Streams in the Desert

Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed! Do not envy evildoers! —Ps 37:1 NET

This to me is a Divine command; the same as “Thou shalt not steal.” Now let us get to the definition of fretting. One good definition is, “Made rough on the surface.” “Rubbed, or worn away”; and a peevish, irrational, fault-finding person not only wears himself out, but is very wearing to others. To fret is to be in a state of vexation, and in this Psalm we are not only told not to fret because of evildoers, but to fret not “in anywise.” It is injurious, and God does not want us to hurt ourselves.

A physician will tell you that a fit of anger is more injurious to the system than a fever, and a fretful disposition is not conducive to a healthy body; and you know rules are apt to work both ways, and the next step down from fretting is crossness, and that amounts to anger. Let us settle this matter, and be obedient to the command, “Fret not.”—Margaret Bottome

OVERHEARD IN AN ORCHARD

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”
—Elizabeth Cheney

Our Incomparable Companion..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Our Incomparable Companion

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 14:16-18

Most of us don’t like being alone for extended periods of time. In fact, we are not designed to live in isolation. Even at the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). But sometimes situations in life leave us separated from others. Or perhaps we simply feel lonely, even though we live with our mate or family. But whatever your situation may be, if you are a believer, you’re never alone.

Knowing His followers could feel abandoned after His crucifixion and ascension, Jesus promised to send them a Helper who would never leave them—the Spirit of truth. The same One who came to them at Pentecost still abides within every believer. He has been sent to walk alongside us as our comforter, enabler, and guide.

The Holy Spirit, unlike human companions, is perfectly adequate to meet our every need. Since He knows us intimately, He can comfort us in pain and loss when no one else can. Anytime we find ourselves in a quandary, He knows exactly what we ought to do. Since the future is laid bare before His eyes, He’s aware of all the details that concern us. What’s more, He promises to guide us each step of the way, calming our fears and overcoming our inadequacies.

Because we were created for God, only through His Spirit are we made complete. He is the ultimate solution to man’s aloneness: He’s always available and will never forsake or forget you. When others let you down, the Comforter is present to lift you up with the reminder that you’re not alone.

Mixed Metaphors..... by John UpChurch

 Mixed Metaphors

by John UpChurch

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” - Colossians 2:6-7

If you grew up in America, you probably heard somewhere along the line that sentences should never end with prepositions, infinitives should never be split, passive voice is taboo, and metaphors should never be mixed. We have those rules, for the most part, to preserve clarity as writers learn the craft. But sometimes grammar rules need to be broken, just as Paul does here by cramming metaphors right up against each other—and for good reason.

So walk in Him: It all begins with a walk. Jesus put splinters in His back to stumble up a hill, and He expects no less of us (Matthew 16:24). We sometimes struggle over the rocky ground, and obstacles define the journey as much as the path itself (Psalm 37:24). But God laid out the lines (Psalm 16:11), emblazoned the roadway with clear markers (Psalm 119:35), and provided a Helper to go alongside us (John 16:13). To get to the goal, we have to shake off the things that wrap around our legs and hold us back (Hebrews 12:1).

Rooted [in Him]: All the while, we’re connected to the True Vine (John 15:1). He sends the sustenance we need to not only survive, but thrive in a barren world (John 10:10). God wants us to be fruitful—to the point that He actually prepared fruit beforehand for us (Ephesians 2:10). Sometimes He has to prune us a bit but that’s only so we’ll break forth in more fruit later (John 15:2).

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” - Colossians 2:6-7

If you grew up in America, you probably heard somewhere along the line that sentences should never end with prepositions, infinitives should never be split, passive voice is taboo, and metaphors should never be mixed. We have those rules, for the most part, to preserve clarity as writers learn the craft. But sometimes grammar rules need to be broken, just as Paul does here by cramming metaphors right up against each other—and for good reason.

So walk in Him: It all begins with a walk. Jesus put splinters in His back to stumble up a hill, and He expects no less of us (Matthew 16:24). We sometimes struggle over the rocky ground, and obstacles define the journey as much as the path itself (Psalm 37:24). But God laid out the lines (Psalm 16:11), emblazoned the roadway with clear markers (Psalm 119:35), and provided a Helper to go alongside us (John 16:13). To get to the goal, we have to shake off the things that wrap around our legs and hold us back (Hebrews 12:1).

Rooted [in Him]: All the while, we’re connected to the True Vine (John 15:1). He sends the sustenance we need to not only survive, but thrive in a barren world (John 10:10). God wants us to be fruitful—to the point that He actually prepared fruit beforehand for us (Ephesians 2:10). Sometimes He has to prune us a bit but that’s only so we’ll break forth in more fruit later (John 15:2).

Built-up in Him and established in faith: But we need structure to make all this happen, a steady trellis. Christians—walking, fruitful Christians—rely on a sure foundation (Isaiah 33:6), a rock-solid Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), and the living walls of fellow believers (1 Peter 2:5). Apart, we’re just a piece of drywall, but, together, we’re an impressive, if imperfect, house (Hebrews 3:6).

So, in one sentence, Paul makes us out to be walkers on a journey, plants with deep roots, and a living building. He would never have passed a modern writing course, but he gets the point across just the same: We move and grow and have our being in Christ (see Acts 17:28).

Intersecting Faith & Life: Word pictures in the Bible are imperfect physical descriptions of spiritual realities. Sometimes, you just need a bunch of them to get to the deeper truth—many broad strokes of the brush to nail down what’s meant (see what I did there?). When you come to them, stop and try to imagine the picture being painted. You’ll be amazed how much God can teach us through mixed metaphors.

A True Reflection of His Father..... by Lynette Kittle

 A True Reflection of His Father

by Lynette Kittle

As God created man and woman in His own image (Genesis 1:27), so children also reflect their parents’ image.

Have you ever seen a little girl or boy who looks so much like their parents that it’s easy to see whose family they belong to and absolutely no doubt from whom they came?

Growing up in a small town in Ohio, this kind of recognition happens all the time. It’s a common occurrence for someone in the community to say, “You look familiar. Who are your parents?”

Often a parent’s image is so undeniably evident in a child it’s not unusual for him or her to be referred to as a “Mini-Me” or a “striking resemblance” of the parent.

What Does God Look Like?

Have you ever wondered what God looks like? If so, have you been bold enough to ask God to show you His face?

Moses did. He asked God to see His face. When Moses inquired God responded with, “you cannot see My face, for no one may see My face and live” (Exodus 33:20).

Although God’s reply may sound harsh, He knows His glory is too great for any human to bear face-to-face.

Still God had a plan to reveal Himself to mankind in a close-up and personal manner, a way to really see Him and live to tell about it.

The Apostle Philip also asked Jesus to see the Father. When He asked, Jesus answered,
”If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him (John 14:7).

Jesus made it clear that seeing Him is seeing God, saying, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:7-9).

Reflecting His Image

Scripture supports Jesus’ claim. Hebrews 1:3 that states, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

As well, Colossians 1:15 describes how “the Son is the image of the invisible God.”

John 1:18 states. “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.”

What’s more, 2 Corinthians 4:6 explains how the light of the knowledge of God’s glory is displayed in the face of Christ.

As God is reflected in the face of Jesus, so you can reflect Him, too. Scripture explains how seeking after God has a transforming result, changing those who do into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Like Romans 13:14 encourages, “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” As you do, you’ll reflect His image to those around you.

A Prayer for Atonement..... By Greg Laurie

 A Prayer for Atonement

By Greg Laurie

For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. - Psalms 25:11  

Peter couldn’t take it anymore. He had watched His Lord’s anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had watched the group of soldiers come to arrest Him. So he took out his sword, took a swing, and removed the ear of the high priest’s servant.

In a way, I understand Peter’s frustration. Had I been in the same situation, I might have done the same thing. We might almost commend Peter for his heroism and bravery. But in reality, Jesus did not do that at all. He told Peter to put the sword away. Poor Peter. He couldn’t seem to get it right. He always seemed to be doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. He was sleeping when he should have been praying. He was talking when he should have been listening. He was boasting when he should have been fearing. Now he was fighting when he should have been surrendering. He always had it turned upside down. You see, Peter failed to see that he was fighting the wrong enemy.

Our enemies are not flesh and blood, the Bible says, but principalities and powers. And they cannot be defeated by ordinary measures. Far too often we take things into our own hands and try to assist God, to sort of help Him out a little. And far too often we do not pull out the most powerful weapon in our arsenal, which is prayer, and use it in these times of battle.

As Christians, we are too quick to protest and not quick enough to pray. We are too quick to picket and not quick enough to preach and focus on what God has primarily called us to do. We need to realize that we are fighting a spiritual battle. Therefore, we need to use spiritual weaponry.

Heavenly Father, 

We are all your children, and you love us in a way we can hardly fathom. Help us to see past the issues that divide us, and see one another with eyes free of hate. We have sinned. We have struck at our brothers and sisters with malice in our heart. We have made enemies of others while claiming to be your disciples. Help us to atone for these sins, and remember to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. 

In Jesus' Name, Amen.