When did you lose your sense of wonder?

January 19, 2024

Maria Colossians 4, Holy Wonder, Matthew 18, Matthew 26, Prayer, Psalm 18 , , 2 Comments

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 NIV

What are little children like?  I picture little ones between the ages of 4 and 7, wide-eyed with anticipation, totally trusting the one they’re with. Sadly, it seems kids age out of that wonder stage. But do they have to?

I remember my last spontaneous, wonder-filled summer morning.  I was actually seven, or about to turn seven in July.  I lived with my mom and grandmother in an apartment in Devon, Pennsylvania. Mom and I shared a bedroom. That morning, she woke me up with a smile, saying ‘Get dressed! This is the day.’ 

We were off to Europe for a good chunk of the summer. That memory is painted in turquoise. For having had a bath the night before, I pulled on a turquoise top I loved and was ready for ADVENTURE in lickety-split.  I don’t remember the details, just those first 5 minutes of that day. Somehow, we travelled up to the port of New York to catch a trans-Atlantic ship bound for Southampton, England.

Most of us, as we move through childhood and adolescence into adulthood, lose our sense of wonder, our excited anticipation about a possible adventure. When we don’t feed that innate child-like ability and receptivity to being astonished, we grow dry, practical, no longer able to respond with spontaneity, having lost our taste, desire or expectation for new adventures and invigorating surprises.

I’ve been reading Oswald’s book, If Ye Will Ask. He poses four child-like questions we can personalize:

-“I wonder how God will answer this prayer?

-I wonder how God will answer the prayer the Spirit is praying in me?

I wonder what glory God will bring to Himself out of the strange perplexities I am in?

I wonder what new turn His providence will take in manifesting Himself in my ways?”

The first time I customized these questions to fit the needs of my day, I immediately relaxed. Psalm 18:9 came to mind – He brought me out into a broad place; (ESV).

This ‘wonder’ perspective shifts the focus off of my immediate needs onto the Lord’s purposes. It makes me curious. It lifts my gaze, my focus off of me and what I want to loop up and out.  That brings to mind two commands: one from Matthew 26:31 ‘Watch and pray!’ and the other from Colossians 4:2 ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’

Here are two fresh examples of how I’m applying these wonder questions to my needs.

My recent round-trip to Tampa to care for my granddaughters took place during terrible winter storms. Both travel days included delays with the high potential for cancelled flights.

Having read Oswald during my week in Tampa, the day I returned home, I felt totally calm with an excited curiosity of what God was going to do.

I realistically faced the fact that if I couldn’t make my connection, that I might have to spend the night near the airport. But that would be a new adventure, for sure. And I find adventures to be energizing, breaks from routine. The Lord obviously decided it was more important for me to arrive home in only one travel day. Mike was VERY grateful to have me back with him that night.

The bigger blessing was the calmness this approach brought to my day. At the airport and on the two flights, I was able to point several people to God’s goodness and total control over all details in our lives.

That was a short-term practical exercise in wonder.  Here’s a long-term one that is front and center in our lives.  Mike’s mom at 95 is declining rapidly and is scared about all the changes and losses she is undergoing.  She now needs more money to pay for assisted living. Of course, our Father knows here needs, but instead of narrowly focusing on the details of these two situations, I am praying the ‘wonder prayers’.  Just how is God going to be glorified in his provision? What is the Holy Spirit actually praying IN Mom? What is he doing IN her?  I’m curious to witness the creative ways will God use in Mom’s life to show his love. Finally, what will we, her family, experience as we accompany her on her last earthly adventure?

I’m seeing in a new way, the reality of how God’s purposes are bigger than any of my situations. And that relaxes me, for I trust his goodness, his love and his wisdom. May his will be done in my life and the lives of those I pray for.

Look up to see what God is doing

January 13, 2024

Maria Anxiety, Colossians 4, Fear, Genesis 21, Hopelessness, Job 34, Joshua 5, Matthew 26, Numbers 22, Prayer, The Lord's Prayer, Watchman , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. Genesis 21:19 NIV

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few days about how short-sighted I can be.  At times very inward-focused on troubling circumstances rather than considering God. Surely you and I are the same, each with both personal situations and an orbit of people and persistent problems or crises whose details trouble, frighten or seem to multiply.

Reading about Hagar’s situation when she was abruptly shoved out of the household of the richest man in the neighborhood, I thought about how she would have processed this sudden turn of events. She tumbled from a high-status position as the mother of Abraham’s first-born son, to being an outcast whose son, now a teenager, was going to die of thirst because they had run out of water. Looking horizontally at her circumstances, there was no way out.

But God! He spoke to her, painting a picture of the reality that he had planned, a staggeringly amazing future for Ishmael. Stunned and lightened by such hope-birthing words, she lifted her head to see beyond her immediate problem. That’s when she spotted the thirst-quenching, life-giving well.

Numerous examples of similar corrected vision dot the scriptures.

  • Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD. Numbers 22:31 NIV
  • Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua 5:13 NIV

So, what is it that has you feeling hopeless?  Maybe it’s the state of the world with irreconcilable wars and conflicts, or the politics of your nation that feel futile. Or maybe the rapid decline of morality in our cultures, even in some of our churches. 

For me, I carry concern over my mother-in-law’s physical decline and lack of happy anticipation of her future with Jesus. Friends in my Bible study carry heavy burdens regarding children and grandchildren and I pray for these needs. Yet, from a horizontal vista, in many of these situations, nothing encouraging ‘appears’ to be happening.

Right after I read about Hagar’s upward shift of vision, I picked up a devotional where I read Jesus’ words to his sleepy men at the Gethsemane Garden. He commanded them to ‘Watch and pray’. Immediately, I connected what Jesus counseled with the value of looking up.

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Matthew 26:41 NIV

I don’t think Jesus is warning his disciples about the temptation to fall asleep.  Rather because of Satan’s whispered doubts, they and we fall into discouragement, fear and anxiety.  We count the odds instead of counting on God.  But we are to be like watchmen on a castle’s ramparts looking for the help that has been promised.  And we are to pray. That is, to lay before the Savior of the world what we ‘see’ and then tell the truth of what God has done, is doing, can do and has promised to do. We can be like Job whose words in 34:32 go: ‘Show me what I do not see!’.  Then we can add, ‘Father, protect me AGAINST these temptations to doubt and worry.’

So, for the last few days, I’ve been repeating out loud several times a day ‘Watch and Pray’. I don’t want to miss what God is doing.

Apparently, the Spirit of God wants to make sure I get his message loud and clear. For, last night when I was thumbing through a book filled with liturgies for work (Every Moment Holy, Volume III, The Work of the People), I came across a margin reference to  Colossians 4:2, along with the words:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, (Berean Standard Bible)

Besides watching, praying and thanking God as he brings about solutions to our burdens, we are also to be alert, keeping a look out for his imminent arrival. It’s a true statement, ‘we are nearer today than we’ve ever been in history’.

So, pick up this short mantra for yourselves, Watch and pray, and fill yourself with real hope.  And pass it along to someone else whose eyes are downcast.

Jesus’ practical advice

January 6, 2024

Maria Anxiety, God's Mercy, God's Promises, God's Provision, Matthew 6, Problems, Promises, Psalm 23, Unbelief, Watchman, Worry , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

“So, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34 NLT

If you were to analyze all that you are anxious about this moment, what percentage would be about today’s events or circumstances? Do you think more of your ‘worry bank’ would be directed and spent on hypothetical future problems?

Up until this morning, I’ve always reacted to Jesus’ reality check about ‘enough trouble today’ with a ‘Thanks a lot, Jesus! Just how is that supposed to make me feel better? ‘

But while meditating on Psalm 23:6, the Spirit triggered my memory and I looked up to see just where Jesus had announced this common-sense advice. Matthew 6:34 follows his command that THIS day we focus foremost on the Kingdom of God and its spread. Forestalling our, ‘but what about ….?,’ he assures us that all today’s needs are being met, right now.

A dear friend of mine currently feels buried by fears of the future regarding new work projects. He feels burdened by all the unknowns. He is also very skilled and practiced at imagining the worst. (I’m not sure who would win that competition, he or I!)  So, scouring Scripture this morning, I searched for fresh encouragement for him. It just so happened that this week’s BSF lesson on John 10 has us re-reading Psalm 23 to find descriptions of Jesus as our good shepherd.

I have always loved the first part of verse 6 (NLT): Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life…My mom often talked about the image of God’s ‘Hound of Heaven’, (title of one of Francis Thompson’s 1890 poem) chasing us, almost glued to us as a shadow.

As I applied this truth to myself and the things I often fearfully imagine, I teased out what God’s kindness, mercies and his faithful loving favor toward us imply. In other words, I saw clearly what I and all of us who know God should do each day. Kind of like wearing an ‘If X, then Y’ pair of glasses.

If God’s ‘tob’ and his ‘chesed’ are chasing me today and every day, then:

  • Maybe I should slow down and enjoy them.
  • Certainly, I should be expecting them, and be on the lookout for each one, like a watchman assigned to a tower.
  • That way, I can thank Jesus at the end of the day, mentioning concrete occasions of when I saw his provision.
  • Furthermore, I’ll always have a fresh crop of examples of God’s love to distribute to thirsty people who are desperate for hope.

So, back to my friend; here’s how I hope to encourage him.  Instead of dreading what he imagines he might have to face in these new job possibilities, I will gently counsel him to stay IN today, trusting Jesus’s promise that he will provide. That statement about ‘enough trouble today’ means today’s rescues and mercies have been planned and already remedied, BUT to meet ONLY today’s needs.

As John Piper points out: the root of all our worry is unbelief in God’s promises.

God won’t supernaturally make us count on him and not worry.  But he gives us plenty of practice to trust his character and throw ourselves on his guaranteed vows.

The Nimrod Challenge

December 30, 2023

Maria 1 Corinthians 10, Colossians 3, Coram Deo, Genesis 10, God's pleasure, Pleasing God , , , , Leave a comment

He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore, it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” Genesis 10:9 ESV

I’ve never paid much attention to Nimrod.  Apparently, people knew him so well as a famous champion hunter that his name became a proverb. As I started to read on in Genesis, three little words stopped me, ‘Before the Lord’

‘Before the Lord’ is code for God paying attention, God looking at Nimrod.  From what I have read in other passages, that usage of the Hebrew words ‘panim Yahweh’, refers to when God turns his face toward us with favor and love.

Recall Jesus’ words, ‘depart from me, for I never knew you’. Don’t we want to have God look at us with his welcoming eyes?

What could have caused God to want to look at Nimrod the career hunter?  I can only assume, it’s due to HOW and for WHOM this powerful man embraced his calling and prowess. Paul’s words come to mind:

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

I think we can apply Nimrod’s example to us.  That is, by doing what brings us joy in a manner that pleases God. God made Nimrod a hunter. This long-ago man embraced the desire and the talents he received and in doing them for God, he probably helped many others.

Nimrod’s example reminds me of Eric Liddell’s famous line, ‘When I run, I feel God’s pleasure’. With Nimrod and this runner-turned-missionary in mind, I wrote down a few activities that bring ME joy:

  • Speaking and learning languages
  • Making and eating bread
  • Writing
  • Learning people’s stories

God has given me these interests, these desires, these pleasures. And THIS new year, 2024, my number-one goal is to embrace them as did Nimrod his love of hunting. I want to do my joyous activities to please God, to feel his love and approval and to do them by his power, so people will know who he is. 

How am I going to remember that I live ‘coram deo’. You’ve probably heard Martin Luther’s Latin phrase. Here’s a brief description from a Ligonier Ministry article:

This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.

As a daily reminder, I have started wearing my watch on my right hand. It feels strange.  And it is causing me to remember that God is always watching me with the loving eyes of a welcoming Father.

And if you are you still sifting through goals or resolutions or ‘a new word’ for this next year, here’s a suggestion.  How about NOT adding anything to your already busy life, but instead embrace what you really love and are already doing. But do it/them ‘before God’s face’. I wager that soon, this habit will begin to spread even to those things we might not choose to do, but have been ‘assigned’ to do.

Happy ‘hunting’!

Abundant leftovers

December 23, 2023

Maria God's Provision, John 6, Trusting God , , 1 Comment

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”  So, they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. John 6: 12-13 NIV

Are you feeling exhausted, worn out with all the rush and preparation that our civilized ‘first-world’ celebration of Christmas includes?

I have 4 sets of friends who are sick with bad colds, ordinary viruses or Covid.  They are run down. It’s the end of the calendar year, the end of the first semester of school. And ever since mid-October, it’s been push, push, push with first Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and now Christmas.

I’m referring to the commercial busyness we take on, not the quiet, meditative heart preparation that Thanksgiving and Advent provide. We neglect our hearts to comply with the cultural expectations that take over our thoughts.  

So, when these verses in John popped up this morning in my study, I saw refreshing news! 

Fact – we have a good Father who provides us with abundant leftovers. So what? What does that imply? 

For me, that means that today’s looming ‘To Do’ list that I jotted down shouldn’t unsettle me.  Sure, half of what I have planned involves people I want to write or message, but the other items are household chores, appointments or scheduled activities. 

What I have found over the past 15 years is that when I daily hand over to God my availability for his purposes, when I prioritize people over tasks, God is faithful to stretch my hours to accomplish most of what I deemed important. Plus there always seems to be time to relax and read for 15 minutes before I start the evening dinner prep.  (Reading is my restoration time).

Here is what I wrote down this morning in my journal: “Maria, don’t hoard time or worry about ‘getting things done’.  Don’t worry about if we have enough money when the Lord prompts you to give.  For in God’s kingdom, his leftovers are more than that with which you started the day, or the month”

Isn’t that what this miracle shows?  Jesus began with 5 small rolls of bread and a couple of dry sardines.  And when the disciples collected the leftovers, not only had the multitudes eaten to their satisfaction, there were twelve baskets of life-sustaining bread to more than take care of the hunger of the disciples.  The generous boy and Jesus’ guys were well taken care of.

So, take a deep breath, relax and trust our generous Father who richly provides all we need.   

Sobering lesson from the life of a 95-year-old

December 16, 2023

Maria Contentment, Hebrews 13, suffering, Uncategorized , , , 3 Comments

….be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5 ESV

My mother-in-law is quickly losing some of her most coveted abilities that have brought her contentment throughout life. Over the past 7-8 years, she has declined slowly, a normal reality for those who live a long time. But losses started accelerating about 4 months ago. 

No longer can she read novels, not even large-print.  She strains to read emails, even with words enlarged in her account. She can’t see people’s faces clearly. Her fingers won’t allow her to participate in the organized craft projects. Her energy is low, her breathing shallower, her voice has become small and she tires rapidly pushing her walker to the dining room of her residence.

Her days loom long, empty of former pleasures. This life-long learner now dozes off a lot, even in the bathroom.

Looking at the positive, she has not lost her ability to be kind and appreciative of the help she does receive, from the helpers who assist her in the morning and evening, from her son and his wife who live nearby, from her excellent primary care physician and for my and Mike’s daily connection with her by phone.

Yet, watching her decline causes me to examine my life. Unless my numbered days in God’s book of life are less, I DO aspire to reach 95 one day. But I hope I am NOW preparing correctly for that stage.  Spiritually, that is.

Yes, Mom is a believer. A basic, baby believer, I would say. Thanks be to God that over the past 10 years she has been slowly growing through some bible study. She even began to read her bible for herself.  But for decades because of her formal catholic upbringing and religious way of worshipping in the Episcopal church her relationship with Jesus has not been intimate, personal.

As a result, when we talk, there is no mention of Jesus unless I bring him into our conversation.  Instead, she unloads all her woes. And I get that. She NEEDS someone safe who will listen and empathize and try to soothe her in her suffering and decline.

Yet……yet, I don’t see evidence of how knowing Christ, how being in union with him, makes a difference in her daily life.  Where is the comfort, that awareness of his constant presence, the looks upward to what awaits her? How much does she consider the reality of the next and far better life?

This close-up walk with Mom, even if mostly via the phone, punctuated by occasional visits, has me doing some self-assessment.

I mentioned the need for us to prepare well for our final stage, whether it suddenly arrives and is short or progressive and drawn out. Without a doubt, I certainly prioritize the necessary physical readiness such as a lot of body movement, good eating, sufficient sleep and stress management.  But what about my spiritual readiness? 

Don’t we Christians need to practice contentment with Jesus RIGHT now?  If you and I just look around at our friends and their struggles and if we are real about our problems, God is offering lots of practice opportunities. Just consider the natural losses, problems and afflictions that he sovereignly permits on a daily basis.  How do we handle those?  Do we complain and feed the belief that ‘life will be better, once THIS changes, or is resolved, or arrives’? Or, do we receive whatever he allows to disrupt us as ‘homework practice’, meant to strengthen our faith and grow our ultimate satisfaction that come from knowing God intimately through our dependence on him.

My prayer is that THIS day, with whatever God brings my way, I can accept ‘it’ with a different attitude. One that can conclude:

Yes, This hurts! I don’t like it. But Jesus is enough.  I know he loves me, that his plans for me are all good and that one day very soon, I will see him face to face and experience first-hand what the bible means by fullness of joy.  

Just as muscle strength, flexibility and cardio endurance come through practice, so can our ability to rejoice in the Lord always improve.

Do you have one short, compelling Gospel message?

December 9, 2023

Maria Gospel, Jeremiah 31, John 4, Uncategorized , , , 2 Comments

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NASB 1995

I listened to a podcast conversation the other day about how to communicate more effectively. The interviewee’s top suggestion was to narrow your talk, your writing, your class lesson to one main point.  This should be a pre-determined ‘takeaway’ you want your audience to retain. Of course, you would build up and out from there.  But knowing the compelling ‘what or action step’ should be your first step.

Too often, having listened to a speaker or read an essay or a book, I find I can’t adequately share its impact. I default to telling a friend, ‘I can’t really put it into words, but it was really good, what she said/wrote. And I think you’ll enjoy it.’

This public speaking coach gave an example of the point she wanted an audience to recall after a talk she delivered on managing one’s fears at a corporate emotional wellness conference.  Her takeaway was something like, ‘With fear, do it anyway.’

So, what was MY takeaway from listening to this podcast conversation on how to become a better communicator?  That I need to come up with a simple takeaway that I can use over and over each time I share the gospel.

As we encounter people in our day-to-day life, God gives us occasions to offer something good, true and life-giving about him. For example, when I volunteer at our city’s pregnancy resource center, my role as a counselor is both to share the gospel and help and support a woman or a couple with their decisions about the life of their baby.  I always pray beforehand, that the Lord would lead me to say, to communicate just what that woman or couple need to hear.  I don’t use a ‘canned’ gospel question or presentation.  I actually think they can be a turn off to people.

But reflecting on what is the one takeaway I want everyone I meet to know about God is this. That,

  • God knows you through and through (since he formed you) and that
  • (from the verse above) He has loved you with an everlasting love and is drawing you to himself with lovingkindness.

Don’t we all long to have someone in our life who knows all about us, the absolute worst? AND still loves us?  Is that not the desperate cry of the human heart?  If you doubt this, consider the Samaritan woman at the well. Read her engaging and bold message proclaimed enthusiastically to her entire village. Without shame:

“Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” John 4:29 NASB

So, what is YOUR simple gospel message you can easily share.  It has to be something that YOU, yourself, won’t forget. 

Mine is: God knows you through and through and has loved you forever.

What do I do when I don’t trust God?

November 30, 2023

Maria God's goodness, Psalm 143, Trusting God , , 1 Comment

Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you. Psalm 143:8 New Heart English Bible

During Thanksgiving week when we had 8 family members staying with us and 5 others in a nearby hotel, I had little alone time to spend with Jesus.  But one verse, from God’s word, IS always enough. And I have milked this declaration of faith for what it is worth.  But there is more nourishment to be had, for sure.

Why did these words for Psalm 143:8 resonate?  On one hand, I’m ashamed to share the reason.  It’s because, I don’t truly trust God’s love and goodness. And I know I NEED to hear each morning how much he does loves me.

You see, this Thanksgiving family reunion almost didn’t happen.  And I wanted it SO badly. Our son with 4 kids who lives in El Paso didn’t decide travel here until 1 ½ days before their scheduled flights. The littlest, Caroline at 19 months, had Covid the week before and each of the family had been sick.  Then ‘Mom’. who is 95, didn’t want to road trip the 7 hours down from Asheville because she was afraid of leaving a nearby bathroom and her assisted-living caregivers. 

When finally on Sunday night at the start of Thanksgiving week we got a glimpse that it was green lights on all fronts, including the Tampa family, I felt stunned at how God had really come through, again, just like he did with our Italy trip.

What was that about? Well, leading up to our mid-September departure, I had been afraid that something would prevent THAT from happening. Again, I REALLY wanted it to happen.

Cousin Terry, who had ‘held my hand’ (so to speak) by praying alongside of me for these two major events and prayer requests pointed out in a text how good our God is.  And my immediate unspoken response was, ‘Yes, but will he come through again?’

That’s when the Holy Spirit crushed me by convicting me of my lack of trust.  Yet our Father, in his kindness, sent me this answer from Psalm 143.  And I have clung to it and recited it daily since then.

The only remedy for my lack of trust in God’s goodness is to hear over and over about his perfect love for me, his ‘chesed, which is the only tool capable of driving out all fear.

As I studied verse 8, the words all make sense, except for the last bit, ‘for to you I lift up my soul’.  I had to ponder that and figure out for myself how to ‘translate’ it into words that resonate.  First, I came up with ‘for you are my goal’.  That helped a lot, especially this past Monday, our normal weekly cleaning day. This Monday required more time because the house was pretty dirty from being well used.  I found myself getting a bit ‘grim’ until I reminded myself, ‘Maria, remember Psalm 143:8.  A clean house is NOT your goal, Jesus is!’

Today, I received an even more apt idea of what it means to lift up one’s soul to something or someone. I now understand it as, ‘I want more of X’, whether that is money, recognition, power, or love.

What is it that the psalmist wants?  Exactly what I desire, the ONLY thing in the universe that will satisfy me.  I need more of Jesus.

With that part of the equation ‘filled in’ so to speak, I then worked backward in that verse, moving into each earlier phrase until the start of verse 8.  ‘Father, if my goal is more of your Son, Jesus, then show me how to lead my life THIS day. You know I trust you, because I hear, read, and experience your love for me on a daily basis. Please. Do it again and blow me away during my early mornings with a sense of your mind-boggling love for me.’

Discussing that verse repeatedly to Jesus has been a life line.

Do you see how all you need is one good mouthful of God’s word to feed on?  We are all busy, and some more than others. 

Anne, married to our son Wes, cares for a toddler and three ‘bigs’, homeschooling the ‘bigs’, cleaning, cooking healthy meals of ‘real food’, working out and studying for a health coaching certification.  She has little disposable time. But ‘one word’ from God more than sustains her.

Steve, my dear brother-in-law, cares for my mother-in-law and holds down a full-time job.  He, like Anne, has little time.  He often compares himself to his wife who spends a good chunk of her early morning in prayer. But ONE word from the Father that he chews through in his day, digesting it well so that it nourishes his soul is enough.

So, dear friends, whether you’re in a busy season of life or a more leisure-filled time, one ‘word’ is enough. And if you feel inadequate as a believer, turn back to Jesus and be real with him. He will feed you like a momma bird cares for her babies.  He knows just the right food and the appropriate portion.

Does Jesus trust you?

November 17, 2023

Maria 2 Timothy 2, Evangelism, John 2 , , , 2 Comments

Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. John 2:23-24 NLT

We encounter people every day, when we are out and about, who say they believe in God.  But if you probe a bit, you quickly find out that they believe in ‘a God’, that there is something or someone supernatural called God.  But that is as far as they go.

As Mike often points out, in any worthwhile discussion we must start by defining our terms. We ask, therefore: ‘What do you mean by God?  Who is God to you?’ and ‘What do you mean by ‘believe in’? What does that look like in your life?’

I have those kinds of conversations regularly.  But they all tend to be one-directional, about whether A PERSON believes God, trusts God. The issue regularly centers on what kind of relationship someone has with God….. from his point of view.

But I don’t think I’ve pondered more than a split second the question of whether Jesus trusts me?  Whether he knows that I am worthy of his confidence, someone he can count on. Being honest and generous with myself, I probably live 50 % of my day committed to God, counting on him to come through and taking him at his word.  Those hours (not all consecutive) of my day, I DO actually believe that his promises are valid, true and legit and that I can apply them for the day’s very specific and actual needs.

So, with a ‘mercy’ grade of 50% (which is way below a failing F), I confront the question of whether the Son actually evaluates me as trustworthy.

If I were to make a case on my behalf, I would point out, in my defense, Jesus’ disciples: ‘Well, look at them! What about them? They deserted you, every single one. Furthermore, Peter even denied knowing you. And Thomas refused to believe the testimony of his 10 closest male friends when they said they had seen the risen Jesus’.

I bet Jesus wouldn’t even ‘go there’. He’d ignore my point about his guys.  Because, the good news is that he knows about all people. He knows that I can’t be counted on.  Were he a normal human being, he’d be justified in not trusting me.  But he has YOU and me, grace upon grace.  We don’t have to count on ourselves being trustworthy. Because we won’t be, consistently.

If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful. Christ cannot deny who he is.” 2 Timothy 2:13 CEV

So, I’m off the hook.  Nevertheless, I WANT to please Jesus. I WANT to prove that I am someone he can trust.  For those who think grace might be too risky and totally lacking rational thought for God to offer, since we ‘might’ just go on sinning all the more, I will counter with the reality of my life and that of many other authentic, but very wobbly believers I know.  The real Christian is a child, a man, a woman who gasps at the offer of undeserved favor. Then gradually as he comes better to know Christ, he starts to long to please the gift-giver out of ever increasing holy and wondrous awe.

Look who is praying for you!

November 9, 2023

Maria 1 Corinthians 6, Holiness, Holy Spirit, House of Prayer, Intercession, Prayer, Romans 8 , , , 3 Comments

The one who searches our hearts knows what the Spirit has in mind. The Spirit intercedes for God’s people the way God wants him to. Romans 8:27 GOD’S WORD® Translation

Somehow, up to now, I’ve glossed over this stunning verse that precedes the famous Romans 8:28. But, the other morning, after reading Oswald Chambers’ devotion for 8 November, I suddenly saw what a multi-faceted gift we actually have received when God placed his Spirit IN us.

Just imagine!  God has a specific will for you and me and his Spirit actually asks the Father for this divine will to be done in us.  Of course, you and I are to pray for ourselves and invite friends to join us in calling upon the Lord. But we have almighty God in us speaking his word over us, his living, irrevocable word.  With confidence, we can rest in the surety that God’s word never fails. His ultimate will for us shall come to pass.

That fact cheers me up greatly.  Why do I worry? If the Spirit is praying for me even without me knowing the specifics, then I will submit with gladness and relief to what the Father desires to be so in my life. I will seek to obey (help me Holy Spirit!) what I explicitly know from Scripture and keep attentive to Holy Spirit nudges.

After cheering us with this on-going spiritual gift, Oswald then reminds us of our part in the Spirit’s work. That is to keep our ‘house of prayer’ clean.  He links Jesus’ anger over ongoing commercial sales in Jerusalem’s temple with Paul’s reminder about the status of our bodies:

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?      1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT)

Oswald draws his reflection to a close by explaining how to keep this place of prayer clean. We are to tend to our conscious thoughts and mind our conscious actions.

Researchers tell us that the majority of our thought life is taken up with the unconscious. If that is the case, it’s a relief to know I’m only responsible for the thoughts of which I am aware. 

That might feel like a tall task, to take each thought ‘to task’ and judge it. To examine each speculation, determining whether it honors God or shows disrespect. And then to toss what is offensive into the garbage dump of all that is untrue, demeaning, ugly, evil, wrong, defiled and unbecoming one of God’s family members.

But friends, I offer a sweet consolation that motivates me to WANT to clean up my thought life. If by throwing out the junk that clutters my conscious mental world, I can create more room for the Spirit…..or i f I can make his abode a more attractive and pleasing space for him to intercede for me, why wouldn’t I? I want ALL the godly prayers He is willing to offer on my behalf.   And if you are like me, then you too want more of what our triune God has to give.

Let the house cleaning begin!

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