Month: June 2016

Restoration, Part 6

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(Photo Credit: Roberto Burgos S.)

“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him . . . . – Joel 2:12-14 (WEB)

If I stop and really think about it, I perceive God very differently at times. Countless times, I have heard that God is a loving God, in songs, in church, and in reading about Him. But I have often pictured the God as quick to anger if I make any mistakes, even little ones. I know He is a loving God, and I have experienced His great love many times. So why do I perceive Him as being quick to anger, especially when Joel 2:13 reminds us that He is “slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness” (Joel 2:13, WEB)? So if God is not the problem, and it never is because He is loving, then the problem is in my perception of Him.

On the other hand, there are times when I have pictured God as not having any emotions, except anger. So as I considered this recently, I think God showed me that I have projected my own thoughts of what a stereotypical male is in terms of emotions, onto God. Males have been called “unfeeling”, “emotionless”, “like a machine”, and other things. But men, and boys, are usually raised and culturally trained to not show the “weaker emotions” like sadness, fear, or even happiness. Anger is often acceptable.

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry. – Jeremiah 31:3-4

The passage above in Joel, and this one in Jeremiah, reminds us that God is loving and kind. He wants to build us up, not tear us down in anger. I have given God plenty of reasons to be angry with me in my life, and there are times He has been angry with me, and I knew it and deserved it. But every single time I humbled myself and brought myself back to Him, He was there waiting for me in love.

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17

Wow, God actually rejoices over us! He loves us, and although I have never audibly heard God sing, it amazes me to think that the Lord rejoices over me with singing. God sings? Yes, God sings! Who created joy? God created joy! Even if God has been angry with you, humbly turn to Him again. Let Him rejoice over you!

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I admit that there are times you have been angry with me. But help me to see that you are not angry with me all of the time. Show me your love, your joy, and your mercy. Let me experience them personally, in ways that I understand. Thank you, Lord. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Note: Joel 2:12-14 taken from World English Bible (public domain).

 

 

 

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Restoration, Part 5

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(Photo Credit: Nasko Marinov)

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. – Isaiah 1:18

It is amazing that the Lord invites us to reason together with Him. Since God knows everything, and everyone, what a great invitation for us! As mentioned in the verse above, the purpose of reasoning together with the Lord is so that He can wash our sins away and make us clean. What happens after that? He can start making us fruitful again!

Allow God to produce fruit through you. In the natural world, fruit provides nourishment for people. In the Body of Christ, we are to encourage and build each other up (Ephesians 4:12-16), and reach out to people (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

One thing that happened when I went my own way is that I stopped producing spiritual fruit.  I was not building up my brothers and sisters in the Lord, and I didn’t reach out to people with the Gospel message. I tried to be kind and encouraging to people, and talked about God sometimes. There were also a few times that God used me to encourage some people anyway, in spite of me. Most of the time I was not led by God, though.

But our God is a God who does restore. And he can restore fruitfulness to us. I’m still not perfect, but the Lord produced some new fruit in me after I returned to Him. When we draw close to Jesus again and repent of our own ways, His Holy Spirit produces the fruit that will lead us to being fruitful, for us and for others!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 (WEB)

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I bring myself to you. Help me to be honest with myself and with you, and let us reason together. Wash my sins away. I ask you to restore me to you. Help me to repent and be truly fruitful. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

Note: Galatians 5:22-23 taken from World English Bible (public domain).

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Restoration, Part 4

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(Photo Credit: Angela Granger)

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. – Colossians 1:9-12

Our joy withers away when we don’t serve the Lord. Joy is produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Can we find happiness on our own in life? Yes, sometimes we can. Those times are a gift from God as well, in spite of our own stubbornness. I tried to find my own enjoyment in life, and failed. Read through the Book of Ecclesiastes, and you will see that King Solomon tried everything.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

How do we find true joy? Turn to Jesus Christ. Walk worthy of the Lord, please Him, be fruitful in good works by serving Him, and increase in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). Be strengthened by the Holy Spirit! His power is glorious! Then we can have joy, even while we go through trials with patience (Colossians 1:11). Finally, remember that after we were born again we gained an amazing inheritance and became the Lord’s “saints in light” (Colossians 1:12)! Don’t throw away that wonderful inheritance. Live in it, and find joy in the Lord again!

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I need joy in me again. I can find momentary happiness, but true joy comes from You. I ask You to strengthen me through the joy You give. Help me to find joy in knowing You! Fill me with Your love, and surround me with Your Presence. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen!

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Restoration, Part 3

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The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. – Joel 1:10-12

God wants us to be alive! When I left church, I was gradually drying up spiritually. My health was okay, thankfully, but I was rotting away inside. The passage above in Joel 1 describes a harvest that is dying. While I was away from God, I was not producing much fruit. How could I, when I did not live the new life He had provided me through His Gospel? “The oil languisheth” in Joel 1:11 is symbolic of the Holy Spirit having little impact on me. I was not trying to live a holy life, consecrated unto a Holy God.

But notice that the reason given for these things drying up and dying is joy being “withered away” (Joel 1:12). The Word says that “the joy of the LORD is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Where can we get joy? We receive joy from God, and from serving Him.

Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, in this moment I worship You for who You are. You are the Giver of life, and joy, and all good things. I ask You to renew me in in the Holy Spirit, and fill me to overflowing. Help me to stop dying, and start living again. In the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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