Religion

We just read about “worthless” religion yesterday.

Now we read this last verse in James 1: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

There are going to be those in our neighborhood, churches, and families who are without fathers biologically, and without fathers spiritually.  There are women who have lost their husbands physically due to death, and others due to divorce.  They are all around us, and it’s our responsibility and honor to “look after” them.

And besides that, we are to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.  Remember those thoughts we mentioned yesterday, thought that self-destruct?  That’s pollution, and it wreaks. 

If we say we know God, and God is love, yet we don’t present this loving Father to those who need Him – our religion is polluted – and it stinks.

This verse says God accepts our religion as pure and faultless when we do these things of caring for those who’ve been abandoned or suffered loss, and when we keep our hearts in tune and our tongues in check.

Are we sure we want this pure, faultless “religion?” It takes some action, along with our faith.  And to stay unpolluted requires some clean air to blow away the filth.  

Maybe if more of us had this kind of religion, the world would want some of it too.

Just Worthless

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

Wow, what a strong word, quite sobering.

My tongue is the hardest thing on my physical body to tame, except for maybe my mind.  This verse seems to imply that the tongue is like a wild horse that has to be reined in at all times.  And if it’s allowed to run wild? Well then, that which we profess to others is worthless.

This also reminds me of the love chapter found in I Corinthians 13.  We can do great exploits for Christ and give all that we have for a cause, but without love we are nothing.  Again – strong words.

I feel really bad when I allow my tongue to gossip, tear down, or flatter.  It happens daily.  It happens when my mind starts churning about an offense, a hurt or insecurity in my own view of myself, or when fear rises its ugly head.  Those things, unattended to, seem to set my tongue out of the gate, like a calf in a rodeo.

If we can take captive the thoughts that tangle up our emotions, I believe we can tame our tongue.

We have the mind of Christ, if we believe.  But we have to train our minds to think on good things, and we have to read good things, so that we have them to think about.  Read about forgiveness and offer it to those that offended you, read about His great love and how much He adores you, and rest in the peace he offers to you daily as you rest in the knowledge of the goodness of your Father.

Then your tongue will only wag to sing praises to Him…

The Mirror

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

I look in the mirror multiple times a day, mostly to make sure nothing is out of place, and to see if I look “okay.”  I correct the things I see that I can fix. After all, I want to look my best! And what’s the point of looking if I’m not going to do something about what I see?

I can’t say that every day I look into the Word as often as I do in the mirror…but maybe I should.  This verse says not to just “look” but to do so intently – not forgetting what we read – but doing it.  In other words, when I look into the Word and see that I’m being selfish, rude, easily offended, etc. it’s just like when I see a hair out of place – I need to comb it into place.

One big difference is that when I look into a mirror, it’s up to me and my resources to make me look presentable.  But when I look into the mirror of His Word, He does the work if I just surrender to Him. 

My son just got married and I went upstairs before the ceremony and observed the makeup artist as she transformed the pretty bridesmaids by highlighting their features and making them even more beautiful. 

Jesus is the one who can give us an extreme makeover, highlight the beauty He’s created in us, and set us free to be blessed in all that we do.

Human Anger

James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

I guess most of the time we do the opposite of what this verse says.  We don’t listen, we speak without thinking, and we react in anger to whatever upsets us, and yes – righteousness is not the product – but rather we stir up trouble.

It’s not so easy to heed this verse when we are angered.  But I’m guessing it’s because of the very first command that we disregard.

Listening is truly an art, but who is it that we are supposed to listen to, in this verse?  Since the verse speaks of righteousness being the end product we are hoping for, it must be the Holy Spirit we need to listen to.

When we are angered, if we can stop and listen to Him, He will guide us to a response that produces righteousness.  In other words, there is an anger, a righteous indignation, that’s not human, that God can turn into a something good.

Does injustice anger you?  Do your kids stir up anger?  Is your boss one who angers you?

Stop quickly in your anger and listen.  Then don’t respond humanly.  Respond spiritually – supernaturally – and see what God will do with that anger.  

Shifting Shadows

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Throughout the course of a day, shadows change, depending on the position of the sun.  Therefore, our shadows might be short or tall, in front of us, or behind us. In other words, shadows shift when the sun moves.

God is our sun, our light, the giver of all good things…and he never moves.  This means he doesn’t create shifting shadows.

This verse brings me great comfort, especially living in a world that changes every day, in fact, every moment.  We go to sleep and never know what may have happened during the night.

Our Father – the one who flung the stars (heavenly lights) into motion – never changes.

He’s good. He’s perfect.  He’s God.

Humble Circumstances

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

Have you ever read that verse? 

Humble circumstances – what could that mean?  

If you’ve ever been full of pride and then had a fall, I’d say you find yourself in humble circumstances – a place of humility.  Jesus was born in humble circumstances – in a stall – instead of a palace.  And usually, when we find ourselves in such places, we feel ashamed and low.

However, this verse says if we are a believer and find ourselves in this seemingly low position, just the opposite is true.  We are actually in a high position and we can be proud of that. 

This verse is in context with other verses about trials and how when we go through them, we become mature and complete – lacking nothing.

If you find yourself in less than a desirable position at the moment, stop and consider what the Lord is doing and let him do it.  Let him exalt you to the high position of having everything you need – completely satisfied – and then count it all joy.

No Condemnation

Sometimes you're just too tired to think, read the Bible, or pray...even though you know you need it for strength.  Today is one of those days for me. So I look on line at my favorite bible website and read the verse of the day there:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 NIV

I love God's character, and the fact that he does not condemn...but rather saves....is one thing that brings me comfort and hope every day.

If I'm tired or worn out and can't lift my head to study or pray effectively, He doesn't condemn me.  He knows me, and he know my heart.  He knows my flesh when its tired.  And He loves me just the same.

That truth is enough to bring me restful sleep tonight.

Can You See It?

Isaiah 51: Those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Can you see this picture?

A group of us are rescued from disaster and we are singing at the goodness of our Savior, as he leads us out of the desert – where we are dry and parched.

AS WE ARE SINGING, these crowns are placed on our heads, they read “JOY.”

Then all of a sudden, these huge clouds full of rain appear behind us.  Only they are not ominous clouds of disaster, but rather clouds bringing hope of rain on our dry, weary hearts.

As we keep walking, these clouds overtake us, pause right above us, and dump the most refreshing rain we’ve ever experienced.  We stand with our mouths open, our hands lifted, and our hands open as we soak in this life-giving rain that has overtaken our journey in the dry land.

As the rain pours, as we stand there wet and satisfied, every bit of sorrow and sighing flees away.

And the crowns of joy are there to stay.

Why so Downcast?

The hope for those who know the Lord:

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. (Isaiah 35)

A crocus is a showy flower, among the first to bloom in the spring.  Wow.

·         The promise is that when we’re dry and parched, we will be glad.

·         The promise is that when we’re wandering around in the wilderness, we will rejoice and blossom!

·         The promise is that we will BURST into bloom at the first hint of spring!

·         The promise is that we will rejoice greatly and shout for joy!

Don’t be downcast today.  Put your hope in God.

The Oiling Process

Ecclesiastes 9 says Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.  Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.

I have a cast iron skillet and I did the unthinkable – I washed it with soap.  Of course the well-seasoned skillet was now damaged and full of crevices that collected food that stuck.  Ugh!

I looked up how to re-season a skillet once it's “ruined” and the process is quite laborious and long, but it’s doable.  In fact, as I sit here writing this devo my skillet is in the oven, rubbed with oil, baking its way to non-stick status once again.

This verse instructs us to eat and enjoy life with a joyful heart – because God approves of us!  It then says to always be clothed in white and anoint our head with oil.

Well there you have it.  We are like that skillet I own.  Food cooked in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet is awesome.  But when it gets dirtied up or misused, it takes oil to restore.  Isn’t that a cool analogy?

So if you feel a bit dingy from the world and the hardships of life, God is standing right there approving you!  Just pick up his cloak of righteousness, rub yourself with the oil of joy, and bake in the oven of his love.

The baking process sometimes takes a while, and the oil has to be rubbed on more than once, but the skillet is good as new when the process is complete!

A Commendation

Have you ever read Ecclesiastes 8?

Near the beginning it says, “A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.”  Near the end it says, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”

In between those verses it talks of how we don’t know the future, we’re all going to die but don’t know when, and how the righteous and the wicked suffer.  Sounds depressing and hopeless, right? 

Just the opposite is what’s being stated. 

If we have wisdom and realize who God is, how He’s in control, and we can rest in that fact, we are able to face these uncertainties with a bright countenance.  We don’t have to let life’s hardships make us bitter. 

And if we learn to let go and enjoy life, the day we have been given (today), then joy will be our companion (accompany us) every day that we live.

I want that wisdom…and joy.

Why There?

Psalm 149 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

I have read this verse many times, and today I’m thinking about the last part, “sing for joy on their beds.”

Why on our beds?

I don’t know about you, but in my bed is where my thoughts swirl.  It’s where I start to wind down for the night and fall asleep.  But if hard times are pressing, worrisome thoughts are pestering, and anger is stewing, I can’t go to sleep.  It seems all things bad seem worse…at night.

It’s the same experience in the morning.  If I lie awake too long in my bed when I awake in the morning, my mind starts swirling again.  Thoughts of what I need to do, what I didn’t do, and what others expect me to do, dominate.

The verse says to rejoice “in this honor” and then sing.  What honor?

Right before this verse, we are reminded that the Lord takes delight in his people and crowns us with victory.  That’s the honor in which we are to rejoice.

So when you lie down to sleep, or when you awake to a new day – start and finish by rejoicing in His love for you and sing for joy in your bed.

Joyful Obedience

Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.  My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

Statutes don’t sound like something that would make a person joyful…do they?  Just the word “statute,” (which are laws and rules) sounds taxing, heavy, and carries with it a picture of a shaking finger telling us what to do/not to do.  And yet, this writer says they are his heritage and the joy of his heart.

Say what?

Jesus says when we come to him, his yoke is easy and his burden is light.  And that’s because he carries our burdens for us, so all we have to do is link up with Him and we’re free to run.

 

Jesus does not stand wagging a finger at us, directing us and ordering us to obey him.  He does, however, give us instruction and commands that if we follow – we are blessed. There’s a blessing that comes from obedience.

Just like we parents are pleased when our kids follow our rules (which are put into place for their safety and security), Jesus is pleased when we too trust that his rules are our delight.

I sometimes don’t care for God’s way, but it’s only because my understanding is limited. 

Lord, I pray you would give me eyes to see the heritage that comes from obeying your statutes, and how in doing so I can experience joy.

Higher

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!

What deeds as the Lord done for you?  Recall them.  List them.  Remember them.  Share them with your children. Sing about them. Thank the Lord for them.

This discipline, where we recall all of God’s blessings in our lives, is the foundation for a grateful heart.  Even in the worst of times, we can recall God’s faithfulness to us in so many ways.

What profound thoughts does the Lord have?  The Bible says His thoughts area way above ours, much higher.  This means when we think, “I can’t take any more, why is this happening to me?” He is thinking, “My grace is enough for you. Put your trust in Me and I will direct your path.”

For every foul thought we have, He has a multitude of greater thoughts that surpass our understanding.

Sing for joy today at what God has done in your life, and take a rest from your own thoughts and let Him share with you His higher thoughts.

Abounding

Psalm 86:4, 5 says, Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You.

Lovely verse!  

It’s okay to pray for joy to come.  And it’s good to place your trust in the Joy Giver to bring it to you. 

We once had a Christmas welcome mat that said “JOY” on it.  Every time I entered and left my home I saw this three-letter word and it reminded me to pray for joy to run rampant in my house. 

Once the writer asks for joy, he then turns to the Lord and praises Him for his forgiveness, his goodness and his love. 

And guess what?  Those three things “abound,” wrapped up in his love, to ALL who call to Him.  That means they exist in large amounts!

It’s good to remind ourselves that our trust is in a higher power than our own, and from Him come all good things – including joy.

Call it Forth!

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. Psalm 65

Have you ever heard a song of joy, just from looking at the wonders of His creation?

A bird chirping in the early morning hours makes me smile.  Seeing the morning dew on the grass reminds me of His faithfulness makes me feel warm inside.  And watching a sunrise or the setting of the same fills me with awe at the timing and power of God.

All of creation screams, sings, and shouts of His wonders.  If we take time to observe them all, it’s as if something starts churning from deep inside our soul in response to the Creator of all things good – and our heart bursts forth in song.

If you haven’t experienced this kind of joy, make it your purpose today to observe the wonder of the early  morning dawn and the fading of the evening, and see if a sound doesn’t rise and then fall from your lips...a song of joy!

Up Above it All

Psalm 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

We read earlier that at his right hand we have eternal pleasures – a place of honor.  This verse also again talks of honor associated with joy, where God sets us up above our companions (i think this is sorrow and sighing) and anoints us.

I love the fact that the joy God gives us is something He delights to give.  It pleases Him to set us in His presence, beside Him, anointed by Him.  

When we love His ways and hate what is evil, God himself sets us up and pours joy all over us.  Then our earthly companions of sorrow and sighing "flee away."

Joy isn’t something we can work up or achieve.  It simply is poured out over us like warm oil, just from loving Him.

Ask God to anoint you with joy.

Leaping Heart

Psalm 28 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy,and with my song I praise him.

Has your heart ever leaped for joy?  I can maybe count on one hand the number of times I’ve felt such an emotion.  When my babies were handed to me, when my husband looks at me across a crowded room and winks, and maybe when I get on the plane for vacation.  

Those things are great, but there is an even greater reason to experience a leaping heart.

Jesus hears our cry for mercy!  He is strong when we are weak, and he shields us from evil.  Not only that, but He’s trustworthy and rescues us in time of need.

That is cause for leaping!  

When we have truly experienced our heartfelt need for a Savior and he reveals His character to us, our hearts will leap – beat hard in our chest – for joy that One like He could love One like We.

Joyful Light

Psalm 19 says The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

I think most kids want to please their parents.  In fact, children don’t like the disapproving looks that parents so often can give.  I used to do anything to avoid “the look.”

The Lord isn’t like us or our parents, but he does have commands that we are to obey, IF we want to have a joyful heart.  In obeying these commands, we can lie down in sleep at night with a clear conscience.  We can know that joy is ours, and we rest assured that He is pleased.  We don’t have to “perform” because we will most certainly trip and fall sometimes, but He does expect us to “obey.”

What’s the difference? Performance usually carries with it the fear of failure.  People are watching, critiques are being made, and you hope for an applause.

Obedience carries with it peace.  He is always with us, offering a hand if we goof, and always applauding His Son, who lives in us. 

And when we obey these “right” commands, we are radiant, and our eyes are full of light. 

That’s the best anti-aging product I know of...

Filled

May 12

Psalm 16 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

This verse is in three parts:

First, He makes himself known to us by offering us life.  Jesus died so that we may live.

Second, He fills us with joy (in His presence).  As we walk with him, much like Adam & Eve did prior to the fall, we enjoy all of His goodness and blessings and it fills us with joy.

Third, this joy is eternal and pleasurable.  The “right hand” is mentioned here, and it’s mentioned several times in the Bible.  Jesus is stated to be at the right hand interceding for us.  It’s a place of honor, and God seats us there, with his Son, because we too are his children.

If we can somehow remember this sequence, this incredible love, and this place in His presence – sorrow will fade away and joy will emerge.

The Sound of Joy

And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. (Nehemiah 12:43).

There’s a lot of joy in that verse!  These people were rejoicing because of joy, including women and children, and the sound they made could be heard far away!

Has God given you joy?  I’ve always been told joy is not like happiness, which ebbs and flows depending on circumstances.  Joy is something that comes from the inside, in response to the knowledge that we are loved.  I think that produces joy.  This is why a bride feels so joyous on her wedding day – the day she feels love and admiration. 

Are you rejoicing because of your joy?  It might look like singing, clapping your hands, smiling at others, laughing out loud, or any number of actions of rejoicing.  Joy cannot be contained, it has to spill over in a demonstrative way.

Do your children see you rejoicing?  Our children often see us frustrated, tired, frazzled, and aggravated.  But do we show them our joy and rejoice with them?

And finally, can your rejoicing for joy be heard outside the confines of your house?  Share the joy.

Why? Because He’s given you great joy.

"The" Joy

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

My son is getting married in a few weeks, and it's my last child to leave the house.  He's the joy of my life - or at least he's "a" joy.  And you can bet I'm grieving. It's hard on a mom - i'm sure some of you know!

However, as much as I love having him here, I wouldn't keep him here.  He's headed off to a life with the most wonderful woman I could ever have asked for! So to keep him at home wouldn't even be logical, nor good!

So I am leaning on the "the" joy of my life - the Lord.  And as I'm leaning on Him, in my times of weakness, I'm finding Him to be my strength.

If you're grieving for whatever reason, because "a" joy of your life has left or is going, look toward THE joy - Jesus.  He'll be your strength when you feel like your legs are wobbly, your heart is sinking, and your stomach is knotting.

Crying and weeping may last for the night.  But you know - Joy comes in the morning.

Enough Trouble

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus said some wise things, didn’t he!?  Every day has enough trouble – so true! 

The last part of this section of scripture sums up what Jesus has been saying before now.  Seek Him first and the things you worry about will be given to you.  But we have it all backwards.  We worry and fret over the things we need and want, and then if we get them…we seek His kingdom. 

The key to rest, as I’m learning daily, is to not worry about tomorrow.  Live one day at a time.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  But how in the heck do we do that, when we’ve got a mind that thinks about yesterday and wonders what tomorrow will be like?

If we are instructed to do it, there must be a way.  And it has to be the One who lives in us that helps us along.  Another verse says “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” 

The world lives for tomorrow…making investments, taking meds to enhance and prolong life, building bigger and better houses, and acquiring more and more stuff.  But all of that brings with it the worry of sustaining it.

I know that I cannot live for today, without HIS strength – living in me.  That’s the only way.  And even though I’m tempted daily to fret about tomorrow, the One who is Greater comes to the rescue and reminds me to seek His kingdom and His righteousness today.

He Knows

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Do you know what a pagan is? According to one definition/description, a pagan “stresses personal responsibility rather than salvation given by something outside of themselves.”  

Pagans do not trust in God alone.  This explains why pagans run after the necessities of life, in a frenzy, because the burden of obtaining all these things rests on their own shoulders!  That’s a lot of running and  makes a person tired!

However, there’s another way, according to these verses.  It involves not worrying. And not questioning. 

How can we rest instead of run?

We have to know that our heavenly Father knows our needs and will supply them. It’s not up to us.

If you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to satisfy every craving, consider reestablishing your connection with the Father.  He's a good Father who takes care of his children. Just ask Him, do your best...and He'll do the "rest."

If...Then

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Here comes another question.  It’s one of those if..then statements, followed by a question.

He reiterates that indeed, it is true that God clothes the grass of the field with beautiful flowers, and those flowers only bloom for a short time and then they’re gone. And he for sure will clothe us too!  He’s created us to bloom for eternity! So imagine the care this Gardener takes with us – his choice plants!

The last part of the question establishes the problem with we worrywarts, once again.  Little faith. 

We have more faith in our own abilities to make things happen and sustain them, even though we know how fragile we are, than we do in the abilities of God to sustain us when He’s the one who made us!

Lord, increase our faith!