28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, New International Version)
Are you one who is weak, weary, thirsty? You are the one that God calls to. You are the one that he invites.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Single-minded, Wholehearted
Think about these two phrases:
- Single-minded
- Whole hearted
What are the counterparts?
- Double-minded
- Half-hearted
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Another version says, "Unite my heart to fear your name."
Yes, do it in me, God.
All of life comes down to just one thing...
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Work of Faith, Labor of Love, Steadfastness of Hope
1 Thessalonians 1:3 NASB
... constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father...
There are three striking pairings in this verse.
1. Work of faith - Faith and work are often paired in antithesis to one another. Here we see work finding its genesis and power in faith. Work and faith, far from being in opposition to one another, are integrally tied to each other.
2. Labor of Love - A recent popular best seller presented the "languages of love". Love can be communicated by acts of service. This was certainly true of our Lord's love. Jesus, love incarnate, was the suffering Servant foretold by Isaiah.
3. Steadfastness of Hope - Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is a hope that doesn't disappoint. He is a hope that doesn't grow weary. "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength."
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
For or against
I have visited a number of sites lately that allow you to express your opinion on various pieces of legislation. Are you for or against the proposed bill!? Once you have voted, you can see how others have voted.
Psalm 118:6-7 NASB
The LORD is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
More important than my vote is God's vote. Is He for or against? His Word tells me that He is for me. It goes on to say that it doesn't matter what anyone else votes. God holds the majority all by Himself.
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Monday, February 6, 2012
Throwing our Cloak Aside
Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by. He cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" When Jesus called him, he cast his cloak aside. This earthly possession meant nothing compared to the treasure of sight.
What do we hold onto? What "cloak" do we need to throw aside? Maybe it is an attitude. Maybe it is a perceived "right" that we need to lay down. Maybe it is bitterness. Maybe pride. All of these will leave us blind until we cast them aside.
Mark 10:46-52 New International Version (NIV) Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
What do we hold onto? What "cloak" do we need to throw aside? Maybe it is an attitude. Maybe it is a perceived "right" that we need to lay down. Maybe it is bitterness. Maybe pride. All of these will leave us blind until we cast them aside.
A clear signal
There is a parable here. When we are close to our God, the signal of His message to us comes through loud and clear. As we move further away, however, the distractions of the world begin to garble God's clear Word. Soon we can find it just plain annoying and plug the ears of our hearts to what God's Spirit is trying to say to us as we continue on our own way.
There is another option. That is to turn around. This is what repentance is all about. It is turning around and heading the other way. Rather than moving away from the nearness of God, let's come close.
Hebrews 10:22 - New American Standard Bible® (NASB) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Five "everlastings"
My last post was about enduring love. In another version, it is translated as "everlasting". Psalm 118 mentions the everlasting nature of God's love five times.
His lovingkindness is everlasting.What is connected with these five mentions?
- "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good: for His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Thanks is the right response to the goodness of the character of God. This is not merely giving thanks for something good that God has done. Rather, it is thanks for the good that God is in His very nature. - "Oh let Israel say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting.'"
Israel means, "He has striven with God". This was the name that Jacob was given after wrestling with God at Peniel. From this wrestling, there comes a knowledge and experiencing of the everlasting lovingkindness of God that is communicated to others. It is not just "Let Israel know", but rather, "Let Israel say". - "Oh let the house of Aaron say,'His lovingkindness is everlasting.'"
Aaron was the high priest. He was the one commissioned by God to represent the people to God on the one hand, and to represent the people to God on the other. What is that representation? What is the message that Aaron is to bring from God to the people? "God's heart toward you is one of everlasting lovingkindness." The Aaronic blessing is this:"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
What a message of everlasting lovingkindness! - "Oh let those who fear the LORD say,'His lovingkindness is everlasting.'"
The fear of the LORD is a frequent theme in the Bible. It is "the beginning of wisdom". When men of God drew close to God's presence, fear was their response. Those who have drawn near to God, who have felt the fear of God's might and their own frailty, of God's holiness and their own fallenness. these speak of the everlasting nature of God's lovingkindness. In Exodos 33, when Moses desired to see God's glory, God told him, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then God covered Moses and proclaimed His name, His character, His nature, His goodness, His everlasting lovingkindness over Moses. - "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Here, in the last verse of the Psalm, the same invitation is issued. Give thanks. Know God's heart toward you. It is a heart of everlasting lovingkindness!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Enduring love
What does it mean to endure? What is an enduring love?
The first four verses of Psalm 118 read like this in the NIV:
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."
God's kindness reaches to the vanishing point.
The first four verses of Psalm 118 read like this in the NIV:
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: "His love endures forever."
God's kindness reaches to the vanishing point.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Love with staying power
In my highschool years, I recall an instance when God used repetition to communicate something to my heart that I needed to hear. I went to a school that had chapel services. I was asked to help with one of the services, and my part was to read these words from Romans 8:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,t neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.That weekend, I went to a choir concert. As I entered, the choir was singing these words:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,t neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.When I went to church that Sunday, guess what the pastor was preaching about?
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,t neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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