SOUL: WORK

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7,ESV). God’s Word transforms me. It changes and renovates me. And according to Psalm 19:7, it converts death into life and spiritual ignorance into wisdom. I need wisdom. The word law in “the law of the Lord” translates the Hebrew Torah as the law for life, the rule for living. God’s Word is the absolute norm. His statements are never guesses or suggestions. The Bible is the standard by which every other truth is measured or assessed. (like it or not) Notice the claim of ownership. Scripture is “the law of the Lord”.  God claims clear authorship of His book. Throughout history, people have written and established laws and rules; governments have imposed structure on society. Nations come and nations go, but the Word of God remains—timeless and enduring because it is His. The verse also describes God’s law as “perfect.” That word perfect literally means all-sided, many-faceted, all-encompassing, and comprehensive. The utter perfection of God’s law is linked to “reviving” (ESV) or “converting the soul” (NKJV). The soul is the inner, immaterial part of you. You are not just primarily a physical person. Part of you is spiritual and will live forever, and that’s the part of you in need of being converted—your soul. God’s Word demonstrates its perfection by making you a new creation. This transformation is a fascinating, supernatural process, exemplified by “Robbie Rebel"  This girl invariably appears in churches across North America and is somewhere in the process of life-change. A regular girl who works in an office, just trying to get by and figure out life, Robbie shows up at church—often against her will, at least at first. She begrudgingly attends because she lost a bet with her friend or decided to find out what was going on in her life. But she’s not sure—about any of it. Her body language communicates her resistance. The first week, she sits cross-armed and leans back, observing. Though she is there, she refuses to participate. She projects, I’m not singing. I am flat-out not singing. I may be here, but you can’t make me sing. I’m going to show you I don’t like what’s happening right now. Yet as much as outer evidence points to the contrary, we begin to see little signs of God at work. As weeks become months, God’s Word transforms Robbie Rebel. First, she unfolds her arms. She relaxes. She begins to lean forward. While we watch and pray and wait, we have a front-row view of the conversion process as God softens and changes her heart, by grace alone through building her faith. Just as Psalm 19:7 describes, God’s perfect, powerful law converts an unsaved, unregenerated, uninterested, hardhearted Robbie Rebel into a new person. His Word spins this woman completely around. Robbie unfolds her arms and lifts them in praise . . . she unseals her lips and worships the Lord. God’s Word has the power to transform anyone. He can soften even the hardest heart. The regenerative work in Robbie's life is a process, and it doesn’t end with conversion. God continues to change and sanctify us through His Word. In what ways can you say, “I’m a different person because of the impact God’s Word has in my life....daily?!"  Just as we can trace the effects of Scripture in the lives of others, so we should be able to see the persistent, guiding, transforming work of “the law of the Lord” in our own. Soul work. Under Construction. Read daily. Meditate day and night. Over Coffee. Robbs "keep depending on grace"

DID YOU R.S.V.P?

Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. —Hosea 6:1-3  At the bottom of every page of Scripture, the Lord could have noted, “R.S.V.P.—please respond.”  From the moment our earliest ancestors walked away from the Garden of Eden, to the amazing vision of the new heavens and the new earth at the end of Revelation, if we are watching and listening, we will hear God beckoning. Time after time He invites us to come to Him, regardless of how far we’ve wandered or how long we’ve been gone. No matter how great the distance between you and the Lord right now, passages like Hosea 6:1 issue His surprising summons—especially to the torn and struck down to return. God admits He hurts us for our good.  The open door, the light left on, and all of His gracious approaches haven’t worked. Those who've not responded have an opportunity to hear His invitation through the pain of their continued wandering.  It’s time to R.S.V.P. “Come, let us return to the Lord,” is the response God wants to hear and the first step to spiritual revival. Notice the invitation, “Come.” You have a choice to leave the unfulfilling location where you are. It’s a tender-hearted pleading.  Doubt can become faith. Discouragement can become joy. Despair can become purpose and deep satisfaction. Defeat can become victory. But you have to come. And you are not alone—notice Hosea says, “Let us.” You may feel alone, but you're not. Others are hearing the invitation, and when you come, you will discover they’re coming, too. “Let us return to the Lord,” admits our mistake. Our problems began when we turned away, so let’s turn back. Right now is not too late. Returning to the Lord is a decision made at a particular point in time.  Do you sense the Holy Spirit drawing you? Are you ready to make that choice in these moments? You gain no benefit if you don’t begin by responding to Him. Responding includes recognizing some things have to change. Think about your life and ask God to shine the light of His Word on your attitudes and activities. He will show you what is wrong. And He will help you repent of sin. (Sin=all rebellious acts towards Him).  When you see through His Word what got you where you are and the damage it's caused, God will help you turn away and develop a new thought pattern. "I’m wrong God. I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I have no excuse for acting and choosing as I have. I’m unworthy, but I’m returning." Turning to the Lord is often actually re-turning. If you want to experience a fresh downpour of God’s mercy, you have to come back to the place where the water flowed previously. This is not just an emotional response and a change of mind; it’s also an exertion of your will (by His grace) to get moving again in the right direction. Invite the Lord to listen in on your thoughts as you identify specific sins you’re leaving behind. Plan to turn away from opportunities to sin and reject habits that involve putting yourself in tempting situations. Choose healthy alternatives. Ephesians 5 speaks much of substitutions. Don't do that, instead do this.  Taking these positive steps will put distance between you and past sin, and move you in a new direction. You will be returning to the Lord. And every time you make a choice that honors Him, you're deepening your commitment to wanting all He has for you. I hope you find this cup of theology to be the best part of waking up! I know it's one of my favorites, and will be until He returns to make me perfect!  RSVP with me?  Father, I deeply regret how often I have read Your Word with little effort to hear Your invitations to respond. I’ve followed the words on the page without hearing Your voice. And because of that, Your invitations which could have kept me close have had to travel farther since I have wandered unnecessarily away. You are so faithful in Your guidance and persistent in Your warnings. Father, open my ears to hear even the whispers of caution You utter in my life. I know responding to You continually will make all the difference. I thank You for Your gracious invitations. Here is my R.S.V.P! "I'm Yours!"  In the name of my relentless, loving Savior, Yeshua, I pray, amen. RobbRobb