An Eternal Perspective

Read: Isaiah 57:14-19

"Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."  - Psalm 9:10

Living with an eternal perspective gives life all the vibrancy and fragrance of a blooming flower. This lifestyle makes it so much easier to align the desires of my heart according to God’s ultimate plan for my life. I no longer look to the body or the soul to find fulfillment, although I do not neglect their legitimate needs. I delight more in reading His Word and in fellowshipping with His Body instead. I start taking every opportunity to invite people to church and to share Christ with every weary soul that He brings my way.

In order for us to have an eternal outlook, God needs to pull out all of the roots of pride, selfishness and self-reliance that prevent us from fully surrendering to Him. This takes years as the roots are strong and deep. Initially, this pruning is uncomfortable. However, ultimately, it frees us from the encumbrances of the flesh and the world. This new spiritual mindset allows us to walk in abiding joy, peace and gratitude as we accomplish His will for our lives on a daily basis.

When we sell out for Christ, we live with a stronger desire to please Him. We love God with all of our heart and we lean on Him for wisdom and guidance throughout the day. We follow Him to the cross and we lose our life for His sake; but then, we find new life through this glorious new intimate relationship with Him (Matthew 10:38-39). As we faithfully follow His precepts, our love for and trust in Him also increases. Simply doing the will of God on a daily basis brings both Him and us so much joy and satisfaction. From then on, the grief we experience when we live outside of His will sends us running back into His everlasting arms.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of Your peace and let me inspire others to believe in You and to willingly shed the pounds of earthly ties that cripple us in so many areas of our life. Give us Your eternal perspective and help us to relinquish the areas of our flesh that bind us to a carnal life.

Thought for the Day:

God's will is a continual journey, not an ultimate destination.

Then, GOD Said

Read: Genesis Chapter One

According to most astrophysicists, all the matter found in the universe today -- including the matter in people, plants, animals, the earth, stars, and galaxies -- was created at the very first moment of time, thought to be about 13 billion years ago. They believe that every speck of energy was concentrated into a very tiny point. Then, this extremely dense point exploded with unimaginable force, creating matter and propelling it outward to make the billions of galaxies of our vast universe. Astrophysicists dubbed this titanic explosion the "Big Bang."

I find it so sad that people prefer to believe in an explosion of gas as the catalyst for creation. When you ask one of them who created the gas, they usually scuff their shoes on the rug and stare at them very intently as they mumble incoherently. Then they suddenly remember that they are late for a very important appointment as they dash out of the room.

If they would stick around, my next question would be, "Who created time?"

One of the Bible’s very prominent themes is that of God as Creator. As Creator, God possesses the heavens and the earth, and He has the right to do with them as He pleases. In the Old Testament prophets, especially Isaiah, God often reminds those to whom He is speaking that He is their Creator. Many statements and promises of the Bible are based on the truth that God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers (Psalm 24:1-2).

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast (Psalm 33:6-9).

The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them (Psalm 89:11).

 
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

Prayer:

Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created. (Revelation 4:11).

 
Thought for the Day:
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20)

Surviving The Balancing Act!

Read: James 1:2-4

A seal spinning a ball on its nose and a whirling top have little in common except that both of their performances require balance. This reminded me of the fact that life also requires a balancing act. We often find ourselves thrown off center by confusion and catastrophe, which come when we least expect it. Like the top and the ball, our normally peaceful life spins out of control. Each compartment of our life, which we meticulously created to provide us with security and a safe haven, suddenly  tilts to one side like the Tower of Pisa.

We get disoriented and feel insecure and fearful. Then, we panic and make poor decisions, reacting with negative emotions that create even more problems. We throw ourselves into trying unsuccessfully to manage the disruptive people and events in our life in an attempt to make us feel safe again. But this never helps. In fact, it usually increases our anxiety, when these people react to the frustration we create in their lives.

Part of the problem occurs when we acquire more possessions than we need. Our life slowly sinks under a burden of stress created by trying to pay for this accumulation. Another factor comes if we lean toward making deviant decisions. We end up reaping what we sow. Then, we also sink under the weight of the demands, which others place on our life.

So, what is the solution? We owe it to our self to simplify our life. We accomplish this in many different ways. We can sell off some of our accumulated goods and discipline our spending habits. We make wise choices and maintain an unadulterated life of purity and serenity. We also find a balance between what people need from us and what God wants for us.

Matt 6:25-34 reminds me that worry never helped anyone. Peace comes only by trusting God to order our lives according to His will. He generously provides all of our necessities, even when life disintegrates before our eyes. In James 1:2-4, the author exhorts us to keep a positive attitude throughout difficulties and temptations. He tells us that in this way our patience has a chance to grow. Then, patience gets us ready for anything life throws at us. Adversity develops strong character in us, which helps us to withstand the disheartening uncertainty of life and to ward off the eventual panic when it arises.

Paul admonishes us, in Hebrews 12:2, to keep our eyes on Jesus ~ the author and finisher of our faith. By following the examples from His life, we learn how to successfully live our own life. He prayed before beginning each day of ministry. He lived in the moment and did not worry about tomorrow. Jesus listened to His Father and followed His will in every word and deed. His focus stayed on God’s kingdom rather than on amassing worldly goods and fame. Ultimately, He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on the cross. 

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we walk the tightrope of life, rather than focusing on the spinning details of our negative circumstances, help us to focus on the equilibrium You achieve within each moment that we live. Life wavers like the ocean, with a continuous ebb and flow, but You gave us the words of the prayer that never fails: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42-43 NIV)

Thought for the Day:
When we trust God more and strive less, serenity seeps into every area of our life, no matter how the circumstances play out around us.

Surely, God is My Helper

Read: Psalm 46:1-3

“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” - Ecclesiastes 9:11

I am so glad that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He cares about our soul – our mind, will and emotions - when we are so emotionally wounded that we can barely hold up our head or even take deep breaths. In this world, we will have many troubles – spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical, but God promises to deliver us out of them all (Psalm 34:18-19).

God is a refuge for the oppressed, and a stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9). We can run to Him and be saved.  When we take refuge in Him,He helps us and delivers us from evil (Psalm 37:39-40). We are never alone. No matter what trial befalls us, we can rest assured that someone else has already walked this path before us, and tomorrow someone else will enter into it. God gives us the light of His Word, so that we can use it to illuminate our path, and the path of others who follow after us. We can trust in God at all times, and pour out our heart to Him (Psalm 62:8). The Lord is our sustainer (Psalm 54:4) as we walk through life (James 1:2-4).

I will sing of His strength and His love, because He is my fortress (Psalm 59:16). My salvation and my honor depend on God, and I have nothing to fear. He is my mighty rock (Psalm 62:7). When I call upon Him, He answers me, and makes me bold and stouthearted as I face my enemies (Psalm 138:3).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, let me not consider myself wise or to boast in my wisdom, strength or riches. I know that the swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his own life. The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his own life. It is only in You that we find our safety, our provision, our strength and our salvation.

Thought for the Day:

I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. – Habakkuk 3:18

Live and Let Live

Read: Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

Up until my first year of college, I lived by the philosophy, "Judge not, or you will be judged." I did not want anyone stepping on my toes, because it always hurt. I just wanted to survive in a laissez-faire, non-judgmental existence. I believed that everyone who lived a good life would go to heaven. Many "religious" teachers supported my views, but what I did not realize is that Biblical truth did not sustain this belief system.

Thankfully, I learned that there is only one name under heaven by which we can be saved - Jesus Christ. When I accepted His forgiveness for my sins, I stopped traveling down the broad road of pious lies. I entered the narrow gate of His truth and started loving Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). I developed my personal relationship with our living Lord. Now, I get so excited when I realize that eventually even the skeptics will one day recognize His Lordship and bow at His name (Philippians 2:9-11).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to lift You up to the highest place in my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Give me the ability to communicate Your truth to the lost and dying world all around me, while there is still time for them to hear and to believe.

Thought for the Day:
Eternal life only comes to us through faith in the name, which is above all other names - the name of Jesus Christ.

Invaded by God's Spirit

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
- 2 Corinthians 10: 5

God’s Spirit invades our lives like a conquering hero. He immediately begins His renovation process, gutting us like an old house and fashioning us according to His will and purpose for our lives. He does this through a three-stage process, which we call Justification, Sanctification and Glorification.

Justification takes place in our spirit in an instant. Our spirit, once dead in trespasses and sins, is born again. God fills us with His Holy Spirit, and we take in our first breath of the celestial air of eternal life. At this same instant, Jesus crosses the borders into our soul and the work of Sanctification begins.

Our soul – our mind, our will and our emotions – is where Sanctification takes place. It is a life-long process and requires much humility and surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit, as He perfects us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit purposely enters the cerebral territory within us and unseats Satan from his throne in our lives. Then He starts the process of vanquishing the carnal flesh’s hold on us (Romans 8:7). We mature in our spiritual walk day by day, as God’s Spirit turns our motivation and desires from earthly lusts to spiritual passions.

Thankfully, He continues to conquer every temporal area of our mind, bringing them all captive to the mind of Christ (Romans 8:6). He humbles our will and makes it submissive to His. Then He heals our emotions from wounds of the past and brings them under the control of the Spirit of God. 

One day, Glorification will occur. When Christ returns, we shall instantly exchange our earthly bodies for immortal ones and we shall be like Christ, because we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, helps us to step out of Your way and to allow Your Spirit complete reign in our lives. Make us more like You with each passing day and perfect us according to Your will.

Thought for the Day:
Christ came not to condemn us, but to give us life. We condemn ourselves by our unbelief (John 3: 17-18).

The Night Watches

Read: Gen 1:1-29

“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning.” Ps 130:6a KJV

In the Genesis account of creation, God uses the phrase, “The evening and morning were the first day.” He repeats this expression with each consecutive day. I find it interesting that He starts his day in the evening. The Jewish Shabbat, or Sabbath, also started a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening and continued until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. It offers an opportunity for the Jewish person to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend quality time with their family.

The Jews had three Night Watches: The First or “beginning” watch from sunset to ten o'clock, the Second or "middle” watch from ten until two, and the Third or "morning” watch from two to sunrise. Under control of the Roman Empire, Israel actually had four watches: The "even” watch from sunset until nine, the “midnight” watch from nine until midnight, the “cockcrowing” watch from midnight until three, and the “morning" watch from three until six. 

My favorite time is the middle watch. I keep God company from ten at night until two in the morning. I create, translate, contemplate, resonate, speculate, formulate, meditate, investigate and communicate while other people sleep. I email scriptures to hurting people or write encouraging notes. I make crafty items for our personal use or for gifts. I talk to other night owls on the phone. I get free shipping with online shopping, since we rarely have time to shop at the store. I play with our pets and watch a family style movie and enjoy the quiet. I write my devotion and then post it on this online blog. I pray for family and friends as God brings them to my mind. I spend time worshipping and praising our living Lord and enjoying His companionship.

My eyes are wide-awake, my senses are alert and my mind is totally engaged throughout the night watch. I am in very good company. Jesus also prayed all night, “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12 NKJV

Prayer ~ Lord, as I ponder You on my bed, and reflect on You in the night watches, put Your desires in my heart, lead me according to Your will, inspire me to help those in Your body who are hurting and pour out Your Spirit upon me anew.

Thought for the Day ~ I stay awake throughout the middle night watch and enjoy personal time with my living Lord who dwells within me.