The Lord doesn't just "make" us "into" something. For example, "Make me humble. Make me wise." It doesn't work like that. If I am cooperating with Him, He makes me into who I am to be in Him. He's changing me, but I must comply, submit. If I'm not in the Word, I hinder that work. The Word transforms me as I dig in... delving into the heart of God's story, from beginning to end. If the Bible remains closed, so does God's transforming work.
Opening the Word opens my eyes! It cuts open my heart. It causes me to reflect on what is good and true, and what is contrary in my own life. The Lord is so very patient with us. Not wanting us to perish, but for each of us to come to repentance... that we might have life!
Too often I'm too busy to spend time in the Word. Reading my Bible, studying my Bible. Knowing what's in there isn't enough. I need to be willing to pour through it, and let it pour through me. I can see my attitude change, my actions change as I spend time seeking to understand what God says in His Word.
Alive and active, The Bible has the power to transform lives... beginning with mine.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Wild Fruit
The LORD had a vineyard...
And the vineyard was established.
As the plants were taking root, the LORD built a watchtower. From there He could see any and all threats to His field. He took care to stop vandals and poachers. He was a Faithful Guardian.
In anticipation of the harvest, He carefully cut out a place where the grapes would be pressed into wine. A sweet wine, pleasing to the taste, effective in its purpose. The fruit of the vine.
Did I mention that all this took place on a fertile hillside? The place the LORD had selected was made up of excellent soil - rich in nutrients, well watered by the rain and streams. It was beautiful and lush!
He waited, and watched, for the first fruits. But, sadly, the fruit was bad, having gone wild. Tangled vines, giving off an unpleasant aroma. These grapes were no good to Him. Who would drink of this stench?
He asks, "What more could I have done for my vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I looked for good grapes, did it yield only bad?" (Isaiah 5:4)
The LORD prepared, protected and planned for His vineyard's purpose to be fulfilled. What went wrong?
Lord, help me to recognize Your will for my life. I want to cooperate with You. Remind me when I am in danger of rejecting You. Help me to yield. I want to hear Your voice. I praise You!
- He dug up the ground, breaking and sifting it to prepare it for planting.
- He removed stones, some large and some small, so there wouldn't be any obstructions, and that the roots would have room to grow.
- He carefully selected vines to plant - vines in which He saw value. This pleased Him.
And the vineyard was established.
As the plants were taking root, the LORD built a watchtower. From there He could see any and all threats to His field. He took care to stop vandals and poachers. He was a Faithful Guardian.
In anticipation of the harvest, He carefully cut out a place where the grapes would be pressed into wine. A sweet wine, pleasing to the taste, effective in its purpose. The fruit of the vine.
Did I mention that all this took place on a fertile hillside? The place the LORD had selected was made up of excellent soil - rich in nutrients, well watered by the rain and streams. It was beautiful and lush!
He waited, and watched, for the first fruits. But, sadly, the fruit was bad, having gone wild. Tangled vines, giving off an unpleasant aroma. These grapes were no good to Him. Who would drink of this stench?
He asks, "What more could I have done for my vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I looked for good grapes, did it yield only bad?" (Isaiah 5:4)
The LORD prepared, protected and planned for His vineyard's purpose to be fulfilled. What went wrong?
Lord, help me to recognize Your will for my life. I want to cooperate with You. Remind me when I am in danger of rejecting You. Help me to yield. I want to hear Your voice. I praise You!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Ezra's Prayer
Isaiah 59:2
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
When Ezra - a godly man - prayed on behalf of the people, he used the pronouns "our" and "we." (Ezra 9:5-15) Although he had not married a foreign woman as the rest of the people had done, he recognized that he was part of the whole that had turned their backs on God. Or maybe he recognized the fact that he had his own sin that wasn't widely known.
When King David prayed, he, too, included himself culpable of the sins committed by the nation of Israel.
As Christians, we need to remember that the sins of the nation include our own culpability. Even if we have spoken up, there are still sins that we are guilty of that haven't been made public. I remember my pastor telling me, as I sat before him, unmarried and pregnant, "I have sin in my life, too. Mine just isn't going to be as obvious as yours will be in a couple of months."
If we're tempted to "grumble and complain," may our hearts be quickened to the truth of our own guilt before a holy and just God. May our hearts cry out to Him in spirit and in truth for grace and the wisdom to speak, not only courageously, but with compassion, so that the hearts of the people would turn to Him, trusting Him for salvation. That's where true hope - and change - lies.
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