Keeping Watch
"And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night." (Luke 2:8 NASB)
Oregon has an abundance of sheep. Every Sunday on the way to church, we often see sheep grazing in the fields. It occurred to me that in all the years of travel to church, I have NEVER seen a shepherd out there! These days, most farmers rely on fences to keep their sheep safe and together. Jesus is often referred to as the Good Shepherd. He isn't trusting other things to keep us safe, He is in the field with us, keeping watch over us!!!
As our Shepherd:
"...he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out" (John 10:3)
He knows us by name (personal, intimate)
He leads us
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them" (John 10:4)
He protects us
"I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9)
He provides salvation
He gives us freedom
He provides our needs
"I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10)
He gives us eternal life
Jesus, our Good Shepherd
Emmanuel, God with us
Merry Christmas!
Fix My Eyes
My mother used to sew beautiful dresses for me when I was a little girl. In addition to the beautiful buttons, ribbons, and lace she would artfully add to each of the garments, they always had a full skirt. When the time came to put them on for the first time, I would inevitably begin to spin and twirl to watch the skirt flow away from me. Years later, I had a little girl of my own. While I did not develop my mother’s sewing skills and therefore could not sew dresses for her, I still enjoyed watching her spin and twirl in her dance costumes.
There is a wild and mesmerizing beauty in watching fabric ripple and flow with movement. In the beginning, the fabric moves slowly and gently begins to flare away from the center.
As speed picks up, the fabric begins to undulate and flutter in a wild pattern that is both smooth and chaotic.
Just as a dancer twirls, so can our thoughts. If left untamed, we can quickly find ourselves tangled up inside, losing our sense of peace and direction in life. Uncontrolled thoughts leave us off-balance, open to the lies of the enemy, and vulnerable to fear and anxiety. This can lead to a swirl of emotions that feel dizzying and disorienting. One of the techniques a dancer uses to combat the feeling of dizziness when she spins is called “spotting.” She will pick an object or spot in front of her at eye level to focus her head and eyes on, as her body begins to rotate. As the motion continues, there will come a point where the head can no longer hold its fixed position, and she will quickly rotate it, overtaking her body to refocus on the original spot. This technique allows her to remain centered and have the ability to continue spinning without losing balance and falling.
In 1 Peter 1:13 it says, “Therefore gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” There are three commands in this verse – gird your mind, keep sober in spirit, and fix your hope.
In order to fix our hope on Jesus, the first thing we must do is gird our minds. We must gain control of the long, flowing thoughts that distract or send us down rabbit trails, leaving us vulnerable to our wayward feelings and the lies of the enemy. Scripture instructs us to gird our minds in the following ways:
· Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2)
· Let our minds dwell on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good repute (Philippians 4:8)
· Transform and renew our minds (do not conform to the world’s way of thinking) (Romans 12:2)
· Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Next, we are to remain sober in spirit. To be sober in spirit is to be calm and collected, temperate and circumspect. This means recognizing and rejecting fear and anxiety when chaotic thoughts begin to swirl. Scriptural ways we can remain sober in spirit include:
· Prayer with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)
· Casting our cares and anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7)
· Seeking first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33)
· Trusting Him (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Finally, we are to fix our hope on Him. The dictionary defines this aspect of “fix” as “to direct one’s eyes, mind, or attention steadily or unwaveringly toward.” This brings us full circle to the concept of a dancer using the spotting technique. There is no denying that we live in a turbulent time in history. Our nation (and the world) is being ripped apart at the seams, and it feels like society is spinning out of control at an alarming rate of speed. It is so easy to get distracted by the chaos and take our eyes off the Lord. When we inevitably begin to lose our balance, let it serve as a reminder to renew our focus on Him.
I was born spiritually blind to my own sin. The Holy Spirit fixed my eyes by revealing to me my sinful heart and helping me to see my need for salvation and a right relationship with Him. In return, I need to fix my eyes on Him, the author and perfector of my faith, the Hope of my salvation.
Soak It In
Do you ever feel like an old, dried out sponge…hard, a bit crusty, and worn around the edges? Not only is a dried out sponge ineffective, it isn’t even ready for use! It takes a good amount of water and effort to soften up the fibers and return it to a point of usefulness.
First Timothy 4:6 states that a good servant of Christ Jesus is constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of sound doctrine. In Greek, the phrase constantly nourished means “to educate, form the mind.” It is not an uncommon analogy to hear our brains likened to sponges. When we are little, everything is new. We observe our surroundings through all of our senses as we begin to try and understand the world we live in. So it is when we begin our journey with the Lord. We are drawn to Him with a childlike faith and described as newborn babies.
“…and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)
As we read Scripture, we begin to understand our own sinful nature as well as the broken, sinful world we live in, and that He calls us to live a different way that is marked by self-sacrificial love and the fruit of His Spirit.
What we expose ourselves to and where we focus our attention matters, and that means making a conscious choice to take control of our mind. Romans 12:2 says, “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Once we have made the choice to educate and transform our mind, we need to fill it with the right things. Philippians 4:8 tells us we are to fill our mind with “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” The one source where we can find all of this is God’s Word. The next verse (Philippians 4:9) says, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen (emphasis added) in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.” The words I put in bold reminded me of a sponge. We need to spend time soaking in His word. Jesus is the fountain of living water (Jeremiah 2:13), and the only answer for our parched and thirsty souls. Not only do we need to be soaking in His word, it must be a continual process, to the point of saturation. Why? Because the Lord wants to use us! He wants us to share the gospel message and be conduits of His grace. We must always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks us the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15.)
We are surrounded by people who may not understand or share our faith, but they are intently observing us. Being a Christian does not make us immune to the pressures and trials of life. It is in those times of testing that our character pours forth. Do our actions and reactions to the complexities of life match the faith we profess to possess?
When the trials of life wring us like a sponge, what comes out?
Is our speech harsh and critical, or gentle and seasoned with grace? (Titus 3:2; Colossians 4:6)
Do we physically lash out, or exhibit self-control? (2 Peter 1:5-8)
Are our attitudes angry and negative, or full of joy and hope? (John 15:11; Psalm 146:5)
Do we live in fear and anxiety, or walk with confidence? (Psalm 27:3; Phil. 1:6)
Do we emotionally shut down and drift through life, or do we maintain focus and press on with the work He has given us? (Matthew 20:6; Phil. 3:14)
Can our lives be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23)
“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Romans 12:1
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21
As we abide in Him, saturating our hearts with His truth and love, we become more effective and useful servants in accomplishing the work He has set before us.
As life squeezes us, may we pour forth His Spirit.