The Same

I'm disappointed in the outcome of the election, but I'm not disheartened because a presidential candidate isn't who my faith is in. If I look at man, at life circumstances, at money, or unrest around the globe I could easily become fearful. But God ruled yesterday, he's ruling today, and he will rule tomorrow. It's God that gives freedom, who provides for the earth, who is faithful to his promises. I'm trusting him for my life in America, and I'm trusting him for the fatherless of Serbia. He establishes his plan of mercy and he will accomplish it. Yesterday a wise friend shared this passage with me and it's where I'm resting my gaze today.

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;

    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 

Do not put your trust in princes,

    in human beings, who cannot save.

 

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

    on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them—

    he remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed

    and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free,

    the Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

    the Lord loves the righteous. 

The Lord watches over the foreigner

    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,

    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Today I will praise him because he is good and is my hope. Won't you join me?

Five Minute Friday: Delight

I love linking up on Friday's with other writers pouring their hearts out for five minutes over at The Gypsy Mama. Today we're writing on: Delight.

Go:

Yesterday I wrote about the path of sorrow that winds throughout our life. How appropriate that today I should counter it with delight!

There is a path where delight bounces it's radiance like diamonds scattered about with joy. A path where the kiss of righteousness and peace (Psalm 85) spread a blush of life.

What delights a soul like the warmth of being a one true love, the prize? Where does laughter ripple like a waterfall flowing down in joy, from the heights of charity to the depths of humility, splashing down on humanities parched soul with refreshing hope?

There's a path, obscure to some, and often intersecting the marshy land of sorrow. It's name is the Way of Salvation, and it's governed by the Prince of Peace.


"A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord our God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you." Psalm84:10-12

Stop

Yesterday I wrote that God has made a provision, and even extended the invitation, of mourning. That provision of comfort for our sorrow is found in his presence, it's an invitation to dwell and know his heart. That's equally true of joy. What brings true, full, we-were-meant-for-this joy? His presence. Amazing, he's the one who comforts our souls, delights our hearts, gives peace to our day, restores our minds, illuminates our path, is kind to our children, assures us of justice, covers us with righteousness, shares his glory, withholds no good thing by inviting us into his very presence.

Is there any other response than worship? Let's worship, right now, friends!

Living Under the Name

As a child I lived under names. My mom had painted the names of God over some of the doorways of our home. This week I'm painting God's name over the doorways of ours. His names aren't meant to be a talisman to ward off evil. In and of themselves the letters have no power. The meaning is found in a submitted heart, an attitude, in trust. God's many names reflect his flawless character. His names painted over our doorways are a reminder that it's his authority that our family lives under. It's a way to teach my children who God is and that we're serious about his leadership in our lives. Here are the meanings of the names of God that are gracing our home:

JEHOVAH~JIREH
The Lord our Provider or the Lord will Provide. In Genesis 22 Abraham obeyed God and prepared to sacrifice his only son, God intervened and provided a ram. Abraham named the place of salvation Jehovah Jireh. This event was a foreshadowing of the Lamb, the only Son, that would be provided for our salvation. In scripture the name Jehovah Jireh is used only once; God is firmly establishing himself as the provider of our salvation. If God hasn't spared his only Son, is there anything he will withhold for the good of his own? I pray my children know God's nature as their generous provider. (Genesis22:14)

JEHOVAH~SHAMMAH
The Lord is There or the Lord is Present. In Ezekiel 48 the prophet describes the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. He speaks of the time when God's glory will come to stay permanently, dwelling forever with his people. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us is our deposit, sealing us until the time of the fulfillment of God's promised earthly dwelling. I pray my children know God's presence with us now and look forward to the time he will live with us in perfect completion, for eternity. (Ezekiel  48:35)

JEHOVAH~SHALOM
The Lord is Peace. In Judges 6 The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. An oppressed Jew, the weakest in his family, from the weakest clan in Manasseh. The Lord called this weak one out to save his people from ungodly oppressors. God made himself known as the God of peace, his strength overcoming weakness to bring honor to his name. I pray my children know that it's only under God's rule as Lord that his children have peace. (Judges 6:24)

JEHOVAH~SABAOTH
The Lord of Hosts or the Lord of Powers. In 1 Samuel 1 Hannah is praying for a son, a blessing from God. She addresses him as Lord of Hosts, of all heaven's armies, of all powers. God grants her request. He honors her further by giving her not just a son, but a son who becomes a faithful follower and influential leader. God is powerful and has all authority to accomplish his purposes. I pray my children live submitted to his authority, knowing his power, and are devoted to his glory above everything else. (1 Samuel 1:3)

JEHOVAH~MEKODDISHKEM
The Lord Who Makes You Holy or the Lord Who Sets You Apart. In Exodus 31 God is establishing the Israelites as his people. He puts in place laws, specifically the observance of the Sabbath. Meant to testify to all the earth his covenant with Israel, the people he is making his holy possession. The context may seem harsh, whoever broke the law of Sabbath was put to death, but it reveals how serious God is about his people's holiness. I pray my children see themselves as God's possession, set apart to glorify him alone. (Exodus 31:13)

JEHOVAH~NISSI
The Lord My Banner. In Exodus 17 the Amalekites attacked Israel. Moses stood on the hilltop above the battle, arms upheld, while Joshua and the troops fought. The Israelites were victorious and the place was called the Lord is my Banner. God doesn't choose sides, and Moses knew it. God is truth and invites us to align ourselves with him, to come under his banner. I pray that my children will follow God in battle, knowing him as the one who fights for them and wins the victory. (Exodus 17:15)

JEHOVAH~ROHI
The Lord My Shepherd. In Genesis 48 Jacob, now called Israel, is old and dieing. As he is blessing his grandson's he recalls God's faithful guidance of Abraham and Isaac. He calls on God, who has "been [his] shepherd all of [his] life", to bless and prosper them. God is not a distant, unknowable God. He walks gently and faithfully with his people. I pray my children are aware of God shepherding and guiding them until the end of their lives. (Genesis 48:15)

EL SHADDAI
All-Sufficient One. In Genesis 17 God is establishing his covenant with Abram. The covenant God called Abram to was one that only God could fulfill. God set the terms of his covenant, his relationship with man, and he is mighty enough to carry those terms out on his own. It is up to us to come to God according to his requirements, it may seem harsh, but God knows our true satisfaction is found nowhere else. The one request? A circumcised heart, dieing to self and living by his Spirit. The benefit far out weighs the cost of laying down our own will. I pray God establishes his covenant of grace with my children, that they wholeheartedly submit to his terms, and live satisfied by his love.
(Genesis 17:1)

We only receive God's nature expressed to us if we bow, submitting to his lordship over us. God does not sprinkle the benefits of his nature over our lives like fairy dust at our whim. If God's zealousness for his own glory doesn't make you tremble a bit, then I wonder if the God you worship is the holy God of the bible or one made in your own image. Studying God's names has reignited reverent fear and worship in my heart and even more gratitude that a God so fierce in power and holiness, untamed by any man, would stoop in such humble affection.

Do you live under the name and character of God? How do you teach your children the nature of the God you worship? Confession and surrender are gifts God has given us to establish a right union with him and unlock unimaginable grace. Let's ask God to convict us for making him into our image, a safer more manageable God, and ask him to take his rightful place of reigning King in our lives once again!

Linking with my friends at:

Christmas in Heaven - Every Day Worship

“In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back…Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”” Revelation 4:6b, 8b-11.

In heaven, Christmas is not a special holiday. That may surprise you but I believe it's true. Everyone in heaven does that day what they did the day before and what they will do the day after. They completely and wholly worship the Father, the Spirit, and the Lamb that was born to die. God is worshiped perfectly by his servants in heaven; he can’t be worshiped more or less. As special as Christmas is to us it was not ordained by God to be observed, as communion and gathering on Sunday were.

Christmas is a wonderful, beautiful time to remember the gracious gift the Father sent to this needy world, his beloved Son! However, as we engage in the Christmas season may we remember that every day should be a day of worship to the Father for his gift of love. May we strive daily to worship the Lamb for his sacrifice and offer our praise with our whole selves. Even on earth God is not deserving of praise on one day more than another. So let’s not save our times of special reflection or thanks just for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter. Let's strive to be mindful that we were created for God’s pleasure and we can live in the joy and expression of worship every day of the year. We are most satisfied when God is glorified in our lives!

How do you express worship in your life? Is God worthy of praise every day?
{Reposted from December 2008}

Borrowed Bed

{Four months ago my husband and I left our last place of ministry, the move was due to many factors, some positive, some not. We stepped in faith with trust in the One who rescues and provides. We're living in the home of generous friends as we seek and wait. As you can imagine the financial and emotional strain is daily. My heart wrestles and I write.}

All that's left is a borrowed bed. A suitcase shoved full of dreams. Opened to the sun the dreams dissipate like a mist, and I wonder why I packed them in the first place. Maybe the faith that's been growing was plucked too green. It seemed bigger and firmer, ripe and full then, whenever then was.

When all that's left is waiting and wanting, I lay down in a borrowed bed. The ache so deep it feels eternal. The hunger of now bleeds into the hunger that's been. A soreness in the heart that came with every pack-up-and-move, all the what ifs. It's been around long enough, familiar but not like an old friend. Often it hides behind the busy moments of life, forgotten in the midst of living. In this quiet waiting it creeps back in to sit by the bed and keep watch.

For years, gaining experience, adding to a family, buying, learning and doing have felt like progress. But in the end the faith is still too green, the bed is still borrowed, and want is all too familiar. Isn't that what life is like, a borrowed bed? You come in bare and the bed you're laid in isn't one you bought. And the accumulation is an illusion. It's these moments, bereft, that the starkness stands out. Life is good and full of wonder, stars shine bright, hands hold, gifts are given. But when you stand face to face with a borrowed bed it all comes rushing back.

At least I have a bed to borrow, things to shove into a 10x10 unit, car to drive, food to eat, kids to hug, eyes to see. Why do I have this life? Why wasn't I born in the Sudan to usher innocence into pain and spend my days brushing the flies away. And yet I can't swallow the lump of loss down. The shiny dream of a work that mattered, vibrant as a rainbow, has shattered and lays as glass, only a broken jagged edged mirror of what it had been. Hope tries to float up like a bubble and I bat it away, not allowing it to form. I've been through that drill before and I flinch to go there again.

Could it be the pit of hunger I feel is the same soul hunger as the Sudanese mother, at least in origin if not in reality? I would never wish to trade places with her, ever. Yet, when stripped bare, is the ache of every heart not the same. Each soul a gaping hole of want, whether clothed in silk or in mud. And maybe the illusion of physical needs met only postpones the face to face of deep soul cry, “I want more”.

Laying on the borrowed bed I claw my way to obedience. I don't feel like worshiping, don't want to give thanks, but I do. Naming the gifts, reciting promises, asking for forgiveness, calling out in need, I flex spiritual muscles. I know I'll have to do it again and again and again. But obedience makes a way.

Later in the assembly, gathered to obey together, worship pours out. From pure lips, from scarred hearts, from dirty feet, from desperate hands, from joyful souls, all mingling together as perfume. It washes over me, that faithful sacrifice, and lifts up where my faith has faltered. Obedience has led me to a place where my ears can hear, the sound is sweet, it's life.

Light, a single ray, penetrates. Dispelling lies and sorrow and bitterness and self-pity. The cross is not for once, it's for every day. Eyes must see the gift, ears hear the call, heart know the words, again. The light of eternity falls across my borrowed bed dispelling self-pitying gloom. I come like the priests of old, into the Holy of Holy's, right up to the Mercy Seat, in the shadow of angel wings I bow.

In reality all beds are borrowed. All belongs to Him. I'm learning to grab hold of the golden moments, gifts every one, knowing one day all will be golden. A borrowed bed pushes me on to grab hold of more, more than what's seen. No golden moment is ever only that, nor the gray ones. Beauty and ugly, joy and pain mingle in this life. Only eternity justifies either. I'm living the hard worship, in the dark trust, until looking at his face faith becomes my sight.

Maybe you've had moments when nothing is enough. I think we were made that way, to be satisfied by nothing but Jesus. Even the satisfaction of good things in life is temporary. This world is not enough, because we were made for another one. Does your heart long for it's eternal home? How do you cling to hope in the hard times?

Women who Inspire: The Sisterhood

Sister -  (from dictionary.com)
adjective

12. being or considered a sister; related by or as if by sisterhood: sister ships.

13. having a close relationship with another because of shared interests, problems, or the like.

I have been undeniably blessed by precious women in my life. Some close family, some that lived before my time, some have rubbed me hard smoothing away jagged edges, some young, some old, some who know my heart deeply and still love me, some I've never met. But all sharing a common relation, fellowship birthed from the blood of Jesus. Sweet family, a gift. These women have so energized my Christian walk I just had to introduce some of them to you. (I hope you will post a comment and tell me about the women who have blessed your life.) 


This week's sister:
I met this week's sister four years ago in Cody Wyoming at the church where my husband then served as worship pastor. It was my privilege to know Donna through serving together on the worship team, as well as in bible study and Sunday school. 

Just like everyone else Donna has had bumps and bruises along life's journey. It's her response that makes her unusual. The best way to describe Donna is worshiper. Worship isn't something she does or an activity she engages in once a week. Worship is how she lives. She is a worshiper at heart. The trials of her life are met with childlike trust, which I believe is a pure worship. Prayer flows like music from a sincere heart. The good gifts of life are met with delight and are turned into praise. 


Worship hasn't always been Donna's first response in every circumstance. And she would probably blush at being called a great worshiper, familiar as she is with her own weaknesses. Yet, through the years, she's learned to lean into Jesus and that devotion has born fruit in the form of a worshiping heart. To be quite honest at time's I've been dazzled. Just like the children of Israel were dazzled and even afraid of Mose's radiant face when he had been in the presence of God, sometimes I felt I was seeing the same thing; the glory of a heart that has been with Jesus. 


Interestingly I'm not sure everyone else noticed the radiance. Maybe they weren't looking or maybe they were looking to someone more "important" to display that kind of beauty. It would be easy to do. Donna is a relatively ordinary person, not necessarily the package one would expect to contain the heart of a great worshiper. But appearances can be deceiving. My husband and I agree that in our experience, of all the people we've served with on worship teams and in church ministry, no one has matched Donna in an understanding and lifestyle of pure worship. We are better because of her. 


I anticipate the moment I will stand in heaven's throng and my breath will be taken away by the beauty of the Lamb, it can bring tears to my eyes just thinking about it! In a way when I've stood side by side with other worshipers, our eyes fixed on the Prize, I feel I've had a glimpse of what's to come. Donna's life of worship inspires me to live bowing, preparing for that moment. I'm thankful for such an amazing sister in my life.


Who have you learned most about worship from?

The delight of being small

Oh wow, upon first seeing the ocean.

"You're big, I'm little," my toddler's luminous eyes swell in solemn wonder over this observation. Maggie compares her hand resting on mine, her height to her Daddy's, the size of our clothes, each time bubbling delightedly, "you're big, I'm little." I smile at her pronouncements, expressed in her adorable baby lisp. She's learning about her world and her place in it, my mother's heart rejoices in watching the process. I remember too her older brother's similar delight in discovering the grandeur of nature when he was her age.

As I watch her take in the wonder of a world that is larger than herself, the whisper sweeps across my heart. "Take note of your smallness, delight in My bigness." There's a lesson to be learned in my daughters understanding of her size. Intrinsic to her small stature is a need to be protected and sheltered, she knows that. She also recognizes her parents ability to care for her. Perhaps that is part of what Jesus meant when he challenged his followers to become childlike.

I'm reminded of the psalmist's exclamation in Psalm 8 "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Appropriate littleness, magnifying ultimate Bigness.

Of course my daughter is confident in our love for her but she is respectful of our difference is stature. We delight in caring for her, but we do not take advice from her or expect her to function as our peer. There is freedom and safety in our relationship as she acknowledges her smallness in relation to our bigness and as we fulfill our responsibility to her need.

Are there areas in your life where you need to embrace your small stature before God, depending upon his big heart to meet your need? If so a response of worship can restore that balance. Let's join our hearts with the seraphim in declaring, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Isaiah 6:3

Friday Favorites: Godology, by Christian George, reviewed

I have read a fair share of theology in my life time, and must confess to enjoying it when written in an approachable manner, which isn't necessarily easy to come by. Godology is like no theology book I've ever read before. I wouldn't specifically call it theology light, Christian George is adept at handling aspects of the nature of God and addresses weighty topics. However, I forgot I was reading a theology book all together. It's more like a worship experience. And isn't that what reflecting on the character of God should be. "Because", after all, "knowing God changes everything"!

Christian writes in a very modern, up beat, pop culture sort of way, with analogies that speak to a younger generation and make you go hmmm. The style and readability make it great for high school students, but I think the seasoned Jesus follower will appreciate the seriousness and unique perspective with which he discusses God's nature. As I read I felt like I was kept off balance, but in a good way, because I don't want approaching God to ever be predictable. Christian's excitement about encountering the truth of who God is and how that affects our everyday lives is contagious.

Here's one example of how he ties an attribute of God's character to our need and ability to experience that attribute in our lives, from the chapter Chocolate for the Soul; God's Holiness. He says of our need to create holy spaces: "Even in our churches, silence is an unwelcome visitor. Though well intentioned, our performance - driven gatherings hush our sensitivity to silence. We drench ourselves with sound. It spills down the stage, irrigating the aisles and pooling into pews. It soaks and surrounds every inch of us... This is one reason so many people are finding refreshment in the monastic traditions... monks splurge in silence every day, realizing the seriousness of worshiping God and the frivolousness of empty chatter... God is always talking but our ears are full of wax. Silence is our Q-tip. Granted, there will always be a place for upbeat, ear-popping praise. But when the ringing stops, when the ramblings cease, we find ourselves alone with the still small voice that whispers,  "My presence is enough for you."... Silence feeds a full-throttle addiction to God. It transforms secular space into sacred space."

If you are looking for a fresh encounter with God's nature and a renewed desire to worship him, this book is a great place to start. Godology is definitely on my list of future re-reads. To check out Godology on line go here or to go to Christian George's web site go here. As always I'd love to hear from you. Have you recently read a great book, leave a comment and tell me about it.

Breathles Adoration

This was my devotion today from the book Tozer on the Holy Spirit a 366-day devotional. I thought it spoke to what God has been teaching me about holiness, sin, worship.

"The theory (of impromptu service planning) is that if the meeting is unplanned the Holy Spirit will work freely, and that would be true if all the worshipers were reverent and Spirit-filled. But mostly there is neither order nor Spirit... In the majority of our meetings there is scarcely a trace of reverent thought, no recognition of the unity of the body, little sense of the divine Presence, no moment of stillness, no solemnity, no wonder, no holy fear... The whole Christian family stands desperately in need of a restoration of penitence, humility and tears. May God send them soon.

We would do well to follow our old-fashioned forbears who knew what it was to kneel in breathless, wondering adoration in the presence of God."
 

I've always been a fan of Tozer and find his writings convicting and refreshing. Even though he wrote this decades ago, I feel like it's applicable to my life and to the church today.

Worship

“In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back…Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.”” Revelation 4:6b, 8b-11.

As special as this season is to us, in heaven Christmas is not a special holiday. Everyone in heaven does that day what they did the day before and what they will do the day after, they completely and wholly worship The Father, the perfect, sevenfold Spirit and the Lamb that was born to die. God is worshiped perfectly by his servants in heaven; he can’t be worshiped more or less.

Christmas is a wonderful, beautiful time to remember and focus on the gracious gift the Father sent to this world, his beloved Son. However, as we engage in the Christmas season may we remember that everyday should be a day of worship and gratitude to the Father for his gift of love. May we strive to daily worship the Lamb for his sacrifice and offer our praise with our whole selves. Even on earth God is not deserving of praise on one day more than another. So, let’s not save our times of special reflection or thanks just for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter. Let us strive to be mindful that we were created for God’s pleasure and we can live in the joy and expression of that everyday of the year. We are most satisfied when God is glorified in our lives.