Out with the Old

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 

I was reminded yesterday of how far God has brought me in my transformation from the old me to the new me. It was sobering. 
I received an unsolicited message from someone that I had deeply wounded by my words almost 35 years ago.  
WHAT? 
35 years ago?  "Whose problem is THAT?", you may be asking.
Well, it was not mine until it came to my attention... and then I had a decision.  Do I "own" it or just ignore it and leave it lie?
I read this message several times and even thought back to so many things: 

• who I was then
• where I was in Christ then
• how young and impetuous I was
• all that was going on in my life as a 12 and 13 year old
• what my heart must have been feeling

So many thought rushed through my mind and then I realized - I HAVE to own this.  I have to address THIS injustice from my youth!

For those of you who know me now and maybe did not know me then - I was a self-centered, angry, arrogant and prideful kid who was watching his "family" fall apart for a second time in under five years. 

My responses to all of that were not the right responses but at the time I did not really know how to express what I was feeling so i was mean to those that I decided were "less important" than me.  I was meanly sarcastic, I looked for people to make fun of, I embarrassed people to make myself look better than them. I had said the "prayer of salvation" but as of that point I do not think that the love of God had pierced my heart like it has today. 

In fact, I can point back to several events from that time through the end of my college years where I knew God was drawing me in to His chest and breaking my heart to reshape it in a new way!

However, that certainly does not mean that I am excused from my past behaviors or that there are no consequences from them.  I do know that I am forgiven (both by God and even by many of the individuals whom I have scarred) but forgiveness does not remove consequences.

So when I read and re-read this message, it broke my heart. It reminded me of the journey upon which I find myself and know that as I look toward the goal of the prize for which I have been called, I also look back and see some of the carnage that I have left in my wake.  I am NOT who I was.  I am NOT who I want to be.  But, I am on a journey of living each moment in the presence of the Almighty God and if He chooses to wreck me.. then so be it...it will be for His glory.  If He chooses to bless me... then so be it... but let me be blessed for His glory alone. I am confident of this - He is still at work in me and I can take comfort in knowing that there is NO BETTER PLACE to be than in the HAND of the ONLY FEARSOME and ALL-POWERFUL God of the UNIVERSE!

 So... what did I do?
The only thing that I knew to do - 

(what do I always say? "The right thing to do is often the hardest thing to do, but in the end, God blesses") 

- I apologized for my actions and words that scarred someone deeply almost 35 years ago that I just now discovered I had done. It was the only right thing to do.  

God is not finished with me yet - nor is He finished with YOU 

(you're still breathing right? cuz if you are still breathing than God is not finished with you yet).

Keep the faith, press on, do not let past actions, words, sins and behaviors wrap you up, define you or discourage you!  Face them, welcome them so that you can lay them at the feet of the only One that can make you whole again.  Ask God to give you strength to trust Him each day with all that comes your way.
I am so glad that the New Management in my life is having a "clearance event" to get rid of the old and transform it into something new and beautiful. Be glad, also!

I am Totally Self-Sufficient!

You know the one thing that we want seems to be self-sufficiency.  We do not want to have to depend upon anyone else.  We seem to hate the idea of needing someone or something.  As I watch TV or a movie I so often see people striving for this goal of financial independence because the will make life so much easier.  As I talk to people it seems like that "raise" or "a few more hours" will be all I need to "get ahead".

• No one LIKES the idea of being forced to depend upon another person.  
• No one LIKES the fact that we need something that we cannot provide for ourselves.  
• No one LIKES the truth that even when someone feels like they reach that point -

(you know, the point where I have all the money I need, a large savings account for a buffer, the cars I WANT, the vacation dreams coming true, the house paid off, the investments for the future, the technology I desire, the food on the table and now worries about where anything comes from) - that point...

 NO ONE WANTS TO FACE THE TRUTH THAT IF THEY REACH THAT POINT - THEY ARE STILL NOT SATISFIED!

Why?  Because we are chasing the wrong thing!  No one can ever be self-sufficient.  It is not possible.
Oops... one exception:

Today's Name of God... El Shaddai.

• El - "The one who comes before", "to be strong" (this Hebrew word describes One who is The Strong One)  That is a great start to a name!  
• Shaddai - this comes from the root words "sha" and "dai".   "Sha" meaning "the one who" and "dai" meaning "is sufficient"

Put it together - God is El Shaddai - He is the One who comes before all else and is the Strong One that is sufficient.  

I love that we can just say the phrase and realize that maybe something is missing on the end... sufficient for what.  

Truthfully, it is open-ended.  Sufficient FOR everything! Sufficient IN everything!  

• El Shaddai needs NO ONE!  
• El Shaddai wants for nothing!
• El Shaddai is self-sufficient!
• El Shaddai has no NEED that He cannot meet on His own!

As I read in the book of Job this morning, I was struck by the strength of Job's trust in God and the admission that God is in control.  He is the one who "gives and takes away" but regardless of the condition he was in Job says "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  

Here is a man that saw God in the right way and KNEW that if his trust was in the self-sufficient strong God of the universe then his current condition could be endured since his trust was not in himself, his own sufficiency or his own power and possessions (which were all stripped away).  

Job had every opportunity to say that he was self-sufficient and yet he was considered a righteous man that feared God and avoided evil in every area of his life.  He never placed his trust in what he had or who he was but rather he gave it all to The Strong One Who Is Sufficient!

 I know people at Osceola Grace that know God in this way.  They depend upon Him each minute of every day to make it through.  They do not place their trust in people, family, possession, wealth, position or religion but only in Jesus Christ!

Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Stop depending upon your own ability to be sufficient and admit that you are not!  Only God.  El Shaddai!

More to "Seeing" than Watching

Psalm 139 tells us "O Lord, You have searched me and you know me."  It is an interesting reminder that God searches our hearts.  He can see and discern what is inside of us - good and bad!  Verse 4 of that Psalm goes on to say, "Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord."

Depending upon on your typical responses to people - this can be a good thing or a bad thing.  God sees the response before we utter it!  But as we are tuned in to his Spirit (as it says at the end of Gal. 5 to "keep in step with the Spirit") we can be sure to encourage when encouragement is needed and we can be sure to exhort, challenge or come alongside someone when that is the need and when we see people the way that God sees them!

However, on the other hand, if we tend to be critical and to not be in tune with the Spirit then He also sees our normal and natural response to situations which may not be so positive.  

I love that God tells us In Hebrews 4:12 that as we read His Word, it reveals to us our internal motives. It shows us who we really are and then we have a choice with what we will do with that revelation.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. ..."

He sees our actions and He discerns our motives.  

He strengthens the heart of those who have made a firm commitment to live to glorify God.

I want a strong heart!

Make this your prayer today:

"O Lord, as you search me and as you watch my actions would you show me how to be completely committed to you?  I want to love you with all of my heart, soul and mind. I want my thoughts, my words and my actions that follow to be pleasing to you and to bring glory to you.  Use me to plant seeds that will bring someone a step closer to the cross today."

  

Someone is Watching YOU!

This morning I enjoyed sitting in my favorite chair with a cup of steaming hot coffee reading the story of Hagar (Abram's wife's servant) and Sarai (Abram's wife).  Not that it is that exciting of a story or that I enjoyed the unfolding of the story because it is really a sad story in several ways.  Sarai was aging and knew that Abram wanted a child (a son, to be more specific).  For some reason unknown to Sarai, she has never been able to conceive so she insists that he take Hagar as a wife and try to have a child with her.  

He agrees (his first mistake) and she conceives and is quite "proud" of this seeming to flaunt it to Sarai (Hagar's first mistake). Sarai then blames Abram - even though this was her brain child to start with - and treats Hagar so badly that she flees into the desert to get away. 

Now, here is what I love about this story.  God comforts this woman in the desert by a spring because he sees her there and sends an angel to interact with her. 

What is so special about this whole thing?  

The way that the character of God is revealed in this story is what makes it special to me!

When the angel speaks to Hagar and she responds with saying, "You are the God who sees me".  In the English translation (NIV), we have added the "me" for clarification and the name that she speaks toward God is really "El Roi" - "The God who SEES". (Genesis 16:13)

Isn't that great!  HE SEES!

In my darkest hour - He sees!
In my finest hour - He sees!
In pain or pleasure - He sees!
In joy or sorrow - He sees!

Psalm 139 says that:  

when I sit or stand,
when I come in or leave,
when I try to hide or escape Him,
when I run away or to Him

He sees!

Every time I am reminded of this Name of God - it brings me comfort and confidence that whenever I feel alone, discouraged or defeated I can KNOW without a shadow of a doubt in my heart that my God sees me in whatever condition I find myself and He has already sent the exact thing that I need to bring me back to a place of worshipping in His presence.  I love it when that card, person, or email shows up at just the perfect time to remind me that God SEES!

The end of the story... the angel of God pronounces a great promise to Hagar and commands her to return to Sarai and submit to her.  Hagar obeys, praises God and is blessed with a child named Ishmael meaning "God Hears". (another blog for another day? maybe so)

Know this - God sees where yo are in this stage of life and wants you to willingly continue to worship Him and follow His word with the faith that He has already set things in motion to bring you encouragement!

It's Crazy How God Works!

I shared last how I committed to praying for the car in front of me when I was tempted to yell at them for driving too slow, right?  Well, last week was pretty amazing in this way.
Eight times last week I found myself behind drivers that were just plodding along at speeds well BELOW the speed limits.  However, I was reminded every time to pray for them and so I did.

• I prayed that God would touch their lives.
• I prayed that they would encounter and experience the love of God this day.
• I prayed that their hearts would be open to hear from God,
• and I prayed that they would be blessed by God in some way.

Then I thought about God - The first thing that I thought about (I must confess) was how infinite He was and I think that was prompted by how long I was feeling like it was going to take us to get our destination!
Here is the absolutely amazing praise that I offer up to My God in this post today...

Last week I spent eight times in worship of my God that I would have normally spent in sin by verbally berating other drivers.  God spoke to my heart and prompted me to practice what I have been preaching and to find one more way to live in His presence in another moment of my day.

 

I do not share this to boast about me or my accomplishments but to give praise and honor to My God for helping me address a very specific area of sin that I was ignoring and to replace it with a few more moments in His presence during my day.  What I have found to be incredible is that when I allow myself to be aware of the Spirit in my life, I actually open myself up to correcting sin and improving worship at the same time.

It is Philippians 4:8 in practice!  Praise be to God for His Holy Spirit being freed up to act in another area of my life - let Him do the same in your life today!  Pray for other drivers and see how that causes you to focus upon Him rather than freely feed our sinful nature!