"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me." Psalm 139:11
It's pretty dark when your light is like night--- you can't get much darker than that. When it's that dark, you get disoriented. It's hard to tell where you are and in what direction you are heading. You can't see anything so that you can get your bearings. The darkness hides any familiar landmarks. It engulfs you and presses on you- overwhelming and overtaking you. You can actually feel it- it becomes tangible and real, no longer an inanimate object. It is so thick that you can't even see what is right in front of your face. It leaves you in a state of confusion.
Does that describe where you are this morning? Are you going through a dark time of trials and problems? Does it seem as if there is no glimmer of light to give you any consolation or hope? Read the next verse: "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." (verse 12) While the darkness may be so thick that it is hiding everything from your sight, it isn't hiding it from God's sight. On the contrary, night shines to Him just like the day does- there is no difference; He can see in both.
The darkness can't hide anything from God and it can't hide Him. Darkness can never "cover up" God- He will always shine through it- darkness can't hide light, and He is Light. So keep your eyes on Him. Set your eyes in an "upward" direction-- you have to do this by faith. Fix your eyes on Him, He is your orientation, He is your landmark. He will help you get your bearings. He will give you "night vision". He will turn you in the right direction and guide you through it. There is no darkness so dark that He can't bring light into it.
Have a great day. He will bring light into your darkness... no matter how dark it is.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
"Abundant Life"
"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." John 12:27
Jesus did not come to give you an easy life or to take away your problems. He came to give you eternal life. We do people an injustice when we tell them that once they come to Christ they won't have any more problems- their life is going to be wonderful. That is far from the truth. Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in this world. The Bible also tells us that "many are the affliction of the righteous". Look at the saints of old, and the New Testament saints. Paul said that he was "often" in perils. His goal was to "know Christ.. and the fellowship of His suffering." He later summed it up like this, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
Yes, Jesus did say that He came that we might have life- abundant life. But abundant living is not the absence of problems. It's not the absence of pain, heartache, grief, calamity, tribulations. Instead, it's peace, grace, strength, joy, and the promise of His presence... when you go through them. Abundant life doesn't mean you won't face the furnace- it means that the fire won't kindle upon you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't be "thrown to the lions", it means that they won't devour you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't walk through the valley, it means that when you do He will be with you and His rod and staff will comfort you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you might not encounter some "thorns in the flesh", it means that when you do His grace will be sufficient. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't have trials and tribulations, it means that you can have victory over them and come out on top instead of on bottom..."Be of good cheer for I have over come."
If He was going to take away all our problems, when He saved us He would have gone ahead then and taken us home because as long as we live on planet earth we will have problems. But He left us here and gave us the assurance that we won't face them alone. When He promised us abundant life, that promise included in it everything that we would need to live in peace and victory when the problems come.
Have a great day. Abundant life is not the absence of problems, but a promise from the Savior that we'll have everything we need to make it through the problems.
Jesus did not come to give you an easy life or to take away your problems. He came to give you eternal life. We do people an injustice when we tell them that once they come to Christ they won't have any more problems- their life is going to be wonderful. That is far from the truth. Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in this world. The Bible also tells us that "many are the affliction of the righteous". Look at the saints of old, and the New Testament saints. Paul said that he was "often" in perils. His goal was to "know Christ.. and the fellowship of His suffering." He later summed it up like this, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
Yes, Jesus did say that He came that we might have life- abundant life. But abundant living is not the absence of problems. It's not the absence of pain, heartache, grief, calamity, tribulations. Instead, it's peace, grace, strength, joy, and the promise of His presence... when you go through them. Abundant life doesn't mean you won't face the furnace- it means that the fire won't kindle upon you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't be "thrown to the lions", it means that they won't devour you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't walk through the valley, it means that when you do He will be with you and His rod and staff will comfort you. Abundant life doesn't mean that you might not encounter some "thorns in the flesh", it means that when you do His grace will be sufficient. Abundant life doesn't mean that you won't have trials and tribulations, it means that you can have victory over them and come out on top instead of on bottom..."Be of good cheer for I have over come."
If He was going to take away all our problems, when He saved us He would have gone ahead then and taken us home because as long as we live on planet earth we will have problems. But He left us here and gave us the assurance that we won't face them alone. When He promised us abundant life, that promise included in it everything that we would need to live in peace and victory when the problems come.
Have a great day. Abundant life is not the absence of problems, but a promise from the Savior that we'll have everything we need to make it through the problems.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
"Morning To Night"
"To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." Psalm 92:2
God is good to us all day long- morning to night. In the morning we awake to His lovingkindness. It was His lovingkindness that woke us up, that allowed us to see another day, that put breath in our bodies, that kept us alive through the night. At night, when we come to the end of the day, we are greeted by His faithfulness. We can look back throughout the day and see how faithful God was to us. He met and supplied all our need, He was with us all day long, He led us through the day, kept us protected, gave us strength and grace. He was faithful to give us every good and perfect gift.
The first verse of this Psalm says, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High." As you begin this day, look for a moment at His lovingkindness and give Him praise for it. When you come to the end of the day, reflect back over His faithfulness and give Him thanks. All day long you will continue to see His lovingkindness and faithfulness- morning to night. So when you do, take note of it and give Him thanksgiving and praise.
Have a great day. It was the lovingkindness of the Lord that woke you up this morning, and His faithfulness will see you through the day.
God is good to us all day long- morning to night. In the morning we awake to His lovingkindness. It was His lovingkindness that woke us up, that allowed us to see another day, that put breath in our bodies, that kept us alive through the night. At night, when we come to the end of the day, we are greeted by His faithfulness. We can look back throughout the day and see how faithful God was to us. He met and supplied all our need, He was with us all day long, He led us through the day, kept us protected, gave us strength and grace. He was faithful to give us every good and perfect gift.
The first verse of this Psalm says, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High." As you begin this day, look for a moment at His lovingkindness and give Him praise for it. When you come to the end of the day, reflect back over His faithfulness and give Him thanks. All day long you will continue to see His lovingkindness and faithfulness- morning to night. So when you do, take note of it and give Him thanksgiving and praise.
Have a great day. It was the lovingkindness of the Lord that woke you up this morning, and His faithfulness will see you through the day.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
"Who's The Enemy?"
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35
Our brothers and sisters in the Lord are not our enemies. Even if they were we are to love and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). David (who was a type and shadow of Christ) said that he fasted and prayed for his enemies when they were sick- he denied his own self for their sake (Psalm 35:13). And Jesus Himself prayed for the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him - His enemies (Luke 23:34).
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12) So there is some "fighting" we must do (spiritual warfare), but not against each other. We have a very real enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10a) ("For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12) As long as we are busy fighting against each other, then we won't lock shields together and join arm in arm to fight against him. And if we aren't fighting against him then he can go unhindered about the business of destroying people's lives without anyone to stand in his way.
I know that not everyone, or every "group", who calls them self a Christian is a true brother or sister in the Lord-- there has to be recognition of that fact and what is wrong and in error has to be dealt with so that others will not fall into the same deception. But those who are of the family of God, those who have been bought with the blood of Jesus, those who have given their lives to Him--- are not our enemies and we need to recognize that fact and start operating as the "body of Christ"- each member supplying to the next, each one doing it's part, each one receiving from the Head (which is Christ) and functioning as a whole "person". This is not a time for there to be divisions among us.
Have a great day. One can put a thousand to flight... two can put ten thousand to flight. (Deuteronomy 32:30)
Our brothers and sisters in the Lord are not our enemies. Even if they were we are to love and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). David (who was a type and shadow of Christ) said that he fasted and prayed for his enemies when they were sick- he denied his own self for their sake (Psalm 35:13). And Jesus Himself prayed for the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him - His enemies (Luke 23:34).
The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12) So there is some "fighting" we must do (spiritual warfare), but not against each other. We have a very real enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10a) ("For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12) As long as we are busy fighting against each other, then we won't lock shields together and join arm in arm to fight against him. And if we aren't fighting against him then he can go unhindered about the business of destroying people's lives without anyone to stand in his way.
I know that not everyone, or every "group", who calls them self a Christian is a true brother or sister in the Lord-- there has to be recognition of that fact and what is wrong and in error has to be dealt with so that others will not fall into the same deception. But those who are of the family of God, those who have been bought with the blood of Jesus, those who have given their lives to Him--- are not our enemies and we need to recognize that fact and start operating as the "body of Christ"- each member supplying to the next, each one doing it's part, each one receiving from the Head (which is Christ) and functioning as a whole "person". This is not a time for there to be divisions among us.
Have a great day. One can put a thousand to flight... two can put ten thousand to flight. (Deuteronomy 32:30)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
"More Trials"
"Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me." 2 Timothy 3:11
You never reach a place in your life-- no matter how spiritual you are or how closely to God you live or how long you have walked with Him -- where you become exempt from trials, persecutions, afflictions, temptations, testing. As long as you live in this world you will face them. Paul the greatest Apostle that lived, Elijah the mighty prophet of God, and even our beloved Savior Jesus faced them throughout their lives.
You might be saying, "That sounds bleak and hopeless, is that all I have to look forward to?" That's not the end of the story. Even though we go through these times, we don't go through them alone. "For Thou art with me." We aren't defeated by them. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus." They don't last forever. "But the Lord delivered me." There is nothing too great that the Lord can't deliver you from. "Out of them all."
Paul wasn't "disillusioned" he knew that just because he had the call of God on his life, just because he was preaching the gospel, just because he was used mightily by God, just because he was being faithful to the Lord, just because he had been devoting his life for years to the Lord, it did not mean that he would not go through difficulties. In the very next verse he writes,"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
Paul spoke of having multiple trials- persecutions, afflictions, etc. He faced them everywhere he went- Antioch, Iconium, Lystra. You may be having "multiple" trials in every area of your life. You may be wondering why all this is happening to you- you are living as closely and obediently to God as you know how to do. Be encouraged this morning. Don't think that it's strange that all these trials are coming on you. Just remember that even though---"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)
Have a great day. The trials come to all, but the Lord is the deliverer.
You never reach a place in your life-- no matter how spiritual you are or how closely to God you live or how long you have walked with Him -- where you become exempt from trials, persecutions, afflictions, temptations, testing. As long as you live in this world you will face them. Paul the greatest Apostle that lived, Elijah the mighty prophet of God, and even our beloved Savior Jesus faced them throughout their lives.
You might be saying, "That sounds bleak and hopeless, is that all I have to look forward to?" That's not the end of the story. Even though we go through these times, we don't go through them alone. "For Thou art with me." We aren't defeated by them. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus." They don't last forever. "But the Lord delivered me." There is nothing too great that the Lord can't deliver you from. "Out of them all."
Paul wasn't "disillusioned" he knew that just because he had the call of God on his life, just because he was preaching the gospel, just because he was used mightily by God, just because he was being faithful to the Lord, just because he had been devoting his life for years to the Lord, it did not mean that he would not go through difficulties. In the very next verse he writes,"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
Paul spoke of having multiple trials- persecutions, afflictions, etc. He faced them everywhere he went- Antioch, Iconium, Lystra. You may be having "multiple" trials in every area of your life. You may be wondering why all this is happening to you- you are living as closely and obediently to God as you know how to do. Be encouraged this morning. Don't think that it's strange that all these trials are coming on you. Just remember that even though---"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)
Have a great day. The trials come to all, but the Lord is the deliverer.
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