Guarding Against a Deadly Virus

Proverbs 14:30 - A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

    When the Bible refers to the heart it is referring to the inner being, which would include the spirit, the mind, the will, and the emotions; basically, everything that is within and unseen. The New Testament further describes the heart when it speaks of the inward man or the hidden man. This verse revealed long ago what medical science only recently discovered; the condition of the man on the inside affects the condition of the man on the outside; spirit affects flesh.

    A sound heart is a healthy, contented heart, one that is filled with peace and free from strife; it may not be free from occasional trouble, but it is free from constant turmoil. People that do not compare themselves with others and are happy with what they have, also seem to be the healthiest people. Our attitudes affect our emotions which, in turn, affect our bodies. That is not to suggest that all sick people are unhealthy on the inside, by no means. Everyone is susceptible and will be challenged with some form of sickness in their life, or in the lives of their loved ones, however, there appears to be a priority laid out for us if we are seeking a long-term answer for our condition.

    When something is of great value to us, we are vigilant and diligent in keeping it safe. Likewise, we must guard the greatest treasure, which is our heart and must always be alert to its condition. In today’s world, we are very aware of keeping our bodies fit. We understand the value of eating nutritiously and exercising regularly, and most of us agree with that. However, if we do not maintain peace and soundness of heart, our steady intake of whole foods and our daily vigorous workouts may be in vain.

    Envy is the type of thing that needs time to become entrenched in a person’s life. It does not simply show up one day and ruin one’s life; it is very subtle and initially appears as something much less dangerous than it is. Envy is lethal, and, like poison, it functions best when undetected. It silently searches to gain entrance and then slowly suppresses the life of its host; it is indeed a cunning and ruthless predator.

    Many times, we confuse envy with jealousy and rightly so, because they are close cousins. It is important, however, to discern the difference. Jealousy is a trait that wants what another person has, and it seems to be satisfied once it possesses what it desires. If a jealous person sees that someone has gotten a new car, for example, then they are happy once they too, get a new car. Envy, on the other hand, goes much further; it doesn’t care to have what another possesses; it just cares that the other does not have it. Envy does not care to have the new car; it only cares that the other person does not have it. Jealousy may curb and deter a person, but envy corrupts and destroys a person right to the core; indeed, as our verse says, they become bad to the bone.

    Envy is a malicious enemy that destroys all in its path. It attacks your spirit and consumes your vitality. It is a deadly, invisible and highly contagious virus. Beware and be alert, because many strong people have been infected and have succumbed to its power.

    The answer, friends, like all of God’s answers, is simple; maintain a sound heart. A sound heart is a heart that is free from envy, and what a wonderful freedom that is. Those who have obtained and enjoy this freedom understand what it takes to preserve it because the enemy once driven out must also be kept out by posting alert sentries at the door of our hearts.

Breathe in His Strength

2 Samuel 22:33 - God is my strength and power: and he makes my way perfect.

    Someone has once said that when you come to the end of yourself, you find the beginning of God. If that is true, then when we are the weakest and feeling the most powerless, we may just be in the best position to experience God as our personal strength and power and, by so doing, we will embrace another aspect of His character and enjoy a closer relationship with Him.

    The ancient Hebrew word for God, in this verse, means the strong and mighty one; He is all-powerful and all-mighty; He is ultimate strength. He is the Creator. He is the One who created the heavens and the earth and set our existence in motion. He is the God of the billions and the One who cares for all and sustains each of us. He is the Almighty One, the Father and Source of life, and because of this, He is worthy of our praise.

    It is always good to focus on God; however, David is not focusing on God alone; he is also focusing on his personal relationship with God. He is my strength. He is my power. He makes my way perfect. The Almighty God is my God. It is possible that this is one of the reasons God spoke of David as a man after His own heart; he made God his God; he made faith in God an intimate matter.

    Many times, we might look at others and think of how faithful they are, or how disciplined they are, or maybe, how kind they are, and we have no problem believing that God will bless and help and strengthen them. In contrast, we sometimes look at ourselves and remind ourselves of how many times we have failed or fallen, but we mustn’t fixate on ourselves, we must get our eyes on Him and His willingness to use His power on our behalf. He is my strength; mine, not just another’s, but, my strength. I, with all my failings, with all my flaws, have the offer of God’s personal touch. He is my God, my strength, my power, and He is with me, as close as the very air I breathe.

    God is. Notice that he did not say that God was. No! God is, and He will always be. As we age, we may hear ourselves speak of things that we used to do. I used to lift hundreds of pounds at the gym. I used to work hard and never grow tired. I used to be able to eat anything and never gain weight. We may also speak of how we used to be strong in the Lord. We used to read and enjoy the Bible. We used to be active and involved with others. Sadly, however, that is the language of regret and lament and it remains stuck in the past. That is also the language of despair and hopelessness; it is trapped; repeating its cycle of history.

    The language of faith, however, brings everything up to date. God is. He is my current strength. He is my present power. He is, right at this moment, making my way perfect. He is not the strength of yesterday or that of tomorrow. Like the oxygen, which we cannot re-use, or store up, He is only available right now, and, identical to the oxygen, He is needed right now.

    Go ahead, friends, breathe in the fresh air of God’s grace and strength. Inhale His mercy, exhale your failings. Inhale His acceptance, exhale your rejection. Inhale His strength, exhale your frailty. Inhale His hope, exhale your despair. And just like the inhaled oxygen courses its way through our bloodstream bringing health as it flows, so God’s strength is coursing its way through your spirit, your mind, your emotions and your body. Whisper it every day and shout if you need to; God is my strength and power!

Are You Well-Adjusted?

Proverbs 1:8 – My son, Hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother.

    God speaks to us as His own sons and daughters, and because He does, our hearts are reassured of security for the future. A father is one who initiates a life but also inspires that life toward the future. My son, you are uniquely connected to a family. You have been born into protection and provision and you have been given a place in the home which is filled with love.  You do not need to struggle for identity, or clamour for attention; you have it. You are my son. You have a wealth of privileges. However, you also have a great responsibility because of what you have. To whom much is given, much is required. You are my son and that means that you are to be the builder of the family name. As sons and daughters, we are to build the family of God; that is our great calling. To build takes time and it takes tact and skill. We are builders of people, not destroyers.

    To hear the instruction of your Father is to pay great attention. It is so easy to be within the sound of someone’s voice but not truly hear. We might hear, that is, our eardrum may have vibrated with sound, but our mind has not caught the meaning of the sound. We must train ourselves to hear; to listen very closely and pay great attention. If we never actually hear and listen to God or others, there will never be any change in our life. Good counselors those who have trained themselves to hear what people are saying. If we get this listening part right, we are covering a lot of ground on the right path.

AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS, WE ARE TO BUILD THE FAMILY OF GOD; THAT IS OUR GREAT CALLING.

    

What is it that we are to pay attention to? We are to hear the Father’s instruction. When we hear the term instruction, we most often think of teaching and education, but it includes so much more. A skillful parent is one who not only teaches the child but trains the child. The time comes when the little ones must stop wearing diapers and so we train them, we do not just instruct; truly, it is not called potty-teaching. Training is the important thing, both in child-rearing and in life, and all of us must be continually trained in the ways of our Father.

    The instruction of the Father also includes warnings, which, if heeded, can save a person from a lot of unnecessary trouble. Warnings are always given ahead of time so that the one being warned can slow down, make the necessary adjustments, and thereby avoid harm. There are extreme weather warnings and there are construction-site hazard warnings; there are health warnings on the cigarette package and there are labels warning us of flammable material. Wise and rare is the one who heeds God’s warnings.

THE TIME COMES WHEN THE LITTLE ONES MUST STOP WEARING DIAPERS AND SO WE TRAIN THEM, WE DO NOT JUST INSTRUCT; IT IS NOT CALLED POTTY-TEACHING.

    

Can we receive the instruction and accept the correction of our Father? If we are being corrected by God, it is because He loves us and wants us to mature and learn to make better choices, thereby creating a better and more stable life. Are we teachable? Or do we think we already know? We live in an uncorrected society. Many adults of today did not have proper training by correction and so, do not know how to respond when being corrected. This is quite tragic because these very same adults are now in positions of authority in government, workplaces and, yes, even churches; we have uncorrected leaders and so the cycle of diminishment and depletion continues.

    Let us settle this fact; we will never outgrow the need to be instructed, corrected and re-directed. Indeed, our progress is qualified by our response to God’s correction; if we constantly defend ourselves and make excuses, we will never change. Correction is normal to any life; the captain of the airplane makes constant corrections to the speed and route of the aircraft so that the passengers will arrive safely at their intended destination. Be encouraged, friends, because the Captain of our salvation also makes constant corrections to our demeanor and direction so that our lives will fulfill His intention and we will arrive safe and sound, welcomed with open arms at the door of His house.