Category Archives: Christian Life

A NAME FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Christian Life, ,

Bible names are significant because they are often a prophetic utterance of character. Take the name of Jacob in the Old Testament, for example. The circumstances of Jacob’s birth provided him with a suitable name….it can mean “to follow, be behind” but it can also mean “to supplant or overreach”. Both meanings are apt descriptions of his birth.

A name can enshrine all the characterists of the person bearing that name. Hence, in the Bible, God’s name stands for all that He is in His nature and in His deeds. When Moses asked God His name, he was asking for His identity, “Who are you?”

God’s response was an enigmatic, all-encompassing expression of His being, translated, “I am who I am,” declaring in three tenses, past, present, and future the essence of His eternal, unchanging nature. Unexpressed but understood is the truth that God is to every person what they need Him to be.

Old Testament saints like Abraham, David, and many others expressed their experience of God’s sufficiency in their hyphenated names of Yaweh…Yahweh-Jireh, Yahweh-Rohi etc. As they called on His name, they discovered that He was sufficient for every need.

Calling on the name of the Lord is a way of expressing our trust in Him. When we call on His name, we are linking our our imperfection with His perfection, our need with His supply, our nothing-ness with His everything-ness, our weakness with His strength.

David recognised the value of calling on God’s name. By doing so in every situation, he was expressing his utter dependence on the Lord, even for his very breath.

There is no greater way to express our gratitude to God for His goodness to us than to embrace all the benefits of His salvation. Gifts are of no use to the recipient if he does not use them. God’s goodness is likewise useless until we weave His blessings into our lives.

So, David’s solution to his question is simple.

Psalms 116:12 NLT
[12] “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?”

We can offer the Lord no better expression of gratitude than to do what David said…

Psalms 116:13-14 NIV
[13] “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. [14] I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

Not only would he receive and act on every promise, but he would also fulfill his commitment to be faithful to God. By calling on His name, David was linking all
his need to God’s abundant supply.

The very name of Jesus, uttered in a moment of crisis or need, is to mobilise all that He is to come to our aid. How better can we value our fellowship with Him than to trust Him to be who He is?

Psalms 50:14-15 NLT
[14] Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. [15] Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

WITHOUT SPOT OR WRINKLE

Christian Life, ,

It’s all on His shoulders!

Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV
[25] “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Jude 1:24-25 NLT
[24] “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. [25] All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

Do you ever think about the moment when you come face to face with Jesus? What will He say to you? What will He do?

I do! Often! I yearn for that reassurance that there will be nothing in me that will cause Him to turn me away. I dread hearing those words,”Go away from me! I never knew you!”

Is there anything in me that can disqualify me from being in the presence of Jesus forever? Yes, there is, but for one glorious fact. Acceptance or rejection, in the end, doesn’t depend on me.

Wow! Think about that! I would have no hope of eternal salvation if it depended on me. Even in the New Covenant era, it is impossible for me to live a perfectly sinless life. Not even God’s grace can save me from sinning…all the time.

So, what hope do I have of being perfect enough to enter God’s presence?

Apart from God’s grace that saved me from eternal punishment, I have His promise of eternal perfection because He is doing the work in me.

Our two Scriptures and many more should be enough to reassure us that, if we do what He requires of us, He will do in us what He requires for our perfection.

What does He require of us? John tells us that there are only two laws in the New Covenant.

These laws are a summary of all the regulations of the Old Covenant.

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

The difference lies in the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. As those who have been supernaturally born into God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus, we have God Himself indwelling us. He directs our lives into His will as we learn to obey Him.

Since faith in Jesus and obedience to His commandments are conditions for discipleship, the assurance that we will receive a welcome into His kingdom goes hand in hand with our obedience to  Him as His disciples.

Does this mean that we can be lost if we fail to meet His conditions? It seems that disobedience disqualifies us from taking part in His kingdom. Like disobedient children who lose their participation in family life but not their status as sons or daughters, can we forfeit our role in God’s kingdom if we don’t keep Jesus’ commandments?

Some believe that there is a difference between being saved and being a disciple. Are there two categories of believers?

There are Scriptures that seem to confirm this thought.

The story of the prodigal son is the story of a wayward son who returned to a forgiving father. He remained a son in the far country but only enjoyed his privileges as a son when he returned home.

“Entering the Kingdom of God is a synonym for salvation. However, for those who take up the mantle of discipleship and remain committed, they will inherit the Kingdom of God. The saved will enter, but disciples will inherit. John 3:3–5.”
(https//:freegrace.in)

Then there are Scriptures that contradict this thought.

1 John 3:7-10 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. [8] But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. [9] Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning because they are children of God. [10] So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

Is there a difference between being saved and being a disciple of Jesus?

All evidence in the New Testament points to two facts.

1. We are saved from sin, past present, and future, by grace, through faith in Jesus. This involves a supernatural transformation…

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
[17] “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.”

…and a transfer from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
[13] “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

2. We have received citizenship in the realm of God’s kingdom and enjoy all the privileges and carry the responsibilities of that kingdom. We are representatives of God’s kingdom on earth. Our lives are to reflect the character and nature of our King.

To live in the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of light at the same time is an anomaly. It is impossible, therefore, to be both children of darkness and children of light.

Ephesians 5:8-11 NIV
[8] “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light [9] (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) [10] and find out what pleases the Lord. [11] Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

Paul adamantly defends the truth that God’s children will live in the light. Righteousness is both a guft and the fruit of salvation. We cannot practice sin and live in the light at the same time.

Now, let’s come back to our initial inquiry. Can I be sure of a grand welcome into God’s kingdom when I die?

I have this reassurance for several reasons…

1. I have peace with God through faith in Jesus.

Romans 5:1 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

2. I know that I am God’s child because I have the witness of God’s Spirit…

Romans 8:15-16 NIV
[15] “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

3. I know that I am a disciple of Jesus because my life is directed towards obedience to Him, not perfectly but purposefully.

4. God has promised to finish what He began.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
[6] “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

So, in the end, I can have absolute confidence in God’s promise that, as I work out His life in me, so He is working in me to accomplish His will.

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
[12b] “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

THE CROSS, A CONTRADICTION OR CONDITION?

Christian Life, ,

Matthew 16:24-25 NLT
[24] “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [25] If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

It’s a puzzle, isn’t it? What did Jesus mean by “take up your cross”? What is “my cross”, and how do I “take it up”?

Over the years, many have thought, and taking up the cross has come to mean, carrying the specific burden life has placed on us. For example, my husband abuses me, or my child is disabled in some way, or I have a physical or psychological problem that hinders me….many more “crosses” we must bear because they are inescapable.

Some people think that the cross is an appropriate piece of jewelry to decorate their necks or a marker on a fatal accident site or on a grave.

The cross is a torture stake used to kill people in a slow and agonizing way. How can it ever be anything else?

Did Jesus mean that our specific trisls are our cross in life? Are we qualified to be His disciples only if we bear our lot in life without complaining?

In what way did Jesus carry “His cross”? Why did He say, “Your cross?”

The cross, for Jesus, was not accepting His lot in life but, rather, deliberately carrying the torture stake that caused His own agonising death. The cross was the overriding purpose of His time on earth, a deliberate choice, and act of trust in and obedience to the Father’s will.

The cross and death were inseparable. For Him, there was no death apart from the cross.

The context of this instruction, for His disciples, was His own death. In vivid language, Jesus described to them what would happen.

Matthew 16:21 NLT
[21] “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day, he would be raised from the dead.”

At this point in their journey with Jesus, the cross was meaningless to the disciples. It would take the unfolding of the whole horrible saga to shed light on the mystery. To them, it made no sense for Him to die a violent death, so they dismissed His attempts to alert them to His warnings.

The cross, for Jesus, had a “before” and “after”. Before the cross, Jesus bent all His energies towards doing the Father’s will. Every word and action followed the course of the Father’s plan. Submission and obedience were the prerequisite for the outcome of His life on earth.

Jesus remained in constant contact with His “command centre”, to ensure that He never missed a cue or strayed from His purpose.

Jesus was dogged by a relentless enemy, impersonated by counterfeit religious leaders. Never once did He fall for their schemes or fall into their traps. He knew His destiny on earth and His path to it. He pursued His goal with relentless determination, whatever the cost. As drastic as the Father’s plan was, Jesus embraced it with joy for the “after” of His suffering.

Hebrews 12:2 NLT
[2] “… Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

How beautifully the old hymn describes the story of the cross…

  1. My song is love unknown–
    my Savior’s love to me;
    love to the loveless shown,
    that they might lovely be.
    Oh, who am I, that for my sake
    my Lord should take frail flesh and die?
  2. He came from His blest throne
    salvation to bestow;
    but men made strange, and none
    the longed for Christ would know.
    But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed,
    who at my need His life did spend!
  3. Sometimes they strew His way,
    and His sweet praises sing;
    resounding all the day
    hosannas to their King.
    Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
    and for His death they thirst and cry.
  4. Why, what hath my Lord done?
    What makes this rage and spite?
    He made the lame to run;
    He gave the blind their sight.
    Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
    themselves displease,
    and ‘gainst Him rise.
  5. They rise, and needs will have
    my dear Lord made away.
    A murderer they save;
    the Prince of Life they slay.
    Yet cheerful He to suff’ring goes,
    that He His foes from thence might free.
  6. In life, no house, no home
    my Lord on earth might have;
    in death, no friendly tomb
    but what a stranger gave.
    What may I say? Heav’n was His home;
    but mine the tomb wherein He lay.
  7. Here, might I stay and sing –
    no story so divine!
    Never was love, dear King,
    never was grief like Thine.
    This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise
    I all my days could gladly spend.

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #260

Author: Samuel Crossman (1664)

Just as the “before” of the cross had an awful cost, so, the “after” won a glorious crown.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT
[10] “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. [11] When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. [12] I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”

The rewards, for Jesus, are “out of this world”!

This is the cross Jesus calls us to take up and carry. The cross, for us as it was for Jesus, is not a contradiction. To take up the cross does not mean pain and loss for nothing. To lose our lives, in the final analysis, is purposefully to throw away whatever is useless and unprofitable and to embrace lives that are committed to doing the will of God, whatever that might be.

The cross is my cross, unique and personal. Yes, my struggles are the struggles of all yet my struggles are mine. I have sins to kill, things I think, say, or do that must be cut off if I am to be a true follower of Jesus.

The cross is a condition. No one can reap the reward of faithful obedience to the will of God without taking up the cross of death to self-will and selfish ambition. Gain through loss, life through the cross, is Jesus’s way to enjoy eternal life.

Tha Apostle Paul chose this life at a very heavy cost but, in the end, he could say with confidence…

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

Compare Paul’s words with those of Saul of the Old Testament.

1 Samuel 26:21 NLT
[21]”Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”

Saul’s foolishness led to his untimely death on the battlefield, forsaken by the Lord. Saul of the New Testament was confident of a royal welcome into glory for his faithfulness to the will of God, wherever it took him.

Finally, taking up the cross is a deliberate choice to embrace the will of God, not with reluctance or distaste but with joy, whatever it brings. There is a prize to be won. We must run with anticipation, in keeping with the wonderful love of God that is preparing indescribable and unimaginable blessings for those who go the course.

1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT
[6] “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. [7] These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [8] You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

GUARD YOUR HEART!

Christian Life, ,

Saved as we are, sin is still a horrible possibility in our human lives. The Bible warns of many ways in which we can be entangled in the web of sinful thoughts and behaviour. Like the seals that face the danger of entanglement every day as they follow the lines and nets of fishing boats for scraps, so we, surrounded by temptation, can easily fall prey to our old desires from which Jesus saved us.

Is it possible for us to “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires”?

God has given us many solutions to the issue of temptation and sin.

First, how does sin catch us out?

James 1:13-15 NIV
[13] “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

God is never the author of temptation. He may allow us to be tempted for good reasons. We never win over temptation through our own will-power. If God left us to resist temptation, at some stage our will power would give way.

God has promised us the power to resist temptation only by His grace.

Romans 5:17 NIV
[17] “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

Just as we rely on God’s grace to forgive our sin, so we must rely on His grace to say “No” to temptation.

The entire process of learning to live pure lives, then, depends on our participation in God’s grace to win the battle over the flesh

However, before we can ever move purposefully in the direction of holiness, awareness and attitudes must change.

Again, the Bible gives us the prescriptions that help us to change, in our thoughts and behaviour first.

Our attitude to holiness and sin, first, must be shaped, not by what we feel or what is convenient at the moment, but by what the Word says.

We are to fear the Lord in every detail of life, taking Him seriously and living by His instructions.

Habakkuk 1:13 NLT
[13] “But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil….”

Proverbs 8:13 NLT
[13] “All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

If God is holy, that is…consistent with His own perfect and pure character, devoid of every perverse and corrupt thought and deed, …then everything that contradicts who He is, is evil.

He calls us to share His attitude to evil, to hate evil and to disassociate ourselves from every taint of evil.

We learn this process, unfortunately, mostly by trial and error. Sinful attitudes, thoughts, and actions produce inward pain. We lose our peace and face the consequence of a disturbed conscience. Only as we put right through confession, forgiveness, and restitution if necessary, can we return to the rest in Jesus that He provides.

Such experiences prompt us to avoid repeating what caused us pain…a lesson learned if we heed it. These experiences help us to move away from experimenting with sin and to reinforce the desire to live by God’s grace that enables us to tame our unruly hearts.

Paul advised young Timothy to deal with fleshly desires.

2 Timothy 2:22 NLT
[22] “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

What wise and sound counsel! We canonly run from sinful desires by replacing them with holy desires. We can only change the way we behave by changing what we think and believe. To escape sinful desires, we must pursue what is pleasing to the Lord.

The Holy Spirit is in us as our resident Helper. We call on Him for His power to say “no” when the desires of our flesh threaten to overwhelm us. Sometimes, we find ourselves faced with situations that corner us, arousing desires too big to overcome. Only grace can supply the strength to say a meaningful “No!”, and effectively shut the door to sin.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if, through the power of the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

As sons of God, we have the right to call on the Lord and to anticipate His grace to keep us walking in obedience to His Word.

God has also given us a plethora of promises, each one suitable for each situation, to answer every need need, for one purpose…to live godly lives in the world.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

God’s passion is for us to share in His nature, free from corruption and fit for His holy presence. To achieve His goal, He has promised to meet us with His power at every turn. Whatever the situation, whatever the need, He is there to carry us across the chasm of our weakness. We have every opportunity and no excuse for not becoming overcomers in this “war of the spirit”.

There is a love we must kill and a love we must nurture. Jesus said that it is impossible to serve two masters. Whoever we love, we will serve. Love for the world and love for God can never function in one life. God will not share His temple with idols.

If we love the world and its trinkets, we will share its fate. Despite its apparent permanence, the world and its ways, standards, practices, and philosophies, is transient…here today and gone tomorrow. God alone is eternal, and all who are joined to Him by faith will survive the purging.

1 John 2:15-17 NLT
[15] “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

To follow Jesus is, to walk in the light.

John 8:12 NLT
[12]”Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

” Light” in Scripture often refers to God’s Word. David, for example recognised the importance of following the guidance of the portion of the Word he had in his possession to keep his life on track with God.

Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

Since Jesus is the Word in the flesh, to follow His example and to obey His teachings is the safest way to walk in the light.

Walking in obedience to Jesus keeps us in fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit, and with God’s family.

1 John 1:7 NLT
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Even for those times when we inadvertently follow the flesh, the Word enables us to chamge our behaviour to remain clean because of the blood of Jesus at work in us.

1 John 1:7 NIV
[7]”But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

The prophet Micah learned God’s simple prescription for a godly life. If we follow his directives, we leave no room for ungodly behaviour.

Micah 6:8 NLT
[8] “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Likewise Solomon, despite his own failure, provides another simple way to overcome sin in ourselves.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
[5]”Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Only by God’s grace, once again, can we follow the directives of His Word. Living life this way takes deliberate attention to what we think, what we believe, and what choices and decisions we make that help or hinder our progress towards the Father.

With this in mind, how imperative it is that we follow Solomon’s wise counsel. Whether we win or lose in this war against sin and its effects on our eternal destiny depends on one thing!

Proverbs 4:23 NLT
[23] “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

What we do in life… how we behave, how we deal with life’s tests and temptations, what we choose or renounce …depends on the condition of our hearts.

As David prayed, so should we, every moment of our day,

Psalms 139:23-24 NLT
[23]” Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. [24] Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

GUARD YOUR HEART

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.

What appears to be harmless glance
Can turn to romance
And homes are divided;
Feelings that should never have been
Awakened within
Tearing the heart in two,

Listen, I beg of you,
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away;
Guard your Heart!

Guard your Heart…
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay!

For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart.

The human heart is easily swayed
And often betrayed at the hand of emotion.
You dare not leave the outcome to chance,
You must choose in advance
Or live with the agony…
Such needless tragedy…
Guard your Heart!

Guard your Heart.
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away.
Guard your Heart!

Guard your Heart,
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay.
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
Don’t trade it for treasure;
Don’t give it away;
Guard your Heart!
Guard your Heart!
As a payment for pleasure
It’s high price to pay…

For a soul that remains sincere, with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart!

For a soul that remains sincere, with conscience clear,
Guard your Heart!

Author: Steve Green
Source: LyricFind
Guard Your Heart lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing

GOD’S PATCHWORK QUILT

Christian Life, ,

Life is like a patchwork quilt. The fabrics and colours seem random and disconnected. Each day is different. We may engage in a similar routine, do the same things, keep to the same timetable, but no two days are identical. We follow the course of the days as they unfold.

Who holds the pattern for this patchwork existence that we blindly follow…not because we necessarily have no direction or purpose but because we cannot see beyond the moment? How is it possible for us not to shrink back in fear of the unknown, go to ground because we cannot face the next moment, or step into our day with apprehension because our next breath may be our last?

The ancient Hebrews had an interesting way of viewing the future. For them, unlike for us, the future lay behind them because they was unknown and they could not see it. Their past lay in front of them. They could view their lives to date from the pictures etched in their memories, draw lessons from their experiences, and gain assurance from their knowledge of God’s faithfulness in all their circumstances. The past, for them, was a record of life from which they could receive courage to face the unknown future.

From God’s Word, we learn that God has a pattern for each “patchwork quilt” He is fashioning. From His perspective, nothing is random or unplanned. He has written every page of our day before we step out of bed each morning.

Psalms 139:16 NLT
[16] “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

This does not mean that God planned our faults and failures. It does mean that God saw and knew how we would live and what we would do and become. With His perfect knowledge, He ended them into the “quilt” He is creating.

God leaves nothing to chance. He has a perfect design for every “quilt”. So meticulous is He that He prepared the unique design for every life before He breathed one creative word into empty space.

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
[4] “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Before time, God had every human in sight, lovingly preparing each design and setting it aside for its time and place in history. It is difficult for us to envision such a mind-boggling process. We are not God. We have no capacity to understand the intricate workings of the divine Mind. We can only read and believe what is incomprehensible because God said it and God wrote it!

Does this mean that God has a plan even for every child born out of wedlock? What of the millions of children who have no father, no home, no identity, no inheritance? Does He include them in His perfect design for every life?

What about people who live wasted lives, and die in shame? Did God plan it so for them? Did He purposely design their “quilt” in dark and ugly colours? What of those who have never heard His name? These are questions we cannot answer. Perhaps God puts them into the same category as Peter’s meditation.

2 Peter 3:9 NLT
[9] “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

What God desires will not always be. Many times, human perversity crashes headlong into divine purpose yet, somehow, God accomplishes His will on earth through people. It is not for us to figure out the details…only to choose for ourselves to live within the provisions and purposes of His Word. We cannot answer for another but we are accountable for our own destiny.

God’s Word and His assurances give us the courage to face our next moment without fear. We view our past with awe, seeing in it a hand so big and so secure that it has guided us unerring along every predetermined way. What of the serious mistakes we have made, poor judgments that have landed us in serious trouble, sin that has obscured our view of the Father and caused us pain and sorrow? Are these also part of the divine plan?

We can never blame God for our foolishness but, because of His Word, we can assert with absolute confidence,

Romans 8:28-30 NIV
[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

Not only does He include the dark and dismal colours in His creation but, somehow, He also fashions them into our patchwork quilt to reveal a design of contrasts which reveal the beauty of His creative skill.

Only as we view our past can we recognise in it the hand and heart of the divine Craftsman. Only as we trust Him to work on His masterpiece can we step into each day confident of His love and His power to accomplish what He set out to do.

A startling day is coming! God will put all His glorious “quilts” on display. Even those who hated and opposed Him, all those minions who served in Satan’s army of rebels, will be forced to view and admire His handiwork.

Out of the blur of shapes and colours, will emerge His grand design…the face of Jesus overshadowing every human face!

In amazement, we will discover that those dark times od fear, guilt, and shame are the very contrasts God used to form His portrait of Jesus over our lives. We can look at our past from a new perspective, not with the regret we feel for our sin, but awe for the skill of the sovereign God. He blended the words and deeds of our old selves into the background of His grace to present His Son as the design of the finished product.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-10 NIV
[4] Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. [5] All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. [6] God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you [7] and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. [8] He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might [10] on the day he comes TO BE GLORIFIED IN HIS HOLY PEOPLE and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”

Imagine that! Every fabric, shape and, colour God uses to fashion His quilts will reveal one overriding design, the image of Jesus! Throughout all the ups and downs in our lives, God is recreating His Son in us so that, in the end, we shall al be part of His forever family.

Hebrews 2:10-11 NIV
[10] “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. [11] Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”