The Legacy of Philemon…

 

For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.--Philemon 1:7

I sooooo want to be like Philemon. my mind off me and my problems and my focus on walking rightly with my God and being a blessing to those He has placed in front of me. 

What a statement Paul makes here about who Philemon was. He is a refresher of the saints. He is one who has encouraged the hearts of others by his love. He has given them not just joy and consolation but much joy and consolation. People who are suffering, afflicted, in trouble, and struggling have found him (Philemon) to be a blessing!! Philemon brought hurting people rest...His care and service for them refreshed their hearts and brought them solace.

Philemon was a man of kindness..the kind of man that was a blessing to those who were around him. The kind of many whom others wanted to be around. If I am going to leave any kind of mark on this world or legacy for my God that is the one I would want.

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."--Colossians 3:12-17

Quote from Ann Voskamp’s The Broken Way

“And these acts of kindness, gifts of grace, they start a cascade of grace to fill a multitude of canyons in a hurting world. Maybe there’s no such thing as a small act of giving. Every small gift of grace creates a love quake that has no logical end. It will go to the ends of the earth and change the world and then it will break through time and run on into eternity.”

Living in the Light of His Countenance…

 

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.—Psalm 34:5

Beloved…How can we please God?  When will He lift the light of His beautiful countenance upon us?  Psalm 34:5 has the answer. When we look to our God in faith, He shines upon us. If we walk in unbelief our faces are ashamed. Aglow or ashamed?  I choose aglow. 

Warren Wiersbe says that the word radiant in verse 5 describes the joyful countenance of a mother who is welcoming her children home.  

"Lift up your eyes all around, and see:

They all gather together, they come to you;

Your sons shall come from afar,

And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

Then you shall see and become radiant,

And your heart shall swell with joy;

Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.—Isaiah 60:4-5

I can remember coming home from grade school and running up the back porch steps just to see the heartwarming smile on my mom’s face when she greeted us. Lunch was always ready and she would always stay with us as we ate.  How infinitely more wonderful it would be to live in the light of my Lord’s radiant smile?

Oh Father, I want to live in the light of Your countenance. May I look to You in all things and for all things for without you I can do nothing good.

There are many who say,

"Who will show us any good?"

LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.—Psalm 4:6

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace."'

"So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.—Exodus 34:29

and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.—Matthew 17:2

And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.—Acts 6:15

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Corinthians 3:18

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us;

Yes, establish the work of our hands.—Psalm 90:17

Peace in These Trying Times…

 

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.—Psalm 33:18-22

Paul wrote this in Philippians 1 and 4 respectively:  “For to me, to live is Christ”  and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Ironically, the sweatshirt I am wearing today reflects just those words of Paul. And as I read Psalm 33:18-22 this morning, it was these inspired words of Paul that also came to mind. 

Paul had a single-mind devoted to Christ. If he had a sweatshirt it would say…Single heartedly devoted to my Jesus.  He stayed His heart on Christ and therefore enjoyed peace in the midst of “terrible” circumstances.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace—Romans 8:6

Paul says this in Philippians 3:

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 3:12-14

What is the goal for the prize that Paul speaks of here?  Christlikeness….and isn’t that exactly what we, as believers want, in the midst of this crazy, mixed up world of ours?  He then goes on and urges his readers to follow his example. 

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.—Philippians 1:15-17

I don’t know about you but I want to emulate Paul who imitated His Lord. I want peace in my circumstances. I want peace in these trying times where evil is called good and good called evil.  I don’t want to look to the left or to the right but straight up to my God because that is where my peace is found and underneath are His beautiful, everlasting arms. 

Beloved…refuse to be hurried.  Stay your heart, mind and soul on God. Immerse yourself in His word daily. Let it be your strong habitation to which you can continually resort. Jesus is the Word. He will be a lamp to your feet and light to your path. His people will dwell in peaceful habitations, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. He in whom is everlasting strength will keep those who look to Him in perfect peace. They will be radiant…their faces unashamed. 

So slow down. Be still. Don’t get caught up in the microcosm of your life or in the never ending news cycle frenzies. God is on the throne. Abide in His love and obey His word. Make everything in your life about Him and not about you. Trust Him with your heart.  Trust Him with the people in your life….trust Him in your circumstances and trust Him with your future. Do the work He has called you to do. His eyes are on those who fear Him and hope in His mercy. Wait for Him. Rejoice in Him. He is your help and your shield. If God is for you, who can be against you. 

Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.—Psalm 33:22

He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;

But they are on the throne with kings,

For He has seated them forever,

And they are exalted.—Job 36:7

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with My eye.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule,

Which have no understanding,

Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,

Else they will not come near you.—Psalm 32:8-9

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their cry.—Psalm 32:15

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.—Psalm 121

Unto You I lift up my eyes,

O You who dwell in the heavens.

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 our eyes look to the LORD our God,

Until He has mercy on us.—Psalm 123:1-2

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

Trusting God and Soul Fullness…

 

"So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. And I said to you, 'You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.'

"And every one of you came near to me and said, 'Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.'

"The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, 'It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.'

"Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; and you complained in your tents, and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."'

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.—Deuteronomy 1:19-33

Notice that in faith Moses looked ahead with confidence. He understood the enormity of the task before them but he also knew that God was sufficient for whatever they would face.  The people looked back toward Egypt and in their cowardice,  rebelled against the commandment of God and complained in their tents. Complaining gives evidence of unbelief and a lack of gratitude toward God.  Their description of the people of the land (stronger and taller than we are) revealed that they thought their task was impossible for both themselves and God. They looked at all the obstacles rather than at their God who had already proven Himself to be trustworthy.

Hebrews 11: 1 describes faith this way:  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Moses believed God…the people did not.  Moses walked by faith, the people by sight. Warren Wiersbe rightly says that unbelief blinds you to God’s greatness and magnifies your own weakness.  I have found this to be so true in my own walk with the Lord. 

My Father in heaven has graciously given me all that I need to see me through this life.  And yet…I confess…that there are times at night before I sleep when my heart still shudders in fear as I contemplate the future and those things that might lie ahead for me. I right my wrong trajectory by remembering God. When my mind is stayed on Him peace reigns. When I begin to look at my circumstances or even the trials that other people are facing, I shrink in fear. I don’t want any of it.  

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!—Romans 7:24

The verse that often comes to mind and helps me when I struggle with fear, unbelief or the real bottom line…not getting what I want…is this one:

And He gave them their request,

But sent leanness into their soul.—Psalm 106:15

It reminds me that I truly don’t want my way…I want His. I want to live my life in continuous thanksgiving for His steadfast love toward me that never ceases. I want to live thankful that He rules and overrules all that comes my way for my good and His glory. His will for me comes from His heart and is an expression of His love. I don’t want to miss out on any of the spirit strengthening victories that faith brings. It is not in me to navigate this world on my own. Without Him I can do nothing good. My Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. There is no going to the Father without Him. Faith brings soul fullness…it brings victory and life. Unbelief brings soul leanness…defeat and death are its fruit. 

Beloved…Hear the inspired words of Moses from the above passage in Deuteronomy. Tuck them away in your heart and ask the Spirit of God to bring them into your remembrance when they are needed. 

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' 

Father…Have mercy on me for I am weak. Be my strong habitation to which I can continually resort. Help me to be like that Proverbs 31 woman who was not afraid of “ snow” for her household. She was not caught off guard physically or spiritually because she wholeheartedly followed her God. To the eyes that see by faith the earth is filled with Your goodness. I need never be afraid.  

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."—Joshua 1:9

Photo credit : Anna