Month: April 2012

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Abundance

Oshkosh, Wisconsin      Photo Credit: Denise L. White

 

 

Peer at the clear light of God. Isn’t it wonderful? He provides everything needed for true life-real life. Not the shallow water of despair and futility, but the radiant life which strengthens, embraces, creates and stirs our hearts toward goodness and light-toward God.
John 10:9-11 [New American Standard Bible] states, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
There is one condition to having an abundance life, and it is through the doorway of Christ. Being with Him you find eternal life with the [only]Person who offers you everything both now and forever.
Attempts made at trying match what God offers doesn’t measure up. There is nothing this world offers which compares with amazing treasures awaiting those who enter through the door with Christ. Henry David Thoreau once said, “What is called genius is the abundance of life and health.”
The abundant life is only available in the awesome, magnificent presence and power of God.
Go ahead! Peep in.

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Gentleness

Galatians 5:22-24 New International Version (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Philippians 4:4-6 New International Version (NIV)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Colossians 3:11-13 New International Version (NIV)
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

1 Timothy 6:10-12 New International Version (NIV)
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Peter 3:14-16 New International Version (NIV)
14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[a]; do not be frightened.”[b] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The spirit of gentleness is like a shining garment woven with thread of goodness and strength that provides comfort, security, and faith. Pick up the garment of gentleness, wear it well, and then share it with others.

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Possibility

If all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him who believes in him. Corrie Ten Boom

I read during my Saturday devotion about moving forward. The devotion was entitled Keep Going, and it described when God instructed the children of Israel to break camp and start moving because they had stayed at Mount Horeb too long. How ironic it is that as people we become comfortable in place and within circumstances even if it hurts. We don’t want to venture beyond our surroundings because we don’t know what’s out there.

We stay on a job too long until force to leave. We endure painful relationships for so long because it appears nothing can be done to rectify or resolve it.
We’ve been told to move along, get moving, try something new, or change our perception from fear to possibility, but can’t seem to gather enough momentum.
God told the nation to keep advancing, and do not veer off the path He established. He has told us the same thing; move forward and experience the fullness of life, but we chose to stay too long at Mount Horeb.

If God-the creator and sustainer of all life, told you [us] to keep going into the realm of possibility, what is holding us back? Fear, lack of faith, people? Whatever we call it, it all boil down to, we don’t believe God.
To get away from the mountain requires grasping the truth of God and his character. He is God, and nothing in the universe is more powerful. In the beginning He created life, and gave us the power to live and live it[life] more abundantly. God created possibility and also sustains it. Circumstances, situations, lifestyle changes, whatever you want to call it, does not surprise, frighten or cause God any alarms. He has all of life firmly, securely and lovingly in His hands. He can handle any situations you and I encountered, as well as any opportunity with the same competent, all-powerful and loving manner in which He created the universe.
If we lack anything, Jesus said seek and you shall find, knock on the door of God, open it and there you will discover what is needed to keep moving into the bright, clear air of possibility. Like the songwriter said, Just a closer walk with thee is all it takes.

It’s time for us to move away from the mountain, and keep walking into our destiny. It’s time to shed the skin of what is now and embrace the light of what is possible. Corrie Ten Boom said, All things are possible with God, but only for those who believe in the All Possible God.

Do you believe?

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Humility

“True humility is a flower which will adorn any garden.  This is a sauce with which you may season every dish of life, and you will find an improvement in every case.” C.H. Spurgeon

Walking around with a covering of humility in this era of self-promotion seems a bit out of place, or does it? What does it mean to be a humble person?  Is there any value in being humble?  Does the world celebrate the truly humble?  Does it [the world] need more humble people?

Humble means

  1. modest:modest and unassuming in attitude and behavior
  2. respectful:feeling or showing respect and deference toward other people
  3. lowly: relatively low in rank and without pretensions

Think of Mother Teresa, a small woman who showed respect, and love for those suffering due to illness and bigotry.

Think of Martin Luther King, a black man who demonstrated that a person’s worth is not defined by skin color, or race but by the fact they are gifts from God.

Or Sand Springs Baptist Church in Athens, Texas that recently raised money to help an avowed atheist who pushed for the removal of Nativity Scene from the county courthouse.  When asked why they did it, the simple answer was because he needed help.  No fanfare.  No trumpets blazing, just the simple commitment to demonstrate that a humble spirit can experience the wonders of God. 

The world prefers the proud and brash. When it does recognize the humble, it comes after much upheavel. The humble prefers to do their work in quiet, knowing a greater reward awaits them.

The humble person is a witness bearer for the truth.  They may reside on your block, even in your home, but they have learned a wonderful lesson, and that is the immense joy of showing love through humility. 

Spurgeon was right.  Humility is a sweet flower that looks good on any table.  How about yours?

 

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Prayer

“The richness of God’s word ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

I once thought of prayer as the thing you do when things went wrong, or I did something wrong. At another stage in my spiritual walk prayer was an activity where I sent my requests, my desires, my wants up to heaven’s door, and waited for “my” answer. Or praying for other people, particularly those in my family, who needed help, assistance, resources and money was an expectation during religious services, and specified times. Of course, prayer was encouraged as a spiritual discipline that one should practice on a daily basis to maintain a “right” relationship with God.
Over the years, I’ve learned through trial, and much error that prayer is and will always be divine communication with the Holy of Holies-with God. And that you don’t have to come with an agenda, or lists of people, issues, or circumstances needing prayer. One just has to come seeking to spend time with God.

Prayer is sharing your concerns, and desires, yes but it is so much more. It is filling your mind, your spirit, your soul with God. It is being in His presence, sensing and hearing from Him. And yes, it is also about the people, places, and things which concern us. But more importantly, our prayer life is our Spirit Life. It is a sacred, intimate discussion with the One person who is so wonderful, so marvelous that you want to the spend time with him in prayer.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote brilliantly when he said that richness of God’s word should determine the length, breadth and depth of our prayer and not external matters. Prayers built on the reality of the truth of God’s word and divine work gives a fuller meaning our time with God, because we pray out of love and gratitude, and not despair.

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Walk Worthy

Excellence is defined as the quality or state of being outstanding and superior, or an outstanding feature: a feature or respect in which somebody or something is superior and outstanding. Some say we know it[excellence] when we see it. It is a quality or characteristic no one or nothing else possess. We call it rare-superior-unique-above all the rest. Our Lord and Savior was given to us as an example of excellence-perfection in both man and God. And he calls us to demonstrate excellence in our walk, in our work, and in our worship. Just as He walked down that narrow street to Calvary he expects us to carry ourselves in a manner befitting the King of Kings.

Colossians 1: 9-14
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Via Dolorosa

As Resurrection Sunday approaches, let us not forget the price paid, the manner in which it was paid, and recommit ourselves to walk worthy of Christ the King.