Meditation 22 Your Body Matters

It's hard to go through a day without hearing someone talk about how tired or stressed out they are. We work demanding jobs, have family to take care of, and social obligations. Not to mention the constant connectivity to people through our phones and screens which demands a certain amount of care. Its no wonder we often feel over-tired. 

We know that Jesus cares for us, but His caring normally gets placed in the spiritual realm only; He cares about our souls. However true and vitally important this may be, the God of all the universe also cares about your body. Our tender, caring Lord Jesus is concerned about how much rest your body is getting. Jesus said to his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Jesus is careful to provide rest when He sees His followers are fatigued. 

Jesus is for the health of your body; He not only allows you to rest, but He has commanded that we rest in the principle of the sabbath. Are you resting, dear reader? Are you maintaining the health of your body? Remember that the body and the soul are connected; a well rested body will profit the soul profoundly. Many of God's children are blessed with walks through nature, listening to music, eating a good meal or reading a book. If these things bring you rest and make your body more fit for the service of your Lord, then I would suggest that by neglecting them, you neglect what God requires; For He calls us to rest. Note that this resting is but “for a while.” We give our bodies breathing-room and care for them knowing that this rest is only for a while. 

Father, as my Good Shepherd you know that I get worn-down and you call me to “come away.”  As you care for my body as well as my soul, help me to also.  

Meditation 21 The Hope in Baptism

Our Lord Jesus left us with just two outward, visible signs of our inward, invisible faith; Baptism and Holy Communion. I remember as a child watching baptisms take place in our church. Just before the paster would dunk the new deliver into the water, he would say, “upon your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 

Have you ever given much thought to that statement, “your profession of faith”?  What faith are we professing exactly? Sometimes I wish the the pastor, before submerging the new believer would say something like:

“Upon the strength of Christ’s forgiveness of sins, by his death on the cross, which formed the New Covenant; the promise of God, sealed with the precious blood of Jesus, that He would call men and women forth from every people of the earth, and that you are one of those whom God has so called, loved and saved, I baptize you…”  Putting the emphases of our profession and faith Jesus and His work.  

The hope set forth in your Baptism is Christ’s unyielding Covenant of Grace, His opening your eyes to behold Him as glorious, His calling your forth from death to life, His adopting you into the family of God, His loving you before you loved Him, His becoming sin for you, that you might become acceptable in Him. In baptism, we confess that Christ has done all this for us. Your baptism, dear Christian, is the outward, visible sign, of that inward, invisible work that Christ has done for you. 

Father, thank you for placing this sign of your covenant upon me. Thank you for sealing my faith with it. As surely as the water washed over me in my baptism, you have washed away all my sins. 

Meditation 20 Eat My Flesh

I've heard of people having a "life verse”; some particular verse that is meaningful to them, that they have as a kind banner over their lives. I've yet to hear anyone say John 6:53 is their life verse. Jesus said "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." The contemporaries who heard Jesus say these words were offended by them and, as John records, after hearing them, they never followed him again (v. 66). 

As odd as the text may sound, the context is one of being nourished and sustained by fellowship with God through the Son, Jesus Christ. Not only has He invited us to sit and dine with Him, but He has invested us to eat of Him. Jesus calls us to partake of Him; of His nature, of His grace, of His love, of His justice and of His peace. All of this is done by faith; a faith that unites us with the Father and with the Son. And we maintain this blessed communion through feasting on Jesus. 

To feast on Christ we need to have a craving for Him; a desire for Him. To hunger and thirst after Him. To feel a sense of spiritual malnutrition when we are far from Him. If we are to feast on Christ, we must also apply ourselves to Him. It is not enough to think about eating food, nor will merely looking at the food do you any good. You must take it up and eat it for it to have any application to you. We must make Christ ours; all of who He is, He is for us. Salvation, peace, hope, refuge, safety; Christ is all these things, and He is all these things for you. You must take them for your own. And lastly, to eat the flesh of Jesus and drink He blood, we must find our delight in Him; for who He is and what He has done for us. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will satisfy the cravings of your heart (Ps. 37:4). 

Father, it is the privilege of all privileges to know you and enjoy you forever. Help me to eat my full of Jesus today. 

Meditation 19 Am I Really Saved?

I have met people who, from earliest memory, have had a confidence that they belonged to God. They never doubted for one moment that they were saved; that they had been born again. Most of us, however, when going through some particular temptation, or falling into sin, do not have an experiential assurance of saving faith. We may ask ourselves in these times, "Am I really saved?" 

There are believers who never experience a full knowledge of assurance of salvation, while others experience it intermittently throughout their lives. The question "am I saved" is a great question to ask ourselves, for we never want to grow smug in our faith. There are two dangers we face in seeking assurance; one, we can throw our hands in the air and give up. We can come to the conclusion that it's impossible to know for sure. The second is the opposite, we can experience a kind of false assurance where we never bother to ask ourselves if we are really among the beloved of God. Both are equally dangerous. 

Dear struggling believer, if you are asking yourself if you are truly converted, consider the question itself a mercy of God and do not ignore it. Make use of your concern and ask yourself 1) Do you believe the Gospel promises; do you believe in the finished work of Jesus and that all who call upon Him will be saved? Do you believe that, on the cross, Jesus was your substitute? Do you believe in the merits of Christ; that He not only gives new life, but also applies to your credit His perfect obedience to the law? 2) Do you have an inward witness of the Holy Spirit? Have you ever felt conviction of sin? Have you ever felt love for God? Have you ever run to Jesus as the only one who can undertake your salvation? 3) The third is perhaps the most important, do you have any evidence, or fruits of sanctification? Have you any desire to obey God? Have you any sin-killing, world-overcoming, heart-cleaning desire for God. Have you accepted Jesus as your Master as well as your Savior? 

There is no Assurance Test to take, no score card or grade posting. However, if you are struggling with your assurance, let these three questions be a guid for you. If the genuine answer of your heart is "No, I don't have any of these thing in my life", do not lose hope. God is even now calling you turn to Him afresh and find in Him a surety for your soul.   

Father, I know that all whom You have given your Son will never be lost (John 6:37). Give me a proactive faith that I am numbered among them. 

Meditation 18

When thinking of our Lord Jesus' incarnation, life, death and resurrection, we are drawn to the glorious reality that He did all this for us. Jesus looked upon our pitiable state and had mercy on us; he has dignified us in calling us His own. We have been adopted into the vary family of God Himself! A higher honor no man could bestow on us. He has made us distinguished in that He has called us His sons and His daughters. A more noble name no one could be given. 

But in so doing, in giving us this dignity, our Lord Jesus suffered great humiliation. God of very God, helplessly nursing at the breasts of a woman. The very wisdom of God, derided as a crazy madman. The One who came down from heaven, who was filled with the Spirit above measure, being called demon possessed. The One who would fulfill all righteousness, chided by men as a sinner. The One who came to complete the Law perfectly, accused of being a law-breaker. The One who all the prophets spoke of, declared an apostate. The One who came as the Truth and the Way, branded a deceiver. The One clothed in glory, hanging naked on a cross. The Author of life, put to death. The Sustainer of life, buried in the ground and held under the power of death for three days. 

Your dignity, dear reader, though at no cost to you, cost your Lord great humiliation. In order to lift your head to a place of honor, Jesus bowed His head in disgrace.  

Father, I stand amazed at the great cost of this free gift you have given me. Let that humility be me, which was in Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Meditation 17

Rejoice in the love of the Father! We often have a better sense of the love of the Son, than we do the love of the Father. When we think of the love of God, it is often Jesus who first comes to mind. The Father is looked at as being angry towards us, and the Son loving us and appeasing His  Father’s anger. This couldn't be further from the truth. I would never try to diminish your love of the Son in any way! The love of the Son is a wonderful, almost an unbelievable love! I would only try and heighten your delight in the Father’s love in the great act of your redemption. 

Redemption was not only accomplished by Christ on the cross, but the Father had a preemptive role in it. Probably the most recognizable verse in the Bible is John 3:16. Note whose plan it was to save, "For God! so loved the world." It was the Love of the Father that first thought up and planned the redemption of lost humanity. 

It was as if, in old eternity, the Father approached His eternal Son and said, "There must be a way to rescue the lost and dying race of Adam." Then He turned to His Son and said "I will send You into their fallen world. You will live the life they are now incapable of living, and I will crush you; I will pour out my wrath on you, instead of them, until it it exhausted." The Son was, as it were, a willing participant in the Father's plan of redemption. 

The fountainhead of your salvation lies in the Love of the Father. It was God the Father, the offended party, who first plotted out the recovery of your life. It was God the Father who called out His Son to redeem you from the curse of the fall. 

We must love the Father as we love the Son. We must return love with love; our drops for His ocean. 

Father, were the whole realm of nature mine, it would be an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands soul, my life, my all. 

Meditation 16

It was late in the evening, I was 16 years old, and I declared to my sister that I no longer believed in God. I was an atheist for an entire day. I’ve always struggled with unbelief; I’m not a natural believer. I’ve never found faith to be easy. Belief in the unseen, hope in a life to come, submitting my will to a higher power; all these are hard for me.

Even though my faith has been at times weak and fragile, it has never broken completely. There have been times when I wanted to leave the faith; when I have wanted to run away from the Lord. Perhaps you have been there as well - in the dark valley of doubt. Perhaps you have felt you that you cannot carry on in the faith. 

Our meditation today comes from the unquivering lips of the Eternal God of the universe, Jesus Christ. In a statement pregnant with hope and shining like a beacon in the night, Jesus declares: “I shall lose none!” (John 6:39). This is the reason, dear Christian, that your faith has not been swallowed-up by doubt. This is the reason that all your heartaches have not lead to final despair. Jesus will not lose you; He will not let any of His own be lost eternally. Feeble though your faith may be, Jesus has shed his precious blood for you, and not a sing drop was spilled in vain. If the power to save is in His blood, the power to keep you saved is found in that same atoning death. If you are in Christ, the success of your faith rests not first upon your own ability to keep it, but in the strength of Christ’s promise that He shall keep it. 

Father, nothing in my hands I bring, not even my own faith, simply to the cross I cling. I am more than comforted that all you have given your Son, my Savior, will be no means ever be lost eternally, but you shall raise me up on the last day.  

Meditation 15

There are many commands for the believer within the pages of sacred scripture; love your enemies, treat others how you want to be treated yourself, give and do no expect anything in return. But perhaps the least thought of, the least applied - the command we've never heard a sermon preached on, comes from the fourth chapter of the book of James. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle commands us to weep! "Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloominess" (vs 9). 

It's almost offensive to our ears. This command is the opposite of our self-help, entertainment-driven culture. Even our seeker-driven preaching conspicuously is absent of any seriousness. But here our Lord reminds us of the solemnity of sin: that sin is no joke. 

The hardest thing to do is to get people to think seriously about there sin. Even to suggest that someone might just be a sinner, is an act of cultural suicide. But the Bible describes our sin as obnoxious to the holiness of God.   

There are sessions of great rejoicing in the life of the believer, but those are times when our thoughts are on the love and works of God towards us. When we turn our gaze onto ourselves, we should be marked as people of great sorrow, for within ourselves, no good thing dwells (Rom. 7:18). 

Dear reader, remember today that Jesus has never cast out a single repenting sinner. The more we remember in sorrowful repenting, the more He forgets in forgiveness and fills with joy.

Father, grant me repentance today. Teach me to think seriously about my sin, and in Your forgiveness, to find rest for my soul.    

Meditation 14

From amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants to job creation numbers, quality of life is  something we all pay attention to. Healthcare, education, opportunities for all members of society, recreation, parks, clean air, good food and easily accessible shopping are all factors which make our cities and countries rank high on quality of life indexes. Much was the same when the prophet Elisha walked into the city. The men greeted him at the gate and gave him the quality of life report: "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant!" (2 Kings 2:19). Things are going well for us. Life is good. We have good employment, new hospitals and great universities!

"But" they continued, "the water is bad." The water was bitter. The river was not just polluted, the very source, the spring of the water was bad. For all of our advances in medicine and technology, we have never been able to purify the heart: the water is bad. We are told that the prophet went to "the spring of the water" and there applied a remedy from God, declaring; "Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water." 

It is your heart, dear reader, the fountain of all your thoughts, actions and desires that the Lord would heal. Though your body may be at ease, though all may seem pleasant to you, it is the condition of your heart that is the wellspring of life.

The Author of life is not looking for mere behavior modification, or a higher moral code to follow. He is looking to heal the source, the spring of your life - your heart. 

The writer continued his description, "So the water has been healed to this day." The heart-healing of the Lord is a lasting remedy. Today's meditation is simple: Is it well with your heart?

Father, my one great need is for You to heal my heart. Apply your healing salve to the fountain of my life and all shall be well with me. 

Mediation 13

"Open my eyes, that I my behold wondrous things in Your Word!" These are are words of David in Psalm 119:18 as he approached the Scriptures. David understood something that seems to be nearly forgotten by modern readers, namely, that God himself is what the scriptures primarily reveal to us. David was looking for God within the pages of the book. Not only was he looking for God, but he knew that God was wonderful. 

That is why it is of utmost importance to open this Book and read! Fall in love with this Book, not because it is the Holy Bible, but because it is God’s primary way of revealing himself to us, and He is Wonderful! “Oh God” the Psalmist said, “Show me wonders in thy word!” Show me wonders! How often is that our prayer when we begin to read sacred scripture? 

Do you remember what God said to Samson’s parents when they asked what His name was? God answered and said to them, "Why do you ask me my name, seeing that it is Wonderful!" (Judges 13:17, 18). The prophet Isaiah describes one of the names of the Messiah, saying, “His name shall be called Wonderful!” (Is. 9:6). 

Dear reader, are you looking for the wonders of the Lord himself as you read His Word today? Are you just reading it because you know you ought to? Are you only reading to find some practical application for yourself? Or are you reading it to know the living God, who is Wonderful? 

Father, You are what I want. You are the treasure hidden in the field of Your Word. Open my eyes that I might see Wonders in Your Word. 

Meditation 12

There are few things in the Christian life that are more misunderstood then prayer. We find ourselves feeling guilty that our prayer lives are not what they should be. The moment we do pause and pray, our minds wander away and we can’t focus. We feel like hypocrites when, after a season of silence, we come to God in prayer with a particular problem we need help with. Or we feel stuck in a bad habit of just complaining to God about our lives. 

Dear Christian, be comforted today, that your most merciful Father in Heaven will by no means reject any of the prayers of His children. He has encouraged us to come to Him in every possible way. “Call upon me” says your Lord, “for I am near to all who call upon me in truth” (Ps. 145:18).  There are no conditions or requirements for the believer as he comes to God in prayer. There are no set times for prayer, for Jesus is always living to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). There are no set places, for He wants all people, everywhere to cry out to Him (Acts 17:30). Our Lord’s eyes are too pure to see evil (Hab. 1:13), but we have a Great High Priest who was tempted in every way just as we are, so that we may come to God’s throne of Grace with confidence of being heard (Heb. 4:15, 16)! Dear reader, there is nothing on your mind or in your heart, that God, your Father does not want to hear. There are no worries too small, no fears too large, no emotions too deep for the ear of God. He wants you to draw near to Him with them all, for He has said, “Cast all your cares upon me, for I care for you” (1 Pet. 5:7)!

So today, don’t worry if your time in prayer has been long interrupted. Don’t worry if your mind begins to wander. Don’t worry if your sins are many. Don't worry if you only have a few minutes.  Draw near to your Lord today in prayer. He has promised to draw near to you and to listen to your cries. 

Father, I am poor and needy, but you, the God of all, take thought of me (Ps. 40:17). Therefore I will draw near to you, for you care for me. 

Meditation 11

You will die one day. This body that you live in will soon deteriorate, grow old, die, rot and turn to dust. If there is anything we loathe it's the thought of death. We dye our hair, buy anti wrinkle cream, work out at the gym and paint our faces to hide the signs of age on our bodies. Even at funerals we dress the deceased in their finest clothes and pay thousands of dollars to have our loved ones look as living as possible. Celebrities go under the knife to give the allusion of youth and woman refuse to say their age. All in an attempt to remain young and beautiful forever. 

But all this cannot change the fact that you and I have a 100% chance of dying. Does the thought of you dying offend you? 

There was a time in the life of the Church when the people of God were encouraged to think about their own death. Jonathan Edwards resolved, "to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death." Another Puritan told his congregation to "Meditate much on the solemnity of death, the certainty of judgment day, and the vastness of eternity". What did they understand that we have forgotten? What drove them to want to think upon their own death? 

They believed that the foundation of the Christian's peace and joy is everlasting and one day will be made evident. They beloved in the visio beatifica, the blessed vision; the sight that only angels are privy to-the visio Deo! The vision of God. They believed that all the wrongs of time would be made right, all their suffering would cease, all their striving would come to an end and they would see God face to face. And to see God is what they were living for. 

Father, in Christ death itself has had its sting removed. My whole life is taken up with the great hope and expectation that one day, after I have taken my final breath on earth, I will see You face-to-face. 

Meditation 10

“Be watchful! Your advisory the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1Pet. 5:8, 9) I’m sure Peter’s denial of his Lord was in mind as he penned this word of warning. Jesus had told him that Satan himself was going to try and violently shake him so as to destroy his faith. Peter, years later, when writing about the snares and traps of the devil says, “Listen to me, Satan is like a lion seeking to destroy the every souls of believers. So be careful!” 

This admonition to be “Careful”, or as we find it in our text “watchful”, can never be underestimated. Is it not our carelessness that causes us to be enticed by the fiery darts of our soul’s enemy?

Far too often I’m afraid, we find ourselves not thinking or believing that we could be overcome by Satan’s devices. But it is this very lack of consideration or inattention to the reality that Satan is a vigorous enemy, whose goal is the extinction of our faith, that causes us to fall. Be Watchful! says Peter, for you are Satan’s prey! He is hunting you down, to kill your soul. 

So be alert, dear reader, awake from your sleep. Do not be drowsy in your night-watch. Do not be unreasonable in your thinking; Satan continues to go about like a roaring lion, with great skill, and using every opportunity to snuff the light of your soul out. 

Father, I’ve had enough of living a drowsy Christian life. Wake me up from my stupor. Protect me from the three enemies of my soul; the world, my own self, and the devil. And cause me to be firm in my faith, for your name’s sake. 

Meditation 9

Recently a friend of mine gave birth to her first child. The atmosphere was pure joy, a real celebration! There were balloons outside the hospital room and a myriad of gifts inside. The happy new parents were nearly overwhelmed by the number of food-bearing visitors who came to celebrate the birth of the baby. In Ezekiel we find an obscure passage about the birth of a child. But at this child's birth there was no celebration, no balloons, no visitors and no gifts. In fact, the parents of this child hated it. Before the baby was washed with water, wrapped in a blanket or even had its cord removed, it's mother despised it and throw the child into a ditch. Abandoned and left to die. The story doesn't end there however; we find the Lord Himself coming to this wretched child. We pick up the narrative in chapter 16, verse six, “‘And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’"

Dear reader, you and I are that wretched and disposed child. Even the best of us, the most successful of us, know the state we were in before our rescue; lost with no hope, grouping in darkness, sick without a salve to comfort our open sores. But at some point in time, while we were dead in our trespasses and sins, while our blood was still unwashed, our cord still uncut, while we were unloved and cast off, Christ found us by the road and said, “Live! You shall not die!” 

If you are in Christ, than you are, even now, an object of God’s favor and pleasure. Though you were wretched, dirty and lost, He has gently loved you and cared for you, bringing you into a position of honor and nobility. The King of kings has become your Father and has tenderly washed, wrapped and healed you. 

“Fatherlike He tends and spares us; 

Well our feeble frame He knows. 

In His hands He gently bears us, 

Rescues us from all our foes.”

Father, I stand amazed at this reality; that I am able to know you as Father, and be known by you as your son. Such a privilege is too wonderful for me to take in - You, the King of Glory, have looked upon me and loved me. 

Meditation 8

Probably one of the most recognizable portions of scripture is the 23rd Psalm. Even our secular culture, where religion is a racist term, the words "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" are still well known. And certainly in Christian parlance, this Psalm is still well beloved, memorized and often recited. There is something comforting about it, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil". It encourages us and reminds us to be strong and keep hoping that things will get better. 

The line that stands out to me the most comes in verse five, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies". It scares and comforts me at the same time like few other verses do. Most of us would rather the verse read, "You prepare a table before me and remove all my enemies." The joy of a feast is something I don't usually associate with trouble. But here our Lord seems to say to us, "It is not by rescuing you from trouble, but in the midst of trouble, that I will be your joy."  

It is through trials and troubles that our Lord sanctifies us, not the absence of them. The difference between the Christian and the world, is that the Christian does not despair as he walks through the valley of the shadow of death (1 Thess 4:13). Though the loss is real, we are confidant that all our trouble and pain have been delivered to us in exact portion by the hand of our loving Father, and therefore we do not lose hope. 

Are you struggling today? Do you feel as though the waters of trouble will soon rush over your head? If you are in Christ, take heart, the feet of your soul are resting on the Rock Jesus. It is through the Via Dolorosa that your rescue comes. 

Father, though the way is hard and filled with trouble, yet I will rejoice in the you; I will glory in the God of my salvation.   

Meditation 7

As a child, I was nothing less then a hellion; a case-and-point for total depravity. Once I even chased a guest around the house with a butcher’s knife. A few years ago my uncle told me he was convinced I was possessed by a demon when I was young. I would steal anything I thought was nice, explode in anger for no reason and lie at the drop of a hat. When my mother was trying to get the truth out of me and she knew I was lying, she would employ a clever trick to get me to confess. My mother would look me in the eye and ask, “If Jesus were sitting next to you, and He asked you if you hit your brother, what would you say to Him?” That one got me every time! That tactic forced my arm and I had to tell the truth no matter how bad the consequence was. How could I lie to Jesus if he were sitting next to me? Impossible! 

What I didn't understand as a child was that I really was sitting in the very presence of God Himself. I didn't understand that everything I did was open and manifest to God. As a boy, I didn't realize that all of life is lived coram Deo, “before the face of God.”

If you are anything like me, you often fall into the trap of compartmentalizing your life and faith. At school you're one person, at home another. When your with your Christian friends you have a set of vocabulary thats different then when you're with your work buddies. And when you're by your self, you're a whole other person entirely. 

The whole life of the believer is to be lived coram Deo. For God, all things are laid open, there is nothing that can be done outside of His presence. God does not see life in compartments; He does not expect us to act as children of the Light in our churches only. 

Remember today, dear reader, that at all times; whether at school or work, alone or at home, you are in the presences of a Holy God. Live in such a way that will bring honor to Him at all times. 

Father, today, whether I eat, or drink, or laugh, or play, or work, or rest, I am well aware that I am in your presence. Help me live in such a way that will bring glory to You at all times and in all places. 

Meditation 6

There are few things that irk me more then being loved for the wrong reasons.  Have you ever felt like someone was using you, not because they enjoyed you, but because they enjoyed what you could do for them? They were nice to you because they wanted to use your pool! They showered you with compliments because they thought you could get them a job. Almost everyone knows the feeling of being taken advantage of. Someone loving you for their own personal gain. 

There is genuine love as well. I’ve seen it most purely displayed by a grandmother I know, doting on her son’s first child. She was willing to fly half-way across the world to see her new grandchild. No expense was too high. She would rather spend her time and money on this little baby then anything else in the world. She loved giving to this tiny child because of who he was not for what she could get out of him. 

We have also experienced another kind of love; the joy of giving to those in genuine need. There are few things that can give us a feeling of real and deep contentment like giving to those in need. Have you ever met the need of someone who had no way to help themselves? Buying gifts for a single mom at christmas, paying off the student loans of a relative, or helping pay down the medical bills of someone at church. I remember sitting across the table from a Syrian refugee living in Jordan. He looked at me and said, “I have enough money for rent this month and next, but then I have nothing left.” For me, giving to this man, even though it limited my own budget, was the only thing I wanted to do. I loved helping him. 

Before the throne of God, dear Christian, you stand double-blessed; loved and doted upon as His child as well as blessed and cared for as a poor and weary traveler. The scriptures says that God has loved you so much that gave His own Son to die for your rescue, and if He has given this, the most costly gift the universe has even known, surly He will also give us everything else we need (Rom. 8:32). The same God who has given a peace that surpasses all understanding and a place in Heaven, will surly provide for us our daily bread as well. He will never use you or take advantage of you. His love is pure and poured out on His children. 

Father, I deserve nothing, and yet have found myself honored by the King of kings. You have made me your child; an heir of all things, a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Thank you for the love and tender care you have shown me. All I have needed your hand has provided. Great is your faithfulness, Lord, unto me. 

Meditation 5

Meditation 5

"All things". Have you ever thought about these simple words which we find in scripture? God will give you all things (Rom 8:32), all things work for your good (Rom 8:28), from God and through Him are all things (11:36), all things are yours (1 Cor. 3:21).  Perhaps the most striking mention of "all things" comes from the lips of our Lord Jesus himself as He prepared to drink the cup of wrath at the hand of God. Listen to Jesus speak, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done" (Mark 14:36). 

For Jesus, "all things" working for His good meant the flesh being ripped from his body, being mocked while hanging naked from two pieces of wood and dying as a convicted criminal. The Father gave His Son "all things"; physical abuse, humiliation, suffering, torture , becoming the scuttle of the earth and a shameful death. All things were His. The loving Father saw that all these things were good for Him. 

Remember, dear reader, that God, your loving Father, will also give you all things. If foreclosure on your house is good, He will give it to you. If the loss of a child is good, he will give it to you. If suffering with mental health issues is good, He will not withhold it from you. If loss of your reputation is good, He will give that to you also. If cancer is good, it shall be yours. If loss of your job, or persecution, or being rejected by friends, or singleness, or loneliness be good, you shall have them. All things are yours. God will not withhold anything from you that will serve your ultimate good, which is Christ himself. 

Father, I believe that you would never withhold from me anything that will tend to my seeing and savoring you as my fullest joy and highest good. Therefore, not my will, but yours be done. 

Meditation 4

There are times in the believer’s life when nothing sounds sweeter to his ear than free grace, total pardon and unconditional love from the God of all things. The sweet melodies of constant attention and affection from our caring and kind Father seem more wonderful than we have the capacity to take in. 

But there are other seasons in our lives when the curse of sin seems not to be broken in our lives, when thinking about the free grace of God fills us with shame at who we are and what we’ve done. When the unconditional love of God for us feels like a weight upon our shoulders, pressing down to crush us. There are times when we feel the corruption of our body, mind and soul is so great that no person should love us, and certainly a Holy God will not love us. The pollution of sin penetrating everything we are, and we feel filthy. 

In those dark days of the soul, the very thought of the love of God fills us with guilt, reminds us of our shame, exposes our unworthiness, reveals how ungrateful we are of the tender kindness of God and how our hypocrisy touches the very core of who we are. 

Dear weak and stumbling Christian, remember that this Great and Holy God of the universe loved you before you ever had a single good thought toward Him. When you were His enemy, He loved you. When you were dead in your rebellion and sin, He loved you. When you had incurred an eternal, unpayable and endless debt, the King of Glory loved you. 

All the sheep of Christ are diseased and weak and He loves them, and therefore He loves you. God takes care of his poor, weak, helpless and hurting children. He has never lost a single one of them and therefore you will never be lost. He has never stopped loving a single one of his children, and therefore He will never stop loving you. 

Let the Love of God comfort you in your weakness, temptation, sin and pollution, and cause you to return to Him in full hope of endless pardon and eternal love. There is no shadow of turning with Him, and if He has loved you once, He will love you always. 

Lord, I am weak and constantly stumble and fall. I am corrupted, dirty and weary; you are the only one who can bind up my broken heart. Therefore, I come to you, fully confident that in you there is forgiveness of sins for all who call upon your name, and therefore for me. 

Meditation 3

From time to time over the years, I have kept a journal. I alway enjoy looking back over a year's time and seeing the unconscious change that was being taking place. An issue I was struggling with a year ago, which today I have solid conclusions about. A particular sin that was overwhelming me, which now has been overcome. A struggle of doubt which has now become a harbor of rest for my tossed soul.

When we have the blessing of seeing our growth in grace, we begin to realize how far we have come since our days before Christ interposed His precious blood and saved us. 

Those things we once rejoiced in, have become to us like husks which swine feed upon. Think of how we used to fill up our empty lives with gluttony for food, or endless time in front of a screen, desperately looking for some false feeling of approval. From addiction to porn to over-loving work, we were trying find our value and worth in something, anything; our homes, cars, kids, clothes, social connections, vacations or some natural talent we posses. 

The world cannot comprehend why we do not join them in their love for these things. Though we still have homes and take vacations, these things no longer terminate in themselves. Where once these things where an end in themselves, now we do all for and out of great love for our Master Jesus Christ. We can't help but do all we do, whether it be eating or drinking, for the glory of God and in the hope that our actions will lead to His great name being known by all people.  

What about you? Can you say that you no longer spend your time, thoughts and resources as you once did? Are you still feeding on the husks of the world, or have discovered the bounty that awaits you when you feed upon holy truths? 

Lord, bring me to the end of finding my hope in the lusts of the flesh and delights of the eye, and cause me to find all my comfort in You, for your name's sake. Amen.  

Meditation 2

I remember getting my first job when I was 16 years old. It was a simple job in landscaping for no more than minimum wage. I was a bit of a hothead and thought I knew everything. I quickly found out I knew nothing about anything. I remember the realization that I was not in charge of myself anymore. My boss told me when to show up, and when I could go home. If he told me to do something, I had to do it. In the beginning, I resented my boss because I thought I knew better than him. After some time, I realized that he actually knew what he was talking about, and when he instructed me to do something, it was not to make life harder for me, but to help me do the job correctly. 

The feeling of submission is something our culture seems to have an allergic reaction to. Just mention submission in the context of marriage and watch people look at you like your some sort of misogynist. 

Another word which congers up negative emotions is "surrender". Surrender is the opposite of the 'American spirit'. We take our rights by force, we never surrender. 

But the cry of the Christian is one of complete surrender and submission. The Christian is one who has taken his own self to the place of execution, and there has slaughtered himself. He arises from that place and declares, "I am no longer my own, for I have been bought with a price. I have been crucified with Christ, I am no longer my own, but all of me; the thoughts of my mind and the passions of my heart, my finances and time, yes even my own will, is my Lord's". 

Do you believe that God holds all the treasures of wisdom this universe could possibly hold? Do you believe that He is Light, and in Him no darkness could possibly dwell? Do believe that He can never change, that he is the same yesterday, today and forever? Do you believe that all time and history are laid out before Him, and that He knows the end from the beginning? 

Then dear reader, you have every reason to surrender all to Him this day and to say, "submission to Christ is the greatest form of freedom a human can possibly live in, while he does live!" 

Lord, I have nothing, but even if you would ask for that, I would gladly and freely offer it to you. 

Meditation 1

How do you know if progress is being made in your faith? What are the symptoms that you have moved higher and deeper into your knowledge of the Holy? Are their benchmarks to measure your spiritual affections? If you are a Christian, chances are that you’ve asked yourself these questions. In your desire to press forward and live your faith, you wonder, ‘how am I doing?’  

There is no “acid test” to gage your spiritual growth, however, there is one question for your mind to meditate on today; do I have admiration for the Law of Christ? Do I have a feeling of delight towards the instructions God has given me? 

The question itself is an odd one to ask in our individualist and ‘me centered’ culture. We very rarely speak or hear of the “Law of Christ” being talked about. However this does not mean that as New Covenant believers we do not have a “Law” to follow. Jesus himself gives us a “commandment” to follow, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). The “Law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2) is fuller and deeper than you ever considered; Do not over-worry about things that are not in your control (Matt. 10:19), and do not try to control everything (James 4:14), Love your nasty coworkers (Luke 6:35), Submit yourself to God even when you don't understand (James 4:7), live humbly (1 Pet. 5:6), Set your hope fully on God (1 Pet. 1:13), Do not conform to the value-system of your culture (Romans 12:2), don't be flakey or a gossip (1 Tim. 1:5), and, love God with with every faculty of your being, all the time (Mark 12:30). These are but a few commands in the Law of Christ. Do you delight in them?

The healthiest believer will ebb and flow in his love for the Law of Christ, and will at times even seem dead to them and lacking any affection at all for them. But the Christian who is making real progress in his faith, is the one who, when he grows dull in his affections, cannot live long without returning to them with great hope that he will once more be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. 

Do you have a passion for for the Law of Christ? Then take heart my friend, you are growing; you have made progress in your faith.