Therefore...

 
Therefore....I heard it said once that when you see that word, to stop and ask what the word is there for. (....therefore, there for....get it? )  There are lots of therefores in scripture. This morning, my attention was drawn to the concept of joy. (thanks to a friend's post on Facebook that has me humming 'I've got the joy, joy joy, joy...down in my heart...')  Then, I go to my morning time in God's Word, and there's that concept of joy and that 'therefore' word.  (...isn't God a hoot? )  


"Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation." (Isa 12:3)

Now I ask myself, what is that 'therefore' there for?
Why the joy? (...or the absence of it...? )

It is such a simple reason, yet so profound, and so hidden from me for so long....

".......He has become my salvation..." (Isa. 12:2)
 He is the saving factor. Not me. Not what I do. Not what I do NOT do.

 


Our joy bubbles over like a spring bursts forth from the ground ONLY when we recognize the truth of God's incredible love for us, and the unreasonable grace He has extended to us....to do what we are absolutely incapable of achieving ourself. 

Therefore, :) ......when I see someone who seems to have no real joy, I have to consider that they might have no understanding of that love and grace.

I purpose today to...
"...joyously draw water From the springs of salvation...."
 and "'Make known His deeds among the peoples... Make them remember that His Name is exalted....He has done excellent things, Let this be known throughout the earth...." ( select verses from Isa. 12)  "Cry aloud and shout for joy...... in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." (vs.6)
 

Consecrate...

It's not a word we use much in our day.  Webster says it is to declare and appropriate to sacred use. The Hebrew word scholars translate as 'consecrate' meant 'to observe as holy and to keep as sacred'.


The Bible speaks of consecration a lot.  There were rituals. Deliberate acts. Ceremonies.  A lot of trouble maybe, but it seemed to draw the heart and mind to the purpose.  Or should have....

So I ask myself this morning, what about me is consecrated?  If I am consecrated, to what am I consecrated?  One thing, or several?  Am I consecrated to 'ME'? Am I completely consecrated, or just a portion?  Is it a process or an event? Can I do this thing called consecration?

Questions.........


"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God."(Lev. 20:7)

The instruction is clear. I am to purpose myself, to 'set myself apart'.
I am to take some sort of action that creates a sacredness or holiness.
My heart and mind should be purposed in this thing of consecration, as well as my actions.



So, what can I do?  I know that I can not muster up perfect holiness.  I have the same sin problem all humans have. (Romans 3:23) Do I just throw up my hands and throw in the towel?

Questions...........




In the temple worship system, there were vessels that were used for various things.  These vessels were 'consecrated'.  The inside of the vessel was cleansed. 

And so was the outside.

The inside of me, my 'vessel', has been cleansed by the blood of The Perfect Lamb of God. He has done it.  "It is finished."  My vessel IS holy.  Not because of any action on my part, but simply because I accepted His cleansing OF it.

 The outside of my vessel must be clean as well. I must purpose to remove what contaminates.

 My will is forever mine.  If I choose to hang onto sinful behavior, God will not over-rule my choice. But I will suffer the consequences and answer to His justice. He IS holy. Perfect and holy in every way.

If I choose to remain in wrong behavior, behavior that contaminates and is counter productive to consecration, has there really been any real conviction and turning away from a wrong path?
Questions.....

I can't be 'set apart to keep sacred' and my vessel be used in the same wrong ways all at the same time can I?

Questions........


Amid the questions I find assurance and encouragement this morning ...

First, from the words of an old hymn...

---

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Again from the words of Jesus...amid the dilemma of my nature, I find assurance and encouragement....
 

"Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured..." (Matt.8:3)

He is willing to make me clean.


I have come to the personal conclusion that my consecration is a daily, moment by moment thing.
I choose. Not perfectly. Sometimes my choices are poor. And when they are, I purpose to WANT to choose better. I never want to be satisfied and comfortable in my sin. I want my will and His to be the same....

As I thank Him this morning for His grace manifested in my salvation, I purpose  to cooperate with Him, consecrating every aspect of my life........ to Him.

Pattern...

I've used one to make a dress and pants.
I've used one to do cross stitch.
I've used one to shape a cake into a bunny rabbit.

There are patterns for all those things. Examples to follow. Instructions.

Scripture gives us patterns.  Jesus Himself was and is the very Pattern of life.  He didn't draw it out or write it on paper.  He lived it.  We can never have the excuse that God doesn't know how difficult it is to follow the pattern of His holiness.  Jesus knows.  So God knows....

This morning, my attention is drawn to Isaiah 12.  There is a pattern there.  A pattern of praise.

We love to sing songs about heaven.
We sing songs that say "I'll fly away.....when I die..... I'll fly away."
We sing songs of encouragement to each other. "Hold to God's unchanging Hand...."
We sing about blessing, "count your blessings, name them one by one..."
We sing wishing to "...hear mother, pray again."

I do love to sing. And all those things are great things to sing about.  In fact, I am very particular about what I WILL sing.  I opt out of singing something if the lyrics go against what is true and right.

Isaiah 12 has a pattern. 

I am thankful for forgiveness. (vs.1)
I fear God, but I am not afraid of Him. He is trustworthy. (vs.2)
I ultimately have no strength, His is limitless and is mine for the asking. (vs.2)
I am free to take from Him what sustains and refreshes, and saves. (vs.3)
When I have experienced His love, I can not help but share it. I must help others remember. (vs. 4)
It is to my own benefit to acknowledge and appreciate the excellent things He has done. (vs.5)
The Holy One of Israel is still in our midst. (vs.6)

A pattern of praise....  
I am thankful for the blessings of His Hand...but is His Face I seek.
I purpose to praise HIM.
He is always and only...good.

Storms...

I've ridden out a few pretty scary ones.  I've put my kids under the bed and in the closet.  I've put other people's children in a bathtub and covered them with pillows.  I've ministered to people who left everything behind and were at other people's mercy for food, clothing, and shelter.

Tornados.  Hurricanes. 

We can know about these kinds of storms.  We can be warned and take steps to prepare. If we are wise....

There are other storms in life that come without warning. The doctor says 'it's cancer'. The officer says 'there's been an accident'.  A spouse says 'I'm leaving'. 

Nothing we can manage prepares for that kind of storm. But like all storms of life, they blow in, damaging everything in proximity. Ripping  shelter, dislodging foundation, taking what was 'ours'.

When the storm comes and goes, those who remain take stock of what is left behind. Decisions are made, pieces are picked up, broken pieces inspected and repaired or discarded.

We are wise to prepare for storms.  We are wise to have a strong relationship with The One Who is Master over every storm.

For THAT is the only real way to prepare for storms.....


"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."
(Prov. 10:25)

Dining...

We have a culture fascinated with eating out.  When we were raising our children, it was a luxury we seldom experienced.  But we did dine!  We ate very well.

 Big meals, home raised beef, home grown vegetables....oh yes.  We ate very well.

We didn't think up this concept of entertaining ourselves around a table filled with food. Table fellowship is almost as old as humanity. Food is indeed vital for our existance. 

And gluttony is indeed a misuse of the Creator's design.  Seems man can misuse every single thing God has created....

Fellowship around a dining table can be so good for us, or so very wrong....

Scripture is rich with stories that include the dinner table. 
I found this warning in my morning quiet time....
"When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you,  and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive."      (Proverbs 23:1-3)Sitting together with a table of food can be much more than a time to taste food and fill a belly. It can be a time to bond with other people, and even a time to be caught off gaurd in compromise.  We are admonished to carefully consider what it is that's on the table.  Often, it is not just food. 

Indulging the appetite of our human flesh has always gotten us into lots of trouble.  Self-restraint is an exercise lost on many of us for the most part, whether it is over eating or some other excessive behavior. 

Food can and should be enjoyed, but I wonder that we don't get caught up in 'craving delicacies'...pleasing our bodies and  poisoning them at the same time. 


I purpose to enjoy the people at the table more than the food on it.

Home...

Home.... Webster says it is the 'sacred refuge of our life'.

Some online definitions I saw were 'the physical structure within which one lives'.
Another, 'the social unit formed by a family living together'.
Yet another, 'the place or region where something is native or most common'.


Words are so powerful. A simple four letter word... 'home', so full of application.

There are a lot of people who are homeLESS.  The saddest of those are the people who have big houses, and yet are homeless.

There are homeless people who own places, even lots of land....and never are 'home'.

There are people who are surrounded by people, live among them...with them...and are homeless.


I am blessed with a physical structure to live in. I am blessed with a husband who loves and cherishes me. I am still geographically in the same area that has always been home.

Yet sometimes the world around me and all that is in it seems so foreign. There have been so many compromises, so many alterations, so many adaptations, so much has changed.  Sometimes I feel quite homeless.


"....But the People of Israel made themselves at home among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They married their daughters and gave their own daughters to their sons in marriage. And they worshiped their gods. The People of Israel did evil in GOD's sight. They forgot their GOD and worshiped the Baal gods and Asherah goddesses. (Judges 3:5-7 from The Message)

 I am called to love, sent to disciple, and instructed to be light in dark places. 

But I never want to feel at home among people who have compromised God's standard and refuse to line up their lives with His design and plan.

"...We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."(2Cor. 5:8)


There are days when I so identify with Paul......days when my spirit longs to cry out "Come Lord Jesus."     

Yet there are those who are not ready....
  

Driven...

Power. Money. Success.  We Americans seem to be driven by them. We drive ourself, and we drive others....pushed by a need and want for more, more, more....

As I begin in John 10 I realize that God has never driven me . It is my own desire that has driven me. Sometimes that desire has been to be more Christlike and driven me to seek Him with an honest an undivided heart.

Sometimes that desire has driven me away from Him.

Jesus  is a Shepherd not like a cattle driver.  Which causes me to remember how my father-in-law would deal with his cattle.  He led them.  He had a certain call.  They recognized him and would follow him into the corral.  They were led.  Not driven. 

I am led.  I want to be led. 

Whether led to it, led around it, led away from it, or led right through it...I purpose to follow Him.

I purpose to listen and follow His Voice, never to balk and run or to be driven by my own wrong desire.


(.....I understand a shepherd would sometimes injure the leg of a disobedient sheep, carry it on his own shoulders until it was able to walk again.  The sheep would become close and very bonded to the shepherd while being carried around, and when the sheep was able to walk and put down, it stayed as close to the shepherd as it could get...   Sounds a bit familiar....)    

Kicked out....

Ever been kicked out? 

I remember being kicked out of a click of girls in school. Of course, I was taken back in a week or so and somebody else was kicked out. 

I've known of people getting kicked out of college. 
I've known of people getting kicked out of a movie theatre.
I've even known kids who got kicked out of their home.

Most of the time, getting kicked out is a result of bad behavior...though not always.  (...I don't remember that I behaved badly in school, but maybe I did...and I am regretful this morning to have participated in that kind of behavior towards anyone else..)

As I continue to reflect on the man with new vision in John 9, I see that he got kicked out. 

This man, blind for as long as he had lived, now sees.  He is interrogated about it as if he had done something wrong. His family is approached. He is challenged about his honesty. The religious leaders throw out their chests and wave their credentials.

Then they kick him out.

Oh that will resolve it....right.  NOT!!

Rather than listen honestly and consider the testimony.....they kick him out.
Rather than honestly consider why they are so against such a wonderful thing....they kick him out.

I am thankful that I am given sight. It matters that some people don't understand. I may be 'kicked out' of certain circles, ridiculed, accused, or avoided. 

But that's ok.  I'll just keep trusting Him......the One Who gave me sight and directs my steps.

Declare...

I remember hearing my grandmother say "......well, ... I declare !!!  "

I don't recall just what it was that she ever declared, but whatever it was, I would have believed her. 

Being believed is a valuable thing. 

Continuing my study in John 9 where  John records the story of the blind man that Jesus' healed.  Afterwards, he is bombarded with questions.  Why were you blind in the first place? Were you really blind?  Are you pretending to be that blind man that has always been down on the corner? Just who did this supposed miraculous thing?  How was this done? If that happened, it was illegal !

ugh... 

I sure understand the response of this man with new vision.... "....I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see." (John 9:25 The Message)


I declare....I have been blind.  And Jesus has given me new sight. 

Why....

We look for reasons. We want to explain...

"...who sinned.... causing him to be born blind?"
( Jesus' disciples concerning a blind man in John 9:2)


"...I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble.. reap it."
(Job's friend Eliphaz in Job 4:8)

The age-old question...why do bad things happen to good people?

"No one is good, except God alone."
( Jesus Christ in Mark 10:18)

I suppose perhaps the question should be why not?

While scripture clearly teaches that we reap what we sow, it is also clear that we don't always get what we deserve.

Paul didn't deserve to be an apostle. (1 Cor. 15:9)
The centurion didn't deserve having his servant restored to health. (Matt. 8:8)
The prodigal son didn't deserve to be restored into the family. (Luke 15:21)
Jacob didn't deserve protection from Esau. (Gen. 32:10)

....and I have done nothing to deserve the privileged life I have enjoyed.

Why was I born into a church-going Bible-believing family?
Why was I born an American and not an Ethiopian?
Why have I not had some dreaded disease?
Why do I not have a physical disability?

There is no answer. Certainly, the reasons are not of my own doing.

What IS of my doing is the choices I have made. I can prevent some bad things from coming into my life sometimes, simply by choosing to be obedient and NOT choosing the participate in evil. (...it's that same principle of choosing evil, picking and eating the fruit from that awful tree...)

But just because I don't, doesn't guarantee a trouble-free life.

Just ask Job.

Can't....

Somewhere in my life I've heard it said that  'Cain't couldn't never do nuthin'....' 
It was an admonition to make an effort.  It was a warning that if you decide you can't succeed before you even try, you will certainly NOT succeed.

There is truth in the saying.

 We have to WANT to try....and it is really hard to want to do some of the really hard things...  Our flawed nature does not naturally WANT what is good and right.  In that, I'm afraid that it is true that we 'cain't' do 'nuthin' about it.

But God can.  And He will, but only by our honest request and permission, only according to His will and not our own.


"  You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.   I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.

  What you're after is truth from the inside out.

Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.  

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.  
God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.  Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.

 (selected verses, Psalm 51 from The Message)



We certainly 'cain't' do 'nuthin' about our flawed nature.  How thankful I am that He is willing to restore mine....

"...Change my heart, O God,

Make it ever true...

Change my heart, O God...

May I be like You. "