What is God able to do?Have you pondered on this question lately?All of us will immediately conclude the objective answer:God is able to do anything.We may wish to qualify ‘anything’ as being anything which does not conflict with His perfect nature.God cannot sin, God cannot lie, and God cannot cease being God.But beyond this obvious qualification we are left with the answer that God can do anything.
Then why don’t we see this obvious element of faith more at work in our own individual lives?
Yes, God can do anything but we prefer worry over patient prayer.God can do anything but we trust in our savings and keep what we earn rather than give away as much as we can and trust God to meet our needs (I’ve only met two people in 15 years of Christian living who regularly live with this theme).God can do anything but we quickly give up on people and relationships and opportunities.“God can do anything!” we cry with our lips.But our lives often declare otherwise.
Reading in 2nd Kings this morning I saw a repeated theme come to my attention as God began addressing my own personal level of trust in Him.
God defeated an enemy army with an optical illusion (2 Kings 3:21-27)
God provided a helpless woman a year’s supply of groceries in a miraculous supply (2 Kings 4:1-7)
God blessed a barren woman and her old husband with a baby boy (2 Kings 4:8-17)
God raised this same child from the dead through Elisha’s ministry (2 Kings 4:18-37)
God cleansed a poisonous pot of soup with a handful of cornmeal (2 Kings 4:38-41)
God miraculously fed 100 men with 20 loaves of bread and corn (2 Kings 4:42-44)
God cured a proud man of leprosy by making him bathe in a muddy river (2 Kings 5:1-19)
God made iron float in a pond by adding a piece of wood into the water (2 Kings 6:1-7)
I’m a careful student of the Scriptures so I immediately pause and ask myself an urgent question:Why did God utilize 8 consecutive passages of Scripture to reveal at least 8 consecutive miraculous interventions?Here’s the profound answer:To remind 21st century believers that God can do anything.
The miraculous interventions of God are anything but subtle in Scripture.There was that little scene at the Red Sea.Jericho ended up on the wrong end of God’s miracle working power.Elijah attended a barbecue on Mount Carmel where the flames were hot and lit from Heaven's throne.Jonah stayed over at the Fishbelly Inn and then participated in the world’s first amphibious landing on the shore of Nineveh.God made blind people see, deaf people hear, mute people shout, lame people leap, and dead people breathe again.Snakebites stung but could not slay.Ovens flamed but could not incinerate.Lions roared and watched but were prohibited for making a meal out of a man of God.Waves of the sea became stepping stones for a fearful but growing disciple.In short, brothers and sisters, God has made it clear that He is more than willing to do for us and before our eyes what we could never do, what we rarely ask for, and what we disqualify ourselves from experiencing through a lack of faith.
So I’m going to ask you to do something:RISK IT.
Begin to tenaciously ask God to do something – anything! – in your life that will foster in you the certainty that He still does the un-doable.For those of you who polish the throne of reason and logic as you bow there, I’m sure this blog post seems a little silly.For those of you who are hungry for the non-boxed, indescribable, inscrutable, illustrious glory of God to be revealed to you and in you – then join me in a relentless presence before a Generous King who is likely seeking those who will dare to ask Him to do what He has already proven He can do.
God can do anything.Don’t let the Devil tell you otherwise.
Last week I go knocked off track for about twelve hours.I was tackled by something which seemed to weigh 3 ½ tons as it blindsided me in an otherwise enjoyable day.It took me a bit to pick myself up off the ground and my opponent had walked away laughing before I fully assessed what had just happened.What stomped me flat?My Past.Yes, he showed up in full pads and got a running start, flew through the air, wrapped his arms around me and crushed me to the dirt.He’d not done that to me before and it had been so long since I’d even glanced his way that it made this particular tackle all the more painful.He knocked my breath clean out of my gut.
The support of a wonderful wife and the comfort of God the Spirit got me back in the game and allowed me to practice what I easily and often preach to others.I have declared countless times that it is an unwise Christian who allows his past to interrupt his present or dictate his future.I’ve always liked the sound of that platitude as it comes off my lips.I learned last week that it is much easier to say than it is to practice.I began to recall how easily I have dismissed the hurt of the Christian who is tormented by sins and failures of years gone by.My advice has always been for them to stoically walk away and live today in the grace and assurance of God.I’ve never understood why people struggled with guilt and remorse over things long repented of and forgiven.I fully get it now and will approach these issues with new insight (and greater compassion) in the future.The past is definitely on a short chain but it still brings forth intimidating growls through sharp teeth.Though it has no legitimate bite, it still barks loudly.
From the past to the present:what a joy the last few Sundays have been at Meadow.There has been an unhindered freshness in our services as God has touched hearts.The invitations have seen the altar occupied with people moved by God at the end of each service.A teenage girl committed her life to Christ at a Youth function on Saturday and another young lady tearfully repented of sin and received Christ in the Sunday morning service.I have never felt it was my place to demand of God a visible response to my messages but I candidly confess that I love to see it happen.These are great days at Meadow where God is purifying us as His people and stirring us as His servants.
From the present to the future:all I can say is that God will be there.The future is good because God is good and God is committed to occupy the future.He knows your load and your concerns that it will be heavier tomorrow.That’s why He is already committed to be there with you tomorrow.Your unknowns are His fully-known’s and He is not intimidated by anything awaiting you.As a matter of fact, I’ve read the very back of the book and know that, in the final chapter, you will be standing victorious and glorious, singing the triumph tune of the ages.Jesus made that possible for you.Think of it:God prepared for you in eternity past, accompanies you in the present, and preserves for you an unspeakable future.He is, indeed, the comprehensive God over all.
Join me in living out today in gratitude and praise.He’s got you covered.He always has.
“When God the Spirit is at His work it is as if all of life is put to song.” - Unknown
I hope that today you are aware of the song of life.Life might seem as a lecture on certain days – full of duties, staccato sentences which reveal the mundane to you one stale, brown loaf after another.During other seasons life is a cacophony of voices, each of which begs your attention and demands your allegiance.Crowd noise, I call it; confusing, clamoring and incessant it can go from being a low hum to the overarching sound of your pilgrimage if you don't manage it quickly enough.Drown this out with song before it seeks to define your days.Even the cries of the masses which hunger for substance, pine for truth, and seek after that elusive “something” can become so overwhelming that the continual need for our assistance becomes cumbersome rather than privileged.Even our Master left the crowds for time of solitude and prayer.So if life must be defined by a sound, let it be the sound of song.God sings according to Zephaniah 3.Jesus sang with His disciples shortly before the crucifixion.Isn’t that amazing?Before He sweat great drops of blood, before He drank the cup of His Father, before He took the spikes of sin in His hands and feet . . . my Savior sang.Should we not then be much more able to sing now that He has done all of this on our behalf? Is there not a cause? If He sang in the shadow of suffering is not reasonable that we should then be much more equipped to sing in the light of His liberty?If not-to-sing is a sin then we are guilty of this most of all.I’m not referring so much to lyrics and notes (though they must also be present in our lives of worship) as I am speaking of living a life set to spiritual music, the flow of faith, as it were. A melody of love carrying us forth as the harmonies of joy, peace, faith and hope beautify the score of our lifesong.My King is worthy and I’ve asked Him today to let us trace His song in anything that we see.Smiling faces – His voice!An opportunity to give – I hear Him! Conviction of sin – this minor chord is also part of His song.Affirmation – let there be a refrain! Even now I feel better as I’m hearing Him this early morning.
As with any song, His also sounds so much better when sung with a smile.He has smiled upon His Only Begotten and therefore He is smiling on me today. How about you?
1 Samuel 10:26 – “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.”
There are a thousand manners in which Christians might be described.We call some passionate; others are known as deep.We note those in our ranks as being studious, joyful, sacrificial, and dedicated.What a delight to be around seasoned saints whose steadfastness spurs us on to deeper levels of commitment.I love simple and quiet saints who help me recognize the balance to the complications and demands which I live with.Can you recall a saint or two in your life who was always burdened for souls and never could quite release herself to be lighthearted?What about the smiling brother who reeked of a confidence of God that always reassured you that things would be okay. I believe that if we carefully observe the variety of believers in the Body we will get a remarkable reflection of the Lord Himself.For He revealed all the characteristics above and more.
What would people describe as being the predominant feature of you, my friend?Exactly what type of Christian are you?
This morning I would wish to be viewed as the men who accompanied King Saul on the day of his coronation.The verse above describes them as being men whose hearts God had touched.Could there be much that rises higher than this?Perhaps a filling is better than a touch, but does not the initial touch create the hunger for the filling, and the hunger give birth to the pursuit and the pursuit lead to the actuality of the filling?Glory to God, to have your heart touched – affected, changed, healed, renewed, enlivened – by the hand of gracious Omnipotence is an unspeakable marvel.Have you experienced this?
Do you love God with an impossible to describe awareness of Him that flavors all that you do?It is because He touched your heart.
Do you sense an urgency for His glory in this world that is indifferent to Him?Evidence indeed of a heavenly heart-touch.
You find yourself investing in what you do not yet see at the expense of receiving that which you can hold today.You’ve become a giver of time and money and energy to an invisible (yet undeniable) King.We can clearly declare then that His eternal fingerprint rides the pulse of your heart.
You are like a spiritual juggler who at any given moment finds himself holding one the fruits of the Spirit while another fruit is quickly making its way in.There is a recognizable flow of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance revolving around your heart.That certainly isn’t anything you can credit yourself for – God did that!
And not the least of these things is the clear dread you have of sin and sins.You cringe at the enticing object presenting itself to your eyes, regret the mindless word escaping your lips and the fiery thought which propelled it outward.You eagerly chase out your pride when it approaches the threshold of your heart seeking a place to stay for the week.You open a window of forgiving grace to clear your life of the foul stench of bitterness which has smoldered there long enough.You caffeinate your apathy with a morning brew of prayer and the Word and find yourself spiritually awakened for the tasks of the day.My how His finger has changed your heart!Praise Him today!
Yes, I think I’ll stick with my answer.Let me be one whose heart God has touched because nothing worthwhile comes before that.Might I also mention that nothing which will glorify Him can be stopped afterward?
Ephesians 4:1-7 - "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism,one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. " {ESV}
Ephesians 4:11-16 - "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." {ESV}
The book of Ephesians has always been a source of enlightenment and encouragement for God's children.A treasure trove of doctrine coupled with a goldmine of practical instruction makes this inspired letter one of the most important in our bibles for local assemblies.The two passages above remind me of the high call of God on our lives to work hard at living in loving unity with one another.A whole host of forces assault this call: your flesh, the devil and his legions, a self-oriented philosophy in the world, competing priorities in the Kingdom, and a misunderstanding/misinterpretation of God's Word.The bottom line of these two passages are easy to understand but difficult for believers to maintain.Thanks be to God that we are not called to do so in our own power.
In verses 1-7 above Paul reminds Christians to live their lives in a manner worthy of the blessed privilege of being redeemed.He tells us to lower ourselves in humility, gentleness and patience.The heavy pack that he lays on our spines comes when he tells us to bear with one another as we strive with exertion to maintain the unity of the Spirit among us.Paul does not allow us to escape this command when we finally get sick of working at difficult relationships, for that is the very reason the command is given.He places the focus on the fact that we maintain unity among ourselves because it has a direct effect on the work of the Holy Spirit in His church.Paul then highlights that, even with all the differences among us, that there is still only one Church, one Spirit, on hope, one Lord, one baptism and one God who is over us all.Disagree as we may, the reality is that we are still united for all eternity.
In verses 11-16 Paul explains to the believers of Ephesus concerning the role of God-ordained spiritual leaders among them.I've found in recent months a dangerous trend among believers that wishes to deny the spiritual authority of God's leaders among His children.This happens when believers take the biblical truth of equality in Christ among all the redeemed, and lay it over God's blueprint for local assemblies.The leaders listed in these verses were given to the church by God for a purpose, so that makes me slow down and ask at least two questions:
1.What do we do when God gifts us with people to lead us?How do we esteem the gifts from God?
2.Are we recognizing the purpose that God has in giving these people to lead us?
Look at the clear statements of Ephesians 4:11-16 concerning why God places spiritual leaders in the church.
1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry
2.To equip saints to build up the body of Christ
3.To lead believers in unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
4.To prevent believers from remaining as children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
5.To speak the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ
In short, spiritual leaders, given by God Himself to each church are to work, work, work at building up His body both by positively investing and proactively defending.Christians are alerted here to the danger of being immature in the faith (immaturity being defined here as being tossed to and fro by new philosophical waves coming in and new doctrinal winds blowing about).Leaders are to tell the truth and not retreat because they love the flock enough to make a stand against things that will potentially undermine all the purposes for which God gave them to the church.For leaders it is an authorized place but also a very lonely place if those following don't understand the biblical blueprint.Just ask Moses, Jeremiah, Joseph and Paul.For that matter, just ask Jesus because He knows it best of all.
May the washing grace of God fill all Christians and churches today who have their hearts set to bring Him utmost glory.May a willingness to die to ourselves flood the shorelines of our hearts and carry away the debris of selfishness.Let us renounce pettiness and poutiness as we take up the armor of God and march for our King.There is indeed an enemy among the children of God and it is not ourselves.May leaders know their flocks and serve them.May the flocks understand their leaders and follow them.May our Captain in Battle examine His troops and declare us fit for today's battles.There is much at stake, is there not?
Moses was a very old man doing the job of, perhaps, a very young man. An untrained leader who was now in charge of an innumerable host of freed slaves. Like in a dream, God led them out of Egypt with a high hand. The dream sweetened as they began to breathe the air of freemen. Shouts of triumph, songs of deliverance mingled with a residing anxiety that the dream might end if they did not move quickly beyond the reach of their taskmasters in Egypt. This was the lot of the Israelites some 3500 years ago. God Almighty had decreed their liberty.
The dream came to an abrupt halt at the Red Sea. A furious Pharaoh, regretting his decision to give Israel her leave from Egypt, summoned his dreadful army and pursued the rag-tag band of brick makers in order to re-enslave them. Israel had a good lead but the large mass of Hebrews was moving about as swiftly as a groggy hippopotamus. Eventually, no matter how fast they might have fled, they met an impossible barrier called the Red Sea. They could go no further.
Moses had done everything God had commanded. He was a faithful leader who found himself in an impossible quandary. The people, sensing the desperate situation, began the first chorus of many to come which sang out, “We are doomed and our leader is a fool!” They would master this chorus over the next forty years but would never master the faithlessness that fueled it. Welcome to the ministry of spiritual leadership, Moses! Moses gave a great pep-talk to the people in Exodus 14:13-14 – it moves us as we read it three and a half milennia later. Interestingly enough it seems that it expressed more confidence than he might have actually possessed because verse 15 finds God telling Moses to stop whining to Him and start marching. Typical preacher: a thousand times more confident in his pulpit than he is in private. Been there, lived that.
The remainder of the story is familiar as God splits the sea, ushers the people of Israel across, and drowns the armies of Egypt. I am simply intrigued by one small statement in Exodus 14:27.
“Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared…”
The long night of fear and toil, waiting to see what God would do, passed with the hope of a sunrise. The morning appeared and the enemy disappeared. The sun rose and the waves crashed down in permanent darkness on the Egyptians. A new day began as an impossible miracle came to an end. God did it, and He did it at the last minute. The “morning appeared” and Israel saw something that none among her had ever seen. They saw the unprecedented hand of God mightily move on their beleaguered behalf.
That’s my God. That’s your God.
As you may be enduring a nighttime of fear please remember that mornings continue to appear. The darkness of the last ten hours of night is fleeing even as I type these words. I see light coming in through the blinds of my office windows. It’s a new day and God only knows (literally) what He has stored up for the next phase of morning light. I’m comforted today that my God has a distinct set of events and lessons that are soon to be dispensed as an allotment for today. Will there be enemies? Perhaps. Might there be Red Sea barriers? There usually are for me. Could it be possible that the temptation to panic in human weakness introduces itself to me today? Could be,wouldn't be the first time. But might there not also be an amazing move of God which has today’s date on it? Has He addressed a heavenly parcel to me which contains long sought answers? Perhaps this is the day when the aspects of night – dark, obscured, and thick – are purged with a repeating of a 3,500 year old move of my Maker. God splits Red Seas and I happen to be up against one or two. It is distinctly possible that today…my own morning might appear.
And if not this day, hope will await us again on the morrow.
1 John 3:20 – “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”
John 21:17 – “He said unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said unto him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you. Jesus sad unto him, Feed My sheep.”
People who live committed to Jesus Christ and who possess a spiritually sensitive conscious are susceptible to a particular risk.This risk stems from a sincere heart but results in a confused and fearful heart.It carries within it a certain dread that, if our faith is found not quite at the level where it should be, God will not do for us what we ask and need Him to do.This risk can be encapsulated in the statement: God will never interact with me beyond the degree of my faith.When we unilaterally believe this statement then we immediately recognize the pressure to perform in such a way that obligates God to us. Our focus leaves the God of all grace and latches onto our own ability to garner favor from God. We stop being restful receivers and commence a life of bargaining toil. It's a hard pavement to pound.
We have, by assuming an inflated sense of importance, made a significant error.
While it is true that some issues in life are conditioned by the degree to which we are committed to them, it is also true that God does “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”.The danger of believing that too much rests upon you is that we commit Israel’s folly and “limit the Holy One of Israel” {Psalm 78:41}.So much of what God does, He chooses to do absolutely separate from our level of faith.If He only and always blessed us according to our capacity to trust Him then this world would be a much more miserable place! Who always trusts Him as they should?
The condemned heart that John mentions in the verse above is a hazard for those with a sensitive conscious.There is a necessity of legitimate guilt that John mentions earlier in his first epistle, but here he seems to be speaking of illegitimate guilt – a general sense of badness or not measuring up.He soothes us by instructing that these condemned hearts need not own us because God – who knows us much better than we know ourselves – reads our hearts perfectly and chooses the route of zero condemnation.Quite simply put, those of us who have bowed to Jesus Christ are absolutely uncondemned and uncondemn-able.We are free from the indictment and verdict of our less than trusting consciences.God is not sitting by helplessly as He longs to bless and love and grace us but - alas – our lack of perfect trust forbids Him from doing so (be careful not to assume you have never thought this).Picture the silliness of the notion that the Almighty could only exercise His might when the objects of His love…have earned it with a well packaged display of trust and faith.
Peter had miserably failed Jesus by denying Him.Prior to this, Peter was a blessing-earner.It was all about what Peter could do for Jesus.He declared that he was a more fit disciple than the others.He took it upon himself to correct Jesus in His omniscience concerning the looming necessity of the cross.He rose to defend Jesus in the garden when the soldiers came.Then big, brash and bold Peter quaked at the prepubescent words of a campfire girl.That explosion you just heard was the destruction of Peter’s ego! After the Resurrection Peter was sought out by Jesus and found back on the fishing boats.As a colossal failure in ministry he abandoned his calling and went back to his job.Trust me, Peter’s level of faith had never been lower.What would Jesus do?Move on to a more suitable specimen for the future work of the Kingdom?Would he kick Pete to the curb and invest in James and John?Would He scrap the whole lot of disciples and start over with a breed of men who knew what it meant to trust Him at an elevated level?
Nope.Jesus went back and reclaimed a struggler.He always does because there are really no other options for Him in the human race.Nobody always trusts Him like we should.Nobody.
Peter was gently quizzed by Christ concerning his love for Him.In the end, Peter had to confess that only Jesus really knew where Peter’s love level began and ended.He simply sighed and said, “You know all things, Lord.”Then Jesus told Peter to get back to work for Him.
Friend, spend more time today focusing on the greatness of Christ and less time on the smallness of you.Resist the urge to limit the Holy One by assuming that you’re the one who determines the level of His activity in your life.He began the interaction with you and He will continue it for all eternity.He has a plan for you and it WILL be accomplished.If you are sinning then, for the glory of Jesus Christ, stop it and reclaim the sense of peace you are forfeiting.If your hands are clean but your heart is still feeling condemned, recognize that the accusing voice is that of the enemy and you have the right to invoke the name of the True Word to silence the voice of the eternal liar. Jesus already knew you didn't measure up when He saved you - why has the reality of that all of the sudden become an ambushing horror to you? Dear friend, if you measured up...you never would have needed a Savior. If we find ourselves floundering today, let us also acknowledge that we still find Him enthroned. His position is our peace. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lord, today we call on you to glorify Yourself beyond our capacity to imagine it. We ask You to be You in a grand display of Your limitlessness. Help us to know our own limits and then - we cry - show us how You exist beyond those limits. Our trust is not going to be in what we believe about You - our trust today is that You are greater than our capacity to believe!
I'm going to do something I almost never do. I'm going to recommend that some of you listen to a sermon I preached last night at Meadow. I am recommending it, not because it is entertaining, not because it is short (it's 55 minutes long), not because it is something "new". I'm recommending it because I think Christians need to understand and engage in what is being taught in that sermon. The reason I'm only recommending it for some is because there is a prerequisite for it to have any benefit in your life: a hunger to encounter God's ways and wisdom in this life.
The message is called "Deep Wells For Thirsty Hearts" from Proverbs 2:1-9. It centers on you and your Bible. Yep, another message by a preacher on the importance of the Bible. If you're still interested in listening to it now that you know the content, please know that it is confrontational, inspiraitonal, and very, very direct. For those of you who love their bibles, you will be greatly encouraged. For those who want to love their bibles, you will be directly motivated. For those who can do without their bibles...Entertainment Tonight comes on at 7 or 7:30 five nights a week on ABC.
May God stir our hearts to reclaim the only objective hope that the 21st century church still has: a return to the Word.
“This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise.” – Isaiah 43:21
What a great reminder on this Lord’s Day from the ancient prophet.Some 2700 years ago Isaiah penned the words of God for us to cherish this very morning.Isaiah 43 rings over and over again with the theme of God’s sovereign grace in His care of His children.Though I am not a Hebrew operating under an old covenant with Yahweh, I have been made a Christian who has been lavishly welcomed into a new and everlasting covenant.In short, He has made me His own!
Isaiah even hints at the means by which this great and precious privilege has been afforded me: “I, even I, am He that blots out thy transgressions for My own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” {43:25}.My sins are the only thing that ever prevented me from being His own in the first place.My sins – each of them and all of them – erected an impenetrable barrier between my need and my Solution.Sin became a steel wall reaching to the sky, wedged into the earth, a million miles wide and a trillion miles thick; I was on one side alone and lost and God was on the other resting in an undiluted glory.There was no hope for me.The barrier was not only something that existed between us, it was something I erected.I chose the barrier, I craved the barrier; the barrier protected my freedom and insulated me from accountability to the One on the other side.For a time I polished the barrier and cherished it.Then I noticed its hardness.It was cold and thick.It allowed me only a slight recognition of the muffled sounds on the other side.The noise was foreign to me but, even though it was faint, it sounded like laughter and hope and love and joy.From time to time I thought I heard my own name being called from the other side.Soon the barrier no longer delighted me as much.What was over there?Who was on the other side and what was He doing?
In August of 1994 there was a great thrashing and crashing sound which enveloped my life.I awoke on August 4th to experience the Sovereign and Omnipotent hand of the Almighty removing in one agonizing, terrifying move the impossible barrier that had kept me from Him.He did it. He did it alone. It was an amazing event because all it took from me was a cry for the barrier – my sin – to be done away with.He had been waiting for me all along and was instant to move once He heard my sincere, repentant cry.Once the steel wall of sin was gone I saw Him for the first time.It was Jesus and He was not angry.He was smiling, welcoming, and altogether lovely.I immediately wondered what would have possessed me to have spent so many years running from this One, hiding from Him.He embraced me, assured me of His forgiveness and told me that I would follow Him.He has allowed me to experience exalted views of heavenly possibilities. He has shepherded me through tearing thickets, dry valleys, formidable heights and troubled seas.He scares me even today as He leads me into places where shadows obscure all but the very next step.I prefer the light and comfortable places while He insists that the way to the fruitful valley requires that some treacherous trails be trodden.He’s always smiling because – He tells me often – He knows exactly what He is doing.When I get very nervous about the journey He slows me down and reminds me how wonderful it is that the old steel barrier is gone.He tells me that He loves being with me.I’m usually crying by that point – like I am right now – and I tell Him that I love being with Him too.
Then He says, ‘Come walk with Me.’
And I do. I invite you to continue your own walk with Him. He's reaching out His strong hand again. Take it. We can trust Him.
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV
Do you have a quest in life?A life without a quest is a life which has lost purpose.Quest-less existence is driftwood on a river current headed to nowhere.You may not consider yourself a driven person but I certainly hope that doesn’t mean that you are aimless, a meandering soul in God’s Redwood Forest who is settling for kicking acorns.Take a moment and think:what’s your hunger?
Solomon touches on the pulse of many of our hearts when he writes of “understand{ing} the fear of the LORD and find{ing} the knowledge of God”.Because our God is the only inexhaustible Entity in existence, then we can awake each day and cry out, ‘More!’Those who have known Him best have declared that they know Him hardly at all.The deeper we go into the mine of His character the tinier we realize we are.He swallows us with His fathomless being.We experience God’s goodness and we hunger for more.His own righteousness is deposited in us in the person of Christ and yet we are becoming more righteous as we pursue intimacy with Him.The wisdom of the Almighty awakens us to higher planes of existence only to reveal to us that we are still living at the foot of His mountain.We have experienced the ecstasy of His presence in prayer and quiet communion with Him; we look into the mirror of His Word and behold Him there as if He were looking over our shoulder as we read and whispering, “There, that’s Me you are reading of there.I am really as I have written.”His comfort is not only necessary when human aid fails us; it is what we begin to long for first when pain ambushes us.We catch fleeting glimpses of a God who smiles – even laughs – and it makes us wonder how much we have been missing of Him.We know Him deeply, but this depth is being measured by our own capacity to understand, not by His boundless capacity in being.When we begin to measure our depth according to His nature then the deepest among us becomes as a shallow puddle.
Solomon tells us that we will find the knowledge of God. If…
That’s right, to experience all that I’ve just written and more concerning God we must acknowledge that this is a conditional potential for us.Solomon says that we may truly experience God if, if, if…
…you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you
… you make your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding
…you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
…you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures
Rather than dissecting all of these conditional prerequisites, let me ask you to go back and read them slowly.Once you have done that, tell me if you agree with my summary statement:Make the knowledge of (experience of) God your prioritized quest and you will most certainly find yourself rewarded.
There is no such thing as incidental spiritual depth and experience.God is too high and holy to entrust His best with the flippant and casual person.Riches are often buried and the greatest lay hidden for only those who long enough for them to make their discovery the priority of life.Do we recognize that all of the easy earthly treasures have already been discovered?Surface treasures can be claimed by the fortunate stroller who stumbles upon them. These types of treasures have been cherry-picked and claimed by anyone who has the discernment equal to that of a squirrel. Yet, at the bottom of oceans are vast amounts of earthly wealth waiting for one who has drive and ability to reclaim them.Undiscovered pits, covered with layers of soil hold troves of material jewels and gold.Massive amounts of wealth await the one whose passion for them ignites a will to lay hold on them. It is the same with the spiritual treasures in our relationship with Christ.You’ve experienced all that you will ever experience without deepening your hunger and raising your commitment.The easy stuff is yours and has been for some time now.What has He buried that He beckons you to find?What hunger has His grace awakened in you?How long will you stifle that undeniable sense of “something more”?
I suggest gently to you that it’s time to reclaim your quest.The beauty of God is calling treasure hunters today. Are you among them who will answer?
We all know that God is good because His perfect Word declares this to us countless times.We know it theologically and are convinced of it within the deepest recesses of our souls.But do you know what we long for?We long to experience the goodness of God in such a way that it draws us in much closer towards His infinite being.Simply put, we love to find ourselves immersed in the happy side of God’s goodness.
My family was able to do exactly this for the last eight days as we traveled for our long-awaited Summer vacation.Interestingly enough, our Summer vacation actually took place during the first week of Autumn, but who’s counting?We left after the Sunday morning service and disappeared until I dared to cast my shadow back at the office at 4:15 this morning.The time away was filled with laughter and fun.The freedom from responsibilities and demands was enough to make me feel lighter of soul (the mass quantities of Florida food, however, did nothing for a physical sense of lightness).We stayed at a resort near Disney which was provided by some friends.Landon and I shared a bed as Amy and Alicia claimed the one next to us.During several of the nights I would be gently awakened by my little boy’s hand reaching up and touching my face.I would open my eyes and find him smiling at me – this alone was worth the trip for me.The kids cackled as they rode the rides and swam the pools.I lost count of how many times they partook of the corkscrew water slide at our resort.Amy and I held hands more than we have all year long.The drive down to Florida was filled with anticipation while the drive home was thick with satisfaction.Who knew that a vacation could be so laden with nourishment?
God is good…and He let us be the objects of His goodness.
I’m back at work today.I counted over 150 emails (I’m praying that at least half of them are SPAM) that must be answered.I have a dozen or so letters that need to be read and replied to, bills to pay, and three sermons to prepare for.There are at least 6 recent church services which need to be edited and processed into CD and DVD.My calendar tells me that I have appointments every day except today and I’ll need to get caught up with my colaborers tomorrow morning during our staff meeting.This is also the week that I need to begin solidifying a plan to go through the 100+ contacts we have who wish to be considered for our Youth Pastor vacancy.The realtor needs to meet with me about the Duluth property (I hope you are praying with us about the sale of that chunk of real estate down there!);I have a deacon’s meeting Saturday morning, a meeting with the bank about the property next week, prayer meeting Tuesday night, marriage counseling for a couple on Friday, registration for Alicia’s basketball season, a pastor’s breakfast to attend, a funeral to attend, and an expectation of a smiling countenance concerning anything and everything else that the Sovereign God of Heaven chooses to entrust me with this week.
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