It struck me this morning, that Daniel is a study in worship. Perhaps I should say, a call to worship. King Nebuchadnezzar's call to worship is documented here. King Neb witnesses Daniel and his three companions repeatedly choose to worship and obey God, even in the face of death. God's hand, His mighty power, is revealed time and again as He reveals dreams and their meanings, spares the lives of His followers and blesses his followers with physical health. King Neb even acknowledges the mighty hand of God stating that there is no other god capable of doing what the God of Daniel and the three, can do.
In spite of this acknowledgment, King Neb does not recognize God as being the One he needs to worship. In Daniel 4, God sends Nebuchadnezzar a dream, the interpretation of which scares Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar is told that he will be brought low and caused to dwell among the animals. Daniel suggests that he turns from his sins and does righteous deeds and shows mercy to the poor so that perhaps his prosperity can be extended. The king, however, chooses to continue in his ways.
He likes to look on himself as the architect of his success. He is, in his opinion, a self made man. Yet God, who made him the power that he is, Who permitted him to take Israel into captivity, Jeremiah 25:8, "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Bablyon," is determined that King Nebuchadnezzar will worship him.
God takes everything from him, his sovereignty, his sanity even to a great extent his humanity. Nebuchadnezzar is driven away from society and becomes like an animal of the field and feeds on grass. It is in this condition that Nebuchadnezzar recognizes God and looks to the heavens and praises God.
It struck me that so often I pray, 'God please do such and such so that Your name may be glorified'. It's as though my mindset is, God show Yourself and I will praise you. While we legitimately praise God for the things He does, if the only time we praise Him is when He does great things on our behalf we are not praising Him as He wants us to. Nebuchadnezzar praised God while he was in the field feeding on grass. While all he had ever had was taken from him.
God wants me to praise Him for who He is. He wants my praise even if I feel I have lost everything including my sanity. My praise should never be dependent on what God has done for me. My praise should always be because of who God is. If that is the source of my praise, I will always be able to praise Him for that never changes.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Maturity or Death?
"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God." Hebrews 6:1
I came across this verse today and something struck me which I don't think I've noticed before. The phrase, "not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,". Why does the writer of Hebrews admonish us to move toward maturity beyond the elementary teachings about Christ? It seems to me, that the alternative is being at risk of moving back to a position where we are participating in acts that lead to death. I'm not going to delve into the question of eternal security here, but if remaining immature in one's faith put's one at risk of returning to acts that lead to death, I want to move toward maturity and a choice for life.
I came across this verse today and something struck me which I don't think I've noticed before. The phrase, "not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,". Why does the writer of Hebrews admonish us to move toward maturity beyond the elementary teachings about Christ? It seems to me, that the alternative is being at risk of moving back to a position where we are participating in acts that lead to death. I'm not going to delve into the question of eternal security here, but if remaining immature in one's faith put's one at risk of returning to acts that lead to death, I want to move toward maturity and a choice for life.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A Matter of Perspective
A young boy and his sister were happily riding up and down a department store's escalators while their mother shopped. She had purchased an icecream cone for each and left them with strict instructions not to leave the escalator. They were happy ... no shopping and all the rides they could dream of. As they moved in and out of the crowds riding first up then down and back up again on the escalator, the young girl was heard to whisper loudly to the young boy, as his cone came perilously close to the fur coat ahead of him, "be careful, you'll get fur all over your cone".
How often is my perspective exactly like that. Focussed entirely on myself and the impact a situation will have on me. I fail to see the larger picture. I don't see the icecream in the fur coat, I only see a few hair in my cone.
1 Peter 2:9 says, " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession ... and I flush with pleasure as I think of the wonder of it. What an amazing thing for me to be a part of all that. For me to be chosen by God, to be His special possession. It's quite breathtaking to consider it.
Do I consider, in the midst of all the self congratulation, the why of this equation? The reason why God showers me with this goodness? Do I stop to contemplate the reality that none of this is for my self-aggrandization. All of this is not about me, rather, it is that I "may declare the praises of him who called me out of darkness into his wonderful light." All of this is about Him, not about me. It is that I may declare His praises. Do I take my eyes off of myself long enough to realize this? To recognize that the blessings bestowed upon me are not, primarily, for me - bur rather for the glorification of His name. That He might be praised.
Do I take my eyes off of my ice cream long enough to realize that while His blessings are wonderful, it's not about my icecream. it's not about what God does for me but about motivating me to praise Him.
How often is my perspective exactly like that. Focussed entirely on myself and the impact a situation will have on me. I fail to see the larger picture. I don't see the icecream in the fur coat, I only see a few hair in my cone.
1 Peter 2:9 says, " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession ... and I flush with pleasure as I think of the wonder of it. What an amazing thing for me to be a part of all that. For me to be chosen by God, to be His special possession. It's quite breathtaking to consider it.
Do I consider, in the midst of all the self congratulation, the why of this equation? The reason why God showers me with this goodness? Do I stop to contemplate the reality that none of this is for my self-aggrandization. All of this is not about me, rather, it is that I "may declare the praises of him who called me out of darkness into his wonderful light." All of this is about Him, not about me. It is that I may declare His praises. Do I take my eyes off of myself long enough to realize this? To recognize that the blessings bestowed upon me are not, primarily, for me - bur rather for the glorification of His name. That He might be praised.
Do I take my eyes off of my ice cream long enough to realize that while His blessings are wonderful, it's not about my icecream. it's not about what God does for me but about motivating me to praise Him.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Who is He?
Much can, and has been, said about who God is. Tomes have been published about the nature and character of God. One author may have a different view or opinion of who God is than another and both may expound on the merits of their viewpoint but at the end of the day, who exactly is God?
I find it comforting to know that my belief about who He is has no bearing on who He is. His unconditional being, His constancy of character and being regardless of the circumstances I find myself in, or what I may believe about Him on a given day is a certainty. In His own words, "God said to Moses, "I am who I am"", Exodus 3:14a. What could be more assuring than that. To know that God is the same today as He was when He spoke that to Moses.
What a sure anchor for our faith. To know that the God who has shown Himself faithful through the generations is the same God who promises to care for me, to walk with me in every storm, to not allow me to be tested beyond what I am able ... and the list goes on. I will place my trust in Him who is, I AM.
I find it comforting to know that my belief about who He is has no bearing on who He is. His unconditional being, His constancy of character and being regardless of the circumstances I find myself in, or what I may believe about Him on a given day is a certainty. In His own words, "God said to Moses, "I am who I am"", Exodus 3:14a. What could be more assuring than that. To know that God is the same today as He was when He spoke that to Moses.
What a sure anchor for our faith. To know that the God who has shown Himself faithful through the generations is the same God who promises to care for me, to walk with me in every storm, to not allow me to be tested beyond what I am able ... and the list goes on. I will place my trust in Him who is, I AM.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Erase or Replace?
I noticed, today, that a friend of mine had marked on Facebook that he would attend an event, Erase Hate Day. Like the cat, curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on the event to see what it was all about. As I read down through a number of the comments and heard subscribers talking about the need to end hate, in all of it's multiple manifestations, something struck me.
How do we end hate? How do we make an end to bullying, violence to women, racism and the list goes on, seemingly, endlessly. It struck me that the only end to hatred is love. We cannot "erase" hatred but that we "replace" hatred. As I thought on this, I realized that this isn't specific to hatred but to any habit we want to put an end to. Luke 11:26 came to mind, "Then it (a demon cast out) goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
We can impose the authority we may have to dispel that which is undesirable. We can demand and command obedience and adherence to strict codes of conduct ... for a period of time. If, however, the conduct we are looking to put an end to is not replaced with another behavior it will return and be more rooted than it was before.
How important it is, I was reminded, to seek the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit that my life may evidence the fruit of the Spirit which Galatians 5:22 and 23 tell us is, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." If these characteristics are what I am known by, the need to "erase" habits from my life will have been taken care of because they will already have been "replaced".
How do we end hate? How do we make an end to bullying, violence to women, racism and the list goes on, seemingly, endlessly. It struck me that the only end to hatred is love. We cannot "erase" hatred but that we "replace" hatred. As I thought on this, I realized that this isn't specific to hatred but to any habit we want to put an end to. Luke 11:26 came to mind, "Then it (a demon cast out) goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
We can impose the authority we may have to dispel that which is undesirable. We can demand and command obedience and adherence to strict codes of conduct ... for a period of time. If, however, the conduct we are looking to put an end to is not replaced with another behavior it will return and be more rooted than it was before.
How important it is, I was reminded, to seek the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit that my life may evidence the fruit of the Spirit which Galatians 5:22 and 23 tell us is, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." If these characteristics are what I am known by, the need to "erase" habits from my life will have been taken care of because they will already have been "replaced".
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Next To An Open Fire
It's that time of year on this side of the globe. Time to clean out the gardens, rake up the leaves, mow the lawn for the last time and if everything works out right have a fire in the back yard to dispose of dead branches. Everything worked out right this year and I had a nice fire going for quite some time the other day. I love the smell of the wood burning and the feel of the warmth coming off of the fire, it makes fall seem right. When I came inside, however, my clothes were saturated with smoke. There was no disguising that I had been near a fire.
Contrast that with, Daniel 3:26,27, "...Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. ... the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them." As amazing as it is that these men were not killed by the fire, they were not harmed in any way. As if that wouldn't be enough of a sign of God's faithfulness, God goes one better than that and these men come out of the furnace not even smelling of fire. Not even smelling of it!
When I go through difficult times, times which I might be tempted to equate to a fiery furnace, I can't help but think of the injuries I am going to incur. The scars I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It doesn't seem possible to go through some of the hard times we experience on this earth without realizing permanent scars. Yet these men came through the fire not only unscarred, but without even the smell of fire on them.
God is able to bring me through without the smell of fire on me.
Contrast that with, Daniel 3:26,27, "...Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. ... the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them." As amazing as it is that these men were not killed by the fire, they were not harmed in any way. As if that wouldn't be enough of a sign of God's faithfulness, God goes one better than that and these men come out of the furnace not even smelling of fire. Not even smelling of it!
When I go through difficult times, times which I might be tempted to equate to a fiery furnace, I can't help but think of the injuries I am going to incur. The scars I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It doesn't seem possible to go through some of the hard times we experience on this earth without realizing permanent scars. Yet these men came through the fire not only unscarred, but without even the smell of fire on them.
God is able to bring me through without the smell of fire on me.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
And Again He Reminds Me
How many times, in how many weeks, do I need to be reminded to give thanks, to be thankful? How often does the Father have to repeat Himself before I adopt the pattern of living which He prescribes? He hit me with another gentle reminder today. It's funny how those gentle reminders don't always feel gentle at first, but it's really the clarity of what He says that is shocking, not the reminder itself.
Colossians 3:15 - 17, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Let ... permit ... allow, not something I have to actively pursue, just something I need to permit. We ask for peace, at least I do, and fail to see that it's available ... all I have to do to have the peace of Christ rule in my heart is to permit it, let it happen. As a matter of fact, not only is peace available to me, I'm called to it. Makes one wonder why I strive so hard for it.
Then the reminder for me ... "and be thankful". Not feel grateful but "be" thankful. I love the verbs God uses in conveying His truths. He knew how attuned to feelings we, His children, are. So He reminds me, it's not about how you feel, it's about what you do ... "be thankful". Some more permitting prescribed in the next verse and then He wraps it up in verse 17 by saying, whatever you do, whether its something you're saying or your actions, give thanks to God.
It's easy for me to thank God when I get what I was hoping for. Easy to give thanks when things go my way. When things don't seem to be progressing along the timeline I had imagined, or in the manner I had hoped for, prayed for, then thanksgiving comes less naturally for me. The writer doesn't suggest we give thanks, doesn't say give thanks when you feel thankful, doesn't even say give thanks for the good things in your life ... rather he says, Whatever you do, give thanks. Be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 - 17, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Let ... permit ... allow, not something I have to actively pursue, just something I need to permit. We ask for peace, at least I do, and fail to see that it's available ... all I have to do to have the peace of Christ rule in my heart is to permit it, let it happen. As a matter of fact, not only is peace available to me, I'm called to it. Makes one wonder why I strive so hard for it.
Then the reminder for me ... "and be thankful". Not feel grateful but "be" thankful. I love the verbs God uses in conveying His truths. He knew how attuned to feelings we, His children, are. So He reminds me, it's not about how you feel, it's about what you do ... "be thankful". Some more permitting prescribed in the next verse and then He wraps it up in verse 17 by saying, whatever you do, whether its something you're saying or your actions, give thanks to God.
It's easy for me to thank God when I get what I was hoping for. Easy to give thanks when things go my way. When things don't seem to be progressing along the timeline I had imagined, or in the manner I had hoped for, prayed for, then thanksgiving comes less naturally for me. The writer doesn't suggest we give thanks, doesn't say give thanks when you feel thankful, doesn't even say give thanks for the good things in your life ... rather he says, Whatever you do, give thanks. Be thankful.
Friday, October 15, 2010
And Yet I Complain
"Many, O Lord, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." Psalm 40:5
Now if that doesn't boggle the mind I'm not sure what does. I mean, really, how do I explain my dissatisfaction, my complaints, my self pity in light of the glorious truth that God has planned more things for me than I could possibly recount. So many things, in fact, that were I to attempt to recount them all, they would be more than I could possibly declare.
I believe the Psalmists words to be true! Truth is irrefutable, it is not open to discussion or dispute. Yet, each time I complain, each time I wallow in self-pity I am turning my focus away from the truth. I am choosing to waste my time, my energy, my resource focusing on what I don't understand instead of glorying in the marvelous reality of God's care and compassion for me.
I purpose to declare the wonders which God has done for me, to reflect on His marvelous character and His deeds and plans on my behalf. So much healthier to dwell there. God truly is gracious and wonderful!
Now if that doesn't boggle the mind I'm not sure what does. I mean, really, how do I explain my dissatisfaction, my complaints, my self pity in light of the glorious truth that God has planned more things for me than I could possibly recount. So many things, in fact, that were I to attempt to recount them all, they would be more than I could possibly declare.
I believe the Psalmists words to be true! Truth is irrefutable, it is not open to discussion or dispute. Yet, each time I complain, each time I wallow in self-pity I am turning my focus away from the truth. I am choosing to waste my time, my energy, my resource focusing on what I don't understand instead of glorying in the marvelous reality of God's care and compassion for me.
I purpose to declare the wonders which God has done for me, to reflect on His marvelous character and His deeds and plans on my behalf. So much healthier to dwell there. God truly is gracious and wonderful!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Leftovers?
I've been eating turkey for a few days now. It seems to be the tradition which follows Thanksgiving. I know Manna was to be collected each day (with the exception of the Sabbath) because it didn't last to be served as leftovers. I also know that I was "instructed" to collect manna every day. That said, I think there is a place for ruminating on what we've consumed. Maybe that makes today a Sabbath for me, I don't know? What I do know, is that I experienced the most incredible encounter with God today, when I chewed on what I had collected yesterday.
It's interesting that the whole "thanksgiving" theme seems to be coming at me, without any design of my own, right at Thanksgiving time. Yesterday God spoke to me about the importance of thanking God for every circumstance in my life. Not only for the good things in my life, for the things I perceive to be blessings, but for everything. Everything, if I believe that God is a compassionate, loving God who wishes only the best for His children, is a blessing ... whether I perceive it as such or not.
So I'm standing in the pharmacy this morning and my mind settled on some circumstances in my life which I consider the most difficult I have ever encountered. Circumstances which I am convinced are by the design of the enemy. Circumstances which I know are not God's will for my life, as an ongoing situation. Well, as my mind settled on this and was about to migrate to self pity, which is where it tends to go when contemplating these circumstances, I remembered yesterday's feast, "Give Thanks".
As the prospect of thanking God for these circumstances entered into my consciousness, I initially resisted. I thought about how ridiculous it would be to actually thank God for what must be the mindchild of the Enemy. Then I moved in obedience and thanked God. I thanked God for the circumstances He had permitted in my life, I thanked Him for what He is planning to accomplish in my life, for His glory, through these circumstances. As I thanked Him, not only did my perspective change, but I felt the presence of God's Spirit on me in a way I have not experienced in some time.
Sometimes yesterdays food is better today than it was when it first hit the table yesterday. I know this is not an excuse for not collecting manna everyday, but it certainly is sweet when God blesses so abundantly when I apply yesterday's truths.
It's interesting that the whole "thanksgiving" theme seems to be coming at me, without any design of my own, right at Thanksgiving time. Yesterday God spoke to me about the importance of thanking God for every circumstance in my life. Not only for the good things in my life, for the things I perceive to be blessings, but for everything. Everything, if I believe that God is a compassionate, loving God who wishes only the best for His children, is a blessing ... whether I perceive it as such or not.
So I'm standing in the pharmacy this morning and my mind settled on some circumstances in my life which I consider the most difficult I have ever encountered. Circumstances which I am convinced are by the design of the enemy. Circumstances which I know are not God's will for my life, as an ongoing situation. Well, as my mind settled on this and was about to migrate to self pity, which is where it tends to go when contemplating these circumstances, I remembered yesterday's feast, "Give Thanks".
As the prospect of thanking God for these circumstances entered into my consciousness, I initially resisted. I thought about how ridiculous it would be to actually thank God for what must be the mindchild of the Enemy. Then I moved in obedience and thanked God. I thanked God for the circumstances He had permitted in my life, I thanked Him for what He is planning to accomplish in my life, for His glory, through these circumstances. As I thanked Him, not only did my perspective change, but I felt the presence of God's Spirit on me in a way I have not experienced in some time.
Sometimes yesterdays food is better today than it was when it first hit the table yesterday. I know this is not an excuse for not collecting manna everyday, but it certainly is sweet when God blesses so abundantly when I apply yesterday's truths.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Thanksgiving
Lots of manna today, a veritable Thanksgiving Feast. I've started reading a book by Matilda Nordtvedt and it's really a remarkable book. I love the way she cites scripture and weaves biblical truth into her book. She's been writing a lot about giving thanks in everything. Not, as some people teach, to be thankful in spite of our circumstances (to find something to be thankful even when life is not treating you well), but rather to be thankful for everything that occurs in our lives.
How to be thankful for horrible situations, for terrible situations? Her premise is, that everything that comes our way has been approved of by our Father, God. Even the things that Satan devises to tear us down, to shake our faith, have to be permitted by Him before Satan is permitted to afflict us. She says that, if God has permitted it, then He has also changed the purpose of it so that it is not to destroy us but rather to build us up.
One of the verses that jumped out at me in particular, tonight, was Psalm 71:8 "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day." Let my mouth be filled with thy praise all the day. All the day ... isn't that amazing? From the time I rise in the morning until the time I lay my head down at night, the psalmist says, my mouth should be filled with praise for God.
It's a different perspective than what I've been accustomed to holding. It's a complete paradigm shift for me. I've been taught, and I've believed that we are to be thankful at all times. At all times, however, not for all things. To filter everything that happens in my life, to me, through the lens that says, "this is something which God intends for your benefit" is a little mind boggling.
If I really believe that God is for me, and I believe that nothing can happen to me without God permitting it, then it follows (unless my logic is faulty and some of you may be able to correct me), that everything that happens to me is permitted for my benefit. If it's for my benefit, then no matter how painful and how difficult it it ... I need to thank God. What a mind blowing concept ... I think I'm going to have to give this a try.
How to be thankful for horrible situations, for terrible situations? Her premise is, that everything that comes our way has been approved of by our Father, God. Even the things that Satan devises to tear us down, to shake our faith, have to be permitted by Him before Satan is permitted to afflict us. She says that, if God has permitted it, then He has also changed the purpose of it so that it is not to destroy us but rather to build us up.
One of the verses that jumped out at me in particular, tonight, was Psalm 71:8 "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day." Let my mouth be filled with thy praise all the day. All the day ... isn't that amazing? From the time I rise in the morning until the time I lay my head down at night, the psalmist says, my mouth should be filled with praise for God.
It's a different perspective than what I've been accustomed to holding. It's a complete paradigm shift for me. I've been taught, and I've believed that we are to be thankful at all times. At all times, however, not for all things. To filter everything that happens in my life, to me, through the lens that says, "this is something which God intends for your benefit" is a little mind boggling.
If I really believe that God is for me, and I believe that nothing can happen to me without God permitting it, then it follows (unless my logic is faulty and some of you may be able to correct me), that everything that happens to me is permitted for my benefit. If it's for my benefit, then no matter how painful and how difficult it it ... I need to thank God. What a mind blowing concept ... I think I'm going to have to give this a try.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Show Me Your Face
Show me Your face, oh God. I want to know You. Reveal Yourself to me, oh Father. These are prayers of my heart, longings from deep within me. I long to know God. To see Him as He is, to know Him as a friend. The quest seems illusive, however. The more I search after Him, the more I long to know Him.
What is the formula, the definitive means by which one can come to know God. How do I really get to know God? To see Him for Who He is, to relate to Him as a friend? It's a good thing that God anticipated my questions ... long before I was born. Well, I guess I wasn't the first one to ask the question. It seems Jesus' disciples were asking pretty much the same thing in John 14, which begs the question, "why am I still asking it?". Jesus did, after all give a fairly succinct answer to the question in verse 7.
John 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him; and have seen Him."
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also". To know God, all I have to do is know Jesus. I know it sounds simplistic to say "all I have to do", and truth be told, knowing Jesus does take commitment, diligence and discipline, BUT, knowing Him is really not that difficult. I can know about Him by spending time in His word. I can know Him, by being in relationship with Him, by spending time with Him. Who is the first person I call with good news, the first person I call for advice, the first person I go to with my problems ... ? How can I expect to know Jesus if I don't spend time with Him, if I don't go to Him with my failures and my successes, if I don't seek His counsel on the situations I face in my life?
How can I expect to know my Father if I don't know His Son?
What is the formula, the definitive means by which one can come to know God. How do I really get to know God? To see Him for Who He is, to relate to Him as a friend? It's a good thing that God anticipated my questions ... long before I was born. Well, I guess I wasn't the first one to ask the question. It seems Jesus' disciples were asking pretty much the same thing in John 14, which begs the question, "why am I still asking it?". Jesus did, after all give a fairly succinct answer to the question in verse 7.
John 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him; and have seen Him."
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also". To know God, all I have to do is know Jesus. I know it sounds simplistic to say "all I have to do", and truth be told, knowing Jesus does take commitment, diligence and discipline, BUT, knowing Him is really not that difficult. I can know about Him by spending time in His word. I can know Him, by being in relationship with Him, by spending time with Him. Who is the first person I call with good news, the first person I call for advice, the first person I go to with my problems ... ? How can I expect to know Jesus if I don't spend time with Him, if I don't go to Him with my failures and my successes, if I don't seek His counsel on the situations I face in my life?
How can I expect to know my Father if I don't know His Son?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Even If He Does Not ...
God's timing is amusing, to say the least. Yesterday I was complaining about being on a diet of manna, about not experiencing the luxuries of yesterday nor tomorrow and today God drops these verses in my lap.
Daniel 3: 17-18, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O kind, that we will not serve your gods of worship the image of gold you have set up."
The kind of grumbling I was indulging myself in yesterday tends to be the by-product of a particularly dangerous line of thinking. It stems from permitting myself to muse that God is either incapable or unwilling to address the hurts in my life. It's dangerous because permitting that line of thinking to permeate my consciousness leads to an erosion of my faith. It leads to me taking my life out of God's hands and seeking to take care of myself. It leads to me feeling sorry for myself and angry at God. All in all not a healthy situation.
So with that backdrop I walk into church this morning. A wonderful mindset to begin worshiping God with. Well not really, but better to start worshiping God when I'm there than anything else I might do. The sermon begins with the reading of the passage in Daniel, chapter 3: 1 - 18. We reach verses 17 and 18 and God draws me up short.
Here we have three men about to be thrown into a furnace and their response is utterly astounding. "God is able ... and He will ... But even if He does not ..." The truth they have locked into their mindset is absolutely astonishing. Do they fall in a defeated mass beseeching Almighty God to spare them from the fate about to befall them? Not for a minute. They boldly confess the truth. "The God we serve is able to save us", truth number one. "He will rescue us from your hand", truth number two.
Then comes the keystone of this passage, the part which drew me up short. "But even if He does not ...", even if He does not do what we know He is capable of, even if He does not do what we have every confidence He will do. That's an awfully big "but". Even if God doesn't act in the way we know He is able and in the way we have every confidence He will, we will not take matters into our own hands in an attempt to save our lives. These men had put their confidence in God to such a degree that even the prospect of death in a fiery furnace could not shake that confidence. Rather they told the king, the one who was about to throw them into the furnace that even if God didn't intervene, as they were certain He would, they still would chose to place their allegiance wholly with Him.
That is where I want to live. Daily, hour by hour, each minute of the day ... to be so confident in my God, in His love for me, His plans for me, His purposes for me, that my response to each circumstance I encounter is; My God can, my God will, but even if He does not, I will place my confidence in Him and in Him alone!
Daniel 3: 17-18, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O kind, that we will not serve your gods of worship the image of gold you have set up."
The kind of grumbling I was indulging myself in yesterday tends to be the by-product of a particularly dangerous line of thinking. It stems from permitting myself to muse that God is either incapable or unwilling to address the hurts in my life. It's dangerous because permitting that line of thinking to permeate my consciousness leads to an erosion of my faith. It leads to me taking my life out of God's hands and seeking to take care of myself. It leads to me feeling sorry for myself and angry at God. All in all not a healthy situation.
So with that backdrop I walk into church this morning. A wonderful mindset to begin worshiping God with. Well not really, but better to start worshiping God when I'm there than anything else I might do. The sermon begins with the reading of the passage in Daniel, chapter 3: 1 - 18. We reach verses 17 and 18 and God draws me up short.
Here we have three men about to be thrown into a furnace and their response is utterly astounding. "God is able ... and He will ... But even if He does not ..." The truth they have locked into their mindset is absolutely astonishing. Do they fall in a defeated mass beseeching Almighty God to spare them from the fate about to befall them? Not for a minute. They boldly confess the truth. "The God we serve is able to save us", truth number one. "He will rescue us from your hand", truth number two.
Then comes the keystone of this passage, the part which drew me up short. "But even if He does not ...", even if He does not do what we know He is capable of, even if He does not do what we have every confidence He will do. That's an awfully big "but". Even if God doesn't act in the way we know He is able and in the way we have every confidence He will, we will not take matters into our own hands in an attempt to save our lives. These men had put their confidence in God to such a degree that even the prospect of death in a fiery furnace could not shake that confidence. Rather they told the king, the one who was about to throw them into the furnace that even if God didn't intervene, as they were certain He would, they still would chose to place their allegiance wholly with Him.
That is where I want to live. Daily, hour by hour, each minute of the day ... to be so confident in my God, in His love for me, His plans for me, His purposes for me, that my response to each circumstance I encounter is; My God can, my God will, but even if He does not, I will place my confidence in Him and in Him alone!
Saturday, October 09, 2010
When The Shoe Is On The Other Foot
I don't know how often I've heard the story of the children of Israel and God's provision of manna for them. I do know, that a time has not passed that I have not marveled at the ingratitude of the recipients of God's provision. How dare they grumble and complain when God is sustaining them in the absence of food. How dare they murmur when they had enough to eat?
It's easy to hold that perspective from position of plenty. Easy to say, "I would have been grateful, I would have been satisfied and given thanks." It's amazing how one's perspective changes when the shoe is put on the other foot. When one is asked to walk in the shoes they walked in.
Numbers 11:4-6 "The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumber, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"
I'm sick of manna ... well not sick of manna ... I want more than manna. I want fish! I want melons, onions and garlic! I want what I was once blessed with but now only have memories of! I want the bounty of the promised land with grapes and milk and honey! I want the feast that God promises to prepare before me in the presence of my enemies. I don't want to survive on just manna.
Does that make me selfish? Does that make me ungrateful? Does that show a lack of faith, a lack of trust in God? Possibly ... probably ... likely. I marvel at the faith of Abraham and others who's faith is recorded in Hebrews 11, many of whom died waiting to see the fulfillment of the promises they waited for without losing hope. I marvel because I cannot begin to fathom the depth of their hope in the promises of the Almighty.
Today the shoe is on the other foot. Today it is not the children of Israel who are being sustained with manna, today it is I. Lord you know the bounty I long for. You know the promises I wait to see. Keep me faithful I pray. Forgive me when I murmur, Lord. Continue to nourish and sustain me with your manna, even when I grow impatient and long for yesterday or tomorrow. Help me to remember that yesterday was not what tomorrow will be and to reach tomorrow I must pass through today!
It's easy to hold that perspective from position of plenty. Easy to say, "I would have been grateful, I would have been satisfied and given thanks." It's amazing how one's perspective changes when the shoe is put on the other foot. When one is asked to walk in the shoes they walked in.
Numbers 11:4-6 "The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumber, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"
I'm sick of manna ... well not sick of manna ... I want more than manna. I want fish! I want melons, onions and garlic! I want what I was once blessed with but now only have memories of! I want the bounty of the promised land with grapes and milk and honey! I want the feast that God promises to prepare before me in the presence of my enemies. I don't want to survive on just manna.
Does that make me selfish? Does that make me ungrateful? Does that show a lack of faith, a lack of trust in God? Possibly ... probably ... likely. I marvel at the faith of Abraham and others who's faith is recorded in Hebrews 11, many of whom died waiting to see the fulfillment of the promises they waited for without losing hope. I marvel because I cannot begin to fathom the depth of their hope in the promises of the Almighty.
Today the shoe is on the other foot. Today it is not the children of Israel who are being sustained with manna, today it is I. Lord you know the bounty I long for. You know the promises I wait to see. Keep me faithful I pray. Forgive me when I murmur, Lord. Continue to nourish and sustain me with your manna, even when I grow impatient and long for yesterday or tomorrow. Help me to remember that yesterday was not what tomorrow will be and to reach tomorrow I must pass through today!
Friday, October 08, 2010
Why, exactly, do I ask?
I wonder how often a chipmunk asks his father to teach him how to fly, or how often a fish asks her mother to teach her how to run. Some things are best not learned. Some goals are best achieved by other means. The path I chose, or request, for reaching a specific objective may well not be the best path for reaching that objective. I ask for patience and God gives me opportunity to exercise patience. I ask for grace and God gives me opportunity to extend grace. Where I had hoped for a divine endowment, God lays out a regimen of exercise. Spiritual disciplines require hard work, they require diligence and commitment.
Romans 5:3b says, "we know that suffering produces perseverance" and James 1:3 reiterates this when it says, "you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance". You want to persevere, you're going to suffer. How often do I ask God for patience, for grace, for mercy and the list goes on, only to be frustrated when my circumstances require me to exercise those disciplines. I guess that's why they're called disciplines and not gifts. If I really want to evidence those things in my life, I need to be willing to work at them.
Really, when one stops to think about it, who benefits most from things like patience, grace, mercy ... disciplines of that nature? Is the the one who exercises it, or the object of it? I guess there is no point in me having the patience of Job if there are no circumstances in my life which require patience, no call for me to have grace until there are those in my life who need grace extended to them. It really begs the question, doesn't it, why do we ask for these disciplines? To be more like Christ, I know. As I am tested by the situations in my life, may I find His character proven in me. May those I encounter experience Jesus as I interact with them.
Romans 5:3b says, "we know that suffering produces perseverance" and James 1:3 reiterates this when it says, "you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance". You want to persevere, you're going to suffer. How often do I ask God for patience, for grace, for mercy and the list goes on, only to be frustrated when my circumstances require me to exercise those disciplines. I guess that's why they're called disciplines and not gifts. If I really want to evidence those things in my life, I need to be willing to work at them.
Really, when one stops to think about it, who benefits most from things like patience, grace, mercy ... disciplines of that nature? Is the the one who exercises it, or the object of it? I guess there is no point in me having the patience of Job if there are no circumstances in my life which require patience, no call for me to have grace until there are those in my life who need grace extended to them. It really begs the question, doesn't it, why do we ask for these disciplines? To be more like Christ, I know. As I am tested by the situations in my life, may I find His character proven in me. May those I encounter experience Jesus as I interact with them.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
I Was Crying ...
Psalm 3: 4 - 6, "I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about."
I love the image these verses invoke. The faith of David at this time is so evident in these verses. He says, "I cried, God answered, I lay down and slept". What an image! I often cry to the LORD and then forget that He has answered me, so I fret and cannot sleep because of the calamity that is about to befall me. David's example is exemplary. It's something God has been trying to show me. When God speaks, when He answers my cries, I have no more cause for fear. I can lay down relaxed and sleep and wake when I'm rested in the full knowledge that God sustains me.
God has spoken and it will be so! This is a non-negotiable fact. Even if ten thousands of people set themselves against me, I don't have any cause for fear. To be able to go to bed and sleep in the face of this, to trust that God will sustain and preserve me when the circumstances seem dire is the most incredible gift. And that, God says, is what He wants for me. To be able to relax in His Word, to be assured enough by what He says that I can lay down and sleep.
What a wonderful God I serve!
I love the image these verses invoke. The faith of David at this time is so evident in these verses. He says, "I cried, God answered, I lay down and slept". What an image! I often cry to the LORD and then forget that He has answered me, so I fret and cannot sleep because of the calamity that is about to befall me. David's example is exemplary. It's something God has been trying to show me. When God speaks, when He answers my cries, I have no more cause for fear. I can lay down relaxed and sleep and wake when I'm rested in the full knowledge that God sustains me.
God has spoken and it will be so! This is a non-negotiable fact. Even if ten thousands of people set themselves against me, I don't have any cause for fear. To be able to go to bed and sleep in the face of this, to trust that God will sustain and preserve me when the circumstances seem dire is the most incredible gift. And that, God says, is what He wants for me. To be able to relax in His Word, to be assured enough by what He says that I can lay down and sleep.
What a wonderful God I serve!
Monday, October 04, 2010
Ice Cream
Forest's mamma said life was like a box of chocolates but for me some days are like ice cream. Today was ice cream. Hard to beat the goodness of ice cream, it's the ultimate comfort food. A nice big bowl of it is bound to make you feel better, provided you can ignore the guilt about the calories.
Today was a day to make me feel better. Better than I've felt in some time. In spite of that, I came to the end of the day with the realization, or at least the perception, that I hadn't picked up any manna today. That saddened me a bit, it's been almost three weeks now since I began this quest and each day has been an adventure. There have been days when I did not intentionally go out to seek manna but when all was said and done, God had fed me.
So, why no manna today? One of my best days in some time and yet nothing from God? Somehow this didn't seem to measure up so I sat to think on it for a bit, to reflect on my day. I acted on a decision I made with the counsel of some the elders in my church. I met with a godly man from my church to seek his advice in some areas of my life. I received an encouraging message from a friend which provided some godly and timely advice.
At that point in my reflection, the tiny bulb in the recesses of my mind lit up and I recalled Psalm 1"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
It's kind of cool when God has me walk out what He's trying to teach me, before He gives me the scripture to go with it. A number of times through the day I couldn't help but be thankful for the godly people who God has placed in my life the last several months. I have received well intentioned counsel from various people in the last while which, while well intended, strayed from from Biblical truth and principles. In reflecting on it today, it struck me how fortunate I am to have godly people speaking truth into my life to serve as a point of reference by which to measure this well intentioned counsel.
I know I've read those verses multiple times in the past. I know I've heard sermons on the importance of godly counsel. I know I've read other scriptures which speak to this. I know that I knew this in my head, had I taken the time to think about it but it's so much more refreshing when God takes His Word and makes it alive. When He teaches it to me through application and then tops it off with His Word as if to say, I'm not teaching you anything that I haven't been teaching for years but I wanted to take the time to teach it to you individually. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me. How much I value you. I Almighty God, took the time to spend with you today so that you would know in your heart, as well as in your head, the importance of godly counsel.
Today was like ice cream, it was wonderful dessert.
Today was a day to make me feel better. Better than I've felt in some time. In spite of that, I came to the end of the day with the realization, or at least the perception, that I hadn't picked up any manna today. That saddened me a bit, it's been almost three weeks now since I began this quest and each day has been an adventure. There have been days when I did not intentionally go out to seek manna but when all was said and done, God had fed me.
So, why no manna today? One of my best days in some time and yet nothing from God? Somehow this didn't seem to measure up so I sat to think on it for a bit, to reflect on my day. I acted on a decision I made with the counsel of some the elders in my church. I met with a godly man from my church to seek his advice in some areas of my life. I received an encouraging message from a friend which provided some godly and timely advice.
At that point in my reflection, the tiny bulb in the recesses of my mind lit up and I recalled Psalm 1"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
It's kind of cool when God has me walk out what He's trying to teach me, before He gives me the scripture to go with it. A number of times through the day I couldn't help but be thankful for the godly people who God has placed in my life the last several months. I have received well intentioned counsel from various people in the last while which, while well intended, strayed from from Biblical truth and principles. In reflecting on it today, it struck me how fortunate I am to have godly people speaking truth into my life to serve as a point of reference by which to measure this well intentioned counsel.
I know I've read those verses multiple times in the past. I know I've heard sermons on the importance of godly counsel. I know I've read other scriptures which speak to this. I know that I knew this in my head, had I taken the time to think about it but it's so much more refreshing when God takes His Word and makes it alive. When He teaches it to me through application and then tops it off with His Word as if to say, I'm not teaching you anything that I haven't been teaching for years but I wanted to take the time to teach it to you individually. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me. How much I value you. I Almighty God, took the time to spend with you today so that you would know in your heart, as well as in your head, the importance of godly counsel.
Today was like ice cream, it was wonderful dessert.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Even Though ...
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23
I'd like to think that with God on my side the sun would shine everyday with just enough rainfall to sustain healthy life. I'd like to think that God's favour and His blessings would mean that I would live in bounty and not have a care in the world. I'd like to think that being a Christian was like having a genie in a bottle. But it's not!
God promises that the sun will shine on the just and the unjust. He promises rain for the just and the unjust. Being God's child does not, as a rule, put me outside of the natural. I may experience some miracles, but as a general principle I still function within the boundaries of a world infested with sin.
The psalmist realized this and captures it so well when he writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," David recognized that even God's chosen have experiences where they have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. One writer defined this as "the perils of life". The things which threaten my very existence. Even then, David says, "I will fear no evil". Even when I'm taken into the very dwelling place of that which seeks to destroy me, to take my life from me, I will not be afraid.
I won't be afraid because the LORD is my shepherd. His rod and His staff they comfort me. Oh to be in such a relationship with God that I could say that with confidence and boldness. To be able to recognize His rod and His staff as instruments of guidance and protection. To know with certainty that even though the shadow of death casts over me as I enter the valley, I have no cause for fear. To have that blessed assurance.
Oh LORD, I pray, draw me closer each day, that I may in confidence proclaim that I fear no evil. That even in the shadow, I see Your glorious light.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
They comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23
I'd like to think that with God on my side the sun would shine everyday with just enough rainfall to sustain healthy life. I'd like to think that God's favour and His blessings would mean that I would live in bounty and not have a care in the world. I'd like to think that being a Christian was like having a genie in a bottle. But it's not!
God promises that the sun will shine on the just and the unjust. He promises rain for the just and the unjust. Being God's child does not, as a rule, put me outside of the natural. I may experience some miracles, but as a general principle I still function within the boundaries of a world infested with sin.
The psalmist realized this and captures it so well when he writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," David recognized that even God's chosen have experiences where they have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. One writer defined this as "the perils of life". The things which threaten my very existence. Even then, David says, "I will fear no evil". Even when I'm taken into the very dwelling place of that which seeks to destroy me, to take my life from me, I will not be afraid.
I won't be afraid because the LORD is my shepherd. His rod and His staff they comfort me. Oh to be in such a relationship with God that I could say that with confidence and boldness. To be able to recognize His rod and His staff as instruments of guidance and protection. To know with certainty that even though the shadow of death casts over me as I enter the valley, I have no cause for fear. To have that blessed assurance.
Oh LORD, I pray, draw me closer each day, that I may in confidence proclaim that I fear no evil. That even in the shadow, I see Your glorious light.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Sometimes I Need an Anthem
Today was one of those days. One of those days when the world felt all wrong. One of those days when I could as easily have stayed in my pyjamas all day and just huddled under a quilt. God, if He existed, seemed to have forgotten I exist as well. I had almost decided that I could use my sore back as an excuse for being housebound for the day and crawled into the inner recesses of my mind when something (or Someone) drove me outside. I decided that any injury I could inflict on myself putting siding on my garden shed was preferable to the injury I was likely to inflict on myself crawling around in morose self-pity. So out into the fresh air I went, after changing out of my pyjamas.
The human mind is an amazing thing. At least it amazes me. When I was in grade one, our teacher had us memorize scripture. The days of that happening in public school are long gone ... does that date me? Anyhow, one of the many verses she had us memorize was Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee". Hiding things in our heart is what amazes me. It seems as though, if we're willing to file the data, God is more than happy to access and replay it at the most opportune times. So back to this afternoon ... I'm outside putting siding on my shed, just trying to focus and to function. Not giving a whole lot of thought to God, His word or anything of that nature when into the back of my mind creeps a song. An old song which I've not heard for a long, long time. A song which was hidden in my heart.
The words pushed their way into my consciousness and would not relent ... "this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long". It brought me up short. Praising my Saviour all the day long ... how had I forgotten that, how had I allowed "me" to stand in the way of that? And so I started probing my memory for more of the lyrics and was amazed at the words I recalled. I decided to make "Blessed Assurance" my anthem for the day, the standard I would carry.
Blessed Assurance (Fanny J. Crosby)
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above,
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
It's hard to nurture self pity, hard to feel hard done by when one considers the words of this hymn. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit and on and on. Some days I need an anthem. Today God gave me this one, hidden away so many years ago.
Blessed assurance indeed!
The human mind is an amazing thing. At least it amazes me. When I was in grade one, our teacher had us memorize scripture. The days of that happening in public school are long gone ... does that date me? Anyhow, one of the many verses she had us memorize was Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee". Hiding things in our heart is what amazes me. It seems as though, if we're willing to file the data, God is more than happy to access and replay it at the most opportune times. So back to this afternoon ... I'm outside putting siding on my shed, just trying to focus and to function. Not giving a whole lot of thought to God, His word or anything of that nature when into the back of my mind creeps a song. An old song which I've not heard for a long, long time. A song which was hidden in my heart.
The words pushed their way into my consciousness and would not relent ... "this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long". It brought me up short. Praising my Saviour all the day long ... how had I forgotten that, how had I allowed "me" to stand in the way of that? And so I started probing my memory for more of the lyrics and was amazed at the words I recalled. I decided to make "Blessed Assurance" my anthem for the day, the standard I would carry.
Blessed Assurance (Fanny J. Crosby)
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above,
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
It's hard to nurture self pity, hard to feel hard done by when one considers the words of this hymn. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit and on and on. Some days I need an anthem. Today God gave me this one, hidden away so many years ago.
Blessed assurance indeed!
Friday, October 01, 2010
Traded
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
Yes, I know traded doesn't properly convey the letter of this verse. In reality I've been rescued from one kingdom, the dominion of darkness, and I've been relocated into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Now kingdoms and all that goes along with them is kind of lost on most of us in Western society. What I do get, however, is the concept of rival teams. Each with distinctive colours, each with loyal fans (subjects) and players who will pour their all into making their team the pre-eminent one. Until they're traded ... and then the colours change, the loyalty changes and new allegiances are forged.
I've been traded. I no longer play for the D.o.D. (Dominion of Darkness), I'm now a member of the Kingdom of the Son. I'm a full fledged citizen. I have all the rights and all the responsibilities of any team member. I even get to wear the colours. As a matter of fact, the coach / team owner wants me to wear the colours of my new team.
It's interesting how God weaves threads through our lives, through the things He shows us / teaches us. When I read Colossians 1:13 it didn't dawn on me that it would circle back to Habits. My habits, the colours I wear, do they represent the team I belong to?
Colossians 1:13
I've been traded. I no longer play for the D.o.D. (Dominion of Darkness), I'm now a member of the Kingdom of the Son. I'm a full fledged citizen. I have all the rights and all the responsibilities of any team member. I even get to wear the colours. As a matter of fact, the coach / team owner wants me to wear the colours of my new team.
It's interesting how God weaves threads through our lives, through the things He shows us / teaches us. When I read Colossians 1:13 it didn't dawn on me that it would circle back to Habits. My habits, the colours I wear, do they represent the team I belong to?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Not quite a break
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!
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!
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