'Life interrupted' - what a title!! don't we all feel at times that our lives are interrupted - from our plan - our path - our dream - our reality - etc. etc.
There was a movie with a similar title years ago about a girl whose life was interrupted by mental illness. Everything changed! Nothing was ever the same.
Today I read an even more striking article about Simon of Cyrene. A man on his way to celebrate a high Jewish holiday, the Passover, the release of God's chosen people from slavery was suddenly grabbed and forced to carry a huge beam on his back to the 'place of the skull' - Golgotha. For him it was a shameful thing in which to be involved - this Roman murder. He was simply headed to celebrate - to synagogue - and suddenly out of nowhere, his life was changed - interrupted from his plan, his reality. This was nothing of his own doing - but it permanently marked him.
Simon walked behind a man like no man he had evr known. One who turned and spoke to women who were wailing beside him. He comforted them and spoke truth - and reminded them of the Old Testament scriptures. We can only guess what went through Simon's mind as he watched and listened to this Jesus, on His way to His undeserved death. But we can be certain that his life was never the same - Scripture is silent on Simon again.
I must put myself in Simon's place and think what it means to observe and follow this most unusual man. What will I do with the circumstances that 'interrupt' my life? How will I react? What direction will the event of gazing in jesus' face have on the rest of my life?
How do I handle these 'forks in my path?' Do I see them in relation to following the God of everything or merely see them as an 'interruption' as I follw a condemned man.
Do I believe Hebres 2:8 - that 'nothing is out of His control?' Do I chose to trust Him or grumble and complain that I have this misfortune to carry a cross?
What an honor for Simon that he was selected by God to carry the Cross!!
Honor and trust or interruption??
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
amazed and afraid
There are so many descriptions of how we react to Jesus - thankful, joyful, awed, loved, convicted, cared for, etc. etc. Mark 10:32 gives interesting descriptive words... amazed and afraid.
What do these follow? They follow Jesus teaching some hard to understand parables - about the rich young ruler and how difficult it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle and leaving loved ones for His sake and the first being last... some that are difficult to get the correct meaning and others that we simply don't want to 'get it.'
We should ALWAYS be amazed and afraid; these are elements that will by necessity, by the very fact that Jesus is God, be a portion of the equation of understanding. Jesus is about something bigger than what we see and understand for the moment and we will never 'get' all of it until we see Him face to face. At the beginning of our Christian life we were sure that we knew all about Jesus and how to follow and what it all meant; but as we go on, we are not so sure. He takes us places we are not sure we want to go and that we are not sure are from Him. 'There is an aspect of Jesus that chills the heart of a disciple to the core and makes the whole spiritual life gasp for breath." (O. Chambers)
Yet - when we add in Hebrews 2:8 -'...he left NOTHING outside his control.' At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. BUT we see him..' Two new elements (1) there is nothing outside of His control. WOW!! How can that be?? I really don't want to believe that always - for if I do believe it, it means I must make the decision to trust Him or not. What about the 'bad' things? I guess it comes down to my definition of 'bad.' (I think I am getting into an area where it is dangerous to try to put things into words - it is so easy to say it wrong and not fully - and be totally misunderstood.)
So herein comes some of the amazement and the 'afraid.' Amazed at His overarching and all-inclusive plan - and afraid of the meanings for now. So how do we live? here is the Second element - Heb 2:9 is the solution - .."But we see Jesus..." We must learn to get out of the situation and look at the character and person of God - who He is and how He loves me.
I must 'set my mind on things above.' (Phil. 4:8) I must 'Look to Jesus , the author and finisher of my faith.' (Heb12:1-3)
It is not an easy walk - but we have all of the Holy Spirit within us to enable us to do it. Only in dependence on Him can we walk with Christ - and as we are human, it will be with amazement and fear.
What do these follow? They follow Jesus teaching some hard to understand parables - about the rich young ruler and how difficult it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle and leaving loved ones for His sake and the first being last... some that are difficult to get the correct meaning and others that we simply don't want to 'get it.'
We should ALWAYS be amazed and afraid; these are elements that will by necessity, by the very fact that Jesus is God, be a portion of the equation of understanding. Jesus is about something bigger than what we see and understand for the moment and we will never 'get' all of it until we see Him face to face. At the beginning of our Christian life we were sure that we knew all about Jesus and how to follow and what it all meant; but as we go on, we are not so sure. He takes us places we are not sure we want to go and that we are not sure are from Him. 'There is an aspect of Jesus that chills the heart of a disciple to the core and makes the whole spiritual life gasp for breath." (O. Chambers)
Yet - when we add in Hebrews 2:8 -'...he left NOTHING outside his control.' At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. BUT we see him..' Two new elements (1) there is nothing outside of His control. WOW!! How can that be?? I really don't want to believe that always - for if I do believe it, it means I must make the decision to trust Him or not. What about the 'bad' things? I guess it comes down to my definition of 'bad.' (I think I am getting into an area where it is dangerous to try to put things into words - it is so easy to say it wrong and not fully - and be totally misunderstood.)
So herein comes some of the amazement and the 'afraid.' Amazed at His overarching and all-inclusive plan - and afraid of the meanings for now. So how do we live? here is the Second element - Heb 2:9 is the solution - .."But we see Jesus..." We must learn to get out of the situation and look at the character and person of God - who He is and how He loves me.
I must 'set my mind on things above.' (Phil. 4:8) I must 'Look to Jesus , the author and finisher of my faith.' (Heb12:1-3)
It is not an easy walk - but we have all of the Holy Spirit within us to enable us to do it. Only in dependence on Him can we walk with Christ - and as we are human, it will be with amazement and fear.
Friday, March 6, 2009
'living' amid the 'dailies'
When God gives us opportunity to speak, shine, work, etc for Him, we pray, read the Word, spend time thinking about it, preparing ourselves and making sure we are depending on Him. This we should do!! But what about the 'dailies?' How do we live in the drudgeries or details of life? How do we do business, drive, grocery shop, tend to children, clean the house, visit with friends, etc. on a daily basis with a joyful attitude that honors Christ? How do we take the next step?
The only way is the steady persevering living in the unseen life with Christ - dependent. John 13 talks of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. What a task - dusty, dirty feet. Verse 3 says, "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper" - to wash the feet. So -how did He do that menial task as unto the Lord?
1. Knowing who He was!!
2. Knowing where He was going.
3. Getting up!!- 'doing the next thing.'
This is how we must live that daily life when there is no inspiration, no real 'vision,' no one watching to encourage, etc. Simply - Know who and whose we are!!! Get up and move out - do the task at hand - knowing that He has me where I am supposed to be, I 'have -right now - ALL things pertaining to life and godliness' - that 'I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.' I must 'do all things without mumbling and grumbling.' This how I grow and glorify God - Knowing that He is in charge and He leads my life!!!
The only way is the steady persevering living in the unseen life with Christ - dependent. John 13 talks of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. What a task - dusty, dirty feet. Verse 3 says, "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper" - to wash the feet. So -how did He do that menial task as unto the Lord?
1. Knowing who He was!!
2. Knowing where He was going.
3. Getting up!!- 'doing the next thing.'
This is how we must live that daily life when there is no inspiration, no real 'vision,' no one watching to encourage, etc. Simply - Know who and whose we are!!! Get up and move out - do the task at hand - knowing that He has me where I am supposed to be, I 'have -right now - ALL things pertaining to life and godliness' - that 'I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.' I must 'do all things without mumbling and grumbling.' This how I grow and glorify God - Knowing that He is in charge and He leads my life!!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
"Untreated disappointments with God lead to Disobedience.'
"Untreated disappointments with God lead to disobedience." Beth Moore says this in one of her studies- and - what a truth!
Who has not been 'disappointed' with God - or might we say - unhappy with some situation or event, etc in our life that we 'know' God can change, but does not. We ask 'why?' and cannot understand or 'will' not understand or simply don't go there with God and continue in our misery and complaining and struggling. The situations may be small or large - but they 'feel' huge and eternal.
We must learn to look at the character of God and believe in His sovereignty and goodness. he is not harsh. As Lewis says in Narnia, God is good, but He is not safe. He is good! And he has our best interests at heart. He is completing what He began in us.
We are a fallen race and we live in a fallen world. But the way is always 'through' and 'to the other side.' When God brought the children of Israel to the Red Sea, He promised to take the 'through' it to the other side. Think what that walk 'through' was like.
When Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead, (2 Sam. 6) note how angry and afraid David became. He did not - or would not understand what happened. He did not like what God had done. He was disappointed and angry with God.
We are disappointed with and angry with God much too often. Why? because we want to do things - have things - the way we want them and think best. We do not see the big picture and humanly do not want God's ways and best. we have fallen hearts.
We still think our ways of doing things are better than God's. We would do it without suffering and hardship. We would be weak and faulty people and Christians.
Living in a fallen world, we will encounter much hardship and heart-ache. How we go through it matters!!
1. God is Good.
2. God is in control.
Disappointment means we still think our way is better than God's way.
If we do not deal with our disappointments and discouragements, etc. we will default our way into disobedience. Really!
Our trouble may come on us like rain on the innocent, but what will we do with it?
Do not let our trouble grow into sin.
God has us at every certain place for a reason - and He will work it for our good.
We do not want to be anywhere except where God has us.
Basing our faith on who God is rather than what He appears to be doing is crucial.
We must go through our disappointments - and we will - but there is reason for them.
Do not be as the Israelites looking back at the leeks and onions of Egypt before they went through the Red Sea. Go through in peace and confidence that this too has a reason - it will lead to joy and dancing and freedom and use.
Who has not been 'disappointed' with God - or might we say - unhappy with some situation or event, etc in our life that we 'know' God can change, but does not. We ask 'why?' and cannot understand or 'will' not understand or simply don't go there with God and continue in our misery and complaining and struggling. The situations may be small or large - but they 'feel' huge and eternal.
We must learn to look at the character of God and believe in His sovereignty and goodness. he is not harsh. As Lewis says in Narnia, God is good, but He is not safe. He is good! And he has our best interests at heart. He is completing what He began in us.
We are a fallen race and we live in a fallen world. But the way is always 'through' and 'to the other side.' When God brought the children of Israel to the Red Sea, He promised to take the 'through' it to the other side. Think what that walk 'through' was like.
When Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead, (2 Sam. 6) note how angry and afraid David became. He did not - or would not understand what happened. He did not like what God had done. He was disappointed and angry with God.
We are disappointed with and angry with God much too often. Why? because we want to do things - have things - the way we want them and think best. We do not see the big picture and humanly do not want God's ways and best. we have fallen hearts.
We still think our ways of doing things are better than God's. We would do it without suffering and hardship. We would be weak and faulty people and Christians.
Living in a fallen world, we will encounter much hardship and heart-ache. How we go through it matters!!
1. God is Good.
2. God is in control.
Disappointment means we still think our way is better than God's way.
If we do not deal with our disappointments and discouragements, etc. we will default our way into disobedience. Really!
Our trouble may come on us like rain on the innocent, but what will we do with it?
Do not let our trouble grow into sin.
God has us at every certain place for a reason - and He will work it for our good.
We do not want to be anywhere except where God has us.
Basing our faith on who God is rather than what He appears to be doing is crucial.
We must go through our disappointments - and we will - but there is reason for them.
Do not be as the Israelites looking back at the leeks and onions of Egypt before they went through the Red Sea. Go through in peace and confidence that this too has a reason - it will lead to joy and dancing and freedom and use.
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