Thursday Devotional - Chasing after the Wind of Envy

God expects us to work and to work hard at what He has asked us to do to accomplish His purposes. He may have some of you climb the corporate ladder to be a witness for Him amongst of group of people others can’t reach. He may have some of you acquire a large home in order to house missionaries, host Bible studies, or host other gatherings where His light is spread in and through your family.

However, we need to make sure it’s according to God’s plans and purposes and not for our own reputation or for our own desire to have and be bigger and better than others.

Ecclesiastes 4:4-6 and 13-16 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

⁵ Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
⁶ Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil
    and chasing after the wind.

¹³ Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. ¹⁴ The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. ¹⁵ I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. ¹⁶ There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Solomon saw that our drive to work for more usually stems from envy and not a desire to please God and accomplish His purposes. As verse 6 says, it’s best to be content with less, than to work tirelessly for things that don’t last.

What are you and I striving to accomplish or gain (whether in our career, relationships, wealth, education or athletics)? Why? What’s the real motive? Let’s make sure it’s not out of envy, but according to God’s will and for His purposes.

Alice

Instructions for our roles in life

Colossians 3:18-21

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

One of the things that I appreciate about the Bible is it really does spell out for us many of the instructions for how we are to live. 

Wives – We are to submit to our husbands.  This does not mean that we are to let anyone walk all over us.  This means that we should have a passion to serve our husbands.  This passion comes from giving back to them love that we have also received from them. 

Husbands – In order for a wife to want to submit to you, you are to love her.  When you show her the love that she needs, she will want to submit to you.

Children – As children, we are to obey our parents.  This tends to get easier, the more mature we become.  Again, this is not meant to be a way for someone to walk all over you, no matter your age.  It is to be out of respect for them.  In doing so, it is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers – this is not one we often focus in on yet is very important.  Fathers are not to embitter your children.  What does this mean?  Don’t make your children bitter or resentful.  One way that I’ve seen this happen that has left a negative impact on some people that I know is that fathers have expected perfection from their children.  While it is great to want your kids to do great, sometimes it is taken a bit too far in making them always feel like they are a disappointment if they aren’t perfect.

How are you doing a living up to the instructions we have each been given in our roles that God has placed us in?  Maybe the only role you fit into here is that of a child and you are no longer living at home.  So how does this speak to you?  Maybe it’s time to simply check in on your parents.  It’s not always about doing something wrong, but also about respecting and honoring them.

His Word, His Work

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow

from heaven, and do not return there, but

water the earth, and make it bring forth

and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,

and bread to the eater, so shall My word

be that goes forth from My mouth; it

shall not return to Me void, but it shall

accomplish what I please, and it shall

prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

    Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)

“For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and

spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is

a discerner of the thoughts and intents

of the heart.”

     Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

As an attorney editor, I deal with written words all day, but I’m not a great speaker.  I don’t think well on my feet and often put my foot in my mouth,  and I wish I were a better witness for Christ.  Thankfully, I know that these weaknesses of mine do not hinder God since He used a stutterer like Moses and even a donkey to speak for Him!  But what gives me even greater comfort is that I know I can rely on the word of God to speak for me.

God’s word is powerful, so I give it out whenever I can.  I send hand-written notes to family and friends, and I always include a verse of Scripture when I write. Same with personal emails I send. I usually pray about it and trust that God has an intended purpose for every verse I send out and will use it in that person’s heart.  Most of the people I write to are not believers, so I’m grateful that I can rely on God for this. I also regularly post a Bible verse as my status update on the Hub---who knows who might see it and be blessed?

Faith comes by hearing God's word (Romans 10:17) and it also brings conviction. I know I won't get it wrong when I quote from the Bible and I don't need to apologize for it.  I trust God to work through His word.  That’s one reason why I’m grateful to have the opportunity to write devotions here. I like to share verses of Scripture and write about what God has put on my heart. It’s like sowing seed, knowing that it will not return void but will accomplish God’s wonderful purposes!  We just have to give out His word and He works! 

I can't expect God to bless my words but I can trust that He will honor and bless His word. That's why I feel confident when I share from the Bible. Is there someone you can bless today with a verse or two from God’s word?

Thursday Devotional - The Mystery of God

Spring causes me to marvel at God! After the Magnolia trees bloom, then the Dogwoods bloom. After our last tulip bloom fell this year, our Irises bloomed. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:11 God “made everything beautiful in its time.” Not everything is beautiful at the same time. The seasons and timing within the seasons point to an amazing Creator!!!

Ecclesiastes 3:9-14  ⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

We won’t be able to understand all God has done and how He did it. The mystery and majesty of Him can help us fear and revere Him! How will you marvel at and praise God today for all He’s done?

Alice

Our Brokenness

Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.  1 Corinthians 15:43

Brokenness.  I was listening to the song ‘Broken Vessels’ during worship service this past Sunday, and had one of those moments where the song and my spirit seemed to unite.  The part of the song went like this:

Oh, I can see it now

Oh, I can see the love in Your eyes

Laying yourself down

Raising up the broken to life

It was the part where it spoke about ‘raising the broken to life’ that really struck a chord.  I could see someone going to bed.  Crying with tears streaming down their face onto their pillow.  Feeling hopeless and without answers.  Then Jesus sees them, and looks on them with love and compassion, and assures them that He is with them.  And as His spirit fills them, one can feel the strength coming back to answer the bell of another day.  While the prior day may have been difficult, the world cannot keep them down because we are conquerors in Christ.

So let me ask.  How are you feeling?  For some of you, this may be a tough time in your life.  There are many things that are going on, and while some things might be going just fine, something does not feel right.  For those of you that all seems fine, look around.  This is the calm before the storm.  Maybe the storm isn’t yours.  It’s your spouse, parent, sibling, or best friend.  There’s a reason this is called ‘a fallen world.’  It’s broken, and deep down, we know it.  So how can we put it all together?  The weight is so heavy!  “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

It is always important to remember that Jesus Christ is the fixer in our state of brokenness.  Today’s verse speaks of our situation in the world where we die broken down, but rise in God’s glory as we believed through Jesus.  To understand the verse, think about how we are when a loved one has passed.  I thought of my father and how strong a man he was when I was growing up.  He was a strength in the community and his home, and like God, I feared him.  But oh, how I loved him.  When he had a stroke, he was in his early 70s.  He slowly went from a tower of strength to a man in a wheelchair and then bedridden.  He was incredibly broken physically in the end, but he was forever strengthening his faith.  He would watch me grow into the Christ follower he himself was for so long, and when his calling came, I knew he was in heaven.  He, like all of us, was not perfect, but I am so proud to be called Robert’s son.

But you might ask, “What about when I am broken in spirit?”  We all have been there.  I’ve failed.  I’ve failed at times to be a good husband, a good father, a good coworker, and a good friend.  It was such a burden, I would cry incredibly saddened and broken.  But failure was where Jesus always came to the rescue.  He laid down, and raised me up in my brokenness.  Somehow, He took away the failure.  He made me a better person, and restore me where my wife, my children, my teammates, and friends think I’m actually pretty decent. My wife thinks I’m the best.  Well, she is ☺️  More importantly, Jesus knows who I am, and He knows where you are too.  You are not who this world says you are or what your failures have been.  When you are broken, Jesus will lay down with you, and say, “I am here.  Let me pick you up, and build you into the person who no army can stop.”

God did not make you to be trampled on.  Yes, we are to humble ourselves before Christ, but as our bodies are meant to break down, our spirits are meant to rise up.  If you have been feeling broken lately, know that Jesus’ eyes are looking upon you lovingly, and He wants you to take His hand and rise up!  And if you are feeling strong today, reach out to someone in their brokenness, and say, “I am with you!”  Let us rejoice that with Christ at the center of life, our spirit can never be broken.  Will you confess your brokenness to Him?  Will you extend your hand to one who is broken?  My prayer is that with Christ we can together face our brokenness.  Amen.

Gentle word

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This verse really hit me hard as I read it recently.  I find myself often getting frustrated with my six year old when he does not listen.  It is sometimes hard not to give a harsh word but the truth of the matter is, it rarely helps. 

Think about times that you have had a choice to use a gentle answer over a harsh word.  Which way tends to turn out better? 

Today I want to keep things short and simple.  I want to simply remind each of us to watch the words we pick.  In doing so, you share the love of Christ with others.

Fresh Grace

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are

not consumed, because His compassions

they fail not. They are new every morning.

Great is Your faithfulness!”

     Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

“But He gives more grace. Therefore

He says: ‘God resists the proud, but

gives grace to the humble.’”

     James 4:6 (NKJV)

I’m generally pretty good about being grateful for each day. But earlier this week, I only felt grateful that the day was over.  I’d let my flesh rule me.  My heart just burned over wanting to give my opinion on an issue because I was so pridefully sure I was right—and it was over something so trivial, yet I could not let it go and the matter kept coming back to me again and again.  In addition, I was very frustrated over some tech issues that made it hard and time-consuming to do my work.  Nothing I tried to fix the problems did any good--I even yelled out loud at my computer at one point (at least I was working at home).  At the end of the day, I turned off my computer with disgust at it and myself. 

I went for a walk outside to clear my head and then a verse of Scripture came to me---God is rich in mercy and His compassions never run out; they’re new every day!  He is abundant in grace!  And this doesn’t mean just salvation grace, but also grace for every day of our lives, even when we’re not walking as we should.  If we humble ourselves, God extends grace and mercy to us.  Of course, He doesn’t want us to stay in that condition; instead, He cleans us up and says to start again afresh.  Those truths washed over me and I regained my peace. And I felt true gratitude over all my Lord Jesus has done for me!

Do you need God’s grace and mercy today?  Don’t delay; He’s waiting to give to you richly.

Thursday Devotional - Life's Ups and Downs

Vacations come and go too quickly, most of the time. We often wish they lasted much longer! However, if we were always on vacation, we probably wouldn’t appreciate it as much.

I know several of you tackled weeds this past long weekend. They’re not fun to pull, but I certainly have a greater appreciation for the flower bed and yard after having worked in it myself!

Life is full of ups and downs. Solomon reflected on this in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

Easy or pleasant things usually only come after lots of hard work or difficulties. Through the years, God has helped me learn to not wallow in difficult times. It will not last forever. Whether it’s hours, months, or years, a better day is coming! Then, with His help, I’m better able to enjoy and appreciate the pleasant times in life, whether big or small!

How does this encourage or challenge you in your current season of life? 

Alice

Spiritual Tight Rope

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.  Proverbs 3:5-6

There is a tight rope to walk when walking the path of worldly and Godly righteousness.  I struggle when there are two sides of seemingly the same godly coin.  For example, I was reading an article about protests having no place in Christianity.  It used the verses of James 5 to emphasize this stating, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.  You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:7-8)  The emphasis was on patiently waiting for the Lord to exact justice on those who would be either oppressive or doing wrong.

This is stark comparison to that of the beliefs of civil rights leaders.  One in particular named Martin Luther King, Jr came to mind.  A famous quote of his says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Where might this be biblically prevalent?  There are many areas, but one that speaks directly to this is Proverbs 31 where is says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:7-8)  So which is right?  The author of the article later noted that not all protests were wrong to push for justice, but he elaborated that some protests are not founded biblically.  I could see his point, but it led me to ask some very difficult questions.  How are we to know when to wait for God and when to act?  Are all peaceful protests right, and are all violent ones wrong?

The answer lies in the prayer of serenity.  It simply states:

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Serenity is defined as the state of being calm and unruffled.  The word is not used in the Bible, but is referred to in many ways (ex. “The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:26).  Another word that comes to mind is ‘humility.’  Why?  Because it opens one’s heart to God and removes all selfish motives as noted in James 4:7, which says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Serenity and humility are crucial when navigating a righteous path.  Today’s verses are good fundamental marching orders, but they are only part of the story.  We want to trust in the Lord, but how sure are we that what we are doing is God’s will?  How are we to trust that which we do not understand?  Do we even know if we are seeking His will?  It is a complicated road and we can potentially either oversimplify or over complicate it.  Thus, it becomes crucial that we put ourselves in a state where we can best hear God.  That’s the serenity part.  Furthermore, we must ensure our hearts are focused on God and not ourselves.  That’s the humility part.  If we can merge the two together, we can have a full view on what next steps to take.  We march bravely if needed or stay patient and wait for further instruction.  Therefore, these two things together are crucial in ensuring our steps taken are the right ones.

God is with us each step of the way.  The world will continue to throw challenges.  Thus when we are dealing with a situation whether it be simple or complex, we must ensure that we are in the best position to hear God and with an open mind and heart that will speak to God in a way that pleases Him.  Then, we will have the best chance toward success.  What process can you take to ensure you have serenity when going to God?  How can you approach Him with a humble heart?  My prayer is we are holding on to God’s hand as we walk across the spiritual tight rope.  Amen.

Finish Empty

“By this we know love, because

He laid down His life for us. And

we also ought to lay down our

lives for the brethren.”

     1 John 3:16 (NKJV)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you

present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable to God, which is

your reasonable service."

     Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

The greatest sacrifice in history was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But many have given their lives in protecting our country and defending the freedoms that we too often take for granted.  Although we may not ever be in a position to give the ultimate sacrifice, either in the military or as a citizen, we can give ourselves away as Christians to serve others and bring honor and glory to our Lord.

Sacrificial giving is a key concept in the Christian walk, exemplified by Jesus Christ.  We’re exhorted to finish the race strong and well, but perhaps we should also be mindful to finish empty—that is to give so much of our time, talent and treasure away that when our time on earth is finished, we know that we have done all we could for the cause of Christ. I don’t want to have regrets when I stand before the Lord to give an account one day, do you?

I encourage everyone to participate in a Memorial Day observance this weekend, to  remember and honor those who have been killed while in service to our country.