The Right Path

Wow … 2008 has come. May it truly be a year of new beginnings.

I liked the following entry found in its entirety at http://donteatalone.blogspot.com/2007/12/thanks-and-yes.html (Don’t Eat Alone). Following are some bits and pieces:

>… As this year rolls into the next, however arbitrary our calendars might be, we don’t know what’s coming and so we have choices to make about how we prepare for the uncertainty. What jumped first to my mind is one of my favorite borrowed prayers, by Dag Hammarskjöld, the former Secretary General of the United Nations:

For all that has been, thanks; for all that will be, yes.

How we choose to embrace what lies ahead is, in large part, determined by how we find meaning in what has already come and gone. Thanks comes before Yes.

In one of my favorite movies – also an Oscar winner, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are looking off the cliff into the water below as their pursuers are gaining ground. Sundance hesitates:

Sundance: I can't swim!

Butch: (laughs) Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you!


… The truth is the fall is going to kill us; we don’t get to hang out here forever. The truth is most of the stuff we think we have to have or do to make us matter isn’t going to be enough. Knowing that we’re going to die and come up short (not necessarily in that order), how can we choose to live in something other than a posture of fear and self-centeredness?

The answer for me is in saying, “Thanks.”Gratitude gives birth to courage and hope. Gratitude lifts my eyes up beyond my little life. Gratitude opens my heart to love.

The year ahead doesn’t promise to be any less harrowing or hopeless than the one we are completing. There is much in our world that is dangerous, difficult, and wrong. We are in desperate need of leaders who don’t appear to be stepping forward. We have set things in motion we don’t know how to control in many different arenas. And – and – none of that gets the last word.

For the harvests of the Spirit,thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all that love has found us,
thanks be to God.<

As I lay in bed last night entering into this new year, I had no great promises to promise, no great prayers to pray, no great abilities to dedicate to God’s cause, no great aspirations that I had faith for the accomplishing of, and no great ambitions that I would follow through with. I could only offer myself to God, knowing it would take Him to bring value and use, passion and purpose, and vision and vitality to what was offered.

The Right Path (Psalm 1:1-3)

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,Nor stand in the path of sinners,Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD,And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,Which yields its fruit in its seasonAnd its leaf does not wither;And in whatever he does, he prospers.

… Lord, may I not pay heed to or walk in ungodly counsel, travel sinful paths, nor be counted among mockers and scoffers. May my delight be in Your Word and my mind and heart captivated by it. May I be as a tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding fruit for the weary and may I prosper in all I do as I journey on the right path with You. Thank You that blessings will follow me as I follow You …

Blessed is the man who takes his counsel from God’s Word
He will neither stand in the path of the sinner nor sit in the seat of the scoffer.
He will stand on the righteous path, walking in its way.
His delight will be in God and His Word,
And will be ever drinking from the wells of salvation.
He will release fruit to the weary and be marked by God’s presence.

May you be blessed and prosper in all you do as you follow God in 2008.

Hemmed In

You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. (Ps 139:5 NIV)

The word hem above, translated beset in the KJV comes from a Hebrew word which is translated to bind, besiege, confine, cramp, secure, shut in, shut up, enclose, show hostility to, be an adversary, treat as a foe, form, fashion, delineate.

The NKJV of this verse is: You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. The NASB renders it: You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Interestingly the AMP words this verse: You have beset me and shut me in--behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me.

By now you probably wonder if there is a point to all this. Yes there is! I am telling you where I am. It may begin to make more sense after you read the following quote by Dr Larry Crab: “Authenticity says, Here's where I am in my journey to knowing God better, as opposed to vulnerability, which is Here's where I am hurting most. Vulnerability can be narcissistic.”

Here's where I believe I am in my journey to knowing God better. I am hemmed in by God. I can’t go forward and I can’t go backward. Side steps are out of the question, so here I am, standing still and unable to advance and unable to run. It is a place of immobility but also of protection. I have been shut in and shut up. God seems to have confined me and has me right where He wants me.

I know I will make it through, because of God’s promises and because His hand is upon me. He has cramped my style and is fashioning me as He sees fit. He is strengthening, changing, molding, and forming me. He is describing who He is, who I am, and defining how I fit into His purposes. He is making me who He has called me to be, so He can put me where He wants me to be, doing what He has called me to do, when He wants me to do it.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Ps 139:6 NIV)

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

SPIDER WEBS!

Spider Webs! I couldn’t believe my ears! He just told me I was caught in the spider webs of life! That is not what I wanted to hear! I wish I had said it to him!

Some people, when they complain about things in their life get the “poor baby” routine or the “everything’s going to work out alright.” Not me! I never have! People have always seemed compelled to tell me the truth about myself!

Of course, I looked at some things about spider webs, and some possible meanings in reference to life, God, and church. I didn’t like any of it at all! It was all bad! I wouldn’t mind referring that way to some one else’s life but not my own! I’m not even going to tell you about some of the stuff I found!

Do you remember what it is like to walk through a spider web? It totally distracts you from what ever you were doing and you just want to get it off. Being as spider webs are sticky, this is easier said than done, and the whole time you are imagining a spider heading for you.

The purpose of a spider web is to trap or ensnare. It is sticky and holds its prey tight until the spider moves in for the kill. There really isn’t much about a spider web that I like.

I would liken the “spider webs of life” to the thorns found in Mark 4:18-19.

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

It doesn’t take any explaining to understand what this verse is talking about, nor what in this context the “spider webs of life” are.

Is there anything in your life that is choking and inhibiting the Word and Life of God in you? Is there anything that is distracting you from the purpose of God in your life? Is there anything holding you tight that you can’t seem to get free from?

Realize what is happening,
Refocus on God’s purpose for your life
Realign yourself with the Word of God

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (Jn 2:15-17).

Obsession

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. (Acts 26:10-11 NIV) (Emphasis mine)

Obsession is the word, or more accurately the idea it conveys, that I want to pull out here. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines obsession as a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling.

The phrase worded “obsession against them” in verse 11 is worded “being exceedingly mad against them” in the KJV Bible.
"Exceedingly" is from the Greek word perissōs meaning beyond measure, extraordinary. "Mad against" is from the Greek word emmainomai which means to rage against or to be exceedingly mad against. Emmainomai is made up from two Greek root words. En meaning in, by, with etc. and mainomai meaning to be mad, to rave: said of one who so speaks that he seems not to be in his right mind (from Thayer’s Lexicon).

Based upon the above, a more elaborate description of the idea conveyed by the word obsession is an exceedingly great and unhealthy preoccupation with, or against, someone or something. Its effects are that it inhibits clear thinking, hinders correct actions, distorts understanding, shipwrecks morality, derails justice, and stands against all righteousness. It is not only destructive, deceptive, and debilitating, but is also unhealthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Obsession is progressive and will carry one to the point of being excessively preoccupied with or against someone or something to the point of the exclusion of all other things. It will capture your mind, enflame your emotions, and consume your soul.

Paul said in Acts 26:11 “In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.” How far off course will we let our obsessions carry us? Each of us as an individual is responsible for who or what we give ourselves to. Paul’s obsession carried him to foreign places where he should have never gone to do what he should have never done.. Our obsessions will do the same to us.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-3 NIV)

Look For Character

The following was written by another friend who makes a good point:

In a day when giftedness trumps character, let us pay careful attention to what God says in Matthew 7:15 "Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character..." (The Message) No amount of spin will ever change God's sovereign order. He cares just as much about our behavior as He does our message. What we do, is not any less important than what we say.

Randy and Paula White, founders and co-pastors of Without Walls International Church in Tampa… announced their pending divorce to the 23,000-member congregation on August 23, citing lives heading in different directions. (Christianity Today - October 2007)

“Lives headed in different directions,” come on, is that the best they could offer the 1000's of people who look to them for spiritual guidance. I do not doubt for a minute that more problems will surface later, but according to Christianity Today that’s what their faithful followers have to base this train wreck on for now.

It appears from Paula’s web site that her sky rocking career will not miss a beat as she travels around to promote her latest book entitled, You’re All That! Understand God’s Design For Your Life. I can’t help but ask: “You're all what?”

Are these people Biblically illiterate, or just stupid. To pretend that this kind of behavior is acceptable while jet-setting around, signing your latest book and holding conferences, is not just intolerable, it is mindless, and devoid of God-centered conviction.

If there is anything clear in Scripture, it is how much God values and holds dear to his heart the hallowed covenant between man and woman. Mark 10:5 says: "In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate His art by cutting them apart." (The Message)

May God impart to us today a new and profound reverence for what he loves and treasures. And may we all be reminded that "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Striving together, to finish well
gary

Dancing With God

A friend sent me the following - I like it!

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word "Guidance", I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing because ...

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music and ..........................everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word "Guidance". When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". ............ "God, "u" and "i"

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you. May your heart trust in HIm so that you can dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance Your Whole Life With Him!

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mt 6:34)

I remember seeing a poster hanging on a wall one time that said I TRY TO TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME,BUT SOMETIMES SEVERAL DAYS ATTACK ME AT ONCE. (-- Author: LARA LATOURELLE). It brought a chuckle out of me because I sure could relate. As a matter of fact, there have been times in my life that would have been great if it had only been a few days attacking at once!

If you are like me, you probably try to settle tomorrow, or multiple tomorrows, today. We can get so caught up in that, that we have no peace, and miss out on what today had to offer us. According to Mt 6:34, we are not supposed to worry about tomorrow. Today has enough things going on all by itself without adding tomorrow to it. As a matter of fact, we are not wired to handle too much fretting without it having a negative effect upon us.

Notice that Mt 6:34 begins with therefore. That means that something was written before the verse that is the basis for this verse being true, or as one of my teachers used to say, “What is the therefore there for?” Let’s go all the way back to verse 25 of Mt 6 for the answer.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Mt 6:25-33)

Now that was a mouthful that basically says life has issues that are far more important than what we will eat, what we will wear, or where we will sleep. Life is not about those things. God takes care of the birds, He clothes the fields with flowers, and He says we are more important to Him than the birds, the fields, or the flowers. He goes on to say that worry cannot solve any of these problems, or add anything positive to our lives. God knows we need the necessities of life, but does not want us to live a life focused on those things, for that would be to model our lives after people who do not know God. The necessities of life would become our focus instead of God.

So what is God’s answer to the needs of life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Mt 6:33). God says that if we will put Him first, He will take care of everything else. But there is more to this, for we are really talking about life focus - what is our life focus, or the focus of our lives.

Did you ever put a piece of meat into your mouth, and as you began to chew, it got bigger and bigger? I’ve had it get so big that I’ve had to take half of it out and eat it in two bites instead of one. Well, these scriptures are kind of like that. As you look at them they get bigger and bigger. The more you see, the more you can see. As you may have noticed, verse 25 begins with therefore also. What is the therefore there for?

We have to go back to verses 19-24, which say: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money“.

To be worried about the necessities and pleasures of this life is to serve Money. Worry is a form of worship that sees money as the answer, the problem solver, the great fixer, the all in all. God says we cannot serve Him and Money. One or the other has to be our master, and the fruit of which we serve will be evident in our lives. Devotion to money and all it brings is idolatry. Worry is the proof of misplaced devotion, and those who drink at its well will suffer the consequences.

Devotion to God brings trust in Him and His promises, and looks to Him as Provider. If our life focus is God, His kingdom and His righteousness, then His promise says He will take care of us. The Amplified Bible words verse 33: But seek aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Today, fulfill your daily obligations, be obedient to the Word and the Holy Spirit, join God in what you hear and see Him saying and doing, welcome what and who He brings into your life, be willing to drop your plans for His, and do not try to take on tomorrow while it is still today. Live for God today and live in today, not yesterday or tomorrow. If we will trust Him and be devoted to and serve Him, He will take care of yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows.