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Do My Eyes Deceive Me?

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“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.” – Proverbs 16:2, ESV

Dependence on God goes far deeper than trusting Him for physical sustenance. Dependence on God is continual and necessary at the level of the unseen motives of the heart. We mortals are inclined to think we are doing right when, in fact, we may be wrongly motivated. Made in the image of God, but seriously falling short of His glory (Romans 6:23), humans depend on God to weigh the spirit within.

Our eyes can be funny things. They can deceive us into thinking that a particular selection is good simply because of its “appropriate” appearance. Recall the Lord instructing Samuel when the priest was tempted to choose the strongest looking brother in David’s family, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7, ESV). Recall Eve in the Garden of Eden on the brink of rebelling against God, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, . . . she took of its fruit and ate, . . .” (Genesis 3:6, ESV). In both historical accounts, a person’s eyes saw something that the heart interpreted as good. However, what was seen needed to be filtered by the Lord. Whether the man looked tall and strong or the fruit looked delightful was not the real issue. The vital component was the Lord’s view of the choices. As Proverbs 16:2 proclaims, “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.”

Recently I had to reject some options that mere eyes may view as good and prosperous. However, God made clear to me that what “looked right” was not His will. For many years, I have prayed for God to weigh the motivations of my heart. I have asked Him to never let me be led astray – even sincerely so. Though we fail Him, He will be faithful to show us the “measurement” of our spirit after He carefully weighs our motivations. At that moment, we must make a critical decision to abide by God’s assessment rather than what at first appears pure to our eyes.

Please take time today to pray this Proverb. We ought to request that God weigh our spirit and show us the truth beyond what the eyes observe at first glance. Quite purposefully, God’s admonition to check our heart before responding with our eyes is followed directly by a favorite verse of many Christians, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3, ESV). The first step in committing any plan to the LORD is to be sure it is His plan. What our physical or emotional eyes may see notwithstanding, it is God’s will that matters. He establishes our plans when we trust Him above our own – often failing – instinct. We are not animals living solely by our inclinations, we are God’s image-bearers, living by His direction, for which we plead each step of the way.

Dear Lord, please get out the scale and weigh my spirit!

Leaving Space

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“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:9-10 (ESV)

Leave a margin. Do not hold on with a tight fist to every last bit of resource. Strive to give room for the needs of others. Do not depend on every last minute of time or ounce of strength just to make it through the day. God would have us live in such a way that others can glean from the surplus of our lives.

Even in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we see clearly the heart of God. The biblical principle behind this command given to an agricultural people 3,500 years ago is timeless. The Lord made clear that when His people harvested their own crops, they were to leave the edges or the corners for the poor and the sojourners. In other words, His people should insure that a margin of their intake was available to those who needed food due to poverty or lack of residency. One implication is clear: the Israelite family should be able to live on the main portion of the harvest, without having to cling to the edges of it.

Similarly, our God’s desire is that we thrive beneath our means if possible – on less than we need financially, physically, emotionally, and in regards to time. When we are able to function on just a portion of the harvest, we are joyfully able to contribute to the well-being of others. In all societies, poor people and sojourners will exist; God wants His people to be part of the provision for them. In the same way, people deficient in hope and those wandering in emotional deserts exist with us always. God’s will is that His people are living in such a way as that we can give to them.

The question becomes, “Have I stripped my vineyard bare?” Is there currently no room in my life to give to the spiritual, emotional, or physical needs of others? Have I given in to the cultural lie that grabbing everything I possibly can for myself is a critical element in the pursuit of “happiness”? Perhaps we do not need to be involved in every activity or have all the latest gadgets. Perhaps we should leave grapes in our vineyard for others. Do I have strength to concentrate and hear the hurts of others? Do I have the emotional resources to stretch beyond my own needs? Do I have money with which to bless someone for whom a blessing will demonstrate the love of Christ?

Crystal clear is the reason behind God’s directive of margin: “I am the LORD your God.” Let us make absolutely sure we understand this precept – God is the only reason I have anything. Providing a portion of my crop for others reminds me that whatever I possess comes from God through grace. The book of Exodus precedes Leviticus, and God proclaimed in Exodus 6:8 (ESV), “I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.” Here we realize that our possessions are really God’s possessions, granted to us by an all-powerful God of grace. When I share of my joy, my physical presence, my wisdom, or my money, I am only sharing what ultimately belongs to God. He kindly allows us to manage these belongings for the glory of His name and the growth of His kingdom. When I have “room to give,” God is exalted and I am blessed because I am following His design for life.

Inherent also in God’s directive for margin is the recognition – even under the Old Testament law – that people will be needy in a world currently operating in anticipation of God’s future redemption of all things. This cosmos simply is not right. At times, we will harvest a crop, and at times we will need someone’s crop shared with us. Our loving God understands this, and He is not ashamed to require His people to be givers; for that is what He is! God is the greatest Giver! When we are called to create a buffer of resources, time, and energy for others; we ought to recall the sacrifice of God. Owing to no one – and answering to not a soul – God gave His own Son for our redemption and future inheritance of all the unimaginable wonder of Heaven.

Wonderfully, we recall that Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David and ancestor of Jesus Christ, was a woman who benefitted from the margin of a good man named Boaz (Ruth 2:2-3). Imagine, Ruth is in the lineage of Jesus, and she found provision because of the righteous perimeters of another person.

God asks us to leave space so that we may help others. Since both the core and the margin of all we have come from Him, freely giving the edges makes sense.

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)

Access Shelli’s Latest Class

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Here is a link to the audio of Shelli’s latest class, Rock-Solid Hope of the Gospel Over Crumbling Worldviews. This is a five night course, taught in the sanctuary of Norwin Alliance Church in North Huntingdon, PA. Shelli compares/contrasts the real hope of Biblical Christianity to the false views of other religions using the first and second chapters of I Peter as her primary source.

Simply link to this page, and scroll down to “VBS Adult Program,” following the June 19 entry. Shelli’s name appears at the top of the audio segments: www.norwinalliance.org/audio-2011php

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).