Doing Everything for Him

One thing the Lord has been impressing on my heart lately is the importance of doing everything that we do for Him. It is so easy to do certain things for Him, especially the more directly ministry-related things (church, Awana, etc.), while doing almost everything else just because it is what we do. Often times it may not be noticeable from the outside. When I'm sitting at my desk at work, coworkers might not see me typing extra fast and decide that it must be because I'm working for the Lord and not for men. But Lord willing, they will see me as a diligent worker and see the Lord through me. It is so vital that we do the right things... and not just the right things, but do them with the right motives.

This evening, we were putting some fliers on doors for a Grief Seminar in the community that our church is putting on next weekend. It was a constant battle in my heart when I'd see an open garage or someone in the yard to want to skip that house out of fear of awkwardness or whatever the case may be. I walked up to one garage with a few guys in there... shirts off drinking beer watching a football game. It's at points like that where the Lord really has to work in my heart and remind this often hard-headed guy that those guys need the Lord as much as I do. One of the other people I walked up to was leaving and I wasn't even going to go to that house yet, but this young man didn't look like he would be the kind of guy that would do anything but laugh at me handing him a card that says, "Grief" on it... and yet when I did (thanks to the Holy Spirit not letting me get away with walking on), he thanked me several times and said that he really needed this right now. It almost brings me to tears because I wasn't going to stop and hand it to him. I was going to put it on his door, but whoever was home likely would have taken it and thrown it away before he got back. Yet, God was gracious to him and to me by granting the courage to do it because of Him--because He is worth it. I feel so pitiful sometimes... so weak and lacking in boldness. People are dying every day because they believe in Jesus and I can't walk up to someone and hand them a flier. It comes down to motivation. Am I passing out fliers for Daniel, or am I passing it out for the God of the universe?

I was encouraging a friend recently that we work for a King--the King of the universe. We would do well to remember that as we go about our daily lives whether that be at home, work, softball, interactions with neighbors, grocery shopping, filling up the gas tank, etc. Take a look at this:

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is something that seems to come back to me often. I wish I could learn this lesson one time. One of the two sermons that I've had the opportunity to preach was on this very thing--how quickly I lose focus! I am such a poor judge of people's hearts. Who am I to think that I know who needs and doesn't need to hear the message of hope that comes from the God of all comfort?! A friend of mine was challenging me on this very thing yesterday. As he was sharing about his own life and how he has often been wrong in this area... that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart, I was challenged but didn't do anything with that challenge. God gave me something to do this afternoon. I love how He is so faithful to teach me things. He can speak truth to me through His Word and through others and then follow it up with a chance to put it into action. I am so grateful that he works through our weaknesses and grants us more courage and more faith as we are obedient in small ways.

God, make Yourself so glorious in my heart that I'd do everything for Your glory! Cast down the idol of myself and fill me with Christ so that I might love Him and please Him. Grant me boldness to do whatever I do because of Him rather than for me. Show me when my motives are anything other than to glorify You. Thank You for Your faithfulness and grace.

Buried--but not still buried!

Our sermon last week was about Jesus being buried and what that means for us as God's children. I was reading in this morning in Acts 2 when the man who denied knowing Jesus three times stood in dependence on the Lord and spoke boldly for His name's sake. I love the way he compares Jesus' burial to David's burial (the king they respected the most). Take a look:

Acts 2:29-39 “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

With David, all we have are memories... the things he has written... stories about him... etc. With Christ, He said that it is for our benefit that He died, was buried, and raised again to sit at the right hand of the Father, for if He didn't, the Holy Spirit would not have been sent to us (John 16:7)! The Holy Spirit is sent to guide us in all the truth (John 16:13). God made Jesus both Lord (Master, ruler, owner of everything, the one with all authority) and Christ (Messiah, the Anointed One, savior). What is David to us today? He is a man that died many many years ago, a man after God's own heart, but a man that made a mess of a lot of things during his life time. We have some of his words as encouragement to us as we try to live to please the Lord. But with Christ, we have the Holy Spirit with us! We have a living Savior! We have the hope of being resurrected someday (1 Cor. 15)!

It says that the people hearing this were pierced to the heart. I think we are often not pierced to the heart by His Words because we have hardened our hearts. But I think we would do well to understand why they were pierced to the heart and why we ought to be. It wasn't just them that crucified Jesus. It was us. Romans 5:8 says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The people listening asked an important question: "What shall we do?" We must ask the same question... whether we have a relationship Jesus or not, we must ask ourselves the same question. Peter says to these men and women that they ought to repent and be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. For me, having repented and having been baptized, this is the most important decision one can make. To repent and submit ourselves fully to Christ is to have hope of eternal life with Him. But every day is a day of repenting for me as a child of God. No, we don't become perfect all of a sudden... and no, my repenting doesn't earn me salvation. Jesus' death and resurrection paid the entire cost of my sin. My repenting is the appropriate response to Him for all He has done. I must turn from my sin and turn to Christ as my ruler.

As we celebrate Easter, may we remember that He was buried, just like David... but He didn't stay buried. Since He didn't stay buried, "what shall we do?"

Counting the Cost

This concept is really well known in the business world, perhaps not as well known as it should be in our personal finances, but when it comes to our life direction, it is absolutely essential. In the business world, if we don't count the cost correctly, we might bid low on a job and lose money. In our personal finances, we might start a project and not be able to finish it... or in the worst case, have to declare bankruptcy. When it comes to our life direction, we either determine to follow the Christ or to live our own way. We need to count the cost for these choices.

Let's look at the cost of these choices:

If we determine to live for Christ:

• We must give up living for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
• We must be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ (Philippians 1:29, 1 Peter 3:13-17, Matthew 10:22)
• We must have new priorities--now Christ must take first place (Colossians 1:17-18, 1 John 5:21)
• We must be willing to give up anything for the sake of Christ, perhaps family, friends, jobs, possessions, health, money, comforts, etc. (Luke 9:57-62)
• We must commit for the long-haul... not just for the moment (Matthew 24:13

If we determine to live for ourselves:

• We will spend eternity separated from God in hell (Revelation 20:11-15).
• We will live a life of being humbled by God (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5-6)
• We will find ourselves hoping in worthless things that will always let us down (Isaiah 44:9-20).
• Our lives will ultimately be useless (1 Peter 1:18)
• We will have no lasting peace (Romans 5:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:3)

We have a decision to make. We must count the cost of both options. We would do well to carefully consider the words of Jesus. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? This is not an easy choice, but is the most important choice we will make.

Fear of the Lord

I was reading these verses today and really encouraged and challenged to live in the fear of the Lord.

And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. Psalm 111:10

How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. Psalm 128:1

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. Proverbs 10:27

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord Than great treasure and turmoil with it. Proverbs 15:16

The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. Proverbs 15:33

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. Proverbs 16:6

The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. Proverbs 19:23

The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always. Proverbs 23:17

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear. Isaiah 11:2-3

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure. Isaiah 33:5-6

So what are the benefits of living in the fear of the Lord? Wisdom, hatred of evil, understanding, blessing, hatred of pride and arrogance, knowledge, longer life, strong confidence, refuge, life, avoid snares of death, joy, good rest, riches, honor, lack of envy toward the wicked, decisions made based on His wisdom, stability, and treasures.

My prayer is God would help me fear Him more and more every day so that I would honor Him and reap all of these amazing benefits of living for His fame.

I am second?

You may have seen those videos going around Facebook from people saying, "I am second". If you haven't, from the two or three that I've watched over the course of my life, they are talking about prioritizing God and others. But really, we are not "second"... we are far further than the list than "second". I was reading Romans 12 in light of the end of Romans 11 this evening...

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

As I read this passage, I see that we are to present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice. This moves us down to 2nd because we are living for God. Then we read on, we are told not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Reading on, we see that we are given gifts to be used to serve others. In fact, it seems to imply (and we know from Philippians 2:3) that we are not actually second, we are actually last! We are to give preference to one another, we are to serve the Lord as we serve others. We are to rejoice... not just for our own reasons, but to celebrate with others and share in their joys. We are to weep with those that weep... to put aside ourselves for their benefit. Lest we think that we are not actually called to be "last", we are even told to give food and drink to our enemies and be good to them.

Jesus showed by His example and then told His disciples in Matthew 23:11 that the greatest in the Kingdom will be the servant of all. May God give us grace to put ourselves aside... to put aside the ever pressing desire to be "first", and give us hearts to put Him in first place and everyone else before ourselves for His glory. May He give us true hearts of greatness!

When He is Sought

It has been far too long since I have taken the time to write here. I've been thinking this evening about what it means to be seeking the Lord with all of my heart. It is something that we are supposed to do at all times and yet, it is so easy to seek Him with parts of my heart. As Pastor Tim said several years ago, our hearts are idol factories. God has given us good things in life to pursue for His glory and what it joy it is to pursue them when He is kept at the center! It is when He becomes secondary that we run into big problems. It is so easy to take what He meant for His glory and use it for personal gain--especially since what He desires to be for His glory is also for our good! I was readings several passages this evening and have been reminded of this:

Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”

So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.

He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him.

The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God.

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

Fill their faces with dishonor, That they may seek Your name, O Lord.

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.

Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!

Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.

So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, “Seek Me that you may live.

Seek the Lord, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.

The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.”

So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’

I highly recommend reading these in context, but it is clear from all these examples in scripture that there is huge blessing when we seek the Lord with all of our hearts... in fact, He promises to be found by us when we seek Him with all of our hearts. We will always go the wrong way when we do not seek Him! We naturally do the things that are not pleasing to Him. But what a blessing it is that we can have a personal relationship with the God of all the earth! We don't serve a God that is far off, but One who has given us direct access to Himself through the blood of Christ! He longs to be near to us an for us to be near to Him! May we continually seek Him with humility and submit ourselves fully to Him.

The Cost

This week has been crazy. I don't think I've worked so many hours in one week ever, though I have nothing to complain about. I know many people personally that work more hours than I did this week just about every week of their life. God didn't establish 40 hours as a work week (though I like that number for the sake of having time to spend with family and do ministry). It's been nice to slow down a little bit. The carpet was installed in the house today and there were little issues here and there... the hammer crushing the edge of the wood floor that I installed and carpet being a slightly different color along a seam... but in the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. Got the saw out and cut out the piece of wood that was damaged and got it replaced. I need to follow up tomorrow about the carpet color issue and see if there is anything we can do about that. I feel so blessed though... I mean really... having this nice carpet when so many don't even have a home, or if they do... have the cheapest carpet out there that is 15 yrs old... I feel blessed and really have no complaints (though I hope they do fix it if possible).

I was reading tonight in Proverbs 7 and the end of verse 23 caught my attention. This is not a "fun" proverb. This section of it is talking specifically about a young man who gives gives in to the temptation to sin with the enticing of a flattering woman. That is where verse 23 comes in...

So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

So many of us may not fall in this manner... but don't just assume that you won't. I don't assume that I won't. Our walk with the Lord is a daily, moment-by-moment thing. Too often we do the equivalent of calling Abraham our father like the Jewish people were doing and using that as "fire insurance". You are saved by the grace of God? Great! So walk in Him! I can think of person after person who I viewed as godly (in fact, I think they were godly) who fell into sin in this manner. This is not me casting judgement... this is me realizing that none of us are beyond that and looking to Proverbs 7 as a reminder of what the end of that path is--it is the way of death. Another proverb says, "the dead are there". By His grace, may we walk wholeheartedly in the ways of the Lord!

Wrestling with God

The sermon today was very much what I needed. It was about God strengthening us in supernatural ways and our need to depend on Him and ask for that strengthening rather than trying to do things on our own strength. The Lord really took His Word and drove it deep into my heart and revealed areas in which I was not casting my cares fully on Him. I would bring them before Him in prayer but quickly go back to thinking about them in a sinful worried or anxious way. I wasn't actually leaving it all in His hands. After church today, I had like a two hour wrestling match with the Lord as I was praying. I kept finding myself going back to trying to work things out in my own mind and then fighting to release them fully to the Lord. I feel pathetic for it being so hard, but I'm thankful that the Lord didn't let me go without releasing it to Him and finding the peace that really does surpass understanding which is there to guard my mind and heart in Christ Jesus. The verse that comes to mind this evening is from Psalm 94:19...

When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

What I need in these times is more of God. The more I think about and meditate on how great God is and how infinite His wisdom is, the more my anxiety and worry disappears. He is so worth trusting. The peace that He grants is so endless! He is good.

Not Lacked A Thing!

Work has been crazy lately. I've been working longer hours than normal. The overtime is a blessing, but I'm not really a fan of it in general. There is a lot to say for having time with family and not being completely wiped out upon arrival at home. I'm not complaining... overtime at work is always optional and so it has been by choice. However, it has given me a greater appreciation for those that work long hours almost every day. I am very blessed and thankful.

I was reading in Deuteronomy 2 this evening and a phase caught my attention from verse 7...

These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.

That is quite a statement to make! I am all of 26 and to even comprehend not only my entire life, but another 10+ years all spent in the wilderness is quite something... yet, in all of that and in all of their rebellion, they did not lack a thing because of God's goodness. I also look back on my life and can say that this is true of my life as well. Not only have I not lacked a thing, God has given so much above and beyond what I need. How amazing is the goodness of God?! Though I sin against Him time and time again, He still makes it so I am not lacking a thing. I am so undeserving. He is so good.

When We Pray...

I won't hide it from you... if this is half as convicting to you as it is to me, it won't be a "fun" read, but it will be profitable. I was about to start praying for someone this evening and thought, "I should tell so and so that I am praying for them.", but gave little thought to actually praying for them. The Lord brought Matthew 6:5-6 to mind...

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

In a moment, I realized that I had created my own slightly different hypocritical way of "praying". Actually, it was worse in a way. At least they were praying! I was going to go ahead and "announce" my praying and then put half as much time into actually praying for them as it would take to "announce" it. Maybe announcing it to one person is better than on the street corner, but regardless, it is seeking to please man rather than God and it is not the fervent or effectual prayer that accomplishes much.

It is not wrong to encourage someone in the Lord by saying, "Hey, I'm praying for you!" In fact, I think it is quite uplifting when someone says that to me! However, if we say such things to get a "thank you" rather than to be an encouragement in the Lord... and perhaps not even get around to praying about it... what good is that? Wouldn't we be much better off to pray in private and not even speak a word about it to anyone but God?! I expect that when I get to heaven, there will be countless people there that have prayed for me and prayers that God has answered that I was never aware of. Maybe even people who's name I cannot even remember. I want to be that kind of man. Yes, I want to encourage people and let them know I'm praying for them. But, I want to faithfully pray for people regardless of their knowledge of it and witness the Lord's work and praise Him for it. God, forgive me for the ways in which I have been a hypocrite in prayer and make me a faithful prayer warrior for Your glory alone!

The Work of Prayer

I don't know whether more people are in need of earnest prayer right now, or if God is graciously making me more attentive to the needs of others around me, but I have been so burdened to pray more. I think it is probably the later as I can be so focused on self at times that I miss opportunities to serve others around me. Regardless, I am thankful for these opportunities to bring others (and myself) before His throne knowing that He hears. Physically doing work often seems like the "more important work", but I am becoming more and more convinced (beyond head-knowledge level) that prayer is the more important work. There are certainly times to get our hands dirty... and we ought to, but if it be (and it is) true that we can do nothing apart from Him, we must be more dependent on Him. I'm ashamed of how many times I do things without even consulting Him. He ought to be at the center of everything! I will even find myself sitting and just thinking about something rather than praying through it to the Lord. So often in my times of prayer, the Lord grants wisdom and insight. He often brings passages to mind as I am praying that speak directly to the situation and it is such a joyous thing to hear from Him. It makes me wonder how I could ever not take something before Him in prayer... and yet I do!

All that to say, I am burdened and encouraged to take much more before Him in prayer. Not just saying empty words to be able to say, "I prayed for you.", but to earnestly come before the Lord and pray big things. It seems like such a huge thing for God to change a heart, but it is big only from our perspective. It is not a hard thing for God to change hearts. I love that verse at the beginning of Proverbs 21:

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.

I imagine running my hand under the sink and using my hand and fingers to direct the direction of the water... that is how easy it is for God to direct the heart of the most powerful person with the hardest of hearts. Why do I ask Him to change hearts with such little faith? He can do all things and no purpose of His can be thwarted! May we pray with much more urgency and much more faith because He is the one that does the work! Apart from Him, we can do nothing!

True Value... No, Not the Company

The Lord has blessed exceedingly beyond all I could ask or think. I haven't really made it public because it really isn't of importance unless God, by His grace, allows me to use it for eternal purposes... but I bought a house a little over a month ago. It has been an interesting process for sure... tons of work (but fun work!)... and I've found that I can't leave Lowe's without spending like $100+ on "essential things". It's amazing how fast everything adds up. It's been well within my budget thus far, but it's still crazy when you get down to the little details. Anyway, I thought that today would be a good day to share this because I was reading in Psalm 49 this morning and I think for me personally, the process of buying this house and thinking through everything in new ways has caused me more than ever to think about material possessions and what place they ought to be in my life. I wanted to share verses 16-20 of Psalm 49:

Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself— and though men praise you when you do well for yourself— he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.

I almost want to just post this on my wall in my house... in fact, I may actually do that. It sounds crazy, but I need big Biblical thinking about the "stuff" of this world. Yes, I am enjoying making it nice, but I want to keep an eternal perspective in mind as I think about it. Am I making it nice so that I can "congratulate myself" and others will "praise me"... or am I making it nice so that it can be more pleasant to be in and serve the Lord better in serving others in the form of hospitality? It's not wrong for people to compliment hard work, but if this is my motivation in doing what I am doing, I am doing it all for the wrong reasons. It must be done to glorify the Lord. I am in constant need of the Lord's work in my heart to cause me to think the way I ought to think about "stuff". I am thankful for the continual reminders that He has given me (this one included). So the true value is not in the house... it will burn someday. The true value is in it being used for the glory of God to make a difference for eternity.

When "No" is Best

Without saying anything more, let me just say that when God says, "no", it is always best! It's easy to say that, but when we get into situations where we really want something, it is very easy to start thinking that God doesn't know what we need. We would never say that out loud, but we live that way sometimes in the pursuit of the things that we think would fulfill our wants or needs.

God reminded me of His "no" always being best when I was at work yesterday. In February 2010, I was laid-off from my previous job as a software developer due to financial issues. When this happened, I knew it was a blessing because it kind of forced my hand at moving forward... and it was time to do so. I put out my resume to many companies even out to a company in TN. I found a company that does a lot of government contracts with an office only about 10 miles away... they had the foosball table and everything. It was the model of "fun and enjoyable place to work". I sent in my resume to them and had a phone interview. They called me back to set up an in-person interview then had to reschedule... then they never called back. I called them back a couple times (tip for job hunters out there... don't be annoying, but take the initiative and call them if you are interested)... and they basically said that they no longer needed someone for the position. I was disappointed. This process... phone interview, in-person interview, sometimes a second in-person interview only to get a "no"... happened over and over and over again. I really thought this one was the perfect job, but God said, "no".

Yesterday, I was part of an interview process for a new programmer at work. I downloaded her resume and started reading. Her last job was none other than THAT JOB in April 2010! Management changed shortly after she got the job... the foosball table went away... anything "fun" or "enjoyable" went away... the company struggled financially and closed down the close office and the commute changed from 10 miles to 80 miles... etc. So let me just say that when God says, "no", why do we not just believe Him? If He wouldn't have revealed that to me yesterday, would His "no" be any less wise? He doesn't need to tell us why. He knows all things and does not withhold any good thing from those that walk uprightly. Let's live uprightly and trust that anything that seems "good" that He withholds from us is not actually "good".

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth!

In Light of the End

I have been really challenged the last several days by 2 Peter.  Tonight, I was reading in chapter 3 and verses 10-15 really caught my attention.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

My eyes must be turned toward the things that are eternal. The things of this earth will be burned up someday. One of the guys at church who has some really nice guitars often reminds me that it is just "firewood". What a great reminder that is. The stuff of this world is all going to be burned up... so in light of the end, what is at the center of my attention? Praying that I would grow in Christ-likeness and that my heart would be turned continually toward eternal things.

Hearts Inclined to the Lord

The days seem to be flying by this summer. Work is going extremely well... enjoying more time with the family... etc. This afternoon, I even got in a nap before we all went out and played some volleyball. Ran into Pastor Tim and his wife at the park and they joined us in playing volleyball for a while... ran into some other friends walking by the park and we talked with them for an hour or so. We are so blessed. We have been studying 1 Kings in family devotions and chapter 8 caught my attention. I've been reading and meditating on little pieces of it. I love this prayer from Solomon and echo it in my heart to the Lord.

May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else.

So often we want God to be with us and not forsake us, but when it comes down to it, we may not actually want to walk in all His ways and keep His commandments, statutes, and ordinances. We like the idea of God doing good things for us, but obedience just doesn't sound fun all the time. Sometimes it is hard to obey. Sometimes it doesn't feel like obeying is what is best for us. But I think that phrase "as each day requires" is so key to obedience--God is actively granting grace to enable us to obey. When we obey, God is glorified not only in our hearts, but in the world. When God asks us to obey in ways that may same "unreasonable", we must remember what He did on the cross... talk about unreasonable! Is He not so glorified when His children can say to Him... "God, this doesn't really make sense, but I know I can trust you and I will obey because You are worth trusting."? Oh how much I need to have my heart inclined to the Lord! That is not a something that if I think hard enough and work hard enough, my heart will be inclined to Him... no, the Holy Spirit does that work. He must do that work! Yes, it does take work on my part sometimes... He speaks through His Word and if I'm not reading it, I am losing out on so much of what He has to say... but, it is His work. I could read the Bible all I want, but unless the Lord does a work in my heart, I will not be inclined to obey Him. God, give me a heart of steadfast obedience!

Trust Him - At All Times

My internal alarm woke me up around six this morning (which I like).   It's such a blessing that we have the freedom to worship the Lord together openly.  I ought to take advantage of that in every way possible.  The best way for me to take advantage of it is to prepare my heart to worship the Lord that I might worship Him in spirit and in truth.  I was convicted this morning of being frustrated about certain things and yet not taking them to the Lord in prayer.  I don't want to be self-dependent in any way!  I've seen how that doesn't work over and over and I desperately need the Lord to be my Rock.  I was reminded of Psalm 62:5-8... take a look:

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Any frustration I have, small or big is something that I can depend on the Lord to take care of. More often than not, my frustrations are a result of my own selfishness and God taking care of those looks like Him humbling me in the ways that I need to be humbled. Other times, it is something that He needs to do in someone else (which is how I tend to first look at it before the Lord changes my heart). Regardless, I would save myself a whole lot of time and wasted energy if I would truly trust Him at all times and as a result of that trust, pour out my heart before Him. May we grow to love and trust Him more and more and cast all of our cares upon Him with full confidence that He cares for us and only gives His children good gifts.

Abiding in Christ

The last couple weeks, I have been reading Colossians over and over again (along with some other passages).  This morning, I don't know if my alarm just didn't go off or if I slept through it or what happened, but I ended up getting a late start on my way to work.  My devotions ended up being reading John 15 in the car at stoplights and a short prayer time.  Certainly not the ideal morning, but I am thankful that He speaks and hears even on rushed mornings. 

I was reading this evening again in Colossians and chapter 3, verses 12-17 really stood out to me in light of John 15:1-8.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

In Colossians 3, that command to let the word of Christ richly dwell within us ties in so closely with John 15. We cannot bear fruit without being connected to Christ. Continuing in Colossians 3, we are not just to have His Word dwell within us, but it is to come back out of us as we speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with hearts of thankfulness to the Lord! When we are abiding in Him, the source of every good and perfect thing, His Word is our life and breath. We cannot help but respond in gratitude to the Lord and let that overflow to those around us.

May God give us hearts that long to be close to Him, to know and to do His will, to submit with joy to His perfect plans, and be thankful in all things to the Giver of every good and perfect thing.

Bible Search

I absolutely love making use of the tools available to me to find passages that come to mind with a couple key words and a couple clicks.  It is such a blessing that we have so much technology available to us to aid us in our Bible studies.  At the same time, sometimes (at least for me) it can hinder what we get out of the Word.  If I didn't know where a verse was before we had internet and before I had my Franklin electronic Bible, I pretty much had to read around where I thought it was until I found it.  It was a lot more work, but there were lots of rewards to it as well!  I had mentioned a particular Bible story to one of the men at church on Sunday in relation to Sunday school and I thought for sure it was in Nehemiah.  Rather than searching for it, I decided to read Nehemiah and try to find it.  I was so blessed and encouraged by it.  Now, I didn't find the passage that I was looking for, but God used it in my heart and I am thankful. 

I did give in and decided to search for it... it was actually in 2 Kings 19:14-19.

Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. Now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.”

This was Hezekiah's response to a letter basically saying look at all these other kings that have been defeated... what makes you any different?

What a great response!  So often our first response to hard situations is to try to come up with some kind of solution.  Why do we not first take all to the Lord in earnest prayer?  We lose out on opportunities to bring glory to the Lord by trying to solve it ourselves, though even if we did "solve it ourselves", it is only because of wisdom we have received from the Lord.  We would do well to recognize that from the beginning and save ourselves the time and pain involved in the sin of "worry".  May we always be taking all things to Him in earnest prayer and may He receive greater glory because of it!

Heirs of Grace

This evening I had a softball game... always lots of fun.  I got pretty rocked in the back of the head by a softball as I was coming into home plate which is probably the reason I'm still up.  Considering I was safe, it was well worth it, right? :)  It's been a fun season.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to get some exercise and hopefully be a light to some of the guys in the community.  A few weeks ago, one of our players died.  He was diagnosed with cancer just three weeks before he passed away.  It was a really sad situation... wife and a 2 year old.  It sometimes makes me wonder... why not me?  Why someone with a family depending on him and a baby?  But, God knows best.  Obviously, I am very glad to be alive... just reminded that He could take any of us at any time.  It ended up being a good opportunity to pray with the guys on the team.  One of the guys bought shirts for all of us with that guy's last name on them to honor him.  It is very sad... but God knows what He is doing.

I was reading in Titus 3 this evening and was reminded of the reason we are empowered to love when we don't feel like it or do good to the one that uses us, etc. 

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We can go back and remember how much we have been forgiven... how much grace has been given us in Christ... how much hope we have in Christ... how much of our good works (none) helped us earn favor with God... etc.  When we consider these things, our desire to love and obey the Lord and serve others increases greatly.  We have been given great grace and mercy--we can extend the same to those around us!  We were encouraged on Sunday by Pastor Tim to pray big prayers for ourselves.  I am praying that I would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and that it would be evident to others in the way I pass on some of that amazing grace that I have received.

An Option

Sunday school this morning was about Exodus 33.  I was so challenged by verses 1-3 and 12-16.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”... Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

God told Moses that He was sending an angel before them to in a sense "fix all of their problems".  But, God wouldn't be there.  This is staggering to me!  God sometimes will give us the option of "an easy way out" that is not His best.  It comes down to this: when we are facing a trial, are we going to take the "easy way" without God, or are we going to hold firmly to Him and not compromise our relationship with Him no matter what pressure may be around us?  By God's grace, may we "mourn" before the Lord when we are faced with the option of the "easy way" and may we hold fast to the Lord knowing that His way is always best.  We can't go on in life without Him.  We can't pretend that everything will be fine.  Sure, the angel would have been able to drive their enemies out and things would have felt fine and dandy for a little while, but what happens after that?  Is all well when everything is smooth and easy, but without God?  No!  We need Him to be central in absolutely everything.  It doesn't matter how hot the fire gets or how hard a trial may be, if God is at the center of it all, we can say, "it is well with my soul".