AS we begin yet another new year, I want to take a detour from our usual track of study over the past several months and share something I’ve shared before. I believe this both worthy and significantly important to repeat. I pray that all my readers will take this to heart. (Prov 23:7)
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DURING a Sunday morning sermon opening, the Pastor read from Isaiah 55:1-3:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live……”
AS I listened, I recalled hearing those verses from old, and it had occurred to me once again, that our God stands ready, willing, and abundantly able to pour out every possible blessing, if we would but turn to him in faith, believing and receiving all that He would offer and supply.
AT Covenant Christian Academy, the character education curriculum often looks at the character trait obedience. As the principal of the school, I was responsible for Character Trait lessons. In my studies and development of this particular character lesson, I found an obscure definition that I got a lot of traction from, one thought derived from the etymology, i.e. origins of “obey” that means “listening forward”. It is not just compliance or even mere submission in obedience, but rather an eager anticipation to hear and do! And, it is not just to the commands, but more to the desires and purposes of the master that go beyond just obeying. When the school teaches character trait lessons, a lot of scripture is incorporated along with dictionary definitions, stories and illustrations. One such illustration told to the students is that of the Obedient Circus Elephant that “saved the day” by eagerly obeying just one word, “fetch.” ….But, I don’t want get off track and stray from the point in story telling.
MY point is that what Isaiah is telling us in chapter 55 is that God has provided a wealth of blessings for the health and wellbeing of soul and spirit, wrapped up in a vast array of deliverable packages, and yet so many are unhealthy, spiritually weak and ill. Why, when it does not need to be that way? When I heard the pastor quote that Isaiah 55 passage, I thought of all the great books, audio studies, educational helps, sermons, study groups, and the Bible itself so readily available to the hungry heart to feed on and find souls delight in abundance. And yet I know of so many who are soul starved and joyless.
WHAT triggered this particular strain of thoughts and commentary is a devotional read that came to my computer screen from Mark Hamby. I was introduced to Mr. Hamby several years ago at an Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) convention. He’s the editor and publisher of Lamplighter Publications. It has been his habit to send out a “Daily Moment” comment. This one caught my eye to share with you. But I need to say this. He is only one of many, many others ministering the grace of God to hungry hearts.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.” – Matt. 5:6
I HAVE more to say about this, but I’ll wait for next week. For today, below is for your prayerful consideration.
With highest regards in Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10; Isa. 30:15; Jas. 1:2
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The Perfect Life by Mark Hamby
What if you could choose every day to be filled with happiness and pleasures? You could enjoy mountain top experiences at the blink of an eye. No valleys. A perfect life would be yours.
But would it be perfect? Perfection requires, according to James, a hopeful endurance during times of testing.
It’s never easy to be hopeful during the dark times of testing. I remember thirteen of the darkest years of my life. I was a young Christian with a young family and a new position in ministry that required an intense amount of work with loads of responsibility. Being young and lacking the depth of character needed for that level of responsibility, I kept everything in motion at great personal loss.
It didn’t take long for the pressures of ministry and family to begin to take a toll on my health. First came ulcerative bleeding colitis, then symptoms of depression. Soon after, fibromyalgia. Finally, I was chronically fatigued…all the time…even after a good night’s sleep.
But I will never forget my relationship with Christ during this time. I knew beyond any shadow of doubt that God was doing a work deep within that could only be accomplished through suffering. I clung to the Psalms, particularly Psalm 119. I would memorize David’s thoughts, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Not once did I stray from the confidence that God was doing a necessary–though painful–work for my good. And as a result of that confidence, I had hope . . . a hopeful endurance that led to a perfect work.
Oh, please don’t misunderstand…I’m far from perfect. But the work that was done in me was God’s perfect work to prepare me for what I’m doing today. Are you going through a dark trial? Don’t lose hope…But let endurance have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
