Psalm 138 For Men Only Part 2

Psalm 138: 3 and 6

When I called You answered me,

You made me bold and stouthearted.

Though The LORD is on high,

He looks upon the lowly,

But the haughty and prideful,

 He knows from afar.

Haughty and prideful……

I am seeing a caricature of a man…..

A small man desperate to be large…..

A cartoon.

I am seeing a man …..

Dominated by fear……

Striving for validation…..

Separated from the Life of God….

A force of division, strife and pain……

A wrecking ball to everything around him…..

I am seeing a man who at best….

Only knows about the Love of The Father.

Bold and Stouthearted…….

I am seeing a man who is……

Confident….

Purposeful……

Courageous…….

Adventurous…….

Full of Life and Joy…..

In touch with the Power of God……

Ready to take up the cause of the weak…..

Ready to receive from those stronger and farther along……

I am seeing a man who has……

Nothing to prove…..

A firm grip on his identity in Christ….

A reason to get up in the mornings……..

A strength from above that comes through…….

I am seeing a man who lives…..

Truly lives……..

From the Life and Love and Power of Christ in him.

I see the man I want to be.

The Difference……

“When I called on You…. You Answered me”

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,

I call on You even now….

Today, this very moment, to rise up in me powerfully.

I call on You to fill me to overflowing….

With all the Life, Love and Power I can possibly handle,

So that who You are overflows from my life today.

Father,

Rise up in me to be

 Bold and Stouthearted.

Amen

What's this all About?

The only things that matter in this life are the things that somehow connect us to the Heart of God and Eternity.

Every single thing in this life has the potential to connect us to the Heart of God and Eternity.

I can be a procrastinator of the worst kind- not always mind you- but sometimes..........

Upon arriving home from work one day this week, I was greeted with the result of one of my instances of procrastination in the form of an upside-down bathroom closet door-

Yep- you read right- there it was for all to see.

It all started several months ago when I finally got around to remodeling our bath room after over a year of delay. Well, I must say- with the help of a good friend the job came out wonderfully- almost perfect with just a few finishing touches to complete- including painting and rehanging the closet door. I completed the painting- oh I guess about 3 months ago- but never quite got around to rehanging the door with it's shiny new brass hardware.

I must tell you as well- It is not my wife's habit to nag (a trait for which I am ever so thankful). Instead, after a while of waiting for a task to be completed, Julie will simply roll up her sleeves and do it herself. Normally her efforts are flawless, but this time................. well you read it before- An upside-down bathroom closet door.

Oh and one last little detail-in her effort to take the door down and start over my sweet wife had accidentally stripped the head of one of the screws holding the hinge to the door jam.

Charles to the Rescue!

Genesis 1:27 So God made man in His own Image. In the Image of God He made Him. Male and Female He created them.

Doesn't it feel great to be who you were made to be? To feel a sense finding your place- It's like everything in the universe aligns and Life is just................well............. Right.

Men were made for lots of things- but I am convinced one of the primary things we were made for was to come to the rescue of the women we love- to play the role of a man.

I can not tell you how good it made me feel to fix that stupid door.

There is something about God- the male part of His Image- that I think I connect with when I can bring the strength He gave me to bear on a problem, and well......... fix it. Maybe it's sinful pride, but I don't think so. The sense of satisfaction is enormous over something as mundane as a bathroom door.

I sit in wonder at what Jesus must have felt as He hung on the cross and uttered those incredible words-

"It is finished"

The rescue is complete- He has done what He came for- He has lived out at least a part of who He is meant to be in His Father's Kingdom.

Thank You so much Father in Heaven for little gifts. Thank You for the opportunity to feel a sense of satisfaction in living out what you made me to be. Holy Spirit, Lead me more and more into manhood- into connection to Your Heart and Eternity. Amen