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A Word From the Well is a devotion published by Waiting at the Well Ministries on a semi-regular basis. If you would like to recieve our devos via email let us know by emailing: mailinglist@waitingatthewell.org
July, 2008
Luke 18:8 But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
Faith. Such a little word with such big implications. We are saved by grace through faith. We live by faith, not sight. By faith we believe and it is credited to us as righteousness. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Faith is a big deal to God and it should be a big deal to us too. Yet so often when we stress the importance of faith, objections arise to those who have taken faith to unbiblical extremes. And certainly there are those who have essentially put their faith in faith and in so doing have reduced God to being a genie in the bottle who is obligated to respond as we demand so long as we make just the right request in just the right way.
That, of course, is nonsense. God is God and He does what He pleases. You most certainly can put too much faith in faith—but it is completely impossible to put too much faith in God. All too often objections are raised not to legitimately warn against the folly of placing your faith in something other than the living God, but simply as a means of explaining away our unbelief. Jesus said that the work of God is this—that we believe. When we don’t believe God for much—it isn’t work. And it isn’t faith.
This is an issue I’ve grappled with for some time. I didn’t know much about the Bible until I was an adult. In some ways I think that was a good thing because when God radically gripped my heart, I began reading His Word without any preconceived ideas or prejudices—I simply read what it said. As I did, it disturbed me in a way that persists to this day. It disturbed me because there was a vast disconnect between what I read and what I saw in the church. I’ve listened to many sermons over the years that, essentially, tried to explain away our responsibility to believe. I heard many explanations for the lack of supernatural power in our day—many from men and women of God that I respect immensely—but I was never convinced. The Book said something different—and if any of it is true, all of it is true. Either God is the same yesterday, today and forever—or He’s not. And if He is the same, then obviously we are the problem.
I don’t want to be the limiting factor in God’s workings on the earth. I choose instead to believe. It’s not easy in this day and age. We have lived in a culture of unbelief for so long that we’ve attached many spiritual sounding labels to our unbelief. Labels such as “wisdom” and “balance.” Even worse, we have convinced ourselves that common sense defines reality. But God doesn’t live in reality—He makes it. We have allowed our theology to be defined by the parameters of our experience rather than by a God who says all things are possible for those who believe. We have become so afraid of disappointment that we continually discourage people from taking the risks that radical—biblical—faith demands. But hope in Him does not disappoint. We need to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking—and if we fall down, instead of adjusting our expectations downward and concluding what we have asked is not “God’s will” we need to get right back up and believe again. When you read the Word carefully, you will discover that God has already quite clearly declared His will in a number of matters—but we need to press on to lay hold of them. That takes faith.
Moses had enduring faith. Scripture says he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. I think that is the key. We will never press on for more in a culture that makes it so easy to settle for a lesser revelation of a lesser God, until we’ve seen Him. Only eyewitnesses of His majesty will continue to believe He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do through the vast wilderness of unanswered prayer. Only those who’ve seen Him continue to believe His promises despite every “logical” reason to conclude differently. Really, only those who’ve seen Him can endure …with their faith intact.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And despite what you have or haven’t seen to date—He will be faithful. The only real question is this…
When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
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Oh Lord,
When You come—please—find faith in me! God, put iron in my spirit so that I will always pray and not give up—regardless of what I do or do not see in any given situation. Lord, I’ve seen YOU—and nothing compares to that. There are so many mysteries to faith, but help me to focus on what I DO understand, rather than on what I don’t. Help me to focus on what You’ve done and what You are doing, rather than on what You haven’t done. Jesus, when I gaze into Your eyes I know the truth—it is impossible for You to lie and You are always good, all the time. You are the One unshakeable reality in my life and I want to believe You for more and more each and every day. Let my faith come forth as gold, Lord—to the honor and praise of Your name. Amen.
April, 2008
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
When most people think of desirable attributes, meekness is not usually at the top of the list. In fact, meekness often conjures up images of “wimpy-ness.” We think of those who let other people walk all over them. We think of those with no backbone—or those with no strength.
But consider that Jesus described Himself as meek. After inviting the weary to come to Him for rest, He made the statement that He was “meek and humble in heart” (see Matthew 11:29). I think of a lot of things when I think of Jesus, but I have certainly never considered Him to be “wimpy” or weak! So if Jesus considered meekness a good thing, I can be confident that embracing meekness is a good thing for me, too. In fact, the truly meek actually have great strength, but it is a strength that gains its power from being submitted to God’s power. Really, meekness is a hallmark trait of anyone who is totally surrendered to God’s ultimate authority.
True meekness is a gentleness that comes from being at peace with God and within ourselves. It is the absence of inner turmoil. It comes from having nothing to prove. It comes from having no personal agenda. It is the absence of the sharp, hard edges that represent our own way and our own will. Jesus was always at perfect peace within Himself and perfectly submitted to the will of the Father. Though He demonstrated greater strength than anyone who ever walked this planet, His strength was never self serving. He only did what He saw the Father doing. He emptied Himself and became obedient—even to the point of death.
When we recognize our poverty of spirit and begin to mourn over the reality of our current condition, the next logical step is meekness. When we see things as they truly are, there is no longer a need to prove anything to God, to ourselves, or to the world. Apart from Him we have nothing and we can do nothing. Once we are no longer striving, peace can enter our souls and in Him we live and move and have our being. He is in us, and we are in Him—what is left to prove? In Him we have everything—but we can only access the abundance He provides as we learn to move with Him and submit ourselves fully to His Lordship and authority.
In God’s kingdom, the way up is always down. As we voluntarily empty ourselves, there is more room for the manifestation of what He has already poured inside of us to be released out of us. The less we cling to our own plans and purposes, the more we’ll see His power revealed throughout the earth. The more we bring our thoughts, ideas, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, fears, dreams, desires, and even every beat of our hearts into alignment with His—the more we will see the revelation of His kingdom in our lifetime...
And then, the meek will begin to inherit the earth.
Lord,
Thank You for the truths of Your kingdom. Your ways are so different from our own, but teach us, Lord. Show us how to lay down our own plans and agendas and to embrace Yours. Let our gentleness be known to all because You are near. Teach us to rightly represent You to a world that desperately needs to see the reality of who You are. Lord help us to show a stressed and strife-filled world the true beauty of Your peace. In Jesus name, Amen.
March, 2008
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Are you in need of comfort? If so, you might be surprised to discover that the Bible recommends a strange way of obtaining comfort…by mourning. In fact, comfort is promised only to those who do mourn. It’s not promised to those who avoid their pain. It’s not promised to those who deny their pain. It’s not promised to those who mask their pain. Comfort is promised to those who feel their pain.
That’s not an easy thing to do. We live in a society that tells us pain is bad. We avoid it at all costs. When it can’t be avoided, we deny it. When we can no longer deny it, we mask it by employing a variety of “feel good” means. But none of these things actually heals the pain. None of them brings lasting comfort. Only the Comforter can bring true healing to our hurts and in His wisdom He has chosen to pour out His comfort to those who are honest about their need.
Pain isn’t our enemy. Being in discomfort reminds us that something is wrong. And something is wrong! We live in a fallen world that is currently only a dark shadow of what God created it to be. We are broken and fallible people who, for the most part, do not come even remotely close to possessing the fullness of our inheritance. This is our current reality. If we don’t allow ourselves to experience the pain of our true condition—and grieve over it—we will never understand that we were created for something much better. We may even be tempted to believe that “this” is as good as it gets. But don’t you believe it—there is so much more!
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted! They will glimpse a better way. They will find the hope of “more.” They will learn of the truth that sets them free. They will be stirred to a greater hunger and deeper passion. They will press on toward the prize. Best of all, they won’t give up or give in until they receive the fullness of their inheritance…from the nail scarred hands of the Comforter Himself.
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Father,
Thank You for Your eternal comfort to those who mourn. Thank You, Lord, for allowing pain as a means of alerting us to our true condition—and as a means of provoking our hearts toward our true inheritance. Oh Lord, teach us to mourn over our sin and our fallen state that we might find strength and consolation in You! Lord, there is so much more than what we currently settle for—that should cause our hearts to break. Help us to be honest, Lord, and lead us deeper into the reality of who You are and who You’ve created each one of us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.
February, 2008
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The anticipation must have been almost palpable. A multitude followed the new Rabbi from Galilee up the mountainside to hear his first “public” sermon. Could this be the Messiah? Could this be the one who would overthrow the oppressive reign of Rome and establish God’s righteous rule? What would he say? What encouragement and hope would he offer? What insights and words of wisdom would pass through his lips to their eagerly awaiting hearts?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
What? Blessed are the poor in spirit? Was he joking? Really, in the modern vernacular, the phrase could be translated, “Oh how happy are the poor in spirit!” Yes, that’s right, happy are the poor in spirit! But you know what? These really are amongst the most encouraging and hopeful words ever uttered to man—not too mention some of the wisest.
Blessed are those who realize they haven’t got it all together—those who know they haven’t seen it all and haven’t done it all. Blessed are those who realize they can never be good enough, smart enough, disciplined enough, or together enough to gain God’s favor. Blessed are those who realize they can’t pray enough, study enough, or serve enough to gain the approval of heaven. Blessed are those who realize that no matter how far they’ve come along the road of faith, they are only at the very beginning of the beginning in grasping the knowledge of God. Blessed are those who know they don’t know much. Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritual paupers. And the more you recognize your poverty of spirit—the more blessed you are!
Many view Jesus’ words as merely an entrance to the kingdom of God. And surely they do point to the entrance—it is only when we recognize we are sinners in need of a Savior that we are willing to turn to the cross and step across the threshold it provides into eternal life. But it shouldn’t stop there. If you went to the best restaurant in town and stayed in the foyer, you would never taste of its delicacies. Most of us, to one degree or another, stay in the “foyer” of spiritual understanding. We walk in the door, admire our new surroundings, take in the sights and smells, and maybe even munch on an appetizer or two, but we never go any further. We think we know what the restaurant is all about and then start writing our reviews to pass on to others. We think we’ve had a full experience, when in reality we’ve never gone beyond the front door!
Jesus’ opening words were meant to confront us with our true condition—with our lack. With our poverty. You can’t receive what you don’t know you need. The poor know their need—and they are hungry. Very, very hungry. Ravenously hungry. Perpetually hungry. When you are starving you are not content to stay in the entry way of the restaurant no matter how nice it may be. And unlike a nice restaurant that has limits to what it can provide—the banqueting table of God’s love has no end. The further you go, the further you realize you can go. The more you taste, the more you want—the more you recognize your need. And the more you come to know this beautiful, infinite God, the more you come to realize you really don’t know Him at all.
True poverty of spirit isn’t a one time realization—it is an ever deepening awareness of our own personal spiritual barrenness. That’s a good thing, because it is the revelation that we don’t know as much about God as we think we know, that stirs an insatiable hunger to know as much about Him as can be known. There is so much more to Him than our finite minds can comprehend and we are pathetically shallow in our understanding of His vast depths. Jesus wants to be known far more than we want to know Him, so He is always wooing us deeper. Often He woos us deeper by confronting us with our lack.
He must be wooing me a lot lately, because I am more keenly aware than ever of the depths of my own spiritual poverty. What has, at times, seemed so “deep” to me really is only the very beginning of the beginning. I’m still very much in the shallow end of this pool of faith. But rather than being discouraged by that fact, I think is a very encouraging and hopeful revelation. In fact, Jesus seems to indicate that I should be ridiculously, joyously, ecstatically happy about it, because if I am truly poor in spirit …
The kingdom of heaven is mine.
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Lord,
Thank You for the timeless truths of Your kingdom. Lord, I pray that You will continue to awaken my heart to the reality of my own barrenness. There is so much more. Father, I pray that I will not be lulled to sleep by the “gods” of this age and that I won’t be deceived into believing I have apprehended more of You than I have truly known. Humble my heart to recognize my need and keep me teachable. God, I ask for the gift of spiritual hunger to fill Your church—let us be absolutely insatiable in our quest for the knowledge of You! In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
January 21, 2008
2 Samuel 3:39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak.
The first verse in the third chapter of 2 Samuel reads: “And the house of David grew stronger and stronger.” Yet in the last verse of that same chapter David says, “Though I am the anointed king, I am weak.”
What a paradox. David had been anointed king over Israel when he was just a youth, but he spent years in the desert on the run from Saul. Finally, at age 30, God’s word came to pass and David was recognized by men for being who God said he was all along. Even though it was only a partial fulfillment of God’s promise—David’s reign extended only over the southern kingdom of Judah at that time—you’d think David would have been at the pinnacle of strength. But he wasn’t.
Though Saul had died, the northern kingdom was still controlled by Saul’s surviving son, Ishbosheth, and, in large part, by Abner, the commander of Saul’s army. But while the house of David grew stronger, the house of Saul grew weaker. So Abner abandoned Ishbosheth in an attempt to make an alliance with David. The obvious outcome of such an alliance would have been David assuming his rightful reign over all of Israel. But it didn’t work out that way—at least not right away. When David’s commander Joab learned of Abner’s plan, he wasn’t at all convinced of Abner’s loyalties. Of course, it didn’t help that Abner had been responsible for killing Joab’s brother! Joab, bent on revenge, took things into his own hands and murdered Abner. This turn of events put David in quite a predicament since it was likely that he would be thought responsible for Abner’s death.
The irony of this situation didn’t escape David. Though he had been anointed king by God, and was now recognized as king, at least in part, by those actually within the kingdom, David was completely helpless to stop the chain of events that had just unfolded. Though anointed king, he felt a profound sense of weakness.
We tend to think of weakness as a bad thing, but I don’t think God sees it that way. Circumstances beyond our control tend to bring us to our knees and face to face with the only One who can truly control anything. Though he was a great man of faith even the Apostle Paul came to recognize the value of weakness. In response to the “thorn in his flesh” that he wasn’t able to pray away, Paul encountered Jesus who told him, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul welcomed the Lord’s words and declared, “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…for when I am weak I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
There is a key in those verses. Paul recognized and even embraced his own weakness so the Lord’s strength could be perfected in him. David did the same. This mighty warrior, who had been through so many fierce battles, had no absolutely no qualms admitting the limits of his strength. Though he was king—one of the most powerful men alive—he was weak. That’s because, like Paul, David knew any real strength he possessed had only one Source.
God’s strength didn’t fail David. Though David’s circumstances were not of his choosing and he was unable to prevent them, God’s grace was sufficient. The Lord very specifically and precisely led David in his responses through this season. Ultimately God’s promises to David were fulfilled fully and David did reign over all of Israel for over 30 years.
God’s grace is sufficient for us, too. Even when the “house of David”—which represents the kingdom of God—is growing stronger and stronger in our lives we will often find ourselves confronted with a profound sense of our own weakness. Though we have been called as “kings and priests to our God” (Rev.5:10)—like David, we are weak. But if we learn to boast in our weakness rather than deny it, we will soon discover another truth ...
When we are weak, He is strong.
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Lord,
Though Your kingdom is advancing in my life, I am weak. When I can’t control the circumstance in my life, Lord, remind me that You are the Sovereign King over all creation and You are in absolute control over all circumstances at all times. Your grace is sufficient for me and Your power is made perfect in my weakness—therefore I will boast in my weakness so the power of Christ may rest upon me. Thank You, Jesus, for being my strength in weakness. In Your name, Amen.
January 14, 2008
2Cor. 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. (NKJV)
I have realized for a while now that the Lord is in the process of completely rewiring me. I find myself thinking and saying over and over again, everything has changed. And it has, yet it is only the beginning. This past year in particular has been one of tremendous change in a number of areas. Many in the body of Christ are experiencing times of great shaking and rearranging, but in my heart I believe the most significant changes are ahead of us.
I have often prayed 2 Corinthians 5:17 over people and when I do, it seems the Lord frequently highlights the word ‘all.’ “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” And as I’m sure you’ve heard before—all really does means all.
Okay, so all means all, but what does that look like in daily life? Like most things—usually a lot different than we might imagine! At least that’s been my experience. Most of us tend to think of the “all” as freedom from past wounds and from annoying or harmful habits and thought patterns—and certainly that is a huge part of our healing and transformation. But I am finding that as God makes all things new in my life it has been hard to find anything familiar to hold on to. Some of that is wonderful. Some of that is really, really hard. But all of it is new.
God uses us all differently. In my life, He often sends me out ahead of Him to “prepare the way” so to speak. Since my primary call is as an intercessor—often my life itself is intercession. By that I mean I have noticed a pattern of Him having me go through things just a bit ahead of the church as whole so I know how to pray because I’ve been there. If that holds true in the season I have recently been walking through—hold on for the ride of your life because everything is going to change. I have been wholeheartedly and zealously seeking the Lord for quite a number of years now, but I can’t tell you how often lately I have been struck with the realization that I barely know Him. I feel like I’m learning everything all over again—how to pray, how to hear Him, how to study His Word, how to relate to others. My view of ministry has changed. My view of church has changed. All of my safety nets are gone. All of the shorelines have been cut. I feel like I’ve been free falling with absolutely nothing underneath me. Nothing underneath me except the everlasting arms, that is.
His arms are my safety net. Those arms are underneath me—and they always will be. They are underneath you, too. Our world is changing. The way the world sees Jesus and the church is changing, too—it has to. But Jesus isn’t changing. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We will see Him more clearly and learn new facets of His character. We will learn new ways to pray, new ways to hear Him, and we’ll gain fresh revelation from His Word. We will learn new ways of relating to Him and each other—but Jesus Himself will never change.
So, yes, everything is changing—in us. All things will be made new. As He strips away the old and the familiar, He is working more of Himself into us, so more of Jesus will flow out of us to a world that desperately needs to see Him as He really is. When you get right down to it, all things are being made new for one reason and one reason only…
So we can be made into the likeness of the One who never changes.
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Lord,
I thank You that we truly are new creatures in Christ and that all things have become new. God, help us to let go of those things that hold us to the old and keep us clinging to the things of this world. More of You, Lord, and less of us, so we can truly become wholly Yours—full of Your beauty and grace. Lord, Your highest purpose is that we be conformed to the image of Your Son—the eternally unchanging One. Consume us with the reality of who You are so that when You shake everything that can be shaken, we will hold on to this one unchanging reality—Christ in us, the hope of glory. In the unchanging Name above all names, Amen.
January 7, 2008
John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’” (NKJV)
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Mary Magdalene when she first encountered the risen Lord? First she faced the devastation and hopelessness of Jesus’ death, and then, not long afterward, the bewilderment of the empty tomb. She was so distraught that even when Jesus was standing right in front of her she didn’t recognize Him. Of course that changed the minute He called her name. Once He did she flung herself at Him and wouldn’t let Him go.
That totally makes sense to me. After all she lost someone she loved dearly. It is certainly understandable that she wanted to hold on for dear life when she “found” Him again. But what isn’t quite so understandable is Jesus’ response: “Do not cling to Me.”
Don’t cling to Me? Aren’t we supposed to hold on to Jesus? Shouldn’t we cling to Him with everything in us and never let Him go? Shouldn’t we cling to Him and Him alone—especially when our world has been turned upside down?
The answer, of course, is ‘yes.’ We should cling to Jesus. But I think Mary was doing something entirely different. Something most of us are often guilty of too, especially in times of upheaval and transition. I don’t think she was just clinging to Jesus Himself—I think she was also clinging to her old ideas of Jesus. Really, she was clinging to the past.
Mary knew the Man Jesus. He was an extraordinary Man. He had healed her. He had delivered her. He loved her and she loved Him, but she was also very limited in her understanding of Him. The Jesus she knew had walked this earth as the gentle and humble Servant. He had power, yes, but His power had been cloaked in humility and humanity. But the risen Christ was altogether different from the Jesus she had previously encountered. This Jesus had defeated death was now returning the right hand of power and glory. She didn’t recognize this Jesus. She didn’t understand this Jesus. So she wanted to hold onto the “old” Jesus.
We do the same thing. We are very limited in our understanding of Him. We’re familiar with the baby in the manger—He’s so sweet and makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. We love the Sunday school Jesus with the bright blue eyes and the cute little lamb flung over His shoulder—He’s so approachable and filled with such joy. We are grateful for the Savior nailed to the cross—He’s so compassionate and merciful in His suffering. We all carry certain pictures of Jesus based on our own experience and understanding. It’s not that these “snapshots” of Him are inaccurate, but they are woefully incomplete. And if we insist on clinging only to the Jesus defined by our past, we might not recognize the risen Christ—even when He is standing right in front of us.
God is doing a new thing. That’s exciting and that is frightening. He is still the Friend who sticks closer than a brother, but He is also the King of Glory. He is the suffering Servant who died for our sins, but He didn’t stay in the grave and He’s not staying in Heaven forever. He’s coming. And the Jesus who is coming and who is even now revealing Himself on the earth in these latter days isn’t the Jesus most of us are familiar with. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and He is very much alive.
So go ahead and reach out to touch the hem of His garment. Don’t cling to the past or your past ideas, but do cling to Him and Him alone. You just may be surprised to learn that the hem of the garment you are touching is the train of the very robe that fills the temple with glory.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
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Lord Jesus,
You are so much more than all I can imagine. Lord, help me not to miss what You are doing right now by clinging to the past—I want to join You in what You are doing on the earth in this hour. God, give us new wineskins for the new wine You are pouring out. I ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You—open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, to see You as You really are. In Your holy name, Jesus, Amen.
December, 24, 2007
Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Recently I’ve been reading again through the life of David. David the mighty warrior. David the great man of faith. David the “sweet psalmist of Israel.” David the man after God’s own heart.
David was indeed all of those things. But he was also woefully human and had many, many glaring imperfections. He was quick tempered. At times he responded more in fear than in faith. He was an utter failure as a parent. And, of course, there was also that, ah-hem, unfortunate little incident with Bathsheba.
David was a man of great passion. That worked for him and that worked against him. But when all was said and done, God still called David the man after His own heart. He wasn’t ashamed to call David His own. And God still had great plans for David. Even after some of the worst mistakes of his life, God promised David that one of his own sons would be set over His kingdom—forever.
God kept His promise. Jesus was born through the lineage of David. Furthermore, He was born in Bethlehem—the city of David. One of Jesus’ titles is even the Son of David.
The lineage of David. The city of David. The Son of David. David. David the adulterer. David the murderer. David the very human and very imperfect man after God’s own heart.
Somehow David understood something that most of us don’t. He knew that God loved him, God liked him, and God enjoyed him—even in his weakness. Even in the midst of his imperfections. Even in his failures. That knowledge kept David turning his heart back to the Lord no matter how many times he blew it. No matter how many times he failed. David “owned” his sin and repented whenever God confronted him, but when he did he knew he was forgiven. He accepted the consequences for his own actions, but he didn’t wallow in his shame and failures. He knew God still loved him. God still accepted him. God still wanted him. God still had plans and purposes for his life. And God was still delighted to call David His own. That knowledge kept David running back into the everlasting arms—over and over again.
Hmmm. If God took such pleasure in David even in the midst of his many weaknesses and imperfections, and if God made such outrageous promises to David even after he had failed so many times—maybe, just maybe, God really takes pleasure in me too. Even in my weakness. Even in my imperfection. And maybe, just maybe, God intends to keep the outrageous promises He has made to me—despite my many failures. Maybe it really is true—intimacy with God has absolutely nothing to do with performance. Maybe His love really is unconditional. Maybe He loves me just because He wants to. Maybe He really likes me. Maybe He still calls me the woman after His own heart. Maybe He isn’t ashamed to call me His own.
If it’s true for David, it is true for me. And it’s true for you too. If you need a reminder take a look at that familiar nativity scene and ponder it for just a moment. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born unto you.
In the town of David … the very human and very imperfect man after God’s own heart.
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Lord,
Thank You, for Your amazing grace. Thank You for your unfailing, everlasting, unrelenting and completely undeserved love. Thank You, Lord, for the great example of David’s life—of what it truly means to be a man or woman after Your own heart. Really Lord, it is simply a matter of having heart You own—warts and all! Lord, I’ve already given You my heart and I know You have accepted it. You accept me. Let that knowledge keep me running back into Your arms each and every day of my life. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
December 17, 2007
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)
My life verse is Matthew 6:33. This verse has been a lifeline to me in times of trouble and confusion. It has provided simple and clear instruction when nothing else in life has seemed sure. It has provided a promise to cling to in all seasons. Its simplicity has been a comfort to me.
The verse is simple. It is a lifeline. It is clear instruction, and it is a promise for all seasons. But there is one small problem…in a very significant way, I had it wrong.
My understanding of this verse had always been that if I seek Jesus first, He’ll take care of the rest. I held onto this word knowing that even if I couldn’t do anything else and didn’t know what else to do—I could do this one thing. I could turn my gaze back to Jesus and He would add everything else I needed. And that is true. When He is my “one thing”—He takes care of every other thing. But awhile back the Lord began to show me that my understanding of this verse was incomplete at best. Why? Because the verse doesn’t say to seek Jesus—it says seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Simply seeking Jesus is not necessarily the same thing as seeking the kingdom of God!
I can seek Jesus and still be seeking my kingdom ahead of His—at least in certain parts of my life and in certain choices. In fact, I even think it is even possible to seek Him first and still be seeking our own kingdom as much, if not more, than His. I do turn to Jesus as the first and only Source of all I need—but I don’t always seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. In fact, I have begun to see that this is absolutely one of the greatest battles I face on a day-to-day basis. The enemy is constantly trying to distract me from the first priority pursuit of His heart—of His kingdom and His righteousness. How? Mostly by causing me to focus first on my own needs or desires. It is especially deceptive when I am seeking primarily good or even godly things. That’s the scary thing—it can seem so spiritual. After all, I am praying, I am turning to the Lord. It seems so totally scriptural and right. But the question isn’t so much what I’m seeking—it’s why. What is my primary motive? To get a need answered or a desire fulfilled—whether for myself or someone else—or to share what’s on His heart in that moment?
When you search the Scriptures related to the kingdom of God, really it speaks of His presence, His glory, His rule and His reign. When I seek first His kingdom—I’m seeking His rule and reign not just in me but on the earth. My needs become secondary—His desire becomes primary.
Notice that our needs are secondary—not non-existent. Through the years many believers have fallen into dead works or grown frustrated and given up altogether, by trying to completely deny their own needs rather than seeking first His kingdom and then trusting Him to actually meet their very real needs. We do have needs and He knows it. He’s even given us a prescription of sorts for those needs to be met—seek first His kingdom.
I want to seek first His kingdom. I used to think I did that a lot more than I actually do. It is my desire “in the whole” but it is not always walked out in the day-to-day realities of my life. I’m not “there” but at least I am aware and I’m tasting the reality more and more often. Most importantly He knows it is the sincere desire of my heart. I want to see what He sees. I want to do what He does. I want to pray what He prays. I want to know what He’s thinking. I want to know what He’s feeling. Now. This minute. Not five minutes ago. Not yesterday. And certainly not last year or a hundred years ago. I want to know what God is doing now and join Him. I want to seek first His kingdom.
I suppose it should be kind of embarrassing to admit I haven’t had a really clear understanding of the verse God has given me to direct my life, but I would rather admit it and get a better understanding! As I do I’m realizing what He’s known all along…this verse is even richer than I could have imagined. There are no better words by which to live my life. Lord, please, help me to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness … now and forever.
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Lord,
Thank You for always teaching me. God, I know Your love for me is in no way dependent upon me getting this right. In fact, all I ever need to do to be fully accepted by You is simply turn to You and receive Your grace—no matter my condition. But I want more than that. I want to partner with You in the desires of Your heart. I want You to have Your inheritance—in me and on the earth. I want to seek first Your kingdom. Teach me Lord and keep on teaching me. Please. In Your name, Amen.
December 10, 2006
1 Samuel 24:9 Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “David seeks your harm?” (NKJV)
David, a young shepherd boy, is anointed as the next king of Israel. From that point, through a series of circumstances that could only be ordained by God, David’s life begins moving toward the throne. He is brought into the current king’s palace and placed in a position of honor. Great favor is upon him. He marries the king’s daughter. He is honored throughout Israel as a man of great courage—a mighty warrior. Then it all changes.
Saul, the current king, becomes jealous. He seeks to kill David. So David, the man God has anointed as king, is on the run from his own father-in-law. He is hunted like an animal. He has moments of great faith through the ordeal, but often he is as pitifully human as you or I. God’s promises may burn in his heart, but David faces a day-to-day reality that is as opposite the life of a king as it would seem possible to imagine. I’m sure he faced days when God’s promise seemed more like a cruel joke than a lifeline to cling to. But it is this time in the wilderness—literally and figuratively—that becomes David’s real preparation for the throne.
One day it seems the wait may be over. Saul is delivered into David’s hands. David could settle things right then and there—he could kill Saul. After all Saul was trying to kill him. It looks like a divine set up. And it is—a divine set up to mold David into the likeness of the true King.
David doesn’t kill Saul. Instead he stealthily cuts a piece from Saul’s robe to show Saul how easily he could have killed him. David confronts Saul and asks this intriguing question, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘David seeks your harm?’”
Why do you listen to the words of men? Good question! Why do we listen to the words of men? The answer to this little question is what distinguishes a man the people “choose for themselves” as king from the man God chooses. It is the difference between seeking the praises of man and being a man after God’s own heart. It is the difference between Saul and David. And it will also make the difference for you and me.
Whose words are you listening to today? Which kingdom are you seeking—the kingdoms of this world, or the kingdom of God? He has called each of us as “kings and priests” but His kingdom is not of this world. He is preparing us to rule and reign with Him forever, but His ways are not our ways. The preparation primarily takes place in the wilderness, not in the palace. The way up is down. The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, and God’s foolishness is higher than all of man’s wisdom. If you want to live, first you die—to yourself and to all the foolishness of your own wisdom.
Why do you listen to the words of men? This day, see with your own eyes that it is the Lord who delivers your enemies into your hands. Listen to what He says.
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Lord,
I want to listen to Your words! Please give me an eternal perspective. The kingdoms of this world will fade away, but Your kingdom will endure forever. God, as I walk through the wilderness of this world, I pray that I will keep the goal in mind. You are preparing me to reign with You—forever. Your goal isn’t to get me to the “throne” faster—Your goal is to conform me to the image of the King. Have Your way, Lord. I want Your wisdom, not the wisdom and opinions of this world—including my own! I want Your approval—not the praise of man. May I be found with a heart after You. In Jesus name,
December 3, 2006
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Most of us are familiar with Philippians 1:6, but often we only quote the second part of this verse: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” That is a wonderful and encouraging statement, but in neglecting the first few words of the verse, I think we miss a lot of its full impact. And what are the first few words? “Being confident of this…”
These are significant words to me. Most of my life I have been plagued by what I would describe as a tremendous lack of self-confidence. In some respects that isn’t bad. We really shouldn’t have a whole lot of confidence in ourselves. But unfortunately my lack of confidence has also at times carried over into my spiritual life—and that isn’t such a good thing.
We can become so accustomed to responding a particular way in our flesh that it sort of naturally flows over into our spiritual responses. That’s the problem—it flows over naturally. But the wonderful thing about “Christ in us” is that we can learn to respond supernaturally. And what does a supernatural response to the promises of God look like? I think part of it is to keep responding to God Himself in simple faith despite all the natural responses of our flesh that contradict just about everything He says.
Yes, we can learn to respond supernaturally. When Jesus walked this earth, He subjected Himself to the same natural limitations of humanity that we are subject to, yet He always responded to the Father according to the spirit rather than the flesh. Now if the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us—and He does—that means we can respond supernaturally too. But remember His Spirit is still in us—He moves in, but we still choose how much we allow Him to take over! We choose how much we allow His Words to personally become our reality.
So what does all this have to do with confidence? Everything! I don’t have any confidence in my flesh but I am learning to put my confidence in Him. When I focus on my lack of ability to fully carry out anything of significance in His Kingdom it leads to frustration and discouragement. Those are my natural responses to the weakness and failings of my flesh. But when I learn instead to respond to the supernatural reality of His Spirit alive in me, I am encouraged by His ability to carry out His plans for my life. But it can’t just be a mental assent to this fact—it needs to actually be my confidence.
Yes, He is able. Few with any smattering of faith would deny that God is able to do absolutely anything. He is absolutely able and willing to fully carry out all of His purposes for our lives. But are you confident in this fact as it relates to your own life? This is the spiritual reality of our inheritance in Him—but is it your reality? We still have a choice in the matter. We can respond naturally or supernaturally. We can give in to doubt or exercise faith. We can respond in the flesh or in the spirit. We can merely acknowledge that He is able or we can be confident.
I still don’t have much self-confidence and I doubt I ever will. In fact there just aren’t all that many things I’m confident about period! But I am confident of this…He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
He’ll complete the work He began in you too. Of this, you can be confident.
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Lord,
Thank You for the reality of Your Spirit alive in me—Christ in me, the hope of glory. God, this is my confidence—that You will carry out Your work in me until it is complete. I can be sure of this because You are in me and my life is hidden in Christ. And if my life is hidden in Yours, then I face the world “in Christ.” Thank You that this is my spiritual reality…and my confidence! In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
November 26, 2007
John 6:9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
We all know the scene. A great multitude followed Jesus—five thousand men and who knows how many women and children—it became late and there was nothing for them to eat. In Matthew and Mark’s account of the incident we’re told that the disciples wanted to send the people away so they could each go buy themselves something to eat. Undoubtedly, they were just trying to be proactive before the situation got out of hand! But Jesus would have none of it and said to the disciples, “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37).
Philip must have been good with numbers, because he quickly piped up and said, “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” But Jesus wasn’t interested in how much it would cost for the disciples to solve the problem—He was interested in stirring their faith.
The next thing we know Andrew shows up with a young boy’s lunch and announces that their total resources amount to five small loaves of bread and two small fish. Then Andrew asks a question that intrigues me, “But how far will they go among so many?”
I’ve always read that and assumed Andrew was just as faithless in this situation as the other disciples appeared to be. And maybe he was. But another possibility crossed my mind as I read this story again recently.
First of all, it was Andrew who showed up with the boy and his lunch. Now we don’t know whether he actually went looking for someone with food, but we do know this—Andrew did something. He brought what was available to Jesus. But he didn’t stop there—Andrew spoke to Jesus very specifically about the shortage of resources and asked Him how far He could make them go.
Andrew can’t be faulted for his question. It’s not unbelief to look at two small fish and five small loaves of bread and then look at thousands of hungry people and realize there is a problem! That isn’t unbelief—it is reality! Denial is not a synonym for faith and the Lord is not asking us to deny the reality of the very real shortages in our lives. But He is watching to see what we will do in the many situations we face where resources of one type or another are lacking.
I don’t guess it is possible to know for sure, but I kind of think Andrew got this one right. Or at least more “right” than most of us. He didn’t join in with the others in thinking they had to scrounge up enough money to solve the problem on their own. He just brought the little they did have to Jesus and asked Him what could be done. I can’t help but wonder if maybe there was a little more hope in his voice than we might assume. I wouldn’t exactly call his question a statement of faith, but maybe it wasn’t a question of doubt either. Maybe it was a question of faith. How far will they go, Jesus? What can You do with our limited resources among so many? Here is what we have—You can see it isn’t enough, but if we give it to You, what will You do with it?
Hmm…maybe those are good questions for us to ask, too. Instead of assuming the Lord wants us to work it all out on our own by spending unreasonable amounts of time and money trying to take care of everything ourselves—maybe He just wants us to bring what we do have to Him and then ask Him what He plans to do about it.
When we let go of figuring it all out for ourselves and release what we do have into His hands—we might find ourselves quite surprised at just how far five small barley loaves and two fish will go.
So go ahead and ask … “How far will they go among so many?”
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Lord,
How far will they go? What can You do with my limited resources? If I give You everything I do have, what will You do with it? Lord, I pray for the grace to trust You more. God, when You told the disciples to give the people something to eat, You never expected them to do it all on their own steam. You weren’t interested in their solutions—You wanted them to turn to You. Help me to do what I reasonably can and should do, but when that still isn’t nearly enough, help me to simply place what I have in Your hands and watch You do the rest. You are able, Lord and You have promised that those whose hope is in You will never be put to shame. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
November 19, 2007
Matthew 6:9 Our Father in heaven…
Sometimes I am fascinated by the most familiar verses in Scripture. I’ve been spending a lot of time pondering parts of the Sermon on the Mount recently. Although it spans a mere three chapters and the verses are so familiar, I feel like I could meditate on them for the rest of my life and never come close to comprehending the fullness of all Jesus was truly saying. These verses are so deep and so rich and so completely unlike all of man’s wisdom. It’s the yardstick by which we measure the fruit of our Christian existence. The more I ponder Jesus’ words, the more I recognize how far I have to go before I can claim to manifest the character of Christ in so many areas of my own life.
I do have a long way to go, but the wonderful news is that there is always hope in the words of our Savior. And not only hope, but also help. I found that hope and help spelled out again recently in an incredibly simple and familiar verse. As I was reading what we often refer to as the “Lord’s Prayer” I was struck by the very first words: Our Father. Really it was just the first word I stopped on—“our.” Our Father. Not my Father. Not heavenly Father. Not even just “Father” (as it is in Luke’s gospel). No, Jesus said, “Our Father.”
Whenever something in Scripture captures my attention in such a significant way, I can be pretty sure the Lord wants to show me something, but I couldn’t fathom what it was. All I could ever remember hearing or reading about that little word in the past was the fact that He is “our” Father—though He is in heaven, each of us can personally address Him as our own Father. I know that is incredibly significant, but I also believed the Lord wanted to personally bring me a deeper and more specific revelation—so I just kept meditating on those little words and seeking God’s heart in them.
The revelation I was seeking exploded in my heart a little while later as I was worshiping. I was singing a line about wanting His purifying fire to consume me until Jesus and I were one. The moment I sang those words, it was as if the Lord leaned over and whispered to my heart that I could be confident in what I was asking because I was asking our Father. Not your Father and my Father—Jesus’ Father and my Father. And since Jesus was always confident when He made a request of our Father—when my heart is aligned with Jesus’ heart, I can be confident before Him too.
Was this new information? Of course not. Approaching the Father through the blood of Calvary on the basis of Jesus’ right relationship with Him is one of the most basic tenets of our faith. I’ve even had other very personal revelations along the same lines, but it went a step or two deeper this time. Whenever we personally encounter God on a particular point, what was previously just information goes from our heads to our hearts and becomes revelation. Each time my personal revelation of Him goes deeper, my confidence in Him grows stronger. And a confident trust in God that can’t be shaken is what will ultimately lead to transformation.
And isn’t that is what the Sermon on the Mount is all about … the lifestyle of one transformed by the love of our Father?
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Lord Jesus,
I am so grateful that my prayers are heard by our Father. Lord I do pray that Your purifying fire will burn all the impurities from my heart until You and I are one. When that happens I know each and every word I utter before our Father will be in perfect alignment with His perfect will. Keep me moving toward that place Lord, until the whole of my life is swallowed up in Yours. I want to truly manifest Your character in all areas of my life. I know I’m a long way from that reality, but since this is Your own desire, I know that our Father is sure to hear and answer. In Your name, Amen.
November 12, 2007
Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
God has been provoking my heart. I’ve been questioning all my assumptions. As I seek Him through His Word, I’ve been asking Him to allow me to read and understand what is actually written rather than what I’ve always been taught or what I personally want to believe. As I seek Him in prayer, I’ve been asking Him to show me what’s on His heart rather than simply praying about the things I’ve always prayed about. And as I worship, I’ve been asking Him to teach me what it really means to worship in spirit and truth. The answers to these questions can be both sobering and surprising.
Sometimes we are so deeply entrenched in our spiritual habits and traditions that we don’t have any clue how much we rely on them rather than on a present tense reality with God. That’s scary. We start out with something fresh and real, but as time goes by we can begin to rely as much, if not more, on our past with God than the present. It scares me personally because I’ve tasted, just a little, how easy it is to live on yesterday’s faith. On yesterday’s experience with God. On yesterday’s revelation. Our history in God is important, but it should be something we draw on to encourage our faith in Him today—not something we live on.
If I’m being honest, I have to admit there are times I go on spiritual “auto-pilot.” Sadly, I’ve noticed this especially in worship. If a particular song or a particular worship leader has helped me move toward His heart in the past, it is so easy to respond with emotions related to my past connection with Him rather than seeking Him with my whole heart in present moment. When that happens, my emotions are engaged in the process, but not with Him. My lips are praising Him, but my heart is beginning to drift. Left unchecked, I could drift so far I might not even realize I’ve completely left Him.
The slide from reality to dead religious tradition doesn’t happen overnight. I doubt the Pharisees started out as hypocrites. I’m sure that in the beginning they sought God with sincere motives. But somewhere along the way—at first probably in little choices here and there—they began to cherish their traditions more than God Himself. We desperately need to be aware that we all have the very same susceptibility. In fact, sometimes it is those who are the most passionate and sincere who are particularly vulnerable because they have so much more invested. We can actually worship our past encounters with God, we can enshrine past revelation, we can even “deify” our favorite teachers to the point that we believe whatever they say without ever checking it out for ourselves. We can cling to the controlled safety of our traditions and easily convince ourselves we are doing the “right” things—especially when we are doing the very things that once made us feel close to God. But the truth is that Jesus just isn’t all that safe and when we cling to our past and our traditions rather than a present reality in Him—our hearts are far from Him.
Let’s face it, Jesus rocks the boat. He never affirmed the traditions of man—He challenged them. And if your theology, your spiritual habits and your traditions, aren’t being “rocked” pretty regularly, it’s doubtful that you are regularly connecting with His heart.
I don’t want to cruise through life on spiritual “auto-pilot.” And I don’t ever want to get so far from His heart that I don’t even recognize those times I do kick into cruise control. I want a present tense reality with Him. I want today’s manna. God is in the present. For us to ever truly enter His presence we need to be fully engaged in the present moment. We need to be fully engaged in what He is doing in the moment. We can and should remember God’s faithfulness in the past—but we can’t live there. When we leave the present—we leave His presence. When we leave His presence our reality in Him is no longer present tense.
…And our hearts begin to drift far from Him.
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Father,
Thank You for Your mercy. God, thank You for being so mindful of my frailty and weakness and for always showing me the way back to Your heart. I know You forgive me when I drift from Your gaze, but I don’t just want to be forgiven—I want to be transformed. I want to be like Jesus. Father, His reality in You was always present tense. He never left Your presence. Show me those areas I cling to my own way or to old ways and release me into the reality of You in this moment. Continue to shake everything that needs to be shaken in my life, Lord, until all that’s left is You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
November 5, 2007
Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me and undivided heart that I may fear Your name.
God’s been blowing up a lot of religious boxes in my life lately. Until the past few years, I didn’t know I had any. Honest! I have long abhorred much of what “religion” has come to represent in our society so it has been a rather humbling discovery to learn how much I’ve been bound by it.
I know some use the word “religion” in ways that are quite positive, but that’s not the “religion” I’m referring to —I am speaking of man made systems of thought and behavior by which we attempt to earn the approval of God or man. The list of such thoughts and behaviors is long.
So what’s the latest religious box to get blown up in my life? One word….balance. For much of my Christian life, “balance” was something I frequently prayed about for myself—probably as much if not more than almost any other “attribute.” I have long been involved in many inter-denominational and multi-denominational groups and ministries. I was often complimented on my sense of “balance” in bringing groups together and not falling too far to one side or the other on any given issue—particularly regarding the role of the Holy Spirit. Quite frankly, I prided myself on being very “balanced” spiritually. That’s the problem—it was something I prided myself on. And pride is not usually considered an “attribute” in God’s economy.
The “blow up” actually started quite a while back. It began when I heard a speaker say, “The only time you need balance is when you are on the fence!” That remark hit my heart like a hammer, but I rationalized that what he was referring to was something quite different than the type of balance I was seeking. Still, the comment stuck with me.
To some extent the balance I was praying for was good. To the degree I desired balance as a synonym for discernment it truly was, and is, a good thing to pray for! To degree that I wanted to exercise discernment in a spirit of love and meekness, it was also good. But I know it went further than that for me and there was a part of my desire that was motivated by something far less noble than a sincere desire to rightly discern truth with a meek and humble spirit.
I wanted to be the one who got it right. Or at least more “right” than the average person. I wanted to be the one who could see all sides of an issue—especially divisive ones. I didn’t want to be perceived as being too radical in any one area so, publicly anyway, I held to the middle ground. I wanted to be respectable and respected. Again, please hear me, finding common ground and building bridges is good. Showing grace toward the opinions and sincerely held belief of others even when you disagree is good. But “toning down” my own convictions in an attempt to be seen as “balanced” isn’t good—it’s dishonest. And I came to realize that if I really wanted to follow Jesus without any weights or hindrances—this whole staying “balanced” thing had to go.
Jesus never walked the fence and He never tried to temper His words to be less offensive. I’m quite sure that if He were to show up and preach today, many would find Him to be far too radical and quite “unbalanced.” I want to follow the real Jesus—not the “user-friendly” version we so often make Him out to be. If He didn’t try to walk the fence, then I don’t want to either. So I got the courage to jump off and I know I’ll never go back. I will, of course, always be mindful of the fact that I see and know only in part. And I will always seek the Lord for true discernment as well as a spirit of love and meekness toward others—especially those with whom I disagree. I don’t ever want to unnecessarily offend anyone—but quite frankly I just don’t care all that much about what other people think about me anymore. His opinion is far more important to me. Here’s the truth—I am radically in love with Jesus and I want to radically give my all to Him no matter what it ends up looking like. By His grace, I am who I am. And you know what? When I am who I really am—I’m not particularly balanced!
Believe me, I do want Truth. But I don’t want to be “balanced” in the truth—I want to be abandoned to it.
Teach me Your ways Lord and I will walk in Your truth.
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Lord,
I want to walk In Your ways—not the ways of man. Give me an undivided heart to fear Your name and not the opinions of man. Teach me Lord, and keep on teaching me. Blow up every single religious box and system of thought that keeps me from the reality of who You are. Do whatever You need to do—I don’t want any illusions or delusions about my spirituality or how far along I am on this journey. I want truth—not balance. And Jesus You are the Truth, so really, I just want more of You. In Your name, Lord, Amen.
October 29, 2007
Song of Solomon 7:10 I am my Beloved’s and His desire is toward me. (NKJV)
I belong to Jesus. I find comfort and amazement in that fact—I am my Beloved’s and He is mine. Even more, I am my Beloved’s and His desire is for me.
I think that fact astounds me more and more each day. Jesus desires me. Most of us know that at some level. Maybe we’ve even said it out loud or tasted it to some degree, but often it’s recognized intellectually without a heart revelation of the reality. Not only do I belong to the Creator of the Universe—His desire is for me. Me. He intimately, personally, and uniquely desires me.
We really don’t get it. We tend to make God a whole lot smaller than He really is and fancy ourselves a bit more naturally desirable than we really are in an attempt to somehow make sense of the whole thing. We sort of reign things in on both sides of the equation—we don’t have a clue how majestic and glorious He is, and we don’t have a clue how intensely and passionately He longs for us despite the reality of our weak and fallen nature.
If we did get it I’m convinced we would, at the very least, walk around like a bunch of lovesick fools with wonder and awe continually etched on our faces—when we weren’t falling on our faces in worship, that is! We wouldn’t question a word He says and would gladly give Him anything and everything He desires. We would never again insist on our “rights” in any situation because we would be so absolutely and utterly aware that He owes us nothing that it would seem perfectly absurd to ever demand a thing from Him. We would gladly abandon all—without as much as a backwards glance. That’s what we would do if we got it.
But we don’t get it. We don’t understand the heights from which He came, and we don’t understand the depths to which He saved. He is so much more than, so much greater than, so much bigger than, so totally other than, anyone or anything I can comprehend. He is both beautiful and terrible. He is terrifyingly beautiful. He is awesome. He is holy. He is clothed in majesty and splendor. He is high and lofty. He is great and glorious. He is relentlessly righteous and perfectly perfect—His brightness exceeds the brilliance of the sun. As I’m writing, once again I am frustrated by my limited human vocabulary—there simply aren’t adequate human words to describe the magnitude of who He is. He is God Almighty and there is no one like Him.
As I ponder my faint and oh so limited grasp of His glory, I know my only hope in the presence of such majesty is mercy. As Paul said to the Ephesians, I was by nature an object of His wrath. With my very best efforts I earned nothing but death. “But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ” (Eph 2: 4-5). But God who is rich in mercy reached to the very depths and saved me and made me His own. That’s amazing. It’s astounding. It’s unfathomable. But it’s only the beginning.
God showed me mercy, yes, but He doesn’t just love me out of mercy. He doesn’t just love me out of pity. He doesn’t just love me because it’s His nature and He has to. He loves me because He wants to. He loves me because He wants me. I am my Beloved’s and His desire is for me.
I know that I still don’t get it. I really don’t have a clue how immense He is, nor do I grasp the infinite depths of His love. I don’t know the full reality of what He saved me from, nor do I grasp the full reality of what He has saved me to. But I do know this: When I say ‘yes’ to Him I move His heart. This unfathomable, indescribable, and incomprehensible God is captured by my love.
Nope, I don’t get it. But I am my Beloved’s and His desire is for me.
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Lord,
What can I say in view of such great mercy? What can I say in view of such great love? God, open my eyes to see more of who You really are, and open my heart to a greater revelation of what You have saved me from and what You have saved me to. Lord, let me know in the depths of my being that though Your glory is far beyond my finite understanding, and though apart from Your saving grace I am rightly an object of Your wrath and fully deserving of death—You long for me with a depth of intensity that is utterly beyond my comprehension. It is the mystery of the ages, but Jesus I am Yours and I pray You will have the fullness of Your heart’s desire in me. In Your name, Amen.
October 22, 2007
2 Timothy 2:3-4 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
This past week I got a lot of urgent type prayer requests from all over the globe. I talked to a few other people who said the same thing. There is a lot going on all over the place and one thing seems very sure—it’s not slowing down. If anything, it seems the pace of significant attacks against the people of God—especially those who are serving Him on the front lines—are accelerating.
This shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible paints many vivid pictures about the landscape of world events as we approach the time of the Lord’s coming. None of them are very pretty. I would list a few reference verses, but there are simply too many that deal with the turmoil on the earth in the last days to limit it to just a few. Instead when we see and personally experience these things we would do well to remember the words of Peter, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). In fact, there is absolutely nothing strange happening—this is exactly the way the Lord promised it would be.
Expectations play such a key role in our reactions. When we expect, or even demand, a life that fits within parameters we have deemed acceptable, we are caught off guard and often greatly offended by the various trials that come into our life. When that happens we spend too much time and energy trying to figure things out in order to gain some semblance of control over the situation—making us so totally distracted that we lose sight of the real battle. And make no mistake—there is a very real battle raging all around us.
Beloved, we desperately need to learn to rise above the turmoil on this earth. Even more, we need to learn to rise above the turmoil in our own lives. It’s not going to change anytime soon—it will most likely get worse. That is not in any way meant to be pessimistic or fatalistic—it is simply an agreement with God’s Word. Jesus Himself said, “In this world you will have tribulation.” When I understand that tribulation is the normal Christian experience, I won’t waste so much valuable energy trying to avoid it. I won’t waste my thoughts and prayer time trying to sort it all out in a way that fits into nice tidy boxes and makes sense to me. Instead I will focus on the second half of what Jesus said—“But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NKJV).
I don’t want to be so bogged down by the cares of life—by the civilian affairs of this world—that I become overwhelmed. I want to overcome. Even more, I want to overcome with good cheer. I don’t want to be depressed by current events and the trials in my own life and the lives of those I love—I want to be overjoyed that His glory will soon be revealed. But we can’t get around the fact that a significant part of overcoming is enduring hardship. And we endure only as a good soldier.
A good soldier doesn’t waste time and energy analyzing his commanding officer’s words—he simply obeys them. A good soldier is alert and prepared for battle. A good soldier isn’t distracted by the “momentary light afflictions” of civilian life—he keeps his eyes on the goal. And most importantly, a good soldier wants to please his commanding officer.
This has always been, and will always be, the only way to truly overcome the world—to seek the pleasure of our Commanding Officer. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, the reality of Who He is remains ever before us. “This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4-5).
Our Commanding Officer is none other than Jesus Christ, God’s own Son. The Uncreated One. The Captain of the Lord’s Armies. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Our soon and coming King. Our Lord and our God. He is the One who has already overcome the world and given us the power and authority to do the same. Keep your eyes on Him, live to please Him—and you will overcome, too.
So endure hardship, be a good soldier …and be of good cheer.
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Jesus,
Thank You that my victory has already been secured and I will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. Help me to keep the temporary trials of this world in perspective—heaven’s perspective. Mostly, help me to endure hardship as a good soldier and to always live for the pleasure of my Commanding Officer. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.
October 15, 2007
Luke 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”
The workers are few. There are churches on just about every corner. There are a multitude of ministries, covering a multitude of needs, popping up all over the globe. There are more spiritual resources available than at any previous time in history. Yet this statement remains: The workers are few. What an indictment in our day and age! How can this still be true?
I think many people read this verse and think of the local church and how it is often true that a small percentage of the people do the majority of the work. While that statement is certainly true, I don’t think that is what this verse is referring to—not by a long shot. In fact, thinking along those lines can actually serve to perpetuate the problem and produce even fewer true laborers.
So many people want to “do” for God, and those who “do” the most are often encouraging others to “do” right along with them. Don’t misunderstand—it is good to serve the Lord, but in our service we often allow what is merely good to get in the way of the very best.
And what’s the best? I think the key is found in the second half of the verse: God is looking for laborers for His harvest field. The Lord is looking for those He has sent. In verse 1 of Luke 10, we’re told that Jesus sent the disciples out ahead of Him—to the places He was about to go. How do you know where Jesus is about to go? You need to stay close enough to hear His heart.
Every time I think about workers being “sent,” I can’t help but remember the vision of heaven recorded in Isaiah 6. Isaiah encountered God. I mean, he really encountered God. When he did, he overheard the cry of God’s heart. The Lord’s question, “Who will go for us, whom shall we send?” wasn’t being directed specifically to Isaiah, but in God’s presence, Isaiah heard the cry. When Isaiah heard, he offered himself as a laborer and the Lord gave him a specific message for a specific group of people. Isaiah was sent—directly from God’s throne—and as a result, he became a true laborer.
I heard a message recently about the cherubim—literally the “burning ones”—that Isaiah saw in God’s presence. The speaker was talking about their six wings and how four of the six were involved in worship (two wings covered their eyes—they were so close they had to cover their eyes in the presence of God’s glory; and two covered their feet in a posture of humility). He noted that only two of the six wings were “working” (those two were used to fly). It was kind of tongue in cheek, but his point was that if the model in heaven was twice as much worship as work—we would do well to learn from the example!
Even so, the fact remains that we are supposed to “work” at least some of the time. But I don’t want to waste my time and energy working in any old harvest field—I want to be sent into His harvest field. I don’t want what’s good—I want the very best. And the very best hasn’t changed—the “better part” is still sitting at the feet of Jesus and staying close enough to hear His heart (see Luke 10:42). When you hear the cry of God’s heart for yourself, no one has to coerce you into serving in this ministry or that—you simply go where you’re sent.
And when that happens … there’s one more true laborer in His harvest field.
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Lord of the Harvest,
Please send workers into Your harvest field. Lord, raise up an army of “ sent ones”—those who have encountered You. Those who will “go” exactly where You send them. Those who will go as messengers before Your face to the places You are about to go. God, help us to spend our energy where it counts—first by sitting at Your feet and listening for the cry of Your heart; and then, by responding to what we hear. Lord, the harvest truly is plentiful—please Lord, send true laborers into Your harvest field. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
October 8, 2007
Isaiah 26:8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You, Your name and renown are the desires of our heart.
I'm not sure of much. It seems there are always so many distractions pulling me in so many different directions. There are always so many unanswered questions. There are so many things that demand my attention, so many tasks to complete, and even so many prayers so pray. With so many things tugging at me, I often lose my focus and become unsure of what to do next and how to spend my limited energy. When I start to feel like I'm on "spin-cycle" there is only one thing that restores my vision—catching a glimpse of Jesus.
I don't need a huge revelation. I don't need a mountain top experience. I don't even need a specific word from Him. I just need to catch His eye.
When I do, it changes everything. When I see Him, nothing matters but seeing Him again. Nothing matters but blessing His heart. Nothing matters as long as I know He is honored in my life. Nothing matters as long as He is pleased
His name and His renown are the desires of my heart. He is my One thing. He is the One I wait for. He is the One consuming passion in my life. He is my only constant. He is the only immovable and unshakable reality of my existence. When I see Him, I'm reminded just how deeply that truth is planted in my heart. It's taken on a life of its own. His life.
I will never be the one to get the most done. I will never be the one who is always on task, all the time. I will never be the one who appears most successful in the eyes of the world. And that's okay—as long as I'm the one who has His heart.
His name and His renown are the desire of my heart. I don't know much, but I do know this...I love Him more than life. I know He knows. And I know He's glad. It's enough.
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Lord,
You know my desire is to love You, honor You, and serve You with the entirety of my life. I live for Your glory. Sometimes I get frustrated by what seems to be a lack of Your life in the outward appearance of mine, but God thank You for not looking on the outward appearance--You always look on the heart. I know You believe in my love and devotion for You even more than I do. Lord, thank You for accepting the sincerity of my imperfect love and for making it perfect in Your own. Your name and Your renown are the desire of my heart--and I know You know it. That fact gives me both confidence and peace. Thank You, Lord, in Your name, Amen.
September 24, 2007
(Originally written/posted July 2005)
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Imagine being found guilty of a crime and sentenced to life in prison. Then imagine that one day someone comes along and opens the prison door, declares that your debt has been paid and announces that you’re free. What would you do?
Most of us would probably imagine that we would be overjoyed. That we would immediately grab hold of our freedom and savor it for all it’s worth. That’s how we would like to think we’d respond—but would we?
We are guilty of a crime. Each one of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We haven’t just been sentenced to life in prison—we’ve been sentenced to death. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom.6:23). But Someone has come along and opened the prison door, paid our debt, and declared our freedom. You’d think we’d be overjoyed. That we would grab a hold of our freedom and savor it for all it’s worth. But, for the most part, that’s not what happens.
What happens instead is that we continue to hang out in the familiar surroundings of our prison cell. Rather than living in freedom, far too often believers remain ensnared by the bondage of the world. We may set out for the door leading to liberty, but along the way end up sucked right back into the routines and regulations of prison life. Why?
Maybe it’s because familiarity offers a measure of comfort—even when familiarity means staying somewhere you don’t want to be. Even when it means staying somewhere you’re not meant to be. There is an illusion of control over the environment when you know what to expect. You may be trapped in patterns that you know aren’t good, but at least you know exactly what you’ll get from them! Leaving the comfort of the familiar—truly walking in freedom—requires courage. It requires taking a leap into the unknown. It requires a leap of faith.
There is no time like the present to declare our independence from the bondage of the world and our dependence on the One who has set us free from its hold! Ask the Lord to show you the areas that keep you from walking in total freedom. The areas that pull you back into the world’s grip. As you do, little by little, bit by bit, you’ll begin to walk in more and more of the freedom He shed His own blood to purchase for you.
Jesus gave His everything for me. I don’t want to squander His priceless gift by failing to take hold of a single thing for which Christ has taken hold of me. The Message puts it this way, “Christ has set us free to live a free life.” I long for that freedom to permeate every part of my life. For my own benefit, yes, but even more for His. In my life, I want the Lord to receive the due reward for His suffering. Really, I want Him to get what He paid for. .
Your debt has been paid, too. The prison door is open. Will you press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you?
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Lord,
Thank You for purchasing my pardon on the cross of Calvary. Father, take the truth of Your Word and cause it to sink deeper and deeper into every area of my heart and life. Show me those areas where I’m still bound and give me the courage to leave familiar patterns and habits that hinder me. Teach me to walk in Your ways—for my own good, yes, but even more for Your glory and pleasure. Lord, please, let Your truth set me free to be all that You desire me to be. In Jesus name, Amen.
September 17, 2007
(Originally written/posted September 2004)
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
The Lord does not withhold any good thing from those whose walk is blameless. Blameless? Wait a minute—that leaves me out. In fact, that leaves all of us out, right?
Right ... and wrong. It’s absolutely true that none of us can claim to have a blameless walk before the Lord, but if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we approach God on the basis of His righteousness and not our own.
Isn’t that amazing? This verse can apply to me. It can apply to you. We can have God’s favor poured out upon our lives. How? By putting our full trust in the complete righteousness of Christ. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom.8:32). We can rest in the assurance that there is not one good thing that our great and gracious God will withhold from us.
God’s favor is a truly amazing thing. Especially as you begin to realize how truly extravagant—and completely undeserved—it is. There is no way we can ever earn it, yet all it takes to be the recipient of this wonderfully amazing grace is simple child-like faith.
My pastor often says that God’s grace is embarrassing. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I recognize the truth of that statement. The Lord is so extravagant in His goodness, so completely lavish in His love that, yes—we should be embarrassed! But oh, how blessed we are to be the recipients of such embarrassment!
I know that I will never understand the wonders of His love, but I am forever grateful for His unending, never failing, always amazing, and embarrassingly extravagant grace. Through the selfless sacrifice of our Lord, God’s children—the recipients of His unmerited favor—will truly never lack a single good thing!
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Holy Father—Thank You for Your always amazing grace!
September 10, 2007
(Originally written/posted October 2004)
Cindy’s note 9/10/07: Since I will be out of the country for the next few weeks, we will be re-posting some devotions that were originally written and posted to the old site a few years ago. Today’s devotion has renewed relevance for me since my own daughter was married last weekend. Watching the depth of emotion on my new son-in-law’s face as my daughter walked down the aisle made this verse come alive in a new way…
Isaiah 62:5 And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (NKJV)
There is nothing quite like the look in the bridegroom’s eyes as he watches his bride glide down the aisle. Everyone else in the room becomes invisible as the groom focuses his attention solely on the beauty of his beloved. There is a visible joy—elation even—love and longing are etched all over his face.
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. What?! God looking at me with that same love and longing in His eyes? God rejoicing over me? Could it possibly be true?
According to Scripture it is. Believe it or not, God is head over heals in love with you. He is the Bridegroom longing for His beloved bride—and you are that bride.
Why is that so hard to believe? Why is it so hard to rest in the truth of God’s amazing love for us? Why is it so hard to imagine that God actually takes delight in us? That He desires to be with us more than we could possibly imagine?
Maybe it’s because we see ourselves through the eyes of this fallen world, rather than through the redemption of the cross. We see ourselves in filthy rags, He sees us clothed in white—righteous and holy by the blood of Christ. We know all too well who we are without Him—but He knows who we are in Him. And in Him we are perfect and complete—a beautiful, radiant bride.
Face it, He’s crazy about you. He’d rather die than live without you. And just think, a day is coming when you’ll see that look of love, longing, and joy in His eyes as He focuses His attention solely on you—when at long last you walk down that final “aisle” and into His arms forever.
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” “Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:17 & 20).
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Lord Jesus,
Truly, we pray that You will come quickly. But while we’re waiting, fill us with a deep longing for our Bridegroom—a longing that can only be matched by Your own longing for Your bride. Amen.
September 3, 2007
Luke 11:1 Lord, teach us to pray.
My primary ministry has always been prayer. As a result I’ve spent a lot of time praying. I’ve led a lot of prayer meetings. I’ve even taught classes on prayer! Yet I am more convinced than ever that I am only barely beginning to really learn how to pray.
It’s always been so interesting to me that, as far as we know, the men who followed Jesus around 24/7 asked Him to teach them only one thing. They didn’t ask Him to teach them how to preach. They didn’t ask Him to teach them how to evangelize. They didn’t ask Him to teach them to serve effectively. They didn’t even ask Him to teach them how to build His kingdom. Instead they simply asked Him to teach them to pray.
There is a profound and timeless lesson here. As the disciples witnessed the way Jesus prayed and the priority He placed on prayer, they obviously made the connection that it was far more important for them to learn to pray than it was for them to learn any of those other things.
Remember, these were spiritually minded men. They were good Jewish boys who had undoubtedly been taught to pray since their childhood. But they must have recognized there was something very different about the way Jesus prayed and the more they hung out with Him, the more they realized they had a lot to learn. I’ve been talking God’s ear off my whole life, but just about everything I know about prayer has been turned upside down and inside out in the last several years. And the more I hang out with Jesus, the more I’ve realized I have a lot to learn.
According to Romans 8:26, we don’t even know what we ought to be praying for. Most of our prayer time is devoted to getting stuff from God—for ourselves or for someone else—rather than getting God Himself. Since we’re usually so focused on either praying for what we think we need, or for the people, places and things in our natural sphere of influence, we don’t quiet our hearts before the Lord long enough to hear the priorities on His heart.
I don’t want to miss His heart and I do want to learn to pray for the things I ought to be praying for—so I need more of Jesus. I need more of His Spirit. I need more of His heart beating in mine. When connecting with God’s heart and knowing His desire becomes my first priority in prayer, He increases and I decrease. When I allow more of Him to reign in me, He can pray through me more often. Then it’s not empty words or wishful thinking saying “Your will be done”—it’s His will being done as a present tense reality! I have been experiencing this kind of prayer more frequently and it brings an inexpressible confidence that even as the words are being uttered, He has already answered. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we’ve asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Lord, teach us to pray!
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Lord,
Teach me to pray! Holy Spirit pray through me! Lord, let my heart and spirit be so united with Yours that Your desire is my desire. Let me be so abandoned to You that I only want what You want—I want to join You in praying for the things on Your heart. Father, when I start to get caught up in my own little world and start praying too much about “my” kingdom, remind me again of Your priorities and let Your kingdom come. Lord, day in and day out, please, teach me to pray. In the holy of Jesus, Amen.
August 27, 2007
Ruth 3:18 Then Naomi said, “Wait my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
I was part of the teaching team for a women’s Bible study last year and we studied Song of Solomon and then the book of Ruth. I was particularly excited to have the opportunity to dig into Song of Solomon. The “Song” is a tricky little book and there are many possible interpretations and applications, but for our study we approached the book primarily as a love song between Jesus, our Bridegroom King, and us—His bride.
There are some who feel that particular interpretation is a stretch, and certainly everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for me, the Lord settled that issue well over ten years ago when I had a profound supernatural encounter with the Bridegroom while reading Song of Solomon. That was the very first time I had a personal revelation of Jesus as a Bridegroom who is longing for His bride. Since that time, despite other valid interpretations, no one will ever convince me that the “Song of Songs” is not also very much intended to be a love song that chronicles the romance between the King of kings and His beloved.
So what does all of this have to do with the book of Ruth? Well, one of the women on our teaching rotation made a comment that one of the great benefits of studying Song of Solomon as a glimpse into the “divine romance” is that it gives us a paradigm for extravagant love that carries over into our study of all the Scriptures. This was certainly true for me as we transitioned to the book of Ruth.
I had taught out of the book of Ruth before, but because I was studying it having had such a fresh glimpse of God’s extravagant and passi | 
