Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek
Jeremiah 29:13
“ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
My Search for God
Do you remember when you were little and you would play a game of hide and seek? One thing I remember vividly is the way it felt when I was “IT”. I can sum it up in one word: Lonely. I used to dread having to look for people, but I loved the feeling I got when I found the first person. It meant that I was no longer “IT.” The person whom I had found now had my burden and became “IT” on the next round. Is it coming back to you yet?
The Bible records the ultimate game of Hide and Seek. We are lonely, lost and sick of being “IT.” We are desperate for an encounter with God. Just like in the game, if we search for God diligently we will find Him. Except unlike the game, God is not hiding from us. When we find Him he then takes our sin burden and carries it away, In response we repent and turn away from our sins. God gives us every capability to find Him. One way to start is through His Word. It is a reassuring feeling to know that I will never be “IT” again in my relationship to God.
Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.”
Today’s Prayer:
Thank You Lord for making yourself approachable and giving me the chance to find you. I want to search for you all my life, may I never give up. Thank you for delivering me from the awful sin burdens I had when I didn’t know you. I love you Lord, Amen.
Jeremiah 29:13
“ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
My Search for God
Do you remember when you were little and you would play a game of hide and seek? One thing I remember vividly is the way it felt when I was “IT”. I can sum it up in one word: Lonely. I used to dread having to look for people, but I loved the feeling I got when I found the first person. It meant that I was no longer “IT.” The person whom I had found now had my burden and became “IT” on the next round. Is it coming back to you yet?
The Bible records the ultimate game of Hide and Seek. We are lonely, lost and sick of being “IT.” We are desperate for an encounter with God. Just like in the game, if we search for God diligently we will find Him. Except unlike the game, God is not hiding from us. When we find Him he then takes our sin burden and carries it away, In response we repent and turn away from our sins. God gives us every capability to find Him. One way to start is through His Word. It is a reassuring feeling to know that I will never be “IT” again in my relationship to God.
Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.”
Today’s Prayer:
Thank You Lord for making yourself approachable and giving me the chance to find you. I want to search for you all my life, may I never give up. Thank you for delivering me from the awful sin burdens I had when I didn’t know you. I love you Lord, Amen.
Monday, February 16, 2009
What I was made to do
What I was Made to Do
Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’re created and saved for service to God.
Years ago, our family owned a Border collie. The first time we took her for a group walk, we noticed that she got very concerned when the members of our group didn’t stay together. I didnt stay with my parents, my brother lagged behind and my parents walked with Lady. Poor Lady didn’t know what to do. She nearly ran her legs off trying to check on everyone. We laughed and laughed at her efforts. They seemed terribly foolish from our point of view.
Missy was absolutely committed to her task, though. She persisted in checking on all of us because of who she was. Border collies are bred to herd and guard sheep. They just naturally try to keep them together because a stray sheep will almost certainly become coyote food. Lady didn’t understand why her barks and jumping in front of us didn’t turn us back into the pack.
There are some similarities between Lady and us, particularly when we consider what we are designed to be and do. Before God saves us, we just naturally sin. We’ve been born with a sin nature that desires to please self more than anything. But, after Jesus saves us, He gives us a new nature that desires to please God more than anything. The most natural thing in the world for a saved sinner to do is to obey God. It’s what He made us for.
God will never accept us in His presence because we keep His commandments or do good things for other people. He requires absolutely perfect holiness of anyone who enters into His presence. We can never make it by what we do. But, God made it possible for us to become righteous as we place our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Once we believe, we do right things as an expression of our gratitude and to show our new character.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with You. Thank you for Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now that You have saved me and given me a new heart, please help me serve you faithfully and honorably. Help me be what You made me to be. Amen.
Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’re created and saved for service to God.
Years ago, our family owned a Border collie. The first time we took her for a group walk, we noticed that she got very concerned when the members of our group didn’t stay together. I didnt stay with my parents, my brother lagged behind and my parents walked with Lady. Poor Lady didn’t know what to do. She nearly ran her legs off trying to check on everyone. We laughed and laughed at her efforts. They seemed terribly foolish from our point of view.
Missy was absolutely committed to her task, though. She persisted in checking on all of us because of who she was. Border collies are bred to herd and guard sheep. They just naturally try to keep them together because a stray sheep will almost certainly become coyote food. Lady didn’t understand why her barks and jumping in front of us didn’t turn us back into the pack.
There are some similarities between Lady and us, particularly when we consider what we are designed to be and do. Before God saves us, we just naturally sin. We’ve been born with a sin nature that desires to please self more than anything. But, after Jesus saves us, He gives us a new nature that desires to please God more than anything. The most natural thing in the world for a saved sinner to do is to obey God. It’s what He made us for.
God will never accept us in His presence because we keep His commandments or do good things for other people. He requires absolutely perfect holiness of anyone who enters into His presence. We can never make it by what we do. But, God made it possible for us to become righteous as we place our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Once we believe, we do right things as an expression of our gratitude and to show our new character.
Today’s Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with You. Thank you for Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Now that You have saved me and given me a new heart, please help me serve you faithfully and honorably. Help me be what You made me to be. Amen.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Food for thought.....Enjoy
My relationship with God is a lot like the other relationships in my life . . . complex. It's based on a simple premise (He loves me, and I love Him) but the process of living that out in everyday life is sometimes really beautiful and sometimes an ugly mess. What about you? Do you get it "right" all the time? Yeah, I didn't think so.
And while the subtleties of my relationship with God may look differently than yours, there are three things that are a constant in my life, three areas He is constantly vying for my attention. These three areas indicate just where my heart really lies. I believe these three areas aren't unique to me. In fact, I believe that if you look closely enough you'll find these three show up in your life as well.
The first is a sense of wonder. Every one of us has it. We want to believe in something bigger than ourselves. We want to marvel at something, something that will capture our imagination and sense of awe. It is hardwired into all of us. And if we do not find wonder in our relationship with God, we will search for it elsewhere. We will find something to capture our minds and hearts. Whether it is the latest summer blockbuster, a relationship or a career, we will look anywhere and everywhere for something that will intrigue us.
What about you? How is your sense of wonder? If you have been in the church a while, it may be non-existent. Has your relationship with God become routine, even boring? Do you think you know everything about Him? You know on some level that is impossible, but the way you go through life may indicate that you believe it to be true. You think you know what God will and will not do in every situation, because that is what He has done in the past. There are no surprises. But look at the Bible-God always surprised people. He did things that constantly caught people off guard. He extends grace, raises the dead, punishes injustice. He is bigger than we think He is. So much bigger.
The second thing that is an integral part of everyone's relationship with God is a sense of discovery. We not only want to believe in something bigger than us, but we also want to discover who we are and why we exist. We want to know who is staring at us in the mirror. We'll try to settle for less than we are by consistently attaching ourselves to something or someone to define who we are. But God wants us to discover ourselves in the context of our relationship with Him and His Word, the Bible.
Do you think you've got you figured out? You either know so much about yourself that you are fixated on where you are lacking, or you know so little about yourself that you're waiting for someone or something to solve the mystery. But the process of discovery of who we are is unveiled daily in God's Word. The Holy Spirit pulls back the layers of our lives and shows us new things about ourselves. Also, in the context of our relationship with God and with others, we uncover new truths about who we are, both good and ugly.
The third integral part of a person's relationship with God is sometimes the most difficult . . . it's about having a passion for other people. People are messy and complicated. They can irritate us one minute, and bring great joy to us the next. But people are a key part of our relationship with God. You see, this relationship with Him isn't exclusive.
And while the subtleties of my relationship with God may look differently than yours, there are three things that are a constant in my life, three areas He is constantly vying for my attention. These three areas indicate just where my heart really lies. I believe these three areas aren't unique to me. In fact, I believe that if you look closely enough you'll find these three show up in your life as well.
The first is a sense of wonder. Every one of us has it. We want to believe in something bigger than ourselves. We want to marvel at something, something that will capture our imagination and sense of awe. It is hardwired into all of us. And if we do not find wonder in our relationship with God, we will search for it elsewhere. We will find something to capture our minds and hearts. Whether it is the latest summer blockbuster, a relationship or a career, we will look anywhere and everywhere for something that will intrigue us.
What about you? How is your sense of wonder? If you have been in the church a while, it may be non-existent. Has your relationship with God become routine, even boring? Do you think you know everything about Him? You know on some level that is impossible, but the way you go through life may indicate that you believe it to be true. You think you know what God will and will not do in every situation, because that is what He has done in the past. There are no surprises. But look at the Bible-God always surprised people. He did things that constantly caught people off guard. He extends grace, raises the dead, punishes injustice. He is bigger than we think He is. So much bigger.
The second thing that is an integral part of everyone's relationship with God is a sense of discovery. We not only want to believe in something bigger than us, but we also want to discover who we are and why we exist. We want to know who is staring at us in the mirror. We'll try to settle for less than we are by consistently attaching ourselves to something or someone to define who we are. But God wants us to discover ourselves in the context of our relationship with Him and His Word, the Bible.
Do you think you've got you figured out? You either know so much about yourself that you are fixated on where you are lacking, or you know so little about yourself that you're waiting for someone or something to solve the mystery. But the process of discovery of who we are is unveiled daily in God's Word. The Holy Spirit pulls back the layers of our lives and shows us new things about ourselves. Also, in the context of our relationship with God and with others, we uncover new truths about who we are, both good and ugly.
The third integral part of a person's relationship with God is sometimes the most difficult . . . it's about having a passion for other people. People are messy and complicated. They can irritate us one minute, and bring great joy to us the next. But people are a key part of our relationship with God. You see, this relationship with Him isn't exclusive.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tunnels
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. . . If your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.
Darkness vs. Light
Most carnivals and theme parks feature a “Tunnel of Terror.” It is a dark place with frightening monsters, and oversized tarantulas that suddenly drop down or pop up right in front of a person. People pay money for the adrenalin rush of confronting pretend ghosts and monsters. It’s altogether different, though, if we find ourselves alone in the woods at night without a flashlight. And it’s even worse to be walking down an unlit alley in the middle of a big city. The slightest sound gnaws at our nerves, setting us on edge and making our survival instincts kick in.
The darkness of evil is similar to both of these experiences. Because we have a sin nature, evil often attracts us like a carnival ride. We lie to get out of trouble. We might experiment with alcohol or marijuana just to see what it’s like. We might get an adrenalin rush by shoplifting at the mall or sneaking out at night to be with friends. These situations are similar going through a “Tunnel of Terror.” They are scary, but the consequences are not necessarily permanent.
The reality of evil, though, is much closer to walking through unknown, potentially dangerous territory in the dark. Just as we could fall into a ditch and break a leg in the woods, we can suffer severe spiritual injury by walking in spiritual darkness. In fact, spiritual darkness holds the threat of the ultimate evil, eternal separation from God in hell.
Once we realize how perilous it is to walk in darkness, we know we need a rescuer. Just as the arrival of police car with its headlights beaming would drive away our terror in that dark alley, the light of the gospel beams into our hearts, giving us spiritual safety and security. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Every one of us is born in darkness. We’re all walking in the dark in a blind alley with hosts of demonic powers lurking in the doorways ready to pounce on us. But, we don’t have to stay in the dark. At any moment, we can cry out “Lord, save me!” When we do, He immediately shines His light into our lives and frees us from the darkness and terror of sin, evil, and hell.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sob Story
2 Samuel 22:32-37
How do you keep obeying God when you feel like quitting?
Anyone who claims your Christian life will be stress free obviously missed Jesus' words in John 16:33:"here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" But Packed in the Bible alond with that straight up truth are hordes of promises that God will help you obey him even when you're bawling in your pillow.
Sift through the passage for some awe-striking promises:God is your ROCK. HE arms you with strength. He makes your way perfect. He gives you biceps that can curve a bronze bow. And he meaks your feet dance like a deer on the tips of mountain peaks.
And all through the Bible are more assurances. Some of the choicest: God points you"paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake"(Psalms 23:3)He gives "the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him" Philippians 2:13. And "he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Eph 3:20
You have reasons to cry. But you also have reasons to dance.
2Samuel 22:34
How do you keep obeying God when you feel like quitting?
Anyone who claims your Christian life will be stress free obviously missed Jesus' words in John 16:33:"here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" But Packed in the Bible alond with that straight up truth are hordes of promises that God will help you obey him even when you're bawling in your pillow.
Sift through the passage for some awe-striking promises:God is your ROCK. HE arms you with strength. He makes your way perfect. He gives you biceps that can curve a bronze bow. And he meaks your feet dance like a deer on the tips of mountain peaks.
And all through the Bible are more assurances. Some of the choicest: God points you"paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake"(Psalms 23:3)He gives "the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him" Philippians 2:13. And "he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Eph 3:20
You have reasons to cry. But you also have reasons to dance.
2Samuel 22:34
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