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What characteristics of God do you take for granted?

As I was reading through Jeremiah this morning, I came across this verse and it just grabbed my attention.

"I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me?" Jeremiah 30:21

A few observations.  

God is so undeservedly gracious to us. In addition to that, God makes Himself so accessible to us. He says in His Word that we may "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." What a personal God we have!

This verse is also an incredible reminder of the fact that we can do nothing to earn our salvation - it is God who draws us to Himself. Honestly, if it depended on me coming to God or being "good enough," I would never come to God for salvation or be saved from my sin in the first place.  I'm entirely too selfish and prideful.

At the same time though, because of how easy it is to access our Father and how extravagant His grace is, I'm convicted of how small I tend to make God. Whether we're experiencing the mountain or enduring the valley, we tend to make much of our selves and our needs - it's all about us, right? As a result, we severely underestimate who God is and what God is capable of doing. It's not that we can actually limit God in reality, but it's almost like we put Him in this box so that we can understand Him better and then forget that God never fit into that box in the first place. No, not even the smallest facet of God can be contained in such a way!

Praise Him for His bigness! Praise Him for His fearful and awe-instilling size! Were our God able to be stuffed into a box, only to be pulled out when we had exhausted all other resources or wanted something from Him like some cosmic genie in a bottle, we would serve a small and incapable God indeed!

How glad it makes me to read this morning the words of Jeremiah and to be challenged to expand my understanding of the big-ness of God and to have an appropriate fear before Him. How convicting it is to me to think about how much I presume of God - as if I deserve anything other than the hell He saved me from.  I'm praying that today I live in the confidence of Christ's blood.  But I'm also praying that today I live with a healthy fear of the God I serve, who says to Jeremiah "who would dare of himself to approach Me?"

Satisfaction

There's a verse that's been bouncing around in my head lately, so much so that it's taken over a good portion of my thoughts.  Let me share it with you and expand a little about what the Lord has been teaching me through this verse.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8

Basically, I've been asking myself the question, "What is my satisfaction based upon?"


Some days I feel like I've learned so much during my time with the Lord that my heart will burst for want of sharing it with someone.  I get this feeling inside that everything is okay because God is vibrantly showing me Truth in His Word.  I feel truly satisfied in my relationship with God.  I feel like I really do "taste and see that the Lord is good."


Some days, however, it's all I can do to read my Bible.  Those days I feel like I've let sin get between me and God, that my relationship with Him is hindered because I didn't "get" as much out of my time with Him, and I don't feel satisfied in my relationship with God.  Basically, I'm not tasting or seeing much of anything at all.


The problem is, my relationship with God is not based on my effort...
or how much I'm learning...
or how good I feel like I'm doing...


Jesus already perfectly paid the price that God required on the cross.  I can't add anything to His sacrifice to make it any more complete.  No matter how satisfied (or not) that I feel about my walk with the Lord, God is satisfied with me.  In His eyes I'm redeemed.  My relationship with God is no longer as a hopeless sinner before a righteous judge but as an heir and a son before a gracious Father.


I guess what I'm trying to preach to myself is this:


Quit trying to do what Christ has already done.  No work (regardless of intention) can make God any more or less satisfied with you than He is already.  Don't measure your walk with the Lord by how well you've done. Instead, honestly seek to "taste and see that the Lord is good" and follow where He leads.


And if you have a "bad day" (I know I will), well...isn't that what faith in Christ is all about?  Rest in God's grace and praise Him for second chances.

Restored

"...rend the heavens..."

So, I got a bit behind reading through the Old Testament on my journey through the Scriptures this year.  This week (Fall Break!) I've been playing catch-up.


(Note to self - in reading through Isaiah a lot of things really stuck out to me.  I need to make sure I go back and really do some in depth study of some of the themes there - it's a great book!)


Today, I've been thinking and meditating on Isaiah 64:1-4.

"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!"

I don't know about you, but that gets me right in my soul.  Isaiah has all this bad stuff going on - judgment, wrath, punishment - and right here near the end (and woven throughout the book, as well) is this passionately worded picture of the fact that God has made a way to redeem His people and is coming back to restore everything to how He intended.  I get chills just thinking about it!  I found it quite refreshing today to ponder the sovereignty of God in this life (amidst all the terrible things that happen), and even how God is sovereign when it comes to the end of this life.


Don't forget about God's future promise in the midst of your present trials.  He has it all under control - past, present, and future.  All we have to worry about is trusting and obeying God (a huge task in and of itself) and He'll take care of the rest.

Glorious

I took some time to go back through a lot of pictures that I've taken over the past few years. I've always had this fascination with the sky. It's just plain beautiful. So, a lot of pictures I have are of various skies that, when I looked, just took my breath away for one reason or another.


As I'm sitting here thinking about it, though, I'm reminded that God created it all! He made it so that the sky would have the particular make-up it required to be unique every single day. I'm reminded that this same Creative Genius made each human on earth. We also, are unique. Each in our own personalities, looks, desires, and gifts. I can easily see why God stopped at the end of each day of creation and said, "It is good!"


Today is a short post because I just wanted to post some pictures of the majesty of God's creation - which points directly to the glorious presence of God in this world.


Thank you, Father, for creating such a magnificent world.

Mississippi College at Sunrise

Calm Before the Storm

Mississippi Sunset

My Girls

Paris Lights

Suffering

*Note: I started writing this a month or so ago and am just now getting around to editing and posting it.  School got a little in the way (sorry).  There is good news, though - the gospel is relevant regardless of time, place or circumstance. Read on.*

.........

In my journey through the books of the Bible (I'm almost done!), often I find that I'm reading a passage from the Old Testament that directly relates to the passage in the New Testament that I'm also reading.  I know they all relate together, ultimately pointing to Christ, but I guess my point is that sometimes it's so obvious that even someone as dense as me can see it.

Today is one of those days.

I happened to be in the book of Job and the book of Luke at the moment.  Job, of course, is all about suffering.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Often, like Job, we have no idea…specifically.  Job touches on this himself, but at the end of the day we all face difficulties in life and it has everything to do with the sovereignty of God and His will for our lives.  I struggle with this idea constantly.

The redeemed part of me is completely okay with saying that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, He knows what's best for us, and we may suffer but it's only for a little while because eventually we'll be in heaven and see the real purpose behind it all.

"Easy for you to say," my sinful, selfish side says.  The human side of me struggles with and fights against the same ideas that people have struggled with and fought against since the Fall - "I'm not that bad, why should I have to suffer, that guy over there is so much more sinful than I am!"

Back to my reading for today (and the point).  Job questions and struggles and fights with the idea of suffering, tries to maintain his integrity before God, eventually is rebuked by God and restored back to his former good health.  Contrast that with Jesus, specifically his statement in chapter 17 verse 25 of Luke:

"But first he [the Son of Man] must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."

Must?  Jesus just said must - you mean, like, it's a requirement?  Yes, actually.  This verse…man...it just works at me.  Here I am, bee-boppin' along, agreeing with Job and empathizing with his struggles, feeling justified in my own questions and difficulties and…BAM!

Jesus puts it all on the table.  The Son of Man must suffer.  If Jesus had to suffer to fix this broken world, to bring us back into right relationship with the Father - what does that say about our own suffering?  I would submit that we must also suffer.  I would even go so far as to seriously question our lack of suffering.  I've even said as much in a previous post.

I heard it said recently that American Christians don't suffer because they aren't worthy of suffering, they aren't worthy of the persecution that Christians all over the world face every day.  How convicting!  Am I honestly willing (not just saying it because it sounds good) to suffer for Christ?  Am I willing to lay aside my personal preferences, my comforts, my stuff, my very life so that Christ can be glorified?  Am I willing even to set aside my pride and reputation, risking ridicule and mockery to share Christ with unbelievers that I encounter on a daily basis?

I have to admit, much to my shame, that I often fail in this area.  Often, I would not be considered worthy to suffer for Christ.  All too often my own comfort, pride, and reputation take priority over sharing the rich blessing of God's grace and the eternal reality of God's wrath with every person that I meet.

The take away?  Pray for me.  I want to live in a way that results in suffering for Christ.

I'll pray the same for you.

Praiseworthy

"The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise." Proverbs 27:21

It strikes me just now, reading this verse for it seems like the hundredth time - I think I may just now be understanding part of it's meaning and for once might have peered momentarily into the depths of understanding this passage.

Crucibles and furnaces test the quality of these precious metals, and even make it possible to refine them into something better. True. That part is probably obvious. Am I so dense as to have missed the second part for so long?? I probably am, and need the humbling enough to admit it in public.

Check out that second part: "...a man is tested by his praise." What?! How do I test the quality of a man? I examine the things that he praises. How do I refine a man into a better man? I change the things he praises.

The man in this story, of course, is me. It's you. None of us can escape the implications here.

How obvious! How simple! Why haven't I seen this all along?

Do I praise the things of this world or the things of God? Do I praise the temporary or the eternal? Praise implies value, and what I value in my life, what I spend time pursuing, what I talk about and read about and sing about and think about - those are the things that I'm praising and those are the things that I'm telling anyone who's watching that I'm praising.

Am I a man after God's own heart or the world's own heart? Easy - do I praise and value God with my whole heart or do I praise and value the things of this world instead? Do I spend more time reading Facebook or God's Word? Do I spend more time gossiping about people or praying for them? Do I spend more time at work or communing with God?

You get my meaning. Somewhere along the way we lost our perspective. We got so caught up trying to build our little kingdoms here on earth that we forgot our original task of preparing for the Kingdom to come ("Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...")

One final verse:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

What are you and I pursuing and is what we're pursuing truly praiseworthy? What needs to change in our hearts and minds to make this verse true in our lives?

In The Secret

I had a few moments this morning before starting a busy day and decided to grab a cup of coffee from our local Starbucks.  Walking out, coffee in hand, I had everything I have to do today, this week, even this next month running through my head.  Long story short, I was distracted.


Getting in the car though, I happened to look up and seen the sun, ever so slowly rising through the clouds, greeting me as it does every day, and a song came to mind that I hadn't sung in ages.

"In the secret, In the quiet place, in the stillness you are there.  In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait, only for you, 'cause I want to know you more." 

The words just hit me and I think the reason is that God was gently reminding me that my day isn't about the stuff I get accomplished or the to-do list items I check off, it's about Him.  It's never been about me, no matter how hard I try to make it so.


And so I ask myself, "What are my priorities today?"
"Am I not just waiting for, but seeking out opportunities to tell other people about how He's affected my life and how they can know Him as well?"
"Who is most important in my life today?  God or myself?"


When we get into the hustle and bustle of 'today', we must not forget to lift up the name of the One who gave it to us in the first place.  Jesus told us so perfectly in Matthew 6 what our first priority should be.  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..."

Worship

I watched a man worship tonight.


Really, truly, whole-heartedly worship.


Actually, it was two men.  The first I've had the privilege of getting to know over the past two years.  We've been in small group together, we've been to Paris together, He loves the Lord and leads his family well.  Basically, he's awesome.  The other I've only gotten to observe from afar.  He is a man of few words, but when he says something it is from God.  If I didn't have my Dad, he would definitely be on my top five 'Guys I Want To Be Like When I Grow Up' list.


Long story short, I was standing in the sanctuary tonight and there was a song in the music set that I hadn't heard before.  Believe me when I say this - I love new songs.  They get me out of my comfort zone a bit.  They make me think about the lyrics and really examine my heart as I worship.


So as I stood and contemplated, I had the joy of watching the first guy pour his soul passionately into his worship as he sang and played electric guitar.  It was an awesome display of his love for God overflowing out of his love for music - and it was for no one other than the Father.


On the other side of the stage was the second guy.  While his mouth may not be filled with words, his fingers spoke volumes.  Playing the bass guitar during that song wasn't just playing an instrument - it became an overwhelmingly expressive shout of praise to God.  I don't know that I can even put words to it.  He lost himself in his praises and I know with everything in me that the entirety of what he was doing up there was for the glory of God.


I couldn't help but smile to myself and praise my God and Father, my Lord and Savior, for such a beautiful picture of worship.  The Lord reminded me tonight of the purity of genuine worship before Him and the truth that Jesus spoke in John 4:

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 

Beautiful

We went to a "send off" party this afternoon for some friends of ours. Turns out, it was actually a surprise wedding! Through it all, I couldn't get the imagery of the bride of Christ out of my mind. As beautiful as the bride was, the Church is that much more beautiful to Christ.


In fact, the song 'Beautiful' by MercyMe comes to mind every time we go to a wedding, as I think through the idea that Christ was willing to face "death, even death on a cross" for our sake.  For me, the wedding this afternoon was yet another incredible reminder that Christ didn't just save us from our sins (though that would be enough) - we were adopted and made beautiful by the blood of Christ.  Where our sins would condemn us to eternity without God, there He stands, our Father, calling His children beautiful through the work of Jesus on the cross.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." Galatians 3:13

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17

Paul says later in 2 Corinthians that Christ "became sin" so that we could become "the righteousness of God."  There has been a miraculous work done for our sakes, one that I still can't get my head around, but it was done nevertheless.  It will never cease to amaze me that this redemption work was done to restore and renew our relationship with God.  It will perpetually put a smile on my face and a song in my heart that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."


I think ultimately what I'm trying to say is that you are valuable to God.  You matter to Him.  No matter what you face in life, no matter what anyone says, God cherishes you.  Come to Jesus.  Let Him wash away the stains of sin and clothe you in garments of white.  Let Him whisper in your ear, the gentle reminder that:

"You're beautiful.  You are treasured.  You are sacred.  You are His." 

Free To Be Me

I was finishing up Judges the other day, and the last verse of chapter 21 not only stood out to me - it struck me as a good theme for entirety of the book.

"In those days, there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."  Judges 21:25

If you aren't familiar with Judges, the short version is this:  the Israelites would do evil in the sight of the Lord, they were then taken captive or invaded by the enemy, then they cried out to God for deliverance, then a judge came and helped them out, then they had peace for a while, and then the process was repeated all over again.  The first time you read a cycle you kind of feel for the Israelites a little bit.  The sixth time through, not only is it redundant, but you're almost screaming at the page - "Why don't you get it already?!"  The Israelites can be pretty dense at times.


The reason this particular verse stood out to me, I think, is because I started wondering how many times that would be said about my own life.  How often, were there a book of Jacob, would there be a verse that said, "And Jacob did what was right in his own eyes."  It scares me, really.  Every day, probably every hour and minute, I do what I want, when I want to do it.  And the way I choose isn't always the way God expects from a follower of His.


I am realizing more and more that while I laugh to myself at how silly and dense the Israelites were at times, I can be just as silly and dense - if not more so.  Lessons like these are hard to learn because they strike at the core of the issue, my pride.  In order to truly work on being more like Christ in this area, I must first swallow my pride and admit my fault.  It is also lessons like these that make me glad for verses like Romans 8:29: 

"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (emphasis added)

God is daily working to conform me to the image of his Son.  It is a work in progress and I am not nearly there.   It is a long road to travel toward Christ's completed work of sanctification in our lives, but the good news is that we are in it together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, if you catch me being like the Israelites, you have my complete permission to give me a gentle reproach - in the form of an all-out head-knocking, if necessary...