Oh, The Choices!
A day of labor, Father, not at my laptop but of a physical sort. Thank You for the strength to do such things. May I never take such things for granted for there will come a day when they will be much more difficult and eventually when they won’t be possible at all. Amen.
Luke 12:8-9 (<<click to read the passage)
One thing about living in our society is the fact that we have lots of choices. Or maybe these words might drive home the point – oodles, gobs, loads, scads, a slew, or tons. Cereal aisles for instance. Isn’t it crazy?!
Out of curiosity I went onto Kroger’s website and looked up how many different kinds of cereal they have available. They had 17 pages of cereal from which to choose! There was a total of 391 different results! It blew me away! And that was just the cold breakfast cereal choices! That’s just one example!
Books, games, cars, restaurants, watches, even underwear – you name it and we have all kinds of choices from which to choose!
Have you bought a Bible recently? There are more translations than you can shake a stick at and then you have to decide between a slew of study Bibles, regular or large print, paperback, hardback or leather (which includes imitation, goatskin, calfskin, calf split, cowhide, French Morocco, genuine and bonded leather!) It’s just too much!
With Jesus, it’s quite a bit more sane. You don’t have to choose one color from the 152 count Crayola Box! (Here’s the list!) With Jesus, it is black and white. It’s either His way…or it’s not.
Today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel reads,
“I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. Luke 12:8-9 NLT
Our choice is a simple one – acknowledge Him here on earth or deny Him here on earth. Whichever one you pick; it will be done the same to you. It isn’t complicated.
For more clarity, my study Bible (a hardbound, standard print, Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation!) has a great list to help us understand what it means to deny Jesus or to acknowledge Him.
We deny Jesus when we
(1) hope no one will find out we are Christians,
(2) decide not to speak up for what is right,
(3) are silent about our relationship with God,
(4) blend into society, and
(5) accept our culture’s non-Christian values.
By contrast, we acknowledge him when we
(1) live moral, upright, Christ-honoring lives,
(2) look for opportunities to share our faith with others,
(3) help others in need,
(4) take a stand for justice,
(5) love others,
(6) acknowledge our loyalty to Christ, and
(7) use our lives and resources to carry out his desires rather than our own.
Black or white…what will you choose?
July 14th, 2020, Tues, 7:22 pm
Sparrows
Father, what a beautiful day! The life that is seen and unseen all about me gives me cause to lift Your name in praise! All praise be unto You, God Almighty!
Luke 12:6-7 (<<click to read the passage)
Sparrows… Have you ever seen one? That’s a silly question. There are found in Northern Africa, Europe, the Americas and much of Asia. They are seemingly everywhere! In reading an online article from Smithsonian Magazine that was speaking of where this small, seemingly insignificant, bird originated, it stated, “…the house sparrow depends on humans to such an extent it might be more reasonable to say it is native to humanity rather than to some particular region.”
For a good many of us, sparrows are where we are. But honestly, we hardly think twice about them.
My Aunt Ruby recently shared the reflections of a friend of hers regarding sparrows. And it caught my mind’s eye in that she said that they don’t provide food for us, they don’t sing lovely melodies, they aren’t vibrant with color. Really, why should we even be mindful of them?
Do you ever feel like a sparrow? Just one insignificant person amongst the billions of people across the globe. Most of us are not flashy. Most of us lead a rather hum-drum existence. We are here for a few years and then we are gone. Do many even notice our coming or going? Some do, yes, but all in all we are but a blip on the radar of a vast humanity.
And we are not alone. Even King David, 3,000 years ago, wrote,
I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop. Psalm 102:7 NKJV
As David did, you may feel like a sparrow but take heart! Jesus said,
“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Luke 12:6-7 NLT
You may be one amongst billions, but God knows you! And most importantly, God loves you more passionately than you could ever imagine!
Of course, all of these thoughts bring to mind an old hymn (Surprise!) It is entitled, His Eye Is on the Sparrow. It was written by Civilla D. Martin with music by Charles H. Gabriel back in 1905. Here are the lyrics and a video rendition of it sung by one of my favorite Christian artists of all time, Larnelle Harris.
Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He.
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy;
I sing because I’m free.
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear;
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fear.
I draw the closer to Him; from care He sets me free.
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy;
I sing because I’m free.
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
July 13th, 2020, Mon, 7:27 pm
Tunnel Vision
What a full day it has been, Father! I kept control on almost every front, but I know that You are by my side encouraging me all along the way. Help me to be attentive to Your direction in all areas of my life. Amen.
Luke 12:4-5 (<<click to read the passage)
An issue that many of us deal with as we traverse the dusty paths of our world is tunnel vision. I’m not speaking of the physical issue some deal with where they can only see what is before them and suffer from a lack of peripheral vision but a metaphorical tunnel vision.
Take high school students, for example. Over time this has become a more acute observance of mine. It has been magnified in that I have been around that particular age bracket more in the last year and a half.
All the pieces and parts of high school are exceedingly important to many of them. It controls most aspects of their lives. Besides home, and possibly church, that is where they spend the vast majority of their time. And if they are active in any extracurricular activities, the time commitment is even greater.
This past year was very problematic for many students, seniors in particular. So much was taken from them because they essentially lost 3 months of normalcy. No normal school routines, no spring sports, no prom, no graduation, no real closure to a big part of their first 18 years of life. Our school did a great job in making the best of a bad situation and most students were grateful but…it just wasn’t the same.
For many of us, that part of our lives is extremely important. We participate in the activities. We get the class ring. We put the money into the school jacket. We buy the yearbook. We fork out the cash for tuxes and beautiful gowns. And of course, we can’t leave out the time, effort, and resources for senior pictures.
There is nothing wrong with any of it. Taking part in those aspects of life gives us great fulfillment and wonderful memories but what happens for many students within a few months after graduation? The school jacket hangs in the closet. The yearbook collects dust on the shelf. The beautiful gown never gets worn again.
As human beings, we tend to have tunnel vision regarding where we are at any given point in time. We all do it and really, it’s hard to see past that point in time. It’s a challenge for us to see very far down the pike. It’s enough to keep up with the “here and now”. The “there and then” will have to wait. It will get here when it gets here. We do our best to prepare for its arrival but 9 times out of 10 when we get there, it’s not at all what we thought it would be like.
So, how does this factor into our spiritual life? If we are honest with ourselves, through a majority of life, where are we going to stand if it comes to a choice between what God would have us do and what we think we should do – or maybe better yet, what do we think others think we should do?
What sways our decision? We don’t want to alienate those we want to like us. We don’t want to disappoint parents or spouses or classmates or work associates, so it is just easier to go with the flow.
But of all the many things we invest our lives into, what will still be there in 5 years or 10 years or 25 years? What will be there, what will carry over when we die? Honestly…very little of it. And in reality, what does carry over is what few of us would think of…
In this passage from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus makes it very clear that we need to get past our tunnel vision. We need to see beyond our scope of sight.
Our lives are important, yes, but even if someone were to take that from us, there is nothing more that they can do. v4
What we should be placing our focus on is the One that after we are dead has authority and power to hurl [us] into hell. That’s pretty strong language for a culture that doesn’t even believe in its existence and even those who do believe, just want to go where all their “friends” are going so they can party on for eternity. But again, we can’t see beyond our own noses.
Hell is eternal separation from the only Person who ever truly loved us, warts and all. It will be a place not of fun and parties but a place of eternal pain and woe. And the saddest thing of all? God will send us there, but it will not be His choice. We will be the ones that chose that destination. It will be our free will that lands us there.
Lord Jesus, help us. We have a hard time seeing beyond the here and now. We do what pleases us with no thought of what inevitably lies ahead. As you said in verse 5, may we [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him for only if we invest in those things that will last beyond death, only if we trust and follow Your leading in our lives…only then will we live life to the fullest here, carrying on with a bounteous life for all of eternity. Amen.
July 9th, 2020, Thurs, 10:18 pm
Peek-a-boo, I See You!
Father, I have not been spot-on focus getting things done today but I am grateful that I have actually accomplished so much! Thank You for Your inspiration and support in the work you have for me to do.
Luke 12:2-3 (<<click to read the passage)
At one time or another, we have all played the simple game of peek-a-boo. We may (years ago for many of us) have been on the receiving end as infants or we may have been on the giving end with all kinds of children, of both family and friends. It can provide entertainment no matter how often we play or wherever we play.
In life, we may see ourselves playing peek-a-boo, hiding so that no one sees what we do, or see, or think. We may get away with things in this life. No one may ever be the wiser. But…we cannot hide from God. We make think its all a game and say, “Peek-a-boo!” But God is not fooled and exclaims, “I see you!”
I spoke of King David and Peter yesterday and surely, they are not alone in their sin. We are all guilty.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23 (NLT)
God sees it all. Nothing is hidden from His watchful eyes. We can deny God exists, but that cannot stop His existence. Whether we believe it or not, we will be judged. Every single person that has ever existed on this planet will stand before our Creator. And what we have done will be made known.
The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed…
…all that is secret will be made known to all.
Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light
…what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the
…housetops for all to hear! Luke 12:2-3 (NLT)
The Pharisees and teachers of the Law played the game…and Jesus called them out on it. They were ticked – putting it mildly! No one wants what they are hiding to be known, but Jesus exposed them all for who they were.
The difference between the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, and David and Peter? Once the truth was out, David and Peter sought forgiveness from God. In true repentance, they confessed their wrongdoings. And in doing so, they were liberated from the sin that held them fast. Sin could no longer hold them in its grasp. They were free!
Lord Jesus, time will tell what we have done. Our only hope is You. The only way that closet of skeletons will not see the light of Judgement Day is if we confess them all to You and watch as You pitch them into the depths of the sea, never to be mentioned again.
He shall again have compassion on us;
He will subdue and tread underfoot our wickedness [destroying sin’s power].
Yes, You will cast all our sin
Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 (AMP)
Lord Jesus, may it be so. Amen.
July 8th, 2020, Wed, 5:17 pm
Hands Extended
Some days are just a psalm kind of day…
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
….Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
….Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
….and innocent of great sin. Psalm 19:12-13 (NLT)
What would you think about the leader of a country who without hesitation yielded to his lustful desires? It was probably not a mutual affair. He already had several women at his beck and call, but because his residence towered above the city, a beautiful young woman caught his eye as she bathed. He quickly found out who she was and even though she was the wife of one of his most devoted men in arms, he had her brought to him…and he slept with her.
As destiny would have it, she became pregnant. He had her husband brought home from the front, as a war was in progress. He asked of the campaign and sent the man home to be with his wife. The leader thought for sure the solider would spend the night in his wife’s embrace…problem solved. But no, his man in arms was more noble than he.
The next night the leader purposely enticed this virtuous man to drink heavily and sent him home once more. Even in an inebriated state, he did not go home to sleep with his wife. His fellow soldiers were encamped on the fields of battle. He could not bring himself to do such a dishonorable thing!
Twice thwarted, the leader knew it was just a matter of time before he was found out. He moved quickly. He sent him back to where the battle raged, but in his own hand was a message for the commander over the troops. And unbeknownst to this valiant warrior, the message was his note of execution.
The commander obeyed his orders and placed the soldier in the heat of battle only to pull all support from around him so that in his exposure he was cut down in his prime, along with several of his comrades.
When word of his demise reached the leader, he quickly took in his widow after she had mourned the death of her husband in battle. And she became his wife. Problem solved…right?
It was stated in another setting but the words of Numbers 32:23 rang true,
…behold, you will have sinned against the Lord; and be sure that your sin will find you out. (AMP)
You probably figured it out already, but the adulterous, murdering leader was King David himself. The man that God had referred to as “a man after his own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT) was found severely wanting in the sight of God. He had broken God’s heart by his evil acts.
David sought out God’s forgiveness and it was granted but the repercussions of his sin followed him the rest of life. All because he would not avert his eyes in that time of temptation.
The psalm at the very beginning? David wrote that. And even though he committed such egregious acts, we still have a soft place in our hearts for this man lead astray by the pull of his own flesh.
And why would that be? How could we feel the way we do about a man such as he? Could it be that we readily see ourselves in him? Don’t we feel the same way about Peter, Jesus’ disciple of denial?
There is not a man or woman in the entirety of humanity that can claim perfection…save One. Some may merely stumble but all of us at one time (or many, as the case may be) do a faceplant firmly onto terra firma. We fall…and we fall hard. We can relate to David. We empathize with Peter. Because they…are us.
And as He did for them, Jesus extends His hands – his nail-scarred hands – to lift us up from our self-imposed fallenness. His love conquers our weakness. The pride may be gone from our visage, but we can stand tall in His presence, for He – our Lord and our Savior – would have it no other way. All praise to Him…
July 7th, 2020, Tues, 8:08 pm