In his letter to the Hebrews, the writer exhorts the brethren, and by extension us, to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16, KJV). Most of us are familiar with this passage and it has served us well in our prayer lives. It is a wonderful thing to know that we do not have to feel intimidated or be afraid to approach the throne of grace. Not only are we invited to approach it boldly, but we are assured that there "we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
In reflecting on some of the reasons the child of God may feel a sense of fear or reluctance in approaching God, it occurred to me that this is a direct result of our awareness of our shortcomings and failures. At least this has been the case in my own life. Despite our best intentions, we are not always where we long to be in our walk with Him and there are times when feelings of guilt and shame overwhelm the words "come boldly." Lost in the process is the realization that God knows us exactly for who we are, and despite what He sees in us, He still says, "Come".
In looking closer at our reference text, the writer makes such an argument. He writes, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in [H]is sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of [H]im with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (vv. 12-15). The realization that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do," serves to demonstrate that not only are we invited to come boldly but we can come as we are.
Having been tempted as we are being, Christ understands our humanity, He understands our failures. David said of Him as God, "He knoweth our frame; [H]e remembereth that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14). There is nothing about us that will surprise Him; nothing that we can tell Him that He doesn't already know. Therefore, come boldly. It is an invitation I gladly accept; one I find powerfully liberating. It is my prayer that you will too.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Building Right!
Running into God is like running into a brick wall; you are literally stopped in your tracks. I discovered this (again) first hand when a couple months ago I was talking to Him about some personal things I was struggling with, and throwing in some questions for good measure, when suddenly He spoke. There were no lightening bolts, no writing on the wall, no audible voice, but in the quietness of my time with Him the words from Psalm 127:1a came alive in spirit: "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it" (KJV).
I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. As the weeks passed and as I reflected on that moment, it became clear to me that the struggles I was experiencing were all because I had tried to resolve some things in my own strength instead of trusting Him as I know I should. To try to build a life, a relationship, a home, a business, or anything else is all for naught unless God himself is the builder. That means putting Him first by building in accordance with His Word. It is no wonder Jesus reaffirms, "Thus, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). The opposite is also true: “And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (vv.26-27).
Deconstructing the way I was building was not easy; I felt out of control. It was a struggle that lasted weeks and came at great personal cost as everything else seemed secondary at that point, but it was important to heed the voice of the Lord and ensure I was building on the right foundation. It is interesting that in the examples Jesus used, both builders did manage to build the house. However, when adversity presented itself only the one that was built on the rock was left standing.
What is the foundation on which you are building your present and future goals and dreams? If God is not at the center, it is time to demolish and rebuild. Anything else will ultimately result in frustration and failure. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it."
I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. As the weeks passed and as I reflected on that moment, it became clear to me that the struggles I was experiencing were all because I had tried to resolve some things in my own strength instead of trusting Him as I know I should. To try to build a life, a relationship, a home, a business, or anything else is all for naught unless God himself is the builder. That means putting Him first by building in accordance with His Word. It is no wonder Jesus reaffirms, "Thus, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). The opposite is also true: “And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (vv.26-27).
Deconstructing the way I was building was not easy; I felt out of control. It was a struggle that lasted weeks and came at great personal cost as everything else seemed secondary at that point, but it was important to heed the voice of the Lord and ensure I was building on the right foundation. It is interesting that in the examples Jesus used, both builders did manage to build the house. However, when adversity presented itself only the one that was built on the rock was left standing.
What is the foundation on which you are building your present and future goals and dreams? If God is not at the center, it is time to demolish and rebuild. Anything else will ultimately result in frustration and failure. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it."
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Surprised by God
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised? I mean, wonderfully blown-away-knock-your-socks-off surprised? According to the Webster Online Dictionary, to be surprised is to be struck with "wonder and amazement especially because [of something] unexpected," and if we stop to think about how a loving God could love a sinful world and send His only begotten son to redeem its citizens, then that would qualify as a surprise. Frankly, if some of us were God we would not have done it.
But God didn't just stop there. Having made it possible for us to be reconciled to Himself through Christ, He didn't simple leave us to fend for ourselves. He adopted us and made us heirs and joint-heirs with His dear son (Romans 8:17), and so His entire provisions are open to us for our inheritance. As the Apostle Paul ponders the magnitude of our blessings, he writes, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9, KJV). In other words, our minds cannot being to comprehend all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. Try to imagine moving from being a servant of sin to being a child of the Most High God; from eternal damnation to eternal life. God "raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come [H]e might shew the exceeding riches of [H]is grace in [H]is kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6,7).
Though we cannot comprehend it all with our natural minds, we are not left in the dark. Paul reminds us, "God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). It stands to reason therefore, that to get a glimpse of what God has in store for us we need to be walking in the Spirit. As we yield ourselves to Him, and as He brings about God's purposes in our lives, we will realize that we have not even scratched the surface of all that He has in store for us. It is then that we will be surprised at the wonder of it all; at how much we are truly love by God and the extent to which He has gone to demonstrate that love.
Why not allow the Spirit of God to show you those things?
But God didn't just stop there. Having made it possible for us to be reconciled to Himself through Christ, He didn't simple leave us to fend for ourselves. He adopted us and made us heirs and joint-heirs with His dear son (Romans 8:17), and so His entire provisions are open to us for our inheritance. As the Apostle Paul ponders the magnitude of our blessings, he writes, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9, KJV). In other words, our minds cannot being to comprehend all the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. Try to imagine moving from being a servant of sin to being a child of the Most High God; from eternal damnation to eternal life. God "raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come [H]e might shew the exceeding riches of [H]is grace in [H]is kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6,7).
Though we cannot comprehend it all with our natural minds, we are not left in the dark. Paul reminds us, "God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). It stands to reason therefore, that to get a glimpse of what God has in store for us we need to be walking in the Spirit. As we yield ourselves to Him, and as He brings about God's purposes in our lives, we will realize that we have not even scratched the surface of all that He has in store for us. It is then that we will be surprised at the wonder of it all; at how much we are truly love by God and the extent to which He has gone to demonstrate that love.
Why not allow the Spirit of God to show you those things?
"Show Me Thy Ways"
Though we sometimes make a mess of our walk with Christ, the heart of the true believer is to follow after Him. Jesus was very clear when He said to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23, KJV). Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living, it is very easy to lose sight of the path we should be walking in. Truth be known, at times it seems there are so many paths before us that if the child of God isn't careful, we can easily choose any number of them that lead us away from the "expected end" God promises for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). There is only one acceptable way and that is the way of Christ.
As I reflected on Jesus' words, I was reminded of the Psalmist's prayer, "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me" (Psalm 25:5,6a). On this text Bible Scholar Matthew Henry writes, "(1.) In doubtful cases we should pray earnestly that God would make it plain to us what [H]e would have us to do. (2.) That [H]e would incline [H]is will to do it, and strengthen [H]im in it: 'Lead me, and so teach me.' Not only as we lead one that is dimsighted, to keep him from missing his way, but as we lead one that is sick, and feeble, and faint, to help him forward in the way and to keep him from fainting and falling. We go no further in the way to heaven than God is pleased to lead us and to hold us up."
True discipleship requires that every believer seeks God's ways and His truths, and the best way to do that is to ask Him. Every step we take, every decision we have to make, we need His guidance. Not only does He care about us, He cares about everything that pertains to us.
One of the prayer songs that has been a big part of my life has the words, "I want God's way to be my way as I journey here below / For there is no other highway that a child of God should go / Though the way seems long and rough, if He leads me that's enough / I want God's way to be my way every day." Won't you join me in that prayer?
As I reflected on Jesus' words, I was reminded of the Psalmist's prayer, "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me" (Psalm 25:5,6a). On this text Bible Scholar Matthew Henry writes, "(1.) In doubtful cases we should pray earnestly that God would make it plain to us what [H]e would have us to do. (2.) That [H]e would incline [H]is will to do it, and strengthen [H]im in it: 'Lead me, and so teach me.' Not only as we lead one that is dimsighted, to keep him from missing his way, but as we lead one that is sick, and feeble, and faint, to help him forward in the way and to keep him from fainting and falling. We go no further in the way to heaven than God is pleased to lead us and to hold us up."
True discipleship requires that every believer seeks God's ways and His truths, and the best way to do that is to ask Him. Every step we take, every decision we have to make, we need His guidance. Not only does He care about us, He cares about everything that pertains to us.
One of the prayer songs that has been a big part of my life has the words, "I want God's way to be my way as I journey here below / For there is no other highway that a child of God should go / Though the way seems long and rough, if He leads me that's enough / I want God's way to be my way every day." Won't you join me in that prayer?
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