Friends

Exodus 33:11
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.


Isn’t that an awesome thought – God speaking to us face to face, as friends? I love the idea! My whole life strives toward a relationship with God that mirrors that of Moses’ (not that it will ever happen, but a person must have goals, right?).

Friends are amazing. Last fall, I was able to spend some time with a dear friend of mine from Houston who was in town for business. I think it had been almost 3 years since we’d seen each other last, and yet we still get along – out friendship just "fits," you know? I think we all have friends like that – where we can be apart for years, sometimes not even talking for months, but when we get back together, we just pick up and carry on. None of that awkward "getting-to-know-you" stuff – just friends, like we’ve always been.

That’s one of the things that just awes me about God. No matter how long it has been since we talked, since we’ve spent time with Him, the moment we turn to Him, it just fits. It’s not like we have to start all over again. We simply deal with the lapsed time, and move on as though we’ve always been there with Him. He doesn’t hold a grudge – He’s not counting up the minutes that we should have been spending with Him. He just wants us to come and spend time with Him now. He wants us to go to Him, so that together, we can pick up and carry on as friends.

Has it been awhile since you’ve really spent some good one-on-one, "friendship-time" with God? Oh, how He would love to sit down with you, and just chat. He doesn’t want to be a long-distance friend. He desires to be the closest friend we have – the One we turn to first, the One we would prefer to hang out with and talk to. No matter how long we’ve been away, He awaits us with open arms, ready to pick up where we left off.

Life Giving Words

Proverbs 10:11, 21a
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

The lips of the righteous nourish many.


The mouth is such a small thing, really, in comparison to the rest of our parts, but it can be such an evil, hurtful thing - difficult to tame, the mouth is. Yet, it is so important that we really take notice of what we say. Do our words bring life? Do they nourish, build up, encourage, and show the love of Christ? Or do they bring pain and death, do they malnourish, tear down, discourage, and show malice? We would be very wise to take note of such things.

I think the most interesting part about our spiteful mouths is that the people we tend to bite the most with our words are the very ones that are closest to us. We try our best to be polite to strangers, co-workers, friends, etc. and yet our spouse gets poison from the tips of our tongues. Why is that? Do we feel that because they are our spouse, or child, or sister, or parent, that they can "handle the truth"? That they can deal with our grumpy days, because that is what they "signed on for"? Truth doesn’t have to be poisonous, you know. Truth should be a gem, a gentle turning that allows the person to correct themselves and head in the right direction. And while they may have "signed on for" all of it, grumpy days and all, it doesn’t mean they deserve it. When we allow our words to bite, we simply tear them down bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece. Perhaps they have spiteful mouths as well. The best way to combat it is with love, and encouragement, not come-backs, and cut-downs.

Take a look at all your relationships. Perhaps starting with God, then your spouse, then your children, siblings, parents, even close friends, look at the quality of your relationship. I know it would be so easy to point the finger at them, but that in and of itself should be a red-flag to us. Why are we so ready to pour the fault on them? If a relationship does not flourish, perhaps we should first look in the mirror, to make sure that the fault does not lie with us, even partially.

Let’s take a challenge together. If we can see a relationship that needs mending, one that is not flourishing in the way we would hope, let’s check the mirror. If there is any inkling that perhaps it could be our words, words that are not encouraging, and life-giving, then let’s decide here and now that we will love that person by showing them Christ’s never-ending, life-changing love through our words. Let’s show them the same courtesy and forgiveness we show the check-out lady who messes up our change. Be patient, it may take time. Years of damage cannot be restored with a few simple words of kindness. It could take days, weeks, even months. It's a change not only in the way we speak, but the way we think, and behave toward the person. But if we keep at it, allowing Christ to work in and through us, we will begin to see a change - a change we never thought possible in that person. They will begin to respond to our words, and become the person Christ has in mind for them to be in the relationship. We will probably even find that their words will begin to change, and they will begin to speak in gentler, more loving tones, as well. The relationship will flourish once again, and we will be able to see the life-giving power of Christ in our words.

The Spirit's Intercession

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.


I think we’ve all had those times in our lives when we go to the Lord in prayer, and nothing comes out. We know we are in need, and that God can fulfill that need, and yet we cannot utter a word when we are on our knees.

It is so good to know that in those moments, as Christians, we have the Spirit within us interceding for us according to what we need. I would imagine that there is no purer prayer than that of the Spirit within us. When we are at a loss for words, the Holy Spirit is not. There are even times when I wish I could learn to just be quiet before the throne, and let the Spirit do the praying for me. You’ll notice, however, that this is not talking about letting the Spirit do all the praying for us at all times. The Spirit will not pray for us if we never go to the Lord in prayer. This is talking about times when we desire to pray, to go before God with our troubles and our weaknesses, but we are at a loss for words. The pain is too deep, the grief too heavy, and our minds are too fogged. It is then that the Spirit will take over, and we can just rest before the Father.

I also love the first part of the verse, that "the Spirit helps us in our weakness." The KJV says "the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities." In other words, He helps our weakness – not just helps us in our weakness – whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. The Greek word for "help" is sunantilambanomai (quite the tongue twister, if you want to give it a try), which means, "to lay hold along with, to strive to obtain with others, help in obtaining; to take hold with another." Wow! The Spirit actually takes hold of our weaknesses with us, He doesn’t just help us to take hold of them – He actually takes hold of them Himself! What relief! To know that the Spirit of God is taking hold of our weaknesses is almost more than I can handle. But it helps me feel stronger, somehow, because now I know that any and every weakness within me will be no problem, because God is in there turning that weakness into a strength. Just like a wound becomes a scar, and that scar is tougher and more durable than the surrounding tissue, so too our weakness become a source of great strength, when we allow the Spirit to take hold of them and heal them.

So, the next time you’re feeling weak, helpless, lost for words, take comfort in the fact that the Spirit within you is lifting you up the Father. Get down on your knees and let the Spirit do the talking. Go to the Father, and allow Him to show you how the Spirit has laid hold of your troubles with you, as you kneel quietly before Him.

The Light Dawns

Psalm 112:4
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.


Everyone experiences dark and difficult times in life, Christian or not, it’s a part of living. However, as Christians, the dark is not the same for us as it is for the rest of the world. We may be in darkness, in despair, but because we have Christ, we always have hope. I love how this verse tells us that even in darkness, the light is dawning - Christ is always at work, and He is always present. It may not dawn today or tomorrow, but we can rest assured that it will.

I also notice that the verse is speaking specifically to those who are upright, and it says gracious, compassionate, and righteous, as well. When I look at that, I begin to wonder if this verse really does apply to me. It does, simply because we are all those things in Christ, it has nothing to do with our own works and goodness. However, it makes me look a little deeper.

We see in Psalm 119:105 that "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." It occurs to me that when we are in the Word, even though, in the darkness, it seems to be so dry and distant, God will use it to pull us through the darkness. He will use it to illuminate our paths, while we wander in desolation and despair - we may not be able to see all around us, but the path before us - where we must go next - will be brightly lit. There is so much in His Word that offers us hope and peace. And when we are in the Word, we really are a more gracious and compassionate people, are we not? God has given us a light in His Word, it is too bad that when we need it most, we often-times use it least.

So, this verse has a two-fold impact on me right now. First, when things seem hopeless, and we begin to wonder when life will turn around, we need not look any farther than the throne of God. For it is there that we find hope, and peace, and light. Second, when I am in that dark place, and I really feel like closing my Bible, and retreating to my favorite spot, those are the times when I really need my daily dose of God’s Word. Even if it’s not deep and insightful, God will still use His living Word to draw us to Him, and shed some light on our dreary paths.

I love that our God understands that we will have ups and downs, mountains and valleys, days of brilliant "Sonshine" and nights with the darkest skies. And because of His understanding, His love, His compassion, He has provided for us, in each and every circumstance, that we can always go to Him and find hope in all that life throws at us. Praise and glory!

Walking in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.


If you are like me, then you are constantly wondering when you will no longer be pestered by the thoughts and desires of the flesh. I am always asking, when will I "grow out" of them? When will I reach that maturing point when these things will no longer matter to me, or even come into my consideration? The answer: not until I die.

Yep, sorry it couldn’t be better news, and yet, for me at least, that news helps me understand and buck-up, so to speak, to fight this battle for the long-haul. And right here we are given the answer to our dilemma – we are to walk by the Spirit. Every day, every moment, we are to allow the Spirit to guide us, to fill us with His power, to give us all that we need to make it. By faith, we need to walk as though the Spirit is giving us all that we need – when we begin to make a big deal of the struggle within us, it is as though we are doubting the Spirit that is also within us, Who is stronger than the desires of our sinful nature. So, when we walk in the knowledge that the Spirit is within us, giving us all that we need, then we will simply not gratify those desires. The more we do it, the more natural it becomes – the easier it becomes.

Now, notice, that this verse does not say that we will no longer have desires in our sinful nature. Unfortunately, as long as we occupy these fleshly bodies, those desires come with the territory. Not that we should be in constant battle – we are already victorious, but they will still be there for us to choose. And about the moment we think we have it all under control, they will begin to rear their ugly little heads again, and we will wonder how we have "slipped so far." Ah, but take heart, this is something we all have to deal with until we are released from these wretched robes of flesh.

So, I go back to the Spirit. Know Him, acknowledge Him, walk daily knowing that He is within you giving you everything you need to simply turn your back those desires, and walk a righteous, victorious life. Praise God, and Amen!