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Psalm 25:15 “My eyes are ever on the Lord.”

Published December 19, 2017

Worship on the Go

God doesn’t desire more of our time, sometime, He desires more of our attention all the time.

Ever feel frustrated because you hear messages about getting closer to God and you definitely desire this for yourself, but you are inundated with so much to do already that this only makes you feel guilty because you are too busy for God? I think we all feel this at one time or another.

Some of you may need to carve out some time out of your busy schedule for more specific time to be with God, but that isn’t necessarily the only answer to this question. Look at the following scriptures:

“I have set the Lord always before me.” Psalm 16:8 (NIV)

“My eyes are ever on the Lord.” Psalms 25:15( NIV)

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1 (NIV)

Reading these words makes you wonder if these are the words of a monk who had nothing else to do but devote himself to God. Actually, they are the words of David, King of Israel, a great ruler and warrior. How did he manage to run a nation and keep his eyes on the Lord at all times? The only conclusion is that he did this while you he did everything else. It’s a continual awareness of God that we are talking about here, not necessarily more time devoted to spiritual pursuits.

I once saw a sign that read: “Your God is what you pay attention to.” You see, I believe you can pay attention to God while you are doing everything else. It’s all about doing everything for God and seeing God in everything we do. It’s about bringing God into the boardroom, the exercise room, the living room, and the bedroom. Now of course He’s already there in all these places but we’re talking about being aware of Him being there at all times. That’s what it means to set the Lord always before us.

Worship is a frame of mind that always has God in the picture. We don’t need church, or Bible study, or devotions to remind us about the Lord if we’re already aware of Him all the time. These opportunities then become more precious to us, because we can devote all our attention to that which we have been aware of all along.

Thought – Are you aware of God in everything you do?

by John Fischer
Used by Permission

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The Value of Pain

Published October 18, 2017

The Value of Pain

The Value of Pain

You can’t bring a cup of cold water to someone if you’ve never thirsted
You can’t heal a heart if your heart’s never been broken
You can’t forgive a sin that you’ve never done
Or you never thought you could do
Put that bandage away it’s too small to cover the wound
– from “Cup of Cold Water” by John Fischer

When it comes to standing in someone else’s shoes and feeling what others feel, the most frequently neglected area in which we do this is in the area of pain.

We live in a society obsessed with pain relief. Doctors, druggists, chiropractors, psychiatrists and psychologists are all banded together in this fight against the common enemy: pain – both physical and mental. Rarely do you hear that pain might be a good thing, but it can be. It may not be good in and of itself, but it can be good in what it accomplishes. What can pain accomplish?

Pain opens us up to our real need.

Pain helps us identify with others.

Pain reminds us of our limitations.

Pain can open up your heart, if you let it.

Pain grounds us in our humanity.

Pain is a big part of love; you can’t live or love without it.

All those country songs about love and heartbreak may not be so trite after all. If love doesn’t hurt, then it’s not very deep. Ask Jesus about the pain of love, and He could point to a cry still rattling around the universe, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
(Mark 15:34)

We spend billions of dollars trying to get ourselves pain-free, when pain is perhaps one of the most important ways we can touch another human being. It’s one thing to share the same joy – high five at a football game over a touchdown, or share a kiss on New Year’s Eve – it’s another, deeper thing to share the same pain.

Some people are convinced that they are alone in their pain – that no one else has experienced the pain they feel – until someone comes along who has, and suddenly, they are not alone any longer. It doesn’t make the pain any more bearable, but it does make a relationship possible.

I pray that my heart never heals from these wounds. If you understand this statement, then you understand the value of pain.

by John Fischer
Used by Permission

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Don’t Go With the Flow

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Published August 22, 2017

Don’t Go With the Flow

“When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.”

I got this from one of those joke pages flying around the Internet. Actually, having everything coming at you may not necessarily mean you’re in the wrong lane when it comes to personal growth. I would go as far as to suggest that everything going your way is probably a condition to be less trusted than feeling like you’re driving into oncoming traffic.

I just don’t see God as doling out ease and contentment. His business lies more in the areas of refining and shaping us to conform more to the image of Christ, and none of that comes easy.

Scripture indicates that the process by which this comes about includes, among other things, trials (James 1:2-3), suffering (Romans 5:3-4), discipline (Hebrews 12:7), and a growing sense of our own mortality (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).

In one illustration, Paul uses the metaphor of an earthen vessel to explain our human condition and how God uses us (2 Corinthians 4:7). To think about yourself as an earthen vessel, like a mug of pottery being dirtied and cast about, is to get an accurate picture of what we can expect in this life.

Just look at the verses that immediately follow this one. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body”
(2 Corinthians 4:8-11).

Which is to say that when everything seems to be coming your way (trials, hardship, testing times) maybe you are in the right lane after all.

Besides, isn’t it more exciting having everything come at you? It is for this reason that I always jog into oncoming traffic, because I like to know where the cars are. If someone starts drifting towards me, I figure I have at least a split second to jump out of the way. That’s definitely better than the constant thought of someone coming up behind me, fishing for a cell phone, and drifting over onto the shoulder, about to turn me into a hood ornament, and I would never know what hit me. That’s what can happen when you go with the flow.

by John Fischer
Used by Permission

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Living Unmasked

Published August 3, 2017

Living Unmasked

Our self-effort is nothing compared with the glory of God at work in us.

Regardless of our background, skills, sharp wit and dedicated heart for success, the real truth about our Christian lives is that God is at work in us and He can do so much more through us than you or I could ever do without Him. We do not have to psych ourselves up to accomplish something for God. In fact we know that even in our feeblest weakness God is able to work through us – and that is what we count on.

Yes, the world is waiting to see the truth and all we have to do is be available, and yet something stands in the way of this happening. It is us. We are in the way. We hide the truth behind the masks we wear because we are not willing to be seen as the sinners we really are.

The glory of Christ can only truly be seen in contrast to our own despicable sinfulness. As we begin to lose a heartfelt awareness of our own wretchedness as Christians, we begin to lose the full significance of Christ’s work on the cross for everyone. His glory is seen only against the horribleness of our sin. Yet we create masks to hide our sins. Our masks return us to bondage and keep us from the freedom found in His Spirit’s liberty.

Masked with near perfection, sin hides itself beneath the surface of good churches, good confessions, good works, and good intentions. Everyone really knows that something is wrong, but because of all the good rituals, works and confessions, sin is not seen for its exceeding sinfulness (Romans 7:13). When our sin is not seen as exceeding sinfulness, our light is no longer His, but darkness masquerading behind all the ‘right‘ things we do, making our darkness even darker.

We are all called to be ministers of the new covenant. God is making us able. We understand that God breathes into our lives and through us to all those around us – our families, our neighbors, our workplace, our community, our world. If we are willing to live unmasked, life will never be the same again.

by John Fischer
Used by Permission

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It’s All About Jesus

Published October 23, 2016

It’s All About Jesus

“When I came to you … I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

The Gospel message has gotten a little foggy these days with all the attention being paid to politics, family values, and culture wars, and a lot of folks have lost track of the fact that it’s all about Jesus. Ask the man on the street what a Christian is today and you’re likely to ask a long time until you hear anything about Jesus or the cross. Our message, from beginning to end, is Jesus — who he was, what he said, and what he did.

The last recognized revival in this country was a movement primarily among baby boom youth in the 1970s that was quickly dubbed the ‘Jesus movement‘. It got that name because everything was focused around Jesus. When you think about it, Jesus was the ultimate hippie — he wore long hair, sandals, and he was against the establishment — and a generation of ideological kids embraced Christ, even while they rejected religion and the institutional church. Jesus was the central figure in all of this. What is now called Christian music was originally called Jesus music. Christians were called Jesus freaks. Now I’m not suggesting we all go back to tie-dyed T-shirts, bell-bottom pants, and Jesus rock, but I am suggesting we could learn something from this emphasis that transcended politics and religion.

Our message is all about a person, and our mission is to share that person with the world. God made us to belong to him; we wandered away; Jesus is the way back. A whole generation of young people found that out 30 years ago and nothing’s really changed about the heart of the message. It’s a personal message. It’s non-threatening. It’s all about a meaningful relationship with God that comes to someone by way of a meaningful relationship with them. There’s not a lot of baggage here. Our main concern is to introduce ourselves to people and in doing so, to introduce them to Jesus, because, as far as we’re concerned, that’s who it’s all about.

Jesus came to save us, unite us, and teach us to love one another. We’ve added a lot of other stuff to this and I’m not so sure it’s helping us do what we’re supposed to be doing. If it makes you more loving to your neighbor, then it’s probably a good thing. If it makes you your neighbor’s enemy, then it’s probably not. If it’s all about Jesus, then it’s definitely right on!

Question: What makes Jesus and His message different from every other “religious” teacher?

By John Fischer

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The Power of What You Think

proverbs 23:7 Thinketh in his heart, so is he

Published September 12, 2016

The Power of What You Think

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7

‘I think, therefore I am.’ (Rene’ Descartes)

How we think is fundamental to who we are and what we do. To a large extent, the world will cooperate with what we think about it. If we think the world is our enemy, that Satan is hiding out for us behind every bush, that secular humanists are conspiring to influence our children and take over our country, and that everything we believe in and hold dear is threatened by the culture around us, well the – it is.

But if we think that this is our Father’s world, that every bush is ablaze with the glory of God, that the Holy Spirit is behind the past and current events of history, and that no force on earth or heaven or under the earth can do anything outside of the will and knowledge of God Almighty who lives in us, then that is the world we inhabit.

You can see why one’s worldview is a very powerful thing. It determines how one thinks and acts in the real world. These are not just examples of two different ways of thinking; they are the realities of two different people behaving entirely differently in the world because, in fact, their worlds are different. The fact that one view may be closer to the way things really are than another doesn’t guarantee that will be the worldview that will win out. What we have come to believe about the world is often more deeply entrenched in us than what is truly true. It may take a lifetime to overcome a false worldview.

Read the Word of God with an open mind. Ask God to reveal to you the truth about the world we live in, and be ready to learn. And whatever you do, be willing to rethink everything while holding to the truth.

By John Fischer

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Published June 1, 2016

Help That’s Really Help

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” Galatians 6:1( NLT)

Because I am so good at it, and because it is so wrong and yet so easy to do, I talk a lot about all the subtle ways we sit in judgment over one another. As I do this, I am often asked about how we hold each other accountable to the truth if we are not supposed to judge. This verse is what that’s all about, but even this verse is often misconstrued into judging someone without any attempt to really do what it says. Let me show you what I mean:

Dear brothers and sisters … if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should be happy about your relative godliness, because you haven’t fallen like this person has.

Dear brothers and sisters … if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should find out as many details as you can about what this person is up to so you can make it a matter of prayer with all your mutual friends.

Dear brothers and sisters … if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should ostracize that person from your fellowship.

Dear brothers and sisters … if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should avoid bringing anything up about it at all.

No, it says to restore that person, humbly and gently, and that means getting involved personally, and it means sharing you own life and your own vulnerabilities. Which might look something like this:

You go to that person and tell them what they are doing is wrong. Use scripture, not your opinion. Perhaps ask them to read a portion that applies to their situation and talk about what they think it means. Tell them of your own struggles with sin, what your hardest battle is at the moment, and how they might be able to help you. Ask them if they want help and make yourself available to help them be accountable. Help them get help from someone more qualified if it’s beyond you. Tell them that you love them and they can’t shake you whatever they do. Tell them that you are sticking by them regardless, so that if they decide to sin again, they are dragging you in with them.

And do be careful, because no one is so godly that they are beyond falling into the same temptation as well, and knowing this is what will keep you humble, and not judgmental, as you seek to help.

Question: Is there someone you know who needs godly guidance? How can you approach them in a way that will be winsome to their understanding while still honoring to God?

By John Fischer

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Published January 25, 2015

More Than a Crutch

I have done a good deal of thinking and writing about Pharisees (probably because I understand them so well) and one comment that Jesus made about them stands out to me:

“Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:20

Such a statement would have come as a shock to the general Jewish populace who considered the Pharisees as perched atop the religious hierarchy. It certainly would have come as a shock to the Pharisees themselves, who took pride in looking down from there. These people spent all their time being righteous. They were scrupulous about this, and in so doing, they set the bar for everyone else. They were the righteous professionals. To disqualify them and everyone under them, as Jesus did, put righteousness out of everyone’s reach.

Which, of course, was the whole idea. This was not a statement to make people try harder to be holy. It was a statement to persuade people to give up trying. If Jesus was rejecting the best that the best could do, then who could possibly stand a chance of being good enough to get into heaven? No one. And isn’t that the point Jesus was trying to make? Only sinners get saved; only the lost can be found. The Pharisees were too good for heaven, too good for grace, too good for the gift of salvation.

True righteousness is something that can only come from Christ, and it comes through the admission of our own unrighteousness and a total dependence upon God to make us clean. What He wants is way beyond us and we cannot begin any real growth without realizing this. Our goodness comes through faith in what Christ has done for us on the cross in forgiving our sins and in giving us His Spirit. It is that Spirit that begins to work on our insides, changing us from the inside out, and the good that comes from this is so clearly outside our ability to manufacture it as to leave us as surprised as anyone.

I’ve often heard the objection to becoming a Christian on the grounds of Christianity being a crutch. I always laugh when I hear that because if that’s all faith is, I wouldn’t be a Christian either. Did Jesus endure a brutal death on a cross just so he could hand us a crutch to help us along? I don’t think so. We weren’t just stumbling along without Jesus; we were dead.

Christianity isn’t a crutch; it’s an iron lung. It’s a cure for cancer. It’s a heart transplant.

Question: Have you ever heard someone derisively refer to faith as “just a crutch“? How did you (or how can you) respond to such an accusation?

By John Fischer

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Shoeshine Man

Published August 8, 2014

Shoeshine Man

When it comes to serving one another, think of yourself as the shoeshine man.

We’ve all seen these guys in airports, train stations and downtown next to the newsstand. Their workplace usually consists of two or three elevated chairs on a platform so they can work at a comfortable level. The most upscale stations have plush leather-covered stuffed chairs and brass stands for your feet that put your shoes out where the shiner can work around them easily. Shining shoes is a servant’s position that bears images of a happy-go-lucky soul, snapping his polishing cloth over shiny wing tips while cracking jokes or singing along with the radio.

A successful businessman, of course, would identify with the guy on the throne, never the one shining shoes. And yet, were Jesus here today, He would point to the shoeshine man as being the one to emulate. It’s the closest thing in our society to what Jesus did when he washed the disciples feet, and then He told them to go and do the same. He lowered Himself to a servant’s status, and then proceeded to meet the needs of those around Him.

Serving others begins with how I see myself. Paul said, “So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s secrets” (1 Corinthians 4:1 NLT). “Mere servants.” I can’t serve without first seeing myself as a servant. If being a shoeshine man seems too demeaning, I may need to rethink my calling and purpose in life, because a big part of that purpose is to serve others instead of being served.

Servants always look up to those around them. That’s the other part of this image that works with Christ’s foot-washing example. This whole arrangement puts me down and the other person up. For the shoeshine man, the customer is the V.I.P. The customer is on the throne in the plush seat.

My purpose as a follower of Christ is to put others on the throne instead of insisting on being there myself. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is a radical redistribution of power and position.

So remember today, you’re a servant. You don’t need recognition – you don’t need attention – because it’s not about you… or me… it’s about the people we serve. And when we forget… just remember the shoeshine man.

– By John Fischer

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Published July 29, 2014

Get Up and Get Out

Your mission today (should you choose to accept it) is to get yourself up out of bed and throw yourself out into the world. That’s right: Get up and get out.

My, how daring we are! Well, yes, when you consider how dangerous a place the world is, and how inadequate we feel when we try to make a difference in it. But just read this:

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV)

Now there is a picture: You and me having a significant effect on people, churning up reactions as varied as life and death by our mere presence. It’s no surprise Paul would wonder, in the next breath, who, if any, might be equal to this task. It’s a rhetorical question that he intends to answer, and he does in the next chapter. “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God who has made us adequate.” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NIV) In other words, we aren’t adequate, but we are. We aren’t adequate in ourselves, but we are in Christ. And we find this out when we jump into the world, believing.

By believing, you are taking the particular characteristics of a believer (a person in whom God’s presence is a factor) out into the world, and by nature of your presence in the world and the presence of Christ in your life, you will make a difference. So, you see, it is all about literally throwing yourself out there and trusting that God shows up when you do, even when you don’t exactly know what’s going to happen next, you just know you’ll be ready when it does by nature of the Spirit of God in you. How about that for living dangerously?

As a friend of mine said once, almost nonchalantly, a true Christian is choosing the most dangerous occupation in the world. I think he’s right, not only because Satan is alive and well on planet earth working to discredit those who believe, but because God likes us living on the edge in believing him. I really don’t think faith is mainstream. I don’t think it gets the popular vote. Real faith does not win mass-market appeal. True faith is a challenge of wits. It’s the mover and shaker of the status quo. Faith kicks us out of our safety net and into the world. If nothing’s on the line, then there’s no faith required. That’s dangerous, but all the more exhilarating when God shows up and shows himself to be true to his promises.

So get up and get out. It’s the only way to truly find out!

by John Fischer

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Published June 8, 2014

The Shirt Off His Back

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1 John 3:16

Today, someone offered me the shirt off his back. I didn’t ask for it; I just complimented him on it.

I ran into him in the lobby of the Rushmore Holiday Inn in Rapid City, South Dakota. We had already met and exchanged a few words. He told me that after hearing me speak, he felt we had much in common. I don’t know about that, but I know I liked him right away. I could tell he was the kind of person to tell you exactly what he thinks.

I had been a little confused about him at first. He had a kind of street smartness about him that intimidated me. But then we exchange a few words and I found out my prejudgments were totally off base.

“What a nice shirt,” I said as he came in the door.

“Thank you,” he said. “I’d like you to have it.”

“Absolutely not,” I protested. “You don’t need to do that.”

My protest was to no avail. He showed up later at my hotel room door and handed me the shirt. There was no way I could turn him down. He gave it to me with his card and said he wanted to be able to write me. Well of course, I said, because that’s always okay with me.

Something about this has captured me. What kind of guy gives you the shirt off his own back? Someone who is more than just words. Someone who is action-oriented. Someone who wants to make a statement. Someone who seizes the moment. I doubt that giving me his shirt had even crossed his mind until I complimented him on it.

I can’t help but think about the early Christians who shared everything in common. I feel just a little like those guys — at least on the receiving side. I know they’d give you the shirt off their own backs if they could.

I may be making too much of this, but I can’t wait to find out what’s behind it. Let me know what you think.

by John Fischer

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Published March 24, 2014

Against the Flow

by John Fischer

“When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.”

Not necessarily.

I just don’t see God as doling out ease and contentment. His business lies more in the areas of refining and shaping us to conform more to the image of Christ, and none of that comes easy. Scripture indicates that the process by which this comes about includes, among other things, trials (James 1:2-3), suffering (Romans 5:3-4), discipline (Hebrews 12:7), and a growing sense of our own mortality (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).

Which is to say that when everything seems to be coming at you (trials, hardship, testing times) maybe you are in the right lane after all.

Besides, isn’t it more exciting having everything come at you? It is for this reason that I always jog into oncoming traffic, because I like to know where the cars are. If someone starts drifting towards me, I figure I have at least a split second to jump out of the way. That’s definitely better than the constant thought of someone coming up behind me, fishing for a cell phone, and drifting over onto the shoulder, about to turn me into a hood ornament, and I would never know what hit me. That’s what can happen when you go with the flow.

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Published August 20, 2013

Welcome Mat

by John Fischer

‘When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, “At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father….” (Luke 15:17-18)

Most of us can identify in some way with the story of the Prodigal Son. He had spent all his father’s money on wild living and “came to his senses” when he ended up working on a pig farm just to survive and noticed that what the pigs were eating suddenly looked good to him. That’s when he decided to go back to his father, admit his bad decisions and offer to work as a hired hand on his father’s estate. But something else happened when he arrived.

Going home was a good practical move for his situation. He was willing to settle on being a hired hand. The surprise was that he wasn’t given even a chance to apply for the job. He was welcomed as a son. Before he could get a word in edgewise he was smothered in his father’s love and a welcome-home party began.

What can you do in the face of this? Fall on your knees and worship. God the Father’s great big hands are open to us and we are embraced without judgment. This is like no love we have ever known before or will ever know.

We crawled back home ready for the worst – ready to eat crow. We were prepared for the taunts from the others in the family – even from the servants. We weighed the cost and decided the embarrassment was worth it. We calculated all that. We left bragging and return in humiliation. We left triumphant and return a failure. And yet there is no “I told you so” speech. There is just joy and acceptance.

Worship? It’s all we can do to hold ourselves together. We know what we deserve, and this isn’t it. This is a party! God has done it all for us. One day we were sucking up to pigs, the next we are escorted into our father’s house and in the process, we discover the wonderfully good news that we’ve always had a home here. We never lost our place. This is where we belong.

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Published November 12, 2012

Praise Ye the Lord!

by John Fischer

“I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:2

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Westminster Catechism)

Do you realize that if you stop right now and worship God — think about Him, marvel at His attributes, call His name holy, let your heart burst into song, lift your hands, dance… whatever you want — you will be fulfilling the prime reason for your existence? What could be better (or easier)? And on top of that, you have the assurance that your offering is joyfully received.

We were created to worship — to notice the song of the birds, to catch the shape of the clouds, to feel the penetrating heat of the day, to observe the twist of the lips that makes one smile different from another, to catch a drop of rain on the tongue, to hear a humming bird hum, to taste the sweetness of an orange and notice its color — these are far and away the most important observations we can make. And look at how accessible these are!

What we’re talking about here is living with an attitude of praise. Anyone can do it — rich or poor, new Christian or old, healthy or sick — we can all unclutter our lives by arranging everything around God and the celebration of why we are here. Nature is doing it unconsciously. Children do it most easily. We need a little instruction — a little prodding — only because we get distracted and we forget.

Outside my window right now is a tree unlike any I have ever seen. It grows out as much as it grows up. Its branches defy gravity, growing horizontally for 20 feet or more before shooting up with heavy branches, as if held up by an invisible hand. This one tree provides shade for five houses. Cut it back and it keeps growing. New shoots are everywhere. What is this tree doing right now? Praising God. It can’t help it. It is old and wise and sturdy, yet still putting out new life. It is a living monument to its Creator. God thought this tree into existence and put it here, years ago, for his pleasure and mine. He and I share this tree together. And when it flowers, the buzzing of a thousand bees can be heard in the early morning quietness. It’s our tree throbbing with audible praise.

We can do it too. And even more so, because we have mind and heart and body, soul and spirit. We can hum our thanks to our creator with words and meaning, for we were made for this, and we are restless souls without it. Let everything that has breath (and even that which does not) praise the Lord! Praise ye the Lord!

Question: What is your favorite way to give the Lord praise?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/11/12/jf_praise-ye-the-lord/

Thoughts by All thoughts by John Fischer Thoughts by Men

Published August 23, 2012

Mercy and Faithfulness

by John Fischer

Faithfulness is the one ongoing quality God asks of us. He is willing to justify us; He is willing to grant us mercy instead of the condemnation we deserve, but he does ask for a life of faithfulness.

Faithfulness is in contrast to perfection. Being faithful is a far cry from being perfect. Faithfulness means being authentic, devoted, consistent, loyal. An alcoholic who regularly shows up at A.A. meetings is faithful. She may slip and fall, but she is faithful to get up again. She may lie to her supervisor, but she is faithful to tell the truth when confronted. Faithfulness allows for failure; perfection does not.

When God calls for perfection, it is assumed that I cannot perform it. It’s the demand for perfection that keeps me relying on God’s mercy and grace. But the call to faithfulness is a call I can answer. Faithful to follow, faithful to confess, faithful to obey, faithful to repent, faithful to believe, faithful to pray and seek God – all these are the requirements of faithfulness. All of them are doable and are, in fact, my responsibility and my joy, having been the unexpected recipient of so great a mercy.

The Pharisees could have had it all if they would have been willing to admit their hypocrisy and join the rest of the human race on their knees before a merciful Lord. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” cried the publican in the parable of Jesus (Luke 18:13). Imagine if you will, a Pharisee in his long robe, his phylacteries, and his ornate turban, down on his knees next to the tax collector in tears of repentance and joy. Imagine these two embracing, both overwhelmed at the mercy of God in hearing and answering the same prayer. There you have a true picture of the kingdom of God. It’s hard to imagine the Pharisee standing up after such an experience and judging anyone.

And following such strange and unexpected union would be two unlikely followers of Christ, getting up off their knees and encouraging each other to be faithful. Shouldn’t we want to be faithful after all He’s done for us?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/08/23/jf_mercy-and-faithfulness/

Thoughts by All thoughts by John Fischer Thoughts by Men

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