Delight in This

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

What brings delight to your heart? For all of us, it is something different. My wife had our third child 2 weeks ago. I delight in being able to hold that little baby girl and enjoy her innocence, her purity, her beauty. I delight in being able to wrestle with my two young sons. I delight in the beauty of my bride. I delight in the rumble of a motorcycle as it rolls down a two-lane country road. I delight in a big bowl of homemade ice cream in the summer time. There are many things I delight in. The Psalmist says that the delight of the blessed man is found in the word of God. How true. God's word is the thing that breathes life into us so that we may delight in the other things of life. Have you ever noticed how many undelightful people there are in the world. I wonder if that is directly proportional to the number of people who don't know Jesus. It could be, until we look at the number of people who claim to be Christ-followers who are just as undelightful. The word of God is our delight, but it only brings delight if we allow it time to do so. Notice the Pslamist says that he delights in the word because he meditates on it. Meditation has gotten a bad wrap. It has too much Eastern influence and not enough Biblical influence. To meditate on the word of God is to empty your mind of everything else, fill it again with the word and then think about that word deeply and without distraction. Meditating on God's word means to drink deeply from the streams of living water that flow from the pages of Scripture. There is a word that I intentionally skipped over until now. That word is law. The blessed man is to meditate on the law of God. We live under grace, but that is not to say that we are to forsake the law. When we meditate on the law of God it makes us appreciate grace all the more. The law makes us aware of our sin and inability to keep the whole law. Because we are unable to keep the whole law, God infused grace to us through Jesus Christ. It is important for us to search the law, the Old Testament to gain a greater appreciation for grace. The Psalmists final word on meditation says that it is to happen both day and night. Our meditation is not to be relegated to the "quiet time" but is to go with us throughout the day. Much like Paul says we are to pray without ceasing, we are to meditate on God's word unceasingly. Isn't it interesting who prayer and meditation on the word go hand in hand? I hope that you will delight in the word and work of God today as you crash into life.

The Blessed Man

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." Psalm 1:1

I had a revelation this morning as i read this verse again. It was as if God peeled back a layer and revealed a new truth to me, so I had to share. It is as if God walks man through a progression of what has to happen in his life in order for man to be blessed. First he must not walk in the counsel of the wicked. If he is not walking in the counsel of the wicked, then he must walk in the counsel of the righteous. The righteous become some by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, blessing comes for those under grace. This is not to say that wickedness is not present. It is not to say that wickedness does not give counsel, because both of these are true. What it does say is that the counsel of the wicked is not heeded, but the counsel of righteousness is. It is here that we must lay claim to surrounding ourselves with wise and godly counsel. We must surround ourselves who have grace as their path and Heaven as their goal. This is the most important step in being the blessed man -- to live under grace and follow the path of righteousness.

If this is true, then the next thing results. The blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners. I have always read this as the man standing or living the same way that sinners do. Today, however, God reavealed to me that the blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners or that a man who is under grace does not keep a sinner from coming to Christ. This prompts the question of how we live. If we truly claim to be under grace then there should be nothing in our lives that keeps others from coming to or following us to Christ. We are not to be a stumbling block to those who have yet to discover the path of righteousness through grace. That puts a whole now light on living under grace. Grace is not just for us, but also for those who have yet to come under it.

The blessed man does not sit in the seat of mockers. The mockers are the ones who look down upon and make fun of others. Those who are mocked are those who are different. The blessed may may be mocked because his life is different becasue of Jesus, but he should never be the mocker. When we look at people through the eyes of grace, we see what Jesus see -- the hurting, the suffering, the wounded. We do not see as man sees -- the lazy, the disabled, the useless. The mockers sit where those under grace are active in meeting the needs of people. When Jesus was with people, it was very rare to see Him sitting down (unless He was teaching). He was always up and among the people. The mockers sit and point out what is wrong, while those under grace do something about it.

Hopefully tomorrow, we can carry over into verse 2. Until next time, keep crashing into life!

10 Questions from A Message for America

A strange but good think happened with this message. It was not the one that I had prepared to preach. This one came about in the midst of our worship time. You can listen to it here.

1. Am I seeking God and if not, what am I seeking?

2. Are you seeking to live in moment-by-moment, complete, immediate obedience to God? Why or why not?

3. What is the truth of your life and where is the joy and hope of your life found?

4. Who or what is the source of strength for your life?

5. Who or what are you trusting to provide for your daily needs?

6. What signifies our dependence upon God?

7. Who do you obey more: God or the world?

8. Can you say with Jesus, " My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work?"

9. What evidence is given in your life that you are resting in God's unfailing love?

10. Is the hope that you believe in bringing about rejoicing, trust, unfailing love and rest in your life? Why or why not?

10 Questions from Living in God's Daily Provision

Sorry that it has been a few weeks since my last post. My computer spent two weeks in the shop after the fatal "blue screen of death" so as to get a new hard drive installed. Thank God for the extended warranty. Anyway...here are some questions to keep you thinking about Sunday's message (which I hope to have posted later with a link).

1. In what ways do you daily recognize God's provision?

2. How do you feel safe in God's provision?

3. How do you distinguish a lie from a truth?

4. When someone lies to you, how long does it tak before you trust them again?

5. In God's provision, how much is enough?

6. Do you let God be enough?

7. Which do you want more of: stuff or Jesus? (be honest)

8. Do you live in God's grace and sufficiency and are you content there? Why or why not?

9. It has been said, that if you don't find contentment in little, you won't find it in a lot. Do you plan to be content each day?

10. Are you content to live in the present -- to live in today?

The Delicate Balance

I have spent today on the two extremes of human existence. This morning I spent time with a young couple who celebrated the birth of their first son. I was great to see the joy through their exhaustion. How exciting to hold that hours old little child. How reassuring to look into that baby's face so full of innocence. How promising to know that child's mom and dad will be raising him in the ways of the Lord. There is much promise at the beginning of life. Life, truly has yet to be lived at that point. I spent the afternoon with a mom and dad who were mourning the loss of their adult son. A life that ended too soon. A life that was getting on track again. A life that was lived full of joy and wonder. A life that had begun to touch people with a simple message of faith. A life that was now over. I found myself sharing the same thing to each set of parents: God's grace is sufficient. To the parents of the baby, there is so much they do not know and have yet to learn, yet God's grace is sufficient. To the parents who lost a son much too soon, God's grace is sufficient. In all things God is enough. He meets each need. He celebrates with us in our times of joy and mourns with us in our times of sorrow. God's grace is sufficient. Life is lived in a delicate balance between life and death. We do not dictate when our lives begin or when they end. Those two things are far beyond our control, but we can know the one who controls such things. God's grace is sufficient. God's grace is enough to comfort us in what we do not know and to comfort us when we do not have tears left to shed. God's grace is enough when we shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow. God's grace is enough! God's grace is enough! God's grace is enough!

10 Questions from Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver

Here are your 10 Questions from the message From Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

1. When is the last time you heard Jesus speak to you individual and what did He say?

2. When Jesus invites you to walk with Him, to spend private time with Him, do you go with Him or stay in your routine and busyness?

3. How do you recognize God's grace during turmoils?

4. Where do you turn to get peace during the turmoil of this life?

5. How is it evident in your lift that you are actively following Christ?

6. Jesus accepts us as we are, but have you stayed where you are instead of following Jesus to become who and what He purposed you to be?

7. Do you depend on others for everything, even you spiritual life, or can others depend on you because you serve?

8. What can you do this week to serve another?

9. You have received grace in Jesus, but have you given it to others?

10. What does "follow me" mean to you?

10 Questions from A Message for Mistake Makers

If you've ever made a mistake, then this message is for you. So here are some questions to keep you thinking about how God values you and wants to use you in spite of your mistakes.

1. What is the greatest gift God gives to mistake makers and why?

2. Do you believe Jesus loves you enough to forgive you of your mistakes and do you love yourself enough to forgive yourself and let go?

3. Why would you think that God is through with you and is that the truth?

4. What did the angel at the tomb specifically want Peter to know and why is that important to you?

5. Why do you believe that God believes in you, your potential, your talent or your importance?

6. How has your life changed after your encounter with Jesus and your commitment to not be a mistake maker?

7. What proof is there in your life that Jesus is alive?

8. How can you discover God's plan and purpose for you life and are you willing to?

9. What do you believe is your service-filled future?

10. How do you recognize that you are poised for success?