Our Days Are His

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Galatians 5:22-24, NLT)

In order for a tree to produce fruit in its season that is tender in its consistency, luscious and delicious in its taste, vibrant in its coloration and satisfying in the eating; there must be a gathering in of the days occurring in the season. In the gathering of the days, the tree must take in the awakening and renewal of life in the heady pollination days. It must pull in moisture through its leaves and roots on both generous days of falling rain drops and days of the soft blanketing of the dew in the dawn. It must take in the warmth of sunny afternoons for growth to develop out from the core to build bulk and substance. The season is completed as the time in the days both sustains and embodies the fruit of the days in its ripen and completed purpose.

The Spirit of God creates and gives us new life as fruit in the seasons of our living. We are recreated in a new life in the Holy Spirit by an awakening of our spirit to the work of God in us. The days of our living in the Spirit must pull in the moisture of God’s purposeful direction in teaching and conviction. We must let the warmth of the light of the Spirit grow out from the core of our being as we become full of the substance of the Spirit. The days of our being sustained and embodied by the Spirit will then be gathered together to produce a ripened fruit that is vibrant, tender, wonderful and satisfying.

The “Fruit of the Spirit” is not instantly produced nor does it happen by our human efforts but the “Fruit of the Spirit,” occurs as the days of our lives are prayerfully yielded to the transforming change and growth the Holy Spirit creates and crafts over the seasons in our living. All of our days are preciously given by the grace of our Savior. Yet for the fruit produced as the result of all our days to be the “Fruit of the Spirit,” our days must be yielded to the Holy Spirit’s directing and changing our living in each day as we die to our own selfish natures. There can be no greater legacy of our living out the days of our lives than for those days to be as trees; full and heavy in their seasons with the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

Suggested Reading … Galatians 5

Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6, NASB)

Tiny, chemical and physiological demands, stimulations and reactions which are invisible to the eye are happening in our human bodies . These demands, stimulations and responses relate to our senses, emotions, thoughts and actions throughout the day when we are active and throughout the night even when we are resting. Our complex body systems sense our needs and direct our body and mind to the means of fulfilment.

One of the strongest of all our senses is the sense of hunger. The demands that trigger the sense of hunger come from inside our body and from outside stimulations such as sight and smell. Usually this sense of hunger directs us to foods that satisfy us and are good for us, but we all know that many times we eat much that is not nutritious or beneficial.

The things of God are always good for us and they satisfy us (Psalm 34:8). The ways and laws of God are pure, perfect and sweet satisfying our hunger for beneficial fulfillment (Psalm 19:7-10). There is much in life that would tempt us in the manners of hunger in our emotional, spiritual, physical, psychological and social desires but our deepest need is in our relationship with our God. In the deepest part of our hearts and soul, we desire and hunger for the righteousness of God, and through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are given this righteousness of God. This is a hunger and thirst we do not always realize or acknowledge but it is real.  When this hunger and thirst is directed to the source of all life, we are filled.

When we hunger and thirst for God and seek Him; He comes to us. He satisfies our deepest needs for Him and we will not be in need of any good thing. It is a remarkable thing and a significant promise to know and realize that God will come and give His righteousness to those that seek after Him. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (James 4:8, NLT). God will certainly fill those that come to Him, who are thirsty and hungry for Him.

O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those that fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. (Psalm 34:8-10, NASB)

Suggested Reading … Psalm 34

 

But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice … Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep … I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture… I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly… I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep … I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (Selected Verses, John 10, NASB)

At the speaking of our name, we will usually turn with attentive interest. If the person speaking our name is someone connected by relationship, they will have a distinctive way of speaking our name. We instantly recognize the subtle manner and tender tone they use when they are speaking to us. Since their relationship with us is of importance and value to us; we will usually be alertly focused on them as they speak our name and begin to communicate with us.

We have all had our name spoken out in other ways, as well. We have all felt the sting of hearing our name used when we were being rebuked or chastised. We have all heard our name used sharply when someone is angry at us and most of us have heard overheard our name disrespected through mocking forms of intentional disregard. On the other hand, we all might have had the privilege of hearing our name spoken in connection with the formal or informal recognition or appreciation of our contributions, efforts and character.

Of all the occasions where our name is spoken, there is one place and one relationship where our name is spoken that is always beyond comparison with any other occasion. There is nothing so tender or as soothing to our very soul as when our gracious and loving “Good Shepherd” speaks our name. At His speaking of our name, we can always turn and find the same caring love beckoning us to come to Him. At His speaking of our name, we know we can follow our Shepherd with complete trust. At His speaking of our name, we know He will take us to choice places of spiritual nourishment. At His speaking of our name, we know we are forever saved by His intentional and purposeful giving of His life for us. At His speaking of our name, we know we blessed and will be blessed by His grace. At His speaking of our name, we will always be watched over in all the days of lives.

Beyond all the fond and attentive care our Shepherd and Savior will lavish on us as His precious Children and “Sheep of His Pasture” and the soulfully connected affectionate way He has called us by name during our time on earth, will be the moment He speaks our name as He welcomes us to the eternal place He has prepared for us. At this eternal juncture of the speaking of our name … we will experience something beyond anything we can imagine, as we will hear our name spoken for the first time as will be spoken tenderly by our Lord for all eternity. Praise and thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord, for the tender way He speaks our name as cares for us throughout all our days and for the indescribable joy we will find as He speaks our name throughout all of eternity.

Suggested Reading … John 10

Domenico Gagini, The Nativity, NGO Image, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

It sometimes happens to the great truths of faith … they get reduced to memorable statements known in a poetic, recognizable and superficial way but not in the infusing life-giving and empowering manner in which they were given. Occasionally these realities of faith can be regulated to a type of seasonal noteworthy celebratory headline which suffers a fading decline into insignificance in the intervening months of general activities.

Sadly this happens to one of the greatest messages of the realities of the Christian faith: the powerful, redemptive, restorative, and the abiding gift of a counseling presence in the gift of a Savior was never meant to be just a Christmas gift. Jesus Christ is more. He is our Counselor, God, Father and Prince of Peace. He did not come to be a celebratory mantra during the Christmas season but a living relational gift of grace to us from our Heavenly Father.

Today on this day, long past the Christmas season, delight in the gifts your Savior brings to your life. He did not come to be a Christmas Savior … to exist forever as a designated perpetual seasonal baby in manger but as a living, redeeming, restoring, and abiding Savior. We need Him for more than a season.

We need to bring every difficulty to Him as He is the most “Wonderful Counselor” we will ever know as He will always listen and He will always provide insights and answers to every need. There is no one more knowledgeable than He and no one who has more empathy. There is no one who can do more to help us in every area of our life than Jesus Christ the “Mighty God.” He truly and faithfully comes as the “Everlasting Father,” who is more attentive, loving and true than we realize and He alone can bestow a peace beyond understanding because He has eternal access to the storehouses of contentment for the soul as the “Prince of Peace.” We need to let Him be these things and more … on this day and in every day, we are given life. Come to the One who is more! He has so much more to give to you!

Suggested Reading … Isaiah 9

Circle of God the Father, Pierre Mignard, NGO Image, National Gallery of Art, Public Domain

Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks, finds. If only you will knock, the door will open. If a child asks his father for a loaf of bread, will he be given a stone instead? If he asks for fish, will he be given a poisonous snake? Of course not! And if you hard-hearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them? (Matthew 7:7-11, TLB)

Generally we as human beings think we know quite a bit. We sense we are especially knowledgeable when we in the adolescent phase of our life. Those who have experience and wisdom are often marginalized and disregarded during this time in our lives. Later we often times realize our parents, our mentors and teachers were much wiser than we gave them credit for. We might mostly recognize that people who value quite highly their own knowledge and are haughty, proud and obnoxious to be around but yet we might at the same time,  we think we know quite a bit.

This overvaluation in functioning shows up in our defensiveness when colleagues, friends and family try to give us insights or guidance to us in those relationship or work situations. It shows up in our faith through our prayers which at times focus more on telling God what to do than asking Him to have His way with us. If truth be told, we as human beings might know quite a bit about many things but quite a little about a lot of things. The human race has progressed in knowledge in immeasurable amounts yet there is much we do not know. Of course there are many individuals who through their lifetime of study have vast amounts of knowledge about certain subjects. Other people may have a lifetime of living or working experience in more than one area and thus their knowledge about certain things is considerable. Yet if we are honest, there are an infinite amounts of things, we as human beings will never know.

In our relationship with our Creator and God, we know so little compared with the all-knowing omniscience of our Heavenly Father, but yet He welcomes our prayers. He welcomes our prayers from a truly humble heart even though He knows immeasurably more about our needs than we do, in our requesting His help and provision. There are moments in our lives when our greatest weakness is not in our need but in our failure to acknowledge our need. May we live to seek our Heavenly Father to learn from Him and may we be ever thankful for His generous giving of truly good things.

Suggested Reading … Matthew 7

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5, ESV)

Some words languish in major disregard in the Biblical text because the contemporary words used in the selected verses are words we hold in low esteem. There is probably no word translated in the Bible that suffers from such low regard as the word “meek.” Hardly anyone would like to be classified as a meek person. In many cultures, including most Western cultures; meekness is equated with weakness. Neither is meekness valued as a virtue because the strong individual is ideal and someone who is meek would most likely to be discounted, disregarded and pushed aside in competitive cultures. So why does our Lord, proclaim blessings upon those that are meek?

First of all, we must remember, the blessings coming upon the meek are not coming from the culture. The blessings coming from God are coming from the same Lord that proclaimed that, “the last shall be first” (Matthew 20:16). The meekness our Lord values, is not so much a virtue as a disposition. True meekness is not a weakness but a strength and a resolve to live and follow Christ as our Master.

True meekness before God is a quietness and a submission of our will to the will of God. It is a stillness to live in relationship with God in full contentment without disputing with God about His plans, purposes and will. Thus living with the disposition of meekness in being in agreement with God brings about the virtues of dedicated diligence and genuine humility before God which could be characterized by bravery, modesty, reverence and even altruism as the focus of your life is on God and not upon yourself.

Thus meekness is not weakness but an honest dependence and dedication to God which leads to the total abandonment of our will to God’s greater will. True meekness thus recognizes the futility of self-promotion and self-importance against trusting in the everlasting Almighty God for all things. Meekness thus becomes one of the greatest measures of strength in our faith and through this strength comes the great blessing of God to inherit His full immeasurable blessings upon this earth and in the new earth to come.

Suggested Reading … “The Beatitudes of Christ (Matthew 5:2-12) & Matthew 6

Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Matthew 5:4, ESV)

An enemy seems to have triumphed. Expectations for future good in our lives lie like shattered and broken debris all around the dreams we once held so dear. Heartache pierces our days with sorrows that overwhelm us. All that once was, is now gone and what we see ahead staggers us. It doesn’t matter if the loss comes from an unanticipated tragedy, an unforeseen separation, and major changes in our lives or even from a life robbing illness … we deeply mourn each loss. We suffer accordingly to the severity of each loss and we strain to find the will and resolve to move forward into the new reality.

Loss is part of living. We experience losses in both the stages of the life we live in and though and in the severing of the bonds that come in those different times. Loss is part of loving others as we experience the losing in various facets of those relationships and sometimes even in the loss of people we dearly love. It is part of loss to grieve and part of grieving to mourn.

So how is it possible to be blessed in our mourning? The mourning we feel in the losses that come from our connecting in relationships means that those relationships were real and of great significance in our lives. We find some solace in the truth of this reality but how can blessed comfort come in the recognition of this truth?

There may be some small blessing in our realization of the significance and gifts from the relationship which is now lost but the greater promise of blessing as we mourn can only be found in the One that comes in our losses. Our Savior comes to us in all losses and He comes to us as we mourn. He comes through and by His Holy Spirit (John 14:16). He comes in ways we cannot see until we realize what He has given us. He comes with a peace that passes understanding. He promises to come and stay by us. He will come in our mourning and we will be blessed in His coming. This we can count on and this is the blessing to those that mourn.

Suggested Reading … “The Beatitudes of Christ” (Matthew 5:2-12) & Psalm 30

Alphonse Legros, Supper of the Poor, NGO Image, National Gallery of Art

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3, NIV)

Kingdoms usually are governed, controlled and maintained by the wealthiest and most powerful members of the kingdom. Those in the kingdom who are poor or without means, title, and position are left to fend for themselves usually without rights, privileges or access to the finer things of the kingdom. There usually is no course of action for the poor of the kingdom to ever bring about any reversal of their position from the lowest realms of the kingdom to be part the upper ranks of the kingdom.

Thus the poor in most societies are usually considered with the lowest of respect and regard. Even though the poorest are indeed the most humble and most in need of what any kingdom could provide; they most likely would be the least likely to be given much. They might even be the hardest workers, the most diligent and loyal of all the subjects in the kingdom but this will not elevate them from their lowly place in the kingdom. Their humbleness in spirit will never be noted as a cause or reason for their inheriting the wealth of the kingdom.

How different is “The Kingdom of God,” as it is promised as an inheritance with the highest of benefits and privileges to those who are the poorest and most humble subjects in the kingdom. Those that are in the lowest of positions will indeed be those that inherit the highest positions in the kingdom. Those people, who see their great need for God and realize their total dependence upon Him, will be given the graceful riches of His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not entered or captured by riches, power or manipulations but is instead given to those desire God and His kingdom in humble state. He will indeed lift up the poorest and most humble in His Kingdom. All that is required to be part of the Kingdom of God is to acknowledge and live in such a way as to we see our need for God as the only way into His Kingdom.

Maybe Christ is simply saying in the Kingdom of God; the poorest and the most humble in their position as needing what the Kingdom brings, will indeed inherit the Kingdom? This premise fits quite remarkably with the promise of Christ that “the last shall be first.” Maybe we will be very surprised at the royalty in the eternal Kingdom of God!

Suggested Reading … “The Beatitudes of Christ” (Matthew 5:2-12)

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel,“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name; you are Mine!” “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,Nor will the flame burn you.” “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior …” “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, “Do not fear, for I am with you ….” (Selected Verses Isaiah 43, NASB)

There are streams of water that are quiet and placid and resting near these serene stream sides often brings a comforting peace to our hearts. The water in these gentle steams does not threaten us but reassures us in its tranquility. As we walk along this kind of slow water, we are reflective and calmed. In the midst of busyness and hectic lives, our Lord encourages us to come to the edge of these symbolic quiet and reflective waters where we will be comforted by His presence and peace (Psalm 23:2). He bids us to sit for a while and find the rest that only He can give as both our Savior and Shepherd.

There are other types of flowing waters often called rivers. Rivers can be fast moving as they rage and roar with the water crashing and smashing down the watercourse. The water spills and flows violently over rocks and debris creating swirling tempests that although they might be stunning to look at, are extremely dangerous. Venturing into these fast moving rivers or trying to cross them is not something that is wise.

Yet in our lives, we can find ourselves standing the midst of a river that is very turbulent with swirling tempest like life events or circumstances. We did not chose to venture into these dangerous and life threatening waters and yet we find ourselves desperately trying to cross over to the safety on the other side of the river. Somehow these overwhelming life events throw us into the fray and we are left looking for someone to come to our rescue. Here is the remarkable truth of our faith … the same Lord who bids us to come to the quiet waters as our Shepherd, now plunges into the swirling tempest that surrounds us at this time as our mighty Savior. He comes to steady and save us.

When we are surrounded by the surging rivers of life, it is not the time to be overwhelmed by the deepness of the water or frustrated by the strength of the flow that pushes against us. This is the moment when we should reach for the Savior who gracefully lifts us from the depths of the tempest around us. He will come to us with His steadfast love and far-reaching grace in the midst of the swirling waters.

It is such a blessing … to have both a Shepherd who bids us to come to the peace that only He can give along the quiet waters of life but also a Savior who comes at our calling and plunges into the fray to steady us through the swirling tempest and to carry us to safely by His love to the other side of the river. What an incredible Savior we have!

Come Lord Jesus, come … Come in the midst of this swirling tempest in my life. Come and steady my feet and my heart … to trust in your love, as you take me across this river.

Suggested Reading … Isaiah 43

P.S. I wrote this devotion thinking about my dear cousin , Carol Fuller, who is battling major medical difficulties. This passage from Isaiah 43 will be my prayer for her during this time.  I will pray for our Savior to come in the midst of the swirling tempest and steady Carol’s step in the rushing waters as He brings her to health and safety.

He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. For he knows we are but dust and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, blown by the wind and gone forever. But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him! (Psalm 103:8-18)

To remove something … requires both the authority to bring about any removal and the ability to carry out the action of removing the offending, irritating, obsolete, broken or useless article or thing. There are also times when people are removed from positions, roles or even relationships because of many and varied reasons and again, what is needed is both the authority and the will to remove the person and the ability or the plan to bring about the removal.

Our sin is offensive and painful to our God because of its damaging distancing effect and its ongoing consequences to our relationship with Him as the sin separates us from His perfect will and plans for our lives. Sin irritates our God because it takes us from the place of blessing and it puts us in the place of being a transgressor. Sin breaks us and it breaks hearts and lives around us as it lingers and damages other relationships as diverse as our daily work relationships to our friendships and families. Sin can leave us in difficult, sad and lonely places with little hope or promise in the future.

Yet it is here, in the damaged and separated place that the mighty God with a mighty love comes both to remove and redeem. It is God alone who has the authority to remove our sin and it is His love alone, which can carry out the removal of all our sin throughout all of our days. He does not just remove our sin as if to push it out of the way or set it aside in such a way that we might be facing it as a daily reminder of our foolishness or stubbornness but He casts it an incomprehensible distance away. We may deal with some consequences of our sin but His forgiveness is complete and total. He can do this and He does this, because of His enduring and steadfast incomprehensible love which exceeds the incomprehensible distance He has removed our sin from our lives.

What an amazing God we have! For He loves us with an amazing incomprehensible steadfast and enduring love! What an incomprehensible grace we have! A grace given both in our salvation and in our loving God’s continued redeeming of every sin and failure by His incomprehensible removal of our sin by casting it an incomprehensible distance away from our lives. Praise and thanks be our Heavenly Father that loves us with a love we cannot really comprehend.

Suggested Reading … Psalm 103