Mar

31

Where your treasure is, there lies your heart

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Apostle Paul warned the believers not to be overly concerned with worldly things—clothing, food, or their lives in general. The laws of the Pharisees regarding these were useless. Rather, he warned them of greater things.

“And I say unto you my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him” ~ Luke 12:4-5

Paul also instructed them on what was pleasing to the Lord, knowing that some were concerned with amassing riches and glory for themselves, and some were of a doubtful mind, beset with worry. Instead of worrying about the banal things as the world concerns themselves, Paul posed the question: “Is not life more than meat and raiment?”

To think that God clothed the lilies of the field and did not pause to forget that their lives are short lived—here one day and faded the next—how much more will he clothe you? Those of little faith, take heart, Paul said. The hairs on our heads are numbered. His eye is on the sparrow. Are you not more important?

Solomon may have been an elegant dresser, but even the lowly lily still outdid him.

 

Mar

24

Wisdom, knowledge, and the word

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In Athens, Apostle Paul spoke to the highly educated leaders plainly about Jesus. However, despite their keen knowledge, most of them were lost and could not grasp what he was saying. Instead, they laughed at him. Such is the way of the world.

Some knowledge just can’t be obtained through logic. No matter how smart or scholarly, we are not able to encompass all that belongs to the Lord if we are devoid of faith. While he has prepared wonderful and marvelous things far beyond our scope of comprehension and can do “exceedingly, abundantly above” all that we can even imagine, there is only one way to fully comprehend the truth of God’s word and that is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“…we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory.” 1 Cor. 2:7.

As humankind’s intelligence is limited, how can we affirm we have any spiritual knowledge or wisdom above and beyond what has been revealed to us and that we understand through faith? In the chasm between our finite minds and God’s infinite sovereignty, there is a wealth of knowledge to be found, and the Lord is only too pleased to use the Holy Spirit to teach and to guide us as we earnestly search for His truth.

 

Mar

18

Be still…

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With all of the noise coming from Twitter, Facebook, and TV news, it seems everyone has something to say in the public square. Often, the black and white issues of the day become lost in didacticism, leaving little to be stilled in those who have it all figured out as they see fit.

For us, as God’s holy people, His word tells us to be still. Adding to that it says, “and know that I am God.” Does that mean we have to be silent at all times or become a mannequin?

No, to be still before God is to render ourselves in His capable hands and into his control. To allow the Holy Spirit to control our mind and our tongue. When we face issues that come in the heat of the noise around us, He says to release everything into his hands, remembering that He is the strength of our lives. By letting go, we’re trusting God because He’s already proven himself time and time again throughout history. After all, he is the King of Kings.

While there’s a time and place to speak and act, doing so without being still before the Lord can make our desires preeminent to the Lord’s. One day, he will be exalted among the nations and “every knee will bow” to him. As his children, we can do that right now by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to trust him to lead us going forward and, above all, to be still before the almighty, living God.

Mar

11

Reap what we sow

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A common metaphor in the Bible uses horticulture—seeds, plowing, sowing, reaping, growing to give a visual image of the Lord’s truths. The words of Jesus to his disciples concerning the vine and branches in the fifteenth chapter of John came on the night of his betrayal. He wanted to prepare them for what will soon come: the crucifixion, resurrection, his ascension to heaven, and the work that’s to be done until he returns to earth.

Jesus’s intention was to bring joy to the hearts of the disciples.  He knew they’d be despairing soon and wanted to reassure them of his intentions that if they kept abiding in him, they would be fruitful in the work set before them.

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” 

The world longs to have joy and often seeks it—not in the vine—but somewhere else. They may dig and plow to reap their sustenance, but outside of the one true vine, they will not find what they’re looking for and will reap what they sow.

As we grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we find our sustenance can only be replenished through the one true source of all strength, light, and spiritual nourishment…Jesus.

 

Mar

04

One in the Spirit

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With all of the focus on diversity these days, it’s interesting to note that God doesn’t even notice things like race, color, or gender. These statistics don’t matter as the Lord’s focus is on the heart.

As believers, we have fellowship with him as our father, and that makes us collectively all brothers and sisters in the Lord. We comprise the body of Christ. Some may feel like they’re just the big toe, but in a body, the toe really has a huge function!

As Christians, we are called to love one another. Although we all have shortcomings, we’re to make every effort to love in spite of our predilections and peculiarities. We need to preserve the unity of the spirit at all costs. Why? Because we are one—in Christ.

Maintaining a bond of peace is not always easy, but the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the fortification and strength. May we always remember that “There is but one Lord, one faith, and one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5) and also one hope that we share. Truly, it all rests in Him.