GodSprings - 27 July, 2016

Am I Out of Coverage Area?

“If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver. Jeremiah 4:1 (ESV)

Most of us have probably had the experience of trying to make a phone call, but maybe because we are inside a large building, or maybe because we are out in the middle of nowhere, we are not able to make the call, because we fail to get a signal. When we are in dire need to speak to someone the reply “The person you are trying to reach is either switched off or out of coverage area” sometimes makes us go mad.

If this is true with technology, then I feel it is true with our relationship with God. At times in our spiritual journey, we can become a bit disconnected from God. This may be the result of focusing too much on our own personal circumstances, making bad choices that can lead us astray, or allowing “stuff” to consume our time and attention. The good news is that God is not like the mobile operators some who claim to show the networks but of no use to us. Even if we have been focusing on the wrong things, or making unwise decisions that have taken us in the opposite direction from God’s will, God still stands with open arms, ready to welcome back anyone who is willing to return to Him.

Sometimes, when we feel far away from God, sometimes, when we feel as if our prayers are not being answered, sometimes, when we feel as if there is something wrong between us and God, sometimes it is very easy to point finger at God. It is very easy to question and doubt. It is very easy to look to God and to ask the Lord, “What is wrong here?” I suppose that is the way with human nature. It is almost always easier to blame someone else than it is to take personal responsibility for something.

God loves to bless His people. The Israelites, of all people, should have been the ones who should not have forgotten what God had done in their lives. He protected them while they were in Egypt, He delivered them from bondage, He provided for them in the wilderness, and He gave them their own land. But they still found themselves feeling disconnected from God.

The problem was that God’s people were focusing on the wrong things while failing to remember the right things: the many blessings of God. This resulted in unwise decisions that took them in the opposite direction from God’s will. Instead of trusting God, they were turning away from God. Instead of remaining faithful to God, they were committing spiritual adultery. They had abandoned God, and decided they could do just fine on their own. But all they succeeded in doing was making a mess of their lives and driving a wedge between themselves and God.

God offers forgiveness and restoration to anyone who is willing to receive them from him. If a disconnect has compromised your relationship with God, of if you feel detached from God, the simple truth is that you have moved away from God. God has not walked away from you, He has not forsaken you, and He has not moved or changed His heavenly address. He stands anxiously awaiting your return to Him.

Whether you have taken just one step in the wrong direction or have been walking in the wrong direction for years, God would say to you today, “Return to Me!”

GodSprings - 23 July, 2016

I Did It For My Lord

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” John 12:3-5 (ESV)

Bill Mills in his book Finishing Well in Life and Ministry shares the following incident. Many years back they had been assigned to translate the Bible into one of the Indian tribal languages. This was a lengthy and tedious process. Before computers, it often took as long as twenty years.

During the process, the translators were teaching the Scriptures and seeing a new church emerging among the tribe. But as they came toward the end of the translation project, the tribal people were becoming more and more involved in selling their crops for the drug trade and less and less interested in the Scriptures. When they finally finished the translation of the New Testament and scheduled a dedication service, not even one person came!

He says his wife was angry and bitter. She had given twenty years of her life so that these people could have the Scriptures, but they didn’t even want it! Then with regard to Bill’s ministry of the Word that week, she said: “It is as though God has been washing His Word over my soul and healing me, and He has opened my eyes to see this all from His perspective. I am just beginning to realize now that we did it for Him! That is the only thing that makes any sense in all of this. We did it for God!”

Mills concludes, “That is the only thing that makes any sense in ministry. We do it for Him.”

Why do you do what you do for the Lord is a question that we need to ask. This account and all the parallel accounts - Matthew (26:6-13) and Mark (14:3-9; Luke 7:37-39 is a different incident), all the disciples joined Judas in scolding Mary for wasting this expensive perfume on Jesus when it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But Jesus defends Mary by replying (Matt. 26:13), “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Mary’s expression is a great illustration to remind us of sacrificial, total, complete and unrestrained love.  I don’t think Mary’s expression was calculated or premeditated. The perfume which she poured was pure and valuable. In fact, its value was known by the man who always thought only about the price of things: Judas.  He named the price in verse 5 as 300 denarii.  A denarius is a day’s wage.  That’s 300 days of work.  That’s essentially a year’s work if you take some days off out.

This is an amazing and lavish expression. But the expression of love and devotion doesn’t stop there. Mary didn’t use a towel to wipe Jesus’ feet. Rather, she wiped the Lord’s feet with her hair. Respectable Jewish women never let down their hair in public.  In fact, it was considered a mark of a woman of loose morals. But, Mary was so caught up with her devotion to Christ that she didn’t stop to consider what others might think about her.  Like David dancing before the Lord wearing only an ephod (2 Sam. 6:14-23), Mary cast public opinion to the wind, let her hair down, and wiped Jesus’ feet. David’s fervent devotion embarrassed his wife, but the Lord stood with David. Mary’s action made the apostles uncomfortable, but Jesus sided with Mary. Jesus sided Mary and this is what ultimately counts.

When we do something for the Lord it should be out of a love that knows no limits, love without restraint.  It’s extravagant.  It’s humble.  It’s generous.  She gave everything of value that she could lay her hands on.

Why do you do what you do for the Lord? Is there a love in it that will go beyond limits? Do I look at how others will react? Can we say I did it for the Lord?

GodSprings - 22 July, 2016

God is Good - All The Time

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5 (ESV)

 

God is good all the time

He put a song of praise

In this heart of mine

God is good all the time

Through the darkest night

His light will shine

(God is good)

God is good all the time

God is good all the time is a wonderful praise and worship song by Don Moen. Had a chance to listen to his interview where he says the stories behind the songs. This is how the song came out. Don Moen says, “I was at a revival meeting and there was this evangelist who would say God is good all the time. Don’t forget that. I wrote that down and I thought that’s really true. God is good all the time. Life may not be good all the time but God is a good God. And then I went skiing with Paul Overstreet. He brought his guitar and I had my little electric piano. And before we went skiing this thought that God is good was going through my mind. I told him this is what I heard and I want to pen it down and we sat together and did a little bit of thinking and jamming and the result is the song. God is good all the time and all the time God is good.”

God not only does good, God is good. Odds are, we have all said, this and meant it. But do we really know what the good in “God is good!” really means? Are we speaking of the same good as when we say, “It’s all good,” “Good job,” or even “Good dog!” In general, when we use the word good to describe people, places, or things, we are using good to show some measure of approval or appreciation. But when we say that God is good, so much more than just appreciation and approval is expressed. How are we to comprehend God’s goodness, and what should our response be to His goodness?

Everything God does is good. His works, His plans, and His purposes are all good. He is good in His benevolence, and He is good in His chastisement. He is good in His judgment, and He is good in His forgiveness. He is good when He spares us from suffering, and He is good when He allows us to go through suffering. He has never been able to do anything but good and never will cease to be able to do good.

How does the goodness of God impact your daily life? How does His goodness help you live the Christian life? If we are to “be” good and “do” good, these can only be accomplished with God’s help. The Bible is clear that no one is good, and no one can do good apart from God (Romans 3:10-12). But the more we allow God to have His way in our lives, the more of His goodness we will experience and the more we can reflect His goodness to others. Only as we experience God and His goodness can we ever hope to be good or do good.

God is good, all the time, even when our circumstances may not feel good or even be good. God is still good. Everything God does is good, and everything God is working to accomplish is good. God even will take the bad stuff that happens to us and still use it for His good.

Let us today take time throughout our day today to consider some of the ways that God has been good to us, and thank Him for the fact that He not only does good but also is good. God is good!