Various Articles
Of all the books of the Bible, Romans is my favorite. Chapter 8 may very well be my favorite chapter in the book for many reasons. It starts with the declaration that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and it ends with the encouraging reassurance that there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God…
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he first-century church, as we see in the book of Acts, was captivated by vision. It embodied the prophecy of Joel, pronounced by Peter on the day of Pentecost: "'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND ; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS" (Acts 2:17).
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"his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers” Psalm 1:2-3.
It is insightful to ask, “what is on your mind?” Each of us are preoccupied with something, because our minds are ever active. Our primary mental preoccupation says much about who and what we are at the moment.
To delight in the law of God is to be preoccupied with our Creator, and all that is pleasing to Him. The pathway to true success in life is to ever mediate on our Father and His ways. According to the Psalmist, we will be well grounded, nourished, fruitful, and prosperous.
A key word here is the word, “delight.” We easily associate romance with delight. Especially when love is new, there is scarcely a moment when we do not think of the one we love. And so, the one who is grounded, nourished, fruitful, and prosperous is the one who delights in the law of the LORD. That law, incidentally, is not just the law found in the first five books of the Old Testament, but rather the general teachings and ways of our Father.
The challenging question is: do I delight as much in the ways and will of my Father as my greatest love in this world? Some honest introspection will likely yield a less-than-ideal response. We could love and delight more.
Let me be clear: I am far from the ideal of delighting in my Father and His teachings. But, it is healthy for there to be some concern and displeasure at a lack of full delight at what has been called “the sacred romance.” Compared to marriage, it is the couple that is concerned about their relationship that has hope of healing.
How do we foster delight in our Father and His ways? I cannot offer a simple answer, nor is there one. Fundamentally this is true: if we long to delight in Him, we are well on our way to doing so. It is the cold, indifferent individual who has much to be concerned about.
David serves us well as an example, this man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). His words will resonate with all who seek to delight in Him: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:10
©Steve Taylor, 2024 --Used by permission
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In perfect harmony with His Father, Jesus too bears our burdens: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" Matthew 11:28-30.
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We’ve had a contagion going around our house for a few months now. Everyone in my house has caught it and it’s one of those things where one person gets over it and then another person gets it and then it just keeps getting passed around. It seems like you don’t develop an immunity to it, you can catch it an infinite amount of times. I haven’t brought it up at prayer time or anything because we don’t usually pray about these things- we just live with them and make excuses for them.
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What would you do if you knew you could not fail? It's an intriguing question, designed to help us explore and envision possibilities without limitations.
There is one venture we can embark on without even the slightest hint of failure. It will absolutely, positively succeed any time and in any place, and that is the work of God’s word.
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The subject of trials is the main focus of the first chapter of James. Trials can be beneficial in building character, and they are the common experience of us all, whether poor or rich. God can use trials for good in our lives, but He will never tempt us or entice us to sin. All good and perfect gifts come from Him, with whom there is no shadow of turning.
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