STAYING IN BALANCE

Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

— 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Mark's Gospel adds the word "strength" to this statement (see Mark 12:30).

To break it down, the heart, for the Hebrew mind, spoke of the core of one's being, while the soul referred to emotion. It is the same word that Jesus used when He cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death" (Matthew 26:38). And loving God with all our mind carries the idea of moving ahead with energy and strength.

So to put it all together, genuine love for the Lord is intelligent. It is feeling. It is willing. And it is serving.

Some people love God with all of their minds, but there is no heart in it. They love to study. They love to be theologically correct. But there is no passion in their lives. On the other hand, some people love God with all of their heart and their passion and their emotion, but they haven't disciplined themselves to study the Bible. As a result, they are easily led astray. We need all of these things in play to love God as we ought to.

I know people who are sticklers for correct doctrine, yet many of them are miserable, mean, arrogant, and condemning. They will take the truth and use it like a sledgehammer in the life of another person. I also know people who are very active and busy for God, but their love for Him seems to be lacking.

If we can learn to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then our lives will find their proper balance

"Going with your gut!?"

Read : Psalm 119:97-104

People make a lot of decisions on any given day. Most choices present themselves quickly, leaving little time to weigh pros and cons. So we “go with our gut.” However, believers who desire to walk wisely through the perils of this world require something more reliable than flesh-based instinct. We need godly knowledge and principles to guide us, which is why we must meditate on the Word.

Over the years I would mention meditating on Scripture often in my writing and preaching—and for good reason. The Bible is the key to knowing God and following His will. Believers simply cannot neglect spending time poring over its words. If you want to be certain of God’s perspective on an issue, you go to the source book to fill your mind with truth.

All of us have a sort of grid around our minds. It’s made up of the principles we were taught as children, the habits we’ve formed, and the information we accept as true. New knowledge coming our way passes through that grid and is either assimilated or rejected. Think about TV commercials—those persuasive ads full of beautiful people are designed to steal past your mind’s defenses. Well, the Devil has the same goal of getting past your grid and gaining a mental and spiritual foothold.

Some of the darts that Satan aims at your mind seem harmless or even good—that’s why  “going with your gut” is so dangerous. A mental grid plastered with biblical truth is essential for Christians, because it identifies and rejects whatever is sinful, poorly timed, or simply not fit for God’s children.

TEN YEARS AGO---WOW!

One decade ago, the United States of America experienced a massive attack by terrorists. Our people were shaken by the realization that the country is not as safe as we once thought.
Of course, it grieved me to learn of the events that occurred and the lives that were tragically lost. But at the same time, the horrible situation led to some positive outcomes. For example, our nation unified and people served with courage and selflessness.
One of the biggest benefits, I believe, was that many of us realized our great dependence upon God. Safety in this world is an illusion. Sadly, the peace and blessing we have experienced in America has led to much complacency and self-dependence. Sometimes we need to be shaken out of our forgetfulness and into reliance upon Jesus Christ.
Just listening to the news these days can rattle our sense of well-being. There is always something unsettling taking place. But as believers, we should look at life from a biblical perspective. We are children of the living God, not people who seek security only in the natural, secular world. Our hope and refuge is firm: through Jesus Christ, our relationship with the Lord is eternal. Everything else we possess could be destroyed in a moment.
Worldly circumstances—natural disasters, wars, and assorted turmoil—may have an effect on everyone, but they can't control the believer's heart. Let your hope rest in Christ alone. Only by finding security in the arms of Almighty God can you remain unshaken in times of uncertainty.

WHAT PART OF"US" DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

 “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."

— Mark 4:35

In the Gospel of Mark, we find an interesting story in which Jesus invited the disciples, some of whom were seasoned fishermen, to join Him on a little boat trip across the Sea of Galilee. But on the way over, they encountered a radical storm.

Now the question would arise, "Did Jesus know that a storm was coming?" The answer is yes. In fact, you might even say that it was a part of His curriculum that day. It was all part of teaching the disciples to believe what they claimed to believe.

I don't want to make light of what these disciples were experiencing, because I'm sure this was a very harsh storm. Several on board had seen many storms on the Sea of Galilee. So it had to be a very difficult storm for the disciples to be so gripped by fear. According to Mark's Gospel, the waves were breaking over the boat and filling it with water.

The disciples were very afraid, but they didn't have to be. Jesus had made a significant statement they apparently had forgotten about: "Let us go to the other side."

And when God says, "Let us go to the other side," it means you will get to the other side. He didn't say it would be smooth sailing. He didn't say it would be an easy trip. But He did say, "Let us go to the other side."

Often we are gripped by fear and cease to think logically when we forget God's Word to us. That is exactly what happened to the disciples. But Jesus was on board with them, and He was there to see them through. On the occasion of the feeding of the 5000+ people with five loaves and two fish­---prior to doing it, Jesus said in John’s gospel “ where will WE get enough bread to feed this crowd?”  Regardless of the circumstances or difficult situations and challenges we face, don’t forget the “US AND WE” factor of Jesus in our life with us!!

A Disciple Deals with Disappointment and Discouragement

We all have expectations. And whether they are reasonable or illogical, when our hopes fail us, we feel disappointed. 

There’s nothing wrong with this response, in and of itself—in life, some disappointment is inevitable. Discouragement, however, is a choice, and a dangerous one at that. In this state of mind, we allow our circumstances to consume us. Then we stop striving for the goal and miss achieving our potential. 

Another consequence is a divided mind. As we’re distracted from tasks at hand, we easily make poor decisions and then feel tempted to blame others for our predicament. Anger can lead to retaliation and depression. All the while, we are drifting spiritually. Obviously, it’s important to resolve disappointment quickly. 

Consider what the Lord experienced in the garden of Gethsemane. He not only faced a gruesome death the following day; He also knew He would be separated from His Father for the first time in all eternity. His words inMatthew 26:38 reveal profound pain: “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death.” Needing encouragement and support, He asked the disciples to pray and stay awake with Him. And yet, they fell asleep. Jesus must have felt let down and alone, but He didn’t allow hopelessness to distract Him from His purpose of procuring our salvation. 

When life deals you a painful blow, remember Jesus’ response and realize you, too, can choose to cling to the Father for hope. Have you allowed disappointment to rob you of focus and joy? Pray for God to keep you from discouragement.

Problems and Provisions

Read | Matthew 14:22-34

No one gets through life without trials. Realistically, you are either in a storm, just getting out of a one, or about to enter a turbulent time. That is the bad news. Thankfully, we serve a good God who provides beautifully—especially during the dark periods of life.

Today’s passage tells of a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus provides for us today just as He did for His disciples in that unsettling situation. Today, we will focus on ways that He does this.

First, the Father gives Christians His presence and the promise that He will never leave (Heb. 13:5-6). This is, perhaps, the greatest gift because from this awareness, He offers a sense of comfort, courage, and confidence.

Second, the Lord blesses His children with a pathway through trouble. He is in total control of our storm and will use the trial for His purpose. We may not understand, but we can trust His hand to guide us and accomplish good. Sometimes the reason and benefit of a difficulty will becomes obvious, while in other cases, it may never be clear.

Third, the Father offers believers the potential to grow. Hardships are exercises in trust and times to learn more fully who God is and how great His power and love are.

No one enjoys trials. But remember to express gratitude for God’s hand in your life and the way He will use the adversity. Hardships are chances to trust your Creator and to know Him better. Of course, they are painful, but don’t waste the opportunity to become all the Lord has planned for you.

PUT IT IN HIS HANDS

Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.

— Matthew 14:19

A little boy was asked what his favorite Bible story was. He said, "I like the one where everyone loafs and fishes." That is not exactly what happened with the Feeding of the Five Thousand, but it is a great story.

Jesus was at the peak of His ministry during this time, and His popularity was spreading. Multitudes of people were anxiously following Him. A large crowd had gathered to hear Him, and they were hungry.

We don't know a lot about the little boy with his loaves and fishes whom Andrew brought to Jesus. We don't even know his name. But we do know he was poor, because he had barley bread, the cheapest of all bread. He also had two small fish. He didn't have a lot to bring to the table. But that little boy gave what he had to Jesus.

In the same way, God wants us to bring what we have to the table. This boy gave his lunch, as poor as it was, to Jesus. This lunch was as insignificant as it could be. And this boy was as insignificant as he could be. But that which was insufficient from the hands of the insignificant became sufficient and significant when placed in the hands of Jesus.

It is not what you bring. It is whom you are bringing it to. God can do a lot with a little. And sometimes those who have the least are willing to give more, because they recognize that if anything good results, it has to come from God.

So bring what you have. God can take it, bless it, and use it to touch many. What makes a gift great in God's service? It is not the magnitude of the gift. It is into whose hands the gift is given.