Jesus: Reality At It’s Best

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:3

As I read the news this morning, I came across a story about police officers who were shot and killed in Pittsburgh by a man
having a domestic argument with his mother. The officers who responded were not given the vital information that the subject
had weapons in his residence. During the initial 911 call, his mother told the dispatcher that he owned guns and that they were all 'legal'. At this point the dispatcher should have asked more questions about the type and location of the weapons. The information that the guns were present and accessible should have been given to the responding units for their own safety and this along with the additional information, that was not gathered, could have made a life saving difference.

I share this with you today because I truly believe that what happened here was not intentional. It is a by product of becoming comfortable, complacent and sometimes weary with the day to day almost routine situations we all see. Each of us experience repetitiveness in our lives. We eat at the same places, we see the same people, we hear the same stories over and over again. In our jobs, we may do the same tasks again and again day in and day out. What would normally set off an alarm bell in our minds or souls, we have become accustomed to and it not longer seems significant.

Our spiritual lives can fall victim to this repeat syndrome as well. We all have tendency to be intrigued by the new, the exciting or the different. If our devotional or spiritual walk becomes routine we get bored. If we get bored, we get lax and grow weary. We start looking for what will make our blood churn and our hearts beat faster so we can feel the thrill we once did. And sometimes, those quests bring sin and death with them instead of life and glory.

We have to continuously ask God to be at work within us, around us and through us. We need to keep our eyes open, our ears listening and our hearts attentive to his Spirit. We have everything to be excited about in Jesus. He lowered himself to our level so we could be raised to His in His name. If you feel yourself getting 'bored' reread the gospels and remind yourself of the sacrifice he made. It's better than any thriller novel or movie you will ever read or see. It's reality drama at its best!

God I thank you for reminding me today that I cannot allow myself to be comfortable in my job, my family life or my spiritual journey. Complacency leaves room for the enemy to take a foothold and influence my decisions and actions. May your story always be what thrills my heart and humbles my soul.

Look to the true story of Jesus for the best reality show you will ever see or experience. Ask God to bring it to you in living color by working in and through your life today!

Pondering the Passion

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6

It is a beautiful day, this Palm Sunday, the week before Easter. As I study this morning, read my devotional and spend time in prayer I cannot help but imagine what may have been happening on this day some 2000 odd years ago. From the Bible we know that Jesus knew what was coming. As he grew from a child he was aware of his purpose, his plan to reconcile the children of God with the Father.

In church this morning the choir will be singing a song reminiscent of the hymns of the church. In this song we sing words of remembrance and respect for the sacrifice which was made. Beginning with a more mellow peaceful strain, strengthening in the middle and then building to a joyful end. It is much like the life of Christ on earth. I will be pondering that earthly journey this week as we grow nearer to Easter and the celebration, not just in thankful recognition of the price paid for my sin, our sins, but of the victory over death won by Jesus for me and for you!

This is from the song, "I Come to the Cross". May its words find their way into your heart today.

I come to the cross,

seeking mercy and grace,

I come to the cross,

where you died in my place.

Out of my weakness,

and into your strength,

humbly I come to the cross...

Coming out of Darkness

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

Afraid of the dark? Me too, or at least I used to be. There was a time when I wandered aimlessly in the disorientation that an all consuming blackness could bring on. I remember feeling totally lost with no sense of direction. Constantly groping for a lamp, a candle, even a match, anything that would bring the slightest bit of brightness into my world.

Now, I'm not saying that everything in my life was horrible, on the surface it may have seemed normal, but I felt no sense of hope for future improvement. I did not see how my situation could ever get better and in fact my circumstances were spiraling out of control. My personal life, my home life, my health all reaching destructive extremes. I had my husband, but our relationship was rapidly deteriorating. My job was taking over my life as I worked harder to try to reach the goal of a better schedule and better pay justifying it to myself the whole time saying it was for the good of my family. I had gained an inordinate amount of weight and was unhealthy many times over. The only really hopeful thing in my life was my daughter. A young child, she had her whole life ahead of her, if I didn't do something to mess her up.

What changed? Jesus! Not that he "changed" but I did. I finally saw the light, His light. By reconnecting with Jesus I opened my heart and life to the light of the glory of God. All the scary places that once were hidden and filled with frightening possibilities were suddenly in the open and illuminated with the truth, my reality of God's hope in my life. He cared and He had a plan for my future. Once the hidden things, the scary things were revealed in the light they no longer had the same power over me. Just like Halloween decorations and costumes are frightening in the dark but lose there scare quality in the light, the things that were difficult in my life were not as overpowering once they were in the open. With God's help, I was able to work on them and take steps to resolve them.

I still have moments where the darkness tries to rear its ugliness in my life. During times of great stress, emotional pain and struggle if I let my focus settle on the problem and not my provider the light begins to dim and I feel the coldness of the dark as starts to creep in. I had to grasp this "knowledge of the glory of God" and learn to trust Him. Today I know all I have to do is call on Jesus for help. Although my situation may be difficult, and many times it is hard to surrender and reach out, I know I will feel His touch guide me back to the warmth of His light. He is faithful. He is the light in the darkness of this world. He is in control.

God, thank you for being the light in my darkness. Thank you for not leaving me there to grope around in the darkness on my own. I praise you for being my hope and leading me to the reality you had planned for my life. Help me continue to walk in your light by seeking you in your Word and in prayer.

Building The Foundation, One Prayer at a Time

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

Hebrews 5:7-8

It is impressed on my heart this morning how important our response to suffering in difficult times actually is. Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, spent much of his time in private prayer. He performed great miracles. He had a servants heart in all situations. Yet, he was not saved from suffering.

As He ministered to the disciples he was ridiculed at times and mocked. Even in his public ministry he was questioned and shunned by the people of his own home town. As I think on these things I can't help but imagine what my own reaction would have been. What feelings course through me when I meet with vocal opposition and critical opinion in my daily life. It is a human reaction for sure for our feelings to be hurt when our efforts are rejected by those we are trying to come along side offering assistance to. My heart is broken and I become unsure of my abilities and may even question my motives or my calling.

Jesus, although fully God was also fully human so I believe it to be reasonable to think he too felt the sting of rejection. He felt the sharp pain in his spirit when his good intentions were spurned. As I read and study his life in ministry up to and including the cross, I realize it is about how he used and communicated those emotions. He cried out to God in prayer as he learned and modeled obedience and submission to his Heavenly Father. He took what was meant for evil and used it for good.

Through each challenge, each struggle, each hurt He received lessons of faith. He became able to trust God with growing understanding and a deeper love. As his relationship grew and his experiences varied he was being prepared for the ultimate test of submission and obedience. We may not all be asked to offer up our physical lives for God, but we are asked to give up something in our lives. And, we may even have to say goodbye to some we love in the process. We are not expected to comprehend the why of all situations, just to trust that God knows best and be willing to focus on Him through our circumstances.

I'm certainly not saying that all suffering is the result of evil, sometimes it is necessary for us to grow in our faith. The grand plan of God is too much for any of us to even begin to fathom let alone understand, but I do believe God uses the bumps in the road or the mountains in our path to give us opportunities to learn, to share and to grow. In all circumstances, he wants us to communicate with him in prayer, just as Jesus did. Sometimes as a group, but most often on our own in private quiet times with Him so we can be open and honest, listening for His reply. Following Jesus' model this communication needs to be consistent and faithful. Through discipline in prayer and study, we can learn obedience and submission particularly in times of struggle, because we have built a solid foundation for communication with God.

Let's start building our foundation on the Rock!

God I thank your for sending Jesus to be the author of my faith. Through studying your Word and communicating with you I can learn just as Jesus did to trust you completely and to live in obedient submission. There is nothing too big, too hard or too trivial in my life that you would not want me to share with you in prayer. I praise you today God and ask for your guidance and wisdom.

I pray each of you have a moment of private time with God today. He is waiting patiently for you to start the conversation and if you still your minds and hearts, he will finish it with a word just for you!