Idols

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord ties things together.

A couple of days ago my youngest son came to me and asked me if I had heard about what happened to one of actors from the sitcom "Glee". I told him I only heard bits and pieces. He said he died of an overdose. He then went on to ask me which country had the highest suicide rate. I told him the US. He said I was right. He then asked,"Which country is the most affluent?" I said, "The US." We then went on to talk about the idolatry of North America.

I'm reading through chronologically Kings and Chronicles as well as the prophets in my Quiet Time. Each year as I read through these portions, I find myself shocked by the way Israel and Judah turn to worship what the nations around them are worshipping. In fact one king conquered another, took his idols and began to worship them. How crazy is that? He had conquered this kingdom and began to worship THEIR idols? I don't understand.

I am also reading the book The Explicit Gospel, This is what Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson say:
        ...we were meant to worship, meant to give glory to something greater
        than ourselves. So we interact with the earth in such a way that our heart
        and minds should always be being stirred up to how good, beautiful, and
        gracious God is to us in what He's given, from His creativity in crafting
        flavors, to His beneficence in dispensing the warmth of the sun. The
        Scriptural testimony is consistently this: God's chief concern is for His
        own glory... the main part of the Bible is God's glorious self-regard. There-
        fore, the main point of human life ought to be regard of God's glory.

Then in my reading from Let's Take a Walk Together:
        As we consider the Holy and the Just One, perhaps we will more readily
        tremble at the thought of sin in our own lives. Perhaps we will think just a
        moment longer and resolve to be pure and holy rather than allowing our-
        selves to just react or to given in to "this one little thing". And perhaps a
        reawakening of holiness in our lives will be a stimulus unto the same in the
        lives of those around us.

Looking at the Israelites, I don't believe most of them said, "Today I am going to choose to worship a false god." No I believe it began with small things. Like forgetting that God is the Holy and Just One and choosing to give in to a "little thing". We forget to give thanks to God for being so gracious to us in everything that He gives us from the delicious flavours of food to the wonderful warmth of the sunlight. And slowly but surely I replace Him with things.

Unfortunately, it's not hard to do because the biggest idol that I struggle with is myself. I want to be in control. I want to be happy. I want to do things my way. I am not saying that God is a kill-joy or anything like that. It's just that I don't take the time to put Him where He belongs, First Place. I am reminded of Colossians 1 beginning at verse 16.

        For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are 
        on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
        principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and
        for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
        And He is the Head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning,
       the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the 
       preeminence.

Idols are all around me and it's very easy to follow them. What I must remember is that He must have the preeminence in my life.

Bitterness

This morning I was reading through one of Max Lucado's devotionals. It was on bitterness. This is what he said,
   
          Bitterness is its own prison... Step in and look at the prisoners. Victims are
          chained to the walls. Victims of betrayal. Victims of abuse.

It is true that there are those who have had serious offenses against them: abuse and betrayal. To work through these ordeals can only be done by the grace of God. And I am so thankful that He is more than willing to love and work for those who have been hurt so badly.

But for a lot of us, thinking of me in particular, we have not experienced these kinds of things. Yet we have bitterness. We are offended over some trivial thing and we won't let it go. The bitterness starts, the foundation. Then the lies start to come in - "They really meant this!" Soon the bitterness has built a wall of lies and there is NO WAY we would deal with that person again. "I mean really - they did that before! Imagine what they are capable of!" The scary thing is we would never say those things, but we would think them. We would believe them. The walls have come up and then we believe them - we become chained to them.

Sometimes we become so bitter and have built the walls of lies so high that we can't even remember why it started, what the foundation for it all is.

Scripture says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) The LORD challenged me this morning. How can I be bitter against anyone when I have sinned against the God of the universe and He has FORGIVEN me ALL?!?!?!?!? The truth is I shouldn't, but I sometimes still do. But He, in His grace, has reminded me that I am forgiven of every thought and deed that is against Him, The Almighty, Omnipotent, All-Powerful One, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Can I not forgive something so trivial? I can and I pray that I will.

"I Will Be Exalted Among the Nations"

This morning a portion of my reading is from Psalm 46. It's a favourite of mine and as I read through the last portion, a part of it really struck me. Verse 10 starts out, "Be still and know that I am God;" . It's a good reminder to me that I need to be still before God. Rest in Who He is. Not run around - not try and fix things - to wait on Him. I love that reminder; I am constantly quoting it to myself. My mind usually stops digesting there.

But this morning I was listening, for a change. The verse actually says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." There is a specific reason for me to be still before my God: so that He will be exalted.

When I wait on God, when I am being still and knowing that He is God, He is exalted. That is mind boggling. I am having trouble getting my mind around that. How can God be exalted by my being still before Him? Shouldn't I be up and doing things (ties in with yesterday)? Be still and know that He is God so that He will be exalted.

My ideas have always been that if I am still before Him, I can rest in Him. I get to know Him better. These are both true. I get an assurance of Who He is, a peace of heart and soul by sitting before Him. But Him being exalted by this?

Why? Why would God be exalted by this? Because He can work the way He wants and I won't get in the way. OUCH! I can actually get in the way of God. Do I thwart His plans? Do I change eternity? Yes, I can. Does He allow for that? Yes, He does, but if I am being still and knowing that He is God, He is lifted up. The world can see Him and see what He does. They don't see me any longer; they see Him.

May I be still and know that He is God so that He "will be exalted among the nations."

His Grace IS Sufficient

I've started reading a daily devotional written by a dear friend of mine. It's called Let's Take a Walk Together. I am really enjoying it because I feel like I am right there with her as she is sharing her thoughts about God. One of the wonderful things I like about it, is if I miss a day, it's not a problem - it's not dated. So I just pick up where I left off. And the LORD certainly knows that I needed to read what I read today.

It's day 42 and the topic is Law or Love? As I am reading through I begin to weep. She tells the story of a man who hires a housekeeper. He places a list of things on the refrigerator that he requires her to do. She diligently does them every day. As time goes on the two fall in love and are married. After they are married he removes the list, but she continues to do all that was put on it. He asks her why she continues to do all those things though she doesn't have to now that she is married to him. She tells him, "Before I did it for the paycheck, but now I do it because I love you."

I was checked in my spirit. "Why do I do the things I do for God? And why do I feel guilty if I don't?" Don't get me wrong, I do love my LORD and I truly do want to do things for Him. BUT if I don't do them (or what I feel people would have me do) I have great shame. That's not right. Yes, if I sin against Him, I need to confess that and get right with Him, but the doing things for God? He wants me to do them out of love.

I suffer from fybromyalgia (FM). I had been doing fairly well for the past couple of years, but within the past 3 months it's like I've been hit with it all over again. There is severe constant pain and no strength at all. I bring this up now because as I was reading the devotional this morning, it hit me: I felt like God was using the FM as a judgement against me for not being obedient.

As I continued reading, I realized this was a lie. I knew it wasn't true, but I have been living that way. My God does not work that way. All my sins, past, present and future have been taken care of by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. I no longer have any judgements coming against me from God. He has forgiven me because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Will I continue to suffer from FM? Absolutely, but knowing it is not a judgement but something that God has allowed in my life to draw me closer to Him, changes my outlook. I can truly say with the Apostle Paul, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

His love for me is incomprehensible as is His grace. And this has made me thankful. The thing is now to continue to be thankful for what He is doing and rest in His care. I've got to let go of the cares of this world and soley concentrate on Him. He is all that matters.

The King Jeroboam

It's been awhile since I've posted. But this morning's reading caught me. The reading is 1 Kings 13. The story I am familiar with and usually my thoughts are with the young prophet. This morning though, the Lord has taken my thoughts in a different direction. 

Two things really stood out to me: the first is Jeroboam calls out for the prophet to be arrested and his hand withers. He pleads with the prophet to pray for his healing for his hand. The prophet does and his hand is restored. The mercy of our God is so unimaginable. Jeroboam was in the middle of worshipping idols and having the true prophet of God arrested for challenging him. God strikes him. He had pointed his hand and suddenly it withers and he cannot pull it back to himself. God Almighty has moved against him! He knows the TRUTH and cries for relief. Our gracious and merciful God answers that prayer. It started me thinking - why? Jeroboam had turned his back on the One, True God and created golden calves to worship. HE DESERVED THAT PUNISHMENT!!! Why should God take away this punishment? 

Because our God is a Merciful God. Too many times we cry out "UNFAIR!!" But we wouldn't want God to be fair. If He dealt with me each time according to each of my sins, I would not be alive today. I would have been dead a long time ago. Each moment I fail Him by not giving Him the rightful place He so deserves. 

Exodus 20:3 states: You shall have no other gods before Me. With that one commandment I fail; we all fail. Too many times I put myself first before Him. I become my own God. Do I intentionally do it? Yes and no. I don't say, "I will be God," BUT in my thoughts and actions I do not constantly consider what He would have me do and say. My priority is not always, "Father, what would bring You the most glory." I said not always; the truth is it very rarely is.

The second thing that caught my eye was the last two verses of the chapter.  1 Kings 13: 33-34, "After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way... and this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth. These are TERRIFYING verses!

Jeroboam had seen the mighty hand of God move. God had made him king over Israel (see 1 Kings 11:25-38). God had promised him if he would do all that God commanded, walk in God's ways and do what is right in God's sight, to keep God's statutes and commandments, then God would BE WITH HIM and BUILD HIM A SURE HOUSE and GIVE ISRAEL TO HIM!!!! All he had to do was follow God. Would he fail occasionally? Yes, the Lord knew that but the thing was to CHOOSE to follow Him. 

Jeroboam did not WANT to follow God. He was king now and he could do as he pleased and to make sure Israel would not turn back to Rehoboam, he created "new gods." But they weren't really new; we saw them back in Exodus 32:4. It's easier to follow the world than to follow God.

Even after Jeroboam had made these choices, God still showed him mercy by HEALING HIM! If there was ever a time where Jeroboam could have turned around from his evil ways, it was definitely then. He literally saw and felt God be merciful to him! He could have turned right then, but the Scripture is clear, he chose not to turn.

Because he chose not to turn back to the God of Mercy, he AND HIS FAMILY paid the consequences. His "house" was to be exterminated and destroyed from the face of the earth! 

I have been challenged again about the place I give God in my life. I am reminded of all the that the Lord Jesus Christ has done on my behalf so that I do NOT have to face the punishment for my sins. He tells me that He must be first in my life, not for my sake, but for His glory. After all He is God.

I am challenged too in how very easily we do not take God at His Word. AND the influence I have on my own family members is so great... do I dare risk them? 

Will I fail? Absolutely! But there is the beauty of God: He is merciful and gracious. All I need do is turn to Him and repent.

For when I am weak, then am I strong. Hebrews 12:10b

This verse has always been a struggle for me. I don't like being thought of as weak. I like to be able to "carry my weight." Yet it seems more and more I am weak. I have fibromyalgia. There are days when my arms and legs hurt so badly, it hurts to move. Today is one of those days.

But today my reading was in 2 Corinthians 12. Paul states, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." I don't know of ANYONE who would like to delight in any of those things. Those are the things we try to avoid at all costs. Yet it was Christ's own command for us to "take up your cross and follow Me." Funny how I've just connected the dots and seen taking up the cross does mean weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties. 

Christianity does not seem to be for the weak, but yet it is. Because it is ONLY in the power of Christ that we can truly walk. And that's where the world sees the difference. How can we as followers of Christ carry on if we are truly experiencing weakness, insult, hardship, persecution and difficulties? Only by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Am I letting the world see me as weak so that Christ can work?

So the talk is good - but what is the practical. As I began my reading this morning, the Lord gave me the thought: When am I doing the greatest battle with the enemy? When I am down on my knees praying. On days like these I can't do a whole lot of reaching the world, BUT I can pray. And there is no power on heaven or on earth that can stop that. And my God is such a faithful God Who will answer. Am I weak? Absolutely. But He still chooses to use me in the battle for souls and that's all that really matters. Not that I'm used, but that the battle continues so that others may come to know Christ as Saviour. 

So I delight in my weakness so that I may pray.

God is in Control

It is two days after the election and like 50% of the American people, I am a little disappointed. My candidate did not make it to the White House. But my prayer for the day had been, "Father, please put into office whoever would be best so that You may be gracious and merciful to the US."

Tuesday evening before I went to sleep I read from the devotional book Moments of Peace for a Woman's Heart. This just happened to be my reading for that day:

HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He Who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 NIV  

All people fail at one time or another. The best-laid plans can come up short. God will never fail you. He is the one constant in your life that you can trust, utterly and without reservation. 

You won't have to wonder if He'll be there tomorrow or if He will still love you. He will. You can count on that and on all the other promises God has made to you in the Bible - more than 5,000 in all. Though He may not do things in the way you expect, you can be certain that He will never, ever let you down. He is faithful.

The Lord is faithful in all His words, and gracious in all His deeds.

Psalm 145:13 NRSV

His timing for devotions never ceases to amaze me. This little book does not have dates in it so that you are to read them on certain days. Nor did I start this at the beginning of the year. It was actually a gift from my daughter who thought I might need it while she is serving the Lord in Asia for 3 months. I could not have planned for this reading for Election Day; no one could. Only God could. He knew it was exactly what I needed to hear from Him so that I might be reassured.

Do I believe that God answered my prayer? ABSOLUTELY! AND I believe He answered yes to my prayer. I believe that the man put in the White House is the one God will use to be gracious and merciful to the US. The thing that I am realizing is that it may not be in the way I thought it should be.

I believe the true Christians are going to have to take more serious stands about what they believe. We are going to have to truly start loving our neighbours as ourselves. But even more importantly we are going to have to truly begin to love the Lord our God with our WHOLE hearts, and souls and minds. We must give up on the idea that we have rights. We are NOT OUR OWN. We were bought with a price.

Christ never promised an easy way. He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me." He did promise peace and joy and rivers of abundant life. The question is: Am I willing to take up that cross?  He will more than fully answer with His peace, joy and life. And from that I will see God being gracious and merciful t the US.