Nothing Wasted, Part I

Walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness, and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord...walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5: 8b-10, 15, 16~

Our world is filled with ideas and designs, yet there is not a single idea or design which originated with man. God created. Man, inspired by His creation, imitates. This is seen not only in things that are designed, built or produced, but also in the way that man views this world. The farther man strays from God's truth, the more his worldview becomes distorted; nevertheless, every idea originated with God.

Take for example the idea of recycling. We see the concept of recycling throughout creation: a flower dies but its seeds fall to the ground and another flower springs up from those seeds. But it is not only in nature that such recycling is seen, the pattern of recycling is a spiritual concept as well as a physical. In the language of Scripture, the idea of recycling is termed redemption -- the Lord redeems broken hearts, lives and bodies. He restores by transforming loss into life.

God never wastes anything. What He allows to touch my life in this moment is to prepare, re-shape and provide for what will arise in the next moment. There is depth and design to all that God has created as well as to what He permits His creation to encounter. He is not bound by time, but He ordained the laws of time. While outside of time, He prepares us for what will come in time, and all who surrender to be shaped within the realm of time are redeeming that time for eternity.

In other words, as I surrender to God's will being done in this realm (of time) as it is done in Heaven, time is being redeemed. With such knowledge, my understanding of loss is transformed. I can face any loss with an assurance that it is wrought with multi-faceted purposes of redemption. Some fruits of the Lord's recycling handiwork will not be seen on this side of eternity, but others will be clearly seen. In fact, there are specific recycling promises throughout God's Word.

With any form of suffering or trial there is some sort of loss. The thought of rejoicing in the midst of our losses is foreign to our desires, but Romans 5:3-5 explains tht the Lord's promise of recycling is a good reason to rejoice: because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us.

As I surrender to the losses which God allows, each loss will be recycled to enable the Spirit's fruit to blossom from my life...specific loss producing specific fruit; fruit that is essential for tomorrow, fruit that will endure when the pain of loss has faded and fruit which evokes hope, causing me to see loss through the lens of God's love.

Part II will soon follow...

Unshakeable; Indelible, Part II

In Matthew 7:26-27, Jesus relays an example of a kingdom that is shaken: ...everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash. Thankfully, Jesus also gives an example of a kingdom that cannot be shaken: ...everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)

When I build my belief structure on anything other than truth, my very foundation will crumble and I will be shaken...but if I am believing truth, I will be able to solidly stand in the midst of any storm.

This sounds pretty simple, but in actuality it is a process which requires a willingness to submit to the truth of God in every moment of every day. In every thought I must acknowledge the Lord...I must press on to acknowledge the Lord in all my thoughts. As I build my life, thought by thought, on truth, as truth is invested into every part of my imaginations, the rains of pain and struggle will not be able to shake me...the winds of doubt and speculation will not be able to shake me.

To believe God's truth over my own feelings, emotions and imaginations, to trust God's Word and character, even when what He allows brings pain, loss or disappointment, this is to be single-minded. To be single-minded is to be unshakeable.

In Psalm 26:1b-3 David says, I have trusted the Lord without wavering. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I will walk continually in your truth.

If I am continually walking in truth, building every part of my life on truth, my focus becomes Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith. As I am grounded in His truth, His love is ever before me, captivating me. As a result, spiritual thoughts are combined with spiritual words, and the mind of Christ is expressed through me. (Hosea 6:3; Colossians 2:6-7; I Corinthians 2:10-16) What could be more significant than having the mind of the very Word of God expressed through my life? Only Truth reaps eternal rewards...Truth alone can produce an unshakeable kingdom, an indelible mark...and I am convinced that nothing has greater significance or value.

Unshakeable; Indelible, Part I

Hebrews 12:28...since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe...

As I have grown in my understanding of God and His Word, one thing has become a real certainty in my mind: anything that is of God cannot be shaken, what is born of Him will remain.

Psalm 15: 1-2, 5b says:
Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart...he who does these things will never be shaken.

It is only through Christ that one may dwell in the sanctuary of God...and it is only through Christ that a blameless and righteous life can be known by any man or woman. Because of Christ, the great High Priest, Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may find grace to help us in our time of need. As those in Christ approach the throne of grace, they will find grace to help in time of need...as they trust the Grace that is provided, they will not be shaken.

Kingdom power and Kingdom priorities cannot be shaken, for they proceed out of the solid foundation of the Rock of Truth, Jesus Christ. Luke 17:21 says that, "...the kingdom of God is within us." The moment Jesus Christ takes residence in a heart, the very kingdom of God is within that heart. Within every follower of Christ there is a kingdom that cannot be shaken...but only as we build every part of our lives on this Foundation will we know an implacable stance in the midst of any and every storm.

What amazing grace has been given...that we can come into the very presence of God with confidence...that He has granted a Way for us to be sure-footed despite the terrain...and yet how much time is wasted on crumbling foundations, on things that will not remain?

Deep within every man there is a longing to live a life of significance, but so often insignificant means are used to try to gain such significance -- this is a crumbling foundation, it is an attempt to make a mark on this world with a dry-erase marker.

Only Christ can make an indelible mark...He has made this indelible mark on my life...with His mark upon me, I cannot help but make a mark...but I have realized that any mark which my life makes is of little importance -- that His mark is seen, this is what truly matters, only this will make a difference.

I long for His mark to be projected through my life...I do not want my thoughts, my opinions, my speculations to be projected...I want His truth to be on display...but I must recognize that the mark which is projected through my life will be determined by the foundational ideas which are input into my mind/heart and which have become the structure of everything that I believe. The question is: does my belief structure enable Christ's mark to be clearly seen?

Part II will soon follow...

I Will Hope Continually

~But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long; for I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God; I will make mention of your righteousness, Yours alone. ~Psalm 71:14-16~

As I write today, my mom is in a South African hospital with a fractured skull...I will hope continually in the Lord. My brother and his wife are giving great care to the needs of my mom, but they are exhausted from a whole host of demands which are vying for their energy and attention...I will hope continually in the Lord. I pray and support from a distance...I will hope continually in the Lord. Such an unexpected occurrence, so much is unknown...I will hope continually in the Lord...for this One that I know, He is enough. He is righteous. He is mighty to save. His grace and love has touched every part of this circumstance...there is no way to measure His acts of salvation, they reach beyond what my eyes can see, but they are perfect in their prescription and redemption. The hands of the Lord are loving, righteous, good and gracious; those I love are in His hands...He knows the number of hairs on their head, keeps their tears in a bottle...He would not allow this time of struggle and pain unless a greater good was on the other side...I will hope continually in the Lord.

Bridge of Blessing

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. ~John 1:16~

As 2009 comes to a close, the words of John 1:16 fill my heart and mind. Throughout this year, one blessing after another has touched my life. Some blessings were packaged in struggle or disappointment; others were lovely surprises, far surpassing anything that my mind could have conceived...but each blessing of 2009 helped me to better understand a precious nugget of truth regarding blessing: My life is lived from one blessing to another...the blessing of this moment is a bridge to the blessing of the next moment -- in Christ, the cycle of blessing is never broken, it is unending.

There are moments which are marked by immense pain, making it difficult to associate the word blessing with that moment. Yet blessing is ever in the mind of my Lord. Because I know His character, I know that He would not allow a trial or difficulty unless blessing was engraved upon that moment of trial. In this realization, my understanding of blessing was adjusted...blessing is not defined as a release from hardship, stress, disappointment or illness...blessing is the very presence of the Lord in this moment, it is living in complete fellowship with Him whether a moment is pregnant with pain or rejoicing. Blessing is the grace which God granted when He provided a Way for me to know Him...and every proceeding moment is an opportunity to know Him more.

No matter the circumstance, God is the blessing of every moment. I guess you could say that He is the Bridge of Blessing, for only a moment without Him could be void of blessing.

Fixed on Peace

I love nativity sets. If it were possible, each Christmas I would have one displayed in every room of my house. This year as I was setting out the pieces of my nativities, I was struck afresh by the way each participant is focused on the face of the Christ child. When this babe becomes a man, such worshipful gazes will be replaced with contempt...but on the night of Jesus' birth, and then later through the wisemen, Simeon and Anna, there was pure worship of the baby Messiah.

The night God's Son came to earth, in worship and praise the angels proclaimed a message of peace: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests". (Luke 2:14) The good news of Jesus is for all men (Luke 2:10), but God's peace can only be known by those on whom His favor rests. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, ...without faith it is impossible to please God. God's favor comes to rest on any person who believes Him. Simply put, only those who believe God can be pleasing to Him, and only those who are pleasing to God can experience His peace.

Luke 2:15 says, When the angels had left...the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has happened, which the Lord has told us about." Before the shepherds looked on the face of the Christ child, they first believed the words of the Lord. After they looked on Jesus' face, the shepherds glorified and praised God for all that they had heard and seen. They praised God because His words were true. Their praise was a sign of peace. They could praise because the Peace of God had captured their focus.

As I ponder that thought, Isaiah 26:3 comes to my mind. In speaking of God this passage says, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you. (NLT) When my mind is fixed on the truth of God, my heart will be filled with peace. Such peace, as proclaimed by the angels, is the reason that God sent His Son to the earth: He wanted all men to experience the peace that comes from being made right with Him.

On that first Christmas night, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were given the great privilege of focusing on the face of the Messiah. In like manner, until I can also fix my eyes on His face, I desire to fix my heart on His truth. Beautifully, as my mind and heart is fixed on His truth, the celebration of his birth, life, death and resurrection becomes an unending process...and the Peace proclaimed on that first Christmas night can daily be proclaimed through my life.

Nothing to Distract, Part II

As I live to defend my rights, I am a distraction to the renown of God...I know my selfishness, my covetousness, and I am sobered as I think on these words. Yet, in Christ, there is another possibility for me: As I surrender my rights and allow Christ to respond through me, I will bring renown to God. To lay down my rights that others may see Christ, to embrace His truth over my own feelings and emotions, this is to allow my imaginations to be captured by Christ. As I allow Him to captivate my imaginations, I decrease. As I decrease, He is free to express Himself through me...and others can then see a true picture of Him. Christ living through me will say more than my words could ever express. His life in me is the call to all that is right.

A favorite story of mine, which magnificently demonstrates lives that desire to decrease that Christ may increase, is found in Acts 16:22-36. Sitting in the inner cell of a jail with their feet in stocks, we find a stripped and beaten Paul and Silas. They were treated in this manner because they cast demons out of a young girl whose owners used her as a fortune teller. Once the owners realized that their fortunes would no longer be amplified by this young girl, they were furious with Paul and Silas. They brought Paul and Silas before the authorities and accused them of slandering the Roman laws and customs. As a result, here sat Paul and Silas, feet in stocks, and yet instead of wallowing in their circumstances, instead of wailing, crying and questioning, they prayed and sang hymns to God. They praised their God, knowing that despite the change in their circumstances, He had not changed. They knew that His thoughts and purposes for them were full of love.

This is amazing in itself, but it is not the end of the story. As Paul and Silas sang, the prison was shaken, the doors flew open, and their chains were released. The prison guard, certain that the prisoners had escaped to freedom, took his sword and was about to kill himself, but Paul cried out, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!". The prison guard was overwhelmed. He went before Paul and Silas and asked them what he needed to do to be saved. He then took Paul and Silas home to his family, and he and all his family believed in God.

This story speaks to me of freedom and understood purpose. Because Paul and Silas understood truth, because their imaginations were captured by the truth of God, they were internally free. Even though they were externally beaten and chained, they were filled with joy and rest. It was this freedom and understood purpose which steadied them and caused them to remain within the prison after their chains had been released. If they had run as soon as the doors were opened, they would not have fulfilled a part of the purpose which God had designed for their imprisonment...and the prison guard would probably have known an eternity in agony rather than eternal security.

It would have been very easy for Paul and Silas to focus on themselves within that prison cell. To think on their discomfort...to feel outraged that God would allow this to happen to them...to care more for their own lives than for the life of the prison guard...to have thoughts that were consumed with release...but instead, they chose to rest in the One who loved them. They did not allow their circumstances to control their reaction, rather they praised the God who had captured their thoughts and imaginations. They saw this situation as an opportunity from Him, and they did not want to miss what He was going to do in them or through them. They wanted God's renown more than they wanted release.

I wonder how much my desire to be released from struggles, inconveniences and disappointments has hindered God's renown...I do not want my selfishness, my covetousness, to obscure the glory and truth of God. I long to wait on the Lord as Paul and Silas waited on Him, to surrender all my rights to the Lover of my soul and allow Him to capture my every imagination. May I see every moment of my days as an opportunity to decrease that God's renown may increase.

The path of the righteous is level, O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you, your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Isaiah 26:7-8