Category Archives: Attitudes & Behavior

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January 29, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Grace & Love, Trusting God

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NLT

queen butterflyI read a devotion that suggested substituting our own personal anxieties and concerns for the troubles listed by Paul in Romans 8. Perhaps your version would read: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate me from God’s love. Neither old age nor loss of loved ones, neither cancer nor dementia, neither my anxiety about my wayward child nor my reservations about finances—not even the powers of terrorism and hate can separate me from God’s love. No hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics, or wars—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate me from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Then again, maybe widowhood, heart disease, migraines, foreclosure, floods, stroke, bullies, loneliness, crime, hunger, depression, fires, addiction, divorce, hard times, debt, anger, betrayal, homelessness, violence, or tornadoes would be on your list. Regardless of how you fill in the blanks, Paul’s words remain true and bear repeating. Nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate us from God’s love as shown in Jesus Christ.

Paul wasn’t saying that Christians have no enemies or won’t suffer. In fact, his words were written to the Roman church, a church that underwent tremendous persecution and hostility for centuries. Within a few years of his letter, Nero would blame Christ’s followers for the burning of Rome and, for the next 300 years, Christians would be mercilessly persecuted. Depending on the whims of whoever was emperor, they’d be expelled from their homes, see their property confiscated, be required to perform pagan rituals, watch their churches destroyed, have worship prohibited, endure brutal persecution, or suffer monstrous methods of execution. Not even the Apostle Paul escaped—he was executed in Rome on Nero’s orders.

While we’re not about to be crucified, torn apart by dogs, beheaded, hung on poles, coated in tar, or burned alive by Nero, we all encounter threats from both physical and spiritual enemies daily. Belief in Christ doesn’t shield us from enemies; it means that those enemies, even ones as evil and powerful as Nero, can’t turn God against us. Even Satan is powerless against God! Whether visible or invisible, nothing can take us from God’s love for us; even death can’t separate us from His love! Because God loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son for our salvation, we can be sure of His unchanging and everlasting love and confident that He will provide us with everything we need in the face of the day’s challenges.

What troubles would you substitute for Paul’s in Romans 8? No matter what they are, rest assured in the promise that the battle already is over and overwhelming victory is ours through Christ our Lord!

Nothing can separate you from God’s love, absolutely nothing. God is enough for time, God is enough for eternity. God is enough! [Hannah Whitall Smith]

 One of the greatest evidences of God’s love to those that love him is, to send them afflictions, with grace to bear them. [John Wesley]

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? … overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. [Romans 8: 31b-32,37b (NLT)]

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January 22, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Grace & Love, God's Word: The Bible, Trusting God

ENLARGING

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. [Psalm 4:1 (KJV)]

Mornings, I read a short devotional from Streams in the Desert, a devotional by L.B. Cowman. Compiled between 1918 and 1924 and first published in 1925, it consists of portions of inspirational sermons, tracts, church bulletins, hymns, devotions, and poetry Mrs. Cowman collected through the years. Each day’s reading begins with a portion of Scripture and a recent devotion began with Psalm 4:1: “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.”  Because the devotional uses the King James Translation and I usually read the NLT, I didn’t recognize this verse; nevertheless, I had a good idea what it meant.

My morning’s prayer had begun much like David’s—with a plea for God to hear my prayer. It then went something like, “O Lord, please not again! I can’t go through this another time. How much more can I take?” Apparently, based on the day’s verse, God heard me, but I wasn’t so sure I liked His answer. It sounded a lot like, “This is a growth opportunity and you can take all that is given to you!” I certainly wasn’t pleased with the devotion’s explanation that the psalmist was “declaring that the sorrows of life have themselves been the source of life’s enlargement.”

Curious about the verse, I turned to my NLT Bible and found a vastly different translation: “Free me from my troubles.” While I’d rather be freed from my troubles than be enlarged by them, Scripture’s purpose isn’t to accommodate our preferences; it is for our edification, enlightenment, and growth. Confused by the different tenses and dissimilar translations, I turned to a lexicon to determine the meaning of this verse in its original Hebrew.

The psalmist used the word rachab  which clearly meant to enlarge, grow wide or large, broaden, or make room for. Throughout Scripture it was used in the sense of extending or enlarging one’s understanding, heart, steps, territory, borders, and mouth. Rather than escaping from troubles, this verse is about growing large enough to handle them! Moreover, while my NLT uses the present tense, most word-for-word translations use the past. Preserving the tense and word usage found in the original Hebrew writings, Young’s Literal Translation reads, “In adversity Thou gavest enlargement to me; Favour me, and hear my prayer.”

Psalms 3 and 4 are believed to have been written by David during his son Absalom’s rebellion. If so, David was about 61 years old and God had given him a great deal of trials and enlarging in the more than 45 years since being anointed by Samuel. This psalm is David’s vote of confidence in God’s future grace because of God’s past grace. The troubled king knew that the God who enlarged, expanded, and strengthened him in the past could do so again. He asked God that, hearing his prayer, He would repeat His mercy.

God has the power to divinely deliver us from our trials. More often than not, however, He doesn’t because there is purpose in those trials. The good news is that, while God may not free us from the challenges, He never will abandon us in them! Because of God’s past grace in the trials of yesterday, like the psalmist, we can count on God’s future grace in the trials of today and tomorrow. Indeed, my past troubles have enlarged me. They matured my faith, strengthened me, grew my understanding of God’s will, multiplied my prayers, intensified my trust, expanded my capacity to endure, and developed the ability to find joy in all circumstances. No matter what I face, when I remember God’s past mercies, like David, I can lie down in peace, confident that God will keep me secure in His loving arms!

Let God enlarge you when you are going through distress. He can do it. You can’t do it, and others can’t do it for you…. Life’s trials are not easy. But in God’s will, each has a purpose. Often He uses them to enlarge you. [Warren Wiersbe]

Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. [Psalm 4:6-8 (NLT)]

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January 18, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Plan, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Sharing Our Faith, Spiritual Gifts

THE PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

But now, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are our pot maker. All of us are the work of Your hand. [Isaiah 64:8 (NLV)]

pencilWhen writing about giving God the glory and how we are but instruments of God’s grace in the world, I recalled a quote by Mother Teresa having to do with being God’s pencil. Wanting to quote it correctly, I Googled it. Along with the quote, I came across several versions of a parable about a pencil. Of unknown origin, it has been around for more than twenty years. Nevertheless, the parable was new to me and this is my version of “The Parable of the Pencil.”

Just before putting the pencil in its box, the Pencil Maker said there were several things it needed to know if it were to become the instrument He created it to be. “First, don’t ever try to be a stapler, scissors, paper clip, or ruler. Always remember you are a pencil and have been created with a definite purpose—to draw a line forming shapes, letters, and words that leave a definite message.”

The Pencil Maker continued, “Although small, you can accomplish great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.” Although He warned the pencil that there would be times of painful sharpening, the Maker explained that sharpening was the only way for it to become a better pencil. “Sometimes you’ll make mistakes,” he said, “but that’s to be expected so you’ve been equipped with an eraser just for such occasions.”

“Right now,” said the Pencil Maker, “your exterior is fresh and shiny and you’re quite beautiful. But, with use, your paint will chip, your wood get nicked, and you’ll grow smaller.” Explaining that the pencil’s quality wasn’t determined by its appearance, he added, “The most important part of you is the quality of the graphite on your inside.” After cautioning the pencil that, when too much pressure was applied, its tip might break, he added, “Don’t worry, you can be re-sharpened.”

The Pencil Maker finished up by telling his creation, “You are to leave your mark on every surface you touch. This can be hard work and you may grow tired. But,” he added, “regardless of your condition, you are expected to keep writing. It is for this purpose that you were made.” Understanding its maker’s instructions, the pencil promised to follow them and joyfully went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Of course, we’re not pencils and God is the one who made us but, like the pencil, we’ve been created with a particular purpose, role, and calling in the world. Rather than a student, it is God’s hand that holds us. The only way to achieve the great things He’s planned for us is by surrendering to His will. Rather than a pencil sharpener, it will be problems and difficult circumstances that sharpen and shape us. Like the pencil, we will err but we, too, can correct our mistakes and learn from them. Just as the pencil’s outward appearance is unimportant, so is ours. It’s what’s inside that counts! Rather than graphite, God cares about the quality of our hearts! While undue stress and strain can damage (and almost break) us, that only occurs when we step out of God’s will. Finally, like a pencil, we are to leave our mark on every situation and person with whom we interact. When we stay in God’s will and allow His hand to direct and move us, that mark will be His!

God used Mother Teresa to make His mark on the world and her life spoke volumes about God’s love. Like her, we’ve been given a purpose by our Maker—let us be the pencil in His hand and make that mark!

I am like a little pencil in his hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used. [Mother Teresa of Kolkata]

Do not give any part of your body for sinful use. Instead, give yourself to God as a living person who has been raised from the dead. Give every part of your body to God to do what is right. [Romans 6:13 (NL)]

May God give you every good thing you need so you can do what He wants. May He do in us what pleases Him through Jesus Christ. May Christ have all the shining-greatness forever! Let it be so. [Hebrews 13:21 (NLV)]

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January 15, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Knowing Him, Miracles, Temptation & Sin, Wisdom & Guidance

FROM A DISTANCE

For both of you betrayed me with the Israelites at the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. You failed to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel there. So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. [Deuteronomy 32:51-52 (NLT)]

Grand Canyon - Roaring Springs CanyonThe Israelites had been away from Israel for less than two months when they arrived at Rephidim. With no water to drink, the people complained, questioned whether the Lord was with them, criticized Moses, and then threatened him. Fearing for his life, Moses asked God what to do. Instructing him to strike a rock with his staff, God promised that water would come gushing out and, as promised, it did. The miracle was memorialized by the name given to this location, Massah (meaning testing) and Meribah (meaning quarreling.) Unfortunately, that was not the last time the Israelites tested the Lord and quarreled with Moses.

While still at Rephidim, Israel was attacked by Amalekites. Joshua led the men against their foes and Moses, Aaron, and Hur watched from a hill while holding that same staff high for Israel to see. Israel was victorious that day. In acknowledgement that their victory actually belonged to God because He was the source of their strength and courage, Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh-Nissi, meaning the Lord is my banner.

Nearly forty years later, a new generation of Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Zin to camp at Kadesh. As happened at Rephidim, there was no water. Apparently forgetting that their 38 extra years of wandering were because of their and their parents’ testing and quarreling, the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The brothers wisely took the problem to God who again gave them specific instructions. This time, however, Moses was to take the staff, speak to the rock, and watch as the water poured out. Rather than follow God’s directions, however, Moses angrily spoke to the people, “Must we bring you water from this rock?” and then struck the rock twice with his staff. Despite his disobedience, God graciously provided water and the people drank their fill. But, because Israel quarreled again with the Lord, this place also became known as the waters of Meribah.

Because Moses and Aaron had defied a direct command from God, they were punished and neither man was allowed to enter the Promised Land. Granted, Moses was tired, frustrated, and annoyed. He’d spent a third of his life leading over two million of these “stiff-necked people” and now, with the end in sight, they again complained, protested his leadership, and doubted the Lord. Perhaps it was his frustration and anger that led him to disobey God.

On the other hand, perhaps it was his pride. Nearly forty years had passed since bringing forth water from the rock at Rephidim and Moses may have forgotten whose power brought about that miracle as well as their victory over the Amalekites. In those decades of leading the people through the wilderness, had Moses forgotten who actually provided forty years’ worth of guidance and miracles? Had he mistakenly come to think that he and his staff held the power? By saying that he and Aaron would bring the people water, Moses appears to have thought the miracle would come from him rather than God! Once in sight of the finish line, the men showed too much faith in themselves and too little faith in God.

God is quite direct when telling us what to do and how to do it. He expects us to do it His way and we break faith with Him whenever we disobey. We also break faith with Him when we fail to acknowledge His presence and power. “To God be the glory,” are not to be empty words. God told Isaiah, “I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.” [42:8] He’s certainly not about to share it with mere mortals either!

Although Moses saw Canaan from a distance, he and Aaron missed the blessing for which they had waited forty years. We don’t want just to view the Promised Land; like Moses, we want to enter it! Let’s never forget who actually provides us with the guidance, wisdom, strength, and ability to attain whatever success we have on our journey through life. Like Moses’ staff, we are merely God’s instruments; both the power and glory belong to Him.

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. [Psalm 115:1 (NLT)]   

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January 11, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love, Obedience, Salvation: A New You, Temptation & Sin

FORGIVENESS  (Matthew 18:23-35 — Part 2)

Then his master summoned him and said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. [Matthew 18:32-35 (ESV)]

great blue heronAt first, it seems that the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” should be called the “Parable of the Forgiven Servant.” After all, the king forgave his servant’s debt of 10,000 talents—the equivalent of billions of dollars. While the first part of the parable illustrates the value and extravagance of God’s forgiveness, it takes a dark turn in the second part when illustrating the reciprocal nature of His forgiveness—something the servant learned the hard way!

After leaving the king, the forgiven servant went to a fellow servant who owed him 100 denarii and demanded payment. Representing 100 days’ wages, this was a sizeable sum. Nevertheless, unlike the first servant’s massive debt to the king, it feasibly could be repaid in time. Just as his creditor had done with the king, this servant begged for patience and promised repayment. That the debtor was a fellow servant and an equal didn’t matter to his creditor. Moreover, the money he’d loaned hadn’t even been his—it had been money taken from the king! Unlike the king, however, this unforgiving servant had no mercy and put his debtor in prison until the debt was fully paid!

Wickedly, the unforgiving servant wrongly demanded more from his fellow worker than the king had asked of him. By throwing his debtor into jail, he acted as if he were more worthy of justice and repayment than was the king. Distressed at the man’s hard-heartedness, the other servants reported his behavior to the king. Enraged that his servant had not appreciated the gift of mercy he’d received by forgiving another servant in the way he’d been forgiven, the king sent the unforgiving man to prison to be tortured until his debt was paid.

Before trying too hard to read extra meaning into this parable, let’s put it in context. Peter had just asked Jesus how often he should forgive someone who sinned against him. While Jewish tradition valued forgiveness, the rabbis held that someone would be forgiven for the same transgression only three times. So, when Peter suggested forgiving seven times, the disciple probably thought he was being generous. When Jesus replied that he was to forgive seventy times seven, He wasn’t suggesting keeping count to 490 before quitting. His point was not to keep count at all! After all, if God stopped forgiving us at the 491st time we disrespected our parents, gossiped, lost patience with our children, lied, cursed, or failed to honor His name, we’d be goners! God is holding us to His standard and it was to illustrate the reciprocal nature of forgiveness that Jesus told this story.

If we take a good look at the king’s servant, we see that he never fully understood or appreciated the king’s mercy. When he promised the king that, with patience, he would repay the debt, he was delusional. The debt represented over 164 years of labor without a break! Although repayment was an impossibility, the servant never admitted his inability to pay such an enormous sum. His refusal to release a fellow servant’s debt shows that he neither understood nor appreciated his own forgiveness. The unforgiving man’s punishment makes it clear such unforgiveness is not what our King wants from His servants! He calls us to forgive with a heart of gratitude for the forgiveness that has been given to us. A person who sees the enormity of their own sins and appreciates the largess and forgiveness of his Savior will, in turn, be magnanimous and generous in bestowing forgiveness upon others.

The second servant’s debt was one six-hundred-thousandth of the amount owed by the unforgiving servant. Just as his debt to his co-worker pales in comparison to the unforgiving servant’s debt to the king, whatever wrongs (real or imagined) we have suffered from our fellow servants pale in comparison to the countless ways we sin against our King every day of our lives! Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,”  and this parable tells us we are to forgive our debtors as our King has forgiven us!

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)]

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January 4, 2024

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Today: Make it Count

PLODDING

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. [Psalm 51:1 (KJV)]

snailI suspect we would prefer a eulogy that shines a light on our victories and accomplishments but the man known as “the father of modern missions” chose otherwise. When William Carey [1762-1834] was asked what text he wanted for his funeral sermon, he chose today’s verse. The humble man wanted to shine a light on God’s lovingkindness and great compassion rather than his personal accomplishments.

Convinced that Jesus’ words in the Great Commission were a binding command on every generation of Christ’s followers, Carey contended that 18th century Christians were as called to take the gospel to foreign lands as were the 1st century Apostles. While this may seem obvious to us today, back in 1786 the prevailing view was that God would bring the nations to Christ without human assistance. Told by some that God didn’t need (or want) his help in converting the “heathens,” others argued that distance, barbarism, dangers, supply issues, and unintelligible languages made foreign missions unfeasible. Carey, however, remained determined to spread the gospel abroad. Eventually, what became known as the Baptist Missionary Society was formed and, in 1793, William Carey and John Thomas were appointed missionaries to the East Indies.

When they arrived in colonial Calcutta, the men faced stiff opposition from the East India Company along with poverty, illness, loneliness, domestic issues, and the deaths of friends and family, but Carey never lost heart. Determined to spread the gospel, he wanted more than converts; Carey wanted to develop apostles! To that purpose, in 1818 he and his colleagues founded Serampore College in West Bengal. While the college’s primary goal was to train indigenous ministers, both believers and unbelievers from all castes were welcome. Fierce critics of the caste system, infanticide, and suttee (widows burning themselves upon their late husbands’ funeral pyres), the missionaries labored tirelessly for the welfare of all Indians. Carey’s greatest contribution to Christ was his work as a translator. A cobbler by training, this self-taught man (whose only degree was an honorary one) translated the entire Bible into six Indian languages and portions of Scripture into 29 others! Carey’s approach to missions combined evangelism with translation, education, social reform, and health care. That same holistic approach remains a model for Christian missionaries today.

William Carey served 41 years in India without a furlough but, even before his death, his name was well known and people started collecting mementos of him. Carey’s contemporary, John Newton (evangelist, abolitionist, and author of “Amazing Grace”) said of him, “I look to such a man with reverence. He is more to me than bishop or archbishop; he is an apostle.” Yet, when this man who was a legend before his time lay dying in 1834, he gave a fellow missionary these instructions: “When I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey. Speak about Dr. Carey’s Savior.”

Suspecting that someday his biography would be written, Carey gave his nephew this criterion for judging its correctness: “If he give me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. Anything beyond this will be too much. I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”

Indeed, Carey was a plodder—it took him seven years to get support for his mission and another seven years passed before he baptized his first convert! Nevertheless, he never lost faith in God’s call to him. Twelve years after establishing the Mission Press in Serampore, the print shop and office burnt to the ground. Type sets for fourteen different languages, vast quantities of paper, dictionaries, and Carey’s entire library along with his completed Sanskrit dictionary, part of his Bengal dictionary, two grammar books, and ten translations of the Bible were destroyed. Even that setback did not deter the plodder. “The loss is heavy” he said, “but as traveling a road the second time is usually done with greater ease than the first time, I trust the work will lose nothing of real value. We are not discouraged…. We are cast down but not in despair.” Indeed, within a few months, the resilient man set up shop and started over again!

A plodder, Carey converted one soul at a time, learned new languages one word at a time, translated the Bible one verse at a time, paid the bills one rupee at a time, and walked the road God set before him one step at a time. God doesn’t call us to be fast; He calls us to be faithful! As Charles Spurgeon said, “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” Can we do any less?

When reading about William Carey, I couldn’t help but wonder at how easily we allow disappointment, disillusionment, and setbacks to intimidate, dishearten, and overwhelm us in our daily walk as believers. But, for William Carey, it never was about him—it always was about Jesus! He kept his eyes on Christ as he plodded along; let us do the same.

I feel it my duty to plod on while daylight last. [William Carey]

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. [1 Corinthians 14:58 (KJV)]

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. [Galatians 6:9 (KJV)]

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