Held Fast

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast"- Psalms 139:9-10 (NIV).

We can't hide from God; He fills both the heavens and the earth (Jeremiah 23:24). Nor can anything in all creation, nor any power, separate us from Him (Romans 8:38-39). God is right in the midst of us all the time (Luke 17:21). Who are we to think we can understand the greatness of God?  He is unimaginable! He is so much than our mind's capacity to fathom: How great is our God (Job 11:7-9)! If it were possible to truly conceive His constant presence, how different would our lives look? Praise the Lord for His omnipresence, both guiding and holding us every second of our lives. 

His Good Purpose

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose"- Philippians 2:13 (NIV). 

God gives us the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. He called us, by name, before our substance, our bodies, ever had form (Isaiah 49.1). There is Divine purpose, His purpose, for our presence here and now. Our purpose may be unfulfilled due to the free-will God implanted in our hearts; but, when we choose to love Him, to be obedient, He empowers (John 14:15). God breathes, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Therefore, we cannot boast in our own strength (Ephesians 2:9). God asks, "Can an ax claim to be greater than the One who uses it; a saw more important than the One who saws with it; a club cannot lift itself" (Isaiah 10:15). Being God's instrument calls for patient endurance, obeying God and being faithful to Jesus (Revelation 14:12). "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).  

Press On

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"- Philippians 3:14 (NIV).

Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt? You look for clues, follow maps, you reason, you weigh decisions, sometimes having to use multiple resources, making mistakes, doubling back; but, knowing there is a prize if you endure, if you press on. Your confidence level goes up and down; sometimes you run and other times you stand to ponder meaning; the prize could be found with the next clue or the hunt could continue. We desire the prize of being with the Lord Jesus in His heavenly kingdom. We haven't taken hold of that prize yet, but like the Apostle Paul, we should be "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (v. 13). The course is laid out before us. Jesus created it (Colossians 1:16). The prize is indescribable! Press on!   

Lukewarm

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!"- Revelation 3:15 (NIV).

Watching for fruits of the Spirit is one of our best measures of a person's spiritual temperature. But how about those who are spiritually lukewarm? We are the salt of the earth, but if we lose that fervor, weaken our testimony, we aren't good for anything (Matthew 5:13). We have been transformed from the grain of sand on the beach to a life-preserving salt crystal that gives meaning to existence to a watching world. We are distinctively and decisively different; set apart; a pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved...and those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15). Lukewarm is descriptive of a Christian trying to place one foot in Heaven, while keeping one foot planted in the world. "My brothers and sister, this should not be" (James 3:10-12).  

Be Ready

"You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober"- 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 (NIV).

Your boss is going out of town and leaving you to house-sit until he returns. His house is beautiful, filled with everything you need and he has servants. All you need to do is watch over his property and see to his business interests. It's easy to slip into the role of all this belonging to you. You're tempted to relax, throw a party and live like this will remain in your keeping for a long time...but you don't know when he will return. In what condition do you want him to find you, and his interests, when he returns? This analogy concerns the return of Christ. His return will be like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:10); the sounding trumpet will jolt you out of your lethargy; His return a flash, within the blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). In what condition do you want to be found? Every second, of every day, be ready.

Amazing Things

"Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you"- Joshua 3:5 (NIV).

The priests were to move out first, with the heavy ark, ahead of the people; the Israelites were going to cross the Jordan River at the worst time...flood stage (v15). The people followed; they had no idea where they were going (v4). God instructed them; first consecrate yourselves; separate yourselves from anything unclean, anything that would not be harmonious within your relationship with a perfect Heavenly Father. This miraculous crossing wasn't for the world to witness. This miraculous crossing was the Lord doing amazing things "among" His children. This is perfect! This is sound! Is what lies before us heavy, burdensome, impossible? Are we unsure where it will end, the outcome? Brothers and Sisters, let us consecrate ourselves; remove the unclean to make room for a more intimate relationship with the Father. God will do amazing things among us! What was truth then is truth now!