Safe, Protected, Secure

 

“?He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…?”

—Psalm 91:4

Throughout Scripture, there are several references to the protection afforded a newborn by its mother. The instinct of the one who has given birth is most always to protect the newborn until it can care for itself.

In Psalm 91:4 to explain God’s loving care, the Psalmist calls forth the image of a mother bird which lines the nest with feathers and then protectively covers the newborn with her wings:

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…

But, we can see this kind of protection in many species, including human beings. At least we can most of the time.

One aspect of our downward spiraling society that so shocks me is the cavalier, yet prevailing, attitude toward the discarding of an unborn human baby through abortion.

Earlier this week, I listened carefully to someone I greatly admire and respect try to explain to me how the majority of our society justifies what to me seems like a heartless and horrible act. He was not asserting his own beliefs. Rather, he was trying to help me understand, as he believes he does, the view from the left.

He opined that most people do not believe a recently conceived unborn is yet a human being. He talked about how millions of natural, spontaneous abortions take place throughout the world each year. He explained that if all those naturally aborted fetuses ended up in heaven—that is, would have souls—heaven would overflow with trillions of beings that had never been alive on earth.

He continued to explain that, therefore, the unborn must not have souls until they reach a certain time period after conception. A time period that no one knows for certain.

Thus, when a woman decides to abort an unborn, for whatever reason, she is not committing murder. The unborn is not a human being because it has no soul. It’s just a bunch of cells. He likened abortion to the removal of a wart from the back of one’s hand.

I sat in stunned silence.

I thanked him for explaining this to me. As the call ended, I felt sick inside. My spirit utterly rebelled at his explanation.

The decision of which fetus will be born is not a decision for man to make. It is a decision that only God should make. At least that’s my opinion. Apparently, I am in an ever-diminishing minority.

Abortion pushes against the very protective nature toward their offspring that God has imbued within human beings. I am glad that when a new believer responds to God’s call to acknowledge the gift of eternal life, God doesn’t decide to perform an that will deny that one eternal life.

At the start of another new day, let’s remember that God watches over us with a loving care that models for us the way we should care for others—particular those He has placed in our charge. Just as the bear in the photo that accompanies this blog post has wrapped her arms around her cubs, so God has wrapped His loving arms around us. And, that is a very good thing.

Oh, by the way, I have absolutely no problem believing that heaven could easily hold trillions of naturally aborted and stillborn babies. In fact, I’m counting on it.

In fact, I believe that every aborted unborn belongs to God through a very special act of His mercy, love and grace.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

How Will We Know Where To Go

 

“?In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”

—Exodus 15:13

During a worship time at summer camp when I was a senior in high school and working on the camp staff, I sat in the tabernacle listening to an excellent message delivered by Rev. Lionel Sayers. Rev. Sayers was a man who had come to the pastorate after a career with the telephone company. He always preached with a very practical approach to the Scriptures.

On this occasion, Rev. Sayers was urging the high school-age campers to commit themselves to following the pathway that God would open up before them. He talked about his own experience and how he had come to know about the claims of Jesus.

He explained how easy it was to stray off the path of righteousness. He reminded the students that the Holy Spirit has come alongside every person who believes in Jesus. The Spirit will illuminate the pathway and help each devoted follower of Jesus to stay on that righteous path.

As he drew his sermon to a close, a young man who was going to enter high school in the fall leaned over to me and asked, “How will we know where to go?”

I stayed after the service and talked with this young man for probably 45 minutes. I opened my Bible and shared some key Scriptures with him. As I was doing this, I silently prayed that God would give me the right words to say—words that might truly help this young man follow Jesus in a more devoted way.

I have no idea whether I helped him or not. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that I do not even remember his name.

I am hoping that, when we all gather at the feet of Jesus, perhaps this young man will make himself known to me. For whenever I have thought about him over the years, I have prayed that God has helped him stay on the right pathway.

In singing a song of praise to God, the children of Israel, led by Moses, sang these words found in Exodus 15:13:

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

It is God who keeps us on the right pathway. He alone can nudge to the right or to the left when we start to go off the path and into the unknown, dense woods of sin that surround us. God will always help us to persevere, to stay on the path, to keep moving forward in our spiritual lives.

As we begin a new day, let’s pray and ask the Holy Spirit to stay close to us, to lead us, to guide us, to open up the pathway ahead of us. And, let’s determine to obediently follow the way God shows us to go.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Who is Like You

 

“?Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders???”

—Exodus 15:11

It is startling to realize that we hold within us the very image of God. Genesis 1:26-27 records these words:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Our puny human brain cannot comprehend the magnificence of the idea that we bear God’s image: the Imago Dei. God is so far above us in every way that to think we carry His image is, as I said at the beginning of this blog post, startling.

In praising God for the deliverance the children of Israel received from God, Moses led the Jews in a very long and detailed song of praise. Here’s just one sentence of that song, as recorded in Exodus 15:11:

Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

All around them, the Jews saw other people worshipping a wide variety of gods. But, the Jews realized that Jehovah, their God, was far greater, more powerful, more loving, more protective than any of the other gods that other people worshipped. Thus, the Jews very rightly sang this song of praise.

We need to grasp, as much as we can, an awareness of how great God is. He is above all else. He created all things. The universe holds together at His bidding. His holiness has imbued all creation with a distinctive that knows the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness.

As we begin a new day, let’s be certain to keep in the center of our thoughts how truly magnificent our God really is. Our only response to this truth is to praise Him and do everything we can to glorify and magnify His holy name.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Gain of Redemption

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

—Romans 5:1-2

In yesterday’s blog post, I narrated the story about my seventh grade homeroom teacher. If you missed it, I urge you to scroll back and read that post. It really serves as a prelude to this post for today.

You see, yesterday, I wrote about how the holiness of God’s nature will always ultimately require Him to punish sin. Make no mistake about it. God will someday tip the scales of His eternal justice in favor of righteousness.

Dr. Martin Luther King is quoted as saying, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Dr. King was right, though I strongly suspect that he and I might view that statement in very different ways. At least, those people who have made so-called “social justice” their principal watchword will use Dr. King’s statement as one of hope that in our society we really are getting better and better. In fact, they assert, we are getting better and better to the point where one day justice will prevail on this earth.

Now I must tell you that I genuinely respect their right to hold to their belief. But, I think they are absolutely wrong, at least in the conclusions they draw from the way they interpret Dr. King’s statement.

I believe that, with great clarity, Scripture teaches that we have been on a downward trajectory since God first created man and woman as sinless beings who bear His divine image, and placed them in a perfectly created Garden of Eden. The first beings to rebel against God in disobedience were Lucifer and his legion of following angels. God cast them out of heaven and restricted them to domicile on the earth. (Isaiah 14:15, Ezekiel 28:16-17, and Revelation 12:7-12)

Lucifer, or Satan, then tempted mankind by prompting Eve to distort what God had commanded. Namely, that humans not eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That tree resided in the center of the Garden. (To understand this distortion, carefully read Genesis 2:17 and compare it with Genesis 3:2-3.)

Once Eve was beguiled by Satan, plucked the fruit, ate it, and gave it to Adam, Adam then ate it willingly and knowingly. Adam knew full well he was sinning against the sole commandment that God had given him. As I have often asserted in this blog, Eve was deceived, but Adam sinned willingly. And so, the sin of disobedience against the holiness of God entered our world.

In punishing Adam and Eve, God indicated that the inheritance of their sin would pass to all humans who would come after them. And, not only would that sin stain all future humans, those future humans would be bent toward sin and would sin of their own accord. (Genesis 3:16-19)

Because sin begets sin—that is to say that one sin leads to more and more sin—the arc of the moral universe has indeed been long, but it bends toward God taking the ultimate action required by His holiness and His justice. So, in a very real sense, Dr. King and I agree that the long arc of the moral universe bends toward justice—but, it is a justice supplied by our holy God, not the ever-increasing goodness of mankind.

(And, by the way, I’m not at all certain that Dr. King didn’t actually believe as I do. It’s quite possible that those who have come after him have distorted the meaning of Dr. King’s words for their own political and social purposes. But, I will have to wait to ask Dr. King in heaven to see if I’m right.)

So, while yesterday I wrote about God’s judgment, today I must write about His mercy, grace, and abiding love. For those qualities of God, which purposely and purposefully flow out of His holiness, are the very qualities that have given us our way of escape.

When God chose us to belong to Himself—before the creation of the earth—He did so knowing that, to satisfy the justice that His holiness demanded, He would have to provide a pathway of redemption for us. We could not and cannot redeem ourselves. We are stained by sin and cannot possibly, of our own volition—that is, of our own will, provide redemption from sin.

So, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus—the ultimate of sinless perfection because the Son is God Himself—to die in our place and to rise from the dead, conquering sin, and death, and Satan.

The Apostle Paul, writing in Romans 4, in order to describe the moral arc of faith through Abraham, declares boldly in Romans 5:1-2:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is both the judge and justifier. He is the source of genuine justice. He is the One whose holiness demands that the penalty of sin be paid. He is the One who has made provision to pay that penalty. He is the One who has us stand before Him and pronounces us clean of sin because He sees that we are covered by the redeeming blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

As we begin a new day, let’s recognize that while all around us society only gets worse and worse, we have already been declared faultless before the throne of God’s justice. And, a natural outgrowth of our redemption is our desire to share God’s plan for true life with others. Let’s not hesitate to share with gentleness and kindness.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Price of Disobedience

 

“?If you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

—1 Samuel 12:15

In seventh grade, 1959, I had a very special homeroom teacher. She had taught junior high school science for 42 years. Yes, that means she first walked into a classroom in 1917, fresh out of a two-year teaching course in what was then call a “Normal School.” She was an excellent teacher. She had a world of experience. And, she had kept up with developments in both education and science.

But, for all intents and purposes, she looked like what I can best describe as “some old, ragged street person.” Now, this was a time before we even called homeless individuals “street people.” But, that is how she looked to her twelve-year-old students.

One of my classmates was utterly incorrigible. He had caused trouble in school from the time he entered Kindergarten. His behavior had not improved through the years. He did become sneakier in trying to hide his generally evil intentions. But, he was disruptive, annoying, and generally a pain to both teachers and his fellow students.

In homeroom, he started his day by doing something to disrupt the class. The very first day of school, he did something outrageous and the teacher did not react. He did something else outrageous the second day, and, again, the teacher did not react. He behaved the same way for the next three days of the week.

One of his fellow students asked him why he kept misbehaving when it did not seem to get a rise out of the teacher. His answer was instructive: “She’s such an old bat and she’s so blind she probably can’t even see what I’m doing. So, I’m gonna keep doing whatever I want to do!”

The next week, we all waited to see what this twelve-year-old thug would do next. Sure enough, he did something that in any other class would have gotten him suspended. The teacher didn’t even acknowledge that anything had happened. The next day, same thing—and, so it went for the remaining days of the second week of school.

The third week of seventh grade, the misbehaving student entered the classroom and before he even took his seat, started a ruckus. Again, the teacher didn’t seem to even notice. Second day of the third week brought another terrible action. It seemed as if he could do anything he wanted and the teacher would not even react. In fact, she wouldn’t even raise her eyes from whatever she was reading on her desk.

The fourth week of school began with an extraordinary tension in the homeroom. We all waited to see what new level of evil this “bad boy” anti-hero would bring to us. As he walked into the room, he sneered some comment in the direction of the teacher. To the shock and amazement of everyone, the teacher jumped up out of her chair, rushed to where the bad boy was standing, grabbed him firmly by the ear and led him screaming from the classroom, down the hall, to the Principal’s Office. His blood-curdling screams left us dazed and confused.

When the teacher returned to the classroom, she sat down quietly for a moment and then in a soft, but firm, voice addressed the rest of us in her homeroom. “I have watched carefully the behavior of Mr.—and she named the student—for the last three weeks. What he didn’t realize is that I had been forewarned of his behavior coming into this homeroom.

“You see, I had previously had his three brothers. And, they all behaved just as he did. They all come from a terrible family home situation. I tried to extend every possible opportunity to this young man to change his behavior. I thought perhaps he would tire of his foolishness and settle down. When he did not, I had no choice but to mete out the justice he had so richly earned.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you. Whenever in this life you think you are getting away with something, please remember what happened in your seventh grade homeroom. You may appear to get away with evil for a time, but there will always—always—come a day of judgment.”

Obviously, I have never forgotten this incident that happened all those 57 years ago. In our nation, founded on the great Judeo-Christian ethic, we have strayed far from God. As a society, we have sneered at Him every time we entered the homeroom of life. We would do well to heed the words of the Prophet Samuel—the last of the Hebrew Judges—as recorded in 1 Samuel 12:15:

If you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Contrary to what some Christians believe, God will not always look away from the evil our nation perpetrates. A Day of Judgment is coming.

So, in our own lives we do well to put aside our pet sins. Instead, we should be quick to confess our sins, quick to repent, quick to make restitution, and quick to receive God’s reconciliation that He gives us through His Son, Jesus.

We must never, ever, forget that a time of judgment awaits those who disobey God’s commands. That’s why, as His ambassadors, we have an awesome responsibility to make much of Jesus in every aspect of our lives.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Clean and Holy

 

“That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

—1 Corinthians 6:11

Have you ever gotten really dirty? I don’t mean a little dusty. I mean really, really dirty.

Perhaps you helped a friend change the engine or the transmission of that friend’s vehicle. When the job was done, you were covered in grease and grime. Or maybe, you helped someone dig a trench so that a footer could be poured for a new house. The soil was mostly clay. It was tough going, but at the end you reached your goal below the frost line. You also recognized that you were now a mud ball of soil and dirt.

The next step in your transformation from hard-working helper back to somewhat normal-looking human being was to take a shower or bath to remove the dirt that covered you from head to toe. Once you stepped out of the shower or tub and dried off, you looked much more like you normally did. You looked clean, smelled clean, you were clean!

We were born in sin and continue to commit sin as a part of our normal lives on this earth. Sin has stained us deeply. We need cleansing. Jesus provides a way to make us clean from our sin. No matter what those sins might be, Jesus is the cleaning agent that washes that sin stain away.

The Apostle Paul described a long list of sins that had formerly imprisoned the people gathered in the church at Corinth. But, he concludes with these words, found in 1 Corinthians 6:11:

That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The cleansing power of Jesus makes us “just as if we’d never sinned.” That’s what justification is all about. More so, Jesus—through the power of the Holy Spirit—makes us holy, or sanctified, so that we may stand in the Presence of a holy God.

This day, let’s be grateful that we have been washed in the shed blood of God’s precious Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, let us recognize that holiness is now the goal for which we strive, as we allow the Spirit to move us along the pathway that He has stretched out before us.

As we walk forward, we can have the great joy of sharing with others the blessing of being thoroughly clean and beautifully holy. And that, dear ones, is what our new life in Christ is all about.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Lazy and Shiftless

 

“Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.”

—Proverbs 19:15

When you think of yourself, what kind of image comes to mind? Are you someone who jumps up each day ready to face the world, full of energy, anxious to get to work, willing to do what needs to be done? Or, have you become lethargic or lazy because things haven’t gone exactly as you hoped they would go

King Solomon must have been surrounded by all different kinds of people. At least in his words of wisdom, he seems to address a wide range of conditions that afflict human beings. Notice what he writes in Proverbs 19:15:

Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.

We can almost chuckle that Solomon felt it was necessary to state such a truth. But, he was probably frustrated that not everyone was as energetic as he was. Not everyone faced the day with a vigor that would carry them through the day.

As Christians, much is required of us in our work on behalf of Christ and His Kingdom. This work requires our full attention, our full energy, and our full commitment to do what needs to be done.

While I don’t agree with everything that humorist Garrison Keillor does or says, in creating his imaginary product, “Powdermilk Buscuits,” the commercial for this tasty treat includes these words, “Powdermilk Buscuits that give shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.”

That’s what we need in our lives as believers. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to have the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.

At the beginning of another new day, let’s remember that we have no reason to sink back into a laziness and lethargy that saps our strength and hinders our work for the Kingdom. Rather, we need to approach this day with a spring in our step, a song on our lips, and a God-breathed love in our hearts. If we do, we will not fall into a deep sleep, nor go hungry.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Rejoicing in the King

 

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

—Psalm 5:11

What kind of spirit do we display to the world? Are we a “Gloomy Gus” or a “Gloomy Girty” all the time? Do we wear a frown far more often than we wear a smile? Do we always project gloom and doom? Or, are we joyful, content, and full of a positive energy when we greet the world each day

We have much reason to be joyful. God has loved us, forgiven us, blessed us, and opened up a pathway to holiness for us. He has taken away the penalty for our sins. He has given us a Savior in His Son, Jesus. He has placed His Spirit within us. He has poured out His richest blessings on us.

We have every reason to sing with the Psalmist these words from Psalm 5:11:

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

In our joy, we also can ask God for His help. That’s what the Psalmist does in this verse. He praises God for who He is and also asks Him for divine protection.

As we begin this new day, let’s not hesitate to ask God to protect us all through the day. Then, let’s greet this day with a song in our hearts—a song of praise because we have taken refuge in the God who loves us with a love that will not ever end.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Rescued and Redeemed

 

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

—Colossians 1:13-14

The work of Jesus is overwhelmingly precious to the hearts and minds of believers. That God would send His one and only Son to die in our place, paying the penalty for our sin, simply boggles the mind. And, the fact that God would make provision for His Holy Spirit to live within us and guide us along a pathway that leads to our sanctification, or our holiness, also is almost beyond our comprehension.

Yet, this is exactly what God has done. Out of His nearly unfathomable love for us, He has chosen us to belong to Himself. He has drawn us irresistibly into His mercy, grace, and unfailing love.

The Apostle Paul describes this great act of God using these words, found in Colossians 1:13-14:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are rescued beings. That should stir such an amazement within us that we can hardly contain our joy. In fact, we should share the source of that reality, in a tender and gentle way, with everyone who seeks to know the reason for our joy.

So, as this day opens up before us, let’s not hesitate to celebrate what God has done for us. Out of hearts filled with thanksgiving, let us give praise to God, for He has rescued us and redeemed us. Praise His precious and holy Name!

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Not Seen, Yet Loved

 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

—1 Peter 1:8-9

One of the amazing things about Christianity—and this is something that totally confounds people outside the faith—is how we followers of Jesus can be so devoted to someone we have never seen. We have no photographs, no videos or movies, no portraits, no actual images of any kind. We do not really know what He looks like, what His voice sounds like, what His eyes convey when He looks at us.

In spite of all of this “mystery,” we love Jesus with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. Why? Because, before the foundation of the earth, God has chosen to call us to Himself. God has sent His Holy Spirit to convince us of the great gift that He has given us in salvation from the penalty of our sins through the death and resurrection of His Son.

The Apostle Peter puts it this way in 1 Peter 1:8-9:

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

These words come from one who not only saw Jesus, but was one of His inner circle. Peter does a good job of representing most of us—a flawed man, but one whose heart bent toward mercy, grace, and love.

Oh that we all could be more like the person Peter became. To think that Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he did not think himself worthy to be sacrificed in the same way that his Lord and Savior was killed.

As we look out into the beginning of another day, let’s feel an inexpressible joy within us that the great “mystery” of the Christian faith continues to be revealed in and through us. Because God chooses to use us as His ambassadors, let’s gratefully share with others—in the most kind and gentle way possible—the glories of the good news about Jesus.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Glory in His Name

 

“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

—1 Chronicles 16:10

How do we best express our praise and thanksgiving to God? In thinking about that question, I’m not at all certain there is a “best way” that would universally apply to every person.

God has given each of us unique and special gifts that help define who we are. Because He creates us as individual people, He gives us individual abilities with which to praise Him.

Someone who has skill as a radio engineer, who keeps one or more radio stations on the air each day, may well use that gift as a way of praising God. By consistently doing everything possible to act with excellence and care, that one shows the kind of person that God is. For God is nothing, if He is not excellent in all that He does.

All one has to do is look at photographs, or better, visit in person the Colorado mountains to see the excellent, precise, effective handiwork of God. Every rock and rill shouts of God’s glory, His beauty, and, yes, His excellence.

Likewise, a stay-at-home mom or dad who lovingly nurtures her or his children, cares for her or his spouse, and makes the home a lovely, stable, peaceful place shows the very nature of God—His nurturing, caring, stable, peaceful nature.

God enables us, through the gifts He has given us, to find ways that are our very own, to praise and glorify Him. It is important, therefore, that we do not think of ourselves as unable to use our gifts in this very important way.

In following the instructions of King David, Asaph declares these words found in 1 Chronicles 16:10:

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

As we move out into a new day, let’s use the gifts God has given us to glory in His holy name. Let’s use the opportunity He gives us to speak well of Him, to share the wonderful things He has done in our lives, and to gently, tenderly, and kindly tell others about this magnificent God who loves us with His everlasting love.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Why Did Christ Die

 

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

—1 Peter 3:18

We who worship the Great King Jesus sometimes forget that the world around us does not necessarily understand why we do so. They don’t “get it.” They even do not understand why Jesus had to die.

In spite of all the terrible sinfulness that has so taken over our culture, and in spite of the fact that people become almost numb to the unrighteousness that prevails, the Image of God within people does prompt many people to realize the difference between right and wrong.

While they might not willingly admit it, most people know when they do something that would offend the holiness of God. So, that means they truly do understand, in the core of their beings, what sin is and why sin is wrong. And, that’s what the death of Christ is all about.

A holy God cannot stand sin—it is an affront to His holiness. Thus, because men, women, boys, and girls have inherited the sin nature from Adam—and because all humanity sins willfully in the course of their daily lives—in our condition of being stained by sin, we humans are unworthy to have fellowship with the God who loves us and created us.

The penalty for sin must be paid. The justice of God demands it.

In order for us to become reconciled to God, the sin that offends Him must be removed. The perfect and dearly loved Son of God was the only One who could have removed that sin. He did so through His death and resurrection from the dead. And, that’s why Jesus died in our place.

The Apostle Peter summarizes this brutal fact with this statement found in 1 Peter 3:18:

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

As we begin another day, let’s remain aware that many people who cross our pathway may not fully understand the message of the gospel. In a careful and gentle way, we can share the truth of what Jesus has done for us.

The Holy Spirit will use our sharing to irresistibly draw those whom God has chosen to belong to Himself. So, let’s be willing and able to have God use us as His ambassadors of mercy, grace, and abiding love.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Let Us Go At Once

 

The inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, “Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.”

—Zechariah 8:21

Has anyone ever called you on the phone and, as you answered, you heard that one say, “Please! Come quickly!”? Those kinds of calls strike terror into the hearts of parents and dear friends. Someone is in trouble and needs help.

That sense of urgency prevailed at the time of the Prophet Zechariah. He was concerned about the spiritual condition of the people.

God had given Zechariah a very strong message. It was a message of repentance. Sin had prevailed in the land. Zechariah was calling the people to turn aside from their sin and return to God.

We call Zechariah’s message a “Call for Revival.” The word “revival” means “a coming to life again.” That which was considered dead is now brought to life again with a fresh and vibrant vitality.

Revival is not a series of special meetings, where a sweat-soaked preacher tells stories of the fiery dreads of hell and urges people to come to the front of the church and become saved. No, revival is a sweeping movement of the Holy Spirit that ignites a spiritual fire within the hearts of the people that causes them to spontaneously seek God in a new and fresh way.

In our land today, we desperately need a revival. We need to experience that sweeping movement of the Holy Spirit calling people back to God and away from the sin that has so clouded our judgment and cursed our nation.

We need modern Zechariahs who will issue the same kind of call that the Prophet gave all those many years ago. We need to heed his words today, as found in Zechariah 8:21:

The inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, “Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.”

As we begin a new day, let’s not be afraid to say to one another, “Let’s go at once! I myself am going! I am going to pray that God will send a revival. I urge you to join me in that prayer.” Yes, let’s do just that.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

You Alone

 

“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”

—Nehemiah 9:6

One of the happiest days in a toddler’s life comes when he or she can say to mom or day, “I did it myself!” Likewise, when a kindergartener learns how to ride a two-wheeled bike without the training wheels, he or she might also exclaim, “I did it myself!”

Even a teenager who takes the car out solo for the first time and returns home triumphant might well say, at least in his or her heart, “I did it myself!” There is something about accomplishing some task without any outside intervention that brings a particularly sweet joy.

On the other side of this coin, men and women become very frustrated when they come to a place where they have to ask for help. In fact, recognizing that they have much that they cannot control seems to drive most of humankind a bit crazy.

I suspect that’s why a certain segment of the scientific community is always looking for alternative theories of how our universe was created. They want to try to discern some explanation other than acknowledging that a being far superior to humankind actually created all things.

In offering a prayer of thanksgiving to God, the Prophet Nehemiah does not hesitate to give credit where credit is due. He recognizes that humankind alone can really accomplish very little in the largest scheme of things. Notice this part of his prayer, as recorded in Nehemiah 9:6:

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

This new day, we should not hesitate to acknowledge that God, and God alone, is the creator and sustainer of all things. His love, breathed into us by the Holy Spirit, empowers us to do His will.

When we look around us and consider all the beauty in nature, we should give a word of thanksgiving to God for His creative genius. When we consider our relationships with others and admire certain qualities in the people God has placed in our lives, we should also praise Him for the way He has created these dear ones and given us the privilege of knowing them.

A spirit of genuine thankfulness, a heart full of praise, a mind focused on the greatness of God is the way we should live each day. Let’s joyfully say to God, along with Nehemiah: “You alone are the Lord.”

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Carried by the Spirit

 

“For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

—2 Peter 1:21

Have you ever begun a task thinking that you had no real idea what you were doing? As you worked at that task, you begin to feel more confident. You continued with the task, brought it to completion, and when you looked back at what you had accomplished you were surprised that you had done what you had done. You thought, “How did I ever do that?” Perhaps, you had supernatural help along the way.

When I was studying writing in college, we writing students were required to write something every day, seven days a week, including during holidays, vacations, and other times when most students got a break. Each piece we wrote was painstakingly edited by whichever writing professor was teaching a particular course.

At first, most of us chaffed against the idea that we had to write something every day. We also had numerous term papers required in our other classes. So, our “writing load” could get quite heavy at times. The only other students who seemed to have an even greater load were the music students who had to practice, practice, practice, and practice some more.

Many times I would sit down to my typewriter—for this was long before the age of the personal computer—and wonder what in the world I was going to write about. Then, as I started to type, some idea would flow out of me from a source that I did not know I even had.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize that God was helping me in that way that is unique to Himself. He would give me some idea and then help me develop that idea into a written piece.

Eventually, I learned to sit down and say—sometimes out loud—“Okay, God, what are we going to write about today?”

So it was with the prophets. Even when they may have thought they had a particular message they wanted to share, God would always give them His words to speak to the people.

If you doubt this, please read the Book of Jonah. The last place in the world that Jonah wanted to go was Nineveh. But God intervened and Jonah ended up in Nineveh.

Then, God gave Jonah exactly the message that He wanted Jonah to share. In case you don’t already know how this story ends, I’ll stop and let you read what the Book of Jonah narrates so you can see what happened next.

The Apostle Peter acknowledges this supernatural intervention of God with these words found in 2 Peter 1:21:

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Today, as you go out into the world, recognize that you do not need to go with a scripted speech to share with others. Yes, you need to daily meditate on God’s Word and pray for Him to help you. But, when it comes to meeting with the people who cross your pathway in the normal course of life, God will nudge you by the Holy Spirit when you should gently and carefully share a word from Him. And, He will give you exactly what you need to say.

We can take great comfort from knowing that God preserves His Word through the way He engages with those of us He has called to represent Him to a world that desperately needs to hear what He wants them to hear.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Douse That Fire

 

“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”

—Proverbs 26:20

In my lifetime of work as a fire protection engineer, one of the most important principles I learned very early in my career was how fire actually burns. Fire takes a combustible fuel, sufficient heat to raise that fuel to the temperature where it will begin to give off burnable vapor, enough oxygen to allow the rapid oxidation process to take place, and it takes a chemical chain reaction to sustain the burning.

Fire scientists call these elements—fuel, heat, oxygen, chain reaction—the fire tetrahedron. A tetrahedron is a four-sided figure that looks like a pyramid. If you remove any of the four sides, the entire figure collapses. So it is with the process we call fire. If you remove any of the those four elements—fuel, heat, oxygen, chain reaction—the fire stops burning.

Fire is one of the most devastating of the phenomena in our world. In a similar manner, gossip is also one of the most devastating of the phenomena in our world. Gossip can destroy reputations, cause heartache, promote ill will, ruin families, damage churches, tear down communities, and cause enormous harm.

Notice what King Solomon writes about gossip, as found in Proverbs 26:20:

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

One of the quickest ways to eliminate the source of quarrelling within any social group is to refuse to allow gossip. When someone begins to share a rumor, a wise person can stop the spread of harmful words by demanding information solely from first sources and accepting no other reporting of the supposed facts. Furthermore, that wise person can refuse to participate in the spreading of unsubstantiated information.

In dealing with gossip, we should trust no one. Even our closest friends can tell us something about another person that has not been vetted with first sources. If we spread that information without insisting that the veracity of the story be checked against first sources, we fall into the trap of feeding the “fire” of gossip that will sustain a conflict.

Let’s determine this day to lay aside the desire to appear “in the know” by refusing to share information that we have not verified with first sources. And, let’s make certain those “first sources” are truly those who have honest, first-hand information about a situation.

I am sad to report that one of the biggest besetting sins of pastors is the tendency to share false information in order to support their agendas or to promote their own power within the church. While not all pastors are guilty of this sin, far too many do fall prey to its snare.

So, even when the source of information appears to come from someone you would normally deem reliable, be certain that you check with genuine first sources before you make that information your own.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

For Your Name’s Sake

 

“Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.”

—Psalm 79:9

Have you ever known someone who had a very powerful name? Maybe you personally knew one of the government leaders in your area. Or, perhaps you knew a religious leader who had a national reputation. You might even have known someone in business or industry whose name evoked a certain reaction when mentioned to others. Names can have great power.

The name of God, the name of His precious Son, Jesus, the name of the Holy Spirit—the Triune God—has the most power of any name in the universe. All throughout Scripture, whenever a prophet, priest, or king wanted to declare great power, that one spoke in the name of the Triune God.

It should not surprise us, then, that in writing a song of great praise, the Psalmist Asaph wrote these words recorded in Psalm 79:9:

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.

God reaches out in love to us because of the power of His great name. He saves us from our sins because of the power of His great name. He cares for us, grants us His mercy, extends to us His grace, comforts us, upholds us, gives us a new pathway of life—all because of the power of His great name.

As we begin a new day, let’s revere the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—by devoting ourselves to loving and serving Him. Let’s show the power of His name in all that we do. Let’s represent Him with great kindness and gentleness to a needy world in order to bring glory to His great name. And, let’s be very thankful that the power He gives us comes from the power of His great name.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Choked by the Worries of this Life

 

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

—Matthew 13:22

Do you ever let the trials and difficulties of this life get you down? Does it interfere with your relationship with God? Do your concerns keep you from reading God’s Word and from prayer?

If so, you are in a large company of others. From time to time, most of us feel completely weighed down by issues in our lives.

After living 15 years in a house that was designed to m our very detailed specifications, my wife and I have recently moved to a retirement community that I prefer to call “The Old Geezers Home.” Moving was traumatic. We had to very significantly downsize. As an example, my new office is one-fourth the size of my old office. I had to sort through and discard more than 80% of the files, books, and other possessions that I had accumulated over my working life. This was a heart-wrenching experience.

But, the kind of issues I’ve had to deal with of late pale in comparison to a number of friends and acquaintances who are facing major health issues. The word “cancer” used to seem like a distant threat. But now, many people I know are dealing with one form of this insidious disease or another. I continue to pray for God to bring total healing for each one fighting some health issue.

I also observe a number of people in my life, some from the distant past, some from the not-too-distant present, who are in the throes of a divorce, or who have a family member hooked on drugs, or who have lost a loved one to death, or who are experiencing some other traumatic situation. I grieve for these dear ones and pray for God’s mercy to surround them in their time of need.

In every single one of these cases, in addition to the difficulty of the particular circumstances, the people involved have to deal with the worries that naturally flow out of their problems. It is so important for those of us who follow Christ to heed His words found in Matthew 13:22:

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

As the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and gives us supernatural ability to face the problems in our lives, we must put aside our worries and focus on taking one step at a time along the pathway that God has laid out for us.

As we begin a new day, let’s pray for those we know who are struggling with issues in their lives. Let’s also determine to allow the Holy Spirit to lift the burden of worry from our hearts and minds. And, let’s put our faith and trust in the God who never fails us. Let’s allow His love to enfold us in a strong sense of His Presence and His peace.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Restore Us, O Lord

 

“Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.”

—Lamentations 5:21

Just the other day, I saw a video of a Facebook friend crossing the finish line of a 5K run. It was the first one she had ever undertaken.

She had trained for several months, developed increasing stamina, and perfected her running technique. She embarked on a special diet that would maintain her weight while building additional energy-storing muscle mass. She set a goal and accomplished it with dedication and persistence.

In the video, when she crossed the finish line, she wore obvious and well-deserved elation on her face. She knew that she had done something noteworthy. But, she was also covered in perspiration and had obviously pushed herself very hard during this run.

Quickly, her husband rushed to her side, put his arm around her, and led her to the sidelines where he had a lawn chair waiting along with a large umbrella to shield her from the blazing hot summer sun. As she sat down, he handed her a soft towel and a bottle of water.

She drank very slowly in small sips from the bottle. She leaned back in the chair and began to dry her face and arms.

Taking deep breaths, she eased back into the reality of a normal pattern of respiration. In a very few minutes, her breathing returned to normal, her perspiration stopped, and, with a smile on her face, she had obviously become somewhat restored.

What a testimony to her husband’s love for his wife. He was not only at the race to support her efforts, he had made provision for her restoration.

So it is, in our lives as followers of Jesus. God supports us as we serve Him wholeheartedly. He also waits patiently to provide for our restoration when our battle against the forces of evil rages hot and fierce.

Note these words of the Prophet Jeremiah, as recorded in Lamentations 5:21:

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.

God lovingly waits to restore us. He longs for us to turn to Him and receive everything we need to return us to a normal state of mercy, grace, and love. He wants us to realize that He is always at our side. He recognizes that, from time to time, we need His loving restoration.

As we begin another new day, let’s remember that no matter how difficult things may become in our lives, God is waiting to restore us. He will bring us back to normal. He will provide whatever we need to renew our ability to re-enter the battle with vigor and strength.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

God Did This

 

“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

—Acts 17:27

Do you ever wonder why certain things happen? Most of us do so. We wonder why this tragedy or this triumph happened. We look for motive. We look for a logical reason. We try to figure out what promoted a particular action.

Sometimes, we think we understand. Other times, we remain completely baffled. Why did this happen? How could this take place? What prompted this terrible thing or glorious thing to come about?

The Apostle Paul offered the following explanation on the occasion of his speaking to some of the wisest men in the then known world. Paul had gone to Athens to the “Meeting of Wisdom” known as the Areopagus. This was a society of the smartest thinkers of the day, gathering here at the very center of all culture and knowledge. Notice what Scripture records, as Paul speaks to these esteemed intellectuals, as recorded in Acts 17:22-31:

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

As you can see, this was a bold and powerful speech to make to men who considered themselves the very smartest of the smart, the wisest of the wise. They were men who worshipped, with certain fear and trembling, a wide range of gods. One only has to study Greek mythology to get a flavor of the complex belief system that imprisoned these men’s lives.

Paul comes with this logical explanation for all of the unknown and unknowable things that these very smart men feared, as recorded in Acts 17:27:

“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

Today, God still promotes His divine Presence in the lives of countless millions of people around the world. He longs for all men, women, boys, and girls to seek Him.

Yes, before the foundation of the earth, He chose people to belong to Himself. And, He sends His Holy Spirit to irresistibly draw these ones to Himself. One of the ways He draws them is through the events that happen around them and in their own lives.

As we begin a new day, let’s listen carefully with our inner ears—the ears of our heart—for the nudging of the Holy Spirit. He will always lead us along the right path. When things happen in our lives that we do not understand, let’s be aware that God may possibly be using these events to draw us even closer to Himself.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Watch Your Mouth!

 

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

—Ephesians 4:29

If you work in an environment where you constantly hear unwholesome language, either outright profanity, or denigrating words spoken about others, it is far too easy to begin to adopt some of that way of talking. The brain remembers the environment. Hearing swear words, dirty jokes, offensive statements, all primes our brains to believe that such talk is acceptable.

In fact, our society today has become quite coarse. Several noted psychologists have written about the effects of the coarsening of our culture. When things formerly, and properly, designated as evil or unacceptable become common practice, it has a trickle-down effect on the whole of society. The coarsening produces a very gritty, unclean pattern of thoughts that often leads to despicable behaviors.

The Apostle Paul offered these wise words of admonition to the Christians gathered in the Church at Ephesus, as recorded in Ephesians 4:29:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

As we launch into this new day, let’s sharpen our awareness of how we speak. Do we use profanity? Do we engage in unwholesome conversations? Do we criticize and put others down? Do we create an atmosphere of roughness around us? If so, let’s stop and reset our attitudes about such language, thoughts, and actions.

God wants us to represent Him as those who are holy. While we remain stained by sin, as long as we live here on earth, the Holy Spirit welcomes our invitation to help make us more and more like Jesus.

We can apprehend Christ’s righteousness and holiness. If we do, we will represent the One who loves us in a way that will please Him and be used by God to draw others into His loving arms.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Follow the Pathway I’ve Set Before You

 

This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.”

—Amos 5:4-5

Those of you who travel by air frequently have no doubt seen signs in U. S. airports warning of certain international locations where the security of travelers is more likely to be compromised because the airport has provided inadequate protective measures. These signs basically say, “Don’t Go There!”

Most of us don’t like warnings. We don’t like to be told what to do. In fact, certain Mind Styles™, take every warning as a personal challenge.

Those of you who may have heard me share about the work of Dr. Anthony Gregorc and his “Gregorc Mind Styles Delineator™” have listened to me narrate my experience in a shopping mall in suburban Chicago.

Not long before, I had attended a several-day-long seminar conducted by Dr. Gregorc about his work. In that seminar, Dr. Gregorc mentioned that the Concrete-Random Mind Style does not like to be told what to do. He illustrated this by telling a story about department stores with escalators and parents pushing children in strollers.

So, here I was in just such a department store. I noted that, just as Dr. Gregorc had said, the escalator had a sign that warned parents not to take children in strollers onto the escalator.

As I was reading the sign, along came a very preppy-looking young mother. Unlike many suburban moms, she was dressed as if she was going out for the evening. She paused, looked at the sign, made a disgusted sound, and proceeded to push her child’s stroller onto the escalator.

About half-way up the incline, she began to lose control of the stroller. Because the stroller was one step above her during the ascent, the handle kept pushing her backwards to the point where she nearly lost her balance. I could just imagine her being pushed off her three-inch heels, falling backwards down the escalator and possibly injuring her toddler.

Fortunately, she made it to the top successfully. Surely, I thought to myself, she has learned a valuable lesson. But, no, only a few minutes later, I observed her repeating the same behavior when she again pushed her child’s stroller onto yet another of the escalator’s in the store.

Sometimes in our lives as “Christ’s-ones,” God makes it quite clear that we are not to go down a particular pathway. After all, He has laid out the proper path for us. He does so to keep us safe and on track, able to do His work in this world. If we persist in doing what we want to do, we will find ourselves nearly falling backwards and possibly damaging the lives of those we love.

The Prophet Amos warned the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel with these words, found in Amos 5:4-5:

This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.”

Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba were locations where other gods were worshipped. Since the people of Israel had been warned in Exodus 20—what we call the “Ten Commandments”—to have no other gods before them, this warning was especially potent. God was saying, “Follow the pathway I’ve set before you. Don’t go off in some other direction.”

As we begin a new day, let’s make certain that we stay on the pathway that God has opened up before us, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We know, in our minds and hearts, when we start to veer off that pathway. So, let’s stay on the right course. We will be so much better off if we do.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Seek His Face

 

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

—1 Chronicles 16:11

“One of the things I like about you,” an acquaintance recently told me, “is that when you talk to me you look me straight in the eyes. Very few people do that.”

I was surprised by this statement because I thought everyone knew that when you talk with someone making eye contact was one of the most important things you could do. I have no trouble whatsoever making direct eye contact with individuals during a one-on-one conversation. (Where I have some difficulty, owing to my extreme shyness, is making eye contact when I’m talking to a group.)

Seeking the face, or looking into the eyes, of someone with whom we are engaging in a conversation has a very important benefit. It lets the person know we are listening intently to what he or she is saying and that he or she has our full and undivided attention. It also communicates, in a non-verbal way, that the conversation is important and very worthwhile to us.

I learned this lesson from my salesman father. My dad would talk to me about something, stop talking, gently take my chin in his hand and tilt my head so that I was looking directly into his eyes. “Look at my eyes, pal,” he would say. “The eyes are the window to the soul. Show me that you’re listening to me and care about what I’m saying.”

One time I asked him how he learned the importance of making eye contact. He told me that he learned this lesson while serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. His drill instructor at Parris Island, South Carolina, had insisted that the new recruits learn to look directly into the eyes of everyone with whom they might speak.

In our relationship with the God who loves us, we cannot literally look into His eyes. But, when we communicate with Him, we can still act is if we can see those most beautiful, and most fearsome, eyes. We know that they are eyes of love, for He chose us to belong to Himself before the foundation of the earth.

In writing the book of Jewish history that we know as 1 Chronicles, the author—believed by many, but not all, biblical scholars to be Ezra—records these words of praise by King David’s appointed worship leader, Asaph, in 1 Chronicles 16:11:

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Throughout this new day, let’s follow these words of advice. Let’s look to the Lord in every situation we face. Let’s imagine that we are looking directly into God’s eyes. Let’s see His love and, by seeking His divine Presence, let’s move throughout our day with great confidence, knowing that we are His ambassadors to a very troubled and needy world.

Let’s represent Him with all gentleness and humility. And, when we engage with others throughout this day, let’s look them straight in the eyes and allow God’s love to shine from our face to theirs.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

All Alone, Just Me

 

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

—John 5:30

In 1996, the female recording artist, Celine Dion, released her album Falling Into You. Among the tracks on this album, Ms. Dion included a popular song written by Eric Carmen entitled “All By Myself.” The lyrics read as follows:

When I was young
I never needed anyone.
And making love was just for fun.
Those days are gone.
Livin’ alone,
I think of all the friends I’ve known.
When I dial the telephone
Nobody’s home.

All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself,
Anymore.

Hard to be sure.
Sometimes I feel so insecure.
And loves, so distant and obscure,
Remains the cure.

All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself,
Anymore.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna live
All by myself,
Anymore.

When I was young
I never needed anyone.
Making love was just for fun.
Those days are gone.

All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself
Anymore.

All by myself.
Don’t wanna live—
Oh—Don’t wanna live
By myself, by myself,
Anymore.
By myself,
Anymore.
Oh.

This song rose quickly up the charts and helped cement an already burgeoning career for Ms. Dion. It captured the hearts of millions of people. It expressed a deep longing in their hearts to be a part of something bigger than themselves. It recognized that “aloneness” extracted an awful price over time.

In contrast, the Lord Jesus Christ responded to critics from the religious leaders of His day who bristled at the idea that He would call God His Father. In effect, these leaders were questioning the divine authority of the Son of God.

Jesus dealt with them firmly, but kindly. He explained in significant detail how His authority derived solely from the Father. Then, Jesus concluded this explanation with these words found in John 5:30:

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

As believers in the resurrection power of the living Lord Jesus Christ, we “Christ’s-ones,” or Christians, do not and cannot go it alone. We move forward on the pathway that God has laid out for us by the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are never, never, never alone. We always exist under the power and authority of the God who loves us with His everlasting love.

As we begin a new day, let’s remember that each one of us is not living “all by myself.” We are part of a great family, the Family of God. We have millions of brothers and sisters in Christ who have our backs. We can face anything that comes our way because we are not facing it alone.

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Show Respect

 

“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.”

—Leviticus 19:32

I confess to you that I had to chuckle when I came across the designated Scripture verse for today. I chuckled because I have recently become aware of how much of an Old Geezer I have become. To vibrant young people—and by young people, I mean anyone under the age of, say, 60 years old—I appear quite ancient, and more so, infirm.

This verse appears in a chapter of the Book of Leviticus that the editors have entitled “Various Laws.” These were instructions that God gave to His chosen people, the Jews of Israel, to ensure their safety, well-being, and obedience. The laws largely helped these special ones remain in contact with the God who had lovingly chosen them to represent Him on the earth.

Under the New Covenant, put into place upon the birth, death, and resurrection of God’s precious, one and only Son, Jesus, the Laws of the Old Testament became fulfilled in Christ. We Gentiles—for most of us do not have the sacred connection of Jewish heritage—were grafted into the line of David. We are ones whom God has chosen to belong to Himself since before the creation of the world. So, these rules from Leviticus have become fulfilled in us through Christ.

This, however, does not diminish the wisdom contained in these words, including today’s verse found in Leviticus 19:32:

Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.

The one element that I have found universally lacking throughout much of my life is embodied in the word “respect.” In some odd way, I am like the character played by the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who often declared, “I don’t get no respect!”

Not that I actually believe I am due any respect. I have plenty of reasons why people most likely will not feel respect for me.

Nevertheless, it is interesting to see how readily we Geezers are set aside by younger and more vital individuals. We don’t matter—we don’t matter at all. And, I am not so much angered or disappointed by this, as I am amused by it.

When I walk down the street and some young buck struts by looking at me as if to say, “You pathetic and weak old man. Why don’t you just go away somewhere and die?” I chuckle to myself because that youngster has no idea of who I am, or what I have done throughout the course of my life.

Then, I begin to ask myself how I treated older people when I was a younger man. Did I show them the respect that this verse indicates they deserve? Or, did I do the very same thing that is now being done to me?

As we begin a new day, let’s remember to show respect to those older than we are old. In fact, we should heed the instructions that the Apostle Paul gave to his “son in the faith” Timothy, as recorded in 1 Timothy 5:1:

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

The way we treat each other, as believers in the power of God through Christ, gives an amazingly sharp testimony to those in the world who are watching us. Let’s remember to extend kindness and respect to everyone—but especially those who are from the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

 

_{Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}