Lord of Good and Bad Days

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I read just about anything I can get my hands on. A lot of times it means I read stuff I don’t understand. A little while back, I read a couple of books by astrophysicists explaining the origin of the universe. It wasn’t easy reading, let me tell you. I understood so little of it that, afterwards, I thought, why bother? However, there were a couple of things that really got my mind in tune with God—just how immense and powerful He is!

Consider this:

The Hubble Space Telescope has sent images of faint galaxies to earth, which astronomers believe to be twelve billion lightyears away. For all you mathematical types, that’s 12,000,000,000 X 6,000,000,000,000 - in case I got the numbers wrong, that’s twelve billion times six trillion miles!

Or how about this “little” fact. There is a star out there that has a diameter of 100,000,000 miles. The star even has a name, Betelgeuse. It’s the ninth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in Orion’s constellation. Just how big is that? Well, if you put Betelgeuse at the center of our solar system, it’s surface would go beyond the asteroid belt, perhaps beyond the orbit of Jupiter. That means it would engulf Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars!

By now you may be rolling your eyes as I did while reading the books. But please hold on, there is a punchline. Why is the universe so immense? Why is it so vast, virtually unmeasurable? Let me offer two suggestions; one practical and one pastoral. Practical: For all intents and purposes, the universe has to be as large as it is in order to sustain life as we know it. Pastoral: The universe is so vast in order that you and I, daily stunned, can be stirred with the realization that the Lord of the universe is the Lord of my good and bad days!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Unstuck

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

How about some good news today! Here it is. You are not stuck, you can change! 

You are not stuck with today’s personality. You are not stuck with your anger. You are not stuck with bitterness, which my dear Mother called “grumpydom.” You are not stuck with pessimism. Even if you have worried every day of your life, you’re not stuck to worry the rest of you life. Are you a liar? You needn’t die one. 

By the way, where do we get the idea that we can't change? We hear excuses about it all the time. Things like: “It’s just my nature to …” “I’ve always been …” or “I’m just that way.” Who said so? Think about it for a moment. We would never conclude, “It’s just my nature to have a broken arm, I can’t do anything about it,” would we? Of course not! Just like there is help for our broken bodies, there is help for our wounded, sinful hearts. That is good news! You don’t have to live another moment with a sour attitude or experience another selfish tirade. 

If you think that you can’t change, simply remember ol’ Pete — the Apostle Peter, that is. Impetuous, explosive, liar, betrayer! But he didn’t remain that way. The answer for him is the same for us; go to where Jesus is and get close to Him. Make yourself available to His life-changing power!

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Put on Christ

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I recently went to Disneyland and it was surprising how many people dressed up for the occasion. Mouse ears, T-Shirts with a Disney character or logo on it, and princess dresses, there were thousands of them—it was obvious that Frozen’s princess Elsa was the favorite!

It got me to thinking, I wonder if God cares about how we are dressed? Apparently He does and the Bible tells us exactly the kind of wardrobe God desires of us. The apostle Paul told the Roman Christ followers to, “…clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and forget about satisfying your sinful self” [Romans 13:14].

He also wrote this to the Galatian Christ followers, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” [Galatians 3:26-27].

It’s obvious that what I’m talking about has nothing to do with haute couture. Neither is it a matter of denim, cotton, or silk. It is a heavenly garment that only heaven can give, but its beauty is visible to all. 

I watched and heard several children that day, as they pointed to something being worn by someone else, “Mommy, Daddy! I want one of those.” I wonder if our garment is so enticing that others want to wear what we have on!

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD. My soul shall be joyful in my God for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness… Isaiah 61:10

Guard Your Heart and Mind

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

For whatever reason, some Christ followers do not guard the door of their heart and mind, and their lives are trashed out. Let any riffraff come to visit, and they throw the door wide open. Anger drops by, and they say, “Come on in.” Bitterness needs a place to stay, they’ll pull up a chair. Pity arranges a party, they’re all in, and they invite many friend to boot. Lust rings the door bell, and they change the sheets and fluff the pillows. Have we forgotten how to say, “NO!”?

And what about those pesky thoughts! The thought of thought management is, for some, unthought of — pardon the pun. Maybe it’s time to start thinking more about our thoughts. We think about time management, weight management, and some even bother with scalp management; so why not think about our thoughts and manage them too. 

Guard your heart! Guard your thoughts! Like a trained soldier at a post of duty, stand guard over your heart and mind. Be watchful and alert to every subtle tactic of the enemy to infiltrate your life. Dress yourself in the armor of God to resist the enemy in the day of evil [Ephesians 6:13]. I particularly like The MESSAGE Paraphrase of that verse:

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. 

Yes, you are up against a formidable enemy. But do not fear, dear Christ follower. Stand as a sentinel in strong faith, and make no room for the enemy. We are more than conquerers through Christ who loved us [Romans 8:37].

Be sober, be vigilant; because your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith… 1 Peter 5:8-9

Bitterness Prison

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Bitterness is like a prison. Walk with me for just a moment and see what the dungeon of bitterness is like. 

The walls are slippery with resentment.

The floor is a sludge of anger.

The stench of betrayal burns the lungs and stings the eyes.

The fog of self-pity forbids a view of the exit.

Victims of bitterness are chained to its walls. 

Bitterness is like that, a dark, deep dungeon that welcomes you inside. It’s easy to go in, isn’t it? You’ve experienced enough hurt that you can, if you choose, be sentenced to a life-term of bitterness. 

Paul exhorted the Ephesian Christ followers to rid themselves of bitterness. It’s an exhortation we need to hear and practice as well. Perhaps your bitterness began when you experienced a hurt of some kind: an unkind word, physical or emotional abuse, an unwelcome sickness, a loss, et al. 

The best thing that we can do is to lay aside the hurts before they become hates. It’s a choice each of us has to make if we want to stay out of “Bitterness Prison.” It’s easier said than done, but we are aided by the Holy Spirit of promise to do just that. 

Dear Christ follower, please remember that what you have is more important than what has been done to you. You have Christ. More importantly, He has you! And like the old George and Ira Gershwin song says, “They can’t take that away from me.” 

Let all bitterness…be put away from you… Ephesians 4:31

Beyond Your Wildest Dream

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

This weekend, I’m speaking at a memorial service for one of our congregants who has received her eternal reward. It’s one of the many responsibilities of a Pastor, and one that, for me, helps to keep my mind from wandering too far from heaven. “Heaven is a wonderful place; I want to go there…” — words to a song we used to sing many years ago. 

It also reminds me that we often get accustomed to the false securities of earth. Rest on this earth is not rest. Beware of those who would have you think that you will find ultimate happiness here; your happiness is just a diet away, a marriage away, a job away, a toy away…

Instead, remember that the Lord is preparing a place for YOU! Try to imagine it, if you will. A perfect place; absolute peace, true holiness, meaningful work, perfect praise, the presence of our God and Savior, and much more! Do you have have it firmly fixed in your mind? 

OK, now exhale, smile, and remember that no one has ever imagined [it hasn’t remotely entered into the heart of man] “the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” [1 Corinthians 2:9]. 

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3

With All Your Might

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Everyone knows a few of them. You know, little maxims or anecdotes that are held in your memory vault. Things like: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Or, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” One of my favorites is this one: “One good deed is more valuable than a thousand ideas.” 

It’s great that our heart has many useful ideas, but it really does no good unless those ideas are carried out in the real world. The wise Solomon wrote, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” [Ecclesiastes 9:10].

Many Christ followers miss out on blessings because they are waiting for greater opportunities or a different kind of work, rather than the things they “find to do” day by day. This is a great place for another maxim: “There is no time like the present.” We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; this is what we have to deal with, the present. Now is the time to serve the Lord, dear Christ follower. And if you are going to do it, serve Him with a joyful attitude. [See Psalm 100:2] 

Serve the Lord; serve Him now, but be careful how you do it. Remember, Solomon said, do it “with all your might!” Whatever it is that your hand finds to do, throw your whole soul into it. And if you think you’re incapable of doing it, remember His strength is made perfect in our weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9]. 

Here’s something that may help you serve the Lord wholeheartedly today. The Christ follower’s strength is in the Lord, so:

Seek His help

Proceed with prayer

Work with faith

Having done these things, the things “your hand finds to do” will not fail in their effect! 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1Corinthians 10:31