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Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:21 (NLT)
A group of us were enjoying coffee and dessert. Most of us were college students from a small group at the church I attended, but one couple was middle aged. Both husband and wife were well established in medical careers. They were very wealthy compared to any of us college students!
The very fact that the two doctors were even there seemed out of place. We were sitting in a small apartment in an area of the city that was old, rundown and not very safe. This couple currently lived on a beautiful hobby farm where they had several horses and a beautiful view of the valley.
In the midst of the laughter and meaningless chatter one of our group asked what she thought was a simple question. She asked the couple, “What do you think was the happiest time of your lives?”
I was expecting to hear about the birth of their first child or perhaps finishing school, or getting that first job. When the question was asked the couple smiled and looked at each other. The wife spoke first and after all these years I think I could quote her. Their story went something like this.
“Without a doubt the happiest time of our lives together was when we lived over onthird avenuein a small duplex. When we got married and decided to go to medical school we borrowed enough money from my parents for down payment. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We bought the place and rented out the other side for enough to make the mortgage payment. Even though we had the house ‘paid for’ we really had very little else to our names. We couldn’t afford a TV until we happened to find one in a trash dumpster. It worked okay, but needed a good slap on the top once in awhile.”
It’s been years since that conversation took place but it still reminds me of the important things in life. We measure happiness in life by the number of toys we have, the size of our yard or the amount of money in our retirement account. The words of King Solomon still ring true when he said (my paraphrase) “I didn’t spare myself anything but soon found I had nothing when it came to peace and happiness, I found it only comes from within.”
If your heart is centered on the things of this world like wealth, pleasure and power you will never be satisfied. Your ‘happiness’ will waver depending on circumstances.
But if your heart is centered on building a pure and healthy relationship with God you will find that the things the world finds important for success, happiness and comfort lose their luster. A close walk with God and living in the forgiveness and grace Jesus offers is the only real treasure that will last.
Seek a relationship with the God of Genesis above all others. Cherish the time spent in prayer and Bible study. Seek out those who will help you in your walk. It’s the best way to a healthy heart.
PRAYER: Father God, my own words convict me. There are so many times I’m drawn aside by the desires of this world thinking they will bring comfort and happiness. But their comfort is weak and temporary and often leads to painful consequences. I ask that through the power of your Spirit I would draw closer to you and nurture this treasure I have in Jesus. Amen.
He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)
When something is really important to you, won’t you do anything and everything to get it? You’ll save or take out a loan or use all your credit balance (not advised) so that you can have it in your possession. You may even sell something else or give something away in order to get that prized possession.
Now, imagine you scrimped and saved and bartered until finally you were able to purchase your prized possession. Would you set it free? “Of course not!” you say. Look at all I gave up for it. Look at the years of saving and sacrificing and giving. There’s no way I’d give it freedom. I might lose it!”
But God did. He loved you that much. See, when you buy something to possess it you buy it with the idea of holding on to it. You buy it with idea of passing it on to your heirs, or keeping it safe, or holding it close to you.
Jesus Christ didn’t come to earth to create some new fantastic religion. He didn’t come to earth to show us how bad we were. He didn’t come to earth to give us a bunch of rules and regulations. He didn’t come to earth so God could control, possess or manipulate you. Jesus came to earth for only one reason: your freedom!
Freedom from your past; Freedom from the mistakes that still haunt you; Freedom from worry, doubt, fear and anger; Freedom from physical and emotional scars that you bear. That’s what grace is about. That’s what God’s kindness gives us. Freedom.
So, live free through the forgiveness, grace and kindness you find in Jesus Christ. It’s not about religion. It’s about a relationship built on being free.
PRAYER: Father, I’m so undeserving of your love. I’m so undeserving of your grace. Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed myself to be held captive by you. Help me live in the freedom I have in you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Can you hear the emotion in King David’s ‘voice’ as he pens these words? I see him hunched over a table in the far reaches of the palace, away from everyone. Surrounded by wealth, holding the power of the kingdom in his hands, considered mighty, powerful, invincible. Yet there he sits. His hands covering his face as he ponders the situation.
“How did I let it go this far? How did I let this happen? What will the people say? What’s next for me in God’s eyes? How can I fight off a bear, a lion, a giant and countless enemies and let this happen to me?”
The list goes on as David recounts the things in life that led him to this point. At that time it was perhaps the lowest point in his life, the time when his affair with Bathsheba was exposed. This well-known verse is or has been the cry of each of us as we’ve traveled this journey of life.
Our spirit is right. We know what we want to do. We charge straight ahead into battle with the intent of living for Jesus. We determine that nothing will keep us from the goal of living what we believe.
Then life happens. It’s not the big things that pull us down right away. It starts with the little things, tiny lapses that seem insignificant. But like a tumor they grow unseen until we realize we’ve strayed far from the path. The goal is no longer even in sight for us.
That’s when grace steps in. Grace says that no matter how far we stray from the path we intent to travel we can be forgiven.
Notice the words again. David asks his Father to ‘create a pure heart’. Only God can create something. To create means to make something completely new. The heart was considered the seat of emotion and the source of our thoughts and desires. David isn’t asking God to fix his heart, he’s asking for a new one. That’s the key to making meaningful and effective change in your life; coming to a point when you reach out to God and say “I can’t do this anymore. My DNA won’t allow me to make the changes I need to make. Make my heart (my emotions, my desires, and my passions) new. The old ones aren’t working
Only after our passions are made new can we hope to have the strength to change. Our determination to follow Christ unwaveringly can only happen after we have confessed our sin and by grace received forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Our spirit (the source of our actions) will only be pure when our heart is made new.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m so tired of trying and failing and trying and failing and trying and failing again. I try to hard to live for you without much success. Like David, I ask that you would create a new heart within me. I confess my sin and weakness. I acknowledge my need for you. I accept your forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ. Help me go in your strength to tackle the issues I face today. In your name I pray, Amen.
I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. Hosea 2:19 (NLT)
Every good love story has the same basic plot when you think about it. Boy meets girl and a friendship begins. It grows to love. It endures struggles along the way. Somewhere in the life cycle of the relationship something happens to threaten the very life blood of their love.
Let’s say, for the purpose of this story that the boy thoughtlessly hurts the girl. He does everything he can to make it up to her. But the wound is too great. Time and again he pleads with her to give him another chance. Time and again he is rejected. He showers her with gifts. He takes her to all her favorite places. He listens (something that he should have done before) and learns what things make her the happiest.
Finally, the final rejection comes. He realizes that the love he cherished so much will never be had. Painfully, he turns his back and walks towards the gate where his flight is waiting. His heart is heavy with remorse. His mind replays all the good times he had with her. He longs to hear her voice once more but he can’t hear it. He wishes just once more he could feel her soft and gentle touch on his arm the way she always used to as they walked the beaches together.
As he makes his way to the gate, he feels it. For a nano second he thinks it’s his imagination. Then the voice comes. “I love you. I forgive you. I can live without you but I don’t want too. Come home.”
He turns with tear-filled eyes to see her before him. He takes her to himself and holds her in his arms. The world goes on around them and they don’t notice. The gatekeeper comes up to ask him if he is ready to board but thinks twice and closes the gate in front of him.
After a tremendously long embrace and without a word they leave with her hand softly on his arm. And of course, they live happily ever after.
That, in a sense, is how our passionate father feels about us. He seeks us out. He longs for our love. He does whatever he can to draw us close in his arms. He’s not concerned about our faults. He’s not concerned about what we can do for him. He loves us and that is all that matters to him.
But like the young woman in the story, we hold the trump card. We are the ones that choose to accept his love or reject his advances towards us. The one huge difference in this story of course is that our Fathers love is pure and unconditional. Even though he may allow difficulties in our lives they are never intended to harm us but, rather, to make us grow stronger and draw us closer to him.
Your heavenly Father is passionate in his love for you. It’s not important where you are, what you have done in the past or what you bring to the table. He only wants to feel your touch on his arm and to hear your voice say “I love you. I choose you. I want to be with you forever.”
PRAYER: AH! Father God. Such love you have for me. Such passion I hear in your voice. I bring so little. You give so much. I stray from you but you are always there when I need you. Thank you for your love. Thank you for this most remarkable love story you have allowed me to be a part of. In Jesus name, Amen.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
When a witness takes the stand in a court of law they really have only one job to do. Restate the facts of the case as they saw it. They aren’t asked for opinions. They aren’t asked to guess what the person was thinking or why they did what they did. They are only asked for what they saw.
When Jesus left earth to ascend into the presence of his Heavenly Father he left us with one charge; to be his witnesses. Witnesses aren’t flippantly chosen. They hold, in their hands, the success for or against the person being charged. You most likely wouldn’t want someone who seeks your demise to take the stand in your favor. You want someone who will stand up for you, who will refute any false accusations leveled against you.
That’s what Jesus wants from us. We aren’t asked to take a stand for our church or our denominational affiliation. We aren’t asked to look at others around us and determine if their actions are noble or not. We are only asked to tell what Jesus has done for us. I don’t need to explain or defend God and his ways. I only need to tell what Jesus has done for me.
Every day we come in contact with people who are beaten up, frustrated, scared, worried or wounded. They don’t need to hear how they need to change. They know that. They don’t need to hear how much they are hurting themselves. They know that too. What people really need to hear is about Jesus and what he has done in your life.
When he left us with the challenge to be his witnesses he didn’t leave us without power. The early disciples were told to ‘wait for God’s power to come on them’ before they began to testify of Christ. In the same way we need to be certain that as we take the stand to testify for Christ we are empowered by his Spirit.
You have everything you need to make a difference in the lives of people around you. Your family needs to know what Jesus has done for you on a daily basis. You don’t need to be a Biblical Scholar to tell others the truth of what God has done in your life. You don’t need to be a pastor or a missionary to share the love of Jesus. You don’t need a sermon outline or a list of Bible verses. All you need is to be willing and open to God’s leading. Be a witness. Tell your story. Jesus brought you to the place you are in so others could hear what he means to you.
PRAYER: Father God, I am so thankful for what you have done in my life. Thank you for grace. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for forgiving my sins. I’m so unworthy of your love. Help me to be a witness for you to those I come in contact with whether that means a smile, a kind word or the opportunity to share verbally what you mean to me. In Jesus name, Amen.
