Help in the Desert

I find it so interesting that Jesus entered a period of fasting in the desert just after He was declared Son of God and baptized. Scripture says there was a voice from heaven that spoke, "this is My Son..." and the Holy Spirit landed on Him like a dove. (Matthew 3:16-17)  Then in Matthew 4:1 we see Jesus going into the desert with the Holy Spirit as His guide.

The thought pops into my head that we must know who we are in Christ in order to survive the desert. We have to understand that God made us, longs to be with us, and did something to guarantee we could be with Him. He bridged the gap of our sins with His Son.  He invited us to be adopted into His family as sons and daughters. 

When we become aware that we have been grafted into His family, we become committed to the discovery of Who He is and what that means for us.  His promises are revealed like treasures.  His Word shines like a light to our path.  We see His goodness and mercy.  We see His plans for us - plans that are full of hope.  As our vision becomes clear, we are settled into a deep peace and trust in Him that breaks the power of temptation in the dry places. 

If Jesus had to fast in the desert and face the devil, we can probably assess we will too. Life is not guaranteed to hand us lemonade everyday. Sometimes we get tossed the whole lemon. But our Father can turn that sour lemon into sweet lemonade when we partner with Him and submit to His recipe. Knowing you are a daughter (or son) diffuses the temptation to doubt God and His intentions. Knowing He is a good Father snuffs out many of those fiery darts that tempt us to believe otherwise - that make us doubt He will provide, protect and remain our Father.  

Isn't it so typical of satan to try to make us doubt our Father?  He did it to Adam and Eve in the garden and has been trying ever since to make us doubt God and His promises. He tries to make us think we need to take care of ourselves, provide for ourselves, protect ourselves, promote ourselves, plan our own future. 

Knowing our identity and knowing our Father is critical. It is not done in a day. He introduces Himself to us constantly - new facets of His character. It is a journey and story of a lifetime.  It’s a relationship that lasts.  He asks us to let go of our misconceptions and preconceived notions of who He is, and asks us to be in fellowship with Him so He can show us Who He is.  

The good news is Jesus survived the desert and overcame the devil's tempting. He knew Who He was and He trusted in His Father.  Was it easy?  I doubt it. Fasting 40 days, becoming hungry, and then being faced with the tormenter and his aggravating temptations?  But He had the Holy Spirit and the Word of life inside of Him...and He placed His faith in His Father.   

Once Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sent the Spirit to teach and remind us of truth, comfort us, and help us in our journey. The Word is our sword, and the Spirit teaches us to wield it.  We must learn to dance with God in such a way that we give God the freedom to be Who He is...and where He can teach us to be who we are meant to be. Then we will be able to stand strong against temptation.  We will be able to see the “way of escape” God provides.  “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Cor 10:13

Jesus, we need Your Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower us to withstand the temptations that come our way.  We need the Spirit to show us the way to go.  We need the Word deep in our hearts to keep us from withering in the desert places.  We will not trust in ourselves to keep us from falling, we will trust in You.  We will depend on You to be our shield and our strong tower.  You are so good and so faithful and we love that You’re our God!  You alone are worthy of worship!

Courage

     Sometimes we need to have someone speak this over us in order to keep running our race.  Let's face it, we get so tired sometimes.  Disheartened.  Bumps in the road occur and we feel jostled around so much that we need a shot of courage to continue onward.

     With my kids finishing the school year, I've had to continually encourage them to finish strong.  They've been going strong since August 1st and have even undergone a life change half way through in the form of a move.  Change is not easy for anyone, but I have felt particularly compassionate toward my three champions who have had to start over in the middle of a school year.  New schools, new friends, new teachers, new home.  And I think they've handled it all better than I have!!

     The "new" can be challenging to us all, and I'm starting to understand it's because we are learning to trust God.  The old becomes comfortable and can seem easy to navigate because of it's familiarity.  The new is unknown territory that can make us wonder if we've made the right decisions.  Or if we have what it takes.  Sometimes we wonder if God understood that we liked the old, comfortably familiar place.  (God does know that, by the way.)

     When seasons change, we can be sure we will need someone to speak courage to our hearts.  Someone that will help us look at the positive.  Someone that will help us see that God is doing a new thing.  He's growing us, pruning us, blessing us, protecting us, and equipping us through the change.

     Courage means the ability to do something that frightens us, or strength when facing pain or grief.  To encourage, then, is to give support, confidence, or hope to someone.  We need to continually receive and give courage.  It's such a wonderful feeling, isn't it?  To have courage to do something you were intimidated by?  Or to encourage a friend to?

Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His outer robe;  for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.”  But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Take courage, daughter; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.” And at once the woman was [completely] healed.  Matthew 9:20-22

      This passage has always blessed me.  This woman, after such long-suffering, had the courage to reach out and touch Jesus.  Somehow she knew she would be well if she could touch even a tassel of His robe.  And the fact that Jesus knew someone had touched Him specifically for healing!  With crowds of people pressing against Him as He walked, He knew someone received from Him in that moment.  In one account (Luke 8), it says Jesus asked who had touched Him, and she came forth "with fear and trembling" confessing she had been the one.  She courageously came forward to claim her healing and proclaim He had healed her.  His reaction?  He said, "take courage; your faith made you well."  And it was so.

     Whatever is before you now, dear heart, have courage.  Know that the Holy Spirit is alive in you and will help you.  Remember the saints that have gone before you and courageously stood up to their giants.  Remember Jesus is interceding for you and cheering you on. Remember that you have brothers and sisters in the faith that are with you.  Let your heart grab hold of a juicy piece of courage and go forward, believing that on the other side will be your healing…your victory.

Jesus, encourage our hearts to believe…to run the race…to dream…to love.  And when we grow weary, rally the troops and send someone to remind us who we are and to have courage to step out in faith.  To reach for You.  To believe our healing and our victory are within arm's length.  To believe You will be there when we reach for You, and You will look in our eyes and say, "Take courage, daughter."

Learning

If people can’t see what God is doing,

    they stumble all over themselves;

But when they attend to what he reveals,

    they are most blessed.  Proverbs 29:18 Msg

     The more I learn, the less I feel like I know.  I am continually aware of how much God wants to reveal of His word and ways, and yet always humbled by the fact that I still feel like a newborn babe when it comes to knowing His word.  Even when I’ve read a passage of scripture and feel I’m familiar with it, He reveals something new that I never thought of or recognized before.  And so I continue to remain a student at His feet.  My heart is tendered to Mary, who upon seeing Him after resurrection, cried out, “Rabboni!”.  Teacher!  

     My children are winding down another year of school and ready for the break.  They’ve been learning many new things all year, as well as expanding their knowledge of things they’ve learned in the past years.   It is the same with us as we study God’s word.  There is always more to learn and “see” with our spiritual eyes.  His Spirit is always at work to develop us and reveal truth to us.  

      When God chooses to reveal something to us, we are wise to embrace it, and we are wise to put it into action.  God wants us to succeed.  He reveals and teaches us to bless us and protect us.  In our finite understanding, we think we know what is best for our lives.  We think we have it all figured out - what we need, what we want, what we plan for our future...but God is the only One with infinite understanding because He is the One that created all things.  We should be careful to seek Him for guidance and His plans for us, aligning our desires and actions to His.  

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  “Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?”  “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”  For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.  Romans 11:33-36

Father, I pray for a humble, teachable spirit within that thrives upon reading Your word and discovering Your truths. I pray You will activiate the same in my children.  I pray their eyes would be opened to Your truth and goodness.  I pray that as a family we would seek first Your kingdom and place You on the throne of our hearts. 

Work It Out

"So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13 AMP

     A question I have had on my heart lately is this:  What am I producing?  In my home, in my role as Mom & wife, in church, in serving, in relationships… What is it my thoughts, words and actions are producing?  What are they stemming from?  Do they produce love?  Hope?  Joy?  Peace?  It would be great if they always did!  Do they flow at times out of a jealous heart?  Or selfishness?  Or bitterness?  Or fear?  Probably sometimes, which means I need to reevaluate things.  It may not be fun to think on such things, but as a believer I want to glorify God.  I don't want to cause another to turn away from church or my home or the Message due to hypocrisy on my part.  

     I am imperfect.  There's a shocker.  There are so many times my mouth says something I wish it didn't.  There are so many sighs of disapproval I wish I didn't let slip.  There are so many anger-prone moments when I unleash my rage against a particular offense.  I wish I could say when I was saved, these things stopped.  But they didn't.  Everyday is a choice - a chance.  Be my new self or old self.  Many times I revert to the old me and it isn't pretty.  (Jimmy Fallon's "Ew!" comes to mind.) 

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness." 1 Peter 2:1-3

     If we are not bothered by unkind speech or deceit or the like, we may have a problem.  Because the Lord desires so much more for us.  He offers so much more.  He created us for so much more.  Where is our awe-inspired fear and trembling?  Where is the working out our salvation?  Our active pursuit for spiritual maturity?  Are we crying out for His nourishment?  We don't invite Jesus in our hearts and stop there.  It is a continual renewal of the mind and heart.  It is a continual pursuit of holiness and pursuit of God.  It flows from thanksgiving and a grateful heart for what He's done for us.  A reverence for the fact that our life is through His.  We were lost, but now we're found.  We were dead but now we live.

     Perhaps the full experience of salvation is not just accepting Jesus as Savior.  Perhaps there's so much more.  Perhaps there's deliverance and healing that comes along in that beautifully-wrapped package.  He didn't just come to rescue us from hell but to give us LIFE ABUNDANT.  His death and resurrection is so much more than we fathom.  It holds the power to overcome!

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 

Response to Mercy

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.  Luke 18:35-43

     The man in this passage of scripture cried out for mercy from Jesus.  And boy did he receive it!  He was blind but now could see.  He encountered the sweetest mercy he could have ever hoped for or imagined.  And the response of his heart was immediate praise.  He offered himself and followed Jesus.  And it multiplied from there.  When the onlookers saw what happened, they too began praising God.

     Lord we ask for an encounter with Your mercy.  Let it cause us to praise Your name and live in surrender to You.  This is where we thrive!  In following You. It is where we find peace…hope…joy… purpose.  God, teach us to be merciful.  And let every act of mercy explode into praise.  Cause each act of mercy and burst of praise to be multiplied, like a chain reaction.  Let the joyful noise rise before Your throne.  You are so worthy!  

Responding to Mercy

The sacred writings contain preliminary reports by the prophets on God’s Son. His descent from David roots him in history; his unique identity as Son of God was shown by the Spirit when Jesus was raised from the dead, setting him apart as the Messiah, our Master. Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus. You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ! Romans 1:2-7

     I simply read the passage above and become a student, teachable and eager to learn. I can simply share my desire to step into all that this merciful, generous God has for me, all He created me to be. To step into the calling He has placed on all of us, as believers, to share His good news of salvation. When we do, we are doing the will of God. We are displaying a part of His glory (by His grace) that the world should see and long for themselves. A lamp made aglow and put on a lamp stand.

The more we get what we now call ‘ourselves’ out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become. The more I resist Him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own. - CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

     My sister shared the CS Lewis quote above with me this morning. I couldn't help but add it in. It fits with Romans 1 where it states, "You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus". Because I have received His mercy, my heart cannot help but respond in praise. To be obedient to Him. The mercy He displays creates a desire in me to get to know Him and His will. To connect to Him and learn from Him. To love Him. Serve Him. Honor Him. Not just with my words, but with my very life.

     A worship leader I used to have the privilege of listening to on Sunday mornings - Harvest - sings a song called God Demonstrates. Click here and take a listen: https://youtu.be/phI80wPUuSU. You'll be glad you did.

God, You are everything I need. My heart longs to be near You and be rooted in Your love. Your presence becomes a refuge and a delight to my soul. Continue to show us Your mercy. Continue to bless us with it. Let it wash over us and fill us with a fresh awe. Let it cause our hearts to respond to You. Respond with our lives. To You be all honor and glory and praise forever. Amen!

   

Celebrating Mercy Part 2

The Story of the Lost Son

Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’ “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father. “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’ “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time. “All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’ “The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’ “His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”  Luke 15:11-32

       Once upon a time, I was a prodigal daughter.  I was lost.  I wasn't living for God or even thinking of Him.  I truly didn't really even know Him.  I was living for myself.  I was wasting the life that I was given on frivolous, temporal things.  When I did finally run into God, I didn't really think I could be forgiven or accepted, but I was so wrong!  

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [who did not seek salvation and a right relationship with God, nevertheless] obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness which is produced by faith; whereas Israel, [though always] pursuing the law of righteousness, did not succeed in fulfilling the law.  And why not? Because it was not by faith [that they pursued it], but as though it were by works [relying on the merit of their works instead of their faith]. They stumbled over the stumbling Stone [Jesus Christ].  As it is written and forever remains written, “Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense; And he who believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed.” Romans 9:30-33

Through the gift of Jesus, I was and am forgiven and have been brought into that embrace we see in the parable! He was running to me, ready to wrap me in His arms and hold me to His heart.  And I am still wrapped up in Him.  I still have tears that stream down my face when I think of how He loved me that much, forgave me that completely.  Mercy.  Love.  And those tears that fall are part of my testimony.  I once was lost, but now I’m found.  I once was blind but now I see. I see His heart for me.

     Sometimes I consider the other son in the story - the one that stayed and went about his work.  The one that turned bitter that the prodigal would be accepted after such shenanigans and worthy of a celebration upon his return.  I’m not sure I completely understand.  Perhaps he was bent towards self-righteousness - ‘if I just do my job and don’t get into trouble I will earn my way...’  Perhaps he just felt entitled to more because he stayed and served.  Maybe He was just being judgmental and unforgiving.  Maybe all of the above.  But salvation is a free gift.  We don’t work for it.  We don’t create it ourselves.  God came up with it, and He sees everything through.

     All I can say is I don’t want to become bitter.  I pray I don’t stand in judgement of whether someone should or shouldn’t be forgiven.  Should or shouldn’t be accepted.  Deserves salvation or not.  I want my heart to align so closely with the Father’s, that I simply trust His judgement and His will.  I want to rejoice in the kindness and mercy of our God.  

     I've been a beneficiary of that mercy and kindness when I haven't remotely deserved it.  I have received His forgiveness.  So who am I to ever withhold forgiveness?  Who am I to say whether another person is worthy or not.  I wasn't worthy.  And yet He extended to me His robe and called for a feast, embracing me as His child.  That is a good, good Father.   

Father, you are so kind and good.  Your acts of mercy display the great depth and height and width of Your unconditional love.  Help us to forgive and show mercy just as You have done for us.  Fill us with Your Spirit so that we grow together as a family and embrace one another.  Thank You for the Gift of our precious Savior.  Thank You for running to meet us and for offering Your whole heart to us.