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In Him

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  Ephesians 1:3

So begins an incredible passage of the Bible.  Paul opens the Letter to the Ephesians with a wonderful outpouring of praise as he recites all that God has done for us through Jesus.  Here is what we have to our benefit because of Christ.

We are blessed.  We are chosen.  We are predestined.  We are adopted.  We are given grace.  We are redeemed.  We are told the mystery.  We are chosen.  We have hope.  We are for His praise.  We are included.  We are marked.

There is much here to contemplate; much to ponder.  However, through all of this is the awesome truth that God, through Christ, has brought us into a relationship with Himself.  This relationship is not based on who we are.  Rather, God determined ahead of time that He would give us the privileged position of a son.  He chose to not only save us, but to bring us close to Him.

It would be like concern for the homeless.  It would be one thing to have a heart of compassion and another to get involved.  And getting involved could include everything from giving money to working in shelter.  But imagine not only caring and even doing something; imagine bringing a homeless person into your home.  Now take that even one step further; adopt that person as one of your children.

God didn’t just pick us up and dust us off.  He gave us a new identity in Christ.

So now our goal, our challenge, is to live in a way that matches our identity.  Paul says it this way in Ephesians 4:1, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

I pray that today you would see yourself from God’s perspective; one that is complete and perfect in Christ.  Let this truth move deep into your heart as you realize all that God has accomplished in your life in Christ.  And then I pray that you would live in such a way as to bring your day-to-day life in line with your identity in Christ.

Following God

I love the Old Testament book of Joshua.  It captures the history of the people of Israel as they finally enter the Promised Land.  Joshua had faithfully served as Moses’ aide and now was the leader of God’s chosen people.  And as Joshua assumed this new role, he stood strong before the people because of God’s promise to him.  “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua 1:5

Throughout the book of Joshua, we read about God leading His people to occupy the land He had promised Abraham many years earlier.  God led the people by leading Joshua.  Fourteen times we read, “The Lord said to Joshua…”  Joshua enjoyed a close, personal relationship with God; the very relationship God desires to have with you and me.

That’s why there is a section in the book of Joshua that is somewhat puzzling.  There is a story that doesn’t seem to fit.  It is summed up by this verse that seems to really stand out.  “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord.”  Joshua 9:14

“They did not consult the Lord.”

How did this happen?  Why did this take place?  What were they thinking?

God had faithfully led Israel throughout the ages.  He called Abraham, worked through Isaac, wrestled with Jacob, provided for Joseph and guided Moses.  Now, Joshua was the man and God had been leading him step-by-step through the early days of Israel taking possession of the Promised Land.  Starting with Jericho, God was taking out the enemy one-by-one.  His people stood in awe of His power and strength.  Now, this matter of receiving a people from a distant land seemed only to be a small issue.

And yet this time Joshua acted on his own.

Now before I try to straighten Joshua out, what about times in my life when I’ve acted on my own?  When I look back, I see that God has faithfully led me through the years.  I can point to times, even before I committed myself to follow Him, that His hand has been all over my life.  So what changes in me that I move forward without consulting the Lord?

It appears that there are times when I simply act as if I know what is best.  There are seasons when I feel that everything depends on me.  There are decisions that seem to make sense in my mind.  Simply put, I choose to act on my own.

My challenge, and I’m guessing it’s your challenge as well, is to walk closely with the Lord day-by-day; to follow Him one step at a time.  Not only when the issues are big, but also when the issues are smaller in nature.

I pray for you, and for me too, that we would walk closely and listen well as we journey with God every day.

Do What You're Told

I’ve been in the business of raising children since 1989.  Actually, it was 1989 when I started raising my own children.  I had been raising the children of others since 1983 when I graduated from college and started my career as a teacher and school principal.  One of the great joys of interacting with children is when they actually do what they are told.

 

The roles of adult and parent are full of challenges and difficulties.  Teaching children to respond with immediate obedience is one of the most important yet one of the most elusive pursuits.

 

Through the years, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my relationship to God through raising children.  I have glimpsed into the depth of God’s love for me when I consider how much I love my children.  I’ve realized that God indeed wants the best for me when I see what I want for my children.  I have recognized that I don’t understand God’s perspective when I try to tell my children that there are things I see that they don’t.

 

And I’ve learned the value of doing what you are told.

 

It’s interesting how the issue of immediate obedience is important to us as we parent, but not nearly as crucial as we follow God.  We find ourselves saying to our children, “I’m not going to tell you again” but read the same passages in our Bibles over and over without a change in the way we live.

 

For me, more times than not, I find myself in the Lord’s presence dealing with the same issues again and again.  What would it be like if I just listened to what He said?  What would happen if I did what I was told?