When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came....Luke 4:13
After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was led out into the wilderness for what we can imagine would be the most difficult test of his humanity next to the cross.
Temptation.
Scripture says that Jesus was tempted in every way that is common to humanity, but he never gave into sin, and we see that demonstrated in the wilderness temptation. Jesus and Satan stand toe to toe for a final exam before Jesus begins His ministry, and Satan, unable to tempt Jesus to sin, slithers away to plan his next attack.
I've heard many preachers teach this portion of scripture, expounding on Jesus' use of the spiritual weapons of warfare, particularly the sword of the Spirit. And as I read it through this week, I thought, it's not difficult to see how the weapons of our warfare work. However, putting them into practice in my own life is, sometimes, another story all together.
Sometimes, I have trouble recognizing the voice of the deceiver.
When his voice sounds like my own voice, in my own head or like the voice of a friend. Come on, everyone else does this. It's not really even a sin. Why do you deny yourself? Why do you hold yourself to such high standards?
When I think about it afterwards, I know it was him. But in the moment, when I needed to pull out my spiritual sword and put it to good use, I was fooled. I thought it was my own voice. I thought it was the voice of a friend.
And I failed to fight.
I was tossed by the wind swirling around me like a wave of the sea....lacking wisdom.....and faith (James 1:5-6). Faith that helps me see truth of the words around me. Faith that helps me discern the spiritual nature of the voices I hear in my life.
Scripture says that when Jesus ventured into the wilderness He was full of the Spirit (Luke 4:1). And when He left, He was full of the Spirit (Luke 4:14).
In the wilderness temptation, He was able to use the Spirit as a Sword because He was also full of faith. The faith that I need in my life. Faith that is able to separate truth from lies. Faith that is able to single out the voice of the deceiver from the myriad of voices in everyday life.
Faith that asks for wisdom to recognize the voice of the deceiver....and receives it (James 1:5-8).
Lord, teach me to recognize the voice of the deceiver even when his voice sounds as though it's coming from myself or from someone else. So that I will know when the time comes to fight back with Your truth.
Sometimes, I have trouble recognizing temptation for what it is.
The first thing Satan tempted Jesus with was to turn stone into bread and eat.
Nowhere in the 10 Commandments does it say, you shall not turn stones into bread and eat. I checked. I didn't find any mention of bread, stones, or eating for that matter (Deuteronomy 5).
Which in my mind begs the question, if Jesus had turned the stone into bread and eaten, would it really have been a sin?
I wonder if turning the stone into bread and eating would have been, not so much a sin, but the beginning of sin in His life. The first hint of sin. The first time He chose to feed His fleshly desire.
The first step of compromise on a road that led towards sin.
Satan doesn't tempt a person to commit murder, until they've walked down a road of anger and bitterness. He doesn't tempt a person toward drunkenness, until they've decided it's okay to have a drink. He doesn't tempt a married person to have an affair, until they've developed a questionable relationship.
The most subtle of temptations can become defining moments in our lives.
If we don't recognize that the path we're walking is not a path of faith we can fall right into sin before we ever realize we've been tempted.
We all have weaknesses. Certain sins that we are more susceptible to than others. Certain areas in our lives where compromises cannot be made because they will most certainly lead to sin. Certain desires that must be denied lest they grow into sin (James 1:14-15).
The temptation to compromise is a tiny step....maybe not even really a sin. But it leads down a path. A path that can be avoided if we walk by faith instead of wandering after things we desire. Things that may not necessarily be sins, but that aren't really good for us either.
Lord open my eyes to the temptations in my life that are not so much sins, but steps that will lead me down a path towards sin. Help me to recognize compromises that should never be made in my own life. Teach me to walk by faith.
Sometimes, I am deceived by the deceiver.
Satan also tempted Jesus to test God. To throw himself off of the highest point of the temple, so that the angels would be forced to rescue Him.
In this temptation, Satan used scripture against Jesus. He didn't twist it either. He quoted it verbatim. He used the words of Psalm 91, to try to convince Jesus that it would be acceptable to test God.
Jesus was able to combat Satan's knowledge of scripture with His own. Quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 You must not test the Lord your God.
Oh, how difficult it can be to recognize temptation if we are not diligent in our knowledge and understanding of scripture.
The deceiver can take words straight from scripture to tempt us to live lives that claim Christianity, but have no part in Christ. To live lives that claim faith, but have no part in faith.
And he will.
Lord open my eyes to the confusion that the deceiver uses to tempt me. Help me to not be led astray by false use of the truth found in scripture. Teach me your truth, and help me to practice that truth in my life.
Sometimes I have trouble overcoming temptation even though I know full well that I'm being tempted.
The final temptation of Satan was the only one that blatantly violated one of the 10 Commandments.
Satan tempted Jesus to bow down before him and worship him in return for power and possessions -- anything and everything His human nature could possibly desire.
This is the only time Satan offered Jesus something in return for His sin.
Jesus had to choose between earthly rewards and heavenly rewards. He had to choose between things He could see and feel and touch, and faith that God's plan for His life would lead to better things. Things that He couldn't see and feel and touch in that moment.
Sin that promises earthly reward is often recognizable, yet, still difficult to overcome because our ability to overcome it often is dependent on our faith, or lack thereof.
Faith that God's plan is better even when the road ahead seems more difficult.
Faith that God's reward will be better even though we can't see it.
Faith that, if we refuse to bow to sin the temptation will pass and God will minister to us in a personal way as the angels did for Jesus.
Faith that if we refuse to bow to the deceiver, and bow instead to God, Satan will flee from us (James 4:7) just as he fled from Jesus -- leaving him until the next opportunity came...
Lord help me to hold tight to the gift of faith that You have given me.
Faith that recognizes the voice of the deceiver in my life. Faith that recognizes the compromising traps of the deceiver. Faith that distinguishes truth from deciet. And faith that overcomes the temptations of the deceiver.
(Journey: Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-15; John 1:19-34)
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wonderings
Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord's coming! Clear the road for him!...Luke 3:4
As I peer through time to the scene that scripture paints of John the Baptist, waist deep in water, baptizing the willing, preaching repentence to everyone who would listen and pointing toward Christ Jesus the Messiah, I can't help but wonder in my heart if I had been there.....
Would I have been right up in the front of the crowd? Hanging on every word and praying that he would never stop speaking God's message of truth to me and my people. Letting his words penetrate to the hardest places of my heart and hoping that the truth he shared would make a real difference in my life for God's glory.
Would I have waded into the water with him? Standing in line to be one of the first of my people to be baptized unto repentence. Allowing the water to wash away the tears of my broken heart and the sins in my life. Letting God's truth wash over me like the water around me.
Or...
Would I have been near the back of the crowd? Whispering even as he spoke. Conspiring with other religious people. Asking trick questions intended to reveal weakness in his message. Doubting aloud that he was a true prophet of God. Hoping silently that I was right.....because in my heart I could not deny the truth of his words.
When John the Baptist denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees......would I have been among them?
When he shouted out to them, Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God......would his eyes have met mine from afar?
Would I have listened to John the Baptist? Would I have recognized the truth of his message? Would I have seen him for who he was? The voice shouting in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord's coming!
Or would I have been so wrapped up in my own idea of religion that I could not see the living, breathing gift of faith at work in him?
Scripture reveals that during the time of John the Baptist's ministry, everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon. I cannot imagine a time in history when the church has felt more expectation of Jesus' imminent return. But I wonder.....
Will we recognize the people that God annoints to clear the road for His return? Those who speak truths that we would rather not hear.
I wonder if there are people like John the Baptist in the world today. Speaking age-old truths that we have buried beneath our religion. Truths that only those with tender hearts and willing spirits will really listen to.....and respond to.
I wonder if there are people in the world today appointed to bring revival to the lost and dying world outside the walls we've built around the church. To preach repentence. To point to Jesus alone.
People who, perhaps, dress a little different than we do. Look a little different than we do. Speak a little different than we do. People who don't seem like what we think Christians should be.
Are there annointed men and women of faith in the world today that we fail to recognize, because they don't follow the same religious rules we follow?
I wonder...if we, the church, have become so wrapped up in religion that we wouldn't see true faith if it were standing in the dark wilderness of this world shouting the message of Christ to those in desperate need of repentence.
The simplicity of John's message was downright offensive to the religious leaders of his day. He spoke of giving generously to those less fortunate and being content with what we have been given. He spoke of proving with our actions the faith that we claim. But the very core of his message was repent and turn to God.
John preached repentence and pointed to Christ. And I wonder...
Would the very same simple message offend the church today? Because it doesn't include a list of dos and donts. It doesn't include a list of rules. It doesn't include a dress code.
Are we so wrapped up in pointing to to sin and religion, that we forget the message of the church is at its core the same as John's -- a message of repentance and Christ?
John the Baptist did not deny sin. In fact, he shone a light on sin every time he taught of repentence, but rather than focus on the sin, his ministry focused on the remedy for sin. What does our ministry focus on?
We cannot deny sin either. To deny sin is detrimental to the message of the gospel. Without an understanding of sin, we would have no understanding of repentence and no understanding of our need for the blood of Christ. Have we lost the message of the gospel because we deny that sin is still sin today?
We certainly cannot deny our own sins. To deny one's own sin is detrimental to the message of one's life. That's why John was so hard on the Parisees and Sadducees. They were quick to see the sins of others, but blind to their own sins. Have we lost the message of the gospel in our own lives because we refuse to see our own sins?
I wonder if we, the Church, would hear the simple truth of John the Baptist's message any more than the Pharisees and Sadducees did? Or, if we have we raised ourselves to thier level of religion, and lost the gift of faith in the process?
When Jesus came to John for baptism, we see in scripture a different side of this bold voice in the wilderness. John hesitated. He questioned whether he was worthy to baptize the Messiah.
Though, he boldly pointed to Jesus, John was unwilling to place himself on equal footing with the Messiah even for the brief moment it would take to baptize Him. And rightly so. John knew his place as one unworthy to even carry the sandals of Christ. And I wonder...
Have we forgotten what John knew?
When we look in condemnation on the world around us don't we put ourselves on equal footing with the Messiah -- the one lawgiver and judge (James 4:12).
Do we look at the world around us like Jonah did the Ninevites? Reluctant to share with them the message of repentance because our hatred for their vast abundance of sin has made us believe that they're not worthy to hear it.
Are we following in John the Baptist's footsteps and teaching repentance and Christ?
Are we showing the world around us the gift of faith in us......or will they be forced to find it somewhere else?
(Journey: Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; Matthew 3:1-17; John 1:19-34)
As I peer through time to the scene that scripture paints of John the Baptist, waist deep in water, baptizing the willing, preaching repentence to everyone who would listen and pointing toward Christ Jesus the Messiah, I can't help but wonder in my heart if I had been there.....
Would I have been right up in the front of the crowd? Hanging on every word and praying that he would never stop speaking God's message of truth to me and my people. Letting his words penetrate to the hardest places of my heart and hoping that the truth he shared would make a real difference in my life for God's glory.
Would I have waded into the water with him? Standing in line to be one of the first of my people to be baptized unto repentence. Allowing the water to wash away the tears of my broken heart and the sins in my life. Letting God's truth wash over me like the water around me.
Or...
Would I have been near the back of the crowd? Whispering even as he spoke. Conspiring with other religious people. Asking trick questions intended to reveal weakness in his message. Doubting aloud that he was a true prophet of God. Hoping silently that I was right.....because in my heart I could not deny the truth of his words.
When John the Baptist denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees......would I have been among them?
When he shouted out to them, Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God......would his eyes have met mine from afar?
Would I have listened to John the Baptist? Would I have recognized the truth of his message? Would I have seen him for who he was? The voice shouting in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord's coming!
Or would I have been so wrapped up in my own idea of religion that I could not see the living, breathing gift of faith at work in him?
Scripture reveals that during the time of John the Baptist's ministry, everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon. I cannot imagine a time in history when the church has felt more expectation of Jesus' imminent return. But I wonder.....
Will we recognize the people that God annoints to clear the road for His return? Those who speak truths that we would rather not hear.
I wonder if there are people like John the Baptist in the world today. Speaking age-old truths that we have buried beneath our religion. Truths that only those with tender hearts and willing spirits will really listen to.....and respond to.
I wonder if there are people in the world today appointed to bring revival to the lost and dying world outside the walls we've built around the church. To preach repentence. To point to Jesus alone.
People who, perhaps, dress a little different than we do. Look a little different than we do. Speak a little different than we do. People who don't seem like what we think Christians should be.
Are there annointed men and women of faith in the world today that we fail to recognize, because they don't follow the same religious rules we follow?
I wonder...if we, the church, have become so wrapped up in religion that we wouldn't see true faith if it were standing in the dark wilderness of this world shouting the message of Christ to those in desperate need of repentence.
The simplicity of John's message was downright offensive to the religious leaders of his day. He spoke of giving generously to those less fortunate and being content with what we have been given. He spoke of proving with our actions the faith that we claim. But the very core of his message was repent and turn to God.
John preached repentence and pointed to Christ. And I wonder...
Would the very same simple message offend the church today? Because it doesn't include a list of dos and donts. It doesn't include a list of rules. It doesn't include a dress code.
Are we so wrapped up in pointing to to sin and religion, that we forget the message of the church is at its core the same as John's -- a message of repentance and Christ?
John the Baptist did not deny sin. In fact, he shone a light on sin every time he taught of repentence, but rather than focus on the sin, his ministry focused on the remedy for sin. What does our ministry focus on?
We cannot deny sin either. To deny sin is detrimental to the message of the gospel. Without an understanding of sin, we would have no understanding of repentence and no understanding of our need for the blood of Christ. Have we lost the message of the gospel because we deny that sin is still sin today?
We certainly cannot deny our own sins. To deny one's own sin is detrimental to the message of one's life. That's why John was so hard on the Parisees and Sadducees. They were quick to see the sins of others, but blind to their own sins. Have we lost the message of the gospel in our own lives because we refuse to see our own sins?
I wonder if we, the Church, would hear the simple truth of John the Baptist's message any more than the Pharisees and Sadducees did? Or, if we have we raised ourselves to thier level of religion, and lost the gift of faith in the process?
When Jesus came to John for baptism, we see in scripture a different side of this bold voice in the wilderness. John hesitated. He questioned whether he was worthy to baptize the Messiah.
Though, he boldly pointed to Jesus, John was unwilling to place himself on equal footing with the Messiah even for the brief moment it would take to baptize Him. And rightly so. John knew his place as one unworthy to even carry the sandals of Christ. And I wonder...
Have we forgotten what John knew?
When we look in condemnation on the world around us don't we put ourselves on equal footing with the Messiah -- the one lawgiver and judge (James 4:12).
Do we look at the world around us like Jonah did the Ninevites? Reluctant to share with them the message of repentance because our hatred for their vast abundance of sin has made us believe that they're not worthy to hear it.
Are we following in John the Baptist's footsteps and teaching repentance and Christ?
Are we showing the world around us the gift of faith in us......or will they be forced to find it somewhere else?
(Journey: Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; Matthew 3:1-17; John 1:19-34)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wiser
Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him...Matthew 2:2
At the birth of Christ, a magnificent star appeared in the Eastern sky and three men, who were wise enough to understand the significance of the event, followed that star to Jesus.
These wise men had a brief encounter with the Savior of the world. They gave Him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh out of the abundance of their treasure chests. Then they went on their way. Back to their normal lives. Never to be seen or heard from again in scripture.
In every nativity scene I've ever seen, the wise men, dressed in magnificent splendor and bearing bright and shiny gifts, command attention. But as I read their story with that of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, I realized that there is perhaps a wiser man in the nativity scene, hidden behind the flowing garments and grand headdresses of the three wise men.
A man who followed, not a star in the sky, but God, Himself. In quiet relationship. In silent submission. In faith, with faithfulness.
Into marriage with a woman he planned to abandon when he learned she was already with child.
Into Egypt where his people had once lived as slaves.
Into Nazareth where he would raise the king of the Jews in obscurity and humble circumstances.
Everywhere that God led him, Joseph followed.
And though he could not shower gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh,on the Son he raised as his own, Joseph gave everything that he had to offer to God. Not out of abundance but out of a startling lack of abundance.
The three men who followed the star to Jesus and believed in Him were certainly wise, but Joseph who lived his life to follow God was wiser still.
I have a tendency to follow God like the three wise men who came and went with a flash of light in the sky and a sparkle of gold in their hands.
To attend church on Sunday mornings for a brief encounter with the Savior of the world and return to my normal life on Monday morning.
To give of my abundance. Just enough money, so that it doesn't cut into my clothing fund. Just enough time so that I can still get home to watch Castle.
To give God just enough of my life so that I can proudly call myself a follower of Christ......though, truth be told, I rarely follow Him anywhere.
I go where I want to go.
I give what I want to give.
I do what I want to do.
Then when trouble arises in my life, and I need God, I hit my knees and, like a spoiled child, expect Him to have followed me wherever I am. I expect Him to meet me in my pit of sin and extravagance. I expect Him to meet me right where I am.
And He does just that.
He follows me into one mess after another.
He gives grace and mercy out of the sacrifice of blood at Calvary.
Oh, its far too easy for me to be a wise woman of God. To see the Light of heaven and earth shining in the darkness. To recognize the significance of His life, death, and resurrection. To give of my abundance.
To encounter God in my life and then continue on MY way.
But, I wonder what would happen if I committed to following God like Joseph did. In quiet relationship. In silent submission. In faith, with faithfulness.
I wonder what would happen in my life, if I followed God wherever He led me.
Into relationship with people I would rather abandon.
Into an area where my family and I had suffered in our past.
Into a new city or even a new country, where I would have to start over with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I wonder what wonders I would see in my life if I walked God's path instead of my own.
If I refused to settle for being wise.
If I determined in my heart to become wiser still -- to listen for God's voice and obey it for a change.
If I sought to live my life like Joseph did his.
With eyes locked on Jesus -- the bright and morning star -- following wherever God would lead me today. Tomorrow. The next day. To Nazareth. To Egypt. To the sick. To the lost. To the brokenhearted.
To the blessings that I believe God desperately wants to share with me on the path ahead if only I would learn to follow.
Perhaps like Joseph, I would see Jesus, not once in my life, not every Sunday, but every single day for the rest of my life.
Teach me Lord to follow You.
To walk by your gift of faith.
(Journey: Matthew 2:1-23; Luke 2:41-52)
At the birth of Christ, a magnificent star appeared in the Eastern sky and three men, who were wise enough to understand the significance of the event, followed that star to Jesus.
These wise men had a brief encounter with the Savior of the world. They gave Him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh out of the abundance of their treasure chests. Then they went on their way. Back to their normal lives. Never to be seen or heard from again in scripture.
In every nativity scene I've ever seen, the wise men, dressed in magnificent splendor and bearing bright and shiny gifts, command attention. But as I read their story with that of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ, I realized that there is perhaps a wiser man in the nativity scene, hidden behind the flowing garments and grand headdresses of the three wise men.
A man who followed, not a star in the sky, but God, Himself. In quiet relationship. In silent submission. In faith, with faithfulness.
Into marriage with a woman he planned to abandon when he learned she was already with child.
Into Egypt where his people had once lived as slaves.
Into Nazareth where he would raise the king of the Jews in obscurity and humble circumstances.
Everywhere that God led him, Joseph followed.
And though he could not shower gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh,on the Son he raised as his own, Joseph gave everything that he had to offer to God. Not out of abundance but out of a startling lack of abundance.
The three men who followed the star to Jesus and believed in Him were certainly wise, but Joseph who lived his life to follow God was wiser still.
I have a tendency to follow God like the three wise men who came and went with a flash of light in the sky and a sparkle of gold in their hands.
To attend church on Sunday mornings for a brief encounter with the Savior of the world and return to my normal life on Monday morning.
To give of my abundance. Just enough money, so that it doesn't cut into my clothing fund. Just enough time so that I can still get home to watch Castle.
To give God just enough of my life so that I can proudly call myself a follower of Christ......though, truth be told, I rarely follow Him anywhere.
I go where I want to go.
I give what I want to give.
I do what I want to do.
Then when trouble arises in my life, and I need God, I hit my knees and, like a spoiled child, expect Him to have followed me wherever I am. I expect Him to meet me in my pit of sin and extravagance. I expect Him to meet me right where I am.
And He does just that.
He follows me into one mess after another.
He gives grace and mercy out of the sacrifice of blood at Calvary.
Oh, its far too easy for me to be a wise woman of God. To see the Light of heaven and earth shining in the darkness. To recognize the significance of His life, death, and resurrection. To give of my abundance.
To encounter God in my life and then continue on MY way.
But, I wonder what would happen if I committed to following God like Joseph did. In quiet relationship. In silent submission. In faith, with faithfulness.
I wonder what would happen in my life, if I followed God wherever He led me.
Into relationship with people I would rather abandon.
Into an area where my family and I had suffered in our past.
Into a new city or even a new country, where I would have to start over with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I wonder what wonders I would see in my life if I walked God's path instead of my own.
If I refused to settle for being wise.
If I determined in my heart to become wiser still -- to listen for God's voice and obey it for a change.
If I sought to live my life like Joseph did his.
With eyes locked on Jesus -- the bright and morning star -- following wherever God would lead me today. Tomorrow. The next day. To Nazareth. To Egypt. To the sick. To the lost. To the brokenhearted.
To the blessings that I believe God desperately wants to share with me on the path ahead if only I would learn to follow.
Perhaps like Joseph, I would see Jesus, not once in my life, not every Sunday, but every single day for the rest of my life.
Teach me Lord to follow You.
To walk by your gift of faith.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Open Eyes
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God...Luke 1:13 NLT
Upon the birth of Jesus in the manger at Bethlehem, Luke paints a beautiful picture of the heavens opening up over a field of shepherds and armies of angels singing praises to God.
The scene described reminded me immediately of the Chris Tomlin God of Angel Armies song, probably because I just saw him in concert and the testimony he gave just before he sang that song has lingered in my heart and mind.
His song was inspired by the account of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6, when a vast army of men was headed to capture Elisha and his servant was terrified. Elisha prayed that God would open his servant's eyes that he might see.
God did just that. And the young man, with eyes opened by God, saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
The servant of Elisha and the shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus' birth had their eyes opened to the spiritual in an awe-inspiring way.
They saw a sight more extraordinary than we could possibly imagine. More magnificent than we may ever see in our earthly lives.
They saw the angel armies.
Christ Tomlin testified that he had begun to pray that God would open his own eyes in like fashion. That God would allow him to see the bigger spiritual picture around him. To glimpse God and His plan instead of seeing the difficult and trying circumstances of life.
Imagining the shepherds in the field watching as the heavens opened up and the angel armies appeared singing praises to God at the birth of Jesus inspires me to pray the same prayer.
Lord, open MY eyes to the spiritual.
To the battles that are being fought.
To the victories that are being won.
To the intercession that needs to be accomplished.
To the bigger spiritual picture.
Lord, enable me to see the angel armies, if only in my mind's eye.
Even eyes opened by the hand of God, may not see the angel armies as the shepherds did, or as Elisha's servant did. In all their magnificent splendor. In living color.
Open eyes may simply see the salvation of God in everyday life.
In the same chapter of the book of Luke there were two others who saw something extraordinary.
But, they saw it in the seemingly ordinary.
A righteous and devout man named Simeon and a prophetess named Anna encountered the baby Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem where Mary and Joseph had taken Him to be offered to God.
Simeon and Anna saw no angels.
They heard no trumpets or heavenly choir. There was no fanfare that day. Just a small child in humble attire. But they knew who Jesus was. They had been watching for Him. Waiting for Him. And they saw Him.
They saw the extraordinary in Him.
They saw God's salvation for His people. And they proclaimed it. Loudly.
Simeon began to prophesy about the baby Jesus, and scripture says that Anna talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
Simeon and Anna saw God's salvation that day because they, like those they were so eager to share their news with, had been waiting expectantly for it.
They were looking, with eyes wide open, for God's salvation in the midst of their everyday lives.
Simeon and Anna witnessed the glory of God in the seemingly mundane. They witnessed the salvation of God in the everyday. They saw something in the temple that day that wasn't visible to everyone else.
Because their eyes were open. They were looking for God. They were watching and waiting.
Perhaps they too had prayed that God would open their eyes...
We don't have to see angels in the sky to see God in our lives.
We just have to watch.
With open eyes.
And pray.
Lord open my eyes to see You, and Your plan in my everyday life.
I would love to see the skies split open and an army of angels singing praises to God. I would love to behold everything that has breath singing praises to God, and I know that I will one day. But, for today, I would be just as satisfied to see God in the seemingly ordinary.
To glance at the eastern sky and see a faint rainbow glimmering in a sea of blue and know in my heart that God, Himself, painted the sky just to lift my weary heart today.
To meet the stranger in the grocery store who's having a rough day and see that the God of heaven's armies put her in my path so that I could speak simple words of encouragement over her and pray for her.
To pour my own heart out into a vast expanse of the Internet and imagine that my words spoke to just one soul today and helped them see God in their life.
To see the extraordinary in the everyday.
Open my eyes Lord.
Enable me to see the bigger picture.
To see Your plan.
To see You in my life today.
That is the gift of faith in me.
(Journey: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-40)
Upon the birth of Jesus in the manger at Bethlehem, Luke paints a beautiful picture of the heavens opening up over a field of shepherds and armies of angels singing praises to God.
The scene described reminded me immediately of the Chris Tomlin God of Angel Armies song, probably because I just saw him in concert and the testimony he gave just before he sang that song has lingered in my heart and mind.
His song was inspired by the account of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6, when a vast army of men was headed to capture Elisha and his servant was terrified. Elisha prayed that God would open his servant's eyes that he might see.
God did just that. And the young man, with eyes opened by God, saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
The servant of Elisha and the shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus' birth had their eyes opened to the spiritual in an awe-inspiring way.
They saw a sight more extraordinary than we could possibly imagine. More magnificent than we may ever see in our earthly lives.
They saw the angel armies.
Christ Tomlin testified that he had begun to pray that God would open his own eyes in like fashion. That God would allow him to see the bigger spiritual picture around him. To glimpse God and His plan instead of seeing the difficult and trying circumstances of life.
Imagining the shepherds in the field watching as the heavens opened up and the angel armies appeared singing praises to God at the birth of Jesus inspires me to pray the same prayer.
Lord, open MY eyes to the spiritual.
To the battles that are being fought.
To the victories that are being won.
To the intercession that needs to be accomplished.
To the bigger spiritual picture.
Lord, enable me to see the angel armies, if only in my mind's eye.
Even eyes opened by the hand of God, may not see the angel armies as the shepherds did, or as Elisha's servant did. In all their magnificent splendor. In living color.
Open eyes may simply see the salvation of God in everyday life.
In the same chapter of the book of Luke there were two others who saw something extraordinary.
But, they saw it in the seemingly ordinary.
A righteous and devout man named Simeon and a prophetess named Anna encountered the baby Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem where Mary and Joseph had taken Him to be offered to God.
Simeon and Anna saw no angels.
They heard no trumpets or heavenly choir. There was no fanfare that day. Just a small child in humble attire. But they knew who Jesus was. They had been watching for Him. Waiting for Him. And they saw Him.
They saw the extraordinary in Him.
They saw God's salvation for His people. And they proclaimed it. Loudly.
Simeon began to prophesy about the baby Jesus, and scripture says that Anna talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
Simeon and Anna saw God's salvation that day because they, like those they were so eager to share their news with, had been waiting expectantly for it.
They were looking, with eyes wide open, for God's salvation in the midst of their everyday lives.
Simeon and Anna witnessed the glory of God in the seemingly mundane. They witnessed the salvation of God in the everyday. They saw something in the temple that day that wasn't visible to everyone else.
Because their eyes were open. They were looking for God. They were watching and waiting.
Perhaps they too had prayed that God would open their eyes...
We don't have to see angels in the sky to see God in our lives.
We just have to watch.
With open eyes.
And pray.
Lord open my eyes to see You, and Your plan in my everyday life.
I would love to see the skies split open and an army of angels singing praises to God. I would love to behold everything that has breath singing praises to God, and I know that I will one day. But, for today, I would be just as satisfied to see God in the seemingly ordinary.
To glance at the eastern sky and see a faint rainbow glimmering in a sea of blue and know in my heart that God, Himself, painted the sky just to lift my weary heart today.
To meet the stranger in the grocery store who's having a rough day and see that the God of heaven's armies put her in my path so that I could speak simple words of encouragement over her and pray for her.
To pour my own heart out into a vast expanse of the Internet and imagine that my words spoke to just one soul today and helped them see God in their life.
To see the extraordinary in the everyday.
Open my eyes Lord.
Enable me to see the bigger picture.
To see Your plan.
To see You in my life today.
That is the gift of faith in me.
(Journey: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-40)
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Response
Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen?..." Luke 1:18 NLT
In the first chapter of the book of Luke, the angel Gabriel visited two expectant parents separately and a short time apart. His news that each would soon welcome a tiny bundle of joy was met with two completely different responses.
One response was laced with faith, and one with doubt.
When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah he told him that he would father a son who was to be named John. He then shared with Zechariah that his son would have the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, and would prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Lord.
Zechariah responded by asking Gabriel, How can I be sure this will happen?
There is no doubt that Zechariah was certain that he was speaking to an angel -- scripture says he was overwhelmed at the sight of Gabriel. And there is no doubt that Zechariah knew that he was receiving a word from God, Himself.
Yet, Zechariah doubted. Zechariah questioned, not only God's ability, but he questioned His word. He doubted God's word to him.
How can I be sure this will happen?
With one question, Zechariah took his focus off of the angel of God. He took His focus off of the word of God. He took His focus off of God entirely, and he put it squarely on himself -- I.
Zechariah's faith faltered and doubt overwhelmed.
I see myself so clearly in Zechariah.
I want to believe what God says to me in every difficult and overwhelming circumstance of my life. I want to walk through the journey of my life by faith. Yet, I find myself doubting.
The truth is that Zechariah's question is one I find myself asking way more often than I would like to admit. In fact, next to my pitiful moan that I simply don't understand what You're doing God, the question How can I be sure may very well be the most common phrase I voice in prayer.
The ironic thing is that the answer to Zechariah's question -- the answer to my own question -- is simply Faith.
We can be sure that what God says will happen will happen by Faith. The writer of Hebrews described faith as the reality of what is hoped for and the proof of what is not seen (Hebrews 11:1 HCSB).
Faith is what makes us sure that what God says will happen, will happen.
When we struggle to be sure of God's word to us, we are lacking faith. Not because it's not available to us. It is a gift of God, after all. But because we aren't grasping faith. Holding onto it. And utilizing the gift that God so generously gives to us, His children.
We allow doubt to overwhelm. And in doing so, we lose our voice. At least for a time.
Gabriel told Zechariah that because of his unbelief he would be unable to speak until his son was born. For months, Zechariah could have spoken in faith of a son who hadn't yet arrived. He could have told over and over what the angel of God had told him about his son's life.
But Zechariah was silent because of his doubt.
Doubt silences faith.
When he finally found his voice, Zechariah spoke in faith. He told of Jesus and of his own son. He believed God's word at that point, and he shared it with everyone around him.
But by the time Zechariah voiced his faith, a portion of the word that God had given him through the angel had already been fulfilled. A portion of the message of faith that he could have proclaimed had already come to pass.
I wonder how many more people Zechariah could have shared his faith with if his first response to God's word in his life had not been one of doubt. I wonder how much more powerful his message would have been if he had shared the full message in faith.
I wonder how many more people I could reach for God if my first response to His word in my life would become one of faith, and not of doubt.
I wonder what could happen if I would learn to respond to God more like Mary did.
When Gabriel appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the same chapter of scripture his revelation to her was met with a different kind of response. A response as different as faith is to doubt.
Mary asked the angel, But how can this happen? (Luke 1:34)
Mary's question was a question of awe and wonder. A question of faith. Not of doubt. We know this because she is allowed to speak again in her encounter with Gabriel and her words are words of faith.
Upon Gabriel's response to her that nothing is impossible with God, Mary responded by saying I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.
Mary's response to God's word to her becomes a prayer. A prayer of faith.
May everything you have said about me come true.
As I contemplate these two people and their responses to God, I wonder what would happen in my own life if I began to pray Mary's prayer of faith instead of asking Zechariah's question of doubt.
Dear Lord, may every word You have spoken to me come true.
I can tell you what happened to Mary. She was not silent. She sang a song of praise even before God's words had been fulfilled.
Mary sang a song of praise by faith.
Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. (Luke 1:46)
Mary praised in the midst of God's word to her. Not after it came to pass, but as it was coming to pass.
Mary prayed and she praised.
That is a response of faith.
(Journey: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-28; Luke 1:5-80)
In the first chapter of the book of Luke, the angel Gabriel visited two expectant parents separately and a short time apart. His news that each would soon welcome a tiny bundle of joy was met with two completely different responses.
One response was laced with faith, and one with doubt.
When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah he told him that he would father a son who was to be named John. He then shared with Zechariah that his son would have the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah, and would prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Lord.
Zechariah responded by asking Gabriel, How can I be sure this will happen?
There is no doubt that Zechariah was certain that he was speaking to an angel -- scripture says he was overwhelmed at the sight of Gabriel. And there is no doubt that Zechariah knew that he was receiving a word from God, Himself.
Yet, Zechariah doubted. Zechariah questioned, not only God's ability, but he questioned His word. He doubted God's word to him.
How can I be sure this will happen?
With one question, Zechariah took his focus off of the angel of God. He took His focus off of the word of God. He took His focus off of God entirely, and he put it squarely on himself -- I.
Zechariah's faith faltered and doubt overwhelmed.
I see myself so clearly in Zechariah.
I want to believe what God says to me in every difficult and overwhelming circumstance of my life. I want to walk through the journey of my life by faith. Yet, I find myself doubting.
The truth is that Zechariah's question is one I find myself asking way more often than I would like to admit. In fact, next to my pitiful moan that I simply don't understand what You're doing God, the question How can I be sure may very well be the most common phrase I voice in prayer.
The ironic thing is that the answer to Zechariah's question -- the answer to my own question -- is simply Faith.
We can be sure that what God says will happen will happen by Faith. The writer of Hebrews described faith as the reality of what is hoped for and the proof of what is not seen (Hebrews 11:1 HCSB).
Faith is what makes us sure that what God says will happen, will happen.
When we struggle to be sure of God's word to us, we are lacking faith. Not because it's not available to us. It is a gift of God, after all. But because we aren't grasping faith. Holding onto it. And utilizing the gift that God so generously gives to us, His children.
We allow doubt to overwhelm. And in doing so, we lose our voice. At least for a time.
Gabriel told Zechariah that because of his unbelief he would be unable to speak until his son was born. For months, Zechariah could have spoken in faith of a son who hadn't yet arrived. He could have told over and over what the angel of God had told him about his son's life.
But Zechariah was silent because of his doubt.
Doubt silences faith.
When he finally found his voice, Zechariah spoke in faith. He told of Jesus and of his own son. He believed God's word at that point, and he shared it with everyone around him.
But by the time Zechariah voiced his faith, a portion of the word that God had given him through the angel had already been fulfilled. A portion of the message of faith that he could have proclaimed had already come to pass.
I wonder how many more people Zechariah could have shared his faith with if his first response to God's word in his life had not been one of doubt. I wonder how much more powerful his message would have been if he had shared the full message in faith.
I wonder how many more people I could reach for God if my first response to His word in my life would become one of faith, and not of doubt.
I wonder what could happen if I would learn to respond to God more like Mary did.
When Gabriel appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the same chapter of scripture his revelation to her was met with a different kind of response. A response as different as faith is to doubt.
Mary asked the angel, But how can this happen? (Luke 1:34)
Mary's question was a question of awe and wonder. A question of faith. Not of doubt. We know this because she is allowed to speak again in her encounter with Gabriel and her words are words of faith.
Upon Gabriel's response to her that nothing is impossible with God, Mary responded by saying I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.
Mary's response to God's word to her becomes a prayer. A prayer of faith.
May everything you have said about me come true.
As I contemplate these two people and their responses to God, I wonder what would happen in my own life if I began to pray Mary's prayer of faith instead of asking Zechariah's question of doubt.
Dear Lord, may every word You have spoken to me come true.
I can tell you what happened to Mary. She was not silent. She sang a song of praise even before God's words had been fulfilled.
Mary sang a song of praise by faith.
Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. (Luke 1:46)
Mary praised in the midst of God's word to her. Not after it came to pass, but as it was coming to pass.
Mary prayed and she praised.
That is a response of faith.
(Journey: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-28; Luke 1:5-80)
Monday, March 11, 2013
More Gifts
For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ... John 1:17 NLT
I began this journey contemplating the gift of faith. It didn't take long to find mention of other gifts bestowed by God. The first chapter of the book John records a list of gifts.
John tells us that God gives life to everything that He creates (John 1:4), and that He gives light to every person (John 1:9).
Every person receives enlightenment -- a chance to choose between the light of God and the darkness of this world. A chance to see the Light of the world -- Jesus Christ -- and accept Him or reject Him.
To those who choose to accept the Light, God then gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
The pool gets smaller as these gifts of God are dispersed. Life goes to all creation. Light to all humanity. The right of adoption to those who choose to become His children.
And then there are more gifts. Gifts given specifically to the children of God.
John tells us that God gives one gracious blessing after another (John 1:16). That He gives the Law and the gift of unfailing love and faithfulness OR grace and truth (John 1:17).
It was the final gifts -- specifically the Law and Grace -- that caught my attention as I read through this passage. After all they encompass the whole of scripture -- both testaments. I thought it was kind of funny that in a journey through the New Testament I so quickly encountered the Old Testament.
It was no accident.
The Old Testament holds a certain appeal for me. I am a rule-keeper. I like rules. It's so easy for me to live a good life. To live by the Law as I see it -- a set of rules and regulations, a religion -- and to imagine that I'm living by faith.
There is a great danger in that.
It's a danger I've seen in my own life as I've measured myself against a standard of religion and measured others against myself.
When we put too much emphasis on rules and regulations, on discipline and religion, we begin to think that we must live up to a religious standard. But the standard is impossible to achieve.
We can never live up to our ideal of what a good Christian is supposed to be.
We fail. And to ease the pain of our own failure, we turn our attention to those around us. And judge them according to our standard.
We overlook the Grace of God.
There is a reason that God instituted the age of Grace. No one besides Jesus Christ could possibly live up to the Law. No one can live up to the standards of religion that we, rule-keepers, try so hard to follow.
We all fail.
We need Grace, desperately.
And God gives it. That is the message of the New Testament -- the gift of Grace.
God gives Grace.
But, while too much emphasis on the Law and religion instigates judgement and self-condemnation, too much emphasis on Grace can be just as dangerous to our walk of faith.
The abundance of God's Grace combined with the weakness of our humanity, can cause us to take Grace for granted.
Because we cannot possibly live up to the standards set, we reason that there is no need to strive against our inherently sinful nature at all.
We begin to overlook sins that could be overcome if we would only take them to Calvary. To the foot of the cross. To Jesus.
The abundance of Grace in our lives can tempt us to give a false hope to those who have no hope because they've never met Jesus Christ at Calvary.
God gives the gift of Grace only to His children.
But He gives the gift of light to everyone.
Grace will not cover the sins of those who fail to accept the gift of Light that God offers to all humanity.
I cannot force God's Law -- or my religion -- on anyone else.
And I cannot pour Grace over anyone else's sin no matter how badly I may want to.
But I can shine a light -- the Light.
In the scriptures above, before he ever mentioned the gifts of Law and Grace, John wrote that God gives the gift of light to every person (John 1:9). God reveals Himself -- the true Light -- to every person.
Sometimes He even uses me and you -- the Church -- to do it.
We can BE the gift of light.
We can live in such a way that those around us see sin overcome and grace exemplified. We can live in such a way that the world sees the light of Christ -- the true Light -- in us.
We can become a living, breathing gift of God to those around us.
A light.
That is the gift of faith in us.
(Journey: Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1-4, John 1:1-18)
I began this journey contemplating the gift of faith. It didn't take long to find mention of other gifts bestowed by God. The first chapter of the book John records a list of gifts.
John tells us that God gives life to everything that He creates (John 1:4), and that He gives light to every person (John 1:9).
Every person receives enlightenment -- a chance to choose between the light of God and the darkness of this world. A chance to see the Light of the world -- Jesus Christ -- and accept Him or reject Him.
To those who choose to accept the Light, God then gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
The pool gets smaller as these gifts of God are dispersed. Life goes to all creation. Light to all humanity. The right of adoption to those who choose to become His children.
And then there are more gifts. Gifts given specifically to the children of God.
John tells us that God gives one gracious blessing after another (John 1:16). That He gives the Law and the gift of unfailing love and faithfulness OR grace and truth (John 1:17).
It was the final gifts -- specifically the Law and Grace -- that caught my attention as I read through this passage. After all they encompass the whole of scripture -- both testaments. I thought it was kind of funny that in a journey through the New Testament I so quickly encountered the Old Testament.
It was no accident.
The Old Testament holds a certain appeal for me. I am a rule-keeper. I like rules. It's so easy for me to live a good life. To live by the Law as I see it -- a set of rules and regulations, a religion -- and to imagine that I'm living by faith.
There is a great danger in that.
It's a danger I've seen in my own life as I've measured myself against a standard of religion and measured others against myself.
When we put too much emphasis on rules and regulations, on discipline and religion, we begin to think that we must live up to a religious standard. But the standard is impossible to achieve.
We can never live up to our ideal of what a good Christian is supposed to be.
We fail. And to ease the pain of our own failure, we turn our attention to those around us. And judge them according to our standard.
We overlook the Grace of God.
There is a reason that God instituted the age of Grace. No one besides Jesus Christ could possibly live up to the Law. No one can live up to the standards of religion that we, rule-keepers, try so hard to follow.
We all fail.
We need Grace, desperately.
And God gives it. That is the message of the New Testament -- the gift of Grace.
God gives Grace.
But, while too much emphasis on the Law and religion instigates judgement and self-condemnation, too much emphasis on Grace can be just as dangerous to our walk of faith.
The abundance of God's Grace combined with the weakness of our humanity, can cause us to take Grace for granted.
Because we cannot possibly live up to the standards set, we reason that there is no need to strive against our inherently sinful nature at all.
We begin to overlook sins that could be overcome if we would only take them to Calvary. To the foot of the cross. To Jesus.
The abundance of Grace in our lives can tempt us to give a false hope to those who have no hope because they've never met Jesus Christ at Calvary.
God gives the gift of Grace only to His children.
But He gives the gift of light to everyone.
Grace will not cover the sins of those who fail to accept the gift of Light that God offers to all humanity.
I cannot force God's Law -- or my religion -- on anyone else.
And I cannot pour Grace over anyone else's sin no matter how badly I may want to.
But I can shine a light -- the Light.
In the scriptures above, before he ever mentioned the gifts of Law and Grace, John wrote that God gives the gift of light to every person (John 1:9). God reveals Himself -- the true Light -- to every person.
Sometimes He even uses me and you -- the Church -- to do it.
We can BE the gift of light.
We can live in such a way that those around us see sin overcome and grace exemplified. We can live in such a way that the world sees the light of Christ -- the true Light -- in us.
We can become a living, breathing gift of God to those around us.
A light.
That is the gift of faith in us.
(Journey: Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1-4, John 1:1-18)
Monday, March 4, 2013
The journey begins
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God…Ephesians 2:8 KJV
Faith is a gift
from God.
Faith is a good and perfect gift from a Father who does not vary (James 1:17) – a Father who does not change through the course of time.
Yet faith seems to manifest in so many diverse ways in the lives of so many diverse people.
The same gift of faith that we all share – the faith that God, Himself, has measured out perfectly and given to each one of His children (Romans 12:3) seems so dissimilar sometimes in our individual lives.
The Church that exists today is segregated into an overwhelming array of diverse faiths.
God’s perfect gift of faith becomes lost amid the many ideas and concepts founded upon one unchanging gift of faith.
I’ve experienced this loss of faith in my own life and I’ve come to understand that the diversity of faith that overwhelms and even distorts God's perfect gift of faith comes from us – the Church.
We add to God’s perfect gift.
We take away from His faith.
We make His faith into our own faith.
We -- the Church -- mold the perfect gift of faith to fit our fleshly nature, but faith was never meant to fit our flesh.
Faith was meant to change our flesh. It was meant to mold us and change us into Christ's image. It was meant to add to and take away from us.
To add to our strength and abilities, so that we can accomplish God's will in this present world.
To take away our sins so that we will be ready to join Him in eternity.
I believe this is a lesson that God has been repeatedly speaking to my heart, particularly over the past year.
On December 31, 2011 in reading John 15, God whispered to me that I was entering a season of pruning.
Since that day, I have become broken.
My faith has become broken.
And I have come to understand that my faith was breakable because so much of it was My faith.
Many years ago, God gave me His perfect gift of faith, but through the years I have played a game of tug-of-war with faith. I have, at times, allowed faith to shape me. But much of the time, I have tried to make His gift fit my life and my idea of what faith is supposed to be.
I have shaped faith and made it my own instead of allowing God to shape and mold me through His faith into Christ’s image – and make me His own.
With a sincere, yet inherently wicked, human heart, I have molded His faith into My own faith.
Today from my broken and pruned state I set out in search of His faith. I set out in search of the gift that I have carried in my heart for most of my life, but have often buried beneath my own ideas, concepts, and life influences.
I search for the faith that set the world on fire more than 2000 years ago and became the foundation for the early Church, and I know just where to look.
I’m beginning a journey today – a fresh walk through the New Testament.
There in the God-breathed pages of scripture, I plan to pull loose the ribbons of the gospels, tear open the wrappings of the epistles and the Acts, and grasp God’s gift of faith – His faith.
Today, broken from a fragile vessel of my own making into a much more pliable lump of clay, I vow to allow His faith to mold me and shape me into the vessel – the Church member – that He has intended for me to become all along.
And I invite you to journey with me.
Faith is a good and perfect gift from a Father who does not vary (James 1:17) – a Father who does not change through the course of time.
Yet faith seems to manifest in so many diverse ways in the lives of so many diverse people.
The same gift of faith that we all share – the faith that God, Himself, has measured out perfectly and given to each one of His children (Romans 12:3) seems so dissimilar sometimes in our individual lives.
The Church that exists today is segregated into an overwhelming array of diverse faiths.
God’s perfect gift of faith becomes lost amid the many ideas and concepts founded upon one unchanging gift of faith.
I’ve experienced this loss of faith in my own life and I’ve come to understand that the diversity of faith that overwhelms and even distorts God's perfect gift of faith comes from us – the Church.
We add to God’s perfect gift.
We take away from His faith.
We make His faith into our own faith.
We -- the Church -- mold the perfect gift of faith to fit our fleshly nature, but faith was never meant to fit our flesh.
Faith was meant to change our flesh. It was meant to mold us and change us into Christ's image. It was meant to add to and take away from us.
To add to our strength and abilities, so that we can accomplish God's will in this present world.
To take away our sins so that we will be ready to join Him in eternity.
I believe this is a lesson that God has been repeatedly speaking to my heart, particularly over the past year.
On December 31, 2011 in reading John 15, God whispered to me that I was entering a season of pruning.
Since that day, I have become broken.
My faith has become broken.
And I have come to understand that my faith was breakable because so much of it was My faith.
Many years ago, God gave me His perfect gift of faith, but through the years I have played a game of tug-of-war with faith. I have, at times, allowed faith to shape me. But much of the time, I have tried to make His gift fit my life and my idea of what faith is supposed to be.
I have shaped faith and made it my own instead of allowing God to shape and mold me through His faith into Christ’s image – and make me His own.
With a sincere, yet inherently wicked, human heart, I have molded His faith into My own faith.
Today from my broken and pruned state I set out in search of His faith. I set out in search of the gift that I have carried in my heart for most of my life, but have often buried beneath my own ideas, concepts, and life influences.
I search for the faith that set the world on fire more than 2000 years ago and became the foundation for the early Church, and I know just where to look.
I’m beginning a journey today – a fresh walk through the New Testament.
There in the God-breathed pages of scripture, I plan to pull loose the ribbons of the gospels, tear open the wrappings of the epistles and the Acts, and grasp God’s gift of faith – His faith.
Today, broken from a fragile vessel of my own making into a much more pliable lump of clay, I vow to allow His faith to mold me and shape me into the vessel – the Church member – that He has intended for me to become all along.
And I invite you to journey with me.
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