Abiding -Lord, Help Our Unbelief

“I am restless until I rest in You.” These words by St. Augustine firmly tie in much of the truths I have been hearing in church recently and challenging the very core of my life: the secret to life in Christ is truly resting and abiding in Him. As believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, we know we are promised eternal security, and this truth gives us peace towards the outcome of our lives. Yet, sometimes, it can be easy to feel restless in the today, in the here and now, and in the seemingly small, yet so tedious things we must do today. In our restlessness, we become so vulnerable to discontentment and we start running to anything, hoping and looking in them for peace, joy, and rest that only Christ can bring. We become so susceptible to attacks from the world, Satan, and our own selves.

We aren’t resting in Jesus.

Grounding every part of our hearts, minds, and souls in Christ on a daily basis sets the foundation for abiding in Christ and enjoying His rest we are promised every minute of our sometimes boring lives, regardless of our situation or position. While it is okay to look forward to the seasons we hope to come in our lives, we must also realize that part of fully trusting Jesus is waiting with a thankful heart. Charles Spurgeon explains this balance with the following: “[Those in Christ] have a laudable desire to make sure of [their] God-given talents and to find for [themselves] a position in which [they] may do more good to [their] fellowmen, but [they are] not unrestful, anxious, fretful, grieving, or grasping. [They are] contented and thankful.” There is joy in embracing the current season and position we are in because we know that God wants to use us wherever we are –and, as pointed out in church this past Sunday, there is absolutely no substitute for His joy. It is easy to daydream about the next season we hope to come; but it is just as easy to try to find comfort and satisfaction in this vision. Yet our preferred future should not and cannot provide us with the rest we long for. Without abiding in Christ today, our plans are but feeble attempts to feed our hungry souls, grasping for anything that can quench our longings and try to make ourselves feel better. Soon we realize that even in the things we love most, we absolutely need Jesus.

Only Christ can satisfy.

Dear readers, I don’t know what you are facing today. But I want you to remember that no matter how fierce the temptation, trials, or lies you face, you are truly called, uniquely beloved, and completely kept only by Jesus Christ (Jude 1:1). Just as you can only find eternal security in Him, you can only find rest, peace, and joy in this life through Him. John 15, straight from the mouth and heart of Christ, challenges us: “Abide in [Christ]…As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in [Christ]…for without [Christ], you can do nothing.”

For without Christ, you can do nothing.

Try all you want, it’s true. I've tried it. And I know you have too.

How then, shall we find rest and the answers we truly need?

The secret is abiding in Christ. This beautiful phrase means we are spending time with the Lord, letting Him renew our minds by reading His Word, and leaving all our burdens to Him through prayer. As He begins to transform our hearts and minds, we are able to fight off the lies that attack us constantly either from other people or our own selves -from negativity, to hopelessness, to sin, to false teaching. Jesus begins to truly become our everything, enabling us to “take every thought captive” (II Cor. 10:5), becoming “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37), lighting the world with our testimony (Matt. 5:14-16), and truly, purely, joyfully abiding in Jesus (John 15:1-11). This is rest. This is His promise.

Lord, we believe, help our unbelief (Mark 9:24).

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

Some of you may know that I take frequent trips to France. Every journey is different: even if I visit the same places, they always hold different observations, challenges, and perks. Yet, they usually never fail to bring a more enlightened view of the Gospel and its impact on life. Frances J. Roberts explains this phenomenon so warmly in Come Away My Beloved: “[God] deepens you in the furnace of affliction, and purifies your soul in the fires of pain.” It amazes me how He similarly also speaks too through the more mundane instances of life or even the small joys. He reveals so much when we are looking for it and letting Him speak.

Perhaps strolling through France reminded me of scenes from Les Miserables; or the movies I had been watching with family were emphasizing similar social strives. But while walking along the beach yesterday, I kept thinking about a famous historical phrase: “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.” This philosophical and political motto invigorated France so powerfully for years, decades, and maybe even a couple centuries. But why was it so captivating? Why in countless countries around the world do people strive for these words or similar mantras?

Because we were created for freedom -we were created to crave liberty, equality, and fraternity.

I love to study politics, especially as an attempt to understand their philosophical foundations, their human justifications, and their results on society. However, in this post, I am not going to dive into the contradicting thoughts and opposing factions of eighteenth century France. What I want to focus on is our innate desire to be free, to embrace equality, and to live with others as a family.

I attended a Catholic Christmas mass about a week ago or so and was stricken by how many people seemed to be there simply by tradition, hoping that somehow fulfilling this festive practice would make their year conclude better and bring about a fortunate new one. Communion was welcomed, something to be done for a blessing, a reminder of days of old, or a warmth in a dark, cold world. The partakers seemed to look towards each other with a hope for brotherhood, a yearning for unity. They were all looking for the same thing: freedom from the awfulness of year 2014 and the worry towards 2015; freedom from the burdens they were carrying; freedom for their souls full of strife, mistakes, and pain. They wanted all to be equal in this unfair world, equal, loved, and free.

Because that’s what they were created for.

Last Sunday, I visited a local evangelical church for the first time in the area. When the service concluded, I was left with joy, reminded that I had what so many across France and the entire world craved and yearned for: freedom, equality, and fraternity. My freedom comes from my salvation in Jesus Christ. Because I believe, He frees me from everything unholy and daily renews my heart, mind, and soul when I turn to Him. I stand equal before God, as any other human being does because He has created us all in His image and is ready to accept any of us into His kingdom of sons and daughters if only we believe. Finally, I can experience a beautiful family experience with all other believers. Constantly the book of Acts opens my eyes to what the Church should really be: one big united family in the truth of the Gospel.

Dear France, dear world –you can have Liberté, égalité, et fraternité. You were created for it. You were created for Jesus Christ.

Just a Typical Girl

This morning, I finished a little study on ten different women mentioned in the Bible. None of these ten had what we would consider “perfect lives.” They were all going through a typical woman’s life: child-bearing problems and fears; war; emotional abuse or suffering; widowhood and the care of bitter elderly; death of a loved one; national crisis; family threat; tough choices; tests of faith and lessons of letting go; consequences from sin or poor choices. Their imperfections and weaknesses, along with the world’s sinful impact on them, brought them to places of lowness and fear, senses of failure and abandonment, and temptations to despair and to bid farewell to dreams or their promises from God.

My dear reader, do you recognize yourself yet?

These events all sound like typical things we women still go through today. These Bible characters were clearly all typical women. They were like you and me.

Yet what made them different was their faith –faith that the Lord is Sovereign God, faith that Jesus and His plan are enough, and faith that He is faithful, Keeper of His promises. What made them different was what they believed and their resulting choices. What made them worthy was their intentional decision to believe; and what gave them their lasting legacy was taking a stand for what they believed. This is the Gospel. Nothing worthy or outstanding comes from ourselves, but everything falls together beautifully in the name of Jesus when we respond to the desire He puts in us to crave and follow Him.

Because He loved us first. 

Sarah. Deborah. Hannah. Ruth. Mary. Esther. Miriam. Rahab. Jochebed. The woman at the well. They were all typical, dream-filled girls who turned into typical women struggling and fighting for those dreams. But these typical girls discovered a radical truth and experienced the God Who held everything they could truly delight in forever: His Word, His plan, and even His nature. Simply, they could delight in Him.

So, ladies, I don’t have to tell you twice that we are not worthy and that our sandcastles are quickly washed away by the clock. You already know that. Sin and the effects of time are no strangers to you; we have all quickly become acquainted to them. 

But the hope that comes from Christmas can last the entire year once you realize that God turns typical girls into worthy dream fulfillers and conquerors of His plan upon realization that He is the true delight of our hungry hearts.

From the Blind

Pirate is a horse with only one eye. Yet, his trust towards his rider baffles me. Embracing adventures across the fields and woods, Pirate walks, trots, and canters with energy and enthusiasm. He is unafraid of the unseen but presses on with a seeming joy and carefreeness that often many other horses don’t exhibit. Oh, if only he knew what he teaches me…

I used to think that by age 23, I would have everything figured out. There is nothing more false than that childhood fantasy! In fact, it seems that my questions have only increased, my insecurities have only become more revealed, my lack of adequacy only more present, and my unknown future has turned into an understatement. But if I focus on what I do not know, I can only find discouragement and frustration. If I focus on dreams and on imagination, I will only find insignificance.

“Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”[1]

No, I cannot focus on these things I lack, the prayers answered with “wait” or “no,” the thorns never removed, or even the dreams that may or may not come to pass, and the future I think I desire. These thoughts only become little gods that displace my Sovereign Lord from His rule in my life and His work through me. I can only focus on the gifts that He has given me today, knowing that these little steps are mine to take for His Kingdom. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

You see, you and I have it all wrong. It’s so easy to believe that this life is about us, about our castles in sands, about our dreams and goals coming to pass, about seeing fruits to our labor, and about our little worlds. Yes, God does choose to use our work –but He could still accomplish His plan without us. All He needs to do is speak, and that which He commanded comes to pass. “So shall My word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

Rather, what He desires most is for me to know Him more, for me to want Him more, and for me to glorify Him more through this growing relationship with Him. It’s not about rules and laws followed or the number of other souls I reach but about my heart truly loving Him. “For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17). Part of wanting Christ more, loving Him more, and glorifying Him more is learning to trust Him more and more, day by day –even in the dark, in the questions, in the pain, in the battles, in the struggles, in the failures, in the long hours of work. Just like Pirate, I need to embrace God’s adventures for me across the fields and woods of life, as He opens and closes the doors, one at a time, or a thousand all at once. In His strength and the confidence He gives me, I can go any speed He needs me to through the various seasons of my journey here –with energy and enthusiasm straight from His heart. I can be unafraid of the unseen and press on with true, secure joy and carefreeness…and watch Him use me to teach others about His truths.

“Eyes On You” –Shane & Shane

I don't know which way to go
But my eyes are on You
I don't know which way to turn
But my ears are to the ground
You say that I can hear Your voice
So I am listening

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

I still don't know which way to go
But my eyes are on You
I still don't know which way to turn
But my ears are to the ground
As long as You are lifted up
I don't have to understand

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

The battle is the Lord's
So I'll walk towards You in the dark
Cause I know that in the end we win
So I'm all in
Lead me I'm Yours

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

---

[1] From “Be Thou My Vision”

But. Love.

As we pass through the seasons of life, we expect certain revelations from God –truths promised at last explained, answers begged for provided, and prayers met as we sought fit. Even though we repeat to ourselves that His ways are higher and better (Isaiah 55:8-9), we still act surprised when He answers in another way, when He brings us the unexpected, or when He sheds light on an issue not searched.

But. Love.

Love is what brings us the outcomes of our prayers, the results of our endurance, and the insight on His nature, even if none are what we had asked or wished for. In His love, He allows every detail. Even the tears. Even the heartache. Even the unexplained. Even the answered questions. Even the waiting. And even the unexpected insight. After all, some say that true love comes when you least expect it.

In our blinded mindsets, it’s easy to place love in a box. To quote one of my favorite songs,

Have you ever seen true love
And do you know what it's made of,
And where it came from?

Or could it be the world has left you blind
And every day you pass it by,
You don't even recognize it.

Recently, God has stretched some of my understandings of love, opening my eyes to some of the everlasting greatness of His love. True love would give anything, expecting nothing in return, expecting neither future nor promise of it. True love fights and endures when nothing makes sense. True love means praying in faith, trusting God’s sovereignty in the unseen. True love is not blind but accepts the mistakes –past, present, and future. True love sees the potential but victoriously endures through the reality. True love knows how to give space, to let go, and to establish boundaries. True love proclaims and lives out the promises of God.

We are lost in a world of chaos, misery, despair, lies, and destruction.

But. Love.

True love came down to save us and awaits for us to claim it personally into our lives. This love is the love of God as displayed through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus gave everything for us, yet expected nothing in return; in fact, He knew even our greatest songs of worship and acts of service would be but rags (Isaiah 64:6). He fought the temptations of Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and endured the torture of the cross. Before His crucifixion, Jesus could be found on His knees, yielding His future to His Sovereign Father (Luke 22:42). When we approach Jesus, He, as God, is far from blind to all the sins we have committed…and will still fall to. Yet, He still comes when we call and promises grace to those who humble themselves before Him (James 4:6). Countless times we fail Him yet He still chooses to use us for the growth of His Kingdom (Mark 16:15). Yes, Jesus even gives us space –He knows only in our free will can we come to truly follow Him. In His holiness, He must establish boundaries –and in His perfection, every word and action of Christ is in accordance to His Word.

Yes. But. Love. Will you choose it? Will you embrace it?
Will you love like He loves?

Through Roses and Thorns

“In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).

We have been promised this since day one. When Jesus came to earth to bring to pass the ultimate needed sacrifice for our salvation, He challenged His wanna-be followers that the road would be hard. It wasn’t really a matter of if, but rather when.

It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking that our life path should be lined with roses. If you are a dreamer like me, it becomes easy to believe that the other side is greener, that once the goal is reached or the dream is lived, everything will be “just roses.” We writers often glory in the “happy endings” we can bring our stories to at our own whim and in our own timing. I am not advocating an attitude of martyrdom; but while God definitely blesses us beyond our sinful nature deserves, even rose bushes have thorns. Every season of life has its ups and downs, its glories and disappointments, its roses and its thorns.

Amy Carmichael, one of my favorite missionaries who has produced beautiful writing collections of honest and sincere faith before the Lord, challenges us with these words: “The Lord Jesus made it plain from the beginning that there would be trail of many kinds for all who would follow Him, and He Himself led the way in that path. Should we be surprised when we find ourselves following in His footsteps?” No, we should not be surprised. We should be humbled and moved to worship that He would call us to follow Him, even though our greatest works are rags and our best of intentions are tainted by our sinful nature. “He wants us all to understand quite definitely that if we follow in the way of the cross we must be prepared to take up the cross,” Carmichael continues. The way is long and difficult. It’s narrow and can be discouraging. It hurts and attempts to destroy us. Even on sunny days and through rows of roses we find thorns.

But this is where joy steps in. This is where being a follower of Christ comes to light.

When hardships and suffering hit, “you are now in a very good position to prove that gift of joy… [Now] is the time to prove the things we believe. Your whole life now is a proving of His power to enable you to do anything. You will never be able to fear again, I think, after all this.” Amy Carmichael hits it again: hardships only remind us of our existing frailty and incompetence that we so easily forget about when all seems to be going our way with little effort. Hardships remind us of our need of the cross –and serve as reminders to others of the glory and victory that comes only through Jesus Christ. Hardships turn us to the heart of Christ and invigorate us with fearless yet graceful strength that will not run dry. This morning when I read Proverbs 18, verse 10 struck me powerfully: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower” –SIMPLY HIS NAME declares His power and security.

We must come to “glory in our infirmities” (II Corinthians 12:9); we must come to the point where we are grateful for the hardships and challenges; we must welcome the opportunities to make more of His glory and power known. “Looking back, I know I would not have chosen any other [path with thorns] if I could have known when first I began to walk in it what it would mean of His companionship, and also of the power to enter into the griefs of others. It was all worthwhile, ten thousand times worthwhile.” It’s true. Trials draw us closer to Him and teach us things about Him and others that we would never even come close to comprehending without these difficult moments. They teach us to love more and be filled with His heart and mind. They show us His ways and open our eyes to His unseen, broadening our impact for His Kingdom and widening our opportunities to glorify Him.

In closing, let’s look at John 16:33 in its entirety: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We are not alone.

And through Him, we overcome the world too –even through the roses and thorns.

Why Does It Hurt?

Words can be the deadliest of weapons, the most grieving attacks to the human heart, mind, and soul –the cause of the most pain, suffering, and doubt.

Whether or not the words are true, they hurt. They are like darts piercing even through the most calloused heart, the most trained mind, and the strongest soul. They launch at the very being, the core of who we are, and at our very identity. Who we are becomes insignificant, a bother, worthless, and a waste. Even when others try to console us or our logic denies the legitimacy of the attacks, somehow the words echo and take over our thinking, paralyzing our judgment and crippling our efficacy.

Why is it so easy to fall to these attacks? Why is it so easy to believe the words? Why does it hurt?

Because deep down inside, we cannot deny our sinful nature –and our flesh and the enemy like to take advantage of this confession. We know that even if those exact words and accusations were not true, surely we must be guilty of something. And trust me: satan is quick to remind us of our failures, of our vulnerabilities, and of our struggles. He craves to have us dwell on them. If he cannot get us to fall, he will get us to become enslaved to a fearful victim mentality. As so powerfully said in a sermon I heard recently, “the fight for faith is the fight for joy.” Darkness wants us to lose our efficiency for the Kingdom –and it starts by stealing our joy.

So what can we do?

No, we are not to deny our human frailty, our double mindedness, our sinful nature and desires. Rather, we are actually supposed to admit and confess them. But confessions are not the last step –they are only the first. These should become our testimony, our indication to the world of the general need for Christ, and a declaration of His amazing power and love. Our brokenness then only becomes an opportunity for Christ to work and for us to declare His glory (from Standing Firm by Donna Partow).

If you are battling the hurt of words today, remember who you are IN THE LORD. Don’t turn to your own worth or accomplishments because those do not stand. Any things we view as good in our lives are but rags in the eyes of a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). Rather, place your worth and boast in Jesus Christ alone: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 12:9). The next time someone tells or makes you feel you are worthless, tell them it is true BUT that Christ has made you worthy through the power of His blood in His perfect sacrifice. “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (II Cor. 4:7). Our lives, our accomplishments, our growth, and our prides are but jars of clay –they shatter so easily! But God can still use them because He wants and chooses to –because to Him goes all the glory and praise. “So that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (I Cor. 1:31).

"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that will rise against you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD." -Is. 54:17

THERE IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS

To Write or Not To Write -That Is the Question

Writing –thoughts put to words; songs of hurt or praise; prayers of plea, of deliverance, or of rejoicing; emotions placed between the parameters of a dictionary; truth expressed with flawed vocabulary. Writing is powerful –it always has been- and maybe even more powerful than the tongue. Writing lasts, is less easily forgotten, and now with modern technology, can convey opinions and facts across the world within seconds.

Maybe that’s why I John so heavily stressed his motives behind the writing of his letter. The writer knew the power of words –of the written.

Because I love writing so much, I found great encouragement, challenge, and guidance in his reasons for writing. I, too, should strive to match my scribbles to his standards. 

1.       “and these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1.4)
JOY –there it is again! The beautiful result of salvation and of full surrender to the Lord. In my writing, I must seek to move people to discard discouragement to rather embrace joy. While I must speak truth and truth may hurt, I must speak it in love because love is the most powerful tool of change and of redemption (I Peter 4:8).

2.       “these things write I unto you, that you sin not” (2.1)
I must write to encourage others to cast away sin. As stated above, I must speak the truth –and truth often includes the pointing out of sin. Writing so can be challenging for many because we so easily follow the cultural trend of the fear of intolerance. But God does not tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13).

3.       “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.” (2.7)
This is beautiful. The Word of God does not change; His truth has always been the same, from the Old Testament through the New Testament, from the beginning to the end through eternity. I have no right to add or take away from His truth –I must write only according to His Word (Revelation 2:19).

4.       “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines” (2.8)
Yet, while the theme of Scripture has never changed, the Gospel stands in stark contrast with the legalism of old that had been wrongfully concluded from God’s commandments and standards of holiness. To those who had twisted His Words, the Gospel was new: it was freedom.  Today, the Gospel is still so new to so many. Thousands across the world and in our own neighborhoods still have never heard or read the truth about JESUS. My writing should direct the hearts of my readers to this amazing grace; my writing should have the power to carry itself throughout my Judea and Samaria and across the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

5.       “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.” (2.12-14)
God’s Word is applicable to everyone, to every age, to every maturity level. While uncompromising the truth, my writing should seek to pursue all groups…and should offer food to all who come with an open heart (I Peter 2:2-3).

6.       “I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” (2.21)
My writing should not only target nonbelievers but also those who already believe. As a Christian, I have the responsibility to outreach to those around me and raise them up as God empowers me in Christ’s name (Titus 2:1-6). I can’t stop with spreading the Good News of salvation but I must encourage discipleship and growth too.

7.       “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.” (2.26)
My words must warn of Satan’s deceptive ways. He walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). Any believer is vulnerable!

8.       “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (5.13)

This is probably the most important guideline for my writing: I must point my readers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My readers should walk away from their computer or close out of my blog posts having a better sense about their inadequacy before God’s holiness, their need for Jesus day by day, and His free offering to them of salvation through His name alone by humble faith (Matthew 18:13).

 Now I must rise to the challenge: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

DELIGHT.

I just finished reading Deuteronomy, and I never expected to be so blessed and so touched by that book as I have been for the past couple weeks. There is so much I could write about it, and maybe I’ll focus more posts on some of its many, rich themes, but for now I’d like to spend time on DELIGHT in the Lord. It stuck out much, much more than in the previous books of the Pentateuch.

Yes, there is definitely throughout Deuteronomy still a strong emphasis on the laws the Jews were expected to follow. But something much more powerful than the law shine through as well –an emotion and a commitment, both wrapped up so powerfully in the life and truth offered by the Word. My Bible commentary mentioned that Deuteronomy contains one of the first declarations of God’s love for His people. This in turn works as motivation for the people to turn to this God and to His love. After all, I John 4:19 confesses, “We love Him, because He first loved us.”

This love, I think, when it grows, turns into DELIGHT. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 provides a beautiful summary of the Ten Commandments, as well as a revealing testimony of truly delighting in the Lord:

1.     Fear the Lord

2.     Walk in all His ways

3.     Love the Lord

4.     Serve Him with your all

5.     Keep His commandments

As we follow His Words, we can rest in the knowledge that He will reward in His best time (Deut. 11:33-34). As we cleave to Him (v. 20), He becomes most importantly our true praise and moves into the correct position in our lives: GOD (v. 21). He becomes the rightful Author of every good thing (James 1:17) and the Mighty Deliverer from the evil He allows (Matthew 4:1, 11; Deut. 7:18, 21; 20:1-4). He is our consuming fire of righteousness (Deut. 4:24; Matthew 3:11) –fire by night and cloud by day. He allures us by His goodness and justice: we all crave both deep down in our hearts. The more we dive into His Word, the more we love and delight in it (Psalm 119:16). I can definitely testify to this! Ever since I started this amazing journey of reading the Bible from cover to cover, I have seen the Word come alive around me; I have become more aware of His work; and I have become more enraptured by His nature.

Don’t get me wrong: this transformation and renewal does not happen overnight and does not become fulfilled until we meet Him face to face (Phil. 3:12). But because of the precious and selfless sacrifice of Christ’s life and my choice to claim Him as my Savior, I can walk on this journey of boundless discovery of His character, His ways, and His plan –with delight in every step when I keep my gaze on His (Phil. 3:13-14). “You shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to…wherever the Lord your God has blessed you” (Deut. 12:7). I will rejoice. I will delight.

In closing, I would like to include a passage from Kisses from Katie, a book I am currently reading about a young missionary in Uganda:

“For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite Bible verses has been Psalm 37:4: ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.’ I used to believe it meant that if I did what the Lord asked of me, followed His commandments, and was a ‘good girl,’ He would grant all my desires and make my dreams come true. Today, this is still one of my favorite passages of Scripture, but I have learned to interpret it in a totally different way. It is not about God making my dreams come true but about God changing my dreams into His dreams for my life.

Today I am living the desires of my heart and I cannot imagine being happier; I cannot imagine living any other life than the one that unfolds before me day by day. But believe me, I am by no means living my plan… This is not a life that I dreamed up on my own or even knew I desired. I am watching God work, and as I ‘delight myself in the Lord’ by doing what He asks of me and by saying yes to the needs He places in front of me, He is changing the desires of my heart and aligning them with the desires of His. As I go with Him to the hard places, He changes them into the most joyful places I could imagine.”

As you come to delight more and more in the Lord and His Word, He may or may not ask you to completely change your lifestyle or pursuits as He did for Katie. Each one of us has a different, specific calling. But the main goal that is the same for all of us to "love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). 

There Is Glory in Weakness.

We are taught to be strong. We are told to be held together, to hold our heads high, to be brave, to be bold, to let none see our weaknesses –the list goes on. When you show your power, others will not sense your vulnerabilities, will fear messing with you, will leave you alone, and won’t try to tear down your walls. You won’t be challenged. You will be in control. You will be safe.

Well, let me challenge you as I was…

I just read through I and II Samuel and watched unfold before my eyes the life of David. I almost cried when this man so faithful to his God in the middle of a crowd fell in a secret, deep sin. Yet my heart rejoiced when he found forgiveness and mercy in a God who still cared to have him remembered as the one after His heart. Known so well for his triumphant defeat against Goliath, David should stand out to us not only for a blatant victory against evil but also for his silent trust in a Sovereign God.

Though beyond a shadow of a doubt called by God to be the next king of Israel, David found himself RUNNING from his predecessor who had come to hate him for the very reason he had first asked for him: dedicated service and a heart for God. For years, David hid in the mountains, the wilderness, and even his enemies. Twice he had the opportunity to kill the very man who was keeping him from God’s call on his life –his friends, even, encouraged him to slay Saul. It would have been so easy. It would have been so fast. Then, by the swing of a sword, Saul would have finally been defeated and David could embrace his already guaranteed kingship –his calling. He had been anointed by Samuel after all. Both times, though, David refused to harm Saul. Was David weak? Was David a coward?

He realized he was but a mere man that a Sovereign God wanted to use. That same Sovereign God who had called him to kingship would take care of ALL of His adversaries in His time. David had no right to decide when that timing was. Perhaps this does make David weak, in the world’s standards.

But there was glory in this weakness.

David recognized that all along, all his life, even when he was a young shepherd boy, God honored his humble heart that pursued and craved Him.  Later in his life, when David had to face his sin and its consequences, it was “weakness” that brought him back to the heart of God. Again during his kingship, David was faced with foolish adversaries who mocked him; David’s men encouraged him to destroy these enemies. David could have easily put anyone to death in his kingdom –he was king! Yet he insisted that God would settle the matter in His own time, in His own manner. He knew He could trust God to fulfill His promise. He chose to do nothing and maybe even be viewed as a weak king so that he could leave room for God to work. There IS glory in weakness.

I started reading I Peter a couple days ago, and this morning, a similar theme seemed to shine from the pages: I Peter 2 points out Christ’s behavior when He was falsely accused and in the midst of unfair suffering: He completely left it in the hands of the Sovereign God. He knew what He was called to do –and He knew He could trust the Father to fulfill His side of the promise too.

We are called to a similar walk in life. What can this world really do to us?

No matter how weak we are, we feel, or we realize we SHOULD be…there is beauty and there is glory in that weakness. It is this weakness that draws us to our knees, that motivates our hearts to thirst for His face and His truth, that moves us to compassion to a starving world, and that secures our hope and true confidence in OUR Sovereign God.

“You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied…the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands” (I Samuel 45, 47).

This was David’s cry throughout his entire life –against the bears and lions that sought to steal his sheep; against Saul who coveted the blessing of God on David’s life; and against all other enemies that mocked David’s leadership and delight in God. Will it be yours? Dear readers, I do not know what you’re going through. I probably will never hear from you nor hear your story. But I wager to say that you have weaknesses –everyone does! It’s really not a matter of having them but of what you will do with them.

Will you be ashamed of your weaknesses? Will you stuff them in a closet, hoping that the doors will not accidentally open when you have company over? Do you have power but long to restrain it but are afraid to? Will you accept and embrace your weaknesses, leaving them at His feet? Will you commit yourself to the One who judges righteously (I Peter 2:23)? Will you trust Him?

There is GLORY in these weaknesses, no matter what these are. 

Simply Duty

So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’ (Luke 17:10).

This evening, I started to really seriously look at my upcoming coursework for my next class that is about to begin. To be completely honest, I started to feel that big drowning feeling in my stomach rising through my chest: the big “o” word –overwhelmed, especially since this course is supposed to overlap with another one that looks twice as more intense and demanding. Suddenly, I had to laugh at myself, at my fear, and at my future! I can’t let myself get overwhelmed, but rather I should remember what, or rather Who, this entire degree is all about: His work and His alone. It’s about my taking a leap into the unknown, about walking on water…with just the sound of His Spirit to lead me and with my eyes wide open to continue to see His beautiful painting come alive before my heart, mind, and soul. In fact, He has already begun to reveal to me part of it in ways that only point to Him. Nobody else may quite see it as I do; others may even view me as crazy. But all that matters is that I, I do know. And as I know and remember, I grow and am left only more and more in humble awe and sincere emptiness, ready for Him to fill and overflow me over and over and forever.

But as I move to embrace every day as an adventure with and for Him, I cannot fall to the temptation to pat myself on the shoulder for such a choice. It is, rather, just my mere duty to Him. Following Him, picking up my designed cross, forsaking this world and its empty promises, seeking His face above all, breathing in and out His Word, and obeying His still, small voice –this is only and simply my calling. Just as Jesus tried to explain to His disciples many, many years ago, I need to recognize that to choose any other walk is foolish…and to cling to His promises while trusting and obeying is my only reasonable service, the essence of true life, and the summary of any lasting legacy. We have done what was our duty to do. Simply my duty –no accolade should be expected. What a foreign concept for my human, sinful mind swamped by a culture that worships self, seeks personal advancement and comfort above all, and desires to prove itself worthy! Everyone and anyone desire a prize, some sort of trophy –but do we really deserve it?

Micah 6:8 states that what God REQUIRES of me is to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. Through Christ’s strength, this has become my duty. Will I accept it with joy this year of 2014, only hoping to hear one day, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:14-30)? Will YOU?

Grateful for Waiting. Grateful for the Unseen.

I used to despise winter. Growing up, I came to dread the long series of gloomy, wet, and cold days that seem to wrap Christmas and overstay its welcome well into March and April. I am grateful that the type of winter I now see is sunnier than the ones I grew up with; but I have also come to truly treasure the change of seasons, enjoying each one for the unique beauty it holds and seeking the lessons it desires to teach me. 

We are in the middle of celebrating THANKSGIVING, so naturally, I was attracted to the idea of thinking and writing about gratefulness. During this season, we tend to make more "gratitude lists" than we normally do -words on a paper strung together to represent all our greatest blessings. We sit around a table and take turns to mention special people, places, and circumstances that brought us great joy throughout the year. One recent fad I observed this year was daily Facebook status after status about reasons a certain soul was grateful. Another habit I really liked was sharing over social media photo albums that held pictures of its designer's greatest motivators for thanks. 

While all of these habits are to be encouraged and should be practiced year-round, most all hold one element in common: they are about what we can immediately see. The seen and the immediate are usually what our minds most focus on, but it should not be so. As Christians, we should dwell beyond the here and now -and our gratefulness should reflect such an eternal purpose. 

How many of us are waiting for something?

I believe we ALL are, in some form or another.  I used to think that being in a state of waiting came and went at different times of our lives; now, I see it as a definition of our journey on this earth. Whether it's awaiting the end of a season of chastisement, looking for the fulfillment of a God-given dream, or yearning for freedom from pain and sickness, all of us are in a season of waiting. But when was the last time that we thanked God for the waiting? When was the last time that we thanked God for this perpetual season of life? We see waiting as a burden, a cross to carry, and a struggle. In many ways, waiting IS all of those! But, waiting is also the opportunity for a more consistent and stronger growth and for the revelation of His glory. Once we choose to trust God to reveal us the beauty of waiting and to fulfill His promises in His most perfect and glorious time, our hearts are filled with gratefulness for the unseen: the things to come and the resulting closer walk with Him. So this Thanksgiving, let us focus on the convictions He places in our hearts and the revelation of who He is through these; and let us embrace with joy and gratefulness our seasons of waiting and our coming fulfillment of His promises. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Cor. 4:18). “But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him” (I Cor. 2:9).

"Strangely Dim"
by Francesca Battistelli (to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmZ2v0niCI)

I've got all these plans piled up sky high
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don't know why,
I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can't see
Past the things I pray
Today

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

Sometimes where I stand
On this narrow road
Is in a raging storm
Or a valley low
But oh

When I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

I don't know, I don't know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You're holding it all
So no matter what may come

I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
'Til every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade
And fall to the ground
I'm gonna seek Your face
And not look around
Til the place I'm in
Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim.