Psalm 15 asks, "Who are the ones that live in the life of the Holy Spirit?" I certainly want to be one described as living the life of the Holy Spirit. What does that look like? The description follows that introductory question:
passionate and whole hearted
sincere and speaking the truth - flowing from a trustworthy heart
refuse to slander or insult
will not listen to gossip or rumors
will not harm another with their words
speaks out against evil
commends the faithful ones who follow truth
makes firm commitments and follows through - even at great cost
never crushes others nor is pushed to hurt others
will never be shaken
will stand firm forever.
That is quite a list. It reminds me of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Lord, This character truly can only be realized in my life as I pursue You and let Your Spirit dwell fully within me. Draw me nearer.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
In All of This...
Psalm 13 starts with heart questions:
Will you forget me, Lord? Will you look the other way when I need help? How much longer must I cling to this grief?
Next, the heart cries:
It's been long enough. Look at me. Answer me. I've always trusted, so answer me.
Then, the heart surrenders with expectation:
Lastly, the heart responds with confidence:
...for in all of this You have strengthened my soul. I know I have a Savior in You.
My prayer: Lord, may you continually bring my heart to a place of surrender, expectaion and confidence in You.
Will you forget me, Lord? Will you look the other way when I need help? How much longer must I cling to this grief?
Next, the heart cries:
It's been long enough. Look at me. Answer me. I've always trusted, so answer me.
Then, the heart surrenders with expectation:
I will celebrate when Your salvation lifts me up. I will sing my song of joy to You.
...for in all of this You have strengthened my soul. I know I have a Savior in You.
My prayer: Lord, may you continually bring my heart to a place of surrender, expectaion and confidence in You.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Invitation To A Banquet
Remember the story of the king who prepared a banquet and then invited all of his friends to come? Do you remember what happened? None of them came, so he got everything ready and then tried again. What happened? They didn't pay any attention and went about their business. Some actually attached and murdered those who the king sent out with the invitations. Yes, you have read this story before...it's in Matthew 22.
I have always thought that this banquest was Jesus talking about that day when we will celerate with Him in heaven. Yes, it is; however, today God, through His Spirit, showed me another application to this story.
Day after day these past two weeks I have "hit the floor running" from the time I have awakened and gotten out of bed. Yes, I've quickly read my devotions a couple of times, but mostly I've plowed right into the day. That happened again morning. I was trying to catch a ferry, and I missed it due to misreading the ferry schedule. This gave me an extra hour in my morning that I hadn't expected. My encouraging husband responded to my complaining text with the reminder that I now had time to read my Bible. That is how I ended up in Matthew 22. The latter part of the chapter was actually the "verse of the day" on my Bible app.
When I read the story about the banquet at the beginning of the chapter, God immediately spoke to my heart. He said, "I have been inviting you to a banquet with me every morning and you have declined. You are set on going about your business."
My heart was struck. This is so true. I am missing out on the privilege of banqueting with my God and my Savior simply because of my busyness.
It is time to savor this opportunity.
How about you?
I have always thought that this banquest was Jesus talking about that day when we will celerate with Him in heaven. Yes, it is; however, today God, through His Spirit, showed me another application to this story.
Day after day these past two weeks I have "hit the floor running" from the time I have awakened and gotten out of bed. Yes, I've quickly read my devotions a couple of times, but mostly I've plowed right into the day. That happened again morning. I was trying to catch a ferry, and I missed it due to misreading the ferry schedule. This gave me an extra hour in my morning that I hadn't expected. My encouraging husband responded to my complaining text with the reminder that I now had time to read my Bible. That is how I ended up in Matthew 22. The latter part of the chapter was actually the "verse of the day" on my Bible app.
When I read the story about the banquet at the beginning of the chapter, God immediately spoke to my heart. He said, "I have been inviting you to a banquet with me every morning and you have declined. You are set on going about your business."
My heart was struck. This is so true. I am missing out on the privilege of banqueting with my God and my Savior simply because of my busyness.
It is time to savor this opportunity.
How about you?
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Life and Living
Life: It's a broad term. I have life, but am I really living? or... I am living, but do I really have life?
Perhaps there is the absence of both life and living...that is called dead!
When I hear the word "dead," I first think of physically dead. Yet, we can be physically dead and spiritually alive. "In Adam, all die [physically], so in Christ, all are made alive [spiritually and eventually physically when we are given new bodies!]." I Corinthians 15:22
In Ezekiel we are presented with quite the picture. Ezekiel is carried away by the Spirit of God to a valley of dead bones. There is not one glimmer of life.
Life can be that lifeless.
"Can these bones become living people again?" God asks.
Will I ever feel alive again? Will life be worth living again?
"You alone know, O Sovereign Lord," Ezekiel replies.
"...in Christ, all are made alive."
This is what the Sovereign Lord says, "Dry bones, I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!"
When God breathes into us, it is His very Spirit into our souls! This is life! "The body
is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."
Romans 8:10
God tells Ezekiel, "Son of man, we have become old dry bones - all hope is gone...I will open your graves of exile [hopelessness] and cause you to rise again!"
"I will put my Spirit in you and you will live again..." says the Sovereign Lord.
I have come that you might have life, and have it to the fullest. -Jesus
"When this happens," says the Sovereign Lord, "you will know that I am the LORD."
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
"Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes the Lord has spoken." Ezekiel 37:14
Perhaps there is the absence of both life and living...that is called dead!
When I hear the word "dead," I first think of physically dead. Yet, we can be physically dead and spiritually alive. "In Adam, all die [physically], so in Christ, all are made alive [spiritually and eventually physically when we are given new bodies!]." I Corinthians 15:22
In Ezekiel we are presented with quite the picture. Ezekiel is carried away by the Spirit of God to a valley of dead bones. There is not one glimmer of life.
Life can be that lifeless.
"Can these bones become living people again?" God asks.
Will I ever feel alive again? Will life be worth living again?
"You alone know, O Sovereign Lord," Ezekiel replies.
"...in Christ, all are made alive."
This is what the Sovereign Lord says, "Dry bones, I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!"
When God breathes into us, it is His very Spirit into our souls! This is life! "The body
is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness."
Romans 8:10
God tells Ezekiel, "Son of man, we have become old dry bones - all hope is gone...I will open your graves of exile [hopelessness] and cause you to rise again!"
"I will put my Spirit in you and you will live again..." says the Sovereign Lord.
I have come that you might have life, and have it to the fullest. -Jesus
"When this happens," says the Sovereign Lord, "you will know that I am the LORD."
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
"Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes the Lord has spoken." Ezekiel 37:14
Friday, January 9, 2015
Misfit
Moses. Where did he fit? Born: Hebrew. Adopted: Egyptian.
Against the command of Pharaoh, Moses' mother hid Moses. By "accident", Pharaoh's daughter found Moses, was taken by his helpless cries and made him her own son.
This certainly didn't go unnoticed by the Hebrew nation trapped in brutal slavery. Mothers and fathers who had put their own sons to death out of fear of the Egyptian edict looked on this situation with both disgust and jealousy. It wasn't fair, yet how could one let one's own flesh and blood be raised and molded by the oppressor and enemy.
Moses lived the life as the princess' own son. He had the highest socioeconomic opportunities. Educated alongside the future pharaoh and the next military brass. From all appearances, he was Egyptian. At some point, however, Moses became aware that he was not the same and I suspect that those Egyptians, at some point, also became aware that underneath his appearance, Moses was not the same. He was "the same" but was not a true fit. He was an Egyptian misfit.
During these years, in the land of Goshen, I expect that they kept track of Moses. He looked so Egyptian. He was moving on in his schooling...Did you see him the other day with his "mother" when they were out and about? He carries himself so proudly. Doesn't he know where he came from? Doesn't he know what is happening to his real family? How could he live like that knowing what is going on here? It doesn't matter. He is one of them. He will never be one of us. He was a Hebrew misfit.
There comes a point in every ones life when "Who am I?" becomes a question that burns deep within. Moses was no exception. He knew what he had become: educated, strong, proud, privileged. He needed to see where he had come from. He determined to visit "his people." Why did he call them that? Deep inside he felt like a misfit among the Egyptians and he knew that the Hebrew people were his roots. Any adopted person longs to know their roots.
The visit to "his people" did not go so well. He didn't like what he saw. Why had he been privileged to grow up away from such misery? It was wrong. He must do something about it. He did, and he failed. Killing an Egyptian for beating one of "his people" only brought out the disgust that "his people" felt towards him because of his palatial upbringing and precipitated a death threat from Pharaoh because he had turned on his undeserved life of privilege.
Moses. Egyptian but not Egyptian. Hebrew but not Hebrew. Who was he? Where did he belong? Misfit.
Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. He fled to the wilderness...That's where God met him.
Sometimes that's what it takes. After the bottom drops out and I'm in the wilderness...that's where God meets me.
Against the command of Pharaoh, Moses' mother hid Moses. By "accident", Pharaoh's daughter found Moses, was taken by his helpless cries and made him her own son.
This certainly didn't go unnoticed by the Hebrew nation trapped in brutal slavery. Mothers and fathers who had put their own sons to death out of fear of the Egyptian edict looked on this situation with both disgust and jealousy. It wasn't fair, yet how could one let one's own flesh and blood be raised and molded by the oppressor and enemy.
Moses lived the life as the princess' own son. He had the highest socioeconomic opportunities. Educated alongside the future pharaoh and the next military brass. From all appearances, he was Egyptian. At some point, however, Moses became aware that he was not the same and I suspect that those Egyptians, at some point, also became aware that underneath his appearance, Moses was not the same. He was "the same" but was not a true fit. He was an Egyptian misfit.
During these years, in the land of Goshen, I expect that they kept track of Moses. He looked so Egyptian. He was moving on in his schooling...Did you see him the other day with his "mother" when they were out and about? He carries himself so proudly. Doesn't he know where he came from? Doesn't he know what is happening to his real family? How could he live like that knowing what is going on here? It doesn't matter. He is one of them. He will never be one of us. He was a Hebrew misfit.
There comes a point in every ones life when "Who am I?" becomes a question that burns deep within. Moses was no exception. He knew what he had become: educated, strong, proud, privileged. He needed to see where he had come from. He determined to visit "his people." Why did he call them that? Deep inside he felt like a misfit among the Egyptians and he knew that the Hebrew people were his roots. Any adopted person longs to know their roots.
The visit to "his people" did not go so well. He didn't like what he saw. Why had he been privileged to grow up away from such misery? It was wrong. He must do something about it. He did, and he failed. Killing an Egyptian for beating one of "his people" only brought out the disgust that "his people" felt towards him because of his palatial upbringing and precipitated a death threat from Pharaoh because he had turned on his undeserved life of privilege.
Moses. Egyptian but not Egyptian. Hebrew but not Hebrew. Who was he? Where did he belong? Misfit.
Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. He fled to the wilderness...That's where God met him.
Sometimes that's what it takes. After the bottom drops out and I'm in the wilderness...that's where God meets me.
Friday, August 1, 2014
No 2nd Fiddle
Acts 12 contains a sobering story. Herod Agrippa gave a speech after which the people stood and shouted, "It's the voice of a god, not a man." He accepted this adoration from the people instead of giving the glory to God. He was instantly struck with sickness by an angel of the Lord and he died.
Praise from man does happen. How the heart accepts it...that is crucial. Does is boost pride? Does it raise to a pedal stool? The Bible tells us that God loves a humble heart. It tells us that all that we are and all that we have is a gift from God. It also tells us that God alone is God and he is second to none!
Lord, check my heart. All glory is to You alone.
Praise from man does happen. How the heart accepts it...that is crucial. Does is boost pride? Does it raise to a pedal stool? The Bible tells us that God loves a humble heart. It tells us that all that we are and all that we have is a gift from God. It also tells us that God alone is God and he is second to none!
Lord, check my heart. All glory is to You alone.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Eternal Hope
When we begin thinking seriously
about the reality of death we may become uneasy about it because we start
questioning if what we thought was good about ourselves is really good enough
to get us to heaven. This uncertainty then
causes fear. We know that heaven is good and only good can be there. Yet, we know that in and of ourselves we are
not good; that is what the Bible calls sin.
·
Romans 3:23 says this also: “All have sinned and
fall short of God’s glory.”
Thankfully we don’t have to be
stuck in that “fallen” and fearful state.
·
2Corinthians 5:21 says that “Jesus Christ didn’t
have any sin, but he became sin for us so that we can be made right with God.”
That happened at his death on the cross. When he rose from the dead, sin and
death were conquered.
We can choose to continue to
rely on our own goodness but Romans 6:23 says “the wages of our sin is death.”
That leaves us no hope for heaven.
OR, we can choose to rely on
Jesus “payment” for our sin by his death and resurrection and face death with
the hope and confidence of eternal life in heaven with God.
·
Acts 10:43 says that “He (Jesus) is the one all
the prophets spoke about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have
their sins forgiven through his name.
·
Someone asked Jesus followers, “What must I do
to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Acts 16:30,31
·
I John 5:11,12 says, “Here is God testimony; He
has given us eternal life. This life is
found in his Son (Jesus). Those who belong to the Son have eternal life. Those
who do not belong to the Son of God do not have eternal life.
We can face death with
confidence of eternal life when we have admitted our sin of relying on our own
goodness and instead repent of that and accept Jesus payment for our sin. It is
then that “there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all”
Acts 10:36
How?
·
Talk to God,
·
Admit your sinfulness, that you fall short of
His glory.
·
Accept what Jesus did for you. You could not do
it for yourself.
·
Thank Him for his forgiveness
·
Thank Him for his promise of eternal life
Live and die with confidence
that you are forgiven through Jesus and that eternal life is yours.
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