Believing is Not Seeing

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.   ~1 Corinthians 4:16

Sight is humans most powerful sense, and yet it is sight that hold us back from seeing God. We see what's right there in front of us and all to often we miss what God might have for us.

It all started in the beginning with Adam and Eve.  Eve saw what was there hanging from the tree and she took it thinking it would be good.  Then Adam, seeing Eve, took the fruit from her hand.  They walked with God in all his glory and still their sight failed them.

Paul is telling us two key things in this passage.  The first is to renew our inward man day by day. How many times does God tell us to do this. To meditate on His Word. To pray daily to Him. To pray daily for others. To help each other. Renewing our inner man while the outer man fades because it is our inner man that is eternal.

Secondly, Paul tells us to do what is so hard to accomplish. He tells us to focus on the eternal. To focus on the unseen. Our afflictions, whether they be physical or mental, are but fleeting things that have no meaning in eternity. How often do I not do this!

"I would read my Bible today, but..."
"I tried to pray everyday, but..."
"Fasting!? I've thought about trying it, but..."

My list could go on and on. How long would yours be? How often do you focus on the seen and not the unseen. If you believe the saying that seeing is believe, then your belief lies in the temporary and not in the eternal. Put away our most powerful sense and let God do a mighty work in you!

Easier said than done, I know. But I will be praying that we can see God without our sight and put our faith in the unseen, the eternal, and renew our inner self day by day.

Sin, Revisited

You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.                    ~Genesis 4:7

This verse came up in my devotional today...it it made me revisit an earlier post on Cain and sin.

God brought to light the very life of sin. Sin is not passive. Sin is not waiting. God wants us to understand this, just as he wanted Cain to understand it.

He gives us an image of sin. Something crouching and waiting to pounce. Something attacking and pursuing that must be subdued.  Sin can be mastered, but we have to be aware of it. A tiger crouches before it attacks its prey because it doesn't want to be seen. Here, God tells us that sin crouches...and I believe it is for the same reason.


If we are not on constant vigilance for sin, then it will be on us. Many times without us even knowing.

There is a question begging to be asked, "How do I keep vigilant and keep on the lookout for sin?"

The answer is so simple that we often don't do it. We simply keep our eyes on God. Much like the Israelites when they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, we look to God and everything will be okay. We look to God and we can see sin coming from far away because He will warn us.

God, help me to keep my focus on you so that sin cannot creep up on me.

  

                     

Rock...Meet Hard Place--Exodus 14

There are times in life where we are stuck between a rock and a hard place with seemingly no where to go.  Here, the Israelites were stuck between the Egyptian army (the rock) and the sea (the hard place).

Not much choice on which way to go is there?

And what did God's people do?...

They prayed and asked God to help them and deliver them! Ummm...
     wait, no they didn't do that.

They actually lamented the fact that God saved them from slavery.

"It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."  (vs. 12)

Their eyes were looking around at the situation they were in.  They were not looking to God, the author of their salvation.

We read about these silly little Israelites and we think, "Those Silly little Israelites. God has brought you out of slavery and shown you the way to go with a big pillar of cloud and fire.  How much more should you believe than me?!" (It's funnier if you say it out loud with a French accent...just sayin'.)  Funny how we can look from the outside and think that way.  We know the ending and what had in store.  They didn't.

But how many time have I looked around instead of looking to God?  How many times have I not trusted and been overwhelmed by my situation, even though I knew that is where God had led me?

Is God thinking, "That silly little man, if only he knew what I have in store for him!"

Life is hard and sometimes it's hard to trust to God.  You may follow Him and keep all your focus on Him when things are going well, but where does your focus go when it looks like there is now way out of a bad situation?  Where is your focus when you look one way and there is an angry army and then you look the other and there is a huge body of water?

I need to always keep my focus on God, no matter what is going on around me.

God, with You as my focus I know You will deliver me and keep me safe.  Thank you.

 

Joseph and the Amazing Ego

"…And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Okay...so I think I just read Genesis 37 in a new light.  My entire life I have always looked at Joseph as the victim.  The poor younger brother getting picked on by all the other brothers.  Poor Joseph...

But wait!

First, in verse 3 we see that "Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons."
Then, Joseph has not just one but two dreams about his brothers and parents bowing down to him.

Um, Joseph already knows that he is the most loved and that his brothers "could not speak to him on friendly terms" (vs. 4).  What was he doing telling everyone about these dreams?  I think Joseph was a little bit spoiled rotten.  His brothers couldn't stand him and maybe rightly so.  God sent him off to Egypt to find favor and become powerful, but before that power came there were many trials to endure and dark times to suffer through.  God had to knock Joseph down a peg or five.

But why relate this story of Joseph?  Was it just to tell the history of the rise of the nation of Israel?  No...well, yes...but in reading this I can't help but ask myself if I am need of a few trials.  Have I become haughty in God's favor?

Confession time...I tend to be a little (maybe a lot) arrogant at times.  I'm confident, like Joseph seemed to be.  I'm also often arrogant, like Joseph seemed to be.  I like to showoff when I think I know or have accomplished something.  I like to show others my pretty new multicolored coat.  But I know that no matter how accomplished I think I might be, God is bigger and expects me to humble myself before him and before others. (James 4:10)

God, please give me the endurance to withstand trials and give me the openness to learn from them.  Show me my arrogance and give me the wisdom to push it far away.

Question to ponder: What does humility look like?  Any thoughts?

While there is no 12 step program to becoming a more humble Christian, this is a wonderful (and brief) article on humility--WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...HUMILITY?

To Be Alone...

First let me say that I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world.  We have only been married for a few short months and since our wedding day we have spent all of our time together...literally.  There has not been a moment we've been apart. What about work you ask? Well, we even work together.  Yes, she is in another part of the building so I don't get to see her all day.  But when I get the chance I take a short break and go visit her to reenergize my soul.

And that leads me to tonight...

She recently signed up for a sewing class. I'm so proud of her because this is a whole new world in which she has very little experience. This is something she has wanted to do for a while and she is braving these new waters to learn something once unknown, and that is one of the many reasons why I love her so.

Her class last for four hours and as I type she is currently in hour four and I find myself lost.  I find myself longing for her presence, just to be able to look over and see her beautiful face sitting next to me. I find myself missing her voice and her laughter. I find myself missing knowing she is but a breath away from me.

How God has blessed me.

I am not deserving of this blessing but I pray that I am the man of God she needs and the leader of our family God has called me to be. Thank you Lord for such a woman that it hurts to miss, even for such a short period of time.

"Leave your hurting on the road behind you,

Let the wind go with you 'til the morning comes."

~NeedToBreathe

To Circumcise or Not To Circumcise...Is It a Question?

Okay...so I've often wondered about circumcision.  I understand it is a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, but I wonder if ol' Abe would have agreed so quickly if he knew.  I've also contemplated on why it had to be in this particular place...

As I read Genesis 17 with my wife last night (BlessedGirl)  she made a very intelligent, and God-enlightened, point.  She said, in so many words, that maybe God chose circumcision because the covenant with Abraham was about making him the father of countless descendants.  It would always be a reminder of God's promises and the fulfillment of those promises, and maybe that's why we continue to do it today, much to many babies chagrin...

Thank you www.jewcy.com for the image.

"I will establish My convenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you." ~Genesis 17:7

There are many now that state that circumcision is a pointless procedure and there aren't any real health benefits.  I've even heard many christians make this argument.  "We live in New Testament times and we are no longer bound by the old covenant."  

It would not hurt to remember the old covenant and the promises that God made to us.  That promise still stands today just as it stood with Abraham, God made that same promise to us.  I feel it is vital that we as christians continue to keep that covenant with God.  Circumcision is a symbol, a reminder that God promised to be our God and to give us many descendants to spread His word and the good news of Jesus to all nations.  Health issues aside, this is a covenant that should not be taken lightly and should not be so easily broken (vs. 14).

"Leave your hurting on the road behind you,

Let the wind go with you 'til the morning comes."

~NeedToBreathe

Silence is Golden--1 Samuel 10:26

  Do not be rash with your mouth,       And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.       For God is in heaven, and you on earth;       Therefore let your words be few. 

                                                     ~Ecclesiasties 5:2


Silence is golden.  It's a phrase we've all heard but few actually heed.  Throughout the Old Testament we are told that the wise hold their words and think through what they have to say.  The wise are not rash with their words.  


We find five of the most powerful words at the end of 1 Samuel 10:26..."But he held his peace."


What if we all were to follow Saul's example?  What if we all just took a breath before we spoke?  How would our world be different?


Saul was a man appointed by God and Saul understood that God was in control.  His rash and angry words would only worsen the situation.  So Saul held his tongue like a true man of God.


This is not to say we are to hold our tongues when we witness wrongdoing or injustice.  But our words should be spoken with prayerful consideration.


Lord, help me to hold my tongue and not speak rashly.  Help to know that you are in control and my many words only show a lack of trust in you.  Give me strength and patience as I attempt to walk in your light and on your path.  Thank you God for all you have given me.  Amen