Wednesday, February 27, 2019

God Only Knows


Do you ever feel misunderstood?   Like possibly the things going on in your head will never be clear to anyone but you?  

Do you feel like every time you try to explain your emotions clearly that you fail to get it right?  Do you conclude that it isn’t even worth trying because it’s too much to put into words?

The good news is that God gets you.   He understands things about you that you don’t understand about yourself.  In fact, He knows you better than you know yourself.

At first this might seem a bit scary — to have an all-powerful God who can see everything — everything we do, everything we feel, everything we think.  But it isn’t scary if we realize, as this song suggests, that God only knows what we’re going through AND He has a love that only He knows.  He can and will give that love to each and everyone of us.

May that thought bring you strength, comfort and peace today.

This song describes it well:

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

O'er the Tumult


You may recognize those words from the hymn, Jesus Calls Us.

So, what is a tumult anyway?

a loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people, confusion or disorder.

Do you have tumult in your life?  Is the noise of the challenges you face drowning out your positive thoughts?  Do you feel confused?   

The hymn says,

Jesus calls us, o’er the tumult
of our life’s wild restless sea

Does your life seem like a restless sea?  Are there storms, crashing waves, and huge struggles?

Or is it just that the noise of imperfect relationships, unmet goals, small frustrations that seems louder than your joy?

I find it interesting the hymn writer suggests that Jesus call says, “Christian, love me more.”

Does your life feel free of tumult— house, confusion, disorder?

Love Him More.

Do the storms and crashing waves seem about to overtake you?

Love Him More.

Are there imperfect relationships, unmet goals, and small frustrations stealing your joy?

Love Him More.

That’s it.

Love.

Him.

More.

Monday, February 04, 2019

What if you just said OK?


This is a very interesting conversation between God and Moses found in Exodus 4  (as you read it remember that this happened AFTER the burning bush, after Moses asked God for a sign and God showed Moses that he could turn his staff into a servant and after he gave Moses instant leprosy on his hand and then healed it immediately).

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.
You know what happened next.  God said, “Ok, fine.  I’ll have Aaron your brother help you.”

But what if Moses would have said OK?  He would have had the opportunity to watch God transform him from a person who saw himself as a bumbling idiot, into a magnificent orator.   But instead he said, “please get someone else to do it.”

I wonder what kind of life Moses would have been able to have had he said OK.   He already got to do some really cool things with the help of Aaron, and watched God do miracles outside of him, but he missed the miracle God wanted to do within him.

 God calls us to do things not because He can’t find someone else to do it, but because He wants to do something IN US.   

So next time, why not just say “OK” instead of asking God to send someone else. You never know what might happen!

Check out the Wesleyan covenant prayer.  If you pray it, hang on.... you may be in for a most excellent ride.

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.