Author: jmelynr

If I believed in karma, I would be in fear always.  What an awful idea.

In modern terms, karma means, “you have it coming to you.”  In other words, every bad thing that happens to you, happens because you deserve it. On the flip side, every good thing that happens is a direct result of some good you have performed.

Karma is a belief that originated in Hinduism. While it is quite complex, it basically means that every action, thought, or piece of advice you give that is “bad” is put into an account (as a debt).  As you live your life, that account needs to be balanced, so the bad is returned to you in circumstances.  If you die before that account is balanced, you will be reincarnated and have to repay all that bad karma you created in the past life in addition to the bad karma you cause in your new life.  Good deeds cancel out bad deeds. The cycle continues until you have a balanced account.  This ideology explains why people suffer.

Is that why my best friend died when she was only 17? Is that why I had to endure a plethora of horrifying assaults against my body as a teenager? Is this why my grandpa got cancer?  Is that why I lost my unborn baby? Is that why I wrecked my car? Is that why I stubbed my toe this morning?

No.

Here is what happened:

I was born into a broken world.  I sinned.

Therefore…..

I owed a debt I could not pay.

I needed Jesus to wash away my sins

And now I sing a brand new song

“Amazing Grace” all day long!

My Jesus paid a debt.

A debt I could not pay.

See? Karma is a fallacy. I get nothing I deserve!

When I was in college, I used to go down to the river in between classes and sit on the bank.  I would pray, read the Word, or just meditate in His presence.

I haven’t done that in a very long time…

Every Thursday, I go to the park at the river and sit in my car and pray for the Bible Study.  Last week I was running late- I only had 15 minutes before Bible Study started.  No matter what Thursday it is, I always get butterflies before the group meets.  I wrestle with feelings of inadequacy and failure in Him.  Well, on that particular day, I was really struggling and felt under-prepared.

When I got to the park, without thinking, I got out of the car and walked down to the bank of the river.  I found a huge rock that looked like a chair. I sat down and began to pray.  A few minutes went by and I looked out onto the water.

I saw two ducks washing themselves.

The Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Consider the duck.”

Slightly confused, I focused my attention on the duck. I began to consider him.

What problems does a duck have?  None.

Does a duck ever wish he was a better duck? No.

Does a duck struggle with feelings of inferiority with other other ducks? Nope, not at all.

I duck innately knows his purpose, it is a part of who he is.  He doesn’t need to seek a purpose; he just needs to live it. He flies north in the summer, he mates, he swims and eats, he sticks his head under the water, he plucks his plumage when it gets heavy, and when he feels a chill he flies south again.

He happily lives his purpose without wanting to be anything more than the duck he is.

We need to be like ducks. Everyday we need to be ourselves – the people God created each of us to uniquely be. There is no reason to want to be anything more than who we are. When there is something more for us, it will become our instinct to move towards it.

Abide in Him today.  (John 15)

Have you ever heard yourself saying, “Oh God, please don’t make me (insert worst case scenario here)…

I have.  It usually turns out that He doesn’t make me do whatever it is I don’t want to do, but I somehow end up doing it anyway.

Well, I found myself saying it again.  Before I could get the words out, I realized what I was doing.  So, instead of asking Him to “not make me do that” I changed my prayer to “Please align my heart with yours.”

Phew!  That was close!  I don’t want to be wanting anything against His will. Furthermore, I don’t want to be running from something He has called me to do.  When I run, one of two things happen: either I run around in circles until I obey, or I miss out on the thing He has called me to.

There are two types of people in this world: those who are used through God; and those who are used by God.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ”    (1 Cor. 2:16).

Waiting is not my forte. Is it because I wait so much that it irritates me so to wait? Or is it the fact that I still need to learn to wait that I keep waiting?

What exactly am I waiting for?

It could be genius. Yes, that’s it-

Or maybe a miracle…

Perhaps a breakthrough.

Is it possible that God is waiting on me?

John 2: 1-11: The first Miracle.

What was the purpose of the first miracle? There was a wedding feast and they were out of wine.

How did Jesus get involved? His mother told him they were out of wine.  When he told her his time had not yet come, she turned to the servants and said “whatever he says, do it.”

If it wasn’t his time yet, why did Jesus get involved? They needed Him.

Did Jesus just magically turn water into wine? No, first he told the servants to fill the jugs with water.  Then, he told them to take a serving to the master of the feast.  When the master took a drink, it was wine. Nobody was aware that it had been water, “but the servants who had drawn water knew” (v. 9).

The miracle here is not so much that Jesus turned water into wine.  It was the fact that the servants obeyed him. What would have happened to them if they would have brought the master of the feast water?  They would have been shamed, fired, stoned, or fed to the gators.  Who knows?  But for some reason, they obeyed Jesus.  When they did, they exercised their faith.  They did not wait for him to perform a miracle, they just did what he said and the miracle followed! He was glorified in their actions!

Ah, to be filled to the brim with Christ.

To seek him in our calling-humbling ourselves to be Holy in order to fulfill the things for which we are chosen.

No need to fear why or how.  When he speaks, obey.

Every time.

The miracles come with obedience.

Lord, this is me. Here and now. Right now, presently,  I seek to find you.  I seek to know what I do not know. I’ll wait for your instructions, yet will continue to be a servant as I wait.

To You Lord, be the glory.

To You, Lord, be the glory.

To You, Lord be the glory.

Glory to You, my Lord.

Lord, be glorified.