Lamp and Light

As I sat down to write today, I made three attempts. Each time I felt the Holy Spirit shake his head, "No, not that one."  After the third attempt I took a break. I never want to send out something that he has not approved. 

While I was waiting on him for a Word, I snuggled and read with my sweet baby boy. I then felt motivated to bake a couple loaves of strawberry zucchini bread. It was during the bread making that the Holy Spirit spoke. 

I love to bake. The recipe gives me step-by-step instructions. And there is often a picture of the finished product so I know what to expect. However, I have found that in my Christian walk that is not usually the case. 

The Psalmist wrote: "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."  Psalm 119:105. I have a dear friend who has a one candle power lamp that was used in Bible times. It is a small clay jar with a wick. It holds only a very small amount of oil. In Bible days when someone had to journey in the dark they would light that lamp and hold it on a string down by their feet. The lamp was only bright enough to light up one step at a time. It was too weak to penetrate the darkness farther ahead. 

This has been my experience on my journey with Christ. Unlike my recipe which provides complete, step-by-step instructions and a picture of the finished product, my walk has been one step at a time revelation. God never gives me a new step until I have completed the last one. He often even waits for a period of time between steps. 

I have learned that I have two choices, obey or disobey and rebel. If I obey the next step is forth coming in the right time. If I disobey I am forced to face trials and struggles. I've heard the phrase "You asked for it" many times in my life. It is so true here. If I rebel I am asking for harder lessons to teach me the importance of obedience. 

We discipline our children to teach them to obey. God does the same with us. Proverbs 3:12 "For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."  

Note: Everyone going through struggles and trials is not living in rebellion. But those who are usually know it!!

Not being able to see in the dark is disconcerting and often a little frightening. God understands our feelings and promises to be with us all the way. Deuteronomy 31:6 "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 

All God asked of us is step-by-step obedience. He doesn't ask us to solve our own problems. He doesn't ask us to be perfect. He doesn't even ask us to be successful. Just obedient. 

Let us place our faith and confidence in Christ and take each step as he leads. 

Infinitely More

Ephesians 3:20 "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Infinitely: having no limits; extremely large or great

I want to look at one example of God's "infinitely more" from the book of Acts. 

Acts 3:1-8 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 

God, working through Peter, did not give the man what he asked for. He wanted money to support himself. God gave him infinitely more; freedom from the slavery of begging and being at the mercy of other people. He could now control where he went, how he made a living, etc. He was just trying to survive that one day, God gave him all his days. And in light of verse 8, he gained eternity as well!!  

On a more personal note. I have been praying for Scott to find a job for two 1/2 years. We needed the income (I thought).  However, God saw my real need. My eternal need. There were areas in my life that needed healing and freedom. 

Like the lame man I was a prisoner to much of my past. I was a slave to the emotional scars from abuse and  hurtful words spoken to me and over my life. 

During this season of "famine" in our life, I have had hours each day to spend sitting at the feet of my Savior. He has revealed the scares and the source of each one. He has healed the scares lovingly and gently one by one. He has changed how I view the events which caused the scares to begin with. 

If my loving Heavenly Father had answered my prayer and given Scott a job when I first started praying, I might not have felt the deep need to spend the hours alone with Jesus. If I had not spent the hours with him, I would still be a slave today. 

When we pray, we must remember that our Father wants our best. He wants to set us free and give is abundant life. He knows how best to accomplish this if we yield to him and act toward him in gratitude not resentment or doubt.  

Too often we frail humans get resentful or discouraged and begin to doubt when our prayers are not met the moment we pray. Instead, we need to seek harder and ask God to teach us the lessons we need to learn through the circumstances we find ourselves in. 

Remember: Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Future and Hope

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Future: that is to be; specifically: existing after death; existing or occurring at a later time

Hope: to cherish a desire with anticipation 

I believe this verse has a two- fold promise. Present future (in the life on earth) and eternity future (heaven).

Present Future-

God has promised to give us a future. He has specific plans and designs for our lives. Unfortunately, we often choose the path we would like, but his plans still prevail. We may take a number of detours but if we are truly committed to following his lead he will guide us on the path  he has planned out for us. 

We do need to remember that we have an enemy who is out to derail those plans and to destroy our lives.  John 10:10 "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  

Our battle is not against men even though the enemy uses people in our lives. The real battle is waged in the spirit realm. Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

We must also remember that things are not always as they appear. The mirror on my car says: "Objects are closer than they appear." Also, if you've ever gone into a fun house at a fair or amusement park you have seen distorted mirrors that mess with your mind. The same holds true in our spirit life. The enemy will build things up to look worse than they are or he will downplay them to make them look less serious than they are depending upon his current goal in our lives. 

The scripture admonishes us not to look at our circumstances through earthly eyes but spirit eyes. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we live by faith, not by sight."  Ephesians 1:18-19 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

Eternity Future-

Our future does not stop when we leave this earthly body. It just begins!!!!   Ecclesiastes 3:11a "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart;" 

Revelation 21:4-7 "‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.'"

Present Hope-

We hope in the promises of God. Here are three of those promises:

1. We are never alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

2. God will give us strength as we hope in him. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)" ...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

3. We receive happiness (joy) as we hope in The Lord. Proverbs 10:28 "The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing."

We all have desires and dreams that God has placed in our hearts.  We pray and hope in faith that God will bring them about in his time. Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."    

Eternity Hope- 

We, like Abraham, are hoping (looking/waiting) for our heavenly home. Hebrews 11:10 "Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God."

God has plans and desires for each of us. If we place our lives securely in his trustworthy hands he will give us our future and our hope!!!

Abundant Life

John 10:10 (KJV) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Abundant: marked by great plenty;  amply supplied; abounding 

God's desire for our lives is abundance. This is true for every area of our lives. However, we need to know God's priorities and align ours with his. 

Our first priority must be to seek first the kingdom. Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." When our focus is on the kingdom, all other things will fade in importance. 

Another priority we must have is to crucify our flesh. Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  We need to daily die to self and live for Christ. We will not always succeed but we will learn new lessons and deeper truths along the way. We will gain a greater understanding of who God is and who we are in him. 

When we fail he forgives and sets us back on the right track. When a child is learning to walk and begins to take the first brave, halting steps alone, the parents don't get angry when he falls, they lovingly pick him up, comfort him, and set him in his feet again. That is how our Heavenly Father treats his children who are repentant. 

To continue, we must yield our (bodies) lives to the will and direction of the Father. Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."  

Yielding costs us something. We must give up running the show. That is not easy for people who have been taught all our lives, by the culture, that life is about "me" and if it feels good to us and makes us happy we should do it. I can tell you from personal experience that allowing God to run the show brings peace and joy. 

Further, we must become givers. We must yield our time, talents, and resources to God and obey him on how to use them.  Luke 6:38 "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 

Jesus illustrated this in the temple. Luke 21:1-4 "While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said, 'this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.'"  It is not about how much we give but the attitude with which we do it. The wealthy made grand shows of putting their gifts in the box, this widow quietly came and gave out of a heart of gratitude and praise. She gave not to receive praise from men but to honor her God. 

Additionally, we must learn to be content with what God provides for us. Hebrews 13:5 "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"   Philippians 4:11 "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have."  

Finally, we must put off worry. Worry comes from lack of trust (faith). If we trusted God to supply ALL our needs we would not worry. Matthew 6:25-33 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Abundant life is a life of peace and joy. A life free from fear and anxiety. When we make God's priorities ours by; seeking first the kingdom, crucifying our flesh, yielding our lives to God's control, becoming givers, learning to be content with what he provides, and putting off worry, we will have peace and joy. We will have abundant life. 

Lasting Peace

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

Peace... Who doesn't want to live in peace?  Then why don't we?  Jesus tells us he is giving us peace of mind and heart as a gift. Why don't we feel that gift actively at work in our lives?  

The answer to the questions above comes in Jesus next statement. "So don't be troubled or afraid."  When we allow fear and worry to creep in our peace flies away. 

It is human nature to want to fix every problem and to reason out solutions to our problems.  This can be one thing that robs us of our peace. The trouble comes, you see, when we become obsessed with finding the solution when sometimes there is no human answer.

Many times we face things for which our finite minds cannot find a solution. Some of the things we face must have a God size solution. That is why the scripture admonishes us to worry about nothing but to pray about everything. Philippians 4:6 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

The next verse in Philippians gives us the promise of peace when we leave our burdens at God's feet in prayer. Philippians 4:7 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

"...as you live in Christ Jesus."  I think of living in Christ like living inside a force field. The current flowing around us, as we live in Christ, is so powerful that the enemy cannot penetrate; unless we give in to worry. Once we give into worry we step outside that protection. 

I've talked about Job before but his story applies here as well. When Satan stood before God, he accused God of putting a hedge (force field) around Job. God chose to remove that hedge and allow the enemy access to Job. I believe there are two reasons He did this:

1. To prove to the enemy and to Job that Job was a righteous man even without the extra security system in place. Job 1:8, 22 "Then the Lord asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.'" "In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God."

2. To teach Job that God is greater than all his fears and that He can restore what is taken by the enemy. Job 3:25 "What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true."  Job 42:12 "So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning."

In this life we will suffer trouble and may lose people or things we hold dear. If we give all our worries to Christ, he will care for us and restore the years the locust (the devourer - Satan) has eaten. 1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."  Joel 2:25a "The Lord says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you."  

God never causes our pain or suffering, however, as with Job, He may allow it to teach us lessons we could/would not learn any other way. Or we may step outside the safety he provides through willful sin or through worry and then we will suffer at the hands of the devourer. Either way, staying "in Christ" is the only way to have true and lasting peace. 

The Key to Contentment

Philippians 4:11 "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have."

Content: pleased and satisfied; not needing more

When I was a girl I remember singing the song "He's all I Need."  The words are: He's all I need, he's all I need, Jesus is all I need. He's all I need, he's all I need, Jesus is all I need."  When I was young I sang that song without understanding what I was saying. Today as I sit here enjoying the sunshine on the mountains, I can honestly say, Jesus is all I need.

As we learn how much he loves us and as we place our faith and trust in him, we begin to feel content.  When we understand what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 16:5 (MSG) "My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!"

God chose us!!!  He kept calling to our hearts until we came to salvation. He pursued us even while we lived lives of sinful rebellion. He never once gave up or got tired of the pursuit. 

Then the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior we became an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. Romans 8:17a "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory."

Heir : a person who has the legal right to receive the property of someone who dies

Jesus already died and rose again so we can access our inheritance whenever we need it. Philippians 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."  

God will supply all we need out of our inheritance. We don't need to fear asking the Father for provision, health, etc. He delights in giving it to us. Matthew 7:7 (MSG) “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?"

Being content involves knowing our needs will be met and bring satisfied with what we have. If we long for things that God hasn't made provision for (the provision might be divine or it can be through our own hard work and income, or maybe even a gift from someone else) we lose our contentment. 

Paul learned that if he had much he could be content and if he had little he could still be content.  His contentment was not based on "things". It was based on his relationship with Jesus, the giver and sustainer of life!!  

If we seek relationship with Jesus above all else God will take care of the rest. Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Check Your Attitude

Philippians 2:5-6, 8 "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross."  In our daily lives and relationships we must express the attitude of a servant to those around us. 

Matthew 20:26-28 "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Jesus was God yet he gave up the splendor of heaven, a life of ease, and his exalted position to be born in a stable. To walk on dusty roads. To live a life of poverty. To be betrayed by a friend and crucified. Why?  

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” 

John 18:37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” 

1 John 3:8 "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."

Hebrews 2:14-15 "Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."

We too, are called to serve. We are called to put others before ourselves. Philippians 2:3-4 "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

When we begin to look out for our own best interests, putting ourselves above others, and think we deserve something from others or the world around us we get a "chip on our shoulder" which is usually expressed in the form of a bad attitude. We may become grumpy, angry, or sulky. We may pout or become snippy or short in our communication with others. 

Beware: Our attitudes will either draw others closer to Christ or push them away. No one wants to spend time with someone who is selfish or has a bad attitude. We are drawn to those who are loving, kind, gentle, etc. Do those adjectives sound familiar?  

Galatians 5:22-26 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

The key to maintaining a proper attitude is to weigh our thoughts and attitudes on the scale of God's Word. Do my thoughts align with those of Christ?  Does my attitude demonstrate that I am a servant; that I am thinking of others above myself?  Does it demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit?  Romans 12:3 admonishes us, "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

Our servant lifestyle must begin at home; the hardest place to practice it!!!  We must be servants to our family first, then to our friends, our coworkers, and on to the world. We must give of ourselves and demonstrate the love of Christ to all we meet each day. 

We may be the only Jesus someone sees. Will they see a Jesus who is a loving servant? Or a Jesus who is selfish and grumpy?  Will they be drawn to the Savior or put off by our grouchy attitude?  

We much choose daily to either die to self or to live by the dictates of our flesh. Joshua 24:15 (NIV) "...then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”