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If you were told someone was going to come rob your house at a certain time, would you do something about it? Of course you would. You would do whatever necessary to protect your family, your possessions, and your life. Jesus assures us of this obvious fact when He says, “And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into” (Luke 12:39).
Jesus’ messages always have multiple meanings. Here, He makes this comment for emphasis as He warns His disciples of the importance of readiness, readiness for His return at an hour that they will not expect. But there is another kind of readiness that God desires we have.
My body is a temple of God. I am a house for the Holy Spirit. (1 Co 3:16) God has given me my mind as the head of the household. My mind makes the decisions that have the greatest impact on my life. If my mind had known ahead of time when to expect the Thief to show up to try to rob my life of God’s pleasure, I would certainly have been ready to fend him off. But he came on many occasions without warning, and I was not prepared. My friend Tanya calls the devil “The Joy Robber.” How appropriate! He has certainly robbed me of joy in the past when I didn’t see him coming.
God warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We all know it’s true. We’ve all had his teeth sink into us a time or two, robbing us of joy here and there. But since we cannot know what hour the Thief will try to sneak in, we must be diligent in our minds to stay alert and do whatever necessary to protect our spiritual house from invasion.
There’s a lot of evil in the world. Satan is tricky. Guard yourselves from his influence and impact on your life. Be alert and prepared. Look for cracks in the foundation of your temple, and fill them with God’s Word. Make your temple a house of continual prayer and praise. Follow His blueprints for life. Beware of solicitors. Foster godly friendships - they make great alarm systems! Choose to stay out of the weather and under the protection of God’s presence where there is fullness of joy. Do whatever it takes to keep the “The Joy Robber” from getting anywhere near your house!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
What Happens When the Heat Is On?
Stories of celebrities showing a lack of discretion and judgment are rampant in today’s culture. Why are so many talented and celebrated individuals suffering embarrassment and shame? Why are many of Hollywood’s best and brightest stars losing their sparkle? A star loses her shine when she is missing the right spark behind her sparkle.
Proverbs 27:21 says, “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is tested by the praise accorded him.” What do a crucible and a furnace have in common? They are both made to withstand extreme heat. They house and even foster heat, allowing chemical reactions to take place in that which is subject to its fire. As silver and gold are put to the heat test, several things happen:
1. Their properties react. They experience great heat and pressure, which tests their true attributes and traits such as strength, stamina and substance.
2. Their impurities emerge. As impurities separate from the metal, they collect. This collection makes more visible the nature and type of impurities that were present in the metal.
3. Their appearance changes. They melt, becoming more pliable and able to be reshaped. Whoever has control of the metal during the heating process is the one with the power to reshape it.
As crucibles and furnaces are to silver and gold, praise is to men and women. Some Bible translations interpret this verse to refer to the presence of praise, but this may not encompass the full meaning of God’s original Word. For whether in abundance or absence, praise is an effective vessel for testing, purifying and molding. If someone is self-focused, she will likely be bothered by a lack of praise and/or become puffed up in the profusion of it. Whether a little or much praise is applied to a person, we can see the same reactions as silver and gold when the heat is on:
1. Test of Qualities: Their true character is tested.
2. Separation of Impurities: Impure motives and improper behaviors surface.
3. Reshaping of Personalities: Significant change occurs as pressure is applied, and alteration is determined by the one in control.
Stars (and all of us) melt into a mess under pressure when our sparkle is only superficially lit by self and selfishness. We are subject to the influence and reshaping of the oppressor when we are not controlled by the spark of the Holy Spirit. However, we are molded into something more beautiful when we remain in the hands of the Master Refiner.
“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?”” (Jeremiah 9:7).
God wired us to connect with others, and made us to understand and desire praise. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our lives, His active presence within us changes how we view praise – from something we want to receive for self-glorification, to something we desire to give away to others and offer up to God. This is the right spark of fire we must have behind our sparkle. We need the Spirit of God to rule in our hearts so when the pressure of praise is applied in our lives, we will shift our focus from self to the Savior.
The Proverbial Truth is: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). How are you fairing today in the abundance or absence of praise? Are you melting in a heap or hardening into a self-idol? Or, are you radiating His spark more beautifully today than yesterday, by welcoming the Potter’s hands in reshaping you to be more like Christ?
Proverbs 27:21 says, “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is tested by the praise accorded him.” What do a crucible and a furnace have in common? They are both made to withstand extreme heat. They house and even foster heat, allowing chemical reactions to take place in that which is subject to its fire. As silver and gold are put to the heat test, several things happen:
1. Their properties react. They experience great heat and pressure, which tests their true attributes and traits such as strength, stamina and substance.
2. Their impurities emerge. As impurities separate from the metal, they collect. This collection makes more visible the nature and type of impurities that were present in the metal.
3. Their appearance changes. They melt, becoming more pliable and able to be reshaped. Whoever has control of the metal during the heating process is the one with the power to reshape it.
As crucibles and furnaces are to silver and gold, praise is to men and women. Some Bible translations interpret this verse to refer to the presence of praise, but this may not encompass the full meaning of God’s original Word. For whether in abundance or absence, praise is an effective vessel for testing, purifying and molding. If someone is self-focused, she will likely be bothered by a lack of praise and/or become puffed up in the profusion of it. Whether a little or much praise is applied to a person, we can see the same reactions as silver and gold when the heat is on:
1. Test of Qualities: Their true character is tested.
2. Separation of Impurities: Impure motives and improper behaviors surface.
3. Reshaping of Personalities: Significant change occurs as pressure is applied, and alteration is determined by the one in control.
Stars (and all of us) melt into a mess under pressure when our sparkle is only superficially lit by self and selfishness. We are subject to the influence and reshaping of the oppressor when we are not controlled by the spark of the Holy Spirit. However, we are molded into something more beautiful when we remain in the hands of the Master Refiner.
“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?”” (Jeremiah 9:7).
God wired us to connect with others, and made us to understand and desire praise. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our lives, His active presence within us changes how we view praise – from something we want to receive for self-glorification, to something we desire to give away to others and offer up to God. This is the right spark of fire we must have behind our sparkle. We need the Spirit of God to rule in our hearts so when the pressure of praise is applied in our lives, we will shift our focus from self to the Savior.
The Proverbial Truth is: “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). How are you fairing today in the abundance or absence of praise? Are you melting in a heap or hardening into a self-idol? Or, are you radiating His spark more beautifully today than yesterday, by welcoming the Potter’s hands in reshaping you to be more like Christ?
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