Monday, March 15, 2010

Test Your Heart

A story is told of a young man, approaching the great philosopher Socrates asking to be taught all that Socrates knew. Socrates invited the yearning student to join him on a walk to the lake. Upon arrival, they continued until the water was at least waist high. Socrates dunked the lad under the water, holding him down. Initially the young man went along with Socrates; however as his desire for a breath intensified so did the boy’s fight. Socrates continued holding the young man under water; the student was no longer fighting for a breath; rather his life.

Finally, the fight ended as the lad passed out from oxygen deprivation. The great philosopher drug him from the water, up on the shore and revived him. The yearning student inquired of Socrates, “What were doing? I almost drowned.” The great Socrates then replied when you want to know what I know as badly as you desired to live; you will then know what I know. Socrates tested the man’s heart.

Would you agree our walk with Christ is similar to the young man pursuing the knowledge of Socrates? Most of us desire knowledge without effort. Proverbs states, he who loves discipline loves knowledge. Is our desire to deepen our understanding of scripture, as great as our desire to live? Do we fight to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ as much as we fight for our lives? Christ desires all of us, he wants us to love him more than anything in existence; this includes our physical life. Does this mean we must physical die at a young age to follow Christ? No!

The Bible states God will test our hearts!

We should be willing to push ourselves beyond previously known limits in seeking and serving Him. In so doing, God will supply all of our needs from sources we were previously unaware. We are called to leave our comfort zone in serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In high school cross country, we tapped one another’s sternum saying, “You ‘gotta’ want it more than life itself!” Moments in races, the body appeared on the verge of collapse; but the legs, arms, lungs, and heart kept going. Our hearts were tested. Let us fully exert ourselves in pursuit of Jesus Christ everyday. Let us crave a relationship with Christ as much as our desire for human life. He will keep our body moving forward in serving Him.

See Christ’s Presence, Believe Christ’s Forgiveness, Achieve Christ’s Will for your life! Pass the heart test.

In Christ,

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Turn on the Light

March 1, 2010

Have you ever searched for a misplaced object in the dark? Recently, wanting to assure the alarm was set; I searched for my cell phone after turning off the hotel room lights. After several minutes of grasping everything within reach except the cell phone, an amazing revelation appeared. Turn on the light! Instantly, I chuckled to myself over the humor of the delayed recognition of the obvious solution. The phone had been there all along, the light simply enable seeing it.

After finding the phone, assuring the alarm was properly set, and turning off the lights; I reflected how frequently many of us fail to “Turn on the Light.” How do we turn on “Life’s Light”? We first acknowledge the “Light of the World,” Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and God the Father: The Triune God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We turn on “Life’s Light” by turning to Holy Scripture and prayer, seeking our Lord’s wisdom and guidance.

Friday February 5, 2010, I received several correspondences informing me of material that needed created by noon. The catch involved the needed work would require about two days to complete. Suddenly a voice spoke several times saying, “Pray.” I instantly responded, “I do not have time to pray!” Yes, I am rather slow at catching on sometimes. Fortunately our Lord loves me enough to be persistent in spite of my stubbornness. Following the fifth or sixth occurrence, an amazing revelation struck between my eyes: “Perhaps I should pray.” I know you catch on much quicker than me.

The twenty hours of work was completed in less than two hours. Would you agree that work takes much longer to complete in the dark? Upon allowing “Life’s Light” to illuminate my work, meeting the day’s lifelines was easy: I could see! The resources for completing this work surrounded me in notebooks, computer files, and frequent ponderings. Christ’s light simply illuminated this information, enabling me to see it in the proper context. God desires to illuminate life’s solutions and work for us every millisecond of every day. If only we read scripture and pray. Yes, we must continue to exert the effort; often times in faith.

I knew the hotel room had lights, but initially failed to turn them on; and knew I should pray but slow to realize prayer would enhance that specific situation. How frequently do we fail to turn on the “Light of World” in our daily lives? Are we stubborn, or too busy? When pressures and responsibilities are bearing down, let us put aside our egos and read scripture and pray. Working in the Light of Christ is much more efficient and productive than working in the darkness of the world.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ.
Rick E. Meyer
President
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.