“Greater love has
no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13
May you take a few
moments today to remember and honor those wo made the ultimate sacrifice so that
you can enjoy your freedom and liberty today.
Whether you are a
citizen of the United States or of another country know that freedom is not
free.
Memorial Day is a
day to call to mind the sacrifice of others made for you and me.
“Give, and it will
be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the
measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38
Here is a bit of
an ironic statement to consider…
As you pour into
others, you will find yourself being filled up.
Now, on the
surface that statement seems untrue.
After all if I
empty myself in serving others how can I be filled up?
Do you want to
know the secret?
It is by not
taking a willy-nilly, shotgun approach in serving others.
We are to serve by
following the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.
I suppose some
history book somewhere can tell me what the population of the earth was when
Jesus walked on it; but you probably could agree that He personally ministered
to a small percentage of that population.
And we certainly
cannot argue over the impact He had on those He ministered to!
You and I may not
be able to personally minister to the billions on planet Earth today.
But I can and
should minister to those the Holy Spirit causes to cross my path.
As I do, I find
myself almost simultaneously being emptied and being filled.
As you and I
obediently and faithfully pour out to others God abundantly and lavishly pours
back into us.
The comfort you
gave another today is returned to you as joy.
Perhaps the wisdom
you shared with a confused individual so desperate to hear from God comes back
to you in the form of an answer you have been waiting on God for.
Maybe you poured
yourself into someone else today just by offering a listening ear and
discovered patience extended to you from your boss the likes of which you had
never seen before from him.
You simply cannot
out give God.
He overtakes you
with blessings beyond your greatest expectations.
Have you been
feeling a bit empty lately?
Maybe it’s time to
begin pouring into others!
“Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written:
“For your sake we
face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be
slaughtered.”
No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced
that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:35-39
Can I ask a huge
favor of you?
Really, are you
sure?
O.K., here it is –
Please go back and
read the verses above again.
I know we have all
read them perhaps dozens or more times but let it really sink in.
The Bible is rife
with the stories of men and women who faced great challenges and either stayed
close to God through them (Hannah comes to mind) or returned to God after a
season of anger or rebellion (I think of David)
Some of the
struggles recorded were heartbreaking: barrenness, betrayal or the loss of a
child.
God knows are
anguish but He also is with us in every moment, through every tear and even
every raised fist to him.
Many today tell of
leaving the church because of something quite small by comparison.
They were upset
with this or that but in the end it really was not a significant reason.
Sadly, more often
than not they not only leave a church,
they leave the church.
But even in this
please understand that the love of God chases after you,
calling you back
to a place of fellowship with Him and with His family.
If you find
yourself in a place like that please know that God’s love will not forsake you.
Return to Him and
let Him heal the wounds that have been inflicted.
They may be
self-inflicted or caused by others.
Don’t allow those
wounds to make you draw back.
He is waiting....
“But as for me, it
is good to be near God.
I have made the
Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”
Psalm 73:28
Stop and consider
this question:
What is it that
you most value in life?
Is it family?
Is it reputation?
How about financial
security, prestige or power?
There is a story
in the bible of a man named Job.
Job lost all that
he valued – all of those things we just listed – and more.
But wait a minute;
I know what you’re thinking.
“Surely”, you say,
“Job must have done something wrong to have had all of this happen to him.”
Really?
Have you ever had
something wrong happen at a time in your life when you are doing everything
right?
Job was not
reaping what he had sown just as we may sometimes find ourselves in a crisis
not of our own making.
It is exactly in
those seasons when we can choose to run away from or draw near to God.
The easy way is,
of course, to run away.
And it is a path
lined with cheerleaders too.
Why even in Job’s
life the life coach advising him to run was his wife.
Here were her
words to him:
“...Are you still
maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Job 2:9
It seems everyone
who was anyone had counsel to offer Job.
In our moments of
struggle it is not uncommon for well-meaning friends to offer advice.
But their advice
is not always godly.
Be wise about who
you listen too, especially in moments of crisis, trial and temptation.
Remember that the
devil came to tempt Jesus after forty days of fasting in the wilderness.
Don’t allow him to
exploit the moments you are weak to further weaken your resolve.
In those moments
do not choose to run away from God, instead choose to draw near!
““I have told you
these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you
will have trouble.
But take heart! I
have overcome the world.”
Isaiah 59:19b (KJV)
“I beg your pardon
I never promised
you a rose garden
Along with the
sunshine
There's gotta be a
little rain sometime”
Nope, you won’t
find those words in the Bible.
They were from a
country song sung by Loretta Lynn many years ago.
But I think those
words often capture what we think it means when we surrender our lives to Jesus.
All sunshine and
bright skies for the rest of our lives!
But that is NOT
what the Bible promises as we can see clearly from the words of Jesus in our
introduction.
Most people
approach the words of Jesus in the verse above like an Oreo cookie.
I’ll take the
peace and the overcomers’ heart on each end of the verse but I don’t want any
part of the ‘trouble’ spoken of in the middle.
Guess what?
It doesn’t happen
that way.
The Book of Job reminds
us:
“Yet man is born
to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7
And if you have
spent any time around a campfire you know sparks fly upward!
So reconcile
yourself to two irrefutable facts –
First, that trouble
and crisis come to all – whether believers or not but second and most
importantly that in the midst of those seasons we can claim this promise:
“The Lord himself
goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8
When the enemy
shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard
against him...”
Isaiah 59:19b
(KJV)
What do you do
when “…all hell breaks loose…” as the proverbial saying goes?
How do you respond
when anything and everything that could go wrong, does?
I once heard a
little poem offering this advice:
“When in danger,
when in doubt,
run in circles,
scream and shout!”
Not exactly a
biblical admonition, is it?
So what would you do?
How about prayer?
How about calling
out to the Name of The Lord?
How about when the
storm tries to blow you over, you lean harder on the LORD.
Too often, we try
harder to stand on our own.
“Trust in the Lord
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
This is sound
advice offered in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Don’t try harder,
don’t lean on your own wisdom, education,
purse strings,
family ties, reputation or skill.
None of these
things can deliver you in the day of trouble.
When all hell
comes against you, hide in the secret place of the
Most High and lean
harder on Him!
You will find that
He is that very present help in time of trouble!
“Father, if you
are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An
angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.”
Luke 22: 42-43
“Who do you think
you are?”
Have you ever been
asked that question right after you boasted or made a
bold claim to be able to do something?
The other person
was, in essence, questioning your ability to achieve whatever you were claiming
to be able to do.
I wonder how many
times God has, by His Holy Spirit,
asked that
question of you and me?
Probably more
times than we would be willing to admit.
You see, our pride
often gets the best of us and keeps us from humbly asking for the help we need.
In the scriptures
quoted above we find that even Jesus found Himself in a place of weakness.
The Father is not
in the business of sending His angels on (if you’ll excuse the expression) wild
goose chases so I must conclude that if Jesus was strengthened by the angel God
sent to Him then He must have been in need of that strength.
In other words, He
was weak.
That may offend
some who are accustomed to weakness being the equivalent of sin.
Weakness is not
sin.
Weakness can
easily lead to sin when, in our pride,
we fail to admit
our weaknesses and our need for strength.
Jesus was without
sin and Jesus was weak.
He knew that in
His weakness, His Father would give strength and so He did not succumb to that
weakness but was ministered to by the angel sent from His Father.
God wants to
strengthen you when you are weak.
Are you prepared
to confess that weakness and call out to Him who is our strength?
