Live The Word

It wasn't always fun being the pastor's kid (PK).  For one thing, from the pulpit Dad had a bird's eye view of where I sat, if I was paying attention, and if I "might" be holding hands with one certain young man. Paul gave Timothy an emphatic directive, "Preach the word!" (1 Timothy 4:2).  At the front of most churches, there's a raised area on which stands a pulpit from which is proclaimed the Name of Christ.  I doubt Paul was instructing young Timothy (or us) to drag a pulpit around, but his instruction is very relevant to Christians today.  While words are often necessary to share Christ, actions are crucial to the message.  True followers of Christ understand their behavior, speech, choices, and attitudes reveal the deeper parts of who we are.  To live in contrast to Christ shames and disclaims Him as Lord of our lives. Literally, our lives are God's – lifting Him high either in honor or disgrace.  Oswald Chambers wrote, "He does not turn us into spiritual agents but into spiritual messengers, and the message must be a part of us."  The idea is we are so rooted in Christ, He is first-nature (not second-nature) in all we say and do, all we choose, all we decide, all we are!  If you claim Christ, your pulpit is established and your preaching is in progress  – live the Word!

Greatly Enjoy

What fun Mr Bill and I have had watching the wildlife in our backyard: birds, squirrels, raccoons, deer, foxes, even a coyote or two. Some welcome and some unwelcome but all God's creatures. Interestingly, Psalm 148 speaks of how all  of creation invokes praise of The Creator. "Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! ... Praise the LORD from the earth, sea monsters and all deeps; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and winged fowl." (V.3, 8-10). What a great reminder to [Yes!] enjoy creation but greatly enjoy The Creator!  There's no denying creation's many beauties and the natural cycles of life. In every raindrop, every sunrise, every moon phase, every creepy-crawling thing, there is wonder and admiration for the One Who created it all. In this great Truth, may our enjoyment of Almighty God be magnified and multiplied to ... Praise the LORD!  

More Than Breathing

Breathing is important - I'm pretty sure you agree. Truth is, it's more important than we think!  How can breathing be any more important than it already is?  Psalm 150 says, "Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! (Hallelujah!)." (V.6, AMP). There we have it! It was the breath of God that was breathed into man to bring about life; it is the breath of man that must praise Almighty God! Step outside and hear the rich sounds of creation - see its beauty unfolding in exaltation to The Creator. Why not join in? Do something radical today - use your breath for more than just breathing. Praise the LORD!

Do What You Love

"Do what you love" is a slogan widely admired and embraced. It really is sweet to love what you do! The greatest fulfillment comes, however, by doing what God loves. Scripture tells us that's what we are created for: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10). I know, I know - doing His works isn't always pleasant, enjoyable, easy. I get it!  What I'm learning, however, is the more time I spend with The Father, getting to know and building my relationship with Jesus, the more I'm loving doing what God loves. Now, I've spent 40+ years with Mr Bill and still don't find joy in hunting and fishing but I'm not crafted by Mr Bill; rather, I'm designed by God and He knows perfectly what completes me: doing the will of The Father!  I challenge you to ask God to teach you how to love Him wholly - without reservation - then you'll find real satisfaction in doing what He and you both love!

Read the Word

Looking back, I don't remember being much of a reader as a child. As an adult, however, it seems I'm always reading. Every Believer should be a reader!  One of my favorite passages in Scripture is from the Book of Nehemiah when Ezra read the Word of God to the people: "And Ezra opened the Book in the sight of all the people ... and as he opened it the people stood ... and Ezra blessed the LORD the great God, and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen,' lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground ... they read from the Book, from the Law of God ... the people understood the reading." (from Nehemiah 8:5-8). What a sweet sight that must have been! Even so, consider what we hold in our hands today: God's Word with Its Author present! Oh, Christian friend, do not miss the incredible opportunities for blessing: be a reader of The Word!

Whole Heart

Have you ever attempted to do something but you just weren't into it? The result of doing something half-heartedly is usually obvious: rarely will it be our best work!  The psalmist wrote, "With my whole heart have I sought Thee." (Psalm 119:10a). What does it look like to seek after God with a whole heart? The Jew considered the "heart" the seat of all appetites so then the "whole heart" was everything of the inner man: his mind, will, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, etc. We all know about half-heartedness but few of us know about whole-heartedness! Clearly, the psalmist writes of an undivided heart to know God wholly and in order to do so, his whole heart must be engaged. Think about how wholly you pursue The Father in your spiritual life. Holy God demands our whole heart!  

Pickled to Perfection

Mama making pickles - what a memory!  Oodles of fresh cucumbers and opening that bag of lime - the poof of lime-dust up my nose - it took my breath!  As much as I loved Mama's pickles, the process was rough! Life sometimes gets to be a pickle, and not always a "sweet pickle."  In a blink we can be in the midst of a boiling pot headed for an unwelcome pickling. God's Word promises "The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive." (Psalm 41:2a)  Throughout the chapter, the psalmist describes the Righteous man who finds himself in enemy cross-hairs, and then the writer gives assurance there'll be no pickling of God's chosen.  Just like those cucumbers preserved in a sweet and savory liquid, the Righteous are protected by-and-in the powerful mercies of The Father.  The preservation process is often difficult, nonetheless, Sovereign God sticks with His plan to produce something sweet and irresistible.  Are you feeling the heat of the pickling process right now? Trust God and be encouraged you are being pickled to perfection according to His plan.  

No Small Thing

Little things can be big things. Interestingly, when we do the little things, rarely do we think about how really big they can be. We know from scripture David was a "man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14).  And, although very human in ways all of us understand, David remains a spiritual giant. Six times the Bible says God acted for "the sake of My servant David" - 1 Kings 11:32, 1 Kings 15:4, 2 Kings 19:34, 2 Kings 20:6, Psalm 132:10, Isaiah 37:35.  Why?  Because David was obedient to God - not perfect but one who delighted in pleasing the LORD. Clearly, that mattered greatly to God! God remembered David's heart for God and honored him for that otherwise little thing. Truth is, obedience to God is no small thing.   

Two's A Crowd

No one likes to be crowded - let's fact it, we like our space! I fear many Christians have crowded the Holy Spirit in their lives! The Holy Spirit - third Person of the Trinity - comes to live inside the Believer at the moment of Salvation, and He has much work to do. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to affirm God's Presence in us. Jesus said, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you." (John 14:16-17, AMP). What great assurance Believers have of God-in-us, and Wow! Wow! Wow! at all the Holy Spirit is and does in us! We've all heard "three's a crowd," but spiritually-speaking, two's a crowd when it comes to who's working mostly in us: Self or the Holy Spirit? How about it - have you made two a crowd in you?

Fullness and Joy

After Sunday worship, Mr Bill and I enjoyed a belated Valentine's lunch at one of our two most favorite Chinese restaurants. Most assuredly, we both experienced fullness and joy.  David wrote of a different and more satisfying fullness and joy: "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." (Psalm 16:11).  Too often we define our "blessings" with things - gifts graciously extended to us.  The Bible reminds us God is our Portion (Psalm 16:5) - with or without tangible-temporal gifts; the Giver is the Blessing. I challenge you - as I am challenged - to find your fullness and joy not in the gifts but The Giver. He is most Worthy!  

True Love

Oh, the countless expressions of love on 2019's Valentine's Day! I suggest there was much neglect, however, to express appreciate for the True Love shown us by The Creator. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Roses will fade, candy will be consumed and cards will be put even thrown away. God's Love and His ultimate Expression for His friends - you and I - are endless.  This, my friend, is True Love.  

What Rest!

It's true, I have no real sense of direction. While I'm typically the front-seat skeptic, Mr Bill drives by some confident idea he knows where he's going. Makes me nuts!  As a born-again child of The Father, do you struggle to live at rest in Christ? Spurgeon's words struck at my heart: "Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ."  Oh, how we seem to strive for rest, peace, contentment, power in the Christian walk. We must take to heart the words of God through the Apostle John, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God ... Beloved, now are we the sons of God." (1 John 3:1,2). There is no legitimate reason to labor so hard for restful hearts - Christ is our Confidence, our Hope, our Rest, our Completion. I don't expect to ever master navigation like Mr. Bill, but because of Christ I have no need to strive so; what blessed Rest is ours in Christ!  

Watchers

It's quite amusing how much my boys are like their Dad. Many of my past eye-rolling moments at Mr Bill's antics and shenanigans have played out in the boys' lives as ... well, amusements. It's actually very interesting how we learn from models put before us. Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." We are thankful for those [written about in Scripture] who triumphed in Godly faith - Enoch, Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab & Ruth, Esther, David. We forget perhaps there are those who are looking to us as models of Christian faith and perseverance. It is wise, therefore, every Believer consider his-her walk with Christ before others: "I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." (Ephesians 4:1, ESV). Always remember - there are watchers!  

My Duty My Delight

Life is full of endless duties and delights. We tend to put duties in one column and delights in a separate column.  What if, however, our duties were also our delights!  This thought took me to Psalm 119: "Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul observes them ... Troubles and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight." (V.129, 143).  This doesn't sound like someone who dreads his duty to follow God's commands. Rather, it describes one who finds great joy in keeping honoring God in obedience even in the face of troubles and sorrows of life.  Can we truly agree with the psalmist that keeping God's commands is "the joy of my heart" (V.111) ... my duty my delight!   

Power with Purpose

A few days ago I was sitting on the porch as the morning sun made its way up into the Florida sky. Even with coffee in-hand, the 20 mph wind was just too much! Acts 2 came to mind: "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:1-2). Much like that beach wind, there was power in the "the wind" of Acts 2: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (V.2).  Have we forgotten the Power of the Holy Spirit within us? Surely we must remember we have power and power with purpose: ""You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses." (Acts 1:8).  The Power given to Believers - then and now - empowers and enables; He also comforts and encourages in times of trouble and suffering. This is a Truth of which we must always be mindful: Jesus did not leave us alone! It's not just any spirit - He is the third Person of the Godhead: the Holy Spirit and He is Power with Purpose  to all who believe!   

Valley of Vision

Every Christian should be a visionary: a looking-forward-and-upward sort. The following prayer is one of my favorites!  And, I'll be reading and meditating on it while on the Island for the next ten days.  I challenge you to read it then read it again then read it again!  

Have a blessed weekend.  Miles of Smiles, Beverly

LORD, HIGH AND HOLY, MEEK AND LOWLY,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, 

where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;

Let me find Thy light in my darkness,

Thy life in my death,

Thy joy in my sorrow,

Thy grace in my sin,

Thy riches in my poverty

Thy glory in my valley.

Soul Singing

My little boys hated it, but oh how I loved to make up jingles!  The sillier they were, the more their eyes rolled. Does your soul sing?  If you're a Believer, your soul better be a'singin' – you have no excuse!  Even in the gloom-doom-despair of life, we have The Song! Consider all  the frivolous things that make us sing and dance a jig.  Why not our faith – Why not Jesus!  Christians are not commissioned to lip-sync their faith.  Our lives should ALWAYS sing of what we believe – always support what we embrace.  I challenge us to find a bird that doesn't sing, stars that don't shine, mountains that lack grandeur, thunder that does not resound, skies that lack vastness. Even nature sings of and confirms the Sovereignty and Glorious Majesty of Jehovah.  Furthermore, God sent His perfect Son to redeem you and me, enduring the terrible cross, because it pleased Him to do so!  Does this alone not fill your soul to capacity, to overflowing?  "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!" (Psalm 107:2).  Yes, my soul has a song!  Yes, my soul must sing!  How about yours?

Struggle Strategy

Have you ever acted in such a way to cause others to question your sanity?  On the run from King Saul, David found himself fearful he would be recognized before the king of Gath (Abimelech), so David changed his behavior - pretending to be insane. Nonetheless, David wrote: "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1). Not the words of a madman! The circumstances in which we find ourselves may appear grim at times - even hopeless; those are specific times to praise the LORD. Worshiping God in perilous times? It's certainly not the world's way; for sure, some may suspect madness. David continues, "My soul makes its boast in the LORD; the humble and downtrodden will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us lift up His Name together." (V.2-3). David's only madness was for the LORD!  What strategy to overcome life's struggles: Praise the LORD!

Miles of Smiles, Beverly

www.morningwithbeverly.bl

Tremble

If you want a really good laugh, watch the 1966 Don Knotts' movie, "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." You'll have a good idea of what shaking-in-your-shoes looks like. The psalmist writes, "Tremble [with anger or fear], and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still [reflect on your sin and repent of your rebellion]. (Psalm 4:4).  Christians should be deeply troubled at life-decisions in recent news. I suggest we no longer tremble at sin. Paul adds to the psalmist's words: "Be angry [at sin - at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior] ..." (Ephesians 4:26). Such things should cause us to weep and pray, pray and weep - calling out to The Creator for mercy upon a fallen people. Lest we be too quick to point an accusing finger, the psalmist reminds us repentance begins in our own hearts!  Shaking-in-our-shoes may not be the exact response before God, the wise one fears the Lord (Proverbs 9:1). Let each one of us consider if we have forgotten how to tremble before the One True Living God.

Know No Greater

The more bitter-hot-sour the candy, the more my boys loved it.  I learned quickly to never-ever, absolutely-never blindly agree to "taste" anything they handed me!  One dictionary uses the phrase "intense affection" to describe love.  Oh, the things in life we pursue with intensity – if only we sought after The Father with the same degree as the psalmist declares, "My soul followeth hard after thee … " (63:8a)  A. W. Tozer writes, "The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One."  Can you imagine a deeper, more powerful love than "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).  Let us lay aside all that binds-hinders-distracts, and take up with great intensity the pursuit of God!  Follow hard after God and know … no Greater Love!