It's a New Day

We had replaced a constantly-tripping breaker in our house a few days before. So, when we awoke to the sound of our power going out again at 4am, we were a bit confused. Groggy-eyed, my dear husband got up to check on the problem. Half awake, I waited expectantly for the sweet sound of my fan turning back on, ushering me back into my peaceful sleep...

Instead, "FIRE!" comes bellowing through our house, assaulting my senses.

Sprinting out of bed, I run directly into the kids room. My eye catching the fierce bright orange glow illuminating the kitchen doorway. I wake them up, grab them and run outside. My brave husband stays inside to fight the flames. 

Obviously, this is not how I anticipated that my night would go. I was not expecting this sudden trial. But, here it was. For me. For my family. A surprise opportunity to see the faithfulness and goodness of our God in the midst of difficulty. Perhaps a trial by fire. "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that they proof of your faith, bring more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6-7.

We never know when the fire or heat will come into our lives; when the unexpected happens and changes the course of our day, week, month or perhaps longer. But our Father in heaven knows. And He knows what He's doing and He knows whose watching. He knows what each day will bring before our head hits the pillow the night before. And so He calls us to rest in Him. To trust in Him. To trust Him. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought nor cease to yield its fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8.

After the fire was finally put out, the four of us sat in our front yard waiting for the sun to rise on our day. Sitting quietly, surveying the blackened walls and floors of our doorway. Our God was good to us. We had a peace that was beyond understanding. A joyful gratitude welling up from deep inside. We had received much grace and mercy that night, and we knew it. As a family, we began sharing about all the blessings that God had already lavished upon us that early morning. Grace specifically designed for that day; for that need.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Grace supplied so liberally, so perfectly by such a generous God and when we so desperately needed it. This got me thinking about my typical day-to-day life. How I often, unintentionally and unknowingly, lump all my days together. How I fail to recognize that it is a new day with new joys, new sorrows, new trials and new triumphs awaiting me. How often I rely on the grace I had yesterday to get me through the day today. (A common scenario: I am the gracious and patient mom that I desire to be one day, but then the next day I am just the opposite - then I wonder what just happened?! I wrongly assumed that today would be the same, because somehow it carries over, right?) Am I alone in this? Can anyone else relate?

Rather I ought to come before the Lord each morning in prayer, specifically asking God for the grace to fulfill what He has for me today - not yesterday, not tomorrow - today. For each day is a new day - with new mercies from the Lord. "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23.

So, if you're like me, let us be like the tree planted by streams of water, prepared for the heat when it comes unexpectedly, because we've been drenched in the life-giving, grace-filling presence of our Lord who provides us with everything we need to accomplish His will for our day. Whether it be an extraordinary or mundane day; a pleasant day, or a day of testing and trial. Asking Him to give us the grace to meet each burden, trial and task graciously and confidently. Seeking to faithfully honor and serve Him with the day that He has chosen to give to us - come what may. Let us press on, knowing that God has already supplied us with everything we need to honor Him today. 

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." 2 Peter 1:2-3.

It's a new day...and we have a great God.

Still Amazing

A hurried, "But I wanna go outside and play right now...I will do that later...ok?" as she ran out the front door.

This was my precious one's reply to my suggestion to read her Bible during the peaceful, quietness of the mid-afternoon. Now, I don't want to falsely paint my daughter here - she enjoys studying and learning about Jesus. And for this I rejoice and am truly grateful. But it's fair to say that "later" probably isn't going to happen, right? Not just for this young disciple, but often times for grown, "mature" ones, as well. Why is that? 

Training. The wrong kind. Sadly, we are training ourselves to be satisfied with things that don't truly satisfy.

I am guilty. As I'm sure most all of us are. We train ourselves to wake up (usually as late as possible!) to answer the call of the masses on Facebook and email. We train ourselves to be satisfied with the false romance on television rather than the true romantic drama of God's love story. We exchange joyful real-life interaction with our family for hours of mind-numbing screen-staring. Slowly becoming less interested and enthralled with the things of God, and more and more entertained with fleeting pleasures of this world. Less amazed by the works of God, and becoming more and more captivated with discovering which woman Sean is going to end up with on The Bachelor. As C.S. Lewis so aptly states, "We are far too easily pleased."

We tell of our favorite T.V. shows with animation and passion, "Did you see what so-and-so did on ______?!" It's exciting! Then, when it comes to reading the Scriptures aloud, we use this weird automatic monotone voice (I know you know what I'm talking about here). Insanely passionless. Boring. 

But our God is not boring. He is the very opposite of boring. Jesus is amazing! Astounding even! He is so much better than one-hour shows and far-too-much-time spent on Facebook! Enjoy these things - yes! - for God gives us all things to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17), but allowing them to dominate our thoughts, affections, and time - no! Let us not unwittingly over-indulge on good stuff, so much so, that we have too little room or taste for the best stuff!

The gospels are loaded with verses that tells us that the crowds and His disciples "were amazed" by Jesus. Why? Because He was, and still is, amazing! 

"The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" Matthew 8:27. 

They were amazed. And rightly so! He is like no other! As we read that verse, did our voice drop down to the boring Bible-reading voice, or did we really catch what we just read, "the winds and the sea obey Him!" Um...that's amazing! So much better and a LOT more exciting than reading someone's I-went-to-the-mall-today-and-found-really-cute-boots-check-them-out status! 

Jesus is amazing! Let's be reminded: not only can Jesus command the wind and seas, but He also casts out demons, He makes the mute speak, He heals the blind (Mt. 9:33; 12:22), He withers a tree with only a word (Mt. 21:19-20), He causes the lame to walk (Mk. 2:12), He forgives sins (Lk. 5:20), He raises the dead to life (Lk. 8:52-55), and so much more! He did that then, and He still does it today! 

Are we still amazed by this? Amazed by Him? When His Word is spoken to us, or in the quietness of our own rooms with the Bible laid out before us, would amazement be the description of our hearts and minds? Or do we need to re-train our affections and attention. To engage our minds and heart to the very One who made them; to the only One who can satisfy them - Jesus.

What a glorious, amazing, powerful, loving, wonderful God we serve! 

Next time we approach His Word and consider His Presence in our lives, let us join with the myriads and myriads of angels in amazement with voices raised, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And then join with every created thing in heaven and on the earth to declare with passion, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever!" Revelation 5:12,13.

We do not serve a boring God, let us not short-change ourselves by spending too much of our time on things that truly can't satisfy the longings of our soul! Let us lose ourselves in Him and thus find ourselves wholly found...and wholly amazed!

"We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One. The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever." -A.W. Tozer

The Hope in Me

I sit here reflecting on 2012. I am smiling as God brings to life simple truths from His Word that have recently fallen afresh on me again. I love it when that happens.

Looking over the past year, I can say with absolute certainty that God is good. That He is sovereign. That He is faithful. And because He is all of these, I can trust Him, even when I cannot see - or when what I do see doesn't appear good to me. So I can agree with Eli when he bravely resolved, "It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him." 1 Samuel 3:18. The crowds so accurately proclaimed, "He has done all things well." Mark 7:37.

In light of God's goodness, I have hope. A renewed and refreshed hope. Or perhaps I have simply been given a deeper appreciation and understanding of the Hope that I've already been given: "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:26-27. 

Letting that really sink into the heart and mind: "Christ in you." Overwhelming. 

Christ in me. Christ in me. Christ in me.

Who am I that the Lord would choose to live within me?! I am just a mom - who lives in a small town - in the eastern part of the world - with a small sphere of influence. Yet, God chooses to live in me!? Considering the greatness of our God, does this overwhelm anyone else's heart? Such an undeserved and priceless gift. This knowledge is too wonderful for me; too high for me to understand.

I have been given this Gift so that "...I might live for God...," and that I "might no longer live for [myself], but for Him who died and rose again on [my] behalf." 2 Corinthians 5:15. So what will I do with this glorious truth...this glorious possession...this glorious gift? What will you, if you are a Christian, do with this glorious truth - Christ in you - this year? 

Knowing that the same power that raised Christ from the grave lives within me makes all the difference. It gives freedom. It gives worth. It gives hope. It gives courage.

As I contemplate the year ahead, I have courage to live this life for Him rather than cower to the lies of failure and insignificance. To truly believe that God can and will do amazing things in and through the lives of His people - and then to act upon this belief. To pray more fervently. To love more tenderly. To serve more heartily. To attempt more courageously things for Him that, before, may have seemed "out of my league" or unlikely for me. Reminding myself of what Jesus Himself declared, "...with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26. 

And so I have hope for glorious things in 2013.

Christ in us for His glory!