Edtucner, Author at Creation Beckons

Obedient Rest

Hebrews 4:9-11 Obedient Rest

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience” (NIV).

Several months earlier these fields were green, and then became ripe for harvest. Today they are brown, showing that they have accomplished their purpose—they have produced the harvest. Their job for this year is done, and now these fields are to rest, holding within themselves the nutrients for the next growing season. They look restful, not actively doing anything, but in their rest, they are preparing for next year. Fields that are not given rest eventually become less and less useful, until they become unfruitful.

God gives each of us work to do, work that will result in a harvest that He has determined. He grants us the abilities and the anointing to provide a harvest when the seed is planted. Usually when we have completed a task, some work, or a mission, God gives us time to rest, and while we rest, He builds us up again through His Word, His teaching servants, and in conversation with us. But we have to recognize that our rest is a time of preparation for a new task, work, or mission, and we must cooperate with His teaching through His Word, His teaching servants, and prayer. God will not force us to perform tasks for Him, but He provides us with opportunities to serve Him. When we accept a new assignment, He begins preparing us and anointing us for the assigned work so that the harvest He has planned will be bountiful.

It is important for us to accept the times of rest God provides for us and to be open to what he has to teach us during times of rest. Lord, make me like a sponge, soaking up all you have for me as I rest. I look forward to the next planting of seed.

Highs and Lows–Peaks and Valleys

Mark 1:9-13 Highs and Lows–Peaks and Valleys

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.’ The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him” (RSV).

If we want to discuss the journey between the highs and the lows, the peaks and the valleys, there is no better example than that of Jesus described in Mark 1:9-13. He goes from “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased” to “And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan.” From God the Father to Satan, from the highest to the lowest. There was very little transition for the passage also states, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” His time in the wilderness was an extended time, forty days.

In this life we experience journeys between the peaks and valleys in both directions. Sometimes the journey is quick and sharply delineated, but other times the journey is longer with the distinction between the two—peak and valley—not so sharp. Sometimes the journey goes almost unnoticed, as we drift between one to the other. We can easily distinguish between a peak and a valley, but we need to learn when we are on the journey between the two and in which direction we are headed. Satan does his best to cloud the journey, thus deceiving us as to where we are headed. We need to be constant in the reading of His Word and in conversation with our Lord to understand where we stand at any time, and that is important. When we are traveling from lows to highs, we can shorten the journey by our actions and our attitude, and when we are travelling from highs to lows, we can stop the journey before we reach rock bottom.

We do travel between highs and lows, peaks and valleys in this life, but when we are aware of the direction of travel, we can always depend upon our Lord to give us both help and comfort along the journey. It can be said that the peaks are not as high when the valleys are not very low, but with the Lord’s help, we can spend more time on the peaks or on the journey toward the peaks to His glory than we do in the valleys or on the descent toward the valleys. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Help me to be aware of the direction of my journey, and help me to move toward you.

Take It Easy

Philippians 4:19 Take It Easy

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (NKJV).

“Take it Easy” doesn’t sound much like a Christian devotional, does it? A recent sermon I heard prompted this title. The pastor asked how many have been or are worried, upset, concerned about the state of the world today. When many of us raised our hands, he chastised us. He reminded us that God has not been, nor is He surprised by Covid 19, the current racial tension, or the many words of hate being spewed throughout this land. While difficult times may occur, and crises may happen, Psalm 91 (NKJV) tells us, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.’” Psalm 91 goes on to say in verse 7, “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” The Word further reassures us in Ph 4:19 (NKJV), “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

My needs are supplied, and I am protected by the God of the universe who calls me His son. Yes, His Word speaks of Jesus as my brother. Romans 8:29 (NKJV) tells us, “For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” We are joint heirs along with His Son, Jesus. Ephesians 3:6 (NKJV) says, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and the partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel.”

A return to Psalms tells us in Psalm 37:1-2, “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity, for they shall be soon cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” We are instructed in verse 8 of the same chapter of Psalms, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.” We are told not only to not fret, but also to cease from anger and wrath because harm is the result. Sounds a little bit like “Take It Easy” to me.

In the sense of rejoicing over the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the glory of our God, “Take It Easy” doesn’t seem to be an option, but rather a command. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!”(Ph 4:4 NKJV) David says in Psalm 101 (NKJV), “I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praises.” In the days of Moses, Miriam said in Exodus 15:1 (NKJV), “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”

The message seems to be: Rejoice in the Lord, and fret not the troublesome times.

Behind the Scenes; Knowing God

John 17:3 Behind the Scenes; Knowing God

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (NLT).

It was intriguing to walk behind the waterfall, to see from behind the scenes. We don’t often get to see what the backs of waterfalls look like. When we do, we feel like we understand them better, or at least have a different perspective. So how do we get to understand God better, to get behind the scenes and find out what is really going on? It’s no secret; there are two best ways to understand God, to draw closer to Him: 1. Read His Word, 2. Pray. That’s it. Those are the two best ways to get to know and understand God well, as well as we as humans can understand the creator of the universe. He wants us to draw close to Him, to learn about Him, and grasp His greatness and love. It’s never too late to begin this fascinating journey, and I am convinced that it will never end, even throughout eternity.

Attention to Detail

Genesis 1:24 Attention to Detail

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.’ And that is what happened” (NLT).

And each animal is its own kind. Just look at the details, the white and brown stripes on the back, the white and dark stripes on the face, and the tiny feet and claws. Try to imagine the tiny heart that beats to send blood throughout this beautiful animal’s body. Try to imagine the even tinier arteries and veins that carry the blood throughout the body. Try to imagine the digestive organs from the sharp teeth through the intestines. This is certainly not the smallest animal, not even the smallest mammal, but it serves to illustrate the attention to detail that the Creator bestowed upon the smallest of creatures. If He lavished that much attention and love on this small animal that scurries along the ground, how much more attention and love did He lavish on His greatest creative achievement, the creation of man in the image of God. We, the ones created in His image are the “apple of His eye,” the ones He loves most, and the ones from whom He expects the most. It is a great joy to return love to God and to know that He craves and appreciates that love. Thank you, Lord, for loving me and for craving my love.

This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

Psalm 118:24 This Is the Day the Lord Has Made

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (NKJV).

That’s right, when we think of this verse, we usually think of bright times, joyous times as pictured above. That’s a good thing to do—rejoice in the good times. Praise God when his blessings are apparent, when the trail ahead is interesting and good friends are enjoying a hike together. That’s the kind of day when we like to “rejoice and be glad in it.”

But there are other days when the sun isn’t shining very brightly, the clouds are hanging low, and things just aren’t going our way–when there just doesn’t seem to be any light in the day.

Guess what? This is still a day the Lord made, and we are to “rejoice and be glad in it” also. Today started out like one of those lifeless days with difficult problems. It was hard to “rejoice and be glad in it.” Then God caused me to think of the fantastic family I have. And the love we all share. He also reminded me that His Son, Jesus, loves me enough that He sacrificed Himself on the cross of Calvary so that He could spend eternity with me. Jesus did that so He could spend time with me! Wow! Then, in the middle of the morning, the problem that seemed insurmountable earlier was chopped down to size. So, this day that began with me mumbling and grumbling now has me rejoicing and being glad in it. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness.

Restoration from the Burning of Sin

1 John 1:9 Restoration from the Burning of Sin

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (KJV).

This tree branch suffered burning from a forest fire at Sunset Crater National Monument in northern Arizona last year, but, as you can see, the center was preserved intact. The outer layers of the limb protected the inside, insulated it from the vast heat that enveloped the outside. Jesus did so much more for us on the cross. He not only protected us, He cleansed us from sin. While this limb did die because the tree was felled by the fire, we have more protection. When we confess and repent, our sins are forgiven as if they had never happened. No dark ring of burned matter is found on our bodies, our souls, or our spirits. Jesus accepted all of that burning upon Himself. Father God sees no sin in the heart, soul, or spirit of the believer who has asked Jesus to forgive his sins, so He has no reason to ban him from His side or even from His throne room. If fact, because of our relationship with Jesus, He welcomes us with open arms into His presence forever. All the good that God has prepared for us is available for our enjoyment and blessing.

Son of God, Son of Man

Colossians 2:9 Son of God, Son of Man

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body” (NLT).

The clouds obviously separate the snow-capped mountains from the desert foliage. We know that the two parts of the scene, snowy mountains and desert plants are connected behind the cloud. It may be difficult to believe that desert plants and snowy peaks can exist so close to each other, to actually be part of the same section of earth. One thing it shows is that the mountain peaks are high above the desert plants. Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man in John 9:35-37: “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ The man answered, ‘Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.’ ‘You have seen him,’ Jesus said, ‘and he is speaking to you.’” God the Father calls Jesus the Son of God in Luke 3:22: “…and the Holy Spirit in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” While living on Earth, Jesus was known as the Son of Man and the Son of God—two separate names for the same person. It is a blessing to realize that the Son of God came to earth and became the Son of Man in order to provide the only possible sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. While we may think of the “Son of God” to be high above the “Son of Man,” He is one and the same. Thank you, Jesus, for becoming as one of us to atone for my sins. I am eternally grateful, and I will be able to thank you daily throughout eternity for your sacrifice.

Receive Your Gift

Romans 6:23 Receive Your Gift

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NIV).

It doesn’t snow often in Tucson, but it snows on the surrounding mountains often enough that we get to see the line between snow and no snow on the mountains fairly frequently. I once was hiking up a trail with the snow line close enough that I could see it, but it moved up the mountain as fast or faster than I could climb. I never quite reached it. A first glance of the snow line shows a rather sharp demarcation between snow and no snow, but as we look closer, we notice that there are indentations and sharp cornices where the line is not quite straight. It’s possible to be standing at a height below the snow line, but still see snow below because of an indentation. Satan would love to convince us that the “sin line” is like that, a little wavy, not consistent. He’s wrong. There is no thing such as “almost a sin,” and “just a little bit of sin.” God has set a definite line between sin and truth, and “the wages of sin is death” whether the sin is a “little sin” or a “great big sin.” There is no wiggle room when it comes to sin. Don’t fall for satan’s lie—sin is sin and there is only one punishment for sin—death. “I guess I’m doomed then.” NO, I AM NOT DOOMED! Jesus accepted the punishment for all my sins, every one of them, past, present, and future. Jesus has accepted the wages for my sin and for your sin, and for your neighbors’ sin, and for the sin of Johann Gonzales in Seville, Spain. But in order to receive this gift of sin forgiveness we need to ask Jesus for it and then accept it. Have you ever refused a Christmas gift? I doubt that you have. Well, don’t refuse this gift. It is the best one you will ever receive. It’s the gift of eternal life. Once you accept it, it is as if you had never sinned, from the “little” sins to the “great big ones.” Jesus makes you pure and clean, and nobody else can do that. Here’s hoping that you receive Jesus’ gift of sin forgiveness. If you do, I’ll get to meet you some day in heaven. I’m looking forward to that.

Blown by the Wind

James 1:6 Blown by the Wind

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (NIV).

Obviously, the wave above is being blown by the wind. The whole wave is moving toward the shore, but the top of it is being blown back out to sea. The individual water drops are not making headway toward the land, the direction the wave is moving.

This verse speaks a hard truth,:“But when you ask, you must believe.” And then the part about doubt comes in. I don’t want to be blown by the wind. I want to move toward a solution to my problem, but my doubt keeps moving me away from my desired outcome. I don’t mean that I don’t get my prayers answered, but I’m sure they would be answered much sooner if I could just get rid of doubt. I am amazed at people who say, “I never doubted that God would answer my prayer and solve my problem.” WOW! It’s not often that I can say, “I never doubted.” I’m like the man who asked Jesus to heal his son who was possessed by a spirit who caused him to have seizures. He said, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Mark 9:22b (NIV) Jesus’ answer to the father was, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” And the man answered, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-24 (NIV) I believe that this was included in the Holy Scriptures to give hope to those of us who fight doubt. When we pray and ask for an answer, we can also ask for more belief. God loves us, and His desire is to answer our prayers—help us with our challenges, including the challenge of having strong faith.

I think my least favorite word in the Bible is the word, “just,” as in, “Just believe.” Sometimes that is hard. We know we don’t deserve the answer we are asking for, and we are afraid that our faith is not strong enough to get the job done. That’s the time I throw myself on the mercy of God and ask Him to give me the faith to get it done. I lean on His grace and His love.

Do I have doubts? Do I wonder if I have enough faith? The answer to both questions is “yes,” but I know that I have a God who loves me and wants to help me grow in Him, increase my faith and trust Him completely. He helps me grow when I speak with Him, when I read His Word, and when I listen to saints who have a close walk with Jesus. So I can say in confidence, “I believe. Help thou my unbelief.”