Proverbs 20:12

The hearing ear and the seeing eye-the LORD has made them both.

The profound simplicity of this verse!

How often we do not really listen to people. Yet the very purpose of our ears given by our loving Maker is to hear. (And oh the beauty of the birds singing as I write this.)

Practice really listening to people today to hear everything they say, mean, and need. Make it a point to not form a response until they are completely finished speaking. This is much harder than it sounds.

How often we fail to see the beauty all around us, yet the very purpose of our eyes, generously given to us by our lovely Creator, is to see.

Yesterday I was sitting outside enjoying the beauty of the day the Lord made, the wonderful testament that creation is to His greatitude. And I got watching those little helicopter seeds falling to the ground. They were quite amazing to me, each one falling with a spin of different speeds. They’re extremely calming and relaxing to watch. This one in particular spun so very slowly as it fell, almost as if it was in slow motion going against laws of physics. And I inadvertently, turrets-like blurted out, “NO WAY! NO WAY!” wondering in awe how it was spinning so slowly and  yet, rhythmically. And I was filled with a keen sense of the majesty of God, knowing beyond all doubt He was responsible for this creative and wonderful action.

This came from just sitting with Him for a matter of minutes, watching and listening to Him thru what He has made in one tiny little area of the universe. Our eyes and ears are little appreciation receptors.

Let’s use them as such today.

Luke 6:35-36

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy.    [NCV]

He is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin, or “wicked”, as some translations read.

As God’s children, we should be the same.

How many times have I been that ungrateful person He has shown kindness to?

May this verse begin to change the way we relate to people today. May it humble us.

Do not grow weary in doing good. Just keep on being kind to those who give you nothing in return, including and especially, appreciation. Sometimes we get no acknowledgement for our good works. So what? Who are you doing it for? Hopefully for your Father who sees in secret.

Perform for an audience of One.

I am so guilty of wanting recognition for things I do. I have to fight and pray against it constantly. Sometimes it is good and necessary to set things up in such a way that someone else gets credit for something you had a bigger part in. The evil one would love nothing more than for me to take pride in my works. That only leads you away from YHWH because you quit acknowledging that it is Him who is responsible for every good work you do.

I can do nothing unless He put it in me first to do it.

Perform for an audience of One.

Proverbs 19:16

Those who are heedless of their ways will die.

It has been said that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Do you ever take note of your ways? Of how you live and what you live for? What is the course of your life? Your goal? Your telos?

How does the activity of each day bring you closer to your life’s purpose-fulfillment?

Have you ever examined where the bulk of your time goes by logging it hour by hour for a week or so?

Proverbs 19:21

The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established.

Thank God!

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of  the LORD is life indeed; filled with it one rests secure and suffers no harm.

I wonder if the key word here is “suffers”.

Stuff may come your way, but if you totally live in the awe of YHWH, you do not suffer. You trust and walk thru it. You know everything works together for good and so you do rest securely in YHWH’s hands.

We all go through difficult times, but it depends on what we pay attention to during said times which determines if we indeed suffer. Which all goes back to our perception of God.  Is He good? Does He care for us? Will He secure us to the end/in the end?

Also helpful, is Professor Tremper Longman’s translation and commentary of this verse:

The fear of Yahweh leads to life, and those who spend the night are contented; they don’t pay attention to evil.

The fear of Yahweh drives out all other fears and leads to life and not death. The specific fear in colon 2 seems odd but may be illustrated by a couple of well-known stories in the OT. In Genesis 19 and in Judges 19, we have stories of travelers who lodge for the evening in a strange town and face incredible evil, even though they have sought refuge in someone’s home. These stories inform us that travel in the ancient world was not a secure matter, and the only sure recourse was Yahweh.

We can only find true refuge in Yahweh, even though we may seek it in others. It is possible to find some rest in others, albeit temporary and dependent on finitude.

Luke 5:1-11

“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

“Do not be afraid…”

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

The two stages of receiving the gospel are wonderfully manifested in the story. First, it is necessary that we see ourselves clearly-as sinful and broken before the holy God-even as Peter did (Luke 5:8). But this alone will result in despair if the second stage is lacking-seeing Jesus as gracious, forgiving, and inviting us to follow (v.10).

This story invites us daily to apply the gospel to our lives in the same way. We should ask God to enable us to understand our own sinful hearts and to enlighten our eyes to see Him as He truly is (Isaiah 6:1-13;Ephesians 3:14-19), both in His majesty and in His kindness toward us. This vision alone will enable us to follow Him and proclaim His greatness to others.

-from The Gospel Transformation Bible

We talk about the “Success Model” where you must know where you are at in an honest way, where you wanna go, clearly, and then how you get there. What is a clear pathway to get exactly where you want to go?

Luke 4:1-2a

Then Jesus returned from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for 40 days to be tempted by the devil.

The result of baptism, by God, is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then the Spirit leads us, if we tune in to her. And I wonder if the message here is that often we will be led into a time of testing, of proving, of strengthening.

Luke 4:13

After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him for a time.

Battling temptation with Scripture, our only truly effective weapon against it, causes the devil to flee…for a while. He will return at an opportunity. And we will need to do it again. The same thing. Over and over.

“Broken Record Theology” we call it.

Jesus used the word that was already hidden in Him. That had been ingested. That had been meditated upon and memorized.

It’s been a while since I spoke Scripture aloud to fight temptation while in the heat of it. This I will do this week.

Luke 4:14

Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…

Overcoming temptation by the word of God strengthens us in the Spirit. To build muscle, you need some sort of resistance and you need to “overcome” it. You lift thru it. You don’t just let it sit on you and hope you get stronger and stronger someday.

Jesus was the strongest person in the Spirit on earth because He never gave in to it. He always resisted the maximum amount, so He built the maximum strength.

YHWH does not put more on the bar than you can lift with His power [I Cor. 10:13].

Do you want to grow in strength in the Spirit, and build your spiritual muscles? Or do you want to keep giving in to the same old temptations over and over again, asking forgiveness and remaining supernaturally flabby?

What do you want?

The power that raised Jesus from the dead is within us.

If you want it.

Let’s live like it.

Do you want it?

Proverbs 18:2

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Listen before you speak.

Really listen.

Sometimes people just need you to hear them, to listen to them, to know them.

Sometimes people just need you to be with them in their pain.

It’s remarkable, and honestly quite baffling at times, how healing a listening ear and a non-opininion-spouting mouth can be.

David Benner says that ministry in the form of spiritual counseling or therapy is praying, listening well, asking good questions, and wondering aloud.

I like that.

Proverbs 17:4

An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.

Actually giving ear to what is wrong, entertaining it for just a matter of a few lingering seconds allows temptation to begin to settle in and do its dirty work.

Run from what is evil. Cling to what is good.

We know what is wrong. Flee from it as soon as you recognize it.

And get better at recognizing it. Soon.

Proverbs 17:8

A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of those who give it; wherever they turn they prosper.

The problem with poor coping mechanisms is that…they work…for a while. They seem like magic for a bit.

Substances do actually numb.

Sex with the secretary–I mean–administrative assistant, does feel good (or so I’ve read).

Constantly going to events, concerts, gatherings, conferences, is a lot of fun and gives a high.

Then what?

Do we do this forever?

Til we die?

Proverbs 17:9

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.

Man, I see this all the time.

We love to dwell on disputes.

It’s so much easier than forgiveness. It’s so much easier than confronting. And it even feels good. Sitting on my pedestal looking down on that jackhole beneath me. This is an easy job that accomplishes nothing positive.

This has no place among Christ followers.

Flee from it.

Proverbs 17:12

Better to meet a she-bear robbed of its cubs than to confront a fool immersed in folly.

Sometimes it is not even the least bit profitable to confront someone on a matter. They will not even hear you. Let us discern when and when not to confront. We don’t want to use this as an excuse for not doing the difficult and necessary work of confronting someone, yet we also must recognize when people are so steeped in foolishness that they cannot be reasoned with. In this case, I believe the prescription is simply prayer and listening.

Proverbs 17:24

The discerning person looks to wisdom, but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.

If we have sense, we will look to God and His word in all situations, especially those of adversity.

A foolish person seems to go everywhere but God Himself for help-counseling, therapy, self-help books, palm readers, magazines, ungodly friends, magic 8 ball…

Luke 3:3-17

A baptism of repentance.

Immersion into Trinitarian fellowship requires a change of vision, renunciation of your old ways, and a new ethical orientation. John’s baptism was a unique prepatory act looking toward Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. It made ready the way. Conversion to Jesus will include this change of vision, renunciation of the self-way, and a new ethical orientation. It will include serving and giving to others, a heart for God and people as predicted in Ezekiel 36:27.

Or else it is not real.

That is what I get from this chapter of such great depth.

Immersion into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit animates this fellowship in real ways in the real world. It is not private. It is not intellectual. It is transformative in tangible ways in your life and therefore in the lives around you.

If we say we are “saved” and our lives are no different than what the world has to offer, if we have no heart for people, to work toward the healing of all hurt, we should question our immersion into the Trinity. Immersion/conversion will play out in the healing of the world.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

A true sign is the Spirit in us. Moving us. Leading us.

Something is in us that is beyond human, and there will be evidence of it.

Luke 2:19,51

Mary treasured these things and thought about them.

She is a good example to us, to treasure and think about God and His word.

Think about every word you read.

Read His word and books about Him for the purpose of transformation into Christ, not just information-gathering. There is a vast difference.

Think about God in every encounter today.

Listen to Him in every situation.

Is everything that happens to us or that we experience merely “second cause”? As in, human cause only? Or is it all “First cause”? Is God behind it all? Allowing it, if nothing else? Or maybe the better question to ask would be: Is God ever active in what happens here on earth now? Is God in control? Perhaps He is waiting for us to call on Him in many situations, waiting on us to act in His authority, for that is how He most often operates–in His power through surrendered, petitioning humans that He made in His image, that He desires to be one with, in desire and action.

(I want to be careful and sensitive here. There are many evil things which I do not believe to be God’s will. Why would Jesus have us pray “Thy will be done” if God’s will always happens? Also, I know good people who have prayed in earnest for healings of some type that were not answered affirmatively. Let me be clear that I do not claim to understand it all when it comes to God’s will, first and second causes.)

If everything is second cause we have much reason for frustration. And not much reason for hope in this life.

It’s difficult to say how it all works, but what if we at least went to God about everything? What if we looked to Him, listening for Him in every single situation, every stressor, every annoying person, to discover what He would teach us? If we are but willing to hear?

Would this not be better? Better than the approach that life is random and sucks much of the time?

Is God infinitely good? Does He know what He’s doing? Does He care? Is everything going ultimately toward goodness?

What if we lived as if the answer to all those questions was a confident YES?

We get bogged down looking thru the pinhole with our tiny vision, not knowing, not trusting at times that God is up to so much more. It’s like the Tourniquet album title, Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm. For parents, it is just like our children who can’t see the whole picture, the reasons behind parents’ discipline and decisions. So we, like children, get upset because we want what we see right in front of us right now–what we see thru the pinhole. And as parents, how much we desire for our children to trust us, to understand that we see much more than they do right now. We long for them to know in their little hearts that we want so much good for them. Good that is light years beyond top grades and winning teams. Good that is from the heart, springing forth from the Love that put us all here in the first place.

The First Cause.

Proverbs 16:6

Love and truth…is there anything more powerful?

May we love everyone unconditionally and in the truth of YHWH.

Unconditional love always encourages. Truth confronts when necessary, because it loves. Truth calls out destructive thought and action. It warns a friend if they are in a burning building, not to be a butt hole, but because of genuine care for their well-being.

I believe Will Ferrell said it best in Semi-Pro:

We have one rule here. What is it??

E.L.E.

That’s right, E.L.E.

EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY!!!!!

Proverbs 15:19

The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.

This is the clear, vivid picture you will find in many neuroscience books describing how our brains work.

Every time we think of something, we form neural pathways to said thought. It is often compared to blazing a trail in the jungle. The first time is always quite challenging as there is much to cut through. This of course is how it is with forming new and good habits. The second time is a little easier, and by the thousandth time, that path in the woods is like a “level highway.” It may as well be paved.

Conversely, as you blaze away on some trails, you inevitably neglect others to the point of overgrowth, making it more difficult to again go down that path. This can be for better or for worse, of course. By letting the trail to negative thoughts about myself grow thorns in its way, I become healthier. But allowing the path to talking with Jesus to overgrow, I grow distant and unfamiliar in my relationship with Him. Then that first interaction after time off is almost awkward–on my part, not His. Whereas with daily, hourly, minutely communication,  it becomes second nature to walk down this paved-like trail to goodness.

“Thoughts are things” as has been said. They are destinations. We now know scientifically that thoughts are physical realities. And the more you mentally travel to those (physically real) destinations, the more they become who you are, the more they become your nature.

You are what you think about.

If you purpose to think daily, hourly that you are infinitely and unconditionally loved, then you will live as a person who is infinitely and unconditionally loved.

We need more reminding than we do instructing.

Reminding of who we are.

Reminding of why we’re here.

Constant reminding.

Consistent trail-blazing.

You are what you think you are.

Actually, you are who GOD thinks you are.

But you LIVE as the person YOU think you are.

So why not match who you think you are with who God thinks you are?

Luke 1:37

God

can

do

ANYTHING.

Luke 1:45

You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord said would happen, would really happen.

Luke 1:50

God will show His mercy forever and ever to those who worship Him and serve Him.

Proverbs 14:17

The short-tempered act stupidly, and people who scheme are hated.

Those who throw a temper tantrum–reacting immediately instead of responding accordingly– act impulsively, doing stupid, thoughtless things that get them into trouble.

However, it is more intense, and even worse, to commit acts of evil after long reflection and planning.

Mark 16:4

They were saying to one another, “There’s that stone at the door of the tomb-who’s going to roll it away for us?”

The love for Jesus these women had in them carried them to the tomb despite the obstacles, known and unknown. Despite knowing there was no way they themselves could roll that stone away (archaeology shows the average first century woman was five foot, 90 lbs.), they went anyway. They just had to go. Desire propelled them.

We do what we want to do, what we really desire to do. If we want something badly enough, we let nothing get in the way of it. We sacrifice sleep, money, food, whatever, to obtain a hard sought after goal.

Everyone has enough time in their day to seek after God.

If we want to.

If we are willing to give up something for it.

If it is important to us.

And when we pursue God, He honors it by taking away obstacles. The women did not even know about the guards who had been standing at the tomb who would have surely kept them away–had their little Roman skirts not been scared off earlier by the angels of YHWH.

The stone.

The guards.

Gone.

Path cleared.

Because they just went.

Damn the obstacles, just go!

The more you charge down a path, the more worn it becomes.

Does this mean no hindrances ever?

I don’t think that. Evil will try to keep you away, yet something much more powerful is available to help you and honor your obedience.

Note, They who are carried by a holy zeal, to seek Christ diligently, will find the difficulties that lie in their way strangely to vanish, and themselves helped over them beyond their expectation.

-Matthew Henry

Mark 15:6-11

Release Barabbas or Jesus?

Everyday, every interaction, we have the choice to release Barabbas or Jesus. We can unleash upon the world murder or healing. We know that our action and also our words can kill or comfort.

Sometimes the comfort that is needed is simply our silence.

Sometimes people just need you to be with them in their pain.

More and more as I meditate and read, I am realizing the reality that we release what is within us everyday rather than conjure up something from the outside. Barabbas is in there, we know, but the kingdom of God is within you as well as Jesus said.

Perhaps this can be a helpful way of grasping life.

Perhaps this could be your anagnorisis.

Are you going to release Barabbas or Jesus today?

Life spiritually it has been said is not about attaining but obtaining. Obtaining what is already there, not conjuring something up. We release what is within us, it’s just that we allow obstacles to block the release of the Spirit. Because of false narratives we’ve grown up with and calluses,  we are not nearly all we could be for ourselves and the world. Our true self is imprisoned and unseen. As we heal, we can help others to see the precious jewel at their core, that is at the core of every person.

Are you going to release Barabbas or Jesus today?

This is what I will ask myself today when defensiveness wells up, or when I hear something I don’t like. Will I respond with healing or destruction?

Am I going to release Barabbas or Jesus on them today?

Releasing one imprisons the other.

Who are you going to release today?

Barabbas

or

Jesus

?

Proverbs 13:3

Those who are careful about what they say protect their lives, but whoever speaks without thinking will be ruined.

Let your words be few and full and well thought out.

Pause before you answer. It’s OK, you don’t have to respond immediately to everything.

Mark 14:3-9

Jesus was in Bethany, at the house of Simon (known as “the Leper”). While He was at table, a woman came up with an alabaster pot containing extremely valuable ointment made of pure spikenard. She broke the pot and poured the ointment on Jesus’ head.

Inside all of us is something of brobdingnagian value. It’s already there, we don’t need to wait for it to enter us from “out there”. We need to break the shell that is trapping it and keeping it from pouring forth out onto the hurting world around us.

The “shell”, in a general sense, can be simply pride, ego, fear, and specifically can be unforgiveness, perhaps of a person or organization. For some, it is a history of being hurt. So we protect ourselves, when in reality, we are denying the world of great blessing that God has purposed for us to be.

We need to be broken.

Our self-life needs to be crucified.

I highly recommend Watchman Nee’s The Release of the Spirit for an excellent treatment on this brokeness that is required to be who we were created to be.

We are not defined by our family, circumstances, or what we’ve done, but by what we were created to be.

Until everything is let go except for Christ, we will live below our potential.

Some of the people there grumbled to one another….And they were angry with her.

She performed for an audience of One.  She broke Jewish custom and interrupted a group of dudes. That’s a no no.

Who. Cares.

She cared about what one person thought.

And oh the reward.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said.

If Jesus told someone to leave me alone because I was doing something for Him from my heart……I don’t know that I would need another word of affirmation for the rest of my life. And I like words of affirmation. It’s one of my love languages.

“Why make trouble for her? She has done a wonderful thing for me.”

This is what I like to call a “gentle shut-up”.

“She has played her part.”

She did her portion for God.

Do your portion for God today, and everyday.

Do it FOR HIM.

The divine nod of approval is completely sufficient.

“I’m telling the truth: wherever the message is announced in all the world, the story of what she has done will be told. That will be her memorial.”

What a reward for doing something for the love of God only!

Proverbs 12:18

There are those who chatter on like a stabbing sword, but a wise tongue heals.

The ancient wisdom teachers felt that the fewer words the better.

To speak mindlessly about a matter is to invite great harm–thus the stabbing sword image.

What if we only spoke at length about that which we knew much about?

I know, I know, some of us would never speak at length. I get it.

But seriously, we just don’t seem to listen well, speaking only those words which are needed, asking those though-provoking questions as invitations to seek God more vigorously.

I have found it most helpful to listen in such a manner in which I am constantly asking the Holy Spirit, “What does s/he need to hear right now?” God knows this person in front of me waaaaay better than I do, so why would I not seek His direction in conversation?

That stabbing sword of chatter can be quite damaging when one feels unheard. How many times I’ve encountered a person (and have no doubt been that person!) who can’t seem to wait for the other to finish so they can talk, or who derails the thought process by ever bringing it back to themselves. Or they give the generic, scripted advice, probably meaning well, but sending the (hopefully unintended) crystal clear message of: “I’m not really listening to YOU.” To be unseen or unheard is to feel unvalued. And that is possibly the worst feeling.

Also, let us frankly admit that our attention spans are only so long, then the situation just becomes painful. Those who chatter on end up really wearing us out and down after a while, even if it’s good stuff. You can only take in so much.

Like the “Generation Axe” concert I went to a couple weeks ago with my buddy Jerry. Five of the greatest guitarists of the past 30 years, including my personal favorite Zakk Wylde, present for three and a half hours of shredderific mayhem. It was awesome!

For the first hour and a half.

Then the notes started blending together.

Then the ear drums started bleeding.

Then the comatose state settled in accompanied by drooling. Which I saw everywhere as I looked around me at all the rabid fans who had started out so pumped. Now they looked like brain dead asylum escapees, praying it would mercifully end, but not wanting to be that first loser to walk out on these 6-string legends.

Too much.

That’s all Jerry and I could say to each other as we walked to the car in a dazed ear-ringing and brain-bleeding state of near unconsciousness.

A picture of this concert should go next to the definition of “too much.”

Jesus told short, thoughtful parables. He asked provoking questions. He spoke to the particular person in their particular situation. Not saying more than He needed to, but obviously not saying too little.

May we do the same.

Yes, I know, I’ve used too many words in today’s Med. I’m just trying to give a current example of too much chatter. OK, that’s not the reason for the 900+ words…You got me. I’m wordy. But I’m working on it!