The Shared Love of God

 

Quiet times, with music in the background and a good book to read, are the ‘sweet spot’ of life for me. But, the frequent days without much human interaction that came with my recent retirement has made me know, anew, how important it is to converse, to do life with other people. Those days that pass without the sound of a human voice is a little like living in a house without a heating system, functional but cold.  I need the warmth of words.  How about you?

 COVID brought times of extended isolation to most of us. We were working from home, limited in our gatherings for worship, perhaps even avoiding extended family.  As a result of this, depression increased. Suicide rates ticked up. General unhappiness grew. People did not do well coping with life -  job loss, financial difficulty, and/or the uncertainty that came with the virus. In part this is because we were not standing around talking before work, or sharing a cup of coffee in the church foyer, celebrating family birthday parties, or having those casual conversations in the grocery store.  

 
Without realizing it, we are therapists to one another, processing life, making sense of the senseless when we gripe and gossip and give thanks.  Like the newly retired Jerry, many had taken for granted the warmth of human interaction, only missing it when it was gone.

God created us to need people. Christians are part of a great community called “The Church” which He designed. The Holy Spirit inspired these words - "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body  …  As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” …  God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, NIV)   Our connection is not just to meet some psychological need, though it does.

We are called together to complete one another,
to become – together - what we cannot be alone.

One of the tragedies of the American practice of Christianity is the devaluing of ‘’church.”  Millions of professed Christians have abandoned worship gathering, denigrated spiritual leadership, and attempted a “Jesus and Me” faith. I think understand some of the reasons!  The Church has been scandalized by greedy pastors and lecherous priests.  What passes for ‘worship’ services are often a hastily thrown together conglomeration of songs, announcements, and “talks” that replace the Word with stories. Gatherings that are shaped as a performance instead of a divine encounter may fill our heart but our spirit will hunger still. A misplaced focus on the congregation rather than on the Mystery and Majesty of God leaves us spiritually hungry, even if we cannot articulate why. Yes, I who has spent his lifetime as a church professional gets why some have walked away from church, if not from faith.

But, despite the scandal, paucity of worship, and even some of those people in the pew we would admit we do not like all at that much, God desires that we connect, that we make our gathering together a priority, exercising faith and praying that in the act of corporate worship the Holy Spirit will do something to us and through us in this living Body of Christ. We resist the clear direction of God at great cost to ourselves. 

Hear the directive-  "Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)

Oh, I know that just being ‘in church’ is no guarantee of spiritual development or maturity. Many congregations include a person who has been in the 3^rd row virtually every Sunday for 50 years who is still mean, full of rage, and critical – but he is our brother. When we love him, obedient to Christ’s word, we grow in grace.  But, there is a joy, too, that is found in standing next to that person who came to Christ from a world different from ours who adds a dimension to our humanity as well as our faith. 

It is not just a psychological or sociological issue, either. There is the mystery of faith, the supernatural work of God that happens when we habitually present ourselves to Him in intentional worship with others.  And yes, there is this - when we take the Cup and Bread of the Holy Meal, focused on the mystery of the Presence of Christ in them, we are connected spirit to spirit and with His people from the ages. Together we confess our sin, realize anew His grace, and renew our hope in an unmerited salvation.  Christ commands this celebration of Him and our connection to others in the Body. We are poorer if we ignore His words.

Let’s prioritize worship with others, not just out of duty or grim discipline, but with delight in God’s command. Instead of going to ‘get something,’ let’s pray to gather to take our heart, mind, soul, and body to God: “Here I am, Lord, to declare Your worth.”  Let’s be the Body, loving others, learning the joy of shared faith.

Here is a word from the Word. "Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism . . .  we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4: 2-5, 15-16, NLT)

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Come People Of The Risen King

Come people of the Risen King
Who delight to bring Him praise
Come all and tune your hearts to sing
To the Morning Star of grace
From the shifting shadows of the earth
We will lift our eyes to Him
Where steady arms of mercy reach
To gather children in

Rejoice rejoice let ev'ry tongue rejoice
One heart one voice
O Church of Christ rejoice

Come those whose joy is morning sun
And those weeping through the night
Come those who tell of battles won
And those struggling in the fight
For His perfect love will never change
And His mercies never cease
But follow us through all our days
With the certain hope of peace

Come young and old from ev'ry land
Men and women of the faith
Come those with full or empty hands
Find the riches of His grace
Over all the world His people sing
Shore to shore we hear them call
The truth that cries through ev'ry age
Our God is all in all

Keith Getty | Kristyn Getty | Stuart Townend

© 2007 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

When you ache for the good

The movie was drawing to a predictable close – the hero finally finds redemption and as a bonus he wins the girl’s heart, too – as I knew he would. It’s a movie, after all!  Still I found emotions stirring, tears welling in my eyes. I recognized the root of those feelings. They are a reflection of my intense desire for a world without the pain, life without cancer, where there are no friends that forsake you in your time of need, where personal failure does not dog you day after day, where the work you do is rewarded beyond money or fame.

I am not complaining nor am I telling you that my life is without joy.
But, it’s not heaven yet and I suspect, your life isn’t quite heaven, either.
Am I right?

There are echoes of Eden in us that draw us to the beautiful, the loving, the fulfilling. We know life should be better, that suffering is a signal of the ‘wrong’ that is part of living in a world that is, as we Christians say, “after the Fall.”  The tragedy of this world is the sin that separates us from our Creator God.

Deny it if you dare, but the evidence for the truthfulness of this statement is compelling: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." (Isaiah 53:6, NIV)  Genesis tells us the story of decision, the choice to pursue Self over God that broke the perfect relationship. The snake hisses his invitation to ‘be like God. Take that which is forbidden.’ That fateful choice causes the Garden goes to weeds – in every sense.  Yes, the weeds still grow in me, too!

Each one of us still makes momentous decisions, day in and day out.
The Spirit whispers, “Walk with Me.”
Self clamors for its own way. 

Apart from the intervention of God, we have no choice for we are sold in slavery to sin. That is a harsh word, a conclusion much resisted by those who try to hang onto the illusion of humanity’s innate goodness in spite of so much evidence to the contrary. Of course there are momentary flashes of nobility, expressions of love that become those heart-warming human interest stories that end the network news. But, on the whole, the world has a dismal record – war, exploitation, greed, hate, lust, cruelty.

Paul says "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!”   It is a grim assessment – in the grip of a power greater than our best intentions, marked by shame, destined for spiritual death.

Ah, let’s not stay there, however because the Story does not have to end with despair. “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:20-23, NIV)

The Curse is reversed in Christ Jesus, the Eternal God who became a Man, who entered into the broken world, drank the full cup of sin on our behalf as the Word says becoming “obedient to death— even death on a cross!”  He defeated Death, rose again, and His triumph is our hope. Yes, through faith, we who long for love and life are invited to share in the salvation He purchased.  We need not just dream about a new life, we can begin to live one in Christ, by the Spirit. 

Do you know that Life?
Have you received the Good News of Christ by faith?
Then, you are part of the Divine Conspiracy to change darkness to Light, despair to Hope, ugliness to Beauty. It is not instantaneous. It is not without struggle. The complete realization of this new life awaits the revelation of the Kingdom. But, we enter it today.

The word from the Word encourages us to discipleship, to that process that brings the Truth to reality.  Hear the Word. " Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:12-16, NIV)

So, shed those tears that speak to the longing for what could be, then take the hand of Christ. You are called into His rule, a Kingdom of Love and Truth. Let Him make you a life-giver in a dying world.

________________

Because He Lives

God sent His Son they called Him Jesus
He came to love heal and forgive
He bled and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove
My Savior lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives

How sweet to hold our newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days
Because Christ lives

And then one day I'll cross that river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory
And I'll know He reigns

Gloria Gaither | William J. Gaither

© 1971 Hanna Street Music (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management)

CCLI License # 810055

 

For the invisible

 

The text said, “Did you see Sarah in church yesterday?”  It was good to know that someone cared about a person that is ‘invisible’ to many.  As life kicks off a new week I wonder if you are feeling invisible, or small, or insignificant?  As I grew older I started to take more note of those persons who are ‘left out’ because of physical problems, mental health issues, or even age.   It’s been my privilege to live in the center of community, surrounded by people who look to me for care and who love me in return, but what of those who do not enjoy that kind of  social status?  My theology reminds me that in Christ’s Body, His Church, nobody is a throwaway person.

In the first book of the Bible we meet a person without status. Her name is Hagar and she was a servant to Abraham’s wife, who was also a surrogate mother for the childless Sarah. After Hagar bore a son, jealousy erupted and she was shown the door of the tent.  In her desperate state, the angel of the Lord found her. After her encounter she said this:  “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13, NIV) What a wonderful revelation, given to a woman who was, in her community, a nobody, of no consequence, a throwaway person.

Friend, wherever you are, whatever your social status, I hope that you know that God sees, God knows, God is ever-present. The worst kind of ‘forgotten’ is that moment when because of disappointment or failure, we are tempted to question the love of God. Isaiah preached sermons of God’s pending judgment. He reminded the people of the Lord that they were about to go through a terrible trial, that they had forsaken their God and would reap the consequences of their faithlessness. 

None the less, God would remember! "Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." (Isaiah 40:27-28, NIV)

Let me remind us of these unchanging truths.

Our lives are bounded by beginnings and endings, birth and death, carried along in the inexorable current of time.  Success comes and goes. Today’s hero is forgotten as time moves on. But, the God we trust is eternal. He is without start or stop, unrestrained by time as we experience it.  He is the God who sees. You are always in His care.

Perhaps you have become fatigued, just flat out exhausted by life – feeling like an tiny cog in the vast machine of society.  That feeling of futility is often accompanied by a soul weariness and morphs into fearfulness about our ability to cope and doubts about our personal worth. When that is our mindset, everything looks more difficult, each situation turns into a mountain of impossibility when we are at the end of our physical, emotional, or mental strength!  God see you and knows your need.  Reach out, even if it just a whisper of a prayer, “Jesus help me.”  He does not tire of us, nor does He turn from us. We can be confident in this.

Then, too, we all find ourselves wondering ‘why’ don’t we?  When the apparent chaos of the world rises like floodwaters to overtake us, the effort to press ahead in life can make us feel alone, forgotten.  God sees us even in the darkest storm.  Jesus says “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”  (Matthew 6:26)

We are not forgotten by Him. Hang onto that today.  Meditate on this passage, inviting the Spirit to make it living Word for you.

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. ...

I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’   …
When the poor and needy search for water and there is none,
and their tongues are parched from thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.

I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus.
I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.
I will fill the desert with pools of water.
Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.
I will plant trees in the barren desert— cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.

I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means— that it is the Lord who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it."  (Isaiah 41:10-20, NLT)

_______________

Not Forgotten
(an upbeat song good for a Monday morning dance around the kitchen)

I am not forgotten I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten God knows my name
I am not forgotten I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten God knows my name
He knows my name

He knows my name

Light over darkness
Strength over weakness
Joy over sadness
He knows my name
He knows my name

Father to the fatherless
Friend to the friendless
Hope for the hopeless

He knows my name
He knows my name
And I will praise You Lord
I will praise You Lord
For I am fearfully and wonderf'lly made
(Ev’rybody say)

I am not forgotten never forsaken (7X)

He knows my name
He knows my name

Aaron Lindsey | Israel Houghton

© 2005 Integrity's Praise! Music (Admin. by Integrity Music)

Sound Of The New Breed (Admin. by Integrity Music)

CCLI License # 810055

Jonah’s Displeasure

In our Wednesday night Bible Study our Pastor observed ‘That we invite God into our story rather than accepting His invitation to  live in His story.”  Lord, bless my plans we might pray without a pause to consider that His plan may be different. When we find ourselves in circumstances that are not to our liking we may question, grumble, even grow embittered. I have known more than a few people who walked away from God and faith because of disappointment that morphed into anger with the Almighty.

Jonah heard the call of God, ran off rather than obey, found grace and restoration, and finally went to preach to Nineveh. He had great success!  The city, from the king to the slaves, repented of their sin and prayed to the God of Heaven that Jonah served. The king’s proclamation said  “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.”  (Jonah 3:8) What preacher wouldn’t be joyful in that kind of response to his sermons? Jonah was one.  He thought he would preach to Nineveh and then, after they were fairly warned, God would destroy these enemies of Israel. But, God had a different plan, a story that Jonah, once again, choose not to participate in.   

Here is the description of the petulant prophet’s actions. "But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1-3, NIV)  After all he had been through and after his own experience of God’s amazing grace, he is still a willful, selfish man.  Even though he knows the Lord is “gracious and compassionate”  he does not think that the people of Nineveh deserve to know that grace.

God was displeased with the preacher’s attitude and gave him yet another lesson.  I love the drama in it. "Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.” (Jonah 4:5-9, NIV)   

With a vine, a worm, the hot sun the Lord reminded Jonah that He was God and that He was ‘in charge’ of life, from great to small.  The great tragedy of the little story of Jonah is that he never reconciled himself to God, at least as far as we know. He let anger cut him off from his best Resource, the grace of God.

Ah, my friend, this is so human, so common to all of us.
Do you love God better when He acts in ways that you like?
Do you consider that only the things that happen in the way you desire to be answered prayer?
When life grows hard, when disappointment comes do you humbly pray for greater faith or complain?

Please don’t hear me saying that we cannot ask God boldly, that bringing our petitions to Him in confidence, is wrong. We are invited to pray about everything and all the time. However, the best prayer is grounded in deep faith that recognizes that He is God, that ‘His ways are higher,’  that there will be times when life is a complete mystery and He is silent. Christians are prone to want to wrap the hardships and disappointments in neat little packages, tied up with a summary verse that ‘explains’ it all.  I cannot begin to tell you how hard it was to be patient with well-meaning people who attempted to comfort me when Bev died by giving me platitudes and assurances. “Everything happens for a reason” I was told. It might have been true, but I did not want to hear that at the moment. “God will use your pain for greater purposes,” some said.  Again, perhaps true, but it was cold comfort.

 I choose to trust Him, while living in the mystery. I still don’t know “why” He chose to allow Bev to die. But, I choose to love and trust Him.  Are you dealing with disappointment? Are God’s ways frustrating you, hidden from you, or beyond the scope of your prayers?  Don’t be a Jonah. Instead, find a place alone with Him. Weep! He understands. Tell him your heart! He is “gracious and compassionate.”  Then, humbly give yourself to Him irrevocably. It’s the best choice you’ll ever make.

Here is the word from the Word. "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains." (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)  Lord may it be true of me, today. Amen.

_________________

Blessings

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
And all the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'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
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness
We doubt Your love
As if ev'ry promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desp'rate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

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 a 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

 

Laura Story

© 2011 Laura Stories (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

 

CCLI License # 810055

Jonah’s Grace

 

My early experience of Christianity did not include much grace. Oh yes, I believed that Jesus died for my sins. I hoped for Heaven as my eternal home, but in my mind God was less a friend and more like a Cop waiting in life’s speed trap.  I thought He lurked at the edges of my life waiting to catch me doing wrong! Only later did I come to understand that He is just and holy and full of grace for me. His desire, I discovered, is for my success and salvation. Yes, friend, ”He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  (2 Peter 3:9)  This phrase became mine:  The One who knows you best, loves you most!

On Monday we looked Jonah’s refusal of God’s call. He ran away, a rebel, in the opposite direction from Nineveh.  The Lord God could have dropped the hammer on the guy, stopping him in his tracks. He didn’t.  The grace of our Heavenly Father shines in that story.  A terrible storm threatened to sink the ship on which Jonah sailed.  Knowing he was responsible for the storm the rebel preacher told the crew to toss him overboard. He thought he deserved to die, and he did. 

But, here is where we find God’s grace:   "But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17, NIV)   The wayward preacher had not repented, nor had he prayed, but God extended a gift- a great fish. There in the belly of the fish Jonah regained perspective. 

Amazing, isn’t it, that our vision can become so clear a day too late.   

He prayed, repented, and God gave grace again. "And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." (Jonah 2:10, NIV)  The undeserved gifts kept coming. "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”" (Jonah 3:1-2, NIV)  Yes, God was willing to give him a second opportunity to obey.

That is the God I came to KNOW after my own failure. He is not a vengeful God Who delights in catching us in sin. Yes, He is holy. He knows that sin kills, that rebellion has real consequences. However, when He moves in correction, it is not to punish us. He is redemptive, full of grace, wanting to turn us around to find life to the full. This is the Gospel of Christ!

Fast forward in the Bible to the story of another man’s failure and experience of grace.

Peter was warned by Jesus that he was too self-confident. When he boasted that ‘even if all these guys fail you, I never will,’  Jesus told him he would fail badly in the next hours before the rooster crowed the next morning. And, he did!  When pressed about his relationship with Jesus while standing in the courtyard outside of the place where Jesus was trial, fear overwhelmed him and he denied Jesus: not once, not twice, but three times. The moment the last words were uttered, Peter was overwhelmed by shame.  And why not, right?   That kind of failure would be a good reason to toss him off the team.

But, grace rules. Weeks later, John tells us a beautiful story of restoration. Peter was broken, had returned to Galilee and his fishing boat, full of shame.   The resurrected Lord showed up on the beach early in the morning and called out to the men. Peter recognized the voice of Jesus and quickly went to the beach where there was breakfast prepared.  And then this -  "When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”" (John 21:15, NIV)  Restoration! Grace!  

By the way, Jesus asked Peter that question three times, forcing Peter to remember his great failure and to know forgiveness in the depths of his heart.  And we know the rest of the story. Peter went on to become full of the Spirit, leading those first Christians and taking the message of Jesus to thousands.

Oh, how we need to experience grace and give grace.  God loves YOU, friend. Oh, He knows the failures, the secret sins, the hypocrisies, the gaps. And He also knows the cost of willful rebellion, but He has prepared a Way to restoration, holds open the door to the Presence of God, desiring that you will live in the center of His love. Receive His grace with humble gratitude today.

The word from the Word is a passage dear to me. How I pray that these words will become the Word of God for you, real and true in your life, by faith.  We deserve to die "but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9, NIV)

____________

Goodness Of God

I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a father
I've known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It's running after me

Ben Fielding | Brian Johnson | Ed Cash | Jason Ingram | Jenn Johnson

© 2018 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

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CCLI License # 810055

The Jonah Choice

 

We Americans love our independence, don’t we? We like our own way, to have multiple options. Heard anyone order their coffee in the local shop lately?  For many it’s no longer just “cream and sugar.”  That cup of coffee is customized with a shot of this and a dollop of that to make it just like the customer wants it. In my local supermarket I stand in front of the display of salad dressings in wonder.  5 shelves high and spanning about 10 feet there are dozens of options far beyond the old French, Ranch, or Italian! And, that’s all good, when it involves coffee or salad but there is a part of life where that independence can complicate things for us.

God invites us to a life of blessing but living in His favor requires something many of us find challenging: obedience.  We are tempted to make the “Jonah Choice.”  I am referring to the story from that little book in the Bible that many only know from Sunday School about a big fish that swallows a guy who got tossed off of a ship. That’s the dramatic part.

Here is how the story opens:  "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3, NIV)

What the Lord asked of Jonah was no small thing. It involved a difficult journey to an alien culture. It required Jonah to speak with people he considered inferior even deserving of judgment. God says “Go.” Jonah says “No.”  He went beyond just refusing God’s direction. His aversion to the will of God was so strong that he took off in the opposite direction, setting sail westward from the port of Joppa. 

We will return to the story of Jonah in our next devotion thought, but today I want to ask –
Are you making the Jonah choice about God’s will for your life?

It does not have to be about a new career, a move to some far city, or a radical change in your life.
God asks us to love selflessly. Will we?
God asks us to forgive generously? Will we?
God asks us to live in faith, not fear. Will we?

This way of life begins with a choice to trust, to let Him lead as our true Lord. Ah yes, dear friend, it is quite unlikely that we will get the ‘big’ things about God’s will right if we are unwilling to give Him our hearts and minds today.

Curiously there is another story in the Bible that involves choice and the port city of Joppa. The outcome is so different. It is told in the book of the Acts about Peter, the leader of the first generation of Christians.  He was staying in Joppa when God invited him to a whole new way of life. 

Peter, like all the Jewish converts to Christianity at the time, assumed that the message of Christ Jesus was just for the descendants of Abraham. The Gospel did not reach to Greeks or Romans. It did not even occur to them that it should.

Peter had a strange vision involving ‘unclean’ (non-kosher) animals offered to him for food. He quickly rejected the offer but a voice told him - “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:13-15, NIV)  The vision repeated three times and as Peter was trying to grasp the meaning of it, there was a knock at the door of Simon’s house where he was staying.

"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”" (Acts 10:19-20, NIV)  Peter took a big step of faith and obedience. He accompanied those men on a trip to the home of a Roman centurion named Cornelius. There he shared the story of Jesus with Gentiles! And the Church was enlarged with the conversion of that man. 

Peter went on to preach all over the Empire, sharing the Gospel of Jesus with all people – rich, poor, slave, free, male, female, Jew, and Greek. His willingness to choose humble faith caused no small controversy among his Jewish Christian friends, a conflict that extended for the rest of the 1^st century of Christianity.  But, his obedience opened the door of God’s blessings to millions of people.

So, as this new week begins, what choice will we make? Will we turn to face God humbly and ready to follow? Or, will we live in self-will, resisting Him with a “Jonah choice?"

The word from the Word encourages us. Meditate on the truth, prayerfully, as you say “Yes, Lord” in your life today!  "So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace." (Romans 6:11-14, NLT)

________________

Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

 Guide me O Thou great Jehovah
Pilgrim through this barren land
I am weak but Thou art mighty
Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand
Bread of heaven Bread of heaven
Feed me now and ever more
Feed me now and ever more

Open Thou the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow
Let the fiery cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through
Strong Deliverer strong Deliverer
Be Thou still my strength and shield
Be Thou still my strength and shield

When I tread the verge of Jordan
Bid my anxious fears subside
Death of death and hell's destruction
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Songs of praises songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee
I will ever give to Thee

 John Hughes | Peter Williams | William Williams

© Words: Public Domain

Toddler Tantrums or Steady Maturity?

 

Gloria Gaither, songwriter and poet, in her book Because He Lives, writes about an incident when her son, Benjy, was a toddler. He was enjoying a happy day at a birthday party. He and his grandma were playing at baseball; she gently lobbing the ball toward him, he swinging the bat.  That sweet moment evaporated into a toddler tantrum as the bat went crashing to the ground accompanied by a wail of angry frustration.  “Grandma! You missed again. You missed my bat again!”   

Ever thrown a toddler tantrum, blaming all the world around you for the frustration you feel?  Have you ever lashed out angrily at your spouse, blaming that person for your choice gone wrong? Something like - “I only took this job because you wanted to move to this town and now look at the mess we’re in.”

Probably just about every Christian who ever prayed has hurled angry words at God when disappointed, hurting, grieving, or failing at life. “Where are YOU? Why don’t YOU help me?”  Ah, those tantrums are ugly, damaging, and keep us from finding answers to our very real problems.  You know the story of Job, don’t you?  He had reason to be angry with God if ever anyone did.  He was a “righteous man” meaning he pleased God and lived in a right relationship with Him.  

But, life went inexplicably upside down. Within a short time he lost his wealth, his children were killed in accidents, his skin developed painful boils head to toe, and his wife despised him, urging him to “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)  His ‘friends’ showed up and were so overwhelmed by his plight they sat in silence for days before launching into long rants that accused Job of some secret sin, something that would explain the tragedy. They urged him to humble himself and repent; except that there was nothing to say since he was ‘righteous.’ 

We know the back story. Job was caught in a spiritual battle in the heavens.  It is a tough story for us to grasp, but the short of it is that Satan (the accuser) came to the Lord God and said of Job – “You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”    “Job only loves you because life is good.” (Job 1:10) God gave Satan permission to take all that Job had except his life, for He knew he truly loved Him, not for the blessings but for Who He is!  Oh, yes, Job felt the awful, the pain, and he finally did cry out to God for answers and the reply of Heaven was basically – “You have to Trust Me and keep faith!” And, he did.

Christian, we need to grow up and learn to stand before God, our faith rock solid even when we are swept by the storms and troubles that are common to the human experience. And, we need to pray for the maturity to admit when we are failing, or we have not developed the skills, or we just want to be more than we are. If we refuse that maturity, we risk looking the fool, or worse, disgracing our God, when we throw a major toddler tantrum that damages relationships, weakens faith, and ignores reality.

Can God point to you as exhibit #1 of steadfast faith and deep devotion- not because He’s blessed you with a good life, but because you love Him – ‘heart, soul, mind and strength?’  Don’t confuse attempting moral perfection or some false piety with that kind of devotion.  This kind of love of God is robust, a daily choice to rely on the goodness, mercy, and grace of God that never fails.  

When you walk through the dark days, endure the awful, and live with disappointment, do you blame, accuse, and demand or submit, surrender, and stay steady?  Oh that we would learn the deep faith of Job who declared to his false accusers - "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him." (Job 13:14-16, KJV)   I trust Him. I am open before Him. My hope is the life He gives.

On a human to human level, do you readily accept responsibility for your part in the circumstances in which you find yourself?  Or, like so many today, are you ready to play the victim, to wait for a rescuer, to demand that somebody somewhere fix life for you?  I love the model of AA, which reaches out to that person who has ‘hit bottom,’ who has finally understood he is powerless over his addiction. But, AA does not offer excuses or rationalizations for the addiction. The program invites responsibility that is matched with support from others who have found grace to recover.   Here are some of the 12 Steps. Note the emphasis on matching God’s grace with a willingness to take personal responsibility for change.  Steps 3 through 9 are these:

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

 

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

 

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

 

Let’s grow up in Christ. How about taking an inventory today. 

Perhaps you had really terrible parents who hurt you badly.
There is a Father who can heal you. Let Him.

Perhaps your spouse was an awful person and left you broken.
God restores broken hearts. Let Him.

Perhaps your expectations of life are set on all the wrong things and you lack spiritual insight. 
God heals blinded eyes. Let Him.

Perhaps you feel like a failure and have quit on life, concluding that the system is rigged against you. 
God rebuilds people and sees potential in you. Let Him.

Perhaps some sin weighs you down with guilt and you deal with it by excusing, blaming, or hiding.
God forgives unconditionally through Christ. Let Him.

Here’s a word from the Word. "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done. Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe." (Colossians 2:6-10, NLT)

You accept Him by faith alone.

Now grow up in Him by faith, too!

_________________________

God Is So Good (You Are Worthy)

No height or depth can separate
Your steadfast love who can escape
Your faithfulness an endless sea
So full of grace and mercy

We sing God is so good
God is so good
God is so good
He's so good to me

Haunted by the past no more
My innocence has been restored
Forgiveness flows from Your veins
Your kindness shown in all Your ways

(Oh there's) never been anyone like You
Never been anyone like You
You are worthy You are worthy

Hope is rising like the sun
The old is gone the new has come
I fix my eyes on Christ alone\
My Rock my Shield my Cornerstone 

God You are good
God You are good
God You're so good
You're so good to me

God You're so good always good to me

God is so good
He's so good to me
God You're so good
You're so good to me

 

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