Seeking the Life in Christ: March 2024

Friday, March 29, 2024

This Man Who Was Crucified, Was the Messiah Of God

Holy Week 2024

March 29, 2024

Good Friday

This Man Who Was Crucified,

Was the Messiah Of God

Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

John 19:17

John doesn’t supply insignificant details about Jesus. John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial is full of details that point to the fulfillment of scripture that Jesus is God’s Messiah. (John 19:17-42)

Fifteen times in this Gospel John mentions Passover -- three times in chapter 19. He mentions the soldiers used hyssop to extend a sponge soaked in wine to Jesus. God commanded the Jews to use hyssop branches to brush the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts (Exodus 22), and Hebrews 9 tells us that it was hyssop branches Moses used to confirm the Covenant God made with the Jews. (Exodus 24) John wants us to know that Jesus is the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He wants us to know Jesus confirmed the New Covenant by his own blood.

John identifies three people at the foot of the cross. Mary, Jesus’ mother was there. Her sister, Jesus’ aunt was there. John was there. Decades after the crucifixion, groups opposing Jesus’ resurrection claimed that Jesus never died. John provides, by name, five eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death. John tells us that Jesus was pierced in the side and that blood and water flowed from the wound. Jesus was dead. Joseph and Nicodemus, the other two named eyewitnesses, placed Jesus’ dead body in the tomb and used a huge amount of oil and spices, enough for a King’s burial.

When Jesus was crucified, Pilate placed a sign on the cross, proclaiming Jesus as King of the Jews. The sign was in three languages: Hebrew, Latin and Greek. These languages covered a vast part of the known world, fulfilling the prophecy that Israel’s Messiah would be proclaimed to the entire world. The soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes. This was prophesied in Psalm 22. Jesus prayed from this same Psalm when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

John wants us to know that this man who was crucified, dead and buried was the Messiah of God, the One the scriptures promised would come to save Israel, save the world.

My Takeaway: Jesus was laid in a tomb so that He could spend the seventh day in a Sabbath rest. But, Jesus wasn’t through. The first day of the new week was coming. Sunday would be the first day of God’s New Creation.

HALLELUJAH!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

But It Was Our Sins That Did That To Him

Holy Week 2024

March 28, 2024

Thursday of Holy Week

But It Was Our Sins That Did That To Him

“. . . it was our pains he carried—

our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

Isaiah 53:4 (MSG)

There is much irony in the first sixteen verses of John 19. Pilate, who has absolute authority over Israel, vacillates. He is indecisive and fearful. At first, he toyed with the priests; if they wanted to crucify Jesus, he would let Jesus go, just to spite them. Then Pilate senses there is more being played out than he understands and wants to distance himself from the proceedings. Enter the ultimate irony. The priests, who were completely under the authority of Pilate, manipulate Pilate to do their bidding. Pilate capitulates, but the cost to the priests and the crowd is expensive beyond measure. They have repudiated their God by claiming they have no king, but Caesar. They have crucified the First Commandment: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me.” (Exodus 20: 2-3)

Thus the words of the Prophet Isaiah were fulfilled: (Please read this passage from Isaiah slowly, and outloud.)

“. . . it was our pains he carried—

our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself,

that God was punishing him for his own failures.

But it was our sins that did that to him,

that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole.

Through his bruises we get healed.

We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.

We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.

And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,

on him, on him.

He was beaten, he was tortured,

but he didn’t say a word.

Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered

and like a sheep being sheared,

he took it all in silence.

Justice miscarried, and he was led off—

and did anyone really know what was happening?

He died without a thought for his own welfare,

beaten bloody for the sins of my people.

They buried him with the wicked,

threw him in a grave of a rich man,

Even though he’d never hurt a soul

or said one word that wasn’t true.

(Isaiah 53: 4-9 The Message)

My Takeaway: I’ve got nothing to say. I just need to be still.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

To Know God As Our Strength

Holy Week 2024

March 27, 2024

Wednesday of Holy Week

To Know God As Our Strength

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Psalm 22:1

It is not just this opening line that connects this psalm to the crucifixion of Jesus. Throughout this psalm you can see Jesus on the Cross and you can see the people gathered around Jesus. See the crowd scorning the psalmist in v. 6-8 and compare with Matthew 27:39-43; the gambling for garments in v.18 and compare with John 19:23-24. Also consider the psalmist’s cry in v. 15 “My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth” and Jesus’ cry, “I thirst” in John 19:28. As you read the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion you will see even more parallels. Both Matthew and the writer of Hebrews proclaim that Jesus fulfilled this psalm. Why should that be significant to us today? I can suggest two reasons.

First, all of the Gospel writers want us to know that Jesus, who was crucified, dead and buried, was the Messiah of God, the One the scriptures promised would come and save Israel, save the world. By connecting the events in the life of Jesus to Old Testament prophesies, we can see God at work fulfilling His plan to redeem the world.

Secondly, the psalm points to the coming again of Jesus in final victory. (Psalm 22:27-28) As followers of Jesus, it is important for us to always be mindful that Jesus isn’t finished with his work. He will complete the restoration of God’s Kingdom on earth, and we get to be co-laborers with him in that work.

My Takeaway: Let us proclaim with the psalmist,

“I will praise you in the great assembly.

I will fulfill my vows in the presence

of those who worship you.”

Psalm 22:25

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

“I Am He”

Holy Week 2024

March 26, 2024

Tuesday of Holy Week

“I Am He”

“Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said.

John 18:4-5

The Gospels present the story of Jesus in a particular setting. There was the first exodus of God’s people led by Moses. Now God’s Messiah is leading the second exodus. There was the Garden of Eden inhabited by Adam. Now we are in a second garden, Gethsemane. In the first Garden, God, in the cool of the evening, came looking for Adam. In the second Garden, in the cool of the evening, sinful man comes looking for Jesus, God’s second Adam. (The Apostle Paul writes much about the ‘first’ and ‘last’ Adam in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15) Another Garden will be the setting for Jesus’ resurrection.

‘Who are you looking for?” Jesus asked. “Jesus of Nazareth” the soldiers replied.

Those gathered in the Garden heard much more than Jesus’ simple reply, “I am he.” They heard; “I AM.”

“I AM The Bread Of Life.”

“I AM The Light Of The World.”

“I AM The Gate.”

“I AM The Good Shepherd.”

“I AM The Resurrection And The Life.”

“I AM The Way, The Truth And The Life.”

‘I AM The Vine.”

Take a few minutes and ponder these seven I AM statements. Which one captures your attention more than the other six? Stay a while with the one I AM statement that has captured your heart. Listen for the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Is there something God is calling you to do, or to change in your life in response to this statement?

My Takeaway: Today, my heart is captured by, “I AM The Good Shepherd,” for all the reasons Jesus gives when he says he is the good shepherd (John 10). Also, recent events have me reflecting on my personal epiphany with Jesus thirty-four years ago when he left the ninety and nine and came looking for me. (Luke 15)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, March 25, 2024

Jesus Is The Way, The Truth And The Life

Holy Week 2024

March 25, 2024

Monday of Holy Week

Jesus Is The Way, The Truth And The Life

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

Read: John 14:1-14

In Jesus, the Glory of God has been revealed. In Jesus, we see the heart of God the Father. Jesus, as the revealed Glory of God, washed the feet of his disciples, loved his disciples, and was the Passover Lamb who took away the sins of the world. Jesus is the revealed Glory of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus shows us the way home to paradise, the way home to God our Father. Jesus and God the Father are one.

Therefore, because of all that Jesus is, he can make the most comforting promise in the Bible: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3).

For me, this promise is the tipping point for my response to all the claims Jesus has made on my life. My fidelity to Jesus’ command to go and make disciples rests on this promise. My willingness to entrust my life to God so that He can use everything in my life for His purpose of transforming me to become like Jesus depends on how deeply Jesus’ promise resonates within soul.

Jesus put his personal guarantee on this promise by his passion, death, and resurrection which we celebrate every time we receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. As we begin our Holy Week meditations, our focus is on this promise Jesus made in the first Holy Week.

My Takeaway: Is this promise of Jesus’ to you sufficient to earn your unconditional, unqualified obedience?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, March 22, 2024

He Knows Our Name

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 22, 2024

He Knows Our Name

“I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:11

Victor Hugo’s classic book Les Miserables, tells the story of Jean Valjean whose life was redeemed through the self-sacrificial love of the priest Bienvenue. Hugo developed the character Bienvenue so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in Bienvenue’s mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:11b NRSV) In this way, Bienvenue became a model by which the priests of Hugo’s generation could measure their lives. The Bible uses this same literary technique.

Ezekiel 34 uses the metaphor of a shepherd and his flock for the King and his people. Unlike royalty in secular societies who were set apart from their constituents, the shepherd was in close personal contact with his flock. He knew his sheep and they knew their shepherd. When Jesus used this metaphor in his parable (John 10:1-6) the people didn’t understand, because in their generation the rulers were dictatorial tyrants. Little has changed over the two millenniums since Jesus spoke this parable. Religious and secular leaders alike abuse their power and authority and tend to live lives separate and apart from those they govern. But Jesus pressed on to make sure we could understand the nature of God’s sovereign rule over our lives. Jesus gives us the most compelling and enduring metaphor for God’s authority and love for His people: “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11a).

Jesus gives us his promise, that as the good shepherd, he has come that we may have a rich and satisfying life. Jesus assures us that he knows our name. Jesus assures us that we can learn to know his voice; we can learn to distinguish his voice from all the noise of life.

My Takeaway: Jesus, our Messiah, is different from every king who has ever lived. Our King is more interested in our lives than his own. Why would I want to follow any other voice?

NOTE: Next week my meditations will be for each day of Holy week. I will resume my Meditations for Ragamuffins after Easter, on April 1, 2024.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, March 21, 2024

My LORD, My Rock and My Redeemer

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 21, 2024

My LORD, My Rock and My Redeemer

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1

The beautiful prose of Psalm 19 is matched by its deep theological significance. The writer uses two different names for God in the two parts of this psalm. First, the name El is used for the God of the universe. The skies display his craftsmanship. This refers to the general revelation of God through the wonders of creation. The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Romans, agrees with the psalmist when he affirms one only needs to look at the heavens to know there is a Creator God. John Muir said yes and amen to both the psalmist and Paul. He explored what is now Yosemite National Park and urged that the area be preserved as a national treasure because it was such a magnificent display of the beauty of God’s creation.

In the second portion of the psalm, the writer refers to God as the LORD because he is referring to God’s word, “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7). He is thus reflecting on the special revelation of God. This revelation is personal and full of grace.

The writer then closes his psalm of praise with an intercession for God’s help to always live in a right relationship with God. His closing prayer is one of the most profound and eloquent expressions of a desire to walk in harmony with God:

May these words of my mouth

and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

My Takeaway: Most certainly, this is one passage of scripture we all would do well to memorize. May these words frequently flow from our heart as our humble prayer to the One who loves us with an everlasting love!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Mark of a Christian

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 20, 2024

The Mark of a Christian

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

There are some spiritual guides who propose that Jesus set forth the central tenet of the Christian faith when he said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, & 7), he gave concrete examples of what love looks like: turning the other cheek, walking the extra mile, and offering no resistance to insult and injury. In other places, Jesus’ teachings included being reconciled with one another and forgiving seventy times seven. Jesus didn’t preface his teaching with, “It would be nice if you . . .” These statements of Jesus are imperatives. Without question, Jesus points to these attributes as evidence that one has chosen to be a disciple of the Messiah. But are they the mark of a Christian?

When I hear Jesus make these statements, I hear him saying, “When you trust me with all of your heart, all of our soul, all of your mind and all of your strength, this is what your life will look like.” For the Jews, Moses was the Law Giver for their covenant relationship with God. If we are not careful, we can turn Jesus into the New Covenant Law Giver. We can do this by receiving Jesus’ imperatives, and then, in our strength and out of our own resources, striving to meet these standards. When we fall short, we will be tempted to minimize our failings; when we have success, we will be tempted to justify our right-standing with God.

My Takeaway: For these reasons, we never, ever, want to stray too far from the Apostle Paul’s most eloquent affirmation that being saved through grace is the mark of a Christian:

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Incomprehensible

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 19, 2024

Incomprehensible

As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.

Ecclesiastes 11:5

If God wasn’t incomprehensible, He couldn’t be omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time), and omniscient (all-knowing). I believe our greatest inability to understand the activity of God is in our inability to comprehend God’s grace. Jesus promises us that “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3).

Jesus says that the key to God’s heart is not found in our knowledge or our good works. Jesus says that the key to God’s heart is found in our recognition of our spiritual poverty. When we recognize we can’t save ourselves, no matter how hard we try; when we simply plead for mercy, we possess God’s Kingdom. Incomprehensible!

Yes, the writer of Ecclesiastes is right: we “cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.” Even so, God, who by His nature is incomprehensible, invites us to know Him: “Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG). The incomprehensible God of the universe invites us to become like Him!

His ways are higher than our ways: we cannot understand the activity of God; He is without question incomprehensible. But He invites us to:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good”

Psalm 34:8a

The incomprehensible God of the universe speaks to us:

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Romans 8:16

My Takeaway: Anyone else need to pause here and fall to their knees?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, March 18, 2024

No Man Is an Island

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 18, 2024

No Man Is an Island

“Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others”

Philippians 2:4 (NRSV)

This John Donne poem has long been one of my favorites:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thine own

Or of thine friend's were.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

John Donne (1624)

When I think of scripture passages which may have inspired Donne to write this poem, I always put these words of the Apostle Paul at the top of my list: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 NRSV). The Gospels and the New Testament epistles are quite clear in calling the followers of Jesus to live selfless lives. Too often, Christians tend to write those imperatives off as hyperbole, as evidenced by many translators rendering Paul’s words in Philippians 2:4 as, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (NLT), or “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (NKJV). Both the NRSV and the NIV translations of this passage make clear Paul’s interpretation of Jesus’ imperative from his Sermon on the Mount: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31, 33).

How can we embrace these words of Jesus, Paul (and John Donne), and incorporate them into our lives as we seek to make the life in Christ our way of life? I have found it helpful to ever keep before me this axiom:

“Until you know who you are in Christ, it is impossible to love;

all you can do is take.”

This axiom is my reminder that I can love Christ because Christ first loved me. I can be compassionate toward myself because Christ is compassionate to me. Because I am compassionate to myself, I can be compassionate to others. When I am trusting God to meet my needs, I can look not to (my) own interests, but to the interests of others.

My Takeaway: “Each man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.” John Donne lived this way (and so did Paul) because Jesus lived this way. My mission is to join them and live this way. Will you join me?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, March 15, 2024

And Jesus Laughed

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 15, 2024

And Jesus Laughed

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

John 15:11

Many Christians have a hard time picturing Jesus laughing. I don’t. When Peter and the other disciples reminisced together about their days with Jesus, I believe their most common image of Jesus was of him smiling and laughing. Certainly, Jesus was serious when he needed to be, and he did weep over Jerusalem and his friend, Lazarus. But when you picture in your mind the children running after him and being pulled up onto his lap, can’t you see a big smile on his face?

Jesus employed much humor in his parables and other teachings. Not so much the one-liners late-night comedians like to use, but using hyperbole, and at times he even had a sarcastic wit. Isaiah tells us that Jesus “was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53:3a). Yes, this is true, but Jesus was also happy, and he enjoyed parties and festivals with his friends. Life has plenty of pitfalls, but Jesus’ mission contrasted sharply with the ways of the world: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

We are only 2 ½ months into this New Year, and we still have time to fine-tune our priorities and our approach to seeking the life in Christ in 2024. I encourage you to spend time in quiet meditation and imagine you are looking into a mirror, and the image you see looking back at you is Jesus. Hold that thought until you see Jesus smiling lovingly at you.

My Takeaway: One of my favorite benedictions or blessing that I pronounce on myself, is to “rest in God’s smile of affection for you.” Will you take this blessing for yourself?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Seasoning for Your Doing

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 14, 2024

Seasoning for Your Doing

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

James 1:22 (NRSV)

When you hear this phrase, “You are my beloved, with whom I am delighted and upon whom my favor rests,” do you experience a quickening in your spirit that this affirmation is God’s word for you? If not, seek, and ye shall find. (Matthew 7:7-8) When you have received this blessed assurance from God, remember our mission is to take the wonder of our personal experience with God and share our lives with the world around us.

When you read the Gospels, you find that Jesus was mostly on the move, going from village to village to meet the poor, captives, blind, and all who were in need. When Jesus met with the people, his experience of assurance from God was always evident. As we are witnesses for Christ, we too want our personal experience of God’s assurance to be evident.

Often the ways of the world, especially those of the social media, influence our witness. We must guard against this, so the world’s ways don’t drown out the seasonings of our personal experience of God’s love and acceptance. Two scriptures have become increasingly important to me as a hedge of protection against the ways of the world’s culture.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Romans 12:18

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

My Takeaway: I believe incorporating these verses into our lives will make us “doers of the word.” I also believe the more we listen for our Abba to say, “You are my beloved, with whom I am delighted and upon whom my favor rests,” the more we will become doers of His Word!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

I Am Well on My Way

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 13, 2024

I Am Well on My Way

I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith

2 Timothy 4:7

“For the joy set before him . . .” is how the writer of Hebrews explained Jesus’ motivation through life (Hebrews 12:2). As the Apostle Paul realized the end of his life was in sight, he pronounced his own benediction, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Put these two thoughts together, and we have a solid foundation from which to seek the life in Christ as our way of life. With this foundation, I live with the awareness that God is working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13)

I also live my life with the awareness that the Holy Spirit, my constant companion, and guide, is identifying the areas of my life he knows needs adjusting. While we all have areas in our lives that need work, places where we need to mature in our faith, there are several parts of my life that I hope the Holy Spirit will not need to correct. Here are just a few.

I hope the Holy Spirit does not find me lukewarm, because I’d rather he criticizes me for being too emotional, than not emotional enough. I hope the Holy Spirit doesn’t find in me a puny passion, because I’d rather he criticizes me for being too passionate for Jesus, than for a faith that goes along to get along. I hope the Holy Spirit will find good reason to affirm me for the cheerful generosity of my giving, rather than noting me as stingy or miserly.

My Takeaway: I hope the Holy Spirit observes that I am fighting the good fight, that I am well on my way to finishing the race, and I am remaining faithful. How about you?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tell Yourself the Truth

Meditations for Ragamuffins

March 12, 2024

Tell Yourself the Truth

Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.

When you search for me, you will find me;

if you seek me with all your heart,

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NRSV)

Imagine that when you go to God in prayer, your Abba not only hears you, He also speaks to you! What does He say to you? Far too many of us think we would hear some sort of judgment: repent, straighten-up, I’m losing my patience with you, I’m fed up with you, I wish I’d never saved you!

In contrast to such thoughts, if you believe what the Bible reveals about the character of God, especially as His character is revealed in Christ Jesus, you will hear your Abba saying, “I love you, I’m so happy you are my child.”

As we come to God by faith in Jesus, we realize the world has been telling us a pack of lies about who we are, who God is and what the world is like. We need to also realize that it is not just a generic ‘world’ that is telling us lies; we are telling ourselves lies. Most of the lies we tell ourselves are simply a matter of repeating lies first told to us by parents, teachers, family members and others who played significant roles in our lives. These life messages may have been somewhat well-intentioned, perhaps misguided efforts to motivate or provide needed discipline. Nevertheless, a lie is a lie.

Our greatest needs are to be loved, accepted and to have a healthy sense of self-worth. God loves you with an everlasting love. God has adopted you into His family, and He knows you as His beloved child. He wants you to know Him as your Abba. God has destined you to live eternally with Him. This is the truth.

My Takeaway: As we journey to make our life in Christ our way of life, let’s make it our purpose to often rehearse the truth of who we are in Christ. Let’s not tell ourselves lies; let’s tell ourselves the truth!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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