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Delight in the Law

Psalm 1:2-3 ESV
but his delight is in the law of the Lord , and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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I used to call myself a Christian because I had grown up in church and I knew the basic facts of “the Christian religion”. But I definitely didn’t “delight in the law of the Lord” – in fact,  my life was proof that I delighted in all kinds of sin in my life. And I definitely didn’t meditate on his law day and night – in fact, I used what little I knew about grace as an excuse to stay far away from the law,  shrugging it off as “that old covenant stuff”, satisfied that I had my “get out of Hell free card” in my back pocket.

But you see,  I knew about religion – but my life was fruitless. There was no active relationship with a living God, there was no Holy Spirit guiding me,  teaching me, and comforting me.

It’s pretty scary when I look back and realize that I was blind to the blessings, I was veiled and stumbling in darkness. And it concerns me when I wonder how many that call themselves Christians are leading fruitless lives of their own. I wonder how many opportunities are being missed to share hope,  mercy,  love,  forgiveness, and all of the blessings of a Christ filled life with others.

What would the world look like if we lived like Christ? If we loved like Christ? If we put others needs ahead of our wants? If we genuinely cared about the lives of those around us – even those we will only meet once while passing through a restaurant or store.

Wouldn’t the world look a lot different than one group of religious folks complaining about what another religious group has wrong?

Wouldn’t the world look a lot different than a group of religious folks condemning and accusing and attacking others – even the rulers of their own nation that they are supposed to honor and pray for?

Wouldn’t the world look a lot different than a group of religious folks looking down their noses at others that don’t pray the way they do,  or sing the way they do,  or gather the way they do, or judge the way they do?

Yes, Jesus is alive and His Kingdom work is being done in the world today. He works through a living relationship, not dead religious practice –

Through Him we know that all of the Law and the words of the prophets hang on loving God and loving others. This is the voice of the Holy Spirit that teaches me to delight in the law,  to delight in Love, undeserved grace and mercy and forgiveness – and I meditate on it daily,  even moment to moment, as I try to keep my eyes on Christ in this new relationship with my risen Lord and Savior.

I don’t have time to check my own branches for fruit,  because there is much work to be done. The harvest is great,  but the workers are few.

So I hope that we will all do our work,  friends -that we will all share this love if we have it,  or go get it if we haven’t received it yet. I hope that each will be fruitful in their relationship, and that when the time comes, we will be proven as faithful servants.

I love you, friend. Have a blessed day.

hballingerLeave a comment

His Path

Psalms 25:4 NLT
Show me the right path, O  lord ; point out the road for me to follow.

PERSONAL COMMENTARY
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Am I asking Him to make clear the road ahead and to show me the way?

Or am I choosing a path that I want to follow because of my own personal desires and then asking God to bless it as if it was His will?

How much time do I spend telling Him what I want – instead of listening to Him since He knows what is best for me?

Do I want to settle for my own desires?

Or experience the fullness of the purpose that He has for my life?

If prayer is just me talking and not listening, what kind of relationship does that demonstrate?

Does it demonstrate that I value God’s will and purpose for my life, and that I honor Him as Almighty God and as the Lord of my life?

He will show us the right path. The question is – Are we seeking it?

If you have not yet received Christ into your life, if you have not received the baptism of his Holy Spirit living in you and through you in your daily life, if you find yourself wandering through each day without purpose – CALL OUT TO JESUS – He will save you,  He will renew you,  He will change you and show you a purpose and a path beyond anything you could build for yourself.

And if you have found Christ, are you clinging to Him today? Are you IN LOVE with this God that died for you on a cross, who loves you even when you were  trapped in your sin? Are you FREE today?

I love you, friend. Have a blessed day. May His Spirit guide you and lead you,  and may He shine so brightly in you today that the world cannot ignore the Christ that lives in YOU!

hballingerLeave a comment

Forgiveness for the Undeserving

Forgiving isn’t about the other person deserving or not deserving forgiveness –

It is about whether we believe ourselves to be more worthy than another and therefore consider ourselves worthy of judging them –

OR

If we believe that we need mercy just as much as the next guy and understand that we can only receive our undeserved mercy and forgiveness if we are willing to extend undeserved mercy and forgiveness to others.

Yes,  it’s easy to say this.

But it isn’t always easy to practice when you see people hurting others,  when you see some taking advantage of others,  when you see some working hard while others stand by idly offering no assistance.

And this is because there is a voice that tells us that we want justice.

But have we forgotten so quickly where justice would land us? Have we forgotten what we deserve?

So let me be sure that I don’t want mercy for myself but justice for others – because yes,  that stinks like the familiar and deadly smell of pride that has tried to hide itself under religious indignation.

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Does a person have to be honorable in order to be honored? Where would we find such a person outside of Christ?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Romans 3:10-12 ESV
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Mark 10:18 ESV
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

So we don’t seek out prefect people to honor – no, we would search forever and come home empty handed.

We honor each other even in spite of our weaknesses,  because God see fit to honor each and evert one of us with His free offer of Grace, and if Almighty God sees value in others,  shouldn’t I?

Matthew 18:10, 12-14 ESV
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always   see the face of my Father who is in heaven.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.  So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

So I should love and honor the brother and sister that I see and know –

as a reflection of the honor and grace and mercy of Christ who lives in me –

understanding their spiritual value either as a lost sheep or as a fellow child of God –

respecting that I have walked in both paths myself –

and that honoring or dishonoring another is a reflection of how I either value highly or disregard as common – this Amazing Grace and Salvation that God has extended to us all through Jesus Christ.

I really need to work on this. Your prayers are appreciated,  friend.