Rebooted and Restored

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness"- Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV).

Sometimes electronics don't work properly. Indicators are usually a symbol resembling a whirling tornado and the screen is frozen. The best solution is usually to do a complete shutdown, a reboot, before everything is restored. Like this electronic malfunction analogy, our life can feel like it needs a reboot: the car's engine is making strange gurgling noises, life is interfering with your plans, your job is not satisfying, the bathroom scales are convicting you over your food choices lately. In short, your life resembles a whirling tornado and you're throwing your head back, eyes shut, asking, "Why Lord?" Because of God's great love for you, He can reboot you to your proper settings; His compassions never fail. Bring your whirling tornado to the Lord. Be rebooted and restored. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  

Give Generously

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you"- Luke 6:38 (NIV).

No one likes to be taken advantage of; we want fairness. Even as children we watch our mothers filling our cups with a favorite beverage; we get down and eye the line to make sure the liquids are even, not favoring another's cup. Even into adulthood we don't want to give more than we get. We still seek the balance of fairness. That's not what Scripture teaches us though. We're to give a good measure; packing it down to give as much as we can; letting it spill over to the receiver. But what profit is that to the giver? According to Scripture, the same will be given back to us, not only in this life, but also the next. A heart that continues to protectively measure their giving is only shorting themselves. The Apostle Paul told us to remember something: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Corinthians 9:6). Be generous and do it willingly, for God loves a cheerful giver (v.7).  

Intentional Living

"So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"- 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV).

Our life is to be lived intentionally: everything we say or do is to glorify God. Even though eating and drinking seem inconsequential, the fact is every action, minuscule or mammoth, is from Him, through Him and to Him (Romans 11:36). A life needs self-examination to determine if there is anything whatsoever that would dishonor God. Some are conspicuous, but others have to be fleshed out: the way we drive, the tip we leave our food server, when we are overlooked or out-performed, when we're pressed for time, etc. Emotions should not rule over us, because you can be certain they will betray you. Worse yet, our negative emotions ignite behaviors that dishonor the image of the One we bear. We are far from perfect, but we "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Live your life intentionally, which requires periods of self-examination, confession, and contrition.

Distractions

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain"- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV).

Distractions, such as Christian persecution and discouragement, are weapons of evil, designed to pull you away from the work the Lord has given you. Do not be moved; stand firm. Elijah ran from Jezebel's threats of death after killing her prophets of Baal. God refreshed him, but then asked, "What are you doing here Elijah?" Then God sent him back to resume the work (1 Kings 19:1-15). Troubles, both in the world and personal, are but temporary. Keep your focus on the finish line set before you. The finishing will far outweigh any current turmoil (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Helen Howarth Lemmel wrote a song to encourage: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Brothers and sisters, put away the distractions; your labor is not in vain. 

First Sight

"...and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it"- Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV).

God made all things, but His pinnacle work was the creation of man. God formed the man from dirt and then breathed life into the man (Genesis 2:7); transferring part of Himself to His creation. God didn't speak man into existence; which, He certainly could have done. No, man was a hands-on project: God's hands formed the man and then God stooped down to breathe in His life-giving spirit, gifting man with an intimacy the rest of creation would never receive. An earthly father stares into the face of his newborn child, face-to-face, drinking in the wonder and the depth of love he feels for his child. During creation, God, too, was face-to-face with man, and, staring back, was His own image, reflected in the eyes of His child. Adam's first sight was his Heavenly Father, and God said it was very good (Genesis 1:31). We, mankind, have the life-giving breath of God inside of us until the day these bodies return to the dust and our spirit returns to God who gave it. When our eyes open, we will once again be face-to-face with our Heavenly Father. Our first sight will be our reflection in God's eyes and it will be very good.    

Time-Thieves

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is"- Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV).

The ESV translation of verse 16 says, "making the best use of the time." Time. David echoed the same thoughts: "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath (Psalms 39:4-5). We are here for only one brief moment, a mere breath, and this is our only chance to display good in this evil world. What are the "time-thieves" in your life? Is it television, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter? That list could go on and on. Think of the many minutes, hours, you spend each day and consider if they are being used for the Lord...or have time-thieves stolen from the few handbreadths God has given you to fulfill His purpose in you?     

Hijacked

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You"- Isaiah 26:3 (NIV).

Little things can sometimes hijack our thoughts. I get a text with my bank balance each day. This morning's balance was lower than what my check ledger stated...by around $350. I went through cross-checking both the online bank account and my ledger and didn't see any discrepancies. My brain was whirling away trying to figure out where the problem existed. Those concerns had hijacked my time and some of my peace this morning. God promises to work all things out for me (Romans 8:28). That realization caused me to put my trust and focus back where it was before the text arrived: creating my morning devotion.  

Stormy Weather

"He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed"- Psalm 107:29 (NIV).

Our storms are teachable moments. Jesus' disciples followed Him onto a boat that led them into such a storm. While they labored to keep the boat from sinking, Jesus slept. Veteran fishermen, they probably felt they could battle this storm on their own. As the storm worsened, they eventually began to wonder why He had brought them onto this boat only to allow them to be defeated by the storm. Doesn't it feel like we go through some of our darkest storms alone, like Jesus is sleeping while we are bailing water? We struggle, grow weary and become downtrodden. The disciples finally stumbled to the Master, most likely on their knees, and asked Him to save them. How many times do we tarry in the storm, not asking for help? We must recognize and profess our need for our Savior in our lives before the storm saps us of our strength and possibly our faith. Jesus will still the storm to a calm sea (Matthew 8:23-26). Then we will marvel as His disciples did: "What sort of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey Him (v.27)! Your emergency check-off list should begin with: #1. Seek the Lord first, #2. Have faith He will save you, #3. Prepare to marvel. Our storms strengthen our faith and intensify our relationship with Jesus.