Walking Thoughts

See how he scatters his lightning about him, bathing the depths of the sea.
Job 36:30

He fills his hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark.
Job 36:32

 
He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them.
Job 37:11

He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies , great bolts of lightning and routed them.
Psalm 18:14

The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
Psalm 29:7

His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
Psalm 97:4

"What does God want me to do here?!?! I really want to go... What's His will??"

"Does God really want me to have this?? I really really want it! But, does He? I dunno!! I can't tell!!!"

"It's not God's will for me... I think... I want it too much, sooo that can't be God's will. Or is it? It makes sense, but I really want it so is it me?"

"No way do I want to ever do that, and I never will... yeah God says I should in that verse... but, it's not me, I just wouldn't feel comfortable doing that."

How many times have you found yourself asking these questions?  Personally, I've lost track of the many times I've posed similar inquiries.  Many times we complain how God's will is elusive and unclear.  Honestly, we are amiss when we blame God for the confusion that is entirely due to our own lack of faith.

In the above examples, the common thread is a cloud of emotion.  First let me say there is nothing wrong with emotions.  Emotions are a God-given gift, we are creatures of emotion.  We were made to be able to express joy, gladness, patience, kindness and all fruits of the Spirit.  But we also have the ability to express worry, anger, guilt, and sadness.  Our desires are expressed in emotion, our thankfulness to God is an emotional expression, outward and inward.  "Then don't trust your emotions, disregard them," right? No, don't allow your emotions to control you but bring your emotions in line with God's word and promises.  Let Him be expressed in your emotions - stop trying to determine His will by and through your emotions, rather, read His word, pray, watch, wait.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.
Psalm 37:5

When we let our emotions become a factor in our decision-making, we run into problems.  Because emotions are fickle, and we have very deceitful hearts, emotions can turn good desires into idols.  When we cloud our mind and eyes with choices spurred by emotion, we cannot truly step in faith because the cloud of emotion casts shadows of doubt on our path.  Take for example Peter, when he walked on water to meet Jesus.  He was focused on the Lord seeking Him, purusing Him, but then he looked around and began to fear.  God wanted him to come out to Him and do this amazingly impossible feat, but Peter's fear made Him question what he was doing.

"Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14:29-31

Emotions are a response, and if we let our emotions become the choice determing factor than ultimatley we are making a choice based on whatever it was that caused that specific emotional response, whether it was God directing us, or the deceitful desires of our heart.  If you're anything like me, it's near impossible to tell whether it is a God-directed desire or the desire of my flesh...  So you see in the above examples, emotions were making it difficult to discern God's will.  In every example, it could be that God wanted them to go, have, or do, but because they were using emotions to determine God's will in the situation, it was unclear.  They could never completely act in faith because their emotions kept them questioning.  Don't be deceived, however, of the Lord's love and care for us. God knows our frailty - He made us to be emotional and if He gave us the ability to feel, He knows the struggles we have.  He gives us wisdom and grace freely!

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.
James 1:5-6

Yes, emotions will always be present, and they will always be influenced by God's awseome grace as well as our own sinful desires - so take it as a given, and then trust God, seek and pursue Him earnestly.  Focus on God and let your emotions be determined by what you see in Him, rejoice!  Confirm His will in your emotions rather than justify His will by emotions. 

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
1 Peter 12:13

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
- Jim Elliot

"Grace is given to heal the spiritually sick, not to decorate spiritual heroes."
- Martin Luther

An elderly lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, she found four males in the act of leaving with her car!  she dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun.

She preceded to scream at them at the top of her voice, "I have a gun and I know how to use it! Get out of the car, you scumbags!"  The four men didn't wait for a second invitation but got out and ran like mad, where upon the lady, somewhat shaken, proceeded to load her sopping bags in the back of the car and went back and got into the driver's seat.

She was so shaken up that she couldn't get her key into the ignition.  She tried and tried and then it dawned on her why!  A few minutes later she found her own car parked four or five spaces further down.  She loaded her bags into her car and drove to the police station.  The sergeant to whom she told the story nearly tore himself in two with laughter and pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale white males were reporting a car-jacking by a mad elderly woman described as white, less than 5 feet tall, glasses, and curly white hair carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

When it comes down to it, everything in life boils down to two options - to either glorify or dishonor God.  In every situation we are presented with, in every trial, every success, in every opportunity to speak or stay silent, we are given the option to willfully glorify God or bring Him dishonor by pursuing our own agendas driven by selfish motives. 

Indeed, every moment is an opportunity to bring glory to God.  Whether you're playing sports, doing the daily grind at work, cramming for a test, joking around with friends, toiling over household chores, sitting around doing nothing, or even sleeping, you can glorify God.

Not just in the big trials or victories in life, but in the small annoyances and small successes - in the "insignificant" things in life... do you find yourself dishonoring God by grumbling or puffing yourself up in pride, or do you glorify God in a sacrifice of thanksgiving?

Colossians 3:1-3 says,

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

To truly live that out today, we would do everything in the light of the Gospel.  In the light of the Gospel, all things, whether done, not done, spoken or left unsaid, show the world the value we place on the good news of Christ's work in our lives.  If we set our minds on His grace and really acknowledge the unfathomable depth of His love, we will be moved to honor Him by loving Him and following His commandments.  I know that when I take the time to meditate on the mercy He's shown me, I realize that Christ has my life hidden with Him in God - that is,  Jesus Christ holds the life of a vile sinner full of evil with Him in God... because He loves me.

Now since my life is with Christ, when I live today, everything that I do is a representation of that hidden life - in everything, will I choose to glorify and magnify the Great Redeemer, or dishonor His name with words, deeds, and thoughts from which He died to deliver me?  All too often I find myself choosing the latter - yet I know His unending love and grace will give me another chance to get it right with the help of the Holy Spirit leading me into His righteousness.  His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit will give me the ability to choose to glorify Him with my life in praise and thankgiving.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17

I do everything on my computer at work. From pulling reports, updating client information to writing letters - I do it all on the computer.


The other day, however, one of my coworkers gave me a form to fill out that wasn't on the computer. I had to use a... *small gasp* typewriter!! Some of you youngsters reading this blog probably don't even know what that word means, but it's a machine that people used to type before computers.


Well the typewriter, you see, is very unforgiving. If you make a typo, you have to toss the whole document and start over - at least that's the way mine was here at work.  I was dreading the task of typing up this form because all my previous attempts at perfection had failed. Several months ago I spent three hours typing and retyping one letter!


It dawned on me, however, that this typewriter had a spool for correction tape. All I needed to do, was to find some correction tape. Fortunately, they had some extra in the supplies and I was able to install it.  Knowing that the correction tape would be there to cover any mistakes I made gave me the confidence to type freely without fear of my imperfection. In a two-page long document, I only made two errors, whereas the letter I spent three hours on was only half a page! To know that my mistakes would be wiped away freed me from having to measure up and allowed me to type with less errors!


This experience reminded me of God's grace. His mercy and love shown on the cross is the correction tape for our lives. The typos we write everyday in our actions and words has been stamped out by the flow of His blood.  Knowing that He will always forgive, always love, always show mercy and grace gives me the freedom to live without fear and condemnation from my imperfections, iniquities... and even transgressions.


Correction tape is a ribbon with a white film. When you hit the "correct" button, the ribbon comes up and a portion of the white film from the ribbon is stamped onto the paper completely covering the black mark/blemish on the page leaving the ribbon marred where it was stripped of it's white finish. Isn't that what He does with us?? When we confess our sins and ask His forgiveness, the grace of God comes up wraps us in his white robe of righteousness completely covering our dark, sinful blemishes, iniquities, and transgressions transferring them all to the cross where the only Perfect One was left marred. Trying to live up to the standard of perfection on my own ability, I learned how far off I really was - I'm speaking of both the typewriter and living by the written letter of the Law. But, with the knowledge of grace freely available, abounding greater as errors increase, I do not have to live in fear of my failures but I can rejoice in being able to see Christ working in me to complete the perfect work He began in me on the day of my salvation and completed on the day He was resurrected.


Such grace... spurs us to live godly lives, to desire holiness. To have the confidence to not fear sin and walk in uprightness in the fear of the Lord.


If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9


And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:16


For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it -- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.
Romans 3:20-25

I was sitting in the waiting room at my doctor's office, fighting sleep and listening to the music that was streaming through the ceiling speakers. The song was Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin (originally by Bob Marley). He sings in a Jamaican accent and really is rather comical.


With time on my hands, I listened to McFerrin sing about a situation that could cause worry and sorrow, yet he always came back to the responsory refrain, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." The verse wisely reiterates that "in every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double." But still, "Don't worry, be happy."


The more I thought about it though, if the quality of your life is based on this life, and this life has its troubles, then what is there to be happy about? The song didn't provide a reason for happiness, or hope for something better. As Christians though, we have been given eternal life (yes, it begins from the moment we confess) and we have the joy of heaven in our hearts today, right now! If He has given it, don't be afraid to take it! If that's not reason to be happy or not to worry, then there is nothing in this world that will ever suffice.  Yes there will be situations in our lives that are just rotten, but our joy is not dictated by our troubles nor our successes!


Yet we still struggle with our flesh, so don't discourage yourself more when you do worry or don't feel happy. Just remember what Jesus said.


"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33


"This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
John 5:3-5


Jesus Himself has said don't worry!


"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:15-34


And not only does He say don't worry, He tells us to be happy!


"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Luke 10:19-20


"Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven"
Luke 6:23


No matter what happens, take time to realize who your God is; sovereign, powerful, loving, good and kind. Find your joy and the reason for happiness in who He is and what He is doing/done in your life. There's no need to worry today when Jesus is the author of tomorrow. When you're discouraged, or have doubts, look to His word and... don't worry, be happy!

"If Christ does not reign over the mundane events in our lives. He does not reign at all."
--Paul Tripp

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And 'If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?' Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
1 Peter 4:12-19

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me."
John 15:18-21

"I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you."
John 16:1-4

"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:11-13