Words from within

Stop for just a moment in your busy day and consider what your words of praise have been today. Not the praise you give another, but the praise you lift to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. I get really put off by words like "God's blessing be upon you" when it seems to be words that come out like they are memorized or simply spoken out of habit. Sometimes I think we become so familiar with saying something like "Bless God!" or "Thank You Jesus!" that we almost speak them without any really thought behind them! Consider how we might feel when all we hear from someone is, "I love you" or "You are so special to me", but then never really see the love or "special" connection displayed. The words become hollow when spoken so frequently without any really action behind them, don't they? The same could be true of our worship!

Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever. To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You've raised yourself high over all. Riches and glory come from you, you're ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name. (I Chronicles 29:10-13)

David often spoke publicly of his God's greatness. Whenever he did, he called attention to the characteristics of God he had observed in his own life and as he acted as the leader of the land. He knew God and he was not shy about revealing God's greatness in and through his life - even when he failed, he showed time and time again how God's grace overcame every stupid mistake he made.

- God's greatness and might. We are not to lose sight of the fact God's works are indeed noteworthy, but his presence is more noteworthy than all his works! We can see the display of his might, but we sense the awesomeness of his greatness! Look around and see the hills, trees, birds, and even the caterpillar creeping along on that leaf. All created by his hand - all display his greatness. His might is what makes him stand above all others. His ability to accomplish what he says is to be our focus. Truly God's greatness AND his might go hand in hand. One is the display of his creativity and the other is the display of his ability!

- God is worthy of glory. What we need to see is that God's greatness and might set him apart from any other god on this earth. Nothing and no one can fulfill what he has done. We are to proclaim the renown of God! To be able to do this, we have to see him as he is - we cannot have a second-hand knowledge of him. When we have first-hand knowledge of his greatness and might, it is a natural response to observe God is indeed "set apart" from other gods!

- Victory, majesty and splendor are his. No opponent stands a chance in his path. This should cause us to shout! What opponent stands in your way? It could be a habit, a person, or a circumstance beyond your control. God is bigger, more powerful, and all-consuming. Nothing stands in his way. When we think of majesty, we think of the distinction which comes with a person in a place of authority. Focus on God being in his right place in our lives - the place of authority. As long as he is, we know with assurance no opponent will stand in our way.

- God builds up and strengthens. Some think this "Christian" experience is some kind of "crutch" for a bunch of weakling individuals. I am not so sure they have ever walked in my shoes! In fact, I am far from weak! The greatest struggle I have is to NOT rely upon my own strength and allow his strength to come through in my life! The problem with my own strength is observed in its destructive power, not in its creative power. As a matter of fact, as long as I use my own strength, I only seem to run others down, run myself down, and basically steamroll my way through life. In Christ's power, my "self" takes on the right perspective.

I wonder if we really think about the words of honor and respect we "hurl" God's way on occasion? Are they intentional? Or are they spoken by 'rote' and merely words to "fill space". My own thoughts over the past couple of day have been on the idea of being intentional in my speech. Words are indeed "cheap" when they are spoken to only fill space - when they come from a deep well within, they just might carry a bit more refreshing and enjoyment! Just sayin!

A well dug well

Deep wells are necessary here in Arizona because anything near the surface actually dries up pretty quickly unless it is fed from a very deep and refreshing source. The tendency to water only the surface of our ground actually doesn't promote deeper root systems, but a more superficial rooting. The trees, shrubs, and grasses with only these superficial roots often don't make it for the long haul of summer because they have nothing to draw from when the intensity of heat comes. We want to have deep wells to draw from, as we will face many a circumstance in life that turns the heat up more than a little in our lives.

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.
(Proverbs 20:5)

There is a tendency to "over-think" things today. We "work" a solution until it is what some call "fool-proof" and then we might take the steps to put it into action. The problem is that none of us is really all that what we work is sometimes 'proof' we are still a little bit foolish. I find that I am more spontaneous than 'over-working' a solution at times - I like to try something before the idea has a chance to grow mold! Most of the time when I act quickly, I come out all right. There are more than a few occasions though where that spontaneity resulted in the occasional flop, supporting the idea that it wasn't a "fool-proof" plan.

There is a time for planning and I definitely know not every half-baked idea is a good one! I am no fool, although I act the fool on occasion. There is a well that lies deep within that we each can draw from when we need an immediate solution to a problem life deals us - but a well must be found before it can become our source. Whenever we take the steps to do exactly what God has reminded us to do in his Word, we are creating a deeper well to draw from. What are those steps? Glad you asked!

First, we must hide his word in our hearts. That is more than just memorizing chapter and verse. It is allowing the word of God to get deep into the core of our being - through study, meditation, and application of the word. When we need to call upon the lessons we have learned, they will be there as guiding influences. Then we must allow the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our lives. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit at the point of our saying 'yes' to Jesus in our lives. There is a very distinctive act - a point in time - when we invite him to truly "fill us" to overflowing with his presence. At that point, there is a definite "infilling" of our lives with the power to live for Jesus.
We also must engage with the Holy Spirit to see the fruits produced within that only he has the power to bring forth. Fruit such as affection for others that stems from an attitude that is not simply focused on what WE can get out of the relationship, but is committed to being a blessing in the lives of others. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the work of Christ in our lives - evidence of a deep well.

When a believer allows these things to occur, there is a well of "wealth" to draw from when the time arises. We look upon that person and call him "wise" because his every action seems to be "well-planned". In fact, you are probably just witnessing the person living life with lots of "dips into the well" of faith. They have frequented the "well of life" (Jesus) and now they have a "reliable well" to draw from when life hands them challenging moments. Wells require some work, though. They must first be dug in a place where there is hope for the flow of water. That is why we "dig into" Jesus. Then they must be dug deep because the waters that come from deeper down are purer and much more refreshing. They must be accessed - no well serves its purpose if it is just there for "wishing"! Become a "well-digger" today - you will be amazed how many times you will "tap into" the refreshing, reviving, and rejuvenation of the "well of life". Just diggin!

Tapped in

I have never really lived in an area where we have "well-water" to draw from, but my sister did in Napa Valley.  I remember the "sweetness" of the water, how cool it was when it came out of the faucet, and the just "freshness" it had.  Being a city girl, this was quite an experience for me because I was used to the fluoride, strong taste of chemicals like chlorine, and the like.  To take "pure" water was almost a shock to my body!  If you are also a city gal, you know what I mean!  Now, think about the well within each of us - that well of refreshing, purity, and sweetness which is cultivated there by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  No well is ever benefit until it drawn from - wells serve their purpose only when something comes forth.  What comes forth in your life is based on who "taps" the well and how frequently the well is "stirred" within!

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.  (Proverbs 20:5)

We come into a place of knowing what is right by being exposed to it more and more.  One of our best defenses against untruth which leads to deception is to become so familiar with what is true we can just "smell" the untruth even before it has a chance to get "into" us.  It is like the difference between the water coming from my sister's well and that coming from my city tap - I don't even need to ingest mine to know it filled with chemicals - I can smell them!  If I don't want to take in this city water, I pay a good deal for "filters" to remove the smell and many of those chemicals.  Yet, the well-water at my sister's house was already pure when it came from the tap - no filters necessary.  So, where we draw from really does matter - we can clean it up no matter where we get it, but do we really want to?

The depth of our well is determined by how far we are willing to be "tapped". We cannot always tolerate the drilling and will resist its abrasiveness, but the tapping of the well is not always designed to be a comfortable process.  Some of us stop short of going to the next level, where the waters will be cleaner, purer, and sweeter simply because we don't want to endure the "drilling" by the Holy Spirit and God's Word.  Yet, if we want the sweetness and limitless flow from within, we must.  

My lessons have grown a little shorter this week as I am on the mend from my knee replacement and the fact I am a little worn out has made it almost a little bit of a chore to put words to print, but I want to remain faithful to share just even the little truths God gives.  It is not the volume of words, but the truth contained which will do its work.  Hoping God will dig you a little deeper today.  Embrace the "tapping" - it is meant for your glory!  Just sayin!