For Him, For All

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Well this is a nice verse for the upcoming holiday. It makes me stop and think about what I am most thankful for and how I'm showing God my thanks.  I'm pondering how I've spent this last year, since last Thanksgiving.  What have I spent the year storing up? Have I focused on treasures in Heaven or treasures on earth?  Has my energy been spent on acquiring things or wisdom? How have I spent the majority of my time? What, or rather whom, did I seek this past year? Myself or God? It's been a tough year, to be frank, but I do believe it has forced me to look to God and find where my treasure really lies.  Most of the time it is in Him.  I do falter and have my selfish moments, being the broken human I am.  But I believe God has me on a great path right now and He and I are looking ahead to new horizons that are Heavenward. That's where I want my heart to be. For Him, for all.

A Loving God

Joel 2:13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

This is not the most common picture of God, I fear.  From what I see and hear, people often think God is angry and out to get them in his anger. Yet here we have one verse (of many frankly) describing God as slow to anger and abounding in love.  And this verse from the Old Testament, again, people often think God in the Old Testament is different from God in the New Testament.  Truth. God has been, is, and will be our loving God eternally. God wants the best for us, and we must do our part in recognizing our own need for Him in the first place.  If we can see that we are in need of forgiveness, mercy, and grace, we will be more likely to accept our loving God.  When we think we can do this life on our own and have no need for God, we fall into the trap of seeing God as angry because we are trying to meet an impossible standard on our own.  Jesus is the only answer to our lives. He shows us God's love in the flesh and bestows His mercy and grace on us while we are still sinners. That is the mark of a loving God.

Holy Spirit Baptism

Matthew 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

I am a little unsure how to write about this one today.  I'm thinking about baptism with the Holy Spirit and how much deeper that cleanses that with water.  We get so caught up on how much water to use in church's, when in reality we need to be bringing people in the presence of Jesus Christ and letting Him baptize them with the Holy Spirit.  A Holy Spirit baptism goes soul deep refining our heart with a heavenly fire that writes the law on our hearts and cleanses the skin.  Baptism with water is an outward sign of the cleansing the Holy Spirit does within. If you've never had the experience of being washed by the Holy Spirit, ask Jesus to do so. Be ready when you ask! There is nothing quite like it, and I can guarantee you will want to revisit this moment over and over again.  You will know when it happens because you will feel the incredible power of our Almighty God!

"I Will Follow"

John1:43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Jesus made such a simple request and yet what a deep impact it made. Following Jesus was not an easy road, nor is it today.  To follow Jesus is so much more than accepting the finished work of the cross.  We begin with our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, and then we must move on to deeper and lasting obedience. In responding to Jesus' request to "follow me", the simple answer is "okay".  The deeper (and more difficult) answer is, "I will follow." To answer, "I will follow," means we leave ourselves behind and seek Him in all things. We love on others and seek wisdom. We loosen our grip on the things of this world that seem so important, and recognize His will and His way are our guide for living. "I will follow" is an act of love in response to Jesus' sacrifice for us. 

Extravagant Love

Isaiah 50:23 Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

"Those who hope in me will not be disappointed." So what do you do when you are disappointed? How is it that those living in Christ can have this hope but be disappointed. The issue is where the hope lies. When we hope in things of this world...a conversation going a certain way...extra money showing up at a certain time...a certain person showing up...then we will surely be disappointed.  Things of the world will always disappoint us.  The Lord says, "those who hope in me". When we find ourselves disappointed, it's wise to look at what has caused the disappointment. Ten times out of ten, it will be something earthly we were hoping for which didn't meet our expectations. These are good times to take a moment and get our focus back on the One who never disappoints. God is always for us, and when we place our hope in Him we live in expectancy, rather than living with expectations. Jesus offers us something the things of earth never will, extravagant love.

The Finished Work

Ezekiel 47:14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.

Scriptures often remind me of the faithfulness of God. I am drawn again and again to stories where God remains faithful to His people, even when they are not faithful to Him. There is so much to be said for holding strong in your faith and staying the course, even when the road is rough.  God is faithful to His word and He is unchanging.  We can go to God in difficult times because we know exactly what we will find at the foot of the cross; mercy, love and grace. Sometimes the only place I can go is the foot of the cross, and there I am always reminded of who God is and who I am in Him. The finished work of the cross is not only about the sin of the world being atoned, but it is also about the resurrection life we live in Christ. There is hope as we walk the road and we are not alone, even when we are lonely.  God is with us through it all, and He has won the victory for us.  He is faithful to  His word. On this we can rely.

Beyond Me

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The providence of God is something I have been experiencing very mightily this year.  I have always known in my head that God provides what I need when I need it. The change is that I am finding this truth in my heart now.  I am experiencing His providence through peace in my soul and also in my human needs. There is something particular about the way God provides.  He gives us exactly what we are seeking, even when we don't realize what we are seeking.  I have people often ask me if I'm looking at jobs. Recently, I've noticed the question is worded, "What are you looking at?" I've just smiled to myself because, frankly, I'm looking at God.  I'm looking at Him to see what He is saying and doing and where He is leading. I feel like a small child looking to his mother for an answer. I'm seeking God and He is providing for all of my needs (and Dalton's).  It's surprising at one level, humbling at another, and I feel stupid that it took me being without a job to get here. Worry is slowly waning as peace takes over.  I still stumble at times, but the peace that I've been given is beyond me.

The Goal

Colossians 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

This section of scripture is so very good.  It is a good lesson and reminder to consider all that we say and do at all times.  I am not always so good about that.  Many times I am speaking and doing without being aware of who may be watching or listening.  I always pray that I live life through Christ and that He is who people see and hear.  But alas, I am imperfect and in need of grace. I am continually asking God to reveal my own heart to me and transform me in the power of the Spirit.  There are times where I do not make the most of an opportunity and have had to consider why that may be.  Sometimes it's that I literally didn't even realize the opportunity in front of me until it was past.  Other times I have known the opportunity was there but have felt paralyzed by fear or apathy. I pray that God continues to work in me and build my faith so that I may recognize each opportunity and be bold enough to respond when He prompts me.  Be to others as Jesus is to me, that is the goal for which I run my race.

Love Demonstrated

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Some days I think on these words or read these words and think, Oh my goodness! How fortunate I am! I have days where I am so far from being worthy of the love of God. I make horrible choices.  I think terrible thoughts. I'm unkind in a nice way. (You know what I mean.) I prove to myself this very verse. There is nothing in me that is good enough for God. And praise be to Him that He loves me simply because I am His.  I am beyond grateful for the Savior and for the way that God loves on us before we ever even speak His name.  I am blown away by the fact that the Holy Father seeks me before I ever even think to look for Him. There is nothing more humbling than realizing fully that I am a sinner in need of grace every single day on this journey with Jesus.  But there is also nothing more hopeful than knowing I am loved by God and Jesus took my place in death so I can live with Him eternally.  My broken life made completely whole through the blood of Christ and His resurrection.  This is living life to the full and it's meant for ALL people!

Peace, Joy, and Hope

Matthew 2:19-20 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

As I read a few of these passages in Matthew, I'm struck by how many things Mary and Joseph were told by God.  Their connection to the Father had to have been something particular in order to follow Him so faithfully throughout these difficult circumstances.  As I head into the Christmas season and find myself practicing for all of the Christmas performances I will be a part of, I can't help but hope that God will speak to me in a new and particular way this year. I deeply want to be close to Him and know His moving.  I want to hear His call and answer Him with joy. I can't imagine what Joseph and Mary must have been thinking throughout the start of their journey with Jesus.  I'm sure there were days of complete uncertainty and frustration, but I also believe that God was so near that the peace they felt through it all passed understanding. That's what I desire. Peace, joy, and a deep sense of hope that only comes through the Christ child.