Thursday, March 28, 2024

No Longer Discouraged

 

Photo of a sunrise with words superimposed


“I cried out to God for help…”
—Psalm 77:1a

As a child, did you learn to sing Jiminy Crickett’s song, “Give a Little Whistle,” from the Disney film Pinocchio?

When you are discouraged
and you don’t know right from wrong.
Give a little whistle.
Give a little whistle.

Graphic of a play video icon


If you learned the song, did you ever try to do what the song suggests? Did it work? Did you decide to “always let your conscience be your guide”?

The Psalmist, faced with discouragement, tried another tact in Psalm 77:1-2, 10-15:

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Instead of joining the “Jiminy Cricket Team,” let’s make the conscious choice to stay faithful to the team whose Captain has already chosen us to belong to Himself. God will help us in our discouragement. He will make certain we know right from wrong. He will embue our conscience with the direction of His Holy Spirit. It doesn’t get any better than that.

 

Originally posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Finding Peace

 

Graphic of a Scripture verse


“Trust in the Lord forever…”
—Isaiah 26:4a

In this sinful world, we struggle to find peace. That’s because a great spiritual warfare rages around us. Satan’s desire is to entrap and then destroy every human being on this planet. He works the hardest on those whom God has chosen to belong to Himself.

Satan knows exactly how to press every one of our negative and sinful “buttons.” The evil one has a unique ability to take us down into the pit of despair. This enemy of our souls also has the ability to tempt us to turn from what we know is right and pleasing to God, and instead follow pathways that will harm us in the depth of our beings.

As believers in the life-transforming power of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, we are daily assailed on every side. Yet, true and lasting peace awaits us in the arms of the God who loves us with His everlasting love. God waits lovingly and patiently to enfold us in His protection. He desires for us to seek His care. He wants us to run to Him whenever our enemy tries to attack and destroy us.

Allow joy to well up in your heart as you read these words from the Prophet found in Isaiah 26:3-4:

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Let us gratefully receive the Peace of Christ this day. His peace will sustain us on our journey through this life and into the glorious eternal life that awaits us at the feet of our Lord and Savior.

 

Originally posted on Monday, March 30, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Getting Even

 

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“Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”
—Romans 12:17

“Don’t get mad, get even!”

Getting even is a pretty well-defined tactic of our culture. In fact, over the past ten years, getting even seems like it has risen to new heights, as a tactic against anyone with whom one disagrees. Yet getting even ceetainly does not square with the Apostle Paul’s instruction in Romans 12:17-21:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Through the power of the risen Christ, which dwells within us by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, we can be overcomers. We can overcome evil and promote good. We have no obligation to fall into the same evil patterns that other individuals exhibit throughout our culture. In fact, we have a distinct responsibility to stand against this, and every other, evil practice.

We must determine to encourage a life pattern of forgiveness and reconciliation. While we retain the teachings of Jesus as the higher ground on which we stand, we must approach others—even those who try to harm us, even destroy us—with humility, kindness, and God’s forgiving love. This is an excellent plan. And, besides, God’s love for us compels us to do what pleases Him the most.

 

Originally posted on Friday, March 27, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Monday, March 25, 2024

We Need Each Other

 

Graphic of a Rick Warren quotation


“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”
—Romans 12:6

Do we realize we need each other in order to competently and effectively serve the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom? We simply cannot strive to serve alone. We need the assistance and encouragement of our fellow believers in order to continue serving our Savior in the most loving, caring, and productive way.

That’s what the Apostle Paul was preaching about when he wrote the words found in Romans 12:3-8:

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Let’s move out into this new day with a humble determination to work with our fellow follwers of Jesus, so that we can lovingly use the gifts God has given us for the benefit of others and to bring glory to the God who loves us.

 

Originally posted on Thursday, March 26, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Friday, March 22, 2024

A New and Living Way of Love

 

Photo of glowing heart in a hand


“Great peace have those who love your law…”
—Psalm 119:165a

In the Old Testament times, God’s chosen people could express their love for God only by following the Law He had given them. This prompted the Psalmist to write in Psalm 119:165-168:

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.

But, after God’s Son came to earth as a man, He brought a new and living way for believers to express their devotion, as recorded in Mark 12:28-31:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

For us as believers, the pathway of obedience has become paved with love: love for God in all four human modalities—spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical—and love for others.

This new pathway of obedience that our Savior has opened for us really coincides with a fulfillment of the Old Testament Law, made possible within us by the enabling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

As we follow the Great King Jesus, let us enthusiastically embrace the Law of Love. And, let’s allow God’s love to flow through us this day to touch the lives of everyone with whom we come in contact.

 

Based on a post from Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Watched Closely!

 

Photo of the close up of a woman's eye


“…walk in the way of love…”
—Ephesians 5:1

“You’re being watched!”

Does that phrase startle you? Does it create fear? Apprehension? Concern? It’s true that every person who claims the name of Jesus, every disciple, every “Christ’s-one,” is being watched every day by the people who cross the pathway of their lives.

In response to this reality, it is imperative to answer these questions:

  • How well do we represent Jesus?

  • How well do we handle joys?

  • How well do we handle sorrows?

  • When adversity comes our way, how do we react?

  • Do we take every change in our lives with the same grace that our Savior would show?

  • When someone does something that impacts negatively on our lives, do we respond the way Jesus would?

You see, people watch us every day to see if we act like we belong to the King of Kings. Do we show the kind of loving clarity that Jesus would show?

In writing to the Christians gathered in the house churches in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul offered this advice in Ephesians 5:1-2, 8, 10, and 15-17:

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

People are watching us. They want to see if our faith in God is real. They want to measure whether devoting our lives to serving Christ has made the kind of transformation in our behavior that validates the truth and integrity of what we may say about the peace and joy we experience because we have accepted God’s gift of eternal life.

Over the years I have been writing this blog, I have shared an experience several times that illustrates what I am trying to share with you today. If you will, please allow me to share this true story once again.

Many years ago a man, who worked at the insurance company where I worked, approached me. He was someone with whom I had worked closely in years past in the Buffalo Office. Now that we were both in the Hartford, Connecticut, Home Office, we did not see each other very often. But, on this day, he asked me if he could talk with me.

“I don’t quite know how to put this,” he said, “but my wife has recently become one of those born again Christians. I would like to buy her a Christmas present that would let her know I love and support her, even though I don’t understand this decision she has made.”

“How can I help?” I asked.

“She told me that one of her new friends has a book in which she can find where any word is mentioned in the Bible. How do I get one of those books?”

“Well, that book is called a Concordance” I explained. “It looks like this.” (In God’s Providence, I just happened to keep a Concordance on my cubicle bookshelf.) After he looked at it, I then explained where he could buy one.

That encounter was the first of many conversations over the next year. Finally one day, he came to me with a huge smile on his face and just the hint of happy tears in his eyes. That’s right, you probably have guessed it. He had prayed and acknowledged Jesus as His personal Savior.

Why did this man come to me with his initial question? Because he had been watching me. I had never preached to him. I had never declared my faith to him. I had never even had a conversation about spiritual matters with him. But, when it came time to ask his question, he came to me knowing I would help him.

He had been watching me. Without my saying a single word—and even though there is absolutely nothing whatsoever that is special about me—he knew that he could talk with me about the Bible and how to read it well.

Every single day, every one of us is being watched by people who need a life-transforming encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. In a world where people are always trying to deceive others, we should be “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” people: people of the Truth; people of the Light. Let’s make a conscious choice to live in a way that honors the trust our King has placed in us to represent Him well to a needy world.

 

Based on a post from Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Praise Throughout Our Days

 

Photo of a quotation


“I will praise the Lord all my life…-”
—Psalm 146:1b

As this new day begins, the sun rises in the sky. The warmth of the sun awakens all nature. Nature lifts leaf and bloom to praise the Creator.

Privileged as we are by God and very special of all creation because Father, Son, and Holy Spirit proclaimed: “Let us make mankind in Our image”—can we fail to join our minds and hearts and say with the Psalmist, quoting from Psalm 146:1-10?

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Yes, dear ones! This day, and every day, let’s join our hearts and voices and praise God from whom all blessings flow.

 

Based on a post from Monday, March 23, 2015

Copyright © 2024 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.