Life is an adventure: sometimes wild, sometimes mellow, sometimes scary but always an adventure. Every day brings a new experience. Days roll in, roll by, roll away depending on how we choose to live. Have you ever stopped to think about your adventure? Have you been rolling along on the highway, going in a relatively straight line? Or have you been 4-wheeling it for years bumping and banging along with mud splattering all over the place? Maybe you've been cruising on the main road with occasional side trips along less travelled roads.
Most likely you have been on different roads at different times in your life. Whether you find yourself in an off road experience or cruising with the windows down, you can choose to be grateful for the adventure right where you are.
I don't know about you, I want my adventure to be purposeful whether it's bumpy or smooth. Because I've found the road won't always be smooth and straight; likewise, the road will not always be bumpy and full of curves. That, my friend, is the adventure of it all.
Ultimately, we are headed for an eternal destination, this adventure is just temporary so sit back, trust our sovereign God and enjoy the ride.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Jeremiah 29:11
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trust. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Eucharisteo
Eucharisteo - a Greek verb meaning to be grateful, to feel thankful, to give thanks.
I am on a journey this year to practice eucharisteo in everything. In the latter part of 2010 I realized my desperate need to grow in gratefulness - not just in the good (that's the easier part) but in the difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things. To be sure I am not alone in struggling to be thankful for these seemingly undesireable things.
Yet I wonder, are they "undesireable"? At first glance yes but upon further investigation the undesireables are actually necessary and even good.
Have you ever considered what it would be like to be blind like the men in Matthew 9:27-31? To have the faith to be healed and then to see for the very first time? Can you imagine how overwhelming that experience must have been?
Or how about Saul (in Acts 9) who was on the road to Damascus fully able to see being struck blind for a time? As he obeyed the word of the Lord he received his sight again.
In both of these cases, the blindness was physical and faith was the key to the cure. I can only imagine how these men were forever changed by the power of receiving their sight. Greater than that, they met with Christ. Their healing was greater than physical, it reached into the depths of their souls.
Blindness is not limited to the physical realm, it is a very real malady in the spiritual realm. Blindness ranges from limited vision to completely eliminating vision. It impairs perspective and our ability to interact with the world around us properly.
On the "undesireable" side we are blind and in need of a Savior, a Healer - yet because of that "undesireable" state we are brought to the "good"- the recognition that we need a Savior, a Healer. Without blindness we risk missing the beauty, the gift of seeing. This brings us to the good side, being given sight and healing to our broken, bleeding hearts and souls. So you see that it is really just 2 sides to the same coin, the "undesireable" and the "good" working together to give us more perfect sight.
What undesireable am I facing today?
How can I "see" the good in it, the healing, the grace, the purpose in it?
For what good is God working all of those difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things in my life? (Romans 8:27-29)
Am I willing to completely trust Him that He is good and the He will be faithful to complete the work which He has begun in me? (Philippians 1:5-7)
Will I yield to His perfect plan for my life and all that the plan might require? Even (or especially) the "undesireables" ?
I agree wholeheartedly with the apostle Paul when he says:
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14
I am on a journey this year to practice eucharisteo in everything. In the latter part of 2010 I realized my desperate need to grow in gratefulness - not just in the good (that's the easier part) but in the difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things. To be sure I am not alone in struggling to be thankful for these seemingly undesireable things.
Yet I wonder, are they "undesireable"? At first glance yes but upon further investigation the undesireables are actually necessary and even good.
Have you ever considered what it would be like to be blind like the men in Matthew 9:27-31? To have the faith to be healed and then to see for the very first time? Can you imagine how overwhelming that experience must have been?
Or how about Saul (in Acts 9) who was on the road to Damascus fully able to see being struck blind for a time? As he obeyed the word of the Lord he received his sight again.
In both of these cases, the blindness was physical and faith was the key to the cure. I can only imagine how these men were forever changed by the power of receiving their sight. Greater than that, they met with Christ. Their healing was greater than physical, it reached into the depths of their souls.
Blindness is not limited to the physical realm, it is a very real malady in the spiritual realm. Blindness ranges from limited vision to completely eliminating vision. It impairs perspective and our ability to interact with the world around us properly.
On the "undesireable" side we are blind and in need of a Savior, a Healer - yet because of that "undesireable" state we are brought to the "good"- the recognition that we need a Savior, a Healer. Without blindness we risk missing the beauty, the gift of seeing. This brings us to the good side, being given sight and healing to our broken, bleeding hearts and souls. So you see that it is really just 2 sides to the same coin, the "undesireable" and the "good" working together to give us more perfect sight.
What undesireable am I facing today?
How can I "see" the good in it, the healing, the grace, the purpose in it?
For what good is God working all of those difficult, frustrating, disappointing and hurtful things in my life? (Romans 8:27-29)
Am I willing to completely trust Him that He is good and the He will be faithful to complete the work which He has begun in me? (Philippians 1:5-7)
Will I yield to His perfect plan for my life and all that the plan might require? Even (or especially) the "undesireables" ?
I agree wholeheartedly with the apostle Paul when he says:
"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Years = New Perspectives
It's another new year and everyone is asking... what is your New Year's resolution?
For some it's to lose weight (again), to finish a project (not accomplished since last New Year's), to be smarter, richer, kinder... more generous, philanthropic, successful... change strengths to weaknesses, failures to successes, losses to gains.
Resolutions are hard to nail down, hard to accomplish, hard to even remember at times... they are like that perpetual carrot before the horse; it may be driving us forward but never really satisfying us.
This year I have resolved not to have resolutions... I am determined not to choose that same goal and forget about it by March another year. Not that I have struggled with that ... or anything like it ... or... well you get what I'm saying.
In place of a resolution, I am working on a new perspective (or two or three). Lately a recurring theme has arisen in my life in the midst of a string of challenging set backs and frustrations. You know they say things happen in three's - don't believe them!{Maybe someday I'll list them so we can look back and laugh about it... someday}
Anyway, this string of things crippled me in a soul killing sort of way. As things kept happening, I began to struggle, cry, and crumble. My vision became clouded and dim, day to day my heart grew darker. One week I lashed out - I cried and vented - I surrendered hope and saw nothing but what was unlovely, unhappy, unsatisfying. One long week going where I hadn't been before, where I shouldn't have been. BUT GOD.
But God, in His unfailing mercy and longsuffering and infinite grace, patiently endured my sinful behavior then He began to whisper gracious words into my wicked heart - one small message at a time, each from a different source. Do you know what I am talking about? A quick comment by a Christian DJ on the radio, a line from a "randomly chosen" devotional, a shared thought by a friend who doesn't know where your heart is at, a song that cuts right to the point, a verse you've read a hundred times strikes a bullseye.
As I began to repent of my sin and the scales began to be removed from my sin blinded eyes, the theme that was woven through those messages so skillfully began to emerge clearly... gratefulness, thankfulness. Yes, being grateful no matter what the circumstance. Giving thanks in everything.
Yesterday I read in Job 2:10 these words, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job spoke this AFTER he lost all of his livestock, servants and children. OK, my situation isn't nearly that bad and I had to search my heart with that question... Am I willing to accept good from God and not trouble?
First perspective that I need to renew and live out is trust in God's sovereignty in EVERYTHING.
Second perspective I need to practice and become proficient at is gratitude... true thankfulness in all situations, at all times (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Simply stated: If I can truly live out that first perspective change then the second one will easily follow because they go hand in hand. God is sovereign, I am His child; He's got me, my life, my family, my world firmly in His grip and I am grateful that the God of the universe is at the helm.
You see, God knows exactly what He is doing and how to perfectly work all things together for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28). The God Who spoke the heavens into place (Genesis 1)never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:3). I can trust His sovereignty and I am grateful.
For some it's to lose weight (again), to finish a project (not accomplished since last New Year's), to be smarter, richer, kinder... more generous, philanthropic, successful... change strengths to weaknesses, failures to successes, losses to gains.
Resolutions are hard to nail down, hard to accomplish, hard to even remember at times... they are like that perpetual carrot before the horse; it may be driving us forward but never really satisfying us.
This year I have resolved not to have resolutions... I am determined not to choose that same goal and forget about it by March another year. Not that I have struggled with that ... or anything like it ... or... well you get what I'm saying.
In place of a resolution, I am working on a new perspective (or two or three). Lately a recurring theme has arisen in my life in the midst of a string of challenging set backs and frustrations. You know they say things happen in three's - don't believe them!{Maybe someday I'll list them so we can look back and laugh about it... someday}
Anyway, this string of things crippled me in a soul killing sort of way. As things kept happening, I began to struggle, cry, and crumble. My vision became clouded and dim, day to day my heart grew darker. One week I lashed out - I cried and vented - I surrendered hope and saw nothing but what was unlovely, unhappy, unsatisfying. One long week going where I hadn't been before, where I shouldn't have been. BUT GOD.
But God, in His unfailing mercy and longsuffering and infinite grace, patiently endured my sinful behavior then He began to whisper gracious words into my wicked heart - one small message at a time, each from a different source. Do you know what I am talking about? A quick comment by a Christian DJ on the radio, a line from a "randomly chosen" devotional, a shared thought by a friend who doesn't know where your heart is at, a song that cuts right to the point, a verse you've read a hundred times strikes a bullseye.
As I began to repent of my sin and the scales began to be removed from my sin blinded eyes, the theme that was woven through those messages so skillfully began to emerge clearly... gratefulness, thankfulness. Yes, being grateful no matter what the circumstance. Giving thanks in everything.
Yesterday I read in Job 2:10 these words, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job spoke this AFTER he lost all of his livestock, servants and children. OK, my situation isn't nearly that bad and I had to search my heart with that question... Am I willing to accept good from God and not trouble?
First perspective that I need to renew and live out is trust in God's sovereignty in EVERYTHING.
Second perspective I need to practice and become proficient at is gratitude... true thankfulness in all situations, at all times (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Simply stated: If I can truly live out that first perspective change then the second one will easily follow because they go hand in hand. God is sovereign, I am His child; He's got me, my life, my family, my world firmly in His grip and I am grateful that the God of the universe is at the helm.
You see, God knows exactly what He is doing and how to perfectly work all things together for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28). The God Who spoke the heavens into place (Genesis 1)never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:3). I can trust His sovereignty and I am grateful.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Firmly in His Grip
Brothers and sisters in Christ...God (Who is faithful) knows right where you are, just what you need, and how to take care of you. Trust Him, He has everything under control. You are firmly in His grip.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Yahweh Tsuri ~ The Lord My Rock Pt 2
There may be times when we are falsely accused or slandered, unfairly mistreated or rejected. During those times, we may be tempted to defend ourselves by fighting back, slandering in return, or retaliating in some other form.
If you have confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again to save you from your sins then you have a powerful defense... you can forgive them and freely turn it all over to God.
Should you find yourself in a situation like the ones I described above, let me encourage you to consider that God is your rock - He is your deliverer, He is your defender. Take refuge in Him, He is your salvation. Trust Him with those people, with that situation, with your hurt.
Echo David's prayer in II Samuel 22:2-4:
"He (David) said,
'The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4"I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.' "
If you have confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again to save you from your sins then you have a powerful defense... you can forgive them and freely turn it all over to God.
Should you find yourself in a situation like the ones I described above, let me encourage you to consider that God is your rock - He is your deliverer, He is your defender. Take refuge in Him, He is your salvation. Trust Him with those people, with that situation, with your hurt.
Echo David's prayer in II Samuel 22:2-4:
"He (David) said,
'The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4"I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.' "
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Faith founded on God's Sovereignty
Faith needs to be founded on God's sovereignty.
1) Recall past victories - often the battlefield is in the mind, don't cave in to fear, doubt or misbelief. Shift your focus from the lies of the enemy to God and His infinite ability. Set your heart, mind, will, and emotions on the truth of God's words- use scripture memorization.
2) Reexamine and reaffirm your motives - Is it for personal gain or God's glory?
Victory comes from surrendering my life and desires to Christ. Ask these questions:
~What is my motivation?
~What is God's purpose for me?
~What's really going on here?
3) Reject discouraging words - turn your heart toward God, He is your ultimate encourager.
4) Recognize the true nature of the battle - It is God versus Satan... God wins! (I Sam. 17:45-47)
5) Respond to the challenge with positive confession - speak the truth of God's word to yourself and others. Remember your testimony of faith.
6) Rely on the power of God for the victory - you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13)
7) Reckon the victory - face circumstances with confidence and hope. It is God's ability that is the source of victory. Trust in Him and tap into the eternal force that cannot be constrained!
(This is an excerpt from my journal dated 10/5/00 - I'm not sure who the source is... but I pray it will be an encouragement to you anyway.)
1) Recall past victories - often the battlefield is in the mind, don't cave in to fear, doubt or misbelief. Shift your focus from the lies of the enemy to God and His infinite ability. Set your heart, mind, will, and emotions on the truth of God's words- use scripture memorization.
2) Reexamine and reaffirm your motives - Is it for personal gain or God's glory?
Victory comes from surrendering my life and desires to Christ. Ask these questions:
~What is my motivation?
~What is God's purpose for me?
~What's really going on here?
3) Reject discouraging words - turn your heart toward God, He is your ultimate encourager.
4) Recognize the true nature of the battle - It is God versus Satan... God wins! (I Sam. 17:45-47)
5) Respond to the challenge with positive confession - speak the truth of God's word to yourself and others. Remember your testimony of faith.
6) Rely on the power of God for the victory - you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13)
7) Reckon the victory - face circumstances with confidence and hope. It is God's ability that is the source of victory. Trust in Him and tap into the eternal force that cannot be constrained!
(This is an excerpt from my journal dated 10/5/00 - I'm not sure who the source is... but I pray it will be an encouragement to you anyway.)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
New view of trust
The Lord allowed me the privilege to serve at an Easter Seals camp this summer alongside my daughters and friends. What a fantastic experience that was! One of the most powerful things I witnessed was seeing handicapped campers on the zipline. We placed the campers in a harness then hoisted them up to the zipline platform about 40 feet up. Once they arrived at the platform, two men would pull them onto the platform, sit them on a chair, unhook them from the first line and connect them to the zipline. Once the camper was securely attached to the zipline cord, they would be set down on the edge of the platform, then gently pushed off of the platform in order to fly down the zipline. What made this so amazing to me - someone not too fond of heights- is that some of these campers were paraplegics... they had no way of helping themselves or hanging on to the ropes. They were completely at the mercy of those handling the zipline and then the zipline itself! They exhibited complete trust. Some campers cried, some yelled, some rode silently, but they all courageously trusted the staff to bring them safely to the platform, down the zipline, and off at the other end.
How little I trust God sometimes in much less scary or potentially dangerous situations. But in the zipline of life God has got the ropes firmly in hand. How trustworthy and faithful is He? Great is His faithfulness! He will not ever leave or forsake His children; from the beginning of the zipline (of life) to the end, we are firmly in His grip.
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