Category: Faith

Reflections of Light: Humble

“He has told you, O man what is good; what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

Walk Humbly with your God?

Humble is a word I know as an old brand name for Exxon Oil, or as a name for a city in Texas, or as a description for poverty-level living conditions. But what does the word “humble” mean applied to my life with God?

DEFINITION: Humble = not proud or arrogant; having a feeling of subservience

In my culture describing a person as humble in appearance or actions is not valued. Instead of being humble, we are encouraged to be confident, persuasive, assertive, and strongly self-reliant. Perhaps God does not evaluate human character as my generation does.

“For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored.” Luke 14:11

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ” Col.3:12

If humble is the opposite of proud, then when I am over-confident in my personal knowledge, abilities, experience, or achievements, I am proud in the biblical sense. The mistake is relying on myself instead of looking to God for wisdom or help. Logically thinking, if God is true to His word, am I setting myself up to be brought low to cure the pride that elevated my wisdom above His?

One man had every right to be proud, Jesus Christ. Complete and perfect in logic, abilities, emotions, and spirit- yet everything Jesus did on earth was in submission to His Father’s will. That will which He carried out obediently and without complaint. As the Son of God, He had every right to be proud but He chose not to be.

“…walk humbly with your God”

It is clear that I need to grow up in my faith to be more like Jesus. When life’s circumstances crush my dreams or change the path I expected to take, I cannot continue to pout that life is unfair because what I wanted to happen did not happen. I need to look to God in prayer and depend on His wisdom, resources, and healing instead of scheming my way around the disappointment.

I wonder if the loss of control in several areas of my life are not hidden blessings to help me realize that I need to fully depend on my Heavenly Father and witness His success in solving my problems?

I am way past childhood, and have been responsible for all my decisions for years. But I realize that many of my problems come from my rushing ahead of God and depending only on myself -leaving God’s guidance out of my equation.

Holy Father,

When life doesn’t go the way I planned or unexpected problems pop up, please help me to remember to come to you with my hurt like a toddler. As I tell you my needs, I want to beam with confidence in Your love for me, Your ways, Your timing, and Your resources.

Sometimes, my Lord, I forget that I am not on my own to answer every question. Forgive me, for leaving You out of my process when You are there to listen, You love me dearly, and You know all the answers.

I want to turn it over to You and rest in the knowledge that I am safe in Your loving arms. I ask these requests knowing that I have no right to call you Father except by the sacrifice of Your Son and my Savior. AMEN

Wondering about …Jesus as a Child

Do you ever wonder what kind of boy Jesus the Nazarene was? A Jewish child living in a Gentile region over 2,000 years ago. Although He is known as the Son of God, He is also called the Son of Man. What does that mean?

Local citizens thought of Him as the child of Mary, stepson of Joseph the carpenter, older brother of James. His disciple and friend, John, had a another name for Him, the Word.

A regular, ordinary human child- but was He? Not according to the Bible:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:2-3 ESV

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through Him and for Him.” Col. 1:15-16 ESV

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; He came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore , it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:16,17 NLT

Jesus Christ, a member of the Trinity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit during creation of the earth.

Jesus the Son of God, the versatile Artist who designed a horse to gracefully run across grasses also sculpted a comical anteater whose appearance is perfect for a life lived in soil and rocks. What beauty and function merged perfectly into these different forms and many others.

Jesus, Son of God, the Artist of creation, obeyed Father God’s will- to be born on earth as a human child, so He was also the Son of Man. The same Jesus lived a sinless human life never doing anything against God’s instructions. That perfect human life qualified Him to be the remedy for sinful humans who choose to become the children of God. All humans can become the children of God, but many choose to make their own way without God’s help.

Still, as a ten year old human child, what was Jesus like?

Did Mary’s Son use a twig to draw shapes in the dirt around Nazareth?

Was He the first one to point out a cloud that looked like an old man’s face?

Did Jesus invent new games out of rocks to entertain His friends?

I am curious because when I was working out at the gym, I saw something that reminded me of Him. Holding up the roof and ceiling over my head was a large wooden beam where hidden in the grain was the drawing of a nude woman with long hair holding her arms up toward heaven.

I wonder, did my Redeemer and friend, Jesus Christ, draw that silhouette inside the tree that grew in a forest over 60 years ago? Did He know that one day I would be grumbling and look up, seeing His artwork, and smile with pleasure at the thought of Him and His abilities?

Father God,

How grateful I am that I can come to You as an adopted child. Please help me to see the beauty and wonder of our world. Help me to look for and identify traces of You in nature and in the people around me. I thank You for the essence of Your character revealed through Christ adding joy and humor to an ordinary life .

Amen

***Have you heard of Jesus Christ, but you don’t really know Him ? Are you searching for a relationship where you are deeply loved and that does not end? Do you long for hope in a struggling situation where you can find no answers? Look to God for help.

Do you want peace with God?

Too Busy

Widowed for over 14 years, children grown, siblings dead, relocated from her small town church friends. Knowing Jean was lonely, I stopped by one afternoon. Her snug cottage shared land with her son, Junior’s, house.

While we were visiting, Jean jumped up from her chair hearing tires on the driveway. She stood in the doorway looking towards the other house saying, “Look, he’s home! Junior must be so tired; he left early this morning.”

The white, fluffy head on the 89 year old body stepped out the door to her porch. Right hand held in a wave with a smile on her face to the man getting out of his pickup, but Junior never turned toward her. Papers in hand, he closed the car door and walked quickly into his house.

Disappointment showing in her face, Jean walked back into her house saying, “Bless his heart, he must have a lot on his mind. I wouldn’t keep him long. I just wanted to ask how how his day went, and to tell him that I love him. Oh well, maybe tomorrow he will have time to visit a minute…”

Once again she sat down in her chair and took the TV remote changing the channel. Looking at me, Jean smiled saying, “Let’s see what the weather is going to be.”

As I watched her rounded face look at the screen, I thought harshly of her son who was too busy to have a conversation with the person who delivered him, took care of him , adored him, and who still watched for any opportunity to help him. I realized that if I was in Jean’s place, the rejection would have really hurt my feelings. How could Junior be so self-centered?

Many years have passed since that afternoon in Jean’s living room, but the expression on her face still lives in my mind. It seems humans often ignore or take for granted the one person whom they are confident will always love them.

In our daily world, pressure from the job, house work, necessary duties and errands go first on our “to do” list. Building and maintaining relationships by spending time in conversation is judged to be unproductive.

Holy Father God,

This verse in your Book made me think that I often treat You like Junior treated Jean all those years ago:

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not call on my name,

I said, ‘Here am I , here am I’ all day long I have held out my hands to obstinate people who walk in ways not good pursuing their own imaginations.” Isaiah 65:12

Like the children of Israel, do I ignore spending time with my Heavenly Father choosing instead to start my list of duties, planning, or worrying about the future?

I realize that You are Almighty God and not a mere human being. You are completely self-sufficient. You don’t need me, but I am positive that I need You.

So I wonder, since you created me in your image with free will and emotions, shouldn’t I be using my free will to choose to spend time with the One who loved me first and loves me still with all my faults?

Have I often hurt your feelings, Lord, when I don’t take time to get still and speak to you, but I can talk with a complete stranger at checkout when I am “so busy?”

Forgive me God!

Please help me prioritize every day to get still, read your Word, and talk face-to-face in prayer with You about those duties, plans, and worries. You are the One who is in control, knows all, and is always near me.

Help me to be sensitive to your presence in my life. That I might reflect and reciprocate your abundant love for me back towards You. I want to show my love not by doing things for You, but by choosing to spend time with You.

Convict me Spirit of Truth when my confidence in the fact that Almighty God loves me enough to ransom and adopt me by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ drifts into taking God’s presence and blessings for granted. I want to stop that.

Amen

“For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye–” Zech. 2:8 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life,” John 3:16 ESV

“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister , and Lazarus.” John 11:5

Strange…that Name

How ironic that the name too holy to be written or fully pronounced by humans should be used that way. That a name written by Jewish worshipers as G_D , YHWH , or Hashem (“the Name” in Hebrew) should now be a curse.

How unusual it is that the taxi driver who spoke no English in an Asian country where only 1.5% of the population identified as Christians would even know the name. That he would clearly pronounce the name conveying supernatural power with such strong emotion. Had the driver known the back story of the person called that, would he have been fearful of a Indignant God’s reaction to the spoken dishonor?

That the taxi driver, when paid extra and asked to carry six cumbersome bags of luggage up the 3 flights of stairs in the heat of a summer night, would say “Christos!” with such insult. Poor driver, he may only have heard those words as a epithet of contempt. He probably knows nothing about the godly human life behind the name.

Christos, short for Jesus Christ.

Also known as THE:

Anointed One, Messiah, Redeemer, Son of the Living God, Son of Man, Immanuel, Savior, King of Kings–titles that speak of mystical power and supreme authority. Names that speak of the love of Father God to adopt some unworthy children from a death camp by paying the sin ransom of one perfect human life–His Only Son’s life, Jesus.

Perhaps the most tragic misuse of language is to speak the word for God’s greatest blessing to mankind as an expression of cussing. Just another one of the many actions against a Holy God by people who are clueless about God’s nature and feelings.

I am sorry Jesus that You are continuing to receive shame from us. It would hurt my feelings and anger me to have my name used as an expletive over and over again by people who know nothing about the real me. Forgive us and open our minds to know the truth about You.

Almighty God,

Please help me to remember the reality of Your identity. Having no experience living close to royalty, I’m sure I do not approach You with the dignity You deserve. Help me to show You honor and respect in more ways than just the words I utter. Lord, refine my finite mind to better know Who you really are and who I really am because of You.

I do know Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, is coming back to claim His own. I desire to show His importance before the crowd of humanity gathers. But even that I am powerless to do without Your help. Please help me proclaim Your Son’s worth to those around me in the careful way He would.

Because the day is coming when every human will acknowledge Your power… Both those who chose to believe in Your goodness to replace their wrongs and those who chose to believe their own goodness would satisfy a righteous Supreme Being. I ask these things in Jesus Christ’ priceless name.

AMEN

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus., who gave himself as a ransom for all people .” 1 Timothy 2:5,6

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth., and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10,11

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;” and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.” Revelation 1:7

Really Know You

God of Everything,

Although I have never seen you with my eyes or heard your voice with my ears, I know with every bit of my being that you are real.

A few of my friends don’t believe you exist because their five senses have not reported your presence to their brain. It’s funny to me because it seems so paradoxical that they could believe in atoms, molecules, viruses, and black holes in space, yet refuse to accept an invisible God.

For years now, I have believed you are there, but I don’t know enough about you. I want to be acquainted with all your traits as I know my close friends like Joe.

Saying Joe’s name I immediately think of his blue green eyes, easy grin, teasing sense of humor, his direct way of speaking, a quick temper for injustice, and a compassionate heart for those who are ignored or abused. I know all this about someone I don’t even see that often. But about you, who are always with me, I actually perceive little.

Lord, you have a distinct personality, but for most of my life I have thought of you only by your titles – my benefactor, creator, the Heavenly Father that spoils me. In essence I only noticed you for what you could do for me. I call you my God. But I never cared enough to observe what motivates you, what you enjoy or what makes you angry. Have I hurt your feelings by my lack of interest in you?

Regretfully, I only cared about your ability to provide and protect me. In other words you only mattered because of your power to help the most important person in the world – me! What a lousy one-sided relationship this is -you initiate the closeness and do everything for me, yet I take your feelings and friendship for granted.

Forgive me Holy God. Help me to develop this end of our relationship, for I already know some of your characteristics:

The intricate elegance of earth’s environment you created shows me that you are an artist who enjoys color, texture, and contrasts. But I want to know more about you…

The fact that you would reach out to those who have rejected you over and over proves to me that you are extremely patient. But I want to know more about you…

The truth that you notice and love creatures far beneath your class is highly unusual. You offer membership in your close family when you are perfect, and I am so flawed which demonstrates an affection that dwarfs the most dedicated human love I have ever known. But I want to know more about you…

From the Old and New Testaments I see evidence that your high commitment to love is balanced with the same level of commitment to justice. Wrongs must be punished. The unsolvable riddle was how to love and accept humans into a relationship with you when they continued to do wrong. Still, even that problem didn’t stump you…

Perfect love and perfect justice needs were met when your son, Jesus Christ, lived a human life without ever doing one thing wrong, was punished by a criminal’s death, and rose from the dead to sit at your side once more. His sinless life could then redeem my sinful life to become your child. I see how his good could substitute for my bad, but I am amazed that you would solve this unsolvable problem by suffering the death of your son. The mystery of your love for me drives me to evolve because you have invested so much in my adoption.

Father, would you correct and adjust my sight to really see and know you for your unique personality traits?

When I read the Bible, please help me notice your subtleties described in your Son’s words or in your dealings with other humans.

As I bring you my worries or failures in prayer, help me hear and apply your words in my heart and actions.

Please see that I want to grow closer to you. Help me to be a person that projects respect and love to you by more closely following the character pattern you left for me in Jesus Christ. Amen

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.” Jeremiah 24:7

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Isaiah 55:8