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The heart of mankind is a fickle thing. Jeremiah calls it deceitful and wicked. Some of the biggest lies it tells are lies about ourselves and our relationship with God.
“It’s okay. Everyone does it God will understand and forgive.”
“Will God really deliver you? Remember what happened to uncle Billy”
“You don’t really think God can use you now, do you? You’re nothing but a failure. Always have been. Always will be.”
These are just a few of the lies. Which ones do you believe?
David knew failure. I doubt David trusted himself anymore than God did later in life. “Search my heart God. I don’t trust my own view of myself. I don’t trust how I feel. I certainly don’t trust my actions.
His prayer ends with the confident realization that once the examination was done, once the pain of revelation is past, then show me the next steps. Show me the path I need to become the person you can empower me to be.
Be brave enough to open yourself to a God whose only desire is to make you better; to show you the path to everlasting life.
One of the greatest dichotomies of the Christian Life is the treatment of our enemies. To give without expectation of return? Ludicrous! If people were truly honest, even those who donate to charities of various kinds want something in return. That something may be the gift of self-satisfaction, “look what I did!”
To go further, the church has often been guilty of lashing out at those who are ‘wicked’ in the Lord’s sight. To be sure, Godly standards must be taught and held to by his followers, but Jesus was a friend to many we would shy away from.
Take a stand for what is right. Stay true to your calling. But never forget that we are called to love those who contradict the very standards we hold to. People will know us by our fruit. The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
Live the life the Spirit empowers you to live.
One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to be people of honor in an argument. This is especially true when we know the truth or are being personally attacked or wrongfully accused. It is during these times that honor is difficult if not impossible to hold on to. For the believer in Jesus Christ it is imperative that we remain people of honor; that we are salt and light not purveyors of darkness adding fuel to the fire. To the unbelieving pagan Jesus simply spoke the truth and by his actions showed love and acceptance. To the arrogant religious people, who were bent on attack, he lashed out at their shallow actions but in the end said “Father forgive them”. It’s no wonder that James writes, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” (James 3:2) Knowing when to hold our tongue is a sign of spiritual maturity and honor. It is a process accomplished over time and with reliance on the Holy Spirit.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”Isaiah 42:3-4
Our family loves to go camping every opportunity we can. There’s something about hooking up the camper and heading into the woods to get away from it all, even if for only a couple days. On one such camping trip we stopped at the gift shop of the campgrounds we would call home for several days.
While we all love camping, my daughter enjoys it the most. She like the conveniences of a full service campground with playgrounds and pools, but she is equally enthralled with escaping to the remotest places in the world (our world anyway) to enjoy the barest of facilities.
On this particular occasion she saw a fire-starting kit complete with flint and steel. Now, mind you, I am NOT a Boy Scout. My idea of starting a fire in remote areas is making sure my Aim & Flame is fresh and ready to go! However, we bought the kit and proceeded to our campsite to start the fire that would cook our supper.
The task was quite a challenge for one novice and a young child. We tried over and over to get the flame started. A couple times we got a small piece of leaf to smolder but time and again it would die out and we’d have to start over. I confess to you that we gave up. Hunger proved more of an incentive than rustic living!
When Isaiah was writing to the nation of Israel they were a tired nation. Largely due to their own rebellion, they were suffering under enemy rule as God’s judgment of their idolatry. They were tired. They were full of hopelessness. They saw no easy solution to their problems. Many died never seeing the deliverance promised them.
Later, Matthew would quote Isaiah in his gospel. Not many things had changed for Israel. They were still a people under bondage. They were still a people in hopeless despair. They were economically depressed, politically oppressed and religiously distressed. Then Jesus came.
Isaiah’s description of the Messiah was just what the people needed in his day, during the time Jesus walked this earth and today as well.
We need a Savior who will understand the delicacy of a smoldering wick. We need a Savior that understands our fragile condition. We need a Savior that realizes that just one more puff of wind may put an end to our ability to cope.
As we feel the life ebb from our emotional souls it’s easy to look for the easy solution, to look at what I like to call the three R’s of life: Religion, Riches and Relationships. The problem is that we have learned, or are learning the hard way that none of these help. All of them may seem to fan the flame for a time, but eventually they snuff us out.
Jesus didn’t come to snuff out our flame. He didn’t come to break us into submission. This God that can calm the storm; this God that hangs the stars in their place; this God that casts out demons, is also a God of gentleness. He comes to shore us up in our weakness, to fan the flame that has all but died out in our souls.
Regardless of what is attacking you now, realize that Jesus Christ came to gently, but firmly rekindle the flame within you. It may take time, but he has all the time in the world.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you this morning for the power you showed in the storms of Galilee; how you healed the sick, the lame and those hounded by demons. Most of all, Lord Jesus I thank you that in my weakest moments when I feel the flame of my hope about to be snuffed out, you come to me to fan the flame once again in my soul. Amen.
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
In Old Testament times Shepherds would often poor oil over the heads of the sheep in their flock. Insects and lice would often burrow deep into the wool of the sheep and, if they burrowed into the ears of the sheep they could kill them. The slippery oil made it impossible for the insects to get near the ears and protected the sheep from harm.
Not only did the oil protect, it also soothed the insect bites that the sheep endured. As a result, anointing became a symbol of blessing, protection and empowerment. This meaning was also passed on into daily life. Whenever one was anointed it brought with it the idea of healing or of empowerment. Oil also carries the meaning of being chosen.
Each of the kings of ancient Israel was anointed to show God’s special favor and choosing. Jesus was said to have been anointed by His Heavenly Father with the Holy Spirit as a sign that he was God’s chosen, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Oil, of course, offers no special power of its own. It is symbolic of the source of all power, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Master designer of the universe. Paul writes, in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 that, “He who establishes us with you in Christ has anointed us!
The fact that we are anointed by God should encourage each of us. Not only do we have the promise of strength in adversity because we are established by God. We are protected and healed because we are his chosen ones!
Established and anointed. Strengthened and protected. Chosen and healed. Anointed for eternity.
King David was anointed by Samuel as King long before he ascended the throne of Israel. During that waiting period he was threatened, misunderstood, accused falsely and rejected. Eventually however, the promise associated with the anointing came true.
What are you hoping for? What struggle seems to great to endure? What is sapping the strength from your body and robbing you of sleep? Remember, during those toughest times of your life, that you are God’s anointed. There is nothing you can do to deserve this anointing. All you have to do is accept it.
PRAYER: Father God. I praise you today for the reminder that I am your anointed one. I am protected and healed by the oil of your love and have hope for my future because you have chosen me. Empower me to live in the strength of that anointing. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 