Peculiar Lights

"And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness." (Gen 1:4 ESV)  

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

(1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

The world is all about being different and setting yourself apart from other people in as many ways as you can: getting a tattoo, wearing a certain style of clothing, having a rare(r) brand of car, knowing certain facts, having a certain kind of degree. It is all about having something or being in some way "unique". The problem is that outer trappings will never truly set you apart from the crowd. 

As Christians we are anointed by God to be His peculiar people. The ESV translates this phrase in other places as His "treasured possession"; however, ever since I first heard this phrase when I was a little girl, it stuck with me as an appropriate way to talk about God's way of setting us apart for Himself. The LORD has chosen us for Himself.  The phrase "peculiar people" has  (at least to me) a deeper/wider meaning than "just" being treasured. To me it implies not only being chosen, but also set apart as radically different.

It is difficult to see ourselves as those around us in the world do. According to the common stereotypes, people tend to think of Christians as "those weirdos", as people who live their lives in a strange way, according to strange principles. We know that we are regular people who follow the example that Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has set for us.

We don't realize how different we are until we really and truly encounter the ugliness that is sin in the world. As Christians we often tend to live in our Christian "bubbles", associating with our Christian friends and not always having a real "clue" as to the depth of the bleak depravity so many people live in.

When we do encounter the world, we can be tempted to hide what we are. It makes us feel vulnerable to confess to others that we are peculiar. (And no, I don't mean quirky. :) )  We would rather pretend that we are just another person like them, trying to get along.

"It takes courage to switch on the light of the Holy Spirit and the gospel in our lives because it means revealing ourselves [to the world]. . . . Our light exposes the darkness around us." (Rev. Henry vanEssen, from sermon notes on Ps 23:5b, taken March 17, 2013)

If you have ever turned on a light in the pitch dark, felt the pupils of your eyes contracting in an almost painful way, and rushed to hide from the light under the blankets, you have experienced the way every sinner feels when their sin (our sin!) is exposed to the light of the true gospel of Christ. Our natural impulse is to hide from this light which exposes our sin. Just think of Adam and Eve in the garden after the Fall.

As Christians we are called to be lights in the world. We are called to expose sin in the way we live our lives. It is when we do not conform to the world around us, when we do not do what the world does, that we show what is hiding in the darkness.

What is shocking though is how we can pretend that we are not lights. When we don't show ourselves as Christians, we hide the hope of the gospel. Being in the light as Christians is not just about exposing the sin in the lives of the unsaved around us, but also about showing "the hope that is in us" (1 Pet 3:15).

We should remember that we were once like these. Even if we have been born and raised in Christian homes, in faithful families, we too were once separated by sin from God. Only the hope that is found in Jesus sets us apart from the rest of the world:  He chose us to be His peculiar people and washed us in His blood so that we do not need to hide from the light any longer. We can stand in the light in the confidence of His payment for our sin.

"[R]emember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility."

(Ephesians 2:12-14 ESV)

Don't let your fear of being thought peculiar stop you from switching on your light! Take pride in it--God chose you to be different!

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

(Matthew 5:14-16 ESV) 

Were You There?

"So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, [17] and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. [18] There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them."

(John 19:16-18 ESV) 

A God We Can Count On: Confessing Ps 23 "I shall not want"

[Continuing from A God We Can Count On: Confessing Ps 23 "The LORD is my Shepherd"]

"I shall not want." 

Because He is YHWH, we can continue to confess His active compassion (The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer 90).

Because the LORD is God and because He IS Who He IS, we do not need to fear being without anything. His Being is enough. In Him we have everything we need.

This is where so many of us fall down in our sin. We don't remember that YHWH is enough.

Or rather, we don't actively trust that He is enough. We may know in our head that we are supposed to trust God for everything, but we don't act as though we do. We try to do it ourselves or we trust in other things--money, reputation, approval, job security, a family member. We basically say, "I trust Him spiritually, but I trust __________ a bit more in 'real life'".

We might even say that we are trusting God to provide for us, but that "God helps those who help themselves." While it is true that we are to steward the resources we have, we must be careful not to treat our actions and our choices as "the end," rather than the means. If we view our choices as helping or hindering God in His plans and provision, we are limiting His omnipotence. The means by which He works His sovereign will do not determine its success. While our mistakes may hinder us in our Christian walk, God  is not confined by them. This is not to say that we should not take our decisions seriously, that we can say "Let go and let God" and just do what we feel like. Our choices still must reflect our new life in Christ.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

(Romans 6:1-4 ESV)

We can still sin in how and what we choose. We can, however, take comfort in the fact that despite our mistakes, God will do His will. Even when we do not trust Him as we ought, we do not need to worry that we have somehow "messed up" and we will be left "wanting" until we have "fixed" our lack of trust. His provision is only reliant on His character, not ours. Because "the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

A God We Can Count On: Confessing Ps 23 "The LORD is my shepherd"

[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. 

[3] He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake. 

[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. 

[5] You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows. 

[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

(Psalm 23 ESV)

Psalm 23 is such a well-known passage. It gets quoted and read time and time again, in books, in movies, in times of illness, in times of trial, at funerals, etc. It has become one of those Bible passages which over-familiarity has made into a cliché.

The thing is, it shouldn't be a cliché. There is a reason that so many Christians have found comfort in these words. There is a reason that so many books and sermons and meditations have been written on and about the Twenty-Third Psalm.

It is a confession of faith in a God we can count on.

"The LORD is my shepherd."  

I was reading through this passage the other day and was struck by the fact that this passage literally says "YHWH is my shepherd";Yahweh is the name,  "I AM WHO I AM", revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. There is no other or better place to start in our confession but with Who God says He is. God IS. This is where we have our genesis. This is our foundation. The rest of the psalm is predicated on this first short phrase. Because "I AM WHO I AM" is our Shepherd, we can rest in His unchanging character. He is unchanging--because we are so temporal and whimsical, we cannot seem to remember this for long, but it is God's immutability that is our assurance when we look at His other attributes.

His grace is unchanging.
His faithfulness is unchanging.
His mercy is unchanging.
His holiness is unchanging.
His justice is unchanging.
His love is unchanging.

This list could continue on for pages and still--He is eternal and He does not change.

The littleness that is us cannot comprehend the magnitude of this blessing. But we can rest in the comfort that He is YHWH and He will not change.

[21] But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
[22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
[23] they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
[24] “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

(Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV)

A Still, Small Voice

That look—the one only a parent (or a teacher) can give to an erring child—its message is unmistakable—stop it or face the consequences. The parent doesn't have to say a word—no yelling required—but the child gets the message.

God often works with us in the same way. We can see this with Elijah in 1 Kings 19: 9-18. Elijah is on the run after Jezebel has threatened to kill him. He has gone through the wilderness and has been met and nourished by God for the journey, and finally he comes to a cave where he decides to stop. After Elijah decides to stop running, God comes to him and confronts him with a question. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah doesn't really answer the question, but instead trots out his excuses: “I've been doing all this good stuff for you, Lord, but those unbelievers are trying to kill me, the only prophet left.”

God doesn’t reply to this, but instead tells Elijah to “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” Elijah obeys and is shown three powerful elements–wind, earthquake, and fire. But the Lord is in none of these. Then he hears “the sound of a low whisper” a small, still voice (NKJV) and this is the Lord.

Despite His power, God doesn't often come with a pounding at the door or a thunderbolt or a whirlwind or something else equally earth-shattering. Often He comes with a gentle tap—the “still small voice” which is just as much God's call as any of the “obvious” calls and/or warnings He may send. The trouble is that the quiet prod at the conscience or the tender oh-so gentle reminder can be so easily pushed away. God's “low whisper” is easy to ignore—especially when our life is going well. It is more easily ignored than the wind, earthquake, and fire. Yet His whispers are no less convicting than these. 

The little voice that speaks in your heart—the one that reminds you of the things you have or haven't done—the things you've been neglecting—that voice is easy to stifle with busyness and other things.

This tendency to let the busyness of life (whether intentionally or not) drown out the still small voice is what part of what Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung outlines in her book Glittering Vices as being a big part of the vice of sloth. She writes that “the apathetic inertia of the lazy person andthe perpetual motion of the busy person [ . . . ] both reveal a heart afflicted by this vice.” Traditionally, the vice of sloth is opposed to diligence; however, DeYoung points out that it is not just about the difference between apathy and work ethic. Instead, she says that busyness and workaholism are “sloth's classic symptoms.” 

Sloth isn't just about not doing things; it IS about not doing what you shouldbe doing.

God comes with a still, small voice. He waits to be gracious to us (Isa30:18) —He does not willingly grieve the children of men (Lam 3:33b). But if He has to be rough with us, He will be. Just look at how he deals with Israel's inconstancy throughout the Old Testament. However, He is merciful and very, very patient. He even repeats Himself to get the message into our thick skulls and stony hearts.

Looking at how God deals with Elijah, we can see that repetition plays a large role. God asks Elijah twice “What are you doing here?” and even though He gets the same self-centred answer from Elijah both times, He still persists, reminding Elijah that He is in control, NOT Jezebel.

God doesn’t leave us alone; He repeats Himself—a lot—because He wants us with HIM.

Sometimes it might be easier to get the earthquake— because we would have a clear sign—but then we wouldn't have to follow God's command, to listen and be obedient.

1 Kings 19: 9-18
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold,the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Amazing Love

A lot is said about love in Christian circles. Many of Christians probably have their favourite verse or verses on love. John 3:16 comes to mind. There is even the well-known "Love" chapter, 1 Corinthians 13,  to refer to if we can't find an appropriate one fast enough.

There are so many verses on love in the Bible, that we can, perhaps, become used to them at times. Oh, we think, another verse about love.

Love, love, love.

Love is used so often in everyday conversation and it can be used so thoughtlessly that it can become, at times, just another four-letter word. And that is all that it is—unless--we remember that love is, first and foremost, an action verb.

Love is not just something we have—it is something we DO.

What does it really mean to lovesomeone? We could find millions of examples in literature and history. However, we might see it every day, but not really see it. How do we know what love in action really looks like?

We can see love in action most clearly by looking at Christ.

• He humbled Himself in order to love His people.
• He loved those unlovable people, who made life difficult for Him.
• He loved His friends, even when they let Him down.
• He loved His chosen people, even when they rejected Him.
• He loved even in the depths of hellish pain and agony and death.

And why? Because we needed it—we "needit every hour".

And He keeps loving His people despite their shortcomings.

In Psalm 36 (ESV), the Psalmist says:

5 “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds."

7 “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

The extent of this love is truly amazing and awe-inspiring! The fact that, despite our down-right unlovable-ness, we are still loved by God and He saves us from ourselves is something to make one sink to their knees in wonder. 

He. Loves. Me. 

Really? Me? The one who grumbles and whines about how hard-done by  she is? The one who inwardly is spiteful and haughty and condescending?  The one who has so many times forgotten Him? The one who doesn't love her neighbour as herself most, if not all, of the time? 

And yet, He loves me. 

As I thought about love, I put some new things on my mental to-do list. Some things I need to remember to do as I go through the rest of the year:

1. I need to love people even when I don't feel like it.
2. Love when they don't love me back.
3. Love even when it hurts.
4. Love because they need it.
5. Love because He first loved me. 
   
   
   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   And can it be that I should gain
   An interest in the Savior’s blood?
   Died He for me, who caused His pain—
   For me, who Him to death pursued?
   Amazing love! How can it be,
   That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
   Amazing love! How can it be,
   That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
   
   
   
   
   
   He left His Father’s throne above
   So free, so infinite His grace—
   Emptied Himself of all but love,
   And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
   ’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
   For O my God, it found out me!
   ’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
   For O my God, it found out me!
   
   
   
   
   
   Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
   Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
   Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
   I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
   My chains fell off, my heart was free,
   I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
   My chains fell off, my heart was free,
   I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
   
   
   
   
   
   No condemnation now I dread;
   Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
   Alive in Him, my living Head,
   And clothed in righteousness divine,
   Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
   And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
   Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
   And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
   
   
   Charles Wesley 1738
   
   
   
   
   
   

Growing in the Kingdom: Part 2 "Pruned"

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.2 Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15: 1-2, 4-7, 16)

It is clear from these verses that we are called as Christians to bear fruit out of our faith in Christ. Christ assures us that we are chosen by Him and, abiding in Him, we will bear fruit and this fruit will also abide. Only when we live out of Him and His nourishing grace do we blossom and grow.

However, it is also very clear that we are not just left to grow on our own, sending forth a shoot here and a side branch there—those who live in Christ as the Vine are also under the care of the Father the Vinedresser. One of the consequences of bearing fruit out of Christ is that God will work in our lives in such a way that we will be forced to bear more.

We are loved by the Father so much that He wants to make us better and more fruitful members of His Kingdom. We must have faith that this painful pruning is for our good.

The fact that God disciplines his children means he loves us enough to correct us.  . . . Love does not equal unconditional affirmation. Love entails the relentless pursuit of what is for our good. And our good is always growth in godliness.  

(Kevin deYoung, The Hole in our Holiness 73)

This is sanctification as process (deYoung), and it is painful. The Reformers made this clear right at the beginning of the Heidelberg Catechism. Lord's Day 1, where they wrote: 

1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and death? 

A. That I am not my own,
but belong with body and soul,
both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins
with His precious blood,
and has set me free
from all the power of the devil.
He also preserves me in such a way
that without the will of my heavenly Father
not a hair can fall from my head;
indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. 

Therefore, by His Holy Spirit
He also assures me of eternal life
and makes me heartily willing and ready
from now on to live for Him.

"All things must work together for my salvation."  

No matter what happens, what kind of pruning He does in our lives, it is ALWAYS for our good.

[38] And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [39] I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. [40] I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. [41] I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

(Jeremiah 32:38-41 ESV)

Despite Israel's sin and continual turning away, God always had their good in mind. 

And so He does ours. 

Much Fruit 

It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife,
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life. 

Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf,
Be lost a space. 

O thou whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn;
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,   

Rejoice, tho' each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine
Shall fall and fade;
it is the hand
Of Love Divine 

That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May'st now bear much. 

~ Annie Johnson Flint

Growing in the Kingdom: Part 1 "Grafted"

[17] But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” [20] That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

(Romans 11:17-24 ESV)

A plant grown from seed or as a cutting has to rely on its own roots and leaves to get the nutrients and water that it needs to grow. A grafted shoot relies on the roots and leaves of its new “parent” plant for nutrients and water.

As Christians, grafted shoots in Christ the Vine, we are not responsible for providing our own nutrients. Christ has become our Root, the source of all our sustenance. He takes care of our growth (and pruning when needed to help us to grow more productively).

You cannot graft an entire plant on to the new host—only a branch. This means cutting and also means pain, since our “own” plant is left behind, and we are pulled away from everything that we are comfortable with.

This idea of being grafted from Romans 11 not only applies to the blessing given to New Testament Gentiles being grafted into God's church, but also can apply to the battle between new man and the old man-- we are in Christ, but still in the flesh. Paul speaks to this battle in Romans 7:

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

(Romans 7:14 ESV)

[22] For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [23] but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

(Romans 7:22-25 ESV)

The difficulty is that so often we act as though we are still part of our own plant; we are grafted onto the new one, but still attached to the old one. It is as though we have roots in two places, and we keep reaching backwards to our old root system, wasting our energy on fleshly concerns when we should be concentrated on growing more strongly into the True Vine.

The plant (the First Adam) we originally came from was dead, and we were only saved by grace and grafted into Christ by His blood, His death, and resurrection. It is interesting to note that in order for a graft to be successful “the vascular cambium tissues of the stock and scion plants must be placed in contact with each other. Both tissues must be kept alive until the graft has 'taken', usually a period of a few weeks. Successful grafting only requires that a vascular connection take place between the grafted tissues” (GraftingWikipedia). If we take Paul's grafting metaphor a step farther, we can see that we have been put vein to vein with Christ, as it were, and He shares his life-giving blood with us, causing us to be made alive in Him.

We must heed Paul's warning though, “[R]emember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you” (Romans 7:18). It is so easy to forget that we cannot live in our own strength. We take our new roots for granted and think that we are responsible for everything. We cannot forget that it is only through grace that we have been saved from ourselves. We must remember that we have been grafted into Christ and all we have to do is cling to the Vine.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4

Under His Wing

The Choice to Fear or. . .

Unless I have had sometime to think about it and get used to the idea, I don't like change. I've been like this since day one apparently, since my poor mother tells me that when I was about four or five, if she didn't lay out all the possible variables in our itinerary for a day of shopping in advance, I would have a meltdown. What do you mean we have to go to The Bay because Sears didn't have the right shoes? You didn't tell me that! But, but, but --aaaah! I just couldn't handle the change.

Not liking change also means I am a worrier. If I don't know how things are going to play out in a future event or activity, I worry. Not in a "oh dear, life as I know it is ending" kind of style, but I anxiously try to anticipate every possible outcome, attempting to prepare myself for any eventuality.

Evidently, it is a deeply embedded part of my character and part of being a strong introvert. However, I think it is also a bad spiritual habit. This was drawn to my attention in a powerful way by the book I have been reading the last couple weeks. The following quote really struck a chord with me:

Not knowing is hard. . . . The fact of the matter is that we find questions of the future hard to deal with because we find it difficult to trust God. The One that we have said we've put our trust in knows everything about the future because he controls every aspect of it. Our fear of the future exposes the struggle we have to trust him and, in trusting him, to rest in his guidance and care, even though we don't really know what is coming next. Awe of God really is the only way to be free of fear of what is coming next. When my trust in God is greater than my fear of the unknown, I will be able to rest, even though I don't have a clue what will greet me around the corner.
. . .
Because we all tend at points to suffer from God amnesia, because we live in a fallen world, and because we do not write our own stories, being ruled by fear is always a clear and present danger. (Paul Tripp, Dangerous Calling 134-5)

I think that a lot of the time we react to things in our lives in our "default" setting, this state of "God amnesia," rather than choosing to trust in God's providence and sovereignty over our lives. It is a choice to trust Him.

Paul Tripp points out a few pages later, that we too often look "horizontally . . . for what can only be found vertically." He says that we are in "a glory war, a battle for what glory will rule [our] hearts and, in so doing, control [our] choices, words, and behaviors" (139-40).

Every time I default to worrying incessantly or choose to bring my fear of not-knowing and change (again and again) to the God who controls every detail of my existence and the existence of the universe, my choice is part of this glory war. It might not be that I recognize that this is a choice. Habits are habits, after all. Unless I choose to change (oh the irony!) my habits, I will be sabotaging my Christian walk with my choice to operate in my default setting.

I have to consciously choose to trust that God has planned what is best for me. I can't run ahead of Him and try to anticipate what He is doing. If I do not live in the physical and spiritual "now" where He has placed me, I am trying to take over His role as Omniscient God.

I am called to be a follower, not a leader; I am Christ's disciple, not His master. He is the Shepherd; I am His sheep. I need to cultivate a habit of trust in God's unfailing love for His people. 

As Moses said the Israelites before they crossed the Jordan, "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV)

Christ said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

(John 14:1-4 ESV)

Christ has gone before me and has prepared a place; God will fulfill His purpose for me (Ps 138:8). I do not need to worry about will come. It is all taken care of.

Gleanings: Grace for Monotonous Work

Grace for Monotonous Work Andre Yee

I love creative work, and in my world that translates into strategic planning, designing products, and kickstarting new and exciting initiatives. I find work energizing and intellectually stimulating. 

The monotonous work … not so much. 

Unfortunately for me, not all the work I do daily is creative. In fact most of our work is of the repetitive and monotonous type — interspersed with occasional opportunities for creativity. This is true of much of our work that must get done every day, both in the office and at home.

Read the rest of the article at desiringgod.org: Grace for Monotonous Work Andre Yee

Boundary Lines

God will sovereignly direct your steps and put you in the place of service that He wants--however great or small. He'll take care of the opportunities for advancement, and He'll see to it that the things about which we worry so much will turn out well. For now, though, He's more interested in the fact that you faithfully follow Him in the place where he has you. In the future, He'll continue to draw and redraw the boundary lines the way He wants, but He wants you to be faithful in the boundary lines that He has drawn now. We tend to eye up our neighbor's "property"--whether it be tangible possessions or skills, talents, achievements, friends, or looks. The next time you are tempted to eye up your neighbor's property, think of these land surveys. They were "distributed by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the doorway of the tend of meeting" (Josh. 19:51). Remember that God has drawn your boundary lines. Given your eternal hope--the fact that your hope in Christ transcends this life--you can say that your boundaries are pleasant. [my italics]

Dean R. Ulrich, "Lines in Pleasant Places: Joshua 15-19" 

The Journal of Biblical Counseling 18, no. 3 (spring 2000), 57. 

Be where you are now. Stay in the boundary lines God has set for you. You may be hedged in (Hosea 2:6) or in a broad place (Psalm 18:19), but follow Him.

When God redraws the lines, don't be afraid of the change or to change. Be assured it is something better, even if you cannot see it now.

Psalm 16 

[16:1] Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

[2] I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

[3] As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

[4] The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

[5] The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

[6] The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

[7] I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

[8] I have set the LORD always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

[9] Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

[10] For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

[11] You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

                                                          (ESV)

Author of Light

Author of light, revive my dying spright,
Redeem it from the snares of all-confounding night.
Lord, light me to thy blessed way:
For blind with worldly vain desires I wander as a stray.
Sun and moon, stars and underlights I see,
But all their glorious beams are mists and darkness being compared to thee.

Fountain of health, my soul’s deep wounds recure,
Sweet showers of pity rain, wash my uncleaness pure.
One drop of thy desired grace
The faint and fading heart can raise, and in joy’s bosom place.
Sin and death, hell and tempting fiends may rage; 

But God his own will guard, and their sharp pains and grief in time assuage.

~Thomas Campion 

 

This has been one of my favourite songs since I was about 16. The images of being blind, lost, and wounded resonated with me then and still do. I feel like I'm forever fighting "the old man" "[f]or blind with worldly vain desires I wander as a stray," but am comforted to know that there is a Fountain where I can be truly healed.