Avoiding an Embittered Heart

(Author's Note: Tomorrow begins ASU's Fall Break, so I am taking a break as well.  WftW will be back on October 15th.  Jim)

"Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come close to me.'  When they had done so, he said, 'I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping.  But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.  He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.'" (Genesis 45:4-8 NIV)

The account of Joseph (Genesis 37, 39-50) is one of my favorite stories of the Bible.  It is chocked full of intrigue and suspense, and the plot has several unusual twists and turns, particularly for those accustomed to the plots of Hollywood.  For if Hollywood had written the story of Joseph, you can bet it would have been much different.  Potiphar's wife would likely have seduced Joseph.  He would have probably led a revolt while in prison, and he would likely have gained revenge upon his brothers through torture or death.  His character would be very sympathetic because he is the ultimate victim, betrayed several times by those closest to him.  

Yet, a fair reading of the actual account shows Joseph acting anything but a victim.  He sees himself as a servant of God, doing His bidding.  What an attitude!  And it is this attitude that saved Joseph's brothers from a terrible fate.  Rather than seeing them as betrayers, he saw them as instruments of God's will to serve a greater purpose.  The great irony being that their act of treachery led to the saving of their own lives!

Joseph faced choices all along the way in his life.  In Potiphar's house, he could have accepted his wife's advances, justifying it by the fact he had been ripped off in life and deserved a little pleasure. He did not. He could have sulked in prison, doing nothing good for anybody, just wallowing in his bitterness and resentment. He did not.  Upon being promoted to Pharaoh's household, he could have used his power to exact revenge on the people responsible for imprisoning him and his brothers.  He did not. Rather, He chose to trust God and see his life as being in the Lord's hands.

Your life may not be going the way you had planned, but know that God has everything under control and that His plans are much bigger than yours.  Today, trust him with the direction and happenings of your life, believing, as did Joseph, that in the end God will work all things for the good in your life (Romans 8:28).  By doing so, you can avoid the terrible fate of an embittered heart.

© Jim Musser 2012

The God Who Cares about the Little Things

"Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, 'Friends, haven't you any fish?'  'No,' they answered.  He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.'  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!'  As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, 'It is the Lord,' he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.  The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far form shore, about a hundred yards.  When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread." (John 21:4-9 NIV)

I can still remember the smell of bacon frying in my mother's kitchen on Saturday mornings as I awoke.  What a pleasure it was to have breakfast awaiting me when I got up!  It was a little thing in the whole scheme of life, but what a wonderful memory it is for me.

Sometimes we think God only cares about the big things--His Word being proclaimed, people being saved, justice being done.  Yet, God has shown time and time again that He cares about the little things, like breakfast. Picture this: The Son of God, the One by whom everything was made (Colossians 1:16) on a beach making breakfast for a bunch of tired, smelly fishermen, men that He knew and loved.  It is such a small thing, but such a BIG thing given that it is God who is doing the cooking.  And it made an impact because John chose to record it in his biography of Jesus.  The man who was known for His extraordinary teaching, for His powerful miracles, and for His death and resurrection, is also remembered for His fresh fish and bread breakfast!

This tells me something about Jesus: He cares deeply about each of us and at His core is the nature of a servant.  My needs, even the smallest ones, are important to Him.

Today as you go about your day, think of Jesus on that beach making breakfast and remember how much He cares about your needs, even the smallest ones.  What a wonderful God we serve!

© Jim Musser 2012

Allowing God to Lead

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22 NIV)

There I was with my two hiking companions just below the summit of Long's Peak (14,255 ft.) in Colorado, making my way down the only way I knew how--on my butt.  The descent down "the chute" was a 70-degree grade and I was very unsure of my footing.  I wasn't alone.  My companions and several others were taking the same approach as well.  

As we scooted our way down to more level ground, I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me and turned to see who it was.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  A man was walking upright confidently and swiftly descending from the summit.  He was obviously a very experienced climber.  What was even more amazing was that he was guiding a woman who appeared to be a novice.  Holding his hand, she carefully followed his exact steps.  When she hesitated, he gently reassured her.  As they passed us "scooters", he said, "The footing is not that bad," and then they quickly went on their way down the mountain.

I expect that couple was off the mountain several hours before us because he was confident in his abilities and she trusted him and kept up with his pace.  We, on the other hand, had no such confidence in ourselves and no leader to show us a better way.  We were all tentative on that mountain.  If the woman had been with us, she likely would have sat down, too.  She stood only because she had someone in whom she could trust and followed his lead.

Today, you may be finding yourself on a steep slope and unsure of your footing.  Perhaps you are scared of the new challenges you will face in the coming weeks or when you graduate.  Or perhaps you feel God is leading you into very unfamiliar territory.  A lot of people are in the same spot, but many of them proceed with tentativeness and fear.  It does not have to be that way for you.  Know that God can be trusted.  He will not let you fall.  Take hold of Him and you can confidently face whatever challenge is in front of you.

© Jim Musser 2012

Taking the Time To See the Lord at Work

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

I sometimes wonder if the majority in Jesus’ day ever realized the significance of the time in which they were living.  Did they take note of the extraordinary things He was doing and saying, or were they so busy with the details of their daily lives that they barely noticed?  Were they more like Mary, who knew she was in the presence of the Divine, or Martha, who was so focused on the tasks at hand that it barely registered who was visiting her home that day? 

I suspect it was the latter.  The daily grind of life consumes us and our vision is narrow.  We see only what is in front of us.  Martha saw only the task of preparing a meal and completely missed the significance of the moment she was in.  I think this is a common occurrence today, as well.  I experience it frequently with students, who are so consumed with their studies and social lives, they fail to see what the Lord is doing around them or wants to do in their lives—the healing and transformation in people’s lives, the encounters with people in need, or the opportunities to use their lives for the furtherance of the Kingdom.   

One of the things I often encourage them to do is to look for “God sightings.”  As they go about their daily lives, I tell them to look for God at work.  It is amazing what we can see the Lord doing if only we are taking the time to look.  

We live in a world where God is very active, but our lives are so easily filled up and distracted that we are blinded to what He is doing.  This is what Martha allowed to happen, but Mary chose differently and Jesus commended her for it.  

Today, take the time to see God at work in nature, in circumstances, and in people’s lives, including your own.  You will be amazed at what you see.

© Jim Musser 2012

Keeping Your Posture Straight

“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18-19 NIV)

I have the picture somewhere, but I haven’t seen it in a long time.  It is of me getting my diploma at my high school graduation.  My posture is terrible.  I am slightly hunched over and my neck and head are pitched forward.  I’ve always thought I looked like a turtle. Seeing that picture was my first realization of how bad my posture was.  It was then that I became determined to improve it.  

Over the years, it has improved, but I still struggle.  I will see pictures of me from the side and there is that head and neck pitched forward and the shoulders hunched over.  Crap!  I remind myself.  My wife reminds me; yet, still, I struggle to maintain a proper posture.  It is literally a moment-by-moment thing, a constant need to remind myself.  The problem is that I get distracted.  My focus during the day turns to other things and away from my posture.  I may adjust it one moment, but the next my attention is elsewhere, and, crap, my posture returns to its normal bad state.   I have concluded I will always struggle with my posture because it seems my posture is just naturally bad.

It is the same way with sin.  It comes naturally to us, and though we can overcome it, as soon as we are distracted, crap!  We are right back at it. Thankfully, as Paul later exclaims (vs. 25), we are rescued from the eternal effects of our sin by Jesus.  Yet, the struggle continues.  And when we are distracted, we will regress to our natural state.  Paul never stopped struggling.  He pressed on (Philippians 3:14) and continued to fight.  Because of his knowledge of God’s Word and his fellowship with believers, I think he was constantly reminded of the dangers of sin and when he had fallen.  They served constantly to help him adjust his “posture.”  

Today, recognize your natural inclination is to sin.  Constant reminders coming through the Word and through others are the only way keep your “posture” straight.

© Jim Musser 2012

Only One Savior

“’You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, 
‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me
 and understand that I am he.
 Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

‘I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.  I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. 
 You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. 
 No one can deliver out of my hand. 
 When I act, who can reverse it?’” (Isaiah 43:10-13 NIV)

If you are on Facebook, even if you don’t watch television or listen to the radio, you know we are in the midst of a presidential election.  Posts regarding the merits or faults of either one of the candidates make regular appearances on my wall.  Just this morning, a post appeared saying how evil the Republicans are and that surely Jesus would have been a Democrat.  Of course, my Republican friends have countered that Democrats basically voted God out of their platform.  I guess they infer that if Jesus were a Democrat, no one in the party would vote for Him because they didn’t believe in Him.  And so it goes.

I think people get so agitated because they place so much value on what they think one candidate can do for the country.  I think the attention and hope are misplaced.  

Four years ago, on the night Barak Obama was elected, there was dancing in the streets all across America.  As every politician does, he promised hope and a better way.  Surely, the throngs thought, he was going to do it.  Four years later, we realize it was an empty promise, as are many of the promises politicians make.  

We too often are looking for a president to be a savior, someone who is going to fix most of the problems and make our lives better.  To use a phrase of candidate Obama four years ago, that is way above any human’s pay grade.  For there is only one Savior and it is not Barak Obama, Mitt Romney, or any other presidential candidate, past or future. It is the Lord and there is no other.  

Today, I encourage you to exercise your right to vote in this year’s election, but recognize that neither the President nor his challenger, if elected, is going to save this country.  The only hope for that will come in recognition that God is Lord and there is no Savior apart from Him.

© Jim Musser 2012

The Only One Deserving Worship

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11 NIV)

Laura Story has been in pretty heady territory recently.  The singer/songwriter won a Grammy this year for her song, “Blessings.”  She won Best Song, Best Album, and Best Pop/Contemporary Song at the 2012 Dove Awards, and she has been nominated three years in a row for Female Artist of the Year.  With these honors has come increasing notoriety and popularity.  Yet, in a radio interview I heard over the weekend, she said that at the end of the day, in spite of her popularity, she is still a sinner and her name belongs nowhere near the Name in receiving adulation.  

In a culture that worships celebrity, where the number one goal of many teens is to become famous, and where people often know more about the lives of celebrities than those of their neighbors, it is refreshing to hear a celebrity reject the perpetual fawning that comes with growing fame. Story made it clear there is only One who deserves to be worshipped.  It is a good reminder in this world of celebrity in which we live.

Whether it be a superstar athlete, an A-List actor, a reality TV star, or even a popular Christian singer, all are mere human beings and fallen ones at that.  Their faces may be well known, they may be extraordinary at what they do, and they may be very wealthy, but at the end of the day, they are sinners just like the rest of us, falling far short of the glory of the One who made them.  

Many people have exchanged worship of God to worship of human beings.  And, sadly, many who are worshipped embrace it as though they somehow deserve it.  Even sadder, many long to become like them, to be worshipped as well.  The world desperately needs more Laura Storys, who, in spite of their fame, reject any notion they are deserving of worship.  For there is only One Name at which our knees should bow in adulation and which eventually all knees will bow.  That name is Jesus.

Today, examine your heart.  Is there anyone or anything you worship besides Jesus?  Recognize He is the only One deserving of your worship.  Nothing else even comes close.

Jim Musser 2012