Glasses, lost!

I could not find my glasses last Sunday morning.  I looked everywhere which is hard to do with blurred vision.  My routine activities were disrupted.  It took twice as long to do anything.   I stopped by Wal-Mart on the way to church to buy a pair of cheap reading glasses. Choosing between a 2.0 or 2.5 proved difficult.  All the numbers looked like 2.3.  Making a decision becomes perilous when you cannot see.

2 Samuel 22:31

³¹ “As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in Him.

 

Critical, life-changing decisions demand clear vision.  The perfect, inerrant word of God allows us to see the right path.  When we meditate and study the word, God’s direction becomes more evident.  Misplaced Bibles collecting dust in many a Christian home have resulted in preventable self-inflicted wounds.  Unless we read the word and hide it in our hearts we will be prone to choose the wrong path.  Our decisions making skills become flawed.  We cannot see because we have not read.  We don’t need a new pair of glasses.  What we need is a renewed dependence on the word of God.  When you look at the world using a Biblical world view, life becomes clearer. Find your Bible, read it and you will have found your glasses.  I found mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love is a Verb

Would you like some coffee?  Would you like some Earls Cheetos from Minnesota? Would you like some soda, some ice?  Seriously, this is what I heard in the background while charting on a newborn at Northeast Baptist Hospital this morning.  One nurse, Bridget offered a litany of refreshments to her compatriot, Joy. I was blown away by Bridget’s unwavering attempt to find some way she could be of service to Joy.  But then, this is the same nurse that had my charts pulled sitting on the counter, a stethoscope and ophthalmoscope in place for my use and gave me a bag of Earl’s Cheetos for good measure.  This Valentine Weekend, God had just given me an image of love in action.  Love is a verb.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

To suffer is a verb.  To not envy, to not parade self, to not behave rudely and to rejoice in truth are verbs.  To bear, believe, hope and endure are all verbs.  Love is the state of looking out for the interest of others despite the cost to oneself.  Everyone may not receive a Valentine this Saturday but we can all be a Valentine, dispensing love to someone in need.  Look for an opportunity to love others who may have been forgotten, left out or untouched.  Follow the lead of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He did not wait for a Valentine Card to show His love.  Yes, hanging on a cross is a verb too.

 

 

 

You don't have to be Frozen to be a Queen

“Frozen” has mesmerized many a young lady this past year.  Blue taffeta gowns with silver inlay are ubiquitous.  Little girls want to be queen and some big girls do too.  In the small village of Arendelle, Elsa the queen reigns.

Breaking News:  You don’t have to be frozen to reign in this world.

Romans 5:17

¹⁷ For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

Because of the sin of one man, Adam, we all face death.  Through the death of one man, Jesus Christ we have an invitation to reign right now.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ as their redeemer have been given abundant grace and have been judged righteous.  When you comprehend the abounding grace imputed to you and understand that your unworthy soul has been pronounced righteous, you begin to look, act and sound like the queen you are.  There is no room in this village to live a squeamish, frightened, lack luster, frozen existence.  Thaw out! Queens reign!

 

 

Cuts Hurt

No one likes to be cut.  Sharp lacerations hurt.  Bleeding is profuse.  Pressure has to be pplied.  The wound must be irrigated with normal saline then closed with sutures or staples.  The solution used to clean and heal stings.  Even the anesthesia hurts.  The entire process is uncomfortable but needed if your want to be made whole again.

Hebrews 4:12-13

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Is pain the reason we ignore Bible Study, scripture memorization and meditation on His Word?  Is it that we do not want to get cut?  Not only is the Word sharp, it knows where to cut.  It inflicts damage going in and coming out.  The Word will strike in the heart, sometimes in the head, and on other occasions the hands and feet are torn asunder.  An entire congregation may hear the Word and the sanctuary have wounded saints with all manner of injuries.  God discerns the thoughts, intentions and our motivation.  Nothing is hidden from His sight.  Better to be under the sword now then stand before God to give an account never having been cut.  Fear not the sword, but the One who wields the sword cutting away blessings and crowns.  Allow the Word to carve and create in you the servant God has called you to be.  And yes, it will hurt.  It’s supposed to.