No abundance of friends, no number of different marriages, no quantity of moves to new cities can ever take the loneliness away.
"Jesus experienced the loneliness of being misunderstood immediately after giving a series of discourses regarding his identity. He had explained that he was the bread of life, the source of living water, and the light of the world. In addition to all this teaching, Jesus had lived among the people, walked their roads, healed their sick, and fed their hungry. But even after all this, the people still asked him, 'Who are you?'" -- M. Craig Barnes (Sacred Thirst)
"Each of us has a deep-seated need to be significant, unique, connected, and enjoying a powerful relationship with God that is relevant to our everyday life. We have an unquenched hunger to understand and to be understood. ... Loneliness disguised as incompatibility and generated from failing to be understood is the enemy of many marriages. The pain of having no one with similar beliefs, convictions, and choices of recreation leaves both spouses feeling isolated." -- John D. Carlson (Passion for His Presence--Entering His Gates)
Mother Terresa said it well: "Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliation, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the kiss of Jesus."
It is our loneliness, our "suffering that so often causes us to see our need. It is our suffering that makes us cry out to God." -- Charles Ringma (Wash the Feet of the World)
"God has not forgotten about our dark nights of restless sorrow. Only when we discover God in the darkest moments of life will we believe that he can and will make the sun finally rise and the new day dawn.
To stand alone in the presence of God is to stand in a place of transformation. There our lonely hearts are reformed and transformed with deep emotions such as joy, love, and compassion for those around us.
It is only in solitude with God that we discover the sufficiency of a God who also yearns for us--so much so that in Jesus Christ he came looking for us.
So instead of running from the loneliness, stay with it. Stare it straight in the eye, and turn it into a prayer of confession. It is the only way to hear the word of the Lord: I HAVE NOT LEFT YOU ALONE." -- M. Craig Barnes (emphasis mine)
Loneliness drives us to aloneness. Aloneness drives us to solitude.
Henri Nouwen reminds us, "Solitude is the way in which we grow into the realization that where we are most alone, we are most loved by God. It is a quality of heart, an inner quality that helps us to accept our aloneness lovingly, as a gift from God."
The Heart can only be satisfied by the One who created it. The yearning is for God.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Don't Look Back
DON’T LOOK BACK
By all means, Jesus cautions us: Don’t look back. It will only make the journey harder.
If we are going to follow him, our lives are going to keep moving and things and people keep changing around on us. Why?
Why must we keep saying good-bye to people we love?
Why must we keep growing and changing and maturing?
Why do we have to keep losing things along the way—our health, our families, and our dreams?
One of the greatest temptations to look back comes from all the hurt we have left behind, hurt that still screams for our attention. Maybe it is hurt we caused; perhaps it is hurt someone else caused. Or it may be a hurt caused simply by the volatility of life.
No one ever continues to learn without recalling the past to some extent. Jesus is not taking the past away from us—but he is making it painfully clear that LIFE always takes us down the road. We must keep moving in order to get there, and allow him to hold the past for us in his loving hands.
There is a reason why we bury our dead. It is, after all, a way of placing them into the arms of God so he can carry them and we can move on. It can be hard to leave behind the life we have enjoyed and to keep moving—unless we really can see Jesus along the way.
The New Jerusalem comes at the end of the story. So, for now, we will always be clearer about what Jesus is asking us to give up than about where he is taking us. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus may take us places where we would rather not go. He may bring gifts into our lives we would rather not have.
Each year of our lives, he will invite us to drop some of the things we are carrying, because these things are becoming too heavy. They weigh us down, and we’re holding them too tightly. Jesus does all of this simply to get us into the new holy Jerusalem, where our salvation becomes clear and perfect.
This is why we put our hands to the plow and do the work we’ve been given to do today. It’s all a way of seeing Jesus. And we’ve got to keep our eyes on him, or we’ll never make it to the Holy City.
Christians equipped for right living are prepared for losses, crosses, changes, and conflicts. They bow low, walk tall, and fight hard all the time. No matter how dark the days we face, we must make it our continual practice to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our world.
Let’s tell Him regularly how grateful we are that He has the final word.
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
By all means, Jesus cautions us: Don’t look back. It will only make the journey harder.
If we are going to follow him, our lives are going to keep moving and things and people keep changing around on us. Why?
Why must we keep saying good-bye to people we love?
Why must we keep growing and changing and maturing?
Why do we have to keep losing things along the way—our health, our families, and our dreams?
One of the greatest temptations to look back comes from all the hurt we have left behind, hurt that still screams for our attention. Maybe it is hurt we caused; perhaps it is hurt someone else caused. Or it may be a hurt caused simply by the volatility of life.
No one ever continues to learn without recalling the past to some extent. Jesus is not taking the past away from us—but he is making it painfully clear that LIFE always takes us down the road. We must keep moving in order to get there, and allow him to hold the past for us in his loving hands.
There is a reason why we bury our dead. It is, after all, a way of placing them into the arms of God so he can carry them and we can move on. It can be hard to leave behind the life we have enjoyed and to keep moving—unless we really can see Jesus along the way.
The New Jerusalem comes at the end of the story. So, for now, we will always be clearer about what Jesus is asking us to give up than about where he is taking us. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus may take us places where we would rather not go. He may bring gifts into our lives we would rather not have.
Each year of our lives, he will invite us to drop some of the things we are carrying, because these things are becoming too heavy. They weigh us down, and we’re holding them too tightly. Jesus does all of this simply to get us into the new holy Jerusalem, where our salvation becomes clear and perfect.
This is why we put our hands to the plow and do the work we’ve been given to do today. It’s all a way of seeing Jesus. And we’ve got to keep our eyes on him, or we’ll never make it to the Holy City.
Christians equipped for right living are prepared for losses, crosses, changes, and conflicts. They bow low, walk tall, and fight hard all the time. No matter how dark the days we face, we must make it our continual practice to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over our world.
Let’s tell Him regularly how grateful we are that He has the final word.
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
We Live In A War Zone!
Do you feel like you’ve been doing hand-to-hand combat this week? Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop, the next bad news to come, the next emergency to hit the deck? Does trouble always seem to find its way to your doorstep?
You’re not alone. It’s that way for a lot of us from time-to-time. We live in a world encompassed by fear, worry, anger, heartache. It’s easier to sink to the bottom of the barrel than it is to lift up our eyes and begin praising.
Moses had a whole crowd of people that needed reminding that God goes before us in our daily battles, preparing the way and overcoming the barriers. God helps us regardless of the problems in our path. No matter how insurmountable the obstacles seem, it is well to remember God is Sovereign and He will keep His promises.
There are a ton of promises we can claim when we’re in the midst of the battle:
“Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory” (Deuteronomy 3:2 NLT).
“After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10 TNIV).
“For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7 NLT).
We need to remember the blessings. We need to remember to praise. We need to remember that He’s never failed us. Praising Him helps us look to our God and Savior, not just look for the signs and wonders he produces around us. But when He is the center of our world, more signs and wonders swirl around us more often.
“He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth” (Daniel 6:27 NLT).
Our encounters with Jesus always occur “along the way” in life. The Bible is full of stories about ordinary people, like you and me, doing ordinary things, but “along the way” they encountered Jesus—and nothing was ever ordinary again. (Remember Paul on his way to Damascus; James and John on their way fishing; the Samaritan woman on her way to a well.)
Jesus can find us while we are on the way to the top or the bottom; on the way to a great career, a terrible divorce, or bankruptcy.
We may believe we are on the road up or on the road down, but once we start following Jesus along the way in life, we discover that we’re always on the road to Jerusalem.
“It is never about what we do; it’s always about receiving what God is doing.”
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
You’re not alone. It’s that way for a lot of us from time-to-time. We live in a world encompassed by fear, worry, anger, heartache. It’s easier to sink to the bottom of the barrel than it is to lift up our eyes and begin praising.
Moses had a whole crowd of people that needed reminding that God goes before us in our daily battles, preparing the way and overcoming the barriers. God helps us regardless of the problems in our path. No matter how insurmountable the obstacles seem, it is well to remember God is Sovereign and He will keep His promises.
There are a ton of promises we can claim when we’re in the midst of the battle:
“Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory” (Deuteronomy 3:2 NLT).
“After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10 TNIV).
“For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7 NLT).
We need to remember the blessings. We need to remember to praise. We need to remember that He’s never failed us. Praising Him helps us look to our God and Savior, not just look for the signs and wonders he produces around us. But when He is the center of our world, more signs and wonders swirl around us more often.
“He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth” (Daniel 6:27 NLT).
Our encounters with Jesus always occur “along the way” in life. The Bible is full of stories about ordinary people, like you and me, doing ordinary things, but “along the way” they encountered Jesus—and nothing was ever ordinary again. (Remember Paul on his way to Damascus; James and John on their way fishing; the Samaritan woman on her way to a well.)
Jesus can find us while we are on the way to the top or the bottom; on the way to a great career, a terrible divorce, or bankruptcy.
We may believe we are on the road up or on the road down, but once we start following Jesus along the way in life, we discover that we’re always on the road to Jerusalem.
“It is never about what we do; it’s always about receiving what God is doing.”
(Some of these thoughts are adapted from M. Craig Barnes in Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our Longings)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Spiritual Warfare -- Fact or Fantasy
"'Did the gun go off?' I asked myself. It hadn't. I could still feel the barrel in my hand. ...
"All of a sudden there is a mighty "swooping" sound as angels charge into the room.
"Immediately, a shapeless black glob, about three-feet tall popped up from the floor and the battle is on.
"Each time an angel swooped in, one of the black things pops up and they begin exchanging blows. ...
"The angels were hitting and going at it as the black things struck back. The fighting was intense. They were fighting a fight to end all fights.
"The three-foot black things were all over the room. Whenever another angel swept into the room, they'd pop up and start fighting.
"The army of angels filled the room. I was beyond astonished."
This scene sounded unbelievable to me. Nothing like what I'd been taught as a good little Baptist girl. And I'd not read such a powerful description of spiritual warfare since Frank Peretti's THIS PRESENT DARKNESS hit the bestseller lists.
But its a true story. It really happened. And it is only a small part of the incredible chapter "Motel Warfare Fight: September 16, 1997" in Dudley Perio's new book releasing February 18: LIVING IN GOD'S GLORY: HEARING & RESPONDING TO GOD'S VOICE, as told to Paul & Lynn Crawford (New Sound Media; www.OneInThe Spirit.tv).
My first questions to Paul & Lynn when they asked me to edit the book were: Is this true? Is it verifiable? Are there witnesses? "Yes, Yes, and Yes" were their responses.
This is only one of the amazing stories of "The Supernatural Experiences of Dudley Perio" -- well known in Texas oil fields for his designs and inventions, as well as for 30 years as an oil rig engineer.
If you are a Christian writer or speaker or trying to do anything significant for God, you will also have times when you feel under attack or in a spiritual warfare battle.
Scripture has already warned us to be on guard: "But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT).
Beneath the surface of the routine of daily life, a fierce struggle among invisible spiritual powers is being waged. Our main defense is prayer that God will protect us from the evil one and that he will strengthen us.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING FOR AND SURVIVING SATANIC ATTACKS:
1. Take the threat of spiritual attack seriously.
2. Pray for strength and help from God.
3. Study the Bible to recognize Satan's style and tactics.
4. Memorize Scrpture so it will be a source of help no matter where you are.
5. Associate with those who speak the truth.
6. Practice what you are taught by sound spiritual leaders.
(Life Application Bible Notes)
"Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, agains mighty powers in this dark work, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).
Demons are not fantasies, they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church.
Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side.
We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. (Life Application Bible)
Don't try to do God's work without putting on your armor -- you never know when the attacks will come, but they will come. For further reading about our armor for spiritual warfare, read Ephesians 6:10-19.
"All of a sudden there is a mighty "swooping" sound as angels charge into the room.
"Immediately, a shapeless black glob, about three-feet tall popped up from the floor and the battle is on.
"Each time an angel swooped in, one of the black things pops up and they begin exchanging blows. ...
"The angels were hitting and going at it as the black things struck back. The fighting was intense. They were fighting a fight to end all fights.
"The three-foot black things were all over the room. Whenever another angel swept into the room, they'd pop up and start fighting.
"The army of angels filled the room. I was beyond astonished."
This scene sounded unbelievable to me. Nothing like what I'd been taught as a good little Baptist girl. And I'd not read such a powerful description of spiritual warfare since Frank Peretti's THIS PRESENT DARKNESS hit the bestseller lists.
But its a true story. It really happened. And it is only a small part of the incredible chapter "Motel Warfare Fight: September 16, 1997" in Dudley Perio's new book releasing February 18: LIVING IN GOD'S GLORY: HEARING & RESPONDING TO GOD'S VOICE, as told to Paul & Lynn Crawford (New Sound Media; www.OneInThe Spirit.tv).
My first questions to Paul & Lynn when they asked me to edit the book were: Is this true? Is it verifiable? Are there witnesses? "Yes, Yes, and Yes" were their responses.
This is only one of the amazing stories of "The Supernatural Experiences of Dudley Perio" -- well known in Texas oil fields for his designs and inventions, as well as for 30 years as an oil rig engineer.
If you are a Christian writer or speaker or trying to do anything significant for God, you will also have times when you feel under attack or in a spiritual warfare battle.
Scripture has already warned us to be on guard: "But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT).
Beneath the surface of the routine of daily life, a fierce struggle among invisible spiritual powers is being waged. Our main defense is prayer that God will protect us from the evil one and that he will strengthen us.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING FOR AND SURVIVING SATANIC ATTACKS:
1. Take the threat of spiritual attack seriously.
2. Pray for strength and help from God.
3. Study the Bible to recognize Satan's style and tactics.
4. Memorize Scrpture so it will be a source of help no matter where you are.
5. Associate with those who speak the truth.
6. Practice what you are taught by sound spiritual leaders.
(Life Application Bible Notes)
"Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, agains mighty powers in this dark work, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).
Demons are not fantasies, they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church.
Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side.
We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. (Life Application Bible)
Don't try to do God's work without putting on your armor -- you never know when the attacks will come, but they will come. For further reading about our armor for spiritual warfare, read Ephesians 6:10-19.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Keeping A Clear Focus & Steadfast Direction
With the myriad of daily distractions around us, it is easy to lose our way. Our goals become fuzzy, our achievements seem unimportant, and our creativity lags.
Isn't that just like the enemy of our souls to keep us from enthusiastically using the gifts and talents that God has given us. So many times I've heard the words from fellow writers: "What's the use?" "Seems like a waste of time?" "Who's really going to notice or care?"
Do we need a cheerleader team cheering us on? It would seem so or else tweeting, blogging, and facebooking wouldn't have risen to the numbers they have in such a short period of time. Since the beginning of time everyone has asked at one time or another: Does anyone know my name? Does anyone care about what I am doing?
The Good News is that we have a heavenly host of witnesses cheering us on, led by the King of Kings himself. It is to Him that we are accountable for "finishing well the job he gave us to do."
So how do we Keep Clear Focus and Steadfast Direction?
1. Ask: "Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here" (Jeremmiah 33:3 TLB).
We all want God to speak to us directly and he is trying to do just that through our inner convictions, visions, or dreams. Most often he speaks through Scripture--leading us exactly to the verses we need to read. Sometimes he speaks through another person, or preaching, or worship.
We must embrace the challenge of struggling with our own life issues and we must take the risks involved in making important decisions that will help us stay on the straight and narrow path designed for us. Ultimately, we have to walk that road by ourselves. (Charles Ringma, Life In Full Stride)
2. Believe: "O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles; for your eyes are open to all the ways of men, and you reward everyone according to his life and deeds" (Jeremiah 32:17,19 TLB).
We must seek God's participation and empowerment for the task. "Activism should not only be sustained by prayer. It also should be born out of prayer. In prayer we listen to God's heartbeat and seek his will. In prayer we commit ourselves to do God's bidding, no matter how difficult or challenging that may be. In prayer we seek the specifics of our action in the world." (Charles Ringma, Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton)
3. Covenant: "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising never again to desert them, but only to do them good. I will put a desire into their hearts to worship me, and they shall never leave me" (Jeremiah 32:40 TLB).
What possesions/gifts we have are not simply for ourselves. "All we have comes from God's beneficence. God entrusts these good gifts to us in order that we might worship our Creator and Redeemer, bless those within our sphere of responsibility and care, and share with others, particularly those in need." (Charles Ringma, Whispers from the Edge of Eternity).
The future is not ours. It is God's. But God has called us to freedom. In freedom we can hope, pray, and work in relation to what lies in front of us. Freedom and hope open us to the surprises that will be coming our way from a loving God who only wants the best for us.
Isn't that just like the enemy of our souls to keep us from enthusiastically using the gifts and talents that God has given us. So many times I've heard the words from fellow writers: "What's the use?" "Seems like a waste of time?" "Who's really going to notice or care?"
Do we need a cheerleader team cheering us on? It would seem so or else tweeting, blogging, and facebooking wouldn't have risen to the numbers they have in such a short period of time. Since the beginning of time everyone has asked at one time or another: Does anyone know my name? Does anyone care about what I am doing?
The Good News is that we have a heavenly host of witnesses cheering us on, led by the King of Kings himself. It is to Him that we are accountable for "finishing well the job he gave us to do."
So how do we Keep Clear Focus and Steadfast Direction?
1. Ask: "Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here" (Jeremmiah 33:3 TLB).
We all want God to speak to us directly and he is trying to do just that through our inner convictions, visions, or dreams. Most often he speaks through Scripture--leading us exactly to the verses we need to read. Sometimes he speaks through another person, or preaching, or worship.
We must embrace the challenge of struggling with our own life issues and we must take the risks involved in making important decisions that will help us stay on the straight and narrow path designed for us. Ultimately, we have to walk that road by ourselves. (Charles Ringma, Life In Full Stride)
2. Believe: "O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles; for your eyes are open to all the ways of men, and you reward everyone according to his life and deeds" (Jeremiah 32:17,19 TLB).
We must seek God's participation and empowerment for the task. "Activism should not only be sustained by prayer. It also should be born out of prayer. In prayer we listen to God's heartbeat and seek his will. In prayer we commit ourselves to do God's bidding, no matter how difficult or challenging that may be. In prayer we seek the specifics of our action in the world." (Charles Ringma, Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton)
3. Covenant: "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising never again to desert them, but only to do them good. I will put a desire into their hearts to worship me, and they shall never leave me" (Jeremiah 32:40 TLB).
What possesions/gifts we have are not simply for ourselves. "All we have comes from God's beneficence. God entrusts these good gifts to us in order that we might worship our Creator and Redeemer, bless those within our sphere of responsibility and care, and share with others, particularly those in need." (Charles Ringma, Whispers from the Edge of Eternity).
The future is not ours. It is God's. But God has called us to freedom. In freedom we can hope, pray, and work in relation to what lies in front of us. Freedom and hope open us to the surprises that will be coming our way from a loving God who only wants the best for us.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Happiness is Temporary; Joy is Lasting
Yikes! It is the end of the first month of a New Year. This year was going to be different. This year we had plans and goals that we knew would head us in the direction we wanted to be going.
What were you seeking in this first thirty days of the New Year? Perhaps it was happiness, success, new relationships, meaningful work -- our lists are undoubtedly different and probably quite long. But whatever was at the top of our list, we realize how far we have yet to go.
J.I.Packer reminds us, "The paradoxical truth is that to seek pleasure, comfort, and happiness is to guarantee that you will miss them all. ... These subjective states become heart realities only as by-products that come from focusing on something else, something perceived as valuable, invigorating, and commanding." (Hot Tub Religion, 64-65)
The Reality is: Happiness is a by-product of loving God.
In the end, we must agree with David, who for all his failures, mess-ups, and griefs knew that joy is found in a life lived in companionship with God. "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever" (Psalm 16:11).
The Life Application Bible reminds us: True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us ... As we understand the future he has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your life on circumstances, but on God."
So what has gone wrong for you in January 2011? Perhaps you are doing the most important work of your life -- and the enemy knows it and has stepped in with some direct shots of spiritual warfare. Perhaps you are grieving the death of a loved one or the loss of an important relationship you thought would last forever. Perhaps the news from your doctor is worse than you are prepared to accept. Perhaps your finances have taken a big hit -- and in this economy its hard to see how you'll ever dig yourself out of the pit.
Do you think any of your problems have caught God by surprise? No, definitely not. And he has not left us unprepared or unarmed. In fact, his instructions are very specific. Read them with me in Deuteronomy 30:6-11 New Living Translation:
"The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! ... The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. ... This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach."
And you can proceed confidently on the biblical promise found in Joshua 1:8-9 NLT: "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Okay, its a brand new month and we get another chance. To be successful, we must follow God's words to Joshua. We may not succeed by the world's standards, but we will be a success in God's eyes--and his opinion is most important (LAB note).
What were you seeking in this first thirty days of the New Year? Perhaps it was happiness, success, new relationships, meaningful work -- our lists are undoubtedly different and probably quite long. But whatever was at the top of our list, we realize how far we have yet to go.
J.I.Packer reminds us, "The paradoxical truth is that to seek pleasure, comfort, and happiness is to guarantee that you will miss them all. ... These subjective states become heart realities only as by-products that come from focusing on something else, something perceived as valuable, invigorating, and commanding." (Hot Tub Religion, 64-65)
The Reality is: Happiness is a by-product of loving God.
In the end, we must agree with David, who for all his failures, mess-ups, and griefs knew that joy is found in a life lived in companionship with God. "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever" (Psalm 16:11).
The Life Application Bible reminds us: True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us ... As we understand the future he has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your life on circumstances, but on God."
So what has gone wrong for you in January 2011? Perhaps you are doing the most important work of your life -- and the enemy knows it and has stepped in with some direct shots of spiritual warfare. Perhaps you are grieving the death of a loved one or the loss of an important relationship you thought would last forever. Perhaps the news from your doctor is worse than you are prepared to accept. Perhaps your finances have taken a big hit -- and in this economy its hard to see how you'll ever dig yourself out of the pit.
Do you think any of your problems have caught God by surprise? No, definitely not. And he has not left us unprepared or unarmed. In fact, his instructions are very specific. Read them with me in Deuteronomy 30:6-11 New Living Translation:
"The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! ... The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. ... This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach."
And you can proceed confidently on the biblical promise found in Joshua 1:8-9 NLT: "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Okay, its a brand new month and we get another chance. To be successful, we must follow God's words to Joshua. We may not succeed by the world's standards, but we will be a success in God's eyes--and his opinion is most important (LAB note).
Friday, January 21, 2011
Are You Measuring Up to Your Calling?
How often have we felt like praying Jeremiah's prayer: "I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle" (Jeremiah 10:23-24 NLT).
Hudson Taylor gave us a wise perspective on life when he said: "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked God if I might help Him. I ended up by asking him to do His work through me."
If we run the race set before us, engaging in duties God-appointed and not self-chosen, and bestowing all our energies, and that cheerfully, on the God-appointed tasks and sorrows, then may we rest in full assurance that our strength shall never fail, that our fruit shall remain, that our life shall, though apparently fragmentary, be complete, that we shall reach the end, and be counted faithful in that day. -- Adolph Saphir
This summer I was able to sit under the teaching of my favorite author at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This humble man of God's writings have impacted every part of my life--he practices what he preaches. He believes that "what I do and achieve cannot be the core of what I am. While God calls me to partnership with Him in changing the world, He first of all loves me for who I am. In fact, He loves me in all my vulnerability and need. ... I am an amazingly loved person by the God of all grace and mercy, and as such I can confidently live to fully please God in all that I do." -- Charles Ringma (Resist the Powers with Jacques Ellus)
Ringma goes on to remind us, "while we may celebrate the work of our hands as God's gift, we should never depend on it. For it is God alone who sustains us and He ought to be the focus of our adoration."
Hudson Taylor gave us a wise perspective on life when he said: "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked God if I might help Him. I ended up by asking him to do His work through me."
If we run the race set before us, engaging in duties God-appointed and not self-chosen, and bestowing all our energies, and that cheerfully, on the God-appointed tasks and sorrows, then may we rest in full assurance that our strength shall never fail, that our fruit shall remain, that our life shall, though apparently fragmentary, be complete, that we shall reach the end, and be counted faithful in that day. -- Adolph Saphir
This summer I was able to sit under the teaching of my favorite author at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This humble man of God's writings have impacted every part of my life--he practices what he preaches. He believes that "what I do and achieve cannot be the core of what I am. While God calls me to partnership with Him in changing the world, He first of all loves me for who I am. In fact, He loves me in all my vulnerability and need. ... I am an amazingly loved person by the God of all grace and mercy, and as such I can confidently live to fully please God in all that I do." -- Charles Ringma (Resist the Powers with Jacques Ellus)
Ringma goes on to remind us, "while we may celebrate the work of our hands as God's gift, we should never depend on it. For it is God alone who sustains us and He ought to be the focus of our adoration."
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