Blog Break

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Monday 06-05-2023
Stay in The Word
Miles of Smiles, Beverly

Righteous At Heart

Perhaps the worst part of going to the doctor is stepping onto the scales. Even though I methodically take off my coat, unhand my pocketbook, empty my pockets and set aside all unnecessary weight - still, there's no manipulating those numbers! Proverbs 21:2 says, "Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But The LORD weighs the hearts." What folly we practice by doing-doing-doing all the right things instead of being-being-being righteous at heart. Jesus' scathing words to the Pharisees (religious leaders) have lost none of their sting for us today: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28, NASB). Over and over in Scripture, we read about the "hardness" of man's heart. Jim Elliot said, "it's hard to steer a parked car," and I fear too many Believers have "parked" their hearts, refusing to be shaped and molded by the hand of The Creator. God wants to "remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26, NASB) - give to us hearts tender to effective change and total obedience. You know, I'm thankful I only face those frightening scales a few times a year; weighing of my heart, however, is daily! God's scales are always perfect and just so let's make sure we know the spiritual weight of being ... righteous at heart.

Remember Well

Aren't we thankful for memories? Of course, not all memories are good ones but [I suggest] the capacity to call-up times past is a gift. Whether it's simply remembering the ingredients of a recipe or a familiar face, shared times with family and friends or the taste of Nanny's Christmas fudge, memories are precious treasures. In Lamentations 3, Jeremiah paints a grim picture of life: affliction, brokenness, darkness, mangled, helpless, mocked, trampled, deprived (Verses 2-17); then, he sums his feelings as "my splendor is gone ... my soul is downcast" (V.18, 20). I suspect we all can relate to such times in our lives. The prophet goes on to say "I remember ... I well remember" (V.19-20); like him, we often can't get-past the misery. I'm so glad Jeremiah doesn't stop there - he leads us around the spiritual corner: "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." (V.21-22). The call-to-mind is a spiritual discipline - a deliberate act of personal will to remember ... remember there is indeed hope found in The Lord! Now, Satan will have us remain in the dark and hopeless places, even cause us to lapses in memory. "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to those who seek Him" (V.26). The pathway from hopelessness to genuine Hope, that confident expectation, is found only in Christ. We are wise to ... remember well.

Me or Thee?

If you've ever been to a restaurant buffet, the choices can be overwhelming! The natural tendency is to put more on your plate than you will actually eat. God said to His people in Deuteronomy, "I have set before you today life and death (30:15). Only two choices: life or death. Life means goodness and prosperity - Death means evil and adversity. Easy, right? Who would choose the latter!  It happens every day, however. The conditions for spiritual goodness and prosperity (life) are to love the Lord, walk in His ways, keep His commandments (V.16). When we love Him, we love the things He loves; when we walk in His ways, we live righteously; when we keep His commands, we are true to His principles for living. There's no terrorizing or arm-twisting to the reward of life; no, all the riches of God's grace come to those who choose respectively. But it demands discipline, selflessness, humility - oh, yeah. Those things don't feed my I-want-it-now lifestyle. Like an over-filled plate of uneaten food are wasted, lives and time [too] are wasted from choices made based on right-here-right-now requirements. Jesus used The Truth of God to soundly defeat Satan in the wilderness temptations. We [too] must employ His Truth to the world's offerings today. Hear Joshua's challenge: choose you this day whom you will serve! Will it be ... me or Thee? Choose God - choose life!

A Mindful Mind

Of growing old, it's been said, “Of all the things I’ve lost, it’s my mind I miss the most." Between Mister Bill and myself, we sure can forget to remember some things. Satan is always ready to stir my memory to things that are better left forgotten. When left to aimless wander, we mindlessly fritter away precious time spent otherwise constructively. Peter writes, “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:1-2) Keeping in mind the purity of Christ is an unending discipline! Peter writes of what it takes to keep the Believer’s mind focused and instep with holiness. We live in a time when the world mocks Christ by glamorizing sin, making it tasty and preferable. As followers of Christ, we won’t identify sin nor see it for what it is unless The Truth is ever before us. The Word of God, by the work of The Holy Spirit, stirs the sincerity of Believers’ minds to recall the life and words of Jesus. Satan seizes every opportunity to draw us away from God’s Word. I challenge you as a disciple of Christ to to ask for God's rich and abundant grace to remain true to His call on your life through the faithful reading and study of The Holy Word. It really is the only way to have a ... mindful mind!

Unreasonable Faith

Have you ever tried to reason with someone who was simply ... unreasonable? It's an exercise in futility to speak logically and practically to one who is neither logical nor practical. Early in Jesus' ministry, He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God." How is this reasonably possible in light of our earthly responsibilities - caring for a home and family, maintaining a stead job, earning a living, being active in church and community, etc? Jesus isn't saying these things aren't necessary or important - of course, they are. He is saying, however, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness "and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). What things? "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?' ... Your heavenly Father knows that you need them" (V.31-32). This isn't the orderly way of worldly thinking! That's right, it isn't - Jesus switches it up: make it your life's priority to seek me first and I will provide all your needs. The right and righteous order for Believers is to put and keep Jesus first, make the relationship with Him primary in every aspect of our lives. You can expect some to look at you and and say that's  "unreasonable." Well, as nonsensical (unreasonable) as it may sound or appear, unreasonable thinking demands an ... unreasonable faith. Be unreasonable!

Enjoy the Beauty

My Granny said, "Beauty is as beauty does."  I didn't have a clue what she meant those fifty-plus years ago, but I understand it today!  It's amazing how initial beauty [of things and people] changes as time passes. Granny was so smart! It's actually tragic how much beauty we miss - it's all around us.  In Mr. Jones, Meet the Master, Peter Marshall wrote this: "There is beauty in homely things which many people have never seen ... sunlight through a jar of beach-plum jelly; a rainbow in soapsuds in dishwater; an egg yolk in a blue bowl; white ruffled curtains sifting moonlight; the color of cranberry glass; a little cottage with blue shutters; crimson roses in an old stone crock; the smell of newly baked bread; candlelight on old brass."  Beauty began in the mind of The Creator and lives on today in The Beauty of His Son, Jesus. We are evermore surrounded by the tender mercy and grace of God's Imagination and His Sustaining Grace.  What joy He has made both the physical beauty of creation and the spiritual beauty of The Savior available to all who believe and walk in righteousness. Enjoy the Beauty!

No Disguise

 Morning with Beverly Archives: May 30, 200202
No Disguise

A mess can never be disguised -- no matter how hard you try.  When I returned home today, there were no clean cups in the cabinet.  Why?  Because they were all dirty and neatly stacked in the sink ... three foot high! Dirty, yes ... but neatly stacked.  God isn't fooled nor pleased by the tidiness of our lives -- He's more interested in the purity of our hearts.  I'm always amazed at how my self-righteousness melts at God's Word, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." (Psalm 26:2)  I shrink when I recall my attitudes, my reactions, my words, my impatience ... as well as the things my heart and mind feed upon. God's answer lies in Verse 11, "But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me."  The mess sin causes may appear neat and tidy, but it is never pretty to God.  We must see the mess, confess it, and allow God to clean it up.  The results need no disguise!

Dear Lord, I confess my sinful heart before You, and offer it to You to cleanse and restore as You desire.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Mover

Most days it’s Mister Bill‘s feet first on the floor. Although retired for several years, his internal clock still goes off at 5am. I suggest it's worth a pause to consider what we are subordinate to - that is, under whose or what we position ourselves and yield authority. In the animal kingdom, there’s an alpha (dominant) male that out-ranks by its feat of courage and strength. I’ll be the first to admit how inadequately manage my life; while my calendar may help orchestrate the physical logistics of life, it does nothing for the spiritual. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4).  Jesus’ use of a vine and its branches clearly illustrates the foolishness of His disciples' attempts to live outside the Authority and Sufficiency of Christ. The stress and strain of striving to maintain a heart of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - all fruits of His Spirit … not mine (Galatians 5:22-23)! Ultimately, it was God Who first moved us toward Himself: even when we were dead in our sin, Christ made us alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). He moved first to redeem (save, justify) us and is evermore by His Power enabling us to live pleasing to Him. The Puritan said, “Thou dost not move men like stones, but dost endure them with life, not to enable them to move without Thee, but in submission to Thee, the first mover.” I'm glad there's no trophies earned here for first feet-on-the-floor! In contrast, what rewards there are for surrender to The Father Who loved me first and sustains me day-by-day. He is ... The Mover.

Captured

What's your idea of a good day? For me, it's either a day sitting at my desk reading [God's Word} and writing about Its Truths or sitting underneath my beach umbrella with my toes in the sand. Either one I find captivating! The problem with both of these "good days" is that they come to an end not to mention they happen all too infrequently. Paul wrote, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). I suggest too much of our lives are spent flitting, like a butterfly, from one sweet captivating moment to the next; always in search of the next thing to fulfill this inherit desire to find peace, happiness and contentment. Oh, that our hearts could find "no comfort in anything apart from enjoying Thee" (Puritan Prayer, The Valley of Vision). Steadfast and lasting peace and contentment come to those whose minds and trust rest on God alone (Isaiah 26:3). Soon, I'll have my toes in the sand and hope to enjoy those moments; my prayer is, however, that it is Christ Who day-by-day captivates my heart - ever captured by Him!

God - The All

When was the last time you were "well pleased" with yourself - you stepped back and just admired what you had done? King Nebuchadnezzar took such a pause - "The king said thoughtfully, 'Is not this the great Babylon which I myself have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty?'" (Daniel 4:29). How familiar this should sound to us: resting contentedly in our places, seasons and circumstances, crediting ourselves with some mighty fine management of our lives. "While the words were still in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: "The kingdom has been removed from you."'" (V.30). In one blink-and-burp the king's self-righteous majesty was revealed as folly. Oh, make no mistake, this is not some fable of Biblical notoriety - no! This was (and is) a wake-up call from The Most High God: "I am The Lord; that is My Name; My glory I give to no other" (Isaiah 42:8). God is altogether and abundantly gracious and offers us steadfast peace and contentment in His All-Sufficiency. The Puritan prayed, "Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me Thou makest them, and no more." What a comfort He is - what a challenge before us: to rest peacefully in God ... The All.

The Showing

Although it seems to be fashionable today [at least in some circles], I remember asking before I left the house, "is my slip showing" or Mama telling me she could see my petticoat. Praise be to God, Believers receive a new nature at salvation; nonetheless, the "old nature" shows itself sometimes. Mister Bill calls my old nature "Hester," and trust me - she ain't pretty! How shameful when the old nature rears its ugly head and we shrug, laugh and say "well, that's just the way I am." Paul writes, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2). Jesus was tempted, rejected, betrayed, mocked, deserted - all things we face today yet He was victorious over them. He showed us through His life that life-things - anger, discouragement, sorrow, ridicule, etc. - need not feed our old nature nor it reign in us. "We know that our old self was crucified with Him [Christ] in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." (Romans 6:6). Old fashioned, I guess, but slips and other such under-garments shouldn't show ... neither should my old nature of sinfulness. My prayer is that the nature that faithfully shows itself will be a reflection of the Beauty of Christ and pleasing to The Father. As followers of Jesus, let's pay attention to ... what's showing.

Holy Habits

Grocery shopping recently with Mister Bill (not a real good idea) and standing in the produce department, I told him the "experts" say we should "eat fresh." He walked away - so much for that. The additives in foods are generally not good for us; spiritual additives, however, will make-or-break us. "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." (2 Peter 1:3-7). Truly, we cannot save or make ourselves holy - no! that's what God does. Believers are, however, to add-to (supplement) what God has done and is doing in us by establishing "holy habits" or disciplines. Oswald Chambers says, "we cannot do what God does [and] God will not do what we can do." When we, by an act of our own will determine (that is, take the initiative), to read, study, pray, worship, fellowship, serve ... well, we are investing in a life that is both obedient and pleasing to The Father. Don't walk away from this important truth - embrace holy habits and watch what God will do!

The Cause

When I walked into my house, the fragrance of clean made me smile! The floors were mopped, bathrooms scrubbed, carpet vacuumed, kitchen sink spotless. Yes, that smell of clean as well as that it wasn't my own elbow-grease - well, it was just delightful. I suggest Believers are too often confused about what brings them delight. Listen to the psalmist: "It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High, to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night ... For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your works; at the works of Your hands I joyfully sing." (Psalm 92:1-2, 4). What captures your heart? Is it a new dress, vacation plans, a winning team, a satisfying meal? Of course, these things bring us joy and cause for celebration but they come-and-go, they demand do-overs - not so with The Father. God is unfailingly faithful at all times, in every circumstance! In view of who God is, we don't need to "wait around" for the next big joyful moment. There's a perpetually perfect Cause to sing, to delight, to rejoice, to be grateful: He is ... The Cause of all causes.

Best Right Turn

This may sound weird, at least it did to my Dad who actually laughed at me on occasion, but I prefer making right turns instead of left. If I'm running errands, I will often plan my route so that I'm making right turns along the way. Isn't it interesting how we seem to always want the easy way - the path of least resistance.This is not the general way of life. Life, instead, if filled with hard moments - temptations, health challenges, broken promises, unexpected difficulties, discouragements ... hard moments. When hard moments come to Believers, we face them with hope and trust. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). Oh how we forget how God can and will use the hard moments to teach and shape us into something for His own glory as well as to reveal to and in us His amazing grace! In defense of my preference for making right turns as much as possible, they are often safer than turning across traffic ... my Dad just chuckled all the more. My all-too-often complaints and frustrations about life's hard moments are brought into perspective when I am persuaded by the Truth of God's Word. Trusting in Him is always a ... right turn.

Unmixed

As a young girl, when I heard the phrase "mixed drinks" I knew it meant part of the mix included alcohol. A few days ago, I watched our Isabelle "mix" 5-6 different soft drinks then kindly offer Mister Bill and I sips! I suggest many Believers are regularly sippin' on a mix of truth and lies; and, sadly, many of them have no idea of the deadly mix! Jesus [The Son] prayed [to The Father] specifically for us - His followers: "My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one ... Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth." (John 17:15, 17). Quite simply, it is Truth as spoken by the perfect, holy, unchanging, eternal God (aka "thus says The Lord") by which we are sanctified - made holy and acceptable unto Him for righteous living. The problem - and not a new one, by the way - is that Satan has distorted the Truth [as spoken by God Eternal] to make "truth" more suitable to man's own passions and persuasions. Take note, however: "forever, O Lord, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens" (Psalm 119:89). Mister Bill (PopC) and I (MomC) kindly but resolutely declined to sip Isabelle's "mixed drink." I wonder how many of us are carelessly sippin' on mixed-truths today. There is only one truth - it is pure and true - it is unchanging. Be sure your truth is ever and always ... unmixed.

Enduring Hearts

Although a distance runner in my younger years, I was able to outrun a few. Do you realize how foolish it is to imagine we can outrun or even leave behind the stresses of this life? Consider those eleven disciples who, as instructed by Jesus, gathered on the Galilean mountain; perhaps they imagined worst days past and their resurrected Friend and Messiah leading them on to better days. Instead, before He ascends into the heavens, Jesus said to them: "Lo, I am with you always." (Matthew 28:20). Jesus knew the troubles to come for those eleven and for us. He knew exactly how Satan would tantalize our hearts with so many distractions, hindering our focus on The Ever-Same, Ever-With-Us Christ. Charles Spurgeon challenges Believers: "O my soul, set not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treasures, but set thine heart upon Him Who abides for ever faithful to thee." Affections set on fleeting things soon run as dry as a pipeline without the necessary flow of gas! After Jesus' words to His disciples, know what they did? "Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." (Luke 24:52-53). What they did flowed from hearts that had genuinely absorbed His words, "I am with you always." Consider in what or in whom is your deepest trust and treasure. Hearts affectionately set on Christ run the distance - those are the ... enduring hearts.

Trust Him With Your Heart

A common conversation around here involves our Grands talking about the things they see in the woods around our houses, some of which [to me] are scary - bugs, spiders and such. The answer to their invitations of come-and-see is always a kindly quick ... "no thanks." One of Satan's more effective strategies is to get Believers so busy and distracted with their to-do and not-to-do list they forget our righteousness is not a result of our own good works. "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged - consecrated to Him - set apart of His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23, AMP). This great truth - from the "God of Peace Himself" - should give every Believer great peace! The incessant striving for holiness, to "keep our hearts," is God's work in us - not our own. For sure, we are called to some holy habits ... prayer, meditation, study, fellowship, etc. ... but the keeping blameless of our spirit, soul and body ... God does that! "Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He Who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own]." (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Trust me, I have little exposure to creepy-crawly things because I don't do woods. Praise be to The Father, I can ... trust Him with my heart.

The WordSmith

Some of my fondest childhood memories center around my Mom and Dad: Mom's shuffling of pots and pans in the kitchen - a reminder of her nearness and caring for her family; then, the sound of Dad in his study ... the sounds of his squeaky chair and clicking of typewriter keys - his putting thoughts into words then words onto paper. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue," says Proverbs 18:21. Oh, for shame, the words that leave our lips that serve-up death rather than life! Paul instructs Believers their speech should "always be gracious, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). Salt flavors things; we all know the spittin' and sputterin' of grits without salt and unsalted popcorn. As salt salts, so must our words warm the soul, encourage the heart, lift the spirit and refresh the weary. Many people have said my Dad was a "wordsmith" - an expert on words ... I agree. The greatest wordsmith, however, is Almighty God and The Truth as written in His Word. May it be the greatest WordSmith [of all] "smith" our hearts so that what pours forth are sweet and savory words of life.

No Before

When we think of "before," we are remembering something prior-to. Mister Bill and I are nearing the end of a bathroom remodel; the excitement of the new will eventually fade and we'll barely think of the "before." Psalm 93:1-2 says, "The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old;You are from everlasting." I love those words ... "You are from everlasting." Remember this: God has no before! He has always been - is the only un-created one. All other things have a beginning, a point of creation - not God! "From everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (Psalm 90:2). Can there be any more stunning description - no! It is Jehovah God Who has no "before," un-created, has always been, Creator of heavens and earth Who look on created beings in whom He breathed life (that's you and I) and desires a relationship with and to be in fellowship with us. As Believers, let us not forget who once were - lost and undone without Christ - and who we now now because God's great Salvation. All praise to God Who has been, Who is, Who always will be - Him Who has no ... before!