Lamentations 3:24 & 25 “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
The Doctrine of Salvation
The Doctrine of Salvation
The History – In beginning… Genesis 1:27 ” God created man in his image: in the divine image he created them; male and female created them.” So we had a great start.
One of the saddest verses in the scriptures Genesis 2:8 -11
” When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden… the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God… God called to the man…’Where are you?’ …. I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself….You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” (what a mess)
The first glimpse of hope Gensis 3:15
“I will put enmity between you and the woman (speaking to the serpent- satan) and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, ( indicating victory) while you strike at his heel (referring to the suffering Christ endured) The Protestant translation is a little more accurate here, quoting ” And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. As we know the woman does not have the “seed” so this is a prophetic word referring to Jesus Christ immaculate conception.
God within man? – it would be hard to prove given this next verse
Gensis 6:5 When the Lord saw how great was man’s wickedness on the earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.” Super sad verse.
So then what is our hope, or in what does our salvation lie?
John 3:14 – 21 We all know verse 16 but the whole part is insightful especially verse 18 ” Whoever believes in him avoids condemnation…” The Greek definition for believe, ” have faith in or trust,” this then speaks to something active on our end. God is not in us if we do not have faith. It is faith or belief in his words that saves a man/woman. The free will you mentioned is exactly that, the free will to believe and accept God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, as much as the free will not to believe in salvation. With each decision having its ownconsequences.
So what does Jesus say?
Revelation 3:20 -22 “Here I stand, knocking at the door. If anyone hears me calling and opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself won the victory and took my seat beside my Father on his throne. ” Let him who has ears heed the Spirit’s word to the churches.” In Jesus own words we read that “God within” is by invitation only. If the door (theheart of man) remains closed, he remains outside and the soul remains lost or unsaved. Andhopefully there will be a change of heart as the Spirit continues to testify of Christ and the need of repentance.
In summary
I have skipped over many scriptures, many of my favorites to keep this brief and to the point.However the scriptures that I did select prove the point that God is not in all of us. He wants to be, but he waits for the heart to repent and confess Christ.
The major concern with the heresy that “God is in all of us” is that it completely by passes the Cross, the need for Christ, man’s culpability, sin, repentance etc. It is a major lie that has spread from New Age into the church. That in part was also my excitement.
May my words, and the scriptures find Grace and room in your hearts.
mucho love,
Arthur
“To Be Blessed” Part II Psalms 1 vs. 2
Psalms 1 vs. 2 – “But his/her delight is in the law of The Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
There are two key words in this verse, “delight” and “meditate.” The root word for delight is ” to be inclined towards something” and from that we have, ” to find pleasure in, to be of value, or a valuable thing.” The best way to describe it is by answering this question. If we had one free hour for ourselves, what activity would you chose? It would obviously be something that we enjoy, delight in, or find pleasure doing, that is this word.
To “meditate” means to ponder, contemplate, take to heart or give serious thought to. When something is meaningful to us, we give study, thought and time to it, ” day and night.” And the knowledge gained in that transforms us. Therefore it is very important to chose those influences wisely. We are seeing the affects of young people’s “meditation” on things of violence, and how in time they act out the violence. Even in our own lives, that which we give ourselves too, stress, worry, fear, or faith, trust, meditation on God’s Word, etc., all have an affect not only on us, but on our families as well.
To “delight” and “meditate” does not mean you take the Bible and go live in a monastery avoiding one’s duties and functions here. It does mean though that the anchor of who you and I are becoming can be traced back to the times spent in the study of scripture. We may have very busy schedules with family and work, but when the “dust settles” we find ourselves reading the Bible. Of all the desires, this one has risen to the top and it is the first personal need we address. This desire or the lack of it, determines our ability to “weather the storms of life.” An active faith walk keeps us focused on that which is most important and enables us to trust God with the things that are beyond us. Without this, we lose our focus. God becomes small, problems become big, and as a ship caught in a storm we start taking on water. Unless we get rescued, we can sink as the problems drown us in stress and fruitless worry. A big God equals small problems, or at least manageable ones.
If I made one exhortation overall, this would be it. I find most believers spend very little time in personal devotion. Studying the scriptures, or praying for more than 5 minutes is just not something we do. If we read, we would rather read books about the Bible than the Bible itself. And though books can be helpful, they should never take the place of the scriptures. It is not the same, and our lives show the “disconnect” of faith when difficulties come. If being busy is all the enemy has to do to keep us from reading and spending time in prayer, then guess what, say hi to a life of being very busy.
The scriptures are God’s messages to us, drawing us into closer fellowship with Him. I have grown up hearing all critic’s of the Bible, and nothing that is being said now is new. The same criticism’s in a different package. Yet those that read from a heart seeking truth and are willing to accept correction, are blessed. And God’s blessings are evident in their lives. If the Bible is good enough for the Holy Spirit to use consistently to teach those that would read, then the Bible stands the test as the written Word of God.
So decide, there’s two paths, chose one. Don’t sit with the scornful, don’t stand with the sinners or walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Rather seek the narrow path that makes its way upward. Expect hard times, for the path is narrow, meaning constrained, forcing us to make decisions between this world and God’s calling. (Matthew 7:13,14) God is fitting us for a new life, a life that knows His love and forgiveness, His joy and peace and His wisdom and truth, and it’s WORTH THE PRICE.
Father God,
Thank you for these words of exhortation and encouragement. Please place in my heart the desire and need to be with you. Enable me to stop bowing to the false gods of this world that promise much, require much, but deliver little. Help me to dedicate myself wholly to you. Thank you and Amen.
Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur
“To Be Blessed”
Psalm 1 vs.1 – Blessed is the man/woman that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of The Lord.”
When I was young (pre teen) I would watch adults, observing their lives. Most of them were the parents of my friends. I would ask them about their moral beliefs and it was always an interesting conversation. Most 13 and 14 year olds would not have such conversations, but I found them very insightful. As I continued to ask, I began to see a pattern emerge. Many of the parents beliefs were very similar to the Ten Commandments, whether they themselves were “religious” or not. It became increasingly evident that those who adhered to more of the commandments, as opposed to less, were the happiest. So my conclusion became,”why not just obey them all?” The happiest man I found was Jewish, and he obeyed all the commandments. Though being Jewish, he did not believe in Jesus Christ, and because of that I saw the “disconnect” with God in his life. God was up there, and I am down here and hopefully I’ve lived a good enough life so that some day we’ll meet. Which was very interesting and sad in and of itself; to be so close and yet so far. However, his life and his family were blessed nonetheless because of his obedience.
So in studying these next verses I want you to understand the terms “ungodly, sinners and scornful” as degrees of rebellion from God’s laws. We are all ungodly, and hence all sinners, and some of us have active dislike towards the scriptures, being “scornful” of them. We think very little about God, except when we are in need, or we blame him when something terrible happens to us. This reaction is interesting as well. It would be like me blaming my cousin, who lives in Ohio, for something bad happening to me here in California? How could I blame him when we never see each other or even talk?
Also the terms, walketh, standeth and sitteth, need to be understood from a poetical application. Most of the Psalms are written as such, truth spoken through poetry and such is Psalm 1. If we imagine a specific area where advisers congregate and I go there, “walk” to receive instruction, and then leave “walking out” their instruction, this would explain the usage of the word. As I continue to visit this area, I start hanging around,”standing” and conversing with them, and soon, because I frequent them so much, I now become one of them, “sitting” with them.
There is a saying we tell our kids, ” bad company corrupts good morals,” so choose your friends wisely. This Psalm in a broader sense, is conveying the same message. Two roads, choose one, is ultimately the point of this Psalm. Next week we will see why it is important to choose the road of faith, but let’s conclude with a statement, then a question. Statement, I don’t know anyone except for people who do not believe in God, that would not want God to bless their lives. So since that is true, is their something we can do on this side of heaven to receive God’s blessings? We’ll see next week.
Father God,
Thank you for this study and for your scriptures. There is much practical advice that if followed will bless my life. But even beyond that there are blessings that come from being in right relationship with you. Let my heart be willing and pliable, valuing your blessing in my life above things that I seek that would take me from you. Thank you and Amen.
Dios lo Bendiga –
Lamentations 3:22-24 “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
“A New Year” Part 2
Lamentations 3: 22 – 24 “It is of The Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion’s fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
What does it mean ” The Lord is my portion?” The word “portion” is defined from the Hebrew as a parcel, a part of something, a portion and normally land is in mind. The easiest understanding would be that of an inheritance. This is my portion or inheritance given to me by my father or mother, is another way to understand the word. However in context the word is much more personal. To say that the “Lord is my portion” is to say that out of all the “desires and lust” that rival for my soul’s attention, I give to it The Lord. As a bride gives herself to her husband at the exclusion of all others, so is this word in context. He will be my portion, my chief joy and desire. It is a very strong and intimate statement…and ” therefore will I hope in him” is the natural conclusion of what you give your soul too. As a wife chooses her husband, she will naturally “hope” in him.
Hope, is a complex emotion. Implied with hope is a sense of waiting. I am hoping for this job promotion, or I’m waiting for this package to arrive. It is a waiting combined with a positive expectancy. Hope is one of the deepest human emotions we have. It comes from the very core of who we are. Therefore it is critical that who or what becomes our portion is able to come through, or what happens? I think we all know, disappointment, heartache, and at times even feeling betrayed. ” But I hoped in you,” is the same as ” but I trusted in you.” For that which becomes our portion, becomes our hope, our trust and our confidence. It becomes quite an intricate maze of emotions, but the bottom line is our sense of well being and security is placed in that person, or desire that we have made our portion.
“The Lord is my portion” is what Jeremiah concluded. And he concluded that in the face of great difficulty. Who or what is your portion? If it is not the Lord, are you sure that another human being, a future hope or desire can carry such a load? How can I presume that another human being, who is just like me, can be my hope? Will not he or she, or any other thing fail me? Of course, for they are “only human.” Therefore if we fail to meet each others needs, how can we make each other our portion and hope? That is a lot of emotional responsibility to regulate to another human being, or to a future hope, or desire for that matter.
Should not the Creator, the Author of Life and the lover of our soul, not be the only one that we principality give ourselves too? Our husbands, wives, children, friends and all other desires should play a secondary role in our lives. “To love The Lord thy God” is the first commandment, and “to love your neighbor as yourself” is the second. When these get reversed, is when we start having relational problems. By making others fulfill the longings in our heart that God can only fulfil, not only is it not wise, but it causes expectations that can’t be met. “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in him,” is the right order.
Let’s start the New Year out right, giving to people and desires that which is there’s, but giving to God that which is His; our deepest trust and hope. And be wise in trusting God. He is fitting us for eternity, not for our pleasures here. We want to root in and build castles, but He wants our hope and life to be in Him. So if He allows adversity in our lives, it is so we let go of this life, and learn to value that which is eternal and put our life where it is safe, in Him.
Father God,
Such a hard lesson. It is so easy to allow people, desires and earthly hopes to steal my focus and the attention that should be with you. I understand that as I am faulty, others also are faulty. And to make them my hope is not only hard for them, but it adds undue expectancy to the relationship. Help me to learn of You, so as to transfer these hopes, desires and needs over to you. Thank you and Amen
Dios lo Bendiga
Arthur
Ephesians 6:24 “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Lamentations 3:22 – 24 ” It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness
“A New Year”
Lamentations 3:22 – 24 ” It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion’s fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
I can think of no better verse to start the New Year with than this one. As we reflect back on last year’s events, there were rewarding times and some real challenging times, even possibly some regrets. It is hard to do it right all the time, so regret is an emotion we can all relate to. At times “man” can’t forgive, but the scripture teaches that the LORD’s mercies are new every morning. God’s compassion’s fail not, in him there is forgiveness, even when others can’t. Therefore we can have hope as we look towards the future, for regret from past mistakes can be crippling. God’s forgiveness and compassion brings us emotional strength and a hope for future restitution with those we might have offended.
This is the hope that this verse gives me, but in context this verse deals with the nation Israel and Jeremiah the prophet. The nation has fallen into gross idolatry and he is calling them to repent of their idol worship, for judgement is coming. Unlike other prophets that were sent prior to warn Israel, Jeremiah actually lived through this period of judgement and hence the name of the book, “Lamentations” speaks to the heartache that Jeremiah had. Jeremiah was nick named the ” crying prophet.” The people would not repent of their sins, therefore invasion/ judgement was eminent. The Babylonian army came in 3 waves, and with each invasion more of Israel was decimated. By the third invasion all that was left and not taken into captivity, were the poorest of people. They were left to till the land and via a Babylonian appointed governor, were to pay yearly tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. God revealed all this to Jeremiah prior, and it deeply troubled him causing him many days and nights of tears. As he went to The Lord with this burden, the LORD revealed to him that even in judgement God’s hand was present, and merciful.
Therefore he pens ” It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed..” That even in judgement God exercises control, limiting the Babylonian army, ” because his compassion’s fail not.” Judgement was firm, for the nation hung unto their idols and would not turn back to the Lord. However for those who repented of their idol worship and returned back to the Lord, they discovered the “greatness of God’s faithfulness.” There is always hope when God is put first. Like the dawning of a new day, there is always the promise of a brighter future. God is not bound to our limitations, and only God can change the human heart when we make “God our portion….” and we ” hope in him” as Jeremiah learned. From a burdened heart that only saw the present, to a trusting heart that saw God working through this to free the nation from its bondage to idol worship.
Interesting enough when the nation of Israel returned from Babylon, which the exact time was prophesied and fulfilled, they never again returned to the worship of idols.
Application: As we start the New Year, where do we stand with our relationship with The Lord? The last two devotionals have been particularly challenging as the Christmas message is inescapably a message of hope and love. The only way to respond to them is to ignore them, or to begin to accept the love and compassion of God for your life. Do you need a fresh start, a “clean slate” or a hope that is not limited just to this life? ” His compassion’s fail not, they are new every morning, great is His faithfulness.”
Father God,
This also is a hard study, for it makes me recall the past and the regrets I have been able to bury. Yet I realize now that, that approach is not healthy for me, or for those I love. Grant me the faith to reach towards You and the resolve to move forward through the emotions that would otherwise keep me captive. Thank you and Amen.
Have a Blessed New Year,
Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur
“La Verdad” Part II December 2010
Thank you for wanting to know more; a hungry soul seeks to be satisfied, a searching soul seeks answers, and an empty soul seeks fulfillment. The LORD is all of this, and more. He is able to nourish our souls, answer our questions, and fulfill us with His presence. There are some foundational truths we must understand first. Many times we come to GOD because we are hurting, fearful, struggling etc., our jobs could be in danger, our marriages and our relationships could be on the edge, or our kids are making wrong choices. We could have suffered the loss of a loved one, just been told we have cancer or that a love one has only months to live etc. There are many things that affect us, weaken us and cause us to think about The LORD (GOD and LORD are synonymus). What I am about to say is not easy for me to say, especially when you may be hurting. I will use my own struggles in my marriage to speak for me. Early in my marriage I was not a good husband, I was critical. I was critical of myself, and hence critical of my wife. After several years of this, divorce was becoming a way out for my wife. As a last attempt I asked her to go to counseling with me and she agreed. In counseling the pastor tried hard, but words could not change the root of why I was critical. However, in the last moments the pastor did say something that rocked my boat. He said I was not allowing GOD to love me for just me, I was trying to earn His approval through my actions. Now having already been a Christian for several years, I thought that he was way off and that our meeting was a waste. I pretty much figured that the next day my wife was going to file for a divorce. We drove home, it seemed forever, we didn’t say much, and I was mad at the pastor and GOD, basically saying “Don’t You care about me and our marriage; is this what You want?” Before I could finish the next thought, The LORD broke into my thoughts, and it is just as clear to me now as it was then, and it still brings tears. He simply said, ”He is right, you are not letting Me love you as you are, you are always trying to prove you’re worthy of My love.” When GOD speaks to the human soul, the soul crumbles, and in that moment I had all my motives and reasons for being the “perfect Christian soldier” revealed to me. We want to be loved for something, that’s human, but it’s not that way with the Lord. There is no amount of good deeds we can do to make Him love us more, or conversely, there is no amount of sin we can do to make Him love us less. The Bible says, “While we were yet sinners (in rebellion) Jesus died for us”, He was sacrificed for our sins. His death satisfied the righteous judgement of God’s Holiness . It is like the judge, who one day was forced to render a verdict on his own son; a son that had gone wayward and murdered a man. The judge pronounced the death sentence on him, then stepping away from his podium, taking off his garment, and leaving his gavel, he stepped down. In speaking to the amazed audience he said, as judge I have honored my position and the law, convicting my son fully for his crime; now as his father I will take his place, and my life will become an atonement (to pay in full) for his sins. I will die so he may live….
Once home I went and closed myself in a study room. Alone with GOD, I prayed “GOD, I am a wreck, I feel so worthless, destroying the only thing that mattered to me… If You want to love this wreck, I need Your love, please forgive me for my many sins, and teach me accept Your love for me, and then to give it away”. What happened after that I can’t explain, but my heart changed, it filled with joy, peace, and a knowing that I was loved for me, just as I was, with all my imperfections. I had not known this kind of peace; the striving was gone, the heaviness that I had grown so accustomed to, the guilt, it all left, and for once I felt free. Free to live, to laugh, to accept my short comings, work through my insecurities, and to give that grace to others, first and foremost to Lisa. I stepped out of that room a changed man, into a room with a damaged wife, who had stopped believing that I would ever be different. It took three years to destroy my marriage, and it was seven years till I saw the joy in her eyes that I had seen when we first took our vows; two years for every year I hurt her, and then one more. It’s funny (not ha,ha) in the Bible numbers mean something, and seven is the number for completion. So now I have been married to Lisa 29 years. I love her dearly and we continue to work on our weaknesses by God’s Grace; and combined with two daughters with their own weaknesses, there have been some very challenging times (as I am sure you have had). Yet the man that kneeled and cried out for a love he didn’t possess, found that LOVE to be TRUE (for He is TRUE), and found a strength to not only work on his weaknesses, but to extend love and grace to the family he cared for as well.
Now here is the reason why I shared this with you. Lisa could have walked out, there was no guarantee that she was going to stay. If she had decided to pack her bags and leave, did God fail? We come to God to “fix” our problems, and if He doesn’t…, do we stop believing? This is not Faith, this is us in a very dark moment having tried everything else; we reach for God as a last hope. Can God use hardships to bring us to Him? Sure He can and does, and He did with me, but here is my point. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the Cross for our sins (an amazing truth) and on that Cross He bore ALL our sins, receiving the full wrath of God’s judgement on Sin. On the Cross Jesus said several very specific things. One of those statements was, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (He was interceding for us, His role as High Priest for mankind). Another one took place toward the end when He cried out, no longer using the term Father but instead “My GOD, My God, why have You forsaken me?”. God the Father, for the first and last time, separated Himself from God the Son, while He hung there taking on our sin, and He died. …think about that. The Lord didn’t die for my marriage, He didn’t die because I lost a job, He didn’t die so that my kids would do the right thing, etc. He died for my sin, for your sin, and to restore us back unto the Father. That is why He died. We are separated from Him because of our sin, and He died to bring us “home” to the Father, to grant us fellowship with Him and to give us the gift of Eternal life, that is why He went to the Cross. We must come to terms with that, we must do spiritual business with God. Once we are restored unto Him, we become His child, and the concerns of the child, become the concerns of the Parent. So you’ve got problems, stresses, etc., talk to your Dad, for He gave it all for you, and will He not also come to your aid? I will end in a prayer,
Father thank you for this time, I pray Your words would reach our (my) heart(s). I ask that through my life others will see your Grace and Power to heal and to save. Forgive us (me) of our (my) sins. I accept You Lord Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and Your death on the cross as atonement for my sins. I bend my knee to You, and ask that You would now fill me with Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Comfort and Strength. Thank You, teach me to understand Your Bible, to love to spend time reading it, to attend a church that preaches from it, and that teaches me to worship You in song and in prayer. Let me now live my life to honor You, for You and You alone are worthy. Amen.
“Landscaping The Soul” December 2010
Welcome to our Holiday edition. One of the beauties of the Holiday season is the traditions that have become part of our lives. I am so pleased that last year’s Christmas edition was read and favored by so many. I received personal comments, as well as emails about how meaningful the article was, encouraging, and bringing positive changes in people’s lives. As a landscaper/writer, it does not get any better than this. So back by popular demand, we are rerunning this article, making only minor changes for clarity’s sake. So please enjoy. Get your coffee or tea, slippers and robe and sit down with me. May the article and its intent be a blessing to you this Christmas/Holiday season and throughout the year.
This article is still about landscaping, but not with plants, trees, soil and boulders, but with encouragement, faith, character and truth. Not our physical yards, but the “yards of our soul.” They also need “tending to.” Like our physical yards, our souls get “weeds” (attitudes), need “pruning” (character development), do well with regular fertilizing (love and encouragement) and need light (truth/faith) to grow and be healthy, to “bloom” with peace and joy, to grow with strength and character. These attributes just don’t come, they need to be cultivated; they need to be practiced. Just like a beautiful and fruitful garden, we need the same care. I want to talk about that care and specifically about character and faith.
I love nature, plants and landscaping. I see so much truth in them that I can apply to daily living. I was having breakfast with a good friend, who is an arborist by profession and we were talking about this very topic, the truths we see in nature. He shared a story with me that his instructor taught him while he was studying for his license. A couple had bought a home in the country and on their new property was a stand of oak trees, beautiful overall, except the first row. The first row was noticeably distorted, rough, shorter and thicker in stock than the trees behind them. So they decided to remove the first row exposing the taller, greener, more beautifully shaped oaks. So with the help of some friends, they cut the distorted oaks down, getting quite a pile of fire wood, which once dried, burned hotter and warming the house more than any of the oak wood they had bought previously. Well as winter is, we get storms and some bring high winds. To the couple and their friends’ surprise they noticed that with each strong storm, some of the branches of the oaks would break, and on occasion a whole tree would come down. This happened for several years until their stand of oaks had been reduced to about half. At this point they thought it best to get help, worried about disease that if not controlled, would soon decimate their beloved oaks.
The instructor took the call and was the one to go out. Upon hear- ing the concern and inspecting the oaks, he asked why the first row of trees were removed, taking note that the stumps were thicker, having tighter growth rings (the yearly growth measurement of any tree) than the other stumps he observed. He also inquired from what direction the winds came from. The couple replied that when they first purchased the home that these oaks were stunted and unsightly, so they removed them to view the more beautiful oaks. They also replied that the winds came from the southwest, understanding then that the first row would have taken the brunt of the winds.
Once hearing this, the instructor gave them an answer they did not expect. The first row of oaks had grown in the presence of the storms, so they grew stouter, more deeply rooted, and their appearance bore the look of many a storm. They were the “guardians” for the rest of the stand, providing a wind barrier, allowing the rest of oaks to grow more uniformly in their protection. Without the pressure of the winds, the roots of the other oaks were shallow, their trunks lacked stoutness, and the branches were long and graceful and not able to bear up against the winds. The instructor said that it would be just a matter of time before all the oaks would come down. He recommended a canopy reduction, reducing the branch weight, fertilization to encourage root growth, and time. The couple was grateful for his time and advice, saddened by how foolish they had been.
When I heard this story it amazed me how close to life this was. I see two obvious truths, the mistake that the couple had made by not consulting an expert prior to removing the oaks, and the importance of that first row of oaks to the rest of the stand. I also have made mistakes like that, feeling hurried and not consulting, and they have cost me.
Currently as a society we are suffering because of financially unsound decisions that started with our mortgages. Our culture has been so prosperous, so trouble-free in general, that we have grown without the need to have caution, believing that we are “entitled” to the “American Dream” that has turned into an “American nightmare” that has affected us all. We grew accustomed to a “Burger King Culture” (have it your way) that provided instant gratification, where bigger is always better, and credit was how we bought our toys. We have lost our way, believing that things and money can “buy” quality of life… and it DOES NOT.
I learned this lesson in Mexico where I spent several summers on mission trips. My equals were happy and content with so little, they spent time talking and laughing, valuing each other, their lives were very simple. I learned that quality of life is internal, found within one’s character. That struggle is not bad; in fact it is necessary for character to develop. To learn to enjoy the things we do have, to be grateful for the things we can afford, and not coveting the “bigger and better” and most importantly to have contentment with thankfulness. How critical are these lessons, how important that we live them out for our children to see.
Now character, as invaluable as it is, has a partner, can you guess? When “married” together it completes the soul, it is faith. I so love faith, and it is not that flowery, whimsical faith that believes that if I smile at the world it will smile back. It helps to smile yes, but I have received my share of frowns as well. Not everyone or every circumstance smiles back, some want to “take you down.” So character when united with faith to me is best likened to that first row of oaks. They grow in the presence of adversity, the winds of trial and testing serve to deepen the roots of faith, developing our character, making us real, and causing us to stand “lean and mean,” readied for the challenges ahead—something that a “satisfy me now” culture severally lacks.
As important as character and faith are, the object of our faith is CRITICAL, and determines our character. Last year my wife shared a particular Bible lesson with me, I cannot remember the story she read, but her comments I wrote down. They were this: “In this broken world you get a ‘junk load of parts’ with which to build your life; and since we live in a broken world, life is not fair. Some people get ‘better parts,’ (more talented, better opportunity, smarter etc.) than we do, but fretting or complaining about it only makes it worse. It gets you nowhere. If anything self pity makes you go backwards in life. Accepting your parts, taking ownership of them, is the birthplace of character. Working with your parts, doing your best, develops your character.
Another comment she made is about the need to have an “other world mindedness.” This is where faith comes in. There is a God who loves me and desires me to know Him. How do I know this aside from the Scriptures (the Bible)? God’s handiwork is evident in all of creation, like a master painter creating his work of art. So He has made creation for our enjoyment, and as a testimony of His presence. As one acknowledges the landscaper behind the landscape, so creation speaks of His Greatness. With each sunrise and sunset, I am reminded of His ability to hold my life together, despite the challenges and pressures I am facing.
What happens if I do not have an “otherworld mindedness,” believing that this life is all there is? There is a saying that speaks to the perspective that one develops when godly faith is not active. It goes like this: “Get all you can, can what you get, and sit on the can.” The problem is no one told us that the bottom can fall out…and then what? When this life is all there is, where does one turn in time of crisis or loss? How important it is to have an “other world minded- ness”, a personal faith in God, a faith that acknowledges the Cross; the Cross, for all its violence and horrific statement of death, is also beautiful. For it so completely speaks of a Savior’s love, and of our need to come to Him and to be made whole! He is bigger than all our problems, and He is able to forgive us our wrongs and restore us unto Himself. The hardships we suffer He can use to develop character and deepen faith in Him, to get our attention –as He sets us on a new course, and grow in us an “other world mindedness,” the hope of Heaven. This helps us put the challenges and hardships of this life in right perspective. As this new faith grows in you, you will take life and yourself less seriously. You will find hope in time of trial, and He will give you courage to face the challenges and fears that seek to “take you down.” I know this to be true- because I am a growing and ever changing testimony of His handiwork. I am far from perfect, yet I find within me a spiritual current, like a determined course of water, quiet yet strong, that is ever growing me into a man of godly faith. So when difficulties come, pressures as we all have and face, I come to Him, as a son to a loving Father, kneeling in prayer making my requests -to Him, spend- ing time in His presence; and in that state, unhurried waiting upon Him, there comes a point that I know He has heard me. I then rise in gratitude knowing that He will work out His will in this matter, not my will, but His. I have learned through the years that His ways are much better, not always understood, but that He can be fully trusted with the very deepest concerns I bare. With burdens removed, I am ready to move forward in this life of faith—having His hope, His strength, His wisdom, His direction, His scriptures, and His LOVE, quickening my steps, as I go forth to face my next giant.
If you would like to know the Lord in this personal way, I invite you to go to my website, go to publications and click on December 10, part 2. Thank you so much for reading, I trust that what I have said has encouraged and challenged you. May you have a blessed Christmas, and thank you for spending your time with me; it means so much, especially this time. God Bless.