Archives for March 2017

Song 1:2b – “for your love is more delightful than wine.”

Each and every one of us is hardwired for love. It’s woven deeply into our DNA and the need for it never goes away.

Some of us feel that need and run from it. Love pursues and we seek to avoid the commitment required to keep it.

Others of us respond to our need for love by deadening our hearts. We hide away in substance. Burying our feelings until they are so weak we can no longer feel them.

But if you listen, there is a still small voice calling out to you. “I love you, I love you, I love you, it says. Love me back and we can be lovers.”

That voice is the voice of our God. He created us for a purpose and that purpose is to have a lifelong loving relationship with him. You’re not an accident. And no matter what your enemy whispers to you, you’re not alone. No, instead you are loved.

We tend to think of human love and sense it’s all there is. It fails us – or we fail it then satan pounces on us and tries to make us believe that no one could or would love us anyway.

Don’t believe it. He’s lying to us. It’s all he knows.

Here’s the truth. You have a heavenly Father who made you. Because of the ancestors who lived before us and the mistakes they made, we were born in bondage to sin. Under the control of the evil one.

But the Prophets speak at length about God’s love for us and his attempts to win back our hearts. When all of his attempts failed, he sent his Son to rescue us.

Which is where we are today. Jesus said “If you believe in me, I’ll heal you. I’ll forgive you. I’ll restore you to your rightful relationship with your Father.”

His love is strong. And far more delightful than wine. Take a big sip and give thanks again today for the love that never fails.

Proverbs 4:5-7 – “Get Wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.”

The essence of living life as a believer in Jesus Christ is an understanding – a knowing that there is more to this world than what our eyes can see. Much more.

We are all created in three parts – only one of which is visible to the human eye. We are mind, body, and spirit. Our bodies are what we and others can see – but there is so much more that is unseen.

Spirit is the part of us that’s unseen but is not limited by time and space. Our spirits live long after our physical body has worn out and is departed from this earth. After Jesus resurrection, but before his ascension, he promised to send to us a helper.

At the first Pentecost, that helper arrived in the lives of the Apostles. You and I received it when we first agreed that Jesus is the son of God and we asked him to lead us to live the life we were made for. Upon our baptism, our helper, the Holy Spirit arrived and never leaves us – even if you’ve never seen her.

Another name for her is Wisdom. All seeing, all knowing and all loving she’s available to walk with you through your day.

The fact that Solomon spoke of her in his Proverb proves that Wisdom was around long before Christ. King Solomon lived almost 1000 years before Jesus was born. The wise king told us that seeking her and loving her was something worth doing. Whatever you’re struggling with – addiction, poor health, financial devastation, it doesn’t matter; Wisdom will help you get through it.

Seek her out today and you’ll soon see how much help will be on call to you. Which will give you new and fresh reasons to praise God again today!

Psalm 69:29-30 (Message) – “I’m hurt and in pain; give me space for healing, and mountain air. Let me shout God’s name with a praising song, Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks.”

From one day to the next, things in our lives change. Today, all is well and tomorrow it might all feel like hell. How I choose to respond to that change says a lot about the work that Jesus has already done in me – and how much still needs to be done.

Over the last several years I’ve had some back issues – and when they flare up, mobility is hard. I have pain doing even little things. Such is the case today. I’m also dealing with the ‘after’ of a recent minor surgery. How easy it would be to focus myself on the pain, and possibly even complain about it.

The old me would have been grumpy and unhappy about feeling this way. However, Jesus has helped me to “put off the old man” and while it’s not always easy, today I will lift my voice and shout God’s name with praises. I already know that he’s got a plan for healing both of these issues and so it’s his greatness, his compassion and his love that I will focus on.

You and I know that pain is a part of our existence. We’ve had it before and we’re sure to face it again. But we control the response and so I encourage you to choose to praise him again today. When such days come about, (and they will) focus on the truth. God is bigger than your pain and invites you to live beyond it.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Have you ever taken lessons to learn to dance? Not the kind of dancing we do instinctively – but rather the kind you see on “Dancing With The Stars”. If so, you know that someone has to lead and the partner has to follow. Otherwise, two people get tangled up in their movements and it’s anything but graceful.

Once you choose a partner you have to trust them and follow them.

It’s similar in business. In most companies, there is a leader – the CEO whose role it is to determine the strategic direction of the organization. Success or failure will flow from the team’s willingness and ability to trust that the leader’s plan is correct.

God tells us the same is true for our relationship with him.

We have to trust him and not our own understanding of things. We have to give him credit that He is the one who is in charge and acknowledge him as the leader. When we do this, he makes the path we’re on straight and smooth.

It can be really hard – especially when things aren’t clear. In difficult times we should also remember the words of Jeremiah who told us that the Lord has a plan for our lives. It’s a plan for good things to happen. It’s a plan filled with hope and a bright future.

Today, I’m celebrating the truth of his word as a dear friend completes her difficult journey back from the problems that flowed out of the economic crash of 2008. Like many, she was caught in a crisis, not of her own making and suffered a catastrophic loss.

I’m celebrating her because I’ve watched over the last many years as she continued to trust in the Lord with her whole heart. She continued to acknowledge that he had a plan for her life and it was going to be good. He told her again and again that she was safe to believe in the future he had for her. And she believed.

So if you find yourself somewhere in life and feel it’s not what you hoped for – not what you wanted, then turn to God and tell him you trust him. Continue to trust him as the days unfold and you’ll see your path straightened and his plan for your life emerge.

James 1:2-4 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It’s late and your phone begins ringing. What time is it anyway? After midnight. In almost every case when the phone rings unexpectedly that late, the call does not bring good news.

In this case, your ‘brother’ finds himself in trouble and needs your help. A new phase of life has begun and trials are now coming.

It’s hard to imagine that many of us would face those trials with pure joy. But this is exactly what James is asking us to do. James, who spent 3 years with Jesus saw incredible things with his own eyes – and after Jesus death, resurrection and ascension understood that God has an incredible way of taking bad things and making good come of it.

I say this with confidence because the story above is MY story, with one exception. There was no one in my life who would even answer my call in such a circumstance. My behavior had been out of control for so long – and I’d hurt many who were close to me. I had to persevere on my own.

Getting arrested for drunk driving brought many trials. Those trials and all that occurred after (loss of a very good job, for example) did test my faith. Those faith trials helped me to develop perseverance. As the work drew closer to complete (in situations of substance abuse, it’s never really ‘over’), I realized that the seeds of maturity were planted in that time.

And now, drawing closer to 25 years since the origin story was written, I also know that I’m closer now to complete than I’ve ever been and with Jesus as my daily companion, I’m not lacking anything.

So if you face trials in your life – rejoice! Consider it pure joy! But take the time to ask God to show you how he will make your life better in spite of the trials you face.