Thursday, May 24, 2012    

Who’s Guiding You?

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

My journey through Isaiah continued today. And once again it wasn’t the main point of a particular verse that caught my attention…but rather the secondary message. I could have easily ignored the primary message. The secondary message? Not so much. Here’s the passage:

Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.

Isaiah 8:19-20, NLT

See, it would be easy for me to walk right past that first part. I don’t “consult the spirits of the dead”. I’m not even into astrology. Have always found that dangerous on one extreme and just plain silly on the other extreme.

But that second part I can’t ignore: “Shouldn’t people ask God for guidance?” Of course we should, but do we? Not often enough. James makes the point crystal clear: “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (James 4:2, NLT).

Sometimes I make it even worse. Sometimes I ask God, but then ignore the answer (if I even take the time to stop and listen in the first place). Which is stupid. And this passage points out the ignorance by painting a contrast. People will seek answers from dead spirits, but we won’t take the time to ask the Living God for guidance. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

I think I might be running for president of this particular club. But I’m working on doing better. I’m trying to stop and listen more—to seek His guidance and direction. It takes practice. It takes effort. It takes intentionality. But He’s always there…and He’s got a plan (see Jeremiah 29:11) much better than anything I could come up with. If I’d only listen…

04.05.2010 Devotional, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Binding Yourself

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

I have been slowly reading through the book of Jeremiah over the past couple of months. Sometimes the reading is good…sometimes it’s painful (a little slow and repetitive). Overall, the message is good even today: Stay true to God and don’t let idols come between your relationship with Him. That’s what Israel had done. They had the real thing—God—but they chose a substitute—idols. And boy did they ever pay for their actions…70 years of captivity!

We do the same thing…or at least I do (and I’m sure I’m the only one). I substitute my relationship with God to often. Why? I’m not always sure. Maybe because it’s easier? Maybe I think God will ask me to do something I don’t want to do. Maybe I’m just weak like the Israelites?

A lot of Jeremiah is about God talking about how angry and disappointed He is with Israel. It’s about His punishment of Israel…telling His children why He is punishing them. It’s hard to read because I often deserve the same sort of reaction from God (but thank Him for His grace and mercy through Christ!).

This morning I was reading in chapter 50 (almost done)…and I almost missed something important. God is talking about the end of Israel’s punishment…of the time when they will come home. And this is what He says:

They will bind themselves to the Lord with an
eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.
(Jeremiah 50:5b)

That  hit me right between the eyes (once God’s Spirit got my attention and brought me back to it). I need to bind myself to God too. I need to be so close to Him that I am bound to Him forever. Christ does that for us…I just need to get closer and let it happen.

11.08.2009 Devotional, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

Like Static Cling

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

I gotta tell you, I am getting way more out of my study of Jeremiah than I thought I would (I know, not much faith huh?). I am 13 chapters into the book and I must say that I am starting to feel…just a little…for Israel. God is putting the hammer down on them. They deserve it for turning to idols instead of turning to God, but He is really letting them have it.

Why? Because He loves them. And He’s a jealous God…very jealous. This morning’s reading gave a little insight into what is frustrating God so much. God has Jeremiah buy and then bury a loincloth. God waits (I am assuming for a looooong time) and then tells Jeremiah to go dig it back up. It’s completely ruined…”good for nothing” is what Jeremiah calls it. And that’s when God makes his real point:

As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist,
so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord.
They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—
an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.
Jeremiah 13:11, NLT

God was frustrated because He had created Israel to cling to Him…but instead they turned from Him. It broke His heart (so to speak). He wanted relationship with His people and they walked away…they ignored God and turned to idols instead.

Ouch.

God created me…us…for that very same relationship. He wants me to cling to Him…to be His pride and glory. Too often I blow it and turn away from Him instead. I want to listen to Him. I want to walk with Him.

I want to cling to Him…like static cling!

03.06.2009 Devotional, God's Love, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

Gentle Change

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

I had a great time with God this morning. The hotel room is quiet; I have a diet Pepsi at my side…and God was speaking (and perhaps more importantly…I was listening). I am currently walking through the book of Jeremiah and reading Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning. This morning they came together.

Manning was talking about how often we treat “life like as a series of disconnected episodes” with no meaning or value to them. But nothing could be further from the truth. We are just looking in the wrong place for the meaning and value (or ignoring it altogether after a lifetime of disappointment):

The dark riddle of life is illuminated in Jesus; the meaning, purpose, and goal of everything that happens to us, and the way to make it all count can be learned only from the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

All day and every day we are being reshaped into the image of Christ. Everything that happens to us is designed to this end. (Abba’s Child, page 108).

Life is about being transformed into the image of Christ. Life is not a mistake of circumstances. Life doesn’t just happen. It is designed and used by God with our best interests at heart. And Jeremiah understood this. In the midst of God railing about the destructive influence of idols, Jeremiah prays this prayer:

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.
Jeremiah 10:23-24a, NLT

That is my prayer this morning. I know God is at work changing me into His image. And it’s hard work…I’m stubborn and thick-headed. I want Him to correct, change, and transform me. I just pray that He will be gentle in doing it and that I will be more aware of the intentionality of His purpose in my life. Life is NOT haphazard. God is using my life to change me…gently.

31.05.2009 Devotional, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Re-entry

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

School is over. Homework is done. Graduation is complete.

It’s hard to believe. I am still in “re-entry” mode to a large degree…even blogging again is a little therapeutic. The past month has been so full…so busy…that blogging has taken a backseat. But I’m back now. And I need a place to work through my thoughts and feelings…and God’s workings. And He has been working, I just haven’t been writing about it.

Now that school is over there is The Big Question: What’s next?

I started reading Jeremiah this week and came across this passage:

This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.”
(Jeremiah 6:16, NLT)

That’s how I feel right now..like I am standing at the crossroads looking around. And I want to take the “godly way” and walk in it and find rest for my soul. So I have been praying for God’s leading and direction for the “What’s Next?” question.

Here’s what’s clear: My education may be done, but He’s not done working on me yet. There is more internal work left to be done. I may have some book knowledge but God wants my heart…He wants me. And He has more to do within me. As His child. As a father. As a husband. I need to take some time to be sure my heart and soul are ready for whatever is next.

And I am ready for this part of the journey as well. I get the sense that it will be this way for a couple of months. I submit to this process. I need this. So I stop and look down the crossroads. I ask for the Godly way. I will walk in it. I will travel its path. I will find rest for my soul.

27.05.2009 Misc Ramblings, School, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Cling to Him

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

Time for a little confession. This past week has been especially busy (no, that’s not the confession). What has paid the price? Mostly my time with God (there it is). I have been spending “time” with Him, but not the kind of focused attention that He deserves…my mind has been on other things.

This weekend we took our usual Labor Day camping weekend trip up to Como. As usual, it was good time with family and friends. And it was relaxing…something I needed, but that I am paying for now since I still have a big paper due in my class. During the one good time I spent with God this weekend I was confessing how I have been neglecting my relationship with Him. And as usual, He gave me something to chew on in return. Here it is:

As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist,
so I created Judah and Israel [and David] to cling to me, says the Lord.
They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name.
But they would not listen to me.
Jeremiah 13:11, NLT

Yes, I made a little personal addition there…but that is how God spoke to me. I was made to cling to Him.

Do I always do it? No.
Do I often? Guilty again.
Am I learning? Yes.

So today, in the midst of the busyness and craziness of life I am trying to cling to Him and turn to Him more and more. How about you? Do you cling to God when life gets crazy? Or do you cling to something else?

03.09.2008 Devotional, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments