The One Great Thing

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:25 (NLT)

This past weekend in church the Pastor asked "How many of you have had God do something great for you?" I raised my hand. I started thinking about my prayers and the answers I'd received. Then, I thought about my outstanding prayers - the prayers without answers still.

How about you? Has God done anything great for you lately? Take a minute...think about it.

As I was thinking through this, the Pastor said "Well Jesus died for you. Wasn't that great?" We all should have raised our hands. Made me think. As Christians maybe we take the death, life and resurrection of Jesus for granted. After all, to be a Christian you have to check that box. Then you can say, "I'm a believer."

There is so much more to it than that. Does it make a difference in our lives? Do we realize what a gift we've been given? Do we live like people who were on death row and were given a pardon? Do we live like people that are loved beyond more than we can ask or imagine?

My prayer this Easter season is that as we look once again at the GREAT thing God did for us, we become changed. We become a people who always raise our hands, jump up and down and shout Hallelujah whenever we can especially because no matter what our recent answers to prayer are, the greatest thing God did for us happened over 2000 years ago. Let's not forget.

That's Not a Cliff

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

Eleven months ago I came face-to-face with one of the biggest challenges I've ever encountered. I remember distinctly the knot in my stomach for days and the feeling that I was going to lose it and burst into tears at any moment. I was in that state for about 4 days when I woke up one morning with this text in my head. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." I knew that was God saying "Don't freak out. Don't trust what you see. Trust me."

So I began the long, arduous process of learning to trust God more. God is still teaching me this. The challenge I faced eleven months ago is not yet resolved. We've been walking this path for what some days seems like forever. I have days that I call "Some Days Brave." Basically, some days I wake up and say "Yes, I trust you! Let's do this thing." and some days I wake up and say "I can't. Can we go back to the way it was please?"

I can tell you this. As we've walked this path, God and I, he has not failed to provide. It's been super tough and there have been a lot of sacrifices but he has kept his promises. And each time we take a step closer to the edge of the cliff (that's what it feels like) he is there encouraging me to trust him.

For the last week he has been challenging me to take a step closer to the precipice. I have expressed how I think that is totally crazy because it is not logical. It doesn't make any sense to do what he is asking. But today I said "Can you provide a word, something that will help me know this is you?" In my reading, I came across Proverbs 3:5-6 (he's so funny) but in a different version. Notice the line that says "Don't try to figure everything out on your own." Well, that's what I've been doing. Trying it make it look humanly possible. Ha! If it looked humanly possible, it wouldn't be God.

I haven't inched closer to the edge of the cliff yet. I'm still processing but God is talking. And oh by the way, this isn't a cliff for God. It's a flat plain of beautiful green grass with lots of flowers.

Voices in the Storm

Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” 1 Kings 19:11 (MSG)

Sounds great doesn't it....God passing by. What imagery do you picture when you hear the words "God passes by"? I always pictured calm. Maybe some music is playing and there is peace. Throw in a little sunshine, rolling white clouds, maybe a rainbow and the picture is complete. I said 'used to' because there are many ways God can pass by. As you read further in 1 Kings it says

A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. (v 11-12)

God's presence doesn't always mean happy, smiley times. Sometimes, it comes with a storm. Sometimes things are just falling apart. Where it used to be "life is good", now it's downright chaotic. You can't seem to get a grasp on anything long enough to hold on. Here's the good news. Just because our lives seem a little out of control doesn't mean God is not in it.

If you are a follower of Jesus, life is going to be an adventure. Where God is involved there is going to be craziness. We are going to be uncomfortable. We are going to experience lots of insecurity and we are going to say lots of things like "Are you kidding me?" If you didn't have the downs with the ups, your faith would not grow. The only thing you'd learn to trust is yourself. God wants you to trust him.

As you are tossing and turning and churning through a difficult time, remember the last part of verse 12....."and after the fire a gentle quiet whisper." All throughout the storm God was there with Elijah. And he was talking. God is always with us in the tough times. He is whispering our names and offering comfort. Be still long enough to hear it.

I Choose You First

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Genesis 3:6 (NLT)

People ask "Why did God tempt Adam and Eve by putting the tree in the garden?" Let's be clear, God did not tempt Adam and Eve. God put the tree in the garden and told them what he wanted. Satan tempted Eve. And Eve chose what she thought would bring her the most pleasure in that moment.

The same thing happens with us every day. God says "This is the life I want for you. These are the things that will bring you blessings. Choose me and your life with be abundant." And we look at it and say "BUT, if I choose this other thing that isn't in your list of good stuff, I will be ___________." Fill in the blank (Happy. Rich. Successful. Popular). And then we think we can have what we want and God too.

Wrong. You can't. Now let's be clear. God loves you. He wants the very best for you. But what he cares about the most is your salvation. He cares more about that than your happy, successful, profitable state of mind. Eve figured that out. She got her taste of delicious. And her wisdom sure did grow because of that one decision (we all grow when we make bad decisions don't we?). But she also paid for choosing herself first.

Did God still provide? Yes. Did God still show up? Yes. But it wasn't the same. There was a distance between them that didn't exist before. I don't want that. I want to choose what God wants so I can stay close and connected. Will I temporarily be unsatisfied with my status quo? Probably. In the end will it matter? No.

Father God, Please. Help me in my humanness to choose you first above everything. Amen

Making Myself Remember

Ever have those days where things just don't seem right. Nothing is actually going wrong but nothing is actually going right either. Or maybe things are going all wrong and no matter what you do it feels like you are taking two steps backward instead of one step forward, Life is out of sorts and you wonder "What's up?" So you pray and ask God "What's up?" And you get no answer. Nada. So you ask again. Silence.

I can't say why God sometimes speaks and sometimes he doesn't or should I say why sometimes I can't hear him. He may be speaking but my hearing may be impaired. What I have recently discovered though is a way to find peace and comfort when I can't hear him. During these super frustrating times, I reflect on who God is. I step back and remind myself of his character. This helps me remember why I trust him. It reminds me that whether I can hear him or not, he loves me and has not gone AWOL. Here are a few of the texts that I've refreshed my memory with lately. What are yours?

God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NLT)

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

And finally, most importantly, when Jesus died on the cross he said "It is finished." In other words, "I've got this. It is done. You are safe."

It is always good to remember who God is. What he is will never change. And who he loves won't either.

In the Deep Water

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. Genesis 28:15 (NIV)

This weekend I went with my daughter and grandson to his swimming lesson. He's still pretty little. The lessons were given to him for his first birthday. I was sitting on the side-line watching and my daughter was in the pool with him. He loves the water but he's not too sure of the part where they want him to put his head under it. When he surfaces again he looks around and you can tell he's a little afraid. He will look over at me on the side-line and I wave at him and yell "Yay!" Then he looks to his mom and wraps his arms around her neck and she holds him tight.

Reminded me of our walk with Jesus. When we are in what feels like water over our heads and the waves come and our balance is shaky and the water splashes us in the face - sometimes we look to the support system on the side-line for encouragement. Then we realize that the cheering is nice but not quite enough to make us feel safe. We turn to Jesus, grab him around the neck and let him hold us steady.

This week when things get a little dicey, be held. Remember that no matter where you are he is there with you. He's the Rock you can stand on to keep your face above water.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.  Hebrews 6:19 (NLT)

Facing Giants

That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, face down in the dirt. 1 Samuel 17:48-49

Run. Run quickly toward him. My breathing was fast as I ran. I was trying to control it by breathing deeply so I could have all the energy I needed when the battle began. Facing this Giant definitely was the craziest thing I've ever done. Ever. Even chasing a bear or a lion didn't seem so insane.

As I put my hand into my sling I felt the cool stone against my sweaty palm. "Lord, you've always been with me. You've provided what I've needed. I need you now." Without even thinking about it, my reflexes took over. All that I had done in the field as a shepherd kicked in. I put the stone in the sling and with an expertise that comes from hours and hours of practice; I swung the sling round and round over my head until I released it saying a prayer as it sailed through the air. "God, hit your mark."

It landed and hit the mark perfectly. The Giant crashed to the ground. As I ran toward him I thanked God for all he had taught me and for his divine hand in my life. Always. Always he's been there to help me face my Giants. "Thank you, God."

Thursday, Mar 23

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” Luke 10:36-37 (NLT)

Most of us know the story of the Good Samaritan. We've heard it many times. The lawyer whose questions prompted the story started the discussion with one question, "Who is my neighbor?" He was hoping to get off easy; he was hoping that since he was already good to the people he knew Jesus would tell him he had done well. But God's definition of 'neighbor' and those whom you show mercy to requires more of us than we are often willing to give.

Let's make this real. I'm going to throw out some scenarios and I want you to put yourself in the role of the Samaritan. Remember, he helped the Jewish man who had been attacked - even though they were enemies. He inconvenienced himself to provide what was best for his enemy.

Let's start with the stories in the news where a policeman has shot a black man or visa versus, a black man has killed a policeman. You are the family member of the deceased. How will you treat the person who took your loved one's life?

You are living in Paris and were there when ISIS attacked the city and your family member was killed. You come face to face with the person who orchestrated the attack. How do you treat them?

How about some scenarios that are closer to home? Someone has hurt your spouse, your child, your parents. How will you follow up?

Someone you know in business deliberately causes you to lose a large sum of money and you nearly lose everything. You come face-to-face with them at a conference. What do you do?

Some of these are extreme situations and for a lot of us we will never have to face these horrific situations. But, as the world continually becomes more and more distant from God's ideal for us, the reality that we will be faced with our 'enemy' becomes more and more real. Look at your life. Is there someone that needs your forgiveness? Is there someone you should show mercy to? Is there someone who needs your best? This is what God is calling us to do. The idea is just as radical now as it was when Jesus introduced it. We can't do it alone. We need him in our lives to pull it off.

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Matthew 5:46-47 (NLT)