A Life Worthy

Tag: a life worth living

  • One-a-Day Tuesday, 9/16/14

    number 1My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.  I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. (Psalm 71:15-16).

    Do you talk about him?

    I know that you love him, you trust him, you worship him.

    But do you talk about him?

    Considering all that he has done for me—you know, forming me in the womb, providing my every breath, saving my soul—it would make sense that I talk about him every day, all the time, to everyone I meet.

    But I don’t.

    Oh, I talk about him to other Christians, telling them, “How God is working in my life,” because that is safe and expected and makes me look good.  But the nonbeliever, the one who desperately needs to know that there is a God who is real and true and faithful and at work in everyday schmoes like me?

    I am often remarkably silent.

    Why?  No good reason.

    Partly I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, which is silly.  After all, if they don’t know Christ, they need to be uncomfortable.

    Partly I don’t want them to think I’m a fool, which is just too pathetic to talk about on a Tuesday morning.

    Partly—and this scares me the most—sometimes God simply does not come to mind.  I am so wrapped up in my daily world that…

    Yeah.

    I really hope I’m alone in this.  I hope you have no idea what I’m talking about, because you’re out there proclaiming Christ every day, all the time.  I hope you never let your foolish flesh get in the way of God’s work through you.

    That is my hope for you today, Beloved.

    And my prayer.

  • One-a-Day Monday, 9/15/14

    number 1

     

    But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more (Psalm 71:14).

    I bought a car yesterday.

    No, not because I wanted to.  I bought it—or rather, I began the multi-year process of buying it—because Coco Puff, our faithful minivan of many years and many miles, finally vroomed her last vroom.

    Those of you paying attention to such things will note that this is the second car that has died on me in the last three months.  Add to that the dishwasher and the stove, and a picture emerges.

    This guy’s infrastructure is falling apart.

    Now, this is the part where I tell you that I’m not stressed by any of this, because God is my hope and I trust him completely and so should you.  This is the part where you look at your own circumstances, which may well be more difficult than mine, and take encouragement and strength from my bold proclamation of faith.

    Except I am stressed.  Sorry about that.

    Don’t get me wrong.  My faith isn’t crumbling over some financial difficulties.  I trust him; I know he has me in the palm of his hand, and not because he is in the process of crushing me.

    Still, some days that, “I will praise you more and more” part is a real act of will, you know what I mean?

    Yeah, I’m thinking you do.

    So, today I will exercise my flabby will.  I will choose to rejoice in him.  I will choose to remember the many ways he has shown his faithfulness in the past.  I will choose to trust him today.  I will lift tired hands and heavy heart and praise him, because he is worth it.

    Because…he is worth it.

    Care to join me, Beloved?

  • One-a-Day Friday, 9/12/14

    number 1For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth (Psalm 71:5).

    Think about it.

    It doesn’t say, “You have given me hope.”

    Or “You give me reason to hope.”

    It says, “You have been my hope.”

    God himself is our hope.  He is our confidence.

    I gotta tell you…I’m not even sure what that means, but this passage seems to be not about what God does, but about who he is.

    I’ve been walking, stumbling, slipping, and striding with Christ for twenty-seven years now.  I can’t count the number of times he has been hope and confidence and joy and strength and peace for me, when there was no earthly reason I should have any of those things.

    I can’t count the number of times…but it’s fun to try.

    As you head into your weekend, consider the times that God has supported you, not just with his gifts, but by his very nature.  And praise him, not just for what he does, but for who he is.

    Happy Friday, Beloved.

  • One-a-Day Thursday, 9/11/14

    number 1Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men (Psalm 71:4).

    Thirteen years.

    Thirteen years since “Nine-One-One” became “Nine-Eleven.”

    Thirteen years since we awakened to fire and smoke and terror and grief.

    Thirteen years since the hand of the wicked reached out to strike at our nation.

    It was a horrific reminder that there is evil in this world.  Evil will always attack the innocent.  Evil will always set itself against the people of God.

    And yet, you didn’t really need the reminder, did you?  You’ve known the attack of evil—maybe not on so grand a scale, but you’ve known it.

    And you will again.

    It comes with the territory.  It’s part of the package of being His, of living for Christ in this world.

    And so is deliverance.

    As surely as the sun rose this morning.

    As surely as the Son rose long ago.

    God will not let evil win.  Not in this world.  Not in your life.

    So as you remember 911 today, as you see the proud flags and hear the lofty speeches, remember your own personal 911’s, and how God has brought you through them.

    And trust that he will again.

    Walk in remembrance today, Beloved.

  • One-a-Day Wednesday, 9/10/14

    number 1Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress (Psalm 71:3).

    My hope is built on nothing less

    Than Jesus’ love and righteousness.

    I dare not trust the sweetest frame 

    But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

    On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.

    All other ground is sinking sand.

    All other ground is sinking sand.

    Yep.  Stole that one.  But hey, why reinvent the wheel?

    Or the Rock?

    It’s Wednesday, Beloved.  Hold on tight.

  • One-a-Day Tuesday, 9/9/14

    number 1In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame (Psalm 71:1).

    Some days he calls me to stand firm, armor gleaming and sword sharp, and do battle in his name.

    Some days he calls me to hide myself in him, to pull his protection over me like a child hiding under the blankets, and let him do all the fighting.

    Why the difference?  I don’t know for sure.

    I do know that if I stood tall all the time, I would probably start thinking that I was doing it on my own.

    I’m foolish that way.

    So, today I am reminded that there are things out there, both physical and spiritual, that are too big, too strong, too much for me.

    But not for the One who loves me.  Not for the One who rescues me.

    Beloved, you can’t be strong every day.

    And that’s OK.  He doesn’t call you to be strong every day.

    He just calls you to be his every day.

    Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

  • One-a-Day Monday 9/8/14

    number 1Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness… (James 3:18).

    You know, for a long time I’ve been reading this verse wrong.

    I thought it said, “Peacemakers who sow peace…”  I figured it was a, “You reap what you sow,” kind of passage.  But that’s not what it says in my Bible.  It says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace…”

    So what does that mean?

    Well, first of all, James is talking to those who are peacemakers, dedicating themselves to bringing peace between Man and Man as well as between Man and God.  Does that description fit you?

    Something to chew on, ya?

    Then James says that they are sowing in peace.  They are not stressed.  They are not striving.  They’re just planting seeds.  I’m not a farmer, but I’ve done a little gardening, and I’ve learned a thing or two.

    Thing One: There’s a lot you can do to ensure a good harvest.

    Thing Two: There’s a lot you can’t.

    Gardening is a lot like farming which is a lot like our spiritual lives.  You prepare the soil, plant good seed, water well, guard against weeds and critters, and trust God for the rest.  If you realize that the harvest is not on your shoulders, that God is ultimately in control of what grows, then you can be at peace, doing your best and trusting God for the outcome.

    I’m not saying it’s easy…I’m just saying it is.

    So, once again, it all comes back to trusting God. You can no more create spiritual fruit than you can force rutabagas to appear.

    Not that you would want to.

    You may have noticed that wherever I start with one of these devotions, I end up in the same place—trust God.

    I guess I’m kind of a one-trick pony.

    Sow in peace, Beloved.  He’s got the harvest covered.

  • One-a-Day Friday, 8/29/14

    number 1The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

    I got a great new app.  It’s called “Sincerity.”  It automatically scrolls through my contacts list, picking names at random.  It then matches each name to one of a list of encouraging Scripture passages.  Once a day, it sends an uplifting message to the people in my life, letting them know that I’m thinking about them, and that I care deeply.

    Except I’m not.

    And I don’t.

    OK, you’re right; there’s no such app.  And if there were, it would be terrible.  But, for a moment, you were thinking, “Hey…”

    Weren’t you?

    One of my favorite poems is called Psalm of Single-Mindedness, by Joe Bayly.  It begins like this

    Lord of reality, make me real.

    Not plastic

    Synthetic

    Pretend

    Phony

    An actor playing out a part

    Hypocrite.

    I don’t want to keep a prayer list—I want to pray…

    The poem goes on from there, but you get the picture.  It has been my prayer so often that I have a copy of the poem taped to the inside cover of my Bible.

    So, Beloved, are you walking into Friday fueled by the knowledge of His love and the power of that love to change the lives around you…or are you just saying what you know you’re supposed to say and doing what you know you’re supposed to do?

    Don’t rush past this—chew on it for a bit.

    There’s no power in going through the motions.

    Even if they’re good motions.

    May I make a suggestion?  Pray that God would blast through your hypocrisy today.  Pray that he would rub your soul raw, that you might feel this world as he does.  Pray that God would break your heart all over again.

    It will be painful, disturbing, dangerous maybe.

    But…

    Don’t just walk like you mean it, Beloved.

    Mean it.

  • One-a-Day Thursday, 8/28/14

    number 1The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial… (James 3:17).

    God doesn’t play favorites.

    I do.

    Hmm…I oughta do something about that.  Pray for me, would you?

    Even if, you know, I’m not one of your favorites.

  • One-a-Day Wednesday, 8/27/14

    number 1The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit… (James 3:17).

    You can tell a tree by the fruit it produces.

    That’s a pretty simple metaphor.  You find it all through the Bible.

    And it makes sense.

    If you are walking in the wisdom of God, you will do things that reflect God’s character.  You will be merciful, because the God you follow is merciful.  You will walk in grace and strength and purity because these are qualities of the One you serve.  Conversely, if you walk in the wisdom of this world, you will bear the fruit of self-centeredness, greed, arrogance, and folly.  Because that’s what this world is about.

    You see where I’m going, here?

    If you want to want to judge a tree, look at its fruit.

    If you want to judge a heart…

    It’s Wednesday, Beloved.

    Be a good tree.