WATCHWORD:
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:9-13 NLT
Meditation:
Got Any Habits?
I have to confess I’ve had a number of habits, over the years, some good and some not so much. Some are in the past, some are still with me. I learned to smoke as an 18-year-old in Korea and held on to that habit until I was in my 30’s and got some smarts.
As an infant, I had a habit of rocking myself to sleep. That habit persisted well into childhood and was of sufficient concern that my parents, fearful I could develop “St. Vitus Dance”, took me to see a doctor. After an exam, the doctor assured my parents that my rocking, while a bit unusual, was normal and I would outgrow it. I did, finally.
A lot of kids suck their thumbs. For some it’s something they will simply grow out of. For others whose habit persists into childhood, they may develop a tongue-thrust issue and require myofunctional therapy. It is a real problem that parents should understand. I speak from experience.
Jesus was teaching His disciples about living according to His Word. Some of those lessons were in the form of parables, sometimes the lessons were about teaching the disciples how to pray. Sometimes His lessons were about opening their eyes, as well as their ears, to understand life around them and to be aware of the movement of the Holy Spirit, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Lessons of go and do likewise.
All of these were more than lessons, they were new ways of living. Ways of living that would turn into habits, habits they could rely upon. Some of those lessons ran counter to the way they had lived their lives before Jesus became a part of it. Some of those lessons were easy to understand, yet were difficult to practice. Over time, they became a way of life for the disciples and translated into the Word of God.
Maybe habit isn’t the best way to describe the lessons of Jesus. There is something intentional about living your life as a Christian. Alan Jackson has stated that “sometimes it takes guts to be a Christian.” Yes, sometimes the choices we have to make run against social norms or popular pressures. Sometimes we are torn between doing the right thing, and our own personal benefit.
We live in a world that has cultivated division. The teachings of Jesus have, somehow, been diminished or redefined, so that giving in to popular pressure pulls us farther and farther away from the Truth of God. It has affected the eye sight and hearing, as well as the hearts of many.
Praise God that through Jesus Christ, we may know the Truth of our loving Father in Heaven, who can help us sort through all the noise around us, and nudge us along His Way. Never forget that through His miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit which dwells within each one of us we have His power in our lives as we have need. He knows our names and has prepared a way for us. When the apostle Paul speaks of praying constantly, he’s speaking of always knowing God is near. That is one habit that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can cultivate and discover all the blessings as we practice our lives as a Christian. Amen.
Thought for the day:
It is amazingly refreshing when we finally decide to trust God and cease from having to understand everything that is taking place in our lives. Ain’t it the truth?
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come before you knowing that so much of my life feels like it’s drifting away from You and Your word. There is so much noise around me, influences even coming from all sides. Influences that I don’t believe are Your influences, Your choices for me. Help me, Lord, to have the strength and the resolve to be your child, to hear Your calls for me to walk only along the blessed path that You have laid out for me. Help me to stand strong and as Pastor Jackson has said, Lord give me the guts to be Your child, to walk as a Christian. It’s in Your name, Lord, that I pray. Amen.
