Life in the Midst of Mess

Chapter One of The Grace of Catastrophe by Jan Winebrenner (2005) appears by permission of Moody Publishers.

God is what He is in Himself. He does not become what we believe. 'I Am that I AM.' We are on safe ground only when we know what kind of God He is and adjust our entire being to that holy concept.
A. W. Tozer

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19

Desperation makes us do strange things—things like sit up all night in a cheap motel and read the Bible out loud.

It’s not something I’d usually do after a day on the road. On my best day, I’d probably watch a little TV, read a novel, then turn out the lights, and get to sleep early.

But let a catastrophe strike, and God has my attention.

The rest is here.

A Fresh Start Today . . .

Our new school year begins today and with it new goals, high hopes, fresh discoveries, and more opportunities to make memories. Today marks CJ's first day of high school. Seems like yesterday we were practicing to begin kindergarten in the fall. Where did the time go? Mom was right: the time runs by so quickly.

Enjoy this devotional from Arthur W. Pink.

"Give Me your heart"

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

"My son, give Me your heart." (Proverbs 23:26)

A "willing" heart (Exodus 35:5)--which acts spontaneously and gladly, not out of necessity.

A "perfect" heart (1 Chronicles 29:9)--sincere, genuine, upright.

A "tender" heart (2 Chronicles 34:27)--yielding and pliable, the opposite of hard and stubborn.
A "broken" heart (Psalm 34:18)--sorrowing over all failure and sin.

A "united" heart (Psalm 86:11)--all the affections centered on God.

An "enlarged" heart (Psalm 119:32)--delighting in every part of Scripture, and loving all God's people.

A "sound" heart (Proverbs 14:30)--right in both doctrine and practice.

A "merry" heart (Proverbs 15:15)--rejoicing in the Lord always.

A "pure" heart (Matthew 5:8)--hating all evil.

An "honest and good heart" (Luke 8:15)--free from deceit and hypocrisy, willing to be searched through and through by the Word.

A "single" heart (Ephesians 6:5)--desiring only God's glory.

A "true" heart (Hebrews 10:22)--genuine in all its dealings with God.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." (Proverbs 4:23)

There Must Be A Difference

(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Matthew" 1856)

"You are the salt of the earth." Matthew 5:13

"You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14

Surely, if words mean anything, we are meant to learn from these two figures, that there must be something marked, distinct, and peculiar about our character, if we are true Christians.

It will never do to idle through life, thinking and living like others, if we mean to be owned by Christ as His people.

Have we grace? Then it must be seen.

Have we the Spirit? Then there must be fruit.

Have we any saving religion? Then there must be a difference of habits, tastes, and turn of mind, between us and those who think only of the world.

It is perfectly clear that true Christianity is something more, than being baptized and going to church.

Timely Clarification

One Minute Uplift
Your weekly one minute inspiration from Rick Ezell
11-01-07

Compass or Clock?
By Rick Ezell

"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands" (Psalms 31:14-15 NIV).

A friend said, "My problem is that I have surrendered my time to work, to other people, and to bad habits."

Then truly that is the problem. We should first surrender our time to God. God owns it anyway. Our task is to manage properly what has been entrusted to us until he returns or wants it back, including our time.

Think about a compass and a clock. Two very important tools, but two very different instruments. One would be wise not to confuse the two. To surrender our time to God is to be governed by a compass rather than to be controlled by a clock. A compass provides a sense of direction, purpose, vision, perspective, and balance. A clock measures duration, the expenditure of time. A compass determines effectiveness-doing the right tasks. A clock determines efficiency-how long it takes to accomplish a task. Both have their place. But, the compass must come before the clock, therefore, effectiveness before efficiency. The "mega priorities" of the compass subordinate the "mini priorities" of the clock.

A compass, therefore, becomes a symbol of an internal guidance system that provides us with our values and convictions based on God's Word. This non-negotiable governs our lives. In the same manner that the gravitational force pulls the compass needle; it is God that governs the drive of our lives. We surrender to his force.

Our time should be surrendered to God daily. I asked a friend who is engaged in many pursuits successfully, how he managed it all. He said, "I give my first minutes to God, then I commit the remainder of the day to his Lordship. And amazingly I work more effectively and efficiently."

Have you surrendered your time to God? Is your time in his hands?

About the Author
Dr. Rick Ezell is a husband, father, author, pastor, consultant, coach, conference leader, and communicator. Rick has a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology in Preaching from Southern Baptist Seminary. He has published over 450 articles and sermons in various Christian publications. While authoring six books he has served over twenty years in pastoral ministry. Rick, Cindy, and Bailey currently reside in Greer, South Carolina.
www.rickezell.net