Blog: Glimmers in the Fog by Kim Stiver

The Last Glimmer... For Now

1/22/2020

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The last two and a half years have flown by, and while a part of me hoped that God would allow it to go on forever, I always knew He wanted me to hold Glimmers in the Fog with open hands, ready and willing to release it back to Him at any time. What began as simple, short musings gradually grew to become a collection of more than one hundred blog posts and podcasts, each including study questions and totaling more than 165,000 words. And they all started the same way as this one is now… A whisper, a nudge, or a flooding of a new thoughts from the Holy Spirit, along with a story to tell and a piping hot cup of morning coffee or afternoon tea. And that in and of itself is amazing to me — to know that He is constantly pushing us to grow… drawing us to Him… doing a new thing, yet He also consistently and steadily bubbles up into our lives through the simplicity of routines, dependable familiarity, and peaceful stirrings in our souls. The King of the Universe is both comfortingly familiar and strikingly fresh, all at the same time. He reveals Himself in the ordinary moments as much as the shocking events. He knows how to make us feel like His own every time.

Glimmers always murmured to me of its seasonality… its temporary sojourn for a substantial amount of my time, energy, and passion. What I didn’t expect, however, was its reason for coming to end (at least for now). As someone who sees and processes life through stories, I thought God was pushing me toward blogging, and eventually podcasting, as a way of building a new writing and teaching ministry to help others grow in their faith and intimacy with Jesus. And while He has indeed called me into full-time ministry, it’s not how I expected Him to do it. I’m just being super real with you right now, because at some point in the life of every Christ-follower — if not many times for some people — God will call you to something that doesn’t meet your expectations, but perfectly meets His. And when we find ourselves in those moments, we have two choices. We can embrace what He has planned and trust that everything up until this point has been for a purpose. Or, we can choose to resist His best for us by keeping our fists tightly clenched around the thing we love, the success we accumulate, the lifestyle we’re comfortable with, or the vision we have. You and I both know what will eventually happen either way, but sometimes we tell ourselves the truth we want to hear versus the only Truth that will lead to us to genuine fulfillment.

Waiting for a dream to become a reality — sometimes for years — is hard. Surrendering a dream back to God after you’ve had a little taste of it coming to fruition is even harder. But Jesus is an expert in using life’s twists, turns, and unmet expectations to achieve something much greater than we could’ve ever imagined and far more important than our own success, dreams, or accomplishments — even “spiritual” ones. What is Jesus trying to do in every single thing? He’s working to make us more like Him. Period. Everything else, even the most lofty spiritual service or altruistic dream you can think of, falls secondary to that. When we become more like Him, we are more capable of fulfilling the greatest commandment from Matthew 22:37-40: “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” The more we become like Jesus in character, presence, and action, the more effective we will be for His kingdom, even if that effectiveness comes in ways you never expected or cannot even see.

One of the best stories I’ve heard that illustrates this truth is Phil Vischer’s, who was the original creator of the children’s video series Veggie Tales. While reading his book is well-worthy of your time, I’ll summarize it by saying that Phil saw his wildest dreams come true and then watched it all come crashing down. He went from the mountaintop of reaching millions for Jesus through his creativity, to the abyss of losing everything he had strived for and believed that God had given. And through it all, He learned a lot about God and how the Holy Spirit was working to transform Him into being more like Jesus. The book is filled with incredible encouragement, but here is my favorite quote from it: “If God gives you a dream, and the dream comes to life and God shows up in it, and then the dream dies, it may be that God wants to see what is more important to you — the dream or him.” Phil goes on to encourage us over and over that God is simply enough, even without our smallest dreams ever coming true. “The impact God has planned for us doesn’t occur when we’re pursuing impact. It occurs when we’re pursuing God,” he said.

So, here I am taking that next step in pursuing God. Right now, that next step is letting go of Glimmers in the Fog so that I can have ample time to fully serve in the new role He’s asked me to take on at my church. While it’s not a role that I would’ve initially applied for, the Holy Spirit made it abundantly clear through multiple types of confirmations, that this is the place He wants me to be. And as I ponder the last four to five years leading up to this point, I am praising Him over and over for revealing glimmers of His hand at work, sometimes gently and other times dramatically, engineering circumstances and experiences to knock down my pride, self-reliance, independence, personal agendas, and needs for validation and accomplishment. There may not be a single moment of the obviously miraculous or a second of sparkling brilliance, but taken on the whole, God’s hand has emerged for me like a stunning vista after a long, arduous hike through a dark forest. My heart is overflowing with His assurance that waiting on Him and not getting ahead of Him is always worth it. And like Phil Vischer, I’ve also realized how much I put my dreams of doing something great for God above simply being satisfied in God.

Every single one of my blog posts and podcasts began with a whisper to an audience of only one — me. Each message was something God was directing me to contemplate and oftentimes wrestle with myself. And then He blessed my socks off by letting me share those thoughts with you in case you might also relate and be encouraged.

And now, my friend, I want to encourage you to capture your own story of what God is doing in your life. What glimmers do you see of His hand at work to shape you into being more like Jesus? Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you start a blog, write a book, or anything burdensome. Rather, just keep a journal or notebook — a hard copy or a digital one — and simply jot down, sketch, draw, or make lists about His movement in your life. Lamentations 3:21-22 says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end.” When we capture what God is doing in our souls, we can better recall them to mind, and they become beacons of shining hope to cast light in the dark seasons and places of our lives.

In the months ahead, I’m not going to stop writing down what God whispers to my heart, and I hope at some point that He’ll open the door for me to share them with others again. Maybe through the novel I’m working to finish on my off-days, or perhaps through a new season of blogging and podcasting in the future. But no matter what He does or doesn’t do regarding my desires and dreams, I know this — I’ll be eagerly anticipating that no matter how I spend most of my days, He will simply be enough. Until we meet again, my friend, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Romans 15:13 and Ephesians 3:20-21)

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Romans 8: God's Christmas Card

12/18/2019

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A Special Christmas Reading of Romans 8
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When we read the Word of God out loud, sometimes the Holy Spirit brings a passage to life in a whole new way. Romans 8 is not traditionally considered an Advent message, but when it's read aloud and set in the context of Christmas and why Jesus came in the first place, another layer of meaning emerges and a bigger glimpse of God's love for us appears. You're invited to sit back, close your eyes, and restfully seek His presence as you listen to this short, dramatic reading of selected verses from Romans 8 in The Passion Translation.

“Yet God sent us his Son in human form to identify with human weakness… There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us — no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One." Romans 8:3b, 38b-39 The Passion Translation

Merry Christmas to all Glimmers in the Fog listeners! May you experience the gift of Jesus and the peace He offers in new ways this Advent season!

Music Licenses for background tracks used in the Advent reading:
O Holy Night - Jon Sayles
Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Silent Night - Jon Sayles
Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Romans 8: God's Christmas Card for Humanity

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Harnessing the Power of Habit

11/20/2019

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There’s nothing like a major life event to upend the apple cart of habits. Bad ones seem to get worse, and good ones become harder to keep. And while I’ve written about the power of habit and routines before, like so many other life-altering topics, this is one that God keeps reminding me to pay attention to… and I’m guessing that He always will. No matter how much we mature, the force of habit is something that will always live inside of us. Sometimes we grow out of a bad habit and manage to cultivate a good one. Other times, we grow complacent and let old habits creep back in, even when we thought we’d banished them forever. And in what might be the worst-case scenario, we occasionally discover that what we thought was a good thing to do has actually been causing us harm for a very long time. Good, bad, new, or old, the force of habit is both shocking and powerful in its ability to either prevent change or create it. That’s because habits are rarely, if ever, neutral in their effect. They either entrench a behavior or challenge it.

In his groundbreaking book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg said, “(Habits) shape our lives far more than we realize — they are so strong, in fact, that they cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense.” When hearing that statement, I immediately feel better about myself, and perhaps you do as well. After all, misery loves company, right? But despite knowing that all the emotions we feel about having to change or give up a habit are entirely natural, we are still faced with the challenges associated with changing our routines and behaviors throughout our lifetimes. Things that worked in college, don’t always help us in the work world. What succeeds in one job may be the worst thing we could do in another one. Ways of handling relationships, money, food, our bodies, lifestyle choices, and even our spare time all must evolve if we want to remain on the beneficial side of habits and routines.

For the past two summers in a row, I’ve experienced a renewed sense of awe and some bewilderment at how closely habits are also tied to our sense of place, as much as they are related to our preferences and weaknesses. I originally wrote about the force of habit last year when a deluge of out-of-town house guests over a two-month period caused me to wonder if I was getting too set in my ways. At the time, I thought their disruption of my daily routines and the order of my world was at a minimum noticeable and occasionally uncomfortable, but I now know that their impact was downright mild compared to the challenge my husband and I faced this summer when we uprooted our lives and moved across the country. Everything about our sense of place was altered. Guests weren’t just injecting themselves into our world for a few days or weeks. We left our generally comfortable world behind to inject ourselves into a sea of unfamiliarity. All of my routines went out the window, and many of my bad habits found their way into my new life first, long before the good ones even had a chance to unpack.

Being out of routine in the place where you dwell is naturally unsettling, so our bodies and minds immediately experience dissonance when a familiar environment becomes inhospitable to our habits. This is why changing our bad habits is so hard in the first place. We are conditioned to them, and we naturally return to them, especially in times of weakness, stress, or sadness. According to Duhigg, “Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often.”
Yet the Word of God tells us that we have a power far greater within us than that of habits.

Hebrews 12 is one of my favorite scripture passages about the importance of keeping good habits and working to change the bad ones. In verse 11, we find incredible encouragement: “For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” This verse hangs on my wall above my computer to remind me that being watchful of our habits and making tough changes to our routines can only be done through critical observation and continuous training.

Paul goes on to say in verse 12: “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” The Holy Spirit will lift us up, empower us, and give us the endurance to make hard changes and then stick with healthy habits of all kinds, no matter whether they are spiritual, physical, or relational in nature. Paul had firsthand experience with replacing bad habits with new ones. Imagine the changes that he had to make when he abandoned his life as a Jewish persecutor of Christians and became a Christ-follower himself. Every habit, schedule, expectation, and routine he possessed needed to change. And when you’re facing a mountain of changes all at once, there’s nothing Satan wants to achieve more than to bring you down and make you feel weak in the knees. That’s when we need to lift our tired and weary hands regardless of our emotions and sing praises to the One who will always strengthen and encourage our hearts.

Sometimes it’s tempting to think that God doesn’t understand the power of habit in our lives, especially when we sense the Holy Spirit prompting us to make very difficult changes. But the One who made us in His very image and knows every thought that pops in our heads or lingers in our hearts, completely understands the ramifications of how He made us. Proverbs 5:21 says, “For God sees everything you do and His eyes are wide open as He observes every single habit you have.” God created the power of habit and He knows firsthand how it can be used for our good or for our detriment. That’s why Psalm 64:10 says to make praise your habit because God is always at work, and Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages us to stick with the habit of gathering together in fellowship, teaching, and worship. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The body of Christ thrives when its people join together and spur each other on in habits that glorify God and draw us closer to Him.

The Bible also promises us success when we honor God with our lives as living sacrifices, which is the same thing as turning our daily habits, goals, resources, and time over to Him to direct and manage for His purposes. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” As believers, we have the power inside of us to change any habit and cultivate a life that points to Jesus. I am reminded of this every day before I exercise. I don’t want to exercise. As a matter of fact, I downright dread it. But there’s no room for laziness when committing to a good, but a difficult habit to maintain. If I let just one day go, with the exception of simply being unable to exercise due to something like an illness, then I suddenly find that it’s even easier to let the second day slide, and the third day after that… and before I know it, I’ve fallen off the fitness wagon and onto my couch… with a bag of popcorn. And maybe some Ben & Jerry’s. Not good.

Mental habits are no exception to laziness, either. As a continually recovering worrier, I must exercise the muscles of my mind every day to avoid sliding into anxiety or negative thoughts. Yes, there are days I fail at exercise and at cultivating a peaceful heart (usually on the same day!), but deep-diving into scripture study, singing praise to God, and spending time in prayer are good habits that also act as guardrails to keep me from completely sliding off the cliffs of laziness, complacency, and discouragement.

I’m sure someone out there listening to this or reading this post is feeling discouraged about their habits and wanting to shout at me, “You make it sound so easy. You have no idea what kind of habit I’m dealing with or how many times I’ve failed to make a change.” And that’s one of the reasons that encouraging people in their faith through blogging and podcasting is so very difficult. Real changes… difficult changes… lasting changes are best cemented in community. We may read a book and find newfound motivation, but the impact probably won’t last without accountability from others. We might find incredible inspiration in hearing someone’s testimony in a podcast or maybe during a Sunday sermon, but without creating our own action plan and making it personal, all the inspiration in the world will likely fizzle. Harnessing the power of habit is possible, but it takes incredible effort, a long time, multiple failures, and usually a village to make it happen.

Centuries ago, the Renaissance-era scholar Desiderius Erasmus wisely said, “A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.” Any habits we want to change for the better cannot simply be removed. We must replace them with another habit, that offers us more. Only Jesus does that. Only an intensely intimate and deeply personal habit of living in the presence of God stands a chance of holding a candle to the comfort of routine behaviors designed to make us feel better physically or emotionally on a temporary basis. Clearly, Erasmus was well ahead of his time regarding the power of habit and human resistance to change. History tells us that he advocated tirelessly for reformation within the church prior to Martin Luther’s arrival on the scene. He challenged many detrimental practices and encouraged religious leaders to put an end to a number of abuses in the name of faith.

Today, however, we live in an age where a person’s sense of self and identity is commonly wrapped up in their physical characteristics, desires, and actions. Most people are not looking toward faith for the answers pressing on their hearts. Yet Jesus holds out His hand and tells us to crave something more than what our five senses can give us. What He offers is the only thing that will truly satisfy and never be taken from us, yet we so often trade the most fulfilling thing in the world for a moment of habit-driven pleasure, peace, or happiness. Our identity is sadly misaligned through the culmination of our habits and routines. David Mathis, who wrote Habits of Grace, puts it this way: “Your habits are, in fact, one of the most important things about you. Those repeated actions you take over and over, almost mindlessly, reveal your true self over time as much as anything else.”

In the next few minutes, you and I will both do something out of habit. Another cup of coffee, perhaps. A nervous cough when we see someone we don’t want to talk to. Time in front of the TV with our favorite show. While every moment has its purpose, God understands that we need to relax, recharge, and laugh. He knows that there is comfort in routines and familiarity. But He also intends for us to join Him as He works in hearts and minds around us. And sometimes, the comfort of our habits can blind us to extraordinary opportunities popping up all around us. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit can turn anything routine into something life-changing. So instead of looking at everything you do through the lens of effort expended or pleasure rewarded, why not start asking God to invade your habits for His glory and His use?

Being reminded of how powerful my habits are and how important God’s calling should be in my life, has made me realize the very things I don’t usually think about are some of the most critical things to actually spend time thinking about. Harnessing the power of our habits is certainly not easy, but yielding to the Holy Spirit to help us do it gives us a power that’s even greater than the force of the habits themselves.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read and meditate upon Proverbs 5:21, Isaiah 55:8-9, and Proverbs 3:5. How does it bring you comfort to know that God sees your every habit? Are you willing to trust His ways and direction more than your own analysis and wisdom? Spend a few minutes asking God to search your heart in the days ahead and commit to being open to His promptings. Write down anything He whispers to your heart.
Day 2 - Begin with prayer and then sit in God’s presence without words for at least five minutes. Spend some time journaling today about your habits. Write without judgment or trying to make decisions. Just focus on making observations. How do you find that your habits change when you find yourself out of your normal routine or place? What do you think that reveals to you? What things do you do every day or every week, no matter what? Which of your habits were taught to you or modeled by someone else, like a parent?
Day 3 - Read Psalm 139:23-24 and then spend some time meditating on it and praying. What habits do you think God is telling you to modify, give up, or replace in some way? What new habits is He leading you to start doing?
Day 4 - Read Hebrews 12:11-12 in at least three different translations of the Bible. Spend some time asking God to reveal any fruits of His Spirit in your life or lessons learned as a result of going through a time of suffering, change, or discipline. Then spend time praising and thanking God for them.
Day 5 - Today, set aside time to make an action plan for change. Don’t try to change more than one habit at a time, but instead, ask God to help you prioritize which one to tackle first. Be sure to include the reasons behind making the changes, because going back and reviewing your “why” will be critical to your success. Once you are ready, pray over your steps and ask God to give you an accountability partner for the journey. You may also want to seek out resources to help you in the process prayerfully.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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Broken Made Beautiful

11/6/2019

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Brokenness is Made Beautiful in the Hands of God

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It seemed like the day would never come, but on Friday, I finally unpacked the last moving box. Okay, so there are a few boxes that I’m not ever going to unpack. You know the ones… they’re loaded down with cheesy grammar school photos and homespun mementos of summer camping trips. But when it comes to the boxes that should be unpacked, I’m all done. I even emptied a few that I had marked for “deep storage,” which made me feel especially proud of myself. And just as I was reveling in the thought of being completely settled and patting myself on the back for small victories, it hit me how much I had forgotten by storing away dozens of years of my life in the attic.

Pawing through all the layers of memories, I was amazed at how quickly and easily my mind returned to another time. I could see vivid details of my old neighborhood streets and could almost smell the pungent boughs of a Christmas tree framed in the early morning light. Most of the stories that resurfaced were good ones, but a few made me wish I hadn’t opened a particular box. And it was then that I suddenly felt washed in a blanket of mercy. Thank goodness God allows us — and I think sometimes He makes us — forget certain things or experiences until we’re ready… until He’s prepared us… to unpack them again. In His endless mercy and wisdom, He knows that some stories can’t bear to be retold until the road stretches far enough behind us for wounds to be healed, and our hindsight is clear enough to bring appreciation and understanding.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Ecclesiastes 3:11, which begins with, “He makes everything beautiful in its time.” It’s a surprisingly hopeful statement for a book that is largely a downer comparatively speaking to the rest of Scripture. And although I have this verse written on a chalkboard in my office, I had never really thought to apply it to my past. Instead, I’ve been using it as a reminder to be patient while I wait on the Lord to open doors. The verse reassures me that waiting on God without grumbling or jumping the gun is rewarded because our Father never does anything half-heartedly or at the wrong time.

Yet, as I sat there surrounded by mostly silly junk and some 80s photos with my hair teased high enough to reach a ceiling fan, the Holy Spirit brought this Scripture to me in a fresh way, along with the rest of the verse, which concludes with, “Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that He cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” So true to the rest of the theme of Ecclesiastes, one of the most beautiful lines is followed by a frustrating letdown. It makes me smile because it’s like Solomon, the author, is giving the reader this cheeky grin and saying with great sarcasm, “Have faith, cause everything God does is amazing. Even the stuff you think is the most horrible or difficult. He’ll make it all come out in the wash and adorn you in the finest garment you can imagine. You’re going to look fabulous — simply radiant and whole — in His presence. But… before you get too excited… just know that between now and then, you’re not going to have a clue what He’s doing or why He’s doing it.” And for the remainder of that passage, Solomon reminds us that God is going to do what He’s going to do. He then goes on to advise us to accept the Lord’s sovereignty and just move on with life.

And while Solomon’s words ring true as only a pessimistic statement can, we know that God doesn’t leave us comfortless in our seasons of waiting, questioning, hurting, and emptiness. While we may not be able to discern why He is doing something or why He allowed a bad story to be written in the first place, He does pour out new mercies for us each morning of our lives. That means every day of our lives. Not just the days you feel hopeful, happy, or whole. Lamentations 3:22-23 is also one of my favorite passages, and as I pair it up with the verse from Ecclesiastes, the picture of God’s love is complete… extravagant even. Most versions of the Lamentations passage include the phrase, “His mercies are new every morning.” But The Message translation fits with Ecclesiastes 3:11 like two beautiful puzzle pieces, so snugly aligned that it is hard to separate them. It reads, “God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning! How great is your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.”

So in the two different verses, we hear from people who are at the end of their ropes — Solomon and his father David. They’re miserable. They both endured great hardship, but they also had seasons of great luxury, completely saturated with every pleasure the world has to offer. They both reaffirm their conviction that God is in control of everything, and He loves His people enough to take care of everything in His way and in His time. Both authors assure us that during the “dry” times, it may seem or feel as though He’s left, but His faithfulness will prove itself over and over.

As I traced the outline of faded photos and the edges of old diaries, I recalled how many situations seemed so tragic, so unredeemable at the time. From that vantage point and with only the experiences of a kid or young adult, the roots of my faith were not as strong as they are today. Of course, I’m not planning to decorate our house with tacky childhood artwork and faded trinkets, and I surely don’t want to spend time re-reading those diaries adorned with glitter hearts and pink butterflies. But I have found a new appreciation for the stories I had intentionally banished to the dark corners of our previous home’s attic. That’s because, from where I sit now, I can see God’s hand in almost every one of them. He did use them. He did redeem them. He did make me whole again.

One relic from my childhood is extra special. It has made it to a prominent position in our home and is on permanent display. However, it is not the original item’s significance or even its physical appearance that makes it worthy to come out of deep storage. I cherish it because of its brokenness. Originally it was a simple, average commemorative baby plate with my name and birthday painted on it. But almost 20 years ago, it was accidentally dropped and shattered in about a dozen pieces. The person who broke it had hurt me in so many other ways, that I seemed to transpose much of my disappointment and pain onto those shattered pieces. They were symbolic of my suffering, some of which I had brought on myself after a few years of very bad decisions. Looking at those small blue and white china pieces was almost like looking at my own heart and soul. At that time, I wasn’t walking close to Jesus. Despite all of that, I couldn’t bring myself to throw the broken plate away. There was some pull inside of me… perhaps just poetic romanticism… or maybe something deeper and spiritual in nature… that made me believe it could somehow be fixed. I wanted my life to be fixed, too, but I had no idea how God could ever bring healing at that point.

Fast forward a decade later, and God has made everything beautiful in His time. My husband’s sweet grandmother had a talent for creating mosaics from broken ceramics and old china pieces. Before she passed away, she lovingly made something completely new out of my broken treasure. With her help, it became whole again and far more resilient than ever before. And with true poetic romanticism, it sits in a place of honor it never would’ve had if it hadn’t been broken in the first place. I’m sure you know where this analogy is going, don’t you? Like the plate commemorating my birth into this world, Jesus had also lovingly brought rebirth to my heart and soul. Just as Grandma Ann gave new life and value to a cheap souvenir, God redeemed my life and restored hope to my wounded heart.

Since the plate broke and Grandma turned the meaningless pieces into a new work of art more than 10 years ago, I never realized until this week that such a beautiful story was sitting on my bedroom dresser. I’ve had a lot of readers and listeners ask me how I come up with ideas and stories for Glimmers in the Fog, and I think today’s message is a perfect example to share. So here’s how the idea came to me. For some strange reason, a few days ago, I found myself staring at the plate while putting on my earrings. And I was reminded of what a precious treasure it is because of who put it back together. That thought lingered for the rest of the day, making me smile when other things weren’t going smoothly. And then yesterday at lunchtime, I was outside squeezing in a much-needed power walk and asking God what He wanted me to write about this week. And as I struggled to tune my ears to Him and not my endless to-do list, I suddenly had a thought. Some stories shouldn’t be unpacked too soon. They need time to mature and mellow before they are opened up and experienced again. Just as a fine wine needs many years on a shelf before it can be appreciated, so God sometimes intentionally keeps things obscured from us until we’re prepared to see them properly. We just have to trust Him and not our own logic or assumptions.

Even more amazing, today is the anniversary of Grandma’s passing, which wasn’t even on the forefront of my mind while I marveled at her handiwork. My husband texted me this morning to remind me when I told him what I was writing about. I know that some people would say it’s merely a coincidence, but because I believe God is the source of all things beautiful, all creativity, and He does love a good story, there’s no doubt in my mind that He authored this poetic ending on purpose. It is the same truth expressed in Hebrews 11:1, which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” God loves us more than we can fathom or imagine, no matter what our perceptions and senses tell us. And He does make all things beautiful in His time. What an incredible reminder that no story God authors ever ends in brokenness. And the good news? All of our stories can be turned over to the greatest Editor of all time.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read Psalm 147:3 to focus your mind and eliminate your distractions. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and open your ears to His whisper. Then spend some time in quiet reflection at the feet of Jesus. Don’t say a word in your head or from your lips for at least five minutes. If it helps, you can listen to soft instrumental hymns. Then ask God this question: Father, what brokenness is within me that I haven’t released to you for healing? Write down the thoughts that come to your mind.
Day 2 - Sometimes, God allows difficulties and hardship to come our way specifically to lead us to a place of brokenness. Read Psalm 51:17 and spend time writing down anything that comes to your mind as a benefit of being broken in some way? What kinds of brokenness have you experienced? Are there any sins, rebellious ways, stubbornness, or pride that needs to be released or has been overcome in your life through brokenness?
Day 3 - It can be very hard to thank God for allowing us to be broken-hearted, rejected, and wounded. Yet the Word makes it clear that we are to thank Him in all things. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and James 1:2-4.
Day 4 - After we thank God for all things, the Word tells us to give Him praise. Lifting your heart to God when you’re grieving over difficult things, rejection, or losses takes great effort, but when you do, your heart will be lifted, and your soul will experience real joy. Read Psalm 147:1, Zephaniah 3:17 and Psalm 34:1-3, then spend time lifting your voice to Him — yes, out loud — through words of adoration and songs of praise.
Day 5 - No matter what suffering, pain, loss, or rejection comes our way, Jesus promises that He has already overcome. You can live with hope each day and believe that God will be with you. Read Lamentations 3:22-23, Jeremiah 29:11, and John 16:33 Spend a few moments asking God to give you a glimpse of hope, healing, and strength for whatever you are facing now or any “bad” stories you are trying to forget. Allow the Holy Spirit to unearth things in your heart that need His touch and then write down any themes of hope or encouragement that you hear from Him in the Scriptures or in prayer time.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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The Incredible Impact of Being Ordinary

10/30/2019

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Just about every television sitcom relies on a familiar formula for evoking laughs on a consistent basis: the smooth, cool guy or girl is portrayed in contrast to the ordinary, often awkward, everyday person. Think Fonzie juxtaposed to Richie on Happy Days or Rachel compared to Monica on Friends. Whether it’s a co-worker, friend, sibling, or even a spouse, we can all relate to feeling self-conscious around someone else whom we deem to have more of the “it” factor than we do. Often undefinable and challenging to explain, this vague sense that someone is more sophisticated, put together, or magnetic than we are, can make us feel ordinary… unremarkable… and downright boring. But unlike a TV sitcom, going through life without having the “it” factor is normal for 99% of the population. Most people will be Richies or Monicas, but the world will keep telling them through advertising and social media that they should aspire to be Fonzies or Rachels if they want to be truly accepted, admired, and loved.

To further compound the pressure to be cool, which has probably been around since the dawn of civilization, we now live in an era where being noticeably different is also a prerequisite to achieve society’s newest definition of success — the social media like or follow. When I was growing up, if you were different, then you stood out in a bad way. And you certainly weren’t cool. No one wanted to be different, and embracing those who were unusual or unique was not a popular thing to do. So while I’m thrilled that we live in an era where people who “march to the beat of their own drum” or were once labeled “an odd duck” are now more likely to be celebrated and accepted, I’ve become saddened to see the heavy burden that people of all ages are carrying to stand out, get noticed, be loved, and feel approved. We’ve taken it so far, that people across every demographic are seeking counseling for anxiety and depression at never-before-seen levels in history. And despite the pervasive clamoring for attention from others, people are becoming more and more isolated and lonely.

And in the middle of all this pressure, I have been wondering where does faith fit? How should our desire to be extraordinary change if we are believers? When we read that Jesus chose to have dinner with the most uncool members of society and hang out with the most unsuccessful people of His day, what impact should it have on us when modern Christianity has its own bubble of supremely cool and very successful celebrities? In America, most Christians are not marginalized, rejected outcasts. And while followers of Jesus will always be considered awkward or uncool in some social circles, Christianity now has its own equivalent of the Fonzies and the Rachels, plus an extensive pantheon of social media darlings garnering widespread acclaim from the Christian community and a huge portion of mainstream media. These Christian superstars might be more positive, far less vulgar, and present a more altruistic platform than the majority of their mainstream counterparts — which is good — but what happens when the rest of us ordinary people begin to believe our calling from God also requires the “it factor”? What happens when we desire the same level of coolness and trendy difference that the world around us cannot get enough of?

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” So is it possible that Jesus may want those in Christian leadership to build platforms based on their ability to stand out and be unique? And if our leaders are seeking that recognition to more effectively share the Gospel, then is it something that God would also want for the rest of us who are living, loving, and serving in the routine trenches of life? Should all of us strive so hard to be extraordinary? Could it be that the culture’s emphasis on being unusual and the pressure to be remarkable has lured us into believing that there’s something wrong with being ordinary?

I realize all these questions may be an oversimplification of the complex world we live in. As a former professional marketer, I also understand all too well the amount of publicity and promotion required to ensure that a message can cut through the clutter and commercialization and reach its intended audience. That amount is staggering, by the way. But what I am getting at is something much more complex and deceitful than the simple allure of easy fame or widespread notoriety. More and more, it seems as though the one-to-one, deeply personal impact that Jesus modeled for His church body is being replaced by the impersonal, seemingly more efficient approach of mass inspiration. Instead of volunteering to serve Jesus through the intimate relational discipleship of teaching and mentoring others in our communities, loving a reclusive neighbor with regular visits, or giving back by helping a neighbor in need, so many people think God is calling them to become a public champion for a cause, a national recording artist, a full-time motivational speaker, a cutting edge entrepreneur, or a best-selling author. And, yes, God definitely calls people to those roles. Please don’t misinterpret what I am saying. The Bible makes it clear that God has plans for some believers that will include massive platforms. But the humbling reality is that He calls most of us to be incredibly ordinary as defined by the world’s standards. Of course, we are anything but ordinary to Him, and our impact for Him will be extraordinary when we’re walking in His calling, but by most earthly accounts, it will appear as though our lives are anything but high profile or well known.

Jesus taught the disciples to operate on a micro-scale … at the community level… creating a ripple effect powered by the Holy Spirit that eventually changed the lives of countless people throughout the ages. Today, more and more Christians are being duped into believing that God is calling them to serve Him on a macro-scale, creating an impersonal wave of information that reaches millions but changes no one. Yet most churches I know of are desperate for more volunteers to teach, mentor, organize, reach out, give, advocate, serve, and comfort both those within the church and the surrounding communities. Most church attendees go in person once or twice a month… tops. Many drop small offerings in the plate, but don’t discover the incredible joy that comes from worshipping through regular tithing. There are many self-professed Christians who seek a taste of the abundant life Jesus promised, but miss out on the truly satisfying feast of developing deep, life-nourishing relationships. Instead, they want the polish and sophistication of a well-organized church service with emotion-stirring music, but would prefer to avoid one-on-one accountability of a small group or the sacrifice of vacation time to chaperone for a youth mission trip. And that’s the irony of it all… Our culture pushes us to desire the praise of many for being different, yet we yearn to display our uniqueness and offer our precious talents from the safety of a distant place. We don’t actually want to get in the ordinary trenches of others’ lives and help them walk through the pain, the need, and the despair.

But the fault doesn’t only lie with church attendees — churches themselves can unknowingly fuel this widespread desire for celebrity wisdom, teaching, worship, and motivation. For example, there are some churches that prefer to bring in a high profile speaker to deliver a powerful message versus listening to an equally competent teacher within their own body. Then they essentially forget about (or overlook) the necessity of personal follow-up, accountability, and day-to-day discipleship in the days and weeks following their “big event”. This effectively encourages believers to flock to online workshops, seminars, and conferences, delivered by a big name, rather than being a part of a local Bible study, life group, or book club. Yes, great interaction and dialogue can happen during online Bible studies and classes. I’m leading one coming up in November through several Facebook Live events. But the problem creeps in when we find ourselves seeking all of our edification, encouragement, and teaching from a distance, rather than participating in a local body on multiple levels. Over and over, Jesus demonstrated that there is a time for learning, but there is no substitution for putting that learning into action into life’s ordinary situations and hardships.

James 1:23 so clearly puts the relationship between learning and action into perspective. “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.” In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus explains it this way: “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest and one of the most action-oriented theologians of the previous century, frequently reminded his seminary students of the connection between faith and serving God in the most ordinary of ways. Even back in the early 1900s, people strained after recognition and achievement, and Oswald pushed his young audience of future pastors, missionaries, and teachers to be on their guard against the pursuit of grand service and lofty performance for God. “It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God — but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people— and this is not learned in five minutes.”
Yes, there are times when God puts one of His faithful servants on a platform, and countless people may benefit. Jesus also had moments of being on stage. There were times where He delivered a message to thousands. But He never stayed there. He never craved it, because He knew all too well both the power and the peril of being on a platform. Scripture indicates over and over that He was much more likely to be found looking one person in the eye rather than many. Thousands heard Him speak and followed Him, but the greatest impact of His ministry happened through the one-on-one transformations and small group teaching. Consider these pivotal, micro-audience moments from the Gospels and their crazy ripple effect throughout history and in your own heart:

The miracle of healing for the blind man, Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, the woman with the endless bleeding, and so many more.
The conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4)
The moment when Jesus squatted in the dirt to wipe tears off the face of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)
The shock on Zacchaeus’ face when Jesus looked up to call him down from the tree (Luke 19:1-10)
The commissioning of the disciples to go out and share the good news two by two (Mark 6:7)
The painful interaction between Jesus and the thief hanging next to Him on the cross (Luke 23:39-43)
The intimacy of the upper room when Jesus appeared to His disciples and gave them the gift of His Spirit (John 20:19-23)
The conversation between the two travelers on the road to Emmaus and how Jesus intervened (Luke 24:13-35)

In all these moments, Jesus inserted Himself into the lives of ordinary people, transforming them and the circumstances into lightning rods for His glory. And this is how ordinary people can live truly extraordinary lives — letting Jesus fill every pocket, every corner of your heart, and following His lead, not your own desires or the world’s ideas of greatness. You and I may long to do something amazing for God, but all He wants us to do is long for more of Him, and Him alone. When that happens, everything else will fall into its proper place. Listen to Oswald Chambers one more time. “A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose he has given them. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing.”

So, today, my friend, let me encourage you never to lose sight of the one thing that should reign supreme over your heart, with all of its desires, needs, and dreams. Simply long for Jesus. Long to know more of Him and bask in His presence. Loving Him with all your heart, mind, and soul and sharing that love with others as He leads you is all you need to be utterly extraordinary. Others may never recognize you for anything, and thousands may not flock to experience the work of your hands, but you will be making an impact and receiving a crown of glory from the only One in the audience who matters.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - When Jesus talked to the woman at the well, He was doing something the culture around Him deemed scandalous. Yet, this one-on-one interaction brought out an entire town to hear the Gospel. What should’ve become the social media scandal of its day, became a message of hope for many in the hands of Jesus. Read John 4 and write down anything remarkable from Jesus’ conversation with a very ordinary person.
Day 2 - Go back to yesterday’s Scripture reading again. This time, read it in a different version and write down the verse or verses that stand out the most to you. Spend time in prayer, asking God to give you an action item out of this passage.
Day 3 - Read the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. Spend some time thinking about her situation and how it might relate to someone you know. Don’t focus on the specifics of her sin, but on the ramifications of her pain, struggle, and societal standing. Now think about how Jesus related to her… showed her love, grace, and mercy. Write down name(s) and how God might be leading you to show the same tenderness to them.
Day 4 - Read James 1:23 and Luke 6:46-49. Spend time in prayer asking God to search your heart for any ways you have avoided taking action on something He’s asked you to do.
Day 5 - I recently read a blog post about fame by Sam Eaton that said, “If we aren’t enough without the attention, we’ll never be enough with it.” Read 2 Peter 1:3-4 and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in His truth today. Write down anything God lays on your heart.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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Is Jesus Trying to Empty Your Net?

10/23/2019

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One of the most shocking things about God is that He not only wants to have an intimate, intensely personal relationship with us, but He also calls us and sets us apart for His particular use. He gives us things to do. He asks us to join Him in His work. 1 Corinthians 7:17 says, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” With all of our flaws, weaknesses, distractions, and fickle desires, the King of the Universe not only sacrificed Himself so that we could have fellowship with Him, but on top of that, He takes the time to engineer a highly detailed plan for our lives. If you haven’t stopped to think about this mind-blowing fact in a while, then I invite you to pause and do that right now.

Although I am currently in a transition phase and actually have no idea what I might be doing for work a month from now, let alone a year from now, I have been amazed at how much the Holy Spirit has been reassuring me that He is preparing me for something specific. During my quiet time, He has been reminding me that nothing is ever wasted, and through the encouraging words of others, He has been continually reassuring me that He has a purpose for me. And I am especially appreciative of the Holy Spirit’s abiding support when the things God is doing to prepare me for the future feel especially difficult and hard to process. But that is the very nature of God. It is consistent with His character. When He takes us through times of realignment, discipline, or change, He reminds us that He never changes. That His presence is always with us. That His mercies will not fail. That He will give us enough to face the day ahead. Most importantly, that if we yield to His course adjustments, He will be glorified, no matter how ugly the path is to get to a new destination.

Sometimes the changes God brings and the adjustments He asks us to make are hard to describe. We can’t put words to them, which is essential for understanding, and humans hate the feelings that come with being clueless or confused. Even if the ramifications are bad, we want to know what is happening and why. And that’s the very reason God often has for allowing the circumstances in the first place — they penetrate to the core of us. They reach us at the deepest level and reveal our lack of trust in Him to not only handle the unknown, but to orchestrate it at His discretion. But oh my, when God does turn the light on in our brains, and the Holy Spirit permits us a glimpse of why and what God might be up to, our primary reaction always brings a tidal wave of humility. Because without humility in our hearts, God will often hold back some or all of the next steps in His plan. Pride is the enemy of holy plans, and sometimes we don’t even know it’s in the way until the Spirit reveals it to us.

For months and months this year, I was struggling to describe and understand what was happening and how God was planning to use a slew of difficulties — both outward and inward struggles — for His glory. And then one Sunday I was sitting in church and heard a sermon that the Holy Spirit used to turn the light on, so to speak. Even more remarkably, the word He whispered to my heart was not even a point the pastor was trying to make. I went back more than a month later and listened to the sermon again and was surprised to see that what I wrote down in my notes — what really struck a chord with me — was not anywhere to be found in the message that was delivered. It wasn’t entirely off-topic, and it had a direct correlation to the scripture passage, but the Holy Spirit uniquely tailored an application from the sermon for me. Even though I’ve seen it happen before, I still never cease to be amazed at the wonder of God and His intimate workings in our hearts.
The primary Scripture passage that spoke to me from the sermon that day is what many title as the calling of Peter in Luke 5:1-11. I know the selection is a little longer than what I normally include, but I think you’ll get as lost in the story as I did. I especially like this version of it from The Message.

Once when He [Jesus] was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret [Galilee], the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s [Peter] and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.” Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

As I listened to that passage, and have re-read it many times since, one thing kept hitting me over and over — Jesus performed two miracles in this story. Most of the time, we focus on the obvious one, which is the overflowing of fish when Peter obeyed Jesus and let down the nets. But what the Holy Spirit illuminated my small brain is the unspoken miracle of the empty nets. You see, Peter was a professional fisherman. He was likely very good at what he did for a living. He and his co-workers were not kids, and they had probably learned the craft of fishing from their fathers, just as they did from their fathers before them. Because his training and experience taught him that working the nightshift was the most productive, he was clearly dubious when Jesus asked him to go out to deep water and lower his nets in the heat of the day. But one look in Jesus’ eyes and Peter was compelled to obey. Something about the presence of Jesus and the power in His voice inspired enough faith in Peter for him to let go of everything he knew to be correct, right, and profitable.

And this is where the Holy Spirit allowed me to see myself in Peter’s predicament. Jesus was about to call Peter to an entirely new life. Therefore, Peter’s nets had to be emptied of his own efforts, talents, skills, and self-reliance to be filled with complete dependence on God. Peter had known what he was doing, so there is no reason at all for us to believe that he didn’t normally catch fish each night. In fact, it would be nearly impossible for his nets to not contain at least a piddly amount of fish after a night of fishing. Jesus miraculously intervened to prepare Peter’s heart for his calling. If given a choice, Peter — just like you or I — would have gladly asked for and received the miracle of abundance. But none of us would have asked for the first one… the miracle of emptiness. Yet, Jesus knew it was the very thing that Peter needed to be prepared for greater things to come. Without it, Peter would not have been humbled, vulnerable, and ready to receive Jesus’ invitation. He would’ve continued to cling to himself, his experience, talents, skills, knowledge, and previous accomplishments. Without the miracle of Jesus emptying his net, Peter would’ve remained a fisherman rather than the fisher of men and women which he became.

Sometimes, Jesus has to empty our nets, my friend. And it’s a hard miracle to watch and receive. But regardless of the difficulty, confusion, and sadness associated with letting go of ourselves, including the very things that God seems to have blessed us with, it’s still a miracle in which we are called to embrace and rejoice. Americans pride themselves on their work ethic. We sing about our independence. We’re taught to “pull ourselves by our bootstraps” and achieve the American dream. Even as Christians, we often assume that God’s calling on our lives includes the use of what we’re good at… what we know… what we have skills for… Logic tells us that God brings us life experiences and bestows talents upon us to outfit us for His calling. We use the phrase, “I was born for this,” like we can predict the future. I think Peter thought he was born to be a fisherman. But Jesus turned his world upside down and made Peter realize that he was born to follow the Messiah and do whatever the Spirit filled him to do.

It’s not what Peter thought he would be doing, but I don’t think he ever sat around an evening fire with the other disciples lamenting the waste of not using his professional skillset. And this is where conviction flooded my heart. If Jesus has been trying to empty my net and I’ve been gripping the ropes unwilling to let Him have it with all it contains, then He won’t perform the next miracle. While many of the things in my net — or yours — may not be wrong in and of themselves, they may be things that weigh us down or blind us to our true calling because we think we were born to do them. We hang onto them and drag them around with us, rather than letting them go and trusting God to provide what is needed for the tasks that lie ahead. Later on, He might bring some of them out of the ashes to use for His work, but He asks us to be willing to sacrifice all of them for the sake of the call.

Many years after Peter’s calling by the Sea of Galilee, the Spirit of Jesus inspired him to write these words in 1 Peter 5:5b-7: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” In his earlier years, we know from the Gospels that Peter, along with the other disciples, had wanted Jesus to exalt him… to raise him up in leadership. To give him a grand and glorious dream to achieve in God’s name. By the time he wrote these verses, Jesus had clearly performed many more miracles of emptiness within Peter. I like to imagine that as Peter’s pen obeyed the Spirit’s leading, he also vividly recalled the day Jesus performed a miracle to kick off Peter’s process of being humbled himself. Within and of ourselves, human beings generally don’t have the spiritual fortitude to choose a humbling experience. Nor can we muster up enough faith to believe the impossible. It is always the miraculous work of God.

So today, I’m not only trying to embrace the emptying process, but now also asking Jesus to remove whatever I’m dragging around in my net that gets in His way. And I find myself continually returning to the verses from 1 Peter 5 to help me remember that my calling ultimately is to become more like Jesus, rather than achieve great things for Him. Our aim should be to love God and be transformed by Him into new creatures, not to serve Him. As we become more like Him, His infilling and transformation will produce the works He’s called us to do and fully glorify Him.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Re-visit the passages included in the message and read them in at least two different versions. Spend some time inserting yourself into the story of Peter. Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life that need to be emptied or He has emptied in the past. Sometimes we recall difficult times in our lives negatively, completely missing the signs of God at work. As you ask the Spirit to reveal truth to you from His Word, write down any thoughts that come to your mind.
Day 2 - Offer up prayers of thanks. If you’ve recently been through a season of having your net emptied, then spend the next few minutes thanking God for taking you through the process and ask Him to make you humble enough and have the eyes to see when it needs to happen again. If you’re yet to go through this experience, ask the Lord to prepare your heart. Give you the courage to accept the emptying when it comes. To thrive in the emptying. If you’re in the midst of it now, rest my dear friend. Stop trying to figure out what’s next and why He’s emptied the net. Instead, embrace the unseen that He is bringing to you. It may not seem like your net could ever be filled again, especially if part of your net emptying includes a dream you’ve always wanted. But when you spend time thanking God for His sovereignty over your life and His love at work in your heart, you will be strengthened for the road ahead.
Day 3 - Offer up prayers of Release. Spend time confessing and asking God to help you let go of anything that could be in the way of His plans coming to fruition in your life. Whatever it is, open your heart up to Him and ask Him to help you live with open hands rather than clenched fists, gripping your net to your chest.
Day 4 - Offer up prayers of Reliance. Jesus wanted Peter to rely on Him and not Peter’s own professional skills, talents, or experiences. Offer up to God your prayers for humility and dependence, asking Him to help you embrace the process of learning to lean on Him completely. He alone is responsible for results and outcomes. No matter how much hard work you put into it, Jesus is asking you to release the results of your labor to Him. The responsibility is all His. You can rest and trust in Him.
Day 5 - Offer up prayers of Renewal. The process of having your net emptied is a humbling learning experience. It takes courage to live fearlessly based on the Spirit’s strength and power, and not what you know best and what you know you’re good at. But when you release your control and all that you have to Jesus, followed by reliance on Him for your every dream, comfort, and need, He promises renewal. He promises peace. He promises joy.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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Choosing Desire Over Duty

10/16/2019

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Choosing Desire for God Over Our Duty to Him

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I’ve been a Christian for a long time. This year marks the 40th anniversary of my soul becoming the bride of Christ, and like any other monumental day in my life, some things about the salvation moment are burned in my memory. The sweltering heat of the school gymnasium packed with people seeking revival. The insistence of my mother that I didn’t understand enough to respond to the altar call. (She changed her mind when I practically crawled over her to get to the aisle whether she wanted me to or not.) And — perhaps most vividly -- I remember the camel-colored leather half-boots of the preacher walking over and kneeling down to my level to lead me in prayer. With all that detail, you’d think I’d remember what happened next, but I don’t. That’s where the memories leave me, but the impact of the decision has lasted a lifetime.

And so, the headline of today’s blog post might seem shocking, disappointing, or perhaps expected for those who are particularly pessimistic. We’ve all learned the hard way that even the most memorable and enthusiastic beginnings can still burn out and fade when tested by life’s battles and cynicism. But my story is a testimony, as it is with so many other long-term believers, that what God starts, He always promises to finish. (Philippians 1:6) We may have many stops and starts in our faith journeys. We may fail miserably, not just once but over and over. We often drift. And we may even walk away entirely, or go as far as some have done in a very public manner, and announce our “de-conversion.” But if we truly gave our hearts to Jesus in the first place, then we will always return to Him. Not of our own doing or effort, but entirely by His powerful and relentless pursuit of us. It may take months, years, or even decades, but the Father always comes for His child. Always. (Matthew 18:12)

While I never announced my intention to walk away from God, there was a season where I tried. And I definitely made some great time running in the wrong direction. Suffering from the fallout of a major life mistake often has a way of bringing us to our worst selves, showing us just how depraved we are when intentionally try to remove Jesus’ covering of grace, mercy, and love. It is in these moments that God allows us to know exactly how the prodigal son felt sitting in the pigsty of his own doing, covered with the filth of his greed and rebellion and absolutely famished for real nourishment. Sometimes, the mud of our mistakes, sins, and bad choices has to run into our eyes before we’re ready to see Jesus standing before us with a basin of hot soapy water, a big fluffy towel, and a radiant change of clothes.

Many similar stories of redemption stop right there with a vision of the restored child. We breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Thank God the prodigal found her way back. Whew!” But we all know the actual process of restoration is just beginning. The prodigal may have turned the corner, but the baggage she collected along the way still lingers, slowing her down, and threatening to pull her back at any moment. While some of my baggage was collected during my wanderings, one of the biggest weights I carried around pre-dated my prodigal drifting. In other words, it was something I picked up, or rather learned from those I respected as teachers and leaders in the faith. And when I walked away, Satan twisted and then used the very things I was previously taught as a barrier to coming back.

Before my major life mistake came crashing down all around me and triggered my season of divergence, I never missed a quiet time with God in the morning. I never skipped a volunteer opportunity that suited my gifting. And I most certainly attended church or went to a Bible study every week, unless I was ill or out of town. In short, I had a deeply ingrained sense of duty to follow the formula. I wanted God’s approval for doing everything He told me to do as perfectly as possible. But when my life crumbled despite following “the Christian formula,” I found myself falling down through the scaffolding I had erected by building my life with the wrong materials. It may have appeared that I loved God with all my heart and mind, and it definitely started that way, but somewhere between childhood and the latter half of young adulthood, I had begun to perform for God rather than love Him. I was seeking and serving Him out of duty, instead of desire. Rather than hungering for Him, I denied myself to please Him.

But as I said, the Shepherd always comes for His lost ones. So when I left the pigpen of my own design, I didn’t know what to do with my big suitcase of guilt, which was filled with duties, obligations, and performance criteria. Like an accident victim learning how to walk all over again, my spiritual legs were clueless on how to walk in faith without the shoes of legalism. I discovered that I didn’t even know how to pray, read the Word, or worship purely out of a desire for God and not because they were disciplines I was supposed to do. For months, I would try to do the things that Christians typically do and just give up in tears because I couldn’t do them without the habit of keeping track or feeling guilty if I skipped anything. The reality was I simply didn’t want to do any of it anymore. I had reached a place where spiritual disciplines designed to draw me closer to God were pushing me away because of my own expectations and fear of breaking the rules. Previous sin leading up to my life’s collapse had taken my faith with it, and the only way I would be able to find it again — to find my real identity in Christ — was for God to bring it out of the ashes.

Finally, out of desperation, I remember trying to pray and blurted out something like this to God: “If can’t pray because I want to… because I desire You and not because I want to please you or achieve some standard… then I’m not going to pray at all. And the same goes for reading the Bible. I won’t fight You anymore. I won’t run from You. If You work a miracle in my heart and cause me to want You, then I will surrender. But I’m not doing anything out of duty, rules, or because I’m supposed to anymore. Enough is enough, and I’m tired.”
And then I stopped. I mean really stopped. If I didn’t feel like reading the Bible I didn’t. If sleep beckoned me to linger in bed on a Sunday morning, I gave in. And praying? Very infrequent. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening in me spiritually. But my heart had changed, because, for the first time, in many years, I woke up each day with a blank slate for God’s use. I was daring Him to fill it, rather than going through the motions of a pre-defined list. I had seen His power in my younger years. I had known the sweetness of His presence before I had begun to layer on the callouses of my own performance. So I waited on Him with a pained and timid hope.

About that time, the book Desiring God by John Piper found its way into my heart’s fragile restoration. The reality was, I wanted to want God. My spirit was longing for communion with my Creator, so when I saw the title of Mr. Piper’s manifesto to Christian hedonism, I was hooked. But I was not prepared for the magnitude of what I read, and it took me months of reading and re-reading it to even grasp the concept of glorifying God by being satisfied in Him, rather than following a formula or finding ways to please Him. And the battle Satan waged to prevent me from understanding that God wants me to experience delight without strings attached was a fierce, relentless one. I don’t think Satan cares if I’m Christian. What he cares about is if I live and act like a Christian without chains… a follower who chases after Jesus not because she has to or because she’ll get anything from it, but simply because she wants to be with Him all the time. John Piper puts it this way in his book, “He beckons us into the obedience of suffering not to demonstrate the strength of our devotion to duty or to reveal the vigor of our moral resolve or to prove the heights of our tolerance for pain, but rather to manifest, in childlike faith, the infinite preciousness of His all-satisfying promises.” I had to let go of the idea that there was anything I could offer or do for God, and instead let Him do everything and anything through me and within me for His glory.

Also vital to my healing, I had to shed the notion that being happy was wrong. It took years for the idea to sink into my soul that God wants us to find so much delight and satisfaction in Him that we not only discover what real happiness is all about, but that we can relish in it without any payment or punishment on our part. Because I grew up hearing the opposite from an important and involved family member, I had years of negative thoughts built up in my mind and shackling my heart. I had been taught that the other shoe would always drop, meaning if you’re happy and things are going well, you better watch out because something bad is coming. This, of course, is the opposite of how Jesus wants us to react to the truth about suffering. When He acknowledged that the world brings us trials and pain in John 16:33, He included the key to happiness right along with it. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

The problem with expressions like “the other shoe always drops,” is that it stops at half the truth, making it a full lie. And that’s how Satan wraps chains around hearts, creates fear, and fuels our doubts. He feeds us enough of the truth to make us believe the whole lie. He twists what is life-giving into what is life-stealing. We often falsely believe that the absence of suffering is the path to overflowing happiness and satisfaction in life. And that’s why I spent most of my life living in fear of the unknown… an imagined future suffering that was always on its way. No, the Spirit of my loving Heavenly Father has been teaching me for the last 16 years or so, that happiness is having every desire of my heart fulfilled. And when the desires of my heart are fixed on finding satisfaction in God, then He will replace any that shouldn’t be there with His desires for me. The essence of this truth is found in many places throughout Scripture, but my favorite is Psalm 37:4, which tells us to delight in the Lord, and He will give us the desires of our hearts. Through the years, that verse has helped me combat fear and disappointments. It has also guided me through major decisions and career changes. And right now, it’s teaching me how to break the stronghold of seeking validation, comfort, and reward from anything or anyone other than Jesus.

I didn’t stay away from having a daily quiet time with God for very long. The Lover of My Soul was faithful to woo me back. I can’t say I was instantly consistent or that I don’t ever go through dry seasons, but over the years since, the Holy Spirit has been kindling my desire for Him and not what I can do for Him or receive from Him. I’ve also learned that being a Christian hedonist isn’t just about seeking joy by choosing to embrace suffering and trials on behalf of Jesus. It’s not just about avoiding sin because we love Him. It’s also about choosing the best portion — making choices between what is good and what is best. When we seek satisfaction in Jesus more than the “good” offerings of this world, the Holy Spirit teaches us what true freedom is all about. He teaches us how to be less distracted and less controlled by our emotions, passions, and pleasures, whether they be outright sinful or entirely healthy in moderation. But God also encourages us to have feelings, not to deny them or stuff them down. The difference is that He transforms our feelings from controlling forces into beautiful, fulfilling experiences in His presence. I love how it’s written in Desiring God: “Minimizing the importance of transformed feelings makes Christian conversion less supernatural and less radical. It is humanly manageable to make decisions of the will for Christ. No supernatural power is required to pray prayers, sign cards, walk aisles, or even stop sleeping around. Those are good. They just don’t prove that anything spiritual has happened. Christian conversion, on the other hand, is a supernatural, radical thing. The heart is changed. And the evidence of it is not just new decisions, but new affections, new feelings.”

While I’m sure my story is different from yours, and I would never advocate for anyone to stop having a daily quiet time, I can tell you this without reservation — God desires your willing heart over and above any other thing, act of service, money, or discipline you can perform. None of that matters if your actions are motivated by anything other than love without strings attached. So God’s direction to you will be as unique as you are. Maintaining key disciplines of the faith is the right thing to do for most people, and are often a crucial part of rekindling your desire for God even when you don’t feel like doing them. However, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to God’s extravagant love for us. Seek His help, expect Him to reveal the path to you in unexpected ways, and be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

When I was a child, my feelings were far more exciting than they are as 40-something. When I was seven, every day was a fountain of new experiences and mostly enjoyable emotions. And while I may not remember what happened right after I asked Jesus to come into my heart on that hot summer night, I imagine my kid-self being exhilarated and overjoyed. Though I can’t attach a specific memory to it, the deepest place of my heart also tells me that Jesus comforted me and brought me peace in a season of confusion and change. My parents were going through a separation at that time, which led to their divorce a year later. So God’s timing for drawing me to Him was perfect and couldn’t have been more critical. I was a daddy’s girl, and my Heavenly Father stepped in to walk beside me and whisper to my heart that I didn’t do anything wrong, that I wasn’t abandoned, and that I was loved fully and completely by the One who would never go away. And this is why I think I remember so vividly the shoes of the preacher who prayed with me on that night so long ago. They were just like my daddy’s shoes. He used to wear them all the time. So in the absence of my earthly father, whom I loved and trusted so dearly, God sent His love to me in the perfect messenger. He knew just what I needed. He knew me better than myself. Leaving no detail to chance, my Father stopped at nothing to come get me. And He would do it a million times over to bring me home.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
These readings from today’s message can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Any follower of Jesus can become the prodigal child given the right circumstances, heart position, and status of our walks with God. That is why humility is so important to cultivate in our lives. Being aware that we live by the grace and mercy of Jesus, makes us more resistant to Satan’s schemes to pull us away. Read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 and write down what God whispers to your heart. Who do you identify with the most in the story (the dad, the older brother, or the prodigal) and why? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything hiding in your heart that might diminish your desire for being with, or returning to, God.
Day 2 - Read Psalm 16:5-11 and if you have time watch John Piper’s first video on the foundations of Christian hedonism (it’s 13:30 long). Ask the Lord to instruct you (verse 7), assure you (verse 8), and remind you of the last time you experienced fullness of joy in His presence (verse 11). Write down any words He whispers to you.
Day 3 - Read Psalm 37:4 in at least three different versions of the Bible. Commit your favorite version to memory and then spend time in prayer asking God to change the desires of your heart to match His.
Day 4 - God always finishes the work He starts in our lives, but sometimes we get in His way and cause delays or detours. Read Philippians 1:6 and ask God to reveal to you anything that you might be hindering and why. Write down what He’s asking you to do next.
Day 5 - The pleasures of God are far better than anything we can find or anyone else we can be with here on earth. Sometimes, however, we struggle with the words used to describe pleasure or even feel guilty about experiencing it. Read Psalm 4:7 and Psalm 19:8,10 and then read this short article on the Desiring God website. Finish by ask God to heal your tainted perceptions of pleasure and redeem them for His glory.
Recommended Resources from DesiringGod.org:

FREE book and Bible study: When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy
Desiring God the book (updated and expanded) - You can download a free study guide here or purchase the book on Amazon.
Multi-Part Video Series: The Foundations of Christian Hedonism

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts on this post! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

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Finding Healing From Ourselves

9/18/2019

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Finding Healing from Ourselves and Renewed Hope for Tomorrow

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When you’re new to anything — a job, a neighborhood, or a school — you get to share your story a lot. Given that just about everything is new for me right now, having recently moved across the country, lately, I’ve been summing up my life in 30 seconds quite often. And with all that talk about myself, I’m becoming more and more aware of how much my story has changed in the last four years. Since the last thing I want to do is talk someone’s ear off at the first moment they lay eyes on me, I try to supply only the most pertinent information and let them ask questions if they’re interested. The strange thing, especially for me as a writer and an innate planner, is that I never gave any forethought to the introductory elevator speech that I’ve been using over the last several months. In fact, I was totally comfortable not attempting to filter anything. I was just me being me. And that is very, very new … for me.

Your first reaction to that statement might be to wonder about my authenticity and willingness to be transparent with others, but that’s not what I mean by the term “filtering” at all. In fact, I’m one of those people who had to learn how to temper my natural inclination to be brutally honest. I can’t even tell you how many feelings I hurt and toes I stepped on in my younger years. Not because I was trying to be mean, confrontational, or judgmental. I rarely had any of those motivations. Nope. I just couldn’t stop whatever I was thinking from coming right out of my mouth and being clearly displayed all over my face.

No, what is so new for me is that I’m no longer impeded by the filter of worry or anxiety that has been my ever-present, but a highly unpleasant, companion for about 25 years. For two and a half decades, it’s been there, sometimes humming low like an undercurrent of negative thoughts rolling subtly in the background of my mind … and other times swelling high into a fierce wave that literally drowns me in a suffocating and terrifying sea of panic that settles into weeks or months of debilitating fear or uneasiness.

Describing life as a long-term anxiety sufferer is hard, especially when I try to explain to someone who’s never been dominated by it. And this is where that filter comes in. Most high functioning chronic anxiety sufferers, especially Christians, don’t walk around wearing their concerns all over their faces. On the contrary, we get so used to the constant cycling between the undercurrent of nagging thoughts and all-out periods of intense nervousness, that we learn how to compensate accordingly to appear calm, cool, and collected even during a panic attack. And since most anxiety sufferers are naturally wired to be planners and over-achievers, we add a filter to our personalities, both to protect others from our suffering and to protect ourselves from feeling ashamed about our condition. Even if we come to realize that having an anxiety disorder is not in and of itself sinful, we can’t help but feel guilt over our inability to abide by Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:34 telling us not to worry.

This has been my life for a long time, but it’s not anymore. At least not right now. And for the first time since my early 20s, the hum of the agitated undercurrent is gone. The vicious cycle has stopped spinning. God’s peace is now louder in my soul than negative thoughts. After what seems like a lifetime of praying for healing, it came gently, quietly, and so gradually into my heart and mind, that it actually took me a while to notice that the cold hum of constant fear had been eclipsed by the warmth of release and the beautiful melody of a graceful surrender to hands I can’t see.

After all these years of bearing the thorn in my side, I had to ask God, “Why now?” And when I felt His Spirit nudging me to put aside what I had originally planned to write about today, I told Him that I wasn’t ready. “Write about your healing,” He kept insisting. So I pushed back with, “But God, I don’t have the words yet to explain how it happened so that others can benefit from it as well.” And He said, “That’s not the point. It’s not about the how. It’s about the hope.” And then I realized that “the how” is as different for each person, as snowflakes falling in the same storm. Sure, all storms arrive with similar attributes and characteristics. That’s how we know it’s a storm. But within each tempest, every snowflake that falls is different. And the important thing to know is that every storm will eventually pass. The sun will emerge, breaking through the clouds, and promising a new day, washed clean and made whole for the Father’s purposes and in His time.

I’m not actually sure when my decades-long, internal storm subsided within me, but ironically, I know that it happened sometime during the onslaught of external storms far stronger than I’ve ever experienced before. But in writing those very words, I am realizing now how consistent the strange timing has been with the very character of God. Biblical even. When we get thrown in the fire, we get refined in a way we could never achieve during peaceful times in our lives. The enemy may come at us with an all-out war on our lives, but our Mighty Protector takes the onslaught of evil meant for our harm and turns it for our good by leading us right through the middle of the battlefield one step at a time. As the weapons used against us grow more and more sinister and our physical strength wanes with exhaustion and repetitive strain, our spirits grow stronger and stronger as we transition away from wielding our own weapons to understanding how to wear His armor for all its worth. And for those of us who have a particular attachment to protecting ourselves, controlling our fates, and relying on our own mortality, it takes a little longer to become immersed in our real selves versus these temporary bodies we so fearfully dwell in here on earth. Somehow, mystically, and miraculously, the healing comes when we grab hold of our identity as who we are becoming for eternity, versus who and what we are right now. The more we believe that our Mighty King is leading the fight and handling all the details, the more a soul-drenching, mind-saturating trust seeps into our being, helping us see what’s really there and who we really are. The battles still wage, but the Spirit helps us rejoice in the coming victory more than wasting time worrying about what will happen between now and then.

Weirdly enough, I knew this current season of battles would come for me. I just didn’t know when. No, I don’t have the gift of prophecy, but God did whisper it to my heart. And this is the part I pushed back on the hardest when He told me to write about this today. Four years ago, I was reading Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George during a beach vacation. Because it was my second or third time through that book, I was more than startled when the Holy Spirit sent a wave of conviction through me so strong that I responded by throwing the book in the sand and vowing not to open it again the rest of my vacation. After all, who wants to sit on the beach and weep over your sin? But that night God wouldn’t let me sleep. He wanted to do some business with me. Perhaps more clearly than I’ve ever heard Him before, the Spirit said, “It’s time to finish this. I have work for you to do. You’re being called.” And I knew exactly what He was referring to with the word “this.” I had no idea what the calling might be. But the next step was clear. And it was a doozy too. Finishing “this” meant that He wanted me to move past my deep-seated anxiety and finally discover the unshackled freedom of trusting Him with every detail of my life. A complete surrender of control.

And that’s how God works with us most of the time. He gives us the next step, but never the complete roadmap. Like Luke 16:10 says, He was asking me to be faithful in this thing, and He would reveal the next thing when the time came. The problem was the size of the next step. I had been suffering for more than 20 years at that point and had certainly been progressing toward healing, but it had always been two steps forward and one step back. Okay, so sometimes it was five steps back. However, in the weeks and months ahead, it became clear that His plan for finishing it off wasn’t through an instantaneously miraculous healing. It would turn out to be another four years of very intense work in my heart and soul. But looking back on it now I can see that it has indeed been a miracle. Actually more like a series of miracles, each building upon each other with every tiny step I took toward Him.

I had to participate in the healing process, but He produced the results. It’s exactly as Paul describes in Philippians 2:12b-13. I love how The Message version puts it. “Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give Him the most pleasure.” Many translations say to work out your salvation with “fear and trembling,” which can be dangerously misread by those of us prone to anxiety. But because we know Paul tells us repeatedly in Scripture not to be anxious about anything, I think he used those words to communicate the gravity of the command. In other words, the abundant life we long for hangs on the necessity of our trust and energetic yielding to God’s hand in our lives. To step into our true calling, we can’t be dominated by any need, agenda, fear, or desire of our own. We must be serious about finding our delight in God — that means our source of comfort, peace, and happiness all rest in Him, not in our need to feel safe, healthy, and prepared for everything life brings. We have to lay ourselves down daily and allow God to replace every desire we have with His. (Psalm 37:4, Matthew 16:24-26)

Oh my dear reader, I have no idea what healing you’ve been waiting on. I think we all have something, if not many things that plague our hearts, wallets, relationships, or our bodies. And often when one battle passes, another one appears. The older we get, the more we realize this, and must daily surrender our keen awareness of that fact to the grace and mercy of Jesus. Does God still offer instantaneous healings of ailments of every kind? Yes, absolutely. But if the one you’ve been seeking the longest or with the greatest yearning hasn’t come, don’t give up or despair. That’s exactly what Satan is hoping you’ll do. He’s watching you and can taste the kill so strongly that he’s salivating with the thought. 1 Peter 5:8 says he prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. The battle around you is real, and so is the one inside your heart. But as you seek Jesus, He will give you the strength to endure and simultaneously use it for His glory. Whether the thorn will be with you for a short while or a lifetime, your healing will come. As far as we know, Paul’s thorn in the flesh never went away while he was in his earthly body, and yet he was able to write, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Perhaps the healing Paul hoped for came in a manner he could’ve never expected. Perhaps the miraculous work of Jesus was so beautifully manifested despite the existence of Paul’s thorn, that it vastly eclipsed his pain and suffering to the point where he no longer desired its removal. We have no way of knowing, and I think that’s exactly how Paul wanted it to be. I believe he would want to reassure us that the status of his affliction wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things. It didn’t stop God’s work in him. It didn’t help Satan’s cause. Whether he was healed or not was irrelevant compared to the glory of Jesus emanating from his life.

Isaiah 26:12 says, “O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.” Notice that peace is ordained, in other words, it is a sure thing, if we allow Him to do the work in and through us. Most of the time, I’ve just been in His way. Going back to that famous passage in Matthew 6, which I mentioned earlier. Most people only reference verses 25-26 when talking about worry, but verse 25 begins with the word “therefore.” That means whatever was said just before it is very critical to understanding the truth of what Jesus is saying. Verse 24 says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” You see, everyone one of us is mastered by something or someone. No one escapes that fact of life. And Jesus says, you can either let me be your Master, or you will be mastered by yourself or other things. And when that happens, you will worry. Something will always be threatening your peace and sense of stability. Always.

So I leave you with this thought. I have no idea if I have been permanently healed of my anxiety disorder. And the calling the Holy Spirit announced during my nights of desperate wrestling is still yet to be revealed. But regardless of those great uncertainties, I’m allowing myself to sink into the well of peace He’s provided. I’m learning that nothing I bring to the table is worthy of the King’s use. Not my ideas for how my life should go… not my skillset… not my natural talents… and certainly not my meager efforts to keep things under control… to be master of my own life. Yes, I have some things of value on my resume. I may even come up with a few words of inspiration every now and then. But as long as I think they belong to me for my benefit in any way, He won’t use them for His glory. As long as I try to be the master of anything, then I’m the one who’s visible to others and not Jesus. And in perhaps the greatest irony of all, it is when I am the most emptied of myself, that I become the most fulfilled, secure… and yes… utterly calm.

Five-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read the story about Peter and the fishing nets in Luke 5:1-11. A few weeks ago my pastor preached on this passage, and he said that sometimes God has to empty our nets of all our stuff before He can fill it with His. “Our stuff” could be talents, control, expertise, experiences, habits, possessions, etc. It’s whatever we rely on and trust in to make us successful, happy, comfortable or safe more than Jesus. What is in your net that Jesus is asking you to let go of?
Day 2 - Isaiah 26 is a powerful passage that describes the path to peace and healing. As you read it, think of yourself as the city that Isaiah describes. Spend time in prayer and ask God to speak to your strongholds as you read it again. Write down whatever He stirs within you. Whichever verse jumps out at you the most, write it down and commit to memorizing it.
Day 3 - The concept of God refining His people through fiery trials is a theme throughout the Bible. Pick a few of these verses to read, and then ask God to help you see His goodness in your circumstances and experience His presence in the most trying of times.
Day 4 - Philippians 4:4-8 has been called the cure for anxiety because it provides a step by step prescription for experiencing God’s peace. Even if you don’t struggle with worry, verse 8 is the perfect filter for our motivations. When live out this verse, asking God to empower us to filter all our thoughts through it, our desires become subject to the lordship of Jesus. Spend time meditating and praying on this verse. Write down anything God wants you to run through this divine filter.
Day 5 - Every believer in Jesus has a holy calling planned by God before time even began. Imagine that! God thought of you before the world was even created. Read 2 Timothy 1:8-9 and spend time in prayer and thoughtful journaling about His calling for your life. Are there any healings He needs to bring about in order for you to be fit for that calling? Ask Him to show you the next step.

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Are You Being Real?

8/21/2019

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Are You Being Real? God searches the heart.

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Last year I published a blog post about blossoming for Jesus while living in a hard place — either literally or emotionally. However, I wrote that message at a time in my life when I was NOT in a hard place. The words had come to me while reflecting on my previous journeys during times of difficulty, but I had the advantage of viewing everything through a rested and peaceful heart. And while everything the Lord laid on my heart to say in that post still rings true, the application of those truths has pushed deeper into my soul than ever before. So, as I sat here this morning listening to the jarring sounds of drills, hammers, shovels, and an assortment of other tools being used to correct the myriad of problems with my house, I felt the familiar, stirring presence of God reminding me to rely on the only unmovable foundation in my life.

Some of you may remember me writing about a beautiful, but incredibly determined purple iris that had figured out how to not only grow but also blossom resplendently in the most unlikely of places — a rock bed. Just feet away, there was soft, fertile earth beckoning, but that single iris was growing right where it was originally planted many, many years ago by the previous owner. As I pondered the struggle the iris must face each year to rise up among stones and then blossom in unpleasant conditions, I couldn't help but think about the times in our lives when God plants us in places we don’t want to be in. He sees the hard, unforgiving stones and gravel as opportunities for growth, and we tend to see them as nothing but bad luck, adversity, and disappointment. He wants us to learn to depend more on Him and become a bright spot of color on an otherwise barren landscape. But we tend to focus on the lack of comfort and companionship, and beg the Master Gardener to plant us somewhere else… anywhere else.

That’s where I’m at right now, both mentally and physically. I want to resist where is He is planting me with all that is within me. And whether you’re in a season of contentment or a season of confusion, I’m sure you can recall that feeling of resistance as well. When we enter a season of life that places us in unfamiliar terrain that is rough or demanding, we may feel the angled, painful edges of rocks around our hearts, minds or bodies. Sometimes we resist, wilt, and give up. Sometimes our stubbornness kicks in and we try to push through even when we know we shouldn’t go in a certain direction. And other times we do what God calls us to do — to completely trust Him, even amid extreme discomfort.

I am currently vacillating between all of those reactions. Some days I’ve given up and gone to bed discouraged. Other days I’ve pushed through the hours like a robot, willing myself not to feel or react to anything. I’ve told myself that I don’t care when of course, I really do care. And I’ve had what I’ll call a good day, where I receive the Lord’s mercy like water being poured in a dry cistern. What does that look like? Well, it means persevering, praying and waiting on Him for strength, relief, and perhaps most importantly — the ability to hope. Or maybe I should say, to believe that there is always, always a reason to hope, no matter how bleak things seem or feel. It’s the hope that Jesus sacrificed His life for so that when the hard times of waiting and endurance occur — whether you’re in that difficult place for an hour, a day, a month, a year or a decade — you’ll always come out of it having leaned into Jesus more deeply and more fully than you could have ever imagined.

Unfortunately, many believers never experience the kind of joy that flows from a heart that accepts God’s sovereignty to either place us in — or allow us to be taken to — a hard place. In last year’s blog post, I focused on the sovereignty aspect, since I know that’s been one of my biggest struggles in the past. I’ve always strained to find joy and hope in suffering because I had been unable to move beyond the acceptance of God’s sovereignty over my life to a level of fully embracing and welcoming it. It’s kind of like the difference between saying, “Oh God, this is terrible. What are You going to do about it?” And expectantly stating a fact like this: “Oh God, I can’t wait to see what You are going to do with this.” The first statement is hopeless. Joyless. And frankly, self-centered. The second statement, while still acknowledging the situation, acts on the belief that God will always work things together for His glory. We can choose to live expectantly — even in darkness — or we can slump our shoulders under the weight of our doubts. It’s not that we don’t have doubts. It’s impossible not to, but it’s whether or not we’re living out a real faith in the face of them.

Jesus implores us to be real. Real with Him and real with each other. Especially during the trials of life. Ignoring our doubts, concealing our doubts, or living in any way that doesn’t embrace a full trust that God not only sees it all, but is actually working through it all, is only a work of fiction. I shudder to think how many times I have gone to the Lord in prayer and gone through the motions of saying that I trust Him. Yet, then I get up from my knees and begin worrying about tomorrow. What’s more, I later try to go through the situation without sharing any of my internal struggles with the very people God has asked me to “do life” with. I may share a prayer request with someone, but I keep the nagging doubts and other “unspiritual” feelings to myself. As I result, I end up wondering — sometimes excessively — what others might think if they truly knew what I was thinking and feeling about God’s role in the situation. So, if you’re like me, you filter every response to the question, “How are you doing?” with something deemed socially acceptable or convenient. And then we get home and the Holy Spirit is urging us to spend time with our Heavenly Father, and the habit of not being real with people becomes our habit with God. The Holy Spirit is asking us, “How are you doing? Talk to me. Be real with me,” and we mutter out the Sunday school prayers as if He can’t handle the truth.

The good news… no, the most phenomenal news ever… is that He can handle the truth. He created us for fellowship with Him. Not to be robots. Not to be afraid of Him. Not to live without feeling, dreaming, risking, and wondering. Yet most of us — me included — insist on going through life as if we need to perform. As if we need to fabricate some level of faith we don’t have. As if the other believers in our lives have the power to determine our holiness. But here’s some truth that God keeps hammering home to me: the trials of life and negative thoughts will come at us from every angle, and Satan will attempt to use every single one of them to make us doubt God’s sovereignty. To doubt His love for us. To doubt His ability or even willingness to help us. That’s because the evil one knows that our belief and unwavering trust in God’s authority and power is crucial for our faith to grow and real joy to flow from our souls into the lives of others. If Satan can sabotage our ability to be real with God and others, then he can successfully stunt our faith for life. We’ll keep hitting this seemingly invisible, spiritual brick wall over and over. And we’ll keep wondering why.

Imagine being an early follower of Jesus in the years of hardship after His resurrection and ascension. The apostle Peter was crucified upside down for the cause of Christ. Paul was beaten, jailed, bitten by a snake, and suffered great personal affliction on an ongoing basis throughout his life. They, and the countless believers who suffered gracefully in the centuries that followed, all looked to Jesus as a role model for embracing and thriving under God’s sovereignty. When Jesus endured the beating, the ridicule, and agony of His trial and crucifixion, He laid His life down of His own accord in willing surrender to his Father’s sovereignty for the joy that was set before Him. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus knew that if He embraced — not just obeyed — what God was allowing to happen, there would be joy. We know from scripture that He had to be willing to surrender and play the position God had put Him in. Luke 22:42 tells us that Jesus earnestly pleaded with God about the difficult position He faced: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” Jesus was real with His Father. Go back and read the passages about Jesus’ pleading in the Garden of Gethsemane, and you’ll see the ultimate example of someone being truly raw with God about internal struggles. (Luke 22:39-46, Matthew 26:36-46, and Mark 14:32-52)

Waiting, seasons of suffering, and learning to glorify God in the role He’s placed you in is an uncomfortable thing to ponder. Sharing the truth about your feelings and doubts with others during those difficult seasons is even more uncomfortable. If you’re in a season of comfort and rest right now, going back to a place of stone and striving is not something you want to think about. The subject of God’s sovereignty and suffering can also be unsettling and even divisive depending on who you’re talking with about it. Yet understanding it, embracing it, and trusting in this attribute of our Heavenly Father is one of the most important keys to finding true peace and joy in this life.

Most importantly, the very existence of God’s sovereignty means we are not in control. Acknowledgment of this fact and the ramifications of it in our lives is the most uncomfortable feeling of all. As a recovering control freak with perfectionist tendencies, my discomfort seems as though it’s at an all-time high. But as the Holy Spirit met me in some of my most desperate hours these past few weeks, I kept hearing, “Be real with me,” over and over. And as I thought about the blog this week and wondered if I could even muster up some words, I heard, “Be real with them too.”

And so, here I am being transparent. Being real. And letting anyone who listens or reads to see my doubts, disappointments, and confusion. While I’m determined to say boldly, “I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with all of this,” I’m struggling with deep discouragement over where my life seems to be headed right now. Through God’s clear direction and provision a little over two years ago, I exited the corporate world to start Core Radiate and subsequently the Glimmers in the Fog blog. But with all that’s happened this year, that calling seems to be in jeopardy due to financial circumstances. Which brings up another reality of life that almost everyone is uncomfortable being real about… money. But, if I can’t be real about the whole truth, then I’m not actually being real with you at all, am I?

The majority of people spend a lifetime denying God’s sovereignty and struggling needlessly with the stony places. And because they think they’re not supposed to question God or express doubt, all their internal struggles mount up like immovable rocks in their souls. Because they don’t ask why and because they don’t expose the wounds, the Holy Spirit can’t move in to address the questions, teach the heart, and soothe the soul. Then, the more they resist being where God has placed them, attempt to control the situation, and try to change things on their own, the more hardness and bitterness take over.

I don’t want to be in the majority. My prayer is that God will give me the faith, submission, and trust to fully embrace the stony places and fully rest in the bountiful ones. That doesn’t happen without being real and trusting the results of doing so entirely to Him. So as I wrap up this week’s message, I humbly ask you for prayer that I will get out of His way and let Him do only the work He can do in hard places. At this point, almost nothing is outside of the realm for potential change or out of the question, and although that means the future of the Glimmers blog isn’t clear, I know that God’s truth is. Romans 8:28 in The Passion Translation says, “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill His designed purpose.” Scripture doesn’t leave any room for loopholes or caveats in that statement. God’s sovereignty prevails no matter what the details. My dream has been to serve the Lord by encouraging others through the written and spoken word, but His dreams for me are better, whether they include what I desire right now or not.

I have no way of knowing this, but I think Paul had Psalm 37:4 in mind when he followed the leading of the Holy Spirit to write Romans 8:28. Psalm 37:4 says, “Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most.” (The Passion Translation). When we make God our utmost delight… when we make Him our focus and not ourselves, then He transforms our hearts to desire what He wants. Just before Paul declares that all things work together for bringing good into our lives, he says in verse 27: “God, the searcher of the heart, knows fully our longings, yet He also understands the desires of the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit passionately pleads before God for us, His holy ones, in perfect harmony with God’s plan and our destiny.” If I believe what God promises, then I must conclude that even though I am uncomfortable or feel disappointed, He is still working on my behalf to bring His plans to glorious fruition. He knows something I don’t know. He knows what’s best, even when it seems completely opposite of what I’m feeling or experiencing. But if I deny my reactions, feelings, and doubts, then He can’t intervene and adjust my vision to see His perspective. And if I don’t have His perspective on things, then I don’t have hope… or joy… or patience.

It may sound strange to say that I hope you find encouragement in my doubts, but that is my prayer as I share this message today. Even if you’re miles away from a hard place right now, there’s not a believer out there who doesn’t struggle deeply with doubt from time to time. And each time it happens, it will seem new, shocking, probably confusing. And Satan will make you feel guilty and alone in the midst of it. When it happens, I hope that you remember this message and follow the Spirit’s calling to be real. Don’t fight it, deny it, or feel guilty about it. Be real and God will eventually bring the healing.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide for Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read one or more of the Gospel passages about Jesus’ prayer in the Garden the night before He was crucified. (Luke 22:39-46, Matthew 26:36-46, and Mark 14:32-52) As you read, ask God to show you how Jesus was being transparent about His feelings and struggles with God. What do you think God wants you to be willing to expose to His healing?
Day 2 - How have you struggled to accept God’s sovereignty in the past? Read Jeremiah 29:11. Spend some time recalling how He has been faithful even when it didn’t seem like things we’re going well at first.
Day 3 - The Psalmist was very real with God. He had no hesitation about bringing his doubts, fears, and questions to God. Read Psalm 42. Even though many of us know the Psalms well, we still struggle to be as transparent with God. Why do you think that is? What do you have going on in your heart that you have been hesitant to be honest about with yourself and God?
Day 4 - Read Galatians 6:1-3. Sharing one another’s burdens requires being genuinely open and transparent with each other. How have you struggled with that in the past? Ask God in prayer to reveal anything that you need to be more open about.
Day 5 - As believers in Jesus, we can always have hope because no matter what happens here, we have an eternal destiny. But how do we renew our hope when eternity seems so far away or hard to imagine? Read Philippians 1:3-9 and write down anything that comes to mind about Paul’s source of hope, even when he sat in a Roman prison. Read Romans 15:13 and then spend time praying it back to Him. If you have time, play two or three worship songs and sing along with all your might.

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How God Sees You

8/14/2019

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I love just about any movie with Tom Hanks in it. Yes, I know everybody loves Tom Hanks, so my statement is certainly not profound or controversial, but just for the record, he was one of my favorite actors long before “Sleepless in Seattle” was released in 1993. I can remember watching “Bosom Buddies” reruns after school and being hooked on his one-of-a-kind comedic timing and boy-next-door charm. And, of course, when “Splash” came out in 1984, I begged my Mom to take me to the theater. I mean, what girl wouldn’t want to see a live-action movie about a mermaid?

So when interesting things happen in life, as you can imagine, I often think of a Tom Hanks film. While adjusting to our new house is not nearly as bad as the absolute debacle in the film, lately I have been pining to revisit Mr. Hanks’ first-of-many collaborations with Steven Spielberg — “The Money Pit,” which tells the hilarious story of a couple pouring endless amounts of coin into a fixer-upper that is clearly never going to be fixed. Since it’s one of the few Hanks movies I don’t have in my embarrassingly large DVD collection, I have to admit that part of me is afraid to go digging online for it because watching it might actually hit too close to home. More than anything else, it’s a recent experience cleaning up some construction debris that made me think of Tom’s most famous line from the movie: “Here lies Walter Fielding. He bought a house, and it killed him.” No, our new house is not going to kill us, but I think the number of unexpected problems we’re dealing with has quite possibly shaved a few years off our lives and undoubtedly increased the percentage of gray hairs on my head.

One of the messiest projects currently underway at our house is the repair of a broken pipe underneath our back patio. Since the demolition of cement slabs is required to get underground and fix the issues, we have a long way to go yet before the process of restoration can begin. Round one of the deconstruction to find the breaks is over, but the second wave of work needed to completely expose the affected area surrounding the bad pipe is coming next week. Given that construction dust is not good for the surrounding foliage we had just planted along the back fence, I went outside the morning after the initial demolition to rinse off the leaves, branches, and flowers. Besides making a mental note to gently cover them before the next round of chaos begins, I noticed that the dust seemed to cling unusually well to one new plant in particular — the star jasmine, which is a thick, flowering vine prized for its fragrant white blooms. Frustrated by the stubborn stickiness of the dust, I rinsed the leaves three times, only to find them still coated in a thin film of white hours later. It was clear a quick rinsing wasn’t going to do the job. If I wanted to give this young plant a fair shot at life, I was going to have to get down on my hands and knees and gingerly wipe each and every leaf.

As I began the tedious chore, I quickly realized that for such a small plant, this star jasmine already had what seemed like a thousand leaves. This was going to be way more work than I wanted it to be. So as my frustration levels rose along with the heat of the day, I teetered on becoming downright cranky with the whole situation. I grew angry with myself for not remembering to cover the new plants in the first place, and I began to stew all over again at the unfairness of having to correct the previous owner’s apparent neglect. And just as I was sliding into an abyss of bitterness for the day, I remembered a request I had asked of God a few weeks earlier when we realized the scope of problems with our new house. I had prayed for His perspective on these problems, not mine. I had asked Him to give me eyes to see His blessings, purpose, and patience through this season. I asked Him to draw me closer to Him in the struggle, rather than leaning on my own resources (of which I had none left anyway), wisdom, and resilience.

“Here’s your opportunity,” a still small voice whispered in my heart. “How would I see this task? What can you learn about Me at this moment?”

I smiled when the whisper came, and that small recognition tenderly pulled me back to a sitting position, right down into the dust with the star jasmine. In my bitter, inward ranting, I had previously refused to sit down during the process and had instead chosen to bend over or squat while rubbing leaves one by one. I hadn’t wanted to give in to the task, nor had I wanted to get dirty myself. Almost like an unconscious protest, I had opted for the aching back and leg cramps, rather than finding a comfortable position to do my work. Now, as I sat down in the dust with the plant and felt relief slowly rising in my extremities, I shook my head in wonder at God. Right there, sitting in the rubble and mud, I caught a glimpse of Jesus. Not only does He get down in the grime of our messes to help us come out of them, He walks through each phase of the construction process with us — demolition, clean-up, and full restoration. We not only get to know His character during these seasons, but we also learn how to tangibly rely on Him for everything in life with ever-increasing intensity.

It would have been so easy for me to opt for the quick solution with that small star jasmine. It had just been planted, so going to the greenhouse and buying another one would have been far easier than cleaning hundreds of leaves one by one. But God had a message for me that He could only deliver through the dust and the sweat. His Word tells me to be a good steward with the resources He’s given me, and discarding a perfectly good plant for the sake of my convenience wouldn’t honor Him. And I think it was that initial obedience to do the work — although reluctantly, I admit — that ushered in His ultimate purpose for that moment: He wanted me to see me as He sees me. And through that vision, He wanted me to draw closer to Him. And how does He see me? How does He see you? Well, frankly, we’re like a fledgling young plant with great potential but almost always covered in some kind of construction dust. Sure, there are moments where most areas of our lives seem to be going well, and we’re growing by leaps and bounds. But more often than not, we are always going through some kind of demolition or construction project in one area or another. Sometimes the demolition phase is for our own good, and other times, it brings widespread damage because of our own destructive choices. But regardless of the cause, Jesus is there in the midst of it all to shepherd every detail of our restoration. That’s because God sees us as a part of Himself. Made in His very image and created to be one with Him, His spirit dwells inside of all those who believe and follow. We are His temple. His earthly home. His child. His heir. We are called to walk in the very likeness of His Son. So, no matter the cause of the problem, whether we’re covered in the remnants of our own sins and mistakes, or we’re coated in suffering through no fault of our own, Jesus will always be there to wipe off the construction dust and expose us to the light and nourishment of His presence.

We are all vulnerable to forgetting how God sees us, especially the most seasoned of believers. Life has a way of hardening us as we grow, sometimes turning our previous trials and hardships into recurring memories that we allow to shape our perspective and cloud our vision. The newness of God’s cleansing presence and the yielding to His surgical precision become dulled based on our own perceived maturity, hurts, failures, and even our successes. We begin to think we know what God will do next based on our personal experience, rather than leaving our hearts and minds open to the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” Sure, our experiences can guide us in better identifying the marks of God’s hand and hearing His voice, but we should never allow them to speculate on what He intends to do or say.

When we remember that God sees us as His son or daughter, whom He always loves, accepts, and restores through Jesus, our response should always be one of awe, humility, and receptivity to whatever He wants. Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 18:3, that we are to be like children. I love how the ESV study Bible gives that statement some context: “The humility of a child consists of childlike trust, vulnerability, and the inability to advance his or her own cause apart from the help, direction, and resources of a parent.” Therefore, the mark of growth and maturity in a Christian is not what we would expect, or even naturally desire. We are not to seek the increase of our own wisdom, independence, or ruggedness. Rather, God wants us to become progressively more dependent on Him… for everything. He doesn’t even want us to see or evaluate situations, people, or things around us from our own point of view. He wants us to begin each day and approach every moment with His truth as our point of reference.

Not to say that any of this is easy, of course. But thankfully that’s where God’s promises, like Lamentations 3:22-23 come in, assuring us that for each new day, He will be there immersed with us in the trials of life. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” When you get up in the morning and face a day filled with daunting challenges, you may look in the mirror and see a face weary with frustration or disappointment, but God sees you as you can be under His wing and filled with His strength. While you and I are certainly a work in progress, God can see the finished masterpiece He is forming His child to be over time. So next time you find yourself covered with the suffocating dust and remnants of life’s endless construction projects, and you’re either frustrated with yourself, those around you, or both, Jesus beckons you to take a moment and look for Him drawing close right beside you. The clean-up process may seem overwhelming, but with His tender hand guiding your work, you’ll be restored and captivatingly fragrant like star jasmine blossoming in the afternoon sun.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide for Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.

Day 1 - Part of learning to believe the truth of how God sees you is grasping how much He loves you and the ramifications of that kind of love. Read Ephesians 3:14-19 in several different versions of the Bible and spend time in prayer asking God to whisper to your soul of how much He loves you. Ask Him to reveal any corners of your heart or mind that you haven’t surrendered to His love. Write down what comes to mind and commit it to prayer this week.
Day 2 - Throughout the Bible God promises to protect us, guide us, and be our shield in the storms of life. But that doesn’t mean the trials won’t come. When they do, He will walk through the suffering with us, drawing us closer than we we’ve ever been. Take a moment to listen to this worship song (Another in the Fire by Hillsong) and ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage to step out on faith before you feel His presence. If we step forward, He’ll be there to meet us. If you have time, read Daniel 3 and how God showed up to walk in the fire with His beloved ones.
Day 3 - Read 1 Peter 2:9 several times. What does it mean to you to hear that you are royalty? How should this guide your daily habits, perspectives, and behaviors? Spend time in prayer and ask God to reveal any ways in which you might not be seeing the truth of this verse in your life.
Day 4 - Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 several times. Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to encourage you and convict you in any ways that you have not seen or cared for your body as His temple.
Day 5 - Read2 Corinthians 1:3-4. God calls us to comfort each other through the difficulties of life. We are supposed to get down in the dust and debris of life with each other. If you’re going through a hard time right now, find someone to share that with and ask them to pray with you regularly until the trial passes. If you’re in a good place, then ask God to put people in your path who need support and prayer. And if a name is coming to your mind right now, then take a moment and pray for that person right now. Maybe share this podcast or blog with them as an encouragement.

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Reassembling Life Even When You Can't Find the Pieces

7/24/2019

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Reassembling Life By Experiencing Gods Presence

Reassembling Life By Experiencing More of Gods Presence

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There is virtually no part of my life that is not in disarray right now. I’m surrounded by pieces. Not broken pieces, thank goodness, but it does feel as though I am surrounded by millions of scattered parts littered across the battlefield of a cross-country move. As many of you know, I have been on a brief hiatus from the Glimmers blog while my husband and I transition from Maine to California. And while today will be a shorter message than usual, I desperately needed to return to something normal and familiar as quickly as possible, for both my sanity and my sense of belonging.

However, even with the deep longing in my heart to serve God as He has called me, the almost addictive craving to keep working and achieve complete order from my chaotic surroundings was surprisingly and overwhelmingly alluring this morning as I stood in the shower and contemplated the day ahead. At least today wouldn’t feel like Groundhog Day (a reference to the classic Bill Murray movie, not the date in February). Today, I mused as I stood in my new bathroom wondering again which drawer I put my hairbrush in, I would at least do something other than deal with boxes, service contractors, and address changes.

Of course, I am also a planner and organizer by nature, so even though I color-coded, labeled, meticulously numbered all my boxes, and can search their contents in a master spreadsheet (yes, I really did that), my life is still utterly unorganized right now. Despite my best efforts to make the move easier, my excessive organization didn’t prevent my being overwhelmed by the deluge of boxes in every room, nor could I have anticipated all the work being compounded by 10 once we arrived and realized how little the previous owners had done to maintain their home.

Even the furniture we purchased and the accessories we bought to make life easier are all in pieces. Take, for example, the beautiful new cherry-finish step stool I bought to match my ultra-tall kitchen cabinets. I’ve always acknowledged that I am on the short side, but my new kitchen makes me feel absolutely minuscule in height. Since I can barely reach the second shelf in the majority of my cabinets, I figured a matching step stool sitting in my kitchen would be better than our old metal one with its paint dribbles and emerging rust lines. But, like everything else it seems, I can’t take advantage of the stool’s better height and attractiveness until I take the hour… or two… or three… required to assemble all 57 pieces. You read (heard) that right. 57 ridiculous pieces for a simple step stool. I’ve never been fond of puzzles. So as far as I’m concerned, the path to reaching new heights is paved with tedium and irritation.

But as I spread out those endless pieces on my kitchen floor and pondered whether I had it in me to begin the assembly process (yet again), I suddenly became acutely aware of the cool, solid feel of the tile beneath my feet. My floor didn’t need assembly. It had needed a deep cleaning, which it received, but it was not in pieces when we moved in. It was steady and doing a simple job well. And at that moment with temperatures outside soaring near 100, it brought me comfort. Like the shade Jonah sought in the overwhelming and sweltering landscape of Nineveh (Jonah 4), the cool tiles reminded me of God’s endless provision. He is the solid, comforting foundation that never moves. Always stable. And beckoning me to take a break and find refuge in His unwavering strength and the refreshment of His Spirit. Like Jonah, God had told my husband and I to come here to this new place, and just like the pouting prophet, I wanted to run away from the job and throw up my hands in exasperation. Over the last few months, I have certainly related to Jonah’s words in chapter 4, verse 5: “Just kill me now, Lord.”

But God is faithful to complete the good work in us — and through us — every time. And even during the hard lessons and excruciating work, He loves us enough to comfort us and teach us at the same time. Even though Jonah was angry with God for sending him to serve in Nineveh and even more resentful when the entire city turned away from evil to receive salvation, God patiently, but firmly, comforted and corrected him. In the passage from Jonah 4, God used everyday things to speak to Jonah’s heart — a broad-leafed plant, a worm, and a blistering wind. Everything and everyone is under God’s dominion, and He uses whatever it takes to reach those He loves. The key, of course, is that we are open to seeing and hearing Him through all those things… big, small, difficult, pleasurable, tedious, frustrating, and simple.

The Holy Spirit used a cool tile floor to comfort me and correct my attitude. An everyday structure became holy ground at that moment. Like Jesus squatting down in the dirt to touch the blind beggar or raise the chin of the teary-eyed adulteress, God gets down on our level and in our muck to love us. There’s nothing too scattered, overwhelming, or damaged for Him. And if that isn’t remarkable enough, we can find Him with us in the trenches every day, not just when we’ve reached the end of our stamina, patience, or hope. The problem is we usually wait, like Jonah, until we get into that predicament to see Him.

Growing up in a somewhat religiously legalistic culture, I used to believe that if I wasn’t having a perfect daily quiet time with a specific amount of Bible reading and praying, that God wouldn’t show up. I treated my relationship with God as if it functioned under a contract. If I do this and that, He will provide specific things. But if I were to fall down on my end of the bargain, He’d find plenty of other more deserving people to lavish His love and presence upon. And although that faulty and highly dangerous perspective is mostly behind me, every now and then I hear ghostly echos of its voice whispering doubts in my head as if there is anything I could do to change, validate, or increase God’s love for me or His involvement in my life. But on days where the tasks or struggles of life force you to get out of bed at the crack of dawn and not stop until the stars are long since out, Jesus doesn’t withdraw His Spirit just because the most you can eke out is a 30-second prayer as you fall asleep. The difference is how you seek Him on the whole, and moment by moment. The difference is that when life is somewhat normal and routine that you choose Him when you have the choice. Spending quality time with Him becomes your priority. You choose Him because you long for His presence so profoundly, so genuinely, that you can almost feel the need physically, like thirst or hunger. That’s the desire that the Psalmist is talking about in Psalm 42:1: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?”

Notice that David is asking the question to himself, more so than anyone else around him: “When am I going to be able to take a break from all of this to just go be with God?” That’s not what I usually find myself asking. I usually pout like Jonah and mutter, “God, when is this going to end?” Or perhaps, “God, this stinks. And I’m tired of it all.” And I think that’s why David is called the “man after God’s own heart.” Even when he had every reason and obstacle in his way, he didn’t let it taint or distract the longing in his heart for God, even when it meant his ability to formally worship God in a dedicated moment was impeded. He let that longing take precedence in his heart so that it filtered his vision, guarded his perspectives, and sensitized his heart to an awareness of God’s presence… anywhere and at any time. Certainly, some of David’s most compelling Psalms were written amid the chaos on a battlefield littered with destruction and despair. Poetry isn’t something most of us think of as being written in the midst of disarray and danger, but for David and many others since him, inspiration can always be found in the muck and hardship of life if our hearts are open to looking for God to show up.

So, as I finish up this message today, I’m fighting the urge to rush so that I can return to the wooden puzzle of step stool pieces laying on my kitchen floor… or the boxes of clothes sitting in the middle of my bedroom… or the stack of forwarded mail that needs to be sorted… goodness, even choosing which thing to do next is hard. But this time as I go back into the fray, I’m taking a deep breath and inviting God to interrupt me and my agenda with His presence. To remind me that even in the drudgery, there is joy. In the frustration, there is hope. In any moment… He. Simply. Is. In any moment, the great I AM is there for me. He is there for you. Now, the decision is up to us. Will we have hearts like David that long for Him enough to get past our own perspectives and attitudes? Will we see Him sitting there with us among the boxes, battlefields, and new beginnings? Are we open to being taught, or are we just seeking the comfort of His shade and the provision of His hand? In all these things, Scripture encourages us to trust before we can see. To believe before we can walk. Ephesians 3:17-18 says, “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” In verse 17, I love the phrase, “as you trust Him” because it reminds me that our ability to experience Jesus is a growth process. We get better at seeing His hand and leaning into His constant presence over time and with repeated practice. So let’s keep going, my friend. We have a holy incentive better than any comfort on earth to stay the course and anticipate His presence every step of the way.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

5-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. Before you begin reading the passage for each day, spend some time asking God to open your heart to His truth and hearing His voice.
Day 1 - Read Jonah 4. (It’s a short chapter.) God told Jonah several times to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, but he didn’t want to do so because he knew God would offer them salvation if they repented. When have you avoided spending time with God or disobeyed one of his commands (either directly to you or found in Scripture) because you didn’t want Him to do something you didn’t like? Even in the face of disobedience or avoidance, how did God still show His love for you and draw you back to Him?
Day 2 - Read Hebrews 12:11. Recall a time when you went through something painful, but the Holy Spirit helped you see that it was for your good. What did God teach you through the difficulty? How was He faithful to be with you? How has God used your experience to help others?
Day 3 - Read Philippians 4:8-9. The presence of Jesus brings peace. How can this passage help you to experience more of His presence in everyday life? What areas of your life or habits does God want you to “filter” through this verse more often?
Day 4 - ReadPsalm 16:11. There is no ambiguity about God’s promise of His presence. Meditate and memorize this verse, recalling it as a prayer in moments of stress or weakness. Ask God to reveal any changes you need to undertake to make this verse a more frequent reality in your life.
Day 5 - Read Romans 8:28 several times in a few different versions. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal to you in any ways in which you don’t believe this statement to be true. Ask God to help you see all things through the filter of this verse and comfort you with His presence as you trust in this promise.

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Never a Dull Moment with God

6/19/2019

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One of my favorite songs during my college years was “The Great Adventure,” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Looking back on it now, the western-themed music video filled with galloping horses and a leather-vest wearing Steven with big floppy hair seems so over the top and cliched, but back then — oh, that was cutting edge for contemporary Christian music. Somehow, though, despite it’s dated sound and the fact that I haven’t listened to it in ages, it came roaring back into my head today, playing over and over in my mind and reminding me to celebrate its central message: a life spent following God is never dull… never meaningless… and always filled with something new around the corner.

If you’re not familiar with the lyrics, the chorus challenges us to saddle up our horses, cause we have a trail to blaze into the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace. But my favorite lines are found in the bridge:
We'll travel on, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all we'll find that
This is the greatest journey
That the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far
Beyond our wildest dreams

If you want to join me in the fun and don’t mind falling prey to its catchy chorus becoming an earworm in your mind for the rest of the day, then check out this fresh spin (watch on YouTube) on the song with Steven and guest Bart Millard of MercyMe fame.

This song came galloping back to me — sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun — this week as my husband and I reached a box-packing, emotionally-charged crescendo in preparing to make a cross-country move from Maine to California. For many of my regular readers and listeners, you know that my year began with the passing of my beloved Dad, followed by the realization that God was calling us to go west. So I guess in some cheesy way, the expansive Rocky Mountain scenes of the 1992 video seem to fit with my outlook right now. I can choose to look at this move as the end of a chapter I don’t want to be over, or I can see it as a new beginning, trusting that God has purpose and joy waiting for us wherever He plants us.

There is not enough space here to tell you how deeply rooted we are in Maine with my family, the sweetest friendships, a church body with a mission we love, and a home we built ourselves. There’s no question that leaving is hard. Okay, beyond hard. I can’t even describe it, despite my propensity for wordiness. But this God has made abundantly evident: when He calls you to a new beginning, He always brings His peace and boldly blazes a trail. Like any challenging trail through unknown, mountainous territory, you may not see any further ahead than the next marker on a tree, but you can clearly see His hand at work around you. At times, you may also be exhausted, overwhelmed, and uncomfortable. But no matter how you feel, you’ll still sense His peace and presence. As Ney Bailey says in one of my favorite books, Faith is Not a Feeling, “You and I can either grow accustomed to listening to our feelings, thoughts, and circumstances, letting them control us, or we can be in the habit of taking God at His word despite our feelings and life experiences. We need to choose with our wills to believe that His Word is truer than our feelings.”

Since I will be packing up my office next week and will become like a nomad for the first half of July, today is my last blog post from the great state of Maine. So before the next adventure officially kicks off with a moving van carrying upwards of 200 color-coded and cataloged boxes (yes, I am that type of person), I wanted to share five of the lessons God has been teaching me or reinforcing with me during this prolonged season of major upheavals. Perhaps a few of them will also encourage you during your own seasons of change, doubt, or waiting. While I won’t be able to produce new blog posts or podcast episodes for the next three weeks, I am sure God will be filling my mind with plenty of ideas for new messages during the many days of driving through America’s heartland. So I am already looking forward to being back with you starting July 17th from sunny Northern California.

1. God is the provider of the feast, not unsatisfying snacks. Another way to say it is: God always brings us what’s best and He longs for us to never settle or take shortcuts to get second best. Throughout Scripture we see God as the founder of the feast, always offering His children the best when they choose Him. In John 2, Jesus performs His first miracle, which was turning water to wine at a wedding feast. Upon tasting it, the banquet manager exclaims in verse 10, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” What God has been speaking to me is that His best is worth waiting for, and when He does bring His plans to fruition, they will be far more than I could’ve imagined if I wait on Him and trust Him. Earlier in this process, I found myself praying for the equivalent of snack — just a taste of God’s glory — when what He had in mind was far more complete than I would’ve dared hope for.

2. God doesn’t need human cooperation to bring about His will. We simply can’t help thinking more of ourselves than we should. After all, we all live with the day-to-day disappointment of other people letting us down, frustrating us, or choosing the wrong path. So when people don’t seem to be acting the way we think they should in order to align with what God has planned, we may assume that we misunderstood God or that He will have to change His plans due to human misbehavior. But just as God both hardened and then softened the heart of Pharoah (in Exodus 11:10 and 12:30-32), we can rest assured that if God wants something to happen, it will. And if we trust Him to bring it about His way and in His timing, then we get the thrill of watching His handiwork unfold.

3. God gives us the chance to participate in miracles. Perhaps one of the saddest situations is when you or I try to wade through the changes of life alone. But just as Jesus included the disciples in the miracles He performed, so we should include others around us in both the work God is calling us to do and the decisions we need to make. We do this through prayer. And when we don’t ask others to cover us in prayer over big decisions, changes, struggles, and grief, then we rob them of the chance to participate in God’s miracles. When a close-knit group of believers spends days, months, or even years supporting someone going through a hard season, there is not only indescribable joy for each victory along the way, no matter how small, there is also an incredible amount of growth in the lives of every group member as they intimately witness the hand of God in all the details. In Luke 15:8-10, Jesus tells the parable about a woman losing a coin and then celebrating with all her friends once it is found. James 5:16 urges believers to pray for one another. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” And Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 18:19-20, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.”

4. God never contradicts Himself. When a turbulent time engulfs our lives, God promises to work it out for good. But Satan is also working hard to divert us from God’s best or to get us to throw in the towel. Sometimes the evil tactics he tries on us are disguised in a veneer of goodness or practical advice. When my husband and I found a home we liked in California, after praying about it, we made a market-appropriate offer to the owners. They rejected our offer. Not once, but four times. This went on for several agonizing weeks, and all the while we were nearing our moving date without a place to live. With each offer, we came up a little more money until we had reached the maximum number God had laid on our hearts. As God’s Word calls us to be good stewards of the resources He gives us, we knew He didn’t want us to go any higher even though we could’ve found a way to do so. He had given us a line in the sand, regardless of how close the deal seemed. Many people said we shouldn’t let such a small amount deter us from a home we really liked. I’d like to tell you that sticking to our guns was a piece of cake, but as with any situation that we have the power to either solve on our own, or let the Lord handle in His own way, it was very difficult to remain firm. Each time I spent time in prayer, I simply heard, “Wait.” God impressed the same thought on my husband. Eventually, both sides reached a stalemate and we walked away from the property, believing that if God wanted us there, He would’ve made it work at the number He gave us. Several days after we let it go, our realtor called to tell us that the sellers had a change of heart and would indeed accept our offer and terms if we were still ready to commit. It’s hard not to fight for what you want. It’s hard to resist making things happen yourself when it seems like they fit with God’s plans. But if any part of the process contradicts a principle or a promise from Scripture — even if the outcome would be the same — then God wants us to be still and let Him take care of it. Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Some versions use the word “silent” and others use the word “calm,” but all of them apply when all you want to do is squirm, yell, run, or fret.

5. God brings order to chaos, both in circumstances and most importantly in our hearts. This lesson has been especially hard for me to learn and it might be for you as well. 1 Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God desires order versus confusion or chaos. But clearly He allows chaos to occur in our lives from time to time. Just look at the story of Peter in Matthew 14:22-33 walking on the water toward Jesus. He stepped out of the boat among the chaotic waves and wind to find himself rising above it all. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked unharmed through the continuing storm. But the moment he became aware of his precarious surroundings and began focusing on his impending doom, he sank down. When Peter’s focus was on Jesus, the storm in his heart was calmed. And, of course, we are no different. Jesus calls us to just let the circumstances around us simply be as they are. Through the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to say with conviction, “Nothing around me matters more than Who’s in front of me.” It’s with this vision that we will see God’s hand working to bring order out of the chaos and show us a clear, strong lifeline to safety. In verse 32, Jesus didn’t calm the seas until the disciples placed their trust in Him. Once the work in their hearts was done, God worked to reveal a miracle. “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”

Over the past six months, God has been teaching and revealing so much more to me than these five lessons, but since I am only beginning to grasp their meaning and understand the depth of their impact, I’ll save the rest of them for future blog posts. In the meantime, I hope you’re encouraged in your own seasons of change, doubt, waiting, fear, and loss. There is no storm God doesn’t have a plan to use for His glory. There is no problem you face in which He won’t walk beside you and give you peace. There is no dull moment in any life lived in order to grow closer to Jesus. You may think that nothing is happening. It may seem as though nothing is changing or that nothing ever seems to go in your favor. But you must believe that those perspectives are your own, and not God’s. There is nothing that is not already known by Him. There is nothing that remains unsolved in His future. And so, He asks you and me to rest in the waiting knowing that every moment of our lives can be useful to Him. Every situation can be redeemed… in His timeframe, not ours. Finally, there’s always a new beginning. And it often comes in the darkest hours before the dawn. But that’s exactly when you can let God’s light shine the brightest in your life. Others will look at you and may remark on the darkness you’re facing, but if your eyes remain on Jesus, then the only thing everyone else will be able to talk about is Him.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

5-Day Devotional Guide For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling

God’s Adventure Spotify Playlist - Created just for this message, this music playlist will fuel your passion for God’s adventure and encourage you during times of change. (Yes, you can listen to the playlist for no charge when you sign up for a FREE account!)
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
While Glimmers is on vacation for the next 3 weeks, if you need a daily devotional, I encourage you to check out the free plans in the YouVersion app or John Piper’s online daily devotional.

Day 1 - God is the provider of the feast, not unsatisfying snacks. Read Philippians 4:19 and Ephesians 3:20 several times in a few different versions. When have you settled for second best in the past? Why? What is it that you are currently longing for Him to provide? Ask Him to show you any ways in which you are impatient in waiting for His best. Pray and ask Him to give you discernment in seeking only His best and not counterfeits or shortcuts.
Day 2 - God doesn’t need human cooperation to bring about His will. Read Acts 17:24-25, 1 Chronicles 29:11, and Psalm 115:3. How does knowing the God is sovereign over everything bring you comfort when it comes to replying on other people for important things in your life? Spend time in prayer asking God to reassure your heart of His love and control over your life.
Day 3 - God gives us the chance to participate in miracles. Read Matthew 28:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:11. What does this passage tell you about God’s invitation to us to participate in His work and plans?
Day 4 - God never contradicts Himself. Read Hebrews 6:16-20 and Numbers 23:19. In what ways have you wondered about apparent contradictions concerning God, the Bible, or His control over your life? Meditate on these Scriptures and pray them back to Him. Consider memorizing them and repeating them to yourself during times of doubt.
Day 5 - God brings order to chaos, both in circumstances and most importantly in our hearts. Read Joshua 1:9, John 14:27, 1 Corinthians 14:33, and Psalm 37:23. Whichever verse spoke the most to you, spend time reflecting on how it speaks to your heart and circumstances. Then pray it back to God and ask Him to search your heart and speak to you.

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How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2

6/5/2019

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How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2: 6 Hallmarks of His Voice

How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2: Six Hallmarks of His Voice

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Last week’s blog post highlighted the four ways we need to prepare our hearts to hear God’s voice and eight of the most common methods He uses to communicate. To get the most out of this week’s message, I would suggest listening or reading to part 1 first.

Have you ever misinterpreted an email from a friend or co-worker? It’s such a common occurrence, I bet every single person on earth who uses email has made inaccurate assumptions or has misinterpreted what the sender was trying to say. Then we all know what happens next. Either we sit and stew on it because we don’t want to call or visit the sender in person to clarify the meaning, or we do the most dreaded thing we all know we shouldn’t do (but we do it anyway)… we hit the reply button and send back a completely inappropriate response based on what we assume we heard. As we have all painfully experienced, mistakes happen when we assume. (And, yes, I think the acronym for assume fits, but I won’t repeat it here. Ahem.)

This is kind of how listening to God can be. When He speaks to us, it’s not like receiving a phone call from your best friend, whose voice you can often recognize just by the way she breathes or the way he clears his throat. With the Almighty’s voice, there’s no audible tone or style to hear. No inflections to indicate humor or anger. In short, most of us have so little familiarity with what He’s saying — either because what He’s asking us to do is so surprising or because we’re simply new or out of practice with hearing His direction — that after He’s spoken, we may spend minutes or hours second-guessing what we’ve heard. We can make some radically wrong assumptions. We can jump to conclusions. Sometimes we miss out on a blessing because we were too unsure to act when He spoke.

As you become more and more familiar with His unique voice in your life, which happens over a long period of time and with frequent practice, you will begin to clearly experience for yourself the signature characteristics, or hallmarks of His voice. These hallmarks are helpful in knowing what God’s voice sounds like and understanding His nature. However, even when you think you’ve heard from God clearly, never skip the step of seeking Scriptural confirmation. As we said last week, God’s Word will never contradict anything He personally lays on your heart. That means the principles and guidance outlined in the Bible must always — without any exceptions ever — must agree with, or support, whatever it is you’ve heard in order for God to even be considered as the source. Here’s an example: If you think God is telling you to go ahead and make a big purchase, but you are currently drowning in debt or struggling to tithe regularly, then the voice you’ve been hearing is either coming from your own desire or Satan’s temptation.

Beyond the principles and guidance, Scripture also gives us clear indications of God’s character, style, and approach. While these are more subjective than a specific command like tithing, these hallmarks of God’s guiding hand can be critical tools in discerning His voice in less obvious and more nuanced situations. While God is too big and simply unfathomable to pin down as a personality type (Romans 11:33, Isaiah 55:9), there are clear indicators of His voice that can be gleaned throughout Scripture. Just as important, the hallmarks of what is NOT His voice also materialize out of the preponderance of evidence in Scripture. Whether it’s your own voice or Satan’s sinister attempt to distract or misdirect you, knowing what the Bible indicates is not His voice is equally important.

Before we get into the six hallmarks, also keep in mind that a secondary confirmation of what He’s saying to you can come through the wise counsel of others. But, seeking input from spiritually mature friends, a Christian counselor, or your pastor, should never carry more weight than — or take the place of — direct Biblical confirmation. If God truly said something to you, then He’ll make sure you get confirmation in His Word in some manner. It may come through a Scriptural suggestion from a friend, in a sermon, or a myriad of other ways. But if you keep your heart open to God’s direction and are willing to surrender any of your own wisdom and desires, He will give you a confirmation in His Word, repeatedly in your prayer time, and secondarily through others and circumstances.

Now on to the six hallmarks. When the many Biblical accounts of God speaking are viewed holistically together, certain patterns, tones and defining characteristics emerge to give us these defining features of what His voice sounds like, as well as what it does not.

1. God pushes us out of our comfort zone, without imparting fear, a sense of foreboding, or worry. Only the wisdom of an omniscient (all-knowing) God who loves you beyond your wildest dreams and knows you better than you know yourself, could simultaneously ask you to step out of your comfort zone while giving you a shot of unexpected motivation and courage. When God asks you to do something, most of the time it will be something that you would not naturally want to do or think to do. Whether it’s a simple command to talk to a stranger or to sell something you value more than you should, when God speaks it goes right to the heart of the matter and the Holy Spirit gently but insistently pushes you to obey. And once you step out on faith — and not a moment before then — strength, courage, and peace flow. Philippians 4:6-7 makes it clear that when we are communicating with God, He gives us peace, even when the task at hand is difficult. Jesus said His peace rests upon us always in John 14:27. He wasn’t ambiguous when He said that. If something is from the Holy Spirit, there will be a sense of peace.

2. He uses repetition to get His message through the noise of life and emphasize His point. It’s a universal truth that human beings need to hear something at least seven times to be able to recall it. Seven! Advertisers know this proven fact, and that’s why you can recall some of the most annoying commercials on television. So if God is trying to get your attention, you better believe He is sending the message multiple times and through various ways. Two or three people might mention the same Bible verse to you. You may then sense His leading in prayer about the same thing and then again in the sermon you hear on Sunday. When you notice that a Bible verse, message, or theme starts popping up repeatedly in your life, immediately begin to pay very close attention. Journal about it and begin praying over it. In the Bible, Jesus repeated things of great importance multiple times. In the book of John alone, the word “believe” is repeated more than 100 times, emphasizing the need to place your trust in God before any of what is promised in His Word can manifest itself in your life. When Jesus explained the path of eternal life to Nicodemus, He began by repeating the word “truly” as a way of indicating the supreme importance of paying attention to what He was about to say. John 3:5 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

3. His direction can always be confirmed, but not through circumstances alone. A message from God will always line up with Scripture. If it doesn’t fit with the Bible, then dismiss it immediately, no questions asked. Don’t even entertain the thought or search for a different verse or interpretation to justify what you think you’ve heard. Secondary confirmation can also come through wise counsel (Proverbs 11:14 and 12:15), especially if it has to do with a decision that may not be a question of right or wrong, but more of a case of choosing between two paths, such as whether to accept a new job offer or move to a new location. The Word tells us to seek the counsel of mature, grounded believers to pray with us and ask for discernment. But I’ve learned the hard way, as have many others, to never rely on circumstances or the input of others to make the final confirmation of what you think God said. Evaluating the circumstances in your life and using your own assessment to make a decision based on that alone is no better than reading tea leaves or flipping a coin. In other words, no matter how tempting it is to be guided by obvious circumstances, don’t do it. Charting a course for your life based on what’s happening around you is one of Satan’s best deception tools for Christians because he can veil himself in light and never be noticed until it’s too late.

4. God usually delivers immediate instructions with authority, but not in a compulsive, frantic, random or bargaining manner. While God still chooses to anoint some with the gift of prophecy, most of His communication with us is about everyday dependence on Him. Usually, He gives us just enough instruction for the next step ahead (Psalm 119:105). The Holy Spirit will lead us day by day, not reveal the long term plan. We are to live in the present, not focused on the future. He gives us new mercies each morning, just for the day ahead. As we learn to listen for His voice throughout the day, what He asks us to do will become clearer over time. As we obey in the small things, He gradually gives us bigger things. On the other hand, Satan, or sometimes our own sinful desires, will throw random or frantic ideas at you that are compulsive or hyper-urgent. Satan loves to give you this intense feeling of pressure, like a used car salesman making you believe that if you don’t act now you’ll miss out on the best deal of your life. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” What an excellent verse for testing everything you hear!

5. He speaks to bring conviction and freedom, not guilt. Learning the difference between the conviction of sin versus guilt and shame is crucial in distinguishing God’s voice from the enemy’s. The Holy Spirit will search your heart, especially in prayer, or in a moment immediately following a sinful act, and He will urge you toward repentance. He will push you to ask for forgiveness. Guilt, on the other hand, is a feeling of condemnation, worthlessness, hopelessness, shame, or a sense that you cannot — or shouldn’t — be forgiven. Think of conviction as a revelation that you’ve done wrong with a clear desire to repent and then move forward in freedom. Guilt is a foreboding, heavy feeling that keeps you from forgetting your sin and past mistakes. Guilt will literally rob you of being effective for Jesus, and that’s precisely Satan’s goal. No matter what you’ve done wrong, there is forgiveness in Jesus. Believe it. Ask for it. Receive the gift and move on. Any voice that makes you want to stay in the pit of guilt is coercing you into rejecting God’s best for you. Romans 8:1 gives us this clear, matter of fact pronouncement: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

6. He speaks to draw you closer to Him and to love others more than yourself. He will never give directions that promote human effort, glory, or favoritism. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment. He replied with, “And He said to him, ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” So, God is never going to tell you to do anything that would tear down others or elevate yourself above others. And I am finishing up with this Scripture because it is the one you should repeat to yourself the most, especially when you sense the Holy Spirit leading you to do something in the moment, such as “help that elderly lady with her groceries.” According to Jesus’ words, you have all the confirmation you need to proceed. Other times, of course, you need to wait and seek more specific confirmation. But, again, remember that no message from God is too small to ignore. Even the smallest things could be the most significant in either someone else’s life, or even your own spiritual growth. You may think that He’s giving you “junior” level work to do, but He sees it as building blocks to a plan that He may take decades to unfold in your life. Trust Him. Listen to Him. Walk and learn with humility and a teachable spirit (Proverbs 15:31-33).

One of my favorite authors, John Piper, said God speaks to everyone — not just those who believe. He said, “Oh, unbeliever, God is speaking to you in your pain to warn you, and God is speaking to you in your pleasure to woo you.” But for those who believe, the sacrifice of Jesus turns our pain and suffering into instruments of sanctification, which simply means the process of becoming more holy… more like Jesus little by little. As for our moments of pleasure, with Jesus, they become reminders to praise Him and faint glimmers of the eternal joy that awaits us one day. In either case — in suffering or happiness — the Holy Spirit enables us to live supernaturally by displaying characteristics that could only be from God: humility, joy, gratitude, contentment, and hope in all circumstances. Living in this manner is one of the greatest ways we can speak to others about God. When we become vessels, albeit imperfect ones, that show glimpses of Jesus in everything we do, God speaks through us to a world that so desperately needs to hear Him. And what better way to live, than to not only hear His voice, but also become a conduit for His voice to a desperate and dying world around us?

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide: For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Read Romans 11:33 and Isaiah 55:9. What do these two verse tell you about the nature and character of God? In what ways have you put God in a box? Think of a decision you need to make or wisdom that you need right now in your life. How might your own thoughts or ideas about what should happen or what you should do compare to what God might have in store? Ask God to lead your thoughts and pray for discernment and wisdom that is from Him and not your own.
Day 2 - Recall a time that God has asked you to do something out of your comfort zone. It may be something He whispered to you in the moment or a command in Scripture that makes you nervous or even frustrated. Journal about that experience and then read Mark 10:17-27. Read that passage a second time and substitute your own greatest desire instead of money/possessions. This passage isn’t only about money, it applies to any comfort in life that Jesus asks us to give up to follow Him.
Day 3 - When have you jumped to conclusions about God’s voice or direction in your life based on circumstances? How did things turn out when you did? Based on today’s message, write down and commit to memorizing a Bible verse that spoke to you about seeking confirmation in God’s Word rather than analyzing your situation or listening to other people’s guidance.
Day 4 - Which of the six hallmarks of God’s voice resonated with you the most at this point in your life? How has your obedience to His word impacted your ability to experience God or discern this particular hallmark? Read John 14:23 and James 1:22. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict your heart of any disobedience in your life.
Day 5 - Spend some time meditating on Matthew 22:36-40. Ask the Holy Spirit how He might be calling you to love others more. After spending some time in prayer, in what ways do you sense God leading you to serve others more? How do you think doing so will enable you to hear His voice more clearly? Write them and make an action plan to follow through.

Additional recommended resources for learning to hear God’s voice:
The Art of Listening Prayer, Seth Barnes
Discerning the Voice of God, Priscilla Shirer

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How to Hear the Voice of God Part 1

5/23/2019

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Note: This is part one of two-part series. Originally published last year, this newly-expanded message is now offered as an enhanced podcast and includes an all-new five-day devotional guide at the end of this post. As the most requested topic from my readers and class members, learning to hear God's voice is crucial to grow closer to Him, share His love more effectively with others, and follow His plan.

How to Hear the Voice of God; Eight Ways He Speaks

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Jesus said His sheep will know His voice. For years, that foundational truth frustrated me. Despite the fact that I made a decision to follow Christ at the age of seven, it would take me another 20 years or so to get to the point where I could unequivocally say I had heard God’s voice. Now maybe I am just a slow learner, or stubborn, or lacked the belief that He actually wanted to speak to me, but most of my spiritual efforts in my twenties were spent vacillating between trying to hear God and figuring out what in the world was wrong with me that I couldn’t. So if you’ve ever wondered what God’s voice actually sounds like, or if you’ve reached the desperation point in your quest to listen for the “still, small voice,” be encouraged that He does want to respond to you.

My A-ha moment came when I realized this: His voice may not come to me in the way I imagined it would, nor would it be what I expected. And that right there was my biggest problem for two decades. I was looking for God to communicate with me in a certain way, and it wasn’t until I began to do four critical things did He begin to slowly whisper truth to my spirit. First, I had to lay aside my preconceived notions, expectations, and desires. I had to realize that God does not fit in the box I designed for Him in my mind. Second, I had to come to grips with my unbelief. Yes, I loved God, but I had tucked away some serious doubts in my heart. It was time I jumped all-in to trust Him with my life — in every area. Third, I had to learn to listen. My prayer life had been entirely about me talking to God. Being still for me was like asking a five-year-old not to fidget when she has to pee, which is related to the fourth thing I had to learn. I had to train myself to wait … patiently. Corrie Ten Boom, an author and Holocaust survivor, once said, “If you want to hear God’s voice clearly and you are uncertain, then remain in His presence until He changes this uncertainty. Often much can happen during this waiting for the Lord.” I’ve now learned that sometimes I need to wait a long time (even days or weeks) and press into Him before He speaks, but the beautiful thing is that the waiting has now become a peaceful time of learning to trust.

So if our expectations about God’s voice can hinder us from hearing Him, how does He speak? How will we know if it’s Him? Thankfully, that roadmap is clear, but we have to prepare for the journey. AW Tozer said, “God will speak to the hearts of those who prepare themselves to hear.” And I would add, He also speaks to those who are purely motivated to draw close to Him for the sake of knowing Him better for who He is, versus being motivated simply to hear His voice. God doesn’t have the patience for us when we desire the glamorous. If we envision ourselves hearing His voice like Charlton Heston did in The Ten Commandments, or if we long for something big and dramatic so we can feel important, the Spirit of God will not speak. God wants us to desire Him. He wants us to seek Him for who He is and love Him with 100% of our being… just because. God is about the relationship with us, first and foremost, not the plan.

There are many, many ways God can speak to us, but here are eight of the most common ones.

1. The Word speaks loud and clear. We must start with — and become deeply grounded in — the primary voice He speaks with: The Bible. And there are no shortcuts on this. Period. You will never hear Him clearly and profoundly through other means if you don’t first learn to hear Him through Scripture. When we saturate our hearts and minds in the Word, we learn to hear what His voice sounds like. To identify God’s voice, you must first learn to see your identity as being in Christ, and that is accomplished by absorbing Scripture. When you go into God’s Word, expect to meet up with Jesus. You’re not reading for reading’s sake. Instead, you’re training yourself for an encounter with the living God. This was one of my biggest mistakes. I wanted to jump right to hearing God independent of any other means. I both underestimated and ignored the Bible in terms of being an intensely personal, relevant voice to my heart. A serious error on my part, because I didn’t realize the truth of Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Because the Word is alive, it searches your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, making it possible for Scripture to be miraculously and specifically customized just for you and what’s going on in your life… right now. God speaks most commonly through His Word, and if you believe that fact, approach it with that expectation, and be patient, you will not be disappointed.

2. Thoughts that are not yours may be God’s. Sometimes God speaks by planting a specific thought in our minds. This happens to me in prayer, but only when I’m actively listening and being still. If I’m talking incessantly and without a conscious desire to be interrupted, then the Holy Spirit cannot get a word in edgewise because my mind is drowning everything else out. You’ll probably find this to be true as well. If you adopt a heart posture of being humble and interruptible, God will talk to you throughout your day and invade your thoughts more and more. When He does give you a thought, it may suddenly come out of the blue or it may be a gentle tugging at your heart that builds in intensity. It is almost always something you would not naturally think of or be inclined to notice or do on your own (I Corinthians 2:14). And how do you confirm that it is indeed God giving you the thought? I’m going to cover that next week in part 2 of this message, but the short answer to that question is to ask yourself if the unexpected thought lines up with Scripture. If there is anything about it that contradicts the Bible, then it is not from Him.

3. A deep-seated, inexplicable “knowing” can overcome you. There are times when the Holy Spirit may saturate you with an overwhelming peace about a decision or an unwavering conviction about a situation with an outcome that would otherwise be completely unknowable to you. This has very rarely happened to me, but when it does, the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit’s presence and assurance is almost palpable, as well as being the polar opposite of what I should be feeling (or what my mind tells me to feel) at the time. The Bible frequently speaks about the eyes of the heart, and how only the Holy Spirit can cause us to see God’s truth and experience His grace.

4. All creation sings His praise and sometimes we can hear it. When we have the ears to truly be still and listen, we can see and hear God in nature every day. Whether in the awe-inspiring power of a storm or the serenity of a mountain lake, if we take the time to pause and invite God to reveal Himself, He’ll show up every time. The inspiration may not be directional or specific in nature, but the sweet trill of bird’s song or the sheer vastness of the ocean can speak to us of God’s sovereignty, attention to detail, creativity, and so much more. In Luke 12, we find Jesus telling the disciples to consider creation… the lilies, the birds and the grass. God takes care of them in ways that blow our minds. Next time you are outside in some glorious place, pull out your phone and use a Bible app to read Psalm 29.

5. Divinely directed dreams and visions still happen today. Acts 2:14-21 makes it clear that God speaks in this manner and will do so with increasing intensity in the last days. This has only happened to me perhaps twice in my lifetime, but I know other believers have experienced this more often. Dreams and visions are God’s version of virtual reality. With life-like splendor, He may stir your creativity, motivate you, warn you, or invite you into spiritual warfare through your dreams or a vision. Because of the intensity of this kind of communication from God, you may be left feeling a little shaken or awed, as was Moses when He saw the burning bush. But, take comfort that God is with you and run to the Word to test what you experienced and seek God in prayer for final clarity or direction.

6. God plants ideas and changes our minds… a lot. Don’t ever underestimate a change of heart, a new thought process, or a sudden burst of innovation or creativity. Over and over in Scripture, God directly intervenes in human behavior and stirs a sudden heart change or perspective shift — all without the person’s awareness. So the next time you realize that your attitude (or someone else’s) has improved or your desires have shifted to become more Christlike, take a moment and thank God for speaking into your life. Psalm 37:4 promises us that if we delight ourselves in God, which means we find our source of joy and meaning in loving Him, that He will put into our hearts His desires (and slowly remove ours). If you want to know God’s direction, then pursue knowing Him above all else, and His voice will ring loud and clear in your life.

7. There is the (slim) outside possibility of an “outside” voice. What I mean by that, is the Bible makes it clear that God has been known to speak audibly to people. In other words, a real bonafide voice that your natural ears can physically hear coming from outside your own head. So because the Word indicates it can happen, the option remains on the table. That being said, I’ve only met one person who’s experienced this, and most Biblical scholars believe that it is very rare due to the Holy Spirit’s presence within believers since the resurrection. Before Christ, the primary way to hear from God was through a supernatural, physical experience, such as a pillar of fire, a burning bush, an audible voice, an angel, etc. But with the gift of the Holy Spirit, God himself has taken up residence inside believers. We all love reading about the physical appearances of God, especially in the Old Testament, but instead of longing for that to happen to us, we should instead praise Him that Jesus is now with us, speaking into our lives 24/7.

8. God may use others to carry His messages. I saved this one for last because it’s the trickiest one to get right. God may deliver a word for you through someone else. It is very common to sense the Holy Spirit whispering to your heart to listen to something specific during a sermon, a blog or podcast, or even while reading a book. I can’t tell you how many times God has spoken to me by grabbing my attention during someone else’s message. As always, though, you want to line up whatever you hear with Scripture to make sure it’s truly from God. Where it gets a little trickier, is when God personally delivers a message just for you — and only you — to someone else. It does happen, but you should be even more hyper-vigilant about vetting that message through the Word and through your own personal prayer time. Never assume that the other person heard God correctly — even if the other person is someone you look up to in the faith.

Next week, I will address this last method more fully, alongside the hallmarks, or key characteristics, of God’s voice. But as you move through the next several days, begin looking and listening more than ever for subtle hints of His voice. A whisper of “I love you,” may gently caress your heart through a warm spring breeze or an incredible sunset. A nudge of direction may suddenly come to you as you wait before God in your quiet time. The important thing is to get alone with Him, commit to spending time with Him, and then working to still your busy mind to listen. He longs to speak to you even more than you long to hear from Him.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

Five-Day Devotional Guide: For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Read Isaiah 55:8-9. In what ways is God nudging you to better prepare to hear His voice? (See the 2nd paragraph of the blog post.)
Day 2 - Read Jeremiah 33:3, John 9:31 and Romans 10:17. Which of the eight ways have you personally experienced? Take some time to recall them and journal about the experience. Which one do long to experience more of and why?
Day 3 - Go outside in your backyard, to a park, or anywhere that inspires you. Read Psalm 29 out loud from several different versions in the Bible in a place where you can be alone with Him. Then, take the time to praise Him for each of the ways He speaks in that passage.
Day 4 - Read 1 Chronicles 16:11, Lamentations 3:25, and Matthew 6:6. In what ways is God leading you to spend more time in His presence this coming week? Book each one like an appointment on your calendar.
Day 5 - Read Hebrews 4:16. What specific things would you like Him to speak to you about? Using a concordance or search engine, look for verses in the Bible that pertain to your longings to hear His voice.

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Prayer: The Ladder to Heaven

5/22/2019

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Sometimes the topics that come to my mind for the Glimmers blog overwhelm me. They are often far too big for me to even scratch the surface of their spiritual impact within a mere 10 or 15 minutes. But just when I am about to abandon one of these enormous ideas, the Holy Spirit nudges me more insistently to make the attempt. That’s when I usually venture into Matthew Henry’s whole Bible commentary, the unabridged version, for a deep dive into theology accompanied by a prayer for accuracy and understanding. With a type size that would make a contracts lawyer jealous and more pages than the Bible itself, I also ask God to help me get in and get out of the commentary in less than an hour or two.

Today’s topic sent me into Henry’s vast knowledge base, not once, but twice. And though I’ve been thinking about it for several weeks now, I still feel woefully unprepared to talk about it. The reason I’m sharing these feelings of inadequacy is because it’s so important to know that mystery of prayer, its power, its potential, its role in God’s sovereignty, and how it actually changes things cannot be fully understood by anyone. Anyone. Scholars, missionaries, pastors, great authors, and even scientists throughout the ages have all offered incredible theories, but the truth is that we cannot fully explain or comprehend prayer any more than we can fully grasp God Himself.

Prayer is the aroma of heaven itself (Revelation 5:8), the expression of God at work in us (2 Chronicles 7:14), a shield of protection (Matthew 26:41), and the mechanism by which God not only draws us closer to Him (Romans 8:26), but also releases His power here on earth (James 5:16-18). Just as the Word of God is Jesus (John 1:1), so prayer is God’s very hand stirring among the hearts of His children. It is an enigma that I am both mesmerized by and also long to have more of throughout my day. After all, scripture commands that we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), so the closer we can move toward fulfilling that request, the more we will know and experience God.

The germination of this message about prayer all started with a vision I had in the middle of the night several weeks ago. I can count on one hand the number of times God has reached out to me in this manner, so my first reaction was to dismiss it as my imagination, which is particularly overactive in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. But the next morning, during my usual quiet time, the Holy Spirit kept bringing it to my attention over and over. So, after spending time praying, reading and re-reading the Bible passage associated with my vision, I was off to the big fat Bible commentary to explore what the scholar had to say about it.

The vision had come in the middle of the night. I was lying on my back staring at the tongue and groove ceiling above my bed, which was illuminated only by the faint light of a clock radio. Quite suddenly, I noticed something that I had never considered before. The low eave of the dormer, which I had hit my head on numerous times — either getting into or getting out of the bed — was close enough for me touch it, yet it reached all the way to the soaring rafters of our cathedral ceiling. There was no way for me to ever reach the top, but I could indeed touch a part of the ceiling with my fingertips. As I pondered this, which admittedly seems more amazing at 2 a.m. than it does now, the story of Jacob from Genesis 28:10-17 flooded my thoughts in mind-blowing detail. Scriptures coming to my mind are common, especially the ones I’ve memorized and relied on for many years. But Old Testament stories like this one haven’t been on the forefront of my thoughts since perhaps my fourth-grade summer in vacation Bible school. Yet, there it was: Jacob’s ladder in full color.

In case you’re not familiar with this story, I will quickly summarize it. Isaac told his son Jacob to go far from home and seek his bride in the land of his forefathers. Alone and afraid of his vindictive brother Esau, Jacob stopped for the night to get some rest outside under the stars. We pick up the story here, in verse 12. “As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and He said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions — to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you’.”

Like I am sure Jacob was, I lay there awestruck as I thought about the almighty God giving his children a heavenly bridge to connect with Him. For just a brief moment, God gave Jacob a glimpse into the glorious happenings all around him — things he would’ve never seen with human eyes. For weeks leading up to this vision of Jacob’s ladder, I had been seeking God in prayer and asking Him to help me understand His perspective on some troubling and puzzling things happening around me. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” So my belief was telling me that God is at work on my behalf. But my personal experiences were telling me that what I view as good is very different than what God sees as good. At the core of my mental wrestling match was John 15:16, which says in part, “Whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you.” But we all know asking God for a candy apple red Ferrari is not what Jesus meant by that statement. Most of us readily accept that God wants us to ask for what is truly good, not what we desire. But what about asking for healing from a serious illness or deliverance from an addiction? Sometimes we pray for those “good” things and they don’t happen. How can those things not be included in God’s definition of good?

So what does Jacob’s ladder have to do with any of this? I also wondered that until I consulted with Mr. Henry on the subject and then re-read the passage from Genesis again. The ladder from heaven gave Jacob a clear glimpse of God’s perspective on the troubling situation, but it also affirmed God’s plan for Jacob’s future. Jacob would not only survive this temporary trial, but he would also be a vehicle for God to bless the entire earth. This occurs through the coming of the Messiah, who was a descendant of Jacob. Jesus would become the bridge from heaven to earth for all of humankind.

After witnessing the heavenly spectacle Jacob exclaims, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” And with his faith bolstered in God’s promises, he then makes a vow in verse 20 to trust God for not only protection on his journey and his future, but even the tiniest of everyday necessities, such as food and clothing. In essence, he was committing to God that he would not worry about anything, no matter how small. He promised to trust God to determine what was good for his life, versus making his own plans. To seal his vow, he built a memorial pillar on the site and committed to giving God a tenth of all that he would gain from that point forward.

Suddenly I realized that I had been asking the wrong question all along. There is no need to ask God to help me understand what is truly good. If I knew all that was truly good before He brought it to me, then I would not need to have faith. To ask God to tell me what is good ahead of time is like asking Him to reveal the future to me. Instead, just like Jacob, I have a ladder to heaven right now. We all do. We can’t actually climb it until He calls us home, but just like my ceiling, we have a low eave that we can touch and gain immediate access to the heavens. It’s called prayer. Jesus is the bridge for our prayers. Through His Spirit, our requests — whether flawed or on target — are transformed before the throne of God as a pleasing aroma. The more we pray and see how God answers, the more the Holy Spirit trains our ears and eyes to discern what is truly good. It is nothing we can do for ourselves. It is the miraculous, transformative work of God.

Romans 8:26-27 explains what happens when we pray: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

I still don’t understand why some prayers take many years, or even a lifetime, to be answered, but I am now beginning to understand — just a tiny bit — that what I think or comprehend is entirely irrelevant. My mind is only a tiny grain of sand on the vast beach of God’s brilliance, power, and love. I’ve realized that my cravings to know anything other than God Himself are all rooted in a desire to please myself, in order to be more comfortable or to avoid waiting on His plan to unfold. It comes down to trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal what I need to know when God wants me to know it. And not a second before.

As I contemplated all of this and wondered if I could possibly capture it into words, God whispered to me, “I will never disappoint you, but your own expectations about Me will. Stop your wondering… allow your mind to stop spinning. Rest now. Rather than trying to guess what I will do, find freedom and rest in the simple enjoyment of expecting Me to do great things. You don’t need to know what they are. You only need to get to know Me more.”

Like Jacob, I have been given a glorious hope and a future through Jesus. And so have you. He is your ladder to heaven. And no matter what the situation around you looks like — good, bad, or downright ugly — when you gaze up at Him your vision will slowly begin to change.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Oswald Chambers once said of prayer, “We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer.” How have you seen prayer nourish the work of Jesus in you? Read Ephesians 3:20-21 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you catch a glimpse of what God might want to do in your life through the power of Jesus at work in your heart. Journal about what that might mean for you and how it should impact your prayer time.
Day 2 - Read James 1:17. How have you doubted God’s desire to give you good gifts? Pray and ask God to help you recall a time when you didn’t realize something that felt uncomfortable at the time was actually a good gift from your Heavenly Father.
Day 3 - Read Psalm 42:1-2. Has there ever been a time when you longed for a gift from God more than you longed for Him? Confess that to God and ask Him to fill your heart and mind with His presence.
Day 4 - Read 2 Corinthians 3:17. What freedom do you need today through the power of Jesus? Like a ladder to heaven, how does prayer help you get closer to that freedom?
Day 5 - Read 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. In what ways are you called to be a fragrance to others on behalf of Jesus? What role does prayer play in being a pleasing aroma?

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How to Get back on Track After a Big Setback

5/14/2019

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Get back on track after a spiritual setback

How to get back on track spiritually after a big setback

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I have been failing miserably for months now to do something important. A comforting habit I have conquered in the past through the power of the Holy Spirit, has come roaring back into my life during a time of being emotionally unsettled. As you may have heard me say before, most of my weekly messages are about what I am in the process of learning myself from the Holy Spirit. The key word in that last statement is “process,” as opposed to a word like “accomplishment.” That’s why I hope everyone who listens to or reads my blog knows that I am walking alongside you in this journey of faith, not reaching back to you with instructions from some pedestal of achievement. The only expert in our weekly conversations together is the Word, who is alive and speaking to us through His Spirit. I just try to get out of the way when God pours letters and sentences into my fingertips on the keyboard and out through the microphone. And believe me when I tell you that I struggle with being in His way… often.

And this is one of those times. Every moment in life is a teachable one when I let God be involved, but the Holy Spirit has been whispering to me for months now that I am not yielded to Him into a specific area of my life. I used to seek Him in that place, but now I have shut Him out again. I closed the door and clung to the dark comfort of an indulgence rather than learning to find a deeper, more satisfying comfort in Jesus. Have you ever done that? Reverted to an old, but an enticingly familiar habit, desire, activity, over-indulgence, or attitude? And when disappointment in ourselves arrives, shame and guilt eventually follow, which almost always results in further setback. And before we know it, we can be even more shackled to our mistakes and enslaved to selfish desires than we were when Jesus first came to get us. That’s because our natural state of existence is conditioned to repeat whatever makes us feel good with the least amount of mental or physical effort possible. If you are intrigued by the science behind this phenomenon, I wrote an in-depth blog post about this topic, which you can read here.

So how do we get back to where we want to be? How do we turn around when we’ve been letting our minds, bodies, habits, choices, or emotions dwell in — or even linger on the outskirts of — darker places? Once we get immersed into something we shouldn’t be — whether it’s as internal as a harmful way of thinking or as outward as the practice of materialism, how do we find the motivation to get out of the quagmire and set our muddy feet on the Rock of Jesus? When we desire for the mud to be magically washed away the moment we decide to give something over to God, how do we find the perseverance and patience to let the gradual healing of restoration take place?

The answers are found in Scripture, as they always are. In our quick-fix society, we just don’t like the often laborious and time-consuming solution that it offers. We want the grace, love, and forgiveness of being yoked with Jesus, but we’d rather not feel the weight of obedience to Him. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Our Savior walked in the land of temptation while He was at His weakest physically, so He doesn’t make that statement lightly. He knows firsthand how weak our flesh is. Jesus submitted His flesh to the ultimate torture and death, to make it so we can live victoriously in ours. So the first step in returning to wholeness from an area of defeat is to renew your understanding of — and gratitude for — the power that dwells within you. You are not owned by your passions, desires, or cravings. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” God did a miraculous work for us so that we could work to glorify Him through the power of His Spirit. This is the essence of our partnership with God and the key to our growth. John Piper said, “Grace does not replace effort in the Christian life, but empowers it.” When you focus on Christ as your source of strength, versus your own, you can take the next step of restoration.

As I was planning for this message, I struggled with whether or not to tell you what my particular setback is, because I didn’t want you to focus on it. I want you to fill in the blank with your own type of struggle. But if you’ve come this far in our journey today, then you’ve probably done that by now. You’ve realized that the Word of God applies to any mistake, sin, or habit you could possibly be dealing with. My struggle right now is finding comfort in food, when I should be seeking it from God. But the principles from the Word apply to anything that we desire more than we desire God. Through a reliance on Him, He expects us to control every aspect of our daily lives. Whether it’s bridling our tongues from gossip or anger or managing our finances to be generous. Our thought lives are to be free of worry or lust, and our bodies are called to holiness in every thing we do with them or put into them. Even our time should all be yielded to His direction.

Whatever you are tempted by or ensnared by right now, God will reveal a way of escape, custom tailored just for you, if you are ready to leave the mud puddle behind. There’s a battle plan outlined in scripture for every believer, but the specific tactical maneuvers will vary based on how God made you. What works for me may not be what works for you. But when we earnestly seek Him through the Word, in prayer, memorizing scriptures against our strongholds, and lifting our hearts to praise Him, according to Psalm 40, He is faithful to provide the resources, wisdom, and help we need. James 1:5 promises, “ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” When we’re open to receiving His wisdom, it may show up in a myriad of forms, but it will always be consistent with scripture.

If you’re ready to return… if your heart is ready to surrender your cravings and desires and allow Jesus to replace them with His, then you can begin the journey by doing two critical things: prepare to defend your temple, which is your mind and body, and put on the armor of God. Lysa TerKeurst said, “God made us to crave — to desire eagerly, want greatly, and long for Him. But Satan wants to do everything possible to replace our craving for God with something else.” When you’re ready for restoration, Satan is going to pull out all the stops against you.

In preparing to defend your temple for God, the Bible gives us endless amounts of encouragement with clear direction. Begin by asking God to examine your heart according to Psalm 139:23. Get to the root of why you have been doing or thinking things you shouldn’t be. What need are you really trying to fulfill? Journal about it and seek God in prayer and in your quiet time with a scripture-heavy devotional aimed your particular issue. Your longing for something other than what God wants is never about the thing itself. It will always point to a deeper need. Ask Jesus to help you seek Him for that need and change your desires.

Also, make physical preparations in your life to reduce your temptation. Do everything you can to make your environment conducive to seeking God and not your bad habit. Finally, make yourself accountable for your decision to return to wholeness. Whether it’s your spouse, a friend, a counselor, or a Bible study group, make your weakness and your intent known. A supportive partner in the journey with whom you can be vulnerable and who is not struggling in the same area that you are is very important. Just be careful of legalism and give yourself the grace to make mistakes along the way back. God doesn’t want your perfection, He’s asking for your heart. He wants you to worship Him, not the thing you have been stumbling over or even the rules you set in place surrounding it.

Next, as you go into battle, put on the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Verse 12 warns us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Take the time to read and study about the armor of God. Ask God to give you a battle plan using His armor to tackle every nitty-gritty aspect of your setback. Don’t wait until the whole plan is revealed, either. Take action immediately and then patiently wait on God to give you one step at a time. Remember, God knows what you’re capable of now and in the future. And those two versions of you are radically different. So don’t resist the Holy Spirit if what He leads you to do seems small at first. He’s looking for consistency in your obedience over a significant period of time. The more incremental and sustained your changes are, the greater the likelihood of your long-term success.

If you’re currently in the middle of a setback like me, then there’s probably a tiny part of you that is tempted to rationalize lingering in the mud puddle a little longer, after all, Jesus will be faithful to forgive you every time. But Love puts a check in your spirit when you think like that doesn’t He? The Holy Spirit whispers to you the truth of Romans 6. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions… present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” God’s grace and love for us are endless, but we cannot claim to truly know Him if our own love doesn’t compel us to obey and honor Him.

You may not be in a place of setback right now, but you could be there again — in a heartbeat — given the right circumstances and emotional responses. And thinking otherwise is exactly the trap that Satan wants to lure us into time and time again. It’s exactly what Proverbs 16:18 warns us about. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” That verse isn’t only aimed at non-believers — it’s a warning from God to His precious children. And the verse right before it tells us how to avoid the fall in the first place: “The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.” We have to honor the guardrails that will keep us on the road toward Him. Every opportunity from God to draw closer to Him through obedience is also a prime opportunity for evil. Using the most insidious of strategies, Satan will attempt to use our own confidence… our own growth in Jesus… against us. Notice, of course, that I used the word attempt. You and I are not guaranteed to fail again. In fact, through the power of Christ within us, we are guaranteed to succeed eventually if we obey. (1 Corinthians 10:13) And it’s that hope that gets us off Satan’s merry-go-round of shame and guilt, and puts us back on solid ground again. We may find ourselves standing in an old territory or on a new battlefield, but we can begin walking toward God’s promised land again, no matter how far away we are.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Make a battle plan! Read the passage from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. Write down each piece of armor on its own sheet of paper. For the next 6 days, take one piece of armor each day and answer these questions on the sheet of paper during your quiet time with God.

What do you think this piece of armor represents? (You might find the notes in a study Bible like this one to be helpful. If you don't own a digital or print study Bible, you can try this one online or on your mobile device for free for 30 days.)
How do you think God wants you to use this piece of armor in your life? What can it do for you with regard to your struggles?
What is He leading you to do to become more adept in battle with this piece? How can you learn to use it better? What spiritual disciplines is the Holy Spirit leading you to do more of or become more proficient at doing? (meditation, memorization, tithing, fasting, prayer, worship, accountability to others, serving others, etc.)
In the middle of a battle, what specifically is God telling you to do this with this piece of armor? How will you activate it? Be specific. Think about your triggers and brainstorm ways to defeat them with the Word, prayer, and alternative, healthier activities. You may have to alter your routine to avoid even healthy/neutral things/activities for a season to reduce your triggers and temptations. Even little changes to your lifestyle can mitigate the effects of powerful triggers. Rejoice that you will be able to return to them someday once you've returned to spiritual wholeness.

How to get back on track after a spiritual setback

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The Surprising Truth about Spiritual Laziness

5/7/2019

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The Surprising Truth About Spiritual Laziness and What You Can Do About It

The Truth About Spiritual Laziness and What to Do About It

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On the surface, spiritual laziness looks like not getting up early enough to pray and read your Bible, but it really goes much, much deeper than that. When I searched the Internet on this topic, the vast majority of articles and blog posts focused on the disciplines of quiet time, going to church, and serving others. And all of those things are critically important. But from my personal experience, those disciplines and commitments are almost impossible to stick with unless the root of spiritual laziness is dug up and destroyed. Not praying regularly, reading the Bible daily, and committing to regular fellowship with other believers are usually symptoms of something buried much deeper in our souls. It’s kind of like trying to losing weight. You won’t stick with a diet until your heart, mind, and soul are aligned and motivated to do so. You may persevere for a while based on sheer willpower and stubbornness, but it won’t become a lifestyle until the spiritual battle is won within the deepest parts of your being.

So what is spiritual laziness if it’s not the failure to regularly implement the classic Christian activities and routines? To discover this answer, we can turn to the Biblical analogy of trees and fruit, which is used more than a hundred times throughout scripture. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” In this verse, we discover that trust in God — a deep, abiding, unwavering, uncompromising trust — is the key to a fruitful life. That means that not trusting in God for anything and everything — i.e., worrying, trying to control outcomes, not submitting to God’s sovereignty — is at its core true spiritual laziness. Therefore, all of those wonderful and incredibly vital habits I mentioned earlier are the fruit of being spiritually active, but they are not the tree itself. The tree described in Jeremiah is fruitful because it’s rooted in the trust of the Lord, day and night, season after season, storm after storm.

If you feel slapped in the face right now, please know that I am right there with you. If I were to reveal my list of weaknesses, laziness has never been in my top 10. If anything, I am at times too energetic and too driven. A former boss of mine once said to me, “Your level of energy and dedication to your work makes your co-workers nervous.” And she didn’t entirely mean it as a compliment, and now many years later I have come to understand why. I’ve also realized that what shows up in my work habits is just as spiritually-connected as what comes out in my sacred disciplines for the Lord. Outwardly I appear to have it all together. My actions indicate a preponderance of fruitful behaviors and activities, but they only mask a deep, soul-level weakness — an overwhelming need to perform, to do, to achieve — all because I have unrecognized or unacknowledged trust issues with God. This is why being busy with the tasks of proper spirituality or duties of religion has in the past left me feeling drained, empty, and disconnected from God. But until recently I never realized that laziness had anything to do with it.

If this still doesn’t make sense to you, bear with me a moment more. The connection between laziness and mistrust is simply this: striving to trust God for everything takes great effort, put forth on a continual and consistent basis. And not just for a few weeks or months. Trust grows in layers throughout your lifetime. One decision or trial at a time. That means trusting Him even when we walk through long seasons of waiting, difficulties, or disappointments. When we don’t trust the Lord, it bubbles out into our lives in the form of busyness, trying to control situations or others, legalism, worrying, anxiety, escapism, the pursuit of accolades, or wealth, grumbling and complaining, and a whole host of other manifestations. Eugene Peterson, the editor of The Message version of the Bible puts it this way: “Sloth is most often evidenced in busyness … in frantic running around, trying to be everything to everyone, and then having no time to listen or pray, no time to become the person who is doing these things.”

A recent mental health article in the New York Times illustrates Peterson's point beautifully. “Laziness: it isn’t a characteristic usually associated with the anxious. If anything, people tend to view the anxious as more active and motivated than normal, because they are more haunted by the specter of failure. And yet long experience has taught me that it is laziness ... that is the foremost enemy of the anxiety sufferer, for laziness prevents him from countering the very patterns of thought that make him anxious in the first place.”

You may not be a worrier. Anxiety may be the last thing you resort to when times get tough. But if you struggle with anger or a need for control, then you also likely struggle with trusting God when difficult people or disturbing situations come into your life. While the article in the NY Times was written without any spiritual connotations or recommendations, it gets to the heart of the matter: every person has a choice to make when confronted with the daily decisions of life. We can make the effort to trust in God, let go of our own desires, and implement His divine recommendations for a healthy, fruitful life, or we can slide down the path of least mental resistance into our comfortable, but usually very detrimental, bad habits. This is why Paul says our faith is like running a race. He doesn’t say it’s like sitting in a meadow on a sunny day having a picnic. Our participation and consistent effort are required. Hebrews 12:1-2a says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith.”

One of the best parables of the Bible encourages us to risk everything we hold dear in order to walk closely with God. Our reputations, our lifestyles, our fears, and even our bodies are to be placed in His hands willingly. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read about the parable of the talents, which tells the story of a wealthy business owner who gives three employees each a sum of money and asks them to take care of it for him while he is away on a trip. Two of them immediately invested the money so that it would earn interest. The third one was fearful of what would happen if he made a mistake, so he simply buried the money for safekeeping. When the owner returned, this is what happened: “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?” And then the passage closes with this warning: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

In commenting on this parable, Oswald Chambers said, “The person who is lazy naturally is always captious (i.e., sully or a whining). ‘I haven’t had a decent chance,’ and the one who is lazy spiritually is captious with God. Lazy people always strike out on an independent line.” Of course, our definition of independence is different today than it was back then (circa 1900). Today we typically use the word independence in a much more positive fashion than Chambers intended. His implication is that lazy believers chart their course separately from God’s recommended path. Therefore when it comes to spiritual matters, they can all too easily use the excuse of independence — or what they believe to be our unique situation — to justify laziness, rebellion, or fear.

Jesus, on the other hand, calls us to be utterly dependent on Him. As Chambers says in his writings, we should never forget that our ability to trust in God and to serve Him with boldness — despite the risks to ourselves — is not measured by what we are capable of or what we desire to do. Instead, our abilities should be grounded in the promises of God never to fail us, leave us, or ask us to do something that He cannot achieve through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. In fact, the greatest miracles of life come when we are at our weakest and trust God to perform His work within us for the benefit of others and His glory. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 says, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” So this verse implies that the weaker or more fearful you may be of what God has asked you to do, the greater the opportunity for Him to work miracles and display His glory.

Theologically, all of this may sound like solid truth to you, but if you’re still wondering what it all means for the day-to-day living and walking with Jesus, perhaps the following words will help you turn these spiritual implications into daily actions. As with most Biblical truth, there is great irony in God’s command to trust Him in Proverbs 3:5-6, which says simply: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This verse contains two actions for us to follow: trust and submit. We must participate in the process. To bear fruit like the tree, we must remain planted by the streams of living water. Yet to keep ourselves out of spiritual laziness and make the efforts required of this command, we must simultaneously learn to simply rest. Yes, you read that right. To overcome laziness, we have to learn to be still. When we build Sabbath margin into our daily lives — not just on Sunday — we will have the time to breathe, think clearly, and engage our complete being — mind, body, and soul — in the pursuit of Jesus. The tree grows because it is beside the river of life. We will only grow in Christ when we take the time to drink of His strength and learn of His wisdom. So while I said at the beginning of this message that prayer, Bible study, meditation, and worship are the fruits of trust, they also become the building blocks of greater and greater trust as we faithfully apply them. But we’ll never see them appear as long as we allow busyness to proliferate in our lives and numb us to the real laziness of our hearts.

When we allow laziness to dominate our decisions and motivations, we only end up serving a false god, and not the true King of Glory. Laziness, or not trusting God, like any other sin feels good for a season. Other than busyness, it often shows up in the forms of escapism, like mindless TV watching, endless social media surfing, or a myriad of physical indulgences and coping mechanisms, but when we look it square in the eye and call it for what it is, we realize it’s all about trusting the unseen God to do what He says He will do. Today, I would ask you, fellow traveler, where are you planted? Are you putting only a few roots down near the river of life, while allowing others to seek comfort in the tainted soils of self-reliance or personal comfort? If so, ask God to help you find them again, dig them up, and transplant them into His unending goodness and strength. It won’t happen overnight, but when you wake each morning, His mercies will be new and waiting to sustain you through the process.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week.
Day 1 - Describe in your own the words the difference between striving to perform for God (i.e. doing something out of duty or to achieve) and participating in God’s work in your life. Read Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:14-26. Why do you think you are sometimes motivated toward busyness or performance? What is God leading you to change? How? Write them out as a prayer to Him.
Day 2 - Read Lamentations 3:22-23. In what ways are you experiencing God’s mercies today or have in the past? How are they new or different to you now than they were yesterday? If you’re in a place of struggle right now, ask God to help you recognize and receive His mercies.
Day 3 - Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. How are you similar to the good servants? In what ways are you like the fearful servant? Journal about why you think that is, and what the Holy Spirit is revealing in your heart.
Day 4 - Take some time to be still before the Lord today. Begin by reading Proverbs 3:5-6 and then meditating on it. Ask God to interrupt you at any moment with what He wants to whisper to your heart. For more about practicing stillness and what it means, check out this blog post.
Day 5 - Spend some time reflecting on your schedule and your commitments at work, home, church, in your community, and other volunteering roles. Read Luke 10:38-42. Go to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal areas where you are too busy. If you have time, read this short blog post “Busyness is Not a Badge of Honor.”

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Why You Can't Destroy God's Plan for Your Life

5/1/2019

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Why You Can't Destroy God's Plan for Your Life

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When we’re born, God’s plan for us is like a newly constructed wall of a house. Envisioned and intricately designed to glorify Him long before we are conceived in the womb, His plan is strong, smooth, and completely clear of any dings, marks, or ridges. Like an unaltered wall, its beauty is defined by its simplicity, flawlessness, and indisputable purpose in life. And then… we mess it up. Our mistakes start immediately, if not innocently. After all, who can blame a three-year-old for not admiring such a blank canvas and believing that a red magic marker wouldn’t improve it in some way? But then, as we grow, the dents, dings, and marks appear everywhere, eventually leaving permanent scars deep into the studs behind the exterior veneer of the drywall.

This analogy recently hit home with me as I thought about how much I will miss my house. My husband and I are in the process of relocating to another state, and it has been difficult to release some aspects of our current living situation. Although we have always tried to receive God’s blessings with open hands — as opposed to hanging on to them so tightly that they become more important than hanging onto Him — it is still difficult to think about moving on and opening our hearts to the next steps of His plan. It may sound silly or perhaps trivial, but there are two walls in my house I am really going to miss, each for different reasons.

One wall is in our guest bedroom, which is covered floor to ceiling with reclaimed wood from the original 1930s camp that used to stand on our property. What makes it so beautiful are all the marks and scars of nature’s wrath, coupled with the visible reminders of a bygone era. The other wall is likewise remarkable because of its imperfections… and its surprising location. It’s in the bathroom across the hall. While I never would’ve imagined that I could both admire and miss a bathroom, I will miss this one because it reminds me of the beauty God can bring out of mistakes. Initially, the bathroom’s walls were intended to be plain and smooth. We had planned for the decorative highlight of the room to be the colorful tile in the shower. But due to some severe painting blunders, our plans for its appearance would either have to change or we would have to start all over with some copious amounts of sanding, spackling, sanding again, and then primer. But instead of trying to remove our mistakes, we opted to add a new layer of texture using a technique we learned years before to cover up a similar error in our previous house. As a result, more visitors in our home have admired and commented about our guest bath than our living room or kitchen. One of the smallest rooms in our house makes the most significant impression because of the unique beauty that arose out of the ashes of error. And it reminds me that when we yield the paintbrush to the superior Painter, any ding on our lives can be redeemed.

While it may seem odd to find so much spiritual analogy from a bathroom wall of all things, it’s not the slightest bit strange to God. After all, who are we to Him? Psalm 113:4-8 says, "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.” A bathroom might appear to be one of the lowliest rooms in your house second only to the closets, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most important. What we often see as the lowliest areas of our lives… the most unremarkable or even most tragic parts of our story, are the very canvases on which God intends to display His glory.

As I think back on the original mistake, which led us to alter our plans for that wall, I can remember my utter discouragement. Time crunches and stress have a way of magnifying our regrets and the pain from our mistakes. Because we were building our home on a tight budget, we had opted to do all the interior painting ourselves. Our sweet friends flooded us with generosity, helping us do some painting and landscaping. Like an old fashioned barn raising, our house was only finished through the hard work and kindness of others, and none too soon considering members of our west coast family would be coming to visit in a few short weeks after the drywall was finished. So it was in a state of pressure that we realized our mistake and that the bathroom would have to be done all over again or redeemed in some other way. While it seems trivial now, I can remember feeling completely overwhelmed at the thought of re-doing the wall treatments in that room. At the time, I never could’ve realized how that mistake could be transformed not only into something uniquely beautiful, but also a treasured memory of God’s hand in our lives.

All of this doesn’t mean that the new texture on the walls was perfect. In fact, its haphazard nature is what makes it so attractive and different from what most people would expect for a bathroom. Even more fun for me is that I can still recall where the mistakes are and immediately find the seams of the texture treatment. While the casual onlooker only notices the overall effect, I not only see but have also come to admire, the subtle remains of the work in progress. And this is often like the progression of God’s handiwork in our lives. We can still see the trail left behind by our tears or the scars remaining by our past sins, but God masterfully blends them into His plan to enhance its appeal so that others may view our lives and be drawn to Him. When He gives us a makeover or adds a new texture to our souls, He leaves behind evidence so we know the end result is for His glory and nothing that we can take credit for. Otherwise, we would all walk around displaying the arrogance of our accomplishments and the conceit of our own personal growth.

The apostle Paul knew a great deal about God’s makeovers and texturizing skills. Before his encounter with the risen Christ, Paul had well-laid, highly practical plans in place for his life. Steeped in knowledge with the training and expertise to build a lucrative and successful career as a religious zealot with Roman citizenship, he had it made. His passions were endorsed by the religious elite, culturally accepted, and protected by the mighty Roman Empire. By today’s standards, he was on his way to the top in terms of power, prestige, and prosperity. And he loved his work. But God had a plan for Paul that would be implemented at any cost. No amount of alteration or expense would be spared. And although Paul had done everything possible — both unknowingly and intentionally — to thwart God’s purposes for His life, the love of Jesus was generous enough to come to the rescue.

So many of us have made such serious mistakes in our lives that we think we’ve ruined God’s plan. We believe we’ve gone too far… one too many times. Deep in a pit of self-loathing, we look up and can’t see any sunlight. We know we deserve to be in the bottom of the pit, yet what we don’t see — or won’t allow ourselves to see — is the ladder out of it. Besides, we tell ourselves, if we did get out of this pit or find our way back from this ridiculous detour, people would see our stupidity, our sins, or our weaknesses all over us. We will be forever marred as fallen, or unlovable, or greedy, or whatever other dent or ding we left on God’s wall. Even worse, some of us have an affliction or flaw that will always be visible and might interfere with what others would expect us to achieve for God or to behave in a specific manner. But like the wall in my house, God always has a plan to use all of you. Not just a part of you. Not the most appealing aspect of your character. Not only your best skills or notable talents. He will use Every. Single. Part.

Hear this truth from Titus 3:3-7, my fellow mistake-maker: “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But, when God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace, he made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Despite all of the miraculous work, clearly administered by God and not Paul, the temptation to become proud of his transformation and subsequent accomplishments, lingered throughout Paul’s life. Here’s how he says it in the Message version of 2 Corinthians 12:6-12:
“If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then He told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

Our mistakes, sins, distractions, and misguided dreams may alter or delay God’s plans for our lives, but they can never destroy its existence. There’s nothing we can do to remove the Divine Architect’s design for our lives, which is built upon His unending love. Not our intentions. Not our skills, nor our strengths. No, scripture tells us it’s built upon our weaknesses. The path we end up on may not look like anything we thought it would be, but when we find our way back to Him… when we turn over our willful stubbornness and come to Him with a repentant heart, He will always take our messes and turn them into His glory. It may take a while. In fact, it may take a long time. It may be uncomfortable. Things might even seem to get worse before they get better. But Jesus whispers to our souls during the entire process. He promises to stay with us through the transformation. And He guarantees that His way is better than our own. Romans 8:37 assures us that we are more than conquerors — over anything — through the power of Jesus.

One day, we will be flawless before our Savior. One day, everything that happens here will all be worth it. Open your heart to hear what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24: “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.” We may not always be comfortable in the process of becoming holy, but we can always rest in God’s wisdom to take us down the right path, His promise to complete the work, and His abiding presence in the journey.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. This is a recent addition to the blog, so if you like having the questions and readings offered in this format, please let me know by commenting below or in social media.
Day 1 - Read Psalm 139:13-16 and Jeremiah 1:5 at least two times, slowly. Pray and ask God to speak to your heart about any area of your life where you are struggling with believing that He loves you regardless of your previous decisions and actions. Ask Him to reveal to you areas of unconfessed sin and what He wants you to do next. Re-read the scriptures one more time and then write down what you sense the Holy Spirit whispering to your heart.
Day 2 - Jesus asks us to be vessels for Him to work and shine through our lives. He doesn’t ask to do His work for Him… that’s the job of the Holy Spirit at work in us. Read Romans 8:26 and Philippians 4:13. Ask God to reveal to you any areas where you are trying do the work for Him, versus letting Him work through you. Write down any thoughts that come to you.
Day 3 - Read Romans 8:15 and then ask God in prayer to reveal to you any ways in which you are a slave to something and therefore preventing His plans from coming to fruition in your life. Write down your reflections.
Day 4 - Listen to the song Flawless by the band MercyMe or read the lyrics. What do you need to surrender at the foot of the cross today? What do you finally need to lay down and walk away from knowing that God loves you, has forgiven you, and wants you to be free of?
Day 5 - The book of Jude contains only 461 words, making it one of the shortest in the Bible, yet it closes with one of the most poignant and moving assurances of God’s redemptive work and our final destiny in Jesus. Read Jude 1:24-25 and then ask the Holy Spirit to come and assure you of the work God is doing in your life.

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Why you Need Church

4/24/2019

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Why Church is Still Relevant and You Need It

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It’s almost here. It comes every year on the same day, just like Christmas and Independence Day. Although it’s not an official holiday or even marked on our calendars, millions of people practice the same activity on this day in almost every culture around the world. What is it that people around the world do? Actually, it’s more about what they don’t do. On the Sunday following every Easter, millions of people choose to stay home, sleep in, go to breakfast, play golf, or any other leisure activity they can think of, rather than doing what they were undeniably dedicated to doing last Sunday at the same time of day: go to church. Catholics even have a traditional name for it: Low Sunday, although the Pope officially renamed the day back in 2000 to “Divine Mercy Sunday.” But despite the rebranding attempt, Low Sunday continues to live up to its original name for both Protestant and Catholic churches alike. Statistically speaking, congregations on the Sunday following Easter are approximately 50 percent smaller than they were just seven days prior. Seats and pews that were once teeming with smiling faces dressed in their best pastel colors become hollow vessels echoing the music and words from disappointed worship leaders and pastors everywhere.

Whether you’re planning to be in church on Low Sunday or not, every believer has experienced that familiar longing to just go back to sleep or lounge around all morning rather than making the effort associated with going to church. At one time or another, every single believer wrestles with the desire to either quit going or to avoid making a commitment altogether. After all, there isn’t a church on earth without people… and at least a few of those people — if not many more — drive us crazy, let us down, act like hypocrites, or exhaust us to no end. But if you’re contemplating not going back this Sunday or you don’t think you need to attend regularly to have a strong faith or walk with God, then I invite you to consider it from a fresh point of view for just a few minutes. There may not be anything I can do to change your mind, but I can pray that these words will be carried into the deepest parts of your heart by the Holy Spirit. And if you are a devoted churchgoer and would never think of skipping out, I encourage you to keep reading, because I know from personal experience, that even the most seasoned churchgoers become weary at some point.

First, let’s just acknowledge the things about going to church that aren’t super appealing… to anyone. Here are just a few of the most common ones:

Giving up outdoor fun when the weather is beautiful.
Leaving a warm snuggly bed or couch when the weather is lousy.
Saying no to the early morning workout, kids game, or sporting event.
Listening to the tone-deaf man sing behind you… loudly
Being asked to volunteer.
Being asked to give money.
Not feeling accepted based on your income, looks, age, clothes, social circle, etc.
Getting trapped in a conversation with someone too conservative, liberal, or just downright opinionated.
Seeing the same person that lifted his arm to flip you off on the highway lift his hands in worship in front of you.
Being reminded that you might not be living right.

Oh and I’m sure you can think of many more potentially uncomfortable or annoying scenarios. Why subject yourself to any of that? I get it. But there’s something that supersedes all of those awkward and uneasy situations. There’s something worth more than our fears or feelings… something more valuable than our time… and far, far more important than our money or our reputation. And it has been true since the day the Holy Spirit rushed into the Upper Room to fill the waiting followers of Jesus (Acts 2:1-13). At that moment, the very presence of God began abiding within every believer. Jesus’ followers became His new body on earth. Take a moment and really contemplate what that means. Regardless of anyone’s weaknesses, flaws, mistakes, demeanor, or behaviors, if they are followers of Jesus, they are set apart to be instruments of His will, love, compassion, mercy, and grace. And here’s the kicker — like it or not — God most often appears, comforts, serves, and blesses us through His instruments.

Yes, we do have personal interactions with the Holy Spirit all by ourselves, but God’s design is for us to experience the most tangible and visible expressions of His love through His body serving each other. So despite the very human and very frustrating ways other people can seem more like obstacles who tarnish His love, we are called to do life with the rest of the body, not visit it occasionally on special holidays or reaching out during times of hardship. Just like a marriage, life with others in the body requires a mutual commitment and hard work. But, as any long-term happy couple can attest, the effort is well-worth the abundant rewards of a deep, abiding love that stands by you in any storm, supports you in times of need, holds you accountable when change would be helpful, and takes you to the pinnacle of friendship. Like it or not, God created us to need each other and science proves that people with strong support networks heal faster, feel happier, and live longer. If that’s not reason enough here are a few more of the many benefits that come from committing to a church family.

Church recharges your soul batteries. Chances are, none of us gets enough encouragement from our spouse, our families, or our jobs. When we are regularly in the habit of meeting with others specifically to pursue God and serve each other, our souls are refreshed as we fan the flames of faith, hope, and trust on a consistent basis. And being together breeds familiarity, which helps us be more comfortable to share our true feelings, ask for help, and receive much-needed hugs. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” If you want to experience God’s touch like never before, commit to being a part of a small group within your church.

Church opens up the mysteries of God and spurs us to maturity. Sure, we can study the Bible on our own, but hearing, talking about, and sharing the Word together opens your heart and mind up to discovering more about God and ignites a hunger to learn more and more. Also, studying the Bible in isolation can lead you to misinterpretation or circular reasoning. When His body meets together, the Holy Spirit moves among His people to provide collective wisdom and sound teaching. Ephesians 4:11-16 makes it clear that God’s design for our walk with Him includes pastoral care, wise instruction, and spiritual oversight. “And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God… Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Church holds you accountable and helps you be a better person. Let’s face it, human nature makes us lazy about self-improvement. Our brains and our bodies like to maintain the status quo, but the Holy Spirit’s job is to transform us more into the likeness of Christ continually. Being a part of a church and especially a small group or Bible class, helps us establish powerful mentoring and peer accountable relationships. Galatians 6:1-3 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

Church provides personal fulfillment. God created every person to worship and serve Him whether he or she recognizes it or not. And until we are serving within the body of Christ according to His calling on our lives, we will never feel completely fulfilled. The age-old question “What on earth am I here for,” is very often answered by a role God has for us in our local church. Of course, He also calls many to serve Him in other ways, both secular and ministerial in nature, but if you haven’t yet found fulfillment, then there’s a good chance you’re not using your gifts and talents in the optimum way. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Central to the accomplishment of “good things He planned for us,” is the role of the church in our lives. Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 12, and you’ll see God’s beautiful design for a healthy church body. In verse 7, the passage says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” When we have a gift that we’re not using for God’s kingdom, we will always feel as if there is a dull ache or slight emptiness within our souls. “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it,” says Paul in verse 27.

Church is where God wants you to be. Regardless of how we feel about church and what our options are where we live, the Bible makes it clear that God wants each one of us to be an active, contributing member of His body. What that calling looks like and where it plays out varies widely, from small home churches to crowded megachurches, but if you don’t have a church home where you feel comfortable, loved, fed, and inspired to serve, then pray. Pray with a passion for it because you’re missing out on some of the most visible and palatable aspects of God’s love for you. And if you’ve been hurt by a church experience, please know my heart goes out to you. I’ve been there too, and it can be hard to remember that just because people hurt you, it doesn’t mean God wants you to be alone in your walk with Him. There is no perfect church, just as there are no perfect people. In fact, a healthy church can help you heal from a bad experience and move forward. If you’re willing to forgive and trust God to lead you to a local body, He will restore you and your heart in time. Not only that, He will redeem your hurt according to 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. He will use it, alongside your spiritual gifts, to help others who have been hurt too. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

While trusting in Jesus is the only thing needed to save us from our sins and secure our eternal place in God’s presence, being a part of a church body through fellowship, worship, study, and meaningful service is an integral part of a believer’s path to knowing and growing in his or her faith. That’s why it’s so ironic that one of the lowest attended Sundays of the year is the one immediately following such a grand celebration of the most pivotal act of God throughout human history. As this Low Sunday approaches, why not commit to making it a high point in your relationship with God? You were designed for your local body, and it was designed for you. Together, you make a perfect match.

What do you think of today's message? Comment and share your thoughts below! And if God brought someone to mind as you read or listened, please encourage them by sharing this post today!

For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. This is a new offering for Glimmers in the Fog, so if you like having the questions and readings offered in this format, please let me know by commenting below or in social media.
Day 1 - In John 17:20-23 Jesus prays for unity among all those who will follow Him throughout the ages. Read His plea to the Father and search your heart for how you are and how you are not living out in obedience to Jesus’ heart cry for those He loves. Write down your thoughts and prayers to God about your love for His body and your willingness to encourage unity among your fellow believers.
Day 2 - Take a moment to read the first half of 1 Corinthians 12 (verses 1-11). Pray and ask God what your spiritual gifts are (if you are not aware) or which ones you may not be using to the fullest for His kingdom. Write down what He whispers to your spirit. If you want to know more about spiritual gifts and take a free online assessment, visit this page.
Day 3 - Read the second half of 1 Corinthians 12 (verses 12-31). Which verse jumps out at you the most in this passage? Journal about why you think it stands out. How do you think you may have not performed the role in the body of Christ the way He expects you to? Is there some way He is calling you to serve? Is there a way you are serving that you shouldn’t be so that you can focus on His primary calling for your life?
Day 4 - Read Ephesians 5:22-33 and pick one verse to meditate on in prayer before the Lord. Praise Him that Jesus is the bridegroom for the church and that He loves us more than you can love your spouse or your closest loved one. What is God whispering to you about His love for you and how He wants you to love Him?
Day 5 - Read Matthew 25:1-13 where Jesus gives the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. How do you see this passage as being instructional for the church? Pray about the two types of bridesmaids and ask God to reveal to you what characteristics you have of each type. What is He asking you to do?

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How to See Miracles in the Middle

4/17/2019

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How to See Miracles in the Middle of a Trial

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In 1967 two psychiatrists researched and developed what was to become one of the most life-defining lists of the last century — the Holmes and Rahe stress scale. Containing 43 common life events, ranging from the death of a loved one to having trouble with the in-laws, the scale assigns a stress score called “life change units” to each of the extreme circumstances. The psychiatrists’ theory, which proved to be highly reliable through years of testing, is that a higher quantity of life change units equals more stress. And the greater the stress in a person’s life, the higher the likelihood for health issues to be triggered as a result.

When you’re going through one or more of these life events, I suppose there is some amount of comfort gained from the credible or professional validation that what you’re going through is widely regarded to be difficult. However, the solace is minimal at best because once you start pondering the list and the associated health risks of your identified stress score, if you’re like me, then your mind reacts in such a manner to create more stress with added worry, what-if scenarios, and future-tripping.

Since my husband and I are currently going through a season brimming over with what seems like multiple life events, my natural tendency is to freak out. And that is precisely what I would be doing if it were not for one major score-altering factor not accounted for in the Holmes and Rahe stress scale — I have a growing and interactive relationship with God. Because I’ve previously written about the scientifically proven benefits of faith for good health, particularly prayer and meditation, I will skip citing all those references here. You can check out two of those previous blog posts here and here. But suffice it to say, there is no way to overstate the impact of the Holy Spirit’s care for our souls during times of upheaval, pain, and hardship.

As I have been thinking and praying about my current circumstances, dominated by the unknown and dramatically impacted by people and factors completely out of my control, the Holy Spirit has been repeatedly saturating me with an invitation to trust in the unseen for the big, long-term things and look for God’s daily appearance in the little things. And I want to emphasize the word “daily” so much that you feel as though I’m with you in the room right now. Every morning since this particular season of upheaval began about three months ago, the quantity and categories of unknowns have only compounded and grown. It’s become clear to my husband and me, that we are still in the first half of an unpredictable and dark tunnel of change. We haven’t even glimpsed a single flicker of the light at the end of that tunnel yet. We are still in the middle… in the darkest part … somewhere far from the light of our past, and still many steps away from seeing any shadows on the wall produced by a light at the far end.

Michele Cushatt, an author and speaker who has walked through far greater hardships than I have, recently said, “Faith in the middle of the unknowns is the only real kind.” And those words have been rolling around in my head in the repeat mode since I saw them on her Facebook page last week. What’s more, almost every morning for the last several weeks, messages and verses in my quiet time with God have contained encouragements about seeing His detailed orchestration and care in our everyday lives. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and He is planning my future steps through the middle and eventually out of the tunnel (Psalm 37:23). The Great Comforter is doing His job, and He’s urging me to see my Heavenly Father doing His.

That urging is what brought 2 Kings 6:8-23 to my mind and then subsequently impacted my heart this week. If you are not familiar with it or haven’t read the passage for a long time, I encourage you to do so. It tells the remarkable story of one man — Elisha — in a standoff with the fierce army of Syria. But it wasn’t God’s famous prophet the Holy Spirit was leading me to think about — it was Elisha’s servant. Here’s a recap of what happened. The king of Aram was intensely frustrated that his enemy, the nation of Israel, had been able to anticipate his every move. Thinking that he had a traitor in his midst, he questioned his officers and discovered that a mighty prophet named Elisha was the one informing Israel’s king of Syria’s plans. Enraged, the king of Aram sent an entire army to capture Elisha. But God had an alternative plan. On the morning of the attack, Elisha’s servant got up early and went outside to begin his usual preparations for the day. What he saw sent chills down his spine and the heat of panic through his entire body. The ridge around him was teeming with Aramean soldiers. However, Elisha’s servant only saw half of the reality... the physical reality. When the servant ran back inside to alert his master, I can only imagine the unexpected smile that crossed Elisha’s face.
Verses 15b through 17 say:
“Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”
Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

As astonishment replaced fear and relief chased away the panic, the servant went from a place of hopelessness to confidence in one fell swoop. Instead of being captured by angry warriors, he was captured into the arms of faith and delivered to safety. I am like Elisha’s servant is so many ways, even though I aspire to be like Elisha. I confess that I sometimes have moments where I arrogantly think I am on my way there. Satan then seizes the opportunity of my self-centered agenda and whispers to me, “Look how far you’ve come…” to lure me further down the road of human confidence. But then when the dark tunnels of difficulty and endurance descend upon me, I realize once again that the depths of my love and trust in God are just beginning to scratch the surface. Confidence in my own efforts leads me to fear while the Holy Spirit is beckoning me to place all my confidence in the King of kings.

There’s so much more about this epic confrontation between the prophet of God and the armies of Aram that God wants me, and anyone else who struggles to see His loving hand of provision in our lives on daily, to understand. If this passage were a plot from a movie, we’d all expect — and want — to see a monumental battle between the heavenly warriors and the human soldiers. In classic fashion, we’d expect the frailties of mere mortals to succumb to the supernatural powers of angelic forces. Instead, God surprises us all in a plot twist that apparently was revealed to Elisha during prayer.
Verses 18 - 19a say:
As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.”

What? Wait! The army is rushing forward and Elisha calmly asks God to put them into a hypnotic-like state? Yep. In a move reminiscent of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, the force of God compelled an entire army to follow a single, unarmed man for more than 12 miles. Like a legion of puppies attached to a single leash, Elisha and hundreds of soldiers walked for half a day over rough terrain straight into the presence of the Israeli king. I’m begging you, please use your imagination to envision this scene because it’s not only surprising, it’s downright comical.

Once Elisha and his puppet army arrived at the palace, Elisha prays for the soldiers’ eyes to be opened. Immediately they realized where they were and must have believed that their lives were over. If the Israeli king didn’t kill them, then the king of Aram probably would when he realized they had willingly walked right into enemy hands. But instead of allowing the Israeli king to take the easiest or perhaps most logical route, God commanded through Elisha that they be welcomed, offered a lavish meal, and returned safely to their homeland. As a result verse 23 tells us that the Aramean raiders stayed away from Israel in the future.

Oh, how often do we expect God’s story to follow familiar plot lines based on our experience, personal reason, or past incidences? But human logic is just that. It’s human. It’s limited by what we can possibly know, physically see, or fathom. Stories like these remind us that our God is bigger, more powerful, and more surprising than we can ever logically explain, anticipate, or grasp. Isaiah 55:8 says, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’” Yet when trials come, we so often revert to reliance on our own understanding, perspective, and expectations rather than trusting in the hand that commands invisible angel armies. Notice another surprise about this story from 2 Kings. The heavenly army’s weapon of choice was all in the mind, triggered by the faithful prayer of God’s servant Elisha. And Elisha wasn’t the only prophet of God to trigger angelic intervention by prayer. In Daniel 10:12, an angel appeared to Daniel and said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” God showed up for both Daniel and Elisha because they humbled themselves enough to trust their Heavenly Father more than their own strategies, talent, skills, or logical reasoning.

Like Daniel, Elisha, or any other person who chooses to believe and follow, God is at work around you and me. Daily. Not just in the tunnels. Not only on the mountaintops. In every season of life, and on every day. I know God may not choose to reveal legions of angel armies to me, but the more I trust Him to send them when they’re needed, the more I am beginning to see the evidence of their presence. Though I am groping through the darkness of unknowns right now, I’ve begun to see traces of glory and fragments of the miraculous in ways that I would’ve never noticed if my eyes were on the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, sometimes He obscures the light of our coming relief to keep our eyes fixed only on Him. Trust is the lens that uncloaks God’s miracles. And the more I believe and trust that He’s truly doing what He’s promised, even if can’t see or understand His plans, the more He’s begun to open the eyes of my heart to see the evidence of His hand.

For Further Reflection & Daily Spiritual Journaling
Elisha is what Biblical scholars call an Old Testament type of Christ. In other words, Elisha’s life, calling, and ministry foreshadow the life of Jesus. Elisha’s role as a prophet and spiritual leader gave the Jewish people a glimpse into what the coming Messiah would be like and how He would lead them. For believers today, the life of Elisha helps us see God’s plan for redemption throughout history. Since we are called to be like Jesus, stories like the one found in 2 Kings chapter 6 offers us a rich landscape from which to view the grandeur of our Savior.

Day 1 - To learn more about Elisha and how his life points to Christ, take some time to review this list of similarities and select a few to read the scriptures. (Note that the link at the bottom of the list is broken. If you want to read the full article by Bruce Waltke, a Hebrew scholar, you can find it here.) Take some time to journal about your impressions of Elisha and his similarities to Jesus. Which ones speak to you the most? How does this help you trust in God and His Word more?
Day 2 - Revisit 2 Kings 6:8-23. Elisha and Jesus both took actions based on what God told them in prayer. What are some things God is leading you to bring to Him in prayer? What miracles are you hoping to see in the middle of your current struggles? Ask Him to help you trust enough to see the day-to-day actions of His hand on your behalf.
Day 3 - Read Lamentations 3:22-23. Take the time to list out all the mercies God has lavished upon you this morning. Spend time thanking Him for His endless compassion and love for you.
Day 4 - Meditate upon Isaiah 55:8 and James 1:5. Journal about the areas and decisions in your life in need of God's wisdom. Seek Him in prayer and spend at least five minutes in stillness just listening.
Day 5 - Read Isaiah 26:3 and 41:10. Praise God for the miracles of strength and peace. Reflect on a time when you've experienced the supernatural presence of God described in these verses. If you cannot think of a specific one, pray these back to God and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you and assure you.

***
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Glimmers in the Fog

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Harnessing the Power of Habit

Broken Made Beautiful

The Incredible Impact of Being Ordinary

Is Jesus Trying to Empty Your Net?

Choosing Desire Over Duty

Finding Healing From Ourselves

Are You Being Real?

How God Sees You

Reassembling Life Even When You Can't Find the Pieces

Never a Dull Moment with God

How to Hear the Voice of God Part 2

How to Hear the Voice of God Part 1

Prayer: The Ladder to Heaven

How to Get back on Track After a Big Setback

The Surprising Truth about Spiritual Laziness

Why You Can't Destroy God's Plan for Your Life

Why you Need Church

How to See Miracles in the Middle

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