But It's Just Not Fair!

Have you ever looked at someone and thought to yourself, "It's just not fair...why is something so bad happening to them?"  It sometimes seems like the bad get away with what they do, and the good suffer for it, with absolutely no justice!  As my Pastor said on Sunday morning, "Bad things happen to good people."  As long as we live in this world, which is marred by sin, things will not be fair...it's just the way it is!  But God tells us in His Word...

Psalms 37:1  "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity."

God tells us not to get all upset because of the evildoers, and not to be envious of sinners because of what they have as the result of their evil ways.  For one thing, our treasure is to be laid up in Heaven, that's where we, as a child of God will receive our rewards.  The treasures of the wicked will not last, and once they die they cannot take any of it with them.  Our treasure is waiting for us in Heaven, so stop wanting what the wicked have in this life.  Secondly don't be envious of them, because they don't know what real treasure is.  Money, material things of this world are not real treasures.  Real treasure is eternal life, fellowship with God, peace, joy and God's great love, mercy and grace!  There is nothing on this earth that can compare to what we have in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Matthew 6:20 & 21 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal;  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Even with all this said, there are still times when that worldly mindset evades our minds and we find ourselves thinking, "It's just not fair."  Well lets take a moment shall we and take a look at someone who had every right to say, "It's just not fair" but didn't.

Hebrews 4:15  "For we have not an high priest (Jesus Christ) which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;  but was in all points tempted (tried) like as we are, yet without sin."

Our Lord Jesus Christ lived on earth as a man, with all the frailty's of the human body, with all the unfairness of this world heaped upon Him, yet He was without sin. 

1 Peter 2:21  "...because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps."

He is our example of how to handle life's injustices.  Do you ever wonder at some people, who when you are going through a tough situation, pat you on the back and say, "I know what you're going through."  I sometimes look at them and wonder to myself, "Do you really?"  There's a saying that goes something like this, "You never know what someone is going through unless you've walked in their shoes."  Well, I have some news for you...when Jesus whispers to our hurting hearts that He understands what we are going through, we can believe Him, He has walked in our shoes.  There is nothing that we go through that He hasn't already gone before.

Have you ever lost everything?
Matthew 8:20  "And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests:  but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."

Thankfully I can say that I've always had a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in.  There are many poor souls that do not have this comfort.  Unfortunately Canada, like every other Country has many homeless.  The poorer nations of this world are full of adults, and children as well, that do not have even a simple refuge from the harsh elements.  Or perhaps a fire or a natural disaster has taken away everything you owned.  Our Lord had no where to lay His head. Jesus understands the hurt of those who have nothing.

Have you ever been hungry?
Matthew 4:2  "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred."

Many in this world go hungry.  There are thousands of innocent little children that go to bed every night with their little tummy's rumbling for food.  Many more die from starvation each day.  Jesus knows what it feels like to be weak and in need of food.  Jesus understands the hurt of those who are hungry.

Have you ever lost a loved one?
John 11:32 - 36  "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him?  They said unto him, Lord, come and see.  Jesus wept.  Then said the Jews, Behold, how He loved him."

Have you ever held the hand of a dying loved one?  Stood by the casket that contained your parent, sibling, spouse, or perhaps even your beloved child?  You have felt the choking anguish of trying to say goodbye to that person who meant so much to you.  Jesus knew that heartache of death.  He stood by the grave of Lazarus, His friend whom He loved, and He wept and grieved.  Jesus understands the hurt of those who mourn.

Have you ever been betrayed?
Luke 22:47 & 48  "And while He yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him.  but Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest Thou the Son of man with a kiss?"

Have you ever had someone you considered a close friend, someone you trusted, someone you shared your innermost thoughts and dreams with, suddenly turn and betray you?  Have you experienced the stabbing pain of your heart breaking with the betrayal of someone you considered a close friend?  Judas had spent three years close to Jesus, he was one of the chosen 12 disciples, and he betrayed the Lord.  Jesus understands the hurt of those who are betrayed.

Have you ever been ridiculed, mocked or abused?
Matthew 26:67 & 68  "Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him;  and others smote Him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ, who is he that smote thee?

There are many in this world that suffer atrocities at the hands of others.  Child abuse, domestic abuse are ramped in our societies.  Bullying is also very much a problem these days.  Jesus knows the pain of physical abuse.  He also knows the mental anguish of verbal abuse.   Jesus understands the hurt of those who are ridiculed, mocked and abused.

Have you ever suffered serious physical pain?
Psalms 22:14 - 16  (Prophesy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus)  "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint:  my heart is like wax:  it is melted in the midst of my bowels,
My strength is dried up like a potsherd:  and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;  and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.  For dogs have compassed me;  the assembly of the wicked have inclosed Me;  they pierced my hands and my feet."

Have you ever laid on a bed of agony, crying from your depths in pain and misery, pleading for relief?  Does it seem some days like your body is breaking down and the pain is more then you can bear anymore?  Sometimes medication does nothing to alleviate the burning torture that is trapped inside your frail body.  Jesus suffered immensely from physical pain.  Jesus understands the hurt of physical pain.

Where ever you are, perhaps in the midst of a terrible circumstance, or an unbearable situation, Jesus understands...He's been there, and He's left us this promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

"There hath no temptation (trial) taken you but such as is common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tried)  above that ye are able;  but will with the temptation (trial) also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

We have the promise from the Word of God that we will be able to bear whatever He lovingly permits to come into our lives.  What a wonderful promise to be able to hold on to in the midst of hurt and turmoil.  He, who has walked this earthly pathway before us, will be with us no matter what.  I know for myself, when I'm going through hard days, the one thing I long for is someone who understands what I'm dealing with, and can comfort me through it.  Jesus has promised that He will do both for His own.

Isaiah 41:10  "Fear thou not;  for I am with thee;  be not dismayed;  for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee;  yea, I will help thee;  yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 43:2  "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;  and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:  when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned:  neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Stop lamenting that life's not fair, and take hold of the One who will help you through it, and will make things fair in the end.  Remember, Jesus understands!

No one understands like Jesus,

He's a friend beyond compare;

Meet Him at the throne of mercy,

He is waiting for you there.

 

No one understands like Jesus,

Every woe He sees and feels;

Tenderly He whispers comfort,

And the broken heart He heals.

 

No one understands like Jesus,

When you falter on the way;

Tho' you fail Him, sadly fail Him,

He will pardon you today.

 

No one understands like Jesus,

When the days are dark and grim;

No one is so near, so dear as Jesus,

Cast your every care on Him.

 

                                                 John W. Peterson

Je

The Peace Child

There is a book I read years ago entitled "Peace Child" by Don Richardson.  It is a true story about Missionaries, Don and Carol Richardson, who took the Gospel to the cannibalistic isolated Sawi tribe of New Guinea in 1962.  This pagan tribe was steeped in darkness and tyranny.  It took months for the Richardson's to learn their language and about their culture.  

As they began to interact with them, they realized that the Sawi had no words in their language that they could use to describe to them salvation.  One day the Richardson's were witnesses to an unique ceremony.  Warring tribes had decided to make peace.  The custom was that each chief would take his baby son and give him to the other tribe as a "peace child."  The father's were giving their sons  to their enemies in order to bring about peace.  When Don saw this, the Lord showed him how to apply the Gospel.  He was able to tell them about (Myao Kodon), God, who gave His own Son, (Yesus), Jesus, as the Peace Child to mankind, His enemies.

Ephesians 2:13 - 15  "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For He is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us:  Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;  for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace;"

Almighty God, gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Peace Child!  How thrilled Don was to finally be able to sit down with the men of the Sawi tribe and explain to them how the Almighty God of Heaven gave the "Peace Child," His own dearly beloved Son, to them, to end the war in their souls forever. 

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

What a wonderful analogy that Don was able to draw for these tribesmen...the Sawi Chief had to except the son of the other Chief into his life and home in order to obtain peace.  It was only in accepting Jesus into their hearts, and accepting what He did on the cross to save them, that they could have peace with God! 

What a awesome thing to have peace with God.  We've all been on the other side, seeking that peace...  perhaps you are still there!

Isaiah 48:22  "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."

I remember the night I was saved.  I was miserable.  My heart was broken and I felt that I had no hope whatsoever.  I was drowning in anger and bitterness over my past.  I felt unloved, forgotten and overcome by a choking helplessness and despair.  I had no peace.  But then God showed these verses to me;

John 10:9 & 10  "I am the door;  by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.  The thief (Satan) cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy;  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

For those of you who have read "Pilgrims Progress,"  you will remember that Little Pilgrim was carrying a heavy load of sin on his back.  However when he came to the cross, the burden fell from his back and rolled away.  That was the way I felt that night when I asked Jesus to come into my heart and to forgive my sin;  my burden rolled away, and the peace of God flooded my soul...the Peace Child had taken up residence in my heart.

Isaiah 38:17  "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness:  but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption:  for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back."

When we become children of God and the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus lives in our hearts, then we should exude that peace to others.  When we spend time in our Bibles and in prayer, we should start to resemble the Lord, we begin to take on His characteristics and one of His characteristics is peace.  We should have a God-like peace in the midst of this frantic, out of control, sin cursed world.  I've been in the presence of Christians who make me edgy and tense because of their attitudes.  but then on the other hand I've been with Christians who have such a peaceful demeanour that I've left them feeling that same peace.  We should be spreading the peace of the "Peace Child" to those we come in contact with. 

John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;  not as the world giveth give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 16:33  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation;  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world."

In Luke chapter 7 we read about the woman who came and anointed the Lords feet with an alabaster box of ointment (vs 37).  It says that she was a sinner.  She wept and washed the Lords feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, then anointed them with the ointment she had brought.  In verse 48 Jesus forgave her sins and in verse 50 its says;  "And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee;  go in peace." 

In Luke chapter 8 we have the story starting in verse 43 about a woman who had an issue of blood.  She had spent all her money on doctors, and could not be cured by any that the she had seen.  She struggled through the crowd of people that day just to get close enough to Jesus to touch the hem of His clothes.  In verse 48 it tells us, "And He said unto her, daughter, be of good comfort:  thy faith hath made thee whole;  go in peace."

Both of these women had a personal interaction with Jesus, they couldn't come to Jesus through anyone else or by anything else...it was personal.  They were sinners, without the peace of God in their hearts.  They came that day empty and searching, but after meeting the Savior face to face, each of them left with His perfect peace because they placed their faith in Him.  Jesus is still offering that same perfect peace today.  He is still fulfilling His role as the "Peace Child."  

After years of hard work and prayer, Don Richardson finally heard his Sawi friend, Hato say to him, "Mayo Kodon fidasir Tarop Tim fasi fofadivi!" (I want to receive the Peace Child of God).  God is waiting to hear you say that today.  Have you accepted Jesus, God's Peace Child, received forgiveness for your sins, and gained that special perfect peace with God?

2 Thessalonians 3:16  "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means."

There's a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I've a peace that has come there to stay!

 

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,

When peace sweetly came to my heart;

Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,

Blessed Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

 

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,

While here on His footstool I roam;

But He's coming to take me some glorious day,

Over there to my heavenly home!

 

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding, Rapture divine!

He never leaves me lonely, Whispers, O so kind;

"I will never leave thee," Jesus is mine.

 

                                              Anne S. Murphy

 

Hold The Standard

We had standards in my home when I was growing up.  My sister and I were expected to respect and obey the standards that our parents set for us.  We were to respect and honor our parents.  Honesty was expected, fighting was not acceptable.  We were to have manners and were expected to follow curfews.  We were to be in church unless we were sick.  Did we always follow these standards?  No...there were times when we talked back to our parents, lied, fought, showed bad manners, broke curfew and tried to get out of going to church.  When we broke the standards there were consequences that we had to face. 

God has spiritual standards for His children.  These standards should set us apart from the sinful world in which we find ourselves at the present.  We are to respect and honor the Lord, be honest in our all dealings, not to be brawlers, to conduct ourselves in a manners that befits our station as a child of God, and not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. 

2 Corinthians 5:20  "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,"

The dictionary meaning of an ambassador is this:  "An envoy of highest rank, sent to a foreign country;  an intermediary, a messenger."

This is our rank in this world, we are ambassadors for Christ.  What a responsibility we have been given!  We have the rank of a child of the Most High God, sent into this world, which is not our home with the message of salvation from our Heavenly Father!  How are you doing with this task.  If we live like the world, talk like the world and walk the way of the world, they will not listen to anything we have to say...because what we would say would be contrary to how we live.  What a dishonorable ambassador we would be for God.

Titus 2:13 & 14  "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:  Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

We are to be a "peculiar people", we are to stand out from the world as different.  If we are representing the Lord in the right way, people will think we are foolish. 

1 Corinthians 3:19  "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."

1 Corinthians 1:25  "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men:  and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

This verse is not saying that God is foolish and weak, it's making a comparison.  IF God were foolish He would still be wiser than any man, and IF God were weak, He would still be stronger than any man.  The world thinks that anything that has to do with God is foolish, therefore as His ambassadors we will be thought of as peculiar and foolish.  However what the world thinks should not detour us in our duty to raise a standard for the Lord in our lives, homes, churches and communities.

Jeremiah 51:27  "Set ye up a standard in the land,"

A Standard was an ensign that was carried into battle, proclaiming to all where you allegiance was placed.  It was also referred to as "A Royal Banner."  It represented Royalty.  God has a standards for His children.  Yes, these standards will make us seem peculiar and foolish to people...but remember, we are not of this world, our standards come from our Heavenly Father.  Lets look at a few of these standards that should be evident in our lives as believers.

Jeremiah 6:16  "Thus saith the LORD, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 7:23  "But this thing commanded I them saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people:  and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

The old paths are the good paths.  Now a days people always think that they have to find new ways to do things.  God never changes.  His message is the same as it has always been.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  What He expected in the past He still expects today.  God's ways don't change, and we should not set out to change them.  He still expects us to obey, honor, worship and put Him first above all else in our lives.  Don't go changing the old ways, God won't be pleased!  Keep the standard of the old ways, you will be thought foolish!

1 Samuel 12:24  "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth, with all your heart:  for consider how great things He hath done for you."

John 14:6  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

God is TRUTH, His Word is TRUTH...don't go changing the truth of God!  Revelation 22:18 & 19 warns about adding to or taking away from the Truth of God's Holy Word!  How arrogant can people be to think that they know better than God what He is saying!  Keep the standard of His Holy Word, you will be thought foolish!

Matthew 5:34 & 35  "But I say unto you, swear not at all;  neither by heaven;  for it is God's throne: nor by the earth;  for it is His footstool:  neither by Jerusalem;  for it is the city of the great King."

Can the world tell you are different by your speech?  Our talk should not resemble the unsaved around us.  I've noticed more and more lately, that Christians are not just taking the Lord's name in vain and thinking nothing of it, but they are using language that just isn't right for a Christian to use.  We should not laugh at off colored jokes, or join in with ridiculing or gossiping about others.  Keep the standard of Heavenly speech, you will be thought foolish!

Mark 12:30 & 31  "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:  this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these."

The love we have for our Lord should consume us.  When we are loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, His love will overflow from us to our neighbors. In this self-centered, selfish world, a love like this will be noticeable.  This is a world of hate, envy and lust, true Godly love will seem out of place.  Are your actions showing the love of Christ?  Keep the standard of Godly love, you will be thought foolish!

Romans 12:1 & 2  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Have you presented your body as a living sacrifice to God?  The verse says, that it's our reasonable service...to be an ambassador that brings honor to our King, whom we are representing, we better make sure that we are not conformed to this world.  Are we holding the standard of God high in this wicked world?  We have a job to do while we remain on this earth, lets make sure that with the Lord's help we are being an ambassador that He can be pleased with.  Hold God's standard high and keep on for Him.

There's a royal banner given for display

To the soldiers of the King;

As an ensign fair we lift it up today,

While as ransomed ones we sing.

 

Though the foe may rage and gather as the flood,

Let the standard be displayed;

And beneath its folds, as soldiers of the Lord,

For the truth be not dismayed.

 

Over land and sea, wherever man may dwell,

Make the glorious tidings known;

Of the crimson banner now the story tell,

While the Lord shall claim His own!

 

When the glory dawn 'tis drawing very near,

It is hastening day by day;

Then before our King the foe shall disappear,

And the cross the world shall sway!

 

Marching on, marching on,

For Christ count everything but loss!

And to crown Him King, toil and sing,

Neath the banner of the cross!

 

                                                      Daniel W. Whittle

The Cleft Of The Rock

Have you ever heard the saying, "As steady as a rock?"  That is quite a statement to made about somebody.  This is a person that calms you just by their presence in your life, someone that you like to have by your side during a crisis.  They are unmovable and a tower of strength.

Deuteronomy 32:4  "He is the Rock, His work is perfect:  for all His ways are judgment:  a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He."

Psalms 18:2  "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer:  my God, my strength, in whom I will trust:  my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."

If you are a child of God, you have that special person in your life that is a Rock...the Lord Jesus Christ!  He is the One that can calm your heart in the midst of a sudden storm, the One to whom you can cling to when a crisis arises in your life.  He is your comfort in sorrow.  He holds you up when you are unable to stand on your own, guides you when you can't find your way.  When your feet are firmly planted on the Rock, your sure foundation, you will be steady no matter how hard the winds of adversity blow against you.  When you are hiding in the cleft of the Rock, you are safe.

Psalms 61:2 & 3 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed:  lead me to the Rock that is higher than I, For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

These two verses are among my very favorite verses.  I have had many overwhelming circumstances to contend with over the years and I can say with certainty, that when I went to the Rock, I found a shelter for my battered heart.  No one can protect and soothe an overwhelmed and hurt heart like the Lord Jesus.  When we are covered with His hand, in the cleft of the Rock, not even the powers of Hell can hurt us!

Sometimes our hearts are overwhelmed because we are looking at the difficulties in our lives in the wrong way.  Our all-knowing, loving, compassionate Heavenly Father allows things into our lives to help us grow as His child.  A few years ago I ended up in the hospital for a couple of weeks.  While there my kidneys failed.  My heart was overwhelmed;  I didn't know why God was allowing this to happen to me.  One night I was reading in Malachi chapter 3:3  "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver:...and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."  God was using this trial to refine me, to make me purer for Him.  In the midst of this trial, when my heart was overwhelmed, I found shelter in the Rock. 

In Acts chapter 16:25 we see Paul and Silas singing and praying to the Lord while chained in the depths of a Roman prison.  "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God:"  Their overwhelmed hearts had found peace in the Rock of their salvation, and they could sing in the midst of the storm.  In Daniel chapter 6:16 we see Daniel cast into the den of lions because he would not stop praying to God.  Daniel was human and I imagine as he turned and saw those hungry lions he was overwhelmed.  But the next morning he was able to testify to the King, who had ordered him thrown in with the lions, (vs 22)  "My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me."  Daniel found strength and comfort in the Rock of his salvation, His God.

We serve the same almighty God that Paul, Silas and Daniel served.  They knew that God was their Rock.  Why do we falter so much when hard times descend on us?  Is our faith so small that we cannot face difficulties without crumbling?  We take our eyes off the Rock and look at the storm.  We need to remember that there is no storm that can penetrate the protection of the Rock of our salvation!

David faced many enemies and persecutions, yet he was able to say with certainty in 2 Samuel 22:47 
"The LORD liveth:  and blessed be my rock:  and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation."

In Exodus 33 we find the story of Moses asking God to show him His glory. 

Exodus 33:20 - 22  "And He (God) said, thou canst not see My face:  for there shall no man see me and live.  And the LORD said, behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:  and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:"

The almighty glory of God could not be seen by man, so God protected Moses in the cleft of the rock, He covered Moses with His hand!  What a wonderful picture of the protection that He still gives to His children when they need a place of safety. 

Psalms 86:7  "In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee:  for Thou wilt answer me."

Psalms 142:3  "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path."

Isaiah 41:13  "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not:  I will help thee."

What wonderful promises from the Rock of our salvation!  Where are you hiding?  Are you fleeing to the world for help, safety and protection when the storms of adversity start pounding you?  Or are you running to the Rock, are you trusting in the loving protection of God?  There is only one place of perfect protection and peace.  Ask your Heavenly Father to hide you in the cleft of the Rock and to cover you there with His hand, there is no safer place for you to be.

 

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Where rivers of pleasure I see.

 

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away;

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day.

 

With numberless blessings, each moment He crowns,

And filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, "O glory to God,

For such a Redeemer as mine!"

 

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise

To meet Him in clouds of the sky:

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,

I'll shout with the millions on high.

 

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life in the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

 

                                                      Fanny J. Crosby

Spritual Juicer

A few years ago my husband decided that we needed a juicer, so when he saw one advertised on the Home Shopping Channel he just had to get it.  When it came we read the included pamphlets that regaled us with all the nutritional benefits we would get from this new addition to our kitchen.  After using it a sum total of twice, it took up residence underneath our counter.  We had available to us an appliance that would help us get healthier, but there it sat, unused and forgotten.

If you don't mind me making this comparison, we have available to us a "Spiritual Juicer"...the Holy Word of God.  Inside it contains everything that we need to make us spiritually strong and healthy...but do we avail ourselves of it?  Or does it sit, untouched except on Sundays and Wednesday nights?  Do we only open it when we are going through hard times?  Is it like that forgotten juicer, able to provide sustenance, but instead sits unused and neglected?

Galatians 5:22 & 23  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:"

As children of God we have available to us the precious fruit of the Spirit.  When we are walking in close fellowship with our Heavenly Father we will produce these fruits in our lives.  In Matthew chapter 7 we find the "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus tells his listeners in verse 20, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."  He is speaking about being able to tell the difference between the saved and unsaved.  What a man produces in his life comes from what is inhabiting his heart.  What are you producing?  Does the product of your heart point to God or Satan?  You cannot serve them both!  Is your life producing "spiritual juice" fit for the Master?

Matthew 6:24  "No man can serve two masters:  for either he will hate the one, and love the other;  or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

So lets take a closer look at what fruits you should be producing in your life.  These fruits will be evident in the life of a believer who is trusting and walking with the Lord every day, one who is faithfully studying and applying the Word of God to their heart.  These fruits of the Spirit are just some of the characteristics of God.

LOVE: 
Jeremiah 31:3  "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Matthew 5:44 & 45   "But I say unto you, love your enemies..."

Is it easy to love everyone?  No!  Indeed there are some people who just seem to rub you the wrong way aren't there.  The only way to be able to love the unlovable is through the Lord of Love.  If we can learn to see others through the eyes of Jesus, we will find that we can love them with the love of Jesus.  We were drawn by love, and it's that same love that should flow from us to others.

JOY:
Romans 15:13  "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

I've learned that joy and happiness are two different things.  Happiness comes from your surrounding, it's influenced by outward things.  Joy comes from the heart and is influenced by your inner man.  This is how people that are going through difficult situations can still have joy in their hearts, it is there through the peace that comes only from the Lord.  There is a little chorus that has been running through my mind all day, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."

PEACE:
Jeremiah 26:3  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee:  because he trusteth in Thee."

Psalms 29:11  "The LORD will give strength unto His people:  the LORD will bless His people with peace."

There is nothing in this life that can even come close to duplicating the peace that comes from the Lord.  This is the one thing that I pray for everyday, that no matter what happens, the peace of the Lord will remain in my heart.  When we keep our eyes and minds focused on Him, we are promised that precious peace from the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) "...and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

LONGSUFFERING:
Romans 15:5  "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus."

With some people it's hard to keep your cool.  But seeing them, and the situations that arise through the eyes of the Lord can give us a whole new perspective on the problems.  In this day and age, losing ones temper seems to be an acceptable occurrence!   For the child of God it should be something that is not tolerated or permitted, we should be known for our spirit of longsuffering!

GENTLENESS:
2 Timothy 2:24  "And the servant of the Lord must not strive;  but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient"

James 3:17  "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

Certain people just exude certain characteristics.  As Christians these all should be evident in our lives, but some seem to stand out more then others.  I've mentioned my good friend David that passed away last year in a previous devotional.  When I think of David, gentleness just comes to my mind.  David was a "gentle" man.  This fruit of the spirit was very much evident in his life.  Jesus showed gentleness to all those whom He ministered too as well.  This should be said of us.

GOODNESS:
Ephesians 5:9  "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth"

Romans 2:4b  "...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance."

Psalms 25:8a  "Good and upright is the LORD."

God's goodness to us goes beyond what we can comprehend with our finite minds.  We receive blessings because of the goodness of God everyday.  Passing along this goodness should be something that we do on a regular basis.  People understand more of what they see then what they hear, demonstrate to them the goodness of God!  This is one of the fruits that should been evident in our lives!

FAITH:
Hebrews 12:2a  "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith:"

Hebrews 11:1, 6a  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  But without faith, it is impossible to please Him:"

Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should be the most precious, important thing to us.  Our faith is what the unsaved world should witness in us.  2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  The way we walk in this world is by faith.  Faith in the Lord and His unwavering love and care for us.  Faith in the finished work that He did on the cross to pay the price for our sins.  Faith in the promise that He is coming again.

MEEKNESS:
Psalms 25:9  "The meek will He guide in judgement:  and the meek will He teach His way."

Matthew 11:29  "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;  for I am meek and lowly in heart:  and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Do not mistake meekness for weakness.  The dictionary defines meekness as being submissive, humble and mild.  Jesus was meek, He was submissive to His Fathers will.  He was also humble and mild.  We are to have this same spirit, submissive to our Fathers will, and humble and mild with our interactions with others.

TEMPERANCE:
2 Peter 1:5 - 8  "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;  and to virtue knowledge;  And to knowledge temperance;  and to temperance patience;  and to patience godliness;  and to godliness brotherly kindness;  and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We should be known for our self control.  This does not only apply to food, but to every area of our lives.  We should maintain a lifestyle of temperance before the world.

How are you doing with these fruits in your life?  If you're not in your Bible daily and communing with the Lord on a regular basis these fruits will not be evident in your life.  The fruits in your life will be those of the world.  In Matthew 7:19  we read, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." 

Get your Spiritual Juicer working in your life and start making use of the fruit of the Spirit.

 

I want to be a grape for my Lord,

To inside His vineyard be;

And to cling real tight to the Vine,

The lovingly nourishes me.

 

To soak up all that comes from the "Son",

To become as strong as I can,

So to become the purest juice,

That can be squeezed by His kind hand.

 

To pour out all at my Savior's feet,

Is the prayer that flows from my heart.

Please prune and cut as You see fit,

So impurities will depart.

 

Make me the purest juice to be found,

The only kind fit for Thee.

Put my life into Your winepress,

And squeeze the best out of me.

 

                                                     CLK

Digging Wells

One of my connections on Facebook, Lana Cretzman, posted this quote from Pastor Tewell, her Pastor at Rosedale Baptist Church, "God's calling in this life is more important than my comfort in this life."  I've included this quote because it goes right along with what I'd been on thinking today.  We often look at the problems in our lives as "punishment" from God.  However have you ever stopped to think that perhaps what is happening in your life is part of your calling from the Lord?  God allows things to happen in our lives to shape and strengthen us, so that others can see how you honor and serve the Lord despite the obstacles that are present in your life.

We find some of the Lord's servants in the Bible had problems in their lives, but God was glorified through these hindrances.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:  for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong."

The Apostle Paul had a physical infirmity come upon him.  Some have speculated that it was a problems with his eyes, others have said his legs;  it doesn't really matter what the problem was, we just know that he asked the Lord to remove it from him.  The passage we just read says that he asked the Lord thrice to take it from him, but God said no.  God answered Paul and said that His grace would be sufficient.  Have you stopped to consider that the limitations you might have are allowed by the Lord in order that you and those around might see His grace in your life?  His strength is shown through our weaknesses!  Our disabilities can be an avenue of testimony to the world!  Paul learned to appreciate his "thorn in the flesh" because through it he saw the power of God in his life.

Not all problems that God allows into our lives are physical.  Sometimes devastating things can happen in a believer's life.  It should cause them to draw closer to God, and show to others that are witnessing these events, the power of God.

John 11:1,4 & 5  "Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." 

Mary, Martha and Lazarus were personal friends of Jesus, it says that Jesus loved them.  When Lazarus died it says that Jesus wept (verse 35).  This was a devastating event that this dear family passed through.  Jesus allowed Lazarus to die in order that His power as the Son of God might be revealed.  Many of us have walked "through the valley of the shadow of death" with loved ones;  we understand the grief these sisters were feeling at the loss of their beloved brother.

John 11:41-45  "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid, and Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me.  And I knew that Thou hearest me always:  but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me.  And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes:  and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.  Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him."

I 've tried to imagine what it would have been like to be there that day and see Lazarus come up out of that grave!  I've heard it said that if Jesus hadn't specified the name Lazarus, that every grave would have opened up!  The power of the Almighty God was shown through the suffering of those that He loved.  Are we allowing the power of God to be shown in our lives through the suffering that He lovingly permits?  No matter what kind of suffering we go through, it's meant to point the world to Christ.  What are we showing the world?  Are we a breeding ground for self-pity, and do we nurse a "woe is me" attitude, or is the love, grace and mercy of our Savior evident in our responses to the trials and difficulties in our lives?

Last year I lost a very close and dear friend to cancer.  David was only in his forty's.  As this terrible disease ravaged his poor body it seemed like his testimony for the Lord got brighter and stronger.  David radiated the grace and peace of the Lord to all he came in contact with during his illness.  Those around saw God's strength made perfect in weakness.  Through David's death many lives were touched because of the radiant testimony he had right up until the Lord took him home.   He was a man of great faith, and he had a sweet trust in his Lord.  He shared with me about the days of discouragement he went through, but he clung to his Savior and was able to testify that he had perfect peace with what God was allowing.  He has left a Godly example of how to deal with harsh trials in your life.

We all know the story of Job in the Old Testament.  God allowed Job to lose his whole family, his wealth, all that he possessed and finally his health.  In verse 22 of chapter 1 of Job we read, "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."  Job kept a testimony through all that happened that praised and glorified God.

What's happening in your life today.  Are you allowing the trials of this life to beat you down, or are you allowing the power and grace of God to uphold you and to show to the world what a wonderful Savior you serve?  Life can be harsh.  Trails can be very hard to bear;  but the God who allowed these things into your life is the God that can bring you victoriously through them.  The promise that God made to the Apostle Paul is the same promise that you as His child can claim today. "My grace is sufficient for thee..."

God allows us to go through tough things so that we can be an encouragement and help for others who will come across our paths later, going through the same trials.  We can minister and witness to them of the unfailing faithfulness of our Lord in the midst devastating circumstances.

Psalms 84:6  "Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;  the rain also filleth the pools."

My Pastor showed me this verse one day.  He explained that this Valley of Baca was a very dry, arid place.  Travelers would often dig a well, not only for themselves, but it would remain a place for other travelers coming after them to be refreshed.  Our trials, and what we allow God to make of them in our lives are to be a source of renewal and encouragement for others that will face the same problems in their lives.  Also, notice that this verse says, "passing through."  These hard times will not last forever, they will pass.

Are you digging wells of encouragement and hope, or are you just stumbling along, with resentment towards God for allowing unpleasant, hurtful and sometimes crushing things in your life?  Don't waste the opportunities to show the grace and mercy of God to a lost world.  Get busy digging those wells in the valley's of your life!

Psalms 59:16  "But I will sing of Thy power;  yea, I will sing about of Thy mercy in the morning:  for Thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble."



I have been thru the valley of weeping,
Thru the valley of sorrow and pain;
But the God of all comfort was with me,
By His hand to uphold and sustain.

As the earth needs the clouds and the sunshine,
So the soul needs both sorrow and joy;
And when God puts His gold in the furnace,
He intends all its dross to destroy.

As we travel thru life's shadowed valley,
The fresh springs of His love ever rise;
And we learn that our sorrows and losses
Are all blessings God sent in disguise.

So I'll follow wherever God leads me,
In the darkness His Word lights my way:
I have proof that the Lord can give comfort,
And His grace can give strength for each day.

                                                     Margaret Fishback Powers & Frank Garlock

The Woman At The Well

We live in a constantly "seeking" world.  The world is seeking happiness, peace, contentment, fulfillment and rest just to name a few things.  Those of this world will never find what they are looking for because they are searching in the wrong place.  Worldly thinking tells them that if they work hard enough they will accumulate material things, and that will make them content.  They seek fulfillment through accomplishments.  Money, they reason will bring happiness and peace.  Rest they figure will happen when all the above takes place.  Oh, how wrong they are.  You cannot find happiness, peace, contentment, fulfillment and rest outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In John chapter 4 we find the story of a Samaritan woman.  Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Judaea to Galilee.  Usually the Jews went around Samaria, but verse 4 states that "He (Jesus) must needs go through Samaria."  Jesus knew that there was a needy soul at Samaria, and He went out of His way to meet her. (A good example for soul-winning!)

John 4:6-9  "Now Jacob's well was there, Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey sat thus on the well:  and it was about the sixth hour.  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water:  Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?  for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."

This woman was the needy soul that Jesus had gone out of His way to meet.  He knew that she would be coming to draw water at that well and He was waiting for her.  When she had left her house to go to that well just as she did every day, she had no idea that her life would change so drastically before she returned.  This day would end differently for her, for she would meet the Savior, and never be the same again. 

People today are hurrying here and there constantly trying to fill the voids in their lives, but unknown to them the Savior IS waiting to fill the emptiness in their lives with the "Living Water,"  they need never be the same again!

Jeremiah 17:13  "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters."

John 4:14  "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;  but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

She gave the Lord water to quench His physical thirst, He gave her the "Living Water", Himself, to quench her spiritual thirst.  There's a song that goes like this, "Only Jesus can satisfy your soul, only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole."  This woman got saved that day and as a result many in her city were saved as well because "...we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."  (verse 42)  This woman found the happiness, peace, contentment, fulfillment and rest that her soul had been craving, and that she couldn't find in what the world had been offering her. 

I'm a diabetic and when my sugars are out of control and running really high I have an unquenchable horrible thirst.  No matter how much water I drink I cannot quench this unrelenting torturous thirst.  This is the type of thirst that we should have for the Word of God.  We should never be able to get enough of the Word, we should constantly be desiring more.  This is not the "thirst for salvation", its the thirst for fellowship and communion with our Heavenly Father. 

Psalms 42:1 & 2  "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:"

Psalms 63:1  "O GOD, Thou art my God;  early will I seek Thee:  my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;"

Psalms 143:6  "I stretch forth my hands unto Thee:  my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land."

After we are saved and the initial thirst for the Living Water has been satisfied, we should daily be thirsty for fellowship and communion with our God.  Most people now a days are very health conscious and make sure that they drink at least 8 glasses of water daily to maintain proper bodily functions.  Our inner man, our "spiritual body" needs to be cared for as well.  Are we making sure that we drinking regularly from that "spiritual well of Living Water" so that our spiritual bodies are functioning properly?  Are we daily reading the Bible and spending time in prayer in order to become healthy and strong spiritually?  Our spiritual thirst should be one that is never quenched this side of Glory. 

Matthew 5:6  "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:  for they shall be filled."

Where are you going to quench your thirst?  The world has nothing to offer you,  Ecclesiastes 2:11  "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do:  and , behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."  Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.  Revelation 22:17  "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

The Samaritan woman found the Living Water that day at the well.  What about you?  Are you still thirsting and looking to the world for only the quenching that can come from the Lord?  Come, drink of the Living Water that He is still offering freely today.

Like the woman at the well I was seeking

For things that could not satisfy;

And then I heard my Savior speaking:

Draw from My well that never shall run dry.

 

There are millions in this world who are craving

The pleasure earthly things afford;

But none can match the wondrous treasure

That I find in Jesus Christ, my Lord.

 

So, my brother, if the things this world gave you

Leave hungers that won't pass away,

My blessed Lord will come and save you,

If you kneel to Him and humbly pray:

 

Fill my cup Lord - I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.

Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

Burning Your Bushels

I'm sure that you've all heard the children's Sunday School Chorus, "This Little Light Of Mine."  One of the verses goes like this;
 

Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm going to let it shine;

Hide it under a bushel, NO, I'm going to let it shine;

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

 

What is this little chorus referring to?  It's referring to our light, or our testimony in front of the world.  We are going to refuse to hide it under the bushel, we are going to let it shine!

 

Matthew 5:14 - 16  "Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;  and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

 

We are to be a light to the unsaved, pointing them to the Lord.  We should stand out in this dark world of sin.  People should be able to tell by our lives that we are children of God.  However, maybe there are days when your light is not shining so brightly...or maybe no one can see it at all! What's the problem,  are you hiding your light under a bushel?  What type of bushels do you having hanging around in your life?  I got to thinking about all the different bushels that we can be hiding our lights under. 

 

The bushel of COMPAINING

 

I've often wondered what I sound like to other people some days.  What are they hearing in my speech?  Is it praising God or am I'm stuck in the complaint department?  Our speech can be a bushel that hides our light from those around us.

 

Psalms 77:3b  "I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed."

 

When we have a complaining, unhappy attitude, our eyes leave the Saviors face and we become overwhelmed with the storms of life that we are facing.  As was mentioned in an earlier devotional, we are admonished to give thanks in everything.  How can we give thanks if we have a complaining spirit?  It's only with God's help that we can break the sinful habit of complaining and let our lights shine brightly once again in this dark world.

 

Philippians 2:14 & 15  "Do all things without murmurings and disputings:  that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." 

 

The bushel of SHAME

 

Are you ashamed of the Lord?  Are you ashamed to let people know by your actions that you are a Christian?  What do you do when you are in a restaurant...do you skip blessing your food, or do you bow your head slightly and pray quickly hoping no one notices?  I have a copy of the famous painting by Norman Rockwell;  A young boy and his grandmother are in a diner for lunch, and they are asking the blessing on the food.  Everyone around is watching them.  They are letting their lights shine brightly.

 

Maybe at work things come up, and because your ashamed to let your co-workers know that your a Christian, you stay quiet.  In Matthew chapter 26:69 - 75 we read the account of Peter who had a bitter battle with shame.  Three times he denied that he knew Jesus.  In verse 75 we read,  "And he went out, and wept bitterly."  Peter realized that he had been ashamed of being associated with the Lord.  Are we guilty of being ashamed of being called a Christian and being associated with the Lord?

 

Romans 1:16  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;  to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

 

1 Peter 4:16  "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed:  but let him glorify God on this behalf."

 

The bushel of DESPONDANCY

 

Are you a person given to despondency?  Does life drag you down until your tripping over your bottom lip?  How can we tell people that God will meet our every need, when we go around acting like God is dead?  King David fell into despondency different times.

 

Psalms 69:2  "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing:  I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me."

 

Psalms 77:4b  "I am so troubled that I cannot speak."

 

Yes, David had some very down times...but did he stay in that depressed state?  No, he knew the secret.  He got back into the Word of God and meditated and communed with his Heavenly Father.

There is a story about a man of God who got very depressed at one point.  Finally one morning his wife came down to breakfast dressed all in the black of mourning.  He asked her who had died.  She replied that because of his actions she was sure that God had died!  He quickly saw the sin of his depression.  There is an easy cure for this ailment.

 

Psalms 77:6, 11 & 12  "I call to remembrance my song in the night:  I commune with mine own heart:  and my spirit made diligent search.  I will remember the works of the LORD:  surely I will remember Thy wonders of Old.  I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings." 

 

Ephesians 5:19 & 20  "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord:  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:"

 

The spirit of despondency will flee when you start singing and praising the Lord!  Count your blessings, see what the Lord has done for you!

 

The bushel of WORLDLINESS

 

Do you live like the world?  Is your speech, dress, lifestyle no different then your unsaved neighbors, family and co-workers?  A child of God should stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd of unbelievers.  What light is there in our lives that would point the unsaved to the Lord if we live the same as they do?

 

Ephesians 5:8  "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light:  For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth: Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

 

Our lives need to be different.  When my son was in high school ( I didn't homeschool him for the last three years of school )he worked in the Student Council Store at noontime.  Before classes began for the afternoon he would take any money into the school office.  He got to know the Principal, Vice Principal and secretary fairly well.  One Friday night at Youth Group he got kicked in the eye in a sledding accident.  By Monday he was sporting a pretty decent black eye.  When he took the money into the office at noon they asked what had happened.  My son, who is very much a joker, with a straight face he replied that he had gotten into a fight over drugs!  They looked at him and proceeded to laugh.  His manner of life in front of them was so opposite of the story he had just told, that they didn't believe him.  Our lives should shout to all around that we are different, we are Christians.

 

These are just a few of the bushels that can hide our lights from the world.  I'm sure that you can easily come up with quite a few more.  We need to sing this little chorus to ourselves, reminding us that, "NO, I'm going to let it shine!"  I think that it's time we have a spiritual bonfire in our lives and throw these bushels that are hanging around into the fire. 

 

Ephesians 5:8b  "Walk as children of light:"

 

 

I was walking along in the darkness,

I didn't know which way to go;

Then the Lord, He turned the light on,

He changed my life and saved my soul.

 

Now I live for just one purpose:

To let the Lord shine through me;

If His love can shine on others,

Then His Spirit can set them free.

 

Let my light shine in the night-time,

Let it shine all day through;

Let it shine, shine for Jesus;

May it shine, shine on you.

 

                                           Dallas Holm

 



 

 

 

 

All Your Anxiety

We live in an anxiety ridden world.  The major cause of high blood pressure is worry and anxiety.  Yet we are admonished in the Bible that it shouldn't be.

Philippians 4:6 & 7  "Be careful for nothing:  but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

We are not to be fretting and worrying over things, for our Heavenly Father has everything in control.  We get into trouble because we can't see His plan for us.  We like to be in control, however the life of faith has to be just that...faith.  There's a cute little poem that I used to recite to my children when they were little, yes it's for kids but it has Heavenly truth contained in the simple words for every believer.

Said the Robin to the Sparrow,

"Friend, I'd really like to know,

Why these anxious human beings

Rush around and worry so."

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,

"Friend, I think that it must be,

That they have no Heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me."

 

What kind of testimony are we as Christians to the world, if we have the same worried mindset as they do?  We have a Heavenly Father that has promised to care for us...that should eliminate the worry and anxiety in our lives!  You see God is waiting for us to come to Him...with a thankful heart, and ask of Him what we have need of. 

 

Matthew 6:28 - 30  "And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;  they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Where, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 

God is not saying here that you shouldn't make plans for things, He is saying that you shouldn't worry about things.  I have been witness to some pretty amazing miracles of care for my family.  Let me share a couple with you.  It was in July a few years ago that I found myself in desperate need of close to $600.00 to pay an unexpected bill.  There was a deadline for paying it, and as it got closer I knew that a miracle was needed to meet this need.  The day before it was due I remember spending time in prayer.  I told God that I had this need, there was nothing I could do to meet this need and I needed $600.00 by tomorrow.  About five minutes after I finished praying the mailman came.  In the mail was a CHRISTMAS CARD that had gotten "lost" for 6 months.  In the card was a cheque for $600.00!  Coincidence? No way...God knew where that card had been for 6 months, and brought it to me when it was needed!  It was the almighty provision of my Heavenly Father.

 

Another example of God providing for my family happened when my children were small.  We had no food and had no choice but to go to the Food Bank.  I took my son who was about 7 years old at that time with me.  When we got home with the bags of groceries, my son emptied the bags of food all over the kitchen floor, then just sat there with this look of wonderment on his little face.  He then looked up at me and said, "Mommy God gave us all my favorite food!  We need to pray and thank Him."  I was immediately chastised in my heart.  I had been feeling embarrassed for having to go to the Food Bank, but my little boy had seen the truth in the situation...God had provided for us, and we needed to be thankful.

 

Both of these examples show the provision of God, one to us seems more miraculous then the other, but they both needed to be received with thanksgiving from the Lord.  I've learned that miracles come in all shapes and sizes, but the bottom line is that my Heavenly Father was caring for me.

 

1 Peter 5:7  "Casting all your care upon Him:  for He careth for you."

 

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 10, starting at verse 38, we find the story of Mary and Martha.  These were the sisters of Lazarus that Jesus would later raise from the dead, and friends of the Lord. 

 

"Now it came to pass, as they (Jesus & the disciples) went, that He entered a certain village:  and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?  Bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing is needful:  and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

 

What the Lord essentially was telling Martha, was that Mary was focusing on the right thing...Him.  When our eyes are off the Lord we become cumbered about with anxiety and worry about things that really aren't that important.  When our eyes are on Jesus, He will provide what we need.  Make sure you know your needs from your wants.  This is not to say that God won't bless us with extra's once in a while.  That day when the food was all over the floor, my son looked at me and said, "Mommy, God gave me all my favorite food!"  

 

Matthew 6:33  "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness;  and all these things shall be added unto you."

 

When you do what God commands, He will take care you...and your anxiety and worry will be a sin of the past.

 

 

Is there a heart o'er bound by sorrow?

Is there a life weighed down by care?

Come to the cross, each burden bearing,

All your anxiety, leave it there.

 

No other friend so keen to help you,

No other friend so quick to hear;

No other place to leave your burden,

No other one to hear your prayer.

 

Come then at once, delay no longer!

Heed His entreaty kind and sweet;

You need not fear a disappointment,

You shall find peace at the Mercy Seat.

 

All your anxiety, all your care,,

Bring to the Mercy Seat, leave it there;

Never a burden He cannot hear,

Never a friend like Jesus!

                                        Edward H. Joy