God is Watching Over You

By Cheri Cowell –

A little song I learned as a child gave me great comfort then as well as later when life got difficult. Today I understand how powerful this promise is for those of us who see God as loving and tender. However, for those who fear God and see Him as judging and condemning this promise may produce feelings of apprehension. But this Psalm, which is where that children’s song comes from, tells us that God uses armies of angels to watch over His children with love and compassion. It assures us He will protect us, hear our prayers, and give us salvation—an act of mercy and grace.

The Bible tells us in many places that God often works His will through His spiritual attendants. However, these angels are never acting on their own, as today’s angel theology often teaches. God’s angels are always at the call and command of God and they would be the first to insist they are not to be worshipped or prayed to. They bow at the feel of the Holy One and that Holy One alone. We ought to do no less.

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation” (Psalm 91:11-16 NRSV).

PRAYER: If you know the children’s song, sing with joy today: G-o-d is watching over me, watching over me, watching over me. G-o-d is watching over me, watching over me today.

Pardon Me

By Cheri Cowell –

The other day I ran across these idioms for the phrase “pardon me.”

Pardon me, what did you say your name was?

I beg your pardon! I didn’t see your foot there!

Pardon me; does this train go to Oakland?

Pardon me, but I think you’ve got it backwards.

In each of these, the word pardon means, “excuse me.” In some of them you can hear the sarcasm dripping from the words. In some you can hear the formality and see the raised chin as the person speaking looks down upon you.

Isaiah used the word pardon when he spoke of God’s willingness to excuse. If you listen, you can also hear the meaning behind the words. Some translations render the word pardon as forgive, but it is the word before pardon or forgive that adds the context and meaning. That word is freely, abundantly, or lavishly. When you and I give up our way and accept God’s, our God doesn’t simply excuse us, nor does He only forgive or pardon (although that is a big deal). No, our God freely excuses, abundantly pardons, and lavishly forgives.

Do you hear the love behind those words?

“Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NIV).

PRAYER: God, thank You for freely excusing, abundantly pardoning, and lavishly forgiving me. Help me hear the real love behind these words today.

The Twist

By Cheri Cowell –

Call it good parenting. Call it bribery. But all of us have done it.

We have several more errands to run and the children are getting restless. So, we offer to take them to the park, stop for Happy Meals, or allow them to choose the movie that night “if they will help get these last few errands done.”

If you will…then I will… God uses this same parenting technique with us, but His comes with a twist.

Today’s passage is often quoted to make the point that God set up this “if you will do this” (humble yourselves and turn from evil) then God will forgive and heal the land.

Some say that because we have not humbled ourselves and have turned from evil, God is withholding His forgiveness and blessing. What this explanation leaves out is that throughout history we’ve repeatedly not held up our end of the bargain, and yet, God still sent Jesus.

Jesus is the twist. He rewrites this parenting technique to say, even if you don’t, I will still forgive and shower you with blessings.

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV).

Prayer: God, You are to be praised for being the ultimate parent who, although maintaining the “if you will” goal, steps in with a twist—the twist of grace. Help me see Your grace as reason to fulfill my end of the bargain.

Leftovers

By Cheri Cowell –

Today’s restaurant portions are so big I almost feel like I should order the to-go box when I order the food. This is not a problem for me because I love leftovers. It is so convenient the next day to just grab it and go. Even if there is a little bit from this dish and a little from that one I can usually make a meal of it.

How often do we do this with our resources for God? I have to admit that I can easily fall into this trap. I’m not talking about church things; rather I’m talking about the time we spend growing our personal relationship with Him. It is tempting to give God my leftovers after I’ve spent my most valued time on other things. I’m really good at taking a little bit here, adding a little bit there, and passing this off as a whole meal with God. However, God doesn’t want my leftovers no matter how good I am at dressing them up. He doesn’t want yours either.
“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar. “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty” (Malachi 1:6-8 NIV).

Malachi was a prophet called to preach to the Israelites. Here he is accusing them of just going through the motions without joy from a heart filled with adoration. Verses 6–8 refer to the requirement of a perfect animal to be sacrificed, which in the New Testament becomes Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice. We now know that our lives are to be our sacrifice, and therefore, should be the best we have to give. How are you doing in giving your best to God?

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of the perfect sacrifice, Your perfect Son. Help me discover new ways to give You the best sacrifices of my time this week.

Your Spiritual Checkup

By Cheri Cowell –

I often went with my mother-in-law to her doctor appointments. Every doctor’s office staff does the same things: checks blood pressure, weight, prescriptions list, and inquires of the reason for the visit.

For those who are older, such as my mother-in-law, a few other things are added to the list of checkup questions: “How are you sleeping? Are you depressed? Are your feet swelling? Do you have any questions?”

It made me think, “I wish God had a list of questions for my spiritual check-up.”

The Corinthian church was acting like a wayward child, and in his second letter Paul was writing to let them know they had better straighten out before he got there or else… In chapter 13 verse 5 he tells them how to begin the process. He instructs them to look inward. To test themselves to see if what is inside is that which is showing outside. To take this test and if they find themselves lacking, do something about it! Verse 7 not only tells the Corinthians what do, Paul demonstrates it. He prays for them.

Verses 7-10 are referred to as Paul’s prayer. He prays that if anything is lacking in them that it not be counted against them but against him. Paul took his concerns to God, the Great Physician, who can do more to heal our infirmities than any prescription ever could.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down” (2 Corinthians 13:5-10 NIV).

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