Worthy Words

The recent events involving the health of my mother have shaken me emotionally. It is a path in life that if we had it our way we would have never taken. Life, unfortunately, no matter how well planned-out and lived always delivers unexpected facts that are unavoidable. What is most helpful is digging deep for perspective through God’s true and trustworthy Word. The Word always puts life into its proper light. The book of Hebrew says, "I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain." — Heb. 12:26-27 NLT We hold in our possession right now many things which can be shaken. When we as Christ-followers set a high value on those things it can leave us in unpleasant situations because we’ve built hope in stuff that is totally unstable, like the rolling clouds of a thunderstorm. Solomon says to everything there is a season or, to put it another way, change will come...

Help, O Lord! This is a prayer given by King David in Psalm 12:1. It is an amazing simple prayer yet usefully short.   It is so suitable for our need. It says volumes in such few words and is greatly expressive to God for assistance. David lamented over the scarcity of faithful men at his disposal. He lifts up his heart making his plea to God—when the creature failed, he reached out and up to the Creator. He evidently felt his own weakness, or he would not have cried for help. However, at the same time he intended honestly to use himself for the cause of truth.   Using the word "help" has no meaning if we ourselves do nothing. This prayer is full of directness, with focused insight as a plainly stated petition of two words. It expresses so much more than the long rambling outpourings we usually profess to our God. This King after God’s own heart runs straight-way to Him, with a well-measured prayer. David knows what he is in search of, and where to find it. Lord, teach ...

If you’re looking for a great example of someone with a humble heart look to Jesus. He is the only example needed to discover this useful characteristic in developing servant-hood. In fact most of us need daily lessons. Take for example John 13:4-11 where the Lord took a towel and washed His disciples’ feet! Christ-follower you’re not humble until you can do that! When you see Him as the Servant of all servants it’s hard to take a look at one’s self in the mirror and be proud. The entire NT demonstrates over and over that “He humbled Himself.” (see Philippians 2:5-8) While Christ walked this earth He always stripped off any notion of being robed with honor until ultimately He was stripped naked and nailed to the cross giving up all for us and then placed in a borrowed grave. You can’t get any lower than our precious Redeemer. Just for a moment stand at the foot of the cross and notice the drops of blood by which you have been cleansed, then gaze at that crown of thorns pressed into His...

Our memory can often be the bondslave of hopelessness. A despondent mind can call to remembrance every dark ominous cloud of the past, and expand upon every unhappy feature of it in the present. When memory becomes clothed in sackcloth it can only present to the mind a bitter brew of bleakness. Your mind can take you to a place where you forget that joy exists. There is, however, no need for this kind of stinkin’ thinkin’.  Biblical wisdom can quickly transform our memory into a messenger of comfort. That same recall, which on the one hand brings so many gloomy forecasts, may be taught to bring forth on the other hand a wealth of hopeful signs. Let’s use the prophet Jeremiah as an example of how this is accomplished. Jeremiah’s memory was often clothed in sackcloth. “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this—the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.” (Lamentations 3:20-22 NLT) Jeremia...

When we go through trial and temptation we frequently and fervently pray that God will not abandon us in those moments.   Why is it we forget that we need to pray this way at all times? There’s not a time in our life, no matter how blessed we are, in which we can afford to do without His continuous protection. It doesn’t matter if we are walking in close relationship with His light or standing in darkness or temptation we should be praying, “Do not abandon me, O LORD. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.” — Psalm 38:21-22 NLT Even little children while learning to walk need a steady strong parental hand to hold onto while keeping them safe from falling in their struggling attempts to balance as they move forward. Your car will quickly drift off the road into the ditch once you remove your hands from the wheel. So then, we cannot do without the constant and continuing aid from the Father above.  I suggest that you let this be ...

The practical effect of receiving God’s grace in our hearts through Jesus Christ results in Christ-followers becoming His servants. “I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.” — Isaiah 41:9   Even though we prone to be unfaithful and certainly are unworthy, yet because of His faithful nature we are His servants eating from His table and obeying His directives. Before He saved us we were the servants of sin. Now, because of His death, burial, and resurrection we have been made free. As a result each of us has now been taken into His family where we are being taught obedience to His will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we would if we could. The Lord calls us not only His servants, but His chosen ones —"I have chosen you."  We didn’t choose Him first, but He has chosen us. If we are to be God's servants—knowing that we are not always leaning that direction to be...

Growing up my family went to church “religiously” (isn’t it funny how we use of that word?), I can still remember disliking church. It was boring and long—filled with people whom I didn’t know and who looked, well... too serious. One Sunday, my grandmother asked me, “Eddie, do you like church?” Exactly how was I going to answer that since I didn’t quite know the answer yet? She continued, unaffected by my pause, “I sure hope so, because this is what heaven is going to be like – church, eternally.” I’m guessing I had a pretty typical reaction to this for a nine-year-old boy, thinking, “If heaven is like an eternal church service, I’m not sure I really want to go there?” I’m much older now, at least physically, so, I’ve been doing some thinking. Is it possible to do the very things that please God, yet be so far from the spirit of its intention, that we miss its purpose completely? Lately, the more and more I read God’s Word, I keep finding some places where God appears to be saying, ...