I’m Baaa-aaack!

I am back for real this time.  Or at least I think so—at least a little while.  I have missed you!  I have missed processing this journey called life with you.  Really, I have missed processing at all.  Life seems to get so crazy busy and I just run out of time, or plan poorly, or get lazy.  Or maybe all of the above.

Anyway, I was moved this morning as I was reflecting on something I read in Jesus Calling (a devotional book by Sarah Young).  I love the little kernels of truth she offers in daily doses. Today’s truth focus was from 2 Cor. 12:9–a timely reminder for me that His power is made perfect in my weakness.  I love how she paraphrases it especially, “Rejoice in your insufficiency, knowing that My power is made perfect in weakness.”

It is easy for me to gravitate toward focusing on my insufficiency–whether my personality or body-shape flaws, or those material things I lack–a fancy car, maid-service, personal trainer and short order chef.  (If any of you are interested in filling one or more of those roles, let me know.  The salary offers a plethora of zeroes, with lots of commas, following a zero.)

But in my most recent past–as in about 2-4 weeks–I have been focusing very intentionally on God’s SUFFICIENCY. It is not about what I lack, it is about who He is. There are some specific situations in our life where He will HAVE to do something.  Our need is so far outside the realm of possibility for us, and my own inadequacy is so great, that I am in a place of utter dependence on the Lord.  We all are.  All the time.  We just often don’t remember that as we foolishly, time and again, fall into the trap of believing self-sufficiency actually exists.

So for now, I truly will rejoice in my inadequacy.  As an American, I am overly blessed–probably even spoiled–and rarely encounter my need for God in such a crystal clear way.  So today, I will embrace my awareness of my inadequacy for what it is, “a rich blessing, training me to rely wholeheartedly on God” (Young, p.125)

Delightful

God takes great delight in you. Did you know that? Do you believe that our Heavenly father truly delights in you? To delight means: to find a great amount of pleasure or joy in; rapture.

Are you a parent? Do you delight in your children? The smiles; the laughs; the funny things they say? Remember the time you most strongly felt that sense of amazed delightedness? Now multiply that by infinity and you will know how God feels about you. He delights in you, my friend.

Even when you are acting far from delightful, He takes great delight in you and rejoices over you with singing.

Amazing, isn’t it?

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
—–Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

1 Samuel 16:7

I have a song stuck in my head. It is from one of the many CDs K chooses to listen to when she falls asleep. It is from the Songs for Saplings collection that K got from some good friends a couple years ago. All the songs are scripture verses set to music. I love it. Well, I don’t love the musical quality, as it leaves a bit to be desired. But I do love that it is quoting scripture as lyrics.

The one stuck in my head goes something like this: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). It is really just a portion of the verse, but it is definitely a good reminder to have stuck in my head.

I so often fall into the trap of caring too much what other people think. The only opinion that really matters is God’s. He is the only one who can speak and understand the individual language of the heart. May I remember, in those moments when I fall prey to believing that the opinion of man is to be valued above God’s.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7

Spiritual Prayer Rugs

I opened a piece of mail addressed to “resident” this morning. Given the envelope, I expected a plea to help the hungry or purchase Bibles for a third world country. I don’t mind those letters. It takes money to make ministry happen sometimes–it is the nature of our world.

Instead, I was invited to purchase a prayer rug. Apparently, God will only hear and answer my prayers if I use this special rug to pray on. Really?!

The deal was sweetened by the fact that someone used this rug to pray $46,000 into existence. I mean who doesn’t need thousands to supplement their regular income or for an extra special something?! Sign me up!

Apparently if I do not use this spiritual rug to pray, the Lord cannot answer my prayers or reveal to me my future. As if! I think this is one of the most insulting things I have ever read. It makes me sad that some people are desperate enough to believe in a spiritual prayer rug, or they believe so wrongly about God that they think they are not good enough to approach The One who created them and loves them to the point of death on a cross.

I am confident that God can and will do what He wants–with or without a “special rug.” Seems to me this “church” is confused about who holds the power. The power of MY God–THE ONE TRUE LIVING GOD is not confined to a spiritual prayer rug–or anything else for that matter.

If you get one of those special letters, or anything like it, do not be fooled into thinking you need a special spiritual anything for God to hear you and answer. You need to believe He is who He says He is, and have an attitude of submission to His plan. Or at least a willingness to get to a point of submission–or to admit you need to be willing.

May I suggest you respond to that letter in a similar fashion to how I did? Rip it up and throw it away! Or, if you are a true Oregonian–rip it up and recycle it. I do believe in the God of redemption. But I am not convinced the paper that letter is on is worthy to be recycled. It is a good thing I am not the final judge and God is. He does not look to the object (or person) for a level of worthiness–He looks at Jesus on the cross.