Personal Devotions: Sonship

Welcome to the first Personal Devotions post for 2011!

I have started to use Youversion on my Blackberry to get back into reading the Word.  Last year I was interacting with the Scripture using the Daily Audio Bible website and community, but in November I couldn’t keep up the momentum… it petered out.  So although I almost made it, I didn’t finish reading the entire Bible last year.  It was becoming a lot to take in all at once – Brian reads from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms and the Proverbs every single day – as well as gives his own inspired commentary on what was read.  Then he would pray, and there was also be a section where people from the community could call in and ask for prayer, pray for others in the community or give a praise report.

It was  great. But it was a lot to take in as the year progressed and my battle with depression deepened.   So this year, on the advice of a few good friends, I have endeavoured to look for another strategic Bible plan that will ease me back into the reading of the Word.

I had downloaded the Youversion app on my Blackberry for a while, but hadn’t really used it much until I was challenged to read the Word more – specifically the Psalms.  I decided that I would find a short Bible plan using the smartphone.  And this is day two.  I’m reading a Psalm and a Proverb.  that’s’ it.

But today I heard God speak through his word in a way that I have not heard in a while.  I was arrested by Psalm 2:7

I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.

I heard him: YOU ARE MY SON.  I cried out to him, “I have not felt like your son in ages!”  But in spite of what I feel or don’t, his word still rings true to my heart today.

This Scripture naturally makes me think of Romans 8:15 as well

¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.”

And looking at Proverbs 2, I was also arrested by the beginning two words: “My son”  The entire chapter spoke to me, but I am picking out the part that I really feel impressed on my heart right now.

¹ My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

I have had so many depressed moods, so much negativity, so much pain – that focusing on the positive was a welcome change.  So here is my devotion for today.

Lord, I have not felt like your son for ages. I can say like the Prodigal, “I am not worthy to be called your son.” But you call me son anyway. Even if I fail.  Even if I fall. Even if I decide that I am still feeling rebellious… all of this time you still call me son, and still seek my heart turning back to you. I ask that you will acknowledge my baby steps, and help me to increase my momentum. Thank you Jesus. AMEN

One Word 2011

In an earlier post I mentioned my friend Alece who shared her concept of focusing on one word as the guiding post for the entire year, rather than coming up with a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions.  Last year her word was RISK, mine was RESURRECTION.  This year, she chose to LOOK more to find Christ in even the mundane things, I have had a personally rough year and have chosen to move forward, gaining MOMENTUM along the way.

As I was perusing my Facebook page just now, I realized that this concept has been extended to Facebook!  Alece has created a One Word 2011 page at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Word-2011/182416081777208?v=wall.

This concept seems to be taking off! It seems so much easier to focus on one word rather than a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’.  I can attest to the fact that ‘resurrection‘ has yet to manifest itself in my life in a full way – but you can’t resurrect something until it is dead.  In fact, I would say that there’s been a lot of death in my life recently – emotionally, relationally, even spiritually – but I would also say that that is the reason I chose my word for this year as MOMENTUM.  In order to get the resurrection I seek, I have to find a way forward; I may start with baby steps, but intend to pick up the pace as I continue.

So here’s my plug for this concept – Even as Alece exclaims “Holy Crap!” at the explosion around this concept – I’m doing my part to spread the word!

So come along! Focus on One Word tis year… and be revolutionized by God!

I Thought I Understood

A couple years ago a new friend of mine, Phil Iszatt, from England, came with his wife to Barbados for a vacation and a rest for health reasons.  While there, he consented to minister prophetically in one of our meetings.  When he came to me, he said, among other things, that I would be acquainted with Christ’s sufferings.  He asked me if I understood what it meant – and I thought I did. I even had tears in my eyes when he asked me that question.

Now I know.

The circumstances are different.  Christ was suffering for things not of his own doing, as he was and is Sinless, and I am suffering for my mistakes, the things I’ve chosen to do that have been wrong, that have hurt so many others – and yet again threaten my marriage.

But listening to God’s word on Derek Prince Legacy radio, where Derek posthumously intones that I need to ask for things (pray) not because I want them, but because God wants them – I am beginning to see it.  Jesus said, in the Garden of Gethsemane, “If there is any way this cup can pass from me, let it pass, but nevertheless, not my will, but yours.” (paraphrased Matt. 26:39, 42)

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible says about this verse, in part, ” Those are best prepared to suffer with Christ, who have by faith beheld his glory.”  I have been stuck at this sentence.  I know that I have seen the glory of the Lord through miracles and the call of God on my life… does that make me prepared to suffer with him?

His humanity recoiled from his sufferings – but he accepted them anyway.

And so must I.

Understanding The Secret Place (Psalm 91)

I’m reading this article from Chip Brogden named  “Christ: The Secret Place of the Most High.”   As he says:

In the mind of the Spirit everything points us to Christ – there is no compartmentalization, there is no “thing” that has significance by itself. Everything is connected and pointing us to a deeper reality, and the reality we are being constantly brought around to is the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the theme, the subject, the point of everything written, everything illustrated, everything taught, everything recorded in the Bible. 

Most people (Ok, I’ll admit – I did)  see the ‘Secret Place of the Most High’ as a special place you can get in God where you are protected from harm and danger.  However, as the article goes on, Chip speaks of this ‘secret place’ as not a ‘place’ or ‘state in God’, but as a PERSON: Christ himself…

And so, whenever we come across something in Scripture like “The Secret Place of the Most High God”, we who are spiritual – who have the Holy Spirit as our Teacher – should be trained enough by the Holy Spirit to be able to recognize immediately: that is Christ. There He is. I see yet another dimension of Him here. 

He then asks a poignant question. If Christ IS the ‘secret place’ and based on Psalm 91 we are encouraged that to dwell there, then how do we dwell there, if ‘there’ is the Person of Christ?

Let me ask, how can you make the Lord your habitation, your dwelling place? How is that possible? This can only be interpreted spiritually, it is absolutely impossible, and hardly conceivable, if we think of it naturally. How can the Lord be my dwelling place? How can I live in the Lord? Well, it’s like Nicodemus saying, “How can a man enter into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 

How do we make the Lord our habitation? How can He become a place for us to dwell in? Well, it was a mystery for them in the Old Testament. They could go to the Temple, and they knew the priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, and perhaps that would be the closest anyone could get to dwelling, abiding, in the Lord, or at least, being in the presence of the Lord. But that was only for a few priests, it was not available to everyone. 

An interesting parallel has been made between Psalm 91 and John 15.  Jesus says ‘Abide in me’ … Psalm 91 encourages that ‘he who dwells in the secret place …  shall abide … ‘  Interesting! Never saw this before – thanks Chip!

Then we come to those wonderful words of Jesus in John 15, and we begin to understand. It is quite beyond human explanation. It remains a mystery, a locked door, until the Lord Jesus Himself comes to us and reveals the mystery and unlocks the door. He says, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you” (Jn. 15:4). It doesn’t take a very brilliant person to make the connection between Psalm 91 and John 15. The language is the same. Read John 15, then go back and read Psalm 91 again. All those words – abide, dwell, live – they all mean the same thing. “He who dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” goes right together with “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you.” 

And so we come to the wonderful, awesome, powerful conclusion:

Yes, this Secret Place where we abide is Christ. It is not some thing or some place outside of Christ, but a place in Christ Himself. HE IS THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. He is that place that has been prepared for us. 

Let us dig deeper than the surface to see the truth!  The ‘secret place’ is not a place for physical protection alone, but listen to the final paragraph from this deep revelation of Scripture:

Now when we read Psalm 91 it takes on an even greater significance. If you hold on to Psalm 91 for physical protection I don’t mean to discourage you or anyone else from doing so; but I do encourage you to dig deeper and get hold of it for something far better. It is a spiritual refuge, a spiritual covering, a place where evil cannot touch you, because you are hidden in Christ. A place where the body may become weak and may even be destroyed, beheaded like John the Baptist, stoned like Stephen, crucified like Peter – but the spirit cannot be touched. The communion and fellowship and presence of Christ Himself keeps you in His own Victory, a Victory that survives everything else, that goes beyond your own mortality, beyond your years here on earth, and goes with you up and away and apart from the earthy and the physical and the temporal – on into eternity.