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First Love

A chance to nurture your first love for Jesus; from EDIFIED!
 
“I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.”
Psalm 111:1,2
 
Lord God, my Triune Elohim, praise be to you this morning, praise be to you forever. You are marvelous in your character, beautiful in your desires, lovely in your grace, and astounding in your wisdom. You deserve that I extol you, O LORD, with all my heart, for who and what you are. As it says in Psalm 111:2-9,
 
“Great are the works of the LORD
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast forever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.”
 
What a list of greatness! You, O Lord Jesus, tower far above all creation; you are so perfect, so pure, so powerful, so pristine—you deserve eternal praise, daily obedience, moment-by-moment trust.
 
To live otherwise is an insult to your character, to your person, to your being. To see in Word and deed such a God as you, to know such a Lord as you, to walk with such a Savior as you—these are great, awesome, overwhelming, totally undeserved privileges.
 
Truly, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” (Ps. 111:10).
 
Prayer: “May I fear you, follow your precepts and walk in good understanding so you may be glorified in my life today and for eternity. Amen.”

Psalm 22:29-30

Psalm 22:29 “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive.”
[No one can keep himself from dying, none of us can defeat old age. And no one can avoid the judgment: all human beings will come under before you, Lord. And all will bow their knee, whether willingly or not.
For when we enter into your magnificent, holy presence, the strength of your mighty power and majestic authority will force all to bow in submission to truth and the judgment to come.
But you offer us the privilege of bowing before you now in willing surrender, in belief, in faith, in submission to Truth. You bringsus into your presence through the blood of Christ, where we, as your children, can joyfully bow to your Kingship, O Triune God. And we do so willingly, wholeheartedly, in wonder and joy.]
Psalm 22:30 “Posterity will serve him;”
[There will always be an ongoing line of believers, sustained and guided by you, no matter what the era may be–just as there were in the Dark Ages, in the Middle ages, in the Enlightenment, in modern times, in postmodernism and now in the “me culture.” Man tries to go his own way, but there are always those who respond to your invitation to walk in your Way.]
Psalm 22:31 “future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it.”
[There will also always be a witness, there will always be propagation of the gospel. You, Lord, in your righteousness, truth and grace have done all, prepared all by sending out your Word in creation, in the work of the Spirit, in your written Word, in spoken witness, in dreams or visions if necessary.
You have everything ready and will bring all history to your desired end: the elimination of evil, the entrance of eternity, the enlightenment of all by your eternal character. Praise you for your greatness, your goodness, your glory that was, is, and is to come!
You alone are worthy of faith and obedience, of trust and praise, for you are wonderful, you are the only One to be worshiped. Help us to do so every day, all day!

Psalm 22:28

Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,”
[You, Lord, are at work in all the world, among all peoples, bringing from every group those who respond to your call. Praise you for revealing yourself through your creation, which speaks to us every day of your presence and power, as well as through your Word and the work of your Spirit.
Praise you for your love for every single person, for providing salvation for all, for convicting each of sin, of righteousness and the judgment to come. You do this so that they might think truth and decide to escape the condemnation of sin by taking refuge in the forgiveness you offer. You are good and merciful, gracious and kind. You are love itself.]
Psalm 22:28 “and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.”
[You are the Sovereign One who reigns, you have control, you use all for good, making your major plans come to pass while still giving us moral and ethical responsibility in our own spheres of responsibility. And in the end, all will come to bow before you, every human being, whether willingly in belief or grudgingly at the judgment seat.
Praise you, Lord God, for the wonder of knowing you and bowing before you now willingly, wholeheartedly, the King of All, the Lord of Lords, the Ruler of the universe.
Help me to live today in the light of your greatness, standing in awe of you, of your love, of your Word, of your commands. May this result in fearing and obeying you instead of raising my thoughts or those of others above your Word.
You are worthy of my full conformity, my total surrender, my wholehearted obedience, so I bow before you now, that I might bring you great honor today.]

Psalm 22:26

Psalm 22:26 “The poor will eat and be satisfied;”
 
[You, Lord, are the Provider of all the physical needs of the world. You remember the needy and weak, being “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.” You “set the lonely in families and lead out the prisoners with singing…” (Psa 68:5).
 
And you also provide the spiritual bread that nourishes and satisfies all your children. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty'” (John 6:35).]
 
“they who seek the LORD will praise him—“
 
[You are so worthy of praise, Father God, King of the universe, Lord of the nations, Creator and Sustainer of all. When you turn our hearts to seek your face, as we begin to see you as you are, what can we do but praise you in and for all, rejoicing in your being, boasting in our weakness, exalting in your faithfulness and forgiveness.]
 
“may your hearts live forever!”
 
[And this is the reality you have promised for your children. You are the Giver of eternal life, the Author of all eternity, the Defeater of death: in you we will live forever.]
 
Lord God, we bow before you in awe, we rise up in wonder, we go forth in the day rejoicing to be the carriers of your grace to all those we will meet. When they meet us, may they meet you!

Wonderful Weakness

From EDIFIED, written in 2007
 
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him….”
Psalm 37:5a
 
After months of negotiation, planning and prayer for launching our internet-based English tutoring sales, a big red flag appeared on the horizon. Since we as foreigners are not allowed to sell educational materials here directly, we are required to partner with a local company. This we have done, and things seemed to be moving along quite well, with agreements on pricing, marketing, commissions and advertising all in place.
 
The owner of the company has lots of experience in marketing, has a wide circle of influential acquaintances and business people, and was willing to put up all the capital needed for the venture.
However, after all the good progress, contrary to his word, he suddenly switched printers (he’d promised to use our friend) and then became unreachable. If he made such a move with the printer, what might he do with the rest of his commitment?
We had to bring this whole venture before the Lord and surrender it again, coming to the point of being willing to give up this partnership if that is what the Lord wanted. The Lord brought to mind George Mueller’s prayer principle, the gist of which is, “When asking the Lord for something, I bring myself to the point where if He gives me a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, to me it is the same.”
After all the work, the emotional investment and the high hopes we had for this project, it was a challenge to come to such a surrender. In reality, God was showing us that here was an idol in the making, something we were demanding to be happy. The question is: were we willing to have it sacrificed so that God’s higher purposes may be accomplished?
The Spirit reminded me that this was another opportunity to be weak (we could do nothing until the man decided to contact us again), to live the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 where God said”…my power is made perfect in weakness…” and follow Paul’s example in his response, “…therefore I will delight in weaknesses, hardships, insults, persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
We had to wait several days for a resolution to the impasse, and during that time had the opportunity to rest in God and think Truth (“My soul finds rest in God alone,” Ps. 62:1), continually surrendering our desire to Him. In the end things worked out and all was resolved—but more important than the resolution is the deeper surrender and new breaking God brought into our lives through this. May His will always prevail.
 
Prayer: “Lord, point out the idols in my life, help me to hold all with an open hand, to be willing to accept whatever you desire for me, to praise in and for all that you bring into my life. Amen.”

Focus

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers [of the attacking king, Sennacherib] and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
 
And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: ‘O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.’”
2 Kings 19:14, 15
 
Thank you, Lord, for drawing my attention away from the issues before me to yourself. King Hezekiah is my example; he went to you with his problem of the attacking armies, first remembering who you are, the “God over all the kingdoms of the earth,” as did King Jehoshaphat when he was in the same situation—and you protected both. Part of tasting and seeing that you, Lord, are good is remembering how you have answered prayer for others in the past.
 
Praise you, my Heavenly Father, that you work what is right and good in our lives: you lead us in paths of righteousness, you warn us, convict us of sin, show us where we need to change, and give us the strength to cooperate with you.
 
I praise you for your help, your direction, your insights, your understanding. all that you share with us in your Word and through your Spirit; I praise you for the power you provide to increase faith, bring transformation and give us your view of reality.
 
You are wonderfully patient with us, graciously kind to us, faithfully firm for us. I praise you for your rod, with which you keep back the enemy; and for your staff, with which you keep us in line—we need to be protected from both the enemy and from ourselves!
 
I praise you for your infiniteness, working in so many lives simultaneously, listening to so many prayers at the same time, being able to weave our wrong and sometimes right choices into the fabric of your plan. I praise you that in you all will work out somehow in your time, in your way.
 
I praise you that your goodness and mercy are always there. You stoop down from on high and hear us, for we are poor and needy. You are Glorious, you are Good, you are Gracious, you are Great. Only you are worthy of worship!
 
Prayer: “I bow before you, Lord God, eagerly agreeing to follow and honor you today in obedience, in right thinking, in right priorities. Guide and empower me in this for the sake of your Name. Amen.”

Music and Manhood

Chapter 5 Another Side Of Home
Along with all the practical things Dad taught, there were certain attitudes he passed on to us. He had very strong opinions about things and was not averse to expressing them.
 
As a farmer with always more work to do than time, he did things quickly. He talked fast, ate fast, worked fast and drove fast. When he’d come up behind a slower driver, Dad had some words for him. “Sunday driver! Come on, Grandpa, get off the road and let us who have somewhere to go get by!”
 
He was clear about his disdain for anything he considered to be non-masculine. “I wouldn’t go across the street to Disneyland if you paid me!”
 
Things that smacked of weakness, femaleness or tameness were to be avoided at all cost. This included spiritual things. Dad did go to Sunday School and sometimes to church, but only for the stimulus of debate and discussion. He believed in God, but liked him five miles down the road.
 
Later Dad developed his beliefs into a working definition of masculinity. He communicated this to us in words and action: to be a man is to never have to ask for help.
 
This, of course, was unrealistic; in many areas of life we have to depend on others. Every time we drive, we need other drivers to help us by staying on their side of the road.
 
However, as a boy I did not think of what might be lacking in Dad’s ideas; I viewed them as right and normal and unconsciously absorbed many of his attitudes and values. I understood that whatever was labeled as women’s work was off limits to any real man. Anything that looked “feminine” was to be avoided like the plague. Pushy women were to be kept at a distance.
 
These attitudes operated more on an emotional level rather than an intellectual one and became more bars in my developing prison, more obstructions to my thinking and living what was true.
The one exception to Dad’s chauvinistic attitudes was his love for music, which he got from his father. Grandpa was an amazing man with many talents. He had studied at Yale University to be an electrical engineer, finishing it in three years because that’s all the scholarship money he had. Then he had gotten a job in Pittsburgh working on the electric streetcar system but he had found life in the city boring and returned to farming in Connecticut.
 
Having a love for music, he taught himself to play twelve different wind instruments. Then he taught at least one to each of his five children, then to his grandchildren and eventually to any neighbor kids who stood still long enough. Once a child knew how to play, he or she had to participate in the family band.
 
My father had learned to play the trumpet as a child and really enjoyed it. After leaving farming for full time work in his tire business, he became a member of a number of bands and practiced regularly at home. Always wanting to improve, he continued to take trumpet lessons into his late 70s.
 
When I was six, my grandfather decided it was time for me to begin playing in the family band. At the time Grandpa lacked a bass drum player, so that was my first assignment. He seemed to sense some musical ability in me and moved me from one instrument to the other as he had need: drum, saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone and finally settling on the clarinet.
 
Unfortunately I never really learned to sight-read music and spent my whole musical career playing half a second behind everyone else. It was nerve wracking and played right into my insecurity, which at times fed my rebellious nature.
 
One evening Grandpa called my brother Les and me over to his house and informed us it was time for music practice. We set up our music stands and got out our instruments. Les warmed up his trumpet while I assembled my clarinet.
 
Grandpa took his clarinet in hand and had us sit down. “Here’s what we are going to play,” he said, handing us each a book. “We’ll start with number five.”
 
Things went well until the third piece. I was wishing I weren’t there, and intentionally played one part wrong. Grandpa had us repeat it; again I played it wrong. After the third try he realized I was doing this on purpose and he knew what to do with stubbornness. Setting down his clarinet and taking mine from me, he picked me up by the scruff of my neck, took me out into the kitchen and escorted me out the door. “Come back when you are ready to play right!” he said. I, however, wasn’t really ever interested in playing it right.
 
During my high school years, after my grandfather’s death, my father began to change. He became more moody, at times angry for no apparent reason. Later on we realized that he had been in a mid-life crisis, a result of struggling with the pressures of his tire business and a new awareness of his mortality after his father’s death.
 
During this time, my siblings and I found that we could never be sure what kind of reception we would get when we came home. On a Friday night we’d go to a basketball game and when we returned Dad would say, “Oh, you’re home already! How did the game go? Hope you had a good time.”
 
The next week we’d come home earlier only to be greeted with, “How come you’re so late? You need to be more considerate! If you keep this up I won’t let you go any more!”
 
This uncertainty became another shadow in my soul, another bar in the cell, preventing me from ever feeling like things were settled and safe.

Picture: Dad playing a duet with his grandson, Craig

Image may contain: 1 person, playing a musical instrument

The Joy of Weakness

 
“When I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10b
 
Facing me is a situation where others, who are at odds with me, are going to decide my future. In this I am weak–and that is good. Yes, good, but uncomfortable.
 
Praise you, Lord, that being comfortable is not the measure of anything important, spiritual or significant. Knowing your Word, trusting you, living in praise, obeying what we know to be true, these are what is important.
 
We need to train our faith to respond biblically to whatever comes. As Lilias Trotter, pioneer evangelist in Algeria in the 1800s, said, “Swinging out over the abyss without anything other than you, Lord, rejoicing in this need to trust in you and your power, praising for your goodness before any solution can be seen, this is trained faith.”
 
Praise you, Father that you are at work in ways I cannot see or foresee. I praise you for what you are doing and what you will do in this, for you are great, you are good —you are God.
 
“Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (Ps. 34:8). I have certainly tasted and seen your goodness over and over again, Lord. You have protected me many times in near accidents; you have provided an inner stability that in my past has prevented suicide, relational crashes and personal failure.
 
You have also guided me through a maze of difficulties in my life: the journey through depression in my 20s, adjustments in marriage, transition to life in the Middle East, dark days of deprivation and difficulty, accidents and expulsion, team turmoil, arrests, trials and uncertainty.
 
You not only carried us through, but strengthened, deepened and matured us while utilizing us in your Kingdom. What a privilege to walk with you, to join you in the great plan you are carrying out to bring history to a conclusion and take us with you.
 
I have tasted and seen that you are the King of kindness, you are the Lord of love, you are the Ruler of righteousness and the Sovereign of selflessness.
 
I praise you that you are only good—a stable, unshifting, sure, solid goodness. In you there is no wavering, no toying with the fate of people, no partiality, no failure to pay attention, no being late, no compulsiveness, no capriciousness, no mood swings, no lack of knowledge, no hesitation, no uncertainty, no inconsistency.
 
You are the God who is pure in motive, perfect in planning, persistent in values, perceptive in understanding, purposeful in love.
 
You are flawless in execution, abundant in mercy, rich in resources, overflowing in love, generous in giving, gracious in provision, limitless in creativity, slow in anger and positive in patience.
 
You are a marvel, you are majestic, you are trustable, you are great. To you be glory both now and forevermore.
 
Prayer: “Lord, I praise you now for how you are going to work things out in my present uncertainties. I give you honor without seeing the end, for you are absolutely trustable. Keep me thinking these truths, help me to respond with love and grace and goodness, to fight the real enemy with praise, prayer and persistence in obedience. Amen.”

First Love Nurturing

A clear and sunny day here on the farm in CT with early morning fog rising off the pond. Praise be to you, Lord God, Creator of all the beauty around us, beauty which shows us your great heart of love. You share all the reflected glory of your Being through your creation, through the vast variety of flowers and trees, colors and scents, creatures and shapes, landscapes and seas.
Your mind has no limit, your wisdom has no boundary, your knowledge has no border, your greatness has no end. On the other hand, I praise you that your Character does have limits in the right places: in you there is no sin, no evil, no selfishness, no lying, no double-mindedness, no hypocrisy, no failure, no faithlessness. In you there is only goodness and holiness.
I praise you that you also limit yourself by making promises: you give your Word and you always keep it. You make your vows, you fulfill them. All other possibilities are set aside and you bind yourself to your promised prophecies, always following through.
The choosing of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was your greatest promise, made before creation, and brought to pass at the right time. I give you praise and honor and glory for this marvelous Truth of your faithfulness, for this wonderful reality of your steady heart of truth and love.
I praise you, too, for your unending presence; you are everywhere at the same time, while in another way, you are especially near to those who seek you, those whose hearts are open to you. You are near the brokenhearted. You are near the repentant. You are near those righteous in Christ. You are near the obedient. You are deeply at work in the elect, those you know will believe.
I give you glory, Lord God, for how we can trust you with all our hearts because you are faithful with all your heart. Wherever I go, whatever I do, you are always watching, protecting, guiding, keeping, equipping, teaching, revealing, convicting, blocking and loving.
 
You are the great One, the wise One, the loving One, the holy One, the pure One, the faithful One, the true One, the eternal One.
To you I bow down today, to you I give my heart, my mind, my soul, my body, my time, my possessions, my money, my relationships, my future, my desires, my projects, my health, my strength, my will–my all. I am yours, your steward, your servant, your subject. Praise you for what you will do in me and through me today to bring greater glory to your Name.

Sonshine

An excerpt from Edified! written in 2011 while we were living in Germany
 
“I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1,2
 
What a challenge this weather is here in Germany: cold, cloudy and continual rain for weeks—although the calendar says it August, it’s more like November! It would be easy to complain and gripe, as most here do, but when we have Sonshine inside, it is not so important to have sunshine outside.
 
The more we are tied to Jesus, the more healthily independent we are of the weather, of circumstances, of our surroundings—for we then live in the unseen, which is higher, more real and more powerful than what we can see and touch.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for your reality, for your strong true presence in our lives. Praise you that we have the assurance of your protection, your purpose, your power at work before us, in us, around us, over us, through us.
 
You are the Rock in our lives, never shifting, never changing, never shaking. You are our Salvation: from sin, from ourselves, from harm, from evil, from fears, from frivolity, from negatives, from human thinking, from complaining, from idol worship, from laziness, overwork, burn out, selfishness, pride, manipulation and greed–to name a few.
 
You are the mighty Tower: strong and sure, standing high over the dangers and demons of this world. You are our ever-effective Refuge and Redeemer. As our high Tower, it is as if you lift us up, set us on your shoulder, make us safe, give us a wider view, bring us understanding, hold us near your heart, and give us wisdom and advice.
 
When we look to you and truly see you in your beauty and glory, your greatness and goodness, we are dizzy with delight, for you are beyond what we could possibly have thought up in our limited imaginations.
 
We tend to think of you in human terms, which are far below what you really are. Where we imagined tinsel, you are like titanium; where we imagined plastic you are like the pure power of steel; where we imagined smallness you are immense; where we imagined earning righteousness, you give grace; where we imagined ourselves somewhat good, only you are perfectly pure; where we imagined you like us, you are completely other: holy, sinless, entirely good, perfectly balanced, immensely powerful, totally independent, full of contra-conditional love, ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all who call upon you. You are a wonder, you are wonderful, you are fully worthy of our worship.
 
Prayer: “Glory be to you, Lord Jesus, my God and King, for you are worthy of all my wonder and worship! Help me to follow you into the freedom you have prepared for your children. Amen.”