Hallowed Flame

God’s children have been drawn from darkness into His light.  He has lit the flame of repentance and stoked the tinder of faith.  Like Moses, our eyes have beheld Jehovah’s presence in the burning bush, and we have removed our soiled sandals because we now stand on holy ground that is cleansed by God’s purifying fire.  (Ex. 3)

Although, in our sinful state, we do not always see His burning lamp, God’s presence is ever before us.  In a brilliant “pillar of fire” He leads us through the world’s barren deserts (Ex 13:21-22).  Our footsteps are made sure as He lights the way that has been marked by His sacrifice.  His righteousness clears away the stones and obstacles that threaten to cause us to stumble, for His glorious Light shines ahead of us and our footsteps are made sure.

If we stray, the glory of the Lord appears like a beacon to guide us back onto His straight and narrow way.  In His jealousy, He feeds the furnace of His love for His children with His holiness, causing it to blaze brightly in the wilderness. He erects a flaming wall of protection that divides His foes who abide on the side of darkness and His children who rest on the other side in the Light of His safety (Ex 14:19-20).  His mighty hand plucks the feet of His faltering children from the licking flames of sin, and His own purifying fire heals their wounds.

Oh, to at last be led to His throne room where His eternal Light burns brightly!  For the darkness of sin to be forever consumed by His eternal flames!

Oh, to see the Lord’s glory!  His eyes blazing like a furnace, burning white with righteousness and holiness! (Rev 1:14-15)

“Arise, shine, for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you!” (Is 60:1)  “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory!” (Is 60:19)

“Though [you] now sit in darkness, the Lord will be [your] Light..”  He will make you a brightly lit lamp so that those who come in can see the Light (Lk 8:16) and long to be in its cleansing rays!  (Matt 6:22)  For behold!  “The true Light that gives light to every man [has] come into the world” to lead men from the death of darkness and bring them into the glorious Light of Life!

"O beloved, do not be slow to return the hallowed flame of His love."  (C.H. Spurgeon)

Throw It Overboard

 Psalm 139:23-24

When man first fashioned vessels to carry him across the seas, the necessity to dispose of accumulated garbage became a problem.  Because of the length of time that was required to sail across the vast waters in search of distant shores, leaving his refuse on board would have created health problems, not to mention the stench that would accompany him on the long trip, or the inconvenience of piling it out of the way, to name just a few.  Something had to be done with it, and his only reasonable option was to throw it over the side of the ship into the briny deep.

Today, our shorelines are littered with the centuries of flotsam that the birds and sea creatures found inedible and which they ignored.  But the evidence that this is a continued practice is obvious to any serious beachcomber who spends hours poking through the twisted piles of kelp and seaweed that line the surf.  Treasures can be found among the trash, but it takes a diligent soul to strike out following a storm to see what the turbulent waves have carried onto land.

To most, there is a twisted logic in casting trash into the sea; mainly because there is a vast difference between the trash of the past and the garbage of today.  The creatures that inhabit the sea become entangled in the plastics and other materials that do not break down in the earth’s elements, and toxic wastes that deform or kill have done a huge disservice to the environment.  Man is unmindful of their inability to rot and decay, or to disperse.  I once saw photos of islands of plastic debris floating along the ocean’s currents and filling the harbors and lining the shores.  It was not a pretty site, and it did bring to light a growing problem.  But as with every problem, there is usually a solution.  It is not necessary to become a raging environmentalist to know that the problem can be taken care of.  It only requires education, reason, thought, and ingenuity to bring it about, rather than constant complaint and finger-pointing, which is more in line with the earth-first crowd.

There is a similarity to what is found floating on the surface of the earth's waters and the practice of surrounding ourselves with unnecessary stuff that we amass in our spiritual lives.  Each is capable of creating a pile of refuse that eventually will become overbearing.  The items in our trash heap can be as seemingly benign as complacency, or as poisonous as heresy that comes about by embracing false teaching and deception.  Add to the mounting trash pile bad doctrine, our own reasoning, legalism, pride, and arrogance, and the fumes given off by us become increasingly offensive.  As the pile grows, it begins to create a stench that spreads and permeates everything about us.  Before long, the pile of garbage we have created begins to become a huge problem, taking up the space that should be reserved for sound Biblical teaching, and threatening to bury us forever in its filth.

Like the mariners of old who realized the importance of ridding their ship of unwanted garbage, the Christian should also keep a wary eye on  what may be polluting his own spirituality.  Whatever he finds among it that may be affecting his walk with Christ, or  that which is offensive to God, is a trash heap that should be thrown overboard.  There should be within him a desire to dispose of anything that threatens to infect or damage the relationship he has with Him.  In doing so, he rids the atmosphere of his walk and his talk of any unpleasant aromas; the scent of his faith more pleasing to God.  And as the Lord combs through the surf of our faith, He will find His treasures on the surface instead of buried among worthless trash.

Have you taken the time to survey the possibility of a growing mound of garbage in your spiritual life?  If not, it would be a good idea to check and see if there is debris that needs to be eliminated.  And do not be afraid to throw it overboard.  The sea will not be damaged by it.  Rather, it will consume it and disperse it to its depths, never to be seen - or smelled - again.

Once done, the voyage will be unencumbered of the excess weight the world brings, and the sweet and pleasant winds of Truth will fill your sails as the Lord carries you safely to His clean and undefiled harbor.

Happy Anniversary Counting the Cost!

Psalm 89:15-17

As I was checking my blog this morning, the sudden realization struck me that it is now entering its third year of existence in this vast, seemingly endless sphere called the internet.  It has definitely been a challenge to keep it fresh with new posts that reflect its purpose and encourage readers to come back for another visit.  And when I would think that my limited ability had reached an end to its creativity and my few visitors were bored to tears with repetitious or redundant themes, another idea, another topic would pop into my head and find its way onto this page.

Some of the posts you have read sat idle for a while in the draft file, waiting for inspiration to make them worthy of your time.  And when they were posted, my obsessive nature over editing for grammatical and punctuation errors would send them flying back into the "Edit Posts" stage for a brief moment to be "fixed" so your eyes wouldn't be offended.  Others were so clear and precise in their context and form that they didn't have to suffer through much proof-reading; the spell- and grammatical-check option would gleefully pop up telling me it was near-perfection - and that made me happy.

When I first set up this blog, I added a traffic counter that shows me how many visitors I have had on that particular day.  At first, it was the number of readers who showed up that I was most interested in, and the number of them that continued to "follow" it, or return often to see what else has been posted.  As any fledgling writer will eventually admit if they are honest with themselves, they desire recognition for their efforts.  After all, it's a lot of hard work, and if no one is reading that work, they feel disappointed.

Also, I wanted to see, but seldom did, comments from those who dropped in; their thoughts or whether or not they liked it.  But, it wasn't long before I was convicted that my focus was misplaced.  I needed to return to its original purpose: to glorify Jesus Christ.  I started looking at not the number of visitors, but where they were coming from, what country they lived in, and it opened up a whole new perspective on the possible reason this blog has continued to exist.

I began keeping a list of the "hits" I was receiving outside of the United States. The counter also shows me a map and a URL of the one searching, and I am able to visit their own blogs or websites, if they have one.  How they managed to find my blog is something for which I have no answer, nor is it necessary for me to have one.  Whether by mistake, through a Google image search, the hyperlink I have on my email, a recommendation from another reader, Facebook, or a multitude of other possibilities, they had come.  The most surprising are those who visit from nations that are known for their intolerance and/or hostility towards Christianity: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan and other parts of Africa, Nigeria, Iran, China, nations from the former Soviet Union, and believe it or not, North Korea.  I would wonder what risk they may have had to take to search the web for a glimpse of what their hearts yearned for.

How wonderful it was to think that the LORD may have led them to my humble blog to find Him.  This thought made it more imperative that I allow Him to be its Administrator, rather than myself.  It wasn't the number of visitors that was important.  It was who these people were that were being directed here, perhaps Divinely so, that became my focus.

Once I placed control back in the LORD's hands, I was encouraged to visit my readers' blogs, if they had one.  Needless to say, the variety of thoughts, philosophies, religions, or purposes I found among them was staggering.  Although I have discovered some amazingly wonderful Christian blogs this way, most of the blogs I find using this method are from Hindus, Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, Satanists, New Age spiritualists, evolutionists, and every other form of false religion or ideology that would pop up on my computer screen.  I must admit that some were received with discomfort or misgiving because of their content and I struggled not to comment on their own posts or, more often, hurriedly left their site.  However, it presented me an opportunity to  leave a rare comment of encouragement or, better yet, to pray for them and to also ask others to pray.  And it delighted me that perhaps they were searching for an answer they couldn't get from the darkness they currently resided in and, instead, found it on my blog.  After all, nothing is accidental or by chance - even if it wasn't their intention to land here.

With another year looming before me and many empty pages lying in wait to be filled, I look to the One Who has faithfully kept this blog up and running for the last two years.  I must be doing something right.  Right?  As long as I let His hands rest on mine that are poised above the keyboard, or hold the pen hovering over my notebook, the words that show up here will be His.  And if you're searching for an answer and He directs you here to my humble blog, as long as you are willing to pause a few moments and read from these pages, you will find the answer somewhere within them.

I would like to extend a BIG "THANK YOU!" to all who have come here the past two years.  Whether this is your first visit, or you return often, my gratitude is sincerely given for dropping by.  I hope that you found what you were looking for, and that you have been fed, renewed, or encouraged by the words that are posted here....and I hope you come back again. 

Oh!  And don't forget to leave your thoughts after you have read what you find here. Just click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the post and follow the instructions.  We writers appreciate them more than you think and really do want to hear from you.

To celebrate this blog's anniversary, I will be re-posting from time to time some favorites of mine that were written over the course of the last two years.  It is my hope that you will re-read them, perhaps with new eyes, and that they speak to your heart as they did mine when I wrote them.  Better yet, however, is that I pray we will one day meet when we are all gathered together with the LORD, and that you will tell me you found Him here on my blog.

Until that glorious day, may the Holy Spirit continue to draw you closer to your Savior Jesus Christ, to make you His own for eternity, and to pour out His blessings upon you.

In Christ's Service,

Karen

 

Are You Dead Yet?

John 11:25-26

"When you're forgiven, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ -- that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence -- that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, or any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured it -- that is dying to self.

When you are content with any circumstance, any food, any offering, any clothing, any climate, any society, any solicitude, any interruption by the will of God -- that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or record your own good works, or itch after any commendation from others, when you can truly love to be unknown -- that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and your circumstances more desperate -- that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart -- that is dying to self.

Ask yourself a question:   'are you dead yet?' "

(Borrowed from "What It Means to Die to Self" - by John MacArthur)

A New Year Prayer

(From former Berean Call board member, William MacDonald, deceased 2007)

 

"As we come to the beginning of another year, we would do well to make the following prayer requests our own:

 

Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory.

 

I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your Name.

Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You.   Don't let me settle in a rut.

May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease."  The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.

Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jer. 10:23).

May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.

Keep me from gossip and criticism of others. Rather, help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.

Lead me to needy souls. May I become a friend of sinners, as You are. Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.

Lord Jesus, keep me from becoming cold, bitter, or cynical in spite of anything that may happen to me in the Christian life.

Guide me in my stewardship of money. Help me to be a good steward of everything You have entrusted to me.

Help me to remember moment by moment that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.

And, Lord Jesus, I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

The Yeast of My Faith

Matthew 13:33

When my children were growing up, I loved to bake for them.  Mountains of cookies and tins of pies and cakes always adorned the countertops.  Their lunch bags rarely held a store-bought dessert, but contained homemade goodies, instead.   But what drew them the most to the kitchen was the aroma of freshly baked bread.  It was a common practice of mine to bake several loaves each week.  A old recipe given to me by a friend provided enough dough for seven loaves and often I would use some of it for cinnamon rolls - a favorite among the men in the household.  When just dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls were in order, I would turn to a sweet roll dough recipe given to me by an Aunt whose baking and cooking skills were touted in our extended family.

Baking a successful loaf of bread requires much diligent practice and adherence to the recipe.  The first time I made cinnamon rolls for my new husband, I unknowingly killed the yeast.  This means that the water I used to activate the yeast was too hot and prevented the dough from rising.  The result was a pan of rolls resembling hockey pucks.  However, my husband ate them, and I am sure he did so just to make me feel better about my unsuccessful attempt to please him.  I was more careful the next time and more determined that I learn everything necessary to make a good batch of dough.

As I mentioned earlier, it is the aroma of bread being prepared that sticks most in my mind.  If you have ever made your own bread, you know that without yeast, salt, and sugar the dough is tasteless and smells like bland flour paste.  It is the added ingredients that give it that wonderfully pungent aroma and delicious flavor.  And it is the yeast’s essence that drew my family into the kitchen where they would wait for that first warm, golden brown slice smothered in butter and jam.

My Mom once told me that, as she was growing up, her mother would heat fat in a pan, pull small lumps of freshly made dough from the ball, and fry them in the fat.  She called them “dough gods”; crispy, golden brown on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside.  It was a treat in an otherwise poor household that her family looked forward to with delight.

The most amazing process of bread baking is in the reaction of the ingredients.  One of the most essential parts is the yeast for, without it, the result would resemble my failed cinnamon rolls, or a flat and unleavened type of bread.  The word "yeast" in Scripture is often applied as a symbol of sin.  Just as a little yeast in a bowl of flour will cause it to grow into a larger amount, a little sin in a person’s life will also increase and eventually ruin it (Lev. 2:11; Matt 16:12).

However, yeast is also used as a positive symbol of growth.  The leaven that Jesus describes in Matthew 13:33 depicts an agent that is necessary in growing His kingdom.  The yeast, which can be substituted for His Word, was first viewed as insignificant, only affecting a few.  But as it permeated the whole batch, it began to enlarge and spread out and eventually impacted the entire world.

Just as the improper application of yeast in bread making can ruin the whole batch, the wrong use of it in our lives can create a very unpleasant stench to our Lord’s keen sense of smell.  Even our smallest sins will carry a sour and unpalatable aroma to heaven.  We may think that just a little will not hurt.  But in reality, it will seep into every grain of our makeup until it overpowers us, and the result is nothing more than a worthless lump of tasteless and discarded dough.

The aroma that drew my family to the kitchen is the same one I desire to present to the Lord.  I want the yeast of my faith to be a “fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18).

It is imperative that we carefully follow the instructions we are given in the recipe for successful witness.  If I inadvertently, or even intentionally, overheat the water I use to activate the yeast with which I am attempting to leaven others, the result could be disastrous.  If I fail to add the salt of faith , or the sweetness of Truth that flavors the dough, my hearer will be left with a bad taste in his mouth.  God's Word of Truth, His recipe for forgiveness and salvation, cannot be altered or suited to fit the world's perception of the Gospel.  It must be retained in its original purity in order for the aroma of its message to be pleasing to the Lord.   By attempting to add foreign or offensive ingredients, or remove a necessary one, the perfection of the loaf is damaged and He will find it inedible.

If I obediently follow God's recipe for success, as I kneed the flour and break down its components, the texture will become pliable, yielding to the Hands that hold my own and that gently shape it into loaves worthy of His palate.  The yeast of my faith will be proven in the final product.  And as they are placed on His cupboard, their aroma will draw others to do the same, until His pantry is full and His children are fed.

Celebrate with joy, for our Lord, our God, our Savior has come to bring salvation to the world!

Give all your praise to our King Emanuel!

~~~ Merry Christmas Everyone! ~~~

A More Notable Celestial Event

Matthew 2:2 

The world was abuzz Monday night as two celestial events occurred at the same time: a full lunar eclipse during the winter equinox.  It had been over 450 years since both had coincided and everyone wanted to see it.

Although cloudy skies and rain and snow were in the northern hemisphere’s forecast, millions stayed up late hoping to catch a glimpse of the earth’s shadow being cast upon the face of the moon.  The scientific community and the media heralded it as one of the most spectacular events of the last four centuries - a must-see of stupendous proportion - and the world was poised to view it.

I did not expect to be fortunate enough to see the eclipse because of the weather.  It had snowed hard all day and more was supposed to come.  But at the appointed hour, I was drawn to step outside on the chance the weatherman was wrong.  And he had been.  Because we live in clear mountain air and have no yard lights, the scene my eyes beheld was nothing short of divine.

As I lifted my eyes directly above my head, I saw that the clouds had parted and presented a perfect circle of clear sky.  In the center of the circle, the almost-fully eclipsed moon hung on an invisible chain.  It was surrounded by glittering stars, like diamonds under brilliant light that seemed to dance in the cold night air.  I stood in utter amazement, gazing at God’s handiwork with childlike awe.  Praise for our Creator instantly flooded my mind and I whispered the only thing I was capable of uttering at that moment, “Thank You, Lord!”

King David must have witnessed something of equal or greater magnificence as he penned certain psalms and spoke of God’s power over His creation.

“When I consider Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place,

what is man that You are mindful of him?”

(Psalm 8:3-4)

His eloquence in praising the God of the heavens and the earth defy my feeble attempts.  My camera failed to capture the glory God displayed to us that night.  And, unlike David, my pen is equally unable to describe to you what my eyes beheld, or how my heart swelled as He revealed Himself to this sinful world in such a way.

“The heavens declare the glory of God

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

(Psalm 19:1-4) 

If I had been able to capture the moon on my camera, it would have looked like the picture above.  But, I must be content to store the image in my mind and tuck it safely away in my heart to be remembered and viewed now and then.

There was a time when another spectacular celestial event occurred.  It happened over two thousand years ago, but drew less attention than Monday night’s display.  There was no media splash notifying the world of its coming; no vast scientific community marveling with excitement and directing their telescopes and cameras heavenward.  Mankind failed to mark off their calendars, or their hearts, the day and hour it would present itself.  Nor did they sit vigil in the cold winter night to view it.  It came quietly and suddenly, and only a few were aware of it.

At the exact appointed time, a brilliant star moved across the heavens and settled directly over the little village of Bethlehem, remaining there for some time.  What is not known, but is greatly debated, is how this celestial event occurred.  Secular scientists and astronomers discredit it as a supernova, or some heavenly catastrophic demonstration.  Some suggest it was a conjunction of planets aligning themselves to create a brilliant light in the night sky.  What we do know, however, is that it happened, and it did so in order to point to the location of our Savior’s birth.

Mankind finds it impossible to believe that the Creator Who formed and fashioned the heavens could, at His whim, move the celestial objects He divinely placed.  Even Christians lack the faith required to believe in an all-powerful God Who is able to place His finger on a star and move it to another location.  Or for Him to simply create another one to be used for His purpose, then hidden among the vast array of the universe.  But our God did so to reform the galaxy into a sign of His presence - the Light that had come unto the world.  The star that hung over Bethlehem, the one that awed the shepherds who were guarding the sheep and drew the gift-bearing Magi from Persia, proclaimed the fulfillment of God’s glorious plan of salvation, creating a backdrop of brilliant light and heavenly design as the multitude of angels sang,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
(Luke 2:13-14)

As I pondered the different reactions these two events received, I could not help but feel sadness.  There is no comparing the two.  Yet, even on the eve of Christmas, Monday's  celestial display was seen through the eyes of the world as more significant and meaningful than that which had occurred over two thousands years ago.  Man can explain the eclipse, even its untimely coincidence with the winter equinox.  He is able to reason with science and astronomy, calculate with mathematics, and give it credibility because he was able to witness it with his own eyes.  His belief system is limited by his experience and the shallowness of his skewed perception of reality that is really no reality at all.

“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
(John 1:3-5)

The man that is able to step out into the cold night air and lift his eyes to the heavens with faith is the one who will witness the Creator’s glory in its full majesty.  Both events described here were orchestrated by the hand of God.  But the second was the one that brought the greater Blessing.  The Magi and the shepherds were given the honor of having had their eyes and hearts opened to see the Light suspended in the sky and to respond to it.  I was rewarded the same way.  What could be seen by others as merely another eclipse was seen by my eyes as the handiwork of God.  Just as He did for the world with the star over Bethlehem, He again did for me as I gazed with wonder at what was happening.  It was a reminder of His power, His great love for mankind, and a brief demonstration of His beauty which He so eloquently displayed in the heavens.

Although the eclipse briefly brought darkness upon the world, it was a short interlude.  As the earth’s shadow moved across the moon’s face, the brilliance of the Light returned to once again shine down upon a dark and sinful world, signifying hope in the promises we hold so dear.

Let us all rejoice this Christmas season in the knowledge that our God once blessed the world with a celestial sign announcing His arrival, and that He continues to bless us with signs of His presence and the promise of His return.  Until then…

May the Light of His Love shine brightly upon everyone, both day and night.

Merry Christmas

Have A Little Talk With Jesus

How often do you pray?

There is a misconception in the church that the employment of prayer has its proper purpose, time and place.  When asked by others to pray for their urgent needs, we comply.  When we have our own immediate needs, we pray for the Lord to meet them.  Our church bulletins usually include prayer lists of those with specific health or financial problems of which we are asked to pray.  But the immensity of this growing list of prayer requests can be daunting and cause us to merely glance at it, perhaps selecting only a few of them to respond to and overlooking the rest.  And of course, we all bow our heads for the opening and closing prayers our Pastor gives before and after his sermon.

“Well, isn’t that enough?” some of you may ask.  The answer to that question depends entirely upon what kind of relationship you want to have with God.

The idea that prayer must always have a definite purpose is one that should be discarded.  Prayer is perhaps the most important tool we have at our disposal to draw us to a closer intimacy with God.  It is the most essential form of communion we can have with Him, a time when we can approach Him and fellowship with Him on a personal level.  At that point, we are face to face with the Lord and He gives us His complete and unwavering attention.  Like sitting down with an old friend over a cup of coffee and merely enjoying each others company, these moments with God enable us to talk to Him about the simplest or the most complex things.  There is nothing happening in our lives that will bore Him or cause His thoughts to wander away from our conversation.  And He is always ready to respond with correction, instruction, or encouragement.  God’s desire for an intimate relationship with us is far greater than our desire to have one with Him.  After all, He created us for that purpose.

The time we spend in prayer is also critical to our Spiritual well-being.  Each moment of every day is the proper time, especially if we want to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our lives and get alone with Him.  Regardless of what we are doing at any given moment, He is available to us.  It is good to follow Jesus’ example of being in constant communion with God.  Many times throughout His ministry, Jesus would separate Himself from the throngs of people to be alone with His Father.  As His disciples slept, He would slip away to a mountain top, the starry hosts displayed in splendor above their Creator, and find solace as He talked with God.  His strength would be restored and the horrible burden that was approaching Him briefly lifted as He poured out Himself to His Father.  In these quiet moments of divine conversation, God the Son and God the Father became One.  This reality is also available to us when we take the time to talk with Him.

The place where we pray is probably the least important.  Because God's Spirit physically dwells within every believer, the opportunities we have to approach Him are limitless.  No appointment is necessary.  No formal meeting place need be designated.  We carry Him with us wherever we go, and it is only our own silence that prevents us from having that intimate moment with Him.

Perhaps one of the most telling and amazing examples of the Lord’s desire to commune with us is told in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden.  God’s presence there was literally physical!  He walked with Adam and Eve in “the cool of the day,” delighting in His creation and desiring their companionship.  Sadly for us, their disobedience took away that glorious privilege of being in His physical presence.  But He sent His Son to remedy the rift that had been established between us and Himself, reestablishing the closeness of the relationship He first had with man, and guaranteeing us that one day we would once again be able to physically stand before Him.

Is that not also our goal?  To be in such intimate closeness with God that each thought we have is spoken to, or is directly related to Him?  The words we speak reflecting His very presence and our expectation of His influence and intercession?  If not, it should be.  We should desire, above all else, to have the same unity Jesus had with His Father.  We should not think that prayer requires formality or ritual, a specific place or a time when it is to be employed and draws us near to Him.  However, we should not “be like the hypocrites” Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6:5-9 who “like to be seen by men” while standing in their preferred places in the synagogue.  These self-righteous men desired to be seen as holy and have the attention of others drawn to them.  Instead, our prayers should be humble, contrite, and repentant like the tax collector who stood far off and beat his breast in confession over his unworthiness, begging for mercy (Luke 18:9-14).  They should be full of praise for Him, and drenched in the dew of adoration and worship.  Our prayers should exalt Him above every trial or trouble we experience, seeking His will that they be overcome.  There should be an open intimacy with God unlike any other relationship we have because He knows our hearts and all of the secret thoughts hidden there.

Neither is it a requirement that prayer be eloquent.  Sometimes we are at a loss for words over certain conditions affecting our lives or the lives of others.  However, it can be said that the fewer the words uttered, the better.  The Holy Spirit continuously searches our hearts for these things, and He carries our petitions to God’s ear.  Words are not necessary because the Holy Spirit and God are in agreement, and the Lord fully understands our groaning (Romans 8:26-27).  Whether it be one word, a person’s name, or simply crying out, “Lord!” His ear is acutely tuned into us.  So much so, in fact, that a single thought or the faintest cry is heard by Him (1Corinthians 2:10-11).  They are “divine articulations within the Trinity that cannot be expressed in words, but carry profound appeals for the welfare of every believer,” according to God’s perfect will. (John MacArthur)

So, how often do you pray?  Is your heart so closely knit to His that you find yourself going throughout the day in constant communication with the Lord, nearly every thought focused on Him?  Wherever you are, or whatever you are doing, have a little talk with Jesus from time to time.  In your room behind closed doors, or in public, honor Him by acknowledging His constant presence and converse with Him, either in prayer for yourself or others, or just to let Him know you are aware He is there.

The Lord desires your praise, your worship, and your prayers.  Whether you groan, pour out a flood of words, or just merely want to have a little talk, He will give you His undivided attention.  And He is patiently waiting for you to start the conversation.


Additional reading:

Psalm 54:2
Luke 6:28; 18:1
Romans 8:26; 12:12
2Corinthians 1:11
Philippians 1:19
Colossians 1:35; 4:2
Hebrews 5:7
1Timothy 2:1; 2:8
1Peter 3:7
Revelation 5:8

The Pages In-Between

We know Jesus Christ to be the Author and Perfector, or Finisher, of our faith, but what about all that comes in-between?

All too often we ignore or skip over the work that is fully explained in His Word and being performed in us before it is completed to the Lord’s satisfaction.  Many things that reveal the reason for His presence in our lives cause us to delight in the beginning, but then we want to rush through to the conclusion.  This behavior can be likened to reading the first chapter of a thrilling book, then turning to the last chapter to see how it ends.  By doing so, we miss the entire storyline and have little understanding of the characters and events that bring it to its conclusion.  There is just a beginning and an end with nothing in-between.

The One Who began and will complete a good work in us (Phil. 1:6) is also the One Who will carry us through the middle, and it is usually during that part of the process where we discover we need Him the most.  After we are drawn by the Holy Spirit and repent, His enemy will often bring upon us a full-scale assault.  Angered by our rejection of the world and sin, he may attack us from all sides, relentless and determined to make us weaken and fall away.  Our only defense comes from our Shepherd Who protects us and leads us through the turmoil and trials that often occur during our walk with Him.  It is only by His strength that we are able to endure (Phil. 4:13), and it is only in His Word in its entirety that we are able to acquire His strength.

The pages in-between the beginning and the end tell a large part of the story, and it is from them we can learn the most.  For instance, we learn Who God is and why He came to us the way He did.  Our childlike faith is increased.  Our little knowledge of how we got where we are and where we are going grows as more of God’s wisdom is poured out upon us.  We learn that the shell that once encased our hardened hearts is shattered, turning that heart of stone into one of flesh, making it pliable and receptive to the outpouring of God's Grace.  We learn that nothing we do apart from Christ is beneficial or rewarding. (Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:15-16)  Nor does it honor or glorify Him.  Our own works are just “filthy rags” that offend Him (Isaiah 64:6).  

As we apply all of the storyline on the pages between the beginning and the end, we spiritually mature.  The discernment we are given is reinforced, making us better able to  distinguish right from wrong and to turn away from those who would mislead us.  Our love for the story's Main Character deepens and makes us more fervently desire to serve Him.  And as we learn from the Words written in the middle of the Book, we are better equipped to run the race and finish it well, increasing the anticipation of the prize that awaits us at the end of our journey here, and causing us to yearn for its coming (1Cor. 9:24-25).  There is no end to the understanding we can glean from the pages in-between.

As we slowly read through the divine story God has written for us, we learn He is also our Provider and Sustainer.  If we had ignored the middle of the Book, we would not be as acutely aware of this fact.  His faithfulness to His children is assured as He supplies us with all our needs and often meets many of our desires.  Because of His great love for us, He sustains us in order that His perfect will is accomplished.  Everything God has done and all that He will do is intended to bring us to the final chapter of His Book, and to glorify Himself with its conclusion.

There are many who have made the mistake of only reading the first and last chapters of God’s story of Grace.  The depth of their understanding is robbed of some of the most essential elements that help keep their faith strong and increase their trust in Him.  It may be to their detriment to merely accept so little of its entirety.  There are riches beyond compare to be found between the pages; precious gems of understanding and pearls of wisdom (2Tim. 3:16; Rom. 11:33).  It is a story of mystery and intrigue, of battles and victory, and the revelation told by the Hero of the story of all that is compiled within its pages that will lead us to its glorious end (Eph. 3:8-12).

Not only is our Lord Jesus the Author of the first and last chapters of our new life in Him, but He is also the One Who wrote, teaches and upholds the integrity of the middle of the story before He brings about His finishing work (Heb. 12:1-3).  He tells us in the many pages in-between all that is necessary to sustain us through our life here and what to expect in the next one that awaits us in eternity.

I hope you will not spoil the story by failing to read all of it.  If you have, you know how the story began and how it will end, but you may have missed a very important part of the most divine story ever written.  In-between the beginning and the end is a glorious message of mankind's continued rejection and disobedience and the Lord's  plan to end it. Therein lies all  the hope, the vital instruction and exhortation we need to lead us to a conclusion  of  divine victory, forgiveness, and  eternal exaltation for the God Who wrote it.

It never hurts to start over.  Go back  to the beginning and allow Jesus to fill in the rest of His story in-between the pages.  If you do, I assure you it will make the ending even more satisfying.