January 1
“Being Wise is a Choice”
We must choose our companions wisely.
A really happy life is probable when we follow the example of good people who show good fruit in their lives.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…”
Psalm 1:1
Commentary
One of the first choices we make in life as we become young adults is the type of companions we choose. This is where our happiness and prosperity is determined. We need to be sure our examples are worthy of following. We will do well to find good role models.
January 2
“Wisdom is a Choice”
A good life is possible only when we make the hard choice and leave the paths our self-centered and selfish companions follow.
Blessed is the man who does not… stand in the way (path) of sinners
Psalm 1:1
Commentary
Our associates influence the paths we pursue. If we are to find any fulfillment we must learn to say “no” to those who are going the wrong way. Theirs is the way of injury and self-destruction. In effect, we need to say no to those who live in disregard to others and who are a law unto themselves unless we truly believe we can be an influence for good.
January 3
“Wisdom is a Choice”
The good life is the heritage of those who surround themselves with positive and hopeful people.
Blessed is the man who does not …sit in the seat of mockers.
Psalms 1:1
Commentary
I find that I do not usually consciously surround myself with negative people but there are plenty of them to whom I am exposed. All too often I am negative. It is also problematic that I am exposed to negativism continually through the media of the modern world. We need to be very conscious of how much we listen to continual analysis and censure.
In the case of our text the scriptures references are those who hate the truth of God’s word and mock people of faith. While we must be realistic about the evil in our world our real focus needs to be upon the Kingdom of God among us and God’s eternal promises.
January 4
“Wisdom is a Choice”
The lavish love of God is experienced when we take earnest and active delight in God’s word through worship, reading, memorization and meditation on the Holy Scriptures.
Blessed is the man (whose) delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
Commentary
Nature hates a vacuum. The only good course is one in which we make choices. We cannot just drift. We cannot let our minds drift. We will live a better life when we fill our thoughts with the best thoughts and become responsible not only for what we think but how we think.
January 5
“Wisdom is a Choice”
God is vigorously active for the good in the lives of those who apply themselves to living rightly according to his Word.
The Scripture
Psalm 1
The Living Translation
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
January 6
“Wisdom is a Choice”
There is no real wisdom where there is no awe of God. Wisdom can only flow from the mind of the Maker.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7
Commentary
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
The Message Bible
6-10We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him.But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.
10-13The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
14-16The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.
January 7
“Wisdom is a Choice”
No matter what we may think about our parent’s knowledge compared to others we could always depend upon their instructions to be for our best. The young need to heed. The mature need to give thanks for such instructions.
Scripture
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9
January 8
“Being a fool in God’s sight is a Choice”
Power comes from knowing where the danger is. When we steal, cheat, or take what belongs to another or to their credit we always end up poorer, in trouble and an empty shell of a human being.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
January 9
“Being a Fool in God’s sight is a Choice”
The person with common sense is empowered by seeking the wisest and most prudent course. Only fools never desire the wiser course or to think about the consequences of wrong action.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
January 10
“Wisdom is a Choice”
Learning from our mistakes empowers us. Ignoring the lessons that are available to us from making mistakes means we are fools.
Proverbs 1:23-33
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
January 11
“Wisdom is a Choice
Those who aim to be wise will live a better life. They will enjoy security throughout their lives. They will never have a reason to be afraid of the consequences of the foolishness that hurts so many others who only follow their basic instincts.
Scripture
Proverbs 1:28-33
28 "Then they will call to me (wisdom) but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
January 12
“Wisdom is a Choice”
God gives us wisdom when we ask for it in faith. It cannot be earned. It cannot be achieved. We cannot beat it into our heads. It is a gift. So, simply ask for wisdom.
James 1:5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Some Thoughts
It is difficult for some of us to think that we can do something as direct as to ask God for wisdom. Yet, here is a simple command. If you have need for wisdom, ask for it in faith. The Bible promises us that God gives us wisdom when we ask for it in faith. It cannot be earned. It cannot be achieved. We cannot beat it into our heads. It is a gift. So, simply ask for wisdom.
The test of this is easy. Do it! This is so with many of the admonitions of scripture. Don’t argue with it! Do it and be amazed at the results. It is a way through your present crises of life. Likewise note how wisdom comes to you. It may come to you directly and out of your own mouth. It may in what reliable and trustworthy persons say in your presence. It may come in some information to which you are directed. When it does come it will usually come more than once and from more than one source.
January 13
“Power Over Depression”
Personal power over depression and anxiety results when we cultivate the spirit of gratitude and acknowledge God’s benevolence. He is the source of everything good and true.
Philippians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Some Thoughts
Many people believe we must empty ourselves of negative thoughts. That is just half of the solution. We must also fill our minds with those things that offer hope and life.
Personal power over depression and anxiety results when we cultivate the spirit of gratitude and acknowledge God’s benevolence. After all, He is the source of everything good and true.
What is more powerful than remembering the ways God has fulfilled his promises in our lives? What is more powerful than remembering what the scripture says of his character and nature? What can undergird us more than a spirit of thanksgiving as we make our requests vocal to God?
Nature hates a vacuum. So does your psychic (soul.) Don’t just try to deny negative things. Don’t try to become a blank tablet or you will become one. Affirm the most positive and true things. All power belongs to your Creator. He has made himself known as your Father. Affirm the Spirit of that when you pray.
January 14
Experts???
It is a fact that “experts” are often foolish in their conclusions while the childlike are wiser. Common sense is acknowledging the obvious while devious souls who hunger for attention, power and honors often create delusional realities by making things more complicated than they are.
I Corinthians 1:25-29
NLT
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
It has been said by someone with low expectations that a person who has read 25 books on a subject is considered an expert. I am sorry. This is faulty logic because being an expert is more than having some facts at your fingertips. Unfortunately, however, this is the thinking that dominates our culture.
By this logic I might be considered an expert in several fields. However, I know only enough to make me dangerous. In fact, that is what accomplishments can do. We can put too much stock in “expertise” or background or experience. Every situation requires that we prayerfully bring all we are to the situation and look at it with fear and trembling. I think this is the equation for humility.
It is a fact that “experts” are often foolish in their conclusions while the childlike are wiser. Common sense is acknowledging the obvious while devious souls who hunger for attention, power and honors often create delusional realities by making things more complicated than they are.
I personally will listen to those whose personal lives show at least they have common sense and humility. They are usually people are grounded in the essentials, have a certain caring of character, and are grounded in the principles cited by God as the wisdom from above. (James 3:17-18)
January 15
A Gift for You
Begin active prayer for God’s greatest blessing in the lives of your “enemies.” Taking time and spending energy in praying for your enemies is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Inasmuch as you are a child of God, it is among the greatest gifts you can give God.
Matthew 5:43-46
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?”
Psalm 3 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
1 O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. 2 So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” Interlude
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. 4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain…
Victory Over Hatred
There is no doubt David had enemies. Even Saul, the king he served at the risk of his life, was his enemy. When he, himself, became king of Israel he had enemies. So no one can say he was paranoid.
The fact is that you may have enemies. Many believers experience reactions against them for their faith, their stance or the simple fact that they are believers in Christ. However, trying to determine why we have enemies or people who do not like us is a waste of energy.
There are three things worthy of remembering when we believe we have enemies:
1. Make amends and seek to set things right with those who dislike you. If you should not allow their anger or dislike define who you are.
2. Sow into the lives of others what you would like to see you your own life.
3. When speaking of your “enemies” speak well of them or not at all. Oops! This is an old fashioned virtue.
4. Begin active prayer for God’s greatest blessing in the lives of your “enemies.” Taking time and spending energy in praying for your enemies is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Inasmuch as you are a child of God it is among the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
…no one can ever boast in the presence of God. I Corinthians 1:29
POSTSCRIPT: IF YOU READ DAVID’S WORDS FURTHER IN THE PSALM CITED ABOVE YOU WILL NOTE WITH HUMOR, NO DOUBT, THAT HE ASKED GOD TO SLAP HIS ENEMIES IN THEIR FACES. WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THAT?
January 16
Self Defense
Those who love and are faithful will have a good name and favor with God and man. Proverbs 3:4
Proverbs 3
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
I don’t know how many people who read this have had critics. I imagine that you have had many of them. No doubt some of your critics have often been brutal and presumptive. That is usually the way critical people are.
If you have had critics you may have felt compelled to defend yourself. I have found that if a critic has not talked to the one they have criticized that it is probably useless to try to explain things to them. They have a closed mind. Likewise, I have discovered that if you give an explanation to those affected and it does not make a difference then you have definitely engaged more closed minds and should go no further.
What does a person do about their critics? Pray for your critics. This is the first and obvious approach. Second, avoid the temptation to muster a defense for yourself. Third, go on with your life and sow good seed.
The Bible says that those who “love and are faithful have a good name and favor with God.” (Proverbs 3:4 NLT) When we are continually defensive we only allow ourselves to succumb to the negativism of those around us. When we continue to do good, love, forgive and bless our critics we will find all the favor we need. That is far better than trying to convince the uncharitable. Besides, there is no greater favor than that of faithful friends and your Father in heaven.
January 17
True Center of Trust
When we trust the Lord and his word with all of our energy more than we do our own understanding we will find the path of great rewards.
Proverbs 3:5-8
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The teachings of the Bible are not counter intuitive. They are counter to our wills. (counter volitional) They seem unrealistic but when you look at them they make great sense. Take for example the simple and summary statement that applies to a scriptural axiom: “You reap what you sow and what you sow is what you reap.” This is logical. It is intuitively true. Yet, we keep on sowing negativism, turmoil, hatred and vengeance with the idea we will stamp such things out. I think, if we are honest enough to admit it, that this is simply a matter of doing what we want to do.
I cannot say I never argue with scripture. I do it all the time. Likewise and I cannot say that I always trust the Lord. I usually try every method and put forth every personal effort first and then I trust Him. Maturing is learning that the first and final line of safety is to trust the Lord and his word. It is true. When we trust the Lord and his word with all of our energy more than we do our own understanding we will find the path of great rewards.
January 18
A Little Humility
Those who practice a little humility, fear God and turn their backs upon the admiration of perversity will live an energized and healthier life.
Proverbs 3
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
It continues to surprise me that Adolf Hitler still has admirers. Likewise, there are that who admire the charlatans, serial killers, con-artists and the philanderers of public life, stage and screen. There is no form of evil that does not have its admirers. This admiration begins with a “gazing upon” with fascination. Then it takes a turn with acting out.
It is a worthy axiom that what gets our attention gets us. That is why we must turn our backs upon perversity. It is not just a matter of not following an evil path. It is a matter of not looking at it so much that it becomes set in our minds. Envision it this way. You are looking at a dark and fascinating scene. It has your attention. At the point of such realization you turn your back upon it. You refuse to look at it any longer. You know it is there because you refuse to be in denial. Yet, you know it destroys everyone who centers upon it the way a butterfly would be destroyed by flying through a campfire.
Come to think of it isn’t this one of the definitions of repentance? Repentance is changing the direction of one’s path, turning your back upon it and walking in the opposite direction.
Ephesians 5
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
A Confession
I must confess, dear friend and reader, that the darkness of this world has gotten my attention. I listen and watch too much of this world’s bad news of the perversions of the fallen nature. As a result I have come to realize lately and been convicted that I need to return to the first principles of my faith. That is, in part, why Power Lines is taking the form it is. It is a way of reminding myself and my fellow believers that there is power, hope and life for those who affirm, profess and live the principles and promises of God.
January 19
No New Way
…following the tried and true principles of godliness assures a longer life and prosperity. There are no new or better ways to be discovered by following our own inclinations. We are better off if we resist the temptation to venture from the path on our own.
Proverbs 3
1 My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. 2 If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.
I think we may recognize that some good people, some very good people, die young. That is when a passage like this begins to nudge at something inside of us like fish nibbling on our toes. Why do good people not enjoy the “many years” this passage promises?
We should recognize that in context this is a father giving instruction to his son. He has contrasted the wise person to a wanton fool. He is simply promising that relative to a fool’s life that the wise person, who has the true values and keeps them in his heart, will live a long satisfying life. He is talking about the effect of behavior and not genetics or the providential plan of God for a human life.
The truth is that all one needs for a good and satisfying life has already been laid out. We may think that this is the 21st century as if we are on the verge of some new discovery. We may even believe we are smarter than our ancestors. However, these things are not so. Such an attitude is likely to take one down a path that is destructive and ultimately unsatisfying. Living God’s way by following the maker’s manual is the best way to find the satisfaction we crave in every venture.
Simply put this father is saying that following the tried and true principles of godliness assures a longer life and prosperity. There are no new or better ways to be discovered by following our own inclinations. We are better off if we resist the temptation to venture from the path on our own.
January 20
The Great Mystery of Giving
Try It!
In God’s sight money is seed.
Proverbs 3 (NLT)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
I have been in some very poor nations on this planet including India, the Ukraine, Haiti, Romania, The Czech Republic and Slovakia. These are but a few where I observed the greatest poverty and observed the greatest generosity I have ever seen. It is a fact, revealed in recent studies that generosity is not as high among people with the greatest income. (See mint.com)
Here are some relevant things I have recently learned about Americans:
Those who have lower in comes are more charitable. For example, people earning less than $20,000 are twice as charitable as those earning more than $100,000. This is calculated on percentage of personal income. (Dollar-wise, lower income people give only 25% of all charitable giving.)
Upper income people commonly say they do not give or give more because they cannot afford it.
Religious people give more to secular causes than non-religious people do.
People with conservative values are more likely to give liberally.
All of this seems to indicate that those who hold on to their income are richer. However, we must refute that. The way out of our financial dilemmas is to be more generous. When we open up our hearts and give of our goods we move in faith. We become more like God in nature. Specifically, we become more positive, open, loving and hopeful than we would be if we were clinging to our wealth. Furthermore, we open the way for God to bless us with more so that we may have more to give. In effect, we learn how to give and live so that we may live and give. In God’s sight money is seed.
I can say these things with confidence because I have tried what the scripture teaches and found it to be true. I know many others who will testify to the same thing. There is simply no accounting for how many people have become more prosperous spiritually and materially relative to where they were when they learned to give.
We will do well to examine what the scriptures say about giving and put it in practice:
Malachi 3 (NLT)
6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Luke 6 (NLT)
38 Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
2 Corintians 9 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
January 21
Loving Discipline
When we suffer shame, sadness and embarrassment and respond positively we will find God is using that moment to give us a new life. He is setting the stage for a better life.
Proverbs 3
11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
My father used to say on the rare but effective occasions when he spanked me, “This hurts me more than it does you.” To be honest I found that difficult to swallow when I was doing a dance while he held my collar and applied the sting of the sapling. (Switch) His demeanor was appropriate but because of the sting of correction it took some time for me to resolve the issue of how much my father loved me. That usually happened in context when he would call me aside and ask if I wanted to go with him to do something. I knew he was obviously contriving a special moment to reinforce his love.
Years later when I met other men and befriended them I heard more than one say, “I wish my father had paid enough attention to me to correct me. He was always too occupied to care what I did.”
There are times in life when each of us feels abandoned and even angry about being exposed for something we did wrong when others seem to get away with their attitudes or behavior. However, the child of God understands this is a moment of opportunity. When we suffer shame, sadness, and embarrassment and respond positively we will find God is using that moment to give us new life. He is setting the stage for a better life.
January 22
Shared Life
It is a fact that God blesses everyone whether they acknowledge it or not. However, the person who has received Christ has access to every spiritual blessing and privilege of a member of God’s family.
Ephesians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Most of us remember times when we have prayed and wondered if our prayers were being heard. We want to see results and we are usually tuned to what we can see in the present.
It is true that God does give us clear and present answers to prayer. In fact, there are many times when one will pray and see an immediate result. However, that is not the normal case because answers usually come with another component. Answered prayers always bring a spiritual blessing of eternal value.
When we think of life we need to remember it is not temporal. As spiritual beings we all share an eternal future. That which is spirit does not die and eternal life speaks only of the quality of that existence. Therefore, when God answers prayer he is seeking to reinforce that which will give us that qualitatively eternal life compatible with his character so we may enjoy His life.
It is a fact that God blesses everyone whether they acknowledge it or not. However, the person who has received Christ has access to every spiritual blessing and privilege of a member of God’s family. Be patient when you pray because good more will come with the answer than you ever dreamed.
January 23
Joined at Heart and Hip
…in Christ we are joined with Him in his death by faith and thus share in His life in all things. (We died with Him and Live with Him.)
Ephesians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Most of us know the term Siamese twins. However, do you know where the term came from? In the early 1800’s a seaman discovered Eng and Chang in Siam, present day Thailand. They were two whole people joined at the side. All their life they were able to maneuver and get about sharing the same life. For years they travelled as a novelty act with P.T. Barnum. In 1839 they settled down on a farm in Wilkesboro, NC, each of them married and respectively fathered several children. In 1874 Chang grew ill and died. Hours later, Eng died also sharing in death as they had in life.
Even as Eng and Chang (Bunker) were joined and shared in life and later in death so we are joined in Christ. However, in Christ we are joined with Him in his death by faith and thus share in His life in all things. (We died with Him and Live with Him) Even as Siamese twins share the same things and experiences so we in Christ share the benefits of Christ as a son of God.
We are united with Christ, joined at the heart and hip and will know the fullness of His life with the Father. This is the gospel in a nutshell. We are one with the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit who is one with Him.
January 24
Getting Rid of that Bad Feeling
God takes pleasure in you because in Christ you are without fault in His eyes.
Ephesians 1
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
It is difficult for us to avoid feeling condemned, guilty and inferior. Even if others are not condemning us the fact is that inside we sometimes feel condemned and inadequate. That is because we are fallen creatures. That means we are defective and not as originally intended we would be.
However, what we feel is not God’s verdict on those who put their faith in Christ. Christ has made things right and put his stamp of approval on us. (This is the meaning of the cross.) In Christ we are not condemned. Even if we cannot always tell those who condemn we are not condemned because of Christ we can tell ourselves that God takes great pleasure in us.
Do it! Because God has said it is true, say to yourself, “I confess my faults. I believe Christ died to eradicate my faults and taking all condemnation against me upon Himself. I am a child of God. Because of my faith Christ the most important person in the Universe, God Himself, finds no fault in me. Furthermore, because he finds pleasure in me I will find pleasure in myself today. Amen.”
You see, God takes pleasure in you because in Christ you are without fault in His eyes. Do you know it now?
January 25
Your Morning Shower
We are missing a lot if we do not understand that being a child of God pertains to the whole of our lives.
Ephesians 1
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
A common saying in Americanese is, “(so and so) just doesn’t get it.” The saying is applied to just about everything.
Do you get it? Do you know your have been immersed in a sea of divine kindness, wisdom and understanding? You should get it.
You have access to immediate favor from God. Give him but a moment to love, forgive and hear your heart. Give him but a moment to hear you prayer for wisdom or understanding. Give him a moment to reinforce His favor and also meet your present need for wisdom and clarity. He will minister to that also.
We are missing a lot if we do not understand that being a child of God pertains to the whole of our lives. He cares to assist the algebra student. He can guide the scientist, the teacher, the parent, and the homemaker in meeting the challenges of the day. He is willing to give help in the most practical needs of life.
Why don’t we just step into this shower because “He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. “
January 26
Life is not in the Dumpster
…no matter how bad as things get God is working everything according to the good.
Ephesians 1
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
They tell me that every generation thinks the present one is going to the dogs. It is a fact that I learned that concept about 60 years ago. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “Things are going to the dogs,” I could at least buy a nice car with the money. I am being modest, of course. I don’t have to be a millionaire. I will settle for a new car.
In my later years I find myself thinking and saying the same things the curmudgeons did of my youth. I never thought I would get to that place because after all I am a Christian. How could I say, things are going to the dogs? I should know better. But I forgot.
This is the paradox of aging. As we grow older in body, we grow brighter and clearer in our thinking. By that, I mean we are not saddled with the illusion we are smarter because we are younger and of a new generation. That is an old lie. Do we really believe the smart people came to this planet in the year we were born?
So we spent our youth making the same old mistakes, trying things that had been tried and ended in disaster before. Then we wake in our late years and learn that “there is nothing new under the sun and that the old truths are still truth.”
There is one truth that is constantly being refuted. It is the truth that there is a God and we are not Him. It is the truth that that very creator has an investment in our world.
It takes some years of experience to see this but no matter how bad things get God is working everything according to the good. The first time you see this you wonder how you could have ever doubted. It inspires us to do things His way and …well, things go a lot better.
9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9
January 27
Divine Guarantee
If you have received the Holy Spirit you already have the guarantee that he will fulfill your deepest longings. It is called heaven.
Ephesians 1
And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. (NLT)
Have you received the Spirit of God? I mean, have you received Him in such a way that your are increasing in faith and trust in Him? Have you ever publically declared that Jesus is Lord, meaning Lord of you life? Have you ever had a sense of His presence and acknowledged His help and His aid? If so, you have the Holy Spirit in a living way. You have made a step to affirm Him and that takes His help and indicates you are a child of God::
3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12 NLT
All of this is to underscore the point of scripture. No matter how challenging life is for you now, or how painful your circumstances are, or how positively you are feeling, there is a sure fact. You are coming into a great inheritance. In fact, in some measure you are enjoying it right now. We will do well to see what good God is doing and thank Him for the fullness of things that is coming.
Romans 10
6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Romans 10: 6-10 (NLT)
January 28
In Tune
… when we are in tune with God he will guide our prayers and we will discover that the very thing we pray is the fulfillment of a deep desire.
Psalm 31
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 31 (NLT)
I have never believed God actually gives us the things we ask for or the answers we want just because we speak them. I do not think this is scriptural. I do believe he will fulfill the desires of our hearts. That means he will prescribe for us what fulfill the need we are trying to express. Furthermore, when we are in tune with God he guide our prayers and we will discover that the very thing we pray is the fulfillment of a deep desire.
Consider this text:
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 (NLT)
Pray with heart-felt intensity and allow the Spirit to refine your prayers.
January 29
Name and Nature
When we are truly tuned to the mind of Christ we will pray and receive answers that will be full of personal joy.
John 16
23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. NLT
There is a teaching among Christians that we get whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name. However, it might also be said that when we get what we ask for it is in Jesus’ name. There is more than a subtle difference. Praying in Jesus’ name does not necessarily mean we can pray for things not consistent with the ultimate or circumstantial will of God and get them merely because we asked. Many people have been severely disappointed because of this misconception of Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus taught his disciples that they and all disciples can now pray to the Father directly in “his name.” That is an assurance that they will be heard because he has given them a pass to the presence of God. That pass is Himself. However, using someone’s name is more than a matter of speech.
When we use someone’s name we also are claiming identification with their character and nature. Thus, when we use Jesus’ name we will be in tune with that character and nature. We will be validating to the Father that we are approaching Him the same way His Son would. That is a large sandal to fill.
The best guarantee of approaching God in the nature and character of Christ is by sharpening our sensitivities to Him through meditation of the scriptures, prayer, worship, and engaging in service to others. James indicated that selfishness in our praying will limit the results:
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
As we grow more and more detached from our own “pleasures” (lusts) we will pray rightly.
Let us say this. When we are truly tuned to the mind of Christ we will pray and receive answers that will be full of personal joy. We will receive the most complete and satisfying of results. Don’t make Jesus’ name a monotonic mantra.
January 30
Love Moves Heaven
It should not surprise us that when we are motivated by love and pray in that spirit we get answers.
James 5
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
It is true that there are many times when we get answers exactly as we prayed for it. That is because we are so aligned with the mind and heart of God that we prayed rightly. And, we cannot deny that it is the promise of God that we will be so tuned that we can come to the place where we will increasingly get what ever we pray for.
Prayer is a humbling enterprise. Praying exposes us to our own inadequacies and unworthiness. It is when we see this and turn in Jesus name for right alignment with God that we will pray lovingly, earnestly and see results.
The more exciting answers I have even received through prayer were the ones I got when I was praying for someone with whose need I sensed a deep identification. Such answers were sometimes what the world would call fantastic and include miraculous and instantly visible results.
What does the scriptures mean when it speaks of the righteousness of the person praying? What is it but the loving character of God? All he commands and directs is out of love that we might be “rightly” tuned to Life in Him.
It should not surprise us that when we are motivated by love and pray in that spirit we get answers. Is not love the spirit of God? Or, to put it another way, God is love.
Ephesians 1
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
January 31
Remember
We can see what humans can do. However, we must remember what God has done in order to find our footing.
Ephesians 1
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
When we feel powerless and abandoned we will do well to remember God’s power in creation and in raising Christ from the dead. In fact, we need to pray for enlightenment. After all, the demonstration of his power in raising Christ from the dead was for we who believe.
We actually respond to the present more than we do to the past because we are geared for survival in a nature of “tooth and claw” and in the cultural world of “couth and flaw.” It is natural that we do this because in such a fallen world we are vulnerable and without vigilance to the natural and the spiritual dimensions of life we can easily become victims
It is easy to forget in this world of power dynamics that no matter what the power human kind demonstrates that it is God is the one who has the power. We can see what humans can do. However, we must remember what God has done in order to find our footing. God’s power may not be visibly clear to us but He is the power that created life and raised Jesus from the dead.
“Being Wise is a Choice”
We must choose our companions wisely.
A really happy life is probable when we follow the example of good people who show good fruit in their lives.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…”
Psalm 1:1
Commentary
One of the first choices we make in life as we become young adults is the type of companions we choose. This is where our happiness and prosperity is determined. We need to be sure our examples are worthy of following. We will do well to find good role models.
January 2
“Wisdom is a Choice”
A good life is possible only when we make the hard choice and leave the paths our self-centered and selfish companions follow.
Blessed is the man who does not… stand in the way (path) of sinners
Psalm 1:1
Commentary
Our associates influence the paths we pursue. If we are to find any fulfillment we must learn to say “no” to those who are going the wrong way. Theirs is the way of injury and self-destruction. In effect, we need to say no to those who live in disregard to others and who are a law unto themselves unless we truly believe we can be an influence for good.
January 3
“Wisdom is a Choice”
The good life is the heritage of those who surround themselves with positive and hopeful people.
Blessed is the man who does not …sit in the seat of mockers.
Psalms 1:1
Commentary
I find that I do not usually consciously surround myself with negative people but there are plenty of them to whom I am exposed. All too often I am negative. It is also problematic that I am exposed to negativism continually through the media of the modern world. We need to be very conscious of how much we listen to continual analysis and censure.
In the case of our text the scriptures references are those who hate the truth of God’s word and mock people of faith. While we must be realistic about the evil in our world our real focus needs to be upon the Kingdom of God among us and God’s eternal promises.
January 4
“Wisdom is a Choice”
The lavish love of God is experienced when we take earnest and active delight in God’s word through worship, reading, memorization and meditation on the Holy Scriptures.
Blessed is the man (whose) delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
Commentary
Nature hates a vacuum. The only good course is one in which we make choices. We cannot just drift. We cannot let our minds drift. We will live a better life when we fill our thoughts with the best thoughts and become responsible not only for what we think but how we think.
January 5
“Wisdom is a Choice”
God is vigorously active for the good in the lives of those who apply themselves to living rightly according to his Word.
The Scripture
Psalm 1
The Living Translation
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
January 6
“Wisdom is a Choice”
There is no real wisdom where there is no awe of God. Wisdom can only flow from the mind of the Maker.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7
Commentary
1 Corinthians 2:6-16
The Message Bible
6-10We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him.But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.
10-13The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
14-16The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.
January 7
“Wisdom is a Choice”
No matter what we may think about our parent’s knowledge compared to others we could always depend upon their instructions to be for our best. The young need to heed. The mature need to give thanks for such instructions.
Scripture
8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9
January 8
“Being a fool in God’s sight is a Choice”
Power comes from knowing where the danger is. When we steal, cheat, or take what belongs to another or to their credit we always end up poorer, in trouble and an empty shell of a human being.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"-
15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
January 9
“Being a Fool in God’s sight is a Choice”
The person with common sense is empowered by seeking the wisest and most prudent course. Only fools never desire the wiser course or to think about the consequences of wrong action.
20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
January 10
“Wisdom is a Choice”
Learning from our mistakes empowers us. Ignoring the lessons that are available to us from making mistakes means we are fools.
Proverbs 1:23-33
23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
January 11
“Wisdom is a Choice
Those who aim to be wise will live a better life. They will enjoy security throughout their lives. They will never have a reason to be afraid of the consequences of the foolishness that hurts so many others who only follow their basic instincts.
Scripture
Proverbs 1:28-33
28 "Then they will call to me (wisdom) but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,
30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
January 12
“Wisdom is a Choice”
God gives us wisdom when we ask for it in faith. It cannot be earned. It cannot be achieved. We cannot beat it into our heads. It is a gift. So, simply ask for wisdom.
James 1:5-8
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Some Thoughts
It is difficult for some of us to think that we can do something as direct as to ask God for wisdom. Yet, here is a simple command. If you have need for wisdom, ask for it in faith. The Bible promises us that God gives us wisdom when we ask for it in faith. It cannot be earned. It cannot be achieved. We cannot beat it into our heads. It is a gift. So, simply ask for wisdom.
The test of this is easy. Do it! This is so with many of the admonitions of scripture. Don’t argue with it! Do it and be amazed at the results. It is a way through your present crises of life. Likewise note how wisdom comes to you. It may come to you directly and out of your own mouth. It may in what reliable and trustworthy persons say in your presence. It may come in some information to which you are directed. When it does come it will usually come more than once and from more than one source.
January 13
“Power Over Depression”
Personal power over depression and anxiety results when we cultivate the spirit of gratitude and acknowledge God’s benevolence. He is the source of everything good and true.
Philippians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Some Thoughts
Many people believe we must empty ourselves of negative thoughts. That is just half of the solution. We must also fill our minds with those things that offer hope and life.
Personal power over depression and anxiety results when we cultivate the spirit of gratitude and acknowledge God’s benevolence. After all, He is the source of everything good and true.
What is more powerful than remembering the ways God has fulfilled his promises in our lives? What is more powerful than remembering what the scripture says of his character and nature? What can undergird us more than a spirit of thanksgiving as we make our requests vocal to God?
Nature hates a vacuum. So does your psychic (soul.) Don’t just try to deny negative things. Don’t try to become a blank tablet or you will become one. Affirm the most positive and true things. All power belongs to your Creator. He has made himself known as your Father. Affirm the Spirit of that when you pray.
January 14
Experts???
It is a fact that “experts” are often foolish in their conclusions while the childlike are wiser. Common sense is acknowledging the obvious while devious souls who hunger for attention, power and honors often create delusional realities by making things more complicated than they are.
I Corinthians 1:25-29
NLT
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
It has been said by someone with low expectations that a person who has read 25 books on a subject is considered an expert. I am sorry. This is faulty logic because being an expert is more than having some facts at your fingertips. Unfortunately, however, this is the thinking that dominates our culture.
By this logic I might be considered an expert in several fields. However, I know only enough to make me dangerous. In fact, that is what accomplishments can do. We can put too much stock in “expertise” or background or experience. Every situation requires that we prayerfully bring all we are to the situation and look at it with fear and trembling. I think this is the equation for humility.
It is a fact that “experts” are often foolish in their conclusions while the childlike are wiser. Common sense is acknowledging the obvious while devious souls who hunger for attention, power and honors often create delusional realities by making things more complicated than they are.
I personally will listen to those whose personal lives show at least they have common sense and humility. They are usually people are grounded in the essentials, have a certain caring of character, and are grounded in the principles cited by God as the wisdom from above. (James 3:17-18)
January 15
A Gift for You
Begin active prayer for God’s greatest blessing in the lives of your “enemies.” Taking time and spending energy in praying for your enemies is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Inasmuch as you are a child of God, it is among the greatest gifts you can give God.
Matthew 5:43-46
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?”
Psalm 3 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
1 O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. 2 So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” Interlude
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. 4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain…
Victory Over Hatred
There is no doubt David had enemies. Even Saul, the king he served at the risk of his life, was his enemy. When he, himself, became king of Israel he had enemies. So no one can say he was paranoid.
The fact is that you may have enemies. Many believers experience reactions against them for their faith, their stance or the simple fact that they are believers in Christ. However, trying to determine why we have enemies or people who do not like us is a waste of energy.
There are three things worthy of remembering when we believe we have enemies:
1. Make amends and seek to set things right with those who dislike you. If you should not allow their anger or dislike define who you are.
2. Sow into the lives of others what you would like to see you your own life.
3. When speaking of your “enemies” speak well of them or not at all. Oops! This is an old fashioned virtue.
4. Begin active prayer for God’s greatest blessing in the lives of your “enemies.” Taking time and spending energy in praying for your enemies is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Inasmuch as you are a child of God it is among the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
…no one can ever boast in the presence of God. I Corinthians 1:29
POSTSCRIPT: IF YOU READ DAVID’S WORDS FURTHER IN THE PSALM CITED ABOVE YOU WILL NOTE WITH HUMOR, NO DOUBT, THAT HE ASKED GOD TO SLAP HIS ENEMIES IN THEIR FACES. WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THAT?
January 16
Self Defense
Those who love and are faithful will have a good name and favor with God and man. Proverbs 3:4
Proverbs 3
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
I don’t know how many people who read this have had critics. I imagine that you have had many of them. No doubt some of your critics have often been brutal and presumptive. That is usually the way critical people are.
If you have had critics you may have felt compelled to defend yourself. I have found that if a critic has not talked to the one they have criticized that it is probably useless to try to explain things to them. They have a closed mind. Likewise, I have discovered that if you give an explanation to those affected and it does not make a difference then you have definitely engaged more closed minds and should go no further.
What does a person do about their critics? Pray for your critics. This is the first and obvious approach. Second, avoid the temptation to muster a defense for yourself. Third, go on with your life and sow good seed.
The Bible says that those who “love and are faithful have a good name and favor with God.” (Proverbs 3:4 NLT) When we are continually defensive we only allow ourselves to succumb to the negativism of those around us. When we continue to do good, love, forgive and bless our critics we will find all the favor we need. That is far better than trying to convince the uncharitable. Besides, there is no greater favor than that of faithful friends and your Father in heaven.
January 17
True Center of Trust
When we trust the Lord and his word with all of our energy more than we do our own understanding we will find the path of great rewards.
Proverbs 3:5-8
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The teachings of the Bible are not counter intuitive. They are counter to our wills. (counter volitional) They seem unrealistic but when you look at them they make great sense. Take for example the simple and summary statement that applies to a scriptural axiom: “You reap what you sow and what you sow is what you reap.” This is logical. It is intuitively true. Yet, we keep on sowing negativism, turmoil, hatred and vengeance with the idea we will stamp such things out. I think, if we are honest enough to admit it, that this is simply a matter of doing what we want to do.
I cannot say I never argue with scripture. I do it all the time. Likewise and I cannot say that I always trust the Lord. I usually try every method and put forth every personal effort first and then I trust Him. Maturing is learning that the first and final line of safety is to trust the Lord and his word. It is true. When we trust the Lord and his word with all of our energy more than we do our own understanding we will find the path of great rewards.
January 18
A Little Humility
Those who practice a little humility, fear God and turn their backs upon the admiration of perversity will live an energized and healthier life.
Proverbs 3
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
It continues to surprise me that Adolf Hitler still has admirers. Likewise, there are that who admire the charlatans, serial killers, con-artists and the philanderers of public life, stage and screen. There is no form of evil that does not have its admirers. This admiration begins with a “gazing upon” with fascination. Then it takes a turn with acting out.
It is a worthy axiom that what gets our attention gets us. That is why we must turn our backs upon perversity. It is not just a matter of not following an evil path. It is a matter of not looking at it so much that it becomes set in our minds. Envision it this way. You are looking at a dark and fascinating scene. It has your attention. At the point of such realization you turn your back upon it. You refuse to look at it any longer. You know it is there because you refuse to be in denial. Yet, you know it destroys everyone who centers upon it the way a butterfly would be destroyed by flying through a campfire.
Come to think of it isn’t this one of the definitions of repentance? Repentance is changing the direction of one’s path, turning your back upon it and walking in the opposite direction.
Ephesians 5
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
A Confession
I must confess, dear friend and reader, that the darkness of this world has gotten my attention. I listen and watch too much of this world’s bad news of the perversions of the fallen nature. As a result I have come to realize lately and been convicted that I need to return to the first principles of my faith. That is, in part, why Power Lines is taking the form it is. It is a way of reminding myself and my fellow believers that there is power, hope and life for those who affirm, profess and live the principles and promises of God.
January 19
No New Way
…following the tried and true principles of godliness assures a longer life and prosperity. There are no new or better ways to be discovered by following our own inclinations. We are better off if we resist the temptation to venture from the path on our own.
Proverbs 3
1 My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. 2 If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.
I think we may recognize that some good people, some very good people, die young. That is when a passage like this begins to nudge at something inside of us like fish nibbling on our toes. Why do good people not enjoy the “many years” this passage promises?
We should recognize that in context this is a father giving instruction to his son. He has contrasted the wise person to a wanton fool. He is simply promising that relative to a fool’s life that the wise person, who has the true values and keeps them in his heart, will live a long satisfying life. He is talking about the effect of behavior and not genetics or the providential plan of God for a human life.
The truth is that all one needs for a good and satisfying life has already been laid out. We may think that this is the 21st century as if we are on the verge of some new discovery. We may even believe we are smarter than our ancestors. However, these things are not so. Such an attitude is likely to take one down a path that is destructive and ultimately unsatisfying. Living God’s way by following the maker’s manual is the best way to find the satisfaction we crave in every venture.
Simply put this father is saying that following the tried and true principles of godliness assures a longer life and prosperity. There are no new or better ways to be discovered by following our own inclinations. We are better off if we resist the temptation to venture from the path on our own.
January 20
The Great Mystery of Giving
Try It!
In God’s sight money is seed.
Proverbs 3 (NLT)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
I have been in some very poor nations on this planet including India, the Ukraine, Haiti, Romania, The Czech Republic and Slovakia. These are but a few where I observed the greatest poverty and observed the greatest generosity I have ever seen. It is a fact, revealed in recent studies that generosity is not as high among people with the greatest income. (See mint.com)
Here are some relevant things I have recently learned about Americans:
Those who have lower in comes are more charitable. For example, people earning less than $20,000 are twice as charitable as those earning more than $100,000. This is calculated on percentage of personal income. (Dollar-wise, lower income people give only 25% of all charitable giving.)
Upper income people commonly say they do not give or give more because they cannot afford it.
Religious people give more to secular causes than non-religious people do.
People with conservative values are more likely to give liberally.
All of this seems to indicate that those who hold on to their income are richer. However, we must refute that. The way out of our financial dilemmas is to be more generous. When we open up our hearts and give of our goods we move in faith. We become more like God in nature. Specifically, we become more positive, open, loving and hopeful than we would be if we were clinging to our wealth. Furthermore, we open the way for God to bless us with more so that we may have more to give. In effect, we learn how to give and live so that we may live and give. In God’s sight money is seed.
I can say these things with confidence because I have tried what the scripture teaches and found it to be true. I know many others who will testify to the same thing. There is simply no accounting for how many people have become more prosperous spiritually and materially relative to where they were when they learned to give.
We will do well to examine what the scriptures say about giving and put it in practice:
Malachi 3 (NLT)
6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Luke 6 (NLT)
38 Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
2 Corintians 9 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
January 21
Loving Discipline
When we suffer shame, sadness and embarrassment and respond positively we will find God is using that moment to give us a new life. He is setting the stage for a better life.
Proverbs 3
11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
My father used to say on the rare but effective occasions when he spanked me, “This hurts me more than it does you.” To be honest I found that difficult to swallow when I was doing a dance while he held my collar and applied the sting of the sapling. (Switch) His demeanor was appropriate but because of the sting of correction it took some time for me to resolve the issue of how much my father loved me. That usually happened in context when he would call me aside and ask if I wanted to go with him to do something. I knew he was obviously contriving a special moment to reinforce his love.
Years later when I met other men and befriended them I heard more than one say, “I wish my father had paid enough attention to me to correct me. He was always too occupied to care what I did.”
There are times in life when each of us feels abandoned and even angry about being exposed for something we did wrong when others seem to get away with their attitudes or behavior. However, the child of God understands this is a moment of opportunity. When we suffer shame, sadness, and embarrassment and respond positively we will find God is using that moment to give us new life. He is setting the stage for a better life.
January 22
Shared Life
It is a fact that God blesses everyone whether they acknowledge it or not. However, the person who has received Christ has access to every spiritual blessing and privilege of a member of God’s family.
Ephesians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Most of us remember times when we have prayed and wondered if our prayers were being heard. We want to see results and we are usually tuned to what we can see in the present.
It is true that God does give us clear and present answers to prayer. In fact, there are many times when one will pray and see an immediate result. However, that is not the normal case because answers usually come with another component. Answered prayers always bring a spiritual blessing of eternal value.
When we think of life we need to remember it is not temporal. As spiritual beings we all share an eternal future. That which is spirit does not die and eternal life speaks only of the quality of that existence. Therefore, when God answers prayer he is seeking to reinforce that which will give us that qualitatively eternal life compatible with his character so we may enjoy His life.
It is a fact that God blesses everyone whether they acknowledge it or not. However, the person who has received Christ has access to every spiritual blessing and privilege of a member of God’s family. Be patient when you pray because good more will come with the answer than you ever dreamed.
January 23
Joined at Heart and Hip
…in Christ we are joined with Him in his death by faith and thus share in His life in all things. (We died with Him and Live with Him.)
Ephesians 1
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Most of us know the term Siamese twins. However, do you know where the term came from? In the early 1800’s a seaman discovered Eng and Chang in Siam, present day Thailand. They were two whole people joined at the side. All their life they were able to maneuver and get about sharing the same life. For years they travelled as a novelty act with P.T. Barnum. In 1839 they settled down on a farm in Wilkesboro, NC, each of them married and respectively fathered several children. In 1874 Chang grew ill and died. Hours later, Eng died also sharing in death as they had in life.
Even as Eng and Chang (Bunker) were joined and shared in life and later in death so we are joined in Christ. However, in Christ we are joined with Him in his death by faith and thus share in His life in all things. (We died with Him and Live with Him) Even as Siamese twins share the same things and experiences so we in Christ share the benefits of Christ as a son of God.
We are united with Christ, joined at the heart and hip and will know the fullness of His life with the Father. This is the gospel in a nutshell. We are one with the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit who is one with Him.
January 24
Getting Rid of that Bad Feeling
God takes pleasure in you because in Christ you are without fault in His eyes.
Ephesians 1
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
It is difficult for us to avoid feeling condemned, guilty and inferior. Even if others are not condemning us the fact is that inside we sometimes feel condemned and inadequate. That is because we are fallen creatures. That means we are defective and not as originally intended we would be.
However, what we feel is not God’s verdict on those who put their faith in Christ. Christ has made things right and put his stamp of approval on us. (This is the meaning of the cross.) In Christ we are not condemned. Even if we cannot always tell those who condemn we are not condemned because of Christ we can tell ourselves that God takes great pleasure in us.
Do it! Because God has said it is true, say to yourself, “I confess my faults. I believe Christ died to eradicate my faults and taking all condemnation against me upon Himself. I am a child of God. Because of my faith Christ the most important person in the Universe, God Himself, finds no fault in me. Furthermore, because he finds pleasure in me I will find pleasure in myself today. Amen.”
You see, God takes pleasure in you because in Christ you are without fault in His eyes. Do you know it now?
January 25
Your Morning Shower
We are missing a lot if we do not understand that being a child of God pertains to the whole of our lives.
Ephesians 1
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
A common saying in Americanese is, “(so and so) just doesn’t get it.” The saying is applied to just about everything.
Do you get it? Do you know your have been immersed in a sea of divine kindness, wisdom and understanding? You should get it.
You have access to immediate favor from God. Give him but a moment to love, forgive and hear your heart. Give him but a moment to hear you prayer for wisdom or understanding. Give him a moment to reinforce His favor and also meet your present need for wisdom and clarity. He will minister to that also.
We are missing a lot if we do not understand that being a child of God pertains to the whole of our lives. He cares to assist the algebra student. He can guide the scientist, the teacher, the parent, and the homemaker in meeting the challenges of the day. He is willing to give help in the most practical needs of life.
Why don’t we just step into this shower because “He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. “
January 26
Life is not in the Dumpster
…no matter how bad as things get God is working everything according to the good.
Ephesians 1
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
They tell me that every generation thinks the present one is going to the dogs. It is a fact that I learned that concept about 60 years ago. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “Things are going to the dogs,” I could at least buy a nice car with the money. I am being modest, of course. I don’t have to be a millionaire. I will settle for a new car.
In my later years I find myself thinking and saying the same things the curmudgeons did of my youth. I never thought I would get to that place because after all I am a Christian. How could I say, things are going to the dogs? I should know better. But I forgot.
This is the paradox of aging. As we grow older in body, we grow brighter and clearer in our thinking. By that, I mean we are not saddled with the illusion we are smarter because we are younger and of a new generation. That is an old lie. Do we really believe the smart people came to this planet in the year we were born?
So we spent our youth making the same old mistakes, trying things that had been tried and ended in disaster before. Then we wake in our late years and learn that “there is nothing new under the sun and that the old truths are still truth.”
There is one truth that is constantly being refuted. It is the truth that there is a God and we are not Him. It is the truth that that very creator has an investment in our world.
It takes some years of experience to see this but no matter how bad things get God is working everything according to the good. The first time you see this you wonder how you could have ever doubted. It inspires us to do things His way and …well, things go a lot better.
9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9
January 27
Divine Guarantee
If you have received the Holy Spirit you already have the guarantee that he will fulfill your deepest longings. It is called heaven.
Ephesians 1
And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. (NLT)
Have you received the Spirit of God? I mean, have you received Him in such a way that your are increasing in faith and trust in Him? Have you ever publically declared that Jesus is Lord, meaning Lord of you life? Have you ever had a sense of His presence and acknowledged His help and His aid? If so, you have the Holy Spirit in a living way. You have made a step to affirm Him and that takes His help and indicates you are a child of God::
3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12 NLT
All of this is to underscore the point of scripture. No matter how challenging life is for you now, or how painful your circumstances are, or how positively you are feeling, there is a sure fact. You are coming into a great inheritance. In fact, in some measure you are enjoying it right now. We will do well to see what good God is doing and thank Him for the fullness of things that is coming.
Romans 10
6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,
“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”
And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Romans 10: 6-10 (NLT)
January 28
In Tune
… when we are in tune with God he will guide our prayers and we will discover that the very thing we pray is the fulfillment of a deep desire.
Psalm 31
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 31 (NLT)
I have never believed God actually gives us the things we ask for or the answers we want just because we speak them. I do not think this is scriptural. I do believe he will fulfill the desires of our hearts. That means he will prescribe for us what fulfill the need we are trying to express. Furthermore, when we are in tune with God he guide our prayers and we will discover that the very thing we pray is the fulfillment of a deep desire.
Consider this text:
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 (NLT)
Pray with heart-felt intensity and allow the Spirit to refine your prayers.
January 29
Name and Nature
When we are truly tuned to the mind of Christ we will pray and receive answers that will be full of personal joy.
John 16
23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. 24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. NLT
There is a teaching among Christians that we get whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name. However, it might also be said that when we get what we ask for it is in Jesus’ name. There is more than a subtle difference. Praying in Jesus’ name does not necessarily mean we can pray for things not consistent with the ultimate or circumstantial will of God and get them merely because we asked. Many people have been severely disappointed because of this misconception of Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus taught his disciples that they and all disciples can now pray to the Father directly in “his name.” That is an assurance that they will be heard because he has given them a pass to the presence of God. That pass is Himself. However, using someone’s name is more than a matter of speech.
When we use someone’s name we also are claiming identification with their character and nature. Thus, when we use Jesus’ name we will be in tune with that character and nature. We will be validating to the Father that we are approaching Him the same way His Son would. That is a large sandal to fill.
The best guarantee of approaching God in the nature and character of Christ is by sharpening our sensitivities to Him through meditation of the scriptures, prayer, worship, and engaging in service to others. James indicated that selfishness in our praying will limit the results:
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
As we grow more and more detached from our own “pleasures” (lusts) we will pray rightly.
Let us say this. When we are truly tuned to the mind of Christ we will pray and receive answers that will be full of personal joy. We will receive the most complete and satisfying of results. Don’t make Jesus’ name a monotonic mantra.
January 30
Love Moves Heaven
It should not surprise us that when we are motivated by love and pray in that spirit we get answers.
James 5
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
It is true that there are many times when we get answers exactly as we prayed for it. That is because we are so aligned with the mind and heart of God that we prayed rightly. And, we cannot deny that it is the promise of God that we will be so tuned that we can come to the place where we will increasingly get what ever we pray for.
Prayer is a humbling enterprise. Praying exposes us to our own inadequacies and unworthiness. It is when we see this and turn in Jesus name for right alignment with God that we will pray lovingly, earnestly and see results.
The more exciting answers I have even received through prayer were the ones I got when I was praying for someone with whose need I sensed a deep identification. Such answers were sometimes what the world would call fantastic and include miraculous and instantly visible results.
What does the scriptures mean when it speaks of the righteousness of the person praying? What is it but the loving character of God? All he commands and directs is out of love that we might be “rightly” tuned to Life in Him.
It should not surprise us that when we are motivated by love and pray in that spirit we get answers. Is not love the spirit of God? Or, to put it another way, God is love.
Ephesians 1
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
January 31
Remember
We can see what humans can do. However, we must remember what God has done in order to find our footing.
Ephesians 1
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
When we feel powerless and abandoned we will do well to remember God’s power in creation and in raising Christ from the dead. In fact, we need to pray for enlightenment. After all, the demonstration of his power in raising Christ from the dead was for we who believe.
We actually respond to the present more than we do to the past because we are geared for survival in a nature of “tooth and claw” and in the cultural world of “couth and flaw.” It is natural that we do this because in such a fallen world we are vulnerable and without vigilance to the natural and the spiritual dimensions of life we can easily become victims
It is easy to forget in this world of power dynamics that no matter what the power human kind demonstrates that it is God is the one who has the power. We can see what humans can do. However, we must remember what God has done in order to find our footing. God’s power may not be visibly clear to us but He is the power that created life and raised Jesus from the dead.
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