There is a very fat squirrel who lives inside some razor wire at a prison. The prisoners feed this squirrel by hand and he's not afraid. He gets peanut butter, cookies and all sorts of non-squirrel food. And his life shows it. He's content to stay inside the fence and feast. He is not sleek and fast like his cousins who live outside the fence. They are too shy to trust the hand of humans. They don't understand why he stays in the prison and he doesn't understand why they don't join him. But then if they did, there would be less for him to eat. So he nibbles from the fingers of the next friendly human.
I was amazed at how quickly a wild animal becomes docile when trust is built with food. He probably started outside the fence and someone threw him a cookie or a peanut. The guys have time on their hands, so I would imagine they'd throw it a little closer to the fence...and so on and so on. It's to the point now that the squirrel is probably too rotund to fit through the chain link and too lazy to climb up it and over the razor wire. Maybe someday a kind guard will carry him outside the fence and release him back into the wild with his cousins...but would he understand that was a good thing?
Aren't we so like that squirrel? We taste a little bit of what the world is enticing us with...a crumb here or there and before we know it we too are content in our situation. (Galatians 5:19-21) We feed that sinful nature inside of us until we are too helpless to do anything about it. We wake up one morning and find ourselves inside a prison that we walked into...all by ourselves. We find ourselves with what we think are kind people--but really they are more enabling than helpful. They either bought into the lie as well or they are benefitting from our imprisonment.
What are we to do? There is actually nothing we can do on our own power. We have to rely on the One who has the keys to life and death...to our prison. (Revelation 1:17) No friendly guard for us--but Christ Jesus Himself! All you need to do is acknowledge you are trapped and ask Him for help. He is faithful and waiting for you to ask. You really don't belong there locked up in sin...take Him at His word and He will set you free. Like the squirrel, you were meant for another life...time to take a peek outside the razor wire my friend!
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Impossible Dream
It's the new year and I've flipped back to the start of my Daily Chronological Bible. Today was the story of Abraham and Sara and some heavenly visitors. At the age when most people would say it's time to retire and enjoy a rocking chair...this elderly couple are told by 3 heavenly visitors that they are going to become parents for the first time. There is no mention of Abraham's reaction...he had been told for a long time that God make him a father of nations so I would hope he was thankful. But Sarah's reaction was recorded. She was listening to the conversation from inside the tent and she *LOL'd.
In Sarah's eyes her life did not add up to "new mother". She was 90, her retirement was set because Abraham was a good provider and menopause had hit probably 40 years earlier. She was wise in her own eyes, she knew better! So she laughed at these strangers and their news. Was her laughter happiness? Her thoughts betray her, she seems bitter and basically says God is too late.
So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Genesis 18:12
Skipping forward a few generations we come to another woman, a naive teenager really. She is also told by an angel that she is to have a son who will be Christ-the Messiah her people were waiting for. This young woman is not married but has plans to marry Joseph. Her life has just begun and now she is told she is going to be an unwed mother in a town that will stone her to death if they find out? How did Mary react? (I would be scared to death and ask if he had the right person!)
She had one question, she wanted to know how it would happen...she was curious. After a few facts, her reaction is recorded:
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38
Two women with similar pronouncements: impossible pregnancies. Two women with totally different reactions: sarcasm and belief.
Now you may not have an angel show up in your living room to announce a miraculous birth. I will tell you that I bet there is a dream you have that you have not shared with anyone yet. It might be a new career path, an idea for a ministry, a book, an invention. Have you reacted like Sarah and almost talked yourself out of it? Or are you going to be like Mary and ask God how He's going to make it happen in your life?
I'd like to fan the flame of possibility in your mind by leaving you with wise words from two angels that new Who they were talking about.
Is anything too hard for the LORD? Genesis 18:14
For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37
*LOL for those of us who are not text-savvy means "laugh out loud".
In Sarah's eyes her life did not add up to "new mother". She was 90, her retirement was set because Abraham was a good provider and menopause had hit probably 40 years earlier. She was wise in her own eyes, she knew better! So she laughed at these strangers and their news. Was her laughter happiness? Her thoughts betray her, she seems bitter and basically says God is too late.
So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Genesis 18:12
Skipping forward a few generations we come to another woman, a naive teenager really. She is also told by an angel that she is to have a son who will be Christ-the Messiah her people were waiting for. This young woman is not married but has plans to marry Joseph. Her life has just begun and now she is told she is going to be an unwed mother in a town that will stone her to death if they find out? How did Mary react? (I would be scared to death and ask if he had the right person!)
She had one question, she wanted to know how it would happen...she was curious. After a few facts, her reaction is recorded:
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38
Two women with similar pronouncements: impossible pregnancies. Two women with totally different reactions: sarcasm and belief.
Now you may not have an angel show up in your living room to announce a miraculous birth. I will tell you that I bet there is a dream you have that you have not shared with anyone yet. It might be a new career path, an idea for a ministry, a book, an invention. Have you reacted like Sarah and almost talked yourself out of it? Or are you going to be like Mary and ask God how He's going to make it happen in your life?
I'd like to fan the flame of possibility in your mind by leaving you with wise words from two angels that new Who they were talking about.
Is anything too hard for the LORD? Genesis 18:14
For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37
*LOL for those of us who are not text-savvy means "laugh out loud".
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Who's there?
Happy New Year! The year 2012 has begun whether you like it or not. Depending on your life, it either met you at the door like an unwanted salesman or a surprise visit from someone you didn't think you'd see.
The Bible talks about doors...the two doors I would like you to check out are found at opposite ends of the Bible: Genesis and Revelation.
Door #1:
"If you do well, will not {your countenance} be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
This door in Genesis has something on the other side that is not so welcome. It reminded me of a friend of mine who opened the door and barely missed stepping on a snake laying in the threshold of the doorway.
When you allow a bad attitude to put a cloud over your day, you invite sin to crouch at your door. Now Cain had an attitude problem--he made an offering on his own time, not the first and fruit..but "after a time". And when God called him on it, he got angry, then jealous of his brother Abel who offered an acceptable sacrifice.
Cain basically opened the door and sin overtook him--his hate manifested into murder.
Have you let a bad attitude take over your life? Have you found it easier to be disgruntled, grouchy, and hateful? Take care dear reader...sin crouches at your door and wants to be your master. Will you allow this transaction to take place? It is as if you hold out your wrists to be cuffed and your ankles to be shackled. Did you know you don't have to do that?
Door #2:
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
At the door in Revelation, there is someone who is knocking and calling. He's not hiding near the entryway, ready to pounce on you. This One is being pretty obvious about who is standing on the other side of the door. If you open this door, you open it to Jesus Christ himself...the one who will deliver you from the one who has tried many times to lock you up in sin.
My question for you in 2012 is this, will you open Door #1 or Door #2? This is no game show...Will you allow sin to master your life or will you surrender your life to the Master who gives you freedom and eternal life?
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have {it} abundantly."John 10:9-10
The Bible talks about doors...the two doors I would like you to check out are found at opposite ends of the Bible: Genesis and Revelation.
Door #1:
"If you do well, will not {your countenance} be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
This door in Genesis has something on the other side that is not so welcome. It reminded me of a friend of mine who opened the door and barely missed stepping on a snake laying in the threshold of the doorway.
When you allow a bad attitude to put a cloud over your day, you invite sin to crouch at your door. Now Cain had an attitude problem--he made an offering on his own time, not the first and fruit..but "after a time". And when God called him on it, he got angry, then jealous of his brother Abel who offered an acceptable sacrifice.
Cain basically opened the door and sin overtook him--his hate manifested into murder.
Have you let a bad attitude take over your life? Have you found it easier to be disgruntled, grouchy, and hateful? Take care dear reader...sin crouches at your door and wants to be your master. Will you allow this transaction to take place? It is as if you hold out your wrists to be cuffed and your ankles to be shackled. Did you know you don't have to do that?
Door #2:
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
At the door in Revelation, there is someone who is knocking and calling. He's not hiding near the entryway, ready to pounce on you. This One is being pretty obvious about who is standing on the other side of the door. If you open this door, you open it to Jesus Christ himself...the one who will deliver you from the one who has tried many times to lock you up in sin.
My question for you in 2012 is this, will you open Door #1 or Door #2? This is no game show...Will you allow sin to master your life or will you surrender your life to the Master who gives you freedom and eternal life?
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have {it} abundantly."John 10:9-10
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