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Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts

THE BUTLER WITH THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD IN THE COURTYARD


“The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matt 23:11)

I dreamt I was sitting in the courtyard of a big mansion. I had made a mess with crumbs, and the harder I tried to clean it up, the worse it got. A butler had been watching me make a fool of myself, and now he walked over to me and cleaned up my mess. He had dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and he was wearing a tuxedo. I don’t remember how his eyes looked, except that they were kind. I knew that he didn’t clean up my mess because it was his job, but because of his great love. I remember thinking “If this man is married, his wife is the luckiest woman in the world.” Later in the day while thinking about this dream, I realized that the butler was Jesus, and yes, His bride is very lucky. We are His bride.

I had made such a mess of things. Everything I cared about was in shambles and ruins around me, and the harder I tried to fix it, the worse it got. Have you ever found yourself in that place? That desolate place where you find yourself all alone, because you hurt everyone you loved, and everything you touched would shrivel up and die? It is in this place of devastation and chaotic ruin that you finally realize there is nothing you can do to fix things; no band aid can cover those wounds any longer.

Take heart, because you have finally arrived! This is exactly where God wants you, for it is in this lonely, broken place that He can finally come to your rescue. This is a ground-breaking day in heaven’s courts; because here you will find the Judge and Lover of your soul…here you will find God. He is ever merciful and loving, His compassion knows no bounds, His tenderness is beyond understanding. When you get to the place where there is nothing else you can do to help yourself, then He can finally do something for you.

What can He do in your desperation? He sends His Son, His Servant Jesus. In Matthew 21:28, Jesus says “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” It’s time to face the music, and realize that there is nothing you can do to change or undo what has been done, but it’s alright. Jesus is right by your side, and He’s wearing His tuxedo. Only He can clean up the mess you have made, but only when you have cried out to Him with the most simple and basic of words….help. And just like Job, you’re sitting there in the dust, saying “Whoa is me.” “Yes!” God says, “you have made a mess of things, haven’t you? But if you’ll turn it all over to Me, I will clean it up for you, because you see, I love you. I alone know the despair in your heart. I alone formed you in your mother’s womb. I know the intricate design of your inner most being because that is how I designed you. And it is I, alone, who can clean up this mess and give you a fresh start, and if you’ll just trust me, I will do it.”

Would you let Jesus clean up your mess? Ask Him today. He’s waiting in His tuxedo, ready and willing to send your failures as far as the east is from the west. He is waiting…



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The Lion King



"They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling." (Hosea 11:10)

I can just picture a lion, watching his cubs making mistakes, being careless, or wandering off somewhere, all the while he is getting more and more frustrated at their foolishness. Finally when he can’t stand it any longer, he roars. The roar is deafening…there is no mistaking the meaning of it, and there is no getting around it. The papa lion has had enough of this flapdoodle, and he lets it be known in no uncertain terms. The cubs stop cold in their tracks, and slowly start to make their way back, brooding as they go, trembling even. No more frolicking or frivolity, Papa means business.

Can’t you just see God roaring at us like a lion? We fail Him in so many ways. We get ourselves in trouble; we wander off into the world with all of its seductive ways. We are enchanted and captivated by its trappings, and we forget who we are. We forget that the One who is the caretaker of our souls has not wearied in watching us, nothing goes unseen. Lying dormant beneath the patience and long suffering of this Lion King, there is heartfelt anguish. A passionate jealousy is stirring just beneath the surface, and finally in one fell swoop He roars. The pain in His heart can be contained no longer. He roars.

He roars because He has been wounded for our transgressions. And we, like lion cubs, like babes, start making our way back with heads drooping. We can’t bear to disappoint our King. With our very hearts crushed in pain, we return. We are prodigal cubs making our way back, and our King awaits us. Deep down inside we are wired to know that forgiveness is within our reach, and if we will just lift our hearts to Him, our Lion King will be faithful to welcome us back with open arms.