Power Failure

Colossians 3:3, "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?"

The electricity in my house was cut off for a day when a large tree fell across the power lines during the last windy storm. My house still looked the same on the outside. I could still sleep in my bed and sit in my chairs. My plumbing still worked. Parts of my house functioned as before. But I couldn't cook on my electric stove. Food began to thaw and melt in my refrigerator and freezer. My washing machine and dryer couldn't run, and my land line and cell phones were the only ones I could use. My house grew warmer and warmer. There was no television to watch and, worst of all, when night fell my house was so dark.

We can draw an analogy between electricity in a house and the Holy Spirit in a life. A person without the Holy Spirit may look good on the outside and may function well in certain areas. But when power is needed for things like loving someone who acts in unlovable ways or forgiving someone who has hurt you badly or exercising patience and faith in a very painful or difficult situation, the power is lacking. 

Sometimes the Holy Spirit is in a life but an act of sin, like that tree that fell across the power lines, short circuits the mighty power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and leaves us to operate only with our own limited resources. But if we confess and repent, God will forgive us and restore the Holy Spirit's power to us again. I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And this restoration brings even greater joy and relief than having the electricity restored to a household!

Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not leave us to operate with only our human resources. Thank You that You have made available to us that tremendous power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him in heaven with You. Thank You that we do not need to have a spiritual power failure, and You have made provisions for restoration if we do. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

Right now I'm thinking of a way to keep cool--

Air conditioning, some ice, a lake or a pool.

As much as I love the summer's fun

I'll be relieved when hot weather's done.

Simple--but not easy

In last Sunday's sermon the statement was made that, "The Christian life is simple but not easy." This is very true. The Christian life is really simple. Even children know when they have done something wrong, that they have sinned. They can understand that Jesus wants to come into the heart of every person and will enter a person's life and forgive his sins whenever that person invites Him in. Multitudes of people have become Christians before they were ten years old.

Living the Christian life is simple. The title of one of our hymns tells us just how to do that. We are to "Trust and Obey." The first line of the song says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey."

We need not only to believe in Jesus but to believe what He has told us in Scripture. If we are to trust and obey, we must first know what He has said and then do it. Simple--but not easy.

Since it's so simple, why is it so hard to live the Christian life? We have opposition, enemies, who make obedience difficult. Who are these enemies? There are three--the world, the flesh, and the devil and his demons.

The world would lure us away from godly lives into pursuits which gratify our fleshly desires. James 4:4b, "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

Our human nature has many desires that clamor to be satisfied. James 1:13-14, "When tempted, no one should say God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."

We have supernatural enemies. Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

The Christian life is not complicated. It is simple. Trust and obey. But it's hard, because we have enemies. Victory comes when we steadfastly keep our eyes on Jesus and trust Him and obey Him.

Father, I thank You that entering the Christian life is so simple that little children can understand how to do it. I thank You, too, that living the Christian life is not complicated, but it can be very hard at times. Help us each one to keep our eyes on Jesus and trust Him and obey all that He has instructed us to do. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

One thing I never want to do

Is try to walk with a rock in my shoe!

I'll limp and hop, without a doubt,

Until I succeed in getting it out.

Anchored

Hebrews 6:19a, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

When I was growing up, I used to ride the merry-go-round on the elementary school play ground. It was anchored in the middle by a very sturdy pole which did not move. The merry-go-round itself spun so fast you could easily go sailing off, but no matter how fast it flew around, you could stay on for the ride if you held on tightly to one of the handles that rotated right around the middle pole.

The middle pole which anchors my life is Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes and never moves. No matter how circumstances whirl around me or twirl me around, as long as I hold on tightly to Him I can remain stable and grounded. As one song reminds us, "The Anchor holds in spite of the storm."

Lord Jesus, thank You for being an immovable anchor for my soul through all the ups and downs and changes of life. Thank You for giving me stability and security. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

Every time it starts to rain

I repeat again the same refrain:

My umbrella is wherever it last was tossed,

But when I need it, it's always lost.