We are only temporary here on the earth. As such, we must bear the temporary body and life that comes with it. We will inherit the eternal and a body to go with it.

“⁴⁹Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. ⁵⁰I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” – 1 Corinthians 15:49-50 (ESV)

Adam was made of the earth and formed from dust. We are like he in that we are simply here on this earth to do the will of God.

Jesus, at resurrection, was given a new heavenly body that is imperishable. We too will be imperishable when we have passed from this earth. The temporary we must endure and then we will be granted the opportunity to bear the eternal.

Are you celebrating the temporary of today? What are you thinking and preparing for the eternal? Are you bearing the temporary in order that you will bear the eternal?

“¹We who are strong have and obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” – Romans 15:1 (ESV)

The weak are in need and we are those that are to care for them. It is our responsibility to work to make things better for those around us. I am to be the caregiver of those less fortunate than I. I am to provide for others and not worry about the pleasing of my own desires.

As a Christian, I am to do the will of God and for the greater part of my doings, that will mean, taking care of those around me without thinking of myself. And this is where we find the difficulty in living for Christ. Isn’t our salvation to make things better for us? Aren’t we to be in a better place once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior?

I believe we have to be careful what we are looking and waiting for. Our better comes once we go to be with our Lord and Savior. Although, I will ask, when you see the smile on a child’s face after you just sit to play with them, or the joy in someone’s demeanor when you help them with a difficult task, how are you feeling then? You see, we are here help others and not be looking for our own gratification, although when we do complete the task of assisting others, we naturally receive glory to the degree that we are willing to do that again.

When you see others having a time of it, what is your reaction? Where are you focusing your attention in the area of glorification? Are you looking to bear the obligation of serving others before yourself?

Once again God has brought me to what He wants me to learn.

“⁴Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. ⁵For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. ⁶But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” – Romans 7:4-6 (ESV)

A pretty long passage here, but needed to gain the full effect of what God intended for me. You see, we as Christians, are no longer held to the written law to keep us doing the right things. We are now held to a higher standard as set by Christ with His death on the cross for our salvation. The written law is for those that have no moral compass or greater good or something better to live and strive for. Now that we are striving to be like Christ each and every day, we don’t “need” the law to “keep us in line”.

I remember the movie from a few years ago, “The Benchwarmers”. I know, where are you going with this one. Well, the movie was about bullying. Toward the end of the movie, one of the characters made it a point to apologize (many years later) to someone that he had bullied when they were younger. The apology was genuine and accepted. This single instance of goodness was the driving force for the recipient to accept who he was and declare to others to accept who they were as well. The movie ends with all, the bullies and those that were the recipients of the bullying, playing a game together in friendship and fun.

A lot of information to get to this point. The character that apologized did the right thing, even though the law did not “require” it. As a Christian, we are to live a life striving to be like Christ. We are to accept the responsibility of living according to the example of Christ and when we do, we do not “need” the law to “keep us in line”.

Where are you as it stands in relation to the law? Are you dependent on the written law to “keep you in line”? Are you released from the written law by your actions that demonstrate Christ?

“⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.” – John 1:6-7 (ESV)

This John was John the Baptist as you may be aware. Here it is states that he was “sent from God…as a witness”. I want to look at those last three words in the previous sentence.

John the Baptist was simply a witness and should not be confused with the messiah. He was sent to create interest and understanding about the messiah to come. He was here to draw attention to the messiah and the salvation He would provide.

“⁸He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” – John 1:8 (ESV)

It is made clear in verse eight that John the Baptist was not the messiah and only here “to bear witness about the light”.

Let’s talk about that part. As we go through our lives, we are to “bear witness about the light”. That light is Jesus. As I read in my NIV commentary I see that “we merely reflect that light”, and I thought of the moon. The moon is not the source of the light it provides, it only reflects the light that shines on it. In fact, if we all remember, the dark side of the moon is a cold dark place. Isn’t that how we are? As we are standing in the light of the messiah, we are warm and seen as God fearing, but when we step out of the light, we are cold and dark ourselves.

We are here “to bear witness about the light” and the way we do that is to reflect the shining on us daily to those around us. The only way we are able to reflect that light is to stand in it constantly. We should be letting the light shine on us and through us to bear witness of the messiah who is the light.

Do you consider your self the light, or the witness about the light? What is your take on your position here in the world? What ways are you able to bear witness?

I know that I have been in situations where there seems to be only one or two options for resolution as I look at them. But, is that really the only solutions?

“¹⁹And her husband Joseph, be a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” – Matthew 1:19 (ESV)

And he had every right with his choice. You see in the law of the time, Joseph could have had Mary stoned, or do as he was which was to offer her divorce. But, God provided another option, and this was a big one.

“²⁰But as he considered these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” – Matthew 1:20-21 (ESV)

We have choices and those choices may seem right in the moment and in the law. And we are right to choose either of them and proceed. But, what if there were another option? I believe that we are to be diligent in looking for the solution that glorifies God.

At the office we were discussing some tense subjects and were all looking at things from a worldly perspective. I introduced the idea to the group that we should take action in all situations from a position of love and care and that would place us in a more “right” position.

Now, I believe that there is more to it than that. I believe that we should come from the position of love and care, but also after prayer and consideration for the will of God. Our choices from love and care are a great place to start, as they were for Joseph. But when we consult with God, we get the “right” approach.

When you are looking at situations, where are you getting your choices for action? Are you working to take the “best” action as you know them? What if we waited for God to provide the “right” choice?

How many of us are pleased and excited about the prosperity we have? When we are in a state of winning, how many of us forget how we achieved the victory?

“⁴But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is not savior. ⁵It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; ⁶but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.” – Hosea 13:4-6 (ESV)

Here there is reference to the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt. When in the wilderness, they were fed and cared for by God. Once they had reached the point of comfort, they rebelled against God and began worshiping idols and in essence “forgot” about God and how they were brought to the place they were.

“⁷So I am to them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk beside the way. ⁸I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion, as a wild beast would rip them open.” – Hosea 13:7-8 (ESV)

And as they forgot, God punished them for it. Should we expect anything less. We were delivered from sin by the saving grace of Jesus’ death. When we forget and turn away, should we not be subject to the consequences of our actions?

It is important that we are accepting of salvation as giving freely by God. It is important that we live according to the Word of God. It is important that we remember what it was that got us to where we are and celebrate that as much as, NO, MORE than the prosperity we have gained.

When you are thinking of the prosperity you have, what thoughts do you have related to the journey to get there? What goes through your mind, heart, and actions with regard to the how? Are you conscious of and remember how you got there?

This morning I was led to continue my study of the word “bear”. The passage I read was of Daniel’s vision of the four beasts.

“¹In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of he head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.” – Daniel 7:1 (ESV)

Daniel had his dreams and visions, wrote them down, and declared them. Sounds simple enough. God gives the information needed to move forward, we only need to head in that direction.

God gave to Daniel for him to share and provide the map of how to get there. It was the role of those that heard the map to follow and get where God intended them to go.

God gives us the map and it is up to us to follow it and arrive at the predetermined destination provided by God. Our destination as I know it is the heavenly kingdom. Getting there is no small instant feat. We have to follow the map provided in God’s Word. We are not going to get there without following the map.

For each of us, we look to the same place for the map and directions, but our path is different. Our “open road” will come at different times and our “obstacles” will be different and come at different times as well. What we should be doing is simply following the map for us as laid out by God in His Word. The only way to follow the map, is to read and study it.

Are you aware of the map for your life that God has provided? What do you know about your map? Have you started in the direction God has you going as identified in His Word and on the map for your life?

This morning I read in Lamentations chapter 3. Here the title of the passage in my ESV is “Great is Your Faithfulness” and in my NIV, “Hope in the midst of affliction”. I will say that in starting my reading, things are pretty bleak and my immediate thought was of affliction brought on by Satan that we have to get past.

“¹I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; ²he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; ³surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long…¹⁰He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; ¹¹he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; ¹²he bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.” – Lamentations 3:1-3 & 10-12 (ESV)

As I continue reading and studying, I realize that the affliction and difficulty being experienced was allowed and brought on by God judgment and wrath.

But then in the same chapter there is truth of God.

“²¹But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: ²²The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; ²³they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴’The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” – Lamentations 3:20-24 (ESV)

God’s wrath is all around us. We are caught up in it when we take our eyes off of God’s faithfulness. When afflictions are overcoming us, we still have the faithfulness of God that we can focus and rely on. We cause our own affliction and God provides our safety.

When you find yourself in difficult situations, where are you turning? Are you dwelling on the affliction? Will you take the time to find and lean on the truth of God’s faithfulness?

I was talking the other day about how we should approach each day with the attitude of love and care, and when we do so we will be able to more easily get past all of the evil we experience.

“⁶The wolf shall dwell with the lam, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. ⁷The cow and the bear shall graze; their your shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” – Isaiah 11:6-7 (ESV)

Here in God’s Word we see that predators acting like and interacting with their former prey. Those fierce animals engaging in peaceful actions with the docile animals they would regularly attack and use for sustenance.

These actions are made possible by the love of Christ and the care He had for us through His death and resurrection. Isaiah is predicting a time when we will all be able to get along, and that is only possible through the peace brought by Christ. So much so that the fierce animal kingdom will no longer “need” to be fierce and seek the docile as food. They will seek them as brothers and sisters in God’s kingdom.

I wonder if we can begin that time today. Christ did provide our salvation and as Paul writes in Romans:

“¹⁰Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” – Romans 12:10 (ESV)

Our peace is already here and we have the opportunity to act as such.

Would you go into the world today and everyday interacting with love and care? Will you look for the opportunity to “outdo one another in showing honor”? What interactions do you have where you have the opportunity to live in peace with others?

When you are traveling, isn’t a sign a welcome thing to provide direction and/or confirmation that we are doing the right thing or headed in the right direction? God provides us with signs and in some cases, invites us to ask for them.

“¹⁰Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹’Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’” – Isaiah 7:10-11 (ESV)

Ahaz was looking for help in all the wrong places and therefore God asked him to seek a sign that would give direction and confirmation of His glory to strengthen his faith. In true human fashion (because we know better) Ahaz refused.

“¹²But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’” – Isaiah 7:12(ESV)

And so, Isaiah, on instruction from God, provided the sign to Ahaz anyway.

“¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, ans shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

Whether we want to or not, God will provide for us. He is always giving us direction and confirmation of His glory. We are in the position of seeking to find that direction and confirmation. And if we are not “looking” for it, that does not mean it is not there.

Just like Ahaz, we tend to want to do things on our own and really need the help of God in everything we do.

Doesn’t it make sense to seek from our Lord, for the direction and confirmation? Would we be so bold to try things on our own continuously? What can we do to be sure that we are seeking direction and confirmation from God and not just relying on others?