As this world continues to spin faster and faster towards the end of the age and our lives become more difficult, complicated and harder to understand. Where trials and tribulations have become common place and part of the everyday ordeal of life to more and more people. When joy, peace and hope seem to be lost in the hustle, bustle and mayhem of our modern 'it's all about me' society. I want to take a step back, de-stress, unwind, reload and begin to focus on what is truly important. To revisit, seek after and desire to fulfill what should be the foundational items of my daily life. This, I believe, is what the Lord would have me do -
1) Love the Lord with all that is within me
and may my hope and trust be fully, completely and unashamedly in Him
2) Love my wife
as Christ loves His church and gave His life for it
3) Love my children
for they are a heritage and a blessing from the Lord
4) Love my neighbor
as Christ loves me so must I love my neighbor (all those around me, everyone, anyone) as one who is full of grace and truth
And it is in the building and deepening of the relationship with the Lord, with my wife, with my children and with my neighbor based upon the lovingkindness of God that will ultimately bring a joy, a peace and a hope that the world does not know nor does it understand.
With the guidance and direction of a loving God and the empowering of His Holy Spirit it is my desire to dwell in this land and cultivate faithfulness to what is truly important to the Creator God who loves me with an everlasting love.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
part five of Psalm 37
'Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him'
One thing that we seem to be very incapable of doing in our times is to WAIT PATIENTLY...everything is now, immediately if not sooner- microwaves are no longer quick enough! Hurry, hurry, hurry...now, now, now - if it doesn't happen quickly I'm not waiting around....our fast paced lives leave little room for waiting patiently for Him. The Lord is intimately acquainted with our ways and yet He is calling us to, and desiring that we, rest in Him and wait patiently for Him - for our times our in His hand.
We live in a fast food, microwavable world that keeps spinning faster and faster and in our efforts to 'keep up' we miss, forsake and even surrender the opportunities to take time to rest in Him - to crawl up into His lap and bask in His presence. Also to wait patiently for Him – that we might hear that still small voice that encourages us, uplifts us, gives direction, strengthens our faith, showers grace like rain upon us and loves us dearly.
With weariness and stress, alacrity and instant gratification this world has overtaken us - we must rest in Him and wait patiently… for only in Him will we
find the answers and only in Him will there be true peace.
One thing that we seem to be very incapable of doing in our times is to WAIT PATIENTLY...everything is now, immediately if not sooner- microwaves are no longer quick enough! Hurry, hurry, hurry...now, now, now - if it doesn't happen quickly I'm not waiting around....our fast paced lives leave little room for waiting patiently for Him. The Lord is intimately acquainted with our ways and yet He is calling us to, and desiring that we, rest in Him and wait patiently for Him - for our times our in His hand.
We live in a fast food, microwavable world that keeps spinning faster and faster and in our efforts to 'keep up' we miss, forsake and even surrender the opportunities to take time to rest in Him - to crawl up into His lap and bask in His presence. Also to wait patiently for Him – that we might hear that still small voice that encourages us, uplifts us, gives direction, strengthens our faith, showers grace like rain upon us and loves us dearly.
With weariness and stress, alacrity and instant gratification this world has overtaken us - we must rest in Him and wait patiently… for only in Him will we
find the answers and only in Him will there be true peace.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
part four of Psalm 37
'Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.'
The Lord draws us to Himself, He redeems us, He gives us His Holy Spirit, He gives us His Word and He loves us with an unconditional love (His mercy, His grace and His truth) - He has given us His all! So our part, our heart's desire, should be to commit all of our ways to Him (humble our self, die to self and pick up our cross and follow Him). This commitment should to be lived out in all facets of our lives - home, work, play, in our relationships with our spouse, our kids, our neighbors. To only be 'committed' on Sunday and Wednesday nights is not committing your way to the Lord - it's is playing the religion game!
Our trust in Him needs to be steadfast, secure. We must trust that He is who He says that He is - the Creator God who created us and is so intimately acquainted with us that He even knows the number of the hairs upon our heads. The loving God who so desires an intimate relationship with us that He paid the ultimate price - death on a cross - that restored and granted us the freedom to walk and talk with Him just as Adam and Eve did in the garden before sin separated them from His presence.
For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for good and not for evil…you are fearfully and wonderfully made…made in the image of God…you are children of the living God…you were created for His good pleasure…you are a part of a royal priesthood…your times are in My hand…I shall never leave you nor forsake you and because of this may we trust in Him and commit all of our ways to Him!
The Lord draws us to Himself, He redeems us, He gives us His Holy Spirit, He gives us His Word and He loves us with an unconditional love (His mercy, His grace and His truth) - He has given us His all! So our part, our heart's desire, should be to commit all of our ways to Him (humble our self, die to self and pick up our cross and follow Him). This commitment should to be lived out in all facets of our lives - home, work, play, in our relationships with our spouse, our kids, our neighbors. To only be 'committed' on Sunday and Wednesday nights is not committing your way to the Lord - it's is playing the religion game!
Our trust in Him needs to be steadfast, secure. We must trust that He is who He says that He is - the Creator God who created us and is so intimately acquainted with us that He even knows the number of the hairs upon our heads. The loving God who so desires an intimate relationship with us that He paid the ultimate price - death on a cross - that restored and granted us the freedom to walk and talk with Him just as Adam and Eve did in the garden before sin separated them from His presence.
For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for good and not for evil…you are fearfully and wonderfully made…made in the image of God…you are children of the living God…you were created for His good pleasure…you are a part of a royal priesthood…your times are in My hand…I shall never leave you nor forsake you and because of this may we trust in Him and commit all of our ways to Him!
Friday, February 5, 2010
part three of psalm 37
'Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.'
Delight (take pleasure in, appreciate, revel in, enjoy, relish, satisfy) yourself - what do we delight ourselves in/with? Is our relationship with our Heavenly Father one that delights in Him? As His children He desires that we have a close, intimate relationship with Him - a closeness like an earthly father may have with his children - where the child runs to the father, hugs and kisses him, sits his lap and enjoys just being in his presence. A growing, deepening relationship that seeks to bless as well as be blessed, that seeks His face (His presence) as well as His hand (His blessing). And as an earthly father loves his children and desires to provide them with the desires of their heart how much more does our Heavenly Father love us? And He knows and understands our hearts and it is His desire to shower us with good and wonderful things from His hand. Delight yourself in the Lord, enjoy His presence, revel in His grace, take pleasure in His goodness, appreciate His salvation, relish His faithfulness and satisfy yourself with His lovingkindness.
Delight (take pleasure in, appreciate, revel in, enjoy, relish, satisfy) yourself - what do we delight ourselves in/with? Is our relationship with our Heavenly Father one that delights in Him? As His children He desires that we have a close, intimate relationship with Him - a closeness like an earthly father may have with his children - where the child runs to the father, hugs and kisses him, sits his lap and enjoys just being in his presence. A growing, deepening relationship that seeks to bless as well as be blessed, that seeks His face (His presence) as well as His hand (His blessing). And as an earthly father loves his children and desires to provide them with the desires of their heart how much more does our Heavenly Father love us? And He knows and understands our hearts and it is His desire to shower us with good and wonderful things from His hand. Delight yourself in the Lord, enjoy His presence, revel in His grace, take pleasure in His goodness, appreciate His salvation, relish His faithfulness and satisfy yourself with His lovingkindness.
part two of Psalm 37
'Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.'
As sojourners on this earth we are to dwell in the land not only as a place to live but also as a place to cultivate (develop, nurture, promote) faithfulness. For without faith it is impossible to please Him. We are to be in the world yet not of this world - not caught up in its ways and its wisdom but focused on the Kingdom of God. Each new day brings opportunities by the hand of the Lord to grow(cultivate) in our faith, encourage and exhort others in their faith(discipleship) as well as participate in God's greatest miracle - a person coming to saving faith (born again from above). Some plant, some water and the Lord harvests. Let us resolve to begin anew and afresh as we dwell in the land to cultivate faithfulness where we live.
As sojourners on this earth we are to dwell in the land not only as a place to live but also as a place to cultivate (develop, nurture, promote) faithfulness. For without faith it is impossible to please Him. We are to be in the world yet not of this world - not caught up in its ways and its wisdom but focused on the Kingdom of God. Each new day brings opportunities by the hand of the Lord to grow(cultivate) in our faith, encourage and exhort others in their faith(discipleship) as well as participate in God's greatest miracle - a person coming to saving faith (born again from above). Some plant, some water and the Lord harvests. Let us resolve to begin anew and afresh as we dwell in the land to cultivate faithfulness where we live.
part one of Psalm 37
'Trust in the LORD and do good'
First off do we trust in Him? Or have we placed all of our trust in ourselves and man's wisdom and abilities? As we begin this new year let us seek to trust in Him for all that we are, in all that we have and in everything that we do or desire to do...for our trust shall not be misplaced if it is truly in Him! Trust in the Lord, trust in His Name, trust in the power of His might, trust in His lovingkindness, trust in His righteousness, trust in His truth, trust in His faithfulness...Secondly, once you have placed your trust in Him then 'do good'...for it is by His power, by His Spirit, working in and through us that we are able to 'do good' for His kingdom - for if we are relying on ourselves and our own strength we will produce wood, hay and stubble which does not last. To 'do good' we must follow His lead, seek to understand His will, walk in the path that He has for us - for it is His plan, His world and His creation and not our own...and His grace and His mercy and His truth will prevail but we must walk in it.
First off do we trust in Him? Or have we placed all of our trust in ourselves and man's wisdom and abilities? As we begin this new year let us seek to trust in Him for all that we are, in all that we have and in everything that we do or desire to do...for our trust shall not be misplaced if it is truly in Him! Trust in the Lord, trust in His Name, trust in the power of His might, trust in His lovingkindness, trust in His righteousness, trust in His truth, trust in His faithfulness...Secondly, once you have placed your trust in Him then 'do good'...for it is by His power, by His Spirit, working in and through us that we are able to 'do good' for His kingdom - for if we are relying on ourselves and our own strength we will produce wood, hay and stubble which does not last. To 'do good' we must follow His lead, seek to understand His will, walk in the path that He has for us - for it is His plan, His world and His creation and not our own...and His grace and His mercy and His truth will prevail but we must walk in it.
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