Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

I am wondering if there is ever much consideration of earthly things with regard to desire in the heart of the one who has taken their pleasure in the Lord. The way verse four is stated, it could almost be taken like an ad for a free credit card or sure way to win the lottery and have all the resources to get that long list of stuff you’ve been wanting for so long. You know, just do a little delighting in the morning for a couple minutes a day and, “shazaam!”, all those goodies you’ve had your eye on will show up at the front door. What a great and easy way to finally get what had once seemed to expensive or inaccessible.
There is something that is more easily observed from the parent’s perspective when it comes to delighting. For the child who is experiencing this ‘delight’, there is really nothing else that will console or satisfy them. Video games in particular have a way of gaining fixation in the heart of the young person (maybe old too?) and rendering them mostly oblivious to the world.  Recently there was a new release of a game that had been played in the old version, but the new one apparently had significant new features. My son pre-paid a portion to secure his copy at the store around the corner and prepared for the release party that was supposed to take place at midnight on a certain date. The day prior was filled with reminders and expressions of excitement as to his need for a ride to the video store at midnight to secure his copy. Attempts at motivating him towards other worthy pursuits were futile as his heart became set on how wonderful that new gaming experience would be. I took him and his friend to the store about fifteen minutes before midnight to partake of this video game celebration only to discover that he had misunderstood the time and the party had actually occurred 24 hours earlier.
I am glad for my son’s passion and motivation, and that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get something that he becomes fixed on. He will check all the change repositories, mow the lawn, practice his guitar, and do all his house chores in order to acquire that thing he is delighting in. In the season of his passion, though, the only thing his heart is soft towards and completely embracing of is that object or that experience. Offering other things to him in the moments right before his ‘release party’ would not have produced any light in the eye or joy in his soul. In fact, there was a hardness and resistance towards other objects until that new game was acquired. Other games and stuff that had once been ‘must haves’ he would readily sacrifice for that precious new one.  The only thing that his heart desired at that moment was what he has been delighting in and the only thing that could be given to him to satisfy that desire would be that very object.

I believe that the desires that are promised here in this passage have everything to do with this very same principle. If I am truly delighting in the Lord and my heart is soft towards Him, then there is really only one thing that can be given to me at the moment of my delight- Him. He doesn’t just become a means of getting all that world-produced junk that will become obsolete in a few days. He Himself becomes the desire that is given. I love this, too, because His release parties are never missed and gaining Him never comes with regrets or disappointments. He is unfailing in His love and once He is tasted of, every day becomes a ‘release party’ where that thing that delights the heart and excites the soul is celebrated anew with fresh discoverable features. There may be some other treats He brings to the party to give it His touch and make our experience of what He provides that much greater, but the true desire and the true gratification and the true fulfillment will only be Him in the heart of the one who truly delights in Him.

Psalms 21:1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

Heb 12:1-2 (WEY) Therefore, surrounded as we are by such a vast cloud of witnesses, let us fling aside every encumbrance and the sin that so readily entangles our feet. And let us run with patient endurance the race that lies before us, 2 simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself— where He still sits—at the right hand of the throne of God.

There are a couple of items that have miraculously made it through the filter of growing up, college, and family life. They are two little Punt, Pass, and Kick trophies from my childhood. One is a bronze and one is a silver football player standing at attention. Somewhere we also have a picture from the awarding of one of them, with me standing there next to the other two winners. It was just a simple contest where the young boys competed to see who could punt, pass, and kick a football the longest and with the most accuracy. Those prizes, though, have taken their place along the prizes my own sons have won through the years and represent a small little identification with victory that is of a worth much larger than just the metal and wood.

To see the highlights and victory photos of any of the truly great athletes of history, there is an image of them, lifting, hugging, or kissing usually a cup of some kind. This prize has been for them part of the intense focus that has kept them in the gym, on the track, hitting balls, and diligently working on the skills that would take them to the victory stand. For everyone who would get there, though, it is more than just the cup that motivates, it is the image of the one holding the cup, that one who has gone before and all that he has done to set himself apart and above. The cup itself might represent the victory, but it holds within itself no means of emulation or method. The one holding the prize does. The story of how he did it will give all the unbearable drills and practice a purpose of great worth. His perseverance and his sacrifice will be seen as the invaluable ingredients of the champion and therefore to be embraced rather than avoided. So, the real prize, that is the enabling focus through the most trying opposition, is much more than just a trophy with some writing on it. That alone might not even get you off the couch and out the door. The one holding the prize, on the other hand will inspire efforts beyond what might have ever been thought possible.

We are in a competition that will require great effort and great endurance. In order to complete this race there will be a need for encouragement, but especially it will require a fixed gaze upon something bigger and much more significant than the grueling pain of the course, something that will make all those otherwise unbearable portions appear to be nothing in comparison. Thankfully, we have a champion who has gone before with an amazing story of diligence and unwavering determination. By “simply” fixing our eyes upon Him when the grade of our own race becomes steep, visualizing His progress up the road to the crucifixion where He fell beneath the weight of the cross, there will be inspiration and renewed motivation to also get up and move forward towards the joy of our prize. This Christ focus is actually the way arriving at our own victory as every other wondering gaze will take us off course and away from assured triumph in Him.

May the overcoming resource of life substance fill this day with hope and unshakeable peace as the Prince of Peace gets the central attention of the eyes. May the unbearable and impossible know transformation in the light of His glory as His holding of the prize becomes the unstoppable motivation to finish the course with joy and excellence.

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 2 Tim 1:9-10 (KJV)

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. 2 Tim 1:14 (KJV)

Of all that’s been given to you, what do you still keep around? Why are certain things singled out to be kept, and in what condition are they kept?

I tend to have great difficulty parting with little items that were given by certain people who have held a significant place in my life. Though I may never really use them, there is a tendency to keep them in a drawer or at least in a box in the attic. So many things that, while good themselves, are really kept around because of sentimental reasons rather than practical ones. Though they may never be unearthed for years, there is a connection to the heart that disallows them getting the trip to Goodwill.

There are other items that may have been received as gifts, but are also directly connected to a life purpose. They are kept around, but not necessarily in a long-forgotten place under the bed or in the closet. They are in a place where they are frequently seen or where they are quickly and easily accessed. I remember one such item like this was a digital metronome I received from my parents when I was studying the guitar in college. I had been using an old mechanical one that never quite kept an even click going. One side of the pendulum’s swing was slightly shorter than the other, making it a bit of a challenge to practice scales evenly. This new digital version, however, came with a flashing light, an audible click, an A-440 pitch, a simple knob to adjust the tempo, and a perfectly timed click. I was so thrilled with this gift and it became a companion of mine through many hours of practice, partly because it was a gift from my parents, but very specifically because it was a part of my life’s purpose. I still have it around, although my children’s use of it has moved it to various places in the home. Whenever it is seen or used it still represents not only an expression of love from my parents, but a direct contribution to a developed purpose in me. Because of this, there is a strong passion for its preservation.

Of all the incredible things of eternal value that are simply gifts of love to us from the Father, which ones are readily accessed and which ones are under a pile of other, yet to be discarded items in the attic? While all of them are good and of incredible significance, it would seem that the requirements of sentimentality and practicality would hold true for them as well. The greater the relationship with the One who gave them and the more they apply to life’s purpose, the more they will not only exist within our possession somewhere, but actually receive use on a regular basis. Partaking of what He has provided and fulfilling a purpose with the right tools will have everything to do with passionate pursuit of His presence and the purpose that is only found in identification with Christ. Otherwise, no matter how ‘good’ they are all the time, they will be somewhere hidden behind something and no more than a casual remembrance and part of an impractical accumulation of stuff. A worship life will reveal so much goodness that was there all along, but just required a priority elevation found only in pursuit of the Father’s face.

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee earnestly: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. 10 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah. Isaiah 26:8-10 (ASV)

Where there is great mental deftness, there is great potential for production and technical advancement. For all the accumulation of knowledge, however, there is no capacity to actually do what is right where there is no heart after God. Regimes and kingdoms through the ages have attempted governance using various methods from dictator to republic. To win an election or to be born into royalty does not directly result in a person who is capable of right decisions. When it comes to right and wrong, the mind might be helpful, but the heart will be the compass. Where there has been exposure of that heart to the Holy One it will be possible for a right choice to be made, but where evil has been harbored to the exclusion of His face, there will be no opportunity for righteous wisdom to preside. Out of the heart will flow the direction of the mind’s focus and the mouth’s declarations and directives. Try as they may, the administration that separates itself from the acknowledgement of the presence of God, is the one that will be attempting the building of a house on sand. Only the heart can bring the stability that is a foundational requisite and only in a passionate pursuit of God’s face can there be any wisdom displayed from a heart secured in Him.

For some reason there is a persistent determination in men to rise above the archaic ‘simplicity’ of those who have followed in the ways of their Creator. No matter the overall success resulting from founders who established order at the inspiration of the Spirit, minds tend to follow a path that leads away from a God-exposed heart. Somehow philosophies arise that determine it is better to trust in man than in God. It is better to be taken care of by a king, a dictator, or a government than to diligently put your trust in God. Rather than reaching for those God given abilities inside and drawing from the value they will produce, there is great incentive established to rely totally on the benevolence of an establishment that has no counsel from the One who designed us for a righteous end. To validate and somehow cover all the bases, the documentation for their proclamations accumulates to excessive size that makes it beyond comprehension or compliance. The way of the right, however, will require much less clarification and cover-up as His ways go directly to a solution that requires no repairs.

Where there has been a dimming of hearts to the clarity of God’s face, where tenderness to the presence of Jesus has never been or has waned, may there be an exposure that captures the heart. May there be a revelation of glory that surpasses the limitations of mental strategies and brings an introduction of the heart to the only place where right choices can be made. In us and in them may the way be found that leads upward towards the light of righteousness with its ever-fruitful end.

Psalms 11:7 ASV For Jehovah is righteous; He loveth righteousness: The upright shall behold his face.

Luke 10:21 ASV In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.

If only you could control everyone with whom your child comes in contact. As soon as there is any interaction with others at school, on the playground, or at friends’ houses, there is an opportunity for them to begin seeing things from a different point of view. They may seem to be wonderful little creatures with happy faces and pure motives and actions until, magically, there is some objectionable word used or some errant behavior displayed that was never there until they were around ‘Judy’ or ‘Johnny’. Their perceptions, how they see life, and their ability to do right have everything to do with who they’re seeing. The choice of friends will have everything to do with the choice of right and wrong.

I had this friend who lived in the house right across the alley from us in Castle Rock. He was a charming young man whom I looked up to and from whom I was a given a perspective that was quite different from that which I’d been given in our home. He showed me how to emulate smoking with the smoke from matches. I went with his family to the pool hall on Main Street. (just wasn’t the type of place we would normally frequent) From him I also learned how to fail at putting out a fire in the vacant lot next to the church and how to hide while the Fire Department put the fire out. I’m sure there were additional words, attitudes, and behaviors that were shown to me as a result of the moments spent with the neighbor boy, and I’m sure there were a great many of them that would never have been learned if my Dad had been there with us. Somehow his presence always seemed to make things look much different. It still does.

So what is it about babes that qualifies them to see certain things that cannot be seen by the ‘wise and understanding’, and how is it that Jesus directed in Matthew 18:3 for us to become as little children? It would seem that acquiring wisdom and understanding were the reasons for partaking of the fruit in the garden and the only way Adam and Eve could have come up with this notion was by hanging out with the neighborhood snake. What took them from their childlike innocence and stripped them of their ability to behold God in His glory had everything to do with who they were beholding. Even though God knew what they were up to and could see their actions and the motives of their hearts, somehow their focus on the serpent and his enticing words caused them to lose sight of their Father’s face. Their ability to choose correctly was greatly altered by their newfound maturity and they completely lost sight of the higher ways of God’s heart. If somehow they could have kept His image before them their encounter with temptation would have left them no less innocent and still completely childlike.

I’m so grateful that there is a way back to the innocence, that there is a rebirth that makes the Father’s face and His presence and His ways visible to even those of us who have left physical childhood long ago. In seeking His face early, in keeping it continually before the eyes, there is an awakening of those eyes to those things that will only be seen by those who are His babes, His children. When the neighborhood faces rise with propositions of various considerations, the pure fixation on the face of the Father will preserve the purity and innocence provided in redemption and keep the eyes clear to what He desires to reveal to His children.

15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Luke 7:15-17 (ESV)

It’s almost magical what can be done with multi-media, lights, sound and action. That’s pretty much what we’re looking for these days, too – or so we’re told. The best use of all these will surely make the best impression and fulfill the great commission most effectively. Our culture is geared to the high tech and will never show up to a place where this appetite is not met.

Ok, they show up, but for what? What happens when there is another need other than that entertainment hunger, like healing, deliverance, restored relationships, or finances? For this woman that Jesus met she might have been impressed with a band they could have put together or maybe a nice banner show, but the real heart starter and belief transformer was the demonstration of a power beyond any earthly planning or human creativity. There was a display of His power to meet her right at the point of her heart’s breaking with a remedy. You might wonder how many brainstorming sessions Jesus had with His disciples about ministry growth and how to keep them coming back, but it would seem that these supernatural manifestations of His power alone provided the necessary drawing power of a heart connection to someone who could meet them at their greatest needs.

There are marketing firms and training sessions, along with books of ‘fishing’ methods and organizational leadership, but for all the preparation of man there is but one presentation that will truly turn a heart from a path to destruction. Only when there is an encounter with a superior power that exists specifically for their good and for their salvation, will there be a true conversion of the heart. Mental agreement and gratified flesh may produce a popular social gathering, but all the ‘successful’ plans for expansion and exposure will ultimately be rendered superfluous and insignificant if, upon arrival at the gathering there is never a life-transforming encounter with the Worker of Miracles.

Each gift is so precious and useful in bringing relevance of the Gospel’s message to a tech culture in need of an eternal heavenly impression. In all who have experienced the breath of life and its supernatural transformation there is great potential to reveal to a needy world just how real and pertinent our God truly is. There is an anointing and flow of the same power that raised Jesus Himself from the grave that is residing in all who have embraced His offer of life. Through gifts of music, art, governance and proclamation, there will be a wide variety of means for His power to be demonstrated, but when these gifts are utilized and when the people show, may they encounter the One who provided those gifts and may much more than just their minds and flesh be impressed by each gift’s display. It will be Jesus’ glory and His touch that bring the changes each heart is longing for. Through all that is said and all that is done, may what He did be the subject of conversations. Where He is exposed in His power and might, there will be an irresistible draw to His love and His light.

Judges 13:20-21 KJV  For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.  (21)  But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

There was a time a few months ago when a man or woman showing up on the porch was not a welcome sight for the owner of most homes. A severe storm had passed through and following that storm had been a barrage of repair salesmen, intent on profiting from the storm’s damage. Unless this person was expected as the result of a request made on the phone, there wasn’t a willingness to accept another sales pitch from someone who would not take ‘no’ for an answer. No matter how flashy the flyer and how flowery the promise, there was just an expression of suspicion rather than acceptance on the face of the would-be customer. If, however, enough conversation could be made and a foot could get through the front door, an opportunity would be made for the owner to find out if their needs could really be met. The longer the stay with the owner actually offering water or some food, the greater the reception and more sure was the probability of a sale. Until the door was opened, though, and an invitation made, it wouldn’t really matter how great the company or their offer of restoration, their representative would just be taking a walk to the next house on the street.

Something really quite incredible had been presented to Manoah’s wife. She would bear a child that would be a Nazarite, someone who God would use to deliver Israel from their enemies. Though this person that showed up on the porch appeared to be a man of God, the couple was unsure of who he really was until they invited him into their home, asked to prepare a meal for him, and then offered a burnt sacrifice to the Lord. It was then that something happened that would displace their doubt. The man ascended up into the sky with the smoke from the sacrifice. Where there had been doubt and skepticism, there now was fear and consternation about their own position and the seriousness and severity of their messenger’s charge.

It is understandable how an expression of suspicion may cloud the face of one being presented with the promise of restoration, abundance, and unimaginable upgrades from yet another person showing up on the porch. While there may have been disappointments and discouragements in the past, however, with the true messenger of God there will be an opportunity to discover legitimacy and validity if there will just be an opening of the door and an offering of sacrifice made before God in the presence of the messenger. Where words of truth have been spoken and there is need to follow the direction given, the image of the messenger himself will be lost in the offering of the sacrifice as God Himself receives the focus and it is His glory that remains when the messenger has departed. God will ensure that He is well represented with validating demonstration of His power if there will just be a heart opened and a sacrifice of worship given up to Him in an honorable reception.

Hebrews 10:22 KJV
(22)  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

So it’s actually possible, after having experienced a clouded and diverted conscience, to obtain a true heart that is confident in approaching the throne of grace. No matter how deep the engraving of sin on the heart, and no matter how strong its hold, there is a shower, a washing, a sprinkling that will transform it from the tarnished and unpresentable to the clean, clothed and acceptable. While there is a progression in transgression that will take the originally innocent to a place where once there would have never even been a consideration, there is also transformation in Jesus that will take that same heart and make it new and untarnished.  There is no claim that can be made on the heart that cannot be reversed and removed under the cleansing stream of His blood.

For those who have fallen in the mud and for the ones who have become covered in grease there is a need to confidently enter in to the shower room with an assurance that the only way their condition will be permanent is to avoid the purification of its water. While there may be a natural tendency to become self-conscious, letting the substance that has covered become an identity and reason to stay away and avoid exposure, condemnation will never be a part of the cleansing process, only restoration and purification. Why stay away from the place where the blemishes will be removed when there is only acceptance and understanding waiting there?

No matter the stain, no matter the blot, there is a way to a cleansed and true heart in the presence of the Father today. There is no need to attempt a self-cleansing in order to be somehow presentable before Him as the only way to real purity and righteousness is allowing the sprinkling of Jesus blood to wash all. There are open and accepting arms just waiting to receive all who will but draw nigh with confidence and faith in His incredible mercy and love. He will never fail to forgive, cleanse, renew, restore and save to the uttermost every one who takes their place with full assurance in Him.

Psalms 9:10 KJV
(10)  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

It’s incredible how much effort and expense it put into ensuring that a name is exposed to a potential market. I was recently watching a winter x-games competition on television and couldn’t help but notice the Taco Bell name displayed on the wall directly behind the skateboarders as they prepared to go down the slope. Then, again, a tennis match had a large GE strategically placed right behind the players. Just a logo itself is also a means of exposing a name as Apple frequently does in flashing the lit up apple on the back of laptops in movies. I’ve often wondered how effective this name exposure is, though, in actually getting someone to go beyond just recognizing the name to actually knowing what that name represents. I did go to Taco Bell yesterday and ordered a couple tacos, but I’m not certain that it was because of that ad on the wall of the x-games. I am quite sure, however, that the vast majority of commercials to which I’m exposed never bring me to the point of trusting enough in what they represent to give up hard earned cash to acquire them.

While there is this continual effort to persuade us to go beyond just recognizing a brand name to actually knowing and trusting that name, there is One who really got all of this started, and He, more than any other, has gone all out with name exposure. While Taco Bell occupied a space on the wall, the name of God was displayed in everything around it- the snow, the stars in the sky, and the incredible ability of the snowboarders to ride a board down the slope, executing amazingly creative maneuvers. He, from the beginning of time has been all about lights, formations and beings that go beyond imagination and are available to be seen even more than the endless barrage of commercials in the world around us. While all are exposed to the display of His name, though, how often are those displays recognized for what they really are and who they truly represent? How often do those displays really cause their observers to go beyond just seeing them to knowing their Maker? The signs on the walls may look nice and have a well-designed logo or emblem, but what they represent will be totally useless until He is first recognized, and then trusted enough to go beyond mere observance to experience.

At every turn and on all sides the name of God will be displayed throughout this day. Rather than just sailing past them without notice, there will be an opportunity to be one of those who have soared through the air, sat down at the table and felt the touch of His spirit. In giving up everything to His care (much more than just some hard-earned cash) there will be a sweetness in the trusting that passes understanding and instills an unshakeable peace. With every exposure there will be a chance to let that representation of God’s name be more than just recognition of His handiwork, but inspiration to worship, glorify, experience and know that name that is above every other name. Every movement and every step can bring further awareness of Jesus’ presence and the incredible greatness of all that is His name. Rather than being influenced by all the billboards constructed by our foes and giving our trust to their message, there will be an opportunity to be consumed with the God signs that completely surround them. Seeking Him alone will, without fail, be rewarded with the experience of His presence.

Psalms 19:1 KJV
(1) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Acts 5:11-12 KJV
(11)  And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
(12)  And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.

Where real fear has been instilled and where it has risen to dominate other emotions, it will constrain, correct, and enable. Also, where fear of one entity may have once reigned, an introduction to a greater and more overwhelming force can bring liberation from the restraints of that former bondage.

For some reason there were those that had let other motivations and desires dim the reality of just who they were dealing with when they chose to mislead and deceive. Driven by fears of both rejection and loss, Ananias and Sapphira chose to pacify both fears by misrepresenting their offering. With no regard at all for the One to whom their gift was really being given, they instead sought to impress their fellow church members and still retain what their hearts feared losing. While the consequences of their choices would be tragic, a great fear came on those that observed their demise, and with this fear an awareness of the Almighty, removing the influence of any other condemning and debilitating fear. The demonstration of God’s power and might that followed this fear was made possible by hearts that became more concerned about pleasing their Father than pacifying their friends or fortunes.

Other forces in life will persistently attempt to rise in prominence with the restraining and dominating fear of not pleasing or pacifying their passions. In praise and worship, however, there is an opportunity to observe the incredibly overwhelming power of our holy Father, and become completely and totally liberated from any former restraints of fear. In the atmosphere where a holy fear of God dominates all others, there will be an outpouring of His Spirit that will bring down walls, destroy giants and move mountains that once seemed so ominous and impenetrable. Today in His presence may fear of our most Holy Father rise above any other and may this fear enable an incredible demonstration of His heart to deliver, transform and provide.