Waiting on the Lord

Psalm 40:1-2

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”

How many of you could say with the Psalmist that you wait patiently for the Lord?  I probably could not count myself in that number.  With our fast-food society, I must confess that when I pray, I hope to see an immediate response to that prayer.  Sometimes we are blessed for that to happen.  But more often than not, there is a time period of waiting.

God uses waiting to develop our character, to teach us patience and to train us to learn to trust in him.  Much is gained when we learn to patiently wait for our Redeemer.  Though waiting patiently for him can be painful to our flesh, like any other discipline, it causes us to reap great benefits when we master the art of waiting.

As you wait, try to see yourself as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant rather than as an impatient patient in a doctor’s lobby.  “Waiting” on God looks something like this-“ Lord, what would you have me do?”  “Tell me where to go.”  “Show me what to say to please you.”

 Be assured today, that as you wait on him, he does hear you.  We have to believe that he hears and that his “turning to us” will soon manifest.

Dear Lord, help me today to appreciate the teachable moments while I wait on you.  Thank you that you do hear me and turn to me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

The Anchor of Hope

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:19-20

Lately it seems like there is an epidemic of people taking their own lives. People are overwhelmed, confused, desperate and hopeless.  Times are very trying with our economy floundering, people losing jobs and sky-rocketing costs.  Consequently, people’s relationship and health are under increasing stress.  All of these things mushroom and make people feel hopeless about their life situation.

Our hope is to be an anchor for our soul.  It is what is supposed to help us keep grounded and established where we need to be.  Hope is supposed to cause us to not be moved by the waves and tides of life.  This passage states that this hope is “firm and secure.”  What a glorious picture!  When we have our hope in Christ, who He is, is big enough to keep us firm, secure, safe and protected.

We recently took our boat out on a trip.  We found the perfect spot and anchored off to do some fishing, swimming and snorkeling.  The waves were especially choppy that day and before long my husband found the boat to have drifted over on top of him.  The anchor was not strong enough for the pull of the waves and wind that day.  No matter what we tried, we could not keep our boat stationary.  That day it seemed we needed two anchors and needed both of them to be bigger!

Life can be like that boat at times.  We can have adverse circumstances come our way that can easily move us from where we need to be.  The vacuum of life can draw us off of our hope and faith in Christ.  But it is encouraging for us to know that just like the rope that is tied to the anchor on a boat, our hope is anchored in the person of Jesus Christ, and that rope is a lifeline between us and him.

He has entered the inner sanctuary on our behalf.  Just like the priests of old would enter the “holy of holies” to make sacrifices and intercede on behalf of the people, Jesus has entered the inner sanctuary for us.  The major difference being, he is preeminently qualified to do so.  He is utterly without sin. He is pure; therefore, he can always remain in the innermost place with God.  And there He remains day after day, interceding on your behalf.

No matter what you face in life today, please know that it is not beyond the seeing eye of God. He loves us and has a loving and watchful eye upon us at all times.  If we put our hope in Him, we will not be put to shame.  We can trust in Him.  He is our source and will never fail.  When we know that no matter what life throws our way, we have hope in Christ,  that allows us to rest securely, come what may.

Dear Lord, increase my faith and hope today.  Help me to perceive all that you are and how immeasurably capable you are of taking care of everything that concerns me.  Help me to be firm and secure in my hope that is in you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Fighting Fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)

It is so encouraging to know that at any time we are experiencing a spirit of fear, it is not of God.  This allows us to recognize when the enemy is working on our minds to steal our peace.

God has given us emotions to protect us.  A healthy dose of fear keeps us from stepping in front of a train or from jumping from a moving car.  This is the emotion of fear working as it should, keeping us from danger.

But a spirit of fear is a different situation.  This is the kind that grips and paralyzes.  A spirit of fear keeps us from activating our faith in God and keeps us from operating in His peace and in His confidence to protect us or see us through.  We have to guard our hearts against this type of oppressive and limiting fear.

So many hurting people struggle with all types of irrational fear- fear of sickness, disease or death; fear of failure; fear of rejection… these are all paralyzing mindsets that do not bear any type of good fruit in our lives.

Instead, God gave us power, love and a sound mind.  What a contrast!  Instead of being in a victim mentality, we can have an empowered mind- one that knows that the power of God is working on our behalf.  This mindset says God is my protector, my provision, my shield and my defense.  He will see me through and work on my behalf. 

He gave us love.  What a beautiful truth.  He gave us love, and he came with the name Jesus.  No matter what you face today, God has given Love for you.  Jesus understands all that life can throw our way because He has walked on this Earth and has experienced all that we will ever struggle with.

Finally, he gave us a sound mind.  He gave us a mind that does not have to run all scary contingencies and tremble with fear.  Rather, he gave us a mind that can stay at rest, fully relying on God and receiving His grace and strength to sustain us.

Dear Lord, help me today to walk in the power, love and sound mind you have provided.  Show me areas in my life that are bound by fear, and give me faith and grace to break free from it and walk in trust.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Crying Out to God

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”  Psalm 34:15

Life is tough.   Just about every day something happens that we have to adjust to.  Something happens that requires us to change our course, change our heart or change our minds. 

Some events happen, though, that so overwhelm us, that we are at a loss of how to handle it.  Many times we are totally knocked off our feet with these things.  They occur, but they do not rectify themselves by day’s end.  The stress, frustration, fear, and pain goes on for months or years. 

What do we do when all we have done before does not work?    What do we do when our back is against the wall and the enemy is about to crush us?

According to the text, the first thing we need to do is “cry out to God.” Babies do not have to attend a special seminar to learn to cry out.  When they want or need something, they cry.  They cry loudly, boisterously and unrelentingly until Mama or Daddy shows up to take care of the need.    Then they grow into adults who may become stoic, or swipe away a tear, but the art of “crying out” is lost to us by adulthood.

Sometimes God puts us in desperate places.    Sometimes God delays his response, sometimes he “hides” in our circumstances.  Sometimes he stretches us to our breaking point.  But from this, and other passages, we see that we MUST cry out to God.  If we want him to hear and deliver, first we must cry.  I’m talking about the newborn three hours after the last feeding. We must cry until we are red-faced.  We must cry until we are wailing, shaking our arms and breaking glass.  We have to let God know that we know He is the only one who can fix it.  We have to get his attention.  We have to show that we mean business. We must fixate on him as the object of our help and deliverance. 

God expects us to cry out to him with our needs, and according to today’s passage he hears us and is attentive to our cry.  Just like a mother can pick out her child’s cry in a room of other children, God can hear us no matter how many of his children are crying for help.  He hears, he attends to what we say and what we need.  The first step of getting God’s help in a situation is to invite him in.  He is a gentleman and does not force himself upon us.  He wants us to ask for His help and allow him to work in our lives.

Dear Lord, I am in need of your help today. If you do not show up in situations in my life, I will not make it.  Lord, I will sink if you do not uphold me.  Help me, God, deliver me.  Thank you for hearing.  And caring.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

The Favor of God

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.  So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”  Esther 2:17 

The account of how an orphaned Jewess became the Queen of Susa is full of many remarkable features and themes.  But one theme stands out in particular- how God causes his favor to rest on people to bring about his plan for mankind. 

The book of Esther is unusual in that the name of God is not expressly mentioned; and yet, the hand of God is seen throughout the book, especially in the life of young Esther. 

In her early years, she is orphaned, having lost both her father and mother.  She has to go live with her cousin and his family.  In addition, she is born a Jew where her people are living in exile in Persia.    Being a Jew indicated that she was of the people who are the apple of God’s eye, but a stench in the nostrils of many in the world.  All of these things put Esther in less than a favorable position to be queen.  Queens are traditionally chosen from other royal families, seldom is a Queen chosen from a minority race and certainly not an orphan.

The Bible doesn’t say much else about her childhood, but one thing we can agree on- her start was less than favorable.  But this story proves that God can make something beautiful out of anything.  We just have to be yielded for him to do his work.  We don’t have to be the prettiest, the smartest, from the best family, from the best schools, etc.  We just have to know our place in the Kingdom. 

This is where His ability to make us qualified comes into play.  When the way we view ourselves differs from the way He sees us, we must change our mind!  When Satan comes with condemnation telling us we are unworthy, reminding us of our past, our shortcomings, our failure, all we have to do is remind him (and ourselves) about what the Bible says about us.

God is all we need.  He has all the resources we can ever need.  He knows the areas we must improve and the areas we must crucify.  He plants within us the germ of all we need to fulfill our destiny, but it is only realized as we submit to God, much as Esther submitted to those in authority over her.

The favor of God caused Esther to be crowned queen above all the other young virgins in the land.  Favor is defined as the state of being approved or held in high regard.  It can also mean preferential treatment.  The truth is that God can make other people look at us favorably.  He can cause others to want to bless us, to promote us, and to give us opportunities.

As a Christian, we do not have to manipulate and connive like the world does.  If there is something that God wills for us, we can trust Him to cause us to find favor with the right people at the right time to bring us into our destiny.

Dear Lord, allow your favor to rest on me today.  Fulfill your plans and purposes for me.  Help me to not rest upon my own abilities, but rather to walk and trust in your divine favor. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Convinced

“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. “ II Timothy 1:12

 

Suffering is a part of life. Things come our way to rob our peace and joy.  We have constant reason to need to lean upon the Lord and cast our care on Him.

In this passage Paul talks about the suffering that he has had to endure as an apostle and herald of the gospel.  Paul recognized that following God in the radical way that he did, did not always bring a peaceful, happy existence.  In fact, people who are truly making a difference for the kingdom often meet more opposition in life. 

Paul acknowledges the suffering and yet he goes on to say that he is not ashamed.  Why? Because he knows Whom he has believed.  Knowing God, who He is, how He works, what motivates Him may seem like a nebulous task.  But the truth is, we serve a knowable God.  Just as Abraham and Moses were friends of God, we too, can know him intimately and be known by him.  Because of Paul’s close affiliation with the Lord, he became convinced that God was able to guard everything he had entrusted to him.  His life, his health, his provision, his safety, his loved ones, his hopes, his dreams, all of this he had committed to God.  Even when things were not going his way, Paul remained convinced that He was able.  Able to be what he needed; able to guard the precious things he had trusted to Him.

As Christians, we know there is a “day” when all of this will be worth it.  The day we are transported into his eternal presence, whether it be by death or rapture, will make all of life’s trials and misery worth it all.  The things we suffer through now are temporary; they cannot keep us from the love of God, from his favor, his grace or his protection.

Even if today you are walking through dark places; even through the “valley of the shadow of death” you can trust in God.  You can trust him to keep you, to protect you; to heal you; to save you. Knowing His faithfulness is an unmovable part of His character helps us to stand solidly upon the foundation of His Word, even when life is shifting sand.

Dear Lord, I do know that you are able to guard all that I have entrusted to you.  Help me to let go of worry, fear and anxiety.  Allow me to feel your presence today, knowing that you go before me and keep me no matter what comes my way.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

First Love

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.  Revelation 2:4-5

 

In this passage of Scripture Jesus is speaking to the church at Ephesus.  He had outlined several great things about this church- their hard work; their perseverance; their intolerance for wickedness.  But unfortunately these words of commendation were followed by a sharp rebuke. 

Like so many of us, the church of Ephesus was guilty of having a mixture in their life.  They were working for the Lord, but they had allowed their love to grow cold.  They had left their first love.  It is often hard to understand how a Christian can be busy serving the Lord and yet lose their closeness with Christ.  Like any other relationship, our relationship with the Lord takes time, commitment and passion.

Because they had left their first love, Jesus admonished them to repent and do the first works.  If they did not, they would be in danger of losing the Lord’s presence as symbolized by the candlestick.  It is important that we remember how it first felt when we received salvation.  The joy, the very keen reality of how close and dear Jesus is to us; the zeal to spend time in his presence and in his Word- these are all signs of being passionately in love with the Lord.  When our passion fades, we must go back to the time when we first met Him.  We have to remember how much we cherished the time spent with Him.  We have to push through the stresses of life in order to fan the flame of passion.  We have to repent- confess our sin and change so that we can continue to enjoy the same level of intimacy.

God is a jealous God, a consuming fire.  We cannot afford to replace Him with other interests or pursuits.  He must be first in our minds, hearts and time. 

I urge you today to take some time to evaluate where you are in your walk with the Lord.  Are you as close as you once were?  Do you feel His word coming alive as you read the Bible?  Can you hardly wait to pray and tell Him the things on your heart? If not, your spiritual love life may well need some attention.

Dear Lord, I ask that you forgive me for being distracted by the things in my life, even Christian works.  Help me to always keep my focus on you.  Help me remember the glow of love I felt when I first met you and received forgiveness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Confident Clean

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

This is a great verse. Think about it. We can draw near to God with full assurance of faith. Because we have Jesus, the Great High Priest, we can walk in faith in our relationship with God. We can walk in faith about His plan for our life. We can walk in faith right into the Most Holy Place of God.

We can have confidence in faith that He will cover our shortcomings. When we receive the sacrifice that Jesus paid, we have the opportunity to not only be forgiven of sin, but also to be cleansed from a guilty conscience and have our bodies washed with pure water. This means we have to have faith in His ability to cleanse and purify us, taking away our sin and our guilty conscience.

I don’t know about you, but there have been a multitude of sins, mistakes and short-comings in my life that I regret. The best person alive, compared to the holiness of the Bible, deserves death and is consumed with guilt and shame. But when He saves us, He removes even the guilt. No matter what you have thought, said or done, it is gone and you are guilt-free under the blood of Jesus. You can have confidence as a child of God.

This passage even indicates that Christ will wash the result of sin from our body. Even a prostitute off the street, can be clean, righteous, true, holy and blameless in His sight because His blood is that powerful! Their bodies can be made vessels of righteous as they become the vessel to carry the Holy Spirit.

Let me encourage you today, do not allow the devil to keep you in condemnation when God has forgiven you and reclassified you as blameless and pure in His sight.

Verse 23 says “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” It does not depend on our ability to keep a promise, but rather on His ability to keep a promise! That is why we can be unswerving and unwavering. That is why we can have confidence in faith. We can step out in full confidence and believe God wants to be near us, wants to hear from us, wants to answer us and wants to manifest himself to us!

He is faithful- all day, every day. Therefore, we can be a people of great faith. Our faith is in him and in his steadfastness to keep his Word. So often we feel we don’t deserve God’s help, so we stay in messes for a while as penance for what we have done, feeling we are reaping what we have sown. Though that may be true, it flies in the face of Truth! The Truth is He paid the price and he does not need me to try to add to it.

Lord, thank you for loving me, for paying the price for me. Thank you for washing and cleansing me. Help me to be confident in this truth and help me to be mindful of your faithfulness toward me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Sherri

The Peaceful Mind

8“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. 9 …And the God of peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:8; 9b

Do you ever struggle with doubts and fears?  Do you ever stress over the “what if’s” in life?  Do you ever feel you give a situation over to God only to have the weight of it return to your mind just a few moments later?

The human mind is a complex arena of intentional thought; irrational fear; racing scenarios and nagging anxieties.  Often we do not choose our thoughts, but rather, it seems the mind has a mind of its own.

In today’s text Paul offers practical, real life advice about combating the peace-stealers in life.  He urges us to first think upon the true.  How many times have we worried over things that did not turn out to be what we feared?  At other times our mind is occupied with something the Bible calls vain imaginings- things we are paranoid about.  Perceived rejections and slights often cause us days of anguish.

But not only is it vital to think what is true in the negative sense (avoiding wrong thinking); but we also should choose to think purposely about true things.  God’s Word particularly.  When you are going through hard times, remind yourself of the truth that “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him..” (Romans 8:28). Or “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (Psalms 37:25.  Or “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Dwelling upon these truths and any others that apply to your particular situation will revolutionize your perspective and levels of joy and peace.

Next we are admonished to think on the noble, the right, the pure, the lovely, and the admirable.  This is where intention enters the picture.  When negative thoughts come, we choose to replace these thoughts with positive, life-giving and encouraging thoughts.  This is not mind over matter or some new age principle.  This is about bringing the mind under the Spirit’s control.  We can choose to concentrate on past blessings; the beauty of God’s creation; the joy of a child with a balloon…  We can notice someone’s nice hair-do, their integrity, their helpfulness.  These are things we can choose to focus on rather than the negative- our perceived lack; the stack of bills; the mess our preschooler is making.  a co-workers slowness to get things done, or their annoying mannerisms.

It is true that if we start noticing and focusing on the negative side of things, before long, the good is lost on us.  We have to choose to have the mind of Christ if we want to keep his peace in our hearts at all times.

Running the scenarios of what may go wrong in a given situation does not allow for the supernatural intervention of God.  Focusing on each other’s weaknesses is not in keeping with God’s love.

Like any habit, the more we choose right thoughts and positive outlooks, the more we develop the tendency to think in these ways.  We can actually make the positive our default setting, rather than the negative.  All of this occurs as we read, study and mediate on the Word of God.  Then He renews and transforms our mind.  The mind of the Spirit of God becomes our go-to setting.

If you are lacking in peace today, commit the things that trouble you to the Lord.  Hand them over to his safekeeping and then begin to concentrate on past blessings.  Concentrate on the character of God and his track record of faithfulness.  Your problems really can be solved without your perpetually mulling on the issue.

Dear Lord, help me today to think about the paths my mind takes and choose to redirect it to the truth of your Word.  Please bring passages of scripture to my mind, giving me direction as I need it.  Help me to find your peace today and abide in it.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Sherri

Courageous

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Some personality types are, by their very nature, laid back, trusting and easy going.  And then there is me!  I am the typical Type A personality with all the drive and tension headaches that accompany being an overachiever.  Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Because I spend so much of my day with goal directed activities, it is very easy to become frustrated when the plan I am working, starts working me.  The Bible makes it plain throughout that we are not to trust in ourselves; that we will have to "live by faith and not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7).  So not surprisingly, a good portion of my walk with the Lord has been about Him teaching me this important life’s lesson.

One of the first major “stretches” He did in my life had to do with trusting Him as He sent me in a complete opposite direction from where I wanted to go.  Looking back 18 years later, I see how it was for my good, but at the time, I had to die to the flesh quite a bit to follow Him in obedience.  Not only was it not the direction I envisioned for my life, but it was a frightening unknown where I could take no confidence whatsoever in the flesh or in my abilities to do it.  I had to trust solely on Him.  And that is when God blessed me with this little gem of a verse.

In this passage, God’s chosen servant, Moses, had died.  Because of his sin, he would not lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  At His demise, Joshua was chosen by God to be the “man of power for the hour.”  He would complete the work that one of the greatest men of the Old Testament had done in such an exemplary fashion until he failed at one critical point.

Imagine how young Joshua must have felt.  He was going into this situation with his eyes wide open.  He had witnessed the disloyalty of the people toward Moses, his constant intercession, and yes, the intimidating intimacy with which he walked with the Lord.  Moses’ face glowed with the glory of God for pity sakes!  How would it feel to step into those shoes?  Especially to lead the people into war.

The Lord urged Joshua to be strong and courageous, to not be terrified or discouraged.  One thing I know, God does not mince his words. If he spoke this word of exhortation to Joshua it was because he presently needed it, or he was going to need it in the near future.

No matter where you are in life today, no matter what struggles you face, you too can be strong and courageous.  How?  By following after Joshua’s example.  Yes, he would face enemies; yes, there were trying times ahead, but the secret to his future success was that God would go with him wherever he went.

If you are a born again child of God, you have assurance that He is with you, He has promised that he will never leave you nor forsake you.  You will never walk alone, you will never go anywhere that the Spirit of God has not gone before you and cannot sustain you.

Sometimes it just helps to have someone by our side even if they cannot do a thing to help us.  But take courage today, He is not only by our side but He has all wisdom and all power to meet every contingency you could ever face.  Cast your fear upon Him, take courage and be strong.  He will go with you wherever He leads you.

Dear Lord, help me today to not look at the enemy.  Help me not to look at the uncertainty, but rather, help me to look to you.  Thank you that you are with me, help me to sense your peace and presence through all the phases of this journey.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Confident in His Presence

Heb. 10:19

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…”

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we may enter confidently into the Most Holy Place.  The word confidence here is translated Parresia and means fearlessness; boldness; good courage or holy courage.  When you bow your head to pray, you can enter into the Holy of Holies, right there as you scrub a toilet; right there as you mow the yard, right there on the job.  The veil is rent!  How can we neglect so great a privilege as to be in the Presence of Almighty God!  We have the right to boldly approach the throne of grace to find help in our time of need.

Even though I stumble, even though I fall, I can boldly come before Him, into His very presence.  Just as a king would have to extend the scepter for someone to come into his presence, or else they would die, Jesus has extended the scepter.  If you get angry and throw a fit, you still can have confidence.  If you neglect your Bible study, you can still have confidence to approach Him.  Why?   Because we come to Him through this new and living way, not in our own righteousness. 

We should always endeavor to lead a holy life.  But our right to enter this Most Holy place was purchased with the faultless blood of Jesus and we will never earn the right to enter.  He paid the price.  Totally.    It is not His blood plus my tithe.  It is not His blood plus the number of people I witness to.  It is not His blood plus the number of times I have kept the peace in a relationship.  It is ONLY through His blood. 

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we accept the privilege to enter the gate this one way.  Through Him we come.  He is the one that credits us as righteous.  He is the one that keeps us in Him.  Because He is not man that He could lie; because He cannot do anything but be true to His Word, His covenant, and His character, we can have confidence.  This is a no fail situation.  Because of this, I can have confidence to approach Him when I have botched it up.  Because of this I can have confidence to approach Him when I am afraid, when I am tired, and even when my faith is low.  Because I am thoroughly convinced of the completeness of His work on the cross, I came come to Him with confidence.

Dear Lord, help me to accept the truth of the confidence available to me through your finished work on the cross.  Help me remember it is all about you and never about me.   Help me to renew my mind to accept this privilege on Your merit.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Confidence

Heb. 10:19

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…”

Confidence. 

Confidence is an attribute that is highly valued in our society.  Confidence inspires trust and admiration.  People with confidence are more successful in life, commerce and education.    Confident people make leaders and often command respect when they enter the room.  They know they’ve got it and make us believe it too!

And yet, confidence is something that most of us struggle with at one time or another.  People with low self-esteem plod through life as shrinking violets, hiding behind others, avoiding positions that intimidate them and put them out front.  In conversation they are retiring and evasive, giving non-committal answers.  A person lacking in confidence answers a questions with a question. 

This passage tells us we can be confident in His Presence.

This one truth is enough to leave us speechless for a month if we truly grasped it.  We do not fully understand how holy God is.  We don’t conceive with our minds how separated we are from him just by the smallest white lie, the smallest compromise, by our inherent sin nature.  He is completely and altogether pure, righteous, holy, and blameless.  He cannot be in the presence of sin.  But because the finished work of Christ occurred, we have the opportunity to be granted righteousness.

 In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, the priest would wash his body with water, he would sacrifice a bull for his own sin and then and only then, with fear and trembling would he enter into the Most Holy Place.  He knew without preparing himself, and offering the appropriate sacrifices, that he faced certain death behind the curtain. 

On that day when Jesus offered himself, the pure, spotless Lamb of God, as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, he paid the price once and for all.  He did not have to schedule to come back in one year.  As He said on the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) The sacrifice was complete and it was 100% acceptable in the eyes of a 100% Holy God and Righteous Judge.  With His body and with His own precious blood he rent the veil in two. 

Can you imagine on the day that this occurred what people must have thought who were standing in the temple, and suddenly they could see what was behind the veil?  The great mystery was laid bare for all to see.  Before, only one person had the right to go in.  Even if you were from the right tribe, your likelihood of being the high priest was very small.  It was a very elite honor, but now, thanks be to God for his infinite gift of Christ, we can enter the most Holy Place!

Dear Lord, thank you for paying the price for me that I can have confidence in Your Presence and can freely come before you.  Boldly and without fear.  Help me to not take the privilege lightly and help me to use the privilege often. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

The Battle of the Ages

Romans 7:21-24

“So I find this law at work:  When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

When we are born again, the Spirit of God comes to live on the inside of us,       and with it, a strong desire to live to please God.  A sinner has little desire to please anyone other than himself.  But a Christian has a new nature working on them, pulling them in a heavenly direction.  Which, in short, means the battle is on!

In this passage of Scripture the Apostle Paul is lamenting about the struggle that- he, the super apostle, was having with his flesh.  The constant self-condemnation and frustrations he felt was because he truly did want to do right, but almost before he could stop himself, he would see himself evidencing a sin nature. So much so that he considered himself a prisoner!

Many of the situations that people become imprisoned in- addiction; toxic relationships; moral and ethical compromise; a web of lies- all start from a single decision to deviate from their conscience, and if they are a Christian, from the truth of the Bible.  In this passage Paul is identifying with the person who becomes ensnared in sin but seems to lack the ability within themselves to be set free.

But the rest of the story to this passage occurs in the next verse.  After asking who will rescue him, verse 25 states that “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have a rescuer today Who has already come and paid the price to make us free!  He has redeemed us and canceled the weight and penalty of sin from our lives.

So why is it that so many of us continue to be imprisoned after we come to Christ?  The truth is that although Jesus takes the keys to eternal life and unlocks our prison, many of us choose to continue to remain inside it.  We are the free, living like the bound.  Does the desire to sin go away?  Do we never again have to worry about being bound?  Sadly, no.  But the good news is that we don’t have to be.  We can continue in the freedom he has provided.  When the enemy comes to tempt us to sin, God “makes a way of escape” for us.  He gives us an “out” we just have to be willing to take it. 

For a Christian to return to bondage they do so ignoring all the bells and warning whistles the Lord is sounding to keep them on the path.  It takes a foolish person to drive off the side of a mountain because they are unwilling to read the numerous posted warning signs. 

We have to renew our minds in order to think as the Bible thinks rather than according to our fleshly nature. A Christian must constantly resist the temptation of the flesh and of the enemy. But we have the power through Christ to do so.  He gives us strength where we are weak and grants us supernatural wisdom to see through the traps of the devil.

Dear Lord, today I pray that you will help me to overcome my sin nature in every decision I make.  Help me resist the urge to please myself and enjoy the pleasures of the moment.  Enable me to live in Your strength, walking in freedom and in the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen

Sherri