Deliberate

Joining today with the #Five Minute Friday group of writers to write on a one word prompt. Today’s prompt is: Deliberate.

I love when the prompt ties up with my day’s Bible reading!

I was reading today in Colossians 3

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14

This whole chapter is full of verbs; doing words; actions. Some of the things we have to be deliberate about:-

Set your minds on things above.

Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

Rid yourself of all such things.

Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other.

Forgive one another.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Be thankful.

We have to be intentional about these things, they don’t just happen by chance. We have to be deliberate, we have to work at them and that often means making a choice.

Do I choose to satisfy my own desires instead of those of Christ?

Do I choose to show compassion instead of judgement.?

Do I choose to forgive or to hold resentments?

Do I choose to be thankful instead of grumbling?

Where do I need to be intentional today? What do I have to deliberately turn away from and turn towards? What do I need to put off, so that I can put on the better?

Where can I heal instead of hurt? Where can I bring peace instead of pain? Where can I reach out today and show the love of Jesus?

Is there a place you need to show that same intentionality and be deliberate in showing the love of Jesus?

Realize

I have the privilege of joining with the #Five Minute Friday Community of writers, to write on the one-word prompt, which today is: Realize.

My bible reading this morning was from John Chapter 21 where it recounts the night when Peter with some of the other disciples had gone out fishing and caught nothing. As they were coming ashore in the morning, weary, tired, hungry, dispirited, the risen Jesus call to them to let down their nets on the other side of the boat and they then caught 153 large fish!

They only then realized it was Jesus and not only that but He had breakfast already prepared for them on the beach and invites them to “come and have some breakfast”!

How amazing is that! Tired, weary after a night of fruitless toiling to have Jesus waiting there for you with the invite to come and have some breakfast!

We often feel that we are toiling away, fruitless, empty, but like the disciples when we come to the end of ourselves how wonderful to realize that Jesus is there waiting for us, inviting us to come, to rest, to refresh, to be sustained.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows

Psalm 23

Easter

Easter conjures up all sorts of pictures and images doesn’t it?

On one hand there are pictures of bunny rabbits, bright coloured eggs and cute little yellow chicks.

On the other side there is depicted the horrors of the cross.

Perhaps life is like that though, full of contrasts.

Sunny and bright. Dark and Gloomy.

At the start of Holy Week we see the throng shouting, ‘Hosanna’, proclaiming Jesus to be King, contrast that to 5 days later they when they call for that King to be crucified.

Contrast the confusion in the Garden of Gethsemane amongst the soldiers and guards to the composure of Jesus as He steps forward declaring, “I AM He, let these men go.”

Contrast Peter’s actions a few weeks before, full of bravado, declaring that he would die for Jesus and then during the trial denying Him three times.

Contrast Pilate, the Roman Governor, saying that he has power to let Jesus go or let Him be crucified and Jesus declaring that he only had that authority in the first place because it was given to him by God.

We want to sanitise everything, we want Easter to be full of fun, bright and happy. Whereas we should be humbled, brought to our knees that Jesus was there hanging on that cross bearing the price for our sin.

What contrasts do we find in our own lives?:-

The spirit being willing, but the flesh being weak.

Wanting to follow, but counting the cost.

Saying we trust, yet trying to take control.

Over this Easter weekend, let us take time to pause, to reflect, to repent as we think on this great Redemption story, not culminating at the cross, but at the Resurrection.

Let us afresh lay down our own contrasting and conflicting emotions and thoughts as we look to the Cross, to the One who died there in our place.

And let us on Resurrection Sunday, look and rejoice at that empty tomb and rise from that place committed afresh to live, work and serve by the power of the Risen Lord.

Choose

I am joining with the #Five Minute Friday group of writers to write for 5 minutes on the one word prompt: Choose.

We choose all the time. We choose what to have for breakfast, what to wear that day. We choose our friends, our clubs and activities (though sometimes we may feel that they choose us!)

However, that is not where my thoughts are going this morning!

My Lent Bible Reading was from John 15: 18-25 about the ‘world hating us’ and I have been pondering that. We don’t like to be hated, we like to be liked! Yet, does friendship with the world mean enmity with God and if so, who do I choose?

I am reminded too that:

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

God loved the world, but the world hated Him.

God loved the world and sent His son, but the world crucified Him.

God loved the world and sent His disciples to show and share the love and the world persecuted them.

So who do I choose the God who loves or the world who hates?

The God who loves every time.

Every single time.

And so what do I choose – to continue to love the world as Jesus does, even though it hates?

That is perhaps a harder choice to make.

Assume

‘Assume‘ is the word prompt we are writing on for 5 minutes today in the #Five Minute Friday community of writers.

We assume all sorts of things in our daily lives, we make judgements, decisions based on our assumptions whether we have evidence or not to base them on.

One thing I do assume though is that I know! I assume I know what is best; what is best for me; what is best for those around me and occasionally even what is best for my country and the world! And when I assume I know what is best I often by-pass God. I know what is best so along I go that road which I think is best; I assume the obstacles along the way are not right and so I try to get rid of them, go round them, even rant at them!

When I assume I know what is best for others I step in, I try to direct, I try to lift burdens, ease situations, with the goal of making someone’s life easier or happier. In my assumptions, in my actions, in my interference I am assuming that I know better than God and that God needs a little helping along to make things right or good or easy.

I assume I know better than God!

I wouldn’t normally admit that, it is audacious thing to say! Yet it is my actions which betray me; my lack of trust which leads me to want to control; my dictating to God which shows a lack of submission to His Sovereign ways and will.

Thankfully God is a gracious God and He leads me back to Himself again and again till I come to a place of acceptance and say ‘not my will, not my way, not my timing, but Yours Lord.’.

Many

I’m joining with the #Five Minute Friday group of writers today to write for 5 minutes on the word prompt: Many.

Today I have many hundreds of scattered thoughts, they are all over the place, mainly to do with all the things I have to do and that panics me; disturbs me and scatters me all the more as I wonder where to start.

So I choose to sit for a moment and breathe. I choose to be still, to center myself in God. Before running head-long into the many tasks and jobs to do. I stop; I pause; I lift my hands and I acknowledge that He is God and that He has all these matters in hand.

I pause and pray. I pause and breath. I pause and praise:

1LORD, my heart is not proud;

my eyes are not haughty.

I don’t concern myself with matters too great

or too awesome for me to grasp.

2Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,

like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.

Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Psalm 131

Ignore

This post is written to link with Five Minute Friday: write for five minutes on a one-word prompt. The prompt today is “Ignore”.

When I see a word prompt I think, I reflect, I question what does this mean, what does it mean for me? So today the prompt makes me ask, what do I ignore and what do I give my attention to?

When there is an unwelcome task needing done it is easy to procrastinate, to ignore it, to distract and give my attention elsewhere.

What about God? Is it easy to ignore Him, to turn our attention elsewhere? Yes, often it is! I can fill my time with reading; watching TV, distractions anything but actually get before Him. Sometimes I don’t do this intentionally, it is just part of life and just happens when life creeps in and God gets pushed out.

But yes, sometimes it can be willful (sadly)! This happened to the Israelites too, they often willfully turned away from God, they willfully served and worshipped other gods including themselves:

Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”

Hebrews 3:15

About 7 years ago I was reading through the book of Hebrews and the above verse was really impressed upon me TODAY when you hear my voice. So a day came when I found a new on-line community bible study; I thought mmh that sounds good, wonder if any of my friends would like to do this with me, but doubts and insecurities crept in and I was about to ignore that voice when I remembered the verse: “Today when you hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts“

So I put it out there and was overwhelmed by the response, seven years later we are still going strong, meeting together on-line over the Word. We have been enriched by the daily study of the word; we have grown stronger in our faith by the support and fellowship from one another, we have been blessed, so blessed and I could have so easily ignored God’s voice and we would have missed out on so much.

What are you ignoring today? Where are you focusing your attention? Are you missing out on a blessing because you are ignoring God’s voice?

Doubt

I’m joining with the #Five Minute Friday community of writers today, to write on the one word prompt; which today is: DOUBT.

Doubt.

Friend or foe?

Doubt hangs about me as if he was my friend; he is always there when I am reflecting and thinking things through. He is always there when I have questions on my mind and even in the wee small hours of the night he seems to be there.

So is he my friend? Does he actually help me? Is he a positive influence on my life?

No, he is not!

So why do I still court him?

Why do I still allow him access to my inner most thoughts?

We are always told nowadays to get rid of those ‘toxic friendships’ which are harmful to us.

So I need to get rid of this Mr Doubt fellow! I need to cut him off from my life.

I guess the fear is if I don’t have him to cling to then who or what do I cling to; who will be my new friend?

The song comes to mind, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.

So I need to court Jesus as my friend! I need to seek Him out.

Jesus is a good friend; His friendship is healing; His friendship is wholesome; His friendship is peaceful; His friendship is freeing.

I need to go to Him for advice when reflecting and questioning and it is Him I need to find in the wee small hours of the night and Him I need to go to for my solace.

So today I say goodbye to Doubt and welcome my friend Jesus.

Receive

Delighted to be joining #FiveMinuteFriday group for the first word of the new year! And the word prompt we are writing on today is: Receive.

So after a short ponder to see where my thoughts would take me on this word and concept of receiving I thought of this verse from John where Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman at a well and he says this to her:

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to,

you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

John 4:10

If you knew.

If you knew the gift God has for you.

And who you are speaking to.

Your would ask me

And I would give you ..

So is our asking too small, are our prayers to small, is our God too small?

If we really knew God to be the Majestic, powerful God, creator of the universe that He is, then we would not be limited in what we ask Him for!

Do we really believe that He is able to do ALL things, that nothing is impossible to Him?

Then we would ask and we would receive.

Much to ponder about this today!

HOPE

Every New Year, I have a word and a text which I carry into the year with me, I rarely know the significance of that word at the start of the year, but as the year and the word unravel I find that they greet and meet one another as faith and circumstances converge.

The word this year has been with me throughout this past Advent Season, it is the word: Hope. With every carol we have sung there has been a longing; an anticipation, even an expectation and you can’t have those things without hope.

The dictionary meaning of hope = A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

So what do we hope for from life, from 2023? Peace; happiness, health; prosperity; good times? And yet do we have assurance that these things will be given? No, we have no such assurance, our hope is unsubstantiated, why? Because no-one has promised us these things, no-one has given us any assurance that these things will be ours.

So what is hope then, what can we be assured off, what have we been promised and by whom?

For that my dear friend, we have to turn to God, because He alone is the promise-maker, the promise-keeper and the one alone who is able to fulfill and carry out these promises in a way that we can place our confident hope in Him.

John Piper defines Biblical hope as: “not just a desire for something good in the future, but rather, a confident expectation for something good in the future. it expects it to happen. And it not only expects it to happen — it is confident that it will happen.”

So what are some of the things we hope for and have assurance of ?

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

Ephesians 1:18

Hope is faith in the future tense.

Hope is looking forward to that day of Christ’s return when all the wrongs will be made right, where justice will win, when wars will cease, where sin and sickness are no more and where there are no more sorrows or partings or death. Hope holds on to that glorious day!

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

So even though life may be tough, even though we have trials and tribulations, the hope that tribulation builds in us is not a hope that will be disappointed.

How?

We have assurance because God has proved His intention to complete His work in us and that proof was in sending His own Son to die on our behalf so that we may have reconciliation with God, so that we might be called His children

God is faithful to all His promises, so we can have hope.

In this ‘in-between’ time of Jesus coming as a man to die for our sins and Him coming again to bring justice and to reign forevermore, we have hope. We have confident expectation that what He has said will come to pass.

Whatever promises of His we are holding onto today or for the coming year, we can have hope, we can have confident expectation that He will fulfill His promises.

So as we enter 2023, we can have confident expectation that God will fulfill all His promises He has made to us.

So we long, we wait, we have assurance, we trust, we persevere and we HOPE.

Hope in God anchors us.

Hope in God does not disappoint us.

Hope in God brings peace.

So as we go forward into the New Year may we place our hope on the Promise Keeper and look to Him with confident expectation that He will fulfill His promises to us because He is able to do it..