Beyond Ourselves Podcast
Disturbed by the Star or Delighting in the Star
Curious and aphrehensive about who was scheduled to perform for the 2021 Super Bowl half time show, I googled half time show. The name of the entertainer immediately popped up. Watching a few minutes of one of his music videos, I was pleased it didn’t include cuss words or nakedness. But then…he pulled a gun from behind his back and my heart sank thinking of his influence on fans. Mind you, it was not a hunting video. He is but one of many stars who influence people. Thank goodness, there is another star, more famous than any and his influence will remain long after other stars have come and gone. His name is Jesus Christ. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus says, “I am the root and the descendant of David, the BRIGHT MORNING STAR.” Jesus is the STAR we should watch and emulate. Jesus is the STAR we should listen to so often that we know by heart the verses He’s written. So when you watch earthly stars rise and fall, turn your attention with deep gratitude to Jesus, the Bright Morning Star.
Sweet Jesus, we love and adore You. You are our BRIGHT MORNING STAR. There is none other we follow and worship but You.
Where is Our Faith in God’s Commands
We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgives us and we say, “Not gonna do it.” He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self-made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we march on through our day as if we didn’t hear Him. If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then we would obey His commands, trusting that they lead to the promised abundant life. So the question is, where is our faith…in us or in Jesus? Here’s another question – how can we exercise our faith today by obeying a command that doesn’t come naturally for us?
Lord Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOESN’T EXIST. Open our eyes today to one of Your teachings that we’re not following. Call into being our obedience as we purposefully place our faith in You.
Bite, Chew, Graze
Are you hungry? Is there a gnawing in you? Do you feel that something is missing? That no matter what you do, purchase, or where you go, you still want more? Do you fill the emptiness, but it quickly returns? If so, maybe it’s your spirit that is hungry. If so, the solution isn’t more food, clothes, or money. The solution is found by filling our spirit with the Holy Spirit of Jesus who John 6:48 describes as the BREAD of LIFE. Jesus is to the soul, what a whopping delicious meal is to our body. Begin your day with bite-size Bible verses. Chew on them throughout the day. At night, graze on the promises of Christ. Go to sleep with your soul fully satisfied in Christ.
Lord Jesus, we praise You, BREAD OF LIFE! Thank You for satisfying the yearning of our spirit as we meditate on You.
The Spiritual Side of Broccoli
I’m doing a happy dance about the broccoli in my garden. Yes, I’ve had small gardens in past years, but I’ve never grown broccoli. Now, however, I have a beautiful head of broccoli on my kitchen counter ready to cook for dinner tonight. I can’t wait! So how did this delicious plant grow? Among numerous items that had to happen, the stem had to stay attached to the stalk. Otherwise, the floret would not have been produced. It is simple logic. We understand it. We don’t question the fruit bearing process. Building on the analogy of that which is common, Jeremiah 23:5 explains our spiritual relationship to Jesus. He describes Jesus as a righteous branch. “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.’” Our Heavenly Father planted Jesus in our midst on planet earth. Believers are grafted into Him and His righteous Spirit is in us and able to produce the crowning fruit of His life that is visible and tasty to others. We do well to ask, “Is it?”
Heavenly Father, thank You for grafting us into the righteous branch of Jesus Christ. We pray that Christ’s Spirit flow through us so our lives produce that which is appealing to others so they seek to be also grafted into Christ.
Feeling a Little Wilted?
Have you ever walked through an unwatered garden? The plants are wilted. There’s little fruit if any. What a difference when you walk through a well-watered garden; one loved by the owner. Flowers and fruit abound. The garden has a fragrant aroma. The gardener has withheld nothing and has committed everything to care for the plants. In Jeremiah 31:12 God is described as just such a Gardner and His people like a well-watered garden. “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord—and their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again.” If you are languishing today and are physically, emotionally, or spiritually wilted, I understand. Life can drain us at times. Go to your Heavenly Father. Open your Bible. Be filled and refreshed by His Spirit. He loves you! Drink deeply.
Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You, BOUNTIFUL Lord, that although life can be draining, we don’t have to languish. Rather, in You are the wellsprings of life. Thank You for Your ever replenishing supply of love, joy, peace, and strength.
If You’re Alone, Broken, Sick
Are you alone? Are you emotionally scattered? Are you broken or sick? Ezekiel 34:16 tells us that God is in the business of tending to the lost, the scattered, the broken, and the sick. Listen to his words, “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.” Yes, there are times in our lives when distance, disease, and death leave us feeling like we can’t take one more step, that we can’t get through the day or night. But our Father wants us to know that He sees us, He cares, and He is with us. Turn to Him. Rest in His arms. Put your head on His chest. Listen to the heartbeat of His love for you. He didn’t create the world scattered, lost, and sick, but rather as beautiful, peaceful, and perfect. All that our heart longs for, we will one day experience in His presence.
(Keep a gratitude journal of the ways God is working in your life and helping you and others. It will please Him to see that You recognize His presence. It will encourage your heart.)
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for being with us and BINDING UP the many ways we are BROKEN. Thank You for helping us emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Disheartened or Proud?
Have you been thinking lately that there are few people you can trust? When we’re told one thing and then find out the person never intended to follow through on their promises, it’s disheartening. That’s why we appreciate words like we find in Psalm 18:30 that says, “As for God, His way is BLAMELESS;…” Once again the Bible reiterates what we need and long to hear – that we can look to and fully trust our Lord. He is BLAMELESS which in the Hebrew means “whole, entire, sound, complete, wholesome, unimpaired, having integrity, entirely in accord with truth and fact.” Wow! Reread the Hebrew definition of the word blameless. Then, celebrate in praise. Our Lord and His Word are true, not the changing culture. Proudly, voice your faith in Jesus Christ. Let the light of the Blameless Lord shine through you.
Lord, we celebrate YOU, the BLAMELESS One!
Jaw Dropping Love
Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it with me for a minuted. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16) and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.
Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You. We love You.
In Need of Something BEAUTIFUL?
Do you have enemies? Are you fearful? Is there any trouble in your life? David, the psalmist, can relate. But he kept his eye on the ball. That is, he kept his eye on God’s past and present faithfulness. He knew God to be the beauty in the ashes, the righteousness that overcomes evil. David chose – like we can (and are) to gaze and meditate on God’s beauty and His eternal temple to which we’re headed. In the midst of the agony, defeat, discouragement, and doubt, we can say, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.” Psalm 27:4
BEAUTIFUL LORD, we praise You. Thank You for being the beauty in our day and the One on whom we can gaze.
Why AWESOME is an Important Word
A few years ago, the word “awesome” became a catchphrase for any and every thing. “Can you go Monday night? Awesome!” “This meal is awesome!” “I read an awesome book!” If you’re like many, we began to tire of hearing the over used word. However, rather than throw out the word, “awesome,” the Bible points us in the right direction for when to use it. In Genesis 28:17, awesome is used in relation to heaven, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Exodus 15:11 uses it in relation to God and His works, “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” Yes, we might want to scale down on our use of “awesome” in relation to mundane earthly things, but let’s use it often in relation to God.
We praise You, great and AWESOME GOD and thank You for Your AWESOME works.