You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October 2015.
The Lord is your God, so you must always love him and obey his laws and teachings. Deuteronomy 11:1
We were on our way home from our oldest daughter’s music concert. My wife and I always make sure we sit in the same general area so that she can look into the audience and see us. On this night however, we’d been detained and arrived later than usual for the concert. As a result our ‘normal place’ were taken and we were forced to sit near the back.
As we made the trip home my daughter remarked, “I didn’t see you guys in your normal place tonight.”
My wife responded, “I know honey, someone was sitting there. We had to sit on the other side and near the back, but we were there.”
“Oh, I know mom.” I heard you laughing in the back.”
I
t was a humorous interchange but I thought of that story as I read today’s verse. There are so many different voices calling for our allegiance today. It’s easy to get sucked into the demands of family, career, church, and community. If we aren’t careful, those other voices can distract us from hearing the voice of God and being aware of his presence in our lives. When we lose sight of God, our lives can become like a ship tossed at the mercy of angry, relentless waves.
When our ears are tuned to God’s voice we can hear him in the darkness and chaos of life. His voice, His desires rise above all the other voices that seek to keep us from hearing the most important voice. When we listen to those voices they become our gods.
As you make your way through the dark wilderness of life; as the chaotic schedules of life pull you in a variety of directions. Whose voice do you hear? The voice you listen to will determine your destiny. Take heed of the voice of God through his word and those who speak his wisdom. All the other voices will only lead you astray.
PRAYER: Father, I confess to you that too often I get distracted by the cares of life and voices that draw me away from you. Empower me by your Spirit to hear you clearly through the darkness. Amen.
I am…Full of Joy
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (Galatians 5:22 NIV)
Despite what comes our way, despite the present circumstance, from moment to moment we have the privilege and opportunity to rest inJesus. We, who, are found securely in him have been given the Spirit of the most High God and with that amazing gift we have joy. We are filled with God’s power, presence and His joy, the joy of salvation.
When the enemy attempts to bring you back to who you were, remind him who you are!
You are a child of God who is Full of Joy.
Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. Lamentations 2:18
A couple years ago, a little five-year-old boy mysteriously disappeared from his parent’s yard. News of this little guy’s disappearance spread like wild fire throughout the area. Thousands of people overwhelmed the community in search for this young life. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that temperatures were near 100 degrees and humidity was high.
The family farm was surrounded by cornfields and swamps, a nearly impossible place to find such a little body. Prayers were offered. Tears were shed. Tempers rose higher than the temperatures. Three days later his lifeless body was found in the trunk of a car on the family property. The car trunk had been overlooked because no one expected the little guy to be able to climb in the trunk and close the lid (when he was found he had the car keys with him).
It was a horrible situation to be sure and not to lessen the severity of that, but one of the things that stands out to me about the story is how earnestly people sought for this precious jewel. Some were overcome by heat and ‘ordered’ of the search for their own safety!
Lamentations is a book written by Jeremiah. Its theme is exactly what the title would imply – tears, weeping and anguish. The prophet Jeremiah is mourning the judgment of God against his people. He sees the pain and agony. He senses the seeming silence of God.
Were I to paraphrase Lamentations 2:18 to those who are struggling with life, it would go something like this. “I know you are in pain! I know what it’s like to feel like God has abandoned you. I see the turmoil and yes, I too question why! But never stop looking for God in all this. Never lose sight of his promises over and over again that he walks with you through the pain. Like a river in the wilderness, keep flowing. Don’t stop.”
Sometimes there seems to be no answer to the struggles in our lives, but we should never stop seeking God’s face.
PRAYER: Father God. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t understand why you allow such pain among your people. Yet, I acknowledge that you, and you alone are far too valuable to walk away from. So I will continue to pray for those in agony. I will continue to seek your face because you are worth it! Amen.
And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:8
The story is told of an illegal Bible Study found out in a communist country. The soldiers who discovered the Bible Study told those in attendance that they would all be shot. Then, in a moment of false mercy, the head soldier said, “I’ll let you go if you spit on the Bible we’ve discovered. One by one people approached the Bible, spit on the open pages and left hurriedly. Then, a young girl approached the now spit covered Bible. She knelt, wiped away the spit with her dress and kissed the Bible. The soldier pointed his gun and pulled the trigger.
What a brave story of heroism and love for the Lord Jesus. This young girl looked at the situation before here and realized she could not acquiesce to the man with the gun. Perhaps she realized, more than anyone else in the room that the real power didn’t lie with the gun. The real power was in God’s word and she could not deny that.
The prophet Jeremiah encountered a somewhat similar situation. He was called to be God’s messenger during a very perilous economic, political and social time in his nation. Not only that, but God’s Word was looked down upon by many in the nation and he was but a youngster.
We live in a similar time today. We’re told by society at all levels that our message is, at best, no different than any other religious message. We are accused of being out of touch, intolerant, judgmental, and a whole litany of other adjectives. The reality is, sometimes we deserve those accusations because we use God’s word and a weapon rather than the source of love, hope and grace it was intended to be.
The question for each of us today is the same as it was for Jeremiah and for the young girl who literally had a gun pointed to her head. Will you stand for God’s word when your classmates ridicule you; when you are confronted by those antagonistic to Jesus; when it would be far easier to stay quiet, but more prudent to speak the truth in love? Jesus says you can’t serve two masters. Who will you serve today?
PRAYER: Father God, I’d like to think that I would take a bullet in the head before denying you, but I confess my weakness. While no one has pointed a gun at my head, there have been times I should have spoken up but did not. Forgive me for my fear. Help me to trust you completely. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 