John's Joy

“So they came to John and told him, "Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing--and everyone is flocking to Him." John responded, "No one can receive a single thing unless it's given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I've been sent ahead of Him.' He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:26-30

John the Baptist looked on from a far, watching Jesus as he baptizes people in the Jordon River.  The people were flocking to Jesus as they had once flocked to John.  John task had finished.  His disciples came to him as if to stir him up with jealousy, but he would have no part of it.  John understood completely his role as the ultimate set-up man.  He was there to prepare the way for the Messiah, to ready the hearts for one to come.  In these few words of John we see a level of humility that is breath taking.  

John recognizes we have nothing unless it is given to him from God.  John knew any popularity he might have experienced was because God willed it.  He knew his role in the story of Christ and as a friend to the groom he watched with delight in his heart.  He was expecting this day would come and rejoiced at the arrival of Jesus.  He knew this is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world.  He knew this was the Word and the Word had become flesh and had taken up residence among His people.  John’s joy was complete in watching Jesus.  His part on center stage was over and now in the wings he marveled at the Master in front of him.  

John set an example for us all.  John didn’t allow those around him to get him off track, by playing to his ego.  He didn’t allow pride or envy to distract him from what was most important.  We need to know when it is our time to allow others to shine for Christ, to understand our role in the story.  Most of all we can never forget our role in this grand unfolding story is to allow the Master to have center stage in our lives and in the world around us.  By doing so we will rejoice at the groom as he cares and loves his bride and our joy will be made complete in Him.  Jesus must increase and we are to decrease.      

Broken

Back to being disciplined again….I get off track so easily...very frustrating. You miss a day and whoosh...a week has gone bye and I do mean bye as in gone.  It's so natural to just go with the flow around you. Thinking of 1 Corinthians 9:27 this morning. "Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified."

Balancing this with grace and understanding underlining reasons for actions is also important. But I truly believe it starts with the simple act of prayer. To not rely on your own strength but on God's. To seek Him first and not 'lean' on my own understanding. Pray God gives me the strength and desire to take care of my body better. To pray that God will give me a desire to pray, to read my Bible. To pray that God will help me hand over the things I cannot control and that are best to put into His hands....because I make a mess of the things I attempt to control.

These are the hard lessons in life and there are absolutely no quick answers, no checklist, no self-help books or teachers. It's simply surrendering to Christ and His lordship. To pray for Him to instill in me a humble heart, and obedient heart, a heart that lives in knowing His love grace and mercy are there always. That the times I do 'fall' short He already knows those times and if....and if I am willing to give Him my failures He will do great things with them....things I cannot do myself.

This morning I am broken.  I have looked at my weakness and acknowledged my inability.  I   give you this veiled glimpse at my heart not to prop myself up as some kind of saint, or for sympathy. I share this so that you know I am a sinner just like you, I struggle every day of my life just like you and if you are reading this know you are not alone, you have not been abandoned you are human. There is hope, eternal hope, hope that will not disappoint you or forsake you, the Hope of Christ is waiting for you. To love you and forgive you and to restore you. Open your heart to Him and don't look back, trust Him with your heart and soul and don't look back. Don't look back at the would of, could of and the should of's, look to Jesus and focus on Him and Him alone and He will do great things. God is good! 

But They Forgot....

“They forgot what He had done, the wonderful works He had shown them” ~Ps. 78:11

The psalmist laments about his people and their short memories.  He cries out about the inability for his people to trust God despite His repeated acts of faithfulness.  In Psalm 78 he sets out to remind them of God’s shepherding with a pure heart and how He had guided them with skillful hands.  He reminded them of being freed from slavery in Egypt.  How God split the sea and led them with a cloud by day and by a fiery light at night.  He fed them and gave them water from the rock in the wilderness.  The people continued in their sin and God rebuked them and yet provided for them.  He gave them meat to eat and manna, the gain from heaven, people ate the bread of angels.  All of needs of the people God met in the desert, the place of nothingness.   Yet the people continued to sin.  God remembered that they were only flesh, a wind that passes and returns no more.  In His compassion for His name sake He drove the nations out before them and settled them in the holy land.  

How easily we still forget.  God leads us through our lives and cares for us in ways we cannot understand and yet we still ignore Him or forget what He has done all together.  When tragedy reaches our shores we cry out and ask, “Where is God!”, yet He has never left us.  In His grace and mercy He sees us through our difficult times with a cloud of friends and family by day and through the fiery light of His love in the darkest parts of night.  He never leaves or forsakes us; He is always with us, always loves us and is always faithful to His word.  He does this despite our short memories.  Today I pray you would take a moment and pause.  Think about all the times God has been with you and give thanks.  Give thanks to God who provides for us and meets our daily needs.  Give thanks to a God who shows you grace when you don’t deserve it and forgives us our many sins against Him.  God who sent His Son Jesus Christ, who loved us and died for us and was buried and rose again.  

Thank you Lord for today and for my many yesterdays you provided. Lord I pray that you would bring to my memory the many blessing you have showered me with and that I would live for the glory of your name!  Amen.