If something is described as being good, a delight, and desirable, what could possibly be wrong with it?

The problem with the alluring description above is that it has been removed from its context which follows: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened . . .” And, this is the moment when death violated the human experience.

Eve’s fatal mistake occurred when she tuned God out and turned her attention to the Siren call of the Serpent. The song was both devious and deceptive and these are the shadowy veil of desire.

We need to be aware of the dark side of desire that can quickly ensnare us with greed or some other compulsive behavior; and, like the Serpent’s discussion with Eve, there is never a full disclosure of the fatal consequences of uncontrolled desire.

If the addict could see the end results of his drug use, would he have ever injected himself the first time? Would the alcoholic have taken the first drink?

The Apostle Paul warns us; don’t let anyone take you “captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

When we feel the firm grip of desire, we need to quiet the static of the world and listen for the clear voice of God. David faced the power of desire at different times in his life. He discovered the key to success and wrote about in Psalm 119:9-11.

If you are struggling with some unwanted wants and some undesirable desires, let me make a simple suggestion: Set an alarm on your cell phone or computer that will ring at 9:11 each day for the next week. When it rings, read Psalm 119:9-11, and the principle of this verse will help give you the strength you need.

Think About It!

I was absent, but I was included. I know the story was more than just gossip because I’ve read the detailed first-person account of the incident.

One convicted criminal spent his last moments sneering, jeering, and cursing God. A few feet away another criminal realized the error of his way and was repentant. There was a third person who also had been deemed guilty, and his silence was a deafening echo.

Several soldiers were present and each one was dedicated to enforce the sentence that had been handed down. The dedication of these soldiers paled in comparison to the devotion of the heartbroken mother who watched their methodical execution of her son.

The day was full of contrasts. The scene was painted in bold brush strokes of black and white, unjust acts of cruelty and the faint colors of fairness; foreboding evil and enveloping goodness; and the certainty of death with the hope of life.

The climactic moment of that day occurred when the obscenity of wickedness met the hallowed and holy. In those seconds that seemed like hours, people witnessed the worst of humanity and the best of the Divinity.

This all happened on a particular day thousands of years ago. It was the day Jesus was hung on a cross. As He was suspended between heaven and earth, He became the essence of sin. On that day His earthly life was ended, so we could begin a new life with the gift of salvation. That was the day, He said, “It is finished”, so we could start over as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

That was the day that He gave the world the potential to change. Today is your day to make the most of the opportunity He has given to you.

Think about it!

To most people, May 25th is an insignificant day. It is just the 25th day of May, and there is nothing remarkable about it.

May 25th is much more to me. It is a day that kindles a fire in my brain and regenerates the memories and life-lessons that I formed in the first 12 years of my life.

My dad, Eddie Seymour, died in an oil field accident on May 25, 1965. I can remember the events of that day as clearly as if they were happening today. I can even tell you what I had in the brown paper sack that had my picnic lunch—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some corn chips.

Dad was 36 when he died. I was 12. That was 48 years ago, and the older I get the more I realize how young he was when he died; and, the older I get, the more I value the lessons I learned from him.

One memory that has been fresh on my mind today is a fishing trip when we were wading the Arkansas River down by Oxford. The river was running high and the current was so swift it washed the sandy bottom out from under my feet and it quickly carried me downstream. I can still hear Dad’s reassuring voice as he shouted out words of encouragement to me and guided me to the safety of the shore.

Whenever I think of that incident, I think of the times in my life when the currents of adversity have knocked me off my feet. In those times, I’ve heard the voice of my heavenly Father encouraging me: Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11).

Are you weary, worn out, and beat down from the trials of life? Listen carefully and you can hear that personal invitation: Come to Me.

What did Jesus do when He died on the cross? The first answer that comes to a person’s mind is probably that He paid for our salvation. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul spoke of the death of Jesus this way: He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.

Even though Paul said the Law is dead, buried, and in the grave, people have kept trying to resurrect it. In the years both prior to and after the Revolutionary War, people were demanding strict adherence to Sabbath Laws.

In 1656, a Captain Kimble had returned from a 3 year stint at sea. When he met his wife on the doorstep of their house, he kissed her. Problem was, he kissed her in public and on the Sabbath Day, so he was placed in stocks for 2 hours.

In 1760 the Massachusetts legislature passed a law that fined any able-bodied person 10 shillings if said person was absent from public worship on the Lord’s Day.

One more example: In 1831, a woman was arrested for unnecessary travel on the Sabbath Day. She had violated the law by travelling to her father’s house on the Lord’s Day.

When we read the biblical record, we find that it was not the prostitutes and tax collectors who struggled with repentance, it was the people who were the most religious–the Pharisees.

When were are tempted to look down our long nose of religiosity, and judge others, we would do well to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7: “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. –The Message

When we exhibit a spirit that is pious, self-righteous, and judgmental, we are trying to resurrect what Jesus buried. Jesus nailed the Law to the cross–leave it there!

I think I was in third grade when my teacher emphasized the importance of the letter “S” to me. I was trying to perfect my skill in cursive writing, and she reminded me that both my first and last names begin with the letter “S.” “Stan,” she said, “if your “S” cannot be read, no one will know who you are.”

In the title above, “s” is one of two letters that are of important. The other one is the letter “i,” and I don’t mean “I.” The capital “I” is a pronoun and usually the subject of a sentence.

The two letters I’m speaking of are of little significance when they stand alone. By themselves they are a little “i” and a measly “s.” Put them together, and they add up to something: i + s = is, and I like “is.”

“Is” is present tense: The Lord is . . . not has been, not maybe so, or hope so,or I wish so, but very boldly the Psalmist said: is!

John uses the same two letters when he writes in I John 4:16: “God is . . .” This was comforting to the collective group of believers who had faced the gruesome persecution of Nero and were about to suffer at the hands of Domitian.
When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, he emphasized the Is-ness of God while while facing the troubles and trials of life: Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

So, the next time you feel like you are going it alone, remember the Shepherd-Savior is present.