Soar, Run, and Walk
“Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.”
Looking back over the past year, feelings of gratitude are mingled with regret. Gratitude for how our Heavenly Father has sustained us and carried us through, and possibly regret over missed opportunities or mistakes. The spectrum of emotion varies equally regarding our outlook of a brand new year. From wide-eyed wonder and expectation of great things for some to melancholy indifference for others, the scale of hope is as varied as there are people.
For our timeless Creator, speculation and questioning of the future are invalid pastimes. Unsurprised by the events of past years, and fully involved in our futures, He offers instruction, correction, and hope to each of us, His children. In Isaiah 40, the prophet declares the Lord holds all the oceans in His hand, can measure the heavens with His fingers (v12), and never grows weak or weary (v28c). In contrast to Himself, He is fully aware of our weakness and weariness, and gives “power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” (v29)
For this new year, the Lord has proclaimed a resolution and a promise. A directive that is deeper than the normal resolutions we make to eat better, exercise more or give more. This directive is to set things in order – clear away the clutter that distracts or encumbers, fill in the low and empty places of doubt and anxiety, bring down the high places of pride and snares, straighten the curves of deception and lying, smooth out the rough areas of our tongues and jesting, and walk in the truth. (v3-4) This call to action is a revisited invitation to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, and it also accompanies a promise.
New strength is promised to those who trust in the Lord. (v31) Becoming weak, tired, and exhausted in this life is a reality for each of us, but the One who is everlasting and does not grow weak has promised that we will soar, run, and walk. When considering the new year resolutions, let a renewed trust in our Heavenly Father, to be all He says He is, motivate our outlook and planning. With His mighty power, gentleness, and providence, we can soar, run, and walk throughout 2022 and beyond.
Giving Thanks No Matter How I Feel
“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”
Thanksgiving is intrinsically rewarding as graciousness is practiced and reciprocated. Even more so for the citizen of heaven who has a treasury of blessings to rejoice in. Yet in the expectation of a thankful heart, there is the chance of discouragement to damper the atmosphere as a year’s worth of disappointments, difficult circumstances, and spiritual warfare is recounted along with the good times. How does one reconcile the heaviness of their feelings with the truth of God’s generosity, goodness, and grace?
The tendency when the warfare comes is to somehow take the weight it on ourselves and subtly begin to think it is a result of something we have caused. That thought grows into a determination to work harder, right the ship of our feelings, and essentially snap out of it. Even more, heightened during holidays like Thanksgiving as family and friends arrive and expect everything to be rosy. Hopefully, the spirit of thankfulness is not being sapped away because of the warfare, because of the difficulties, because of difficult people, because of self- condemnation.
There is so much encouragement for the child of God in the third chapter of Galatians. “After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?... You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you." (Galatians 3:3, 29 NLT) The reality of our identity, regardless of how we feel, is that we are children of faith. Our feelings don’t change who we are or who He is, and we can rejoice in this truth and offer thanksgiving that we are His.
Our Choice
“But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. “Kill him!” they shouted. “What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord ’s name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?” And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple.”
Reading through Jeremiah, it can be difficult to get into the headspace of God's people at that time as they were being attacked and taken. It is easy to discount their continued disobedience and rejection of Jeremiah's ministry as simply rebellion. But they were real people going through life much the same as we are with a constant choice between obeying the Lord and doing what is culturally acceptable.
Jeremiah was prophesying of the Babylonian captivity and it was indeed happening, but the false prophets were declaring it would all be over in two years. Through Jeremiah, God said multiple times that He did not send them, so where did these leaders get this? Perhaps it was all premeditated and schemed, but more likely they believed it. They had worshipped idols for so long that they didn't know the truth anymore. Their hearts were hard, but they were continuing with life and spirituality the way they had defined it.
The declaration of Jerusalem’s destruction pierced their soul because Jerusalem was where the very presence of God resided, in the temple in the Holy of holies. The idea that God would destroy this city was something their ears couldn’t reconcile because they were caught in a system of false worship and religion. Like a nationalistic response of patriotism, “This is God’s country. We are His anointed, this can’t happen!” But God did send the Babylonian army and he declared those that were taken into captivity would be preserved.
There is a lot we can learn from this passage about the surprising ways and methods of our Heavenly Father to accomplish His purpose. However, when we look at God’s people in the days of Jeremiah, we see hey had redefined worship, spirituality, and obedience into something perverted and humanistic. The messages he was sharing were difficult to hear and reconcile with how they thought God was going to deliver them. But the truth is the truth and it has been declared throughout the Bible. Yet when we begin to value anything above the Truth-Giver, we begin to redefine things in an incorrect and unholy way.
In 1 Samuel 15, when King Saul is confronted by Samuel about not completely destroying the Ameliktes, he responds, “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. "I carried out the mission he gave me." Saul had redefined obedience for himself because of his pride that was manifested through fear of the people.
In what ways have we customized the truth of the Bible to fit our lives, beliefs, or philosophies? Jeremiah’s message was not popular or easy, but it was from God. Those that went into captivity would be protected and thrive for 70 years until He would bring them back to the land, whereas those that sought to stay and overthrow the King of Babylon would be destroyed. The encouragement from Jeremiah is to choose to believe and obey God rather than the religious elite, a movement, or the culture.
Thankfulness Opens The Door
“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.”
What does God desire of me? Men have tried to answer this through the ages. Religion has always been about people trying to answer this question with their own reasoning. Liturgies of sacrifices, rituals, readings, meditations, self-flagellation, and penance have developed by people trying to please God. As sincere as they may be, these practices don’t bring our Heavenly Father honor.
In Psalm 50, the Lord declares, “all the world is mine and everything in it.” (v12b) Our God, “the Mighty One,” does not need anything from us - He is complete, whole, and sound. He owns all the cattle, birds, and animals across the earth, so He did not institute animal sacrifice because He needed them. God gave the sacrificial system to the Hebrews because it is good and points to Christ's new covenant. He says in this psalm, “I have no complaint about your sacrifices or burnt offering you constantly offer." (v8)
God is always concerned with why we do things more than what we do. It’s good to give to God, but not because He needs it. As citizens of Heaven, we give to Him because we love Him and trust Him. We recognize He is the Giver of our very breath and provision. We see God’s heart in Psalm 50:14 - “Make thankfulness your sacrifice…” God wants a relationship with you and me. He gives us everything, none of which we deserve, but do we ever thank Him? We have all thanked God at one time or another, but this is about a willful, intentional heart of thanksgiving as we walk with God day by day, moment by moment.
When I give presents to my kids, it is never with the intention that they would do something for me. I love them, and I want to bless them. If their response is one of ungratefulness and vanity, how does our relationship grow? We are not walking together and sharing together. Likewise, the Lord continues to bless us every day, and much nobler than we could ever be, He is always there to talk with us and receive us. He doesn’t accept my offering because He is running a little low this week, nor receive my worship songs because He lacks for musical expression. Jesus loves me. He wants to abide with me.
We come back to the question: what does God desire of me? Our Heavenly Father wants a relationship with us. He wants us to talk to Him, bear our souls to Him, and share our fears, doubts, joys, and successes with Him. Thankfulness opens the door of our hearts so we can abide together.
“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”
Soul Talk Through Psalm 42
“Through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”
There are times of great distress and discouragement for all people, whether they are a citizen of Heaven or not. As lovers of Jesus, we can fall into the trap of thinking we need to be happy and blissful all the time, but that is not reality. We are blessed because we are children of God. We do have joy in the Lord because of His grace and mercy towards us. But we don't always feel that way.
In Psalm 42, the psalmist wrestles with his own soul, and what is recorded is a brutally honest discussion of faith, truth, and feelings. He begins with a declaration of his longing for God. "As the deer longs for streams of water...," is an invocation for a greater desire for the Lord. We sing these lyrics in our worship services and Bible studies in agreement, but possibly not understanding the rest of the psalm. The deer is thirsty because of a lack of hydration, and likewise, the author is writing from a place of difficulty and deficiency. Taunted by enemies, the anguish of soul, regret over what was and is no longer, deep discouragement, tumult and raging seas, feeling forsaken and cast off – all of these make up the context of his thirstiness and longing for the Lord.
We also see a resolve to worship the Lord amid the storm. "[T]hrough each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.” (Psalm 42:8) We can choose to worship the Lord by faith at any time. In fact, every time we lift praises to God, it is an act of faith because we have no control over what will happen. It feels more comfortable to raise a song to the Lord in times of plenty, but it is by faith regardless. Do we choose to praise the Lord in times of peril and dissuasion?
Finally, we see a faithful determination to be hopeful through discouragement. “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!" (Psalms 42:11). Twice in this short psalm, the talks to his soul. It shows a faithful determination to not succumb to the storm, the opposition, or the depression. How often do we simply let the raging seas of emotions in our souls carry us along without applying the reasoning of faith to hope in God and offer praises to Him?
We don’t hear of God’s salvation taking the psalmist's enemies out, rebuking the seas, or answering his questions. But we do hear his longing heart, his resolve to worship, and the hopefulness of a man who knows his God's character. Have you talked to your soul lately?
Stand Firm: A Choice To Rest
“Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.”
Our mighty God is sovereign over everything and He knows the beginning from the end. When he declares what will take place before it happens, the hearer can know for certain that events will transpire exactly as He stated.
In Isaiah 7, the Lord states that a pending invasion would never take place, but to the king, He added, "Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm.” This does not mean that the defeat of the invaders was dependent on the faith of the king for God had already declared what would happen and that the invading kingdoms would not succeed. This exhortation was for the king and the wellbeing of his mind – the choice to worry or to rest.
As citizens of heaven, we are often faced with anxiety, whether it is from an external assault or an internal attack. God’s plan and actions are not dependent on us or our faith, but usually, our trust and peace of mind are an act of faith. The king had the choice to continue to fret and agonize about the threats of the enemy, or he could choose to exercise faith in what God had said would happen and be established in his heart. The encouragement for us is to trust in the promises of God regardless of the surrounding circumstances we are in. God’s plan will come to pass, but unless our faith is firm, He cannot make us stand firm in peace and rest. Establish in your heart today to trust what the Lord has told you, and rest in Him.
Growing In Faith
“Be not afraid, only believe.”
As citizens of heaven, we are called to a life of faith. Faith in our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally, but who also requires faith to please Him. Jesus is the master teacher of faith and trust, always leading people past the signs, miracles, and works to a further revelation of Himself. When Jairus came to Jesus in desperation over his ailing daughter, he sought a quick healing work, but the Lord delayed. This delay was not a mistake or an act of indifference; it was not an inconvenience to Jesus to minister to this young girl, but it was an opportunity to grow Jairus in faith.
Jesus showed compassion to Jairus and sought to give him hope. He knew the little girl had already died and that the news would soon come to her father by foot. By bringing attention to His healing power through miracles and a woman’s simple touch of His robe, the Messiah could comfort Jairus with the truth of who He was. The messenger would soon bring news that it was too late, but Jesus’ words were, “Be not afraid, only believe.”
The Holy Spirit is always working, moving, and ministering, but we don’t see Him every moment of the day. Similarly, the Lord uses specific moments to tell us, “Be not afraid, only believe,” and it is always at the time we need it most. At the appointed time, Jesus led Jairus back to his home and restored his daughter to him. This is the word for us today; whatever we have going on right now, the Lord wants to inspire us, “Be not afraid, only believe.”
Ice Cream Is Good For The Soul Sometimes
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
I received this story via email sometime ago. I have no idea if it is true, but it illustrates simple truths about prayer and our Father in Heaven.
Last week I took my children to a restaurant and my six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. Amen!" Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why I never!" Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him. An elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart," the man replied. Then in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes." Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then he picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman and with a big smile, he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already." The End
Let us put Matthew 21:22 in action by praying and believing with childlike faith. We can learn a lot from our children.
Passion
The concept of “passion” is a compelling one to meditate on. Am I passionate about the Lord? What evidence is there in my life that would show I am passionate for Him? In Luke 19, Zacchaeus was so changed by meeting with Jesus, that he was passionately moved to make restitution for his dishonesty as a tax collector. In Luke 7:37-38 “a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”
Passion is often characterized by overpowering emotion, and yet the action that follows the emotional response is far more significant and enduring. Jesus did not respond emotionally in most situations, but His life's aim and purpose show He is the most passionate man who ever lived for He endured the cross for me. (Hebrews 12:2) Passion is directly related to our constant realization of what God has done for us. (Luke 7:40-48) When we understand we are forgiven, passion for Jesus is a natural result.
There are so many distractions for us today: busyness, anxiety, relationships, and the sensational. One of Satan’s great tricks is to get us distracted from the reality of Jesus’ love and redemption, and there is a tendency over time and repetition to become mechanical in our worship. Jesus rebuked and exhorted the Church of Ephesus in Rev. 2:4-5 over the same idea – “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works…”
It is needful for us to continually return to the Gospel, to the cross. Every day we need to remember the passion Christ has for us, displayed by dying on the cross. Contemplating His great sacrifice, our response will be one of passionate worship, adoration, and changed behavior.
Motivation
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
The Corinthian Church in Paul’s day was quite dysfunctional. They were very active in the gifts of the Spirit, yet they were allowing sin and false teaching to go unchecked. Paul’s letter was one of instruction and reproof. In 1 Cor. 15:58 Paul gives us a great truth: “knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” What awesome motivation this is for us to continue in our faith. “Therefore” takes us back to what Paul wrote in the Chapter:
Jesus has risen from the dead. (v20) Therefore, our labor is not in vain because everything He said and taught is true, and He is coming again.
We are going to heaven. (v51) Therefore, our labor is not in vain because this life is not all there is to our existence, and we are citizens of heaven.
I am going to get a glorified body. (v53-55) Therefore, our labor is not in vain because we can use these bodies, “tents,” until they are all used up.
We have victory in Jesus, both presently and future. (v57) Therefore, we can continue to be steadfast and immovable, knowing our labor is not in vain because we win!
We are going to be rewarded. (Col. 3:23-24) Therefore, our labor is not in vain because it will be rewarded.
Success in life boils down to faithfulness. Have I been faithful with what He has given me? Why am I doing what I am doing? God’s value system is so different from our own, so let us seek Him that His desires would become our own; that He alone would be our motivation.
Is our labor in vain? Should we continue? “We shall see His face, and His Name shall be on [our] foreheads… And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” (Rev. 22:1-4, 12)
Are You Content To Be His?
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ”
What is it about our flesh that wants to earn our way to heaven? Why do we sometimes believe the notion that our favor with God can be increased or diminished by good works? What a snare it is when we get our eyes off of Jesus, and on to anything else. If our enemy can get us distracted from our source of hope, faith, comfort, love, and strength; then we become easy targets for his attacks.
The Bible says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV)
Let us be content to be His workmanship! We don’t need an identity of our own; we need His will for our lives. His love for us is beyond measure and His plans for us are good. Rest today in His unmerited good favor towards you; let the surety of His Word and salvation bring clarity to your mind.
Citizen or Captive?
“When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among us there. Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.”
How many times do you feel distant from God? Maybe you have been obstinate, or even rebellious. Or perhaps you just haven’t felt as connected to your Heavenly Father as times past – not over as a particular sin as much as just life and circumstance getting in the way. There can be a tendency to think we need to “make things right” with the Lord before we can worship Him. This is a subtle lie of our enemy to keep us from devotion.
In Psalm 68:18, David writes, “you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you.” This is an encouraging thought: the Lord led a crowd of captives, the Israelites, through the wilderness and received gifts from rebellious people. This speaks of the grace of God, His willingness to be with and receive worship from captives. We can come to Him. We can offer gifts of praise and honor, even though we have been rebellious. We only need to turn to Him and repent, and that repentance can happen instantly if we are resolved to surrender.
In the 19th verse, David speaks of the faithfulness of God, “For each day he carries us in his arms.” Not only does the Lord lead us and receive us, but He carries us each day. How often do you feel alone and burdened by trials and difficulties? The truth for every citizen of heaven is that our Father is carrying us; He is with us through the storms and through the pain. With eyes of faith, this fact is accepted and the life-giving connection with the Father is experienced.
Believe God
“But Abram replied, ‘O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?’”
We've read about Abraham's many acts of faith, even called the "Father of Faith" by some. In Hebrews 11, he left everything and moved his family to an unknown destination because the Lord told him to. We recall his act of obedience to sacrifice his only son on the mountaintop found in Genesis 22. Even in Genesis 15, he is recorded to believe God and counted as righteous because of his faith.
It would be easy to elevate Abraham in our minds as someone above us, higher than us, and somehow different than us because of his excellent displays of faith. However, Genesis also records his failures. From lying about his wife Sarah to having a child with his wife's servant, the Bible does not lie about his shortcomings.
Even after believing what the Lord told him in Genesis 15, we see he still questioned the Lord in verse 8, “how can I be sure that I will actually possess [the land]?” This passage and many others show he doubted and failed. Being a man of faith is about believing in what God says despite doubt and failure. If being “righteous because of [your] faith” is about being without doubt and failure, then it would be dependent on me.
A common covenant in those days between two people was to bring animals (Gen. 15:9) and split their carcasses in half. They would lay them out and then walk a torch between them to symbolize and finalize the covenant. God told Abraham to get the animals and divide them, but then put him to sleep before he could finish his part of the contract. But God sealed the covenant Himself by passing the torch between the halved carcasses while Abraham slept. (Gen. 15:17) This divine act was a symbol to Abraham that God would make his descendants as the stars in the sky. (Gen. 15:5) God would do it. Abraham’s part in the promise was to believe.
Believe God.
Abraham is recorded in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith because he believed God, not because his acts of faith outweighed or outnumbered his doubts, failures, or lapses of faith. His story comforts me because I have received from the Lord, believed, and walked in faith, but I have also doubted and failed as well. Our doubts and failures don't write our story, but our faith in Jesus does. Of all of those saints recorded in Hebrews 11, none were perfect and without fault, but they believed. As the Lord has told you, accept it and walk in obedience towards it.
How Can This Be?
How can I be a citizen of heaven, who was once an enemy of God?
“You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ”
How can I be a citizen of heaven, who was once an enemy of God? This question is a doubt that plagues many of God’s children. Innate within us is a tendency to believe anything untrue about who we are. The truth is we were once dead in our sins but are now alive in Christ because of His rich mercy. (Ephesians 2:1-4) The moment we surrender the reins of our life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we are grafted into His family and become co-heirs with Christ.
A citizen has access to their country and government; likewise, we have access to heaven and God. As citizens of heaven, we can boldly come to the throne of God because of the sacrifice of Jesus. As citizens of heaven, Jesus Himself has prepared a place for each of us. This citizenship is sealed by the Holy Spirit and cannot be revoked.
Our identity is unchanged by how we feel, what others say or slander about us, or even by our mistakes. There is nothing, nor anyone, that can separate us from the love of God. As citizens of heaven, we have a hope that is sure, an eternal home, a place personally designed for each of us.