A Rule to Live By

     Has anyone else noticed how uncivil many discussions have become in these days?  Whether it is a hearing in Congress, postings on social media or even on interview programs, it seems people tend to throw caution out the window when talking to others.  What has happened to self control when sharing

an opinion in a gracious manner?  My mother frequently schooled me in the art of communicating with others telling me that it is better to talk with someone face to face than to write things in a letter.  Of

course, today, that goes for social media as well.  When we commit something to writing, we cannot easily take it back, or we can be misunderstood.  If we can see one another face to face, we can get the true intent of the words.  However, my mother also cautioned me to think before speaking because words can sting as surely as a bee.  Many good relationships have ended because of harsh words that we later have regretted.  All of this goes back to a heart issue.

     Jesus in talking with the Scribes and Pharisees spoke to them about the type of fruit produced in a life.  Matthew 12:33-37 says:  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.  You brood of vipers!  How can you speak good, when you are evil?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  What Jesus is conveying here is that even a slip of the tongue is not insignificant in light of God's holiness.  Our words to each other do matter.  It is from the heart that the mouth either speaks good or evil, and we are responsible for our words.  

     James wrote a good deal about the tongue in his letter to believers and how untamable it seems to be if not brought under the control of the Holy Spirit.  Here is his description of the tongue in James 3:6:  "And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life and set on fire by hell."  Then, in verses 8-10, he says:  "but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not be so."  Isn't this true?  There is not a one of us that have not struggled with what we say from time to time.  How is it that we can bless someone one moment and the next moment we can rip them to shreds with our words?  I guarantee that what we say can wound every bit as deep as a weapon.  Sometimes that wound can be fatal to a friendship.

     So, in this culture in which we live that is so concerned about "hate speech" and being politically correct, I have to ask if we are more concerned about what man thinks or about what God thinks?  Can our mouths be used as instruments of praise on a Sunday and then used  to curse our neighbor who took a parking spot we wanted on Monday?  Can we justify the use of curse words in talking to someone who is made in the likeness of God as James says?  We need to evaluate this in our own lives.  James tells us that we cannot tame the tongue, but if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He can bring us the self control we need to hold back from saying something that would destroy our witness for Christ.  Words can build up others or they can tear them down.  Likewise, remember that God is in on every conversation....written or spoken.  

     For each one of us, it is a struggle to walk in this fallen world and guard our mouths, but with God's help, we will be able to speak in a manner that uplifts rather than destroys.  Our prayer should be like that of King David in Psalm 141:3:  "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!"  Remember that our goal in this life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!  Selah!

           

Remember the Good Things

     "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" is an old saying that is really easier said than done isn't it?  So far this year, there have been many things which could get a person down.  There has been an ongoing Pandemic, civil unrest in our country as well as other nations, and a number of people who desperately need a job.  What started out with "Happy New Year" has become "Will this ever end" as we approach the end of July.  Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that there is nothing new under the Sun.  Indeed, Solomon was right to say this.

     Listening to an episode of "Wretched Radio" the other day, Todd Friel reminded listeners that things were no easier in Jesus' day than they are today.  The Jews lived under the tyrannical rule of the Romans.  They had to pay high taxes, and they were subject to the whims of a pagan government.  Life was not easy then just as it is not easy now.  Why?  We live in a fallen world, but we do not have to live as those who have no hope.

     In Psalm 143:5-6, 11, we see King David praying to the Lord for deliverance from a trial, but he also wanted guidance that he could walk according to God's will for him.  The verses read:  "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.  I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land...Revive me, O Lord, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble."  As we look at these verses, we can see that David isn't asking for a quick fix to his situation.  Rather, he wants guidance to know how he should proceed once God helps him.  This is wisdom.  Verse 8 says:  "Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You."  This verse implies trust in God.

     David took time to remember all the good things which God had done for him and for the many past deliverances God had provided.  Throughout David's lifetime, he found himself on the run from Saul as well as his own son Absalom.  In both cases, God had delivered him from trouble.  Reminding himself of this fact encouraged him to approach the Lord again for help in this current trial.  This is a pattern we must follow when life hands us those lovely lemons.  Recalling how God has helped us, blessed us, delivered us and loved us will give us the energy we need to crawl out of the pit of self pity.  On those days when I have a challenge before me, I like to think about all the many good things which God has done in my life.

Once this becomes a habit, it is easy to turn away the clouds of despondency that want to hover over us.

     Secondly, David trusted in God.  The Lord is immutable.  He cannot be anything other than what He is, and He is holy.  He is good.  His character is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Therefore, the Lord is stable and we can trust in Him.  If He delivered us once, He can do it again.  Remembering and thinking on God's mighty deeds on behalf of His people will grow your faith.  That is why reading the Bible on a regular basis is so important to the Christian.  In the pages, we see how God is faithful to those whom He loves.  When we see how kind God is to His people in the past, our hope is fueled in our heart that He will take care of us as well.    This is one reason God instructed His people to teach their children about His great acts (Deut. 6:6-7).

     During these challenging times in which we live, we need to remember that David was a man of prayer.  He brought his trials and heartaches before the Lord. David reminded God of all the good things He had done for Him and in so doing, he is also reminding himself.  If God did it once, He can do it again.  This is our hope.  One of the things that has always helped me in my walk with the Lord is to list the many good things which God has done for me.  He is to be praised for His kindness and mercy! As we lift our voice in praise to God, He is glorified and we are lifted up as well.  Let us follow the pattern of David and spend time remembering the good things and how God will deliver His people as He has in the past.  Selah!

     

When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

     Most of us have days where it seems as though we do not have enough hours to complete all the tasks set before us.  This is especially true if there are young children in the house or even teens.  I remember all too well how my days were loaded with soccer matches to go to, meetings to attend, appointments to make until I felt overwhelmed.  If we don't find a way to deal with these stresses to balance our life, it can lead to depression, anxiety and the feeling that we are all alone.  Then, self pity can set in.  Not surprisingly, the Bible speaks to this very subject in the story of the Prophet Elijah.

     In reading I Kings 18-19, we read about Elijah confronting the Prophets of Baal.  He gathered the people together so that they might see whether Baal or the God of Israel was the one true Sovereign to

The lighthouse on St. George Island

worship.  He instructed the Prophets of Baal to call upon their god to burn up a sacrifice they had made on their altar.  Though they called upon Baal, cut themselves with knives and cried for hours, there was no answer.  Then, Elijah built an altar, laid out his sacrifice and had water poured on the wood and the sacrifice three times.  When he called upon God, fire came down from heaven and devoured the sacrifice, 

This miraculous event caused the people to see that there was only One God in Israel worthy of their worship.  Elijah then had the prophets of Baal put to death.  When Jezebel found out what he had done, she made a dire threat to his life, and this is when Elijah began to run.

     I Kings 19:3-4 says:  "Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and sat down under a broom tree.  And he asked that he might die, saying, 'It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.'"  Here we see a man who had obeyed the Lord by doing a great miracle now afraid for his life and on the run.  He was exhausted, and the enemy of his soul made him feel overwhelmed, hopeless and fearful. Elijah fell asleep, and God provided an angel to give him food and water twice.  After resting and eating, he went for forty days and nights to Mt. Horeb where he once again encountered God in a still small voice.  God asked him why he had journeyed there, and Elijah poured out his heart to the Lord.  He felt alone as if no one else in all Israel was faithful.  God answered by giving him another command to go to Damascus, but He also told Elijah that he was not alone.  There were seven thousand other people in Israel who had not succumbed to the false religion of Baal.  In addition, God raised up another prophet to take Elijah's place.

     What we see in this story are three important points.  First, exhaustion and improper self care (not eating right or eating too much in some cases) can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed.  Then we start to beat ourselves up because we don't have the energy to go on.  Stress can keep us from thinking straight and wreak havoc on us mentally and physically.  Depression and anxiety both can spring up if we don't take the time to go to God.  In this story of Elijah, we see how God provided for him both food and rest.

God will provide for us as well if we will go to Him in prayer and seek His wisdom in the Bible.

     Secondly, running away from our circumstances may put distance between us and the problem but it doesn't solve the issues that led to feeling overwhelmed.  Elijah ran for forty days and nights.  Once again, God asked him what he was doing there?  Why was he running? Elijah had fallen into self pity, and God had to confront him with the truth that he was not alone.   At some point, we must confront the problems that make us feel overwhelmed.  Asking God's help to discern what we can trim from our schedules or even how we can face another day is the key.  

     Finally, we need to put into action the direction the Lord gives to us.  God directed Elijah to go and anoint some kings and find his replacement Elisha.  So Elijah put aside his self pity and did what God had directed him to do.  This showed trust and confidence in the Lord.  It has been said that if you fall off a horse, the best thing you can do is go and get back on again to restore your confidence.  When we call upon God and read His Word, we need to follow through on the things He reveals to us.  If our schedule has been too busy, He may want us to slow down.  Whatever His direction for us, we need to be obedient. As we do this, our confidence and trust in the Lord will grow.

     Throughout the story of Elijah, we see that God provided for him all along his path.  So often we forget that this is true for us as well.  The Lord has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  His Word is forever and His promises are certain.  Therefore, when the enemy starts to tell us that we cannot make it or that we are all alone and nobody loves us, we can push these thoughts aside and call upon our heavenly Father.  Leaning on Him will lighten our burdens.  Selah!

What is your Mind Fixed On?

     Have you ever had a verse go through your head day in and day out?  Recently, that has happened to me and it is something I think all of us could use in these difficult times.  The verse comes from Paul's letter to the Philippians in chapter 4:8:  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  Just reading the words points us in the right direction.  We are to put out of our minds those things which bring on worry, stress and fear.  God has given to us a sound mind, and here, Paul is instructing believers to exercise that mind by concentrating on the truth and the good things that go with it.  Where do we begin to do this?

     At present, if we spend any time on television, it is often filled with reports of unrest across our nation.  Some of the information we get is not always correct either.  Watching the news can be downright depressing if the truth be told.  On several Christian podcasts, a recurring theme has been shared over and over this week.  The speakers have said that if we are looking for the truth as Christians we need to look no further than God's Word.  In it, we have not only an understanding of God's character but of who we are as well.  Our relationship to God determines our relationship with our fellow man.  Jesus said in Luke 10:27:  "And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  If we are not in right

relationship with God, it is hard to love our neighbor.

     People in our country are looking for answers.  How do we stop the violence and unrest?  What can we do to improve race relations?  Why are we so divided?  These are all real concerns for the here and now.  While I am not suggesting that the Bible is a political answer book, I am saying it is the source of all truth.  

For us as believers, the Word of God serves as a foundation not only for our faith but for our moral responsibilities to our brothers and sisters.  We are citizens of heaven and this is not our permanent home. As we pass through this brief journey of life, we are called to be salt and light.  Salt preserves things and light drives away darkness.  Both of these tasks are hard unless we keep our eyes on the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.  The only way I know to keep our eyes on the Lord is by being immersed in His Word to us.  

     Our culture talks about identity politics when our identity is to befound in Jesus Christ.  While some cry systemic racism, our problem is really systemic sin "...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  While the mob believes our system of government should die, God's Word says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a) not just physical death of an individual but eternal separation from all that is good in a place called Hell.  However, the Bible, unlike our cultural gurus goes on in Romans 6:23b to say:  "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus His Son."  We have the answers for life my friends.  This world does not offer any answers any more than it did back in the days when the Roman Empire ruled the world.

     Therefore, instead of reading all the latest books on how to patch our world up or listening to non stop news that gets us down, we need to have our noses firmly planted in God's Word of Life for us.  We need to pray it, read it and eat it daily.  For us it is food that will sustain us through the worst of times.  Then, we are meant to get out and share this news with other souls who are looking for answers in this world where there are none.  Do not misunderstand me.  Yes, we are to do good works and help others in need in loving gratitude for what God has done for us, but first, we must be filled to the brim with His truth.  We cannot fight as soldiers without the proper equipment and training.  God's Word is our sword, and He has all we need for life and godliness.  If we are filling our mind with things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable and worthy of praise as found in the Bible, we will be able to withstand the slings and arrows of this world.  May God cause us to hunger and thirst after His righteousness first and foremost so we can be a change agent in this world journey we are on.  Selah!