Serving Biblical refreshment and strength for your soul, in Jesus' name. "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." – Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)
There is therefore now condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not by the flesh, but by the Spirit. – Romans 8:1
I’ve been feeling convicted lately.
Convicted about certain things I say.
Convicted about certain attitudes that pop up now and then.
Convicted about the need to ALWAYS be aware of God’s sovereignty over EVERYTHING which is why I don’t need to understand everything, just trust God through Jesus.
Convicted about not drinking enough Coke Zero.
Ok… not the diet soda but certainly the overuse of sarcasm.
I am convicted by the Lord about these things and others.
Convicted, yes. But condemned? No way!
Those who follow Jesus, seeking Him first, are no longer under the curse of condemnation but inspired by God to change what He’s leading me to change.
Condemnation is not from God. He won’t tell you are a loser, or hopeless, or beyond help. Remember God is love.
We always have hope in Christ. He ALWAYS loves us with a love we cannot be separated from, a love eternal, a love none of us can fully comprehend but can fully trust in.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
What keeps you from a closer relationship with Jesus?
Maybe it’s fear. Anxiety pulls our attention inward as we worry about our circumstances and focus on our troubles.
Maybe it’s unforgiveness. It’s easy to sit and stew over the injustices and slights we face, and to resent those who we feel have wronged us.
Maybe it’s life’s distractions. We get overly involved in our jobs, our overfilled schedules, politics, social media, etc etc and so on.
Maybe it’s a matter of just not taking the time to draw near to God. He promises to draw near to us when we do. He tells us to seek His kingdom first above all, trusting Him with the cares of this life.
Whatever it is you put above God – whether it be money or worry or position or career or pleasures – take the time to reshuffle your priorities to practice placing the Lord above all. You’ll find you have no greater treasure, no possession more precious, nothing more wonderful, than your Father God through His Son Jesus. The love and grace and mercy and forgiveness He provides us brings us joy and peace and strength unspeakable.
Today I want to encourage all of us to lay aside the things in life that distract us from Jesus and put our full focus on Him, running the race of the life He created for us. You will find the blessings of knowing and following God are far greater than any earthly reward.
I’ve been spiritually marinating in Psalm 23 quite a bit recently. Think about this: David mentions the valley of the shadow of death. The shadow of death. Shadows are simply natural outcome of an obstacle coming between us and the light.
No shadow can harm you. The light is still shining. It is the light that casts the shadow. So, let me ask: what obstacle has come between you and the Lord? What is casting a shadow over your life? Is it fear of something or someone? Maybe unforgiveness? A sinful habit you think is unbreakable? A situation unbearable? An issue insurmountable? Go to the Lord in prayer. Confess your sins and ask forgiveness. Cast your cares on God. Open your Bible and read what He has to say. Seek God first. Listen to Him and trust in Him and recognize He is the Sovereign God.
No shadow can harm you. The light is still shining. Do not fear or dread the shadows. They have no substance. God is the evershining light. He is right there, in the heart of every one of His children. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding,
God loves you. Spend some time with Him. Rest in Him. Be grateful to the Lord our Father. Sleep well friends.
Vincent Van Gogh, Tree Roots, July 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
Our little tree never stood a chance. The other trees in our neighborhood flourished, grew, thrived. The crab apples flowered in spring, beautiful and vibrant. These trees were well rooted in good soil with plenty of water.
Our tree was planted in the same soil. It got the same water. I believe – the plot our neighborhood was built on having once been an auto salvage yard – our tree’s root system tapped into the transmission of a 1962 Ford F100 pickup truck buried deep beneath our front lawn.
I’m pretty sure 62-year-old transmission fluid would have an adverse (poisonous) effect on the nourishment and health of a tree. Trees weren’t created to get nourishment from refined petroleum products. They need to take root in good soil with the right amount of good water.
In the same way, we need to be rooted in Christ. It is through the indwelling Holy Spirit we receive strength through Jesus and His love to live our lives as God wants.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. – Colossians 2:6-10 (ESV)
In Jesus – and Him alone – we find our strength. But we have to walk in Him to truly experience His peace, grace, mercy, love…
How do we walk in Jesus? Here are some thoughts:
Fix your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord fully. Completely. 100%. Even when it makes no sense. Trust in God. Rest in Him. Let Christ be your solid foundation.
Fix your priorities on Him. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, ESV). Pray. Constantly and consistently. Read – study – the Bible. Let God speak to you through His Word and prayer. Be open to the Lord. Listen and follow His leading.
Fix your eyes on Christ. Remember Peter walking on the stormy waters to reach Jesus. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when he turned his attention to the storm raging around him, he started to sink. He called out to the Lord Who saved him. Immediately. Even when the circumstances look dire, don’t look away from Jesus. God is Truth. Our perceptions are not always, for we are limited by our humanity. Better to leave it all with our Father God Who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
Fix your mind on the Lord. Develop the mind of Christ. Paul instructs us what and how we should think: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9. ESV).
Fix your heart on Jesus. Love the Lord above all. Realize – well, as much as we faulty humans can – the height, length, width and depth of His love for you. He died for you. You. He’s with you always. You. God’s gifts are wonderful. He’s our Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Provider, Healer, Guide… The best gift of all is that the Lord gave us is Himself.
Find your strength by walking with Christ. In doing so, you will find your soul rooted deep in God. And, frankly, there is no better place to put down roots than in the good soil of God and His Word.
Heavenly Father, I thank You and praise You for all You are! You are the Creator and Sustainer of all. There is nothing beyond Your grasp.
Your control.
Your abilities.
Your wisdom.
You.
I only know what I know, and that ain’t much.
I only see what I can see, and that’s neither far nor clear.
I only do what I can do, which is very limited.
I can’t know everything.
I can’t walk forward without running into obstacles.
I can’t make everything right.
Thank You, Lord… I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to stumble blindly through this life. I don’t have to fear my insecurities and troubles.
You, dear Father, are sovereign over all. You owe me nothing.
But I owe You everything. My very life.
Father, I lay down my ego, my fears and worries and doubts, my perceived “need” to be in control of my circumstances. Nothing happens without You knowing about it beforehand. Nothing is beyond your reach.
You call me not to figure it all out, but to trust You. To trust You with everything.
Everything.
And walk in Your light, without fear.
Fear nothing.
Fear no one.
For YOU, my Father – Abba – are omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
Your will be done, not mine.
Your wisdom, not mine.
Thank You, Lord God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Guide me in Your will, on Your path.
Fat Man, the atomic can that destroyed Nagasaki, Japan, and led to end of World War II. U.S. Department of Defense, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
August 6, 1945, dawned clear over southern Japan. It had been 1338 days since the Japanese had attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. And a war-weary world was about to change.
Profoundly.
Instantly.
Three US B-29 bombers had taken off from Tinian Island at 2:45 that morning. At 8:15 am, one of those planes – named Enola Gay – flew over the center of Hiroshima. At an altitude of 31,000 feet, the bomb bay doors swung open and out dropped “Little Boy”, a missile-shaped can filled with 140 lbs. of uranium-235.
The nuclear-enriched can fell through the blue skies for 44.4 seconds. And then, 1900 feet above the Shija Surgical Clinic (some 800 feet off from hitting a bridge that was the intended target), everything changed.
Profoundly.
Instantly.
With a blinding flash and deafening boom.
In an instant, the temperature below the can’s detonation soared to 7000 degrees Fahrenheit. Not that anyone directly under the can could attest to it: estimates put the number killed instantly at 66,000 to 140,000 people, with tens of thousands more injured.
Black rain fell from the blue skies.
Little Boy had ushered in the Atomic Age. All that from one atomic can.
Three days later, a repeat performance over Nagasaki. The intended target – the city of Kokora – was overcast. The crew of the Bockscar – carrying “Fat Man”, another atomic can containing a mere 11 lbs. of plutonium – turned toward Nagasaki, which was also overcast. But, just as the bomber flew over the intended bomb sight, the clouds parted. The skies cleared.
Blinding flash.
Deafening boom.
Another 40,000 dead.
Instantly.
Another six days later – August 15, 1945 – the Japanese government announced its intention to surrender. The capitulation of the Empire of Japan was made official on September 2, 1945, on board the USS Missouri, as the articles of surrender were signed by the warring parties.
The war that had engulfed so much of the planet was finally over. And the world was changed.
Profoundly.
Instantly.
How did the world come to this point? The tangled web of pacts and alliances and festering nationalist bruised egos reaches back to well before the first World War. I believe you could argue it all started when Cain’s jealousy and anger led him to pick up that rock and approach his brother.
The problem is simple: sin. I know, that’s an awfully simplistic answer to such a complicated question. But, when you get down to it, the only difference between all wars in history – from Old Testament battles to the current situations in Ukraine and the Middle East – is improved weaponry. The root of it all is hatred – one group hating another. We break the Tenth Commandment on a global scale.
My point here is not to spark some debate over “just wars” or whether God is (or is not) a pacifist, etc. The point is that as long as sin exists – as long as all humanity is infected with the curse of the knowledge of good and evil – there will people who hate people.
Governments who hate other countries.
Idealogues who hate any who oppose their views.
Someone who covets someone else’s land.
Or oil fields.
Or piece of ocean.
Or riches.
Solomon was right. There is nothing new under the sun. As long as sin exists, there we be oppressors. There will be dictators. There will be out-of-control insanity (and, frankly, nonsensical stupidity) raging amongst nations.
By and large, the circumstances of this world are outside the control of average human beings. Our lives get turned and twisted and torn by the decisions of others.
Again, it’s OK.
How can I say that? How can I look around and say, “it’s ok”?
The world is as it has always been. There have always been people groups who hate, attack and subjugate other people groups.
We can’t control it. We can’t stop it. We can’t even fully understand it.
The good news in all this: we don’t have to.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Matthew 24:6-14 (ESV)
As followers of Christ, we have nothing to fear. God is love, and there is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear. We are all infected with the same sin – rooted as always in selfish covetousness. Thankfully, through the price Jesus paid on the cross, we have salvation – a means of escape from this sinful place.
God is sovereign. He’s in control of this crazy world, despite its out-of-control appearance. At the end of the day (or, should I say, “end of days”?), those who think they are in charge will learn how much control they truly wield. The will of God – the Creator and Sustainer of all – will not be thwarted.
Despite appearances.
The day is coming when Jesus will return. That’s a fact. And, when He does, this world be more profoundly changed than ever before.
Profoundly.
Instantly.
Blinding flash of light.
Deafening boom.
Greater than any atomic can ever dropped.
Done.
So don’t get caught up in the distress and dire straits we find our world in. Focus on Truth.
Focus on Jesus.
Stay in God’s Word.
Do not fear and don’t try to figure it all out. Trust God. Trust His timing. Trust His Word.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 (ESV)
This is the day the Lord has made. Even if clouds threaten to roll over your blue skies, the blue is still there. It’s just obscured by cloud cover. The same is true with God. He’s always here. Always with His children. Promised to never leave nor forsake us. Our view just gets obscured by life’s cloud cover. Know He is with you. Know Jesus loves you. Know God is high above the troubles of this life.
The Bouville Diarist and Sharpening Service 