Exodus 3:4-5 "When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
As Moses approached the burning bush with shoes removed, he hid his face, because “he was afraid to look at God.” He was completely aware of his frailty and utter sinfulness. It reminds me of Peter when he witnessed the supernatural catch of the day which broke their nets and almost caused their boat to sink.
Luke 5:8 "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'"
Knees buckling beneath him, he had a momentary revelation of the absolute “otherness” of Jesus. I would imagine that taste of His Holiness lingered within Peter’s spirit for some time.
Isaiah 6:5 "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'"
Have you ever felt the Spirit of God or experienced His presence in such a powerful way that you were literally undone? In addition to all the biblical accounts of encounters with God, I've heard countless testimonies of God revealing His Reality to many, many people.
Revelation 1:17-18 "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.'"
As I consider the times that I have actually tasted the holiness of God, my overwhelming sense has been that I know in that moment that I am entirely loved. I can honestly say that I have felt His hand upon my head, calming me in His presence, assuring me of His tender mercy. Oh, the glory of being near to Him...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Can you hear His hush?
Psalms 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”
“Come away, my beloved!” is His invitation. And He calls us into Stillness with a whisper.
Just as a mother speaks in a soft voice in an effort to settle her little one so he will listen more attentively, so His hushed call compels us to pay close attention to what He is saying.
He whispers because stillness requires quietness, and to accomplish that we must refrain from forming sentences – verbally and non-verbally. We all know that simply thinking can be outrageously loud when our objective is to quiet ourselves. God knows we distract ourselves with our own ranting!
Psalms 81:13 “Oh that My people would listen to Me…”
Ultimately, He wants to quiet us. We definitely listen better when we are not talking.
Zephaniah 3:17 “…He will be quiet in His love…”
That word “quiet” in Hebrew actually means to stop speaking. I wonder if sometimes that’s how He gets our attention. We suddenly become aware that He has become silent and we gain renewed determination to seek His face.
Psalms 81:10 “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”
He has rescued us from our own “Egypt” to fill us with good things. To receive what He has to give us, we must open up fully to Him.
If we are brave enough to enter into His Stillness, we inevitably emerge with something of Him deposited in us. Perhaps, it is out of that Stillness we speak peace into the world around us…
“Come away, my beloved!” is His invitation. And He calls us into Stillness with a whisper.
Just as a mother speaks in a soft voice in an effort to settle her little one so he will listen more attentively, so His hushed call compels us to pay close attention to what He is saying.
He whispers because stillness requires quietness, and to accomplish that we must refrain from forming sentences – verbally and non-verbally. We all know that simply thinking can be outrageously loud when our objective is to quiet ourselves. God knows we distract ourselves with our own ranting!
Psalms 81:13 “Oh that My people would listen to Me…”
Ultimately, He wants to quiet us. We definitely listen better when we are not talking.
Zephaniah 3:17 “…He will be quiet in His love…”
That word “quiet” in Hebrew actually means to stop speaking. I wonder if sometimes that’s how He gets our attention. We suddenly become aware that He has become silent and we gain renewed determination to seek His face.
Psalms 81:10 “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”
He has rescued us from our own “Egypt” to fill us with good things. To receive what He has to give us, we must open up fully to Him.
If we are brave enough to enter into His Stillness, we inevitably emerge with something of Him deposited in us. Perhaps, it is out of that Stillness we speak peace into the world around us…
Monday, September 7, 2009
By faith, not by sight…
Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone."
We walk by faith and not by sight. Consequently, we’re blind when it comes to the unseen world. As we move forward with Christ, we have to admit that we would not necessarily always choose the pathways we travel, but with hindsight discover the wisdom of His guiding Hand. Difficulties are transformed into smooth steppingstones that lead us effortlessly into our destiny. He doesn’t miss any details.
Jeremiah 31:9 "With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; for I am a father..."
And though the times of great challenge bring us to our knees and cause us to pour out our hearts like water, the presence of the Lord never leaves us. And as we learn the way of leaning on our Beloved, he faithfully leads us to streams of Living Water and keeps our feet from stumbling.
Oh! How I love the prophets! And oh! How I love my Heavenly Father!
We walk by faith and not by sight. Consequently, we’re blind when it comes to the unseen world. As we move forward with Christ, we have to admit that we would not necessarily always choose the pathways we travel, but with hindsight discover the wisdom of His guiding Hand. Difficulties are transformed into smooth steppingstones that lead us effortlessly into our destiny. He doesn’t miss any details.
Jeremiah 31:9 "With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; for I am a father..."
And though the times of great challenge bring us to our knees and cause us to pour out our hearts like water, the presence of the Lord never leaves us. And as we learn the way of leaning on our Beloved, he faithfully leads us to streams of Living Water and keeps our feet from stumbling.
Oh! How I love the prophets! And oh! How I love my Heavenly Father!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wanna defy nature?
For those unfamiliar with the concept of entropy, it is believed that all nature tends towards inevitable and steady deterioration. However, the evidence of Christ’s resurrection disregards this scientific conclusion.
Romans 6:9 “…Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The very essence of our faith is progressive transformation. We are invited into a relationship with Someone who wants to renew our minds and restore our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
Galatians 4:19 “…until Christ is formed in you…”
The glorious work of the cross makes a way for us to defy natural law. We can choose to submit our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit and be transformed, that we might be an expression of God to the world.
Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…”
Such potential progress gives significant purpose to life, huh?
Romans 6:9 “…Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.”
1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The very essence of our faith is progressive transformation. We are invited into a relationship with Someone who wants to renew our minds and restore our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”
Galatians 4:19 “…until Christ is formed in you…”
The glorious work of the cross makes a way for us to defy natural law. We can choose to submit our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit and be transformed, that we might be an expression of God to the world.
Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…”
Such potential progress gives significant purpose to life, huh?
Friday, September 4, 2009
Imitation that leads to transformation…
1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I urge you, imitate me.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
Such amazing confidence! I cannot say that I am ready to echo Paul’s words at this point in my life, but I certainly look to others and find myself imitating the good I see in them.
Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
Imitation is an interesting thing. The more two people spend time together, the more similarities emerge. Friends ultimately pick up sayings and even mannerisms from each other. We tend to emulate the things we like most in others. A recognizable resemblance is the result of deep relationship, perhaps most commonly displayed through married couples.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
You’ve heard the saying that imitation is the greatest compliment, I’m sure. Well, maybe as we yield our hearts to God’s leading and allow His Spirit to conform us into His image, we give Him the highest praise possible! As we release ownership of who we are and what we’re like and give Him complete authority to change us, we are literally worshiping God.
How cool is that?
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
Such amazing confidence! I cannot say that I am ready to echo Paul’s words at this point in my life, but I certainly look to others and find myself imitating the good I see in them.
Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
Imitation is an interesting thing. The more two people spend time together, the more similarities emerge. Friends ultimately pick up sayings and even mannerisms from each other. We tend to emulate the things we like most in others. A recognizable resemblance is the result of deep relationship, perhaps most commonly displayed through married couples.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
You’ve heard the saying that imitation is the greatest compliment, I’m sure. Well, maybe as we yield our hearts to God’s leading and allow His Spirit to conform us into His image, we give Him the highest praise possible! As we release ownership of who we are and what we’re like and give Him complete authority to change us, we are literally worshiping God.
How cool is that?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Serving sin or Him?
Romans 6:6 “…our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin…”
To be a slave you must serve a master. So, if we are slaves to sin, we are mastered by sin.
Luke 6:27-28 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
I believe that I serve sin when I bring to mind the injuries others have brought upon me. I serve myself when I selfishly dwell upon my disappointment in others and I reveal how terribly self-centered I am when I demand certain behavior of others in order to maintain my own personal sense of wellness.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
It is clearly a good day to die.
To be a slave you must serve a master. So, if we are slaves to sin, we are mastered by sin.
Luke 6:27-28 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
I believe that I serve sin when I bring to mind the injuries others have brought upon me. I serve myself when I selfishly dwell upon my disappointment in others and I reveal how terribly self-centered I am when I demand certain behavior of others in order to maintain my own personal sense of wellness.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
It is clearly a good day to die.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Child-like faith or deep dread…
Micah 7:7 “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”
This is expectant faith that waits with great anticipation for the goodness of God to be expressed.
The problem is that our lives are full of disappointments. And since most of us have had the unwelcome experience of loss and pain, we are weighed down by unbelief and wait instead for the “other shoe to drop”. Our sensibility warns us to ready ourselves for what’s to come, perhaps simply wishing to prepare our hearts so that we can manage the distress.
So, how can we cultivate an expectant attitude of faith?
Romans 10:17 “...faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
It appears that if we have the facts (or know the Truth), we will naturally obtain faith. The old adage that “you are what you eat” certainly holds true when it comes to spiritual food.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Instead of harboring in our hearts the lie that God is not good because bad things happen to us, our minds can be renewed by the Truth and we can be freed to walk in childlike faith. Then we will be able to honestly proclaim the goodness of God, no matter what the circumstances of our lives may be, trusting that it’s in those stormy times He so delights in sheltering us.
Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
This is expectant faith that waits with great anticipation for the goodness of God to be expressed.
The problem is that our lives are full of disappointments. And since most of us have had the unwelcome experience of loss and pain, we are weighed down by unbelief and wait instead for the “other shoe to drop”. Our sensibility warns us to ready ourselves for what’s to come, perhaps simply wishing to prepare our hearts so that we can manage the distress.
So, how can we cultivate an expectant attitude of faith?
Romans 10:17 “...faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
It appears that if we have the facts (or know the Truth), we will naturally obtain faith. The old adage that “you are what you eat” certainly holds true when it comes to spiritual food.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Instead of harboring in our hearts the lie that God is not good because bad things happen to us, our minds can be renewed by the Truth and we can be freed to walk in childlike faith. Then we will be able to honestly proclaim the goodness of God, no matter what the circumstances of our lives may be, trusting that it’s in those stormy times He so delights in sheltering us.
Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
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