No Looking Back

It's easy to fall into the trap of looking back. The only benefit I receive from neck-craning is humility. To see how God has brought me from my ways (a deceitful and wicked path) to His ways (faith and righteousness) brings joy to my broken heart. That's humility. Without it, there can be no repentance.

Other than that, looking back is useless. Hope lies in what is ahead. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God. This may not be our definition of "good," however, but God's definition trumps our definition every time. Suffering, sickness, yes, even death, are good when they fall under the plans and purposes God has to bring glory to Himself. I would assume that none of these things would fall under our definition of "good." Goodness to us is bound by time. God's goodness is eternal. If we struggle with this, we must consider our worldview. Are we willing to sacrifice our comfort, possessions, and life to follow the will of Him who created it all?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

The Kuckel family reunion this past weekend has given me hope. Just as I now know there was hope for me, a slave to works and pride saved by grace, I see hope in the lives of these precious family members. My prayer is that we would be humbled by our past and broken before God, knowing that He has served a purpose in the past in order that we be united to Christ in His sufferings on the cross. And, at this point, that we would completely surrender our life to Christ and the power of His resurrection. Without the resurrection, there would be no new life, but death only.

Complete surrender means submitting our will to God. It means believing that His ways are higher than ours in all things. It means having a heart of repentance, knowing that we will fall, but being willing to confess our sins and accept discipline, if need be. Then we press on boldly, read the Word daily (we cannot live by the words of any other man if we do not first live by the Word of God, the Bread of Life), and live faithfully with hope for what is to come!

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

A Special Day

My twin sons, Benjamin and Joseph, celebrated their 8th birthday yesterday. I made a special Lego Luke Skywalker cake, and we had family come visit. I have to say, I have never in all my life seen so many Legos!

"Hear, my son, and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths, when you walk, your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble." Proverbs 4:10-12

Throw Off the Old Coat...

I don't know about you, but every time I think I have everything figured out (life, husband, kids, people in general), the rug is yanked out from under me, and, falling to the ground, I think to myself, "How did I get into this mess?"

Such is the way of the last few days as I have tried with all my might to solve my "problem." Don't ask me what my problem is because I don't know. I have just been carrying on as if I have a problem for a long enough period of time to be annoying. Being the theological giant that I am, I have determined to give my problem a name--sin.

All of us fall into the trap of sin, and it can be very subtle. This is the old coat, the one we received through Adam which has been passed down for generations. Generations of people who thought they had it figured out, but held tightly to the rag of iniquity.

On our class blog (livingpr00f), Mike posted an excerpt from an article by Andree Seu as taken from World Magazine. I like what he posted, but I wanted to add one sentence that spoke to me. Seu writes, "I discovered that discouragement is a choice I make and not something that happens to me." We make the choice to sin, and we have a choice to be forgiven in the new coat of the cross of Christ. If you know in your very heart that you are forgiven--repent and rejoice! I had to be reminded to let the cross be my place of security, not my sin.

If you find yourself discouraged, dissatisfied, discontent or depressed, acknowledge it for what it is--sin. These things come out of making ourselves our idol. Don't stumble, as Israel did, over the purpose of the cross.

'"...but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."' (Romans 9:31-33)

Excerpt from Chapter Two: The Needy Heart

“…the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” Genesis 8:21

No one is good enough to gain eternal life. All of us have sinned, and all of us fall short of God’s glory. The Law of Moses was set up so that we can see clearly just how short we fall! Who can keep all the commandments in his own power and strength?

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10

Even if one was able to keep the whole law every moment of every day, he would become a slave to it and the freedom that comes through faith would be nullified. Would being a slave to the Law be any better than being a slave to sin? The actions may change, but the heart remains needy. Freedom from sin, as well as Law, means becoming a slave to righteousness (Romans 6).

A young man approached Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life. After telling Jesus that he had kept the Commandments from his youth, Jesus asked him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The young man went away sad because he was very rich. Was it his wealth that prevented him from entering the kingdom of God? Surely not. The fact is he physically had everything he needed and yet his heart was needy. We all have needy hearts. Because we are unable to make the sacrifice on our own, Jesus had to make it for us. His shed blood covers all our sin.

“And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died; and this commandment which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.” Romans 7:9-11