As the time for sleep approaches, Father, I would think upon Your faithfulness through my days, and thank You. Only in eternity will I fully see the constancy of Your care, the protection You so precisely provided, and Your timing of all my circumstances within Your sovereign providence.
I get misty-eyed recalling the numerous moments when I neared tragedy and death, seeing in my memory how unmistakably You intervened. They each rise up in my recollections, bearing silent testimony to the ways You've shown Yourself strong on my behalf. Whether car crashes, near-drownings, or falling unconscious in the hallway, You've made Your loving protection so very plain.
Thank You for bringing them to mind. May Your blessed Spirit use these remembrances to:
deepen my desire to walk in a manner worthy of Your calling;
speak more freely of Your gracious nature to those who do not know You;
refuse the urge to complain or murmur in adversity;
meet each morning with declarations of Your goodness;
close each day with greater gratitude for your grace.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
Ephesians: All of Grace (1:18, 19)
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might"
* After telling the Ephesians that he never ceased praying for them (v.17), Paul breaks out in prayer for them! What a natural sequence this was for him--- moving from a discussion of prayer straight into intercession. May our praying likewise come as naturally!
*Here Paul specifically asks for three aspects of spiritual awareness: he asked the Father that they would come to understand (1) the hope of His calling; (2) the rich inheritance He gives His own; and, (3) the enormity of His power resident within each one of His children.
*First, the calling. Unlike our everyday use and assumption regarding hope, in the Scriptural use of the term there is a certainty involved. We say we hope something will happen (or not happen), and feel assured by past experience which way it will turn out. But we lack the element of certainty. The Bible, however, speaks of the Christian's hope as a settled, immutable issue, having no possibility of failure. Why? The omnipotent and sovereign God of the universe has declared it to be so!
Therefore, we can know that we know we are His. Some would label such confidence arrogance--- the Lord knows it to be grateful belief, taking Him at His infallible Word.
*Secondly, the inheritance. The Lord Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also," (John 14:2,3). Though it is possible to be 'so heavenly-minded as to be of no earthly good', Christians are to think much of our heavenly inheritance. The Lord who has prepared a place for His own would have us meditate longingly upon the time when we will be where He is.
*Thirdly, the power. Paul states the principle autobiographically in II Corinthians 12:9,10 -- the Lord's power is most plainly seen through usable, weakened, and tried vessels. As a thoroughly normal human, Paul took no masochistic delight in the physical adversities to which he was subjected. What caused him the gratitude, endurance, and even rejoicing through the torturous times was the evident power God displayed. Pain increased Paul's dependence on the mighty One. When he could find comfort in no one else, he found Him faithful.
Father, forgive for the ways we chafe against the very tools You use to conform us into the image of Your Son. Increase our trust in Your infinite wisdom, believing You for the loving God that You are.
In Your Son's Name,
Amen.
* After telling the Ephesians that he never ceased praying for them (v.17), Paul breaks out in prayer for them! What a natural sequence this was for him--- moving from a discussion of prayer straight into intercession. May our praying likewise come as naturally!
*Here Paul specifically asks for three aspects of spiritual awareness: he asked the Father that they would come to understand (1) the hope of His calling; (2) the rich inheritance He gives His own; and, (3) the enormity of His power resident within each one of His children.
*First, the calling. Unlike our everyday use and assumption regarding hope, in the Scriptural use of the term there is a certainty involved. We say we hope something will happen (or not happen), and feel assured by past experience which way it will turn out. But we lack the element of certainty. The Bible, however, speaks of the Christian's hope as a settled, immutable issue, having no possibility of failure. Why? The omnipotent and sovereign God of the universe has declared it to be so!
Therefore, we can know that we know we are His. Some would label such confidence arrogance--- the Lord knows it to be grateful belief, taking Him at His infallible Word.
*Secondly, the inheritance. The Lord Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also," (John 14:2,3). Though it is possible to be 'so heavenly-minded as to be of no earthly good', Christians are to think much of our heavenly inheritance. The Lord who has prepared a place for His own would have us meditate longingly upon the time when we will be where He is.
*Thirdly, the power. Paul states the principle autobiographically in II Corinthians 12:9,10 -- the Lord's power is most plainly seen through usable, weakened, and tried vessels. As a thoroughly normal human, Paul took no masochistic delight in the physical adversities to which he was subjected. What caused him the gratitude, endurance, and even rejoicing through the torturous times was the evident power God displayed. Pain increased Paul's dependence on the mighty One. When he could find comfort in no one else, he found Him faithful.
Father, forgive for the ways we chafe against the very tools You use to conform us into the image of Your Son. Increase our trust in Your infinite wisdom, believing You for the loving God that You are.
In Your Son's Name,
Amen.
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Word and Warfare
The Holy Spirit is like our General in this war, and the sharper the soldier, with readied weapons, the more powerfully He will be able to use us, with greater damage to the Enemy of our soul.
Among the various ways and means that the spiritual soldier can gain and maintain a state of readiness, sword continually sharpened, memorization of the Word is the best.
Psalm 119:11 provides the most basic, foundational motive for memorizing the Scriptures --- “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” As Charles Spurgeon noted astutely, it is the best thing in the best place for the best purpose.
As a seasoned Seminary professor I admired once said, “It is amazing the affinity the Holy Spirit has for a trained mind.” In context he was encouraging Seminary training, but there is needed application related to Scripture memory, as well.
The more of the Bible that is lovingly stored away by the Christian soldier, the greater the ammunition available to the blessed Spirit for warfare.
And He is so faithful to bring to one’s remembrance a pertinent verse, or even part of one, at the exact time it is needed most. It would be grievous to know how many times we have succumbed to temptations, or acted un-biblically, or made foolish decisions simply because we didn’t know the Word.
Like Elisha’s servant in II Kings 6:17, may the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see the ongoing warfare that is happening in the spiritual realms even at this moment. Would that He would impress upon us the urgency of having un-rusted swords, by hiding His Word in our hearts for use at any given moment!
Morning Plea
Thank You for the morning, Father.. for the refreshing effect of sleep.. for the protection You provide through the night, when we are most vulnerable...
Praise to Your Name that You never sleep, nor slumber... that we are always before You...
Amazing that You would commit Yourself to such as us.... providing Your Book filled with promises, as trustworthy as Your Name and character..
providing Your very presence in the Person of the Holy Spirit... expressing Himself through producing fruit by grace...
through bringing to our remembrance the things the Lord Jesus said...
through bearing witness with our spirit that we are Yours..
through faithful, needed conviction of sin...
through promptings in our inner man that speak to our spirit for direction and leading...
through speaking peace to our hearts...
through confirming by conversation with others Your will from Your Word...
and all because of the Lord Jesus, and His sinless death and blood atonement for satisfying Your just and righteous anger against sinners!
Selah (Pause & Ponder)
Father, grant that this would be a day in which our eyes are fixed upon You... for when we focus on ourselves and our walk, it leads to either despair or pride.
Forgive for ways we compare ourselves with others... for there, again, we are given to either introspection or self-satisfaction.. neither of which is pleasing to You. Only as our thoughts are filled with contemplations of You, Your blessed Word, Your faithful character, will, and ways, will our perspective be pleasing and our lives usable.
Forgive, too, for the love of ease that fills our days... we see so little sacrifice, know so little of the heaviness of heart You have for this lost world...
No one better than You knows the prayerlessness of our hearts... our thoughts so easily taken from You, and placed on the seen, the incidental, the transitory, the temporal, the inconsequential, the worldly.
Do a work of restoration, Father, that can be explained in no other way than that You did it.
Be pleased to call us back to Yourself... to the days when our love for You was fresh, clean, joyous, thrilled with You, yearning to know You, to tell others how wonderful You truly are!
You know perfectly how desperately we need a personal awakening... and how deeply our decadent nation needs awakening... instill in our hearts afresh... grant the desire anew... to pay the price of godliness, to become usable again, and used for Your glory....
and please move us from fine-sounding words and phrases, to actual obedience.
In the Lord Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Impact of Absence
As presence, so absence has an impact.
Perhaps it's precisely because of the power of presence that the impact of absence is so keenly felt. And no other time of the year heightens the awareness of this truth as does Christmas.
Touted by the world as the ultimate time of year when families are to gather intact, and experience a closeness unknown at any other time, any deviances from those expectations are seen as regrettable. So, with such unreasonable expectations, and with so many marriages and homes being devastated by divorce and unfaithfulness, Christmas becomes an occasion for cynicism and melancholy.
Is there an absence here? Yes. The impact of ignoring the One whose presence is at the very heart of Christmas takes a terrible toll. Only as the Lord Jesus is looked to for salvation, and only as He is centralized in the celebrations at this time of year, will peace of mind and spirit be possible.
However intensely the world tries to trivialize this truth, Jesus IS the Reason for the Season.
Touted by the world as the ultimate time of year when families are to gather intact, and experience a closeness unknown at any other time, any deviances from those expectations are seen as regrettable. So, with such unreasonable expectations, and with so many marriages and homes being devastated by divorce and unfaithfulness, Christmas becomes an occasion for cynicism and melancholy.
Is there an absence here? Yes. The impact of ignoring the One whose presence is at the very heart of Christmas takes a terrible toll. Only as the Lord Jesus is looked to for salvation, and only as He is centralized in the celebrations at this time of year, will peace of mind and spirit be possible.
However intensely the world tries to trivialize this truth, Jesus IS the Reason for the Season.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
In His Presence
There is such power in presence!
I recall when the soldiers sought to arrest the Lord Jesus in the Garden, on the night of His betrayal…. And, upon being told that He indeed was the one they sought, “they drew back and fell to the ground,” (John 18:6).
What a sight that must have been! Battle-hardened soldiers, nerves steeled by the atrocities of war, and they are stumbling to the ground, retreating from the presence of a young, unarmed Rabbi. How can this be explained...?
It was a demonstration of deity. The Lord Jesus had said, "I am He." He had proclaimed The Name. Even as in the Old Testament encounter and conversation with reluctant Moses, The Name gave assurance of God's presence (Exodus 3:14). [By the way, Moses, too, found his way to the ground, when brought into His presence].
Such a challenge are these encounters with the living God to the theoretical acknowledgement of His presence in the experience of too many believers. When will we move from vague, mental agreement with the doctrine of His omnipresence, to actually encountering Him...?
May He shake us to the core of our being by His powerful presence!
I recall when the soldiers sought to arrest the Lord Jesus in the Garden, on the night of His betrayal…. And, upon being told that He indeed was the one they sought, “they drew back and fell to the ground,” (John 18:6).
What a sight that must have been! Battle-hardened soldiers, nerves steeled by the atrocities of war, and they are stumbling to the ground, retreating from the presence of a young, unarmed Rabbi. How can this be explained...?
It was a demonstration of deity. The Lord Jesus had said, "I am He." He had proclaimed The Name. Even as in the Old Testament encounter and conversation with reluctant Moses, The Name gave assurance of God's presence (Exodus 3:14). [By the way, Moses, too, found his way to the ground, when brought into His presence].
Such a challenge are these encounters with the living God to the theoretical acknowledgement of His presence in the experience of too many believers. When will we move from vague, mental agreement with the doctrine of His omnipresence, to actually encountering Him...?
May He shake us to the core of our being by His powerful presence!
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