Wednesday, February 27, 2013

An Invitation to Experiance God's Benevolence

My granddaughter was sitting on the floor with her hands reaching up asking for help asking for someone to show her mercy. First her little brother reached down to her and with one quick jerk of her hand he found himself toppled. Next, her little sister tried and soon all three were on the floor together. None of her siblings had the adequate resources to meet her need for assistance so they ended up on the floor beside her. I often feel this way when I am confronted by others in need of mercy.

Jesus told His disciples, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:36 What does God's mercy look like? God's mercy is not just a feeling it's not just pity it's power! "For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and abundant in mercy to all who call on you." Psalm 86:5 Other translations say,"O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you, full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you, abundant in loving kindness  to all who call on you." God's mercy is seen in His abundant, unfailing, steadfast love when I call on Him in my time of need. My cry for help is met by His loving kindness and His abundance.

I have a confession to make when I am confronted with the overwhelming needs of others I am often overwhelmed. I do feel mercy by my mercy is an emotion more than anything else. I feel sad and sorry that someone else is going through a difficult time but I think the Bible is talking about something more than an emotional response to another persons pain.

In Romans 12:8 we are told to show mercy with cheerfulness. This is the only time this Greek word for cheerfulness is used in the Bible. This word carries with it the Greek idea of cheerfulness because it is associated with divine benevolence. What I understand from this verse is that I am to respond to the need of those around me with cheerfulness knowing that I have the resources of God to call on.

Lord Jesus, I confess I often respond to the pain of those around me with a since of panic. Please forgive my lack of faith. Help me to recognize instead that You are inviting me into You storehouse. You are inviting me not just to experience but to share You abundant, unfailing, steadfast love in the form of mercy. And thank you too that Your mercy is always followed by peace both for me and the one to whom I am showing Your mercy.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Somethings Have to be Broken

Somethings have to be broken before they can be useful. I have a barrel of grain that I use for making bread. My grandchildren love to thrust their hands deep into the barrel and feel the smooth grain flowing around their fingers. But it's only when I grind the grain that I can use it to make bread.

Somethings have to be broken before they can be useful. When I bake bread the house is filled with the tantalizing smell of fresh baked bread. The delicious aroma usually draws my family into the kitchen to see what is coming out of the oven. The crusty warm bread sits on my counter but it's not until the bread is broken and eaten that it yields it's strength.

Somethings have to be broken before they can be useful. Simon Peter had been one the first men who chose to leave everything behind and follow Jesus. He was chosen to be one of the twelve apostles. He was there with Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration and saw Jesus glorified. When Jesus asked, "Who do men say I am?" Peter was quick to respond, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) He was sure of who he was he knew his place no wonder he was confused when Jesus say, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and once you have turned again, strengthen you brothers" (Luke 22:31,32)

Somethings have to be broken before they can be useful. This is a true statement to make use of the grain I must first crush it yet, "Bread grain is crushed, but is not threshed endlessly."(Isaiah 28:28) The bread I bake is broken so that it can nourish my family. Satan wanted to destroy Peter but Jesus used this darkest chapter of Peter's life to establish him. Because Peter was broken he was given a message to a broken world that there is a living hope. We may be broken but we will not be threshed endlessly because we have a Savior who is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Savior and my Redeemer. I confess I do not like to be broken. Sometimes I am even fearful when I see those I love being sifted. Thank you for Your promise that you are praying for me and those I love just like you did for Peter.

Friday, February 22, 2013

A Martyr's Misunderstanding.

She grit her teeth and hissed, "I do my work to the glory of God!" She saw herself as someone who was obeying Christ. She had chosen to obey the words of Jesus when He said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) But I wonder did she really understand what Jesus was saying and were the people around her who had to endure her sighs and anger really seeing the glory of God?

So what does it look like to follow Jesus to be one who chooses to do their work to the glory of God? When I think of doing my work to the glory of God I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

When I don't put Jesus' words in the context of the gospel I can end up with a martyr's complex, seeking my own glory with a cold and bitter spirit. What exactly am I supposed to deny myself? What am I putting to death? "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24) "Now the works of the flesh are evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies,and things like these." (Galatians 5:19)

But there is more to following Jesus than just putting to death the things of the flesh, other religions do that too. If I am a true follower of Jesus then I am also walking in the Spirit. The works of the flesh are evident but then again so is the fruit of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22,23) It is only when I am both crucifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit that my life is being lived to the glory of God and his light is shining in my heart.

Lord Jesus, I want to follow You but I am aware I have often deceived myself with a martyr's complex complete with enmity, fits of anger and strife. Please help me be humble and honest and deny my flesh so that I can walk in Your Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit looks far more inviting than the works of my flesh!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Don't Pull the Golden Thread

When my children were younger I read them a story about a little boy named Peter who was given a magic silver ball. From this silver ball there dangled a silken golden thread and if he pulled the thread he could make time go faster. However, he was warned that once the thread had been pulled out it could not be pushed back in. Once the tread was pulled out the time would disappear like a puff of smoke.

I am in a place in life where I am very aware how quickly time passes. In my memory I can trace the different seasons of my life. I see the pictures of years gone by. I treasure now the very moments I would have missed if I had been able to simply pull the thread. I imagine piles of delicate silken tread that represent the golden memories I would have missed.

I am also aware that for those who are in a different season of life there is a since of impatience a longing to move on to the next stage of life. I remember impatiently waiting for what would come next. When I was finally old enough to go to college I could hardly wait to be married. When my husband was in seminary I daydreamed about when he would have a church. Then I waited to have children but that wasn't enough. Next, I just wanted to sleep through the night undisturbed. If I had had the magic thread I would have been yanking on that thing all the time!

There is a gift that God has given but I think it is a gift that no one really wants. It is the gift of patience. This is the gift He offers me instead of a magic thread. Because there is no magic thread to pull to make the unpleasant boring times go by faster God invites me to learn to accept the bad with the good.

Lord, as I sit sorting through my memories I thank You for the things you taught me while I was waiting for life to really begin.

Monday, February 18, 2013

"Blessed is the One Who Is Not Offended"

Though her head was bowed I saw her tears, I knew her story and understood her pain. She wanted to trust God, she wanted to believe but the blinding pain of her circumstances seemed to be blocking the light of His presents. I understood. I've been there.

Sometimes to walk by faith, being sure of what you hope for and confident about what you don't see, is just plain hard and it doesn't seem to make any since at all. Sometimes in this painful dark place comes the sympathetic whisper of doubt, "You don't deserve this kind of treatment! What kind of God would treat His faithful followers this way?" The hope, the confidence in God's love and promises, feels strangled by the presence of pain. The voice of doubt mocks the very idea of a faith that is confident about what it doesn't see and instead points to the hard evidence of what is being experienced.

I see this pattern repeated over and over through out the Scripture. In fact I think that true faith is seen only in the lives of those who have experienced circumstances that brought them to places of sincere doubt. When I look at John the baptist I see a man who recognized Jesus while he was still in his mother's womb. A man known for being fearless and bold in what he believed, yet, when he was put in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

"In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight." (Luke 7:21) While John's disciples watched Jesus fulled prophecies performing miracles that showed He was the Messiah. Jesus told John's disciples to go tell John what they had seen and heard. However, Jesus did not explain to John why he was in prison. Somethings can only be understood by seeing your life as part of the bigger story that is being told.

Lord Jesus, You told John, "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me." I realize that I am offended when I no longer look at my life in the light of the Kingdom. Lord, let me not be blinded by the things I don't understand. Bestow on me the ability to see my life with the perspective of Your Kingdom!


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Not By Tightning the Reigns but Relinquishing them

When I was younger every year would begin with a New Year's Resolution. Each resolution involved a way I had chosen to put self-control into practice and have as a byproduct a newer better version of myself. This morning I read something by Selwyn Hughes that pointed to others who use this technique for bettering themselves. "Confucianism taught that self-control would help produce the "superior" man. Hinduism thinks self-control will produce the "realized" man. Stoicism thought self-control produced the "detached" man. Modern cults believe self-control produces the "happy" man."

What I have learned is that the life I am seeking is not found in holding the reigns a little tighter but in relinquishing them altogether. "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."(Romans 12:1,2)

My self-control resolution always left me feeling that instead of being able to control my bad habits I was enslaved to them. My attempts to be set free only emphasized their power over me. But this is contrary to what I see taught in Scripture. "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."(Galatians 5:16)

Not being conformed to this world, walking by the Spirit, this is what I really want. I am amazed at how Confucianism, Hinduism, Stoicism, and modern cults offer something that looks like what I'm seeking in their use of self-control. In the end I must ask myself am I seeking self-control or and I seeking communion with Jesus Christ, seeking self-control places me in bondage seeking Jesus sets me free.

Lord Jesus, today I seek communion with You. Thank You that the fruit of communion with Your Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and oh yes, self-control.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

With the Eyes Of Childlike Faith

He spoke with great authority about creation, the universe and the heavens. I greatly respected the man who was speaking but there was something missing in his explanation, there was no place for God. I wanted to say something but I didn't. I had remained silent because I was intimidated by his intellect.

When I woke up this morning I was reminded of something Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."(Matthew 18:3) In Wesley's Notes it says,"The first step toward entering into the kingdom of grace, is to become as little children: lowly in heart, knowing yourself ignorant and helpless and hanging wholly on your Father who is in heaven, for supply of all your wants." I realize that the only way I can explain what I believe is to explain it through the eyes of my childlike faith.

Through the eyes of my childlike faith I believe that, "Faith is the the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."(Hebrews 11:1-3) Because my faith is in God this is what I understand.

Through the eyes of my childlike faith I read that Jesus spoke to the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. Jesus asked them "Where is your faith?" I look at this story with childlike wonder and believe that, "He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1: 16,17) It is in Jesus, the image of the invisible God, that I put my faith.

Through the eyes of my childlike faith I believe, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."(Genesis 1:1) But there is more to my childlike faith, I believe that one day heaven and earth will pass away. I believe John when he said,"I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying not pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)

Lord Jesus, I see You with the eyes of my childlike faith and I hear you say, "Surely I am coming soon." (Revelation 22:20) How else can I respond but, "Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!"

Monday, February 11, 2013

Revealing True Identity

When you're a little girl from a big family it is very important that you establish your identify early on. My oldest brother secured the title as "the smart one" my next brother, though he too was very smart, chose to be known as the "athletic one." I worked hard at being good, very good, and I must have been successful because my nickname was "Saint Sarah."

Peter had a clear understanding in his own mind of his identity. He was so sure of himself that when Jesus told Peter that Satan had demanded to have him and sift him like wheat Peter responded by saying,"Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." (Luke 22 31-34)  I feel quite certain he meant what he said!

Psalm 15 asks the question, "O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?" Then it goes on to tell that the one gets to sojourn with the Lord is, "He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart." I think Peter and I share this in common that we would be the ones reading this Psalm and thinking, "That's me, my walk is blameless. I'd be willing to do anything God asked me to do." But seeing the truth in your heart only comes after you have been shifted like wheat.

Peter knew the truth in his heart when after Jesus had been arrested, spit at, slapped and beaten He turned to looked at Peter who was warming himself by the fire and denying that he had anything to do with "this man". Peter went out and wept bitterly when he saw who he really was. But Jesus had known Peter's heart all a long. Peter was a man in need of a Savior and a Redeemer. When Jesus had told Peter that he would be sifted like wheat Jesus had told him something else too. "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Lord Jesus, not only have I been able to see who I really am in seasons of testing, I have also been able to see who You are. When I have found myself weeping because of the truth of what was really in my heart I have heard Your voice inviting me to put my faith in You as my Redeemer and sojourn with You.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Questioning What You Believe Is Not the Same As Shrinking Back

I looked around at the books in the Christian bookstore where I was working and wondered, "Does God really exist or is this simply a farce?" It was during my first year of marriage and my husband was in the hospital with complications he was having from his cancer treatments. I was tired. During the day I worked, at night I took care of my sick husband.

I think in life we all come to this place where we honestly question what we believe. John the Baptist had cried out when he saw Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! This is he of whom I said,'After me comes a man who ranks before me.'" (John 1:29,30) Yet, when John was put in prison by Herod John sent word to Jesus by his disciples and asked Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Luke 7:19)

Jesus didn't condemn John for his question but while John's disciples were there he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. Then he said, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard...And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." (Luke 7:22) Could it be that John might be offended by Jesus because being in a prison cell during the height of Jesus' ministry didn't fit with what he believed?

In the book of Habakkuk and again in Hebrews I read, "My righteous one shall live by faith, and if  he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38) Throughout my life in times of testing I have brought my questions and yes even my doubts to God in prayer. These times of testing have both purified what I believed and clarified it. Habakkuk brought his complaints to God, John brought his doubts, but neither of them shrank back from what they believed.

Lord Jesus, there are times when I simply do not understand what is happening in my life or why You are allowing it to happen. Please grant me the grace to live my life by faith being sure of what I hope for and confident about what I don't see. You gave John a commendation in spite of the questions he had. Thank You for understanding my questioning as well. Help me to be like Habakkuk even though he brought his complaints to you ended his book by saying, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield not food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord , is my strength  he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."(Habakkuk 3:19)


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Mercy Can Be Messy

"Sarah, hurting people hurt people." I listened to what she said but as I walked away I thought to myself, "I'll never let my heart become hard like hers." I was young and untested.

Jesus' commandment seems so simple,"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36) But what I have found out is that mercy is messy. It's messy because often people who need mercy are hurting and wounded and they don't respond in the way I think they should. Once I spent the day driving someone around who didn't have a car trying to find aid for them. At the end of the day I found they had emptied my wallet.

My husband and I have opened our home many different times to many different people each time I have discovered new things about who I am. The pressure of having other people in my home did not cause me to have a hard heart it just exposed the hard heart that was there all along. When people said to me, "I couldn't do what you're doing." I found myself thinking, "I can't do it either!"

According to Unger's Bible Dictionary, "mercy" is defined as: "a form of love determined by the state or condition of its object. Their state is one of suffering and need, while they may be unworthy or ill-deserving. Mercy is, at once the disposition of love respecting such, and the kindly ministry of love for their relief." What I have discovered is that when I reach out to others with a desire to be merciful I expose my own need for God's mercy.

Lord Jesus, You told those who wanted to follow you to be merciful even as the Father is merciful. Thank You for showing me who I really am, thank You for loving me even though I am unworthy and ill-deserving. You are the healer of my hardened heart You meet me where I am and my weary soul finds it's resting place in You. Lord Jesus, help me share with others the mercy You have shared with me and help me to always give with a humble heart.


Saturday, February 2, 2013

When the Attic Overflows

As I stood at the doorway of the attic that was filled with memories I was confronted by dolls that had at one time greeted my daughters on Christmas morning,and a top hat that my son had worn to the prom. It would be impossible to walk in or even into this room because it was crammed full of things from the past.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) My attic reminds me of all the different seasons of my life. I think I have kept mementos of each stage of my children's life, perhaps to many mementos. Sometimes I have held onto to things that belonged to a season that has pasted because I'm not willing to accept that time has pasted. I find myself lost in memories holding empty baby clothes that at one time belonged to my grown children.

"He has made everything beautiful in its own time," (Ecclesiastes 3:11) In order for me to appreciate the beauty of the season I'm in I must let go of what is past. The seasons and times are very distinct. " A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh..." (Ecclesiastes 3)

I realize to live life fully I must embrace the season I am in. In order for me to do this I must humble myself and trust the one who is the potentate of time. I must rest in the order that God has established. I find myself wanting things to remain the same wanting the comfort of the familiar but standing here at the doorway to the attic I am reminded that, "There is a time to keep, and a time to cast away."

Father, I know that the only way for me to truly see the beauty of life is to see it with the perspective of eternity. Help me to see my relationship to time as I humble myself and acknowledge my relationship to You.