"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
- Romans 8:22-25
This body again fails me
For eternal glory I must be patient
I long for perfect joy in Jesus
I long for unending satisfaction in God
This body again fails me
I am bound by its limitations
My flesh yields ungodly thoughts, actions, emotions
Of course I am only saved by grace
What a great God I have
He saved me from my failing body
This body again fails me
Yet because of Him, my new self is but a babe in the hands of eternity
For eternal glory I must be patient
But it will come
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Unfailing Love
Unfailing love. Though I am downcast, He loves me. Though I am cast out, He loves me. Though they think I am weird, He loves me. Though I am rejected, He loves me. Though I am lonely, He loves me. Though I am ugly, He loves me. Though I struggle, He loves me. Though I sin, He loves me. Though I don't know what the day holds, He loves me. Though I am misunderstood, He loves me. Though I am tired, He loves me. Though I don't know what to do, He loves me. Though I don't know how to get out of this pit, He loves me.
"Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love." Psalm 31:16
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Psalm 63:3
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Rambling Cries of the Soul
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).
All we have belongs to Jesus. All we are belongs to Jesus. Where we are going tomorrow belongs to Him. What we are doing right now belongs to Him. What we are thinking belongs to Him. Our next thought belongs to God. Our purpose belongs to God. O what rest for the wandering sheep of Christ. Drink deep from the waters of Christ. He is good and will satisfy all of your needs. For He is good. He has no ending. We have no profit apart from Christ. So let's lose all for Him, for in that we gain. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11:35-36). Our lives are not our own, they were bought at a price; let's honor God with our bodies. It is all His. Submit to His mighty, lovely, tender, hand of grace. He is good, and He will handle your heart with hands of perfect love. O God, how great Your love for the redeemed. You came for us, and You will not leave us behind. Settle our broken hearts, let us rest in Your unfailing love. You are mighty, all knowing. Satisfy our longings. No earthly lover could ever satisfy the pit within our souls. Only Your mighty whispers can quiet my struggling heart.
All we have belongs to Jesus. All we are belongs to Jesus. Where we are going tomorrow belongs to Him. What we are doing right now belongs to Him. What we are thinking belongs to Him. Our next thought belongs to God. Our purpose belongs to God. O what rest for the wandering sheep of Christ. Drink deep from the waters of Christ. He is good and will satisfy all of your needs. For He is good. He has no ending. We have no profit apart from Christ. So let's lose all for Him, for in that we gain. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11:35-36). Our lives are not our own, they were bought at a price; let's honor God with our bodies. It is all His. Submit to His mighty, lovely, tender, hand of grace. He is good, and He will handle your heart with hands of perfect love. O God, how great Your love for the redeemed. You came for us, and You will not leave us behind. Settle our broken hearts, let us rest in Your unfailing love. You are mighty, all knowing. Satisfy our longings. No earthly lover could ever satisfy the pit within our souls. Only Your mighty whispers can quiet my struggling heart.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Clear Vision
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God...For God, who said "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. -2 Corinthians 4:4,6
The battle is a fight to see clearly, and clear vision reveals Christ Jesus as the image of God. Oh what grace God has lavished on those who see Christ for who He really is. In light of this verse, my supplications to God for my lost friends have been a plea for Him to remove the veil that the enemy has placed over their eyes, that they may see clearly.
The battle is a fight to see clearly, and clear vision reveals Christ Jesus as the image of God. Oh what grace God has lavished on those who see Christ for who He really is. In light of this verse, my supplications to God for my lost friends have been a plea for Him to remove the veil that the enemy has placed over their eyes, that they may see clearly.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wounded in Love
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
- John 15:1-2 NIV
prune v. "To cut off that which is not wanted or not necessary" (Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus, p. 199).
These two verses from John are so fascinating to me for several reasons. First, are they not so very true? Do they resonate so painfully deep within you as they do me? God has been doing a work within me ever since He saved me, and I have seen Him take objects, thought-patterns, and people out of my life so that I can be even more fruitful, displaying the greatness of the Vine. That in itself is such a fascinating reality: God is active in my life, and He is the one removing things. There is an initial temptation to be angry with him for these upheavals, but I need to fight to see His work for what it is - to cause me to shine brighter.
My eyes were opened the other day to the word "prune" in John 15:2. This word should be important to all who are in Christ, for we are the branches in these verses (John 15:5). We are the branches and we are being pruned by God. This reality is what prompted me to look up the word "prune" in Webster's Dictionary: "To cut off that which is not wanted or not necessary." I don't know about you, but that word "cut" does not pass by me with ease. When God prunes us, he is cutting us deeply; he wounds us in love to make us more beautiful. If He did not, we would not produce more fruit. We would not be all that we are intended to be.
In the book The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper, Piper outlines the lives of three extraordinary saints: John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd. In it is a quote from John Bunyan that I think is beautiful and highlights well what I am trying to say. It reads,
"Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think....It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving....Where there is grafting there is cutting, the scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this I say, must be done by a wound" (p.65).
What a beautiful passage, one in which may have inspired this entry. Are you being pruned? Or perhaps a better question would be, can you feel the pruning work of the Lord? It hurts. It is sad work that sometimes brings tears. Know that your heavenly Father is pruning you. Know that He loves you. Know that He is a perfect "gardener," and His pruning work always produces the best of fruit.
Works Cited
Piper, John. The Hidden Smile of God. Crossway Books. Wheaton, Illinois: 2001.
Webster's Two In One Dictionary And Thesaurus. Nichols Publishing Group. U.S.A.: 1999.
- John 15:1-2 NIV
prune v. "To cut off that which is not wanted or not necessary" (Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus, p. 199).
These two verses from John are so fascinating to me for several reasons. First, are they not so very true? Do they resonate so painfully deep within you as they do me? God has been doing a work within me ever since He saved me, and I have seen Him take objects, thought-patterns, and people out of my life so that I can be even more fruitful, displaying the greatness of the Vine. That in itself is such a fascinating reality: God is active in my life, and He is the one removing things. There is an initial temptation to be angry with him for these upheavals, but I need to fight to see His work for what it is - to cause me to shine brighter.
My eyes were opened the other day to the word "prune" in John 15:2. This word should be important to all who are in Christ, for we are the branches in these verses (John 15:5). We are the branches and we are being pruned by God. This reality is what prompted me to look up the word "prune" in Webster's Dictionary: "To cut off that which is not wanted or not necessary." I don't know about you, but that word "cut" does not pass by me with ease. When God prunes us, he is cutting us deeply; he wounds us in love to make us more beautiful. If He did not, we would not produce more fruit. We would not be all that we are intended to be.
In the book The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper, Piper outlines the lives of three extraordinary saints: John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd. In it is a quote from John Bunyan that I think is beautiful and highlights well what I am trying to say. It reads,
"Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think....It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving....Where there is grafting there is cutting, the scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this I say, must be done by a wound" (p.65).
What a beautiful passage, one in which may have inspired this entry. Are you being pruned? Or perhaps a better question would be, can you feel the pruning work of the Lord? It hurts. It is sad work that sometimes brings tears. Know that your heavenly Father is pruning you. Know that He loves you. Know that He is a perfect "gardener," and His pruning work always produces the best of fruit.
Works Cited
Piper, John. The Hidden Smile of God. Crossway Books. Wheaton, Illinois: 2001.
Webster's Two In One Dictionary And Thesaurus. Nichols Publishing Group. U.S.A.: 1999.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Where Is Joy?
There was a man who lived, once upon a time. As he grew up, all of his dreams came true. He got the woman he desired. She was beautiful, and a faithful wife. He became the leader of an organization that was one of the most powerful organizations in the world. It was the job that he had always wanted. Before marriage, he and his future wife dreamed and talked often of having children together; specifically three boys and two girls. After fifteen years of marriage, their dream was fulfilled. All of their children were healthy in every way, and they grew up to be very successful men and women. When the man turned 50 years-old, he had attained so much wealth that he was able to retire from work. He and his wife moved to their favorite vacation spot; another dream becoming a reality. The man and his wife saw their children often, and were blessed with many grandchildren.
There once lived another man, alive during this same time. He was born into the world with a rare disease; one the doctors said would take his life around the age of 30. One day, he fell deeply in love with a beautiful woman, a woman he had known and admired his whole life. He had always dreamed of being with her. They were great friends. He finally poured out his heart to her one day, hoping that she would return his affections, affirming his dreams for them. She, however, did not love him back. He eventually moved on, and engrossed himself in his baseball career. He was a superior college athlete, who everyone said would one day end up playing major league baseball. Unfortunately one day, during a game, as he dove for a ball, he broke his leg so badly that he was unable to play baseball again. His dreams of playing baseball professionally were over. Of course, with his disease, how long would he live anyway? He finally fell in love again and married. He and his wife always dreamed of having a family; specifically three girls and two boys. One day the doctor broke the news to them that they were unable to have children. After the sadness, in time, they adopted two beautiful children. Meanwhile, though the man worked harder than most men at what he did, his job did not provide much money for his family. Yet there was always enough. As the years passed on, this man, this husband, this father, passed away from the disease that he was born with; he was 38 years-old.
There was another man who lived once upon a time. We find him sitting on a beach, writing in his journal and enjoying the ocean breeze. Hearing joyous laughter, he looked up, peering over his glasses. He saw two families, and observed them intently; he enjoyed contemplating things. It so happens that these two families were the two families from earlier in this story. He noticed one family shining brightly and bursting with joy. The other family, he observed, seemed to be sad and empty. Still contemplating the situation before him, he stared at the family that shown so brightly and thought to himself, "where is the father?" After a few of his own quick answers to this internal question, something else along the beach caught his eye, and his mind wandered towards other things. Only later would he come to grasp what he had seen that day, something that he would later tell his grandchildren...
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36
"Then will I go to the alter of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." Psalm 43:4
There once lived another man, alive during this same time. He was born into the world with a rare disease; one the doctors said would take his life around the age of 30. One day, he fell deeply in love with a beautiful woman, a woman he had known and admired his whole life. He had always dreamed of being with her. They were great friends. He finally poured out his heart to her one day, hoping that she would return his affections, affirming his dreams for them. She, however, did not love him back. He eventually moved on, and engrossed himself in his baseball career. He was a superior college athlete, who everyone said would one day end up playing major league baseball. Unfortunately one day, during a game, as he dove for a ball, he broke his leg so badly that he was unable to play baseball again. His dreams of playing baseball professionally were over. Of course, with his disease, how long would he live anyway? He finally fell in love again and married. He and his wife always dreamed of having a family; specifically three girls and two boys. One day the doctor broke the news to them that they were unable to have children. After the sadness, in time, they adopted two beautiful children. Meanwhile, though the man worked harder than most men at what he did, his job did not provide much money for his family. Yet there was always enough. As the years passed on, this man, this husband, this father, passed away from the disease that he was born with; he was 38 years-old.
There was another man who lived once upon a time. We find him sitting on a beach, writing in his journal and enjoying the ocean breeze. Hearing joyous laughter, he looked up, peering over his glasses. He saw two families, and observed them intently; he enjoyed contemplating things. It so happens that these two families were the two families from earlier in this story. He noticed one family shining brightly and bursting with joy. The other family, he observed, seemed to be sad and empty. Still contemplating the situation before him, he stared at the family that shown so brightly and thought to himself, "where is the father?" After a few of his own quick answers to this internal question, something else along the beach caught his eye, and his mind wandered towards other things. Only later would he come to grasp what he had seen that day, something that he would later tell his grandchildren...
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36
"Then will I go to the alter of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." Psalm 43:4
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Man Does Not Live On Bread Alone...
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " - Matthew 4:1-4
"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 8:2-3
When Jesus was tempted, as we also have been and will be again, he wielded the sword of the scriptures. He used the truth of God to resist temptation. He not only set an example for us to follow, but also showed us the way to battle temptation: by the word of God. In order to battle this way, we must know the word of God, trust the word of God, and use the word of God as a weapon against the blows of the enemy. Psalm 119: 9-11 says: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let my stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." How can we live pleasing to God if we do not know what He says? How can we battle the everyday temptation to succumb to our flesh, in turn pleasing ourselves and the devil? We must devour His word daily. Not as a law, but as life! Our Lord Jesus, the maker of us and all things, whose love knows no bounds declares: "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Therefore, let us seek God in His word, let us fill up with spiritual food, and let us prepare for battle against the enemy! If we do not, because He loves us, He may along with the Israelites humble us and cause us to hunger, so that we will learn that man does not live on bread alone...
"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 8:2-3
When Jesus was tempted, as we also have been and will be again, he wielded the sword of the scriptures. He used the truth of God to resist temptation. He not only set an example for us to follow, but also showed us the way to battle temptation: by the word of God. In order to battle this way, we must know the word of God, trust the word of God, and use the word of God as a weapon against the blows of the enemy. Psalm 119: 9-11 says: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let my stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." How can we live pleasing to God if we do not know what He says? How can we battle the everyday temptation to succumb to our flesh, in turn pleasing ourselves and the devil? We must devour His word daily. Not as a law, but as life! Our Lord Jesus, the maker of us and all things, whose love knows no bounds declares: "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Therefore, let us seek God in His word, let us fill up with spiritual food, and let us prepare for battle against the enemy! If we do not, because He loves us, He may along with the Israelites humble us and cause us to hunger, so that we will learn that man does not live on bread alone...
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