Light Unfolding

Unfolding. This word picture moves me. I see images in my mind that, even if I were a talented painter, I’d be ill equipped to translate into this material world. Light coming gently, layer by layer, illuminating darkness.

Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”

Unfolding. This word picture moves me. I see images in my mind that, even if I were a talented painter, I’d be ill equipped to translate into this material world. Light coming gently, layer by layer, illuminating darkness.

I think of darkness. How darkness covered the deep at creation until God’s Word – then Light.

I think of the darkened state of humanity brought about when Words of Light were twisted by power of darkness and human flesh ate the forbidden flesh of fruit.

I think of stormy darkness and downpour and deluge. Of Noah and kin sealed in darkness of the ark.

I think of darkness of oppression. God’s own people beaten down, bloody and hopeless.

But in every event, God sent His Word – unfolding light in the darkness.

His blazing light called out to Moses. And through the final plague of death and darkness, brought freedom and light. The nation became a people led through the darkness and the wilderness by Blazing Light of God.

After days upon days of downpour, God unfolded His Word – His promise – before Noah in the light of a many colored bow in the sky. His word and light burst through our atmosphere reflecting unhindered in a million directions the Light of His Word of promise.

The Word came into the darkness of fallen humanity. Forbidden fruit eaters with the taste of death ever lingering on our tongues. As the Word unfolded in this world, Light shined in the darkness. He tasted darkness of death, but His Light overcame and shines brighter still in all who taste of His life – of His bread and His wine.

Psalm 119:131 “I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.”

Yes, I long. This life aimed at heaven only finds satisfaction from the King of Heaven.

Lord, may Your Word unfold Your Light in this life.

For more Light Unfolding posts, God  using His Word to bring light, click here.

What We Learned

It’s a first for me today! I’m attempting a blog link up. Since I’m kind of an octogenarian stuck in the body of a 35 year old when it comes to technology, it’s a bit intimidating.

On her blog, Emily P. Freeman does a quarterly link up for us to share what we’ve learned in the last few months. I’m thrilled to be giving this a go because I too often get my blinders on and focused solely on the future. Yet, it’s interesting how many times in God’s word we are told to remember – especially to remember what God has done. So this is my remembering – What I’ve Learned:

1. How to nit pick – literally!

A few weeks after a missions trip to a rural camp this summer, I caught my oldest daughter scratching away at her head. Yep, it was lice. A lot of lice and a lot of nits. And it had spread to three of my four other kids too. The boys were a snap to take care of. A quick buzz cut and everything was peachy. The girls, one in particular with long thick hair, well, it was an ordeal. After researching all possible remedies, I learned that the most effective way to eliminate head lice is to pick out all the nits by hand. Every few days. For weeks. I’m now a pro at spotting and picking nits.

Not only that, it turned out to be a poignant object lesson for my kids.

I’m positive that my oldest daughter caught lice either from the girl she shared her bunk with because the camp ran out of beds, or from the girl she loaned her coat to because all that child’s mom had sent her to a week of camp with were the clothes on her back and a blanket.

Oh, and another of my daughters had her camera stolen at camp too.

It was a lesson for them and a reminder for me that there’s often a personal sacrifice involved in helping others. Sometimes we help and it ends up hurting us. Even in these moments we can cling to the One who for such great good suffered greatest loss.

In this, we exemplify Christ.

I will gladly pick out nits from my girls’ hair if it’s in the name of loving God and loving others. And I hope and pray that all my kids grow to have the same attitude – to be willing to face adversity for the love of God.

2. I am creative – we all are!

For years I’ve labeled myself as not creative, as someone whose outside-the-lines attempts are utter failure. But I was brought to tears several weeks ago when I finally admitted that I AM creative, because I AM created me in His image. And the same is true for all of us!

I’ll never be named among the great creatives of our time, but that doesn’t matter. Every act of creativity is the activity of His image in us. In this, we begin to till the soil of great Joy.

*I recently finished reading a deeply soul stirring book relating to creativity – Walking on Water, by Madeleine L’Engle. I already want to read it again. For a nudge or a shove in the direction of art and faith, read this book!*

3. Sometimes waiting is an excuse for not taking initiative.

I’ve longed for a mentor type person in my life for years. Yet than person never presented herself to me. I mistakenly assumed that someone would/should pursue this kind of relationship with me. So I’ve spent a lot of time waiting and praying and waiting some more. Wondering when God would answer my prayers for this relationship.

But God intervened in this stubborn mind of mine and showed me that I needed to be the one taking the initiative. If I want this from someone, I need to tell them – other people can’t read my mind after all! The young women I am mentoring approached me, not me them. I haven’t done for others the very thing I was wanting another to do for me.

So, back in September I took the initiative and asked a woman I know from another church to meet with me. We’ve only met twice, but it has been such an encouragement already!

It’s still a bit of a mystery to me, knowing when it truly is time to wait instead of charge ahead, or when it’s time to make a move in faith. But I see now that maybe I’ve used waiting on God as an excuse and have wallowed in unanswered prayers instead of pursuing the good things of God intentionally.

4. How to Bullet Journal

I think it was in September that I first became aware of this whole Bullet Journal movement. Have you heard of it? I decided to give it a try. So I got myself a nice journal from Target, set  it all up and started journaling in October. It’s definitely still a work in progress; I’m figuring out how to make it work best for me. But, to echo the concept of remembering I mentioned earlier, this has been a helpful tool in helping me do just that – remember.

The purpose of the journal isn’t to be a fancy to-do list to check off, but a record of what has been done and experienced throughout the day. Yes, I do use mine as a to-do list somewhat, but I’m also keeping track of things like thoughts, books I want to read, what I am currently reading, quotes, funny kid stories, prayer requests and writing ideas.

Since I had so much written down in my Bullet Journal, this blog post was surprisingly easy to write. I just had to thumb through pages. It helped me remember things I otherwise would have forgotten.

Might I encourage you to spend some time remembering today? How has God been shaping your story these past few months? How have you changed and grown? What new ideas or skills have inspired you? Or what fun tidbit have you learned?

I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below ~~~~~

 

POTUS, the Bride, and the color Purple

 

Now we know. Trump’s the one we have chosen. The decision between the two candidates has been one that, unfortunately, has brought out far more of our nation’s ugliness than its beauty.

The division of our “One Nation Under God” is painful to witness and experience.

But, what pains me even more, makes my heart ache, is the division I witness and experience among the Bride – the Body of Christ. And this election season has only served to intensify the division.

The divide in our nation politically is nothing new. In fact, it’s this very divisiveness that serves as built in accountability for our leaders.

The divide in the Bride, too, is nothing new. But our division is our destruction; and it’s the destruction of the image of God on the face of the earth.

Many believers on social media have been soothing themselves and others with the reminder that God is sovereign and in control. I’m about to sound heretical, but I don’t believe it’s enough for us as the Bride to simply cling to the truth that God is in control as we wade through these waters.

Yes, God is ultimately in control of all nations.

However, the question of supreme control also begs the question of intimate, personal control. We, the people of the mystical union in Christ Jesus, need to ask ourselves, “Is God in control of me?” Or to state it another way, “Am I submitting to the authority, supremacy, control, and sovereignty of God?” An affirmative answer to this question day by day is the ONLY answer to remedy divisiveness in the Bride.

Call me crazy, but I am one of those people who believe that the Word of God is pertinent to any and every circumstance.

It’s full of wisdom on the topic of unity.

Just a few days ago, I was reading Psalm 133 which starts by saying:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!”

My soul resounded with an emphatic, Yes!

But how do we get there?

I’m convinced it’s all in the mind – the mind of Christ, that is!

Paul says this:

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,” (Romans 8:6-7)

And Paul again:

“but we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16)

And again:

“Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” (Philippians 2:2)


We stumble into disunity when we stray from the mind of Christ.

But.

We abound in unity when we ascend to the mind of Christ.

There is no other way.

We must lay down our heart, soul, mind and strength and unite ourselves in love to Christ and as a result to one another.

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27)

 

The world needs us to be what we are meant to be – not a particular political regime or agenda – but an example of heavenly unity on earth. The world needs to see the results of the gospel!

So, what does it take? It’s the question I keep asking myself. I know I don’t have all the answers, but here are a few things I’ve been ruminating on:

It takes humility, knowing that we are flawed and don’t have all the right answers. (1 Peter 5:6, Philippians 2)

It takes practiced discernment between God’s economy and the world’s. (Is. 55:8; Rom. 12:2)

It takes seeking His way, rather than the world’s – even if that means the world condemns us. (Matt. 16:23; 1 John 2:15; Col. 3:2)

It takes loving and hoping in God more than we love and hope in the world and it’s schemes. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It takes a personal pursuit of holiness. (1 Peter 1:15-16)

It takes constantly abiding in who we are and Whose we are. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

It takes disciples and disciplemakers. (Matt. 28:18-20)

It takes forgiveness. (Luke 17:4; Ephesians 4:32)

It takes living as Christ lived. (I John 1:6)

If the triune God exists in perfect unity, then we have every reason to hope that those of us who are in Him can walk in unity! I am hopeful! This is our greatest testimony to the world!

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10)

The beauty of this supernatural unity is that it has potential to exists, and does exists, regardless of Obama, Trump, or Clinton, or any other government.

This is the path I choose to pursue.

So, the color purple?

Well, red and blue make purple, right?

Unity.

And purple is the priestly, kingly color, right?

Unity, in the truest sense, is then the rule of the one true King!

And it’s possible here and now.

Ok, I realize this argument is not exactly airtight, but just a fun little thought nonetheless.

 

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus”

(Romans 15:5)


Love Quest – Walk This Way

The truth of God’s love is irrefutable. Yet, why do you and I still spend so many minutes, hours, and days settling into lovelessness? Souls aching to be enveloped in strong, warm, tender embraces; not just hearing, but to knowing, in the innermost places, ‘I’ve got you and I won’t let go’ – from God.

Instead, we feel naked and lonely, tired shoulders pressed into the biting wind and asking, ‘Where is the love?’

We know the truth – that God has always loved His creation; He walked with it in perfect relationship before the fall and He consistently cared for it after.

That Jesus, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells, is love personified and exemplified, and ‘God so loved the world’ and ‘God loved us and sent His son.’

This is all utterly true.

But, do the unloved feelings still linger?

May I share another truth that God has been weaving into the fabric of my understanding of His love?

The truth is we’ve been loved by God before we could even say ‘I love You’ back to Him. The truth is these unloved feelings are not a reflection of God’s attitude toward us (though I have a tendency to send the blame that direction), instead they are a reflection of my attitude toward Him. They are a reflection of my direction – the way I am walking.

You and I have a role to play in our experience of God’s love.

It’s called abiding.

One definition of abide is to continue in a particular condition, attitude, or relationship.

Jesus says it another way: “Just as my Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10 NASB

So how do we abide in His love?

By continuing to walk in His ways instead of our own.

The same way Jesus abides in the Father’s love: obedience.

One key component of experiencing God’s love and abundant life here and now, is the way we chose to walk. The whole of Scripture is an invitation from God to His creation to walk His way and enjoy His love.

“but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” I John 2:5-6

This isn’t an issue of our obedience earning His love. His love for us is unwavering. This is an issue of how we experience God’s love.

Let me give you an example:

I love my children. I love them no matter what – whether they are charming and kind or defiant and rude. My love for them will never change. But the way they experience my love is partially up to them. My husband and I provide a safe warm home and food for them to eat. If one of my children were to run away because they didn’t want to obey the rules of our house, they would no longer experience that care and love, but it would still be there.

Do you see it?

His love is always there, but sometimes we refuse it. And yet His love remains.

We have the choice to rest in the loving arms of Christ and to walk His way or to bear the cold loneliness of our prideful self-will on a path of our own choosing.

Here are some of the ways God has been reminding me to walk lately:

  1. Humbly Cast Your Cares on Him (1 Peter 5:6&7). I like to figure things out on my own instead of humbly admitting my need and asking for help. Maybe you’re struggling under a burden right now. Whether it was brought on by your own wayward choices or not, have you stopped tapping into your own flawed and frail logic long enough to humbly admit you don’t have the answers and you can’t solve it on your own? We don’t even give Him or His love a chance when we greedily cling to our problems – even the small ones.
  2. Give Thanks (Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:18; Ps. 30:40; and many more). There is an element of humility involved in giving thanks. When we give thanks, we acknowledge that we have received something, not earned it. Giving thanks forces me to recognize to Whom praise is due – and it’s not me. Maybe you feel like you have earned a lot on your own, but who is it that makes us prosper? Every good and perfect gift is from above – we have nothing to boast about. If pride keeps us from giving thanks, it’s no wonder that it keeps us from abiding in God’s love.
  3. Stop Worrying (Phil. 4:6-9). Does it seem impossible? Maybe it is, at least of our own strength. But that’s why the cure is communication with God and includes #1 and #2 above. (I’ve done some study and teaching on this topic. You can read more here).

These are just some of the ways God is helping me to course correct – to walk more closely in step with Him. So many more come to mind – Romans 12:1; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 11:29; 1 Corinthians 12:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Peter 2:19; Ephesians 4:1-6; well, pretty much the whole book of Ephesians…..for that matter, the whole Bible!

I want to abide in His love, experience it. My guess is you do too.

Let’s walk His way together.

This verse is my prayer for you and for me:

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God [!!!!!!!!!!].” (Ephesians 3:14-19)