Delight*Abide*Love For People in Pursuit of God
This Month: * We’re Brats *Act a Fool in His Favor * Disasters and Delights *Fashion, Food and Finances * And much more…
March 2013
Dear Reader: We are rapidly closing in on our one year anniversary and I have to say, this has been an amazing journey. If you have been keeping up with our ministry, you know that we have added some things to our website and outreach. If you haven’t kept up, let me fill you in. February brought with it some exciting changes. Actually, now that I think about it, the changes started mid-January when we introduced our youtube TV show: Rahab’s Sisters. Definitely check that out when you get a chance. Then, in February we added our first eBook to the site and have chosen to make it free to all interested. Keep checking back though because a new one will be up soon (however, this one won’t be free). So, we have added a video production aspect and an eBook store! God is so good and we are thrilled to have been invited to His party, this life. We pray that He has made Himself equally apparent in your daily life this month and that He will continue to reveal Himself to you as you endeavor to pursue Him. If you think about it, from a humanistic standpoint, we all enjoy being pursued by someone who loves us, so it’s no wonder that He desires the same from us. He likes it when you seek Him out because He loves you and is pleased to spend time with you. Before I close this I want you to consider your Faith-walk, are you seeking Him first and foremost? Are you devoting time, thoughts, actions and finances to glorify Him and His Kingdom? If you are, hallelujah, but if you are falling short in these arenas then ask Him to show you how to better delight Him (which by the way, is what the new eBook will be about, delighting Him instead of trying to be delighted). If He’s your Heavenly Husband, seek to bring a smile to His face every chance you get. Ask Him to enable you to do so, He will! Peace and blessings, Ginny Mink
www.delightabidelove.com
Captivated by Love “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:12 (NIV) It seems so appropriate to me to start this month off giving thanks to the One who has qualified me, qualified you! If you go back and read the previous verse you’ll see that the word joyfully leads into this one, so it would read, joyfully giving thanks… I think that’s hugely relevant because it’s pretty simple to say thanks, but to say it with true appreciation, to say it joyfully well, that’s a bit more serious. I believe we need to take His qualifying us seriously and we need to be hugely thankful for it. Perhaps it’s human nature to take things for granted, maybe being unappreciative is a consequence of the selfishness of this flesh, maybe the busyness the world pushes on us hinders our ability to stop and smell the rose that is Salvation, that is Divine qualification to enter into the Kingdom of Light. Really, though, no excuse is valid, we need to stop being so ungrateful. I don’t know, maybe you wake up every morning praising your King for His wonderful love and gifts to you and if you are that devout and dedicated, we need to meet so you can mentor me because as much as I want to be wholly aware of His awesomeness and be humbly thankful for all the incredible things He has done for me, I fall miserably short every day. I have to say something else about this verse, maybe so that I can avoid some of my guilt for ungrateful behavior, but maybe because it’s really important that I say this…every time I encounter a verse that refers to me as a saint I am awe-struck, completely baffled, shaking my head. Yet, that’s how He sees us, He saves us, He qualifies us for His Kingdom and from then on He sees us as His saints! It just goes right along with the whole, He’s the King therefore as His children we are princesses and princes! It’s almost too fairy-tale to grasp and yet, it is His truth. What love He has for us! We should be so captivated by that love that we have no trouble joyfully thanking our Abba.
Do Flames Halt Completion? “let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22 (NLT) I read this verse in other translations but this paraphrase just really encouraged me. I don’t know, nor do I need to know, your epic vileness, I have enough of my own to cover twenty people, easy. Perhaps your heinous past is a tool the enemy uses against you to prevent you from moving forward in Faith. Perhaps he tells you that eventually it will come back to bite you, to expose you, to imprison you. Maybe those threats, those flaming darts that ignite a guilty conscience within you have immobilized you. Maybe they have penetrated so deeply to your core that you can only start the things you feel the Father calling you to do and then the flames therein halt completion. I know how you feel. What is so reassuring, what I feel the Father explaining to me in His most loving and incredible way, is that we have been made clean! Christ’s blood has washed away all those sins, all the worst ones people can imagine, all the things Jason Gray sings, “I won’t deny the worst you can say about me.” All those sins were known to Christ, to the Father, to the Spirit before you ever committed them and before He willingly laid down His life for you. He knew what He would be casting as far as East is from West, He knew you before you knew yourself; He knew what you were capable of and yet He called you, He cleansed you, He washed you white as snow. He is making you like Himself and nothing you have ever done will change that Truth! Here’s the other thing I am learning, once He has forgiven us, He has forgotten our worminess. He’s a good Daddy and would never let anything hurt us or damage His reputation based on past failings. He will protect you; you can go right into the presence of God fully trusting Him. Hallelujah!
The Human Condition “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) This is one of those verses that we’ve heard a million times and thusly ignore when we see it as the heading of a devotion. I ask you to reconsider that instinct though, and ask yourself if you can honestly say you abide by Paul’s proclamation here. Really, do you live by Faith? I so wish I could say that I did. I mean, if I truly lived by Faith, think about how much more I would do with my life, how little I would worry, how peaceful and joy filled I would be. I wouldn’t have spent the last week in a funk if I’d been living by Faith and not sight. What about you? It hit me, just now, how bad we feel for people who are disabled, those who can’t see or hear or are missing appendages. I have a brother who is a burn survivor and an amputee, and I have a grandmother who is deaf. She once told me that her malady (which she has endured since she was four years old) was, “a minor inconvenience.” My brother, who is missing half of his left arm, is able to dress himself and button his own pants; feats that I am still amazed by though he’s been in his condition since 2000. If I look at them via sight I see people who must struggle every day, people whose lives are hindered. Yet, since I know them, and I am aware of the things they have both accomplished, my grandmother plays the piano beautifully and my brother is raising his daughter on his own, I realize that these two people must be living by Faith. Here’s the problem with the human condition, most of us can see. God obviously gave us eyes for a reason, and perhaps that was so we could appreciate the beauty of His creation and watch Him work in miraculous ways. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus on the tidal wave of life, the tsunami of worldly events and happenings rather than trust Him to part the sea. We see our efforts as in vain, as pointless, and thusly we walk away from them, we give up. However, if we’d lived by Faith, we’d see that He’s been using those same efforts to change lives all along. Faith sees what we are blinded to; perhaps we can start living that way more consistently.
Clothe Me in You “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;” Colossians 3:12 (NASB) I’m pretty sure I have written on this verse before but since I have read the Bible more than once and since it is inevitable that verses will be brought back up to me throughout the course of this life, and since I do not believe in coincidence, I suspect there’s a reason this verse has resurfaced. Shall I then share with you what the reason is? Thankfully, I cannot hear your response and therefore you must endure mine. Let me start at the beginning of the verse. First, we are people chosen by God. Perhaps other things in your life have been haphazard, seemingly accidental developments but the fact that you have been saved by Grace is on-purpose; the Most High God made a conscious decision on your behalf, He wanted you and therefore He chose you. Why? Because He intended to make you holy due to the fact He loves you. He loved you, so He chose you and He will make you holy as you walk this life with Him. I have to smile at Paul’s statement to me, to you, to all believers, when he calls us holy and beloved. That concept of being beloved is one I am still trying to wrap my head and heart around but what a great lesson to have the joy of learning! Ok, so that’s the nice stuff floating around in my head; here’s the real reason I think that Scripture has been stuck in front of my nose…those five character traits it tells us to put on seem to be in the back of my wardrobe; you know, that place in your closet that you can’t see and is probably all dusty? Yeah, I am so- notcompassionate, kind, humble, gentle or patient and that fact has slapped me in the face this past week. I can’t tell you how notsensitive to my whining almost-two-year-old I was, or how quickly I snapped at my nine year old. Temper was the attire of choice recently and somehow I want it to disappear from my personal apparel. Lord, help me to put on those things that clothe me in You!
Disasters and Delights “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV) I believe that we need this reminder. Prior to this verse Moses is saying that he will proclaim His name and praise His greatness. It would appear to me that many times Moses was unlike the Israelites, they seemed to whine about stuff a lot, they had a tendency to question the King. I’m not saying that Moses didn’t try to get out of stuff (like his calling), all I’m saying is that he seems to have understood that regardless of the way circumstances looked or felt, the Almighty was worthy of praise; that He is: great, perfect, just and faithful. Let me tell you, I’m the first to appreciate free-thinking, questioning authority and independent opinions, but I have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to questioning Him. I have to accept the things in this life that I don’t like and I have to trust that somehow, whether I get it or not, He’s doing what’s best because He loves me and has no intentions of causing me harm. I know that it’s easy for the masses to jump on the where was God when… bandwagon, I get it, but truth be told, that question is a cop out. Why? Because the masses don’t want to credit God with the good in their lives, they want to attribute those things to the power of positive thinking or good-ole-fashion elbow grease or any other nonsensical statement that allows them to take personal credit for positive occurrences. Yet, yet, as soon as stuff goes wrong they want to blame God, they don’t want to accept that humanity is a mass of vile wretchedness living in utter darkness stomping each other into a bloody mess on a wide thorny road. Listen, I get the fact that when kids die, or people are murdered or other heinous things happen our first instinct is to wonder why God would allow such pain. We’re finite, limited in scope of vision and comprehension, some things just don’t make sense but the Truth is, He does, He is perfect at all times and in all things, disasters and delights, and it is our job as His well loved children to simply trust Him. We, wee pots have no right to question the Potter.
Act a Fool in His Favor “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” 1 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV) This is David’s Psalm of thanks as he and his people bring the Ark of the Covenant into the City of David. Interestingly enough, his enthusiasm about the accomplishment makes his wife Michal despise him as she watches him dancing and singing (1 Chronicles 15:29). Anyway, this mental imagery of David dancing in the streets makes me smile. It creates a comparable image for me, that of my wee-one, Hazel, busting a move when she gets happy about something or she likes a song, that who-cares-what-I-look-like-rightnow-I’m-happy childlike attitude is what I envision overtook David at that moment. While I am sitting here smiling at David’s lack of inhibition, I’m also slightly troubled. You know, Christ tells us that we are to come into the Kingdom as children, that means with faith-filledreckless-abandon, just go hard or go home, and I am plagued then by the fact that when it comes to praising my King, when it comes to singing to Him and telling people of His wonderful acts, I’m too uptight, I’m hindered and hampered by self. I can’t imagine myself dancing in the streets, embarrassing my husband because I am so thrilled to tell people how great Jesus is. I just can’t even fathom that level of seeming immaturity. Can you? Let me make this revelation to you, when I first started attending the church I currently frequent, I noticed a woman who danced and hopped around with her hands up in the midst of the praise and worship section of the service and I thought, “That’s so cool!” I was so glad to see someone who didn’t care that others might think she was a loon, her freedom of worship impressed me greatly and yet…you won’t see me doing it. Yes, you’ll see me sing (and you’ll be quite thankful if you can’t hear me), I love my King, but I am not so free as to act a fool in His favor. I guess we all could stand to be a little more like David, the man after His own heart.
Extended Contemplation “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” Ephesians 1:3 (NASB) This is one of those verses that necessitates extended contemplation; at least it does for me. I think on first glance we are thrilled by the fact that Paul tells us we’ve been blessed with every Spiritual blessing. Obviously that’s a kick butt thing, yet, there’s more to it than that. First of all, since I’m contemplating…what are the Spiritual blessings? I mean I am glad that we have been blessed with every one of them, but if I don’t know what I have, how can I utilize it? Then there’s the location of said Spiritual blessings, did you take note of that when you got all happy about gifts? Paul says these blessings are in the heavenly places in Christ. Perhaps now you understand why I had to read this verse multiple times. Now, I am not claiming to have the answers to my own questions, but join me as I take note of the verses that follow, is Paul delineating for us those things which he deems Spiritual blessings? First, he says we’re chosen, holy and blameless (v. 4), then we’re adopted (v. 5), and have had grace freely bestowed upon us (v. 6) and have been redeemed and forgiven (v. 7). As if that isn’t plenty ‘o’ blessing, he adds, grace has been lavished on us (v. 8) and He’s revealed the mystery of His will to us (v. 9). Incredibly he continues by informing us that we’ve attained an inheritance (v. 11), that we’re the praise of His glory (v. 12) and have been sealed by His Spirit (v. 13). I have to admit, those are some pretty impressive Spiritual blessings; no wonder Paul was thrilled to praise God for them. That brings us to the location, these gifts are ours through Christ and since He is seated in the heavenlies (and other verses tell us we’re there with him) that’s where the fullness of said blessings will be realized. Pretty exciting!
Stankin’ Tuna “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 (NIV) Are you a snob? A religious braggart? Before you answer that question consider your attitude towards the homeless guy on the corner, the prostitute that waves at you from the intersection, the gay guy in the nail salon. Are you haughty? Have you neglected your own plank-eye and become pharasitical? I noticed that attitude in myself today; I saw a man who was very obviously out-and-proud and I felt that twinge of hypocrisy attempt to butt into my thoughts. Thankfully, His Spirit is alive and well in me and I was instantly convicted of such behavior, but that doesn’t always happen. I read this verse and I can see that there is the potential for it to be twisted, even based on the example I provided. When Paul tells us to accept one another, it doesn’t automatically translate into approve of one another’s behaviors. You see, it says to accept each other as Christ accepted us; yes, He welcomed us with open arms right out of the pigpen. However, His presence in our lives immediately created within us this motivation and ability to clean up. He didn’t jump in the pen with us; He offered us a hose via His blood. I often write about choosing to remind myself from whence I came so that I will avoid (as best I can) embracing a holier-then-thou attitude and so I point that out once again. We cannot lose sight of the debt He paid for us in order to welcome us into His Kingdom, we cannot neglect the heinousness of our own personages prior to His salvation. If we will keep such things at the forefront of our Spiritual thought-processes and behaviors we will find it significantly easier to accept one another just as He accepted us. I heard once that He cleans His fish after He catches them. I like that metaphor as we are all stinking dirty fish; don’t forget your own rankness when you run into some other stankin’ tuna.
Your Heart’s Vault “How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.” Psalm 119:9-11 (MSG) I know some people are disinclined to utilize The Message as a source for Scripture reading but sometimes it says things in a way that grabs you. This happens to be one of those times. First of all, let me clarify that though the writer talks about a young person keeping himself clean, this is a legitimate question for people of all ages and the answers given are equally applicable. It is absolutely impossible to remain clean, Spiritually, without spending time in His Word; it is indeed the map to a righteous life. The NIV says that you stay clean by living according to His Word; well, the obvious methodology in which to do so is to make sure that you know His Word. You can’t live the Spirit-filled life without understanding what it looks like. I think probably my favorite part of this paraphrase is the concept of being single-minded in pursuit of the King. If you are familiar with the Word you know that there are several occasions in which the issue of being double-minded is addressed. We can’t be successful in this walk of Faith if we are easily swayed by the winds of the world, if we ride the fence trying to please both God and man, it just won’t work. We absolutely must be single-minded in our pursuit of Him. I also love this concept because one of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer wrote a book entitled The Pursuit of God; it’s phenomenal and definitely a recommended read! Keep in mind that we are told to seek His kingdom; thusly we are to pursue Him. The NIV says that the writer has hidden His Word in his heart so as not to sin against Him. I like the concept that the Message provides though because it shows His Word as being supremely valuable by comparing it to something we know too well, money and banks. Have you sealed your King’s Word in your heart’s vault? Maybe you should get to it?
Gap or Goodwill “For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return.” Philippians 1:10 (NLT) I debated which translation to use here. I have to admit, I really like the NIV’s statement, “so that you may be able to discern what is best…” I am always fascinated by that little word, discern, it implies the utilization of wisdom and I do believe that we must be wise in order to know what is best in all realms of this life. That said, I also appreciated the NLT saying, “I want you to understand what really matters…” This struck me more intensely and therefore it’s the reason you got this translation at the head. Clarification and explanations made, I want to talk about understanding what really matters. I find that question becoming more and more relevant in my life as I truly seek to walk the straight and narrow, to adhere to the Way. You see the world will throw a large number of possible bests at me, things that for a minute moment would make me feel successful or accomplished and yet, when the Spirit intercedes and asks me, “does that really matter?” I have to admit, the answer is usually, “No.” Here’s a prime example, Americans are hugely focused on their homes, the décor therein. So, since I sleep on a bed that doesn’t have a headboard or a footboard, in a room without any decorations or end tables or matching dressers, etc, the world would instigate me to find a nicer bedroom set, especially if there’s one on sale somewhere. Praise God that His Spirit lives within me and it says to me, “Really? Who cares? Does that matter in the grand scheme of eternity? Does it affect your salvation? Or your witness?” Listen, I want to live a life that is as pure and blameless as Christ will enable me to live and in order to do so I need to apply wisdom to the things this world offers up to me. What is best? What really matters? Gap or Goodwill; God really doesn’t concern Himself with such trivialities and neither should we.
The Exact Opposite of the Truth “Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NLT) The other translations tell us to do nothing out of selfishness, or vain conceit. However, I found the NLT’s blatant don’t be selfish and don’t try to impress others way more provoking. This selfconcept which the world tells us is massively important, really just hinders our abilities to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Now, I have heard several TV preachers tell viewers that this verse implies that we must first learn to love ourselves so that we can love other people. No doubt a psychologist would jump on that bandwagon, but the truth is, we are born knowing how to love ourselves in that we are self-centered, self-preservationists from infancy. It’s all about us from the beginning we take our first breaths; we don’t need to learn to focus on me. I am always amazed at the world’s ability to present the exact opposite of the Truth and yet make it sound so good that it’s easily digested and accepted as fact. Scripture tells us to die to self, to take up our cross, and here, to count others as better than ourselves. Scripture edifies humility, it boasts in lowliness of position, in servant hood. These aren’t things the world is onboard with, these are shunned, snubbed and if you willingly take such a stance you are readily persecuted. Good! Didn’t Christ tell us that the world would hate us as it hated Him? Didn’t He tell us that we would suffer for His sake but that in the midst of that suffering we would be achieving far greater things than the world could ever comprehend? Putting others first is not human nature, it is the exact opposite of what our flesh compels us to do and that’s why we are to learn self-control, that’s why Paul said he was beating his flesh into submission. You won’t naturally think of other people ahead of yourself, you won’t naturally be concerned with their feelings or their well-being but if you’ll seek your King, He will enable you to love them as He loves them and therefore make you a little more like Himself everyday. Try it!
Reluctantly Reliable “Do all things without grumbling or disputing;” Philippians 2:14 (NASB) Be honest, you laughed when you read this verse didn’t you? It wasn’t one of those Kings of Comedy laughs, but rather a yeah right sarcastically tinted chuckle. Well, even if you won’t be honest about it I will; I chuckled. I may do the things I’m asked, but chances are there’s some grumbling if not disputing in the midst of it. I was recently called reluctantly reliable by my father, the one who’s DNA I’m both blessed and cursed with. I think when I read that comment via email (as that’s the way we usually correspond), I was a little miffed by it, but upon further consideration it is more than likely the truth and that is definitely not the way it should be. I’ve admitted before that I am not servant-hearted, that is certainly an area in which the fruit is miniscule if not nonexistent, and I don’t say that happily, I am just being candid with you. I will do things for other people, I am not a total meanie, but chances are I will probably be reluctantly reliable in the midst of it all. I may not even voice my grumblings or disputes but my facial expressions, which happen to be quite extensive, will more than likely betray my internal thoughtprocesses. I wish I could tell you that I am always thrilled and enthusiastic about helping others, about disrupting my personal plans to assist those in need but I’d be a big fat liar if I tried to do so. What about you? Oh, man, you have to go read verse 15! I just went back to it to see where Paul was going with this piece of instruction and in the NIV he tells us that by not complaining and arguing we become blameless and pure children of God in a depraved and crooked world in which we shine like stars in the universe. I had to smile here. If you think about it though, people who do what they are asked, or told, without any lip, really do stand out. I mean look at the people you work with, the ones who just do what they’re supposed to, no bad attitudes or whining; they shine. Of course we have been trained to call them bad names, but really, they are being great examples for us. I think that shining like a star is a piece of initiative I needed to move more in that servant-like direction. I guess we’ll see how reluctantly reliable I am next time.
You Need Christ-Devoted Friends “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) What are your youthful passions? No, you don’t have to tell me personally, but maybe you can take a minute here to consider what they are, which ones have you fully neglected and which ones still rear their ugly heads? I’ll tell you that those passions that are large, in the grand scheme of humanistic hierarchies, seem to be the ones that are the most readily discarded, at least in my life. It’s the seemingly little ones that come back to mess with me. There’s the issue of materialism that has a tendency to trip me up. It’s not that I am a mall mama, I don’t go shopping constantly, and I don’t typically blow money on things that are irrelevant. However, within me there is an ugly desire for more that sometimes has to be squashed. Are you familiar with that passion? The one that begs you to get new curtains, or wall décor for the baby’s room, or a nicer entertainment center where the TV will actually fit rather than sitting on an old dining room table in your living room? Go ahead, laugh, but these are the passions that try to plague me and I do my best to flee from them (it always helps that there isn’t excess money for such frivolities). The real point I wanted to stress here is the last part of the verse, the section that tells us to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with other true believers. Listen, I’m not a huge, go-tochurch pusher, I think it is possible to commune and grow in Faith without a church membership so long as you don’t forsake gathering with other believers (that’s the challenging part). Paul tells Timothy here, don’t stop hanging out with other people who are truly devoted to your King, don’t neglect time with your Spiritual siblings, it is infinitely important to your ability to flee your youthful passions and pursue His. If you aren’t attending a church, fine, but you need to get some Christ-devoted friends and spend inordinate amounts of time with them so that you can be mutually encouraged by one another’s Faith!
Get Angry, Don’t Sin! “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9 (N IV) So, when I read this I thought about Proverbs 6:27 which talks about heaping fire into your lap. I understand that verse is in reference to sexual improprieties, but it’s the verse that came to mind because I wonder, can we heap anger into our laps without being burned? I like the way The Message puts it, don’t be so quick to fly off the handle, anger boomerangs… I think perhaps that anger is one of those youthful passions we talked about earlier, it seems, at least for me anyway, one of those emotions that’s readily available, eager to pop up and out. I’ll tell you one thing, I have no desire to be labeled a fool (NLT); I want to eradicate the anger issue, sweep it out of my lap. I think some of us have been trained to feel anger first and foremost. It appears to be the greatest defense mechanism, it’s a lot easier to get angry than to admit heartache, at least that’s how I see it. It’s a lot easier to get ticked off than admit failure, or inadequacy or insecurity for that matter. I see these kinds of reactions in people I love (probably because I’m guilty of the same so they are easily recognizable) and I have to tell you, Peterson was right about that anger boomeranging. I mean it’s really difficult for me to watch someone else react in anger and not feel that heat rise up in me. Something I want to point out though, is that it would appear that many believers have come to the conclusion that they aren’t supposed to experience anger. In fact, I discussed the verses that talk about Christ making the whip and flipping the money-changers tables in the temple with a new believer who seemed appalled that the Messiah demonstrated anger. I informed her that the Word doesn’t tell us to never be angry, it tells us to: be angry but do not sin. There’s a big difference there. When we are applying it to this verse, the thing to note is that we’re told not to be quick to anger; the reason is when we allow our emotions to be immediate, a lot of the time they will drive us to do and say things we will later regret. We should carefully consider our emotional states just like we do our thoughts and behaviors. Get angry, don’t sin!
It’s My Fault “Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NASB) This one is a hard one for me, as are other Scriptures that imply that God will provide us with wealth. In fact, my husband and I have often debated the whole prosperity gospel concept to the point that he thinks my position is what’s preventing him from being rich, but that’s a whole other issue all together I suppose. The fact is, I wouldn’t mind having access to fundage on a regular basis; that would be super cool. Yet, then I think, the Savior didn’t have a place to rest His head, ya know? Or, I think, people with inordinate amounts of money are really just wasteful and are not discerning what’s best as it seems that multiple fancy cars and massive homes really isn’t what matters. Does that make sense to you? I mean, I’m not trying to be judgmental in the least, I just wonder what God’s true take on the matter is. If we look at Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes we should be well aware of the fact that he was indeed the richest man of his time. However, if we read Ecclesiastes (which I think is one of the most difficult books in the Bible) we discover that he was completely unsatisfied and sought after things that undoubtedly did not please the One who provided him with those riches. So…then there’s Job, or Jacob, or Joseph, who all had an abundance and yet endured much hardship in its midst. Perhaps that’s why the NLT points out the import of having the health to enjoy that wealth as being the gift from God. Maybe people have lots of stuff, they’re rich, but the toil and strife attached to it proves that it’s really not God’s gift to them. I don’t know; I have to lean more towards the Mother Teresa poverty concept. I mean look at the disciples, they don’t list a bunch of possessions, or Paul, or the prophets of old. Seems to me that those who were completely devoted were usually completely broke. Come to think about it, maybe my husband’s right, it’s my fault.
Lack Unity “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 1:2 (NIV) The other translations begin the verse using the word beloved and while that’s a sweet word, it’s just a little too intense for what I want to say here. I mean, I feel ok calling you, dear friend, but I’m a little hesitant on the beloved part, I hope you can understand. That said, I do pray such things for you all and I would hope that as Spiritual siblings we would spend time praying such things for one another. Unfortunately, I suspect we probably spend way too much time wrapped up in our own petitions and supplications that we neglect prayers for the saints. Maybe that’s why we lack unity as a body, that dang self just keeps getting in the way. That sense of unity and connection seems somehow unique to the church of Biblical times, it’s like that whole community-ofbelievers-who-had-everything-in-common concept has been totally lost in our me, me, me mentality. The, you-get-yours while I-getmine mindset has totally destroyed interdependence and real devotion to each other. The truth is, the body is full of people from all walks of life and if we were truly one as Christ calls us to be, there would be no one in need of anything. We wouldn’t even be remotely concerned by Obama Care or the cost of a dental appointment, or how our credit score is going to affect our next car purchase. None of these stupid worldly systems would have any affect on us at all, not if we lived the way the New Testament church did and is supposed to. I know that’s a bit of a soap box (can you tell I need health and dental insurance plus a new car?), but I think it’s highly relevant when we proclaim to offer up prayers of this nature for one another. Listen, it’s just like Jesus’ example of telling a hungry person you hope he gets fed but you’re doing nothing yourself. We need to pray for and provide for each other with whatever talents the Redeemer has given us, that’s what they’re there for!
Mad Cool “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6 (KJV) I read several translations of this verse before deciding upon this one. I kind of like the rhythm here, plus some of the other translations seemed to have lost the meaning talking about the womb and stuff. Here’s what I see, this truth in the inward parts is a big deal because the Word tells us that our hearts are deceitful above all things and that we have to capture our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ, these are inward arenas. Let me try another avenue, how many times do you go to church on Sunday and see people with their church faces on and wonder what their week really looked like? Were they as pious and devout? Would their hearts reflect the Savior if indeed you could get past the cheesy religious grin and the I’m-blessed proclamations? Basically, is there truth in the inward parts as Christ desires? The concept of personality fallacy is what struck me about this verse. I think it’s pretty easy to portray the good Christian when other Christians are looking, but what about when God is searching the heart? I have always taken offense to people whom I deem fake; I’m not down with pat-answers or placating head nods, be real or go somewhere else, that’s just me. Now, obviously I cannot sit here and tell you that I’ve never worn a church face or told someone I was great when everything sucked, I’m no more perfect than you are, but I do try to be real and I think that’s what the psalmist is talking about, being real. I think our King wants us to be real too, because that’s when the second part of this verse can take place. When He searches us and tries us, and finds truth in our inward being then He will make wisdom known to our hidden parts. We will know Him on the inside. That’s so cool, the thought that if we’ll be really truly in love with Him, inside out, He’ll show us Himself kind of like an internal secret agent, give us His wisdom, top secret documents, so we can shine His Light to the world around us. Cool, yeah, mad cool!
Oxy-cute “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22 (NIV) I have to admit that I smiled when I came across this verse, namely because it reminds me of my favorite verse, 1 Peter 5:7. I am aware of the fact that a vast majority of the New Testament is really just restatements of the Old Testament but whenever I come across a tie-in like that I have to smile. That’s not the point though… I wanted to share with you the way The Message puts this verse because it illuminates it in a whole other light, “Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders- he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.” What do you think about that? I hope that you’re an experienced enough reader that you were able to visualize this concept of just piling all your stress and anxiety onto the King’s shoulders, keeping in mind that the King is huger than the world so your seemingly massive concerns are but a pimple on His shoulder. Crazy, right? That’s funny, the fact that our cares and anxieties are no bigger than a pimple on the arm of God. We are really so minute and yet we are programmed to think we’re oh-so-big and important, even our biggest challenges aren’t more significant than a whitehead to Him. That’s head-shakingly vivid and actually quite comforting. A single zit is relatively easy to deal with and so that’s about all our worries amount to in His sight, therefore, hand them over to Him, let Him oxy-cute them. I love the last part of the verse too, by the way, I mean the NIV does an ok job with the concept of Him not letting us fall, but the severity of that salvation is better portrayed by The Message in that He won’t let us topple into ruin. Yes, we will stumble in this walk of Faith, but He won’t let us be utterly destroyed and that means we have all the more reason to trust Him. Think about it, He’s got your acne sized problems under control and He’s never gonna let you fail miserably, what is there that you won’t do for Him? And why not?
Eternal Success “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5 (KJV) If you go back and read the beginning of this Psalm you will discover that we are first instructed not to concern ourselves with what the wicked have or what they’re doing because they are as transient and disposable as the grass that gets mowed down and the herb that withers. Indeed we do spend too much time focused on what other people have or what they are doing with their lives. It’s easy to look at the trickster, the back-stabber, the conniving manipulator and say, “Man, he/she gets whatever he/she wants.” Yet, as I have pointed out in previous editions of this magazine, we need to remember that this planet, this physical, natural man- life is the best those individuals will ever possess and it’s a minute span of time compared to the eternity we will enjoy with our Savior. So, who cares what they have; they’re here today and gone tomorrow, understand that before we move on to the selected verse. I love this concept, this affirmation. Here’s the bottom line, don’t do anything in this life; don’t make any decisions without first consulting your Father and then handing the whole escapade over to Him. I’ll tell you that before I begin writing these devotions I ask Him to use these hands, to speak through me; I commit theses commentaries to Him because they serve no other purpose but to bring Him glory. I understand that the whole-kit-and-caboodle of my life (its entire goal) is to bring praise to His Name, to shine for Him and as such, it is hugely relevant that I commit everything I do, or attempt to do, to Him. If I were ever successful in spite of His involvement I’d have to be truly concerned because He needs to be at the forefront of every endeavor; He needs to be my focus and if things are working out in my life and I’m not spending time with Him, I have some very serious problems. He should always be at the head of everything I do because it is with His blessings that I will have eternal success, the only kind that’s worth anything.
I Hate Goats "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'” Matthew 25:40 (NASB) This is from the parable of the sheep and the goats. The sheep are placed on the Savior’s right side and the goats on His left. Ultimately, those on His left are told to depart from Him and join the devil in the fiery pit prepared for he and his minions. They’ll go away to eternal punishment but the righteous, those on the right, will go into eternal life. That’s the summation, now the hard part smacks us, does our life reflect the sweet, wooly baa-aa of a sheep, or the devour-anything-and-everything attitude of a goat? You know, I find myself laughing at this comparison because I am reminded of my BFF’s emphatic statement, “I hate goats!” You see, she grew up in the boonies and she had to walk down a long dirt road to get to her bus-stop every morning. Apparently someone else in the boonies had some goats and these goats would accost her by jumping on her and making her, “smell,” (a word said with such emphasis you have to feel for her). She would then have to run home and take another shower and she’d be late for school and it was this hugely awful experience for her as a child. It makes us both laugh now but, I see relevance here… Ultimately, the goats are the sons of destruction, they’re the weeds in the tares and too much time with them will rub their stench of death off on you. These goats have no interest in helping out others; they’d rather jump on you and make you as putrescent as they are. It’s an interesting visual picture I think. Here’s the thing though, we need to assess ourselves, are we being kind to the least of these or are we rubbing our own vomitousness on others? Does your sweet baa-aa draw people to your Savior, is your wooly coat a protective, soothing, aspect of your being, or do people have to run home and bathe after coming in contact with you? What are you really doing for (and to) the least of these?
Put Him on “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (NLT) So you totally have to read the very next verse! The NIV starts that verse off by saying, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” WOW! What a beautiful concept! Now, go back to the previous verses, the ones before 15. Paul calls us God’s chosen and dearly loved people and then he tells us what people of that bent look like, how they are clothed, with: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (v. 12). Then he tells us to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven us (v. 13) and finally he directs us to put on love which is the key to everything, that which brings unity (v.14). I’d recommend reading this section for yourselves. Anyway, to return to the focus verse, I think it’s important to note that if we walked this planet dressed in the afore mentioned qualities it would be a massive bit easier to live in peace, to experience that internal-peace-gift from Christ. Think about it, if you walked around being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, forgiving and loving, how could you possibly be anything but peaceful? It’s our own attitude problems, our selfish nature and desires that disrupts that sense of peace because we aren’t getting what we want, there’s turmoil, there’s bitterness and strife. It’s really our own fault if we are living lives that lack peace. He told us that He would give us the peace that passeth understanding. Yet, we’d rather do things our own way; we’d rather not take the time to clothe ourselves in the above mentioned righteous behaviors and attitudes. The truth is it takes effort to get dressed that way, to put on Christ essentially and yet, the reward of that exertion is a peace that is unlike anything the world could ever offer us. I wanted you to see the verse that followed this one because there are some serious ramifications therein. You see, we are told that if His Word abides in us and we abide in His Word we can ask the Father for anything and it will be given us. We are protected by the indwelling of His Word, it assures us that the desires of our hearts will be molded to fit His will and that all we would ask for are things He already wants to give us. These are tremendous reasons to give thanks and to daily put Him on and carry our crosses.
Fashion, Food and Finances “so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human
passions but for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2 (ESV) Take a moment and go read the first verse, it discusses the fact that Christ suffered in the flesh and that we should embrace the same way of thinking so that we too may suffer in the flesh and thereby cease to sin. I think things like this scare us; the very mention of suffering has a way of making us shrink back. Nobody wants to voluntarily experience pain and yet if we deny ourselves we will indeed suffer in the flesh. Think about the things that you used to enjoy doing, the sinful things that brought pleasure to your flesh. I know our minds have a tendency to jump to the more illicit sins, but the truth is, retail therapy can be sinful too and having to say no to those temptations to purchase things can be painful (emotionally). Basically, when we chose to follow Christ to pursue God with our whole beings we also chose to suffer in the flesh. I know that might sound a bit depressing, but that’s the beauty of verse two! Once we have learned how to suffer in the flesh, we stop chasing human passions and we start living our lives for the will of God! I want you to think about that for a moment, think about really living your life for the will of God. What would that look like? How would your day to day interactions and behaviors change? I just bought my son a book that’s tag line read, what would you do if you only had one year to live…and you knew it? Now, this isn’t a Christian book, but I posed the question to him from that standpoint, how would your Faith experience impact the things you spent your time on? How would you purpose to be productively fruitful? I think we spend too much time in the humdrum, monotony of daily living and we neglect the awe that surrounds the benefits of serving the Creator of the universe, we disregard the impact our lives, through His Spirit, can have on the world around us. Basically, we live just like everybody else worrying about the same useless stuff: fashion, food and finances. Father, I don’t want to be useless here; I don’t want to be like everyone else; I want to live a life that’s radically changed and inspired by Your will. Help me.
An Interesting Progression of Thought “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (KJV) This is my husband’s life verse, the one he always goes back to when someone asks him to share his favorite one. I find that interesting because in truth, Matthew 6:15 is the verse that led him to salvation. Anyway, I think this verse is important to him because it is something he prays regularly. Knowing this about him, I have to wonder, how many of us could benefit from just such a prayer? I find Psalm 19 to be an interesting progression of thought. If you start at the beginning, you see that David is first making it apparent that he believes there is no denying the existence of the King. He lists all the natural proof, even stating that these bits of nature declare, proclaim and speak about the glory of God and the works of His hands. That knocks the block off the evolutionists and other non-believing scientific based contrarians. He then jumps into the concept that the Father’s rules and regulations are hugely beneficial to our lives. This is extraordinary as many people find these precepts to be constrictive and undesirable. Yet, David says they: revive our soul, make us wise, give joy to our hearts and light to our eyes. Try and discern a man-made law that has such an effect, can you? I doubt it. In fact, David goes so far as to tell us that these precepts and statutes are worth more than gold, sweeter than honey and altogether righteous. By them, he says, we are warned and in keeping them, we are rewarded. Finally, he arrives at the wretched worminess of humanity. He admits that we cannot even perceive all of our own faults and thereby asks for forgiveness. It becomes obvious that he does not wish to sin as he asks the Father to prevent him from willful ones so that he can be blameless in the King’s eyes. This leads him to the verse above. All in all, this is an awesome prayer, one that praises the King, admits our faults and asks for His forgiveness, guidance and support. I think we should embrace it like my husband does!
Are You That One? “he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;” Psalm 103:10-11 (NIV) Amen, Amen, Amen, Hallelujah! Yes, that’s what came to mind when reading these verses. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but the truth of the matter is we deserve death, we deserve weeping and gnashing of teeth, we deserve to join the enemy and his minions in the pit of eternal and everlasting destruction. I say that with all seriousness and intensity of comprehension. No man knows another’s depths of depravity but it really makes no difference because the Word tells us that the wages of sin is death, it’s that simple. We all have sinned and fallen short and deserve the worst He could do to us. So, praise Him for not repaying us according to our iniquities! I wish we really spent more time each day recalling that He has cast our sins as far as east is from west (v. 12). I think if we would really wrap our minds and hearts around the amount of grace He has provided us we would be less reluctant and neglectful in the realm of praise. Listen, He didn’t have to save us, He didn’t have to suffer for our measly, self-centered, unappreciative behinds and yet…as verse 11 tells us, He did because His love for us is as high as the heavens above the earth! Love like that is incomprehensible, undeserved and often disregarded. Why? What is wrong with us? I hate to say it but I think we often walk around as if God owed us something, as if we were somehow worthy of His love, grace and mercy. I suspect this is an attitude we learn as children, and while that might suffice for some people as an excuse for bad behavior, it just doesn’t set well with me. While I know God doesn’t regret saving us, part of me thinks that He’d have every right to do so, to ask Himself, head shaking in disbelief, “Why oh why did I pick that one?” I don’t want to be that one! Do you? Father, help us to daily recall that Jesus paid it all. Help us to see that we need to spend more time with You on bended knee, wholly thankful for the love You’ve bestowed, never acting as if it’s something we’re owed.
At Least There’s Progress “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 (KJV) It’s so easy to sow sparingly, or in some instances not at all. I was just thinking the other day about how much we tithe each month. I laughed at the thought because other people, those who don’t believe in our Redeemer, or who don’t support the concept of tithing, would be appalled at such sowing and yet, the truth is, we never miss that money, and unless we actually sit back and think about the amount, we don’t even keep track. We aren’t the write-a-check-so-you-can-get-your-taxbreak people; we do our tithing in cash so no one ever knows from whence it came. The point is, we don’t miss the money, and when there have been instances in which it looked like we weren’t going to have the money for the electric bill or groceries or whatever, God always put someone there to provide what was needed; we have not gone without for having sowed into His Kingdom and neither does anyone else who takes the concept seriously and consistently. I could share with you a number of instances in which crazy things have occurred financially for our benefit and I have never doubted that such situations have been orchestrated by the Father. He is true to His Word in all instances and at all times. So, that all said, we need not have trepidations about sowing bountifully, He will indeed allow us to reap bountifully. Certainly some would read this verse and not consider tithing part of the concept of sowing and that’s fine, then contemplate the other areas of giving you participate in. Are you doing the minimum, or are you giving with a joyful heart and no reservation? I can tell you that I have seen our situation improve ever since we added more consistent alms (as my husband likes to call them) for the poor. Again, we don’t miss it and it’s kinda cool to know that you have helped someone else out. Obviously we can always do and give more, but like anything else, our wallets and our hearts are works in progress, at least there’s progress…
Evaluate your Relationships “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT) I just loved the way the NLT put this verse. I so long to have my heart fully understand the expression of the love of God and I desire the patient endurance that can only be found in Christ. Namely though, I really want to grasp how deeply loved by the Father I am because I know that if I can comprehend that love then I can turn around and express it towards those around me. I am not the most emotional of people, nor am I the most lovingly expressive. In fact, I lean more towards the if I’m picking on you, I care about you side of things (I learned that from my earthly father and while I might attempt to utilize it as an excuse, it’s really not a valid one because that’s not how my Heavenly Father loves me). That said, I desire to understand the depth and expression of His love so that I can be a mirror of that love to you and everyone else who crosses my path. Interestingly enough, Paul then leaves this concept and directs the people to avoid those who are idle and who don’t live by the Word (v. 6). This is hugely relevant because when we spend time around those who do nothing to bring glory to the Kingdom, who are not Lights in this dark world, and who purposely choose not to abide by the Word of God, we have a tendency to lose our own ability to comprehend His love and thereby we find it extremely difficult to express that love towards others. I’m not saying that we are to avoid those who don’t believe, in fact Paul makes that distinction elsewhere, but we shouldn’t spend too much time with people who claim the Faith and yet don’t live it. They will only taint our Faith. Paul tells us to disassociate with them so that they are shamed and then to warn them as brothers. The bottom line there is that our backing away from them should give them the initiative to straighten up because if we keep hanging out with them it’s as if we are approving of their behavior. Listen, if you want to know His love then you must spend time with people who really know it too. So, evaluate your relationships and move in that direction.
Who’s the Boss? “'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18 (NASB) I think that it’s mad cool to see things in the Old Testament that we would ordinarily assume only show up in the New Testament. I have no doubt many of us thought that Jesus was the first one to articulate the concept of loving your neighbor as yourself (and actually, since He is the Word and the Word was with God from the beginning I suppose He was the first to pen the phrase so to speak). I’ve mentioned before how much joy I find in discovering New Testament stuff in the Old Testament (even though I know a large portion of the New Testament is simply a restatement of the Old). So, to move on, if you go back and read Leviticus 19, you’ll discover that it’s a list of do’s and don’ts that God is giving Moses. What you might find intriguing is His constant repetition of the last part of this verse, I am the LORD. I find that statement interesting as it appears that God wants us to know who’s boss. It’s almost like a parent telling His child, because I said so. I think that He wants us to realize that He is the King, He is the Director and the Judge and that the things He tells us are serious and are to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, we seem to have lost that sense of reverential fear so it does us well to go back and read verses like this. I find it troublesome that our Father instructs us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and yet we have allowed the world to teach us that we shouldn’t fear Him because He’s love. It is this teaching perhaps, that has taken away a great deal of our power as believers. You see, if we don’t fear Him as directed then we lack the wisdom He desires to provide for us. Without that wisdom then we are inhibited in our discernment of His will for our lives thusly we lose the power to live the life He has intended. I hope that makes sense to you. We must fear Him, He is the LORD and from the beginning He wanted us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Perhaps we can start there?
Get Happy “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4:8 (NIV) So, David actually penned this concept first in Psalm 32. I love that David has such an understanding of what the Father’s mercy and grace has done for him. I love that Paul got that too. Here’s the problem though, too many of us shrug off the magnitude of this concept. Let me ask you, are you saved? Are your sins washed away? If you can answer yes to these questions then I’ve one more for you, are you blessed? The issue is found in that last question, are you blessed? Too many believers are walking around heavy laden, depressed, downtrodden and quite frankly disillusioned. We seem to have misunderstood what it means to be blessed. Merriam-Webster tells us that blessed means: of or enjoying happiness; specifically, enjoying the bliss of heaven and bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune. Let’s think on this for a few moments, shall we? If the Great and Holy Judge will never count your sins against you, then your heinous behind has been declared innocent. You have gained the ability to walk away from the noose, the electric chair and lethal injection for eternity. Now, you and I both know that these are indeed what we deserve and yet, He has declared us free, forever. Are you going to enjoy happiness, the bliss of heaven? Does this declaration bring you pleasure and contentment? Isn’t it quite fortunate for you? Thusly, let me ask you again, are you blessed? As the redeemed saints of the Everlasting Eternal God, we need to stop letting the minutia of this world hinder our feelings of blessedness. We need to stop whining and crying about these fleeting encumbrances and live lives that demonstrate the blessing that we have received, freedom from every evil deed we’ve done, considered and contemplated. You are blessed, period. Now (as Drop Dead Fred would say), get happy!
We’re Brats “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46 (NIV) I think this is perhaps the most convicting verse in the entire Bible. This is our Savior speaking and He’s calling into account all the lip-service we offer up without any actions to back it. Luke 6 is a powerful chapter in and of itself, but this verse is particularly faceslapping. At least it is for me. I don’t know how much of His Word you have read and retained but I can tell you that I have read it all, more than once and I am hugely guilty of not doing what it says. Do I throw parties and only invite those who can’t repay me with an equal invitation? Nope. Do I love my neighbor as myself? Not so well. Do I pray without ceasing and give thanks continuously? ‘Fraid not! Am I joyful always? Ha ha ha! Heck, just read 1 Thessalonians 5 and you’d find a slew of areas in which I do not do what He says. Are you starting to grasp the level of conviction this verse has? I suspect that Jesus is insulted when we come to Him begging for those things we desire, calling out to Him, Lord, Lord, knowing full-well that we are unrepentant, unappreciative brats. Yes, I said it, we’re brats. We act like the proverbial preachers kids, the ones who are so out-of-control it’s hard to imagine their dad’s in the pulpit on Sundays. Well, given our arrogant lack of respect for what our Abba says, I’m sure there are plenty of people who have every right to question our lineage, are we really related to the Most High God? I could take this a frighteningly awful step further; remember that Christ tells us that not all who say, Lord, Lord will get in to Heaven. He warns us that He will say He never knew them. While that is undoubtedly a well-deserved rejection it is hugely undesirable. I don’t want to be left outside the gate, I don’t want to pretend to be a follower, to call on His Name and yet ignore His instructions. What about you? Father, enable us to abide by Your Word so that when we call on Your Name we will be assured that we are Yours!
Don’t Ask for it “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” Proverbs 24:26 (NIV) Forgive me, but I read this verse and I think of Jack Nicholson screaming in the courtroom, “You can’t handle the truth!” So, the concept of honesty being like one of the more intimate expressions of love is a bit odd for me. The other thing this verse stirs up in my mind is the fact that I didn’t even kiss my husband until our wedding day. I guess his willingness to wait for me was proof that he honestly loved and desired me. Now, don’t go thinking we’re saints or anything, we got married really quickly. The point here I think, is that if you truly love someone, you will be honest with that person; thusly the intimate expression herein. Also, if that individual knows that you love him/her, then he/she can trust your words to be meant for their good, like a kiss. Unfortunately, we often view truth as offensive and dangerous and many of us avoid it like the plague, we use half-truths and little white lies rather than risk the slap of someone we might have kissed with truth. Yes, in some instances the truth hurts, but the world has beat that statement so deeply into our psyches that we almost automatically assume that all truth hurts and therefore it is something that is hesitantly proclaimed if shared at all. In addition, people who are deemed brutally honest are shunned and labeled mean. Albeit some brutally honest people are simply judgmental buttheads, but there are others who have just made it their goal in life to be as forthright as they can. I know this full well as I have been labeled such. Let me tell you, there came a time in which I told my husband not to ask me a question if there were a chance that I wouldn’t answer the way he wanted me to. I told him that because I do truly strive to speak honestly with people and a lot of the time he wasn’t appreciating my thoughts on the matters. So, if you can’t handle the truth don’t ask for it. If you’re not looking for an intimate kiss, don’t seek out honest people and their answers.
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