God's Resting Place

"Arise, LORD, and come to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;

may your faithful people sing for joy."

Psalm 132:8-9

David, man after God's own heart, yearned for God to reside in a proper temple, not just a temporary tent.  He couldn't rest and even lost sleep, so deep was his desire to see God honored in such a way.  It was David's longing to see God rightly treated and worshiped in a temple made of stone, but God assigned the task to his son Solomon due to David's life marked by war and the shedding of blood (1 Chronicles 22:7-10).

Where is God's resting place today, the proper temple where He can be honored and worshiped?  It is me and you; we are the temple of God, bought with a price and meant to exist as a holy vessel (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  What would it look like if my heart became like David's?

Invitational.  God is not a bully.  He is a Gentleman to the core, giving me the reigns to my life with the desire that I would willingly hand them over to Him. He doesn't snatch them out of my hands. When I do take such a step of submission to His perfect will, freely allowing Him access to the deepest parts of me and readily offering Him leadership, He is delighted.  It is His desire to be honored as a holy God and revered as the only One who is fit to control my life.  As I place Him in His rightful place on the throne of my life, I am beginning the process of restoration that will take a lifetime.  

It is impossible for me to find peace and fulfillment as I buck the system, working against the way God meant for things to exist.  When I invite Him into the resting place He created in my heart, the holy temple He erected through the costly sacrifice of His Son, I am taking a step toward worshiping Him in the way He was meant to be revered: With my life (Romans 12:1).  As He dwells within me and I pay attention to His presence, I'll find a transformation taking place.  As He changes me into the woman I was meant to be, I'll grow in my desire to honor Him in the way I live my life (Philippians 2:12-13) . I'll find I'm being changed from the inside out, and it all started with an invitation for Jesus to serve as my King.

When I invite God into my temple as Lord, cooperating with Him in His holy transforming work, I'll find a heart growing within me to honor Him in all I do.

Glory-focused.  I'm wired to want the attention for what I accomplish.  It's deeply ingrained in my flesh to desire affirmation from my fellow man.  It's not natural for me to do something without getting at least a bit of credit for a job well done.  

As I grow in Christ, however, I'll find a change taking place.  As His Spirit transforms me from the inside out, I'll discover a greater desire for God to get the attention for what is accomplished.  My fleshly hunger for a pat on the back by man is exchanged for a single mission: to see the name of Christ in lights and to hear His name proclaimed from the rooftops.  My labors become a love offering with my only desire being to make much of my Lord.

As God develops the heart of David within me, I'll find my focus gearing more toward His glory than mine.

Joy-filled.  When God made me, He meant for me to overflow with joy.  It was His desire that I taste unbridled happiness each and every moment.  His design included a provision for overflowing pleasure in Him to pour from within me.  The more I live in this world that is ruled by a dark lord, however, the more this joy is stolen from me, slowly seeping out as I get sucked into the darkness.

How can the joy I was meant to live in be restored to my life?  I can receive the joy that is mine by giving thanks for all that God is doing all around me.  Planting seeds of gratitude toward God cultivates a harvest of joy (Psalm 92:4-5, Colossians 1:11-12)!  And as I rest in His perfect provision, thriving in His protection, and dwelling as His well-loved child, "my heart leaps for joy!"  (Psalm 28:7)

Joy fills my heart when I give thanks for God's handiwork as I tune in my radar to His ever present help.

I live in a different age than David, but I can still have his heart beating in my chest.  When I invite God's Spirit in through faith in Jesus Christ, He'll develop in me a desire to see His name made famous and an overflow of His joy.  This is the result of God finding a resting place in my heart!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to invite Him in as my Lord.

When do I keep God at arms-length, afraid of what He might find if He draws close?

How am I robbing myself of the joy He meant for me to possess by developing a cynical attitude?      

How to Give Thanks

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 100 ESV

Every year at Thanksgiving, our nation gathers as a people around tables laden with abundance to give thanks.  I am willing to feel grateful for all the good things in my life, and I'm sure most people share in this motivation to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  But is there more to giving thanks than just feeling thankful?  Here is a recipe found in God's Word for how to live a life of thankfulness.

Manner.  It's easy to go through the motions, doing all that I must do to survive, taking care of necessary details, completing the tasks set before me.  I can do a good job but go about it in the wrong way, with a grumpy disposition or even with a simple sense of duty.  It reminds me of the time our family helped move a relative.  We had a limited amount of time allotted to this obligation so we set about the job with gusto, quickly carrying items out to the moving truck.  No one spoke to one another; we were all business!

Then it hit me;  this is a time God had given us to spend time together as a family, yet we weren't even enjoying the moment!  There was much to be thankful for: We were close by to our loved one to help in such a way, our family is intact and able to work together as a team, we are all physically able to perform such a job.  Yet where was the joy?  Where was the sense of fun and pleasure in spending time together, even in such a dreaded chore as moving?

All I do is marked by joy when I recognize all God is to me.  When I ponder God's amazing character and His willingness to include me in His plan, every act I carry out can be done in joy, every service performed with gladness, every approach to His throne of grace to receive what I need can be accompanied by singing (Hebrews 4:16).  With such thankfulness to God, even moving can be a happy job!

A thankful spirit produces joy while an ungrateful one results in a dissatisfied, grumpy, dutiful manner.

Identity and Orientation.  Sheep get it.  Dumb as they are, they understand who they belong to and where they fit in.  They have one master and only listen to his voice, obeying His commands.  They stick with that shepherd, letting him lead them to the safe place to graze, the cozy shelter from the storm, or the haven from predators. These simple animals see their shepherd as the center of their world; he is everything to them.  They also realize there is safety in numbers so they stick together.  In a nutshell, they know who they are and where they belong.

There is a reason Jesus compared His followers to sheep and identified Himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10).  He wants me to understand what the psalmist expressed so beautifully:  I am one of His sheep and I belong in His pasture.  

When I submit to Jesus as my King, Lord, Master, I acknowledge that I live in His world, operate according to His plan for me, and live as He designed me to function.  It's all His and recognizing that He allows me to play some small part is both humbling and freeing.  No longer do I need to figure things out on my own, solving my own problems, going after my own good things.  Instead, I have a Shepherd who I belong to and a place in His pasture with His family where I am well-cared for.  

A thankful spirit delivers a sense of belonging while an ungrateful one cultivates a spirit of independence, alienation and insecurity.

Attitude.  David knew that in order to come before the Lord with a proper attitude, he must offer something that came at a price.  He refused to give the Lord a sacrifice that was a complimentary gift in a place that was presented for free.  Instead, he insisted on purchasing from the generous owner a threshing floor and oxen that could be used to build an altar and burn the sacrifice to the Lord.  He would not offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:18-25).

David understood the importance of attitude when approaching the Lord.  Yes, I can come boldly as one who belongs, but not empty-handed.  Instead, the offerings of a grateful heart and praise to Him are welcomed gifts that cost me my selfish point-of-view and my fleshly desire to look out for myself.  When I let go of such natural tendencies to take care of myself, to hold on to what I have for fear of doing without or to only see how things effect me, I can offer a thankful outlook to a God who loves such gifts!

A thankful spirit results in a grateful, generous attitude while an ungrateful one promotes a selfish and stingy outlook.

It's easy to go through life without ever giving thanks.  Sure, I might utter words of gratitude from time to time, but there's more to thankfulness than this.  Like the psalmist beautifully expresses, my life can be marked by joy and gladness, a sense of belonging and understanding of where I fit in, and an attitude that is giving and generous.  This is how to give thanks in the way I live my life!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God to provide for all my needs, freeing me up to live generously with others.

When do I forget where I belong, instead trying to fit in where I will find only destruction?

How am I stingy and grumpy, betraying my ungrateful heart?

Thanksgiving

"I will give thanks to the LORD

with my whole heart;

I will recount all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

Psalm 9:1-2 ESV

President Lincoln started it all, looking for a way to unify the nation during the Civil War.  In 1863, he stated that the nation's many blessings, "should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged" by the American people, declaring: "I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." *

Let us follow the counsel of the sixteenth President of the United States and set the entire day aside for acknowledging our many blessings.  This Thanksgiving let us not give thanks, however, but give thanks to the Lord!

He is worthy of our praise! 

*http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/26/thanksgiving-abraham-lincoln-franklin-roosevelt/3685975/

Celebrate

"And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, 

they sought the Levites in all their places 

to bring them to Jerusalem

to celebrate with gladness,

with thanksgivings,

and with singing, cymbals, harps and lyres."

Nehemiah 12:27 AMP

Birthdays.  Graduations.  Weddings.  Anniversaries.  There are many milestones in life to celebrate.  When I want to observe such a landmark, there are many methods I can choose to commemorate that day, usually involving some type of party where I gather friends and family, offer toasts, and enjoy food and laughter.

At the dedication of the wall in Jerusalem, marking the completion of a monumental project, the people of Judah had it right.  I can follow their lead and incorporate the same elements as they when I celebrate!

Gladness.  Organizing an event is enough to transform even the most joyful of celebrations into nothing more than a chore.  There are so many details to which I must tend, items to cross off my list, and preparations to make that I can lose the spirit by which I made the plans in the first place.  I have something to celebrate!

Instead of getting bogged down with the details, then, I can adapt the focus of the Israelites who realized the joy found in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).  He brought me to this point where I can mark such a milestone in the first place.  He sent His Son to die in my place so I can be free from condemnation and enjoy a restored relationship with Him.  This bond makes every moment even sweeter.  And if I only could stop and think of all for which I am forgiven.  This thought alone can set my spirit free to soar!

When it comes time to celebrate the big moments of life, I can do so with a heart of gladness, reveling in God's goodness.

Thanksgiving.  Big life-events often are a time set aside to honor those people in my life who have been instrumental to my ability to succeed.  Likewise, I often think about how I can acknowledge them as a way of thanking them and showing my appreciation for their contributions.  Why not do the same with God?  

Without the Lord, I would not be able to take my next breath, let alone accomplish anything of importance.  Therefore, He can be the focal-point of my acknowledgments.  I can publicly declare my appreciation for all the Lord has done for me, identifying key areas for which I am thankful and pouring out my praise to God.  Intentionally taking some time to give thanks to God will bring Him much honor and turn others' thoughts toward Him as well so all will consider the greatness of our God.

When it comes time to celebrate the big moments of life, I can do so with a heart of thanksgiving, publicly acknowledging His goodness.

Music.  What's a party without music?  Without some kind of melody playing, a celebration would not be the same.  While it's easy to choose music based on my tastes, picking the styles I like to listen to, why not also focus on that which will honor God?

Music can speak to the soul like no other medium.  Messages can be delivered straight to the heart through a moving composition.  It can also express the way I feel, often better than mere words.  Therefore, I can use a song as a method to convey my sentiments to a God who loves to hear my praises.  It can also move my heart toward Him in the midst of the celebration, helping me to keep Him at the center of the festivities. Moreover, music can set a tone of joyful worship as I mark an auspicious occasion.

When it comes time to celebrate the big moments of life, I can use music to joyfully honor God, moving the hearts of many toward Him.

There are many ways to celebrate the milestones of life.  Instead of getting bogged down in the details, focusing only on the people who I want to acknowledge, and picking a soundtrack conducive to revelry, I can take a lesson from the people of Judah.  I can maintain a spirit of gladness, rejoicing in God's goodness as I take the time to thank Him publicly, and use my choice of music to show my reverence for the Lord as hearts are turned toward Him.  Now this is what I call a celebration!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can learn a new way to party!

When do I tend to leave God out of my celebrations?

How can I best honor Him as I acknowledge a milestone?

Never Far

In preparation for Thanksgiving later this week, "Writings on the Doorframe" is offering a series of short devotionals based on Psalm 139 with the purpose of preparing your heart for the original intention for the holiday's creation: 

To give thanks to a generous and loving God.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,'
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."
Psalm 139:7-12

Oh, that I have a God who is never far from me.  I can try to run from Him, reaching for the heights of worldly success or sinking to the depths of despair.  Still, He is there by my side.  If I try my own way of living, He never gives up on me.  If I dip my toe into the pool of a foreign belief, He still cares enough to remind me of the Truth.  No matter what path I choose, His mighty hand is there to keep me from falling.  Even if I seek cover from His unrelenting pursuit in the darkest of places, He still sees me as if I were out in the brightest of lights.

Therefore, I need not hide from His loving hand.  Instead, I can step boldly into the Light where my transgressions will be washed away by the blood of Jesus.  I can stop the game of cat and mouse and embrace the prosperous plan He has for my life.  I can fall into His arms of love and accept the forgiveness, grace and mercy He is waiting to lavishly pour into my life.

If I am perfectly loved and pursued, why do I readily retreat from His great compassion?  If I am as deeply wanted as this by the God of all creation, why do I put such effort into resisting Him?  If He is always this close to me, why is it so easy for me to turn to other sources to fill my greatest needs?

Today, as I prepare for a day set aside to thank God for all His goodness, I resolve to keep this truth at the forefront of my mind:

God is never far from me.

Perfectly Known

In preparation for Thanksgiving later this week, "Writings on the Doorframe" is offering a series of short devotionals based on Psalm 139 with the purpose of preparing your heart for the original intention for the holiday's creation: 

To give thanks to a generous and loving God.

"You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, 

know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and your lay your hand upon me.

Suck knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain."

Psalm 139:1-6

Oh, that I have a God who knows me so intimately!  He is familiar with my schedule, my thought processes, and all my quirky ways.  When I'm surprised by the things that come out of my mouth, He knows why I said it as well as what I really meant to say.

In view of the fact that He has such knowledge of me, He keeps His hand on me, perceiving when I need extra security and when He can lighten His protection.  He runs interference for me and covers me when the bullets begin to fly. Only He knows what I need and when I require it. This knowledge boggles my mind.

Since I have a God who knows me like this, why do I fear in the face of threat?  Why should I be hesitant to walk with Him down the path of the unknown?  Why do I sometimes feel like no one understands me?

Even though I am perfectly known, it is easy for me to let the worries of life choke out this truth, or my pride that tells me the mission at hand is up to me blind me from reality, or my deceptive heart lead me into the deep, dark pit.

Today, as I prepare for a day set aside to thank God for all His goodness, I resolve to keep this truth at the forefront of my mind:

I am perfectly known

Thanksgiving

I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

Giving Thanks  The turkey is roasting, the side dishes are awaiting their turn in the oven, the pies are resting, lined up in a row on the counter, the table is set and the guest are arriving.  This will be the scene in most American homes today as we celebrate a day in which we give thanks for the abundance of our lives.  But most of the time, my focus is on the feast and spending time with those gathered around the table.  Today, I want to give thanks for my God, who is merciful and gracious enough to give me another day.

His Love  Paul's prayer for the believers at Ephesus was that they, ". . . being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:18-19)  The love my Lord and Savior has for me is beyond my comprehension.  Today, I give thanks to my God who loves me this much! 

His Sovereignty  I love the imagery of Isaiah 43, with the thought that God will be with us when we pass through the waters, and the rivers will not sweep over us.  What a comfort to know the One who controls the universe is keeping us in such a way!  This passage ends with a statement of his absolute sovereignty.  " 'You are my witnesses,' declares the LORD, 'that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand.   When I act, who can reverse it?' " (Isaiah 43:12b-13)  Today, I give thanks to my God who is in complete control.

The Cross My life would not be the same without my relationship with my Creator through faith in Jesus Christ.  There is no greater love that can be shown than how Jesus chose to die a horrible death on a Roman cross in order that I can be made righteous in the eyes of a Holy God.  Astounding!  I cannot fathom this kind of love, nor can I properly thank Him for this gift of salvation.  Songwriters Ian Eskelen and Chris Megert describe Christ's work on the cross in these lyrics of "Battle," performed by Chris August. 

There’s a battle between good and evil
And it’s raging inside of me
There’s a struggle - it’s God and the devil
It’s Love against the Enemy


Life’s a fight of wrong and right
That’s tearing me apart
Oh but what the cross has done
Yeah the world will try to battle for my heart
But the war is already won

Today, I give thanks to my God who has already won the battle between good and evil.  Thank you to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

As I begin this day of cooking, eating and celebrating, I pray that my heart will be inclined toward a loving, sovereign, redemptive God.

Living Hope

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
    "therefore I will hope in him."

Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)

Have Mercy!  Remember the childhood game of "Mercy," where two players would face each other, grasp hands with palms together and push with all their might, trying to force the other's wrist back?  When the pain became unbearable, a player would declare defeat by yelling, "Mercy" and hope their opponent would let go, thus relieving the pain.  Unfortunately, children (or adults for that matter) do not always have compassion for those under their power and would sometimes continue the pressure, thus prolonging the pain.  There were some kids everyone knew to stay away from when it came to playing Mercy!

Give Thanks Thankfully, the Lord our God does not have this same characteristic.  He is a God of mercy, many times not giving what we deserve, or withholding punishment we have earned.  In this season of Thanksgiving, I want to give thanks for our God of mercy.

His Mercy is Great  David knew well of God's mercy as he had received it countless times.  Later in his reign,  David made the mistake of taking a census to see how many troops he possessed, forgetting what he had believed as a lad with five smooth stones and a sling standing foolishly against a giant. At that time, when Saul told him how absurd it was for a mere boy to go against the mighty warrior of Goliath, David proclaimed, "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1Samuel 17:37)  After the census incident, David confessed his foolishness of depending on the might of his army instead of his God, and the Lord gave him three options for punishment.  Either his people would suffer three years of famine, he would run from his enemies for three months, or there would be three days of plagues in the land.  David replied, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” (2 Samuel 24:14)  David knew the Lord is a God of mercy and would rather put himself into God's hands rather than mans'. 

Mercy is His  The Israelites experienced the mercy of God many times while wandering in the desert.  They were described by God as a "stiff-necked people," constantly turning away from Him and to their own wicked ways.  On one particular occasion, when Moses returned from the mountain with the Ten Commandments, the people were worshipping a golden calf and God's anger burned against them, desiring to kill the entire nation of Israel and start over with Moses.  God relented, for His own namesake and to preserve His promise, and instead punished them with a plague for their sin.  Then, He reminded Moses that,"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Exodus 33:19) Mercy belongs to God, and only He decides when He uses it.  I must always remember that I live in a constant state of being at God's mercy.

Mercy Brings Hope   The greatest act of mercy God ever committed was in sending His Son to die on the cross, taking the punishment we deserve for our sins.  The apostle Peter understood this well, as evidenced by the opening lines of his first letter to the believers scattered throughout the land during the time of the early church.  He wrote, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade." (1 Peter 1:3-4)  We now have the hope of heaven and a relationship with a holy God thanks to this great act of mercy!

Mercy of a Loving God  I can never thank God enough for the mercy He has shown me.  I like how English poet, lawyer and priest John Donne described the mercy of God.  "We are God's tenants here, and yet here he, our landlord, pays us rents-not yearly, nor quarterly, but hourly and quarterly; every minute he renews his mercy."  Everything we hold dear; our life, health, family, friends, are all due to God's great mercies!

As I begin this day and prepare for Thanksgiving, it is my prayer that I can keep God's mercies fresh in my mind, retaining a spirit of thankfulness throughout the day.

Where have I held an attitude of entitlement, expecting mercy where it is not mine to assume?

How have I been unmerciful to others?