New Year

For God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 NLT


What will this new year bring?  What kind of plans does God have in mind for 2012?  Wish I knew!  Or maybe not.  In September I reflected on this very same verse but in a different context. (http://christsownforever.blogspot.com/2011/09/surprised-by-god.html)  I was looking back at seeds God had planted along the way to prepare me for writing Bible studies.  Now, on New Year's Eve, as I look ahead, I wonder what God has planned for my future - particularly the next 365 days (actually 366 days in this leap year).   


For the first time in many years, my Bible study groups finished one study without a clear idea of what the next one will be.  That seems significant in light of the fact that it breaks a pattern of so many years.  Will my time and availability be needed for something different?  Are there changes coming that will restructure my life?  Only God knows.  But I can rest in the knowledge that he is at work in me giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him ---- whatever that is.   I'm not walking blindly into this new year hoping to stumble through the days and months, reacting and responding to whatever is thrown at me.  Instead, I know that I'm in a relationship with the One who knows my future and I will be prepared and guided along the way.  I can wait on the Lord expectantly and confidently knowing that whatever 2012 brings, I'm not alone and I'm not left to my own devices.  God is never surprised by what happens and if I'm willing to pay attention, listen and pray, I will hear his still, small voice speaking the words I need.  


The NIV translates Psalm 25:14 this way:  "The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them."  Those to whom God revealed his promises throughout the Scriptures were ordinary people, just like us.  They became significant or memorable because of God's relationship with them - not because of anything they did on their own or to their own glory.  I might begin 2012 with my New Year's resolutions, a new reading plan for my Bible reading, a new determination to make a good start with better habits; but whether I keep my resolutions or not, God holds my days in his hands. When we seek God's face, seek to glorify him through our lives and service, come to him with all our brokenness, wounds, sins and questions, he is there with open arms.  Being in relationship with the Living God is the most beautiful of relationships.  His promise is to never leave us or forsake us, to guide our steps and to make his will and purposes known in and through our lives - to confide in us.  


I pray that 2012 will be a year of new-found faith for those who doubt, a year of peace where there is unrest and chaos, a year of growing in the awareness of the love of the One who IS Love - the One who looks at us, his children, through his eyes of love and calls us his beloved.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, 

plans for welfare [shalom] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV)

Merry Christmas

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

the return of the LORD to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the LORD has comforted his people;

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.   (Isaiah 52:7-10 ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   (John 1:1-5 ESV)

Revelation

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  (Revelation 5:6 ESV) 
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. (NLT)


In reading the description of John's vision in Revelation, we have to wonder what he must have seen.  What did the Lamb look like that let John know it had been slaughtered?  There must have been scars on the Lamb, horrendous scars from the fatal wounds.  Trying to picture the Lamb with seven eyes and seven horns and visible signs of its slaughtering -- what a fearsome sight for such a gentle animal.  


Two words that we would never expect to say in the same breath:  fearsome and lamb.  But that's the picture and reality of our Lord Jesus.  He's the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God.  He's the Gentle Shepherd and the rider on the white horse named Faithful and True who, in righteousness, judges and makes war (Rev. 19:11).  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  Words that are opposites of each other but in describing and naming our Lord, synonymous.  

Jesus - Name above all names; beyond description, beyond knowing; yet he reveals himself to us that we may know him and in knowing him, know the Father.  This mighty God reveals himself in love and humility.  As a baby, born to bring life to the world; as a man, dying to bring life to the world; taking our sin and shame upon himself, bearing our scars throughout all eternity.

He is, indeed, worthy of our worship and praise:  

"Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

    Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

    Hosanna in the highest."  

(from The Book of Common Prayer)

The Gift

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 1:2


Such sweet words of comfort and assurance.  They're more than mere words of greeting at the beginning of Paul's letter to the Ephesian church.  They are reality.  I read these words today and sensed peace wrapping around me, settling on me, as I read and reflected on God's grace and peace.  It was almost instantaneous, as if the verse had my name at the beginning.  It does, you know. That's the beauty of God's holy word.  I opened my Bible to prepare for Bible study tonight but the Lord had a word for me.  Two words, actually:  grace and peace.  

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Grace   and   Peace

to me

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

It makes me think of a Christmas gift all wrapped up with the little gift tag marked "to" and "from".  Very fitting considering the birth we celebrate at Christmas - the gift of grace and peace wrapped up in the form of a tiny baby.  

Emmanuel 

God with us 

The Prince of Peace

 God's gift of grace in human form

  Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's gift of Life and Light to a sin-sick world  

Grace and peace  

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son 

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

The gift of love 

of grace 

of peace

Will we receive this gift?  Will we be as excited to receive this one as we are the ones under our tree?


God is looking through his eyes of love at each one of us, speaking to our hearts, offering the greatest gift the world has known or will ever know.  Will we receive his gift?  Will you receive him?

Grace to you, dear child, and peace.  

From God your Father and your Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace?

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]  John 14:27 Amplified Bible


Does it happen every year at this same time?  This feeling of something-not-quite-right?  Holidays are difficult in the best of circumstances -- trying to get the house decorated, gifts bought and wrapped.  Oh!  Don't forget, it's Advent - I'm supposed to be spending more time reflecting on this holy season.  Then there are just the normal list of things to do and places to go and people to see.  sigh.  Where is that peace?  


I chose the Amplified Bible's version of the John verse above because of those words in the brackets:  "stop allowing yourselves . . . do not permit yourselves . . . ."  On the one hand, those words feel like another thing to add to my already full list - another "to do" even though in this case it's a "not-to-do".  So, now I have to concentrate on not being agitated, disturbed, etc., etc.  Again I ask:  where is the peace?


Jesus says he is leaving us with HIS OWN peace, not something we have to muster up within ourselves.  It's not a peace that looks like anything we see in the world around us, it's deeper and it's true peace.  It's a peace that is in spite of what's going on around us.  


Lately, I've been hearing that still small voice of the Lord calling me to come away with him, by myself, to a quiet place and get some rest.  How important is that to me?  How important is it to obey that voice?  Do the appointments and responsibilities matter more than that request to come away with the Lord?  Jesus wants my time and my attention and is calling me away from all these distractions to sit with him quietly and listen, to be restored, to once again live out of and into that peace that he's already given to me.  Am I too frazzled to even able to be still?  


This is not the way to welcome and reflect on the Incarnate Lord and his presence in our world and in my life.  Or is it?  The message of Advent is that the the Word took on human flesh and existence, came and dwelt among us - lived with us, as one of us.  He knows what humanity feels like.  He knows what it feels like to be pulled in every direction, to have places to go and people to meet.  And in his humanity he taught us in words and action how to know his peace.  Pay attention in the Gospel accounts of how many times Jesus went off by himself to pray.  And, after sending the disciples out in pairs to do ministry, he greets their return and excitement by inviting them to come away with him and get rest.  He, better than anyone, knows our need to rest with him and in him.  He tells us that apart from him we can do nothing.  He tells us about abiding in him.  He showed us what that looked like as he abides in his Father, as he does nothing apart from his Father.  Who am I to think I can do anything in my own power?!  How arrogant!  How foolish!


I'm looking forward to the days I have blocked off on my calendar to go away by myself.  How wonderful to know that I'm not really going by myself and that I'm going at the invitation of the Lord Jesus - he's requesting my presence for some one-on-one, quality time.  Ah.....there's the peace!

Planting and Growing

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)


As I read this passage, I was struck by how many times the Lord's work is described in terms of planting, growing, watering, seeding, sprouting, etc.  Not growing up on a farm and being unable to grow anything well in my yard (except maybe weeds), these metaphors probably don't speak as clearly to me as they might to someone who loves to get their hands dirty planting in their garden.  (SO not me!)  I guess It just means I have to ponder the verses a little longer than my gardening friends.  So, I wrote this verse down in my notebook and read through it several times, read another translation and waited.  What is God trying to tell me with this?  I can't seem to leave it alone.


Another verse in Isaiah has particular meaning to me - Isaiah 61:3:  "that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."  There's a long story that goes with my receiving that verse, but suffice it to say its meaning and impact has grown and blossomed (yes, I'm using farm-speak).  As I sat with the Isaiah 45 verse, "my" oak tree passage came to mind.  That tree is a planting of the Lord, not a planting of man.  Over the years, that's the part that has emerged and spoken to me.  We are God's creation, "planted" by him and therefore, cared for and nurtured by God so our "roots" grow strong, our "branches and leaves" are healthy and we grow into maturity.  


As Christians, we sometimes experience times of spiritual dryness - that feeling of being disconnected, going through the motions, sometimes feeling like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and not getting through.  Just as plants cannot grow in dry, crusty soil and need water to thrive, we, too, need the refreshing Living Water to cleanse, nurture and refresh our spirits.  In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we may be "rooted and grounded in love".  God is love.  As we are rooted and grounded in Him - abiding in him - we are nurtured with the spiritual food we need to thrive and grow.  


Imagine yourself, without Jesus, as a plant trying to grow out of dry, rocky, dusty soil.  It's a pitiful picture.  Now read the verse above.  God is raining down righteousness on your thirsty soul.  The soil around your roots is opening up to allow the rain to soak in and even changing its consistency as the rain revitalizes and transforms the dust into rich, life-giving soil.  Your sickly, pitiful plant has been saved!  You will not die of thirst and starvation.  Your roots are stretching out to receive the nourishing rainwater and you are getting stronger and stronger.  You get strong enough to grow into a mature plant, to begin bearing fruit.  You are becoming a beautiful creation - an "oak of righteousness".  You are a  source of shelter and comfort for those who come near.  You are able to stand firm against storms and wind because your roots are deep and strong.  And the Lord created it.  YOU are a planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Song

(Originally posted on May 17; re-posted to correct video problems)

There's a song by Rich Mullins that I just love and it's been rolling through my mind all day. I won't copy the whole thing here, but the title is "Sometimes by Step" (sometimes you see it as "Step by Step" or "Oh God You are My God"). It could be the theme song for my walk with Jesus.

I've experienced God calling me away from one thing without knowing where (at the time) I'm being sent. Hebrews 11:8 (NLT): "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going." It's a hard path to take - trusting God to lead you without all the information you'd really like to have ahead of time. But, like the song says, we follow "step by step" and "learn to walk in your ways". Thank God it's a learning process!

Too often, though, I focused on the first part of that verse and somehow overlooked the part about the inheritance God promised Abraham. When I took the time to focus on the inheritance God had blessed me with, as a result of following him on a difficult path, it took my breath away! What an awesome God we serve. I had become so busy with doing what I felt I was called to do - like an assignment to complete - that I almost missed the blessing and almost missed a huge reason to just stop and praise God for his goodness.

In my much-loved song, there is this verse:

Sometimes I think of Abraham

How one star he saw had been lit for me

He was a stranger in this land

And I am that, no less than he

And on this road to righteousness

Sometimes the climb can be so steep

I may falter in my steps

But never beyond Your reach.

Discipleship - following Jesus - is a joy, a blessing, a transformational experience, a steep climb, a rocky road . . . . but OH the blessings! Even though we clearly have a choice to say 'yes' or 'no' to the Lord, in my heart of hearts I have no choice. All I want to do is answer the Lord's call to follow him - up that steep road if need be - because when I see his faithfulness, his care, the "inheritance" he is providing and has provided, it just leaves me stunned. The only response is to praise him and watch in awe as he works out his plans and purposes in my life.

Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise You

Oh God, You are my God

And I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning

And I will learn to walk in Your ways

And step by step You'll lead me

And I will follow You all of my days

Rambling Thoughts

I have been so struck lately by the sweetness and kindness of Jesus, his concern for every detail of our life – every concern. Nothing surprises him and nothing is too small or insignificant for his loving attention. I have also been reminded of how BIG he is; his plans and ways are surely more than we can imagine or see. He does give us glimpses into the plans at times but we wait patiently for him to unveil the bigger picture. That used to drive me crazy, being by nature, pretty impatient. However, that is something the Lord has freed me from to a large extent – at least when it comes to waiting on him. That’s not to say that I don’t still feel that sense of anticipation and excitement – the “can’t wait” feeling to see where God’s leading. Even when I move from anticipation and excitement and fall into the trap of worry and stress, I can still know that peace that can only come from the Lord and from trusting that his will for my life is always good and perfect. How freeing that is!


A passage from Zephaniah 3 has been on my mind, in large part due to a song by my favorite contemporary Christian singer. Bebo Norman has a song called “Sing Over Me”. A line from the chorus grabs me every time I hear it: “sing over me, sing above the noise that I’ve been making”. How often I feel that my thoughts are so busy and so noisy that I can’t even hear God’s still small voice. Which is why I love the words in that song; they remind me that God is bigger than the noise in my head. He’s not handicapped by my failure to have the “right” kind of quiet time, the proper heart-attitude. The Zephaniah verse is this: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) Just think of all that verse tells us about God: he’s present – in our midst, he’s mighty, and he’s so very delighted in us! He rejoices over us and exults over us with loud singing --- not just whistling a happy tune, but singing loudly because of us! Incredible!! And those times when we’re so out of sorts, so dis-quieted, worried, stressed-out - his love will quiet us, settle us and bring us peace, calm the noises that distract us so.


While these two paragraphs may seem totally unrelated (and maybe they are) the sweetness and kindness of Jesus, his nearness, his joy over us, his peace that calms the storms in our lives or calms US in those storms, his guidance even when we’re not sure where he’s leading us ---- all of that is what keeps me awed and amazed. The scriptures tell us that God’s mercies are new every morning. Beyond that, our relationship with him – a living, growing relationship – is new every morning as well. I love being surprised by God – surprised by how much he loves us and the lengths he will go to remind us of his loving attention and presence in our life. I love the gentle nudges and reminders – even if they come from songs on my iPod – that our God is singing over us with a loud voice, rejoicing over us with gladness! How amazing!

Meditations on Isaiah 40

What was it like for the prophet to speak the words we read in the 40th chapter of Isaiah? What must he have been experiencing as he had yet another glimpse into the awesomeness of God? The chapter begins with words of comfort and ends with words of encouragement, renewal, endurance. We see pictures of our tender Shepherd and images of our great and powerful Creator God. The same hands that cradle the lambs are the hands that measured the earth's waters. Some of the most beautiful and memorable verses in the Bible are found in this chapter. They are so often quoted and sung that I wonder if we miss the power and majesty they describe?

It's impossible for me to put myself in the place of Isaiah, but how he must have been reeling as he uttered those prophetic words! He must have been weak in the knees as he tried to grasp the true impact of God's message. Maybe we need a bit of that sense of total awe and wonder in the presence of God's holiness! That the God who holds the earth in the palm of his hands is the same God who gently carries his children like little lambs, who lifts us when we're too weak to take another step, who renews our strength so that we can soar like the eagles.

Wait for the Lord. Watch him. Be willing to be awed by the presence of God. Be willing to open yourself to the presence of God in your life. Don't underestimate God's power and desire to reach into your situation - to renew your strength, to be your comfort, to make crooked paths straight, to give power to the faint.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 40:28)

*******************************

Note: After I wrote this in my notebook, I read a post on Facebook from my favorite author, Francine Rivers. I have to share this God-inicidence:

Francine Rivers: "Francine Rivers
Sometimes the pain of removing what holds us captive is frightening. Yet if we lay aside all those things that encumber our walk with God, we will walk and not grow weary, and fly on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31)."

'via Blog this'

Adoption

"...and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”  (2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV)


I wonder how often we think about the fact that we have been adopted into the family of God?  Had it not been for God's mercy, we would still be outsiders, unable to know the intimacy with our Father and the kinship of fellow believers in the household of God.  


I was blessed to be adopted as an infant and brought into a family that loved me and cared for me.  From my earliest childhood I can remember my parents reading a book to me about what adoption meant - that I was chosen and special. I was wanted.  Hearing that story read, I remember having this image of my parents wandering around a big room full of babies looking for just the right one.  I'm so thankful that they conveyed that message to me - the "specialness" of being adopted; it has made it so much easier, so natural, to understand and appreciate what God has done for us.


As an adopted daughter, the mother and father that raised me were my parents - as real as any parents to any child I knew.  I had all the benefits and experiences of being a "real" member of my family --- it was (and is), indeed MY family.  I wasn't a second-class, settled-for, wish-it-could-have-been-different daughter; I was their child and they were Mama and Daddy.  


That's what God has done for us - he has made us his real sons and daughters and he is our real Father.  We are chosen, wanted, sought after, and cared for.  We bear the family name and the family resemblance.  And a word about that resemblance:  just as in my family, we may not physically resemble each other (although some say we do), we've developed familial similarities in personality and preferences, ways of doing things and interacting with each other that are unique to my family.  As members of God's family, we experience the same thing.  As we live, mature and grow as fellow members of the household of God, lovingly molded and transformed by the Spirit into the image of Christ, we take on family traits otherwise known as fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We know and have access to our Father at all times, in all circumstances.  We are loved beyond measure, cared for beyond our wildest imaginings, and provided for eternally.  


Take some time to read again the beautiful, beautiful prayer that Jesus prays for his disciples and for us in John 17.  It is an incredible blessing.  To read these words is to know his heart - and the heart of our Father - for us, his children.  It's our heritage - our inheritance.  


"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are."  1 John 3:1 (The Message)

Be Still

Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)


Psalm 46 is only 11 verses long.  Most of those verses deal with the power of God in the form of earthquakes, destruction, desolation, his power over wars and the futility of man's weapons in the face of God's power.  If you imagine hearing those verses read aloud, they would probably be read with volume, with emphasis and forcefulness.  Then, in the midst of all that, is silence: "be still and know that i am God."  In the Amplified Bible, instead of "be still", we read "cease striving".  That's the heart of it.  In the midst of chaos, destruction, fear, our own ineptitude in the face of such power, we are to cease striving.  When you get right down to it, what else can we do in the face of the power of Almighty God?  


Not long ago, I sat through a long, drawn-out afternoon as a slow-moving hurricane passed through.  The wind was so strong and I watched the trees bending and the debris fly around and wondered when something was going to crash into the house.  No power, no phones, no cell signal.  And I was by myself.  This was not a huge, deadly hurricane or a tsunami or an earthquake.  But in the face of the force of nature - however forceful nature chooses to be - we are helpless.  Our arrogant notions of being in control fly out the window.  As I watched and waited out this storm, I couldn't help but think how awesome is the power of God!  Nature is the creature; God is the creator.  Even at its most powerful, the power of nature is only a weakened reflection of the power of its creator.  What else can we do in the presence of such an awesome God but stop our strivings - be still.  


The power and holiness of God aren't just displayed in catastrophic circumstances. God's power and holiness are most vividly displayed through his love - in the face and person of Jesus.  Jesus came so that we could know the Father - know his love, his grace and forgiveness, his healing power and power to restore what is broken in the world.  In the face of the hard questions - loneliness, loss, grief, illness - Jesus tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us.  God is holy, God is sovereign, God is in control. When we feel so utterly helpless and useless, God IS:  he is present, he is love, he is good.  Be still and know that he is God.  Cease striving, cease trying to "fix" what is too big to fix - what was never ours to fix in the first place.  


The last verse of Psalm 46 is this:  "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."  In the midst of all this world can throw at us, the Lord of the universe is with us, he is our fortress, our comfort, our strength.  Be still and know that I am God.

Persuasion

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. (2 Corinthians 5:11 NLT)

I wonder how many of us are of the same sentiment.  Working hard to persuade others doesn't mean harassment, certainly, but it does mean that how we live out our witness to others should be high on our priority list. A lifestyle of faith is a response; any lifestyle is a response to the priorities in our lives.  Where do I spend my time, my money, my energies?  What is the driving force behind every decision I make?  Those are the things that direct my steps, my relationships.  Paul knew the fearful responsibility to the Lord because of the transforming power of the love of Jesus - the transformation from Saul to Paul:  from a zealous pursuit and persecution of Christians to a zealous pursuit of the Lord's mission to bring others to Christ.  Nothing but the power of Love in the person of Jesus could accomplish such a change - such a complete turn-around and change of heart.  

When we recognize "from whence we've come" and see how the healing, transforming love of Jesus has re-made our hearts and our priorities, it gives us the motivation to share our story with others.  We don't have to accost people on the street with our message - just live it.  God can use everything in life - experiences, trials, blessings, hardships - as a way to minister to those he sends our way. We are obviously not all called to be another Paul but we are called and empowered to be who the Lord has gifted, created, and equipped us to be right where we live, work, and interact with people.  The work is God's:  in us and through us.  We get the privilege of cooperating with the Lord in his work.  

How we see ourselves is so very different from how God sees us.  He sees the child he's created for his good will and purposes, the child he loves and calls by name, the child that is a gift to this world.  He's in the process of calling that beautiful creation out in each of us - growing, transforming, healing, loving each of us - shaping us into the man or woman he's created us to be.   Pray for God to reveal himself to you in a new way; pray for him to give you a new understanding into who he is.  I know that's a prayer he loves to answer!  As you grow in your knowledge of who God is, your understanding is deepened and your life will be a reflection - a light - that draws people in and invites them to come to know the One who is the Light of your life.

    

Surprised by God

Recently I had a brief Facebook chat with a former priest who, when I mentioned writing Bible studies, responded with, "It's about time."  I was completely astounded!  To realize how God had been gifting, equipping, planting seeds for years in ways I hadn't even recognized or been aware of, is really fascinating to me.  And amazing!  


In Philippians Paul writes:  "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  God works in us - he's always at work in us, he's always so many steps ahead of us that it's just for us to enjoy the ride and see where he takes us.  That's not to say we're not involved in the process - God expects our cooperation and participation.  God's work in us involves transformation and transformation doesn't happen without our involvement.  (Wouldn't that be nice?) 


In thinking about my journey toward writing a Bible study, I know that over the years I've grown to love God's word more and more.  My belief in the rock solid truth of that word has grown as well.  But the growth has happened out of living and seeing the truth and reality of God and his word and that has often been through hard times and faith-testing, faith-building experiences.  But they were transforming experiences - God was shaping and molding me through it all.  


I would be one of the first ones to say that discipleship isn't easy.  But, then again, it is easy.  To follow Light and Love and Blessing and Peace and go wherever the Lord asks me to go knowing that it leads to more light and love and blessing and peace --- well, that's pretty easy to say 'yes' to.  Life is going to be hard no matter what our faith is or isn't; how much better it is to go through life following the God who loves me beyond my wildest imaginations and wants only my good (also beyond my wildest imaginations) and has plans and purposes for me that exceed anything I could ever, ever expect!


I wonder what seeds are being planted right now?  I wonder what plans and purposes God is working in me, preparing me for, right now?  Please don't make the mistake of thinking the Christian life is boring and dull!  What can be dull and boring about a life lived with and for a God like ours?  The depth, blessing, growth, possibilities, surprises, joy ...... I could go on and on!  


But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
(1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV)

Still Listening

I've been at the lake for several days writing (and working toward finishing) my Ephesians study.  I love the peace and quiet on the lake - especially this time of year.  But mostly, I love the routine I fall into when I have the whole day ahead of me with no errands, appointments, etc., just time to write.  (Who knew this was inside me??!)  This morning, I spent quite a while on the porch overlooking the water and just listened - with my eyes closed.  I began to focus in on the sounds individually, instead of just listening to everything at once.  It was an amazing experience!  Listening to the birds one by one -- so many different songs; listening to the wind rustling the leaves and blowing things out of the trees; listening for the water - it was very quiet this morning, very calm.  I had to really concentrate to hear the water.  


I don't know how long I was listening like that - I lost track of time.  But what occurs to me is that God's voice is a lot like that.  It's always there under all the layers of sound, you just have to listen for it.  Remember the story of Elijah?  After the prophets of Baal were defeated so spectacularly, he has to run for his life from Jezebel and is hiding out in a cave.  (There's a lot more to the story....I'm cutting to the chase, here.)  The Lord is going to reveal himself to Elijah but it wasn't in the great, strong wind that "tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks", or in the earthquake, or in the fire that followed.  It was the "sound of a low whisper" that brought Elijah out of the cave to be with his God and hear from him.  


Maybe we expect God to speak like a voice of thunder from the heavens - something really spectacular and powerful!  But the psalmist says, "be still and know that I am God".  We have to get quiet and still, quiet all the noise in our heads, and listen.  I was surprised by all that I heard this morning on my porch.  I think when I'm quiet enough to hear from the Lord, I'm usually surprised by what I hear in that still, small voice.  The temptation is to stay here in the quiet and not go back to the normal routine and busy-ness.  I can really relate to Peter, James and John on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured.  Peter wanted to build booths and stay a while.  But they had to go back down that mountain and get on with the Father's business.  And so do I.

Listening

"I have no peace, no quietness.  I have no rest; only trouble comes."  Job 3:26 NLT


We all have times when we're dealing with above normal stress levels and feelings of being overwhelmed.  I'm in my own season of that now.  As I was thinking about how to get back to "normal" and back to the feeling of walking and working from the Spirit and not my overloaded soul, I realized the source of my deficiency. I've been very faithful to continue my reading and studying God's word, praying for the needs of people around me --- very dutifully, thank you.  But what I had neglected was the time spent with my pen in my hand and my notebook opened up, ready to listen.  It's hard to hear from the Lord when you're too busy talking!  


While I'm not in the fix that dear Job was in, those verses above still resonated when I read them.  As I reflected on all this, the first verse that came to mind was the expected one:  "Come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest."  As I continued to sit with that verse, reflecting on coming to Jesus and abiding in Him, my focus shifted just the right amount and I reminded myself that coming to Jesus is just a matter of looking at him - looking to him.  He's already right there, waiting patiently, closer than my very breath.  


Why is it that time and time again we struggle along, dragging the burdens and worries around while Jesus waits so very patiently with his hands out waiting for us to just look up and hand them over?  I guess that's how we earn the Biblical description of "stiffnecked people" - our muscles are all tensed up from bearing all our own burdens and toting them around on our backs!  


The question I asked myself was, "Who is god of this situation?"  Is it the god of "me-myself-and-I" or is it GOD?  I think I'd much prefer to watch the God of the universe work out what seems to be stuck and let HIM get the glory.  He's so much more deserving of it, anyway.  How many times in just the past year have I sensed the Lord asking me to just watch him?  I've watched him work miracles, resolve conflicts that seemed unresolvable, bring peace where there was no peace, and bestow blessing upon blessing.  I have watched him reveal a beautiful vision for a new ministry that is just beginning to unfold.  


My only job in the middle of a lot of unanswered questions and stressful situations is really quite simple.  These are the words I heard when I finally took the time to stop and listen and sit with my pen poised over my open notebook :  watch me, follow me; don't lead -- just follow me; keep your eyes on me and not the circumstances.  


I read Psalm 34 today, "coincidentally".  How it spoke to me!



I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
(Psalm 34 ESV)

Grace

 . . . God who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began . . . .    2 Timothy 1:9


Grace.  That one little word must be one of the most used words in sermons and prayers for any Christian but it must be one of the least understood.  Or maybe it's just me.  Intellectually, I get it.  I've read my Bible over and over and am amazed by what God has done for us in his mercy, love and grace -- and continues to do!  But, deep in my heart where I still struggle with that need to prove to God that I'm worth all his love, grace is a tough concept to grasp.  Maybe because it is just so wonderful and undeserved that our sinful selves fight against accepting the knowledge of it.  There must be something more we have to do!  It's just too good to be true, right?  We have to say our prayers, spend just the right amount of time studying the Word, live good lives, be kind, etc., etc., etc.  But, what I've come to know is that my time in the Word and in prayer is a response, not a duty.  Jesus calls me to come and sit with him for a while - he wants to spend time with me.  That's grace.  


A few years ago, I experienced a season with the Lord unlike any I've ever known.  His presence was so near, so real; my quiet time with him was so fruitful and so full.    I would wake up at at 4:00 a.m. - wide awake - and know that I needed to go up to my study for some quiet time.  In those quiet hours, so peaceful, I experienced such a sweet time and such an outpouring of the love of the Lord.  So much grace.  


God calls us and saves us because he loves us.  We get to be part of his plans and purposes -  it's all grace - and we were part of his plan from the very beginning.  I will never be able to grasp that concept.  Out of all eternity, all the people, all the civilizations, God's purposes and plans include me - here and now.  Amazing!  And it's not because I said the right prayers, polished the brass on the altar when I was a teenager, or reached out to a homeless person.  It's grace.  


My response to that grace and to the love of God that fills me to overflowing is that I can't help but want to reach out to someone in need, serve in my church, and spend time in prayer.  Those things aren't done to earn brownie points or jewels in my crown.  God, in his mercy, would forgive me (and does!) when I miss the opportunity to reach out, to speak a kind word or go out of my way for someone in need.  Thank goodness it's not up to my good works but God's love, mercy and grace.  


One of my favorite verses that came out of that awesome season with the Lord is from Jude, verse 1.  I love the version from The Message.  Spend some time with these few little words - put your own name in front of it.  We are "loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ".   That's grace.

Generosity

Proverbs 19:17  Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.


In the days we're living in, with the worries over the economy and what the future will hold, the temptation is strong to hang on tight to what we have.  We watch the stock market going on wild roller coaster rides and start thinking seriously about keeping our money under the mattress.  But the Lord knows our fears and he knows our future; and especially in times like these, it's important to remember God's blessings, promises and provision.  He will never leave us or forsake us; that's his promise.  He has never failed to keep a promise and isn't about to start breaking them now.  It would be interesting to know how many times in God's word, he tells us not to  be afraid, to "fear not".  Whatever is happening in the world around us, we are God's children and he loves us and watches over us.  Keep your eyes on him!  And remember all he's done  - his many blessings.  


Keeping our eyes and hearts focused on God keeps our eyes and hearts open to the needs around us.  You might be just the person the Lord has chosen to bring a blessing to someone in great need.  Whether it's a tangible need or an intangible one, we're not to be stingy with the gifts we've received.  In Matthew 10, as Jesus sends out his disciples to minister to the "lost sheep of Israel", his instructions and his sending forth are based on the fact that freely they have received and freely they are to give.  We give out of a full cup - a cup that God, himself, continues to fill.  His heart is for the poor and needy, the oppressed, the widow and the orphan; we are not to pass by and look the other way or turn our heads making excuses for why that person isn't "worthy" of our assistance.  And, again, it may not be financial assistance that is called for but rather a helping hand, a tender heart, the gift of time and a listening ear.  As a prayer minister, I hear many times from people I pray with how much they need and miss human touch.  We are a touch-starved world and the one thing someone may need more than anything else is a reminder that they matter, that someone cares.  


Whatever we do, however we minister to the ones sent our way, the Scripture tells us we are doing it to the Lord and he will bless us, he will continue to empower and enable us to give and we will be better for having reached out.  It changes us from the inside out:  transforms pride into humility, selfishness into open hearts, a blind eye to eyes that look at the world through the eyes of love.

Rejoice

1 Chronicles 16:10:  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!


This verse is from the song of praise written by David on the occasion of bringing the Ark of the Covenant "home".  King David appointed priests to play the instruments and lead the Israelites in worship and song as they processed into the city.  Everything was handled with reverence and according to the law of Moses.  David, himself, was dressed in fine linen and priestly garments as befitted this holy occasion.  But this reverent event wasn't a somber, dry occasion.  On the contrary, you might remember the story of David's wife witnessing the scene from her window and being embarrassed by her husband's dancing in the streets.  The verse in 1 Chronicles says "she despised him in her heart."  It wasn't as if David was the only one celebrating in this manner.  The Bible says "all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres." (1 Chron. 15:28)


The psalm David wrote also contains this verse: "Sing to the LORD, all the earth!  Tell of his salvation from day to day." (1 Chron. 16:23)  David and his people had much to celebrate: they had been victorious in battle, David was the Israelites' much-loved new king after Saul's death, and, at long last, the ark was coming home where it belonged among God's chosen people.  It was important to remember and re-tell the many ways God had been faithful to his people - to recount his works of salvation.  


Paul writes, in Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes".  Paul suffered so much on behalf of the gospel he so boldly proclaimed and yet he never stopped preaching and spreading the Good News.  His life was truly a life of hardship and yet he wrote verses like these:

• I am overflowing with joy (2 Corinthians 7:4)
• for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, (1 Thessalonians 3:9)
• making my prayer with joy (Philippians 1:4)

We have the same opportunity to recount the ways God has been faithful, to tell of his provision, comfort, peace - his salvation.  We, too, should be dancing in the streets!   When we gather as a faith community to worship God, to remember and recount his faithfulness, what do we see on each other's faces?  Is it a somber, dry occasion or do we see faces reflecting joy and thanksgiving?  When we sing our hymns and songs of praise, what is showing on our faces:  boredom?  complacency? distractedness?  Or do we take the time to reflect on the words we're hearing and singing and respond in praise and thanksgiving?  Tomorrow morning, many of us will be gathering in our churches for our time of worship.  Just as King David prepared himself dressing in fine linen and priestly garments - putting on his "garments of praise" - let's prepare ourselves to approach our gathering time with hearts filled with joy and thanksgiving, ready to "enter his courts with praise".  

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth!  

Tell of his salvation from day to day  

Declare his glory among the nations, 

his marvelous works among all the peoples!  

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, 

and he is to be held in awe above all gods.  

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, 

but the LORD made the heavens.  

Splendor and majesty are before him, 

strength and joy are in his place.  

Ascribe to the LORD, O clans of the peoples, 

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!  

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 

bring an offering and come before him!  

Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness . . . . "  (1 Chron. 16:23-29)

Pray that we can know in our hearts the truth of Paul's words  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation" and know in our spirits the joy of the Lord.