And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. - Revelation 6:8
A few years ago I read this excerpt from a book by Chuck Swindoll: The path of the pale horse named Death, mentioned in Revelation 6:8, is littered with bitterness, sorrow, fear, and grief. This ashen stallion started his lengthy journey ages ago and races through time with steady beat and dreadful regularity. As long as we exist in the land of the dying, we shall hear the somber knell of his hoofbeats.
I just received the second E-Mail in as many days from friends who have lost loved ones. The loss in each case was not just that death marched on but that, what was preventable for the time being wasn't. In two days two individuals who were deeply loved by their family took their own lives. Sadly, some people hurry their appointment with death. Painful though it may be to hear and accept, thousands of people will take their own lives during the next twelve months. For in our land, suicide is now almost an epidemic.
The acoustic/vocals band The Thorns sing this thought...
Among the living you'll find the dying
Waiting softly to pass on
Why can't a love be like a spirit
As it floats up to the sky - Among the Living, The Thorns
Once every minute someone in the United States attempts suicide.
In this country, there are 24% more deaths by suicide than by murder.
Suicide is the number 9 cause of adult death in the USA. For Americans between fifteen and thirty years of age, it is the number 3 cause of death. It is the number 2 cause among teenagers.
Four out of five people who commit suicide have tried it previously. Those who are unsuccessful usually try again.
Contrary to popular opinion, people who threaten suicide often mean it. Threats should be taken seriously.
Thankfully, suicidal individuals usually communicate their feelings before acting, thus making this irrevocable act preventable if those who are close are wise and sensitive enough to read the signals.
Some of the warning signals or clues you should be aware of are 1) talk about suicide, 2) a sudden change in personality, 3) deep depression, 4) physical symptoms---sleeplessness, loss of appetite, decreased sexual drive, drastic weight loss, repeated exhaustion, 5) actual attempts, and 6) crisis situations---death of a loved one, failure at school, loss of job, marital or home problems, and a lengthy or terminal illness. These are certainly not "sure signs," but if any or several persist, please step in and offer help. Contact your physician or ask advice from your local Suicide Prevention Center's twenty-four-hour crisis line; you may also want to contact one of the spiritual leaders or officers of your church or a member of the pastoral staff. Such situations are often emergencies. To delay could result in tragic consequences.
Those who are strong need to bear the weaknesses of the weak - Romans 15:1. I think, many of us, when we consider our faith, do not think ourselves "strong." But, perhaps "stronger" than someone who is being overcome by a pale horse is all that is needed; just a little stronger. You may be the means that God uses in blocking the path of the pale horse!
Sometimes if we are to hear what is being said, we need to listen to what is not being said.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Alliances & Friendships We Form
Woe to the obstinate children," declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans that are not Mine, forming an alliance, but not by My Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting Me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge. - Isaiah 30:1-2
Think hard. Who, currently is deeply ingrained in your life that you find either draining or detrimental to your character, your family or your work. Let me ask it differently, less personally: Have you ever entered a business association with someone that seemed profitable but concerned you from the outset as to its affect on your character or your own ethics?
If you have spent any time at all in the Old Testament studying or reading about the nation of Israel, you have read how it was that God, time and time again, told them to keep themselves separate from those who were not God worshippers. A metaphor for holiness is God leading Israel out of Egypt and throughout the history of Israel, the people were instructed to come out of an old way of life into a life that personalized and solidified their relationship with God.
Of course Egypt represented that old way of living; a way that was convenient and perhaps even easy but also was full of bondage. You will recall after leaving Egypt when things got tough for the Jews, the Israelites reverted to what was familiar and comfortable; they reverted back to the way they acted in Egypt. Another way of saying it was the Jews always knew they could take a mental, emotional and actionable (How I decide to act) trip to Egypt and find what they presumed they needed. I'm sure because of their lack of familiarity with God they would think to themselves: "If we can't get it accomplished under this new "God-lead" way, we can easily go back to the way we used to do it? At least we know what the outcome will be there!"
When God calls us into a Life in Christ we can expect the rest of life to go on. We will still, every day, be given choices. Every day we will have to choose to be godly or rebellious to a God-lead life. One area that is a tough one is relationships. It seems like a balancing act. How do we grow and develop healthy, eternal relationships and how do we interact with the world? A key is our alliances. If we enter into alliances that God has not ordained, it will only bring heartache. Such was the case for Israel., But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace - Isaiah 30:3.
Beware what you perceive as an alliance that may advance your position in life, your standing in the community, your business or, even favor in your local church! This is a great time to "try the spirits" to see if they are a leading from God or if they are simply an opportunistic decision which has no God approval at all. We all know that without Godly approval relationships may actually bring us great distress. If God has not directed you to align yourself or does not wish you to deeply involve yourself with others then my suggestion is to consider it as a halt in your spirit not to move forward in that particular joining. A good question might be to ask yourself is, "What the motive is behind this possible connection?" Make sure that it is not based on fear, greed or a quick fix. Get confirmation that God is leading you to make come together with important relationships. Let's avoid the history of Israel. They spent way too much time untangling themselves from sin brought on through poorly considered relations.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Think hard. Who, currently is deeply ingrained in your life that you find either draining or detrimental to your character, your family or your work. Let me ask it differently, less personally: Have you ever entered a business association with someone that seemed profitable but concerned you from the outset as to its affect on your character or your own ethics?
If you have spent any time at all in the Old Testament studying or reading about the nation of Israel, you have read how it was that God, time and time again, told them to keep themselves separate from those who were not God worshippers. A metaphor for holiness is God leading Israel out of Egypt and throughout the history of Israel, the people were instructed to come out of an old way of life into a life that personalized and solidified their relationship with God.
Of course Egypt represented that old way of living; a way that was convenient and perhaps even easy but also was full of bondage. You will recall after leaving Egypt when things got tough for the Jews, the Israelites reverted to what was familiar and comfortable; they reverted back to the way they acted in Egypt. Another way of saying it was the Jews always knew they could take a mental, emotional and actionable (How I decide to act) trip to Egypt and find what they presumed they needed. I'm sure because of their lack of familiarity with God they would think to themselves: "If we can't get it accomplished under this new "God-lead" way, we can easily go back to the way we used to do it? At least we know what the outcome will be there!"
When God calls us into a Life in Christ we can expect the rest of life to go on. We will still, every day, be given choices. Every day we will have to choose to be godly or rebellious to a God-lead life. One area that is a tough one is relationships. It seems like a balancing act. How do we grow and develop healthy, eternal relationships and how do we interact with the world? A key is our alliances. If we enter into alliances that God has not ordained, it will only bring heartache. Such was the case for Israel., But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace - Isaiah 30:3.
Beware what you perceive as an alliance that may advance your position in life, your standing in the community, your business or, even favor in your local church! This is a great time to "try the spirits" to see if they are a leading from God or if they are simply an opportunistic decision which has no God approval at all. We all know that without Godly approval relationships may actually bring us great distress. If God has not directed you to align yourself or does not wish you to deeply involve yourself with others then my suggestion is to consider it as a halt in your spirit not to move forward in that particular joining. A good question might be to ask yourself is, "What the motive is behind this possible connection?" Make sure that it is not based on fear, greed or a quick fix. Get confirmation that God is leading you to make come together with important relationships. Let's avoid the history of Israel. They spent way too much time untangling themselves from sin brought on through poorly considered relations.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Broken Heart of Faith
Do not hide Your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. - Psalm 143:7b
We learn so many lessons when we read the Psalms that are credited to David. I don't think, (perhaps Job) there is a biblical character for me who seems more human than this man. Actually, I don't think I would deeply understand the depths of God's mercy and grace, love and acceptance if there was no David. In David we find a man who time and again broke the most cardinal of our laws and who had the capacity to appear the most rebellious in God's site. Yet, in David, we find a man, though full of fault also was powerful and virtually so until the very end of his life.
David provides for you and I a peek into the window of a man's life that walked with God with great emotion in victory. And, in defeat we see deep into his troubled and tortured soul.
Here's a little known fact (Perhaps you knew) David never lost a battle throughout his many years of serving as king of Israel. In many of the Psalms, David often lamented about the difficult places where God had placed him. He talked of his enemies and the need for God to deliver Him. He talked of God's everlasting love for him. You might suspect after years of victory that David would simply get comfortable with God giving him and his armies the victory.
He never did.
How do you suppose David came to the understanding time after time and year over year that he must seek God and that is was alright for him to go before God and explain to his Heavenly Father how strong, vast, angry and powerful those enemies were? We can look at the beginning of his formative times and one might suspect this could have created in David a loser's limp. After all, having been promised the kingdom, he next finds himself running, and for no small period of time; years, from the current king. Later in his life, the last 30 percent of it, David experiences horrible turmoil within his nuclear family. How does that speak of a loving, merciful, miraculous and healing God. Yes David's life gave him many reasons to lose all hope in a loving God. That however, was not who David was. He saw beyond the events.
David often began his Psalms in a place of discouragement and sounded as if he had lost all hope. However, he never ended one Psalm in defeat. Through the process of meditation, prayer and worship David always came to a place of internal victory in God by the end of his writing. David consistently placed his life in God's hands, knowing He would care for him and then obediently moved forward in the action set before him.
Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground - Psalm 143:8-10
You are a human. Humans get discouraged. God's people get discouraged. It is okay to be discouraged! More than this, discouragement, being heartsick, is part of the process of grieving and working through times of pain. Just always bring back to mind, like David, that God wants each of us to allow Him to walk with us in these places. If you find yourself in one of these places, do what David did. Ask God to show you the way and let Him bring the word of His unfailing love deep into the spirit He has restored within you!
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
David provides for you and I a peek into the window of a man's life that walked with God with great emotion in victory. And, in defeat we see deep into his troubled and tortured soul.
Here's a little known fact (Perhaps you knew) David never lost a battle throughout his many years of serving as king of Israel. In many of the Psalms, David often lamented about the difficult places where God had placed him. He talked of his enemies and the need for God to deliver Him. He talked of God's everlasting love for him. You might suspect after years of victory that David would simply get comfortable with God giving him and his armies the victory.
He never did.
How do you suppose David came to the understanding time after time and year over year that he must seek God and that is was alright for him to go before God and explain to his Heavenly Father how strong, vast, angry and powerful those enemies were? We can look at the beginning of his formative times and one might suspect this could have created in David a loser's limp. After all, having been promised the kingdom, he next finds himself running, and for no small period of time; years, from the current king. Later in his life, the last 30 percent of it, David experiences horrible turmoil within his nuclear family. How does that speak of a loving, merciful, miraculous and healing God. Yes David's life gave him many reasons to lose all hope in a loving God. That however, was not who David was. He saw beyond the events.
David often began his Psalms in a place of discouragement and sounded as if he had lost all hope. However, he never ended one Psalm in defeat. Through the process of meditation, prayer and worship David always came to a place of internal victory in God by the end of his writing. David consistently placed his life in God's hands, knowing He would care for him and then obediently moved forward in the action set before him.
You are a human. Humans get discouraged. God's people get discouraged. It is okay to be discouraged! More than this, discouragement, being heartsick, is part of the process of grieving and working through times of pain. Just always bring back to mind, like David, that God wants each of us to allow Him to walk with us in these places. If you find yourself in one of these places, do what David did. Ask God to show you the way and let Him bring the word of His unfailing love deep into the spirit He has restored within you!
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Monday, June 13, 2011
Reflecting the Glory of One Whose Glory Should Be Recognized
They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. - Psalm 145:11-12
How do you measure your effectiveness in God, or should you even be thinking like this? I know it is quite popular to use a sense of reasoning about our spiritual "walk" like this:
God loves me and is all knowing. Because He is all knowing and nothing about who I am or what I do affects His love for me can I disappoint Him. After all, He knows me. He knows who I am and what I do. He made me! Therefore why should I even worry or even worse, feel guilty for being the person God made me to be
The early Church turned the world upside down in that first century. What made them so effective? Was it their theology? Was it great preaching? Was it due to one man's influence apart from Jesus? Was it an attitude reflected in the above paragraph? Could we validate that kind of thinking by any historical analysis? The answer to the last 2 questions is a simple no.
This little Bible morsel speaks definitively. It creates prophetic clarity that in a future time, God's people, would espouse a mighty message that created widespread knowledge of God, His glory and kingdom. I suggest this happened and can happen and it is what makes the the Bodies of Christ effective.
I am also convinced that it is at the core of God's heart. It is quite simple. God desires to reflect His nature and power through every individual. When this happens, the world is automatically changed because those who reflect His glory affect the world. The world "sees" God as He is.
I am also convinced we need to better understand words and their Kingdom meanings; vocabulary, if you will, from God's perspective. The Bible uses words like love, obedience, serve, servant, suffer and I am sure we flavor their meaning based on who we are and not what the Scripture clearly states what is truthfully meant; what is their fulness from God's perspective. Here is one we don't get easily: We serve a jealous God. He is a God who will not share His glory with anyone. (Check it out - It says it right there in that Big Black Book) God sets up situations in order to demonstrate His power through them and more than this to illustrate so we can get our tiny minds around his enormity. He does it. It is His doing. We might be arms and legs and a mouth in the process but it is His plan and His power that accomplishes. Why? That we might, in turn, understand just how little we make of Him and how tiny is the full grasp of our understanding about Him. And, more to the point so that through us His glory shines and people are drawn to Him!
Father God has visibly expressed His power and control and strength since the day He created man. His glory is His own. Only He can have it and express it. However, our God and Father desires to reflect His glory through you and me, so that all men may know of His mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His Kingdom and, in their knowing they would embrace their God-given and provided right to be on the inside of His love, affection, glory, grace, mercy and all of the other overly abundant joys His own should experience.
The apostle Paul understood this principle: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" ( - I Corinthians 2:4-5.
If you do not see His glory being reflected through your life, then you need to ask why. Of course, you also might want to study the concept of God's Glory so you would recognize it should it be expressed in your life. It might not be precisely what you are thinking at this moment. Just know this, He has promised to use you and me to mirror who He is if we will walk in obedience to His commands.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6
That is an If/Then statement. There is in fact an our part and His part. You embrace it or you don't. Which will it be?
So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! - Luke 11:9-13
As challenging as it is for you and I to understand, there is a truth here that says God does gives us a part in our relationship with Him. We get to learn, grow and become more today than we were yesterday. We are no longer under a shadow of guilt. It is not our lot to constantly wring our hands and wonder if God is pleased with us however. To do that we make His sufficiency, His power in us, His saving and redemptive skills weak. No, we just need to know we get to partner in growth so that who we are in Him shows clearly to the world naturally and draws all men to Him.
It was on my heart today...I hope it blesses yours...I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
How do you measure your effectiveness in God, or should you even be thinking like this? I know it is quite popular to use a sense of reasoning about our spiritual "walk" like this:
God loves me and is all knowing. Because He is all knowing and nothing about who I am or what I do affects His love for me can I disappoint Him. After all, He knows me. He knows who I am and what I do. He made me! Therefore why should I even worry or even worse, feel guilty for being the person God made me to be
The early Church turned the world upside down in that first century. What made them so effective? Was it their theology? Was it great preaching? Was it due to one man's influence apart from Jesus? Was it an attitude reflected in the above paragraph? Could we validate that kind of thinking by any historical analysis? The answer to the last 2 questions is a simple no.
This little Bible morsel speaks definitively. It creates prophetic clarity that in a future time, God's people, would espouse a mighty message that created widespread knowledge of God, His glory and kingdom. I suggest this happened and can happen and it is what makes the the Bodies of Christ effective.
I am also convinced that it is at the core of God's heart. It is quite simple. God desires to reflect His nature and power through every individual. When this happens, the world is automatically changed because those who reflect His glory affect the world. The world "sees" God as He is.
I am also convinced we need to better understand words and their Kingdom meanings; vocabulary, if you will, from God's perspective. The Bible uses words like love, obedience, serve, servant, suffer and I am sure we flavor their meaning based on who we are and not what the Scripture clearly states what is truthfully meant; what is their fulness from God's perspective. Here is one we don't get easily: We serve a jealous God. He is a God who will not share His glory with anyone. (Check it out - It says it right there in that Big Black Book) God sets up situations in order to demonstrate His power through them and more than this to illustrate so we can get our tiny minds around his enormity. He does it. It is His doing. We might be arms and legs and a mouth in the process but it is His plan and His power that accomplishes. Why? That we might, in turn, understand just how little we make of Him and how tiny is the full grasp of our understanding about Him. And, more to the point so that through us His glory shines and people are drawn to Him!
Father God has visibly expressed His power and control and strength since the day He created man. His glory is His own. Only He can have it and express it. However, our God and Father desires to reflect His glory through you and me, so that all men may know of His mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His Kingdom and, in their knowing they would embrace their God-given and provided right to be on the inside of His love, affection, glory, grace, mercy and all of the other overly abundant joys His own should experience.
The apostle Paul understood this principle: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" ( - I Corinthians 2:4-5.
If you do not see His glory being reflected through your life, then you need to ask why. Of course, you also might want to study the concept of God's Glory so you would recognize it should it be expressed in your life. It might not be precisely what you are thinking at this moment. Just know this, He has promised to use you and me to mirror who He is if we will walk in obedience to His commands. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6
That is an If/Then statement. There is in fact an our part and His part. You embrace it or you don't. Which will it be?
So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! - Luke 11:9-13
As challenging as it is for you and I to understand, there is a truth here that says God does gives us a part in our relationship with Him. We get to learn, grow and become more today than we were yesterday. We are no longer under a shadow of guilt. It is not our lot to constantly wring our hands and wonder if God is pleased with us however. To do that we make His sufficiency, His power in us, His saving and redemptive skills weak. No, we just need to know we get to partner in growth so that who we are in Him shows clearly to the world naturally and draws all men to Him.
It was on my heart today...I hope it blesses yours...I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Friday, June 3, 2011
When God Must Love the Way I Demand! Or Does He...Doesn't He?
I have watched believers on all sides of the issue try and get their arms around this. Thus, it's something I'd been thinking about a lot lately. I even discussed this in my previous post a bit and if you follow me on FaceBook I've been grappling with it and so many odd ideas of God and how He must love.
I believe the North American post-modern mind (Besides slowly fading into the sunset) has a tendency to deal with this out of the context of how they were raised. We tend to sentimentalize God's love. Similarly Christians often ascribe human ideas of fairness to talk of God's sovereignty and how God interacts with human will and volition. We read much that ascribes human or, more succinctly humanitarian ideas of love to talk of God's love. We also speak of it singularly as if God, unlike you and I, loves always the same way with all people in all circumstances and at all times.
I am convinced that God loves everyone. But I am not convinced that He loves everyone the same way.
Here are a couple of passages from D.A. Carson's excellent treatment of this subject, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God:
I do not think that what the Bible says about the love of God can long survive at the forefront of our thinking if it is abstracted from the sovereingty of God, the holiness of God, the wrath of God, the providence of God, or the personhood of God -- to mention only a few nonnegotiable elements of basic Christianity.
Later, Carson writes:
If the love of God is exclusively portrayed as an inviting, yearning, sinner-seeking, rather lovesick passion, we may strengthen the hands of . . . those more interested in God's inner emotional life than in his justice and glory, but the cost will be massive. There is some truth in this picture of God . . . some glorious truth. Made absolute, however, it not only treats complementary texts as if they were not there, but it steals God's sovereignty from him and our security from us.
Now, I will try to be good and not state any conclusions or firm personal beliefs on the details of these matters in this post. But in the comments thread, perhaps we can hash out our differences through discussion and maybe even reach some conclusions.
In another book by Carson, a sort of companion volume to The Difficult Doctrine called Love in Hard Places, he takes on certain "hard cases." If Christians collectively believe we are to love everyone because God does, we must ask ourselves questions like:
- "What does it mean to love Osama bin Laden?"
- "What does it mean to love Saddam Hussein?"
- "Is this similar to the love you have for your mother and if different how and why?"
I ask you the same questions. Does God love everyone the same way? If not, should we?
Perhaps we should begin with a biblical example.
How do you personally interpret the following passage: - THOUGHTS?
Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad . . . she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
-- Romans 9:11-13
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Detour Ahead - The Path Is About To Change
The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together... - Isa 40:4-5
I read the verse above and it became part of what God, my Father, has been working to get into me. Somehow things that seem incongruent are really more linear than I would have previously thought.
Any statement that starts out by saying, "The crooked place shall be made straight..." in my way of thinking, should be followed by a step-by-step instruction of just how either God will do it or how God expects me to straighten (and smooth) my journey through life. But that is not at all the progression of the thought here in Isaiah.
First off, unless we are 4-wheeling or bushwhacking, we all dislike bumpy roads. They are annoying. They are troublesome. They can cause damage. They rattle us. However, when I think about it I have to personally admit to you that, though I know they are the solution, I dislike even more road closures, detours...road work in general. Until the housing and real estate debacle I would tell you that I lived in a growing city and it seems like there has been ongoing road construction forever! One portion of the Phoenix metro or another is a mess, you need up-to-the-minute GPS to plan your trips because of delays, and sometimes you get caught off guard when traffic signs are placed in unusual places and the natural flow of traffic takes you off the main road onto rough and tumble surfaces.
Recently, a friend told me in their town where one of our main local roads was hit with a sink hole in the middle of the road. The road was closed for more than a year. They of course then had to take alternative routes that, I am sure, were inconvenient and annoying.
Sometimes God takes us through our own life re-construction project. Our lives get disrupted, we can no longer depend on the things we did before, and we don't have control over our circumstances or timetable. God is doing major construction. Our response to this often is to try and make personal adjustments. Some of those take the form of internal attempts to make conscious emotional adjustments. Often through what I call "hunkering down," we try and internally conjure up a new attitude about the trouble we've encountered because of what God is in fact doing or allowing into our life.
But, in the midst of the re-construction this verse does not tell you and I to go through an internal assessment. We are not given some 5 step process to change our attitude. I'm sorry Zig (Ziglar) but this is not to get an "attitude of gratitude" in the midst of the detours and struggles of the rough patches of our life.
No.
The glory of the Lord is revealed in that place. In the midst of this, God's glory is found. The only thing we should be doing is expecting to find it. Perhaps further, to search for it and expect it so shine forth either within us or in the midst of the problem. I get a sense that for many it is the first time they've ever seen the hand of the Lord in their life; His power, and presence...His GLORY! The solution in this incongruent little passage in and amongst all the other verses of the Bible is this, "You have a rough row to hoe? Look for God's glory in the midst of it!" I get a sense that when one of God's elect see it, it then become like a lightning rod; others begin to see it too. And to the degree that this process allows them to experience Him, it becomes a place in time and space for His love, mercy, light, wisdom and personal goodness to them to shine through!
The troubled patch, the rough spot is a process they would never choose to go through voluntarily, but it is an experience they value for the rest of their lives because the glory of the Lord was revealed in the process. God showed up. I suspect He is there before we know it. His job is to be there. Ours is to look for Him, expect Him.
Once we see His glory things begin to flow better. Just as the new roads allow you to drive on a smooth, more spacious area, so too God paves a way for you to move into an expanded place with Him.
Isaiah tells us: He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows - Isa 30:23-24.
Be patient with God's re-construction project. You will like the finished project. You will really like you after it's all said and done.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
I read the verse above and it became part of what God, my Father, has been working to get into me. Somehow things that seem incongruent are really more linear than I would have previously thought.
Any statement that starts out by saying, "The crooked place shall be made straight..." in my way of thinking, should be followed by a step-by-step instruction of just how either God will do it or how God expects me to straighten (and smooth) my journey through life. But that is not at all the progression of the thought here in Isaiah.
First off, unless we are 4-wheeling or bushwhacking, we all dislike bumpy roads. They are annoying. They are troublesome. They can cause damage. They rattle us. However, when I think about it I have to personally admit to you that, though I know they are the solution, I dislike even more road closures, detours...road work in general. Until the housing and real estate debacle I would tell you that I lived in a growing city and it seems like there has been ongoing road construction forever! One portion of the Phoenix metro or another is a mess, you need up-to-the-minute GPS to plan your trips because of delays, and sometimes you get caught off guard when traffic signs are placed in unusual places and the natural flow of traffic takes you off the main road onto rough and tumble surfaces.
Recently, a friend told me in their town where one of our main local roads was hit with a sink hole in the middle of the road. The road was closed for more than a year. They of course then had to take alternative routes that, I am sure, were inconvenient and annoying.
Sometimes God takes us through our own life re-construction project. Our lives get disrupted, we can no longer depend on the things we did before, and we don't have control over our circumstances or timetable. God is doing major construction. Our response to this often is to try and make personal adjustments. Some of those take the form of internal attempts to make conscious emotional adjustments. Often through what I call "hunkering down," we try and internally conjure up a new attitude about the trouble we've encountered because of what God is in fact doing or allowing into our life.
But, in the midst of the re-construction this verse does not tell you and I to go through an internal assessment. We are not given some 5 step process to change our attitude. I'm sorry Zig (Ziglar) but this is not to get an "attitude of gratitude" in the midst of the detours and struggles of the rough patches of our life.
No.
The glory of the Lord is revealed in that place. In the midst of this, God's glory is found. The only thing we should be doing is expecting to find it. Perhaps further, to search for it and expect it so shine forth either within us or in the midst of the problem. I get a sense that for many it is the first time they've ever seen the hand of the Lord in their life; His power, and presence...His GLORY! The solution in this incongruent little passage in and amongst all the other verses of the Bible is this, "You have a rough row to hoe? Look for God's glory in the midst of it!" I get a sense that when one of God's elect see it, it then become like a lightning rod; others begin to see it too. And to the degree that this process allows them to experience Him, it becomes a place in time and space for His love, mercy, light, wisdom and personal goodness to them to shine through!
The troubled patch, the rough spot is a process they would never choose to go through voluntarily, but it is an experience they value for the rest of their lives because the glory of the Lord was revealed in the process. God showed up. I suspect He is there before we know it. His job is to be there. Ours is to look for Him, expect Him.
Once we see His glory things begin to flow better. Just as the new roads allow you to drive on a smooth, more spacious area, so too God paves a way for you to move into an expanded place with Him.
Isaiah tells us: He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows - Isa 30:23-24.
Be patient with God's re-construction project. You will like the finished project. You will really like you after it's all said and done.
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Well...er...The Reason You See Is....
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:23-25
Everyone I know realizes I am a major baseball fan. This is my season! I had two "stupid human tricks" as a child growing up. First, I could never ever make, model and year of every car from 1947 (I was born in 1952) until 1976 on the road. The other was I could remember the most minute details about ballplayers and the game itself. I loved it! I didn't see it as trivia because I loved it so much. To me it was cool and fun and I suppose it was also important. How good was I? Even my friends, who had teams that they loved more than I did and had heroes that were not my heroes knew less about their favorite players and teams than I did. I hated the Yankees but my Yankee loving fiends marveled that I knew more about Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Richardson, Kubek and all the lesser known Yankees than they knew. You may be that kind of person or have friends and family like that. Well, I still am a bonifide member of this group of trivia containers.
Fans have other traits as well don't they? They have an indomitable sense of commitment, loyalty or determination - okay, okay, maybe "addiction" is a better word! Against incredible odds, sound logic, and even medical advice, sports fans will persevere to the dying end! Difficulties are viewed as a challenge ... never an excuse to stay away or miss a chance to support our teams!
I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about their love of Christ Jesus and the Body He died for as they are about sports or any other hobby. This topic was covered some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
4. The coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I was sitting with some hypocrites---they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
8. The organist played music that I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. (Hmm...I'll have to ask my boys)
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my kids, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
I've come up with a few more:
13. The parking lot (steps, walkways, etc.) was awful . . . I had to walk 300 yards to the stadium entrance.
14. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me; it was so impersonal!
15. The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.
16. It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.
17. It's so loud there!
Enough said. Think it over.
What would happen if we approached our responsibilities to the Body of Christ with the same enthusiasm we give to our hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities?
Everyone I know realizes I am a major baseball fan. This is my season! I had two "stupid human tricks" as a child growing up. First, I could never ever make, model and year of every car from 1947 (I was born in 1952) until 1976 on the road. The other was I could remember the most minute details about ballplayers and the game itself. I loved it! I didn't see it as trivia because I loved it so much. To me it was cool and fun and I suppose it was also important. How good was I? Even my friends, who had teams that they loved more than I did and had heroes that were not my heroes knew less about their favorite players and teams than I did. I hated the Yankees but my Yankee loving fiends marveled that I knew more about Mantle, Maris, Ford, Berra, Richardson, Kubek and all the lesser known Yankees than they knew. You may be that kind of person or have friends and family like that. Well, I still am a bonifide member of this group of trivia containers.
Fans have other traits as well don't they? They have an indomitable sense of commitment, loyalty or determination - okay, okay, maybe "addiction" is a better word! Against incredible odds, sound logic, and even medical advice, sports fans will persevere to the dying end! Difficulties are viewed as a challenge ... never an excuse to stay away or miss a chance to support our teams!
I've often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about their love of Christ Jesus and the Body He died for as they are about sports or any other hobby. This topic was covered some years back in a Moody Monthly piece that illustrated twelve excuses a fella might use for "quitting sports." The analogy isn't hard to figure out.
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn't seem very friendly.
3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable.
4. The coach never came to call on me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I was sitting with some hypocrites---they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.
8. The organist played music that I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up. (Hmm...I'll have to ask my boys)
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.
12. I don't want to take my kids, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
I've come up with a few more:
13. The parking lot (steps, walkways, etc.) was awful . . . I had to walk 300 yards to the stadium entrance.
14. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me; it was so impersonal!
15. The public address and lighting systems don't suit me.
16. It's always too hot (or cold) in the stadium.
17. It's so loud there!
Enough said. Think it over.
What would happen if we approached our responsibilities to the Body of Christ with the same enthusiasm we give to our hobbies, sports, and other extracurricular activities?
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