I’m still envisioning Lesley Nielsen in the movie airplane saying, “And don’t call me Shirley”
Hey there, friends.
We’ve all been there. Those days where the weight of the world feels a little heavier, where the shadows seem to linger a bit longer. Maybe it’s a string of bad news, a relationship that’s frayed, or just that nagging sense of “Is this all there is?”
In those moments, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. To focus on what’s wrong, on what’s missing, on the fear of what might be. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to walk alone.
Psalm 23, that beautiful ancient poem, offers a powerful antidote to that fear. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest valleys, we are not abandoned. We are not alone.
“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,” it says.
Think about that for a moment.
Goodness. Mercy.
Not just for a day, not just for a season, but all the days of my life.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Easy for David to say. He was a king!” But the truth is, this promise isn’t just for kings and queens. It’s for the weary, the wounded, the ones who feel lost and forgotten. It’s for you.
Goodness. Mercy.
These aren’t abstract concepts. They are real, tangible forces. They are the gentle hand that guides us, the unexpected kindness that restores our faith, the quiet moments of grace that remind us we are loved.
So, the next time you find yourself in the valley, remember this: you are not alone. Goodness and mercy are on your trail. They are always there, even when you can’t see them.
And maybe, just maybe, you can begin to see them. To notice the small acts of kindness, the unexpected moments of joy, the quiet whispers of hope.
Because even in the darkest of times, there is always light. There is always grace. There is always hope.
As a younger pastor I have vivid memories of one of my first ministries. My wife and I were appointed to a little church in Northern Michigan. For Shanais, my wife, having lived in the Upper Peninsula for a majority of her life, it was like going home. For me it was this new adventure, with new places to discover. One of the very first church members that we met was Arnold. He was an elder in the church but in recent years he was suffering from an advanced form of cancer that was slowly causing him to waste away.
I recall visiting Arnold in his home, a humble structure with walls painted the color of amaranthine, which coincidentally I looked up later and discovered the name is an ancient Greek word named after a fictional flower which means ‘unfading’. I sat there in a brown fabric armchair as Arnold, with sunken, hollowed eyes, though still alight and sparkling azure shared with me his confident faith in Jesus. Despite the pain of mouth sores, a side effect of his chemotherapy, he spoke of his conversion as a teenage boy, of how he loved his children and how he would soon see Jesus in Heaven.
Arnold wasn’t a theologian, and he wasn’t well education but the roots of his faith ran much deeper than a four year degree. Often he would surprise me with his overpowering desire for others to know this seemingly unplumbed relationship that he had with his Savior. He would share with me the words he felt the Holy Spirit was saying to him about the church and those who had strayed from their faith. Despite his own terminal situation, often times he seemed more concerned about his children’s faith journey than he did with his constant pain.
Towards the end, and one of my last visits with Arnold, when he was still conscious and verbal, he could only whisper between gasps of breath. I once heard him say, “It is well with my soul.” He was quoting the song by the same name written by Horatio Spafford, one of his favorite songs. There were long moments of uncomfortable silence as I just sat there with him. A seminary school degree and ordination never truly prepares you for these closing moments in one’s life. These are sacred spaces where the veil between this world and the next are very thin, and Heaven anticipated Arnold’s admittance. There is something to be said of the ministry of silence and in the ‘being present’ as if to bear witness to the ending of that mortal coil.
At another moment Arnold whispered, “Lord, I’m ready!” And, in those brief few months of knowing him, I can say that I shed a few tears knowing his time was close. Those tears mixed both with sorrow in the spaces he would soon leave behind and in joy that his suffering, which was bone deep and horrible, would be finally over with. Cancer, like all of life’s afflictions, is a ghastly blight to behold let alone endure. Some find victory over it and survive their ordeal, while others find victory through the ultimate healing and survive in the eternal celebration.
My phone rang early one morning and I receive the news that Arnold’s suffering had ended. In moments like these, some use phrases about losing the battles, or someone quietly slipped away, and I’ve even heard the expression ‘they gave up the ghost’. None of those expressions rang true in the passing of Arnold. He had not lost his battle. Cancer was just the conduit by which he had entered his eternal reward. He walked with Jesus before and during the cancer and now his victory over death was fully realized.
Thinking back to the color of amaranthine which coated the walls of Arnold’s home, the joy and love he had for his Savior truly was unfading and those visits with him in his final days left a mark on my soul which I will carry for the rest of my life.
Life has meaning, beloved. There is victory in it, given to us by our Creator who made a way for us to experience His Kingdom. Life transcends the seen and the mystery of the unseen known beyond that veil that separates this life and the next. Jesus desires for relationship with us. How is your faith journey?
The Precious Moments wall plaque was broken. More precisely, my Mother’s Precious Moments wall plaque was broken. My Mother collected their figurines and took great care of them. At the time of the “incident” I was thirteen years old. We had moved the previous year to our new home in Wichita Kansas. It was an 1980’s home and I lived in the basement with its red gum wood-panel and easement windows that cast dim light during the brightest of summer days. I loved the darkness of it. Especially at night when the lights were extinguished. I found it cozy and perfect for a growing, albeit sometimes odorous teenage boy.
The incident occurred, as most would with a teenager in the home. I was naturally kicking my soccer ball around the well furnished basement. A thin wood-paneled wall separated my room from the basement living room and I used every square foot of those spaces to dribble and Pele my way to the foot of the stairs. On this occasion I happened to flip the ball off of my back heel only for it to sail further than I had anticipated. I had meant to header the ball, but I missed and it accidentally bounced off of the Precious Moments plaque, which in turn, was dislodged from its hanging place of pride and crashed to the ground broken into three large pieces.
I panicked. These porcelain collector pieces were my Mom’s treasured keepsakes and I had just carelessly broken one of them with a soccer ball. So I did what any wise teenager would do in that situation. I gingerly picked up the three broken pieces. I was careful to check for smaller fragments left on the carpet. Having found none I cautiously carried the pieces to the desk in my room, grabbed some superglue I had in my drawer, ever-so delicately glued the three pieces back together.
I was meticulous about my reconstruction of this precious keepsake. When it had dried I hung it back up on its place of honor and, from a distance, you could not see the cracks that would convict me of my crime. It hung there, undisturbed and undiscovered for three years. No one was the wiser. No one suspected anything. I had seemingly gotten away with my non-premeditated malfeasance…that is until three years later we were packing up to move to another city in another state. That’s when my little accident and coverup was discovered. With boxes and bubble wrap in hand my Mother glimpsed the figurine plaque and finally saw that it had been broken.
I would like to say that I confessed to my crime and that I had grown wiser in those three years, but I would be lying if I said that. I was still a reckless, messy, often odorous teenager who was still trying to figure life out. I did what any teenager my age would have done if they had been in my shoes – I pleaded ignorance. “I don’t know how that happened,” I lied. Dismayed, my Mother still lovingly wrapped the now cracked and superglued figurine plaque into its box. I felt horrible and ashamed at what I had done. Not only had I broken a treasured keepsake of my Mother’s, I had also lied about how it had gotten broken by pleading the fifth – ignorance.
I have thought a lot about that incident over the years. How I might have done things differently. It might seem like such a small, trivial thing and yet I carried that guilt around with me. Inside I knew that’s not who I wanted to be. I desired to be better than that deceptive little teenager from Wichita. As a parent I now know the disappointment and sadness when something breaks in our house and no one seems to know how it happened. A part of me wants to laugh at the similarities and absurdities from my childhood, while the other, the more adult part of me, wants to demand ownership and teach personal integrity to my children.
This personal story continually reminds me about our destructive tendencies as humans. We are often hell bent on tearing down more than we build up. And when we do destroy something we often attempt to hide our transgressions. We cover it up and sometimes we try to prop up that which we broke and pretend that it had always been broken.
I’m thankful that God didn’t do that with us. We had broken His trust and had disobeyed. We – all of humanity, were culpable of this broken relationship with Him – the Creator of the Universe. We covered up our shame. We tried to pretend nothing had happened, and yet God knew. He knew about our brokenness. Instead of throwing us away and starting over, He went about restoring us through His son Jesus. He mended the broken hearted, salvaged the sin-sick souls and forged a new creation bound by the blood of Jesus – the toughest thing in the entire universe.
Are you broken? Have you been attempting to cover it up by doing all you can to glue those shattered pieces back together? For a time it might actually work. But it won’t last. Those cracks will still be visible. God wants to heal and restore you completely. He desires to fix your shattered pieces. It won’t always be easy, but eventually, should you accept His help, you can be restored completely.
Are you in the process of Restoration? To those who have already experienced this restoration, how did God restore you? Where are you on that pathway of restoration? How have you grown? What can you share with others to help them find the healing and restoration as well?
Something more to ponder today. God seeks to bring you restoration too. Seek Him out and surround yourself with others who are also on this journey!
“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” -Psalm 139:4
Can you even imagine the magnitude of this verse from the Psalm of David? David is essentially stating that the Creator of the Universe, God himself, knows me…He knows you so intimately that the very synapses that spark rational thought and bring those thoughts to life through speech are already known to God. Essentially, the Artist has an intimate front-row seat to the canvas of our lives.
Is it no wonder then that David later states in verse six “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”
Have you ever worried about where your life was heading or, perhaps, you doubted that anyone even cared about you? David’s words today remind us that we are not only cared for that it goes much, much deeper than that – since before we even existed God knew us. Doesn’t that just blow your mind?
I recently graduated from college and I didn’t really want to make a big deal out of it, but at the insistence of my wife and family, we drove up to the school for the weekend so that I could participate in the graduation ceremony. I do not like pomp and circumstance and all of the regalia that goes along with it, but I did participate, and I’m really glad that I did. During that weekend my wife and my whole family made me remember why I had persevered through those difficult months of dissertation writing. I actually felt a little embarrassed that so much attention was being poured on me. That weekend was very special to me, and even though I initially bemoaned attending, I will forever remember that important milestone in my life and those who celebrated and cheered me on. I felt special, love was poured onto me on that unique and memorable moment.
In a very real sense, God desires to do the same thing in your life. He wants to pour out such love and attention on you because you matter to Him and He knows how you have persevered through the trials of life. It might feel embarrassing to you to receive such honor and praise, but let Him love you. Receive it with open arms and gratitude.
When you pray, remember that God already knows what you’re going to say. Could it be that these prayers that we utter are for our benefit rather than His? Could it be that what God wants is a contrite heart and a humble spirit? He already knows what is on our hearts and what we are encountering in life. The act of supplication and prayer becomes an act of humility and obedience rather than treating God like some sort of genie in a bottle that doles out wishes.
The knowledge that God knows us so intimately that before we even say a word He hears and understands – it just blows my mind. I can see why David suggests that such knowledge of God is almost too much to take. Perhaps the next time we communicate with God, we should remember these words from this Psalm and bend our hearts and knees before the Almighty. He loves you so completely and longs to lavish you with His countless blessings.
(The Preamble) I had almost forgotten I still had a blog. This road seems quite dusty and untraveled as of late. Far too many of life’s challenges have taken its place and shuffled my priorities past what I can even recognize as “normal” anymore. Still, there is this itch that I cannot shake. No, I don’t need some sort of itch cream, it’s a mental itch rooting around in my brain, struggling to grasp just one spark of life so that the rest of those creative neurons will fire once more. It’s the itch to put to proverbial pen and paper what’s been brimming inside my brain threatening to spill over. It’s the itch that will not subside until I have committed to it once more. So…here I am. Scratching.
Can I tell you a story? ok. here goes.
My 15-year-old twins, on their birthday, were adamant about getting their driver’s permits. So, off we went and, sure enough, they took the test and passed. Then, both of them, with smiles from ear to ear took a photo of their proud achievement. I realized at that moment that I had driven them to that location begrudgingly because they are my babies and I still can’t believe they are old enough to drive. Still, with my heart solidly lodged in my throat, I allowed them to drive me home. They don’t know this, but I still see them as the babies they once were: all diapered up, running around in opposite directions and causing all sorts of chaos and mayhem in our little home. That’s the twins I still see when I look at them, but they’re growing up and, perhaps a small part of me (or maybe a large part of me) doesn’t want them to age. In fact, I wished I could reverse time and keep things the way they were.
I am in this chapter of my life where I am once again sitting in the co-pilot seat and sometimes, if Shanais (their Mom) is in the car with us, I am relegated to the backseat where I become the most epic backseat driver that has ever lived. These co-pilot trips are nerve-wracking. Far too many times than I can count I have slammed on my imaginary brake pedal as my son or daughter has taken a curve too fast or has decided to brake too late as the cars in front are at a standstill. I have experienced heart palpitations and, sometimes it has even skipped a beat, as my trust in these rookie drivers has waned and I secretly think to myself “This state really needs to revamp its driver’s training tests” as I white-knuckle the handle just above the passenger door.
I need to confess something: I have trust issues. I sometimes have doubts that my babies should be driving, and I’m embarrassed to say that I am often surprised when they surpass my road-test “I am worthy” expectations. Sure, they still make mistakes while behind the wheel, but ever-so-slowly they are improving and becoming the driving experts that I know they can become.
The last time I was riding shotgun as one of my “babies” drove, I had an epiphany right there in the passenger seat, white-knuckling the door handle. This must be how our Heavenly Father feels when we still have so much to learn while on this road of life. It sounds kinda cheesy, but I think it’s sort of true. He knows what we are capable of, and yet there are many times that I’m sure he has white-knuckled that passenger door handle as He’s journeyed along with me (and perhaps you). I know that I have trust issues, but I doubt God does. He knows you and me. He knows that we get nervous, or fear failure, or dread having “that meeting” at work, or__________(insert your fear here).
Psalm 139 says that before we were even born God knew us. Perhaps He still longs for that baby stage too, but He journeys with us wherever we go, even when we make mistakes and belatedly hit the brakes with regret.
I am reminded, through these co-pilot scenes in the car with my kids that despite my best efforts, I have to trust that God holds these precious babies in His hands and I can’t always protect them from all of life’s lessons, no matter how hard I try.
I am also reminded of how many times I have failed in this life, and despite my failings, God still loves me and desires for me to get back up, buckle up, adjust the rearview mirror, learn from my mistakes, and mature in my faith as I journey along with Him. It was never a high-speed race to the finish line, but rather a marathon in which we often get banged up and bruised along the way.
So how’s your driver’s education going? Are you still making mistakes? Have you thrown your hands up in defeat recently? Do you fear failure? Are you defeated right at this very moment? God is near. He knows you. He loves you, and you have never been alone…He might have held onto that door handle a bit harder at some points in your journey, but He’s right there with you.
This is just me, pondering on…for what it’s worth.
People look for significance in what they do instead of who they are. God made something amazing when He made you. Don’t ever doubt that you matter to Him even when this world might try to drag you down. You are loved.
Henri Nouwen
Henri Nouwen was a widely successful writer, theologian, and professor. One would think that significance was found in presenting theologically deep lectures or in writing books and yet after twenty years of collegiate work he left that world and began to work with the developmentally disabled individuals at the L’Arche Daybreak community in Canada.
Henri Nouwen once wrote: “This is what life is about. It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we took and hear about the friends we made. When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people … and be happy to return home.” (The return of the Prodigal Son, 1992).
I often wonder what it will be like when we finally rest in the presence of God. What will He say of the choices we have made in our lives? What will He say of our faith…or the lack there of? I can recall many moments of unfaithfulness to God in my life. I am not proud of these moments. In those dark chapters, I found myself clawing at circumstances and troubles with my own strength and knowledge until my soul was raw and empty. Perhaps this was what it was like when David wrote Psalm 13:
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Filling that void in our lives…
Sometimes, in our search for significance, we come to the realization that God has not followed us to this ego-driven destination. Sometimes we are left wanting for more because the things that we were searching for are found and still they did not fill us because they could never replace the all-consuming presence of God. We try to fill that God-shaped hole in our souls with titles, trophies, monuments to our names, and legacies that people will remember. We spend so much time caring about what others think of us and the reputations or personas that we have built around ourselves – only to feel as empty as when we first started out. It was all for nothing. Why? Because none of it could replace what we left behind – The Father. Our Creator. Our Author. The One who has known us before we even had breath in our lungs (read Psalm 139).
“Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.” (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.)
So here it is:
All of the ladder climbing, elbow-rubbing, name-dropping, butt-kissing motivations will never fill that void we feel in search of meaningless significance in this life.
I am not saying don’t work hard, or find fulfilling missions and work to belong to. We should work hard and love what we do. However, if all that we do is work at being known by the world, and in our ego-driven, self-promoting ways, find some semblance of recognition – it will never be enough. There will always be another hill of success we will look longingly upon and regret not having what we could not reach.
Yet, God comes to us. At our level, lowly as it is, and says to us, “You are loved by me. You matter to me. I made you, I am proud of you – that is enough.” Think of it: The God of the Universe says that our primary significance is found in our identity as a son and daughter of the Most-High. We can find true and holy fulfillment in His presence and not in all of the attention-seeking practices of our world. How simple and how profound!
“God created us for love, for union, for forgiveness and compassion and, yet, that has not been our storyline. That has not been our history.” -Richard Rohr.
May we finally begin to recognize our true self-worth that is only found abiding in the very presence of the Holy One. May His reflection be present in us before it is seen, and may our search for significance be realized in the simplicity and sanctity of Holiness which is fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit.
The night had grown dark as the shadows fell upon the buildings of Jerusalem like thick blankets, cool and sleepy. Creeping along the side roads and alleyways, Nicodemus made his way to the house where he knew Jesus was staying. He did not want to be seen, after all, as a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council, he had a reputation to uphold…and yet he felt compelled to seek out this Rabbi.
Perhaps Nicodemus witnessed Jesus, red faced and angry as he cleansed the Temple when others had turned it into an ancient Walmart; Or perhaps he had witnessed or even heard through second-hand knowledge of Jesus’ miracles. Regardless of the ‘why’, Nicodemus had to seek Him out.
Nicodemus stands sheepishly at the door momentarily seconding guessing himself before finally knocking. He hears someone stir from within, and the voices that had been loud and jovial only a moment ago, quiet down as if to wonder who could be at the door at such a late hour. Wide eyes peer out as the door cracks open, for a moment there is silent, shell-shocked surprise as the homeowner recognizes Nicodemus standing there. Why would a Pharisee come here, and why so late?
As if in reply to the silent question, Nicodemus asks politely, “Is the teacher Jesus here?
I can almost envision a flurry of questioning and worried looks from within. Questions like, ‘Is this Pharisee here to harm the Master?’, and ‘What could he want?’, or even, ‘What can we say to make him leave?’ Finally the owner leads Nicodemus to the roof, where the cool breeze of the evening makes this space the most desirable place in the house.
Jesus is seated there, perhaps looking out upon the city, pondering…or perhaps He knew Nicodemus would come and so he was simply waiting.
Nicodemus, nodding gratefully to the owner seats himself beside Jesus. In a way of greeting, Nicodemus, a teacher of the law and Rabbi in his own right calls to Jesus, ‘Rabbi’ in a manner of respect. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teach who has come from God…” -(John 3: 2)
Such a public declaration in the daylight would most certainly have tarnished his reputation or worse, and yet here in the privacy of the dark Nicodemus pours out his heart and speaks plainly to Jesus. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Imagine the scene, as Nicodemus declares that which is nearing blasphemy to the ears of his fellow Pharisees, and yet here in this quiet evening space, he speaks to what He knows in his heart is true. He has arrived at “God must be with this man – Jesus”…and Jesus is about to take him to the very feet of God himself. For a moment there is a pause in the conversation as Jesus collects himself and then looks at Nicodemus with the wisp of a smile, and he says, “This is the truth that I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
For a moment this puzzles Nicodemus. What could that even mean? How can one be physically born again? It is not possible! A Rabbi who is used to telling stories to teach a point is completely lost when Jesus uses a very similar method. Nicodemus finally speaks and asks his question, “How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Then Jesus looks at Nicodemus as if he can see into his very soul…and perhaps he could. Perhaps in all of his many years as a Rabbi and religious law enforcer, Nicodemus has never seen or heard of such wonders from one man. Perhaps somewhere in his heart and soul, the words of Jesus are being heard in a much different frequency. It is the frequency of truth, life and the source of all love. Perhaps in this very moment the creation has caught a glimpse of the Creator and there is a skipping of a heart beat and an inward ‘leaning in’ as if in response to a hunger that has been reignited once more that was only known in his younger, more eager days.
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, and this time Nicodemus physically leans in, as if to catch this moment and words with his hands, mind and heart. Jesus speaks of the heavenly things and Nicodemus barely grasps the earthly ones, and yet from this night on, he will never be the same. Soon, the truth of Jesus’ words will reverberate in his mind as he witnesses Jesus’ crucifixion and death. The truth has set Nicodemus free this night. Where there was once doubt, certainty begins to grow. Where there was once earthly wisdom, heavenly wisdom is now craved. Nicodemus may have come under the cover of night, but will soon perhaps declare in the daylight his new found hope.
I wonder where we are in all of this. Do we have all of the head knowledge the earth can give us and yet we come up short when it comes to grasping this faith that Jesus offers to us? How do we comprehend so new life? Is there room in our understanding of faith to find rebirth?
Perhaps some of us are still figuring things out. Maybe others have begun that late night stealthy walk towards Jesus, hoping no one will see us as we explore. Still, perhaps others have met Jesus and have put their trust in Him.
Wherever you are on this journey, please know that Jesus is waiting patiently for you…but don’t wait too long. Don’t hesitate. Don’t procrastinate…because one day it will be too late. Grace truly does have an expiration date.
“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” -Psalm 27:4
There is the old testament story about a woman named Hannah. Hannah did not have any children of her own and she desperately wanted a child. So after one of the Jewish celebrations, Hannah goes to the temple and fervently prays to God to give her a child. She prays and weeps and is in deep anguish over this heartfelt need to be a mother. As she is praying and weeping, the priest Eli sees Hannah there, and he thinks she is drunk because her lips are moving but no words are coming out. So Eli goes and confronts her and even tells her to throw away her wine.
Imagine that for a second, this woman is crying out to God in one of her lowest moments and she can’t even catch a break without having Eli confront her in judgement. Hannah doesn’t lash out though, she just tells the priest why she is there and that she is not drunk. Hannah outlines her heartache and even says “I am very discouraged and I am pouring out my heart to the Lord.” (NLT translation). The priest responds by saying, “May the God of Israel grant you the request that you asked of Him.”
Scriptures then tell us that Hannah goes home and is at peace and starts eating AGAIN. Let’s stop for a minute and recognize that in Hannah’s distress she had stopped eating and was so discouraged in her heart.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so heavily burdened that you lose all appetite and thoughts of self-care?
One such moment comes to my mind in my life. My Wife had just tragically lost her mother in a horrible accident and for the next couple of days in the midst of our mourning we couldn’t eat and we barely slept. It was gut wrenching sadness and heartbreaking pain. Scripture tells us that there is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3)…and in our lives, most of us have experienced those times of mourning. I believe Hannah felt a certain kind of mourning in her life as well and that is why we are made to understand in 1 Samuel 1:9-28 that Hannah was not eating…or probably sleeping. Her heart was so heavy and burdened with this deep longing and sadness for a child.
In the Seeking – We Find. Hannah sought out God in this dark moment of her life. She knelt before God and didn’t care if anyone else was watching, and as she poured out her heart to God, and He was there listening.
It had nothing to do with a priest answering Hannah’s pleas…although Eli certainly did that. There wasn’t some sort of mystical words that Eli spoke that eased her heart. Rather, it was Hannah’s faith in the God that she prayed to that allowed her to find peace again. There was a certainty that filled that place where her mourning had been. Faith blossomed while her mourning decayed and faded away.
There is a truth of us in this. David certainly found it when he wrote this: “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” -Psalm 27:4
When we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, ALL these things will be given to us (Matthew 6:33). But it starts with our seeking. Are we willing to search God and know Him? To truly know Him?! Not know of Him. Or about Him. But to truly KNOW Him?
What does it look like in our modern day to “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”? Let me give you a hint: it’s not just about going to church, but that’s a great start. It is about allowing God to dwell in your life every moment of every day. To literally breathe Him in and out in your actions, thoughts and words. So much so that your old self-induced life fades away to be replaced with a self-less holy one that reflects Christ completely.
Then, when we are heavy burdened, when we face daunting days of uncertainty (that can seem be insurmountable at times) we can seek God. We can know Him, and we can get up from our places of prayer and be rejuvenated in life by His spiritual nourishment, provision and love.
Questions to Ponder today: What is currently weighing on your heart? Have you prayed about these things to God? These prayers can be spoken out loud or silently. They can be written down or thought in your mind as you go about your day. But one thing that truly helps is that you verbalize your burdens to the Lord. Even though He already knows them, speak them to Him. Lastly do you trust that God is not only listening to your prayers, but that He is in your life and is a participant in it?
May we find what we seek today…and may we be seeking God as well purposely strive to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
-Amen.
Something more for us to ponder today. To God be the glory.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” -James 4:7-8
I have a tough time with one word in this passage.
It has nothing to do with God, faith or salvation…it has everything to do with how this word is used in the world, sometimes maliciously, in order to put people in their place.
What is the word?
“Submit”.
I don’t do well with submission.
Honestly, it makes me feel like a prisoner having to obey the warden. (Images of Shawshank Redemption come to mind)…
Perhaps it is because I have personally witnessed that word being used and abused.
Perhaps it is because I struggle with my own need for freedom.
Regardless of the why, there is still the issue with the how…how do I submit…and the ‘who’ – who am I to submit to?
For some of us it is the trust involved in such an act.
Questions like, “what if my trust is betrayed”, and “can I really trust them”?
Many time it isn’t even about submitting to God, but rather authority figures in our own lives; Bosses, business advisors, managers, family members…etc. Then, when we have been burned by submitting to a faulty human-led system, we transplant this disappointment and disillusionment upon God…as if He too is imperfect and will let us down.
I too have struggled with this notion, meanwhile transplanting my own mortal experience upon an immortal God. But have I short changed God when I’ve done this? Do I still struggle with these trust issues? Can I fully submit to God in spite of my past hurts and the numerous failed dumpster fires of attempted human submission?
Maybe I’m overthinking this…have you ever done that?
I’ve counted all of the variables, outcomes, pros and cons way before ever taking a step. My 1st Grade Teacher’s voice keeps ringing in my ear as she said, “look before you leap.” But maybe in this case, it’s the other way round?! Perhaps I just have to go for it and place my all before God when I do.
In James 4:7-8, perhaps it’s more about coming near to God than it is about submitting to Him…because wouldn’t we naturally do that anyway when we really, really know someone? After all, didn’t God come close to us first when He sent Jesus into this messed up world? He met us more than halfway as He hung on a cross for our sins.
You see, I know all of the theological implications of such an act. I know Jesus intellectually, but are there still times when my heart does not know Him…when I’m not near to God, in fact, I couldn’t be further from Him? Have you ever felt like that? We have all of the head knowledge, but when it really comes down to it, there’s a heart issue that still needs working out.
If you’re anything like me, perhaps you’re still trying to reconcile what submission looks like with God. I’ve been on this journey for quite some time, and I feel that the Holy Spirit has led me this far, I’m going to have trust Him in the things I have yet to figure out. He hasn’t given up on me, and I’m positive He certainly hasn’t given up on you either. Perhaps it’s not so much submission that He’s after, but rather a closer relationship with us. After all, doesn’t submission come from a place of trust? I cannot submit to something I don’t trust, and I cannot trust if I don’t come close enough to God.
The trouble with submission is we aren’t close enough to a God who desires a relationship with us…and I’m still working through this. I don’t have a Mary Poppins answer for you, just a notion and a nudge to deepen your relationship with the Almighty…we just might discover that is what was needed all along.
I have a confession to make. Well, it’s really not much of a confession, more of a revealing of my nature. Here goes, I love technology. I love how it makes things convenient for me. My schedules are synced to my computer and my phone, I can create presentations from most of my mobile devices (of which I have multiple devices), and I can take striking photos and create beautiful banners that look like art…all because of technology.
The Dangers Despite the fact that I love technology, I have become more and more aware that I can become too dependent upon it for everything. My car even tells me where to go these days, so rarely do I acknowledge or recognize the direction in which I am going – my mobile GPS does it all…well, except drive (but I can’t wait until it can!…Okay, I digress).
Despite all of these technological advances in our age, I truly feel like we run the risk of losing the ancient and the sacred. What do I mean by this? Our attention spans have grown shorter since the introduction of cellular devices. You don’t believe me? Can you go an entire hour without looking at your phone, either to check for new status updates on social media or to see if that special someone has texted you? It is becoming increasingly difficult even for me to divorce myself from the tech all around me and I fear I am losing the sacred even in my own life.
How about you?
Can you put your phone down? Can you close your laptop, tablet, other devices without feeling the ‘itch” to check it again?
What do I mean by ‘Sacred’? If you were to study the spiritual disciplines, these things that I consider ‘sacred’ would be: Meditation Prayer Fasting
Solitude and Practicing Presence
Study Simplicity Solitude Submission Service Confession Worship Guidance Celebration (In God’s Presence) (Source: Renovare )
It is very difficult to do any of these sacred things when our attention spans have grown short and shorter. For some of you reading this right now, you might even get hung up on the word ‘sacred’, because some of you perhaps have an issue with the practice of anything liturgical or what some might consider “high Church”…needless to say we can become so distracted that the sacred has died in our age, or is in its death throws as we speak.
Perhaps the next question should be: “How do we revive the sacred in our lives“? Here are my suggestions to help you with this process, but as a caveat to this, each person is different, and if you find that something works better than something else, do what helps you to revive the sacred in your life.
1) Make a list Make a list of all the distractions in your life. This will help you recognize the things that prevent you from entering into those sacred moments. Remember, that the elements are not the desired goal, but rather the fellowship with our Father in Heaven should be our desire. It is in the moments of the sacred that we encounter the Divine.
2) De-clutter a space. After you have acknowledge and listed the things that distract, find a specific space to de-clutter and prepare. No space is holy, it is our attitudes and focus that allows us to tune into the presence of God. So, if a closet is the space you choose, the so be it. God’s presence isn’t fixed in specific locations, because the Holy Spirit resides in His people. The space we de-clutter is for us, that we might focus and prepared to receive and listen.
3) Sit in Silence (Try not to fall asleep) I saw this partly in jest, because I have, at times, placed myself in silence and have struggled with slumber. Other times, your body is telling you to get more sleep, and perhaps we need to listen to that. A time of silence can help us enter into the sacred, although I openly acknowledge (as an extrovert) that this practice is much hard for me. Perhaps you will find it easier…if you do, please enlighten me by commenting below.
4) Converse with God. You don’t need special words, or a litany of things to bring Him…have an honest conversation. After all, He knows you better than you know yourself – He made you, so He understands your intricacies and nuances. He is aware of your situations and the things you struggle with. Be honest, because you can’t fool God – He already knows. What this conversation does is opens our lives before Him as we acknowledge elements of it verbally.
5) Begin with one of the above mentioned disciplines…study, read and apply: The last one will take patience. This isn’t an instant gratification, fast food type of habit. You must acclimate yourself. This will take discipline and acknowledgment that it will not occur over night, but rather gradually as you apply yourself to this task.
The sacred is not dead…yet. Don’t let it perish because of our distractions – at least in this generation. Perhaps we have to eliminate the distractions in order for us to return to the sacred. Perhaps it is within our own busy minds that this war needs to be waged. Where ever the distractions lay, confront them and carve out those intentional moments in which we might encounter the Divine.
Pastor's Ponderings 