Learning and relearning . . .

Yesterday I debated with God about what is happening in my body, according to what one doctor says. I don’t want to be seriously ill. This crazy a-fib is enough, but maybe the Lord has other tests of faith for me? Anyway, it was a day of stress. I tried to be willing to submit to His lordship and soon realized that unless His Spirit is filling me, I cannot do that. I felt like a bug held down with a pin.

To add to my angst, God was not saying anything. However, this morning He speaks loud and clear . . .

“. . . Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

Months ago, He said the same words regarding my heart and it blessed me. I even repeated them to concerned people who asked how I felt. This is God’s body and He can do with it as He pleases. I meant it. Now He is checking my faith again and for a day I totally flunked the test.

Tozer says God works out the details of our Christian experience according to the individual temperament and distinct characteristics He has given us. Some people will hear and understand His wishes and focus on them. I am not one of those people, as least the focus part. My scattered brain is all over the map. I’ve excused that as ‘just the way I am’ but He is not interested in leaving me like that. This week I heard one Christian say that popping here and there doing a little of this and a little of that winds up with little accomplished. He seemed to be talking to me.

On the same vein, Paul says:

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13)

He had one goal: “One thing I do” and this focus made him a significant person in the hands of God. I’ll never be in his category but am convicted by his words “one thing I do” even if he meant ‘one thing at a time.’

Yesterday, a radio preacher said much the same thing with more focus on motivation. He said that human need is vast but he cannot choose what he does on that basis; otherwise he would be going in circles. Instead, he learned to ask God daily for his marching orders.

I agree. Trying to select which human needs I can minister to leaves me worn out and confused, eventually doing not much. Far better to focus on the one thing God wants for that day, even that moment.

All this said, yesterday’s struggle showed me that my focus too easily turns from the ‘lesson of the day’ to my to-do list, or a long list of prayer regarding human need, or a bunch of I-wants. I do not think long enough about the lessons God is patiently teaching me. They are to be learned, but also remembered and done.

This means I need to deeply learn that I belong to Him, remember it, and act like it. If I forget, then the next pop quiz will throw me into a panic.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You are incredibly patient with me. I forget too easily and need to meditate more on what You say to me, not happily dash off to the next thing — falsely assuming that because I heard You, I ‘got’ it.

Red Flags . . .

Flipping channels, I stopped at a program that I normally do not watch. It was one of those ‘women sit around a table and talk’ shows. One of the woman said something that caught my ear. “I learned that my biggest problem was ignoring the red flags in my life.” She said that by doing this, her life went downhill.

I thought about this in terms of how the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin. It isn’t a loud “stop that” or even a middle-sized poke in the ribs, but usually a very small red flag. Many times I’ve not listened.

The verse in today’s devotional is another reminder of God’s red flags. Job said . . .

“I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.” (Job 27:6)

In this verse, Job’s righteousness was his life lived in faith and the power of God. He knew that he was a sinner, yet like all who trust the Lord Jesus, his righteousness was a gift from God. More to the point, his heart did not reproach him, meaning his heart did not mock or treat him with contempt. He had a clear conscience, not because he never did anything wrong, but because he paid attention to the red flags.

This red flag story also reminds me of those men and women who stand at the edge of construction and repair sites with a flag to direct traffic away from the work and the workers. Their task is to protect both sides, those in the cars and those on the job. A spiritual red flag does the same thing. It tells me when to keep out of a place where God is at work because I’m not to be involved.

I’ve lots of examples. One major one was when the Lord was at work in my husband’s life to bring him to salvation. I had no idea what was going on, only that God waved a flag telling me to shut up and leave Him to His work. I finally listened and later no one was more surprised than me when hubby experienced redemption and new life in Christ.

Those who ignore red flags may be bent on having their own way or determined that their plans will not get them in trouble. This declares an ‘I know better than God’ attitude. They are ‘control freaks’ and most of us have been there in one way or another.

Another part of Job’s statement is in the context. He is defending himself against his ‘friends’ who are accusing him of some secret sin that supposedly is the reason for his suffering. Job says not and that they do not know what they are talking about. This is the way of red flags — they are not visible to those around me. God is not giving others information so they can attack me. If I ignore the flag and fall into sin, then God may direct someone else to restore me, but before that happens or if that does not happen, He keeps my temptations hidden. This is grace.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, dear Jesus, life is filled with buzzards flying over my head and evil thoughts banging at the door of my heart. They threaten to drag me into sin, yet I am with Job. I do not want my heart to mock me with any sort of stuff that takes over or any thoughts or actions that try to boot out the righteousness that You have given me. I know You will never leave me or forsake me. I also know that I can hold fast to my righteousness even if I do sin because my sin has already been forgiven! Thank You for the red flags that keep me on the right path and for Your great love that pulls me back whenever I stray.

Pay attention . . .

People who live with an ocean or mountain view, or who see spectacular sunsets every night can become so accustomed to their surroundings that they no longer appreciate or even notice them. We lived in Alaska for a year and in the evening the sky was often colorful, even jaw-dropping. The most impressive one that I remember was in Soldatna. We came out of the grocery store and looked up to a mackerel or buttermilk sky, clouds from horizon to horizon, all in shades of bright red. Amazing! However, as I looked around in the parking lot, people came and went without pause and without looking up at the spectacular sky.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8–10)

This morning, I read this familiar passage and remembered that experience in Alaska. Can Ephesians 2:8-10 ever become so familiar that I would skip over it? It happens. I can read Scripture or at least run my eyes over it and be thinking about something else, like plans for the day, or a telephone conversation. I know what the words say, which is one thing, but rambling through without thinking about them is like hearing someone speak, smiling and nodding, but shutting them out and not really paying attention. But this is God speaking. I should be ashamed of myself.

And this is why good works will not save anyone. All that comes from the human heart is flawed. I love the Lord and am thankful for all that He has done for me, but like that sunset in Soldatna, my sinful heart can take the beauty of the Lord for granted and become preoccupied with ordinary stuff, like my plans and thoughts.

However, I am quick to immerse my mind in the ways of the Lord when trouble comes. I want relief and grace to overcome my fears and whatever is troubling my heart. Like the psalmist, I am ready to acknowledge His Word and promises and follow through with praise, even the praises like these:

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3–4)

“In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:10–11)

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 57:9–11)

As for those verses in Ephesians, just because I’ve memorized them and believe them with all my heart does not mean that God has stopped using them to speak to me. I still need to pay attention and listen, reading every Word as if I’ve never seen them before.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You are the living Word of God. I cannot imagine walking on past You because I’m so used to Your presence that I don’t notice You! Forgive me for skipping through the familiar passages of Your love-letter to me. May I always let them sink into my heart, thrill my heart, and bring praise to my lips giving glory to You.