Windows of the Soul

Heritage

But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [Isaiah 54:17, Amplified Bible]

 

When you were growing up, did you learn about your family of origin?  Did you meet your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and listen to stories about your family of old?  The things they did, the things that happened to them, the way things were? 

 

Well, as children of the Almighty, we have a heritage as well.  As God’s children by rebirth, belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have some history and a bright future ahead. 

 

Let’s take a look at some of the family values the LORD himself brings to the table.  There is a promise in this verse in Isaiah 54.  No weapon formed against you (as God’s dearly beloved child) shall prevail against you.  Those who accuse you – they will be refuted and shown to be wrong.  How?  Well, God will help.  He is on the side of his children.  This winning is the heritage of the servants of the LORD.  Our vindication is from God.  God defends us, shields us, exonerates us, he clears our name.  And we will triumph over opposition.  This is our heritage – it comes with belonging to God’s family. 

 

He looks out for his own.  This offers believers tremendous security and peace.  Knowing God is on our side, and that He will vindicate us sends a strong message to our enemies.  Might want to think twice before messing with one of God’s kids.  Paybacks, as they say, are hell. 

 

May you know your heritage in the Almighty.  And may you see God himself vindicate your case before men.  It’s all in the family.  Selah.

 

Add to Your Faith

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (2 Peter 1:5-6; 5-7 in context)

 

Just as newborn babies grow into infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, young adults and finally mature adults, we are to grow in our faith.

 

We are admonished to Add to our faith.  That we are people of faith is already established.  Adding to our faith is what comes next.  Add-ons?  Yes and no.  Yes, we are adding to our faith through the process of growing up in our faith.  But no, we are not solely responsible.  God, through the Holy Spirit, teaches us things we need to know. 

 

Growing in faith means adding to our beliefs and changing our actions to match the nature of Christ.  This is the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God.  We do our part, and God does the rest. Add to your faith goodness,  knowledge (of God), self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection and love.  It’s a process.  And it happens in the context of relationships.  Relationships with our fellow man and our relationship with God.

 

Add to your faith every day.  Seek God, pray for opportunities to demonstrate self-control, persevere in whatever it is in which you are struggling, imitate God, and love others.  It’s really pretty simple.  The truth is, God has already given us everything we need for living a godly life. 

 

Lord, thank you for your provision.  As we seek you with hearts that long for you and desire to imitate you, may we be blessed with a full measure of your Spirit within us, to cause us to grow, adding to our faith in Jesus Christ, to Your glory now and forever.  Amen.  

 

Secret Places

Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)

When you were a kid did you ever play hide and seek?  I did.  On hot summer nights, when the lightning bugs emerged, we’d all go out (my siblings and I) in the dark and play hide and seek along with kids in the neighborhood.  There were lots of great hiding places: big round bushes, the woods next door, trees to climb, and more.  It was fun.  But eventually someone was found and that person became “It”.  We all re-appeared from our hiding places once the call came that someone was found.  And soon, the count to 10, 20, or even 100 would start and we would once again scramble to find a new hiding place. 

Life is kind of like that.  We think we can keep secret hiding places.  But, sooner or later, we all need to come out of our hiding places and into the light of truth.  And, the truth of the matter is that nothing is hidden from God.  Nothing.  There is no place so secret that God is not aware that you are there.  In thought.  In word.  In deed.  In attitudes.  In your heart.  He knows it all.  There are no secrets with God. 

At the same time, God is not hidden from us.  God’s glory fills the earth in spectacular display day after day in the skies, the trees, fields, the land, sea and stars that surround us. He is on display everywhere.  And yet, while each one of us may try to hide from God, in fact, we cannot.  He is all around us, and at the same time very close to us.  He even resides in those of us who have asked Him into our hearts. 

 So, knowing this – that you cannot hide from God – does it un-do you?  Does it burst your bubble that you cannot hide anything from the great I AM?  Do you care? 

Eventually, you will.  One fact about life: we all eventually die.  And with death – a reckoning – judgment.

Why not realize that you cannot out-run or out-hide God and turn to Him now?  He is able … to forgive, to cleanse, to love, and to do immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine.  Why not live your life in such a way as to bring glory to Him?  Why not live your life in such a way that you don’t have regrets at the end of the day  … or at the end of your life? 

You’ll be glad you did. 

You will find God, if you seek Him.  And He will find you, too, in the secret places of your heart. 

 Selah.  

 

What's in Your Heart?

Heart
Originally uploaded by mozzercork

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe. Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD. (Psalm 107: 1,2,43)
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. (John 2:23, 24)

Do you ever take time to evaluate your life? Your heart, your mind, your attitudes, your actions? Do you? Reflection is a wonderful tool to help us grow and become our best selves.

The psalmist took time to reflect on the Lord and he reminds us that the Lord is good. His love endures forever. He prompts those of us who are redeemed of the Lord to tell our story. Wisdom includes not only worship and fear of the Lord, but taking time to ponder and tell the deeds God performs that demonstrate his love for us. For each one of us.

Jesus was in Jerusalem. It was the Passover Festival. The annual celebration of the redemption of the Jews from the hands of the Egyptians. The tribal nation took time to recall each year the awesome deeds God performed that saved them from slavery and delivered them to the Promised Land.

While in Jerusalem, Jesus performed many signs and miracles. Often we will put our faith in others once we see what they can do. Interestingly enough, the Son of God would not entrust himself to people – even though he could plainly see who they were. He only entrusted himself to God. He knew people and what was in their hearts.

So, what’s in your heart? Can you say it is holy and pure? Do you recognize sin in your heart? Greed. Idolatry. Slander. Pride. Arrogance. Rage. Lust. Hatred. Do you understand your motives in human relationships? If not, the Easter Season is a great time to begin reflecting on your life.

Jesus gave his life for you. For me. So that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Life beyond our earthly existence.

What are you doing with your life? Where is your treasure? And what is the measure of your life?

Something to think about. Your answers will tell you what is in your heart.  

May your heart be pure and full of love. And may your life be a light pointing others to God. Selah.

Treasures

intangible treasure
Originally uploaded by morris3mj

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (I Timothy 6:17-19)

One of the things about life we can count on is change. Today’s scripture talks about treasure. Paul is writing to Timothy and encourages his son in the faith to encourage those in the church to put their hope in God rather than things of this world.

We can easily let our faith guard down, so to speak, when things are going well. Money is good. Work is going along fine. Family. Friends. Everything is just moving along like clockwork. But then, stuff happens. The stock market crashes, or work dries up, or some unforeseen thing happens to someone you love. Or maybe even you. And your whole world comes crashing down.

That’s when many lose their faith. They become angry at God. At circumstances. At others. Their circumstances are dictating how they feel. This is easy to do. In fact, I would venture to say, most of us do exactly that.

But Paul charges us to place our hope in God regardless. When things are good. And when they aren’t so good. Do good to others, and be generous with material things.

The truth is that we find life … when we lose it. When we give ourselves away by doing good to others, sharing our time and our talents, our wealth and our selves, we find ourselves. This is when we take hold of real life. True life. When we give ourselves away. And when our hope is in God, regardless of our circumstances.

Your treasures of this world will rust, fade, wear out, be lost, stolen or decay. May your treasures be found in the intangible things. That which places its hope and faith in God, and imitates Him in all His goodness.

Selah.

Anger ~ Compassion

COMPASSION.
Originally uploaded by stormlover2007

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

But the LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:1-11)

Lots of Scripture reading today. But it tells a story.  I’ve highlighted what I wanted you to notice.

The point: God relented and did not punish the people of Tarshish. He saw that they had repented and turned back to Him. He did not destroy them.

This made Jonah angry. He wanted to see justice for their sin. He wanted to see them suffer. After all they did not deserve forgiveness.

My point to you is this: when life seems unfair, and we do not understand the actions of God, we may become angry.

Ask yourself this: Is it right for you to be angry? God shows grace and mercy to you and to others. It is not our determination to whom or when He relents or blesses. That belongs to God. And God alone.

Rather than become angry over the seeming unfairness, find things to be grateful for.

If you look back on your life, there are probably times when God forgave you. Even when you deserved punishment. There are probably times when God showed mercy to you, and provided for you, even when you deserved none of it.

So rather than be angry, be humble; be grateful; be merciful; be kind; be compassionate; be loving.

Accept the will of God concerning you. Selah.

He Who ...

Aurora Borealis
Originally uploaded by C0E

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the LORD God Almighty is his name. (Amos 4:13)

Whenever I hear the words, He who, I begin humming the famous scripture song recorded by Steve Green, that goes along with the verse from Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The song brings tremendous comfort to believers who can trust the LORD to fulfill His promises regarding their salvation, sanctification and eternal home with Him. He who saves also delivers. It speaks to the power of God to make good on his promises.

But there’s more we can learn about God from the book of Amos. He who .. forms the mountains. Creator. He who … creates the wind. We cannot see the wind, just feel it, its effects on our lives via the weather. It can bring terror and disaster, or comfort and warmth. And He who … reveals his thoughts to mankind. Yeah – you read that right. To you and me. The Creator, reveals Himself to mankind. He who .. turns dawn to darkness – day to night. He turns the earth, manages the universe. He who … treads on the heights of the earth.

The LORD God Almighty is his name. El Shaddai.

When an important person walks in a room, don’t you want to be introduced?

Want to be introduced to the most important Being in the universe? To the Lord God Almighty – to your Maker, Creator, Savior, Provider, Friend? Then read your Bible. Attend a Bible believing church. Get involved with other Christians in fellowship. Pray.

He who … is above every name … wants to meet you, too.

Amen.

Justice

Forgiven
Originally uploaded by BooRad0859

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. (2Thessalonians 1:6)

Justice. Moral rightness. Conforming to a Principle or law. Equitableness and fairness in treatment.

We often think of justice in terms of the law. Lawbreakers, crooks, thiefs, murderers, rapists, drug dealers. Eventually they are caught. And sooner or sometimes later, justice is served. They reap the rewards or punishments of their behavior.

It is the law of reaping and sowing.

Likewise for those who belong to God. We don’t have to keep a record of wrongs against us. We don’t have to try to pay back evil for evil. We don’t have to hold on to grudges, anger, rage, things and circumstances that seem unfair.

The God of the Universe. The Creator of the World. Your Almighty God and Father keeps track for you. Your job is to turn it over to him. Forgive. Let go. Let God handle it.

The Word tells us, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.” Vengeance for wrongs does not belong to us. It is no longer an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We are to give it to God. Let Him handle it. He, who is omnipresent, omniscient, and all powerful will take care of it in His way and His time.

Let go. Let God.

Your job is to remember that you are a sinner, too. And God has forgiven you, too. And at times God has disciplined you, too.

You belong to God. He cares for you.

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. That is a promise you can count on.

So Forgive. And Live.

Selah.

At the Heart ...

The heart of the matter....
Originally uploaded by sallysue007

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. (Romans 2:28-29)

Outward and Inward.

There is the physical appearance and the spiritual reality. Take Paul’s letter to the Romans, for example. Think about the Jews of his day. The Pharisees and Sadducees. They were Jews outwardly. You could see their religious garb. They attended worship services at the Temple. They had long prayer tassels. And every move, every word, every thing they did was … for lack of a better word … calculated. Precise. Meeting religious standards. Crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s.

Yeah. You may know people like this. Where you work. Where you live. Maybe even where you go to church.

So, what is a Jew inwardly? It’s not the fact that you (if you are a male) were circumcised on the 8th day after your birth. It’s that your heart is circumcised to the Holy Spirit of God. To sin. To grieving God. To living according to God’s Word, not with cold perfection and precision. But with a heart that wants to do the right thing. Even if the carrying out of it isn’t always perfect.

When pleasing God is what matters, somehow the performance issue dies. You stop worrying about what others think and think more about what God thinks. You hear the beat of a different drummer.

This is the heart of the matter. Not religiosity. Not for show. Not perfection. Not being good enough. Not doing enough good works.

But rather, being in relationship with God.

So much so, that your walk and talk with God is what matters most. Your life lived in love with Him is what guides your life. Your heart belongs to God.

And when this happens, your behaviors change. Not because you are following some rule book. But because you are being conformed into the image of Christ.

That, my friends, is the heart of the matter. Selah.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Seek God in all thing...
Originally uploaded by 4ThGlryOfGod

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37)

It was the beginning of the end for Jesus. He was setting himself like flint to go on to his destiny – the cross.

And Jesus lamented: Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

Who is he talking to? His people. The Jews.

You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.

You do not recognize My messengers. The prophets. Those whom I have sent to you. Instead, you kill my prophets. Those who speak My words to you. You stone those sent to you. You treat them like outcasts and kill them outside of town. You terrorize my messengers. Those who speak My words to you. You aren’t listening. You don’t get it.

How often I have longed to gather your children to gather, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.

Ever see a momma hen gather her baby chicks? She keeps them together. She trains them. She protects, feeds, nurtures them. She teaches them all they need to know before they grow up and go out into the world.

But you were not willing.

You don’t want God. You don’t want the things of God. You want to do it your way. On your own.

Lament. That is what Jesus did. He grieved over Jerusalem – his people. Because they did not want to belong to their Creator God. They didn't want a relationship with Him.  They wanted life their way, not God's way. 

Let us not be those for whom Jesus lamented. Let us answer the call to be God’s people. He is our loving God and Father.

Come home.

Amen.