AFTER God's Own Heart

More & more I find myself falling in love with the story of David. Mostly because it's a great story of God in which David has such an incredible part to play. You know David. He keeps sheep. Kills lions & bears...and giants. Fierce warrior. Anointed by Samuel. King of Israel. Father of Solomon. Remember Bathsheba? So he wasn't perfect. In fact, through his story we see many ups & downs. Victories & defeats. Good days & bad days. No doubt, the one passage that comes to mind for most of us when we think of David isn't something we read in Old Testament, though that's where all the great David stories are found. The number one passage that comes to mind when most of us think of David was spoken by Paul the apostle. It's found in the New Testament in Acts 13:21-23. Read it & see if you'll agree that this passage is what David is known most often for...

Acts 13:21-23 (NIV)
"After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
23"From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.

A man after God's own heart. We read that & think, "Wow, I hope that after it's all said & done that I will be remembered the same way." And it's true, who wouldn't want to be remembered as a man or women after God's own heart. The question is, how? After I'm dead & gone, what about my life & the way I've lived will lead people to believe that I was a person after God's own heart.

I'd like to help you with that question, but first, consider that statement with me: "After God's own heart." That word "after" has really come alive for me as I think about this verse. After can mean a lot of things. You can be named after someone. You can follow after someone or something. After can refer to time...or after can refer to a pursuit - I want to chase or go after that. All of these meanings are a little different. But think of these meanings in the context of this verse:

“I have found David son of Jesse a man after (named after, following after, always coming after, chasing after, pursuing after) my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”

Of all the things that could be said of me & you, I think one of the greatest is that we are people after God's own heart. We have been given His name to bear. Christian - named after Christ. He has called us to follow after Him when He said, "Follow me." We are always pursuing after Him, to gain the prize for which we were called heavenward in Christ Jesus. If you want to be known as someone after God's own heart, then follow the example of David. Not perfect, but always pursuing God. Listen to the power of after, & realize the life that God has called you to live is a life after His own heart.

Salt & Light

Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message)
13 "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

14"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. 15If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. 16Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand--shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

I remember being down at Gulf Shores one Labor Day weekend with Jason. We had a couple of boogie boards & we were riding the waves. The waves were pretty good that day at Gulf Shores. We figured out that there would be 4 or 5 small waves, then one really big one. I remember riding in one of those big waves & then trying to stand up to catch my breath. Then, out of no where, another huge wave crashed right on top of me. It took me totally under & I thought I was going to die! The under-toe held me under & slammed me against the ocean floor. My back was bruised & bleeding. And the salt water from the ocean entered every opening in my head. My ears, nose, mouth - it ran through my whole sinus system! It cleaned me out. I probably drank half the ocean!

There's no doubt that the ocean is salty. I think what Jesus might have been saying here to me & to you is that He wants us to be just like that ocean wave. Whenever people come into contact with us, there is no doubt that we are salty.

Is there any doubt that you are salty?

What about this?

I remember when my friends & I used to go in mission trips in the summer with the youth group. We used to love to pull practical jokes on each other. We had some great stories. One of the funniest was when one of my friends would wait till the lights had been out about 10-15 minutes. No one was really asleep, but our eyes were well adjusted to the dark. Then he would call out your name like he wanted to tell you something. Even though it was dark, you would still look his way, then, right when you looked his way, he would set off the flash on his camera! It would kill our eyes every time!

Have you ever had a similar experience?

There was no doubt in our minds that that light was real & bright. I think Jesus wants the same for you & me, to be pure light in a very dark world.

I was talking the other day to one of our teens who was telling me about the temptations of drugs & alcohol at her school. She told me that if she ever wanted any of that stuff, she knew right where to get it from. We live in a dark world. Jesus wants, He needs for you & me to be salt & light.

Romans 12: 2 says:
(The Message)
2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

How can you be salt & light in your everyday world?

Whom have I?

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

I love that passage from Psalm 73. It's the prayer of a true believer; someone who is fully devoted to Yahweh. It's the prayer of the person who has chosen to leave everything & follow the Lord, as the disciples did in Luke 5:11. It's the realization in the heart of the person who seeks God with their entire being that God is All in All. He is I AM. He is. And there is nothing that can take His rightful place in our hearts & in our lives. When God is our everything, & nothing else will do. No substitue can take His place. No other idol can compete. When God is our strength & our portion, then we have come to know Him. And, we are willing to follow Him.

The price of being a follower is steep. The way is narrow. Jesus once said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

Jesus' disciples had probably seen a man take up his cross, so they knew what it meant. When a man from one of their villages took up a cross & went off with a band of Roman soldiers, he was on a one way journey. He would not return. Taking up the cross meant the utmost in self-denial. Christ’s followers had to die to an old way of life. And Luke makes the point that it is not something that can be finished & gotten out of the way, but that it must be done daily.

I pray that today that you & I can live for God, for His fame & for His glory. Then we too can say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26

In His Name...

We hope in a lot of things. Every year I hope my Auburn Tigers will do well. Right now it's not football season, but after going 13-0 this past year I can hardly wait for next season to begin. You probably find yourself hoping for a lot of things. We hope we'll get that new car on our 16th birthday. We hope that he or she will notice us. We hope that people will like us. We hope that people won't laugh at us or make fun of us, but will accept us. We hope in a lot of things. We hope in the name of appearances. We hope in the name of popularity. We hope in the name of our own intellegence.

But you know, it's just a fact that some days are harder than others. Not every day is filled with sunshine. Sometimes it rains. That's just the way life goes. And in those moments, in those times when you look out the window & the clouds are rolling in, when you just don't feel like getting up & facing the day...in those moments, I want to remind you that there is hope. There is hope that the clouds will soon pass & the rain will soon be gone. The same Jesus that said, "Peace be still" can be the Prince of Peace in your life & quiet any storm that comes your way. There is hope. And it's in His name.

Matthew gave us a hope that is above all others. In Matthew 12:21 he tells us, that "In his name the nations will put their hope." There is no sweeter hope that we have than the hope that we have in the name of Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 10:13 that if we simply call on the name of the Lord He will come to our rescue. I belive there is power & there is hope in the name of Jesus. We call on a lot of people who are powerless to help. We rely on a lot of things that always fall short. And often times we depend on our sheer will power to overcome only what can be accomplished through the name of Christ. There is hope in His name.

Who is Jesus to you? What is his name? Maybe you call Him Lord. Maybe Healer. Perhaps Savior, Redeemer, Friend. The names Counselor, Helper, Confidant, & Forgiver may be close to your heart. In every name, in every way that you identify Christ in your life, do you hear in that name the overtones of hope? Can you see that in every situation hope is His ready offering.

Trust Jesus. Put your hope in Him. People fail you & let you down. Even those with the best of intentions will at some point disappoint you. But put your hope in His name, for He will never fail you. In His name is hope.

It's Not About Me...

This morning I was already having one of those days, actually...it's been one of those weeks. I'll spare you the details, but you've been there too. You know, when it seems that things just aren't going your way. So this morning I was driving into work & having a conversation with God that I'm sure was confusing even Him. I was driving over this mountain through the fog & trying to make some analogy about how I was ready to clear the fog & move into the sunlight & for life to be the way I thought it should be. Now don't get me wrong, I have a great life. I was just having one of those moments. Then, I round the corner close to the church where I work & I see this elderly man walking his dog, & he had on a sweatshirt with a picture of his dog on it! It got me laughing. I'm sure that will be me one day. Then, I pull into the parking lot & there is this woman & her son standing by their car. They had a flat tire & were having trouble putting on the spare. So I jumped out & began to do what I could to help them. I called my dad & together we changed this lady's tire in no time. We sent them on their way & already, my day felt better.

That's when I had the not so profound revelation, more of a reminder, that this life isn't about me. The world doesn't revolve around me. The universe is not dependant on me. I am here for a much greater purpose than myself. I am here for God's glory. And I'll serve Him & play any part in His story I can. Steven Curtis said it this way in one of my favorite songs:

I want to make much of You Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise that You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life take it & let it be used to make much of You.

I pray that today you too will make much of Jesus in your life.

Enough

When is enough enough? I love to run, and you might say I'm a fair weather runner. The exercise it provides is nice & all, but when it's cold outside...I'm just not that committed. I hate to run in the winter time. This time of year, it's just too cold. But in the summertime I love to start the day with a run. Whenever I turn the corner & begin to make my way home, I always start to get excited about that cold glass of gatoraid waiting for me in the fridge. As soon as I make it to the kitchen, I start gulping it down. The only thing is, I can't seem to get enough. The heat, the run, the exercise makes me so thirsty & I just can't get enough.

In 1 Kings 17 we find a cool story about Elijah & a widow. Elijah, the prophet, went to her as the Lord had told him, & asked her for some food & water.

You have to understand a little history here. The short of it is that there is a major famine in the land. Elijah was more or less responsible for that. He had told King Ahab that because Ahab did what was evil in the Lord's sight that it would not rain. And God was using Elijah to bring the people of Israel back to homeself. Ok, enough of the history. On to the cool part.

This widow Elijah approached told him, "I swear by the Lord that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. I only have a handful of flour left & a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, & then my son & I will die."

This lady was in a pretty sad situation. But Elijah reassured her. He told her to go ahead & make her last meal, but to make him a little piece of bread first. He said afterward there will still be "enough" food for her & her son.

So she did. And from then on, verse 16 says, "there was always 'enough' left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah."

A similar thing happened with Jesus in John 6. Over 5000 people had followed Jesus to hear more of His teaching. Jesus asked his disciples where they could get food to feed the crowd. They found a little boy who had brought his lunch. Jesus then preformed a great miracle. Over 5000 people ate lunch that day off of one little boy's lunch. And there were leftovers! 12 baskets were filled with leftovers. In short, there was more than enough.

I think God shows us on every page of scripture that He is more than enough for us. Chris Tomlin says it this way in one of my favorite songs:

All of you is more than enough for
All of me for every thirst & every need
You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in you is more than enough.

We can fill our lives with a lot of things & never feel like we have enough. I hope today you will let God be Enough.

Welcome...

Today I've decided to join the rest of the online world & begin a blog. Most people would consider me to be up on technology, but I've resisted this for sometime. However, I've seen the light. I hope this blog will be a place where any random thoughts I may have will bless & encourage you, & give God the praise He is worthy of. Check back in the coming days & see how this goes. I pray today that you will live in a way that honors God & brings glory & fame to His name.