Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, You have brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see you in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold your glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the nighttime stars can be seen from deep wells, and the deeper the well the brighter your stars shine; let me find your light in my darkness, your life in my death, your joy in my sorrow, your grace in my sin, your riches in my poverty, your glory in my valley. In Christ - Amen.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Life...
Life is hard today... In fact, if I am being honest, life has been hard for awhile now. Sometimes does it not just seems to be getting harder? Or is it just me...
Friday, June 18, 2010
My Greatest Treasure
A single minded, devotional, relational pursuit of Jesus is the goal of my marriage because Jesus Christ is my greatest treasure. And this is why…
Lets say that a single man who is single-minded in his devotion to Jesus Christ is moving through life and he meets a girl. And as this guy gets to know this girl he realizes that she is part of God’s plan to push him into the fullness of the knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and so he decides to marry her, because remember this guy is single minded, and this girl helps to lead him into a greater affection for Jesus. So, they get married and life is good, and marriage is good for 6 months, 12 months, 5 years, etc. Life is going really well.
But, one day it starts to go bad, and this does not mean that my spouse just does stuff that gets on my nerves bad, because that is called marriage. I mean really bad. I mean that you prefer to stay at work rather than go home – bad.
In that moment, because we are single minded in our pursuit of Jesus Christ and in our understanding, as we entered into marriage, that God gave us our spouse to loosen up our hands on the things of this world; to reveal in us our pride, to reveal in us our selfishness; to reveal in us how much we think everything is about me; and to reveal in us our absolute refusal to love one another like Christ and other people have loved us.
We realize that as God reveals those things to us, we can begin to press into him and confess those things to him. Like, “I do have a proud heart, I do want this and this and this, and I am more concerned about me than the other person.” And we remember that, Jesus’ teaching about having an abundant life almost always revolve around our death to self. This is why Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it can never produce any kind of fruit.” We know that we are never going to really walk in how life was designed to be until we can die to ourselves, submit and follow Christ. And in so doing, we learn to lay ourselves at his feet and we choose to continue to love our spouse like Jesus Christ loved the church despite the fact that it is extremely difficult. And the beauty is that in that moment a greater ethic of love has been created for the entire world to see.
Jesus is not after our begrudging submission. We do this because, Jesus is our treasure, he is our joy, he is our fulfillment, he is our goal, he is what we are after, he is what life is about, he is what happens after life, and so our pursuit is him and in our pursuit of him a greatest ethic is created – which is unconditional love. We do this because our hearts have been transformed by his unconditional love. This is why Jesus is the greatest treasure, and the goal of marriage.
Lets say that a single man who is single-minded in his devotion to Jesus Christ is moving through life and he meets a girl. And as this guy gets to know this girl he realizes that she is part of God’s plan to push him into the fullness of the knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and so he decides to marry her, because remember this guy is single minded, and this girl helps to lead him into a greater affection for Jesus. So, they get married and life is good, and marriage is good for 6 months, 12 months, 5 years, etc. Life is going really well.
But, one day it starts to go bad, and this does not mean that my spouse just does stuff that gets on my nerves bad, because that is called marriage. I mean really bad. I mean that you prefer to stay at work rather than go home – bad.
In that moment, because we are single minded in our pursuit of Jesus Christ and in our understanding, as we entered into marriage, that God gave us our spouse to loosen up our hands on the things of this world; to reveal in us our pride, to reveal in us our selfishness; to reveal in us how much we think everything is about me; and to reveal in us our absolute refusal to love one another like Christ and other people have loved us.
We realize that as God reveals those things to us, we can begin to press into him and confess those things to him. Like, “I do have a proud heart, I do want this and this and this, and I am more concerned about me than the other person.” And we remember that, Jesus’ teaching about having an abundant life almost always revolve around our death to self. This is why Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it can never produce any kind of fruit.” We know that we are never going to really walk in how life was designed to be until we can die to ourselves, submit and follow Christ. And in so doing, we learn to lay ourselves at his feet and we choose to continue to love our spouse like Jesus Christ loved the church despite the fact that it is extremely difficult. And the beauty is that in that moment a greater ethic of love has been created for the entire world to see.
Jesus is not after our begrudging submission. We do this because, Jesus is our treasure, he is our joy, he is our fulfillment, he is our goal, he is what we are after, he is what life is about, he is what happens after life, and so our pursuit is him and in our pursuit of him a greatest ethic is created – which is unconditional love. We do this because our hearts have been transformed by his unconditional love. This is why Jesus is the greatest treasure, and the goal of marriage.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Can't a girl get a vacation?
Today, along with a lot of other days recently, I have been simply exhausted. I just cannot seem to get enough rest. I wonder if there is something wrong with me?
However, today I was particularly exhausted. I woke up tired, you know what I mean, when you get a full nights sleep and wake up still in need of more. Luckily, in the midst of my seemingly endless days of exhaustion God has been so gracious to me. Work today was so peculiarly slow that it had to be by God's grace. The lull in my day allowed me to take it slower than usual, and therefore, did not allow my random exhaustion to get the best of me. God is just so good that way! He really does know what I need before I know that I need it, and I am truly thankful to him for that, today.
I guess God's gives little vacations right when a girl needs 'em most. And I am sayin, "Amen to that!"
However, today I was particularly exhausted. I woke up tired, you know what I mean, when you get a full nights sleep and wake up still in need of more. Luckily, in the midst of my seemingly endless days of exhaustion God has been so gracious to me. Work today was so peculiarly slow that it had to be by God's grace. The lull in my day allowed me to take it slower than usual, and therefore, did not allow my random exhaustion to get the best of me. God is just so good that way! He really does know what I need before I know that I need it, and I am truly thankful to him for that, today.
I guess God's gives little vacations right when a girl needs 'em most. And I am sayin, "Amen to that!"
Thursday, April 29, 2010
In the words of a great preacher...
1 John 3:2
1 Corinthians 2:9
I am like a child princess who is too young and immature to understand the favored privileges of my position or the royal inheritance that awiats me. Consequently, I may struggle with petty wants and throw tantrums over trinkets that pale in comparison to the riches that I have access to and the ones that I will recieve when I assume my Father's throne. As I grow, my God must disciple and train me so that I learn to behave like someone of royal lineage.
Throughout my training and maturing process I will begin to understand the unfolding value and implications of my inheritance. I will then someday experience the fullness of the inheritance, that awaits me. In the meantime, I must learn to act like a child of the King, and let the hope of future blessings purify my life
(1 John 3:3).
- John MacArthur "Our Sufficiency in Christ"
1 Corinthians 2:9
I am like a child princess who is too young and immature to understand the favored privileges of my position or the royal inheritance that awiats me. Consequently, I may struggle with petty wants and throw tantrums over trinkets that pale in comparison to the riches that I have access to and the ones that I will recieve when I assume my Father's throne. As I grow, my God must disciple and train me so that I learn to behave like someone of royal lineage.
Throughout my training and maturing process I will begin to understand the unfolding value and implications of my inheritance. I will then someday experience the fullness of the inheritance, that awaits me. In the meantime, I must learn to act like a child of the King, and let the hope of future blessings purify my life
(1 John 3:3).
- John MacArthur "Our Sufficiency in Christ"
Friday, April 23, 2010
"For the Good"
When darkness is surrounding me
by Your Spirit, Lord help me sing
that You are working all things out
Lord, I really need to hear you speak
Remind me in the waiting
that You are working all things out
For the good of those
who are called by You
for the good of those
who are in Love with You
That's why we sing
Holy God of light
I lay down my life
Holy is the Lord
Even in the storm be glorified
We like to take the blessing from You
Shall we not take the trouble too
You are working all things out
We like to take prosperity
Shall we not take the suffering
You are working all things out
Holy are you Lord
even in the storm
be glorified
-Shane & Shane
by Your Spirit, Lord help me sing
that You are working all things out
Lord, I really need to hear you speak
Remind me in the waiting
that You are working all things out
For the good of those
who are called by You
for the good of those
who are in Love with You
That's why we sing
Holy God of light
I lay down my life
Holy is the Lord
Even in the storm be glorified
We like to take the blessing from You
Shall we not take the trouble too
You are working all things out
We like to take prosperity
Shall we not take the suffering
You are working all things out
Holy are you Lord
even in the storm
be glorified
-Shane & Shane
Sufficiency in Christ alone
" In Him all the fullness of diety dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete." Colossians 2:9-10
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