I heard someone the other day say:

"My grandson was a bit sullen the other day when I was correcting him about something. When I asked him why he was acting that way he said, "Because you're always accusing me." That gave me pause. I did not realize it looked like that to him. I did not think I was always accusing him---I am sure I was not---but to him it looked that way. I realized I had better change and approach things differently."

That got me thinking of how differently we can perceive the same thing.  It seems even “eye witnesses” can have differing accounts of the same event, of what they see or don’t see.  I think that’s what makes knowing the truth so difficult at times.  Our own biases and histories can get in the way.  I think that’s why a criteria for truth must lie outside of one’s self – to define truth that isn’t based on personal opinion or momentary emotions.

God’s word says knowing the truth will set you free. . .because truth doesn’t depend on me.  His word is true – from the beginning to the end, unchanging, to be trusted and relied upon.  What a comfort to know that I don’t have to figure it all out, that He has done that for me.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Col 3:23)

I try to remind myself of this on a daily basis.  Though I don’t always succeed it’s worth the effort to try and develop this practice.  As the saying goes, we play for an audience of one and often the most menial task can have the greatest impact – on others and on ourselves.

I often think of David as a young boy. He was a shepherd who spent his early years caring for sheep.  As I understand it, sheep are pretty mindless animals and really need someone to look after them, but then that’s another story.

I know that all that time David spent alone, tending the sheep – a rather lowly and menial task – that God was preparing him for something much bigger.  I have always wanted a heart like David’s because he was known for having a heart for the Lord.  What a truly wonderful thing to be known for.  I think a large part of his heart development occurred during his early years spent in the lowly task of tending sheep.  So when I hear “whatever you do” I think of David.  So often the things we do go without notice or at least it appears that way.  But there is One who knows our every move.  I want my moves to be for Him, directed by Him and to rejoice in those moments when it’s just between the two of us.  So whatever I do, rather seen or unseen – I want it to be all for Him.

Monuments

There is, today, this movement to remove historical monuments that have a negative connotation - that represent a not so favorable view of who we were and where we come from.  I’m just glad that the writers’ of the Bible, guided by the Holy Spirit, chose to portray humans just as they are – warts and all, so to speak, because none of us get it right all the time.  Part of maturing is learning from our mistakes, accepting the fact that we are flawed – and learning to change and move forward.

I am a sinner saved by grace.  Because of His grace I want to extend it to others and would hope that others would be willing to extend it to me.  Just a thought.

Break my heart for what breaks Yours.

Father, I am so grateful that I am forgiven.  Without Your forgiveness I could not breathe.  Help me, cause me to grow beyond being forgiven to be changed and conformed into the image of Jesus.  Clean out the clutter in my heart and let me start anew, as when You were my first love, to be a participant in Your plans and to rejoice in loving and being loved by You.  Thank You that You will complete the work You have begun in me – we’ve come a long way, but we have a ways to go and I know that You are not done with me yet.  To be a builder of bridges not walls.  To live out of the fullness in You rather than the emptiness in me.  My life is in Your hands.  Oh the joy of knowing that I am Yours.

Commandments

The old commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. 

The new commandment to love as I have love you. (Jesus)

This is so opposite of what the world says.  The world says that we should look out for ourselves. That I have my rights to do or say or be what I want; that “I” always comes first.  Even in loving our neighbors there is a certain amount of “self” involved.  Treating others the way we would like to be treated. 

But Jesus takes it to a whole new level of surrendering by giving up His life for ours.  He then gave us His Spirit so that we could live and love as He did.

It’s a process – this dying to our “selves” and living for others.  It’s day to day, moment to moment. But in the end, we shall behold Him - face to face and our joy will be complete.

Some thoughts on Thomas Goodwin's story

Thomas Goodwin, a seventeenth-century Puritan pastor, wrote that once he saw a father and son walking along the street. Suddenly the father swept the son up into his arms and hugged him and kissed him and told the boy he loved him – and then after a minute he put the boy back down. Was the little boy more a son in the father’s arms than he was down on the street? Objectively and legally there was no difference, but subjectively and experiential, there was all the difference in the world. In his father’s arms, the boy was experiencing his sonship.

When the Holy Spirit comes down on you in fullness, you can sense your Father’s arms beneath you. It is an assurance of who you are.  (Keller)

Father, I love this story and how it explains experiencing Your love and our position as Your children. And I pray for more and more of those moments of being held in Your arms; of squeezing You and feeling Your compassion flow out; of just resting against Your breast and feeling the warmth of Your embrace and having my heart beat in rhythm with Your own.

Last night Brant was reading the obituary of a woman whose life was a picture of “worldly” success, she was loved and spent her life in giving to others.  It mentioned how her and her wife’s faith had carried them through her struggle with cancer – But nowhere did it mention You.  And I can’t help but think she had no idea of Who You are.  What did she have faith in? and where is she now?

We humans can do all the right things but for all the wrong reasons, because our hearts are empty until they are filled by You.

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. (Pro. 14:12: 16:25)

The choice is do we believe You and Your word revealed or not.

A morning thought

I was listening this morning to a teaching by Alistair Begg on the prodigal son – a favorite story by a favorite story teller.  In talking about the prodigal’s return and the father's warm welcoming home he describes the father’s embrace and said “when you squeeze Him compassion comes out because He is full of compassion”.  I just love that image of pressing into the Father and being enveloped by His compassion.  No “I told you so” or “you should have”s just the Father’s  embrace.  What amazing love and what amazing joy to be His child.