Category: Devotions

Close to His Heart

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Have you realized that your God is not a God of religion, but of relationship? He knows you not only need to comprehend His truth, but you desire also to feel His heart. Though at times we may not sense His presence, God is holding us through all seasons. Often – if we are honestly focused on Him – God will bless us with an acute recognition of His nearness and care.

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed this simple truth in Isaiah 40:11 (NIV): “[God] gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” Take a moment to process the thought that God “carries you close to His heart.” The God who placed our solar system in the Milky Way Galaxy and upholds the universe by His Word is the One who by His own arms presses us in until we rest in the safety of His embrace. We are close enough to hear His heartbeat, and a deeply-rooted calm washes over us.

We must cease striving for the sake of effort and allow God to gather us in His arms. The Lord who carries us close to His heart is not a God who is pleased with obligatory, religious exertion. He wants us to love Him because He loves us. He wants us to listen to His heart and be consoled by Him in a world of distress.

Weakened, disillusioned, and injured lambs need lifted up to the heart of the Shepherd. Peace will come when we little lambs gaze into the eyes of our God and adore Him for who He truly is. His arms are strong enough to hold the weightiest of burdened souls. His arms are nimble enough to snatch from harm those of us in the most precarious of situations. His arms are long enough to reach the most wayward among us.

The goal of his outstretched arms in every case is an intimate relationship. He loves us. He wants us to know Him. Let Him lift you close, and then listen for His heartbeat.

Jesus With Me

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Clouds above me,
Grass below me,
Jesus with me.

Friends embrace me,
Friends forsake me,
Jesus with me.

Rejoicing in clarity,
Surrounded by mystery,
Jesus with me.

Good news floods in,
Good news floods out,
Jesus with me.

Sensing His nearness,
Imagining a distance,
Jesus with me.

My faithfulness abounds,
My faithfulness wanes,
Jesus with me.

Seasons of triumph,
Seasons of loss,
Jesus with me.

Body is strong,
Body is weak,
Jesus with me.

No matter what,
No matter when,
Jesus with me.

This world begins,
This world ends,
Jesus with me.

New world begins,
New world endures forever,
Jesus with me.

Inverting the Flow of Life

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We have things a bit turned around in our world, inverting the proper flow of life. It seems some of us Christians seek to accumulate earthly goods, access many avenues of entertainment, secure successful career paths, and fill our families’ lives with countless activities which are meant to lead to healthy self-esteem and proper socialization. These pursuits appear to come first, followed by the occasional or regular prayer to invoke the blessing of God on the myriad endeavors. We, as good Christians, seek the Lord to bless our fast-paced, culture-driven lives.

Starkly contrasted to this rhythm, the heart of the endeared apostle Paul streamed in the opposite direction. He spoke clearly in Colossians 4:2 (NIV), “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Paul endured the gloom of Roman imprisonment when he penned this directive, and his heart was sure of one fact – all of life and its activities follow after a soul fixed on God’s ideals. We ought to have a permanent bent in our attitude. We ought not to jump from one pursuit to the next event without knowing our very heart is stayed on God. Do we arise in the morning clearly cognizant of His Lordship and His promises? Are we determined to know His Word in such a way as it boldly jumps to the forefront in our moments of rest and moments of work?

Lips moving and words spoken are one way to pray – and a pivotal one. However, prayer is also a state of mind. The God of all reality should be the most important consideration in all things. Am I devoted to prayer, or am I devoted to an “acceptable life”? Am I devoted to prayer, or am I devoted to “success”? Am I devoted to prayer, or am I devoted to busyness? Am I devoted to prayer, or am I devoted to the escape from boredom? Am I devoted to prayer, or am I devoted to me?

Without basic freedom and suffering for His faith in Jesus, Paul pronounces that prayer is to be coupled with watchfulness and thankfulness (note again Colossians 4:2 . . . “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”). Even while jailed, Paul recognizes the need to be vigilant – to refuse to drift through life or allow circumstances to pull us along. Rather, we must remain alert, aware of the human tendency to drop to status quo – mediocrity. We are to be consciously aware of the condition of our heart and the spiritual realm surrounding. Life is so much more than what we eat and drink and watch on television. We are to be constantly asking, “What is God up to?” and “How are the spiritual forces of wickedness seeking to divert God’s work in my life”?

When Jesus’ own disciples fell asleep just hours before His arrest, Jesus told them, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41, NIV). As the disciples dozed, Jesus was getting ready to change eternity by His death and resurrection. Could they not stay alert? Realizing our bodies tend to spiral downward in devotion, Jesus emphasized the spirit’s dominance and agrees with Paul in declaring we need to watch and pray. Amazingly, Jesus is about to change eternity again by coming back to this earth to gather His own people to Himself and usher in His grand remaking of heaven and earth. When He returns, will we, too, be sleeping and resting? Are we so slothful and unaware of God’s working in the world? We have it backwards. Life is not about the filling of moments with our own plans and procedures, but a focus on God Almighty, whose plan overpowers all!

We notice Paul adds thankfulness to his watchful and prayerful demeanor. We note so little gratitude among people in today’s world – even believers. Perhaps we are not thankful because we are focusing on our own work rather than the mysterious work of God. My preoccupation does not make me thankful, but my meditation on the moment-by-moment, righteous working of God causes my heart to leap! Things may not always truly be as they appear. Yes, Paul was in prison, but God’s inexplicable joy and future hope pervaded Paul’s soul. The Gospel rang out loudly to innumerable people. We, too, may live in muddled times. The answer is not changed circumstances, but a heart devoted to prayer with watchfulness and thankfulness.

Soul War

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The soul is the essence of who we are. When our body finally succumbs to death, the soul shall not be dissolved. It will rise to God or fall to misery, either way awaiting its reunion with our body. Jesus Christ boldly proclaims, “An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29, ESV). Out of the grave will ascend our bodies to be reunited with our souls which preceded them, for even our flesh will endure the unimaginable joy of Heaven or the inconceivable misery of Hell.

Though our physical body may await God’s final pronouncement, our soul is our core, which not for one moment shall be disengaged. Incredibly essential is the care we take of the soul. Though mysteriously invisible, its present status is ever obvious by our demeanor, words, and deeds. One cannot hide his soul’s fundamental bent, for it drives all else. When God breathed into humans the breath of life (Genesis 1:7), He emphatically differentiated us from the animals and made us to walk in solid relationship with Him as we engage the universe He gave to us. Our soul is non-negotiable; it is pinnacle in its importance to our Creator, for by it we walk with God Almighty . . . or we turn and rebel against Him. By it also, we shall give an account of ourselves one day to God (Hebrews 9:27).

The world system presses against the soul. As the current cosmos stands generally in sinful rebellion against the Maker of the soul, we witness a bold disregard for the core of who we are. Tempted to distraction of every sort, the “breath of life” delivered to us straight from God is not only ignored, but viciously attacked. True Christians are not at rest in this world, as we wait the time of Jesus’ Second Coming to turn the universe right again. While we anticipate that Day, God tells us unequivocally, “I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (I Peter 2:11, NIV, emphasis mine).

Note those four, unsettling words, “war against your soul.” War. The word conjures up a serious picture in our minds. We ponder the gravity of engaged weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, wounded soldiers, the sobering sound of artillery, leveled communities, grieving families, and death. War. The reality of its effects in the physical realm forces a serious approach to its outcome in the spiritual realm.

Sinful desires wage war against our soul. Seemingly mundane places are actually areas of intense battle. My soul is unseen, and a subtle but brutal conflict goes on in that invisible realm. God makes clear that the sinful desires of my flesh initiate a war zone for the heart of me. Imagine, the comfort of our living room is truly a battleground when our flesh is tempted to watch things our eyes should never see. A simple desk adorned with note pads and pencils becomes a place of onslaught, as our godless passions entice our soul to yield to wasted hours browsing needless sites – when all the while we should be seeking God. A school hallway on a Tuesday afternoon is a place of intense battle, as students’ fleshly desires pull them to yield to wickedness of all sorts. With cell phone to ear or hand, we may be engaged in conflict as the craving to slander or joke coarsely rages.

Our soul is at war. God tells us we must abstain – say “no” – to sinful longings. An unseen battle for life or death is taking place constantly. The man or woman of God must obey the Lord’s command to be aware of the onslaught and fight for the life of our soul. Envision the gory mess of war when our base passions arise to choke the soul. So often Christians quote the well-known verse, Ephesians 6:12 (NIV), “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Do we truly comprehend how real this invisible battle is?

Your soul is at stake, and so is mine. Given by God and indestructible, the soul either relates to God by the redemption that comes through Jesus Christ, or the soul stands opposed to God. Following the death of our bodies, our souls will at some appointed time be reunited with our flesh to either be condemned, or to gloriously engage in eternal relationship with God in the universe He remakes. Fight for the welfare of your soul. On ordinary days, take note of the war, and give it everything you have. Did not Jesus say, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26, NIV)

Chokehold or Mercy?

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Who has wronged you? What is owed to you? How badly have you been mistreated? These are questions on which we can focus. However, the outcome of human bitterness is never beneficial. In fact, the results of refusing to forgive are absolutely damning when viewed in the light of divine perspective. As we ponder the teaching of Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:23-31, the choice is, “Chokehold or mercy?”

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. This seems reasonable to us, as the human heart cries out for justice. The king confronted a servant who owed him $6 billion in today’s terms (obviously, a debt beyond imagination in New Testament times). Since the servant could not rightfully pay his debt, the king ordered him and his family to be sold as payment for what was owed. Surely feeling devastated by the impending slavery, the servant humbly fell to his knees and begged the king to have patience with him so he could feebly work on paying the debt, thereby insuring freedom for his family in the interim. There could be no rational way for this servant to pay his debt by laboring even his entire lifetime. Knowing both the hopeless nature of the servant’s proposed plan and the servant’s humble request, the king graciously forgave the debt – no strings attached. Jesus tells us the king did so out of compassion.

We gloriously observe the analogy so far. We are the servant faced with the miserable reality of incalculable debt to our King! We have sinned against Him continually in thought, word, and deed. Our hearts are bent against Him from the start. We owe holy God everything, for we have wronged our Creator in every way. Though we were made to magnify Him, we have instead stolen from God by detracting from His glory. He calls for payment from us, but when He sees us fall to our knees and ask for His mercy, everlasting compassion flows from His heart. Aware it is impossible for us to pay this divine debt, He handles the matter Himself . . . and sets us free! (Know that He handled the matter by sending His own, holy Son to die on the cross for our sin so that justice is satisfied.)

So far, the parable is wonderfully assuring. As we continue, a terrible reality comes to the forefront. The very servant who was forgiven by the gracious king is presented with a debt owed to him – a meager $12,000 (compared to the $6 billion he had owed). When the forgiven servant was confronted with the fellow owing him, the forgiven servant grabbed hold of his debtor and began to choke him! Unreal! How could one who had been forgiven so much be so quick to condemn his fellow servants? Though the king had great reason to angry at the large debt owed to him, he dealt in a dignified way with his debtor. Here, we see the forgiven servant deal in raw, vindictive emotion. A chokehold accompanied his demanding words.

Keeping up with the parable, may we ask ourselves, “Have we ever been there?” Have we felt justified in nastiness and brutality of the physical or verbal kind because of what a fellow human has done to us? Perhaps $12,000 was much to the forgiven servant . . . but it was not nearly as much as the very life and freedom that was given back to him! Perhaps the wrong we have suffered seems intolerable to us, but it is not. It is nothing compared to the sinfulness that has been forgiven us – and the very life from God with which it has been replaced!

The debtor in the chokehold begged the forgiven servant to have mercy, but none was granted. As the second servant lay in prison, the forgiven servant was called to give account to the king. Upon the servant’s arrival, the king pronounced him wicked, saying, “I forgave you all the debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32b-33, ESV) Consequently, the unmerciful servant was thrown to jailers to pay all his debt. This certainly appears as a metaphor to eternal punishment for those who owe God and are not abiding by His way of forgiveness.

Jesus is quick to inform us that we, too, will be thrown to eternal punishment if we do not forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ . . . from the heart (Matthew 18:35). The phrase “from the heart” is critical, because when we have actually accepted and rightfully recognize the miracle of our king’s forgiveness, we will certainly forgive others from the depths of our being. We will not reach out to choke them, for the magnanimous grace of God now abides in us. When we are saved, Christ comes to live in us. With God in us, we have available all the mercy necessary to forgive as we have been forgiven. If we cannot have mercy, we cannot have the God of all mercy living in us. If we can forgive, it is because the Spirit of forgiveness is really in us.

Now we go back to the original question, “Chokehold or mercy?” The answer reveals our eternal destiny.

Inside-Out God

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God has a magnificent ability to turn things inside out. How often it appears that evil prevails, when all the while God stands in full control, ready to unravel a plan that sets righteousness at the forefront. Working at times in paradoxes, God tells us that we need to give up our life to Him in order to save it (Luke 9:24). He assures us that though we suffer earthly discomfort and loss for His sake, we gain eternal, heavenly reward (Matthew 5:11-12). Most prominently, it is the message of the cross that is the very power of God! (I Corinthians 1:18)

Having studied God’s paradoxical workings for many years, none seemed to crystallize the overall hope we have in Him more than the one I discovered months ago. In preparing to share a Christmas sermon with people of all ages, I came across the famous Luke 2:7 (ESV), “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” We recognize the well-known problem Mary and Joseph faced as they looked to rightly comfort their newborn child, our Savior. Ironically, Jesus Christ – the Creator of the Universe – found no place to rest in one tiny spot on the face of the earth He created!

Ponder for a moment . . . Jesus is the Everlasting God. He chose to put on flesh and blood to come and save us from our sin (Hebrews 2:14-15). He entered the womb of a woman, even though He is infinite. Despite the fact that everything, everyone, and every place derives from Him and ultimately depends on Him for existence, Jesus limited Himself in this way to freely come to us in human flesh. After growing in Mary’s womb for one or two months, Jesus would have been about as big as your pinky fingernail! God . . . that big for our sake!

He came to this universe, to this particular solar system, to this specific planet, to one continent, to a humble town in the Middle East, to one simple house of lodging, and . . . He could not find a place there! Unbelievable! His parents then lay His tiny body in an animal feeding trough, because there was no place for Him in the inn.

May I introduce you to the irony of all ironies? In Revelation 20:11 (NIV), the apostle John is speaking of the vision he was given of Jesus in the future, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” Did you catch that phrase about the earth and heavens? There was no place for them! When Jesus Christ finally steps to the throne of His judgment at the end of time as we currently now it, His awesome holiness will force even the earth and sky to flee; and when they run, they can find no place to be!

Though Jesus found no suitable location the first time He came to this time-space continuum, He will overtake all locations when He comes back again! The first time, He came as a Servant to bear the penalty of our sin (I Corinthians 5:21). The second time, He will come to judge all of creation and make it right. As Romans 8:21-22 tells us, even this old earth knows it needs remade by its Creator; it needs set free from the curse of sin. As Romans 8:23 and Philippians 3:20-21 informs, we, too, are waiting for Jesus to remake our pitiful bodies into glorious ones.

Jesus Christ will utterly turn things inside out. He who was despised by those He came to save and rejected at the outset to the point of resting in a feeding trough because there was no place for Him . . . this same Jesus will overtake all places in order that He may prepare them for His redeemed. Remember John 14:2 (NASB, emphasis mine), “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

If you have not repented of your sin and yielded your life to Jesus, take no comfort in a situation that makes it appear God has no place. No, friend, please understand He rightfully owns all places, and He is coming back to make that clear. If you do now walk with Your Savior, Jesus, take heart! He Who had no place, will take all places, and we shall walk with Him unhindered throughout the world He made!

Riding the Updraft

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As I stepped out of my car and onto my driveway, I looked up into the clear, blue sky and spotted a beautiful, large bird of prey. This hawk was sailing in the expanse above, in that familiar circular motion. Without flapping its large wings at all, the bird floated in a large circle a few times. Soon, the hawk gracefully made its way to yet another area of spherical pattern; it did so seamlessly. One second the creature sailed in one circle, and the next second it veered slightly to begin rotating around the next pattern. At no point in the transfer did the bird ever beat its wings. Amazingly, I watched as the creature continued in this endeavor for more than five minutes, riding from one circle to another, until the bird was on the other side of the sky and nearly out of sight. Not once did it flap its wings!

“How graceful,” I thought. As a bird lover, I recognized what was happening. The hawk was engaged in thermal soaring. This flight technique depends on thermal updrafts, which are defined well by Perrins and Elphick (2003), “As the ground warms up in the morning sun, more energy is absorbed by some features than others. This causes the air locally to heat up, forming an invisible, rising bubble. As it rises, more air is sucked in and heats up, and it too rises” (p. 18). The bird I observed that day was literally soaring from updraft to updraft. The hawk migrated by gliding from warm air bubble to warm air bubble – and nearly effortlessly. I cannot even estimate the area it covered without ever flapping its large wings.

This hawk is a bird of prey, as is the eagle. These birds of prey – with long, broad wings – are often known for thermal soaring, an efficient way to travel. As I watched that winged creature in the sky at my home, God struck my heart with thoughts of security. He reminded me of Isaiah 40:31 (NIV), “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” Why did God mention the eagle here? Perhaps because God means for us to realize we need not frantically flap our own wings as smaller birds do!

The thermal updraft on which we are to securely glide is the warm strength of the Holy Spirit. His power and love are what fills our hearts and provides our way to ride from experience to experience in this life. We need not rapidly or desperately beat our wings to make things happen; our Lord carries us by His own presence. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, fully God. He remains with us here on this earth to guide, comfort, and provide. No matter what “circle” we transition to, it is the Holy Spirit who carries us. Our responsibility is to stay close to Him, listening to Him as He shows us where to glide next. We can take time to hear Him and fellowship with Him, because our energy is not wasted in frenzied movement. We are still, and we know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). We spread our wings and ride on God’s strength, and we wait for the day the sphere to which we transfer will be on the updraft to our heavenly home. He will take us there, too.

Reference: Christopher M. Perrins & Jonathan Elphick. The Complete Encyclopedia of Birds and Bird Migration. (Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books)

A Deep Greeting

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The New Testament book of Philippians is known as a letter of encouragement and joy. Ironically, the apostle Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned in Rome. He opens the book by addressing his listeners as “the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (Philippians 1:1, NASB).

Before we delve into the beautiful depths of that greeting, consider the memory Paul had of his founding of the church at Philippi. We read of Paul’s first visit there in Acts 16. After sharing the Gospel and casting an evil spirit out of a young girl, Paul and Silas were persecuted by the authorities and thrown into jail. (Yes, in doing the will of God we can find ourselves in challenging circumstances!) During their ordeal in prison, Paul and Silas chose to worship the God who is bigger than our trials. They sang and praised God after having been beaten with rods and placed in stocks. Our very real God chose to shake the foundation of the prison house and set His servants free. (And yes, God intervenes in the tangible circumstances of life!)

The city of Philippi, then, no doubt brought to the surface many emotions for Paul. he remembered severe and physical persecution on the heels of service to the Lord. He remembered, too, an irrepressible joy that pervaded the very place of pain in which he had resided. Paul surely smiled as he recalled singing to Jesus with a bruised back and restrained in a dark place. The smile arose from a heart that had come to understand the inexplicable joy that erupts when a person chooses to place his life in the protection of Jesus Christ. Chains or no chains – discomfort or comfort – Paul and Silas were shielded by the Savior who lives in their hearts. Defying what circumstantial evidence dictates, the Holy Spirit delivers protection incomprehensible. Trust bubbles over. Joy outruns pain.

Fast forward ten years to the early AD 60’s. Now Paul is imprisoned in Rome under the general persecution of Nero. As a prisoner, he is writing to the church of Philippi where he was ten years ago. Armed with the memory of God’s faithfulness in that Philippian jail a decade earlier, Paul greets his friends this way, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi.” A deep salutation it is! We Christians today need to claim it as our own. Though we do not live in Philippi, we are the saints in Christ Jesus who are in (insert your own town).

What exactly is a saint? The Greek word behind “saint” here is a word that could be alternately rendered “holy one.” We are saints because we are “set apart for God’s purposes” (the essential meaning of holy). In other words, we are different – and not simply for the sake of being different. We are peculiar because we have been forgiven and made new by the death and life of Christ Jesus. We operate counter to the dark ways of the world. We take the path largely untrod. Our very countenance is noticeably and beautifully strange to the unredeemed, as the light of Jesus Christ shines in us. We operate with different motivation, out of gratefulness and adoration for a merciful God. We are saints, and no one can make a saint but Jesus! Hence, Paul proclaims, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus.”

This point cannot be overemphasized. I am not holy because of what I do; I am set apart because of Him to Whom I belong! Since I am “in Christ Jesus,” I am different. I am in Him; He surrounds me with His presence. As a child in His arms, I rest. As a warrior with Him as my shield, I enter battle. Wherever I am, Christ Jesus is with me, encircling me with His power, and encompassing me with His faithful love.

Since I am “in Christ Jesus,” nothing can touch my life that does not first touch Him! Why were Paul and Silas okay in the Philippian jail? They were surrounded by Jesus! Paul knew nothing invaded His life without first passing through the plan and love of Jesus. Jesus knows our limits and knows the ways in which we need refined. If we are in Him, we have nothing to fear.

Notice, too, these are the “saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi.” Is God really with you in the home in which you live? On the road where you walk? In the office where you work? In the hospital where you recover? In the town in which you dwell? Yes! You are in Christ Jesus, and He is quite literally with you geographically. Christ surrounds you, and He also surrounds the place where you are. He is Lord of all locations! (Psalm 24:1)

We are safe no matter where we are or how we are. We are set apart for God’s purposes as we live in Christ Jesus. We must – like Paul – proceed forward in the high calling of God. Experiences and memories of imprisonment did not thwart Paul. Hard times did not dissuade him. As he sat imprisoned in Rome, he wrote those precious words to us, the saints in Christ Jesus who are in (insert town here).

God of the Means and the Extremes

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Did you realize that the God who created the earth also created the ends of the earth? Isaiah 40:28 (NASB) says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.”

If you are just an “average” person in “average” circumstances of life, God’s presence and sovereignty at and over the extremes may not matter much to you. But if, like me, you find yourself at least at times needing God in the extreme and difficult places, His identification as the “Creator of the ends of the earth” bears comforting significance.

God understands the extremes of existence. He is not shocked by problems and sins of all depth and descriptions. No remote or hopeless case exists as far as God is concerned. He fashioned with His own hands not only the earth, but the ends of the earth. The Hebrew root for “ends” means extremity or end. It comes from another word which includes the notion of the border, the outskirts, or the margin. Do you ever feel you are on the margin of the page, instead of inside the story? No fears! God is present even there, for no location exists – physically or emotionally – where the Creator is not the moment-by-moment Sustainer. He is there at the margin.

When I think of the Ark of the Covenant*, that powerful image of the work of Jesus Christ to blot out the power of sin in our lives, I have to think of our God of the extremes. The same Hebrew word used in the aforementioned Isaiah phrase is the term used in Exodus 25:18 (NASB, emphasis mine), “You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.” God intended the image of these magnificent, angelic creatures to loom over the mercy seat from the very edges. God does not tell us the reason, but I wonder if He is beautifully picturing for our simple minds the fact of His merciful covering from one end or extreme of existence to the other. There is no place His mercy cannot go, and even the angels are privy to this compassion and long to see all God does for pitiful humans.

Psalm 139:7-8 (NASB) affirms that God is with us at the highest height (Heaven) and the lowest depth (Sheol or the nether world). Surely, these positions are the extremes. As if to solidify the miracle of His inexhaustible, merciful presence, the Psalmist adds in verse nine, “If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me.” I have never plunged the depths of the sea, but I know it can be very dark, cold, and strange in that world, with odd creatures all about. Have you ever been in a dark and cold place, spiritually and emotionally speaking? God is not only in average situations with average people (if any truly exist!); He is in the depths.

Mathematically speaking, a mean is an average. When I take a list of numbers, add them together, and divide by the total number of numbers, I derive an average (or a mean). So, for example, the average of 0, 5, 10, 50, and 10,000 is 2,013. This seems strange, because 2,013 does not reflect well the extreme numbers of zero and ten thousand. Averages – or means – are funny things. Often, in mathematics, they give us little information. Therefore, statisticians prefer more complicated calculations such as variances and standard deviations. The point, however, is simple; average is sometimes an elusive concept and does not always represent the extremes. Do not think it strange if you do not feel average; rather thank the God of the extremes! He is with you at “0” and at “10,000”!

God accounted for the extremities in His plan for the world. I Peter 1:20 (NIV) says of Jesus, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” Jesus agreed to come to this world and die for our sins before He ever laid the foundation of this universe (see also Revelation 13:8). The Creator of the ends of the earth knew He was coming because He “so loved the world” (John 3:16, NIV). Our God saw all the world’s best and worst. He looked down through the annals of time and recognized all the extremes of sin and difficulty, and He still came! Why? Peter boldly declares, “for your sake.”

All of us who have feared that the extremities of our life are too “out of bounds” for God’s help need to pray today and call on the Creator of the ends of the earth.

* For more understanding of the Ark of the Covenant, please visit: www.hopeandpassion.org/?p=759/

What About Your Legs?

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God made both horses and humans. In fact, after creating this celestial orb and its creatures, God commanded humans to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28, NASB). Our Lord delights in His own creativity, and He is watching the crown of His creation – people – employ their intelligence and strength in harnessing the creation for God’s purposes and enjoying it to His glory, just as He dictated.

I take pleasure in watching colorful birds fly through my yard, and I know many people who marvel at the beauty of horses. Once I was captivated by the vibrant patterns of a simple caterpillar. No doubt, God is pleased with His myriad, marvelous works. After all, He boldly declared, “It is good” after each step of His creation act.

So what does the Psalmist mean when He informs us that “[God] does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man”? (Psalm 147:10, NASB) The context makes clear that our Lord finds no joy in any part of His creation that is not properly yielded to Him; for as His creatures align rightfully under His sovereignty, then do they find favor with their Maker. In other words, though God made both the horse and the man, neither can delight God while opposed to God’s will. Man was made to obey God, and horses (for example) were made for man’s enjoyment and use, in alignment with righteousness. When a man or woman depends on the strength of a horse, or the size of a 401(k), or the results of blood work, or the influence of a career promotion, or the measure of an IQ, or the strength of his or her own body/will; that man or woman is out of line with God’s heart. God Himself takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse or the legs of a man.

Rather, the Psalmist goes on to say, “The LORD favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness” (Psalm 147:11, NASB). Although I exercise quite regularly, I cannot give in to the cultural tide. A fit body does not the woman of God make. Although a man may climb far up the career ladder, a powerful position does not the man of God make. A human being is favored by the Mover and Shaker of the universe when he fears the Lord and patiently places all his hope on the mercy of God. No matter how strong the horse we ride or the legs that carry us, our only hope is that God has everlasting pity on us when we honestly recognize Him for who He is. When we reverence God, He will show us His kindness – first in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, and second in the expectation of all good things according to His grace. (Romans 8:31-32)

It is certainly wise, as long as we are able, to treat rightly the body God has given us; for it is His temple (I Corinthians 3:16). However, the temple is made for worship! The heart inside the temple needs to be in proper posture, one of reverence and hope in God’s kindness. Our feeble attempts to outrun tragedy or speed ahead of troubles are most certainly in vain. It is God alone whose favor compels the world and all its powers to work on our behalf as He sees fit. If my Lord wants me out of the pit, it is His power that shall lift me! My contribution is my genuine gaze into His eyes as my heart cries out, “I am waiting for your kindness, God!”

We know that God can delight in not only the legs of man, but the very feet of him. The prophet Isaiah declared, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isaiah 52:7, NASB) Though our feet may be tired, dirty, and lowly depending on where we are in the journey, our feet are beautiful in the sight of God when we bring the good news of salvation to a dark and dying world.

What about your legs? And your “horse”? Is God delighted or disappointed? Are we depending on our strength or God’s kindness? Are we running to win for the sake of pride, or are we standing on the mountain of life proclaiming God’s plan for the sake of His glory?

As I write, I am now thinking of those among us who may have diseased feet, weakened legs, or no limbs at all. Remember that God favors the heart’s position, not physical or intellectual drive. Even if you have no legs, God pours His kindness on you as you look to Him. One day, you will have a right body because of His mercy! Amen!

Living in Heavenly Places

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A recent, sweet conversation with my nephew reminded me of our access to all spiritual blessings of the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). My nephew assured me that he remembered vividly a ten minute period of time that occurred eight years ago. He recalled the place we were during a moment of emotional distress and the words I spoke from the Bible concerning the New Heavens and New Earth. That precious boy’s eyes lit up as he listened to me review that conversation of long ago and my counsel that Jesus will keep His promise to make things right so that one day people who love each other will no longer have to be separated. As we remembered together, I could see the wheels of his mind turning furiously. He had held onto the truth of God’s Word all this time. For him, the book of Revelation and II Peter had been sealed as reality.

What struck me the evening of our recollection is the power of spiritual blessings. When we focus on and access the stuff of God’s Word and kingdom, eternal and life-changing phenomena occur. Though much of the time the drudgery of everyday living can mask the workings in the spiritual realm, God moves through us when we choose to think and act in the heavenly arena. For example, I just encouraged a friend of mine who uses the text message medium to send Bible verses to others. In a world of technological overuse and abuse, I wanted her to know that often the Lord confirms His leading through her “heavenly thinking” when it comes to such a common thing as text messaging. This woman accesses the spiritual blessings of God’s Word, chooses to think about her Savior during the course of ordinary days, and then positively affects another person’s walk with the Lord. Eternal differences are made rather than just the proliferation of more gibberish so common to texting.

Paul instructs in Ephesians 1:3 (NASB), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” How many times do we miss those spiritual blessings simply because we do not recognize our position in the heavenly places? A dinner table in a restaurant, for example, can be a heavenly site when food and laughter are shared and savored to the glory of God. Our Lord made us to enjoy the earth He has created, and we reflect His image in holy fellowship with one another. The location on the map is one thing, but children of God are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and allow God to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

A year or so ago, one of my young relatives expressed the need for some school clothes that fit well. I went to a department store and a drug store and stocked up on clothes and supplies for him. I felt the glory of God in those stores, because the act of obedience was in the spiritual realm. The clothing became a tool for Heaven. I wrote a letter to go with the supplies and outfits, and I explained that all of our needs are ultimately supplied by Jesus. He is the reason and the source of all we receive. Clothing a loved one became sacred.

How often do we waste our time stuck in the ordinary? God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing! He tells us these blessings are in heavenly places in Christ. Make no mistake about it, a New Age type of spirituality is not what is mentioned here. We have access to the blessings because of – and in – Jesus Christ! We used to be dead to spiritual things, but the sacrifice of Jesus made us alive! (Ephesians 2:4-5) Now we ought to live – and live abundantly! A bird flying through the yard now reminds us of the freedom from sin we have in Jesus. The simple acts of reading and thinking now remind us of the creativity and orderliness of our great God, who has things yet unimaginable in store for us. A drink of iced tea reminds us of His faithfulness to quench our spiritual thirst and bring contentment even now. A look at the tall trees stretching toward the sky, growing more intricate with each expanding branch, hints of our approach toward Heaven and the New Jerusalem.

Please live in heavenly places in Christ. Be always communing with Him and ponder His Word (Psalm 1:1-2). Be perpetually giving Him glory as we stand amazed at all He has given and all he does. Make moments and experiences count for eternity. We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings; we have to live in heavenly places in Christ.

Swordtails and God’s Sleeve

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When I was in middle school, I had an aquarium full of tropical fish. One of my favorite types of fish was the orange swordtail. The difficult part of adoring these particular creatures is that their young are born live, and the adult fish eat them. In order to protect the precious little baby fish, I would have to separate the fry in a rectangular net on one corner of the tank. Catching the tiny, agile babies is not easy.

The fact is that I had to get personally involved in the protection of the new swordtails. When one of the females was pregnant, I knew I had to get off the school bus quickly and run into the house to check on the situation each afternoon. I certainly could not design an eye-catching poster to hold up in front of the aquarium that warned, “Swim behind the castle little fish . . . swim!” Fish cannot read. It was pointless to kneel down in front of the tank and yell loudly, “Hide behind the plant . . . hurry!” Fish cannot hear us. The only way to help the swordtail babies was for me to roll up my sleeve and dip my arm into the sometimes algae-ridden water full of slimy fish and all their waste. Yes, if I was to save the fry, I had to invade their world.

Similarly, God crashed into our world to save us. When we were overcome by our sin and had no way to escape the curse, our God entered this space/time continuum. We are helpless without His personal intervention. He rolled up His sleeves, and entered a world of pain, sorrow, and mess to rescue us by His own hand. He put on human flesh and endured all the discomfort and longing earthly life brings. Then – in one particular season of time – He suffered more spiritual, emotional, and physical pain than we could ever imagine, as He willingly took on the sin of the world at the Cross. With His own body – with His own being – He saved us.

The great prophet Isaiah asked, “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1, NASB) What poignant words! What critical consideration! All of life boils down to this . . . do we believe the message of the God who revealed His own arm in the mission of saving us? This question is paramount, for its answer differentiates biblical Christianity from all other religions and worldviews. Whereas the various religions of the world involve the work of humans to one degree or another in their salvation, true Christianity says that God saves – and the rolling up of our own sleeves is useless. His holy, strong arm is the one that redeems us from the pit of sin and hopelessness.

I can see the devil and the powers of Hell shaking in their boots as God Almighty begins to roll up His sleeve! Jesus, the God-Man, comes to redeem His people! As the tiny swordtails were placed safely in the net by my own hand, so we are drawn out of the kingdom of darkness and placed safely in the kingdom of God by God’s own hand.

The question is, “Do you believe this message?” The Hebrew word for believe in Isaiah 53:1 is the root from which we get the widely used term, “Amen.” Belief means that we truly agree. We stake our very life on it. We hear the message and we say, “So be it!” It is right! The arm of our strong and gracious Jesus has been revealed! When He rolls up His sleeve, I am safe!