"Thus says the LORD,'What injustice did your fathers find in Me,that they went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty?'" Jer 2:5
The prophet Jeremiah had been pressed into service by God to deliver a message to the people of God. It seems that they had gone widely astray by worshipping other gods, participating in immoral activities and refusing to be obedient to the covenant that was established.
Beloved, God's heartbreak is so obvious in this passage. He longs for us. He mourns for us. The passage comes across as both appealing to logic and emotion, asking in effect, "What did I do to cause you to reject me so?" As we run this Christian race, let us always keep in mind the loving tenderness of our Father. Let us always love Him enough to be obedient to His word for it is surely what is best for us. Though we may come up with reasons and excuses for doing things outside of His will, the heavy questions will always remain. Have I not provided for you? Did I not sacrifice my Son for you? Have I ever forsaken you?
Let us rededicate our lives to the one who supplied them every day.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Good Side-4/11/2012 (rp)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Ps 139:23-24
It is human nature to put our best foot forward for examination while our worst foot lags behind attempting to remain unnoticed. While being photographed, we want to make sure our "good side" is captured and our blemished "other side" is kept from view. Who among us does not desire to be well thought of by all? We invest a lot of time and energy into managing our image in the minds of others. To be sure, that image rarely represents the whole of us but in fact just the parts that make us attractive both inwardly and outwardly in our own minds.
Contextually, this is David's appeal to God to vindicate him in the face of accusations by his enemies. Think of the 139th Psalm as an extended, "God is my witness." There is much to be learned from his thought process and prayer.
Beloved, aside from the face we wear in public, we should always live lives that withstand the scrutiny of God. None of us lives sinless lives, but God is a discerner of the heart and pure hearts are certainly within our grasp. Do we offer ourselves up to his scrutiny (even though He knows all) or do we constantly push more skeleton bones in the closet? Are our minds and hearts open to correction from God or do we accept only that which is convenient and consistent with our own desires? Do we seek His help to improve or do we make excuses for ourselves?
David understood that it is not about the temporal and sensual pleasures that can be derived from this life, but the glorious and everlasting promise of a life our limited minds cannot imagine. Nothing should hinder us from laying hold of an eternity with Him who made us.
Interestingly enough, a life lived in obedience to God will lead to our whole selves being our good side, both feet being our best feet and the need to in any way to obscure will give way to freedom from shame. Give it a try!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
It is human nature to put our best foot forward for examination while our worst foot lags behind attempting to remain unnoticed. While being photographed, we want to make sure our "good side" is captured and our blemished "other side" is kept from view. Who among us does not desire to be well thought of by all? We invest a lot of time and energy into managing our image in the minds of others. To be sure, that image rarely represents the whole of us but in fact just the parts that make us attractive both inwardly and outwardly in our own minds.
Contextually, this is David's appeal to God to vindicate him in the face of accusations by his enemies. Think of the 139th Psalm as an extended, "God is my witness." There is much to be learned from his thought process and prayer.
Beloved, aside from the face we wear in public, we should always live lives that withstand the scrutiny of God. None of us lives sinless lives, but God is a discerner of the heart and pure hearts are certainly within our grasp. Do we offer ourselves up to his scrutiny (even though He knows all) or do we constantly push more skeleton bones in the closet? Are our minds and hearts open to correction from God or do we accept only that which is convenient and consistent with our own desires? Do we seek His help to improve or do we make excuses for ourselves?
David understood that it is not about the temporal and sensual pleasures that can be derived from this life, but the glorious and everlasting promise of a life our limited minds cannot imagine. Nothing should hinder us from laying hold of an eternity with Him who made us.
Interestingly enough, a life lived in obedience to God will lead to our whole selves being our good side, both feet being our best feet and the need to in any way to obscure will give way to freedom from shame. Give it a try!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Monday, April 9, 2012
Follow the Light-4/9/2012
"From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psa 119:104-105
There are so many today who are lost within their own lives. A variety of decisions, circumstances and situations have put us all where we are but what next? We sometimes stumble around in darkness thinking we know the well worn path only to bump into an obstacle for which we did not account.
Beloved there is a light that shines brightly. That light provides guidance in the middle of the night, illumination in the middle of confusion and direction in the middle of uncertainty. It identifies obstacles and makes the way forward obvious. It is the word of God that shows us the way that we should go. Just as we would grab a flashlight in the nighttime wilderness or turn on a light in our home in the middle of the night, let us always avail ourselves of the brightness of His word to guide our every step.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
There are so many today who are lost within their own lives. A variety of decisions, circumstances and situations have put us all where we are but what next? We sometimes stumble around in darkness thinking we know the well worn path only to bump into an obstacle for which we did not account.
Beloved there is a light that shines brightly. That light provides guidance in the middle of the night, illumination in the middle of confusion and direction in the middle of uncertainty. It identifies obstacles and makes the way forward obvious. It is the word of God that shows us the way that we should go. Just as we would grab a flashlight in the nighttime wilderness or turn on a light in our home in the middle of the night, let us always avail ourselves of the brightness of His word to guide our every step.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Ultimate Sacrifice 4/6/2012 (rp)
"At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34
Jesus was anticipating his Passion when he began the true Lord's prayer (one he prayed himself) in John 17. He said, I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with You before the world was." This points to an idyllic existence in which God, in his plurality was self contained, self sufficient and complete. There was utter perfection because God was from eternity past, all that existed. Everything changed, however, when He decided to create. It was known that creation would need a Savior. Acts 2:23 refers to Jesus when he is spoken of as being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, that the wicked have crucified and killed him.
One can only imagine the conversation between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit when it was decided who would save man and by extension, all of creation. One can almost hear Jesus originating the words eons later credited to Isaiah, "Here am I Lord. Send me." And so he left unimaginable perfection and completeness with the Godhead (retaining his perfection), put on flesh and was incarnated on earth to be the sacrifice for man's great sin in the garden.
During this time, he walked with both man and God, teaching, feeding, healing and providing example for the one and loving, obeying, communicating with and representing the Other. Since time immemorial, however, he knew that he must, in his fleshly state, die. He loved his creation (John 1:3) so much that he was willing to commit his life for our salvation.
Beloved, what has become known to the world as the Easter season, the word in fact being a translation of Passover, is all about this sacrifice. Though we spend lots of time going along with the worldy traditions of "easter" eggs, chocolate bunnies, baskets of gifts and new clothing, we spend little time focusing on what this time is really all about. We were never commanded to observe his birth, but our salvation is found in his death, burial and resurrection. In fact, we celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's day by partaking of the bread representing his broken body and the fruit of the vine which represents the blood spilled on our behalf. We do this because our Deliverer said, "this do in remembrance of me."
Remember the idyllic perfection of our triune God's existence? When Jesus was brutally persecuted, beaten, ridiculed and hung on the cross, he willingly took on the sins of the entire world. These sins were all those ever committed, those being presently committed and those that would yet be committed. God, in His perfection, cannot be where sin is. It was necessary at that time, that He seperate Himself from that part of himself that was being sacrificed for sin. As terrible as the entire ordeal of Christ's Passion was, the absolute worst part of it all was this separation. For the first time in eternity, God the son was without God the Father. He was utterly alone, ashamed, unclean and the embodiment of sin. And then he died a painful, humiliating and brutal death at the hands of the very hands of all of us whom he came to save and be a part of the idyllic existence.
There is Good Friday for you.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Jesus was anticipating his Passion when he began the true Lord's prayer (one he prayed himself) in John 17. He said, I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with You before the world was." This points to an idyllic existence in which God, in his plurality was self contained, self sufficient and complete. There was utter perfection because God was from eternity past, all that existed. Everything changed, however, when He decided to create. It was known that creation would need a Savior. Acts 2:23 refers to Jesus when he is spoken of as being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, that the wicked have crucified and killed him.
One can only imagine the conversation between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit when it was decided who would save man and by extension, all of creation. One can almost hear Jesus originating the words eons later credited to Isaiah, "Here am I Lord. Send me." And so he left unimaginable perfection and completeness with the Godhead (retaining his perfection), put on flesh and was incarnated on earth to be the sacrifice for man's great sin in the garden.
During this time, he walked with both man and God, teaching, feeding, healing and providing example for the one and loving, obeying, communicating with and representing the Other. Since time immemorial, however, he knew that he must, in his fleshly state, die. He loved his creation (John 1:3) so much that he was willing to commit his life for our salvation.
Beloved, what has become known to the world as the Easter season, the word in fact being a translation of Passover, is all about this sacrifice. Though we spend lots of time going along with the worldy traditions of "easter" eggs, chocolate bunnies, baskets of gifts and new clothing, we spend little time focusing on what this time is really all about. We were never commanded to observe his birth, but our salvation is found in his death, burial and resurrection. In fact, we celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's day by partaking of the bread representing his broken body and the fruit of the vine which represents the blood spilled on our behalf. We do this because our Deliverer said, "this do in remembrance of me."
Remember the idyllic perfection of our triune God's existence? When Jesus was brutally persecuted, beaten, ridiculed and hung on the cross, he willingly took on the sins of the entire world. These sins were all those ever committed, those being presently committed and those that would yet be committed. God, in His perfection, cannot be where sin is. It was necessary at that time, that He seperate Himself from that part of himself that was being sacrificed for sin. As terrible as the entire ordeal of Christ's Passion was, the absolute worst part of it all was this separation. For the first time in eternity, God the son was without God the Father. He was utterly alone, ashamed, unclean and the embodiment of sin. And then he died a painful, humiliating and brutal death at the hands of the very hands of all of us whom he came to save and be a part of the idyllic existence.
There is Good Friday for you.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Think and Thank-4/5/2012
"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety." Ps 4:8
A couple of weeks ago I spoke on faith and used air travel as an example. The gist of it was that our belief is shown in our actions. As counterintuitive as it is to believe that something the size of an airplane can take off safely, fly safely and land safely, it can and we believe it, so we purchase tickets and go to airports.
Beloved, my faith is not in man or machines today, but God. I believe it was He who made sure that we landed safely after a 3000 mile flight, mostly across nothing but water. There was virtually no anxiety in that I slept most of the way, fully relying upon Him to take care of me. Even if it was not in his will to cause this to be so, my faith in Him gives me confidence that He will deliver me to a much better destination; one with an eternal address.
This same God does so much more than deliver every day miracles regarding air travel. He is involved in every breath, every bodily movement, every bite of food and every distance traveled whether across the room or across the globe. Today I have reason to both think and thank. How about you?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
A couple of weeks ago I spoke on faith and used air travel as an example. The gist of it was that our belief is shown in our actions. As counterintuitive as it is to believe that something the size of an airplane can take off safely, fly safely and land safely, it can and we believe it, so we purchase tickets and go to airports.
Beloved, my faith is not in man or machines today, but God. I believe it was He who made sure that we landed safely after a 3000 mile flight, mostly across nothing but water. There was virtually no anxiety in that I slept most of the way, fully relying upon Him to take care of me. Even if it was not in his will to cause this to be so, my faith in Him gives me confidence that He will deliver me to a much better destination; one with an eternal address.
This same God does so much more than deliver every day miracles regarding air travel. He is involved in every breath, every bodily movement, every bite of food and every distance traveled whether across the room or across the globe. Today I have reason to both think and thank. How about you?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Awesomeness of God-4/4/201
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen 1:1
As Michelle and I cast our eyes homeward from a wonderful time in Hawaii we are still awed by the things we have seen since we have been here. We have taken tours that have educated us about the broad diversity of cultures that exist in the family of God. We've met people from places of which we were scarecely aware that brothers and sisters in Christ: Tongans, Samoans, Hawaaiians, Fijians and those native to New Zealand. Each of them are different in their own way but the same in all the ways that matter the most. What a rich cultural experience!
We also were privileged to see some of the most beautiful places on earth. We were educated by knowledgable tour guides regarding the flora and fauna of the islands as well as how much of the life here came to be here. There were trees native to Africa, plants from other Polynesian islands and birds from South America. The first residents here truly lived off the land, God providing EVERYTHING that was needed.
Lastly, we spent yesterday in Volcano National Park. It is difficult to convey the awesome majesty of God's work here. We were above the clouds at 14,000 feet and had the opportunity to see the top of the world's tallest mountain (measured from base to peak), Mauna Kea. We were able to see both ancient and new lava flows as well as the currently erupting Kilauea. The locals say we were standing on some of the world's newest land. God is still creating.
Beloved, tourism aside, I was struck by the absolute expansiveness of God's work, be it in man, other living things or the very planet on which he has placed us. It has truly been a humbling and moving experience. It is difficult to put into words the things that have been seen. They really are indescribable. This morning I woke with even more perspective. Hawaii is just a small archipelego of islands 2500 miles from anywhere and we just visited parts of two. It is a tiny place in the grand scheme of things. That means that this is just the smallest thumbnail afterthought of a Creator who spoke this whole planet, solar system, galaxy, universe and the heavenly realm into existence! His work speaks for itself. You wil hear it if you listen.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
P.S. Feel free to follow me on Facebook if you would like to see some preliminary images. In coming days and weeks I will post the better ones on my website at www.visualpoetryphotography.com
As Michelle and I cast our eyes homeward from a wonderful time in Hawaii we are still awed by the things we have seen since we have been here. We have taken tours that have educated us about the broad diversity of cultures that exist in the family of God. We've met people from places of which we were scarecely aware that brothers and sisters in Christ: Tongans, Samoans, Hawaaiians, Fijians and those native to New Zealand. Each of them are different in their own way but the same in all the ways that matter the most. What a rich cultural experience!
We also were privileged to see some of the most beautiful places on earth. We were educated by knowledgable tour guides regarding the flora and fauna of the islands as well as how much of the life here came to be here. There were trees native to Africa, plants from other Polynesian islands and birds from South America. The first residents here truly lived off the land, God providing EVERYTHING that was needed.
Lastly, we spent yesterday in Volcano National Park. It is difficult to convey the awesome majesty of God's work here. We were above the clouds at 14,000 feet and had the opportunity to see the top of the world's tallest mountain (measured from base to peak), Mauna Kea. We were able to see both ancient and new lava flows as well as the currently erupting Kilauea. The locals say we were standing on some of the world's newest land. God is still creating.
Beloved, tourism aside, I was struck by the absolute expansiveness of God's work, be it in man, other living things or the very planet on which he has placed us. It has truly been a humbling and moving experience. It is difficult to put into words the things that have been seen. They really are indescribable. This morning I woke with even more perspective. Hawaii is just a small archipelego of islands 2500 miles from anywhere and we just visited parts of two. It is a tiny place in the grand scheme of things. That means that this is just the smallest thumbnail afterthought of a Creator who spoke this whole planet, solar system, galaxy, universe and the heavenly realm into existence! His work speaks for itself. You wil hear it if you listen.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
P.S. Feel free to follow me on Facebook if you would like to see some preliminary images. In coming days and weeks I will post the better ones on my website at www.visualpoetryphotography.com
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Carpe Diem-4/3/2012
"This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Ps 118:24
Read by itself, one can hardly get the sense of the exuberance that fills Ps 118:24. Even a casual reading of the context reveals that the writer is celebrating the goodness of God. He revels in the loving kindness of the Lord. He gives thanks for the rescue the Lord has performed during times of distress. He trumpets God's protective nature and endorses Him over all others in whom we might otherwise place our trust. He even thanks God for his discipline because he knows (and anticipates) that salvation is found in Him.
Beloved, what is our outlook on the days of our lives? Are we consumed with its problems or are we thankful for its opportunities? Do we lament our lot in life, or do we praise God for that which we have? Do we focus on the earthly or cast our eyes heavenward?
We of all people, the privilege children of the Almighty have every reason to wake up each morning with a shout of triumph, not that we have accomplished anything, but that He has accomplished everything. Each day we are given a new opportunity to praise Him and enjoy his many bountiful blessings. Each day we anticipate the promised inheritance. Each day we are closer to seeing the Savior's face. Yes, this is THE day the Lord has made. Let us always remember to praise Him and to rejoice!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Read by itself, one can hardly get the sense of the exuberance that fills Ps 118:24. Even a casual reading of the context reveals that the writer is celebrating the goodness of God. He revels in the loving kindness of the Lord. He gives thanks for the rescue the Lord has performed during times of distress. He trumpets God's protective nature and endorses Him over all others in whom we might otherwise place our trust. He even thanks God for his discipline because he knows (and anticipates) that salvation is found in Him.
Beloved, what is our outlook on the days of our lives? Are we consumed with its problems or are we thankful for its opportunities? Do we lament our lot in life, or do we praise God for that which we have? Do we focus on the earthly or cast our eyes heavenward?
We of all people, the privilege children of the Almighty have every reason to wake up each morning with a shout of triumph, not that we have accomplished anything, but that He has accomplished everything. Each day we are given a new opportunity to praise Him and enjoy his many bountiful blessings. Each day we anticipate the promised inheritance. Each day we are closer to seeing the Savior's face. Yes, this is THE day the Lord has made. Let us always remember to praise Him and to rejoice!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
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