Year: 2020

Boxed In, or Being Transported to New Heights

There is something that comes to mind about being boxed in, surrounded on every side, not knowing what lies ahead…

Imagine how that eagle may have felt when closed up, in a deep darkness inside that box. He may have been tempted to be bitter, angry, scared, etc while inside that box.

But the box was transporting him to a new place, even better than where he had been tended to in a confining cage before. That box was his “darkness right before the dawn”. Those people didn’t put him in that box to kill and bury him — it was the only way to transport him safely to his destination.

But when life closes us up in a box, do we assume the worst or hope for the best?

When things get tough, do we assume it will destroy us, or can we hold out hope that we might soar to new heights?

If you feel like things are out of your control, if you feel trapped by today’s circumstances, if you feel surrounded with no where to turn — think of this eagle.

Remember that his freedom, his victory, his soaring high once again was only an open door away.

Dont hurt yourself flailing around because the door hasn’t opened yet. Be prepared, be ready, and get ready to soar!

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28‭-‬31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.40.28-31.NLT

Peace Be With You

When I first woke up this morning, I saw these two things:

It’s easy to think that peace rules in our hearts when things are easy.  But what about when the hard times come?

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.3.15.NLT

I want to focus for a second on the items I put in bold above, because that is what jumped out to me in bold, highlight,  and underline (spirituality speaking) as something that I need to be especially aware of this morning.

The word “let” is a command for us to obey, to do this — but ot doesn’t imply action and labor ands great effort tho get there, but a passive surrender.

The words “the peace that comes from Christ” tell us that this peace does not come from our situation, our circumstances, our feelings, other people — but it comes from Christ.

The words “rule in your hearts” again,  doesn’t speak to striving or great effort on our part, but surrendering up this “throne” that our ego sits upon in our hearts to be ruled by something other than ego/self. This place as ruler of our hearts is never a good place for ego to rule.

A person ruled in their heart by ego/self lives a very different life example than a person who lets the peace that comes from Christ rule in their life. They do not “live in peace” with others — they complete, judge, accuse, oppose, divide, grumble, blame and hate others.

And many of us can probably think of times when we have not let peace rule in our hearts.

NOTE: If your mind keeps trying to point out others that this is “really about” while you are reading it — that is evidence of a lack of peace ruling in your heart and ego trying to get back up there on the throne to protect its rule and shift your attention elsewhere — convincing you that it is better to live at war with others rather than give up the throne.

Again, I will say…

And many of us can probably think of times when we have not let peace rule in our hearts. So our question should be at this point, “I see the disease. I see the sin. I see what needs to change, but how do I change?”

More active effort and coping mechanisms arent the answer. The key to the answer is in “always be thankful”. And someone is going to say, “But that isn’t solving the problem! You’re just pointing out something about me that is true when I don’t have peace. You are just driving me in circles and we are getting nowhere!” Again, that is your ego talking. It is the problem, but it wants to be the one to “do something” to “fix the problem” to insure its claim of being worthy to remain as the bratty, demanding dictator upon the throne of your life. It doesn’t want you thankful and peaceful with Christ upon the throne of your heart.

So it might sound easy to let peace rule and to be thankful when things are easy — but that actually isn’t the case. When things are easy, you might not realize who is actually on the throne. The failures and pitfalls of horrible dictators can easily be overlooked when things are easy — but let things get hard and things become more visible. So hard times help reveal more clearly what is really at work.

For one who knows Jesus and walks in The Way — they have seen the impact of sin when we seek to rule on the throne of our own hearts — they have heard of Jesus Christ, who walked in a very different way and taught us to believe and follow in The Way and have found hope in Him that they could not find in themselves — they have believed and confessed that God came in the flesh as Jesus Christ (something this humble, suffering servant claimed and gave evidence to prove) — they believe that He was wrongly accused, crucified, died, entombed, and that He was raised both bodily and spiritually to life — and that through faith and restoring our relationship with peace as ruler upon the throne of our hearts we are raised from death into life as well.

And through this peace we have in Christ Jesus, we can be thankful to God, even in the hard times.

If you aren’t feeling at peace, have you “let” — have you “surrendered” — have you tried laying it at the foot of the cross, at the nail pierced feet of Jesus? He has done what He has done in order for you to have this peace — freely, undeserved.

Will you let self die today, for another to rule upon your heart?

Peace be with you, friend.

Molting

Thank you so much Melinda Allen Moore for this inspiring photo this morning!

Sometimes we need to come out of our old, familiar shell in order to allow for new growth. #molting

I imagine that molting could be a scary process, because while molting an insect can’t breathe, and they are soft for a while and more exposed to dangers/threats. I know that neither of those situations (not being able to breathe and being exposed to danger) are on the top of my normal list of “confidence builders”.

But imagine that it isn’t your first time molting. Or that you’ve at least seen others go through the molting process and they survived and were actually better off afterwards?

There are lots of people around us who are going through major change in their lives right now. In fact, I would say that we all are in one way or another. Our tendency may be to cling to that old place of safety, but it may be time for expansion, for something BIG in our lives.

If change has you feeling like you can’t breathe, like you are exposed to danger — are your prayers in line with the BIG things God has ahead for you?

He turns challenges into confidence builders through faith!

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:2‭-‬4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.1.2-4.NLT

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:4‭-‬8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/php.4.4-8.NLT

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5‭-‬6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.13.5-6.NLT

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:25‭-‬31 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.40.25-31.NLT

Humility, Trust, and Love when Accused or Suffering – Why?

All your children will be taught by the Lord , and great will be their peace.
Isaiah 54:13 NIV
https://isaiah.bible/isaiah-54-13

In this 54th chapter of Isaiah, that is speaking of “The Future Glory of Zion”, we see rejoicing, expansion, restoration and Godly protection that comes after a period of rebuke/discipline.

And we find here an answer to the “why” we might be tempted to ask in the middle of the storm:

“See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord , and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord .
Isaiah 54:16‭-‬17 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.54.16-17.NIV

This is great encouragement to us personally, that even what is seemingly “wreaking havoc” against us in this world — their weapons cannot prevail, their accusations cannot stand.

And even better than personal protection from attack (verses 16-17) — but in our verse of focus, we see a promise for the children — not just some of them, but “all of your children”. And look at this promise. To be “taught by the Lord” and “great will be their peace”.

So we see “the shame of your youth”, past childishness, naive mistakes, foolishness — we see that these things resulted in “for a brief moment I abandoned you”, but that “with deep compassion I will bring you back”.

Now admittedly so, this chapter in Isaiah is about Israel in its original context. But in Galatians in the New Testament, we hear that there is no longer Jew and Gentile. But that we are one in Christ Jesus — so this speaks to our relationship with God as the church, as the Bride of Christ.

So when I am going through the fire, I can trust that:

1) I will be protected

2) Accusations will be refuted

3) My children will be taught

4) My children will know great peace

What if we are going through a trial, and our example — either of faithfully trusting the Lord or foolishly and childishly pitching a fit — will teach those around us lessons in peace and in trusting the Lord? Would you be satisfied to suffer for a moment, or to look foolish for a moment, as long as those you love saw in the end that the accusations were false and that they learned peace from the Lord?

Do you see that is what Christ did for you?

He was willing to suffer, to be accused, and to look foolish in the moment — trusting that God had a purpose and plan not to harm, but to restore and expand and to impact greatly those He loves and cares about.

And we are called to believe this and confess it to receive forgiveness and restoration for our childishness and foolishness — then follow in the very same pattern, to walk in The Way.

Are we willing to be humiliated, to be wrongly accused, to suffer for a brief moment – so that those we love and care about might see The Way and be taught by the Lord and have great peace?