Forget Not All His Benefits…

 

Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”—Numbers 15:37-41

This section of Scripture really appealed to me because I like to wear or have things around me that point me to Christ and help me to set my mind on things above.  I often wear thin leather Scripture bracelets that help me to do just that. The tassels that the children of Israel wore were small flashes of blue thread on the corners of their garment that reminded the wearer that they belonged to God and were to be holy as He was holy. Provision had just been made for pardoning sins done in ignorance. Now we see God making a provision to help His children remember not to sin so they could maintain their fellowship with Him. 

As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.—Psalm 103:13-14

As a believer I have the inward witness of Spirit of God living inside of me who testifies with my spirit that I am His child.  But here is the thing I know about me…Spiritually I leak. My flesh is weak!  I need reminders!  So, aside from wearing a scripture bracelet, here is what else helps me to keep my mind stayed on Him. 

First and foremost is His word hidden in my heart. As I daily abide in it and meditate on it the Spirit graciously brings it to mind when it is needed and uses it not only to set my mind on things above but also to direct my steps into His perfect way.

How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

With my whole heart I have sought You;

Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.—Psalm 119:9-11

When I am outside, His creation brings me joy and points me to Him. The blue sky for instance reminds me that I am His and am headed for heaven. This world is not my home. When I am inside I see my loved ones and am thankful for his goodness in giving them to me. When I eat, I see His gracious provision. Even when I look at my problems I can remember that He is my burden bearer. He is the One who bids me to come.  Truly, His lovingkindness is always before my eyes.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28-30

Ann Voskamp, a Christian author, inks a cross on her wrist to remind her to live her time here on earth as Jesus lived…broken and given.  I like that.  Living that way makes the everywhere present Christ visibly present for all to see. 

Remembering Christ, staying my mind on Him, and meditating on His word during the day remind me of my need to trust Him and obey His commands. Setting my mind on Him and things above also heals my heart and calms my anxieties because He Himself is my peace. When I do these things, I invite Him into every part of “my” life and make everything in “my” life about Him. I literally weave Christ into the very fabric of who I am and what I do. 

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,

And revive me in Your way.— Psalm 119: 37

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.—Deuteronomy 6:4-9

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."—1 Corinthians 11:24-25

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”—Ps. 103:2

For I Am Your Servant…

 

My daily Bible readings today sang one song to my heart...the song of a servant of the Lord.  Jesus, came as God’s Servant, lived as God’s Servant and died as God’s Servant.  In this, He is our greatest example.  When we have the mind of Christ, we have a mind that is clothed with humility.  A mind whose chief joy is to do the will of God. A mind who puts others before Himself...even to the point of willingly laying down His life for another.  All Jesus did here on earth, He did with the sole purpose of glorifying His Father in heaven. He did nothing out of selfish ambition or vain glory...but in lowliness of mind He esteemed others as better than Himself. 

With that said, here are the verses that reminded me of my position in His kingdom. 

The first was from the book of Numbers:

23 At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.—Numbers 9:23

Father...May my eyes be ever toward You. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to You, my Lord and my God.  

Beloved...Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

The second was from Mark 9:30-37:

30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Just as an aside here, I kinda got the impression that the disciples were feeling pretty convicted by Jesus’ question in verse 33.  Their silence was deafening. While Jesus had been talking about his coming suffering and death, the disciples were arguing about who among them would be the greatest.  Definitely not getting the humility message 

Jesus goes on to say that if anyone desires to be first, He shall be last of all and servant of all. 

Father...Your kingdom is so unlike the kingdom of men!  Weave these words of Jesus into my heart. Use them to make me more like Your Son, who did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.  Help me to be as a child before You...humble and trusting.  

The next verses were from the same chapter in Mark:

49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”—Mark 9:49-50

 I usually think of salt as something that makes food more flavorful, but it had other uses especially before refrigeration.  Salt in Jesus’ time was used as a preservative. It was included as far as I could tell, in every OT sacrifice. Jesus here tells us to have salt in ourselves. Beloved, Jesus is the salt in a believer...He gives flavor, He preserves, He cleanses and He keeps us from sin, corruption and death.  Romans 12:1-2 says this:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Jesus sacrificed Himself for us and in so doing preserved us who would believe from an eternity spent separated from Him in hell.  We are to do the same for others...it is our “reasonable” service. 

Father...May Your Spirit use Your word to produce the likeness of Your Son in me. May my presence preserve and protect those You have sovereignly placed in my life for Your good purposes. 

The last verse was from Psalm 31:

But I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,

For You have considered my trouble;

You have known my soul in adversities,

8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;

You have set my feet in a wide place.

Father...in my role as a wife and a mom, You have set my feet in a wide place.   Placing me in this role has been such a grace to my heart not only because it enables me to see the joy that serving brings, but it also gives me ample opportunity to fulfill my God given role by serving the ones I love through love. Even when things have been hard Your merciful, gracious comforts have enabled me to rejoice.  You see me.  You have considered all my trouble.  You know what I go through because you walk through it all with me.  You know the way I take and have preserved me through all.  

May the love of Christ compel us (hold us fast) today. May His self-sacrificing love be what motivates and controls our thinking and our behavior. May our hearts and minds along with Paul’s be that of our Savior’s who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. Help us today, by your Holy Spirit, to live not to please ourselves but to please You, for we are Your servants. 

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.  13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. —2 Corinthians 4:5-15