It's absolutely true; you gain through giving up. Not that this is the rationale to do so; it's just the reality.
"everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19.29)
This is certainly my testimony. One of the hardest decisions of my life was to leave home and family at the tender age of eighteen, to attend Bible college and prepare to serve in pastoral ministry. To this day, I'm amazed I wasn't in an auto accident as I drove to college for the first time, because my vision was clouded with tears most of the way. But, this difficult journey was the beginning of an immensely rewarding one. My circle of friends and family has literally been multiplied. Having left the security of my parent's home, I've now been blessed to own four homes over the years (if having a mortgage truly equals owning a home!). I've visited and lived in places I could never have imagined. And, above all, the promise of eternal life in the age to come has never burned brighter. As testimony to the words of Jesus, I have indeed been blessed as He said.
The gospel of Mark - parallel to these words in Matthew - includes a phrase omitted in Matthew's account: "along with persecutions" (Mark 10.29). The blessings of this age, and the hope of the age to come, are not without hardship. The Christian life is hardly cake walk time; there are those radically opposed to the truth we declare and live.
Jesus doesn't need my personal testimony to validate the truth of His teachings, but I can't help but to speak of how true His words are in my life experience. I've gained far more than I've given up. I wouldn't trade my journey thus far for anything.
I pray that my testimony will give you cause to pause and consider how greatly your life has been enriched because of your deliberate choice to pursue the king and the kingdom. May the people of God today lift up a great collective prayer of thanks for the blessings of the journey.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
What's the point in taking notes if you never look at them, or forget where you put them? I've gone from Day-timers to the myriad of today's e-reminders, and still haven't found the perfect organizational tool. I'm beginning to wonder if it's just me ...
An online course I'm taking reminds me that there are six hundred thirteen Old Testament laws. How could anyone possibly remember them all, and faithfully observe them? It's not that there hasn't been - and are today - those who have diligently tried. Truth is, it simply cannot be done. Something better is needed.
"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE." (Hebrews 8.10)
Committing six hundred and thirteen laws to memory and practice will never work, but then that has never been our Father's ultimate plan. His plan is to write on our hearts and minds that which ultimately matters, and enter into an agreement of life with us. His priority is covenant relationship, not a checklist of do's and don'ts. That which He ultimately desires, He has provided through His Son. Consider:
"you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God." (2 Corinthians 3.3-4)
Instead of learning the letter of the Law, we've been made into a letter of sorts in Christ. The living God, through His Spirit, has written on our very hearts, even as He wrote on stone tablets to give to Moses. This "heart writing" is undeniable, and a perfect constant reminder.
In my quest for organizational tools, it appears that I've finally found the perfect one. God has given me an internal tool to constantly remind me of the agreement of life He has with me. May we each find comfort and confident direction as we attune ourselves to what He has written on our hearts and minds.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
Courage and boldness in the face of obstacles. It's a tall order, but it's today's order. The more difficult the challenges, the greater the need for courage and boldness.
Sounding a bit like the scrolling opening verbiage to the famous Star Wars movies, the setting is a land long ago, and the focus is on a young man facing a monumental task. Perhaps this young man might well be compared to Harry Truman, facing the sudden reality of the empty shoes of his predecessor, President Franklin Roosevelt. Regardless of the comparison, this young man - Joshua - is privileged to have an audience with Creator God at the dawning of a new chapter in his life. The dynamic leader, Moses, is dead, and Joshua finds himself facing an unfinished task and some incredibly large empty shoes. Against this backdrop, he hears these important words from His Creator Father:
"Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:5-9)
"I will be with you". Could any words be more reassuring? And, could any words better serve as a basis for strength and courage? Regardless of the obstacles and challenges, God's presence would be a constant. The task at hand was unswerving obedience to the word and Law of God, and success would follow.
The words, "I will be with you", echo down to us today. Perhaps His presence may not always seem evident, but faith takes Him at His word - "I will be with you". Whether life is lived today on the mountain or in the valley, He is with you. His unseen presence is there, and He knows and understands. Circumstances may not change because He is there, but be assured that He is the God who is in the midst of them, offering you both strength and boldness.
Your Savior echoes these same words: "I am with you always , even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20). May these assures be your strength and boldness this day - and always.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
Plan your work, and then work your plan. That's the convention wisdom, and apparently it's divine wisdom as well.
"O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." (Isaiah 25:1)
God has His plans, and they are perfectly and faithfully executed. Consider His plans for His Son - and us:
"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)
The Bible is a book of promises extended from our Creator to us, His people. These promises were His plan before time began, and they are - and will be - faithfully brought to fruition. For example, an important reminder much on my mind lately, is that found in Acts 3:21 - "(Jesus) whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time." God's restoration plans are as old as time itself, and are on track to be fully fulfilled by a God of perfect faithfulness. You just wait and see!
The older I get, the more I clearly see that the priority is to get with "the plan". God's restoration project is the only priority that matters. His ultimate plan is to make all things new. That's our hope through resurrection. That's the destiny of planet earth. That's His desire for our lifestyle, and our relationships with one another. That's what we seek when we pray the model prayer, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven"
Let's all get with the great plan. Our faithful Father desires that, and is fully on track to fulfill it. He would like nothing better than to have you and I on board with it. What better praise and thanks to offer Him than to join Him in His plans.
Seeking to participate in the plan today,
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
Living large in the land. That's the plan and the promise. But there are obstacles in the way.
"Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them." (Numbers 32:7-9)
God gave the people of Israel the land of promise. Victory was assured; they merely had to go and take possession of it. But doubt and fear detoured faith and victory. They were consigned to forty years of meaningless wandering. Only two men exhibited God-pleasing faith, and they saw the land of promise:
"None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully." (Numbers 32:11-12)
There are important lessons tucked away inside this ancient story. We've been given a land of promise too; it's called the kingdom of God. It's land that can only be possessed by faith and following the LORD fully. We can partially step foot in it now, but we won't live in it fully until THE day. For now, we can wander aimlessly through life, or we can walk meaningfully in faith, with the ultimate reality of the coming age in view. I choose the faith that produces sight. Through faith, I see the new world and its possibilities. And, the reality to come courses backwards to today and infuses it with life and purpose.
Living large in the land. Faith sees what will be, and partially creates that future reality in our existence today. The new earth overshadows a decaying and damaged present one. Immortality through resurrection overarches today's frailty and pain. Faith sees the land, and allows us to live as through we were in it now. May nothing deter you today from the coming reality that is yours through faith.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
Is anybody listening these days? The noise and commotion of our modern lifestyle is a major deterrent to the fine art of truly listening. Paid professional counselors seem like the only ones who will really listen to us; but then, that's their job. And yet, we are not without an attentive, listening ear:
"I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live." (Psalm 116:1-2)
The Psalmist recounts for us God's deliverance in life-threatening circumstances. God's attentiveness and deliverance were unmistakeable; ample evidence for a lifetime of trust and faith.
Carefully recounting God's specific acts of help and deliverance are vitally important in our own lives. These serve as basis for a lifetime of thankfulness, and the calm assurance that God is always there, and hears.
One of the great gifts we can offer to someone is that of attentive listening, and unqualified acceptance. This is one of the great gifts our Father offers to us. As such, our response ought to be the same as that of the Psalmist: "What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?" (Psalm 116:12)
In grateful appreciation to my ever-listening Father, what is my reasonable response to Him? Each of our responses may differ, but nothing can be more important than considering this question. What is your response to it today?
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
Who hasn't cried out to God amidst despair? Never is prayer more real and intense than when we cry out in the agony of our human suffering. And, we can appreciate the honesty of of others who have prayed similarly. Consider:
"Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed. And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD -how long? ... I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief" (Psalm 6:2-3,6-7)
The raw agony and pain expressed in this prayer leap from the pages of Scripture and into our hearts and minds. If not now, at least in the past, we have been kindred spirits. Serious illness, loss of a loved one, bitter disappointment - each of us have been touched by life's pain. But, is our consolation in commiserating with those who have similar experiences? Thankfully not. For the Psalmist, despair - as raw and real as it was - was not the ultimate reality. Eyes of faith and hope saw the eventual deliverance and triumph:
"For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication, The LORD receives my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed." (Psalm 6:8-10)
God has heard, and He will act. If this is a season of trouble for you, know that this is true. The silence, as has been said, may be deafening, but His silence is not neglect. And, He will ultimately act. Not necessarily as we wish or think, but as He wisely determines.
God's specialty is of repairing that which is broken. His kingdom project is ultimately that of restoring a broken world to its original perfection (Acts 3:21). Along the way, His plan is to repair broken people. Be assured His knows and hears, and is on track to ultimately restore you through resurrection and immortality in the coming age. May you experience a portion of that restoration power today.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
