Forgiven Much

1.7.2010

Luke 7.47b But he who is forgiven little, loves little. ESV

Today, January 7, is the first of two annual reminders for 2010: He who is forgiven little, loves little. He who comes to the Lord for forgiveness and cannot find much to confess is in trouble. We are all sinners and we are all dreadfully so.

There are two issues here, 1. Forgiveness and 2, love. The issue of forgiveness stems partly from what we do but mostly from who we are. We are sinners regardless of our conduct. Every human ever born from Adam on down is a sinner; that is our natural state and there is no changing that reality. But in Christ, and because of God’s great love, every sinner from Adam on down has the opportunity to find forgiveness and when he really does, he really loves; God at that moment of forgiveness frees him from his horrible burden of sin.

The woman at the party (Luke 7) recognized her sin and went to God (Jesus) to find forgiveness – something she was desperate for. And as a result, she loved God much and was saved by faith.

As I said, today 1-7-10 is the first of two annual reminders. I don’t want to be reminded and then forget again until the next one comes around on September 24th. I want to love much between now and then because God has forgiven me much ands continues to do so all the time. So I will call to mind the goodness of God and the dreadfulness of my sin and ask Him to help me live a life of love because He, in His marvelous power and grace, has forgiven me and forgives me every time I come confessing who I really am…

Father in Heaven,

You have offered me salvation not that I may find self-righteousness but that I may find forgiveness, love and life. I pray for Your help today to live rightly and I pray for forgiveness for yesterday when I lived so wrongly. Help me this day I pray in Jesus’ infinite Name, amen.

Never Looked the Same

1.6.2010

Genesis 15:5-6 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. ESV

I’m not sure if you and I could see how Abram believed but we can be sure that God who sees all things saw that a connection had been made from Heaven into Abram’s being – it was visible to God that Abram believed.

And I think the stars never looked the same again to Abram. I think on those days after whatever issues he had to deal with and disappointments he experienced, he couldn’t wait for the sun to set and the stars to start twinkling on one by one – each one reminding him of the promise of children that would be born. You can almost feel the excitement in Abram’s heart.

I love to gaze at the stars and I think from now on they will be a reminder to me of the promises of God that are mine despite the heartaches, letdowns, and disappointments that I experience. God’s love and promises overcome them all…

Father God,

You have made promises to us all and You always keep Your Word. Sometimes Your word is made to us and carried out in the next generation but You always keep Your word. Thank You for including me in the covenant You made with Abraham back then. I was represented by one of those stars and Your promises to Him are mine as well. The stars will never look the same to me again – in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Catching and Convincing

1.5.2010

Luke 5:10 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ESV

What kind of skill does one have to possess to catch men? Probably the easiest way is to offer them something they don’t have. But like fish, men need to be shown they don’t have it and many men think they do have it. So it requires patience and skill to catch them. Fish need to be baited, men need to be convinced.

The word today reminds me of what it is I’m to be about; I’m to live the kind of life that attracts and speak the words that convince. Jesus has a heart not just for some but for all and commands His disciples to live lives of attraction and convincement. (Wow, spell-check took the bait!)

I’m called as Peter was called, as we all are called – to represent the Lord in all we do and to remember that our lives serve a purpose to attract others to Christ and to convince them of the truth.

Father in Heaven,

You created me to be about the business of catching men. Like fish, they don’t want to be caught, but You offer something so grand that once they are convinced they become men catchers themselves. Help me this day to live to catch and convince I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

To Pick up the Pieces

1.4.2010

Luke 4:12 12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” ESV

As I reflected upon these words today I thought they could be said this way, “You shall not leave the Lord to pick up the pieces.”

The devil dared Jesus to fling Himself off of the pinnacle of the Temple and trust God to catch Him. The ploy was, ‘the Bible says…’ The Bible says a lot of things but we are to be Spirit led as we discern what the Bible actually says to do. And we are never to put God in a place where He has to come as a Servant-Boy to pick up the broken pieces of our foolishness.

That’s not to say God doesn’t and God won’t; it means that we are not to set out to put God into such a position – the results, the consequences of such actions are disastrous.

Yes, God is repairing the broken pieces of my life, but I am the one who is doing the picking up not Him. And I am the one who is learning just how stupid, stupid can be. I am the one who has to live with the consequences of the decisions I have made, not God.

Putting God to the test is callous, harmful, and foolish, and God’s servants are not to treat Him that way. And we do it all the time. I am to live considering my actions and the current state of my affairs (where I am because my choices.) I am to humbly seek God knowing He is rich in mercy and wisdom but knowing He is under no obligation to fix any of the messes I’ve made. So I will trust Him that in whatever condition I find myself because of my own doing, that God will use me in that condition but I have to leave whatever remedy He has to Him. “Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you…” (1 Peter5.7) (and knows the damage you’ve done…)

Father in Heaven,

Thank You for loving me despite every time I have, do, and will, put You to the test. Help me to stop doing that I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Vulnerable God

1.3.2010

Genesis 6:16 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. ESV

Noah surely possessed some measure of skill; he built the ark to God’s specifications. Not only did he build it, but he got on board and the thing floated. Not only did it float, but it remained afloat for six months or so. And not only did it remain afloat, it held an enormous cargo and 8 humans; and as far as we know no one got bitten by a poisonous lizard, snake, or spider…

I marvel at God’s volitional vulnerability. I never cease to be amazed at what God does and by whose hands He does it – mankind; people like you and me. God is the consummate Risk-Taker. He risked it all by creating creation in the first place and then turning man loose with only this prohibition: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Ge 2:16-17 ESV)

What big thing are we facing this day? We are dealing with the same vulnerable God who said, “Make yourself an ark…”

I am encouraged to go into the fray this day knowing that God has sent me, and I’m to rely on Him to help me get through whatever it is I’m going through. Noah’s ark could’ve fallen apart on its maiden voyage; it could’ve capsized at sea; the animals could’ve eaten Noah and his family – but they didn’t and nothing bad happened because God was in charge and Noah was obedient.

Today vulnerable God is in charge of my life and I will vulnerably obey Him.

Father God,

You know all and see all and have planned for all; and for some of it You have called me. Help me to walk as directed and to obey as commanded in order to watch You come to my rescue as promised, I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Mary’s Defense

1.2.2010

Luke 2:51 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

ESV

During the brief moments of time that Mary had been given insider information it helped her to get her perspective as to what was going on with her and with her Son.

Think about it:

• An unwed Jewish girl is told by God she’s going to give birth to the Messiah

• A brand new mom with her hours old child are greeted with an angelic multitude

• A caravan of kings from somewhere show up and shower the child with gifts and blessings

• After 8 days this mom presents her child at the temple and is targeted by not one, but two well-known prophets who proclaim amazing things about the baby

• When He is twelve, the boy decides He’s to school the teachers of the law and the chief priests at the temple and 4 days later his parents finally find him

• The boy is submissive

The Scripture says, “And [Mary] treasured all these things in her heart.” It was her defense against things that were too hard for her to understand. It was her defense when life served her up bitterness and difficulty. It was her defense when she saw and felt the oppression of the Roman government. It was her defense when she was frustrated with her other children, and living in Nazareth, and when she heard others murmuring about her when she walked by.

What do we treasure in our hearts? What do we hold near and dear so that when the abrasive and hurtful parts of life press in to rob us of our joy? Mary treasured all of her thoughts and experiences of Jesus; how about us?

Father in Heaven,

I have not been in Mary’s shoes but I have worn my own and in the toughest parts of my life I have gotten better about what I use to defend myself against what seems senseless, frustrating, and hurtful to me – I treasure You. You are my Hiding Place and my Strong Tower. When I am afraid, I will trust in You. Even in the toughest moments I now can say, the Lord is with me; I may not like what I’m going through, but the Lord is with me and in His Name I will exult! Amen.

Silent and Dumb

1.1.2010

Luke 1:20 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ESV

Today, I’m thinking about a man I heard of who bags garbage for a living in a dump outside the Peruvian city of Trujillo (true-hee-oh). He makes about six bucks a day digging through the rubbish, and who knows what else, to find recyclables to sell. It is tedious and probably terrible work and yet he does it day after day after day. I wonder what his response would be if an angel visibly showed up at the dump and audibly said, “Do not be afraid for I am here to tell you about God and the wondrous freedom that is yours in Him!”

Day after day after day the priest Zechariah did his work at the temple and his life drudged on and on – that is until one day an angel showed up at work and told him he was going to have a son who would be great before the Lord and would make ready a people prepare for their Lord. Zechariah’s response was something like, “Say what!? God doesn’t do stuff like that!”

This is a new year and I am reading a new version of the Scripture and I am listening for the things God is going to say to me throughout the year. I have the choice to listen very carefully or to miss His words and not believe. I want to hear. I want to apply, and I want to see the wonder of the Lord in my life that maybe somehow I can tell that garbage man (or someone like him) about Jesus.

Father God,

You speak and expect us to listen and obey. I don’t want to be like Zechariah, just plodding along. Lord, I want to hear and then tell what the Good Lord has done for me. Help me to hear and help me to speak, I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.