Ruth, A Story of Redemption

The Book of Ruth is a fascinating look into the time of the Judges. The story unfolds as Elimelech and Naomi travel from Bethlehem, across the Jordan River into Moab because of a famine. Their two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion, and in time they took wives for themselves from Moab, named Ruth and Orpah. As time passes, Elimelech died, as did both of the sons. So Naomi is left with her two daughter-in-laws, and decides that she will go back home to Bethlehem. She tells the two daughter-in-laws to go back to their homes in Moab. Orpah kisses Naomi, and goes back home. But Ruth refuses to leave Naomi, and said these famous words, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die; And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." These were the vows that my wife Judy made to me at our wedding. They are words of loyalty, and determination, that would cause Ruth to stay with Naomi no matter what happened. So they made their way back to Judah, into the town of Bethlehem, where Ruth began to glean grain from the field of Boaz. Soon Boaz inquired who this woman was, and began to show her favor and kindness. In time, with Naomi's instruction, Ruth came and submitted herself to Boaz by laying down at the end of his bed during the night. When Boaz awoke, Ruth said to him, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative." This is a beautiful picture of salvation, as Ruth who is a type of the church, submits herself to Boaz, the one who has the ability to redeem her. Boaz is the kinsman-redeemer, a type a Christ who is both Son of Man and Son of God. Boaz is both a human relative, and a powerful redeemer. Christ is both fully human and fully divine. He is related to us and knows all our weaknesses, and is able to redeem us from our lost condition. Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer. Ruth becomes the wife of Boaz, as Boaz buys back the land of Elimelech. They have a son called Obed, who is the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David. This beautiful story is a picture of Christ and the church, and the salvation, security, provision and favor that we find when we come to Christ, and ask Him to take us under His wing, as our Kinsman-Redeemer. We are like Ruth, unable to change our situation, unable to redeem ourselves, but we find mercy and favor when we submit ourselves at the feet of our Kinsmen-Redeemer.

The Family of Jesus

The Bible is very detailed in the description of the family line of Jesus. Luke gives us a geneology of Christ that goes all the way back to Adam! Luke's geneology is understood to be the lineage of Mary. Matthew's geneology is understood to be the family line of Joseph, and it includes four women. Usually a Jewish geneology would only include the names of the fathers, but it seems that this geneology includes these four women for a specific purpose. The four women mentioned in Matthew are: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and she who had been the wife of Uriah, who we know to be Bathsheba. Each one of their stories are told to us in detail in the Old Testament. God has included these stories for a reason, so we may learn from them, and see the lives of those in Christ's lineage. The story of Tamar is an astounding series of events, that leads up to Tamar playing the role of a prostitute, for the expressed reason of having a child by her father-in-law Judah. She does have the child, in fact she has twins named Perez and Zerah, and the Messianic lineage is carried on through Perez. You can read about it in Gen. 38. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, however she had faith in Israel's God, and knew that Israel would soon come into Jericho, and God would give Israel victory. So she saved herself and her family by the sign of the scarlet cord hanging from her window. Ruth was not a Jew, but was from Moab, and became a part of Jesus family line by her loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi. Bathsheba was taken into adultery by David, and gave birth to Solomon, through whom the lineage of Christ continued. The stories of these women are stories of real life suffering, sin, desperation, determination, joy, and fulfillment. Each story relates to our lives in some way. The family line of Jesus was made up of real people, real sinners with issues that affect our lives everyday. Jesus is well acquainted with our human condition, and understands the trials and temptations of our lives. He is not ashamed to call us His brethren. We are His family, no matter what circumstances in life we have come through. These four women give us hope, that no matter what has happened in our lives, God is still working in us, and He chooses to work through history, to make it His history. We do not need to be discouraged. God is working His plan, and He has promised that He will never give up on us. Phil. 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Everybody Wants To See Him

The coming of Christ caused people to want to see Him. Luke 2:15 says, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." Simeon and Anna were both drawn to see the baby Jesus, and desired to see Him. The wise men made a long journey in order to be able to see the newborn King. As Jesus grew, and entered into his ministry, the interest in seeing Him spread all around Him. Philip told Nathaniel about Him. Nathaniel was skeptical and said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Andrew brought Peter to see Jesus, which changed Peter's life forever. How can we see Jesus today? He is not with us in the flesh. We cannot see Him with our eyes, so how can we see Him now? Jesus gave us the answer to this question in John 12. Certain Greeks came to Philip and asked him saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip told Andrew, and then together they told Jesus. But Jesus did not invite the Greeks to come see him. This happened just about one week before the cross. Jesus said, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." Jesus is talking about Himself, saying that unless He dies and is buried, He will not rise again, and bring forth the harvest of salvation for which He was sent. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He speaks to all of us saying, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." In other words, Jesus' answer to the Greeks, and to us, is that we must give our lives to Jesus, and as we lose our lives in following Him, then we will be where He is. We will see Him in our lives, and we will be with Him, and He will be with us. We will see God's honor and favor upon us if we serve Him. We do see Jesus in our lives today as we follow Him. We do see Jesus, as Heb. 2:9 says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." We do see Jesus, and we can keep looking to Him, as Heb. 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." Look unto Jesus, serve Him, follow Him, and you will see Him alive in your life!

The Power of Worship

The birth of Christ caused a torrent of worship to come up to God from almost everyone who heard about the Christ Child. In Luke 1:46,47 Mary praised the Lord and said, "My soul maginifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Zacharias said, "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people." A multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." The wise men fell down and worshipped the Christ Child, and opened their gifts for Him. Worship is the laying down of our lives before God, because of who God is. It is our reasonable service, as found in Rom. 12:1, "I urge you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." The NIV version says, "... -this is your spiritual act of worship." It is in worship that we welcome the presence of God into our lives. Ps. 22:3 says, "But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel." God sits upon the throne of our hearts when we worship Him. He inhabits the praises of His people. We see numerous examples in Scripture where God's presence is manifested when people worship Him. Here are 2 of my favorite passages. 2 Chron. 20 tells the story of the attack of the enemy on Israel. Under Jehoshaphat's leadership, they put the singers and praisers in the front of the army saying, "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever." Israel won that battle without fighting, they only needed to praise the Lord. Another example of the power of praise is in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were beaten and held in stocks in the prison. At midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. There came an earthquake that freed all the prisoners, and demonstrated the mighty power of God that is present when people praise and worship God. Whatever situation you are in today, I encourage you to now worship God, and enthrone Him on your heart. Watch and see what happens when you put God first by worshipping Him.

No Word From God Shall Be Without Power

At Christmas time, we often refer to the passages in Luke that tell the Christmas story. The angel said to Mary in Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing will be impossible." The Amplified Version says, "For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment." God works through His Word. He gives us His Word, which is never without power, or impossible of fulfillment. To have God's Word is to have God's power. To have God's Word is to have faith, for faith is the product of hearing God's Word, Rom. 10:17. When the Word of God is spoken, it causes an explosion in the spirit realm. When the word is sown, the first thing that happens is that the devil comes to take away the word that was sown. Luke 8:11-15 is one place where Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seed. The devil knows the power of the word, and knows that if the word ever gets into the heart of the hearer his power over the individual is gone. So he moves quickly to cause doubt and fear to stop the word from doing its work in the heart of the believer. Following this attack, there will come temptation, and affliction, all designed to stop the word from putting down roots in the heart. Following this attack, there comes the distractions of worry, the love of riches, and the pleasures of this world, all designed to take away the effect of the word. The battle is over the word in our lives. It is the word that bears fruit in us. Protecting and nourishing that word must become the number one priority in the life of the believer. In a noble and good heart, the word can continue to grow, and bring forth a great harvest with patience. This is why the first command given to Joshua as he came into leadership was, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." One of the greatest leaders in history, Joshua, found his way to success by making the Word of God his meditation day and night. God uses His Word in our lives to bring about His will. We must do nothing less than give it first place in our hearts and minds.

Barak - The Hesitant Warrior

Even though Barak was hesitant to obey God, he is listed in the heroes of faith in Heb. 11:32. Barak was called by the judge Deborah to go to war against Sisera. The word from God was to go with 10,000 troops to Mount Tabor, and there God would bring Sisera, and deliver him into Barak's hand. Barak believed this to be a word from God, but his response was less than enthusiastic. He said to Deborah in Jud. 4:8, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." Sometimes we can have a word from God, and know what God has told us to do, but we are still hesitant to step out and obey. To have great faith is to believe God's Word because God said it. The centurion of Matt. 8:8 said, "...but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed." This faith Jesus commended as being the greatest He had seen. So why are we hesitant to act on what God tells us? Barak wanted more than God's Word. He wanted Deborah to accompany him, or he was not going. So Deborah agreed to go, but told Barak that God would not give Sisera into his hand, but into the hand of a woman. Barak's faith was strong enough to go, but not strong enough to go alone. And even this faith, God rewarded with victory. Barak went into the battle, and God routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army. Sisera fled and came to the tent of Jael, whose husband Heber was at peace with Sisera's army. So she invited him into the tent, and gave him a blanket, and a cup of milk, and assured him she would watch the door for attackers. But when he was fast asleep, she came to him softly, with a hammer, and a tent peg. With one blow of the tent peg into Sisera's temple, he died, and the word that God gave to Deborah came to pass just as she had spoken it. Deborah and Barak sang a new song that day in Jud. 5:2, "When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord." When we rise up in faith, and lead by doing what God has told us to do, we bless the Lord. Rise up in faith, and don't hesitate to obey God.

Gideon - Getting Rid Of Fear

2 Tim. 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." God does not want us to live by fear. He wants all fear to be gone from our lives. Fear is one of the greatest hindrances we face that tries to stop us from moving out into what God wants for our lives. Fear cripples our faith and causes us to hide from the enemy, and from God's call on our lives. One example in the Bible of a person who was filled with fear is Gideon. We find Gideon in the winepress threshing out wheat. He was in the winepress to hide from the Midianites and all the enemies that came into the land to take away their produce. The angel of the Lord said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor" Jud. 6:12. Gideon felt anything but a mighty man of valor. But God calls us as He sees us, and He sees us with all the potential He has given us. He sees us as mighty men and women of God who can do anything we are called to do. But Gideon is full of doubt and fear, and it takes many assurances from God before Gideon is ready to step out in faith. Gideon offers a sacrifice, which the angel consumed with fire. Then Gideon puts out a fleece, not once, but twice, to gain assurance that this was really God. Gideon's army is reduced to 300 men who had no fear, and who were ready for battle. Then God lets him overhear the dream of the enemy to once again assure Gideon that God was with him. And finally, with 300 men bearing torches, and empty pitchers, and trumpets, God gives the victory to Israel through Gideon's army. Gideon was transformed from a hiding fearful man, to a mighty leader of Israel, and is included in the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:32. What mighty works can be done through faith! Fear is an enemy that cripples faith! Each day, let us be transformed by the renewing of our mind, to overcome fear, and to walk in the faith of God. Feed your faith, and starve your doubts to death. Rise up and say, "Spirit of fear, be gone from my life. I have a spirit of power, and love, and a sound mind."

Moses' Miracle of Organization

When we think about the greatest miracles in the Bible, one of the greatest has to be the dividing of the Red Sea, and the deliverance of the children of Israel, and destruction of the Egyptians. This massive miracle speaks of the greatness of God to do anything, and that nothing is too hard for Him. But I am also impressed with the miracle of Ex. 18 that enabled Moses and the children of Israel to be able to survive together in the desert. The chapter tells us how Jethro, Moses' father-in-law came to join Moses, and brought Moses' wife and 2 sons. It was the next day that Jethro observed Moses sitting all day, from morning till night, judging the children of Israel. I imagine Moses sitting there, and a very long lineup of people, waiting all day in the heat of the sun, for a chance to bring their need to Moses. Moses was very busy, and Jethro was not impressed. Jethro said, "What are you doing? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand before you from morning till night? The thing you are doing is not good. Both you and these people will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it by yourself." So Jethro gave Moses a word of wisdom, and told him to appoint rulers over groups of people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. These men would judge the people, and only the hard cases would be sent to Moses. This made it easier on Moses, and much better for the people, as they didn't have to wait in the sun all day. So Moses was able to endure, and the people were able to live in peace. The miracle of teamwork preserved the children of Israel from organizational disaster. God calls everyone of us into a team, to work together with other people on Kingdom business. We cannot do it without a team. We must build our teams, relate to our team members, and trust our team in areas of our weaknesses. We each have a part to play on the team. Find your team, find your place, and work with your team. It will bring great strength and peace, and you will be able to endure the many challenges and pressures that will come your way.

Unless The Lord Builds The House

Ps. 127:1,2 "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so He gives His beloved sleep." This Psalm tells us that unless the Lord is working through us, giving us the vision, the plan, and is personally involved in the project, our work will be in vain. This is not to say that we cannot do anything without God. The tower of Babel is a great example of people working together in unity to accomplish a great goal. And God Himself said in Gen. 11:6, "Indeed the people all are one, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them." God has created people so ingeniously that we are capable of doing tremendous things together. But this Psalm tells us that all our work will not produce any Kingdom or eternal benefits. If we rise up early, and stay up late, eating the bread of sorrows, worrying about our life, and trying to solve our problems, all our worry and anxiety will not bring about the solutions we need. We will only lose sleep, and find no satisfactory answers. But God gives His beloved sleep. So what do we do when we toss and turn, and can't shut our mind off from worrying and fretting about things. We need to go back to the first verse, which tells us that unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain. We need to commit everything to God, and trust Him with all our concerns. When we have turned everything over to God, and we trust Him, we will be able to finally lay down and get a peaceful sleep. Sleep is a gift from God, which we desperately need, for a clear mind, a good attitude, and a healthy body. So may God give you a trusting heart, and peace in your heart and mind, and good sleep, to refresh you for the challenges of tomorrow.

The Faith of Moses

When we consider the life of Moses, we can see that God had a plan for him right from the beginning. The story unfolds as his parents hid him for 3 months, and then floated him down the river in a basket, there to be found by Pharoah's daughter, who decides to adopt him as her own son. The plan of God is revealed step by step from the beginning to the end of Moses' life. His first 40 years were spent in Pharoah's household, but at 40 years old, the true heart of Moses came out as he went to see his people and looked on their burdens. In 2 days Moses' life was changed forever, and he fled to Midian, where he lived for the next 40 years. When he arrived in Midian the 7 daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water, but the shepherds came and drove them away. At that point Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. This simple gesture of standing up for these women and helping them, opened the door for the next 40 years of his life. Because he stood up for what was right, he stood out to the priest of Midian, who asked about him, and invited him to come eat at his house. Moses married Zipporah, a daughter of the priest, and Moses lived there 40 years. Because Moses stood up, he stood out, and stood in the place God had for him. It is always right to do the right thing, and doing the right thing does not go unnoticed. "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right" Pro. 20:11. So if a child is known by his deeds, how much more an adult is known by his deeds. When we faithfully stand up for the things God has put in our heart, we will stand out from among the rest, and this will open doors into the place God has for us to serve. "And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" Gal. 6:9. It was Moses' faith that determined his life's direction: what he refused, what he choose, what he valued, what he looked for, what he forsook, what he kept, and what he left behind. The faith of Moses serves as an encouragement and a pattern for us to follow in living by faith today.

The Test of Offence

A leader will be tested to see if he/she can be offended. It seems that there are certain people that come into our lives that are there to test our character, and God is using them to test and grow our character. I think of the life of Joseph, and how he was tested. Ps. 105:17-19 says, "He sent a man before them - Joseph - who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." Joseph went through a tremendous test. He was faithfully serving his master, not having done anything wrong, yet he was falsely accused, and was put in the prison. It would be so difficult to be put in prison for something you have not done. What about Joseph's feelings toward this woman who accused him? Did he not have reason to be angry? What did he think about this woman? She was the reason he was in the prison. Wouldn't he feel a sense of hurt, and betrayal, and a desire for justice? How could he not feel ill toward this lady? Yet there seems to be no ill feelings in Joseph. His spirt was pure, and without bitterness. Joseph saw that this situation was a test from God that would reveal his character. The test revealed Joseph to be of excellent character, and at the timing of God, Joseph was released out of the prison into leadership of Egypt. "The king sent and released him. The ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions. To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom." So the next time someone comes into your life that tests your character, realize that passing this test is crucial to your next promotion from God. The tests reveal our character, and show God how much He can trust us with more of His kingdom!
Ps. 119:165 "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble."

Wrestling With God

"Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day," Gen. 32:24. Jacob was alone. God had brought him to this place to touch his life, and Jacob would never be the same again. God will bring us to a place in our lives where we are alone with Him, and He starts wrestling with our hearts. We can walk away and choose not to wrestle, but there is a great blessing awaiting those who will wrestle through to the blessing. Jacob had been a deceiver from the time he was born. At birth he had his tiny hand on the heel of his twin brother Esau. He would take advantage of Esau on two major occasions. He took Esau's birthright by trading it for a bowl of stew. Later, with the help of his mother, he stole Esau's blessing by pretending he was his brother, and having his father Isaac pronounce a blessing of prosperity and authority on him. But now Jacob is at a place in his life where he is broken, and is unwilling to go on without being changed. He will not let go of this Man until he receives a blessing. Jacob is facing Esau in the morning, not knowing whether Esau will kill him, or what will happen. "The Man asked him, What is your name? And (in shock of realization, whispering) he said, Jacob (supplanter, schemer, trickster, swindler)!" Gen. 32:27 Amp. It dawned on Jacob that even his name revealed his need for change in his life. His name was changed that day from Jacob to Israel, "for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." His name was changed, and his walk was changed. From that day he limped on his hip. He had seen God face to face, and he would never be the same. The old man Jacob was gone. The old lying, stealing, deceiver was gone, and he walked with a new nature for the rest of his life. We also must wrestle with God, and with men, and we must prevail. We must win this spiritual wrestling match for our hearts, and defeat the deceitfulness of the old man, through the touch of God upon our lives, that changes our walk for the rest of our lives.

A Fruitful Life

One of my favorite Bible characters is Joseph. His life story is found in Gen. 37-50, but there are two Bible passages where a summary of his life is given. One of these places is Gen. 49:22-24, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob '(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel)' ". Joseph was hated by his brothers, put into a pit to die, then sold as a slave. He had reasons to become a bitter person, but we never find Joseph complaining or feeling sorry for himself. He had a servant's heart, and served wherever he went. Even when falsely accused by Potipher's wife, he showed an attitude of servanthood, and was soon promoted in the prison. The other passage that speaks of Joseph is Ps. 105:17-22. This Scripture tells us how Joseph's feet were hurt with fetters, and he was laid in iron. But Joseph was faithful, until his word came to pass. The word that God gave him in dreams years before caused many trials in Joseph's life and tested him. But because Joseph stayed faithful, he was promoted from the prison to the palace in one day. He became a ruler over the people of Egypt, and was a lord in Pharoah's house. Joseph put James 1:2-4 into action in his life. He counted it joy when he encountered all kinds of trials in his life. The joy of the Lord was Joseph's strength, and he remained strong. He became fully developed in the character of God, and became a man who lacked nothing. He became a picture of Christ to us. He was hated by his brethren, he was put into a pit for his death, he was treated as a slave, he was falsely accused, but he was promoted to the right hand of the king, and finally he revealed himself to his brethren. This is a picture of Christ, being sold by His brethren, falsely accused, rejected and despised, but in the end He rose up triumphant over death, and now He reigns as King, and will one day soon reveal Himself to His brethren, Israel. "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him," Rev. 1:7. Jesus is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. As we follow the example of Joseph, we also may live a fruitful life, with our branches running over the walls of our lives to bring blessing to others.

Bearing Fruit Through Trials

James tells us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." It is essential that we have an attitude of joy when we are going through trials. This may seem too difficult, but consider the alternative, an attitude of complaining, and anger, and bitterness. These things lead us on a downward spiral that steals and kills and destroys everything God wants to do in our lives. Through trials, God wants us to develop patience, which is the ability to persevere and endure through hardships. God wants us to not only have patience, but to have fully developed patience. That is the kind of patience that can go through any trial, and still be found lacking nothing. This person will not be lacking any faith, hope, joy, or strength, though they have endured great hardship. Perhaps patience is the character quality that we need the most in our lives. We must have faith, but faith without patience will not be able to endure. Patience is necessary in the life of the farmer, James 5:7,8. The seed brings forth fruit with patience, Luke 8:15. The runner must run with patience in order to win the race, Heb. 12:1-3. Through faith and patience the heroes of faith inherited promises, Heb. 6:12. In fact, even the gifts that God places in our lives can only be sustained with patience. A very gifted person, without any patience, can do great damage. The character of patience is what holds up the gifts. The gifts can not operate very long without the character to hold them up. The gifts are things we can see and watch with our eyes. Character is what we can't see, which is below the surface, holding up the gifts. It is our response through trials, that will determine what kind of people we become. Let us serve God, not only when things are going good, but especially when things are difficult. That is where we will develop the character of Christ in our lives.

The Lord is our Healer - Ex.15:22-26

The children of Israel had experienced the miracle of deliverance from Egypt by passing through the Red Sea on dry land. They began their journey into the wilderness, and in 3 days they were in a crisis. There was no water in the desert. Sometimes we will experience times of great need in our lives. This was a test for them, for God knew there was no water in the wilderness. The only water they found was so bitter they couldn't drink it. It only took 3 days for the Israelites to forget about the God of miracles, and they went in a downward spiral, from need, to disappointment, to complaining, to bitterness. Their experience with God had become bitter, and so they named the place Marah, which means bitter. A revelation was given to Moses that saved their lives. The Lord showed him a tree, which when he cast it into the water, the water was made sweet. There the Lord promised them, that if they would listen to God, and do what He told them to do, that He would keep them in health, and they would not experience the diseases that the Egyptians had, because "I am the Lord who heals you". Some of us need physical healing, but everyone of us needs a healing in our hearts, so that bitterness does not take hold of our lives. Heb. 12:14 says we are to look carefully lest anyone falls short of the grace of God, and a root of bitterness springs up, and by it many become defiled. The battle against bitterness must be won. Our bitterness is turned into sweetness when the power of the cross of Christ is brought into our hearts. His love and forgiveness is the power we need to forgive others, and to heal our hearts of hurts and bitterness.
In contrast to the Israelites experience at Marah, is the instruction we receive from James in chapter 1:2-4. James says that when we fall into great need and trials, that we should consider it as joy! With a positive faith that believes God is a God of miracles, we do not have to go in a downward spiral, but we can exercise our faith, and find joy in the midst of trials. We know that through the trial we will develop patience, and as we watch God work through this trial, our patience will be made complete and we will mature. Many times I have said to my wife during a time of trial, that when we get through this, we will be better people for it. With a positive faith that believes God for miracles, we will develop maturity in God, and we will not be lacking in the joy, and faith, and hope that God wants us to have.

Shaped By The Word

Pro. 22:6 says to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. But that presupposes that the parent knows how to train the child. How does the parent become prepared to train the child? In Deut. 6:4-9 we have a passage that gives us a look at the Jewish home and the training of children as God desired it. First, the love for God was to be the all consuming desire of each person, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." But that was not all. For the next verse says, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart." It was necessary that the parents carried the words of God in their heart. Then they could teach them diligently to their children, and talk of them when they sat in their house, when they walked by the way, when they laid down, and when they rose up. These words were to shape the family in all aspects of their life. There was no part untouched by these words. They spoke of them constantly, and applied them to their lives in every facet of life. But that was not all. They were instructed to bind them as a sign on their hand, and between their eyes. Some people literally tied little boxes on their hands and on their foreheads that contained scrolls of Scripture, so that they would have a constant reminder of these words every time they looked at their hand, and everytime they used their eyes, they saw life through the Scriptures. But that was not all. They were to write these words on their doorposts of their houses, and again, on the gates outside their houses. They could not walk through a door without having a reminder from the Scriptures. Their lives were continually shaped by the Scriptures, talking of them, meditating on them, applying them, shaped by them throughout their lives. Will we allow our lives to be so shaped by the Word that we look at every situation in life through the Scriptures?

Cleansing

One of the most valuable truths I learned as a young Christian was how to receive cleansing. 1 John 1:9 became an important verse to me that I went back to many times, as I felt the need for cleansing over and over. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We need to be cleansed, and washed from our sins. Jude 22,23 talks about "hating even the garment stained by the flesh". It is important that we hate sin, and desire to be cleansed from it. I heard a man speak who said that he had gone on a hunting trip for 9 days, and wasn't able to have a bath or shower for the entire time. He said that when he was able to have a shower, it was one of the greatest feelings he had ever had in his life. Jesus was teaching the disciples the need for cleansing when He washed the disciples feet. The washing of the disciples feet in John 13 was more than the need for clean feet. Jesus said, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." Jesus was showing the disciples the difference between coming to Christ initially to be saved, and learning to walk in cleansing as a follower of Christ. "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." The washing of our hands and feet symbolizes the need for daily cleansing from sin and defilement. The bronze laver of Moses' tabernacle illustrates for us the need for washing of our hands and feet - cleansing of our works and walk. The detailed system of sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament shows us how much we need cleansing. Hebrews chapters 8 - 10 is an explanation of why we need cleansing, and the difference between the Old Testament process and the New Testament solution. "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified," Heb. 10:14. Our perfect standing with God is accomplished by the one offering of the Son of God on the cross. Our standing with God is perfect through Christ. It is finished, and nothing can be added to make our standing any better. However, as we walk in this new salvation, we get defiled, and need to be cleansed. The cleansing agent is the blood of Jesus, as we see in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." God desires that we walk clean before Him, and He is at work in our lives to bring cleansing and purity into our lives. He desires, "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Removing spots and wrinkles requires some scrubbing, and some pressure, and some heat. By submitting to the Holy Spirit's work in us, the cleansing takes place, and we are delivered from the snares and stains of sin, as it tries to take hold in our lives. Let us walk in the cleansing that God has provided for our lives.

Eternal Life

Everything Jesus did was for this reason, to give us eternal life. "God so loved the world...should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16. Jesus knows the importance of eternal life. He came from the place of eternal life, and was going to eternal life. He was the Word, who was with God, and was God. He was the Word, spoken into the womb of Mary, to be manifested to us. Yet He laid aside His rightful glory, and dignity, to become a servant, to be made in the likeness of men. He did not hold onto His equality with God, but laid it aside, that He might humble Himself, unto death, even the death of the cross. He knew where He came from, and He knew where He was going. When He said, "In my Father's house are many mansions, He knew exactly what He was talking about. He was intimately aquainted with heaven. "I go to prepare a place for you..." The preparation that needed to be made was the shedding of His blood, that we also could be given a place in heaven. John tells us that if everything that Jesus did was to be written down, that even the world itself would not be able to hold the books that would be written. We are not told very much about heaven. Only a few verses in Rev. 21 and 22, and not much more. It will take eternity to see all that God has prepared for those that love Him. Everlasting life is what Jesus came to give us. Everlasting death is what Jesus came to deliver us from. Jesus lived in complete awareness of eternity, and the spiritual realm. Jesus knows heaven, and Jesus knows what hell is like. Jesus is the light of heaven, and He is the temple in heaven. He does not want anyone to go to hell, and miss eternal life with the Father. "Lord, open our eyes to live with an awareness of the spiritual world we live in, and of the eternity that we will enter into."

Habits

Our thoughts are what we base our decisions on, and decisions form habits. Something we do regularily becomes a habit. The funny thing about habits, is how the bad ones are so much easier to form than the good ones. I have heard it said, that it takes 21 days to form a good habit, and 3 days to form a bad habit. So making something that is good a part of your everyday life requires a strong desire for that thing, and the discipline to put it into action everyday for at least 21 days. The great thing about a good habit is the cumulative effect. As I have been going to the gym, I find it hard to go every time. It would be so much easier to not go, and when I started, I wondered if my level of fitness would ever improve. But through time, little by little, I am seeing improvement. It is the cumulative effect that makes the difference. It cannot be done all at once or in a hurry. It takes a regular amount of time constantly. Saving money is the same principle. Saving a little regularily adds up over length of time. It is the same spiritually; being faithful in prayer, Bible reading, and spiritual exercise brings maturity, and strength, and knowledge of the ways of God. "Well done, good and faithful servant..." It is faithfulness over the long haul that brings the accumulated blessings of God.

Moving On

The children of Israel were led by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. Their existence depended on watching the cloud. Their lives were led and directed by the cloud. The cloud was the center of their camp, and the center of their lives. Nothing else was as important to them as the cloud. They moved when the cloud moved, and they stayed when the cloud rested, Ex. 40:36-38. Our lives also need to be centered on the cloud of God's presence. He promised He would lead us by His Spirit. Zech. 4:6 said it was "...not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord." We need to move when the Holy Spirit leads us, and we need to stay when the Holy Spirit says to rest. And so God will lead us into deeper places with Him. Ezek. 47 gives us a vision of a man who was led into a river, first to his ankles, then to his knees, then to his waist, and finally into the river where he could only swim. Jesus invites us to take a step closer to Him as He beckons us. He has treasures of glory, and treasures of wealth for us, but we must follow. He must be the center of our lives. We must keep our eyes on Him. Our heart must hear His still small voice, His gentle moving in our spirit. Our delight must be the meditation of His Word, that captures our attention, both day and night, Ps. 1:1-3. Today, are you moving with Him? What is He saying to your life today?

Cain and Abel

It is amazing to me to read the results of sin entering into the world in Gen. 4. How quickly we see the devastating consequences of sin manifested. Here Cain and Abel both bring an offering to the Lord. Abel's is accepted, and Cain's is not. The message to Cain is, "Sin crouches at the door, and its desire to toward you, but you should master over it." In other words, there are things in your life that you need to deal with, and if you don't, they will deal with you. Cain compared himself with his brother, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, until he decided that the way to deal with this was to get rid of his brother. He did not stop to consider that he should deal with the things in his own life. He was angry, unhappy, envious, dishonest, lying, deflecting the truth, and shirking his own responsibility. So he eliminated his brother, and thought he had got rid of the problem. But God asked him, "Where is your brother?", to which Cain responded, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" First he lied, for he knew exactly where his brother was, and secondly, he tried to deflect the question by asking another question, as if to say, that is not my responsibility. My brother can do what he wants. Why ask me? But truth would prevail, because the Lord said, "Your brother's blood cries to me from the ground." Truth will prevail, though we decieve ourselves. This is a great story about living in truth, and dealing with the things in our lives privately with God, before those things begin to deal with us publicly. Even a half truth is the same as a whole lie, maybe worse, because a half truth gives the impression that we are telling the truth, when in fact, we are only covering our lie by telling part of the truth. This is a great leadership truth, that God desires truth in our hearts, and we need to ask for cleansing and renewing of our hearts. Psalm 51:6,10-12. Though going through cleansing is painful, the result is very very good!

Motivation

Hi. This is my first blog. I have been thinking about motivation.
After we have made decisions to follow Jesus, to put God first in our lives, we get faced with many challenges. When we have committed ourselves to following the call of God on our lives, we enter into a new level of spiritual warfare unknown to us before. The excitement of our initial decision is challenged, and possibly dampened by problems we encounter. Pro. 13:12 says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." When hopes and dreams have been deferred, we may lose motivation that we had when we started. So what do we do then? God wants to give new motivation to us. Even the great prophet Elijah suffered a serious blow to his motivation when his life was threatened by Jezebel. He started running, this time away from the call of God, and wished that he could die. Elijah lost all motivation to pursue God's call, and was discouraged and in despair. He had given up! But God continued to speak to him, and gave him new motivation to get up and get going again. God wants to renew us and give us new motivation to get going. Paul said that we are like an athelete in training in order that we may win a prize. Having a goal, a prize to strive for, gives motivation to achieve and succeed. Looking at the goal keeps us going when we don't feel like it. What is God's will for your life? Have you fulfilled it yet? What does God want you to do? By setting our eyes on the goal, we will recieve new motivation to press forward. Recieve new motivation today, and rise up to run the race before you. Let the excitement of knowing God thrill you once again, and let motivation rise within you.