Meditations

Well here I go talking about confessions again. Not the kind that some share with the Catholic priest to purge their soul every now and then, I’m simply talking about all the words that pass through our lips on a daily basis. This is something that God started trying to train me in about seven years ago, and I must be a slow learner because this subject just keeps coming up again.
I’m not surprised, my mouth has always gotten me into trouble. I tend to be a little blunt, maybe a little too sharp on the wit, and enjoy talking so much that I never shut up. So I’ve been trying to listen more and speak less, keep my vocabulary less colorful [not an easy habit to break], and to speak only words that edify and encourage.
Well, just when I thought that I might be making some progress in this area, I’m learning that watching my tongue goes a lot deeper than just my social graces in conversational speech. I’m beginning to see that my confessions, whether negative or positive, have an affect on every circumstance in my life. I agree with those who say that the only thing that we can control about our circumstances is how we react to them, but what I’m learning is that what we confess about them is just as important.
It helps to remember that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”[Hebrews 11:1]. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve been making is confessing what I see in my circumstances, instead of what I know to be true. Its so natural to look at my problems, remember how I’ve struggled in the past, and blurt out something negative right off the bat. Yet God’s word teaches us to believe His report, which is, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall you call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”[Jeremiah 29:11-12]
Throughout His time here on earth, Jesus gave us an example of how to confess through faith things hoped for, and not seen. Where He saw disease He confessed wellness, where He saw brokenness He confessed wholeness, and where He saw bondage He confessed freedom. Jesus’ life teaches us to, “call those things which be not as though they were.” [Romans 4:17]
Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” [ Mark 9:23] “For truly I say to you, That whoever shall say to this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he said.” [Mark 11:23]
So I am slowly learning to” walk by faith, and not by sight“. [2 Cor. 5:7] I now realize that the circumstances in my life that look like mountains, appear as such, because that’s what I’ve made them out to be. By confessing negative consequences over these situations, I was confessing Satan’s ill report over my life rather than God’s will. God’s word says, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue:” [Proverbs 18:20-21] So you see I have found it to be true, that what you say is very well what you will get.

Love is one of those words that conger up a whole lot of nuances. No two people would likely define “love” in the same way. Many would say that love is a feeling or an emotion, but I beg the differ. That warm fuzzy feeling that most people call love is pretty ambiguous. It comes and it goes, and it burns and it wanes, often for no specific reason.
I don’t believe that love is a feeling, but an act of our will. This is why it is possible for people to remain married for fifty plus years. I can guarantee that warm fuzzy feelings are not what has kept them together through the years, but pure commitment and determination. You make a commitment that you are going to love through thick and thin, good and bad, better and worse, and then you commit to continue to do just that.
The Bible has, what is in my opinion, the best description of what love is and is not, and what love does and does not do. First Corinthians 13:4-8 describes love in the most simple, yet most profound way I have ever seen. It says that LOVE;
-Suffers long
– Is kind
– Does not envy
– Does not boast itself
– Is not puffed up
– Does not behave itself unseemly
– Does not seek its own
– Is not easily provoked
– Thinks no evil
– Does not rejoice in iniquity
– It rejoices in the truth
– It bears all things
– It believes all things
– It hopes in all things
– It endures all things
– And, It Never Fails
So when dealing with our spouses, children, friends, and even strangers, we need to look to our creator who gives us an example of unconditional love. Remember that He loved us while we were yet still sinners, and He gave His life for us. [Romans 5:8] As imperfect humans we are not capable of this kind of love on our own. We must look to God to be filled with His perfect love, so that we don’t come up empty when those around us are less than perfect. We must put on love, which is the bond of perfectness, [Colos. 3:14] and remember that love covers a multitude of sins. [1 Peter 4:8]

I don’t Know if you’ve ever been there, but about the time I was really growing up [28 or so] I went through this wilderness period in my life. Looking back I realize that it was a continuous series of changes, all good, that turned my world upside down and somehow landed me in the wilderness. It was a place where I felt hopeless, powerless to control my circumstances, and although I was never alone, totally desolate. It was there in the wilderness, at the end of my journey, that I first experienced the presence of God in an undeniable, discernible way.
I came to the point where I was wandering around the desert and crying out to God to send someone, anyone, who would understand me, a true friend. I was dying of thirst and hungry for answers to all of life’s wrenching questions. Also I knew I should be back in church, and I would challenge God to send someone to invite me to the right church, after all who would know better?
Well, God arose to the challenge and next thing I know Teresa saunters into my life. She was bright, cheery, and didn’t seem to have a burden in the world. Oh don’t get me wrong, she had her fair share of problems, she just didn’t have any burdens. She was a vibrant tree of life, a shade tree, and full of ripe juicy fruit! Now let me tell you, there is nothing more refreshing in the desert than a Juicyfruit Tree, except rain perhaps, but that comes later.
So needless to say, I gobbled it up every chance I got. It was becoming fairly obvious to me that Teresa’s vigor was coming from a higher source, so when she invited me to church I replied with my usual response. “Is it one of those freaky-deeky Holy Roller churches?” “Yeah! It’s great! You’ll love it!” she exclaimed. “Well, I’m not comfortable in churches like that.” “No offence, of course.” I responded.
So the weeks passed on, and I’m still wandering around in the desert questioning and challenging God. “Lord I’m beginning to see that You are what is missing in my life, why don’t You just send someone to invite me to the right church?” “EXCUSE ME, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SEND?” Whoa, was that God, Speaking to me? “I HAVE SENT MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU CAN COUNT, BUT SINCE THEY DIDN’T OFFER SOMETHING YOU’RE ACCUSTOMED TO, YOU DIDN’T LISTEN.” “DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT IT MAY BE TIME FOR A CHANGE?” Well, there wasn’t a whole lot I could say at that point, besides, I was still stunned at the fact that I heard God speak. I could just see Him up there thinking, “Wow, she’s thickheaded, I guess I’d better help her figure this one out.”
I was up bright and early the next Sunday [quite an accomplishment for me] and called Teresa to see what the church times were. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I can’t make it today.”, she apologized. “Thats okay” I said, “I wanna go anyway.” So I did, and the strangest thing happened.
The moment I walked in the door I was enveloped in God’s Presence. Tears just started pouring down my face, and every tear brought healing. I don’t even remember what the sermon was about. I just wanted to bask in God’s presence and allow his living waters to quench my thirsty soul. For the first time in my life I actually felt the Holy Spirit raining down on me, and that rain brought life back to my desert.
I now know what made Teresa a Juicyfruit Tree, it is the fruit of the Spirit of God, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.[Gal.5:22-23] Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” [John 15:4-5]
He also said, “Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”[Matt. 11:28-30] Therefore I urge you to taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man that trusts in Him.[Psalm 34:8] “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush” [Luke 6:44]

We are all, too familiar, with those Christians who walk around looking all pious, smug, and self righteous. I’ve often wondered “what is up with that?”. These are people who are supposed to be free, full of joy, and a light unto the world. How is it that they are so miserable?
Perhaps they are so self righteous that they don’t need to seek God’s face daily, to receive His mercies and grace anew, like I do, or they forgot that God desires mercy from us more than sacrifice [Matthew 12:7].
I think perhaps the real problem is that they try to cover up any cracks in their pots. Isaiah said, “But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.”[Isaiah 64:8].
You see, we are all just earthen vessels, the irony here is that the more cracks you have in your pot, the more God’s glorious light can shine through you. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God”s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us” [II Corinthians 4:6-7].
You see, It is in our weaknesses that people see God’s power. Just ask Paul, who when he cried out to God about his imperfections, got this answer, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then came to this conclusion, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ”s power may rest on me. [II Corinthians 12:9].
Also it is in our humility that people can see God’s glory. Just ask Mary, who in Luke chapter 7:36-50 is referred to as a sinner, yet when she humbled herself Christ had this to say about her, “Why I say to you, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to who little is forgiven, the same loves little.”[Luke 7:47]. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up in due time.”[1 Peter 5:6]. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”[Matthew 23:12].
So don’t worry if you look all cracked up, Christ said, “You are the light of the world.”…”In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14&16].