MINDSET OF THE DAY

For the mind set on the flesh is death,
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace
Romans 8:6 (NASB)

When in grade school, I remember struggling with the multiplication tables. They just looked like a hodge-podge of numbers that made no sense. To this day, I'm not sure but what I was right, but have come to grips with the need for knowing them. I recall a teacher using a phrase I often heard my Grandma Benbrook use: “Glendarae, you have to set your mind on it.” I knew what she meant because I had heard her use that saying if I was struggling with anything else at the time. Country folks often used that phrase so it came naturally in my Grandma's vocabulary.

For several years now, I have loved Romans 8. It is filled with love, security and encouragement, all in abundance. Any Christian needs those things from their Heavenly Father. Just as children need those things from their earthly parents, the need is even greater from their Heavenly parent.

However, there is much more to the chapter than warm words of affection. I've read this chapter over and over for several years, but it's only been in recent days, the Holy Spirit has stopped my reading at about verse 8. In the translation I am using, I came across a word that caught my attention. I saw from verses 5 through 7 the word “mindset” four different times.

Although I know in my mind what “mindset” means, I looked up a few sources for the definition of the word. I came to the conclusion that a mind set is just that...having set ones mind in an established way of thinking or reasoning. My mindset is my established thinking about anything. In that process, I've set my mind on any number of things that can be beneficial or can do damage to me in some way. Most of our struggles will be based in our minds...our thinking.

There are those folks in Scripture who set their mind on some things, some good and some not so good. Solomon comes to mind in the beginning days of his reign when God wanted to grant him what he most wanted. Amazingly, Solomon chose wisdom. He speaks of it later in Ecclesiastes 1:13 where he said he set his mind to seek and explore wisdom.

The King in Daniel 6:14, set his mind on delivering Daniel from the lions den. Jesus had to speak words of correction to Peter when Peter stepped a little out of bounds. In Matthew 6:23 Jesus told Peter he wasn't setting his mind on God's interests but mans.

For myself, much like those multiplication tables, I have decided if I am to be all for Jesus He wants of me that it's not going to happen unless I set my mind to do just that. The lazy, hazy days of summer are around us. Such days can be detrimental to maintaining a close walk with the Lord. During such days, there are many distractions that can pull our minds from one thing to another. If our minds aren't set with a spiritual determination to maintain consistency in our walk with the Lord, straying is very likely.

We are going through some very unusual days right now. Because of the virus, there are isolation mandates and our lives seem to have been turned upside down. However, we must not waste these days for we've been granted some time to use in beneficial ways. There's cleaning we can do along with yard work. Closet cleaning might be a worthy activity we can do. However, there are spiritual activities we should maintain: regular Bible reading, times of prayer, church attendance (when allowed), finding ways to encourage others, and other things we can do to enrich the lives of others as well as our own.

Among other Biblical persons mentioned above, next to Jesus, Paul probably had as strong of a spiritual mind set as anyone we can read about. He gave good advice to the people in Colossae when he said to them in chapter three, verse two:

Set your mind on the things above,
not on the things that are on the earth.

May it be so for each of us as we determine to have our mind set on the things of God no matter the time of year, problems to be faced or in every day living...come rain or come shine.

Dear Father, I pray I will have the right loving mind set on spiritual things that would honor You in every way. Help me to keep my mind on Your Word and on Your will. May I stay focused on the things that are important and that would please You. In Jesus precious name...Amen

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11

In recent days, I had an interesting conversation with my daughter Beverly. She had an important seminar coming up and as usual I assured her of my prayers. It was to be the kind of situation where she and three others would appear together by computer where other agencies of like business could write in their questions to be asked of any of the four young women participating. Beverly knew some folks who would be submitting questions that caused her concern because of some past experiences. She mentioned to me that a sentence from Scripture had come to her...”Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” She had found great encouragement in that, but I ask you...”Where did that come from?”

I smiled to myself because while a social worker I was faced with a lot of negative confrontations with state workers, in our agency and with foster parents. There were times I didn't want to face a day knowing what was coming. That sentence from Psalm 23 that Beverly mentioned was one that had “come” to me several years ago and she and I had never discussed it. Many a time, I remember a quick prayer I would voice saying, “Well dear Lord, it's time for You to set the table.”

Perhaps you like me have had those moments when suddenly, a Bible verse or phrase from one suddenly came to mind as if out of nowhere. I can guarantee for the believer that such is never an accident or something you yourself come up with. This happens so often with me. The appearing verse may seem to have little meaning in the moment, but may come to me in preparation for a situation I didn't see coming. The Holy Spirit sees ahead of us. He lives in every believer and knows what we need from His own Word.

You could probably remember verses that have spoken to your heart on occasions seemingly out of nowhere. You may have even wondered “Where did that come from?” Some phrases that have “come to me” at various times of need are:

*”I will never leave or forsake you.”
*”I hold you in the palm of My hand.”
*”For with God, nothing is impossible.”
*”I will guide you with My eye.”
*”Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”
*”Rejoice in the Lord.”

Here's my concern for all of us. Those things the Spirit has swished through my mind often in an unexpected moment are things from the Word I have already read, studied in depth, heard in a sermon or perhaps from the encouragement of others. All of that stores up in our minds. The Holy Spirit then has a lot to remind us of from His Word that we have already accumulated in recesses of our minds. He can impress us in any way He wants, but our being in the Scriptures gives us ongoing inspiration for any day.

When these moments of inspiration come to us, our response shouldn't be “Where did that come from.” As believers we should recognize the Source, pause and express our gratitude with praise and thanksgiving. What an honor and blessing that we should be recipients of such precious, loving attention from God Himself.

Thank You Father for Your Word and Your Holy Spirit Who ministers to us through it. Help us to respond as we should to the prompting of Your Spirit and walk in obedience to all we read in Your Word. We praise You for all You have done through Your Son, Jesus in saving us for eternity. It's in His name we pray...Amen

CLEANING A PLOW

The steps of a man are
established by the Lord, and
He delights in his way.
Psalm 37:23

When just a little girl and having displeased my Mother in some way, she would sometimes say, “Glendarae, straighten up or I'm going to clean your plow.” I knew about plows from having relatives who were farmers. After a day of plowing, a farmer would usually come back to the barn area where if needed would hose off their plow of stuck on dirt and weeds. That way, the plow was clean, serviceable and ready for work the next day. Somehow, those few words became words of caution when dealing with misbehaving children (not that I could ever have been accused of misbehavior).

A day or so ago, I prepared to do my usual daily reading in the book of Psalms...in fact it was the seventh. After reading Psalm 7 that meant my next step was to add 30 to that and then read Psalm 37. I was tempted to go back a day and go from there. I have to tell you that Psalm 37 usually “cleans my plow” because it's a Psalm that invariably convicts, corrects and turns me inside out spiritually. However, it is a Psalm that also instructs and lovingly encourages. When reading it, there is always something brand new for me to “chew on”, probably because of where I am spiritually on any given day.

I bravely turned to Psalm 37 and jumping out, first word of verse one, was a word I've hardly paid any attention to...”fret.” It's a word that isn't used much anymore, but is still relevant to our day and in my life personally. Fretting isn't just worrying although it can be a form of it. When we fret, we are all consumed with whatever negative circumstances have come into our lives. We're like a dog with a bone. We are obsessed with the situation and can even become resentful, complaining and moody.

So as I jumped into the first verse, I saw “Do not fret because of evildoers....” That was enough that I could have parked there for a good bit of time. I can work up a good anger seeing all the evil going on around us that I can do nothing about on my own except to pray and clean up my own life. That's enough on a personal level for me to handle.

I read on and in verse 7 saw: “Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.” It goes on to speak of a man who prospers because of wicked schemes. This is an easy one to understand, and can really “eat our lunches.”

Verse 8 really contained the capstone of the subject: “Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.” That's a pretty good reason for avoiding being a fretful person. In mulling over the evil of others, we are exposed more and more to evil thinking. It can almost become a friend if we aren't careful.

Proverbs 37 doesn't leave us hanging with no advice or encouragement. Throughout the chapter are single words that speak for themselves. These words give us guidance and direction hopefully keeping us from fretting. Some of these I noticed are: Trust(3), Delight(4), Commit(5), Rest(7) and, Wait(34). You can take in these words and their complete phrases that aren't long at all if you turn to this chapter.

Scripture may at times “clean our plows” and be uncomfortable as we read in the Word, but through that process, we are made more usable for the Kingdom if we are clean, allowing the Spirit to wash us down and cleanse us. Yielding to the cleaning process of the Spirit will be a lot easier than if we have to yield the hard way. How clean are our plows today?

Dear Father, I'm so grateful for how clearly Your Word speaks to me and for Your Spirit who teaches me what I am to learn. I want to be a clean vessel. I know I fret too much about the evil around me. When I worry or fret, I'm as much as taking my concerns out of Your hands. Thank You for being sovereign and in charge all the time of all things. If it weren't for Jesus I would be totally lost and alone and I pray in His precious name....Amen

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROOTS

Therefore as you have received
walk in Him,
having been firmly rooted and
now being built up in Him and
established in your faith, just as
you were instructed, and
overflowing with gratitude.
Colossians 2:6,7

We may be seeing the beauty of Spring here in the mountains. It seems a long time coming with all of the weeks of rain, swelled rivers and rock slides that we have been experiencing. Trees are flowering as are jonquils in all their golden glory. Some wild flowers are making their appearances. We would usually be seeing Spring lovers from distant states coming to enjoy it all but present circumstances are preventing that.

Prior to grass greening up, are the weeds making appearances. Obviously, we didn't do a good job last Fall in ridding ourselves of these pests. They poke their leaves and even blossoms above ground almost in a taunting way. I'm amazed at how weeds can disguise themselves as pretty blossoms and flowers. My granddaughter recently brought me a small bouquet of such heather-looking blossoms. I put them in a cup of water and even then, they refused to die and lingered for days.

There is a lot to be said for weeds. They are tough with a determination to exist on their own terms. Much of their success is due to good roots. Roots represent beginnings. We hear of roots that are related to people and the importance of the roots of their ancestries running deep...an indicator of health, security and belonging. Even with good roots, people have little bragging rights compared to the most important root mentioned in Scripture found in the book of Isaiah 11:1,2:

Then a root will spring from the stem
of Jesse, and a branch from
his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and strength,
the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord.

I realize roots are important for so many reasons in the natural sense, but the promise of Jesus coming from the stem of Jesse, the root that would bear fruit and be all for the world it needed. That root could never be uprooted or destroyed. It (He) would bear fruit that we have benefited from that will see us into eternity.

We benefit in so many ways through that precious root, Jesus. What exactly do roots do for any plant life?
* they provide nutrition for whatever the plant is
* they provide stability for a plant as it grows holding it in place, and
* their work is unseen in bringing forth fruit or beauty

Roots don't just happen. They come in the very beginning from a seed. Seeds don't just become plants. It takes good soil, water, and eventually sun as the root forms, matures and sends sprouts upward through the topsoil. The root even then continues to feed the plant ensuring it's survival. To fully survive, the plant must stay grounded in the earth via the root.

If we are to grow in Christ, it will mean being rooted and grounded in His love. It will mean our spirit is watered with the Word of God on a regular basis and being people of prayer. It also means there are times we need to do some “weeding” in our lives. Weeds (sin) destroy and sin can easily slip into our lives causing heartache and even destruction.

Our goal should be that of growing in the Lord and being fruitful for His glory. Speaking of the blessed person in Psalm 1:3, we have a good description of what we should aim for in our relationship with the Lord:

He (the blessed person) will be like a tree firmly planted
by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season.
And it's leaf does not wither; and in whatever
he does, he prospers.

Spring is here and as much as we can enjoy the beauty of God's nature, we should be just as concerned for our own spiritual growth that can come only when we are grounded and rooted deeply in Jesus Christ. May our desire be to grow deeper and deeper in Christ so we will be more fruitful, and yes, beautiful for His glory.

Dear Father, keep me growing and flourishing in You. I want to be fruitful for Your kingdom and glory. May I be alert to any weeds of sin that can seem to sneak into my life. Forgive me for all the times I sin and disappoint you. Thank You for Jesus who makes life worth living everyday. In His precious name....Amen

ALL WILL BE WELL

The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, be with you
all. Amen
Philippians 4:23

It's an odd verse to use in closing out this brief look in the book of Philippians. This Friday blog will be the last one I'll do on Fridays. There are churches beginning to come together again which will hopefully begin to get folks back on track. If not, I would encourage you to stay in the Scriptures whether your church begins to meet or not. We will all feel some isolation at times that don't necessarily have anything to do with a pandemic. It is the Word that will feed and heal us. Riding on the spiritual coat tails of others will never suffice.

Through this book, I see Paul giving these people he loves so dearly a sense of hope and a sense of destiny. Some of you have heard from me how I break the word “hope” down.

H-aving O-nly P-ositive E-xpectations.

Paul encouraged HOPE all through this book not only for those then, but also for us today. Keep in mind that hope always looks forward, never backward. So let's be doing just that.

The book of Philippians should be an easy read for us. It contains only four chapters two of which contain 30 verses. All total, there are only 104 verses in the entire book. This book is so full of familiar verses that a one seated reading is not laborious at all. It's not only a book of instruction, but of great encouragement and practical for our every day living. I've been reading this through a few times for my own help and hopefully for you as well.

Paul gives his friends such words of encouragement that are trickling down to you and me in our day. One of my first acquaintances with this book came through a very distant relative who at the time as teens, she and I were only a couple of years apart. Her life verse was 1:21. (Any Scriptures I share in this blog will be from Philippians so I will only use references.) I had never read this book or much of anything in it at the time. As I did though, her verse took on real meaning for me as well.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

That's a mouthful. You don't know how often I've questioned myself as to how much meaning that verse has for me. It's a verse toward the beginning of this book. Paul felt it was wonderful living and serving Jesus, but to die and be with Jesus would be best of all. We so cling to life on this earth that it would seem nothing could be better despite it's trials. There are many times in my life when I have looked back, but when in Heaven, there will be no looking back. ALL WILL BE WELL.

In this life, we struggle to really know Christ as faithfully and lovingly as is possible. It isn't an easy endeavor however. In 3:10, we see

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings, made conformable unto His death.”

I can't tell you how often I've heard this verse quoted. It sounds so good, but if someone claims that verse as her/his own, it's a lot to come to grips with. Jesus' power looks good but are we willing to go through the sufferings and even die in order to know Him. Death might mean dying to self or in our age, it could mean physical death. So, how badly to I want to know Him? Is any suffering I go through cause for my griping and complaining. When was the last time I died to self or to things that bring pleasure to self that might not be in my best interest. Turning it all over to Jesus and relying on His Spirit will bring us where we should be if we are sincerely seeking Him. ALL WILL BE WELL.

There are other verses that speak for themselves not just to claim, but to incorporate into our very beings.

I can do all things through Christ strengtheneth me.” (3:13)

“Not that I speak in respect of want:
for I have learned, in whatsoever
state I am, therewith to be content”
(4:11)

How I praise Jesus for the strength he instills into my life both spiritually and physically as well. In that strength, I can do more than I think I can do. He equips me in every way to be for Him what He wants. In that same vein, Paul speaks of contentment. I think I am pretty content most of the time, but most of the time just doesn't work. Several years ago, I heard a good definition for contentment. The person said, “Contentment is letting God be God.” I love that because it is so true.

No matter the state or condition of my circumstances, I have to learn to be content in the fact that God is in and ever with me. I can rejoice in the good and rejoice as well through the difficulties. We are strengthened by our Father to do and be anything for Him. In that strength I can be content no matter my circumstances. Remember: ALL WILL BE WELL.

Thank You Father, for this precious book so full of Your encouragement and instruction so that we might really know You better, putting into action our service for You and toward others. Our gratitude too for Your faithfulness and patience with us when You see us struggle unnecessarily, but as You wait for us to come to You with our every need. Thank You for Jesus who paid it all. In His precious name...Amen