Just wanted to say, God did meet me today ... Psalm 23 ... in a big way, and then a worship song that had this in it; ""Who is He that makes me happy? Who is He that gives me peace? Who is He that brings me comfort, and turns the bitter into sweet?"
Not something I can say right now but I can sure pray for it. It's great that God provides the words for us when we can't find them. He is an amazing God!"
Some powerful stuff ... too late for me to write about it but if you're checking on me, know that God did put out some manna for his servant.
Always faithful, always true!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Habits
I was going to start of by saying, "No, not the clothing!" but I started looking at the word and I'm not sure they're not one and the same. The things we routinely do and the clothing that is habitually worn by a particular group. Our habits, the things that are our "customary practice" or "regular disposition", as one dictionary defines habits, are in a sense our apparel. Just as a monk is known by his "habit", so too we are known by our habits. We wear them with pride or with shame, or perhaps with total indifference, but they do define us. Definition need not be a bad thing.
Definition not only identifies us to others, it also established parameters for ourselves. Boundaries whereby we can monitor our behaviour. A means of knowing how we have done in a given situation or day. God's showing me I've been wearing a lot of habits I shouldn't be wearing, He's also been helping me develop a few healthy habits to replace them. It's amazing what those healthy habits will do for one. Wonder if that's what Paul meant when he wrote about putting on the whole armour of God. Now that's a habit I need to develop.
Definition not only identifies us to others, it also established parameters for ourselves. Boundaries whereby we can monitor our behaviour. A means of knowing how we have done in a given situation or day. God's showing me I've been wearing a lot of habits I shouldn't be wearing, He's also been helping me develop a few healthy habits to replace them. It's amazing what those healthy habits will do for one. Wonder if that's what Paul meant when he wrote about putting on the whole armour of God. Now that's a habit I need to develop.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Offensive of Submission
“Submit yourselves…to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). "We should never quote the last part of that verse without the first: submit yourselves to God. That alone is the basis upon which we, who are no match for Satan, can successfully resist him." Randy Alcorn
Once again I'm into the upside down kingdom. Resisting by submitting ... just seems all to wrong for words, at least until I look at the objects of the verbs. Resist the devil, submit to God ... like Randy Alcorn, one of my all-time favourite authors says, I am no match for Satan, in and of myself I can't even begin to resist him. It is when I submit myself to God ... when I place myself under the lordship of the Warrior King and operate under His authority that I can resist the devil.
So much of this walk of faith seems to come back to getting my eyes off of myself and keeping them focused on Him, the author and finisher of my faith.
Once again I'm into the upside down kingdom. Resisting by submitting ... just seems all to wrong for words, at least until I look at the objects of the verbs. Resist the devil, submit to God ... like Randy Alcorn, one of my all-time favourite authors says, I am no match for Satan, in and of myself I can't even begin to resist him. It is when I submit myself to God ... when I place myself under the lordship of the Warrior King and operate under His authority that I can resist the devil.
So much of this walk of faith seems to come back to getting my eyes off of myself and keeping them focused on Him, the author and finisher of my faith.
Monday, September 27, 2010
It may be dark but God is light ...
Okay, so I'm thick. No, I'm not talking about my girth, though that could certainly apply as well. I think it's an Atlantic Canada expression because I don't think I encountered it before I moved here. Out West we were perhaps a bit more forthright using terms like, "dense, dim witted, etc." The bottom line is, sometimes I'm a little bit slow on the uptake.
For over a month now, God has been giving me gentle reminders - of the same thing. It started, I believe, on August 17th, "But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me." Micah 7:7,8 with the most recent addition to the roster, this morning, being Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"
Now I'm not sure, but I think God may be trying to tell me something here. God is light. God is my light. I have nothing to fear. One would think that after six weeks of being repeatedly told the same message in numerous ways I would eventually catch on. And yet, I battle fear. I know that God is love and perfect love casts out fear. I know that God has not given us a spirit of fear. I know all of that. I know that in Christ I am more than conqueror. What I'm having trouble with, is clearing the hurdle between where I know I am positionally in Christ and what I walk in experientially.
Since this seems to be what God is working on, in my life the past six plus weeks, I can't help but wonder if something else which I've noticed recurring the past little while may have something to do with this. If I'm connecting the dots in the correct order, I think that this second theme may well be the key to clearing that hurdle I'm struggling with. I've noticed the last week or so ... don't know how long it's been going on but I've been noticing the past week ... that God is reminding me to Praise Him, to Worship Him, to Exalt His name. This morning I caught myself singing, "Give thanks to the LORD for He is good, HIS love endures forever."
Thank the LORD for HIS goodness! Focus on HIM and HIS goodness. I can't see how that can do anything but help. If HE is my light, and HE says HE is, then focusing on HIM has to take my eyes off of the things that put fear in my life. If I'm not looking at them, not thinking about them, not giving them opportunity to take hold of my mind they become toothless tigers pretty quickly.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Stone Ground
Matthew 7:7-11, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will fine; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
It's hard for me to trust God and to praise Him for His faithfulness when I feel let down by Him. I look at His promises, promises like Jeremiah 29:11, " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Promises like the passage from Matthew 7, and I expect that what I receive from Him will be good. Good might be an understatement, what I really expect is incredible things from Him. Against that backdrop of expectation, it's difficult for me to reconcile the reality I live in at times. Things I have asked of God for years; things He has promised for almost as long and yet when I receive them, it seems as though I've gotten factory seconds or something salvaged from the 'some parts missing' pile.
I was having a fairly frank conversation with the Almighty this morning during corporate worship. While others were saying "how can we not praise God", "Our praises are the Holy Spirit blowing through our midst", and we're singing of God's never ending goodness among other things, I was saying, You've short changed me. You haven't come through on your promises. What You have done to me, is equivalent to promising someone a car and then giving them one with no wheels and no motor. While You met the letter of Your commitment, You've failed miserably in meeting the expectations You fostered.
That's when I thought of the Matthew 7 passage. I'm not sure it's the passage I would have sent myself to, were I the Holy Spirit, but then I'm not and He knows much better than I. I read it, read it again and thought; it makes my point precisely! I asked for bread, God had an obligation to give me bread. What am I doing with this stone in my hand?
And then He spoke. "If it looks like a stone, if it looks like a snake - I'm obviously not done with it yet! I gave you My word! If you ask for bread, I'll not give you a stone, if you ask for fish, I'll not give you a snake. If you think I gave you a stone, you best keep looking at it because I'm not finished with it yet. I won't give you a stone! I won't give you a snake! That's My promise to you, and I keep My promises!"
Not only do I tend to expect God to respond according to my time line, but I realized this morning, I've also been guilty of expecting that when He answers it will be with a completed package. No works in progress. I realized this morning, that rather than measure God's words by what I see, I need to measure what I see by God's words. His words are sure! If He has promised me bread and what I've received does not look like bread there are only a couple of possibilities worth considering. One might be that it's bread the like of which I've never seen, the other would be that He is not finished with it yet and in time it will be bread. A possibility not worth considering is that His word is not sure, that He has given a promise which He will fail to fulfill.
If we ask for bread, He will surely give us a loaf. If I'm holding a stone it may be He wants me to make flour.
It's hard for me to trust God and to praise Him for His faithfulness when I feel let down by Him. I look at His promises, promises like Jeremiah 29:11, " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Promises like the passage from Matthew 7, and I expect that what I receive from Him will be good. Good might be an understatement, what I really expect is incredible things from Him. Against that backdrop of expectation, it's difficult for me to reconcile the reality I live in at times. Things I have asked of God for years; things He has promised for almost as long and yet when I receive them, it seems as though I've gotten factory seconds or something salvaged from the 'some parts missing' pile.
I was having a fairly frank conversation with the Almighty this morning during corporate worship. While others were saying "how can we not praise God", "Our praises are the Holy Spirit blowing through our midst", and we're singing of God's never ending goodness among other things, I was saying, You've short changed me. You haven't come through on your promises. What You have done to me, is equivalent to promising someone a car and then giving them one with no wheels and no motor. While You met the letter of Your commitment, You've failed miserably in meeting the expectations You fostered.
That's when I thought of the Matthew 7 passage. I'm not sure it's the passage I would have sent myself to, were I the Holy Spirit, but then I'm not and He knows much better than I. I read it, read it again and thought; it makes my point precisely! I asked for bread, God had an obligation to give me bread. What am I doing with this stone in my hand?
And then He spoke. "If it looks like a stone, if it looks like a snake - I'm obviously not done with it yet! I gave you My word! If you ask for bread, I'll not give you a stone, if you ask for fish, I'll not give you a snake. If you think I gave you a stone, you best keep looking at it because I'm not finished with it yet. I won't give you a stone! I won't give you a snake! That's My promise to you, and I keep My promises!"
Not only do I tend to expect God to respond according to my time line, but I realized this morning, I've also been guilty of expecting that when He answers it will be with a completed package. No works in progress. I realized this morning, that rather than measure God's words by what I see, I need to measure what I see by God's words. His words are sure! If He has promised me bread and what I've received does not look like bread there are only a couple of possibilities worth considering. One might be that it's bread the like of which I've never seen, the other would be that He is not finished with it yet and in time it will be bread. A possibility not worth considering is that His word is not sure, that He has given a promise which He will fail to fulfill.
If we ask for bread, He will surely give us a loaf. If I'm holding a stone it may be He wants me to make flour.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
My Hiding Place
I Will Exalt You (Songwriter: Brooke Fraser)
I will exalt You
I will exalt You
I will exalt You
You are my God
My hiding place, my safe refuge
My treasure, Lord, You are
My friend and King, anointed One
Most Holy
Because You’re with me
Because You’re with me
Because You’re with me
I will not fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfdAvyVzB34
I will exalt You
I will exalt You
I will exalt You
You are my God
My hiding place, my safe refuge
My treasure, Lord, You are
My friend and King, anointed One
Most Holy
Because You’re with me
Because You’re with me
Because You’re with me
I will not fear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfdAvyVzB34
Friday, September 24, 2010
It's my funeral ...
How often do we hear it said, of someone making a questionable choice, "it's his funeral"? The general inference is not that someone is going to die because of a bad choice, but rather that we face the consequences of our decisions. The choice to die is not generally associated with a stable emotional state. Since Genesis 2:7 when, "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." we have had an innate drive for self preservation. We can face incredible odds and prevail because of our refusal to roll over and die.
Against this backdrop of refusing to die, we encounter several New Testament Scriptures which seem entirely counter-intuitive. Luke 9:23-25, for example, reads, "And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow him. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Luke tells me that if I act intuitively and try to save my life, I'm going to lose it. The only way to preserve my life is to lose it for Christ's sake. Dying doesn't come easy for most of us, even when life hardly seems worth living. Yet Luke says that is the only way I can survive.
Dying seems to be very difficult for me. Perhaps I'm typical, having never lived in another's mind I can't really say. I remember late this spring / early summer when God told me to die. I was taking a walk, early one morning, at the church family camp. I was walking along railing at God. Railing about circumstances in my life which He "needed" to fix. I was railing at Him about lackluster Christianity and the infrequency with which we see signs and wonders following those who profess His name. I remember walking past a wooded area and looking in at some dead fall in the woods. I called out to God and said, "if this is all it is, then I might as well be one of those dead trees rotting away into compost on the bed of the forest! If this is all Christianity is, then let me die now." "That's exactly what I want you to do", is what He told me. It was not the response I was expecting and to say the least, I was a bit shocked. I expected Him to assure me that He wanted me to live, instead He encouraged me to become compost.
As I pondered my shocking revelation, I came to realize that only as "I" died was there going to be room for the "new me", the regenerate man. I may be a twin, but there can only be one of me and so God was saying, it's time for the old man to die. The faster his body decomposes, the less likely I would be to try to resurrect it. God reminded me of this again today. I was feeling dead and wondering if I would ever feel alive again and He said, "good, isn't it about time?" Time for the old man to be dead and gone. Time for the carcass to be decomposed so that there is no motivation to try resurrecting it.
It's amazing, horrifyingly so, how often I have tried to pull that stinking, decomposing carcass from the compost pit in the past several months and tried to live in it. To convince myself that it was comfortable and presentable. It is encouraging, however, to realize that I can see myself being different when I climb back into the old man. To see how many areas of my life it affects, negatively, and not like it.
Romans 12:2 reads, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." The pattern of this world, that certainly was / is the old man. One thing about the "old man", he always had someone in his corner - himself. It was all about me! Everything! Amazingly, even when I was praying for people it was about me. "Lord, bless my boys with peace, make them content and happy." Not a bad prayer, IF it had been out of concern for them instead of making my life easier. The pattern of this world is ego-centric and my "old man" certainly fit that bill. "Let him rot in the forest," God says, "but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". That's one of the cool things about our Father. He doesn't just take things from us - even when the things He's taking are not good for us. He gives us an alternate and His alternates are a major up-sell. He didn't just ask me to die, He offers me new life, the transformational renewing of my mind.
And it changes things. It changes things so that I can weep for someone and pray for them because I care for them and want the Lord's best for them. Yes, I said for them - no longer for me. Do I still take trips out to the compost pit? Unfortunately. Are the trips becoming less frequent and the stays shorter in duration? I pray, so. Deuteronomy 30:19, "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." I chose life, I keep choosing life, daily, hourly. I choose life so that I may live but also for my boys. My choosing life gives them a heritage of life and it's the least I can do for them.
2 Timothy 2:11, "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;"
I choose my funeral ...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
I lost it
God did feed me today. It was a smattering of this with a side of that. It was all good stuff (of course it was good, would He give me anything that was not good) and it all tied together, but trying to journal it tonight has me deleting, re-writing and deleting again. I don't want this blog to be about me or my journey. I just want to share some of the great stuff that God is nurturing me with these days. To make a long day much shorter, suffice it to say that prayer was a common theme in what I was fed today.
It started this morning discussing prayer with a friend and not being where I want to be in my prayer life and carried on through the day with prayer being addressed at different times and in varying arenas.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 - 22 says, "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." Verse 17, "pray without ceasing" tucked away in there with all those instructions for Christian conduct.
Pray without ceasing ... that's a tall order. For all that can be said about praying without ceasing, I think what God set between my teeth today was this. What you practice, you retain. I used to be fluent in a German dialect. I thought in it as freely as I now think in English and was comfortably conversant in it. In the past twenty plus years I have had very little occasion to use that language. As a result of it laying dormant for so many years, this language is now, largely, lost to me. I find that instead of thinking in German, I now think in English and then struggle to translate it when I have occasion to speak it. Prayer is like that. I know that my prayer life is not what I wish it were because I stopped talking. The Father never stopped listening ... I stopped talking. Now I'm in the process of relearning how to speak to my Father.
It started this morning discussing prayer with a friend and not being where I want to be in my prayer life and carried on through the day with prayer being addressed at different times and in varying arenas.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 - 22 says, "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." Verse 17, "pray without ceasing" tucked away in there with all those instructions for Christian conduct.
Pray without ceasing ... that's a tall order. For all that can be said about praying without ceasing, I think what God set between my teeth today was this. What you practice, you retain. I used to be fluent in a German dialect. I thought in it as freely as I now think in English and was comfortably conversant in it. In the past twenty plus years I have had very little occasion to use that language. As a result of it laying dormant for so many years, this language is now, largely, lost to me. I find that instead of thinking in German, I now think in English and then struggle to translate it when I have occasion to speak it. Prayer is like that. I know that my prayer life is not what I wish it were because I stopped talking. The Father never stopped listening ... I stopped talking. Now I'm in the process of relearning how to speak to my Father.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
God's "Burden Economy"
I was emailing a friend about bearing one another's burdens this morning and it got me thinking about the scripture that addresses that. My first reading of the passage did little to shed light on the intent of the statement. If anything it kind of confused me, with verse 2 seeming to state something which was opposed to what verse 5 was saying.
Galatians 6:2-5 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
Which leaves me with the question, do I or don't I carry someone else's burden or load? On one hand, it looks as though we fulfill the law of Christ if we do, on the other hand it seems that each one should carry his own load. My opinion is, a puzzle is an excuse to work on something, so I did some digging. The Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon
shows that the two words, burden and load in the NIV, are not the same in the Greek. In verse 1, "the word for "burdens" is baros. It means "heaviness, weight, burden, trouble." In verse 5, "the word for load is "phortion" and means "of burdensome rites." "The first verse is speaking of helping one another through troubles and the second is speaking of the responsibility each person has in those troubles and sins." So if I follow, we are called to help carry another's burden, but not with the purpose of alleviating that person from their own personal responsibilities. So on top of dealing with all my own junk, I'm now supposed to find the resources to help carry someone else's problems as well. Just exactly how much is one individual capable of?
Here's where the funky economy comes in. We are all members of one body. When one member hurts we all hurt. It's how God has knit us together. It's a privilege to hurt for/with someone, to uphold them in prayer and to do battle on their behalf. It's a privilege, but where does the strength come from to shoulder even more than I already have on my back?
We ALL have "enough of our own stuff to carry". Interestingly enough, I find that the more I bear someone else's burdens, as God calls me to, the less time and energy I have to focus on my troubles. When I "carry" the "stuff" that God asks me to, on behalf of someone else, I find my load is lighter than when I try to carry all my own stuff. It's as though God says, "you can 'help' me carry this by putting your hand on the handle while I carry it, or you can take your stuff from me and try to carry it yourself". It's kind of like when one of my boys wants to 'help' me carry something which is far heavier than they can handle. They can struggle with it and perhaps even make a little progress with it if they insist on taking it alone. If they are willing to assist me rather than doing it for me, they get the pleasure of walking alongside me with their hands on the material I am carrying without bearing the full weight of the burden.
God wants to do that for me with my burdens and He wants to bless me by allowing me to "help" Him carry the burdens of others. The key is to get my eyes off of my own woes long enough so that I can see where He's working and then I can come alongside and join in what He is doing.
Galatians 6:2-5 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
Which leaves me with the question, do I or don't I carry someone else's burden or load? On one hand, it looks as though we fulfill the law of Christ if we do, on the other hand it seems that each one should carry his own load. My opinion is, a puzzle is an excuse to work on something, so I did some digging. The Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon
shows that the two words, burden and load in the NIV, are not the same in the Greek. In verse 1, "the word for "burdens" is baros. It means "heaviness, weight, burden, trouble." In verse 5, "the word for load is "phortion" and means "of burdensome rites." "The first verse is speaking of helping one another through troubles and the second is speaking of the responsibility each person has in those troubles and sins." So if I follow, we are called to help carry another's burden, but not with the purpose of alleviating that person from their own personal responsibilities. So on top of dealing with all my own junk, I'm now supposed to find the resources to help carry someone else's problems as well. Just exactly how much is one individual capable of?
Here's where the funky economy comes in. We are all members of one body. When one member hurts we all hurt. It's how God has knit us together. It's a privilege to hurt for/with someone, to uphold them in prayer and to do battle on their behalf. It's a privilege, but where does the strength come from to shoulder even more than I already have on my back?
We ALL have "enough of our own stuff to carry". Interestingly enough, I find that the more I bear someone else's burdens, as God calls me to, the less time and energy I have to focus on my troubles. When I "carry" the "stuff" that God asks me to, on behalf of someone else, I find my load is lighter than when I try to carry all my own stuff. It's as though God says, "you can 'help' me carry this by putting your hand on the handle while I carry it, or you can take your stuff from me and try to carry it yourself". It's kind of like when one of my boys wants to 'help' me carry something which is far heavier than they can handle. They can struggle with it and perhaps even make a little progress with it if they insist on taking it alone. If they are willing to assist me rather than doing it for me, they get the pleasure of walking alongside me with their hands on the material I am carrying without bearing the full weight of the burden.
God wants to do that for me with my burdens and He wants to bless me by allowing me to "help" Him carry the burdens of others. The key is to get my eyes off of my own woes long enough so that I can see where He's working and then I can come alongside and join in what He is doing.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
And that's, a long time ...
Well I got that song converted to an mp3 so I could play it in my car today. What an awesome song "Marvelous Light (Passion 07)" by Charlie Hall. I wouldn't begin to guess how often I listened to it today. Turns out, that wasn't the manna God had for me today, though.
I got in my car this morning and, before I had a chance to turn any sound on, realized I had "Forever God is Faithful" running repeatedly through my mind. I couldn't help but smile at God's sense of humour. Two days of trying to get "Marvelous Light" working for me and I finally have it sorted out and God says, "That's cool, but do you want what I have for you?" After the day I had yesterday I figured I was likely well advised to go with His plans today. His ways are, after all, higher then my ways. So, God is faithful ... no, not just faithful but forever faithful. That's a long time.
If God wants to tell me today that He is forever faithful then I want to see what the Word has to say about God's Faithfulness. I certainly didn't have time today to do anything close to an exhaustive look at the subject, but then, that's not what this is about, is it? It's about manna.
Google has become my partner in gathering manna. It's remarkable how quickly you can find verses you remember a snippet of or verses that apply to a certain topic with a search engine. I know, I could use that library full of books I've got at the end of the living room, and I do when I have the time - just because I love books, but when I'm on the road and have five minutes here and ten minutes there it just doesn't seem all that practical to take my library with me. But on to the manna ... what a wealth of reassurance about God and His faithfulness to us.
I started off in Hebrews 6:17-19 "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
God was so intent on making His unchanging nature clear to me, one of His heirs, that He confirmed it with an oath. Not just any oath, mind you, He swore by two unchangeable things ... it is impossible for God to lie. So I can grasp the hope He offers me, knowing that my soul is anchored. It may feel as though it's mired in quicksand. It may seem an impossible situation. But God says, "I am unchanging". So if He is unchanging, and if He is faithful ... well it follows that He must by definition be forever faithful because He's not changing.
From there I bounced way back into the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 7:7,8 "The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
Why me? Why would God choose me to be His heir, to be the recipient of His faithfulness. It's not as though I'm more deserving than others. It's because He loved me. God loved me and so He choose me. His love and His choice. I didn't lobby for it, I didn't send in an application with a resume attached, He initiated it and He brought it to pass.
A quick skip across the Old Testament landed me in Lamentations 3:21-26, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
His compassions never fail, that's almost like forever, isn't it? Follow that with "great is your faithfulness" and I think I'm starting to get the picture. Still picking up morsels though, so I keep going. The Psalms, they're always good for a reality check and if anyone had cause to question God's faithfulness, well aside from Job that is, David sure faced his share of hardship. In spite of all the calamity that seems to have shadowed David's life he was able to compose stuff like;
Psalm 36:5,6 "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep." and;
Psalm 108:1-5 "My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth."
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed" It is only because of God's love that I am not consumed, that my circumstances don't destroy me and shatter my faith. This is truth! Even when I can feel the teeth gnawing away at me deep withing, I can know with certainty that I will not be consumed. So, like the Psalmist, I must choose to acknowledge God's great faithfulness. I must choose to "sing and make music with my soul", to make noise and draw attention to God and who He is. To awaken the morning if need be, but to praise Him with all that is within me. Great is the Lord!
I got in my car this morning and, before I had a chance to turn any sound on, realized I had "Forever God is Faithful" running repeatedly through my mind. I couldn't help but smile at God's sense of humour. Two days of trying to get "Marvelous Light" working for me and I finally have it sorted out and God says, "That's cool, but do you want what I have for you?" After the day I had yesterday I figured I was likely well advised to go with His plans today. His ways are, after all, higher then my ways. So, God is faithful ... no, not just faithful but forever faithful. That's a long time.
If God wants to tell me today that He is forever faithful then I want to see what the Word has to say about God's Faithfulness. I certainly didn't have time today to do anything close to an exhaustive look at the subject, but then, that's not what this is about, is it? It's about manna.
Google has become my partner in gathering manna. It's remarkable how quickly you can find verses you remember a snippet of or verses that apply to a certain topic with a search engine. I know, I could use that library full of books I've got at the end of the living room, and I do when I have the time - just because I love books, but when I'm on the road and have five minutes here and ten minutes there it just doesn't seem all that practical to take my library with me. But on to the manna ... what a wealth of reassurance about God and His faithfulness to us.
I started off in Hebrews 6:17-19 "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
God was so intent on making His unchanging nature clear to me, one of His heirs, that He confirmed it with an oath. Not just any oath, mind you, He swore by two unchangeable things ... it is impossible for God to lie. So I can grasp the hope He offers me, knowing that my soul is anchored. It may feel as though it's mired in quicksand. It may seem an impossible situation. But God says, "I am unchanging". So if He is unchanging, and if He is faithful ... well it follows that He must by definition be forever faithful because He's not changing.
From there I bounced way back into the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 7:7,8 "The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
Why me? Why would God choose me to be His heir, to be the recipient of His faithfulness. It's not as though I'm more deserving than others. It's because He loved me. God loved me and so He choose me. His love and His choice. I didn't lobby for it, I didn't send in an application with a resume attached, He initiated it and He brought it to pass.
A quick skip across the Old Testament landed me in Lamentations 3:21-26, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
His compassions never fail, that's almost like forever, isn't it? Follow that with "great is your faithfulness" and I think I'm starting to get the picture. Still picking up morsels though, so I keep going. The Psalms, they're always good for a reality check and if anyone had cause to question God's faithfulness, well aside from Job that is, David sure faced his share of hardship. In spite of all the calamity that seems to have shadowed David's life he was able to compose stuff like;
Psalm 36:5,6 "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep." and;
Psalm 108:1-5 "My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth."
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed" It is only because of God's love that I am not consumed, that my circumstances don't destroy me and shatter my faith. This is truth! Even when I can feel the teeth gnawing away at me deep withing, I can know with certainty that I will not be consumed. So, like the Psalmist, I must choose to acknowledge God's great faithfulness. I must choose to "sing and make music with my soul", to make noise and draw attention to God and who He is. To awaken the morning if need be, but to praise Him with all that is within me. Great is the Lord!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Manna
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions". Exodus 16:4
That sounds pretty similar to the "word" that was given to me. Collect enough each day to feed you that day, the manna collected one day will not nourish for the entire week. That seems pretty straightforward and not too difficult even for me to follow. God is doing the providing, all I have to do is keep my eyes (and/or ears) open and collect what He lays out for me. Make it a habit, do it every day because I need it every day.
Too easy! Or is it? Five days of collecting manna and all was going well. Tasty, nutritious morsels each day leaving me feeling fed and energized. I was enjoying the provision of God. I was reveling in His gracious bounty. Yesterday I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, a feast such as I had experienced yesterday might sustain me for an extra day. Not a week, the instructions had been clear about that, but maybe an extra day. I wasn't going to try it out but I couldn't help but wonder. What I did do was prepare myself for going out today. Let's face it, picking up those tiny little morsels is work even if they are tasty and nourishing. Why not lay out a sheet and then pick it up in one quick exercise after it has fallen. Makes sense to me ... work smart, not hard.
I put a song on my thumb drive last night that was going to springboard me into the day with God. It was going to be the key to today's manna. I was already thinking about what I was going to get out of it, the truths that were going to lift me up. What I didn't realize was that while my car stereo plays mp3s, it does not, apparently, play m4a files. I left home this morning and to my chagrin realized I would not be enjoying the much anticipated song.
"However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell." Exodus 16:20
The really sad thing about today is not that the 'manna' I had 'saved' for today's consumption was full of maggots and stinking. The sad thing is that I sat there all day smelling the stinking maggots instead of going outside and collecting some manna. I focused on the rotten mess on my plate and felt miserable about it all day when God had fresh manna waiting for me if only I was willing to go pick it up. I could have come home nourished & fed like the last five days, instead I came home miserable, hungry and frustrated.
All He asked me to do was open my eyes and pick it up.
That sounds pretty similar to the "word" that was given to me. Collect enough each day to feed you that day, the manna collected one day will not nourish for the entire week. That seems pretty straightforward and not too difficult even for me to follow. God is doing the providing, all I have to do is keep my eyes (and/or ears) open and collect what He lays out for me. Make it a habit, do it every day because I need it every day.
Too easy! Or is it? Five days of collecting manna and all was going well. Tasty, nutritious morsels each day leaving me feeling fed and energized. I was enjoying the provision of God. I was reveling in His gracious bounty. Yesterday I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, a feast such as I had experienced yesterday might sustain me for an extra day. Not a week, the instructions had been clear about that, but maybe an extra day. I wasn't going to try it out but I couldn't help but wonder. What I did do was prepare myself for going out today. Let's face it, picking up those tiny little morsels is work even if they are tasty and nourishing. Why not lay out a sheet and then pick it up in one quick exercise after it has fallen. Makes sense to me ... work smart, not hard.
I put a song on my thumb drive last night that was going to springboard me into the day with God. It was going to be the key to today's manna. I was already thinking about what I was going to get out of it, the truths that were going to lift me up. What I didn't realize was that while my car stereo plays mp3s, it does not, apparently, play m4a files. I left home this morning and to my chagrin realized I would not be enjoying the much anticipated song.
"However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell." Exodus 16:20
The really sad thing about today is not that the 'manna' I had 'saved' for today's consumption was full of maggots and stinking. The sad thing is that I sat there all day smelling the stinking maggots instead of going outside and collecting some manna. I focused on the rotten mess on my plate and felt miserable about it all day when God had fresh manna waiting for me if only I was willing to go pick it up. I could have come home nourished & fed like the last five days, instead I came home miserable, hungry and frustrated.
All He asked me to do was open my eyes and pick it up.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Still I will praise You
WOW!
That's really all I should have to say today, but you know I want to say more. Corporate worship this morning at church was something else! God's presence was so real and so sweet. It kind of puts me to mind of Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration saying " it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters", Luke 9:33. I don't think Peter wanted to leave a good thing and that's how I felt this morning. Let's just set up camp here and keep this thing going.
The song that really spoke to me over and above the rest was, "You Never Let Go (Even Though I Walk)" by Matt Redman and Beth Redman. The lyrics of that song just really spoke to me where I'm at today. It reminds me a lot of Psalm 23, actually. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". Certainly feels like that's where I am some days, but the Chorus ... oh the Chorus, that just lifts me up.
"And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me.
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh no, You never let go,
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go,
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me."
And then in the Bridge:
"And there will be an end to these troubles,
but until that day comes,
Still I will praise You,
still I will praise You."
This song is pregnant with truth and promises. Poignant reminders that God will never let go of me, regardless of the storms I may encounter. Promises that there will be an end to today's troubles and a commitment to continue praising God. It's easy enough to praise Him when the sun is shining and all is well. Some days, when it seems as though staying in the valley of death would be easier than walking through it's shadows, it's hard work to praise God. Some days, I just don't feel like praising Him at all ... and that's where the commitment comes in. "Still I will praise you"! I will praise You, God, for Who you are. I will praise You for what You have already done in my life and in others. I will praise You for what You have promised to do. I WILL praise You! Even when it's hard work. Even when everything in me wants to scream, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me", I will praise You. I will praise You with tears streaming down my face, not because of how I feel but because of what I know to be truth. I will praise You because You and You alone are worthy of my praise.
Still I will praise You!
That's really all I should have to say today, but you know I want to say more. Corporate worship this morning at church was something else! God's presence was so real and so sweet. It kind of puts me to mind of Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration saying " it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters", Luke 9:33. I don't think Peter wanted to leave a good thing and that's how I felt this morning. Let's just set up camp here and keep this thing going.
The song that really spoke to me over and above the rest was, "You Never Let Go (Even Though I Walk)" by Matt Redman and Beth Redman. The lyrics of that song just really spoke to me where I'm at today. It reminds me a lot of Psalm 23, actually. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". Certainly feels like that's where I am some days, but the Chorus ... oh the Chorus, that just lifts me up.
"And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me.
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh no, You never let go,
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go,
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me."
And then in the Bridge:
"And there will be an end to these troubles,
but until that day comes,
Still I will praise You,
still I will praise You."
This song is pregnant with truth and promises. Poignant reminders that God will never let go of me, regardless of the storms I may encounter. Promises that there will be an end to today's troubles and a commitment to continue praising God. It's easy enough to praise Him when the sun is shining and all is well. Some days, when it seems as though staying in the valley of death would be easier than walking through it's shadows, it's hard work to praise God. Some days, I just don't feel like praising Him at all ... and that's where the commitment comes in. "Still I will praise you"! I will praise You, God, for Who you are. I will praise You for what You have already done in my life and in others. I will praise You for what You have promised to do. I WILL praise You! Even when it's hard work. Even when everything in me wants to scream, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me", I will praise You. I will praise You with tears streaming down my face, not because of how I feel but because of what I know to be truth. I will praise You because You and You alone are worthy of my praise.
Still I will praise You!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
His Grace
It's amazing where God meets me, how and when He speaks to me. It's been a busy day today and I wasn't sure when I'd get a chance to get into the Word. I was concerned I wouldn't get my daily manna until later today. As I'm going down the street this morning to get gas for the lawnmower and the tiller I get this song stuck in my head (and there's a testimony to the importance of choosing what I listen to). The whole time I'm out working in the yard today I've got this song running through my head, feeding me, encouraging me and just in general keeping my focus on God. The song I've been ruminating on for most of the day is Chris Tomlin's "Your Grace is Enough".
"Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters in to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart"
Nothing quite like being reminded all day that God is faithful, that He leads me in mercy and that nothing, absolutely nothing can keep me apart from Him. The nice thing about that statement is that it's not just Chris Tomlin saying it, the Apostle Paul said it in Romans 8:35 - 39 as well. Nothing can separate me from the love of God!
I often cry out with Tomlin's words when I go before God.
"So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God"
Remember Your promises God. You promised, Dad! You said You would, don't forget Your promises. I don't think it's inappropriate to remind God of His promises to us - as long as I also remember that He is faithful. If I also remember that;
"Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me".
God's grace is enough for me. That's something I tend to forget, I neglect to appropriate for myself. God's favour, entirely unmerited by me, is enough. It's enough for any and every circumstance I find myself in. It's enough for those situations which cause me to echo Job's words in Job 19:6,7 "know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." I may echo Job's words and say that God has wronged me but reality is, His grace is enough for me. I need to learn to be more like Job, who though if anyone ever had cause to say "God has wronged me" went on a few verses later in Job 9:25-27 to say, " I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
To recognize in every circumstance of my life that my Redeemer lives. To remember that He will stand upon the earth victorious and I will see Him with my own eyes. That certainly helps put a lot of the other stuff in my life in perspective. My God is faithful, He leads me in mercy, nothing can separate me from His love, His grace is enough, My Redeemer lives and I will see Him with my own eyes. What could I imagine or hope for that could overshadow that?
Psalm 8:4 "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
"Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters in to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart"
Nothing quite like being reminded all day that God is faithful, that He leads me in mercy and that nothing, absolutely nothing can keep me apart from Him. The nice thing about that statement is that it's not just Chris Tomlin saying it, the Apostle Paul said it in Romans 8:35 - 39 as well. Nothing can separate me from the love of God!
I often cry out with Tomlin's words when I go before God.
"So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God"
Remember Your promises God. You promised, Dad! You said You would, don't forget Your promises. I don't think it's inappropriate to remind God of His promises to us - as long as I also remember that He is faithful. If I also remember that;
"Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me".
God's grace is enough for me. That's something I tend to forget, I neglect to appropriate for myself. God's favour, entirely unmerited by me, is enough. It's enough for any and every circumstance I find myself in. It's enough for those situations which cause me to echo Job's words in Job 19:6,7 "know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." I may echo Job's words and say that God has wronged me but reality is, His grace is enough for me. I need to learn to be more like Job, who though if anyone ever had cause to say "God has wronged me" went on a few verses later in Job 9:25-27 to say, " I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
To recognize in every circumstance of my life that my Redeemer lives. To remember that He will stand upon the earth victorious and I will see Him with my own eyes. That certainly helps put a lot of the other stuff in my life in perspective. My God is faithful, He leads me in mercy, nothing can separate me from His love, His grace is enough, My Redeemer lives and I will see Him with my own eyes. What could I imagine or hope for that could overshadow that?
Psalm 8:4 "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
Friday, September 17, 2010
And the LORD said ...
"1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple [a] of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. 6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." 11 And the LORD said to Samuel:..." 1 Samuel 3
Oh God, where are You? Why don't You speak to me? I need to hear from You! That, often, is my lament. Why have You forsaken me, why have You turned Your back on me? And God speaks to Samuel, a mere boy working in the temple for the priest. He doesn't speak to Eli, which I get when I read the story, but He speaks to young Samuel. To someone who doesn't even recognize His voice, for crying out loud.
As I read this, read it again, and pondered it today I noticed a few things which fed me. God initiated the communication. Samuel didn't even know God's voice, he didn't dream that God would speak to him - yet He did. So often I'm running alongside God saying "talk to me, talk to me" and He, in all fairness, must be thinking, "if you would shut up for 10 seconds I might be able to". Here, God went looking for Samuel, God calls him.
Poor confused kid doesn't even know it's the Almighty Who is calling him. He runs off to the priest, certain that it must be his employer who is calling him. It's not too surprising that Samuel is confused, he, after all, has never heard God speak before. If he knew God spoke to people, I'm sure he was convinced it was reserved for priests and prophets. By the third time God calls him, Samuel has to be thinking that old Eli is either losing it or he's playing some weird joke on him. The amazing thing about this all is that it takes Eli until the third time to realize God must be speaking to his helper. Well, maybe not that amazing after all ... how often does it take several attempts before I realize God is talking to me?
So Eli recognizes that the kid has heard from God. Get dressed in your best and head over to the alter, and whatever you do, don't keep The Almighty waiting. Interestingly, that's not what he tells him. Instead, he says, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening". Stop your busyness. Go and lie down. I wonder how much more I'd hear from God if I took the time to stop doing, to stop chasing after things, to just "be" in His presence. Awesome advice that old Eli gives Samuel. Relax in His presence, just be ... and if perchance God should speak to you again, say 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening'. Now is the time to ask God to speak, after He has chosen to initiate the conversation. And then, for crying out loud, LISTEN! I'm listening God, take it away.
So Samuel goes back to bed and does as Eli suggested, and lo and behold, "And the LORD said to Samuel:..". God talks to Samuel. He actually talks to him. Maybe, just maybe, if I would shut down the busyness from time to time, if I would wait quietly for God to initiate conversation (and He's anxious to do just that), if I would acknowledge Him when He calls me and actually listen (not tell Him what I want to hear but listen to what He wants to say), maybe then I'd hear Him speak a lot more. Definitely sounds like it's worth trying.
Oh God, where are You? Why don't You speak to me? I need to hear from You! That, often, is my lament. Why have You forsaken me, why have You turned Your back on me? And God speaks to Samuel, a mere boy working in the temple for the priest. He doesn't speak to Eli, which I get when I read the story, but He speaks to young Samuel. To someone who doesn't even recognize His voice, for crying out loud.
As I read this, read it again, and pondered it today I noticed a few things which fed me. God initiated the communication. Samuel didn't even know God's voice, he didn't dream that God would speak to him - yet He did. So often I'm running alongside God saying "talk to me, talk to me" and He, in all fairness, must be thinking, "if you would shut up for 10 seconds I might be able to". Here, God went looking for Samuel, God calls him.
Poor confused kid doesn't even know it's the Almighty Who is calling him. He runs off to the priest, certain that it must be his employer who is calling him. It's not too surprising that Samuel is confused, he, after all, has never heard God speak before. If he knew God spoke to people, I'm sure he was convinced it was reserved for priests and prophets. By the third time God calls him, Samuel has to be thinking that old Eli is either losing it or he's playing some weird joke on him. The amazing thing about this all is that it takes Eli until the third time to realize God must be speaking to his helper. Well, maybe not that amazing after all ... how often does it take several attempts before I realize God is talking to me?
So Eli recognizes that the kid has heard from God. Get dressed in your best and head over to the alter, and whatever you do, don't keep The Almighty waiting. Interestingly, that's not what he tells him. Instead, he says, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening". Stop your busyness. Go and lie down. I wonder how much more I'd hear from God if I took the time to stop doing, to stop chasing after things, to just "be" in His presence. Awesome advice that old Eli gives Samuel. Relax in His presence, just be ... and if perchance God should speak to you again, say 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening'. Now is the time to ask God to speak, after He has chosen to initiate the conversation. And then, for crying out loud, LISTEN! I'm listening God, take it away.
So Samuel goes back to bed and does as Eli suggested, and lo and behold, "And the LORD said to Samuel:..". God talks to Samuel. He actually talks to him. Maybe, just maybe, if I would shut down the busyness from time to time, if I would wait quietly for God to initiate conversation (and He's anxious to do just that), if I would acknowledge Him when He calls me and actually listen (not tell Him what I want to hear but listen to what He wants to say), maybe then I'd hear Him speak a lot more. Definitely sounds like it's worth trying.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It was for Freedom
This is starting out as an exciting exercise. The Word is once again alive to me. I went to bed last night anticipating what God would have for me today. He didn't disappoint.
Galatians chapters 4 and 5. WOW! What a lot of good stuff in there. Chapter 5:1, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." I was set free to be free. Talk about stating the obvious, talk about missing the obvious. God must shake His head in frustration and amazement at how often I miss the obvious.
Chapter 4:7,8 "Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods."
I was a slave and the one I was a slave to wasn't even a god. What kind of activity did this master have me engaged in? Chapter 5:19-21 "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputed, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkeness, carousing, and things like these,..." That makes for quite a resume. Do I really want to attach that to my resume as "Other Skills"? Somehow, I can't see that making for a very employable statement. The sad thing is, that's exactly what I do when I take up the "yoke of slavery" again. Christ set me free to be free, to walk in freedom, to abide in freedom. How it must grieve Him when He sees me subject myself to the "yoke of slavery" again and again. How it must grieve Him when He sees me do the deeds of that other master. Me, a free man - even more a son - wallowing in the disgrace and shame of slavery.
BUT, I was set free! I am free! It's not a question of if or when, it's a condition I've been blessed with. No longer a slave, no longer bound by obligation to serve that evil master but free! So how do I "keep standing firm", how do I walk out this condition of freedom with which I have been blessed? Chapter 5:16,17 " ..., walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets it's desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh". Walk by the Spirit. I am "a son; and if a son, then an heir through God". What am I an heir too? What is my inheritance? I am an heir to His Spirit. "..., God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!", Chapter 4:6. The Spirit of God, resident in me must by virtue of His character reveal Himself. And what exactly is His character? What can I expect to be in evidence if the Spirit of God dwells in me? Chapter 5:22, 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;". One fruit, not nine. One fruit, I don't get to pick and choose. While each aspect of this fruit would be a noble discipline to pursue, this is the fruit of the Spirit, not something I need to strive to achieve but rather the evidence of the Spirit in me. His personality, His fruit, will be in evidence if He is residing in me. What a promise! What an inheritance!
Galatians chapters 4 and 5. WOW! What a lot of good stuff in there. Chapter 5:1, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." I was set free to be free. Talk about stating the obvious, talk about missing the obvious. God must shake His head in frustration and amazement at how often I miss the obvious.
Chapter 4:7,8 "Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods."
I was a slave and the one I was a slave to wasn't even a god. What kind of activity did this master have me engaged in? Chapter 5:19-21 "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputed, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkeness, carousing, and things like these,..." That makes for quite a resume. Do I really want to attach that to my resume as "Other Skills"? Somehow, I can't see that making for a very employable statement. The sad thing is, that's exactly what I do when I take up the "yoke of slavery" again. Christ set me free to be free, to walk in freedom, to abide in freedom. How it must grieve Him when He sees me subject myself to the "yoke of slavery" again and again. How it must grieve Him when He sees me do the deeds of that other master. Me, a free man - even more a son - wallowing in the disgrace and shame of slavery.
BUT, I was set free! I am free! It's not a question of if or when, it's a condition I've been blessed with. No longer a slave, no longer bound by obligation to serve that evil master but free! So how do I "keep standing firm", how do I walk out this condition of freedom with which I have been blessed? Chapter 5:16,17 " ..., walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets it's desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh". Walk by the Spirit. I am "a son; and if a son, then an heir through God". What am I an heir too? What is my inheritance? I am an heir to His Spirit. "..., God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!", Chapter 4:6. The Spirit of God, resident in me must by virtue of His character reveal Himself. And what exactly is His character? What can I expect to be in evidence if the Spirit of God dwells in me? Chapter 5:22, 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;". One fruit, not nine. One fruit, I don't get to pick and choose. While each aspect of this fruit would be a noble discipline to pursue, this is the fruit of the Spirit, not something I need to strive to achieve but rather the evidence of the Spirit in me. His personality, His fruit, will be in evidence if He is residing in me. What a promise! What an inheritance!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How lovely is YOUR dwelling place.
I think I found my Manna for the day. Psalm 84:1-12, I'm not going to post it all, you're just going to have to look it up if you're interested, but verse 1 says, "How lovely is Your dwelling place, oh Lord Almighty". This kind of takes on new significance in the New Testament where the dwelling place of the Almighty moves from a building or tent built by hands to dwelling in His people, individually and corporately.
Applying verse 1 to believers corporately is easy enough for me, most times. Last night for example, lovely! Our Life Group (aka Home Group, Small Group), as the dwelling place of God is lovely. We spent some time worshiping together, discussing the Word and praying for each other - God dwelling in His people, this was "lovely". Even applying it to other individuals isn't a stretch for me. I see God reflected in many of the people I know and recognizing the presence of the Most High in someone is a beautiful thing. Where it gets tough for me is on a personal level. I think that's what God's talking about,to me, today. He doesn't see me as a weathered, falling apart shack that would be better off with a match put to it, He sees me as "lovely". Me. Battered, wounded, self absorbed me! I am a place He CHOOSES to dwell. He's not here because it was the only vacancy in town and He needed someplace to stay, He's here because this is where He chose to be. In fact, He evicted the last resident so He could live here. He says, this "dwelling place" is lovely.
So, I need to start seeing me through His eyes. I need to stop focussing on my hurts, my wounds and my failures and start seeing me as He sees me and then walking in that. If I focus on my wounds I will live like a cripple. If I focus on the Almighty, I can live in His victory! What a choice. Recognizing who I am, in Him, positionally, I get to choose whether I walk as a cripple or victorious as what He sees me as.
And that, was my manna for today.
Applying verse 1 to believers corporately is easy enough for me, most times. Last night for example, lovely! Our Life Group (aka Home Group, Small Group), as the dwelling place of God is lovely. We spent some time worshiping together, discussing the Word and praying for each other - God dwelling in His people, this was "lovely". Even applying it to other individuals isn't a stretch for me. I see God reflected in many of the people I know and recognizing the presence of the Most High in someone is a beautiful thing. Where it gets tough for me is on a personal level. I think that's what God's talking about,to me, today. He doesn't see me as a weathered, falling apart shack that would be better off with a match put to it, He sees me as "lovely". Me. Battered, wounded, self absorbed me! I am a place He CHOOSES to dwell. He's not here because it was the only vacancy in town and He needed someplace to stay, He's here because this is where He chose to be. In fact, He evicted the last resident so He could live here. He says, this "dwelling place" is lovely.
So, I need to start seeing me through His eyes. I need to stop focussing on my hurts, my wounds and my failures and start seeing me as He sees me and then walking in that. If I focus on my wounds I will live like a cripple. If I focus on the Almighty, I can live in His victory! What a choice. Recognizing who I am, in Him, positionally, I get to choose whether I walk as a cripple or victorious as what He sees me as.
And that, was my manna for today.
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