"The righteous face many troubles,
but the LORD rescues them from each and every one."
Psalm 34:19 NLT
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Looking Forward
Can you believe I was actually looking forward to the dentist yesterday? One of my teeth had been giving me some trouble for a few weeks, and the discomfort in the last few days had escalated. I was very thankful to be sitting in that chair!
I sought the dentist because there was a problem that I knew only she could solve. Efforts on my part to floss extra well and to gargle with salt water had failed, so I had to seek professional advice. Thankfully the problem wasn't involved (or overly expensive). A few touches of the drill to smooth down the surface of some teeth that had been banging each other was the solution. Now I just have to wait a few days for the sore gums to get better.
Do we look forward to Christ's return as eagerly as a patient with a sore mouth? As I was sitting in the chair waiting to be seen, I couldn't help but think that despite how painful this world is becoming, there are many who try to numb the pain instead of looking for the hope that is found in Jesus.
Christ has taken so long (in our opinions, although God is the one who sets the time) in returning that many have grown complacent and lazy. Instead of living for Him, they endure the moral decay that has come upon this world thinking that it will get better in time. Unfortunately, like a bad tooth, matters will only get worse.
I want to be eager for Christ to come back. I want to welcome Him with an open heart. Corruption, lack of respect, immoral behavior, greed, and a host of other conditions wear us all down. We need deliverance from this pain, and it will only truly come when Christ returns. He is the salve that will heal.
Until then, we can keep hoping that each morning will be the day He calls us home. As long as we have hope, we can long endure. It is when we lack hope that our personal world will truly fall apart.
I sought the dentist because there was a problem that I knew only she could solve. Efforts on my part to floss extra well and to gargle with salt water had failed, so I had to seek professional advice. Thankfully the problem wasn't involved (or overly expensive). A few touches of the drill to smooth down the surface of some teeth that had been banging each other was the solution. Now I just have to wait a few days for the sore gums to get better.
Do we look forward to Christ's return as eagerly as a patient with a sore mouth? As I was sitting in the chair waiting to be seen, I couldn't help but think that despite how painful this world is becoming, there are many who try to numb the pain instead of looking for the hope that is found in Jesus.
Christ has taken so long (in our opinions, although God is the one who sets the time) in returning that many have grown complacent and lazy. Instead of living for Him, they endure the moral decay that has come upon this world thinking that it will get better in time. Unfortunately, like a bad tooth, matters will only get worse.
I want to be eager for Christ to come back. I want to welcome Him with an open heart. Corruption, lack of respect, immoral behavior, greed, and a host of other conditions wear us all down. We need deliverance from this pain, and it will only truly come when Christ returns. He is the salve that will heal.
Until then, we can keep hoping that each morning will be the day He calls us home. As long as we have hope, we can long endure. It is when we lack hope that our personal world will truly fall apart.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A Day at the Beach
The kids and I spent the day at the beach yesterday. School starts very soon, and with a busy calendar up until then, we figured this was the best time for our last summer beach trip.
The kids ran to the water right away while I set up our spot. While they looked for shells, built sand castles, and floundered in the waves, I sat researching my current project. I thought it was going to be difficult concentrating on a historical set of essays with the sounds of the surf, the kids calling out to one another, and the “neighbors” talking, but I ended up getting several pages read and some notes jotted down.
There is just something peaceful about the beach. Maybe it’s the rhythmic beat of the waves or the slight whistle of the wind. Maybe it’s watching a stream of pelicans moving northward or eyeing a sailboat in the distance slowing making its way towards the horizon. Whatever it is, I had a very relaxing time, and the kids had loads of fun.
Summer will be over soon, but at least we can thank God for some enjoyable and memorable days.
The kids ran to the water right away while I set up our spot. While they looked for shells, built sand castles, and floundered in the waves, I sat researching my current project. I thought it was going to be difficult concentrating on a historical set of essays with the sounds of the surf, the kids calling out to one another, and the “neighbors” talking, but I ended up getting several pages read and some notes jotted down.
There is just something peaceful about the beach. Maybe it’s the rhythmic beat of the waves or the slight whistle of the wind. Maybe it’s watching a stream of pelicans moving northward or eyeing a sailboat in the distance slowing making its way towards the horizon. Whatever it is, I had a very relaxing time, and the kids had loads of fun.
Summer will be over soon, but at least we can thank God for some enjoyable and memorable days.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Ultra Clean
I washed my dining room curtains today. My husband was replacing some window shades, so I used this as a perfect opportunity to wash the lace curtains. I used hot water and bleach and a good detergent with the hope that the dingy coloring would be replaced by an almost new looking shine.
Boy, was I disappointed. They didn’t even look as if they had been washed at all! All my efforts had failed. New lace curtains will be on the top of my home improvement list real soon.
Trying to cover up our sins is like washing dingy and stubborn stained curtains. No matter what we try, the results are unsatisfactory. We can never get that clean look back again.
Only God can cleanse us completely. He can take our sins and make them as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18), removing the stain from our lives. Jesus’ death on the cross made this possible. However, we have to ask Him into our hearts so the cleansing process can take effect.
Don’t be like discolored curtains that you have washed and washed all over again in your own efforts, only never to be clean. Ask the Lord to heal you and make you ultra clean.
Boy, was I disappointed. They didn’t even look as if they had been washed at all! All my efforts had failed. New lace curtains will be on the top of my home improvement list real soon.
Trying to cover up our sins is like washing dingy and stubborn stained curtains. No matter what we try, the results are unsatisfactory. We can never get that clean look back again.
Only God can cleanse us completely. He can take our sins and make them as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18), removing the stain from our lives. Jesus’ death on the cross made this possible. However, we have to ask Him into our hearts so the cleansing process can take effect.
Don’t be like discolored curtains that you have washed and washed all over again in your own efforts, only never to be clean. Ask the Lord to heal you and make you ultra clean.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Temporal
As I’ve been watching the Summer Olympics in Beijing, one thought keeps crossing my mind. These athletes have spent years training, hoping, and preparing for this competition. What happens when it’s over? For those who have been fortunate to win, there may be the promise of multi-million dollar endorsement contracts, opportunities to set up their own training facilities, and/or a chance to be a sports commentator at a future Olympic or World Championship event.
But what about those who lose? They put their dreams to win, to bring prestige to themselves and to their country, above all else. Their identities are locked into their abilities to achieve. What have they to look forward to when their hopes come crashing down in that split second it takes for someone else to be victorious?
That’s why it’s so important to remember we live in a temporal world. Things here will fail, fade, and fall away. If we put all our hopes into this world, we will be crushed at some point by defeat since this world can’t possibly meet all of our expectations. We will find it difficult to rise above our heartbreaks because we lack a purpose for tomorrow.
As a Christian our hope is not in today. It is in Christ who promises us eternity with Him. And since our hope is for tomorrow, we should be praying for thoughts and dreams that align more with God’s will than our own. Then when our goals fail here on earth, we will be reminded that a glorious future awaits us.
Don’t get caught up in the temporary. Look for the eternal that far outshines any medals, rewards, or prestige we will ever attain in this world.
But what about those who lose? They put their dreams to win, to bring prestige to themselves and to their country, above all else. Their identities are locked into their abilities to achieve. What have they to look forward to when their hopes come crashing down in that split second it takes for someone else to be victorious?
That’s why it’s so important to remember we live in a temporal world. Things here will fail, fade, and fall away. If we put all our hopes into this world, we will be crushed at some point by defeat since this world can’t possibly meet all of our expectations. We will find it difficult to rise above our heartbreaks because we lack a purpose for tomorrow.
As a Christian our hope is not in today. It is in Christ who promises us eternity with Him. And since our hope is for tomorrow, we should be praying for thoughts and dreams that align more with God’s will than our own. Then when our goals fail here on earth, we will be reminded that a glorious future awaits us.
Don’t get caught up in the temporary. Look for the eternal that far outshines any medals, rewards, or prestige we will ever attain in this world.
Monday, August 11, 2008
What Will It Take?
What will it take for you to be right with God? I’m not talking to the non-believer here. I’m talking to those of you who profess to be Christians.
We live in a secular world, yet we aren’t of this world. But how many of us, like Lot’s wife, have our hearts wrapped up in this world? We serve false idols of possessions, self-indulgences, and/or pleasures. Instead of putting God first, we think of our own needs. Instead of being obedient to His Word, we twist it into our own interpretations. When God says no, we say, “Oh, He couldn’t have meant that,” when, if we are truly honest, we know that’s exactly what He means.
Are we going to be like Lot’s wife and turn back towards our old lifestyle before Christ and yearn for pleasures that last momentarily? If we do, we will suffer the consequences of our disobedience, however God chooses to discipline us. For Lot’s wife, it was being changed into a pillar of salt.
Are we willing to lose our fellowship with God? The more we are disobedient, the more we wander from His will. The more we wander, the less we hear from Him, until the lines of communication are severed.
I’m not willing to risk that. I need daily to examine my heart and see if things are right between Him and me. I need to be completely honest with my relationship with Him, and if there is even the slightest hindrance to my Christian walk, then I need to ask the Lord to forgive me and to help me get back on the right path.
What will it take for you to be right with God? Only you can answer that question. I pray that you will want to.
We live in a secular world, yet we aren’t of this world. But how many of us, like Lot’s wife, have our hearts wrapped up in this world? We serve false idols of possessions, self-indulgences, and/or pleasures. Instead of putting God first, we think of our own needs. Instead of being obedient to His Word, we twist it into our own interpretations. When God says no, we say, “Oh, He couldn’t have meant that,” when, if we are truly honest, we know that’s exactly what He means.
Are we going to be like Lot’s wife and turn back towards our old lifestyle before Christ and yearn for pleasures that last momentarily? If we do, we will suffer the consequences of our disobedience, however God chooses to discipline us. For Lot’s wife, it was being changed into a pillar of salt.
Are we willing to lose our fellowship with God? The more we are disobedient, the more we wander from His will. The more we wander, the less we hear from Him, until the lines of communication are severed.
I’m not willing to risk that. I need daily to examine my heart and see if things are right between Him and me. I need to be completely honest with my relationship with Him, and if there is even the slightest hindrance to my Christian walk, then I need to ask the Lord to forgive me and to help me get back on the right path.
What will it take for you to be right with God? Only you can answer that question. I pray that you will want to.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Weekend Reflection
"But as for me, I will come into Your house
in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship
toward your holy temple."
Psalm 5:7 NKJ
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