Email Update!

Hello to all those who are using the automated email to receive updates from the blog!  I have been notified the Feedburner gadget I have been using will be discontinued in June and therefore blog posts will not be sent anymore.  I apologise for this...I have looked into setting up an automated service like Mailchimp but it is simply too much for me to navigate.  The content isn't the issue but figuring how to send out emails without causing confusion.  If you know me and have skill in the area please send me a message...otherwise to receive the content you will have to check the blog itself when Feedburner goes away. :)

The Fruitful Life

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

Psalm 1:1-3

God who created trees designed them to produce seeds contained in the fruit.  Seeds make the propagation of more trees possible, and in this way seeds are cultivated to grow an entire orchard.  Before a tree can fruit in season it must be well-established in suitable soil.  Time is required for the roots to tap into the moisture and nutrients so trees will grow and bear much fruit.

The man who is blessed is the one who is rooted by faith in God and His word.  The author of this Psalm did not only read the Law but meditated in it day and night.  The revelation of God, His truth and commands, guided David and all who look to God for wisdom, discernment and strength.  It was not like a book that we read occasionally but divine inspiration to immerse ourselves in.  The one who delights in God and His word will be most fruitful by God's gracious design.  The one who treasures God in truth will refuse ungodly counsel, will not stand with sinners, or settle into scornful ways.

Our tendency is to read a book and move on to the next one; we read one verse or chapter and close the book to do something else.  We cannot read perpetually, yet when the book is closed our hearts and minds ought to remain open to the probing, searching word that refines and directs us.  The word of God exposes our errors, points out the dead works from a guilty conscience and guides us what thoughts must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ.  God's word is not something to lay aside on the path to maturity, for without the Living Water applying Gospel truth to our ways all our efforts will be fruitless.

In sport the best players cannot neglect the fundamentals, the rudimentary skills common among every participant.  The star players are those who do the most basic things best with consistency.  A tree, with a desire to be more fruitful, cannot abandon the connection between roots and soil.  A believer, no matter how well-meaning the motives, cannot safely move on from the gospel to seek deeper truth and revelations beyond the word of God.  The men of Israel facing judgment for their sin were keen to know the word of the LORD, but since they would not obey Him in the basics of faith they were cut off and cast away as dead branches fit for the flame.

How good it is for God's people to realise it is our connection to Jesus Christ by faith that makes us fruitful, and wherever He plants us we can be established and grow.  It is not going to another church that will make all the difference for our walk, nor will our role in a fellowship be a hindrance to personal fruitfulness.  When we are born again and abide in Christ by faith marked by obedience to His word, we will bear much fruit.  Based on God's word, like a tree planted by rivers of water the ones who delights in God's law and meditates in it will bring forth fruit in season, our leaf shall not wither, and whatever we do shall prosper.  Believer, do you truly believe this?

Unexpected Refreshment

When King David heard Absalom had declared himself king in Hebron and the conspiracy against him was strong, he voluntarily vacated the palace in Jerusalem to prevent bloodshed.  He directed the high priest Zadok to return the Ark of the Covenant to the proper resting place in the tabernacle in faith of God's sovereignty and goodness.  If the LORD delighted in him He would cause David to one day return.  To make dire matters worse, David was informed his chief advisor Ahithophel was also part of Absalom's mutinous scheme.  David and all the people who crossed the Kidron valley with him and ascended the Mount of Olives wept as they mournfully trudged away from Jerusalem and God's holy habitation.

As David, his household and those loyal to him left the city, they were greeted by a jeering and cursing man named Shimei of Benjamin.  2 Samuel 16:7-8 says, "Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! ⁸ The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!"  David was a humble man who knew well his faults, yet he was not guilty of what Shimei accused him of.  To the contrary:  David had been gracious, merciful and generous to the household of Saul.  Shimei cast stones, kicked up dust and hurled insults at David, and he took comfort in the LORD looking upon his affliction and rewarding him good for extending grace in the face of humiliating circumstances.

Then comes the surprising revelation of 2 Samuel 16:14:  "Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there."  Shell-shocked by the betrayal of his own son, grieved with the need to vacate the throne and flee his home, cursed and falsely accused of being a bloodthirsty rogue, the king and all the people with him were refreshed.  I am convinced this refreshment was not one merely of physical rest but of perfect peace that comes only from faith in God.  A man cannot be refreshed when seething with rage, while plotting his revenge or furious over public humiliation.  On the Mount of Olives David and his companions took time to breathe, to recover as they considered God and entrusted themselves to Him afresh--right there as the dust filled their nostrils and the curses rained down.

How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD, who entrust themselves, their reputations and future into His loving hands!  Our God is a Saviour who delivers and redeems those who wait on Him.  The terrible circumstances for David and his people had just begun, yet in resolving to hope in God they found rest and refreshment.  The God who gives us breath is able to provide peace which allows us to breathe the free air of His grace, mercy and goodness.  David vacated the throne of Israel with the realisation God is on the throne over all, and this knowledge ought to refresh us in every season of life.

Seeing Things Clearly

As a kid the only glasses I wore were sunglasses.  At a point it became clear to me my eyesight had degraded when I could not effortlessly read street signs, number plates, or small print on a page.  After I was fitted with corrective lenses reading became easier, but I didn't always wear them.  Now when my glasses are away from the table or chair I will stand up to retrieve them rather than muddle through reading because they make a noticeable difference.

People who already have glasses occasionally have their eyes checked because as the ability of eyes to focus continues to degrade the prescription changes.  There is a two-fold lesson for the child of God here, for we too need correction from God's word concerning our beliefs and the way we live our lives.  Whether we are taking steps of faith or beginning to backslide, lessons from scripture will target areas of our lives where improvement and change is needed.  The second lesson is we need to appropriate God's truth by putting it into practice, just like I need to wear glasses for them to be practically useful.

The realisation I was not seeing clearly prompted me to visit the optometrist to have my eyes checked, and the Holy Spirit uses our conscience to prompt us to personally take to heart the wisdom in God's word that corrects and instructs us.  One thing I often need to do is clean my glasses because I inadvertently smudge them throughout the day.  The glasses which help me see clearly at a point can became a hindrance rather than a help, and the same can be true concerning our conscience.  The Holy Spirit is always perfect and good but our conscience can become weak, defiled and seared.  The scripture rightly wielded by the Spirit is like a clean mircofibre cloth which polishes up the easily smeared lens of our conscience.

Psalm 119:103-105 reads, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ¹⁰⁴ Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Honey is sweet to our taste, and God's word is sweet to His children.  Corrective lenses benefit greatly those who wear them yet are worthless in the dark!  Jesus is the Light of the World who enlightens us from within, and the Bible is a lamp to our feet and light to our path.  Knowing we need God's guidance, correction and wisdom is a necessary first step, and the second is to put into practice what God has said.  I would not know honey was sweet except I tasted it, and we will not realise the sweetness of God's word until we believe and follow it.