"Oh Lord, to see You, even if the Light of Your presence is best seen against the veil of darkness!" Priscilla Shirer
This prayer was shared by the woman who wrote the Bible study I just completed. It is a reminder to me that God is faithful and unfailing. He is good all the time. His character never changes. He is the same today, yesterday and forever! What I know of Him now and know of Him from His Word will never change. My circumstances, my situations, the seasons of my life may change, but God never will. I can count on Him to sustain me. May I purposely turn my attention on to what God is doing. May I have His perspective on life and the situation I am in. Whether this be the wilderness and dry season of my life or a season of abundance. I must have a "bedrock of remembrance" of Who God is. He is Sovereign. He is good. He is unchanging. And through the difficult times of the wilderness walk, God peppers the desert with oases.
"The Lord is righteous in all of His ways, and kind in all of His deeds." Psalm 145:17
A dear sister made a delightful statement the other day. "If you don't like the fruit, the problem is in the root!" How true this is. If we are unhappy with what we are seeing in our lives, the fruit we are bearing, then we must evaluate the problem as being a root problem. We are to be rooted and grounded in God. Then the fruit of His Spirit can abound to us.
No plant or tree can bear fruit in poor soil. The roots will not bring up the necessary nutrients for life. The fruit will be of no good to anyone. Agricultural parables were often used in Scripture to explain difficult spiritual concepts. "If we don't like the fruit, the problem is in the root." Are we nurturing our minds with things of God. Are we having our lives, our hearts, our minds renewed by God and His Word? This is being rooted and grounded in God. When our foundation is in God, we are firmly established and can face anything this life throws our way as we trust our Sovereign God, who is Lord over all.
And as the parable of the sower speaks of where the seed falls will determine it's success, so too with the lives of people who hear God's Word. (You can read this parable in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark & Luke).
Some seed falls by the wayside and is quickly snatched up by the birds. This seed is likened to the people who hear God's Word but Satan quickly snatches it away.
The sower sows and some seed falls on rocky soil. Seed in rocky soil cannot have substantial roots. It quickly sprouts up only to wither and die because it has no roots to bring in life sustaining water and nutrients. This seed is like the individual who hears God's Word with zeal but never allows a life change to occur. This individual does not have roots that sink down into the Truths of Scripture. Interest in spiritual things last then only for a short season. I am speaking of the necessity to not only hear God's Word but believe it and receive Christ's gift of forgiveness and new life in Him.
The sower sows and some seed falls on soil but thorns also are there. Weeds and thorns compete (and usually win) for nutrients and space in gardens. The sower sows and when the seed sprouts, the life is strangled out by the thorns. This situation is the person who hears the Word of God, receives it but then allows the world, it's cares and materialism to choke out the Truths in God's Word. Jesus gives another picture of this when He says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter Heaven. Why? Materialism. This view of life is idolatrous. One of the Ten Commandments tells us to have no other gods. Yet, we cling to the things of this world and it chokes the life from us.
The last soil receives the seed and is fruitful to abundance. Why? Because the seed was able to sink down roots into the good soil and grow. This soil is the person who hears God's Word, believes it and receives the gift of forgiveness and new life in Christ. This person allows her life to sink roots down into the Truths of God's Word. What does this parable promise? Fruitfulness!
So, where are we sinking our roots? Are we abiding in Christ, the Vine? Are we being rooted and grounded in God by being in His Word and in fellowship with His Body? Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and conform us to the image of Jesus? Are we being the sweet fragrance of Christ?
I pray that we all would be actively living our faith...not because it saves (because it does NOT) but because we love the One Who came and died in our place. And on the third day, He rose again.
In Christ Jesus there will be no disappointment with the fruit. And we, in Christ Jesus, abide in His sovereignty knowing that He is using all that comes in to our lives to draw us into His likeness. Though difficulties arise, we know God remains the same. He will never forsake us. He may even deliver us out of difficulties. But if He doesn't, we can trust Him and be assured that He will see us through to the end because He loves us and we belong to Him.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Abundance and more abundance
My family and I live on a small farm. We are so blessed that our God gave us this little bit of land to be His stewards over. Though we are not full-time farmers, we have learned some about farming and can now relate a bit more easily to the agricultural parables and analogies used in Scripture.
God chose to use these agricultural stories to help us understand some deeper spiritual truths about Him. The following three Scripture passages are but a few that speak of God's abundance.
"I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in the land." Leviticus 26:4-5.
"Then the Lord will bless you with rain at the planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and pleanty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind." Isaiah 30:23-24
"The time will come," says the Lord, "when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine!" Amos 9:13
Farmers depend upon a time for sowing and reaping, rain, sun, seed, harvest and time for threshing. In these Scripture passages God is describing what a life restored in Him will be. His promises will be fulfilled. In the book of Leviticus, God is describing a time of such abundance that there is overlap from one season to the next-from the time of harvest of grains and threshing its bounty to the gathering of grapes until it is time to plant grain again...this agricultural description is speaking of God's abundance which is without end!
Now this promise of abundance is indeed conditional. It is to those who belong to God through Jesus Christ. To the Israelites of the time, verse 3 of Leviticus 26 states, "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands," and is then followed by the promise of abundance. In the New Testament the following of God's decrees and obeying His commands is certainly reinforced but NOT as a way to "earn" entrance into Heaven. We obey Him out of a changed heart and is evidence of a life changed by the hand of God.
God's abundance is unending.The definition of abundance is: more than adequate quantity or supply. Abundance means that there is fullness, overflow, plenty. The Greek word we translate to abundance perissos means: in the sense beyond, super abundant in quantity, excessive, exceedingly, beyond measure.
"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." Psalm 86:5. And Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." John 10:10(b)
Paul reminds us "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." 2Corinthians 9:8
What do we learn from this exercise? That God is good, ready to forgive and abundant in lovingkindness (His lovingkindness is super abundant, His love is excessive). Now in todays society excessiveness is only self serving. However Scripture gives us a picture of a good kind of excessiveness. God is excessive in His abundant lovingkindness. His love toward us is beyond what we can comprehend! Now THAT is the kind of excessive we can live with!
We also learn that God is able to make His grace abound to us (His grace will be super abundant!) and that we will have this abundance for every good deed. We will have super abundance for every good deed we are called to do. God does provide.
Now if we think back to the agricultural terms used to express more about God and His kingdom, we learn that He provides all that we need and is necessary for life. Paul, inspired and compelled by the Holy Spirit writes, "All Scripture is inspired by God an profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." His Word is what we need for life. His Word gives us pictures of His character. And what we can learn from today's reading is that God is generous. He gives in abundance, according to His riches. Are we, who are His children, ready to live like children of the King? To live in His abundance, according to His riches and His mercy and His lovingkindness. I pray that it is so for each one of us.
And if you do not belong to Him, the free gift of His adoption of you is still available. God tells us that He so loved the world that He sent His Son to die in our place so we could join Him in His place. It is a free gift to repent of our sins and receive new life in Christ. Then...you too can enjoy the super abundant life in Jesus.
God chose to use these agricultural stories to help us understand some deeper spiritual truths about Him. The following three Scripture passages are but a few that speak of God's abundance.
"I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in the land." Leviticus 26:4-5.
"Then the Lord will bless you with rain at the planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and pleanty of pastureland for your livestock. The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind." Isaiah 30:23-24
"The time will come," says the Lord, "when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine!" Amos 9:13
Farmers depend upon a time for sowing and reaping, rain, sun, seed, harvest and time for threshing. In these Scripture passages God is describing what a life restored in Him will be. His promises will be fulfilled. In the book of Leviticus, God is describing a time of such abundance that there is overlap from one season to the next-from the time of harvest of grains and threshing its bounty to the gathering of grapes until it is time to plant grain again...this agricultural description is speaking of God's abundance which is without end!
Now this promise of abundance is indeed conditional. It is to those who belong to God through Jesus Christ. To the Israelites of the time, verse 3 of Leviticus 26 states, "If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands," and is then followed by the promise of abundance. In the New Testament the following of God's decrees and obeying His commands is certainly reinforced but NOT as a way to "earn" entrance into Heaven. We obey Him out of a changed heart and is evidence of a life changed by the hand of God.
God's abundance is unending.The definition of abundance is: more than adequate quantity or supply. Abundance means that there is fullness, overflow, plenty. The Greek word we translate to abundance perissos means: in the sense beyond, super abundant in quantity, excessive, exceedingly, beyond measure.
"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." Psalm 86:5. And Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." John 10:10(b)
Paul reminds us "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed." 2Corinthians 9:8
What do we learn from this exercise? That God is good, ready to forgive and abundant in lovingkindness (His lovingkindness is super abundant, His love is excessive). Now in todays society excessiveness is only self serving. However Scripture gives us a picture of a good kind of excessiveness. God is excessive in His abundant lovingkindness. His love toward us is beyond what we can comprehend! Now THAT is the kind of excessive we can live with!
We also learn that God is able to make His grace abound to us (His grace will be super abundant!) and that we will have this abundance for every good deed. We will have super abundance for every good deed we are called to do. God does provide.
Now if we think back to the agricultural terms used to express more about God and His kingdom, we learn that He provides all that we need and is necessary for life. Paul, inspired and compelled by the Holy Spirit writes, "All Scripture is inspired by God an profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." His Word is what we need for life. His Word gives us pictures of His character. And what we can learn from today's reading is that God is generous. He gives in abundance, according to His riches. Are we, who are His children, ready to live like children of the King? To live in His abundance, according to His riches and His mercy and His lovingkindness. I pray that it is so for each one of us.
And if you do not belong to Him, the free gift of His adoption of you is still available. God tells us that He so loved the world that He sent His Son to die in our place so we could join Him in His place. It is a free gift to repent of our sins and receive new life in Christ. Then...you too can enjoy the super abundant life in Jesus.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Hang On
My pastor shared a story of a World War II vet whose job it was to make certain the bombs that were launched from the plane did indeed deploy. There was one event where the bomb got stuck on the doorway and this man, I will call him Joe, had to push it through. Hammer in hand, Joe began hammering on it (yes, God is merciful, isn't He?) and pushing on it. Finally the bomb released and was airborne, but so too was Joe. However, Joe was tethered to the plane and knew to hang on to the rope for his life depended on it. He swung back and forth on the tether being smashed into the bottom of the plane. Yet Joe hung on to that lifeline and used it, though disoriented, as the direction to move toward safety. Joe's crew mates slowly and agonizingly were pulling him back to safety.
This story has a spiritual application as well. Jesus Christ is our lifeline, our tether. We can do nothing in our own power to make our way to Heaven, it is by and through Jesus Christ that we are tethered to Him and our eternal destination. Yes, initially we must decide if we will grab hold of the free gift Christ offers and then hold on. The rest is already done having been accomplished at the Cross and through the resurrection of our King Jesus.
We may be battered and bruised while on this earth, yet IF we hold on to Jesus, He will never fail us. If Joe, the WWII vet, while swinging at the end of the tether, decided he no longer wanted to endure the pain and confusion of being smashed into the plane's belly, untied and let go of his tether, his lifeline to safety would have been lost and Joe perished. Joe endured the pain knowing that in the end was life.
Yes, we face pain and heartache while here on earth but we know that holding onto Jesus, His promises to us are eternal. We are being drawn Home and along the way are difficulties. If we belong to God through Christ Jesus, then all the promises of Scripture apply to us. We have indeed "grabbed" hold of the Lifeline. Each part of our life is used by our loving God, drawing us to Him and conforming us to the image of His Son. This life's sojourn is preparing us for our life with Him, face to face.
Are you ready?
Are you holding on? Are you walking with the vision of Home?
This story has a spiritual application as well. Jesus Christ is our lifeline, our tether. We can do nothing in our own power to make our way to Heaven, it is by and through Jesus Christ that we are tethered to Him and our eternal destination. Yes, initially we must decide if we will grab hold of the free gift Christ offers and then hold on. The rest is already done having been accomplished at the Cross and through the resurrection of our King Jesus.
We may be battered and bruised while on this earth, yet IF we hold on to Jesus, He will never fail us. If Joe, the WWII vet, while swinging at the end of the tether, decided he no longer wanted to endure the pain and confusion of being smashed into the plane's belly, untied and let go of his tether, his lifeline to safety would have been lost and Joe perished. Joe endured the pain knowing that in the end was life.
Yes, we face pain and heartache while here on earth but we know that holding onto Jesus, His promises to us are eternal. We are being drawn Home and along the way are difficulties. If we belong to God through Christ Jesus, then all the promises of Scripture apply to us. We have indeed "grabbed" hold of the Lifeline. Each part of our life is used by our loving God, drawing us to Him and conforming us to the image of His Son. This life's sojourn is preparing us for our life with Him, face to face.
Are you ready?
Are you holding on? Are you walking with the vision of Home?
Friday, December 24, 2010
Abundant Living!
"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." Psalm 86:5
"...I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." John 10:10(b)
"...for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you." 2 Peter 1:11
Christmas. The time of year where good cheer is proclaimed and we flock to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight services. It is also the time where shopping seems to prioritize our lives and readiness for the holidays is a constant activity. It seems a time of abundant living, but what did this time in Bethlehem, at the birth of the Man, Jesus Christ, mean to Israel and ultimately, humanity?
The Scriptures quoted above remind the reader of what we have in Christ Jesus, however I think something is lost over the years and often lost to the Gentile readers. The Israelites lived their lives in anticipation of their Messiah. They awaited His birth as fulfilling God's promise to them. God promised a Savior and a King. One who would fulfill God's Law 100% and to perfection. Following God and honoring Him would lead to abundant living and the faithful Israelite tried to do just this. Their failure was ever before them.
When Jesus started His public ministry, His cousin, John the Baptist, proclaimed to the people to make themselves ready for the Messiah.This was a time of repentance and a time to be ready to receive the Messiah. Those who received the Christ, received Him as the Good News. He was Good News to the Jews for He fulfilled the Law of God that they were unable to do on their own.
The Good News. This is the part of the message I think we lose over the years. If you are not Jewish or not a Jewish person who is following the God's Word, I don't think we understand fully what Christ did for us. He fulfilled the Law of God (think of the Ten Commandments to begin with) perfectly and fully all the days of His earthly life. This was an impossible feat by man, even though there were those who attempted to do this. The sacrifices offered at the Temple were not enough to cover all the sin that clung to them. Being born of Adam, by nature, they (and we) are with sin. I think the Israelites of the time of Scripture grasped this more fully than we do today.
Jesus came to fulfill all the prophecy of Messiah. Each prophecy was fulfilled and is fulfilled in Him. Jesus came as the Son of God and the Son of Man.
Jesus, the Son of Man, when He fulfilled His mission on earth, He willingly went to the cross and was crucified in our place. For without Him, we will die and face the consequence of living a life not honoring the Creator of life...God's wrath. There is a price to pay in this life..."for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23.
We can live this life rejecting God and get paid the "wages" of it which is death or we can receive the free gift of Christ Jesus and enjoy life in Him abundantly.We can have abundant life in Christ Jesus because Christ not only died in our place but He rose again from the dead and is not seated at the right hand of God. Our hope is in Him and His life.
This abundant living is not to say that life is without trouble. In fact our Lord promised us otherwise. He told us that those who belong to Him will also face what He faced while on this earth. But...that is for another time.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Changing Days
Today, after having written and posted my first blog, I had the opportunity to live out the very statement that I blogged about yesterday. God, Whose character is unchanging and Whose ways are unpredictable- intervened in my already well ordered and planned out day. His work in my life today just did not fit into what I had planned!
Sad to report, I failed miserably at accepting His order of this day. I must confess, I had an adult temper tantrum. Here it is, two days before Christmas and I had SO much to do! Yet did I immediately remember that God is good? Did I quickly recall that His character is unchanging or did I rail against the unfortunate circumstances that left me stranded not being able to do what I thought was so necessary to do?
So again, I write and remind myself and hopefully encourage you, that God's character is unchanging. Though my plans for this day were like a vapor, God is still God. He is still good. His plans for me are for good. His character this day is the same as His character was yesterday and the day before and from the beginning. His character will be the same tomorrow and forever. Today, my plans, my circumstances changed. It was certainly unpredictable. Yet I know Whom I serve. He loves me and has plans for me this day.
Now that I have allowed to have my spirit and my heart calmed, I must go about what God has for me for this day. It may be blogging a bit more later or it may mean this blog, in it's brevity, is it for the day. I look forward to some extended quiet time and then perhaps some outdoor time with my horses. The next few hours are unpredictable as God goes about His work. But I know as He does, He is kind, and good and loving.
Sad to report, I failed miserably at accepting His order of this day. I must confess, I had an adult temper tantrum. Here it is, two days before Christmas and I had SO much to do! Yet did I immediately remember that God is good? Did I quickly recall that His character is unchanging or did I rail against the unfortunate circumstances that left me stranded not being able to do what I thought was so necessary to do?
So again, I write and remind myself and hopefully encourage you, that God's character is unchanging. Though my plans for this day were like a vapor, God is still God. He is still good. His plans for me are for good. His character this day is the same as His character was yesterday and the day before and from the beginning. His character will be the same tomorrow and forever. Today, my plans, my circumstances changed. It was certainly unpredictable. Yet I know Whom I serve. He loves me and has plans for me this day.
Now that I have allowed to have my spirit and my heart calmed, I must go about what God has for me for this day. It may be blogging a bit more later or it may mean this blog, in it's brevity, is it for the day. I look forward to some extended quiet time and then perhaps some outdoor time with my horses. The next few hours are unpredictable as God goes about His work. But I know as He does, He is kind, and good and loving.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
God-Whose Character is Unchanging
The Lord has been so faithful to see me through so many changes. He works on my heart and my mind and draws me close to Him as He conforms me in the image of His Son. This past year has been one of pruning and growing. Also a time of just being still and learning of Him through His Word and with more time with Him.
I've enjoyed a terrific study of God's Word with the text being primarily from Exodus. The Bible teacher made a statement about God that I've been reflecting upon even since. She said,"God's character is unchanging but His works (His activity) is unpredictable." This reminded me of the Children in Narnia asking the Beaver husband and wife about Aslan. They asked if he was safe. The Beavers replied with something like-He is not safe, but He is kind. This is a description of our Lord. God is unpredictable. He will not be put into a box that we can predict His works. Yet, God is kind.
For the Christian, this statement, "God's character is unchanging but His works are unpredictable" or as the Beavers said-"He is not safe, but he is kind" gives peace for we serve and love God Who is unchanging. Everything we learn about Him from His Word, is the same forever. God is not "safe" but He is kind. God is unpredictable in His Works, but He is unchanging in His character.
God's Word tells us that He is unchanging. His Word tells us He is always kind, always faithful, always merciful, always righteous. As we read God's Word we learn that God's lovingkindness is without end. The Bible also tells us that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. It also tells us that God is eternal and Creator of all. Everything we see and cannot see, God created. The Laws of the universe are His for He is the Author of it all.
Knowing these things about Him, about God's unchanging character, helps us through the unpredictable times of life. Times when we face small challenges or big obstacles. Times when life is utterly chaotic and times when life is peaceful. God never changes but He uses many unpredictable ways to draw us to Him in lovingkindness.
And with Christmas upon us, we celebrate the remembrance of Jesus' birth. The Son of God come to die as the Son of Man, in our place. Jesus' love for His creation was (and is) evident in His finished work on the cross at Calvary. He led the perfect life to offer the perfect sacrifice so that we wouldn't have to pay for the wages of our lives (the wages of sin is death) without Him. This is the Good News that was preached. It was Good News to the Israelites, because they fully understood their lack of fulfilling the Law of God. We have forgotten that we fall short without Christ. All our "good works" outside of Christ, is as filthy rags. We can do nothing to earn God's favor. It is only accepting Jesus death in our place and His resurrection as our hope for eternal life with Him that we are justified in God's eyes. We must repent of our sin (our falling short of God's Law---think of the Ten Commandments...have you kept each one without fail ALL your life?) believe on Jesus for His finished work and walk in the new life He offers.
More on this later...for now, Merry Christmas!
I've enjoyed a terrific study of God's Word with the text being primarily from Exodus. The Bible teacher made a statement about God that I've been reflecting upon even since. She said,"God's character is unchanging but His works (His activity) is unpredictable." This reminded me of the Children in Narnia asking the Beaver husband and wife about Aslan. They asked if he was safe. The Beavers replied with something like-He is not safe, but He is kind. This is a description of our Lord. God is unpredictable. He will not be put into a box that we can predict His works. Yet, God is kind.
For the Christian, this statement, "God's character is unchanging but His works are unpredictable" or as the Beavers said-"He is not safe, but he is kind" gives peace for we serve and love God Who is unchanging. Everything we learn about Him from His Word, is the same forever. God is not "safe" but He is kind. God is unpredictable in His Works, but He is unchanging in His character.
God's Word tells us that He is unchanging. His Word tells us He is always kind, always faithful, always merciful, always righteous. As we read God's Word we learn that God's lovingkindness is without end. The Bible also tells us that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. It also tells us that God is eternal and Creator of all. Everything we see and cannot see, God created. The Laws of the universe are His for He is the Author of it all.
Knowing these things about Him, about God's unchanging character, helps us through the unpredictable times of life. Times when we face small challenges or big obstacles. Times when life is utterly chaotic and times when life is peaceful. God never changes but He uses many unpredictable ways to draw us to Him in lovingkindness.
And with Christmas upon us, we celebrate the remembrance of Jesus' birth. The Son of God come to die as the Son of Man, in our place. Jesus' love for His creation was (and is) evident in His finished work on the cross at Calvary. He led the perfect life to offer the perfect sacrifice so that we wouldn't have to pay for the wages of our lives (the wages of sin is death) without Him. This is the Good News that was preached. It was Good News to the Israelites, because they fully understood their lack of fulfilling the Law of God. We have forgotten that we fall short without Christ. All our "good works" outside of Christ, is as filthy rags. We can do nothing to earn God's favor. It is only accepting Jesus death in our place and His resurrection as our hope for eternal life with Him that we are justified in God's eyes. We must repent of our sin (our falling short of God's Law---think of the Ten Commandments...have you kept each one without fail ALL your life?) believe on Jesus for His finished work and walk in the new life He offers.
More on this later...for now, Merry Christmas!
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