Flawless by Design

 

Missey Butler, author, cbn.com

As a young woman, I used to work for a well-known cosmetic company, and one of the perks of my job was performing makeovers on women. I especially enjoyed observing how ladies would transform into glowing Cinderella-like beauties, and how even their very demeanors would change once they caught their new image reflecting back in the mirror.

My dear old Aunt Alice, who lived in the country on a work farm and specialized in fried green tomatoes, used to always say, “A little fresh paint on the old barn never hurt anybody!”

I no longer work for the cosmetic industry, but I still perform makeovers every day—not necessarily the “Revlon” kind, but rather the “Beauty for Ashes” kind. God has privileged me to be an encourager of souls to those who may have lost their self-worth and somehow feel less than attractive because of a misplaced identity. God has bypassed our need for plastic surgery or the newest age-defying skincare products because when we become born-again, we are instantly transformed into a completely new creation! We are no longer in need of being “made over” or polished up from a tarnished image.

To Him, we are made complete and absolutely perfect, lacking nothing. In His eyes, we are exquisite just as we are. Isn’t that reassuring in what can sometimes be a very superficial world? I am so thankful for His unconditional love and that He is head over heels in love with us just as we are!

The famous hymn says it so well:

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee …
I come, I come.

—Charlotte Elliott, “Just as I Am, Without One Plea”

Come to Him today and let Him give you a “makeover”. He longs to whisper in your ear, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you” (Song of Solomon 4:7 NIV).

You Can Be as Close to God as You Want to Be

 

 

By: Debbie W. Wilson, cbn.com

“I believe, but I don’t feel close to God like some of you. Not sure why. I’d like to.” My friend’s words caused me to remember my own faith journey.

In Sunday School, my young heart warmed toward God when I heard the stories of David and Goliath and Zacchaeus, the wee little man. My grandmother made sure I treated God with respect. No food in my mouth when we blessed our meal.

But I didn’t understand the part about being a sinner who needed saving. I wasn’t sure what people were saved from. That changed when a youth leader explained John 3:16 at a weekend youth camp and the Holy Spirit cut through my blameless veneer. I’d wronged God. Jesus had gone to the cross for my sin.

The realization broke—and healed—my heart. The gospel became personal. Jesus didn’t just love the world. He loved me!

I returned from camp on top of the world—a citizen of heaven—a child of God. Could anything be better?

But the glow faded. Instead of sprouting wings, I bristled when Mama said, “Clean your room.” I fussed when my little sister got into my stuff. Knowing Jesus assured me of heaven when I died, but it didn’t seem to make much difference now. Even reading the Bible raised more questions than it answered.

My Journey

In college, I spent a weekend with some vibrant Christians. Their lives created a thirst to know God better. At a friend’s Bible study, we listened to Bible teaching audios. This group treated the Bible as if it meant what it said.

I’d filtered the Bible through my own understanding. What agreed with my world view I kept and dismissed the parts that didn’t. No wonder it didn’t make sense.

A Turning Point

I wanted the peace my friends who simply trusted the Scriptures shared. But could I let go of relying on my own understanding and fully trust the Scriptures?

God tenderly wooed me to trust Him. I exchanged my know-it-all approach for childlike faith. The Scriptures came to life. Questions, I thought would never be answered in this life, became clear. Scales fell off of my eyes.

“I feel I’ve been living blindfolded all my life, and now I see,” I told my friend. “I even view the evening news differently.” Life brimmed with the presence of God.

Perhaps like me and my friend, you want to feel closer to God. You can! Here are some tips to help you get started.

3 Tips to Grow Closer to God

1. Ask your heavenly Father for a closer relationship.
   “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8 NIV).
2. Read the Bible with childlike wonder.
   “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do’” (Luke 10:21 NIV)
3. Invite Jesus to be your life, not just a part of life.
   I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV).

Favorite Colors

 

Kathy Schultz, author, cbn.com

Pink is my granddaughter’s favorite color. She had been telling me this since she first discovered colors. One night, as she chatted away, she added that yellow was another one of her favorite colors. When had this color been added? What caused this change in opinion? I knew she was growing up, and people often change their thoughts on such matters. Possibly there was an underlying cause for this announcement.

Oh yes, she had a good reason for adding yellow. When she went to music class, Mrs. Cooke, the music teacher told her she was a bright yellow crayon, bright as the sun. This is a wonderful description of my grandchild! The teacher was right. Alex, as her family calls her, is a bubbly, cheerful, child. Truly, she is a bright ray of sunshine.

Words have such power. A small statement made by her teacher had truly inspired my granddaughter. It made her even list yellow as her favorite color. I doubt Alex will forget the teacher’s kind remarks. This made me think of the words I say. Do I say kind, encouraging, inspiring words to others? God’s Word certainly tells us to do so.

“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.” (Ecclesiastes 10:12 NKJV)

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29 KJV)

In this world we live in, the negative is spoken so often. As a child, I had heard that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That statement is not true. In fact, words may not break our bones, but they certainly can damage our spirits.

God is Spirit and Truth and even the truth needs to be spoken in love according to God’s Word.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, …” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV)

When we need correction, NO and NOT are wonderful words of warning and correction. God uses these words in the Ten Commandments. These are words spoken for a reason, given in love, to keep us safe and in God’s will. However, negative words, used without love, may be more harmful than physical hurts.

We can get sick or break a bone, but our bodies can eventually be restored to health. We can forget the pain we felt. Ask any mother if she remembers the pain of childbirth. Often she will not, but she will remember the joy of the birth of her child. On the other hand, we can remember the hurtful words spoken to us by someone we love. It sometimes takes more time to heal from unkind words spoken in anger than for our bodies to mend physically.

At church one Sunday, our pastor divided the congregation into two groups. Each side read the Bible, speaking words from scripture to the people on the opposite side of the room. It was one of those wonderful moments that made me once again see how wonderful God’s Word is to us.

The Bible is full of encouraging, wonderful words of promise to each of us. Can we, who are made in God’s image, begin to speak words in truth and love to each other? My desire is that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to God. I wish to speak words of encouragement and inspiration to others, much like the music teacher spoke to my granddaughter.

Yellow will always be a favorite color for my granddaughter — the color of sunshine — much like God’s words to us. They make us come alive!

Not Now, But Soon

 

Candyce Carden, Author, cbn.com

My every footstep sank into a mound of sand, making my early morning beach stroll feel more like a mountain climb. The sun was already hot enough to bake cookies. By the time I reached the boardwalk that led back to the air-conditioned condo, I was panting with exertion. I looked forward to a tall glass of icy water.

As I passed the pond, squawking geese greeted me; I scowled at them as if they were to blame for fall’s absence. It was late September, after all. Determined to cling to my bad mood, I walked on. But when I saw the beautiful cattails lining the edge of the pond, I was drawn into the scene. The cattails stood at ease in utter stillness. Instead of fretting about the heat, they appeared cool and calm.

What I noticed next lifted my heart. A few of the cattails were covered with whitish-gray fuzz. When the summer life cycle of this plant is ending, new seeds are produced. Each is connected to a bit of white fluff so it can travel on the wind to grow in another place come spring. This was a sign of fall.

My grumbling spirit changed to one of gratitude. I bowed my head to thank God for His powerful reminder. Although the temperatures were still summertime-hot, God’s plan was in place and would continue. Through the promise I found in the marsh, I remembered God’s love is steadfast. He walks with us through all seasons of life, no matter how long they last.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:25 ESV

To hope for in this verse means to expect and trust, while patience means cheerful endurance. How many blessings have I missed out on as I’ve rushed through life, being neither trusting nor cheerful? In my impatience for fall, I could have easily overlooked the fuzzy cattails, which, to me, signified His promise of eternal life.

Today God used His gift of creation to shift my focus from myself to His love for me as He whispered, “Not now, but soon.”

The longing to bypass God’s timing is useless.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 ESV

What is God asking you to wait for during this season of life?

What is the greatest challenge you face as you wait? 

Your Trial, Your Trophy

 

Paul J. Palma, Author, cbn.com

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Today, I glance at a trophy on my bookshelf given to me in jest. The trophy emblem reads, “Largest Ulcer of 2017.” I had undergone major surgery for a bleeding ulcer the doctor reported was, “the largest I’ve seen all year.” While recovering at the hospital, a friend presented me with the tongue-in-cheek trophy. And though an ulcer is generally not something to boast about, I look at that trophy today with a grin of contentment. Through faith, our pain and trials become our trophies.

God allowed the apostle Paul to undergo a very trying affliction. He repeatedly implored the Lord to take away the tormenting “thorn” in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). Yet the Lord had a greater purpose in store. He would discover that his weakness was, in fact, an occasion to “boast in the Lord.” There is comfort in knowing the Almighty is in control and on our side. God often uses hardship to mold us into the person He wants us to be in Christ. Was the apostle Paul better off on account of his distress? Indeed, that the power of God might be made manifest in the midst of his weakness. God is glorified as we are transformed through suffering.

Believers are compared to jars of clay. Though inexpensive and easily broken, God has deemed fit to display His glorious light in our midst, in spite of our weakness:

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (NRSV)

Our frailty and brokenness encase the very glory of the living God. Though we fragment, God’s light emanates through the cracks in our lives. Our imperfections emit the radiance, splendor, and intensity of Almighty God.

God is at work in the midst of weakness in ways that may escape our immediate purview. Indeed, God’s light shines through the crevices of our weakness for those around us to see. When we endure pain and trials in the strength Christ provides, others gain a fuller picture of the reason for our hope.

When He showcases His power in our weakness; our trials, sickness, and pain, become our trophies. Hold the trophy of your suffering up high today, knowing that through your difficulties, God is winning victory on your behalf and unveiling His glory for all those around to see.

What’s the Point?

 

Daphne Delay, Author, cbn.com

Have you ever had the thought, “What’s the point?” “What am I doing here?” “Is what I’m doing even making a difference?”

I have to imagine you said yes. Who hasn’t wrestled with those thoughts? We can look back in time and find such questions being asked over two thousand years ago because it’s part of being human.

What I mean is, in our humanity, we’ve been given the ability to choose our own course of action— our destiny. Yet you don’t have to look far to begin wondering about life, choices, destinies — before that random thought flits across your mind: What’s the point?

This is exactly what happened to Solomon. And his thoughts are recorded in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

I remember the first time I read these passages and thought, poor guy, he sure had a bad attitude. But 30 years later, with a little more life under my belt, I read his words and could relate.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
 What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-5,9 NKJV)

The word vanity here isn’t referring to excessive pride, but instead is a reference to things done in vain. Solomon is calling life trivial or pointless. He reached a point where neither his wisdom nor his wealth satisfied anymore. He walked about his gardens observing how trees grow, produce fruit, drop their fruit, and then do it all over again— year after year. And he began to observe this was true of humanity too— a cycle of repetition — and he asked himself, “What’s the point?”

I think his question is valid for the person without Christ. It is vanity to chase riches and fame (for no other purpose than to achieve riches and fame), for in the end, they bring no real satisfaction. A person is born, grows, hopefully does something good with their life, and then they die — this is the cycle of a godless life. And if that’s all there is, then I agree with Solomon: What’s the point?

But thankfully, I have found the reason for my existence— the purpose of it all. It is the story of Jesus. As He came to the earth to point us to the Father, so now our lives are purposed with the same task. But it’s not redundant or trivial or pointless.

Jesus told Nicodemus that we must be born again (John 3:3). Nicodemus didn’t understand this concept until Jesus said,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

In other words, whoever puts their faith and trust in (clings to) Jesus doesn’t have to live a pointless, lost life. No, we understand now, there is more!

Eternal, everlasting life doesn’t start when we die. Eternal life starts the moment we give our hearts to Jesus. And this new, born again life has purpose. Despite the cycle of seasons and generations, our hearts look to the Creator of time and life, willingly laying aside everything else with the understanding that we are called to a greater purpose than just existing— we now carry a responsibility of bringing as many as possible with us into an eternal life — not just a life that cycles and ends.

Thankfully, Solomon discovered this same truth after all his wanderings:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV)

And this is both enough and satisfying.

Who Are You Calling Jealous?

 

J. A. Marx, author, cbn.com

I admit I’ve been jealous. It’s that feeling that comes when the gold medal is lost by 2/100ths of a point. This fickle emotion can drive a man to punch someone who tries to kiss his wife. I understand those scenarios, but I have trouble attaching this attribute to the Lord.

“They [the Israelites] angered God … they made Him jealous with their idols.” (Psalm 78:58 NLT)

Jealousy sounds out of character for a perfect and generous God. And yet even the Apostle Paul said,

“For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself, …” (2 Corinthians 11:2 NLT)

So, I asked, “Lord, help me understand this strange jealousy.”

He then took me down memory lane.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I had planned on going back to work after he was born. What was there to do at home with a baby anyway? Change diapers. Feed them. Change more diapers. But my 8-pound-2-ounce bundle of solid boy stole my heart. Within a month of bonding, I was jealous.

I was very jealous.

I would be the one to see his first smile. No stranger was as worthy as I of viewing even this tiny miracle.

I would be there when he crawled, when he took his first step, and to hear his brilliant first word, “Doggie.”

Who carried him for 9 months? Who sang to him while he was in the womb? Who endured the pain of his birth and later on stayed by his side in sickness? I did!

No one else deserved the privilege of witnessing his first feats.

When he turned to his friends to learn about male/female relationships, he provoked my jealousy. What could one eight-year-old teach another eight-year-old about sex? Nothing but foolishness! I had the answers he needed. “Come to me, child. I will not misguide you.”

No one else deserved the privilege of teaching him right from wrong.

No one else deserved the right to instill moral values.

He learned to worship while sitting on my lap.

He listened to the stories I chose with his heart in mind.

His character was my responsibility. Our time together was short, and I did not waste a single minute.

Five years old. I activated the school-crossing signal for a four-lane road. The cars stopped, and we walked our bikes across the first lane, then the second lane. Halfway across, I noticed the 4th lane was empty but the approaching car was not slowing. My beloved son, unaware of the danger and out of my reach, continued on across the 3rd lane. He had started across with complete trust in me not to misguide him. He now headed toward unseen disaster.

Jealous for his life, I cried, “Luke, stop!”

He knew my voice and stopped instantly. A foot in front of him, the car sped through the red light. First-time obedience saves lives—a value I’d instilled in him for that very purpose.

Yes, I was jealous for my children. A shameless jealousy. They are of my blood, of my body, of my heart, and they resemble me. This is not possessive or excessive. This is heaven’s passion, and it is radical.

I get it now.

God, my Father, is jealous for me. He alone knitted me together in my mother’s womb and made me in His image. He alone heard my first word and empowered me to crawl. To walk. To run.

He cries with me and laughs with me. Like a hen gathers her chicks, He gathers me under His wing (Matthew 23:37). He sings over me (Zephaniah 3:17). He wants my full surrender. He wants my first-time obedience. And He justly deserves the honor of “raising” me as His own.

He wants me to learn His voice and practice yielding to His nudges to avoid disaster, to discover special blessings, and to convey His love to others.

When I turn to earthly things to ease my pain, turn to mortal man for wisdom, or rely on my worldly wealth to sustain me, I provoke His jealousy.

“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” (Exodus 34:14 NLT)

He is a jealous God! And He’s radically in love with you and me.

Ask Him to show you how jealous He is for you, and may His answer surprise you. May His answer cause you to fall deeper in love with our Jealous God.