Remembering God's Grace To Overcome Temptation

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools..." (Rom 1:20-22)

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

How do we know God? Paul tells us that we know Him intrinsically in our hearts via the power of our own creation as well as the creation that is all around us. The sheer wonderment of the world is our proof and evidence of the invisible attributes of the God we are to worship and obey.

The penalty of the rejection of God - foolish because we are already given ample evidence of His existence - is to be left to a debased mind...wallowing in a list of miserable sins. The picture that Paul provides is of a person who is a selfish sociopath, uncaring of others, narcissistic, and one who enjoy scheming, inventing and doing evil.

It is a stark reminder for me of my life before I gave my life to Christ. Outwardly, I was a normal guy, with a good group of friends and a budding career, but inside I felt so empty. Charity and charitable acts seemed like a waste of time and resources, and I was a bit of a sociopath too.

I knew of God, being blessed to have been forced to attend Sunday School as a kid, but I wanted to live the life that was glamorized on TV. I thought the TV life was the type of life that I should have, and as reality never measured up to the media, I was deeply unhappy.

I remember the day that I decided that my way of living life wasn't working. I remember giving my life over to the Lord. It was the most informal prayer I've ever done. I simply said, "Lord, I am tired of trying to do things my way and failing. I'm going to try it Your way from now on." There were no tears, no fanfare.

And the Lord has been faithful to gently show me that He loved me, that He was real, and gave my heart joy, fullness and the capacity to love.

I know that it can seem like the ways of God seem harsh and restricting. It seems like the freedom to sin is the greatest thing in the world - and like an illicit narcotic, it is fun to sin at first. Everyone is laughing and egging you on. It feels good to be accepted, especially when everyone is participating in the same stuff. But, because the fun is so short-lived and empty, it soon becomes a drag...an addiction that needs to be fed over and over again to feel alive.

The reason I write this today is for myself. I needed to remember my old life and to remember the deep emptiness that came out of that life. I needed to remember how far God has removed me from all that over the past 12 years or so. I am deeply contented today, and I cannot count the blessing that have come my way, in good times and bad.

I needed to remember because life has been hectic recently, and there are times in weak moments that I am tempted by my flesh and wicked heart to remember sinful thoughts. It is easy to see the fun in sin, but difficult to remember the depths of destruction and emptiness it can bring.

I would not trade my life for any other, and I have to remember to be vigilant by recalling how destructive and empty my life was before the Lord...knowing that I never want to go there ever again.

Lord Jesus, You have been so good to me. I cannot conceive of a life that is lived without You. Truly, you have saved me from myself and the life that I lived before. Truly, you have done wonders in my life that I could never repay. Thank You for loving me, Your creation, the way that You do. May I live every moment and second in worship for what You are and all that You have done. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Moses: Random Pieces Coming Together

"And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet." (Ex. 15:24-25a)

As I was reading this passage, I had forgotten that the Israelites were people who knew nothing other than Egypt. For generations they lived, died and worked there. Moses though, was born into a unique situation by the Lord because he was educated and trained as royalty for the first third of his life, then he was in shameful exile in the second third of his life - eeking out an existence as a shepherd in the wilderness.

I think anyone who looked at Moses at that point would have seen a riches to rags story. A man who seemingly had it all, and made a dumb mistake which led to a life of exile. He was part of Egyptian royalty and then he was reduced to tending flocks in harsh conditions.

Although Moses could never have seen or envisioned where his life would go next, it prepared him perfectly for the final third of his life when he was tasked to lead his people out of Egypt to follow the Lord into the promised land. He had the regal bearing and education to stand up to Pharaoh and be a leader. He also had something else that was key - intimate and extensive knowledge of surviving in the wilderness.

Consequently, when his people encountered challenges with the basics, such as a need for water, Moses with the help of the Lord was able to lead them to find it and purify it. I think about my own severely limited knowledge of the outdoors, and I would be terribly lost trying to survive in the wilderness. I would have needed a guide, and for the Israelites, that guide was Moses.

The Lord provides in many mysterious ways and uses our gifts and talents to help others in ways we cannot imagine. I'm sure Moses never knew that he would be the essential piece to free his people and lead them into their promised land.

On a smaller scale too, I'm not really sure how God will use me in the future. I know that I am a small cog in the Lord's grand scheme, but it is impossible to know how the unusual path that my life has taken will ultimately serve me down the line in the future. All the little things that seem so random, will they come together for something meaningful?

Maybe yes, or maybe no - it will be fine either way, but I do know that the Lord is free to do whatever He needs to in my life. I'm His to command and through the life of Moses, I know that He can redeem anything for His greater purpose.

Lord Jesus, help me to stay true to Your path, knowing that You will put all the random pieces of my life together for the good. Thank You that You are a God of hope and redemption - that out of my sinfulness You have desired to clean me and plant my feet on solid ground. My life is Yours - In Jesus' name, AMEN.