Avoiding Clogs
I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
….for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
….But let them not return to their foolish ways. Psalm 85:8 NLT
John 17:13-21 (<<click here to read the passage)
Intersecting our property is a ditch that drains water from the fields across the road from our home. Not quite halfway through our lot, it veers onto our neighbor’s lot and from there it eventually flows to a very large pond that sits quite a way back behind us all.
On that side of our lot, we maintain to where this ditch crosses onto our neighbor’s property. But there’s a problem, over the last several years the ash trees on our land have all died due to an insect infestation. More recently some of them have fallen inhibiting the ditch from draining as it should. Over the years heavy rains have pushed leaves and branches down the ditch where the trees have fallen. In so doing they have clogged the flow of water. Water still gets through, but it backs up pretty badly.
Periodically I put on my boots and grab my handy garden rake and begin pulling out great piles of leaves and other debris. It’s the only way to open up the blocked ditch allowing it to flow freely once more.
In reading today’s passage my Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation had some inspirational thoughts about verse 17,
Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. v17 AMP
A follower of Christ becomes pure and holy through believing and obeying the Word of God.
For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 AMP
He or she has already accepted forgiveness through Christ’s sacrificial death.
It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens; who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice]. Hebrews 7:26-27 AMP
Unlike my drainage ditch, which gets infrequent attention, and clogs up regularly, it is imperative that we daily keep our spiritual channels clear of debris. By daily applying God’s word to our lives, it purifies our minds and hearts. If we skip days or weeks, the debris of sin begins to choke our spiritual growth. We need the Word’s benefits of pointing out the sin in our lives and then we can address it through confession. In so doing our relationship with Christ is renewed and we can live our lives more fully in Him and for Him.
Lord Jesus, may it be so!
Oct 20th, 2021, Wed, 5:36 pm
A Lesson from the the Wizard of Oz
Though it has been quite cool the last couple of mornings, Father, the days have been glorious! Thank You for Your consistent beauty. The world in which we live can seem upside down, but Your creation continually reminds us of Your might and sovereignty!
John 17:6-12 (<<click here to read the passage)
Out of curiosity last week, I began reading L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He actually wrote several “Oz” books, and the plan at least is to read them all. We will see. The movie, featuring Judy Garland as Dorothy, was a favorite of mine in my youth. (I remember being upset one year with my cousin Mike because he wanted to skip watching the classic and instead watch football!)
One thing I will say after reading a little over half of the book is that Hollywood definitely took a very generous portion of dramatic license in making the film. I’m interested to see how the book finishes up in comparison.
One major piece of the puzzle is to see who the Wizard of Oz turns out to be. In the movie, he’s a guy from Kansas who got blown off course in his hot air balloon and ended up in the Land of Oz. His “wizard” persona was all staged. It wasn’t real. He was an OK guy, but a lot of people were led to believe he was something that he was not.
In the first part of verse 6 of today’s passage Jesus says,
“I have manifested Your name [and revealed Your very self, Your real self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world…” AMP
In our world today God is quite often misrepresented. Our world, especially, and even many churches have taken a very generous portion of dramatic license and have made God into the being we think He should be.
What we as believers need to strive for is to follow Jesus’ lead in that He has manifested God’s name. In other words, Jesus showed evidence of the reality of God. He proved who the Heavenly Father was by the way He lived. I love the way the Amplified Bible puts it when Jesus says of His Father, “I have…[revealed Your very self, Your real self]… – emphasis mine
How often by the way we live do we mislead people in how they perceive God? How many times do we point others to follow something that is nowhere near who He really is? Our own preconceived notions lead the way. And just because they are what we were taught growing up, doesn’t make it OK, if they do not accurately portray His character.
Lord Jesus, help us to seek You out…Your very self…Your real self. May the reality of You guide our every word and action. May we point unswervingly to who You really are! Amen.
Oct 19th, 2021, Tues, 6:30 pm
Fix My Thoughts
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
….He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
….from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11 NLT
(I’m struggling tonight, so thought it best to share a past post. I pray I am back in a proper mindset tomorrow!)
Philippians 4:8-9 (<<click here to read the passage)
Lord, how appropriate this passage is today. Our world is so full of distractions. Sometimes they are innocent enough, but they take time that is designated for other more important things (Facebook!) Sometimes they play on our weaknesses and lure us into things that are detrimental to our relationship with You. Sometimes these things are subtle, a harmless show – then a commercial pops up and that seed is planted in our mind. Sometimes our own minds truck down the path of destruction. A brief thought pricks our mind and we dwell on it, we mull it over…and look at it…examining it from different angles. You send warning flares up and we turn our backs. Before you know it we are up to our necks in trouble. So how do we avoid this oft-repeated scenario? We’re “fixing our thoughts” in the wrong direction.
Through Paul, You tell us in the passage to “fix our thoughts on what is true…admirable.” We are to “think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” What goes in is what’s going to come out. We can’t expect to put garbage in and to get purity out. A nice clean glass of pure water can be ruined with just a pinch of dirt. Help us not to soil our hearts.
Then also we are called to “fix our thoughts on” good stuff but if we don’t put it into action how are we the better for it? Just as sin can flutter thru our mind and if we reject it and don’t act upon it – we’re good. But if we play with it and act on it – we get hurt.
Just as sin impacts us this way Paul’s list can impact us, as well – or not. Good can flutter thru our mind and if we reject it and don’t act upon it – we either hurt ourselves or others by not running with what positive and encouraging things could have come out of our actions.
It is much more, “it” being our fellowship with You and the outcome of that relationship, it is much more than good thoughts. Action is a requirement. Long-term impact in our lives and in the lives of others depends on us acting on Your guidance and direction, as a result of filling our hearts and minds with what “is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.” When we “think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” and put those things “into practice” then that’s when You, Lord, “the God of peace will be with [us].” And again it’s a “peace that passes understanding.” Thank You, Lord, for Your love and patience as we learn to follow You.
(June 3rd, 2015, Wed, 7:11 am}
Oct 18th, 2021, Mon, 8:52 pm
Mission Accomplished!
The less green ground area is part of what we cleared.
It was good to be outside for a good part of the day, Father. Thank You for the ability to do so. Thank You for good companionship, as well. I am blessed!
John 17:1-5 (<<click here to read the passage)
We have a decent parcel of land here where we live. We have a little over 5 acres and probably maintain a little over half of it while the other portion is wooded. Most of what we keep up is toward the front of our lot. But there is one area in the middle of our lot that Karen mows once the ground dries from spring rains (parts of our land lie wet a good part of the year.) I call it our glade.
Often looking back from our bedroom window, I will see deer, or possibly turkeys, and I’ve seen a fox, as well! But no one else can really see it, in that there is a line of trees most of the way between our house and the glade.
Anyway, this weekend Massey and I decided to work on cleaning up some of the edges in that over time trees have fallen and wild rose bushes have begun to infringe upon the glade. So, we spent a good part of the afternoon, pruning back trees, picking up limbs, moving fallen trees, and mowing back brush that was creeping in.
In the end, we accomplished the work that we set out to do and it will be much easier for Karen to mow on a regular basis.
As I have shared numerous times that one of my favorite passages of Scripture is Ephesians 1:4,
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. NLT
God does nothing last minute. He is a planner and does so well in advance. Before our world ever existed, His plan was already in place for how we in our eventual rebellion would be reconciled to Him. We are so extremely valuable to Him that His plan involved sending His only begotten Son to live amongst us. In John 17:4 Jesus states,
I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. NLT
He taught us and set a living example being our eyes so that we could be reconciled to God. He was readying Himself to return to heaven, having completed the task set before Him. His ultimate goal was to extend eternal life to His followers. He clearly stated.
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. v3 NLT
It’s not complicated. All we have to do is to know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ…not know of them but to know them to the nth degree, giving our whole lives over to God. And that is how we find joy and peace, not just in the here and now, but for all of eternity! Amen!
Oct 17th, 2021, Sun, 7:38 pm
You Lift Me Up
Thank You, Father, for an uplifting time of food and fellowship with pastors from the Gideons of our region tonight. I needed the interaction and was fed both physically and spiritually!
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Lord Jesus, tonight I am physically and mentally done in. Dividing and transplanting some peonies before and after lunch, and then partaking in the pastor’s appreciation event earlier this evening has left me drained physically. And mentally the events that have transpired throughout this week – work, preparation for services Sunday, writing each evening, the struggle of familial health issues, and then loving a cherished member of our family – have all left me mentally worn out as well.
So, here I sit drained. At this moment, I feel that I have nothing to put out that would be of any benefit to anyone.
Yet, I will place myself at Your feet. I will give myself over to You.
As I sit here this evening, even with the nourishment of fellowship, I feel the need for more. And gracious as You are, You bring to mind a song to lift me up and encourage me.
Here is a familiar hymn – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – sung by one of my favorite Christian artists, Chris Rice. It is simple and rich all at the same time – especially that last verse! May it uplift you as it has uplifted me.
Oct 14th, 2021, Thurs, 9:19 pm