Some of the most beautiful things grow in hard places.
For instance, at the end of my driveway sits a huge cement flower pot atop a brick entrance-way. Normally by this time in the season, I've planted some blue or purple petunias in the pot to give the yard some color, but I just haven't had the chance yet. So, the pot remains bare, with the exception of what's growing at its base.
A couple of weeks ago, I was amazed to see a little flower, peeking its head out from between the bottom of the flower pot and the top of the brick wall. It was an unusually striking sight to see a flower growing in that type of environment.
That single flower has now grown into a little bouquet, full of blue, white and purple petunias. Those colors are very noticeable against the red bricks and black pot, so you can imagine that my eyes are drawn to it immediately as I drive into the entrance of my home. I saw it again yesterday, and the thought struck me...some of the most beautiful things grow in hard places.
Hmmm...
My life is the same way. I look back over my walk with Jesus, and some of the most beautiful times in my life...the times that have produced the most fruit...the times that have been the most unusually striking...have been when I have chosen to trust Him in the hard places.
Romans 5:3-5 says, 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NAS) The New Century Version reads, 3 We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience.4 And patience produces character, and character produces hope.5 And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.
Beloved of God, let's not lose heart in the hard places of life. We've got to remember that God is able not only to deliver us through them, but to cause us to bear beautiful fruit - during and after. God gave us this life to exhibit His glory...to be a "flower" in an unsuspectingly hard place, so that others can see His glory revealed in us.
Father, help us to remember as we struggle in this life and choose to worship in the hard places, You are creating something beautiful in us to show the world Your glory. Thank You, for our adversities, Jesus. Thank You for their eventual outcome. We praise You. Amen.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
What's So Good About Good Friday?
What's so good about Good Friday? I found myself - asking myself - that very question. After all, this was the day Christ died...the day the Church commemorates the death of Christ on the cross...the day Jesus:
...was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Is. 53:3)
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed. (Is. 53:5)
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. (Is. 53:6b)
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth. (Is. 53:7)
Something about that just doesn't seem right. Where's the "good?" He was a king...no, He was THE KING. He was the exact representation of God here on earth, and yet instead of treating Him the way He deserved, we spat on Him and sold His clothing for money. The God of Heaven sent His Son to us, and we thought of Him as stricken, cursed of God. Christ left everything that was His for us...His home, His glory, His Father's presence, His wealth, His power, His riches, His esteem...He left it all and came here as a baby...to die for us.
I ask you, what's so good about that? What's so good about Jesus dying an excruciatingly painful death on a gnarled, old tree?
Well, it didn't take long to figure out the answer. For you see, after careful consideration of the death of Christ, I decided that I couldn't call it anything but good. It wasn't a tragedy or even a mistake. It was a Divine appointment...an end AND beginning to a beautiful plan. Good Friday is good, simply because:
...without the death of Christ, there would be no resurrection;
...without the resurrection, there would be no new birth;
...without a new birth, there would be no home in heaven with God;
...without a home in heaven with God, there would be no hope.
May we celebrate this day, God, with reverence and awe as we reflect on Your goodness for providing a way for us to come to You...for You to become our Father. Thank You, Jesus for the price You paid on that cross. Thank You for being so strong...for leaving all that was good and right to come here, to make the world good and right. Praise You, Jesus. Praise You!
...was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Is. 53:3)
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed. (Is. 53:5)
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. (Is. 53:6b)
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth. (Is. 53:7)
Something about that just doesn't seem right. Where's the "good?" He was a king...no, He was THE KING. He was the exact representation of God here on earth, and yet instead of treating Him the way He deserved, we spat on Him and sold His clothing for money. The God of Heaven sent His Son to us, and we thought of Him as stricken, cursed of God. Christ left everything that was His for us...His home, His glory, His Father's presence, His wealth, His power, His riches, His esteem...He left it all and came here as a baby...to die for us.
I ask you, what's so good about that? What's so good about Jesus dying an excruciatingly painful death on a gnarled, old tree?
Well, it didn't take long to figure out the answer. For you see, after careful consideration of the death of Christ, I decided that I couldn't call it anything but good. It wasn't a tragedy or even a mistake. It was a Divine appointment...an end AND beginning to a beautiful plan. Good Friday is good, simply because:
...without the death of Christ, there would be no resurrection;
...without the resurrection, there would be no new birth;
...without a new birth, there would be no home in heaven with God;
...without a home in heaven with God, there would be no hope.
May we celebrate this day, God, with reverence and awe as we reflect on Your goodness for providing a way for us to come to You...for You to become our Father. Thank You, Jesus for the price You paid on that cross. Thank You for being so strong...for leaving all that was good and right to come here, to make the world good and right. Praise You, Jesus. Praise You!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Hidden Things
It's been at least three years, but I've still got glass coming out of my hand. Not long after we moved into our new home, I tripped over something on the sidewalk, while carrying several Christmas glasses. They shattered when I hit the pavement, and pieces of broken glass dug into my hand and evidently decided to stay. Since that time, every so often, my hand gets a small sore in the general vicinity of the cuts I received that night. On occasion, I "get lucky" and find the glass, so I can remove it, but most of the time, it escapes without me ever seeing it.
Our bodies are amazing. God designed them to reject things that don't belong in them. My body sees the glass embedded in my hand as an enemy, and therefore attacks it - forcing it back through the entrance by which it came.
God designed our "spiritual bodies" in a similar way. The Spirit that lives within us sees sin as an enemy and forces it to rise to the surface of our lives. Years may pass, but if the Spirit is at work in us, then He will not allow sin to remain embedded in our hearts. It's unhealthy, and therefore, has got to come out.
To my shame, there have been times in my life when I have intentionally harbored sin and protected it from the hand of God - buying time with, "It's not so bad," or "What's the big deal?" However God, in His supreme patience with me, allowed me to feel the effects of that sin over time and gently taught me that sin, is indeed, the enemy and must be dealt with. At other times, I have been completely unaware that I was harboring any sin at all, but again God in His patience, brought the sin to the surface, so that I could see it and get rid of it...in a hurry!
Ps. 32:3,4 says, When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. David had been harboring his sin of adultery, deceit, murder - just to name a few things...and he "seemed" to get away with it. Yet, his physical body told him differently. The notes in my Open Bible say that when he kept silent in resistance to God, the inner struggle of conscience and conviction drained away the very viatlity of life. David literally became unhealthy, because of his harbored, unconfessed sin.
Now if that were the end of the mighty king's story...if Scripture left David there, then we would have no reason to rejoice over his life. However in vs. 5, David says, I acknowledged my sin to You and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
That's HUGE! David spent all that time wasting away, when all he had to do was "fess up" about what he had been doing and agree with God that it stunk! When he finally did, God forgave the iniquity (the very depth) of his sin.
He'll do the same for us, too! He'll forgive the very depth of our sin, the moment we ask. Now that's a reason to rejoice!
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous: and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Ps. 32:10,11
Thank You, Father, that You are patient and loving, waiting for us to agree with You over our sin, so that we can be restored and forgiven. Thank You that You don't allow us to continue to be deceived, but You cause hidden sins to rise to the top of our lives, so we can deal with them as what they truly are...our enemies. Cause us to desire You...to love You with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and to live our lives accordingly. We love You, Lord. You are good.
Our bodies are amazing. God designed them to reject things that don't belong in them. My body sees the glass embedded in my hand as an enemy, and therefore attacks it - forcing it back through the entrance by which it came.
God designed our "spiritual bodies" in a similar way. The Spirit that lives within us sees sin as an enemy and forces it to rise to the surface of our lives. Years may pass, but if the Spirit is at work in us, then He will not allow sin to remain embedded in our hearts. It's unhealthy, and therefore, has got to come out.
To my shame, there have been times in my life when I have intentionally harbored sin and protected it from the hand of God - buying time with, "It's not so bad," or "What's the big deal?" However God, in His supreme patience with me, allowed me to feel the effects of that sin over time and gently taught me that sin, is indeed, the enemy and must be dealt with. At other times, I have been completely unaware that I was harboring any sin at all, but again God in His patience, brought the sin to the surface, so that I could see it and get rid of it...in a hurry!
Ps. 32:3,4 says, When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. David had been harboring his sin of adultery, deceit, murder - just to name a few things...and he "seemed" to get away with it. Yet, his physical body told him differently. The notes in my Open Bible say that when he kept silent in resistance to God, the inner struggle of conscience and conviction drained away the very viatlity of life. David literally became unhealthy, because of his harbored, unconfessed sin.
Now if that were the end of the mighty king's story...if Scripture left David there, then we would have no reason to rejoice over his life. However in vs. 5, David says, I acknowledged my sin to You and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
That's HUGE! David spent all that time wasting away, when all he had to do was "fess up" about what he had been doing and agree with God that it stunk! When he finally did, God forgave the iniquity (the very depth) of his sin.
He'll do the same for us, too! He'll forgive the very depth of our sin, the moment we ask. Now that's a reason to rejoice!
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous: and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Ps. 32:10,11
Thank You, Father, that You are patient and loving, waiting for us to agree with You over our sin, so that we can be restored and forgiven. Thank You that You don't allow us to continue to be deceived, but You cause hidden sins to rise to the top of our lives, so we can deal with them as what they truly are...our enemies. Cause us to desire You...to love You with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and to live our lives accordingly. We love You, Lord. You are good.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Saving Seeker
Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he…remember that song? It’s been a long time since I’ve sung it or heard it sung in its entirety, but I can still remember the words. Imagine that…35+ years later, and that song is still fresh in my memory.
It’s true, you know. Zacchaeus was real. Like the Apostle Matthew, he was a wealthy tax collector, hated by those around him. He lacked for nothing. He had everything life had to offer, except one thing - height. Zacchaeus was “short of stature,” as Luke 19 tells us. He was indeed a “wee-little man.”
Grant it, for a man of his financial means, being short of stature probably wasn’t a big deal. He had everything he needed and wanted in life and more. As a matter of fact, Zacchaeus probably had the town’s people bending over backwards to please him, so they could get out of being taxed or find some relief from it. However, on the day Jesus came to town, being “short of stature” caused a major problem for Zacchaeus that all the money in the world couldn’t fix. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn’t stretch high enough or stand up straight enough to see over the crowds and catch a glimpse of the Savior.
Scripture says that Zacchaeus “sought to see who Jesus was.” He was desperate – so desperate that he literally ran ahead of the Messiah and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Something inside Zacchaeus evidently yearned for Christ…to meet Him…to be near Him…to see Him. Can you imagine the elation he felt when Jesus stopped, looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Scripture says that Zacchaeus responded by doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. He shimmied down that tree and “received Him joyfully.”
We could all learn a lesson from Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus, as well as his obedience to the call of Christ, but the last part of the story is what gets me the most. After Zacchaeus climbed down out of the tree, he told Jesus that he was going to give half of everything he owned to the poor and restore four times the amount of what he had stolen from the people. After hearing this, Jesus said, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
What an awesome statement! Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. That’s me! I was lost, and He came and found me. I was just like a little girl, wandering lost in a huge department store, unable to see over the clothes racks and find a way out. I was scared, fearful, and mistrusting of everyone around me - horrified that someone might come and take me away. My situation was hopeless. I was undeniably, undoubtedly lost. Until…at the end of the isle, Christ appeared. He called me to Himself, and I ran in desperation to meet Him. Jesus could have just stood at the front of the store and called my name, but He didn’t. Instead, He sought me. He found me. He saved me. How precious…how very much like God.
Jesus, thank You for coming to seek and to save me. May I never get so far removed from You or Your Word that I forget what You did for me…how You found me and drew me to Yourself…not because of anything I had done, but just because it was Your desire to seek and to save that which was lost. Thank You, Jesus.
It’s true, you know. Zacchaeus was real. Like the Apostle Matthew, he was a wealthy tax collector, hated by those around him. He lacked for nothing. He had everything life had to offer, except one thing - height. Zacchaeus was “short of stature,” as Luke 19 tells us. He was indeed a “wee-little man.”
Grant it, for a man of his financial means, being short of stature probably wasn’t a big deal. He had everything he needed and wanted in life and more. As a matter of fact, Zacchaeus probably had the town’s people bending over backwards to please him, so they could get out of being taxed or find some relief from it. However, on the day Jesus came to town, being “short of stature” caused a major problem for Zacchaeus that all the money in the world couldn’t fix. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn’t stretch high enough or stand up straight enough to see over the crowds and catch a glimpse of the Savior.
Scripture says that Zacchaeus “sought to see who Jesus was.” He was desperate – so desperate that he literally ran ahead of the Messiah and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Something inside Zacchaeus evidently yearned for Christ…to meet Him…to be near Him…to see Him. Can you imagine the elation he felt when Jesus stopped, looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Scripture says that Zacchaeus responded by doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. He shimmied down that tree and “received Him joyfully.”
We could all learn a lesson from Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus, as well as his obedience to the call of Christ, but the last part of the story is what gets me the most. After Zacchaeus climbed down out of the tree, he told Jesus that he was going to give half of everything he owned to the poor and restore four times the amount of what he had stolen from the people. After hearing this, Jesus said, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
What an awesome statement! Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. That’s me! I was lost, and He came and found me. I was just like a little girl, wandering lost in a huge department store, unable to see over the clothes racks and find a way out. I was scared, fearful, and mistrusting of everyone around me - horrified that someone might come and take me away. My situation was hopeless. I was undeniably, undoubtedly lost. Until…at the end of the isle, Christ appeared. He called me to Himself, and I ran in desperation to meet Him. Jesus could have just stood at the front of the store and called my name, but He didn’t. Instead, He sought me. He found me. He saved me. How precious…how very much like God.
Jesus, thank You for coming to seek and to save me. May I never get so far removed from You or Your Word that I forget what You did for me…how You found me and drew me to Yourself…not because of anything I had done, but just because it was Your desire to seek and to save that which was lost. Thank You, Jesus.
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