Love the Lord your God...

Recently I've had a few conversations with others about how my view of God and my theology have changed over the past 7 years. Trauma, pain, suffering, heartache, loss,__________, can send us on a quest to understand what this life is all about and who's in control. You fill in the blank with what turned your world upside down or sideways. Upheaval is not what we plan for, but maybe we should. I don't mean walking around expecting the worst to happen, but making sure we have a strong foundation from which to respond rather than reacting in a way that may cause more problems. We all have a foundation. Is it a strong one or does it have cracks and holes in it? Who or what is our foundation?

When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important, He responded:

"...The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind and with all your strength." 

Mark 12:29b-30

By far, the most challenging, but also the most amazing and comforting thing I have learned these past years, is that God IS in control and He IS Sovereign and He IS worthy. With God as my foundation, I will not be knocked down. I might shake a bit, but I will not be shaken loose. Not because of what I've done, but because of what He has and is doing. 

A huge part of learning this has come through studying God's Word, listening to strong Biblical teaching through Ligonier Ministries, and reading other books that point me to God. In Mark Batterson's book, Primal, he tells of Oliver Wendell Holmes and his "perceptive distinction between two kinds of simplicity: simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. He quotes Holmes as saying, 'I would not give a fig for simplicity on the near side of complexity.'" Batterson goes on to say "Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith is only mind deep. They know what they believe, but they don't know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially. Near-side Christians have never been in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, so when they encounter questions they cannot answer or experiences they cannot explain, it causes a crisis of faith. For far-side Christians, those who have done their time in the catacombs of doubt or suffering, unanswerable questions and unexplainable experiences actually result in a heightened appreciation for the mystery and majesty of a God who does not fit within the logical constraints of the left brain. Near side Christians, on the other hand, lose their faith before they've really found it."

On the far-side, I have come to a peaceful realization that I will never fully understand the enormity and the magnificence of God Almighty or why He does all that He does. It is enough to know that He has it all figured out and I can rest in that assurance and simply trust Him. He has a marvelous plan that only He can see and He will guide me through whatever touches my life for He already knows. Loving Him is the greatest privilege and joy and has brought much contentment in the midst of upheaval. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength - our entire being - we will respond to crises by trusting our sure foundation, come what may. 

Differences

My husband and I had times in our marriage that were not so great. Probably like most couples, we had our ups and downs, but there were times when it seemed we kept going down further and further. Unfortunately there was a lot of divorce in his family and at those times when our relationship was rocky, it seemed the “D” word dropped easily from his lips and fell like a heavy weight between us. I didn’t like it.

The main reason I didn’t like it was because I had made a vow not only to my husband, but more importantly, to God that I would love and cherish my husband until “death us do part”. I did not want to offend God by taking the “easy” way out. I took my vow seriously, plus there was no domestic violence, it was just two people jockeying for control and quite honestly, most of it was rather petty stuff from what I can remember. We had different ways of doing things, saying things, interacting with others, etc. Probably the very things that attracted us to each other (opposites attract) became the little problems that plagued us. A lack of communication, our own selfishness, plus a failure to try to understand each other’s perspective lead to the down times and dropping of the hurtful word, divorce.

In an updated edition of Thomas A Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ, Kempis reminds us that “We should not count ourselves better than others, for perhaps we may appear worse in the sight of God who knows what is in our souls. Do not be proud of good works, because God does not judge as people do. What pleases people often displeases him…It does us no harm to place ourselves below all others, but great harm occurs when we place ourselves above even one person. Peace is always with the humble person, but in the heart of the proud there is envy and continual wrath.”

I thank God that Mike and I continued to seek Him, sought help from Biblical counselors, and by seeking to please God rather than ourselves, we were able to put aside our petty differences and embrace what made us unique and drew us together in the first place.

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

Walk

Ephesians 5:8-10 (ESV)

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light

(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."

Walk. The word denotes motion, activity, moving from one place to another. I am fascinated by the number of times it is used in the book of Ephesians. (English Standard Version) Some translations use the word "live". Also an action verb. 

How are you living or walking?

"Walk as children of light." We have a choice. We can either follow the course of this world or we can follow the path that God has prepared for us to walk. As children of God's grace, mercy, and promise, our walk should be one of light. Moving ever closer to the source of light and acting more and more like Jesus and following His teachings in the Bible. Our walk should be characterized by what is good, right, true, and pleasing to Him. We should not be afraid to have our actions or words illuminated by His light and we should not be sitting still.

We all pick a path either purposefully or inadvertently. There are only two paths on which to walk. Actually, to not make a choice is to make a choice for the course of this world or to walk in darkness. Ephesians chapter 2 clearly points out that by nature we were "children of wrath" and "sons of disobedience". We once lived for ourselves and the passions of our flesh. 

Once we accept God's gift of grace through His Son, Jesus, we come into the light and discover a new path. A path illuminated by Jesus who is our light. We learn to walk a new way. God's way. It is a narrow path and not always smooth, but He promises to be with us and guide us. 

Ephesians 5:15

"Look carefully then how you walk,

not as unwise but as wise."

Refuge in the Lord

Psalm 118:8 & 9

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes."

There seems to be so much fear, anger, and unrest in our world today. As a nation, we appear to have forgotten our roots. Forgotten that we were established as "one nation, under God". We have become divided and moved out from under God's wings.

The above Scriptures tell us to praise the Lord and take refuge in Him. That it is better to bring ourselves under His care than to trust in man or princes. Google defines refuge as: "a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble." I like the sound of that and believe it is only found as we submit to the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. The more we move away from the truths of God's word, the more we will encounter trouble, fear, danger and turmoil.

Don't get me wrong, God does not promise that life will always be rosy when we follow Him, but He does promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. He promises peace when we put our thoughts on Him, live by the example Jesus set, and give Him the praise He deserves. A peace that no one and no thing can take away from us.

"That Beautiful Land"

At 92, my Dad's thoughts are often on heaven. He has worked hard all his life, he loves Jesus and longs for the day when he'll strongly walk those streets of gold and won't grow old anymore. 

Every morning he likes to sing a song and it's usually a hymn. We've been doing this for almost 9 months and recently he remarked that many of the hymns speak of heaven or of the end of life. Death usually shows up somewhere in the songs.

A couple of days ago he picked an old one called "That Beautiful Land". Mom and I had never heard it before, so we muddled our way through it and then I looked it up online. I found a YouTube video and we enjoyed listening to the harmony of the men's quartet as they sang this oldie beautifully. 

The words give us a glimpse of heaven. I particularly like the first verse because it says we'll have no more cares or darkness or gloom. Ah, that sounds...well?....heavenly!

"I have heard of a land

On a far away strand,

In the Bible the story is told,

Where no cares ever come,

Neither darkness nor gloom,

And nothing shall ever grow old."

Doesn't that sound wonderful? And the best part is this is not just something made up for a song. God has told us these things in His word and He is faithful to His promises. 

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

****************************

I thought you might enjoy the hymn, so have included the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3_fLYrFA8

Unfailing Love

Sometimes I have a hard time going to sleep. Worries, plans, or problems of the day seem to come out of everywhere and assault me as I'm trying to settle down. I usually pray for sleep, but sometimes I pray that morning would hurry up and get here. 

Does that ever happen to you?

In the verses preceding verse eight, the Psalmist, David, is crying out to the Lord for mercy and relief. He feels crushed, his spirit is faint, and his heart is dismayed. Then he remembers all that God has done in the past and he just wants God. His soul is thirsty for God. 

David knew that God's love never fails, he trusted God and believed that He would answer Him in the morning. 

The rest of the verse says:

"Show me the way I should go, 

for to you I lift up my soul."

I have no way of knowing, but I get a sense that David laid out all of his worries before God and then he went to bed and slept peacefully. He was confident that God would answer him in the morning and would show him what to do and where to go. He placed his soul in the Almighty's powerful hands and slept. 

What a wonderful lesson for me. I too know that God's love does not fail and that my soul, my entire life, is safe in His hands. May He help me to sleep peacefully, knowing that His unfailing love and guidance will greet me in the morning.

I pray the same will be true for you.

How's Your Mind?

When I was young, there was a man who walked the streets of our town and asked those passing by "How's your mind?" That's a really good question. So much of our attitude, mood, and how we respond to people and situations has to do with the condition of our mind.

If my mind is clouded by worries, anger, fears, problems, anxieties, annoyance, frustrations, selfishness, etc., I'll most likely respond to others in that same vein. This shows a mind in turmoil. Peace will not be found side-by-side with these thoughts.

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

This is one of my favorite verses. I have it on a little card in my car as a constant reminder of where my mind needs to dwell.  It's faded from the sun after several years of riding there, but the message remains. Keep my mind continuously connected to God and I will have peace. What a promise! 

It's our choice to make. 

Do we prefer to flail about using our energy on things that jump up and shout for our attention and tell us we have a right to feel this way?

OR

Are we going to trust God? Are we going to take Him at His word, place Him front and center in our mind and peacefully walk His way?

The response is ours.

 So....How's your mind?