I feel a fresh understanding of something I often considered, but needed to be challenged in, wash over.
Forgiving others as we are forgiven.
I believe wholeheartedly that this is not a command given to us by God as a "suggestion" to help us gain peace.
To those who have been given much, much is expected.
Consider others better than yourself.
Love one another.
Turn the other cheek.
This is what sets us apart from unbelievers.
Our love and our willingness to forgive.
Our willingness to do unto others as we would have them do, regardless of what they have done.
But do we really do this?
Do we take the the ugly criminal of a grudge, fueled by self righteousness, and do we battle it head on, not relenting till it is completely defeated?
Or do we beat it till we grow tired and then brush it under the carpet, it is weak for a time, but grows stronger, yet out of sight, subtly.
Do we put others before ourselves when it conveniences us?
Or perhaps when we are faced with our own sin and desire a quick feeling of restitution that soothes our wounded spirit?
What if we were able to let go of all pretense, humble ourselves, and swallow our prides, and offer the cup of true forgiveness?
I struggle to know what that even looks like? It doesn't say "I forgive" yet harbor unspoken resentment. It doesn't "forget" the sin until something else happens and then it is remembered with fierce recollection.
Its to go to that person who rubs you the wrong way, who makes your life difficult, who is abrasive, obnoxious, smug. It is to take the basin of water and wrap your cloak around you and kneel and remove their sandals and wash their feet.
Oh, that I would know this level of humility. It feels like a discipline, a depth of holiness, that I am far from grasping. But I desire it, I know in my heart it is worthy of seeking.
Forgive, as you have been forgiven.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
If God Seems Far Away, Who Moved?
How great is our God?
How just is He?!
How merciful His hand in my life?!
Who am I that He is mindful of me?
I am but a human.
Nothing, apart from my Creator.
Yet He pours Himself out in me.
He knits my life's moments and experiences.
And sinful is my nature.
Except His nature is in me, so it is not.
How beyond my understanding are His ways?
Yet they are worked together for my gain.
Life is but a blip.
And my life is but a mist.
And my purpose is to glorify Him.
How shamefully I fail.
My prayer can only be for His presence to complete me.
Oh God, how you complete me!
I am a grain of sand, with You there is an endless desert of it.
I am a drop of water, with You there is an endless sea.
In my weakness, He is made strong!
And so, how strong He is made!
For my weakness is great, His strength is greater!
Be magnified, O Lord!
May the whole earth sing of Your praises!
May every breath grant You glory!
May every word utter of Your great love!
How just is He?!
How merciful His hand in my life?!
Who am I that He is mindful of me?
I am but a human.
Nothing, apart from my Creator.
Yet He pours Himself out in me.
He knits my life's moments and experiences.
And sinful is my nature.
Except His nature is in me, so it is not.
How beyond my understanding are His ways?
Yet they are worked together for my gain.
Life is but a blip.
And my life is but a mist.
And my purpose is to glorify Him.
How shamefully I fail.
My prayer can only be for His presence to complete me.
Oh God, how you complete me!
I am a grain of sand, with You there is an endless desert of it.
I am a drop of water, with You there is an endless sea.
In my weakness, He is made strong!
And so, how strong He is made!
For my weakness is great, His strength is greater!
Be magnified, O Lord!
May the whole earth sing of Your praises!
May every breath grant You glory!
May every word utter of Your great love!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
That NONE Should Perish
"God has shown me that He doesn't think anyone is unclean or unfit" -Acts 10:28
The Lord has pointed out a common element as I've read through the gospels and Acts, and now Romans; along with points made in church, Bible study, in books I'm reading and what I've heard on the radio, and I love the way the Lord weaves His point through different threads in my life till it is permanently imprinted on my heart.
GOD LOVES EVERYONE.
Simple, in theory, to nod and to agree. But to claim of the most hateful people we can think of? ehhhh......
Its intrigued me the way that God unfolded His plan for all peoples through the disciples. How strange it must have been for them. Jews set apart as God's children is all they ever knew. They built their lives around this truth, as did their ancestors. They completely disassociated themselves from any other culture based on this truth. And now that was all changing.
Jesus eats with the tax collectors. He's chatting up samaritan women!
You can ALMOST empathize with the Pharisee's who's knickers were tied in knots over this. We don't handle change well, do we? We cling to what we know to be true with all our strength because that's where we are most comfortable. Of this I am shamefully guilty.
Post resurrection, its finally clicking with the disciples, this message of Jesus Christ, thanks in large part to the gift of the Holy Spirit. They are nodding in a collective, "oooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, THATS what He meant!" They are taking the Good News to the far ends of the earth! Paul made it His mission in life, once the Lord got hold of his soul, to reach out to the very people He was far too indignant to acknowledge in his pre-Demascus days!
Don't you love that our God is a God who shows NO partiality?! Who loves every sinner who ever lived and whoever will live?!
It sort of baffles me, the prejudice in Jesus' day. Those Jews, they really considered themselves superior. I mean, God had set them apart, but to not even acknowledge others because they were not Jewish? We circle back to that often. Sadly, racial prejudice, although not legal, still exists at catastrophic degrees in our very country today. And aren't we (generally speaking) a nation of snobs? We cast off others for every reason in the book!!
We ought to see others as Jesus does. We ought to embrace those who are different than us, not as right/wrong, but as uniquely designed by the Maker of Life! To that woman who has a rough, blunt personality. To that guy who insists on showing off all his possessions repeatedly. To that neighbor who relays the story of her husband's passing and her dog's various ailments every time you say hello. Oh, Lord, You love them all, just as You love me! Please let me not judge or condemn those who aren't "enough" like me. I pray I'll see them as You see them, dearly loved! Thank You, Jesus, that You did not come to earth to offer salvation to only the best of the best, for which I would never come close to qualifying. But You adore every single soul, and died on the cross for each and every person. Be glorified for your unwavering and relentless love, Lord! Amen.
The Lord has pointed out a common element as I've read through the gospels and Acts, and now Romans; along with points made in church, Bible study, in books I'm reading and what I've heard on the radio, and I love the way the Lord weaves His point through different threads in my life till it is permanently imprinted on my heart.
GOD LOVES EVERYONE.
Simple, in theory, to nod and to agree. But to claim of the most hateful people we can think of? ehhhh......
Its intrigued me the way that God unfolded His plan for all peoples through the disciples. How strange it must have been for them. Jews set apart as God's children is all they ever knew. They built their lives around this truth, as did their ancestors. They completely disassociated themselves from any other culture based on this truth. And now that was all changing.
Jesus eats with the tax collectors. He's chatting up samaritan women!
You can ALMOST empathize with the Pharisee's who's knickers were tied in knots over this. We don't handle change well, do we? We cling to what we know to be true with all our strength because that's where we are most comfortable. Of this I am shamefully guilty.
Post resurrection, its finally clicking with the disciples, this message of Jesus Christ, thanks in large part to the gift of the Holy Spirit. They are nodding in a collective, "oooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, THATS what He meant!" They are taking the Good News to the far ends of the earth! Paul made it His mission in life, once the Lord got hold of his soul, to reach out to the very people He was far too indignant to acknowledge in his pre-Demascus days!
Don't you love that our God is a God who shows NO partiality?! Who loves every sinner who ever lived and whoever will live?!
It sort of baffles me, the prejudice in Jesus' day. Those Jews, they really considered themselves superior. I mean, God had set them apart, but to not even acknowledge others because they were not Jewish? We circle back to that often. Sadly, racial prejudice, although not legal, still exists at catastrophic degrees in our very country today. And aren't we (generally speaking) a nation of snobs? We cast off others for every reason in the book!!
We ought to see others as Jesus does. We ought to embrace those who are different than us, not as right/wrong, but as uniquely designed by the Maker of Life! To that woman who has a rough, blunt personality. To that guy who insists on showing off all his possessions repeatedly. To that neighbor who relays the story of her husband's passing and her dog's various ailments every time you say hello. Oh, Lord, You love them all, just as You love me! Please let me not judge or condemn those who aren't "enough" like me. I pray I'll see them as You see them, dearly loved! Thank You, Jesus, that You did not come to earth to offer salvation to only the best of the best, for which I would never come close to qualifying. But You adore every single soul, and died on the cross for each and every person. Be glorified for your unwavering and relentless love, Lord! Amen.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Prayers of My Heart
Lord, give me Your eyes so that I can see as you see. I want to to view others in the light of Your love and Your mercy. I want to cast off all the trappings of this world, the cultural views that poison the pure heart. In the most righteous and godly sense, I want to live my life with eternal perspective, I want my actions to reflect an eternally minded heart and soul. I don't want to wait till death to begin living fully for You. My eyes have scales, Lord. I recognize that my vision is impaired, my heart is still calloused. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Give me open arms and open doors.
Lord, I just want to honor You with my life. I can't figure out what that looks like on a daily basis, but I hope that each day, as I seek You, You will show me clearly. Help me to be busy, help me to be kind and forgiving. Help me to consider others better than myself. Help me to act in confidence of who I am as Your child. Thank You for loving me so dearly. Thank You for giving my life purpose. Thank You for the masterful and supernatural way You weave our lives together and guide us along the path of righteousness. May all glory be Yours forever and ever. In the precious and Holy Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Lord, I just want to honor You with my life. I can't figure out what that looks like on a daily basis, but I hope that each day, as I seek You, You will show me clearly. Help me to be busy, help me to be kind and forgiving. Help me to consider others better than myself. Help me to act in confidence of who I am as Your child. Thank You for loving me so dearly. Thank You for giving my life purpose. Thank You for the masterful and supernatural way You weave our lives together and guide us along the path of righteousness. May all glory be Yours forever and ever. In the precious and Holy Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
One Thousand Gifts
I was recently wooed by an unexpected treasure in the bookstore. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp has revolutionized my thinking in what I believe is a beautiful and God-pleasing way. This book is beautifully and artfully written in a way that awakens all senses. However, the driving message between the covers is what has had the biggest impact on my life.
The challenge is to give thanks, in all circumstances. To swim against the current of lamenting, of focusing on our have-nots and woe-is-me's. And to count your blessings instead. I always considered myself one who is easily amused. I can stare at a sunset with complete infatuation. I relish the sounds of my children in the next room, chattering away. I could go on and on. But this practice of literally counting ways to thank our Father in heaven, to literally list them with pen on paper, it has me subconsciously seeking to find the treasures of blessings, gifts, that God has lavished on us each and everyday. And I'm hopelessly hooked. I find myself slowing down even more to take in my surroundings. And in this act of seeking, I have found no time for lamenting. Daydreaming of "what if's" and "if only's" has lost its hold on me.
Oh, how I wish this increasing joy for everyone. Please do not let me discount that this act is nothing if it is simply noticing nice things. It is acknowledging the Giver of these gifts, it is lifting up His name for all that He has bestowed to us, His created, THAT is the point. HE has given us so much. And HE deserves our eternal and total gratitude and worship. Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!!!
And so I am in the process of collecting my own list, 1000 gifts. I am currently on #68 and God is so good!
The challenge is to give thanks, in all circumstances. To swim against the current of lamenting, of focusing on our have-nots and woe-is-me's. And to count your blessings instead. I always considered myself one who is easily amused. I can stare at a sunset with complete infatuation. I relish the sounds of my children in the next room, chattering away. I could go on and on. But this practice of literally counting ways to thank our Father in heaven, to literally list them with pen on paper, it has me subconsciously seeking to find the treasures of blessings, gifts, that God has lavished on us each and everyday. And I'm hopelessly hooked. I find myself slowing down even more to take in my surroundings. And in this act of seeking, I have found no time for lamenting. Daydreaming of "what if's" and "if only's" has lost its hold on me.
Oh, how I wish this increasing joy for everyone. Please do not let me discount that this act is nothing if it is simply noticing nice things. It is acknowledging the Giver of these gifts, it is lifting up His name for all that He has bestowed to us, His created, THAT is the point. HE has given us so much. And HE deserves our eternal and total gratitude and worship. Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!!!
And so I am in the process of collecting my own list, 1000 gifts. I am currently on #68 and God is so good!
Monday, February 28, 2011
And my heart cries out...
Holy. Holy. Holy.
...I consider things A LOT. I'm always in thought, but it occurs to me that as much as I contemplate, I seldom arrive at a conclusion... {-randomness}
I have, on my heart, a matter that weighs heavily. After this weekend's sermon about worrying, I have considered, "Am I worried about this? Or burdened?" But I believe, I am simply grieving this matter, while also enduring, and seeking to persevere through it. A loved one, who's thinking is SO 10,000 miles in the wrong direction that for some she might seem hopeless. But my God is THE God of hope!
While I am not convinced that I am worrying over this matter (I do believe the Lord is in control) I might be a tad anxious as to how to act, how to show love without enabling poor choices.
In the past I would agonize, but right now I am determined to take it to Scripture. And thanks to this weekend's sermon, I am armed with Philippians 4:6-7 fresh on my mind, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." And so I pray. Asking for wisdom and discernment. Thankful for the truths I know that God hears my prayers, answers them, provides me according to His glorious riches. And I surrender my anxiety. :)
Several days ago, the Lord put Psalm 23 on my heart. This is a passage of scripture that is ofte
n quoted, memorized by children, etc. But I don't think I've ever taken the time to hide it in my own heart. So I felt prompted to commit it to memory, and since then, I've had reasons to claim it daily.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads my 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 for me in the presence of my enemies. You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Praise God! Amen!
And today, God drew me to another bit of Scripture, Psalm 94:18,19 "When I said,'my foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.'"
And so, through all of this, how can I not do anything but rejoice. Though my heart at times feels heavy, never am I without help, His yoke to help me carry it. And not only that, but to know that it is not without purpose, a good purpose, one that even benefits me, which sounds selfish in a way, but more than that, to me, it shows evidence that the Lord is alive and active in my own life :) and so I can faithfully say, with God by my side right now, that "I consider it pure joy to face [these trials] because I know the testing of my faith develops perseverence." James 1:2
I pray this peace for everyone! Its so marvelous!!! :)
...I consider things A LOT. I'm always in thought, but it occurs to me that as much as I contemplate, I seldom arrive at a conclusion... {-randomness}
I have, on my heart, a matter that weighs heavily. After this weekend's sermon about worrying, I have considered, "Am I worried about this? Or burdened?" But I believe, I am simply grieving this matter, while also enduring, and seeking to persevere through it. A loved one, who's thinking is SO 10,000 miles in the wrong direction that for some she might seem hopeless. But my God is THE God of hope!
While I am not convinced that I am worrying over this matter (I do believe the Lord is in control) I might be a tad anxious as to how to act, how to show love without enabling poor choices.
In the past I would agonize, but right now I am determined to take it to Scripture. And thanks to this weekend's sermon, I am armed with Philippians 4:6-7 fresh on my mind, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." And so I pray. Asking for wisdom and discernment. Thankful for the truths I know that God hears my prayers, answers them, provides me according to His glorious riches. And I surrender my anxiety. :)
Several days ago, the Lord put Psalm 23 on my heart. This is a passage of scripture that is ofte
n quoted, memorized by children, etc. But I don't think I've ever taken the time to hide it in my own heart. So I felt prompted to commit it to memory, and since then, I've had reasons to claim it daily.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads my 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 for me in the presence of my enemies. You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Praise God! Amen!
And today, God drew me to another bit of Scripture, Psalm 94:18,19 "When I said,'my foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.'"
And so, through all of this, how can I not do anything but rejoice. Though my heart at times feels heavy, never am I without help, His yoke to help me carry it. And not only that, but to know that it is not without purpose, a good purpose, one that even benefits me, which sounds selfish in a way, but more than that, to me, it shows evidence that the Lord is alive and active in my own life :) and so I can faithfully say, with God by my side right now, that "I consider it pure joy to face [these trials] because I know the testing of my faith develops perseverence." James 1:2
I pray this peace for everyone! Its so marvelous!!! :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
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