"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms" Psalm 95:2
Most everyone knows today is Thanksgiving day. This is a day we set aside to be grateful for all of our blessings, and yet it is very strange that so many need to be reminded to give thanks on Thanksgiving day! I watched the news last night for just a few minutes, and the commentators never once called Thanksgiving day....Thanksgiving day. When referring to my favorite holiday, they called it turkey day, the beginning of the shopping season, get away weekend, big football weekend, and even the beginning of the most stress filled time of the year. They never said it was a day set aside to reflect on how good God is. I know it is not within our human nature to be grateful, that is why most of the time thanksgiving or praise is spoken of in scripture, it is preceded by a command or exhortation to give thanks or praise. Today of all days should be a day that we reflect upon our God, and not wait for the command to be thankful, but with natural and spontaneous joy give thanks to our Loving Father. Oh how good the Lord is to us, He is so worthy of our love and praise.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Magnify The Lord
Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, let God be magnified!" Psalm 70:4
We all know that magnified means to enlarge or to increase. When you put something under a magnifying glass it looks bigger, my tired eyes are grateful for my reading glasses as they enlarge or magnify the small print for me. The psalmist is calling us to "let God be magnified". Now, God is God and He remains constant, He will never get bigger or more powerful. To magnify the Lord does not mean we can change God or make Him greater. What the psalmist is calling us to do is to magnify the truth of who God is, and to increase our perception of the reality of His omnipotence. God truly is big enough to handle our problems, but our tendency is to magnify our problems and not Him. Our difficult circumstances become our focus, and we mull things over and over in our minds, we work out different scenarios and plots, and in our imaginations the problem grows, and the molehill becomes a mountain. So many of us are masters at allowing the problem to become so magnified that not even God can handle it. The matter for us is to magnify the Lord, and to let God be God. As we change our focus, the problem will shrink back down to size. Remember, God is not stressing, He's not afraid or confused and wondering what to do. As you turn from magnifying the problem and begin to magnify the Lord, His peace will begin to rule and guard your heart.
We all know that magnified means to enlarge or to increase. When you put something under a magnifying glass it looks bigger, my tired eyes are grateful for my reading glasses as they enlarge or magnify the small print for me. The psalmist is calling us to "let God be magnified". Now, God is God and He remains constant, He will never get bigger or more powerful. To magnify the Lord does not mean we can change God or make Him greater. What the psalmist is calling us to do is to magnify the truth of who God is, and to increase our perception of the reality of His omnipotence. God truly is big enough to handle our problems, but our tendency is to magnify our problems and not Him. Our difficult circumstances become our focus, and we mull things over and over in our minds, we work out different scenarios and plots, and in our imaginations the problem grows, and the molehill becomes a mountain. So many of us are masters at allowing the problem to become so magnified that not even God can handle it. The matter for us is to magnify the Lord, and to let God be God. As we change our focus, the problem will shrink back down to size. Remember, God is not stressing, He's not afraid or confused and wondering what to do. As you turn from magnifying the problem and begin to magnify the Lord, His peace will begin to rule and guard your heart.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Remain Faithful
2 Timothy 2:6 "The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops."
A farmer does not dictate when to do his hard work, that work is determined by the seasons. The plowing, planting, watering, waiting, and the harvesting, are all done in the proper season, and those seasons are out of the control of the farmer. The farmer can't skip seasons, nor the work that must be done in each season. Wouldn't it be nice to just skip right through to the harvest? The hardworking farmer discerns the season and is faithful to do the work that each season requires, with an eye toward the goal of a generous harvest. A farmer who is not faithful in the plowing or planting seasons, can not expect the blessings of a good harvest. With this we are reminded of our walks with the Lord. We are to be faithful in whatever season we are in, and recognize that the season is not determined by us, but by our loving Father. There have been many times I would have liked to fast forward through, or flat out skip a season. But I didn't understand that it was for my benefit, and that it was the Lord's hand plowing or planting, and preparing for a harvest of good fruit. Trust the Lord and be faithful in whatever season the Lord has you in right now, He has begun a good work and is faithful to complete it. I pray that His Spirit might fill you with His joy, as you place your confidence in the Lord of the seasons and the harvest.
A farmer does not dictate when to do his hard work, that work is determined by the seasons. The plowing, planting, watering, waiting, and the harvesting, are all done in the proper season, and those seasons are out of the control of the farmer. The farmer can't skip seasons, nor the work that must be done in each season. Wouldn't it be nice to just skip right through to the harvest? The hardworking farmer discerns the season and is faithful to do the work that each season requires, with an eye toward the goal of a generous harvest. A farmer who is not faithful in the plowing or planting seasons, can not expect the blessings of a good harvest. With this we are reminded of our walks with the Lord. We are to be faithful in whatever season we are in, and recognize that the season is not determined by us, but by our loving Father. There have been many times I would have liked to fast forward through, or flat out skip a season. But I didn't understand that it was for my benefit, and that it was the Lord's hand plowing or planting, and preparing for a harvest of good fruit. Trust the Lord and be faithful in whatever season the Lord has you in right now, He has begun a good work and is faithful to complete it. I pray that His Spirit might fill you with His joy, as you place your confidence in the Lord of the seasons and the harvest.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wise Guy?
Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
We have seen them, we have heard them, and we know them, the wise guys and the wise girls who seem to know it all. From sports to parenting, from politics to dating, from preaching to shopping, they seem to have all the answers, and love to enlighten all who would listen. I was in a bagel shop the other day and overheard two buddies sharing their vast wisdom on everything. First they discussed how to make I-Phones better, they then moved on to how to make the New York Yankees better, from there they debated how to make some other guy's marriage better. I unfortunately had to leave as they were fixing the economy. The above proverb is so profound as it rebukes the worst kind fool, the fool who thinks he is wise. The placement of this verse is perfect in that it kind of sets you up for the truth to smack you between the eyes. In the first eleven verses Solomon rails on fools. By verse eleven it is easy to get angry at fools, you begin to apply the verses to those you consider fools, and you begin to thank God that you are not a fool. Just when you are feeling pretty good about your own wisdom, the devastating truth of verse twelve hits you, there is more hope for a fool, then for someone who thinks he is wise. Ouch! Yes, the truth hits close to home, and the truth does hurt. We are taught that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). I must recognize that I don't have my act together, I don't have all the answers, and I am in desperate need of the Lord's wisdom. As much as I may not want to admit it, I must settle this as fact, I am a dunce without the Lord. To walk in wisdom today and everyday, we must humble or foolish hearts, and be set to listen to and obey our God who alone is wise (1 Timothy 1:17).
We have seen them, we have heard them, and we know them, the wise guys and the wise girls who seem to know it all. From sports to parenting, from politics to dating, from preaching to shopping, they seem to have all the answers, and love to enlighten all who would listen. I was in a bagel shop the other day and overheard two buddies sharing their vast wisdom on everything. First they discussed how to make I-Phones better, they then moved on to how to make the New York Yankees better, from there they debated how to make some other guy's marriage better. I unfortunately had to leave as they were fixing the economy. The above proverb is so profound as it rebukes the worst kind fool, the fool who thinks he is wise. The placement of this verse is perfect in that it kind of sets you up for the truth to smack you between the eyes. In the first eleven verses Solomon rails on fools. By verse eleven it is easy to get angry at fools, you begin to apply the verses to those you consider fools, and you begin to thank God that you are not a fool. Just when you are feeling pretty good about your own wisdom, the devastating truth of verse twelve hits you, there is more hope for a fool, then for someone who thinks he is wise. Ouch! Yes, the truth hits close to home, and the truth does hurt. We are taught that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). I must recognize that I don't have my act together, I don't have all the answers, and I am in desperate need of the Lord's wisdom. As much as I may not want to admit it, I must settle this as fact, I am a dunce without the Lord. To walk in wisdom today and everyday, we must humble or foolish hearts, and be set to listen to and obey our God who alone is wise (1 Timothy 1:17).
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Schedule For The Day
"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:8
How humbling and convicting is this verse. The apostle Paul is stating his priorities for life, and he says that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He is very simply and clearly telling us, that there is nothing more important in our lives then our relationship with the Lord. For Paul anything that he might contrast with Jesus would pale so much that it would be to him as trash. Now think about your plans for today, the priority list you have made, the order of things you need to accomplish today. Where have you placed Jesus on that list? Now, I know that we all, as Christians, make the sentimental confession that Jesus is first in our hearts and plans. But what is the concrete reality of your schedule today? Have you set aside time this day to get to know Jesus more, to commune with your Lord, to hear from His word, and to worship Him? If you haven't then you may want to check your priorities. Is there any rubbish you can move aside that you might be about the most important business of the day?
How humbling and convicting is this verse. The apostle Paul is stating his priorities for life, and he says that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He is very simply and clearly telling us, that there is nothing more important in our lives then our relationship with the Lord. For Paul anything that he might contrast with Jesus would pale so much that it would be to him as trash. Now think about your plans for today, the priority list you have made, the order of things you need to accomplish today. Where have you placed Jesus on that list? Now, I know that we all, as Christians, make the sentimental confession that Jesus is first in our hearts and plans. But what is the concrete reality of your schedule today? Have you set aside time this day to get to know Jesus more, to commune with your Lord, to hear from His word, and to worship Him? If you haven't then you may want to check your priorities. Is there any rubbish you can move aside that you might be about the most important business of the day?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Trust Him....it is good!
Philippians 1:6 "being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Can I make a suggestion to you? Get out your bible and look up the above verse and underline with a very bright color the word "good". It will serve as an important reminder of something we can all easily forget. In the midst of trials, or rough days, or a difficult season, it is easy to forget that God is doing a "good" work in our lives. This is not a cross your fingers or wishful thinking verse, Paul speaks with great confidence that God is indeed doing a "good" work. We have all had those times when we consider the happenings of life and wonder what good can ever come from these things. In those difficult times we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can surely place our confidence in the certain promise of God. I used to work for a landscaper who was a true artist. He hired me to do the demolition work. I would rip up and uproot, and he would beautifully rebuild. My boss was very gifted at what he did, he could look at any yard and catch a well-formed vision for what it could be. That vision would begin taking form with my demolition. I have to admit when I first started working for him, I would rip things up with a little fear, wondering how the mess I was making could ever turn out good. After working with him on several jobs my doubts were done away with, as this artist would amaze me with the beauty of his finished work. There were times during my demolition work, that I would have to assure the homeowner that we knew what we were doing. I with confidence would say, trust us it will turn out awesome, and it always did! And so it is with our Lord. You may be wondering why this is being torn down, or that is being uprooted. It may hurt some and there may be some discomfort, but trust the Lord, for He is faithful and has begun a good work in you. He already knows the end that work, and it is beautiful.
Can I make a suggestion to you? Get out your bible and look up the above verse and underline with a very bright color the word "good". It will serve as an important reminder of something we can all easily forget. In the midst of trials, or rough days, or a difficult season, it is easy to forget that God is doing a "good" work in our lives. This is not a cross your fingers or wishful thinking verse, Paul speaks with great confidence that God is indeed doing a "good" work. We have all had those times when we consider the happenings of life and wonder what good can ever come from these things. In those difficult times we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can surely place our confidence in the certain promise of God. I used to work for a landscaper who was a true artist. He hired me to do the demolition work. I would rip up and uproot, and he would beautifully rebuild. My boss was very gifted at what he did, he could look at any yard and catch a well-formed vision for what it could be. That vision would begin taking form with my demolition. I have to admit when I first started working for him, I would rip things up with a little fear, wondering how the mess I was making could ever turn out good. After working with him on several jobs my doubts were done away with, as this artist would amaze me with the beauty of his finished work. There were times during my demolition work, that I would have to assure the homeowner that we knew what we were doing. I with confidence would say, trust us it will turn out awesome, and it always did! And so it is with our Lord. You may be wondering why this is being torn down, or that is being uprooted. It may hurt some and there may be some discomfort, but trust the Lord, for He is faithful and has begun a good work in you. He already knows the end that work, and it is beautiful.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Go For It
1 Kings 11:6 "Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David."
Since I'm not a surfer it's hard to use a surfing analogy. The story fits my point perfectly, but I'm afraid the terms may not be in perfect surfer expressions, so I will apologize in advance to the surfers. Anyway, so this dude was telling me about a totally awesome swell that had come in. The waves were as big as he had ever surfed in, he was like, totally afraid, but having a marvelous time. So, like, there was this one set that he was out in that had him totally freaked out. He paddled to catch this one wave, and as he got ready to ride it, he realized this was the biggest mongo wave he had ever been on. He was paralyzed for a second, and then in another second knew that he had to make some sort of total commitment or be crushed. He had to paddle forward without reservation and catch the wave, or pull back and get out of the wave. If he was halfhearted either in moving forward or pulling back, he would for sure be pummeled by the mongo wave. Well, the reason why he was telling me the story was because he chose to fully commit to paddle into the swell, and he caught the wave for one of the most fearful and exciting rides of his life. I have actually heard this same type of story from many surfers. These great ride adventures all seem to turn on a split second decision. The surfer has to decide....am I in, or am I out? Whichever way is decided, in or out, there has to be full commitment, for to be halfhearted is to get crushed. What a most excellent picture of our relationship with the Lord. Jesus has called us to be fully committed in following Him. His lordship requires complete surrender to Him and nothing less. To dabble in Christ is to get crushed in the world's swells. To play at Christianity, especially in the days we are in, is misery. Jesus' call to us leaves no room for halfheartedness. So dude, are you in, or are you out? If you are in, then go for it with all your heart, you'll be in for the greatest ride ever.
Since I'm not a surfer it's hard to use a surfing analogy. The story fits my point perfectly, but I'm afraid the terms may not be in perfect surfer expressions, so I will apologize in advance to the surfers. Anyway, so this dude was telling me about a totally awesome swell that had come in. The waves were as big as he had ever surfed in, he was like, totally afraid, but having a marvelous time. So, like, there was this one set that he was out in that had him totally freaked out. He paddled to catch this one wave, and as he got ready to ride it, he realized this was the biggest mongo wave he had ever been on. He was paralyzed for a second, and then in another second knew that he had to make some sort of total commitment or be crushed. He had to paddle forward without reservation and catch the wave, or pull back and get out of the wave. If he was halfhearted either in moving forward or pulling back, he would for sure be pummeled by the mongo wave. Well, the reason why he was telling me the story was because he chose to fully commit to paddle into the swell, and he caught the wave for one of the most fearful and exciting rides of his life. I have actually heard this same type of story from many surfers. These great ride adventures all seem to turn on a split second decision. The surfer has to decide....am I in, or am I out? Whichever way is decided, in or out, there has to be full commitment, for to be halfhearted is to get crushed. What a most excellent picture of our relationship with the Lord. Jesus has called us to be fully committed in following Him. His lordship requires complete surrender to Him and nothing less. To dabble in Christ is to get crushed in the world's swells. To play at Christianity, especially in the days we are in, is misery. Jesus' call to us leaves no room for halfheartedness. So dude, are you in, or are you out? If you are in, then go for it with all your heart, you'll be in for the greatest ride ever.
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