Loving the Giver

I became a Christian as an adult, yet am beginning to see how God used pre-faith events as lessons for the Christian life. My mom read the Bible every morning. I copied her and that carried over after Jesus changed my heart. She also trusted that whatever happened we “must need it” and that laid a foundation for trust. She also did one thing that was annoying at the time; she bought clothes for me that I didn’t like at all. They were not my style, not the colors that looked well on me, but I see now how that mirrors a biblical command. I’m told to love the Giver rather than make idols of the gifts. I loved my mom, even when she gave me that bright orange silk thing!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)

As today’s reading says, these are commands. While I am also told to “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2) it would be idolatry to call the gladness I get from them, my love for God. I could love my mom even if I didn’t care for the gifts. He showed me the distinction before He saved me.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

Because I have a heart problem from childhood, this passage speaks also. The Lord is indeed the strength of my heart. I do appreciate pacemakers and cardiac specialists, but they are not my strength — the Lord is, and He taught me that before I knew this verse existed.

The Word of God teaches me that His gifts of health, wealth, and prosperity do not satisfy. I learned that before learning that only God satisfies. While I thank Him for all He does, I cannot call those gifts or the feelings they bring with more delight than my love for Him. As David said, “In your presence is fullness of joy, in your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11), I know that nearness to God is the only totally satisfying experience in my life.

PRAY: A friend just had a heart-attack and another friend’s son just had a stroke. They need prayer. Our day is filled with family plans needing prayer. My to-do list is still too long and I yearn for a day that does not involve “settling in” to this new house, a day that is just ‘normal’ and without a host of interruptions. All are needing prayer. But You, Jesus make such a difference. I can chat with You through all of it and enjoy the strength of heart that You provide, and the joy of knowing that no matter what happens, You have reasons for it. Thank You for showing me that I can love You as Giver even when the gifts are not ideal or comfortable. You hear and answer, and You are my portion forever!

The see-saw of pride and humility. . . .

  

Writers are taught to write what we know. Christians are taught to share in the same way. I cannot share a doctrinal truth if it is unknown to my heart or not practiced in my life. In other words, I must walk the talk. Today’s reading says my goal is to share with others in such a way that the glory of God has satisfied the longings of my own heart. If what I tell others betrays that God has not met my needs, my words would be dishonest, even deceitful. If I want people to believe me, Christ must be real to me when I tell them about Him.

Last week a group of my quilting friends became upset with political shenanigans. I suggested that when they went home, to get a Bible and read Psalm 2. If reading this did not bless and calm my heart concerning the current political scene, then I would have no right to tell them to read it and be calmed in their hearts. I must ‘practice what I preach’ and avoid saying, “I know we are supposed to do” such and such but not be doing it.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1–12)

Telling others to do what I don’t do myself reveals fleshy and sinful motives. In the case of these religious leaders, they wanted to be seen, exalted by others, put on pedestals as if better than anyone else. Purely pride. But pride in me is not the way to glorify God. I know. I’ve been there, breaking my arm as I pat myself on the back.

What makes me sad is that others are sometimes reluctant to recognize human weakness that enables godly people to rely on Him. My sister once admitted her inability to a group of other Christians and they said to her, “Oh no, not you, Janet.” She didn’t know how to respond to that reaction to her admission of being unable and her desire to glorify the Lord. They saw her strengths but refused to recognize where they came from.

PRAY: Jesus, I know You were often in this awkward place. You equaled yourself with God yet also said You did only what He told You to do. That enraged those who merely talked but did not do what they told everyone else to do — and they eventually crucified You. I’m not nearly so solidly like You. Help me to not only be gracious to those who have a problem with honest admissions of weakness, but to always remember the truth of it — You are my everything and apart from You I can do nothing.

Delight in the Lord. . . .

 

Some years I’ve begun with a devotional guide that seemed promising but didn’t work for me. I have certain traits that are either addressed or encouraged by the author’s perspective. The one I picked for this year tends to encourage my tendency to be harsh about the sins of others instead of drawing me closer to Jesus. It required a lot of thought and rewriting to avoid that finger-pointing at others — instead of being convicted by the Holy Spirit and loving Jesus more and more. I don’t want to encourage any sinful attitudes.

So I switched today to “A Godward Life: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life” by John Piper. This book is not a calendar devotional but written in 120 chapters. This means reading parts of a chapter for 2-3 days and hopefully the Lord will use it to speak to my heart and deepen my relationship with Him.

Piper begins with saying, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.” This is a wonderful spark of light, so true and such a great way to begin a day. I can read a good book, eat a sumptuous meal, make a prize-winning quilt, entertain a group of guests, enjoy a concert, and be satisfied in a great many other activities, but glorify God as much as being satisfied with Him.

For one thing, He always does His part. He listens, guides, answers prayer. My part is to talk to Him, listen and do what He says, and glorify Him in all things — for He is the one who makes it happen. I cannot boast when I pray and He surprises me with His responses. He does it all: prompts the prayer and then does the work — and gives the joy.

It is so easy to boast, but pride in my part does nothing to give Him glory nor satisfies me the same as the glory of who He is and what He is doing. He wants me to do my part, and even in the most ordinary things, I can glorify Him. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) all for His glory, not mine.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)

 The bread of life satisfies. No hunger. The water of life quenches thirst. No parched anything. He gives abundant life, even in trials that He uses for my good and His glory:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

Only the Lord can bring good out of what seems not good. Knowing that and remaining joyful in trials gives Him glory. Think of it: the most evil deed of putting the sinless Christ to death produced the greatest good offered to humanity! What could be a greater satisfaction than knowing the One who died that I might escape the penalty and power of sin? There is no greater glory for Jesus than being totally delighted in Him in a deep, love-filled relationship.

PRAY: Lord Jesus, I rejoice in You this day. Yes, there are black places, sorrows, and great challenges, but You are here with me, holding me close, and making me smile. You are my greatest joy!

Spiritual Blindness. . . .

 

In the early days of being a Christian, God showed me the reality of spiritual blindness. Someone told me that people are saved by doing good works. I had her read these verses aloud:

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. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Then I asked her, “What do those verse say about how we are saved?” She replied, “By doing good works.” I did not expect that. It seemed so plain to me.

As the years went by, God showed me that unless the Holy Spirit reveals the truth about Him, sin keeps our minds from seeing it, never mind being interested in it or wanting to know it. The Christian life can be faked or imitated to some degree, but there is no change of heart and life without a genuine encounter with the living Lord Jesus Christ and enlightenment from His Spirit.

This morning I notice again the difference in the disciples when Jesus came to them, and when He gave them the Holy Spirit. Whether they saw it for themselves or believed without that physical encounter, they were never the same. They now understood Him and were empowered to serve Him:

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19–31)

The last few lines tell readers that this message was to bring them to faith and new life in Christ. John knew that the Word of God-written would be powerful in bringing people to the Word of God-living. Some may need to see Jesus but even if they did, the Holy Spirit made the difference.

The person who read those two verses from Ephesians was blind to them because the Holy Spirit did not give her eyes to see, at least not then. She went away and I don’t know what happened to her after that. Perhaps the Spirit brought back the truth to her later. But I do know that without the Spirit’s power to open hearts, I would not believe either and be stuck in working for my salvation and even boasting about my efforts.
  
PRAY: Oh Jesus, sin has been the source of so many foolish choices and actions in my life. Anything good that I could ever do comes from You; Your ideas, Your heart, Your enablement. You give faith and light so I can trust You and so I can see Your ways and know who You are and what You do. Thank You for changing my heart and opening my eyes. You are an amazing Savior and my beloved Lord God.

A subtle lie. . . .

One person that I know well seems to believe in Jesus Christ and certainly tells everyone that he does. However, he does not believe that Jesus is God or that the Holy Spirit is a person. In not believing the trinity, he manages to live a moral life and strives to do all that Christians are supposed to do. However, there are some factors that do not fit.

For instance, he believes that Jesus died to give him the right and the power to earn his salvation. If totally obedient, he well survive the last judgment. He also believes that Jesus is ‘a god’ and that belonging to the ‘congregation’ that he belongs to is imperative. Only that group has any chance of eternal life with God.

There is more, but just this reveals another version of salvation by works which the gospel totally denies. However, the flesh likes this idea because our sinful nature does not want to admit total spiritual helplessness. The teaching of this group claims that they now have overcome that helplessness but without realizing that redemption is not and never will be a DIY project apart from faith in what God says about Christ and about our sinfulness.

They have also added things to the Bible and created their own version to fit what they believe. This is forbidden:

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32)
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5–6)
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18–19)

One glaring addition speaks of who Jesus is. The Bible calls Him the ‘logos’ or word of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Their changed version says, “… the Word was a God” without realizing the original Greek language does not have an “a” in it. Also, to say Jesus was God made flesh (John 1:14) would deny their teaching and make them liars subject to judgment rather than witnesses of the truth.

Today’s reading points to the reality of what this amazing trinity does to save sinners:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3–14)

PRAY: Lord Jesus, You are full of grace and truth, and Your identity is clear — yet revealed and not even clearly understood even by those who believe it. Even so, faith says and believes what You say even if we do not fully understand. I cannot deny or change the words You use to describe who You are, only trust You and know that I could never do what You have done for me and for all who have new life because of who You are and Your great grace toward us. Amen.

Grace undeserved

 

One of our friends struggles with the sovereignty of God when it comes to the evil in the world. He might say that God ‘allows evil’ but does not cause it to happen. He would also say that we are not puppets and what we do requires us to make decisions and act on them. It is sinful man that causes evil, not God.

Logically speaking, that could make humans sovereign over God, which makes mockery of His power. Several verses quote the Lord saying things like this: “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7) What if God, like a parent, allows His children to go their own way to teach us the folly of it? Caution is also needed here for the Bible also says:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:13–17)

“Calamity” is about an unfortunate event or a period of ruin. It points to the deserved punishment of wicked people but the righteous can also suffer such events. The prophets continually warned apostate Israel that calamity would happen to them because of their disobedience.

The last time our friend brought this up, he asked how God could be blamed for the evils done in the holocaust. He was almost in tears at the thought that the God he loves would do such a thing. At the time, I had nothing to say, but later thought about this and wondered what would happen if all of us got what we deserve? I’m not judging those who died, only saying that all fall short and do not deserve mercy.

Apart from grace, there is no leniency for sin. Apart from Jesus taking my punishment, I would have to suffer the consequences myself. In this life, the consequences could be shame, losses of many kinds, and calamities as the result of my own foolish choices. But because of Jesus, and because of grace and faith in Him, God spares me from eternal damnation (not necessarily from calamities). . . .  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)

Could anything be more gracious? Instead of a shameful death, Jesus took that on Himself and suffered that I could be reconciled to God. I didn’t do anything to earn or deserve that, but shudder to think that many in this world say no to Jesus Christ and thus will bear whatever their sin warrants.

All this tells me that Jesus Christ is Lord over all people upon this earth. He is Lord over the righteous and the wicked, the living and the dead, the believing and the unbelieving Believers recognize, acknowledge and surrender to His lordship. Unbelievers deny it and rebel against it. But He is nonetheless Lord and His purposed will be accomplished.always and in all things.

PRAY: Lord, sometimes we ask the wrong questions. Instead of “Why did You save me?” It ought to be “Why do You save anyone?” Instead of “why did such calamity happen to them” it should be “What if we all got what we deserve?” You are God and You make those decisions. The ‘why’ of them is beyond my understanding. I do not deserve your grace, only wrath and certainly  calamity. It is only because of You that I’ve been allowed the grace of an abundant life and the incredible certainty of eternal life.

God laughs, sometimes at what makes us cry. . . .

Yesterday an amazing thing happened. I meet once a month with six other women who share my interest in quilting. Our conversation is almost all about creativity sprinkled with personal events and stories. Three of us are Christians but rarely is anything ever said about God. For that reason, I prayed on the way to our meeting place that the Holy Spirit would give me something to say that would honor Him.

The usual conversation was about creativity. No whispers from the Holy Spirit and toward the time to go home, I was feeling a bit disappointed. However, the latest news threw politics into the conversation. Some of the women were becoming emotional.

At that, I told them about a comedy routine someone sent to me about Silent Letter Day. One of them loaded it on her phone and we were all laughing so much that we couldn’t hear all of it.

Then the conversation on politics lingered. I told them that when the news bothered me, I read Psalm 2 and urged them to dig out a Bible and read it when then went home. At that, the hostess got up and came back with a Bible and read it — aloud! This is what it says:

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:1–12)

The group relaxed. I was astonished. God answered my prayer way beyond my expectations. All I could say was that God is the only one that can take bad events and use them for good, mentioning one good thing coming as a result of what seems like a foolish and dangerous political decision. The now relaxed women began talking about their hope for good things in the future.

Later in the day, it came to my attention that the worst of that bad news was just that — a political folly planned to prevent an even worse event. True or not remains to be seen, but I can glorify God for the way He introduced a different way to think to a group of people upset over the nonsense they hear about on the news. God has a plan and He laughs at the plans of so-called world leaders.

PRAY: You are on the throne, Jesus. Thank You for making that clear. Thank You that You know how to best present Yourself to those who seldom think of Your power and ability to bring justice to a world that seems to be invincible. You are Lord of all!