Riding Herd

"But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned"- Matthew 12:36-37 (NIV).

Empty words are careless words. The Lord Jesus said that what comes out of our mouths proceeds from our heart (Matthew 15:18). Our pastor has been preaching a series of sermons on the book of James, which is most remembered for the chapter on taming the tongue (James 3). Like cattlemen riding herd, they are busy keeping the strays from slipping off on their own; so should we of every careless words coming out of our mouth. Like the danger of a lone stray, out from under the protection of the cattlemen, the stray can cause damage or be damaged. Even the written word is powerful, especially in this day of technology. Remember this quote: "The pen is mightier than the sword" (Edward Bulwer-Lytton)? You hold power, death and life power, in your words and the bearer,  as promised, will eat of the fruit of their mouth (Proverbs 18:21). We should be riding herd over every word.   

Eternal Moment

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me"- Isaiah 49:16 (NIV).

Together the couple climbed the mountain to see the view, but the young man had plans to make this more than just a Saturday afternoon hike: He intended to propose. The young man's proposal was accepted by the young lady he'd fallen in love with and wanted to share the rest of his life with. To commemorate that lifetime moment, on the top of that mountain, he carved their initials into the rock they stood upon; an enduring reminder of their love and commitment to one another. There is a Rock to stand upon that is higher than we could ever climb (Psalm 61:2). "For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?" (2 Samuel 2:32). God has fallen in love with His bride and we will spend eternity with Him. To commemorate that moment He carved our names into the palms of His hands. The moment we accepted His proposal was much more than a lifetime moment; it was an eternal moment. 

Spotlighted

"You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways"- Psalm 139:1-3 (NIV).

The wind was moving the clouds through the early morning sky. A hole appeared and a ray of sunshine beamed through. Interestingly, the hole and sunbeam stayed in tact as the clouds were blown from the left view of my window to the right. The sunbeam, resembling a spotlight, swept across the sky looking as if it were searching for something on the ground. Psalm 19:1 came to mind: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Nothing in all of creation escapes God's notice or inspection. He rolls us out paper-thin and looks at each molecule of our being. Thankfully only God can know us that intimately and He's in the healing business. "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:-23-24). Thank you Lord for the heavenly reminder this morning that You seek to know us, to heal and restore us, Your beloved children.

Shielded

"Surely, Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield"- Psalm 5:12 (NIV).

I heard a noise in the kitchen in the middle of the night. Frightened, I ran to my parent's bedroom. Dad wasn't home, but my mother quickly rose and gathered my dad's pistol. We moved down the hallway, mother leading the way. My jack-hammering heartbeat slowed down as we approached the kitchen. There was nothing to fear. It's hard to describe how much safer I felt once my mother was there protecting me, shielding me. By the way, my mother was 100-pounds, if she were fully clothed and soaking wet. God's favor, His love for His children, surrounds us like a shield. The Greek phalanx, with interlocking shields, pales in comparison. Our resolve should be one of complete confidence in His protection or do we need our eyes opened like Elisha's servant. Surrounded by the enemy, Elisha was calm, but his servant was terrified. So, "Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17). Brothers and and sisters, God doesn't show favoritism. His love surrounds and shields even when we can't see; there is nothing to fear.  

Non-Beneficial Clocks

""I have the right to do anything," you say-but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"-but I will not be mastered by anything"- 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV).

There are people, who like squirrels, collect and keep "things," refusing to let them go; after all, they may need that broken clock for parts someday. One clock is fine, but a lifetime of storing away clocks (aka things) will fill your closets, extra rooms, out buildings, and some will go as far as to rent buildings to store their clocks. Then they go and buy another clock. The clocks of our lives take over space and you end up living in but a corner of your house; your clocks have mastered you. There is something liberating in letting go of our clocks. God did not provide clocks to fill up our spaces and master us. "For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-comes not from the Father but from the world" (1 John 2:16). Take your non-beneficial clocks and let them go.