|
Good
Monday Mornin’ everybody!
First
of all thanks to everybody for the prayers and support. You all don’t
know how much of a blessing you have been.
Beverly
is getting better everyday and seems to be able to get around a little
better every day. She is now getting up off the couch by herself and only
needs a little help getting back on. So she is doing better. Please keep
those prayers going though, because we are still a good ways from complete
recovery.
For
those of you who don’t know my dog’s name is
Murray
.
Murray
is half Basset hound and half Golden Retriever. When we first got
Murray
I laughed every time I would look at him. He has Basset legs and a
Retriever body. He looks like a weenie dog on steroids. But he is the best
dog a person could ever ask for.
The
other day I was in my office working and
Murray
was lying in the floor across the room from me. He laid there intently
staring at me. When I would look over at him and smile he would get up
walk over to me and wait for me to pet him. When I would stop petting him
he would go and lie back down and look at me. Finally he dozed off to
sleep, but every time I would shift in my chair or clear my throat he
would wake up and look at me. And if I made eye contact with him he would
come over to me wanting a pet. I think we can all learn something from
Murray
.
The
author of Hebrews wrote . . .
Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. . .
(Hebrews 10:2)
Now
with that verse and
Murray
in mind look at a few things with me.
1.
Murray
was so focused on his
master that a mere look was all it took to get him to move. Now this is a
hard thing to do because we have so many distractions in our lives. We
want to focus on whatever is mastering us at the time. But I want us to
think about something that is wired into
Murray
. He knows who feeds him, he knows who lets him out when he has to go, and
he knows who lets him in when it is raining outside. In other words
Murray
knows that the reason he has life at all is because I take care of him.
When is the last time you slowed down and realized that nothing you have
or do is from your own hand? Really if you think about it you have to have
a growing appreciation of Who God is and what God does for you. In turn
you can get so focused on Him that just a look from Him and you will be
ready to move.
2.
Murray
knows who his master
is. What is mastering you today? What is it that gets the most of your
attention? Because just like Jesus said, “Where your treasure is your
heart will be also.” So whatever you are letting master you that is your
treasure! Is it work, family, wife, children, money, possessions, food or
alcohol and drugs? What is it? The reason you need to know this is because
you need to get your focus back on Jesus and in order to do that you have
to realize what needs to be moved. All of these other things that
sometimes master us are only available because of God. Without God there
would be no money, job, child or possession. So will you be mastered by
the created or do you want to be mastered by the Creator? Decide in your
heart today Who or what will master you and let it be Jesus! It’s your
decision.
3.
Murray
starves for attention
from his master. By being focused on and wanting to please his master
Murray
wants to be around me. I have noticed when people get away from church
they are getting away from their Master. They don’t want to be around
Him, they want to avoid Him. But when people are in love with Jesus and
focused on Him they cannot do enough to please Him. When all is right in
your life with Jesus you want to be around Him and you want to serve Him.
So one of the first indicators that something is not right and you are not
focused on Him is a loss of love for being around Him and serving Him with
wholehearted devotion.
I
want you guys to know I am not Super Christian. I do not have a cape that
waves in the breeze behind me as I stand on top of the church with a Bible
in my hand. Jesus does not personally come into my study on Monday morning
and give me these little tidbits of information. I have lived and am
living every bit of this. So don’t let this be condemning, take is as
directions from someone who has been there!
I
love you all. Have a great week.
Pastor Jason Lyle
The Open Range Church of Henry County
Many are the plans in a man's
heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
|
