Sometimes there are days that God lets you see yourself for who you really are, and although it is immensely painful, it is necessary for growth. After all, it is when you feel you have arrived in the Christian journey that you cease to grow. If I am being honest, I have been complacent lately. The routine of Christianity has lulled me to sleep, and I hate going through the motions. Sometimes a long stretch of I-26 and I-95 after a day visiting clients is a perfect time to take inventory of your life spiritually. Am I the man I claim to be? Do I excuse sin in my life as just being human? Have I grown accustomed to my life as it is that I have ceased to hope for something better? Do I still believe that God loves me and wants to bless me more than I can think or imagine? Has my pursuit of happiness become more important than the people God places in my path to reach and influence? Am I a good steward of my money? Am I preparing myself to be the husband that my future wife deserves?
As you can see it was a very long ride back from Charleston. My spiritual inventory revealed many places in which I am lacking. I was convicted to renew my spiritual journey with gusto. It is so easy when this world is pulling you a million different directions to lose your first love. Quite a few tears were shed when the Holy Spirit reminded me of all Jesus had done for me, how "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:2-3)
So tomorrow is a new day, a chance to begin again. Not just for me but for you as well. His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23), and if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9). Who wouldn't want to serve a God like that?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
God Is Our Refuge
“In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).
God gives us many descriptions of his provision and protection in Scripture. One of my favorite descriptions is the picture Jesus gave when he wept over Jerusalem. “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37) The protection of God’s wings is first mentioned to Israel when God said, “I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exodus 19:4). God compares himself to an eagle that “stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings” (Deuteronomy 32:11). When the eagle teaches her eaglets to fly, she nudges them out of the nest, but she does not leave them on their own. She hovers over them, and if they struggle, she will swoop underneath them and catch them on her massive wings. God does the same for us. We rest atop his nest and under the shadow of his wings. David said, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalms 17:8). “How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalms 36:7). “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings, and our confidence is that when we fall, his great wings will gently catch us and set us down safely. What a mighty God we serve!
God gives us many descriptions of his provision and protection in Scripture. One of my favorite descriptions is the picture Jesus gave when he wept over Jerusalem. “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37) The protection of God’s wings is first mentioned to Israel when God said, “I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exodus 19:4). God compares himself to an eagle that “stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings” (Deuteronomy 32:11). When the eagle teaches her eaglets to fly, she nudges them out of the nest, but she does not leave them on their own. She hovers over them, and if they struggle, she will swoop underneath them and catch them on her massive wings. God does the same for us. We rest atop his nest and under the shadow of his wings. David said, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalms 17:8). “How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalms 36:7). “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings, and our confidence is that when we fall, his great wings will gently catch us and set us down safely. What a mighty God we serve!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hitting Rock Bottom
“Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15).
No sane man would choose a life of sin if Satan showed him the ultimate consequences of that life in the end. For example, when Satan tempts a man to use drugs, he will appeal to the man’s curiosity or his sense of adventure. He may even convince the man that the drug will fill the void in his life; however, he will never show the man the results of his sin: loss of finances, his wife leaving him because of his addiction, the destruction and pain brought upon his children, etc. Revealing the consequences of sin would be foolish because not many men would fall into temptation. God loves us so much that He allows us to make bad choices. With our free will, we can choose to serve Him or choose to follow the road to destruction. Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” For some men, it takes hitting rock bottom before they recognize their need to be saved. As long as times are good and life is grand, most men will be content, but when tragedy strikes or the rug is swept out from under him, he will begin to question the meaning of life. He will search for something to fill the void in his soul. This is the crucial time when he is most open to the gospel and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Look around today; there are men throughout your sphere of influence who need to know about Jesus. Will you be faithful to share the Good News with them?
No sane man would choose a life of sin if Satan showed him the ultimate consequences of that life in the end. For example, when Satan tempts a man to use drugs, he will appeal to the man’s curiosity or his sense of adventure. He may even convince the man that the drug will fill the void in his life; however, he will never show the man the results of his sin: loss of finances, his wife leaving him because of his addiction, the destruction and pain brought upon his children, etc. Revealing the consequences of sin would be foolish because not many men would fall into temptation. God loves us so much that He allows us to make bad choices. With our free will, we can choose to serve Him or choose to follow the road to destruction. Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” For some men, it takes hitting rock bottom before they recognize their need to be saved. As long as times are good and life is grand, most men will be content, but when tragedy strikes or the rug is swept out from under him, he will begin to question the meaning of life. He will search for something to fill the void in his soul. This is the crucial time when he is most open to the gospel and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Look around today; there are men throughout your sphere of influence who need to know about Jesus. Will you be faithful to share the Good News with them?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Calm in the Midst of the Storm
“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27)
The disciples had the Savior in the boat with them, yet they were afraid that they would drown in the storm. Jesus responded to their fear by asking them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” As believers, Jesus is our righteousness, and He will keep us in the right path, if we follow Him. The wicked man, who does not have Jesus in his heart, will be thrown out of the boat and will drown in the stormy sea. What the disciples had was a lack of faith in Jesus. We have all had those moments.
In Mark 4:35, we are given another piece of the story. Jesus told the disciples, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” Notice He did not say, “Let us go to the middle of the lake and drown in a storm.” We can trust what Jesus says and we can trust Him to do what He says. The same Creator who has the power to calm the winds and the waves, can still the troubled waters in each of our lives. We must simply learn to trust Him to do what he has promised.
The disciples had the Savior in the boat with them, yet they were afraid that they would drown in the storm. Jesus responded to their fear by asking them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” As believers, Jesus is our righteousness, and He will keep us in the right path, if we follow Him. The wicked man, who does not have Jesus in his heart, will be thrown out of the boat and will drown in the stormy sea. What the disciples had was a lack of faith in Jesus. We have all had those moments.
In Mark 4:35, we are given another piece of the story. Jesus told the disciples, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” Notice He did not say, “Let us go to the middle of the lake and drown in a storm.” We can trust what Jesus says and we can trust Him to do what He says. The same Creator who has the power to calm the winds and the waves, can still the troubled waters in each of our lives. We must simply learn to trust Him to do what he has promised.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Has Your Heart Shifted?
“The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (Proverbs 14:14).
I have found that I do not have to worry about other people hurting me and doing me harm, because I am by far my own worst enemy. My flesh and its insatiable desires are considerably more destructive than anything others may do to me. For in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18). The backslider is filled with his own ways and given over to his flesh (Romans 13:14). A backslider must repent and begin to walk in the Spirit. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). God says, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” (Jeremiah 3:22). “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4).
Henry Blackaby said, “The greatest single pitfall for a [Christian] is the loss or turning aside from the love relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s the heart of it all. When your heart shifts everything else shifts.” At the heart of backsliding is leaving our first love, Jesus (Revelation 2:4). Only Jesus satisfies. When we turn from Him, we have forsaken the only One who can give us peace, happiness, fulfillment and lasting joy. Our flesh, with its voracious lusts, will destroy us. The man that trusts in Jesus and clings to Him will be delivered from himself.
I have found that I do not have to worry about other people hurting me and doing me harm, because I am by far my own worst enemy. My flesh and its insatiable desires are considerably more destructive than anything others may do to me. For in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18). The backslider is filled with his own ways and given over to his flesh (Romans 13:14). A backslider must repent and begin to walk in the Spirit. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). God says, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings” (Jeremiah 3:22). “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4).
Henry Blackaby said, “The greatest single pitfall for a [Christian] is the loss or turning aside from the love relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s the heart of it all. When your heart shifts everything else shifts.” At the heart of backsliding is leaving our first love, Jesus (Revelation 2:4). Only Jesus satisfies. When we turn from Him, we have forsaken the only One who can give us peace, happiness, fulfillment and lasting joy. Our flesh, with its voracious lusts, will destroy us. The man that trusts in Jesus and clings to Him will be delivered from himself.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Only God Sees the Heart
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits” (Proverbs 16:2).
After God rejected Saul as King, the prophet Samuel was sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite to anoint one of his sons as king. Jesse called his sons to stand before the prophet, and each time, the Lord told Samuel that the son before him was not the chosen one. When Eliab, the firstborn, stood before Samuel, the prophet thought “Surely the Lord’s anointed [was] before him.” But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:6, 7).
Unfortunately, the outward appearance of a man is often very different from what is found in a man’s heart. If we judge according to the external, we will often come to the wrong conclusion, because we can only make an impression based on the superficial. Jesus called the outwardly religious Pharisees, “Hypocrites,” who were like “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27, 28).
The world judges by visible appearance: how a man looks, what kind of car he drives, how much money he makes, etc. God judges a man by his heart. Has the blood of Jesus been applied to his life? Does he love God with his entire being? Does he love his brother as himself? Only God sees the heart.
After God rejected Saul as King, the prophet Samuel was sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite to anoint one of his sons as king. Jesse called his sons to stand before the prophet, and each time, the Lord told Samuel that the son before him was not the chosen one. When Eliab, the firstborn, stood before Samuel, the prophet thought “Surely the Lord’s anointed [was] before him.” But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:6, 7).
Unfortunately, the outward appearance of a man is often very different from what is found in a man’s heart. If we judge according to the external, we will often come to the wrong conclusion, because we can only make an impression based on the superficial. Jesus called the outwardly religious Pharisees, “Hypocrites,” who were like “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27, 28).
The world judges by visible appearance: how a man looks, what kind of car he drives, how much money he makes, etc. God judges a man by his heart. Has the blood of Jesus been applied to his life? Does he love God with his entire being? Does he love his brother as himself? Only God sees the heart.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Passing the Test
“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
Recently, I watched “Remember the Titans” for the first time in quite some time. In the movie, the team captain, who was white, was placed in a situation where he had to make a split-second decision. His white friends pulled up beside him in their convertible and invited him to a party. He looked back at his black teammates he had just won a football game with and had to choose whether to stick with his teammates or go to the party with his prejudiced white buddies.
As I watched this scene, I realized that this was the dénouement of the movie (the moment where the protagonist confronts the antagonist in the story and makes the decision that will affect the outcome of the story). The team captain ended up doing the right thing: he stayed with his black teammates despite the peer pressure he felt.
Just as this young man faced his test and passed it, we, as godly men, must make hundreds of instantaneous decisions each day that affect our character, integrity and walk with the Lord. For example, when we are confronted with a difficult situation, we have a brief window to decide whether we will be honest or lie to protect ourselves. God hates it when we compromise our holiness for the sake of temporary gain. We are commanded to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45). Men of integrity do the right thing even when they are in a difficult situation. Part of becoming a godly man involves taking responsibility for our actions and speaking the truth at all times – even when it is not convenient.
Recently, I watched “Remember the Titans” for the first time in quite some time. In the movie, the team captain, who was white, was placed in a situation where he had to make a split-second decision. His white friends pulled up beside him in their convertible and invited him to a party. He looked back at his black teammates he had just won a football game with and had to choose whether to stick with his teammates or go to the party with his prejudiced white buddies.
As I watched this scene, I realized that this was the dénouement of the movie (the moment where the protagonist confronts the antagonist in the story and makes the decision that will affect the outcome of the story). The team captain ended up doing the right thing: he stayed with his black teammates despite the peer pressure he felt.
Just as this young man faced his test and passed it, we, as godly men, must make hundreds of instantaneous decisions each day that affect our character, integrity and walk with the Lord. For example, when we are confronted with a difficult situation, we have a brief window to decide whether we will be honest or lie to protect ourselves. God hates it when we compromise our holiness for the sake of temporary gain. We are commanded to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45). Men of integrity do the right thing even when they are in a difficult situation. Part of becoming a godly man involves taking responsibility for our actions and speaking the truth at all times – even when it is not convenient.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Test of Character
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (Proverbs 12:10).
It has been said, “Character is doing the right thing when no one else is looking.” A large part of becoming a godly man rests on this principle. When it is only God and us, it is then that we find if we are willing to stand for what we profess to believe. There is no better test of godly character than how a man treats those that are in subjection to him. When a man has power and authority over another human or even a beast, whether he chooses to act in mercy or cruelty reveals the kind of man he is. Once a man is granted power, many wicked traits bubble to the surface. These characteristics were in his heart the entire time, but power exposed them.
We will never become the godly men we desire to be without being faithful in the little things. There is a popular book called Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in which the author encourages the reader not to make mountains out of molehills. I agree, but when it comes to pursuing godly manhood we definitely need to sweat the small stuff. The mundane, inconsequential decisions are the building blocks upon which our character is formed. If we are faithful to walk righteously in the small details of life, then when crucial decisions confront us, we will have no problem doing the right thing, because we have made a practice of acting with character and integrity.
It has been said, “Character is doing the right thing when no one else is looking.” A large part of becoming a godly man rests on this principle. When it is only God and us, it is then that we find if we are willing to stand for what we profess to believe. There is no better test of godly character than how a man treats those that are in subjection to him. When a man has power and authority over another human or even a beast, whether he chooses to act in mercy or cruelty reveals the kind of man he is. Once a man is granted power, many wicked traits bubble to the surface. These characteristics were in his heart the entire time, but power exposed them.
We will never become the godly men we desire to be without being faithful in the little things. There is a popular book called Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in which the author encourages the reader not to make mountains out of molehills. I agree, but when it comes to pursuing godly manhood we definitely need to sweat the small stuff. The mundane, inconsequential decisions are the building blocks upon which our character is formed. If we are faithful to walk righteously in the small details of life, then when crucial decisions confront us, we will have no problem doing the right thing, because we have made a practice of acting with character and integrity.
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