Light in the Darkness

Isaiah 9:2 - The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light has shined. 

 

Darkness. Just the mention of the word brings up feelings of heaviness, sadness, isolation, and despair. Memories of lost loved ones, reminders of broken relationships, and the pain of sheer loss may come to us when we sit alone in the dark. Our world is confused, perplexed, divided, and polarized. It is in a state of darkness, which is separating us from the light and warmth of family and friends. Even those who may not be separated and alone are still, quite often, lonely.

I once heard that loneliness might be the longing of one’s heart crying out for relationship. It might be the soul calling out to be noticed. If that is true, then the sense of aloneness and solitude can be an opportunity to listen for the Voice that is whispering your name. Even though our world may be a dark place, a place without hope, a place without guidance, without purpose, yet there is a light that shines in the darkness. When the night comes, as it does to all of us, we must remember that the light has not stopped shining. It has not changed. The light remains undiminished. It is we that have changed. Just as the Earth revolves and reorients itself to the Sun, so we too, must again turn our eyes to the light.

Religion is man’s attempt to bring light to the world, but sadly, that light is no more than a flashlight and the batteries are dying. Religion preaches right and wrong, good and bad, worthy and unworthy. God’s light does neither, it simply shines. It unveils with intense clarity things as they are. Light never needs to boast or trumpet its entrance, it is silent yet poised and powerful. It diffuses its rays effortlessly and darkness must always give way to its influential presence.

The verse above relates to the time of the very first Christmas, indeed the birth of Jesus marked the arrival of a very great light. The world had always walked in darkness, only darkness, heavy darkness, and like a night-time creature, all eyes had adjusted to it. The hope of light had diminished, and it seemed like darkness had won…but a Child was born. And this Child was like no other. He shone a bright and illuminating light, He dispelled the night wherever He went, and He still does today.

I want to encourage you, friends, when you think of this season, when you think of your life and the changes you hope for, do not think of religion and who is right and who is wrong. Do not think of governments and who is good and who is bad. Do not think of all that is chaotic or depressing. No! Simply think of Jesus who is light. Think of the power of light and the warmth and life that it brings. Remove the barriers that are blocking the light. Open the shutters of your heart and mind and let the light in. That light will inspire you and illuminate your path. What clarity, what hope, what joy, what a future light creates! Truly and undeniably, ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light!’

He Gives Power to the Faint

 

Isaiah 40:29 - He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength. 

    The God we serve is not far off, distant, or disengaged from our lives; in fact, He is the exact opposite of that. He is the up close and personal God; the greatest and most caring Father one could ever know, and this is the One of whom Isaiah says that He gives power to the faint. It is always His will and desire to give, and that is because giving is His very nature.

    What is it that the Lord wants to give? Power. Nothing in this life will be of any use without power. Mankind has always looked for ways to harness a greater power to produce maximum results. In the days before electrical power was dominant, there were other forms of power which were utilized by men. It might have been the power of the long branch operated to leverage a heavy object, or the power of the horse pulling a plow, or that of the rushing river turning a wheel to grind flour. Likewise, our bodies need an outside power which is greater than ourselves, and our gracious Father is in the power business.

    He gives power; we do not earn it. It is freely given, but just like electricity must be conducted, so the laws surrounding God’s power must be followed for it to flow unhindered. As was stated previously, it is always God’s will to give, but there is no giving without one to receive the gift, and the way that we receive from Him is by faith. Faith is conducive to the flow of power.

   When something is referred to as being faint, then that means it is feeble and weak. A faint signal would be one that is extremely hard to hear and barely perceptible; a faint light would be a dim bulb that is on the verge of burning out; and a faint body would be one that is very fragile and without strength or vitality. God gives power to the faint; He strengthens the weak bodies of people and places them on a path of recovery. He strengthens their resolve and fills them anew with hope. Power from God does not always remove the sickness instantaneously, although it can, it often simply strengthens the body and promotes a healing process. If we are struggling with a sickness or, a chronic weakness of any kind, based on this verse, we can confidently ask and expect God to give us His power and strength to overcome the difficulty.

    Who is it that God desires to give His power to? The faint and those who have no strength. The heart of our Father God seems to be attracted to the underdog and to those who have no one to help them. Indeed, He says elsewhere that He will not extinguish a dimly burning wick. This is good news for all who find themselves in a dark and depressed place, without hope, for when we are at the end of our self, we find the beginning of God. The end of our rope is the place where we can let go and let God catch us in His loving arms, and once those arms surround and embrace us, His power is simultaneously transferred through those arms into us. He is so faithful; without a doubt; He gives power to the faint.

Stand on Guard

 

Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

There is some very passionate and intense language in this verse exhorting us to guard our hearts. To guard something implies that there is danger nearby that may threaten its safety and preservation. If I am guarding a valuable treasure, that means that I will have to take precautions to keep it out of the hands of vandals or thieves. I will have to have plans in place to ensure its protection. Anything of value in this life is at risk of being stolen, for there is always a thief watching and waiting to take what doesn’t belong to him.

Not only are we told to guard the treasure of our hearts, we are told to do it above all else. Let this take precedence. Let this be your priority. If we do not guard our hearts, we may lose everything. Nothing else matters if we lose our sense of purpose, or we lose our own sense of value; we have lost everything. I could have a lot of money but be totally empty inside. I could have a large paid-for house, but no friends or family around to enjoy it with me. Or, sadly, I could have a successful ministry and large congregation, but it may have cost me much more than I intended.

Of course, all these things are part of the challenge of living a balanced life. God desires for us to be productive in life; He wants us to be influencers and leaders within our social circles. He knows what it takes to make a living, to raise a family, to serve in your church, or community. Balance and priorities are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life.

Our primary task is keeping a close eye on our heart, which is our inner man, our spirit, the person within, who is in contact and communion with God. Like the roots of a tree, which are hidden from our view, our spirit is rooted in the unseen realm, deep in the soil of God and through that connection, we draw up life from Him. Just as that same tree needs its roots to be protected, so we, too, must diligently guard our hearts for, like the roots, out of it comes our very life. The condition of our life is determined by the condition of our heart, just as the health of the root determines the health of the fruit.

If we’ve made wrong choices and said stupid things, as all of us have, we should listen to the counsel of a friend of mine who always has deep insights from God. He says, ‘Instead of asking others, why does this keep happening to me? We should ask ourselves, why does this keep coming out of me?’ In other words, the problem may be a little closer to home than we would like to admit, but then again, so is the solution.

A tree does not grow on its’ own; it grows within a context and setting. We too, do not grow on our own. We are planted in a setting and within an environment. We are dependent on the temperature of the climate and the condition of the soil. Sun, wind and rain are all factors. We do not control any of those things, but we can control our response to them. In fact, just as God has designed the tree to remain healthy and thus, be able to withstand adversity, we too, have been designed by God to remain healthy and to thereby, resist harsh conditions. We are created to not only survive but thrive.

Guard your heart. Don’t let the hardships and trouble poison you. Don’t let those things change you. You are a child of the Father and His love is in you, and one of the best ways to guard your heart is to keep walking in love. I’ve always been impressed with those who have gone through the harshest experiences and bitter betrayals, and yet have remained tender and sweet. Now, that is the kind of tree that will fill one’s life with bountiful and beautiful fruit forever.

 

Are You Aware of Your Blindspots?

 

Proverbs 12:15 - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkens to counsel is wise. 

    It is an unhappy propensity in all of us, that once we decide that we are right about something, we bulldoze ahead, not listening to anyone, or considering what others have to say. This is what the Bible describes as the way of a fool.

    The pathway of the foolish is the course that they are on; it is the habits, patterns and methods that are consistently followed. In the fool’s narrow mind, he is always right. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, He commanded them to refrain from eating of one specific tree: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some have suggested that it could be called, the tree of the knowledge of right and wrong. If we are not careful, it is very easy to fall into this foolish way of living; that of making all our decisions based on who’s right and who’s wrong. Years ago, a young married man decided that his wife was not listening to him, so he took her to my pastor friend, and described in detail how she was wrong. My friend quietly listened and then wisely answered him by saying that he could either insist on being right, or he could be married. He was living by right and wrong instead of partaking of a different tree; that of the tree of life. Isn't this our tendency?

    If we think we are right about something, and we may be, we should first, wisely consider what others think. Some people brazenly say, ‘I don't care what anyone thinks.’ While it is true that we do not care what everyone thinks, surely, we care what some people think. I certainly care what my wife thinks, I care what my children think, I care what my coworkers think, and I care what my pastor thinks. There are significant others whom we must wisely consult and listen to before making our big decisions. Another's perspective is essential to a successful life, because we all have blind spots.

    When driving down the road, before we make a left-hand lane change, we check our rear-view and side-view mirrors, but we also sensibly do a shoulder check, because in between those two mirrors is a blind spot. This is how we get into trouble and many collisions take place. We don't discipline ourselves to take the necessary precautions before going ahead. If we want to remain safe, we cannot skip the shoulder check. Listening to another's counsel is like that shoulder check, and wisdom will always lead us to do it. We have seen many things like this happen. We can see the person up ahead begin to make a lane change, and because we are far enough back that we have perspective, we can see that he's going to crash into another car. It is so clear and obvious to the one who has perspective, but not to the one who thinks he's right and blindly moves ahead.

    We can see this same thoughtlessness illustrated when a pedestrian, who has the right of way, foolishly steps off the curb without looking, and is hit by a car. He may have been right; he even had the right of way. The driver was unmistakably wrong, but sadly, in this case, the pedestrian was killed; he was so right, that he was dead right.

    Let's be wise, friends, and slow down and ask the trusted people around us what they think. We may not like everything we hear, because we may learn some unpleasant or unflattering things about ourselves. As we grow older, it is harder to hear those things and change, but a wise and humble person will always do it.

 

Jesus Christ; The Same

 

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

          Our Lord Jesus is referred to by many different titles, such as Saviour, Redeemer and Lord, and His character is also described in many ways. For example, in John’s writings, he refers to Jesus as, Jesus Christ the Righteous, the Faithful Witness, the First Born from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. In our text today, we could add another description of His character, and that is one that should fill our hearts with great assurance and hope; Jesus Christ, the Same.

          The fact that He is the same, forms a very solid basis for my sense of security in life. He is the same. He has never changed, not in any way. Every yesterday of my life, He was there, and He was the same as He has always been. His heart of love that pursues me, and His calling on my life have never once wavered. I have wavered; I have not remained the same, I have not been steady but, thankfully, He has. My past was never lived without being under His watchful and closely kept eye. Regardless of the circumstances, I know without a doubt that He has been faithful to me, and that faithfulness is the very definition of remaining the same. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday.

          What about today? Can we bank on the fact that He is the same right now? Yes, we can! He is the same compassionate God who created the universe to begin with. He is the same One who longed for a relationship with mankind, and thus made us in His image. And, of course, Jesus is the same Man who walked through this life ministering and unveiling the heart of God to all. He is the forgiving One. He is the healing One. He is the Restorer of lost souls. He is the Master coach, who mentors and guides us into a life of victory over trouble. Jesus Christ the same, today.

          What He was yesterday, and what He is today, He will remain the same forever. Throughout the ages He will always be the One who loves, leads, lifts, and loosens. He loves us in our lowest points, and He leads us into His perfect will. He lifts us from the deepest and darkest of pits, and He loosens us from the chains that have bound us and held us captive. Through this life and the next we can rest assured that He will never change. Jesus Christ the same, forever.

          Different branches of the church believe that what Jesus once did, when He lived and walked among us, as recorded in the Gospels, He does not do anymore. The day of miracles is past, they say. If that is true, then this verse is not true, because this verse assures us that whatever He has done, He is still doing today because He is the unchanging One. He still heals the sick and suffering ones. He still has compassion on the weak and the poor. He still shows mercy to all who cry out to Him. He forgives the sinner. He restores the outcasts. He welcomes those who have been rejected and ostracized. He feeds the hungry, He clothes the naked. He shelters the homeless. Jesus proclaimed that God had anointed Him to preach the gospel to the poor, he had sent Him to heal the broken-hearted, and to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Thank God, regardless of our actions or failures, this one truth can be completely relied upon; Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!

 

Are You Prepared?

Proverbs 21:31 - The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. 

In our day, many people seem to think that the world owes them something and that they are entitled to have anything they want without it costing them a dime, and once again, Proverbs clears away that nonsense and sets the record straight. Nothing in life comes out of the blue, instantaneously, or free; someone prepared ahead of time and someone paid a price. Scripture teaches us that we can not flippantly and lazily sit back and presume that safety and victory will be automatically ours. Even though God wills our safety and He wants our victory, there are laws of preparation that are necessary and vital.

The horse was an effective vehicle of war and these horses, as well as the men that rode them, were meticulously groomed for battle. Men did not assume that they would be victorious in battle if they did not first spend much time in preparation. As Christians, we understand that we are in a battle, but the battle is not a physical one, it is a fight of faith. So, we must do our part to prepare and get ready, and then we must trust in the Lord, because safety and victory is of the Lord, that is His part.

The word prepare means to be cut ahead of time. The life we live is not always easy, in fact, it is quite often difficult and hard. Preparation is one of our safeguards as we enter any conflict. Before a soldier is sent into the battle he is prepared ahead of time, he is put through the gauntlet until he learns the discipline of a warrior and earns the stripes on his shoulder. He spends weeks of gruelling training during bootcamp; he gets pushed and pulled, bumped and bruised and cut ahead of time. Before an Olympian competes in the games she is prepared, she cuts out a lot of valid activities to focus on her training. She must endure plenty of difficulty and sacrifice and lots of time and hardship. No doubt, during the training, accidents may happen in which injury occurs; her muscles will be bruised, her bones may be broken; she is tested before she is trusted; she is cut ahead of time. For both the soldier and the athlete, there is no reward for defeatists or quitters.

The deliberate cuts that come ahead of time prepare us for the unavoidable cuts that will come during the battle. And because we have been prepared, the hardships faced and wounds incurred during the battle will not stop us from finishing the fight with victory.

So the question necessarily arises; does God cut us? Well, hesitatingly, yes, but remember that the cuts of God are not what religious tradition has taught; they are not tragedy and disaster, or sickness and disease. Those are not the cuts of God for He is much more proficient than that. The cuts that God gives are clean and razor-sharp and are done primarily through His Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, and they are given under the skillful hand of the Holy Spirit. God does cut us, but He cuts us the way that an experienced orchardist prunes his trees. He cuts very carefully and with a distinct purpose, which is always for the benefit of the tree. God does cut us, but He cuts us the same way an expert surgeon cuts out a tumor. He cuts with a measured caution and with a meticulous accuracy, removing the dreaded enemy of our health and wellbeing. Cuts, cut-backs and, even cut-offs are sometimes necessary for the continued health of both trees and people.

    I once heard a successful leader say that if he had only a short time to accomplish a huge undertaking, he would spend the bulk of his time in preparation. Be encouraged, friends, do your part and get ready. Prepare ahead of time. Don’t rush the process. Remember that preparation is never wasted time, because only those who are properly prepared can ride out into the battles of life and confidently expect the Lord to keep them safe and give them victory.

Quit Blaming Others; Get to Work!

Quit Blaming Others; Get to Work!

Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

 

    The natural world can teach us many lessons about life, the way things work and the principles that govern all of it. Wisdom is clearly revealed in God’s creation.

    In today’s culture and generation, there seems to be a growing sense that life owes them. We have rights, after all. What are you going to do for me? This view could be called a sense of entitlement; I was born here so I have a right to have the best freely given to me. Sadly, this attitude has followed people into their adulthood and is now widespread in our government, our schools, our workplaces and, our churches.

    We have fallen prey to bankrupt philosophies that do not produce what they promise. Our school systems do not require what they once did from students; we have taken away the concept of reward for accomplishment; now we reward simple existence. We have gone from giving awards for achievement to giving awards for participation. The idea that everyone is valuable is something we agree with and wish to promote but, the idea that everyone should be given the same amount and the same reward is something we disagree with and wish to eradicate. All people are equal in value but, not all people are equal in what they possess or accomplish. Study history, friends, that kind of agenda has failed worldwide. Many employers of today, because of a shortage of willing workers, are afraid to correct those who need it for fear that they will leave. If people will not respond to proper correction and direction, let them go; blessed riddance; the whole workplace will thank you for it, and productivity will go up. The sluggard, themselves, may one day come back to thank you for doing the right thing.

    The lazy person is instructed to go to the ant. This levels the playing field for all people; everyone can find an anthill or a colony to observe. He did not say go to the university or go to the library; the wisdom that is needed is not inaccessible or far away; just go outside and look down. Consider the ways of the ant. The ant is not sitting around waiting for payday, no, it instinctively goes to work. It is a steady contributor to the greater good of the colony; it has a sense of duty, not entitlement, and all of it is built into its’ nature.

    The ant is considered wise because even though it has no one watching over it to ensure that it is working, it works anyway. Someone has once defined character as that which you do when no one is watching. The ant has an intrinsic work ethic that spurs it on in its’ tasks.

    Another characteristic of the ant which is worthy of our notice is that it gathers food during the harvest, meaning, it gathers food when the food is available. It does not put off things. It does not procrastinate and thus miss out on the opportunities presented to it. Many of us have fallen prey to procrastination and laziness; we have postponed our diligence not knowing that negligence opens the door for all kinds of negative and destructive things. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the human heart; if the door is open thieves will come in, make themselves right at home and consume all your goods.

    The ant is amazingly strong and productive and we too, can have those same qualities as we consider her ways. Ways are habits, patterns and routines that depict ones’ character. If we develop a hard-working and honest lifestyle, we instill in ourselves the ways of God. Isaiah has told us that God’s ways are higher than our ways but, we can take His Word and make His higher ways our ways, thus we will elevate our lives.

    The Proverbs always confront us with our responsibility. It is true that many things have happened to us that we are not responsible for, but we are responsible for our reaction to it. We are not helpless victims of the circumstances of life; we are powerful beings created in the image of God and we have the power to change our ways and enjoy the results. Go to the ant and watch how nothing will stop this energetic and productive worker. Blame is not part of its thinking or vocabulary, instead, it goes to work to fix the problem. Many people and workplaces today, always want to assign blame first and then find a solution but the ant will always find the solution and not waste time and energy determining who is at fault. Be encouraged, friends, just by making this one simple change, we can radically alter and improve our day to day lives. Go to the Ant!

 

Sustainable Living

Proverbs 18:14 - The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?

    In today’s world, the education of our minds and

the fitness of our bodies are considered very important, and, of course, they are. However, in the rush to gain more knowledge, and in the push to exercise and train our bodies, we have forgotten an essential element of our being and make-up and that is the spirit of a person.

    The spirit is the inner core of a person; where God and man intersect and interact. The spirit is the deepest part of man, in which, motives, purposes and intentions gestate and develop. It is the driving force within every person; that which keeps one going.

    This aspect of our being must be re-emphasized if we are going to mature spiritually. Having a strong mind and body is certainly desirable and good, but behind it all, must be a strong spirit. God breathed life into His Words and had them written down to make them accessible for all. Jesus said that we cannot live on natural food alone, but we must have the Word of God to live; indeed, it is spiritual food, which, when ingested, produces spiritual energy and strength. If we do not eat for days, our bodies will get weaker and will not have the energy to function properly. The same is true spiritually; if we want a strong spirit, we must read and ingest the Word of God on a regular basis; the more consistent, the better.

    If we maintain the health and strength of our spirit, then we can expect to be sustained through any trial of infirmity or sickness. To be sustained implies that we would have everything that we need, not only to come through the sickness but, to overcome it. Much is said these days about sustainable living, which means that we must manage all of our resources and use them wisely ensuring that we have lasting reserves and the continued wherewithal, not only to survive but also, to thrive.

   We are responsible to keep our bodies fit by maintaining a system of proper diet, exercise and rest. In the same way, and maybe, even more importantly, we must maintain a daily regimen of reading, meditation and prayer. This assures us of spiritual fitness and inner wellbeing. Our spirit must be nourished and developed. Consistent Bible reading ensures an overall and balanced perspective that enables us to understand what God desires for our life and how He views our circumstances. Meditation, which is a lost art in today’s noisy and busy world, must be given a priority place in our lives. What a pleasure it is to take time to quietly ponder and slowly mull over the Word, just like a cow would chew grass, until all the nutrients are derived from it. As we do this our spirit is fed, releasing a creative energy of faith.

    If you are facing an illness, especially one that is chronic and life-threatening, the tendency is to panic and hastily look for solutions. Scripture encourages us to respond differently; to slow down and be still. Listen for the voice of your Father, who resides within you. He is the Great Physician; He is near; He is here, and He has the solution. Meditate on His words, for they are spirit and life; whisper them to yourself; let your spirit be nourished, built up and strengthened. As you do this, you will be sensitized to His voice and He will give you the direction you need. He will sustain you through the dark trial. He will empower you with courage. He will fill you with joy, and by this simple process alone, you will benefit; you will have drawn near to the Healer, in whose presence is life-changing power.

Draw Your Strength from the Lord

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.

          At times like this, our life can feel like it is rapidly unravelling, and it can seem like nothing is certain anymore. The truth is, our world has always been an insecure and unsafe place, but it has recently highlighted that fact by showing us its’ true colours. When things are going well, it is easy to be lulled into complacency, forgetting that life on Earth is fragile and can change very quickly. We should remember, however, that conflict is not a new thing. Right from the outset, in the garden of Eden, the serpent has been an aggressive enemy, looking for strategic opportunities to strike at the heel of mankind.

          The Ephesians were no different than us, they too faced tremendous opposition and challenges. Paul, himself, was a battle-seasoned warrior, who understood only too well, the fight of faith, in fact, he wrote this letter chained within a cold, dark prison cell. Like a general preparing his troops for war, he lays out in writing God’s strategy of warfare. Be strong. Don’t try to be strong, just be strong. This is not a suggestion; it is a command. Be strong. Strength is the solution to a lot of problems. If we are strong enough, we can face anything, endure all things, and overcome everything. Be strong, but don’t simply muster up strength; don’t be strong in yourselves; be strong in the Lord.

          We are commanded to be strong in the Lord and our Father would never command us to do something impossible. No intelligent parent would demand that their young child do something beyond their capability, that would be unfair and unjust. God commands, but within the command itself is the power to do it. The Word of God has self-fulfilling power. When God says, ‘Be strong’, we must simply receive the power to be what He has commanded. If the Lord Jesus stood in front of you and said, ‘Be healed’, you would not try to heal yourself, you would simply receive the power to be healed. He commanded it and He will provide what is necessary for it to be fulfilled.

          The great secret to the Christian life is realizing our union with Christ. He has united us and made us one with Him. Be strong in union with the Lord. Whatever we merge with transfers its’ strength into us. If a small company merges with a big corporation, the small company ceases to be small and takes on the strength of the large organization. I am united to the strongest being in the universe. My spirit has been submerged into His. I have His strength and power; therefore, I can stand strong and face all situations bravely. It is not my strength; it is His strength that he imparts to me. This kind of strength comes from a Spirit-given revelation of my union with Christ. Paul began his letter by asking God to open the eyes of their heart, so they could see what God sees. If we can see what the Lord sees, strength will result. There is a way through, we just have to see it. Yes, Lord, open our eyes to the availability of your strength and the method of access to it.

Inheritance Includes Protection

Isaiah 54:17 - No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, says the Lord.

          Imagine being an inexperienced soldier in an intense battle, with bombs dropping all around, land mines hidden beneath the ground, and bullets whizzing by your head. What thoughts might run through this young soldier’s mind?  How did I find myself in this place? Why is this happening to me? How will I ever survive? Like all battlefields, the very atmosphere is charged with fear, confusion, uncertainty and panic. This is how many in our world are feeling right now. Make no mistake about it, friends, we are in a war and the casualties are real.

          Long before we found ourselves in this current fight, God foresaw every challenge and provided us with what we would need to navigate safely through each of them. And, as always, His provision is contained in His promise. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. It matters not how powerful or advanced the weapon might be. The Almighty God has assured us that it will not succeed, it will not be effective, and it will not defeat us. Our Father God has made this pledge and He cannot lie. His faithful promise forms a very solid premise for us to stand on.

          Right on the heels of the mention of weapons is a reference to the tongue. This suggests the type of conflict we are waging; it is word-warfare. Words paint pictures and our enemy is attempting to paint a picture of loss and defeat in our minds. He is the slanderer and false accuser who hurls vindictive judgements against the righteous, and sadly many times, he uses others to do it. He uses the media with their constant barrage of bad news and gloomy economic forecasts. He uses fearful people who wish to draw everyone into their morbid preoccupation with disaster. Opinions on social media, biased news reports, and predictions of dire times are filling the airwaves. Words, words, words. The only thing that can counteract the rapid-fire of these words is a higher word which carries with it a higher authority.

          In warfare there are various types of encounters. There are all-out assaults designed to take ground from the enemy, and there are battles that aim at defending ground from being taken. For the Christian, our war has already been won; Jesus conquered all. He defeated the enemy at the Cross. The battle that we are in is one of defending the ground that our Lord owns, which very ground He rightfully took back. Notice that the weapon is formed against us, and the words are coming against us; it is a direct attack against each of us. If the battle is already won, then our part is to stand our ground by declaring the truth of God’s Word. This is the pattern which has been clearly revealed by history and constantly repeated in Scripture.

          We stand and defend what we own, but we do not stand in our own righteousness. We stand with courage in our voice because we have been given the gift of righteousness. Someone has once defined righteousness as an ability to stand in the face of anyone without cringing fear or intimidation. We stand before God without fear because of what He has done for us. We stand fearlessly in the face of the accuser knowing that our Father God has cleared us every malicious charge. We stand, with head held high, verbally acknowledging the truth. This is our inheritance which has been graciously given to us. There is no cause for pride as if we had gotten this wealth on our own. There is only cause for gratitude and praise to the One who conquered all our enemies and has lavished upon us the rich inheritance of eternal life and freedom. No weapon formed against you will prosper!

Two Little Words

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice evermore.

Truth has the power to bring great change to our lives, and one reason that it is so powerful is that it never changes to suit any person or circumstance. The truth is unchangeable; it is us that must change; it is situations that must conform to the truth. Tucked away in this fascinating letter from Paul, are two little words of vast importance: rejoice evermore. Two words. This is a great place to start if you think you can never memorize Bible verses. What would happen if we put into regular practise these two words; rejoice evermore? How would our lives change?

Someone has once said that when you run out of ammunition, it’s time to re-load, when you run out of gasoline, it’s time to re-fill, and when you run out of joy, it’s time to re-joice. When we think of rejoicing, we usually picture one who may be celebrating a huge victory or one who just had something unexpected and great happen, and they are running around shouting for joy. As true as these two examples might be, the original word for rejoice also includes the idea of being calmly happy. If a tree is rooted near a water source, it is constantly tapped into life-giving moisture, and it remains unaffected during a hot, arid season. So, we too, no matter what is happening all around us, can have a hidden current of joy, calmly flowing, deep within us. That means that we could be at work, under intense pressure and deadlines, and yet, remain calmly happy. We could be facing a financial crisis, not knowing where the next dollar is coming from, and yet, be calm, cool and collected. Truly, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

While it is important to rejoice and be happy, it is also very important that we are considerate and sensitive to other people and what they are going through. If someone has just lost a loved one, for example, it is not appropriate to tell them to rejoice. No! That is the time to follow God’s other instructions; to weep with them that weep. Show sympathy and compassion. Give people time and space to grieve and process their loss. This command from God to rejoice is addressed to the individual alone; we are not called to insist that others rejoice, we are called to make our own choice to rejoice, and to make it our own personal habit.

When are we to rejoice? Underneath the English word, evermore, is a Greek word that literally means, every when. When are we to rejoice? Every when. When things are not going well. When you are feeling heavy and depressed. When adversity and troubles seem to be piling up all around you. When sickness attacks your body. When you have lost your job and your savings account has dried up. When your long-time friend has decided to disown you. That is when we are to rejoice. Every when.

If I am rejoicing, then I cannot be, simultaneously, complaining about anything. If I practise this truth, then I cannot, at the same time, be worried and full of fear. Rejoicing displaces self-centered grumbling, it casts out all fear, and it fills the heart with peace. If we are going to remain calmly happy, especially in the middle of a crisis, it is necessary to know the reason why we can stay calm. God, our gracious Father is with us and He always desires the best for His children. He is watching over us every moment. He has a wise and loving Father’s plan and it will come to pass. He has purchased us, and we are heirs to His great fortune. We have a lot to be thankful for. I encourage you, friends, join me, and begin to practise this daily, and as we do, fear and anxiety will be locked out and we will experience a new level of freedom and a fresh sense of fulfillment. Rejoice evermore!

To See is Good; to Foresee is Better

Proverbs 22:3 – A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself, the simple pass on and are punished.

Prudence is an old word that has gone out of vogue in modern times, however, it contains powerful shades of meaning and is worth a close look. The word has to do with having forethought and being able to see far ahead. And, not surprisingly, that is exactly how it is used here. The prudent man is a wise man who is always looking ahead. Knowledge deals with what has happened and can only analyze and assess past and current circumstances. Wisdom, however, deals with what is going to happen. What is coming? What will this year bring? What precautions should we be taking? What preparations are needed? Wisdom foresees.

Prudent people do not blunder ahead rashly, but instead, they cautiously consider all factors before moving forward. Foolish and naïve people never dream of something bad happening to them, they live like the world is a playground, created only for their enjoyment and ease. Sensible ones, on the other hand, know that the world is actually more of a battleground, with dangers on every side and evil people lurking around every corner desiring to steal goods or harm others. Wisdom foresees and prepares. The financially wise prepare for an inevitable economic slowdown, but the financially foolish think it is always going to boom. A wise person prepares for the changes that come as one ages, the fool thinks he will be thirty years old forever.

The prudent one is a humble one who knows his limitations and has a sensible view of his frailty and weakness, thus he hides himself. He doesn’t hide himself out of fear, or cowardice, but he hides himself out of a proper assessment of life and his own mortality. He hides himself for the benefit of all those around him. Wisdom knows when to hide and has the humility to do it, even though others may foolishly misunderstand and misinterpret his caution.    

Foolishness is always living in the moment and not having eyes to see what may be coming down the pike, so to speak. It is important to realize that when the Bible uses the term simple, it is not a compliment. To be simple is to be naïve and unrealistic about how life works, and it is connected to immaturity and childishness. Keeping things simple is good but, being a simpleton is not. Silliness, thoughtlessness and irresponsibility are all close siblings that linger and loiter together, indeed, they are a chip off the old block, and their father is pride.

A proud and arrogant fool is one who mocks and ridicules the ideas of safety and taking cover under wise principles and practices. ‘I don’t need to save money. I don’t need to curb my spending. I don’t need a life-jacket. I don’t need a seat belt. I don’t need to take precautions.’ And on and on these fools blindly rant, until the bankruptcy courts and the local cemeteries fill up.

God is offering us His wisdom. He is warning us to not delay, because now is the time to be ready for what lies ahead. We must forsee what is coming so we can plan accordingly. Do not procrastinate. Do not hesitate. Do not be fearful, but be wise; be prudent, and begin now to hide yourself in the protective principles of wisdom.

You Were, But Now, You Are

Ephesians 5:8 – For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

    Everyone of us has a past, and usually checkered history, or, as my pastor says, ‘We are all ex-somebodies.’ The challenge of the new life in Christ is to leave the past and focus on the now. We cannot change a single thing about our history, we can only change our perspective and our response to it. Paul says that you were at one time darkness: not only in the dark, or living in the darkness, but darkness itself. I was united to the darkness. Like a cult-like, controlling family; I had a genetic bond with darkness and its’ power entranced me. I was surrounded by it on every side and captivated by its strange and alluring power. Darkness represents evil and all its relatives and friends; misery, destruction, disaster and death. Like a fish in water, we were engulfed in this realm, completely unaware that there was even another world.

    But now. You were at one time, a certain way, but now, you are changed. You were darkness, but now, things are different, and everything has shifted. You have left the old, tyrannical regime that kept you under its thumb; oppressed and enslaved. You have now entered a brand-new world of freedom and opportunity. You have not only entered in, but you have become spiritually, and thus vitally, connected to the light. You were darkness, but now, you are light. You were, but now, you are. That was then, this is now. You are light, but not light with its own power source. No! You are light in the Lord. You are in Him, that is, you are in union with Him, who is the power source. You are closer than two entities could ever be, in fact, your being has been assimilated into His, and you now have His identity. I have a new identity because of my new nature, which is light. It is natural now, we might say, to live and walk in the light.

    Our lives are not to be fearful and frantic, nor harried and hurried. They are to be a walk with the Lord in the light. Walk, don’t run, we sometimes tell our children. Walk. Slow down. Pace yourself. Enjoy the view. It is amazing how much ground can be covered if one keeps walking. We are children of light, which means, we have been born of light and we thus have a nature that is drawn to the light; it is completely at home in the light. Walk. Don’t strive, or struggle, or try to make things happen; just walk. Walking is normal to life and it is within the ability of all people. It takes no special skill to walk, and that should make us happy because we may not consider ourselves to have a special skill. Christianity is not a huge set of rules to follow, or tasks to accomplish. It is simply a walk with your Father through life. Let Him point out what needs to happen and which road to take. When we walk with another, we usually enjoy quiet conversation and we may also notice interesting things along the way. We walk together, we talk with one another, and we appreciate the companionship as we journey through life side by side. Be encouraged, friends, it’s a new day. The sun is up, and the light is shining; let’s go for a walk!

Mercy and Truth: Two Vital Elements

Proverbs 3:3, 4 – Let not mercy and truth forsake you, bind them about your neck; write them upon the tablet of your heart. So shall you find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

God’s Word consistently brings us back to our responsibility. The pendulum, that swings between those who stress the sovereignty of God and those who stress the free will of man, is always brought back to the middle. Of course, God is sovereign in that He is in ultimate control but, obviously, He is not in control of all my daily choices. A quick inventory of the food I ate, and the words I spoke this week, may be an enlightening example.

Mercy and truth are to be closely united in our lives. Most of us identify with one or the other, but a delicate balance between them is to be maintained. Those who are motivated by mercy simply desire to bring relief from suffering and hardship wherever they see it; their first thoughts are compassion and concern. Quite often they are misunderstood as being too soft and may be told that they need to practice a more tough kind of love. Those who are motivated by truth, however, tend to be on the other end of that spectrum. They see reasons and causes for the difficulties people find themselves in. They rush to correct and fix the problem and then insist that people change. These people, likewise, may be misunderstood, in that they may appear judgmental and uncaring, and they are often encouraged to be a little more sensitive to others.

The reality is we need the balance of mercy and truth. All of life, whether in the home, the workplace, the school, or the church, necessitates the balanced application of both. Our experience of parenting has taught us that fact. There are times when your children simply need mercy; they need to be drawn into your arms and consoled no matter what has happened or whose fault it is. Conversely, there are times when your children need the application of truth and to be confronted and challenged to change their bad attitude. It is all based on the needs of the child and what is best for him.

Our verse tells us to not let mercy or truth forsake us, strongly implying that both can get away from us. We are to bind them closely to us and fix them upon our lives. Most Christians do not like the word bind because it sounds like bondage and restriction. However, there is a positive type of binding that fastens these critical elements to us so they can become an essential part of our lives.

After we have bound them to our life, we are to write them upon the tablet of our hearts. The picture here is of a stone tablet that must be inscribed upon by using a chisel. Our English word character comes from a Greek word which means; that which is engraved. The only way to ensure that mercy and truth do not get away from us is to have them inscribed on our inner man, chiselled into the rock inside, thus making them an integral aspect of our character.

When mercy and truth are activated in our lives it opens the door for God’s favour to be shown. His favour is His pleasure, expressed in acts of kindness. As a parent, you know how great you feel when your children act respectfully and carry themselves well. It pleases you, and when Dad is pleased, he opens his wallet. Our Heavenly Father loves to express His pleasure in giving extraordinary gifts to His children.

Someone has once said that if they had favour, wisdom and courage, they could accomplish almost anything. God’s favour isn’t just with Him, but also with other people. Having favour doesn’t mean that everyone will necessarily love you, but that they will do things for you even if they don’t like you, or understand why they are doing it. If you have favour with the right people, all kinds of doors will open wide for you to go through. As you continue to develop the qualities of mercy and truth, you should also go ahead and start expecting God to open doors of favour and blessing. Thank God for His mercy and truth!

Ever-Increasing Wisdom

Ever-Increasing Wisdom

Proverbs 9:9 – Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man and he will increase in learning.

    Wisdom is always associated with humility and humility is connected to gratitude. If you are a thankful person, you are travelling on a wise path, rightly acknowledging how much you have been given, and how much more room there is to improve and mature. There are so many people that think they know everything. If you bring up a subject, they seem to want to prove how much more they know than you, whether you asked for their opinion or not. That attitude springs from a place of insecurity and hasn’t that been the blight of us all. A wise person is different; they realize that they naturally have insecurities, but are, simultaneously, secure in who they are and have no need of proving anything to others. What a great place to be in life.

    Security is what everyone longs for and endeavours to attain, and yet, it is a moving target and is extremely elusive. Wisdom does not strive for earthly security because it springs from a place of confidence and that is why a wise person can accept corrective instruction and has a willingness to learn. If a young person is loved and secure in that knowledge, then he can also be corrected and not be shaken by it. He knows that correction and improvement are normal to everyone’s life. Contrary to that, if a young person is not loved and does not know the support of family and friends, then, when he is corrected, it is a blow to his identity and his life feels like it is rapidly unravelling.

    A wise person is on the road of ever-increasing improvement and excellence. Wisdom knows that no matter how much one has developed and succeeded, there will always be a need for more knowledge, better ways of doing things and deeper character growth. By accepting correction and receiving instruction, he becomes yet wiser. That attitude of humility and teachableness makes room in his heart for more of God’s wisdom. A proud and stubborn person, however, shuts themselves off from receiving correction, thus, further limiting and hindering their personal growth.

    Have you ever tried to give a gift to someone who refused to receive it? It is impossible. Wise people are those who understand the need to receive and because of that, they have the potential for increase. The same is true if you attempt to teach something to another who thinks they already know all there is to know on that subject. Again, it is impossible.

    Years ago, my wife had many potted plants beautifying our house and she learned a lot about what it takes to keep a plant healthy. One term that she used, to describe a plant that had ceased to flourish was, root-bound. That meant that the pot was too small for the plant and it restricted the roots from expanding; it had become bound and was suffocating from its small confines. Many of us might be like that plant; if we smugly decide that we cannot learn anything else, or develop anymore, we have become root-bound and can go no further. Wisdom says, Go ahead and re-pot me. Put me in a larger place so I can expand to my created potential. Whenever a person is given instruction, or correction, or a warning, that same person is also given an opportunity. We can reject the correction and remain in the same limited boundaries, with our roots being smothered and constricted, or, we can receive the correction, thereby, enlarging the borders of our life and allowing our roots to reach deeper into the soil of wisdom, drawing up the answers and the solutions needed for the difficulties of life.

Joseph: A Prosperous Slave

Genesis 39:2 – And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

    The account of Joseph’s life is a fascinating story and seems to reveal a pattern of how God works in the lives of men. He has just been sold as a slave and removed from his familiar homeland. He has been purchased and now owned outright as another’s property. Yesterday, he was a promising young man with a bright tomorrow, but today, he is an outcast and unknown slave. On the surface, things look very bleak for his future, but Scripture, as always, digs down below the surface to reveal the true nature of things.

    Everything had been ripped from him and stripped away; his family; his home; his friends; his possessions; and even, his hope. He had nothing and yet, he had everything, because the Lord was with Joseph. This verse does not say that Joseph was with the Lord; it says that the Lord was with Joseph. The Lord is with us. He is with us in our sin and disobedience and in our frailty and weakness. He is with us in our self-confident boasting and our self-deprecating whining. In the good and the bad; in the light and the dark; in hope or despair; He is with us because that is His choice.

    A survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, Victor Frankl, has written, ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.’ Joseph exercised the last of human freedoms; he made a choice to recognize that even though everything had been taken, the Lord was present with him. He did not focus on what men had taken from him, he focused on the one thing that men could never take from him. A. W. Tozer would call this, ‘the blessedness of possessing nothing.’ A rich man who does not have God with him is poor, and a poor man who has God with him is rich.

   Joseph was without any material possessions of his own and, yet, we are told he was a prosperous man. True prosperity is always interior, as a cause, first, and exterior, as an effect, later. It is never a pursuit of mere money; it is always a product of much meaning. It encompasses and includes every aspect of our life; spiritual, social, emotional, physical and financial. The Hebrew word ‘shalom’ might describe it best; complete wholeness and total wellness; perfect peace and joyful satisfaction; nothing missing; nothing broken.

Prosperity means that we are advancing forward and making progress on the road of life, and that is always the will of God for His children. It includes the idea of making breakthroughs, and where would our world be if we did not have any breakthroughs? There are breakthroughs in many different areas of life such as medicine and technology, and each breakthrough blazed a trail, and made a way, for others to follow. In the account of Joseph’s life, he also prospered and had a breakthrough, and that breakthrough saved a nation. Be encouraged, friends, God is with us, and if that is so, then He is all we will need. Whatever your current station or status in life is, because God is with you, you have His wisdom, His grace, His strength, His peace and everything that comes along with Him. You are a prosperous slave!