No Records Found

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres"- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV).

I watched a movie last night, where a man was trying to do the right thing. His old friend wasn't happy about the change in the man's life and reminded him that he had been a thief, a liar and a murder..."you can't get away from that." Yes, he can. We all can. By God's grace we are set free from our former selves (Ephesians 2:8). Today's verse is taken from Chapter 13, also called the "Love Chapter." Love "keeps no record of wrong." I could only imagine the depth and breadth of a book that recorded all the wrongs I've committed in my life. It would be monolithic in size and leave me feeling defeated and hopeless. Praise God there would be no records found in a search of my wrong deeds. I reread the verses above and substituted God in place of the word love. How convicting is it to substitute your name in place of the word love? "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:8).       

Wait For It

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay" Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV).

God's promises can be trusted; they are infallible. Time and time again, Scripture tells us to wait on the Lord, but we are impatient people who become anxious if nothing is happening. Many a punishment we give children, for misbehavior, is timeout. They have to sit by themselves with no activity. Children would rather have a spanking than to be put in timeout. However, God is not punishing us. He wants us to rely on Him, trust Him and be still. Be still! Sounds so elementary; anyone can be still, right? Have you ever made a decision without praying about it? Maybe you thought that particular opportunity would never happen again. Or you may devise your own plans, thinking time is running out, and you're moving on. We may be settling for what we think is a good choice, but not the best choice God had in store for us. Stop dancing out in front of God like you know the way. He knows the plan He has for you. Be still: wait for it.  

Qualified to Run

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You"- Psalm 39:7 (NIV).

Romans 8:25 says those who have hope, wait with patience. I've been working on patience for a long time. I watched the movie Secretariat (you should see it if you haven't). Each time the magnificent thoroughbred went into the starting gate, he snorted and pawed the ground, anxious for the gate to swing open and the race to begin. That's how I feel in many situations; I'm anxiously waiting for "whatever" to begin. My husband mentioned my anxiety level being noticeable, waiting for the recent 5K to begin, once we got to the starting line. I was all but running in place as we waited; literally pawing the ground like Secretariat. It's not just a mental thing; it's also physical. You ache to begin. Secretariat's jockey would stroke his mane and neck while they waited in the starting gate. My "Jockey" is the Lord Jesus. When I turn to Him, He "strokes" me as I wait, calming me down. God is my Hope and I wait on Him in this heavenward race. I can't run, nor win, this race without my Jockey, just as Secretariat would have been disqualified without his jockey. With hope and patience, our Jockey will get us across the finish line in perfect timing. Without Him, we're disqualified from the race...and the prize.

Stormy Blessings

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand"- Isaiah 41:10 (NIV).

Some of my closest spiritual experiences have come during periods of turmoil and strife. I know God loves me as I swim along in the currents of life, but it's when I'm fighting an undertow, from an unexpected storm, threatening to drag me under, that I reach out to God more passionately: "God, I can't help myself. Save me!" The praise and worship following His outstretched hand of delivery is different from the day-to-day exhortation I offer to God. It's truly jubilant, unashamed, soul-clutching praise. There isn't a drug in all creation that can give you that kind of high. It's a joy that can only come through a period of darkness and the realization that God is my Help, my Deliverer. He is with me. Enjoy your days of drifting effortlessly along, it's a blessing, but you will be blessed most from your storms.   

Always

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience"- Colossians 3:12 (NIV).

How many pictures of the Queen of England have you ever seen of her wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt? Our physical and mental image of her is always the Queen at her best: regal and stately. Her arraignment is intentional. She clothes herself, or an attendant clothes her, the way she wants to be perceived: as a Queen. How often? Always. We as God's chosen, His children, princes and princesses of His kingdom, have a set of clothing we are asked to wear: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. What physical and mental image do others have of you? We need to consider this: If an earthly royal goes to such extremes to clothe herself so intentionally, shouldn't we as heirs to the kingdom of God try to do likewise? How often? Always. 

Enjoy Your Day

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be"- Psalm 139:16 (NIV).

I turned the alarm off this morning and thanked God it was Friday. This has been a long week for me in my job. I was really looking forward to Friday being over, so I could sleep-in Saturday morning. It wasn't long before I realized my calendar error: today is Thursday. I almost missed this day; in fact, I wasn't even aware I was dismissing these next 24-hours. Every single day of our life has been written in God's book, before we were born. Dismissing Thursday would be like skipping pages in the book of my life and I don't want to miss what God has in store for me this day. What will this day hold? I look forward to each page, because the glorious Author is God my Father. "This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Reflecting on this, I thank God today is Thursday and look forward to this page, each paragraph, each line and each word. I know how the book ends, but don't want to miss the twist and turns of the plot as the story unfolds. Enjoy your day, too.      

Love-Fall

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"- 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV).

I think of love like a blanket of snow when I think of sins being covered. A nice snowfall makes everything old, dirty, broken, ugly, or ignored into a beautiful work of art. No matter the size or shape, it's all covered. So if snow, like love, covers the landscape, what happens if the snow begins to melt, or the love is removed? The damages soon start reappearing. Sadly human love can melt: I've been known to withhold love when I've been hurt by someone. That's always a terrible mistake and sure to make matters worse. Saint Peter implores us to, above all, love each other deeply. Even those who are hard to love, because that love covers a multitude of sins, both theirs and yours. God's love will never melt away. When God looks on us He sees a beautiful work of art, because Jesus has covered us with His love. So let's keep covering others with our own snowfall...or love-fall.  

Teacher Focused

"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways"- Psalm 119:15 (ESV).

I may have been an undiagnosed ADH child. ADH wasn't heard of back then. I know I learned to sit in the very front of the class in order to stay focused on the teacher's mouth; learned that later in high school and college. Even now, out of years of practice, I still focus a lot on people's mouths when they are talking, so that I'm not distracted. I've been trying to retrain myself to look into people's eyes, but I catch myself, a lot, looking, once again, at their mouth. Spiritually, I've learned that I have to focus intentionally on God and His word or I will become distracted. I learned that later in life, too. God's been with me all throughout my life, but until I centered my focus on Him, the cares of the world pulled my attention away; yet, He continued to pursue me and one day I saw Him...really saw Him. Now my eyes, and heart, are centered on the Teacher, Jesus Christ, my Lord. "I will keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Psalm 16:8). 

Just One More Lord

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come"- Psalm 71:18 (NIV).

In the movie Hacksaw Ridge, based on a true story, Private Desmond Doss was persecuted for refusing to carry a gun into battle during WWII, because of his religious beliefs. However, he earned the respect and adoration of his fellow soldiers during the Battle of Okinawa by saving 75 men without firing a shot, earning him the Congressional Medal of Honor. He kept running back onto the battlefield, dragging or carrying injured soldiers off the field; all the while saying, "Just one more Lord; just one more." That should be every Christian's prayer, to save those who are about to be lost on this spiritual battlefield. We are never too old, too poor, too tired, too wronged, too powerless to stop declaring God's power and mighty acts to the next generation. God did not let go of Private Doss and He will not let go of you. Lift your voice and say, "Just one more Lord; just one more."