Deeper Still by phil mccallum | Archive

Enjoy Life! That’s An Order!

No Comments 29 July 2008

Press the arrow to listen to Mercy Me sing “You Reign” while reading today’s devotion on rest.

Scripture
Donâ€™t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the Lordâ€™s holy day. Isaiah 58:13

Observation

God commands us to enjoy a day off. That’s an odd thought. Why would we need to be told to do what we want to do?

For the same reason that a mother must tell her child to go to bed.

For the same reason that we bristle when someone suggests that we take a break.

For the same reason that we can’t relax until we feel that we have “deserved” a vacation.

The reason is that we have trouble letting go of work because somehow we think it is up to us. As the saying goes, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” We just don’t know how to switch that off. Our problem is that we forget, that though we are make like God, we are not God. Rest reminds us that the Lord is God and we are not. For that reason we resist rest. For that reason God commands us to rest.

Application
Rest is not a suggestion to me; it is God’s command. I’m listening. But it is not enjoy just to take the rest; I must enjoy it and speak of it with delight. I take a regular day off, but I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I ought to.

Prayer
Father, help me to do the enjoyable things that you command. Help me to rest. Amen.

Rest/Sabbath

Rest as an Act of Faith

No Comments 25 February 2008

Worship as you read this devotion by pressing the arrow.
Song: Desperation Band Hiding Place

Scripture
Then Jesus said to them, â€œThe Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!â€ Mark 2:27-28

Observation
God knew that we need rest so he modeled resting for us. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath because his rest was the first rest ever taken. He who is boundless energy puts boundaries on himself. God rests not out of need but out of example for all of us to follow.

When I rest I am giving proof of the lordship of Christ over my life. Rest is the ultimate act of faith, for it proves that Jesus is truly in control of all and is Lord of all. As I rest I trust him to do for me what I cannot do for myself. Rest also demonstrates my submission to Christ. As I sabbath I am not rushing about to accomplish my agenda, I am submitting to his.

Because Jesus is the Lord of the sabbath, when I choose a day or season of rest it is he who determines what comes into my life during that season. For the disciples there was a walk with the Master along with nibbles along the roadside from heads of wheat. For my day it may be a conversation, a song, a scripture, a journey that percolates the Lord’s presence into the deepest level of my being.

Application
Since July, this has been a sabbath year for me. Someone asked me this past week, “What are you doing on your sabbath year?” I thought to myself, “I didn’t know I was supposed to do anything, isn’t that the point of rest?” We can strive to keep busy to prove to Jesus that he is our Lord, when in fact what he may well want is our rest. Last night I attended the recording of a new CD/DVD at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. After 2 hours of worship in the foyer of heaven with about 5,000 others, Leslie whispered to me, “If our sabbath year was just to be here tonight, it was worth it all.” The Lord has taken me on quite a journey this year. I’ve had time with three mega-churches along with some awesome hearted friends along the way. Most of all I’ve found in the resting season that Jesus is truly my Lord as he takes care of the details I cannot attend to while I rest.

Prayer
Jesus, you are my Lord and may my rest be all the proof you need today. Amen.

Anointing, God's Call, Humility, Leadership, Rest/Sabbath, Service

On Seeing Myself as a Sheep

No Comments 20 February 2008

Scripture
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever. Psalm 23

Observation
What was David’s reaction when the wizened prophet Samuel chose him out of all his brothers to be anointed with oil to be king? I just realized as I read Psalm 23 that we know exactly how David felt, for he told us in this song. In verse 5 David sang, “You honor me by anointing my head with oil.” How many thousands of times have I read Psalm 23 and missed the reason why David wrote this Psalm? Surely he wrote these lyrics after Samuel’s visit as his heart response to God’s kindness to him. Samuel had anointed him with oil and David the shepherd boy was dumbfounded that it had happened to him.

With the motive for writing the Psalm revealed, the words take on new meaning. We now have a window into the soul of David as he walked back from the house into the fields to tend the sheep for another day. Months would pass before he would be sent on an errand that would lead him to Goliath to leave shepherding behind forever. During those days he reassessed his life, and his conclusion is astounding.

David, the crown prince of Israel, took on a new outlook on life. He saw himself as a sheep. If he said, “The Lord is my shepherd” then he must have by inference considered himself to be a lamb following the Lord. A dumb sheep is not a metaphor kings are likely to claim. A lion is more likely. But David’s heart is revealed in his choice. He would be a king, but he would follow.

Application
When God asks me to do great things, what is my heart response? Too often it is pride. I like the lion metaphor. But David’s humility rouses me to better desires. I am only a sheep following the shepherd. Though I may be asked to lead, it is the Lord who is my leader. There is a disarming humility in considering one’s self to be a bleating sheep. It’s not impressive, but it does touch the heart of the shepherd.

Prayer
Father, I see how you left David in the sheep pens a little while longer so he would not forget who he was, where he came from and just who you are. I see that in my life too and embrace it for all that it is worth. Thank you for being my shepherd. Thank you for the stream and meadow you give to me. And I take the hope that ahead is feasting. Today it is enough just to be with you, for you are the constant, whether I am in the field, the valley or at the feasting table. Amen.

God's Presence, Home, Peace, Rest/Sabbath

Peace

1 Comment 16 February 2008

Scripture
I will give you peace in the land…. Leviticus 26:6

Observation
Of all of the gifts God can give to us, peace must surely be the most precious. What good is it to receive things in life without the peace to enjoy them?

Peace is, as the saying goes, not the absence of conflict but the presence of Christ. Everything in life glistens and glows with special joy when Jesus is present. When peace is present, the gifts we receive are a conductor through which we enjoy the Giver.

The Lord promises to give us peace in the land, if we make his way our way in life. There are many bumpy rides recorded in scripture, but it is interesting to see how most of them make a landing in a place of peace. Isaac was harassed from well to well until he came to peace. Joseph was harried in slavery and prison until he came to a place of peace. We could talk of Jonah, David, Paul and more. The Lord has a way of navigating the faithful into a place of his peaceful presence where the Lord’s good gifts can be enjoyed.

Application
Of all the things I want in the next season of life, peace is at the top of the list. Peace is not something I must strive for; peace is a gift.

Prayer
Father, give me the land but most of all give me peace. Amen.

Heart, Holiness, Motives, Rest/Sabbath

Lookin’ Good to God

No Comments 20 November 2007

Scripture
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of Godâ€™s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys Godâ€™s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:18-19

Observation
It is popular to say, “I’m not under the law because I don’t live by the Old Testament but by the New!” But Jesus never said any such thing.

The preachers of his day focused all of their attention on protecting their reputation. They feared public shame lest they be seen to break one of the commandments. So they built little rules around the big commands of God so that they would not be in danger of breaking the biggees. For example, the law said not to work on the Sabbath. So the Pharisees made a rule against picking out lice from their hair on Saturday, because that would qualify as hunting which everyone knew was another form of work. There were many other “rule-ettes” just as clever.

Look at how Jesus handled the law. Every time in the Sermon on the Mount that mentioned a law he did not protect reputation, instead Jesus guarded his heart. So the law against murder became a look at resentment in the heart. The law against adultery became a look at lust in the heart.

Application
Here’s the lesson for me…for us: all of the Old Testament law is still standing to bring me to reflect how my heart attitude can be adjusted into something more useful to the Holy Spirit. What is out the window is using obedience to the law as a way to impress God. But the law still stands. It is up to me to go beyond the black and white of God’s rules and to use it like a color chart to spot the grays of my own heart.

Best of all, I admit I cannot change myself, but Jesus can. He is not searching for more commitment from me. What he wants is my surrender and Jesus will do the rest.

Prayer
Lord, here is my heart. Trying to reach it and change it is like scratching my back. I need help from another and you are the only one. Help me in pressured times when all eyes are on me not to become a neo-pharisee and to use the law as a mirror to improve my appearance. Instead, keep me looking at the internals not the externals. For what impresses me and others doesn’t interest you. Help me to remember how interested you are in what no one else can see but you. Amen.

Blessing, God's Presence, Materialism, Rest/Sabbath, Waiting

His Presence is the Present

No Comments 12 September 2007

When Levi was 14 (just three years ago) I gave to him a ring to as a seal of his commitment to sexual purity. It came after three months of weekly dinners and discipling and the last feat of scaling a volcanic cone of basalt.

Here is the ring I gave Levi in his hand. That hand is twice the size today!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 3:17

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from Godâ€™s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrowâ€”not even the powers of hell can separate us from Godâ€™s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth belowâ€”indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

There are many goods in life. Some of them are good, some of them are not so good for us. Only God knows the difference. The goal of life is to enjoy the presence of God not things. When possessions come our goal is to enjoy Godâ€™s presence through the gifts he gives to us. True prosperity is not having stuff but enjoying the presence of the Lord in the things he gives. Those gifts cover everything from our pay check, to houses, health, household goods and things on wheels.

God is a Father who loves to give appropriate gifts to his children. Just as any human father anticipates Christmas morning after a night time of assembly, so too our heavenly Father loves us and loves to see our reaction when he gives us the gifts that we need. Like any dad his aim is not just to give us stuff, but to leave us with tangible expressions of his love. A gift in its purest form is a condensation of love.

There are many things in life that we can gain without Godâ€™s love. There are possessions in life that we can grasp for, grab after and even gain them. But God isnâ€™t in them. When the cellophane is off somehow they leave us feeling more alone. To get them we have to step out of the love of God, out of his provision, timing and will. We have to overspend, overwork, manipulate, borrow, break relationships, covet, envy, worry or whatever else it takes to reach that little bit more to get them.

Possessions and possessing not only can be but should become a way that we come to love God more and relate better with him. This is not just a good idea, it is a necessity. Otherwise we will seek gifts and not the Giver or worse yet end up with goods that do us no good at all. The result is greed, worry, envy and covetousness.

How can we have hopes for some of the things of life while deepening our relationship with the Lord? Hereâ€™s the secret: seek only what comes out of the love of God.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Imagine a river that flows from under the throne of God from the crystal sea. It courses down the main avenue of heaven and tumbles over the precipice into our lives. This river is pure, distilled love. This water is all that we need in life and it floods our hearts with joy. There are many things that look good that are away from this river. Some things are a far journey away. But to have them you must leave the river and the love of God flowing into your life. So you make the choice not to chase after them but to remain in the midst of the flow of love that comes from Godâ€™s throne straight into your heart. Now imagine that the Lord deposits into that river some of the necessities of life. A car floats past, then comes a sofa, next a pencil, over there a house, then a pair of socks and so on. Sure the image is crude but hang with it for a moment. What matters most, those goods or the love that conveyed them to you? The answer is obvious. Nothing is greater than the love of God.

So here is how we keep our souls clean from the corrosion of greed. Come to love the river of Godâ€™s love that transports good things into your life and not the goods themselves. When those things come take them as reminders of his presence and enjoy them in his presence. But keep focused on the love and not the goods themselves. And above all donâ€™t seek anything unless it has come into your life as a gift from the Lord.

It is true that nothing can separate us from the love of God, but it is equally true that we can step out of God’s love when we prowl after possessions without Godâ€™s presence. When I find myself manipulating, overstretching financially, overtaxing my body, stepping, on, over and pushing through people to get my way then I can be certain I have stepped out of Godâ€™s love in search of things.

Stay in the Lord’s love and enjoy the good gifts as reminders of the Father above. God wants to bless us, but not to pull our hearts from him but to draw us close to his heart.

Father in a season of life when I need to ask you for many practical helps, please keep my focus clear so that I seek you and not what you have to give to me. Your presence is the best present I could ever have. Amen.