“The LORD Is…”

I love You, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies (Psalm 18:1-3, NASB).

Looking throughout the Bible, we find hundreds of "The Lord is…" statements.  This is because the greatness and glory of our Lord cannot be captured in a single word or sentence.  He is so profound and above us that we could go on forever trying to describe Him and His nature.

In Psalm 18, the Lord is beautifully described as many different things.  He is the firm, unmovable rock and fortress that can stand against any assault; but at the same time, He is swift enough to deliver us from any threat.  He is our shield.  When we are on the move and fighting the daily battle, He is there to protect us from any surprise attacks.  As the horn of our salvation, He is not just a defensive agent, but a symbol of force and the great resounding voice of victory.  He is able to be called upon, so that when needed, we can trust that He will aid us in the thickest fight.

Most importantly of all, He is worthy to be praised.  However, this isn’t listed as an F.Y.I.–as something to be done merely when convenient.  If you know the Lord and understand all of the things He is, your praise for Him will be as unstoppable as His willingness to fight for you.  So praise Him, and do it daily!

- Jason Budd

Promises

Have you ever made a promise?  I’m sure you have.  It may have been to do someone a favor, to never do something again, or maybe even something as simple as taking out the trash or cleaning your room.  Have you ever not fulfilled a promise?  I’m sure you’ve done that too.

It’s very easy to spew off promises.  Often, it’s done in an attempt to rid oneself of discomfort.  In order to get this person to stop complaining to me, I’ll promise to help.  My significant other is really getting on my case about me having done that; if I promise to never do it again, maybe he or she will lay off.  I really don’t think that mom will let me go out on Friday night if I don’t promise to take care of my chores.

Really, the motivation for making our promises isn’t important when it comes to being responsible and keeping our word.  We can try to reason that they knew we weren’t being serious or that the circumstances have changed, but when we say we’ll do something (whether we use the word "promise" or not), we are bound to do it.

Imagine the consequences if God decided not to keep His promises.  Forgiveness of sins upon confession (1 John 1:9), trials we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), and while we’re at it, eternal life (John 3:16) can all be thrown out the window.  What makes God so great is that He will always uphold His promises–to the righteous and the unrighteous.  As His children, our level of influence will greatly depend upon the integrity of our words.  Be sure to take care in both what you say, and how you follow it through.  A great deal depends upon it.

- Jason Budd

The Test Of Trials

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12, NIV).

Sometimes I feel like we don’t really get what it means to be "blessed."  Often, we express it as a feeling or an abstract idea that cannot be defined, but this isn’t the case at all.  "Blessed" simply means to be fortunate or happy.  We are fortunate when we obtain something of value, and in turn that makes us happy!

There are two ways to respond to trials: 1) give up and give in, or 2) persevere.  This passage tells us, however, that only the second way will result in being blessed–perseverance.  We do this by standing strong against the fierce test of trials, enduring till the end without having compromised our principles and beliefs.

Now we understand that "blessed" means to gain something of value.  However, this verse is not like a fortune cookie, saying that you will gain something of value without specifying it.  We are told here exactly what we will receive–a crown of life; God has promised it to those who love Him.  Notice that with this verse the trial is defined even more.  Standing up to trials caused by our own lawlessness will not grant us fortune.  Only the love of God and standing behind Him and all that He stands for will refine us to be more purely the creatures He created us to be.  And only if we do that will the most valuable blessing be granted unto us–eternal life in heaven.

How will you handle the daily battle against the trials that come your way?

- Jason Budd

Kaizen

"…but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ" (Ephesians 4:15).

Life in general is about growth, and life in Jesus Christ is about growth toward the perfection of His character. Much of the happiness and joy that are available to us can only be ours if we know that we’re making progress in the direction of godly character and conduct.  When we give in to the forces of evil "inertia," we fail to move ahead, and the result is that we stagnate.  Eventually, our choice becomes a choice between improvement or death.  There is really no other option.

The Japanese word kaizen refers to the concept of "continuous improvement over time."  This concept is a part of what has made so many Japanese businesses successful, and it has made these businesses a model of effectiveness for corporations around the world.  Kaizen says that while we may not "get it perfect" on the first attempt, what we want to do is continuously improve what we do in a never-ending spiral of positive growth.  Businesses that employ the concept of kaizen find some way to improve everything they deal with – every time they deal with it.  And over time, the results are nothing short of stunning.

Wouldn’t the results be even more stunning if we practiced kaizen in our spiritual lives?  Surely they would, and it is no compliment to us that people striving for worldly goals in the business environment work harder at improving what they do than is often the case with those who are striving for heavenly goals.  Jesus said a long time ago that "the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light" (Luke 16:8).

Yet here is an intriguing thought: can we not improve our track record in the matter of improvement?  Can we not "do better about doing better"?  Yes, we can.  And when we exercise even one ounce of initiative to make progress in even one area of our spiritual lives, the devil has cause to worry.  It is by steps like these, seemingly small but taken regularly, that our adversary loses his prey. Improvement is not a concept that he’s comfortable with.

We must praise your goodness that you have left nothing undone to draw us
to yourself.  But one thing we ask of you, our God, not to cease to work in our
improvement.  Let us tend towards you, no matter by what means, and be
fruitful in good works, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Gary Henry