Friend, I thank you for continuing on this journey with me -- I need your accountability and encouragement.
Today, I give thanks to the Father for giving me the opportunity to roll out of bed, despite the fatigue that is still clinging to my body.
I did not appreciate the sound of my alarm.
I did not look forward to getting ready for another trip to the office.
The last thing I wanted to tackle on this twenty-second lenten morning was writing.
However, the Holy Spirit was gracious to convict my heart as I was reading Jonah 2:8
Again, the Holy Spirit generously and graciously led me to another passage in which are found four essential nuggets for my spiritual digestion. It is 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, which reads,
Today, I give thanks to the Father for giving me the opportunity to roll out of bed, despite the fatigue that is still clinging to my body.
I did not appreciate the sound of my alarm.
I did not look forward to getting ready for another trip to the office.
The last thing I wanted to tackle on this twenty-second lenten morning was writing.
However, the Holy Spirit was gracious to convict my heart as I was reading Jonah 2:8
"Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God's love for them."
A worthless idol is belial.
Belial is a Hebrew word that means vile -- that is, without profit to the Lord. In other words, anything at all that is without profit to the Father is vile, wicked.
I broke down.
Tears streaked my cheeks.
It was clear to me that my clinging to sleep as an excuse to skip today's writing altogether is belial.
No.
I will stand firm in Christ.
I will power through as much as I can.
Or, can I, really?
Again, the Holy Spirit generously and graciously led me to another passage in which are found four essential nuggets for my spiritual digestion. It is 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, which reads,
“Now it is
God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.
He anointed us,
set His
seal of ownership on us,
and put His Spirit in us as a deposit,
guaranteeing
what is to come.”
God
makes us stand firm in Christ. Trusting the Father and heeding His call,
our posture is regal, unwavering, solid, safe and secure from all alarms. This
stance is possible only because the Holy Spirit of fire is teaching us,
convicting us, wooing us, comforting us, and counseling us. It is possible
because Christ is our righteousness, His blood paid the debt we could not pay,
He is interceding to the Father on our behalf, He is the solid Rock upon which
we stand. We can stand firm in Christ because the Father watches over us, He is
the lifter of our heads, He surrounds us with favor as with a shield.
God
anointed us. That means
He has identified us, empowered us, equipped us with everything we need to
accomplish the tasks He has set for us to do. This anointing is the crux of
Creation: We were designed by God to image forth His glory. How so? We were
designed in His image and likeness. Just like Christ is the exact
representation of the Father and the radiance of God’s glory, we who believe in
Christ are the exact representation of the Son and bring Him glory by being the
light and the salt of the earth. Who else should best glorify Him if not the
ones who recognize the Heartbeat of Heaven? Who else should best praise Him if
not those who can truly relate to the cravings of human attention and
recognition?
God
set His seal of ownership on us. Our
worth depends on the blessedness of His hand. We belong to Him. His Word speaks
clearly to that effect—He is the Vine, we are the branches; He is the Shepherd,
we are the sheep; He is the Father, we are the children. Whatever He has, we
inherit even as prodigal children. Christ was crucified; our sins— past,
present, and future—were also crucified with Him. He was raised to life again,
that means we now live in Him. As Romans 14:8 says, “Whether we live or die, we
belong to the Lord.” (NIV)
God
deposited His Spirit in us. In
Paul’s day, the word he chose was used in contracts, according to a commentator
in the NIV Study Bible—“It was both the first installment on a loan and
the guarantee of its complete payment.” In other words, God’s Spirit in us is
the very ingredient that turns an otherwise tasteless meal into a succulent
fare. Anything at all that we are able to do or experience spiritually is a
result of His deposit in our hearts.
Wow!
In other words, everything that I experienced this morning is a result of Christ's work.
He made me stand firm through my writing commitment.
He anointed me as I felt the fatigue, got myself ready, and considered skipping.
He set His seal of ownership on me, turning me into a fruitful branch on His tree.
He deposited His Spirit in me so that I can digest the prepared meal He had in store for me.
As you and I pray and serve, may we always rely on this Savior who forgives so completely, gives so generously, renews so utterly, and loves so sacrificially!
In other words, everything that I experienced this morning is a result of Christ's work.
He made me stand firm through my writing commitment.
He anointed me as I felt the fatigue, got myself ready, and considered skipping.
He set His seal of ownership on me, turning me into a fruitful branch on His tree.
He deposited His Spirit in me so that I can digest the prepared meal He had in store for me.
As you and I pray and serve, may we always rely on this Savior who forgives so completely, gives so generously, renews so utterly, and loves so sacrificially!
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