Vow Up

I am under vows to you, my God;

   I will present my thank offerings to you.

For you have delivered me from death 
   and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God

   in the light of life.

Psalms 56:12-13 NIV

On Bob Dylan's Slow Train Coming album there is a song titled "Gotta Serve Somebody". I remember watching him perform the tune on Saturday Night Live. The reality of life is that you are either serving God or you're a slave to sin. There is no other option.

Today is a good day to remember that we belong to Christ. We thank him because he has delivered us from death, eternal death, which is eternity without God and without hope. That is the good news for the future. Someday we will be with him in paradise.

In his amazing grace he also keeps our feet from stumbling in the present. Remember that David wrote this about a time when he was escaping the Philistines by acting like a mad man while running from Saul, who was trying to kill him. If you have ever run from someone you know that if you stumble and fall, your done. The Spirit of God is there to help us as fight the good fight on a daily basis. 

The end that God has in mind for us is that we walk before him in the light of life. Get it? God delivers us so that we, by faith, may enjoy his presence now. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12b). Thank God that he sent his Son to die for us, that his Spirit may indwell us and light the path he puts before us. 

In a sense, what we must do is vow up. Remember we gave our selves to Christ and promised to follow him. Vow up, brothers and sisters in the Lord!

Bumping Heads

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I John 1:7

I have a couple friends of mine who had a disagreement a couple months ago. They did not handle it well.  I still don't know exactly what happened except for the little part that I just happen to catch my self in the middle of. Both were too concerned about what bothered them or about being right to actually allow any reconciliation. Then after the initial dust settled, a handshake and an, "I'm sorry" wasn't enough. 

I think this relates to the passage because there will be issues. We will bump heads and offend each other, even in church. The intention is that when we interact with each other we act Christlike. We humbly deal with each other knowing that Christ forgives all our sins and still loves us. We, in the same way, forgive each other. Not only do we forgive which is reactive but we serve each other, which is proactive. 

Today we ask ourselves: How can I serve those I come in contact with today? Do I need to forgive someone?

Father, help us to serve each other proactively and forgive each other and you have forgiven us in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!