–Zane Grey  (The Light of the Western Stars)

       “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

                    –Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
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What is the focal point of your life?  Don’t rush, but seriously take inventory.  Many will respond, “God,” simply because that is the right answer, but if so, what about God?  I knew of a man whose focus was his career and money.  He made $50,000 a week, but lost his family.  I ask was it worth it?  It all depends on your focal point, on what is important in and to your life.  Everyone, whether they realize it or not, has something or someone at the very core, the center of their lives.  Psalm 112 helps us with this for the psalmist shows us what should be our focus.

          1 — Praise the LORD!  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments.
          2 — His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
          3 — Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
          4 — Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
          5 — A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion.  (NKJV)

       “The fear of God is the soul of godliness,” states Charles H. Spurgeon.  That is where we should start with our focus.  Yet, how many, including Christians have a shallow life, one without the knowledge of the Lord?  As Christians our lives should have one dominant pursuit–God Himself.  How do we respond to the Word of the Lord?  How do we respond when the Spirit attempts to guide us?  Are we like the Israelites of old when they left Egypt–complainers, murmurers, angry?  Many want to pick and choose what they want from the Bible, but we should delight in all of His commands.
       Let me share a story from George O. Wood.  He speaks of a “Montana sheepherder who became enormously rich when oil was discovered on his ranch.  He promptly bought a Rolls Royce limousine, the kind where the driver sits in front of a glass partition.  A friend asked, ‘What do you like best about it?’  ‘Well,’ he drawled,’ I can take my sheep to market now without having them lick my neck.'”  The moral of the story is, what would you do if you came into wealth?  Where would your focal point be?
       This psalm is about “what it looks like for a believer to live a God-centered life, one in which God is the sum and substance of life.” (Steven Lawson)  Look at the priorities:  reverence, obedience, and then blessings.  Lawson states, “You cannot fear God without delighting in His Word.”  When that happens, there is a wonderful legacy to be left behind.  The person who fears God will have His blessings, both materially and spiritually.
       This person is able to see in the darkness because a light is given to him.  People around you may be groping in the darkness; they may not be able to see what is actually going on around them, but to the person who is upright and fears the Lord there will be a light to see things that others cannot.  He will have spiritual eyes.  Then he will respond justly:  gracious, compassion, and righteousness will be seen in their lives.  Then conform to the standards of God.
       What happens if you lose your material possessions?  Will you change?  It is entirely possible if your focus is not right.  “It is a small thing to lose the gifts as long as you possess the Giver; the supreme tragedy lies in losing the Giver and retaining only the gifts.” (F. W. Boreham)  Again I would say, take serious inventory of your focus.  What is important to you?  Check it against the Word of God.

               “And must I part with all I have,
               My dearest Lord, for thee?
               It is but right, since thou hast done
               Much more than that for me.”
                      –Benjamin Beddome

                    –1 Corinthians 9:27 (NASB)
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               “The cross upon which Jesus died
               Is a shelter in which we can hide.
               And its grace so free is sufficient for me,
               And deep is its fountain; as wide as the sea.”
                        –Ira Stanphill

I have thought for years that far too many take this time of the year very flippantly.  Even in the church we see more ado about egg hunts, peeps, and chocolate bunnies.  These can be fun, if kept in proper perspective and not the focal point of Easter.  It is like so many things today.  The terms, the events seem to get thrown around and it becomes just another fun day of the year.
       Listen, “there is no real love without the cross.” (Jack Graham)  Perhaps we ought to sober up and get serious over what took place.  Yes, we have films to draw us to the cross, and they do a good job of getting hold of our emotions, but as Graham says, “it wasn’t just an emotion that put Christ on the cross…it was an act of God who loves the world…”.  Look deeper at what took place.  Look beyond the emotions and let the Spirit speak to your mind and your heart.  
       Perhaps one reason why we are not somber as we should be in regard to Easter is because of the cross and all it means.  I’m speaking now, of beyond the cross.  J.B. Phillips translates Luke 9:23 this way, “…If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps, he must give up all right to himself, carry his cross every day and keep close behind me.”  That cross, though it is not the same as the Lord’s it has some of the same purposes–crucifying the self.  Harbuck, in his translation, put is more succinctly, “…If anyone chooses to be My disciple, he/she must refuse to follow a path of self-interests, and pick up his/her cross and carry it–(that is, take on the responsibility and burdens of strict discipleship) daily, and unwaveringly follow Me [with the full awareness of what I command]…”.  Let that sink in for a few moments.  

               The ancient Hebrews were so tied by tradition they couldn’t recognize the Messiah when he was right there in front of them, and he was crucified.
               The disciples, who walked and worked with the Christ, were very afraid of him; they hoped, but they also doubted, and they ran that night, and he was crucified.
               The common people mobbed him, showed him their sicknesses and sores, and they threw down an aisle of palms for him and sang to him, and he was crucified.
               His family was embarrassed, and stood outside, and wished he’d come home, and he was crucified.
               Would we crucify Jesus today?  It’s not a rhetorical question for the mind to play with.
                    I believe, We are each born with a body, a mind, a soul, and a handful of nails.
                    I believe, When a man dies, no one has ever found any nails left–clutched in his hands, or stuffed in his pockets.
                                          (Lois A Cheney, God Is No Fool. Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1969.)

       Perhaps, we don’t drive the nails today, instead we are frivolous with the cross.  We make overtures to it, but overall we neglect it.  The bunnies and baby chicks along with the colorful eggs gain our attention more readily.  It is not so painful, and there is not a cross for us to pick up.  But for those who do, sing the final stanza of Room At the Cross, with me.

               “The hand of my Savior is strong
               And the love of my Savior is long.
               Through sunshine or rain Through loss or in gain,
               The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse ev’ry stain.”

                         –Genesis 8:22(TLB)
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March is a transitional month.  It comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  We have not had the howling or high winds, only a couple of days of a breeze that made the tops of the trees sway.  However, there is another thought that comes to my mind.  It is apropo that Easter falls on the last day of March.  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12, NKJV)  March 29 will mark Good Friday, the day that the Lamb was slain as the ultimate sacrifice to redeem mankind.  Easter–that day of power when the Lamb rose from the grave!
       Do not look away from the Lamb too soon, for in Him we have eternal life.  It was John who first proclaimed His appearance.  “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'”  (John 1:29, NKJV)  The people were looking for a powerful Messiah who would rid them of Roman rule, but John saw something, even though vaguely, different.  Jesus came to become a victorious conqueror, but not in the way the people expected or wanted.  He would conquer death, hell, and the grave.  He would take the sting of sin and death away.  Paul brings forth this fact in his letter to the Corinthians, “Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, HCSB)  A conqueror, not in the fashion of the thinking of the people, but a conqueror over more formidable foes.
       March also brings forth the transition from winter to spring.  Thomas Merton wrote one Easter, “Peace and meaning. Sweet spring air. One could breathe. The alleluias came back by themselves.”  One could breathe–winter has passed.  Oh, there still may be a spring storm, but the death of the winter months has seen another year and spring is all around.  Just look, the flowers are blooming, the trees are budding and here in our part of Texas the leaves are already back.  New life has appeared.  Transition!  New birth!  “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.'” (John 3:7, NKJV)  
       The death of the old man is gone.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)  The new creature, the new life is not ours because of the Lamb who was slain.  We are now a walking “alleluia” but do we know it, do we show it?  More importantly do we live it?  New life has come, breathe in deeply of the “spring air” of the Holy Spirit.  Let your hearts be at peace, for the old has passed away; it was defeated by the Lamb of God.
       Let me close with one more thought.  “Now is the winter of our discontent,” wrote Shakespeare, a line that was borrowed by John Steinbeck in his last novel.  Some of you reading may be in the “winter” of your life.  There are more years behind you than lie in front–not to bring despair, but speak the truth.  Some, especially nonbelievers will try to remain young, live the Peter Pan Syndrome, or try to look like Taylor Swift.  Listen, it ain’t so, it ain’t gonna happen.  Death is the result of living!  It is inevitable, therefore instead of living the final days–winter–in discontent, take heart, for the winter of life is almost past and spring, eternal spring, is waiting.  In front of us lies the hope and promise of the renewal of life, the fruitfulness of grace.

                    –Psalm 89:2 (NLT)
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The child of promise–Isaac.  There was a celebration at his birth, but then he brought havoc to the family of Abraham.  Ishmael, who was fourteen began to mock the boy causing Sarah to tell Abraham to get rid of the boy.  At fourteen, there had to be a fairly strong relationship between Abraham and Ishmael, but Abraham did indeed send Hagar and Ishmael away.
       The child of promise–Jesus.  When He was born there was a celebration in the heavens, but also in the lowly stable where He lay.  Upon the birth of Jesus, He brought problems that Joseph and Mary did not perceive, but also brought havoc upon the community and the people.  Herod had the male children under two in Bethlehem killed, and Joseph had to flee with his family to Egypt.
       The day came, it must have greatly concerned Abraham when God told him to take Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice to Him.  Most likely Abraham’s life revolved around Isaac, especially now that Ishmael was no longer on the scene.  “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’  Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.'” (Genesis 22:1-2, NKJV)
       God is omniscient, so why did God ask Abraham to do this?  We are not given a glimpse into the spiritual realm at this time.  James Whitelaw says that, “many events are going on behind the scenes in spiritual realms, about which we know nothing.”  But also, we are to see Abraham and Isaac as a type of the Father and the Son.  Abraham knew God’s plan revolved around Isaac.
       I never really thought about it much, the age of Isaac that is.  I never thought of him to be a child or a very young person because of the load he was to carry.  There is much speculation regarding his age at this time.  Most scholars believe he was an older teenager, 17-20 years old.  Josephus states that Isaac was twenty-five years old, while Adam Clarke states, “It is more probable that he was now about thirty-three.”  We know he was a young man, but that takes in a lot of years.  The Bible says this, “And Abraham said this to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.'” (Genesis 22:5, NKJV)  These words, “young lad” literally mean “young man.”
       But also, in this verse, we see the faith of Abraham.  “We will come back to you.”  He knew in his heart of hearts that God would provide.  At this time Isaac did not know of the plan or situation that he was soon to find himself.  He was told that God would provide the sacrifice, and though it was to be Isaac, Abraham knew that something had to happen–wasn’t he the child of promise?  God is faithful, He cannot lie or break His promise.  The wood for the sacrifice is laid upon Isaac’s back–Christ bore His cross made of wood.  
       This father was willing to obey the heavenly Father.  We see the idea of God the Father offering His Son as a sacrifice just as Abraham was willing to do.  But what of Isaac?  There is no sign of struggle.  We see that he is obedient to the will of his father.  He submitted unto death.  His thoughts are unknown as he lay upon the altar, bound.  He did not question, he did not cry out or object.  His life seemed to be one of obedience and accommodating.  Did he want to die?  Surely not, “let this cup pass from me,” he may have thought, but nevertheless as my father wills.
       Knife in hand, ready to offer up his only son, Abraham prepared to make this extreme sacrifice.  There would be suffering, both on the part of Isaac, but also upon Abraham, the father.  Then the words, “And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’  So he said, ‘Here I am.’  And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’ (Genesis 22:10-12, NKJV)  It was then that Abraham saw the ram in the thicket that was to be the sacrifice.
       The father was ready to give his all to the Lord.  This son of promise was to be the sacrifice.  How much does that show us of our heavenly Father who was to provide the ultimate sacrifice of His only Son.  The difference here is that the Father carried out the sacrifice for us.  Jesus willingly gave His life for our redemption.  Both Abraham and Isaac knew that God would be faithful and trusted Him.  Jesus, while on the cross, also knew that He would not be left in the tomb.  While God, His Father, did not provide another sacrifice, another means, Jesus would rise in glory.
       One more little note that I just recently noticed in this bit of reading.  In verse 11, there is the term “Angel of the LORD.”  This is referred to as a theophany, and most often to the preincarnate Christ.  The Son of God gave the order to Abraham to stay his hand from slaying Isaac.  That thought overwhelms me!  God is indeed, faithful and true!  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16, NKJV)