Archive for February, 2010

UNCHANGEABLE LOVE

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Day 7

“My unfailing love for you
will not be shaken”
Isaiah 54:10

The father learned that his teenage boy was in sin and confronted him. He approached his son in love and gave him the opportunity to tell all, but instead the boy only admitted to a one-time incident. The father knew it had been going on for a long time. In fact, he had specific knowledge of the events.

“Have you told me everything?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s it dad.”

The father was sad that his son did not take the opportunity to deal with his sin, or even to admit the depth of it. The discussion was intense, but the father’s love continued to reach out to his son as they stood eyeball-to-eyeball.

He said, “I love you, and no matter what you have done, how wicked, serious, or deep you are into this, my love doesn’t change towards you. You are my son. In fact, my love is greater because I want to help you be free of sin. But, I can’t do that unless you are truthful and let me help.”

With that, the boy could no longer resist, and told all. He sobbed and in between the sobs told of how deeply he had gotten entangled in sin. As the father listened to his 16-year-old son, his heart was filled with compassion. The father was ready to rise up and hold his son tight. He knew exactly what steps to take to give the boy hope and strength. And he knew how to help him stay out of sin for the future.

This is a true story. The father was able to meet his son because he knew His Father’s love. It was that love that loved him first. It was love that called him, forgave his sins and keeps him to this day. He lives a life filled by His Father’s grace and mercy. How could he do any less? And, for that, he was given back his son from the bondage of sin.

“The Lord, who has compassion on you”
Isaiah 54:10b

HIS GENEROSITY

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Day 6

“… beginning with the last”
Matthew 20:8

We always seem to be concerned with fairness, equality, and being treated right. Some rail against God because they consider events in their life to be “unfair.” This is the “why me?” syndrome. But we who know Him know that we are the recipients of God’s marvelous grace and mercy. He alone, in His sovereignty, freely chooses whom He will favor, and in which ways He will do so.

The words “. . . beginning with the last,” ring throughout eternity with the hope He has given us. Those who are destitute, desperate, hopeless and lost find hope in His calling, even when they are the last to enter His presence. In Jesus’ parable, those who only worked one hour received the same pay as the first who worked twelve hours, but it was twelve times more in relationship to the hours worked!

Sadly, those who were first did not rejoice over the generosity, but even took to grumbling and complaining because they had worked all day. The Prodigal son’s brother took exception to the restoration of his brother and the great feast that was given for him. How sad that so many fail to see the richness and generosity of our Father, and fail to partake in the great joy and glory of His making the last first. God’s generosity transcends our ideas of fairness; for no one will receive less than they deserve, but some will receive far more.

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of His unfailing love”
Psalm 33:5

HIS GLORY

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Day 5

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for
all that is in heaven and in the earth is Thine;
Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art
exalted as head above all.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

There is one indisputable and eternal fact in our lives – we exist for God. Although we are the objects of His salvation, grace, and mercy, we are not the center of His universe. He is. Our existence is because of God, and it is to serve His purpose and His glory. Someone stated years ago that it is not God “up there”, but all of the heavens, the universe and the world are in Him.

Great joy and delight must be taken in God’s favor towards us. He truly showers us with blessings, but our rest and peace comes only in understanding His sovereignty; in knowing who He is and His Divine purposes, understanding His Providence and that He works everything to the good for those who love Him. It is in God’s divine providence, the governing and control of all things, that we see His glory.

Do you want to see His glory?

Then see God’s hand in everything, the good and bad, the highs and lows, the peaks and valleys, in health and sickness, and in life and death. He is in it all. There is nothing that happens that is out of His control. Rest in this, and you will find peace and joy, and see His glory.

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever”   Romans 11:36

GOD’S WILL

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Day 4

“I desire to do Your will, O my God;
Your law is within my heart”
Psalm 40:8

Someone once wrote, “I seek to find and serve, believing God would speak definitively and clearly.” There is a funny thing about the will of God; it does not happen the way we envision. The specific direction and blueprint of exactly what we ought to do eludes us. How easy life would be if we had that specificity.

God does not purposely act as a voicemail or texting service for us. He knows we will never know Him intimately if everything is handed to us. Our flesh wants everything spelled out in black and white, literal and specifics. He gives something far more important: His presence and friendship. It is through knowing our Father and growing in relationship we come to know His will.

Jesus said, “You are My friends.” It is through friendship and sharing your life that brings understanding of His will. We find Him in our daily life with its peaks and valleys, calm and adversity and peace and struggles. He is right there walking with us in the middle of the good and bad.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:2

MOVING MOUNTAINS

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Day 3

“What are you, O mighty mountain?”
Zechariah 4:7

Have you ever faced a mountain? Chances are that you have faced many in your life. We are not immune to life’s problems. We face the same realities as others in personal matters, sickness, financial and marital problems, family tragedies and, ultimately, death.

These obstacles are often “mountains” on which we struggle with faith and believing that God will take care of the outcome. Some times these mountains seem impassable. Our reflex is to use our own strength and power to deal with the situation; overcome it with our own might. However, self-strength fails us in the end. We cannot order the events of our lives, although we like to believe we can.

Our hope is not in ourselves, but in Christ, the hope of our glory. God told Zerubbabel that the mountains would become level ground before him, and it was not might or power that would do the job, but God’s Spirit. It is the same for us today. God is responsible for the obstacles and mountains in our life. We are responsible for seeking Him first and His righteousness. If we do that, He will level your mountains.

“Not by might nor by power, but
by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty”
Zechariah 4:6

SEEKING GOD

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Day 2

“That they should seek God”
Acts 17:27

Somehow, the grass is always greener elsewhere. We may be dissatisfied with any number of things that leads us to look for greener pastures. The problem is God has determined where we were born and our appointed times for one purpose, to seek Him in that place.

Our Father’s one great and overriding purpose is for us to have a growing relationship with Him that increases day by day. Our salvation is not an end unto itself, but a key to the door that opens to a life of fullness in Him. Where he put us is where we find Him. He has determined all of our days, but we attempt to determine our own direction without seeking Him first. We want to escape many things in life which are often the very opportunities He has given us to find and know Him. Oddly, we believe that negative events in our life should not be, yet scriptures show us a history of men and women maturing through adversity. Why? God has allowed it so that His glory is seen in us.

Paul tells us to be anxious for nothing, for the Lord is near. Peter tells us that we have been equipped with everything for life and godliness. Matthew records Jesus saying to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Instead of looking at what could be better, seek Him who will fulfill you in everything.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be”  Psalm 139:16b

LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Day 1

“For you did not receive a spirit
that makes you a slave again to fear…”
Romans 8:15

She came out of a hard life and struggled with the idea of God’s acceptance. One day she wrote to her Pastor the following; “I only go so far because I’m afraid. I keep waiting for you to say, okay, ‘I’ve had enough of you. You are never going to get it. You are just a waste of my time.” Rejection and fear; how many of us wrestle with this?

Our Father understands us and this is why He initiated His love first. We who were lost in sin could not love. We were filled with fear: fear of punishment; fear of loss;  fear of rejection; and even fear of love. So, He loved us first. And He demonstrated this love by becoming one of us, living in our midst and by dying for us on a cross.

His love toward us is so immense that He has adopted us as His own. Yes, His own. He has taken us into His house. Now He is our Father. We have been set free to even call Him “Daddy”. In place of fear, He has given us freedom, confidence and the assurance that we are His. He covers us with His love. He fills us with His Spirit. “Our Father in heaven” Matthew 6:9