Healing Your Heart

I have come that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly.  (John 10:10b)

Has God ever surprised you by doing something for you that you didn’t even realize you needed? 

In a previous post I mentioned the fact that there was a fire on the north side of the city where I live in which over 500 homes we destroyed.  And that we had a fire last year a fire destroyed almost 400 homes.  They are still picking up the pieces from this year’s fire, getting things cleaned up, repairing what can be fixed, figuring out the best way to go about rebuilding what was lost.  The area affected by the fire last year is on the road to recovery, homes being rebuilt, grasses and such growing, people’s lives returning to normal.

I remember how I felt both last year and again this year while the fires were burning.  It is a different feeling when a disaster happens where you live as opposed to something you see or hear on the news.  It affects the whole community, whether you are directly affected or not. 

 

Every year in August the local Home Builders Association sponsors what is called the Parade of Homes.  The Parade consists of about 35 homes ranging from smaller track homes through larger custom built homes.  You can tour through these homes; see some of the latest in construction styles, decorating, etc.

A few of the homes in the Parade this year had been destroyed in last year’s fire and have since been rebuilt.  While looking at these homes the last thing I expected was an encounter with God.

 

Jesus told us that He came to give us abundant life.  Abundance means to be overly plentiful or overflowing and since God is good, this abundance can’t be anything other than good.  If we need something, God wants to provide. If we are hurting, God wants to help heal us.  Even if we don’t even realize we need anything, God knows and will provide what we need.

David tells us about God answering prayers for healing in Psalm 30:2, “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.”  Along with many others I have been praying for those affected by both of the fires.  Prayers for strength, healing, and restoration.  Little did I know I was also praying for myself.  I had not realized there was a small part of my heart that needed healing, but God knew.  

 

Emotions were high on the opening day when I toured the homes that had been destroyed last year.  A couple had small displays of things that were recovered from the ashes of the previous home, in another they were showing a video with images of before and after the fire and during the rebuilding of the house.  As I toured the houses I felt a heaviness in my heart being lifted.  Even with the heaviness lifting I didn’t realize what had happened until I started thinking about over the next couple days. 

Isn’t God amazing?  You never know exactly when or how He is going to do something and sometimes He catches you by surprise and meets you where you least expect it.  I have looked back to when this happened a few weeks ago and can’t help but feel the wonder as I contemplate a God who loves me so much He wants to meet me where I am and help make me whole. Not only does he want to make me whole, He does it with style!

 

Open yourself to receive what God wants to give you.  Let Him step in and fill the voids, to heal the hurts and the pain.  Even the things that are buried deep and you want to forget.  God wants to make you whole and give you an amazing life.  You won’t know how or when He will respond but from time to time He will show up where you least expect it and say, “Watch this!  This is just for you!”

Which Way Do I Go Now?

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.  (Pvb 3:6)

Generally people don’t like the unknown.  The unknown can be frightening and the future is full of unknowns.  This can make it hard to make the right decisions on which direction to take in life.  We wait too long and miss a great opportunity.  We jump the gun and commit ourselves to something we should have let go by.  We make a decision, then we second guess ourselves and pull back or hesitate. 

Setting goals and coming up with a life plan give us a direction in which we can use to guide us in making decisions.  Unfortunately this doesn’t mean everything is going to work the way we want it to.  We can still make the wrong decisions or do the wrong things.  So what do we do?

Ask God!  James tells us we can ask God and He will answer, generously.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  (James 1:5)   So ask.  God will answer.

God has a plan for all of us.  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11)  Since God calls us to be active in our walk with Him we can’t just sit around waiting for Him to reveal all the details to us.  We need to seek it passionately through prayer, reading our bibles, guidance from mature Christians and paying attention to what is going on around us.

As you start asking God about these plans you will find that it isn’t just some sort of script for you to follow.  It’s a journey with things for us to do along the way.  Another aspect of the journey is that God will not necessarily reveal all the details to us when we ask.  Why not?  We may need to learn something, to complete a specific task before moving on, or to maybe it’s to make sure we keep coming back to Him for guidance.  Whatever the reason, God will reveal His will in the proper time.  In the meantime He will always reveal everything you need to live for Him today.

In committing everything we do to God, doing it all for Him, we will be successful in accomplishing what God has planned for us in our life.  Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established. (Pvb 16:3)  How’s that for a promise?

 

A common concern that people have in seeking God’s plan for their life is often along the lines of thinking God is going to send them to some isolated tribe or group of people in Africa or the jungles of South America.  Does God send people to these places?  Absolutely!  Does God send everybody?  No.  If He did, all the Christian of the world would be in these locations working with the people there.  God needs us in our home town just as much as He needs us to travel to various parts of the world for Him.

If God does want you to do work for Him in another part of the world and you are truly seeking His guidance in your life, when the opportunity presents itself you will know it is the right thing to do.  That is what happened to me.  I had never really given much thought to going on any sort of mission trip, had even avoided talking to people I knew were looking for people to go on trips, but when I was asked by a friend and mentor about going on a trip with him I knew it was something God wanted me to do.  I can’t tell you how glad I am I went on the trip, it changed my life and my heart.  I have even been back a second time.  Something else to remember, not all these trips are life commitments, most trips people make are just a few days to a couple weeks in length.

God has both general and specific plans for our lives and wants us to fulfill our purpose in life.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)  Allow Him to work in your life and complete that good work.

So what do you do while you are waiting for an answer to your prayers?  I think Jesus gave us a great example; For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)  Start by serving others, putting their needs ahead of your own.  That’s part of what serving God is all about.  God will reveal the rest to you.

There will always be a sense of mystery in following God’s plans for our lives, but we can be certain He will guide us as long as we rely on Him.

The Great I AM

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelite and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?"
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.' "  (Exodus 3:13-14)

There is one name of God in particular that has been a bit more difficult to translate than others, a bit of a puzzle if you will.  That name is Yahweh.  The Hebrews considered this name to be so holy they would not pronounce it for fear that they would profane the holiness of the name.  It is even said they have forgotten how to actually pronounce it.  When they wrote it they would only use the consonants, YHWH.  Since they did not speak the name or include the vowels, scholars have had to use a number of references to try and figure out what vowels to use. 

Yahweh is derived from the Hebrew verb which means “to be.”  The essence of “to be” is to have life.  With that in mind, the name implies that God is absolutely self-existent.  He is the One who in Himself possess life and permanent existence.  Most scholars agree that Yahweh, or Jehovah, as it is sometimes translated, would be God’s proper name. 

In most English translations of the bible when you see LORD in all capitals it is a reference to the name Yahweh.  There are a couple instances in which we see it translated differently.  Rather than a reference to God, in these cases it is used when God or Jesus identifies Himself using His proper name.  Here the translation is “I AM” or “I AM WHO I AM.” 

I find this fascinating.  The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is identifying Himself and in doing so just simply says “I AM.”  Granted, the English language is not the most expressive language, but think about it.  Rather than something outlandishly verbose, yet completely holy, descriptive, and complex, God chose something unassuming yet all encompassing.  Something that when translated from the original Hebrew would be elegantly simple but would carry completeness that is hard to wrap your mind around.

God does this when He is speaking to Moses at the burning bush.  In Exodus Chapter 3 God is commissioning Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring out His people out of Egypt.  Moses asked God who he should tell the children of Israel sent him (vs. 13).  God answers in verse 14: And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “This you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 

Jesus also used the term “I AM” to identify Himself.  While teaching in John 8:58 Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  This is Jesus declaring Himself to be Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament.  The Hebrews knew and understood this and were going to stone Him for blasphemy.  

Scholars tell us that Jesus identified Himself in this fashion while in the Garden of Gethsemane.  When the troops arrive to arrest Him, Jesus asks them who they are looking for and Jesus responded “I am He” (John 18:5).  Then something amazing happens!  Look at verse 6: Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. It is said that Jesus used His proper name to identify himself, He didn’t just say, “That’s me.”  He responded with “I AM” and with that identification there was a release of power as He fully acknowledged who He was.

Amazingly simple, yet powerful and complete. 

These are just a few examples.  As you read your bible, look for the times in which “I AM” is used.  In your walk with God, ask Him to reveal to you the subtle intricacies of what His name means.  What a great way to get to know Him better, by learning about His proper name.  Yahweh, the Great I AM.

We are very blessed at my church with several great singers and songwriters.  One of these songs is The Great I AM by Jared Anderson.  If you have the means, I highly recommend getting it.  It will touch your heart, I know it does mine.

Names of God

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed when I come to the children of Israel and say to them ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” Ex. 3:13

What’s in a name?  Some have said it is the most important and sweetest sound to a person’s ear.  Sons are named after their fathers and people honor those that have had an impact in their life by naming one of their children after that person.  In some cultures a new name is given to signify a child is now an adult. 

Today we use names as a means of identification but to the people in biblical times names meant so much more.  For them the very existence of a thing was tied to its name.  Especially a divine name, this was critically important to them.  And it should be for us as well.

So why is should it be important to us?  Why should we study the names of God?  There are several reasons.  First, we are commanded to honor His name.  “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in Vain.” (Ex 20:7)  There is more to this than avoiding using God’s name in a slang or profane way.  The name of God has to do with His character, and when we live in a covenant relationship with Him, we become accountable for reflecting his character.

Another reason to study the names of God is because of the inherent greatness of His name.  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth…” (Ps. 8:1)  By understanding the names of God we can understand how to praise and worship Him more effectively. 

Third, God’s name provides protection to all believers.  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Pvb. 18:10)  As our understanding of God grows, we will find ourselves running to His name to find safety and strength.

Finally, in the various English versions of the bible simply translate His name as “God” or “Lord”, but there are a number of other names used throughout the scriptures, both in the Greek and Hebrew.  These names reveal many different aspects of God’s character or His relationship with us; they contain a wealth of truth about the God we serve.

Let’s look at a few of the names of God:

Elohim – Powerful God – This speaks to the idea that God is the Supreme Being and to His triune nature.

El-Shaddai – Almighty God – This speaks to God’s control of everything.

El-Elyon – God Most High – This speaks to God’s strength, sovereignty, and supremacy.

El-Olam – The Everlasting God – This speaks to God’s unchangeableness.

Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord Will Provide – This speaks to God’s provision for all our needs.

Jehovah-Rophe – The Lord Heals – This speaks to God healing us, both physically and spiritually.

Jehovah-Shalom – The Lord is Peace – This speaks to God being a source of peace in our life.

Jehovah-Sabboth – The Lord of Hosts – This speaks to God defeating evil.

Jehovah-Rohi – The Lord Is My Shepherd – This speaks to God’s relationship with us as a source of comfort and strength.

Part of how God shows us His love is by being all these things for us and more, so much more.  Here are just a few verses:

 

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Rom 8:37-39)

 

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”  (Mt 6:26)

 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (Jn 3:16)

 

As you continue your walk with God, ask Him to reveal new things about His names (the above list is not a complete list) and Himself to you.  You will see there is so much to learn and the more we learn the more we grow closer to Him.  What better way to be an example to those around you than by growing closer to God.

Attributes of God

Can you search out the deep things of God?  Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?  (Job 11:7)

Where do you start when you want to talk about God?  It can easily lead to confusion and more questions than answers.  Scripture tells us God is both incomprehensible and knowable.  Job 11:7 and Isaiah 40:18 both attest to God being incomprehensible to man.  Simply put, God is infinite, we are not.  By itself, this makes it impossible to know Him, but if that is the case, is there a point in trying?  And if he is beyond our comprehension how can we know Him? 

Luckily, God Himself is the source of our knowledge of Him and one way He has done this is through the bible.  The whole of the bible is a revelation, initiated by Him for us, so we could know him and what He has in store for us.  Among other verses, John 14:7 and 17:3 both attest we can know God.  Another reason taking time to study our bible is so important. 

So if we can know God, where is a good place to start?  How about by looking at some of His attributes?  Attributes are qualities that are inherent to a subject, in this case, God.  The various attributes of God are not component parts of God; they all describe His total being.  While He may display one attribute or another at a given time, no attribute is independent of or preeminent over any of the others.  These attributes also apply equally to the other persons of the Trinity; Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

Omnipotent – God is all-powerful.  His power is unlimited and uninhibited by anything else.  (Ps. 135:6; Jer. 32:17; Eph. 1:19; Luke 18:27; Heb. 1:3)

Omnipresent – God is everywhere, present with His whole being at all times.  (Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:23-24; Matt 6:6)

Omniscient – God knows everything—past present and future: He knows the actual and possible, effortlessly and equally well.  (Job 21:22, 37:16; Ps. 139:2-4, 17-18; PS 147:4-5; Matt 10:29-30; Heb. 4:13)

Sovereign – God is in complete control of all things.  (Ps. 8:1, 97:9; Col 1:16; Heb1:3, 2:10; Rev 4:11)

Eternal – God existence extends endlessly backwards and forwards without interruption or limitation.  God has no past, present, or future; He simply exists in an eternal present.  (Is 57:15; John 17:5; 2 Tim1:9; Jude 25)

Simple – God is a singular being, He is absolutely one. He does not have multiple parts and cannot be divided.  (Deut. 6:4; Is 45:18; 1 Cor 8:4; Eph. 4:6)

Holy – God is completely set apart from all creation and evil.  (Lev 11:44, 21:8; Joshua 24:19; Ps. 99:5 and 9; 2 Cor. 7:1; Rev 4:8)

Immutable – God is unchangeable and thus unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  (1 Samuel 15:29; Ps. 102:26-27; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8; James 1:17)

Infinite – God is limitless in His Being.  He has no boundaries.  (1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 147:5; Job 11:7-9; Is 55:8-9; Rom 11:33)

Self-existent – God is an uncaused being. He existed prior to and independent of creation.  He exists in and of Himself.  (Gen 1:1; Ps 90:2; Rom 11:36; Col 1:17)

Impassible – God cannot be changed by external causes.  (Job 35:6-7; Is 40:13-14,28)

Omnisapient – God is all-wise.  He has the unerring ability to choose the best means to accomplish the best ends.  (Job 12:13; 1 Cor. 1:24, 2:7; Eph. 3:10; Rev 7:12)

I’m sure you have heard of most of these, and I hope I may have introduced you to one or two that you may not have heard of previously.  There may also be a few you are familiar with that I did not mention; obviously this is an incomplete list.  If you think about some of these attributes, can we really list all of them?  And that leads to another question.

Will we ever truly know God?  There is only so much we will be able to learn in this life.  Several years ago I asked my pastor and teacher at the time, what we would be doing when we are in heaven?  He said there is so much we don’t know but one thing he believes is that one of the things we will be doing is spending eternity learning more and more about God.  I like that.  Add it to the list of wonders we will experience when we are with God in eternity.

So, where do you start when you want to talk about God?  What I have written here hardly even scratches the surface, but I hope it gives you a starting point.  As you read your bible, look for the different way in which God’s attributes are manifested.  It’s a great way to get to know Him better.

Wonderfully Made

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  (Ps 139:14)

Have you ever stopped to consider the amazing creation that is man?  We are both similar and unique at the same time.  Similar in that we all have the same basic makeup.  The same design.  But the most important aspect is that we are all made in the image of God (Gen 1:27).  This, in and of itself, is an amazing concept, and a blessing, that I don’t think we will truly comprehend until we are with Him in eternity.

How about the things that make us unique?  Some things are obvious, skin, eye, and hair color, height and weight.  Any one of these things doesn’t make us unique; it’s in the combination of these things in which we start to see the things that make us different.  From there we can look at our fingerprints or the pattern of the retina in our eyes.  These further distinguish us from each other, even identical twins.  But let’s go deeper.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA, is the blueprint for who we are.  There is DNA in each of our cells and scientists tell us we have about 100 trillion cells in our bodies.  DNA is strung together in chains of base pairs called a double helix (see the picture above).  These base pairs are combined from two of four nucleobases, or bases.  Only four! 

When God knit our bodies together in our mother’s womb (Is 44:2) He used these four bases, combined in pairs, to make our DNA.  We have about 6 million of these base pairs in our DNA.  It’s amazing that just these 4 bases can be combined in so many different combinations, each one unique. 

Just to give you an idea of how much DNA is in your body, if the DNA in an individual cell were to be uncoiled, it would be approximately 6 feet long.  If taken from your whole body, it would stretch to the sun and back.  Four times!  This is really just scratching the surface but I am sure you are beginning to see just how amazing a creation we are.  We truly are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Despite the uniqueness each of us possesses, God knows us.  In Mark 12:7 we are told the hairs on our head are numbered.  This goes beyond just knowing us; this is detailed knowledge.  That takes it to another level. 

God love us more than we can imagine.  This love is displayed in many ways.  He created us in His image.  He made each of us unique, using incredibly complex DNA.  He counts the hairs on our head.

Don’t discount yourself.  Each of us is an amazingly unique creation.  We are all children of God.  And deep down in our soul we know this.  Don’t deny yourself the blessings God has in store for you.  Take the time to thank Him for the time and effort He put into making you, unique among billions. 

Using Our Head

You shall love the Lord your God withal your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. Luke 10:27

This was the answer Jesus gave when asked about the greatest commandment.  Basically we need to love God with our total being; heart, soul, mind, strength; the whole package of who we are.  I would like to focus on one of these, the mind.

Peter tells us we are need to be ready to defend what we believe in, “and always be ready to give a ready defense” (1Ptr 3:15).  We need to be able to make a positive argument for what we believe as well as defend against negative attacks.  In order to do this we need to have knowledge about what we believe and to gain that knowledge we need to study.

What are your study habits like?  Do you read you bible or your devotional so you can check it off your to do list and get on with your day?  I know I have.  It has been much more rewarding to take the time to really study what I am reading.  There are so many resources available to use today.  Highlighting passages that jump out at you, taking notes, a variety of great book on various aspects of theology and Christian living.  You may even have a mentor or other more mature Christians you can ask questions.  Whatever resources that are available to you, take advantage of them.

We are also told by Paul to take our thoughts captive “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).  This helps us avoid falling victim to the attacks of the devil.  The devil assaults our minds again and again hoping we will start believing the lies.  Believing the lies fills our heart with the wrong things and it is a matter of time before we start speaking the lie, “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34).  From there it goes downhill, Jesus promises us that what we believe in our heart and speak with our mouth will come to pass (Mk 11:23).

So we can see how important it is to guard our thoughts.  This requires determination and energy.  Spending time in God’s Word and filling our mind with the truth found there renews our mind, gives us strength and energy to resist the lies and take our thoughts captive.  If our heart is filled with truth we can only speak good things.

Obviously this goes beyond the time we spend reading our bible and daily prayer.  We need to be ready all the time.  Actually studying what we read gives us information we can take with us throughout our day.  It sharpens our mental muscles, engages our intellect.  It also gives us something to discuss with God whenever and where ever we are. 

Prayer is so much more than just giving God our current wish list.  Prayer is communing with God, praising Him and thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for us.  Prayer is also the act of reflecting on our lives and communicating our experience to God.  One of the great things about prayer is that we can do it any time we want, not just at a specific time of day.  Look for time throughout your day to pray, talk to Him about what you are feeling about a given situation; thank Him for something, anything!  Talk to Him as if He is your friend because He is.

The Christian life is supposed to be a deep, mysterious and meaningful experience.  Make it a daily practice to take the time to learn God’s truths and apply them to your life.  Step up to the challenge of a healthy habit that will lead to intellectual and spiritual growth and culminate in spiritual maturity.

FIRE!

Last Tuesday a fire broke out on the north side of town in a rural area with lots of trees called Black Forest.  In a very short time it grew out of control and required mass evacuations of people in the area.  Over the next couple days, thousands had to evacuate their homes as the fire continued to spread out of control.  Strong winds drove the flames through an area with plenty of fuel and a significant lack of water.  The picture above is from the fire.

One of the things I remember doing early on was looking at the weather forecast to see if there was any rain coming.  There was only a listing for a small chance of rain over the weekend and, at the time, that was still three days away.  I also started praying, the same kinds of prayers people all over town were praying.  Prayer for those that were having to evacuate or were in pre-evacuation areas including friends that lived in these areas.  Prayer that the firefighters would be able to get the fire under control.  Prayer for the safety of those fighting the fire, and those running from the fire.  And most of all for rain.

The Lord answers prayer my friends.  For 5 days now, starting last Friday we have had rain showers coming through town.  Definitely helping in gaining control over the fire.

Looking at the numbers being reported by the Sheriff’s Office just a little while ago, they are at 85% containment, over 14,000 acres burned, 502 houses have been listed as destroyed with several more damaged, and two people died while preparing to evacuate their home.  

The community response has been amazing.  Volunteers helping our at Red Cross Centers, donations to local food banks, people opening up their homes to take in those displaced by the fire, and others helping prepare food for the hundreds of firefighters trying to put the fire out. 

We were better prepared in some ways this year.  You see, we had a fire ravage our city a year ago.  A fire that started in the mountains west of town and after a couple days strong winds blew it down the mountain side into town, destroying almost 400 homes.  And last year the community response was amazing, reaching out to our fellow man to lend a hand.

This has me thinking.  Why does it take something like this to pull a community together?  Why don’t we do this every day?  Some people do live their lives like this, always there to help out when needed.  But how about the rest of us?  I know I am not always thinking about how I can help others but isn’t that what we are supposed to do?  Part of following Christ’s call and serving Him is to be the one that sets an example.

 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 "Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

Daily prayer, devotionals, and reading the bible are important to our walk with God but we also need to make sure we are rolling these things we learn into all we do.  Our spiritual walk is not just about spending time with God.  We need to let our spiritual walk spill out into all areas of our lives.  It all ties together. 

I will be asking God to help me keep my eyes off myself and to focus more on what I can do for others.  I will also be thanking Him for the rain and for the local officials, the National Guard, the local military commands, and the fire fighters that came to fight this fire and how well they all worked together to help our community.  Finally I will be praying for those whose lives have been turned upside down by this fire.  I would like to ask you to do the same.

God bless.

Righteousness

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. (Eph. 6:14)

What is righteousness?  Nelsen’s Bible Dictionary says righteousness is “holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness. Therefore, the righteousness of human beings is defined in terms of God’s.”

We have a choice to make.  We can choose to be self-righteous, or we can accept the righteousness given to us by God when we accepted Christ.  To be self-righteous is to be confident in our own morals or virtues.  Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is none righteous, no, not one.”  And verse 23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  It looks like self-righteousness is a dead end, literally!

This leaves us with righteousness from God.  But, how do we get this?  “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Phil. 3:8-9)

By having faith in Christ we are covered in His righteousness.  When we accept Christ, God covers us in Christ’s righteousness.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul put it this way: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

Why is righteousness important?  When Paul wanted to give an example to the people of his time as to why “holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard” was important, he used the breastplate of a Roman soldier.  The breastplate was important to the soldier because it protected his heart and vital organs, his core, when in combat.  Righteousness protects our heart, our core, from the attacks of Satan.

We can see that self-righteousness; that confidence in ourselves, our principles, or our deeds, would be like wearing paper armor.  It just isn’t going to provide any sort of protection and we will succumb to the attacks brought against us.

Wearing our righteousness protects and strengthens us.  We do not need to fear what man or the devil can do to us.  This gives us the assurance we need to step out boldly and do the work God has called us to do.

 

Music

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  (Col 3:16)

I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the city is nestled up against a group of mountains commonly called the Front Range.  As I was out running early this morning I had a great view of the mountains as the sun was coming up behind me.  I had my iPod on shuffle and music from Last of the Mohicans started to play.  With the mountains before me and soul stirring playing I had a wonderful feeling of thankfulness for God in my life.  I love those special moments with God.

Do you enjoy listening to music?  Music has been around for a long time and has a multitude of uses.  We have music and songs for celebrations, entertainment, expressing our sorrows, and a variety of dedications.  Music can also help us create a romantic mood with our special someone, inspire us to keep going in times of trouble, and music can reach in and touch us at the very core of our soul.

The bible is full of examples of the use of music.  David was a musician in his own right, he wrote most of the Psalms and also developed a number of instruments. Have you ever noticed the notes in the Psalms concerning the type of instrument to be used with the Psalm?  David also played music to sooth King Saul when he was affected by a distressing spirit (1 Samuel 16:14-23).

There is so much great music out there that you can add to your worship experience.  Whether it is older hymns or more contemporary music, there is something out there that will touch your heart. Paul even encourages us to “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:19)

By yourself or with a group of believers, using music as part of your worship is a great way to connect with God.