Window Pane

Mark 10: ¹⁷ Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”

²⁰ And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

²¹ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²² But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

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 “Why did you do that?” a person inquired of me as they were trying to get to the bottom of my untruth. My lie was falling apart and I said something else that could not support the lie I had just told. They could see through my lies.

• People have seen right through my lies.
• People have looked at my face and knew I was not telling the truth.
• People have listened to a story I have said and quickly deciphered I was not telling the truth.

JESUS spoke to the rich man who seemed to be an achiever. The rich man’s words “Do” and “Inherit” shows he thought he could earn GOD’s approval. BUT JESUS saw right through HIM and told the rich man of only one fatal flaw, namely he was greedy.

• JESUS sees my heart and forgives my sin.
• JESUS sees my plans and alters them to bless me and others.
• JESUS sees my deepest desires and saves me anyway.

At one point I thought this story was only about greed, but it is much deeper than that. Pride, bitterness, hatred, lust, and envy are just some sins JESUS could have substituted in this message. If a murderer approached HIM, JESUS would have changed the action.

HE sees me desperately trying to achieve what HE has already done. JESUS has already forgiven me, already healed me and has already restored my soul back to HIM. HIS desire is that I open my eyes to HIS blessings daily because HE did it while seeing right through me.

• Are you trying to achieve GOD’s free gift of grace?
• Do you think you are in control of GOD’s love by your actions?
• Will you stop thinking your “level of good” merits you special favors from GOD?
• Can you start opening up your eyes to grace and spit out your bitterness?

Amazingly Chosen

Psalm 65: ¹ Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.
² You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.
³ When we were overwhelmed by sins,
    you forgave our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose
    and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
    of your holy temple.

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“That’s funny, all the other windows look wet but my driver’s window looks dry” I thought to myself. Then I wondered if I left the window down. To my dismay my car had been broken into. The initial shock caused me to question. “Why did this happen to me?” “Was it the sin I blatantly committed last night at or after the club?”

• Sometimes I think life is a balance of being sinful and being good.
• Sometimes I think I can get my way by being good.
• Sometimes I think I am being punished for being sinful.

Quite honestly it does seem like more goes wrong when I blatantly sin than when I try not to. This perspective is very dangerous because it breeds controlling GOD to the point where I can commit sin when I want to then be good for a while to balance the sin. GOD is not a thermostat, nor is HE the justice scales.

• GOD saved me in the “middle” of my sins which took tremendous grace on HIS part.
• GOD saw that I would not choose HIM so HE chose me and I had nothing to do with that choice.
• GOD blessed me with HIS decision to forgive me and it is now my choice to accept HIS direction.

Being supreme means GOD’s decisions are final and cannot be questioned or challenged. HE can take me low or lift me up. HE can choose some to live and some to die. HE answers my prayer with careful planning so I should never be upset with the answer because HE has a wonderful plan for me. Praise awaits YOU, my GOD, in Zion for HE answers my prayers with supreme authority!

• Are you trying to steer GOD?
• Do you think you are getting away with sin or do you think you can balance your sin with good?
• Can you accept the fact that GOD ha already provided you with an enormous amount of grace?
• Will you release control of your life and let GOD guide your path?

Watch what you ask for!

Numbers 11: ⁴ Some people who were with them began to long for other food. Again the people of Israel began to cry out. They said, “We wish we had meat to eat. ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt. It didn’t cost us anything. We also remember the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. ⁶ But now we’ve lost all interest in eating. We never see anything but this manna!”

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¹⁰ Moses heard people from every family crying. They were sobbing at the entrances to their tents.

The Lord burned with hot anger. So Moses became troubled.

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God has a plan for the “good” times and the “bad.” When I decide I don’t like the trial I’m in, I try to steer GOD in the direction of comfort.  I want to be as comfortable and wealthy as possible. This may or may not be GOD’s plan for me.

• GOD has a plan for me and doesn’t like altering it for my selfish desires.
• GOD has a plan for me that is built with love and doesn’t like changing it to suit my preferences.
• GOD has a plan for me that considers what is best and doesn’t like modifying it to put me in a worse situation.

I can long for the wrong thins all I want BUT GOD knows what is best for me and protects me from myself at times. HE carries me away from things that will harm me. I may cry and throw a tantrum but HE knows how to grow me in ways I never could consider!

• Are you in a trial and trying to pray your way out of it?
• Why do you think GOD has left you in the trial?
• Can you look at how HE is growing you?
• Won’t you let HIM steer the plan HE has for you?