The Rock Higher Than I

 Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

A popular church hymn, “The Rock That is Higher than I.” was written in 1871 by Erastus Johnson during a time of financial loss. Many have found financial security in the assets they have accumulated over the years, The want of food, shelter, and comfort is always available, and never denied. Their trust is no longer placed in God to supply their needs, they have put their trust in human strength and determination to achieve wealth and prosperity. There is no doubt that such virtues contribute to worldly success and gain, but history has taught us that God is in control, and He is sovereign, and is ultimately the One who is threading the fabric of life. Erastus Johnson realized this when all was lost, and He turned to the Rock who He knew would not sink. The Rock that was higher than the circumstance and struggles of the day. The world around us can change in a moment's notice, but God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. We can put our trust in Him, and stand on the solid rock. We can flee to the Rock that will not be shaken and will not move. When life is overwhelming, we serve a God who knows and understands our hurts and struggles. “To the Rock let me fly, to the Rock that is higher than I!”

Heal the BrokenHearted

 Isaiah 61:1
… He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound…

Broken hearts result from individuals that have suffered loss. We all have at one time or another experienced the loss that caused great sorrow. Tears are shed day and night and life comes to a stand still. They say that time will heal a broken heart, and to a degree the ache lessens. All loss is painful, but the loss of a son, daughter, or spouse or close friend never seems to ever go away. The pain is greater when such loss happens before death is taken before old age is reached. If you have had such an experience, I don’t pretend to fully understand your pain and sorrow. But I read of One who can heal the broken heart, that is able to bring comfort during times of sorrow. Jesus came to bind up the brokenhearted, and set you free to live again. Such healing does not mean that you will no longer remember or experience sadness, but He has promised, “to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (vs3). In our brokenness, all things work together for a purpose and reason. All things work together that He may be glorified. Jesus wants to heal the broken heart and set us free to live again.

Whosoever Shall Be Saved

 Roman 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

What do we need to be saved from? Why do we need to be excused? We, creatures of humanity, born of Adam, inheriting the Adamic nature from the fall of Adam and Eve are a fallen race. Sin abides in our heart and the wages of sin is death. But, Jesus came to save us from death. He took upon Him the sins of the world, died on the cross and paid the debt that we owed. Everyone who will believe, and accept this work of Christ will be saved. Believing and accepting implies that we know that we are sinners and recognize that Jesus alone can forgive our sinful way. We confess with our mouth our depravity, and believe in our heart that Jesus took upon Himself our sins, we can be saved. The core of equity is made clear in scripture. “Whosoever” means every human being born on earth has access to this salvation. God is no respecter of person, regardless of the color of your skin, the identity of your birth, the culture of your land, or the genealogy line you come from, we all have the opportunity to be saved. God so loved the world, that He gave Son that we may be saved. We confess, We believe! We are saved.

Surrender to God

 Jame 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The word surrender is not found in the Bible, it is a word normally used in battle when someone gives up their right to fight, and they become prisons of their captors. “Surrender to” is defined as a complete abandonment of oneself entirely to someone or something. Both definitions describe the word “Submit.” Much has been said about surrendering our heart, our lives to God. The term, “Sanctify yourself” used in the Bible also has implications of surrendering. To be set apart, to be used by God. We surrender all our hopes, ambitions, dreams, and wishes to God, and allow Him to use us in any way He pleases for His kingdom. We surrender our desires, and offer everything we have to God, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God,”(Roman 6:13). When we consecrate ourselves to God, we have surrendered the life we have been living and have dedicated ourselves to serve God in whatever capacity He desires. We give up the old life of sin and present ourselves as a living sacrifice. Some would see this as giving up our freedom to do what we want to do. But the way of the transgressor is hard, and all that live in sin are in bondage to the flesh. As Christians, we are told to submit our lives daily to God, pick up our cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). Satan will tempt our flesh (members) to fulfill the lust of the flesh, but as we submit ourselves to God, and resist the temptation of Satan, he will flee. For the heart totally surrendered to Christ is empowered by the Holy Spirit to live unspotted by the world.

Bear Witness to the Light

 John 1:7,8
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

As Christian, we are to be Christ-like. It is through the life we live and the example we show others that we let the light of Jesus shine through us. We were once sinners, lost and blinded by sin but now have come to the true Light and Christ is the light that lives in us. We are now to be a reflection of that Light. When people in the world look at our life do they see a Christ-like spirit? Are they able to believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior when they see the way we live? We are not perfect, and Satan will use our humanity to discourage us from letting the light of Christ shine through us. We are to bear witness of Jesus, not to demonstrate how good we are, or brag on our spirituality. The true light that is seen by others is not necessarily in the things we don’t do, but in the things we do. This does not mean that committing sin does not cause others to stumble, but our true witness for Christ will demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit, and bear witness of the true Light. The Pharisees lived life spotless on the outside, but most of them were full of darkness on the inside. They bore witness to legalism and works of self righteousness. Jesus desires that we live godly and righteous that our life may glorify the Father in heaven and bear witness of the Light within us.

What is in Your Hand?

 Ex 4:2
​​And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

The things that seem to be of no significance are often the tools God uses to get His work done. What kind of “rod” do you hold in your hands can God use? God asked Moses to throw the rod down. Moses obeyed and Moses saw the power of God. This is not the last time God demonstrated His power through the rod that Moses held. Like Moses, we may feel inadequate for the work He calls us to do. We see so many others with innate talent that could do the job so much better. “Who Am I?” Moses is not the only one who has spoken those words. It has been said that God is not asking if you are able, but if you are available. He is asking us to give our best effort. “Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;”- Ecc 9:10. Do our best, and let God do the rest. We may or probably not be the best qualified person to do what needs to be done, but God is calling us to fill in the gap, make up the hedge and take what is in our hand and use it to the glory of God. Jesus took ordinary men from ordinary occupations, and they did some very extraordinary things. He has put something in everybody's hand, it is time to throw down the rod, and see God at work.

Peace Not of this World

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives to you, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace that the world gives is not everlasting. People cry out for world peace, and the end of wars. Even this last week, Israel declared war on Hamas-Palestine after they were attacked. There is no peace in the Middle East. Nations war against nations, and people are oppressed across the world. A time of peace will someday come. The word of God declares that Jesus will return to earth and set up His reign and there will be peace for 1000 years. But until then, there will always be conflict and oppression. Jesus says that the peace of this world is not the peace that He wants to give the world. His peace is like a river that flows from deep within, from the presence of God. The war is over within the heart. We are at peace with God and our soul. His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is the indwelling presence that brings peace. We can rest in the Almighty, our sins have been forgiven and our hearts are no longer troubled. We don’t have to fear the future and what man can do to us. The song writer wrote, “The world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away .” (Gaithers). How true it is to have this wonderful peace given to us from the Father above.
“Peace, peace, wonderful peace Coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray In fathomless billows of love”- Warren D. Cornell / William G. Cooper

Trust God for Peace of Mind

 Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind stays on you because he trusts in you.

I often wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts to think of things that are happening in life. I start to become anxious about things I really don’t have any control over. Or, maybe something I said or did that I now have second thoughts about. I tell myself that I can’t change what has happened and need to leave it in God's hands.  Easy to say, but not always easy to do. Having “peace of mind”does not always happen in a moment of time, at least for me it doesn’t. I know that God desires that I give it to Him, and trust Him to work things out. Like forgiveness, trust is a choice that I must make. Life is not perfect and accepting that not everything is going to go like I want it, life happens, but God also happens when I choose to put my trust in Him. I know that I am not alone, we all have our moments of apprehension and worries. For some, it may be the health of a loved one, or a conflict at work, or in the home. There is no end to what may be the problem, but peace is always possible when we focus our minds and hearts on God and trust Him to take control and let God do what is best. 

Forgiveness is a Choice

 Col 3:13
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Is it possible to forgive, but not forget? When life happens, things sometimes happen to us that cause deep hurt. They are imprinted in our memories and don’t go away. When God forgives our sins, they are cast into the sea as far as the east from the west. (Psalm 103:12). God says, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer.31:34) To forgive means to “send away”. The slate is clean. God's forgetfulness means that He will not bring it again and hold us accountable. When we confess our sins, He forgives our transgressions and wipes them away with His precious blood. The blood now covers sin and shame and we are made clean, whiter than snow. When others do things to us or our loved ones, the temptation is to become resentful and bitter toward those who have caused hurt. Forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice. I may never feel like forgiving, but by the grace of God, I choose to forgive. Forgiveness does not take away the hurt and disappointment, but it does bring peace to the heart. We can take it to Jesus, and leave it at the foot of the cross, and give it to Him. Healing is sometimes made easier when apologies are made, but apologies may never happen, and forgiveness may not happen in a moment of time, but God’s love and grace is able to bring healing and forgiveness to a heart that seeks it!