Proverbs 15:15 (NIV) All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the
cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Circumstances do not determine the state of joy or gladness of heart. It’s amazing to see those who are experiencing the most trying of circumstances and yet are savoring life as if it were a feast.

First of all, have you ever been out to eat with someone who can’t find anything on the menu that they like? Though they may have never eaten at this particular establishment, the listings are already associated with some objectionable experience of the past and therefore are relegated to the unacceptable. Then, once something is deemed worthy of ordering, upon its arrival there is something about its preparation or its appearance that sends it back to the kitchen for adjustments.

There is that person’s opposite, though, who doesn’t really care that much about the menu, other than to check the prices maybe. Anything on there will be more than satisfactory, and they just can’t wait to dive into whatever arrives. More important than what they’re eating is the fact that they are eating and get to experience the joy of a meal. There is a guy on TV like this who goes around to all places in the world to experience preparations of different cultures and types. There are often things that would appear to be unsavory in respect to their source and their appearance, but this guy just straps on the bib and goes to eating with an appetite. For him, the whole world represents an opportunity for a feast.

We are privileged to know a pastor from a nearby city where the worst fire in Texas history is burning. A couple days ago we took a few things to contribute to the victims of the tragedy, saw the cloud of smoke from the fire, and observed those who had been affected by its destruction. The church had opened its doors to the evacuees. Several rooms had cots on the floor and one of the ministry rooms became a dining room. Several families from the church itself had lost their homes in the fire, and, while I’m sure there was more than enough reason for them to feel wretched and despairing for life, there was something quite opposite that we observed coming from those we spoke with. They didn’t appear to be anxious in the least or despising what was set before them. Rather, they seemed to be savoring the opportunity to trust God and care for others who were going through the same difficulty. There was a calm peacefulness and a joy that emanated from them that clearly represented someone who was finding something very tasty to partake of even in this circumstance that looked to be quite otherwise.

Though we had just met these inspiring cheerful folks who had lost their homes, it would seem that their state of cheerfulness must have been something that was existent long before this fire impacted their lives. Surely the onset of this traumatic event didn’t somehow release them from a cloud of oppression to experience joy and happiness. A heart of gladness was already established in them and its cheer would not be affected by this circumstance of life, because for them all of life would always be seen as a feast. They’re not looking to send anything back to the kitchen, but in every course put before them, they anticipate a feast, where God is right in the middle of it with the spice and the ingredients that will make it most savory.

There may be times of obvious blessing and there may be times of rebuilding that are set before us in life, but the best preparation for them all is a cheerful heart. This cheerful heart is not one that can just be acquired upon a whim or decision, though. This cheerfulness comes from a continual encounter with the One whose presence brings joy and makes to be glad. He is the lifter of heads and knows the way to turn any circumstance into an incredible rewarding feast.

16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
James 3:16-18 (ASV)

AM radio, at least down here in Texas, is very different on Saturdays than it is during the week. Almost every station has a gardening show, where they are talking about where to plant this at just the right time and how to treat this particular symptom with just the correct chemical or nutrient. I’ll admit, I have yet to listen to more than a few minutes of any of these shows, but I’ll also have to admit that my reputation as a gardener hasn’t been something that has concerned me all that much. I mean, how hard can it be? Just dig a hole, put the seed or already grown plant in the hole, soak it with water, and shazaam!- you have a lovely garden, right? Well, apparently not. There is much that is built in to the potential of the seed. It is indeed waiting for the right environment and the right nutrients, but in order to actually produce healthy fruit, it is going to require just the right understanding and care- hence the hours of talk time devoted to this end on Saturdays. There may be a need for shade, protection from hungry animals and insects, and removal of the weeds that are competing for its resources. Especially when young, the plant will require just the right environment in order to grow to a producing maturity.

There is wisdom being presented on a continual basis that is quite often disregarded while other more interesting subjects are selected. I mean, how hard can it be after all, this way of life in Christ? Don’t tell me I have to take the time to discover just how much care is necessary if any fruit is to be expected. I’ll just do what I think is right, you know, dig a hole, put the seed in, pour some water and be done with it while I tend to more important matters like who said what to who and how that made me feel.

There is a great potential for righteous fruit production in the seed we’ve been given in Christ. There is something very unique and special about this seed, though, that might require a discussion about its required environment. It is a ‘peace’ seed that doesn’t survive in an atmosphere of jealousy and strife, but requires the water of the Spirit and the removal of all weeds of discourse that would deprive it of its nutrients. To press on towards any expectation of abundance apart from the care of this peace seed is to engage in a wisdom that cannot produce any fruit, but only sickly, empty branches. Rather than switching over to more ‘juicy’ subjects, it will be way more than worth the moments spent tuned in to the wisdom that comes from above, and allowing the words spoken there to transform our gardening life. In peace the fruit is sure to be sweet.

Genesis 3:6-7 KJV
(6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
(7)  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

How much time is consumed with making sure we’re all covered up, and at what point does this consummation conceive and grow to an obsession?

There is a certain member of our family (the name is withheld for reasons of domestic unity) that at a young age didn’t seem to be at all aware that nakedness might be an issue. By just running fast enough it was thought that nothing would be seen and there would be dashes through the front yard and living room at times when guests were visiting. Thankfully modesty set in and the flashes were subdued, but there was something precious about that period when clothing was optional, because for the years that have followed taking care of self in all the ways that are necessary has become a necessary obsession for that family member and all of us who are living in public. That period of time when all was provided for of what might be considered a part and necessity of living was short lived. Self consciousness took over where total abandonment once reigned and the need to conceal, please, improve and instruct became a self responsibility where it had once been a total dependency.

It’s interesting that the three things listed as reasons for partaking of the fruit (good for food, pleasant to the eyes, desired to make wise) were all things that were surely being provided by God in the garden. They had an ample supply of food that was good to eat, an abundance of beautiful plants and animals, and the best instruction from God, their Father. Somehow, though, in a world where total abandonment had reigned and clothing was optional, self consciousness took over when they chose to take on the responsibility of providing these things on their own. With this self- obsession came a separation from the provision that had come from their Father and the total responsibility of caring for what He had once completely cared for. By choosing to disregard the instruction and provision of their Father, they chose to do it themselves, thus taking on self-consciousness over God-consciousness.

I believe this is what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of becoming like a child- that there must be a loss of self in a realm of abandonment to the provision of God, that responsibility for obtaining all those things that are needed to cover us, fill us and inform us must be given over to Him. It’s like Jesus came to take us back to the garden, where there was complete and total God consciousness with no need to hold anything back from His complete care. This, then, is our opportunity and our privilege this day- to remove all and release all to the all seeing and all knowing of our Father, to all that we could desire and require to come directly from Him. Rather than taking the burden and the responsibility ourselves and spending endless hours and energy trying to produce them ourselves, we can work under His direction and counsel following His way and totally released from concern or worry. Where there may seem to be no way or where another way may present itself, there can be an assurance and confidence in a consciousness that has been removed from self and given completely to God.

Isaiah 49:15 NIV “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
49:16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Really from the moment of conception, but especially from the time the tiny little human being begins kicking and moving around, there is this magic that begins to take place between a mother and her child. Whether or not this completely dependent life makes it through the full nine months to successful delivery, the mother’s dna is directly linked to that of this child inside. The child’s existence and identity are clearly written in the mother’s dna fingerprint in such a way that they can never be removed. While others may easily forget the name and nature of the child she bears, it will hardly be that she could ever forget someone so dependent and so directly related and identified with her. If she were ever to attempt denial, irrefutable evidence will forever be readily available to clearly state otherwise. No matter how many children may be planted in her womb, there will be this connection with each, as her very nature and being is directly imparted equally and uniquely to every one of them. And, with this connection is a caring compassion that will ever be a part of the mother’s heart to provide, protect, nourish, and love this precious part of her own body, her very existence.

As there is this physical and emotional bond that clearly exists between a mother and her child, so, in a far greater way there is this connection to the One who knew us even before we were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:5) As His offspring, as the result of what He has conceived of and brought into existence, we are much more than just independent creatures, somehow attempting to make it through life on our own. We have this direct connection to God that touches every part of our being with the dna of heaven, the very life of Christ that can never be removed or taken away. Though we may not choose to abide in His house at various times in our existence, wherever we go we take with us the imprint of His life and His nature in the very core of our being. There is also a part of us that is forever a part of Him and His glory. We have been ‘engraved on the palms of His hands’ and in His greatness He takes with Him every one of His offspring to display wherever His hand is lifted and wherever His greatness is expressed. If a mother is forever touched with an unforgettable compassion for her child, so God is touched in a far greater way with a desire to provide and care for us as His very own. And, if ever the mother’s memory could fade and her compassion wane, the connection to us from the heart of our heavenly Father would remain unchanged in its intimate motivation. He cannot and will not ever be separated from each of those that occupy His heart of love.

We will forever have our Father’s fingerprints not just on us, but in us and a part of us. Likewise, He will forever have us on His hands as a part of who He is. At which time there is a question of our identity and worth, at the point when we seem to be forgotten and insignificant, and at the time in which everything we’re attempting and setting our hand to is unnoticed, in our relationship with our Father, we can be assured that He not only will never forget, but He will ever be driven by an incredible passion to insure that His child is completely cared for. This, coming from the Creator of the universe, is something in which to take a great deal of comfort.

Isaiah 49:1-2 KJV
(1) Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
(2) And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

Mark 4:20 ASV
(20)  And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

There is something precious about the soil that is ready to bear fruit. It has been prepared long before the seed is placed inside of it. It’s of the right density, moisture content, and chemical nature that make it an ideal place for productive life to take place. Where once it might have been rocky and hard, the caring hands of its gardener have removed dense and unreceptive rocks and debris. The right amount of moisture has been applied so that it can be opened by the plow without being stuck to it.   It has been broken and treated with nourishing chemicals that not only make it a healthy environment for the desired results, but also inhibit the sprouting of undesirable weeds and thorns. And then, open and vulnerable to whatever might come its way, the seed that has been designed and purposed by the farmer is placed beneath it, hidden first so that its glory may be revealed later. The birds and harmful insects and weeds are refused from stealing and destroying the seed’s life and potential by the watchful eye, tender hand and prohibitive presence of the farmer.

Though there will be a wonderful production of life-giving fruit that will bring sustenance and financial rewards, it will always be the result of the soil’s condition above the seed’s content or volume. Safely making it all the way to harvest time will have everything to do with direct exposure to the loving care of the farmer each and every day. Even one day of exposure to harmful creatures, elements, or dryness can diminish the rate of growth and final results. Only where the farmer has been given continual access and uninterrupted privileges will the soil’s condition be kept in fruit-producing condition.

I’m glad there is a loving Farmer with a whole plan of production for the soil of our lives. He is the most experienced and equipped care-giver and with Him we can be certain the harvest will be a great one. Through hardness, drought, attempted robbery, counterfeit and distracting conditions exposure to His touch and presence will preserve, protect and nourish through maturity and fulfilling effectiveness. By allowing Him full access to the field of our heart, we’ll not have to try to somehow care for our own soil’s condition; it will be tended by the Master’s touch. We’ll not even have to somehow attempt to make sure the right type or amount of seed is within us either. He will bring with Him the words of life that will produce in us according to His plan and His purpose. Ours may not be the same produce as some other field, but as long as our Father is the passion, the means and the care of our soil, its fruit will be exactly as it should be. Under His ministrations it will remain soft, broken, nourished, moist, pure, and more than receptive to the productive power of the seed He’ll place there.

At whatever season our soil is in, there is a purpose for it this day in the hands of our Father. May He have unhindered and uninterrupted access to every moment of its vulnerability, and may it be ready and receptive to whatever He might place beneath it. And, may those precious seeds that have already gone into it be given all they need to grow and mature under His watchful care.

 1 Corinthians 14:1  Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it–because it does. (The Message)       

It’s easy to love a big juicy steak, Rudy’s barbeque, Texmex, Blue Bell ice-cream, Cinnabon’s, coffee, etc. You could even come to the conclusion that there just isn’t any life without one of these things. But, in reality, life could go on quite well and even in some cases with better health if any of these food items were never eaten again. There is, though, something that must be consumed on a daily basis for life to go on and for any of those other items to be enjoyed at all. Water is not an option, it is a necessity above anything else and must be present for there to be digestion of any other substance.  

       There are many wonderful blessings to be enjoyed in the kingdom of God that have been provided for us in Christ. Success and prosperity for every area of life are part of the redemption that is bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. The condemnation that sin held over us has been removed with the acceptance of Jesus as Lord. Focus could be placed on any one area of blessing in Christ and be seen as the main essence of life in Him. There is one thing, however, that must accompany any gift, liberty, freedom, or victory that is ours in Christ. Love is the water. Love is essential for even one moment of Christ’s life to be lived and experienced. Though there may great gifts and abilities that come by the Spirit, there will be no value whatsoever, no digestion at all apart from the love of God that is the staple of Christ life.
 

Zechariah 9:12  Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

With the experience of loss there is a disabling desperation that threatens to disrupt any possibility of progress in life, with all purpose for living apparently gone forever. The passing of a loved companion, the terminal prognosis of a medical exam, the loss of occupation, the devaluation or loss of investments, the severing of lifelong relationships, the apparent chronic failure of personal ventures…. can bring a loss of breath and dimming of the very motivation that would give reason for waking to another day- hope.

For every traveler, though, who seems to have lost all to the domination and destruction of a barren desert, an oasis exists like a stronghold against the depravity of loss. For the one who has tasted of its spring, there is a bondage to its refuge that refuses to be drawn away to the barrenness. When all else seems to have been burned up in the scorching sun, there is a place under the Tree of Life where protection has been found in a shade that is an eternal barrier against hope’s threats. To venture beyond its sustaining shadow is no longer a consideration for the one who has become a prisoner to its sustenance, and no matter how great the loss of all other sources, the Fountain of life will never be given up for hopelessness. The greater the loss, the greater the possibility as the Source of that fountain has promised not only continued existence, but an existence that is provided with a double return of all that has been lost. With every moment in His presence and every drink from His spring there is a further renewed vision of a future full of possibilities that will completely overwhelm any loss. Where desperation and loss would impose their domination, there can be a willful entry to the stronghold of hope where the magnitude of God’s glory gives eternal perspective to the reality of His provision over any deficiency.

What a marvelous bondage, what a glorious incarceration is this barrier of hope that would disallow any escape to the destruction of our promised abundance in Christ. Like the tether attached to my young brother’s britches on our trip to the Grand Canyon, we will not be allowed to fall into the chasm of hopelessness as long as we commit ourselves to the realm of His presence and its ever sustaining and protecting hope. With a magnified vision of the double over any tragic loss, there is a secured stronghold to which we can turn this day with confidence of a future and a hope in the promise of life in Christ.

Isaiah 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Psalms 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psa 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I remember the good old days, when I could just stuff myself with about everything on the table and still feel like I had room for more. I traveled a couple summers with a group that, while there wasn’t much pay, did provide an abundance of meals. I would order really large portions and then help some of the others with their leftovers. During that time in my life all that food had somewhere to go and my metabolism would pretty much burn it up and take care of it. With the passage of time, however, I’ve found that not only am I unable to eat nearly as much, but now the food that I do eat doesn’t seem to know how to take off after I’ve enjoyed it. It just wants to hang around to add itself to my middle self.

There is something else I’ve noticed throughout my daily experience with food, though- that one of the best ways to diminish and extinguish the hunger of a famished belly is to fill it up. In fact, whether I am able to eat large volumes or the lesser requirements of today, there is no better way to ruin my appetite than to get completely full. Once the full meter is starting to read a little above half way, everything, including those wonderful desserts starts to lose its appeal, and the very morsels that normally would look and sound so inviting, can be left right there on the plate. Where the tank is already full, it doesn’t matter how you attempt to fill it up again, there just isn’t any room left.

I believe that quite often in our opportunity to savor the sweetness of God’s word, it is setting on the plate before those who are already quite full. Though intentions might be to eat of it and allow it to nourish the body, other thoughts and other expressions are already filling the mind and the heart with meaningless cares of this life. God’s very words of life are often left without even really being touched because of the harmful fast food that is already occupying every square inch of the stomach. In addition to the inner gratification the Word could have brought to the heart and soul, there is also a lost opportunity to really savor the Word by letting it occupy the mouth as it is spoken as well. This opportunity is often also disallowed because of the junk that is already abiding in that place. Good water and bad water don’t come out of the same cistern and where the mouth is already full of death’s words it will ever be most difficult to enjoy and savor the most succulent and wonderful preparations at the Father’s table.

For the Word of God to ever really be enjoyed and ingested as intended, there will have to be a hunger and a thirst for it, and for this famished state to ever exist, there will need to be a removal or deprivation of those other things that have so long occupied the mouth and the spiritual belly. In the quiet times and the secret place, far removed from the continual partaking of the world’s damaging concoctions, it will become more and more possible for the Word to become the delicious desire as referred to by the psalmist in this passage. When there is no longer a dominance of the meaningless, an appetite for the most nourishing and savory morsels of the Word will begin to look, smell, and taste so much better than any other portion. In quietness the soul will take on its need for sustenance, and as this need is gratified by the Word of God, the most incredible and wonderful fruit will begin to occupy the inner belly and the mouth itself with savory words of life.

There may be a need this day for interaction with those around us, and we may be required to ingest the substance that presses in from family, friends, and occupation, but there will ever be this refuge available in Christ, where, no matter the magnitude of worldly provision, the mouth and belly can be enjoyably filled with the preparations of the Father. As this place is accessed and His daily bread eaten, we will increasingly find that it is easy and natural to leave that other junk on the plate. Where its look and taste once appeared to be so inviting, the world will no longer be acceptable. We’ll already be way more than full with the very thing that will again be our hunger and passion tomorrow.

Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Ok, I know that there has to be moderation and restraint- that being a glutton is not something to be sought after, but we are designed in such a way that we function best when we are able to regularly sit down to a nourishing meal that fills us up to satisfaction. Where natural hunger isn’t provided with a healthy and balanced meal, there will be a reduction of strength and ability to operate at our best- mentally, physically, and emotionally. Though overeating food that is just “filler” junk will have a negative impact on appearance and mobility, the lack of the right food will be just as harmful if not more. Can you imagine just eating a small meal, even something good like a peice of fruit, but once a day, or worse yet, once a week? Not only will the body begin to lose all strength, but the mind will fail to fire on all cylinders and the emotions will become very unstable. We are made with this natural requirement of fullness, and actually the more frequently gratification of this hunger takes place, in small amounts, the better. What we eat and how often this takes place will be quite obvious in our physical and emotional appearance. We’ll become what is filling us.

Just like the best thing for a gnawing hunger is a well balanced meal, the best thing for a gnawing spiritual depravity is a healthy serving of bread and meat from the Father’s table. Although His meals will satisfy, the substance of what He provides won’t ingest our spirits with harmful substance that just pacifies a craving for sweets. His table is continually stocked with bread, fresh fruit and liquid that will strengthen, refresh, and renew. The one who partakes of this nourishment will have obvious results in his/her body, mind and emotions. This person will be a walking and talking display of what they have been feasting on. There is no way around the direct results of a healthy and often eaten diet, and, on the other hand, it is not possible to conceal or shield a lack of frequency at this table of Life.

Jesus desires more than anything for the evidence of a healthy diet to be obvious in those He loves. He wants to fill continually and completely with an eternal life giving substance that will, through constant ingestion, become the essence of who we are. He hates the junk that we so often crave, not because He’s wanting to keep us from the pleasure of satisfying a sweet tooth, but because He knows that in filling up with that cavity and cancer producing substance, not only are we destroying the body of His design and desired abode, we are left with no appetite for the eternal nourishment He longs to provide. Just like the kid that fills up on the after-school snack and has no room for the healthy meal, lovingly prepared by a parent, there is no way for God to make His way into our vital functions if they’ve already been filled up by hot dogs, chips, pop and candy bars. Left with no room for Him, we will naturally and unavoidably begin to display exactly what we have been partaking of. Where He is kept from providing His life-giving substance, either because He’s been replaced or just forgotten, He is kept from imparting and becoming Life itself in us.

There is no knowing Him, eating of His flesh, and drinking of His blood without the production of a healthy and productive soul. He cannot be ingested without imparting joy, peace, love and incredible overcoming power. The ones who frequently partake of Him will be walking displays of what they’ve been eating on. Where there is depravity displayed, however, in an eruption of destructive behavior and destabilized emotions, it will likewise be an obvious indication of which establishment has been frequented for hunger gratification. Stopping in at the fast food places, the cheap replacement joints, will eventually produce overweight, slow of thinking and unproductive individuals. Whenever these announcements of where we’ve been munching begin to be seen and heard, it is time for a diet. Where there is a desire for weight loss or disease prevention and rejection, there must be a willingness to adjust what is satisfying our hunger. It will happen every time, where the right stuff is ingested, the right stuff will be seen. And, the best results will come when this diet becomes a way of life, totally displacing the possibility of junk’s destruction ever again.

Hey, anyone for a diet? And, you’ll never have to hunger or thirst again.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.