Month: May 2013

Luke 6:38 (NIV) “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Here in Luke, Jesus is telling us how to live. A generous life of giving is a life full of fruit. Touch one person, impacting another then another. It goes on and on and on. Your gifts are not limited to your money or treasure. We have been indoctrinated into a culture and society that believes money is the only gift of worth. I believe it is the only gift that has temporary value. It may cost you something – but not part of your life. Your time is the precious commodity that may not have a great gratuitous response, but it will have a lasting impact on its recipient. It’s a precious slice of your life sacrificed in obedience to the One who commands us to deny ourselves. Remember, Jesus said “He who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

We all should have boundaries, fence lines, guardrails that we set up for ourselves. They protect our lives, but more importantly, our souls. These guardrails direct our life’s journey to “a narrow path” which leads to righteousness and peace.

Guardrails are specific to each person’s walk with Christ. Though there may be similar guardrails from one person to another, each person’s journey with Christ travels along an individual path. Our personal boundaries or guardrails should not be shared, coerced, or forced upon others.

Scripture gives us many examples of guardrails; Job made a covenant with his eyes not look lustfully upon a young woman. (Job 31:1) When we marry we create a major boundary restricting our fidelity to our spouses. Proverb 4:23-27 lists several guardrails for acquiring wisdom and prosperity spoken from the perspective of a father to his son;
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Other than God, we are the only ones that know our hearts. Where and when they stray, their strengths and their weaknesses, and their joys and pains, and how they react to liberty and restriction.

In the beginning, God had only one commandment of restriction “do not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” I believe God also gave us a commandment of provision and blessing. When he created man and woman he said “be fruitful and multiply.” I would consider this a great deal of freedom. Discipline your diet and curiosity and fill the world with children for my glory! Incredible freedom! Unbelievable liberty! Nonetheless, we know how Adam and Eve handled that freedom. Bummer!

“Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is found there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Jesus Christ represents a new covenant that gives us freedom from the old covenant of laws, rules, regulations, and condemnation. A new, glorious, everlasting covenant that makes us right with God through the shedding of Christ’s blood. Through Christ we have been set free from sin, but have become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). We can no longer continue in selfishness and sin. You either do God’s will or your will, God things or selfish things. The guardrails you set up will help keep you focused on Kingdom work and eternal matters.

Paul says in Phillipians 4:4-7:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(from a personal devotional July 9, 2009)
Isaiah 55:9 says “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV)

In Psalm 139 David says Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (NIV)

Our passion, our heart’s desire should be to know Him more. But, we are vapor in the midst of Him that is Eternal. How can we that have finite sinful thoughts even begin to grasp His pure and holy infinite mind? How can we that are His creation touch Him that is holy, uncreated? Even our speech and our senses are limited to operate in this physical world. He created the heavens and lives in the secret, holy place beyond them. He is Holy! Even the essence of His name we are not worthy or capable to understand or utter.

We serve an awesome God! He is love. He is faithful. He is true. He is gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.

David cried out to be purified by our Holy God. He wanted the trials to come. He wanted God to put Him through the refining fire so that He would be made worthy in the sight of God. Even without the testimony of Christ (as we have today), David had intimate knowledge of God’s infinite way and feared Him above all things.

I believe one of the great mysteries of our growing faith is that we love and desire to draw close to He that we fear the most. Scripture says “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) As we seek Him, I believe we are constantly growing in our faith and the perfection of our love for Him. This love will drive out all doubt and reliance on human intelligence and instinct. O Death! Where is your sting?

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandment, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

O Great God lead us in the way everlasting! Blessed be You Name. You are the Lord! There is none like You! You are good!