Age and Hair Status

Today, someone around the globe is celebrating a birthday, and if that’s you, Happy Birthday! I am quickly approaching three-quarters of a century of living; that sounds like more time than saying seventy-five years (to me, anyway). As we age, our bodies change, and our hair turns gray and sometimes loose. Some people think that gray hair and old age are signs of wisdom. The Bible does say that “the beauty of old men [and women] is the grey head” (Proverbs 20:29), while Proverbs 16:31 says, “The hoary [gray, white] head is a crown of glory if [IF] it be found in the way of righteousness.” Young people can speak wisely, and older folks can spout foolishness. No matter our age or hair color, only by yielding to and living rightly with God can we give godly counsel and share life experiences that help others. 

Exterminated

We don't want pesky insects around or in our houses, harmful or not. What do we do? Whatever it takes to rid us of them, using effective products or a pest control service! But others will come, so it is vital to treat our place consistently.

So, why do we let nagging and sometimes life-destroying “bugs” hang around in our lives? They won’t go away by their choosing—and don’t bother calling an exterminator; it is our duty to put down the enemies of our soul. Sins that we let linger will blossom and beget more that separates us from our heavenly Father's fellowship when left untreated. The Holy Spirit will expose such sins, but God does not and will not relieve us of them, though He will help us if we ask. Our duty as believers is to recognize, acknowledge, and confess as sin the actions or mindsets that oppose God’s rule in our lives and expel them. Paul writes that our old foolish way of life and bad habits will destroy us (Ephesians 4:17–24). “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy" (vs. 22–24 NLT). So, stand guard; just like household pests stay at bay only for a season, so do the weaknesses that trip us. Keep yourself “pest-free” with God’s help lest sin’s life-stifling infestation overtake you.

No Template

Satan challenged Job’s faithfulness, accusing God of favoring him by protecting his loved ones and all he had. God permitted him to come against Job, but he could not take his life. Job’s response upon hearing of the death of all his children in one tragic event: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21b). When God let Satan cover his body with painful boils, his wife told him to curse God and die, but he would not. Job didn’t understand the reason for his sufferings but trusted God. After proving Job’s faithfulness to Satan, God healed and blessed him with more than he had in the beginning (42:12).

Naaman was angry when he heard that God would heal him of leprosy only if he dipped not once but seven times in the muddy Jordan River. Pride almost kept him from his miracle, but he succumbed to the prophet’s instructions, and God immediately healed him (2 Kings 5:1–14).

A woman spent all she had seeking a cure for the ailment that plagued her for twelve years. When she heard of Jesus, the miracle worker, and that He was speaking nearby, she stealthily pushed her way through the crowd. Standing behind Him, she touched His robe, thinking that healing would be hers; immediately, she felt the plague was gone. She admitted to Jesus what she did, and He said: “. . . Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague” (Mark 5:34).

Jesus met a woman who came to draw water from the well at noontime and asked her for a cup of water. During their conversation, Jesus, a stranger to her, told her all the sordid details of her life. He then offered her living water, and she would never thirst again. Revealing that He was the long-awaited Messiah, the woman ran into the city and told the men what had happened at the well, saying, “Is not this the Christ” (John 4:29)? She believed, and because of her testimony, many more believed.

Jesus walked by a man blind from birth. The disciples asked if his condition was due to his sins or his parents. Jesus said neither; it was divine providence that “the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). His blindness was the instrument of his salvation: Jesus spat on the ground, made clay, and anointed the man’s eyes, telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. He did and came back seeing. Jesus introduced Himself to the healed man as the Son of God; the man believed and worshipped Him (vs. 35–38).

Paul suffered an affliction. He prayed once, twice, asking the Lord to take it away, and no answer came. But the third time he asked, the Lord answered, saying His grace would be sufficient. Healing would not come; Paul’s weakened condition, described as “a thorn in the flesh,” would serve a purpose (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)—God would exhibit His power in His apostle’s lack of strength. Paul bent His will to His Father’s will. God does not confine Himself to a formula or pattern but heals and rescues according to His design, purposes, and timing. Don’t be upset when He doesn’t heal the way you thought He should; no one can box God in, creating patterns for deliverance. Sometimes, relief doesn’t happen until we meet Him face-to-face. We may not understand our current circumstances but like Paul, yield to God’s will and, like Job, trust God and say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 

Cover-Up or Deep Clean

Removing dark and set-in stains from clothing or surfaces can be challenging. Correction fluid applied to mistakes on paper are undetectable but only hidden; the same is true of products covering skin blemishes. We can scrub, cover or mask sin, but no one can remove sin’s dark result from their life; it is humanly impossible. The only remedy for our sins is Jesus, dying for all humanity, shedding His precious innocent blood for the world’s sin. But before remission of sins happens, sinners must confess and repent of those sins, and God is the only One who can forgive and wash sin-filled souls clean. Isaiah penned that even if sins are the deepest red color, God’s forgiveness washes them white as snow or wool (Isaiah 1:18)—stain and mistake-free. God forgives and saves sinners who call on Him, choosing not to remember their sins (Hebrews 10:17). “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God loves us, sending Jesus to die for us. He forgives, cleanses, and restores, yet we sometimes struggle with living for Him and don’t stay sin-free. But our heavenly Father doesn’t give up on us who surrender to the lordship of His beloved Son; God’s mercy and grace are readily available for His children when we call on Him. 

Safe in the Nest

Was the baby bird distracted or dangerously walking on the edge of the nest? Was he not yet strong enough to try his wings? Whatever the reason, the bird fell and longed for its parents soaring above to swoop down and rescue him. They sang aloud encouraging and instructional “words” but could not pick him up. They could not put him back where he belonged, but I could. Yet, he feared and rejected my help.

“As a bird wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place” (Psalm 27:8). Like that little fallen bird, some people are in desperate need of rescue but look to the wrong source, not the truth they need to hear. People fall. Some don’t turn to God because they don’t know Him personally; those who know Him feel unworthy, fearing they have wandered too far from where they should be. Then some are unaware or don’t think they need help, struggling through life in their fallen condition.

Our heavenly Father sees the wanderers and the fallen and longs to scoop them into His arms and lovingly carry them. If you have strayed or fallen from where you should be in thought or actions, call out to Him who hears you, cares about your needs, and longs for your trust. He is nearby and will not only rescue you daily from life’s challenges; He wants to save you eternally if you haven’t surrendered your life to Him. God loves you and wants you safely where you are supposed to be—with Him.

1,440 Minutes

I have said and heard it, and there is a high likelihood, so have you: “I don’t have time.” Although some people work longer hours than others, we all have twenty-four hours every day we live on this side of heaven. We have time; the question is, what are we doing with the time we have? Interestingly, we find and make time for people we favor, things, entertainments, and activities we enjoy. So why don’t we have time for what we said we lacked time? Priorities and, maybe, time-consuming busyness.

God governs the world; He can stop time (Joshua 10:12–13) and roll time backward if He chooses (2 Kings 9–11), but we sin against His rule and create our agonies when we neglect His time arrangements. God has allotted us enough time each day and empowered us by the Holy Spirit to carry out His plans. The key is to use our time wisely: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Evil abounds, preying on the unwatchful; our selfish desires can draw us away from God’s appointments. If we misuse God’s blessing of time, we must strive to redeem it by diligently studying to know God’s will, doing our duty for the future, and doing good while we have the opportunity. Believers should walk unswervingly, accurately following God’s rules and life designs, professing the Gospel’s message, and living it.

Solomon wrote that Creator God orchestrated a “fitting” time for everyone and every event under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1); He knows the beginning and end of our minutes. For those without Christ, today is the day to repent and invite Him into your life. Everyone will account to our Maker for their time spent here. Use your time with wisdom; we cannot recapture what we have misspent and lost. If you lack time, search for yourself why.

STRENGTH's Weakness

Oswald Chambers said, "Unguarded strength is double weakness because that is where the 'retired sphere of the leasts' saps." MY UTMOST for HIS HIGHEST April 19

Could, Would, Should

"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men” (Col 3:17, 23). You could have done that kind deed; you would have if you had more time or resources or if the person was more deserving; you should have because God placed it in your path—but you didn’t.

Paul writes that servants, bound to duty or those offering voluntary service, should give the best of their efforts—heartily, with singleness of heart, doing what believers ought to do as unto the Lord. If you surrendered your life to the lordship of Christ, you are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17). You and I are His workmanship, made for good works that God created beforehand (before time began) for us to walk in, to live holy lives (Eph 2:10). God’s power and resources surge within us; the Holy Spirit is ready to guide and work through our actions, showing fellow believers and a lost and dying world that we are His children, made for His glory. So, when you could do something for God’s glory, would if you had the time or means, and should because it is the right thing to do, DO IT—for Him.

Sunday Came

Jesus said the world would no longer see Him, but we would. Because He lives after death, so shall we (John 14:19). Jesus died on the cross, then lay buried in a borrowed tomb, but not dormant. With His last breaths on the cross, Jesus entrusted His spirit into His Father's hands; but only His body of flesh lay behind that stone sealing the entrance. From Friday to Sunday, Jesus completed the Father's way for mankind's salvation: He died on the cross, presented His blood before the Father to pay for the world's sins, and He raised His flesh tabernacle from the grave on the third day (Heb 9:24–28; 10:12–14; Luke 18:33). 

Jesus, who now sits at God's right hand, said, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Rev 1:18). Every person who yields their heart to Jesus comes alive in Christ and has the assurance of eternal life in heaven with our Savior, seeing Him face-to-face one day. 

Promise Keeper

John 14:12–13 "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

We can move past the horror and inhumane treatment of Jesus and His death on the cross to jubilant joy three days later when He conquered the grave. Jesus said believers in Him could do what He did on earth, even more, because of His death, fulfilling His Father's plan. What works are you involved in that are filling your days? Are you waiting for results to come from your efforts? Jesus said He would grant whatever we ask in His name, bringing His Father honor—when what we want is according to God's will. Jesus died, rose from the grave, and went to His Father just like He said He would. Jesus keeps His word and loves you and me deeply. 

Self-made Prison

Prov 29:25 "The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." The New Living Translation states the verse: "Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety." So, what causes people to be afraid of other people? Something that has happened or might happen, or it could be an overwhelming concern over what others think of you—fearing someone for any reason causes entrapment, your trap, not theirs. The remedy for anxiety is putting our confidence in the Lord, where we find safety.

Sovereign God is Lord over your past and future, don't let them imprison you. Pretending to be something you're not to please others will only add to your distress. Instead, please God by obeying what He says; He knows your heart and loves you unconditionally. You can rest safely in God's care by trusting Him: "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established" (Prov 16:3).

Your Grapes, My Grapes

"For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;" (Heb 12:6–7a). God will discipline His children when needed because He loves us. Other times, He lets us go through challenging times that build our character and faith in Him. Our heavenly Father prepares us for what lies ahead, often using those circumstances to help others struggling in their faith walk or tell them of God's saving grace. Through it all—the good, bad, and ugly—we can trust God, our salvation. He is our shield; we can trust and rejoice in Him (Ps 28:7).

When you see God's saints with His peace and joy resting in and pouring from their lives, know that life's burdensome pressures came first—wine comes only by crushed and squeezed grapes. Jesus poured out His life for us; shed His life's blood for us. The Spirit of the living God lives within us; we have reason to rejoice, not complain or be weak. Oswald Chambers used a thought-provoking play on words for today's inspiration in his book, My Utmost for Highest. As God's "grapes," you and I decide whether others see/hear WINE or WHINE pouring from our lives. Whatever is inside our lives will eventually find its way outside. We have no excuse for joylessness, complaints, or weakness; the Lord is our strength and song, our salvation (Isa 12:2). 

No Question About It

1 Thess 2:13 "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

Jesus taught using parables; that may be why I prefer using personal stories and topics I am familiar with when writing about God's truths that speak to me. But there were times when I wondered if anyone else was interested, even though writing what I believe God gave me to write. To my surprise, people often responded positively to those articles I thought were less appealing. Mentioning this to my "Bestie" on one such occasion, she told me, "Stop second-guessing yourself." She was right, so I stopped thinking that way (thank you, Carla Daves Troxclair). You and I should only be concerned with obedience to what God says to do, speak, or write, not the outcome of or if anyone receives His truths. God's Word is never shallow or meaningless; who or why someone proclaims it does not matter (Phil 1:14–18). God directs the Word's truth towards those who should hear; they must choose whether or how to respond: "So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa 55:11). 

Precious and Valuable

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt 6:21). Jesus warns about coveting the praise of others and desiring and depending on what the world offers. The choice is ours to where we lay our affections, here on earth or heaven above. Earthly treasures can rot, insects can destroy, thieves can steal; they will stay behind when we die. But not our heavenly valuables; God secures our faith and trust in His Son and everything we do for His glory. We choose what consumes our thoughts, which direction our hearts lean, and whether we want what the world offers or love and serve God. No one can do both.

Why Say Amen?

Before entering the land of promise, the Israelites vowed that the Lord would be their God, and they would wholeheartedly keep His statutes and judgments that Moses delivered in Deuteronomy 12:1—26:15. That same day, the Lord avouched Israel would be His special people. But the Israelites had to agree to the curses proclaimed in 27:11–26: "And all the people shall say Amen" (Deut 27:26b). The word Amen means firm, faithful, and verily.

God kept His covenant with the Israelites, but they didn't honor their vow. Hundreds of years later, the Lord told His prophet, Jeremiah, to remind the inhabitants of Judah of His covenant, the blessings for obedience, and the cost of disobeying. Jeremiah answered, "So be it, O Lord" (Jer 11:5) or Amen.

Humbling ourselves before our heavenly Father in the authority of Jesus, we expect Him to hear our petitions and intercessions. In the conclusion of praying, saying Amen was and still is the proper response to prayer; we are saying as Jeremiah, "So be it, O Lord." Jesus called Himself the Amen, the "faithful and true witness" in Revelation 3:14. The One who knows our hearts will deal rightly with what we entrusted to Him; we can rise from praying, knowing He heard and will do what is best (1 John 5:14, 15). When we are bowed low with clean hearts before God, the enemy of our soul knows he did not win a victory when he hears the Amen. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16b).

Playing Defense

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb 12:11). God disciplines His children out of love (v. 6), and the Bible is clear about parents' responsibility to discipline their children (e.g., Prov 19:18; 22:6; 29:15, 17). If we love them, we will correct them, teaching them God's standards for living, just as God chastens us because He loves us. But when parents defensively shield a child (including adult children) repeatedly to avoid the consequences of their poor life choices and a sinful lifestyle, they do them and the family a disservice. When a person frequently buffers the result of a colleague's misdoings, they are not doing that friend a favor.

The defensive enabler runs interference for the one they are protecting, continually helping the enabled to escape the results of their flawed ways. Enabled people will selfishly feed on the goodness and generosity given by others. Both are wrong in their actions, adversely affecting those nearest them, not considering their misconduct's harmful impact on others in the future. How can someone learn God's ways if their example-setter is not showing wisdom by following God's guide for living, escaping accountability for their actions? One day we all will stand before Holy God to account for our lives (Rom 14:12). When you do, what will you have to say?

Look-a-Likes

The liriope was impressively thick but had few flowers because grass runners were part of its bulk. Once my husband cut back the grassy-looking leaves, the challenging, invading runners were more visible to rake and pull out. Unfortunately, they were so intertwined that some of the liriope loosened with the weed's roots. The two workdays were well worth the painful effort. Healthy leaves are popping up, weed-free, leaving room for abundant flowers soon-coming.

Vegetation is powerless against weedy intruders; humans cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ are not helpless and should not let sin reign in their lives (Romans 6). But sin's pesky and sometimes debilitating invaders stealthily find their way into and overrun Christians' lives, leaving them ineffective if they are not watchful and persistent in pulling out the runners that mimic healthy leaves. Uprooting sin can be painful but a decision we must make; God will not do it for us. The process may involve cutting back what seems impressive to find where the weeds are hiding, and weeding can disturb good causes because unimportant matters or sin-filled ways are entangled. Weeds can imitate healthy plants, and sin can mimic that which is good in life. But the proof of weedless, authentic Christ-followers is fruit-filled lives that glorify our heavenly Father: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. . . Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt 7:18, 20). 

Three Phases

Our hearts before we met Jesus

Our hearts after inviting Jesus in

 Living for Jesus  

People walk in sin's darkness until they confess their sins, turn away from them, and surrender their hearts to Jesus. When they do, God washes the darkest heart clean with the blood of Jesus. Once we belong to Him, we decide whether to flourish, shine, and impact the world for Jesus: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father that is in heaven" (Matt 5:16). To have God's light is good, but every Christ-follower must also walk in it and by it—pointing others to Jesus. Demonstrating God's power and truth, we bring honor to Him who saved us.

Roots' Path

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when the heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer 17:7,8). If a tree could plant itself, a wise one would choose near an unending water source. But although located in the correct place, the direction the tree sends out roots decides the success of growth, usefulness, and whether it will withstand the day's heat or lack of rainfall. A tree that chooses to drink from the river will flourish and continually yield fruit that feeds the hungry.

Believers, planted in Christ Jesus by God's grace, decide which direction to send roots for sustenance. Those who wisely seek to draw from God's spring of life-giving water will withstand life's heated trials and difficult circumstances that fall their way. Placing their hope in the One who saved them, believers happily trust the Lord for guidance and nourishment. They will grow, prosper, and God will bless others with the fruit their lives produce.             

When Calls the Heart

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer 17:9). Guard your heart. Your heart and mine can easily deceive us, no matter how good. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov 4:23). The Bible counsels us to diligently protect our hearts from hypocrisy, hardness, coldness, pride, unbelief, uncleanness, selfishness, and anything contrary to God. If we contaminate our hearts, the infection will spread and show through our speech and actions. You and God know what lies in your heart's recesses, and He knows mine. The remedy is to rid ourselves of any nasty pollutants with confession and repentance and surrender every area of our hearts to our heavenly Father. Then stand guard.

Through Thick and Thin

Most people, if not all, have at least one friend; they may vary in age; some are closer than others. But there are friends in particular that you feel a bond with, sometimes instantly when you meet, or a bond that forms over time spent together. Your spirit and theirs share a God-formed connection that time, circumstances, or distance cannot break.

Johnathan was King Saul's eldest son, the prince next in line to Israel's throne, and a commander in Saul's army—a seasoned soldier. David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons, a teenage shepherd, yet earlier, God told Samuel to anoint him as Israel's next king (1 Sam 16). Jonathan heard young David accept Goliath's challenge (the same one Saul's army feared to respond to) and watched as he bravely defeated the giant in the name of the Lord. From that day, the king had David serve in his army. The two shared a unique friendship; the Bible states that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David (1 Sam 18:1). When he gave David his robe, ring, and armor, Jonathan acknowledged David as Israel's next king. Though David was a boy, Jonathan saw a man who had a heart for God. But Saul was soon disturbed by their unique friendship; his prideful soul burned with jealousy and hatred against David. And though the two had to part ways because of Saul, their hearts stayed united.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24). Friendliness begets friends; if you want a friend, be a friend—but choose friends wisely. Some "friends" hang around as long as the friendship benefits them; genuine friends are not self-seeking and superficial. Jonathan could have thought of himself above David, and David could have considered himself beneath Jonathan. But they didn't; they recognized and accepted that God ordained their lasting bond of friendship. Our Father does the same for you and me when we let Him.

Debris and Clutter

People driving by or up our driveway may think, how picturesque because of the lovely house on pine tree-filled, meticulously kept property, unless their trip was the day after high winds and pouring rain scattered branches and pinecones everywhere. But so it is after storms. Cleanup afterward is a choice and delays only compound the work later to keep the lawn looking nice.

People walking into our kitchen for the first time may think, how charming. It is small, with ceiling-high cabinetry, but tall cabinets mean high shelves, so I store the contents in bins. My problem is the high, narrow, deep pantry; not everything fits in a container, and the unit is often in disarray as items get pushed out of reach. Reorganization is a choice; delays only compound the work later. No one would know about my dilemma unless they opened the door.

God made us wonderfully complex (Ps 139:14a). His creations are without flaws, but our life choices make His designs imperfect. Sometimes storms blow through our lives, leaving debris. Sometimes we take on more than we can handle, and life gets cluttered and overloaded. Other times circumstances overwhelm us, and we put off doing what we must do, and the chaos builds. Keeping our spiritual life clutter-free is a choice. Whether your life's mess-ups are visible or behind closed doors, they will not, they cannot, put themselves in order. Don't stubbornly ignore God's warning when you hear Him whisper cleanup is needed; don't let anything disrupt your relationship with Him: "Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps 139:23–24). God forgives and cleanses the messiest places, but we must do our part: confess to Him our mess (sins), repent, and turn from them to Him. Receive God's forgiveness, walk with Him, and strive to live debris and clutter-free.