Blog Archives
Confidence and Tumbleweed (If Trees Could Walk)
Reading: Jeremiah 16 – 17
Tags: confidence, fruitfulness, trust, faith, security, peace, resilience
Scripture
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-9 (NIV)
Observations
We all need to have confidence in something. To have confidence is to be able to stand firm, to have roots and be anchored to something. Confidence brings security. Without confidence, we are like tumble weed, with no idea of where the wind might blow us next. That's not a nice feeling.
But confidence has to be placed in something. In Jeremiah 17, God describes the plight of someone whose confidence is rooted in something or someone other than him:
This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.” Jeremiah 17:5-6 (NIV)
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” What a contrast. In God there is to be found hope. In him there is security and inner peace. In him we can flourish, resilient and fruitful even when the circumstances of life are difficult, because our fruitfulness doesn't depend on our circumstances but on God's faithfulness.
Application
Trees don't normally uproot themselves and walk off to another place, but that's exactly what I feel like doing. I hate the idea of relying on my own strength and falling short of all God has for me. Living my whole life within my own feeble limitations would be abysmal, yet I still find myself far too attached to that safe and familiar ground. It's time to shake the dust off those roots and move!
Prayer
Lord, rip me out and plant me next to a stream! I don't want to pray prayers that are so safe I could answer them myself. I want to pray in faith beyond what is naturally possible. I want to step out and do things that will only work if you come through. I want to bless others even as I face challenges of my own, because you are the source of my fruitfulness, not me. I want to see what you are doing and follow you.
Lord, may my confidence ever be found not in me, or my job, or in anything else, but only in you, and your wonderful promises to me through Jesus.
See also: Ready or Not, I'm Stepping Out! and Fruit of a Life Well Spent
Grace is the Antidote to Disgrace
Reading: Luke 1
Scripture
When [Zechariah's] time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1:23-25 (NIV)
Observations
Luke chapter 1 must be one of the most “feel good” chapters in the Bible. I love the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth.“Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.” Through no fault of her own, Elizabeth lived in disgrace among the people because of her barrenness.
Disgrace: Loss of reputation or respect as a result of a dishonourable action; a person or thing regarded as shameful and unacceptable; loss of honour or esteem; ignominy; shame; public contempt.
How much pain must Elizabeth have carried in her heart, along with her husband Zechariah. Yet the two of them continued to serve God and do their best to please him.
And then, inexplicably and against all the odds, Elizabeth learns she has been chosen to bear a son! He will be called John. “He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” Elizabeth must have nearly burst with happiness as her “dis-grace” vanished like the morning dew. The “dis-” was gone forever, leaving her to enjoy what God had for her all along – “grace“.
Application
No matter how much “dis-” there has been in my life, whether inflicted by others or the result of my own actions, Jesus has taken it to the Cross. He carried it in his body to the grave and it is gone forever, leaving me to enjoy what God had for me all along – grace.
Grace and disgrace cannot coexist. They are opposites. A person cannot truly experience God's grace – that is, his undeserved favour – and still be weighed down by shame and condemnation. Grace is the antidote to disgrace. The coming of grace is like the rising of the sun, causing disgrace to vanish like the morning dew.
This is my mission as a follower of Jesus – to bring grace. What an exciting and rewarding prospect, to have the Holy Spirit working not just in me but through me to bring the wonderful love and favour of God to all who would receive it.
Prayer
Father, let me be a channel for your grace! May it flow through me like an ever-increasing river. Help me to use my gifts and to take every opportunity you give me to share your grace, and to bring joy where now there is only despair. I am your servant.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
Disciples Who Make Disciples (Who Make Disciples)
Reading: Matthew 28
Scripture
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
Observation
Jesus had come to the end of three years with those who had followed him. He had taught them, discipled them, modelled behaviour for them, and brought about in them the gradual transformation of their hearts and minds. Now, Jesus reveals his master plan for all the people who were yet to come: Disciples who make disciples who make disciples.
We are the plan! But not just us standing alone. We go with and under the authority of Jesus, the highest authority of all. We go with the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. We go in the power of the Holy Spirit who is with us and in us. We are to make disciples of every kind of person, from all walks of life. The word used in verse 19 for nations, ethnos, is also translated 'Gentiles'. Jesus is giving instructions that this new covenant is not just for the Jews, but for everyone.
Application
“Go and make disciples“, from the Greek 'matheteuo': to become a pupil; to disciple; enrol as scholar; instruct, teach. Jesus instructs me not to “convert” people but to teach them and instruct them. Baptism may be an event, but to make disciples is a process that begins even before a conscious decision has been made to make Jesus lord.
As a teacher therefore, I can start teaching people who are not yet committed Christians. Discipleship is incremental; even small packets of “teaching”, in whatever form that comes, may help people to come closer to obeying everything Jesus has commanded us. No matter what my gifting, my life can provide opportunities for others to learn about what it means to obey the commands of Jesus. I can disciple people by the way I live.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for calling me to yourself, for choosing me, and for those people who discipled me, especially my parents. Holy Spirit, please guide me into every opportunity to disciple others, whether by word or deed, whether formal or informal. Use me and my gifts to bring people closer in their everyday walk with you.
Before eBay or TradeMe, there was God…
Reading: Psalm 63-68
Scripture
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19-20 (NIV)
Observations
This verse is translated differently in the various translations:
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits… (NKJV)
For each day he carries us in his arms. (NLT)
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up… (ESV)
Praise the Lord, God our Saviour, who helps us every day. (NCV)
Perhaps it is fair to say that God does all these things. He daily loads us with benefits, and daily bears our burdens. Both are the result of what Jesus won for us at the cross.
Application
I need to get with Jesus each day and do some trading. I give him my burdens, and he gives me his benefits. I like the sound of this!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Prayer
Thank you Jesus for this wonderful arrangement, for the divine exchange which took place at the cross so that I need no longer lumber around a heavy burden. What a pleasure to be able to come to you each day and trade in my burdens for blessings. May I come away loaded! Thank you so much for your goodness, fresh to me each day.
God’s Essential Oil – Joy!
Reading: Joshua 2-6
Scripture
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. Joshua 3:17 (NIV)
Observations
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant had a very noble and serious job! As the people of Israel prepared to cross the Jordan river into the land God had promised them, and with war imminent, it was the priests carrying the ark who took the lead.
Carrying the ark on its poles, the priests stepped into the flooding River Jordan, then watched as the water ceased to flow, the water having “heaped up” somewhere way upstream. They then “stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” Considering the nation probably numbered into the millions, they must have stood there for a long time.
The ark was no doubt a heavy thing to carry, both physically and spiritually. Physically because it was covered with gold, with the lid being solid gold, and spiritually because those carrying it were in a sense carrying the very presence of God. It was certainly not a job for the feeble or the faint-hearted.
Application
Being in the service of God is still not for the feeble or faint-hearted. It is a noble calling. But carrying the Presence of God into the world can be hard work, both physically and spiritually. Even Jesus faced hardship and suffering, with long days and endless demands placed on him from those who desperately needed to experience the Presence of God in their lives. Yet that was why he came, that we might be welcomed into the very Presence of God.
If I am to continue with my part in this noble calling, I'm going to need perseverance, to keep pushing on even when things are uncomfortable. That doesn't sound like much fun really, unless I can also get myself infused with life's “essential oil” – joy. Fortunately, God specialises in joy! Jesus came to bestow on me the “oil of joy” (Isaiah 61:3). Because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I am his dwelling place, and 1 Chronicles 16:27 tells me that “…strength and joy fill his dwelling.” (I note strength and joy are together). The fruit of the Spirit's work and presence in my life includes joy. (Gal 5:22).
I suspect that the secret to letting joy truly infuse my life is firstly to bring daily to God everything that would contaminate that essential oil – sin, worries, annoyances, frustrations, hurts – and secondly, to daily practice those three short verses that so beautifully summarise God's plan for my life: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess 5:16-18
As well, I need to pray for those who serve God in positions of leadership and responsibility in the Body of Christ. They carry a heavy load, and they deserve my respect and support.
Prayer
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19-20). Thank you Lord for joy. It's one of my favourite things! How wonderful that it's in joy that my strength is found – who would have thought they went together?! Help me Lord to bring to you daily everything that would make that oil of joy rancid, that you would purify joy and perfect holiness in me.
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:10-12 (NIV)
Failure is Not the End
Reading: Mark 14-16
Scripture
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” Mark 16:6-7 (NIV)
Observations
“But go, tell his disciples and Peter…” Peter, who just three days earlier had done what in his mind was unthinkable – he had disowned Jesus, not once but three times, just as Jesus had predicted. How must Peter have felt during those three days, after having so emphatically insisted, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Mark 14:31 Did he have the courage to even let himself be seen by Jesus as he hung on the cross? I suspect not. He had stepped up to the plate and failed, dismally.
But Jesus knew. He knew Peter's despair and the bitter anguish of his soul, and on the cross Jesus bore in his body not just the failings of Peter, but the failings of us all. Soon, Peter's despair would be replaced by hope, and the angel was there to announce it: “Go, tell his disciples and Peter…” It's OK Peter. You failed and Jesus specifically wants you to know that he still loves you.
In many ways the redemption that Peter subsequently found in Jesus through that failure was the making of the man who would go on to lead the early church and eventually make good on his promise, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
Application
In the kingdom of God, failure is not the end. In many ways, it's like a beginning. It's an opportunity for me to stand before God with empty hands and acknowledge once again that he is my everything. It's an opportunity for my heart to be softened and prepared so that hope can spring up afresh and arrogance make way for graciousness.
Prayer
Lord, you know all too well that I have yet to reach a place of humility like the one Peter found himself in. But I pray that you would continue to perfect holiness in me as I journey with you, and if I meet failure along the way, please help me to grow from the experience, and to pass through it as one who has tasted more deeply the riches of your wonderful kindness and grace.
Perfecting Me
Reading: 2Corinthians 10 – 13
Scripture
Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NIV)
Observations
“Aim for perfection“. That's not a phrase we often hear. More often we hear the phrase, “No one is perfect”, which of course is true, but it is generally an excuse for some misdemeanour or undesirable habit. “Generally I'm a good person, so cut me some slack – I can't be perfect in everything.” Yet here Paul is specifically encouraging us to be just that – perfect in everything.
“Perfect”, from the Greek katartizo: “to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust:–fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect(-ly join together), prepare, restore.”
Application
God has not left me with an impossible task, to be perfect. He is actively working in me, equipping me with everything good for doing his will. In Hebrews 13:20-21 Paul prays that Jesus may “equip us with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ…” So there is a wonderful cooperation that is taking place, as I aim for perfection, and God works in me what is pleasing to him. This is made possible by the divine exchange that took place on the cross. God is repairing me, restoring me, and completing me thoroughly. There is no room for self-righteousness or arrogance, but rather, a me that is pleasing and productive and good. I like this. Why wouldn't I want to work with God on this divine project.
Prayer
Thank you Lord God that you are perfecting me. What a wonderful partnership, to be able to work together with you. I feel like a project in your workshop. Please continue, and make me into something beautiful that gives you pleasure.
Pour Out Your Heart
Reading: Psalm 62
Scripture
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:1-3, 8-9 (NIV)
Observations
God knows what is in our hearts. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13 Yet God wants us to pour out our hearts to him, to be our refuge. To pour out our hearts implies that we leave nothing undisclosed. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before him, but we are doing the uncovering. We are laying our troubled hearts bare, and in doing so, we find rest and are saved. This requires trust, and as trust builds, so does intimacy with God. “Into me see”.
Application
No situation can come upon me that I need hide from God. Every trouble is a opportunity to increase the closeness of my relationship with God. He is my first port of call. No need to complain or whine to people who are not in a position to change things for me. Instead I can “Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for me in Christ Jesus.” 1Thess 5:16-18
Prayer
Thank you Father for the opportunity I have every moment of the day to cry out to you, and pour out my heart. May that closeness be my every day experience as I walk with you.
My Own Personal Pillar of Fire!
Reading: Exodus 39:32 – 40:38
Scripture
Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. Exodus 40:34-38 (NIV)
Observations
Every day and every night of their 40 years in the wilderness, the pillar of cloud and fire reminded Israel that God was with them. They could see it, they could no doubt hear it, and they could feel it as it provided shade by day and heat by night. The pillar was a multi-sensual representation of God's Presence. And where was God's Presence? Covering and filling the Tent of Meeting, indicating that God's desire was to meet with his people.
Whenever the pillar of cloud moved, the people packed up and followed it. They were effectively moving with the Presence of God. Moving where they did not know, but moving nonetheless. Their ultimate destination was the promised land, but in the meantime, they were simply following God. It was guidance by cloud and by fire.
Application
Guidance isn't always easy. There have been times when I could have wished for my own personal pillar of cloud to help me decide what to do next. But now I think of it, the Holy Spirit is just that – my own personal pillar of cloud. He is my Fire. He is God's Presence meeting with me, and I am the 'Tent of Meeting', anointed and consecrated to him; He dwells in me! And He is the one who leads me as I keep in step with him, following his promptings and enjoying his conversation.
No wonder that increasingly my desire is simply to 'move with the Presence of God'. The details about what I should be doing next seem not so important as just meeting with God, and drawing closer to him. He knows what's around the corner, and knowing that he will be with me in all my travels makes the journey a lot less stressful, and actually quite exciting.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for revealing this wonderful truth. Help me now to follow you, to move with your Presence, and to enjoy the warmth of your presence by night and the peace of your protection by day. Holy Spirit, my constant companion, lead me on.
The Lord watches over me— the Lord is my shade at my right hand; the sun will not harm me by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep me from all harm— he will watch over my life; the Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:5-8 (NIV, personalised)
Living at the Colour End of the Spectrum
Reading: Psalm 100
Scripture
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100 (NIV)
Observations
Psalm 100 is a wonderful psalm – short, yet full of wisdom and truth. I belong to God! That could either be good or bad, depending on God's character. But it's ok, God is good! Not only that but he loves me, and his love will last forever! He will never discard me or shift his affection elsewhere. His faithfulness is the stuff of legends. He stores up goodness for me for rainy days (see Psalm 31:19). He is the rich kind benefactor we all secretly wish we had.
The psalmist need hardly have bothered telling me how to respond. Anyone who really gets it will have that feeling of excitement and anticipation bubbling away constantly in the background, at least to some degree, and even when times are difficult. And when that joy wells up, we naturally find ourselves worshiping God and expressing our grateful thanks.
Application
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-20, Paul tells me, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Psalm 100 gives almost the same keys for living, but also reminds me of the reason I can live like that – because I belong to God, and because God is good, he loves me and he is faithful.
I need to remind myself of these things often, lest I slide away from thankfulness, joy, worship and praise, and find myself at the opposite end of the spectrum – self-absorbed, anxious, irritable and bogged down. Whenever I find that the colour has drained out of my life and that the grey tones have taken over, that will be my signal to put Psalm 100 into action:
- “I will enter his gates with thanksgiving!”, an easy place to start as there's always something I can be thankful for.
- I will remind myself that I am God's, and will submit myself once again into his care.
- I will focus my lens on these thoughts, that “the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
- Finally, I will lift up my hands and my heart to worship him.
Yep, that should fix it.
Prayer
Lord God, I love the view from the colour end of the spectrum. Thank you for your plan for me to be always joyful, to be in continual conversation with you, and to be always focused on the good as I give thanks in all circumstances. I really like this plan. Holy Spirit, if ever you see me down at the grey tones end of the spectrum, please give me a prod. I want to see you fully expressing yourself through me as you fill me with your light.
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Sneaking Off With God... 