See Him with Your Own Eyes

"O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,

you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help.

He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food

and suffering for drink,

he will still be with you to teach you.

You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Your own ears will hear him.

right behind you a voice will say,

'This is the way you should go,'

whether to the right or to the left.

Then you will destroy all your silver idols

and your precious gold images.

You will throw them out like filthy rags,

saying to them, 'Good riddance!'"

Isaiah 30:19-22 NLT

Times are hard and I feel like I've hit a wall.  I don't know which way to turn, how to get out of the mess I'm in, where to go to find relief.  I've given my heart to Jesus but I'm drifting away, building on a different foundation and my living sacrifice has fallen off His altar (Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 12:1) Yet I want to hear God.  To know His plan for me. Perceive His direction.  Is it possible?  How?

Adversity.  He goes after the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).  The ones who belong to Him yet stray away.  The precious lambs of His fold who wander away in search of the elusive something that will never satisfy.  Yet it often feels like the pain He introduces is in vain, to cause me to suffer, to punish me in some way.  The heart of God, however, tells a different story.  He uses adversity as a tool to guide me back to Him, to push me to where I'm aware of my need for Him, to cause me to hit bottom where I've run out of options and come to the end of myself.

Once I'm in the depths of suffering, I cry out to Him for help and find Him by my side, responding to my pleas, compassionately comforting me as only He can (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).  But there's more.  He doesn't leave me where I am, in the state of my choosing, captive to my own sinful flesh.  No, He loves me enough to push me, to shape me into the image of His Son, to use the hardship to teach me hard lessons (Romans 8:28-29).  As He guides He is like a tutor, walking with me one-on-one through the difficulty, not wanting me to miss a precious nugget of wisdom found there.  I find His presence comforting yet challenging, and I grow in my faith as a result.  My bond with Him is closer than ever.

I see God with my own eyes in the midst of adversity.

In Him.  The temple rose in all it's glory on a hilltop in Jerusalem, a symbol of God's presence among His people.  For those who dwelled there, it served as a constant reminder of His loving care for them, of His righteous holiness, of His plan for them as a people.  Today, to dwell in Jerusalem is to abide in Jesus, to stay connected to Him as the Source of life itself (John 15:5).

When I do so, clinging to Him as if my life depended upon Him, I find He is gracious to me, generously responding when I ask for help, extending grace and mercy that I need and heaping on wisdom when I'm at a loss (Hebrews 4:16, James 1:5).  I then find fruit growing that I did not expect, transformation taking place in my heart and a newness of spirit welling up within.  I can't take credit for it's all a work of His hand, as a result of leaning on Him as my everything.  I hardly recognize myself.

I see God at work within me when I abide in Him.

Repent.  It suddenly repulses me, this part of my flesh that once seemed so comfortable and familiar, like a cuddly blanket.  Now it seems more like an enemy, a weapon used to hurt the God I love.  I can't stand it anymore, I must purge these passions and desires from my life, turning from them and nailing them to the cross where they die (Galatians 5:24).  

When I am sensitive to all that offends God, responding when He convicts me of the sin that comes so naturally or gently rebukes me for how my thinking, my habits, or my ways are off, I waste no time in getting rid of what hampers my bond with Him.  It is my desire to always maintain intimacy with the One who made me for Himself and there is nothing that is so vital that I would not give it up out of respect and reverence for Him, treasuring this sacred relationship, my most valuable possession (Philippians 3:8).  As I turn away from the harmful sin, I see Him more clearly, hearing Him vividly.

I see God more clearly when I repent of the sin He roots out of my flesh (Psalm 139:24).

I want to experience God personally, knowing Him as a daughter knows a loving father.  How can I reach such depths of intimacy as I grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  I will see Him with my own eyes when I experience the adversity He introduces into my life as a tool of sanctification, stay in Him as my source of life, and repent of that which offends Him.  In these ways my vision will be restored so I can see Him as He is, not as I've created Him to be.  What a glorious vision!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let go of that which offends Him.

When do I assume I'm free from sin based on what Jesus has done for me (1 John 1:8)?

What sin am I suddenly aware of, as if I've been given new eyes with which to see?

    

Be Still

"Be still,

and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

I've heard it said to cook the best hamburger, it's important to let the meat be; just let it cook for several minutes before grabbing the spatula and flipping it to the other side.  My inclination is to smash it down, move it around a bit; just do something to make me feel useful in this cooking process.  In reality, I'm not helping at all but simply causing the piece of meat to lose a lot of juices which will result in a dry burger.  

Frying a hamburger is a lot like living in this world as a follower of Christ.  It seems like I must be constantly doing something in order to be useful in this journey.  I try to give a hand in fighting my own battles, going after what I need, saving myself, joining service projects, generally just attempting to be helpful.  I'm trying to be a good Christian, I think.  But God wants His people to operate under a different battle plan.

Know.  Knowing who my God is involves more than just brain power.  It requires trust which concerns my heart.  Take the Israelites, for instance.  After God had delivered them from the cruel hand of the Egyptian king where they served as slaves, they stood between the impenetrable Red Sea and the mighty army of Pharaoh.  They were stuck.  What could they do?

Nothing.  God told them to do nothing but watch and "see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today." (Exodus 14:13)  Their part was to hold their peace and remain at rest, God's part was to fight for them.

Part of knowing who God is, is to prove that I believe what I know.  Just like the Israelites had the choice to trust God to do the impossible which He had told them He would do, or they could not believe what He said, panic and pick up whatever weapons they could find and fight the soldiers themselves.  The first showed faith in their knowledge of God, the other fear and doubt.  Which will I choose today?

In order to live as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I must know Who my God is, and trust Him.

Nations.  Governments operate apart from His law.  People live as if He didn't exist.  Leaders bow to the god of tolerance and religious inclusion.  Life is not valued, marriage  grows extinct, gender identity fluid.  How are we to live?  Where are the boundaries for civilized society?

God doesn't need my help to exalt Himself.  He will be honored before the seats of every government, and man shall be humbled, their pride taken down a notch or two until it dwells in the basement (Isaiah 2:17).  God will be lifted up as Maker, as Ruler, as Sovereign over all.  

So how do I live in a world that is yet to be reduced to their rightful place as God shows His?  Live in a way that brings glory to Him now, not waiting until He exalts Himself, but willingly giving Him the honor and praise due Him.

In order to live as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I must operate with the expectation that God will be exalted among the nations, even if they don't acknowledge it now.  He is Lord.

Earth.  The birds sing His praises.  The eagles soar to proclaim His power.  The flowers bloom each spring to illustrate the hope I have in Christ.  The mountains stand in majesty as a symbol of His magnificence.  All of creation points to it's Creator.

If I truly believe this, I will look for lessons of His kingdom all around me.  Instead of just watching a mother bird feed her babies, I can ponder the nurturing nature of a God who lovingly meets all my needs and grows me into the woman He created me to be.  

While I could simply enjoy watching the rhythm of the waves washing in to shore, I could let it remind me of the constancy of God, how I can count on Him to always be there for me.  

As the sun rises behind the sheath of fog, revealing sunny skies to the west, I can receive the promise of God's divine blessing that is to come in my life, knowing that He directs the weather pattern and can use it to speak hope to my weary heart.

In order to live as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I must look for how He is showing Himself throughout all of creation.

As a "doer," it's easy for me to get caught up trying to prove myself as useful to God by staying busy in His kingdom work.  Really, though, He doesn't require this of me, nor has He asked me to do such nonsense.  Instead, He desires His people to know who He is, live as people who acknowledge His glory throughout the nations, and notice all the ways He exalts Himself in all the earth.  In essence, I must be still, and let God be God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop trying to do for God, and just be with Him.

How do I miss His glory all around me?

When am I so busy doing, that I don't get a chance to enjoy His presence?

The Secret

"'So now, with God as our witness,

and in the sight of all Israel

--the LORD's assembly--

I give you this charge.

Be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God,

so that you may continue to possess this good land

and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

'And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God

of your ancestors intimately.

Worship and serve him with your whole heart 

and a willing mind.

For the LORD sees every heart 

and knows every plan and thought.  

If you seek him, you will find him.

But if you forsake him,

he will reject you forever.

So take this seriously.

The LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary.

Be strong,

and do the work.'"

1 Chronicles 28:8-10 NLT

Everything was in place.  David had reached the end of his reign and was ready to place the crown on his son's head.  Before giving him such a responsibility, however, there were some things Solomon needed to know.  The charge David gave to his son could be a blueprint for living a life that is pleasing to God.  

What's the secret?  Well, it's really no secret.

Know and Serve.  It's easy to do one without the other.  I get caught up in serving, doing things for God, things He never asked me to do.  Things I think are necessary to the workings of His kingdom.  Things that seem good.  As I labor with gusto, I find myself growing weary as my own strength peters out.  Before I know it, the ministry I used to relish is nothing more than a chore; a responsibility added onto my long list of tasks to be done each week.

I was never meant to do things for God.  Instead, He'd rather I spend time with Him, getting to know Him in a more intimate way each day (Luke 10:38-42).  Then, when I see Him at work around me, I can join in, working in Him.  In this way it's really Him doing the work through me, empowering me to persist and enabling me to succeed (1 Corinthians 15:10, John 15:5).

I recently cut some blackberry vines that were intruding into our yard.  Before I severed their link to the main part of the plant, they were healthy and vibrant, producing delicious berries of their own.  Within an hour of clipping those branches, the leaves were withering and wilting.  I am just like this blackberry vine:  Apart from Jesus, I don't have the necessary resources needed to thrive and I will never bear kingdom fruit.  If I make it my life's pursuit to grow closer in my relationship with Him each passing day, relying on His Spirit for all that I need to live, fruit will be produced in abundance and I will never run out of steam.

I am charged with knowing God and serving through Him.

Seek.  Meaning.  Purpose.  Wealth.  Fame.  Praise.  Security.  There are many things I can seek in this life.  Some seem beneficial while others are obviously destructive and self-serving.  None, however, will bring satisfaction apart from one pursuit.

I am promised to find God if I seek Him with all of my heart (Deuteronomy 4:29).  He is not a God who plays hide-and-seek, withholding his affections if He's having a bad day, or is overwhelmed with requests from others, or just doesn't feel like hanging out with me.  Jesus is always ready to meet me where I am and desires nothing more than to be invited in to the most mundane parts of my life (Revelation 3:20).  He wants to be found.

If I will hold God as my most valued treasure, worthy of being pursued as my utmost endeavor, I will find contentment and fulfillment.  If, however, He is just one of many pursuits, I will always feel like there is something missing and my heart will always be found wanting.

I am charged with seeking God with all of my heart.

Be strong and do it!  There are some callings that seem more important than others.  Missionary work in a war-torn country.  Preaching God's Word to a hungry flock.  Feeding the hungry and hopeless on the street.  Somehow, it's easy to glamorize some work while minimizing others.

In God's kingdom, however, every position is important, vital to the function of the whole (1 Corinthians 12:18).  Therefore, wherever God has placed me to serve, I must do so with gusto, realizing it's importance to God and His kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:31).

If I am called to be a mother, even if it doesn't seem very life-shattering to wipe runny noses and tie little shoe-laces, I can do my job as if it is the most important job in the world, which it is.  

If I am placed in a position as a janitor, while I may be looked down upon by many, I can clean with all my heart, letting Him use me for His glory and keeping in mind that doing my best is important to God.  

If I sometimes feel overlooked in the place God has positioned me, thinking there is nothing special about my life, I must remember that what I do is vitally important in God's eyes.  Since He saw fit to drop me down into this situation, it means I have a job to do that has kingdom merit.

I am charged to stay strong in the Lord and do my job to the glory of God.

David's charge to Solomon is filled with godly wisdom.  When I follow his advice, I will see the value in building my relationship with the Lord daily and being a willing servant, make it my life's pursuit to seek Him wholeheartedly, and to realize the importance of the position in which He's placed me and do my work to His glory.  In these ways I have discovered the secret of living a meaningful and fulfilling life that pleases God.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop going after meaningless pursuits.

When do I forsake my relationship with God in order to go after the latest craze?

When do I get caught up in looking for meaning in all the wrong places?  

Jump on the Bandwagon

"So Micah's carved image was worshiped 

by the tribe of Dan

as long as the Tabernacle of God

remained at Shiloh."

Judges 18:31 NLT

I once heard a story about a woman preparing her Thanksgiving turkey.  As she went about her usual preparations, placing the bird in the sink to thaw and positioning the inverted dish drainer over the top of it like she always did, her husband scratched his head in confusion.  "Honey, I always wondered; why do you always put the dish drainer over the turkey?"

His wife replied, "I don't know.  That's just the way Mom did it."

Later, the curious woman asked her mom.  "Mom, why did you always turn the dish drainer upside down and place it over the turkey as it thaws in the sink?"  

"Oh, I started doing that the year the cats climbed up on the counter to investigate.  To keep them from getting to the turkey, I started protecting it with that drainer."

Feeling foolish, the young woman confessed to her husband that there was no reason for her to put that rack over their turkey since they didn't own a pet.

It's funny how I sometimes do things without knowing why I do it.  Like the woman in the story above, its easy to blindly follow what someone else is doing without questioning whether it's appropriate for my situation or even consulting God as to His plan.  This is what happened to the tribe of Dan.  

As they were searching for an alternate land to call their own since they had rejected the land that had been allotted to them (Judges 18:1), they came across a man named Micah who had set up his own personal shrine complete with an ephod meant to be used by priests in God's holy temple, both a carved image and a cast idol, as well as various household idols.  Seeing the Levite who was serving there, the tribe members seized the opportunity to take on this priest and the sacred objects as their own.  Consequently, Micah's sin spread to an entire group of people.

When I blindly follow what someone else is doing, I am at risk of buying into their sin, taking it on as my own.  How can I avoid this trap?

Test the Spirits

There are a lot of messages coming at me in this world that seems so interested in spiritual themes yet rejects the truth that comes from God.  As a result, I am bombarded with many teachings that seem right and make me feel good, but may be off the mark.  I hear that I need to go after my best life now, that God wants me to live a life of self-fulfillment, that if I name it and claim it then it will be mine, or that I have been set free to live however I want.  When I hear messages that sound good to me and I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon, how do I know if it's from God or not?

It is important that I test the spirit of the message to determine it's source.  Is Jesus forming the foundation of the speaker's platform?  Who is Jesus to the teacher?  If He's not lifted up as the Author and Perfecter of our faith, the Son of God who has been given the place of honor at the right hand of God the Father, literally "God with us," then I must reject what I'm being told, even if it makes sense to me. (1 John 4:1-6)

Therefore, if the goal is to elevate my own interests while minimizing the Lord, treating Him as a servant who is here for my benefit, I know the message doesn't come from God. (Proverbs 16:1-4) If the focus is on my own comfort, welfare or interests, I know it doesn't come from the God who deserves all glory. (Revelation 4:11) If the heart of the message is about my benefit instead of God's plan, I know it doesn't come from the God who is the Alpha and the Omega.  (Isaiah 44:6-8)

I will know to avoid jumping on the bandwagon of popular teachings when I discern a spirit that runs counter to God's.

Know God Personally

It's easy to find out about God.  Thousands of books have been written, teachers are constantly teaching about Him, and of course there is His Word to examine.  While anyone can know about God, only those who truly seek Him will desire to know Him.  What makes God tick?  What angers Him, what brings Him joy?  How does He want me to live?  What is His intention for my life?  While I might be able to find the answers to these questions in the pages of God's Word, I will never truly take them in as my own until I put them into practice and witness God's personal touch for myself.

God is a personal God.  He is not far away and difficult to get to know.  I don't have to jump through hoops, get myself cleaned up and presentable, or reach a certain point before I can experience His presence.  Instead, I was made for Him and He desires nothing more than for me to invite Him into every aspect of my life. (Revelation 3:20)

Romans 12:2 reveals the secret of knowing what God wants from me.  First of all, He wants me to resist taking on the ways of this world in which I live.  Secondly, He wants me to cooperate with Him as He transforms my way of thinking so it lines up more closely with His.  Whenever I do these two things, I will learn to know the path God created for me to follow.

Apart from God, I am left to my own devices, forced to try to figure life out on my own, using my own limited knowledge and insight.  When I focus on knowing God more today than I did yesterday, I will be more intent on following His plan than on doing what pleases myself.  My relationship with Him will grow in importance, overshadowing any desire I have to do what is best for me.  Gradually, I will see a change in my perspective as God becomes bigger in my life, and I become smaller.

I will no longer want to jump on the bandwagon of popular teachings when I have tasted and seen for myself that the Lord is good.  (Psalm 34:8)

Be on Guard

He walked slowly around the perimeter, watching carefully for any movement.  His weapon was always held at the ready and his attention never wavered from his task.  If he let his guard down, the entire company would be at risk.

Much like a soldier who knows the importance of guard duty, I must be on guard at all times.  If I live without the knowledge that I have an enemy whose mission is to steal, kill and destroy my faith, then I've forgotten that I'm in the middle of a spiritual battle.  (John 10:10a, Ephesians 6:10-12)

Therefore I must stay alert to his tactics designed to throw me off-mission, stand firmly on the solid ground of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and be courageous enough to speak the truth in love when fallacies pass my way.  (1 Corinthians 16:13)  In these ways I'll keep up my guard.

How easy it is, though, to get distracted by the cares of this world, forgetting that my enemy never rests.  When I lower my resistance to His deceptive tricks, I am quickly pulled into His attractive, self-focused way of thinking.  Before I know what's happening, I begin to waver in my faith, forgetting the foundational truths that are meant to ground me and keep my foot from slipping.  Suddenly, I find myself sliding down the slippery slope, giving into the fear that threatens to overwhelm me.  If I don't pay attention, I'll soon be in the murky mire, trapped by Satan's schemes.

I will not fall prey to the ploys of the enemy, luring me to jump on the latest bandwagon, when I keep in a state of readiness.

Just like the tribe of Dan joined in with the sin that Micah had initiated, I am always at risk of falling prey to the influences of others.  Therefore, it is important that I know from where the message comes, that I know God for myself so I can discern His will from deception, and that I stay on guard against the attacks of the enemy.  In these ways I'll avoid the pitfalls that come when I jump on the latest bandwagon.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stay alert for how Satan is trying to trick me.

When do I forget I'm involved in spiritual warfare?

How can I get to know God more today than I did yesterday?