Can I Get a Do-Over?
A long but very productive day, Father. Thank You for watching over us as we went to make a very special donation and ran to pick up some needed items, as well.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
With the times in which we find ourselves, I have seen several times on social media where people have posted a version of this meme asking, “I think you need to reinstall 2020. There’s a virus!” It may work for computers but in life, we just have to tough it out.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get do-overs every so often in life?
We used to do it as kids! We’d try something new, maybe a game or learning some activity and we’d royally mess it up. We wouldn’t quite grasp the nuances of the game and instead, we’d crash and burn. “Do over!” I remember as a kid trying to do a handstand in a pool and not being able to pull it off or not being able to hold my breath long enough to get upright in the water and after coming up gasping for breath yelling, “Do over!”
As adults, how often do we find ourselves in situations where we have done something or said something that we would like to just backup, erase, and restart from the beginning? At work, in relationships, sometimes just life in general, it would be great to have do-overs!
But as we all know, that’s just not how life works…
Sometimes we have hurt people over and over so many times that “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it anymore. The only thing that will heal those kinds of things is time and lots and lots of love. Patience helps, too. And where would we be without forgiveness?
On second thought, another option would be to stop doing the things that hurt them – what a novel idea! In this life, we really can’t start over, but we can always start fresh!
And that is where God factors in – big time! He is all about new beginnings! Every day brings with it new opportunities – opportunities to change, to be different, to improve who we are. Our goal in all of this should be to be more and more like Jesus in all we say and do.
In the Old Testament God spoke to the nation of Israel through the prophet Isaiah. He said, in regards to the past,
“…forget all that—
….it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
….See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
….I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT)
With God all things are possible!
Help me Lord to be pliable in Your hands to change where I need to change. I am not perfect, but I can change…with You by my side. May I heed Your direction. May my desires for “do-overs” turn into “start freshes”! Amen!
May 4th, 2020, Mon, 8:23 pm
Resolutely
A blessed time of worship this morning, some quality time with my sweetie, some burgers on the grill for supper, and a nice walk at the park – a beautiful day from beginning to end from Your generous hand, Father! “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
Luke 9:51 (<<click to read the passage)
Two things that I struggle with every year are taxes and year-end reports for my churches. I despise both of them! I realize that they are things I am required to do but that does not make them any more palatable. I have shared with our District Administrative Assistant in the past that year-end reports come very close to giving me panic attacks! There are probably many who are reading this who think I’ve got a few screws loose. How can things so mundane be so detrimental to my frame of mind? In reality, they are not difficult. Yes, they are both time consuming but not crazily so. But…they drive me looney!
You would think that knowing how they affect me that I would get a head start on them, just to get them out of the way. But, nope, I put them off until I have absolutely no choice but to do them. I don’t know if I’ve ever had all of my church reports in by the deadline. I usually have my taxes in on time but not until like the week they are due. (I haven’t even started this year’s yet!) It makes no sense, but I guess that is just one of my many idiosyncrasies (much to my wife’s chagrin!)
Now that the disciples have been made aware of Jesus’ true mission on earth (though in reality it still hasn’t registered with them), the trajectory of His life is now squarely aimed at Jerusalem and His inevitable passion, death, and resurrection.
Today’s passage clearly states that the time was drawing near for Jesus’ ascension to heaven. And of course, that would come after He had gone through everything else. Yes, Jesus is wholly God – this is entirely God, and that is wholly not holy, though He was most definitely that, too – but He was also, wholly man. He knew what setting out for Jerusalem would ultimately mean. It would mean pain, suffering, humiliation, loneliness, being deserted, and being totally cut off from those He loved and with whom He interacted. His followers, His closest friends…His mom. He knew that His very life would be forfeit. It was the only way.
That had been the plan before day one even. He and the Father saw what was coming before the first man ever took his first breath. Before “Let there be light” had been proclaimed, Jesus knew this was the path He would walk.
Remember my life verse,
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)
And the only way for Him to chose us, the only way for us to be holy, the only way for us to be without fault in his eyes, was for Him set out for Jerusalem and all that that would set into motion.
Did He hesitate? Did His humanity withdraw from all that His divinity knew was ahead? Without a doubt, it weighed heavily upon his heart and mind, but today’s verse does not read, Jesus reluctantly set out for Jerusalem, but it does say, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Lord Jesus, knowing what You knew did not change what You knew You needed to do. You didn’t put off the inevitable. You experienced no near panic attacks. You just did what had to be done. May I follow you resolutely in every aspect of my life. Amen.
May 3rd, 2020, Sun, 7:40 pm
Seriously! (Part 3)
I ended with this passage yesterday but let me share it once more and this time let me place two words before it.
Beyond ourselves…
…I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)
What a wonderful promise! God will…not let go but unfortunately, we are the ones to let our grasp begin to slip.
My friend prays that he will always feel the way he does about God and their relationship. He cherishes it. He sees it for the gift that it is.
And from experience I can tell you, it doesn’t just happen. It is not a “given” in our relationship with God any more than it is a “given” in our relationships with our loved ones and friends. It takes work. We have to be determined to keep it going at all costs.
God will strengthen and give us aid. The struggle arises in the fact that we have the free will to hold tight…or to allow our grasps upon Him to slip.
We must be vigilant! In our humanity – on so many levels – we can stay focused on something for quite a while, but it is difficult to do so over a lifetime. Some succeed at the attempt. But many just don’t.
Dieting, for example, how many of us who are overweight struggle with losing those extra pounds? I’m not a big dieter but it is much easier to put it on than to get it off. Or what about alcoholics? Or drug addicts? Or those hooked on pornography, to name just a handful of vices.
It is no surprise that many believers battle with those kinds of things. They try to cling to their relationship with God. For a time, they may even pour out themselves before Him. They realize that He holds them tight and will not let them go but…
….Oh, a couple of chips won’t hurt me… then an empty bag later…
……..I’ll have just a sip of my friends Mimosa; I can handle just a little taste…
……………Oh, this pain is unbearable. I just can’t take it any more… just one shot of heroin to help me deal with it…then no more, I swear…
………………..Oh, what’s that? An article about some celebrity in a revealing bikini? I’ll just take a quick peak…no harm done….
We can rationalize all we want but just one small crack in our armor and the devil shoves in a crowbar and before we know it, our vessel is overflowing with all kinds of “debris” to the point where we can’t hear God calling for us to turn…and run…back to Him.
It all falls back on…well, most importantly it falls back on prayer. Every day – maybe even multiple times throughout the day! – we need to call out to God to help us…to guard us…to place us in the protection of His mighty arms. Even when we have a flitting thought pass through our mind. It’s nothing big – no sin has been committed – but it could lead to a crack-inducing action – call out! Don’t hesitate! And I can assure you that God will be there!
I shared this verse in Part 1 of this post but it’s worth sharing once more.
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)
When we align ourselves with God, when we stay close by His side, when we cling tenaciously to His gracious hand, we can not be defeated! But the key is “Hold tight, my friend.” Hold tight.
[If you missed Seriously! (Part 1) or Seriously (Part 2) just click on either of them.]
Seriously! (Part 2)
Yesterday, I started writing out what was on my heart regarding an encouragement I sent to my friend and it went much further than I thought it would go, so I paused, not wanting to overwhelm anyone with too much at one sitting. Regardless, here is part two. (If you missed part one, click here >> Seriously! Part 1)
Many times after writing my opening prayer, unbeknownst to me, God has already laid the foundation for the way He will lead me. It has happened to me numerous times, but it never ceases to amaze me to see God at work in me!
Yesterday I wrote, I feel that sometimes I am all over the place, but You are the immovable rock upon which I stand.
The Old Testament book of Joshua begins with God handing the reigns of leadership over to Joshua upon Moses’ death. There was so much yet to accomplish, so many big hurdles to overcome. And the Israelites alone would have been more than enough to handle! But God didn’t send Joshua out to do the job alone. God spoke to Joshua directly, saying,
“This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
In the text I sent my friend, I said, God will hold you tight and will not let go.
Understand this – God has got you in the palm of His hand and nothing can get to you that He is not there standing right beside you. His love cannot be conquered. Nothing in heaven or on earth can get between you and God.
You are precious to Him. He sacrificed His one and only Son that you might be redeemed. You were lost in your sins with no means of saving yourself. From birth, you were sold out to sin, but He paid the ultimate price – His very blood…every last drop – to buy you back for Himself! He did it all for you… and He will not let you go!
Looking for a passage of Scripture that came to mind, lo and behold, a passage preceded it that clearly lays out what I just said. But Paul’s words in Romans 8 have such a greater impact! (And again, don’t rush through them…read them thoughtfully…and deliberately. I challenge you to let them soak into your heart.)
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. vs31-35, 37-39(NLT)
What a wonderful promise! An assurance with which nothing compares! And surprisingly enough, I am still not quite done. So, until tomorrow…
(to be continued)
Seriously! (Part 1)
Father, I just want to say that I am grateful for Your everlasting love…your never-ending patience. I feel that sometimes I am all over the place, but You are the immovable rock upon which I stand. All praise to You, God Almighty!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I had the opportunity to text a bit with the friend who I referred to in yesterday’s post. In response to a statement he made, I replied,
“God has changed you – the old has passed, the new has come. Cling to that relationship. Every day pour out yourself before Him. He will hold you tight and will not let go. Unfortunately, we are the ones to let our grasp begin to slip. Hold tight, my friend.”
I am usually much more conversational in our texts but today I felt the need to give a well thought out response. As followers of Jesus, it is imperative that we see the utmost of seriousness in everything we do and say. Now, I’m not saying we have to be sourpuss, pickle-faced believers. That is no way to live, especially as we respond to what our Savior has done for us! Our Creator is Love and the outpouring of that is joy!
The point I want to make is that we must always be on our guard.
Peter in his first letter to the early Church driven from Jerusalem into the world cautioned,
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)
I would admonish you, in these perilous times – and I truly believe that every era has its perils – cling unrelentingly to your relationship with God! As I stated in my opening prayer, He is the immovable rock upon which we stand.
Secondly, every day pour out yourself before Him. The Apostle Paul says we are vessels,
But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (AMP) (emphasis mine)
We are vessels, yes, but think about it. A container of any sort left outside collects all kinds of things inside – dust, bugs, rain, debris, dew. Just its exposure to the world, just its openness invites any and everything to be taken into the very heart of its being.
How about you and me? Every day we are exposed to a wide variety of things. We smell, we hear, we see, we touch…and all of those experiences are taken into the very heart of our being. We also regularly dredge, up from the depths of our souls – good things and bad – pain, love, bitterness, peace, hate, to name but a few. But each of those things is poured into the vessel that we are.
Late last summer we put our pool cover in place. Since then, rain and melted snow along with leaves, branches, bird droppings, insects, seedlings, and who knows what else has collected in that concoction of nature. Now the water under the cover was treated to remain as pure as possible. I have not looked but it should be clear enough to see to the bottom. Now the question is, how wise would I be to just allow all of that contaminated water from the cover into the “pure” water below?
So, each day, to keep the world’s contamination from intermingling with the purity of our souls, we must pour out ourselves before the Great Purifier of our souls.
(to be continued)
Apr 28th, 2020, Tue, 5:44 pm