Hello BFFs!! Get it?...Breaking Free Friends! :)
OK, so humor isn't my strong suit..I'm cool with that! Thankfully, our freedom in Christ is no joke to God and all kidding aside, I hope that you aren't taking it lightly either.
As I've been reading through the chapters assigned for this week, I've felt some deeper questions pop up in my heart and mind...God is nudging me to to not only read the words to accomplish the task of reading, but to truly take a step back and examine my heart and motives in each area. Some if not all of these areas are pretty tough to grasp and certainly not easily done overnight! So here are a few deeper questions to ask yourself, journal and pray through as you read chapters 3, 4 and 5 this week. Read through these as you finish each chapter...it might be a bit much if you just read it as one post! Reflect on the work He's doing in your life...and don't be afraid to tell Him what you're feeling!
Chapter3:
To know God and BELIEVE Him
Isaiah 43:10 says,
"You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he."
God chose you and I, so that we could know Him! I know it can often feel as if He is illusive and hiding...or waiting and watching for us to trip and fall. But that is not what His Word says...He chose us to know us. And not that we would just know 'of' Him, but the word 'yadha' translates to the type of intimacy shared between a husband and wife!
I wonder, when you think of God...does that sort of intimacy come to mind? Why or why not? Are you scared for God to be that close? Think about how much time you spend with your spouse that warrants such an intimate relationship...are you willing to spend that much time with your Creator? If that freaks you out...tell Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better...it's why He made us..He can't wait to show Himself to you!
The second part of this benefit is to 'believe' God. Trust. Tricky one.
The word believe in the above verse is translated 'aman' which means 'to be firm, to be enduring, to trust.' Firm and enduring...trust. So much easier said than done when we are trying to trust God..right? Or is it? Think of your marriage (or your closest relationship)...trust doesn't just happen. You choose to believe that the one you are married to/or in relationship with is for you, not against you...even when it feels otherwise. Same with God. We choose to trust and we build it through experiences. Trust Him with something small today...and see what happens! Before you know it, it won't seem so tricky :) Again, ask Him to help you trust Him more...I guarantee you He will respond!
Chapter 4:
To Glorify God
When we talk about the glory of God it can be rather confusing! Beth does an amazing job describing it as "almost indefinable!" She says that His glory "far exceeds anything we can comprehend. His glory is everything we're about to learn and infinitely more." I love that! Takes a little of the pressure off :) This is how I'm breaking it down...in a VERY simplistic, non-exhaustive way:
As a noun-God's glory is His fame
As a verb-God's glory supplies all of our needs, through the person of Christ
As an adjective-God's glory is how He shows who He is, how He makes Himself recognizable
1Cor10:31 says,
"Whatever you do, do it ALL for the glory of God."
Picture yourself carrying a mirror around all day, everyday. Except you aren't looking into it (unless you're a narcissist...sorry, couldn't help it!) you are holding it outward, reflection-side out for others to see. Let's say that every time you open your mouth, every time you take a step, make a choice or decision...a reflection appears in the mirror. Mmmmhmmmm, I'm going there. Whose reflection will we see? Not just on Sundays when you are with your 'church friends' or when you volunteer or are around a bunch of people. But every day, everything that you do. What you eat. What you drink. What you wear, where you go and how you get there. The thoughts in your mind. The words out of your mouth.
Before you get really depressed and ready to punch me in the face...think about this:
1. "God wants to make Himself recognizable to us." He made us for relationship with Him!
2. "God wants to make Himself recognizable through us." He made us to be vessels that reflect HIM in the mirrors we hold each day. That whole 'episode' in the garden of Eden with the apple....Eve chose to reflect herself. Ouch. I know that hurts, but it's the first step we must be willing to take in truly knowing who God is, and trusting Him.
Ready for the good news? NONE of this rests on our shoulders! Just like our salvation comes only as a gift from God, so does our reflection of His glory! Colossians 1:27 says that 'God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory!' Our reflection of His glory comes from Christ alone! When we choose to become a Christ-follower, His spirit takes residence in our hearts...yep, you heard me right! The very same power that paid the penalty for our sins, that conquered death and the grave, that holds the very cosmos in the palm of His hand...LIVES IN YOU. Boom! Not because of anything you did or didn't do, but only because of what Christ has done for us, and we accept as a gift of sweet, beautiful, perfect Grace.
His reflection through us is a process of growth and maturity. And our awareness of our own sin and weaknesses in this area (and every other one) is not so we can beat ourselves up for doing a crappy job, being selfish, etc. Romans 8:1 proclaims (this is another truth to write down!) that there is 'now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!' Throughout our journey toward reflecting God's glory...and claiming all of our freedoms in Christ, God will be working to uncover the dark places in our hearts and lives...NOT so that He can punish and condemn, but so He can set us free, heal and like Isaiah foretold:
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."
John 10:10 says it like this (another one to write down...just sayin)
"The thief (satan) comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly."
The answer in our quest towards glorifying God (and any of the other benefits we are looking at) isn't "try harder!" It is simply, "Trust Jesus!" Keep your eyes on Him, ask Him to help you, heal the wounds that cause pain and captivity within your life and watch as HE makes 'all things new!'
Chapter 5:
To find satisfaction in God
Ok, confession time. This one hurts...it steps on my toes..a lot. As I read and have been working on memorizing the 5 benefits of being God's child (yes, I want you to memorize them too!) this is one that kicked me in the gut as soon as I read the line. So please know that as I encourage and challenge you on this journey...I'm working too...working at being honest with myself and God about where my dark spots are hiding...and whether or not I'm ready and willing to let Him uncover them and bring them into His Light. It's scary. But as we begin to know Him better, believe Him-trust Him and desire to reflect Him...I'm willing to risk it all...I hope you are too!
I was nailed in the face with the concept of honesty right off the bat. It's super easy to read things in a 30,000 ft view, but to really stop and examine our own hearts...to be honest with ourselves and God...well, that's a bit tougher. And it's something I really struggle with.
But I LOVE the picture of God's Truth intersecting with our truthfulness to give us true satisfaction in Him! THAT is well worth the risk of uncovering all my yucky stuff.
In order to really examine my heart on this idea of being truly and fully satisfied in God...I needed to look at the obstacle of 'idolatry' first. Idolatry is anything that keeps us from finding satisfaction in God. Anything. Good, bad, indifferent...whatever it is that consumes the majority of our thoughts, the majority of our time, energies, finances...worry, anxiety or stress. Chad always says you can easily identify your 'idol' as the one thing that if it were to go away forever, would make you want to jump off a bridge. He's got a way with words, don't you think? :)
When David wrote the words in Psalm 63, "your love is better than life" he set a pretty high precedent! And just like our bodies need food and will cry out when they go without...our souls operate this way too. But maybe we've stopped listening to it's cry. Maybe we don't want to hear what it needs because we're scared of what we'll have to give up. Maybe it's just easier to live the 'physical' life instead of the spiritual one?
God is the answer, no matter what the question is or where the yearning lies in your life. But He doesn't just want us to 'know' the right answer...He wants us to know His son, the answer and allow healing and fullness to flourish where there was once emptiness and pain.
Questions for myself and for you:
1. What do I spend most of my time wanting everyday?
2. What consumes most of my thoughts?
3. What am I holding onto in my life tighter than Jesus?
Jesus came to turn ashes into beauty, to set the prisoners free, to bring gladness instead of mourning...to bring us life..abundantly! Won't you ask Him to show you your dark corners today? It won't happen overnight, but you can walk hand-in-hand with the One who knows you, loves you and wants to see you satisfied in the 'richest of fare!' Be honest with Him today..."then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
OK, so humor isn't my strong suit..I'm cool with that! Thankfully, our freedom in Christ is no joke to God and all kidding aside, I hope that you aren't taking it lightly either.
As I've been reading through the chapters assigned for this week, I've felt some deeper questions pop up in my heart and mind...God is nudging me to to not only read the words to accomplish the task of reading, but to truly take a step back and examine my heart and motives in each area. Some if not all of these areas are pretty tough to grasp and certainly not easily done overnight! So here are a few deeper questions to ask yourself, journal and pray through as you read chapters 3, 4 and 5 this week. Read through these as you finish each chapter...it might be a bit much if you just read it as one post! Reflect on the work He's doing in your life...and don't be afraid to tell Him what you're feeling!
Chapter3:
To know God and BELIEVE Him
Isaiah 43:10 says,
"You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he."
God chose you and I, so that we could know Him! I know it can often feel as if He is illusive and hiding...or waiting and watching for us to trip and fall. But that is not what His Word says...He chose us to know us. And not that we would just know 'of' Him, but the word 'yadha' translates to the type of intimacy shared between a husband and wife!
I wonder, when you think of God...does that sort of intimacy come to mind? Why or why not? Are you scared for God to be that close? Think about how much time you spend with your spouse that warrants such an intimate relationship...are you willing to spend that much time with your Creator? If that freaks you out...tell Him. Ask Him to help you know Him better...it's why He made us..He can't wait to show Himself to you!
The second part of this benefit is to 'believe' God. Trust. Tricky one.
The word believe in the above verse is translated 'aman' which means 'to be firm, to be enduring, to trust.' Firm and enduring...trust. So much easier said than done when we are trying to trust God..right? Or is it? Think of your marriage (or your closest relationship)...trust doesn't just happen. You choose to believe that the one you are married to/or in relationship with is for you, not against you...even when it feels otherwise. Same with God. We choose to trust and we build it through experiences. Trust Him with something small today...and see what happens! Before you know it, it won't seem so tricky :) Again, ask Him to help you trust Him more...I guarantee you He will respond!
Chapter 4:
To Glorify God
When we talk about the glory of God it can be rather confusing! Beth does an amazing job describing it as "almost indefinable!" She says that His glory "far exceeds anything we can comprehend. His glory is everything we're about to learn and infinitely more." I love that! Takes a little of the pressure off :) This is how I'm breaking it down...in a VERY simplistic, non-exhaustive way:
As a noun-God's glory is His fame
As a verb-God's glory supplies all of our needs, through the person of Christ
As an adjective-God's glory is how He shows who He is, how He makes Himself recognizable
1Cor10:31 says,
"Whatever you do, do it ALL for the glory of God."
Picture yourself carrying a mirror around all day, everyday. Except you aren't looking into it (unless you're a narcissist...sorry, couldn't help it!) you are holding it outward, reflection-side out for others to see. Let's say that every time you open your mouth, every time you take a step, make a choice or decision...a reflection appears in the mirror. Mmmmhmmmm, I'm going there. Whose reflection will we see? Not just on Sundays when you are with your 'church friends' or when you volunteer or are around a bunch of people. But every day, everything that you do. What you eat. What you drink. What you wear, where you go and how you get there. The thoughts in your mind. The words out of your mouth.
Before you get really depressed and ready to punch me in the face...think about this:
1. "God wants to make Himself recognizable to us." He made us for relationship with Him!
2. "God wants to make Himself recognizable through us." He made us to be vessels that reflect HIM in the mirrors we hold each day. That whole 'episode' in the garden of Eden with the apple....Eve chose to reflect herself. Ouch. I know that hurts, but it's the first step we must be willing to take in truly knowing who God is, and trusting Him.
Ready for the good news? NONE of this rests on our shoulders! Just like our salvation comes only as a gift from God, so does our reflection of His glory! Colossians 1:27 says that 'God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory!' Our reflection of His glory comes from Christ alone! When we choose to become a Christ-follower, His spirit takes residence in our hearts...yep, you heard me right! The very same power that paid the penalty for our sins, that conquered death and the grave, that holds the very cosmos in the palm of His hand...LIVES IN YOU. Boom! Not because of anything you did or didn't do, but only because of what Christ has done for us, and we accept as a gift of sweet, beautiful, perfect Grace.
His reflection through us is a process of growth and maturity. And our awareness of our own sin and weaknesses in this area (and every other one) is not so we can beat ourselves up for doing a crappy job, being selfish, etc. Romans 8:1 proclaims (this is another truth to write down!) that there is 'now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!' Throughout our journey toward reflecting God's glory...and claiming all of our freedoms in Christ, God will be working to uncover the dark places in our hearts and lives...NOT so that He can punish and condemn, but so He can set us free, heal and like Isaiah foretold:
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."
John 10:10 says it like this (another one to write down...just sayin)
"The thief (satan) comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly."
The answer in our quest towards glorifying God (and any of the other benefits we are looking at) isn't "try harder!" It is simply, "Trust Jesus!" Keep your eyes on Him, ask Him to help you, heal the wounds that cause pain and captivity within your life and watch as HE makes 'all things new!'
Chapter 5:
To find satisfaction in God
Ok, confession time. This one hurts...it steps on my toes..a lot. As I read and have been working on memorizing the 5 benefits of being God's child (yes, I want you to memorize them too!) this is one that kicked me in the gut as soon as I read the line. So please know that as I encourage and challenge you on this journey...I'm working too...working at being honest with myself and God about where my dark spots are hiding...and whether or not I'm ready and willing to let Him uncover them and bring them into His Light. It's scary. But as we begin to know Him better, believe Him-trust Him and desire to reflect Him...I'm willing to risk it all...I hope you are too!
I was nailed in the face with the concept of honesty right off the bat. It's super easy to read things in a 30,000 ft view, but to really stop and examine our own hearts...to be honest with ourselves and God...well, that's a bit tougher. And it's something I really struggle with.
But I LOVE the picture of God's Truth intersecting with our truthfulness to give us true satisfaction in Him! THAT is well worth the risk of uncovering all my yucky stuff.
In order to really examine my heart on this idea of being truly and fully satisfied in God...I needed to look at the obstacle of 'idolatry' first. Idolatry is anything that keeps us from finding satisfaction in God. Anything. Good, bad, indifferent...whatever it is that consumes the majority of our thoughts, the majority of our time, energies, finances...worry, anxiety or stress. Chad always says you can easily identify your 'idol' as the one thing that if it were to go away forever, would make you want to jump off a bridge. He's got a way with words, don't you think? :)
When David wrote the words in Psalm 63, "your love is better than life" he set a pretty high precedent! And just like our bodies need food and will cry out when they go without...our souls operate this way too. But maybe we've stopped listening to it's cry. Maybe we don't want to hear what it needs because we're scared of what we'll have to give up. Maybe it's just easier to live the 'physical' life instead of the spiritual one?
God is the answer, no matter what the question is or where the yearning lies in your life. But He doesn't just want us to 'know' the right answer...He wants us to know His son, the answer and allow healing and fullness to flourish where there was once emptiness and pain.
Questions for myself and for you:
1. What do I spend most of my time wanting everyday?
2. What consumes most of my thoughts?
3. What am I holding onto in my life tighter than Jesus?
Jesus came to turn ashes into beauty, to set the prisoners free, to bring gladness instead of mourning...to bring us life..abundantly! Won't you ask Him to show you your dark corners today? It won't happen overnight, but you can walk hand-in-hand with the One who knows you, loves you and wants to see you satisfied in the 'richest of fare!' Be honest with Him today..."then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
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