All My Life

On October 7, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 71: 5 – 7, 14

For you are my only hope, Lord! I’ve hung on to you, trusting in you all my life. It was you who supported me from the day I was born, loving me, helping me through my life’s journey. You’ve made me into a miracle; no wonder I trust you and praise you forever! Many marvel at my success, but I know it is all because of you, my mighty protector! No matter what, I’ll trust in you to help me. Nothing will stop me from praising you to magnify your glory!

David wrote this as he was getting older. You will see that in the context of the entire psalm. By looking at the psalms in a concentrated way we have come to have a sense of David’s passions and his personality. Now, we begin to compare and contrast young David with an older, more seasoned version of himself. By this point in his life, he has lived out his theology. What may have been statements of faith earlier are now proven facts. He has seen the glory of the Lord. He has seen the power of God demonstrated in his life over and over. The Lord rescued him time after time and this David is not just a passionate believer but has earned his stripes as an ardent, convinced devotee of the Almighty.

In this psalm we see David looking back upon his life recognizing the fingerprints of Yahweh throughout his life. He trusted God when he was young and full of the verve of youth. By the time of this writing, David had, not only belief, but years of experiencing God’s victorious companionship.

I often ask what makes us different from David. His walk with God is enviable. I think it fair to say that throughout his life Yahweh was his best friend. Necessity required him to rely on God but before he was anointed as king, before Saul chased him around the desert, He slew a giant. He told Goliath that he came in the name of the Lord and that alone was sufficient for triumph. Did God continually show up in David’s life because of David’s attitude and faith? What of Daniel? When they pulled him from the lion’s den, there was not a scratch on him. What about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Not even fire could separate them from the love of God?

What makes the lives of these individuals so spectacular? God is not respecter of persons (Acts 10: 34). Is the answer contained in these psalms? Is it portrayed in the life of David? What do you think made giants out of ordinary people? And more to the point, can we have this type of life now? Is God dead? Has He moved? Or is the God of David alive and well and just as much in love with us as He was with David? Click on the comment section and share your thoughts.

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Structural Integrity

On September 23, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 69: 31 – 33

For I know, Yahweh, that my praises mean more to you than all my gifts and sacrifices. All who seek you will see God do this for them, and they’ll overflow with gladness. Let this revive your hearts, all you lovers of God! For Yahweh does listen to the poor and needy and will not abandon his prisoners of love.

There is a lot of good news in this passage. David was tormented when he wrote this psalm, but he resolved into praise and praise boosted his confidence that Yahweh would, indeed, rescue him from his then present peril.

No matter how troublesome our present we, too, can have confidence that our God will never abandon us for we are bound to Him by His love for us. Though we may feel alone and that our prayers fall upon deaf ears, David confirms that Yahweh listens to us. Father hears our every whisper, every cry. His heart hears our prayers.

However, there is an important lesson we can learn from David. David might spend some time whining and even more complaining but when you read his psalm you discover that he never remains in the moaning stage. His victory is found in praise. He reminds himself of God’s love and might. When one combines the love of God with the power of God the only possible outcome is victory.

Our problem is that the construction of our prayers often fails to follow David’s. Sometimes you need to complain and grumble a little just to expunge your soul of despair. That is fine but it is not final. Eventually prayer needs to move to stage 2. Praise, then stage 3 confident statements about God’s grace for every situation.

I would encourage you to read this entire psalm and see for yourself the transition from despair to confidence. God continually showed up in David’s life and I believe his prayer composition is, at least, part of the reason why. Praise and confident expressions in the faith and loyalty of our God bring out the victory that is laying still within us.

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Rewarded

On August 21, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 31: 16

“Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord.

Have you ever labored in vain, or at least what seemed in vain? Are you spending time and energy right now that doesn’t seem to be bearing fruit for you? Well, God has a good word for you today. Your labor is not in vain. Your work will be rewarded.

I have to believe that God’s word is true and that as you sow, you shall reap. If you are sowing seeds with your effort, then God will produce a harvest. Right now, it may look like all hope is lost, that none appreciate the hard work you have been putting in. Maybe you have been working for a while now without the fruit of you labor showing. God is not a man that He should lie. Your seed must bear fruit. It is the way the universe was created. Maybe you don’t think your boss appreciates you or that anyone even notices how hard you have been working. Maybe not even your spouse knows about the sleepless nights you have had because of thinking about a project and how you can improve it. There is one, however, who sees all you have done, all you are doing. God is a witness to your hard work and dreams.

When God gives us a dream and a vision, we are propelled into a state which almost feels like a parallel dimension. We see so clearly what could be and throw the full force of our dreams and our energy into following God’s plan. We must pray and stay on His track. We must partner with Him, letting Him guide us. Then, no matter what happens, keep your faith in your vision and your God. Don’t be sidetracked by what mere men do. This is between you and Yahweh. Leave the results to him. Just focus your eyes on him and do all that is in your heart to do. Let the Lord, your God be your rewarder. He promises, “Your work will be rewarded.”

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Fear Fueled

On June 7, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 4: 26

Be angry, and yet do not sin.

Fear is like anger because it has the potential to engulf you in sin and self-destruction. That is why I have chosen this verse to talk about fear. Fear is a horrible contagion; it contaminates all it touches. If you give fear any place in your life, it will seek to invade all your life. All of Job’s troubles came about because of his fear. He said, “For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me,” (Job 3: 25). Fortunately, he learned this important lesson about fear.

One of the keys in not sinning when you feel angry is to keep your mouth shut. This same key is super important when it comes to fear too. I want you not to be in fear, but the truth is that there are moments which seize the heart. As you work your way out of that fear, you need to very carefully guard your mouth. When it comes to anger, one of the biggest ways we sin is in what we say. When it comes to fear, we set things in motion with our words.

What you think about often is what you draw to you. If you are ruminating on fear-based ideas, you will begin to create a habitat for them. Then, before you know it, you begin to speak fear-based language. That is the proverbial straw which breaks the camels back. Don’t give voice to those fears because you will solidify them. Instead, go to your Bible and find scriptures which instill confidence and faith. Speak them, meditate on them. Go over them until they go down into your spirit and battle the fear at its root. Only faith can flush out fear and faith comes by the Word of God. It is a pretty simple formula actually, but you know how fear can paralyze a person. Don’t let fear get a firm hold on you. Fight it with the Word of God. Let the words of your mouth be the Word of God instead of those frightful thoughts that are running through your mind.

Take the fearful thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. They have no part with you. Fear is not faith and you are a person of faith. Don’t be critical or judgmental, though, if you feel some fear. That is called being normal. Just don’t marinate your spirit in that stuff. Find the way out by calling on the Word of God. And, whatever you do, don’t give fear life by speaking it out. It is fine to talk with your Father and tell Him what you are feeling. He can help with that. But, don’t talk about all the things that can go wrong. Don’t speak out what you are afraid might happen. Say what God’s Word says. Your heart will feel much better and you will stand on safer ground.

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The Believers’ Rest

On May 24, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 4: 1

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.

I find this language interesting. Why should there be any fear related to God’s rest? Verse 3 reveals that God was angry and in His anger He swore that “they” would not enter into His rest. Look at verse three from the Passion Translation, “For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest! For he has said, ‘I was grieved with them and made a solemn oath, ‘They will never enter into the calming rest of my Spirit.’”

Rest comes by faith. God was angry at the disobedient ones (Hebrews 3: 18). The Tree of Life version of Hebrews 4: 1 illuminates the disobedience. It says, “For we who have trusted are entering into that rest.” Their disobedience, then, was that they did not trust God and that is what angered Him. Selah – pause and consider that.

Rest is a matter of faith and trust. People who believe, enter into the promise of rest that the Father gave, and they do so with confident trust. They are persuaded that God will not let them down. Failing or refusing to enter into God’s rest is a slap in His face. It says that we do not trust Him. Instead, we trust our own abilities. We are focused on all we need to do and thus, abandon the idea of a partnership with the Divine.

The Holy Spirit was sent to be our “go along.” His intent is to walk with us, side by side, go along with us everywhere we go, assisting us in all we do. Actually, he is supposed to be our guide. He wants to stand shoulder to shoulder but lead us from that position. That is why I call it a partnership. He wants to intertwine with us in every activity rather than run over us or dominate us. And he will gently step aside if we do not choose to partner with him. However, we cannot enter God’s rest if we do not receive the aid of the Spirit. God grieves when we fail to enter into “the calming rest of my [His]Spirit.” His anger is kindled when we try to do everything in our might. “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience,” (Hebrews 4: 11). Our job is to enter into His rest. Our task is to seek His face. He has people for all of the “work” but there is only one person who can spend time with God for you. Guess who!

Let this sink in today. Ponder these verses and ideas. Can you find the way to let God do the heavy lifting for you at your job? What about all those tasks on your list, can He somehow help those to get done more efficiently? I think you will find the time you spend with Him, seeking His advice and guidance, will more than pay for itself. Find your place of rest. I will give you a hint. It’s in Him.

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Building Blocks

On May 3, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 11: 1          (KJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the substance of those things you are praying for. Faith is something real. It is substantive. It is not just an idea or a concept. It isn’t just theology or a feeling. It is the substance, the actual matter, that becomes your answered prayer.

My dictionary defines substance as: the real or essential part or element of anything; essence, reality, or basic matter. You see faith isn’t ethereal. It is real even though it is not tangible. A thought is real, as is a word. You cannot reach out and touch them with your fingers, but they still are real and have real world consequences. Some have said that we are the sum of our thoughts. That is a powerful statement whether or not it is true. Certainly, our thoughts greatly influence our lives. And by now we all know that our words have power. And although they are not palpable, they undoubtedly affect the substance of our lives. So it is with faith. Although we cannot bottle it, it is a crucial element in our answered prayers.

Faith is the very essence of the things you want or need. And although you will not find it listed in the periodic table it is the element which God uses to form your answers. Cast your mind back to High School Chemistry and imagine, if you will, a periodic table of spiritual elements rather than physical elements. Faith would be right up there. Maybe its symbol is Fa. Looking at the table we find that faith is the key building block for all things spiritual just as the physical elements are to the things of the physical realm. In order for us to operate in the spiritual realm we must first grasp this concept that faith is substance. It is something real. It is something perceptible, if not tangible.

The next premise we must understand is that faith is the substance, the essential building block of the things we are hoping for. So, stop right here. What are you hoping for? For what are you praying? Now picture a child’s building blocks. Instead of the letters of the alphabet these blocks have their spiritual symbols on them. You look there on the rug where are scattered all the building blocks and you see a block with Fa on it. You grab it. Perhaps you can find more Fa upon them. You collect all that you can muster and you build the first level of your edifice. As you look you see other blocks there with symbols on them. Maybe there is P. You reason, “That has got to be prayer.” Another one has Co for confession, another W for the Word. As you look you see more and more essential spiritual elements, the building blocks of a spiritual reality. You gather them, stacking them one atop the others until you have constructed something magnificent. Then you realize that it was all rather easy and fun once you realized the blocks were there and that they were for you. It is though the building blocks were in your toy chest all along, but you didn’t know they were there or you didn’t realize what they were for. Now you know, though, and armed with new information you can begin to build anything you need or want.

There is one more premise you need to understand though. Everything that exists in the physical realm first came into being in the spiritual realm. Everything you can see, touch, taste, etc. first existed in the realm of the spirit. Before the earth existed, before even the sun or the moon, God had an idea, a thought, a vision. He then created in the physical that which existed first in His spirit. Every creation of humankind was first birthed in the spirit of a person. The spiritual realm is the realm of creation. The physical realm is the realm of fabrication. Therefore, before you manifest anything in the physical realm, you must first perceive and create it in the spiritual realm. Now that you have your spiritual building blocks this will be child’s play for you.

So, we have today, opened the toy chest and let the wonder of God’s creation flow out. Perhaps you will identify some other spiritual building blocks other than the ones I mentioned and can write me telling me their spiritual symbols. As you begin construction, though, remember that Fa (faith) is the essence of those dreams you are building. It is a crucial element and must be included in every construction project. Without it, you are building a house of cards. Faith is the substance; it is the raw material of your hopes and dreams. Dream big dreams. Live large but begin with faith.

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Highly Combustible

On April 4, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 1: 18 – 20         Complete Jewish Bible

I pray that he will give light to the eyes of your hearts, so that you will understand the hope to which he has called you, what rich glories there are in the inheritance he has promised his people, and how surpassingly great is his power working in us who trust him. It works with the same mighty strength he used when he worked in the Messiah to raise him from the dead and seat him at his right hand in heaven.

Although we looked at verse eighteen yesterday, I included it here for continuity’s sake. You might also like reading it from this version. I do.

Paul’s purpose in verse nineteen is to divulge the might of God’s power at work in our lives. There are two very telling items in his statement. First, this surpassingly great power is working IN us. That’s interesting. In other words, the power of God is not external. It is internal. That might be eye opening. God’s power is at work in us. That means we are a party to this surpassingly great power. We have a role to play with His power working in us and through us.

Here is the caveat and the other interesting bit. God’s mighty power is working in those who trust Him. Now wait a minute. I thought His power was on hand and particularly in His hand for all who confess Jesus as Lord. Why didn’t Paul write it that way? Let’s look at the Passion Translation for a clue to answering this question. “I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you!”

Notice the addition of faith. It is our faith mixed, in trust, with the Father’s power that brings about desired results. This surpassingly great, immeasurably vast power is yours by faith. Does that sound like a cop out? Well, maybe a little because it means that we have to mix faith and trust with Father’s power in order to have it working in us but that is why Paul prayed for the eyes of our heart to be opened. God’s power works in our hearts by faith and trust. It is like an internal combustion engine. You see the output of the engine on the exterior, but the power is actually generated on the inside. Within the cylinder of your heart, faith and trust mix and explode like the gasoline and air when the spark is introduced in an engine. The power of God is ready to combust. Just add some belief and trust and you have the workings of a power generator right inside you. The power for every goal to be achieved and every dream fulfilled is inside you right now. Ignite your passion and Dad’s power with a bit of faith and trust and your engine will take you anywhere you want to go.

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