Can you appreciate beauty?
Dictionary.com defines beauty as “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).”
In the October, 2010 issue of Christianity Today, there was a feature article about The Church of the Transfiguration, located at the Community of Jesus, in Rock Harbor, Massachusetts. It is a small community of Christians who treasure the arts as a way of glorifying God. For fifteen or more years, they have engaged in creating a place of worship that is stunningly beautiful, without descending into gaudy. (http://www.churchofthetransfiguration.org/)
That church sought a way to glorify God on this earth by creating a space of beauty, a reflection of their reverence. Some criticize their work! That critical impulse is common among us, focused as we usually are on utilitarian goals. We build functional buildings. We live to be productive. Beauty generally loses out to efficiency, sacrificed to our need to do more with less. We are poorer for our failure to appreciate the value of beauty for its own sake! We have a God-given need for beauty and so we content ourselves with many trinkets and few treasures.
When God created the world, He didn’t aim for efficient! He lavished color and variety on this tiny orb. A mountain meadow is splashed with an array of vivid colors, delighting our eyes. He could have made a dozen kinds of butterflies, but He went over the top and gave us millions! He loves beauty!
The Gospel of Mark records a moment of beauty. It offends some of Jesus’ disciples, but the Lord Himself commended Mary for her lavish expression. "Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. “That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.” They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me." (Mark 14:3-6, The Message)
Disciple, do you make life beautiful?
Are you cultivating beauty in your character, in your work, in your worship?
Sin is ugly. It robs beauty from those who continue in it. It turns a palace into a ruin, a work of art into cheap exploitation, a person of infinite value into a drone only valued for his production. We are incapable of truest worship if we are unwilling to take the time to create beauty. Be like your Creator. Do what you do with a desire to make life beautiful, to ennoble others, to glorify God.
"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17-18, NKJV)
____________________
He gave me beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise
For the spirit of heaviness,
That we might be trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord,
That He might be glorified.
Beauty For Ashes
Manzano, Robert
© 1976, 1979, 1983 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, October 08, 2010
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Mourn like a virgin bride
Do you know how to mourn? We just don’t do ‘sad’ very well, do we? When crisis hits, when life goes into reverse, we do all we can do to leave the sorrow behind as quickly as possible. We tell those who are broken, “the sun will come up tomorrow!” I am all for encouraging others and being positive. There is a time to mourn, however. There is a time to let ourselves feel the weight of life’s brokenness and to be driven by grief to real humility before God.
The prophet Joel received a message from Yahweh following a terrible plague of locusts that left the land desolate, the people starving, and not even food enough for the ritual offerings to be made in the temple. "Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the crops of the field—are ruined." (Joel 1:11, NLT) "Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God." (Joel 1:13, NLT)
To drive home the point, God says, "Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth." (Joel 1:8, NIV) This line speaks of the young girl, betrothed but not wed, who’s fiancé dies prior to the consummation of their marriage. Her prospects for a good marriage were then severely diminished, hence her deep sorrow!
What’s the point of all this sorrow? Repentance!
The crisis that had befallen the land was a call to consider God’s place in life, to step away from the business of everyday life for a time to reflect on how God might be speaking to His people in that moment. Mourning provides a unique opportunity for the Spirit of the Lord to work in our hearts. When we are at the end of our rope, out of options, broken-hearted we are often ready to hear His voice in a new way.
Disciple, have the locust eaten your crops? Probably not literally, but perhaps you’re in a terrible time of life. There is no way to understand why it’s happening. We cannot see far enough into the future or connect the dots to the past. Joel offers no reasons why the locusts came to Judah either. Unlike some other prophets, he does not point to some sin as the cause of the plague. Stepping over the ‘why’ question, Joel exhorts God’s people to let themselves feel the sorrow, to allow it to drive them to humility, and then to accept the comfort of God! What sound counsel.
Will you stop focusing on why the situation that breaks you has come? Are you willing to mourn like a virgin bride? If so, you will find a new depth of holiness, a new kind of intimacy with Him, if you are willing to relinquish your demands for ease and happiness. It’s not a word we eagerly receive, but it’s true.
Here’s a word from the Word. Ponder it in light of Joel’s word.
"As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:7-11, NLT)
_______________
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me,
Fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Spirit Of The Living God
Iverson, Daniel
© 1935. Renewed 1963 Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
The prophet Joel received a message from Yahweh following a terrible plague of locusts that left the land desolate, the people starving, and not even food enough for the ritual offerings to be made in the temple. "Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley— all the crops of the field—are ruined." (Joel 1:11, NLT) "Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in burlap, you ministers of my God. For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God." (Joel 1:13, NLT)
To drive home the point, God says, "Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth." (Joel 1:8, NIV) This line speaks of the young girl, betrothed but not wed, who’s fiancé dies prior to the consummation of their marriage. Her prospects for a good marriage were then severely diminished, hence her deep sorrow!
What’s the point of all this sorrow? Repentance!
The crisis that had befallen the land was a call to consider God’s place in life, to step away from the business of everyday life for a time to reflect on how God might be speaking to His people in that moment. Mourning provides a unique opportunity for the Spirit of the Lord to work in our hearts. When we are at the end of our rope, out of options, broken-hearted we are often ready to hear His voice in a new way.
Disciple, have the locust eaten your crops? Probably not literally, but perhaps you’re in a terrible time of life. There is no way to understand why it’s happening. We cannot see far enough into the future or connect the dots to the past. Joel offers no reasons why the locusts came to Judah either. Unlike some other prophets, he does not point to some sin as the cause of the plague. Stepping over the ‘why’ question, Joel exhorts God’s people to let themselves feel the sorrow, to allow it to drive them to humility, and then to accept the comfort of God! What sound counsel.
Will you stop focusing on why the situation that breaks you has come? Are you willing to mourn like a virgin bride? If so, you will find a new depth of holiness, a new kind of intimacy with Him, if you are willing to relinquish your demands for ease and happiness. It’s not a word we eagerly receive, but it’s true.
Here’s a word from the Word. Ponder it in light of Joel’s word.
"As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." (Hebrews 12:7-11, NLT)
_______________
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me,
Fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Spirit Of The Living God
Iverson, Daniel
© 1935. Renewed 1963 Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Two kinds of wisdom
The ‘sophisticated’ man on TV is quite clever in his use of words. He is adept at sarcasm, cutting those people with whom he disagrees with slashing phrases. Double entendre is his forte, able to be risqué without actually saying the words. Many think he is very wise because of his ability to be a critic. Just in case you think I am talking about just one person on the right or left of the political spectrum, think again. The pseudo-sophisticates are everywhere!
Disciple, it would be a tragedy if you and I adopted that kind of ‘wisdom’ as our model. The Bible says that the truly wise person is not a divisive critic of others. The real sophisticate is the person who builds consensus, uniting people in pursuit of good. Take a look. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:13-17, NIV)
Jesus urged us to another quality of the truly wise- plain, simple speech. "Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37, NIV)
In a world where words purported to be ‘wise’ fill pages of newsprint, clutter the radio waves, and spill out of 24/7 cable news channels I pray that we who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God will choose to live in ways that reveal the true wisdom of God. If you’re tempted to be a critic or to indulge in cruel sarcasm today, think twice. Pray for a transformation of heart and mind that will then be revealed in your words.
The word from the Word that I use to close this thought is a familiar one. I want to quote The Message paraphrase of Scripture. I pray that the truth will be your guide, today and always.
"How well God must like you—
you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,
you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom. "
(Psalm 1:1-3, The Message)
_______________
Heavenly Father, make my mind new by the Truth of Your Word.
Let Your wisdom, your eternal perspective, form my thoughts.
My world is filled with pseudo-sophisticates who mock the good,
the kind, the loving, the gentle, and the pure.
They pour contempt on things godly and divide people from each other.
Make me different, Spirit of God, I earnestly pray.
Let my words heal, build, and encourage always.
Help me to be like Jesus, of whom it was prophesied;
"He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and
he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. " (Isaiah 42:3, The Message)
In His holy Name, I pray these things.
Amen.
Disciple, it would be a tragedy if you and I adopted that kind of ‘wisdom’ as our model. The Bible says that the truly wise person is not a divisive critic of others. The real sophisticate is the person who builds consensus, uniting people in pursuit of good. Take a look. "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:13-17, NIV)
Jesus urged us to another quality of the truly wise- plain, simple speech. "Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37, NIV)
In a world where words purported to be ‘wise’ fill pages of newsprint, clutter the radio waves, and spill out of 24/7 cable news channels I pray that we who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God will choose to live in ways that reveal the true wisdom of God. If you’re tempted to be a critic or to indulge in cruel sarcasm today, think twice. Pray for a transformation of heart and mind that will then be revealed in your words.
The word from the Word that I use to close this thought is a familiar one. I want to quote The Message paraphrase of Scripture. I pray that the truth will be your guide, today and always.
"How well God must like you—
you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,
you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom. "
(Psalm 1:1-3, The Message)
_______________
Heavenly Father, make my mind new by the Truth of Your Word.
Let Your wisdom, your eternal perspective, form my thoughts.
My world is filled with pseudo-sophisticates who mock the good,
the kind, the loving, the gentle, and the pure.
They pour contempt on things godly and divide people from each other.
Make me different, Spirit of God, I earnestly pray.
Let my words heal, build, and encourage always.
Help me to be like Jesus, of whom it was prophesied;
"He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and
he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. " (Isaiah 42:3, The Message)
In His holy Name, I pray these things.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Sail On!
Reading your wake
"You can tell a lot about a ship as you look at its wake. If it is in a straight line, you get the feeling that the boat is steadily on course and that the captain is not dozing at the wheel.... if it is smooth and flat you know something about the speed of the boat. ... With people the same thing is true. As a person goes through life, he leaves behind a wake." Integrity, Dr. Henry Cloud, 2005
That analogy captured my imagination. I thought about the wake left on life’s sea as I sail on by. Cloud observes that we leave a two-sided wake, relationships and tasks. We should remember that it isn't just how we accomplish those jobs we are assigned, but who we effect in the process.
As we evaluate the task side of our lives, it is important that we ask questions like -
- Am I completing tasks on time and without needless diversions?
- Do I understand the task and set my course to finish it?
- Is my work well done, worthy of review?
- Am I investing passion in my daily life, or draining energy from those around me?
On the relational side of our lives, there are important questions, too.
- Do I create hope and encourage?
- Do I build barriers and discourage?
- Are people glad that I have passed by?
- Are they relieved when I leave?
- Do I leave people enriched or exploited?
Sometimes the answers to such questions are obvious. In other situations discerning how we have performed or how we have interacted is not easy seen. Why? We are not the only ones creating a wake through life. Others bring their own personalities and programs into our lives. The smooth wake that we attempt to create is broken up by theirs. As their wake flows into ours, if we are at cross-purposes, the chop that is created can stir up a real tempest!
Speeding boats passing by on crossing courses leave the waters of their wake roiled and rough. Those who are fighting for recognition, critical of one another, or disagreeing about how to do the work, live with turbulence that draws most of the attention and energy of their lives, robbing them of effectiveness. Then, too, winds of difficulty can blow us off course! No matter how diligent we are at sail to steer a straight course, those gusts will cause us to sail a rather wandering course for a time. Christians who have come to unity about their calling, their purposes, and their methods move into formation and actually sail faster and with less energy expended!
We need to determine the course that God wants us to sail.
When the Spirit and the Word helps us to understand His ways; we catch the wind and – sail on!
We cannot adjust speed or course every time somebody makes an objection to our heading! Of critical importance is time alone with God that brings us understand of what He wants from us. Then, we sail on. When we commit ourselves to principled living and pray for His Spirit to keep us on course, the wake left behind us will be a good one. Yes, there will be moments of wavering, times of rough water, but overall the results and relationships will be positive.
Take a look at the wake you're leaving on life's sea. Is it straight and true? Does it show steady speed?
Don't just look close to the stern. Look toward the horizon, too; "unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2, KJV)
Here's a word from the Word for this day. Take this benediction and turn it into your prayerful petition today.
I am ... "praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you ...
As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul— not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us." (Colossians 1:9-12, The Message) Amen
__________________________
When we're all born we set out to sea,
Looking for answers continuously.
Then when we find out to Him we belong,
We watch for the sign and keep sailin' on.
Cast up your sails and let the wind blow,
Jesus will never let your ship lose control.
Just keep your compass set on the Son,
He'll guide you safely to His beautiful home.
Sail on, when the water gets high.
Sail on, when the wind starts to die.
Sail on, it's just a matter of minutes
'Til His ship comes to get us,
And we'll all get in it.
Sail On
Christian, Chris
© 1977 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
"You can tell a lot about a ship as you look at its wake. If it is in a straight line, you get the feeling that the boat is steadily on course and that the captain is not dozing at the wheel.... if it is smooth and flat you know something about the speed of the boat. ... With people the same thing is true. As a person goes through life, he leaves behind a wake." Integrity, Dr. Henry Cloud, 2005
That analogy captured my imagination. I thought about the wake left on life’s sea as I sail on by. Cloud observes that we leave a two-sided wake, relationships and tasks. We should remember that it isn't just how we accomplish those jobs we are assigned, but who we effect in the process.
As we evaluate the task side of our lives, it is important that we ask questions like -
- Am I completing tasks on time and without needless diversions?
- Do I understand the task and set my course to finish it?
- Is my work well done, worthy of review?
- Am I investing passion in my daily life, or draining energy from those around me?
On the relational side of our lives, there are important questions, too.
- Do I create hope and encourage?
- Do I build barriers and discourage?
- Are people glad that I have passed by?
- Are they relieved when I leave?
- Do I leave people enriched or exploited?
Sometimes the answers to such questions are obvious. In other situations discerning how we have performed or how we have interacted is not easy seen. Why? We are not the only ones creating a wake through life. Others bring their own personalities and programs into our lives. The smooth wake that we attempt to create is broken up by theirs. As their wake flows into ours, if we are at cross-purposes, the chop that is created can stir up a real tempest!
Speeding boats passing by on crossing courses leave the waters of their wake roiled and rough. Those who are fighting for recognition, critical of one another, or disagreeing about how to do the work, live with turbulence that draws most of the attention and energy of their lives, robbing them of effectiveness. Then, too, winds of difficulty can blow us off course! No matter how diligent we are at sail to steer a straight course, those gusts will cause us to sail a rather wandering course for a time. Christians who have come to unity about their calling, their purposes, and their methods move into formation and actually sail faster and with less energy expended!
We need to determine the course that God wants us to sail.
When the Spirit and the Word helps us to understand His ways; we catch the wind and – sail on!
We cannot adjust speed or course every time somebody makes an objection to our heading! Of critical importance is time alone with God that brings us understand of what He wants from us. Then, we sail on. When we commit ourselves to principled living and pray for His Spirit to keep us on course, the wake left behind us will be a good one. Yes, there will be moments of wavering, times of rough water, but overall the results and relationships will be positive.
Take a look at the wake you're leaving on life's sea. Is it straight and true? Does it show steady speed?
Don't just look close to the stern. Look toward the horizon, too; "unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2, KJV)
Here's a word from the Word for this day. Take this benediction and turn it into your prayerful petition today.
I am ... "praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you ...
As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul— not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us." (Colossians 1:9-12, The Message) Amen
__________________________
When we're all born we set out to sea,
Looking for answers continuously.
Then when we find out to Him we belong,
We watch for the sign and keep sailin' on.
Cast up your sails and let the wind blow,
Jesus will never let your ship lose control.
Just keep your compass set on the Son,
He'll guide you safely to His beautiful home.
Sail on, when the water gets high.
Sail on, when the wind starts to die.
Sail on, it's just a matter of minutes
'Til His ship comes to get us,
And we'll all get in it.
Sail On
Christian, Chris
© 1977 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, October 04, 2010
This day, yours or His?
I’m an agenda guy! This day is already mapped out in my head: 9 AM I will be at point A, 11:30 I’ll be there, etc. It’s only 6 am on Monday, but my week is largely planned, with appointments penned in the calendar, with goals set for certain tasks. Structure is demanded is I hope to be productive, to meet the obligations that are a part of my life. However, I can become so committed to my plan that I squeeze the work of God into a little box that could not begin to contain His creativity! Every day, I remind myself that He owns the time. I am really only here to implement His Purposes. He is the One in charge of my calendar, I am just the manager. It’s easier to write that than it is to live it.
When life overflows my agenda, when crises arise that destroy my carefully laid plans, I am tempted to grow tense, even angry. (Sadly, sometimes I sin in those way.) Here’s what I have learned. He catches my attention, surprising me, reminding me that my life is not my own. Circumstances arrive in my life for which there is no explanation. Those moments are invitations to trust, opportunities to open myself to His gift of grace. In ways that cannot simply be chalked off to coincidence, I see the Lord use the days of chaos to help me grow.
In his letter to the disciples in Philippi, Paul says that he is in prison, not for some crime, but for preaching the Gospel. He had not blocked out a year in his calendar for that! But he sees God’s plan working out. He writes, "I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah." (Philippians 1:12-14, The Message) He is not simply being positive. He sees the fruit of faith!
The Word assures us "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-29, NIV) I do not read that with resignation to fate! The sins of others and my own willfulness introduce situations into our lives that do not line up with the perfect will of God. The faith-builder of that passage is the promise that God is big enough to work in all things to accomplish His ultimate purpose in us. What is that purpose? To shape us into the likeness of our Savior. The Psalmist sang, "Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure." (Psalm 23:4, The Message)
Frustration will come today – big and small. It might be something like a car that won’t start. It could be huge- like a pink slip at work. If you are living close to Him, if your heart is seeking His kingdom; then remind yourself that it is His day. Thank Him for the promise that He is working in it for your good to accomplish His purpose. When you’re tempted to complain or curse, to desperately attempt to hang onto control of your life, look up and pray: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NIV) As Christ Jesus is allowed to be Lord of this day, you will not only know greater peace, you will also allow a greater holiness to shine through. This is to His glory, which is the best of all!
______________________
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide,
Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength
For each new day,
He will make a way,
He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me,
And rivers in the desert will I see.
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain,
He will do something new today.
God Will Make A Way
Moen, Don
© 1990 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
When life overflows my agenda, when crises arise that destroy my carefully laid plans, I am tempted to grow tense, even angry. (Sadly, sometimes I sin in those way.) Here’s what I have learned. He catches my attention, surprising me, reminding me that my life is not my own. Circumstances arrive in my life for which there is no explanation. Those moments are invitations to trust, opportunities to open myself to His gift of grace. In ways that cannot simply be chalked off to coincidence, I see the Lord use the days of chaos to help me grow.
In his letter to the disciples in Philippi, Paul says that he is in prison, not for some crime, but for preaching the Gospel. He had not blocked out a year in his calendar for that! But he sees God’s plan working out. He writes, "I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah." (Philippians 1:12-14, The Message) He is not simply being positive. He sees the fruit of faith!
The Word assures us "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-29, NIV) I do not read that with resignation to fate! The sins of others and my own willfulness introduce situations into our lives that do not line up with the perfect will of God. The faith-builder of that passage is the promise that God is big enough to work in all things to accomplish His ultimate purpose in us. What is that purpose? To shape us into the likeness of our Savior. The Psalmist sang, "Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure." (Psalm 23:4, The Message)
Frustration will come today – big and small. It might be something like a car that won’t start. It could be huge- like a pink slip at work. If you are living close to Him, if your heart is seeking His kingdom; then remind yourself that it is His day. Thank Him for the promise that He is working in it for your good to accomplish His purpose. When you’re tempted to complain or curse, to desperately attempt to hang onto control of your life, look up and pray: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NIV) As Christ Jesus is allowed to be Lord of this day, you will not only know greater peace, you will also allow a greater holiness to shine through. This is to His glory, which is the best of all!
______________________
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide,
Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength
For each new day,
He will make a way,
He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me,
And rivers in the desert will I see.
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain,
He will do something new today.
God Will Make A Way
Moen, Don
© 1990 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
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