Lord,
I am traveling through this world, making my way towards my Homecoming. Along the way, You know there are many dangers and sometimes I am afraid.
afraid of being alone
afraid of failure
afraid of conflict
afraid of facing reality
afraid of success
afraid of confrontation
afraid of my own inadequacy
afraid of the opinions of men
afraid of looking foolish
afraid of my enemies
afraid of faltering, stumbling, tumbling, falling......
But, LORD, You are my keeper!
As I journey towards my Eternity, I will trust You to get me there safely. You are my guardian and protector. My eternal destiny is secure in You. My soul is being saved for the day when my faith will become sight.
You give me the courage to face down my fears because You hold all things in Your hands.
You are the all-mighty, the constantly unchanging, the all-knowing, the all-powerful, all-present Creator, the Maker of Heaven and Earth! Is anything too hard for You? No, of course not! So what do I have to fear?!?!
"As for me, I TRUST in YOU, O LORD! I say YOU are my God! My times are in Your hand..." --Psalm 31:14-15a
You are my help.
You are my protector.
You watch over me.
You guard my every step.
You are my keeper!
My Good Shepherd, I trust You implicitly!
Thank You for Your promise that You will protect my coming and going both now and tomorrow and every tomorrow without end! Help me to be ever mindful of this truth, and may this knowledge stir in me a boldness and courage that is supernatural. Give me the grace to step out in faith and obey You with complete confidence (no, not self-confidence, but GOD-confidence), for You are my source, my shelter, my safety, my "panic room" where no harm can befall except for that which You allow. And, EVEN THEN, I will trust You and praise You, knowing that all things are working together for my eternal good and Your glory!
My eternity is secure in You, and it is well with my soul!
Your daughter who loves You so, so much (but not nearly as much as You love me),
Kristy
Thank You!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Marching On to Freedom Land
In a nutshell, let me just answer the questions I left off with in my previous post. Is God big enough? Is He capable of truly making me into a new creation at my core? Does He intend for me to have victory in this struggle? Yes, yes, and yes! A thousand times over....YES!!!
Again, these are ramblings. I am sharing with you what was revealed to me only moments before so I apologize in advance if these thoughts aren't completely coherent.
Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and without cure. Who can understand it?"
I've been grieved by my sin as God has opened my eyes to the extensiveness of this sin pattern in my everyday choices. I doubt there is an area of my life that this philosophy of lack has not influenced me and led me into sin. Even behaviors that appear "good" to myself or others, if they are motivated by fear or insecurity, are not pleasing to God. He judges the heart, not just the actions. I'll give you one example: I have an insatiable hunger for the word of God! I cannot get enough! I am so thankful to God that He has gifted me with this zeal for the Scriptures! But....there was an obsessive quality to it, and the enemy used this to accuse and torment me. I brought my "Jesus addiction" to God and asked Him to show me if there was anything displeasing to Him in my compulsion to study the Bible. I know we're supposed to meditate on His word day and night. I could point out verse after verse that would justify my actions. But it also seemed that the enemy was being allowed to sift me, and I know God only allows him to sift us if there is something in us that needs sifting. God so faithfully, kindly, gently, and lovingly shone His healing light into my depths. Scenes came to my mind, parts of sermons I sat through as a young girl in a church that tried to motivate its congregation to right living through fear. Pastors would preach from the pulpit, "we have to be in the Word because a day is coming when 'they' will confiscate our Bibles. We'll be imprisoned for our belief in Jesus, and the only truth we will have is the truth we have memorized. Be in the Word. Be in the Word. Be in the Word." God wants me to be in His Word because of a pure and unadulterated love for Him, not because I'm driven by a fear of future lack.
Oh, do you see how deceptive our sins can be! I am so sobered to realize that I can be blindly walking in sin, all the while "congratulating" myself on my "piousness" in that very area! I shudder at the mere thought of such self-delusion! But I have to acknowledge that this is the reality of my heart, soul and mind apart from Him.
My latest "aha" moments have come as God has revealed some fear, insecurity, and trust (or, better stated, DIStrust) issues. I see now that there are two world views: one is that we live in a world of limited resources, and everyone must fight for their slice of the "pie." This world view is fear based, and the foundation of this life is insecurity. Fear and insecurity are the signposts on this road as you journey with an overriding sense that "lack" is stalking you, ever behind you like a shadow, gaining on you, nipping at your heels, sure to overtake you at any moment, about to consume and devour and destroy you. It is a miserable way to live. I know this because it's been my worldview. It's motivated so many of my choices, decisions and behaviors.
I know the other worldview only by the furtive glances over high fences, stolen glimpses of a land I desire but never thought would be accessible to someone like me. Consequently, I don't know how to articulate it all that well. I know it only because it must be the opposite of my reality to date. It's marked by a deep, underlying sense of security. It operates from a perspective of abundance, of limitless resources, of plenty, of lavish banquet tables and overflowing cups of anointing with jars of oil that never run dry! It's a life of trusting, believing, knowing, experiencing, and living in the fullness of His Goodness to me!!! Is He really that good? Could it really be true? Oh, yes, child, He is not only that good, He is so much better, better than you could ever comprehend!!!! (And I just have to add here that His goodness cannot be measured by our circumstances! Did you hear me, believer? Your circumstances are not the indicator of God's goodness to you!!! This is not a "prosperity gospel" I am preaching; it's a God-gospel through and through. From A to Z, start to finish, alpha to omega, it's all about HIM, HIM, HIM!)
Until recently, I didn't even see this sin in my own heart! I was deluded, thinking that because I knew truth in my mind, I was living in it. Because I knew the right theology and could choose the correct worldview on a multiple choice test, I thought my intellectual assent was right living in this area. Oh, child of God, do not be mistaken: knowing truth and living it are two very different things! Believing truth is great (it is, in fact, essential), but there are degrees of believing, and we must believe it so completely and thoroughly that it affects the way we live.
I don't have perspective on my own life. I am so thankful that God sees clearly, and that He offers me revelation when I ask. He sees the deep healing that still needs to occur. I have been trying to be sanctified from the bad fruit in my life while God is after the bad roots. I am incapable of pulling these bad roots out without Him, but luckily, He doesn't ask me to. He does all the "heavy lifting;" I just need to cooperate with HIS demolition and rebuilding process.
I am incredibly excited because I know that God does not reveal sin to us unless He intends to set us free from our bondage and liberate us to live out more of His Kingdom on the soil of this earth! When He first exposed my heart to me in this way, I questioned whether this new vision of freedom and liberation were even possible. Isn't it just our lot in this world as human beings, to fear lack on some level? Just turn on the news: scarcity does seem to be the reality of this world! Am I expecting too much to even consider the possibility that I could live differently as a daughter of the King of Kings? Is removal of this burden even possible, or must I wait for Heaven to feel truly safe in His arms? Can He really change me that radically, that wholly, that completely, that totally? We will always struggle against our flesh in this world, and this was one battle where I had resigned myself to a life of constant struggle and no victory.
Oh, ye of little faith! Lift your eyes to Heaven! Behold your redeemer! He commands angel armies! Is anything too difficult for Him?!?! He has made me aware of this sin pattern because He intends to SET ME FREE from these chains! The enemy has had his way with me for far too long. I have heard my God shout, "Enough!" And I am filled with new strength and new energy because I know that God finishes the work that He begins. He will not abandon me halfway through. His plan for my life is to make me a new creation, and nothing and no one can thwart the plans of GOD ALMIGHTY! Who is like the Lord our God?!?!?! Great is His Name, and greatly to be praised!!!!!
Again, these are ramblings. I am sharing with you what was revealed to me only moments before so I apologize in advance if these thoughts aren't completely coherent.
Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and without cure. Who can understand it?"
I've been grieved by my sin as God has opened my eyes to the extensiveness of this sin pattern in my everyday choices. I doubt there is an area of my life that this philosophy of lack has not influenced me and led me into sin. Even behaviors that appear "good" to myself or others, if they are motivated by fear or insecurity, are not pleasing to God. He judges the heart, not just the actions. I'll give you one example: I have an insatiable hunger for the word of God! I cannot get enough! I am so thankful to God that He has gifted me with this zeal for the Scriptures! But....there was an obsessive quality to it, and the enemy used this to accuse and torment me. I brought my "Jesus addiction" to God and asked Him to show me if there was anything displeasing to Him in my compulsion to study the Bible. I know we're supposed to meditate on His word day and night. I could point out verse after verse that would justify my actions. But it also seemed that the enemy was being allowed to sift me, and I know God only allows him to sift us if there is something in us that needs sifting. God so faithfully, kindly, gently, and lovingly shone His healing light into my depths. Scenes came to my mind, parts of sermons I sat through as a young girl in a church that tried to motivate its congregation to right living through fear. Pastors would preach from the pulpit, "we have to be in the Word because a day is coming when 'they' will confiscate our Bibles. We'll be imprisoned for our belief in Jesus, and the only truth we will have is the truth we have memorized. Be in the Word. Be in the Word. Be in the Word." God wants me to be in His Word because of a pure and unadulterated love for Him, not because I'm driven by a fear of future lack.
Oh, do you see how deceptive our sins can be! I am so sobered to realize that I can be blindly walking in sin, all the while "congratulating" myself on my "piousness" in that very area! I shudder at the mere thought of such self-delusion! But I have to acknowledge that this is the reality of my heart, soul and mind apart from Him.
My latest "aha" moments have come as God has revealed some fear, insecurity, and trust (or, better stated, DIStrust) issues. I see now that there are two world views: one is that we live in a world of limited resources, and everyone must fight for their slice of the "pie." This world view is fear based, and the foundation of this life is insecurity. Fear and insecurity are the signposts on this road as you journey with an overriding sense that "lack" is stalking you, ever behind you like a shadow, gaining on you, nipping at your heels, sure to overtake you at any moment, about to consume and devour and destroy you. It is a miserable way to live. I know this because it's been my worldview. It's motivated so many of my choices, decisions and behaviors.
I know the other worldview only by the furtive glances over high fences, stolen glimpses of a land I desire but never thought would be accessible to someone like me. Consequently, I don't know how to articulate it all that well. I know it only because it must be the opposite of my reality to date. It's marked by a deep, underlying sense of security. It operates from a perspective of abundance, of limitless resources, of plenty, of lavish banquet tables and overflowing cups of anointing with jars of oil that never run dry! It's a life of trusting, believing, knowing, experiencing, and living in the fullness of His Goodness to me!!! Is He really that good? Could it really be true? Oh, yes, child, He is not only that good, He is so much better, better than you could ever comprehend!!!! (And I just have to add here that His goodness cannot be measured by our circumstances! Did you hear me, believer? Your circumstances are not the indicator of God's goodness to you!!! This is not a "prosperity gospel" I am preaching; it's a God-gospel through and through. From A to Z, start to finish, alpha to omega, it's all about HIM, HIM, HIM!)
Until recently, I didn't even see this sin in my own heart! I was deluded, thinking that because I knew truth in my mind, I was living in it. Because I knew the right theology and could choose the correct worldview on a multiple choice test, I thought my intellectual assent was right living in this area. Oh, child of God, do not be mistaken: knowing truth and living it are two very different things! Believing truth is great (it is, in fact, essential), but there are degrees of believing, and we must believe it so completely and thoroughly that it affects the way we live.
I don't have perspective on my own life. I am so thankful that God sees clearly, and that He offers me revelation when I ask. He sees the deep healing that still needs to occur. I have been trying to be sanctified from the bad fruit in my life while God is after the bad roots. I am incapable of pulling these bad roots out without Him, but luckily, He doesn't ask me to. He does all the "heavy lifting;" I just need to cooperate with HIS demolition and rebuilding process.
I am incredibly excited because I know that God does not reveal sin to us unless He intends to set us free from our bondage and liberate us to live out more of His Kingdom on the soil of this earth! When He first exposed my heart to me in this way, I questioned whether this new vision of freedom and liberation were even possible. Isn't it just our lot in this world as human beings, to fear lack on some level? Just turn on the news: scarcity does seem to be the reality of this world! Am I expecting too much to even consider the possibility that I could live differently as a daughter of the King of Kings? Is removal of this burden even possible, or must I wait for Heaven to feel truly safe in His arms? Can He really change me that radically, that wholly, that completely, that totally? We will always struggle against our flesh in this world, and this was one battle where I had resigned myself to a life of constant struggle and no victory.
Oh, ye of little faith! Lift your eyes to Heaven! Behold your redeemer! He commands angel armies! Is anything too difficult for Him?!?! He has made me aware of this sin pattern because He intends to SET ME FREE from these chains! The enemy has had his way with me for far too long. I have heard my God shout, "Enough!" And I am filled with new strength and new energy because I know that God finishes the work that He begins. He will not abandon me halfway through. His plan for my life is to make me a new creation, and nothing and no one can thwart the plans of GOD ALMIGHTY! Who is like the Lord our God?!?!?! Great is His Name, and greatly to be praised!!!!!
Notes from the Trenches
What I'm sharing today is not a polished essay. It's very much the ramblings and musings of someone who is learning and growing and very much in the messiness of process. I have not arrived. I am currently and actively struggling towards freedom, but I pray that some of these insights and revelations will be useful and encouraging to you in your journey.
Yesterday I was at BSF. With the story of Jacob and Esau at the forefront of my thoughts, I entered the sanctuary for lecture. I don't know why, but God frequently speaks to me there. Often, my hand won't stop writing for the entire sixty minutes, but the words I write are the record of a dialogue that is happening between God and me. Sometimes I hear very little of what Beth says because the voice of God is simply speaking louder and more insistently, stirring my soul in ways I can't ignore. Somehow, I think Beth Johnson wouldn't mind one bit! ;)
Here are my scribbled thoughts (what should have been my lecture notes):
"Live for today."
I saw that slogan on a shirt yesterday. Actually, it was worn by the little five year old girl that I care for three days a week. With the life lesson of Esau fresh in my mind, my reaction to that T-shirt was strong and adverse! Do you see where living for today ends? It ends in selling your birthright for a bowl of stew.
Oh, that I would NOT live for today alone, but with a divine awareness of the impact of each and every choice! My choices reverberate throughout all the days of my life and even into succeeding generations. See Exodus 20: the sins of the fathers are visited on the children for three or four generations, but God extends His loving kindness to a thousand generations of those who fear Him and remember to keep His covenant and obey His precepts! The destiny of a thousand generations may be hinging on how I handle the test that God has put in front of me. Passages of Scripture come to mind: Deuteronomy 30, the offer of life or death, and Joshua 24:15, the call to decision.
But that decision is not a once-for-all thing. It is a daily thing, a moment by moment thing. Ultimately, our CHOICE (singular) is composed of a million trillion billion tiny CHOICES (plural) that come our way throughout the fabric of our everyday buried in the minutiae....the small details of our daily lives. That cashier gives me $15 change when I'm only owed $5. The next cashier rings up one puzzle instead of two. If I fail that test, what does it reveal about my heart? What is the fundamental sin that is lurking there?
This is the test that comes my way over and over and over again. Why? I think I'm passing the tests, but God still presents the same test over and over so there must be something He wants me to learn that I haven't yet. Here's the thing: even though I end up doing the right thing, I still struggle internally first. Does God want me to get to the point where it (my obedience) is instant and automatic and requires no thought or internal struggle?
I grew up in a home that was ruled by anxiety, and financial anxiety was a HUGE part of our family dynamics: always feeling like you're living on the edge of disaster, one blow away from all the dominoes falling, one after another. Obviously, I was marked by those eighteen years I spent in that home. That feeling of insecurity manifested itself in grabbing and grasping and hoarding, living tight-fisted instead of open-handed. Generosity is hard for me because at my core, my fear is that there WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. That LACK will overtake me, consume me, and devour my life. Theft has been like a recessive "sin gene" woven into my DNA.
And now I'm God's child, and I desire Him and His Holiness. I desire to be used by Him. I long to be a vessel that has been cleaned not only on the outside, but on the inside too! I want to be refined for my Master's use. So I do not intentionally walk in this sin. I do not make plans to acquire things dishonestly. BUT, God sees not just my actions, but my heart. Is there any area in my mind where I am still trading the TRUTH of God for a LIE? At some fundamental, core, foundational level, am I believing an UNtruth? And how would I even know this if it wasn't revealed in my actions and brought to light by my God? Thank You, God, for revealing truth to me!
Lord, I know You are not into behavior modification. You are into heart transformation! Remake me into a new creature in the very basic building blocks of who I am! I want YOUR way to be my default setting, not the place I have to fight to get to, but truly my new, redeemed nature. Can you take me there, God? Is that an unrealistic goal? Can you really remake me so thoroughly, so completely, so totally, so absolutely?
With that, lecture ended, and I packed up my things, my heart and mind so full of questions. In my next post, I will reveal how God has begun to answer some of those lingering questions.
Yesterday I was at BSF. With the story of Jacob and Esau at the forefront of my thoughts, I entered the sanctuary for lecture. I don't know why, but God frequently speaks to me there. Often, my hand won't stop writing for the entire sixty minutes, but the words I write are the record of a dialogue that is happening between God and me. Sometimes I hear very little of what Beth says because the voice of God is simply speaking louder and more insistently, stirring my soul in ways I can't ignore. Somehow, I think Beth Johnson wouldn't mind one bit! ;)
Here are my scribbled thoughts (what should have been my lecture notes):
"Live for today."
I saw that slogan on a shirt yesterday. Actually, it was worn by the little five year old girl that I care for three days a week. With the life lesson of Esau fresh in my mind, my reaction to that T-shirt was strong and adverse! Do you see where living for today ends? It ends in selling your birthright for a bowl of stew.
Oh, that I would NOT live for today alone, but with a divine awareness of the impact of each and every choice! My choices reverberate throughout all the days of my life and even into succeeding generations. See Exodus 20: the sins of the fathers are visited on the children for three or four generations, but God extends His loving kindness to a thousand generations of those who fear Him and remember to keep His covenant and obey His precepts! The destiny of a thousand generations may be hinging on how I handle the test that God has put in front of me. Passages of Scripture come to mind: Deuteronomy 30, the offer of life or death, and Joshua 24:15, the call to decision.
But that decision is not a once-for-all thing. It is a daily thing, a moment by moment thing. Ultimately, our CHOICE (singular) is composed of a million trillion billion tiny CHOICES (plural) that come our way throughout the fabric of our everyday buried in the minutiae....the small details of our daily lives. That cashier gives me $15 change when I'm only owed $5. The next cashier rings up one puzzle instead of two. If I fail that test, what does it reveal about my heart? What is the fundamental sin that is lurking there?
This is the test that comes my way over and over and over again. Why? I think I'm passing the tests, but God still presents the same test over and over so there must be something He wants me to learn that I haven't yet. Here's the thing: even though I end up doing the right thing, I still struggle internally first. Does God want me to get to the point where it (my obedience) is instant and automatic and requires no thought or internal struggle?
I grew up in a home that was ruled by anxiety, and financial anxiety was a HUGE part of our family dynamics: always feeling like you're living on the edge of disaster, one blow away from all the dominoes falling, one after another. Obviously, I was marked by those eighteen years I spent in that home. That feeling of insecurity manifested itself in grabbing and grasping and hoarding, living tight-fisted instead of open-handed. Generosity is hard for me because at my core, my fear is that there WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. That LACK will overtake me, consume me, and devour my life. Theft has been like a recessive "sin gene" woven into my DNA.
And now I'm God's child, and I desire Him and His Holiness. I desire to be used by Him. I long to be a vessel that has been cleaned not only on the outside, but on the inside too! I want to be refined for my Master's use. So I do not intentionally walk in this sin. I do not make plans to acquire things dishonestly. BUT, God sees not just my actions, but my heart. Is there any area in my mind where I am still trading the TRUTH of God for a LIE? At some fundamental, core, foundational level, am I believing an UNtruth? And how would I even know this if it wasn't revealed in my actions and brought to light by my God? Thank You, God, for revealing truth to me!
Lord, I know You are not into behavior modification. You are into heart transformation! Remake me into a new creature in the very basic building blocks of who I am! I want YOUR way to be my default setting, not the place I have to fight to get to, but truly my new, redeemed nature. Can you take me there, God? Is that an unrealistic goal? Can you really remake me so thoroughly, so completely, so totally, so absolutely?
With that, lecture ended, and I packed up my things, my heart and mind so full of questions. In my next post, I will reveal how God has begun to answer some of those lingering questions.
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Reconciliation of Abraham's Sons
I got a glimpse of God today as I spent time with Him in His Word, and His beauty is beyond all explanation. I have to admit, I've felt bad for Hagar and Ishmael. Today in my study and prayer time, He lifted my eyes to see His glorious plan; I find myself speechless, breathless, in awe of the GOODNESS of our God!
As I entered into communication with the Divine, my heart was burdened for the Muslim world, but I did not have the Genesis narrative and the story of Isaac and Ishmael specifically in mind. I wasn't asking Him to answer my questions; I was just praying my heart and letting the Holy Spirit lead. I praise God for His revelation; He connected the dots for me as I prayed. I will just type here the words of my prayer as I wrote them.
So I began, "Father, I pray for my Muslim brothers and sisters. You have a heart for them as well. You see them; you hear their cries. You love them. Honor their pursuit of You by opening their eyes to the truth. Send knowledge and revelation. May MANY LABORERS be sent out into the ripened fields, to gather in the souls of countless Muslims. May the blessing you gave to Abraham and Isaac be realized in our generation, that ALL the nations of the world would be blessed in and through them. How exciting to be living in the day when this promise will be fulfilled and the inclusiveness of Your great love will draw the descendants of Ishmael into the circle of promise and blessing and love. Yes, the seed (Jesus) came through Isaac, but it did not exclude Ishmael! May my eyes behold Your majesty as the sons and daughters of Ishmael AND Isaac join hands and sing the praises of Jesus. May they all find peace with God and peace with each other through the shed blood of Yeshua, the unblemished, perfect, once-for-all Passover Lamb whose sacrifice is reconciling all things to Himself!"
Oh, how Abraham's heart must have broken when he had to send Ishmael away, but how he must be leaping and dancing and celebrating and jumping for joy to see this day! Every single child was "Plan A." Every single child has a place at the table, a part in the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Heaven will be filled with ALL of His Sons!
Wow, God, wow! I am absolutely convinced that we will NEED Eternity to sing God's praises; anything less would rob Him of the worship He is due! Only infinity can hold the fullness of every "hallelujah!" When we see Him for who He is, we are COMPELLED to worship, and anything less than forever could never bring to completion the adoration He inspires! Heaven will be the constant and ceaseless exaltation of the Goodness of our God, and I CANNOT WAIT! Luckily, I don't have to; I can begin right now, touching Heaven as I lift my hands, my heart, my voice to Yahweh! Oh, that Heaven would not be a jarring new reality for any of His believers, but a natural next step as our hearts live and die to shine a spotlight on HIS Fame! He is so so very good and so so very worthy!!!
As I entered into communication with the Divine, my heart was burdened for the Muslim world, but I did not have the Genesis narrative and the story of Isaac and Ishmael specifically in mind. I wasn't asking Him to answer my questions; I was just praying my heart and letting the Holy Spirit lead. I praise God for His revelation; He connected the dots for me as I prayed. I will just type here the words of my prayer as I wrote them.
So I began, "Father, I pray for my Muslim brothers and sisters. You have a heart for them as well. You see them; you hear their cries. You love them. Honor their pursuit of You by opening their eyes to the truth. Send knowledge and revelation. May MANY LABORERS be sent out into the ripened fields, to gather in the souls of countless Muslims. May the blessing you gave to Abraham and Isaac be realized in our generation, that ALL the nations of the world would be blessed in and through them. How exciting to be living in the day when this promise will be fulfilled and the inclusiveness of Your great love will draw the descendants of Ishmael into the circle of promise and blessing and love. Yes, the seed (Jesus) came through Isaac, but it did not exclude Ishmael! May my eyes behold Your majesty as the sons and daughters of Ishmael AND Isaac join hands and sing the praises of Jesus. May they all find peace with God and peace with each other through the shed blood of Yeshua, the unblemished, perfect, once-for-all Passover Lamb whose sacrifice is reconciling all things to Himself!"
Oh, how Abraham's heart must have broken when he had to send Ishmael away, but how he must be leaping and dancing and celebrating and jumping for joy to see this day! Every single child was "Plan A." Every single child has a place at the table, a part in the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Heaven will be filled with ALL of His Sons!
Wow, God, wow! I am absolutely convinced that we will NEED Eternity to sing God's praises; anything less would rob Him of the worship He is due! Only infinity can hold the fullness of every "hallelujah!" When we see Him for who He is, we are COMPELLED to worship, and anything less than forever could never bring to completion the adoration He inspires! Heaven will be the constant and ceaseless exaltation of the Goodness of our God, and I CANNOT WAIT! Luckily, I don't have to; I can begin right now, touching Heaven as I lift my hands, my heart, my voice to Yahweh! Oh, that Heaven would not be a jarring new reality for any of His believers, but a natural next step as our hearts live and die to shine a spotlight on HIS Fame! He is so so very good and so so very worthy!!!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Hope and Glory from Philippians 1:6
Oh my dear brothers and sisters! Listen to the beauty contained in this verse:
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Isn't that so beautiful?!?!?! HE started the good work in us (by creating us, sending His Son into the world to die for us, and allowing us to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ). It's HIS work not mine, and He is able and faithful and wise and loving and He will finish it!!!
That means my best days are NOT behind me. I might look backwards at what the years have taken, lamenting what the moths and locusts have stolen. I might look at my current circumstances and think there is no way out. BUT this verse is telling me the opposite....to look forward with joy and anticipation because my better days--my best days---are still ahead! I praise God because He knows what He is doing! He has a plan and a purpose! He knows the way out of the mess I'm entangled in, and--hallelujah--He can turn things around in a much shorter time than it took me to mess them up in the first place! I can dance into the future with great excitement and anticipation!
I've heard it said that God is an artist, and I clearly see that. But with me, He's been a tattoo artist. There's one reason I've never gotten a tattoo....I'm afraid of the pain. But that's what He's using, those needle pricks, that pain, the hurt, the hard things....the loneliness, the rejection, the difficult people in my life, the times I've been left out or wounded or taken advantage of or felt unloved or unworthy or guilty or full of shame, the broken relationships, the trials, tribulations, struggles and challenges....to unfold beauty in my life. The hurt is essential to developing my character into exactly who I was designed to be. Tattoos look really cool when they are done. In the same way, I am confident....that my life in His hands can and will become a thing of beauty!!!....that the pain is a good kind of pain, that it is serving a purpose and that the final result will be something that was worth hurting for, worth waiting for! I can't wait to see what He can and will do! I can't wait to see the unbelievable endings to our stories! I know we may be in a season of "ouch!" "ouch!" "ouch!" but His grace and peace are with us and surround us in the middle of that! His promises to us will be fulfilled, and when we look back at the end of our lives, it will look as if this was all planned....because it was!!!
I have such hope because I trust the one who is leading me! I know He's good and He is taking me somewhere special and I am thrilled to be on this journey and so longing with joy and anticipation and excitement for that final destination to be revealed!
I just pray that you will be saturated in His love and abundance today! May all His blessings and riches be yours in full! May you be so filled up with His Spirit today that you simply cannot contain it, and it spills over everywhere you go!!!!!!!
Love in the one who loved us first,
Kristy
Isn't that so beautiful?!?!?! HE started the good work in us (by creating us, sending His Son into the world to die for us, and allowing us to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ). It's HIS work not mine, and He is able and faithful and wise and loving and He will finish it!!!
That means my best days are NOT behind me. I might look backwards at what the years have taken, lamenting what the moths and locusts have stolen. I might look at my current circumstances and think there is no way out. BUT this verse is telling me the opposite....to look forward with joy and anticipation because my better days--my best days---are still ahead! I praise God because He knows what He is doing! He has a plan and a purpose! He knows the way out of the mess I'm entangled in, and--hallelujah--He can turn things around in a much shorter time than it took me to mess them up in the first place! I can dance into the future with great excitement and anticipation!
I've heard it said that God is an artist, and I clearly see that. But with me, He's been a tattoo artist. There's one reason I've never gotten a tattoo....I'm afraid of the pain. But that's what He's using, those needle pricks, that pain, the hurt, the hard things....the loneliness, the rejection, the difficult people in my life, the times I've been left out or wounded or taken advantage of or felt unloved or unworthy or guilty or full of shame, the broken relationships, the trials, tribulations, struggles and challenges....to unfold beauty in my life. The hurt is essential to developing my character into exactly who I was designed to be. Tattoos look really cool when they are done. In the same way, I am confident....that my life in His hands can and will become a thing of beauty!!!....that the pain is a good kind of pain, that it is serving a purpose and that the final result will be something that was worth hurting for, worth waiting for! I can't wait to see what He can and will do! I can't wait to see the unbelievable endings to our stories! I know we may be in a season of "ouch!" "ouch!" "ouch!" but His grace and peace are with us and surround us in the middle of that! His promises to us will be fulfilled, and when we look back at the end of our lives, it will look as if this was all planned....because it was!!!
I have such hope because I trust the one who is leading me! I know He's good and He is taking me somewhere special and I am thrilled to be on this journey and so longing with joy and anticipation and excitement for that final destination to be revealed!
I just pray that you will be saturated in His love and abundance today! May all His blessings and riches be yours in full! May you be so filled up with His Spirit today that you simply cannot contain it, and it spills over everywhere you go!!!!!!!
Love in the one who loved us first,
Kristy
Christ's Poverty, Our Riches
I received Jesus: The One and Only yesterday and am already in week two! I can't get enough of Him! I am being overwhelmed by Truth as if for the very first time!Sometimes a question in our workbook will just get me thinking in such a way that I can't let go of it; I have to stop and ponder and meditate on it. The Holy Spirit is such an amazing teacher and brings insight and revelation that is NOT of me!The question that halted me in my tracks today was this one: "What does Christ's earthly poverty have to do with us?" My mind started racing; one thought led to another. Before I knew it, I was scribbling diagrams and getting cramps from writing as quickly and furiously as I possibly could.When all is said and done, it boils down to this:Jesus existed before time began. He enjoyed perfect fellowship within the Trinity, sharing completely in the glory of the Godhead. Yet, He chose to leave the riches and glory of Heaven, to humble Himself and become poor. Why? For my sake and for your sake. It's the "Great Switch," Christ's poverty making the riches of God available and accessible to me and you!And, oh, what a humbling! The fullness of God was nailed to a cross by sinful men.So, Jesus's path led from glory (pre-incarnation) to glory (post-incarnation), but was intersected by the cross. If He had glory pre-cross, why endure the suffering to get to glory post-cross? He could have just enjoyed and revelled in His Glory without it ever being disturbed or interrupted.Because--and this is where I am just dumbfounded and and in tears--somehow, to Jesus and to God the Father and to the Holy Spirit, glory post-cross is more glorious than glory pre-cross because it includes us!!! HOW can God esteem us so highly that He would pay that kind of a price to redeem us?!?! How can He value you and me that much?!?!?!Oh, I am so acutely aware that I have never known an earthly love that could even come close to this all-consuming, unfathomable, fierce and passionate love of Jesus! Oh, that I would live my life in a way that is worthy of the high price He paid to redeem me, worthy of that unfailing love, worthy of His call! May His death never be in vain in our lives!How thankful I am that my salvation does not in any way depend on me! Even when I stumble, He never lets go! Can you even imagine anything better than the moment you will enter eternity and be ushered into His Presence to hear Him whisper, "well done, good and faithful servant!"?!?! Oh, Amen and Amen....Let it be so! (And according to 2 Corinthians 1:20, Jesus Himself is the "YES!" and "AMEN!" of God!) The ONE and ONLY indeed! Nothing this life has to offer is worth missing HIM!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Reflections from Mount Moriah....Genesis 22
As I began my study of Genesis 22 today, I started out by looking up all the verses that my Bible cross-referenced with Gen. 22:1: "God tested Abraham." These verses over and over again state that testing is for the benefit of the one being tested. I asked God to help me understand how Abraham benefited from this test, and the Holy Spirit brought illumination. I was so overwhelmed by what happened on top of Mount Moriah, and I'd love to share my thoughts with you. I pray that you are blessed by these reflections.
Abraham's Testing
Because of Abraham's obedience, He met God in a new and powerful way on the top of Mount Moriah. He came to know God as Jehovah-Jireh, the-Lord-will-provide. On the mountain, He learned that there were no limits to God's provision. Creator God, Maker and Sustainer of all living things who meets our physical needs, providing daily bread and water in dry places, is also YHWH, the Covenant God, who provides for our deepest needs as well---forgiveness, atonement, reconciliation, covering.
What happened on that mountain is such a beautiful picture of the lengths God and His own beloved, one and only child of promise, His Son, Jesus, were willing to go to redeem us! Did Abraham get that? I believe that He did, maybe not as clearly as we can looking back on the cross, the sacrifice having already occurred, with the gospels and New Testament to help us in our understanding. But God revealed much to Abraham on that mountain and though he may have been seeing somewhat dimly, as through a fog or a haze, I believe that HE SAW CHRIST in that ram who took Isaac's place on that altar; and he understood God's heart of love perhaps like no other ever has as they shared a common heartbreak in their giving of their one and only, beloved, cherished, obedient sons. Abraham was motivated to give up Isaac because of his love for and faith in God, and God was motivated to give up Jesus because of His love for us (Abraham and his descendants).
What a beautiful picture! I don't think there is anything more beautiful in all the world!
And a love that beautiful expands...that's the nature of that love, to overflow onto others and draw them in so they too can share in Love's Beauty. It's why married couples yearn to have children: love is too good to keep all to yourself. By its very definition, love has to have a beloved, an object upon which to lavish the excesses of that love. Love requires expression. Love includes! It multiplies! It expands! It regenerates! It explodes! It cannot be contained! It's a revolution! True Love changes everything!
Abraham's act of obedience and love towards God SO MOVED THE ETERNAL ONE that He responds with an Ephesians 3:20 type promise, "...blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants..." In these words, I hear the echo of the New Testament: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ!" Who can even fathom "every spiritual blessing in Christ?" The fullness of God's grace and blessing to us in Christ is definitely beyond all that we could ask, think, dream or imagine! And I think Abraham got a sneak peek up on top of that mountain.
Oh, there are risks when we surrender to a life of faith! We give up our rights. We lay down our Isaacs. We surrender control. We forfeit comfort, laziness, excuses, blame, self-justification, and convenience. We dethrone ourselves and give up being our own gods. We turn our backs on the temporal and crucify our flesh. We pay the price of obedience (and, undoubtedly, it will cost us something; frequently, it will seem to be costing us a whole heck of a lot!).
But what we get in return so far surpasses anything we might lose:
- Knowing and experiencing God (He is found by those who seek Him!),
- Abundant life,
- Eternal rewards,
- God's favor,
- A "calling" (the fulfillment that comes when you discover the purpose and meaning for which you were created),
- Kingdom impact (fruit),
- Untold spiritual blessings (God is a rewarder of those who seek Him!),
- Rest for my soul (peace, security, satisfaction, agape love, "It is well" contentment that is independent of circumstance, assurance, abiding joy),
- Seeing God's glory, His Manifest Presence (Shekinah)....nothing this world has to offer is worth missing THIS!,
- A Godly heritage for my descendants
- The thrilling adventure of letting God write my story
Abraham was no fool! He is the father of the Jim Elliotts of this world, all those who follow in his footsteps and give up what they cannot keep to gain what they cannot lose. And he is my father as well!
The faith and love Abraham demonstrated on Mount Moriah was received by God and poured back out in such amazing ways that I, born thousands and thousands of years later, have been caught in the net of that ever-increasing, ever-multiplying, ever-expanding, ever-widening explosion of perfect, complete love that defies explanation or understanding. My attempts to put words to this truth are doomed to failure because it is so beyond human language. It seems to me in this moment that our universe is expanding because God's love is actively and continually expanding as each new son or daughter comes to faith and reconnects with the God who has yearned for him or her since before time began!
All of us who have been touched by this Mount Moriah love must, in turn, lay our own Isaacs down. Yes, just as surely as the test was for Abraham's own good, it is for our own good as well. Because it is only when we stand before Him with empty hands that we are able to truly experience His grace. He fills those who empty themselves in order that He might indwell them. He will not leave you empty. He will come, and He will fill, and you will understand the poverty of anything you held in your hands before this moment. Our Isaacs will look different for each of us, but oh, that we would NOT CLING TO what God has asked us to surrender because there is GLORY on the other side of our sacrifice!
Why was I chosen? Why were my eyes opened? Why am I so privileged to be counted among the descendants of Abraham? The only answer I find is this: "God Almighty has set His affections upon me." I cannot stop the tears from falling as I meditate on this truth. I don't understand. I don't know what He could have seen in me that would cause Him to love me so! Me? With a heart as dark as mine? A pit dweller like me? But there is no explanation; only that He loves because HE IS LOVE! And I'm melted by that love, and the only possible response to a love like that is to love Him in return with my entire heart, soul, mind and strength!
"Father, every day, remove another scale from my eyes so I can see you more clearly and experience more fully Your heart of love. And, every day, grow my heart a little more so I can love You more passionately, with more zeal, more whole-heartedly, more completely, more devotedly. Because You are worth it. You are worth it, God!"
The law did not change my heart. But what the law could not accomplish, Jesus did. He took my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh! It is a MIRACLE what He has done in my heart and life! It's not a miracle like the world is looking for because it's internal instead of external, but that IS God's priority under the New Covenant: the heart, the internal. And I can tell you without a doubt that the change He has brought about in my life, the transformation I've experienced because of His Touch rivals any Red Sea parting or manna raining from the sky!
"OH, Praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"
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