Live as a Conqueror

"The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD

stopped in the middle of the Jordan

and stood on dry ground,

while all Israel passed by until the whole nation

had completed the crossing on dry ground."

Joshua 3:17

I wonder if Joshua stood at the banks of the swollen Jordan River, the only thing standing between his people and the land God had promised them, and wondered how he would lead his people across?  Sure, the two spies were able to negotiate the raging river, he might have thought, but they were young, strong, and unencumbered.  The multitudes I am responsible for carry all their belongings with them.  There are mothers with young children and tiny babies, livestock and inexperienced men and women; so much to make us vulnerable.

Then the words of the Lord must have fortified his heart as he reminded himself of the truth.  Be strong and courageous.  Don't be discouraged or afraid because God is with me. He told me I would lead these people into the promised land.  He didn't tell me how I would lead them; He only said I would lead them.  I must trust God to negotiate this obstacle for me. (Joshua 1:1-11)

Like Joshua, there is much in life to dishearten me and cause me to question.  How will I make it until the next paycheck?  When will the pain stop?  What will it take to mend my broken family?  It's easy to have many questions but no answers.  I want to trust God but I may think, I just don't see how He can work this out.

There is no obstacle so great that it can separate me from the promises of God.  Just as He went so far as to stop the flow of the flooding Jordan River in order to deliver His people to the land He had given to them, there is nothing so great a barrier as to keep me from my promised land. As Moses reminded the people of Israel when they were trapped between the approaching Egyptian army and the Red sea, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Exodus 14:14). 

No Enemy Too Great

He must have felt like the world was out to get him.  First, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers.  Then, his master's wife falsely accused him of rape and he was thrown into prison.  As if that weren't enough, he languished there for 8 years when he finally thought he'd get a break.  He interpreted the dreams of two prisoners, pleading with them to put in a good word for him, but they obviously forgot about him.  Finally, a couple years later, Joseph was summoned to the Pharaoh to try to decode the message of the ruler's haunting dreams.  Finally, his day had come! (Genesis 37, 39-41)

Joseph didn't do anything to deserve the treatment he received.  He must have sometimes felt as if he had an enemy too great to resist.  How else could so many bad things happen to him?  Someone must be waging war against him.

While this was not the case for Joseph, it is for me.  As a follower of Christ, I do have an enemy; a foe who is prowling, ". . . around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  Satan's mission here on earth is to, "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).  As he wages war against me, planting seeds of doubt in my heart, sending people to rise up against me, setting up obstacles designed to dishearten me, I can take courage with the truth that, "If God is for [me], who can be against [me]" (Romans 8:31)?

God went so far as to send His beloved Son to the earth He created, placing Him in the hands of wicked men in order to conquer sin and death for me.  If He was willing to go to such lengths in order to defeat such formidable enemies, is anything impossible or off-limits for Him (Romans 8:32)?

Therefore, I can trust Him to fight my battles for me.  Even though the doctors say I have two months to live, cancer is no match for the Great Physician.  If the mounting debt threatens to bring me down, I can take heart in the thought that my heavenly Father has resources about which I know nothing.  When strife seems to rule my home, driving out the peace, I can trust God to soften the brittle hearts of those I love.

There is no enemy so great that God is not stronger still.

No Charge too Formidable

I wanted to defend myself against the ridiculous rumors floating around the neighborhood.  A couple of the kids in our afterschool program alerted me to the gossip they had heard about me.  "Mrs. Boose, the story is that you are having an affair with another man and have been meeting him up at the pool."  

At first I laughed at the absurdity of the idea.  "If I were going to cheat on you," I asked my husband, "why would I do it at the neighborhood pool?"  Clearly, this was a tale cooked up by a child, but the fallout could be disastrous.  My name could potentially be slandered to the point that I could lose credibility as a neighborhood volunteer and teacher in our home-based outreach program.  What if people believe this lie?  It could really bring damage to my reputation and ultimately bring shame upon the name of the Lord.

Thankfully, God protected me from harm, shielding both my good standing and His holy name.  I never had to say a word in my defense.  Instead, God revealed the truth over time and the lies faded away.

God is the only One who can justify.  Since He is in charge of fighting my battles for me, there is no need for me to try to prove my innocence when accusations fly.  Instead, I can rest in the hands of my perfect Defender. 

Furthermore, since I have Jesus as my defense lawyer, I never need to worry that my sin might condemn me to death.  There is no transgression so great that the blood of Jesus cannot cover.  Through his sacrifice, then, I find peace with God even though I've been convicted as one who has fallen short of His standard. (Romans 8:33-34, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

What, then, can man say to diminish my standing with God?  If I've already been pardoned from the worst, what more can be said or done against me?  Let the accusations fly because I've been appointed the best defense Counsel ever known to mankind (1 Timothy 2:5)!

Therefore, what's a little heartache at the hands of another in the here and now?  Even if I land in prison based on the word of another, my eternal reward is still intact.  Despite the fact that I may lose my job due to the false testimony of a coworker, my place in God's kingdom is not diminished in the least.  Regardless of whether or not my loved ones believe in my innocence, my Father only sees the purity of heart He originally created for me and is now possible through the blood of Jesus.

There is no charge so formidable that God cannot justify.

No Hurdle too High

I wanted nothing more than for the struggle to be over.  I was tired of living a frugal life and looked forward to a day when money would be plentiful, when a trip to the grocery store was not an exercise in restraint and when gifts for others didn't have to be homemade.  I had grown weary of the fight.

As I sat with the Lord one morning, asking Him again to deliver us from the latest problem, He showed me the error of my ways.  To state it more accurately, He showed me the corruption of my heart.

Instead of seeing all I could buy without money, I chose to pay attention to what I couldn't have.  While God had prepared a veritable feast for me, I still preferred to dine at the pauper's table (Isaiah 55:1-2).  Even though I am abounding in the love my Father has lavished upon me, I focused mainly on the difficulties(1 John 3:1). Although God's mercies are new every morning, making it possible for me to live a rich and meaningful life filled with peace, I ignored those treasures and looked mainly at my disappointments(Lamentations 3:22-24).

It's easy to get caught up in a cycle of seeing what I don't have instead of what I do.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, I not only have the assurance of eternal life, but I also have the security of knowing there is nothing that can separate me from the astounding love of God.  This love can propel me through any hardship, satisfy in ways the world cannot, and bolster my faint heart in the midst of calamity (Romans 8:35-36). The love of God should be my most prized possession because it is what best defines Him(1 John 4:16).

There is no hurdle so high that the love of God is not higher still.

Life is hard.  I am constantly faced with those who seem out to get me, with accusations that seem impossible against which to defend, and difficulties that threaten to block God's love from my life.  Thankfully, there is no obstacle so great that God is not bigger still.  This day, then, I desire to live the life of a perfectly protected, eternally justified, and wholly loved conqueror!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will focus on what God has done instead of what I think is lacking.

When does my enemy seem formidable?

How do I live as a victim instead of as one who has God as her Warrior?


Originally published on February 18, 2014

Precious Cornerstone

"So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;

the one who relies on it

will never be stricken with panic.

I will make justice the measuring line

and righteousness the plumb line;

hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,

and water will overflow your hiding place.

Your covenant with death will be annulled;

your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.

When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,

you will be beaten down by it.

As often as it comes it will carry you away;

morning after morning, by day and by night,

it will sweep through.'"

Isaiah 28:16-19

People have long justified themselves before God, attempting to prove their righteousness, their goodness, their fitness for escaping His wrath.  I've done it.  All mankind does it.  We ease our guilty conscious with lies, attempting to placate God with our works.  I may not be perfect, but I go to church almost every Sunday and give to charity.  I've never killed anyone.  That's got to count for something.  

Whatever the tactic used to try to bluff our way into God's good graces, it fails every time and proves to be a lousy foundation upon which to build a case before His righteous judgment.  What we need is a firm cornerstone.  And in Jesus we have just that.

Free.  If I'm going to live by the law, attempting to right my wrongs through good deeds or proving myself fit by my effort to comply with God's statutes, I'm dead meat.  No one is good, not even one.  Not Mother Teresa, the Pope or Billy Graham.  We all fall short of God's high standards (Romans 3:23).  None measures up.  All deserve punishment for the sin that comes naturally (Romans 6:23).

When I build my case before God on the cornerstone of Christ, however, I am made righteous and measure up by faith, not by my ability to perform (Titus 3:4-7, Ephesians 2:8).  Through faith in Jesus, my case is dismissed, my sentence suspended, my charges absolutely dropped.  I will never need fear the judgment that is coming, then, for I'm free from God's condemnation in Christ (Hebrews 9:27, Romans 8:1).

I need not try to impress God with my efforts for I can be free from God's judgment by repenting of my sins and trusting wholly in Jesus (Romans 8:2).

Faith.  I often get it backwards, thinking I must do good, try my best, prove my worth.  I lose sight of all that Jesus accomplished on the cross where He secured my righteousness purely by the grace of God.  Instead of having to show how much I'm worth saving or keeping around, God already proved His unconditional love for me by providing a means for my salvation while I was deep in my sins and living as His enemy.  Any attempt I make to show how much I'm needed is like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).  I just can't impress God no matter how hard I try.  My best is never good enough.

Instead of working so hard to climb up the ladder to reach God's impossible standard, I must get it through my thick head that my only hope is to enter into His rest where the necessary has already been accomplished, placing my full weight on the cornerstone of Christ (Hebrews 4:10).  When I solely trust in Jesus' blood to cleanse me of my sins and present me before God as righteous and pure, I have no need to show my worth (Colossians 1:22).  Jesus already did that by dying on the cross.  He went to such great lengths as to sacrifice His perfect life for my sinful one out of love.  If this doesn't show how precious I am to God, I don't know what will (Romans 8:32).

My acts of righteousness don't save me, but my faith in the only Righteous One does.

Secure.  With time, all man made structures fall.  No matter how well-built, it's not a matter of if it will one day collapse or be torn down, but when it will happen.  It's inevitable.  Yesterday's sign of progress is today's has-been.  No matter how firm the foundation seems, it will not stand the test of time.

There is one foundation, however, that will never crumble.  Jesus Christ .  When I place my trust in Him, putting Him on like a garment and forsaking my own sinful skin, I can be sure that my place in His kingdom is secure (Romans 13:14).  I will never lose my standing because He holds me there.  There is nothing that can take one of His sheep from His clutches (John 6:37, 10:28).  I need not doubt my place in the Lamb's book of life, therefore.  It is etched there in the blood of Jesus, of this I can be sure.  My only part, then, is to trust Him enough to live wholly submitted to Him.  He is more than able to make my footing on the narrow path sure (Jude 24-25).  May I always trust in His ability to keep me.

My place in God's kingdom is secure for all time based on what Jesus has done for me in dying on the cross.  There is nothing left for me to do but yield, letting Him have His way.    

     

It's natural for man to try to justify himself, to prove his worth, to show his value by what he does.  Instead of following suit, I can base my case on the firm cornerstone of Christ.  When I do, I'm free from God's judgment, saved by faith in His work on the cross, and secure in His kingdom.  Then I will know how precious is this Cornerstone!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust Jesus enough to rest fully in Him.

When do I try to prove how good I am?  Or show myself or others that I'm not that bad, despite what my guilty conscience tells me?

How am I afraid of the judgment that is to come?

Spirit of Life

"Therefore,

there is now no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus,

who do not live according to the sinful nature

but according to the Spirit,

because through Christ Jesus

the law of the Spirit of life

set me free from the law of sin and death.

. . .Who is he that condemns?

Christ Jesus, who died--more than that,

who was raised to life--

is at the right hand of God

and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution

or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

. . .No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us."

Romans 8:1-2, 34-35, 37

I've heard stories of people who thought they could have it all;  There is the con man who lures a woman into falling in love with him so he can take advantage of her vulnerable state and bilk her of all her assets.  Or there are the businessmen who entice politicians to pass laws that would benefit their company.  Then there are the women who claim to stand for a woman's right to make her own health care decisions but deny that same privilege to their unborn child.  In every case, these people tried to act one way but live another.  Their hypocrisy betrayed their true master: Self.

When I commit my life to Jesus, I reap an everlasting benefit in freedom from death and hope for an eternal home with Him.  I am also promised a powerful bond with the love of Christ that nothing can break.  Is there anything that is expected of me?  If I truly experience His love can I go on living as if nothing has happened, continuing in my old ways?

If I truly have invited Jesus into my life to act as my Lord and Savior, then I will experience the Spirit of a whole new life.

Sinful

The caterpillar crawled along the leaf, munching it's crunchy goodness to feed his belly and nourish his fast-growing body.  He is limited in his mobility by his long, accordion-like body and multiple tiny legs, keeping him on the one plant where his mother first laid his egg.  He can never travel and see the world around him until he emerges from the pupa, or chrysalis as an entirely new creature.  The miraculous metamorphosis that takes place transforms him from a plump, awkward larva to a graceful, attractive butterfly.  Now he can live as the creature God intended for him to become.

In the same way, I am transformed into a new creature when I commit to Jesus as my Lord.  As the Amplified Bible interprets 2 Corinthians 5:17, "The old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away."

My past sins, former way of thinking, and previous state as an enemy of God are all part of the old me. (Isaiah 1:18, Romans 12:2, Colossians 1:21)  If I choose to continue living my way, however, as if nothing has changed, it is as if I am not even saved.  I am still acting as one who is sinful and hostile to God. (Ephesians 4:22)

When I have a chance to react in love when treated poorly, then, I go back to my old ways and lash out in anger and self-righteousness.  I think, How dare you treat me that way!  The opportunity to show the compassion and mercy of God is lost.

When God sends a hurting soul who needs guidance and comfort, I retreat to my old position of sticking to my schedule and placing my tasks before my calling.  The chance I had to administer   reassurance through the truth found in God's Word was lost.

When things look hopeless and my circumstances seem impossible, I do as I always have and fret about what could happen, turning my body into a mass of pain and suffering.  The opening God had provided for me to trust Him passed right on by.

I must realize that as a believer in Christ Jesus, I must purposefully turn away from my old way of thinking, speaking and acting.  These are parts of my old self.  If I insist on living the way I used to live, it is important for me to understand that I will reap what I sow.  (Galatians 6:7)  God will not protect me from the consequences of my actions because He shows no favoritism. (Romans 2:9-11)  I am held accountable for how I choose to live. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

To live as if I've received the new life promised to me, I must put off the old, sinful ways.

Control

My husband received a remote-controlled helicopter from his brother last year for his birthday.  After charging the battery, we took it outside to take it for a spin.  It was pretty fun trying to raise it up in the air and make it hover without crashing into something (or someone).  The frustrating part, however, was that only one person could control the craft at a time.  

Just as this small model could only have one pilot at a time, so my life can only submit to one lord.  If I insist on acting as that leader, then God cannot.  The thing about God is that He is not a bully.  He does not force His way into my life, demanding His rightful place.  Instead, He is a gentleman, waiting for me to invite Him.  

When I see trouble coming down the pike and take immediate action in order to avoid disaster, I've left God out in the cold, denying Him the lordship I claim to have given Him.

When I go after what I want without a thought to God's sovereign plan, I've given control to myself instead of the Master Planner.

When I seek the advice of others when relationships turn sour but fail to acknowledge God, I deny the only One who can mend a broken heart and heal the wounds that drive people apart.

Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24a)  If I claim to follow Jesus, I must let Him lead or I betray the identity of my true master: Me!

To live as if I've received the new life promised to me, I must give God control of all things.

Sonship

My sister and her husband are foster parents.  Every time they take in a child, whether it be for the short term or the long haul, they consider the youngster to be their own son or daughter.  Bloodline or length of time spent in their family matters not.  Instead, the love of God compels them to include any child that is taken in as a part of the family.

Similarly, God's love offers a place for me in His family.  There are no requirements of time served, righteousness obtained or abilities mastered.  On the contrary, I am invited because I trust in Jesus as my Savior.  The blood Jesus shed on the cross is the only prerequisite for entrance into this kinship.

God's Spirit gives me the assurance of my place in His family, helping me to feel comfortable and at ease in this new position.  (Romans 8:16)  As I become accustomed to the ways of my Father, I grow in my desire to obey Him out of the love that grows in my heart.  When I do as He instructs, I find that my life is blessed in many ways.  Even though hard times come, my Father is always there for me, protecting me, guiding me and strengthening me.

Troubles that used to consume me, sending me into a frenzy of anxiety, now serve as opportunities to see the power of my Father.

Activities that used to bring much pleasure now are seen as an affront to the One whom I serve as I find other ways to find enjoyment.

Difficult circumstances come as I grow in my faith, but I learn that my Father sends them as a tool to grow my faith.

To live as if I've received the new life promised to me, I must live as a child of God.

When Jesus becomes my Lord and Savior that is not the end, but only the beginning.  From there I cannot continue to live in my old ways and retain control of my life and still call myself a follower of Christ.  Instead, I only move forward in the Spirit of life when I live as one who is adopted into the family of my heavenly Father.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will put off the old way of living and take on my new position in God's family.

When do I continue in old patterns without even trying to turn away from them?

How am I defiantly insisting on controlling my own destiny?