A Change of Relationship

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Colossians 1:21,22

I love the beauty of the word ‘reconciled’ and it is so profound in this verse. It means to be made right, become friends, and brought together. Look at the comparison of words….formerly alienated, hostile, and evil deeds presented holy, blameless, and beyond reproach! Makes me wonder how I could have ever thought of God as tolerating me more than loving me. When a person puts their trust in Christ they enter into a whole new relationship with God. They go from being His enemy to His precious child (Romans 5:10). Where once they were far away from God they are brought near (Ephesians 2:3,12).

Many people are under the assumption that because God created each one of us we automatically are His children….hence the idea of the Fatherhood of God. Not true! Because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the garden we are all born separated from God….alienated if you will. We are foreigners to Him and His ways. Because we were created in His image we may possess some good qualities ….kindness, love, compassion, etc… But there is no relationship with Him. The Bible says we are children of wrath not children of God.

Many people believe they are Christians because they go to church, love their neighbor, or attempt to keep the ten commandments. What they fail to realize is that none of those things make you a Christian. They are commendable things but unable to bring you into right relationship with God. There is only one way to become God’s child and that is by being born into His family. And a person is born into God’s family when he trusts Christ and accepts Him as his Savior. His death on Calvary and subsequent resurrection made it possible for people to be reconciled to God. But they must personally accept Him before that takes place. May we take the opportunities to share that with them.

Father, our reconciliation is a beautiful thing. You drew me near and now call me your daughter. May our Father/daughter relationship continue to be profound. Amen.

A Change of Kingdoms

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:13

Whether or not we are fully aware of it, much takes place the moment we trust Christ as our Savior and Colossians 1:13 is an explanation for all the change. A couple nights ago I was talking with one of my brothers and in the course of the conversation I was telling him the things that instantly changed in me when I became a Christian. These were things that had not previously been a part of my life. Here are the changes that came to mind: I had an assurance of Heaven, I had a desire to read the Bible, I had an awareness that my sin offended a holy God, I wanted to be in church and fellowship with believers, I had new ambitions and new desires, I was accountable to God, my mindset was different, and I was able to understand spiritual truths. What a change from the way I spent my first 14 years!

At the time, I did not understand I had been taken out from under the authority and rule of Satan and brought into God’s kingdom, rule, and authority. As a matter of fact, I did not even know those two kingdoms existed but they did. Prior to my salvation I was actually living under the philosophy, mindset, and dominion of God’s enemy. I had a blindness and disinterest in anything that pertained to God. I was ruled by my flesh with a strong propensity toward sin. Even though I was created in the image of God I was not displaying that in my actions, words, or thoughts. Although I was not a Satan worshiper per se, I was one of his captives.

But that captivity ended when Christ became my Savior. He not only brought me into His family but He transferred me into His kingdom as well. Under His authority and care I was able to live my life differently. Being in Christ made me a new person and the old way of life gave way to a new way of life. This included a new way of thinking, acting, speaking, and living. It did not mean perfection….that will not be attained until I am in Heaven. It meant a life of progress one step at a time. I have made my share of mistakes along the way, blown it in many ways, and misunderstood countless things. BUT God’s hand has never let go of me, His eye has never been taken off me, and His kingdom has remained my place of residence.

Father, I thrive under Your rule, care, and authority. I am at home with this kingdom life. Thank you for placing me under Your domain. Amen.

From Recipient to Distributor

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. Colossians 1:3,4

Can you imagine receiving a letter to your church from a leading evangelist of our day? While he may not have directly started your church, word has gotten back to him about the condition of your church and it was a good report. The church of Colossi was not founded by the Apostle Paul. It was founded by one of Paul’s converts…Epaphras. But that did not stop Paul from taking this church into his heart and bathing it in prayer. Paul wasted no time in thanking God for His work in their life and in giving the assurance of his continued prayers for them. He starts right out rejoicing for their evident faith in Christ and love for one another.

I heard a sermon yesterday that emphasized the importance of encouraging one another. The message illustrated something I have been aware of for quite some time. We need each other. We need to be encouraged and we need to be encouragers. I wrote down one quote that spoke volumes to me, “Spiritual maturity does not mean needing each other less.” While God should be my ultimate source for encouragement He uses many avenues to impart that encouragement to me…..His Word, music, other believers, books, prayer, etc… But lately He is challenging me to be an encourager to others. His intent is that I take what has been so lavishly given to me and now lavish it on others.

I like Paul’s pattern shown in most of his New Testament books. He is thankful to God for others, he is a prayer warrior for others, he emphasizes the good qualities he sees God instilling in them, and with love he addresses areas of concern. Is there someone to whom I can become this kind of encourager? God has graciously given me countless encouragers over the years. Their words still nourish my soul. They were faithful to mentor me and help me cultivate a walk with God. They set a good example for me to follow. May I now invest myself in others.

Father, for decades You have faithfully brought encouragers across my path. How I needed them…and still do. Show me practical ways to become an encourager to someone who needs life giving words spoken to them. I have been the recipient of such words and desire to now be the distributor of them. Amen.

Words He Loves to Hear

Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies, Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep, O LORD, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 36:5-7

David was a man who could not say enough good about our God. In this passage alone He eludes to at least seven aspects of God: His loving kindness, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His judgments, His presence, His protection, and His person. The Psalms are filled with many more verbalized lists of who God is, what God is like, and what God does.

It was from the psalmist that I learned God is my rock, my defense, my shelter, my sustainer, my high tower, my shepherd, my comforter, my defender, my strength, my forgiver, my healer, etc…. Our God is not a distant, abstract God. He is personal and passionate about us and wants us to know Him on an intimate level.

This morning as I anticipate tomorrow’s day of Thanksgiving I want to make sure that my prayers of thanksgiving reflect and include the attributes of my God. While I am thankful for freedom, family, possessions, health, and friendships, I am most thankful for God Himself. May I find time amidst family gatherings and travel to slip away with Him and spend some time listing to Him all that I know about Him. May the words not come fast enough as I proclaim the truth of Him and all He means to me. As His intervention and interaction in my life come to mind, may praise fill my lips and tears fill my eyes. Heartfelt acknowledgement of His presence and person fills Him with delight!

So how can I do all of this on a practical level? Here are a few ways: read through some Psalms and slip my name into the verses, list God’s attributes using the alphabet (one for each letter), review the events of my life picturing Jesus in each scene, sing songs of worship back to Him, tell Him my deepest feelings about Him. The list is endless! The practice is powerful! The result will be astounding! May my anticipation for such a meeting build and may I integrate it into my daily life.

Father, while my list will never be complete it will be proclaimed with passion! You are beyond words but I will speak the ones I know. As your child, I delight in You, celebrate You, and acknowledge You. Amen.

With Open Eyes

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. Luke 24:31

I love the story that took place after the resurrection of Jesus. Two people are walking on the road to Emmaus which was about seven miles outside of Jerusalem. They had been witnesses to the crucifixion of Jesus. His death had been unexpected by them and the sorrow profound. While they had heard reports that He had actually risen from the dead they could not embrace it as truth yet. As they talked they were joined by none other than Jesus but they did not realize it was Him. He took the time to listen to them and then began to explain the Scriptures that taught of Him. Still there was no recognition. It wasn’t until they got to the place they were staying and invited this guest to join them for a meal that their eyes were opened. When Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them they recognized Him….then He vanished.

Hearts that once burned with sorrow now exploded with joy and they could not wait to get back to His disciples to share their experience and the truth of His resurrection! I am sure it was a story they would tell countless times to anyone who would listen. Imagine being one of the people who actually saw Jesus after His resurrection! Only His friends and followers had that rare experience. Not one enemy was given the privilege.

Jesus is still in the business of opening eyes today. Each of us who know Him as Savior, came to the point of recognizing who He was after living part of our life unable to see Him. It is a spiritual sight that is profound. Only Christ could open our eyes to the truth of His death and resurrection and then make what He did personal to us by accepting Him as our Savior. Have you ever stopped to think what your life would be like if that had never happened? But it does not stop at salvation. Eye opening experiences to who Jesus is continue to happen to us. The longer I walk with Him the more times I have of recognizing Him in new and profound ways. While He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, my view of Him is what keeps changing and that in turn continues to change me!

Father, at one time I was completely blind to You. Thank you that You continue to improve my vision. I long to see You more clearly each day. Keep opening my eyes to new dimensions of Yourself. Amen.

I CAN Get Up

There the doers of iniquity have fallen; they have been thrust down and cannot rise. Psalm 36:12

Years ago there was a commercial with an elderly woman who is remembered for her desperate statement, “I have fallen and I can’t get up!” Have you ever felt like that? I certainly have. Psalm 36:12 can be placed over the lives of many people. Pride, wickedness, and a refusal to turn to God can send them on a spiraling lifestyle where there is no recovery. How sad!
I am encouraged this morning because while there may be times that I fall and am thrust down, as a child of God I CAN rise. If I sin I can find forgiveness. If I am discouraged I can be encouraged. If my emotions have run amuck I can be strengthened once again. How? By coming to my father in humility and honesty and allowing Him to lift me up.

The Christian life is meant to be more than behavior modification and positive thinking. Those two things can pretty much be produced on our own. But it takes the Word of God and His Spirit in me to do a work that literally changes the way I think, act, and speak. It is not just an outward makeover. It is a complete overhaul! The things I change on my own result in temporary fixes at best. When God does the changing it lasts!

So I am asking myself this morning, what are the steps I must take and what is it that God does? Here is what I have learned so far:

I must come before Him in honesty. No more hiding. No more pretending I don’t have the thoughts and feelings that I have. He knows me thoroughly. Confession and repentance may be the first words out of my mouth. After that it may just be a time of admitting what is going on in my heart.
I must take time to listen to God’s response back to me. Many times it will be in recalling Scripture I have committed to memory. God’s Word has much to say about God’s thoughts toward me and how He longs for me to see myself.

Many times God will use these two things to transform my thinking and establish growth and change that is lasting.

Father, thank you for the many times you lift me up when I have fallen. Your hands hold me firmly as I continue on this journey with You. Amen.

Accepting the Gifts

Every good gift and every prefect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

I just finished reading today’s selection from Our Daily Bread and my mind is swimming with the gifts God desired to give me for many years but I did not know how to reach out my hand and accept them. While I was able to receive the gift of salvation at the age of 14, it took decades to realize other intended gifts God had for me. Three gifts are coming to mind that I now possess. They are the gift of fellowship that crosses over denominational lines, the gift of reading various versions of the Bible, and the gift of listening to Christian music that ministers deeply to me. I have reveled in the joy of these gifts for nearly three years now. What took me so long?!

The answer lies in two sources. For one, I did not know God was offering me the gifts. I had so cloaked myself in the garments of separation that they were not even an option for me. But I was also taught these were counterfeits of God’s actual will and I felt if I embraced them I must be backsliding. I felt like the person who possessed a ticket to an amusement park. The ticket permitted me to ride any ride I wanted, but I did not have the luxury of doing that. I was limited to the rides of other people’s choices. I was also like the person who purchases a television set but allows the salesman to program the remote to his favorite channels. I had completely missed the heart of Paul’s themes which express the ability to take our instructions from God. I was not able to look to God for direction in how to live my individual Christian life. And I was miserable!

What finally helped me to see the truth? God brought genuine Christians across my path that radiated with a love for Christ and they were free! Free to enjoy the gifts God offered. I hungered to live my Christian life in the same way. My new found desire allowed me to finally reach out my hands and receive multiple gifts God joyfully gave me. And what I have come to realize is that it is not a matter of whether or not I align myself with the boundaries, rules, and limitations others would seek to imprison me with but rather whether or not I allow God to design my walk with Him.

Father, You have been so patient in waiting for me to accept what You have been offering me all along. Thank you! Amen.