Matthew 15:18 ~ But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
What happens when a home gets a hidden water leak? A lot of damage can be done before the leak is found and fixed. The first clue it is there is the house might smell funny, maybe a little moldy. Does my life or heart smell moldy or a little 'off' to others? to God? to me? Are my words hurtful or edifying?
The wall or floor may have more give. Am I giving in or yielding to pressure from sin? or from the world? or the flesh? Am I staying firm when sin in any form pushes against me? Or is there a softness? Am I finding it harder to guard my tongue?
Stains will show up on the wall or floor or ceiling where the leak is. What am I stained with? The blood of Jesus or my own sin; disobedience to God? Have I said things I wish hadn't come out of my mouth? Have I caused another pain by thoughtless speech?
Usually to fix a leak some of the structure must be torn apart and sometimes it takes some tearing, (looking and searching) to find exactly where the leak is. There may be a period of what appears to be chaos and disuse, but repair is happening. Without this time of repair and apparent chaos and no water, the wall or floor would rot, eventually becoming so bad that area of the house would collapse. Rottenness spreads. It would not be safe for anyone to walk on the floor. If it were a ceiling it could drop down on anyone or anything under it. The home would be unsafe; rotten.
When there is a leak, a stain of sin, in my life, I struggle to let Jesus tear something apart to fix it. I want Him to fix it without the tearing apart. But the pulling up and tearing apart shows me why the leak started as well as how much damage sin does to myself and that it affects others. Jesus wants freedom for each of us and to have that we must give Him the freedom to work in us. To cleanse us of all the sin leaks we have, to clear out all the rotten wood in the walls, that we would be cleansed of all unrighteousness and be made new. So we would not harm others and would be the finished, usuable building He desires each of us to be.
So Lord, when we see only chaos and disuse in our life, show us Your hand, that we would have Your assurance that it is indeed You working in us for Your glory and pleasure. With that, may we surrender to Your hand, allowing You to work freely with Your cleansing power as you rebuild what has been damaged.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Need for One Another
This last week my husband and I went camping. We spent one morning walking along a mountain stream, the sun was shining and we were just enjoying looking at the beauty of the place and wildlife. Suddenly my husband called to me to stop. I stopped, wondering what he saw that I could not, straining my eyes to see something close by. He asked me if I felt something on my leg, I said I did. Was a snake right at my foot? I looked down. I was totally entangled in fishing line. Not just a little- a lot. I had not felt it, it had not hindered my walking- yet. But my husband walking behind me had seen light reflecting in a line and moving behind me. He knew that was not normal. When he asked if I had felt something, he had simply tugged on the line. I did manage to untangle myself, but if I had needed to have it cut free, my husband had a knife handy.
What if I had been walking alone, or had not listened to the stop from my husband? The fishing line would have done a great job of tripping me. In our spiritual lives we also get entangled with invisible lines; something others can see and we cannot. Without their help we trip, fall down, and have a mess to deal with. We are in the body of Christ so we can help one another; that includes alerting one another to danger, or maybe just to an entanglement. It takes humility to recognize the need for help, and it is indeed humbling to see ones self entangled and not be aware!
What if I had not trusted my husband when he told me to stop? Thinking, I know better, I don't need to stop for anything! I would have eventually been forced to stop, doubly humbled because I didn't listen.
His tugging on the line is not what had entangled me, it just showed both of us I was entangled. How often do we get upset with the one who shows us our entanglements instead of being thankful and doing what is necessary to be freed from them?
It was a beautiful sunny day, nothing to worry about, things were going great. In our walk with Jesus, even when things are going great it is possible to just be walking along and get tangled up in the distractions of the world, or the desires of the flesh. Nothing bad or evil in themselves, just enough to keep us from running if the need were to arise.
Lord, we need those in our lives that give us cautions, corrections and help us when we are entangled to get un-entangled, yet so often we push them away, we keep our distance, not wanting to admit our need for help. Especially from others. You have given us Your body Lord, so we could work together for each other's good. Help us to receive from our brothers and sisters the help we need. As we are also called to give loving thoughtful correction and caution, may we do it with Your Spirit of humility, love and grace. May we be truly thankful for one another.
Psm. 141:5a ~ Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil upon the head; do not let my head refuse it.
What if I had been walking alone, or had not listened to the stop from my husband? The fishing line would have done a great job of tripping me. In our spiritual lives we also get entangled with invisible lines; something others can see and we cannot. Without their help we trip, fall down, and have a mess to deal with. We are in the body of Christ so we can help one another; that includes alerting one another to danger, or maybe just to an entanglement. It takes humility to recognize the need for help, and it is indeed humbling to see ones self entangled and not be aware!
What if I had not trusted my husband when he told me to stop? Thinking, I know better, I don't need to stop for anything! I would have eventually been forced to stop, doubly humbled because I didn't listen.
His tugging on the line is not what had entangled me, it just showed both of us I was entangled. How often do we get upset with the one who shows us our entanglements instead of being thankful and doing what is necessary to be freed from them?
It was a beautiful sunny day, nothing to worry about, things were going great. In our walk with Jesus, even when things are going great it is possible to just be walking along and get tangled up in the distractions of the world, or the desires of the flesh. Nothing bad or evil in themselves, just enough to keep us from running if the need were to arise.
Lord, we need those in our lives that give us cautions, corrections and help us when we are entangled to get un-entangled, yet so often we push them away, we keep our distance, not wanting to admit our need for help. Especially from others. You have given us Your body Lord, so we could work together for each other's good. Help us to receive from our brothers and sisters the help we need. As we are also called to give loving thoughtful correction and caution, may we do it with Your Spirit of humility, love and grace. May we be truly thankful for one another.
Psm. 141:5a ~ Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil upon the head; do not let my head refuse it.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Faith of Jacob
Gen. 46:1-4~ So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 3 And He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes."
Here is Jacob headed to Egypt; after 22 years of grief, he has decided to be alive, to live again, in Gen. 45:27 it says his spirit revived. And on the way to Egypt he stops in Beer-sheba and offers sacrifices to God. It seems his grief for Joseph had clouded his view of God and interrupted his fellowship with God. What is it in your life that has interrupted fellowship with God? Distorted or clouded your view of God? Death of a loved one, as with Jacob, could do it. But so can death of a dream or marriage. Deception by those you have loved or trusted. Disillusionment with the body of Christ? Especially for children who have grown up in christian homes that are ravaged by divorce- don't let the havoc that has come into your family claim you. Let nothing take away the fellowship you have with God! Keep a clear view of who God is- the lover of your soul, the Redeemer, faithful and true.
Jacob may have wondered when he would return to his land. Whatever the reason for stopping here to make a sacrifice, after the sacrifice was made God spoke with him, gave him direction, a promise for the future, assurance of His presence, assurance of return, and assurance that he would see Joseph. These promises only came after Jacob started on his way and after he offered sacrifices.
Often, we want all the promises and assurances from God before we ever go, before we begin, but that does not take faith. God speaks after we begin, after we sacrifice.
Jacob also help nothing back, he set out with all that he had. This direction was wholehearted, there was no plan B, or fall back, if this did not turn out as expected. Again, full commitment to the direction God had given. We, as human beings, cannot take care of all the contingencies that may come up, we can only move forward as best as we can see and trust that God is with us, leading and guiding each step of the way.
Lord, as we step out from the place of unbelief into belief, may we go wholeheartedly, holding nothing back, unconcerned about a Plan B, knowing that You have a perfect plan, even if it leads away from what we may see as security and hope. As You ask us, along the way, to sacrifice, our dreams, hopes, and yes, our self, may we see the incredible peace that comes from You, the assurance that You are leading and guiding us each step of the way, and may any fears we have be removed.
If you have been in a foggy world of despair or doubting God's goodness, as Jacob was, may you see God's presence, His faithfulness, His leading and guiding, and may you no longer fear to be wholehearted in following Him, or in sacrificing self. May you once again find sweet fellowship with Him.And may God give you the assurance that is so needed in your life this day.
Here is Jacob headed to Egypt; after 22 years of grief, he has decided to be alive, to live again, in Gen. 45:27 it says his spirit revived. And on the way to Egypt he stops in Beer-sheba and offers sacrifices to God. It seems his grief for Joseph had clouded his view of God and interrupted his fellowship with God. What is it in your life that has interrupted fellowship with God? Distorted or clouded your view of God? Death of a loved one, as with Jacob, could do it. But so can death of a dream or marriage. Deception by those you have loved or trusted. Disillusionment with the body of Christ? Especially for children who have grown up in christian homes that are ravaged by divorce- don't let the havoc that has come into your family claim you. Let nothing take away the fellowship you have with God! Keep a clear view of who God is- the lover of your soul, the Redeemer, faithful and true.
Jacob may have wondered when he would return to his land. Whatever the reason for stopping here to make a sacrifice, after the sacrifice was made God spoke with him, gave him direction, a promise for the future, assurance of His presence, assurance of return, and assurance that he would see Joseph. These promises only came after Jacob started on his way and after he offered sacrifices.
Often, we want all the promises and assurances from God before we ever go, before we begin, but that does not take faith. God speaks after we begin, after we sacrifice.
Jacob also help nothing back, he set out with all that he had. This direction was wholehearted, there was no plan B, or fall back, if this did not turn out as expected. Again, full commitment to the direction God had given. We, as human beings, cannot take care of all the contingencies that may come up, we can only move forward as best as we can see and trust that God is with us, leading and guiding each step of the way.
Lord, as we step out from the place of unbelief into belief, may we go wholeheartedly, holding nothing back, unconcerned about a Plan B, knowing that You have a perfect plan, even if it leads away from what we may see as security and hope. As You ask us, along the way, to sacrifice, our dreams, hopes, and yes, our self, may we see the incredible peace that comes from You, the assurance that You are leading and guiding us each step of the way, and may any fears we have be removed.
If you have been in a foggy world of despair or doubting God's goodness, as Jacob was, may you see God's presence, His faithfulness, His leading and guiding, and may you no longer fear to be wholehearted in following Him, or in sacrificing self. May you once again find sweet fellowship with Him.And may God give you the assurance that is so needed in your life this day.
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