Praise to the Lord!
Are you full of praise?
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” –
When God answers your prayers, do you praise Him? Do you just carry on with life, as if He’s just given you what you deserve, or do you go to Him saying, “Praise you, Lord, for your great work and provision?”
The two concepts of this article are contained in the above question that was posted to the Two Minute Theology Facebook feed a while ago. There are two ways we can respond to answered prayer, gross indifference, or humble praise and adulation to our Father for His work. I know that for me, a lot of times, I’m not even paying attention enough to actually realize when God has actually answered my prayer, and that is tragic.
One of the ways that God really talks to us is when He gives us what we ask for. I’m not necessarily talking about asking God for a sweet new ride, and then, magically, one ends up in our garage the next morning. No, I’m talking about properly structured prayer and supplication (the gritty details of which will have to fit within another article!). When we pray for things, we should be asking that 
God’s will be done. “Father. I really want that car, and I will work towards that, but if that is not your will, I will honor that as well, and accept that with understanding.”
See – when we don’t immediately receive a solid, clear answer to prayer, we can miss that answer completely. Where are areas that you’ve asked God for something, and he’s answered it, just not… perhaps… in the manner in which you imagined? Are you still willing to praise Him in that situation too?
Pray that God would open your eyes to all forms of answered prayer, that you would come before him in adoration and singing His praises!
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9:1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. (ESV)
The Student, The Fish, and Agassiz
The value of repetition.
Have you ever read the wonderful anecdote titled “The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz?” If not, I suggest that you take a moment to do so at some point in your life – it can be found on a myriad of websites online, and I’ve linked to it above. As a teaching resource, it’s often used as a summary on the importance of first-hand observation; how it’s far better to rely on your own exposition and experience, rather than on someone else’s account of a particular event or topic.
The story takes place from the point of view of a student of natural history after he first enrolled in the course and told a professor what his goals were in the study. The professor pulls down a specimen of fish, and instructs the student to begin inspecting it. At first, the student is a little miffed at the overall unpleasantness of the situation, and sees it as nothing more than a fish. His ultimate goal, you see, is to be well versed in the study of insects, and the idea of staring at a fish for hours on end seems rather… pointless.
Throughout his study of this fish (which goes on for some days, I might add) the professor often quizzes him on what he sees, never quite satisfied with the responses and observations of the student, but never unsatisfied either. With constant admonition and insistence that he “Look, look!” again at the fish, he pushes the student to further his observation of the fish until he can fully comprehend it!
The thing is, though, every time he studies it more, he notices something new. Something as plain and, well, unbecoming, as a fish in a jar of preservative slowly begins to become fascinating and full of secrets waiting to be discovered. This ‘power of observation’ that the student begins to develop will, of course, be of great value to him when he begins his study of insects, but there’s more to it than that. He continues to study the fish, and it continues to impart new secrets to him! Not only does he experience it first hand, he also experiences it at a deeper and deeper level.
So, too, should it be with our study of Scripture. We won’t get much depth from a ‘first pass,’ and in some cases we may even find it uninteresting or unappealing. With repeated visits, however, as we grow more familiar with it, little nuances that we may have missed begin to appear and make their way to the surface. While we can be helped along with the process by a pastor or a small group leader, unless we are willing to undertake the journey on our own, we will never truly appreciate the true depth and scope of the Word of God.
How do you study Scripture? Do you spend quality time, alone, with the Word? I’d challenge you this week to go and read something that you are already ‘familiar’ with, and ask that God would show you something new.
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Road Rage
“ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.“ – , ESV
How do other people know that you are a follower of Christ? What reason do people have to think “There is something different about this person?”
There’s this section of highway that I have to take on the way to work every morning that backs up pretty badly. When I’m headed down the entrance ramp, the people trying to get off on the next exit (almost a mile away) are already blocking our ability to enter the road, and it can get pretty hairy. Getting into the flow of traffic isn’t so difficult of course, a merge is a merge, and no one can really get too angry at you for entering the roadway. I’ll make my way into the lane to the left of the exit lane pretty quickly, where traffic moves at a decent clip.
Unfortunately, I like to stay there, and not for any good reason. See, a lot of people will use that lane as an opportunity to fly up and cut over at the last minute, essentially cutting off a mile’s worth of traffic, and in my mind, that wrong (it is illegal, actually, I’m not trying to say it’s not). The problem is, though, that I like to make it really clear that the people doing this are wrong!
When they slow down (in traffic moving at 60+ miles per hour) to cut over at the last minute, instead of getting over to the next left lane (which is always empty) I almost make it my mission to stay there, honking my horn, making it clear that what they are doing is wrong. “They are holding me up! They are being rude to others!” is my justification to myself for my behavior. “I’m doing everyone a favor, I’m showing them how bad they are.”
But is it really helping anything? No. When I’m not behind the wheel, and I look back at the times where I’ve done this, I think to myself “Why do I do that?! What possible reason justifies this?” The truth is, as Christians, we aren’t supposed to behave like this. Am I really showing people who Christ is by making a lot of noise, and pointing out the flaws of others? Or am i saying “Look at me. NO! Look at ME! I’m righteous! I do the right thing! You are wrong in your behavior!”
In what ways do you show the righteousness of Christ, and where can you pray for God to do a little work in an area of your life where you refuse to let go?
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16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
Fruit of the Spirit
I once assembled an entire apartment’s worth of furniture from IKEA in one day. When I was done, I sat on a sofa I had built, propped my legs on a table I put together, and wrapped my arm around a grateful woman. With a deep satisfied sigh I thought, “There’s nothing like enjoying the fruit of my labor!”
And that is truth – an important lesson we all learn about working hard. Unfortunately, this truth sometimes stumbles us when we encounter Paul’s teaching in the fifth chapter of Galatians:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – – 23
We see this list of fruit and naturally think – if I can accomplish those things I will feel satisfied and God will be so pleased. I once heard a sermon in which it was suggested that we should be “fruity Christians” – because if we are not laboring to demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit then no-one will be interested in us or the Gospel message.
There is, however, a problem with that line of thought. If the Fruit of the Spirit is a list of behaviors we’re expected to demonstrate to show that Christians are nice people – then we are doomed. We can’t live up to it.
The funny thing is that is smack-dab in the middle of Paul’s teaching about freedom in Christ. He is talking about our inability to keep the law (which he calls a yoke of slavery) and that Jesus Christ is our only hope of righteousness. Why would he tell us to throw off our yoke of slavery and then give us a new list of impossible standards? He wouldn’t do that!
In Paul tells us what we are expected to do: “walk by the Spirit.” He then goes on to tell us that when we are led by the Spirit we can expect to experience the Fruit of the Spirit. They are fruit – the results – not a list of commandments.
And they are not the Fruit of our Labor, but the Fruit of the Spirit. All we do is submit to the Holy Spirit. He will do the labor for us; producing in us the very things we cannot do for ourselves. This is very satisfying for us, and immensely attractive to others.
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22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (ESV)
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (ESV)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (ESV)
Trusting the Lord
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” –
Where is your trust?
What do you lean on when a rough spot hits, when you are faced with adversity and hardship?
There’s more to trusting in the Lord than just saying a prayer and doing a few good works. It requires a whole life change. Let’s have a look at the tree example from Jeremiah. The tree that is planted by water is able to build it’s root structure in a way that allows it to draw water from the stream, so that in time of drought, it has a source of water, even when those around it are unable to deal with the heat! When the tree sends it’s first tendrils out, and finds the rich source of water, it will devote more and more of it’s resources to that area, sending more and more roots to that area – the entire tree begins to trust in that stream as a source of nourishment.
Since the tree has put so much focus on that stream, when in a time of drought, it is able to continue to live, to actively produce fruit, and to thrive even in some of the most adverse conditions.
Where are your roots?
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart.
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. –
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7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (ESV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)
Reverse Name-calling – Extending Grace
What’s in a name… or perhaps the lack of one?
I’ve struggled with swearing for a long time, but my wife recently challenged me to work on an additional expression of anger: name-calling. One of the most well-known verses about anger actually refers specifically to name-calling:
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” — Matthew 5:22 ESV
Note that, at least in the English translation, no “bad words” are used—just judgmental names for someone. So do we think it’s okay to call someone a good-for-nothing? No—we’re supposed to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (), to love them as God loved us. And God doesn’t call believers all the derogatory things he could, instead, he calls us beloved and saints. So we should be as convicted about calling someone “idiot” or “moron” as we are swearing about them.
But as I started to work on my name-calling, I noticed myself doing something else; I guess you could call it “reverse name-calling.” I started saying things like “any decent person would…” or “if they had any sensitivity at all they would…” Once I thought about it, though, I realized that it’s still name calling; it’s really no different than calling the person indecent or insensitive. Notice how deceptive our sinful nature can be, to find ways to continue to sin even as we work on stamping sin out.
Of course, the point is not that we can never say a negative word about anyone. (Check out what Jesus had to say about the Pharisees in Matthew 23!) The point is our attitude. When we talk about others’ shortcomings, we should have an attitude of forgiveness and desire for them to change, not one of rejecting them as a person. I believe there is space for venting (though I can’t recall a verse that would be a good example), but that venting needs to lead you in the direction of forgiveness and positive feelings about the person, and not down a bitter and vile path! In my case, however, this reverse name-calling definitely came from the same attitude as normal name-calling and swearing—one of anger and rejection.
Jesus called love one of the most central concepts in the Christian life. In gauging your love, don’t just pay attention to your swearing, but also your name-calling—and even your reverse name-calling.
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44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (ESV)