James 4:14 – “What is your life? It is even a vapor.”
This week when I was discussing my long-term goals with my roommates, I was really humbled when one of them told me that they just wanted to continue passionately loving God and living for Him for the rest of their life. She basically told me that she did not want to limit God by making plans of her own. Not to say it is wrong to have goals or plan ahead, but I realized that when we have such specific goals and are pretty set in stone with making these happen, sometimes we end up missing God’s plans for our lives.
I included a devotional below from “Our Daily Bread” that I feel relates to this well:
When someone said to my friend, “See you in a year,” it sounded odd when he replied, “Yes, see you on the other side.” He meant that he’d see him on the other side of a one-year deployment for the US Navy. But because the phrase is often used of heaven, it made me think about the uncertainty of life. I wondered, Who will be here in another year? Who might by then be on the other side—in heaven?
We certainly don’t know what the next year—or hour—will bring. In his epistle, James wrote about this uncertainty. He rebuked the greedy merchants for boasting about what they would do that day, the next day, or even the next year (4:13). Their sin wasn’t that they were making plans; it was forgetting God and arrogantly boasting about those business plans.
James reminded them: “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (v.14). Commentator Peter Davids says that James was pointing out their foolishness and saying, in essence, “Come now, you who make plans—you don’t even understand how little control you have over life itself.”
No part of life is outside the control of God. So when we make plans, we need to remember, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (v.15). — Anne Cetas
Tomorrow’s plans I do not know,
I only know this minute;
But He will say, “This is the way,
By faith now walk ye in it.” —Ryberg
Write your plans in pencil and let God have the eraser.
This devotional is such a great reminder to give God the steering wheel in this road trip we call life. I pray that we will remember this as we consider our goals in life. And let us ask ourselves how open we are to God changing these plans.
May grace and peace follow you as you follow the Lord!
God bless!
<3 Shannon
“My Savior, My God” by Aaron Shust
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt0WluTpFTg&feature=fvw
“I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior”
About Me
- shannonlynn
- I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Our Value to God = PRICELESS!
"Allow God to place His own values." - A.W. Tozer
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Friday, February 12, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Hi everyone! So glad to be back home and writing you all again! :) This weekend I went to St. Louis for a campus visit at Covenant Theological Seminary. During one of my interviews, the Admissions Director, asked me how I have coped with hurts in the past. I told her that the only thing that ever gets me through the most difficult times is knowing that God is always there and He never changes. I just wanted to share this with you today, because I feel it is so easy to forget this Truth when the hard times come.
Genesis 31:3 – “…and I will be with you.”
God says this to Jacob after telling him to move to his relative’s land. Just as He was with Jacob when he was alive, God is also with us in every circumstance we face in life.
2 Timothy 2:13 – “…if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”
How great is it that even when we turn our backs on the Lord, He never moves a step away from us?! I heard a really great analogy yesterday (I think from a sermon by Louie Giglio) about a man and a woman. While they were dating, they would drive around in the guy’s truck and he would have one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of the girl’s seat so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Through the years, the woman in the relationship began to move further away from the man (emotionally and literally, in the truck). Even so, the man never moved from his spot. Louie compared this to how we relate to God. There are times in our faith when we will turn away from God through our disobedience, but God never moves away from us. He is always there waiting for us to come back. I can’t imagine a greater love than this! :)
James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” another recollection of how God remains the same
I was reminded of another great Truth last night while I was listening to Louie Giglio. He talked about how we often go to God, crying for answers (wisdom, guidance, etc.) as a last resort. After discussing this with my mom, she reminded me that I had written on this for a devotional a few weeks ago and admitted to doing this with God. As I continue to work on this - and ask for your prayers, grace, and patience with me - I challenge this group to do this as well: Continue to go to God in the good times and bad times, during your mundane activities and exciting activities, and for big decisions as well as “trivial” decisions. (God sees no decision of ours as trivial!)
James 4:8 – “Draw near to the Lord, and He will draw near to you.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 (New King James Version)
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”
Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I love this verse!! It ties into today’s song perfectly!!
Let us rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord is always here for us and that His love for us is never shaken! :)
With love and prayers,
Shannon
“Yesterday, Today, and Forever” by Vicky Beeching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8zHJhPalLY&feature=related
Other Bible references: Matthew 28:20; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 48:14
Genesis 31:3 – “…and I will be with you.”
God says this to Jacob after telling him to move to his relative’s land. Just as He was with Jacob when he was alive, God is also with us in every circumstance we face in life.
2 Timothy 2:13 – “…if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”
How great is it that even when we turn our backs on the Lord, He never moves a step away from us?! I heard a really great analogy yesterday (I think from a sermon by Louie Giglio) about a man and a woman. While they were dating, they would drive around in the guy’s truck and he would have one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of the girl’s seat so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Through the years, the woman in the relationship began to move further away from the man (emotionally and literally, in the truck). Even so, the man never moved from his spot. Louie compared this to how we relate to God. There are times in our faith when we will turn away from God through our disobedience, but God never moves away from us. He is always there waiting for us to come back. I can’t imagine a greater love than this! :)
James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” another recollection of how God remains the same
I was reminded of another great Truth last night while I was listening to Louie Giglio. He talked about how we often go to God, crying for answers (wisdom, guidance, etc.) as a last resort. After discussing this with my mom, she reminded me that I had written on this for a devotional a few weeks ago and admitted to doing this with God. As I continue to work on this - and ask for your prayers, grace, and patience with me - I challenge this group to do this as well: Continue to go to God in the good times and bad times, during your mundane activities and exciting activities, and for big decisions as well as “trivial” decisions. (God sees no decision of ours as trivial!)
James 4:8 – “Draw near to the Lord, and He will draw near to you.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 (New King James Version)
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”
Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I love this verse!! It ties into today’s song perfectly!!
Let us rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord is always here for us and that His love for us is never shaken! :)
With love and prayers,
Shannon
“Yesterday, Today, and Forever” by Vicky Beeching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8zHJhPalLY&feature=related
Other Bible references: Matthew 28:20; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 48:14
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Satisfied in God Alone
Devotional Bible Reference: Genesis 29 – 30:24
In this passage I have included for today’s message, I noticed a theme of how people in Jesus’ time struggled with addiction of approval just as we we do today.
For some background: A man named Jacob had two wives (who happened to be sisters), Leah and Rachel. He fell in love with Rachel so he told her father, Laban, that he would work for him for 7 years for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead, and he ended up having to work 7 more years to marry her sister, Rachel.
That's quite the determination and act of love, right?!
The passage explains that the Lord noticed that Leah was unloved so He blessed her with the ability to have children, whereas Rachel could not at this time. After giving her four sons, she stopped having children, and she praised the Lord for providing for her. However, when Rachel started having her servant sleep with their husband, Jacob, to have children, Leah became discontent with her barrenness. Leah’s discontent led her to convince her servant to sleep with Jacob as well.
The first thing I noticed when I read this was how Leah, before comparing her situation to Rachel’s situation, was content with giving birth to four sons. However, the moment she stopped praising God for what she DID have and started complaining about what she DID NOT have, she was unsatisfied.
Similarly to Leah, once we take our eyes off the Lord and onto our present situation, we become dissatisfied. I believe this dissatisfaction happens because we are limited in our wisdom and we do not have the ability to see the FULL picture as God does. We can only see the present, whereas He is able to see the past, present, AND future all at the same time! As a result of our limited perspective, we begin to question God’s goodness.
If only these sisters would have trusted the Lord with their circumstance – they wouldn’t have had to compete with one another or have their servants sleep with their husband, Jacob. The passage goes on and the Lord displays His goodness in verse 22 when He remembered Rachel’s struggle to have children and gave her a son of her own.
A passage that I really like in Scripture that relates well to this is Jeremiah 18:1-6. “1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Rather than worrying about everyone else and comparing our “pot” to others, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and be satisfied, for He knows what is best for our individual situation.
May we desire to please Him alone.
In Christ,
Shannon
“Hands of the Potter” by Caedmon’s Call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tllPq3aQuIo&feature=related
In this passage I have included for today’s message, I noticed a theme of how people in Jesus’ time struggled with addiction of approval just as we we do today.
For some background: A man named Jacob had two wives (who happened to be sisters), Leah and Rachel. He fell in love with Rachel so he told her father, Laban, that he would work for him for 7 years for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead, and he ended up having to work 7 more years to marry her sister, Rachel.
That's quite the determination and act of love, right?!
The passage explains that the Lord noticed that Leah was unloved so He blessed her with the ability to have children, whereas Rachel could not at this time. After giving her four sons, she stopped having children, and she praised the Lord for providing for her. However, when Rachel started having her servant sleep with their husband, Jacob, to have children, Leah became discontent with her barrenness. Leah’s discontent led her to convince her servant to sleep with Jacob as well.
The first thing I noticed when I read this was how Leah, before comparing her situation to Rachel’s situation, was content with giving birth to four sons. However, the moment she stopped praising God for what she DID have and started complaining about what she DID NOT have, she was unsatisfied.
Similarly to Leah, once we take our eyes off the Lord and onto our present situation, we become dissatisfied. I believe this dissatisfaction happens because we are limited in our wisdom and we do not have the ability to see the FULL picture as God does. We can only see the present, whereas He is able to see the past, present, AND future all at the same time! As a result of our limited perspective, we begin to question God’s goodness.
If only these sisters would have trusted the Lord with their circumstance – they wouldn’t have had to compete with one another or have their servants sleep with their husband, Jacob. The passage goes on and the Lord displays His goodness in verse 22 when He remembered Rachel’s struggle to have children and gave her a son of her own.
A passage that I really like in Scripture that relates well to this is Jeremiah 18:1-6. “1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Rather than worrying about everyone else and comparing our “pot” to others, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and be satisfied, for He knows what is best for our individual situation.
May we desire to please Him alone.
In Christ,
Shannon
“Hands of the Potter” by Caedmon’s Call
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tllPq3aQuIo&feature=related
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Committing to the Mission
Refer to Genesis 24
In this chapter, Abraham’s servant was to find Abraham’s son, Isaac, a wife from Abraham’s hometown. Abraham’s servant knew his mission and he stuck to it. He willed to do anything he could to complete his mission.
“’All right,’ Laban said, ‘tell us your mission.’
‘I am Abraham’s servant,’ he explained.” – verses 33,34
As Christians (God’s servants), our mission is to live for Him, obey His Word, and spread the Good News (and make disciples, or fishers of men as stated in Matthew 4:19). Matthew 22:37-40 sums up our calling: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
I challenge us to ask ourselves if we are continually working on God’s mission or if we have so content in our lives that we have forgotten we were made for a higher calling? Better yet… let us ask ourselves what we feel is our specific calling. For example, I feel called to become a Christian Marriage and Family Counselor.
Whatever it is that God has placed on your heart to do, do all you can to take the steps to fulfill this calling. And keep in mind… “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Let us determine to be the Lord’s servant and commit ourselves to His work.
May grace and peace be with you always!
<3 Shannon
“What Are You Waiting For” by Natalie Grant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbW7iqvdOBw
In this chapter, Abraham’s servant was to find Abraham’s son, Isaac, a wife from Abraham’s hometown. Abraham’s servant knew his mission and he stuck to it. He willed to do anything he could to complete his mission.
“’All right,’ Laban said, ‘tell us your mission.’
‘I am Abraham’s servant,’ he explained.” – verses 33,34
As Christians (God’s servants), our mission is to live for Him, obey His Word, and spread the Good News (and make disciples, or fishers of men as stated in Matthew 4:19). Matthew 22:37-40 sums up our calling: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
I challenge us to ask ourselves if we are continually working on God’s mission or if we have so content in our lives that we have forgotten we were made for a higher calling? Better yet… let us ask ourselves what we feel is our specific calling. For example, I feel called to become a Christian Marriage and Family Counselor.
Whatever it is that God has placed on your heart to do, do all you can to take the steps to fulfill this calling. And keep in mind… “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Let us determine to be the Lord’s servant and commit ourselves to His work.
May grace and peace be with you always!
<3 Shannon
“What Are You Waiting For” by Natalie Grant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbW7iqvdOBw
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Don’t Waste Your Life (Part 2)
I ended the previous devotional message with: “To avoid living a wasted life, we must “Glorify God” (1 Corinthians 6:20) and contrary to popular belief, by pursuing God’s glory, we are ultimately pursuing our joy.” Chapter 2 of John Piper’s book continues this thought…
God created us to fully display His glory (Isaiah 43:7) and to delight in Him with all our heart (Psalm 37:4).
It was becoming clearer and clearer that if I wanted to come to the end of my life and not say, “I’ve wasted it!” then I would need to press all the way in, and all the way up, to the ultimate purpose of God and join Him in it. If my life was to have a single, all-satisfying , unifying passion, it would have to be God’s passion. And I believe God’s passion is the display of His glory and the delight of my heart.
It has become clearer that God being glorified and God being enjoyed are not separate categories. What John Piper is saying is that enjoying God supremely is one way to glorify God. Being happy IN GOD is the way we glorify Him. :)
So to your questions: Why am I here? To be happy? Or to glorify God?... The answer is that God’s purpose for your life is for you to have a passion for God’s glory and a passion for your joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion.
God created me – and you – to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion – namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. Enjoying and displaying are both crucial.
My favorite point John Piper makes from this chapter: If we try to display the excellence of God without joy in it, we will display a shell of hypocrisy and create scorn or legalism. But if we claim to enjoy His excellence and do not display it for others to see and admire, we deceive ourselves, because the mark of God-enthralled joy is to overflow and expand by extending itself into the hearts of others. The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
So my question for us to consider is, “What passions are you pursuing in life?”
May we not waste another moment but rather live for the glory of God by enjoying Him and displaying His excellence.
Many blessings!
<3 Shannon
“The More I Seek You” – Kari Jobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI_1YliutzA&feature=related
I’ve included this song tonight because the song’s message radiates the joy we have in the Lord – Kari Jobe sings, “The more I find You, the more I love You.” This line is so heart-warming for me because it reminds me of how much more I want to know the Lord when I spend a mere second in His presence. It all goes back to John Piper’s words – When we have a passion for God’s glory, we will have a passion for the joy in that glory.
God created us to fully display His glory (Isaiah 43:7) and to delight in Him with all our heart (Psalm 37:4).
It was becoming clearer and clearer that if I wanted to come to the end of my life and not say, “I’ve wasted it!” then I would need to press all the way in, and all the way up, to the ultimate purpose of God and join Him in it. If my life was to have a single, all-satisfying , unifying passion, it would have to be God’s passion. And I believe God’s passion is the display of His glory and the delight of my heart.
It has become clearer that God being glorified and God being enjoyed are not separate categories. What John Piper is saying is that enjoying God supremely is one way to glorify God. Being happy IN GOD is the way we glorify Him. :)
So to your questions: Why am I here? To be happy? Or to glorify God?... The answer is that God’s purpose for your life is for you to have a passion for God’s glory and a passion for your joy in that glory, and that these two are one passion.
God created me – and you – to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion – namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. Enjoying and displaying are both crucial.
My favorite point John Piper makes from this chapter: If we try to display the excellence of God without joy in it, we will display a shell of hypocrisy and create scorn or legalism. But if we claim to enjoy His excellence and do not display it for others to see and admire, we deceive ourselves, because the mark of God-enthralled joy is to overflow and expand by extending itself into the hearts of others. The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.
So my question for us to consider is, “What passions are you pursuing in life?”
May we not waste another moment but rather live for the glory of God by enjoying Him and displaying His excellence.
Many blessings!
<3 Shannon
“The More I Seek You” – Kari Jobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI_1YliutzA&feature=related
I’ve included this song tonight because the song’s message radiates the joy we have in the Lord – Kari Jobe sings, “The more I find You, the more I love You.” This line is so heart-warming for me because it reminds me of how much more I want to know the Lord when I spend a mere second in His presence. It all goes back to John Piper’s words – When we have a passion for God’s glory, we will have a passion for the joy in that glory.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Passionate Love
Tonight I came upon an old favorite book of mine: “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. Below I have included a few of his thoughts from the first chapter:
“To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid ‘big’ sins – is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?” – Francois Fenelon, Seeking Heart
Our view of God is narrow and small when we think that Christianity is only about avoiding drinking, drugs, sex, and swearing. Today Christianity is seen as fighting your desires to please God. This was not at all what God wants or planned for. Rather than living comfortable lives, I believe God wants us to live lives filled with risk and adventure. I believe He wants us to love others so much that we will go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving – of our time, money, and our abilities.
We have become lukewarm, half-hearted Christians because we have an inaccurate view of God. Rather than fitting God into our lives, He needs to become the center of our very existence.
I have two videos I’d like you all to check out by Francis Chan. He gives a great picture of who God truly is and what that means for how we are to live.
The Awe Factor of God (3mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg
Just Stop and Think (15mins – well worth watching though!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRi4VwcrYmA
With love and prayers,
Shannon
“To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid ‘big’ sins – is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?” – Francois Fenelon, Seeking Heart
Our view of God is narrow and small when we think that Christianity is only about avoiding drinking, drugs, sex, and swearing. Today Christianity is seen as fighting your desires to please God. This was not at all what God wants or planned for. Rather than living comfortable lives, I believe God wants us to live lives filled with risk and adventure. I believe He wants us to love others so much that we will go to extremes to help them. I believe He wants us to be known for giving – of our time, money, and our abilities.
We have become lukewarm, half-hearted Christians because we have an inaccurate view of God. Rather than fitting God into our lives, He needs to become the center of our very existence.
I have two videos I’d like you all to check out by Francis Chan. He gives a great picture of who God truly is and what that means for how we are to live.
The Awe Factor of God (3mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg
Just Stop and Think (15mins – well worth watching though!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRi4VwcrYmA
With love and prayers,
Shannon
The Heart – Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church Pastor
Happy New Year! We made it to yet another year!! :-D
I recently heard this AMAZING sermon about the heart so I have included a bit of it below with a few comments of my own. Enjoy!
Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance [meaning, keep an eye on your heart] for from it flows the springs of life.” = Your heart is the source of that which flows into the river of your life. Everything in your life flows from your heart. This means that all of the issues in our life can only be dealt with by ultimately going back to our heart.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” – Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
The heart really matters. Jesus cares a lot about the heart. We can see this by how often He speaks of it. In the Bible, the heart is mentioned over 900 times! It is considered the center of our being (in essence, it’s who we are) according to Scripture. So if we want see God, we need to have a pure heart.
Problem: Our hearts are unclean because of sin.
Sin defined = anything that dishonors or disobeys God (thoughts, words, deeds, motives)
By nature and choice we are sinners, therefore our hearts are impure and this is where sin lies.
Question 1: So why do we do the things that we do? Why do we sin?
According to the Bible – Ultimately we have a sin nature. This stems back to the fall of man (Adam & Eve – Genesis 3). Romans 5:12-21 basically states that because of one man’s sin, the whole race fell. When Adam sinned, we were all implicated. Just like when a president chooses to go to war, that whole country follows him into war because they do not live apart of the people in which they are numbered. However, it goes on to say that because of the resurrection of Jesus, many are made righteous. We have our sin nature from our father Adam and our salvation from our Lord Jesus. (We go more into Jesus’ solution for our sin later in this message.)
Psalm 58:3 – “We are wicked from our mother’s womb.” We are born with the inclination to rebel against God.
Pastor Driscoll brought up an interesting point on how it’s amazing that today we want to address behavior. We want to stop drinking too much, stop doing drugs, stop being addicted to something, or stop being angry or depressed. I can think of a couple, being that it is New Years and I’m sure a few of us have already started thinking of our New Year’s Resolutions. All in all, we want behavioral change.
However, Jesus says that all the issues that we struggle with regarding sin come from the heart. (See Matthew 5:28 where He says that if you have a lust problem, in reality, you have a heart problem.) Matthew 6:21 states “Where your treasure is, there your heart is.” So we don’t have spending problems, we have a heart problem. Additionally, Luke 6:45 says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can start controlling our tongue when we get to the issues of the heart.
Mark 7:20-23 “What comes out from a person is what defiles him. For from within come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these things come within and they all defile a person.”
We can deal with all of these issues when we go straight to our heart. What usually happens with us, however, is that when we see sin in our life, we try to deal with the issue rather than asking God, “What is going on with my heart?”
Question 2: What can we do about this heart problem? What’s the hope?
The world says the answer is behavior modification. Yet God wants more than this. Behavior modification may lead to pride or despair. This may come to a shock to some of us, but God wants more than for you to become a good person. He wants you to be a worshipper out of your heart, loving Him and others in your life. The Lord needs to regenerate our heart first.
Christianity is different than other religions in that it is about getting a new heart. (See Ezekiel 36:26) And going back to Proverbs 4:23…when we get a new heart, as a result, we will also get a new wellspring. When we have a new heart, we have a new Lord. Jesus is in charge, not us. Also we have a new power because of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are now able to overcome the addictions we were once powerless to. We have a new purpose. With a new heart, we want to live in a way that honors God. Lastly, we have new desires. We will now want to read the Bible, go to church regularly, pray, grow as a Christian, and draw nearer to the Lord.
Does this mean we’re perfect? No! We are being sanctified (cleansed), constantly learning and growing with the Lord’s help. However, when we are resurrected from death, we will be made perfect in Heaven. But until then, this new heart allows us to live a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17 calls us a “new creation” where “the old has gone, and the new has come!”)
The new heart has:
*Faith (Proverbs 3:5)
*A desire for obedience (Proverbs 4:4)
*The ability to be corrected (Proverbs 5:12)
*The ability to be taught (Proverbs 10:8)
*Contentment (Proverbs 14:30)
*A love for wisdom (Proverbs 15:14)
*Cheerfulness (Proverbs 15:15)
*Helpfulness (Proverbs 15:28)
*Discernment (Proverbs 16:21)
*Persuasive abilities (Proverbs 16:23)
*Humility (Proverbs 18:12)
*Intelligence (Proverbs 18:15)
*Beauty (Proverbs 27:19)
*A repentant spirit (Proverbs 28:14)
Proverbs 20:5 – “The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”
Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Pull these two verses together = “Deep desires”
Ultimately, while religion is saying, “All your desires are bad and you need to modify your behaviors through a lot of rules.” Religion is all about fear, intimidation, control, shame, guilt, and what you can’t do. Christianity is completely different. Because we have been given new desires, it’s not about what you don’t get to do, but rather what you get to do. It’s about not always denying what you really want to do. It’s about going for your DEEPEST DESIRES. [Our DEEP DESIRES are God’s desires for us.] Psalm 37:4 instructs us on how we can get these desires.
Basically the verse is saying that if we love God and are satisfied in Him, He will put desires on our heart AND a passion to pursue them so that our will and His will come together. In the end, we get to do exactly what we want to do! Ex: Be kind to our neighbors, know Jesus, have a loving family, serving others :)
Questions to ponder (and feel free to message me your answers if you’d like to discuss):
Do you have a new heart? How do you know if you have a new heart?
What has God been showing you about your heart lately?
What can you do to nourish the DEEP DESIRES of your new heart?
What desires are even deeper in your heart than your desires for sin? What are you passionate about? What are you hopeful for?
I challenge us to pay attention to our DEEPEST DESIRES today, because these desires are most likely given to us from God. When you find these desires, get passionate about them and pursue them!
May the Lord open your eyes to the new heart He has created for you!
God bless!
<3 Shannon
Song: Hillsong United – Hosanna
“Heal my heart and make it clean….Break my heart for what breaks Yours.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXCoHxX1OC8
I recently heard this AMAZING sermon about the heart so I have included a bit of it below with a few comments of my own. Enjoy!
Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance [meaning, keep an eye on your heart] for from it flows the springs of life.” = Your heart is the source of that which flows into the river of your life. Everything in your life flows from your heart. This means that all of the issues in our life can only be dealt with by ultimately going back to our heart.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” – Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
The heart really matters. Jesus cares a lot about the heart. We can see this by how often He speaks of it. In the Bible, the heart is mentioned over 900 times! It is considered the center of our being (in essence, it’s who we are) according to Scripture. So if we want see God, we need to have a pure heart.
Problem: Our hearts are unclean because of sin.
Sin defined = anything that dishonors or disobeys God (thoughts, words, deeds, motives)
By nature and choice we are sinners, therefore our hearts are impure and this is where sin lies.
Question 1: So why do we do the things that we do? Why do we sin?
According to the Bible – Ultimately we have a sin nature. This stems back to the fall of man (Adam & Eve – Genesis 3). Romans 5:12-21 basically states that because of one man’s sin, the whole race fell. When Adam sinned, we were all implicated. Just like when a president chooses to go to war, that whole country follows him into war because they do not live apart of the people in which they are numbered. However, it goes on to say that because of the resurrection of Jesus, many are made righteous. We have our sin nature from our father Adam and our salvation from our Lord Jesus. (We go more into Jesus’ solution for our sin later in this message.)
Psalm 58:3 – “We are wicked from our mother’s womb.” We are born with the inclination to rebel against God.
Pastor Driscoll brought up an interesting point on how it’s amazing that today we want to address behavior. We want to stop drinking too much, stop doing drugs, stop being addicted to something, or stop being angry or depressed. I can think of a couple, being that it is New Years and I’m sure a few of us have already started thinking of our New Year’s Resolutions. All in all, we want behavioral change.
However, Jesus says that all the issues that we struggle with regarding sin come from the heart. (See Matthew 5:28 where He says that if you have a lust problem, in reality, you have a heart problem.) Matthew 6:21 states “Where your treasure is, there your heart is.” So we don’t have spending problems, we have a heart problem. Additionally, Luke 6:45 says, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can start controlling our tongue when we get to the issues of the heart.
Mark 7:20-23 “What comes out from a person is what defiles him. For from within come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these things come within and they all defile a person.”
We can deal with all of these issues when we go straight to our heart. What usually happens with us, however, is that when we see sin in our life, we try to deal with the issue rather than asking God, “What is going on with my heart?”
Question 2: What can we do about this heart problem? What’s the hope?
The world says the answer is behavior modification. Yet God wants more than this. Behavior modification may lead to pride or despair. This may come to a shock to some of us, but God wants more than for you to become a good person. He wants you to be a worshipper out of your heart, loving Him and others in your life. The Lord needs to regenerate our heart first.
Christianity is different than other religions in that it is about getting a new heart. (See Ezekiel 36:26) And going back to Proverbs 4:23…when we get a new heart, as a result, we will also get a new wellspring. When we have a new heart, we have a new Lord. Jesus is in charge, not us. Also we have a new power because of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are now able to overcome the addictions we were once powerless to. We have a new purpose. With a new heart, we want to live in a way that honors God. Lastly, we have new desires. We will now want to read the Bible, go to church regularly, pray, grow as a Christian, and draw nearer to the Lord.
Does this mean we’re perfect? No! We are being sanctified (cleansed), constantly learning and growing with the Lord’s help. However, when we are resurrected from death, we will be made perfect in Heaven. But until then, this new heart allows us to live a new life. (2 Corinthians 5:17 calls us a “new creation” where “the old has gone, and the new has come!”)
The new heart has:
*Faith (Proverbs 3:5)
*A desire for obedience (Proverbs 4:4)
*The ability to be corrected (Proverbs 5:12)
*The ability to be taught (Proverbs 10:8)
*Contentment (Proverbs 14:30)
*A love for wisdom (Proverbs 15:14)
*Cheerfulness (Proverbs 15:15)
*Helpfulness (Proverbs 15:28)
*Discernment (Proverbs 16:21)
*Persuasive abilities (Proverbs 16:23)
*Humility (Proverbs 18:12)
*Intelligence (Proverbs 18:15)
*Beauty (Proverbs 27:19)
*A repentant spirit (Proverbs 28:14)
Proverbs 20:5 – “The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”
Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Pull these two verses together = “Deep desires”
Ultimately, while religion is saying, “All your desires are bad and you need to modify your behaviors through a lot of rules.” Religion is all about fear, intimidation, control, shame, guilt, and what you can’t do. Christianity is completely different. Because we have been given new desires, it’s not about what you don’t get to do, but rather what you get to do. It’s about not always denying what you really want to do. It’s about going for your DEEPEST DESIRES. [Our DEEP DESIRES are God’s desires for us.] Psalm 37:4 instructs us on how we can get these desires.
Basically the verse is saying that if we love God and are satisfied in Him, He will put desires on our heart AND a passion to pursue them so that our will and His will come together. In the end, we get to do exactly what we want to do! Ex: Be kind to our neighbors, know Jesus, have a loving family, serving others :)
Questions to ponder (and feel free to message me your answers if you’d like to discuss):
Do you have a new heart? How do you know if you have a new heart?
What has God been showing you about your heart lately?
What can you do to nourish the DEEP DESIRES of your new heart?
What desires are even deeper in your heart than your desires for sin? What are you passionate about? What are you hopeful for?
I challenge us to pay attention to our DEEPEST DESIRES today, because these desires are most likely given to us from God. When you find these desires, get passionate about them and pursue them!
May the Lord open your eyes to the new heart He has created for you!
God bless!
<3 Shannon
Song: Hillsong United – Hosanna
“Heal my heart and make it clean….Break my heart for what breaks Yours.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXCoHxX1OC8
Monday, December 28, 2009
Love Defined
“’What does love look like?’ is the question I’ve been pondering. ‘What does love look like?’ is the question I’ve been asking of You. Once believed that love was romance, just a chance. I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful. I once believed that love was a momentary bliss, but love is more than this. All You ever wanted was my attention. All You ever wanted was love from me. All You ever wanted was my affections to sit here at Your feet and tell me ‘What does love look like?’ If all of life comes down to love then tell me, ‘What does love look like?’
Then I sat down a little frustrated and confused. Your fire of life comes down to love. And love has to be more than sentiment, more than selfishness and selfish gain.
Then I saw Him there. Hanging on a tree, looking at me. He was looking at me looking at Him, staring through me. I could not escape those beautiful eyes and I began to weep and weep.
He had arms wide open, heart exposed. Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding. Love’s definition was looking at me, looking at Him. Hanging on a tree. I began to weep and weep and weep and weep. This is how I know what love is.
And as I sat there, weeping, crying, those beautiful eyes full of desire and love. And He said to me, ‘You shall love Me. You shall love Me with arms wide open, heart exposed. With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding. ’
‘If anybody’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If you’ve been searching for love, come to Me. Come to me. Take up your cross. Deny yourself. Forget your father’s house and run. Run with Me. Cause you were made for Someone greater, Someone bigger, so follow Me. And you’ll come alive when you learn to die.’” – Lyrics to Arms Wide Open by Misty Edwards (a worship leader @ International House of Prayer – IHOP)
Note: I do not say these things below to condemn of the love we lack, but to challenge and encourage us to love like Jesus does. Just like the quote, “Jesus loves us where we are, but He refuses to leave us there.” We were made for so much more! :)
We’ve made love into “What can he/she do for me?” Love has become all about “What can I get out of it?” rather than “What can I give to my loved one to show I appreciate them and care about their needs above my own?” My favorite part of this song was where Misty says “Love’s definition was looking at me, looking at Him. Hanging on a tree….This is how I know what love is.” If love is this kind of sacrifice, how come we are seeing such flaky love in the world?! When did it become all about ‘ME?’
I challenge you this week (it’s a big challenge, that we’ll constantly have to work on throughout our lives) to love like God loves - selflessly and unconditionally, with arms wide open, heart exposed. Remember that God’s command to love was not a choice or option.
For help with this, ask the Lord to humble you and see others the way He does. And ask Him to give you the strength to love when you no longer feel like loving others. May you walk in His love!
With prayers and love,
Shannon
Then I sat down a little frustrated and confused. Your fire of life comes down to love. And love has to be more than sentiment, more than selfishness and selfish gain.
Then I saw Him there. Hanging on a tree, looking at me. He was looking at me looking at Him, staring through me. I could not escape those beautiful eyes and I began to weep and weep.
He had arms wide open, heart exposed. Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding. Love’s definition was looking at me, looking at Him. Hanging on a tree. I began to weep and weep and weep and weep. This is how I know what love is.
And as I sat there, weeping, crying, those beautiful eyes full of desire and love. And He said to me, ‘You shall love Me. You shall love Me with arms wide open, heart exposed. With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding. ’
‘If anybody’s looking for love in all the wrong places. If you’ve been searching for love, come to Me. Come to me. Take up your cross. Deny yourself. Forget your father’s house and run. Run with Me. Cause you were made for Someone greater, Someone bigger, so follow Me. And you’ll come alive when you learn to die.’” – Lyrics to Arms Wide Open by Misty Edwards (a worship leader @ International House of Prayer – IHOP)
Note: I do not say these things below to condemn of the love we lack, but to challenge and encourage us to love like Jesus does. Just like the quote, “Jesus loves us where we are, but He refuses to leave us there.” We were made for so much more! :)
We’ve made love into “What can he/she do for me?” Love has become all about “What can I get out of it?” rather than “What can I give to my loved one to show I appreciate them and care about their needs above my own?” My favorite part of this song was where Misty says “Love’s definition was looking at me, looking at Him. Hanging on a tree….This is how I know what love is.” If love is this kind of sacrifice, how come we are seeing such flaky love in the world?! When did it become all about ‘ME?’
I challenge you this week (it’s a big challenge, that we’ll constantly have to work on throughout our lives) to love like God loves - selflessly and unconditionally, with arms wide open, heart exposed. Remember that God’s command to love was not a choice or option.
For help with this, ask the Lord to humble you and see others the way He does. And ask Him to give you the strength to love when you no longer feel like loving others. May you walk in His love!
With prayers and love,
Shannon
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
An Extraordinary Proposal and The Bridegroom
Note: This message applies to both women AND men.
It is said that an individual’s greatest desire is to love and be loved. The best news about this is that our Heavenly Father loves us at all times as a flame of fire. His ardor never cools and His longing for our love and affection is deep and constant.
I am really excited to write this devotional , along with yesterday’s devotional, because I just recently found out of a few symbolic parallels in the Bible that I’m interested in sharing with you all.
A recent book I’ve been reading, called Completely His by Shannon Ethridge, devoted an entire chapter to the Lord’s passionate love for us, so I have included a few points below:
The First Last Supper – The night before Jesus was crucified, He gathered His twelve disciples in an upper room, where they experienced the origin of a sacred tradition we call “taking communion.” Jesus’ body (the bread) is “broken for you” and His blood (the wine/grape juice) “was shed for the remission of your sins.”
A side note: In Biblical times, a bride-to-be had a say in whether she would marry her potential groom. After he had negotiated a bride price for her (I’ll explain this more later), the groom would seek her approval of the arrangement by pouring a cup of wine and handing it to her. The quality of the wine signified, in his opinion, the bride’s worth. By this act, he was saying, “I offer you my life.” At that moment, the potential bride had a decision to make. If she did not care to marry the man, she could refuse the cup. But if she was willing to marry him, she would take the cup and drink from it. By her actions, she was saying, “I receive your life, and I give you mine in return.” Then preparations would begin for a wedding celebration, which included the groom’s returning to his father’s house to build an additional room where the marriage would eventually be consummated.
With this in mind, let’s return to the Last Supper. When Jesus handed the cup of wine to each of His disciples that night, He was saying, in essence, “Will you marry Me? Will you be My spiritual bride?” At that moment, His followers had a decision to make. They could reject the cup and refuse Jesus’ spiritual marriage proposal, or they could drink from it, receiving His life and offering theirs to Him in return. Once they drank from the cup, Jesus explained that He was going away and that they couldn’t come with Him. The disciples were bewildered, but Jesus responded, “Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in Me. There are many rooms in My Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am” (John 14:1-3).
Jesus was referring to the Jewish tradition of the groom’s going to prepare a place for his bride that adjoined his father’s house. He was saying, “I am going to My Father’s house to prepare the wedding chamber, where we will one day consummate our love for one another and enjoy each other’s presence throughout all eternity.” He was telling His disciples – and you and me – that He was returning to His Father’s house in order to prepare a place for each one of us, for we are all His beloved bride.
How incredible is this that God would make such an offer, particularly when He knows our tendency toward unfaithfulness?! :)
An Unfaithful Bride
None of us are faithful to our Bridegroom – not one – but He has known this about each of us all along. The Bible is filled with unfaithful brides, from Adam and Abraham in the Old Testament to Peter and Paul in the New Testament. Yet these stories of sin often turn out to be success stories of how God cleansed these individuals and called them His own. He can do the same for us. In fact, God in His loving kindness, has already taken care of the necessary wedding arrangements in order to make good on His extraordinary proposal. Two important arrangements – the payment of the bride price and the provision of the wedding garments.
Payment of the Bride Price
In ancient times, a suitor was expected to pay the bride’s family a hefty price in order to receive her hand in marriage. Jesus did the same for us (His spiritual bride). However, Jesus wasn’t simply negotiating the price for one individual, but for all individuals, for all Eternity. So what price did He pay? No amount of money could possibly have made that kind of purchase. The price had to be exorbitant. It had to cost Him everything. And it did. It cost Him His life. Yet He paid the price willingly.
Just hours before He died, Jesus fell face down on the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus paid a high price for each one of us. He drank the cup. He offered is very life to purchase His beloved spiritual bride, to purchase you and me. I love this analogy, because it makes me see the importance taking communion truly has! It is as if we are accepting Jesus’ marriage proposal or rejecting it, depending on whether we partake in it. It also is a great reminder to embrace our roles as His spiritual bride. Jesus has also purchased our wedding dress…
Provision of the Wedding Garments
He knew we could never purchase our own garments for the wedding supper of the Lamb, but He could, so He did (see Revelation 19:6-7). However, we need the proper garments – we need to be clothed in righteousness. The problem is, we cannot clothe ourselves with the necessary righteousness, regardless of how successful we are in refraining from sin or how many good deeds we manage to squeeze into a day. We can never be good enough. But when Jesus paid the price for us by dying on the Cross in our place, the blood He shed cancelled our sins and paved our way into the presence of God. He clothed us in His righteousness (see Isaiah 61:10).
Because Jesus has clothed us in His righteousness, we can proudly wear white at the wedding feast of the Lamb. And when we clothe ourselves with the white wedding dress that Christ has purchased for us to wear, we are the fulfillment of all he has dreamed about for us from the beginning.
A Pure and Spotless Bride
At the wedding supper of the Lamb, we will have absolutely no regrets. All our guilt and shame has been completely washed away by what Christ has already done, and we will know that we are the pure and spotless bride that God intended for His Son.
Perhaps you struggle with feeling less than worthy of God’s love because of your unfaithfulness to Him. Perhaps you can’t see yourself as a pure and spotless bride. If so, let me put some light back in your eyes. In Colossians 1:19-23, 28, Paul says we are perfect in Christ and that we are holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation. It doesn’t matter that you don’t feel worthy, because God’s lavish love and unconditional acceptance of you isn’t based on your worthiness. It’s based on HIS goodness. It’s based on the bride price that His perfect Son has already paid for you and me. We are no longer just anybody. We are His chosen. We are His beloved bride.
We may remember the sins we’ve committed in the past, but as far as God is concerned, we’ve been justified (meaning “just-as-if-I’d never done those things!”). Our sins are no longer held against us. We’ve been set free. We’ve been redeemed. Even in our unfaithfulness. Jesus has betrothed (engaged) Himself to us forever.
How Will We Respond?
It is the most moving and compelling love story of all time – Jesus extending such an extraordinary marriage proposal to us, paying the exorbitantly high price to redeem us, and permitting us to wear white as His pure and spotless bride. But the ending is up to each of us, individually. Will you dismiss this as some fairy tale? Or will you embrace those Truths and give Jesus the response He longs to receive?
May the Lord give you wisdom in this decision and bless you richly in your obedience to Him.
In Christ,
Shannon
“I Can’t Wait” – Merchant Band: Lyrics (Sorry, I could not find a video this time)
“There's a place I've been more real than what I've seen
You led me by the hand into the chamber of the King
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I've tasted and I've known of a love that's better than wine
Come to me my Lord only You can satisfy
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love
I have been betrothed to a King above all kings
I am not my own and You've pledged Yourself to me
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love”
It is said that an individual’s greatest desire is to love and be loved. The best news about this is that our Heavenly Father loves us at all times as a flame of fire. His ardor never cools and His longing for our love and affection is deep and constant.
I am really excited to write this devotional , along with yesterday’s devotional, because I just recently found out of a few symbolic parallels in the Bible that I’m interested in sharing with you all.
A recent book I’ve been reading, called Completely His by Shannon Ethridge, devoted an entire chapter to the Lord’s passionate love for us, so I have included a few points below:
The First Last Supper – The night before Jesus was crucified, He gathered His twelve disciples in an upper room, where they experienced the origin of a sacred tradition we call “taking communion.” Jesus’ body (the bread) is “broken for you” and His blood (the wine/grape juice) “was shed for the remission of your sins.”
A side note: In Biblical times, a bride-to-be had a say in whether she would marry her potential groom. After he had negotiated a bride price for her (I’ll explain this more later), the groom would seek her approval of the arrangement by pouring a cup of wine and handing it to her. The quality of the wine signified, in his opinion, the bride’s worth. By this act, he was saying, “I offer you my life.” At that moment, the potential bride had a decision to make. If she did not care to marry the man, she could refuse the cup. But if she was willing to marry him, she would take the cup and drink from it. By her actions, she was saying, “I receive your life, and I give you mine in return.” Then preparations would begin for a wedding celebration, which included the groom’s returning to his father’s house to build an additional room where the marriage would eventually be consummated.
With this in mind, let’s return to the Last Supper. When Jesus handed the cup of wine to each of His disciples that night, He was saying, in essence, “Will you marry Me? Will you be My spiritual bride?” At that moment, His followers had a decision to make. They could reject the cup and refuse Jesus’ spiritual marriage proposal, or they could drink from it, receiving His life and offering theirs to Him in return. Once they drank from the cup, Jesus explained that He was going away and that they couldn’t come with Him. The disciples were bewildered, but Jesus responded, “Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in Me. There are many rooms in My Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am” (John 14:1-3).
Jesus was referring to the Jewish tradition of the groom’s going to prepare a place for his bride that adjoined his father’s house. He was saying, “I am going to My Father’s house to prepare the wedding chamber, where we will one day consummate our love for one another and enjoy each other’s presence throughout all eternity.” He was telling His disciples – and you and me – that He was returning to His Father’s house in order to prepare a place for each one of us, for we are all His beloved bride.
How incredible is this that God would make such an offer, particularly when He knows our tendency toward unfaithfulness?! :)
An Unfaithful Bride
None of us are faithful to our Bridegroom – not one – but He has known this about each of us all along. The Bible is filled with unfaithful brides, from Adam and Abraham in the Old Testament to Peter and Paul in the New Testament. Yet these stories of sin often turn out to be success stories of how God cleansed these individuals and called them His own. He can do the same for us. In fact, God in His loving kindness, has already taken care of the necessary wedding arrangements in order to make good on His extraordinary proposal. Two important arrangements – the payment of the bride price and the provision of the wedding garments.
Payment of the Bride Price
In ancient times, a suitor was expected to pay the bride’s family a hefty price in order to receive her hand in marriage. Jesus did the same for us (His spiritual bride). However, Jesus wasn’t simply negotiating the price for one individual, but for all individuals, for all Eternity. So what price did He pay? No amount of money could possibly have made that kind of purchase. The price had to be exorbitant. It had to cost Him everything. And it did. It cost Him His life. Yet He paid the price willingly.
Just hours before He died, Jesus fell face down on the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus paid a high price for each one of us. He drank the cup. He offered is very life to purchase His beloved spiritual bride, to purchase you and me. I love this analogy, because it makes me see the importance taking communion truly has! It is as if we are accepting Jesus’ marriage proposal or rejecting it, depending on whether we partake in it. It also is a great reminder to embrace our roles as His spiritual bride. Jesus has also purchased our wedding dress…
Provision of the Wedding Garments
He knew we could never purchase our own garments for the wedding supper of the Lamb, but He could, so He did (see Revelation 19:6-7). However, we need the proper garments – we need to be clothed in righteousness. The problem is, we cannot clothe ourselves with the necessary righteousness, regardless of how successful we are in refraining from sin or how many good deeds we manage to squeeze into a day. We can never be good enough. But when Jesus paid the price for us by dying on the Cross in our place, the blood He shed cancelled our sins and paved our way into the presence of God. He clothed us in His righteousness (see Isaiah 61:10).
Because Jesus has clothed us in His righteousness, we can proudly wear white at the wedding feast of the Lamb. And when we clothe ourselves with the white wedding dress that Christ has purchased for us to wear, we are the fulfillment of all he has dreamed about for us from the beginning.
A Pure and Spotless Bride
At the wedding supper of the Lamb, we will have absolutely no regrets. All our guilt and shame has been completely washed away by what Christ has already done, and we will know that we are the pure and spotless bride that God intended for His Son.
Perhaps you struggle with feeling less than worthy of God’s love because of your unfaithfulness to Him. Perhaps you can’t see yourself as a pure and spotless bride. If so, let me put some light back in your eyes. In Colossians 1:19-23, 28, Paul says we are perfect in Christ and that we are holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation. It doesn’t matter that you don’t feel worthy, because God’s lavish love and unconditional acceptance of you isn’t based on your worthiness. It’s based on HIS goodness. It’s based on the bride price that His perfect Son has already paid for you and me. We are no longer just anybody. We are His chosen. We are His beloved bride.
We may remember the sins we’ve committed in the past, but as far as God is concerned, we’ve been justified (meaning “just-as-if-I’d never done those things!”). Our sins are no longer held against us. We’ve been set free. We’ve been redeemed. Even in our unfaithfulness. Jesus has betrothed (engaged) Himself to us forever.
How Will We Respond?
It is the most moving and compelling love story of all time – Jesus extending such an extraordinary marriage proposal to us, paying the exorbitantly high price to redeem us, and permitting us to wear white as His pure and spotless bride. But the ending is up to each of us, individually. Will you dismiss this as some fairy tale? Or will you embrace those Truths and give Jesus the response He longs to receive?
May the Lord give you wisdom in this decision and bless you richly in your obedience to Him.
In Christ,
Shannon
“I Can’t Wait” – Merchant Band: Lyrics (Sorry, I could not find a video this time)
“There's a place I've been more real than what I've seen
You led me by the hand into the chamber of the King
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I've tasted and I've known of a love that's better than wine
Come to me my Lord only You can satisfy
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love
I have been betrothed to a King above all kings
I am not my own and You've pledged Yourself to me
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
Take me away to the place that I never want to leave
I can't wait for our wedding day to come
Let me see Your face let me feel Your arms of love”
The Tabernacle and Salvation Parallel
I recently heard some mind-blowing insight on the Tabernacle that is discussed in the Old Testament. Below I have described a general idea of the parallel the Tabernacle has with salvation, which is defined as deliverance from the power and penalty of sin.
Hebrews 8:4-5; 9:1-28
Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.
The Tabernacle of Moses is a lesson of unquestionable authority.
The Tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place. All the components of the Tabernacle were part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God's relationship with His people. One aspect of this relationship was God’s requirement for complete obedience. God told Moses to create the Tabernacle exactly the way He commanded (Exodus 25:9).
To this end, God gave very specific instructions about the size of each component and the materials the Israelites were to use. These seemingly cumbersome rules were not intended to burden the people, but to show God’s unquestionable authority and holiness, and emphasize that people could only come to God on God’s terms, not on their own. They had to obey reverently not only in the construction of the Tabernacle, but also in the way they worshipped. Any irreverence or ritual uncleanness could result from an individual being cut off from his people or in death.
The Tabernacle really was a prophetic projection of the Lord’s redemptive plan for His people. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”
Here are a couple pictures of the Tabernacle of Moses:
http://www.the-Tabernacle-place.com/images/Tabernacle_painted.jpg
http://www.templebuilders.com/Tabernacleimages/Tabernacle2enlargement.jpg
Something to note: There was only one gate by which people could enter into the Tabernacle courtyard. This symbolizes Jesus’ statement that He is the one gate by which we can enter God’s presence. John 14:6 -“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 10:9 - “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved” -John 10:9.
[Refer to Hebrews 9] - The Tabernacle was always to be set up in the midst of Israel’s campsite. This symbolized God’s desire to dwell among His people. God does not desire to be aloof or distant—He desires to be accessible to us. In fact, He desires to dwell within us.
But there is a problem, and the Tabernacle also symbolized this problem...
(Refer to the linked pictures for understanding) Any Israelite could go into the outer court of the Tabernacle as long as they were ritually clean, but there were restrictions and barriers that prevented most people from getting any closer to God. Only the Levitical priests could go into the Holy Place, the sanctuary in the Tabernacle. And no one (with one exception that I’ll explain soon) could go into God’s dwelling-place, the Holy of Holies. A thick veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies—this was as if God was saying: “Yes, I desire to have you in My presence—but you are not allowed the way you are. There is a serious problem that separates us, and until that problem is resolved there can be no real closeness between us.” That problem was explained (symbolically) by what was inside the Holy of Holies...
Their only piece of furniture in the HOH (Holy of Holies) was a wooden box called the “Ark of the Covenant.” And most important of all, it was over the Ark of the Covenant on the mercy seat that the very presence of God existed (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2). Every article in this box was highly symbolic:
Inside the box were three things that symbolized the problem God had with the Israelites. There was a jar of manna. This was the food that God supernaturally provided for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness (story in Exodus). This was the same food that the Israelites complained about—so it symbolized their ungrateful rejection of God’s provision. There was also Aaron’s walking stick. This stick represented God’s leadership through Moses and Aaron. Over and over again the Israelites rebelled against their leadership—so that God had to vindicate that Moses and Aaron were his chosen leaders by supernaturally causing his staff to bud (Numbers 17). So this staff symbolized their rebellion against God’s leadership. Finally, there were the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19-24)—the two stone tablets that summarized God’s law. Even as Moses brought these tablets down from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were having an idolatrous orgy. Moses furiously threw them down and smashed them—so God made another copy and told him to put them in the Ark of the Covenant. They symbolized their disobedience to God’s law. This is not a pretty picture—and God has the same problems with us! What do we find in the meeting room with God? A record of why we deserve to be condemned by Him!
*Ultimately, the problem, discussed above, is sin.*
BUT there is good news to come so I encourage you to continue reading :)
Refer to Hebrews 9:1-4. “Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A Tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lamp stand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant. This Ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”
On top of the ark stood two statues of cherubim—angelic beings who are associated with banishment from God’s presence (Genesis 3:24). The cherubim’s faces were directed downward, into the contents of the Ark. It’s like they are saying: “Look at what these people have done! God definitely has a problem with these people. God has to judge all this!” And that’s the point. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God desires to have personal closeness with us. But He can’t—because we have violated His righteous character in many ways—and the penalty for this is death. (THE GOOD NEWS IS STILL TO COME…)
If this was all there was in the Holy of Holies, this would be a very depressing message. But there was something else—something called the “mercy seat.” It was the lid over top of the ark—and what happened on this lid symbolized God’s solution to our problem with Him. Because God is holy, God must judge our sin with death. But because God is loving, He provided a way to judge our sin without judging us. He provided a substitute who was killed in our place. Once a year, the high priest (the only one allowed in the Holy of Holies) selected a goat without any physical defect. After symbolically transferring the nation’s guilt for that year on to the goat by laying his hands on the goat’s head, the goat was slain and its blood (demonstrating His death) was carried in by the high priest into the Holy of Holies and poured out onto the mercy seat. The blood covered the lid so that the cherubim now “see” the death rather than the sins. The sins have been covered by the substitute’s death. After pouring out this blood, the high priest came back out and laid his hands on another defect-free goat. Then he sent the goat off into the wilderness. Symbolically, then, God’s judgment for their sins was “sent off” because of the death of the first goat.
This ritual sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, then, was a BEAUTIFUL picture of God’s plan of forgiveness. But it was never more than a temporary and defective picture—it never actually solved the problem of our separation from God. This is what the author emphasizes in Hebrews 9:8-10. The problem was not solved, because the high priests were sinful people just like us, not sinless mediators (9:7). They only went into a man-made tent, not into the actual heavenly presence of God. The sacrifices they offered were only animals, not human. (In fact, the Old Testament strictly forbade human sacrifice. It demanded human death for human guilt, but prohibited sinful human sacrifices.)
The Tabernacle system only cleansed people ceremonially/symbolically (re-qualified them to come into the outer court), it didn’t actually forgive people. The proof of this is two-fold: the sacrifices had to be repeated every year, and even then the worshippers couldn’t go into God’s presence. As 9:10 says, it only applied until God brought the real solution... :)
The Fulfillment in Jesus
Refer to 9:11,12. Here is some really good news! Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Old Testament Tabernacle system:
He was the real High Priest - the sinless High Priest who is therefore qualified to fix our sin problems with God because He doesn’t have any of His own sin problems. He went into the real Tabernacle—the actual presence of God—with His solution. He voluntarily offered His own blood—His own perfect and sinless life—to pay for our sins.
Therefore, He has accomplished a permanent solution for our guilt before God—He has died “once for all” and obtained an “Eternal redemption.” See 9:13,14. The most that the Old Testament sacrifices could grant was ritual cleansing—the right to go into the outer court. But Jesus’ sacrifice actually removes our guilt and cleanses our conscience (experience God’s forgiveness) so that we can serve (“worship”) God and enjoy his personal presence! By His blood, we are now able to enter into God’s presence.
This is why Jesus, just before He died on the Cross, cried out “It is finished” (Matt.27:50; John 19:30). What was finished? All of the Old Testament sacrifices and the whole Tabernacle system were finished, because what they symbolized was now accomplished by His death! And this is why the moment Jesus died, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two (Matt.27:51). The separation between us and God that had stood so long, because our sins, was now bridged by Jesus’ death. The way into God’s presence was open for everyone—as long as we come through what Jesus did for us.
Ritualistic worship of God is now discarded!
The implications that flow from Jesus’ death and resurrection are huge! It changes the whole way we relate to God. One big change is that ritualistic worship of God is now discarded! That’s what is implied by the Temple veil being torn when Jesus died.
God has now called us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (see John 4:24). This means that now God’s presence resides inside of us when we follow Him, and we can worship Him whenever and wherever we want. There is no need to sacrifice animals anymore, because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Now that the real High Priest has entered the real Tabernacle to offer the real Sacrifice, Christianity is about a personal love relationship with God, not about ritualistic worship!
How amazing is it that God would give us such a clear picture in the Old Testament of how the Coming Messiah - JESUS - would redeem us all?!
I pray this novel as a devotional message touched you and gave you more knowledge into God’s love and forgiveness.
May your faith increase always! :)
-Shannon
For more information on the Tabernacle of Moses, you can refer to Exodus 24:12-27:21.
Here is a song that talks about the Tabernacle:
“Take Me In” – Kutless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG9Cx767mc
P.S. – Thanks to Jennie Reeder for help on this one :) Love you!
Hebrews 8:4-5; 9:1-28
Tabernacle means “tent,” “place of dwelling” or “sanctuary.” It was a sacred place where God chose to meet His people, the Israelites, during the 40 years they wandered in the desert under Moses’ leadership. It was the place where the leaders and people came together to worship and offer sacrifices.
The Tabernacle of Moses is a lesson of unquestionable authority.
The Tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place. All the components of the Tabernacle were part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God's relationship with His people. One aspect of this relationship was God’s requirement for complete obedience. God told Moses to create the Tabernacle exactly the way He commanded (Exodus 25:9).
To this end, God gave very specific instructions about the size of each component and the materials the Israelites were to use. These seemingly cumbersome rules were not intended to burden the people, but to show God’s unquestionable authority and holiness, and emphasize that people could only come to God on God’s terms, not on their own. They had to obey reverently not only in the construction of the Tabernacle, but also in the way they worshipped. Any irreverence or ritual uncleanness could result from an individual being cut off from his people or in death.
The Tabernacle really was a prophetic projection of the Lord’s redemptive plan for His people. Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”
Here are a couple pictures of the Tabernacle of Moses:
http://www.the-Tabernacle-place.com/images/Tabernacle_painted.jpg
http://www.templebuilders.com/Tabernacleimages/Tabernacle2enlargement.jpg
Something to note: There was only one gate by which people could enter into the Tabernacle courtyard. This symbolizes Jesus’ statement that He is the one gate by which we can enter God’s presence. John 14:6 -“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 10:9 - “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved” -John 10:9.
[Refer to Hebrews 9] - The Tabernacle was always to be set up in the midst of Israel’s campsite. This symbolized God’s desire to dwell among His people. God does not desire to be aloof or distant—He desires to be accessible to us. In fact, He desires to dwell within us.
But there is a problem, and the Tabernacle also symbolized this problem...
(Refer to the linked pictures for understanding) Any Israelite could go into the outer court of the Tabernacle as long as they were ritually clean, but there were restrictions and barriers that prevented most people from getting any closer to God. Only the Levitical priests could go into the Holy Place, the sanctuary in the Tabernacle. And no one (with one exception that I’ll explain soon) could go into God’s dwelling-place, the Holy of Holies. A thick veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies—this was as if God was saying: “Yes, I desire to have you in My presence—but you are not allowed the way you are. There is a serious problem that separates us, and until that problem is resolved there can be no real closeness between us.” That problem was explained (symbolically) by what was inside the Holy of Holies...
Their only piece of furniture in the HOH (Holy of Holies) was a wooden box called the “Ark of the Covenant.” And most important of all, it was over the Ark of the Covenant on the mercy seat that the very presence of God existed (Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2). Every article in this box was highly symbolic:
Inside the box were three things that symbolized the problem God had with the Israelites. There was a jar of manna. This was the food that God supernaturally provided for the Israelites during their 40 years in the wilderness (story in Exodus). This was the same food that the Israelites complained about—so it symbolized their ungrateful rejection of God’s provision. There was also Aaron’s walking stick. This stick represented God’s leadership through Moses and Aaron. Over and over again the Israelites rebelled against their leadership—so that God had to vindicate that Moses and Aaron were his chosen leaders by supernaturally causing his staff to bud (Numbers 17). So this staff symbolized their rebellion against God’s leadership. Finally, there were the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19-24)—the two stone tablets that summarized God’s law. Even as Moses brought these tablets down from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites were having an idolatrous orgy. Moses furiously threw them down and smashed them—so God made another copy and told him to put them in the Ark of the Covenant. They symbolized their disobedience to God’s law. This is not a pretty picture—and God has the same problems with us! What do we find in the meeting room with God? A record of why we deserve to be condemned by Him!
*Ultimately, the problem, discussed above, is sin.*
BUT there is good news to come so I encourage you to continue reading :)
Refer to Hebrews 9:1-4. “Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A Tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lamp stand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant. This Ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”
On top of the ark stood two statues of cherubim—angelic beings who are associated with banishment from God’s presence (Genesis 3:24). The cherubim’s faces were directed downward, into the contents of the Ark. It’s like they are saying: “Look at what these people have done! God definitely has a problem with these people. God has to judge all this!” And that’s the point. Yes, God loves us. Yes, God desires to have personal closeness with us. But He can’t—because we have violated His righteous character in many ways—and the penalty for this is death. (THE GOOD NEWS IS STILL TO COME…)
If this was all there was in the Holy of Holies, this would be a very depressing message. But there was something else—something called the “mercy seat.” It was the lid over top of the ark—and what happened on this lid symbolized God’s solution to our problem with Him. Because God is holy, God must judge our sin with death. But because God is loving, He provided a way to judge our sin without judging us. He provided a substitute who was killed in our place. Once a year, the high priest (the only one allowed in the Holy of Holies) selected a goat without any physical defect. After symbolically transferring the nation’s guilt for that year on to the goat by laying his hands on the goat’s head, the goat was slain and its blood (demonstrating His death) was carried in by the high priest into the Holy of Holies and poured out onto the mercy seat. The blood covered the lid so that the cherubim now “see” the death rather than the sins. The sins have been covered by the substitute’s death. After pouring out this blood, the high priest came back out and laid his hands on another defect-free goat. Then he sent the goat off into the wilderness. Symbolically, then, God’s judgment for their sins was “sent off” because of the death of the first goat.
This ritual sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, then, was a BEAUTIFUL picture of God’s plan of forgiveness. But it was never more than a temporary and defective picture—it never actually solved the problem of our separation from God. This is what the author emphasizes in Hebrews 9:8-10. The problem was not solved, because the high priests were sinful people just like us, not sinless mediators (9:7). They only went into a man-made tent, not into the actual heavenly presence of God. The sacrifices they offered were only animals, not human. (In fact, the Old Testament strictly forbade human sacrifice. It demanded human death for human guilt, but prohibited sinful human sacrifices.)
The Tabernacle system only cleansed people ceremonially/symbolically (re-qualified them to come into the outer court), it didn’t actually forgive people. The proof of this is two-fold: the sacrifices had to be repeated every year, and even then the worshippers couldn’t go into God’s presence. As 9:10 says, it only applied until God brought the real solution... :)
The Fulfillment in Jesus
Refer to 9:11,12. Here is some really good news! Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Old Testament Tabernacle system:
He was the real High Priest - the sinless High Priest who is therefore qualified to fix our sin problems with God because He doesn’t have any of His own sin problems. He went into the real Tabernacle—the actual presence of God—with His solution. He voluntarily offered His own blood—His own perfect and sinless life—to pay for our sins.
Therefore, He has accomplished a permanent solution for our guilt before God—He has died “once for all” and obtained an “Eternal redemption.” See 9:13,14. The most that the Old Testament sacrifices could grant was ritual cleansing—the right to go into the outer court. But Jesus’ sacrifice actually removes our guilt and cleanses our conscience (experience God’s forgiveness) so that we can serve (“worship”) God and enjoy his personal presence! By His blood, we are now able to enter into God’s presence.
This is why Jesus, just before He died on the Cross, cried out “It is finished” (Matt.27:50; John 19:30). What was finished? All of the Old Testament sacrifices and the whole Tabernacle system were finished, because what they symbolized was now accomplished by His death! And this is why the moment Jesus died, the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn in two (Matt.27:51). The separation between us and God that had stood so long, because our sins, was now bridged by Jesus’ death. The way into God’s presence was open for everyone—as long as we come through what Jesus did for us.
Ritualistic worship of God is now discarded!
The implications that flow from Jesus’ death and resurrection are huge! It changes the whole way we relate to God. One big change is that ritualistic worship of God is now discarded! That’s what is implied by the Temple veil being torn when Jesus died.
God has now called us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (see John 4:24). This means that now God’s presence resides inside of us when we follow Him, and we can worship Him whenever and wherever we want. There is no need to sacrifice animals anymore, because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. Now that the real High Priest has entered the real Tabernacle to offer the real Sacrifice, Christianity is about a personal love relationship with God, not about ritualistic worship!
How amazing is it that God would give us such a clear picture in the Old Testament of how the Coming Messiah - JESUS - would redeem us all?!
I pray this novel as a devotional message touched you and gave you more knowledge into God’s love and forgiveness.
May your faith increase always! :)
-Shannon
For more information on the Tabernacle of Moses, you can refer to Exodus 24:12-27:21.
Here is a song that talks about the Tabernacle:
“Take Me In” – Kutless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vG9Cx767mc
P.S. – Thanks to Jennie Reeder for help on this one :) Love you!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Jeremiah 2
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness, [a]
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD ?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
I chose to write on Jeremiah 2 tonight because I felt God set it on my heart. Earlier today a friend had read it to me and later tonight it was read during a Christmas program. There are no coincidences! ;-) I love this message because it speaks to those who are beginning to backslide (turn from God), those who have been backsliding for awhile, and for those who will in the future (as a warning to them).
When we begin to backslide, God instructs us first to “remember” (vs.1). He is telling us to remember the beginning of our love relationship with the Lord. This is such great advice! Think of what marriage counselors say to couples during a session, “Tell me about what life was like for you both when you first met.” It is important to remember all the work that God has done in our lives for us to avoid taking Him for granted. In the beginning stages of a relationship or marriage, your loved one holds chief priority in your life. God is asking us, “Remember when I was more than enough for you?”
The passages above goes on to talk about how we have left our first love (God Himself). In spite of the past, where are you now? What choices have allowed you to get here? Has forsaking your first love been one of them?
The Lord uses a visual of broken cisterns to describe the life of those who have left Him for other things (other lovers). He is warning us that these other lovers that we are pursuing for fulfillment such as other relationships, money, sex, etc. are like broken cisterns that hold no water. We will always come up again and again running dry. He goes on to say those who pursue these worthless things, become worthless themselves. This is so true! Here’s an EXTREME example: Think of someone who gets so caught up in their looks that they end up having multiple eating disorders and become so self absorbed that they cannot hold a conversation that does not include, “Me” or “I.” They are empty cisterns! They have forsaken the God, the “river of life.” It’s absurd, right?!
Why does this person do that? Or the real question, why do WE do this?
It is because we have lost our sense of who God is. We have forgotten His worth, the greatness of His being, and the ability He has to fill our hearts with the utmost joy! :) Without Him, we begin to deteriorate inside. Our insecurities drive our actions, our fears dominate our thoughts, and Satan gets that foothold we were warned against! How disguisting we must look when God sees how we lust after anything that comes along with a temporary high, thrill, or drive. How easily we are satisfied!
The beautiful part of this story, however, is that time and time again God calls us back to Him. He is a devoted and faithful love. In Jeremiah 3:22 He says, "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness." Let us recognize our wrongs and return to His unconditional love. His love is unfailing and it radiates with grace. What greater love is there?! He is waiting to heal our hurts and beautify us once more. God calls us saying, "Return to Me. Come back. It's not too late. I will restore you. I will open your eyes. No longer will you have to walk in ignorance or darkness. I will heal your faithlessness."
How will you respond?
I pray that you will rejoice in His gracious and undeserved offering for our return. May your eyes be opened and drawn back to the Lord.
God bless,
Shannon
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
" 'I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
5 This is what the LORD says:
"What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness, [a]
a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
'Where is the LORD ?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33 How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
I chose to write on Jeremiah 2 tonight because I felt God set it on my heart. Earlier today a friend had read it to me and later tonight it was read during a Christmas program. There are no coincidences! ;-) I love this message because it speaks to those who are beginning to backslide (turn from God), those who have been backsliding for awhile, and for those who will in the future (as a warning to them).
When we begin to backslide, God instructs us first to “remember” (vs.1). He is telling us to remember the beginning of our love relationship with the Lord. This is such great advice! Think of what marriage counselors say to couples during a session, “Tell me about what life was like for you both when you first met.” It is important to remember all the work that God has done in our lives for us to avoid taking Him for granted. In the beginning stages of a relationship or marriage, your loved one holds chief priority in your life. God is asking us, “Remember when I was more than enough for you?”
The passages above goes on to talk about how we have left our first love (God Himself). In spite of the past, where are you now? What choices have allowed you to get here? Has forsaking your first love been one of them?
The Lord uses a visual of broken cisterns to describe the life of those who have left Him for other things (other lovers). He is warning us that these other lovers that we are pursuing for fulfillment such as other relationships, money, sex, etc. are like broken cisterns that hold no water. We will always come up again and again running dry. He goes on to say those who pursue these worthless things, become worthless themselves. This is so true! Here’s an EXTREME example: Think of someone who gets so caught up in their looks that they end up having multiple eating disorders and become so self absorbed that they cannot hold a conversation that does not include, “Me” or “I.” They are empty cisterns! They have forsaken the God, the “river of life.” It’s absurd, right?!
Why does this person do that? Or the real question, why do WE do this?
It is because we have lost our sense of who God is. We have forgotten His worth, the greatness of His being, and the ability He has to fill our hearts with the utmost joy! :) Without Him, we begin to deteriorate inside. Our insecurities drive our actions, our fears dominate our thoughts, and Satan gets that foothold we were warned against! How disguisting we must look when God sees how we lust after anything that comes along with a temporary high, thrill, or drive. How easily we are satisfied!
The beautiful part of this story, however, is that time and time again God calls us back to Him. He is a devoted and faithful love. In Jeremiah 3:22 He says, "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness." Let us recognize our wrongs and return to His unconditional love. His love is unfailing and it radiates with grace. What greater love is there?! He is waiting to heal our hurts and beautify us once more. God calls us saying, "Return to Me. Come back. It's not too late. I will restore you. I will open your eyes. No longer will you have to walk in ignorance or darkness. I will heal your faithlessness."
How will you respond?
I pray that you will rejoice in His gracious and undeserved offering for our return. May your eyes be opened and drawn back to the Lord.
God bless,
Shannon
Friday, December 11, 2009
God Is Love
"God is love." - 1 John 4:16
"Love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:12
Christ gave His love when it was not deserved to people who did not deserve it. That's the principle to practice! Love is the one ingredient of which our world never tires and of which there is never an over abundance. The world will never outgrow its need for love. God created us in His own image, which means we were created to function on the fuel of love. The world cries out for genuine love, love that heals, love that unites, love that forgives, love that encourages.
Love is essential to our emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being. There's a quote I like that says, "Our lives are shaped by those who love us and by those who refuse to love us." If you give love away, it will be renewed each day and become stronger and purer.
Last quote I want to leave you with - "Love in your heart is not put there to stay. Love is not love until you give it away."
Note to remember: We enrich the world by what we give.
God bless!
<3 Shannon
Movie to check out on loving God's way: Fireproof
Song: "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love" - Jars of Clay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CobNWUXb1M
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Relying on His Energy
A Story of A Man and A Fly
There once was a fly flying inside a flying plane. I inquired, "Mr. Fly, why do you fly? Why don't you sit down and enjoy the journey?" His reply smacked of smugness. "And let the plane crash? Why this craft needs me. My wings are essential to our safety." And with a puff of the chest he flew toward the front of the plane. As he returned some moments later, he didn't look so confident. Fear flicked in his tiny eyes, "I don't think I can keep up!" "Keep what up?" "The plane! I don't think I can keep the plane up. I'm flying as furiously as I can. But my wings are weary. I don't know how long I can do this." I opted for frankness. "Don't you know it's not up to you? You are surrounded by strength, held aloft by power that is not yours. Stop flying! It's not up to you to get this plane home." He looked at me as if I were crazy and told me to buzz off.
I wanted to share this short story (from Max Lucado's "Come Thirsty") because I feel so often I find myself trying to "fight the good fight" or "run the race" on my own. But after reading this part in the book, I was reminded of the support we have in Christ. We are the fly in this situation. God is telling us to slow down and rest. If we rest in Him, He will be our strength.
"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." - 1 Peter 5:7
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13
I pray that today you will take full advantage of Christ's empowering Spirit within you and let His wings sustain you.
In Christ,
Shannon
Being Open To God
"God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus."
This is an introductory quote from one of Max Lucado's popular books, "Just Like Jesus: Learning to Have a Heart Like His." I chose to refer to this book, because today I have been listening to a song (the one I posted in this message) and I felt it had a great message so I wanted to find a good book to go with it.
Max Lucado talked about how God loves you just the way you are and how we should not confuse His love with the love of people. Whereas the love of people is often based on performance, God loves you right where you are. The author then gave a beautiful analogy of what it would be like if, for one day, Jesus were to become you. He raised some great questions that I challenge us all to ask ourselves: Would your priorities change? Would those around you detect more joy? Would you treat the less fortunate the same? And your friends and family?
The main message I'm hoping to send is a reminder to be open to God's leading in your life. See people the way He sees them. See trials, struggles, and daily circumstances the way He does. Ask Him to open your eyes, ears, mind, and heart the way Shawn McDonald does in the song posted.
I pray the Lord stirs something in you and you have a desire to let Him live through you even more today. Let His light be the light that directs your actions.
God bless,
Shannon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzSwqCbZqL8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)