Trusting I AM

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”  So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:35-40 (NLT)

Jesus, do you say that to me? “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have faith in me? Don’t you believe what I tell you?” I am sure you do. But Lord, like the disciples I am watching the waves crash on my boat. I’m seeing it fill with water and I feel the pull as it seems to sink just a little lower into the depths of the black. I feel the sting of the cold water as it washes over my body. And Lord, I can’t swim when the waves are so rough.

“Do you trust that I will not let you sink?”

Yes, sort of, but how do I reconcile that you do let some people sink that deep. Some people lose everything - including their lives. That makes me afraid.

“They didn’t sink. I was holding them. What they learned to trust was that my love is not dependent on your circumstances. Just because the waves are fierce doesn’t mean I am not walking in the storm with you. Is it possible that you trust what you see more than you trust who I AM?”

Touch Me Again

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Mark 8:22-25 (NLT)

Can you see me now? Sounds more like something we would say as we try to fix something, right? It doesn’t sound like something Jesus would say. We are so used to Jesus performing a miracle one time. One and done. There isn’t ever a question about whether he got it right the first time.

That’s why this story made me pause. And of course, then it made me ponder. Why? Why did he spit in the man’s eyes and then touch them and ask “Can you see anything?” I know Jesus could have healed the man immediately so to me, that’s not the question. The question is why didn’t he? We also know that Jesus always did things for the people’s benefit and God’s glory.

So what was it in this man that made Jesus heal him in stages? One of the interesting things in this passage is that other people brought him to Jesus and begged him to heal him. In other stories, the person who needed healing is crying out to Jesus for healing. Could the man have given up? Was his faith gone? Maybe he’d never heard of Jesus and didn’t know the possibilities?

When the friends brought him to Jesus, Jesus took over. He led him out of the town and had a one-on-one with him. He involved him in the process and engaged him in his healing. There could be so many reasons that Jesus interacted with this man the way he did and until we get to heaven we won’t know what they are. But, we do know a couple of things.

We are often like this blind man. Maybe we’ve given up. Maybe we are so discouraged we don’t have it in us to seek what is best for us. Maybe we just need a one-on-one.

I know Jesus has touched me and grown me in stages. I long for him to just change me into what he wants me to be. I really would like him to just make me new but because this has happened over time and in a relationship with him, it is so much more valuable to me.

When we encounter him, we are not healed all at once. It takes multiple encounters. And maybe, just maybe when we get a glimpse of the “trees”, we know there is something better and we keep looking for more.

Lord Jesus, please touch me again!

Getting The Fit Just Right

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:2-30 (MSG)

I was reading a book and the author suggested trying something different to let the Bible leave more of an impression on my sometimes too busy life. I decided to try it. As I “discover” a Bible verse that speaks to me, I print it out and hang it in a couple of places around my house. When I am in those places, I see it and read it and think about it. Some people would memorize it but I’m not sure I’d be too successful at that so instead I decided to let it seep in to my soul.

Today’s verse particularly intrigued me. I love the words “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” I started pondering what that meant. What are unforced rhythms of grace? As I thought about Jesus and how he interacted with people, I think I got a glimpse into how this looked.

Jesus was always around a lot of people. He spent the most time around his disciples and Peter, James and John. If you watch how he interacts with folks, it’s always different. He addresses them individually, where and how they need to hear him.

When Peter is spouting off, Jesus corrects him. When Peter does something great, Jesus commends him. When the woman with the bleeding disease touches his robe she expects to be chastised but Jesus affirms her. He tells them stories that are relevant to the moment. He constantly meets people where they are and loves on them in the way they need to be loved.

Jesus never said “Look. Here’s the deal. In order to follow me you need to clean yourselves up. Change your clothes, get new friends who do the same things you do and try to look the part. Once everyone is in line, we can grow the Kingdom.” That’s not how he worked. Instead he showered grace (His favor) on all he came in contact with and encouraged them to be themselves while learning to love him.

In The Voice verse 29 says “Put My yoke upon your shoulders—it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves.” I love that imagery. When Jesus calls us to follow him, the way we do it fits us perfectly.

How do we share Jesus in a way that is full of grace? How do we share this life while letting it fit each person individually? Jesus answers that too. “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.” We are never going to grow God’s Kingdom by trying to make everyone look the part. It takes acceptance and unconditional love that only comes from a relentless focus on Jesus.

A Minute In It - Which Soil Are You?

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Take a moment to read the passage below and answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

3-8 “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

18-19 “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.

20-21 “The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

22 “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.

23 “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” Matthew 13:3-23 (MSG)

Which soil are you?
Why do you think you fit into that group?
Is there anything you can do to change your soil type?
If so, what?

Starting to Stop

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

I can’t help but think at the beginning of the New Year about my habits. Are there things I should stop? Things I should start? I already mentioned that I really don’t like to exercise. It’s not the physical movement, just the idea of having to do it. I have that same thought process with a lot of things. I don’t like to have to do it, I want to want to do it.

I felt the same way about “church.” After being raised as a Christian, for quite a few years I decided I was going to do something else. That something else included a lot of bad habits. I was pretty happy in this life-style (or so I thought.)

One day, I took my kids to church. Honestly, because I felt like I had to. As I was sitting there with them listening to the sermon, I heard “Why don’t you come back?” Funny, even though I was not used to hearing God talk, I knew that’s who it was. And I said, “No thank you. I don’t need the rules. Church is usually a bunch of people who judge you and it is not fun.” Again, I heard it and again I replied the same way. And then God did something I didn’t expect. He said, “Don’t follow the rules. Come get to know me.” Maybe because he surprised me with that, maybe because that intrigued me, I said “OK. What do I have to lose? But, I am not going to give up all the things I do and all the things I like.” And God said, “Just get to know me.”

I left church that day and started the very long journey of getting to know God. I started reading a little devotional in the morning. Took me five minutes. After a while, I started praying and talking to God. And the journey continued.

God often surprised me by the funny things he did. Like the time when I was trying to quit smoking. Do you see the irony in this? I was trying so hard. Every time I failed and smoked, I would stop talking to God. One day as I thought about praying but felt guilty about the smoking and decided against it I heard “You know, I can see you when you smoke so why are you not talking to me? It’s not like you’re going to hide it.” The tone of the voice sounded like the tone I used with my kids when they were trying to hide something. I laughed and started talking to him in spite of the smoking and every other growth area.

As I look back these many years later, I realize I actually have stopped doing a lot of the things I said I wouldn’t stop. Some of the things I thought I liked, I no longer care about. And some of the things I swore I would never do, like talk about Jesus all the time, I do.

I wonder if when God said “Just get to know me” he smiled because he knew that when I did, I would fall in love with him. I wonder if he knew that the friendship we’ve grown would become the most important thing in my life.

That list of things I should stop and things I should start? I don’t really have a formal list. But, I give the control of that to God. I ask him what he wants me to stop and what he wants me to start. Because honestly, after all these years I’ve learned that if it’s on his list, it will make me happy.

Whose Plan Is It Anyway?

We can make our plans,  but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

I’m not really one for New Year’s resolutions. I figure if I want to start something, I’ll start it. If I want to stop something, I’ll stop it. It doesn’t make a difference what day it is and often putting off until a specific date what you should be doing now doesn’t seem logical to me. Take exercising for example. Not my favorite thing and it seems to be harder in the winter months. Honestly, I probably need a resolution to restart it every month!

But, I will also admit that there is something hopeful about the beginning of a new year. It’s a time to reflect on the past and the future. It’s a time for a clean slate and possibly some changes. This New Year, my focus seems to be on prayer. God started talking to me about this in November. And in my conversations with him, I decided to make this a 2019 focus. Not that I don’t already pray, but to dig deeper into it; to make it an anchor for my life.

So what will a deeper focus on prayer do for my life in 2019?

• It will move my plans to the side so God’s plans can take shape.

• It will help me stop saying “I can’t” because I will be reminded that God can.

• It will release the grip fear sometimes has on me so I can step out in boldness.

• I will learn to follow more through a constant conversation with Jesus and control less.

• Prayer will remind me to stop staring at my “old” and always be on the lookout for the “new” that God is doing.

• It will provide inspiration.

This list could go on and on. The only actual resolution I have is to dig deeper into prayer but look at all the possibilities!

Although your list will be very different than mine, I bet if you make prayer a priority in 2019, everything else on your list will fall into place.

Looking Forward

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NLT)

Each year I choose a character of God to try to understand him better. One year it was Joy. One year it was Power. In 2018 it was Glory. Usually, I go through the year and I look for God in these words and somewhere in the middle, I see him more clearly. Not this year. Glory was harder. One of the things that kept stumping me was when the Bible said we would share God’s glory. When I thought of God’s glory, I thought of how he showed up in the pillar of fire before the Israelites in the wilderness. And when the angels showed up and people dropped in terror. How can we share that?

At the very end of this year, it all came together. In Hebrews 1:3 it says that Jesus radiated God’s glory by being the very character of God (NLT), the perfect imprint (AMPC). Jesus was the essence of God.

In our text today, it talks about how when we choose God, we become more and more like Jesus. We are changed into his image. And as we do that, we share God’s essence, his character with those around us. We share in his glory. Sharing God’s glory isn’t about some bright power that appears with shock and awe. It is more about becoming his character and sharing who he is.

It is our responsibility to share that with others. And the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:15 that as more and more people experience him, there will be thanksgiving and praise and glory to his name.

I look back on 2018 and know that sometimes I shared God’s character and sometimes I didn’t. I know there were times when I really reflected him badly. I hate it when I do that. But, I am not discouraged by that. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says as we are changed into his glorious image. It’s a process. We will not be fully changed until we see Jesus when he comes again. The Bible also promises in Philippians 1:6 that God is faithful and will continue the work he started in us until completion.

So here’s to 2019 and beyond! As we continue to seek His face, as we continue to know Jesus more fully, may God change us to be more and more like him. May his glory be seen all throughout the earth!

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15 (ESV)

Happy Birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the tinsel and lights
And the presents are nice
But the real gift is you!

Happy Birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the carols and bells
Make the holiday swell
And it's all about you!

Happy Birthday Jesus
Jesus I love you
Happy Birthday Jesus
Jesus I love you
Written By Carol Cymbala

Merry Christmas Everyone!