God’s timing is superior to our desires and wishes. His ways are perfect and we need to trust Him. And yet, we very quickly can forget His faithfulness to us.
I thought this quote from Elisabeth Elliot’s book Quest for Love was really cool:
“In the end, of course, none of us can assure the happiness of anyone else. Nor can we just glibly urge patience on single people, since it may not be God’s will for them to marry. But we can comfort one another and give mutual encouragement in the acceptance of that will. Whether we’re single or married, life will bring sorrows, but our touchstone of joy remains the steady bearing of a yoke that is in the long run ‘easy,’ and ‘light.’”
I love the last sentence! Life is guaranteed to be hard; that is just the way of it. However, we can be comforted in the fact that the burdens we bear as believers are “easy” and “light” because of our hope in Christ. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Our God will sustain us and give us strength.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Photography
Check out this link for some great photography and potentially a free iPod Nano!
http://www.lukasvandyke.com/?p=5400
http://www.lukasvandyke.com/?p=5400
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Responding in Gentleness
So I am not sure where this quote came from, but I found it in a document on my computer and I found it very encouraging and apropos to my life right now. I hope and pray that I can be the kind of person described here and by God's grace I know that I can! =]
"Gentleness Means Trusting the Lord – Just as we trust the Lord for every fruit of the Spirit, so we trust Him for this one, too. In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” William Hendriksen had this to say about Jesus’ words:
“’The meek’” [or gentle] describes the person who is not resentful. He bears no grudge. Far from mulling over injuries received, he finds refuge in the Lord and commits his way entirely to Him….He has learned to take joyfully ‘the plundering of his possessions, know that he has a better possession and an abiding one’ (Hebrews 10:34). Yet meekness is not weakness….It is submissiveness under provocation, the willingness rather to suffer than to inflict injury. The meek [or gentle] person leaves everything in the hand of Him who loves and cares.”
It helps to note first what gentleness isn’t: It is not resentful, it bears no grudges, and it is not involved in mulling over injuries. And what does gentleness do instead? It finds refuge in the Lord and His ways. It endures plundering, provocation, and suffering in humble submission to an all-wise, caring Father, trusting totally in the love of God.
But, we instantly wonder, how can anyone bear plundering, provocation, suffering, and ill-treatment? For me, the answer boils down to one word—faith. The invisible root system of gentleness goes deep into the rich sol of faith. Faith believes that everything that happens in our life is allowed by God and that He is able to help us handler our situation. Our faith in the God behind this truth keeps us from struggling and fighting because faith believes that God will fight for us (Psalm 60:12).
[…] But how about you, precious traveler along life’s way? Does your life show the fruit of gentleness? Where are you failing to submit to God and His management of your life? Do you consider God’s meekness to be weakness? Do you generally bear grudges toward others, contemplate revenge, think vengeful thoughts? Or are you one who can look beyond the injury inflicted by another to the God of wisdom who uses pain in your life so that you might bear the mark of His Spirit in a might way?
[…]
Gentleness Means Submitting to the Master – Commentator William Barclay offers another picture of gentleness when he explains, “What throws most light on [the meaning of gentleness] is that the adjective…is used of an animal that has been tamed and brought under control.” This definition, along with the fact that gentleness is highly revered by God in His women (1 Peter 3:4), caused me to search a little further—which revealed some startling concepts.
•The word tame, which is the opposite of wild, describes one accustomed to control by another.
•The word tame suggests one whose will has been broken or who has allowed himself or herself to be dominated by the will of another.
•The tame person, therefore…
oHas been toned down and exhibits complete dependence on another.
oHas yielded all will to another’s control.
oUnquestioningly and humbly obeys what is ordered and accepts what is given.
oIs docile and obedient and pliable, as opposed to fierce.
oIs easy to work with and to be with.
[…] It helps us to think about gentleness in terms of submitting to our Master, the Lord Jesus. Don’t you desire to be controlled by Him? Don’t you truly yearn for Him to take complete charge of your life, to lead and guide you, to protect and care for you as you follow Him unquestioningly in faith? Don’t you want to be easy to work with and be with? As one believer observed, “What makes humility [or gentleness] so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us: It creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.” To belong totally to the Master, to want only His will, to depend completely on Him, and to yield humbly to Him and His ways brings great intimacy with God.
So breathe a huge sigh of release and hand over to God any part of your life that you have not yet given to Him. Thank Him—as your Master and as the Master Gardener—that He is able to care for it. Allow yourself the joy of being mastered by the Master.”
"Gentleness Means Trusting the Lord – Just as we trust the Lord for every fruit of the Spirit, so we trust Him for this one, too. In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” William Hendriksen had this to say about Jesus’ words:
“’The meek’” [or gentle] describes the person who is not resentful. He bears no grudge. Far from mulling over injuries received, he finds refuge in the Lord and commits his way entirely to Him….He has learned to take joyfully ‘the plundering of his possessions, know that he has a better possession and an abiding one’ (Hebrews 10:34). Yet meekness is not weakness….It is submissiveness under provocation, the willingness rather to suffer than to inflict injury. The meek [or gentle] person leaves everything in the hand of Him who loves and cares.”
It helps to note first what gentleness isn’t: It is not resentful, it bears no grudges, and it is not involved in mulling over injuries. And what does gentleness do instead? It finds refuge in the Lord and His ways. It endures plundering, provocation, and suffering in humble submission to an all-wise, caring Father, trusting totally in the love of God.
But, we instantly wonder, how can anyone bear plundering, provocation, suffering, and ill-treatment? For me, the answer boils down to one word—faith. The invisible root system of gentleness goes deep into the rich sol of faith. Faith believes that everything that happens in our life is allowed by God and that He is able to help us handler our situation. Our faith in the God behind this truth keeps us from struggling and fighting because faith believes that God will fight for us (Psalm 60:12).
[…] But how about you, precious traveler along life’s way? Does your life show the fruit of gentleness? Where are you failing to submit to God and His management of your life? Do you consider God’s meekness to be weakness? Do you generally bear grudges toward others, contemplate revenge, think vengeful thoughts? Or are you one who can look beyond the injury inflicted by another to the God of wisdom who uses pain in your life so that you might bear the mark of His Spirit in a might way?
[…]
Gentleness Means Submitting to the Master – Commentator William Barclay offers another picture of gentleness when he explains, “What throws most light on [the meaning of gentleness] is that the adjective…is used of an animal that has been tamed and brought under control.” This definition, along with the fact that gentleness is highly revered by God in His women (1 Peter 3:4), caused me to search a little further—which revealed some startling concepts.
•The word tame, which is the opposite of wild, describes one accustomed to control by another.
•The word tame suggests one whose will has been broken or who has allowed himself or herself to be dominated by the will of another.
•The tame person, therefore…
oHas been toned down and exhibits complete dependence on another.
oHas yielded all will to another’s control.
oUnquestioningly and humbly obeys what is ordered and accepts what is given.
oIs docile and obedient and pliable, as opposed to fierce.
oIs easy to work with and to be with.
[…] It helps us to think about gentleness in terms of submitting to our Master, the Lord Jesus. Don’t you desire to be controlled by Him? Don’t you truly yearn for Him to take complete charge of your life, to lead and guide you, to protect and care for you as you follow Him unquestioningly in faith? Don’t you want to be easy to work with and be with? As one believer observed, “What makes humility [or gentleness] so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us: It creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.” To belong totally to the Master, to want only His will, to depend completely on Him, and to yield humbly to Him and His ways brings great intimacy with God.
So breathe a huge sigh of release and hand over to God any part of your life that you have not yet given to Him. Thank Him—as your Master and as the Master Gardener—that He is able to care for it. Allow yourself the joy of being mastered by the Master.”
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Growing Up
Growing Up
The sound of wind chimes blowing in a warm breeze
The smell of sweet crisp baking in the oven
The touch of smooth keys beneath my fingers
The sound of music drifting through the air
What do these recall to memory?
The feel of summer’s end drawing near
The sound of trees rustling in the yard
The taste of fresh sun ripened garden tomatoes
The feel of anticipation as school approaches
What do these recall to memory?
For me, they recall my childhood memories
For me, they recall the times of past
For me, they recall the days of innocence and bliss
For me, they recall my days of youth and play
And what reality does this bring me to?
It brings me to the fact that I’ve grown up
It reminds me that there’s no going back
It’s a sobering fact to realize you’re grown!
Oh how I wish I’d listened to my parents
And obeyed their words to not grow up!
But at least now I understand that I must trust the Lord
I understand that I must let Him guide my paths and ways
For He alone knows what’s best for me
And will ne’er hold His good from me
So now I rest in peace that His hand will hold me to the end.
Today, as my parents were packing and preparing our tent trailer to go camping, a flood of childhood memories came back to me. The afternoons these days have been feeling a lot like fall; there is the warm breeze we have in September and the evenings can be very cool. All of this reminds me of going back to school and of starting a brand new school year. I was also flooded with memories of our camping trip with our church; we have gone to this place since I was one and hardly missed any years until I started high school. (The last time I went was my junior year of high school.) Camp is filled with memories of family, friends, dirt, the lake, hiking, the gun range, riding bikes, the smell of outhouses by the end of the weekend (unfortunately), waking up early for hiking up Sentinal Peak, eating good food, being freezing at night some years and being fine at night other years, singing worship songs to the Lord, seeing thousands and thousands of stars, of getting baptized in the lake, playing with my brothers, etc. Almost 20 years of memories.
But along with all those memories came the reminder of getting older and realizing that life is not as easy now as when I was five. I am not saying that my life is hard now, by no means! But with age come experience and with experience, particularly in the believer’s life, comes the greater realization and revelation of sin and struggles. But, on the other hand, comes the greater reminder of God’s grace and love and mercy and salvation for He should be praised for! I am so thankful to the Lord for my family and my life; I cannot thank Him enough for His kindness and goodness to me. I thank Him for all the memories and look forward to the years ahead of His continued love and kindness.
The sound of wind chimes blowing in a warm breeze
The smell of sweet crisp baking in the oven
The touch of smooth keys beneath my fingers
The sound of music drifting through the air
What do these recall to memory?
The feel of summer’s end drawing near
The sound of trees rustling in the yard
The taste of fresh sun ripened garden tomatoes
The feel of anticipation as school approaches
What do these recall to memory?
For me, they recall my childhood memories
For me, they recall the times of past
For me, they recall the days of innocence and bliss
For me, they recall my days of youth and play
And what reality does this bring me to?
It brings me to the fact that I’ve grown up
It reminds me that there’s no going back
It’s a sobering fact to realize you’re grown!
Oh how I wish I’d listened to my parents
And obeyed their words to not grow up!
But at least now I understand that I must trust the Lord
I understand that I must let Him guide my paths and ways
For He alone knows what’s best for me
And will ne’er hold His good from me
So now I rest in peace that His hand will hold me to the end.
Today, as my parents were packing and preparing our tent trailer to go camping, a flood of childhood memories came back to me. The afternoons these days have been feeling a lot like fall; there is the warm breeze we have in September and the evenings can be very cool. All of this reminds me of going back to school and of starting a brand new school year. I was also flooded with memories of our camping trip with our church; we have gone to this place since I was one and hardly missed any years until I started high school. (The last time I went was my junior year of high school.) Camp is filled with memories of family, friends, dirt, the lake, hiking, the gun range, riding bikes, the smell of outhouses by the end of the weekend (unfortunately), waking up early for hiking up Sentinal Peak, eating good food, being freezing at night some years and being fine at night other years, singing worship songs to the Lord, seeing thousands and thousands of stars, of getting baptized in the lake, playing with my brothers, etc. Almost 20 years of memories.
But along with all those memories came the reminder of getting older and realizing that life is not as easy now as when I was five. I am not saying that my life is hard now, by no means! But with age come experience and with experience, particularly in the believer’s life, comes the greater realization and revelation of sin and struggles. But, on the other hand, comes the greater reminder of God’s grace and love and mercy and salvation for He should be praised for! I am so thankful to the Lord for my family and my life; I cannot thank Him enough for His kindness and goodness to me. I thank Him for all the memories and look forward to the years ahead of His continued love and kindness.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Advice for Girls - Part 5
Last two...
20. Do not assume you are going to marry John Piper – At any age you are beginning a relationship, unless you are like 65 and I am not sure that you would be reading this, you need to keep in mind that your expectations are probably going to be too high. I am not saying that you should “settle for less” in the guy’s character, etc, but you need to keep in mind that you are not going to marry somebody as mature as John Piper, John MacArthur, A.W. Tozer, Jesus etc. Although you will meet guys who are mature beyond their years, a lot of maturity and wisdom solely comes through living through life. True wisdom comes through experience. You cannot expect a guy to be perfect or to know exactly how to treat you in every circumstance you face together. As you get to know each other you will learn how to interact with one another. Hopefully, if you do end up marrying this person, you will grow and mature in your relationships with the Lord together. And do not be disappointed if he does not turn out exactly like one of the great heroes of faith. God made each of us different for a reason; it is your responsibility to love your husband for who he is and not who you hope him to be.
21. Cultivate your first love – Remember that your first and foremost responsibility is to cultivate a love for and relationship with our God and Savior. He should be your first love. If you cannot love God, if you cannot die to yourself daily and lay down your life to serve Him, you will not be able to do this for a sinful and fallen man. 1 John 4:19 clearly states that “We love because He first loved us.” If you cannot love God, you cannot love man. Therefore, you must learn to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5 & Luke 10:27) and then “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
20. Do not assume you are going to marry John Piper – At any age you are beginning a relationship, unless you are like 65 and I am not sure that you would be reading this, you need to keep in mind that your expectations are probably going to be too high. I am not saying that you should “settle for less” in the guy’s character, etc, but you need to keep in mind that you are not going to marry somebody as mature as John Piper, John MacArthur, A.W. Tozer, Jesus etc. Although you will meet guys who are mature beyond their years, a lot of maturity and wisdom solely comes through living through life. True wisdom comes through experience. You cannot expect a guy to be perfect or to know exactly how to treat you in every circumstance you face together. As you get to know each other you will learn how to interact with one another. Hopefully, if you do end up marrying this person, you will grow and mature in your relationships with the Lord together. And do not be disappointed if he does not turn out exactly like one of the great heroes of faith. God made each of us different for a reason; it is your responsibility to love your husband for who he is and not who you hope him to be.
21. Cultivate your first love – Remember that your first and foremost responsibility is to cultivate a love for and relationship with our God and Savior. He should be your first love. If you cannot love God, if you cannot die to yourself daily and lay down your life to serve Him, you will not be able to do this for a sinful and fallen man. 1 John 4:19 clearly states that “We love because He first loved us.” If you cannot love God, you cannot love man. Therefore, you must learn to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5 & Luke 10:27) and then “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
Advice for Girls - Part 4
Continued...
16. Idolatry – Remember, as John Calvin once said, “Our hearts are ‘idol factories.’” It is easy for us to make something into an idol, especially guys or a relationship. We need to make sure our focus remains on God and glorifying and honoring Him through every aspect of our lives.
17. Hanging out – Just because a guy hangs out with other people (guys and girls alike) does not mean he is any less of your friend. Remember that guys are allowed to have friends besides you. Besides, it is a good way for you to see how they interact with other people. Again, be patient! If God wants you to be with that person, He will bring it about in His perfect and good timing.
18. You are a sinner and you date/marry one – When caught up in the moment of dating and feelings and everything that comes along with that, it is easy to forget that the person you are with is a sinner. This guy is not Jesus; he is sinful and he will sin against you. He will fail you and not live up to your expectations. It may not at first, but soon the reality of Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” will set in. Be prepared to be disappointed, but, also, be prepared to disappoint him. You too are a sinner; you too will hurt him and bring him disappointment. You both will fail, but you have God’s forgiveness.
19. Forgiving the other person – You need to keep in mind that forgiveness is a choice you make; it is a promise to continue to love and care for that person. Do not bring up past hurts or wrongs as ammunition to guilt them in to doing something for you. Sometimes, if a guy has “hurt” you, he might not even realize it. You need to figure out why you were hurt by that person. Is it because they were not giving you the attention you wanted? Or was it because they legitimately sinned against you? Remember to get the log out of your own eye because you seek to get the speck out of theirs. (Luke 6:39-42) Sometimes dealing with a deep hurt can be really hard; it could be something that damages or changes your relationship for a long time or forever. It is not the case all the time that you forgive AND forget although you need to try. The hurt might still be there for many years to come. This is when you must be careful to abide by Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” The commitment to forgiving and forgetting might be one that occurs daily; you might have to give up the struggle of hurt day by day, moment by moment. It can be a struggle, but God can lessen the pain if you give the hurt to Him and ask Him to help you love the person who hurt you. You are commanded to forgive others just as Christ forgave you. Remember, you were forgiven by God for the greatest offense anyone could ever commit—disobeying and rejecting Him. Because He loved you enough to forgive you of that, what right have you to withhold forgiveness from others? When I refuse to forgive somebody I am essentially shaking my fist at God and telling Him that His forgiveness was not enough for me to forgive others. That truly is an audacious thing to do! Beware this mindset because it is showing pride and, according to James 4:6, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Take heed lest you fall; bitterness and anger can creep in unnoticed and yet its poison can sink deep into your heart like a root. Chop out that main root; kill it at all costs; and remember that you might have to deal with the offshoots of the main root as time goes by. Small roots of bitterness might still remain, but those too must be dealt with in the same way.
16. Idolatry – Remember, as John Calvin once said, “Our hearts are ‘idol factories.’” It is easy for us to make something into an idol, especially guys or a relationship. We need to make sure our focus remains on God and glorifying and honoring Him through every aspect of our lives.
17. Hanging out – Just because a guy hangs out with other people (guys and girls alike) does not mean he is any less of your friend. Remember that guys are allowed to have friends besides you. Besides, it is a good way for you to see how they interact with other people. Again, be patient! If God wants you to be with that person, He will bring it about in His perfect and good timing.
18. You are a sinner and you date/marry one – When caught up in the moment of dating and feelings and everything that comes along with that, it is easy to forget that the person you are with is a sinner. This guy is not Jesus; he is sinful and he will sin against you. He will fail you and not live up to your expectations. It may not at first, but soon the reality of Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” will set in. Be prepared to be disappointed, but, also, be prepared to disappoint him. You too are a sinner; you too will hurt him and bring him disappointment. You both will fail, but you have God’s forgiveness.
19. Forgiving the other person – You need to keep in mind that forgiveness is a choice you make; it is a promise to continue to love and care for that person. Do not bring up past hurts or wrongs as ammunition to guilt them in to doing something for you. Sometimes, if a guy has “hurt” you, he might not even realize it. You need to figure out why you were hurt by that person. Is it because they were not giving you the attention you wanted? Or was it because they legitimately sinned against you? Remember to get the log out of your own eye because you seek to get the speck out of theirs. (Luke 6:39-42) Sometimes dealing with a deep hurt can be really hard; it could be something that damages or changes your relationship for a long time or forever. It is not the case all the time that you forgive AND forget although you need to try. The hurt might still be there for many years to come. This is when you must be careful to abide by Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” The commitment to forgiving and forgetting might be one that occurs daily; you might have to give up the struggle of hurt day by day, moment by moment. It can be a struggle, but God can lessen the pain if you give the hurt to Him and ask Him to help you love the person who hurt you. You are commanded to forgive others just as Christ forgave you. Remember, you were forgiven by God for the greatest offense anyone could ever commit—disobeying and rejecting Him. Because He loved you enough to forgive you of that, what right have you to withhold forgiveness from others? When I refuse to forgive somebody I am essentially shaking my fist at God and telling Him that His forgiveness was not enough for me to forgive others. That truly is an audacious thing to do! Beware this mindset because it is showing pride and, according to James 4:6, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Take heed lest you fall; bitterness and anger can creep in unnoticed and yet its poison can sink deep into your heart like a root. Chop out that main root; kill it at all costs; and remember that you might have to deal with the offshoots of the main root as time goes by. Small roots of bitterness might still remain, but those too must be dealt with in the same way.
Advice for Girls - Part 3
Continued...
11. Try to avoid looking at guys you meet as “potentials” – Instead, look at them as brothers in Christ. We are called to love one another and to care for one another because—if we are truly saved—we are members of the same household. But do not assume that a particular person is totally ruled out either; God has a sense of humor and a way of making us eat our words at times. Somebody who you promise to never to like, date, or marry could be the very person that God has planned for you to spend forever with. God can always work drastically in a person’s heart including your own. So instead, be open to God’s will and let Him direct your path.
12. Be friendly, but reserved – We need to show the love of God to people, but there is a limit. You do not want to go around sharing your life story and all of your problems and issues and dreams and thoughts and how you are feeling at certain times of certain days with every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Oftentimes, guarding oneself can also be guarding the other person. Remain a mystery and do not let a guy know what you are thinking at all times. Let him try to figure you out if he really wants to. If a guy is truly interested he will put in the effort to unveil your “mysteriousness.”
13. Do your best to seek after girl friendships – Let the Lord bring what guy friendships He may. Remember: your girl friends are going to be the ones that you call up after you’re married and have kids and your child does something exciting for the first time. You are not going to call one of your guy pals from college to tell him that your child rolled over or took 10 steps; that would be inappropriate and improper. Once you are married, it is your responsibility to be dedicated to your husband. By saying “I do” to him, you have ruled out the option of sharing your heart or burdens with other guys. Instead, deepen your friendships with girls; they will be the ones you can ask for prayer from and the ones you can share your joys and sorrows with. (As a side note: I am not advocating that you tell every single thing that your husband does to every woman you know; there is a balance between gossiping and asking for wisdom and guidance.)
14. Communication – This is a good thing, but do not make a guy talk about every single thing, every single moment, of every single day. Again, wait and let him initiate a “DTR”; let him lead! However, if waiting is legitimately beginning to hurt your relationship with the Lord, consider whether you have made him into an idol and seek out the wisdom and council of older people. They might just have some really good advice on what you should do. Be honest with him when he asks your opinion; lying is not a good policy! Also, make sure you are not encouraging a guy that you are not interested in. If you need to politely tell him to “back off,” do so; you do not want him to think you are interested when you are not. It might be an awkward conversation, but it is better to communicate your feelings (or lack of feelings) than to get his hopes up. You would not want a guy to do that with you so be considerate and avoid doing the same.
15. Getting “attached” – It is easy for us girls to deceive ourselves and think that we are not emotionally attached to a guy in some way. You might think this could never happen to you, but let me assure you that it can. There have been several times when I have told myself that I did not like a guy, only to discover I actually did because I felt jealous or hurt when he started paying attention to another girl. Be careful. Guard your heart. It is a precious thing.
11. Try to avoid looking at guys you meet as “potentials” – Instead, look at them as brothers in Christ. We are called to love one another and to care for one another because—if we are truly saved—we are members of the same household. But do not assume that a particular person is totally ruled out either; God has a sense of humor and a way of making us eat our words at times. Somebody who you promise to never to like, date, or marry could be the very person that God has planned for you to spend forever with. God can always work drastically in a person’s heart including your own. So instead, be open to God’s will and let Him direct your path.
12. Be friendly, but reserved – We need to show the love of God to people, but there is a limit. You do not want to go around sharing your life story and all of your problems and issues and dreams and thoughts and how you are feeling at certain times of certain days with every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Oftentimes, guarding oneself can also be guarding the other person. Remain a mystery and do not let a guy know what you are thinking at all times. Let him try to figure you out if he really wants to. If a guy is truly interested he will put in the effort to unveil your “mysteriousness.”
13. Do your best to seek after girl friendships – Let the Lord bring what guy friendships He may. Remember: your girl friends are going to be the ones that you call up after you’re married and have kids and your child does something exciting for the first time. You are not going to call one of your guy pals from college to tell him that your child rolled over or took 10 steps; that would be inappropriate and improper. Once you are married, it is your responsibility to be dedicated to your husband. By saying “I do” to him, you have ruled out the option of sharing your heart or burdens with other guys. Instead, deepen your friendships with girls; they will be the ones you can ask for prayer from and the ones you can share your joys and sorrows with. (As a side note: I am not advocating that you tell every single thing that your husband does to every woman you know; there is a balance between gossiping and asking for wisdom and guidance.)
14. Communication – This is a good thing, but do not make a guy talk about every single thing, every single moment, of every single day. Again, wait and let him initiate a “DTR”; let him lead! However, if waiting is legitimately beginning to hurt your relationship with the Lord, consider whether you have made him into an idol and seek out the wisdom and council of older people. They might just have some really good advice on what you should do. Be honest with him when he asks your opinion; lying is not a good policy! Also, make sure you are not encouraging a guy that you are not interested in. If you need to politely tell him to “back off,” do so; you do not want him to think you are interested when you are not. It might be an awkward conversation, but it is better to communicate your feelings (or lack of feelings) than to get his hopes up. You would not want a guy to do that with you so be considerate and avoid doing the same.
15. Getting “attached” – It is easy for us girls to deceive ourselves and think that we are not emotionally attached to a guy in some way. You might think this could never happen to you, but let me assure you that it can. There have been several times when I have told myself that I did not like a guy, only to discover I actually did because I felt jealous or hurt when he started paying attention to another girl. Be careful. Guard your heart. It is a precious thing.
Advice for Girls - Part 2
Continued...
6. Think on true things – Do not dwell on the “what ifs,” “could be’s,” “maybes,” and “perhaps.” Think on things that are true and actual (Philippians 4:8). DO NOT assume that a guy is interested in any way UNTIL he actually voices interest. Girls get themselves into a heap of trouble when they daydream and fantasize about a guy. Remember what is true – has he expressed interest? Has he told you that he wants to become better acquainted? If not, then do not imagine that he likes you! It will help you stay away from a lot of heart ache, especially if he starts pursing somebody else.
7. Be patient – Remember, sometimes guys take a few more years than girls to mature. It might take a guy a little longer to recognize what he is looking for and to realize that he is interested in a particular girl. He might be interesting in a girl, but he might not know how to go about starting a relationship. Let him figure it out; if he is “the One,” God will direct his steps and he will make it to you in time. Wait for him to make the first move. If he does initiate something, do not sigh and say, “Finally! I thought you’d never ask!!” You need to be encouraging and supporting, not demeaning and disheartening. Taking a step towards dating—if it is serious and done with the mindset of finding out if marriage will be the end—is a big step for a guy!! In making that step, they are beginning to think about the possibility of “forever”; once they say “I do” they have the responsibility to care and provide for you and they cannot go back on this choice. So do not rush the process because once you say “yes,” it’s forever! Cut the guy some slack; be patient and let God guide him.
8. Contentment – It is important to understand that being in a relationship will not make you happy or content; if you are not content in singleness you will not be content in a relationship. If you are not content with deepening your relationship with God, you will not be content in getting to know a guy better. And, yes, there will still be times when you struggle with contentment, but it is your responsibility to be seeking the Lord and asking Him for help. Loneliness does not end with marriage; I have heard that oftentimes marriage can be even lonelier for a woman because she cannot go to as many people to talk about her problems. Do not think that getting a boyfriend, a fiancé, or a husband will make you any less lonely or discontent. Only God can fill this void in your heart.
9. Avoid technological conversations as much as possible – It is so easy to build false emotional attachments over Skype, Facebook chat, IM, Gchat, etc. Now, I am not saying that it is inappropriate or wrong to chat once in a while, but it is not wise to let it become a habit. Spend time with them face-to-face. It is so much better to see how they react to questions, situations, and even your reactions. In order to truly get to know somebody you have to spend time with them. Besides, it is easy to make yourself look and sound good over the internet; without physically being with them it is harder to see their strengths and weaknesses. Also, until further intentions have been declared, avoid consistent, deep, spiritual, one-on-one conversations especially late at night. It is very easy to let your guard down when you are tired; people become more vulnerable and open when they are sleepy so it is best to avoid the temptation altogether. While these sorts of conversations are not bad, they can provide for relationships that go too deep too fast; they can be totally based on feelings and have no logic, reason, or wisdom to base a relationship off of. This is another reason it is good to have older, wiser council in your life; they can keep you accountable to how much time you are spending together or talking with each other.
10. Form a friendship – Although this is not necessarily essential and can be more of a personal preference, it is a good idea to be friends with a person before you start dating them. This will allow you to see how they interact with other people of the same and opposite gender. It will also help you see who they really are without the pressure or expectation of trying to impress. Another good reason to be friends first (and again, this might not happen which is totally fine) is because romantic feelings will not be present in a marriage 100% of the time; there will be times when you will have to consciously choose to love the person you are married to even if you do not feel like loving them. If you base a marriage solely on feelings, you will soon be in trouble because feelings ebb and flow even more often than the ocean tide. Building that friendship and companionship will help remind you why you made those wedding vows. Also, keep the friendships with other people that you had before dating somebody; do not forsake your friends or stop hanging out with them! Remember that this relationship could end; if that is the case, it will be much harder to pick back up with other friendships that you neglected for the time you were dating.
6. Think on true things – Do not dwell on the “what ifs,” “could be’s,” “maybes,” and “perhaps.” Think on things that are true and actual (Philippians 4:8). DO NOT assume that a guy is interested in any way UNTIL he actually voices interest. Girls get themselves into a heap of trouble when they daydream and fantasize about a guy. Remember what is true – has he expressed interest? Has he told you that he wants to become better acquainted? If not, then do not imagine that he likes you! It will help you stay away from a lot of heart ache, especially if he starts pursing somebody else.
7. Be patient – Remember, sometimes guys take a few more years than girls to mature. It might take a guy a little longer to recognize what he is looking for and to realize that he is interested in a particular girl. He might be interesting in a girl, but he might not know how to go about starting a relationship. Let him figure it out; if he is “the One,” God will direct his steps and he will make it to you in time. Wait for him to make the first move. If he does initiate something, do not sigh and say, “Finally! I thought you’d never ask!!” You need to be encouraging and supporting, not demeaning and disheartening. Taking a step towards dating—if it is serious and done with the mindset of finding out if marriage will be the end—is a big step for a guy!! In making that step, they are beginning to think about the possibility of “forever”; once they say “I do” they have the responsibility to care and provide for you and they cannot go back on this choice. So do not rush the process because once you say “yes,” it’s forever! Cut the guy some slack; be patient and let God guide him.
8. Contentment – It is important to understand that being in a relationship will not make you happy or content; if you are not content in singleness you will not be content in a relationship. If you are not content with deepening your relationship with God, you will not be content in getting to know a guy better. And, yes, there will still be times when you struggle with contentment, but it is your responsibility to be seeking the Lord and asking Him for help. Loneliness does not end with marriage; I have heard that oftentimes marriage can be even lonelier for a woman because she cannot go to as many people to talk about her problems. Do not think that getting a boyfriend, a fiancé, or a husband will make you any less lonely or discontent. Only God can fill this void in your heart.
9. Avoid technological conversations as much as possible – It is so easy to build false emotional attachments over Skype, Facebook chat, IM, Gchat, etc. Now, I am not saying that it is inappropriate or wrong to chat once in a while, but it is not wise to let it become a habit. Spend time with them face-to-face. It is so much better to see how they react to questions, situations, and even your reactions. In order to truly get to know somebody you have to spend time with them. Besides, it is easy to make yourself look and sound good over the internet; without physically being with them it is harder to see their strengths and weaknesses. Also, until further intentions have been declared, avoid consistent, deep, spiritual, one-on-one conversations especially late at night. It is very easy to let your guard down when you are tired; people become more vulnerable and open when they are sleepy so it is best to avoid the temptation altogether. While these sorts of conversations are not bad, they can provide for relationships that go too deep too fast; they can be totally based on feelings and have no logic, reason, or wisdom to base a relationship off of. This is another reason it is good to have older, wiser council in your life; they can keep you accountable to how much time you are spending together or talking with each other.
10. Form a friendship – Although this is not necessarily essential and can be more of a personal preference, it is a good idea to be friends with a person before you start dating them. This will allow you to see how they interact with other people of the same and opposite gender. It will also help you see who they really are without the pressure or expectation of trying to impress. Another good reason to be friends first (and again, this might not happen which is totally fine) is because romantic feelings will not be present in a marriage 100% of the time; there will be times when you will have to consciously choose to love the person you are married to even if you do not feel like loving them. If you base a marriage solely on feelings, you will soon be in trouble because feelings ebb and flow even more often than the ocean tide. Building that friendship and companionship will help remind you why you made those wedding vows. Also, keep the friendships with other people that you had before dating somebody; do not forsake your friends or stop hanging out with them! Remember that this relationship could end; if that is the case, it will be much harder to pick back up with other friendships that you neglected for the time you were dating.
Advice for Girls From Lessons I Have Learned - Part 1
I want to start this series of blog posts off by saying that I am no expert on dating and relationships! In fact, I am far from it. But these are some things that I have learned, am learning, and have been taught over the last couple of years about relationships. These will not necessarily be applicable to everybody and I am not saying that if you do these things exactly that you will end up with right guy or that you will have the perfect pre-dating experience. God does not have a “one-size fits all” plan for people but has a different plan for each and every one of us; do not try to take somebody else’s story and fit it exactly to your life. It is my hope that these things I have learned will be an encouragement to you and cause you to think about how you handle your own relationships.
1. Dating in high school – Just DON’T! Prematurely formed emotional attachments in high school usually do not end well. Yes, granted, some people can do it and have done it, but the majority of relationships end with broken hearts and tears. So many people mature and change a ton once they get to college. The person you start dating in 12th grade may be a totally different person 3 years later. Personally, I know that I have changed more in my first two years of college than I did in high school. Peoples’ values and beliefs can change so much upon entering college. Hopefully, if a person is a believer, college and that time of “growing up” will only strengthen their walk with the Lord. Because people can change so drastically, it is better to wait than to date early. For me, I purposed not to date my first year of college and I am so thankful I did because I changed so much from being a brand new Fall college freshman to a little bit more experienced Spring college sophomore. Besides, you can use your first year of college to just get to know people; see how people interact and react to circumstances. Let yourself grow up and mature as well as others too.
2. Older, wiser council – This is essential to have in your life at all times and especially when it comes to relationships! It is very easy to be caught up in the moment, caught up in emotions and feelings and to forsake all good judgment. If you can, seek council from your parents; they know and love you better than most people. For some reason, if you cannot go to your parents with this kind of stuff, find an older couple or an older woman in your life. They will often be the voice of reason and wisdom when you are tempted to run wild; they know, hopefully, what it is like to have romantic fluttering and feelings and they know how to best deal with them in a God-honoring way. Proverbs 2:1-2 says, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, [make] your ear attentive to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding.” We are to seek wisdom like a precious treasure. And note, seeking council from somebody who is 3 months or even just a year older is probably not the best choice unless you know for certain they are mature and wise. Remember, you want them to speak wisdom and God’s truth to you, not just what you want to hear from them. Let them keep you accountable; let them ask the hard and “awkward” questions about purity, etc. If you know somebody is going to ask you how you are doing at staying pure, it is a lot easier a lot easier to say “no” to temptation.
3. Wait silently and do not initiate – Many girls feel like they need to “run after” a guy because they are afraid that he will not notice them or that he will pursue a different girl. While temptation to do this is hard to resist, especially if you feel this guy is “the One,” it must be resisted at all costs. Why? Because, in Genesis 2:24, it is clearly stated that the man is supposed to leave his parents and cling to his wife; it is the man’s responsibility to pursue a woman. The problem with initiating a relationship is that you could be pursuing something that is not God’s will, especially because the guy is supposed to pursue. And think, if you got married and had major issues later in life, would you regret that you initiated the relationship? Would you wonder if it would have happened if you had not made the first move? I heard a quote by somebody something to the effect of that a woman will secretly despise the man that she leads; yes, she wants to lead and be in control, but more than anything, most women do want a man to lead. Do not usurp that responsibility from a man!
4. Trust the Lord – Waiting silently and refraining from initiating are tangible evidences of trust in the Lord. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord,; trust in Him, and He will act.” God has HIS best plan for you in mind; He will not withhold good things from those who are following Him. (Psalm 84:11) Remember: If it’s not God’s perfect right timing, then it’s not His will. If God is telling you to wait on a certain person, He does not want you to have them right then. So, essentially, they are not the right person at that time because God is saying “no.” God will act in the manner that He sees as best for His child. He knows your frame and He knows you better than you even know yourself; trust that He will take care of you.
5. Pray – Instead of worrying about the future and what it will hold (Matthew 6:25-34), pray! God already knows what you are thinking, but go ahead and express your worries and fears to God but, at the same time, praise and thank Him for giving you this uncertainty to trust Him with. (Philippians 4:6-7) I have found that when I am praying and committing myself to God I am able to trust Him better. Also remember that you are not the only person in life; you are not the only person with “problems.” It is good to keep in mind too, that God is so much bigger than all your problems. We are here to serve Him, not to fulfill all our wants and desires.
1. Dating in high school – Just DON’T! Prematurely formed emotional attachments in high school usually do not end well. Yes, granted, some people can do it and have done it, but the majority of relationships end with broken hearts and tears. So many people mature and change a ton once they get to college. The person you start dating in 12th grade may be a totally different person 3 years later. Personally, I know that I have changed more in my first two years of college than I did in high school. Peoples’ values and beliefs can change so much upon entering college. Hopefully, if a person is a believer, college and that time of “growing up” will only strengthen their walk with the Lord. Because people can change so drastically, it is better to wait than to date early. For me, I purposed not to date my first year of college and I am so thankful I did because I changed so much from being a brand new Fall college freshman to a little bit more experienced Spring college sophomore. Besides, you can use your first year of college to just get to know people; see how people interact and react to circumstances. Let yourself grow up and mature as well as others too.
2. Older, wiser council – This is essential to have in your life at all times and especially when it comes to relationships! It is very easy to be caught up in the moment, caught up in emotions and feelings and to forsake all good judgment. If you can, seek council from your parents; they know and love you better than most people. For some reason, if you cannot go to your parents with this kind of stuff, find an older couple or an older woman in your life. They will often be the voice of reason and wisdom when you are tempted to run wild; they know, hopefully, what it is like to have romantic fluttering and feelings and they know how to best deal with them in a God-honoring way. Proverbs 2:1-2 says, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, [make] your ear attentive to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding.” We are to seek wisdom like a precious treasure. And note, seeking council from somebody who is 3 months or even just a year older is probably not the best choice unless you know for certain they are mature and wise. Remember, you want them to speak wisdom and God’s truth to you, not just what you want to hear from them. Let them keep you accountable; let them ask the hard and “awkward” questions about purity, etc. If you know somebody is going to ask you how you are doing at staying pure, it is a lot easier a lot easier to say “no” to temptation.
3. Wait silently and do not initiate – Many girls feel like they need to “run after” a guy because they are afraid that he will not notice them or that he will pursue a different girl. While temptation to do this is hard to resist, especially if you feel this guy is “the One,” it must be resisted at all costs. Why? Because, in Genesis 2:24, it is clearly stated that the man is supposed to leave his parents and cling to his wife; it is the man’s responsibility to pursue a woman. The problem with initiating a relationship is that you could be pursuing something that is not God’s will, especially because the guy is supposed to pursue. And think, if you got married and had major issues later in life, would you regret that you initiated the relationship? Would you wonder if it would have happened if you had not made the first move? I heard a quote by somebody something to the effect of that a woman will secretly despise the man that she leads; yes, she wants to lead and be in control, but more than anything, most women do want a man to lead. Do not usurp that responsibility from a man!
4. Trust the Lord – Waiting silently and refraining from initiating are tangible evidences of trust in the Lord. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord,; trust in Him, and He will act.” God has HIS best plan for you in mind; He will not withhold good things from those who are following Him. (Psalm 84:11) Remember: If it’s not God’s perfect right timing, then it’s not His will. If God is telling you to wait on a certain person, He does not want you to have them right then. So, essentially, they are not the right person at that time because God is saying “no.” God will act in the manner that He sees as best for His child. He knows your frame and He knows you better than you even know yourself; trust that He will take care of you.
5. Pray – Instead of worrying about the future and what it will hold (Matthew 6:25-34), pray! God already knows what you are thinking, but go ahead and express your worries and fears to God but, at the same time, praise and thank Him for giving you this uncertainty to trust Him with. (Philippians 4:6-7) I have found that when I am praying and committing myself to God I am able to trust Him better. Also remember that you are not the only person in life; you are not the only person with “problems.” It is good to keep in mind too, that God is so much bigger than all your problems. We are here to serve Him, not to fulfill all our wants and desires.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
More to Life
It is easy for people to become so wrapped up in their “problems” in life that they tend to forget about the bigger picture of life. When we are focused on ourselves, we forget the reason we are here on this earth; we forget that we are here to serve, honor, and glorify God. The other day I was wrestling with and worrying about something I was working through; I was so self-focused that I could not see how the circumstance would ever be resolved or concluded. The reason why I was worrying was because I did not see how I was going to fix it. Recognizing subconsciously that this mindset was erroneous, I grabbed my Bible and opened to the Psalms. I cannot remember what chapter I read, but I do know that it helped me refocus my eyes on the Lord. God’s Word reminded me that God is bigger than all of my problems; the only thing that I should be concerned with is obeying and trusting Him. God will take care of all of the rest of the details!!
Psalms 103 is one of my favorite psalms. It is also a good one to read to remind oneself of God’s love, mercy, grace, care, and knowledge of His children. God “knows our frame” (vs. 14a) and “He remembers that we are dust” (vs. 14b); God remembers our frailty and is yet still patient and loving. With this knowledge, how can we worry about the small details in our lives? Why should we worry when we can rest in the fact that God loves us and will take care of us? We shouldn’t! God already too care of our “biggest problem” in life—saving us from eternal damnation. How much more, then, should He be able to take care of our “little problems”? We must keep in mind that there is more to life than the worries of today; there is a God who knows us and will care for us all the days of our lives. It is our responsibility to rest in Him and show our love in return.
Check out Psalm 103:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to His children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will! Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Psalms 103 is one of my favorite psalms. It is also a good one to read to remind oneself of God’s love, mercy, grace, care, and knowledge of His children. God “knows our frame” (vs. 14a) and “He remembers that we are dust” (vs. 14b); God remembers our frailty and is yet still patient and loving. With this knowledge, how can we worry about the small details in our lives? Why should we worry when we can rest in the fact that God loves us and will take care of us? We shouldn’t! God already too care of our “biggest problem” in life—saving us from eternal damnation. How much more, then, should He be able to take care of our “little problems”? We must keep in mind that there is more to life than the worries of today; there is a God who knows us and will care for us all the days of our lives. It is our responsibility to rest in Him and show our love in return.
Check out Psalm 103:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to His children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will! Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Sunday, August 1, 2010
God's Creation
It is so neat how being out in God’s creation can refresh and revive one’s soul! This afternoon I went out in my backyard and sat on the grass for about 45 minutes, just reading verses I have written on cards and praying. Feeling the sun on my face and smelling the grass and outside air was such a good way to clear the cobwebs from my mind.
Psalm 19:1-6 speaks of God’s creation:
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
I love how we can see God in creation and how He displays His power and glory in what He has made. This should cause us to turn to Him and praise His name. Spending time in the great outdoors is a good way to be rejuvenated and refreshed for the Lord’s work.
Psalm 19:1-6 speaks of God’s creation:
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
I love how we can see God in creation and how He displays His power and glory in what He has made. This should cause us to turn to Him and praise His name. Spending time in the great outdoors is a good way to be rejuvenated and refreshed for the Lord’s work.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Choices We Make
One of the latest books I have been reading is called Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot in which she talks about biblical womanhood, etc. This weekend I ran across a quote about choices that has caused me to do some thinking; ultimately, she is talking about the choice of marriage, but the principle can apply to all of life.
“Marriage is a choice of one above all others. Each partner promises to forsake all others, and the Bible says that man will leave his father and mother and ‘cleave’ to his wife. Any choice we ever make in life instantly limits us.”
I thought this was such an interesting perspective on decision-making. Not only do we, in the instance the author is talking about, choose the person we are going to marry, but we—essentially—say “no” to all other intimate and deep relationships with people of the opposite gender. In making one choice which frees us up to love, cherish, serve, honor, and be there for one particular person, we are giving up our freedom to do the same for other people. Yes, we still need to love others as brothers and sisters in Christ, but we cannot and must not go beyond that with the opposite sex. While women can see to the spiritual and emotional needs of other women, it is totally inappropriate for them to see to those needs of a man. And the vice versa principle applies. Once we choose to spend the rest of our lives with one person, we are reserving ourselves to support them and them alone.
This principle carries over into all of life. For instance, if a college student chooses to do his homework, he gives up the freedom to hang out with friends, watch a movie, or to even possibly sleep in that particular instance. If a college students chooses to hang out with people, he gives up his freedom to do homework or sleep. At a restaurant, if I choose to order one dish, I am choosing to not order all of the other choices. Yes, I know the example does break down because there are people who can “do it all,” but I think you get the point. Even in the instance of our salvation, we are now free to obey God and submit to His commands; yes, we can still choose to sin, but we will suffer the consequences of that choice. We now have the obligation to serve the Lord and need to be committed to choosing to obey Him when temptation lingers in front of us. The choices we make will limit us because we are saying “yes” to one thing and no to a whole other list of options.
“Marriage is a choice of one above all others. Each partner promises to forsake all others, and the Bible says that man will leave his father and mother and ‘cleave’ to his wife. Any choice we ever make in life instantly limits us.”
I thought this was such an interesting perspective on decision-making. Not only do we, in the instance the author is talking about, choose the person we are going to marry, but we—essentially—say “no” to all other intimate and deep relationships with people of the opposite gender. In making one choice which frees us up to love, cherish, serve, honor, and be there for one particular person, we are giving up our freedom to do the same for other people. Yes, we still need to love others as brothers and sisters in Christ, but we cannot and must not go beyond that with the opposite sex. While women can see to the spiritual and emotional needs of other women, it is totally inappropriate for them to see to those needs of a man. And the vice versa principle applies. Once we choose to spend the rest of our lives with one person, we are reserving ourselves to support them and them alone.
This principle carries over into all of life. For instance, if a college student chooses to do his homework, he gives up the freedom to hang out with friends, watch a movie, or to even possibly sleep in that particular instance. If a college students chooses to hang out with people, he gives up his freedom to do homework or sleep. At a restaurant, if I choose to order one dish, I am choosing to not order all of the other choices. Yes, I know the example does break down because there are people who can “do it all,” but I think you get the point. Even in the instance of our salvation, we are now free to obey God and submit to His commands; yes, we can still choose to sin, but we will suffer the consequences of that choice. We now have the obligation to serve the Lord and need to be committed to choosing to obey Him when temptation lingers in front of us. The choices we make will limit us because we are saying “yes” to one thing and no to a whole other list of options.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Living Here and Now
As I was listening to music on my computer, the song “Miracle of the Moment” by Steven Curtis Chapman popped up. Check out the lyrics:
Miracle of the Moment
It’s time for letting go
All of our if only’s
‘Cause we don’t have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
‘Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment
There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat
Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment.
Listening to the lyrics really convicted me because I so often live by the “if only’s” of life. It is always good to be reminded that living by “if only’s” is not truly living. God wants us to enjoy the blessings of the moment and to live for His glory in each moment in life. I love the part verse that says “He has given us a treasure called right now”! It reminds me of a quote from that prestigious and timeless tale…Kung Fu Panda. Yes, I am kidding about it being prestigious and timeless, but all the same, the quote is good. Master Oogway gently reprimands Po when he voices discouragement and thoughts of going back to making noodles. Oogway says, “You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the “present.’” I just love that! So often we look at the ‘present’ as something to be cast aside; we view the future to be the present that we are going to receive and do not rejoice for the moment that God has given us. Colossians 3:15b says, “And be thankful.” Paul gives no time constraints to this command. Verse 17 goes on to say, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” In all we do, including living, we need to give thanks.
Miracle of the Moment
It’s time for letting go
All of our if only’s
‘Cause we don’t have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
‘Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment
There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat
Breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment.
Listening to the lyrics really convicted me because I so often live by the “if only’s” of life. It is always good to be reminded that living by “if only’s” is not truly living. God wants us to enjoy the blessings of the moment and to live for His glory in each moment in life. I love the part verse that says “He has given us a treasure called right now”! It reminds me of a quote from that prestigious and timeless tale…Kung Fu Panda. Yes, I am kidding about it being prestigious and timeless, but all the same, the quote is good. Master Oogway gently reprimands Po when he voices discouragement and thoughts of going back to making noodles. Oogway says, “You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the “present.’” I just love that! So often we look at the ‘present’ as something to be cast aside; we view the future to be the present that we are going to receive and do not rejoice for the moment that God has given us. Colossians 3:15b says, “And be thankful.” Paul gives no time constraints to this command. Verse 17 goes on to say, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” In all we do, including living, we need to give thanks.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
An Old Friend
As I was reading the book Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris, I came across this excerpt that he quoted in it. I just really liked it and so thought I would post it. =]
“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps…perhaps…love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a gold-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.”
“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps…perhaps…love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a gold-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.”
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Discipline
Lately I have been thinking a fair amount about discipline, both the general idea of it and also the life-style of living it out. What exactly is discipline? Webster’s 1928 Dictionary defines it as: “subjection to laws, rules, order, precepts or regulations.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as: “training that corrects, molds, or perfects that mental faculties or moral character; a control gained by enforcing obedience or order.” Related words to discipline are self-control, regulation, control, restraint, and obedience. Someone who is disciplined could, therefore, be described as one who controls, regulates, and restrains both his mental faculties and moral character by subjecting them to certain rules of order and enforcing upon themselves a standard of obedience to someone or something.
The word “enforcement” implies that this takes effort and dedication. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ”
Most everybody who has read these verses knows how hard athletes have to work in order to train themselves to be ready for their races. They must train for weeks and weeks; they must give up certain pleasures and enjoyments in order to discipline their bodies. There are times when, although their mind might be , their bodies are rebellious or exhausted. It is during these times that they must purposefully choose to continue and train; it is then that their training becomes most important and they must continue to push through.
As Christians, it is so important that we discipline ourselves for the sake of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul tells his readers that he does not train aimlessly but has a purpose for it. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul exhorts Timothy to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Now Paul is not talking about approval in the sense of doing self-righteous acts so that God will think we look good. Instead, he is encouraging us to diligently obey, submit, and discipline ourselves to following the Lord so that we will have no reason to stand before God ashamed of how we lived our lives on earth; if we discipline ourselves and submit our whole lives to the guidance of Christ, we will be able to stand before God and hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)
I am sure there are more, but there seems to be at least 4 main areas that we must be disciplined in:
1) We must be disciplined in our thoughts . Philippians 4:8 seems to be one of the main passages which talks about right thinking; we are commanded to thing on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. This truly does take work and effort for the Devil is always lurking and poisoning our minds with the lies of the world. Colossian 3:2 commands us to set our minds on the things that are above; once regenerated, we should not dwell on lies that the world offers, but we should look to Truth—we should look to Christ.
2) We must be disciplined in our actions . Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Everything that we do must be done with a mindset of pleasing God; if we become obsessed with gaining man’s approval we will find this empty and disappointing for it is God’s approval alone that truly matters and satisfies because we were made to glorify Him. Paul commands us to “flee youthful passions” in 2 Timothy 2:22; we must refrain from acting upon our fleshly desires and instead “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” (2 Timothy 2:22)
3) We must be disciplined in our attitudes . Having a good attitude does not come naturally; most of the time there comes for the need to make a conscious choice to have a good attitude. One of the ways to facilitate this mindset is by giving thanks to the Lord. Time and time again, the psalms call for readers to “give thanks.” In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to give thanks: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There will be many times when we do not want to give thanks or be joyful, but Paul tells us that it is God’s will for us to do it anyways; we must exercise discipline and choose to be thankful.
4) We must be disciplined in our emotions. This can for sure be a hard one, especially for girls. J. I. Packer says in Knowing God: “Think against your feelings; argue yourself out of the gloom they have spread; unmask the unbelief they have nourished; take yourself in hand, talk to yourself, make yourself look up from your problems to the God of the gospel: let evangelical thinking correct emotional thinking.” There will be times when we feel discouraged or we do not feel joyful. These are times when we must fight for our joy in the Lord; we must fight to remember the Gospel and fight to preach it to ourselves daily. Just because we might feel like something is true does not necessarily mean that it is true. We cannot be trapped by our feelings and emotions, but must remind ourselves of that which is True. This takes practice. This takes work and effort. This takes discipline.
The word “enforcement” implies that this takes effort and dedication. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ”
Most everybody who has read these verses knows how hard athletes have to work in order to train themselves to be ready for their races. They must train for weeks and weeks; they must give up certain pleasures and enjoyments in order to discipline their bodies. There are times when, although their mind might be , their bodies are rebellious or exhausted. It is during these times that they must purposefully choose to continue and train; it is then that their training becomes most important and they must continue to push through.
As Christians, it is so important that we discipline ourselves for the sake of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul tells his readers that he does not train aimlessly but has a purpose for it. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul exhorts Timothy to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Now Paul is not talking about approval in the sense of doing self-righteous acts so that God will think we look good. Instead, he is encouraging us to diligently obey, submit, and discipline ourselves to following the Lord so that we will have no reason to stand before God ashamed of how we lived our lives on earth; if we discipline ourselves and submit our whole lives to the guidance of Christ, we will be able to stand before God and hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)
I am sure there are more, but there seems to be at least 4 main areas that we must be disciplined in:
1) We must be disciplined in our thoughts . Philippians 4:8 seems to be one of the main passages which talks about right thinking; we are commanded to thing on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. This truly does take work and effort for the Devil is always lurking and poisoning our minds with the lies of the world. Colossian 3:2 commands us to set our minds on the things that are above; once regenerated, we should not dwell on lies that the world offers, but we should look to Truth—we should look to Christ.
2) We must be disciplined in our actions . Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Everything that we do must be done with a mindset of pleasing God; if we become obsessed with gaining man’s approval we will find this empty and disappointing for it is God’s approval alone that truly matters and satisfies because we were made to glorify Him. Paul commands us to “flee youthful passions” in 2 Timothy 2:22; we must refrain from acting upon our fleshly desires and instead “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.” (2 Timothy 2:22)
3) We must be disciplined in our attitudes . Having a good attitude does not come naturally; most of the time there comes for the need to make a conscious choice to have a good attitude. One of the ways to facilitate this mindset is by giving thanks to the Lord. Time and time again, the psalms call for readers to “give thanks.” In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to give thanks: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” There will be many times when we do not want to give thanks or be joyful, but Paul tells us that it is God’s will for us to do it anyways; we must exercise discipline and choose to be thankful.
4) We must be disciplined in our emotions. This can for sure be a hard one, especially for girls. J. I. Packer says in Knowing God: “Think against your feelings; argue yourself out of the gloom they have spread; unmask the unbelief they have nourished; take yourself in hand, talk to yourself, make yourself look up from your problems to the God of the gospel: let evangelical thinking correct emotional thinking.” There will be times when we feel discouraged or we do not feel joyful. These are times when we must fight for our joy in the Lord; we must fight to remember the Gospel and fight to preach it to ourselves daily. Just because we might feel like something is true does not necessarily mean that it is true. We cannot be trapped by our feelings and emotions, but must remind ourselves of that which is True. This takes practice. This takes work and effort. This takes discipline.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
No Root of Bitterness
More and more I am seeing the gentleness of the Lord displayed towards me and I can do nothing else but praise and thank Him for it. God’s gentleness seems to be very closely related to His love for us. A particular facet or demonstration of love is how God knows each and every one of His children; God does not just know our names, but He also knows us personally. He knows our thoughts; He knows exactly, to put it in a modern phrase, “what makes us tick.” In John 10, Jesus is talking about how He is the Good Shepherd. Particularly in verse 14 He says, “I know my own and my own know me.” Jesus Christ knows all about us! Psalm 139 is the classic example of how intimately God knows us; He formed us in our mothers’ wombs; He could see us before anyone even knew we were there. All that to say, God knows how to love us perfectly; He also knows how to discipline, admonish, and rebuke us perfectly. It is in this that I have seen God’s gentleness towards me. God knows that if He were to just “slap me upside the head” with a rebuke it would discourage and dishearten me on my road to sanctification; He knows I can get discouraged easily with my sin and so He gently rebukes me in other ways. The main way I have seen Him do it, time and time again, is by slowly revealing to me during a quiet time or something the sin I am struggling with. Then, after I have wrestled with that for a day or so, it usually happens that there is either a chapel message or a church sermon that I hear preached on the very thing I am dealing with. Today was one of those such days and I thought it was a good reminder for all believers.
Our pastor talked about bitterness and forgiveness today in context of what proceeds after trust has been violated in marriage once one has been betrayed, but his principles apply to all situations of hurt and disappointment caused by others. The passage he used was Ephesians 4:30-32 which says,
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God is Christ forgave you.”
When we refuse forgiveness from a fellow brother or sister in Christ, this brings grief to the Holy Spirit; God is displeased because of our audacity to withhold forgiveness when He forgave us, a sinner just like anybody else. Paul then calls us to get rid of, to haul away, to put away six different sins. We are called to put away bitterness or animosity which is the opposite of love. Bitterness is like a root; the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to make sure that “no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble [because] by it many become defiled.” (Hebrews 12:15b) Bitterness can lead to wrath if not dealt with and it can drive a wedge between people. Somebody once said, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping the other party dies.” Being bitter will only hurt ourselves; it breeds hate and malice within us which causes us to swell and begin to die within if we do not root it out. Wrath can then lead to anger or a deep flowing rage within. The result of this anger can be clamor or yelling which is like fuel to violent arguments. Next we are called to root out slander and all bad talking and we are to rid ourselves of malice and the inner vicious disposition which delights in inflicting pain and hurt on others. We must do our best—with the Lord’s help, of course—to keep our bitterness from progressing this far; we must first root out ALL bitterness!
Although we might not feel like loving others, especially when we have been hurt, we are commanded to be kind and tenderhearted towards one another. We must forgive others just “as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 32b) We have no other option than to put on a heart of compassion, consideration, and grace. Believers are called to forgive and show grace because God showed us grace and, therefore, so should we. Forgiveness is like canceling a debt and choosing to bear the cost of the debt against us; we take the hurt of the sin that was committed against us and “do not make the offender pay us back.” We simply forgive and move on. Forgiveness releases us from a life of bitterness. This is not an easy task; it is something that takes time and is a process of continually letting go. It is a daily battle and a conscious choice to let go. Although forgiveness does not guarantee that the offender will never sin against us again, we are still called to forgive. We are called to choose love and choose forgiveness whether we feel like it or not. (Adapted from John McIntosh, July 11, 2010)
As sort of a side note, it is interesting how many times an offender may not even be aware of what he or she did to offend. We may be harboring bitterness against someone who does not even realize they hurt us; therefore, we must be careful when we are frustrated or angry with somebody because they might not know what they are doing. I was reminded of this truth while reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird. When Atticus Finch is talking to his daughter, Scout, he says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (p. 30) We need to make sure we consider that the other person might not have as much knowledge about things or even that they may be going through some hard thing we do not know about. All that to say, we should not judge people or automatically assume that they meant to harm us. (It is humbling to be reminded of a biblical truth in a secular piece of literature. =P ]
Our pastor talked about bitterness and forgiveness today in context of what proceeds after trust has been violated in marriage once one has been betrayed, but his principles apply to all situations of hurt and disappointment caused by others. The passage he used was Ephesians 4:30-32 which says,
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God is Christ forgave you.”
When we refuse forgiveness from a fellow brother or sister in Christ, this brings grief to the Holy Spirit; God is displeased because of our audacity to withhold forgiveness when He forgave us, a sinner just like anybody else. Paul then calls us to get rid of, to haul away, to put away six different sins. We are called to put away bitterness or animosity which is the opposite of love. Bitterness is like a root; the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to make sure that “no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble [because] by it many become defiled.” (Hebrews 12:15b) Bitterness can lead to wrath if not dealt with and it can drive a wedge between people. Somebody once said, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and hoping the other party dies.” Being bitter will only hurt ourselves; it breeds hate and malice within us which causes us to swell and begin to die within if we do not root it out. Wrath can then lead to anger or a deep flowing rage within. The result of this anger can be clamor or yelling which is like fuel to violent arguments. Next we are called to root out slander and all bad talking and we are to rid ourselves of malice and the inner vicious disposition which delights in inflicting pain and hurt on others. We must do our best—with the Lord’s help, of course—to keep our bitterness from progressing this far; we must first root out ALL bitterness!
Although we might not feel like loving others, especially when we have been hurt, we are commanded to be kind and tenderhearted towards one another. We must forgive others just “as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 32b) We have no other option than to put on a heart of compassion, consideration, and grace. Believers are called to forgive and show grace because God showed us grace and, therefore, so should we. Forgiveness is like canceling a debt and choosing to bear the cost of the debt against us; we take the hurt of the sin that was committed against us and “do not make the offender pay us back.” We simply forgive and move on. Forgiveness releases us from a life of bitterness. This is not an easy task; it is something that takes time and is a process of continually letting go. It is a daily battle and a conscious choice to let go. Although forgiveness does not guarantee that the offender will never sin against us again, we are still called to forgive. We are called to choose love and choose forgiveness whether we feel like it or not. (Adapted from John McIntosh, July 11, 2010)
As sort of a side note, it is interesting how many times an offender may not even be aware of what he or she did to offend. We may be harboring bitterness against someone who does not even realize they hurt us; therefore, we must be careful when we are frustrated or angry with somebody because they might not know what they are doing. I was reminded of this truth while reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird. When Atticus Finch is talking to his daughter, Scout, he says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (p. 30) We need to make sure we consider that the other person might not have as much knowledge about things or even that they may be going through some hard thing we do not know about. All that to say, we should not judge people or automatically assume that they meant to harm us. (It is humbling to be reminded of a biblical truth in a secular piece of literature. =P ]
Friday, July 9, 2010
To Live is Christ
“Let not our longing[s] slay the appetite of our living.” –Jim Elliot
This morning, as I sat on my bed trying to prolong the inevitable of getting ready for work at 6 AM, the profundity of this quote hit me. Now, in context, Jim Elliot was writing to Elisabeth—who would later become his wife—about their longing to be married; he was encouraging her continuance of pursing the Lord and His plans with steadfast determination. However, it seems that this principle can be applied to any aspect in life and any longings we might have.
There are many times when the Lord does not give us the things we believe we desire or He does not answer our prayers according to our will. Of course, when one truly realizes how his relationship with the Father works, he knows that God gives His children only what He deems as good and perfect; anything short of His will is not good and, therefore, if a child of God desires something outside of God’s will, He—like a good father—will not give it to him.
Any person knows the experience of disappointment in not getting their own way; even those people who “get everything they want” will experience it because there are times when they realize that what they wanted did not bring complete satisfaction; therefore, disappointment still occurs. Even when we are sure that something is God’s will, He might wait in granting that desire to us. It is our responsibility to react gracefully and in submission to God’s decision. However the situation pans out, we must be careful to, as Jim Elliot said, “Let not our longing[s] slay the appetite of our living.” What then does this mean?
As I sat on my bed (and as I sit here now), I thought about it. I was reminded of Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:21 in which he says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” For Paul, living meant that he would follow, serve, and bring glory to Christ; if he died, he knew he would reap the many blessings and joys of falling before the throne of the most High and worshiping Him. If for Paul living meant complete service and submission to the Lord, we too should have this same goal and mindset. We cannot let disappointment and discontentment cause us to lose zeal, passion, or fervor for serving our Lord. We must not let the fact that we did not get what we wanted, when we wanted, the way we wanted cause us to resent the Lord. In fact, the way we react to this type of situation will directly affect our attitude towards God. If we are mad at God, we will not want to serve Him or bring Him glory and honor. But, however, if we trust that God knows what is best, we will realize that God has a bigger and better plan than ours, if only it is to teach us patience and trust. We cannot and must not let our desires and longings get in the way of how we live for the Lord. (Obviously, if our desires and longings are truly aligned with God’s will and His perfect timing, than these things will not conflict.) Essentially, Jim Elliot was saying that we cannot let our disappointment kill our desire to serve the Lord. According to the Westminster Larger Catechism, “man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever.” We were born to serve God and to glorify Him; that is our purpose in life. Therefore, even when it seems as if the Lord does not grant us our desires, we must still glorify Him because that is what we were created to do. We can glorify Him through our attitudes and how we react to His answer to us.
In closing, I have a prayer by Thomas a Kempis posted up on the mirror in my room and I often meditate on it when it seems as if my desires are conflicting with God’s will. Here is is:
“Lord, may my desires change to Your desires. Lord, if a desire is good and profitable, give me grace to fulfill it to Your glory. But if it be hurtful and injurious to my soul’s health, then remove it from my mind.”
This morning, as I sat on my bed trying to prolong the inevitable of getting ready for work at 6 AM, the profundity of this quote hit me. Now, in context, Jim Elliot was writing to Elisabeth—who would later become his wife—about their longing to be married; he was encouraging her continuance of pursing the Lord and His plans with steadfast determination. However, it seems that this principle can be applied to any aspect in life and any longings we might have.
There are many times when the Lord does not give us the things we believe we desire or He does not answer our prayers according to our will. Of course, when one truly realizes how his relationship with the Father works, he knows that God gives His children only what He deems as good and perfect; anything short of His will is not good and, therefore, if a child of God desires something outside of God’s will, He—like a good father—will not give it to him.
Any person knows the experience of disappointment in not getting their own way; even those people who “get everything they want” will experience it because there are times when they realize that what they wanted did not bring complete satisfaction; therefore, disappointment still occurs. Even when we are sure that something is God’s will, He might wait in granting that desire to us. It is our responsibility to react gracefully and in submission to God’s decision. However the situation pans out, we must be careful to, as Jim Elliot said, “Let not our longing[s] slay the appetite of our living.” What then does this mean?
As I sat on my bed (and as I sit here now), I thought about it. I was reminded of Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:21 in which he says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” For Paul, living meant that he would follow, serve, and bring glory to Christ; if he died, he knew he would reap the many blessings and joys of falling before the throne of the most High and worshiping Him. If for Paul living meant complete service and submission to the Lord, we too should have this same goal and mindset. We cannot let disappointment and discontentment cause us to lose zeal, passion, or fervor for serving our Lord. We must not let the fact that we did not get what we wanted, when we wanted, the way we wanted cause us to resent the Lord. In fact, the way we react to this type of situation will directly affect our attitude towards God. If we are mad at God, we will not want to serve Him or bring Him glory and honor. But, however, if we trust that God knows what is best, we will realize that God has a bigger and better plan than ours, if only it is to teach us patience and trust. We cannot and must not let our desires and longings get in the way of how we live for the Lord. (Obviously, if our desires and longings are truly aligned with God’s will and His perfect timing, than these things will not conflict.) Essentially, Jim Elliot was saying that we cannot let our disappointment kill our desire to serve the Lord. According to the Westminster Larger Catechism, “man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever.” We were born to serve God and to glorify Him; that is our purpose in life. Therefore, even when it seems as if the Lord does not grant us our desires, we must still glorify Him because that is what we were created to do. We can glorify Him through our attitudes and how we react to His answer to us.
In closing, I have a prayer by Thomas a Kempis posted up on the mirror in my room and I often meditate on it when it seems as if my desires are conflicting with God’s will. Here is is:
“Lord, may my desires change to Your desires. Lord, if a desire is good and profitable, give me grace to fulfill it to Your glory. But if it be hurtful and injurious to my soul’s health, then remove it from my mind.”
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
God is God and I Am Not!
I think that the song “God is God” by Steven Curtis Chapman is one of my new favorites. The words are so poignant and deep and yet are very easy to relate to everyday life. Here are the lyrics:
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know
And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I?
Can I form a single mountain?
Take the stars in hand and count them?
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me?
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass
Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things
So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone.
(Various sections pulled from Romans 11:33-36; Psalm 8:3-4; 95:3-6; 103:13-22.)
It is so easy for us (me especially) to fear the unknown and it can be hard for us to admit that we have uncertainties or are afraid of the unknown. I strongly believe that the Devil uses doubt and uncertainty to paralyze us and to cause us to despair. There are times when we are afraid to move forward; afraid to fall into our Lord’s arms because it will reveal that we are dependent upon Him; but we MUST be dependent upon the Lord and we MUST fall on His strength. The chorus is probably my favorite part of the whole song! It is such a good reminder to us that we are not God, we never were God, and we never will be God. We are even reminded that we are man; we are frail creatures that were formed from the dust and will return to dust when we die. I love verse 14 in Psalm 103 which says, “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” God knows exactly how we are made; He knows our limits and He is patient with us because He remembers that we are only dust, that we are feeble and frail. The chapter continues on to say, “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” Man will not last; his life is short, BUT , the verse continues, “BUT the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him.” (vs. 15-17a) God is eternal; He is steady; He is everlasting and will never change! Though we will have uncertainties and fears, God will be steadfast.
My favorite part of the chorus is the part that says “I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting.” This past January, I was reminded of this great truth when my roommate and I – along with some other people from Master’s – went hiking at Vasquez Rocks here in California. When we were down on the ground, the rocks looked daunting and colossal; they looked almost impossible to climb, but we went ahead and climbed them anyways, taking one step at a time. (I already knew the climb was not bad at all, but the appearance of the climb instigated this small epiphany.) On the ground, the park also looked like a confusing conglomeration of paths that went every which way with no purpose or direction; it seemed like one could get lost easily in the disarray of paths. However, once we reached the very top of the rocks we sat and surveyed our surroundings. From on top, the climb did not look nearly as hard as before and it did not look nearly as high; the chaos of the paths all made sense from the top; we could see where they were going and could see that they did have certain purposes. I felt like this was a picture of how God views all of life. As frail humans, we stand at the bottom of life, confused by the many paths of life and terrified by the enormous trials that loom above us; we have no idea how we will find our way or how we will surmount the trials which lie before us. And yet, when we trust the Lord, He brings us to the top of them and He leads us on the right paths. Although there may be things in this life that we will never find out as to why they happened, there are times when God allows us to have a glimpse of His big picture; He reveals to us a part of His painting. From where God sits, atop His throne in Heaven, He can see all of the landscape of life; He can see where all the paths lead and He knows that the mountains are not as big as they seem. Now, He does not have to reveal any part of His plan to us and yet He graciously does so at times. At times, God even allows us to see why things happen the way they did; He shows us why He led us where He did. And when He does this we should thank and praise Him for His graciousness; and when He does not, we should still thank and praise Him for His graciousness and mercy that abounds daily.
The last two stanzas perfectly sum up how we should react to God’s sovereignty. We must acknowledge that His wisdom and knowledge are great and unsearchable; we need to acknowledge that “all things originate with God, all things are governed by God, and all things are ultimately brought back to God.” (Sermon preached by John McIntosh on June 27, 2010.) And so, we must worship Him who is worthy of all our praise and worthy of praise alone.
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know
And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust
God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God
And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I?
Can I form a single mountain?
Take the stars in hand and count them?
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me?
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass
Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things
So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone.
(Various sections pulled from Romans 11:33-36; Psalm 8:3-4; 95:3-6; 103:13-22.)
It is so easy for us (me especially) to fear the unknown and it can be hard for us to admit that we have uncertainties or are afraid of the unknown. I strongly believe that the Devil uses doubt and uncertainty to paralyze us and to cause us to despair. There are times when we are afraid to move forward; afraid to fall into our Lord’s arms because it will reveal that we are dependent upon Him; but we MUST be dependent upon the Lord and we MUST fall on His strength. The chorus is probably my favorite part of the whole song! It is such a good reminder to us that we are not God, we never were God, and we never will be God. We are even reminded that we are man; we are frail creatures that were formed from the dust and will return to dust when we die. I love verse 14 in Psalm 103 which says, “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” God knows exactly how we are made; He knows our limits and He is patient with us because He remembers that we are only dust, that we are feeble and frail. The chapter continues on to say, “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” Man will not last; his life is short, BUT , the verse continues, “BUT the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him.” (vs. 15-17a) God is eternal; He is steady; He is everlasting and will never change! Though we will have uncertainties and fears, God will be steadfast.
My favorite part of the chorus is the part that says “I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting.” This past January, I was reminded of this great truth when my roommate and I – along with some other people from Master’s – went hiking at Vasquez Rocks here in California. When we were down on the ground, the rocks looked daunting and colossal; they looked almost impossible to climb, but we went ahead and climbed them anyways, taking one step at a time. (I already knew the climb was not bad at all, but the appearance of the climb instigated this small epiphany.) On the ground, the park also looked like a confusing conglomeration of paths that went every which way with no purpose or direction; it seemed like one could get lost easily in the disarray of paths. However, once we reached the very top of the rocks we sat and surveyed our surroundings. From on top, the climb did not look nearly as hard as before and it did not look nearly as high; the chaos of the paths all made sense from the top; we could see where they were going and could see that they did have certain purposes. I felt like this was a picture of how God views all of life. As frail humans, we stand at the bottom of life, confused by the many paths of life and terrified by the enormous trials that loom above us; we have no idea how we will find our way or how we will surmount the trials which lie before us. And yet, when we trust the Lord, He brings us to the top of them and He leads us on the right paths. Although there may be things in this life that we will never find out as to why they happened, there are times when God allows us to have a glimpse of His big picture; He reveals to us a part of His painting. From where God sits, atop His throne in Heaven, He can see all of the landscape of life; He can see where all the paths lead and He knows that the mountains are not as big as they seem. Now, He does not have to reveal any part of His plan to us and yet He graciously does so at times. At times, God even allows us to see why things happen the way they did; He shows us why He led us where He did. And when He does this we should thank and praise Him for His graciousness; and when He does not, we should still thank and praise Him for His graciousness and mercy that abounds daily.
The last two stanzas perfectly sum up how we should react to God’s sovereignty. We must acknowledge that His wisdom and knowledge are great and unsearchable; we need to acknowledge that “all things originate with God, all things are governed by God, and all things are ultimately brought back to God.” (Sermon preached by John McIntosh on June 27, 2010.) And so, we must worship Him who is worthy of all our praise and worthy of praise alone.
Adoption As Sons and Daughters
This makes me so excited, happy, and thankful!!!
“ God adopts us out of free love, not because our character and record show us worthy to bear His name, but despite the fact that they show the very opposite. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of His loving and exalting us sinners as He loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild – yet that, and nothing less than that, is what our adoption means.
Adoption, by its very nature, is an act of free kindness to the person adopted. If you become a father by adopting a child, you do so because you choose to, not because you are bound to. Similarly, God adopts because He chooses to. He had no duty to do so. He did not have done anything about our sins save punish us as we deserved. But He loved us; so He redeemed us, forgave us, took us as His sons, and gave Himself to us as our Father.” (Knowing God, 1973 ed., p. 195)
Praise the Lord!!! =]
“ God adopts us out of free love, not because our character and record show us worthy to bear His name, but despite the fact that they show the very opposite. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of His loving and exalting us sinners as He loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild – yet that, and nothing less than that, is what our adoption means.
Adoption, by its very nature, is an act of free kindness to the person adopted. If you become a father by adopting a child, you do so because you choose to, not because you are bound to. Similarly, God adopts because He chooses to. He had no duty to do so. He did not have done anything about our sins save punish us as we deserved. But He loved us; so He redeemed us, forgave us, took us as His sons, and gave Himself to us as our Father.” (Knowing God, 1973 ed., p. 195)
Praise the Lord!!! =]
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The Kind of Christian I Desire To Be
These two excerpts perfectly describe and pinpoint the kind of Christian I want to be:
“What is a Christian? He can be described from many angles, but from what we have said it is clear that we can cover everything by saying: he is a man [or woman] who acknowledges and lives under the word of God. He submits without reserve to the word of God written in ‘the Scripture of truth’ (Daniel 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the trusting promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the God of the Bible as his Father, and the Christ of the Bible as his Savior. He will tell you, if you ask him, that the word of God has both convinced him of sin and assured him of forgiveness. His conscience, like Luther’s, is captive to the word of God, and he aspires, like the psalmist, to have his whole life brought into line with it. ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statues!’ ‘O let me not wander from thy commandments.’ ‘Teach me they statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts.’ ‘Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.’ ‘Let my heart be sound in thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:5, 10, 26, 36, 80.) The promises are before him as he prays, and the precepts are before him as he moves among men. He knows that in addition to the word of God spoken directly to him in the Scriptures, God’s word has also gone forth to create, and control, and order things around him; but since the Scriptures tell him that all things work together for his good, the thought of God ordering his circumstances brings him only joy. He is an independent fellow, for he uses the word of God as a touchstone by which to test the various views that are put to him, and he will not touch anything which he is not sure that Scripture sanctions.” (Knowing God, 1973 ed., p. 104-105)
“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature—which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called ‘zealous’ men [or women]…
A zealous man [or woman] in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one things, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies—whether he has health, or whether he has sickness—whether he is rich, or whether he is poor—whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense—whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish—whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise—whether he get honor, or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it—he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray…If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done.” (Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)
“What is a Christian? He can be described from many angles, but from what we have said it is clear that we can cover everything by saying: he is a man [or woman] who acknowledges and lives under the word of God. He submits without reserve to the word of God written in ‘the Scripture of truth’ (Daniel 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the trusting promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the God of the Bible as his Father, and the Christ of the Bible as his Savior. He will tell you, if you ask him, that the word of God has both convinced him of sin and assured him of forgiveness. His conscience, like Luther’s, is captive to the word of God, and he aspires, like the psalmist, to have his whole life brought into line with it. ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statues!’ ‘O let me not wander from thy commandments.’ ‘Teach me they statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts.’ ‘Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.’ ‘Let my heart be sound in thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:5, 10, 26, 36, 80.) The promises are before him as he prays, and the precepts are before him as he moves among men. He knows that in addition to the word of God spoken directly to him in the Scriptures, God’s word has also gone forth to create, and control, and order things around him; but since the Scriptures tell him that all things work together for his good, the thought of God ordering his circumstances brings him only joy. He is an independent fellow, for he uses the word of God as a touchstone by which to test the various views that are put to him, and he will not touch anything which he is not sure that Scripture sanctions.” (Knowing God, 1973 ed., p. 104-105)
“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature—which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called ‘zealous’ men [or women]…
A zealous man [or woman] in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one things, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies—whether he has health, or whether he has sickness—whether he is rich, or whether he is poor—whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense—whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish—whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise—whether he get honor, or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it—he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray…If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done.” (Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Severity of God
It is sad to see that many Christians pick and choose to study and emphasize the “milder” attributes of God. Many of them choose to ignore His attributes that may seem “unfair” or “unloving”—attributes like wrath, judgment, and severity. And yet, for instance, how can we praise Him for being righteous and seek to be righteous ourselves when we try to ignore the fact that, in His righteousness, God must (and does) hate sin and man’s fallen nature and that He cannot ignore unrighteousness? God would not be righteous if He did not deal with sin or expect anything less than perfection. We tend to err more towards God’s grace and think “Oh, He’ll forgive me when I sin.” And, yes, this is true, God will forgive, but that is because He poured out His wrath and judgment upon Jesus Christ as He died on the cross. God does still give consequences to sin and show His severity at times while we are alive.
In chapter 16 of J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God, he talks about the goodness and severity of God. God’s goodness is basically all of His qualities of “truthfulness and trustworthiness, His unfailing justice and wisdom, His tenderness, forbearance, and entire adequacy to all who penitently seek His help, His noble kindness in offering men the exalted destiny of fellowship with Him in holiness and love” wrapped up together. God’s severity is a little more sobering. Here are some excerpts from the chapter:
“What, now, of God’s severity? The word Paul uses in Romans 11:22 means literally ‘cutting off’; it denotes God’s decisive withdrawal of His goodness from those who have spurned it…The act of severity to which Paul referred was God’s rejection of Israel as a body—breaking them off from His olive tree, of which they were the natural branches—because they did not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Israel has presumed on God’s goodness, while disregarding the concrete manifestation of His goodness in His Son; and God’s reaction had been swift—He had cut Israel off. […]
The principle which Paul is applying here is that behind every display of divine goodness stands a threat of severity in judgment if that goodness is scorned. If we do not let it draw us to God in gratitude and responsive love, we have only ourselves to blame when God turns against us…Those who decline to respond to God’s goodness by repentance, and faith, and trust, and submission to His will, cannot wonder or complain if sooner or later the tokens of His goodness are withdrawn, the opportunity of benefiting from them ends, and retribution supervenes.
But God is not impatient in His severity; just the reverse. He is ‘slow to anger’ (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) and ‘longsuffering’ (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15). The Bible makes much of the patience and forbearance of God in postponing judgments in order to extend the day of grace and give more opportunity for repentance. […]
From the above lines of thought we can learn at least three lessons.
1) Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take natural benefits, endowments, and pleasures for granted; learn to thank God for them all. Do not slight the Bible, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, by an attitude of casualness towards either. The Bible shows you a Saviour who suffered and died in order that we sinners might be reconciled to God; Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God; lay it to heart. Ask yourself the psalmist’s question – ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’ Seek grace to give his answer – ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord…O Lord, truly I am they servant…I will pay my vows unto the Lord now…’ (Psalm 116:12).
2) Appreciate the patience of God. Think how He has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of Him, and you have so richly deserved His rejection. Learn to marvel at His patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with other men; and try not to try His patience any more.
3) Appreciate the discipline of God. He is both your upholder and, in the last analysis, your environment; all things come of Him, and you have tasted His goodness every day of your life. Has this experience led you to repentance and faith in Christ? If not, you are trifling with God, and stand under the threat of His severity. But if, now, He, in Whitefield’s phrase, puts thorns in your bed, it is only to awaken you from the sleep of spiritual death, and to make you rise up to seek His mercy. Or if you are a true believer, and He still puts thorns in your bed, it is only to keep you from falling into the somnolence of complacency, and to ensure that you ‘continue in His goodness’ by letting your sense of need bring you back constantly in self-abasement and faith to seek His face. This kindly discipline, in which God’s severity touches us for a moment in the context of His goodness, is meant to keep us from having to bear the full brunt of that severity apart from that context. It is a discipline of love, and must be received accordingly. ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:5). ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues’ (Psalm 119:71).”
I just thought this was such a good reminder to not take advantage of God’s grace (although we must be careful not to reject it either and try to earn our salvation). I really liked Packer’s three lessons. I so easily forget to thank God for the blessings He has given me; I am seldom content with what I have and tend to look forward to the next thing I want. I need to be reminded constantly to be thankful for what I have and to find contentment in my Savior alone. Packer’s second lesson was very convicting! I know I am thankful for God’s patience with me, but this thankfulness does not often make it out of my head, into my heart, and out to my feet; oftentimes I do not live out my thankfulness and show God’s patience to others. I except God’s patience and I expect others to be patient with me, but I fail to extend grace and long-suffering to those around me. Moment by moment, I need to ask for God’s grace to imitate His patience in my interactions with others. Lastly, Whitefield’s analogy of the thorns in our beds as believers being there to “keep [us] from falling into the somnolence [or sleepiness] of complacency” and to make sure we turn to God in humility and self-denial, was very poignant. A lot of times believers look at trials and sufferings as consequences or punishment that God is giving us because we did something sinful. Yes, this can be the case, but God also gives us these trials to ensure that we do not become prideful or independent of Him. (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) These thorns will prick and goad us into seeking dependency on God for our only relief from them is found in Him. The knowledge of God’s severity should make us that more thankful for His goodness for we know that we do not feel the full extent of His severity if we have received His salvation. Knowing what would happen to us without God’s grace [eternal damnation and separation from God] should cause us to run and throw ourselves down at the throne of God with hearts of worship, thankfulness, and praise for the work He has done to save us.
In chapter 16 of J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God, he talks about the goodness and severity of God. God’s goodness is basically all of His qualities of “truthfulness and trustworthiness, His unfailing justice and wisdom, His tenderness, forbearance, and entire adequacy to all who penitently seek His help, His noble kindness in offering men the exalted destiny of fellowship with Him in holiness and love” wrapped up together. God’s severity is a little more sobering. Here are some excerpts from the chapter:
“What, now, of God’s severity? The word Paul uses in Romans 11:22 means literally ‘cutting off’; it denotes God’s decisive withdrawal of His goodness from those who have spurned it…The act of severity to which Paul referred was God’s rejection of Israel as a body—breaking them off from His olive tree, of which they were the natural branches—because they did not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Israel has presumed on God’s goodness, while disregarding the concrete manifestation of His goodness in His Son; and God’s reaction had been swift—He had cut Israel off. […]
The principle which Paul is applying here is that behind every display of divine goodness stands a threat of severity in judgment if that goodness is scorned. If we do not let it draw us to God in gratitude and responsive love, we have only ourselves to blame when God turns against us…Those who decline to respond to God’s goodness by repentance, and faith, and trust, and submission to His will, cannot wonder or complain if sooner or later the tokens of His goodness are withdrawn, the opportunity of benefiting from them ends, and retribution supervenes.
But God is not impatient in His severity; just the reverse. He is ‘slow to anger’ (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) and ‘longsuffering’ (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15). The Bible makes much of the patience and forbearance of God in postponing judgments in order to extend the day of grace and give more opportunity for repentance. […]
From the above lines of thought we can learn at least three lessons.
1) Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take natural benefits, endowments, and pleasures for granted; learn to thank God for them all. Do not slight the Bible, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, by an attitude of casualness towards either. The Bible shows you a Saviour who suffered and died in order that we sinners might be reconciled to God; Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God; lay it to heart. Ask yourself the psalmist’s question – ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’ Seek grace to give his answer – ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord…O Lord, truly I am they servant…I will pay my vows unto the Lord now…’ (Psalm 116:12).
2) Appreciate the patience of God. Think how He has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of Him, and you have so richly deserved His rejection. Learn to marvel at His patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with other men; and try not to try His patience any more.
3) Appreciate the discipline of God. He is both your upholder and, in the last analysis, your environment; all things come of Him, and you have tasted His goodness every day of your life. Has this experience led you to repentance and faith in Christ? If not, you are trifling with God, and stand under the threat of His severity. But if, now, He, in Whitefield’s phrase, puts thorns in your bed, it is only to awaken you from the sleep of spiritual death, and to make you rise up to seek His mercy. Or if you are a true believer, and He still puts thorns in your bed, it is only to keep you from falling into the somnolence of complacency, and to ensure that you ‘continue in His goodness’ by letting your sense of need bring you back constantly in self-abasement and faith to seek His face. This kindly discipline, in which God’s severity touches us for a moment in the context of His goodness, is meant to keep us from having to bear the full brunt of that severity apart from that context. It is a discipline of love, and must be received accordingly. ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:5). ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues’ (Psalm 119:71).”
I just thought this was such a good reminder to not take advantage of God’s grace (although we must be careful not to reject it either and try to earn our salvation). I really liked Packer’s three lessons. I so easily forget to thank God for the blessings He has given me; I am seldom content with what I have and tend to look forward to the next thing I want. I need to be reminded constantly to be thankful for what I have and to find contentment in my Savior alone. Packer’s second lesson was very convicting! I know I am thankful for God’s patience with me, but this thankfulness does not often make it out of my head, into my heart, and out to my feet; oftentimes I do not live out my thankfulness and show God’s patience to others. I except God’s patience and I expect others to be patient with me, but I fail to extend grace and long-suffering to those around me. Moment by moment, I need to ask for God’s grace to imitate His patience in my interactions with others. Lastly, Whitefield’s analogy of the thorns in our beds as believers being there to “keep [us] from falling into the somnolence [or sleepiness] of complacency” and to make sure we turn to God in humility and self-denial, was very poignant. A lot of times believers look at trials and sufferings as consequences or punishment that God is giving us because we did something sinful. Yes, this can be the case, but God also gives us these trials to ensure that we do not become prideful or independent of Him. (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) These thorns will prick and goad us into seeking dependency on God for our only relief from them is found in Him. The knowledge of God’s severity should make us that more thankful for His goodness for we know that we do not feel the full extent of His severity if we have received His salvation. Knowing what would happen to us without God’s grace [eternal damnation and separation from God] should cause us to run and throw ourselves down at the throne of God with hearts of worship, thankfulness, and praise for the work He has done to save us.
Monday, June 21, 2010
God's Love
I read this excerpt this morning in a chapter called “The Love of God” in Knowing God . It was really good and such an encouraging reminder to trust God! =]
“As a believer, he finds in the cross of Christ assurance that he, as an individual, is beloved of God; ‘the Son of God…loved me , and gave Himself for me ’ (Galatians 2:20). Knowing this, he is able to apply to himself the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things! Every single thing that happens to him expresses God’s love to him, and comes to him for the furthering of God’s purpose for him. Thus, so far as he is concerned, God is love to him – holy, omnipotent love – at every moment and in every event of every day’s life. Even when he cannot see the why and the wherefore of God’s dealings, he knows that there is love in and behind them, and so he can rejoice always, even when, humanly speaking, things are going wrong. He knows that the true story of his life, when known, will prove to be, as the hymn says, ‘mercy from first to last’ – and he is content.”
“As a believer, he finds in the cross of Christ assurance that he, as an individual, is beloved of God; ‘the Son of God…loved me , and gave Himself for me ’ (Galatians 2:20). Knowing this, he is able to apply to himself the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things! Every single thing that happens to him expresses God’s love to him, and comes to him for the furthering of God’s purpose for him. Thus, so far as he is concerned, God is love to him – holy, omnipotent love – at every moment and in every event of every day’s life. Even when he cannot see the why and the wherefore of God’s dealings, he knows that there is love in and behind them, and so he can rejoice always, even when, humanly speaking, things are going wrong. He knows that the true story of his life, when known, will prove to be, as the hymn says, ‘mercy from first to last’ – and he is content.”
Friday, June 18, 2010
God Only Wise
Today I was reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer and I was really encouraged by this chapter. Here are some excerpts from it:
In talking about the wisdom of God in the lives of people during Bible times…
"What Abraham needed most of all was to learn the practice of living in God’s presence , seeing all life in relation to Him, and looking to Him, and Him alone, as Commander, Defender and Rewarder. This was the great lesson which God in wisdom concentrated on teaching him. ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield , and they exceeding great reward ’ (Genesis 15:1). ‘I am God Almight; walk before me , and be thou perfect (single-eyed and sincere)’ (Genesis 17:1). […]
For what purpose did God in His wisdom plan that? […] So far as life of God’s people was concerned, Joseph himself gave the answer to our question when he revealed his identity to his distracted brothers. ‘God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God…’ (Genesis 45:7f.). Joseph’s theology was as sound as his charity was deep. Once again, we are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the man’s own personal sanctification, and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and serve in the life of the people of God.
These things are written for our learning: for the same wisdom which ordered the paths which God’s saints trod in Bible times orders the Christian’s life today. We should not, therefore, be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly. "
The fact that God uses the “same wisdom” now as He did in Bible times is so comforting! It reminds us that God is unchanging. Praise the Lord!
"Perhaps He means to strengthen us in patience, good humour, compassion, humility, or meekness, by giving us some extra practice in exercising these graces under specially difficult conditions. Perhaps He has new lessons in self-denial and self-distrust to teach us. Perhaps He wishes to break us of complacency, or unreality, or undetected forms of pride and conceit. Perhaps His purpose is simple to draw us closer to Himself in conscious communion with Him; for it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest. Or perhaps God is preparing us for forms of service of which at present we have no inkling. "
Even though I have not been alive all that long, it has been neat to see how I have already been able to share with other girls about experiences I have gone through in a way that God is able to encourage them! I remember going through those times and wondering what use they had in my life; now I have begun to see part of God’s purpose in them. =] I am thankful that God allows us to see parts of His grander plan so that we can be reminded that He is in control and working all things together for good.
"Paul saw part of the reason for his own afflictions in the fact that God ‘comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God’ (2 Cor. 1:4). Even the Lord Jesus ‘learned…obedience by the things which he suffered’, and so was ‘made perfect’ for His High-Priestly ministry which means that, as on the one hand He is able to uphold us and make us more than conquerors in all our troubles and distresses, so on the other hand we must not be surprised if He calls us to follow in His steps, and to let ourselves be prepared for the service of others by painful experiences which are quite undeserved. ‘He knows the way He taketh,’ even if for a moment we do not. We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what He is doing, and what He is after, in His handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, He is wise: we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here. (Job in heaven knows the full reason why he was afflicted, though he never knew it in this life.) Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust His wisdom, even when He leaves us in the dark.
But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations, if we cannot for the moment see God’s purpose in them? First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the Gospel of God requires of us; second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them. If we do these two things, we shall never find ourselves wholly in the dark as to God’s purpose in our troubles. We shall always be able to see at least as much purpose in them as Paul was enabled to see in his thorn in the flesh (whatever it was). It came to him, he tells us, as a ‘messenger of Satan’, tempting him to hard thoughts of God. He resisted this temptation, and sought Christ’s face three times, asking that it might be removed. The only answer he had was this, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ On reflection, he perceived a reason why he should have been thus afflicted: it was to keep him humble, ‘lest I should be exalted about measure through the abundance of the revelations.’ This thought, and Christ’s word, were enough for him. He looked no further. Here is his final attitude: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
This attitude of Paul is a model for us. Whatever further purpose a Christian’s troubles may or may not have in equipping him for future service, they will always have at least that purpose which Paul’s thorn in the flesh had: they will have been sent us to make and keep us humble, and to give us a new opportunity of showing forth the power of Christ in our mortal lives. And do we ever need to know any more about them than that? Is not this enough of itself to convince us of the wisdom of God in them? Once Paul saw that his trouble was sent him to enable him to glorify Christ, he accepted it as wisely appointed, and rejoiced in it. God give us grace, in all our own troubles, to go and do likewise. "
I love the conclusion that Packer gives to this chapter. If we cannot see any other reason we are going through trials or testings, we can at least be confident that God wants to keep us humble and to keep us totally dependent upon Him. This reason alone should be enough answer for us as to why things happen in our lives that test our faith.
In talking about the wisdom of God in the lives of people during Bible times…
"What Abraham needed most of all was to learn the practice of living in God’s presence , seeing all life in relation to Him, and looking to Him, and Him alone, as Commander, Defender and Rewarder. This was the great lesson which God in wisdom concentrated on teaching him. ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield , and they exceeding great reward ’ (Genesis 15:1). ‘I am God Almight; walk before me , and be thou perfect (single-eyed and sincere)’ (Genesis 17:1). […]
For what purpose did God in His wisdom plan that? […] So far as life of God’s people was concerned, Joseph himself gave the answer to our question when he revealed his identity to his distracted brothers. ‘God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God…’ (Genesis 45:7f.). Joseph’s theology was as sound as his charity was deep. Once again, we are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the man’s own personal sanctification, and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and serve in the life of the people of God.
These things are written for our learning: for the same wisdom which ordered the paths which God’s saints trod in Bible times orders the Christian’s life today. We should not, therefore, be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly. "
The fact that God uses the “same wisdom” now as He did in Bible times is so comforting! It reminds us that God is unchanging. Praise the Lord!
"Perhaps He means to strengthen us in patience, good humour, compassion, humility, or meekness, by giving us some extra practice in exercising these graces under specially difficult conditions. Perhaps He has new lessons in self-denial and self-distrust to teach us. Perhaps He wishes to break us of complacency, or unreality, or undetected forms of pride and conceit. Perhaps His purpose is simple to draw us closer to Himself in conscious communion with Him; for it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest. Or perhaps God is preparing us for forms of service of which at present we have no inkling. "
Even though I have not been alive all that long, it has been neat to see how I have already been able to share with other girls about experiences I have gone through in a way that God is able to encourage them! I remember going through those times and wondering what use they had in my life; now I have begun to see part of God’s purpose in them. =] I am thankful that God allows us to see parts of His grander plan so that we can be reminded that He is in control and working all things together for good.
"Paul saw part of the reason for his own afflictions in the fact that God ‘comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God’ (2 Cor. 1:4). Even the Lord Jesus ‘learned…obedience by the things which he suffered’, and so was ‘made perfect’ for His High-Priestly ministry which means that, as on the one hand He is able to uphold us and make us more than conquerors in all our troubles and distresses, so on the other hand we must not be surprised if He calls us to follow in His steps, and to let ourselves be prepared for the service of others by painful experiences which are quite undeserved. ‘He knows the way He taketh,’ even if for a moment we do not. We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what He is doing, and what He is after, in His handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, He is wise: we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here. (Job in heaven knows the full reason why he was afflicted, though he never knew it in this life.) Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust His wisdom, even when He leaves us in the dark.
But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations, if we cannot for the moment see God’s purpose in them? First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the Gospel of God requires of us; second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them. If we do these two things, we shall never find ourselves wholly in the dark as to God’s purpose in our troubles. We shall always be able to see at least as much purpose in them as Paul was enabled to see in his thorn in the flesh (whatever it was). It came to him, he tells us, as a ‘messenger of Satan’, tempting him to hard thoughts of God. He resisted this temptation, and sought Christ’s face three times, asking that it might be removed. The only answer he had was this, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ On reflection, he perceived a reason why he should have been thus afflicted: it was to keep him humble, ‘lest I should be exalted about measure through the abundance of the revelations.’ This thought, and Christ’s word, were enough for him. He looked no further. Here is his final attitude: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
This attitude of Paul is a model for us. Whatever further purpose a Christian’s troubles may or may not have in equipping him for future service, they will always have at least that purpose which Paul’s thorn in the flesh had: they will have been sent us to make and keep us humble, and to give us a new opportunity of showing forth the power of Christ in our mortal lives. And do we ever need to know any more about them than that? Is not this enough of itself to convince us of the wisdom of God in them? Once Paul saw that his trouble was sent him to enable him to glorify Christ, he accepted it as wisely appointed, and rejoiced in it. God give us grace, in all our own troubles, to go and do likewise. "
I love the conclusion that Packer gives to this chapter. If we cannot see any other reason we are going through trials or testings, we can at least be confident that God wants to keep us humble and to keep us totally dependent upon Him. This reason alone should be enough answer for us as to why things happen in our lives that test our faith.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
As I Labor Through This Storm
As I was working on a project in my room today, I was listening to Keith and Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone . The song “Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer” came on and my ears pricked up as I listened closely to the words for the first time. Here they are:
Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I’ll follow, though I’m worn.
(Refrain)
May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.
Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.
Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.
Last night I had many thoughts running rampant through my head. (It seems as if I think a lot more when I am not busy with school, etc. =] ) It is really neat, however, how I felt God drawing me nearer (as the song pleads) as I was processing different things. I know that God has called me to this time in life; right now He has a purpose for sending me through this “passage.” I was encouraged in seeing how the Holy Spirit is actively working in my heart and mind and how He is daily shaping my thinking. He has given me the mindset that, although “I’m worn” that “I’ll follow” no matter what. I was able to see a glimpse of God’s power and awesomeness as I was still able to find joy, hope, and thankfulness as I thought through my wonderings and worries. (This post is sort of tag-teaming with This Constant Battle which I posted on June 12th in which I talked about how I am a planner, worrier, and wonderer.) The thought process I was going through truly astounded me at first; it is definitely one that is foreign to the world. While the world would give reason to throw a fit or try to manipulate circumstances, the Holy Spirit gave me peace in trusting the Lord. The world would see no reason to be joyful or thankful in uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit was enabling me to be joyful and thankful because I can know that God knows what He is doing. This reminds me of my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 where Paul talks about God’s power being made perfect in his weakness. I was able to see the power of God working in and changing my mind and thoughts towards this “trial” (although I know it is quite menial compared to what some people go through); only because of Him can I look at my weakness and praise Him for it.
I have seen God give me faith through this “journey” and I have seen Him renew my strength to continue many times. I love the last two lines of the refrain: “At the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake”! I can see that God is putting me through this trial to sanctify and purify me as a goldsmith puts raw gold through the fire to cleanse it from impurities. Just as the goldsmith skims the dross off the top of the melted gold, so too does God scrape off the sin and nastiness that rises to my surface as I am put through “fire” and “testing”; just as the goldsmith knows his gold is pure and ready by seeing his reflection, so too does God seek to cleanse and purify me so that He can see His reflection in my life. I pray that at the end of my life, I would be able to see the likeness of God in me.
In just thinking through things this summer and learning to wait patiently and silently, I am definitely gaining a greater love for Christ. As I thought about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love in my life, my love for Christ was renewed as well as it was grown. I also pray that Christ would “keep my spirit staid and sure” and that I would not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9) It was so neat that the very next song to follow this one was "In Christ Alone." The first four lines of this song are amazing!
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
Praise God that Christ is my light, my strength, my song, a cornerstone, and solid ground that is firm through trials and testings! Praise God that Christ carries me through life!
In the final stanza of "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer," I liked how they worded the first two lines: “Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go.” I can definitely see that the Holy Spirit is growing, producing, and forming these “treasures” in me; they are the Fruits of the Spirit! These supernatural fruits are becoming more and more evident to me as I am finding unspeakable joy, peace, and patience in my situation. The world might call me crazy for having this attitude; they might not understand why I have this mindset, but I do. I know that God is at work within me; I know that He is sanctifying me; I know He is making His likeness more clear in my life and this is the reason why I can find joy and peace in uncertainty as I “labor through this storm.”
Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I’ll follow, though I’m worn.
(Refrain)
May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.
Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.
Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.
Last night I had many thoughts running rampant through my head. (It seems as if I think a lot more when I am not busy with school, etc. =] ) It is really neat, however, how I felt God drawing me nearer (as the song pleads) as I was processing different things. I know that God has called me to this time in life; right now He has a purpose for sending me through this “passage.” I was encouraged in seeing how the Holy Spirit is actively working in my heart and mind and how He is daily shaping my thinking. He has given me the mindset that, although “I’m worn” that “I’ll follow” no matter what. I was able to see a glimpse of God’s power and awesomeness as I was still able to find joy, hope, and thankfulness as I thought through my wonderings and worries. (This post is sort of tag-teaming with This Constant Battle which I posted on June 12th in which I talked about how I am a planner, worrier, and wonderer.) The thought process I was going through truly astounded me at first; it is definitely one that is foreign to the world. While the world would give reason to throw a fit or try to manipulate circumstances, the Holy Spirit gave me peace in trusting the Lord. The world would see no reason to be joyful or thankful in uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit was enabling me to be joyful and thankful because I can know that God knows what He is doing. This reminds me of my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 where Paul talks about God’s power being made perfect in his weakness. I was able to see the power of God working in and changing my mind and thoughts towards this “trial” (although I know it is quite menial compared to what some people go through); only because of Him can I look at my weakness and praise Him for it.
I have seen God give me faith through this “journey” and I have seen Him renew my strength to continue many times. I love the last two lines of the refrain: “At the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake”! I can see that God is putting me through this trial to sanctify and purify me as a goldsmith puts raw gold through the fire to cleanse it from impurities. Just as the goldsmith skims the dross off the top of the melted gold, so too does God scrape off the sin and nastiness that rises to my surface as I am put through “fire” and “testing”; just as the goldsmith knows his gold is pure and ready by seeing his reflection, so too does God seek to cleanse and purify me so that He can see His reflection in my life. I pray that at the end of my life, I would be able to see the likeness of God in me.
In just thinking through things this summer and learning to wait patiently and silently, I am definitely gaining a greater love for Christ. As I thought about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love in my life, my love for Christ was renewed as well as it was grown. I also pray that Christ would “keep my spirit staid and sure” and that I would not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9) It was so neat that the very next song to follow this one was "In Christ Alone." The first four lines of this song are amazing!
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
Praise God that Christ is my light, my strength, my song, a cornerstone, and solid ground that is firm through trials and testings! Praise God that Christ carries me through life!
In the final stanza of "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer," I liked how they worded the first two lines: “Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go.” I can definitely see that the Holy Spirit is growing, producing, and forming these “treasures” in me; they are the Fruits of the Spirit! These supernatural fruits are becoming more and more evident to me as I am finding unspeakable joy, peace, and patience in my situation. The world might call me crazy for having this attitude; they might not understand why I have this mindset, but I do. I know that God is at work within me; I know that He is sanctifying me; I know He is making His likeness more clear in my life and this is the reason why I can find joy and peace in uncertainty as I “labor through this storm.”
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Waiting Silently
Another lesson I have been learning this summer is that of waiting…and more importantly waiting silently . This can be very hard for me at times because I like to know what is going on; I like to have answers and so I like to ask questions to get answers. But, circumstances being what they are, I MUST wait silently and patiently. I MUST trust in the Lord to act. (Psalm 37:5) Saying something or asking questions would be imprudent and would show a lack of trust in the Lord. Some verses that have been encouraging to me are:
Psalm 62:5-6, 8a, “ For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken…Trust in Him at all times.”
Isaiah 30:15a, “ For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:18, “ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.”
Praise the Lord that He will bless those who wait upon Him. Although the world would mock and laugh at remaining silent, I know that God cares about obedience and I know that He will reward me one day.
Psalm 62:5-6, 8a, “ For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken…Trust in Him at all times.”
Isaiah 30:15a, “ For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:18, “ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.”
Praise the Lord that He will bless those who wait upon Him. Although the world would mock and laugh at remaining silent, I know that God cares about obedience and I know that He will reward me one day.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
This Constant Battle
As I walk down the path of life, I am beginning to see that life is a constant struggle against sin, despair, worry, discouragement, etc. There are days when, by God’s grace alone, I am victorious over my sins and then there are days when I look away from Christ, ignore His help, and fall flat on my face with quite the resounding thud of failure. As I grow older and mature—or so I hope I am—in my walk with the Lord, I begin to feel the tension and battle between the flesh and the spirit more and more. The days I listen to the Holy Spirit within me are the days that I find joy, peace, and contentment; the days I listen to my flesh and revert back to the ways in which I walked before salvation, on the other hand, are the days that I find only despair, disappointment, and anxiety. This struggle poignantly reminds me of the war that Paul talks about in Romans 7:15-25. Praise God that Jesus Christ will deliver us “from this body of death” (verse 25)!!
I have always been a worrier or a wonderer (and yes, I know this is not a word); I am always planning ahead and looking forward to the “next event.” While this quality can be a good thing, I have seen that it causes me to neglect living in the moment and focusing on what God has for me here and now. This summer has been very much a redirecting and refocusing of my way of thinking. As I have been worrying and wondering what the future holds for me, I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that I need to live every moment of my life in full dependence on God. As I worry and wonder, I find that the only thing I can do it offer these things up to the Lord; all I can do is give them back to Him, trust Him with them, and move on in faith and obedience. Some days I do better than others; some hours I do better than others; it even boils down to the fact that there are some moments that I do better than others. I feel like I am living my summer days down to each agonizing minute at times; there are many days when my mind is in constant turmoil. It is almost like there is an argument going on in my head with little Katherines inside. One asks, “Will I give this thing to God and trust Him with it?” One pipes up with a determined, “Yes, it is the only thing I can do!” One shouts, “Squirrel!” and gets easily distracted while another defiantly says, “No, I can keep mulling it over in my mind; thinking about it will help me solve this problem by myself!” Still another dejectedly says, “God can’t do anything; nobody can do anything; the situation is hopeless!! We’re never going to know how this situation turns out!! Whahhhhh!!!” (That is sometimes how I literally feel although I know that it is ridiculous! =] ) I have to remind myself of Philippians 4:4-8. I must rejoice in all things; I must not worry about anything; I must pray and tell God my worries, fears, and desires; and most importantly I must think true thoughts; I cannot dwell on the “could have been’s,” “might have been’s,” “could be’s,” and the “might possibly happen’s.” I can only dwell on the things I know to be true and sometimes, at this point, sometimes the only thing I know to be absolutely true is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; that He loves me and died to save me from my sins; that He has forgiven me; and that He wants HIS best possible plan for my life. They are times like this when I see the reality of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 being made clear to me. I have pleaded, as Paul did, that the Lord would remove these worries from my mind, but they do not go away. The Lord tells me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am truly a weak vessel, but I am coming more and more to see the truth that God and His grace is sufficient for me!!
There have been many times this past summer and even this past semester at school, when I have become discouraged with the struggle of constantly giving up everything to God. When I see no improvement in myself I can become very discouraged and sometimes I wonder if the struggle is worth the effort. There are times when I feel like I do not have the strength to go on. It is during these times when verses like Isaiah 40:27-31 and Lamentations 3:22-23 are so incredibly comforting to me! Isaiah 40:27-31 says, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be wear; they shall walk and not faint.” My struggles and worries are not too small that my God does not care about or notice them. He will give me strength to make it through those tough moments of doubt, despair, and exhaustion. Isaiah even says that He will not just give us enough strength to crawl across the finish line of life, but we will be strengthened enough to fly to the heights of eagles and to run the rest of the race with renewed endurance. Lamentations is the other verse I mentioned; it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” I love this!!! It is so awesome! There have been mornings when I wake up and my worries and wonderings are the first things that pop into mind causing me to dread the day and to want to stay in bed; but when I remember this verse it gives me confidence and strength to face the day. God gives me renewed mercy each and every morning to make it through my day! Praise Him for that!! =]
As I was flipping through my Bible and sifting through my thoughts earlier I came across some verses that gave me a lot of hope and were very encouraging. Praise God for His timeliness and His Word being living and active and useful for all situations! The first verse I came across was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” There are times when I feel like I am wasting away with worry, but it is comforting to be reminded that there is more to life than this earth: there is eternity with God!!! This reminds me of a poem I have written in the back of my Bible; it says, “If life be long, I will be glad, that I may long obey; if short – then why should I be sad to soar to endless days?” I love this because it is so true! We can put up with obedience here on earth not matter the cost because we know that we will be rewarded and at rest one day in Heaven. The other verse that encouraged me is also from 2 Corinthians but in chapter 10 verses 3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every though captive to obey Christ.” I am thankful that we can have confident victory in Christ and that He gives us the power to win and conquer our sins.
So although I know that there will still be many days ahead that I will continue to fight this constant battle of offering God my material for sacrifice, I can be confident that He will and has already given me strength, mercy, and the weapons to combat my fear, anxiety, worries, and wonderings. Praise God for His great faithfulness! Praise God that He is causing me to live in the moment and to be dependent upon Him down to the smallest details of my life!!
I have always been a worrier or a wonderer (and yes, I know this is not a word); I am always planning ahead and looking forward to the “next event.” While this quality can be a good thing, I have seen that it causes me to neglect living in the moment and focusing on what God has for me here and now. This summer has been very much a redirecting and refocusing of my way of thinking. As I have been worrying and wondering what the future holds for me, I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that I need to live every moment of my life in full dependence on God. As I worry and wonder, I find that the only thing I can do it offer these things up to the Lord; all I can do is give them back to Him, trust Him with them, and move on in faith and obedience. Some days I do better than others; some hours I do better than others; it even boils down to the fact that there are some moments that I do better than others. I feel like I am living my summer days down to each agonizing minute at times; there are many days when my mind is in constant turmoil. It is almost like there is an argument going on in my head with little Katherines inside. One asks, “Will I give this thing to God and trust Him with it?” One pipes up with a determined, “Yes, it is the only thing I can do!” One shouts, “Squirrel!” and gets easily distracted while another defiantly says, “No, I can keep mulling it over in my mind; thinking about it will help me solve this problem by myself!” Still another dejectedly says, “God can’t do anything; nobody can do anything; the situation is hopeless!! We’re never going to know how this situation turns out!! Whahhhhh!!!” (That is sometimes how I literally feel although I know that it is ridiculous! =] ) I have to remind myself of Philippians 4:4-8. I must rejoice in all things; I must not worry about anything; I must pray and tell God my worries, fears, and desires; and most importantly I must think true thoughts; I cannot dwell on the “could have been’s,” “might have been’s,” “could be’s,” and the “might possibly happen’s.” I can only dwell on the things I know to be true and sometimes, at this point, sometimes the only thing I know to be absolutely true is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; that He loves me and died to save me from my sins; that He has forgiven me; and that He wants HIS best possible plan for my life. They are times like this when I see the reality of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 being made clear to me. I have pleaded, as Paul did, that the Lord would remove these worries from my mind, but they do not go away. The Lord tells me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am truly a weak vessel, but I am coming more and more to see the truth that God and His grace is sufficient for me!!
There have been many times this past summer and even this past semester at school, when I have become discouraged with the struggle of constantly giving up everything to God. When I see no improvement in myself I can become very discouraged and sometimes I wonder if the struggle is worth the effort. There are times when I feel like I do not have the strength to go on. It is during these times when verses like Isaiah 40:27-31 and Lamentations 3:22-23 are so incredibly comforting to me! Isaiah 40:27-31 says, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be wear; they shall walk and not faint.” My struggles and worries are not too small that my God does not care about or notice them. He will give me strength to make it through those tough moments of doubt, despair, and exhaustion. Isaiah even says that He will not just give us enough strength to crawl across the finish line of life, but we will be strengthened enough to fly to the heights of eagles and to run the rest of the race with renewed endurance. Lamentations is the other verse I mentioned; it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” I love this!!! It is so awesome! There have been mornings when I wake up and my worries and wonderings are the first things that pop into mind causing me to dread the day and to want to stay in bed; but when I remember this verse it gives me confidence and strength to face the day. God gives me renewed mercy each and every morning to make it through my day! Praise Him for that!! =]
As I was flipping through my Bible and sifting through my thoughts earlier I came across some verses that gave me a lot of hope and were very encouraging. Praise God for His timeliness and His Word being living and active and useful for all situations! The first verse I came across was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” There are times when I feel like I am wasting away with worry, but it is comforting to be reminded that there is more to life than this earth: there is eternity with God!!! This reminds me of a poem I have written in the back of my Bible; it says, “If life be long, I will be glad, that I may long obey; if short – then why should I be sad to soar to endless days?” I love this because it is so true! We can put up with obedience here on earth not matter the cost because we know that we will be rewarded and at rest one day in Heaven. The other verse that encouraged me is also from 2 Corinthians but in chapter 10 verses 3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every though captive to obey Christ.” I am thankful that we can have confident victory in Christ and that He gives us the power to win and conquer our sins.
So although I know that there will still be many days ahead that I will continue to fight this constant battle of offering God my material for sacrifice, I can be confident that He will and has already given me strength, mercy, and the weapons to combat my fear, anxiety, worries, and wonderings. Praise God for His great faithfulness! Praise God that He is causing me to live in the moment and to be dependent upon Him down to the smallest details of my life!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Loneliness
From Passion and Purity :
"It is quite possible to waste the present altogether. [...] Sometimes this loneliness inside hurts so badly. [So what do we do with loneliness?]
Be still and know that He is God. Use that stillness to quiet your heart before God...Get to know Him.
Remember that you are not alone. 'He will not fail thee neither forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage.' (Deut. 31:8) [...] Never mind if you cannot feel His presence. He is there.
Give thanks. 'For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
Refuse self-pity. Turn your thoughts to Christ who has already carried your griefs and sorrows.
Accept your loneliness. It is one stage, and only one stage, on a journey that brings you to God. It will not always last.
Offer up your loneliness to God. [...] God can transform it for the good of others.
Do something for somebody else. No matter who or where you are, there is something you can do, somebody who needs you. Pray that you may be an instrument of God's peace...
The important thing is to receive this moment's experience with both hands. Don't waste it. 'Wherever you are, be all there...Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.'
[When things don't go my way does that give me cause to] resent...be miserable...be rude...be in disgust? 'Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.' [...] We can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. [...] This is what the Bible says. That means it must be not only true, but possible, and possible for me.
[...] The effect of my troubles depends not on the nature of the troubles themselves but on how I receive them. I can receive them with both hands in faith and acceptance, or I can rebel and reject. [...]
Taken in a spirit of trust, even loneliness contributes to the maturing of character, even the endurance of separation and silence and that hardest thing of all, uncertainty, can build in us a steady hope." [End of quote]
Thoughts: It is so easy for me to dwell on what the past was like or what I imagine the future to be like that I forget to pay attention to the present. I have seen God working, though, and helping me to learn lots of lessons from the present. He is teaching me to live in the present and be thankful for the situations He has my in here and now.
Do I take JOY in times of loneliness or uncertainty? Not usually...but this summer the Lord is really teaching me to be thankful in ALL things. I want to be someone who accepts in faith and trust everything the Lord gives me. I want to be able to attest to the fact that, if I just trust in the Lord, God used separation and relative silence and uncertainty to build up a hope in me. A hope that God knows best and that He cares about me and will always be with me.
"It is quite possible to waste the present altogether. [...] Sometimes this loneliness inside hurts so badly. [So what do we do with loneliness?]
Be still and know that He is God. Use that stillness to quiet your heart before God...Get to know Him.
Remember that you are not alone. 'He will not fail thee neither forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage.' (Deut. 31:8) [...] Never mind if you cannot feel His presence. He is there.
Give thanks. 'For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
Refuse self-pity. Turn your thoughts to Christ who has already carried your griefs and sorrows.
Accept your loneliness. It is one stage, and only one stage, on a journey that brings you to God. It will not always last.
Offer up your loneliness to God. [...] God can transform it for the good of others.
Do something for somebody else. No matter who or where you are, there is something you can do, somebody who needs you. Pray that you may be an instrument of God's peace...
The important thing is to receive this moment's experience with both hands. Don't waste it. 'Wherever you are, be all there...Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.'
[When things don't go my way does that give me cause to] resent...be miserable...be rude...be in disgust? 'Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living.' [...] We can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles. [...] This is what the Bible says. That means it must be not only true, but possible, and possible for me.
[...] The effect of my troubles depends not on the nature of the troubles themselves but on how I receive them. I can receive them with both hands in faith and acceptance, or I can rebel and reject. [...]
Taken in a spirit of trust, even loneliness contributes to the maturing of character, even the endurance of separation and silence and that hardest thing of all, uncertainty, can build in us a steady hope." [End of quote]
Thoughts: It is so easy for me to dwell on what the past was like or what I imagine the future to be like that I forget to pay attention to the present. I have seen God working, though, and helping me to learn lots of lessons from the present. He is teaching me to live in the present and be thankful for the situations He has my in here and now.
Do I take JOY in times of loneliness or uncertainty? Not usually...but this summer the Lord is really teaching me to be thankful in ALL things. I want to be someone who accepts in faith and trust everything the Lord gives me. I want to be able to attest to the fact that, if I just trust in the Lord, God used separation and relative silence and uncertainty to build up a hope in me. A hope that God knows best and that He cares about me and will always be with me.
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