David Lee Martin
Jesus First - Everything Else Follows
As a final word for the year, I want to end as I began.
With Jesus.
He is the beginning and the end.
The One and only Alpha and Omega.
He is also
Beta
Gamma
Delta
Epsilon
Zeta
Eta
Theta
Iota
Kappa
Lambda
Mu
Nu
Xi
Omicron
Pi
Rho
Sigma
Tau
Upsilon
Phi
Chi and Psi.
All in all. The One who fills all things.
What a Saviour!
Even the Greek alphabet runs out way too soon to encompass His grandeur.
May your year be crowned with His matchless beauty and a magnificent hope for the future.
Here’s the thing.
Whether you like it or not, giants stand between you and your promised land.
They swagger and mock your dreams and aspirations.
Oafish gremlins with glinting teeth grimacing at your bravado, mocking your belief that God can lead you from dreaming to done.
In the arena of creative output, I’ve found five smooth stones that land perfectly between the eyes of Goliath and his entourage.
Every endeavour, large or small, begins with a seed. Believe in the seed that God has planted in your heart. Don’t doubt yourself or your God. Water the seed in prayer and let your imagination take hold of the idea and how it will look when it grows and stretches out its fruit-laden branches.
The Greek word for "inspiration" is theopneustos, which literally means "God-breathed". It is a combination of the words theos, meaning "God", and pnéō, meaning "breathe out". God breathes out, we breathe in! Invite the Holy Ghost to partner with you and don’t be in a rush. Hear, don’t hustle. The Lord will lead you step by faithful step to finish what you start. Faith and patience inherit the promises and bring them to fullness.
Even Jesus had to grow in wisdom (Luke 2:40), and so do you. Your ideas and dreams will often require an upgrade in knowledge and skills. Be a reader, a life-long learner, ready to reach out and ask for help, and willing to invest time and money in your own development. This also requires an investment of time, so be ready to prioritise the development of your ideas.
It’s not what you know; it's what you do with what you know that makes a difference. Don’t fall into the trap of “ever learning” or thinking you need to know “everything” before you do “anything”. Learn what’s required to take the next step, and take it. Doing is the best way to consolidate what you’ve learned. This is where the rubber meets the road, and is perhaps the most important step of all.
When God made the worlds He punctuated His creative wins with celebration. The happy chorus of self-appreciation and commendation, “it is good”, should ring regularly through your creative process. Be ready and always willing to recognise and rejoice in even the smallest triumph. Celebration and appreciation of your own work is, and glorifying God for His wonderful gifts and the growth you are experiencing ensures you don’t run into burnout. Give yourself a high five, reward your efforts with appreciation in ways that speak loudly to your soul that you’re on the right track. Make it fun!
Faith – believe in your ideas
Inspiration – invite God into the process
Education – dedicate yourself to growth
Application – be a doer, not just a hearer
Celebration – appreciate your progress.
Add these together, and you’ll find your field in life decorated with dead giants.
Indecision plants you at the crossroads with no way forward. You stand at a junction in life, major or minor, fretting about which way to take—worried that you’ll make the wrong choice.
There’s a crowd here to keep you company, petrified in their desire to be right.
But the right road is not so much about what you do, it’s the company that you keep that makes the difference.
Jesus is with you. Never leaving, never forsaking.
With Him by your side, you’ll always be on the road to revelation. Mistakes will provide valuable tools for Him to teach you about yourself. Success will open conduits for Him to pour blessing into your lap and further define your call. It’s a win win every time.
That’s why you’re called “more than a conqueror”.
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37 KJV)
Even when we lose, we win. Even a misstep becomes our next step to victory.
Jesus Christ is committed to you. One hundred percent. Nothing will dissuade Him from propelling you forward.
Yes, sometimes the way is rough. Sure they’ll be tears, bruises, bumps, and disappointments. But even in the valleys, the stream of His grace flows deep. In fact, I’ve often found the waters there to be some of the sweetest I’ve ever tasted.
So what am I saying?
Don’t worry.
Choose a path and live it boldly. Step forward with confidence into the next chapter.
You have a Defender by your side. An Advocate standing in your corner. A Shepherd leading the way.
Glory be to Jesus forever!
Busyness is the blight of modern living.
The Bible gives a fascinating foretelling of things to come. Daniel in particular had an eyeglass that spanned the centuries. There’s so much in the book that bears his name, but here are a couple of peekholes that spy right into our days:
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4 KJV)
There’s certainly a lot of running to and fro today, and a deluge of knowledge has swamped us with irrelevancy and confusion.
There are, of course, benefits to this revolution, but with the spread of technology, there has also come an overwhelming overload.
Just one example would be that the average person encounters between 6,000 to 10,000 ads every single day.
Although these memeish-stats may be a bit exaggerated the point is clear. In our quest for expansion we’re drowning. Our attention is pulled in so many directions, sometimes many times with every passing hour.
Our brain has to sift through all of this.
Is it any wonder then that Daniel described a future danger where opposing forces “…shall wear out the saints of the most High,” (Daniel 7:25 KJV)
Staying focussed and peaceful in the midst of the madness is something I believe we will all need to master. Only intimacy with Christ can innoculate us from the ravaging virus of comparisonitis.
Enough is enough.
You are enough.
And right here, right now, there is an open door of invitation to sit and sup with the King.
Come take your place in prayer and claim your peace.
Selah.
Knowing when to do, and when not to do, is an important skill.
Sometimes God prompts and we leap from the cliff, knowing He will catch us. At other times, He directs us to stand still and watch Him work.
One of my plans for the coming year is to explore sitting in silence.
Just plain sitting.
No activity.
No push.
Actively not doing.
Letting the froth and bubble subside so the view becomes clear.
Not doing nothing.
Far from it. Lots will be happening through this simple act of trust.
“For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4 AMP)
Just because you are not active doesn’t mean that He is not.
Life is an experiment. A glorious opportunity to seek God and discover His ways.
I do so love this verse in Psalms, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways” (Psalm 84:5 KJV)
What ways will you explore in the coming year?
