When I am driving to work on Atlanta Highway each morning, just as I pass through the Dalraida Road intersection, I spot the steeple of Morningview Baptist Church rising above the tree line. I think, that is where I am going. However, just a ways ahead, as I begin going downhill, I lose sight of it. Does this mean the church is no longer there? Of course not. I have every confidence that when I turn onto Calhoun Road, I will find the church with its steeple at the end of the street, just as it has been for over 60 years.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” How important it is to maintain our faith in God when we lose sight of the steeple in our lives; when illness occurs, or our finances take a down turn, or our children become uncontrollable, or people disappoint us again and again. Matthew Henry says that “faith proves to the mind the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye.” Our heavenly Father has proven Himself faithful over and over again and we can trust Him, knowing He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Proverbs 3:26 tells us, “the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”
Rest assured the steeple is still there, even when you lose sight of it.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Looking for Bad Peas
It is Independence Day and we are waiting for our daughter and her family to drive down from north Alabama. I have a Boston butt on the grill and am cooking fresh purple hull peas, creamed corn, and okra, and will make peach ice cream later. As I was washing the peas in preparation to cook, I was flooded by memories of the years when my mother taught me how to cook fresh vegetables.
Much of my younger growing up years was spent in Birmingham and New Orleans but after my daddy graduated from seminary, we moved to Baldwin County. There we began having a garden and I learned to can, freeze, preserve, and pickle all kinds of vegetables. I can remember my mother's instructions so clearly about preparing the peas after we had shelled them. We washed them carefully, and I was cautioned to "look" them carefully to be able to find the bad ones and throw them away. We threw out the ones that were badly discolored or shriveled up or that had a worm hole on it. These would spoil the good peas.
As I was "looking" my peas today, I thought of spiritual applications for this memory. David told his son, Solomon, in 1 Chronicles 28:9 to "...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts." In Psalm 26, David entreated God to examine him and try him. In Psalm 139:23-24, he said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." David was asking God to "look" his heart and root out the unrighteousness there. Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:28 that before coming to the communion table, a man is to examine himself. He says in verse 27 that "...whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Unconfessed sin in our lives is a serious matter, according to scripture.
My challenge today is that we all search, examine, "look" our hearts and ask God to do so to convict us of sin and bring us to confession and cleansing.
Much of my younger growing up years was spent in Birmingham and New Orleans but after my daddy graduated from seminary, we moved to Baldwin County. There we began having a garden and I learned to can, freeze, preserve, and pickle all kinds of vegetables. I can remember my mother's instructions so clearly about preparing the peas after we had shelled them. We washed them carefully, and I was cautioned to "look" them carefully to be able to find the bad ones and throw them away. We threw out the ones that were badly discolored or shriveled up or that had a worm hole on it. These would spoil the good peas.
As I was "looking" my peas today, I thought of spiritual applications for this memory. David told his son, Solomon, in 1 Chronicles 28:9 to "...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts." In Psalm 26, David entreated God to examine him and try him. In Psalm 139:23-24, he said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." David was asking God to "look" his heart and root out the unrighteousness there. Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:28 that before coming to the communion table, a man is to examine himself. He says in verse 27 that "...whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord." Unconfessed sin in our lives is a serious matter, according to scripture.
My challenge today is that we all search, examine, "look" our hearts and ask God to do so to convict us of sin and bring us to confession and cleansing.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Our Ever Present Help
Psalm 46:1-2a: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear...”
This Psalm is the inspiration for Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The first line of this hymn states, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” Look at these words: refuge, fortress, bulwark. Those are places of safety and strength and defense and rest.
We usually think of those as places we run to in times of attack or trouble. However, look at the second part of verse 1 - “a very present help in trouble”. Last week we talked about God being in the midst of our lives. Well, here He is described as not only being present but being very present in times of trouble. We don’t have to run anywhere. Our ever present God is providing stability as only He can in a world that is so unstable.
I am not sure what today holds for you, but I am sure that God is your refuge and strength and your ever present help no matter what.
This Psalm is the inspiration for Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The first line of this hymn states, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” Look at these words: refuge, fortress, bulwark. Those are places of safety and strength and defense and rest.
We usually think of those as places we run to in times of attack or trouble. However, look at the second part of verse 1 - “a very present help in trouble”. Last week we talked about God being in the midst of our lives. Well, here He is described as not only being present but being very present in times of trouble. We don’t have to run anywhere. Our ever present God is providing stability as only He can in a world that is so unstable.
I am not sure what today holds for you, but I am sure that God is your refuge and strength and your ever present help no matter what.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday Devotional Thought
Zephaniah 3:17 has become one of my favorite verses. It states, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”
There are several points about which to be excited. God is in our midst, not on the periphery or outside of our lives. He is a victorious warrior, having already defeated Satan and sin. He delights in us and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. In the midst of a chaotic world, He draws us to a quiet, calm place with His love.
When discouragement threatens, turn to this verse and marvel at how very much God loves you.
There are several points about which to be excited. God is in our midst, not on the periphery or outside of our lives. He is a victorious warrior, having already defeated Satan and sin. He delights in us and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. In the midst of a chaotic world, He draws us to a quiet, calm place with His love.
When discouragement threatens, turn to this verse and marvel at how very much God loves you.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Glad Game
When my daughters were young, one of our favorite movies was Pollyanna, the 1960 Hayley Mills version. It is based on a book written in 1913 about a girl who was orphaned at a young age and had to come live with a very dour but wealthy aunt. Pollyanna had been taught by her missionary father to always look for something good in every situation. She called this "the glad game". Her aunt was critical of this game and attitude and, in essence, told Pollyanna her optimism had nothing to do with reality. Actually, the term, 'pollyanna', has come to mean an excessively or blindly optimistic person or as being unreasonably or illogically optimistic.
Long before Eleanor H. Porter wrote Pollyanna, God inspired writers throughout the Bible to issue imperatives about being glad and rejoicing in all situations. Psalm 32:11 tells us to "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Paul writes in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!" James instructs his readers to, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."
Today we can play the glad game with confidence, knowing that we are not being excessively, blindly, unreasonably, or illogically optimistic, but that we are obeying biblical commands to be glad and rejoice. As believers, we can do this because we know the truth of Romans 8:28, "...that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Long before Eleanor H. Porter wrote Pollyanna, God inspired writers throughout the Bible to issue imperatives about being glad and rejoicing in all situations. Psalm 32:11 tells us to "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Paul writes in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!" James instructs his readers to, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."
Today we can play the glad game with confidence, knowing that we are not being excessively, blindly, unreasonably, or illogically optimistic, but that we are obeying biblical commands to be glad and rejoice. As believers, we can do this because we know the truth of Romans 8:28, "...that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Distractions and Choices
Martha was distracted. There was so much to do. Jesus was there with many others. The food had to be cooked and served and peoples' needs had to be seen to. Mary sat at Jesus' feet with an attitude of worship, listening to His words with an open heart and mind.
So many everyday things tend to distract us from worship. Doing good things can be distraction - we can even become too busy doing things for the Lord. Psalm 27:4 tells us, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." If you could choose only one thing to ask of the Lord, what would it be? We see where the Psalmist's priorities were.
Most of our choices for the use of our time are not between good and bad but between good and better. Time with the Lord, in His word is essential.
To lessen distractions and choose the best thing:
1. Choose God's way at every opportunity
2. Commit yourself daily to God before you even get out of bed.
3. Cultivate a "hot heart" for the Lord.
In Luke 10:41, Jesus said, ..."Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Choose wisely today.
So many everyday things tend to distract us from worship. Doing good things can be distraction - we can even become too busy doing things for the Lord. Psalm 27:4 tells us, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." If you could choose only one thing to ask of the Lord, what would it be? We see where the Psalmist's priorities were.
Most of our choices for the use of our time are not between good and bad but between good and better. Time with the Lord, in His word is essential.
To lessen distractions and choose the best thing:
1. Choose God's way at every opportunity
2. Commit yourself daily to God before you even get out of bed.
3. Cultivate a "hot heart" for the Lord.
In Luke 10:41, Jesus said, ..."Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Choose wisely today.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Light
I love light. I think this is one reason I like my house so much. It is so open and has so much light. Every morning I start opening blinds at the first hint of daylight. I want the morning light to come in.
I do notice something, however, as the light begins to grow and become brighter. I see the dust I missed on the sideboard and on the hardwood floors in the living room. I can clearly see where the paint is nicked on the wall going into the kitchen. As the light shines through my front windows, the smudges become obvious. Light shows the dirt and imperfections and scars.
This is what happens in our spiritual life. The brighter the light of God's truth shines on us, the more we see our sin. The closer we grow to the Light of the World, the more obvious are the dark places of our soul. John 3:19 shows us that evil is uncomfortable (to say the least) with the light and prefers darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:14 tells us that fools walk in darkness while Isaiah 2:5 calls the Israelites and us to "walk in the light of the Lord."
In 1John 1 we learn that "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." Wow! That is a lot to get our heads around. God's word speaks much of light and darkness. Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the world and said that "he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life."
We must choose light. Matthew tells us that we are the light of the world and we are given the command to let our light "shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." So, as this new day dawns and begins to reveal the dust on my floor and the smudge on my window, I pray for God to shine His light on those places in my heart that need cleaning up so that I might go out to bring glory to Him.
I do notice something, however, as the light begins to grow and become brighter. I see the dust I missed on the sideboard and on the hardwood floors in the living room. I can clearly see where the paint is nicked on the wall going into the kitchen. As the light shines through my front windows, the smudges become obvious. Light shows the dirt and imperfections and scars.
This is what happens in our spiritual life. The brighter the light of God's truth shines on us, the more we see our sin. The closer we grow to the Light of the World, the more obvious are the dark places of our soul. John 3:19 shows us that evil is uncomfortable (to say the least) with the light and prefers darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:14 tells us that fools walk in darkness while Isaiah 2:5 calls the Israelites and us to "walk in the light of the Lord."
In 1John 1 we learn that "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." Wow! That is a lot to get our heads around. God's word speaks much of light and darkness. Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the world and said that "he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life."
We must choose light. Matthew tells us that we are the light of the world and we are given the command to let our light "shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." So, as this new day dawns and begins to reveal the dust on my floor and the smudge on my window, I pray for God to shine His light on those places in my heart that need cleaning up so that I might go out to bring glory to Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)