Creation - God's Masterpiece

Today's Encouragement: Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

I know it has been quite a while since I have last posted on here, but things have been very busy, and I haven't had much time for formal (or informal) writing.  Sorry for those of you who have constantly checked for new posts.  I have been slacking on keeping up with this. 

As some of you may know, I am a member of a choir that takes a yearly trip to a certain part of the country to show off the music program and different choral opportunities at Lipscomb University.  We travel to different churches, schools, and venues while performing as many times as we possibly can.  I just recently returned from this year's tour, having traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC, Raleigh, NC, and Knoxville, TN.  Let me just say that it was an EXTRAORDINARY trip that God so richly blessed me with.  I got to spend 5 days with some very talented singers and to grow closer to some of them.  I made a few valuable friendships and met a lot of great people.  Still, the greatest thing about this trip was the opportunity to grow closer to God.  How, you might ask? Well, having to spend limitless hours on a bus was a blessing, not only because I was surrounded by great friends and people, but because of the view I had out the window.  The hills of Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina along with the beaches of South Carolina were some of the highlights.  The leaves were just starting to change, the sand and the ocean were peaceful and cool, and the weather was sunny and gorgeous.  Needless to say, this part of God's creation is spectacular.  I found myself staring out the window for a majority of the trip just taking it all in, smiling the whole time.  This experience drove me to Psalm 19, where David is talking about how creation reveals the glory of God.  I couldn't agree more with him, for I feel that I learned more just by looking out the window than any person or book could have taught me at the time.  You see, it is in creation that we can view the nature of God.  It's definitely not the only way, yet it certainly does a great job, and I think that God made it that way.  Just examine a partly cloudy sky near the time of sunset one evening.  If you look at the clouds, you can see brushstrokes of color seeping through a deep blue canvas of sky.  The sun is radiant and puts forth all sorts of color that no man can truly capture on paper or by camera.  Power is streaked across the sky in shades of red and orange and yellow.  The trees and surrounding vegetation seem to disappear in shadows as the sun nearly sets.  And yet, while one could find it depressing that this miraculous sight only lasts for a few minutes, we are left with the hope that the same course of action will occur again in 24 hours.  So, what can we learn about God in such a brief yet beautiful part of the day? Well, instead of suggesting one or two, I should just challenge you to observe such a sight yourself.  In fact, this can be done at any part of the day really.  Just absorb your surroundings when you look outdoors or take a walk around the block.  What can something as simple as a bird flying across the sky tell us about the nature of God?  How can a tree in flowering bloom inspire us to learn more about the God who created it?  Think about it next time you're about.  If you do take the time to observe creation for everything that it is, you will see how marvelously planned out it is.  It's unique, complex, and incomprehensible; definitely something that couldn't have appeared out of thin air.  And, after observing it, don't forget to remember the God that created it all, and thank Him for His great masterpiece.  He is gracious to let us live in this beautiful world, even in a fallen condition called sin, and that is definitely something to smile about. :)

Peace: Power over Enemies

Today's Passage of Scripture: Proverbs 16:7
"When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

When most people think of power, they think of large armies or great politicians. However, the Bible teaches a different kind of power: one that seems reverse of the way of the world.  For example, when Christ showed us all that being the lowest of servants brings the highest honor when He hung upon the cross, the idea of power was revolutionized.  From then until now, power is not something can obtain by one's own doing, but rather it has to come from God.  In this passage in  Proverbs, Solomon talks about peace as though it is a strong and mighty power.  He says that doing what pleases the Lord is what brings power to someone, and that power is even capable of bringing peace to one's adversaries.  Wow... What a great God we serve! In Isaiah, it says that He brings power to the weak through His strength that allows those who rely on Him to soar like eagles.  And what more could we want?! Throughout the past few weeks, I have felt weak at times, whether it be with people with which I am acquainted or the stomach bug I had to battle off (yes, this is one of the reasons that has prevented me from posting on here lately).  Despite my failed strength, I have consistently felt the mighty hands of the Father around me throughout whatever it is I am going through.  It is only through Him that I am able to thrive and survive.  Speaking of thriving, today is my great grandmother's 98th birthday (Happy Birthday, Mammaw Mac!).  Sometimes I stand in awe before her wondering how she has as much strength for one at her age.  But then again, I do believe that she relies on the Lord for that strength, and what a blessing from Him that He has bestowed this upon her life.  With this in mind, my encouragement to you today is that you will learn to please the Lord and to rely on Him for strength.  I pray for peace throughout your lives, and I hope that God will hold you all with His mighty right hand!

Generosity from the LORD

Today's Passage of Scripture comes from I Timothy 6:17-19 which says,
"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may hold eternal life."

Just a short thought on our riches here in America... We have SO much when some have so little.  Paul is commanding those that have money and resources to be rich in works with their money here, and I believe we ought to do the same.  As I was reading this morning in a book titled The Good and Beautiful God by author James Bryan Smith, I came across a few paragraphs that deal with our wealth and how we handle it.  So my encouraging thought for the day comes not from my own mind, but from Mr. Smith's book.  Here is what he shares:

Generosity happens when a person is living from a condition of abundance or when a person is moved by the needs of others.  If I have three hundred tomatoes, it is easy for me to give dozens away.  I have more than I need.  I am giving out of my surplus.  Webster's New American Dictionary defines generous as "free in giving, sharing, abundant, ample, bountiful."  But I can also be generous even when I have little.  I may only have one tomato, but if I see a poor woman who has none, I may very well be moved to give my last tomato to her.  Generosity then flows from either a sense of abundance or a feeling of compassion.  God is moved by both.  God is generous because he lives in a condition of abundance -- his provisions can never be exhausted -- and God is moved with compassion because he sees our need.

Love and forgiveness, acceptance and kindness, are not commodities that diminish in their giving.  When we offer forgiveness we do not have less of it, nor do we diminish our capacity to forgive each time we forgive.  So why do we so seldom live generously?  We live from a condition of scarcity.  We never got enough love from our parents, enough toys on our birthday and enough affirmation from those who know us.  Our checking account is limited, and often our money is spent before we earn it.  Living from a condition of scarcity, we learn that we must protect what we have.  If we give it away, we might end up in dire straits.

I am constantly amazed by how tightfisted and uncharitable we are when it comes to our churches.  I had lunch with a pastor who was enraged about the prospect of a new church being built only a few miles from his.  He said, "How dare they.  Don't they know that this new church will steal some of my people away?"  He was operating from a condition of scarcity.  He feared their success would make him look like a failure.  He was unable to see that the success of this new church was also his success because we are all on the same team.  The church is often a place lacking in generosity: All other churches are wrong.  Only we have it right.  Our church must succeed.  Who cares if theirs fails?

 Our God, however, is constantly generous.  Everything we have is a gift.  We were made without any effort on our part.  We breathe undeserved air.  The sun gratuitously rises and warms our planet and, along with the unmerited rain, nourishes the land, yielding delicious fruits and grains.  It is all manna, the unearned provision of a lavish and loving God.  We have never been and never will be in a place where we can turn to God and say, "You owe me. I deserve this."  We do not deserve anything we have been given.  We have earned nothing.  Yet God continues to give.  That is because God is interested in something much more important than our good works.

Wow, great stuff!  You should read that last paragraph again (if not the whole excerpt).  I
encourage you to live in such a way that shows God's generosity to the world.  You may say, "I am generous because I give to the poor! I have earned my living and can use the rest of it in whatever manner I choose."  Well, I could not think of a much more selfish attitude to have.  What resources you have are not yours, THEY ARE GOD'S.  And the moment that you take full credit for such blessings is the moment where you have gone astray.  God has given what He has to you, and by the same measure He has given, He can very well take it all away.  Therefore, I encourage you all to live with the generosity of God.

Wisdom: The Wealth of God

In reading Proverbs this morning, I came across a chapter that talks about wisdom.  Well, it not only talks about wisdom, but it seems that wisdom is talking to us herself.  I would like to share these "wise words" with you today.

Today's Passage of Scripture: Proverbs 8
"Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?
She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.
She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors:
'To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of understanding heart.
Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things;
For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
For wisdom is better than rubies, and all things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

'I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.
By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.
I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice,
That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

'The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before the works of old.
I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth;
While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
When He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
When He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily in His delight, rejoicing always before Him,
Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men.

'Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.
Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord;
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who ate me love death.'"


My encouragement to you today is that you would listen to wisdom.  It says here that it is more precious than anything our heart can desire.  Those who find wisdom find life, and I believe that.  It is interesting that wisdom tells us it was with God before all creation.  Therefore, if we are to truly seek God, we must seek His wisdom.  That may sound hard, but wisdom tells us "those who seek me diligently will find me."  I encourage you to grow in wisdom today.  A great place to start growing is to absorb to perfect word of God.  I know it has taught me more than any human teacher could ever teach me, and I pray that God's word will do the same for you.

Psalm 139

Today I would like to do something different for our passage of Scripture.  A group called the Skit Guys do a great skit of Psalm 139.  If you have about 15 minutes, it doesn't take that long.

http://skitguys.com/videos/item/psalm-139

After watching the video, I encourage you to meditate on these words that David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24.  May that be your prayer as you go on your way today!  I know it was a huge encouragement to know that God knows everything about me and can guide me in the way everlasting!

True Joy: Salvation

Today's Passage of Scripture: Psalm 51:10-13
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You."

In this Psalm, David is admitting his sin before the Lord.  I can imagine the guilt that plagues his mind after having an affair with Bathsheba and killing her husband on the front line of battle.  However, this feeling of shame is not uncommon with humans today.  Since we are of the flesh, we are sinners.  However, the grace from our Lord Jesus Christ covers us in our transgressions! He forgives us from our iniquity! Salvation comes from His sacrifice, and we ought to be thankful and happy for that.  My encouragement for you today is that you remember the joy of your salvation.  For those of you who have experienced this overwhelming joy, pray that God might daily renew that feeling of total and complete grace, just as David prayed in this Psalm.  For any of you who may not have experienced the everlasting joy that comes through Jesus, I have great news for you!  My wonderful savior is available to all that seek His face! I would encourage you to try to get to know Jesus because He simply will do unimaginable things in your life! I remember the first time that I met Him and the feelings of grace, peace, and joy that overflowed from His heart into mine, and I would be happy to introduce any of you to Him! Then, you may also be filled with His Spirit and be overcome with tremendous joy!  I pray that all of you may know the same Jesus that I have come to know, and I encourage you all to seek His face with all that you have within you!

Nothing Before, Only After: Priorities

Today's Passage of Scripture: Matthew 6:31-34
"'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.'"

Do not worry. It's really easy to say those three words to yourself or a loved one, but how easy is it to actually live them out?  In this passage, Jesus is calling His disciples to rely completely on God for their essential needs.  I believe this to be true; that God will provide for those who trust in Him.  If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will take care of us.  Thursday in Lipscomb's Chapel, we sang a song that really spoke to me and goes perfectly with today's passage of scripture. Here is the chorus:
     We will have no other gods before You. Nothing on earth will compete for Your throne.
     You are the sovereign I Am, and You’ll reign in our hearts alone.
     We will exalt You on high forever, King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.
     We will have no other gods before You.
I simply cannot get this song out of my head.  It is a constant reminder to have no other gods before the Lord, and that has really gotten me to think about my priorities.  Do I seek furthering the kingdom of God with every interaction and every circumstance that I participate in?  It turns out that doing that in our busy everyday activities is tough, but it is doable with the Lord's help.  My encouragement to you today is that you would seek the Lord in everything that you do.  He has blessed us with only so much time on this earth, and it is our job to make the most of it.  Therefore, we should not get caught up in the small worries that life can offer.  Trusting in the Lord has been the most life changing part of my life, and I sincerely pray that you might do the same by giving your worries to Him.  After all, what difference does it make what clothes you wore to that New Year's Eve party several weeks ago? Or how much better is your life since you pulled off the perfect, yet stressful Christmas season by enriching other people's lives with possessions that you might have worried a little too much about.  God is not asking you to live your life with the attitude that you have everything in your control, but rather giving Him the resources, talents, and time that He has so generously bestowed upon you.  I encourage each of you to ask of yourselves the same question that I have asked myself over the past few days: What are you seeking first in your life? 

Losing Everything: Identity

Today's Passage of Scripture: Luke 9:23-27
"Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and if the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.'"

In a world that encourages us to find identity in something, finding the anchor that holds who you are is not always easy to find or pinpoint.  For example, some people search all their lives to find purpose in a variety of things -- fame, fortune, luxury, material things, etc. -- only to discover one day that no solid foundation validated their existence.  It seems as though these kinds of people (well, really all people) are yearning for a particular item or being to come into their lives and completely transform it.  As I read Luke 9, it made me question the identity that is Brandon Smith and quickly reminded me of an experience I had last fall.  During the second or third week of my freshman year of college, a fellow student that I had met a few days before approached me with a simple question.  In an effort to find out my identity, she asked, "Who is Brandon Smith?"  I was taken back for a moment, not really knowing how to respond at first.  However, from even the end of that conversation, the question lingered in the back of my mind.  Who am I?  In what do I find my identity?  At the time, I do believe my mind was caught up in a whirlwind of interests and concerns.  I wanted to study hard, become the best student that I could, and wind up achieving high success in the eyes of the world by finding a safe, financially secure job.  While this is important, basing a part of your identity in seeking the world's approval is not a "smart" thing to do.  In the passage above, Jesus says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him DENY himself..."  Deny myself? I realize now that this means forfeiting everything in which I find my identity now and refocusing my central thoughts around the purposes of God.  It may sound like an easy thing to do in words, but when I try to live this out on a daily basis, I learn that it is harder than it may seem.  "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." Some Christians and Bible scholars may take this passage literally by saying that martyrs and those who lose their life for Christ's sake are ones that truly get to partake in eternal life.  I do not disagree with this point, but I also believe that the verse can be read in a slightly different light as well.  For whoever desires to save his worldly status will lose it, but whoever loses his worldly status for Christ's sake will establish a new identity in Him.  Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to change Jesus's words.  I simply think that Christ is trying to say something about claiming Him as one's identity. He gives clue by this warning in the next verse, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory."  My encouragement for you today is simply this: if we who are in Christ are not afraid to let Him shine through us, then our identity should be formed in Christ and of Christ's teachings.  I encourage you to seek His glory and to become like Him.  And maybe you can ask yourself, "Who am I?"

First Things First: Trust

As the new year has begun, I have been thinking about the different ways there are to encourage people.  A simple smile at the store, an embrace of a friend, or a truly in-depth conversation can all lead to somewhat of an encouragement, but even these kind gestures can come short of the essential satisfaction we long for as humans.  Then the truth hit me one day; what better encouragement to share with others than that which can be found within God's Word! Thus, the idea for this blog was created.  My goal is to encourage others not only though a passage of scripture but also through my life experiences.  I hope that each of you might also find strength in not my words but in words that are inspired by God and His Holy Spirit. 

Today's Passage of Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Trust: it is not an easy word to fully grasp.  Maybe this is because trust is not something that comes so naturally to our everyday lives.  I know I struggle with trusting others and even myself sometimes.  I want to make myself feel comfortable by doing things MY way, at MY speed, and in MY time.  Despite our current "possession" of all things within our lives, one can soon figure out how little control one has over things of this world. "Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart." All my heart? That means that I have to give whatever it is that occupies my mind to Him.  Whether it be my busy schedule or the fear that I will not be able to complete whatever it is that seems so important to me at the time, I have to trust that God will give me the strength and timing to produce the greatest work for His glory and not my own.  And "leaning not on my own understanding"? How am I to do this?  Humans like for everything to be within their grasp and in their control.  I struggle with this fact as well, and it is not an easy feat to overcome.  Nevertheless, circumstances do not seem to become as "screwed-up" when I operate on the only understanding that I know to be absolutely true: that God knows what is best for me and my future and that His understanding is infinitely greater than my own.  So my encouragement for you today is to trust God in whatever it is that you are going through. Verse six says that if you acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will direct you on your path of life, and what greater hope is there than knowing that the Creator of the universe is in control of everything!