The Peace of Knowing

"Let's say that you were there in the garden with Him (Jesus) and spoke to Him, 'Excuse me, Sir, but it would appear that You have lost Your peace that You speak of so often. Have You?...'" (from Lifetime Guarantee by Bill Gillham, p. 149)

"And being in an agony [of mind], He prayed [all the] more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground." (Luke 22:44)

"And after He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly, behold, there arose a violent storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered up by the waves; but He was sleeping..." (Matthew 8:23-24)

"Excuse me, Sir, but it would appear that You have lost Your peace...

Have You?..."

Bill Gillham, in his outstanding book Lifetime Guarantee, distinguishes between a peace that is identified through the emotions - one could say a quiet that results when the waves of life are relatively calm - and a peace that lives much deeper within; one that results, as he states, from knowing something (p. 149). Gillham illuminates this distinction using Jesus Himself, and His highly emotion-filled encounter with the Father. Anyone who perceives or portrays Jesus as having no emotions need only go with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, he pled with His Father to reconsider the amazing act He was being asked to perform: to receive the entire weight of the world's Sin upon Him (Isaiah 53:6), and from this to be temporarily but completely severed from His beloved Father's Presence (Mark 14:32-36, 15:34, 37). He told three of His disciples that his “soul (was) exceedingly sorrowful, even to death..." (14:34); and because of His agony, he prayed so fervently that it was reported that He began sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Have you ever been in such anguish? Has your own spirit or soul ever been so distressed that it felt nearly like your heart was going to burst out of your chest?

And suddenly, behold, there arose a violent storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered up by the waves; but He was sleeping...

...at peace...in the midst of turmoil...

Even in your agony...even as the storm blew viciously around Jesus and His disciples...even as drops of blood spilled from His beautiful face...there was (and is) a peace; a peace that comes from knowing something. A peace that comes from knowing Someone, and that at the center of the raging storm (of emotions), He is completely and permanently Present and will not allow anything to happen through which He will not take you as long as you remain in Him (Psalm 23; John 15:4-5). You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You...is a promise from God to anyone who has committed him or herself to Him (Isaiah 26:3), but it is one that is based on a condition: whose mind is stayed on You. Once our heart/mind gaze is removed from Him and set on the myriad of emotions that can occur at any particular moment, that deeply settled peace which comes from knowing God's Presence is "exposed to the elements" and can now be blown around if refuge back in Him is not sought. However, grab onto the hem of His garment (Matthew 14:35-36)...set the heart and mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-2)...sit at His feet (Luke 10:38-42)...practice His Solid and Eternal Presence (Brother Lawrence)...get to Know Him (John 17:3)...and no matter what tempest may arise, in spite of the emotions that may result, you too can "sleep"...that is, your spirit can truly remain at rest. The result? Just as Jesus was able to pronounce to His Father, as the blood-sweat fell from his brow, "Not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39), we too can yield to our Father, peacefully...full of peace, in just the same way.

Scott Krippayne, Jeremy Camp, and Mercy Me all have songs that share this Reality of the Peace of His Presence. I pray you'll take time to listen...and have His Peace.

"And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well."

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You...

In His Love,
Terri

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)

A believer's thought life is probably one of the most powerful advocates of or enemies to his or her walk (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) - either leading into the light (Psalm 89:15; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7) or into darkness (Isaiah 59:8-10; Matthew 6:23; John 12:35).

The above scripture, I believe, gives a powerful prescription as to how to protects one's mind from the invasion of the oh-so-many things that are out there (and "in there") which seek to take over the thought life...that attempt to snatch us from the place of Glory at the right hand of the Father, where we are "alive together in Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-6) and slam us (hopefully only temporarily) into a dark and dismal "doubting castle" where temptation towards any type of sin and old nature response (Galatians 5:19-21) is great:

"Now there was, not far from the place where they lay, a castle, called Doubting-Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds they now were sleeping...with a grim and surly voice, he (Giant Despair) bid them awake...They told him they were Pilgrims, and that they had lost their Way. Then said the Giant...you must go along with me. So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. They also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a Fault. The Giant...put them into his castle, in a very dark Dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirit of these two men..." (John Bunyan, from The Pilgrim's Progress, pp. 128-129)

How easy it is to lose our way when we start allowing entrance and entertainment to (or when they just break right on in...) thoughts that set themselves up against God's thoughts and Ways. So here again is that prescription, each part an extremely potent safeguard for our minds (Greek/Word Origins from Study Light):

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true...

Greek: Alethes. Loving/speaking the truth.

Word Origin: A - The first letter. Christ is the Alpha: beginning and end.

Lanthano - To be hidden, secretly, unawares.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" (John 14:6)

"...the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:26-27)

...whatever things are noble,

Greek: Semnos. Also "honest" "honorable."

Word Origin: Sebomai - to revere, to worship.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)

whatever things are just,

Greek: Dikaios. Righteous, observing divine laws. Conformed to the will of God.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (1 Peter 3:18)

whatever things are pure,

Greek: Hagnos. Exciting reverence, sacred. Pure from carnality.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

whatever things are lovely,

Greek: Prosphiles. Acceptable, pleasing.
Word Origin: Pros - at, near, by, together.
Phileo - to love, friendship love.
Philos - one of the bridegroom's friends.

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

whatever things are of good report,

Greek: Euphemos. Sound well, good repute.
Word Origin: Eu - good, well, well done.
Pheme - fame, report.

"His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’" (Matthew 25:21)

"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”(Matthew 17:5)

if there is any virtue

Greek: Arete. Moral goodness, modesty, purity.
Word Origin: Arrhen - a male.
Airo - to raise, elevate, lift up, to raise from the ground. To bear or carry what has been raised.

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind...Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."   (Philippians 2:1-2, 5-8)

and if there is anything praiseworthy—

Greek: Epainos. Approbation, commendation, praise.
Word Origin: Epi - of position, on, at, by, over, against
Aineo - to sing praises to honor God. To allow. To promise, vow.

"Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name." (Psalm 30:4)

"Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’" (Luke 10:8-9)


...meditate on these things.

In His Everlasting Love: the One Who Is the manifestation of those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Terri

"...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

Unfinished Business

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 'Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.' Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make." (Jeremiah 18:1-4)

Oh how gracious God is to persevere with us, the "marred pots," faithfully, willingly, patiently smoothing out the uneven areas, fixing the rough edges, masterfully molding us into that which only He can see in its perfectly completed form (1 John 3:2). It sounds so flowing...so simple...

...BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS LIKE THAT!

As human "marred pots," we do not always appreciate the work that God is doing, particularly when it starts to infringe upon some of the things we still like in our flawed form. Also, because we cannot truly envision the finished product, we can become impatient, even mistrusting, and start to believe that the work will never get done or that we need to help God out. We will often jump off His wonderful potter's wheel, and quite frankly, He will let us. He'll let us choose our own paths, orchestrate our own circumstances..."write our own ticket," so to speak...but for a child of God, what will always be written on that proverbial, self-assigned ticket are the words "Unfinished Business."

"Yes, My child, you can go here, there, EVERYWHERE, but you will have unfinished business with Me"...

"Yes, you can try to find your own way, write your own story, 'follow your dreams'; but you still will have unfinished business with Me"...

"Yes, you can choose whatever you want; but unless it contributes to making you into that which I desire, there will always be a sense of unfinished business with Me"...

God will not rest until He has completed the work He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6)...until we are more and more the "vessel...it seemed good for the potter to make." Yet if we attempt to add to or subtract from this work, or try to avoid it altogether, this will only postpone the fullness of the amazing transaction God wants to do in us by His Holy Spirit:

 (1 John 3:2)  "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

(John 5:24)  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

(2 Corinthians 5:17)  "Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!"  

So thankfully, God will continue to write the words "Unfinished Business" on all of His children, to remind us of in Whose Hands we belong and to keep us from going too far away from Him. And even if there is still a faded uppercase "U" or portions of a little "f" from the "Unfinished Business" still present on us when it is time to go Home with Him, He will make sure that the final touches to His work are completed as we enter into His Presence (1 Corinthians 15:52). But for now, we must continuously submit ourselves to God as the marred pots that we are, trust in His Perfecting Handiwork, and consistently cooperate with the movements of the Potter's Merciful Hands.

                                                                                                                                           
Thank you, God, so very, very much.

In His Love,

Terri

Blow on Our Garden

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7)

"You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices. You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon...

...Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits." (Song of Solomon 4:12-16)

Although I have seen different interpretations of this passage from the book Song of Solomon, a beautiful and even romantic exchange between "The Beloved" (often read as being Jesus) and the Shulamite woman (either an individual follower of Jesus or the Bride/His Body as a whole), another way of receiving it came to mind recently that I wanted to share with you.

While reading, instead of seeing the north and south winds being something apart from "the beloved," a picture came to mind of Jesus Himself coming to "the garden," blowing on it, and thus bringing to life the Shulamite woman and ultimately...us. (Interestingly, it looks like one of the meanings of the Hebrew word for "blow" is to exhale or breathe!). Just as the breath that came from God imparted life to Adam and Eve: a life that could commune with Him, and thus truly be considered living, so too is the result of what happens to an individual when Jesus exhales life...His Life...into him or her.

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere.

I used to think that being "born again" was an adjective that described a Christian: as in "born again Christian." But when I consider this image of Jesus Himself coming and supernaturally imparting into us his "breath of life," allowing for the "finest spices," the "choicest fruits," and "a well of flowing water" to have the chance to be released from within us (Galatians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 2:16, Galatians 5:22-23, John 7:38), the words "born again" take on a meaning that cannot be illustrated using human terms. It is truly a miracle that we have One who wants to not only romance us, but to give His life for us and to give His life to us. We do have an amazing God, who has given us His amazing Son. Thank you, God, and Hallelujah.

Breathe (video w/lyrics)
(lyrics by Michael W. Smith)

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm I'm lost without you

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm I'm lost without you

And I, I'm desperate for you,
And I, I'm lost without you,

I'm lost without you,

I'm lost without you.

I'm lost without you.

I'm lost without you Lord,

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I, I'm desperate for you
And I, I'm lost without you.


Amen

Lifting Up Hands

"...As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword." (Exodus 17:11-13)

Man, did this portion of God's Word strike me deep in the heart, as well as coming separately to mind to a sister, who echoed and confirmed this thought...

The defeat of the enemy, the Amalekites, was dependent on Moses holding up his hands. But notice, he did not have to do it on his own. In fact, had he been left to do so (so it seems from the message in this Scripture), there would have been no way that he could have continued persevering in his assignment, and the enemy would have overcome Joshua.

There is an obvious lesson in this for anyone - and that is we were not meant to try to do things entirely on our own. Daily, we are dependent on others -those we know and those we don't - for those things that sustain us. In fact, according to this real-life event, not only was it important that Moses had aid, it was essential to both his and the whole group of Israelites' survival.

This "lesson" (or now, we should call it truth) becomes even more imperative - or perhaps I should say it becomes that much more central to those who are members of Christ's eternal body:

".so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:5)

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:16)

There is a gigantic need (and command) for those who have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus His Son (2 Corinthians 5:18-19), to not only each do his or her own work but to consistently be attuned to the indwelling Holy Spirit as to when he or she needs to be an "Aaron" or a "Hur" and to hold up a brother's or sister's hand.

And this does not mean simply praying for him or her. Certainly, as Paul states, we should be praying continuously both in general, and specifically for those who share in Christ's body with us - the saints (Ephesians 6:18). But sometimes, instead of clasping our hands in prayer, we should be using them to help carry the load of a brother or sister, which often may be the deciding factor of whether or not he or she is temporarily defeated by the enemy - whether that enemy be the cares of the world, the sinful nature, or demonic entities. A very explicit example of this follows:

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (Hebrews 3:12-13)

Turn this around and it basically says, "There is a very strong potential that you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin unless you encourage one another daily. You will be defeated because unless you give (and receive) help with the holding, your hands will become too heavy to raise up." This speaks to the temptations of the sinful nature; but this principle most likely applies to the heaviness of the cares of this world and to the treachery of Satan's attacks as well. We need to help one another in and through them, or the potential for temporary defeat is quite large. The battlefield of those in the body of Christ is meant to be one of victory; not of tired, weary bodies scattered amok.

This warning from the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews concludes with:

"We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." (verse 14)

Moses had to basically "hold firmly" till the end - his hands held in the air - until the enemy was defeated. But he did not do it by himself. Nor were his two assistants commissioned to only sit at a distance praying that his strength would not give out. They were there, by his side, ready to set a stone beneath his tired body and willing to support the weight of his weary arms. This is love.

"Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

.but this is also a command to those who are members of the body of Christ:

"SEE TO IT, brothers."

Amen.

CAUGHT

"'Come,'  he (Jesus) said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him..." (Matthew 14:29-31)

In the Hebrew Greek, the word "caught" means "to take in addition," "to lay hold of," "take possession of," to "overtake," and metaphorically, "to rescue one from peril, to help, to succour" (StudyLight.org).

Often the focus of this event found in the Gospel of Matthew is the fact that the moment we take our eyes off of Jesus and give our heart-mind's focus to anything else, just like Peter on the water, we will sink. No doubt this is absolutely, positively the truth, which is why we are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2) and that apart from Him, we absolutely, positively cannot do ANYTHING (John 15:5). (Welllll, we can still "do stuff," but boy, does it turn out messed up!).

But what captured my "heart-mind" in this verse was the fact that "immediately (when Peter began to sink), Jesus reached out his hand and caught (laid hold of, took possession of, rescued...) him." Wow, thank you, Lord.

I would say that the entire walk of a believer is about being asked to walk on water, since it is so very contrary to our human (natural) nature (Galatians 5:17). In order to journey through the world in this way, we must fix our spiritual eyes on Jesus (and our minds on things above: Colossians 3:1-2) or else our flesh, the world, and/or satan will find a way into even the tiniest crack in this earthen vessel, hone in on our weak spots, and try to do (and often succeed in doing) damage. And in this life, it is all-too-often far-too-easy to remove our gaze from our True Lover's eyes and place them on something...anything...else. It is almost inevitable that we will have our own "beginning to sink" times...

...and Jesus knows this. For it is also into these jars of clay that God has sent the Spirit of His Son (Galatians 4:6; Colossians 1:27):

"For it is the God who commanded light to 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 earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us..." (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

When (not if) we take our spiritual eyes off of Jesus, and start to experience that sinking which means we have somehow strayed off of the right path, HE IS STILL RIGHT THERE TO CATCH US to keep us from "going down" even further: He knows we cannot yet perfectly walk on water (Romans 7:18-24; 1 Corinthians 15:42-54; 2 Corinthians 4:8-10; Galatians 5:17; Philippians 3:12-13). And it is because we have the Holy Spirit...the power of God...inside of us, that we can reach out (or in this case, reach in) our hand, cry out...SCREAM OUT...and be rescued by Jesus; and He says, "immediately." Continue to focus on that "other thing"...or worse, think that IT can prevent a perpetual plunge into sadness, confusion...into sin...and we move closer to those states described by Paul such as being crushed, in despair, feeling forsaken, and leaving ourselves vulnerable to perhaps not spiritual destruction, but certainly major damage (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him..."

Our challenge here is to walk on water, when almost everything within and outside of us conspires to drag us under. But we have a Savior who knows this and is always there to keep our feet (hearts, minds...) on that firm - and higher - ground. He won't force us to grab His Hand; but if we cry out, He will always answer:

(From Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. The Good Shepherd, Jesus, talking to the main character, Much Afraid...or any one of us...):

"...you will not at first be able to accompany me or keep up with me...However, you must remember that as soon as you reach the slopes of the mountains there is a wonderful system of communication from end to end of the Kingdom of Love, and I shall be able to hear you whenever you speak to me...

...Whenever you call for help...

...I promise to come to you at once..." (p. 29, Deuteronomy 4:7)

In His Mighty, and Holy, and Everlasting Precious Love,

Terri

She put in All She Had

The widow who put her two small copper coins into the temple treasury was noted by Jesus as one who had “’…put more into the treasury than all the others…’” – those who had put in more money than she had (Mark 12:43). Jesus said that she had given out of her poverty, and that she had in fact put in everything that was hers to live on (v. 44).

I think we have a way of generalizing and even trivializing what this type of giving looks like. Quite often, we still focus on money or other material resources (as was the case here) as being the items of“sacrifice.” Giving people time also has become something that, if given gladly and sacrificially, is seen as precious because sometimes it is this resource in which we feel most impoverished – especially if we are trying to claim it as our own.

Notice how Jesus knew that this widow had put everything into that treasury. He didn’t know this by asking her, nor did he have the biographies of everyone who was giving at that time. Because he was God incarnate – he knew. He could see things that no one else could see. Perhaps others could tell by her clothes or other externals that she was poor, but only Jesus could see the true extent of, in other words, what was being “laid down” in this giving, and what it meant as it related specifically to her.

Jesus gives us the opportunity constantly to “put in our last two copper coins” and only he, at each moment, can see to the core if what is being “put in” is a true act of sacrifice, cutting to the heart of who we are, or if it is just more of a routine, external event. Let me give some examples.

…For someone who indulges and maybe even thrives on self-pity – to resist this temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit and to perhaps focus on another person – this is their “two copper coins.”

…For someone who is holding a grudge against someone, and is seeking to be justified, but instead allows God to work in them and to help them love that person – this is their “two copper coins.”

…For someone who wishes that their circumstances were different, but, instead of becoming bitter towards God or anyone else, offers praise to God and shares His glory with others – this is their “two copper coins.”

And there are even those responses that to many might seem just the opposite of “giving,” but because Jesus knows that person’s heart, he knows that he or she is really giving up something:

…For someone who worries about what people think, he or she may need to begin saying “no” to things that are asked of him or her, knowing that he or she will be doing it grudgingly and/or for the sake of approval –this is their “two copper coins.”

…For someone who seeks too much attention from people, he or she may decide to limit for a time their interactions with others in order to just spend time with the Lord – this is their “two copper coins.”

So why would putting in these things be likened to the depth of what the widow offered? The answer to that lies in the fact that she had put in “everything she had to live on.” Very often it feels like we are “living on” some of the things mentioned above: feeling sorry for ourselves becomes a way of getting attention or feeling protected; holding a grudge gives us a feeling of justification and power; envy or bitterness compensates us in a twisted way for the things we wish we had; and approval/attention-seeking feeds our egos. In fact, these are the very things – among a whole host of others that may be a lot less obvious – on which our old nature (flesh, old self, sinful nature) feeds in order to stay alive. And for each person at any one given moment, any one or more of these things may provide a major temptation to the old, sinful nature.

I believe that it is here, on a daily basis, where the circumcision of the heart takes place (Romans 2:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:31; Luke 9:23): “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ…” (Colossians 2:11). Each time the Spirit enables us to lay one or more of these things down – to essentially place ourselves on his altar in order to remove the dross so that some day only silver will remain – we are indeed putting in “all that we have to live on” – in the old nature.

But of course it doesn’t end there. We aren’t enabled to put in those copper coins just to be left impoverished – something happens when those coins hit the bottom of that pan. That sound evokes a celebration in heaven that a saint has stepped even one more millimeter into the kingdom of God; Jesus delights in the fact that that person has just now become even more of his brother and friend; and if that person is aware, he or she can sense a change – a softening – like something has actually just been done to his or her heart and spirit. But it is only Jesus who can make us aware at each moment what our specific copper coins are and when we need to put them in; and it’s only he who can enable us, by the Holy Spirit’s power, to do so. Yet it is wewho seem to reap the greatest rewards through this interaction. What a gracious God we have. Praise the Lord!