Friday, September 16, 2011

"But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."



     In the midst of trial, weakness, and hurt, we read these words. What an insight to this man we call, "a man after God's own heart". It is true that he would be given such a privileged legacy to be remembered by, but at this moment in his life, I doubt he was seeing good to come. Things were not going his way, the Philistine princes refused to allow him and his men to fight although there was no real reason, and had sent him away. As he journeys in the opposite direction from the battle he desired to be fighting, he comes to one he did not desire to be involved in. Upon approaching his vagabond home, the place where his family had been dwelling during their time of fleeing King Saul, more distressing news came. 
Ziklag, had been attacked and burned with fire. David's wives had been taken captive along with all the other people of the city. The sound of weeping came over all; and soon their weeping turned to anger toward David. Out of his control, not how he desired things to go; yet here, in the midst of the fire of affliction, men are threatening to stone David.
     Can you imagine being in such a place? We complain as it is when we don't get our way, when a small thing does not go as we had planned or we can't be apart of something we really felt we were supposed to be apart of. Here is David, in the midst of so much burning. So many things he loved and held dear, burned, and his very support throwing more coal into the flames. How did he react?
We read here, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord His God."
He inquired of the Lord. He laid aside his present emotions, and took up the matter before God in prayer. He asked the Lord what he was to do.
I can only imagine the humble tone of his request. A man who had been on the run for years, his life in harms way due to King Saul, displaced, rejected, accused, and now grieving for the captivity of the one's he loved. Im sure thoughts were running through his head, thoughts of, "So this is the way life is for those anointed by God?" He could of thrown up his fist and complained about how unfair it is that his rightful throne was not his present seat; instead he sits around those who desire to stone him for things that have happened outside of his control.
And in such a place as this, we find him inquiring of the Lord.
Our God responded to such a humble, helpless cry, and strengthened the heart of His servant, David. "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all." (vs. 8b). The battle plan would begin in such a place, the "Brook Besor" a place meaning "glad news".
     From there, David and his men would go forth, fight, and recover all, just as the Lord had promised. The way of victory was shown to them, by one of the enemies' Egyptian servants they found along the way. He was hungry and in need. By David and his men extending their hand to him and meeting his physical needs with food and water, he lead them on to the enemies camp where they were able to overtake the army.
     Is this not the way that our God works? He brings good from the ashes (Isaiah 61:3). In the midst of the fire, or the aftermath of fires, He will lead those who look to His lead to "Brooks of Besors"...to places of glad news. He will often allow things that happen in our lives to bring us back to the simplicity and humbleness of our salvation...of the good news of the Gospel. Once in that place, when we take on the gospel, and go forth with it, extending our souls to feed the hungry and ministering to those in need, our God will shine forth light to our path, and lead us to victory (Isaiah 58:10-11). Our God has promised to guide us continually, if only we will come to a humble place of allowing Him to guide. We can see the burned cities in our life, the present difficulties, the threats of stones, and throw up our fists and walk away, or remain hurt and taken captive by the things that have happened, or we can inquire of the Lord in the midst of the ashes, and allow Him to make beauty from that which has been burned. 
Beauty comes as we give out.
You may feel that you have nothing left to give, you may feel that all has been stripped from you, but it was when David was in that state, that another in need was brought along his path, and by aiding to his care, God opened the door to victory, restoring to David that which had been lost. 
Application for today:
     When waters seem to rise about me, I wanna ask that Lord to turn these waters into Brook Besors. Into opportunities for "glad news" to share His good news of the gospel with those who have been burned by the sin of this world. How to do this? By humbling myself under His control, under His sovereignty in the situation, and allow His Spirit to give me the strength to get up and keep walking along the road...giving of myself to others in need. I think of this as I am preparing to leave for Africa. One week from now, i will be there, more than likely i will find myself daily walking down roadways where there will be people in need of love. Opportunities to bring them a drink from the Brook Besor. To share with them the love of Christ through something so small as a smile and a hug. Jesus said that if we give to one of the little one's a drink, it is as if we are giving to Him a drink (Matthew 25:40). I desire to serve my Lord by serving His people. As we serve, He works on our hearts. Dear Jesus, please lead me to drink from and share from You Brooks! Amen.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Too Soon 2 B Seated

     "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has com in from the field,
 "Come at once and sit down to eat?" 
Luke 17:7

     How wonderful is a plentiful meal after a long day of hard work? Does it not taste so much better with a pleasant conscience that you worked hard for it? Jesus here is speaking to those who had a need and a hunger for more faith...the disciples, but better titled, His servants. After speaking to them of the power of faith to overcome those things in life that may cause us to weep or become distracted, He speaks of a master's relation to his servant. The servant is described to us as having been plowing in the field or tending and feeding the sheep. Interesting that He used the detailed description of plowing, instead of the general idea of farming, because farming could of included, picking off good fruit, good harvest, or weeding, or planting, so many different avenues; yet plowing means to turn up the earth, to prepare the soil for planting; it is the action taken before seeds are sown. Does this not sound to you familiar? perhaps our calling as His servants? To prepare the way of the Lord, to prepare the soil of man's hearts to receive the seed of salvation? Our job is not to save people, that is a work that only the Holy Spirit can do, but we are called to prepare the soil, to plow the soil for the planting. We are to, through the testimony of our lives, break up the ground that has been hardened for too long. Living in such a way that others would desire to know how and why our soil is different, where we have received such rain? such joy, such peace, such love. Christ's disciples are called to plow the ground of wherever we are. This is not a choice, but a call to all who are His servants. The other job description here is tending sheep or feeding the sheep, another job of those who are His ministers. Feeding His sheep with the word of God. Or as a pastor is called to shepherd the group of believers placed in his life, to lead them in the truth.
So here we find a servant doing what he is called to do out in the field. The day is ending and so Christ addresses the question, will the master now have him come in and eat? Remembering here, that plowing is not the part of farming next to the harvest, it is actually one of the beginning steps in the work of good fruit being produced, and those sheep that are being fed at the present, will be in need of feeding again in the morning, so is this servants work truly done?
A good master would not deceive his servant to think he is done with his task if he not really be done. How much harder it would be for that servant to return to his work after he has been filled with all the fulness of the table before the proper time.
A loving master would wait to bless his servant when he could properly enjoy the blessing in full. 
If the servant returned from the field and went straight to the table, think of the picture:
those hands, too dirty to eat with
those clothes, he would be underdressed and out of place at such a banquet
those shoes, mud tracking everywhere he stepped
Would it not be more rewarding to him if he first had opportunity to be clothed and prepared for the meal?
How does all this apply to what Jesus is saying here?
Did He not come from the Father to show forth to the world, the great need, and to bring the good news of the gospel? He showed us the field, and taught us how to work within it, He has called His servants and called them to go and complete the task He has set before them. 
Likewise, He completed the work that was set before Him, Scripture tells us that AFTER He has purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of God. After He had completed His job, His plowing, He sat down, but not before. 
Christ stored up His treasure above and challenged us to do the same, (Matthew 6:20).
And when He completed his days work, His reward was great.
Yet, even our Master, is still awaiting for us to enjoy that special meal...the marriage supper of the Lamb, when all who will believe in Him will come together, be clothed in His righteousness, and be united to Him, and there we will be with Him forevermore. 
Because He is our good Master, He does not invite us to come straight from the field and to the table to dine, He waits that He may be gracious to His people...that His saints would keep laboring within the field, that more harvest would come, that more would come to know Him before the day of salvation is done, and the day of judgment comes. Christ would not have us to come at once, for there is still work for us to do. Servants serve. We are to continue working until the job is done. The meal awaits at the end of the days, the feast is prepared for those who have fought the good fight and finished the race. His word has promised us that there remains a rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9), but hand in hand that there remains a task to be done until that day, May the words of our Savior ring in our hearts and minds, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37. 
Application for myself: I can choose to have the best in this life, or to work in this life, to labor hard, to plow, to be faithful to what He has called me to do, and enjoy the eternal blessings in the life to come. It's easy to become discouraged in my personal times of plowing, because i do not always see the results, but that is not what i am called to, i am just called to obey the voice of my Master and trust that He will be faithful to complete the good work that He begins (Phil. 1:6). 
I, as His servant, am to simply serve with the skills He has placed within my hands. A heart to love, and hands to serve.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Faith Over Weeping

"So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea", and it would obey you." 

     Interesting to me, to look at the scene before us, speaking of continual forgiveness, the disciples respond to Jesus with a plead, "Increase our faith", an obvious recognition that they were in need to complete the task before them. Jesus than goes on to tell us of the power of faith. The be-knonw phrase, "Faith as a mustard seed". Jesus used here, a mustard seed, a seed known to be small, to show that the size is insignificant. It is not about how big your faith is, but how true your faith is. God is not looking for size, He simply seeks a heart that believes. He is seeking for a heart that is willing to cry out in dependence to the source of strength Himself. In the midst of forgiveness to call upon the Savior of the world. In the midst of weakness to call on the One with the mighty arms. In the midst of temptation to call out to the Deliverer. In the midst of despair to call on the Hope of the world. In the midst of weeping to call out to the God of all comfort. 
     Going on, He describes that to those who have a working faith, a faith that believes and is seeking to grow, they have power over those trees that can block our path from moving forward in our walk. A mulberry tree. Translated from the Hebrew word "bekaim" or "baca", means, "weeping". How often do we find these weeping trees laying upon the pathway of our lives, blocking our view, clouding our vision, or causing us to be inwardly focused. Does not personal weepings commonly cause us to focused on ourselves? I dont think there to be any coincidence to this being pointed out after a call for more faith, for genuine faith. 
The enemy loves to cause weeping to come into the lives of believers. Look at Job, or Esther, David, Jeremiah, Paul even Christ is recorded to have wept. The enemy will commonly cause weeping things to happen in our lives to distract us from the task set before us to do. Hereby, Christ commands us that our faith is able to rip these out from the root, cast them into the sea, where they will remain no more.
     The end of Jesus' statement strikes me, "It would obey you" I read this in a, "if only..." tone, "it would obey you". or other translations say it "should" obey you, as if Jesus was saying, if only you would have the faith...than you would see. 
Christ desires that the weeping trees of our lives, or the impossible circumstances before us, not be walls blocking us from moving forward, but things to strengthen our faith and lead us back to Himself, to recognition of our need of Him, for He alone is the giver of faith. A person who is living by faith is one who is living expecting God to work. Expecting Him to do awesome things. Expecting Him to take our weepings, and turn them into showers of blessings. Not that we would have personal gain but that the roots of sin would be dug up and the Kingdom of God would expand and bloom the more, that His name would be glorified.
Christ desires that we only would offer what faith we have, regardless of the size, and ask for more. That we would not have a perfect faith, but a faith that is humble, a faith that cried out to go deeper, to see beyond the present state and to see Christ work.
Application for myself: How often i allow my weepings to keep me from moving forward--i become self-focused on my struggle; but my Jesus' greatest struggle and greatest weeping of the cross brought me life. Christ is looking for a faith that looks to the cross, looking with eternal vision with the goal and the hope that weeping will be no more (Rev. 21:4). I need to return to that place when these things come my way; the truth of what i deserve; and the grace of what i have been given:

Oh weeping tree
it seems that you are all i can see
tears from day to day
it seems the light is lost, oh where is the way?
Forgive me Christ for allowing my vision to get lost in the fight
Turn my eyes back to Calvary's tree where you suffered, died, and shed your blood for me
Why should i expect such good things, and be surprised when hard times arise?
Increase my faith to run this race,
Take the tears of today, to prepare me to lead others in Your ways
You see all, You know all, so i can trust that all these trees have been formed by Your hands and must submit to Your voice and Your commands.

Friday, September 9, 2011

...Fruit From The Root...


     Our fruit comes from the root. Any good thing that should be produced from a tree, first began at the foundation, worked its way through the stems, and than was brought upon the branches, and seen to be good fruit. The work began in the unseen and through that empowering, gave way to the visible. Likewise is the Christian. All good things come from our foundation, come from Christ. Beyond the wood and nails, the invisible blessing that came, salvation. Although unseen, truly not unmoving, or less moving. The work of Christ alone has the power to take one from death and bring him into life. The cross, our root, and from there fruit may come. Speaking to the nation of Israel, the Lord declare, "Your fruit is found in Me." (Hosea 24:8). Later Jesus would declare that He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). We also know that Scripture declares that all good things come from above (James 1:17). Therefore we can conclude the reality that apart from Christ, no good dwells within, but if we be of the root of Christ, good things may be in the making. The truth is that we deserve nothing but death. We are sinners. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, we are accepted within His tree because of the sinner's tree that He bore in our place. 
     Forgiven saint, does not this reality cause us to once again think of the beauty of the unseen? Your forgiveness, have you ever seen it? No, but you have felt it, you have experienced it, you rest in confidence of it. What about your present burden? Is it that you cannot see how this situation will turn out, how any good will come from it? Is the surrounding of your present place full of fog, and you wonder will the sun ever shine that I may see good fruit come forth?
If you be in Christ, you may rest assured that fruit will come from your Root. For your life is now in Christ. Although the outward may seem gray, and when you look at the details, you see nothing but tangled branches, and roots going this way and that, but this is where faith is required. Faith for the unseen. Faith in the Root. Faith in Christ. The same God who declared that your fruit is found in Himself, went on to say, "Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them" (Hosea 14:9). Those apart from the experience of the cross, will stumble in understanding His ways; but for you who are of the vine, those who are in Christ, faith stands between your mind and your sight; your heart, and your view, for therein you remember your ROOT.

     Doubt not, if He will come through
Amidst the clouds and gray, He will shine and show thee the way
He has promised that in Him good fruit will bloom
So trust that within your present place, the root will be faithful to see that you complete the race. 
He will see you through the weather of today, that fruit may come and 
through it you will see Him to be strong

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Sacrifice of Love

Here's a challenge...Here's the truth:

Sacrifice expresses our love for Jesus.

He hasn't asking us to take the nails in our hands.
He hasn't asked our feet to be nailed to a tree.
He hasn't asked us to wear a crown of thorns upon our heads.

BUT He does ask that we lay down ourselves...

That we surrender our hands for His use.
Our feet to His plans.
And our minds surrendered to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
That we lay down self, that He may lift it back up for His service.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Taking Up My Cross...

"When He has called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me...""
Mark 8:34

     Jesus here gives an invitation to learn of His heart. He doesn't hold this conversation in private with those who had already shown that they intended to follow Him, no, he invited the people AND His disciples, and not only invited, but called--giving a personal sense to topic. His heart is for all, that the world should know of the cross and He asks that His people bring this knowledge to the world by bearing their own cross. 
     After He invited them to Himself, He then spoke to them of deep feeling, using that word desire, He spoke that whoever has a wanting of the things He had to offer, there would be a deep price. that phrase "to come after", involves not only a desire but an action, it requires movement; change from the present, it would require changing one's natural habits and practices, it would require taking on the mind of Christ, but it all starts with a desire that is strong enough to respond and come. Once coming, one must deny himself, and take up his cross. To deny something means to refuse to accept it. We are continually fed the lie that sin is in our nature, that we are sinners and therefore we sin, we can't help it. There is some truth in this, but it is cloaked in lies. We are sinners and within the flesh we are prone to sin; nevertheless, for a heart that comes, that heart is able to be strengthened to say no to sin,to reject it, to choose righteousness over folly. to deny himself by denying the flesh and the lusts of it. The command is then to take up your cross and follow. What is my cross? It was obvious that for Christ there would be a physical cross, for soon after, we would see this man beaten, bruised, and bearing a cross, but what does it mean for you and i? Christ made it clear that He had come to earth for a purpose, to do the will of His Father, and when the time came, and the pathway of the cross began, He spoke that it was for this hour that He had come. The work upon the cross was complete, Jesus said, "It is Finished", but the work of salvation to the world is not done...they need to hear that they may choose. I find it interesting that He distinguishes, not just to take up THE cross, remembering what happened at Golgotha, but He said, "take up HIS cross", personalizing it. When we are commanded to take up our cross, Jesus is saying that we are to do the will of our Father. He has given to each of us gifts, talents, He has called each of us. It is a daily choice to respond to our calling. To respond, is to be active in your calling, it is to take up your cross. How? you may ask, what is my calling? it all starts with that first part...come. Come to Christ and He will make these things clear, and He promises to continue to show the way. After His command to take up the cross, it doesn't end, but He says, "Follow" meaning that He will show us the way. If we come to Him daily, prepared, with our cross and our desire toward Him, He will guide us.
     The picture that is painted in my mind with this verse is that upon the cross Christ took our shame, our reproach, His cross was full of the sin of the world and through Jesus and His forgiveness the way was made for us to salvation, His cross, laid down gives us the bridge that we need to get from death to life. Once crossing over the bridge of the cross, our sin is done away with forevermore, and we hear the tender voice of our Savior say, "Take up your cross and follow Me." That cross that once represented death, our shame, our sins, now is to be taken up and used for His glory. On this side of the bridge, life in Christ, our cross becomes something beautiful, our cross is what we can carry to use for His glory, our gifts and talents that can be used to further His Kingdom and to show those who are still in death the bridge that is available to them through the cross to bring them into eternal life. I willingly and gratefully walked over that bridge, will i not now, take up that cross and use it to show others the way to Christ? Application for myself, What are the things He has gifted me in and called me to? Am i picking up those things and daily bearing them or do i shrink back and hide? Am I taking my cross and using it to further the work of Christ's cross? I can choose to either bear the cross and wear the work of Christ upon my life, and allow His grace to cover where I lack, or i can try to hide behind the piece of wood. Its a daily choice, but one day at a time, i choose to respond to this call. I need to not hide, but to abide in Him. His heart has invited me, called me, desires that i be freed from the bondage of sin by denying myself, to use what I have to bring glory to Him, and to follow Him--not be left alone, but follow.