Asking “Why?”

www.analoxsensortechnology.com

Your grandfather dies and you cry out to God “why now?”  The circumstances you find yourself in seem unnecessarily tough. Meeting the right guy or girl never seems to happen though you feel so ready. This week was one disaster after another. Someone who’s been through so much gets even yet more bad news.

Why?

Do you ever feel guilty for asking God “why?” Don’t. You aren’t the first –and you may not be sinning.

It isn’t disobedience to say, as the desperate father found in Mark 9:24 did: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” In John 11, we read about Lazarus’ death, Jesus’ weeping, and Mary’s words: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Think of the faithful examples in the Old Testament as well. Didn’t Job ask God why? And David? Consider his cry in Psalm 10:1 for example:

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

Can you imagine Joseph, a young man sold into slavery, not at times asking the Lord why He allowed these things to happen? In fact, Joseph referred to have sought a reason for why God allowed so much to happen to him, saying in Genesis 45:7 to his brothers: “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

Esther 4:14 also contains this powerful example of looking at the “why” of God’s work: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"

The prophets give us example after example as well. Just imagine Ezekiel’s question of “why” as God explained to Ezekiel that he was to be a watchman to a people who were hard, rebellious, and unlikely to listen to him. He asked Ezekiel to perform strange rituals as warnings –acts that often caused Ezekiel to live despised. What a futile task, it would seem!

But in all of these examples, in all of the implied and more direct “why” moments, God never rebukes His people. Our Lord never condemns any of us for asking “why.”

To ask God “why” often isn’t wrong at all. The confusion about this comes, however, when “why” involves:

• A test of His character
• A rejection of His will
• An act of disobedience

To disobey God, your intentions or actions contradict His Word, work, or person. You can ask why humbly, faithfully, and as a plea toward the perfect Lord. You can also ask Him why with the implication that He has done wrong –which is blasphemy.

Likewise, you can have doubt, you can struggle with unbelief, without sinning. Watch, however, that you do not act on doubt. To say, “because I don’t understand it, I won’t do it, Lord” negates faith. “Because I can’t grasp how you can be good and do this, I won’t go along with it” is rebellion and requires the pride of assuming you know better than He does.

Sin is sneaky like that. Satan clouds and distorts the truth to trick us –that’s more effective in many cases than outright lying. The “bent” truth here?

That asking “why” is sin. It’s not. Avoid assuming that your “why, Lord” trumps your ability to say “yes, Lord.”

…And ask away. Cry out like David. Consider His answer like Esther. Testify to His revealing of the “why” as Joseph did. Pray for Him to help your unbelief. The Lord does not condemn us for acting like His children.

This post is being shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, Intentionally Pursuing,Titus2sday, Woman to Woman Wednesday, Women with Intention, andTellHisStory.

Living in God's Shadow

daryl-hunter.net

There are some things that are good in God that otherwise aren’t…like, for example, bearing a yoke, being the least of these, and or living in the shadows.

In the Lord, a yoke is good and easy. Being least is a quality of humility and selfless love that gives Him glory. And living in the shadows…well, it depends on whose shadow we’re talking about.

Generally, to live in someone’s shadow is to have your own person and accomplishments overlooked because another person is greater, bigger, or more noticeable. Younger siblings hear about this often –“you have a lot to live up to in the shadow of your big sister!”

But living in the shadow of God is quite the opposite.

We read over and over again in Scripture, particularly in Psalms, about taking refuge in the shadow of His wings.

What’s so different about this shadow?

The shadow of His wings is…

1. A Metaphor for His Guidance

We first read about being under God’s “wings” in Deuteronomy 32:11 in the song of Moses. The words come as a part of the tale of how God guided and cared for Moses.  

“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.”

Have you seen how an eagle cares for its young and teaches them to fly? Eagles hover over their children, keeping them close and safe. Stirring them up, eagles encourage their children to fly but they never leave them. Their young are always in the shadow of their wing and are caught and carried when they grow weary or falter.

2. A Picture of His Presence

“I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” –Psalm 61:4

What is His tent? What is the shelter of His wings? The place of God’s presence. A place that is eternal and that is a refuge. The Hebrew word for refuge here is “chasah” and is also translated “my trust.”

I will put my trust in the shelter of your wings, the Psalmist says. I will, as chasah means, confide in your presence and trust in you for safety, we read.

Based on the word chasah, we know that taking refuge in the shadow of His wings calls us to go aside from our usual places of fear and self and this world to the place of hoping and resting fully in Him.  

3. An Example of His Protection

In Psalm 91:4, we read that: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

To be in the Lord’s presence, close to Him and relying on Him, means that you are wholly protected. You are covered as by a shield, and He’s got your back too:

“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.” –Psalm 63:7

Worthy of our praise and giving us the peace that we are indeed safe from all harm, we find ourselves in such joy that we sing. When we’re under His watchful, faithful covering, we have reason and space to sing!

4. A Description of a Loving Relationship with the Lord

His guarding us and keeping us close isn’t mere obligation or instinct. The Lord’s love is far more perfect and sweet than that.

As the Psalmist wrote: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” –Psalm 17:8

Just one verse earlier God is praised for His “lovingkindness.” Psalm 36:7 phrases it this way: “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

Living in the shadows, or rather, someone else’s shadow, isn’t so bad when the shadow is the Lord’s. He is greater. The shadow He casts isn’t one we’ll ever measure up, and His isn’t over-reaching.

We find the guidance, safety, hope, joy, and the love that we need to be who we are in the Lord when we are in His presence –and to be in His presence is to be in His shadow, under His wing.

Hebrews 12:9 reminds us: “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!” To be under His wing is to be in His care, treated as one of His young.

Though pride tells us we know how to fly and protect ourselves, God knows better. God knows the best place for us is in His presence, under His wing –even though that means giving up control and pride…

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” –James 4:7-8 

There’s no better place to be. 

This post is being shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, Intentionally Pursuing,Titus2sday, Esther Girl, Thought-Provoking Thursday, and Faith-Filled Friday.

Your Testimony Isn't Over...

jrforasteros.com

You describe what was going on in your life, explaining what led you to your decision. Throughout the story you share about those special moments and “coincidences” that boosted your faith. Perhaps for you the story is short and it’s sweet. For others, it’s much more dramatic. As you tell the story, you arrive at the crux (perhaps better said: the cross.)

Here, you proclaim the truth. Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

Now don’t stop. Don’t conclude your testimony with “the end.”

So often, so many of us slap “happily ever after” onto our testimonies, as if Christ saving us is the end of the story.

Worse yet, there are many Christians who determine, having been saved and changed, that the rest of their lives is theirs to live as they please. With a happily ever after coming at the end, they, like the Corinthian Christians figure they might as well pass the rest of their earthly lives as they please.

We act like this when we don’t want to be up front about our continued sin and don’t care all that much about living right now like we are citizens of heaven. The words slip out as if what’s past is past and that’s what defines us, putting our hope in the Lord who saved us but not in the same One who is glad to change us today.

Concerned with what’s right in front of us, we approach life with the shortsighted priority of preserving our reputations, our senses of accomplishment, and our immediate emotions.  When life is hard, we may still testify that He is real but feel nothing of His joy because we are caught up in present circumstances.

We can live like that if we choose.

But we don’t have to.

You don’t have to say “the end” after sharing that Jesus died for you because Christ is still living and you are free to live in Him today. And tomorrow.

He’s still active. He’s still present. Though your end on earth is secure, you aren’t there yet. You’re still a work in progress –one that will be brought to completion.

Keep in mind that “the end,” too, is all caught up in God. He’s the Alpha and the Omega –the beginning and the end. He defines eternity, security, time, and hope. The very word “Omega” describes the limitlessness of our God.

We read in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The well-known words of Isaiah 41:10 also read:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

But, it’s just a few a little earlier, in verse 4, that we read:

“Who has done this and carried it through,

calling forth the generations from the beginning?

I, the Lord—with the first of them

and with the last—I am he.”

What’s to come in your testimony? What’s the Lord doing in your life right now? What was is important, but it’s not everything. He was with the first generations and will be with the last. He was present when you first accepted Christ as your Savior, and He will be the day that you go confidently before God, hopeful to hear that He is well-pleased.

For King and Country’s It’s Not Over Yet offers a wonderful reminder for those of us who don’t feel that our testimony is continuing or wonder if the Lord is still at work in our lives:

This post is being shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, Intentionally Pursuing, Titus2sday, and Thought-Provoking Thursday.

Cleaning Heart: Is It On Your To-Do List?

womenwalkingwisely.com

Ever sat in your mess for so long that it just became normal? Then, when you found out that you had company coming over unexpectedly your “okay” home was suddenly seen for what it was: a disaster!

Most of us try to keep our homes from getting to a crisis point. We do dishes, sweep the floors, and take the trash out on a (slightly more than) as-needed-basis. Our homes may not be spotless, but they’re comfortable when we keep up with our to-do lists.

Our hearts are the same way.

We go through our days accumulating “stuff” in our hearts. Our feelings, thoughts, memories, attitudes, and so on build up. The stuff of this world and of our flesh isn’t neat, tidy, or glamorous. It’s not too hard for our hearts to get messy.

Our hearts get loaded up with a lot of stuff that we even need to have for a short time. Feelings like anger or doubt are natural and have a purpose. Bad attitudes often develop in reaction to circumstances that we have to face. Our harsh thoughts and feelings of bitterness can help us to be discerning.

That doesn’t mean that all the gunk in our hearts is right. It also doesn’t mean that the stuff we’re supposed to let the necessary stuff sit and stew after it has run its course.

Take, for example, the Bible’s commands concerning anger. “Be angry and do not sin.” It’s not wrong to be angry –God gets mad. But, at what point is our anger sinful? When it accumulates in our hearts to overthrow other commandments, like wishing evil on people or taking revenge, our anger has begun to rot. “Leave room for God’s wrath” we read.  

For there to be room in our hearts for the Lord’s wrath (or the Lord’s hope, patience, or compassion) we have to do the work of cleaning heart.

Like our homes, we have to be aware of what comes in (can you say no muddy shoes?!) as well as what we do with what we have going on in there. Scripture outlines the way to sort out what's inside:

1. Acknowledge the Mess

Cleaning with your eyes closed doesn’t go so well. Neither does cleaning in the dark. It may be difficult to face what’s in your heart, but you need to. “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible--and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

2. Repent of What’s Gone Bad

What happens in your heart may or may not trickle out before you get to cleaning house. Either way, the Lord sees it. A sin in the heart is still a sin. Get rid of it, surrender it to the Lord in repentance.

As Acts 3:19 puts it: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Out with the junk, make room for His refreshing.

3. Get Washed

And then go further than choosing to “remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes.” “Put on the shining armor of right living.” Get clean and live accordingly. There is no need to wait, to dwell on the dirt, or to mourn the gunk that’s been removed: “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

That’s it. Praise the Lord that He is the One who “creates in us a clean heart.”

Isn’t that amazing? Our Lord goes before us to make us able to be confident before God (despite all the junk in our hearts.) The Holy Spirit lives in us, making room in these dusty, dirty hearts. 

We are free to live comfortably, knowing our hope is in Him even when our hearts are downright disgusting. And we’re free to be washed –inside out- anytime, anywhere.

Is going to the Lord for a cleaning of your heart on your to-do list today?

This post is being shared on: #TestimonyTuesday, #RaRaLinkup, Intentionally Pursuing, and Titus2sday.

Afraid to be Satisfied

Nearly a year and a half ago, I wrote post about fearing joy (coincidentally, I also wrote about a PB and Nutella Cheesecake that I’m making again this week!)

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had so much reason to be joyful but been too afraid to let yourself go there?

My husband and I received some really good, long-awaited news this week. The Lord provided and blessed beyond any measure we could have expected. His plans are so much wilder and better than ours ever have been. And so, we’ve been rejoicing!

But with new blessings come new responsibilities, worries, and questions. I can’t help but feel a little afraid again. This time not so much afraid of joy as of satisfaction…

We are often afraid to be satisfied.

To so many of us, satisfaction sounds like complacency, or giving up. To be satisfied would lead to rest –which we confuse with laziness. Simply being satisfied requires that we accept what the Lord provides, as is, right now, without doubting or wishing or believing that maybe there could be something better.

That’s difficult to do.

To say “Lord, your provision is plentiful” and not move on to a concerned prayer about what to do next, or another prayer asking for more...well, that’s not usually our first reaction. We’d have to put God’s plan above ours, His way above our way, and what He deems good over our fleshly desires.

Our tendency isn’t to wholeheartedly base our desires and hope and joy in the Lord. It’s more common, in our human nature, to squirrel away wants, wishes, comparisons, and doubts. We’re glad for the Lord’s gifts to us, but we keep the receipts in hopes that maybe we can make an exchange if we see something “better.”

It’s no wonder we’re not satisfied. Satisfaction is only truly found in Christ –without condition, without loving the world or what it offers, and without the trappings of “if,” “but, and “or.”

True satisfaction is found when our life is hidden in the Lord, and we live by His hand, with our desires delighting in Him. Real satisfaction comes when we behold His face, when we wait on Him and are guided by Him.

To be satisfied, we must stop trying to fill ourselves up with more and instead drink of the water He provides (see: Proverbs 19:23, Psalm 17:5, John 6:35, Psalm 37:4).

Isaiah  says it well: “the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. When we aren’t in scorched places and it feels our bones are strong, we’re often quick to wonder if the miracle grow our neighbors use would be better than the living water. It’s not.

See, our Lord doesn’t fail. He doesn’t wither away in time or depend on the balance of our conditions, our emotions, or our circumstances. We don’t have to go back again and again asking for another drink to keep us feeling full.

Satisfaction is, by its nature, has two parts:

 When we think satisfaction, we tend to think of the fleeting sensation of feeling pleasantly full. There’s another aspect- one Christ wholly embodies. In Jesus, our debt is satisfied. In Jesus, our salvation is settled, and with that comes the fulfillment, contentment, and happiness that we associate with satisfaction.

The living water is offered now. We can wait, if we’d like. We can accept the salvation of Christ and continue to live worried, live by comparison, and live to fill up our perceived lacks, waiting to find our full satisfaction in Him until heaven.

But satisfaction –that is, to have enough and to delight in what you have- is available now in every way that truly matters.

We may not be satisfied with our current talents, our current job situations, our current relationship struggles –but our souls can be satisfied.

We can taste the living water now and drink in the satisfaction of knowing that “it is well” with our souls. We are reconciled to God through Christ. We have the assurance that we will be brought to completion, that we can trust in His faithful provision, perfect counsel, and loving friendship.

Is He enough to satisfy your heart today?

  

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 6:22-23

Because of this gift…

“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship” Romans 8:14-15

Live as His children. Live by His hand.

“You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” –Psalm 145:16