daily IMPACT by selahV today

FOR THIS JESUS DIED?

Have you ever seen the actions and words of fellow Christians and wonder Whose kingdom they are building?  Do their words and actions build up others and edify?   Sometimes I wonder if they’ve ever read, “Let love for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail].” Hebrews 13:1.

When I am presented with a barrage of animosity, bickering and meanspirited behavior among my brethren, my heart sinks.  My mind whirls with words from my Savior’s lips:  “Peace, be still.  Let not your heart be troubled.  Blessed are the peacemakers.”  In these words I seek comfort and consolation.  For my Savior died that I might have peace.  He died so that the Comforter could come.  He left so the Comforter could teach me in all things.  And He died to set men free from the sin that enslaved them and had power over them.

“Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city's] gate in order that He might purify and consecrate people through the shedding of His own blood and set them apart as holy [for God].”  Hebrews 13:12

“That He might purify and consecrate and set them apart as holy for God.”

Do we live as though we’ve been purified?  Do we talk as though we’ve been consecrated?  Do we act as though we’ve been set apart as holy for God?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

A WORD OF COMFORT

Comfort is different for different folks.  Some folks like firm pillows, others soft.  Some like big stuffed recliners, others hard straight-back wing-chairs.  What works for one person who is hurting, grieving, depressed, or feeling inadequate, may not work for another.  Proverbs says, ”a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold”.  Also, “An encouraging word makes the heart glad”.

I find that true for the person sharing the word of comfort as well as the one receiving it.  There have been times in my life when I’ve been in the deepest of trials and faced with insurmountable heartache.  When I have reached beyond myself to brighten another’s day or offer a word of encouragement, I am filled with a fresh spirit of comfort.  I am strengthened and consoled by a power beyond my understanding.

Isaiah must have known this when he relayed the message, “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1,2.

Sometimes we do not have comfort because we seek it in all the wrong places.  Sometimes we do not have comfort in our distress because we do not ask for it.  Other times we wallow in our discomfort and complain rather than accept it when offered.  Yet, sometimes we do not have comfort because we think ourselves unworthy to receive it.

“Let love for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you.” Hebrews 13:1

If the Lord will comfort an adulterous nation who broke covenants and followed after strange gods, how much more will He comfort His people who follow after Him in faithfulness and hope in Christ.?   If the Lord will forgive Israel’s iniquities, surely His mercy includes we who’ve received deliverance from our sins through the attoning work of our Savior.  Can you offer comfort to someone today?  To someone who has wronged you?  If you can, you will be doubly blessed with comfort yourself.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

THOSE WHO BELIEVE

My grandson loves to ride motocross.  Each race he wins (which is most every time he races), he receives a trophy.  Sometimes he doesn’t even take the trophy because he has so many.  He rides for the points and seeks to be the best in his class in the state of Oklahoma.  He is diligent to practice.  He is diligent to keep his motorcyle in tip-top condition as he services it after each and every race.  It’s important to have clean oil and filter and fuel cleanser.

Christians are like that.  We need to constantly be servicing our minds, body and spirit.  We do that through reading God’s Word, caring for our temple, and communicating with God in prayer.

“But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul.” Hebrews 10:39.

We have it all.  Nothing has been left out.  We have all we need to run the race of life.  And in the end we have perfection, completeness, everlasting reward.  However, we won’t want to give up our trophies when Jesus returns.  We will want to lay them at His feet, for He is the Victor, He has overcome the world.  And faith in Him preserves our soul.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

GOD'S SOUL DELIGHT

My granddaughters love to make me little love notes.  They are constantly drawing me pictures.  Abby, 6, loves to wash my windows.  She delights in giving to me.  God is like that only better.

He delights in giving; so much so, that He gave His only begotten Son to provide a propitiation (substitute) for the punishment I deserve.  This is His delight and pleasure.  And all He asks of me is to rest in His redemption and stand in faith of His promises.  He is a jealous God and does not take pleasure in my faithlessness to His Word–written or Incarnate.  He’s provided everything I need to stand against the adversary and the wiles of Satan.  He even provides an escape in a moment of temptation.  He expects me to live by His provision in Him.

“…and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him.” Hebrews 38:b (should be Hebrews 10:38b)

God will still love me, should I tremble.  God will not separate Himself from me if I shrink in the face of adversity.  His love is unconditional.  But His soul takes no delight or pleasure in my faithlessness.  Knowing this gives me even greater desire to stand firm, to be courageous, to remain steadfast in my faith.  For one day, in the appointed time, God will reward me.  But the best part is my faith will reward others also, as I share His goodness and grace in my Samaria and Judea.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] 

THE JUST SHALL LIVE

Does the trial before you seem insurmountable?  Does every option seem futile?  Do you question the path before you?  Do you shrink at the sound of another oncoming storm?  Does impending disaster beat upon your heart’s door with threats of doom?

Have faith.  Rest in the faith of your Lord.  Give Him your fears.  For He says “fear not, I am with you, even to the ends of the earth”.  You think you have no faith to meet the challenge, but you do.  The faith of a mustard seed can move mountains.  If you are a Believer, God has imparted to you the faith to trust in His deliverance and saving grace.  Exercise it, for you are “just” in His sight.

“But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man's relationship to God and divine things and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it];” Hebrews 10:38a

As Believers in Jesus Christ, we live by faith.  By faith we know He has attoned for our sin and we have everlasting life.  By faith we walk in His precepts and commands.  By faith we heed His instructions and obey His voice.  By faith we stand against the adversary–evil powers, strongholds, and realms of darkness.  By faith we rest in the presence of an All-Mighty powerful God Who does not lie, nor does He sleep or slumber.  Indeed, “the just shall live by faith.”  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

YOU HAVE NEED OF

Sometimes you want to just give up.  You’re tired of the hassles, the roadblocks, and detours.  You may think you’re all alone in your journey.  If you hang out too long in that frame of mind, you’ll soon be sideswiped by anger, bitterness and a feeling of futility.  Traffic jams of life, though real, are not eternal.  It may take a bit longer to reach our destination as a result of them, but they do move on in time.  That is the crux of a difficult situation–waiting it out.

It does no good to ram the rearend of the person in front of us.  That simply causes another person to be angry.  It does no good to abandon our vehicle, for that would cause havoc for others.

“For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36

Our Christian journey is a long one.  The stops we make along the way, the traffic jams, are temporary and need not stop us in our tracks.   They are simply the nuisances of life.  We have a promise awaiting us at the end of the road.  The patience we exhibit produces an endurance that perseveres when resting in the grace of our Lord.  selah…pause think on that.  He’s all you have need of.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] 

DON'T FLING IT AWAY

Discouragement sits on every corner.  It lurks in the shadows of joy, waiting for the opportune time to jump out of the darkness and wipe out all the goodness in a moment’s achievement, success, or blessing.  It’s sole purpose is to impede forward progress.  It is born of negative thinking and leads to apathy and uselessness.

Many times discouragement is carried into the rooms of our hearts by friends who linger too long at the well of negativity.  But we need to take heart and not allow it to attach itself to our lives and destroy our confidence, hope, and faith.

“Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.” Hebrews 10:35

Our confidence can be thwarted and our courage quelled when we allow the stones of discouragement and arrows of despair to penetrate the armor of God.  We must hold fast and cling to our fearless confidence in the Redeemer and Protector of our faith.  He sits on His throne and His enemies are His footstool.  Nothing can harm us, nor override His plan for our lives when we rest in His presence and power.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

IT'S A FEARFUL THING

I have this thing about getting even with folks for a wrong committed against me.  I can’t do it.  I just don’t have it in me.  I even have difficulty repeating with the Psalmist for God to exact His recompense upon someone.  Somewhere deep inside me is this niggling of reservation that should I even think of getting even that the same, or worse, will fall upon my doorstep.  Perhaps that is not the best incentive for not seeking vengeance upon another, but it certainly isn’t the worst either.

“For we know Him Who said, Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the meting out of full justice rest with Me]; I will repay [I will exact the compensation], says the Lord.  And again, The Lord will judge and determine and solve and settle the cause and the cases of His people.  It is a fearful (formidable and terrible) thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God!”  Hebrews 10:30,31.

This passage has become extremely real to me as I watch Christians battling other Christians in life.  So often we see them exercising their rights, bemoaning the injustices committed against them for some reason or the other.  They take things into their own hands and often find themselves coming up empty-handed.  God says, “I will repay.”

The writer of Hebrews says, “The Lord will judge, determine, solve and settle the cause and cases of His people.”  So why do we think it necessary to force God’s hand by playing our own?  To me, “it is a fearful thing” to do so.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

BEING FOREWARNED

This week an earthquake rattled throughout the Midwest, through Illinois, Missouri and Tennesee.  Scientists are warning that another will come someday.  But little to nothing will be done to prepare for such a catastrophic event.

Every day people are given warnings.  Caution lights.  Some folks have weather radios that broadcast all day long the possibilities of turbulence in the atmosphere.  Yet the vast majority of folks ignore even the tornado sirens that go off and evacuation orders during hurricanes.  Sadly, many lose their lives with such foolishness.  Likewise, many ignore the Truth being shared with them repeatedly throughout their lifetime.

“[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family.” Hebrews 11:7a.

The entire world ignored Noah as he built the ark which saved he and his family when God destroyed the earth by flood.  The entire world died.  Noah’s faith prompted him to “heed” God’s directive and obediently build a gigantic vessel on dry land.

Our faith prompts us to heed God’s directive in our lives each and every day.  God has certain things He wants to accomplish through us.  Our faith in Christ saves us and gives us life eternal; it also forewarns that we live that life in righteousness and holiness.  Noah “reverently” prepared the ark.  May we reverently prepare ours.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

PRACTICING DISCERNMENT

“He knows what he’s doing wrong and he just keeps on doing it.”

I overheard this remark in a conversation between a couple of teenagers in a restaurant one day.  They were each blaming the other for keeping an argument going.  The mother told them they both were keeping it going, “It takes two to argue.”

Do you know someone who keeps disagreements going?  Do you deal with people who feed on another’s flaws and continually criticize, condemn and complain?  Has controversy become a steady diet?  It’s time to practice discrimination and choose something else to feast upon.

“But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.” Hebrews 5:14, Amplified.

Spiritual infants cannot eat or digest solid food; they need milk.  Spiritual infants don’t even have an appetite for solid food–they wouldn’t know what to do with it.  But full-grown men, “whose senses and mental faculties” are disciplined in the Word of God.  They discern what brings glory to the Lord.   This discernment and ability to discriminate between right and wrong is manifested in the fruit of the Spirit with all gentleness, kindness, patience, tolerance, love and peace.  If the fruit is not visible, then the Spirit is not in command of the situation.  This is a simple gauge for determining who is right and who is wrong, don’t you think?  selahV

[copyrighted,  SelahV Today, 2008]