TODAY

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

 

We’ve awakened today with a gift from God—this very day.  There will be so many choices and opportunities.  What will we do with the gift?

We will enter his gates with thanksgiving in our hearts (Psa. 100:4) reflecting on the benefits we derive by being his child.  Thank you Lord for your abiding peace no matter what may come this day.  Thank you for grace to address every situation.  Thank you for wisdom to deal with complex issues today.  Thank you for strength to handle all my responsibilities.  Thank you for guidance with all the different options in this day.  Thank you that you never leave me even when my senses don’t perceive you.

We enter his courts with praise, confidently abiding in the presence of the Lord.  …in him  we live and move and have our being.  (Acts 17:28)  Today if something should try to shake my rest in him, I will redirect my attention and climb back into his arms.  After all, Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:35, 37-39)

What a great day.

 

Father, keep us steadfast in your love today, rejoicing in you and not allowing circumstances to determine our attitudes or behavior.  We are your children; we rejoice in you.  AMEN.

TRANSFORMATION

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  II Corinthians 3:18  (NIV)

 

 

Have you ever wished you could change a certain attitude or drop an unattractive trait?  The Good News is that it’s possible.  Paul tells us how it can happen in a couple of his letters.  First, by exposing our true selves and concentrating on Jesus (II Cor. 3:18), his attributes, his character, and his love, we become more and more like him.  Then, we trust his working in us will be for good.  Remember, he has already begun a good work in us and will continue it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6), and he is working in us just now giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Phil. 2:13 NLT).

Finally, if we really want to grow and to change, we must listen to the Holy Spirit who speaks to each one of us.  It is his job to convict us regarding sin and righteousness (John 16:8).  Essentially, prior to our pursuing an attitude displeasing to God or speaking unkind words or acting in a manner unbecoming his child, the Holy Spirit quietly warns us.  In this millisecond we have a choice:  Do we follow our selfish instincts or do we respond to God?

God always does his part in changing us from glory to glory, but we have to do ours.  God has given us free will to follow him or to indulge our flesh.  The instant his Spirit softly alerts us, we can respond in obedience and find ourselves more like our Lord or we can reject him and become more entrenched in the behaviors and attitudes that even we despise.

So we return to that life regimen we call discipline. To cooperate with God’s work in transforming us, we listen when his Spirit speaks, and we discipline ourselves to do his will.  In that instant of decision, he empowers us, and as we continue this right behavior, it becomes a habit.  At last, with practice, we are no longer enslaved by that sinful attitude or behavior.  It’s really quite simple.

God’s part:  conviction and empowerment; our part: disciplined obedience.  Result:  transformation.

 

 

Father, how long have we tried to change ourselves when we know that only you can make us like Jesus?  Give us ears to hear your Spirit and determination to do your will.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

STANDING FOR JESUS

But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.  Matthew 10:33  (NIV)

 

A new friend who works in a part of the world where terrorists operate said that they will knock on the doors of villagers asking them to name their religion.  If they say they are Christians, they have three options:  convert, pay an enormous tax, or leave.  If they elect to leave, they do not realize that groups of soldiers will be stationed on the roads leading out of the village to kill them as they flee.  Then my friend asked, “What would you say?”

O’Sullivan (National Review, April 24, 2013) determined after some historical research that “our present age is the Age of Christian Persecution.”  He looked at the early Church and the Church throughout time to make this determination.  I’d really like to think that the world is becoming a more tolerant and accepting place, but the facts dispute that.

The great question is what my friend asked, “What would you say?” if you were asked about your religion?  What would I say?  I would like to believe that we would all stand up for Jesus rather than betray him in a moment of fear.  Jesus said we are not to fear those who can kill the body (Matt. 10:28), but our respect is to be for the one who judges for eternity.

Perhaps we think we’ll never be in a position where we have to make a choice about standing for Jesus or denying him, but don’t we face that choice everyday with our words and attitudes and behavior?  Do our lifestyles betray Jesus for fear of our associates or social groups?  Or do we stand up for him in gentleness and love?

I think about Peter’s denial of Jesus.  On his final denial, Jesus heard him.   Luke (22:61, 62) records, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”  I don’t ever want to cause Jesus that kind of grief.  Never.

 

Father, all of us have opportunities to stand for Jesus or for ourselves.  Give us boldness to be true to Jesus and strengthen all those who daily must make this courageous choice.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

 

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5

 

My grandmother was critically ill in the hospital.  Mother’s two brothers had entrusted her with decision-making for their mother, and they had all agreed that there would be no life-support systems used at the end.  Day after day Grandma clung to life with Mother faithfully attending her.

Then came the day the doctor approached Mother with a suggestion.  He deemed that a blood transfusion would make Grandma more comfortable, and he strongly advocated for the treatment.  Exactly the quandary our mother feared.  Her brothers had given her their trust, and now she had to make an awful choice:  Should she allow the transfusion that might prolong Grandma’s life while violating his brothers’ wishes or should she tell the doctor “no”?  Would the brothers consider a transfusion “life-support”?

In her simple, straightforward faith, Mother reasoned with the Lord.  I don’t know the right decision.  I don’t want to go against my brothers, and I don’t want Mother to suffer.  Father, I will go with the doctor’s suggestion and ask that you be sovereign and overrule it if it’s not for the best.  The medical staff proceeded with the transfusion, and my Grandma passed away shortly afterward.  And my mother was at peace.

Was this God’s wisdom?  Did God take a hard thing and resolve the dilemma?  I’m sure Mother played out all scenarios and felt herself to be in a no-win situation, but she followed the direction of her heart and ended in a place of peace that satisfied everyone.

When we ask for wisdom in a difficult situation, do we sometimes fail to hear God’s voice because we expect something complex and profound?  Think of Jesus’ resolutions throughout his ministry:  No food?  Use what you’ve got and feed thousands.  You touched me even though the doctors didn’t help for years?  Be healed.   No tax money?  Go fishing.  You’re blind?  Let me put mud in your eyes.  And so on…

God is able to give us exactly what we need for every circumstance.  We just have to learn to be simple and to expect him, to believe him to give us wisdom, and then to thank him for his gift.

 

Father, you are God, and we are not.  We need you every moment of every day.  Help us to be like little children and to trust you to guide us to make good decisions.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.