Foolish, Corrupt, and Vile

 

“They are corrupt, their deeds are vile…”

—Psalm 14:1b

Sometimes we think that the way things are today are fresh and new and vibrant. There’s never been a time in all of history when humankind has been so wise, so enlightened.

Likewise, we believe that Christians and their beliefs are under attack like they have never been before. Everyone else seems to belong to one “protected class” or another. But not Christians. It’s open season on Christians.

But, then we remember that, from a human perspective, those who believe in God have always been in the minority. The vast majority of people on earth have always believed in false gods, or in no God at all. Notice what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 14:1-2:

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Many are those who do not believe. Few are those who truly love God and seek to serve Him.

We who belong to Christ, we “Christ’s-ones,” have an enormous responsibility to devote ourselves to Him through every aspect of our lives. Faced with an unbelieving world, we are God’s lights that shine in the darkness. We are His salt that preserves the world, which otherwise would utterly rot. We are the counterbalance to all that is foolish, corrupt, and vile.

Let us begin this new day recognizing our role in God’s plan for this world. Let us joyfully serve Him as salt and light to those around us. And, let’s remember—with humility, but with great joy—that before the foundation of the earth He chose us to belong to Himself.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Price of Our Salvation

 

“But he was pierced for our transgressions…”

—Isaiah 53:5a

We were held hostage by sin. That’s the condition in which we came into this world. We were born already stained by Adam’s sin, which we inherited from our parents. From the day of our birth onward, we added to our inherited sin our own long list of willful acts of disobedience.

Trapped, held captive by sin, we needed someone to redeem us, someone to pay the price for our transgressions. In 1865, Elvina M. Hall, wrote a gospel song that encapsulated this truth in these words:

Jesus paid it all.
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left its crimson stain.
He washed me white as snow.

But, at what price did our Savior redeem us? The Prophet Isaiah wrote these words in Isaiah 53:5-6:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Such an enormous price—a price we could never have paid on our own. Jesus paid this price to redeem us, to release us from the captivity of our sins. Let us bow in humble gratitude at the beginning of this new day. Let us rise up and declare with joy that Jesus has paid the price for our salvation. Let us go out into the world today prepared to share, with great joy, the good news of the price that was paid for our redemption.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Despised and Rejected

 

“He was despised and rejected by mankind…”

—Isaiah 53:3a

“I despise you!”

Three words, yet they carry such power. Has anyone ever said them to you? No, I’m not talking about a childish outburst. I’m talking about a serious adult conversation. There are few words more emotionally rending than “I despise you.” Now imagine that those words come from the very people for which you intended to die.

Imagine, those same people have all told you they don’t care what you want to do for them. You have done everything you possibly can to show them your love, yet they return only rejection to you.

You are now 33 years old and you have done nothing wrong. Yet because you—in your mercy, grace, and love—have agreed to take on yourself the sins of every human who has ever lived and the sins of every human who would ever live, the people you have come to set free from sin have despised you, as you die a horribly painful death on a cruel Roman cross of torture.

That is exactly how humankind behaved toward our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s exactly what our sins did to Jesus. And that’s exactly what the Prophet Isaiah described when he wrote these words in Isaiah 53:3-4:

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

Jesus paid the price for our sins. In His moment of greatest physical agony, He experienced the rejection of the very ones He intended to save. In the depth of our minds and hearts, as we stand at the foot of the cross at the beginning of this new day, let us pause to consider how great a salvation God has provided for us through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of His one and only Son, Jesus. And, as a result, let us become overwhelmed with the deepest possible gratitude.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, March 21, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Sharpened By A Friend

 

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

—Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

When I was about nine years old, I became aware of the fact that I really didn’t have any close friends. I did have a few young people at church toward whom I felt friendly, but I didn’t see them outside of church. Looking back, i was every bit as much of an oddball as I am today. I chuckle when I think: “No wonder other children found me strange and off-putting.”

One day, I decided to talk to my dad about my observation that I really didn’t have any close friends. While my father had quit school in the tenth grade, I later came to realize he was a very smart man—actually a very wise man. He had served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II. At the rather ripe old age of 35 when he entered the Corps, he was a father figure to many of the young, new inductees.

“I think you will find, son,” he told me, “that some people seem to have lots of friends. What they really have is lots of acquaintances. They may seem gregarious and easily attract people, but they’re actually quite shallow. You will likely only have a very few real friends. But, these will be friends who add a depth and balance to your life. They will have value in your life beyond measure.”

My dad’s prediction has come true. I am still not very socially attractive to most people. But, for a very, very few people who seem to particularly enjoy my uniqueness and have chosen to be my genuine friends, we have great value in each other’s lives.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we truly do have inestimable value in the lives of our truest friends. King Solomon clearly understood this when he wrote these words in Proverbs 27:17 (NLT):

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Today, let’s celebrate those true friends who appreciate us and challenge us to be the best servants of Christ we can be. Let’s determine to wrap our iron sharpening in the blanket of deep friendship. And, let us declare with all our brothers and sisters in Christ: “Blessed is He who has transformed us, more and more, into His image, to bring glory and honor to His holy name.”

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Friday, March 18, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Pour Out Your Hearts

 

“ My salvation and my honor depend on God…”

—Psalm 62:7a

When faced with trials and troubles, some people clam up. Other people quickly, almost without thought, tell everyone they meet about what’s weighing them down.

For example, in my own life, I confess that because I have deep-seated trust issues—artifacts from the bullying I endured during my formative years—I am very reluctant to share the actual trials and troubles that affect me most deeply. Of course, I do pour my heart out to my wife. But, she’s so used to my blathering, after nearly 54 years of marriage, that she most likely pays little attention to much of what I’m complaining about.

As believers in the life-transforming power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, we have a relationship with God that affords us many benefits. One of the most important benefits is His always-open door. He patiently waits for us to come into His Presence in prayer and pour our hearts out to Him. The Psalmist has explained this well in Psalm 62:7-8:

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

As we face good things and bad in our lives—as we face times of plenty and times of need—let us sit at the feet of God in prayer and tell Him what's on our hearts. God loves us with His powerful and compassionate love. He longs to be our confidant. So, let us pour out our hearts to Him and be glad that we can do so.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016

_{Copyright © 2021 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Justified by Grace

 

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law…”

—Romans 3:20

I know quite a few people who wake up each day and determine to be good. In fact, just yesterday I heard a woman describe someone she had met as “a really good person.” But, of course, that’s a lie.

The truth is that every person on earth, including you and me, are filthy, rotten, horrible, awful, terrible sinners. Most of us are reluctant to admit that frightening truth.

In contrast to that reality, the marvelous “good news” is described well by the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:20-24:

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We are justified by God’s grace that is given freely to us in His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though we are all horrible sinners, God so loved us that He has saved us from eternal death and the appropriate penalty for our sins through the shed blood of His Son.

“Now what?” we might ask. Now He asks us to put our faith and trust in Him. He wants us to read, study, and meditate on His written Word, to talk with Him in prayer, and to extend His mercy, love, and grace to everyone we meet.

God wants us to purposefully allow the Light of Christ within us to illuminate our pathway through this dark world and also to allow that Light to fall across the pathway of every person we meet along the road of life.

As I write this, I have some dear friends—fellow believers in Christ—virtually attending a large national convention. They are there via video-conference to represent their employer. Over the next few days, they will do their job very well. They are uniquely talented, even gifted individuals. They will introduce convention attendees to some amazing new products. They will answer questions. They will educate and inform.

But, most importantly they posses the Holy Spirit within their hearts and minds. So, they will also well represent the mercy, grace, and love of Christ to those they meet. The smiles on their faces, the gentleness of their spirits, a special kindness they possess will all testify to the world that they belong to God as His dearly loved children.

They likely won’t have to give a single spoken word of testimony—but if prompted to do so, they are certainly willing to share what Christ means to them. Their very lives testify to the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus.

That’s the way we all should live this day. Yes, we are all awful sinners. But, we whom God has chosen to belong to Himself are special. We have been justified by grace. And, that gives us a whole new perspective on life—a perspective worthy to share with those who cross our paths.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Cross Carriers

 

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it”

—Luke 9:24a

I’ve never been a lifeguard, received lifeguard training, or played a lifeguard on television. But, I once had a pastor who did work as a lifeguard at summer camp. He told the story of how, during a water rescue, a lifeguard must calm the person being rescued by any means necessary. The person being rescued must relax into the control of the rescuer. Only then can the rescuer effect a rescue.

So it is in our spiritual lives. In our striving to become true disciples, we must relax into the control of the Holy Spirit, bend our selfish natural wills to God’s perfect will, and follow the pathway of spiritual formation that God lays out for us.

Dr. Luke describes this process in Jesus’ own words, as recorded in Luke 9:23-25:

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

Just as Jesus surrendered His own will to His Father’s will, took up the cross of Calvary, and followed the pathway to His redeeming death, so we must lift up whatever “cross” symbolizes our own surrender to God’s perfect will for our lives, and obediently follow His pathway for us.

As “cross carriers,” we draw ever closer to becoming true disciples. And, we must never forget that our role, as disciples, is to share God’s love with others.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, March 15, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

A Continuing Debt to Love

 

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

—Mark 12:28c

Do Christians have an overriding, one-word mission statement? Yes! It is the word “love.” Jesus told us 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.”

As I’ve described in other blog posts, Jesus focuses on the four modalities of human beings:

• heart = emotional
  
  
• soul = spiritual
  
  
• mind = intellectual
  
  
• strength = physical
  
  

First and foremost, we are to love God with each of these modalities. We are to love God with the totality of our beings.

Secondly, we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. To illustrate this truth, and to clarify who is our neighbor, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The Apostle Paul reminds the “Christ’s-ones” gathered at Rome of the importance of this truth in Romans 13:8:

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

So, we who belong to God through the life-transforming power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, have a continuing debt to love one another. And, that’s our marching order for today: go out into the world and show God’s love to everyone we meet.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, March 14, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Taking Our Stand

 

“ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

—Ephesians 6:10

Are we as conscious of Satan’s attempts to destroy us as we should be? Probably not. Do we find ourselves taking a stand against the evil that Satan perpetrates against us? Maybe, or maybe not.

One things is certain: the enemy does indeed want to divert us from showing God’s love to those around us. That’s because God’s love is one of His irresistible qualities that draws people to have faith in Him. Along with His mercy and grace, God’s love is extremely powerful.

So, our enemy always tries to defeat our efforts to display God’s love to a very needy world. That’s why the Apostle Paul urged us, in Ephesians 6:10-11, to:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Let’s begin this new day by putting on the armor, which the Holy Spirit has provided. Then, let’s go out into the world today taking our stand against evil, determined to be strong and unfailing beacons of God’s love.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Friday, March 11, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

We Lack Nothing

 

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

—Psalm 23:1

If we live in the shelter of God’s loving arms, we lack nothing. If we have surrendered our selfish wills to God’s perfect will—and if we are willing to surrender day after day after day—we lack nothing.

If we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us along the pathway that God has laid out for us, we lack nothing. If we receive God’s overwhelming gifts with humility and gratitude, we lack nothing.

If we are willing to look at those who cross our pathway with eyes of love and compassion—to endeavor to see them as God sees them—we lack nothing. If we put the interests of others ahead of our own interests, we lack nothing.

We lack nothing when we can join with the Psalmist and declare in Psalm 23:1-3:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Let us purpose to begin this day by declaring to all who will listen that we lack nothing. Yes! We lack nothing! Say it: “We lack nothing!” That’s right! All throughout this day and for tomorrow and for all the tomorrows until eternity we can declare with joy: “We lack nothing!”

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, March 10, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Slaves to What?

 

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.”

—Romans 6:20a

The word “slaves” has such a horrible connotation in our culture. The idea of someone being taken against his or her will and forced into a pattern of servitude behavior is appalling. The whole idea that the agrarian society of early America was based on slavery is terrible.

Throughout human history, slavery has provided the major source of human labor in virtually every civilization on earth. As despicable as it is for one tribe of people to enslave another tribe of people, when such a practice becomes pervasive over hundreds of years, it becomes understandable—though not acceptable—when this practice filtered its way down to even countless nations today.

But, as distasteful as the word “slavery” may be, it accurately describes our human condition. We are all slaves to something. In writing to the Christians at Rome, the Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 6:20-23:

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For we Christians, who have acknowledged the gift of salvation through the birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, have been set free from the bonds of sin. We have been bought with a price—the very blood of Jesus. Now we have a new master. The kind, benevolent master spoken of in Deuteronomy 15:12-18. God’s perfect love has invaded our lives. Now we belong to Him.

Let us begin this day with joy, knowing that God’s love fills us full to overflowing. His holiness is our portion because we belong to Him. Let us go forth into our needy world as instruments of His mercy, grace, and love. Let us cheerfully share with all who ask us the joy of belonging to God through His Son, Jesus.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Responding to Trials

 

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial”

—James 1:12a

Everyone experiences trials in their lives. If you have not experienced some kind of trial or difficulty in your life, you haven’t lived long enough yet.

Trials come our way because we live in a world that is under the curse of sin. First man, Adam, sinned willfully and, as a result, we have inherited his sin. Along with that sin comes the difficulties and trials that the sins we have committed on our own produces in our lives.

The key for those of us who belong to God through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, rests in how we respond to the trials that we encounter along the road of life. The Apostle James offers this wise advice in James 1:12:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When trials come, we must not abandon our faith in God. Instead, we must hold tightly to the reality of Christ’s Presence in our lives through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. No matter what trial may come, God is able to help us persevere in our faith. With confidence, we can totally rely on Him to see us through to the very end.

In and through the Lord Jesus, victory over trials becomes the normal reality of our lives. In every situation, God’s love will prevail.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, March 8, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Worries

 

“…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord…”

—Jeremiah 17:7a

A recent article posted on January 4, 2022, as part of the on-line version of the UK newspaper, The Daily Mail, caught my attention:

American academics want ubiquitous Australian phrase no worries banned because they don’t understand how to use it properly. Lake Superior State University in Michigan revealed its annual list of “banished words” in 2022, with no worries making the list at number two—leaving Aussies outraged.

Wait, what? ranked in at number one while asking for a friend and circle back also made the list for being either overused, nonsensical, or just plain annoying. The top 10 were chosen from more than 1,250 submissions across the globe and has been an annual exercise for LSSU since 1976.

“Most people speak through informal discourse. Most people shouldn’t misspeak through informal discourse,” Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Peter Szatmary, said. “That’s the distinction nominators far and wide made, and our judges agreed with them.”

While Covid-related phrases like new normal, you’re on mute, and supply chain made the list, no worries ranked at number two. A phrase made popular by Australian icons Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin was targeted for its ”misuse and overuse,” according to the LSSU.

Judges claimed the phrase was an incorrect substitute for you’re welcome when someone said thank you, deeming the phrase as “meaningless.”

“If I’m not worried, I don’t want anyone telling me not to worry,“ a nominator said. “If I am upset, I want to discuss being upset.“

But language researcher Tim Webb and chair of the ABC’s English Usage Committee argues the phrase no worries is misunderstood due to its increase in popularity. “No worries is a victim of its own success, and has since become naturalised in America, that is, stripped of specific Australian connotations,” Mr Webb told The Guardian. “In my view the compilers of the Banished Words list at LSSU are idiotically mistaken to view no worries as misused, overused, or incorrect.”

Postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie University, Lauren Sadow, who has a background in linguistics, suggests the list misunderstands the phrase’s usage in Australian English. “Although it is used in the same place as you’re welcome, the meaning is quite different,” she said. Ms Sadow pointed out the term is actually very similar, in fact essentially identical, to American’s use of the phrase no problem. “I would say that its usage has been misunderstood by people who do not have it in their own idiolect,” she said.

The university releases its list of banned words and phrases every year since 1976, each year on New Years Eve to “start the New Year on the right foot, er, tongue.“ Over the past year, people submitted more than 1,250 suggestions for consideration, with nominations coming in from the US, Norway, Belgium, England, Scotland, Australia, and Canada.

Two foreign phrases have become a part of the vernacular of the Millennial generation in America. From these younger people, the phrases have spread to the older generations.

The first phrase, taken from Hispanic culture, includes the words: “no problem.” This phrase has replaced the more polite and infinitely more preferred—in my opinion—“you’re welcome.”

The phrase “no problem” is the Anglicized translation of the common Hispanic response to “gracias” (thank you), which is “de nada.” “De nada” literally translates “of nothing.” So, “no problem” actually has a different bite to it than the nuance of the South American Spanish phrase. Whereas, “de nada” is typically spoken with a bowed head of self-deprecation, “no problem”—as spoken by Americans—has a more dismissive tone that smacks, at least a little, of arrogance.

As mentioned above, in response to someone saying “thank you,” I much prefer the infinitely more polite “you’re welcome.”

The second phrase comes from Australia. It also is used in response to “thank you.” It’s the phrase “no worries.” When spoken outside the very specific context of the rich and vibrant Australian culture, such as when the phrase is spoken here in North America, the flippancy of its tone has a similar negative arrogance as the phrase “no problem.” Yet somehow, the jocularity of “no worries” does not seem quite as pompous nor dismissive to me as “no problem.”

Cultural context and the attitude of the speaker can paint any phrase with a dismissive meaning that the use of that same phrase in its normal culture simply does not possess. For we North Americans, I still much prefer the phrase “you’re welcome” as a more polite response to the phrase “thank you.”

But, have the Australians inadvertently stumbled on a spiritual truth? Even though their culture—based heavily on the laid back “tomorrow’s another day” attitude of the south Pacific mixed in with the banished prisoner “I don’t care” attitude of many of their forebears—has spawned the relaxed attitude behind the phrase “no worries,” is this, in fact, an attitude that followers of Jesus should cultivate?

The Prophet Jeremiah certainly recorded such words directly from God in Jeremiah 17:7-8:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Let us begin this day by leaving our worries at the feet of Jesus. If He will care for us in the midst of a spiritual drought, He will care for us at all times. As “Christ’s-ones,” we can surely face whatever this day brings and quite properly respond: “no worries.”

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, March 7, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Overflowing with Hope

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy…”

—Romans 15:13a

Normally the word “overflow” carries an ominously negative connotation. Please allow me to illustrate:

One summer’s evening in 1963 at about 9:20, the family who lived next door arrived home from a weekend trip. As soon as the wife opened the front door to her rented home, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

My dad and I bounded off the front porch and ran next door to see what was wrong. When we reached the front hallway we saw a collapsed ceiling and water everywhere.

It was later discovered that the cold water tap in the upstairs bathroom sink had a small leak—about one drop every two seconds. Unfortunately, a small piece of paper that had once wrapped a hair ribbon had fallen into the drain and blocked the trap below the sink.

Over the course of the 60 hours the family had been away, that slow drip … drip … drip had filled the sink, overflowed onto the floor, flowed down the hallway outside the bathroom, filled the upstairs floor with a layer of water, and then penetrated down through the floor until the weight of the water eventually collapsed the ceiling of the first floor. A stretch of continuous vinyl flooring throughout the first floor had stopped the water from flowing into the basement.

Since that long-ago night, I have never heard, or read, the word “overflow” without thinking about this tragic incident. But for Christians, the word “overflow” can have a gloriously positive meaning. Please read these words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 15:13:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In writing this Benediction, Paul gives the “Christ-ones” in Rome something that they can welcome into their daily lives. And, Paul writes these same words to us today. The Apostle urges us to received God’s joy and peace whenever we surrender our flawed and selfish human wills and trust in His divine and perfect will.

Let us begin this new day full of God-given joy and peace. Let us welcome the reality of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And, let us bask in the hope that God has placed in our hearts.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Friday, March 4, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Right Kind of Craving

 

“…crave pure spiritual milk…”

—1 Peter 2:2b

From time to time, most people develop a craving for one thing or another. Perhaps they crave adventure. Maybe they crave a particular dessert. Possibly they crave travel, or a particular sport, or the opportunity to fellowship with a close friend, or time to just do what they want to do. For example, newly born babies are very insistent in their craving for food, a clean diaper, or the loving cuddle from a parent.

When he wrote these words found in 1 Peter 2:2-3, the Apostle Peter urged Christians to crave pure spiritual food:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

My questions for us at the beginning of this new day:

• Do we crave pure spiritual food?
  
  
• Do we delight in spending time reading God’s written Word and in talking to God in prayer?
  
  
• Because we have tasted the blessings of an intimate fellowship with God through His Son, Jesus, and found this relationship is good, do we desire an even closer relationship with Him?
  
  

In the hustle and bustle of this new day, let us follow our craving for intimacy with God. Let us read our Bibles and pray. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives full-to-overflowing with God’s choicest blessings.

Then, let us share the joy of feeding on the pure milk of God’s written Word with others. Let us always be willing to tell others the source of the hope that resides within us.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, March 3, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Fruit Inventory

 

“Against such things there is no law.”

—Galatians 5:23

Did you ever work somewhere that required you to take inventory? I once had jobs that involved taken inventory:

During my junior high and high school years I worked part-time at four different places: a boat store, a jewelry store, a wholesale electronics store, and a radio station. Once each year at all four places, I had to take inventory.

We had to count every item in stock and write down how many we had of each item. This was in the period of time from 1959 through 1965. We had no computers. The inventory was done manually. It was an arduous task, especially at the wholesale electronics store. We had to remove each item from its storage place, examine it carefully, write down its identifying number, and keep a record of how many similar items we still had in stock. This process took lots of time and required a careful attention to detail.

In our lives as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should pause from time to time and conduct an inventory of the fruit we are allowing the Holy Spirit to produce in our lives, as we submit our selfish wills to God’s perfect will. The Apostle Paul helps us in this process by naming the fruit in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

How about it? As we examine our lives at the beginning of this new day, how do we answer these questions?

• Does this fruit grow within the core of our spiritual beings?
  
  
• Do we manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s divine Presence in our lives?
  
  
• Do the people with whom we come into contact each day clearly see the vitality of this fruit marking our lives?
  
  

Let us take a fruit inventory today. And, if we have a deficit, let us humbly ask God to renew the particular kind of fruit that may be missing from our lives.

Allowing the fruit of the Spirit to take hold in our lives will make us more like Jesus. As His ambassadors in this very needy world, that surely is one of our most important goals.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, March 2, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Proper Clothing

 

“…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

—Colossians 3:12

When we prepare to begin each new day, we get to choose how we will represent ourselves to the world. Some days we may dress in our finest clothing. We want those we meet to see us as professionals whose appearance exudes a sense of competence. When people engage with us, they follow the mood set by our attire. Because we are dressed more seriously, people approach us more seriously.

At other times, we choose a more casual attire. On such days our clothing sends the message that we are relaxing and taking a break from the high pressure world of business. People approach us in a more amiable manner because they respond to the mood set by our choice of clothing.

As we begin each new day, we also dress our spiritual nature with chosen clothing, as well. Our choice for any particular day communicates where we stand spiritually, and the people who engage with us respond accordingly. When he wrote these words in Colossians 3:12, the Apostle Paul recognized how our choice of spiritual clothing might affect our testimony as citizens of God’s Kingdom:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Let’s keep our spiritual image in mind, as we dress our inner selves for this day. By choosing the proper spiritual clothing, we start the day prepared to touch the minds and hearts of those who may cross the pathway of our lives. In so many people’s lives, we will be the Presence of the living Lord Jesus Christ. Proper spiritual clothing will help us represent our King in the best possible way.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, March 1, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Free At Last

 

“And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

—1 Thessalonians 4:17b

In my formative years, I knew three children who were confined to wheelchairs because of the terrible effects of a disease. Most of you reading this would not fully comprehend how devastating poliomyelitis (polio) was before Dr. Jonas Salk created his life-saving vaccine. Please let me explain:

It was the summer of 1952. I was five years old. My beautiful little cousin, Marsha Moran, was two years old when polio struck. The disease moved fast, paralyzed the muscles of her diaphragm preventing her ability to breathe properly. There simply weren’t enough “iron lungs” available for all the children affected by the national crisis of the polio epidemic. Marsha died a horrible, life-choking death.

By God’s grace, the vaccines that were developed from the effective medical research of Dr. Salk, and later of Dr. Albert Sabin, soon began to eradicate the polio epidemic in the United States. A terrible disaese that had affected the lives of countless tens of thousands of children and adults was halted quite abruptly.

It is always terribly sad when a child dies. But, the photo accompanying this blog post shows how one family reached out in their grief to declare a truth worth celebrating to all who might pass by the grave of their dearly loved and sadly missed child.

Please note these words from the Apostle Paul, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

In the midst of our grief whenever a child—or anyone else—dies, we who believe in Christ have a true and lasting hope. That hope is fully realized in death. In death, we are set free from the terrible effects of sin, and we are set free from the restrictions and disease of our frail bodies. That freedom is glorious in all its manifestation.

Let us comfort each other, as we mourn the loss of those who have died. Let us remember that one day we will all exclaim: “Free at last!”

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, February 29, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

No Other Name

 

“Salvation is found in no one else…”

—Acts 4:12a

Sometimes, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, circumstances may require us to speak lovingly, but also with boldness. This is exactly what happened to the Apostle Peter, as recorded in Acts 4:8-12:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:

“Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

“Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

As we greet a new day, let’s remember that we are servants of the One who bears the name by which every human in this world must be saved. Recognizing that there is no other name with such power, let us boldly share His love and the good news of His salvation with others.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Friday, February 26, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Right Kind of "Know-It-All"

 

“…make every effort to add to your faith…”

—2 Peter 1:5a

People have complained about me all my life that I’m a “Know-It-All.” I confess that I do have the annoying habit of always feeling motivated to offer my opinion. I suspect people might find me much more tolerable if I would just learn to keep my comments to myself.

There actually is a kind of “Know-It-All” that Scripture celebrates. Please take note of these words from the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-8:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The kind of “Know-It-All” who adds to his or her faith the qualities listed in the above verses truly would become more effective and more productive.

Please join me this day in asking the Holy Spirit to give us a full measure of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Truly, if God answers our earnest prayers for these critically important qualities, we will be very blessed.

And, by the way, please pray for me that, by making a genuine effort to keep my opinions to myself, I will become much less annoying to those who must work with me. Okay?

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, February 25, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Everything Will Be All Right

 

“…God works for the good of those who love him…”

—Romans 8:28b

Do you ever start reading a novel and, after a while, turn to the end of the book to see how it ends? I’ve done that when I’ve become so caught up with the trials, difficulties, and tragedies that befall the protagonist that I want to make certain everything will be all right by the time the book ends.

One of the great comforts we have, as believers in the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that no matter what may happen along the road of our lives, when we come to the end of our lives on this earth, we will find that heaven awaits us and everything will be all right.

The Apostle Paul confirmed this fact when he wrote these words in Romans 8:28-30:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

God has chosen those of us who believe in Him before the foundation of the earth. Surely He will see us through to the end. We can launch into this new day with the confidence that God will enable us to handle every aspect of our lives. And, as our life on earth comes to a close, everything will truly be all right.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, February 24, 20166

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Our Divine Nature

 

“…through them you may participate in the divine nature…”

—2 Peter 1:4

Most of us who believe in God, through the life-transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ, have no difficulty recognizing that we are terrible, awful, horrible sinners. Yes, we truly are also redeemed by God’s grace with our sins covered by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. But, when it comes to thinking that we have a divine nature, we have a difficult time imagining that reality. Nevertheless, the Apostle Peter declares the following in 2 Peter 1:4:

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

God has, indeed, given us many precious promises in His written Word, the Bible. As we begin a new day, we need to identify and appropriate those promises for our own lives. Let us depend on God’s divine nature, that dwells within us by the power of the Holy Spirit, to empower us this day to live our lives devoted to God’s agenda in this world. Let us allow God to fill us full of His mercy, grace, and love in such a way that we will touch the lives of everyone who comes across our pathway today.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Faithful God

 

“…he is the faithful God…”

—Deuteronomy 7:9b

In the Old Testament, God entered into a covenant with His chosen people, Israel. He gave them many rules and regulations to follow as evidence of their obedience. Time after time, the Israelites failed to follow God’s commands. Time after time, when they got into trouble, God would have to rescue them. Their all too feeble efforts to strive for obedience could never seem to overcome their bent toward sin.

Ultimately, God had to send His one and only Son, Jesus, to stand in the place of all humans and bear the punishment for their sins. In Jesus, God found the only one capable of true obedience. He alone was the one who could fulfill these words in Deuteronomy 7:9:

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Through Jesus, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can finally strive for and achieve obedience to God’s will and to His written Word. That's because God has given us a new covenant, written in the shed blood of His Son. Let us rejoice this new day that God’s provision has enabled us to love Him, to follow Him and to serve Him with the kind of obedience that only He can give us.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, February 22, 2016

_{Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}