Firmly Planted

Jesus spoke of the sower who scattered seed while planting his field (Luke 8:9-15). He related the seed that fell on the rocks to those who believed for a moment but fell away when it became hard, and because they had no root. He eventually also said the seed planted in good soil are like those who believe God's word deeply and sincerely. Please forgive my rough paraphrase. The painful beauty of seed sown in fertile soil is the reality God prepared for every Christ following believer. His glorious purpose is to draw forth a full and vibrant life from a place of darkness and loneliness. Let me explain.

I realize that those who fall away during trial (the seed on the rock) are not the only ones who experience trial. Even those planted in good soil must hold God''s word fast. And why ever hold anything fast except that something should threaten to strip it away? I am reminded that we have been made to reproduce God's love and grace, but this only happens with patience and a complete surrender to His will. How unutterably painful it is when it seems that even in the midst of being planted in good soil we experience the loneilness of the dark and suffocating soil? How terribly confusing it is in one moment to be in the palm of the Lord's hand, and in the next to be burried deeply in the dark, cold, and wet earth. Then, as if that doesn't seem bad enough, the seemingly constant torrents of water begin coming like a daily flood. And how lonely it is to be burried there out of sight and sound of all others, or so it can seem. How awful never to feel the warmth of the sun.

Then, in a brilliant transformation roots begin to extend beyond the shell of this cracked seed and the beginning of new life slowly lifts upward. Soon air is again tasted, but not by the seed. It's breathed in deeply by the new life springing forth from the dark rich nourishing soil. The light of day is felt again, or is it for the first time? Before long this new life will grow tall and vibrant, and will itself bring forth new life.

In a moment it begins to become clear how perfectly necessary the constant torrents, the once suffocating soil, even the loneliness. All of it caused this life, caused me, to reach heavenward with a strength and desire borne by the Spirit of God alone.

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing God's word, hold it fast, in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Luke 8:15 ESV

Will you hear His word today and hold it tightly, deeply, in your own honest and good heart? I pray you do.

I Stand Renewed

Oh how my heart aches within
Here in silence
Great walls closing in

Constrained by fear so heavy
Darkness surrounds
The weight seems deathly

Falling beneath this pressing
I kneel once more
It won't release me

Rivers flow of untold pain
Never Ceasing
Memries pour like rain

My heart open and laid bare
A voice whispers
Glimpsing holy glare

Peace to you my son, be still
I'm with you here
To mend and to fill

Take hold of me now and trust
I won't let go
Despite fading dusk

The darkness there still remains
Absent is fear
Beauty His eyes contain

To my feet then do I rise
Taking His hand
Letting go a sigh

Strengthened by the love of Christ
I stand renewed
To carry His light

Faithful and Just

Is it not just to long for the promises of the Father?

Is it not just to hope for the dreams He wrote upon my heart?

Is it not just when the Lord fulfills every word uttered by His Spirit?

I will look to you, O God, and no mere man, to see your justice done in my life.

I will seek your face, my Lord, to see your will fulfilled in my day.

Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.

Proverbs 29:26 ESV

Believe in the NAME of Jesus Christ?

What does it mean to believe in the NAME of Jesus Christ? As I sat in the still and quiet morning recently reading my Bible I began wondering this. As I considered the significance of names in Biblical culture I began to understand the importance of believing in the NAME of Jesus. A name carried far more significance in the days of Christ, and that by intention, than in our modern age. A name was meant to describe or perhaps even define a person. Yet, most people failed miserably to live up to the noble names given them. Or they seemed to succomb to the disappoinment and hurt of common, sometimes vulgar, names and lived down to them. In Jesus however we see for the first, and only, time in history someone who was not only able to live up to the full meaning of His righteous name, but lived it out so well that we could really begin to understand who He was. He was both defined by and defined His name.

Now when the name of Jesus Christ is spoken, whether in honor or dishonor, it is done so with unmistakable clarity of the person spoken about. More than this, He showed the world through His life, death, and resurrection what it meant to be God with Us, our Savior, and the Prince of Peace. Jesus allows us to see up close and with historic intimacy the heart and love of the Father for us all. So to believe in the name of Jesus Christ is to give Him your trust, to give Him your very heart, because He is trustworthy. He is faithful. Then can we also love others as His life so beautiful displayed.

1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he commanded us.

No Light Ahead?

People always seem to talk about there being a light at the end of a tunnel right when you happen to be walking through a dark and challenging time. I know they only mean to bring hope. I've even spoken those words myself to try and encourage friends or loved ones from time to time. Yet, I've come to realize something that I didn't understand before. Sometimes when the road is especially hard, the pain is deep, and you can't see the way in front of you it can seem as though all light has gone out, especially at the end of the tunnel.

I used to be a person who always saw the way ahead. No matter what unexpected turn may have come my eyes remained set on the path ahead of me, the one I just knew the Lord had set my feet upon. There was just one problem. Somewhere along the journey, early on I suppose, I stopped being content with simply following the Lord's lead and began trying to forge ahead. I was certain I knew the path He was taking me on, even though I'd never been there before.

By God's kindness and grace I eventually came to realize I wasn't really following HIM all that well. What a blow it was to my pride when my eyes were opened to the truth of my limits and frailty, which I suppose was exactly the point. Then something else began to happen. The Lord didn't stop at revealing my sin of arrogance but began taking me deep into myself to reveal long hidden wounds and buried bitterness. Suddenly God wasn't talking to me about the road ahead anymore, and I had sure lost confidence in myself to see it. Instead, He was telling me to simply wait upon and to trust Him. Each time He'd reveal an old, but fresh, wound I would hear those same words again. The last thing I wanted to do was to turn and face each point of pain, but it seemed there was no moving forward through the darkness unless I did.

So, that's where I've been these days, walking through this tunnel that at times seems unbearably dark. At every bend there seems to be another reminder of past pain and regret, ones which I had unknowingly buried deep beneath the surface. As I bump into them this time around though I know I've been equipped by my Comforter to face them and receive His healing. I believe God has my way well planned out and even though I can't see where He's taking me I know He is trustworthy. Even though His road for me requires treading through dark and lonely places I will go. I'll do it because He's called me to and I know I will not be alone, whether I can see the light or not.

Deuteronomy 31:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Broken Me

My search begins again. I thought I was already there. I thought I had already gotten beyond all of this, but here it is once more reminding me of all the pain of yesterday. I thought I had forgiven everything there was to forgive, but something still eats away inside of me. So as I have so many times before I call out to You God, asking for You to show me just what it is that keeps me where I am, unable to move past the hurt. This time though it seems a little different. Lord, You seem to be taking me deeper than I ever wanted to go, far beyond the painful goodbye to the years of excruciating silence, to the days of so much disappointment, and lives in disrepair.

I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to search this far, this deep. I just wanted the memories to be wiped away, erased. I wanted my wounds to be healed and my stains to be washed clean. But somehow I’ve never let go myself. Maybe I made myself to blame or maybe I was embittered even at such a tender age. I’m not sure it really matters now, because every wound seems to have been opened again and every mark is clear to see, at least to me. Oh God, now that it’s all so fresh I pray You would somehow work the miracle of grace anew, in me. Show me how constant, and how present you were, standing by me in every scene, holding me every time I fell.

Perhaps then I will finally stop looking, and I will finally embrace You completely as the Father You have always been.

My Unchanging God

Jesus has never changed. Still today He remains unchanging. What has changed is my ability, and yours, to approach God. It is only because of what Jesus has done for you and me, what He accomplished on the cross, that we have full access to the Father. His blood spilled and His body was pierced on the cross for all to forever satisfy the law for all. We must simply come. Since that day on Calvary no sacrifice, or effort, on my part could ever bring me near to God. Jesus accomplished it all.

There is never any new way of approaching God either. Once the curtain was torn Jesus forever became the only way for all to reach God. So what does this mean for me today? What does this mean for you? Well, I know He is always trustworthy and I can and should bank my life on the words He speaks to me. It means I never have to strive to do anything to somehow try and gain His approval. Simply being His son means that I am priceless to Him and He is constantly displaying His love to me.

Being able to really trust Him also means that His promises are true for me and I can be content and wait for Him when He calls me to wait. It means that the next time He calls me to something that is far beyond me, especially that which I would otherwise not choose, I can do it with confidence anyway. It means I can also trust Him to care for those I long to help, but cannot. When we lack the strength and wisdom to help those fallen in the mire He never does. He is faithful to pull them out and bring to them the healing they need.

Indeed, though we often change He never does. Although we are prone to weakness and frailty He never is. Although we may lose hope and begin to lack faith He never does. Jesus Christ is the unchanging God. We can always depend on Him and always go to Him. He will always receive us and always be exactly what we need.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Hebrews 13:8

Robert's Gift

"I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becomming like him in his death." ~ Philippians 3:10

I remember meeting a man by the name of Robert the other day. I recalled our meeting as I read my Bible recently because as we parted he asked me about my favorite verse which I happened to later read. Usually, I don't enter into conversations when approached by able bodied men, like Robert, who are asking for money (which probably speaks more to my insecurity than anything else). However, Robert was different. He bore a sincere smile on his face and seemed awfuly full of joy.

As he came closer to my car I could see by the container he held that he was apparently not asking anything for himself. It held a picture of some children who Robert described as "at-risk youth" who were headed for the streets, the same place he'd come from. The eldest among them couldn't have been more than 11 or 12. Robert also spoke of his faith in Jesus Christ and mentioned a few Biblical passages about caring for those in need, which were not simply rifled out but spoken as if truly believed.

I don't know whether Robert's entire approach was a part of a facade or not. It is certainly possible that everything from his appearance, the picture, his words, and even his smile were all fabricated. However, I doubt this very much and I have a feeling that instead Robert was a man on a mission. When our conversation was drawing to a close and I was asked of my favorite verse I spoke of Paul's words to the Philippian church. Robert seemed to connect with them.

As I later considered his words, demeanor, and apparent selflessness I began to realize that he too is a man intent on knowing Christ, and the power of his resurrection. It is the power to overcome even death and hell, and as I'm sure Robert would testify, it is the power to break the hold that the streets can have on so many, even children. I think rather than being fooled by him I was given a gift. He vividly portrayed to me the same verse I shared with him. So, wherever you are Robert, I thank you and I pray for safety and the life that flows from Christ's resurrection for you and the children you aim to help.

Running Rebel

There are times, so many times, that I am overwhelmed by desire to run my race and be free from self and sin. I long to sit at Your side and write to You a song so beautiful. But it seems every time I set out I quickly wear out. When discouragement has set in and taken its toll my feet seem to shrink beneath me. The moment I set pen to page, even with Your hand embracing me, the ink dries up and the words just disappear.

Lord, train me to run well without growing weak and breaking down. May Your words be in me and me and may their flow be free. I know You've set my feet to run and my lips to speak Your love. Yet it always feels like I've finished before I've begun. I want to speak of You but so often remain disappointed by the setting sun. Overtake me Lord, train me to run. Open my ears that I might truly hear.

"But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."

Ezekiel 2:8