A Hug...or is Something Else Needed?

I love being nice. In fact it has been one of my trademarks. Sweet encouraging words and hugs to lift the soul are never far from my heart. Over the years I have gotten comments like, "You are the sweetest person I have ever known.", "You always know the right thing to say.", "Why are you so nice?" I hope that the Lord has used some of this "niceness" to draw others to him but I have recently realized that my niceness has been out of place. It has been offered out of a competing love for the Lord and the world that has left me with niceness. Why niceness? Because it allows me to extend love even when undeserved out of love for the Lord without costing me the worlds love. Niceness is an idol in my life. Jesus never offered a hug when something else was needed. Given that I am unaware of the word "hug" being used in the Bible let me reword it this way, Jesus never offered sweetness at the expense of truth. God said this through the prophet Jeremiah, "Behold, I will pluck them up from their land, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, 'As the Lord lives,' even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people. But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the Lord." Jesus has come but he is God and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God does not take sin lightly and he goes to great lengths to move us to repentance, but if as his people we are not speaking truth, and people remain ignorant of the coming destruction, then we are not only not loving we are in fact condemning them in the truest sense of the word. If in light of sin I adopt our cultures words and say "Its alright, everyone makes mistakes." Then I am prizing my comfort above their need for truth. God is love and his love is always extend but it is extended in life saving truth not in face saving pleasantries. Jesus came to save all people but it never looked the same. He appraised the situation and offered what was needed not what was wanted. For the adulterous women he saved her from stoning but told her "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:11). For the repentant Canaanite women who was rejected by the disciples but declared Jesus her master Jesus replied, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." (Matthew 15:28). To the rich young ruler who had dedicated himself to following the law Jesus said, "If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21). To the pharisees Jesus said, "Now you pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you." (Luke 11:39-41). And to the money-changers who defiled the temple Jesus "entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:12-13). Jesus' desire was for the salvation of these men and yet he did not have a "nice" response to their sin. For each of these people the purpose of his response was to lead them to repentance, to offer them life to the full, to offer them eternity with him. Yet, his responses were bold and required a response from the people they were addressed to. This is the type of love that Jesus spoke of. This is the type of love that he exemplified. And this is the type of love that we are called to. May the Lord forgive me for the times I have offered a hug when something else was needed, and may he give us the strength to speak the truth in love no matter the cost.

Freedom in the Fear of the Lord

I have been reading through Jeremiah and today was amazed at how much the Lord pleads Truth on our behalf. I know that context can illuminate scripture but the Lord has also been reminding me that his word is eternal and in being so it is as applicable today as it was when it was written. In Jeremiah 10 the Lord pleads with his people to acknowledge the emptiness of idols. Here is some of what he says:

"Do not fear them for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good." V. 5

"They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!" V.8

"They are worthless, a work of delusion." V.15

As I read this I began to think about the cultural application for us and wondered what the Lord would put in place of wood and silver and gold. Our idols are made by a different kind of craftsmen but they fill our culture. They are made of steel with racing strips. They are towering homes of brick. They are seemingly infinite combinations of liquid anesthetic. They are pills that promise deliverance from our problems. They are other people eager for 5 minutes of fulfillment. They are boxes that promise hours of mental relaxation. They are anything that we are tempted to find our security in believing it to be more concrete than the promises and presence of the living God. Here is what he says about himself:

"But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting king! At his wrath the Earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation." V.10

"It is he who made the Earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the Earth. He makes lightening for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouse!" V. 12-13

There is none like the Lord! There is much in this world that promises deliverance at the cost of our standards and leaves emptiness where the Lord desires fulfillment. There is much that promises security for the price of compromise and delivers desperation. But the Lord is in control of all things and though it may seem that our compromise escapes his attention scripture assures us that it does not. God is love and he is holy. I want to learn to live in awareness of both truths. In his great mercy as I learn to live by his word, the fulfillment of his presence in my life offers strength to turn down more idols that offer counterfeit security. The Lord's heart is only for our good! May we learn and understand the freedom and joy that comes from the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 37

Fret not yourselves because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness

as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who

prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace!

When we are aware of darkness, even overwhelming darkness, this is what carries us! This is the truth that reminds us that in the Lord we can endure anything knowing that it is but a season. Fret not! Trust in the Lord! Delight in the Lord! In just a little while, the wicked will be no more! And on the heels of this, if we truly believe it, regardless of what reality we currently face, there is nothing to do but give thanks. Give thanks to a God that is faithful and good and gracious and holy! A God who did not stoop to accommodating our ugliness but rather made a way for us to be welcomed into his holiness! A God that through his son, chose to make us his beloved!

26 and 26 things i'm thankful for

I am 26 today! I'm sure that my parents feel this way more than I can imagine, but my how time flies! What fills my heart is that I am entering my 26th year acutely aware of unmerited blessing in my life. Gifts from the loving Father and Savior who chose to be my Beloved and to make me his beloved; I will spend my life thankful for the privilege!

Here are 26 things I am thankful for:
1. A redeemed family that fills the walls of this simple house with love, laughter, and memories.
2. Parents who are leaving a legacy of love, forgiveness, repentance, and pursuit of the most high God.
3. The privilege of brothers! I am forever thankful for you guys Ryan, Michael, and Jon. You all have brought great joy and comfort to my life.
4. Brothers of a different kind. My brothers in Christ have blessed me and faithfully shown me what godly men look like, not what perfect men look like, but what men whose hearts belong to the Lord look like.
5. Sisters in Christ. I am privileged to have women in my life who pursue the Lord and pursue me in friendship. They challenge me, and uplift me, and I am better because of them.
6. Family that loves and delights in me and goes out of their way to be sure I know it.
7. Situations in my life that are opportunities to see the glory of God as He works to redeem messes I have made and ones that I experience because of this broken world.
8a. A sister-in-law that pursues me in friendship rather than competition. Dana you are a treasure.
8b. My three nieces: Anna, Naomi, and Abby.
9. Dreams.
10. Trust.
11. Hope.
12. Goodness.
13. Faith.
14. People. In all of our brokenness, though we don't deserve such a glorious place in creation, people are what the Lord chose to bestow his image on and it is through people that I see the Lord.
15. Music, sound, expression. The Lord did not have to make us beings of such rich expression but I am so thankful that he did.
16. Trials. They are the playground of an all-powerful God who promises to use all things for the good of those who love him! (Remind me of this if ever I seem to be forgetting:)
17. The unknown. Nothing has brought me closer to the Lord then the season of unknown that I am coming out of, where each day is an opportunity to find contentment in the consistency of his presence and his character.
18. My Grandma, who covers me in prayer and loves nothing better then to spend time with those she loves.
19. Shiloh, my dog.
20. My new room. :)
21. God as my provider. Who could do this better than the author and owner of the heavens and the Earth? (Again, if ever I seem to be forgetting this a reminder is welcome).
22. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
23. Stillness.
24. The breath-taking nature that surrounds us with evidence of a good, loving, and merciful God!
25. Silliness.
26. The above ones are not necessarily in order but this one is purposefully 26th because it has taken all of my 26 years to discover new depths of the grace of God and the gift of Jesus Christ. I pray that each additional year I am granted is marked by further understanding of His depths!

Thanks be to the God and Father of all things! Thanks be to the the Savior Jesus Christ who came and died that we might live and have life to the fullest! Thanks be to Him for every day that we are offered the opportunity to live for him!

His Victory Over Me

Self-righteousness is a struggle for me. An interview goes well or someone goes out of their way to bless me and I immediately have to resist thoughts that betray a belief that these things happen because I deserve them, rather than the truth that our God in his goodness bestows favor where it is not deserved. This is not a denial that work ethic is reflected in reviews. If you work hard, you will likely earn the favor of your boss, which will likely open additional opportunities either now or in the future; but have you ever considered the things in your life that have built your work ethic, character, compassion, inspiration etc? I am tempted daily to claim these things for myself but the reality is that I have not been the author of any of them. They are in my life through grace and by design. My work ethic is the result of a desperate battle with dyslexia that my loving Father determined to bless me with. In all the tears I cried as a child, never was I aware of how such a battle was shaping my character. All good things in me and my life are the result of one of three things: the work of the Holy Spirit, gifts from the Father, or circumstances determined by the Father. The days I live in awareness of this are covered in thankfulness and contentment. But there are days when I choose to live out of an opposite belief that I am deserving of such goodness. These days are characterized by an ugly battle between self-righteousness and insecurity. Those two things may seem an odd combination, but in my experience they are always together. Self-righteousness requires a belief in my own goodness which I know to be false. Consequently, I must fight to out perform myself. A fight that I know I cannot win. But, and praise be to the Lord that in Him there is always a "But", this is not a fight I have to engage. This is a fight where the only appropriate response is the white flag of surrender. Freedom here comes from acknowledgment of my sin and surrender to the only one who can defeat it. And He has defeated it. His victory stands even in the moments when my conviction fails. Even in the moments when my heart looses its footing and finds itself between feeling entitled and feeling ugly, unable, and unwanted. His victory reigns over me now and forever more!

The Lord is good! A stronghold in the day of trouble;

He knows those who take refuge in him.

Nahum 1:7

The Lord is Good, Let All the Earth Rejoice!

Until May of this year I was working as a Teacher's Assistant. When the school year ended I was offered a contract for the next school year but felt distinctly that the Lord did not want me to sign it. Though I had prayed about it and felt confident of what the Lord wanted, I struggled to follow through with resigning. I had talked to my supervisor about the possibility and she had recommended that I not resign until the end of summer so that I would have insurance coverage as long as possible. This made practical sense, but I knew that this practical route was not the same as following the Lord in faith believing that He would take care of me. I shared with the Lord that I would feel better able to resign if I knew that I had insurance coverage some how. Within that week my parents insurance called us to let us know that if desired, they would extended my insurance coverage until my 26th birthday in November. At that, I knew that the Lord had answered and I submitted a letter of resignation to my supervisor. In the months since then I have been looking for a job. Some weeks more faithfully than others. I have submitted resume after resume, done interview after interview, and requested application after application all to no avail. But recently my uncle called me to inform me that the Lowes in our area was hiring. I went online and filled out the application. Within a couple of days I was contacted for an interview and as of Friday morning I am a Lowes employee! What's more amazing is that though I hold a part-time position, Lowes offers all staff a full benefits package. Which means that The Lord perfectly arranged things so that when my parents insurance runs out on November 14th my Lowes insurance will kick in. That is more than enough to draw my eyes heavenward in gratitude, but in addition Lowes offers tuition reimbursement and the option of transferring between store locations both of which are particularly important to me given that I am in the middle of applying to law school. In all the time that I have been looking for a job never could I have arranged these details or foreseen their possibility. Only the all-knowing, all-powerful, amazing God of love that we serve is capable of such mercies. He is trustworthy and greatly to be praised!

Self Preservation to Brave Determination

"We are called to move from self preservation to brave determination"

Beth Moore

I am not one who watches a lot of TV. In fact, for the most part I don't even have access to a TV, a characteristic of my life that I enjoy when I am surrounded by people. But recently the Lord has provided me with some house sitting jobs as a means of income, these homes usually come with two things: TVs and a lot of alone time. Sometimes the issue is about using good judgement as to what I am watching, but more often for me the challenge is to turn it off at all. The presence of a TV becomes an instant defense against aloneness. Self preservation kicks in and entertainment becomes my distracting companion. Ironically, this companion chosen to distract me from being alone, draws me into greater alonenss as I find myself ignoring calls from friends and offers of outings. I find myself up late, out of bed late, tired, and generally unproductive. It occurred to me as I thought about this this morning that this is the result of so many of our efforts at self preservation. Self preservation arises in us when we feel threatened, fearful, insecure, or vulnerable and give into those feelings. In this world the ability to survive at the expense of hardened hearts is celebrated. But the Lord calls us to something more powerful and freeing and frightening than that. He calls us to admit those feelings and rest in his love. He does not leave us without armor, but nor does He lie to us and tell us that the source of that armor is internal strength. In fact, He says just the opposite. He says, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." He says, "In my strength your weakness is made perfect." He says, "Come to me and you shall walk and not grow weary." And He says, "Do not fear! For I am with you!" Aloneness? There is no such thing for a daughter or son of the most high God. But strength comes only from him; all other types of strength are counterfeit and leave us empty and hard hearted. We must turn to him instead of our methods of self preservation with our weakness. We must take heart knowing that we are not alone! Knowing that we are loved. We have so many entertaining diversions available to us to drown out our fears, but if we take them up on their offer we will never be free. If however, we turn to our faithful Father then we are free indeed! So I pray for you and for me, that we move from self preservation to brave determination in the Lord.