Reaching for the Son

It's amazing the ways God uses to bring a point home to you. Lately, He's been using my feeble attempts to start a garden. A couple of my seed packets advised starting the plants indoors before transplanting to the scary outside world. So in little cups near a sunny window, my baby tomato and rosemary (hopefully!) plants are spreading their fledgling wings...ahem, leaves. But what is funny is the way that they grow. Their thin little stems bend toward the window and their tiny, growing leaves almost look like arms outstretched toward the sun. As I giggled at the cute picture this made, I was reminded of how God wants us to do the same! How He wants us to reach for His S-O-N.

Reaching for the Son gives us strength.

Only Jesus can provide us with the strength we need to do His work. He promises that He will equip us and fill us as we rely on Him.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." -Eph. 6:10

Reaching for the Son gives us growth.

The more we entrust ourselves to the Son and walk in the light of His truth, the more we grow! If we remain in darkness and denial, our souls remain dead within us, like a seed that is never planted in fertile soil. But when we surrender our lives to the bright Light that is Jesus Christ, He helps us to gain spiritual maturity.

"...but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ..." -1Peter 3:18

Reaching for the Son gives us roots.

As we walk in the Light, not only do we grow upward and outward in love and good deeds, but the stability of our faith grows deeper and stronger. Planted in the fertile soil of the Word and enriched by the Light of the Son, we are able to stand firm.

"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith..." -1 Cor. 16:13

Reaching for the Son gives us fruit.

Without the strength, growth and roots caused by the Son, we will never bear fruit! Only He can cause the things of the Spirit to come to fruition in our lives.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." -Gal. 5:22-23

Reaching for the Son is our only hope for growth and even our very survival. He longs for us to stretch out the arms of our souls in complete dependence on the strength and power only He can give to us. When we are reaching for the Son, basking in His light, then and only then will we be fully satisfied, and fully useful for His service.

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he mediates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

-Psalm 1:1-3

O Magnify the Lord With Me!

"My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice." - Psalm 34:2

I was reading through Psalm 34 this morning and thinking how much time I spend thinking of myself and my troubles or my successes. But my soul MUST boast in the Lord! Why? Here are 18 reasons I found, just in Psalm 34!

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me..." -v. 4a

1) He answers me! He is always near when I call, and ready to answer.

"...and delivered me from all my fears." - v. 4b

2) He delivers me from fear! He is a solid place of refuge and His sovereign control over my life and His love for me drives away my anxiety.

"This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him..." - v. 6a

3) He hears! He is not a God far off, but close enough to hear.

"...and saved him out of all his troubles." - v. 6b

4) He saves! In so many practical and spiritual ways.

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him..." - v. 7a

5) He protects those who fear Him! His angels encamp around me.

"...and rescues them." - v. 7b

6) He rescues!

"O taste and see that the Lord is good..." - v. 8a

7) He is good! Let me taste and see!

"How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" - v. 8b

8) He is a refuge! A safe place.

"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous..." - v. 15a

9) His eyes are toward the righteous! He loves and rewards holiness.

"...and His ears are open to their cry." - v. 15b

10) His ears are always open to them! He is ready and waiting when the righteous come for help in time of need.

"The face of the Lord is against evildoers..." - v. 16a

11) He is against evil! It cannot stand in His holy presence.

"The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles." - v. 17

12) He delivers from trouble! He hears and saves in His time.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted..." - v. 18a

13) He is near to the brokenhearted! He has a soft spot for those who are humbled, discouraged, or in pain.

""...and saves those who are crushed in spirit." - v. 18b

14) He saves the weak! He loves to show Himself strong when our spirits are crushed.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." - v. 19

15) He delivers from affliction! Not always does He make a way out, but He supplies the needed strength to endure each affliction.

"Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned." - v. 21

16) He condemns those who hate the righteous! No injustice will go unpunished.

"The Lord redeems the soul of His servants..." - v. 22a

17) He redeems the souls of His servants! When we trust in Him, our souls are redeemed from death.

"...and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned." - v. 22b

18) There is no condemnation for those who take refuge in Him! He is merciful and rewards with freedom those whose refuge is in Him.

How consistently in this Psalm do I see the theme of "man cries to God, God hears, God saves." What a glorious foreshadowing of the great New Testament truth that He comes to us where we are in our distress and He saves. That for those who call out, who boast in His strength (not their own), who find their refuge and safety in Him, there is no condemnation. There is redemption, protection, and an everlasting opportunity to "taste and see that the Lord is good."

O magnify the Lord with me today for His saving power and His goodness to those who take refuge in Him!

"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." - Psalm 34:3

Cultivating a Heart of Faithfulness

Well, it's been awhile! One of my New Year's resolutions is to begin writing more on this blog!! :) But with getting married, moving twice, and settling into life as a pastor's wife in a new and rural community, things have been a bit busy!!

Travis and I were blessed a couple of weeks ago by being involved in a winter camp here in the area. The camp was for teens and the subject was "Sex, Dating, and Relationships." Being so recently married ourselves, we were able to share with the kids our own testimony of purity, and God's grace made evident in our lives. I thought I'd share a little bit with you of what was brought to my mind again that week...the necessity of cultivating faithfulness.

As young women, our desire for relationship begins very early. From the time I was about 4 or 5 I remember longing for marriage and that special prince charming! And that desire never went away- in fact, it only intensified as I got older. When my older brother got married at 18, I was sure the same would happen to me! I eagerly looked for the special someone who would make my life complete. But, 18 came and went and there were no suitors charging in on white horses. Young though I was, it felt like endless waiting...what to do?

I remember at one point coming across this passage:

Psalm 37:3-5: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it."

Dwell in the land! Cultivate faithfulness- grow it! That was my responsibility!

How soon is too soon to start being faithful to my spouse? No age is too soon! Pledge faithfulness in thought and conduct NOW!

Prov. 31:12 says, "She (the "excellent wife") does him good and not harm ALL the days of her life (emphasis added)."

How can I be faithful when I don't even know him?

-Guard, guard, guard! Guard your heart. Guard your eyes. Guard your body. Guard your emotions. Don't give away to someone else what belongs to your husband- not just physically, but also emotionally-what only he should see or know.

-Be loyal to him now- don't go chasing after every guy who compliments and tries to romance you before he has a right to! Behave in your relationships with the opposite sex in ways that are honoring and respectful to your future husband (and their future wife, for that matter!).

What do I do while I wait?

-Work on your heart. If you are not content before you meet someone, you will not be complete with them. Take the time while you are single to cultivate a heart of faithfulness, both to your future spouse AND to the Lord. The Lord MUST fill the longing for love in your heart before you will ever be satisfied with any person.

-Pray, pray, pray!! Pray for your spouse. Don't be afraid to pray very specifically. Pray for their family, their friends, their spiritual growth. Prayer is powerful!!

Why should I do this?

-God says so!! How does scripture describe real love?

1 Cor. 13:4-8a puts it this way (I've highlighted some that are particularly relevant!): "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."

By its nature, love is faithful.

-The rewards are incalculable. Now that I am married, I can tell you that it is hard even to describe how important faithfulness is in a marriage relationship. You would do well to begin to practice it now! It means so very much that your spouse practices- has been practicing- faithfulness. My husband and I shared our very first kiss (with each other or anyone else) on our wedding day and we cannot thank the Lord enough for preserving our hearts and bodies for one another. Having a marriage begun in this way is one of the most beautiful, most rewarding things I have ever experienced. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

My commitment to my husband did not start at the altar, 6 mo. ago. It did not even start on New Year's eve the year before, when I accepted his marriage proposal. My commitment to my husband began 7 or 8 years ago, when I decided to cultivate a heart of faithfulness.

Even if you have done things you regret, and have made mistakes, begin NOW to cultivate a heart of faithfulness.

God is the originator, the greatest example of faithfulness there is- give your heart to Him, put it in His care and ask Him to not let you give it away until it is His perfect timing.

shdwpast221: Asperations

shdwpast221: Asperations

The Joy of Well-Placed Trust

Lately my heart has been camping in joy. How is true, heart-joy to be found? Why are we missing it so often? Why is joy important as a follower of Christ?

One verse in particular has been rolling around in my mind these last few weeks: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him." - Psalm 28:7

The turning point in this verse seems to be "...in Him my heart trusts..." The psalm begins in real anxiety- read it through from the beginning! But by verse 7, which is near the end, the psalmist has turned his heart to the Lord and this is where his cries of uncertainty turn to joyous exclamations and singing! In reading through much of Psalms, this theme is not uncommon.

Ps. 33:20-21- "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name."

Ps. 63:7- "For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy."

Ps. 73:26- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

It would seem that the secret to enduring heart joy is a well-placed trust. Trust and delight in Him who cannot fail. He who created our hearts is faithful, good and gracious. When we trust in our own strength, we are bound to fears and anxieties because we know we fail! "My flesh and my heart may fail (they do and they have!)..." We have fallen, we have failed in the past, we know we are not to be trusted. Therefore we worry and fret and in our self-trust we allow the enemy to steal our joy. But God- God has proven that He is trustworthy! Time and again, both in Scripture and in our own lives we have reason to believe that God is overwhelmingly competent and worthy of our complete confidence. He is infinitely powerful where I am powerless. He is ever faithful when I fail daily. He overwhelms me with agape, heaven-love where I am selfish at my core. He is all-seeing and all-knowing when all I see is what's right in front of me at best. And He is calling me to surrender my tired, trembling heart to His care, knowing that when I do, the result is such freedom that I cannot help but sing. Like a bird that warbles happily from the safety of a tall and strong evergreen tree, when I let go of the notion that I can figure it out and simply rest in the sovereignty of my Father-Protector, I have the freedom to sing. No longer must I worry about my competence or my own ability. Joy comes in letting go of myself and my ambitions and my view of how things "should be" and trusting that I have a God who knows all my needs and does all things well.

And why is it so important that we learn to practice trust and receive joy? Joy is one of the most important facets of our Christian witness! The world does not understand joy. They love the look of it, this contented undercurrent, not of happiness, but of rest. But it is foreign. There is no joy in the constant grasping after pleasure, the trust in self or money or power. And so joy is different. It is something they do not have, cannot have, without the well-placed trust of a relationship with their Creator. The importance of learning joy as believers is evident.

So, where is your trust? Are you worn out with trusting in yourself? Other people? Possessions?I implore you to bring your worn out, ragged heart to the Savior for safekeeping- He will not fail you and in the shadow of His wings, you'll find the freedom to sing.

Blessed to be a Blessing

Travis and I have been thinking and recounting a lot lately. Recounting the many amazing events and things that transpired to bring us where we are today. Serving together in a rural community, married just over 3 weeks. We can still hardly believe we are together, having met through a series of unlikely circumstances. God certainly knows how to handpick people who are perfect for one another, as we discover each day we spend in each other's company and fall more and more in love. We are so blessed.

Yesterday as I was reading Psalm 67 for my devotional time, I came across this familiar verse, the first in the chapter: "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us...Selah." Ah, yes, I thought, God has been so gracious and has certainly blessed us...but then as I read on, I realized the Psalmist's pause, that Selah which acts as a reflective deep breath, did not necessarily act as a moment to reflect on the ways we have benefited from God's incredible blessing. No, from the following verses, it would seem that in the pause the Psalmist asked "why?" Why do we ask for blessing from God? What purpose does blessing really serve, that we should request it? Read on, in verse 2: "...that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations." It would seem there is an even greater purpose to blessing than merely our own benefit- which is great! Our focus in asking for blessing, whether for ourselves or others needs a shift...blessing is intended to reflect glory back to God, to make Him known and make His name great in all the earth! That when we recount what He has done for us, we showcase His power, His ways. The ways in which He works are specially designed to show off His amazing power and His graciousness.

May we remember, when we reflect and recount on the ways we have been blessed, to draw out of our experiences the ways we can turn it to His glory. May all peoples see that God, our God, is great and gracious and powerful and that He works in mysterious ways. Blessing is a tool that He has given us to turn our praises and the praises of the earth back to Himself.