August 20, 2017

Dropped Bindings

“As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.”  Judges 15:14

Samson approaches the town of Lehi, whose name means ‘jawbone.’  That is fascinating, given that Samson is about to use a fresh jawbone shortly.  As the Philistines threaten him, Samson experiences the powerful Holy Spirit come upon him.  This supernatural power and strength allows Samson to break free with ease from the two new ropes that had been used to tie him up.

We need the supernatural strengthening of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We may face situations that feel like ropes binding us, and shackling us.  We have tried everything we could humanly think of to break free and nothing has worked.  As we reach the end of our plans, ideas, and efforts, we run into Jesus.  He reminds us that He has given us who follow Him the Holy Spirit, as our Helper.  It is His Spirit that allows us to state with faith, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’  We must remember it is only “through Christ.”  As we call to mind the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and realize we have access to Him and His power, we can call for His help.  He will help us.

Ropes and chains and shackles begin to loosen their grip and some may instantly fall off us as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.  We are being set free in areas of our lives for the glory of God, and after that, for our benefit.  Oh to know the wondrous working power of His might in our lives!

August 19, 2017

Bless those who Curse You

“…bless those who curse you…” Lk. 6:28

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus looks at the disciples and shares with the Beatitudes, followed by woes.  He then lays down the challenge in verses 27-31:

·         Love your enemies

·         Do good to the haters

·         Bless the ones who curse you

·         Pray for the people who have mistreated you

·         Turn the other cheek

·         Let someone have your coat

·         Give things away

·         Treat others as you want to be treated

There it is in plain language for us, just as it was for the disciples.  Followers of Jesus are called to be a blessing people.  We are not called to be a cursing people.  Every time we bless those who have mistreated us, or in this case, cursed us, we are unleashing the Kingdom of God.  God’s reign and rule of peace and joy and hope and victory assault the place of cursing – and overturn it.  You see friends; our blessing will outweigh the cursing.  That is good news.

It is worth noting that Jesus experienced all this.  Return to that scene with Jesus on the cross and consider again what He did.  He loved His enemies.  He did good for those who hated Him, by asking God to forgive them.  He blessed those who cursed Him.  He prayed for the ones who beat Him, accused Him, and taunted Him.

As He was struck, He turned the other cheek and did not retaliate in any way.  They took His garments.  All that belonged to Jesus was taken away from Him.  He did not demand it back.

What is our response?

August 18, 2017

Gifts God Gives

“To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..” Eccl. 2:26

Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes about trying to find the meaning of life.  Within his search, he discovers so much is pure folly.  Eccl. 2:26 is a truth about those who please God and seek to please Him.  To those, the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.

Wisdom, written about extensively in Proverbs, is guidance on how to live our lives in accordance with God’s commands.  It is guidance and instruction with practical application.  In this way it is different than knowledge, which in Hebrew is the word, da’ath, and comes from the Hebrew root word, yada.  This means knowledge that comes from relationship.  As our relationship with the Lord deepens and grows, our knowledge will grow.

We also will receive from the Lord happiness, which actually translates as joy.  We might recognize joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned in Galatians 5.  Joy is deeply rooted within us, much like peace, when it is a fruit of the Spirit.  Such joy allows us to walk through the “valleys’ in our lives still holding onto hope, faith, and gladness for all the Lord has provided.

Let us be continually seeking to please the Lord, who gives us these three great gifts: wisdom; knowledge; and joy.

August 17, 2017

Handle the Word of Truth

“Do you best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Tim. 2:15

I vividly remember sitting in the living room of our then pastor’s home.  His wife and I were discussing women’s ministry and women’s Bible Study.  She proposed an idea: let’s study God’s word in Scripture, with no books, study guides, or other teaching aids.  Just good old fashioned Bible Study.  It changed everything, for the women in the study and for the spiritual growth of the church.

Paul is encouraging Timothy to work at studying God’s word so he could handle it properly and “rightly divide the truth.”  That can only be done after immersing oneself in the totality of the word.  This is what I was afforded the opportunity to do: to sit under the “whole counsel of God’s word teaching.”  What a gift!

God’s treasure trove of truth is worth exploring, learning, digging deeper, and mining.  It requires effort, commitment, and time.  It is a great benefit to anyone wanting to know Jesus better, as we will learn more about Him.  It will lead us to Him.  Since God’s word is active and alive, it is at work in our lives when we apply ourselves to it and it applies itself to us.

August 16, 2017

The Breath of the Almighty

“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  Job 33:4

I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit.  He made me and it is His breath that gives me life.  One of the things I try to be thankful for daily is this “breath of life.”  Waking up in the morning and able to breathe – thank You Lord for the gift of Your Spirit’s breath in my lungs, that life-giving and life-sustaining breath.

It is the breath of the Almighty, which is interesting.  El Shaddai   is the name of God Almighty, powerful and the One who is all sufficient.  This name reflects God’s omnipotence.  It was El Shaddai who made the covenant with Abraham, as found in Genesis 17:1:  “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless.”  I pray to and worship the God of all sufficiency, who can meet my needs and care for me, using the descriptive name of El Shaddai.

This breath (or Spirit) of the God of all sufficiency continues to give me life.  It is humbling, awesome, and causes me to bow before my Maker with thankfulness, praise and worship.  In that worshipful moment of acknowledging the greatness of God and smallness of me, I inhale the breath of life with thankfulness and exhale that sustaining breath of life with praise.

August 15, 2017

Walk By Faith

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  2 Cor. 5:7

This morning I prayed.  You might not think that is anything especially terrific; except when I prayed, one of my prayers was 400 years into the future.  I have been praying for quite some time now for my as yet unborn grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on.  With an average life expectancy of 80 years covering 5 generations, by my calculation that is 400 years forward – should the Lord tarry His return.

It is obvious that I pray this prayer by faith, not by sight.  My daughter will be married this summer.  She and her future husband hope to be parents one day and so, I pray this prayer.  It is one of the many marvelous and yet mysterious things about prayer:  it is speaking from this realm into an unseen realm.  It is communicating from time into timelessness.  Earth connects with heaven and, I hope, heaven comes down to kiss earth with a perfect and holy and just and true answer. 

The point is this: I do not have to see it, or feel it, to believe it.  It is a prayer with confidence in an Almighty God who is an Everlasting Father.  This prayer strengthens me, encourages, and fills me with hope.  I see – absolutely nothing.  But by faith I am confident this prayer reaches the inclined ear of my Father, whose heart beats for me, my daughter, and those five generations.  Lord may Your will be manifested in their lives.

August 14, 2017

I Will Gather Still

“I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”  Isaiah 56:8

This is what the Lord said to the prophet Isaiah – “I will gather still to them besides those already gathered.”  These great chapters in Isaiah 52 through 55 all foretell of the Suffering Servant, Jesus.  He would be the One who would come to rescue Israel, restore, Israel, and renew the covenant promises of old.  Indeed when we read these chapters, we find such truths.  When we arrive at chapter 56 of Isaiah, we discover something else:  God’s great rescue operation would not be limited to Israel.  Foreigners, or what we might call Gentiles, who called upon the name of the Lord, would also be brought into this great family and house of blessing.  What hope!

These words echo in our hearts and spirits today, as we who follow Jesus await His return and pray, ‘Come Lord Jesus.’  God is gathering still.  The great rescue operation predicted in the days of Isaiah had begun when a carpenter’s son ministered good news and demonstrated the good news in His life, death, and resurrection.  That same rescue plan is still in effect.  God is gathering still others to join the royal family He has already gathered – Jew and Gentile formed into the one new man in Christ. 

May it be the prayer of our hearts this day, Lord gather still while there is still time to gather.