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Life isn’t learned in a Vacuum
January 14, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: addictions, anger, anxiety, blindness, changed lives, church, compassion, death, denial, devotional, divorce, embarrassment, failure, fear, freedom, God, guilt, understanding | 1 comment
Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7
Learning how to ‘do life’ isn’t done in a vacuum. Who would feel comfortable with a surgeon who told you just before you enter the operating room that “I’ve never really seen a surgery or done one before. but I’ve read lots of books on it and watch Grey’s Anatomy on TV so I think we should be okay.”
How comfortable would we be as airline passengers if the pilot came on and said, “Okay, now. This should be fun. As soon as I can figure out which button to push to turn the engines on I think we’ll be on our way. I’ve never flown a real plane before, but I had a radio controlled one as a kid. How hard can it be?”
None of us would go to surgery or fly a plane with the above mentioned situation. We are putting our very lives in their hands. We want to know that they will be fully equipped and experienced to handle every situation that may present itself. While not many of us will be pilots or surgeons, the experiences of our lives can have profound effects on those around us without us even being aware of it.
One of the reasons Jesus was such an effective teacher is that He used life experiences to teach eternal truths. It’s in the everyday events of life that we can show those around us the Christ-life. Too often we tend to separate our ‘real life’ with our ‘Christ-life’ but that isn’t reality. Jesus came to live among us to show us that the journey can be long and hard, but that with His power in us we can change our world.
Every situation doesn’t need to have an accompanying sermon or a lecture. As one person said, “Preach Jesus every day and when necessary, use words!” We can show others much more by how we react to situations than they will learn in an entire year of sermons and Bible Studies. The words you speak, the attitudes you show, and the non-verbal signals you send can be used of God to show others His love.
Each of us has a story. We make mistakes and poor, or just plain stupid decisions. We hurt people. We break relationships. We acquire debt. Don’t dwell on the mistakes you have made in life. Use them as lessons learned; lessons that can be used to lift others up who are struggling, are discouraged or have fallen. The mistakes of our past can be used to help others learn how to walk.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. I know life is a journey and I’ve taken many side trips and detours that have hurt me and others. Forgive me for the poor choices I’ve made, the people I’ve hurt and the relationships I’ve broken. Help me to use these lessons to lift those who need you. Help me to show them your love. Amen.
Dealing with Distractions
January 13, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: addictions, anxiety, blindness, changed lives, church, compassion, denial, devotional, divorce, embarrassment, failure, fear, forgiveness, freedom, God, grace, Jesus, Jesus Christ | 2 comments
When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the LORD instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. Numbers 15:39 (NLT)
After over 400 years in captivity and 40 years of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness, they were about to enter ‘The Promised Land’! The Lord God was giving His people final instructions before their long journey came to an end.
Of all the many lessons’ the Israelites had learned, the one God hoped they would remember the most is that God’s blessings are hindered by sin. After all, it was sin that forced God’s chosen people to take 40 years to complete what should have been an 11 day walk! It was doubt that caused them to turn back when those sent to ‘spy out the land’ gave them a bad report. It was a lack of trust that sent a bunch of snakes swarming into camp.
If they would walk by faith in God the people of Israel would experience peace and prosperity. They were God’s people. They were set aside by Him to be His chosen ones. He didn’t choose them because of their size, or their strength or their ability to obey. He chose them because He loved them.
In Numbers 15:37-41 the Lord gives His people instructions concerning the clothes they would wear. The garments of the Israelites were to have a fringe sewn on with tassels hanging from the fringe. These would serve two purposes. On the one hand it would be a public symbol that these people were God’s people. Secondly, the tassels would hopefully serve as a reminder to the Israelites that they were to follow God’s laws.
I like the phrasing of the New Living Translation: “instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves as you are prone to do.” The word prone means ‘to have a tendency or inclination to do’. The Father knew his children. He knew they would be distracted. He knew that the desires of the world would constantly pull them away. Even though He knew they would fail, and fail miserably, He remained faithful to His promises.
Our heavenly Father is the same today. He knows we will fail. He knows how hard it is four us to live without discouragement, hate, anger, worry, frustration, doubt, addictive tendencies, and the list goes on. But still He calls to us and begs us to come to Him for healing.
What a great and awesome God of love and mercy we serve.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me even though I’m so easily distracted by the world. Keep me in your arms. Empower me to follow your ways. Protect me from temptation and distraction. Help me to live as though there were tassels on my garments that would remind me to follow you and testify to others of your great love. Amen.
Lift your eyes up to the healer!
January 12, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: addictions, anger, anxiety, blessings, blindness, church, compassion, denial, devotional, divorce, embarrassment, failure, forgiveness, freedom, God, understanding | Leave a comment
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then, when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Numbers 21:9
The trip through the wilderness had gone on now for 40 years. The people were growing restless. They were tired of manna, tired of quail, tired of having to set up camp and tear down camp. The kids were restless, Grandma and Grandpa were crabby and it was hot! Now, to make matters worse the nation headed back towards the Red Sea! It seemed like they were just going in circles.
Soon grumbling began. Where was this ‘promised land’ that God had given them? Did Moses really know where he was going and what he was doing? Wasn’t it easier in Egypt? At least they had homes and great Egyptian food!
When God had heard enough of their complaining he sent snakes among the people. The snake bites killed many of the Israelites. When they realized what was happening the Israelites cried out to Moses for help. God instructed Moses to make a snake out of bronze and put it high on a pole. Anyone who looked to the snake was healed.
For years afterwards the snake was an icon among the Israelites. It reminded them of God’s deliverance. Jesus speaks about Himself as being like that snake. Anyone who looked on the snake in the wilderness was healed. It didn’t matter who they were or what they had done. The past didn’t matter. The important thing is that they had faith to look to the snake. It was true for those close to the pole and those far away.
The same is true for us today. Our past doesn’t matter. It’s not about gifts and talents and money and all the other things that society tells us we must have to be successful. It’s about looking to Jesus. He alone can heal us from all that afflicts us.
Are you wandering in the wilderness? Does the journey seem long and hard? Do you feel you have wandered to far from God? Look to Jesus. He longs to heal you.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Just as the Israelites complained during their wilderness I confess that I’m tired of the wandering. Help me to look to you, to keep my eyes above the trials of life and believe you for deliverance. Amen
Be a Light!
January 9, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: addictions, anger, anxiety, blessings, blindness, changed lives, church, compassion, death, denial, devotional, divorce, embarrassment, failure, fear, forgiveness, freedom, God, grace, grief, guilt, healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgmental, second chances, shame | Leave a comment
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23
When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror who do you see? The answer to that question will likely determine how the rest of your day goes. If you see a loser in the mirror you will likely treat others in an unloving manner. If you see a lonely person you will likely feel shunned and avoided in all your relationships and contacts with people throughout the day. The person you see in the mirror is likely the person you will become if you let it happen.
Jesus said our eyes are like a lamp. They illuminate our entire being. Who I am is not based on what I do or my circumstances or my past. As a Christ-follower, who I am depends entirely on who Jesus is and what He has done for me. The Bible tells us over and over again that we are God’s children and that he has given each of us gifts to accomplish everything the Father intends for us to accomplish.
The Bible is full of stories of people that had skeletons in their closets, endured tragedy or suffered failure. But God used them in mighty ways. We, as His church, have all been given many gifts. Some gifts are visible and receive lots of attention. Some gifts are done in the background and gain little recognition. But ALL parts of the body are important in order to be healthy.
Jesus says we are the light of the world. Light brings warmth, guidance, and security (among other things) to everything it touches. But sometimes we get drug down by poor choices, broken relationships and a variety of other things in life. We get attacked by circumstances.
Don’t let life circumstances keep you from being all God wants you to be. Charles Swindoll says: The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you that you have given me everything I need to accomplish the great things you have for me. Forgive me for letting the circumstances of my life keep me from being all you want me to be. Help me to be content with the gifts you’ve given me and to use them to shed your light on those around me and when I look in the mirror help me see me as you do. Amen
Empowered to Succeed!
January 7, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: addictions, anger, anxiety, blessings, blindness, changed lives, compassion, death, devotional, divorce, embarrassment, failure, fear, forgiveness, freedom, God, grace, grief, guilt, healing, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgmental, legalism, life, love, my past, promise, Restoration, second chances, understanding | Leave a comment
Be strong and take heart all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” Sven Goran Eriksson
No one likes to fail. There isn’t one of us that begins our daily adventure planning to make a mess of our lives or the lives of others. Still, no matter how much we try to ‘get life right’ obstacles get in the way. It could be physical illness, or relational distress in the family or on the job, or any number of things that keep us from reaching our goals or becoming the person we want to be.
King Dave wrote, “BE STRONG! BE COURAGEOUS! Your hope doesn’t rest in your ability to succeed. It comes from the hope we have in the Lord.” Success doesn’t come from your strength but from Jesus working in us and through us.
David knew what he was talking about. He likely wrote this Psalm shortly after he was exposed for having an affair and arranging for the murder of his lovers husband! Not something anyone would want to boast of, to be sure. Yet David experienced God’s forgiveness and went on to bring his nation to a position of power and be the mightiest King Israel had ever known. Not bad for a shepherd boy from up in the hills! He didn’t let his failure keep him from being all that he could be.
Don’t let fear of failure pull you down! Don’t let the failures of your past keep you from being the person you want to be or doing the things you want to do. Your hope doesn’t lie in your ability to succeed but in your willingness to let Christ work in you.
Prayer: Dear Jesus. Thank you for loving me even though I’ve made a mess of my life. Forgive me for my bad choices and for being afraid to press on. Help me to be courageous in the fight to be all you made me to be. Keep me from discouragement. In your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 