Cuckoo In the Nest

Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor. Charles Spurgeon

Impostor definition: a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.

I found a website that gives meanings of various sayings.  I ran across the saying “cuckoo in the nest.”  Since I am the curious sort, I decided to read more about the cuckoo.

The cuckoo is kind of a lazy bird.  It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.  God made some amazing things when he made birds.  The cuckoo will wait until the right moment, (I would say when the neighbors aren’t home), then she will break into another nest, kick one of the eggs out and then lay her own egg in its place.  The thing is she will sometimes visit up to 50 homes (i.e. nests) and lay 50 eggs. Another interesting thing is the cuckoo adapts its egg to look like the other eggs in the nest so that others will raise its young. 

So the cuckoo egg hatches before the others and proceeds to push some of the other eggs out of the nest.  The other odd thing is the cuckoo is about 3 times bigger than its foster parent. The cuckoo chick also mimics the call of the foster parent’s chicks, thereby camouflaging that it is an impostor.  So the cuckoo, using vocalization, tricks its foster parent into thinking this big buzzard in its nest is just like the others.  It needs this because otherwise the foster parents would be distracted by its unusually large size compared to its other offspring.

So what does this have to do with God.  Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of preachers and teachers of God’s Word out there who are not what they seem?  They look good on the outside and they say the things we want to hear, but some of them are just like the cuckoo.  Impostors.  If we aren’t careful we can be start thinking they are speaking truth.  We need to remember that Satan is the best impostor of all.  He can disguise himself in more ways than we can imagine and if we are not careful we will buy into the fact that he is a warbler like all the other warblers instead of a cuckoo.  The only way we are going to determine the real deal is to study God’s Word.  If anything someone tells you goes against God’s Word, you can bet it’s a cuckoo.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, help me to dig deeply into Your Word for truth.  There are so many impostors in our world.  Many are impersonating Christians and are in the business of bringing the downfall of others. Help me to discern the truth and to always use it as my measuring stick.  I praise You for showing me the truth through study and diligently seeking You. 

    

Scripture: Shepherd the Flock

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 5:1-11

Security

Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security.  Elisabeth Elliot

Where does your security lie?  When I thought about this question some of the things that came to mind were, my job, my home, family and friends, the security system on my house.  The problem with this kind of thinking is that it isn’t true.

One of the things I have figured out is that my job can fail.  I can lose it, it can be taken away from me, or I can make the decision to leave it.  If you look at it from that perspective, there is not much security there.

How about your home?  I can lose it due to mismanagement of funds (not making the mortgage payment), it can burn down due to faulty wiring, someone setting fire to it or leaving something cooking on the stove can make it go up in flames.

Then there are family and friends.  These can be lost due to mismanagement of relationships, differing values and beliefs or plain old neglect.

What about my security system on my home?  If I forget to turn it on there is no security there, or how about if a mouse gets in and decides to chew the wires and short circuits the system. 

When we place our trust in worldly security it will fail.  Why does this happen?  Because we are human and the world is filled with fallible things. When we learn that there is no better security than that which is found in God we have found our resting place.  He is the only security that will never fail us.  If we place our trust and faith in Him, He is the only security we will ever need. 

I love this quote by Elisabeth Elliot. “Take the word of the Lord in your darkness. If He died to let us live in his company, is He likely to abandon us just because things look dark?”  That’s the security I want.  If things in your world seem hopeless, rest in Him.

Prayer for the Day: Father, You are my security.  In You I can place my trust and You will never fail me nor forsake me.  Help me to remember that the things of this world are fleeting and not to place my hope in them.  My hope is in You Father and I praise You for your strength and presence when all else fails. 

   

Scripture: For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth.  He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.  Psalm 33:4-5

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.  Psalm 33:18-22

Holehearted or Wholehearted

Can Jesus Christ see the agony of His soul in us? He can't unless we are so closely identified with Him that we have His view concerning the people for whom we pray. May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.  Oswald Chambers

Are you holehearted or wholehearted?  For many years I was holehearted and there are still times when I revert back to being holehearted.  Holehearted means we allow shame, and fear to run our life.  This means there is a hole in the very heart that keeps our body running.  To many times I think we let the world determine how our heart works.  It is all based on what we feel our worth is to others.

There are times when I have based my worth on what someone else thinks of me.  What I have noticed is that when I base my worth on what someone else thinks, shame and fear are not far behind. In fact, shame is made up of fear.  We fear that someone will not like us if they know the truth about us. How will I ever live up to the expectation of the other person? 

How can we learn how to be wholehearted?  We have to cultivate courage, compassion and connection.  In Brene Brown’s book called “The Gifts of Imperfection” she talks about these three things.  For a person to be wholehearted they need courage to stand up and be vulnerable.  Have you noticed how many of us hate being vulnerable?  Who wants to be vulnerable when we often know there will be someone out there who will hurt us in or during our most vulnerable moments?  It is a scary thing to become vulnerable to others.  When we are at our weakest there is often someone who is struggling with being wholehearted and steps on your vulnerable self. 

Several years ago I was writing this devotional and one of the individuals who was reading them contacted me by email.  She told me in her email that I was not living according to God’s Word and that she couldn’t and didn’t want to receive any more devotionals until I was right in God’s eyes so she asked me to remove her from my email list. 

I was devastated. My unworthiness was showcased.  I beat myself up for days afterwards because doubt set in and I thought; you know she could be right.  I am not a theologian and have not formally studied in a college about the Bible, so how do I think I can qualify to tell others about who God is. The thing I forgot was that the last time I checked; God loves me as a sinner.  He sent His only Son to die on a cross for me. The other thing I thought was “is this person who is telling me she can’t read my devotionals because of my “imperfection”; “perfect”? 

   

There have been times over the past few years that I have considered not writing the devotional anymore.  Insecurity and worthlessness overtake me during those times, but when I start feeling that way I start praying and turn to God.  I usually will call or email a friend who loves me unconditionally, knows I am not perfect and will ask the tough questions and be honest with me.  If we can’t be vulnerable with others we will never move toward compassion and connection.  In order for me to become wholehearted I need to understand that God created me and loves me.  I need to look at myself through the eyes of Jesus because only then will I be transformed and understand my true worth.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, there are times when I get so discouraged in trying to share Your message.  I don’t always do a great job at it, but You know and understand my thoughts and concerns.  Thank You for lifting me up when discouragement overtakes me.  I also praise You for bringing people into my life who help me to understand that I am worthy and give me encouragement to continue what I believe You call me to do.  

Scripture:  For Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:23-24

Purpose of the Mystery

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Appreciation of the Mystery

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:8-21

What’s Next?    

The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus. Hudson Taylor

Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other.  John MacArthur

Do you ever worry about stuff?  Do you ever look at your life and ask yourself what’s next?  Why do we spend so much time in our lives worrying about what’s coming next?  It’s not like we have any control of any of it in the first place. 

The older I get the more I see how much time I have spent in this life worrying about things that never happened. It’s like borrowing trouble that never comes. 

I think we should change our way of thinking.  Instead of asking what’s next we should be saying God I’m ready for whatever happens.  I’m ready for whatever comes my way because I know You are there with me.  You aren’t going to give me more than I can handle. 

I think many times we are so busy worrying about what might happen that we miss God speaking to us in the everyday things that happen in our lives.  God tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added to you. One of my biggest struggles in life is not seeking Him first.  One of the best examples of trusting God is the birds of the air.  They don’t sew or reap nor do they gather and store provisions into barns.  God feeds them.  How much more does He care for us?  Are we not children of God? 

I love that the Bible is full of humor if you search for it. In Matthew 6:27 he says “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  I looked up what the measurement of a cubit is.  It is about 18 inches or 21 inches for a long cubit.  All of our worrying about what’s next will not make us grow taller.  God is saying stop worrying and trust Me.  I will take care of you as I do the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of the sin of worry.  When I worry I am basically saying that I don’t trust You for my needs.  I have learned that the more stuff I have, the more things I can find to worry about.  There are the finances to pay for the stuff, the money required to repair the stuff and the room to store the stuff that I worry about.  Help me to lighten my worry load.  If I get rid of a bunch of stuff there will be more room for time with You and I won’t worry about “what’s next”. 

Scripture:  Do Not Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:25-34

Soul Vacation

Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God's majesty.  A.W. Pink

Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace... If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you know what His will is.  Amy Carmichael

Do you ever take soul vacations?  How many times do you stop in the midst of your busy life and take a rest from the worries, trials and just plain busyness of life? 

We are all busy.  Sometimes we take on so much stuff that we forget about God and the peace and rest we can find in His presence.  If we ever took the time to slow down long enough to realize how many things we do in life that have no bearing on eternity, would we stop and take a soul vacation? 

 

Here is my definition of a soul vacation.  To take time off from our overly busy life to dwell with God.   To listen for His voice and to meditate on His Word.  To talk to Him when we are anxious, afraid or just plain tired.  Quiet time spent with the One who created us. 

We all need soul vacations.  God stopped to rest on the seventh day and when Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights God sent angels to minister to Him.  Can you imagine being human like we are and fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and having the devil tempting you at every turn?  The devil offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world and asked him to turn stone into bread so that Jesus could eat.  I am afraid I would have caved to the devils demands.  One of the most important statements in this is that "God sent angels to minister to Him".  What a comfort to know that God will do that for us too.

If I want to stand strong for God it is necessary for me to take soul vacations.  I will not be able to fight Satan off if I don’t rest in the arms of my Heavenly Father.  Schedule time each week to take a soul vacation.  It doesn’t matter whether it is 10 minutes, 2 days or 1 minute each day.  Make time for a soul vacation and God will be there.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to make soul vacations a part of my life every day.  You promise to give me rest when I seek You and I want that more than anything the world offers.  I pray for your presence and strength in the midst of my soul vacation, so that I may remain strong against Satan and the temptations of this world. 

Scripture: Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.  Genesis 2:1-3

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:2-4

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:27-29

Back On My Feet Again

Getting on my knees puts me back on my feet again.  Jonny Lang

I find it interesting that in Jesus’ time on earth, the majority of that time was spent either on His knees or with people no one else had time for.  In Jesus’ darkest hour he spent time with God.  Jesus knew He would be betrayed and would give His life for us, but He prayed anyway. Matthew 26:39  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

When we are at our weakest we should be on our knees.  When troubles come our way there is no better place to be than on our knees.  When Jesus was hurting the most, He didn’t turn to His disciples for comfort.  He turned to our heavenly Father.  The One who can get us back up on our feet again.  Jesus even asked some of his disciples to stay and watch with Him.  When He came back He found them sleeping.

Too many times I start thinking I am not worthy of going to God and asking Him for anything.  I am a sinner and why would He want to hear from a lowly sinner?  The thing is I’m not worthy and that is exactly why I need to go to Him.  If there was ever a time that I needed to go to Him on my knees, is when I am at my worst. 

God redeems us and offers us relief from what the world deals out to us on a daily basis.  I need to be on my knees with the Father so that I can get back up on my feet again and move forward.  Keep Your eye on the prize and spend time on your knees.   

Prayer for the Day: Jesus, I would like to think that if I had spent time with You, I would have been able to stay awake while You were on Your knees with the Father.  The sad reality is, I don’t think I would have been any better than the disciples; sleeping when You needed me most.  Help me to remember that You are an amazing Father who comes to us in our time of need, but I must first get on my knees and remember that I am not worthy and deserving of His grace and mercy, but He gives it anyway.   

    

Scripture:  The Prayer in the Garden

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”  Matthew 26:36-46 

 

Fireflies

Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a season, and then fall silent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and, therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore. Alexander MacLaren

When I was young we lived the country and there was always things going on outside.  One of my favorite things was to catch fireflies.  They fascinated me.  You would see them come out at dusk and their lights would blink on and off.  It always amazed me that this tiny beetle could produce light. 

You guessed it.  I looked up how they produce light.  They take in oxygen and a special cell in their body mixes the oxygen with a chemical in their body called luciferin.  This produces the light they give off with almost no heat.   The flashing patterns are unique to each species.  Sometimes they use the light to attract a mate and other times they use it as a defense mechanism to warn off prey.  I am not sure how scientists figured out this part, but fireflies don’t taste good so other prey normally don’t eat them.  Scientists believe that some fireflies never eat.  Maybe that is because they have such a short life span. 

We are called to be a light to a fallen world.  Just as the firefly gives off light, we are to give off continuous light.  We can be just like the firefly too, in that we sometimes give off intermittent light.  When we sin our light goes out.  When we live in truth our light shines. Our life span on this earth is extremely short.  How will you show others God’s light?

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, there are times in my life when my light has been snuffed out.  I didn’t reflect Your light and others suffered for it.  When I live in truth I move into the light and that light is a reflection of You.  I pray that you will make my light burn brightly for You. 

Scripture: For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”  John 3:20-21