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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Think On These Wondrous Things!

on December 24, 2014 0 comments

"But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

Mary Had a Mindset Beyond Her Difficulties

Regardless of the stigma society placed on Mary for having been pregnant out of wedlock, and the shame that others connected to her as the babe grew within her, regardless of the scorn she received from onlookers, she choose not to think on those things.

Rather Mary treasured in her heart what was true - she had given birth to Messiah and was now seeing God confirm for her, through the shepherds, that it was indeed so. She was thrilled at what God was bringing to pass. She thought on these miraculous and marvelous happenings which were unfolding before her very eyes.

What About Me?
Should it be any different in my own life? Should I not ponder and treasure how God is at work within me to sanctify me, to change me daily into the image of His Beloved Son? Every day, every moment, Christ is abiding in me. The Holy Spirit teaches me the things of God and comforts me in any affliction. Every day, my Triune God speaks truth into my life. Everyday He walks with me and tells me that I am His own. He is actually my Father; Jesus is my friend, brother, Savior and Lord; the Holy Spirit dwells in me and reveals these glorious details to me. Every day He is proving Himself to be more than I ever dreamed or imagined.

A Mindset That Leads to Worship
These are the things that I should be thinking on and when they are, worship just happens. With every thought that Mary treasured, her mind was taken upward to behold her amazing God. This is worship. This is adoration. This is pure delight in the Lord's presence!

A Mindset That Reveres Scripture
And this treasuring of the things of God as they unfold in my life is exactly what I am commanded to think on in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is just, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Certainly, we can say, "God is truth (John 14:6). He is just, Who died for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). He is right and righteous altogether (1 John 3:7). He is pure and holy without any taint of sin (Habakkuk 1:13), (1Peter 1:15-16). He is the loveliest of ten thousand and more (Psalm 135:3). He is of the most glorious repute, having been bestowed with the Name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9). He is excellent in greatness (Psalm 150:2) and in name (Hebrews 1:4). And is there anyone or anything more worthy of praise than our gracious and kind God (Psalm 146:1)? Absolutely not!

A Mindset That Becomes a Way of Life
The command in Philippians tells us to dwell on these things, to let our minds be governed by what is true, etc. So when are we to think in this way? Is it to be just at Christmas time? We see Mary dwelling on these things at her Son and Savior's birth, but did that mindset change once Jesus was walking, growing older, becoming a man?

In Luke 2:51-52 we see Jesus at the age of 12. He had grown and was now considered a man by Jewish culture. He had gone with His parents to Jerusalem for Passover. When they left to go back home to Nazareth, He stayed behind at the temple, unbeknownst to them. Luke 2:46 tells us, "...after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions."

After finding their Son, they left with Him to travel back home. Once more in Luke we read, "And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Twelve years after His birth, we find Mary still pondering on the wonderful workings of her God as they unfolded in her life. This mindset had become her habit.

This mindset would be the very thing that would enable Mary to face the crucifixion of her Son and continue to trust God when her life would otherwise have fallen apart.

A Mindset That Speaks of the Very Heart Of Christmas
And so it should be for me and anyone else who knows the Savior. He is so very personal to His beloved ones, to those who trust and revere Him. How can we fail to let our minds think on those things He shows us? And then how can we not worship this precious One who came, as a lowly babe in human flesh, the Just One, Who died for the unjust so that we might know and love Him and be loved by Him?

Surely this is the true meaning, the very heart and essence of Christmas!

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

Think On These Wondrous Things!

on December 24, 2014 0 comments

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

God is Not Only Able, He is Also Willing

on May 13, 2014 Labels: Attributes of God, Devotional, Poesie (Poetry) 1 comments

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."

A. W. Pink

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Matthew 15:21-28, is an account of a woman who refused to give up asking Jesus to rescue her daughter, who suffered greatly. We read,

"And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.'

But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, 'Send her away, for she is crying out after us.' He answered, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'

But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.'

And he answered, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.'

She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.'

Then Jesus answered her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.'

And her daughter was healed instantly."

Who was this woman?

This woman was not a Jew. In fact, she was a Canaanite, a people who, historically in the Old Testament, were bitter enemies with the Jews. These gentile people were idolaters, known, in the Old Testament, for sacrificing their children to their gods. But this woman was pleading for her child to be made whole.

How and what did she know about Jesus?

It is quite amazing then that she would even approach Jesus. In reading the story, Jesus seems to be very reluctant to respond favorably to her and her request. She seems to be a bother to Him, in fact. But this is simply not the case, as we shall see.

Somehow this woman knew some very basic facts about Jesus. She must have seen Him healing others and heard the many accounts about Him that swirled about the region - accounts of those who had not been refused by Him.

She knew He was the "Son of David", a title that acknowledged Him as the Messiah, for she cried out to Him by that name. She also called Him "Lord" indicating that she regarded Him as her master. She implored Him for His mercy, knowing that she needed that for her soul and for her life. She knelt before Him in worship, recognizing Him as One who was sovereign over her.

What made this woman so confident in approaching Jesus?

This woman knew who Jesus was. And in knowing who He was, she also knew His character. She knew He never refused those who came to Him. She knew and believed that He would not refuse her either, even though she was a gentile of the vilest reputation (being a Canaanite) and even though she was a woman (regarded by men at this time as mere chattel with no rights whatsoever). Above all else, she knew and believed that Jesus delighted in giving to those who loved Him the deep longings of their hearts. She knew how very good and willing He was and so she approached Him with great confidence.

This Canaanite woman knew Christ was willing and therefore would not give up asking of Him even when it appeared that He was refusing her. She was not seeking to overcome His perceived reluctance but was undertaking to lay hold of His gracious willingness.

Am I as confident and persistent as the Canaanite woman?

Our understanding of the Lord's willingness is crucial to actually receive what we ask for. In this story, it is a foregone conclusion that if this woman had not persisted in her asking, had she walked away dejected because of what seemed to be a refusal by Jesus, she would not have been commended for her faith, nor would her daughter have been healed.

So, how willing are we to persist in prayer? Are we as determined as this woman? Are we as desperate for Christ as was this tenacious mother? We must not give up asking what we know God is willing to give, which is just another way of thinking about what it means to pray according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). He is able and willing to give when we pray in this way.

Moving Mountains

We don't believe You're able.

We don't believe You would.

We don't think You are willing.

Don't think that You're that good.

"All things are possible", said Christ.

"Through Me, so just believe."

"A mountain moves because you ask

And know that you'll receive."

So why do we not ask of You?

Your promise to fulfill;

We think, "Yes, God is able,

But is this thing His will?"

We might think You are able.

But we don't believe You would.

We don't think You are willing.

Don't think that You're that good.

Today, like every yesterday,

Lord Jesus, You're the same.

You preached Good News, healed all the sick

Who called upon Your name.

Of those who came and asked of You,

Not one was turned away.

Is mountain moving harder now?

Is God not good today?

Yes, we believe You're able.

We think You surely could.

But we don't think You are willing.

Don't know that You're that good.

Our God moves mountains with great ease.

He's done it from the start.

He moves a mountain every time

He tames a rebel heart.

No, mountain moving is not hard;

It causes God no grief.

The thing that's hard is my own heart.

Lord, help my unbelief!

O, I believe You're able.

And I want to know You would.

I want to know You're willing -

To know that You're that good.

O, move this mountain in my heart -

This mount of unbelief.

Through You all things are possible.

Please, Lord, help me believe.

O Savior, may I from this day,

Yes, from this very hour

Trust fully and completely in

Your mountain-moving power.

O, yes, I know You're able.

And I know You surely would.

You are so very willing.

You are so very good.

If I could simply comprehend

The goodness of the Lord.

I'd understand His willingness

And prayer would be out-poured.

He'd answer each petition

For His glory, then I would

See that He is so willing,

That He is so very good!

It's not that You are willing, Lord;

Nor even that You would.

But that You do move mounts each day

For Your glory and my good.

SKK