While growing his hair long since preschool, Mason, seven, always had in his mind to donate his golden locks to Children With Hair Loss. Though taunted by his peers, he always kept in mind the reason he was doing it and he remained resolute in his desire to see it through.

Watch this video interview of Mason and his parents featured on WAAF in Dallas.  May God continue to bless and guide him as he blesses others!

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What does this look like in real life?  Does it mean we never sin, never get angry, never say the wrong thing or stumble in our walk?  What does it mean when the Lord talks of looking for hearts fully committed to him?

I read this verse and am convinced he can’t be talking about me.  The desire is there to be fully committed, but my life tells a different story.  My life is messy, smelly at times with sin, I get frustrated, say the wrong things….frankly this verse can’t be talking about someone like me….but then I realize that he’s looking at the heart.

If God just looked at my life he would pass by without a second glance.  I’m a mess.  There is nothing of the material saints are made of in my life, nothing that would tell you  I’m a godly man, very little of a holy life for others to see and evaluate.

In fact, if I were under close scrutiny to evaluate my life and determine if I were a Christian I think I would fail the test.  Fruit rejected.  Life a waste.  Failure.

But then I reread these words…God is looking for hearts fully committed.  I so want to be that person, that fully committed one.  Can my heart be fully committed and my life an utter mess?  If God is looking for fruit, I fail.  If he’s looking for a heart that wants to please him no one wants that more than I.

How do I reconcile this paradox?  How do I bring together a heart that wants God with all that is in me and a life that wanders, choices that are messy, a life that doesn’t look much different than the world around me at times?

I don’t know.  I only know this…when his eyes pass my way he will see a messy life, but a heart that truly wants to be fully committed to him.  In the mess of all of this all I can do is trust him to help me follow my heart’s passion for him.

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These words are from Paul’s pen in 1 Corinthians 13. He’s writing to describe our vision problem. You see we all see poorly when it comes to the things of God and the reality of what is going on around us. We all find ourselves near-sighted. The things of God and the truths about our world are fuzzy at best. With our vision problems we often can only see shadows and shapes.

There is a desire to see clearly, but our vision problems will only be resolved at last when we see the Lord face to face. In the meantime we have to use glasses. We have to have help to see. In our world we all know what glasses look like. They are used to correct our vision problems.

In spiritual things most of us have no idea what “spiritual glasses” look like. The fact is that without them none of us can see clearly. The “spiritual glasses” we need to see well is God’s word, the bible. This is the correction for our near-sighted vision. God’s word is meant to give us clear vision about the things of life, reality, relationship and the future. Only his word can give us 20/20 vision.

Many continue to deny they need glasses as they look at shapes and shadows describing them in this way, “It looks like…”, “It could be….” and with great and grand words and a knowing tone they wax eloquent on things they can only see dimly, things that are at best fuzzy.

What’s sad to me is that many Christians believe the near-sighted men of the world rather than wear the glasses of God’s word. They trust those can only guess instead of looking clearly through the lens of God’s word to see what really is. Jesus once healed a man of blindness who said, “I see men, but they look like trees.” Jesus once more touched him until he could see clearly. God wants us to see clearly and that vision correction only comes through his word.

We are all near-sighted. We all live with blurred vision. We all need glasses to see clearly. The only glasses that will ever give us clarity to see the way things really are is God’s word. When you can’t see clearly go to the bible and you will find you suddenly have 20/20 vision.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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We have had an unusual number of days this year over 100 degrees. It’s been hot! I’m amazed at how hard it is for me to be content with my circumstances, with the heat. If it’s too hot, I wish it were cooler. If it’s too cold, I wish it were warmer. If it’s raining, I wish it weren’t. If we go through a drought (as we have), we all pray for rain. We seem to enjoy being discontent. We just recently got back from a mission trip to Russia, and when asked how the trip went my first response is, “it was really hot.” Why is my focus on my comfort, my contentment? Why do we all verbalize our discontent and everyone understands what we feel?Why is it so hard for us to be content? I hear it from everyone I spend any length of time with, “If I only had ____________.” Now, they may have a nice home, food, great kids, cars, enough to get by, but there is always that “one more thing” that will make them content.

We all struggle with it, and it has been a problem since the garden of Eden. In every country I have traveled the struggle for contentment is alive and well.

This morning I was reading Psalm 78 as the author recites the history of Israel and their sins. It’s interesting how he views it as he writes,

Psa 78:16 He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Psa 78:17 Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
Psa 78:18 And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire.
Psa 78:19 Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 

They saw God provide rivers of water as they had asked, but is that enough? No, of course not! Can God give us bread too? And in the middle of this the author calls that discontent sin, putting God to the test.

It seems we are always trying to fill a part of us with something instead of someone. “Stuff” will never bring contentment. Our culture will make sure of that, because as soon a I get the latest and greatest of whatever toy I want then, suddenly, there is an ever better, faster more wonderful one available and I’m unhappy again.

Contentment comes from someone, not something. I see in scripture the clear teaching that contentment is a result of an intimate relationship with God. The “stuff” is another topic altogether. In fact Jesus invites us in the gospels to live our lives with open hands and freely give our “stuff” away. That’s hard to do if we consider it the source of our contentment, the reason we are happy.

I love the story that Phillip Yancey tells of a friend who went on a monastic retreat. As the little monk was taking the visitor to his room he said, “Now, if there’s anything you need let us know and we will teach you how to live without it.”

Although I have no intention of living a monastic lifestyle it’s very appealing to me because I wouldn’t have all this “stuff” to worry about and drag around.

Paul discovered the secret and talks about it in Philippians. Here is what he said,

Phi 4:11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Phi 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Lord, teach me to be content. Help me to find my contentment in you, and not in the “stuff.”

Henry Brandt says it best when he said, “My goal in life is not to get to the end of it and compare my pile of ashes to your pile of ashes.”

The stuff will be thrown out, sold, given away, but an intimate relationship with the living God is priceless.

I’ll gladly give all my “stuff” to get that!

But somewhere inside of me I hope I don’t have to. We are sad creatures, aren’t we?

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This passage has always given me encouragement and direction. It gives clarity to usefulness. It describes my part in being a vessel the master can use. I admit that I’m still, even at 60, in process…being molded, making choices that determine my usefulness. It’s a lifetime project to become a vessel for honor, sanctified (set apart), useful to the Master, prepared for EVERY good work. It’s my goal to be a vessel God can use. I know he’s doing his part, but he also challenges me to be part of the process as well.

The last verse of this passage is my part. In it Paul turns from what God wants to see in my life, my choices and my actions. It begins with this admonition, “Therefore flee _______, and pursue ________. After both verbs are things to make decisions about. How do I participate in becoming a vessel, a person, God can use? I make some simple choices, 1. flee certain things and, 2. pursue other things. The bible calls this sanctification. It’s my intentional decisions to agree with God’s desire for me and make choices that conform me to what he wants me to be.

Flee some things, pursue others. Pretty simple, isn’t it? Yes and no. First, I need to know what God wants me to be. I need to know what the good and bad choices are. I need to know a few basic things and from those things I am invited, I’m challenged to make some choices. They are choices to follow and obey God or follow and obey the flesh and the enemy. I know, this all sounds really complicated, but it’s not. It’s so simple children get it. How do so many of us adults miss it?

Here are some things I have heard from adults that tell me they don’t understand what God wants or is trying to do in their lives. They don’t want to be vessels the Lord can use. From their mouths you will hear, “I know God wants me to be happy, so….” or, “It may be wrong, but I know he will forgive me.” You have heard things like this as well. It’s a way to give us permission to pursue the wrong things and flee the right things. We have gotten it completely backwards when we choose to do it our way. One thing is clear, if we choose our way we will be of little or no use to God.

I wonder, as I encounter people and their choices, what do they really want? Do they want to please God or themselves? If, and I think some would be so honest, if they want to please themselves they have just declared themselves god of their lives and dismissed the God who saved them. It’s a dangerous path. There is no happy ending when we choose our own way.

But, I watch others who want to be that “vessel of honor”, that person God can use. They are amazing! I’m thinking of several of them now, both men and women, who are intentionally working with God to become a vessel of honor, someone God can use. They are fleeing the wrong things and pursuing the right things. They are choosing wisely and it shows. They are becoming what God designed them to be and the glow of that, the impact of their life is changing lives around them.

God, the master potter, is making vessels of honor, but each one of us must be part of the process if we are to be what God designed us to be. We make the right choices for a reason….choices because we want to please God. Choices because we were called to be people God can use to change the world around us. Choices that have eternal rewards.

Make your own list. What is on your “flee list” and what is on your “pursue list”? These two lists will tell you a lot about the vessel you are becoming. It may mean you have some choices to make. It may, and I hope it does for many, encourage you that you are becoming what God designed you to be. Either way we are challenged to be part of what God is making us. What kind of vessel are you becoming?

Visit Mike at http://mikemesserli.blogspot.com/

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As I read further into the life of Hezekiah it’s obvious that after many years of poor leadership his walk with God was refreshing to Judah. He brought them back to God and they responded.

As I read more of his life story it was interesting to me that he even went into Israel to clear out the idols of the land. There was a passion in him to follow God, to wholeheartedly follow God. There was a desire to seek God that others wanted as well. From that man came a revival in Judah. The priests returned to God, the people returned to God and the results changed a country that had for years forgotten the God of Abraham.

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May I take the Thanksgiving theme a little further? One day is simply not enough for me to say thanks for God’s love, goodness and faithfulness to us. I can’t help myself, but must talk about it a little more. Will you indulge me for a moment longer?

I’m thankful to God for who he is, who he shows himself to be- good, loving and faithful. Those attributes show up in our world in three ways, 1. what he has done, 2. what he’s doing now, and 3. what he will do in the future. All three declare to a watching world that God is good, loving and faithful to his creation. Here are a few of the things I have noted in these thoughts. There are many more, but this will be enough for this post.

First, What God has done,

He created, Genesis 1:1. His goodness, love and faithfulness are shown in what he has made. All he made matches all he is. “Thank you, Lord, for what YOU made.”

He spoke, 2 Tim. 3:16-17. From the early pages of the Bible God is speaking to man, but for us the ultimate word from God is in your hands! God’s goodness is shown to us today, his love for us and faithfulness revealed in the word of God. God spoke and continues to speak to us through his word. “Thank you, Lord, that you didn’t leave us wondering about you, but you have spoken and we can know you because of your word.”

He redeemed, John 3:16. God’s revelation of his love, goodness and faithfulness are revealed in what Jesus did on the cross. He redeemed us! Now we can each know forgiveness of sin, peace with God and the promise of eternal life. “Thank you, Lord, for saving us! We are so thankful for giving us what we could have never earned on our own. Thank you for salvation!”

Next, let’s look at what God is doing,

He is drawing, 2 Peter 3:8-9, John 12:32, He wants everyone to be saved! No one is left out, everyone is sought, provided for and loved! “Thank you, Lord, that your love and salvation are for everyone. Thank you that you seek out each of us and desire that all men be saved.”

He is preparing, John 14:1-3, “Thank you, Lord, for telling us about what you are preparing. It’s so exciting to know that something amazing awaits us.”

He is sustaining, Col. 1:15-17, “Lord, thanks for holding us together. Thank you for keeping everything together and working out your purposes in this world.”

There are too many to count in each of these lists, but let me add just one more to this list,

He is interceding, Heb. 7:24-25, “Thank you, Jesus, for praying for us. You are so amazing to not only save us, but pray for us as well. We are blessed!”

And, last, here is what God will do in the days ahead,

He will return, Mat. 25:31-33, One day Christ will return. In that moment we will see his goodness, love and faithfulness with our own eyes as he comes to claim his children. “Thank you, Lord, that you are coming back! I can’t wait.”

He will rule, Rev. 11:16-17, The entire human race has lived under the rule of fallen men. One day the perfect king will set up rule over the affairs of man. “Thank you, Lord, that one day we will have a perfect king. Come, Lord Jesus.”

He will restore, Rev. 21:5, All we know is a fallen world. Even in this fallen world we see so many things to be thankful for. Imagine the world as God planned it….the world he designed restored to his blueprint. Then we will know fully his love, his goodness and faithfulness. “Thank you, Lord, that you promise to restore everything to what you made it to be.”

The best response we can offer?

“Thank you, Lord! We are so grateful that you are good, that your love never ends and that you are faithful to be do all that you have promised. We thank you, Lord. May our waking words each day be simply these, ‘thank you, Lord.’”

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A Prayer For Today:

Father,

For today, help your child that is struggling to feel deep peace and happiness even though their mind is filled with thoughts of uncertainty.

For today, bring unspeakable joy in the midst of the storm so that we are reminded that YOU, alone are God and are worthy to be praised.

For today help us to know you are there, holding and comforting us, walking beside us each step of the way, even though our hearts are fearful, worried and unsure.

For today, help us to know that what you have waiting is all that we truly need to get through this day.

Even though we can’t see the rainbow for the rain, for today – help us to trust you, your unfailing love, your never ending grace, mercy and desire for us to be blessed beyond measure.

For today, help us to know that you delight in our delight and that we can be completely free of pain and hurt while we trust you to direct us as you heal our broken hearts.

For today, help us to see what a beautiful soul we are and that our love is a gift to others.

Help us to see that for today and always YOU are all we need.

In Jesus Precious HOLY Name, Amen!

This is my prayer for you today and always!
{{HUGS}} yall

@spreadingJOY

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