Thursday, March 31, 2011
Surrendered...
...that's a vulnerable position. That's when I'm not in control, calling the next shot, taking responsibility, planning ahead or taking ownership. It puts me under the control of another. Sometimes in life that happens in an involuntary way.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Is the light light?...
Light and dark seem pretty clear cut opposites...or are they? When does dark become light? Or when does light become dark?
Positive and negative, when represented on a number line, are decisively divided at zero. Everything to the right is always positive all the time and everything to the left is always negative all the time. Light and dark, however, if represented in a linear fashion have a very different representation. The only point at which light is 100% light is at the very outer limit in one direction of that line. Likewise, dark is 100% dark at the outer limit of the other direction of that line. The spectrum in between, in theory, represents degrees of light and degrees of dark.
This twilight portion of the spectrum is the place where we are easily deceived. In Matthew 6:23, Jesus is recorded as saying, "If the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is."
Beware of the deception of the darkness that poses as light. That is a scary and dangerous place to be.
God is light and there is no darkness at all in Him. (1 John 1:5). That is the frequency on the spiritual light spectrum that our eyes need to be trained to. He has made His light shine into our hearts so that we can know the glory of God. (2 Cor. 5:6) As we know that glory, we will not be deceived by anything less.
Positive and negative, when represented on a number line, are decisively divided at zero. Everything to the right is always positive all the time and everything to the left is always negative all the time. Light and dark, however, if represented in a linear fashion have a very different representation. The only point at which light is 100% light is at the very outer limit in one direction of that line. Likewise, dark is 100% dark at the outer limit of the other direction of that line. The spectrum in between, in theory, represents degrees of light and degrees of dark.
This twilight portion of the spectrum is the place where we are easily deceived. In Matthew 6:23, Jesus is recorded as saying, "If the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is."
Beware of the deception of the darkness that poses as light. That is a scary and dangerous place to be.
God is light and there is no darkness at all in Him. (1 John 1:5). That is the frequency on the spiritual light spectrum that our eyes need to be trained to. He has made His light shine into our hearts so that we can know the glory of God. (2 Cor. 5:6) As we know that glory, we will not be deceived by anything less.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"I Did Everything I Could..."
Slow learner...short term memory...self-absorbed...in denial...attention deficit...what is it anyway? I just plain forget. Yes, I forget God's faithfulness. How could I?
He asks the same question..." Stand up and state you case against Me...What have I done to make you tired of Me?...Don't you remember?"
The next thing He says is the turn of the dagger in my heart that so desperately needs His surgery..."Remember...when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about My faithfulness." (Micah 6)
Yes, He, the Lord and Savior of my heart and soul, has done and continues to do everything to teach me about His faithfulness: the delicate blossoms of spring, the snow laden peaks of winter, the color palette of fall and the warming rays of the summer sun...the giggle of a baby, the blend of notes of perfect harmony and the trill of the bird outside my window as dawn breaks...new birth followed by new life in a soul that wandered, forgiveness from transgression yet again, the realization that "all things worked together" and the "assurance of things that are hoped for."
Lord, let me not be short sighted...don't let me fail in my memory...keep my attention absorbed with You...may I never deny what You have done...don't let my attention wander!
Great is Your faithfulness!
He asks the same question..." Stand up and state you case against Me...What have I done to make you tired of Me?...Don't you remember?"
The next thing He says is the turn of the dagger in my heart that so desperately needs His surgery..."Remember...when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about My faithfulness." (Micah 6)
Yes, He, the Lord and Savior of my heart and soul, has done and continues to do everything to teach me about His faithfulness: the delicate blossoms of spring, the snow laden peaks of winter, the color palette of fall and the warming rays of the summer sun...the giggle of a baby, the blend of notes of perfect harmony and the trill of the bird outside my window as dawn breaks...new birth followed by new life in a soul that wandered, forgiveness from transgression yet again, the realization that "all things worked together" and the "assurance of things that are hoped for."
Lord, let me not be short sighted...don't let me fail in my memory...keep my attention absorbed with You...may I never deny what You have done...don't let my attention wander!
Great is Your faithfulness!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Mourning Over the Consequences
God's people willingly chose to walk a path of disobedience and the just consequences fell: destruction of their lands and slavery to their enemies. Included in the destruction of their lands was the destruction of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. It was in these circumstances that God had met them. During the seventy years in exile, the people mourned and fasted every summer on the anniversary of the Temple's destruction. As Zerubbabel took on the task of rebuilding, the people asked the obvious question, "Should we continue to mourn and fast?" How long should we mourn and fast over the sins and consequences of our past? How long does the time of rebuilding need to be a "yes, but..." time, casting a shadow on the rebuilding that God is doing in our lives? The record of the destruction of the temple will always remain as well as the record of why. The reality of what has happened or we have let happen in our lives will always remain. God, however, in His rich mercy rebuilds. He bring wholeness and newness. He wants us, just as He instructed His people, to end those times of mourning over the past. "The times of mourning you have kept...are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for God's people. So love truth and peace." We must do this. We must let God's forgiveness settle into festivals of joy and celebration. (Zechariah 7 and 8)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)