Beyond Ourselves

Father’s Day. Do those two words bring a feeling of sadness, anger, guilt, anticipation, or joy? Depending on our relationship with our father, it could be any one of those or a multitude of other emotions. Or, if you’re a father, what has been your experience on Father’s Day? Were you pleased with how your children honored you?  Being a father, or mother, helps us get our minds around (in the smallest of ways) how our Heavenly Father might at times feel. He is the PERFECT FATHER. He’s literally, “heavenly.”  He sacrificially chose to adopt us at the price of His only begotten Son’s suffering and death. Are we showing the honor to our Heavenly Father that we want our children to show us? What are we doing to express our thanks to our Heavenly Father? Are we praying as Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6: 9-13, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?”  Our Heavenly Father is here. His mercies are new every morning. Rather than ignore Him or not honor Him, we have the opportunity to listen to Him, obey Him, and bring honor and glory to Him. Will we?

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank You for being ever-present and for loving us. Help us honor You by our words and lives. 

We live in a time where many are sorrowful and weeping over the loss of family, friends, and the future. We’re looking for the right leader. The perfect one who can claim their rightful position and authority.  In a scene in heaven, John records where our hope is fulfilled.  Revelation 5:5 where Jesus is called LION OF JUDAH. “Stop weeping; behold, the LION that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” Lion of Judah can be traced to Genesis 49:9 when Jacob blessed his son, Judah, and referred to him as “Young Lion.” Christ, who came from this noble tribe of Israel, is not a “Young Lion,” however. He is not one who prowls around like a roaring lion like Satan does seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) He is not a fictional Lion King character.  Rather, the Lord Jesus Christ is THE LION of the TRIBE of JUDAH, meaning He is the noblest of all. He is the most powerful One. He overcomes all, even death. He alone is worthy to open God’s book and seals.  That’s our Lion King!

Lord Jesus Christ, LION OF JUDAH, we worship You who is worthy above all others! Thank You that we don’t need to weep over our future but rather, can trust it to You. 

Have you ever looked for “life” in someone or something apart from Jesus? Or, perhaps in your younger years you were “the life of the party.” Maybe in your adult years, you bought into the idea that the right job, house, car, or person would bring you what was important in life. But, perhaps later you realized that things and people can disappoint and fall short of our expectations. Our hearts will never be happy until we make the Lord our life not just in words but in reality. “Jesus said in John 14:6, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the LIFE; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”  We find LIFE in Jesus not only for eternal salvation but for daily salvation. Ask Him to live His LIFE through you today.

Lord, You are the way, the truth, and the LIFE!  Fill us with Your LIFE. 

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned in an email to my prayer team that I was doing one. I couldn’t help but smile, then realized no one except my husband had probably seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and it comes from a heart flowing with joy. Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” This doesn’t mean giving Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means our aligning ourselves as servants to our Lord’s will. Verses like John 15:11 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” refer to Jesus as having joy and being the giver of joy.  These verses may be a clue as to why believers sometimes don’t have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? In other words, if Jesus was on earth, would His emotions be tied to the things to which our emotions are often tied: how people treat us, our success, a certain standard of living? You see, Jesus held loosely to our world because He had seen the KINGDOM and knew this earth’s best and finest is passing away.

Joy comes when our head, heart, and motivation are Spirit-driven. When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance? “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!

June 14, my husband, Keith, and I are celebrating our anniversary. I’ve known him for almost 47 years. We’ve been married 45 years today. I knew him when he didn’t have money to buy french fries with my hamburger. I know him as the guy who likes to put on an old teeshirt and mow the grass. But, I’ll never forget the first time I sat at the back of the room when he was holding court. After sentencing a criminal, he motioned to me to approach the bench. All eyes turned on me, and I suddenly felt nervous and intimidated. Why in the world did I feel that way? Was it the courtroom? Was it his position behind the bench in a long black robe? If I felt that way approaching the judgement seat of my husband, I CAN’T IMAGINE what it will be like to sit in God’s courtroom and hear Him call my name to approach His bench. Are you ready to hear God call your name? Because He will. Regardless of whether you like it or not, it’s not your choice. Second Timothy 4:1 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to Judge the living and the dead…” Every soul will appear before God, our Judge.  Those who accepted Jesus’s death on the cross as judgement for their sins will receive rewards at the Judgement. Those who rejected God’s gift of forgiveness in Christ will be judged for their thoughts, words, and actions based on God’s holiness. If you know someone who hasn’t professed their faith in Jesus, diligently pray for them. If you’re not sure what or how to pray for the unsaved, click here.

Lord, we who have received salvation through Christ humbly, gratefully praise You, JUDGE of the LIVING and the DEAD. Open our eyes to see the unsaved. Open our mouths to speak loving truth to them. Quicken the hearts of our unsaved friends and family to acknowledge their sin and turn to You; to say “yes” to Your gift of salvation. 

It’s another day. Maybe a great day. Maybe a blah day. Or, perhaps the worst day of our life. What do we do? If we’re wise, we’ll follow David’s example. He had ups and downs and promises unfulfilled for what seemed a long time. What do we learn from him? In 2 Samuel 22:29, we find his key to success. “You are my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord illumines my darkness.” If we didn’t know the context in which he said this, we might think David is sailing through life with God as His LAMP. But when we read the verse in context, we discover he’s been in the dark, battling an enemy, and with walls to get over. (2 Samuel 22:30) Are you in the dark? Are you battling something? Are there walls you need to get over? The fact that there are dark, difficult struggles in our life is not what is unusual. The fact that the Lord of the Universe is our personal illuminator through them is incredible! There are many people, according to Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14), who do not have God as their LAMP.  If you are one of the few who does, you are incredibly blessed. The question is – are you turning to your LAMP? Are you walking in the light He shines on your path? Are you reading His enlightening Words in Scripture? Are you following His illuminating Spirit as you quieten your heart in prayer; asking, then listening for His guidance?

Lord, the fact that You, the Lord of the Universe, offer Yourself as a LAMP to our path is unique and incredible. May we who know You respond gratefully and wisely seek and follow Your Light.

God is ALL KNOWING as Psalm 139:4 explains. “Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you KNOW it all.”  He knows our thoughts, weaknesses, and heart better than we do. Romans 8:26,27. He knows our future. Acts 11:27,28. He knows what others are thinking, doing, and planning. He knows Satan’s schemes. There is no one to whom we can go who is more knowledgeable, loving, caring, wise, and invested in what is best for us. When we begin our day bowed before Him, confessing our love, proclaiming His majesty, and thanking Him for His grace, His ears are tuned to the confessions of our struggles and needs and those for whom we pray. Our confidence to enter into our day, our inner peace and joy rest not in circumstances beyond our control, but in our loving Father in whom we have placed our trust. Whatever lies before us, we know our Father loves us, will be there for us, and walk with us, guiding us along the right path. The wise believer acknowledges God not only in perfunctory blessings before meals but in intimate union, studying God’s ways, joined at the spiritual “hip,” His Spirit,” from the time their eyes open in the morning till their eyes close at night. Are we wise?

Heavenly Father, You are the ALL KNOWING, OMNISCIENT Lord, who loves us so much. Awaken us to the gift of Your presence to guide us through each moment of the day. May we live joyfully because You are guiding us through our day.