Month: July 2020

…Walk as children of light…

                                                                   Ephesians 5:8

            Light is something I take for granted — until the power goes out.  On the rare occasions when the power is out, we can usually get out the flashlights and lanterns and create a temporary light source.  But I remember the time I was leaving an unfamiliar office complex, and I went into a restroom I’d never been in before.  It took me completely by surprise when suddenly the lights went out.  I could see absolutely nothing!  At least when I’m at home I remember where doors are and the general layout of the floor plan.  But here I had to stop and try to think which direction I had entered and slowly feel my way along until I found the wall which led to the exit door.  What a relief to step out into the bright daylight again.

            How often do we take for granted the spiritual light we have been given?  Do you ever think what life would be like if Jesus, the “light of the world,” had not come?  Those of us who are walking with the Lord have the incredible gift of His offer of wisdom and direction for every decision we must make, strength in the midst of any circumstance, certain hope for whatever the future holds.  We have the Bible, God’s Word, which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).  We have the light, God’s truth, which shows us the way to freedom from enslavement to sin and fear. 

          Once we know Jesus, the true Light of the World, we are told to walk as children of light.  Matthew 5:14 says that we are the light of the world.  We are to be the light that draws others to the Lord.  I originally wrote this devotional before any of us had even heard of the Coronavirus which is now causing devastating effects in the lives of people around the world.  I am convicted by my lack of concern for the many who are still in darkness, living in fear, without hope that can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus.  I’m challenged not to just be satisfied with the light I have been given to walk with the Lord, but to take seriously God’s call to represent Him to others, to share His light and truth, to let my light shine so others will be drawn to Jesus.  I’m encouraged to pray that the Lord will awaken a deep concern in my heart for those who do not yet know Him.  I’m asking Him for opportunities to shine His light through me so that others might find the way to Him.

            This world has changed so dramatically in the last few months. So many are suffering in these confusing, unsettling, uncertain times, fearing for their health and loved ones, the potential loss of jobs, businesses. But God never changes.  He is still sovereign.  He still reaches out with the offer of forgiveness of sin, salvation, wisdom, strength, hope, and abundant life through a relationship with Jesus through faith.  I want to share the Good News with others who don’t know Him. People need the Lord! May God open doors of opportunity to share His love and His truth so that others may be drawn to Him.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Read Ephesians 5, the entire chapter.  This will help clarify “walking in the light” and “walking in darkness.”

What does it mean to walk in the light?

What is the condition of someone who is walking in spiritual darkness?

Who do you know personally who is still walking in darkness?  What can you do to be “light” to that person?

And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Manna.  What is it?  That was the question the people of Israel asked when it first appeared on the ground.  They had been in the desert only a short time following their escape from slavery in Egypt.  They were hungry and began accusing Moses and Aaron of bringing them out to the wilderness to die of hunger.  Manna was God’s answer to their need for food.  (We read about this in Exodus 16:1-36.)

            Why did God command the people to gather only enough manna for one day?  Why not gather enough for several days or even a whole week?   Wouldn’t it save a lot of time if they gathered more than one day’s supply at a time? 

I believe the people needed a daily reminder that their manna, their food, was God’s provision for them.  If they were allowed to gather as much as they wanted, they could eventually forget this was God’s provision and begin to think it was their own ability to gather a lot that was to be admired.  Instead, the one-day-at-a-time supply forced the people to acknowledge daily that their food was a miracle from God.  Each morning as they went outside to get enough for the day, their minds should have turned in gratitude toward the God who had supplied it.

            Probably most of us are in the position the Israelites would have been in if they had been permitted to gather as much as they wanted.   If we think about it at all, we may be tempted to think that we have provided for our own needs.  We buy what we need with the money we have earned from our own jobs.  It is easy to forget that without God we would not even be able to take another breath.  Life itself, and every good and perfect gift, comes from Him (James 1:17). We need to remember to acknowledge God and thank Him for His daily provisions. 

            Not only should we acknowledge God’s daily provisions for our own lives, but we need to come to Him daily for “food” to give others.  Think about the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitudes (Mark 6:30-44).  Jesus had spent the whole day healing the sick.  When evening came, the disciples pointed out to Jesus it was time to send the people away so that they could go into the villages and buy food for themselves. Jesus said, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”  Of course, the disciples didn’t have the resources it would take to buy food for that many people!  I can hear the sarcasm in their voices as they respond, “Shall we go and spend 200 denarii on bread and give them something to eat?”  (200 denarii is equivalent to 8 months wages for a common laborer.) Jesus told the disciples to gather what was available.  They brought back five loaves and two fish–pathetically little compared to what was needed!  Jesus said, “Bring them here to Me.”  He blessed what they had, broke it, and “kept giving them to the disciples to set before the multitude” (Luke 9:16). Notice that the disciples had to keep coming back to Jesus to get refills so they could distribute food to the people.  In Jesus’ hands, that little offering became more than enough to meet the need!

            This is encouraging to me when I think of ministering to people Jesus brings into my life.  My first reaction is, “I don’t have what they need.”  And that’s true — I don’t.  But then I remind myself of the truth in 2 Corinthians 3:5. My adequacy comes from Him, not from myself.  I don’t have what they need, but God does.  I have to keep coming back to Him for wisdom to help them trust God to provide all they need.

            The needs around us are overwhelming.  People all over the world are in desperate need.  What do I have to offer?  Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).   But what about the needs of the people Jesus has placed right in my path?  The attitude I want to have every day is one of complete dependence on God for the provisions He wants me to have, both for my own life and for the needs of others that He brings to my attention.  I can bring to Jesus the gifts He has given me.  I can present myself to Him as a living sacrifice and be available to serve.  Through His miraculous power, I can do what He calls me to do because He promises to supply every need.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God brought a specific need to your attention that He may be asking you to respond to?

Do you feel inadequate to meet that need?  Are you willing to trust Him to provide everything you need to take the next step in meeting the need?

Write out your prayer to God.  Remember to thank Him for His promise to provide everything you need.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither…

                                                           Psalm l:1-3

The stability and beauty of a tree firmly planted by a stream is an encouraging analogy to me, especially in these unsettling and uncertain times of a worldwide pandemic. I think of the roots that go down deep into the earth and spread out to reach the source of nutrients in the soil and water.  I am amazed at trees growing on steep banks by a stream with most of the root system exposed.  It seems impossible that the tree could still be standing.  The years of wind and rain and erosion have taken their toll, but the tree is still standing firm.

The psalmist gives this description of one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  This stability and strength come from a relationship with the Lord, one that grows deeper as we spend time in His Word, getting to know Him, understanding His will for our life, and living in obedience to Him. Scripture tells us that He is the vine, we are the branches.  If we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit (John l5:5).  We will be able to stand firm and bear fruit even during the trials and difficult circumstances that are sure to come. 

  Psalm l07 gives the opposite picture.  It speaks of those who wandered in the wilderness in a desert region…they were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them…There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God.

             We clearly have a choice — We can delight in the law of God or we can ignore Him, or even rebel against Him.  We can grow stronger in our relationship with Him through spending time with Him in prayer and being in His Word, or we can give in to the lies of Satan, our enemy who seeks to destroy us. During this time of the pandemic, it is especially important to stay connected to other believers so we can encourage each other in our walk with God and to be able to strengthen others who are struggling with fear and uncertain circumstances.

            We need to mature and grow strong in our relationship with God so we recognize the lies of our enemy and refuse to stray from the path of truth.  We need to be willing to listen to the still, small voice of God saying, This is the way, walk in it (Isaiah 30:21).  That path will lead to life as God intended us to live — like a tree firmly planted by a stream.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

We can ask ourselves these questions:  Am I like the tree firmly planted by streams of water?  Or am I wandering aimlessly in the desert living in fear and uncertainty?

What choices do I need to make to cause my “roots” to be firmly planted by the life-giving stream?

Pray and ask God if there is someone He wants you to encourage to grow stronger in the Lord?

Read Psalm 1:3 again and personalize it: I will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither…

We are the clay, and You are the potter.  We all are formed by Your hand.

                                                                      Isaiah 64:8

I love this analogy for God’s work in our lives.  A potter begins with a project in mind and carefully chooses just the right clay.  He then begins to mold and shape, his hands always on the clay carefully adding a little clay here, taking away a little there, continually forming until the piece is complete.  The potter then places his creations into a kiln at a very high temperature.  He knows just the right temperature and the length of time to leave he piece in the kiln to ensure the object will be strong and durable.

            In Psalm 139, we learn that God formed us in our mother’s womb.  Life takes on a new perspective when we understand God personally formed each one of us.  It is no accident that you are as tall (or as short) as you are.  Even if you were born blind, lame, or what is considered defective in some way, it is not a mistake. We may look at our life and think God could not possibly make something for His glory.  But I am convinced that when we come to Him in complete surrender, He is able to take all the broken pieces and create something new and beautiful. Whatever our condition, when we come to Him, He will use us to bring glory to Himself.  There is true joy and freedom for those who recognize and accept God’s plan for our lives.

            The Bible is full of encouraging words that tell us we are in a process of transformation.  God will use every experience in our lives to mold us into the vessel He intends us to become if we allow Him to have His way.  He uses the “heat” of our trials and difficult circumstances to mold and shape us for His purpose.  Notice the perspective we are to have from His Word: 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).  

            I personally experienced God’s hands shaping my life when I submitted to His will to return to my marriage after a period of separation.  God knew the plans He had for my life, and He created me for something much more beautiful than what I had planned for myself.  By submitting myself to Him, I experienced His love, His grace and mercy, His forgiveness, His power to transform my life and our marriage.  God created in me a heart of love for Him, for my husband, and a desire to live each day in the center of His will. 

            If we have come to the place where we can honestly say, “You are the potter; I am the clay; do whatever you want with my life,” we can be fully confident that He is at work and will make something beautiful.   God promises, He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

We can experience true joy and freedom when we recognize and accept God’s plan for our lives. We can trust Him to be at work in every circumstance.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you honestly say to God, “You are the potter; I am the clay.  Do whatever you want with my life”?  Will you ask Him to give you a heart that is willing to be molded and shaped by Him for His purpose?

What are you holding back that would keep God from having His perfect will in your life?

Take time to read Psalm 139.  Think about the truth that God personally formed you in your mother’s womb.  He knows you completely.  Identify any areas of your life – physically, emotionally, intellectually – that you consider defective.  Bring these before the Lord and ask Him to show you how He can use even this for His glory.

What circumstances in your life right now is God using to mold you into His perfect vessel?

Remember that you are in a process that will last as long as you live.  God will use every circumstance of your life to mold you. He does not force His will on you, but He requires your submission and obedience to become the vessel He designed you to become. Write a prayer to express your desire.