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So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
When we are infants we are totally dependent on our parents for everything from moving from one point to another, food and drink, entertainment, clothing and safety and protection. As we grew older we began to learn new things. The world became alive with new experiences, things to explore, activities to try. We begin to think that the world is a playground and that we are at the center of it. We are invincible!
But something happens along the way. We fall. We stumble. We get burned. We fail. In the midst of that learning something else happens. We begin to doubt. It could be because of critical parenting. It could be because we’ve begun to see ourselves as failures. It could be due to emotional or physical abuse. Gradually, without our knowledge or realization we begin to realize we aren’t invincible. We are not the center of the universe. Where we once thought anything was possible, life teaches us the cruel lesson that perhaps nothing we desire is possible. We lose our dreams, our focus, and our ability to see ourselves as successes.
During those times of self-defeat God says. STOP! I am with you. I, the creator God of the universe. The One that holds the stars in my hand and dictates where the clouds go and the rain falls. The one that sees every bird that falls from the sky and every fish in the sea. I am with you. I am not near you. I’m not within calling range. I’m not merely available. I AM WITH YOU.
Because I am with you I will help you. I will walk by your side to see that you prosper. I will walk by your side during the dangerous, scary, disappointing, frustrating times of life. I’ll help you when you fall. I’ll applaud your successes.
It’s not about you anymore. It never really was. It’s about me. It’s about the fact that you can’t (never really could) do it on your own. It is by my strength that we will walk life’s journey together. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.
Live life today with the realization that you never ever walk alone. Your heavenly Father is yearning to uphold you in anything you do. During your successes and failures. During your rebellion and your times of need. He is there.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. When I think of all you have done for me. When I realize that you have walked with me, by my side through everything. I am in awe. I don’t understand why you have allowed some things in my life. I’m thankful for other things. I ask that in everything I will sense your presence and love today. You are truly an awesome God. Amen.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3
When we commit our plans to the Lord the Bible says that those plans will succeed. What a wonderful promise to look forward to! The reality is that for many of us the path we’ve journeyed along in life is strewn with the wreckage of failures, poor choices, ruined relationships and piles of debt. Not much success to be seen.
There are really only two options available for us. If our plans have met with failure then we have to conclude that either God isn’t able to fulfill His end of the bargain, or we failed to completely commit our plans to Him. There really isn’t a middle ground.
So, how can we insure success with our plans? First of all we need to think carefully about the word commit. Commit does not mean merely ‘running the idea past God’. It doesn’t carry the idea of telling your wife as you leave the house “By the way I’m stopping for a haircut on the way home today.” Commit carries with it a turning over the responsibility of our plans to someone else, in this case God.
A second aspect of commitment regards how our actions or plans match up to the plumb line of God’s character. The illustration of the plumb line, or plum bob, reminds us that while God loves us and has given us much freedom through Jesus Christ, there are some things that simply will not work in God’s Kingdom. If our plans and/or actions operate outside of these boundaries success as we know it can not happen.
Lastly, commitment of our plans to the Lord requires that we evaluate our definition of success. Success by the world’s standards usually involved numbers. The amount of money you gain from the action, the number of friends and/or other people you influence, the number of points you make. It’s all about numbers.
In God’s economy numbers don’t matter. Quality of character and relationships are the only thing that matter. If we took the time to look back amongst the wreckage of our past; if we pulled back the shattered dreams, looked underneath the broken relationships or pushed aside the pile of debt we would no doubt see the green shoots of new life. New life consisting of lessons learned, experience gained and wisdom acquired.
In God’s eyes that is success. Not that we won the race, but that we finished it. Not that we were looked on with respect by others but that we learned how to lean more fully on God. Not that our lives generated much wealth, fame and fortune, but that those who follow us will find the way to a living peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Giving your plans and actions over to God’s control is risky. But it is the only way in which we can be all that God wants us to be. As you grow in relationship with Him through prayer, bible study and fellowship you will find that your plans will align with His character and success will be measured by Him, not those around you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I look behind me and the road I’ve travelled and see so many mistakes, so many poor choices, so many doubts, fears and times of rebellion. I’ve neglected truly committing those plans to you and they have caused pain to myself and those around me. Thank you for the painful lessons I’ve learned. Forgive me for arrogantly thinking I knew best. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to commit my ways to you in a real and practical way. Amen.
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 2 Corinthians 2:14
The Fall season is by far my favorite time of year. While I love the beauty of the colorful leaves, the best part is the smells of the fall season. The musty-ness of the leaves, the crispness of the air around me and the aroma of a distant campfire. Nothing is better!
There are several places in the Bible where we, as Christ-followers, are referred to as a fragrant aroma to our Heavenly Father. I think of that often as I sit by a campfire and smell the sweet aroma of burning wood, or when I smell the air after a spring rain. Fresh. Alive. Soothing. And to think that God feels that way about me!
Because of Jesus, God looks upon us a trophy. Like a victorious warrior He holds us high as a prized possession. We are His and victory smells sweet! Ever notice how the aroma flowers permeates the whole house? The Apostle Paul alludes to that idea in 2 Corinthians 2:14. The aroma of our lives spreads out to those around us.
Don’t allow the things you are going through keep you from remembering how God sees you. He looks at you and smiles. He takes a deep breath and savors the aroma of your life. He watches you with admiration. He longs to draw you closer to Him. The closer we walk with God the stronger we will become and the more others will see the love of Jesus in us. We not only become a fragrant aroma to God, we become a fragrant aroma to those around us as well.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m in awe as I think that I am a fragrant aroma to you. I thank you for the victory I can have through Jesus. Help me to see myself as you see me. Empower me to turn over the areas of my life that keep me from being a fragrant aroma to those around me. May the aroma of Jesus’ love permeate me and spread out to those around me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 