Late into the night, early in the morning, walking down the road, in the middle of his supper, at home, abroad, Jesus offers. His time, his words, his touch, flowing like the wine at Cana. To appreciate the reality of it all, remember, this is not Superman. Remember his loneliness, his weariness, his humanity. This is utterly remarkable—particularly in light of the fact that this is a man on a life-or-death mission. He is lavish with himself.
And that’s the key, right there—that giving of himself. That is what is so precious. Moses offered leadership, and tirelessly. Solomon handed out the rarest of wisdom free of charge. Pilot seemed willing to toss to the crowds anyone they wanted. But Jesus gives himself. This is, after all, what he came to give, and what we most desperately need.
(Beautiful Outlaw, 79)
Source: Ransomed Heart Ministries by John Eldredge
5.31.2012
5.07.2012
LIPS OF CHILDREN
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:2
The lips of children lift up the greatness of God in praise and adoration. They do not know any better than to believe God and take Him at His word. They are trusting and pure in their devotion. It is the children that embraced the coronation of Christ in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. They shouted “Hosanna in the highest,” while the proud religious leaders were indignant (Matthew 21:15). Humility praises Jesus, but pride is silent. Humility invites Jesus, but pride is threatened by Jesus. Humility wants to sit in His lap, but pride rejects His love and affection. Children remind us of the God we have forgotten. We’ve gotten so sophisticated with our Savior that we miss Him. We used to cry out to Him in gratitude over His overwhelming grandeur, but somewhere along the way we have taken Him for granted. Children remind us of God’s greatness. This is their lot.
Children live in a constant state of dependency. They depend on their parents for food, clothing, and shelter. Children look to their parents to teach them about God and religion. Hobbies, like enjoying the great outdoors, playing sports, or cultivating an interest in the arts become a committed interest of children with their parents’ prodding encouragement. Parents are a plethora of resources for their children. Boys and girls depend on Mom and Dad for direction regarding what they do well and how they can best excel. Parents are warehouses of wisdom for their offspring. Children who are compliant in learning from and depending on their parents are successful. They may, unknowingly, be building a solid foundation for living.
Our relationship with God is no different. We are His children in desperate need of His direction. We may spurn His discipline at times, but we come back because we know He is what we need. We need His wisdom. We need His forgiveness. We need His comfort, love, and hope. We need his perspective to be able to work effectively with people. We need His security found only in Christ. We need His courage in crisis. We need His grace in the middle of criticism. We need His humility to defeat pride. Christians who succeed the most are totally and utterly dependent on Christ. Otherwise, our pride drives us to self-sufficiency and shallow or patronizing praises of God. His greatness decreases as ours increases. Therefore, re-crown Him King daily. By faith, we step away from the throne of our life and humbly bow at His feet, as He sits enthroned and worthy of all praise.
Children are the conscience of adults. They remind us of our dependency on Jesus. We are but a grain of sand on the seashore of humanity. Jesus is Lord of all, and we serve and worship Him alone. The lips of children naturally lift up the glory of God. We do so supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot keep quiet because of His lavish love and abundant grace which He pours forth on the faithful. It’s in our childlike faith that God reveals Himself, but He hides the very same from the wise of the world (Luke 10:21). You are a child of God. Therefore, praise and adore His majestic name.
Taken from Reading #5 in the 90-day devotional book, “Seeking God in the Psalms”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
The lips of children lift up the greatness of God in praise and adoration. They do not know any better than to believe God and take Him at His word. They are trusting and pure in their devotion. It is the children that embraced the coronation of Christ in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. They shouted “Hosanna in the highest,” while the proud religious leaders were indignant (Matthew 21:15). Humility praises Jesus, but pride is silent. Humility invites Jesus, but pride is threatened by Jesus. Humility wants to sit in His lap, but pride rejects His love and affection. Children remind us of the God we have forgotten. We’ve gotten so sophisticated with our Savior that we miss Him. We used to cry out to Him in gratitude over His overwhelming grandeur, but somewhere along the way we have taken Him for granted. Children remind us of God’s greatness. This is their lot.
Children live in a constant state of dependency. They depend on their parents for food, clothing, and shelter. Children look to their parents to teach them about God and religion. Hobbies, like enjoying the great outdoors, playing sports, or cultivating an interest in the arts become a committed interest of children with their parents’ prodding encouragement. Parents are a plethora of resources for their children. Boys and girls depend on Mom and Dad for direction regarding what they do well and how they can best excel. Parents are warehouses of wisdom for their offspring. Children who are compliant in learning from and depending on their parents are successful. They may, unknowingly, be building a solid foundation for living.
Our relationship with God is no different. We are His children in desperate need of His direction. We may spurn His discipline at times, but we come back because we know He is what we need. We need His wisdom. We need His forgiveness. We need His comfort, love, and hope. We need his perspective to be able to work effectively with people. We need His security found only in Christ. We need His courage in crisis. We need His grace in the middle of criticism. We need His humility to defeat pride. Christians who succeed the most are totally and utterly dependent on Christ. Otherwise, our pride drives us to self-sufficiency and shallow or patronizing praises of God. His greatness decreases as ours increases. Therefore, re-crown Him King daily. By faith, we step away from the throne of our life and humbly bow at His feet, as He sits enthroned and worthy of all praise.
Children are the conscience of adults. They remind us of our dependency on Jesus. We are but a grain of sand on the seashore of humanity. Jesus is Lord of all, and we serve and worship Him alone. The lips of children naturally lift up the glory of God. We do so supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot keep quiet because of His lavish love and abundant grace which He pours forth on the faithful. It’s in our childlike faith that God reveals Himself, but He hides the very same from the wise of the world (Luke 10:21). You are a child of God. Therefore, praise and adore His majestic name.
Taken from Reading #5 in the 90-day devotional book, “Seeking God in the Psalms”… http://bit.ly/bQHNIE
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
5.03.2012
PARENTAL PRAYERS
“I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28
A parent’s prayers for their child produce the best results: both in the short-term and the long-term. Smart prayers include their salvation, future spouse, and a sensitive heart to the Spirit’s leading. Faith-focused prayers penetrate pride, dissolve selfishness, and give wisdom. Satan flees in the face of just prayers. Spiritual battles rage for the family’s soul and wise are the parents who engage in a prayer offensive.
Indeed, when we pray with our spouse our own hearts are strangely warmed to God, our children, and to each other. There is a mutually compounding benefit when you make prayer an investment priority for your progeny. A child who knows they are prayed for by their mom and dad is confident they are cared about. We build our son or daughter’s self-esteem when we petition heaven on their behalf. Prayer produces confidence.
“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23
How would your heavenly Father have you pray for your children? Perhaps you begin by praying with and for them at meal times and when you tuck them in at night. Obligatory and rote prayers lack spiritual intensity—they even tempt the Lord—but your fervent and righteous prayers rock the worlds of their recipients. Pray boldly for your child to live boldly within a culture of unbelief. Pray they will stand alone when others forsake the faith.
Have you given your child over to the Lord in a simple and trusting prayer? You cannot control your child, but you can entrust them to Christ who is all controlling. You must not seek to manipulate your son or daughter, but ask the Holy Spirit to lead them away from temptation and into His path of peace and wisdom. Pray for godly mentors to come into their lives and reinforce what you have taught and modeled for years. Be hopeful and persevere, as your parental prayers offer wisdom and revelation of God!
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:16-17
Prayer: Lord, what prayers can I direct to you on behalf of my child?
Related Readings: Genesis 25:21; 1 Chronicles 5:20; Colossians 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:2
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
A parent’s prayers for their child produce the best results: both in the short-term and the long-term. Smart prayers include their salvation, future spouse, and a sensitive heart to the Spirit’s leading. Faith-focused prayers penetrate pride, dissolve selfishness, and give wisdom. Satan flees in the face of just prayers. Spiritual battles rage for the family’s soul and wise are the parents who engage in a prayer offensive.
Indeed, when we pray with our spouse our own hearts are strangely warmed to God, our children, and to each other. There is a mutually compounding benefit when you make prayer an investment priority for your progeny. A child who knows they are prayed for by their mom and dad is confident they are cared about. We build our son or daughter’s self-esteem when we petition heaven on their behalf. Prayer produces confidence.
“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23
How would your heavenly Father have you pray for your children? Perhaps you begin by praying with and for them at meal times and when you tuck them in at night. Obligatory and rote prayers lack spiritual intensity—they even tempt the Lord—but your fervent and righteous prayers rock the worlds of their recipients. Pray boldly for your child to live boldly within a culture of unbelief. Pray they will stand alone when others forsake the faith.
Have you given your child over to the Lord in a simple and trusting prayer? You cannot control your child, but you can entrust them to Christ who is all controlling. You must not seek to manipulate your son or daughter, but ask the Holy Spirit to lead them away from temptation and into His path of peace and wisdom. Pray for godly mentors to come into their lives and reinforce what you have taught and modeled for years. Be hopeful and persevere, as your parental prayers offer wisdom and revelation of God!
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:16-17
Prayer: Lord, what prayers can I direct to you on behalf of my child?
Related Readings: Genesis 25:21; 1 Chronicles 5:20; Colossians 4:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:2
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
5.02.2012
Did Jesus Get Dirt on His Robe?
You might think that keeping Jesus all mysterious and heavenly is the proper thing to do, but consider this: When he came, he came as presented in the Gospels—very much human, a person, a man, with a very distinct personality. This is the primary witness we have of him, recorded for all who would know him. This is how he chooses to make himself known. This is the “self” he presents to us. Be careful you don’t push him away with your religious delicacies.
“Jesus was so obviously human,” notes Eugene Peterson, “but this has never been an easy truth for people to swallow. There are always plenty of people walking around who will have none of this particularity: human ordinariness, bodily fluids, raw emotions of anger and disgust, fatigue and loneliness.”3 Did you think Gethsemane was the only time he sweat? Or maybe we assume his sweat smelled like lilies? And what is with the snowy white robe? Every movie I’ve seen costumes Jesus in an immaculate white robe. He never got dirty? Those were not paved roads he walked for miles.
(Beautiful Outlaw, 65)
Source: Ransomed Heart Ministries by John Eldredge
“Jesus was so obviously human,” notes Eugene Peterson, “but this has never been an easy truth for people to swallow. There are always plenty of people walking around who will have none of this particularity: human ordinariness, bodily fluids, raw emotions of anger and disgust, fatigue and loneliness.”3 Did you think Gethsemane was the only time he sweat? Or maybe we assume his sweat smelled like lilies? And what is with the snowy white robe? Every movie I’ve seen costumes Jesus in an immaculate white robe. He never got dirty? Those were not paved roads he walked for miles.
(Beautiful Outlaw, 65)
Source: Ransomed Heart Ministries by John Eldredge
4.02.2012
Accustomed to the Rubble
Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." Nehemiah 2:17 ESV
JERUSALEM HAD BEEN destroyed and lying in ruins for over 125 years. The people Nehemiah was talking to here had been living in the rubble heap that was Jerusalem for ten years or more. Why was it so important for him to tell them to look at the "ruins" as they began building the wall?
The people living there had become callous to their surroundings. They got used to walking over rubble and not having gates protect them. It took time, but it became home to them.
That is what sin does to us. Sin might start off small, but it keeps getting larger and larger. The destruction spreads wide, affecting every area. But we start getting comfortable with it and it becomes a part of our everyday life. What ruins and burned gates have you grown callous to?
Examine your habits. Is there anything you've grown used to that you should let go of?
Source: Relevant Magazine
JERUSALEM HAD BEEN destroyed and lying in ruins for over 125 years. The people Nehemiah was talking to here had been living in the rubble heap that was Jerusalem for ten years or more. Why was it so important for him to tell them to look at the "ruins" as they began building the wall?
The people living there had become callous to their surroundings. They got used to walking over rubble and not having gates protect them. It took time, but it became home to them.
That is what sin does to us. Sin might start off small, but it keeps getting larger and larger. The destruction spreads wide, affecting every area. But we start getting comfortable with it and it becomes a part of our everyday life. What ruins and burned gates have you grown callous to?
Examine your habits. Is there anything you've grown used to that you should let go of?
Source: Relevant Magazine
3.15.2012
THE PRAYER YOU MEANT TO PRAY
My prayer life is pretty hot and cold—and by hot and cold, I mean sometimes I go weeks without intentionally praying to God, and other times I get frustrated that He’s not immediately answering my petty prayers. There really is no in-between for me. Most days, I’m pretty good at praying for friends or family who are in dire situations, and I'm always quick to ask God for forgiveness when I goof up. But to be quite honest with you, and with Him, I still suck at praying.
I’ve read the New Testament many times, and one thing continually frustrates me: Jesus was a much better prayer than I am.
First of all, Jesus would routinely go off and pray alone, in the wilderness, for long amounts of time. My prayer life is typically jammed into the 45 seconds after I wake up before I jump out of bed and decide I need to shower and get ready for my busy day. Or, it gets crammed into commercial breaks of my favorite sports talk shows. There is no escaping to pray—and there are no lengthy periods of time where I enjoy my Father’s presence and take in His wisdom for my heart.
It's tempting to think: "Well, Jesus was God-made-flesh, right? So, He’s supposed to do things we weren’t able to, right? He lived a perfect life, and we can’t do that. This is probably just one of those deals."
Unfortunately for us, Scripture seems to say otherwise. Every time Jesus took His disciples somewhere to pray, I believe He expected them to pray, too. The Garden of Gethsemane comes to mind, especially as it’s one of my favorite scenes in the Bible. He asks His disciples to look out for him—and I believe this includes praying for Him—as He goes forward on His own and prays Himself. They’re worn out and tired, and can’t keep their eyes open (I can relate to that), but Jesus doesn’t take that as a good excuse. He’s upset; His words even sound as if He is hurt when they can’t stay awake.
Jesus was much better at His method of prayer than I could ever be. But it’s not just that. The content of His prayers blows me away too. Listen to the words He utters in that famous Gethsemane prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. … My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
Let's compare to my typical prayer: “Hey. God. It’s me, Zak. Could you please send me a sign that you still love me? I’m feeling a bit self-conscious today. Also, a wife would be cool. And maybe some money, so I can afford to give some back to you. Thanks, peace.”
Jesus’ prayer is so different, it shocks and amazes me. His prayer ends, “May Your will be done,” and mine ends, “Could you please just do it my way?”
But in Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read an interesting verse that says there may be hope for us yet. It even explains why sometimes we’re disappointed at the results of our prayers.
"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:26).
The translation I memorized one summer at camp said, “ ... intercedes for us with groans that words simply could not express.”
What a powerful gift for those who receive the blessing of salvation. When the Spirit rushes upon us, He's got our back in our prayer lives. When I don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes on my behalf with the Father, finishing my prayers—and I believe that His prayer is so often, “Father, may your will be done.”
Without even knowing it, because the Spirit intercedes for me, my prayers are ending with “but Thy will be done.”
Asking for more money, more material blessings, more spiritual blessings—all of those prayers should be offensive to the God who has poured out unending blessings upon us already. But because of the Spirit’s intercession for us, we don’t have to worry when we don’t know what to pray for. We just have to trust that, in "His will be done," God is offering what is best for us.
I know I should be praying more—for more forgiveness, more humility, more desire to be like Him. But I also know the Spirit is constantly interceding with the Father on my behalf for these things. Its work is ever-present, and ever-powerful in my life, and for that, I am truly thankful.
Source: Relevant Magazine
I’ve read the New Testament many times, and one thing continually frustrates me: Jesus was a much better prayer than I am.
First of all, Jesus would routinely go off and pray alone, in the wilderness, for long amounts of time. My prayer life is typically jammed into the 45 seconds after I wake up before I jump out of bed and decide I need to shower and get ready for my busy day. Or, it gets crammed into commercial breaks of my favorite sports talk shows. There is no escaping to pray—and there are no lengthy periods of time where I enjoy my Father’s presence and take in His wisdom for my heart.
It's tempting to think: "Well, Jesus was God-made-flesh, right? So, He’s supposed to do things we weren’t able to, right? He lived a perfect life, and we can’t do that. This is probably just one of those deals."
Unfortunately for us, Scripture seems to say otherwise. Every time Jesus took His disciples somewhere to pray, I believe He expected them to pray, too. The Garden of Gethsemane comes to mind, especially as it’s one of my favorite scenes in the Bible. He asks His disciples to look out for him—and I believe this includes praying for Him—as He goes forward on His own and prays Himself. They’re worn out and tired, and can’t keep their eyes open (I can relate to that), but Jesus doesn’t take that as a good excuse. He’s upset; His words even sound as if He is hurt when they can’t stay awake.
Jesus was much better at His method of prayer than I could ever be. But it’s not just that. The content of His prayers blows me away too. Listen to the words He utters in that famous Gethsemane prayer: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. … My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
Let's compare to my typical prayer: “Hey. God. It’s me, Zak. Could you please send me a sign that you still love me? I’m feeling a bit self-conscious today. Also, a wife would be cool. And maybe some money, so I can afford to give some back to you. Thanks, peace.”
Jesus’ prayer is so different, it shocks and amazes me. His prayer ends, “May Your will be done,” and mine ends, “Could you please just do it my way?”
But in Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read an interesting verse that says there may be hope for us yet. It even explains why sometimes we’re disappointed at the results of our prayers.
"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:26).
The translation I memorized one summer at camp said, “ ... intercedes for us with groans that words simply could not express.”
What a powerful gift for those who receive the blessing of salvation. When the Spirit rushes upon us, He's got our back in our prayer lives. When I don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes on my behalf with the Father, finishing my prayers—and I believe that His prayer is so often, “Father, may your will be done.”
Without even knowing it, because the Spirit intercedes for me, my prayers are ending with “but Thy will be done.”
Asking for more money, more material blessings, more spiritual blessings—all of those prayers should be offensive to the God who has poured out unending blessings upon us already. But because of the Spirit’s intercession for us, we don’t have to worry when we don’t know what to pray for. We just have to trust that, in "His will be done," God is offering what is best for us.
I know I should be praying more—for more forgiveness, more humility, more desire to be like Him. But I also know the Spirit is constantly interceding with the Father on my behalf for these things. Its work is ever-present, and ever-powerful in my life, and for that, I am truly thankful.
Source: Relevant Magazine
3.09.2012
Picture of Peace
“There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."
Catherine Marshall
The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. "Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."
Catherine Marshall
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