Dazed and Confused

 

Father God,

Psalm 138:7-8 says:

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

Oh Father, in a time, at least for me, of feeling lost and not a losing faith kind of lost as my faith seems to be growing, I am more amazed by you every day, my love for you is growing as I come to terms with the sacrifice you made to love me first.  This lost feeling is more a dazed and confused kind of feeling with all that is going on in the world, it’s a feeling of which direction and wondering what’s next.  

At times (lots of times) I do feel like I am walking in the midst of trouble filled with enemies while also recognizing that most of these so called troubles and enemies are of my own making. Yet you preserve my life, you deliver me and even more astounding is that you love me and will forever, and because of that love my purpose will be fulfilled even if I don’t see it or understand it right now. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

So, my prayer today is for the sojourners of this broken and crazy world (and aren’t we all sojourners). That we would continue to seek you first, that we would continue one step at a time despite the circumstances of life, the negative, the divisive, the concerning. That we would move forward by trusting you and not our understanding, that we would in all ways acknowledge you and your grace, your love and your oh so tender mercies. May we all press on in the knowledge no matter our path that you are with us always. May we all press on knowing that Christ has gone before us. May we all press on empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Abba Father, I love you too and pray in the astonishing name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen and Amen!

Joel - which way to turn

Continuing through the minor prophets I recently completed the book of Joel. I found it to be a story of repentance and redemption; a story of grace and restoration. Boice reminds us that “the goal of Joel’s writing, of course – to lead people to repentance.” And this repentance is a recognition of our need of rescue resulting in a turning back to God. Boice says repentance is “essentially an about-face.”

So what did I learn from Joel? What is the big idea helpful for today? The takeaway for me is that in our brokenness, in this broken world, in our stubbornness and pride, as we face trouble, famine, locust, pandemics, even division, and as we recognize it, our proper position is a turning to – better yet running to God. And as we turn just like the prodigal son we will see our Father with open arms running to us.

Hadjiev encourages us with these words. “As for those who bow the knee before the Lamb, God will wipe every tear from their eyes as he ushers them into his holy presence and settles them in a land flowing with wine, milk and water.

I recently tweeted that we have a God that loves the broken, messed up, ragamuffins of this world. You know someone like me…and He loves us so much that He sent his only Son to our rescue and because of this we can rejoice in the living and certain hope we have in Christ!

May we all turn to God and rest in his mighty arms! Exodus 33:14 tells us: And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Rest easy my friends...

Grace and Peace!

Hearing From Hosea

In his commentary on Hosea, Derek Kidner poses the age old question: “If God is all-powerful and all-good, why does he not rid the world of evil?” Kidner maintains that Hosea helps us examines this from God’s perspective.

If we listen with open eyes, Hosea shows us the complexity of the puzzle, the complicated mess of brokenness in the world, he shows us the entangled mess of family. Hosea shows us that the answer for us, the broken children of God is thankfully not an either/or, but the answer is a humbling, self-examining, mixture of recognition, amazement, failure, restoration, repeat.

In this book, we can see we have an all-knowing God that at the right times withdraws, at the right times displays displeasure, but above all else we see that we have a God that always provides his tender mercies, his amazing grace and his eternal and divine love. So what can we take from this book of trials, disappointments, failures and hurts? 

For me I see so much hope and encouragement. I see:

1) That no matter the circumstances in our lives God is with us; no matter our failures God is pursuing us always.

2)  That we have a God that loves the broken, messed up, worthless, failures; the ragamuffins of this world. You know; someone like me. And He loves us so much that he would send his only Son to seek and save; to pay our debt in full and for all time.

3) And that despite all the negative in this world, we can rejoice in the living and certain hope we have in Christ.

Hosea 14:4-7 NLT

"The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon."

Oh what a good and gracious God we have…a God that is with us always, that opens the eyes of our hearts, a God that heals and loves and restores. Should this surprise us about God? To quote James Boice, “it should not, because God is the source of every good gift and all fruitfulness. Beauty! Strength! Value! Delight! Abundance! These are in him. He is beauty, strength, value, delight, and abundance. He is the answer to our need.”

Finally, when I think of all Hosea went through, when I think of all Christ went through; the pain, the hurt, the disappointment, the humiliation, all for Gomer, all for us; I know we can keep moving. We can keep moving despite the circumstances, the negative before us, despite our failures over and over again, we can keep moving…moving toward God. And along the way we can know, trust and live with eternal and certain hope, we can live with joy because Christ has finished it all for us, we can live in the assurance that like the old hymn says; “it will be better farther on.”

When my faith took hold on Jesus,

Light devine within me shone,

And I know since that glad moment,

“It is better father on.”

I have plunged into the fountain,

Flowing free for everyone;

I am saved and Hope is singing,

“It is better father on.”

Grace and Peace!

What’s Next?

 

Recently, I have been wrestling with a nagging question.  The simple question of what’s next keeps coming to mind and heart. I know it is a deep question that will take much time and prayer to come to terms with, but I do feel the tug to tackle an important part of the Bible that I have never really, I mean really studied - the Minor Prophets.  

And it just so happens (imagine that) that I recently got as a gift a commentary series on the Minor Prophets by James Boice (there’s your sign). In the preface, Boice points out that the Prophets highlight and emphasize and remind us of three things. 1) the sovereignty of God, 2) the holiness of God, and 3) the love of God. He continues by saying; “We need these emphases today. We need them as individuals...We need them as a nation...We need to learn - deeply - and in a way that changes us...”

Needless  to say I am very excited (and honestly a little nervous) for this tiny first step in my effort to see just what is next on my spiritual journey!

Grace and Peace!