Friday, May 31, 2019
Friends
When Jesus was healing people inside a house, a paralyzed man's friends couldn't fight the crowd to get him close. So they took him to the roof, cut a hole in it, and lowered him down to Jesus. I can only hope for friends who will do the same
for me when I’m paralyzed by my sins and can’t help myself.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
If you feel like a failure...
If you feel like a failure at times, you're in good company. The apostle Peter himself repeatedly had a fair amount of trouble getting it right. He denied the Lord three times, and was even warned in
advance he was going to do it, and he *still* couldn't manage to stop
himself! Peter had numerous "fails" and he was still the rock on which
the church was built. He was afraid. He was
weak. His faith faltered. But he kept going. You keep going too.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
And God Closed Their Eyes
I cringe a bit every time I read a passage of the Bible that refers to God closing someone's eyes or hardening their hearts to the things of Him. How can a God of justice prevent someone from believing, and then condemn them for their unbelief?
Isaiah 44:18-19, referring to idol worshipers and their wooden idols -
They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
Matthew 13:15
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
Luke 16:27-31
The story of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar who lived outside the gates of the rich man's home. Both died. The rich man was sent to Hades, and Lazarus to heaven. The rich man sees Lazarus across the chasm and speaks:
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
It occurred to me that maybe I've had it backwards all this time. Instead of God closing their minds and then they couldn't understand, perhaps the unbelief came first - a choice made, a destiny chosen - and then God closed their eyes, their minds, and their hearts to the things of Him. We have all we need - God's Word - to make that first choice of belief of unbelief. So, yes, we have a God of justice. If you reject Him, you don't get the what He offers - not in this life, and not in the next life. But if you repent, you'll be forgiven and restored and your eyes will be opened. And that's the good news.
They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
Matthew 13:15
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
Luke 16:27-31
The story of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar who lived outside the gates of the rich man's home. Both died. The rich man was sent to Hades, and Lazarus to heaven. The rich man sees Lazarus across the chasm and speaks:
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
It occurred to me that maybe I've had it backwards all this time. Instead of God closing their minds and then they couldn't understand, perhaps the unbelief came first - a choice made, a destiny chosen - and then God closed their eyes, their minds, and their hearts to the things of Him. We have all we need - God's Word - to make that first choice of belief of unbelief. So, yes, we have a God of justice. If you reject Him, you don't get the what He offers - not in this life, and not in the next life. But if you repent, you'll be forgiven and restored and your eyes will be opened. And that's the good news.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
What is God trying to teach me today?
I saw an old Facebook posting I'd made years ago. I wrote, "So what's God trying to teach me with a day like today? Keep my head where it belongs, stop trying to fix the stuff that's not mine to fix, and let Him deal with the things outside of my control? "
It certainly would have been handy to remember that consistently in the years that followed!
Tasks half-done or poorly done because of distractions might have been avoided if I had kept my mind on the project in front of me. And remembering that every task done is an offering to God would certainly have resulted in better efforts, and probably better outcomes as well.
Some of us are "fixers" by nature. If someone is having trouble, our first inclination is to jump in there and fix it for them. That's me. But we don't always know what's best. When we fix someone else's situation, we not only take full responsibility for the outcomes, but we deprive them of the joy and confidence that comes from fixing their own situations. We can and should help, but taking over the situation blurs boundaries that are necessary for the good of everyone. Taking responsibility for everyone else's problems puts a huge load on us - a load that we were not designed to carry - and cripples those we are intending to help. Many of us know the story of the butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. A man watching the process decided to help it rather than watch it struggle. He did not know that the process was a necessary one to develop its wings and body properly. As a result of the man's "help," the butterfly was never able to fly. We need to help each other as appropriate, but there's a difference between helping and fixing.
Certainly one of the most frustrating things in life is trying to control things that are outside of our control. What an exercise in futility! We can diligently save our money, but a string of unfortunate events can wipe it all out very quickly. We can work hard to make good decisions, but no decision is foolproof. So much of life is outside of our control - but there is nothing that is outside of God's control. Doing the best we can, and then placing it in God's hands and leaving it there is the only course of action that provides any peace whatsoever. We need to accept that the situation may or may not go as we had hoped and planned for. But at the same time, holding on to the knowledge that God knows what we do not and provides what we cannot, builds faith and trust, both of which are the most precious commodities we can accumulate in our time here on earth. Even when - especially when - the bottom falls out. He promises never to leave nor forsake us.
So what is God trying to teach me today? Keep my head where it belongs, stop trying to fix stuff that's not mine to fix, and let Him deal with the things outside of my control. Have a blessed day.
It certainly would have been handy to remember that consistently in the years that followed!
Tasks half-done or poorly done because of distractions might have been avoided if I had kept my mind on the project in front of me. And remembering that every task done is an offering to God would certainly have resulted in better efforts, and probably better outcomes as well.
Some of us are "fixers" by nature. If someone is having trouble, our first inclination is to jump in there and fix it for them. That's me. But we don't always know what's best. When we fix someone else's situation, we not only take full responsibility for the outcomes, but we deprive them of the joy and confidence that comes from fixing their own situations. We can and should help, but taking over the situation blurs boundaries that are necessary for the good of everyone. Taking responsibility for everyone else's problems puts a huge load on us - a load that we were not designed to carry - and cripples those we are intending to help. Many of us know the story of the butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. A man watching the process decided to help it rather than watch it struggle. He did not know that the process was a necessary one to develop its wings and body properly. As a result of the man's "help," the butterfly was never able to fly. We need to help each other as appropriate, but there's a difference between helping and fixing.
Certainly one of the most frustrating things in life is trying to control things that are outside of our control. What an exercise in futility! We can diligently save our money, but a string of unfortunate events can wipe it all out very quickly. We can work hard to make good decisions, but no decision is foolproof. So much of life is outside of our control - but there is nothing that is outside of God's control. Doing the best we can, and then placing it in God's hands and leaving it there is the only course of action that provides any peace whatsoever. We need to accept that the situation may or may not go as we had hoped and planned for. But at the same time, holding on to the knowledge that God knows what we do not and provides what we cannot, builds faith and trust, both of which are the most precious commodities we can accumulate in our time here on earth. Even when - especially when - the bottom falls out. He promises never to leave nor forsake us.
So what is God trying to teach me today? Keep my head where it belongs, stop trying to fix stuff that's not mine to fix, and let Him deal with the things outside of my control. Have a blessed day.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Fear
This post is courtesy of guest-blogger Brock, of Coach Brock's corner.
Fear
The fear I hear most is the unknown.Jesus said trust me and don't be afraid .I know all fears are useless.Faith is priceless.When I go fishing or hunting or running,All my fears go away.Jesus is with me When ever I do these things.It is not how many fish or pheasants I getOr how far I run,It is the quietness I seek you see.I forget all my fearsWhenever I do these things .I know Jesus is always with me .
By Brock
Saturday, February 4, 2017
The Solid Rock
I see from the tech news that Google is a front runner in bringing virtual reality to the masses. Buy a cheap headset, and if you have the right phone, you can download "experiences" that will allow you to go places you'll never go, see things you'll never see, and experience things that haven't happened.
Our "reality" has been changing dramatically since the advent of the internet and the loss of responsibility for accurate reporting. The internet has been abuzz with "fake news," shaping our views and beliefs about the world around us.
This has been going on longer than that, though. Years, in fact. I remember seeing the photo circulating on the internet after the attacks on the World Trade Center of a young man on top of the building getting his picture taken, with a plane in the background just seconds away from impact. Photoshopped, of course.
Whoever coined the phrase "Seeing is believing" was not from this era, that's for certain. More and more, the things we trust to be true and on which we base our opinions and feelings, simply aren't.
So who and what can we trust?
The never-changing, rock-solid God of the Bible, that's Who. We can trust in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, and we can trust in an immeasurable love that no matter what we experience on this earth will not diminish, and we can trust in an omnipotent and omniscient God who works even when we can't see it happening. As the world around us becomes more and more untrustworthy, we need to focus more and more on what we know to be true, and share that solid ground with those who are looking for sure footing.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." [Proverts 3:5-6, NIV]
Our "reality" has been changing dramatically since the advent of the internet and the loss of responsibility for accurate reporting. The internet has been abuzz with "fake news," shaping our views and beliefs about the world around us.
This has been going on longer than that, though. Years, in fact. I remember seeing the photo circulating on the internet after the attacks on the World Trade Center of a young man on top of the building getting his picture taken, with a plane in the background just seconds away from impact. Photoshopped, of course.
Whoever coined the phrase "Seeing is believing" was not from this era, that's for certain. More and more, the things we trust to be true and on which we base our opinions and feelings, simply aren't.
So who and what can we trust?
The never-changing, rock-solid God of the Bible, that's Who. We can trust in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, and we can trust in an immeasurable love that no matter what we experience on this earth will not diminish, and we can trust in an omnipotent and omniscient God who works even when we can't see it happening. As the world around us becomes more and more untrustworthy, we need to focus more and more on what we know to be true, and share that solid ground with those who are looking for sure footing.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." [Proverts 3:5-6, NIV]
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Finding Satan's Mute Button
Oh, the wonderful feeling of being at the end of your own power, and knowing God's power has no end! The feeling of trust and reliance upon Him is so wonderful! As you sit there in your own helplessness, you know One more powerful than you is in charge.
But... then there are those other circumstances... you know, the ones where God whispers in your ear that He *has* this, keep your hands off. When you CAN take action, but God tells you not to, that's another matter entirely! "I could (fill in the blank) and that would fix this," runs through your head as your patience wears thin. And then the ever-helpful Satan (not!) keeps whispering things like, "You can't wait for God to get around to this" and "He may never handle this! And then what will you do?" Oh, how I wish Satan came with a "mute" button! Trusting in God is a lot easier when that's your only choice.
Sarah, of "Sarah and Abraham" fame, must have heard the same things as she waited for the child God promised, especially as the years rolled on. I'm sure the fact that she was biologically too old for a baby only turned up Satan's volume. Finally, she decided to give God a helping hand. And we all know what happened after that, and it wasn't (and still isn't) good.
I read a passage from Sarah Young's beautiful devotional, "Jesus Calling"2 dealing with this desire to understand how God is going to accomplish what He has promised. "Understanding will never bring you peace. That's why I have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding." We don't comprehend how God is going to resolve our dilemma, or when, for that matter. And sometimes we find it hard to trust that He has a reason and a purpose for allowing the struggle, and for intervening in His perfect timing. I believe our desire to fully understand makes us all the more vulnerable to what Satan has to say.
If you have something that you're waiting on God for and you're tempted to give him a helping hand, remember that you could be creating your own Ishmael in the process. Thank Goodness, Satan does have a mute button - it's that one labeled T-R-U-S-T. God is faithful. God can be trusted. God can be relied upon to carry us through until, in His excellent timing, He handles it. There's a reason for the wait. Be faithful and be trusting in the meantime.
11Proverbs 3:5
2p. 230 devotional for August 7
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at freedigitalphotos.net
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