - speak it out loud - hear it afresh each day. The power of his Word as it comes to the needs of our soul is great. Just sayin!

Super-Hero vs. Villain

Have you ever watched one of those 'super-hero' shows where the villain is hard at work trying to destroy all things good and true, while the 'super-hero' is combatting the villain's every move? What comes across is that the villain believes in his heart that he cannot and will not be stopped. No matter what forces oppose him, he will continue to move his agenda forward. Along comes the super-hero, countering each and every villainous thing with some 'perfect' response to keep the villain from succeeding. One thing any super-hero is known for is their desire to continually 'do good' - it is that very desire that keeps them going and actually makes them unstoppable. It isn't necessarily his ability that keeps him going - it is his availability that does. How available are we when in comes to doing good? If we want to live 'super-hero' like lives, we might just want to focus on being more available to doing good in life rather than bemoaning the fact we don't always know how to do good!

If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. (I Peter 3:18)

If with heart and soul - these two interwoven in unity become pretty unstoppable forces. Heart and soul sold out to evil and self-interest makes a man or woman pretty domineering, unkind, and a force no one really wants to reckon with. Heart and soul sold out to righteousness and God's interests makes a man or woman stronger than any forces of evil, though. It isn't that we have become 'super-heroes', but that a super-hero like strength now resides within us - the power of Christ to live above the forces of evil all around us. Get heart and soul together on the same page, reading from the pages of God's plans, and you have a force that honestly has no real opposition, though many will still try to oppose it! Hearts at attention - notice the heart needs to be 'attended'. The mind and heart aren't going to remain upright and pure simply by osmosis. There is an 'attending' that must be done to keep them pure.

I think this is where we go wrong so many times in life - we simply stop paying attention. We lose our focus because something distracts us. Remembering that the heart is made up of our mind, will, and emotions, no wonder God reminds us to keep our heart at attention. The mind can be swayed when it is not 'on guard' to keep out stuff that isn't honorable and pure. The will can be convinced something isn't all that important when our mind isn't focused on what is very important for us. The emotions will play upon our mind and influence our will whenever they are allowed to lead the way. Attend to your heart - pay attention to where it is taking you in your thought life. Listen to what it is telling you to do and where it is saying it is okay to go. Compare that leading with the Word of God and you will oftentimes find you are being led down paths you are warned to stay away from!

Doing good isn't a result of some unconscious trait. It is a result of deliberately choosing to remain alert, attentive to the will of God, and thoughts 'checked' against God's Word each and every time we are about to make a decision. Heart and soul - mind, will, emotions - soul being almost a synonymous term for heart. Be attentive to where you are being led. No 'villain' really becomes a 'villain' unless there is a willingness of the heart to move in that dishonorable direction in life. No 'super-hero' really just happens upon becoming a 'super-hero' - there is a calling, a purpose, and a direction in life. Much like there is with the child of God - a calling to live uprightly, a purpose to be about the Father's work, and a direction in life that leads us into the throne room of God time and time again - worshiping at his feet, feeling his touch, understanding his leading. I think this world has way more super-heroes that could stand up against a few more villains if we'd just pay a little more deliberate attention to our heart and soul. Just sayin!

Iron-Deficiency

The Word of God can become an intensive training tool in our life - - we CAN come to rely upon hearing it, using it in practical ways to assist with the day-to-day decisions of life, and leaning on it when no answer seems apparent. It can become our source because we have come to know the one who stands behind it! Did you ever stop to think that the Word of God might just put a little 'iron in your soul'? I wonder how many of us might just suffer from 'iron-deficiency' now and again, having neglected to take in the Word, making it part of our daily intake?

I'm homesick, God, for your salvation; I love it when you show yourself! Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well, use your decrees to put iron in my soul. And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me! I'll recognize the sound of your voice. (Psalm 119:174-176)

You can ask God to "put iron" in your soul - there is nothing wrong with this request. When we think of the soul, we are reminded it encompasses our mind, will and emotions. We are just asking God to give a certain steadiness, a strength to our thoughts, our choices, and our emotions. Whenever iron is used as a symbol in scripture, it really pictures unyielding determination. Let our heart be determined to allow God to impact our inner man so our outer man always gives a solid testimony of God's grace in our life!

Did you ever consider the make-up of iron? It is not a pure metal - but the very fact it is impure makes it malleable. The metal we call iron is really a very strong metal - rigid almost. We all go through rough spells in which we see a little bit of our "metal" revealed. Our rigidity toward sin becomes apparent in taking that first step in the direction of sin's pull. Our rigidity toward grace becomes equally apparent when we cry out, "Create in me a clean heart, O God! And renew a right spirit in me!" It is the impurity of our heart which brings us repeatedly back to the throne of grace!

We each individually make the resolve to allow God to affect our thoughts, so our actions will be pure, and our emotions will be balanced so our response to life would become more directed and focused. We petition God to "seek us" - not because we ever plan to wander off, but because we know we all have a tendency to do so! We should all be this honest in our appraisal of commitment to living obedient lives! We all have the tendency to have a little "iron" in our character - rigid toward one form of sin or another!

Here's the awesome part of this - God seeks us! We wander - he seeks us until we realize we have been found! Sometimes, I think we come to a place where we feel "found out" - not just found! Either way, he did the seeking! The encouragement found in this passage is the very last truth - we WILL recognize his voice! It is distinctive and clear! There is no wavering or inconsistency in his voice! Perhaps this makes it so very recognizable to the wayward one!

Jesus used a similar illustration when he taught his disciples one day, telling them his sheep knew his voice! He illustrated another parable of one wandering sheep, alone from the flock, and a shepherd focused on finding one lonely sheep. The sheep who wandered was once part of the flock! The shepherd had 100 sheep, 99 stayed right with him, one wandered away. This speaks to me of the ease of making one small decision after another which takes us out of the safety of living close to him!

We can know the heart of God. In turn, God gives us insight into his own heart. We can count on this being true in our lives - through grace. God delights in us knowing the "rigidity" of our heart - it is only in recognizing our lack of being yielded that we come to the place of acknowledging our need. May your heart always be yielded, your soul made strong with the Lord's protection, and your mind filled with the peace which comes from knowing God is in control! Just sayin!

I see that!

The eyes really tell a lot about what is going on with a person. Whenever someone gets sick, we often see reddened "rings" around their eye, making the eyes themselves look a little "hallow" and "sad". They may not open their eyes as wide, and the "crystal-clear" appearance of the eye may look a little "foggy" or "dry". A "yellow" appearance turning to brighter shades of orange over time can signal huge issues with the liver. The size of the pupil, especially with one larger than the other, can signal a huge issue going on with the brain. The eye really can "alert" us to much that is going on inside a man in the physical sense, but it also betrays what is going on inside of the man in terms of his emotions and spirit!

"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!"  (Matthew 6:22-23)

I may not know all the specifics of what is making the man "ill" at that moment, but the eyes "betray" that something is happening in their body, soul, or spirit! The emotional and spiritual matters affect the "clarity" of our eyes, often in conjunction with how a man holds his frame, or walks along. For example, ever see a man so stressed by what he has managed to get himself into by not being able to say "no" to the things he should be saying "no" to in his life? His eyes betray much about his situation as they appear to give off a sense that there is no hope of being out from under his burdens, his lack of rest, and his fear of inevitable failure.

Whenever you want to "meddle" a little into the life of another, simply examine the eyes. You don't even have to ask much to see that the person is hurting, they are playful, or they are weighed down by some circumstance. The truth is that the eyes are indeed windows into our souls. They betray the true condition of the heart, even if we have become good at displaying a 'poker face'. Whatever is within a man will be on display through the eyes - maybe without him even being the wiser that it is on display. Maybe that is how moms all over the world know when their children are lying to them!!! Try as we might, we cannot successfully hide what is hidden deep. We think we "pack it away" very successfully - but as Jesus puts it, either we display the good, or what comes across to others is the not so good! There have been many times that I told a friend that their eyes "betray" them - even when they are saying everything is "all right" in their lives. The sadness or pain displayed in their eyes says more than their words do. We would do well to look beyond the words!

So, why is this important? Simply put, what we allow into our lives affects what others perceive from WITHIN our lives. We are mirrors of what is within - through the "eye-gate" of our souls others will see deep within even when we are too scared or proud to share it. When we begin to be selective about what we will allow into our lives, we are also making choices about the "window-treatments" we are allowing for the windows of our soul! Just sayin!

Seeds - we need two types

What kind of seeds do you have planted? It is just about the time of year when folks begin to start their seedlings under grow lights in some protected environment, readying the starter plants for the spring planting season. Various vegetables and herbs will begin their growth - seeds sprouting under the watchful care of those who desire those gardens to flourish this coming growing season. The truth of the matter is that the gardener does not just plant any old type of seed - he plants corn seeds if he wants corn, eggplant if he desires that growth, and flower seeds if he wants to adorn the garden with some manner of color to attract the pollinating insects. It would be insane to think he could just plant one type of seed and expect all kinds of harvest of different produce! His harvest will depend on the seeds - not just that something was planted!

Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. (Psalm 97:11)

Light seeds and joy seeds - two types of seeds that produce a little bit of a different harvest in the heart and soul soil of each of us. I am a little bit more concerned with the light seed first - because when the soul has been cultivated with the right seed, the heart will be receptive to the seeds of joy that soon get cultivated deep within your heart. Light seeds might just be likened to the seeds that produce the types of growth that yield a harvest of fruit - like the gardener's planting of the corn and eggplant seeds. The joy seeds are maybe just a little bit more like the flower seeds he plants. One produces things that change us from the inside out. The other bring what is on the inside and put it on beautiful display for others to see.

The soul isn't always the most receptive of soil, though. If you have ever tried to grow much in this desert soil in Arizona, you will realize quickly that the alkaline content of the soil limits the growth. There is much work that must be done to neutralize and bring a balance to the soil so it will produce. Much in the same way, the soul soil within our lives needs a lot of cultivating in order to be readied to receive the light seed. There are stones to be removed and soil to be turned so it is can absorb the nutrients that will be added. The nutrients added, it must be watered and maintained. The soil is not receptive to the seed until it is readied. The soul is not receptive to light until it has realized the darkness cannot produce the goodness it desires!

There is something I have realized about the 'light seed' God plants. It doesn't take much 'soul soil' to allow it to begin to grow. The smallest amount of soul soil can begin to allow the growth of the light. Once there is light seed planted, the condition of the soul soil begins to change and as it does, the soil of our soul becomes more and more receptive to receiving more and more of the light seed. We may not realize the bounty of the harvest until we begin to see the second type of seed taking root deep within our hearts, though. For the joy seed begins to permeate the ground of our hearts and as it does, we begin to give evidence of the work being done within us by the light seed. As the blooms of the flower plant begin to attract the 'pollinators', the blooms of joy begin to attract the things within our lives that will help us to grow even stronger in the goodness and grace of God. 

We need both seeds - light and joy. We need to remember they work on different soil patches within our lives - one the soul, the other the heart. Both need to be cultivated - both yield a unique harvest. One might flourish within, the other gives evidence that there is growth taking place! Just sayin!

Listen up!

Sometime we need to remind our soul - that is, our mind, will and emotions - to bless God with all that we have within us. If you are like me (and I suspect you are), the mind wanders, will is weak, and emotions pull us a thousand different directions. David was not above this very similar struggle we face daily - to keep our attention squarely on God. How do we do that? We engage in "soul-talk". Look at what David does - he focuses his mind on the things God has done in his life - then he begins a little "soul-talk". He recounts the many and overwhelming blessings of God in his life, his family's life, and those he knows at the leader of a great nation. He determines to bless God - he makes it a matter of his will. In so doing, he is bringing his emotions into alignment - his "soul" gets talked into alignment.

O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence. (Psalm 103:1-5)

There are clearly a couple of things David seems to focus on as he engages in this soul-talk. A few of those things might just help us begin our very own 'soul-talk' with God today:

• God forgives our sins - not just in part, but completely; not just one or two, but all of them. There are times when I just want to cringe in shame when I remember some of the sins over the course of my life - and the enemy of my soul would love nothing more than to have me dwell upon those memories. When that happens, I have called to memory the fact that God is not "selective" in his forgiveness. It is complete and it keeps no records - even when my mind has a hard time letting go of them. What I seem to dredge up from my past in haunting memory of my sinfulness has already been forgiven - no longer remembered by God.
• God not only heals our spiritual condition through forgiveness of sins, but he heals our physical condition by healing our diseases. I've had a couple of worrisome physician's reports over the years, biding time until surgery could be done and the final pathology reports could be obtained. In those times, I felt his presence. He is my healer and I know that the reports were excellent because he is an excellent God! The healing of God goes beyond our physical diseases - it encompasses the mind, emotions, and spirit damaged by all of life's woes.
• God has redeemed us from hell - more than just forgiving us of our sins - he has ensured that we would never have to experience the horrific terror of hell. If nothing else challenges us to sit up and give God our attention, that should! If you haven't read what scripture tells us about hell, you may not fully understand the sheer awe at his goodness - being overcome with a desire to praise God for his deliverance from hell's torture. 
• God has crowned us with love and mercy. I've never been much of a "tiara" woman, but I am awed by the beauty of character that God produces in a life surrender to him - an adorned life. That beauty of character is like a "crowning glory" over all of their life. Love and mercy - the crown of eternal love - encompasses their life and it radiantly displays God to all who look upon it. Love evokes the best in others. Mercy overlooks the worst in others. There is nothing more beautiful that can adorn a child of God than the crown of his love and mercy.
• God has wrapped us in goodness - not greatness, but goodness. We have a warped view of how we value individuals in our society today. We often think that if they accomplish something "great", then that adds to or gives them value. God sees our value in the goodness of heart that he creates by the presence of his abiding Spirit within us. Goodness is really moral excellence - the best part of God created within us by the indwelling of his Spirit.

If all this doesn't elicit some praise from your soul, then the final point should - he renews our youth! We pay thousands for creams, tucks, lifts, and gym memberships - all to hold onto our youth. What is amazing is that in the presence of God I am made young! If you don't believe me - try it. There is a restorative power that occurs in the presence of the Almighty God. I want you to see one last thing - David recounts that God HAS done these things. It is not a "hope in the by-and-by" that God "might" do these things in his life. They are an accomplished fact. David celebrates the continual work of God in his life - continually forgiving him of his sins (past, present and future); continually healing his diseases; continually keeping him safe from Satan's evil; consistently displaying his love and mercy in his people so that it might shine through them; continually indwelling them with his presence; and continually renewing them. Feel like you have nothing to praise God for today - think again! Then do some serious "soul-talk"! Just talkin!

Soul-Empty

Lots of time is spent pouring out our heart and then hearing from God as to what has been transpiring around us that seems to give us concern, fear, or a lack of peace. It is impossible to live without faith, as scripture plainly reminds us that the just shall live by faith. Faith must be growing, continually developing. There are times when all we want is for God to do what he had done at times past in our lives - in other words, be awesome in every way, delivering us from whatever is just about to come in around us, and keep us from any type of mind or heart captivity. It might have been a while since we really experienced God in the 'earth-shattering' way we did in previous times - almost failing to sense his presence and longing for things to 'be good again' where is applies to our 'closeness' with God. We could even say we have allowed our 'souls' to get a little bit on the 'empty' side - we just seem to lack what we need.

"Look at that man, bloated by self-importance—full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive."  (Habakkuk 2:4)

There is both first-hand and 'hand-me-down' knowledge of God. Second-hand or 'hand-me-down' knowledge about God is never all that fulfilling - it is still good, but when we experience God's goodness ourselves, it is so much better. We are sometimes challenged to really take in the various aspects of what we are beholding in our lives - looking intently at the man who is bloated by self-importance - and painfully, that man could be us. At a cursory review of this passage, we may immediately think about someone who is filled with pride, boastful and living with his "nose in the air". The actual intent is quite different - being bloated with self-importance actually encompasses any man or woman who spends more time focusing on the things that please or fulfill the selfish desires of the heart more than on what pleases the heart of God.

We are asked to look at the intentions of our heart - why it is that we do what we do, what drives us to make the decisions we make, how it is that we have chosen to live our lives. Here we are reminded, albeit not very tenderly, that choosing to live in a self-centered, ego-centric way is to live a life that is "soul-empty". There is no real substance to it - it is vacant of what really rewards. We may have "full lives", but they are filled with that which really brings no satisfaction in the end - soul-empty lives. The intent is for each of us to come into the experience of God's presence in our lives - getting to know the "ins and outs" of how he works, having our heart "tugged" by the things that move his heart. It is quite easy to get so focused on what "I" want, how a circumstance will affect "me", and what "I" think is important. In the end, "I" truly does "stand alone". When an individual is "ego-centric", that person is focused on self - others are tolerated, but they are not the focus of life (including God).

We can be fully alive - but it is only by steady and loyal believing. It is the commitment to keep God in focus - central in our lives - that keeps us steady. As long as we are focused inwardly on our needs (our wants), we don't have our eyes on anything that gives us stability, assurance, or lasting "advantage" in life. In fact, all we are focusing on is something that will "pass away" in the course of time. Faith is a growth experience - it is taking our eyes off of ourselves long enough to put them on Christ, intentionally seeing him. We can keep two things in our line of sight, but it is impossible to focus on both at the same time. This is a basic principle of photography - the photographer can go for the big picture (really focusing on no "one thing"), or can obscure the big picture (take it out of focus) to move in with clarity on one thing in the shot that is brought alive as the "focal point" of the image. When we see this type of image, properly displayed, we are awed by the brilliance of what is captured. So it is with our focus in life - if it is obscured by trying to constantly take in the "big picture", we will miss the awesomeness of the brilliance of God in the midst of the "picture". Remember, the right perspective determines the image that is ultimately portrayed. Just sayin!

Just a little pause to look within

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? (James 2:14 NLT)

Just about every week I ask myself what my actions are revealing about my relationship with Jesus. Why do I ask this of myself? I guess it is because I know there is a root of selfishness in me that sometimes allows little compromises and unholy actions to slip into my life. I don't want these little things to become bigger things, so I spend some time just evaluating those actions in light of what scripture tells me about how it is I am 'supposed' to be acting. It isn't a bad thing for each of us to do on occasion - evaluating our actions to see what they reveal about our relationship with Jesus. We might just find our relationship needs a little 'tune up', so to speak. 

In the second chapter of James, the topic of showing preference to some individuals over others has been presented. Why? There is a human tendency to give some better placement in life based upon what they have, can do, or who they are. This means we give a lesser placement to others by the actions of elevating one over another. As a reminder of the limitlessness of God's grace, James wants us to recall salvation isn't a thing for the more 'fortunate' in life, but for the masses - evil, good, well, sick - it matters not what their condition is in this life - Jesus reached out for all of these. In this mix, we find ourselves - not sure where we fit on the scale, but in terms of God's grace, we are ALL equal. No one gets a greater degree or measure of his grace - grace is an equalizing force in ALL of our lives.

If our actions reveal we are not always allowing a view of others as 'equalized' through the grace of God, then we have a potential of being a little 'prejudiced' toward some and discount the worth of others. To this end, James wants us to remember there is no place for such prejudice in the house of God. A believer's heart should NEVER give any more preference to one over another - because grace draws us equally to the throne of grace and equally distributes the grace that perfectly makes us 'equal' in all respects.

Another way to look at our actions is in light of how Christ 'acted' toward others while he was on this earth. Herein is a view of what it is like to live out our daily walk. He was faced with all kinds of 'issues' and difficult people. In each occurrence, he found a means to reach beyond the surface of what others revealed or 'put forward' in order to meet the deeper need of their soul. I think we do well to consider how well we reach the 'soul need' of others around us. Are we just superficial in our relationships, or do we find ways to get at the 'soul need' that is buried a little deeper below the surface in these relationships? 

We may not always find we have great revelations of things we could do differently each time we do these evaluations, but trust me on this one - do it often enough and you will find there is ALWAYS something of God's grace we could embrace a little more! Just sayin!

I don't have that piece!

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. (Psalm 139:13-14 MSG)

Body and soul - marvelously made. Being a nurse, I understand much more about how the body's 'parts' interact - seeing the linked relationships between one system and the other. I studied hours upon hours to learn this stuff - because it helped me to understand the potential cause of my patient's symptoms. Yet, even with all my hours of study, I don't fully understand the human body. I went to Bible College and studied hour upon hour to learn the truths contained within the Word of God about the man's soul and spirit, yet I don't understand either of them very well. Sure, I know we have a sin nature and that nature gives us a whole lot of trouble in this lifetime. I even know that we can live with an exchanged nature, but do I really understand that nature all that well? Not really. There is so much about each of us that is 'complicated' beyond our full comprehension - yet the Creator knows all those intricate inner-workings of body, soul, and spirit completely. He knows how one plays off the other and then affects the whole. Why then would we look to any other source for our help for what troubles our minds? Why would we seek other 'spiritual guidance' when we have full access to the one who breathed that spirit into us in the first place?

From nothing into something - this is how God works in all of us. He takes what really amounts to nothing and from what others may write off as 'nothing' he creates a thing of majesty. I have come upon a pile of Lego blocks left by my grandsons on occasion as they hurried off to engage in some other activity that caught their interest. I will not shy away from admitting I love these little building pieces. They are so 'versatile' - allowing the imagination to create item after item until one's creativity is satisfied with what has been created. Yet, even with all my 'vision' of what I want to create, there are times some of the blocks just don't seem to be in the pile that will 'fit' my vision. God isn't limited by what is in the pile of our lives, though. He isn't bound to create only what others can see in us, but is free to create from 'nothing' - he doesn't need that 'one missing piece' because he IS that one missing piece!

Inside and out - we are known. There is no hiding from the one who does the creating because he already knows what is within and what has been put on display for all to see. He knows about that blemish on my chin long before it emerges, just as much as he knows about that blemish in my soul that emerges because my choices weren't always the best. As much as I'd like to be 'blemish free' in this life, I am not. Inside me there are struggles between what my body wants, what my spirit needs, and what my emotional soul is driving me toward. On the outside, I might not give the impression there is a battle raging on the inside, but trust me on this one - there is! Others may see what is on the outside of my life - those things I have carefully allowed to be on display. God sees what is inside my life - those things I am a little bit afraid to display! He even knows those things that I'd be ashamed to put on display - those things from within my soul that really don't belong there any longer. 

We aren't made haphazardly - we are a thing of created excellence. We may not be fully perfect, but in God's eyes, we are a things of magnificent beauty and purposeful intent. We may not have all the pieces of our lives together as some would see us, but in God's capable hands, all the right pieces are there - he is at work putting them together as only he can do. Just sayin!

The Grace-Connection

It was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who postulated no river could ever be stepped into as the "same river" a second time. In thinking that one through, he was saying the river is constantly changing - simply because there is an ebb and flow to all of life. To say you reached the river is one thing - to say you stepped into exactly the same river is impossible! He also is famous for saying there is nothing permanent except change. We might have thought that last one came from a more "modern" motivational speaker, but it was penned somewhere around 500 B.C. I particularly like his words, "Big results require big ambitions." It isn't just going to "happen" - we pursue what it is we desire. Without pursuit, we are stationary - this may be good for the walls of a building, but it isn't for us! The essence of pursuit is the desire to change something - to realize something different than what it is we know right now.

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? (Mark 8:34-37 NLT)

Is anything worth more than your soul? A troubling question for those whose pursuit is toward things that the heart may find enticing, but which are not all that wise for us to be pursuing. As many of us believe, "ambition" is central to "change". We somehow believe if we have a good enough "drive" toward something, we will certainly realize it. The opposite may be quite true, for ambition may launch us along the journey, but it seldom keeps us going long enough to finish the mission. Ambition might get us to the river, but it isn't going to help us experience the depth and breadth and subtle nuances of the river's change all around us. The heart has to be aligned with the spirit, otherwise we miss the "subtle nuances" of the journey. In the end, the journey will be totally "anti-climactic".

We find ourselves "hanging onto" things we never should have pursued in the first place. It isn't that we don't want to let them go, it is that somehow we have become very familiar with the "comfort" even the misery of those experiences have created! Our soul isn't content, but we aren't sure what to do about it - there is some "internal" drive left, but we aren't sure where it is taking us. I had the mistaken belief being in "management" was a glorious thing until I was placed in management! All of a sudden, the thing my soul desired the most became the thing my soul found to be such a huge and sometimes unwelcome burden to carry! There are times when we find our pursuits took us into hardships we didn't want to endure.

I think Jesus is reminding us of the importance of seeing our desires in the light of eternity. Oftentimes the desires of our soul (man's internal drive, so to speak) take us to places we "think" are going to help us realize some sort of fulfillment or purpose in life. We might discover some things along the way, but in the end, we find there isn't much difference in this journey than the last we put our hope in. This is why he reminds us of the importance of our spirit being aligned with his - not our souls. He takes care of our souls as he enters our spirits. In the end, he brings us to places we appreciate and find deeper purpose by experiencing these moments. Rather than "drive harder" in order to realize some desire of our soul, perhaps we need to "rest more" in the grace-connection we make at the spirit level with Christ! Just sayin!

The window is open

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14 NLT)

If you have ever watched people, you know we humans come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and dare I say, complexities! The wide range of dissimilarities is evident, while the even wider range of similarities is glaringly obvious, as well! We all have skin - although it may be dark, light, paper-thin, or leather-like from too much time in the sun. We all have eyes - some with two rather well-working ones, others with neither working well. We all have a heart beating within and lungs expanding to take in air and let it out when it is no longer useful to our bodies. As I watch people around me, I observe one thing with almost all of them - their eyes. Why? As it has been said, the eye reveals much more about a person than almost any other feature of their make-up, for it is the window to their soul. The eye betrays or confirms their "heart condition".

It was the American author Minna Antrim who said, "A beautiful woman delights the eye; a wise woman the understanding; a pure one, the soul." She is also quoted as saying, "Experience is a good teacher, but she sends a terrific bill." The soul is defined by the "bill" it has had to pay - the "debt" that has been accumulated by the tremendous amount of experiences one has endured over the course of one's lifetime. The make-up of every man and woman is impacted by the types of experiences one comes into contact with and how we each choose to deal with them, or perhaps reject them completely. The "bill" we owe is often the direct result of us having taken on more than we should have!

The soul is revealed through the window of the eyes - the heart condition of each individual is evident to those who will look deep enough to discover the truth within. When I look into the eyes of those closest to me, I most often see love - even when I know they are frustrated with me, the circumstances I am presenting, or the difficulty I am creating in their lives right now. There is something of God in those eyes - for within the eyes of those I have chosen to surround myself with I can frequently catch huge glimpses of grace and love. Perhaps this is the one thing we should always have in common, but which oftentimes escapes us more than it should.

My BFF and I frequently quip about being able to find "a good man" and just how hard that actually is, for we all carry some baggage from our past. Some of us have made a rather short list of "qualifications" for those we will allow into our lives, while others have a list so lengthy it almost makes it impossible for anyone to get close to them! My qualifications are simple - love God with all your heart. In turn, your soul will reveal elements of his grace, your mind will be settled on truth, and your spirit will soar to heights I can only sometimes imagine. If your eyes reveal that love - I am drawn to you without question. I don't care if your skin is dark or light, you are tall or short, you have too much "fluff" or are buff beyond measure. I care about what your eyes reveal as to the condition of your soul. 

Maybe we'd be better off today if we'd stop looking at the statement we make with our clothes, the number of tattoos or piercings we have, or the precision of our make-up applied and just look a little deeper into the window of our souls. It could be there that the deepest and most meaningful connections will be made for mankind has been created with the capacity for so much of God's grace and love to fill and indwell the inner man. Just sayin!

This soul of mine is killing me!

From all we can read in scripture, we see that man is made up of body, soul, and spirit. Our body is the easy one - we see and feel that all the time. The soul and spirit are a little harder to understand because they are things we know exist, but aren't as "tangible" as the body is. Spirit give us our drive; without it, we'd kind of be "dulled" to the world around us. Soul is made up of three separate parts: Mind, Will and Emotions. Mind is more than thought - it is where we kind of "commune with" thought - sometimes it is a Plato put it: "Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself." You combine all the "soul talk" with a will that wants to go one way and not the other, or a bundle of emotions constantly giving you fits and starts in this direction or the other, and you have a mess of issues! 

11 Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience, 12 because God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point that it separates the soul from the spirit and the joints from the marrow. It’s able to judge the heart’s thoughts and intentions. 13 No creature is hidden from it, but rather everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we have to give an answer. (Hebrews 4:11-13 CEB)

The soul has a tendency to talk more than the spirit - making it a little hard to hear God on occasion. This is why I often take time out to just listen to what the spirit is telling me - because I don't want to merely give into the mess of thoughts that invade my mind, or follow every whim my emotions create based on some "feel good" scheme I might fall into. The thing about it is that we often give more attention to our soul and the three parts working within it than we do our spirit and the communion we have with Jesus there. When all is said and done we wonder why we are confused, or in the muddle of a mess we find ourselves in because we listened to our soul instead of the spirit.

It could just be that what we need to do is get more of God's Word into our spirit so our souls can be "contradicted" on occasion when the need arises!  There are thoughts we need to get out of our minds, equally as much as there are emotional reactions to pressures which create more panic and worry than is humanly possible to overcome. The truth of the matter is that we are ill-equipped to deal with life on a totally "soulish" level. We might do a lot of thinking, sorting things out to the best of our ability and formulating some sort of "plan", but how many times have we done this only to find we cannot maintain the enthusiasm in our emotions toward the thing we have planned despite a little "will-power" exerted toward the goal? Emotions, will, and thoughts don't carry us for the long-haul - spirit does!

God reminds us to focus on the spirit above all else - allowing his Spirit to strengthen our inner man, giving us fortitude for the tasks ahead. The spirit of man is "hollow" without his presence - it is "hallow" when we connect with him. Just sayin!

Divided we fall, united we stand strong

The word of God, you see, is alive and moving; sharper than a double-edged sword; piercing the divide between soul and spirit, joints and marrow; able to judge the thoughts and will of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 VOICE)

Some might say the human spirit is kind of "intangible" - because they really cannot hold it in their hands or see it as plainly as they see a box of saltines on the shelf. I daresay we have "seen" and "held" it more than we might have imagined - in the tiny hand of a newborn reaching out for hold in a strange new world; in the tortured agony of having to go another 15-steps to the finish line; or in the excited gleam in the eye of the one who has just heard those tender words "I love you" uttered with profound adoration. The human spirit is perhaps not "tangible" in the same sense as the box of crackers - but it is evident in all of life. Without it, we are definitely "lifeless" and "unmoved". The human spirit is what gives us animation and helps us to "motor on" when all else seems to be discouraging us from going any further. It is also the human spirit that yearns for relationship with the Eternal One - because it is there where he was designed to dwell and without him there, the human spirit is devoid of something it desperately needs in order to be complete.

We probably understand the soul a little better than the human spirit because we can see a whole lot of the things a man does or says as emanating from soulish desire and passion. For example, when a child wants spaghetti for supper and a parent offers peas, corn, and ham instead, the child might be observed throwing what we have termed a "temper tantrum". There is this outward refusal to eat what is perfectly good which is right in front of them because the child is determined to have spaghetti instead. There is willful rebellion exhibited in the "refusal to eat". The head shaking, pushing away of the undesirable meal, and even the tears shed in mocked agony over not having one's own way is quite evident to the parent. In short order, the parent's soulish side may exhibit such behavior as the all too familiar "eat it or go to bed hungry" speech backed by the parent ignoring all the pleas of the temperamental child. Behavior can be hard to distinguish as that which manifests from the spirit and that which is more "soulish" in nature, though. I believe this is why God gives us a standard by which we can divide soul from spirit - see where the two collide in "perfect cohesiveness" and where they might just stand in determined opposition to each other.

The Word of God is used as the instrument by which we can begin to separate the willful and defiant, determined and destructive, or selfish and self-controlling from that which more closely resembles the Spirit of God within us. Yes, we have human spirit - but when that human spirit becomes ignited by God's Spirit within us, there is a purposefulness to our passion which aligns with his plan for our lives. The passion was there all the time - maybe just a little confused about how it was to be put to use, or what purpose it serves in motivating us into certain action in our lives. God's Spirit is able to show us where motivation has gone a bit off-course, but is also there to guide us into movement which is going to benefit even those around us. All that innervates a man's movement and action affects those around him. There is no escaping that one person's actions affect more than himself - it is like the subtle fall of a domino in a row of other dominoes. One topples and those around it are at least "shaken" by the fall, if not toppled themselves.

We may not see the difference between soul and spirit because they are so tightly interwoven within us, but God is able to divide right from wrong, good from bad, selfish from loving, begrudging from sacrificial, etc. His Word is only one instrument he uses to divide one from the other, exposing what needs to be more cohesive within us and removing that which affects that cohesive bond between his Spirit in us and our spirit/soul binding solidly to him. Just sayin!

You riding a bicycle or tricycle?

Ruined lives surround us no matter where we live.  People start out well, but somehow through a series of misadventures and wrong turns, their lives end up in a state of shambles, almost like falling down shacks.  Along the way, they may have heard advice to not take a certain path, or to turn away from what they were pursuing with such earnest.  In ignoring the warnings, they compounded their misfortune and increased their speed of decline.  Now, at the bottom of the pit, they live with nothing more than regrets and the constant wondering of the "what if".  The worrisome part of their decline into the pit is the possibility of them having blamed God for the decline - for putting them in the pit.  In reality, it was their failure to heed warnings, to turn away from their self-directed pursuits.  Why is it we blame God when things end in ruins?  He isn't a God of "ruin", but of "hope", "possibilities", and even "impossibilities".  

People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?  (Proverbs 19:3 MSG)

Scripture is quite plain, no matter which interpretation or version you consult - people ruin their lives by their own decisions, actions, and self-directed paths. On the other hand, people do not really "improve" their lives - at best, we can do a little self-help regimen which might create a different set of circumstances for ourselves for a while, but true life change only is accomplished by the indwelling of God's Spirit in our lives.  Try as we might, we cannot change ourselves.  Scripture calls following our own path "foolishness" or "folly".  It ends in disaster, defeat, and decline - in other words, the bottom of the pit!  What seems good at the moment results in a "pay-out" much worse than we counted on.

Self-directed lives have a natural "flaw" - they are directed by emotion and reason (two quite unreliable sources of direction for our lives).  Yesterday, we spoke about the importance of man's three parts - body, soul, and spirit.  As we explored those three aspects of our being, we discovered man needs the spirit to bring balance to the things "sensed" in the body and "experienced" in the emotions, rational intelligence, etc.  Relying upon one or the other exclusively (body or soul) is definitely leaving us at risk.  If man relies upon how he interprets life simply by what he "senses" with his body - sight, smell, touch, hearing, etc. - he will lack the help of the intellect and emotion to "interpret" what he is sensing.  On the other hand, if he relies solely upon emotions to give him insight into right choices, he may miss the importance of how emotions are affected by our senses.  Body and soul walk side-by-side - but they still need a "third wheel" to give them balance much in the same way we need a third wheel on a tricycle!

A bicycle is like relying upon the body and soul - we can go places, but we may lack the stability of balance.  Adding the third wheel to the bicycle makes it a tricycle. If you learned to ride one of these, you know you didn't have to work hard to keep yourself upright - the third wheel assisted us in balancing without much effort on our part.  In the same manner, the spirit is the place of balance in our lives - the place of connection with God.  I realize this is an over-simplified illustration, but when we begin to recognize how the Spirit of God influences our spirit and brings us to a place of "reliable balance" in our decisions, we become less reliant upon our own abilities to remain upright and moving forward (like we have to when riding a two-wheel bicycle).  The "third wheel" is not added to the back, but to the front.  Think of the body and soul as being those two back wheels on the tricycle - the spirit is the front wheel. As the wheel out front, when it is connected with God's Spirit, it is free to help direct our path, steering us around obstacles, and keeping us from ending up in the pit!

We may not always make the best decisions in life, but it is good to know that we have been given every resource to change those decisions and to see new outcomes.  As we connect with God's Spirit, our spirit is energized, made alive, and we can begin to see the influence of his "balance" in our daily decisions.  We may curse the place where our body and soul allowed us to end up, but we cannot accept that God put us there.  No pit is so deep he cannot rescue us from it - no despair so dark he cannot bring light into those dark spaces.  How?  Connection with his Spirit in our spirit.  Just sayin!

Got spirit?

After watching various individuals go through turmoil and trial in their lives, I have observed the tendency for some to rise high, soaring above that turmoil, while others sink lower into the pit of despair.  It made me wonder why some flourish so well, while others just barely eek by and often have a hard time even holding up under the pressures of life.  Most of us would think it is because some are anchored well in their faith, while others have little to no faith at all, so if faith plays a part in "holding up" and "conquering", then what part does it play?  I have observed Christians and non-Christians alike in both circumstances.  Why do some flourish and others not - maybe it is because of the condition of their spirits.  Scripture points us in that direction, does it not? A man or woman with a "healthy spirit" conquers adversity - a crushed spirit will get us down quicker than anything else!

A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?  (Proverbs 18:14 MSG)

The spirit of man is what animates him - it gives us the connection we need for life itself - the connection with the source of all life - God himself.  When the spirit is well, the entire man is well - regardless of the circumstances coming their way.  I'd like us to consider the three parts of man - body, soul, and spirit.  The body is made up of all we consider as being in contact with the environment around us - it is what we use to experience the sensations of sight, touch, sound, etc.  We interact with our environment in and through our body.  For example, your body crawls in between freshly laundered sheets and feels the coolness of those sheets against it, taking in the fresh smell of the laundry soap and softener.  You are interacting with your body - not your soul or spirit.  

The soul is made up of our mind, will, emotions - the things which help us to interact with reason, rational thought, choice, and responsiveness. It is also the place of our remembrances - the place where we lay up memories and recall them from time to time.  The spirit actually "plays off of" these other two parts of our being.  In other words, what we take in by our interactions through our senses, we form some kind of thought around, and this may trigger some sense of thankfulness, praise, worship, or connection with our Creator - God.  If you have ever sat in the midst of the forest, listening to the sounds of the wind in the trees, observing the scurrying critters, and taking in the majesty of it all, you might have been elevated to a place of worship in your spirit.  

Spirit elevates us - it brings us to new heights, taking us to new depths, and helps us to hold on when the climb seems too hard or the plunge seems too deep.  The spirit is what helps us to "stabilize" in times of trial and keeps us on course in times of temptation.  In the simplest sense, the spirit is a "rudder" directing us toward the good things God has for us to experience in life - even if they are buried deep within times of trial!  A ship's rudder is small, but it directs the big ship with the greatest of ease - simply because it operates to do only one thing - to point or position the ship in the direction the ship is to be headed.  Our spirit helps to point us in the direction we are to be headed, as well.  As we commune with God in spirit, we get direction which our emotions, reason, rational thought, etc., cannot provide.  Sure, they can suggest certain responses, but our spirit is where we find the assurance of faith and hope - something which keeps us going even when it gets tough.

So, a crushed spirit is something we cannot endure very long - for it robs us of hope, diminishes all steps we might normally take in faith, and in short, steers us in directions we'd normally not travel.  This is why it is so important to continually allow our spirit to be renewed - in times of prayer, praise, worship, thanksgiving, etc.  As we commune with God, we renew our spirit.  It is raised again into places of hope and faith - re-energized for the journey ahead.  Maybe it is time we move from periodic renewal to a constant "recharge" of our spirit!  Then we might avoid the crash and burn of a crushed spirit!  Just sayin!

Hungry? Starving? or Ravenous?

My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!—

insatiable for your nourishing commands. 

(Psalm 119:20 The Message)

Most of us have never really experienced starvation or intense hunger in the physical sense.  Yes, we might have missed a meal or two, but the intensity of being "under-nourished" for weeks on end is something we rarely experience in most developed societies today.  In fact, what we call "hunger" is simply a "reminder" from our brain that regular intake is required!

To be hungry means that we have a desire or craving for intake.  To be starved takes it one notch up - it carries the idea of being on the verge of perishing from being under-nourished.  The idea of being ravenous speaks of intensity - to be intensely eager to be satisfied.  Now, let's break that down a little.  

David lays out three different "states" of soul condition here.  The first is the simple "niggling" within our mind, will, and emotions that we need some "intake" that is going to bring some satisfaction of a desire or craving.  It is the first-line response of our inner being that says something is amiss, or needs attention.  The second is the direct result of ignoring that "niggling" long enough, with such frequency, resulting in a severity of "soul-condition".

The third is suggestive of a condition that we don't come to very often, but when we do, there is a drive behind it that will not let up until there is satisfaction.  Being ravenous "demands" satisfaction - it seeks until what is desired is found.  I think God really honors all three "conditions" of the soul - hunger, starvation, and being ravenous.  

He is probably a little discouraged with the times when we drift into a place of being malnourished.  Yet, he meets us at the end of that road and provides the spiritual sustenance we need to get us back on track.  I think he is most pleased when our response to him is of a ravenous nature!  When there is an intensity in our seeking, he is honored greatly!

It is this state of being intensely focused on God's direction, his will, that brings him such delight.  Yet, David lays out a fourth word to describe the "hunger" God honors - being insatiable.  I think of this as a "bottomless pit" kind of hunger that we sometimes see when watching teenage boys!  No matter how much they consume - there is a desire for more! 

This type of hunger is voracious - devouring what God gives in order to "fill the pit" of hunger that exists when we are apart from him for any time at all.  If you have ever been consistent in "giving up" something for a period of time, when you first begin to "take in" that food again, you sometimes feel like you cannot get enough.  This is the condition of soul that David found himself in at various periods of his life - sinning against God, walking out of God's plan for him, then returning repentant and ravenous!

I daresay, we probably walk much the same way.  Some days we do a very good job of staying connected to the source of our "nourishment" - others, we don't seem to notice how long it has been since we have "fed" on what really matters.  One day down the road, we become so "starved" for intake from the one who cares for our souls.  In that season of starvation, we often realize our greatest intensity of need.  

Whether you are "feeding" your soul-hunger regularly by a consistent intake of God's presence, his Word, and his peace, or you are a little ravenous because of a prolonged season away from his leading - he stands ready to satisfy!  Taste and see that the Lord is good!