Freedom

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 (NIV)

When I look out at the beautiful expanse of Arizona sky it reminds me of the unlimited and ever expanding freedom we have in Christ. 

Narrow and bound by sin and self focus we are in need of freedom.  Sin is a narrowing thing.  It hinders us from experiencing true life.  We are hindered by resentment and anger, obsessions and compulsions.  Jesus said, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin." (John 8:34).  When we are a slave to worry, fear, doubt or addiction our lives are restricted. 

Jesus came to set us free.  Paul speaks of the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Ro. 8:21)  He has put us in a broad place.  Life in the spirit is an ever expanding life, broadening our perspective until we reach away from ourselves and out to others. 

Lord, set us free from the narrowing attitudes that keep us boxed in.  Let all fear and doubt, anger and resentment be gone. Let us no longer be slaves to ourselves and our own passions and desires, but let us be free to love, to give, to go, to experience all that God has for us. 

You were called to be free.

But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature;

rather, serve one another in love.

Gal 5:13 (NIV)

Overwhelming Joy

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!Isaiah  61:10 (NLT) 

Loki

My cousin and her husband just got a new dog, a male shih tzu named Loki rescued from the streets.  Dan says, “It’s sure nice to be welcomed home by a puppy dog who is excited to see me.” 

Babies, too, when they see their parents smiling at them get so happy they can hardly contain it.  And, when we see a loved one after a long absence we are filled with joy.  When the separation is over and our closeness is restored it brings joy and satisfaction to our souls.

Can you imagine the joy the followers of Jesus felt when they saw him alive. Three days earlier they had witnessed his torturous death and never thought they would see him again.  Suddenly, their deep despair and confusion was turned into overwhelming joy. 

Jesus great desire for us is that we would experience fullness of joy in his presence. He was sent for that very purpose (Isaiah 61). May we in our encounter of the risen Lord be filled with his joy today trading our garments of sorrow and despair for garments of praise and joy. 

I have told you these things,

that My joy and delight may be in you,

and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure,

complete and overflowing.

John 15:11 (AMP)

You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.

John 16:20 (NLT)

   

Confidence

Theodore Roosevelt Dam

On Sunday we took a drive to Roosevelt Lake.  As we were looking out on Theodore Roosevelt Dam a line from a well-known hymn came to mind, A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.  A bulwark is defined as a wall or embankment raised as a defensive fortification or safeguard, a breakwater.  There it was in front of me, a bulwark - a 357 foot high concrete structure holding back 1.6 million acre feet of water, a defensive fortification safeguarding the valley below.

The original dam was completed in 1911 as one of the first projects of the Bureau of Reclamation which was established to harness rivers in the southwest to provide water and power for western growth and development.  Without these projects many of the cities of the arid southwest would not exist today.  In 1984, the safety of Roosevelt Dam was assessed.  It was determined that under extreme conditions the dam might fail. The largest possible flood would be greater than the dam’s capacity.  Roosevelt Dam needed to be modified to an additional 77 feet. Sure enough, in January 1993 before the modifications were completed, a huge flood caused by extreme rain fall caused overtopping on the left side of the dam resulting in massive amounts of damage.

Our lives, too, are subject to flooding.  At any moment the waters of trouble can threaten to undo us. We don't know what the maximum possible flood will be and it could be far greater than we previously projected.  If our confidence is in human resources alone we are subject to failure, but if we put our confidence in God’s mighty bulwark we will never fail. We can be confident that the waters will never overflow us. We can be confident that the dam will hold.  

I love you, Lord; you are my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. 

He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

Psalms 18:1-2 (NLT)

The Donkey

The wild (?) donkeys of Oatman, Arizona

Read Matthew 21:1-11

On that triumphant day, Jesus, the Prince of Peace rode into Jerusalem, the City of Peace, to establish his Kingdom of Peace.  He rode in, not on a war horse in glorious pomp and pageantry, but he road in gently and humbly on a donkey's colt. 

The donkey, in contrast to the proud horse, is a plain, humble creature, industrious and sturdy, the servant of humankind.  How fitting that Jesus, the humble servant, should ride into Jerusalem upon that lowly beast of burden.  Jesus emptied himself of all privilege and pretense and willingly took on human form so that he might bear all of our burdens and lay down his life for us. 

May our hearts be full of joy and our lips with shouts of praise as we contemplate our humble servant king upon that lowly beast.  He gave his all that we might live.

 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

Phil 2:7 (NLT)

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.Zech 9:9 (NLT)

The Beginning & The End

Another descriptive name for Jesus is Alpha and Omega - Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega the last.  He is the A to Z, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the author and the finisher.

The beginning and ending of our lives are often the most dramatic, but it is in the middle where the beginning is played out and the ending is determined that we grow and learn the lessons of endurance.  The wedding is a beautiful and exciting beginning, but the day to day middle is where the loving relationship is established through thick and thin and, hopefully, is carried through to a beautiful ending.  Sometimes, I am concerned that here in the middle of my life, in the day to day, I am not becoming what I should be.  I am falling short in my loving and caring, in my attitude and in my usefulness.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to his fellow Christians he didn't put his hope in their ability to endure, instead, he expressed confidence in God himself, saying, "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished (Phil 1:6 NIV).  We are exhorted to keep our eyes on Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith.  God is not only the initiator and the completer, he is also the executor of all that happens in between.

We can trust with confidence that God who began the good work in us will bring it to completion. He never stops working with us even though we sometimes don't recognize the progress.  He never gives up on his project and will continue until he makes us all that he wants us to be. 

May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.

Heb 13:21 (NLT)

 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 

the author and perfecter of our faith.

Heb 12:2 (NIV)

Water of Life

At the crystal clear waters of Lake Mojave

On our recent trip to Nevada and Southern Utah we encountered the Colorado River at different locations.  Near Moab, Utah the river was muddy but at Davis Dam in Nevada it was clean and clear.  There at the dam the silt and impurities settle out in Lake Mojave before the river continues through the power plant and on down to Mexico. 

We, as jars of clay, are vessels made to be filled with the pure water of life that Jesus gives.  Sometimes, the water in us gets a little muddy.  Attitudes of resentment, fear, self pity or pride can cause us to turn in on ourselves causing the water to become cloudy and stagnant.  Jesus calls us back to drink of that crystal clear stream that washes away all of the debris and lets that pure water flow through us again.  

Lord, thank you for that crystal clear water of life that flows from you.  As we open ourselves to you let that water flow through us washing away all the impurities that hinder the flow of your life. 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Rev 22:1 (NIV)

 The water I give him will become in him

a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 4:13 (NIV)

Quiet Water

He leads me beside quiet waters.

      Psalms 23:2 (NIV)

Colorado River near Moab, Utah

When Jesus disciples were distressed by so much activity and so many people coming and going he told them "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31). Jesus knows about the stresses of life and knows about our need for a quiet place to rest.  He calls us aside to rest in him.  Even in the midst of activity he leads us along a still, quiet stream.  By that quiet stream we rest our minds from anxiety, letting him take control of the worrisome elements of our lives. Our internal being can be at rest and undisturbed because of our confident trust in him. There we find a constant supply of new strength. 

Lord, let us be undisturbed no matter what we face today.  Your paths are paths of peace. Soothe our troubled souls. Let our minds be at rest, knowing that everything is in your hands and give us wisdom to turn aside to you when the stress is great.

In returning to me and resting in me you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength.

Isaiah 30:15 (AMP)

Plans

 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.

They don’t work or make their clothing

 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers

that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow,

he will certainly care for you.

Matt 6:28-30 (NLT)

God knows the plans he has for us. In times of transition, when my future is uncertain, my mind begins to spin round and round trying to figure things out. Where do we want to live? What life style do we want?  Do we want to be traveling nomads with a small home base somewhere or settled in a large home?  By spinning and worrying I accomplish nothing. 

Jesus told us to consider carefully how the beautiful wildflowers grow.  They don't toil, spin or worry and yet magically appear each spring producing a beautiful display.  Since God cares so wonderfully for flowers, we can trust that he will care for us. 

As I acknowledge him in all of my plans, simply mentioning them to him, I know he will direct my steps into the good plans he has for me.  I can be released from the toiling and spinning.  I can go on in peace, my mind at rest, trusting him.  What a comfort to know he has the future in his hands. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

  in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Don’t worry about anything;

instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God’s peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:6-7 (NLT)