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“I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NCV)
My family is weird. Everyone hopes to have a family that sticks together through thick and thin. A family that understands each other, supports each other, looks out for each other. My family? Well, sometimes we do that but it’s not our nature.
I have sisters that prostitute themselves for a moment’s pleasure. I have brothers that visit porn sites, get involved in extra-marital affairs, and put their own desires above anyone else. Did I mention the ones that struggle with addictive behavior or the ones that completely ignore our family gatherings?
We are an interesting bunch, my family is. We’ll talk about you behind your back and then greet you with a hug or warm handshake. We’ll make your business our business and tell you exactly what you need to do to ‘get straightened out’. We jump from relationship to relationship. We do things we know we shouldn’t do, and then try to rationalize it away.
Yep. My family is weird. I’m not talking of my earthly family, although we are guilty of some of those things. I’m talking about my heavenly family. The heavenly family isn’t made up of people with halos on our heads. We don’t normally walk around in robes chanting spiritual words. There isn’t a one of us that deserves to be called saints.
We can’t really be blamed though. We come from a long line of people just like us. We have a heritage of failure, rebellion, deceit and anger. We murder with our words, wound with our attitudes, and attack from behind with no warning. Some of our most well-known ancestors came from backgrounds that would not be ‘blessed by the church’.
One more thing about my family. Each and every member of my heavenly family was hand-picked by our heavenly Father. He didn’t pick us because of our ability. He didn’t pick us because we could be trusted to follow his example. He didn’t pick us according to our strength or stature. He chose us because he loved us.
Your heavenly Father knows your faults, weaknesses and rebellion. He knows you can’t be trusted, but wants you to know you can trust him. By accepting his free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ you will not be made perfect, but you will join a whole family of imperfect brothers and sisters who will fail, but have a Father that is passionate about us.
My family is weird, but my Father? He is awesome!
PRAYER: Father, Thank you for choosing to allow me to be in your family. I confess I’m not worthy of this honor. I’m not worthy of your grace and forgiveness. Thank you for loving me anyway. Amen.
O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts. Psalm 92:5 (NLT)
We think in the present. God’s thoughts are on the future.
We think of today, God thinks about eternity.
We measure life by where we are, God measures life by where we are going.
Our actions are often based on our past experiences, God’s actions are based on his power.
Our wisdom is limited by our humanity, God’s wisdom planned every day of every person for all eternity.
We seek fulfillment on what we can do for others (even God) he seeks to fulfill us through what he’s already done for us.
We strive to be better today than we were yesterday, God says “I’ve already made you everything I desire.”
We see illness as something to conquer, God sees illness as an opportunity to show his healing.
We see healing as absence of illness, God sees illness as absence of worry.
We observe our sin and feel guilt, God observes our sin and offers forgiveness.
We remember the wrongs suffered, God lays our faults at the cross and never looks back.
We live to please others, God exists to serve us.
We see unfaithfulness as a relationship breaker, God sees unfaithfulness and begs our return.
We rebel at his standards, God watched his Son die to meet those standards for you.
“O Lord, what great works you do!”
During those times when God seems distant, remember that his thoughts are on our growing, not our comfort. His goal is not our earthly comfort but our eternal reward. His desire is for a stronger relationship with him, not our own popularity. Our finite minds are not able to comprehend all that God has planned. He knows what is best for us.
PRAYER: O Great and Mighty Creator of the Universe! To think that will all of your power and wisdom you would even consider me. To think that someone as mighty as you allows me to call you Daddy. I don’t always understand your ways, but I praise you for the love you have given me. In your name, Amen.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:3
What does it take to be prosperous? The politician will tell you it’s more government programs or less government programs. The religionist will tell you it’s more piety and stricter adherence to rules and dogmas. Prosperity is almost always measured by what you do or what you have accomplished.
The Psalmist gives us a different picture. The psalmist tells us that true prosperity doesn’t come from listening to the ‘experts’ of the day. Rather, prosperity comes from a relationship with the heavenly Father.
A person who prospers in God’s kingdom may not have the fanciest toys; the biggest house; the most accolades tacked to the end of their names. Prosperity in God’s kingdom isn’t the corner office, the star student-athlete, the one who carries signs to bring about social change.
The Psalmist gives us a word picture of what the person of prosperity looks like. In theMiddle East, water was not always easy to find. The Egyptians and other groups learned that if they diverted the river into channels they could irrigate crops and orchards. This was a great asset during times of drought and allowed them to expand productive crop land beyond the limited borders of the streams and rivers.
In Psalm 1 the prosperous person is, first of all, planted. There is a picture of intentionality here. We aren’t just randomly placed trees along the banks of some river. We are planted. Placed where we are and when we are for a divine purpose for the glory of the Father. Trees planted near each other benefit one another.
Secondly we are planted by streams of water. The diversion of water for the trees caused a constant supply and a steady flow of life giving water that was unhindered by drought. Usually these trees were located in a valley that protected from storms. Their roots were able to grow deep, making the tree healthy and strong.
Lastly the prosperous person bears fruit in season. An apple tree is always an apple tree. From the time it sprouts from the seed until it grows to produce beautiful fruit it is an apple tree. It’s an apple tree when it’s full of leaves and blossoms, when it’s laden with apples; when it’s enduring the fall and winter cold.
Prosperity doesn’t mean we always bear fruit, it means we are always what God intends for us to be. A tree that would bear fruit constantly would grow tired, and its leaves wither. We also grow tired when we constantly try to produce the life we think God wants for us. Prosperity comes through maturity. Strength comes through rest. Fruit comes as we learn to balance the two of them.
Take a lesson from the tree planted by the streams of water. You were placed where you are at this time to glorify God. Prosperity won’t come from a bunch of activity. Rather it comes from growing in relationship with your Heavenly Father. Fruit may not come as often as you’d like, but if you are digging your roots deep into the soil of his word, it will come in season.
PRAYER: Lord, I want to prosper. Too often my view of prosperity comes from listening and walking with those whose prosperity isn’t the eternal kind you can give. Help me to dig deep in your word so that I can prosper according to your Kingdom. Amen.
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)
We were camping at the resort owned by a family friend. Every night we’d go to the office store for ice cream. We’d order one scoop but the owner would always give us three with a wink and a smile. One night it was busy and an employee dished our ice cream. We ordered a scoop. She gave us a scoop. Fair enough, but we were a bit taken back. We’d become spoiled. We said nothing about it since we’d been given more than we deserved on other occasions. A short time later the owner came by and saw our dishes. She questioned why we had ‘such a small amount’. I explained what happened but emphasized that is was no big deal. She got up from the table and, a few minutes later, returned with new bowls of ice cream. Three scoops. The owner personally took care of the situation for us.
Perhaps a simple example, but it is always better to go to the owner when you want something done. The personal attention you get from the owner far supersedes the attention even the most dedicated employee can give you. Why? Because the owner isn’t answerable to anyone.
Joshua is about to take over the reins of leadership for the nation Israel. Moses is God. He is God’s man, God’s warrior. He was young. He was nervous. And, he already had a reputation among the people for being a renegade of sorts. You remember Joshua. He was one of the twelve spies that went in to investigate the Promised Land. When everyone else said the task was impossible, Joshua said, “Let’s go for it!”
A true leader has many fears. Perhaps the two biggest ones are:
- Will I lead in the right direction?
- Will the people follow me?
Your heavenly Father promises you that if you rely on him for direction he will not only be with you on the journey, he acts as a scout. He goes ahead of you. He makes sure the way is safe and that every possible danger is known and prepared for.
The second promise the Father makes is that he will never ever abandon you. Others may. Even those we consider trustworthy and loving may turn their backs on you. Not your heavenly Father. He’s prepared to go the distance. He’ll walk with you when no one else will. During those times when you feel inadequate for the task he is there to walk beside you, encourage you to press on, help you to believe in yourself (or his ability to work through you).
Regardless of where you are on the journey remember that you never walk alone and the path you walk has been walked before by a loving, gracious, merciful Father who is passionately in love with you.
PRAYER: Father, I don’t know the future. I feel alone, inadequate for the task and abandoned. Thank you that these are all lies. I’m not alone. I can rise to the occasion with your help. You will never leave me. Amen.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)
How do you get up in the morning? The attitude we have when we get out of bed with has a large part to do with the rest of the day. If we get up anticipating a good day, no matter what happens we’ll be more positive than if we start out on the ‘wrong side of bed’. Colossians says we have been raised to new life to share in God’s glory. That means each day should be looked at as a new day! A new beginning. All the old stuff from yesterday is gone. We start new. When you have positive anticipation it’s simply easier to get out of bed. Why do kids that normally sleep in get up early Christmas morning? PRESENTS! The anticipation of the new outweighs the comfort of the familiar.
Once you get up in the morning you prepare yourself for the day. Physically, you shower (or the world hopes you do) and do all the things necessary to make you presentable for the day. In a Spiritual sense we need to put off all the old and put on the new. Approach each new day with the attitude that ‘Christ is all that matters’. You do that by spending some time with your Savior. A word of prayer, some time in his Word. Think of it this way. Would you get up in the morning and say, “I just don’t have time to get dressed this morning. I’ll go naked this once. No one will notice.” Of course not. But we often put off the spiritual preparation for the day because we don’t think it important. Consider your spiritual preparation as important as your physical preparation for the day.
Now you are ready to get dressed. Clothes tell others a lot us. The first thing others see is our clothing before anything else. A person full of cancer, but well dressed looks better than a healthy bum. The following article appeared in a magazine:
Clothes tell a lot about us, our era, our jobs, etc. But the Swiss bank UBS raised eyebrows last month when it’s very conservative dress code was leaked on the Internet. The comprehensive, 44-page document defined how men should knot their ties, and how women should care for their skin. Underwear in a neutral color is, apparently, a must.
The reason we have dress codes is essentially this. Companies or organizations expect a certain look for their employees. The dress code assures that everyone that aligns themselves with that group look the same.
The Bible says we clothe ourselves so others see us as being merciful, kind, humble, gentle and patient. Paul goes on further to say that our ‘clothing’ ought to be such that we ‘make allowance’ for the weaknesses and failures of other people. Why? Because Jesus takes your weakness and failures into account and forgives you time and time again. He wants you to clothe yourself in the same way so that others will know you are associated with him.
The last thing you put on in the morning may be a belt. That’s what it was in the NT times. The belt pulled all the garments together. It was security and it was aesthetic. Going out without your belt would be like going out naked.
So what’s the ‘belt’ we wear to pull all this together? Love. The most important thing you do in the morning, before leaving for the day’s activities, is to put on an attitude of love. Love like Christ gives. Love that says ‘no matter what, I’ll never give up on you.’ The last thing you put on is the first thing others will see!
Now you are dressed for the day. Your earthly situation doesn’t change your heavenly calling. A calling to represent the cause of Jesus Christ. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be dressed appropriately for any weather changes that come your way.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may I dress each and every day for the activities you lay before me. Empower me to love, endure and embrace those I meet with grace and forgiveness as you have me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 