A New Thing

“Brethren, I do not count myself

to have apprehended; but one thing

I do, forgetting those things which

are behind and reaching forward to

those things which are ahead, I press

toward the goal for the prize of

the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

  Phil. 3:13-14 (NKJV)

“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth.”

     Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV)

January is a great time for a fresh start.  Of course, the past doesn’t disappear with the calendar changing to a new year, but we would be wise to take Paul’s testimony to heart.  He said he’s “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”  We shouldn’t let our failures and mistakes from the past year hinder us from our Christian walk this year.  Learn from them, then move on.  Don’t let the enemy use our stumbles to keep us down and out of godly service.

I also think we’re to let go of any successes we’ve had in the past year.  Pride can keep us from depending on God in all that we do.  Self-sufficiency is not the Christian way.  Satan can get to us in this area as well—puffing up our egos so we boast and take credit where we shouldn’t.  Whatever we’ve done well is due to God’s help and grace, and He alone should get the glory.

Isaiah also counsels us not to “remember the former things nor consider the things of old” because God “will do a new thing.”  We can trust that He who has begun a good work in us will continue to work in us (Phil. 1:16).  That should give us confidence as we start this new year, regardless of what is behind us and no matter what lies ahead.  Take a few moments to reflect on God’s many blessings you experienced last year.  His faithfulness in the past will be with us this year too.  God is good and He never changes!

With God’s grace, we can start afresh this year.  Indeed, because His mercies are new each morning (Lam. 3:22-23), we can begin anew each day.

Thursday Devotional - What is Good?

Psalm 34:8-10     Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

I think we often misuse the word “good” and therefore misunderstand it when we read it in the Bible. Good isn’t based on our definition of good, but God’s definition.

When describing a person, only God is good (completely and totally perfect in moral character).  

Matthew 19:16-17a Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good.”

As Paul states:

Romans 7:18a “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.”

When describing things or situations, good is anything God deems beneficial. Good is anything that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

Genesis 1:31a “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Hebrews 10:1 “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves.”

For those in Christ, we truly lack no good thing (as Psalm 34:10 states) because we have all the eternal benefits provided by Jesus’ sacrifice. As you and I think about what is “good” and “bad” this coming year, let’s ask God to help us think about it from His perspective.

Alice

Vegas Rules

“Here I stand.  Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed.  Whose ox have I taken?  Whose donkey have I taken?  Whom have I cheated?  Whom have I oppressed?  From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes?  If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”

“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied.  “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”  1 Samuel 12:4-5

Does anyone know what the term ‘Vegas Rules’ is?  If you remember not so long ago, there was a commercial that talked about getaways in Las Vegas.  The commercial would usually end by saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  This stuck with me in my walk of faith particularly when having controversial and private conversations.  I know one should not hold secrets, but there are times where it is paramount that we do so for it is written, “A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.” (Proverbs 11:13)  Early in my career, a person at work had a problem, and they did not feel comfortable talking to anyone.  They asked if they could talk with me.  Not knowing this person very well, I was curious as to their motives.  So, I asked why they did not feel comfortable talking with their significant other?  They said two things that stuck with me.  First, they felt that I was a good man who would give them wise counsel.  And second, they knew they could trust me, and did not feel they could talk with anyone else.  The first one was easy to buy into because I was Christian, but the second one?  Now let’s not construe this as my doubting my own trustworthiness.  However, this was more about my reputation.  They had friends who did a lot of talking, and in their inner circle, my name came up as someone to be trusted.  It became a theme as this would be the first of many conversations I would have with people who I at times barely even knew.  Whenever someone felt unsure of opening up, I utter the two words are started with: Vegas Rules.  At that moment, they immediately began to talk.

As Christians, we have fundamental principles of not only love but also trustworthiness to uphold.  We cannot survive without God’s word.  Thus, what are we without our word?  Not worth very much.  The story of Samuel is a case and point.  He was a man so trusted, he was allowed not only to name the first King of Israel but also an additional one.  Why?  Because he always followed God’s will from the moment he was called by God to do so.  The impressive thing about this is that Samuel did not even know who God was when called upon, but yet, God trusted him.  And He was rewarded as Samuel followed God faithfully until his death.  He was often chosen by God to bear witness to His greatness, and because he was faithful to God and his word, the people of Israel entrusted him with all important decisions, including the naming of their kings.  We, too, must be vigilant in following the word of God not only in reading, but in living.  Someone told me long ago that the word of God is a living thing.  It lives within each of us, and as our lives embrace its teachings, we become living testimony of it.

Trustworthiness is paramount in our relationship with God.  Jesus spoke of this when discussing of readiness for the coming of the Lord saying, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required (Luke 12:48b).”  Like Samuel, our words carry weight only by us following Jesus’ example.  That is what gives our word meaning.  Our desire to follow the example set by Him makes our words credible.  Let us make every effort to be the people God trusted us to be.  Can you be trusted with that which God cares for?  How can you use your position of trust to share God’s vision with others?  My prayer is we live out God’s will to where others confide trusting us like ‘Vegas rules.’  Amen.

Being tested

Imagine getting through a wonderful Christmas with your family, having a new little one due any day and then your world turns upside down completely.  Your young son starts having seizures and spikes a fever.  You get him into the ER and he passes away the next day.  Day after that, his big brother spikes a fever.  How can you go on?  Thank the Lord that son recovered quickly.  The next day, Mom, who is 9 months pregnant breaks her leg and has to have surgery.  Doctors are monitoring unborn baby to determine if they need to take him or wait for it to happen naturally. 

I cannot even begin to imagine what this would be like.  Job certainly comes to mind when I hear about the story above that happened the past 10 or so days to my friends cousin.  While Job was tested beyond anything I can even imagine, he stayed focused on God and trusted God.  In the end, God blessed him. 

Job 42:16-17

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.  And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is my prayer that no matter what kind of adversity that you face, that you will seek God through it all.  That you will know that he is faithful and will carry you through the tests of time.

By the way, the baby was born this weekend and is doing well.  Mom will continue to be wheelchair bound for a couple of months.  Please be praying for this family.

Godly Plans

“There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.”

     Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV)

Have you made any resolutions for this new year?  Or maybe you’ve chosen a certain word this year?  This seems to be popular even in Christian circles; I’ve recently read of “joy,” “genuine” or “pray” as words selected to focus on for spiritual growth. Or maybe you’ve chosen a particular Bible verse to follow this year?

It’s good to have goals and make plans.  The problem is when we leave God out of them.  James 4:13-17 describes businessmen who made plans for where they would go, how long they would stay there and even boasted that they would make a profit while there, but God didn’t enter their plans.  None of us are guaranteed tomorrow; only God knows.  As Proverbs 19:21 indicates, our heart may be filled with many plans, but only God’s counsel and purpose will prevail.

Have you ever made your own plans and then asked God to bless them?  Have you ever confidently said I will do this and that, just assuming that God would be with you?  I think each of us might have done that.  Instead, we should seek God’s will and His wisdom in making our plans and in setting our goals, and then pray for His help in doing them. 

Whether you’ve made resolutions for the year---or not, I pray that we will each walk humbly with God in an attitude of surrender to His will. And whatever circumstances and challenges we’re facing this year, I want to encourage us to remember that God will use all of it for our good and His glory if we love God and are “called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

Thursday Devotional - Righteous Reflections

Happy New Year!

My parents, my family and my sisters and their families were all together for the new year (see attached picture). We were reflecting on this past difficult year, while remembering God was with us through each difficulty. He didn’t remove or prevent several of the difficulties, but He was with us through them (and continues to be with us). He heard each of our prayers and provided direction.

We each went around and shared our biggest challenge or difficulty from the past year and our greatest joy. Later, we also talked about plans and goals for the coming year. We were encouraged knowing God has given us clear direction in numerous big and small decisions in the past. Then, as I re-read and meditated on Psalm 34 yesterday, I was further encouraged!

Psalm 34:15-18 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The Lord is always available, always hears, always sees, always desires to give direction and is always ready to comfort us. We can cry out to Him with our fears, frustrations, and for our future. Let’s continue to reflect on His faithful provisions in the past. Then, we can confidently seek Him first and foremost this new year for His plans for each one of us! 

Alice

Do As I Have Done To You

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.  And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”  John 13:12-15

Happy New Year to you and your families! I wanted to give you some insight on my resolution for the New Year.  In thinking about my past year and goals that I have set, I plan to spend a lot of time focusing on preparedness.  Another theme that resonates with me is that I should focus more on those things that are strengths of mine. In that vein, words that come to mind are ‘love for others,’ ‘honor,’ and ‘servitude.’  In saying those things, I realize there is no greater driver for me than love, and as I look toward my devotion writing, I plan to spend more time writing in this area.  It is my love for others that tends to motivate me to be better than I would be motivated on my own.  It is that which I start the year focusing on; love for others.

We are truly followers of Christ when we understand that the relationship with Him is one where we give without attention toward receiving. I have read these verses on many occasions, and focused rightfully on the idea of Jesus as Lord serving His disciples.  However, we tend to lose sight of what Jesus wants here.  He does not want anything!  He invited them to do as He has done.  He did not say, “You must wash each other’s feet, or else.”  This lesson He gave them is emphasized by His saying, “I have given you an example to follow.”  Other versions (“should do” – NIV & KJV, “should be done” – NLV) mirror those words.  While He does say, “Do as I have done to you,” this is not a commandment.  It is a gift of spiritual knowledge!  It is meant to inspire understanding of the expectation of being a follower of Christ.  Becoming more knowledgeable of God does not elevate us above others.  It should instill us with a heart to serve them.  It has the Master as the servant.  It pushes us to ask not what price those who would do us harm must pay.  Instead, it asks how I can better aide in their troubles.  That is the spirit of Jesus’s teaching in these verses.

Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all in sacrificing His life for our sins. It covers past, present, and future sins.  Because of this, we should feel a weight lifted from our shoulders that allows us to live without guilt or suffering.  However, we know that Jesus does not command anything from us in exchange.  Yet life as taught us that those who love us the most command ask nothing in return.  Perhaps if we truly love Jesus as we say, we ought to give our lives toward serving Him without any expectations.  That’s what a loving relationship with Christ resembles.  Is your walk of faith like the examples of Jesus?  Do you act either because God says so or willingly and freely out of love for Him?  My prayer is that we start the New Year doing what Jesus taught His disciples; Do as I have done to you.  Amen.

Rest

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I am the type of person that just goes and goes and goes until I crash.  At which point, I tend to crash hard.  With the holidays, this was no exception.  By the end of last week, I found myself battling a headache and just wore out.  I knew it was time to find rest.  The thing is, we were getting ready to leave for the weekend so I really didn’t have time for resting.  That’s when I came across this verse.  I’ve read it many times before, it wasn’t new.  But it hit me.  Last week we celebrated the birth of Christ, and right after I got super busy with work and getting the house prepared for new flooring.  I was failing to take the time I needed in my devotions and had grown weary and burdened. 

At that point, I stopped and took a little time to find rest in Christ by being in the word.  Thankfully I can look forward to some additional physical rest this next week as I take PTO and spend time with my son who is on his winter break but in that moment, it was the recharge of some scripture that was really needed.

Have you gotten so busy that you have failed to rest in the Lord’s word?  I encourage you today to not let yourself grow too weary.  Remember to go to the Lord and he will give you rest.

Today for Eternity

“So teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

     Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)

The end of another year is approaching. As we reflect on this past year and ponder the new one, it’s helpful to do so from an eternal perspective.

God is outside time—He is “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2), yet He has a lot to say about time and how we use it.  For example, we’re cautioned to redeem the time for the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). And we’re exhorted to use our time in doing all things to His glory (1 Corinth. 10:31).  We are to be good stewards of all the resources we’ve been given, including our time. Because time is limited, it is good to pray as the psalmist did, asking God to “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

There are no calendars in heaven and time does not exist in eternity.  However, our time on earth is short--a mere handsbreadth (Psalm 39:5). So let’s resolve this new year to use our time wisely, for God’s glory.  

Every day is a gift from God and no one is guaranteed tomorrow. That fact should motivate us to make today count for eternity.

Meditation & Application

I will keep on obeying your instructions
    forever and ever.
I will walk in freedom,
    for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
I will speak to kings about your laws,
    and I will not be ashamed.
How I delight in your commands!
    How I love them!
I honor and love your commands.
    I meditate on your decrees.  Psalm 119:44-48

What am I going to do in 2019? There were many milestones that I reached this year.  One was making it to twenty years at the same place of employment.  Not too shabby for a person who had not stayed anywhere longer than four.  Many other achievements were reached such as having a daughter get to ninth grade and being in decent shape in other areas in my life.  The year has had lots of successes, and looking toward 2019, it is a good time to pause and reflect on what has worked this year.  In that vein, it would be bad for me to simply look at my growth in faith and not realize that there was much room still to grow as a Christ follower.  It is important that while I can do all things through Him, I must remember that I am not Him.  While my faith by works is not good, my works through faith is.  And while I read His word, it is crucial that I do not just say to myself, “Hey!  That’s good to know!”  It is more important that I reflect on it and meditate so that it has both relevancy and value.

We should all take time to gain greater understanding of God’s word not only in comprehension but also through application. As I read the 119^th Psalm, there are many different prayers for not only God’s guidance but also our obedience to Him.  If I am reading it for comprehension alone, I may lose its intent.  Do I really get freedom by enslaving myself to God’s commandments?  If I love the law, am I able to truly love my neighbor?  What courage will I need to always speak the truth of God’s word even when it either might hurt someone or disagrees with other laws?  These are questions one should be asking as they read these verses, and it is clearly noted as such as David said in the 48^thverse, “I meditate on your decrees.”  Even amid his giving glory to God, he noted that he must make time to reflect on those things God had laid on his heart.  We too must take that approach as we gain greater clarity into God’s will for us.  If we rush too fast through a reading, we may find ourselves missing a key principle in our life that may either become a shortfall or lead us down a more treacherous path.

God’s word is there for us when we need instruction. A devotion years ago described the Bible like an owner’s manual for a car.  Most of us know how to operate the car, but to truly take care of it, one must learn of the manual’s contents to ensure a long healthy car life.  For us to have a healthy and growing spiritual life, we too must push not to just read God’s word.  We must understand the context of what we are reading, ensure it means what it says, and pray for guidance in applying it in our lives.  That’s something we should all aspire to do in the New Year.  What practices do you have to ensure clarity when reading God’s word?  How can you reflect more on it in the coming year?  My prayer is that this New Year we find practices to ensure meditation for future application.  Amen, and may you have a blessed and Happy New Year!