“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Last week in Chaplain’s Corner I listed ways that we show our love for God.  This is the first and greatest commandment, after all, so as believers we want to get this right, right? The first step to loving God is to really realize how much He loves us.  To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, how much does he love you?  Let us count the ways:

1. God created you and has ordained every day of your life (Psalm 139):

“¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. “

God has an intimate knowledge of you.  He lovingly created you in his image, breathed life into you, and cares about your future.

2. God actively seeks a relationship with you and me (Revelation 3:20):

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

God is always there.  He is available and taking the first step to be with you.  The only thing you have to do is to hear him and open the door to let Him in.

3. God knows about our sin nature and slavery to sin, but because he loves us so much, he has already paid the price to purchase our freedom, and it was a costly sacrifice.  (John 15:13)

“Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends.”

God could have left us in our sin. Instead, he came up with the perfect plan to demonstrate his justice and his mercy.  All He needed was the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. Can you even imagine what it would take to put your child through a crucifixion? But he did that for you and for me.

4. God forgives us our sins when we confess and ask for forgiveness.  And better yet, he chooses not to hold our sins against us. (Hebrews 8:12)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

What a relief, right?  Because we have committed some doozies, some shameful deeds.  We all have.  We’ve said and done things we shouldn’t have said or done, failed to do things we should have, and on and on.  And every sin we commit against someone here on earth is also a sin against God.  We hurt him so when we sin.  But repenting and praying for forgiveness is all God requires of us, and because of his great love for us he generously forgives us and chooses not to remember our sins against us.

5. God wants us to have a good life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

 It might do us all some good to meditate on this scripture:  “We love because He first loved us.”

Blessings,

Judy

I must say that I don’t usually get my inspiration from a luxury hotel, but I have recently been struck by a quotation on the window at the Westin Hotel just up from the Men’s Campus at the roundabout, which reads, “Because to serve is first to love.” This was written by Giuseppe Cipriani, a famous restaurateur.  In researching this quote, I found that the entire quote reads like this “We call on man to display his splendid capabilities.  And we observe with undivided attention, because the little nuances in the quality of his service give a flawless measure of his mind, they tell us frankly what his soul is worth, because, to serve is first to love.”

Even though that is a secular quote about the restaurant business, I believe it to be very true of Christians in our daily service, in whatever we are called to do.  If our minds have truly been transformed by the love of God, then we will naturally exude love.  “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” John 4:8

When we love God, we are obedient:

“But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him…” 1 John 2:5

When we love God, we do right:

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” 1 John 3:10

When we love God, we love others:

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20

When we love God, we serve others:

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

 When we love God, we lay down our life for another:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16

 However, if we are in a serving role without having the love of God, then that service can have some negative impacts. If we are serving from any other motive than the love of God, then it is a self-serving service.  (If we are not serving God, we are ultimately serving self).  One big problem resulting from this kind of service is burnout because we don’t have the Holy Spirit to sustain us.  Another big problem is pride, and we can even become resentful in our service because we don’t feel appreciated for what or how we have given.

So, if our minds have truly been transformed by the love of God, then we will naturally exude love when we serve.  Just as God is love, we who know God and what He has done for us also love—it is who we are and what we do.  “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” John 4:8

 If you do not know God like you want to, then invite Him into your heart. If you do not know how to do that, then let me know and I will walk you through it.  He is there waiting for you to transform your life.

Blessings,

Judy

Back in January I went on an “audio binge.” I downloaded books and listened to them almost any time that I was not at work, church, or asleep. I listened to books while driving, walking, cooking, eating, working around the house, etc. When I was not listening to books, I was reading them. Sometimes I would listen to the radio or to CD’s, but the bottom line is that I was feeding something into my brain continuously. Although I did do my regular Bible reading and study, the audio and other books I’m referring to were not necessarily religious in nature. I must admit I was also kind of proud to be intentionally stimulating my mind and accumulating knowledge.

I love to read, so books are kind of my thing.  Maybe they are your thing, too. Or maybe you are one of those people who tend to wear headphones or earbuds so you can listen to music or talk radio all the time. Many of us will turn on the television whether there is anything on of value or not, just to get the stimulation or have something to do.

When I finally ran through my backlog of books, I took a break from the audio and began to realize what I had been missing.  I had been missing out on the sounds of life all around me. And I had been missing out on the voice of God. I began to realize that the devil was probably behind my binge “reading.” The devil took something perfectly good—books—and made them into a compulsion that separated me from God. I still had my relationship with God; however, just like my husband was having trouble getting my attention when I was absorbed in my books, so was God having trouble getting my attention.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a (NIV)

I used to think this verse meant to slow down, to take time to pray and listen to God. However, I now know that it also means to quiet my mind, to refrain from the constant input of external words, music, and sounds so as to give myself space and time to hear, to think, to meditate on God’s Word. I am enjoying this quiet time with God. I’m thankful that He rescued me from the constant input of audio books because they had actually been wearing on me. Now that I’m taking this time away from audio books, I feel such refreshment in my soul because I am allowing myself to be renewed by the Holy Spirit.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism contains this dialog:

• Question: “What is the chief end of Man?”
• Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

St. Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

I pray that you will take time and make space to enjoy God, find rest in Him, and hear what He wants to tell you.

Blessings,

Judy

A few years ago, my husband and I took our five older grandkids on a road trip to Chattanooga.  I decided we needed a traveling song, so we learned and sang Chris Tomlin’s “Whom Shall I Fear” song.  They liked it so much that we still sing it.  Audrey likes for me to sing it to her before she goes to bed because she tends to be scared of the dark. The chorus goes like this:

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies
Is always by my side.

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies
Is always by my side.

Chris Tomlin’s song references the “God of angel armies.” The Message uses the term “God-Of-The-Angel-Armies” as the translation of the Hebrew phrase “Jehovah Sabaoth,” which is a common name for God in the Bible.  It is translated as “LORD of Hosts” in the KJV and “LORD Almighty” in the NIV.  (See translations of 1 Samuel 17:45-47 about David and Goliath, for example.) Easton’s Bible Dictionary says “It may designate Jehovah as either (1) God of the armies of earth, or (2) God of the armies of the stars, or (3) God of the unseen armies of angels; or perhaps it may include all these ideas.”

Can you just picture this? How many times do we casually use the term “heavenly hosts” without really thinking about the magnitude and power that it conveys?

When I hear this song and the reference to “God of Angel Armies,” I call to mind the story in 2 Kings, Chapter 6: 15-17.  The Arameans were at war with Israel, and the King of Aram was trying to capture the King of Israel.  The people of Israel were getting discouraged.

¹⁵“When the servant of the man of God (Elisha) got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked.

¹⁶ ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

I get thrills when I picture this!  This is a biblical event that I can call to mind when I feel overwhelmed by the enemy.  When I think I have no other options, I should realize that God and His angel armies are all around me.  Even though I cannot see them, I should realize that God is always protecting me, and if I will let him, He will fight my battles for me, no matter how seemingly impossible.

Whom shall I fear?  No one!

Who is always by my side?  The God of Angel Armies!!

Blessings,

Judy

I have really enjoyed Mary’s Sleep Tips, haven’t you? (This is part of the Mission’s Wellness Program.)  I admit, I’m a pretty good sleeper.  However, when I can’t go right to sleep I become very vexed.  Sometimes I just can’t shut my mind down, and sometimes I just don’t feel sleepy (even though I might have dozing in my chair before actually going to bedJ).

I thought I would share with you some things that seem to work for me when I am lying in bed not able to go to sleep:

1. Rather than feeling frustrated, I thank God for the extra time I have to spend with Him.
2. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me with whatever I am anxious about, and try to listen for His counsel.
3. I ask God to please help me go to sleep and to sleep well.
4. I list all the things I have to be thankful for, large and small.
5. I recite (to myself) the Scriptures I am currently trying to memorize and meditate on them.
6. I go over the books of the Bible.

Sometimes these work and I do go on to sleep.  Occasionally, I end up spending hours on the six items above.  When that happens, rather than feeling like I have wasted a night I instead feel like I have had a fruitful and blessed time with the LORD.

I’ll add one more thing to Mary’s Sleep Tip that was posted last Thursday.  If you are anxious about anything, please remember that I am here for you.  You can email, text, call, or come by (appointment or drop-in).  I am a confidential resource for you, and I am always pleased to be able to listen, to pray with you, and perhaps offer counsel if appropriate.  My office hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and alternating Wednesdays (typically the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month) and I am on both campuses as needed.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Blessings,

Judy

 “I know that my Redeemer lives!” We just celebrated Easter, exulting in the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and lives at the right hand of God.  He is our living Lord!! This is the good news of the Gospel, but maybe in the reality of your actual life, this good news doesn’t always seem to be enough?

Do you know about the Job of the Bible? Job experienced terrible physical pain, absolute financial ruin, and the tragic deaths of all of his children at the hand of Satan. I honestly have never known anyone who has had it worse than Job; he lost everything except for his wife and a few “friends.”  And for the first half of the book about him, Job in utter misery cursed the day of his birth, complained about his problems, and wished for death; in fact, he said he wished he had never been born. This is a picture of someone who is completely hopeless (he said his spirit was broken).  Perhaps you can identify with Job, at least at some level.  To add to Job’s problems, his friends tried to “counsel” him and just made it worse.  Maybe you can even identify with that.

However, about halfway through the book, Job arrives at this wonderful statement of faith: “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”  (Job 19:25-27)

When Job acknowledged his trust in God and proclaimed the sovereignty of God, his life changed.  In the end, Job’s fortunes were restored.  Not all of us start out rich, and even if we trust in God we may not end up with earthly riches.  But when we trust in God and acknowledge that our Redeemer lives and that He holds our future in his hands, we will have the life that God intends for us, and it will be worth living. The words of this song by Matt Maher speak to this truth.  Read this (click on the link to hear it).

Because He Lives (Amen)

I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives

Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives
Because He lives

I pray that you will know the perfect peace that comes from really knowing your living Savior and trusting in Him.  Amen.

Blessings,

Judy

Do you have a life verse?  I have lots of favorite verses, but the one that I always come back to is this one: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). This passage is from a parable admonishing us to always be ready because we do not know when we will meet Jesus face to face.

I was in the high school band, and our band director was famous for pop tests, or challenges.  During these challenges, we would have to play our assigned music for an opportunity to challenge for the next level or to defend our position if we were being challenged.  While these challenges would seem to be voluntary, they were not.  These were pop tests, so we were inspired to practice in order to be ready at any time if we wanted to maintain or advance our position.   Boy, I dreaded hearing the words, “Judy, I think Sandra wants to challenge you.”  Once, I even blurted out in response, “No sir, I heard her didn’t.” Yes, I know that’s not very good grammar, but I was obviously not as prepared as I needed to be for the test, and I panicked.

The Bible contains many passages about testing.  John 6 describes Jesus feeding the five thousand.  ^“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do” (John 6:5-6).  We mostly think of this story in terms of a miracle that Jesus performed.  However, did you catch the word “test?”  Jesus tested his disciples.

 Have you ever thought of your life as a test?  We can expect to be tested when we make the decision to follow Jesus.  There are many examples of testing throughout the Bible that let us know that when we make the decision to follow Jesus, we can expect to be tested.  “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).  It was then that God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:13).

 God tested the Israelites in the desert. “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 8:2). The Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes) abounds with references to being tested by God, and Jesus himself was tested in the wilderness.

When we see our life as a test, then we are more likely to see adversity as part of God’s plan rather than just feeling like we are being dumped on.  When we see our life as a test, then we are ready to use these trials as opportunities to continually prepare ourselves, and to meet these tests and trials as challenges to be overcome for the glory of God.

 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”  Psalm 139:23

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”  Romans 5:3-4

Blessings,

Judy

Last week in Chaplain’s Corner I wrote about walking, putting one step in front of the other, walking in step with God.  In keeping with the concept of walking, let’s now think about walking with purpose, a journey if you will, with a definite destination.

We have at least four choices when we walk.  We can walk aimlessly, we can walk in a circle, we can walk away with purpose, or we can walk forward with purpose.

Proverbs says:  “She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it” (Proverbs 5:6). When walking aimlessly and not paying attention, we risk being seduced down a path that will lead to destruction.  When we are walking aimlessly, by definition we are not walking in step with Jesus.

Sometimes we walk in a circle.  This might also be described as a nonproductive routine or cycle.  Someone famous once said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you always got.”  The implication from this circle or cycle is that we are not growing, not continuously improving and moving forward.

We can walk away with purpose.  This might feel like walking backwards or in a circle; however, it’s anything but that.  Proverbs advises: “Walk away from the company of fools, for you cannot find insight in their words” (Proverbs 14:7. The best example of walking away is when we repent, which is a change of mind about our sin and a change of direction regarding our actions.  This is an about-face, and is needed to get us back on track toward our desired destination.

And last of all, we can walk forward with purpose.  There are so many great stories in the Bible of walking with purpose. “So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him” (Genesis 12:4). Abraham’s purposefulness did not come from his own idea, but by staying in step with God.  And Abraham’s result was outlined in Genesis 12:2. “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing….”

What is instructive to me is that Abraham didn’t always walk in step with God.  Just a few verses later, we read “Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land” (Genesis 12:10). Nowhere in that passage does it mention that God told him to go to Egypt.  By taking matters into his own hands and going to Egypt, Abraham forfeited the blessing of seeing how God could provide in that situation, and he paid dearly for it.  When Pharaoh sent Abraham back home, he sent with him a slave named Hagar with whom Abraham fathered Ishmael.  This is what the angel of the LORD said about Ishmael:  “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand will be against him, and he will live in hostility toward all this brothers.”  Just think, Abraham could have avoided this if he had just listened and obeyed God during the famine. This is a good example of walking in a circle; Abraham literally made a round trip from Canaan to Egypt and back, and thankfully he got back in step with God.  The Bible says that when he returned, “There Abram called on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 13:4).

Abraham was a man of great faith, but even he stumbled when he did not walk in step with God.  I pray that you will walk with God; that you will walk with purpose, repenting of sin and moving forward on your path of righteousness and relationship with our LORD.  May you be able to say, like Paul, at the end of your life:  “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Blessings,

Judy

This past Sunday my seven-year-old granddaughter and I were walking across the parking lot at church when she said to me, “Nannie, please don’t walk so fast.” I realized that I needed to slow down because she was wearing her shiny, gold, one-inch “high heels” and having trouble keeping up.

I’ve always been struck by the references to “walking” in the Bible.  Many of the Old Testament patriarchs were said to walk with God.  We are commanded in Deuteronomy to walk in obedience (5:33; 10:12).  One of my favorite verses is Micah 6:38, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  And Paul entreats us to “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God “ Ephesians 5:1).

This concept of walking that we find in Scriptures might be taken to mean many things, but I am focused on the idea of just taking one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other, of keeping in step with God, not getting too far ahead of him, or lagging too far behind.

Just as with my granddaughter, I may need to slow down.  As new and exuberant Christians, we sometimes want to charge ahead, thinking we know what is needed.  Just like Paul following his conversion on the road to Damascus, we need to be sure that we are not getting ahead of Jesus in our journey.  We need to heed the wisdom of our elders and allow ourselves to take time and learn the ways of Jesus.

And sometimes we get lazy or tired, and perhaps fall behind.  Then we may need to hear and obey the same message as Jesus told the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat, and walk” (Mark 2:9).

How do we know we are in step with Jesus?  Paul says that it’s when we are exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” Galatians 5:22-25).

We can know we are in step with the Spirit when we are practicing what we know to do on a daily basis:  staying in the Word, talking to God, seeking guidance, seeking conviction for and repenting of sin.  We can know we are in step with the Spirit when our lives demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  We can know we are in step with Jesus when we identify with Him and desire above all to glorify Him.

Blessings,

Judy