Archaic Inspirations

Joshua 1:8-9

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therin day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.

This passage commands us to do ALL that is written in God’s word and to write it on our hearts so that it may be with us everywhere.  Israel had a book (referenced in verse 8 here as the law). This book was only a fraction of what we have now in the Bible but it was very important. As God called Joshua to keep close to the words of that book, He calls us to keep close to His word in the Bible.

(Halley’s Bible Handbook)

An instrument of the Lord. That is what we are. If I were to give any instrument to a “perfectly seasoned” musician we would expect the music to be melodious and beautiful. I can, with certainty, call our God “perfectly seasoned”. His experience is endless, his mistakes nonexistent. However, the reality is that if His instrument, you and I, is not well maintained and in tune, the abilities of its artist will always be dwarfed.

I have often been inspired in the past when people say that the Holy Spirit spoke through them words and knowledge that was beyond their own human capacity. If I am to be completely honest, I have thought to myself that it is wonderful that the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf in those moments because I sure can’t remember the scripture on my own! As I reflect on those thoughts now, I realize that I was using this promise to make excuses for my motivation, or lack thereof, to memorize scripture.

What an incredible gift we’ve been given to be the instrument of God! I played clarinet for many years, and I have not played for many more since that time. If I take my instrument out today I will find corks that have dried and rotted, keys that have rusted and pads that no longer seal – I can assure you that even if I were still a seasoned player, my music would be far from melodious! Just as my instrument needs to be maintained and tuned, so does my heart. I have to believe the more scripture I store there, the more in tune I will be with my Lord.

May I never again use the Lord’s grace as an excuse not to hide God’s word in my heart.

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

This passage makes it clear that it is not only expected, but that it is reasonable to give my life as a sacrifice unto the Lord. The word reasonable implies that it is not an extreme or excessive request, but rather an expression of sound judgement for me to do so. It is my intention to do so willingly and joyfully.

Flesh is weak. I intend to honor God, not only with my time, but with my physical being. I intend to honor Him as my Savior, but also as my husband. I will focus on keeping my thoughts pure by founding them in scripture and my flesh pure by striving to reside in God’s perfect will.

It’s no wonder Paul begins this passage by begging (“I beseech you”) us to be conscious of this spiritual service/act (not merely ritual activity but the involvement of heart, mind and will – Zondervan NIV reference)! Just as being conformed to this world is a process of exposure to its standards, so shall we be transformed through the process (not a single event) of conscious renewal.

“That ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice” – to sacrifice is to surrender something precious for the sake of something else. So often, the focus of the word sacrifice falls upon our own surrender of something precious to us. We struggle because we are so busy hanging onto those things we don’t want to let go of. We forget about the other half of sacrifice – “FOR THE SAKE OF SOMETHING ELSE.” We should not make this into a selfish process. The very fact that we are giving up something for the sake of something else defines sacrifice as a process in which self righteouseness and selfishness can play no part. Yes, we are giving our LIFE, but we are giving it so that OUR REASON FOR LIVING may be glorified. Which is more important? Our life, or our reason for living? What importance would our life have had we no reason for living it? Our gratitude would never suffice the gift we have been given through Jesus Christ. May we never hesitate to joyfully give what little God expects.

Romans 12:2 is one of my favorite verses in that it calls us to a higher standard by raising us out of the muck of this world. My how standards have changed over the years! When I read, “And be not conformed to this world” I instinctively think…we are not only conformed (acting in accordance with prevailing standards) but we are deformed (to mar the character of) by this world. What God made in the image of Himself has been corrupted. It isn’t enough to say that we have been changed. We’ve been volunteering for plastic surgery of the soul! Since when is being made in the image of God not good enough?

As our Christmas feasting draws near and busyness ensues, the hunger pains of our spirit can seem mute amidst songs of merriment.  It is at this time of year that we claim our love for Jesus Christ but how often have we proclaimed it to Him in thankfulness during this season?  Take time today to be silent with your Savior, to remember His sacrifice,  claim His gift of salvation and proclaim your gratitude.  It is the greatest gift you can offer the One whose birth we celebrate.

After all, what’s a birthday party without the guest of honor?

Psalm 119:9-11

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

Do I seek my Father with my whole heart – not lacking in any one part of me that doesn’t desire, or even moreso, demand it of myself? This is a verse I wish to engrave upon my life with my actions.

I will call upon the Lord to go before me and to prepare my way; this request acting as a reminder of my promise to Him to seek Him in all I do with my whole heart. I cannot possibly ask for God’s guidance and assurance without receiving personal conviction to give Him my whole heart in return.

The human appetite is a strange thing. It seems to me the longer I go without eating the less hungry I become. Don’t get me wrong – initially I want those things I have become accustomed to, but as time goes by I find that my hunger recedes. And when given the opportunity to eat again I am initially unable to digest as much as I used to. It is the same way when we feed upon the Word. The longer we neglect our appetite for the Word the more our hunger and capactiy for it diminishes. Granted, the taste is much more intense when we do eat again because we have been deprived, but we are unable to initially digest the same amount because we simply cannot contain it. We are suffering from anorexia while God is offering us a feast. Are you suffering from spiritual starvation? I urge you to taste and see God’s goodness!

“With all my heart”…the defnition of the word heart according to Strong’s concordance encompasses the following, “soul, mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination, conscience, moral character, appetite, emotions, and passions”. Imagine for a moment, devoting every thought, every reflection of the mind, every memory of the heart, every waking moment, every twinge of hunger, every emotion, every passion to God.

“Do not let me wander from your commandments.” Do not give me a single opportunity to stray. If ever there were a request to which I could predict God’s answer, it would be those words. I hear His emphatically loving, “No.” Essentially we are saying, “Do not fail to prevent me of my own free will.” The intention is good, but the request against the very nature of our God. It can be interpretted as asking God to remove all accountability because, after all, we asked Him to prevent the testing of our faith by removing free will. Where is the testimony in a faith never tested?



Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”

Reflecting on these words we come to realize something is not quite right. Although Eve’s intention was surely not to lie, she did so by adding to the perfect truth. I am sure she did so as a matter of self preservation…haven’t we all done it? We expand the boundaries beyond their original confinement just to be certain we don’t overstep them. However, the boundaries God gave were perfect boundaries, within a perfect garden. The balance of perfection leaves no room for improvement or alteration. So, what DID God say?

Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Here we have it…God said don’t eat of it or you will surely die. He didn’t say anything about not touching it. However, in Eve’s desire to consciously or unconsciously improve upon perfect boundaries, a conflict arose. I obviously wasn’t in the garden but I could imagine it went something like this. Along came the serpent and he cunningly engages Eve in a conversation by exaggerating the truth…”Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” He knew Eve would correct him, which would then turn her attention to the one thing God had “denied” them. What little convincing it took for her to reach out and touch the fruit.

What do you suppose was going through her mind as she reached up? Was she considering that she shouldn’t even “touch” the tree, as she had stated? Was her hand trembling in fear as it brushed the surface of the fruit? Was there a sigh of relief that she had not perished upon contact? Was there a false sense of comfort that if she hadn’t died in touching it, then perhaps she could eat of it?

The snowball effect…she had sinned in her heart to desire it in the first place, followed by a “sin of no consequence”, and then a sin of irreversible defiance. Isn’t that the way it goes? A mere consideration of the consequences…to the toe in the water…to the sinful submersion. One single action that would remove Adam and Eve from their garden of protection and perfection to Satan’s dominion of darkness. They were removed from a covering of Light that was permeated by a single darkness, to a covering of darkness that would have to be permeated by a single Light. In a single instant they were, quite litereally, “in a world of sin”.

If you are considering the consequences today…if you are testing the waters…if you find yourself submerged in a sea of sin, there is another element to your story. The darkness we live in has already been permeated by the single Light. That Light is Jesus Christ. He came and died on the cross for your sins…the sins you are considering…the sins you have tested and tried…and the sins that are suffocating you at this very moment…even those you have yet to conceive. You are not being banished, but beckoned. Beckoned into eternity with an invitation from God Almighty . Will you accept His invitation?