Encouraged by these lyrics and the song is beautiful too!
"Blessings" by Laura Story
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Quote on Loneliness
Excerpt taken from Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot:
"'We can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles.' [...] 'Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us.' [...] 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. [...] The words 'full of joy here and now' depend on the words 'taken in the right spirit.' You can't have one without the other. 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."
I know I've posted this before...or something quite similar to it...but I was reading this book again and was humbled yet encouraged by her words. Praise the Lord for timely and yet gentle reprimands.
Here's the address to my other post on loneliness: http://wreesespiecesnthoughts.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html
"'We can be full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles.' [...] 'Taken in the right spirit these very things will give us patient endurance; this in turn will develop a mature character, and a character of this sort produces a steady hope, a hope that will never disappoint us.' [...] 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. [...] The words 'full of joy here and now' depend on the words 'taken in the right spirit.' You can't have one without the other. 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."
I know I've posted this before...or something quite similar to it...but I was reading this book again and was humbled yet encouraged by her words. Praise the Lord for timely and yet gentle reprimands.
Here's the address to my other post on loneliness: http://wreesespiecesnthoughts.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html
Saturday, August 6, 2011
A Testament of God’s Provision
As I was doing my Saturday chores this morning, there were many thoughts running through my head…things like being excited to pick up two close friends from the airport today, going back to school in 8 days, getting ready for my last year of college, etc. But then it really hit me…I’m going into my SENIOR year of college…this is my LAST year as an undergraduate. After this year is over I’ll be down with college and almost done with my education…after this I get to be a grownup…(Blast! Just kidding…ish)…after this I’ll just be plain…well…old. (Well, not really in the grand scheme of things, but it will feel like I’m old. =P But I know there are people a lot older than I am. =] Haha.)
Anyways, thinking about being a senior brought a flood of memories back from the end of last semester and from my senior year of high school. For some reason, I have always wanted to go to Master’s since 6th grade…even before my oldest brother attended there. Actually, my parents say that I’ve wanted to go to Master’s before it was even on the radar for my brothers. For some reason, growing up around the campus, going to basketball games, getting babysat by college girls while my parents attended a few conferences there, it has always been my dream to go there. As both of my brothers spent their 4 years there, this desire only heightened…there were many times I wished I could just skip high school and go straight for my college education. (Part of this was because I wanted to go to school and have fun with my brothers because I missed them so much and the other part was because I just could not wait to be part of the Master’s community.) Having already decided that I wanted to go to Master’s, I had only to decide on a major. For some reason…also known as “fear of man”…when my mom suggested that I be a Home Economics major, I staunchly refused. I was NOT going to admit to my friends in high school—when they were wanting to go places like Notre Dame, Princeton, Harvard, USC, UCLA, etc—that I was “merely going” to a Christian school AND going to be a Home Ec major. My fear of their view of the major caused me to deny pursuing this path of education for a good 3 ½ years; in the mean time I wanted to be a TESOL major. (Teaching English as a second language…I have no idea where I got this idea because none of my family was in any sort of career like that and I hated and was terrible at French.) Anyways, something happened—aka the Lord worked in my heart =] –and I decided that I would pursue Home Economics. Afterall, I had always wanted to be a teacher at some educational level—usually it depended upon what grade I was in—so that I could one day homeschool my kids if the Lord were to have me get married. Actually, being a wife and mom was and is something I have always desired since I was a little girl; I trust that the Lord put that desire in me and it was cultivated by seeing my mom stay at home with us kids all of our lives. I saw and see it as a wonderful lifetime job and career to pursue and a very high calling from the Lord. Why not be equipped for what I wanted to do by being a Home Ec major? (By the way, it’s been a wonderful major!!!)
Moving on, during my senior year of high school I ended up taking the ACT four different times trying to raise my score high enough to get the highest academic scholarship at Master’s. After taking it twice and getting a lower score the second time, my parents saw tutoring as a viable option. I was very much humiliated to be tutored because I felt like I was dumb…and yet I knew that I wasn’t but I didn’t like admitting to my friends that I was getting tutored for this test. Taking the test the 3rd time resulted in the same score as the first test…haha…that wasn’t discouraging at all! (Yes…very sarcastic tone here!) After that my parents changed methods of tutoring; previously I had been tutored on how to best take the ACT test and then they had me tutored in math, the area of my lowest score. By the time I had my 4th attempt, the deadline for the highest scholarship had passed so at this point I was just trying for the next higher scholarship. At that point I was slightly annoyed with myself for having to take it again so I was determined to dominate. Thankfully, by God’s grace, I got my highest score of all and was able to receive that 2nd highest scholarship.
In the mean time, paper work had been turned in for Cal Grant. Since I was the youngest kid in my family, we weren’t too hopeful at getting the largest amount of aid but we knew we’d at least get some. My letter came towards the end o the semester. I remember opening it and being absolutely shocked! It said something to the effect of “Aid Denied” or “Unqualified for Cal Grant”…something that communicated VERY clearly that we were getting no aid whatsoever. Needless to say, my mom spent the next 30 minutes consoling her weeping daughter. Now, I don’t tend to be a very dramatic girl (that’s one of the results of being raised with two brothers and being a Tom-boy for most of my life) but when I do get distressed about things there are times when I tend to see the glass not only as half empty, but also as poured out, smashed, and ground into the dirt. Haha…in my 30 minutes of sobbing I was convinced that God didn’t want me to go to Master’s and that I would never go to Master’s. My mother, being the wise woman that she is, comforted me and assured me that there was still the possibility of going to a JC for 2 years and transferring and she also pointed out that there might be the possibility of appealing the letter. We prayed, I regained my composure, and I realized that I needed to trust God. Feeling a bit silly for my despair, I gave it to the Lord and trusted that He could provide if He wanted to. To make a long story a bit shorter, my mom appealed the letter and the Lord provided over and even more abundantly than we expected. =] We not only received Cal Grant but we also got the full amount. Praise the Lord! Evidence #1 of the Lord wanting me to be at Master’s.
So fast forwarding 3 years, we come to the end of my junior year…last spring. There were rumors going around that people were going to be losing Cal Grant. A bit nervous, I knew the Lord would still provide in the way He saw fit. One Wednesday night, I received an email from our financial aid office saying that I had lost Cal Grant completely and there was a letter in my mailbox the next day affirming that loss. Not quite as despairing, but still very discouraged, I only told one of my friends about the situation, not wanting to worry others before it was decided if I would be returning to school for my senior year. He encouraged me to write a letter telling of my predicament and directed me who to give it to. My parents agreed this was a good idea. I wrote and revised the letter the next Saturday and Sunday and delivered it on Monday. I felt sort of hopeless once I delivered my letter…I had no way of knowing if it would get to the right person. All I could do was trust the Lord. (Just for the reader’s information, I was not as dramatic and despairing this time around as I was as a high school senior…very much a testament to how the Lord has grown my faith in Him over the years. =] Praise the Lord!!) Two days after dropping off the letter I received an email informing me of my reception of almost comparable amounts of aid to what we had lost with Cal Grant. Talk about me being ecstatic! I was absolutely thrilled and giddy…and hyper. (Just ask my roommate and good friends…I was almost literally bouncing off the walls and jumping up and down. =D ) It was so neat to see how the Lord provided so quickly and clearly. It was and is VERY obvious that He wants me to be at Master’s for my senior year.
I am still baffled and amazed when I think about this path I have traveled over the last 4 years. I am so thankful that the Lord has confirmed His will and aligned mine with His. I know for sure that He has me at Master’s because He saw it as His best for me. I am truly humbled by His provision as well as I am so thankful.
As I think, then, to this next year, I am curious as to what the Lord has for me to do and what He has for me to face. I am thankful for His many pictures of faithfulness and provision throughout the 21 years of my life and how they have been especially evident and clear in the last 4 years. I hope and pray that when I am tempted to complain about homework or classes that I would remember that I am at Master’s for a very specific purpose and that the Lord made it possible when it seemed impossible for me to be there. I look forward to being reminded of these truths and seeing how He will continually guide and direct my path. I truly have fallen in love with the verses in Jeremiah 29. Although they seem to be cliché to many people, I pray that I would never forget the depth of truth in them.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” ~Jeremiah 29:11-14a~
God knows my future and will reveal it to me in His own timeframe that He sees best for me. In the meantime, I need to call upon Him, pray to Him, and seek Him with my whole heart, my whole life, and all of my strength. It is then that I will find the Lord…He will allow me to find Him and He will provide for me.
May the Lord be honored and glorified as I dedicate this school year to Him!
…8 days and counting!!! *Eeep!!!* =D
Anyways, thinking about being a senior brought a flood of memories back from the end of last semester and from my senior year of high school. For some reason, I have always wanted to go to Master’s since 6th grade…even before my oldest brother attended there. Actually, my parents say that I’ve wanted to go to Master’s before it was even on the radar for my brothers. For some reason, growing up around the campus, going to basketball games, getting babysat by college girls while my parents attended a few conferences there, it has always been my dream to go there. As both of my brothers spent their 4 years there, this desire only heightened…there were many times I wished I could just skip high school and go straight for my college education. (Part of this was because I wanted to go to school and have fun with my brothers because I missed them so much and the other part was because I just could not wait to be part of the Master’s community.) Having already decided that I wanted to go to Master’s, I had only to decide on a major. For some reason…also known as “fear of man”…when my mom suggested that I be a Home Economics major, I staunchly refused. I was NOT going to admit to my friends in high school—when they were wanting to go places like Notre Dame, Princeton, Harvard, USC, UCLA, etc—that I was “merely going” to a Christian school AND going to be a Home Ec major. My fear of their view of the major caused me to deny pursuing this path of education for a good 3 ½ years; in the mean time I wanted to be a TESOL major. (Teaching English as a second language…I have no idea where I got this idea because none of my family was in any sort of career like that and I hated and was terrible at French.) Anyways, something happened—aka the Lord worked in my heart =] –and I decided that I would pursue Home Economics. Afterall, I had always wanted to be a teacher at some educational level—usually it depended upon what grade I was in—so that I could one day homeschool my kids if the Lord were to have me get married. Actually, being a wife and mom was and is something I have always desired since I was a little girl; I trust that the Lord put that desire in me and it was cultivated by seeing my mom stay at home with us kids all of our lives. I saw and see it as a wonderful lifetime job and career to pursue and a very high calling from the Lord. Why not be equipped for what I wanted to do by being a Home Ec major? (By the way, it’s been a wonderful major!!!)
Moving on, during my senior year of high school I ended up taking the ACT four different times trying to raise my score high enough to get the highest academic scholarship at Master’s. After taking it twice and getting a lower score the second time, my parents saw tutoring as a viable option. I was very much humiliated to be tutored because I felt like I was dumb…and yet I knew that I wasn’t but I didn’t like admitting to my friends that I was getting tutored for this test. Taking the test the 3rd time resulted in the same score as the first test…haha…that wasn’t discouraging at all! (Yes…very sarcastic tone here!) After that my parents changed methods of tutoring; previously I had been tutored on how to best take the ACT test and then they had me tutored in math, the area of my lowest score. By the time I had my 4th attempt, the deadline for the highest scholarship had passed so at this point I was just trying for the next higher scholarship. At that point I was slightly annoyed with myself for having to take it again so I was determined to dominate. Thankfully, by God’s grace, I got my highest score of all and was able to receive that 2nd highest scholarship.
In the mean time, paper work had been turned in for Cal Grant. Since I was the youngest kid in my family, we weren’t too hopeful at getting the largest amount of aid but we knew we’d at least get some. My letter came towards the end o the semester. I remember opening it and being absolutely shocked! It said something to the effect of “Aid Denied” or “Unqualified for Cal Grant”…something that communicated VERY clearly that we were getting no aid whatsoever. Needless to say, my mom spent the next 30 minutes consoling her weeping daughter. Now, I don’t tend to be a very dramatic girl (that’s one of the results of being raised with two brothers and being a Tom-boy for most of my life) but when I do get distressed about things there are times when I tend to see the glass not only as half empty, but also as poured out, smashed, and ground into the dirt. Haha…in my 30 minutes of sobbing I was convinced that God didn’t want me to go to Master’s and that I would never go to Master’s. My mother, being the wise woman that she is, comforted me and assured me that there was still the possibility of going to a JC for 2 years and transferring and she also pointed out that there might be the possibility of appealing the letter. We prayed, I regained my composure, and I realized that I needed to trust God. Feeling a bit silly for my despair, I gave it to the Lord and trusted that He could provide if He wanted to. To make a long story a bit shorter, my mom appealed the letter and the Lord provided over and even more abundantly than we expected. =] We not only received Cal Grant but we also got the full amount. Praise the Lord! Evidence #1 of the Lord wanting me to be at Master’s.
So fast forwarding 3 years, we come to the end of my junior year…last spring. There were rumors going around that people were going to be losing Cal Grant. A bit nervous, I knew the Lord would still provide in the way He saw fit. One Wednesday night, I received an email from our financial aid office saying that I had lost Cal Grant completely and there was a letter in my mailbox the next day affirming that loss. Not quite as despairing, but still very discouraged, I only told one of my friends about the situation, not wanting to worry others before it was decided if I would be returning to school for my senior year. He encouraged me to write a letter telling of my predicament and directed me who to give it to. My parents agreed this was a good idea. I wrote and revised the letter the next Saturday and Sunday and delivered it on Monday. I felt sort of hopeless once I delivered my letter…I had no way of knowing if it would get to the right person. All I could do was trust the Lord. (Just for the reader’s information, I was not as dramatic and despairing this time around as I was as a high school senior…very much a testament to how the Lord has grown my faith in Him over the years. =] Praise the Lord!!) Two days after dropping off the letter I received an email informing me of my reception of almost comparable amounts of aid to what we had lost with Cal Grant. Talk about me being ecstatic! I was absolutely thrilled and giddy…and hyper. (Just ask my roommate and good friends…I was almost literally bouncing off the walls and jumping up and down. =D ) It was so neat to see how the Lord provided so quickly and clearly. It was and is VERY obvious that He wants me to be at Master’s for my senior year.
I am still baffled and amazed when I think about this path I have traveled over the last 4 years. I am so thankful that the Lord has confirmed His will and aligned mine with His. I know for sure that He has me at Master’s because He saw it as His best for me. I am truly humbled by His provision as well as I am so thankful.
As I think, then, to this next year, I am curious as to what the Lord has for me to do and what He has for me to face. I am thankful for His many pictures of faithfulness and provision throughout the 21 years of my life and how they have been especially evident and clear in the last 4 years. I hope and pray that when I am tempted to complain about homework or classes that I would remember that I am at Master’s for a very specific purpose and that the Lord made it possible when it seemed impossible for me to be there. I look forward to being reminded of these truths and seeing how He will continually guide and direct my path. I truly have fallen in love with the verses in Jeremiah 29. Although they seem to be cliché to many people, I pray that I would never forget the depth of truth in them.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” ~Jeremiah 29:11-14a~
God knows my future and will reveal it to me in His own timeframe that He sees best for me. In the meantime, I need to call upon Him, pray to Him, and seek Him with my whole heart, my whole life, and all of my strength. It is then that I will find the Lord…He will allow me to find Him and He will provide for me.
May the Lord be honored and glorified as I dedicate this school year to Him!
…8 days and counting!!! *Eeep!!!* =D
Unmet Expectations
Having expectations and hopes that are unmet by people can be disappointing and even devastating if one does not keep in mind the fallibility and fallen nature of mankind. I was reminded once again this week how my plans are not always the Lord’s plans and how I can easily set up personal expectations that are not met by those around me. Today in my reading I came across this quote:
“When we cling to our expectations we are saying we know what should happen or what would be best in a given situation. This nasty “cling” is pride. Any time we believe we hold the keys to what would be best in any circumstance, we become a god.”
I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with this statement as something I tend to do. The situation that presented itself last week was no different. I had certain expectations that the situation would carry on in a certain way and it did not. I left disappointed and disheartened for I had thought I had been following the Lord through it all. In frustration with the experience and with myself, I was left confused. I realized, however, that although I might have thought I was honoring the Lord totally, there is always room for growth and the Lord will never fail to do what He sees will best sanctify His beloved child. While this can for sure be frustrating, I know that it the way that the Lord is choosing and see best to mold me into the image of His Son. I had an expectation of how I thought the previously mentioned situation should end but the Lord had a different opinion and plan. He sees it best for me to trust Him in the mean time and wait on Him and His timing.
Along this same line of thought, people are a major component of “failed expectations.” It is funny to me how as humans we are so concerned with being on the receiving end of grace and yet we so easily forget to or refuse to be on the giving end of grace. People will always disappoint at some point and they will always fail to meet another person’s expectations. It is bound to happen for one of two reasons: 1) humans are fallen and so fail and are sinful and, therefore, disappoint or 2) humans are fallen and have flawed expectations and, therefore, are disappointed. I was reminded this morning that I cannot and must not put hope in people because they will fail. (I also have to remember that I cannot put in a guy/boyfriend/husband because he will not be perfect…but that’s another topic of discussion for another day.) Christ alone in the only person I can place my hope in; He is the only person who will never fail me. Yes, there may be times when I might think He failed me, but it is at this point that I need to check my expectations against what is biblical; it is then that I need to question whether or not I am truly trusting the Lord because He has promised to always be faithful. (Deut. 31:6, Ps. 94:14)
To combat wishful thinking of people never failing me, I must remember verses like Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:1-2. I must “take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.” I must instead look to Christ and find my satisfaction and comfort in Him. He is the only person who will never leave me; the only person who will never fail me; the only person who will love me perfectly; the only person who will be able to comfort me in my darkest moments. I cannot and should not look to other people for this ultimate comfort; Christ and Christ alone is my only Savior. He alone is my hope. No guy, no girl, no parent, no sibling, no child, no husband can ever come close to fulfilling that position. I pray I would remember that always and seek to know my Lord and Savior more.
“When we cling to our expectations we are saying we know what should happen or what would be best in a given situation. This nasty “cling” is pride. Any time we believe we hold the keys to what would be best in any circumstance, we become a god.”
I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with this statement as something I tend to do. The situation that presented itself last week was no different. I had certain expectations that the situation would carry on in a certain way and it did not. I left disappointed and disheartened for I had thought I had been following the Lord through it all. In frustration with the experience and with myself, I was left confused. I realized, however, that although I might have thought I was honoring the Lord totally, there is always room for growth and the Lord will never fail to do what He sees will best sanctify His beloved child. While this can for sure be frustrating, I know that it the way that the Lord is choosing and see best to mold me into the image of His Son. I had an expectation of how I thought the previously mentioned situation should end but the Lord had a different opinion and plan. He sees it best for me to trust Him in the mean time and wait on Him and His timing.
Along this same line of thought, people are a major component of “failed expectations.” It is funny to me how as humans we are so concerned with being on the receiving end of grace and yet we so easily forget to or refuse to be on the giving end of grace. People will always disappoint at some point and they will always fail to meet another person’s expectations. It is bound to happen for one of two reasons: 1) humans are fallen and so fail and are sinful and, therefore, disappoint or 2) humans are fallen and have flawed expectations and, therefore, are disappointed. I was reminded this morning that I cannot and must not put hope in people because they will fail. (I also have to remember that I cannot put in a guy/boyfriend/husband because he will not be perfect…but that’s another topic of discussion for another day.) Christ alone in the only person I can place my hope in; He is the only person who will never fail me. Yes, there may be times when I might think He failed me, but it is at this point that I need to check my expectations against what is biblical; it is then that I need to question whether or not I am truly trusting the Lord because He has promised to always be faithful. (Deut. 31:6, Ps. 94:14)
To combat wishful thinking of people never failing me, I must remember verses like Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:1-2. I must “take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.” I must instead look to Christ and find my satisfaction and comfort in Him. He is the only person who will never leave me; the only person who will never fail me; the only person who will love me perfectly; the only person who will be able to comfort me in my darkest moments. I cannot and should not look to other people for this ultimate comfort; Christ and Christ alone is my only Savior. He alone is my hope. No guy, no girl, no parent, no sibling, no child, no husband can ever come close to fulfilling that position. I pray I would remember that always and seek to know my Lord and Savior more.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
More Than a Dim Cathedral
As summer is winding down and coming to an end for me, I am somewhat scrambling to finish up reading a few books before school starts. One is required reading for leadership and the other is one that my mom and I were sort of discussing together. Yesterday, as I was sitting at my desk, I was looking at the books on my shelf and decided to pull out a book to read just for fun…something that was not as much filled with theology but that was still profitable to my mind and thoughts. The book I chose was Shadow of the Almighty: The Life & Testament of Jim Elliot by his wife Elisabeth. Although I am only 3 chapters in, I am thoroughly enjoying it! I am already amazed and challenged reading about Jim’s dedication to serving our Lord and Savior at such a young age.
Two particular quotes stood out to me from what I read today. Because the quotes were separated by a few pages, I didn’t think they really had anything to do with each other at first, but as I was thinking about them more they seemed to coincide wonderfully. I also realized that they both attested to Jim’s perspective on living out the Gospel daily and his concern for “practical theology.” Here are the quotes:
“How wonderful to know that Christianity is more than a padded pew or a dim cathedral, but that it is a real, living, daily experience which goes on from grace to grace.” (p. 39)
“Where as soon as we hit a subject that has a need God can fill, we dive for our knees and tell Him about it. These are times I’ll remember about college when all the philosophy has slipped out memory’s back gate. God is still on His throne, we’re still on His footstool, and there’s only a knee’s distance between!” (p. 43)
While I know that it is important to have solid theology and to understand basic theological truths, I think some people get a little too carried away with being concerned with theological debates. Many Bible scholars and seminarians are so worried about being able to properly argue and articulate whether they believe in amillennialism or premillennialism or if there will be a rapture or not, etc, etc that they forget how to apply their knowledge to daily living. A lot of people have knowledge about the Bible and about theology but that knowledge never makes it out of their head to the their heart and to their feet for everyday life. One might question if that knowledge is truly real.
I love how Jim Elliot saw Christianity to be more than just going to church or philosophical knowledge that one possesses. Christianity is a lifestyle and something that is tangible and real; we live it out every day. Every new moment is a new opportunity to experience the grace of God. There will be a time when we will forget the academic training we have learned but even if we were to retain it for our entire lives what good would knowledge do us when we stand before the Lord? God could care less whether we have 5 years or just 5 days of Biblical training if we do not seek to use that knowledge to further our relationship with Him. He could care less about the knowledge we have; He cares about what we do with that knowledge and how we apply it to our lives. Jim Elliot knew the importance of actually living as a follower of Christ and not just knowing about how to live like a follower. He understood “practical theology” to the point that he was willing to risk his life for the sake of the Gospel. He wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot understood that living for the Gospel and living out the Gospel was more important that just knowing the Gospel. His life truly demonstrated that.
I pray that I would be a follower of Christ who lives in such a way to give up those things that I cannot keep so that I might gain that which I can never lose.
Two particular quotes stood out to me from what I read today. Because the quotes were separated by a few pages, I didn’t think they really had anything to do with each other at first, but as I was thinking about them more they seemed to coincide wonderfully. I also realized that they both attested to Jim’s perspective on living out the Gospel daily and his concern for “practical theology.” Here are the quotes:
“How wonderful to know that Christianity is more than a padded pew or a dim cathedral, but that it is a real, living, daily experience which goes on from grace to grace.” (p. 39)
“Where as soon as we hit a subject that has a need God can fill, we dive for our knees and tell Him about it. These are times I’ll remember about college when all the philosophy has slipped out memory’s back gate. God is still on His throne, we’re still on His footstool, and there’s only a knee’s distance between!” (p. 43)
While I know that it is important to have solid theology and to understand basic theological truths, I think some people get a little too carried away with being concerned with theological debates. Many Bible scholars and seminarians are so worried about being able to properly argue and articulate whether they believe in amillennialism or premillennialism or if there will be a rapture or not, etc, etc that they forget how to apply their knowledge to daily living. A lot of people have knowledge about the Bible and about theology but that knowledge never makes it out of their head to the their heart and to their feet for everyday life. One might question if that knowledge is truly real.
I love how Jim Elliot saw Christianity to be more than just going to church or philosophical knowledge that one possesses. Christianity is a lifestyle and something that is tangible and real; we live it out every day. Every new moment is a new opportunity to experience the grace of God. There will be a time when we will forget the academic training we have learned but even if we were to retain it for our entire lives what good would knowledge do us when we stand before the Lord? God could care less whether we have 5 years or just 5 days of Biblical training if we do not seek to use that knowledge to further our relationship with Him. He could care less about the knowledge we have; He cares about what we do with that knowledge and how we apply it to our lives. Jim Elliot knew the importance of actually living as a follower of Christ and not just knowing about how to live like a follower. He understood “practical theology” to the point that he was willing to risk his life for the sake of the Gospel. He wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot understood that living for the Gospel and living out the Gospel was more important that just knowing the Gospel. His life truly demonstrated that.
I pray that I would be a follower of Christ who lives in such a way to give up those things that I cannot keep so that I might gain that which I can never lose.
Longing For Heaven
When I got home from small groups tonight I took the time to pause and look up at the night sky. As I stood looking at the few scattered stars and the moon, I was reminded of our up-coming annual church family camp where you can see billions of stars. Good memories. And then I also remembered that I will not be able to go camping this year because of heading back to school. Bad/sad reminder. Well, all of these reminders brought the following thought into my mind: “Growing up stinks!!!”
Now I sort of thought this as a joke but at the same time I was serious. Oh, to be a kid again without worries and responsibility. =P Life seemed so much simpler. And yet I don’t think I would want to go back to being a kid again because now I understand the reality of Heaven just a little bit better…a place of rest from sin…a place with no worries…a place to worship our Lord and Savior forever. As I fall more in love with the Gospel and my Savior and see more of my sin and the sin of the world, the more I long for my eternal home. To be free from sin…to be free to worship my Savior and have no distractions while doing it…oh what a glorious day that will be!
O For That Day
by Enfield
We are pilgrims on Earth and we long to be home
We were exiled in birth and wandered alone
Until Jesus the Lamb who was slain in our place
Redeemed us and claimed us His own
We have hope in the place where suffering ends
All our tears wiped away and worship ascends
Where our Savior now sits at the right hand of God
Our Defender, Redeemer and Friend
O for that day when our journey has ended
All of our hope found in Heaven's reward
When we will have the Messiah forever
And we will dwell in the house of the Lord
Yes, we will dwell in the house of the Lord
Now I sort of thought this as a joke but at the same time I was serious. Oh, to be a kid again without worries and responsibility. =P Life seemed so much simpler. And yet I don’t think I would want to go back to being a kid again because now I understand the reality of Heaven just a little bit better…a place of rest from sin…a place with no worries…a place to worship our Lord and Savior forever. As I fall more in love with the Gospel and my Savior and see more of my sin and the sin of the world, the more I long for my eternal home. To be free from sin…to be free to worship my Savior and have no distractions while doing it…oh what a glorious day that will be!
O For That Day
by Enfield
We are pilgrims on Earth and we long to be home
We were exiled in birth and wandered alone
Until Jesus the Lamb who was slain in our place
Redeemed us and claimed us His own
We have hope in the place where suffering ends
All our tears wiped away and worship ascends
Where our Savior now sits at the right hand of God
Our Defender, Redeemer and Friend
O for that day when our journey has ended
All of our hope found in Heaven's reward
When we will have the Messiah forever
And we will dwell in the house of the Lord
Yes, we will dwell in the house of the Lord
Keep Your Heart
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” ~Proverbs 4:23~ (ESV)
This is something that is so hard to do—especially in regards to relationships—and yet it is vital that we fight to guard our hearts with all diligence and determination.
The word picture that comes to my mind when thinking about this verse is a soldier on duty guarding something of utmost value. He cannot leave his post for any reason or else the enemy will sneak in and take that which does not belong to him. We must guard our hearts…nothing should distract us from our diligent watch. It may seem tedious, unnecessary, and discouraging at times but we must remember that the enemy wants to come and turn our heart towards evil. He wants us to stumble and lust for those things that God sees best for us not to have; he wants us to doubt that God has His best in mind for us. Verse 25 says, “Let your eyes look directly forwards, and your gaze be straight before you.” We cannot afford to be distracted by the world around us but must set our gaze on Christ so that our hearts might remain soft for Him to form us into His image.
This is something that is so hard to do—especially in regards to relationships—and yet it is vital that we fight to guard our hearts with all diligence and determination.
The word picture that comes to my mind when thinking about this verse is a soldier on duty guarding something of utmost value. He cannot leave his post for any reason or else the enemy will sneak in and take that which does not belong to him. We must guard our hearts…nothing should distract us from our diligent watch. It may seem tedious, unnecessary, and discouraging at times but we must remember that the enemy wants to come and turn our heart towards evil. He wants us to stumble and lust for those things that God sees best for us not to have; he wants us to doubt that God has His best in mind for us. Verse 25 says, “Let your eyes look directly forwards, and your gaze be straight before you.” We cannot afford to be distracted by the world around us but must set our gaze on Christ so that our hearts might remain soft for Him to form us into His image.
Thoughts on Prayer
During these past few summer months, the pastors at my church have been going through a study called “Jesus’ School of Prayer.” I have been really encouraged and challenged by it, although in all honesty, I cannot say that it has revolutionized my prayer life. =/ However, the knowledge and realization that I need to be dependent upon the Lord more in prayer has been lingering at the back of my mind all summer. Because of that, I have decided to take the outlines of the sermons and use them for my small group topic this next year.
As I was reading through the first outline this morning, there were a few things that really stuck out to me. First, in understanding the importance of prayer, our pastor quoted O. Hallesby who wrote, “Prayer is an attitude of our hearts toward God. It is an attitude of helplessness.” When we pray, a lot of time we are admitting to God—although He already knows—that we are helpless and we are humbling ourselves before Him and surrendering ourselves to His work. This reminds me of one of my favorite passages found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” When we are weak and acknowledge our weakness and frailty before God, He is more than willing to display His power in us.
The second thing that stood out to me was a list of reasons that God might delay answering our prayers. (Or at least giving us the answer of “wait.”)
1) Sometimes the believer is not in a position to receive the answer.
a. There are things God desires to do in the life of the petitioner before the request is granted.
b. His delay is driven by His love for us not some heartless whim.
2) Other times our request is superficial. We ultimately do not feel strongly about the matter—which becomes evident when we stop praying about it.
3) James 4:3 – our motives are wrong: the delay is designed by God to expose and flush out the self-centeredness of our petition.
4) 1 Kings 19:1-8 – our request is foolish…like Elijah, we over-react in our weariness. Mercifully God tells us no.
5) Psalm 66:18 – we have unresolved sin…in these cases our prayers get no higher than the ceiling. God does not even hear us.
6) Mark 11:22 – the object of our faith is misplaced…Jesus: “Have faith in God.”
7) Mark 11:24-26 – we are withholding forgiveness…this is not an option for a forgiven child of God
8) Luke 5:1-11 – God may have something better for us
a. Sometimes God withholds what we ask for to give us something better
9) 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – God desires us to experience the sufficiency of His grace
When the answers to our prayers are delayed from our perspective, God always has a good reason. Our responsibility is to examine ourselves first and then trust Him as we keep asking.
I was especially struck by point number 1…it is very easy for me to forget that God has the higher purpose of sanctifying me and forming me into the image of His Son. I know there have been many times when God has said “wait” and then used that following time to grow my faith, patience, and trust. I love being able to look back and seeing God’s faithfulness in the situations of my life…He is so gracious in letting us look back and see His fingerprints all over our lives.
I hope and pray that this study would be an encouragement to the girls that the Lord places in my small group, but even more so I pray that He would use my preparation time now and each week to help me to realize the importance of prayer!
As I was reading through the first outline this morning, there were a few things that really stuck out to me. First, in understanding the importance of prayer, our pastor quoted O. Hallesby who wrote, “Prayer is an attitude of our hearts toward God. It is an attitude of helplessness.” When we pray, a lot of time we are admitting to God—although He already knows—that we are helpless and we are humbling ourselves before Him and surrendering ourselves to His work. This reminds me of one of my favorite passages found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” When we are weak and acknowledge our weakness and frailty before God, He is more than willing to display His power in us.
The second thing that stood out to me was a list of reasons that God might delay answering our prayers. (Or at least giving us the answer of “wait.”)
1) Sometimes the believer is not in a position to receive the answer.
a. There are things God desires to do in the life of the petitioner before the request is granted.
b. His delay is driven by His love for us not some heartless whim.
2) Other times our request is superficial. We ultimately do not feel strongly about the matter—which becomes evident when we stop praying about it.
3) James 4:3 – our motives are wrong: the delay is designed by God to expose and flush out the self-centeredness of our petition.
4) 1 Kings 19:1-8 – our request is foolish…like Elijah, we over-react in our weariness. Mercifully God tells us no.
5) Psalm 66:18 – we have unresolved sin…in these cases our prayers get no higher than the ceiling. God does not even hear us.
6) Mark 11:22 – the object of our faith is misplaced…Jesus: “Have faith in God.”
7) Mark 11:24-26 – we are withholding forgiveness…this is not an option for a forgiven child of God
8) Luke 5:1-11 – God may have something better for us
a. Sometimes God withholds what we ask for to give us something better
9) 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – God desires us to experience the sufficiency of His grace
When the answers to our prayers are delayed from our perspective, God always has a good reason. Our responsibility is to examine ourselves first and then trust Him as we keep asking.
I was especially struck by point number 1…it is very easy for me to forget that God has the higher purpose of sanctifying me and forming me into the image of His Son. I know there have been many times when God has said “wait” and then used that following time to grow my faith, patience, and trust. I love being able to look back and seeing God’s faithfulness in the situations of my life…He is so gracious in letting us look back and see His fingerprints all over our lives.
I hope and pray that this study would be an encouragement to the girls that the Lord places in my small group, but even more so I pray that He would use my preparation time now and each week to help me to realize the importance of prayer!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
While I’m Waiting
While I’m Waiting
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
I thought of this song in light of my last post. Waiting and trusting can be painful but we can still run the race that is set before us and we can be confident that the Lord will uphold us. (See Isaiah 40:29-31)
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
I thought of this song in light of my last post. Waiting and trusting can be painful but we can still run the race that is set before us and we can be confident that the Lord will uphold us. (See Isaiah 40:29-31)
No, Do You Really Trust Me?
Haha…I love how God’s sense of humor and sense of irony can be seen throughout our lives and yet how all this can be paired with teaching (sometimes) hard lessons to His children.
Yesterday, I was asked the question: “What do you think is the most important lesson you’ve learned in college?” I immediately chuckled and began to rack my brain for one of the many things the Lord has taught me over the past 3 years. Thankfully, the question was narrowed to the time frame of the last 6 months. That made my thinking a whole lot easier…and then I realized that the thing I came up with was something I had been learning all of college.
Trusting in the Lord. That’s what the Lord has been continually refining in me recently. Trusting in His timing, trusting in His promises, trusting in His perfect will, trusting that He has His best in mind for me, trusting that He will guide and direct me as I strive to be faithful and obedient. I went on to explain to the questioner how I had said at one point during my sophomore year of college, “There is no place that I would rather be than at a point in my life where I need to be completely dependent upon God for strength and guidance.” Looking back, I do believe that I was sincere and confident in saying that…only, now I’m not so sure I would have said it with quite as much confidence as I did if I had known that the Lord would have put that statement to the test as much as He has. But knowing what I know now and seeing how the Lord has grown me and strengthened my faith and confidence in Him, I would not revoke that statement in the least! I just think I would just say it a little more humbly. =P
The ironic and slightly humorous thing about the whole situation is that after talking about learning that lesson a lot in the last 6 months, it seemed that the Lord wanted to test me again by presenting another situation to trust Him completely in. It was as if He was saying to me, “Yeah, you remember what you were talking about yesterday? Well, I was reminding you of that lesson and, simultaneously, reminding you of My faithfulness in all of those situations so that I could give you another occasion to trust Me completely and another occasion to place your faith in Me.” *Sigh* I really do agree with the statement: “People are like sheep and sheep are dumb.” One would think I would have learned this lesson of trust by now but it is so easy for me to “panic” in a situation of uncertainty and forget to take it straight to the Lord in prayer. I’m just thankful that the Lord is patient and gracious with His children and that He does not give up on them!! =] (And He has been very gracious to show me that I have grown a lot over the years!)
All in all, I know the Lord has a purpose for teaching me this much-needed lesson. In the mean time I need to abide by Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” In committing my way to Him, I need to be obedient and faithful to not only trust Him, but to be actively diligent in the meantime to commit myself to attend to the tasks that He has for me each day. I had a friend who gave me a good piece of advice; she said, “Instead of just standing around wringing our hands until they are chapped, we should use our hands to serve God and to serve others.” I thought that was pretty profound. =P Instead of worrying, I can think on true things and instead concentrate my efforts of worry and wondering on dealing with the people and tasks that are before me. I would say that is a much better use of my time and thoughts than focusing on myself! =]
Yesterday, I was asked the question: “What do you think is the most important lesson you’ve learned in college?” I immediately chuckled and began to rack my brain for one of the many things the Lord has taught me over the past 3 years. Thankfully, the question was narrowed to the time frame of the last 6 months. That made my thinking a whole lot easier…and then I realized that the thing I came up with was something I had been learning all of college.
Trusting in the Lord. That’s what the Lord has been continually refining in me recently. Trusting in His timing, trusting in His promises, trusting in His perfect will, trusting that He has His best in mind for me, trusting that He will guide and direct me as I strive to be faithful and obedient. I went on to explain to the questioner how I had said at one point during my sophomore year of college, “There is no place that I would rather be than at a point in my life where I need to be completely dependent upon God for strength and guidance.” Looking back, I do believe that I was sincere and confident in saying that…only, now I’m not so sure I would have said it with quite as much confidence as I did if I had known that the Lord would have put that statement to the test as much as He has. But knowing what I know now and seeing how the Lord has grown me and strengthened my faith and confidence in Him, I would not revoke that statement in the least! I just think I would just say it a little more humbly. =P
The ironic and slightly humorous thing about the whole situation is that after talking about learning that lesson a lot in the last 6 months, it seemed that the Lord wanted to test me again by presenting another situation to trust Him completely in. It was as if He was saying to me, “Yeah, you remember what you were talking about yesterday? Well, I was reminding you of that lesson and, simultaneously, reminding you of My faithfulness in all of those situations so that I could give you another occasion to trust Me completely and another occasion to place your faith in Me.” *Sigh* I really do agree with the statement: “People are like sheep and sheep are dumb.” One would think I would have learned this lesson of trust by now but it is so easy for me to “panic” in a situation of uncertainty and forget to take it straight to the Lord in prayer. I’m just thankful that the Lord is patient and gracious with His children and that He does not give up on them!! =] (And He has been very gracious to show me that I have grown a lot over the years!)
All in all, I know the Lord has a purpose for teaching me this much-needed lesson. In the mean time I need to abide by Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” In committing my way to Him, I need to be obedient and faithful to not only trust Him, but to be actively diligent in the meantime to commit myself to attend to the tasks that He has for me each day. I had a friend who gave me a good piece of advice; she said, “Instead of just standing around wringing our hands until they are chapped, we should use our hands to serve God and to serve others.” I thought that was pretty profound. =P Instead of worrying, I can think on true things and instead concentrate my efforts of worry and wondering on dealing with the people and tasks that are before me. I would say that is a much better use of my time and thoughts than focusing on myself! =]
Last Day of Work
Today was the final day of work for me. Exhausted, sad, and yet happy about it all being over, it seems hard to believe that 8 weeks went by so quickly! Being this was only the second summer I worked at this job, I hadn’t realized how much work went into it until I was elbow deep in textbooks, office supplies, desks, and paperwork. One of my coworkers had told me how weird it is to be on the administrative side of a summer program and today that was confirmed in my mind. The whole thing seems very surreal now…we started with a classroom full of chairs, set up an office, ran a school program for 5 weeks, cleaned up in 3 days, and left with an empty classroom. When we left today it looked as if no one had ever been there and yet we look back on the empty room with many fond memories; one would never guess—looking at the room now—that so much time and effort had been spent there. In the 3 weeks prior to the program, we hit the ground running. Starting on June 3rd, four of us unloaded our storage unit and put everything into our classroom. On June 6th, a different four of us came back, took desks out of the classroom, began to set up our office, take phone calls, return phone calls, proofread syllabi, organize textbooks, and much, much more. June 13th, two more people joined in the fun of running an office and we worked for 2 whole weeks before kids and teachers joined us for school on June 27th. During those two weeks we assigned classrooms, made rosters and teacher websites, edited websites, recreated websites (and edited them some more), made emergency plans, distributed textbooks, and tried to assign some order to the chaos before the beginning of school. It was a lot of fun…and I’m not being sarcastic. I thoroughly enjoyed working with each and every person in the office. Most of them I had known for a while so furthering those relationships was a blessing!
Once the kids came, things were going a hundred miles an hour. The first week was filled with taking kids to classes, answering teacher questions, testing kids for reading ability, occasionally being in the classroom as an actual TA, and doing other random tasks in the office after school. Some highlights of the overall program were having some of the same students from last year in one of my classes, getting to make a watermark and letterhead that we did and will be using for our transcripts from now on, helping with teacher luncheons every Wednesday and our appreciation luncheon at the end of the year, getting to work with old friends, getting to make new friends, getting to drive the golf cart (haha), running into poles with the golf cart, getting teased by our director, and just being blessed by having a lot of coworkers that were believers!
I am so thankful that the Lord gave me the opportunity to work at this job again and I am definitely looking forward to next year. There were many lessons I learned—patience and flexibility especially—and there were many found memories gained. I think most of all, I will miss the people I got to work with, but I am thankful that I will get to see most of them throughout the year. =D
Once the kids came, things were going a hundred miles an hour. The first week was filled with taking kids to classes, answering teacher questions, testing kids for reading ability, occasionally being in the classroom as an actual TA, and doing other random tasks in the office after school. Some highlights of the overall program were having some of the same students from last year in one of my classes, getting to make a watermark and letterhead that we did and will be using for our transcripts from now on, helping with teacher luncheons every Wednesday and our appreciation luncheon at the end of the year, getting to work with old friends, getting to make new friends, getting to drive the golf cart (haha), running into poles with the golf cart, getting teased by our director, and just being blessed by having a lot of coworkers that were believers!
I am so thankful that the Lord gave me the opportunity to work at this job again and I am definitely looking forward to next year. There were many lessons I learned—patience and flexibility especially—and there were many found memories gained. I think most of all, I will miss the people I got to work with, but I am thankful that I will get to see most of them throughout the year. =D
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Letter to a Dear Friend
So yesterday and today I wrote a friend a letter in response to one they had sent me. Their letter was very encouraging and I had a lot of fun replying to it. In my letter back, I got to share some very prominent lessons that the Lord has been teaching me this last week and especially these last few days. I have decided to type up most of what I wrote because it sort of morphed into a blog post as I continued to write and write. I pray that the Lord would use the lessons He is teaching me to encourage you! Here is the letter:
“Hello, my dear friend!!!
I love how the Lord often reveals the same or similar lessons to His children even when they are hundreds of miles apart! I too have been reading in 2 Corinthians this summer and have fallen in love with the book. I love chapter 5 when Paul talks about us being ambassadors for Christ. Being on a secular campus with many non-believers this summer is such a wonderful place to be a picture of Christ to the kids I’m interacting with and the teachers as well. I soooo want them to see and notice a difference in me (because of the work Christ has done and is doing in me) from their public school teachers; I’m still trying to figure out how to do that…I’ll admit it’s not always at the forefront of my mind. But I know that the Lord can use me to impact these kids for His kingdom. I so greatly want to show them the love of Christ through being patient or encouraging or to show them the joy of Christ through my smiles, “good-mornings,” and through my cheerfulness. Realizing that there are so many kids watching me is sort of scary but also so exciting! I get to give them a picture of my God and Savior and have the opportunity to do that well or to mess up that opportunity; puts a lot of things in perspective, huh? Hopefully I will portray Christ well!
I also love how Paul talks about hardships and suffering. It is so true! Growth comes uncertainty, pain, and through being totally reliant on the Lord. I am reminded of having horrible growing pains in my legs when I was little; they hurt so badly that they would keep me up at night sometimes. There were even several occasions I would go wake my parents up and one of them would come back to my room and rub my legs until I fell asleep. Although those times were painful, they were needed and beneficial to my growth and development into a young woman. I feel like that is what life is like. Verses 16-18 in 2 Corinthians 4 portrays this perfectly: “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.” Our trials change us into the image of Christ which is what I ultimately want more than anything because that brings the most glory to God.
I loved the quote you wrote down by C.S. Lewis: “We’re not doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” It reminded me of a quote I came across just yesterday on a blog I was reading. It was by Elisabeth Elliot: “God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God’s refusal are always merciful—‘severe mercies’ at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our heart’s desires except to give us something better.” What was SUPER neat about that quote and its timing was that our pastor had just been talking about prayer on Sunday. One thing he talked about which really struck me was in regards to what waiting on God in prayer is designed to do; there were 5 things: waiting on God in prayer is designed to 1) draw us under His loving authority, 2) teach us to walk as children of light, 3) purify our love for God and people, 4) live for His glory, and 5) strengthen our faith. All of these boil down to the fact that God sometimes withholds answers from us (or says “wait”) because He first wants to work in our lives. He wants to put us through the fire to refine us into the image of His Son because we might not be ready to bear the weight of the consequences (good or bad) of our prayers and requests. God will always give us what is BEST for us whether we see it as good or not. Praise God that He sees the whole plan of life and does not leave us to our foolish selves! Pain may seem severe at the moment but in looking back we can see them/it as mercy; even in the moment we can see it (pain) as mercy because God is refining our patience, trust, and faith in Him. It’s soooo hard for me to keep that in perspective at all times!!!
One thing we’re doing in small groups as church is encouraging and keeping each other accountable to memorize Scripture. Each person can pick whatever chapter, verse, or even phrase they want. I chose Psalm 33:20-22 because I think it really encapsulates what I’m learning at this time and needing to focus on in my life. For some reason I’m having a really hard time getting the verses to stick but I got to meditate on them on my way to work today which was really neat!!! I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you. The passage says:
‘My soul waits for the LORD;
He is my help and my shield.
For my heart is glad in Him,
Because I trust in His holy name.
Let Your steadfast love, O Lord,
Be upon me, even as I hope in You.”
So a lot of times we have the opportunity to sit and wait for the Lord to act or reveal His will to us; during this time of waiting we often struggle with wanting to know answers. In these times, God “help[s]” us be patient and to endure the waiting. He also is our “shield” and protects us from temptations to doubt Him or get impatient with His timing; oftentimes the Devil pelts us with these temptations and they seem inescapable…but God shields us form these attacks. So while we wait the Lord helps us wait and protects us from temptations to doubt or despair.
The second sentence is super cool in these verses. When I was meditating on them I realized, grammatically, it was correct to flip flop the phrases so it reads: “Because I trust in His holy name, my heart is glad in Him.” When I think of God’s name I think of Moses and the burning bush and the name “I AM.” God’s name and He Himself has, is, and always will be in existence. I can trust that He will always be there for me even if He is giving a “wait” or “no” answer. (Or a “yes” answer for that matter.) He and His name are holy, perfect, without blemish, and they will never be ruined or made unholy; He will never leave or forsake me and He will always take care of me wherever I am or whatever situation I am in because He will not and cannot go against His holy and righteous nature. And because of all that, because I trust in His holy name, my heart, my very essence, is glad and is joyful; actually, when I think about all that I am ecstatic!!! =D When I wait for Him He is faithful to give me help to endure and he gives me protection from doubt and impatience; when I trust in His name and unchanging character I am rewarded with gladness and joy.
And lastly, the psalmist implores upon himself God’s “steadfast” (unmoving, everlasting, unchanging, “will-always-be-there-and-will-never-ever-ever-fade-or-go-away-or-get-lesser”) love as he hopes in the Lord. The psalmist does not back away from the fact that he is hoping in something…the thing to note is what exactly the psalmist is hoping in: You…a.k.a. God! Our hope needs to be in God, in His will and plan, and in His promise to not withhold that which is best from His children; and this hope can stem from remembering, feeling, and experiencing the love of God. As we see His love which will never end, our hope will increase as will our trust in Him! Sooo…in summary in this passage there are:
*3 actions required of God’s children
AND
*3 rewards/results of obedience…or sort of 4
And what’s great is that even when we fail to wait, trust, and hope, God is still faithful to help, protect, give joy, and love. Praise the Lord!!! Another thing I noticed and found interesting about the passage is that the 3 actions are all focused around the same things: God! Help/protection, gladness/joy, and hope in God’s love are experience at their fullest when we have God as the focus of our waiting, trusting, and hope. The Psalmist did all of those actions “for the Lord…in His holy name…and in Him” and felt an overall sense of peace, protection, and joy.
“Hello, my dear friend!!!
I love how the Lord often reveals the same or similar lessons to His children even when they are hundreds of miles apart! I too have been reading in 2 Corinthians this summer and have fallen in love with the book. I love chapter 5 when Paul talks about us being ambassadors for Christ. Being on a secular campus with many non-believers this summer is such a wonderful place to be a picture of Christ to the kids I’m interacting with and the teachers as well. I soooo want them to see and notice a difference in me (because of the work Christ has done and is doing in me) from their public school teachers; I’m still trying to figure out how to do that…I’ll admit it’s not always at the forefront of my mind. But I know that the Lord can use me to impact these kids for His kingdom. I so greatly want to show them the love of Christ through being patient or encouraging or to show them the joy of Christ through my smiles, “good-mornings,” and through my cheerfulness. Realizing that there are so many kids watching me is sort of scary but also so exciting! I get to give them a picture of my God and Savior and have the opportunity to do that well or to mess up that opportunity; puts a lot of things in perspective, huh? Hopefully I will portray Christ well!
I also love how Paul talks about hardships and suffering. It is so true! Growth comes uncertainty, pain, and through being totally reliant on the Lord. I am reminded of having horrible growing pains in my legs when I was little; they hurt so badly that they would keep me up at night sometimes. There were even several occasions I would go wake my parents up and one of them would come back to my room and rub my legs until I fell asleep. Although those times were painful, they were needed and beneficial to my growth and development into a young woman. I feel like that is what life is like. Verses 16-18 in 2 Corinthians 4 portrays this perfectly: “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.” Our trials change us into the image of Christ which is what I ultimately want more than anything because that brings the most glory to God.
I loved the quote you wrote down by C.S. Lewis: “We’re not doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” It reminded me of a quote I came across just yesterday on a blog I was reading. It was by Elisabeth Elliot: “God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God’s refusal are always merciful—‘severe mercies’ at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our heart’s desires except to give us something better.” What was SUPER neat about that quote and its timing was that our pastor had just been talking about prayer on Sunday. One thing he talked about which really struck me was in regards to what waiting on God in prayer is designed to do; there were 5 things: waiting on God in prayer is designed to 1) draw us under His loving authority, 2) teach us to walk as children of light, 3) purify our love for God and people, 4) live for His glory, and 5) strengthen our faith. All of these boil down to the fact that God sometimes withholds answers from us (or says “wait”) because He first wants to work in our lives. He wants to put us through the fire to refine us into the image of His Son because we might not be ready to bear the weight of the consequences (good or bad) of our prayers and requests. God will always give us what is BEST for us whether we see it as good or not. Praise God that He sees the whole plan of life and does not leave us to our foolish selves! Pain may seem severe at the moment but in looking back we can see them/it as mercy; even in the moment we can see it (pain) as mercy because God is refining our patience, trust, and faith in Him. It’s soooo hard for me to keep that in perspective at all times!!!
One thing we’re doing in small groups as church is encouraging and keeping each other accountable to memorize Scripture. Each person can pick whatever chapter, verse, or even phrase they want. I chose Psalm 33:20-22 because I think it really encapsulates what I’m learning at this time and needing to focus on in my life. For some reason I’m having a really hard time getting the verses to stick but I got to meditate on them on my way to work today which was really neat!!! I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you. The passage says:
‘My soul waits for the LORD;
He is my help and my shield.
For my heart is glad in Him,
Because I trust in His holy name.
Let Your steadfast love, O Lord,
Be upon me, even as I hope in You.”
So a lot of times we have the opportunity to sit and wait for the Lord to act or reveal His will to us; during this time of waiting we often struggle with wanting to know answers. In these times, God “help[s]” us be patient and to endure the waiting. He also is our “shield” and protects us from temptations to doubt Him or get impatient with His timing; oftentimes the Devil pelts us with these temptations and they seem inescapable…but God shields us form these attacks. So while we wait the Lord helps us wait and protects us from temptations to doubt or despair.
The second sentence is super cool in these verses. When I was meditating on them I realized, grammatically, it was correct to flip flop the phrases so it reads: “Because I trust in His holy name, my heart is glad in Him.” When I think of God’s name I think of Moses and the burning bush and the name “I AM.” God’s name and He Himself has, is, and always will be in existence. I can trust that He will always be there for me even if He is giving a “wait” or “no” answer. (Or a “yes” answer for that matter.) He and His name are holy, perfect, without blemish, and they will never be ruined or made unholy; He will never leave or forsake me and He will always take care of me wherever I am or whatever situation I am in because He will not and cannot go against His holy and righteous nature. And because of all that, because I trust in His holy name, my heart, my very essence, is glad and is joyful; actually, when I think about all that I am ecstatic!!! =D When I wait for Him He is faithful to give me help to endure and he gives me protection from doubt and impatience; when I trust in His name and unchanging character I am rewarded with gladness and joy.
And lastly, the psalmist implores upon himself God’s “steadfast” (unmoving, everlasting, unchanging, “will-always-be-there-and-will-never-ever-ever-fade-or-go-away-or-get-lesser”) love as he hopes in the Lord. The psalmist does not back away from the fact that he is hoping in something…the thing to note is what exactly the psalmist is hoping in: You…a.k.a. God! Our hope needs to be in God, in His will and plan, and in His promise to not withhold that which is best from His children; and this hope can stem from remembering, feeling, and experiencing the love of God. As we see His love which will never end, our hope will increase as will our trust in Him! Sooo…in summary in this passage there are:
*3 actions required of God’s children
AND
*3 rewards/results of obedience…or sort of 4
And what’s great is that even when we fail to wait, trust, and hope, God is still faithful to help, protect, give joy, and love. Praise the Lord!!! Another thing I noticed and found interesting about the passage is that the 3 actions are all focused around the same things: God! Help/protection, gladness/joy, and hope in God’s love are experience at their fullest when we have God as the focus of our waiting, trusting, and hope. The Psalmist did all of those actions “for the Lord…in His holy name…and in Him” and felt an overall sense of peace, protection, and joy.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
What Am I Thinking About?
Lately I have been convicted with how I use my free time in regards to my thoughts. This sort of time would include when I am getting ready in the morning, when I am driving, when I am falling asleep, etc. How am I using that time and how am I using my thoughts to honor God and bring ultimate glory to Him?
It is so easy to day dream in those instances and think about how things could be or how I would like things to be in my life. There are many times when I think, “Yes, I know what I am thinking is not reality but it is more fun and more pleasant than thinking about the things that really are and about how life really is.”
There is one particular set of verses that has been really convicting to me and has reminded me that this sort of day dreaming is sinful.
Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Every time I am day dreaming about all the “what if’s,” “could be’s,” and “maybe’s” and I think about the first part of this verse I know that I need to stop my thoughts because they are not “whatever is true.” I have to stop myself and ask, “Is what I am thinking about true?” And when I answer “no,” I have to put on right thinking and think about what is true in my life at that time. I have to think, “It is “true” that God has me in this situation right now, it is “true” that I am not doing that this summer, etc.”
The other day I had the thought, “If I were to die right now and go to Heaven and the Lord was to ask me, ‘Katherine, how did you honor, serve, and glorify Me in your thoughts? Did you serve me to your fullest capability in your life even down to the seemingly smallest things such as what you thought about during the day? How did you use the ‘free’ time I gave you in your thoughts in a glorifying and honoring manner? Did you serve Me in your thoughts or did you waste that time?’ What would I answer Him?” I realized that there are definitely many times when I waste time thinking about myself or waste time thinking about how my life could be.
I am really hoping and praying that instead of wasting this precious time that I would used it to “set [my] mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2) I want to use this time to pray for people, to pray for my own sanctification, and to contemplate the attributes of God, who He is, and what He has done for me. I am also challenging myself to be more thankful and try to actively think of things throughout my day that I am thankful for and actually write them down.
(Side story: I was challenged with this idea of writing down things I was thankful for at our women’s Bible study last night and I was really excited about doing it. And then at work this morning my boss told us about this great idea she had driving to work this morning and it was to start a list of things we are thankful for throughout our day in the office and to make a collaborative list as an office staff. I know that the Lord was and is working there because those two things corresponded so perfectly. =D Yeah!!! I LOVE when He does that!!!)
Anyways, I pray that my entire life would be honoring to the Lord down to my every thought!!!
It is so easy to day dream in those instances and think about how things could be or how I would like things to be in my life. There are many times when I think, “Yes, I know what I am thinking is not reality but it is more fun and more pleasant than thinking about the things that really are and about how life really is.”
There is one particular set of verses that has been really convicting to me and has reminded me that this sort of day dreaming is sinful.
Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Every time I am day dreaming about all the “what if’s,” “could be’s,” and “maybe’s” and I think about the first part of this verse I know that I need to stop my thoughts because they are not “whatever is true.” I have to stop myself and ask, “Is what I am thinking about true?” And when I answer “no,” I have to put on right thinking and think about what is true in my life at that time. I have to think, “It is “true” that God has me in this situation right now, it is “true” that I am not doing that this summer, etc.”
The other day I had the thought, “If I were to die right now and go to Heaven and the Lord was to ask me, ‘Katherine, how did you honor, serve, and glorify Me in your thoughts? Did you serve me to your fullest capability in your life even down to the seemingly smallest things such as what you thought about during the day? How did you use the ‘free’ time I gave you in your thoughts in a glorifying and honoring manner? Did you serve Me in your thoughts or did you waste that time?’ What would I answer Him?” I realized that there are definitely many times when I waste time thinking about myself or waste time thinking about how my life could be.
I am really hoping and praying that instead of wasting this precious time that I would used it to “set [my] mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2) I want to use this time to pray for people, to pray for my own sanctification, and to contemplate the attributes of God, who He is, and what He has done for me. I am also challenging myself to be more thankful and try to actively think of things throughout my day that I am thankful for and actually write them down.
(Side story: I was challenged with this idea of writing down things I was thankful for at our women’s Bible study last night and I was really excited about doing it. And then at work this morning my boss told us about this great idea she had driving to work this morning and it was to start a list of things we are thankful for throughout our day in the office and to make a collaborative list as an office staff. I know that the Lord was and is working there because those two things corresponded so perfectly. =D Yeah!!! I LOVE when He does that!!!)
Anyways, I pray that my entire life would be honoring to the Lord down to my every thought!!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Delighting in the Lord & Comforting Others
Another verse that was brought up by a different girl at Bible study was…
Psalm 73:25-26, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ”
It was really funny because her bringing up this verse brought up a landslide of other verses and lessons girls were learning this past semester. Psalm 73:25-26 reminds us that God gives us strength and that He is there for us no matter what we are going through; He will always be with us and will never forsake us.
This passage sparked one girl talking about her family situation and how it is really tough and definitely a big trial. This led to someone bringing up Psalm 37:5 which was actually one of the verses I thought about sharing. So I was just reading through the chapter and thinking about the different verses I listed below.
Psalm 37:5, 7a, 8b, 23-24, 34, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. […] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. […] Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. […] The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. […] Wait for the Lord and keep His way. ”
Now, what I was going to share about how these verses encouraged me were not really along the same lines as the how they encouraged the person who brought up the verse at Bible study. I just love all these verses because they talk about submitting our wills to the Lord and trusting Him. When we submit our wills to Him we need to wait upon Him…and we must wait patiently and without worry. This is not something I am very good at, I will be honest. =P I usually “commit my way” to God and then try to make what I think is best happen. It love that the psalmist says that worrying leads only to evil and sin because that is sooo true! Oftentimes if I would just truly wait upon the Lord and not try to impose my will in situations I would avoid a lot of trouble. Notice how in verse 23 is sort of a cause and effect scenario…when we delight in God’s way He will establish our steps. When we are satisfied in the Lord He will show what His will is and guide us. How else do we delight in the Lord but by waiting on Him and being patient and trusting Him? I also love verse 4 of this psalm:
Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. ”
If we are truly delighting ourselves in the Lord He will give us our desires—Himself! Again, back to what John Piper was talking about in Chapter 1 when he says, “God loves us best by giving us the best to enjoy forever, namely Himself, for He is best.” (p. 35) Wow! I need to make sure that I am delighting myself in the Lord if I am ever going to “expect” (which is dangerous to think I deserve things from God or expect Him to do anything for me) to reveal His will to me. I need to first be obedient to Him and do what He is asking/telling me to do for Him before He will, most times, show me His will. I know that He calls me to be obedient by loving Him, by obeying and honoring my parents, by serving others, by having a joyful attitude, by being faithful to be in His Word, etc. I need to be faithful to be obedient in those things at all times! This is the way that I can delight in the Lord and honor, serve, and glorify Him. I just love when God knits lessons together that He is teaching His children!! =]
Another connect that He showed me was in regards to suffering and reading about suffering in Don’t Waste Your Life. When the girl was talking about the trial she is going through with her family all of these other passages were brought up:
2 Corinthians 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “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 and 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. ”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about his, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ”
I just love how God’s Word tells us why we suffer! It is so that we might comfort others! And, of course, we also suffer to be reminded of what Christ did for us when He suffered ultimately at the Cross. We also suffer so that we might anticipate a greater glory and a better place than this earth—Heaven. I can hardly wait!! =] In Christ’s suffering and in His love and as an act of mercy and grace…
2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor so that you by His poverty might become rich. ”
He gave all so that we might gain all. Now we must give all to Him so that we might gain all in Him. By losing everything we gain everything. This is the way to live an un-wasted life.
Psalm 73:25-26, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ”
It was really funny because her bringing up this verse brought up a landslide of other verses and lessons girls were learning this past semester. Psalm 73:25-26 reminds us that God gives us strength and that He is there for us no matter what we are going through; He will always be with us and will never forsake us.
This passage sparked one girl talking about her family situation and how it is really tough and definitely a big trial. This led to someone bringing up Psalm 37:5 which was actually one of the verses I thought about sharing. So I was just reading through the chapter and thinking about the different verses I listed below.
Psalm 37:5, 7a, 8b, 23-24, 34, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. […] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. […] Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. […] The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. […] Wait for the Lord and keep His way. ”
Now, what I was going to share about how these verses encouraged me were not really along the same lines as the how they encouraged the person who brought up the verse at Bible study. I just love all these verses because they talk about submitting our wills to the Lord and trusting Him. When we submit our wills to Him we need to wait upon Him…and we must wait patiently and without worry. This is not something I am very good at, I will be honest. =P I usually “commit my way” to God and then try to make what I think is best happen. It love that the psalmist says that worrying leads only to evil and sin because that is sooo true! Oftentimes if I would just truly wait upon the Lord and not try to impose my will in situations I would avoid a lot of trouble. Notice how in verse 23 is sort of a cause and effect scenario…when we delight in God’s way He will establish our steps. When we are satisfied in the Lord He will show what His will is and guide us. How else do we delight in the Lord but by waiting on Him and being patient and trusting Him? I also love verse 4 of this psalm:
Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. ”
If we are truly delighting ourselves in the Lord He will give us our desires—Himself! Again, back to what John Piper was talking about in Chapter 1 when he says, “God loves us best by giving us the best to enjoy forever, namely Himself, for He is best.” (p. 35) Wow! I need to make sure that I am delighting myself in the Lord if I am ever going to “expect” (which is dangerous to think I deserve things from God or expect Him to do anything for me) to reveal His will to me. I need to first be obedient to Him and do what He is asking/telling me to do for Him before He will, most times, show me His will. I know that He calls me to be obedient by loving Him, by obeying and honoring my parents, by serving others, by having a joyful attitude, by being faithful to be in His Word, etc. I need to be faithful to be obedient in those things at all times! This is the way that I can delight in the Lord and honor, serve, and glorify Him. I just love when God knits lessons together that He is teaching His children!! =]
Another connect that He showed me was in regards to suffering and reading about suffering in Don’t Waste Your Life. When the girl was talking about the trial she is going through with her family all of these other passages were brought up:
2 Corinthians 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “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 and 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. ”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about his, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ”
I just love how God’s Word tells us why we suffer! It is so that we might comfort others! And, of course, we also suffer to be reminded of what Christ did for us when He suffered ultimately at the Cross. We also suffer so that we might anticipate a greater glory and a better place than this earth—Heaven. I can hardly wait!! =] In Christ’s suffering and in His love and as an act of mercy and grace…
2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor so that you by His poverty might become rich. ”
He gave all so that we might gain all. Now we must give all to Him so that we might gain all in Him. By losing everything we gain everything. This is the way to live an un-wasted life.
Ambassadors for Christ
So last night at Bible study we did something a little different because it was the final all-girl’s Bible study for the summer due to the fact that we will be meeting as a whole college group for the rest of the summer. We were supposed to come with a verse that had been encouraging to us or really spoke to us during this past semester of life.
Well the girl who went first read through the whole chapter of 2 Corinthians 5 and then talked through parts of it. Here are different verses that stood out to me and thoughts I had about them as well as some truths the girl pointed out to the rest of us.
2 Corinthians 5:9, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. ”
This verse reminded me of what I have been reading in Don’t Waste Your Life and how are whole lives are to be dedicated to bringing God honor and glory. When we are home—in heaven—we will be pleasing Him through our worship and when we are not in our eternal home—when we are here on this earth—it should be our goal to please God. Wherever we are this is to be the goal and mission of the believer.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. ”
Our lives are to be directed by the love of Christ. His love for us and what He did at the Cross should motivate us to live for Him and our love and gratefulness for Him for what He did for us. Christ died for us and if we are one with Him, we have died too and because He died for us and raised us with new life we are to no longer live to serve ourselves but to live for Christ and to serve Him and let our lives be His to use for His glory. Again…this was totally along the lines of what I have been reading/learning in Don’t Waste Your Life.
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ”
Since we have been raised with Christ we have a new life, a new spirit, and a new purpose to live our lives! It is only through this new life and being totally made new that we can have true joy because our joy will be found in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ”
This verse just totally exudes the Gospel! “All this” refers to the old creation passing away and the new one coming. The reality of us being made new creations was brought about by God through the work of Christ. God ministered to us by reconciling us to Himself even though we did not deserve to receive His grace. God reconciles sinners to Himself because of Christ and the result of this is that we are not condemned by our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ”
Because of being reconciled to Christ (that is what the “therefore” is there for) we are ambassadors or messengers for Christ and it is our job to share with others what Christ did for us on the cross to reconcile us to God. It was for us that Christ allowed Himself to die in the place of us instead of making us die the deaths to pay the blood sacrifice for our guilt. He did this so that we might become righteous in the sight of God. Christ paid our debt because there was no way that we would/will/or could be able to make ourselves guilt-free before a holy and righteous God.
This love that God showed us through Christ should control our very lives and it should cause us to want to tell others that they are sinners and yet there is a way that they can be saved through faith in Christ. This love of God should also control us in that it then causes us to long to dedicate our lives to serving God and honoring Him. We can only live for the purpose of pleasing God. Ultimately, all we have to offer people is Christ and the message of salvation.
It was interesting thinking about all of this and thinking about the people we will be dealing with at my work this summer. It is so cool because my boss is a believer and the two other girls I am also working with right now are believers too. So before we start work each day we have a little devotional and pray which is so cool! My boss brought up the following passage to us.
Psalm 67, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the people praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise You! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God; shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him! ”
This was just such a neat psalm to read through! We were asking God to bless us so that we might show His love to the unbelieving families we come in contact with this summer. We want families to see that we are different and we want them to ask us why we are different. My boss brought up the fact that we are dealing with a lot of families of many different ethnic backgrounds and we want to make known His saving power to these people. Essentially, we want to make known His saving power “among all nations.” We will be in contact with many Caucasian families, yes, but we will also be around many Jewish, Armenian, Korean, and Indian people as well. It is especially cool that we will be around so many Jewish people our God—at least the God of the Old Testament that the Jews today “believe” it—is the exact same God! We are just praying that we have opportunities to share Christ with the people around us. We are God’s ambassadors to these people. We can live our lives as new creatures and tell of the reconciliation that Christ has brought to us. Our knowledge of this reconciliation and act of love should control our very lives and cause us to point people to the Cross. It should cause us to point people to the ultimate display of God’s glory in His work on the Cross.
I just love that what I was reading in Don’t Waste Your Life corresponded with what my boss talked about Monday morning at work which corresponded with one thing we were talking about at Bible study last night!!!! God is definitely at work in my life and it is evident that He is wanting me to learn something about serving Him with my whole life. Praise the Lord!!!
Well the girl who went first read through the whole chapter of 2 Corinthians 5 and then talked through parts of it. Here are different verses that stood out to me and thoughts I had about them as well as some truths the girl pointed out to the rest of us.
2 Corinthians 5:9, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him. ”
This verse reminded me of what I have been reading in Don’t Waste Your Life and how are whole lives are to be dedicated to bringing God honor and glory. When we are home—in heaven—we will be pleasing Him through our worship and when we are not in our eternal home—when we are here on this earth—it should be our goal to please God. Wherever we are this is to be the goal and mission of the believer.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. ”
Our lives are to be directed by the love of Christ. His love for us and what He did at the Cross should motivate us to live for Him and our love and gratefulness for Him for what He did for us. Christ died for us and if we are one with Him, we have died too and because He died for us and raised us with new life we are to no longer live to serve ourselves but to live for Christ and to serve Him and let our lives be His to use for His glory. Again…this was totally along the lines of what I have been reading/learning in Don’t Waste Your Life.
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ”
Since we have been raised with Christ we have a new life, a new spirit, and a new purpose to live our lives! It is only through this new life and being totally made new that we can have true joy because our joy will be found in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ”
This verse just totally exudes the Gospel! “All this” refers to the old creation passing away and the new one coming. The reality of us being made new creations was brought about by God through the work of Christ. God ministered to us by reconciling us to Himself even though we did not deserve to receive His grace. God reconciles sinners to Himself because of Christ and the result of this is that we are not condemned by our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ”
Because of being reconciled to Christ (that is what the “therefore” is there for) we are ambassadors or messengers for Christ and it is our job to share with others what Christ did for us on the cross to reconcile us to God. It was for us that Christ allowed Himself to die in the place of us instead of making us die the deaths to pay the blood sacrifice for our guilt. He did this so that we might become righteous in the sight of God. Christ paid our debt because there was no way that we would/will/or could be able to make ourselves guilt-free before a holy and righteous God.
This love that God showed us through Christ should control our very lives and it should cause us to want to tell others that they are sinners and yet there is a way that they can be saved through faith in Christ. This love of God should also control us in that it then causes us to long to dedicate our lives to serving God and honoring Him. We can only live for the purpose of pleasing God. Ultimately, all we have to offer people is Christ and the message of salvation.
It was interesting thinking about all of this and thinking about the people we will be dealing with at my work this summer. It is so cool because my boss is a believer and the two other girls I am also working with right now are believers too. So before we start work each day we have a little devotional and pray which is so cool! My boss brought up the following passage to us.
Psalm 67, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the people praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise You! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God; shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him! ”
This was just such a neat psalm to read through! We were asking God to bless us so that we might show His love to the unbelieving families we come in contact with this summer. We want families to see that we are different and we want them to ask us why we are different. My boss brought up the fact that we are dealing with a lot of families of many different ethnic backgrounds and we want to make known His saving power to these people. Essentially, we want to make known His saving power “among all nations.” We will be in contact with many Caucasian families, yes, but we will also be around many Jewish, Armenian, Korean, and Indian people as well. It is especially cool that we will be around so many Jewish people our God—at least the God of the Old Testament that the Jews today “believe” it—is the exact same God! We are just praying that we have opportunities to share Christ with the people around us. We are God’s ambassadors to these people. We can live our lives as new creatures and tell of the reconciliation that Christ has brought to us. Our knowledge of this reconciliation and act of love should control our very lives and cause us to point people to the Cross. It should cause us to point people to the ultimate display of God’s glory in His work on the Cross.
I just love that what I was reading in Don’t Waste Your Life corresponded with what my boss talked about Monday morning at work which corresponded with one thing we were talking about at Bible study last night!!!! God is definitely at work in my life and it is evident that He is wanting me to learn something about serving Him with my whole life. Praise the Lord!!!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Boasting in the Cross
I have decided that I fail to think long and hard about things. A lot of times I’ll think about something for a little bit and then promptly move on to the “next thing”—whatever that may be. Today in reading Don’t Waste Your Life, I was really struck by the first three pages of fourth chapter entitled “Magnifying Christ Through Pain and Death.” Now, I did not get very far because I was really challenged by what Piper had to say. So I decided to not finish the chapter and to just think about the contents of the pages I trudged through.
Piper begins the chapter talking about how “living to magnify Christ is costly.” (pg. 61) The reason it is costly is because like Mark 8:34 talks about, believers are to follow Christ and pick up their crosses. Jesus had to die on the cross—one of the most cruel and horrible forms of death ever invented by mankind; He gave up His very own life and calls us to do the same…that is why “living to magnify Christ is costly.” We are called to suffer alongside of Jesus. Why? We know that the cross is the ultimate picture and display of God’s glory because His Son, the perfect sacrifice, willing chose to die so that He might redeem sinners and pay the price they owed for the guilt of violating God’s law through sin. Piper says, “Suffering with Jesus on the Calvary road of love is not merely the result of magnifying Christ; it is also the means.” (pg. 61) In other words, we do not only suffer because we magnify and glorify Christ; suffering ourselves like Christ did is also a way that we can magnify and glorify Him. It took me a while for me to really grasp what Piper was saying…I’m not quite sure why, but my brain definitely got a mental workout today. =P
Piper continues talking about boasting in the cross when we bear suffering. This also made my mind spin and took me awhile to wade through. I have always known the concept of fully devoting one’s life to serving God after salvation and that the believer’s life would then be full of suffering because Christ suffered first, but I think Piper explained it in such a way that I was fully able to grasp why we suffer as believers. I always, I guess, just assumed we suffered because Christ suffered and that was all there was to the story. Let me go on to type the section where Piper elaborates. He says…
“The normal Christian life is one that boasts only in the cross—the blazing center of God’s glory—and does it while bearing the cross. ‘Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple’ (Luke 14:27). Bearing the cross is the means by which we are increasingly liberated to boast in the cross. Suffering [or the reality and occurrence of Christ’s suffering at “the Cross”] is God’s design in this sin-soaked world. It [I believe Piper means “it” to take the place of “suffering” or more specifically “the cross”…so…The Cross] portrays sin’s horror for the world to see.” (pg. 62)
Now, here it would seem that “sin’s horror” is the incredible debt owed by the sinner for his sins that could only be repaid by a holy and blameless, innocent sacrifice; the horror is the reality of the vastness and depth of sin’s debt and the fact that man can never repay a just God. Because of not being able to repay God, man would then face the horrors of spending eternity in Hell separated from his Creator. The Cross shows the world this reality and how it would truly be a hopeless situation except for the fact that Jesus—our perfect sacrifice and propitiation—hung on the cross and died in the place where we should have hung and died for our sins.
Piper continues… “It [Suffering] punishes sin’s guilt for those who do not believe in Christ.” (pg. 62) So unbelievers suffer in this world and in Hell because it is punishment for the sins they have committed. Continuing, Piper presents the hope and joy of the believer who has been justified by grace through faith…
“It [The Cross and suffering of Christ] breaks sin’s power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. And because sin is the belittling of the all-satisfying glory of God, the suffering [of Christ at the Cross] that breaks its [sin’s] power is a severe mercy.” (pg. 62) YEAH!! =]
“Whatever makes us more and more able to enjoy making much of God is a mercy.” (pg. 62) Again, we must keep in mind that God wants to give His children the best thing He can and so He gives us Himself—the best thing. So whatever things He gives us as a means to enjoy Him is a merciful act on His part because He loves us enough to give us what is best for us.
Continuing…“For there is no greater joy than joy in the greatness of God. And if we must suffer to see this [aka: “this” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] and savor it [aka: “it” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] most deeply, then suffering is a mercy. And Christ’s call to take up our cross and join Him on the Calvary road is love.” (pg. 62)
If the only way God is going to show us His greatness—which is our ultimate and highest joy—is through having us suffer, then He is being merciful to put us through suffering to see our ultimate and highest joy—God. Christ is being loving because of calling us to follow Him in His suffering. Suffering as Christ did reminds us of His suffering on the Cross…suffering as Christ did reminds us what His pain and agony—not only physically but also by being separated from His Father—did for us…Christ’s suffering made it possible for our broken fellowship with God to be restored. Because of the Cross and Christ’s suffering there, God looks at us as pure and holy as if we had never sinned; all of this is made possible because Christ died the death we should have died. Anytime we suffer or go through a trial, we can remember with great hope and joy that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ also suffered…the God of the universe also suffered for us so that we might be reunited with our Heavenly Father and Creator. We can take hope in that even though trials and sufferings might end our lives, there is nothing that can ever separate us or take away our salvation in Christ because His suffering broke the bondage of sin and death. “[The Cross and Christ’s sufferings there] breaks sins’ power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus.” (pg. 62)
Wow. When I suffer or go through trials, God reminds me of the hope that I have in Him. I suffer so that I might remember that Christ suffered to break the bond of sin over me…that nothing I go through can ever separate me from His love…that even if my life ends during a trial that I will live in paradise with Him because Christ made it possible. That is a reason to find joy in trials…that is a reason to rejoice in the Cross and to glorify my God! Suffering points us to the Cross…suffering points us to God and His greatness. That is the reason I cannot ignore the glory of the Cross and the reason I need to boast only in the Cross so that I might not live a wasted life. That is something I should think long and hard about every day.
Piper begins the chapter talking about how “living to magnify Christ is costly.” (pg. 61) The reason it is costly is because like Mark 8:34 talks about, believers are to follow Christ and pick up their crosses. Jesus had to die on the cross—one of the most cruel and horrible forms of death ever invented by mankind; He gave up His very own life and calls us to do the same…that is why “living to magnify Christ is costly.” We are called to suffer alongside of Jesus. Why? We know that the cross is the ultimate picture and display of God’s glory because His Son, the perfect sacrifice, willing chose to die so that He might redeem sinners and pay the price they owed for the guilt of violating God’s law through sin. Piper says, “Suffering with Jesus on the Calvary road of love is not merely the result of magnifying Christ; it is also the means.” (pg. 61) In other words, we do not only suffer because we magnify and glorify Christ; suffering ourselves like Christ did is also a way that we can magnify and glorify Him. It took me a while for me to really grasp what Piper was saying…I’m not quite sure why, but my brain definitely got a mental workout today. =P
Piper continues talking about boasting in the cross when we bear suffering. This also made my mind spin and took me awhile to wade through. I have always known the concept of fully devoting one’s life to serving God after salvation and that the believer’s life would then be full of suffering because Christ suffered first, but I think Piper explained it in such a way that I was fully able to grasp why we suffer as believers. I always, I guess, just assumed we suffered because Christ suffered and that was all there was to the story. Let me go on to type the section where Piper elaborates. He says…
“The normal Christian life is one that boasts only in the cross—the blazing center of God’s glory—and does it while bearing the cross. ‘Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple’ (Luke 14:27). Bearing the cross is the means by which we are increasingly liberated to boast in the cross. Suffering [or the reality and occurrence of Christ’s suffering at “the Cross”] is God’s design in this sin-soaked world. It [I believe Piper means “it” to take the place of “suffering” or more specifically “the cross”…so…The Cross] portrays sin’s horror for the world to see.” (pg. 62)
Now, here it would seem that “sin’s horror” is the incredible debt owed by the sinner for his sins that could only be repaid by a holy and blameless, innocent sacrifice; the horror is the reality of the vastness and depth of sin’s debt and the fact that man can never repay a just God. Because of not being able to repay God, man would then face the horrors of spending eternity in Hell separated from his Creator. The Cross shows the world this reality and how it would truly be a hopeless situation except for the fact that Jesus—our perfect sacrifice and propitiation—hung on the cross and died in the place where we should have hung and died for our sins.
Piper continues… “It [Suffering] punishes sin’s guilt for those who do not believe in Christ.” (pg. 62) So unbelievers suffer in this world and in Hell because it is punishment for the sins they have committed. Continuing, Piper presents the hope and joy of the believer who has been justified by grace through faith…
“It [The Cross and suffering of Christ] breaks sin’s power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. And because sin is the belittling of the all-satisfying glory of God, the suffering [of Christ at the Cross] that breaks its [sin’s] power is a severe mercy.” (pg. 62) YEAH!! =]
“Whatever makes us more and more able to enjoy making much of God is a mercy.” (pg. 62) Again, we must keep in mind that God wants to give His children the best thing He can and so He gives us Himself—the best thing. So whatever things He gives us as a means to enjoy Him is a merciful act on His part because He loves us enough to give us what is best for us.
Continuing…“For there is no greater joy than joy in the greatness of God. And if we must suffer to see this [aka: “this” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] and savor it [aka: “it” being the joy found in seeing and knowing the greatness of God] most deeply, then suffering is a mercy. And Christ’s call to take up our cross and join Him on the Calvary road is love.” (pg. 62)
If the only way God is going to show us His greatness—which is our ultimate and highest joy—is through having us suffer, then He is being merciful to put us through suffering to see our ultimate and highest joy—God. Christ is being loving because of calling us to follow Him in His suffering. Suffering as Christ did reminds us of His suffering on the Cross…suffering as Christ did reminds us what His pain and agony—not only physically but also by being separated from His Father—did for us…Christ’s suffering made it possible for our broken fellowship with God to be restored. Because of the Cross and Christ’s suffering there, God looks at us as pure and holy as if we had never sinned; all of this is made possible because Christ died the death we should have died. Anytime we suffer or go through a trial, we can remember with great hope and joy that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ also suffered…the God of the universe also suffered for us so that we might be reunited with our Heavenly Father and Creator. We can take hope in that even though trials and sufferings might end our lives, there is nothing that can ever separate us or take away our salvation in Christ because His suffering broke the bondage of sin and death. “[The Cross and Christ’s sufferings there] breaks sins’ power for those who take up their cross and follow Jesus.” (pg. 62)
Wow. When I suffer or go through trials, God reminds me of the hope that I have in Him. I suffer so that I might remember that Christ suffered to break the bond of sin over me…that nothing I go through can ever separate me from His love…that even if my life ends during a trial that I will live in paradise with Him because Christ made it possible. That is a reason to find joy in trials…that is a reason to rejoice in the Cross and to glorify my God! Suffering points us to the Cross…suffering points us to God and His greatness. That is the reason I cannot ignore the glory of the Cross and the reason I need to boast only in the Cross so that I might not live a wasted life. That is something I should think long and hard about every day.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Heading Back to the Grind
So tomorrow I have the privilege of starting work for the summer. Yeah! =] Actually, I am very excited; it will be a nice change of pace from the last three weeks.
A big part of the reason I am excited to start work is because of the people I am getting to work with. I had this same job last summer and absolutely loved it because of who I got to work with. I was greatly blessed to be around a lot of believers as well as nonbelievers. The director of the summer school program is a believer and his son and I went to the same high school. (His son was 3 years ahead of me.) The office director used to work at my old high school and I had her husband as my health teacher sophomore year; she is a wonderful, sweet lady! One of the girls that worked in the office I went to high school with for two years; she was a freshmen when I was a junior. She also got to go to Master’s this past Fall and we were in the same dorm which was really fun. Three of the people I was most excited to work with were a mom and her two daughters. I have known this family since I was 2 years old. The younger daughter, Elisabeth, is just a year older than me and we are childhood best friends. So, needless to say, I was stoked to get to work with all of them!!! =] I will be working with almost all of those wonderful people again so I am again excited to work with them.
For the month of June we will just be doing office work before the school program starts. Once the students arrive (they are in grades 6th-12th) in July, I believe I will be moving from working in the office to being a TA. I am really excited because I think I get to work with one of the same teachers I TA-ed for last year; she actually asked me if I wanted to be her TA again. I saw this as potentially a really good opportunity to build a relationship there and to maybe have the opportunity to be a light to her. Hopefully we will be afforded some good conversation opportunities during the 5 weeks we are working together.
So I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me! I am sure I will have some funny stories of the kids as the summer progresses. =]
A big part of the reason I am excited to start work is because of the people I am getting to work with. I had this same job last summer and absolutely loved it because of who I got to work with. I was greatly blessed to be around a lot of believers as well as nonbelievers. The director of the summer school program is a believer and his son and I went to the same high school. (His son was 3 years ahead of me.) The office director used to work at my old high school and I had her husband as my health teacher sophomore year; she is a wonderful, sweet lady! One of the girls that worked in the office I went to high school with for two years; she was a freshmen when I was a junior. She also got to go to Master’s this past Fall and we were in the same dorm which was really fun. Three of the people I was most excited to work with were a mom and her two daughters. I have known this family since I was 2 years old. The younger daughter, Elisabeth, is just a year older than me and we are childhood best friends. So, needless to say, I was stoked to get to work with all of them!!! =] I will be working with almost all of those wonderful people again so I am again excited to work with them.
For the month of June we will just be doing office work before the school program starts. Once the students arrive (they are in grades 6th-12th) in July, I believe I will be moving from working in the office to being a TA. I am really excited because I think I get to work with one of the same teachers I TA-ed for last year; she actually asked me if I wanted to be her TA again. I saw this as potentially a really good opportunity to build a relationship there and to maybe have the opportunity to be a light to her. Hopefully we will be afforded some good conversation opportunities during the 5 weeks we are working together.
So I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me! I am sure I will have some funny stories of the kids as the summer progresses. =]
What Are We Living For? (Part 2)
I had actually started Chapter 3 in Don’t Waste Your Life last week and finished it yesterday. I know I have been writing about each chapter I read anyways, but I especially wanted to write about this last chapter because of some news we received today.
My grandpa called today to let us know that his brother (my great uncle), Max, passed away this morning. Now I was not very close with my Uncle Max. Actually, I was sort of intimidated/scared of him when I was little because he smoked. (Dumb, I know, but as a little kid I was not used to that.) I did not think he was, but I asked my mom if Uncle Max was saved; she was not totally sure because he did not live a life characterized by the fruit of a believer. My great uncle was a truck driver, smoked, drank, and just did not lead a very good life. I do not know much about him, but I never got the impression he was saved. Now, we know he had heard the Gospel many times and probably would have said he believed in God, but only the Lord knows if he was ushered into glory this morning.
So in conjunction with my great uncle’s passing away, I thought Chapter 3 came at a very good timing. Now I do not know for sure, but I am guessing that my uncle was one of those people who lived life and took for granted the blessings God gave him of life and breath. Maybe he was one of those people who had these blessings used against him as “evidence of ingratitude” and failing to submit his life to the honor and glory of God, but maybe he did. Whatever the outcome, we need to remember that we need to be living for the sole goal and focus of honoring and glorifying God. A life lived for anything else, a life lived for the glorification and satisfaction of self, is a life lived in utter and complete waste. We need to remember that the life lived for the Gospel and in pursuit of glorifying God and living for Him will not go unwasted.
I wonder…did my great uncle stand before God today and realize that he had wasted his life living for himself? Or did he stand before God and was he commended for living for God?
If that had been me instead of my great uncle who stood before God what would my answer have been? Would God have said “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Or would I have hung my head in shame because of knowing I had not lived my life fully for the Lord and because I had lived in mediocrity? I pray that I would have been confident of living for God’s glory and not my own.
What would your answer have been? Remember…live for Christ with all that is in you. To use the title of Piper's book...Don’t waste your life.
My grandpa called today to let us know that his brother (my great uncle), Max, passed away this morning. Now I was not very close with my Uncle Max. Actually, I was sort of intimidated/scared of him when I was little because he smoked. (Dumb, I know, but as a little kid I was not used to that.) I did not think he was, but I asked my mom if Uncle Max was saved; she was not totally sure because he did not live a life characterized by the fruit of a believer. My great uncle was a truck driver, smoked, drank, and just did not lead a very good life. I do not know much about him, but I never got the impression he was saved. Now, we know he had heard the Gospel many times and probably would have said he believed in God, but only the Lord knows if he was ushered into glory this morning.
So in conjunction with my great uncle’s passing away, I thought Chapter 3 came at a very good timing. Now I do not know for sure, but I am guessing that my uncle was one of those people who lived life and took for granted the blessings God gave him of life and breath. Maybe he was one of those people who had these blessings used against him as “evidence of ingratitude” and failing to submit his life to the honor and glory of God, but maybe he did. Whatever the outcome, we need to remember that we need to be living for the sole goal and focus of honoring and glorifying God. A life lived for anything else, a life lived for the glorification and satisfaction of self, is a life lived in utter and complete waste. We need to remember that the life lived for the Gospel and in pursuit of glorifying God and living for Him will not go unwasted.
I wonder…did my great uncle stand before God today and realize that he had wasted his life living for himself? Or did he stand before God and was he commended for living for God?
If that had been me instead of my great uncle who stood before God what would my answer have been? Would God have said “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Or would I have hung my head in shame because of knowing I had not lived my life fully for the Lord and because I had lived in mediocrity? I pray that I would have been confident of living for God’s glory and not my own.
What would your answer have been? Remember…live for Christ with all that is in you. To use the title of Piper's book...Don’t waste your life.
What Are We Living For?
Philippians 3:7-9a says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.”
According to this passage, all that we as Christians should be living for is to know Christ and to gain Him. In chapter 3 of Don’t Waste Your Life, Piper reminds us that before salvation the cross was total foolishness to us but after salvation it is our wisdom, power, and sole boast here on earth. The only reason we experience and can enjoy life and breath is because God is merciful and gracious to us. Piper also reminds us that, “Everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of His redeemed children—was purchased by the death of Christ for us.” (pg. 51) We do not deserve the life or breath we have for two reason: because we are the creation of God and He made us and because we are sinners before a holy and righteous Creator. God does not have to show us mercy; He does not have to give us sunlight, food, water, good health, family, etc. but He chooses to bestow these things on His creation because He loves us.
In reading this chapter there was a point where Piper said something that confused me a bit at first; he said that all of these free gifts of breath, sight, hearing, speaking, etc. are “for now” gifts to sinners from God. Puzzled by his use of the qualifying phrase “for now,” I kept reading to find his explanation of what he meant. He goes on to say that those who accept the blessings of God on this earth and yet refuse to believe in Him will have all of these blessings and daily mercies used against them one day as “evidence of ingratitude.” (pg. 52) I was greatly sobered when I thought about this because there are so many people who will have these blessings used as evidence against them for not acknowledging the true God. They accept blessings and yet refuse to give glory and honor to God for His kingship. Piper ends this section of chapter by simply phrasing what he means: “Every good thing in life (or bad thing graciously turned for good) is meant to magnify Christ and Him crucified.” (pg. 53) Anything good we experience in life needs to turn our hearts, eyes, and worship to magnifying Christ and what He did for us at the cross.
One might ask, how do we have any gifts for our own good? How do we get them in the first place if we are sinners and creations of God? Piper explains: “Christ died for our sins on the cross and took away the wrath of God from us and secured for us, even though we don’t deserve it, God’s omnipotent grace that works everything together for our good.” (pg. 53) Wow. Think about that. We deserve God’s wrath and judgment for our sin and yet, because Christ loved us and died for our sins, we instead receive grace and mercy from God. Because of Christ’s death we receive blessings and God works all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) And because of this, it is our duty to live for the glory of God with our whole lives. Our lives must be centered around finding joy in Christ and boasting in Him and His work on the cross. We need to keep in mind, however, that we are admiring and praising God and His glory, not His gifts themselves. If His gifts are merciful and good how much more merciful and good is the giver Himself?! It is the Giver that we must glorify.
To close, Piper wrote this about being people who find our joy in Christ:
“How can we become the kind of people who trace all our joy back to joy in Christ and Him crucified? Answer: The old self that loves to boast and exult and rejoice in other things died. By fiath we are united to Christ. His death becomes the death of our self-exalting life. We are raised with Him to newness of life. What lives is a new creature whose single passion is to exult Christ and His cross.” (pg. 56-57)
I pray that I am a follower of Christ who does just this. I pray that I would exult in the cross and Christ’s saving work and that I would never forget that all of the blessings and mercy I experience on earth are because of that death.
According to this passage, all that we as Christians should be living for is to know Christ and to gain Him. In chapter 3 of Don’t Waste Your Life, Piper reminds us that before salvation the cross was total foolishness to us but after salvation it is our wisdom, power, and sole boast here on earth. The only reason we experience and can enjoy life and breath is because God is merciful and gracious to us. Piper also reminds us that, “Everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of His redeemed children—was purchased by the death of Christ for us.” (pg. 51) We do not deserve the life or breath we have for two reason: because we are the creation of God and He made us and because we are sinners before a holy and righteous Creator. God does not have to show us mercy; He does not have to give us sunlight, food, water, good health, family, etc. but He chooses to bestow these things on His creation because He loves us.
In reading this chapter there was a point where Piper said something that confused me a bit at first; he said that all of these free gifts of breath, sight, hearing, speaking, etc. are “for now” gifts to sinners from God. Puzzled by his use of the qualifying phrase “for now,” I kept reading to find his explanation of what he meant. He goes on to say that those who accept the blessings of God on this earth and yet refuse to believe in Him will have all of these blessings and daily mercies used against them one day as “evidence of ingratitude.” (pg. 52) I was greatly sobered when I thought about this because there are so many people who will have these blessings used as evidence against them for not acknowledging the true God. They accept blessings and yet refuse to give glory and honor to God for His kingship. Piper ends this section of chapter by simply phrasing what he means: “Every good thing in life (or bad thing graciously turned for good) is meant to magnify Christ and Him crucified.” (pg. 53) Anything good we experience in life needs to turn our hearts, eyes, and worship to magnifying Christ and what He did for us at the cross.
One might ask, how do we have any gifts for our own good? How do we get them in the first place if we are sinners and creations of God? Piper explains: “Christ died for our sins on the cross and took away the wrath of God from us and secured for us, even though we don’t deserve it, God’s omnipotent grace that works everything together for our good.” (pg. 53) Wow. Think about that. We deserve God’s wrath and judgment for our sin and yet, because Christ loved us and died for our sins, we instead receive grace and mercy from God. Because of Christ’s death we receive blessings and God works all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) And because of this, it is our duty to live for the glory of God with our whole lives. Our lives must be centered around finding joy in Christ and boasting in Him and His work on the cross. We need to keep in mind, however, that we are admiring and praising God and His glory, not His gifts themselves. If His gifts are merciful and good how much more merciful and good is the giver Himself?! It is the Giver that we must glorify.
To close, Piper wrote this about being people who find our joy in Christ:
“How can we become the kind of people who trace all our joy back to joy in Christ and Him crucified? Answer: The old self that loves to boast and exult and rejoice in other things died. By fiath we are united to Christ. His death becomes the death of our self-exalting life. We are raised with Him to newness of life. What lives is a new creature whose single passion is to exult Christ and His cross.” (pg. 56-57)
I pray that I am a follower of Christ who does just this. I pray that I would exult in the cross and Christ’s saving work and that I would never forget that all of the blessings and mercy I experience on earth are because of that death.
Monday, May 23, 2011
What is Love?
(This post is sort of more of a side note of a particular section of Chapter One.)
Piper brings up the point that a lot of people feel they are merely being used by God since they were created for His glory. He goes on to describe the difference between what love truly means and what the world views love as. Regarding how the world views love, he says, “We are taught in a thousand ways that love means increasing someone’s self-esteem. Love is helping someone feel good about themselves.” (pg. 33) On the other hand, Piper tells his readers that the Bible does not view love in this same way; according to the Bible, “love is doing what is best for someone […and] making self the object of our highest affections is not best for us. It is, in fact, a lethal distraction. We were made to see and savor God.”
Therefore, since God’s love is perfect and would be shown to us best by giving us what He views as is best for us (seeing how He knows everything and knows what is best for us), logically “God loves us best by giving us the best to enjoy forever, namely Himself, for He is best.” (p. 35)
So in looking at the situation more closely, if God knows He is the best thing that He could give to a sinner and since He loves people perfectly, obviously He would give Himself to people so that they might in turn love Him and glorify Him. Therefore, in connecting to the quote in my previous post, “[God] is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” When we are satisfied with “The Best,” God gets the most glory.
Piper brings up the point that a lot of people feel they are merely being used by God since they were created for His glory. He goes on to describe the difference between what love truly means and what the world views love as. Regarding how the world views love, he says, “We are taught in a thousand ways that love means increasing someone’s self-esteem. Love is helping someone feel good about themselves.” (pg. 33) On the other hand, Piper tells his readers that the Bible does not view love in this same way; according to the Bible, “love is doing what is best for someone […and] making self the object of our highest affections is not best for us. It is, in fact, a lethal distraction. We were made to see and savor God.”
Therefore, since God’s love is perfect and would be shown to us best by giving us what He views as is best for us (seeing how He knows everything and knows what is best for us), logically “God loves us best by giving us the best to enjoy forever, namely Himself, for He is best.” (p. 35)
So in looking at the situation more closely, if God knows He is the best thing that He could give to a sinner and since He loves people perfectly, obviously He would give Himself to people so that they might in turn love Him and glorify Him. Therefore, in connecting to the quote in my previous post, “[God] is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” When we are satisfied with “The Best,” God gets the most glory.
God Glorified
Something to think about:
“[God] is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (pg. 36)
I will be honest...I do not live in light of this at all times.
“[God] is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (pg. 36)
I will be honest...I do not live in light of this at all times.
The Wasted Life
A believer’s single passion in life should be the same as God’s passion: “God’s passion was the display of His own glory and the delight of my heart.” (pg. 28) God getting glory and me delighting solely in Him go hand in hand although most people do not realize this. When we enjoy God, we glorify Him; when we enjoy Him we display Him and His supreme value. I was created to live with the sole passion of glorifying God through enjoying Him and showing His excellence to people in all areas of my life.
Isaiah 43:6b-7 says, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Here we see that we were created for the glory of God. Failing to live for God’s glory means that a person will live a wasted life. As sort of an example, one of the main reasons a carpenter makes a chair is for the purpose of people sitting on it; however, if it is never used for sitting but used instead, say, for fueling a fire, it has been wasted of its created purpose. This is similar to a Christian’s life; if he was made to glorify God and yet does not live for the glory of God, he has wasted his life and not fulfilled the reason that he was made.
When we glorify God we are essentially magnifying His glory; we are revealing to other who God really is and putting on display His worthiness of worship. Piper says this about the wasted life:
We waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life.” (pg. 32)
That is why 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Piper goes on to say:
“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes Him [God] look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that He really is.” (pg. 32)
To not live for God is to live a wasted life; to live and not point people to God is selfish and unloving. We see God’s love displayed in giving us eternal life which—according to John 17:3—eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ. Christ died and suffered so that we might be brought to God! (1 Peter 3:18) I really love what Piper says about God’s love of sacrificing His own Son for us. This love “must rescue us from our addiction to self and bring us, changed, into the presence of God.” (pg. 36) If we fail to share this great news with others we fail to love them!
Glorifying God is not to be done so that we ourselves feel loved, used, or needed by God. Piper says, “God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives.” (pg. 37) He closes the chapter with this:
“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain.” (p. 40)
The Gospel fully displays God’s glory and it gives us a reason to live our lives. When we cling to the cross we cling to God’s love for us. When we cling to God’s love and when we truly understand the depth of His love for us we can do nothing but honor, glorify, and worship Him.
Isaiah 43:6b-7 says, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Here we see that we were created for the glory of God. Failing to live for God’s glory means that a person will live a wasted life. As sort of an example, one of the main reasons a carpenter makes a chair is for the purpose of people sitting on it; however, if it is never used for sitting but used instead, say, for fueling a fire, it has been wasted of its created purpose. This is similar to a Christian’s life; if he was made to glorify God and yet does not live for the glory of God, he has wasted his life and not fulfilled the reason that he was made.
When we glorify God we are essentially magnifying His glory; we are revealing to other who God really is and putting on display His worthiness of worship. Piper says this about the wasted life:
We waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life.” (pg. 32)
That is why 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Piper goes on to say:
“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes Him [God] look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that He really is.” (pg. 32)
To not live for God is to live a wasted life; to live and not point people to God is selfish and unloving. We see God’s love displayed in giving us eternal life which—according to John 17:3—eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ. Christ died and suffered so that we might be brought to God! (1 Peter 3:18) I really love what Piper says about God’s love of sacrificing His own Son for us. This love “must rescue us from our addiction to self and bring us, changed, into the presence of God.” (pg. 36) If we fail to share this great news with others we fail to love them!
Glorifying God is not to be done so that we ourselves feel loved, used, or needed by God. Piper says, “God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives.” (pg. 37) He closes the chapter with this:
“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain.” (p. 40)
The Gospel fully displays God’s glory and it gives us a reason to live our lives. When we cling to the cross we cling to God’s love for us. When we cling to God’s love and when we truly understand the depth of His love for us we can do nothing but honor, glorify, and worship Him.
Only One Life
At the beginning of Chapter One, Piper tells a story of remembering a man come to Christ in his later years of life. As the man prayed with Piper’s father, the old man wept, “I’ve wasted it! I’ve wasted it!” Will I too come to the end of my life and cry those same words? Or am I confident that how I am living my life now is such that Christ is being honored and glorified?
Piper includes a little poem that was on a plaque in his kitchen growing up. It said:
“Only one life,
‘Twill soon be past;
Only what’s done
for Christ will last.” (pg. 12)
Christ will be the one at the end of our lives who will measure the worth of what we have done. Are we living in such a way that is furthering the kingdom of God?
I am reminded of a lesson taught to me in my Principles of Family Finance class last Fall at Master’s. One of the first lectures we had regarding finances included discussing biblical principles of stewardship, giving, etc. We went through the passage in Matthew 6 that talks about laying up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. It was brought to our attention that the only things that we can take to Heaven with us are people. For some reason—probably my thick-headedness—I had never really thought about this before but it is so true! People are the only things that will be in Heaven with us that will be impacted by how we live here on earth. While staying fit, reading books, playing video games are not sinful in and of themselves, are they benefiting the furtherance of the kingdom of God? Are they being done in such a way so as to minister to other people and share the Gospel with them? Or are we doing them solely for our own pleasure?
May all that we do be for the glory and honor of God!
Piper includes a little poem that was on a plaque in his kitchen growing up. It said:
“Only one life,
‘Twill soon be past;
Only what’s done
for Christ will last.” (pg. 12)
Christ will be the one at the end of our lives who will measure the worth of what we have done. Are we living in such a way that is furthering the kingdom of God?
I am reminded of a lesson taught to me in my Principles of Family Finance class last Fall at Master’s. One of the first lectures we had regarding finances included discussing biblical principles of stewardship, giving, etc. We went through the passage in Matthew 6 that talks about laying up for ourselves treasures in Heaven. It was brought to our attention that the only things that we can take to Heaven with us are people. For some reason—probably my thick-headedness—I had never really thought about this before but it is so true! People are the only things that will be in Heaven with us that will be impacted by how we live here on earth. While staying fit, reading books, playing video games are not sinful in and of themselves, are they benefiting the furtherance of the kingdom of God? Are they being done in such a way so as to minister to other people and share the Gospel with them? Or are we doing them solely for our own pleasure?
May all that we do be for the glory and honor of God!
I Am Not My Own
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20
As believers, we ourselves and our lives are not our own because we have been saved by the purchasing power of Christ’s blood. Because got made us and bought us, we are His. God made us to glorify Him. My purpose in life is to glorify God…this gives me meaning to live by and for each day.
Piper reminds his readers that God’s glory and our own personal joy are not two separate things. He says,
“It was not always plain to me that pursuing God’s glory would be virtually the same as pursing my joy. Now I see that millions of people waste their lives because they think these paths are two and not one.” (pg. 9)
How often do people reject the Gospel because they do not want to feel trapped or burdened down by serving the Lord? Yes, it is true—according to Jesus’ very own words in Matthew 10:39—that giving our lives to Jesus and seeking Him and His joy will cost us our whole lives. BUT, Christ says in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will save it.” The paradox of the Gospel is perfectly portrayed in this verse. We become slaves to God and yet find total freedom in Him.
I can either choose to lose my life for Christ and live fully under His rule or I can waste my entire life living for myself. In the moment, living for myself might seem great, but all of those temporary pleasures will quickly flee when I stand at the end of life before God; it will be evident then that living for myself was a complete waste.
As believers, we ourselves and our lives are not our own because we have been saved by the purchasing power of Christ’s blood. Because got made us and bought us, we are His. God made us to glorify Him. My purpose in life is to glorify God…this gives me meaning to live by and for each day.
Piper reminds his readers that God’s glory and our own personal joy are not two separate things. He says,
“It was not always plain to me that pursuing God’s glory would be virtually the same as pursing my joy. Now I see that millions of people waste their lives because they think these paths are two and not one.” (pg. 9)
How often do people reject the Gospel because they do not want to feel trapped or burdened down by serving the Lord? Yes, it is true—according to Jesus’ very own words in Matthew 10:39—that giving our lives to Jesus and seeking Him and His joy will cost us our whole lives. BUT, Christ says in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s will save it.” The paradox of the Gospel is perfectly portrayed in this verse. We become slaves to God and yet find total freedom in Him.
I can either choose to lose my life for Christ and live fully under His rule or I can waste my entire life living for myself. In the moment, living for myself might seem great, but all of those temporary pleasures will quickly flee when I stand at the end of life before God; it will be evident then that living for myself was a complete waste.
Reasons for Reading “Don’t Waste Your Life”
As I mentioned a few days ago, I began reading the book Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. So far it has been really good!
I had a few reasons I picked up the book. First, I am looking for a book to go through (or at least to talk through) with the girls in my small group next year at college. Second, this book by Piper was one of the books we read in Biblical Fundamentals my freshman year at The Master’s College. I remember thinking it was good but that I did not really take the time to soak it in being it was a busy semester. Therefore, I figured it would be good to reread.
As I am reading through it this time, I am making notes in a journal of my favorite sections of the book as well as I am summarizing main points. The posts that follow this one will be some of my thoughts correlated with different sections of the book and the notes I take on it. I hope and pray that the Lord would use this book and the truth of God’s Word to change me and that you might also be changed by the power of Christ and His Holy Spirit speaking through His Word.
I had a few reasons I picked up the book. First, I am looking for a book to go through (or at least to talk through) with the girls in my small group next year at college. Second, this book by Piper was one of the books we read in Biblical Fundamentals my freshman year at The Master’s College. I remember thinking it was good but that I did not really take the time to soak it in being it was a busy semester. Therefore, I figured it would be good to reread.
As I am reading through it this time, I am making notes in a journal of my favorite sections of the book as well as I am summarizing main points. The posts that follow this one will be some of my thoughts correlated with different sections of the book and the notes I take on it. I hope and pray that the Lord would use this book and the truth of God’s Word to change me and that you might also be changed by the power of Christ and His Holy Spirit speaking through His Word.
Be All There
“Wherever you are be all there. Live to the hilt ever situation you believe to be the will of God.” ~Jim Elliot~
I was reminded of this quote the other day when I was writing my post a few days again. For me, living completely in the moment and being totally committed to the task that the Lord has laid out for me at a certain time can be really hard. Oftentimes I am wishing that I could be somewhere else with different people doing different things in different places. It can be so hard for us to be content in our circumstances and situations if we are not finding contentment and satisfaction in the Lord. Yes, many of us know that we are in the place God has us because He is sovereign, but getting that knowledge from our head to our heart to our feet/actions is another discipline and—for me personally—very hard to do at times.
We need to focus on being fully engaged in the tasks that God sets before us each day. And how will we know what God’s will is each day? Although He will most likely not tell us specifically, we can be praying through Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” If we trust the Lord, refrain from trusting ourselves, and instead ask the Lord for guidance each day, He will reveal what He has planned for us.
And then it is our duty to remember 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” In being “all there” wherever we are and in “living to the hilt” the situations we believe and know to be part of God’s will, we can honor and glorify our God and Father.
I was reminded of this quote the other day when I was writing my post a few days again. For me, living completely in the moment and being totally committed to the task that the Lord has laid out for me at a certain time can be really hard. Oftentimes I am wishing that I could be somewhere else with different people doing different things in different places. It can be so hard for us to be content in our circumstances and situations if we are not finding contentment and satisfaction in the Lord. Yes, many of us know that we are in the place God has us because He is sovereign, but getting that knowledge from our head to our heart to our feet/actions is another discipline and—for me personally—very hard to do at times.
We need to focus on being fully engaged in the tasks that God sets before us each day. And how will we know what God’s will is each day? Although He will most likely not tell us specifically, we can be praying through Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” If we trust the Lord, refrain from trusting ourselves, and instead ask the Lord for guidance each day, He will reveal what He has planned for us.
And then it is our duty to remember 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” In being “all there” wherever we are and in “living to the hilt” the situations we believe and know to be part of God’s will, we can honor and glorify our God and Father.
Wait
Just a preface...I did NOT write this poem. =]
"Wait"
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
“Child, you must wait.”
“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a “Yes”, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a “No” to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
“I’m wearing of asking! I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting…for what?”
He seemed, then, to kneel
And His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want—
But, you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power I give to the faint;
You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You’d never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I give and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.
You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What is means that, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Yes, your dreams for your loved one
Overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! I I lost what I’m doing in you!
So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, “Wait.”
Although this poem is kind of corny in parts, I think it so accurately portrays the attitudes of many Christians. Whether we are waiting for God to reveal what job He would have us work at, who we are going to marry, where we will live, how we will make ends meet, what our next step in schooling will be, etc. we all have to trust in the Lord and wait on His timing and answers at some point in life. That is just part of life.
I love how the author of this poem makes the point that, yes, God could just give us what we ask for and what we want, but there are many times when He does not view this as being best for us. Most times, causing us to wait on Him and rely on His strength for endurance to wait is the greater way to sanctify and refine us. I am reminded of verses like Psalm 37:5 that talk about committing our way to the Lord and waiting for Him to act as we trust in Him. I am overwhelmed by the thought that God would seek our best by causing us to know Him better by resting in Him. We learn so much in resting in His strength and sufficiency.
Praise God for His continual work in us! Praise Him who “began a good work in [us for He] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”! (Philippians 1:6)
"Wait"
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
“Child, you must wait.”
“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a “Yes”, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a “No” to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
“I’m wearing of asking! I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting…for what?”
He seemed, then, to kneel
And His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want—
But, you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power I give to the faint;
You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You’d never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I give and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.
You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What is means that, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Yes, your dreams for your loved one
Overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the Loss! I I lost what I’m doing in you!
So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, “Wait.”
Although this poem is kind of corny in parts, I think it so accurately portrays the attitudes of many Christians. Whether we are waiting for God to reveal what job He would have us work at, who we are going to marry, where we will live, how we will make ends meet, what our next step in schooling will be, etc. we all have to trust in the Lord and wait on His timing and answers at some point in life. That is just part of life.
I love how the author of this poem makes the point that, yes, God could just give us what we ask for and what we want, but there are many times when He does not view this as being best for us. Most times, causing us to wait on Him and rely on His strength for endurance to wait is the greater way to sanctify and refine us. I am reminded of verses like Psalm 37:5 that talk about committing our way to the Lord and waiting for Him to act as we trust in Him. I am overwhelmed by the thought that God would seek our best by causing us to know Him better by resting in Him. We learn so much in resting in His strength and sufficiency.
Praise God for His continual work in us! Praise Him who “began a good work in [us for He] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”! (Philippians 1:6)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
More To Come...
I am SUPER excited because I just started reading the book Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper today. So far it has been really good...and I have only read the introduction and the first chapter. Haha. I am hoping to post more about different things that hit me as I read through the book! Stay posted for more thoughts.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Summer Morning Thoughts
For some reason it is still amazing to me how one of the fastest ways to get out of a pattern of self-pity and "sadness"/depression (due to feeling sorry for oneself) is through thinking of others and praying for them. This morning my mom was gone at the chiropractor and out to lunch with a friend; last night I had already planned on cleaning the house while she was gone. I wanted to do this to be a blessing to her and because I knew she would appreciate me helping out since I am a member of this household and need to carry some of the weight of keeping the house clean since I too live here and that is just part of my responsibility.
Well, after she left I turned on the computer and checked email and facebook and as I got caught up on seeing what my friends are doing, I was presented with the options of being content being home by myself with my family for the summer or being discontent because almost all of my best friends are still together getting to tour the East Coast on a choir tour. (There are also other good friends who are not in California right now but are seemingly having a better time than I am.) Yesterday my mom brought up the fact that she hasn't been hearing from me lately about how I'm viewing the glass as half-full this summer but how I have only been talking about the glass being “half-empty” and how she has only really been hearing me talk about how I miss all my friends so much. This was super convicting because I know I must sound like I am not grateful to be home at all…that in and of itself was SUPER convicting and sad to hear said about myself. Just another thing the Lord wants me to work on this summer.
Anyways...back on topic...being the stupid and sinful sheep that is stubborn and can often become bogged down by my flesh because I do not put up the fight to resist these self-pitying thoughts, I gave in to the option of being discontent with not getting to be with my friends and went about cleaning our house with very much a pouting attitude. I didn't mind cleaning and didn't mind serving my family in this way, but I was just put out that I could not be with my friends. Well...I had also turned on the computer so I could listen to Pandora...I put on my station called "Casting Crowns Radio" because I knew that I needed to listen to worship songs and not songs by Michael Buble or Dean Martin, etc. After turning it on there were soooo many songs that came up during my cleaning that totally convicted me of my less-than-God-honoring attitude and reminded me that my satisfaction is not found in my circumstances but in my God alone. Songs like "Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns, "Beautiful One" by Joel Engle, "In Christ Alone," "Love is Not a Fight" by Warren Barfield, "Your Grace is Enough" by Matt Maher, and "God of Wonders" had been popping up. All of them I was singing along to and could not help but feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to praise my God and not be stuck in self-pity.
When I received a text from a friend asking for prayer for finding joy in the Lord as she is busy these next few days with things, I immediately paused the music and prayed for her. This is where my first sentence of this post came into play...praying for her got me off of thinking about myself and what I wish I were doing instead of what I was actually doing. Also, as I prayed for her and asked that the Lord would grant her joy in what she is doing I was reminded of something a friend had written me in a Christmas card this past year; I happened to come across her note while I was unpacking and sorting through all of my papers this week. In her note she said, "I have really appreciated all your timely exhortations; especially during Christmas concerts when I had forgotten why I was making music." (Her statement was in reference to me putting notes of encouragement in her box during my college’s Christmas concerts and reminding her of why the choir was singing and why we were serving people through the concerts.) The friend who texted is going to be doing a lot of singing with a choir this next week and a half so I was reminded of this note from the Christmas card. In singing for other people we need to remember that we sing to bring honor and glory to God and to worship Him. As I sat praying for my friend I teared up remembering one of the main reasons why I want to be in The Master’s Chorale so badly next year…I want to worship the Lord through singing and to create an avenue for those listening to also worship the Lord. I prayed that my friend would find joy in the Lord and that she would "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord...[and] make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise[s]" to Him. (Psalm 98:4...or supposedly...that's the reference my roommate had given me for something but I cannot find that exact version. =P ) I prayed that she would remember Nehemiah 8:10 which says, "For the joy of the Lord is your strength." As well as Lamentations 3...the whole chapter but mainly verses 15-26. We must remember God's mercies are new each morning and that He will give us His joy to strengthen us to make it through each day that we do not feel like battling through.
After I prayed for her and unpaused my music the song "I Can Only Imagine" came on...I love how God orchestrates things and times them perfectly!! I thought of her especially in the chorus of the song:
"Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!"
I love the line "Will I stand in Your presence" and "Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'" It reminded me of The Master’s Chorale as well as Collegiate singing...we are in God's presence at all times...we can, therefore, find joy in singing before Him because although we do not see Him we can know that He is there listening to us and watching us. I know this is hard to remember but when we do remember it we can take joy in singing out our hearts for Him. =] Yeah!
I was also reminded that there are times when we will struggle finding joy in the Lord even if there seems to be no apparent reason. This is when we need to remember the truth of 1 Peter 5:6-9, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." It is during those times when we feel down that we need to take our thoughts captive and strive all the harder to set our minds on things above. (Colossians 3:1-3) I still do not know how to exactly combat these times of feeling stuck in a rut of being down but I know I need to fight them all the same.
To close...the song that came up right after "I Can Only Imagine" was "Enough" by Chris Tomlin and I was soooo convicted!!! I know that I have not been finding my all in Christ lately. I have been wishing and hoping for things that God has obviously taken out of my life at this point this summer. And I know He has done this for the purpose of bringing me closer to Him. In listening to this song and singing along I was having a hard time singing all of the words and being totally truthful in them..."All of You is more than enough for all of me/For every thirst and every need/You satisfy me with Your love/And all I have in You is more than enough." Especially the last line was hard. *Sigh* I am sooo thankful that God is patience and merciful with us and that He does not give up on us when we fail. It's such a beautiful picture of forgiveness!! =] I love how when we surrender ourselves and our wills that He takes them and molds them into His. I just pray that I will continually fight to do this every minute, every hour, and every day of my life. When I come close to truly understanding/comprehending the Gospel, that is when I am filled with total joy and satisfaction. I only wish I dwelt on it more. I am so grateful the Lord afforded me the opportunity to pray for a good friend this morning and gave me the opportunity to think of someone else besides myself. =] Praise Him!!!
Well, after she left I turned on the computer and checked email and facebook and as I got caught up on seeing what my friends are doing, I was presented with the options of being content being home by myself with my family for the summer or being discontent because almost all of my best friends are still together getting to tour the East Coast on a choir tour. (There are also other good friends who are not in California right now but are seemingly having a better time than I am.) Yesterday my mom brought up the fact that she hasn't been hearing from me lately about how I'm viewing the glass as half-full this summer but how I have only been talking about the glass being “half-empty” and how she has only really been hearing me talk about how I miss all my friends so much. This was super convicting because I know I must sound like I am not grateful to be home at all…that in and of itself was SUPER convicting and sad to hear said about myself. Just another thing the Lord wants me to work on this summer.
Anyways...back on topic...being the stupid and sinful sheep that is stubborn and can often become bogged down by my flesh because I do not put up the fight to resist these self-pitying thoughts, I gave in to the option of being discontent with not getting to be with my friends and went about cleaning our house with very much a pouting attitude. I didn't mind cleaning and didn't mind serving my family in this way, but I was just put out that I could not be with my friends. Well...I had also turned on the computer so I could listen to Pandora...I put on my station called "Casting Crowns Radio" because I knew that I needed to listen to worship songs and not songs by Michael Buble or Dean Martin, etc. After turning it on there were soooo many songs that came up during my cleaning that totally convicted me of my less-than-God-honoring attitude and reminded me that my satisfaction is not found in my circumstances but in my God alone. Songs like "Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns, "Beautiful One" by Joel Engle, "In Christ Alone," "Love is Not a Fight" by Warren Barfield, "Your Grace is Enough" by Matt Maher, and "God of Wonders" had been popping up. All of them I was singing along to and could not help but feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to praise my God and not be stuck in self-pity.
When I received a text from a friend asking for prayer for finding joy in the Lord as she is busy these next few days with things, I immediately paused the music and prayed for her. This is where my first sentence of this post came into play...praying for her got me off of thinking about myself and what I wish I were doing instead of what I was actually doing. Also, as I prayed for her and asked that the Lord would grant her joy in what she is doing I was reminded of something a friend had written me in a Christmas card this past year; I happened to come across her note while I was unpacking and sorting through all of my papers this week. In her note she said, "I have really appreciated all your timely exhortations; especially during Christmas concerts when I had forgotten why I was making music." (Her statement was in reference to me putting notes of encouragement in her box during my college’s Christmas concerts and reminding her of why the choir was singing and why we were serving people through the concerts.) The friend who texted is going to be doing a lot of singing with a choir this next week and a half so I was reminded of this note from the Christmas card. In singing for other people we need to remember that we sing to bring honor and glory to God and to worship Him. As I sat praying for my friend I teared up remembering one of the main reasons why I want to be in The Master’s Chorale so badly next year…I want to worship the Lord through singing and to create an avenue for those listening to also worship the Lord. I prayed that my friend would find joy in the Lord and that she would "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord...[and] make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise[s]" to Him. (Psalm 98:4...or supposedly...that's the reference my roommate had given me for something but I cannot find that exact version. =P ) I prayed that she would remember Nehemiah 8:10 which says, "For the joy of the Lord is your strength." As well as Lamentations 3...the whole chapter but mainly verses 15-26. We must remember God's mercies are new each morning and that He will give us His joy to strengthen us to make it through each day that we do not feel like battling through.
After I prayed for her and unpaused my music the song "I Can Only Imagine" came on...I love how God orchestrates things and times them perfectly!! I thought of her especially in the chorus of the song:
"Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!"
I love the line "Will I stand in Your presence" and "Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'" It reminded me of The Master’s Chorale as well as Collegiate singing...we are in God's presence at all times...we can, therefore, find joy in singing before Him because although we do not see Him we can know that He is there listening to us and watching us. I know this is hard to remember but when we do remember it we can take joy in singing out our hearts for Him. =] Yeah!
I was also reminded that there are times when we will struggle finding joy in the Lord even if there seems to be no apparent reason. This is when we need to remember the truth of 1 Peter 5:6-9, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." It is during those times when we feel down that we need to take our thoughts captive and strive all the harder to set our minds on things above. (Colossians 3:1-3) I still do not know how to exactly combat these times of feeling stuck in a rut of being down but I know I need to fight them all the same.
To close...the song that came up right after "I Can Only Imagine" was "Enough" by Chris Tomlin and I was soooo convicted!!! I know that I have not been finding my all in Christ lately. I have been wishing and hoping for things that God has obviously taken out of my life at this point this summer. And I know He has done this for the purpose of bringing me closer to Him. In listening to this song and singing along I was having a hard time singing all of the words and being totally truthful in them..."All of You is more than enough for all of me/For every thirst and every need/You satisfy me with Your love/And all I have in You is more than enough." Especially the last line was hard. *Sigh* I am sooo thankful that God is patience and merciful with us and that He does not give up on us when we fail. It's such a beautiful picture of forgiveness!! =] I love how when we surrender ourselves and our wills that He takes them and molds them into His. I just pray that I will continually fight to do this every minute, every hour, and every day of my life. When I come close to truly understanding/comprehending the Gospel, that is when I am filled with total joy and satisfaction. I only wish I dwelt on it more. I am so grateful the Lord afforded me the opportunity to pray for a good friend this morning and gave me the opportunity to think of someone else besides myself. =] Praise Him!!!
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