Humble Response

Originally published on July 14, 2015

I recently heard it said that our nation is where it's at because the Church has fallen away from Christ.  When we as God's people live as He's called us to live, God blesses.  The responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders.

This post is even more relevant today than when it first published.

"The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;

his judgment has fallen upon Israel.

And the people of Israel and Samaria,

who spoke with such pride and arrogance,

will soon know it.

They said, 

'We will replace the broken bricks 

of our ruins with finished stone,

and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.'"

Isaiah 9:3-11 NLT

God was warning His people of their pride and arrogance.  They had lived a pattern that was counter to His ways and refused to humble themselves before Him, submitting to His law and guiding Hand.  Their response to this warning of coming destruction?  It sounded more like determination and selfish ambition, like they were proving their independence and ability to do anything they set their minds to do.  When they banded together, they believed there was nothing they could not accomplish.  Sound familiar?  Sadly, yes.

God is constantly at work drawing His people back to Him, yet do we even recognize His hand at work?  Or do we arrogantly vow to stand firm in our ignorance?  We are the strongest nation on the face of the earth, nothing can bring us down.  We stand for truth and justice, we determine what is best for us.  We bow to no one.  We had better take note of God's warnings found in His Word, for they resonate strongly in this day and age.  We would be wise to take heed.

Discipline?  Hard times hit, both on a personal level as well as nationally.  I wonder why.  Why me, Lord?  Can't I catch a break?  I've tried to live a good life.  I'm involved in church, I keep my nose clean,  work hard to better myself.  Why all the trouble?  Following Jesus is not a religion.  It is a relationship based squarely on the work of Jesus Christ completed on the cross that freely gives me peace with the God I've offended by my sin (2 Corinthians 5:18).  With such work of reconciliation already accomplished, there is nothing left for me to do but to submit myself to Him (Hebrews 4:6).

Still, I try hard to prove myself, to earn points with God, to show Him and others how serious I am about my faith.  Despite my hardheadedness, God loves me wholly in Christ and never gives up on me.  He knows what it takes to get my attention, to bring me to my knees where I realize my own inadequacies, my deficits, my inability to do anything of eternal value on my own.  He wants me simply to rest in Him and trust Him to direct my life.  For many, it takes a crisis of major proportions to teach this lesson of humble submission to His better plan.  If I never consider that He could be using the hard stuff as a tool to whittle away my fleshly resolve, I'll miss out on the sweetness of knowing and submitting to Him as Father.

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask myself, "Is God trying to get my attention?  What is He telling me?"

Examination?  I get in a rut, in a groove, and life keeps humming along.  I live as I've always lived and assume I'm doing alright.  Then the crisis hits, the hardship comes, the difficulty slaps me across the face and my rhythm is interrupted.  What now?  I don't get whats happening and I long for the smooth sailing again.

When I look at myself I can't see what God sees.  He is the Master Potter who is in charge of the sanctification process, molding me into the image of His Son (Isaiah 64:8, Romans 8:28-29, Romans 12:1-2).  Only He sees where I'm off in my thinking, what habits and ways are destructive, what sinful patterns offend Him.  While I'm covered by the blood of Jesus which protects me from His wrath, He still desires to purify me for His Namesake.  Therefore, it is good for me to do as David did by asking, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life"(Psalm 139:23-24). Inviting Him to examine my innermost parts, my motivations like David did is an intimate gesture that shows my faith in God, my belief that He will do what's best for me, and that I trust Him wholly.

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask God to examine me and show me where I'm off in my thinking and behavior.

Approval?  The first thing they wanted to do was rebuild.  They didn't want anything, even the weather, to get the best of them.  So when lightning destroyed their home by fire, they made immediate plans to rebuild.  This seemed like the logical step to take and most of us would have done the same.

I hate to slow progress and hamper the return to life as usual, but it might be wise to consider God's will in every situation.  Did I run my plans past God?  Did I consult Him?  Did I seek His plan, even if it differs from mine?  Or would I rather just continue on with what makes sense to me?  If God doesn't lead me to rebuild, to repair the damage done, to make improvements on what I've already been given, should I boldly and confidently move ahead?  Or am I just assuming its His intention for me because it is the logical next step?  I'll only know if I take it before the Lord for His approval.  

When hard times hit, I'd be wise to ask God how He wants me to respond.

It's easy to become proud and arrogant, believing I'm the captain of my own ship, the designer of my destiny, responsible for the plan for my life.  Yet, when I gave my life to Jesus by faith, I agreed to let Him lead me wherever He wants me to go.  Therefore, I'd be wise to consider that every hard time I encounter could be His discipline as He attempts to get my attention so He can teach me a lesson.  The crisis that threatens to wipe me out is also a time to ask for His examination of my heart so that I can draw even closer to Him as a result.  And as I attempt to recover from life's latest disaster, I must learn to seek His will for how to proceed.  While it may require that I learn some new patterns, this is more of a humble response to God's warnings compared to how I might naturally respond.  In His hands, every difficulty I encounter is used for my good and His glory!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to submit to His humbling tools. 

When do I assume I should respond to a crisis by rebuilding without ever bothering to consult the Architect?

How am I guilty of keeping God at arms' length?

Lessons of Life

"I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own.

We are not able to plan our own course.

So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle.

Do not correct me in anger,

for I would die."

Jeremiah 10:23-24 NLT

Life is often a struggle, isn't it?  I don't know about you, but I often feel like a tiny boat tossed around by the waves of life.  As we share life together, let's take a moment to learn some lessons from the prophet Jeremiah's godly heart.

Ownership.  It's my life to do with as I please, to live as I see fit.  I want to do it my way, to make decisions, to take charge, and in fact have learned that this is my responsibility so that I can live conscientiously.  If things don't seem to be moving along at the pace I desire or in the direction I want, I think I need to step in and make things happen.  I only have one life to live so I want to make sure it goes the way I think it should.

In reality, my life is not my own to direct by my own understanding and faulty perspective (Proverbs 3:5-6, 14:12).  Instead, as a child of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, I've been bought by His blood (John 1:12, Romans 2:4, Acts 2:38) .  Now my life belongs to Him and it honors Him and is my highest form of worship when I relinquish control and hand Him the reigns (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 12:1).  When I do, I'll find myself doing things I never dreamed I'd do, accomplishing goals that didn't come from me, and having an eternal impact in the lives of others (Ephesians 3:20, Jeremiah 29:11).  

Jeremiah learned that his life is not his own, and he passed the lesson on to me.

Course-setter.  I'm the captain of my destiny and my life is what I make it to be.  If I want to make something of my life, to leave a legacy and leave my mark in this world, I'm responsible for generating a motivating passion and maintaining a vision of where I think I should go.  Once I've decided upon my destination, I set my own course and formulate a plan for how to reach that goal.  If I want to live a successful life I must take the the bull by the horns and create my own opportunities.  I only have one life to live so I must do all I can to make the most of it.

In reality, the blueprint for my life is in God's hands, not my own (Psalm 40:5, 139:16).  Therefore, if I want to live the life He planned for me to live and do all the wonderful things He long-prepared for me to do, I must stick close to Him, staying in constant contact and cooperating with His transformation process (Ephesians 2:10, John 15:5, Isaiah 55:1-3) .  As He changes the way I think and alters my perspective, I see more from His point of view and can know what He wants me to do with my life and how to move forward as I encounter all sorts of situations (Romans 12:2).

Jeremiah learned that God is the one who sets the course for his life, and he passed the lesson on to me.

Discipline.  I think I'm doing well, that I've learned from my mistakes and have made the appropriate corrections.  I'm so much better than I used to be, surely God is proud of my progress and will let me rest for awhile, give me a chance to catch my breath and enjoy the fruit of my labors.  I only have one life to live and it was meant to be enjoyed.

In reality, God is much more concerned with my character than with my well-being, security and happiness.  In the words of a young missionary on the cusp of a long stint in a dark place, "God never promised to be my comfortable God but my provider God."  While I may deceive myself into thinking He would never purposefully allows hardship and trouble into my life, the reality is that His doing so is the mark of belonging to Him as His legitimate child (Hebrews 12:8, Romans 5:3-5).  If God didn't love me, He would leave me as I am.  But His love drives Him to constantly work to shape me into the image of His Son, a process that lasts a lifetime and often involves suffering and adversity (Romans 8:28-29, Philippians 1:6).

Jeremiah learned that God is a loving Father who disciplines His children, and he passed the lesson on to me.

Life is hard, and it can be difficult to negotiate its rocky path, especially as a follower of Christ.  No one knew the cost of obedience more than the prophet Jeremiah so I'd be wise to learn the lessons he left behind for all of mankind.  I can realize my life belongs to God from the moment I gave up ownership through repentance and faith in Christ, that He sets the course for my days, and that discipline is part of the package-deal.  These are the lessons that will help me run my race for the glory of God so that I won't lose heart and give up before I reach the finish line!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to stop trying to control my own life.

When do I resist His course corrections?

How am I afraid to let God have complete control?    

His Heavy Hand

"Praise our God, all peoples,

let the sound of his praise be heard;

he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

For you, God, tested us;

you refined us like silver.

You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

You let people ride over our heads;

we went through fire and water,

but you brought us to a place of abundance."

Psalm 66:8-12

I want the good stuff without the hard, the benefit without the responsibility.  I desire to be called His child, yet despair under His discipline where true growth occurs.  A legitimate daughter falls under the heavy yet loving hand of her Father at times.

Living as His child is hard.  He loves me as I am, but loves me too much to leave me that way.  He sometimes seems relentless in His loving discipline.  But this is what it means to be His; it all brings abundant goodness into my life.

Kept.  I remember learning about the autonomic nervous system in school where the bodily functions necessary for life are carried on without me even thinking about it.  This wondrous feature of the human body seemed amazing; my heart keeps beating without any effort or thought on my part.  Even while I sleep, I continue to take air into my lungs.  I often wondered how it could all keep going by itself.

I am a marvel of God's creation, and He is the One who keeps the body functioning.  It is by His hand that I take each breathe.  It is through His grace that I wake up each morning.  I am at His mercy.  But as His child, this is not a scary thing because I am His.  I am under His constant attention. With such an attentive Father as this caring for each and every need, I can rest easy.

As His child, I am kept in the palm of His hand.

Tested.  Silver is no good until it goes through a purification process where the precious metal is exposed to high heat in order to burn off any contamination.  Once it shines bright, reflecting the refiner's image, the process is over and only pure silver remains.

I am like this silver.  On my own, I am precious in God's eyes; fully loved and treasured as His daughter.  But as His child it is His desire that I mimic His Son.  I can't fake this, bring it about through concentrated effort, or become like Him in the blink of an eye.  Sanctification is a process in which I cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He transforms me into the image of His Son (2 Corinthians 3:18).  

This process can be painful as God exposes me to the fire, showing me what my faith is really made of (1 Peter 1:7).  It's not until I reach the end of myself when going through hard times when I realize how much I need Jesus.  It's not until I am forced to put my faith into action, doing what I so boldly proclaim, that I discover it's not as strong as I once thought.  It's not until I must put my money where my mouth is that I find my faith coming up short. This is when I learn to really lean on the Jesus I claim to love and follow. 

As His child, my faith is tested as I undergo trials and tribulation.

Burdened.  I always thought it would be great to live the rich life without a care in the world.  All my needs would be taken care of, I'd want for nothing.  Then I grew up and found that money brings more troubles than happiness.  True joy comes from following Christ.

As a child of God through faith in Jesus, however, my life is not easy and comfortable.  He lays heavy burdens upon me, loads which are too much for me to carry.  I am weak and unable to bear such pain and heartache.  Why does He do this?  I thought He loved me!

My Father in heaven has a love that is peculiar to the heart of man.  He does not shield me from trouble, but brings me through it so that I can see my own weakness and come to a greater appreciation for His power (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).  It is only by relying on Him that I can keep from being destroyed by the difficulty of life.  It is only through the strength of His love that I am able to avoid despair.  It is only in Christ that I am not ruined by the blows that come my way.

As His child, I am burdened heavily so that I can bring glory to Him as my strength.

What advantage do I have as God's child?  I am not shielded from difficulty, that's for sure.  But as His daughter, His eye is ever on me, keeping all systems working. He tests my faith in order to prove it's worth, and He burdens me heavily so that it is clear to all that God is the One who gets the glory for the great things that He has done in my life.  What is the result of His heavy hand upon my life?  What can I expect as His oft-disciplined child?  Abundance of life!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God through the trials.

When am I prone to despair, forgetting I am kept by the God of the universe?

How do I forget that part of being His child is to expect discipline that brings me closer to Him?