look to Jesus | Kristi's Morning Devotional

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

Don’t Slide Back

There seems to be a theme to this week’s blogs. A few days ago I shared about being firmly planted. Nothing beats a good solid foundation! Then yesterday I shared how the Lord wants us freed from shame. We are forgiven but things in our past can side line us if we let them. Today I want to tie the two of them together.

Ever been in that place where you’ve lost traction, no forward momentum, and you’re stuck? Me too; literally, emotionally and spiritually. Several years ago while living in Montana, Dave and I went up to cut our Christmas tree. We backed off on a side road to turn around and slid 70 yds down the mountainside. Two hours later, we were finally back on the main road and headed home. Inch by inch we gained ground but we had to make sure we had good traction and that meant cutting pine boughs to put under the wheels – we needed a firm foundation.

Well I’ve had those experiences emotionally as well. A failure or hurt can be daunting. Friends leave, loved ones don’t understand and so we can get stuck in our failure and live in self-pity or even become suicidal. Maybe you’ve had a “tremendous” sin in your life that has held you back from serving God. Leaving you with the thought that God couldn’t possibly love or forgive you after what you have done. He can, He does and He already has.

“So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall. 2 We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:1-3

You notice, it says we are to remove from our lives the things that slow us down. Moses said the same thing to the nation of Israel – you choose.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the LORD your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the LORD, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

To go on with God we need a couple things; one, to be looking in the right direction – looking forward and looking up and then two, we need good traction – something solid beneath our feet.

“Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time…19. And so, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place. We can do this without fear because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus. 20 We enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way that leads through the curtain—Christ’s body. 21 And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. 23 We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.” Hebrews 10:10-14, 19-23

The solid foundation Christ has given us is His sacrifice; it provides us with forgiveness and a right relationship with God (that’s our traction), it gets us out of the ditch of self-pity and unworthiness. The blood of Christ can and has cleansed us from a guilty conscience and put us on the right road with God.

When we’re wrapped up in guilt, and we all go there from time to time, we’re looking the wrong direction. (not choosing the right things) The victory comes in looking at Jesus – looking forward, not back. Looking back, we magnify our failures and sin; looking forward we magnify Jesus and what He did for us on the cross.

So get on track and move forward looking to Jesus and don’t get “stuck” in your past.

February 20, 2018February 20, 2018

Through the Looking Glass

Do you remember being a child and using a magnifying glass for the first time? What was it that you were looking at; a bug, a coin, a hair, a crack in the sidewalk or perhaps a picture? I remember my grandmother had a magnifying glass in the top drawer of her desk. I wasn’t able to use it without permission or supervision. I think the first thing I looked at was a postage stamp. Yes, a purplish pink 4c Lincoln stamp. There was so much detail and I was fascinated.

As I’ve grown older I have used a magnifying glass many times. Looking for maker’s marks on old items, looking for splinters in fingers, examining small print on packages and finding tiny imperfections in things thought to be valuable.

Isn’t it interesting, the more we study something the more we see imperfection.

The same holds true when we look through our magnifying glass into the lives of the people we love or work with. When we’re tired we look through the glass and see “I’m the only one who has to do all the work” or “I just don’t understand why they NEVER or why they CAN’T”. Yes, we magnify the imperfections in others while also magnifying our “sacrifices” and “selflessness”.

I know none of you have ever done this but of course, we all know someone who has. There’s another way we can use the magnifying glass – we can use it to overexaggerate the problem and underestimate our self-worth and abilities. I was thinking about the Israelites when they sent spies into the promised land while they were in the desert. They wanted to know what this land that God had promised was like. So they sent in a reconnaissance team of 12 men who were to come back with a report.

“ Find out if the land is rich or poor, and if there are trees in it or not. Then try to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now this was the gathering time of the first grown grapes.

21 So they went up and spied out the land… 23 Then they came to the valley of Eshcol. They cut down a branch from there with some grapes on it. And they carried it on a long piece of wood between two men, with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of much fruit the men of Israel cut down from there.

25 They returned from looking over the land after forty days. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the people of Israel in the desert of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought news to them and to all the people, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They told Moses, “We went to the land where you sent us. It does flow with milk and honey. This is its fruit. 28 But the people who live in the land are strong. The cities have walls and are very large. And we saw the children of Anak there…

30 Then Caleb told the people in front of Moses to be quiet. And he said, “Let us go up at once and take the land. For we are well able to take it in battle.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go against the people. They are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought the people of Israel bad news about the land they had spied out, saying, “The land we have gone to spy out is a land that destroys those who go there to live. All the people we saw in it are very large. 33 We saw the Nephilim there. (The sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim.) We looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:20-35 NLV

Do you see that? They talked about the good things they saw, the fertile land, the fruit, the harvest but they focused on the giants. They magnified the strength of the giants but minimalizing their own value. These are a people who had just seen the Lord deliver them from Egypt, had crossed the Red Sea, had food dropped from heaven for them each morning, drank water that had gushed out of a rock and now were looking at grapes so big that it took 2 men to carry a cluster and they were defeated by their perception of the situation.

How many times have we done the same? I’m too young, I’m too old; I’m not educated; I don’t have enough money; I’m just a Mom; I can’t do another thing. The I can’ts defeat us before we even get started. We put the magnifying glass on our shortcomings instead of on the blessings and opportunities and so we look like grasshoppers in our own eyes.

There’s a simple solution to our situation. Move the magnifying glass!

Caleb heard the report and said “let’s go at once and take the land”. He was looking through the glass at the goodness of the land. Let’s take it! We need that same attitude. We have God’s word that has promised us that we can have peace in a storm, strength when we feel weak, joy in place of sorrow and be well supplied for our needs. We are promised wisdom when we are lacking and protection when we are under attack.

Instead of magnifying the problem, change the focus and magnify the solution.

“My soul will be proud to tell about the Lord. Let those who suffer hear it and be filled with joy. 3 Give great honor (magnify) to the Lord with me. Let us praise His name together. 4 I looked for the Lord, and He answered me. And He took away all my fears.” Psalm 34:2-4 NLV

There was a young girl who could have seen her flaws and inabilities if she had focused on them but instead she chose to “magnify” the Lord. Her name was Mary. The angel came and told her that she was going to have a baby, the son of God. Mary’s heart focused on the promise and not on the problem.

“Then Mary said, “My heart sings (magnifies) with thanks for my Lord. 47 And my spirit is happy in God, the One Who saves from the punishment of sin. 48 The Lord has looked on me, His servant-girl and one who is not important. But from now on all people will honor me. 49 He Who is powerful has done great things for me. His name is holy.” Luke 1:46-49 NLV

Magnify the Lord – magnify His word and the solutions that He provides. When we look through the glass at Jesus we won’t find imperfections or weaknesses. We will see His strength, His abilities and His power.

He will take away all our fears!

February 9, 2018February 9, 2018

The Architect’s Design

Have you ever been in an area where new commercial buildings are being constructed? It’s interesting how they print the signage that shows you what’s coming complete with sidewalks, flowers, trees and fountains. These images are called renderings.

I remember when our children were little and there was some construction going on in downtown Scottsdale. We had been driving past this one building for months. On this particular day the kids were so excited. “Look Momma, it’s finished!” The equipment was gone, and it looked like businesses could start moving in. Construction was done but the building wasn’t finished.

Since I was a home-schooling mom we were able to stop long enough to look at the image on the sign and I was able to ask the kids to point out the differences between the building and the image. It didn’t take them long for them to tell me there were no trees, no flowers, no grass, the fountain had no water. No, it wasn’t “finished”.

That was the day these verses came alive to me and I put them on cards.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:2-3

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right sideof God’s throne! 3 So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.” Hebrews 12:2-3 CEV

I came to see Jesus as the architect of faith. He is the one who designed faith, he put that design down on paper (the Bible) and it is He who is overseeing the project of faith through to completion. Faith is trusting in and relying on what God’s word says; it is the conviction of their reality.

In my life, I am the building that is under construction. Each day the process continues; some days I can become discouraged by the lack of progress but if I keep my eyes on Jesus and how he is working in my life, if I see how he endured the ridicule and hardships then I can keep going until the construction is complete.

Here on earth we have some contractors that skimp on the design, run out of money before the project is complete or abandon the project entirely. God isn’t like that. He’s well-financed and has the patience to see us through to completion.

“My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. 3 You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. 4 If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.” James 1:2-4 ERV

Now there are some words we don’t like to hear: trouble, patience, suffering. But that’s exactly why we look to Jesus. He put up with trouble – the religious leaders set out to trip him up and destroy his ministry on a daily basis. He suffered ridicule from his own family and was even betrayed by those closest to him. But his patience (persistence) brought Him through to the victory. When we follow His example our end result will be good – we’ll be mature and we’ll look like what God designed us to be!

Are we complete yet? No! Some of us are further along in the construction process than others. That should be an encouragement! Keep looking at Jesus; he’ll make sure that we look like the rendering, we are his workmanship.

“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV

It won’t be long now before you see that the trees and flowers are planted and you’re complete!