Let It Go

The younger-me loved roller coasters. Albeit, I rode them with my eyes closed and holding on for dear life! To be pleasing to God, Believers must be willing to let-go of some [often] highly valued things: careers, clothes, money, children. Now, I’m not readily suggesting mass liquidation or such but rather an examination of that which we wrongly treasure.  For instance, we may hold attitudes of pride and unforgiveness, which hinder our usefulness to God.  Ahead of the Passover meal, Jesus sent two disciples to Jerusalem; He said, “Go into the village … and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” (Matthew 21:2-3). Read that again: the Lord has need of them. Have you considered what God has need of from you? Perhaps it’s the very thing or things you are desperately clinching. Missionary Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Truth is, there’s no earthly measure of how God will use what we freely give to Him. Most likely, no one could pry my hands free during that coaster ride; may that never be said of those who claim love and devotion to Jesus Christ.  Will we come to God with open hands rather than clenched fists?  Give it up – Let it loose – Set it free – See God use it.

Consider Jesus

On my refrigerator is a magnet: “Sister to sister we’ll always be, a couple of nuts off the family tree.” As much as we may want to hide-ignore-deny our genealogy, it is what it is! Matthew and Luke both give a wonderful genealogy of Jesus – as strange as it may sound, I love reading the “begats.” In stark contrast, however, John gives no such details; rather he begins his gospel “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1).  You cannot read John 1:1 without thinking of the first four words of Scripture, “In the beginning God …” (Genesis 1:1).  John gives us the distinctive spiritual genealogy, which is profound yet short and [oh how] sweet: Jesus has always been! I fear many Believers find it rather easy to appeal to Jehovah God but fail to understand Jesus is The Way to The Father. Later in his gospel, John quotes Jesus, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). You see, there’s no side-stepping Jesus as we seek God; try as we may, it just ain’t happening. Anyone who [even] casually denies Jesus forfeits all opportunities  to know God! As uniquely different as The Sustas and I are, none of us can deny who we are in relation to our parents, nor would we want to. If something isn’t right in your relationship with God, I encourage you to seriously and prayerfully … consider Jesus.

Greatest Conference

Through the years, I’ve attended a number of conferences.  Many of the break-out sessions were great with take-away knowledge and resources.  In Scripture, there are quite a few men who had conferences with Almighty God.  One was a young boy named Samuel who heard directly and repeatedly from God. We may read this and think “well, that was then and now is now.”  Ah, but how many times has God spoken and [like Samuel] God had to repeat Himself; perhaps we questioned if it was God's voice at all.  I recognize Mr Bill’s voice from other voices; why? Because I spend time with him, listen to him.  Do we know God’s voice so little we fail to recognize Him when He speaks, or do we have such a build-up of unconfessed sin we are spiritually hard-of-hearing?  The Prophet Isaiah said God spoke to him “with a strong hand” (Isaiah 8:11).  Be sure, God speaks!  Question is, do we hear Him or are we even listening?  There is great reward when we are spiritually present with The Father.  Be there – He will always be our greatest conference!

Much More

Aside from cost, first-thoughts about major purchases are often  this: am I getting the most product for my money? Then it’s game-on – the shopping begins!  Jesus had a unique way of turning material-world thinking into spiritual-world thinking.   He said, “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matthew 6:28-30, NASB). Do you wonder about the real depth of your faith? Take a long look at your collections – shoes, pantry products, bank account, shopping habits, etc.  Often these are the best measure of just how much we trust God to provide for and sustain our lives.  Now, I’m all about taking advantage of a good buy and having an ample stock of everyday items; however, without realizing it, we may be trusting in ourselves to sustain our lives rather than “how much more” is promised us by The Father.  The sustainability [and worry-free life] Jesus teaches is rooted solely in genuine faith [trust] in God Who (1) knows our every need; (2) is able to provide our every need; (3) will provide our every need. Think about it – how much more do we need than that!

Live Undisturbed

Don’t you love those “do not disturb” signs on hotel doors? It’s a peaceful feeling to turn out the light and know you’ll not be awakened by housekeeping; ironically, it’s the electronic devices inside the room that are the most “disturbing.” How is it possible to set aside the things which hinder and disrupt the Believer’s abiding spirit in Christ? Colossians 3:3 assures us at all times we are “hidden with Christ in God.” Even in the busyness of life – meal preparation, paying bills, changing a tire, carpooling, unloading the dishwasher – we are ever being “transformed into” the glorious image of God. (2 Corinthians 3:18. Don’t forget, that’s our original image [at Creation]! That image is a mirror of Christ to others. The key is to remain undisturbed in who we are as His image-bearers.  Take care to never allow a hurried lifestyle disturb your reflection of Christ-in-you.  Live undisturbed.

Looking Ahead

Practice after a big basketball loss was terrible!  Coach pulled out the charts to show us foul shots missed, bad shots taken, and careless turnovers.  There were no denials – the proof was there in black and white.  Looking back at past blunders is rarely fun.  A new calendar-year can bring a new "frame of mind."  We may shrug-off resolutions or goal-setting but as we learn to write 2020, it’s easy to think of a clean slate, a fresh piece of paper, a “new leaf."  No surprise, that’s Satan's cue to turn our thoughts backwards, hindering new thinking patterns. Well, shot charts were often discouraging, even depressing, but the surety of God's grace and mercy is kept in perspective by the memory of yesterday's blunders and bloopers.  Oswald Chambers writes: "But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them in order to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual culture for the future. God reminds us of the past lest we get into a shallow security in the present." Here’s the uplifting Truth: God is our Security for today, tomorrow, and the gripping past.  Psalm 25:4-5 says, “Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Wow! Now, that’s a great way to keep looking ahead!

Be Engaged

Reciprocal relationships are generally the best kind. You know, those relationships when both parties are engaged: teacher-student, husband-wife, business-customer, friend-friend, etc. The relationship between the people of Israel and God wasn’t always mutual. God said to them, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved Me and followed Me through a land not sown.” (Jeremiah 2:2).  Before we start thinking shame-on-you Israel, we’re wise to consider if there’s shame at our own doorstep! God is always loving and kind to His children but [truth is] we’re not always loving and kind in-return. A good measure of just how much we love God is how much we treasure our relationship with Christ and how involved we are in our relationship with others. It’s worthwhile to ask: “do I remember a time when I loved God more than I do right now?” Be careful with your answer because God knows the answer – maybe the time when we were first saved and our excited and eager we were about our New Life in Christ. I am very blessed with a number of old [long-time] friendships that are sweetly reciprocal – wonderfully refreshing.  God faithfully engages with those who love Him. Your faithful love and obedience is the best thing you bring to the relationship. Be and stay engaged!

Stay Close

Stale bread is not cool; and unless you use it often, it’s exactly that … stale! One of the greatest challenges for Believers is living life robustly – with vigor and eagerness. Lest we forget, we’ve been born from above by the working and power of The Holy Spirit. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:6).  Soon I will take my winter trip to the beach, an otherwise nice retreat – time to refresh-renew but there’s really nothing powerful about the place or even change in pace. The Believer’s spirit is not rooted in the things that affect the flesh but rather the spirit.  Jesus continued, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8). The renewing work of God in us is as mysterious as the wind yet it is highly effective but only when we are in-step with Him. Our relationship with Christ and faithful obedience to Him “keeps us ‘in the Light as He is in the Light. (1 John 1:7)’” (Oswald Chambers). Since Mr Bill and I don’t eat much bread, our bread tends to grow stale; in the same way, the Believer’s life [too] grows stale when we fail to maintain a close relationship with Christ. Live life vigorously – stay close to Christ!

Gifted to Believe

Do you believe everything you’re told? If you do, you could be described as gullible or naïve.  After a few now-comical stories – like convincing me he had two hearts – Mr Bill has cured me of gullibility! Having no heir, Abram was fairly certain his natural family-line would end with himself.  God said to Abram, “’Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them … So shall your descendants be.’ Then he [Abram] believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5-6). I agree, what God promised to Abram was pretty unbelievable! Nonetheless, Abram believed God – took Him at His word, trusted God was speaking truth – and simply believed. Abram’s reward was great – an heir and countless descendants; an even greater reward [for Abram’s belief], however, was … righteousness.  It’s pretty easy to believe something when there’s hard proof to establish its truth, but it’s a divine gift to simply believe something … by faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8). Faith – to believe, to trust in God – is a gift of God!  A gift of God!  I agree, it’s wise practice to not believe everything you read or hear; we can, however, trust all God has said. If you’re having trouble with that, pray for His gift of faith to believe!

Never Miss A Call

A spotty or unreliable cell signal is problematic. For example, when Mr Bill is working in our basement, he’s “off the grid.”  Sadly, there are times in our spiritual lives when we [too] miss God’s voice and His personal call. Be assured of this: the missed call has nothing to do with the Caller!  The lack of signal can be traced to a struggling relationship with or broken fellowship with Christ.  Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4). The Greek word “abide” refers to a continual tarrying and with purpose. A few days ago, I was expecting a call so my phone was constantly with me; I did not intend to miss that call! This is how we are to abide in Christ – being diligent and attentive to His voice, faithfully keeping ourselves in spiritual range so we never miss His call. The psalmist said, “But for me it is good to be near God.” (Psalm 73:28). There are days my phone is silent and that’s okay; it’s never a good thing, however, to be miss God’s voice. Remain in Him – never miss a call. 

New Day

Coffee in hand, I enjoy the quiet beauty of the morning and wondered: what was creation like in its perfect state? Romans 8 says creation itself waits with eager longing when it will be “set free from the bondage of decay” (8:21). Perhaps there’s nothing that shocks our sense of sin’s impact on this world and life [in general] than a sudden and untimely death or looking it squarely in the face. In stark contrast, the unbridled glory awaiting us is beyond comprehension – it is unimaginable. As sweet as those moments of quiet beauty are, we must through faith believe, they cannot compare with what’s to come: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no longer any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain … Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:3-5).  Of course, I’m thankful for the moments of grace to enjoy present beauties, but my soul sings of a new time when all will be whole and perfect. I pray to see you there!

Promise of Presence

If you get near our screened porch, you’ll stop in your tracks! Mr. Bill has placed a motion-activated device that sounds like a hoot-owl. Good grief – it is so annoying. The psalmist wrote, “The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8). There’s a lot of darkness in the world. Even those who are not bound in spiritual darkness – the Saints of God – know dark days: days when the sense of loss is great. Isn’t it soothing to know God directs His goodness and kindness and faithfulness during the daytime, and His singing is present in the dark of night! The conclusion is: there isn’t a time – day or night – when God is absent from those whom He loves and who love Him. God’s Promise of Presence is certain! Let us live with its resonance – may it ever be our constant companion.

Beyond Expectation

Have you ever surprised yourself by behaving in a way totally out-of-character?  You look back at that moment and wonder what in-the-world got into you!  Paul penned some profoundly encouraging words to Timothy: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). God cannot deny Himself – He can’t not be God! Don’t you just love people who are real, just can’t help but be themselves?  There’s no pretense, no masking – just 100% WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)!  God is exactly Who He says He is because He is Who He is. Furthermore, He is completely trustworthy; all he says He’ll do, He does. At our very best, we attempt to live by the highest of standards – dependable, trustworthy, faithful – but we must work within the boundaries of potential and no outside influences (aka things beyond our control). This is not so with Almighty God: He is bound by nothing; He acts within His own character, Who He is. He simply is and will evermore be Who He is. Like Timothy, we should find this great Truth the ultimate security for living life in and among the unknown.  When we trust God, there’s no guesswork or probability, rather the certainty according to His Sovereignty. That is living beyond expectation!

Mighty Roar

In her 1972 chart-topper, Helen Reddy sang “I am woman, hear me roar.” The vivid memory of the teenager-me singing along just makes me giggle! God’s Word refers to roaring a few times, but it’s waters and lions that roar!  Have you ever had one of those “roaring” days?  Days when all you seem to do is snip-snap-spit-and-spew!  Mercy on those who get in your way!  God, through the psalmist, lays out the way to a better spirit: “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the LORD takes thought for me.  You are my Help and my Deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” (Psalm 40:17). The first step toward Help and Delivery is embracing a poor and needy spirit. Give up to win. Surrender to be victorious. Humble ourselves to become mighty. Oh, the gracious and sweet exchange of poverty for wealth – in Christ alone.  Now, that’s something to roar about!

Enjoyment

It’s crazy how much fun do-nothing can be! Mr Bill and I just returned from a few days of do-nothing at our favorite doesn’t-seem-like-it bed and breakfast. Our do-nothing days consisted of him fishing and me sitting on the terrace with coffee. One of the greatest questions one can ponder is “what is the chief end of man?”  Along with glorifying God  (1 Corinthians 10:31), the psalmist proposes, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26). The “forever” usually propels us into eternity-thinking but [for Believers], forever has already begun. Yes, of course, for those who have been justified (saved) by faith, there awaits post-earth eternity of “enjoying God.” However, we can – and should – enjoy God right now through a close-personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. As I sat on the terrace, I thought about how “good” life was at just that moment – and I thanked God for that. But life isn’t generally spent in beautiful places doing otherwise wonderful things; sometimes it’s night-time tears, hospitals or cancer clinics, frantic fear about our children, job loss or wondering where the money will come from gas or groceries. Nonetheless, a relationship with Christ offers enjoyment [yes] even in these less-than-good times. Why? Because God through Christ is our Portion – all we need when needs seem many and hope seem slim. Once home and tugged into our own bed, we commented “there really is no place like home.” Oh, how wonderfully true that is: one day Believers will be at-home in Heaven where no sorrow-tears-loss-fear exist. No, we’ll have a new and forever sense of what real enjoyment is. Until then, however, let’s work on that relationship with Christ and enjoy Him here and now.

Heart-Tours

Have you ever been on a Tour of Homes?  I’ve been on a few, and all the houses were amazing showcases but there were things missing: laundry, unswept floors, dust, dirty dishes, clutter.   As Believers, we are called to maintain lives that can be “toured” by others at any moment – without shame. Oh, my!  Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, “Our lives must be such that observers may peep within doors and may see nothing for which to blame us.”  Again I say – oh, my!  The life that can stand such scrutiny includes the most hidden places of the heart.  A heart of holiness – swept clean of sinful debris requires determined discipline and sanctifying grace.  "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23). This is a wise consideration for every serious follower of Jesus Christ: is my heart open for tours?

True Help

Of all the numbers I have in my phone, the most highly revered are support numbers: trust me, you want the power company's number when the lights go out!  Psalm 121:1-2 are verses I heard my Mom quote many times: "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." The psalmist depicts a traveler as he ascends to Jerusalem - the City of God. We might expect the writer would speak of God's loving and compassionate nature but [rather] he writes of God as The Creator of heaven and earth, Who also sustains and controls all things.  He writes of The All-Mighty God: mightiest, most powerful, most capable, most sufficient to help those whom He loves! Oh, don't we know the frustration of "no support" or help in this life; expect no such disappointing end with Elohim - the Hebrew Name for God appearing in the first sentence of Scripture: "In the beginning God" (Genesis 1:1). Are you seeking help in the right place? True help comes only from God.

With Faith

Mary Poppins sang, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" -- what doesn't go down better with sugar!  Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God." Okay, so why is it Believers think they can excel spiritually and be in good-standing with God having a mere inkling of faith? Truth is, too many Believers have spiritual atrophy (withered and shriveled) because they don't regularly exercise their faith - their trust in God! What spiritually weaklings we become! Anyway, it's so much preferred to handle things ourselves, trust in our own ability to control life. The spiritually mature know better; they understand the discipline of trusting God first - not as a backup plan! Faith is fundamentally essential to not only "pleasing God" but [also] it is the gateway to love, joy, peace and all other Fruits of The Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23). Take a pause to consider if you're failing to please God by a lack of faith. The spiritually-pleasing life will "go down" much better with faith!

God's Penmanship

Penmanship is an art – almost a lost art! As a young girl, I learned from my Mom to handwrite notes of gratitude and encouragement.  Today, emails and texts have all-but replaced this timeless practice! The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “’But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” (Jeremiah 31:33)  How glorious and eternal is that which God writes on hearts!  He writes not that which is temporal but of eternal significance. He declares His covenant with Believers, which fully satisfies!  He writes of Perfect Portion to fill the cup of thirsty man.  Let us say with David, “my cup runneth over!” (Psalm 23:5).  God's covenant word is enough – all we need now and forever.  A friend once commented kindly about my penmanship but truly nothing compares to the Penmanship of Almighty God upon hearts today!  Oh, the beauty of His words!