Jars Of Clay

Focus verses: II Corinthians 4:7-12

The metaphor of clay in the life of the Christian has always been a source of comfort for me, but I didn't fully realize what it meant until I became involved with my daughter's pottery class.

Clay is malleable. It can be rolled, stretched, incised, imprinted, and watered down and worked again. I love working with clay.

The clay became even more special to me when I took classes in precious metal clays. You see, the "clay" part is just a binder to hold the tiny fragments of the metal together. The clay burns off when you fire the piece to harden the metal clay. If you are working with silver clay, you come out with a product called "fine" silver. It is more nearly pure silver than sterling.

But handling this clay takes special care. First it must be kept moist or wet. If you let it dry out, you cannot work with it as you should.

Then you must oil both your hands and any surface that it touches to keep it from sticking in places where you don't want it and ruining the piece you are making.

Once the piece is completed, you let it dry - sort of like a desert experience.

When it is dry, you file any rough edges or accidental protrusions.

Then you put it in a kiln - or in the flame of a torch to fire.

Once it is fired, you polish it by putting it in a tumbler with shot.

If you want special effects, you treat it with chemicals to change the color or give it the appearance of age.

Eventually you have a piece of jewelry that is 99% fine silver, a thing of beauty and a joy to wear.

We have the treasure of the gospel in our jars of clay. Only if we keep it watered with the Word, oiled by the Holy Spirit, will it fit for molding by the Lord.

We may go through desert experiences and have abrasives applied to refine our shape. We will most certainly be proved in fire of one kind or another. Then we will be thrust into a world that tumbles us with grit or shot to polish us to a high shine so that we reflect the light of Christ. In fact, the dross of us will have been burnt away, leaving only the pure spirit of Christ in us.

Completely yielded, we can be of service to the Lord. It's not a quick process. It takes time. Let us yield with patience to the Lord's shaping.

Father, God,

Help us to be soft, malleable clay in Your hands. Give us the grace to endure the process so that we may come out refined and useful to Your kingdom. Less of us and more of you.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Impetus

Focus verses: Acts 20:22-21:14

What makes people do what they do? In this passage, Paul says he is compelled by the Holy Spirit.

We are moved by hunger, desire, ambition, greed, need, love or lust (they are not the same thing), or any number of other motivations. But the Christian is moved, or should be moved, by the Holy Spirit alone.

The first desire is, or should be, to please God. In order to do this, we need to know what He wants of us. He has told us very specifically in His word. Love Him and love one another.

Love is not just a feeling, it manifests in action. Those actions are led by the Holy Spirit if one is a Christian. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth. The Holy Spirit is our guide, our interpreter of God's will. Our spirits are connected to the Holy Spirit by the grace of God.

This is the Comforter of whom Jesus spoke. When one is convinced by the Holy Spirit of a specific course of action, he will not be dissuaded from it.

The brethren entreating Paul not to return to Jerusalem always reminds me of Peter when he told Jesus they would not allow Him to be taken and crucified. The will of God is the essence of the Holy Spirit. When we voluntarily surrender our free will to the will of God, nothing can change us just as nothing can change Him.

Paul was unmoved from his decision to return to Jerusalem. His steadfast purpose finally convinced those who would have persuaded him otherwise to simply resign themselves to God's will -- which is where they should have been in the first place.

Father, God,

Grant us the wisdom to seek Your will in all our endeavors. Your plans are perfect. Keep us steadily on the path You would have us travel.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Jars Of Clay

Focus verses: II Corinthians 4:7-12

The metaphor of clay in the life of the Christian has always been a source of comfort for me, but I didn't fully realize what it meant until I became involved with my daughter's pottery class.

Clay is malleable. It can be rolled, stretched, incised, imprinted, and watered down and worked again. I love working with clay.

The clay became even more special to me when I took classes in precious metal clays. You see, the "clay" part is just a binder to hold the tiny fragments of the metal together. The clay burns off when you fire the piece to harden the metal clay. If you are working with silver clay, you come out with a product called "fine" silver. It is more nearly pure silver than sterling.

But handling this clay takes special care. First it must be kept moist or wet. If you let it dry out, you cannot work with it as you should.

Then you must oil both your hands and any surface that it touches to keep it from sticking in places where you don't want it and ruining the piece you are making.

Once the piece is completed, you let it dry - sort of like a desert experience.

When it is dry, you file any rough edges or accidental protrusions.

Then you put it in a kiln - or in the flame of a torch to fire.

Once it is fired, you polish it by putting it in a tumbler with shot.

If you want special effects, you treat it with chemicals to change the color or give it the appearance of age.

Eventually you have a piece of jewelry that is 99% fine silver, a thing of beauty, and a joy to wear.

We have the treasure of the gospel in our jars of clay. But if we keep it watered with the Word, oiled by the Holy Spirit, it is fit for molding by the Lord.

We may go through desert experiences and have abrasives applied to refine our shape. We will most certainly be proved in fire of one kind or another. Then we will be thrust into a world that tumbles us with grit or shot to polish us to a high shine so that we reflect the light of Christ.

Completely yielded, we can be of service to the Lord. It's not a quick process. It takes time. Let us yield with patience to the Lord's shaping.

Father, God,

Help us to be soft, malleable clay in Your hands. Give us the grace to endure the process so that we may come out refined and useful to Your kingdom.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

To The Ends Of The Earth

Focus verses: Acts 10:1-11:18

The disciples were all Jews. And til now, the gospel had been preached in the synagogues, reaching more Jews. It was generally thought that this new religion was a sect of Judaism.

In this passage, however, we see that this man named Cornelius - who was not Jewish - had been selected by God to be a convert to this new faith. Cornelius was righteous, much as Job was righteous. He did all the right things and prayed to God. He simply wasn't a Jew. But he was a son of Adam.

We also see that Peter had been selected to teach Cornelius. The Jewish dietary laws were very explicit. God had told them that certain things were clean or unclean for eating purposes. Peter, in his hunger, was shown a vision of many living creatures and told to kill and eat them. But he objected that he had never eaten anything unclean - ever. But God told him not to judge. That God can make anything clean.

Peter's physical hunger seems to have been a metaphor for God's hunger that all the world should know Him. God's overriding desire is that all men should be saved. Jesus said that the disciples would be witnesses to Him throughout all the earth.

As the spiritual descendants of the disciples, we should be witnessing, too. We should be witnessing to the pagan, the atheist, the deluded, the deceived, the murderer, the rapist, the robber - the entire world.

Let me be very clear here. We do not convert. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. We merely inform. We tell what we know. God will do the rest.

Father, God,

Teach us more of You that we may tell all the world around us. Keep us open to the movement of Your Holy Spirit and reign in our tendency to prejudge.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Fisher Of Men

Focus verses: Acts 2:1-36

Jesus told His disciples to wait for the empowering of the Holy Spirit before they began their open ministry. This passage begins with that empowerment.

Then Peter (dubbed the big fisherman) began to speak. He was always the most enthusiastic by nature. Whatever he did, he did all the way. No half measures for Peter.

But look at his discourse. He quotes the prophet Joel word for word. Then he speaks the words of David from Psalm 16 and again from Psalm 110.

As a public speaker, I know how difficult it is to remember verbatim as you speak. Your mind jumbles with a million details. You work to concentrate on what you are saying and the order in which you are saying it. When speaking to a group, I spend much time beforehand preparing what I'm going to say, rearranging the order, adding or subtracting small details. Then I practice several times to make sure I can do it in the time frame allotted.

Peter had an advantage. He didn't have to do a twenty-minute keynote after dinner. He had an open time frame. But he had the biggest advantage of all with the Holy Spirit poured out upon him.

You see, God knows all He wants to say to you. And being perfect, He says it perfectly. That's why Peter, an unschooled fisherman, was able in the power of the Holy Spirit to speak this moving testimony, quoting the prophet and the psalmist.

When you are sensitive to the indwelling Spirit of God within you, He can use you to speak His words, in His timing, to His chosen audience.

Would that we all were such hearers and speakers.

Father, God,

Grant us the wisdom to put self aside and listen only to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit. Let us speak the words of comfort or conviction that You would have us speak. Bridle our tongues to Your use alone.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Burying The Truth

Focus verses: Matthew 27:62-66

The first part of today's reading tells of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. We will not focus on that part of the story.

The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate, telling him of Christ's prediction that He would rise again on the third day. Either they were afraid that his resurrection would make people believe in Him all the more, or they were actually afraid that His disciples would perpetrate a fraud to further His reputation.

Which ever it was, they persuaded Pilate to put a seal and a guard on the tomb.

How often do we do this? How often do we know things about ourselves and our lives that we would prefer others not know, so we seal them up?

Integrity is all about wearing the same face to the world that you wear to your intimate friends and to yourself. That doesn't mean you must bare your heart to strangers. It does mean, that what little you show of yourself to strangers is of the same quality as your innermost thoughts.

I love red onions. I like the aroma, the flavor, the color. When I pick up a red onion to prepare, the outer husk is a little dry, so I peel it off and discard it. Every layer has a red skin and white inner flesh. Each layer has the same moistness, flavor, and aroma. And as I get to the middle, the layers are a little thicker than the outer layers.

Our true faces need to be like that. There is a slightly drier outer husk that we show to the entire world. It is just like the remainder of the onion, just a little thinner and less juicy. This is our surface.

But this surface reflects the heart. When I look for onions in the market, I can choose from red or white or yellow. When I choose, I know the interior will be the same color as the exterior. I won't pick up a yellow onion that has a red interior.

Sometimes we try to show a different face to the world than what we are inside. It never works. The truth will out, just as Christ was resurrected from the dead. No matter the guard and seal we put on the place where we try to bury the truth, we cannot hold it captive.

When we try to bury the truth, we deceive only ourselves. God knows who we are from our inmost being. He knows that we are not happy until we are "all of a piece" - an integer - a whole unit.

He has sent the Holy Spirit to help us become one - one in ourselves and one with Him. Just as He is truth, so we must also be truth. True to Him, to ourselves and the world around us.

Father, God,

Help us to be all that we seem to be. Make us complete in You. Let us reflect only You to the world around us.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Paraclete

Focus verses: John 14:16-21

When Jesus and the disciples were in the upper room preparing to celebrate the feast of Passover, He taught them many things. It was their final class before they would be sent into the world without Him.

His promise of the Holy Spirit is as precious as His promise of salvation. This Holy Spirit is our connection to the essence of God. It gives us the nudge when God would have us do or say something. It warns us when pure evil is present - and pure evil is present in this world. It teaches us more about God when we read scripture. It enlightens our minds, edifies our spirits and fills our hearts with His warmth.

Electricity is a wonderful thing. We don't see electricity except in the lightening of storms. That is a marvelous display of physical phenomena. But the wild electricity of lightening is not useful.

The electrical power from a hydro-electric plant is useful, but not as it comes directly from the plant. High voltage power direct from the plant would burn out all the wiring in a house were it connected directly. It must be run through a transformer before it is useful in the household. And it gets to the house through lower voltage lines than what brings it from the plant.

God, the Father, is the source of all power - like the hydro-electric plant. Jesus is our transformer. He transforms us to be fit to stand in the presence of God, and He brought the power of God into the world in the form of a man, so that we could see and emulate His use of that power. The Holy Spirit is like the line that brings the power from the powerhouse to the home. It is our essential connection to God.

That is why we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit. He is our vital connection to God. He is the life support of our Christian lives. Grieving the Holy Spirit is like having an ice storm that takes out all the electrical lines. One can survive it for a short time, but the electricity must be restored for our lives to get back to normal.

Father, God,

Grant us an appreciation for Your gift of the Holy Spirit. Teach us to hear His still voice in our lives. Make us sensitive to His direction and swift to obey His/Your promptings.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Paraclete:

You who draw near,
You who walk beside,
Come to comfort,
Comet to strengthen,
Come to shine the Light of the
Word on the Darkness of my heart.
Help me to align with you, Oh, Holy Spirit.
Help me to bring my thoughts
Captive to the will of Christ,
Captive to the Word of God,
Captive to obedience,
Instantaneous and unquestioning,
To Your promptings.
Help me to study to show my self approved,
Unashamed to sit in the Council of your saints.
Help me to see the will of the Father in everyday situations.
Help me to respond in love to the Lord.
Help me to respond with Love to all His hurting creation.
Keep me dead-on, sighted with tunnel vision,
Single-minded on the goal of
Total obedience as a channel of His love.

Amen.
Copyright Judith Robl 1997

Form Or Substance

Focus verses: Matthew 25:1-13

In speaking of the end of time and the second coming of Christ, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.

This is a simple allegory. The virgins represent the church - the religious people on earth. The bridegroom is obviously Christ. The lamps stand for a form of righteousness - all the trappings and laws and habits of religion. The oil stands for the Holy Spirit, that Paraclete that connects us to Jesus and the Father.

Those who have the outward appearance of religion, but not the essence, the oil, the Holy Spirit indwelling, will have no time to acquire the Holy Spirit when the bridegroom comes. They are like the whited sepulchers that Jesus saw in the Pharisees.

Masks and costumes will not suffice to get one into the marriage feast of the Lamb. It requires an essential connection to Jesus -- complete faith and reliance only on Him. One must be walking closely in the Spirit to have sufficient oil when the bridegroom tarries.

The oil of the Holy Spirit is a self-renewing commodity. The more time you spend with the Lord, the more His oil is poured out upon you. Time with the Lord is private time. That isn't just being there every time the church door is open. It doesn't consist of all the good works for social betterment and reform. It isn't the trappings of deacon or elder or preacher or teacher.

Time with the Lord that results in greater anointing is very private and personal. It is time with His word, reading, studying, then being still to let Him speak to you through those words. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals meanings in deeper layers - that clarifies what is read.

Please don't misunderstand me here. Private time with the Lord does not negate our doing all the other things - the being present when church is open, doing good works for social betterment and reform, the serving as deacon or elder or preacher or teacher. It is the source from which the power to do these things well flows. They are the evidence of the internal workings of the Holy Spirit.

If those works spring from any other source or motive, they are as useless as dry leaves in the wind. They may look pretty, but they serve no useful function.

You will notice that both the wise virgins and the foolish virgins had their lamps - those external appearances of religion. But the wise virgins had the oil, that close relationship with the bridegroom, and were prepared for His coming at any hour. The foolish virgins had no oil with them. When the bridegroom came, it was too late to acquire the oil, to build that relationship. We must not be caught without oil when He returns.

When one has only the form of religion, it falls apart under stress. The substance of a relationship with Christ only grows stronger under stress. That is the time when you realize you have no - absolutely no - power in and of yourself. You learn to depend on Him for your every breath, for the next word, the next step on the journey.

The substance of that close relationship will carry you through and lift you above any circumstance the world can throw at you.

Father, God,

Deliver us from the external trappings of form. Come and indwell us with Your Holy Spirit. Give us the substance of Yourself as our rock and our foundation.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

The Sighted See Not

Focus verses: John 9:1-41

In the 1970's I was part of a Bible study group that met on Thursday evenings. One of the participants was an older lady (in her seventies - the age I am now) who gave me a rule for studying the Bible in the form of a little verse.

If the ordinary sense
Makes good sense,
Seek no other sense
Or it's nonsense.

Now that doesn't mean that there is never a deeper meaning to what you are reading in the scriptures. What it does mean is that you are to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you can understand at the moment.

As you read and study, He will reveal deeper and deeper meanings to you. But if you go off trying to find other meanings in the scripture, you are apt to be led astray by your own opinions. It is God's words you want, not your own thoughts.

In today's scripture we read of the healing of the man who was born blind. And when Jesus talks about blindness and sight in this passage, we know He is not talking about physical eyes. He is talking about recognition of the truth.

The people asked Him why the man was born blind. They wanted to lay blame for the cause of the man's blindness. But Jesus told them that the man was born blind that the work of God might be shown in his life. Sometimes things happen that God's power might be displayed, that God's love might be demonstrated. God is never surprised by this. It was part of His plan from the beginning.

Look at the response of the man when questioned by authorities. He simply related facts. Jesus put mud on his eyes; he washed as he was told to do; and he can see. As they question him further he adds another truth. "Jesus speaks for God."

But the Pharisees were not satisfied with his answer. They questioned his parents. Then they sent for the man again to have him recant his statement that Jesus was a prophet. But he didn't recant. He argued with them this time.

His argument was purely logical:

God does not listen to sinners but to righteous men. No man has opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man were not from God, He could not do this.

And for his troubles he was thrown out of the synagogue. But Jesus sought him out to show him the Son of Man. And the formerly blind man saw Him.

But the Pharisees would not see Him for what He was because He didn't fit their preconceived notions of what the Son of Man would be and do. They thought He would look and act like they did. For them the identity of the Son of Man was tied up in the laws of Moses and the arguments of the rabbis.

Jesus came to bring a law of love that exceeded the laws of Moses. The Pharisees could not or would not see beyond the letter of the law.

There is a difference between religiosity and Christianity. This passage shows it vividly.

Father, God,

Open our eyes that we may see Your love as the pattern for our lives, not the rules and regulations of a man-made hierarchy. Fix our eyes upon Your Son as our example as well as our Savior. Grant us hearts that love as You love.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Delegation of Authority

Focus verses: John 5:30-47 and Mark 3:13-19

There is a foundational principle in today's reading. All authority comes from God. Jesus spoke of God's authority as being superior to His own while he was incarnate on earth.

He did nothing on earth that He did not see the Father doing in the heavenlies. All He did was to please the Father.

Jesus knew that His time on earth was limited and that peoples' vision was limited to the earthly. Therefore, He appointed the apostles - the twelve - to go and do as He told them. He gave them authority to preach and power over demons. He could not have done that had the Father not delegated that authority to Him.

The lesson for us in these verses is that we have only the authority that God delegates to us. If we are to know what He allows us to do, we need to be reading His word all the time. We need to spend time in His presence. We need to become a temple of the Holy Spirit, so that He can whisper in our ears all day long.

That immediate communion with the God-head that the Holy Spirit provides is key to our living a Christ-like life.

Father, God,

Keep us aware of our position in Your kingdom. Imbue us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may be in constant communion with You, whether kneeling in sanctuary or scrubbing toilets. We would, like Brother Lawrence, practice the presence of God. Help us stay close to You.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Recognizing The Blessing

Focus verses: Luke2:25-35

What made Simeon recognize that the perfectly ordinary infant boy was the promised Messiah?

First, he was righteous and devout. That means he was in right standing with God. His relationship with God was excellent. He was devoted to the Lord, meaning that his most intimate thoughts and all his actions centered on God - not man.

Second, he was moved by the spirit. We're talking about the Holy Spirit here. Before Christ's death and resurrection, the Spirit of God moved upon people from time to time. They did not have the indwelling Paraclete that Jesus sent to His followers.

But evidently Simeon was familiar with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He was "tuned in" to those leadings. And when he saw the Child, he recognized Him as the promised Salvation.

We can be righteous and devout as Simeon was. It requires that we stay in tune with God and His Holy Spirit. Reading His word on a daily basis is a good starting point. Thinking on His words and repeating them to ourselves deepens our understanding of His ways.

When we center our lives on Him, we have the hope of eternal joy through His Son, Jesus Christ. Without Christ, we are all lost. With Him we have eternal life.

Father, God,

Keep us ever close to You. Strengthen us in Your word that we may be totally focused upon You and Your will in our lives. Help us to recognize the blessing and miracles as You bestow them.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

River Of Living Water

Focus verses: Ezekiel 47:1-12

Today's reading is a long one, Chapters 40 through 48 of the book of Ezekiel. This vision of the temple seems at first blush to be a repetition of the temple specifications from Moses' tabernacle and Solomon's temple. But there are significant differences.

One significant difference is the river flowing from under the temple. This river seems to have healing and saving properties. It turns the salt sea into fresh so that fish of all kinds can live there. It waters the banks so that trees bearing fruit will be always green and fruitful. And the further from the source the water travels the deeper it gets. Hmm...

Somehow, I think this water may not be just physical water. To me, it seems to be a reflection of the Holy Spirit. And this temple might just be a representation of the temple we talked about yesterday - the temple of the believer.

So lets look at this picture again. The believer is in communion with God (service in the temple). But there is water flowing out from the temple (the believer interacts with the world outside the temple). Because he has come fresh from the temple, he brings refreshment to those with whom he interacts (the river freshens the salt sea into which it flows).

The water which is now fresh, teems with fish, and fishermen spread their nets all along the banks. Didn't Jesus say something about fishing for men?

Our relationship with God is for a larger purpose than simply our own salvation.

Father, God,

Help us to remember that You have other fish for us to draw into Your nets of salvation and love. Refresh our spirits and purify them so that we may be a representation of Your love to this hurting world.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Restoration Promised

Focus verses: Ezekiel 38:25-29

After the diaspora, God has promised to bring Israel back to the land He gave them. His promise is to unite the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah as one nation. And further to pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel.

In this passage, He is called the Sovereign Lord. Sovereign means above all things, superlative, absolute. Check out the complete definition of the adjective.

When a promise is based on the nature of God, it is infallible. It will come to pass if He says so.

The Sovereign Lord has promised compassion to His people. Compassion means that He is aware of the suffering of His people, and He wants to alleviate that suffering.

However, God gave man a free will - the ability to choose. When we freely choose to follow God and His precepts, the blessings of God can flow to us. That doesn't mean that our circumstances will be any different from those around us. It doesn't protect us from all the evil of the world.

It does assure us that whatever has been lost to us will be restored in eternity. It does mean that the fullness of God's Holy Spirit can rest upon us in the midst of suffering and loss. It does mean that we can experience the full comfort and assurance of God.

Father, God,

As You promised restoration to Israel, grant us that same restoration of fellowship with You. Help us to come into line with Your will that we may be in unbroken relationship with You, our Abba, Father.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Foreshadowing Of The Messiah

Focus verses: Isaiah 50:4-13

Although these verses really speak of the coming Messiah, they can also be said of the devoted Christian.

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. Our tongues can know the words God would have us speak. We need only to listen to Him, read His word, obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

God does not speak to us simply to tickle our ears and give us something about which to be smug and supercilious. He speaks to us for the good of His body, the church universal.

Look at the progression here. He wakens me morning by morning -- every morning -- to listen like an avid learner listens to a favorite teacher.

Who wakens us? The Sovereign Lord. It appears four times in this passage. Sovereign Lord. When God is our Sovereign, there is nothing the world can do to shake us and our security in Him.

The second part of the progression is "I have not been rebellious." We cannot put our wills against the will of God and be either right or successful.

The third part is "I have not drawn back." I have not been timid nor slow to obey what my ears have heard. When we listen to God, our obedience must be immediate. We are not to question God's directives. There is a time for doing each thing. If we miss the time because of reluctance or timidity, we have actually been disobedient. Not a thing which a child of God should wish.

The fourth part of this progression is one I'd just as soon not look at. I offered my back to those who beat me... This is definitely a picture of Christ at His trials before the crucifixion. And it goes on with the pulled beard and mocking and spitting. Ugh!

I'd just as soon not have to go through stuff like this. But He did. And if He did, those of us who bear His name will go through similar trials as well. Don't take my word for it.

Jesus is speaking here: John 16: 33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

And this is the end of our progression. If our Sovereign Lord has overcome the world, if He is our vindication, then nothing the world can do to us will have any lasting effect in eternity.

Father, God,

Help us to be eager to listen and swift to obey. Keep us faithful in Your service no matter how the world responds to us.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Selfish Prayer

Focus verses: II Kings 2:1-15

Elisha knew how to pray. He asked for something for himself. He asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Essentially he was asking for a double portion of the spirit of God.

He had walked with Elijah as his servant, assistant, protege. He had seen the miracles Elijah had done. He had witnessed the power of God close up and personal.

Being near the power of God is a heady experience. There is a realization of the awesomeness of our God, a sense of the puniness of the self, a wonder at the privilege of simply being an observer.

Have you ever been on a plane? There is a little ritual about the emergency procedures that every flight attendant recites. If the cabin loses pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the compartments above each seat. Adults with children are cautioned to apply their masks to themselves first, before applying the masks to the children.

There is a reason. If the parent has no oxygen and passes out, there will be no one to help the child. It's the same in the service of the Lord.

We've known godly men and women who burnt themselves out because they focused on what they could do for others and neglected their relationship with God. When Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, he was not being selfish. He knew that only with a double portion of that spirit could he do those things which God had in mind.

What does God have in mind for you? And do you have a sufficient portion of His spirit living within you to accomplish His purposes?

Father, God,

Help us to prioritize our requests. Show us what we need to have to accomplish Your plans in our lives. Keep us ever faithful to Your vision.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Temperance

Focus verse: Proverbs 29:11

A fool give full vent to his anger,
but a wise man keeps himself under control.

We all know people who have short fuses on their tempers. It takes very little for them to fly into a rage. Generally that rage is blind. They cannot see the source of their discontent and have no idea how to correct the problem. They simply vent their bile.

Anger, especially explosive anger, is desperately counter-productive. The body reacts to anger with an increased heart rate, an inability to hear correctly, and a release of hormones for the "fight or flight" response.

A self-controlled person, on the other hand, keeps a cool head. He is not blinded by rage, so he can look at options to correct the issue. His blood is not roaring in his ears, so he can hear carefully and correctly. His hormones are note channeling him into an "either/or" situation, so he can look a t a group of alternatives to find the best course of action among several choices. Most of all, if he is calm and quiet, he can hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit directing him.

In this day, we need people who can stay calm and analytical in looking at circumstances. We need people who can read and research to find the most effective course of action in any situation. We need people who can listen for the leading of the Lord.

Father, God,

Help me to control my emotions. Let me not be tempted to rash action and unprofitable speech. Keep me under the control of Your Holy Spirit at all times, so that I may hear Your leading.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

In Memoriam

Focus verses: Deuteronomy 24:10-12

The death of Moses is the end of an era for the children of Israel. Joshua has been installed as leader by the laying on of hands. But the verses we focus on today are Moses' epitaph.

Imagine speaking face to face with God. At some point we will see Him face to face, and speak with Him one on one. But Moses did it while he was here. He was used mightily of God and showed God's awesome and awful power to the Egyptians and Israelites alike.

We can come close to this kind of relationship with God. But it requires that we seek Him above all else, that all our desires and aspirations be laid on the altar of God's will, that all our relationships be subject to His scrutiny, that all our actions align with His commandments.

Whew! That's a tall order. And we are incapable of fulfilling it by ourselves. We need Him. We need His Holy Spirit to shine God's light on our circumstances, so that we can see the world around us as He sees it.

So think about your own epitaph. Will they say of you that you knew God?

Father, God,

Help us to clear our minds and hearts of all the extraneous things that would pull our attention away from You. Grant us the singleness of mind and heart to seek You above all else.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.