Now is the time.... To Give Him Honour

….. give honour to the Lord for his glory and strength. Give honour to the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness. Psalm 29:1-2


I can hardly believe it, but here in Australia Easter eggs and hot cross buns have been in the stores since the beginning of the year. To ask why is unnecessary. Sadly we realise that it’s all about merchandising and nothing about Jesus Christ, the Lord and giver of new life.

We are now in what the church calendar calls Holy Week, the time when we should be remembering the passionate love God has for us in this world, and the lengths to which he went, to restore us to relationship with him. Jesus came for the express purpose of becoming the sacrifice for our sins. To do that he had to identify with humanity through his birth and life for 33 short years and finally die for no other reason than to take our sins upon himself. During that time he fulfilled all that the Father had purposed for him.

During the last week of his life he set his face to Jerusalem knowing what lay before him, yet steadfastly moving toward his divine destiny; knowing the agony of suffering that was before him, yet never wavering. They arrested him, they tried him, they lied about him, they whipped him and ridiculed him. Finally they crucified him. I have just read a doctor’s description of crucifixion and I cried as I remembered again that he did this for me……..and for you. What LOVE is this? “Amazing love how can it be, that you my God should die for me?”

Let us think on what he has done, let us allow the awfulness of his pain and suffering touch our hearts, because only as we do, do we really realise how awesome is his love for us and much we have to be thankful for. On Easter Sunday we can say “He is risen” and be thankful that he conquered death and the grave but this week, I think we need to remember just what it cost him to do that.

Let’s give him honour for his glory that he left when he came to earth for a time, let’s give him honour for the strength that he showed in the face of a punishment that belonged not to him, but to us. Let’s give him honour for his name is glorious in all the earth, his name is higher than any other, he is Lord of lords and King of kings and he, Jesus, is holy and worthy of our honour, our thanks and our praise.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of glory, I give you praise and I honour you today for you are great and your love is amazing. Thank you for your life, given for me. Help me to honour you in my life in everything I say and do. Amen

Now is the time ..... For Autumn Growth

For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. John 15:4

This morning I am enjoying breakfast on my deck on a perfect autumn morning. A small boat has drifted slowly past the jetty, trolling for an early catch; the odd energetic figure walks along the tree-shaded paths while the magpies’ soft warble adds a pretty note to the high-pitched notes of other birds.

What has particularly caught my eye today is the foliage on a young ironbark nearby. It has an amazing amount of new growth at a time when I would have thought everything was shutting down for winter. But as I thought about that I realised there are a number of shrubs in the garden that are showing lots of growth right now after the heat of the summer. It’s lovely to see, especially the number of blooms on the grevilleas which keep shooting out new blooms as fast as I clip the dead ones. Autumn is the time that leaves change from regular green to vibrant orange and reds making this season their time to show off.

Perhaps you feel today that winter is setting in for you in the spirit realm. You’ve enjoyed the flashy flush of spring and summer growth and there seems to be nothing much to challenge and excite you in the immediate future. Let the example of autumn growth or vibrant colours stir your heart to nestle again into Jesus and draw from his life-giving flow. Perhaps there’s something more to do before you rest for winter.

Yes, we all need the rest of winter, time to regroup ready for the next burst of growth, but there is a place of quiet growth that delights the gardener’s heart. It may not be as obvious but it still adds to the overall health of the plant. Remember, the root structure is important to the life of the plant and no one sees those.

I am watching someone go through a time of transition back to the heart of God. It’s not obvious to others who are not watching closely but to my eye and heart it brings a smile and great joy because I see the changes and the growth. Sure and steady.

Perhaps your autumn growth is just to delight your heavenly Gardener’s heart. Do you mind if your growth is just for him? Do you mind if others don’t see and acknowledge it? Some things need to happen in the secret place like a baby in its mother’s womb….. but that’s another story! He sees it all.

Prayer: Jesus, lover of my soul, gardener of my life, water me with your love today that I may grow gently and steadily for your glory. Amen

Now is the time... To Take a Break

Remain in me and I in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. John 15:4

Recently I was on the phone when suddenly I heard a huge crack followed by a thud and more cracks. As I looked over the front balcony I saw below the dead branch, now in pieces, that had fallen from the tree which is only a couple of metres from our house. Fortunately it had fallen clear but it did take most of one of our struggling hedge plants with it.

This gave us a bit of a wake up call and we had a professional come to inspect the rest of the trees and tell us what needs to be done to avoid similar occurrences in the future. (The quote is costly!) In our discussion about how to look after the trees she said something quite interesting. She said that eucalypts, which Australia has many of, are very prone to shed even good branches in dry spells. Parts of Australia have many dry spells. If the tree thinks it doesn’t have enough nourishment, i.e. water, to sustain its size, it just sheds a branch. Quite smart when you think about it, but what a waste! She said what we need to do is water the trees. Oh, now that makes sense!

Of course my ‘Daydrops mind’ started running off with this example and I immediately thought about the Christian life. Many of us can get very busy and very dry. We can get on such a roll with ministry commitments that there is no time for the Sustainer of our ministry, Jesus, and his refreshing presence. Even as I am writing this I am thinking of at least 2 very valid ministry things I should be attending to (while writing this, another commitment). Not only that there are at least 3 household tasks which require attention today and I am feeling the pressure mounting. I know I am not alone in my dilemma.

I have noticed that there is a tendency for me (and others), when we get into times of pressure, to drop things that are really important instead of looking at the option which is a sensible and Biblical ‘fix’. Spend time with God! It will cost you some time, but, if you don’t, the cost will be greater; to the Kingdom, to your health and perhaps to your family.

God gives us work to do but he also has available all the grace we need to accomplish the task. We are to accomplish our God-given tasks with God-given strength, not our own. Remember….. he is the vine - our life source of nourishment. Don’t drop the good branch, go back to the vine and draw strength to finish the task. This means we have to take a spiritual break, spend time in worship, prayer and in taking in some more of God’s word. This will be life-giving, faith-building and ministry-enriching. And don’t forget to take a break with your family and friends and have some fun.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times that I tend to run on empty. Help me right now to draw into your presence and draw strength and life you from to fulfil the tasks of today and to bear good fruit for your Kingdom. Amen

Now is the time.... To Shut the Door

…. do not give the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:27

I was sitting quietly in the den having just posted my last Daydrops when suddenly a horrible black fly came buzzing by. I was puzzled because our house is screened for insects and to my knowledge the screen doors were all closed. WRONG! Somehow, the door right beside me was open and I had not even noticed it. How weird is that?

Immediately though this verse came to mind …. Do not give the enemy a foothold, (or especially an open door). In this specific instance it was speaking of anger but there are many ways we allow the enemy to gain entrance into our lives; there are many doors we can leave open. Sometimes it is inadvertent, like me leaving the screen door open, but this is why 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.

Just like that ugly black fly, Satan is always looking for some entry point into our lives and he tempts us in many and varied ways; most often in our relationships with people. Things happen that give us opportunity to react in ways that will give Satan an opportunity to do his dirty work in our lives. Even recently I’ve been around people who are being tempted to leave the door open to anger, bitterness, rejection, unforgiveness, stress, frustration and fear. What is the answer to these things that are so commonplace in our lives? The answer is Love……….yes, with a capital ‘L’. The Love that God gives, that very essence of him that we can partake of.

This morning I read, Follow God’s example in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others…. (Ephes. 5:1-2). We ARE the children of God, therefore we need to ACT like our Father; our Father’s nature is to love. Not easy and certainly not possible in our own strength. Sometimes we feel mad enough to smack someone! However, that is not what our Father would do. He continues to love…… that’s humility.

Ephesians 4:2 exhorts us, Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, make allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. The love that is available freely for the taking. The love that will cover a multitude of sins and so keep us protected from the enemy’s attack. Yes, love is our screen door, in fact it’s better than that, it’s our fireproof door. Love guards us and keeps us from getting burned. Don’t leave the door open for the enemy to rob you of your peace. Allow Jesus’ love to fill you and become your protection.

My most often prayed prayer is….

Prayer: Lord fill me with more of your love so that I might be more like you. Amen

Now is the time... To Get Up

Though a righteous man fall seven times, he will rise again… Proverbs 24:16

Colin was busy working on paperwork in the office last night and I was working in the den next door. All was quiet when suddenly there was a crash, followed by a thud and various other noises. Not a word from Col. I jumped up to see if he was all right and found him getting up off the floor, the office chair lying on it’s side along with papers and a folding table also caught up in the spill.

Apparently the chair had collapsed. At first it wasn’t obvious as I picked it up, but sure enough when I put some weight on it the tell-tale crack appeared in one of the castored legs. Obviously it had been cracked for sometime and was just waiting to let go. Actually it was my office chair, I’m glad it didn’t happen when I was sitting on it!

We put great faith in our furniture and just expect that it will withstand our weight when we sit on it. I don’t think twice about whether or not the chair will hold me when I sit down in it. We are the same with elevators, aircraft, cars and trains. We get on and expect to get off safely at the other end. Well most of us do anyway.

We also put our trust in parents, relatives, friends, people, pastors, Christian organizations and other things and sometimes they let us down unexpectedly, just like Col’s chair. It is much more difficult to recover from a relationship crash with people close to us, and even more so if it involves a Christian. We have such high expectations of fellow Christians and can feel very confused and devastated when they let us down or don’t meet the expectation we have set for them. It is so much more of a test when our emotions are involved.

Sometimes we let ourselves or the Lord down and can retreat into a pity party of anger and self condemnation. I did that once for a whole month! But we have to get up again and go on, and the sooner we do it the better we’ll be.

The truth is, we are all on a journey and not one of us is perfected….. yet. We are all a work in progress, even those we look up to as more mature in their walk with the Lord than we are. Each of us is able to take a tumble. The Apostle Paul warns that each of us must be careful if we think we can stand strong because we may just fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

It is very disappointing when mature Christians fall into sin or let us down by their actions towards us, but take it as a test and allow God’s love, forgiveness and grace to lift you above the disappointment or failure. Pray for those who hurt you, then get up and go on and make sure you allow yourself to trust again or you may well become bitter and cynical which will cripple you in your effectiveness in the Kingdom. Remember that we are to treat others as we want them to treat us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to extend forgiveness and grace to those who hurt me and let me down, remembering that I may be the next one to need their forgiveness. Amen.

Now is the time... To Forget

…….. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…. Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

As I posted the poem ‘TODAY’ to my blog this verse popped into my mind and I feel compelled to write on the subject of forgetting because it is a major part of being able to live today well.

If anyone had a lot to regret it was the Apostle Paul. He had been a party to murder and the persecution and misery of many believers, yet God in all his love had reached down and transformed his life and called him to be joined to those whom he had previously persecuted. Can you imagine what would have happened if Paul had not been able to push beyond his past and live in his new TODAY?

When he penned this verse Paul didn’t mean that he did not remember what he’d done in his ‘previous life’; he wrote about it in Galatians (1:13), but he no longer allowed his past to affect his present. The earlier part of our key verse today reads No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race….

Yes, I too have done things I am ashamed of; things I wished I had done differently, and there are things I did not do that I wish I had done. There are things that were done to me that have caused me grief and have affected who I am, BUT GOD has given me TODAY to remember who I am in Christ. I am a brand new creation, loved unconditionally, forgiven and gifted for his purpose (Ephesians 2:8-10). His grace is available to me for the purpose of accomplishing every good work that he has planned for me to do…… including writing this devotional.

If my focus is continually on my past; what was done to me and the sins I have committed, then I will not be free to walk in today in the truth that God has set me free from the past to walk in his light. Yes, we all have regrets but that may not be our focus. Our focus is Christ who is our ‘NOW LIFE’. Remember, whatever we focus most of our attention on…………… that is our idol.

A major key to forgetting is to forgive. We must forgive ourselves, and forgive others. Yes we can do it because Christ is in us with all his grace available to help us do it. To be free we must forgive.

Rise from the ashes of the past ………… look to what lies ahead. You are free from your past……… if you allow yourself to be. Christ has freed you to live in his new dimension of eternal life which begins here on earth as we enter the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your gift of grace which empowers me to do all that I need to do in order to walk away from my past and into the life you have planned for me. Amen