AUGUST 21, 2017

“I asked her what was so scary about unmerited free grace? She replied something like this: "If I was saved by my good works -- then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with rights. I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life. But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace -- at God's infinite cost -- then there's nothing he cannot ask of me.” 
― Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

PSALM 119:1-48

33Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,

that I may follow it to the end.^b

34Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

35Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

36Turn my heart toward your statutes

and not toward selfish gain. 

1 CORINTHIANS 3

5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

JOURNAL 

Yesterday was a good day. However like a lot of days...when I look back on it the question I ask is what was accomplished? How did I live out my calling? Did I pursue God's mission for my life? Those are big hairy questions and I really don't like thinking on them or about them. Because it brings me to 3 basic questions: 1) Why am I here? 2) Where is my Hope? 3) What do I do? 

The answer from scripture is really not very complex...1) Because God created me 2) In the God who created me 3) Seek to obey him in every action and every moment.

Then why is it so hard? Why do I have such contrary and competing thoughts? Why am I not content to do this in every moment?

Then answer again from scripture is clear...Because we have rebelled from God, we have rejected God as God and either seek immortality in ourselves or in other people and things. Therefore our heart is divided and we battle this division every moment of every day. 

When I look and read and think on this it seems so simple. It seems that I could just keep this in my heart and I could live in contentment and peace all my days as I serve and obey God. Yet it just takes about 10 minutes and I will be venturing down my own path. 

It feels exhausting and hopeless, as if I will do nothing but fail and will never succeed in full obedience to God. Yet in these moments is where the power and beauty of scripture emerge...because God understands this, he forgives me time and time again. The beauty of the gospel is that it truly is all about grace and that every moment when I turn from him and go my own way...he is there patiently waiting to take me back. He is a the good father who will never reject me when I seek him. He will never turn me away when I turn back busted up and ragged and in pain. He knows, he understands and he paid the ultimate price to prove it.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

- LUKE 15:20-24

AUGUST 19, 2017

“The only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to turn back to the true one. The living God, who revealed himself both at Mount Sinai and on the Cross, is the only Lord who, if you find him, can truly fulfill you, and, if you fail him, can truly forgive you.” 
― Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters

PSALM 112-115

4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,

for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. (112:4)

1 CORINTHIANS 1

26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 

JOURNAL 

I have always loved the underdog. Sometimes probably too much. I confess, I often, while watching sporting events, will privately change allegiance mid game to pull for the one who is behind. I just love seeing a team, a person etc. overcome the odds. The Bible is full of those stories...here Paul even confirms that God makes fools of the wise by using the foolish. To me this is so cool and so troubling. 

Does this mean that God is not the God of the successful, the beautiful, the wealthy? Does this mean that God intends to destroy the "favored" and give to the foolish? Does this mean God is a socialist? 

I think the answer is yes and no. But it all comes down to the heart and who and what holds the number one position in the heart and life of the human in question. There is one thing that I have discovered over and over in scripture and that is the question that God asks of man. Who or what do you serve? It is the question of all questions. In essence God is asking...Who or what is your God? 

The answer to this question sets the entire course and future of every life. Until it is answered nothing else really matters. Joshua asks this of the Israelites when he tells them to "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve". This question is not about lip service...because man is designed to serve a God. We will choose one to follow...it's how we were designed...if we abstain then the default will become an object, a person or lastly ourselves. Either of these 3 options will produce addiction, obsession or narcissism...neither of which have a favorable ending. 

It is more and more apparent that life is rigged in a way that choosing anything other than God ends up destroying the heart and soul. I think this is at the core of these verses...God makes good of anything that fully surrenders to him. No matter how the world judges it...because God is the ultimate redeemer. 

14“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

- JOSHUA 24:14-15

AUGUST 18, 2017

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” 
― Brené Brown

PSALM 109-111

21But you, Sovereign Lord,

help me for your name’s sake;

out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is wounded within me.

23I fade away like an evening shadow;

I am shaken off like a locust. (109:21-23 )

ROMANS 16

17I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

JOURNAL 

Doing this consistently over the past couple of years has been difficult.  But as with most things in my life...difficulty reveals blessings never imagined. The blessings are not money or success. They are nothing tangible. The outside world most likely would never know the difference. While that would have seemed disappointing to me on the outset...it is the farthest thing from disappointing. 

So what are the blessings? They are hard to define. While centering me on God has definitely had a calming effect on the struggles that I face day to day. It is really more the little things than the more obvious. If I had to define it...it boils down to pausing first...rather than reacting. 

To pause and consider God in the midst of the day to day rhythms of life is such a blessing.  It is not natural for me and the more it happens the better I am getting at becoming more intentional and conscious in it's application. Reading through the Bible each day has also made me more aware of how difficult life is living as a human. It is a bit shocking but also a relief to see that not one individual in the Bible EVER had their "shit" together. They all struggled, they all anguished over decisions and many made horrendous awful choices. I include Jesus in the former not the later because compared to the pharisees and how his life ended...society would say he was a screwup and a failure. His life didn't measure up as a "success". Yet it was perfect. 

To really let that sink in and embrace it has allowed me to more often make decisions and respond in ways that I feel good about and that I know that are closer in line with the heart of God. Life is always throwing circumstances and situations of which I am never fully prepared...so to have the ability to pause and consider my response and then measure that with what I am learning of God is beyond valuable. It is life-changing. This is not to say that I've got it all figured out...because the other thing that I am learning is how far off the mark I tend to stray. 

Yet being able to pause, seek God's heart and wisdom and feel and know that his love is unconditional brings such peace. No matter the outcome, no matter whether or not my response is successful or a major failure, to engage knowing that I ultimately fall into the arms of God is the greatest blessing. It is what can bring peace in the midst of heartache and it is definitely what makes the joys of life so much sweeter.  

I don't know how long I will continue to share this. I am looking to God here...It feels wrong, and crazy and somewhat silly to be vulnerable but I know and I really do know that ultimately it is a good thing.

 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^c

- LUKE 22:42-44

AUGUST 17, 2017

“But the line between moral behavior and narcissistic self-righteousness is thin and difficult to discern” 
― Dean Koontz, Deeply Odd

PSALM 107-108

17Some became fools through their rebellious ways

and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18They loathed all food

and drew near the gates of death.

19Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he saved them from their distress.

20He sent out his word and healed them;

he rescued them from the grave.

21Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

22Let them sacrifice thank offerings

and tell of his works with songs of joy. (107:17-22)

ROMANS 15:21-23

30I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

JOURNAL 

The danger of the gospel is something that haunts me.  For it is something that I have never really experienced. I have never faced death or punishment because of my belief. I have never faced scorn or hardship because I chose to follow God. This is troubling...in fact it somehow feels wrong. As if I need to experience hardship if I am to follow Christ. Yet in our culture it is to my benefit to follow Christ. I am more accepted rather than rejected. When this is juxtaposed with the Gospel it makes things seem backwards. 

However the deeper I dig the more I realize that there always is a battle and that battle is with myself. It is with the part of me that wants to find a way to dismiss spending time with God. It is with that part of me that wants to be right at all cost. It is with that part of me that wants things at the expense of others. It is with that part of me that avoids and turns away instead of engaging with a difficult situation or person.   It is in that part of me that seeks to secure things instead of give in to obedience. 

The reality is the battle is always there and the choice to follow always looms. Yet without God's grace, without forgiveness, without his love I would spin forever in my own narcissism. Yet it is through his daily patient love that I have the power to fight and the hope to endure. 

1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

- PHILIPPIANS 2:3

AUGUST 16, 2017

“God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love.” 
― Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

“You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth.” 
― William W. Purkey

PSALM 105-106

1Praise the Lord.^a

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

2Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord

or fully declare his praise?

3Blessed are those who act justly,

who always do what is right. (106:1-3)

ROMANS 15

1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^a 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^b on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

JOURNAL 

I wake up this morning to my second day of school. After a long first day and feeling and knowing that I am where I need to be it is still hard to accept that the reward for my work and effort will not be monetary. It is hard to be excited, because in the end there is so little hope of a financial payoff. In our world and in the school I am working this just seems so backward. It is so tempting at times to place my hope in "worldly" success and security. Believing that if I just live my life the way God asks then I will be protected from heartache and rewarded with security and good times and "noodle salad". 

The reality is that this just isn't true. While I know that there are "good things" that have happened in my life that demand divine intervention as their explanation. I still look around and look back at my own life and realize that there are also times when divine intervention seems glaringly absent. Why? What is the formula? What do I need to do to ensure safe delivery of all those I love to a blessed tranquil life and an eternity of peace and joy? 

The answer is that I can only live the life I'm given. I can only embrace the moments I am blessed to receive. That's it! Nothing more! I fear turning that over, I fear letting go and trusting. My mind ventures to an almost panic to protect and control. 

So why hope? Why trust? Why put my hope in a God that cannot be depended on to fulfill my earthly hopes and dreams? I can only look at scripture and realize that there is something greater...It is the hope that drove Paul and the disciples forward despite the warnings. It is the voice that comforted Elijah. It is the courage that moved Moses to stand up to Pharaoh.  It is the peace that filled Stephen before he was stoned. It is the dream that guided Joseph through prison. Ultimately it is love that guided Christ to the looming Cross and it is this love that wraps it all in the goodness of God...regardless of the earthly outcome...there truly is something greater!  

Oh wow...I am a mess...I am delusional and fearful...yet God you are still there. It is the only thing that can pry my hands off the illusion of control. You give me hope despite my fear, you give me joy in the midst of my panic, you even forgive me after callous, careless sin. Why? The answer is right here in the pages of this ancient book...because you love me.

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

PSALM 23