Rediscovering Security

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba!  Father!’”  Romans 8:14-15.

Growing up I always felt safe when I was at home with my parents.  Both my mother and father created an environment of love, protection and faithfulness which continued into adulthood.  As life happened and adversity became part of my life there was comfort and peace in going home.  Walking through the threshold of their house created rest and reassurance deep in my heart.  It was in this fellowship of family that I would rediscover any confidence and security I lacked based on my circumstances.  While I may have arrived with fear I seldom left with that same fear.  I am sure that each of you has experienced the same comfort by retreating to a father or mother, sister or brother or another significant person in your life when challenging seasons occur. 

The same is with our fellowship within our intimacy with God.  When we are examining the future through fearful eyes we are invited to walk through the threshold of God’s love.  He invites us to sit at His table and share in His nourishment.  We ask and He gives…we question and He explains what we need to understand…we cry and He comforts.  Through our adversity and pain we discover more of the Father who adopted us through His son, Christ Jesus.  We become half-brothers and half-sisters with the spiritual family.  When we fully and sincerely grasp who our Father really is we will walk away in confidence and belief that our circumstances have already been handled.  Our fear should no longer guide as we become encouraged by our faith in God’s abilities and commitment to His children. 

Today may we all walk through our Father’s threshold of love and experience His faithfulness in every circumstance.  

Usual Defiances

“Goliath stood and shouted…‘but if I overcome…and kill…you will become our subjects and serve us.’  For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand… Goliath…stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.   When the Israelites saw…they all ran from him in great fear.” 1 Sam 17:8, 16, 23.

I just love when a new revelation comes from a passage that I have read multiple times.  David and Goliath is one of my all-time favorite stories.  I have read it many times, I have studied it, and I have blogged about it.  My focus has usually been on either protagonist or antagonist in the past.  Today God turned the prism and a new reflection emerged which is neither courageous nor heroic…the reflection of fear and bondage on the part of the Israelites.  I find it ironic that the very thing that threatened them…bondage and service to the enemy…is the very thing that had already seized them, the enemy being fear.  The passage states that Goliath shouted to them every day and night threatening their future.  They feared their impending doom without realizing the prophesy had already been fulfilled before the first man was ever killed. 

Fear is paralyzing and enslaving at best.  Most of us awake to the fear of something in our future.  Daily, our fear ‘steps out from the lines and shouts its usual defiance’…you will never get married… you will not be able to pay your bills …you will get that terminal illness… you will never amount to anything.  The shouts go on and on and we buy into the battle.  We stand at the sidelines facing our fear allowing it to control our lives.  We have been duped into the lie that our fear is bigger than our God.  We have head faith in God’s power but we come to the battle of our minds shorthanded on true belief.  I love the question formed from my Bible Study this morning.  ‘Do we just confess an intellectual belief in God or is He real enough to impact our circumstances?  Fear is stopping us from the things we are meant to be doing, the things God means for us to accomplish.  David wasn’t especially courageous when he faced his giant; he just believed God was bigger than the man he faced.’ Chase, p. 45.  Whatever emerges from the shadows casting its usual threat, meet it with God’s power and a belief that God is bigger than the taunts of fear. 

‘For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’  1Timothy 1:7.

Invisible Scales

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

Can you imagine opening a gift with a set of car keys inside or opening a Christmas bonus check from your employer, both accompanied by cards?  You read the card only to find out that this gift may be yours if you do certain things approved by the giver to earn them.  The gift instantly becomes a burden and something that is dependent on your performance.  You accomplish this or you provide that, but is it enough?   This is how we tend to treat our faith.  We strive and toil to gain the favor of God believing that an invisible sliding scale is above our heads moving from one accomplishment to the other.

I certainly have been this person who opened the gift of grace, only to feel there were certain things that I should do to hang on to this favor.  I served here…I was caregiver there…I claimed this truth…I denounced this falsehood.  And all the while, I was striving against myself.  The sliding scale was a burden that I placed above my own head while God worked relentlessly to remove it.  His message on my life over the past few years is that I can twist and bend myself in any kind of service I choose, but it is to no gain.  My gain comes from the empty cross and the fact that Someone else performed…strived for…toiled and accomplished.  My definition and identity comes from the empty grave, and not a full calendar of service.   Our gift is freedom from who we think we are, and acceptance that we are who He says we are in Him.  ‘Self-esteem dies hard, especially for those of us who stand on a great performance.  If our true worth, significance and identity come from something so solid and eternal as God Himself, we don’t stand on our own accomplishments, personality and performance.  We stand securely on the nature of an infinite, loving God.  The grace God gives us in defining who we are changes everything.  It is the character of God that gives us worth, not anything we have done or will do.’  Chase Study, Jennie Allen, p. 34.

May this be great news for all of us this morning!  God’s grace comes with the promise that while we will never be good enough to get into Heaven by our own works, we will never be bad enough to fall from grace.  It is our gift in Him.

Rise!

“Then the LORD said, ‘Rise and appoint him; he is the one.’  And from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.  So Saul said, ‘Send me your son David, who is with the sheep’” 1 Sam 16:12-13, 19.

Can you imagine being the lowest man on the totem pole at work when someone informs you that the CEO wishes to see you?  You have never even met the CEO and cannot imagine what it is that he is going to say.  You go to meet him and he informs you that you are going to be the next president of his company.  He has this formal ceremony before his executive board confirming his appointment of you.  Instead of taking you to your new office, he sends you back to the same little cubicle, working with the same group of people in the same boring job with the same junky computer that only works sometimes.  That is what happened to David when he was a young boy in the fields with the sheep.  He was summoned to appear before Samuel the prophet where he was anointed before others to be king.  After the heightened ceremony we learn he went right back to the job he was doing.  I can’t imagine the thoughts that swirled in his mind.  I would be thinking what on earth just happened and why am I back on this same hill with these same stinky sheep?  But as we all know we are called by God to purpose long before the power to accomplish is present.

God has a particular calling on each of our lives with no exceptions.  Some callings come early in life while others come much later.  Most of the time, our calling comes years before the fulfillment to provide the required preparation.  Just like David, we must trust that God knows what seasons of preparation must occur prior to accomplishing His purpose for our lives.  If He gave us His power before our hearts were ready we can be sure that we would abuse it or misuse it.  It would be like us giving our children a car at the age of 12.  God has a spiritual destiny and divine assignment for each of us but we must bloom where we are planted to grow into His plan.  If we continue to work 100% of our ability wherever He has ordained then we will realize the blessings of His anointing over our lives in His perfect timing. 

So rise…you are the one!

Coast of California

“Do not merely listen to the word…Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom…not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does” James 1:22-25.

On Sunday, our minister gave a wonderful sermon on earthly peace and hope being a result of our focus on the eternal.  He told the story of a woman who attempted to swim across the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verde on the California coast.  After two unsuccessful attempts she victoriously swam 21 miles across, and walked upon the shore of California.  When asked what made the third attempt successful she answered that every time she started to give up she pictured the coast of California.  That was her saving hope and she was victorious in her endeavor. 

Little did I know that this concept would play out in reality for me at the close of that very sermon.  When asked to stand and sing Blessed Assurance, I felt the weight of grief wash over me taking me back to my childhood days.  As the music rose so did my precious memories which held pain like a sponge holds water.  On Sunday mornings as a child, I would be back in my room getting ready for church when I would hear the piano echo Christian favorites.  While Daddy was waiting on his five girls to get ready, many times I would hear Blessed Assurance on the piano while Daddy belted out the words… ‘This is my story, this is my song, blessed assurance all the day long…’ As I stood there in the dark unable to sing, tears streamed down my face and my heart began to break…I miss him so much!  Bruce reached around me to comfort me and I suddenly remembered the ‘coast of California.’  In my mind I pictured the gates of Heaven with Daddy and Christ singing Blessed Assurance over me as I move closer.  With arms wide open and smiles that stretch forever, they are awaiting the day when I reach my coast of California…Heaven.   How blessed I was that I not only heard the message that day but I did what it said.  I pictured the eternal to bring me hope in the temporary.  We all hear sermons and read articles about the comforts from God which encourage and move us for the moment.  But we will miss the blessing if we look intently at the message but do not put in into practice.  We will forget the image it reflected upon our heart and miss the treasures that could be ours.

‘The Word of God is meant to do more than penetrate.  It is meant to activate.’ Beth Moore, James, p.78.

Under the Christmas Tree

“Rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given you and your household” Deut. 26:11.

When our children were little they would ask for all sorts of things for Christmas.  We would look at their requests, look at our bank account and determine whether it would be something good for them.  Then the shopping began, the purchases were hidden, the gifts were eventually wrapped and placed under the tree.  Christmas morning was always so exciting and most times one would go and wake up the others.  Anxiously, they grabbed their gifts making their own piles and began opening their presents.  Sometimes there were shrills of excitement as they discovered exactly what they asked for.  Other times there was an emotionless thank you as they opened something they needed such as socks.  Still other times they opened a gift that was tough to understand because it had clues they had to follow.  All in all Christmas morning was sprinkled with a few gifts that were exciting, a few that were necessary, a few that they had to work for to receive, but all were for their good in the end. 

We also have a Father who wishes to bless us with gifts that will thrill us…those gifts that are the desires of our heart.  He also blesses us with gifts that are necessary such as circumstances that will grow us into deeper fellowship with Him.  Some gifts seem incomplete when they come to us, causing us to depend on Him to show us the next clue.  Above all, everything that God allows into our lives will be an immediate blessing, a necessary blessing or a revealed blessing.  His gifts will always be aligned with His will for our lives and will always be towards our good. 

So let us rejoice in all the good things He has given us and our families!

Escape Hatches

“But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grow, gives birth to death” James 1:15.

Let’s face it…we all have our own flavor of sin that lies right under our spiritual surface.  With Satan and his worker bees so involved in our lives it would be easy to take on the mentality ‘the devil made me do it.’  This thinking is like blaming our obesity on the butcher…our smoking on our parents…or our bitterness on our circumstances.  Satan merely capitalizes on whatever weaknesses or tendencies already reside in our hearts and minds.  He baits but we bite.  My commentary states that full-grown sin is easily expressed ‘when it becomes a fixed habit.’

It all begins with a desire of the flesh followed up with thought.  Thought then turns into plans and plans acted upon becomes the full bloom of sin.  Dr. K.A. Richardson states that the original translation of desire in this text is in a negative context that is similar to deformed desire.  Beth Moore describes this deformity perfectly.  ‘I so often willingly reach for exactly what would burn me.  I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  I loved it then hated myself for loving it.  Then I’d hate it but hate myself for choosing it.  Somewhere along the way we have to own our own deformed desire.  We have to take responsibility for setting out our own bait and biting it.’ James, p. 59.  We only have to look at the relationships that our weaknesses affect to see that our habits can steal happiness…can kill love…can destroy trust…sin giving birth to death.

The good news this morning is that we have been given escape hatches from our evil desires.  God would never place us in an environment where we were doomed to fail.  We must be willing to lay down the things God reveals that lead us away from temptation.  If we wish to control our eating we can’t hang out in the bakery.  If our temper is our sin we cannot place ourselves in confrontational situations.  It doesn’t take rocket science to know a few necessary strategies to guard ourselves.  And then there’s Christ…

In Christ we have everything we need to battle our own weaknesses building a spiritual fortress against both ourselves and the devil.  ‘No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’ 1 Co. 10:13

So may we all recognize our weaknesses that lead to sin, implement some healthy strategies and guard ourselves in Christ Jesus. 

Our Weariness

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light…and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” Hebrews 11:32-36.

These were the words of Paul as he encouraged the early Christians to reflect on the time when they first accepted Christ.  Upon their conversion they were persecuted and their possessions were stolen from them.  But they had new zeal…a new message…a new Savior.  Those days were exciting and scary but they felt alive for the first time in their lives.  But time went on and the suffering continued, turning their zeal into weariness and doubt.  Was it worth it all to follow Christ when it clearly meant pain, suffering and sacrifice?

Just like the early Christians, we too need reminders that it is worth it to follow Christ.  We need to be encouraged that we cannot give up as time goes by and the battles get harder.  For the young single mother who gets that diagnosis…for the overworked man whose wife leaves him with the children…for the couple in debt who lose their jobs…for the person whose sister gets cancer during her father’s terminal illness.  We can all fill in the blank of how life throws one curve after another.  We read that if we are followers of Christ we can expect suffering and pain.  ‘Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you’ 1 Peter 4:12.  ‘In this world you will have trouble’ John 16:6.  And yet, swirling in our subconscious is the secret perception that if we get more God in our lives we will be immunized from suffering.  We don’t admit it but we secretly feel it.  As we witness the ease of those living by the flesh our feelings can morph into bitterness, resentment and even a spirit of ‘Is it all worth it?’

We have an example in Jesus who persevered in doing the will of God and He now reigns in Heaven receiving everything God promised.  Christ’s willingness to hang on to His confidence in the face of suffering gives us an eternal harvest for which we did not sow.  Through His stripes and wounds come our eternal rewards.    So whatever your challenges are this morning don’t throw out your confidence but remember the One who persevered for each of us.

‘Let us not become weary…for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’ Galatians 6:9.

A Band of Robbers

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” James 1:2-4.

When we read this passage with our translation this seems like a nice thought but an impossible task.  As we assign the original meaning to the verses this morning it seems more attainable.  The word experience translates to fall into and was also used in the story of the Good Samaritan as he fell into the hands of robbers.  The Samaritan neither caused that trial nor brought it on himself.  He was simply walking on the side of the road and trouble found him.  Through that trial he was shown different graces of the Spirit from His rescuer – love, goodness, kindness, gentleness and patience to name a few.  We must remember that the Samaritan was beaten, battered, bruised and left for dead.  After his trial he certainly would have been a changed man…a man whom had a heart of gratitude…a man whose priorities surely would have changed…a spirit of kindness to give back to humanity as it was given to him…a complete change of heart.  You can even say that the experience worked in his heart in ways that could have never been accomplished by just a nice walk on a nice day.  Most likely, through that deep trial, he was shown the graces he might have lacked, developing him into more Christ-like character.  He would never again be that man who woke up that morning deciding to take a walk.

I believe this is what James was encouraging us to do when we face our trials.  He had lived enough life to expect troubles and pain.  He doesn’t ask us to feel joy but to consider and reflect upon the joys or graces that we receive and develop within the painful circumstances that we experience.  We can respond in 1 of 4 ways as we face our deep trials.  We can rebel in our spirits…we can lose heart and give up…we can grumble and complain…we can indulge in our self-pity…or we can be spiritually exercised by the difficulties of life.  We are going to experience pain and suffering in this life.  Will we allow it to do its work in developing our graces of the Spirit or will we choose another response, falling into the hands of robbers on another road on another day?  Let’s make our trials count by using them to exercise our graces, working towards spiritual completion in Christ.

‘The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced when all is sunshine; there must be rain and dark clouds.’ The Believer’s Commentary, p. 2219. 

Which Trinity?

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” James 1:1.

In this inconspicuous quiet verse, James’ introduction of himself thundered a message… ‘I will not define myself by who I am or what position I hold…my identity is in both Father and Son.’  In all rights, James could have taken his place on the platform and introduced himself in very impressive ways.  He could have made some noise by pulling out a number of trump cards … ‘I am James, head of the church…I am James, leader of the Jerusalem council.’  Or he could have promoted himself in the most impressive title of all. ‘I am James, first born under Christ Jesus…half-brother to the Lord…greatness by association!’  Yet, how did he introduce himself?  ‘I am James and I am a slave to God and Christ.’  His words promote God and his introduction shows a life hidden in Christ.  His silence on his own accomplishments and position scream louder than any words.

These 11 words are so powerful to me because it is the desire of my heart.  I want to be so hidden in Christ that my introductions point to the Master.  I have lived out the moments of glory that I snatched for myself.  I have boasted of those with whom I have been aligned.  I have sprinkled my conversations with accomplishments and self-promotion.  It has left me with a terrible taste in my mouth over the years.   I know that I am most offended by those who remind me of my old self – those who self-exalt and boast in their own accomplishments.  We are hardest on those who remind us of what we most detest about ourselves.

I am so thankful that we have a Savior who redefines us... re-establishes us… and rescues us from ourselves.  The more we think about ourselves the less we are thinking about Jesus.  When our own issues and concerns are in our scope there is no room for the issues and concerns of God.  We must deny ourselves and position our lives in the character of Christ.  Colossians 3:3 states ‘For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.’

It is so easy to position ourselves with the earth’s trinity – me, myself and I.  As we all introduce ourselves to those we meet daily may we follow the lead of James and position ourselves as we relate to Heaven’s Trinity

Following Baal

“How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the LORD is God follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” 1 Kings 18:21.

We all do it.  We hope for this…we dream for that…we pray for ‘it’.  Why wouldn’t we since God invites us to? ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find…For everyone who asks receives’ Matthew 7:7-8.  But then we do the very thing that shoots our dream in the foot – we disbelieve!  We spend time on our knees only to stand up and walk away in doubt.  Instead of following our faith we follow our own reasoning of why our dreams will not come true…our Baal. 

We all have false gods which we follow on any given day.  What does this look like?  Following our Baal means following our own ideas towards making something happen.  Following Baal means giving more thought and worship to the things of the flesh instead of the Spirit.  Following Baal means praying for something and then following our doubts of getting it.  Let’s face it – we cannot waver between two opinions of how we see God.  Either our hearts believe that God is God or God is not.  Our doubts proclaim that God is not able…is not trustworthy to deliver the promises of His word…is not who He claims to be.  We can live as Christians being double-minded and double-hearted.  In the words of James we must know that with every prayer lifted it is in vain if we do not possess a spirit of expectancy.  While God will not contradict His will for our lives He will give His full attention to answering our prayers within His will.  He would not give us the invitation to ask for specifics if He did not intend for us to ask.  His word says to lift every request and petition to Him. 

James nails it on the head when he penned ‘But when he asked he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does’ James 1:5-8.  Notice that if we doubt we are deemed unstable in everything.  Our doubt echoes what is in our heart – how long will we waver?

No Distinction

“God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith” Acts 15:8-9.

The closer we walk with Christ the more we are shown what attitudes no longer fit our lives.  It becomes clear that certain behaviors and motivations are no more welcome than a round peg in a square hole.  So what do we sometimes do as we are becoming more like the character of Christ?  We take our newly appointed knowledge and condemn others.  We measure our own spiritual growth against another’s faith.  Our spiritual posture seems to be a little straighter and we look down our spiritual noses at the faith of others and how they lack what we posses.  Our spiritual elitism is no different than the attitudes back in the early church. 

We can be intentional in our efforts to build a stronger faith and take on the character of Christ.  But what is it worth when the motivation of our heart is pride?  God called Christ to climb up on that tree for everyone.  If Christ scanned the crowd as He dragged the cross through the streets He wouldn’t have found one of us who was worthy of His sacrifice.  That is the point… not one of us is worthy of receiving our salvation.   Our salvation is not determined upon what we have or have not done but rather what Christ accomplished for us.

‘Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?  No!  We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are’ Acts 15:10-11.

Happy Birthday To Me

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” James 1:17.

When I was six years old I had to be hospitalized for a suspicious blockage leading to my kidneys.  Things turned out fine but I had to have surgery requiring my stay at the hospital to be one week.  At the beginning of that week my Sunday School teacher visited bringing a basket of wrapped gifts.  Her instructions were that I open one gift per day during my time in the hospital.  Oddly enough I had a gift to open every day that I remained there.  How did she know how many days I would be in that place when the doctors didn’t even know?

Today is my birthday and I seem to be overwhelmed with the knowledge that God placed me in this place, in my particular family on this particular day many years ago.  My birthday is no random day but a day that God ordained before He even formed me.  It was a day 52 years ago that God had tucked deep in His heart when thinking about me.  It was a day that He had planned for, dreamed of and used to fulfill a dream for my parents.  Before I was born into this place He saw the children that I would be blessed with and the grandchildren who would call me Emmy.  He had already determined the husband who would walk through life with me hand in hand.  On the day I entered this world, He presented me with a basket of gifts to open every day of my stay on earth.  I am still unwrapping His blessings each day and am confident that they will not run out while on this earth. 

Some of the gifts I opened were wrapped with sadness and heartbreak but they also came with purpose and spiritual growth.  Some of the gifts seem incomplete but I know He is always bringing things our way that are building us into His character and completion.  He saw the trials for which I would walk and the deep deserts for which I would thirst.  He knew how many days it would take to surrender this…to accept that…to embrace what seemed to be impossible.  No, today is no random day but a special day…one that is unique to me and my Father.  There is another day that will be a day like none other.  It will be the day I depart this earth…when I have unwrapped my final gift…the day He determined long ago when He will gather me from this place and bring me back home to Him.  I will exchange an empty basket of blessings for my eternal home with God and my heavenly family.

“You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16.

Stories to Share

“After three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days” Galatians 1:18.

Paul’s fifteen day visit intrigues me to no end.  One of the men was personally called by Jesus and walked with Him daily for three years.  The other man was rescued by Christ Jesus and spent the next three years learning from Him. ‘I want you to know…that the gospel I preached...I did not receive it from any man…rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ’ Galatians 1:11.  What is intriguing to me is that they both learned under the tutelage of Jesus – one in the flesh and the other in the Spirit.  The message was the same and the impact on each was life altering.  What must their conversations have been over those fifteen days?  I would imagine Paul would have wanted to know the physical man of Jesus.  I can just hear them comparing the different testimonies of how they were called.  Did they discuss their future ministries and how different those ministries would be? 

If it were me, my fifteen days would have been saturated with questions about the man of Jesus.  What did He laugh at?  Tell me the tender moments between Him and those He healed.  What was experienced the first time He was seen after the resurrection?  My questions would have gone on and on…

I remember when I started going more deeply with Jesus I looked to my grandmother for answers about Him.  She had been following in deep love and fellowship with Him since she was 16.  By the time I was walking out my intimacy with Christ she was nearing 98 years old and had some cognitive challenges.  Many times since her death my spirit has experienced some sadness regarding the missed opportunities…the additional talks we could have had about God…stories about their shared accomplishments. 

Whatever Paul and Peter talked about it was meant to be private since it is not written in the Holy Writ.  But this I know, we all have a story about our encounters with Jesus even if it hasn’t been revealed to us yet.  Our Father desires to know each and every one of us personally and to experience deep love and fellowship with Him.  Whether we have known Him for some time or whether He appears to us on a road leading in the opposite direction, we will all have a story to share.

The Silent Years

“And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God, was upon him” Luke 2:52.

At age 12, Jesus was already publicly announcing His position under the authority of God.  ‘Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?’ Luke 2:49.  Mary and Joseph didn’t quite understand what this statement meant but were relieved that they had found their young son.  After being reunited they returned to Nazareth and the Bible is silent about the life of Jesus for the next 18 years.  I can only imagine how God was preparing this young boy for a future ministry.  Jesus accepted His destiny as Son of God at the temple as a young boy but returned to the anonymous life of being the son of a carpenter.  No doubt He was aware of a future ministry but realized the importance of transforming into the person required to accomplish God’s will.  ‘These years teach us the importance of preparation and training, the need for patience, and the value of common work.  They warn against the temptation to jump from spiritual birth to public ministry’ Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1376. 

The Bible gives example after example of God’s call being followed by a long time of preparation before the call is realized.  David waited 20 years before he became king.   Moses was in the desert for 40 years being prepared for his ministry.  Noah was given the vision and spent somewhere between 50-70 years building the ark preparing for the flood.  We have all been called by God for ministry but cannot rush its fulfillment.  Just as Jesus had trained and prepared for what He would be called to endure we also must be patient in our callings.   We are instructed to sow seed wherever we are and to continue on in goodness and walking in ways that will please the Spirit.  When we follow this pattern we will live out the destined ministries for which God created us to fulfill.  ‘A man reaps what he sows…the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap…Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’  Galatians 6:7-9.    We cannot know how Jesus sowed for those 18 years leading up to His public ministry.  But we do know that His victory over the cross is still bringing in a harvest that is unparalleled.  His proper time was the crucifixion and the harvest was salvation for all believers through His resurrection. 

We must never underestimate the seasons in our lives that feel idle.  God is preparing us for something great in His kingdom!  And like Jesus, we as God’s children are ‘growing and becoming strong…being filled with wisdom … with the grace of God upon us.’

Keeping Track of Jesus

“…while his parents were returning home the boy Jesus stayed behind…Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day.  Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends” Luke 2:43-44.

Growing up on my mother’s side, I had my grandparents, 5 aunts, 6 uncles and 19 cousins.  When we all got together it was a blast but chaotic.  We are all over the place…some in the house…some across the street playing at the bank…some at the BBQ King…and many playing in the motel rooms which my grandmother operated.  Many Sundays we found ourselves in the company of relatives and friends.  I am sure my parents weren’t really sure where we were until it was time to go.  In Jesus’ days, families had even a greater challenge of keeping up with their kids since they would travel with relatives and friends to observe traditional feasts.  It would be similar to our church walking together over three days to a certain location to worship.  It is no wonder that they lost track of Jesus.

In thinking about this story I am reminded today of how easy it is to get caught up in our daily walks and lose track of Jesus.  We usually see the same people on most days and communicate with the same friends and family on others.  We have our routines and come in contact with those with whom we have common interests and ties.  We get so caught up in our own lives we have trouble finding God when a situation arises.  We franticly search for Him wondering where He is and why we cannot find Him.  We lose sight of the fact that we lost sight of Him. 

If we are expecting to find God when our circumstances get rough we must be willing to keep up with Him while things are calm.  Walking daily with Jesus will ensure that we will never stray away.  '...let us keep in step with the Spirit' Galatians 5:25.

Taking Charge of Jesus

“Then Jesus entered a house…they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind’” Mark 3:20-21.

As the ministry of Jesus was emerging so were the rumors.  Some felt that he had grown insane while others accused Him of allowing Satan to work miracles through His ministry.  The work of Jesus has always been met with man’s questions and hypothesis.  Our attempt of figuring out Jesus is no different than His own family many years ago.  They actually lived with Him, knew Him best and still couldn’t figure Him out.  They watched Him as eyebrows raised and tempers flared.  They saw hearts soar for Him while others plotted against Him.  They must have been confused as attempts were made in trying to figure out the person whom they loved.

How many of us this morning are experiencing a situation that we cannot believe God has allowed into our lives?  He has entered into our circumstances and we cannot possible see how on earth this can ever be to our good.  We might even question His sanity as His family did.  How can God whom claims to love me allow this to consume me?  So we scour the Bible, drop to our knees and call upon our own wisdom to figure out what God is doing…we are no better than His family years ago…trying to take charge of Jesus.

We can question Him and His decisions or we can trust the plans He has for us.  We can wring our hands and draw conclusions in our own understanding or we can allow God the space required for Him to be God.  We cannot lean on our own wisdom but lean on the One who has all of the wisdom. 

Two things can happen in any of our circumstances…we can allow our circumstances to take charge of us or we can allow Christ to take charge of our circumstances.  ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD… ‘so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’ Isaiah 55:8-11.