Tag Archives: alphabet to live by

Zion hears and rejoices

Zion hears and rejoices. Psalm 97:8

The Hebrew word Zion means fortress and is synonymous with Jerusalem. In its deepest sense it represents God’s chosen people, Israel. Genesis 12:3 reminds us God will bless whoever blesses Israel and curse whoever curses Israel. And since we Christians were grafted onto the root of Israel (Romans 11), Zion represents us also.

The theme of Psalm 97 is “The Lord reigns.” It speaks about two groups of people, one who reject God and are put to shame, and another group who hear God’s words and rejoice. It is the overarching theme throughout all history of our great choice to trust the eternal God or trust in ourselves. Zion rejoices because they listen to and hear God’s words of protection. They take joy in the fortress of His protection. They rejoice because He delivers them from wickedness and shines light into their hearts. When Zion rejoices we should rejoice because our God reigns!

We can rejoice that God reigns because we have been given a vision of eternity. We know that evil is tolerated in this world ‘for a time’ until the gospel reaches all people and all have made their choice. There will come an end to evil when His judgment comes with a consuming fire, the heavens proclaim His righteousness, and the people see His glory (v 2-6).

In the presence of terrorists who brazenly kill innocent people, the tragedies of natural disasters, the threat of disease and starvation, you might ask, “Does God really reign?” The deeper question might be does He reign over your personal struggles, your finances, your job, your marriage and other relationships? Does He reign over the frustrations you face on a daily basis?

C. H. Spurgeon told the story of a man named Whitelock, who was Oliver Cromwell’s envoy to Sweden in 1653. One night as he was waiting to sail, he was so distracted by the troubles of the nation that he could not sleep. His assistant, in an adjacent bed, finally said to him, “Sir, may I ask you a question?” “Of course,” said Whitelock.

“Sir, do you think God governed the world very well before you came into it?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“And sir, do you think that He will govern it quite as well when you are gone out of it?”

“Certainly.”

“Then, sir, excuse me, but do you not think you may trust him to govern it quite as well while you are living?”

Whitelock had no answer to this question, but he rolled over and soon went to sleep.

Having trusted Him with your eternal hope, can you trust Him also for this present trial you face? Do you believe that the Lord reigns, not only over the world, but also over your life? If so, rejoice in Him with Zion and enjoy His peace!

You are the light

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You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

The message of the GLOW (Go Light Our World) ministry is to shine the light of Jesus into the world. We currently support gospel ministries to the unreached poorest of poor in Bolivia, Bulgaria, Greece, Scotland, and the United States.

When Jesus says “You are the light of the world” He intends for that light to shine wherever you go. He isn’t saying, “Look at how talented and smart you are; how much better you are than everyone else.” No, He is illustrating what happens when the power of an infinite and extraordinary God resides in the heart of an ordinary person who follows His Son. His message is, “When I live in you and when you remain in me, my light shines so brightly, the rest of the world will see and come to praise the Father.” (See Matthew 5:16)

He knows it’s tempting for us to keep the truth and joy of His love all to ourselves. When ministry becomes messy and often frustrating, sometimes we want to crawl under our basket and just bask in the light of God’s peace warming us. We think of the image of resting in His arms and long to remain in that quiet place. Pain and sorrow have ways of ravaging the body and the mind and wreak havoc and violence on our soul. In those times all you long for is peace and quiet, a release from what seems to be an ever-increasing grip on your life. God’s light is meant for such times. His Spirit speaks peace, truth, and hope to us in such desperately needed ways.

But His light isn’t meant to remain solely within us for our comfort only. It is meant to encourage others, meaning other believers as well as bringing the hope of the gospel to the rest of the world. Imagine if our message were health and fitness but we didn’t take care of your own bodies. Who would want to listen to us? In the same way we are called to take care of the body of Christ too, that is other believers. His amazing light is meant to pour over the darkness of our world and flow onto all those around us. The role of light is to disperse darkness.

What would it look like if your light shined into someone else’s darkness today? Maybe you’ll search your address book and write an encouraging note of hope to someone you’ve lost contact with. Tell someone else how much you appreciate who they are, not just what they do. Don’t be afraid to mention how good God is when others are around. Tell someone the reason for your faith. Show His mercy to someone who has no other reason to hope.

Be the light. Go light our world today.

The ‘X’ in our lives

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As we near the end of our alphabet of verses to live by, the only bible verse I know that starts with the letter ‘X’ is found in Esther 2:17 (Contemporary English Version): “Xerxes liked Esther more than he did any of the other young women.” It’s not really one of those top memory verses but perhaps it behooves us to look at some of Esther’s godly traits that led her to be so honored.

She exalted God. The Psalmist wrote, “exalt the Lord our God.” (Psalm 99:5) Esther exalted God by trusting and obeying Him even when speaking God’s truth may have threatened her own life. How about you? Is exalting God part of who you are? Beyond singing songs in church, is He lifted up and esteemed above all in your life? Do others know that you acclaim Him to be the One True God? I’m afraid my actions sometimes reveal I esteem God less than other things in my life. I need this reminder to exalt God in my daily life.

Esther trusted God because she knew His promises were true. As Peter writes, “eXceeding great and precious promises are given unto us.” (2 Peter 1:4) Maybe where you are sitting at this moment, it’s hard to see God’s promises as true. Perhaps you’ve asked and asked for His goodness to be revealed in your life and in others but see no answers. Maybe you’ve desperately lived a life of praise and thanksgiving and yet still feel empty and unfulfilled. The sorrows of life may be washing over you “like sea billows roll,” drowning you in their midst. But God is faithful. It is who He is; He cannot be untrue to His name. We see dimly now, but we will one day see clearly that his exceeding and great, true promises were, are, and will always be given to those who trust in Him, just as they were proclaimed and revealed in Esther’s life.

“Let us eXamine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40) It seems that Esther examined herself in the eyes of the Lord and with respect to her position before her King, Xerxes. She also examined the situation in which she was thrust. She trusted God who gave her an understanding of the times. In so doing, she commanded the respect of the king who offered her half of his kingdom in one request. Instead of boasting in such a great worldly gift, her humility and faithfulness brought about the salvation of all her people. We are well advised to examine ourselves before our great God, and consider our agendas in light of His desire to save those around us.

Exalt God in our daily life.

Examine ourselves in His sight.

Believe His exceeding and great promises are given to us.

Live the adventure of the cross as the ‘x‘ in your life!

Well done!

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Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 25:23

We all long to be praised even if sometimes we are embarrassed. Deep inside we long for a life of faith that is lived well.

But we get side tracked. Our attention turns to the bills, the never-ending chores, the constant demands on our time. Just keeping our head above water seems like a challenge. Where do we find time or energy to do more? Fortunately, the answer is not found in doing more but in doing whatever we do well:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

What His Word really says is that we should enjoy His presence in everything we do. Enjoy Him when you get dressed, when you brush your teeth. Let your joy over His goodness spill over the way you work; let it overflow onto those you encounter. Be purposeful in your interactions with His love, truth and grace in mind. Rest in His presence that restores you, not in recreation that leaves you ‘wrecked.’ Remember also, sometimes the answer to living a life of faith and honor is in doing nothing, but in waiting on God:

Wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Be honest, waiting is a hassle! We wait for the coffee to brew, we wait for the end of the day, we wait for our paycheck to come, we wait and wait for the answer to prayers. We hate waiting. But in waiting, we stop tapping our toes impatiently and start to silently bow our heads. Waiting makes us humble and draws us closer to the God who lifts us up, the God we so desperately need. We are eager to press forward with our own plans and efforts. But waiting on God’s timing and providence ultimately reveals more of who He is. We sometimes think we can wait no longer, but we can, because:

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

It doesn’t seem that way. Life beats us up just as Jesus said it would. Maybe you sometimes feel more defeated and enslaved by suffering than victorious over it. Me too. I wish I could tell you the secret to making suffering end right now. But it won’t. You don’t want to hear it, but the truth is, the immense weight of suffering we feel now will appear light compared to the glory of God that will be revealed through it and in fact produced by it. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Believe it, not because it’s easy, but because it’s true. Even though pain shouts at us, God speaks loudly through His whisper of grace and peace. So, let’s cast our anxieties aside and focus on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living:

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4:8

And rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

Verily I say…whatever you ask

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. John 16:23b KJV

Having talked so much on the troubles and suffering we must endure, this verse offers us such great hope! Not perhaps what many have acclaimed it to say, but something greater! Many would have this be a magic genie lamp that you rub while saying, “In your name, Lord” as the magical incantation to get whatever brings us a little pleasure. We want sweets now while He invites us to be satisfied at His banquet table forever. I believe Jesus spoke this truth so that we may know the most immense pleasure of enjoying God in all situations.

The context of this passage is Jesus preparing His disciples for His leaving this world. The bewildered followers asked, “What does He mean?” Jesus explains that they will be sorrowful for a while but their sorrow will turn into a joy that no one could take from them (v 22). In this context, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” “Verily” means ‘you can count on this!’

He continues by telling them that after their sorrow is done their joy will be full (v 24). It is why He came to this earth, that we may live abundantly, without fear that the enemy will kill, steal or destroy our joy (John 10:10). He offers joy known as peace in a world filled with tribulation; peace because Jesus has overcome the world (v 33).

It is what we believe as Christians, unless we follow some other doctrine than what the bible preaches. Our ultimate gift is to be able to enjoy the presence of God more than anything else; imperfectly now and perfectly forever. We are glad to worship Him because His glory exceeds the weight of our sorrows or anything else we might imagine. We take joy in faithfulness. We take joy in the great hope that when this life is done, we will see Jesus face to face. While we see only through a veil now we will then see His glory in its fullest. Our hope and confidence is in His promise we’ll enter into His perfect presence forever… no more pain, no more sorrow or tears. We take joy that the end of this life will be the beginning of an eternity of enjoying God’s greatness and goodness.

And from where comes such confidence? It comes from the promise that whoever asks the Father in the name of Jesus shall receive this great joy, whatever we ask and more if we just wait. Our hope is to “Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Verily!

Unto thee O Lord!

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Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1

Some versions say, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.”

Where do you put your trust? The psalmist says “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of our Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7) He trusts not just in the God who does things for Him but in who God is. He trust is in the name, not just the deeds of God. God is the one whose nature is to protect us from evil. He is the one who wants to show you the path you should walk today. He longs to guide us with mercy and love in whatever situation we face. He wants you to know that you are not alone…ever. This is the God who gave His only Son for the forgiveness of your sins and mine, the one draws near to us when we are humble. He promises that, in Him, we will overcomers.

Should we want even more?!

We try to lift our souls to others but try as they might, they can’t fully understand our deepest dilemmas. Only God has the power to release us from that which ensnares us. Sometimes He miraculously does this physically; always He offers supernatural grace and strength to persevere when we are sure we have no strength left. This is the God who comforts the lonely and afflicted, the one who wants to free us from the anguish of our troubled heart.

Can you find anyone else so trustworthy?

Though the psalmist asks for numerous physical helps, he ultimately trusts God to maintain his integrity, to not let his name to be put to shame. God is the one who knows when we sit and when we rise. He knows every hair on our head. This God in whom we trust calls us by name. He knows we will have trouble in this fallen world. But He longs for and empowers us to live the name of good and faithful servant, to live with integrity through the battles, to stand firm.

Can you imagine coming to the end of your life, having everything you wanted but lacking integrity?

We could trust in and align our soul with so many things: our talents and abilities, our fortunes, our jobs, our family and friends, our health, our retirement. We could put our hope in stability and comfort. But we live in an unstable world, filled – as Jesus promised – with trouble. We have to put our hope in the only One who has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

In such a turbulent world, filled with sorrow and woe, where do you rest your weary soul? In whom will you trust?

Thy Word is a Light – for today

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Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

I remember hiking with Marcia in the Franklin Mountains outside of El Paso. Even with the light of the sun we sometimes lost track of the trail ahead of us. What was a well-worn path turned into what appeared to be dozens of paths. Which one should we take? They all headed in the same general direction, but we couldn’t easily determine which was the safest and most trustworthy.

Life is sometimes like that. Maybe you are in a place where several alternative paths appear before you and all looking like they will take you where you want to go. Or perhaps you are in a place where you are paralyzed by not seeing the path before you. You long for a ‘crystal ball’ that will reveal your future.

The psalmist reminds us that God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is our guide for living well and keeping from peril. Sometimes we don’t realize how much we need guidance until we’ve gone too far down a dark path we shouldn’t have traveled. There are times when the road ahead is foggy. Our vision is clouded by our present circumstances or emotional being. God’s Word is designed for exactly such a purpose.

This isn’t just the path to finding Jesus once, but to finding Him every single day as we encounter others around us. It shows us the right way to live today. In darkness, we are tempted to say something untrue or unkind, a word to put someone down, or something sarcastic to illuminate our wit. In light we choose words to build each other up, because that is the path we are meant to walk. In darkness, we tuck away our savings to buy the things that bring us temporary pleasure. In light we see others in need and the joy of bringing the encouraging light of Jesus to their world.

The bible says the world lives in darkness and loves the darkness. Jesus said, “YOU are the light of the world.” But the lamp that reveals God’s will is not our own. It is fueled by the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t simply some random act of kindness of do-goodies. The true light in you intentionally shines in the darkness to guide you and to show God’s goodness to others.

Today we get to choose which path to follow, the one advancing our own personal agenda or the one that leads us – and others – closer to God. Where will His light – in you – shine today?

Submit

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Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

We like to have our way, not give in to others. Jesus showed us we should submit to authorities. But we think we have the right to ridicule our authorities. Jesus’ brother James warns that our selfish desires cause fights and quarrels, envy, and aggression. We think it’s the other person’s fault. We seek pleasure over God’s will and enjoy friendship with the world, instead of friendship with Him. (James 4:1-6) These evil ways have become part of who we are. So what are we to do with these temptations? James answers:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)

Submit, resist, draw near, purify yourself, grieve over your rebellious heart, humble yourself before God. Change! This isn’t a multiple choice option. It’s the path to drawing closer to God. He knows we will never be perfect at this. But there is danger in compromising on God’s instructions. What if instead of first submitting to God we just try to resist temptation in our own power? When I try this I get beat up over and over. We live a lifetime of frustration, guilt, and defeat with just such an approach.

Worse yet is befriending and justifying that which tempts us. If we insist on this pseudo relationship with God He will give us over to our own way of thinking as He did with King Saul, with the Israelites, and with those in Jesus’ time. “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts…” (Romans 1:24). He will do the same with us if we insist.

When we acknowledge that God is God and we are not, it makes sense to first submit to God’s authority over our thoughts, motives, and actions. Just as Moses removed his soiled sandals before stepping on holy ground, so we too serve our best interest when we ‘wash our hands’ of wrong ways of thinking and behaving. By purifying our hearts of wrong desires, and ungodly ambitions we humble ourselves before God. We can’t be humble while laughing at things that disgust Him, remaining apathetic to those things that make Him sad, or believing lies about who we are.

Humbling ourselves before God draws us close to Him, where He restores and renews us. Ask God today, what areas of your life have not been humbly submitted to Him and find the satisfaction of being lifted up by His righteous right hand.

Run the race!

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“Run the race…” Hebrews 12:1

We all run. We run around. We run in circles. We run away and we run out of steam. But God calls us all to be dedicated to a different kind of race, the ultra marathon race of our life. The author of the book of Hebrews speaks about running the right race, and how to run it and finish well:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” (12:1) We aren’t called to just any race. We are called to the ultimate race, whose prize lasts for all eternity, the one surrounded by “such a great cloud of witnesses.” Whenever we see the word ‘therefore’ we can be sure it is there for a reason, namely to link what was just said to what is about to be said. What precedes this passage about a great cloud of witnesses is the discussion of heroes commended for their faith. These were imperfect and ordinary people who had faith in and were redeemed by an extraordinary God. Still, “none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Whether these and other saints are actually spectators cheering us on or not, I’m not sure. But evidently we are part of a historic relay race of faith that brings theirs to perfection. (11:39-40)

“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… You’ll never see Olympic runners competing in their business suits or evening gowns. That would trip them up and impede their race. Similarly, we are advised to daily throw off that which hinders us from running with faith. Things like irrational fear, worldly opinions of success, even the pain and sorrow that weighs so heavily on us. We must cast our heaviest anxieties on Jesus so we can run the race.

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Sometimes the grace of God is the power to keep running with persistent faith. Trials are huge hurdles in our lives, but not unscalable barriers. Faith runners know to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. We aren’t to be distracted or let the ‘stuff’ of life to throw us off our pace.

“…the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” We can run with faith and persistence, trusting in the one who not only has gone victoriously before us but who also lives in us. Because of the joy set before him, He endured the cross and ascended to heaven, so we would not grow weary and lose heart. (V3)

Run the race that matters today, unhindered and with perseverance. You can do it. Others are counting on you.

Quench not the Spirit

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Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Today we often think of the word ‘quench’ as meaning to satisfy a thirst. Throughout the bible it means to extinguish a flame or fire, to put out a lamp or light, or to suppress the truth.

Jesus promised the gift of His Spirit to be our comforter, helper and guide. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), to live a life that testifies to the whole world that Jesus is indeed Lord and Savior. This same power equips us to live victorious lives (Romans 8:37). To remain in Christ is to remain in His Spirit. And yet, in the context of how we should remain focused and alert in troubled times comes this warning: Quench not the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30 warns: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Quenching and grieving the Spirit are inexplicably intertwined. We quench the Spirit and the Spirit grieves. We quench and grieve the Holy Spirit both when we are fixated only on what the Spirit does for us personally and also when we ignore the Spirit. John MacArthur points out that when we sensationalize the Spirit’s power in us we “reduce the Holy Spirit to some sort of divine genie, who does only things that are seen, felt or heard.” Ignoring the spiritual power within us, we quench the true sanctifying work of the Spirit.

We also quench the Spirit by ignoring Him. Turning away from the Spirit’s power to transform and sanctify our lives, we substitute other false helps for the authentic power that God alone offers. MacArthur continues: “They substitute human wisdom…as the path to solving spiritual problems. They reject the only true power, the only genuine problem solver, the Holy Spirit, who alone can heal the sins of our lives, and make us holy.”

Perhaps the trap we face is not so much that we seek out the help of others, but that we do so to the abandonment of God’s all-sufficient Spirit in us. If all our woes can be solved by therapists, educators, and scientists, do we really need the Spirit of the Living God?

We quench the Spirit of God when we listen to everyone except Him. We douse the flame of God that burns within us and extinguish His power. Paul asks in Galatians 3:3 if we are so foolish as to having begun in the Spirit, to finish with our own efforts to become ‘better’! Do we think that the powerful Spirit of God who convicted us of sin and led us to repentance cannot also be trusted with the rest of our lives?

When we abandon our only source of real hope, we incapacitate our ability to live well, free despite our circumstances. We invite devastation upon our lives and quench the Holy Spirit’s power in us. Instead, let’s ask to be filled daily with the Spirit’s power to live a life of testimony to the world that the our hope is in Jesus alone.