pleasing God

While taking the Lord's supper last Sunday, this phrase rang out in my head--loud and clear as a church bell: "It pleased the Lord to crush him, and put him to grief," translated (roughly) from Isaiah 53:10. Thinking that no Father could be pleased with the bruising of his son, and hoping that it didn't mean what it said, I decided to dissect the word at my earliest opportunity. Turns out, that's exactly what it means: Pleased. I was hoping for 'satisfied,' as in the law being fulfilled. Nope. Pleased...as in made happy.


Why God? How could you possibly be pleased with the suffering of your Son? I don't understand...


Since that day, I've been mulling it over like a kid working on a giant jaw breaker. I'm not to the gumball center yet, but as of now this is what I believe must be true. The only possible reason for God the Father to be pleased in the bruising and crushing of his only Son, is what it would accomplish for us. After all, it wasn't exactly necessary for the atonement of mankind. Shedding of blood was the only requirement to cover/blot out sins. What then did the bruising and crushing produce for God's expanding family? Our Healing.


"But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes, we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

knowing Him

"Lord, we want to learn more about you," I heard the man pray.

My mother died when I was 3, so the only memories I have of her are probably fabricated. Over the years though, I've been blessed to learn some things about her. My Dad told me that she loved to laugh. Uncle Larry testified that I have her personality. I know from my older siblings that she was affectionate with her children. And I believe she was a woman of faith. Knowing about something or someone can't be compared to actually knowing them. But knowing about her does make me want to know her more. To experience her. To look into her face. To tell her I love her.

Maybe that's what the man meant. I hope it was.

Paul said it best. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection..." Phil. 3:10

I want to know you, Lord, and the power of your resurrection.

who's in control?

Wow! Do I look lighter, or what?

Worry happens when I forget that God is in control. It's my attempt to take His place in order to control situations or people or outcomes, and is about as helpful as when I lend my assistance to lift something heavy. Say we're moving a piano, and there are already 3 or 4 strong men--one on each corner of the thing, veins popping, faces reddening--and along I come to 'lend my assistance.' I try with all my might to help raise the weight. Nothing changes. The piano is being moved, but not by me. My assistance amounts to nothing more than a futile expenditure of effort on my part, as well as a hindrance to the One who is moving it.

God is in control. Period. He is still on His throne.

The great, weight-lifting news in that is this: I AM NOT IN CONTROL! Consequently, that also relieves me of the responsibility of controlling.

I am not responsible for the following: 1) My children's salvation, job choices, or overall well-being. God promises to keep that which I entrust to Him. 2) The happiness of others. People generally get glad in the same britches they got mad in. Let them. 3) 'Fixing' other people's bad choices. Saving someone from their own consequences usually just ties God's hands. And its simply not my job. What it boils down to is this: I am not responsible for everybody's everything. To think that I am, comes straight from the one who thought he wanted to take God's throne.

What then am I responsible for? Trusting God. He is able. "He upholds all things by the word of his power." Heb. 1:3. All things.

Stay Connected

Over the last few days, we suddenly found ourselves without internet service at home. I didn't realize how dependent I'd become on being able to 'log on' at will. My lunch hour was spent researching, toubleshooting, then racing home from work to try some new 'fix' for my dilemma. Each evening, I plugged and unplugged, shut down and restarted, all to no avail. Finally, on the 3rd day, I decided to call my ISP. After pushing the right series of numbers, I was connected to their technician--in India. He listened patiently as I complained about how long we'd been disconnected. Then the pleasant young man asked in his native accent, "Why didn't you call us sooner? This will be easy to remedy."

My problem? No connection.

Hindsight is always clearer than you want it to be. When was the last time I rushed home to 'connect' to the Lord? When have I ever spent hours researching, just to be able to 'log on' to His website?


I Cor. 6:17
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Lord Jesus, I want to stay connected to you.

In Him

In Him I live, and move, and have my being. In Him.

A bad day doesn't move me out of Him. Neither does losing my temper. On the other hand, praising Him doesn't change my position either. I am in Him. It is my state of being, and is not conditional or transient in nature.

If I'm living, I'm in Him.
If I'm moving, I'm in Him.
If I am being, I'm in Him.

give thanks

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thes. 5:18


Thank you, Lord for every circumstance and situation that draws us closer to you.

When I first became a mom I thought, "If I do everything right, I can keep my child from crying." Bad mistake. Come to find out, crying is actually beneficial to the development of their little lungs; it's the only way they can communicate. As my children have grown, that same lie still permeates my subconscious: "Somehow, if I do everything right, they will never experience pain, or disappointment, or even defeat." Again, bad mistake.

Thank you, Lord for every circumstance and situation that draws us closer to you.

I'd like to believe its the good times that bring us nearer to God. But I think all too often it's the difficult times instead. ICU waiting rooms. Negative test results. Car wrecks. Job stress, or stress that comes from no job. Death of a loved one. You get where I'm going. These are the 'circumstances and situations' that drive me to my knees (and sometimes even to my face) to seek my Father. Why would my kids be any different?

Maybe this is how He causes 'all things to work together for good, for those who love Him, for the called according to His purpose.' Romans 8:28

Therefore, I will thank you Lord for every circumstance and situation that draws us closer to you.

mercy

"...mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:13

Mercy glories against / exults over / is arrogant toward judgment.

A woman caught in the very act of adultery was drug into court. She was, beyond a doubt, guilty as charged. The law had been given. It was carved in stone: "When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex. 31:18.
She stood alone in the midst of her accusers, surrounded by judgment. Among their scornful faces was one that was different. The only one in the crowd who could judge righteously. The face of mercy.

"But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground." (John 8:6)
We're never told what Jesus wrote.

Doesn't it stand to reason that when mercy is declared, it too is written by the finger of God?

judgment condemns, mercy sets free

judgment puffs up, mercy brings humility

judgment holds some good cards,

but mercy plays the trump card on every hand

Mercy wins every time.

Lord, let Your mercy triumph over my judgment, too.

newsflash!

"Jesus wept" John 11:35

When my boys were in youth group, and they were called on to quote scripture, John 11:35 was recited more often than not. (A scathing testimony to their lack of bible training on my part.) Nevertheless, they were quoting The Word...however concise. And though this is the shortest verse in the whole of scripture, these two words couldn't be more pregnant with the ability to make us scratch our heads and ask, "WHY?"

Why would the Son of the Living God, the one by whom, for whom, and through whom ALL things were made and consist, not to mention the ONLY human being on earth who could actually remedy the situation of Lazaras' death, CRY?

I was pondering this reality recently, and I think I got a glimpse into at least one facet of the WHY. Jesus, God with skin on, was, is, and will always be an emotional God! Whohoo! He's not a stone-faced stoic, but he is "moved by the feelings of our infirmities." How great is that?

It's a stretch here, but maybe, just maybe when I allow myself to show emotion in worship, I'M ACTING LIKE JESUS!

storms

"I was sure by now / That You would have reached down / And wiped our tears away / stepped in and saved the day / but once again, I say "Amen," and it's still raining"


It's storming. Again. Not just on the outside, but on the inside--in my soul. My heart is covered in a thick, wet blanket. Every scripture I know eludes me. Tears are gathering, anxious to fall.


Anyone who's ever flown out of Sea-Tac airport knows this story. The day of your flight is overcast at best, probably raining. You take your seat by the window and look out over the glassy tarmack, and watch the men load luggage, their yellow slickers glistening. The plane taxi's down the runway and finally lifts her nose into the dreary, gray, soggy air. Your stomach sinks as thrust kicks in, and into the gloom you climb. Rain slaps the window and runs off in streaks.

And then I hear the word. Your word.

Out the window, you watch the clouds begin to thin, like fog burning off. You close your eyes, and feel warmth. In a flash, the brightest light pours over the top of the clouds. You squint your eyes and look up...look all around--as far around as the tiny portal window allows--and all you can see is blue sky. Azure blue, baby blue, sky blue. No more rain. No more clouds. From this altitude upward there's nothing but light, and sun, and clarity. Crystal clarity.

"I'll praise You in this storm / and I will lift my hands / For You are who You are / No matter where I am / Every tear I've cried / You hold in Your hand / You never left my side / And though my heart is torn...

I WILL PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM."

holiness

For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Ps. 103:14

Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. Acts 7:33

So…how does ground get to be holy? Do all the molecules behave themselves, or does the earth follow some sort of program to achieve supreme righteousness? Did the holy dirt look down on the surrounding unholy dirt, and scoff, “If you had only been more like me, you could be holy, too?” What made that dirt special? What could’ve transformed the ground beneath Moses’ feet ‘ into holy ground?

I think the dirt beneath Moses’ feet was just that—dirt. Made up of the same elements that make up any soil--the same molecules that make up you and me. So the reason it could be deemed ‘holy’ wasn’t due to some action or activity on the part of the dirt, because no matter how hard it works, or strives, it is still unholy ground. The transforming factor then, has to be the ‘Who’. The difference between the holy ground, and the surrounding unholy ground was the presence of the one who is Holy. The Holy One was there. The Holy One had shown up. And where the Lord is, is Holy. Where the Lord is, holiness permeates to the uttermost. Great news for this dusty girl.