life in christ

Grief is Unbridled Love

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

Psalm 31:9, 24

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also… Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Grief is love with no place to go are words recently spoken to me via a sermon. At first, I was unsure of the concept, than it sank in.

We are emotional beings wired to express love outward toward others. When the aim of our love disappears and is no longer available, our heart cries. The emotional and psychological loss of being unable to release the heartfelt love we desire to share with another is overly painful. Our sense of security and helplessness in a dangerous world is shattered. We find ourselves struggling with upsetting thoughts and anxiety that won’t go away.

In this Psalm, King David is lamenting over the iniquity of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her then husband Uriah. This has now evolved where his son Absalom’s is leading a national rebellion against him and the nation. Though God has forgiven him for this past sin, the consequences of these actions have caused some irreversible problems in his life. He is now facing the chastening period grieving and pleading for God’s mercy and intervention.

At this time, many of his friends have abandoned and left him alone. He was on his own without the support necessary to deal with the matter. So he fled and vacated Jerusalem.

As he prayed, bearing his soul, the psychological pain of someone he loves becoming his enemy unleashes within him. The inner battle between protecting the nation and caring for his embattled son has caused great fear  and anxiety to overcome him. Yet he moves down the same path as always been his habit. He cries out for help from his Lord.

The end result, David fled, and Absalom entered the city to become King of Israel. Absalom’s reign was short though as he was eventually killed. Then David returned as king of the nation. Yet through the entire ordeal, David grieved over the loss of his son and the chastening brought about by his miscues.

Grief hurts. When you are unable to directly express the love you have for another, it hurts. When you accept the responsibility of a poor choice which harmfully impacts the lives of others who you truly love, it hurts.

Yet we have a merciful high priest in Jesus, who personally understands the human condition. HE relates and intervenes for our good and the good of others who are caught up within our world of choices. Like David closing remarks in Psalm 31, our role is to exercise courage in trusting our Lord.

Jesus has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. As we lean on HIM, HE will fill our cup, sit us at the table, and soothe us through the painful, grieving process which is necessary to heal the body and soul. HE is the reason when we lose someone we love and cherish, our hearts turn to HIM. HE is always there to accept our love and perfectly respond to the situation.

Love unbridled. When grief overtakes us, we are fortunate to hug Jesus and allow His strength, compassion, and care hold us through the process.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

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Coward or Conquer

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

Revelations 21:7-8

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

One day, we who are thirsty for righteousness will receive Godly satisfaction. HE has promised us eternal life with full honors of membership in HIS family. But until then, we are being trained for leadership as servants of the living God.

The apostle John writes certain behavior is going to be eliminated from the surrounding culture when God reestablishes HIS throne room on earth. I listed these characteristics below compared with their favorable opposite.

                Unacceptable                             Recommended

                Cowardly                                   Courageous

                Faithless                                     Loyal

                Detestable                                  Honorable

                Murderers                                  Life-Givers

                Sexually Immoral                     Sexually Virtuous

                Sorcerers                                  God Supporters

                Idolaters                                  Triune God Worshiper

                Liars                                         Truth Bearers    

The Holy Spirit is now working with Christ-followers preparing them for eternity. In God’s house, HIS family emulates characteristics of their Father. These recommended traits are the outer expression of an inner heart. As God lives in you, HE is working in you and through you as you move through your daily routines.

The more you learn who God IS and allow HIM entrance into your heart and mind, the more you will display HIS characteristics in your life. Question: Who doesn’t want to be more like the most successful, enjoyable, loving Being in the universe? Answer: Only those who haven’t been properly introduced to HIM.

The more you capture HIS vision for humanity, the more enthralled you become with HIS work.

The more you discover HIS vision for you, the more engaged you become with matching your work within HIS mission.

The more you participate with HIS work, the more intrigued you become with serving others for HIS glory.

Your surrounding world becomes a mini Kingdom of God. You rejoice living under HIS favor. You gladly enhance the lives of those around you. You begin to better understand HIS way to govern people. You understand the importance of marriage, family, and community. You learn to balance the value of the individual and society. You slowly take on more responsibility to improve the world around you.

Yes, courage is required to fully live out HIS ways. Society may cancel you. Your unengaged friends will leave you. Your tiny world may even shrink tinier. But God is with you. HE will carry you and support you as you support HIM. HE will direct your steps and bring people into your world to help you march with HIM in HIS work. HE will show you and lead you to become a conqueror.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

Learn & Grow with these eBooks:

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Learn. Live. Invest.

Dr. Mike 2022 , , ,

Proverbs 1:5

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What three activities could you make happen today and everyday that will propel you toward a life worth living? How about learning something new today? What about living with the Spirit today? And why not make a greater investment into God’s Kingdom today?

Since life is a learning process preparing you and I for eternity, what new idea or thought or word could we focus on today that will take us slightly outside our comfort zone, make us feel vulnerable, but afterward expand our awareness and confidence from the experience?

This morning for example, prior to my writing, I searched the concordance for multiple scriptures on learning, living, and investing, along with sub-categories which led me to a few other scriptures which I wrote down to investigate further after completing this page. I selected the above Scriptures as my focus, but there were many others I could have used with a slightly different perspective. Those are for another time and place.

Learning is a process built upon experience, knowledge, and insight. It is never ending unless one chooses to stop. Isn’t it interesting why those who are quite successful still make ample time to read?

Learning something new adds variety in one’s life, expands one’s knowledge and perspective of life and God, plus enriches one’s tank to better serve others when a situation arises. You have a good solution to the problem. Learning prepares you for better service.

If you are reading this, then I can assume you are still living. I jest, but how many people do you know are still breathing but the Spirit of love and joy are found nowhere in the room? In fact, they wouldn’t recognize the Holy Spirit’s characteristics unless they stop focusing on themselves for a moment.

When you read about the saints through the pages of the Bible, you begin to identify them as being persecuted yet with such joy and purpose for living that your head tilts in understanding how that can be. Then when you dig further and begin to understand the work of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, you slowly come to learn by walking with HIM you begin to experience life the way God invented life to be lived.

After a small taste of Kingdom living, you can’t have enough and want more. But how? You learn to submit to Christ’s authority in your life and HE bestows the power of the Spirit which invades your inner being to replace the hardness of your heart with the gracefulness of HIS divine attributes. You are slowly being formed into HIS image of Godly Character.

As you become more involved with developing a relationship with your eternal partner, your heart and mind becomes more occupied with HIS domain and HIS macro purpose. You begin to align your micro purpose with HIS macro design and establish more order and boundaries into your life. You find yourself investing more of your time, money, and resources to expand HIS domain in your little corner of the world.

The daily work may seem routine and ordinary from an outside observer, but for you the real meaning of life becomes your foundation for investment. From here, you invest in HIS kingdom, HIS work, and HIS ways. Your family, career, and community involvement are the means and opportunity for you to invest yourself as a representative of Jesus Christ’s government. You now become a witness of God’s transforming power to enable others find fulfillment, freedom, and flourishment the way God intended people to experience.

You realize the investment God has in you and your aim is to return HIS investment to HIM manifold more times than humanly possible. You are grateful for the opportunity and appreciative of the challenge. Your only hope and prayer is God provides you the necessary resources to make it so and you don’t fail him in the process.

So, if you want a simple life with great returns, why not focus one’s time, money, and resources to learn, live, and invest with the ONE who makes everything possible – our Incarnate Triune God.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved