He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not...

Remember that silly game? What  a trivial way to assess someone's love for another!
And to measure another's love on nothing more substantial than the number of petals on a garden flower...or the random throwing of dice....

Talk about missing the point. Talk about trivializing a truth of great importance....well, that was
me and my friends when we were growing up (back in the dark ages).

I started thinking about a reunion we hosted recently, a re-gathering of the church members of the small inter-denominational church I grew up in -- folks we had known decades ago and had not, in most cases, even seen since.

Everyone brought pictures of their families, their homes and pets and awards, all brought out of their
purses or pockets with "bragging rights."

"And this is our granddaughter. She is 16 now. We are so proud of her! She's in the honor society!"
"Here's a picture of my grandson in his baseball uniform. He loves baseball and leads his team in scoring!"
"Oh, here's a picture of my son -- he's a doctor, you know -- and a professor at UT Medical."

On and on. "Bragging rights."

It is easy to notice that each person comments only on the good things about his child or grandchild.
Maybe there is also real concern and maybe heartbreak in the picture, too. Maybe that young girl's
friendships are leading her down a slippery path into drugs. But that story is not told.

Maybe that young boy is often disobedient and disrespectful to his parents. Maybe there was a loud and angry family row just as they were leaving to come to the reunion.

We don't know -- because, of course, deep down every person displaying their photos are exercising their "bragging rights" and they are proud and loving of their children.

They are not remembering their grievances and disappointments. Like a fine painting, their loved ones are being displayed in the best possible light.
Now that I am older I see that much of my life I have labored under the misconception that God is, if not angry, then disappointed in me. That He looks at me, not with pride, but with my faults on His mind.

I see it differently now. God is not filling His mind with petty thoughts about my failures. He is not
keeping a list (we are told in I Corinthians 13 that a loving person does not do that, and God, is, above all, a loving God).

He loves us (me). Really, really loves us (me). He's proud of us (me).

He is gracious, seeing all those evidences of His grace in my life. He truly loves me.

Now I think I understand Job 1:8 when God challenges Satan: "Have you considered my servant Job?"
God was exercising His "bragging rights."

And Zephaniah 3:17:

The LORD your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

The picture is perfect: a mother quieting her baby with a soft lullaby.  Expressions of delight and love
cover her face. (Even if he has a dirty diaper!)

That's God. He loves us. He really really loves us. He is not filling His mind with our failures. He
delights in us just as He delights in His Son.

Now that I think about it -- what about Hebrews 11 -- that list of faithful God-honoring people that God calls to our attention. They were, none of them, perfect. Many were very far from perfect.

But God is relating their faithfulness and the things He brought out, produced, in their lives. The righteousness of His Son -- shining through their sinful, selfish lives.

                His desire is to lavish His love on us (I John 3:1)
                He is our Father and loves us even as He loves His Son. (John 17:23)
                His plans for our future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11)

Have you considered My servant, Job?

              God's bragging rights include me!

WOW!

God Hurls!

Hurl - to throw or fling with force or violence, to cast down, to overthrow.



Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
                   Micah 7:18-19

Notes:

1. The prophet's name, Micah, actually means "Who is like Yahweh?" Here, in chapter 7, verses 18-19, he asks the question rhetorically: Who is like our God?  There is no one like our LORD - no other god, no other religion is like ours - the religion of grace and forgiveness!

2. He delights to show mercy. Not grudgingly, not hesitantly, not in response to our begging and pleading. It is in response to His very nature - He delights to show mercy.

He is not a reluctant forgiver. He is eager to apply the sacrifice of His Son to our lives. He is joyous in His forgiveness.

3. He hurls our sins away! This word picture shows us a God who
vigorously throws our sins out of sight - he doesn't just drop them over the side or even pitch them out to sea - He HURLS them - like something to be rid of and forgotten forever.

Corrie ten Boom once said about this passage, "And then God put up a sign saying, 'No fishing allowed!'"

She said this because she knew we have a tendency to 'go fishing' in that vast sea of forgiveness, attempting to drag up some past sin and renew its guilt in our lives.

We are not as serious about appropriating God's forgiveness as He is in extending it!

Instead of living in the sunshine of God's love and forgiveness, we too often live under the shadow of guilt.

That's a sign of unbelief - and unbelief is a sin that especially saddens the heart of God.

After all He has done to give us peace with Him - TODAY - focus on His forgiveness -- repeat the gospel to yourself all day! (After all, it is the good news!).

Get serious TODAY about receiving God's gift.

YES.... TODAY....RIGHT NOW.....


    And remember, "No Fishing Allowed"!

Blessednesses

My favorite verse today!  It's the answer for everything!

  "Blessed are those who have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted near a stream with roots that reach deep into the water. They are not bothered by heat or drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

 Perfect, right?

The first word is 'blessed.' It means 'supremely happy and fulfilled.' In Hebrew the word is actually plural -- there is no singular form. It describes a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them.

It is also the first word of Psalm 1, and so opens the entire Psalter. (Certainly fitting for the readers!) That verse could have been, correctly, translated, 'Oh the blessednesses of the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.' (Psalm 1:1)

And it's in His Word, His law, that we find our 'hope and confidence.'

What are we compared to? A 'tree planted' -- purposefully, intentionally situated by the Master Gardener! We are not wild bushes that sprang up after a spring rain for a short life of painfully seeking moisture and nutrients. We have all we need to thrive and produce abundant fruit!

And that's not all. Look at Isaiah 61:3. He plants us, not as solo trees, but with others and so 'They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor!'

He has purposefully planted us where we are -- for our good and His glory! To 'display His splendor!'

Where are you planted? Look around you -- we are right where He planted us -- for our good and His glory! To display His splendor!

(Reminds me of the old phrase: 'Bloom where you are planted!')

I can't think of a better way to start the day!

Being Transformed and Renewed

                                                          

                                                      Being Transformed and Renewed

"Be transformed, by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2)

When the Spirit renews our minds, all of life  becomes an act of worship.

That's because the Spirit not only opens our eyes to see who Christ really is, but also breaks our hearts to see who we really are.

And rather than this being some deathly experience of unending humiliation, seeing ourselves as broken and in need of a Savior actually liberates us.

It frees us from self-absorption and throws us on the mercy of God with joyous gratitude and love.

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own  mercy, by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." (Titus 3:5)

                                                                   *****                                     

Now all of life has become an act of worship - every moment - every day --

The Revival in Wales

 

I am doing some research on a famous revival -- the revival in Wales 1904-5 -- dozens of books written about it, seminary classes devoted to teaching about it -- church history texts with many chapters written about it --  probably the most famous revival since Pentecost!

Likely started in a youth group -- over one hundred thousand people came to salvation in Christ in less than a year and peoples' lives dramatically changed forever!

As a result? Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business!  Judges and attorneys reported that many courts were closed because of lack of law suits -- jails were emptied...general lack of criminal activity....and miners had to re-train their mules! 

Seriously! It was reported that most mules had been trained to respond to vulgar  commands and cursing! Repentant miners didn't want to use that language anymore and so the mules had  to be re-trained. Articles in newspapers gave helpful hints on how to re-train those 'stubborn" animals - really! The mules, and mulers, had to learn a new vocabulary!

We could probably use some new vocabulary these days! Let's pray for revival, but not just for the mulers!

We used to sing this revival hymn -- "I will pour water on him who is thirsty.  I will pour floods upon the dry ground - open your heart for the gift I am bringing -- While you are seeking Me I will be found!"

We are certainly dry and thirsty for Truth and Goodness these days!

We need a revival!

A prayer for revival today: "Lord, please pour out Your living water upon us and through us. Let us be fountains everywhere we go. May Your light and joy that shines within us overflow and slip over into everyone we have contact with today! Revive us, O Lord!"