Simple Thoughts

Cooking molds, jello molds, ice cube trays. Something that takes a liquid and conforms it to its image, transforming it from a liquid with no shape to a solid with a specific shape.

The J.B. Phillips New Testament translation says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within…” Romans 12:2

As humans, we are molded at a young age by our parents. Routines, traditions, morality, values, respect are first taught in the home. As we grow, we develop our own values and morality which may or may not be influenced by our parents. Outside influences begin to have a greater affect on our value and morality system in the form of friends, teachers, employers, culture.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, He is our Great Influencer. Our faith, when cultivated, will mold us into the likeness of our Savior. Our thoughts, our words, our desires, what we read, where we go, how we act, begin to reflect Him. The change may be gradual at first but as a Christian continues to walk in obedience, God transforms us from the inside out, that we may be witnesses of His great love, testifying of His amazing grace. Allow God to mold you into an image bearer that seeks to please Him in your daily living.

A magnificent mountain view. A glorious sunrise/sunset. The birth of a child. Beautiful, wonderful, miraculous. Events that can leave us speechless. We take in. We meditate. We gaze in wonder. Words fail us. We try to capture the moment, perhaps take a picture. It is memorable.

So it is with the loved poured out at the cross. Jesus took the full wrath of God, for us. That by believing, we have life in His name. That as we read, study, meditate on the gracious, merciful love of Jesus, we are left speechless. We are in awe of His love for us. We are filled with joy. 1 Peter 1:8b “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,”

“So our joy is “inexpressible and glorified” because it is joy in loving Christ and trusting Christ who is inexpressibly glorious.” John Piper (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/true-christianity-inexpressible-joy-in-the-invisible-christ)

On the bike trail. Ride mapped out. On our way. Suddenly, changes are made. A bobcat on the trail. Staying a safe distance. Watching to see the path it takes. Coming our way, we turn around. Make a new plan. Chart a new course. Safety first. Our next encounter with nature is turkeys. Stay on course this time. Stick with the new plan.

How many times do we chart our course, map it out and go. Along the way, we encounter danger, a crisis, a roadblock. But God already knows the plan, the direction He wants us to take. Seek God in your life. Include Him in your plans. Listen to His leading and trust in Him. His ways, His plans are always best.

Weeding. Raking. Re-potting. Not normally something I do in our flower garden. Having some time today, though, my husband asked for assistance. I am helping. Wearing gloves. Always on the look-out for critters!!

It was good to do something out of the ordinary today. My focus on the task at hand and not on self. Sweating. Pulling. Hydrating. Taking breaks, as needed.

When given the chance, step out of the daily and into the new. Deep cleansing breaths. Thanking God for the opportunity and availability. It was good for the soul and my spirit was uplifted.

We know the slogan, “Do Not Touch.” Why? Is it wet paint? Is it fragile? Can we just take it at face value and move on? A child may linger, tempted to touch but the mature adult reads the sign, sizes up the area and moves on.

“Hands Off” as a mature Christian can be difficult. If you, like I, have family members, teens, young adults, we want to come to their rescue. We size up their circumstances, come up with a solution and offer aide. While sometimes this is practical and prudent, there are times we need a “hands off” approach. We need to trust God with our adult children. We need to pray for patience for ourselves, wisdom, for discernment. But we also need to put our children in God’s hands. Pray for strength, clarity that our children would see God in their circumstances and trust Him. Obey His words. The same words they learned as a child are the same words they can trust as an adult.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

Work turned in that is unfinished. A house under construction sitting, waiting for more materials. A room partially cleaned by a child. This week, I have pondered the term “incomplete.” In my own life, I have started projects, full of excitement, trying something but losing steam and not seeing the project through to fruition.

As I reflect on my Christian life, how has my obedience to God’s word been? As an empty-nester, I have more time to devote to God. But even with more available time, I have to check my heart attitude. Am I checking off a to-do list for God, looking good to the world but empty inside? Or am I earnestly seeking to grow in Christ, under the working power of the Holy Spirit?

I know in this life, my faith will be incomplete. It isn’t until I meet my Savior face to face, “I will be like Him because I will see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Until that day, though, I continue to live as a Christian, in a sinful body, being resolute each day in my focus of walking in Christ-like obedience, looking forward to the day when my faith will be complete.

Listening to Mercy Me the other day, I heard this phrase, “Beyond the noise.” I started thinking, “How do I pursue God beyond the noise?”

When my boys were little, I found a quiet respite in the bathroom. At work, I would close my door at lunchtime to get past the noise, the distractions, the to-do lists to pursue God. Now, I wake up early, before my day starts, to spend time with God.

Some seasons of life are busier, noisier than others. In those seasons, maybe 5-10 minutes per day is all you have. Other seasons quiet down. The children are grown, the busy season over so you have more time to pursue God. Praise the Lord. Whatever season you find yourself, I pray you would find 5-10-15 minutes each day to move beyond the noise. Put down the to-do list, quiet the worried and anxious thoughts filling your head and pursue God.

In vs 35 of Romans 8, Paul is asking us questions? What is our belief in God? In whom are we placing our faith? Do we believe God and His promises? Despite the troubles we have, the calamity, persecution, hunger, danger we endure, if we are destitute or threatened with death, does this all mean God no longer loves us? And what does Paul say in vs. 37… “No! Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Where are you in your walk today, Christian? If you are like me, it is not a trouble free life. We all have worries, pain, anxiety, loss, struggles. Some physical, some emotional. But when we walk in faith, when we are reminded we are HIs. When we believe that “nothing in all of creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:39) we can find peace and comfort in the truth of His Word. Our spirit is strengthened as the Holy Spirit convicts us of these truths. Let us embrace these truths as we journey into our day, into our Christian walk.

“Perhaps our struggles aren’t a hinderance to our walk with God, but instead a point of strength. Perhaps the afflictions we experience in this life, whatever they may be, are cause for us to soldier ahead by the strength of God. Perhaps the brushes we have with anxiety aren’t a punishment or a fate of doom. Perhaps it is an opportunity to cling to the Lord, letting Him fight (and win) the battles for us.” Sarah Morrison

Just pray. It’s not the only thing you can do. It’s not just a saying or rote memorization. It is the MOST, the BEST you can do. Be an intercessor. Intercede on behalf of those in pain, in need of direction, in need of a Savior. You try to speak into a world that has closed its ears to God’s word, God’s way. Seeking self, seeking truth apart from God. How many of us have heard, “That’s nice you believe that but I don’t.” It hurts your heart. But don’t give up. Go to God in prayer. Be an intercessor. Intercede like Abraham did for Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18:23-33) Abraham was interceding for a city but also on behalf of his nephew, Lot, that he might be delivered from the judgment that was coming.

Let us be Christians who use the word of God in prayer. We pray for the saved as well as the lost. We know nothing is impossible with God. No friend, acquaintance, leader, family member is too far from the saving hands of Jesus. Be intentional. Be resolute. Be a believing, trusting, obedient prayer warrior.

1 Timothy 2:1 “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people”

Empower: give (someone) authority or power to do something (dictionary.cambridge.org)

In a devotion I was reading, I came across a quote by Dr. Henry M. Morris about why Christ died for us.. As a Christian, trying daily to live in humble, obedient submission to God and His word, I found this quote to be encouraging. “Christ did not merely die to save our souls but to empower us to live in a way that would glorify God right here on earth.”
I recently had a friend flying home. As she was walking through the airport to her connecting flight, she had an anxiety attack. Out of the blue. Heart pounding, hands shaking anxiety. She was not sure she had the strength to move towards the gate so what did she do? She called upon God to empower her. She prayed and recited bible verses to bring her comfort and strength to make it to her gate. As a new believer who has been regularly attending church, Sunday school and a bible study class, she said,”I don’t have many verses memorized yet but the two I had, I just kept repeating.”

As we move through our day, let us greet our responsibilities as God given opportunities to “empower us to live in a way that would glorify God…”