Archives for February 2015

“What I’m dealing with is nothing compared to what so many others are going through.”

This is what so many of us say when we’re facing something hard in our day.  Our intent is good. We don’t want to be whiners. We don’t want to magnify what seems so small compared to …

a cancer diagnosis,

the loss of a spouse,

the horrors children are facing in war-torn countries.

So, we minimize the day’s trouble and count our blessings.

But, if we minimize the day’s trouble, we may be missing the glory.

Today’s trouble may be just the tool God is using to

shape your heart to more distinctly resemble Christ’s,

strain the dross from your passions leaving only that which is pure.

stir your longing for the eternal rather than the temporary.

Every single trouble of your day, no matter how relatively small, can have glorious purpose.  Don’t minimize your trouble and miss the glory.  

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. 2 Corinthians 4:17

God has purpose in what he shows you.

Often his purpose is a glorious show-and tell.  God shows. We tell.  Not to give direction, or bring condemnation. Not a “word from the Lord” that will alter their life path. But most often … to encourage others, build them up. And always to point them to Christ. God shows. We tell.

God has purpose in what he shows you.

He may show you hidden treasure that’s  just for you. But often what he shows you is for you to tell. 

God showed Ezekiel a vision of restoration to tell with the nation of Israel.

He showed Mary the reality of resurrection to tell the disciples.

He showed that precious Samaritan woman the depth of her need and the beauty of all he offered to tell a forsaken village.

God has purpose in what he shows you. And often his purpose is a glorious show-and-tell.  What is he showing you today?  Who will you tell?

Set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel. Ezekiel 40:4

We knew we’d have a few students for dinner. But then … this happened.

On Saturday afternoon groups of three, five, ten trickled in the door until the count stood at 36.  Sara Maria checked in with me, “Mom, is this okay?”  Jordan chopped chicken and added broth to the Prairie Corn Chowder. And God did his loaves and fishes thing.

When Bill and I were just starting out as parents, we had a vision. A vision that God would use us to raise up the next generation of true worshippers.  We prayed that this would start in our own household. But even more that God would use our children to ignite their generation. 

On Saturday, these students from Christopher Newport, Liberty, and William and Mary were an answer to this prayer.

In town for a worship conference, they honored us by joining us for dinner. In them we saw beauty, and the power of God. We saw hope.   

In the midst of blizzards, arms disputes, orphan statistics, ISIS … God is working. He’s igniting a generation who are loving him and loving others with deep passion, deep purpose. On Saturday night … we saw hope.  

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Psalm 145:4

What is God showing you?

In the beauty, the pain? In his Word? Through prayer? In dreams and visions?

What is God showing you?

Through the people he has placed in your life? Through seemingly random events?

What is God showing you?

Pause today and consider that he has glory to reveal to you.  Maybe, just maybe, you have been brought to this very point precisely because he has hidden treasures to show you.

“… for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you…” Ezekiel 40:5

Maybe life doesn’t make much sense right now. There’s tragedy in your own household. Or your community.

Maybe there’s too much pain in the world, or in your own heart. You’re going through the motions, but inside your heart, inside your head … there’s just too much.

Maybe you’ve made mistakes you can’t fix. Or it turns out that the grass you thought was greener was really just coated in a thin veneer. And you want to go home. But you don’t think that you can.

Maybe you’re doubting that God is real. Thinking that you just followed your culture, or your family, or in a moment of weakness you needed a crutch.  And you think that you might just stop trying to believe. You might just walk away.

Instead of walking away, or giving up, or checking out … can I ask you to do one thing?  Can I ask you to sit with Jesus?  Just sit with him?

Now, I know this takes a measure of faith. And if your faith is too dried up, just open your Bible. Open it to the book of John and read it with one goal in mind … to see Jesus.

As you read about the Word made flesh, watch him call Nathanael, turn water to wine, bring hope to Nicodemus, heal the man who had been disabled for 38 years … watch Jesus.

Watch what he does, how he speaks, how he loves, how he lives. Watch how he dies. Watch Jesus.

When life doesn’t make sense watch Jesus. Watch Jesus and set your heart on him. In the midst of it all. Set your heart on him.

Set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Ezekiel 40:4

Out of town for a get-away with just the two of us, Bill and I spent the first night in separate beds.  Seriously.

With all the pressure of this past year, we had begun to settle for parallel.

Do you know what I mean? Sometimes the demands of life require a season of parallel, of divide and conquer.

But, if the season lingers, you are in danger of losing oneness. This is what happened with us.

Heading into the get-away, we knew we needed connection. We knew we needed to work. And so, we had two brand new copies of this book with us.

When we went to bed alone that first night, we each took our copy with us. Neither of us slept much. But we read, and underlined, and took notes into the wee hours.

The next morning we began the hard work away from parallel and back to oneness.  

Maybe your marriage is in a similar place. A season of divide and conquer is lingering. You’re headed in the same direction, on parallel tracks even. But you miss oneness.

If you realize that you’re settling for parallel, here’s what I’d suggest:

Life is hard. The demands are great. And sometimes the workload requires a season of parallel. But don’t let the season linger. Don’t settle for parallel.

They are no longer two but one. Matthew 19:6

So often I am calling us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Even when it takes Herculean effort … I’m calling you and me to turn our face to Jesus and rivet our gaze toward him.

And yet, right here, in the middle of Ezekiel. In the middle of destruction, and devastation, and doomsday … we have this beautiful jewel.

“I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel,” declares the Lord. Ezekiel 39:29

If you have trusted Christ with your life, if you’ve turned away from your way and chosen his way…

If you’ve said simply, “Jesus, I need you…”

Then the Lord has poured out his Spirit upon you and his face is toward you.

Even if you don’t feel the warmth of his breath.

Or the nearness of his gaze.

Even if he seems so silent.

And so far away.

Even if every circumstance tells you that he is hiding his face from you, don’t believe it. His face is toward you.

Today, if working to fix your eyes upon him seems impossible, simply lift your eyes, dear one, and take comfort in this beautiful jewel.

His face is toward you.