Safetypinlove

This was Job’s reaction when the Lord confronted him, which is close to Isaiah’s reaction to his vision of God…”Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5) The majesty, power, & astonishment of God had both Job & Isaiah groveling in their insignificance before their Creator, and that stark realization made them well aware of their helplessness & insufficiencies. So why should we be so upset when Satan whispers to us, “You’re worthless.” Or as Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Satan tells me I am unworthy; but I always was unworthy, and yet You have long loved me; and therefore my unworthiness cannot be a barrier to having fellowship with You now.” We are unworthy & will always be unworthy of God’s grace and mercy, but yet, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

It’s quite simple…the righteous love & study God’s Word, the wicked hate it. Faith, discipline & instruction come from revelation of Godly Vision within His Words, and through this knowledge, careful attention to our obligations can be perceived & kept. But when people reject God’s counsel, become unruly & unteachable, they become what Moses called the Israelites in Exodus 32:25, “running wild.” We are told here that happiness is found in knowing God & His Word which is in stark contrast with those who rebel against it. Or as Psalm 119:1-2 paraphrased says, “Blessed are they that walk according to the Law, who keep His statutes, and seek Him with all their heart.

Jesus displayed & demonstrated to His disciples the depth of His love for them by performing the most base & menial task…He washed their feet. Later, He commanded them in the attitude of a servant to do likewise. We are to be eager to serve one another…but we usually put stipulations on it. We want our serving to be adequately recognized, appreciated, and profusely shown gratitude by the person being served. But when Jesus washed the disciples feet He wasn’t looking for accolades or kudos…He was looking for heart changes. In Matthew 6:3 Jesus spoke of giving to the needy & serving them…and that these “acts of righteousness” needed to be done in submission to God & for His glory rather than for personal praise…and they needed to be done without fanfare, and expecting nothing in return…not even a thank you.

We are called to live in such a way that reflects God’s glorious attributes & character. And through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives, we then are being conformed into the likeness of Christ. (Romans 8:29) Which would be impossible on our own to do in our present physical earthly existence in this corrupt world. But as it says in II Corinthians 7:1, “Since we have these precious promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Our reverence towards God is then the foundation and principal part of godliness or sanctification… guarding us against unrighteous wants & desires of this world.

Jesus is using the metaphor of the vine and the branches here to show the complete dependence we must have in order to be fruitful. For it’s only when nutrients flow freely from the vine to the branches that fruit can be borne. That’s why no person that’s genuinely united to Christ can be wholly fruitless. So likewise, branches that bear no fruit show a failure to obey God. When we abide or remain in Him, there’s permanence & steadfastness in the relationship…resulting in much fruit. But remember, with the fruitfulness always comes the necessary pruning to increase the crop…and at the time, pruning may be painful. But rest assured, the Master Gardener knows exactly how to prune to insure greater productivity in the future.

As this Scripture shows, there’s only one thing you can dedicate to God – that’s your right to yourself. You can’t give God your faith & trust in Him, because it is Him who gave it to you first. (Romans 12:3) You can’t offer God your gifts & talents, for it’s only by His grace that you have them in the first place. (Romans 12:6) Neither can you hand over your very life, for without God breathing the breath of life into you at birth, you wouldn’t even be here. (Genesis 2:7) So what it comes down to is a battle of the wills over your right to yourself – yours, a selfish, self-serving will – or God’s, a divine & always perfect Will. But if to Christ you do surrender your right to yourself, it becomes an altar where your individual desires die in order that your sanctified surrender can live.

Chapter 7 of the Old Testament prophet Micah is a lament where Micah bemoans the fact that no one righteous can be found…resulting in social & national confusion…that is both the result and punishment of sin and rebellion against God. Jesus, in teaching His disciples about trusting in God alone in Matthew 10:35-37, quotes Micah 7:6…a particularly striking description of the breakdown and division of the family order as sin abounds. Bottom line is this – Jesus demands allegiance that takes priority over the natural ties of life, and therefore, we must place our hope & trust in God alone.

Both Joseph and Nicodemus were wealthy members of the Jewish council of the Sanhedrin. Both were profoundly affected by their encounters with Jesus…but sadly, both were scared to openly profess their faith in Him for fear of reprisals. Their timidity was added to by guilt & shame as they both witnessed the horrors of Jesus hanging on that Cross to die. So moved by it, Joseph boldly asked Pilate for the body & very publicly took it down off the cross…while Nicodemus brought burial spices to properly care for the body. Interestingly enough, none of the Eleven Disciples are mentioned in helping with this Rite. Rather, it was two secret Followers of Jesus, deeply & personally impacted by the Cross, now making public their private decisions… now fearlessly pledging their faith in Jesus Christ .

So often when we’re in the middle of loss, suffering, or illness, our eyes are down-cast. Life is hard, the world becomes small, and we can only focus on what’s right in front of us. But Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” That’s because if you think about it, we are utterly dependent upon God for every aspect of our well-being…for Who else called the universe into being and created everything out of nothing? So today, lift up your eyes…raise up your head, and look fully into the face of Jesus. For He loves you & wants to shoulder all your burdens.

What if that nagging hunger for more in your life is Jesus saying: “I Am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) The true bread Jesus offers to you is spiritual & eternal, not material & temporary as the world offers.

What if your sense of not being able to find your way in the world is Jesus saying: “I Am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Jesus is the light & truth of God’s Word & will show you the way in this dark world.

What if all your bottled up loneliness is Jesus saying: “I Am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9) On the other side of that door you will find Salvation, safety & guidance from Jesus Who will exchange all your loneliness for His everlasting love.

What if that ever-present anxiety is Jesus saying: ” I Am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for you in order that you may have eternal life, and there is nothing that will ever happen to you that has not already been ordained by God. Fear not!

What if the void inside you…the one you’ve tried all your life to fill, is Jesus saying: ” I Am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26) That void inside you is meant to be filled by our risen Lord, through faith alone, so that you may enjoy an abundant life through Him.

What if all your distrust is Jesus saying: “I Am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) You can place your trust in Jesus for He will never forsake you, abandon you, or leave you.

What if your feelings of worthlessness is Jesus saying: “I Am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” (John 15:1) In Christ you have a true union and relationship with God & in His eyes you are precious, loved and so worthy.