Whatever is lovely...

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Php 4:8 

 

The biblical principles that we can learn to follow are outstanding for living a successful life.  How often do our minds tend to run toward the negative and the thoughts of doom that go round and round and round, robbing of us sleep and joy.  The battlefield for our joy and peace, and indeed for successful outcomes in life, is in the mind, and often because of our "stinking" thinking, we can abort our potential success.  A scripture so relevant to teach us this principal is:-

 

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Pro 23:7

 

I struggled for many years, with a very low and poor self-esteem, believing that I was a waste of breath, and it took the Word of God and His truth, to break that stronghold in my life when constantly mediating on God's thoughts about me.  This changed my whole outlook on life when I began to realise that God has a plan for me.  I was not superfluous but that God actually had me born for a reason, and that reason has been slowing unfolding as I continue to walk with the Saviour.

Our mind and heart are closely intertwined, for the things we constantly think on affect our emotions.  Think about this.  A marriage starts off with great dreams and promises, and in the course of life, the dream quickly fades.  Why?  Because quite often we begin to see the things that annoy us in our spouse and we think about these and begin to get disgruntled.  This reminds me so much of the principle Jesus taught us in Revelation in speaking to the church of Ephesus.

 

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, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Rev 2:4:5   

 

Remember and do.  Often a marriage can be saved when a spouse can take the initiative to remember the good things that attracted them to their spouse and to begin to show the love they first had when they began to date.  Focusing on the good things, particularly the spouse's great attributes and the blessings of being in the marriage will turn the heart around.

 

It is so imperative for us to mediate on the truth in the Word of God, as scripture is able to show us the thoughts and intentions of our heart.  The light of the Word brings out those things hiding in the dark caverns of our heart, all those things in us opposed to Godly truth, that hold us back from living in the freedom God wants us to have.  Therefore scripture is clear that we are to:-

 

cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2Co 10:5 

 

Our thoughts come from our hearts which is why scripture clearly tells us to "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." (Pro 4:23) 

 

Jesus often challenged people's thinking.  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? (Mat 9:4) and this is why Jesus, extended the commandments from the physical action to the thought life, (i.e. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" to even if a man lusts after a women in his heart, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Often the physical act is the outcome of the seeds of thought that began in the heart and are mediated upon.

The loveliest thing we can meditate on is the Word of God that reveals the heart of the Father toward us through Jesus Christ His Son.

 

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. Psa 40:5 

Come, follow me.

Come, follow me

 

What does it mean to really follow Jesus?  The disciples left everything, their livelihood on one command from the Rabbi, to follow in His footsteps and Jesus calls us to do the same.  It's an invitation of honour that the Creator of the Universe calls and equips His followers, to do and to be what He was and still is today, a rescuer and healer of hearts.

Jesus warned us that to follow Him will come at great cost, especially to our flesh that wants to cater to our will, our emotions and our desires.   How many times have I heard myself saying, "What about me, what about my needs?"   Yet, we are to have a new focus, not on ourselves, but on others and on Kingdom living.  What a challenge, but Jesus promises that the rewards of this kind of selfless living, is in fact, the way to find life.

 

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  Matt 10:39 

 

How gracious is our Saviour.  When we consider all He gave up, His Heavenly glory, to come and dwell amongst us and even whilst He was on earth, He was heard to say that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. He was not caught up on all the external, temporal physical things of life but on the eternal.  He did not demand even His own right to a peaceful, quiet existence, locked away somewhere in a monastery but was out there every day, amongst the people, healing, teaching and loving, all the while knowing that His ultimate sacrifice was the laying down of His life upon that cross on Calvary.  Yet His Life and sacrifice has touched humankind throughout the ages and will continue to do so for all eternity. 

 

Those who are touched by the Saviour desire to follow Him.  As He changes us from glory unto glory, we are willing to surrender our selfish living bit up bit, piece by piece,  to be salt and light in the world.  I'm so thankful to Him that the Holy Spirit brings us into Holy Living by degrees as He gently teaches us and brings to light the things in our heart that are not pleasing to the Father.  It is only through this, and walking in the Lord's footsteps that we become, and desire to become, more like Him.  Hence the second part of that invitation by Jesus, "and I will make you...."

 

He certainly makes us, and remakes us, until we become as He purposed us to be, "fishers of men" by bringing glory to Him in the Kingdom way of life.   It is when we become more like Him, that others will desire what we have, and will also look to the Saviour to the peace that surpasses all understanding. 

 

Jesus is the only way to real life, eternal life and abundant life even in the midst of the storms and trials of everyday living.  His is the road to walk, the path that is narrow, but brings satisfaction and wholeness to the soul.  He leads us on, upward and onward towards a glorious future in Heaven with Him for eternity.

Rooted and Grounded in Love.

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3: 17-19

Love! Do we really perceive and understand the love that God has for us? Are we rooted and grounded in His Love? Does our belief in His Love keep us in the storms of life, or do we waver in faith, tossing between, "He loves me, He loves me not."

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8

Do you see the qualifier in this scripture for God's love? There is none, we were still sinners, yet God in His grace, mercy and love for us, saw beyond the sin to what we could become, righteous through and in the Jesus Christ our Saviour. God reached out to humankind and Jesus came to earth because of their pure love for us. So often in life we are taught that love is conditional but God's love isn't like human love. His love transcends this and He loves us purely because He is love and He made us in His image.

We need to understand His Love for us and indeed, we need to grasp onto, and hold onto, the fact that He does love us. His love for us is unshakeable. His love for us is everlasting. His love does not waver, it cannot, and it is always constant for Love is His very nature, the essence of who He is.

Interestingly enough, God tried to demonstrate to the nation of Israel His love for them though the prophet Hosea, when He commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute and love her through thick and thin, even when she returned to her prostitution.

Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans." Hos 3:1

Hosea was to buy her back and love her again. So often we can think that if we do something wrong God won't love us. I've had someone tell me that he was too bad, too awful for God to love Him. This is not so. God loves us in spite of ourselves, but His Love for us means that He cannot leave us in that state, so He gently lifts us up out of the miry clay and we become more like Jesus as we look to Him.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER."

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:35 -39

No matter what life throws at us, our confidence in the love of Christ, will keep us strong and stable. As Paul experienced, God's love and His knowledge of that love made him a conqueror. Mediate on the love of Christ for you. His love will liberate you from all fear. His love shed abroad in our hearts will produce in us the same unconditional love for others. Draw your nourishment for everyday in the confidence that God loves you. He really loves you.

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jer 31:3

One thing.....

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear. The LORD is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid."

David begins this psalm with a declaration that God is His light and salvation and His deliverer. Therefore his heart can remain steadfast in his confidence no matter what circumstances surround him; he need not fear.

The reason for this confidence is that fact that David seeks after God.

"The ONE thing I ask of the LORD - the THING I seek most - is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and mediating in His temple". (Ps 27:4)

One thing...

It is in this single-minded fellowship, where we find ourselves, who we really are and what is really important. It is in this communion with Him, where we seek His face, that we become bold and confident even in the face of adversity, that God is our help and that we will overcome in His Loving arms, and so the song of joy and victory will arise in our hearts.

"My heart has heard your say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." Ps 27:8

What an incredible invitation that the LORD extends to us. The Creator of the Universe and our Maker, this awesomely Mighty God who runs the universe, calls us to come and sit with Him and chat!!! How can we not respond to this amazing God, whose welcome mat is out and His ear is open to our cry? We don't even have this welcome from the rich and famous, or royalty of the earth, yet our Holy Father says, "Come child, come on in". God always has time for us.

David's priority in life, and indeed ours, should be - seeking God. God has promised those who seek Him"-

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD." (Jer 29:12-14(a))

When we seek God, we begin to know Him and His ways better, as He throws the light of His revelation into our hearts. Experientially as we walk with God, we see His faithfulness manifest in all our situations.

This is the second reason for David's confidence - his meditation upon the nature and character of God. When we consider God's incredible LOVE for us, that He was willing to give up His most precious Son, how can we not be moved to trust Him with our lives and situations? God knows exactly what is best for us, (even if we don't think so at the time) and, as we know, He has a plan for each one of us. The bible tells us that it is a "good plan", a "hope for our future." (Jer 29:11) When we consider God's power, that He holds the universe together by the power of His Word and can fold up the heavens like a blanket, how can we not trust Him with our everyday struggles? We can call on His aid, day or night, it makes no difference to a God who does not slumber or sleep (Ps 121:3-4), and whose door is open and never shurt. When we consider God is Righteous and Just, we can leave justice in His Hands for the things that have wronged us and know God will have an outcome that will turn evil into good. We just need to trust Him with the whys and ifs and maybes, for God surely has an answer for us.

Therefore in everything we can confidently claim with David:-

"Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD's GOODNESS while I am here in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD" (Ps 27:13-14)

Can you hear that? The sound of joyful and confident expectation, the hope and shout of victory! Most "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD FOREVER." (Ps 23:6)

Dependency upon God.

As my husband was driving us to church this morning, I was quietly praying and preparing my heart to meet with God and asking for His presence to be upon me and the church. I muttered, God do You know how much I need you?" and the question came back, " Do I know how much I need you, Lord?" It is quite one thing to know that we need God, and we do, but to what extent is that need? I would dare to say it is a great need.

Jesus said that we must come to the Kindgom as a child, (Matt 8:13) and in fact, unless we are childlike in our faith, we will no means "enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Children have such simplicity of faith. They do not stress out asking where the next meal is going to come from or even their next pair of shoes. They rely totally on their parents' ability to supply their every need and are depended upon them for love, acceptance and self-worth. Do we trust God like this and are we dependent upon Him in this way?

Even Jesus, Son of God, in His humanity, depended upon the power of the Holy Spirit and on His Heavenly Father. Jesus, surrendered His every waking moment to the Father, to walk in the path of obedience doing the Father's will on earth.

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." (Joh 4:34)

Even the very words He spoke came from His reliancy upon hearing from God and proclaiming His message to broken humanity.

For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I shoud say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (Joh 12:49-50)

Our times are in God's hands, so in a sense, we are even dependent upon God for our next breath. He has given us our talents and abilities which we can either use to glorify Him or glorify ourselves. We grow up and develop out talents, but do we consider, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (Jas 1:17)

David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned a "Messianic Psalm" wherein it was declared,

"O my soul, you have said to the LORD, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You." (Psa 16:2)

If Jesus was so dependent upon His Father in Heaven, how much more should we be? I want to come like a child to the Father and rely on Him more and more every day, so that, more and more, He can use me to do His will and that His name will be glorified in my life.

True humility begins when we recognise that apart from Him, we can do nothing of everlasting and eternal worth.

Hope in God

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

Hope, what a powerful state of mind. Hope is what people need to navigate the ups and downs of life, yet so many live without hope in the world and so many souls are cut short by choice because of the feelings of hopelessness. Christians should be people of great faith and abounding hope.

Faith and hope are closely intertwined and are two sides of the same coin. When we have faith in God and His promises, hope rises in our hearts, even as an eagle rises up on the updrafts of the breeze, to soar into the future with confidence and joy. Life is out there to enjoy when hope fills a heart and so it is that our hope in God and His promises gives us light, bouncy steps, even in adversity.

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your hearts, All you who hope in the LORD. (Psa 31:24)

I love the way that David, killer of giants, could pen so much about the hope in found in God, when so much of his life appeared to be in a state of hopelessness. Spending much time in the wilderness, running away from a king determined to kill this young, ruddy youngster who stood against and defeated Goliath, David sets his heart and eyes upon God. The giant who defied the whole army of Israelites and left them quaking in their boots, was killed by a young boy with a large heart of hope in God and a single stone flung from a child's sling.

Goliath had hope in his strength and height, and cocky he was too, but he was no match for the faith and hope in "the LIVING GOD" residing in the heart of this shepherd boy.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. (Psa 33:18-22)

What giants have you quaking in your shoes?

A marriage that seems hopeless?
A wayward child?
Financially broke?
Divorced?
Family who wants nothing to do with you?
Unsaved loved ones?

There is an answer in God for every one of these giants. Put your faith and hope in God and strengthen your heart in the fact that God is forever watching over you and He will never leave you nor forsake you, and if you listen to Him, He can change the outcome of every situation, and you will be able to say with confidence what David said:-

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the Help of His countenance. (Psa 42:5)

And, hope does not disappoint. (Rom 5:5)

Agape Love

"and the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13)

It is so true that God is the God of Love and we know this because He demonstrated "His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(Rom 5:8) This really is an amazing thought for humans who, on the whole, cannot demonstrate this kind of "agape" love, yet it is the quality of love that God calls us into. The bible is very clear that we love God, because He first loved us. (1Jn 4:9) Before Christ, our love is mostly self-centred but when the Holy Spirit comes into our heart, He sheds His love in our hearts for others. (Rom 5:5)

The world confuses love for sexual expression (eros love), but true agape love has nothing to do with physical attraction, but is the emotion that seeks the welfare of others before oneself. This is so evident in the life of Jesus, who went about doing good and destroying the works of the devil, (Acts 10:38) not demanding His own rights as God (Php 2:6) or His own way, but who continually lifted up others, even to His own physical detriment (Mar 3:20), the finale of this being the cross.

Christ showed us the full extent of His love when He stretched out His arms willingly on the cross to carry the weight and depravity of our sin so that we could come back into the loving relationship with the Father we were designed to have from the beginning of creation. He taught us the significance of loving others even though they do not share the same values, culture or even colour of skin. We are called to love like this, to lay down our life for others, even as Christ laid down His life for us. This kind of love is only possible when we keep ourselves in the love of God. (Jud 1:21)

How do I continue to love others, preferring them to myself, being kind and patient, not irritable but quick to forgive and keep no record of wrong done against me? Challenging!

The answer, I believe, is found in this amazing declaration of Christ.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Faither will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (Joh 14:23)

When we have a deep revelation of how much God loves us, we do not find His commandments burdensome to keep, and in obeying Him and receiving His overflowing love, there comes an automatic outflow of love towards others.