A Devotion

Yesterday the Lord was speaking to me as I watched Good Morning America.  Our church gave us verses to read during Lent, 40 Days of Bible, and among the Scriptures are those that remind us of our sinful condition, in particular Romans 3:10, 23.  "As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no not one'...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Well, I was watching GMA and they had George Clooney talking about his humanitarian efforts in Sudan, a country where the very government officials are bombing and killing innocent citizens.  He went there personally to take video and bring attention to the needs of the people of Sudan.  So I wondered, "Lord, how do we convince people that there is no good person in our world, when they look at someone like George Clooney and think of him as good?"  Because when we look at a person who puts his own life on the line to help folks he doesn't even know, it does appear that he is good.  But the Lord pointed out to me, that just because we can perform good acts, it doesn't make us good.

I have a tree in my backyard, a mango tree that J planted years ago.  After planting it he never took care to fertilize it or regularly water it, and the tree has suffered.  Basically, the tree is dead.  I can break branches off of it with one hand.  Yet, the tree still has leaves!  Some branches are bare, but some have very green leaves growing on it. 

I hesitate to chop it down because (get this) I feel sorry for it!  It's been in our yard such a long time, and it does have some leaves, so I want to give it a chance to survive, but the truth is the few times it has given any fruit, the mangoes have been awful.  Tiny and sour instead of big and sweet, they are inedible.  Yes, it has some leaves on it, and at times can even look pretty, but it cannot produce good fruits.

In the same way, we are capable of doing good acts.  As a matter of fact, as Christians we are called to do just that, live a life of love and compassion and do good to others.  But that doesn't make us good.  Anyone is capable of doing good, even the worst criminal.  The person that appears to be an all-around good person, isn't always good.  Our root, our base, is as rotten as the root of my mango tree, so that although we can "look" good we really aren't.  And that's why we need Jesus.  Because He IS good, and He can save us from our sinfulness. 

Thankful Thursdays

Today I want to share a poem I read in my devotions that came at just the right time, and I'm thankful that God provides these words at just the right time. This poem is by Amy Carmichael. Enjoy.

Our Father knows what's best for us, so why should we complain?
We always want the sunshine, but He knows there must be rain.
We love the sound of laughter and the merriment of cheer,
But our hearts would lose their tenderness if we never shed a tear.
For growing trees are strengthened when they withstand the storm,
And the sharp cut of the chisel gives the diamond grace and form.
God never hurts us needlessly, and He never wastes our pain,
For every loss He sends to us is followed by rich gain.
And when we count the blessings that God so freely sent,
We'll find no cause for murmuring, and no time to lament.
For our Father loves His children, and to Him all things are plain,
So He never sends us pleasure when the soul's deep need is pain.
So Whenever we are troubled, and when everything goes wrong,
We know God's working in our hearts, to make our spirit strong.

This month Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage. Have a great day.

Devotion on Boundaries

Moms (and even those who aren't moms) have seen this before. Your precious 2 year old is reaching for something you don't want him/her to touch. So you call out, "No no, mustn't touch." And what does that precious little angel do? That darling, innocent child will look you straight in the eyes, while stretching a tiny little hand towards the object he/she knows is forbidden. And your baby, your sweet little one, will continue to defy you until you call out once more or take a step forward. You suddenly realize this child is not as innocent as you once thought. Secretly, you hope the "terrible twos" and even more "terrible threes" go by quickly, because this is what toddlerhood is all about: seeing how far they can go before Mommy or Daddy stops them.

We're not much different from toddlers in God's eyes. We like to test our boundaries and see how far we can go before we actually sin.

Take drinking, for instance. We know Scripture tells us we shouldn't get drunk (see for instance Proverbs 20:1, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:18). Rather than look for ways to keep away from drunkenness and avoid sin, many will ask, "How much can I drink before I'm considered drunk? Is it okay to feel buzzed? Is being tipsy the same as being drunk?" Basically the question is, "How far can I go before God tells me No?"

Clothing is another bone of contention for many. The Bible speaks of being modest (1 Timothy 2:9), but doesn't go into specifics. So the question becomes, just what is modesty? "As long as I'm covered I'm being modest. How tight my clothes are shouldn't matter." Or another popular excuse, "I'm not being immodest, I'm just dressing like everyone else. I don't want to stand out because I'm so different. Even Jesus dressed like all the other Jews."

Or what about flirting? "Is it okay to flirt if I don't go all the way? If I just bat my eyes or show a little skin, that still fornication/adultery?"

Jesus was very clear about boundaries. He wants us to stay away from "the edge", the precipice, that area where we're just shy of sinning, because He knows that's a dangerous place to be. You don't let your children walk on the edge of the highway, do you? Even if they aren't in the path of an oncoming car, they're close enough to fall at any moment. No loving parent would allow their child to take that kind of risk. Our Heavenly Father is an even more loving parent than we are.

Consider Jesus' teaching when it came to the meaning of adultery: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28). To Jesus, the actual act alone wasn't the only sin. Thinking about sin leads to it, so it's important to keep our minds clear of sin as well as the rest of our bodies (Philippians 4:8).

Rather than test our boundaries, we should run from sin. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts." (Romans 6:12). The closer we choose to play near fire, the more likely the chance we'll get burned. Similarly, the closer we choose to play near sin, the more likely the chance we'll fall into it, and we can't blame anyone but ourselves once we're in that position. "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27).

How do we combat this desire to live on the edge? By being drastic. If the thoughts come into your head, that's an indication it's time to run.

Say you're out with friends and the topic of having a couple of drinks comes up. If you feel the need to count and try to determine how many drinks are acceptable and how far you can go before you've gone too far, if your mind is so occupied with how close you can get to sin before you fall into it, walk away. It's better not to even start drinking so you don't have to decide when to stop. That may sound too drastic for some, but consider Jesus' words: "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29-30). I can't think of anything more drastic than removing body parts. Now, Jesus isn't saying you need to literally cut off a hand or pull out your eyes. What He is saying, is that whatever you might lose isn't worth more than your life. So what if your friends think you're dull because you won't have a drink with them? So what if you're considered a prude because you dress modestly and cover up more than others? So what if everyone else is flirting with the new co-worker except you? You don't miss out on anything by avoiding evil. Keeping our minds and bodies pure is a much better, safer, and healthier choice. And most importantly, it's what honors God.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

- Romans 12:1-2.

Devotion on Subtlety

Soldiers going out into the battlefield are taught one important fact: Be on your guard. The enemy is looking for a weak spot, and can attack at any moment. For this reason the soldier must be alert and ready at all times. One slip can cost him his life.

Sometimes the enemy attacks head-on. The soldiers are poised and ready to defend because their target is in front of them, clear and in plain sight. Other times, however, the attack comes quietly, from behind, and catches the troop by surprise. These are the dangerous attacks, because they're unexpected. If the soldier hasn't prepared for this scenario, it can be fatal.

Ephesians 6:11-13 says we're soldiers in a battle too, only our enemy is hidden in darkness and evil. The devil is sneaky, conspiring against God's people and using both frontal attacks and subtle schemes. The frontal attacks are easy enough to see. It's the subtle ones that are harder to identify, and why the enemy prefers to use these maneuvers. One example we find in Scripture of just that kind of attack is the life of Samson.

Samson is known as the strong man of the Bible. I think of him as the Rambo of his day.

My husband loves watching Chuck Norris movies. Chuck Norris is The Man, because he can take out an entire Vietnamese army all by himself. I laugh whenever I see these movies, because we all know that's just impossible. Right?

Yet that was Samson.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

- Judges 15:14-15

Think about this now: the Philistine army was the strongest army of the day. How could one man kill 1,000 Philistine soldiers without any weapon other than the jawbone of a donkey?! Because the Spirit of the Lord was with him. Frontal attacks weren't going to work on Samson, and the devil knew it. Samson had already killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6) and had also killed 30 men on his own (Judges 14:19). To defeat Samson, a different approach was needed, and the devil knew exactly what to do. How do you bring down a man that can wipe out 1,000 men with a donkey's jawbone? With the strength of one very pretty lady.

Surely when Samson first set eyes on Delilah, he didn't think this was the weapon that would be used to entrap him. He was in love with her (Judges 16:4) and probably figured she was in love with him too. She was in love alright, only it wasn't with Samson; it was with the 1,100 pieces of silver the Philistine lords had promised her in exchange for the secret of Samson's strength. That's not 1,100 pieces of silver total. That was 1,100 pieces of silver from EACH lord. With that kind of money she'd be set for life. That's a pretty strong incentive for a woman, especially when women in biblical times depended on men to take care of them financially. This would make Delilah an independant woman. It's no wonder the devil chose Delilah to do his dirty work. She was beautiful, saavy, and had a heart for silver. How could Samson resist?

The problem, of course, was that Samson shouldn't have been looking at Delilah in the first place. Samson was a man who'd been set apart for God, a Nazirite, since before his birth (Judges 13:2-5). When Samson first fell for a Philistine woman (that's right, Delilah wasn't the first one), his parents were not happy (Judges 14:2-3). That marriage ended in disaster, as chapter 14 of Judges relates. Still, Samson didn't learn his lesson, and fell for Delilah hook, line and sinker.

Were there no signs that Delilah had bad intentions for Samson? Consider Judges 16:6 - "So Delilah said to Samson, 'Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.'" That you may be bound to afflict you? Seems to me that should have raised some red flags. But instead, Samson decided to play some games with Delilah, and give her false information in a sort of cat and mouse chase (see Judges 16:7-14). What Samson obviously wasn't prepared for, was the type of attack a woman like Delilah would bring against him. Samson was used to brute strength to fight off his enemies, but Delilah used feminine wiles to get her way:

"Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.” And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death."

-Judges 16:15-16

Samson never stood a chance. The Philistines got their prisoner, Delilah got rich, and Samson learned a hard lesson: not all enemies are easy to see and defeat.

How does this apply to us today? Very simply: the enemy still uses subtle attacks against God's people. After all, if it worked on Samson it'll work on anyone. The enemy still uses lust to woo the hearts of Christians away: lust for the opposite sex, lust for money, lust for material possessions, lust for power, popularity and acceptance. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Lions are very sly; they hide in the brush and move in slowly, so that when they attack, their prey has little to no chance of escape.

Sounds like a losing battle? It isn't. God has given us an arsenal to keep us protected against the enemy.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

- Ephesians 6:14-18

When we stay alert by immersing ourselves in God's word, we strengthen ourselves with wisdom, righteousness, truth and faith. Prayer keeps us in constant communication with God, and helps us stay vigilant. Then, and only then, can we stand and defeat the enemy in this war.