What's Happening!

One morning I asked a young fella, "what's going on today?" In sweet little-boy fashion, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Mrs Beverly, I don't know what's happening today." I chuckled at his response, which was as truthful as it gets because none of us really know with certainty what the day holds. One certain thing I know, however, is God commands me to meet each moment of the day with His Holiness. His command is plain: "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16, ESV). If asked "what does holiness look like," I expect answers would vary - most pointing to lists of honorable abstentions and praiseworthy acts. Noteworthy for sure but that's not holiness! There is a self-test: "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV). There's the answer: holiness is "Christ in you" - Jesus' characteristics of love, peace, joy, kindness, patience, gentleness, self-control - all dwelling in and ruling in me. I will not wake up one morning and declare myself holy; oh no! it comes by spending time in The Presence of The Most Holy One. Truth is, none of us know "what's happening" on any given day but we can know what's expected: a humbled and a holy heart. That's the only sure way to know ...what's happening!

Not So Tricky

Trust is a tricky thing – to be studied and considered intently. Sometimes I hear people say “trust your heart” – no! no! no! God says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). There are, of course, trustworthy people in our lives. Nonetheless, Scripture says Jesus “did not commit Himself unto them ..;. for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25). Can we all not still feel the searing burn of a broken trust? See, trust is indeed a tricky thing! Trust placed in God is never misplaced: it is completely unshakeable and altogether sure. Trusting in Him and not man – that includes ourselves – is the only sure way to trust. We do well when we “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) and “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6). Only then is trust ... not so tricky!

A Healthy Heart

Surgical procedures sound scary, and they can be! They are, however, necessary sometimes to correct and/or rectify a problem. God says His Word is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, ESV). That sounds much like a surgical procedure to me! We hear and read such touching words about the human heart but here's the most reliable truth: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV). The reality of the human heart is that none of us know the depth of our heart's spiritual sickness, and we all need heart surgery! The good news is that there is help for our sin-sick condition: Jesus said, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth" (John 17:17). There's no diagnostic nor ore-operative appointment necessary; The Great Physical and His Holy Tool are ever ready and able to expose the heart's problem and set it on the right course of righteousness. Physical surgeries that are put-off often delay healing and can even lead to terrible consequences; the same is true when we neglect God's Word and Its power to cleanse and heal. Let God do His mighty work in you today - maintain ... a healthy heart.

Prepare Yourself

Pre-planning is a common word used in the school system: it's what teachers do before classes begins each year. They much prefer, however, the sound of ... post-planning! It's pretty strange [to me] how many people give little thought to eternity; they seem to be content with thoughts on the current moment - hence, the old adage, "out of sight, out of mind," Thus says The Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth: "And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment" (Hebrews 9:27, AMP). There's never a question that physical death comes for us all - it's part of life here. The certainty of life beyond physical death, however, seems to be ever in-question by many since so many have chosen to ignore that the soul never dies! "And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God Who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV). God desires for every spirit (soul) into which He has breathed life to return to Him, its Creator. The life we live here, most importantly the choice we make to love and live for Christ Jesus, determines where the soul will spend eternity. Mister Bill and I just finished some pre-planning for what will certainly come to our physical bodies but the greatest "pre-planning" we've done is that we have chosen Christ here, to honor Him with the time we've been given. "This world is not my home - I'm just a'passin' through - My treasure is laid up somewhere beyond the blue." Have you thought-ahead, made yourself ready, prepared for the day that will come? If not, I pray you will do that ... prepare yourself.

Keep Drinking

If you've ever watched the habits of a hummingbird, you know they are ... heavy drinkers. Not in the sense of the world's word [as heavily into the consumption of hard drink] but those birds must drink in order in do what hummingbirds do so well - expend energy. Jesus intentionally placed Himself at a Samaritan well at which He knew a woman would come for daily water. She, like all of us, was thirstier than she knew! Jesus' offer of water went like this: "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst" (John 4:14a, NASB). Each of us know what physical thirst which when once satisfied must be satisfied yet again. Whether we are willing to admit admit it or not, we are "heavy drinkers" of what the world offers in the latest and greatest things of this life, things that lead us to happiness and contentment. As soon as we get our fill, we begin to thirst once again. You see, our souls need a drink of Him Who is all-satisfying! Jesus says, "I will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14b, NASB). That hummingbird comes to the feeder countless times a day - an ongoing and continuous drinking. We [too] are created by God to be drinkers of The Fountain of Living Water: "Drinking at the springs of Living Water - Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy - Drinking at the springs of Living Water - A wonderful and bountiful supply." Jesus Christ - the soul's greatest and deepest thirst: drink deeply - drink regularly ... keep drinking!

Enjoy the Stretch

How many times have you sat-through something then could really only describe it as an endurance? Out of cheer courtesy, I won't name those I've ... endured! For follower of Jesus, perseverance is more than endurance. Jesus said of the faithful Saints at Philadelphia "you have kept the word of My endurance [My command to persevere]" (Revelation 3:10). Through trials of testing, these Believers had not simply endured for endurance's sake; they had persevered with purpose, growing spiritually. Oswald Chambers describes it as a "stretching" ... "A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain" us. The stretching and straining are usually uncomfortable and endurance is what we pray for, however, our prayers should be more in-line with what God expects to produce in us. The Greek word "persevere" means "to be devote or constant to one." God has something to say about being constant and devoted to Him through times of stretching: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV). This should change the Believer's attitude toward the circumstances of his or her life. Are you being stretched? See the purpose and ... enjoy the stretch.

He's Listening

Everyone likes to be heard. What a precious gift it is to be a good listener, and God is the perfect listener. He invites both the troubled and the rejoicing soul to speak to Him. There is none other who listens so attentively with unhindered and tender understanding. God feels our words! We may be able to talk with friend here on earth who know us well; those who listen to our hearts with their hearts but there are no human ears [or hearts] that hear with the perfection of The Father. Matthew Henry describes God, our very Best Friend: "It is ease to a burdened spirit, to open its case to a faithful and compassionate friend." In 19:16, King Hezekiah prayed, "LORD, bow down thine ear and hear" - isn't that a sweet picture of a good listener, a leans-in toward the one speaking! Such a tender posture, leaving no risk of missing a word, a sigh, a breath, a pause, a cry ... wanting to miss nothing. Our Heavenly Father is the perfect listener; He is a holy Audience of One Who loves His children. Furthermore, He loves to hear from us: talk to Him ... He's listening.

Why Not Us!

It's pretty common we do our homework when we're looking for a healthcare specialist or a qualified building contractor. The psalmist wrote this about God in Psalm 147:3-4: "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them." How impressive the writer affirms God's power to heal and bind man's brokenness with the fact He counts and names the stars! It is estimated there are 200 billion trillion stars in the universe - only God could come up with that many names! If The God of the universe can know-count-name an infinite number of stars, can He not be trusted as altogether sufficient with the little things of our lives? The logical answer is ... absolutely yes! G. MacDonald notes that the stars seem to say: "We are safe up here ... we shine, fearless and confident ... God has hung us in the awful hollow of space ... we cannot fall out of His safety." If the stars have such confidence in The Creator, who are God's children to concern ourselves about anything? Psalm 19:1 says "the heavens are telling of the glory of God" - why aren't we? Indeed, why not us!

Check Your Heart

One of my morning joys is watching birds outside my kitchen window. Mister Bill watches too, mostly hoping to shoo-away pigeons, crows and squirrels that great;u appreciate the corn he scatters along the ground for the deer and rabbits. A common bird to this area is the Mockingbird, widely know for its mimicking the songs of other birds. To be described as one who mocks is not flattery; God says, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). I dare say any of us would set-out to willfully and opening impose ourselves as a mocker of God although that is exactly what we do when we live out of an impure hearts; that is, a heart that is divided between truth and lie. The Old Testament king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, did a good thing by destroying the groves [of immorality] but he failed to rid the land of the high places where sacrifices were made to idols. Jehoshaphat was a compromiser! His heart was divided before God. I wonder how many times a day I choose and make decisions from a heart that is divided between what is right and honorable and that which ultimately mocks God. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). Serious as followers of Jesus will examine themselves, checking their hearts, to see if it is a mocker of The Most High God and His Truth. It is the pure and undivided heart that pleases The Father.Check your heart.

Family Resemblance

Perhaps you've heard "X marks the spot." I watched Mister Bill mark underground water lines because he doesn't care to dig in search of them again - I get that! Just like my sisters and I share familial features of our parents and grandparents, Believers should bear a strong family resemblance to Jesus. The psalmist wrote, "The Lord has set apart the godly for Himself" (4:3, ESV). Our faith marks us! The features that set us apart are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:21-22). As followers of Jesus, we live with full awareness that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Occasionally, I'll see someone who reminds me of someone else,  something familiar - a facial feature, a mannerism, a hairstyle, a voice. Do you wonder how much of who you are reminds others of Jesus? Oh, that each one of us live with a ... family resemblance!

Find Us Faithful

 A look into history can be interesting - family personalities can actually make us laugh! Knowing our roots and the faithfulness of those who walked before us can also be rich. Jon Mohr wrote a song with these lyrics: "We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road - And those who've gone before us line the way - Cheering on the faithful. Encouraging the weary. - Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace." Many years ago, Dad and I walked through an old cemetery where many of his ancestors were buried; he reminisced of them, giving me insight into treasures of our family history. That afternoon stroll is a priceless moment to me - not just because I shared it with my Dad, but how [it seems] each life influenced his in one positive way or another. Mohr's lyrics continue: "May all who come behind us find us faithful - May the fire of our devotion light their way - May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe - And the lives we live inspire them to obey - May all who come behind us find us faithful." Paul wrote in Ephesians "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (4:1, ESV). How worth our time to consider how worthy is our walk! Are our lives marked by a notable faith for those who are watching, those who one day we will leave behind? Indeed, may those who come behind us ... find us faithful.

Heart-Smile

My small collection of birds bring me joy - they really do make my heart smile.  My Granny loved birds, and so did my Mom.  Jesus spoke fondly of his feathered creatures several times during His earthly ministry.  “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns …” (Matthew 6:26a).  He spoke specifically of the sparrow, the smallest of birds:  “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” (Matthew 10:29).  In both passages, He wants us to know as He loves and cares for the birds, even more He loves and cares for us:  “… and yet Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26b), and “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31).  How deeply The Father loves and cares for each one of His children - what a reason for a ... heart-smile.