Deeper and Deeper I Go

“It was when I walked alone with God that I learned the lessons He would teach.  I set aside a time and a place to meet Him, and I have never been disappointed.”  Oswald J. Smith wrote those words when he described what he called his “morning watch.”  Oh, how I want to know my Lord better!  I want to feel as close to Him as possible.  I want to be guided by Him, molded by Him, and secure in my relationship with Him.  I don’t want to be guilty of just going through the motions or coasting through Christianity.  I don’t want to have a faith that’s inherited or tied to associations.  I don’t want to have to wonder if my religion is genuine, personal, in my soul through and through.  How can I have the peace that comes from knowing I’m where I’m supposed to be in my faith, and in my relationship with God?

“This Book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” Joshua 1:8.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1a,2).

“I will meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways.  I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word” (Psalm 119:15,16).

“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).

If I want to be sure I’m doing all God wants me to, I must meditate in His Word.  If I want to rejoice in my relationship with Him, and have His approval, I will meditate on His Word.  Combining these verses with the definitions of “meditate” from Merriam-Webster.com, here’s how I can have a confident, meaningful faith (Romans 10:17):

  • Engage in contemplation or reflection of the Word day and night
  • Engage in mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness of the Word
  • Focus my thoughts on the Word so I don’t forget what it says
  • Plan or project in my mind what I find in the Word

So I need a “morning watch” with God.  I think it must be separate from time spent preparing to teach Bible classes, or writing articles or lessons.  It needs to be deliberate, one-on-one time with the Father for the sole purpose of letting His Word instruct and strengthen me for the day.  Meditation.  To be sure of my faith, I can “receive the Word with all readiness, and search the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).  A practical way to meditate on God’s Word is to grab a clean spiral notebook and pen, and use the S.O.A.P. method.

S- “Scripture”- Jot down your Scripture text, and read it through a few times.

O- “Observations”- Write down all observations you can make about the text.  Don’t try to figure out what it means yet.  Just observe what it says, word by word.

A- “Application”- Write down what you learned, and how your life will be different because of it.  Is there an action to take?  A change to make?  Did you learn something different from what you’ve always been taught?

P- “Prayer”- Pray about what you read and your understanding of it.  Ask God to help you absorb, remember, and put into practice His will.

“Into the will of Jesus, deeper and deeper I go,

Praying for grace to follow, seeking His way to know;

Bowing in full surrender, low at His blessed feet,

Bidding Him take, break me and make,

Till I am molded, complete.”

(Oswald J. Smith, 1890-1986)

Prayer for Today:  May time in Your Word be a precious, daily priority in my life.

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Blessings Abound

Political unrest, overwhelming national debt, sin tolerance, socialism, health care plans, rights of citizens, crime sprees…

In the midst of all of the distressing news, I need a reminder every now and then of the glory of the Christian life.  “A faithful man will abound with blessings” (Prov. 28:20).  So instead of feeling overwhelmed, fearful or discouraged, let us bolster ourselves and each other with the bounty of blessings found in Christ.  Find a quiet spot, open your Bible, and whisper a prayer of thanks as you circle the words that show the measure of goodness God bestows on those who are His.

(Emphases mine, to highlight words having to do with abundance)

BLESSINGS

  • “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (Eph. 1:3)
  • “For the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him” (Rom. 10:12)

HOPE & GLORY

  • “That you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18)
  • “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13)

GRACE

  • “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor. 9:8)
  • “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us” (Eph. 1:7,8)
  • “That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7)

STRENGTH

  • “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might” (Eph. 3:16)

LOVE & FULLNESS

  • “That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:17-19)

MIGHT

  • “That you may know….what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:19)
  • “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20)

PEACE

  • “Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psa. 119:165)
  • “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7)

Let’s show the world our confidence in these blessings so they will want that kind of security for themselves.  Let’s show our neighbors and fellow Christians that we rely on God’s abounding and steadfast love (Psa. 103:8).  And let’s be a blessing to others by abounding in good works and sacrificial love (1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 8:7; Phil. 1:9).

Prayer for Today:  In a world of turmoil, may we always recognize Your goodness and grace.

Bible Study Treat

Ever since my mom started taking the Biblical Exegesis class by Denny Petrillo and Michael Hite, she has been all excited about marking key words.  I often see her with her Bible open, pad of paper close by, Bible-marking pens and colored pencils on hand, searching for recurring words like one digging for treasure.  Happily for me, she likes to compare notes.  Just yesterday she shared one of her discoveries with me, and because it’s too good to keep to myself, I’m going to share it with you, too.

In 2 Corinthians, the word “God” appears about 75 times, but the phrase “of God” appears some 32 times.  According to the World English Dictionary, the simple definition for the word “of” means “indicating possession, origin, or association.”  With that in mind, notice some of the words attached to our phrase “of God” in 2 Corinthians:

  • In 1:1, the “WILL of God” and the “CHURCH of God”
  • In 1:12, the “GRACE of God”
  • In 1:19, the “SON of God”
  • In 1:20, the “PROMISES of God” and the “GLORY of God”
  • In 2:17, the “WORD of God” and the “SIGHT of God”
  • In 4:2, the “SIGHT of God”
  • In 4:6, the “GLORY of God”
  • In 4:7, the “POWER will be of God”
  • In 4:15, the “GLORY of God”
  • In 5:21, the “RIGHTEOUSNESS of God”
  • In 6:1, the “GRACE of God”
  • In 6:4, the “SERVANTS of God”
  • In 6:7, the “POWER of God”
  • In 6:16, the “TEMPLE of God”
  • In 7:1, the “FEAR of God”
  • In 7:9, the “WILL of God”
  • In 7:10, the “WILL of God”
  • In 7:12, the “SIGHT of God”
  • In 8:1, the “GRACE of God”
  • In 8:5, the “WILL of God”
  • In 9:14, the “GRACE of God”
  • In 10:5, the “KNOWLEDGE of God”
  • In 11:7, the “GOSPEL of God”
  • In 12:19, the “SIGHT of God”
  • In 13:4, the “POWER of God” and again the “POWER of God”
  • In 13:14, the “LOVE of God”

Are you rubbing your hands together with anticipation?  This information is a great starting point for studying some big concepts that belong to/ originated with God.  It’s GOD’S grace, GOD’S temple, GOD’S gospel, GOD’S will.  So what does He have to say about them?  For instance, one glimpse at the verse that mentions the “knowledge of God” shows that it trumps every argument devised by man.  My mom pointed out that the specific phrases that recur the most are “will of God,” “grace of God,” “sight of God,” and “power of God,” each appearing 4 times.  I can’t wait to take a closer look at the passages surrounding those phrases to see what I can learn!

On a personal note, my mom has experienced some hardships, and still does.  I’m grateful anew for the ability of the “POWER of God” to bring joy and purpose to the lives of all His children (2 Cor. 6:4-10).  My mom thought it was interesting that the “love of God” was saved for the very last verse of the letter, which seems like an appropriate verse to end with here.  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).

Prayer for Today- Help me, dear Lord, to be an eager student of Your Word all my life.  And thank You for my mom!

My beautiful mom and me

“Women are Most Beautiful at 30; Men are Most Handsome at 34”

I heard that little tidbit on the Today Show.  Apparently I’m well over a whole decade past my beauty prime.  That’s vanity, yes.  If this physical body was all I knew and cared about, I might be tempted to console myself with chocolate. (I might do that anyway.)  But even though our society idolizes the beautiful body, the Christian knows that “beauty is vain” and “the Lord looks on the heart” (Prov. 31:30; 1 Sam. 16:7).

The truth is that I’ve got a long way to go before I reach my true beauty prime.  God prizes a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:3,4).  Holy women adorn themselves by submitting to their own husbands (1 Pet. 3:5,6), and clothing themselves with strength and dignity (Prov. 31:25).  Dressing our best means practicing righteous acts (Rev. 19:8).  You see, presentation is everything to God, too, but He wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him (Rom. 12:1).  Gentleness, submission, honor, holiness, and serving others–this is real beauty that never fades.

As someone once said, “You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen.  But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your own soul’s doing.”  Those who are conforming to the image of Christ have this confidence:  “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).

Prayer for Today:  Lord, help me remove all ugliness from my heart.

**This post can also be viewed at:  LivingWell

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Shining or Shaming?

Teaching (and even admonishing) can be done without insulting or disparaging others.  Righteous indignation is something Christians will and should feel, but surely that doesn’t give us the right to passionately belittle others.  How we speak is just as important as what we speak.  And although tone is not as easily “heard” in print, word choice conveys quite a bit of the attitude behind the writer.  When making a point, orally or typewritten, consider the following reasons to omit offensive language:

To practice the Golden Rule.  We all want to learn and grow, which involves being reproved at times.  But none of us wants an insult included with the rebuke.  We would feel personally attacked instead of lovingly corrected.  We would ask the one teaching or admonishing us to do so without being ugly or smart-alecky.  So if we prefer to be taught with respect, why would it be okay to teach someone else in a disrespectful way (Matt. 7:12)?

To avoid sounding like the world.  Rudeness and name-calling are all around us.  We’re to act differently, and react differently.  Our words when teaching, correcting, or convincing need to be obviously loving, or we’re guilty of conforming to the world in an area the Bible places great emphasis on–our speech (Col. 4:6).

To demonstrate love.  The people in our lives that we dearly love sometimes need admonishing.  How do we speak to them?  Patiently.  Kindly.  Tenderly.  We would never dream of hurting or ridiculing them; we just want to help them!  So we choose our words carefully in hopes of conveying that.  If love is our motivation behind convicting others, let’s make sure no one ever has to question that (1 Cor. 13:4).

To avoid detracting from the message.  Some might think that using scorn or derision makes what we have to say more emphatic.  It emphasizes something alright.  It emphasizes the personality of the speaker/ teacher.  Is that the objective?  Speaking the truth in a respectful way does not dilute it or make it less meaningful.  On the contrary, it shows we care about getting it right (Eph. 4:15).

To represent the Lord’s church accurately.  The world is watching and listening.  They see our interactions with one another.  What are they supposed to think when they see us insulting others (while supposedly standing for what’s right), using words like “stupid,” “idiotic,” etc.?  They know disrespect when they see it, and it has no business coming out of the mouths (or keyboards) of Christians (John 13:35).

We must teach and admonish, but we must also be careful to do so in a way that shines the Light instead of shaming the church.

Prayer for Today:  Lord, may my passionate convictions be tempered with the tongue of lovingkindness.  

25 Ways to Keep Christ at the Center of My Life

I love this list so much that I made three copies of it.  I put one on our refrigerator, one on the boys’ bathroom wall, and one at eye level where the ironing board is (not that I spend a lot of time there).   This list first appeared in Neal’s “Daily Bread” about a year ago (and can also be found on his blog, http://www.preacherpollard.wordpress.com), but I wanted to share it here because I had an idea.  What if we all focus on one suggestion each day, using the number on the list that coordinates with the date?  That means today we’ll focus on #11, “I will reflect meaningfully on the price He paid at Calvary.”  Each month, start over again so that after a year of “25 Ways” in 25 days, keeping Christ at the center of our lives should be pretty ingrained.  We can share this challenge with our children and discuss it in family devotionals at the end of the day.  We can ask best friends to join in the challenge with us, and email each other encouragement.  Bible class teachers can turn this into a group effort by giving a list to each of the students.  Let’s see how much of a difference we can make in our families, churches, and communities by sharing this exciting challenge to grow ever closer to Christ!

Suggestions for how to focus on the list each day:

  1. Start and end each day with a prayer about the specific way to keep Christ at the center.
  2. Keep a journal.  Jot down Scriptures related to it, along with personal reflections.
  3. Find at least one practical way to act on it.

25 Ways to Keep Christ in the Center of My Life

By Neal Pollard

  1. I will absorb myself in the practice of prayer
  2. I will actively practice kindness
  3. I will find someone each day with whom to share Him
  4. I will watch what I allow to grow in my heart
  5. I will consider carefully how what I do effects my influence
  6. I will actively encourage the people I daily encounter
  7. I will assume and look for the best in others
  8. I will nurture a hatred of sin and a love of sinners
  9. I will treat Scripture as daily nourishment for my soul
  10. I will keep a spiritual song in my heart
  11. I will reflect meaningfully on the price He paid at Calvary
  12. I will guard my tongue
  13. I will think longingly about heaven
  14. I will contemplate ways to be involved in the church’s work
  15. I will love His church with a passion
  16. I will cut out the tendency to rationalize or defend wrongdoing
  17. I will be discerning about what is spiritual and what is worldly
  18. I will grow in my understanding of what true love is
  19. I will humbly acknowledge the greatness and power of God
  20. I will do all within my power to help answer His prayer for unity
  21. I will pursue souls with the same vigor that He did
  22. I will look for ways to turn the conversation to the spiritual
  23. I will long for times of worship and devotion
  24. I will care less and less about my rights, feelings, and desires
  25. I will think, speak, act, and look more like Him every day

Prayer for Today:  May I do all I can, dear Lord, to make it obvious that I belong to You.

Beware the Strangler Fig!

Once you hear the fascinating story of the strangler fig, you will shiver every time you see one.  The strangler fig is a large canopy tree that begins its life in an unusual way.  The seed is deposited by bird droppings on a branch of another tree.  As the seed grows, it stretches out in both directions, down toward the ground so it can build a root system, and up toward the sky so it can reach the sunlight through the jungle growth.  The strangler fig grows aggressively, and soon its roots choke off the nutrients of the host tree, while its leaves prevent the host tree from getting sunlight.  Before long, nothing is left of the host but a hollow center.  The common name for this dark jungle dweller is the banyan tree, which sounds a lot more benign than calling it what it is.  And you know where I’m going with this.  Seeds are deposited on us all the time.  Unlike the host tree of the strangler fig, we have a choice as to whether or not the little seeds grow and take over.

The seed of unpleasantness- You’ve had it dropped on you.  No matter how positive you try to be, or how much good you try to do, someone will find fault.  Someone will criticize or say something thoughtless.  You can brush it off, or you can feed it until it you find yourself resenting others.  Common name:  I’mAVictim.  Real name:  Bitterness

The seed of sensuality- It’s everywhere.  Ladies, it’s not just a problem for guys who stare at a computer all day.  It’s in TV shows like Desperate You-Name-It or The Bachelor or Dancing with the Stars.  It’s in magazines.  It’s graphically portrayed in novels.  It can even be found on Pinterest.  It can smother out all sense of purity and wholesomeness.  Common name:  Entertainment.  Real name:  Pornography.

The seed of whispering- Will you join in the conversation?  It doesn’t take much to become a participant, to look forward to the chatter, to contribute what you know.  Common name:  Confiding.  Real name:  Gossip.

The seed of chemistry- A glance here, a little flirtation there, or an exchange of emails or texts that makes your heart flutter and your cheeks hot…there’s nothing harmless about it.  It has an aggressive growth rate.  It damages relationships, and soon you might find yourself guilty of the one thing you thought you’d never do.  Common name:  Affair. Real name:  Adultery.

No matter what we’re exposed to, faced with, or tempted by, we have the choice to nip it in the bud (ha!) from the very beginning (1 Cor. 10:13), or we can let it grow and smother out the Light until nothing is left but a hollow shell of who we’re supposed to be.  “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15).

Prayer for Today:  May I always be aware of any sin trying to take root in my heart.

Our group under a strangler fig at an Angkor temple in Cambodia

Living Right but Getting It Wrong

Am I righteous?  Or am I self-righteous?  It is all too possible to be doing everything right, but to have an attitude that’s all wrong.  Jesus taught this to individuals (Luke 7:40-47), to seekers (Mark 10:17-24), and even to religious groups (Matt. 15:7,8).  From these examples, we see it’s possible to think we’re righteous when we’re not.  Jesus had to point out to these people their heart problems.  They couldn’t see it for themselves.  How can we make sure we’re not just outwardly righteous?

I can be living right, but getting it wrong if I compare my righteousness to others.  Jesus told a parable about a very religious man who felt pretty good about himself when he looked around and saw that others weren’t measuring up.  He made himself the standard of righteousness!  Jesus calls this kind of attitude “exalting oneself.”  He told this parable to those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” and who “despised others” (Luke 18:9-14).  According to Webster, self-righteousness is “being convinced of one’s own righteousness, especially in contrast with the actions or beliefs of others.”  Jesus is our standard.  How does my righteousness compare to His?

I can be living right, but getting it wrong if I assume the worst in others.  When someone says (or posts) something  a little questionable, am I quick to correct, criticize, or condemn?   If I want to live right, I will be patient, tolerant, and loving, and viewing my fellow brothers and sisters through eyes of humility (Eph. 4:2).  This means I will give others the benefit of the doubt.  I will assume they are trying as hard as I am to live righteously.  “…In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3).

I can be living right, but getting it wrong if I think everyone needs to hear my opinion on any given matter.  Do I feel my thoughts are that superior?  or important?  Do I think the choices I’ve made are what’s best for everyone else?  There ARE times when we must speak and teach.  We’re to share the gospel truth every chance we get.  But there are some areas where the decisions made are matters of personal opinion.  When the Bible leaves choices in the hands of individuals (there’s more than one right way to parent, or educate, or work, or date, or diet…), we must be careful not to elevate our own opinions.  “Do not be wise in your own opinion” (Rom. 12:16).  Rom. 14 makes it clear that there will be some areas in which we can disagree in opinion.  We’re not to “pass judgment on [others’] opinions” (v. 1), but to “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (v. 19).

How can we keep righteousness from becoming self-righteousness?   We simply honor others above ourselves (Rom. 12:10).

Prayer for Today:  May Your Son be my standard as I strive to live righteously and humbly.

Smothered in Praise

More than I should, I enjoy being acknowledged for something I’ve done.  “Honey, look how much money I’ve saved us this week by planning out all our meals!”  “Did you notice I set the coffee pot for you?”  As soon as Neal replies, “Great job!” or “Wow, thanks!” I smile with satisfaction.  Granted, I don’t prod anyone besides my husband for praise (at least not in an obvious way), but I realize I’ve got a problem with motives here.  Ideally, I should serve because I can and should, without expecting a pat on the back.  Ironically, most of the things I seek recognition for are things I’m supposed to be doing anyway.  They’re part of my responsibilities. They’re not second-mile deeds.  In order to curb my childish desire for praise, I tried an experiment.  I would go an entire week without mentioning a single accomplishment on my part.  I mentally geared up ahead of time, reminding myself that a mature Christian woman serves out of the goodness of her heart.  How did it go?  Well, let’s just say I found creative ways to seek praise.  Crawling into bed at the end of Day One, I said, “Mmm, I love the smell of freshly washed sheets.”  Neal dutifully replied, “Me, too.  Good job, Babe.”

My youngest son, Carl, shared something with me this morning that reminded me again to work on this prideful trait of mine.  He is studying ancient history, and told me the story of Draco.  Draco, who lived around 600 B.C., was a strict and serious Athenian.  He gained a reputation for harshness.  He ordered that even the smallest offense of the law be punishable by death.  People acknowledged him because he ruthlessly demanded it.  One day, Draco went to the theatre,  and when the public saw him, they threw their cloaks to him in order to honor him.  Unfortunately, he suffocated under the mass number of cloaks.  He was smothered in praise.  What he desired most became his downfall.

Seeking praise gets to be a bad habit, an unattractive character trait.  It’s a heart condition.  It’s nothing like the service that our Lord demonstrated for us, and commands of us.  We’re to serve in humility (John 13:1-17).  We’re to serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13).  We’re to serve with grace (1 Pet. 4:10).  And when we serve, we are to desire that God gets the praise and is glorified (1 Pet. 4:11).

Prayer for today:  Lord, help me renew my heart, seeking Your glory, not mine.

Sunshine in Winter (a recipe post)

Today, because there’s snow on the ground, the sun is shining, and because the Pioneer Woman arrived in Colorado with her family, I decided to make my favorite dessert.  It’s called Lemon Milk Sherbet.  When we first moved to Denver, Carol Stephens (a very sweet elder’s wife) served this sunny dessert in pretty glass dishes, along with a plate of shortbread cookies.  The very best recipes are the ones you try when someone has you into their home for a meal!

I love this simple dessert for many reasons.  First, the fresh, yellow citrus offers a spot of sunny brightness, perfect for winter days.  (Did you know that we get more sunny days than Miami, FL?)  Second, the first sweet spoonful in my mouth makes me close my eyes, every time.  It’s that good.  It’s a light dessert, but a hit with teen boys.  Third, the recipe is super quick and easy.  And finally, making it is sheer pleasure because of the wonderful scent of lemon zest.  Smelling citrus is supposed to be a natural mood lifter, you know.  If you make this recipe, you might find yourself singing, “There is Sunshine in My Soul Today!”

LEMON MILK SHERBET

1/2 c. fresh lemon juice (4 or 5 lemons)

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. lemon zest

4 c. very cold milk

1/4 tsp. salt

Zest a couple of the lemons before you juice them.  Combine sugar, lemon juice, and zest.  Add cold milk.  I always use skim.  Freeze immediately.  If you’re impatient (like we were), you can serve it semi-frozen in a couple of hours, and it’ll still be delicious.

Prayer for Today:  Thank you, Lord, for Your many gifts that brighten our lives.