Category: Devotional
#verseoftheday
#verseoftheday
#verseoftheday
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Devotional – Finding Wholeness
“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!” Psalm 112:1 (ESV)
I’m taking some time this week to disconnect from my normal pace and schedule to get alone and get away in an attempt to hear from the Lord. This year I’ve been doing some introspection, learning about myself, how I’m wired. I’m trying to get a handle on why I allow certain things to frustrate me, why I tend to wear down carrying the burdens of others, why I’m struggling during this season with patience.
The Bible speaks to the heart, mind, and soul of the human condition. It tells us why the world is so messed up. It tells us why we are so messed up. But unlike a social media rant it doesn’t end there, it gives us the solution. What we would call wellness, wholeness, or contentment the Bible often calls being blessed. While there are many passages which speak to this idea one in particular, Psalm 112:1 gives three characteristics of the person who would be blessed.
1. The Blessed Live A Life of Worship. The Psalm opens with the exultation, “Praise the Lord!” Or just straight from the Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” The Psalms themselves were originally composed as songs of praise. We are left with the lyrics, but not the tunes. What a joy it is to join with the community of faith and sing praises to the Lord. How awesome is it that the Spirit is still inspiring new songs of worship and praise. In what feels like eons ago I was privileged to lead one of the most energetic southern baptist choirs. Back in those days sheet music was printed and bound and shipped to you. We subscribed to several worship clubs that several times a year would send huge boxes via UPS filled with CD’s a samples of new music. It would usually be this time of year (August) that the anticipated Christmas box would arrive and beach week would involve listening through several different musicals in order to make a final decision. We are one experiencing an explosion of God-centered, gospel proclaiming worship music. We now live in an era in which songwriters and artists can instantly share their creations with the masses. With digital distribution we can hear a song for the first time one day and share it with our particular church the very next. With our magical mobile devices we can carry this music with us everywhere we can and whether we are in the car, on the bus, at the coffee shop, we can fill our hearts with God’s praise and make a joyful noise as we go. Let’s praise the Lord.
2. The Blessed Live A Life of Reverence, or as the Pslamist says, “fears the Lord.” Fearing the Lord in Hebrew isn’t abject terror or an irrational fear, but closer to the ideas of respect, honor, or awe. This idea of reverence is to be placed on its object – the Lord. What does it mean to live a life of reverence to God? While it led some in the ancient church to go out in the desert and live in caves and it led others to shun the world, shave their heads, and take monastic orders, I think in todays time it takes multiple forms. I believe a life of reverence to God means waking up each morning and putting God first in your life-no matter what the day brings. I believe a life of reverence to God means taking what God has spoken over us with us when we go to work, to school, or to play. God is not a component of our life-He is part of our real life.
3. The Blessed Live A Life of Faith. Here the Psalmist says that the blessed “greatly delights in his commandments.” When we read commandments in our culture what might be conjured up are a list of rules, of do’s and don’ts. When the psalmist says “commandments” he is using a synonym to mean God’s Word, or His truth. To greatly delight in God’s Word means not just taking in God’s Word-by reading the Bible, prayer, meditation, listening to sermons and podcasts. If we fill our minds with all the knowledge that Scripture has to offer, but do not put it into practice we may have orthodoxy, but a dead one. The Blessed fill themselves with God’s Word and then seek to live it out! One activity I’m doing right now as I read Scripture is to write down either God’s promises or the truth that He speaks over me. In an age of trolls, social critics, and a terrible amount of just overall negativity I’ve found it helpful to my soul to hear what God says about me, that I’m loved, forgiven, redeemed, strengthened, and encouraged.
My prayer is that you may find peace and contentment that can only be found in following Jesus.
Love Your Wife
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)
I love my dog. I love my children. I love my car. I love my ipad. I love my ________ fill-in-the-blank. We use the word “love” so often to describe our feelings for so many things. What does it mean to say that we love our spouse? Does it mean that we love when we are loved back? Does it mean that we love when we get something in return? When the Bible teaches me as a husband to love my wife, it defines that love–“as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” That means my love for my wife should overflow with grace. That means my love for my wife should be completely self-sacrificial. That means my love for my wife should mean that I would give everything for her, even my own life. That kind of love is deep. That kind of love is strong. That kind of love does not waiver based on the weather or how I feel on a particular day. That’s a high bar-but one in which we must strive every day.
What Happy Couples Know – Part 1
This week at Restoration Church we are starting a four-week message series on marriage called “What Happy Couples Know.”
Our view of marriage is formed by many factors: our culture, our own family background, our upbringing, and our faith. For better or for worse every married couple has certain hopes and dreams for their life together. I have been blessed with an amazing life partner in Amy who shows me grace daily while I lead and at the same time keeps our family well organized and headed in the right direction. Did I mentioned she keeps us alive? Yes, she keeps us clothed, fed, and as germ free as possible!
One passage of Scripture we looked at this week was Ephesians 5:1-2. In this passage we are called to be imitators of God. Now while we can’t be imitators of God when it comes to His unlimited power over the universe or his limitless knowledge over all things, we can pattern our way of life after Him. If you had to sum up God in one word it would be the word “love.” The prophet Jeremiah wrote and proclaimed that “the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” (Lamentations 3:22, ESV). God’s love is steadfast, it is sure, it never gives up, and it never gives out. This is the type of love we should exhibit towards our spouse. In this passage from Ephesians it also tells us to “walk” in love – meaning our very own way of life begins and ends with love.
If you are married, how might your relationship be different if you started each day with the thought, how can I better love and serve my spouse today?
Sometimes You Have to Laugh
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22
Sometimes you just have to laugh. Like just the other night as I was rolling around on the floor with our 1 year old lab puppy my glasses found themselves on the floor and just as I went to pick them up I heard a crunching sound. What I found in all my years of glassendom was a pile of frame and lenses the like of which I had never seen. What appeared before me was what used to be a perfectly fine pair of glasses. My exact next thought became the realization that pile represented my primary and backup pair, yes, my only pair of glasses. Instead of getting angry or stressed out about how I was going to go about rectifying the situation, all I could do was laugh. I mean there was no amount of tape or super glue that was going to fix this one! As I started laughing a passage of Scripture then came to my mind, “For we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). For the next few days I would literally get to live this one out! I’m thankful our God is a God of laughter and joy because it truly is medicine for my soul.
Blue Mind
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 (ESV)
Though I try to stay up with current events, sometimes I’m a little behind the times. Recently, I became aware of a study done by a Marine biologist called Blue Mind. In this book, the author, Wallace J. Nichols, looks at all the positive aspects of being “in, near, on, or under water.” I’ve personally felt this way as there is just something calming and soothing about being near the water. Looking out over the ocean I’m often struck by the majesty and power of God who created our world. The ocean wind and the sound of the crashing waves seem to drown out the noise of life and quiet the seemingly endless distractions of modern life. The waves crash and crash moving in and out with the tide erasing the footprints of the past creating a new clean slate with each pass.
From time to time I find it necessary to retreat to coast to refocus my heart, mind, and soul. My hope is that you can find the time or place wherever it might be for you, to reconnect with God when the pressure of life seems to overwhelm or distract you from your true purpose in life.