May 19: Tuesday Refocus

‘Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.  Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.  I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!’ Psalm 27:11-14

 My soul has an accuser (Rev 12:10), I am surrounded by enemies (v3), but there is no foe I fear more than the one who lives inside of me.  The enemy within leads me down a path that seems right, but in the end leads only to death (Prov 14:12). 

But the way of God always leads to life, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6).  He is the level path (v11), the narrow road (Matt 7:13-14), the easy yoke (Matt 11:30), the place of delight and blessing (Ps 119). 

Lord, we look to You and live.  In Christ’s name, amen.

Looking,

AB

December 10: Tuesday Refocus

‘It costs something to be a true Christian.  Let that never be forgotten.  To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to church, is cheap and easy work.  But to hear Christ’s voice, follow Christ, believe Christ, confess Christ, requires much self-denial.’ - J.C. Ryle

I want obedience to equal ease.

I want sanctification without the experience that brings it about.

I want to be a true Christian with nominal level commitment.

But my faith has been Authored by One ‘who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.’  He came with ‘…no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.’  He came to poor earthly parents, in a rural community (Phil 2:6-7, Is 53:2, Lk 2:22-24, Jn 1:46).

In the middle of this Advent season I am reminded that Emmanuel - God with us - was costly to God Himself.  Not only His entrance into time and place, but the ultimate purpose for which He came: the cross.

‘For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ Rom 6:5-11

He died that I might die, and He lives that I might live.

This is not an easy faith - it is of eternal significance, and immeasurable cost.

Spirit, enable us to hear the voice of Christ, to follow Christ, to believe Christ, confess Christ, and daily die to ourselves.  In Christ’s name, amen.

To remember and live,

AB