Souljourn

We can't go any further

I'm reading through John in my devotions, paying particular attention to the miracles of Jesus.  He clearly set a standard that He intends us all to continue in (John 14:12).  Other than the pages of scripture I have not seen this standard realized (albeit some are much closer than I am) but that does not give me the legitimacy to lower the standard to make myself feel comfortable. (or to create excuses that lead me to an incorrect view of God, others and myself)

I came across a statement that some followers of Jesus made in John 6 and it struck me how well it seemed to sum up a lot of human tendencies in response to following Jesus and the example He set.  In response to Jesus' teaching people began to say, "This is very hard to understand.  How can we accept it?" (v.60)  And because they couldn't understand what Jesus was asking of them, they chose to reject Jesus.  

They held their understanding above their obedience.  And they quickly came to a point of not being able to go any farther with Jesus.  I'm very thankful for the minds that God has given us, and I'm not for one moment suggesting that we 'check our brains at the door', but there must be a place for faith in our pursuit of Jesus.  If I have to have all of my questions answered, if I have to understand everything, then I am going to have a very limited journey with Jesus.

To be honest, I don't understand why some are healed and some aren't.  I don't understand why people I have prayed for are still in wheelchairs, or have passed away.  But I can not allow those experiences to stop my pursuit of Jesus and the fullness of His presence.  

That is why it's called faith.  And I never want to get to a point in my journey with Jesus where I determine we can't go any further because I don't understand something.  

I like the response of Peter in this situation when he was asked if he was also going to leave.  "Lord, to whom would we go?"   Peter knew that Jesus was the answer -- yes, he did make some mistakes along the way but that just gives me confidence that there's a place for me -- and Jesus is still the answer.  

The need for firewood

I've been thinking about firewood lately.  Not the inanimate kind that is stacked neatly in a woodshed waiting to be used.  The kind that has two legs and a mind of its own.  The kind that decides for itself if it will be placed on the altar and used to maintain, and increase, the warmth and light of the fire.

We are that firewood.  We must make that decision.

Here are some of the nuggets that have contributed to this train of thought. 

• "It is useless to pray for the fire of heaven to descend when the altar is not built and the sacrifice unprepared."   Evan Roberts - Welsh Revivalist 

 

• In Leviticus, the priests are instructed that it is their responsibility to keep the fire going.
• Leviticus 6:12,13 "The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.  The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out."
• God would light the fire (Leviticus 9:23,24) but the responsibility of keeping it going was given to man.

 

• Nehemiah 13:31 "I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar... was brought at the proper time."
• This is one of the last recorded actions of Nehemiah, to make sure there was wood for the fire on the altar.

The point seems pretty clear for me.  I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.  Without pushing the point too much, if I see you at prayer I'll have a pretty good idea as to the conclusion you've reached.

 

 

Obedience first, understanding second

This morning when I was preaching I noticed something in the passage we were looking at.  It wasn't the point of the sermon so I mentioned it quickly but I definitely think it bears looking at more closely. Here's the verse that stuck out to me:  

        "...That day the Spirit led him [Simeon] to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there..." Luke 2:27,28 

On an ordinary day, full of all its normal routine and schedule, Holy Spirit prompted Simeon to go the the Temple.  There was no explanation of why he was to do this, just the nudging of God towards a certain direction.  It was only once he was there that it became clear why Holy Spirit had directed him there. (he encountered Jesus)

What I noticed in reading this was that God desires a readiness in us to obey first and understand second. Our understanding of what God is doing in our lives comes AFTER our obedience not before it.  The other way around (understanding first and then obedience) would probably be easier but definitely not require the same amount of faith.

So the challenge before me is, am I willing to interrupt the schedule and normalcy of my life to respond to a prompting of Holy Spirit without even knowing why?  It's clear from this passage that it is the person who is willing to do this who will encounter and embrace Jesus.

This will probably be a sermon at some point next year so consider this a sneak peak.

 

 

Devotional thoughts

I am reading through Nehemiah in my devotions right now.  I am really enjoying it from the perspective of seeing a leader help people step out of brokenness and oppression and into the desire of God for them.  Here's a quick recap of some of the highlights for me:

Chp 1 - How will I respond when I become aware of the needs of others?  Nehemiah welcomed the burden and went before the Lord, his brother was even more aware than he and yet did nothing. 

Chp 2 - The power of testimony.  Nehemiah tells of what God has done in his life and those around him are encouraged to take bold steps of faith. (2:18)

Chp 3 - Revival (rebuilding the walls) requires everyone.  It isn't about superstars, it is about everyone standing together and working for the same purposes.

Chp 4 - The correct posture for engaging the enemy in battle comes out of a constant awareness of God's glory. (4:14)

Chp 5 - (What I read today) If my personal rights/freedoms will harm, or put others at a disadvantage, then I must willingly yield them.

 

I pray you have a great day!  I'm headed out today with Nehemiah 4:14 ringing in my mind and reflecting on our glorious God!!

A great challenge

Here's a verse I read in my devotions this morning. I think it pretty much sums it all up:

        “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” Nehemiah 4:14

Devotional thought

I just finished reading through the book of Ruth in my devotions and one of the verses that stood out to me was Ruth 4:6.  In this verse, an unnamed man who has the opportunity, and the responsibility, to serve as a redeemer for Ruth and her inheritance, doesn't do so because of what it would cost him.  He says;

    "Then I can't redeem it," the family redeemer replied, "because this might endanger my own estate."

As I read this verse I felt convicted (remember, I changed my prayers) about the undue attention I pay to my own affairs and neglect the opportunity to see people, and their God given inheritances, redeemed.  There is only one Saviour, and His name is Jesus Christ, but He has tasked us to go into the world and see people redeemed through His work on the cross.  There is no doubt about it, to see people redeemed and dwelling in their God given inheritances will cost us.  It will require faith and sacrifice.  This is what this unnamed man was unwilling to give, "...this MIGHT endanger my own estate....".  

I pray the same will never be said of me.

Journal review

For the last few years I have regularly journaled as part of my devotions.  I have really come to enjoy the practice of writing out prayers to God, recording what I feel God saying to me and reflecting on what I have just read in the Bible.  I would occasionally go back and re-read past journal entries but not often, and usually for no greater reason than simple curiosity. 

I have been challenged lately to be more intentional in my spiritual growth.  I know I don't make it happen, but I am responsible to put into practice what God speaks.  And with a new passage of scripture each day, a sermon each week, and various books, blogs and videos that I can receive from, it is too easy to simply move from one message to the next without really putting into practice what God has challenged me with. I don't know about you but I can't work on 15 aspects of my personal faith and character in one week and be ready for something more the next week.

So what I have begun to do is a weekly review of my journal entries.  I will take some time and not just re-read the past week of entries but recap them all on a single page.  This allows me to easily see the single thread (sometimes two, and never 15) that God is speaking to me about.  I can then reaffirm my focus on this area of my growth and invite God once again to shape and refine this aspect of my life.

I don't ever want to confuse Bible knowledge with spiritual maturity.  I don't want to have so many great pearls of wisdom rolling around in my head that I overlook, or can't see, the specific ways that God wants to walk with me in becoming more like Jesus.

 

 

Tough questions

We have probably all been asked, or have asked ourselves, questions which really cause us to look inward and examine ourselves. (Not, "Would you like fries with that?")  I was reading in my devotions this morning a couple questions that the Psalmist repeatedly asked himself.  I've read these questions before but I don't think I have paid them that much attention before, or saw them in this light.

Three times in Psalm 42 & 43 the author asks,  "Why am I so discouraged?  Why is my heart to sad?" 

As I read these questions this morning I realized that the author was fully aware of his physical circumstances and the difficulties they posed.  He wasn't asking what was causing the emotions he felt, he was asking himself why he had allowed invalid emotions to overtake him.  My first thought at reading this today was amazement at his emotional (spiritual)  maturity to be able to take stock of his own emotions and recognize them as invalid.   So many times we automatically assume that the emotions we feel in any given moment are valid and appropriate and that someone else needs to change in light of them.

But this wasn't the case with the author.  With a keen awareness of what was causing his negative emotions, he evaluated them in light of God's goodness and unfailing love and he comes to the recognition that he did not have any right to allow those emotions to remain.  From this place of awareness he takes a necessary step forward in the opposite direction of his current emotions.  He sums up those actions with these statements,  "I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-my Saviour and my God!"  Once again, I'm challenged by this example of spiritual maturity.  

I don't think there is a problem when negative emotions occasionally pop up in our lives (unless of course the same negative emotions are repeatedly occurring).  The problem comes from how we choose (yes, it is a choice) to respond to those emotions.  Do we allow them to influence our speech, actions and attitudes or, do we evaluate them in light of God's goodness and grace.  

This is never an easy question to ask ourselves because in the heat of the moment the emotions we are feeling usually feel so justified.  But true growth and maturity comes when we our lives are lived in response to God's goodness in our lives versus the difficult situations we may find ourselves in.  

All of a sudden 'would you like fries with that?' seems like a much more desirable question doesn't it?  It doesn't cost me that much or significantly challenge me.  But I also won't grow in a way I want to grow if that's the only question I'm willing to wrestle with.

Anyways, those are just some thoughts from my devotions this morning.  

Would it change anything?

I read Psalm 13 in my devotions yesterday and the psalmist made a statement that really caught my attention and caused me to think.  In the verses leading up to this statement the psalmist describes the situation he is in.  He is in a season of suffering and oppression, faced with conflict and obstacles all around him.  And in that place he says, 'But I trust in your unfailing love.' (v.5)

At first reading this struck me as odd.  I was expecting something along the lines of trusting in God's strength, His provision, or protection.  But these are not mentioned.  Instead, the psalmist chooses to trust in God's unfailing love.  I think if I was facing a trial I would want to trust in God's strength to defeat my enemies, His provision to meet my needs, or His power to remove any obstacles.  I don't know if my first response would be to turn to His love.

As I thought about this some more I began to wonder if it would actually make any difference in what aspect of God I was trusting in (I'm not suggesting we have to choose, just sharing some thoughts).  The more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that trusting in God's unfailing love is absolutely the best possible response.  God's power, strength and provision may meet my need but they wouldn't necessarily change me.  But when I focus on God's love I can't help but be changed.

This also removes the trap of God not responding in the way I would like, or expect, Him to.  If I'm expecting a display of strength and none comes, this could lead to despair.  If I'm looking for resources to just flow in and they don't, this could lead to discouragement.  But when I choose to focus on God's love I will never be disappointed.  

Well those are just some of my thoughts from what I read today.  I do want to strengthen my awareness and focus on God's love.

Not too bad

I sat down and typed out Psalm 19 from memory to see if I could remember it. There are a few errors in punctuation, plurality and some flipped words but other than that it is pretty close.  

Even with my errors it is a great passage that speaks to the glory of God and the value of His Word in our lives.  I love the closing prayer, so succinct and powerful.

I want to keep rehearsing this so it doesn't just slip away into the recesses of my mind.

Psalm 19

The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display His craftmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak, night after night they make Him known.  They speak without a sound or word, their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.  It bursts forth in radiance like a bridegroom after his wedding, it rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.  The sun rises in one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.  Nothing can hide from its heat.

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.

Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.

The laws of the Lord are true, each one is fair.

They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.  They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward to those who obey them.

How can I know the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  Keep your servant from deliberate sins, don't let them control me.  Then I will be free of guilt, and innocent of great sin.

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.