Jesus with skin on!

When the world is full of trouble and/or your own life is going sideways are you tempted to believe that God went on vacation or that He just doesn’t want to be around?  It’s quite alright to feel like the prayers we offer seem only to echo in the room. 

In those seasons of life I make the hymn, O Worship the King,  my prayer.  “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail; in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail. Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end. Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.”  Yes, that is my heart’s desire; to hold on to Him in faith.

There is real comfort in knowing that the Scripture includes passages written by people in struggle as well as victory. David cries in his song -  "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?" (Psalm 13:1-2, NLT) "O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?" (Psalm 10:1, NLT)  I have cried – “Lord, why does Putin get to sit in his opulent mansion while millions cower in fear under the rain of his bombs?”  Yes, I pray with questions even as I allow the kind of passages I quoted above to remind me that my Abba (Father God) understands and that my spiritual fatigue is no sin in His eyes.

There is a song written by a godly man whose faith was battered.  His words, recorded in Psalm 73 said that he looked around at those who did not fear God and found himself full of envy, doubting God, wondering at the unfairness of it all. What was his choice?  Bitterness and faithlessness?   No, he chose worship!  "I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood …  Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." (Psalm 73:17, 25-26, NLT)

Will you choose to humbly worship the Lord today? Will you override the scream of emotional pain to remember that your vision is limited, your ability to understand His ways not yet complete?  God asks us to “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)  It is not an easy choice, but it is always best to remember that He will carry us through our storms and to remain faithful.

If you know someone who is struggling, whose heart is full of turbulence, whose words are fearful or questioning – please hold back on criticism!  Those seasons require compassion more than correction.  And then too, keep from speaking in spiritual cliches or superficial god-talk. “It will all work out” may be true but in their anguish that may feel more like salt in a wound than salve. Offer to listen, empathize.  Yes, breathe a silent prayer for courage and renewal. 

I am reminded that our calling as Christians is to - "Be Jesus with skin on."  Jesus was not remote. He wept! A touch, a hug, a prayer for comfort, and saying "I'll have faith for you right now while you're hurting so badly," will bless that one much more than a sermon about the unchanging faithfulness of God.

Giving that person a safe and loving place to vent to anger, to express fear or doubt often has a spiritual benefit. When the inner tension breaks the Holy Spirit can flood into their heart and mind with renewed peace. In time, their tumbling thoughts will find order and be shaped, once more, by the truth of the Scripture.  Yes, it is true that a person in a faith crisis because of his own willful disobedience to the Lord needs a wisely worded, courageous rebuke, but ‘speaking the truth in love’ is a gift that a thoughtful friend offers only at the Spirit’s impulse.

Here's a word from the Word from the 73rd Psalm to which I alluded a moment ago. Know it well. Sooner or later, you will need it, too.

"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. . . .

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (Psalm 73, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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O Worship the King

 O worship the King all glorious above,

and gratefully sing his power and his love:

our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,

pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

 

Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

 

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail -

in you do we trust, nor find You to fail;

your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end!

our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.

 

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,

whom angels delight to worship above!

Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,

in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

 

Robert Grant, public domain

 

Pray to Grow!

 

Could you be a better Christian than you are today?  I chuckled even as I typed that question because the answer is obvious. We are all ‘becomers,’ growing more into the likeness of Jesus as time passes.  I look back at my life and thank the Lord for His faithfulness to lead me to know Him better, to grow in grace, even while realizing that there still discoveries about Him to be made, victories to be won.

Christians around the world enter a season of preparation today, the first day of Lent, "Ash Wednesday."  It is called this because the ashes traditionally made from palm fronds from the previous year's celebration of Palm Sunday are used in some Christian traditions to mark the forehead as a reminder of mortality and humility. Lent has primarily become known for a little practiced spiritual discipline- fasting.  The purpose of the Lenten fast is to encourage Christians to break the grip of their earthly appetites to that they are hungry for the Word of God. Lent stretches over the weeks that lead up to the celebration of the Resurrection.

Christian friend, while I know that religious traditions can lose their meaning and effectiveness, I do believe that we all can benefit by taking time during Lent to focus anew on the Cross of Christ. How about joining me in renewal of the practice of fasting? Fasting, in the most narrow meaning, is about abstaining from all food. The discipline does not require such a radical step. Fasting can be an act of obedience offered in faith to God that opens us to a new experience of the Holy Spirit’s Presence!  We can ‘fast’ a meal a day, or set aside desserts, or put away our smartphones for a time each day, or …. well, why not ask the Lord how he would desire to renew your devotion?

Let’s remember that we are both spirit and flesh, that what we do in our physical body affects our spiritual life and how we worship affects our daily life in this world. So, will we become amazingly devout Christians just because we don't eat ice cream during the 40 days of Lent? No, but if we choose to fast (give up to God) some pleasure as an act of worship; if we add to true worship to our devotion, we are inviting the Holy Spirit to act in us.  

If we fast and think that our small sacrifice earns God’s approval, we have missed the point entirely. Religious ritual, done for the purpose of impressing God and/or other people, is worse than useless; it is a expression of sinful pride. That is why Jesus urged us to practice spiritual disciplines like fasting, giving, and prayer without telling anyone. Such choices, because they are acts of faith, must be very personal.

Jesus said, "when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-18 NLT) If we 'show off' or if we judge those who do not practice a discipline as we do, we rob the disciplines of any value. They become nothing more than the display of religion and empty traditions or worse, a means of making ourselves feel better than someone who does not share our conviction.

Will you give up ice cream for Lent? If you do, do it for the purpose of seeking the Lord. (I think we might be better served by giving up some TV time for prayer, meditation or reading Scripture.) Don’t do it just because I said to. Rather, pray about it. Ask the Lord if you need to discipline your body to provide freedom for the spirit. Here’s a word from the Word about living in the Spirit. Think deeply and prayerfully on the promise of this passage.

Let’s truly enter the spirit of Lent – attending to our hearts, presenting ourselves to our God, recognizing our weaknesses even as we receive His Spirit’s strength. Pray to grow! How wonderful to come to the celebration of His Resurrection knowing a new intimacy, a greater desire to love God and others, and to experience the joy of Christ.

Here is a word from the Word. Spend a few moments letting this truth settle in your mind today. "So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law." (Galatians 5:16-18, NLT)

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Take My Life

Take my life and let it be consecrated
Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee

Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my King
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee
Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
Ev'ry power as You choose

Here am I all of me
Take my life it's all for Thee

Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love my Lord I pour
At Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
Ever only all for Thee

Chris Tomlin | Frances Ridley Havergal | Henri Abraham Cesar Malan | Louie Giglio

© 2003 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

 

For a bleak Monday

 

I love ‘happy’ and people blessed with an optimistic outlook. I tend to see the glass half-empty most of the time, partially my personality and a side-effect of old age, perhaps. The last few days, with the escalating war in Ukraine, we have needed more than optimism, I think.  There is much to be said for being positive. Who doesn’t love that song from Little Orphan Annie - "The sun’ll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun."  People like that are a gift to the rest of us!

But, there are limits to the ability of optimism to carry us through hard times. I have known amazing blessings and dark nights of the soul, glad songs and sad songs, success and failure.  It is true that life goes on and that with courage we will see the sun come up tomorrow. But, beyond optimism is a gift and a choice of greater power to sustain us, even on this bleak Monday in this world. Optimism  hopes that “I can do this. I will overcome.” It’s admirable! But, faith is better. 

Faith trusts in a purposeful God.  Many people confuse optimism and true faith but they are different, having an entirely different focal point. Optimism depends on a change of circumstance that I work hard to produce. Faith trusts in the promise that God  is “working in all things to accomplish something for the good of those who love Him!” (Romans 8:28) An optimist may make bold assertions about what God will do in their situation, but never truly and fully trust in the Lord.  Those Christians who believe that if they say enough positive things, if they force themselves to 'believe' what they say with conviction, God is somehow obligated to do what they want. They are sadly mistaken, headed for a collision with reality.

Faith understands that “God is God, I am not.”   Perhaps it seems that I do not believe in the power of prayer. Ah, but I do! “Prayer” that is just a statement of my desire or the claim of my positive words is not prayer at all.  Real prayer seeks God, desiring His will,  and is settled on His purpose.  Oh yes, we are to pray about needs, even our desires.  Because we are His beloved children, Abba (Father) invites us to come confidently with our petitions. But, at the same time, He teaches us that He is Lord and Father.  In love and humility we relinquish control of life to Him.  Humility is a key to real prayer always remembering that God sees what we can’t even begin to imagine.   

Consider this … Did Job, the Old Testament saint who lost his family, his wealth, and even the respect of his wife and friends, suffer as he did because he did not pray with faith?   Of course not. He suffered according to the will of God for purposes that he did not know and could not grasp, and yet that faithful man did not turn on the Lord.  Yes, he questioned. Yes, he even challenged God to explain Himself, but he quickly became humble and confessed that God was Lord of all saying, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15, NKJV)  

Did Paul go through hard times because he lacked faith? To suggest that is absurd.  He reminds us that the sufferings he endured actually served to bring him to greater dependence on God!  “It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!" (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, The Message)

Peter tells us that "those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19, NIV)

 This day, replace mere optimism with great faith!  Get to know God - in prayer, through meditation, from the pages of the Scripture, in worship. 

Go beyond having a god (small 'g' intended!) that you keep around like a good luck charm, a deity you bring out to ward off 'bad luck.'  That's the stuff of religion, the empty tradition of human based 'worship.' Give your life to Him. Learn to be delighted by the truth that you are His; to be used by Him, to serve His purposes.  There, in His will, is supreme joy that supersedes our situations.

Our word from the Word invites us to know the heart of faith: a totally God-focused, surrendered, trusting life. As you read these inspired words which reduce me to tears each time I read them, allow the Holy Spirit to breathe faith in your soul. "I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning
New mercies I see
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me

 

Summer and winter
And springtime and harvest
Sun moon and stars
In their courses above
Join with all nature
In manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness
Mercy and love

 

Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence
To cheer and to guide
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine
With ten thousand beside

Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan

© Words: Public Domain