Set Apart
Thank You for a wonderful day yesterday, Father! Thank You for the words You gave me to share in the services and thank You for your palpable presence. Thank You for time well spent with Karen throughout the day and good interaction with Massey on the phone as well!
Hebrews 12:14 (<<click here)
“…work at living a holy life…”
Lord, I really believe that when we think of the word “holy” we pretty much confine it to a church setting. But it is not just a “church” thing. All the way back in the Old Testament You proclaimed, “For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44
Simply put, to be holy is to be set apart. We are set apart from the mundane things of this world. Instead we are set apart to live our lives in response to Your call on our lives. We are not to be just like everybody else going through the motions of life – and getting nowhere. But we are set apart for true life which is found only in You.
Eliminating You from life eliminates our purpose for living. If all life is, are these few years we walk this world and then we’re done then we are truly to be pitied. Without purpose there is really nothing to live for. Life is cruel. It is hard. It is unforgiving. And in the long run it is unfulfilling. Rays of joy will occasionally filter through but when we die, that’s it. Death has the final say.
But… we set ourselves apart, when we become holy, we realize that life is not just about here and now. It is more than just me. The things of this world for which we strive will all pass away, but when we set ourselves apart and follow You, we invest in eternity.
All the things we truly cherish in life become more than a hit or miss possibility. And at the core of these cherished things is love. And love of You, and others and ourselves is forever. It never ends. It never dies.
Lord, help us to set ourselves apart – make us holy.
June 13th, Mon, 6:22 am
Funerals
I’ve been up for some time, Father, I have prayed some but my brain is zipping all over the place. I have been trying to focus (unsuccessfully!) on our time together. Physical issues and weariness aren’t helping either but I must push through it all. It’s too important to not do so.
This week has been full for sure. My weeks are usually that way but adding, not one, but two funerals into the mix has really stirred things up! Lord, I’ll definitely need Your help to finish getting things ready for Sunday but I really wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Funerals are taxing, yes, but it is a privilege and an honor to be used by You, Lord, to touch people’s lives during these difficult times. To be a physical manifestation of Your love to others is well worth all the effort.
As family and friends of the dearly departed ones work through their grief and loss, may they find You there. May they be drawn to You. May they find comfort in Your arms. Use me, too. May I be a representative of Your kingdom, touching lives for eternity.
June 10th, Fri, 7:04 am
Guidance and Direction
Father, as I get back into the routine today, may Your hand be on my shoulder. May You be ever on my mind. May I be a beacon of hope in a dark world that will draw others to You, Amen.
Hebrews 12:12-13 (<<click here)
As I am well aware, Lord, discipline can involve punishment to correct errant behavior but discipline also involves experienced guidance and direction. Many people in our live have helped us to become disciplined. Teachers taught us how to read. Coaches instructed how to execute an effective block from the line of scrimmage. Piano instructors imparted to us the ability to coordinate 10 fingers on a keyboard to make beautiful music. Work supervisors trained us how to remove links from a stretch band on a customer’s watch.
Spiritual discipline is much the same. Many people have impressed upon us the importance of reading the Scriptures, of taking the time to daily interact with You and to faithfully come together to worship You and to encourage one another. Yes, we learn from others, but most importantly we must discipline ourselves to hear Your voice – to learn from You.
To be faithful disciples we must learn but we must also teach. We may not be able to get up and speak in front of others but people watch us all the time. Verse 13 says, “Make out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak or lame will not fall but become strong.” As we follow You, Lord, others will follow our lead. May my course, Lord, be straight and true.
June 7th, Tues, 6:12 am
Endurance
Father, thank You for your loving patience. You’ve helped me conquer so many things in my life but You well know that I am far from perfect. Every time something comes up that needs to be addressed, may I yield to You. Help me to lay it at Your feet – it does me no good to ignore the need for Your touch and to think I can take care of it on my own. This day I submit to Your continued Lordship over my life. Amen – so be it.
Hebrews 12:2-4 (<<click here)
Endurance… Lord, Your life amongst us was truly a living example of endurance. But even with that before us, many of us struggle. It just seems so much easier to give up and throw in the towel when the going gets tough.
Many things in life bring us great joy and fulfillment – marriage, family, kids, work, church, homes, yards and this list goes on. But they can also bring us great heartache, stress and fatigue. So many things are worth our investments of time and energy. We just have to endure.
Karen and I have spent this last couple of days edging around flower beds and mulching. It is a lot of hard work! It’s hot. It’s dirty. Our bodies have protested quite a bit. It’s not been easy but it has been well worth the effort!
This summer we will celebrate 30 years of wedded bliss. Has it always been easy? No. Has it ever crossed our minds to give up? Maybe. But we didn’t and, oh, my, it has surely been well worth the effort!
I have walked with the Lord now for most of my life. I have had many challenges and struggles. I have failed and fallen, more times than I can recall. But, Lord, You have been rock solid. You’ve never given up on me. You stood with me through thick and thin. You have called me to endure. I have, only because of You, and it has truly been worth it all. Thank You, Lord, for Your loving patience. You are my inspiration. Praise Your Holy Name!
June 1st, Wed, 6:20 am
Fix My Eyes
Father, thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon me. I am grateful for family and friends, for the freedoms I have, for the faith that sustains me through all the ups and downs of life. Thank You, for the work You have done in my life…
Hebrews 12:2 (<<click here)
The only way we can “run…the race that is set before us…” v.1 is by “fixing our eyes” as the NASB* puts it. When we “keep our eyes” on You, Lord, when we “fix our eyes on” You, that is when we succeed in our Christian walk.
Thinking on this reminds me of a character from Disney/Pixar’s movie “Up”. His name is Dug, a golden retriever who can talk. He is lovable but easily distracted. In any conversation, even in mid-sentence, his attention can be distracted and he will call out “Squirrel!”
Lord, I am just too easily distracted. It’s one thing if it happens in our time together each morning but it is another thing all together when I’m trying to run the race. Distractions can be disastrous! I can end up where I never intended, off the straight and narrow and stuck in the mire of a debilitating situation.
I cannot count the number of times that I have been steadily, faithfully following You and a little distraction slows me down enough that sin then trips me up. It sure wasn’t my initial intent but it can be where I end up.
Help me, Lord, to fix my eyes on You. It’s the only way for me to “run with endurance the race God has set before” me.
May 31st, Tues, 6:24 am
*New American Standard Bible