Woe To the Unrepentant

Reading:  Matthew 11
My Verse:  "We played the flute for you,
                          and you did not dance;
                    We sang a dirge,
                          and you did not mourn" (Matthew 11:17).

This is truly so very sad.  You, LORD God, have made such great effort to bring us to you and yet so many, too many refuse to listen.  We shut up our ears, close our eyes and refuse to pay attention to all the signs you send our way.

You sent amazing prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Ezekiel Daniel Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, Joseph, Deborah, Enoch, and so many more.  They were individuals who believed You were who you said you were.  They stood up to the waywardness in their lifetimes, often risking their lives to do so.  Thank you for them, LORD God.  Thank you for raising up these courageous individuals to speak out to the lost.

You did amazing miracles: the ten plagues on Egypt to get Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, the parting of the Red Sea, the burning bush to get the attention of Moses, the taking of Enoch, the feeding of thousands with a couple loaves of bread and a few fish, raising Lazarus from the dead, causing the blind to see and the lame to walk.  You did all this and more, and yet the unrepentant refuse to see, to hear, to understand who you are and what you ask.

You even did the most unspeakable of things, You sacrificed Your own son, Jesus, to pay the needed sacrifice for our sins, to make it possible for us to be free from the bondage of sin.  You did this and still too many refuse to repent and turn to You.

You have recorded all this in your word, the Bible.  You have preserved this book through the ages for us to turn to for comfort, for understanding, for knowledge of you.  It is the book of truth.  And still too many refuse to see that truth.

LORD God, we do not deserve the love and care You have for us and yet You still love us.  You still call to us.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
   and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you,
   and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
   and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"  (Matthew 11:28-30).

I pray for my loved ones who continue to shut up their ears, close their eyes and refuse to pay attention to the signs you send their way.

And I thank you for Your great love and patience for us.

My Dear One by Jenny and Tyler

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Wise As A Serpent and Innocent As A Dove

Reading:  Matthew 9, 10
My Verse:   "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep
                        in the midst of wolves,
                        so be wise as serpents
                        and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).

Find this to be such a contrast.  You are telling me that I need to be both "wise as a serpent" and "innocent as a dove."  In my mind I think this doesn't seem possible.  This seems to be another one of those instances where my understanding is either lacking or wrong or both!  LORD God, help me to learn here what You are meaning when you tell me to be as both serpent and a dove.

My online dictionary defines serpent as:
     1.  a snake
     2.  a wily, treacherous, or malicious person
     3.  the Devil; Satan

So perhaps that is why I am thinking as I do.  But Genesis 3:1 says,

    "Now the serpent was more crafty 
        than any other beast of the field 
        that the LORD God had made."

One forgets, LORD God, that You created the serpent just like all the other creatures.  And when you were done creating you said.

     "And God saw everything that he had made,
         and behold, it was very good"  (Genesis 1:31).

So the serpent, at one time, was "good" like all the other creatures You created.  The Amplified Bible says, "wary and wise as serpents."  The NIV notes state that at one time the serpent was "the symbol of shrewdness and intellectual cunning."   These definitions seem to reflect the hand of satan.  Once Satan used the serpent for his purposes he forever warped what You, LORD God created as good.

It is hard for me to think of the serpent as good and as wise, but because You use the serpent to represent wiseness it is obvious You are referring to him before Satan forever warped our image of this creature.  You created him to be "more crafty than any other creatures of the field." And that is how you want us to be - wise, intelligent, skillful, ingenious, dexterous in how we handle ourselves out in the world.

And yet I am to also be "innocent as a dove."  I like how the Amplified Bible defines this:  harmless, guileless, and without falsity.  The dove as defined in my online dictionary when referring to a person says this:  an innocent, gentle or tender person.

To be innocent is to be:
   1.  free from moral wrong; without sin; pure
   2.  not involving evil intent or motive
   3.  having or showing the simplicity or naivety of an unworldly person;
        guileless; ingenuous.

I really like that.  Last night I watched the free skate program for women.  There was a young
gal from Japan who was lovely as she truly portrayed an innocent in her beautiful performance.

So while these two traits seem to be at odds I do see the necessity of both.  Thank you, LORD
God, for this.  Thank you for telling me to use my head, my intellect as I navigate this world.  Thank you for reminding me that I also need to be free from moral wrong, without sin and pure in my personal self.

I like how Paul says this in Romans 16:19.

   "But I want you to be wise as to what is good,
       and innocent as to what is evil."


Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
       

Begged Him to Leave . . .

Reading:  Matthew 8
My Verse:  ". . . they begged him to leave their region" (Matthew 8:34)

What a response to the completely unprecedented and miraculous things Jesus was doing.  The establishment became afraid of him, they plead with him to go away!

Jesus was doing such wondrous things!

- he healed a leprous man
- he healed a centurion's servant from afar
- he healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever
- he cast out demons
- he told would be followers to give up everything to follow him
- he calmed great storms at sea
- demons knew him and feared him

And yet after all this he was asked to leave, to go away because instead of worshipping him the church leaders feared him!

It is good to have law, order and systems in place to help us stay on a certain path, in a disciplined way of living.  I am reading Brooks "The Road to Character."  He speaks of Ida Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower's mother.  She emphasized the "importance of practicing small acts of self-control . . ."
He also quoted from psychologist William James treatise called "Habit."

"You want to engrave certain habits so deep that they will become natural and instinctual.
  Take advantage of every occasion to practice your habit.
  Practice a gratuitous exercise of self-discipline every day.
  Ascetism of this sort is like the insurance which a man pays on his house.
  The tax does him no good at the time, 
   and may possibly never bring him a return.
   But if the fire does come,
   his having paid it will be his salvation from ruin."

But there is also a danger to this.  As with the church leaders in the day of Jesus.  Their
systems and traditions became their god.  They did not even recognize the real thing, Jesus, when he came.  Instead they saw him as a threat to their established way of life.

I like that Brooks points out that while it is so important for us to exercise self-discipline we cannot do it on our own.  We cannot rely on ourselves as we are flawed.  We always need help from outside ourselves. And that help is You, LORD God.

Thank you for reminding me that I must ever keep my eyes on You.  Thank you for reminding me that yes, I need to have self-discipline but I cannot go it on my own and should never expect that of myself.

"Be merciful unto me, O Lord:
   for I cry unto thee daily.
 Rejoice the soul of thy servant:
   for unto thee, O Lord,
   do I lift up my soul"  (Psalm 86:3,4)

Keep me LORD God from sending You away!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Authority of Jesus

Reading:  Matthew 7
My Verse:   "And when Jesus finished these sayings,
                        the crowds were astonished at  his teachings,
                        for he was teaching them as one 
                        who had authority,
                           and not as their scribes" (Matthew 7:28-29).


Something was definitely different about the teaching of Jesus.  He  went beyond the law, he demanded serious personal investment of his believers - real action, not pretentious religiosity.  Jesus spoke with an authority that was so obviously divine and inherent.

"Judge not, that you be not judged"  (7:1).  This is a hard one, LORD God.  I know I must be ever so careful about critiquing others - being intolerant.   Galatians 6:1 says we are to help others in trouble with much gentleness.

"Ask, and it will be given" (7:7).  Love this, if I am in need I am to ask You.  For You are my Father in heaven and You will "give good things to those who ask him!"

The Golden Rule  I am to treat others as I would have them treat me!  This is so simple and obvious,  thank you, LORD Jesus for this!

Then You, Jesus give us some warnings.

Two Gates:  We all choose between the "narrow" gate and the "wide" gate.  The narrow gate is so because it is only through You, Jesus.  The wide gate is so because it is the world.  Sadly more choose the wide gate than the narrow gate.   Help me, LORD God to be faithful in prayer for those I know and love to find their way through the narrow gate.

Good vs False Prophets:  You told us above not to be judgmental but here we are to use the brain you gave us to be discerning.  We are to be as the Bereans and make sure that   what a teacher teaches is truly of You!  (Acts 17:11)

Real vs True Disciples:  This brings to mind a saying:  "Many will wake up surprised in hell."
Just because someone is showing great works this does not mean they are truly of You, LORD God.  Just because someone says they profess Christ does not mean they do in their hearts.  We, as believers, are to be on guard against these pretenders.

Firm or False Foundation:  The religious community of the day had built their foundation on tradition and rituals.  I must have my foundation firmly on You and Your word, LORD God!
Anything else will be washed away by the many storms of life.

You are a God of Love, Compassion, Order , Goodness and Rightness but also of supreme Authority!

10,000 Reasons by Redman

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Tools to Deal With Anxiety

Reading:  Matthew 6
My Verse:  "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow,
                         for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
                         Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34).

Anxiety:  distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear
                of danger or misfortune  -online dictionary

Anxiety is a given.  We all suffer from it at some point in our lives, in varying degrees - for some it is a constant nag, for others it is debilitating and yet others seem to struggle through it somehow.  You, Jesus explain to  us how to manage/respond to anxiety.  You give us the tools we need here to not only live with anxiety, but manage it.

#1:  "Giving to the Needy" (verses 1-4)  You tell us we are to give of ourselves
                                                                 to others secretly.  I like this!  It is like
                                                                 we are to be little elves, secretly
                                                                 helping others whenever we can!

#2:  "The Lord's Prayer" (verses5-15)   You tell us we are to pray.  You even
                                                                teach us how we are to pray.  Basically,
                                                                this tells me that I am unable
                                                                to navigate this life on my own.
                                                                I need You to help me.

#3.  "Fasting"  (vers 16-18)   You tell us here we  are to either completely stop
                                                eating or eat very little for a period of time.
                                                John Piper teaches that fasting is a way of
                                                increasing our longing for You, Jesus.  He
                                                teaches that it also is a way of forcing us to
                                                expose the defects in our lives that may
                                                be hampering us.

#4:  "Lay up treasures in heaven"  You tell us not to seek after personal gain.
                                                        That should should not be our life focus.
                                                        You tell us we cannot
                                                        "serve God and money."

#5:  "Do not be anxious" (verses 25-34)  You tell us we are to "seek first the 
                                                                  kingdom of God and his 
                                                                  righteousness, 
                                                                  and all these things will be
                                                                  added to you".  "All these things"
                                                                 being everything we need to live
                                                                 rich and full lives.

You love us more than we know and You know all that we need as you do
 "the birds of the air" and "the flowers of the field."

Thank you for this, LORD God.  Help me today to keep my focus on You for only You
can set my mind at ease and right what is wrong in it.

Only You can help me to manage my anxiety.

Control by Tenth Avenue North

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Beyond Rules & Laws!

Reading:  Matthew 5
My Verse:  "You therefore must be perfect,
                          as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

What a challenge!  You, LORD God, ask us to go beyond  the old expectations of good behavior.  You challenge us to go a step further.  You challenge us to go beyond rules and laws!

Jesus opens his ministry with a bang!  He turns everything upside down for the staid church that was so set upon old traditions that had become increasingly self-serving to the church hierarchy.

First we are given those amazing beatitudes in verses 2-11.

     "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .
     Blessed are those who mourn . . .
     Blessed are the meek . . .
     Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . .
     Blessed are the merciful  . . .
     Blessed are the peacemakers . . .
     Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake . . .
     Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you . . . on my account . . ."

These give us a whole new focus.  These tell us to take our focus off of ourselves and onto You!

You tell us we are to be "salt" and "light" in this world so that others might see You in us.

Finally, You tell us that if we even think of sinful things, that is as good as doing it!  You tell us this by going through some of our worse sins.

Anger:  You say that, of course, one is liable if murder is committed.
             But You say if we are even
              "angry with a brother"
              "insults his brother"
               tells him "You fool"  - we are liable.

Lust:    Of course adultery is wrong but You go further here as well.
            "everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has 
                already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Divorce:  By divorcing ones spouse we cause them to commit adultery by remarrying.

Oaths:  The old law says, "You shall not swear falsely"
            but you say we should not take any kind of oath.
            For we do not have the power to make it come about.
            Only You have that kind of power.

Retaliation:  Oh, this is a hard one.
                    If someone hits you, turn the other cheek!
                    If someone sues you for your robe, give him your cloak!
                    If someone forces you to go a mile, go two!
                    If someone begs from you, do not refuse him.

Love your enemies:  The old law says we are to love our neighbor
                                     and hate our enemies.
                                  You tell us we are to love our enemies also!
                               
You want so much for us, LORD God!  You want us to strive to be perfect.

"You therefore must be perfect . . ."
  

I will never be perfect but I am to keep on keeping on in that direction.  Be on being
perfect!

Love Like Jesus

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Physical and Spiritual

Reading:  Matthew 3, 4
My Verse:  "Then the devil left him,
                      and behold,
                      angels came and were ministering to him" (Matthew 4:11).

The juxtaposition between our physical and spiritual being is fascinating.  Here  Matthew reveals a very active interaction between the physical and spiritual realms.

We are physical beings and need to care for these amazing physical bodies.  But we are also spiritual beings and have spiritual needs that we also need to care for.

Here we are told after Jesus fasted for "forty days and forty nights"  he was sorely tempted by the devil.  The devil offered him physical things - bread, freedom from physical harm, and all the world before his eyes.

Jesus countered each temptation with scripture focusing on the spiritual needs:

When Satan offered bread in a taunt, Jesus responded -
"But he answered, It is written
   Thou shall not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

When offered freedom from physical harm again in a taunt, Jesus responded -
"Again, it is written,
   You shall not put the LORD your God to the test" (Matthew 4:7).

When offered all that he could see with his eyes if he (Jesus) would fall down and
worship Satan Jesus responded -
"Be gone, Satan!
   For it is written,
     You shall worship the LORD your God
        and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10)

After that terrible ordeal, "angels came and were ministering to him."  Jesus was God and yet man.  He was in human form and his body needed care just as our does.  But because he was God angels did come to care for his physical needs.

This passage emphasizes the need to nurture not only my physical needs but also my spiritual needs.   Many try to live out their lives ignoring the spiritual and find a deep emptiness - an emptiness that one cannot fill with physical things.

By ignoring the spiritual one tends to become involved in things contrary to Your laws, LORD God.  We want so much to fill that emptiness that we will allow ourselves to push aside our conscience and slowly but surely spiral downward and away from you.

Thank you for this wonderful reminder that there is so much more to this world than what I can see with my eyes!  And thank you for this story of how Jesus dealt with temptation.  Help me to turn my eyes ever to you in my deepest needs - both physical and spiritual.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!