Making Shelters

Luke 9:28-37

Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain with Him. Staggering.  Jesus, God, taking these mortal men up with Him to pray. And there they SAW His Glory!  His entire being shone with blinding, dazzling light that we can only imagine as He communed with His Father. Heaven come down.  Yes that is the story.  Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit came down. For us.  But I digress.

So where are the human heroes of the story after their trek up the mountain? Asleep!  Of course.  One of the most amazing things to ever see, ever in history, and they almost missed it. So how much do I miss,  that I am invited into as a daughter of the King.  Beloved child with the Holy Spirit of God living right inside me?  How much do I sleep through?  Or how much am I distracted, looking elsewhere, trying to figure things out on my own.  Like Peter.  Once they woke up and realized the glory they were seeing, what does he try to do?  He tries to contain it; make shelter for the King of Glory, the Creator of all things.  That too is what we do.  We try to get everything just right and then freeze!  That's it.  We have God right where we want Him. Silly, sad, shallow, dull witted as I am, that is what I do.  It is subtle sometimes. I don't know I am doing it but it is true.  I want heaven on earth, now. Freeze.

Bottom line.  His Kingdom is come.  It is here.  But we can not contain it. He is ever on the move. He is ever at work. He is always in control and He is ever good.  I am sad about change right now.  Probably in more ways and areas that I even know. And that is okay.  God is on the move and I need to move with Him.  I need to trust that He is orchestrating things to bring His glory to those He loves, which is everyone.  So as He is at work. I need to remember, God completely interrupted Peter to say. "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him." That is it.  The bottom line. For today.  For tomorrow. And forever. Listen to the Lord. Day by day.

He is the One who will never change.  He is the One who will never leave or forsake me (one of the first promises He gave me personally, many years ago when I was a new Christian). He is my constant, my true north.  And I can listen to Him. That is good news.  That is the life line. That is what I can cling to.

Help me Lord to keep my ear tuned to your Voice.  Help me to not fall asleep and get distracted and miss the amazing things you have for me, even the little things, like the humming birds in my yard, my granddaughter's delight in the smallest details of life around her, the sunset, the clouds, friends, family, and oh so much more.  Let me be part of what you are doing and not be looking for empty shelters to build. Jesus was talking about the mission He was sent to complete.  He was at work. Help me be apart of your life on earth, a giver, not a consumer.  And help me to be filled up by You, Lord.  You are the One who fills my soul, with peace, with love, with joy, with rest.  Thank you that You came. That you can not be contained, tamed, controlled or even understood.  Thank you for being God.  Thank you that I can listen. Forgive me when I don't! I give you all thanks and praise.

Captivated by His Compassion

I am so captivated by the deep compassion of the Lord. John 11:34-35. And He said, Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord come and see."  (asking Mary and Martha to see the body of Lazarus). He invites us to show Him the places of devastation and grief in our lives. He cares.  He willing goes to the depths with us. I have found that He cares more deeply, more intimately, more tenderly and more personally for me, than anyone else ever could.  That love is what has set my heart free.  Where have you laid him He asks.  How many times have I laid the issues of my heart before Him. And how many times has He brought comfort to my heart.  Through His Word, mainly but He uses other things and people too. But it is Him who guides me through.

So they took Him to the body of Lazarus and He wept.  He weeps with us.  Within that vast, limitless, mighty, all knowing, all powerful God, is sorrow. God with us.  Emmanuel. He came to earth, walked alongside of us and experienced the ravages, the pain, the grief of death and evil.  His human tears are mingled with ours.  When He came to the tomb it says He was agitated, troubled, disturbed (in various translations).  He was bothered seeing death among those He loved.  Which is why He came.  To set us free from that.

Lord, come and see.  Thank you for being with me when I am troubled, sad, upset, confused. Thank you that you see and you are right there with me.  Thank you that you are my Help, that you are moved to tears for your people.  For all mankind.  Day in and day out.

Psalm 108:12-13

Give us help against the adversary, for vain is the help of man. Through and with God we shall do valiantly, for He is Who shall tread down our adversaries.

In the Midst of the Depths-Pastureland

He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; 

so He led them through the depths 

as through a pastureland.

Psalm 106:9  amp

I love this, as it is a perfect picture, in one sentence as to what it is to walk through the hard times with the Lord.  The powerful army of Egypt was closing in behind, bent on destruction. And the entire Red Sea was in the way. There was no way to escape. The children of Israel were trapped. Yet God made a way for His people.  He rescued them. And they escaped with the riches of Egypt in their possession. Total provision. What a story. No wonder it is recounted over and over again in the pages of scripture.  God wants us to remember, to know that He is our hero, our Rescuer.

I love this version from the amplified version of the Bible.  Most other versions tell of the path He provided as completely dry.  That in itself is a miracle.  Not one step they took was in water. A path of dry ground in the midst of the sea.  A huge miracle! To see the water ramped up on either side of them as they marched through, only to have it close in behind them to crush their enemy. It had to have been a terrifying experience even as it was for their deliverance, right? 

But this version describes their journey through this "depth" of the sea as a pastureland.  A place of nourishment. A lush, green, peaceful place to graze.  Amazing. But this is how it is. How many times have I journeyed through difficulties, terrified, dismayed, hurt, angry, uncertain etc....the list goes on and on right? Life is so difficult. Yet morning by morning, His mercies are new and He provides His Word, His insight, hope, faith, comfort, encouragement, and yes, conviction and correction.  Grazing in His pastureland, the rich, nourishing, restoring, pastureland of His Word.  In the midst of the depths. 

Thank you Lord.  That Your promise is to never leave or forsake me.  Your invitation is over and over and over again, to come. Thank you for your Word, which brings me hope, healing and love.  Help me Lord to remember. Help me to remember so that I don't turn from You, indifferent. I praise You Lord. Thank You for the pastureland of Love and Grace.

Wait! Listen!

Picking up at the green pasture from yesterday.  The one in Psalm 23 where He makes us lie down. In John 6 Jesus feeds 5,000 with a few loaves and fishes.  This story has been somehow reduced to a Sunday School story told to children. A miracle event to wow the kids.  But the miracle is so much more than the obvious.  What about the question Jesus asks at the start of the story? "Where are we to buy bread?"

An echo of the invitation Isaiah gives in Isaiah 55:1 (amp).

Wait! 
Listen! 
Come! 
He who has no money. 
Come! 
He who is thirsty. 
Come! 
Yes, Come! 
..."buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing]." 

Simply... for the self- surrender. Really?  The multitude was told to recline on the ground "covered with thick grass at the spot" Jesus provided.  I have to laugh because it says in the Amplified Bible that the men threw themselves down!  They were tired, hungry and spent.  All this following Jesus was wearing them out! Just where Jesus does His best work. When we are over trying to "do" our way out of things is when it is time to "be" at His feet.  There is a time for both for sure, but this was time for Him to show them who He IS.  We need to be reminded of that.....often, as well! We need our tanks filled up!

Before He fed them He foreshadowed an upcoming event.  He took the bread and broke it.  And He gave thanks.
His body broken for us.  Broken. And He gave thanks.  He knew what He was doing.  He always knew what He was doing.  Every single little thing. So intentional, His life. So giving. So free for the taking, the learning.  this free gift was paid for.  Paid for by the Son of God.  Can't forget that.

I come Lord. To You.  Thank you for filling me with your Word, leading me in Your ways.  Thank you that I can lay down and rest in and with You.  Thank you for this invitation that never expires. That has continued through the years. "Come. To Me." Thank you that you can take my tiny loaves and fishes and make them enough.  Day by day.  Your faithfulness is matchless.

Once Again

Once again He says, Come to Me. John 5:40 then goes on to say, SO THAT.  Gotta pay attention to the 'SO THATS'!  So that what....so that I may have life. His life. In me.  Staggering.  Come to ME.  Jesus says.  The One who loves me so. The living person, Jesus. He bids me once again, to come.

I woke up this morning with the song in my mind and heart, I love, I love. I love Your Presence Lord.  How sweet is it that we can be with Him. Never alone, always understood (more than we know-and yet accepted). Loved completely thru and thru.  

This passage of scripture has more to say tho.  Jesus (our example-the One we follow) explains that He does nothing on His own. He listens for the Voice of His Father.  He only acts as He is taught, led by the Father who sent Him.

John 5:30 amp 

I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord-but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the Voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgement is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.

So when we come, it is not only for ourselves, it is to listen and learn, just as He listened and learned from the Father.  Never will I hear perfectly, act perfectly, but even so, He keeps inviting me to come. What He has to say is always so fitting. Not always easy but right.  Just and right.

Thank you Lord for your Voice.  Help me to listen. And hear and act. To continue to change. Help me to let go of what I think is right (especially when it is self serving-as it often is).  Help me to cultivate Your Life in me as I come.  Thank you for your mercy and loving-kindness that greet me and tend to my soul. Thank you for the rest that I feel with You.  

He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. Psalm 23:2

Rest at the Well

John 4:5- 26

The woman at the well.  But do we stop to consider Jesus at the well? Jesus came and sat by the well, hot and tired and hungry.  It was noon in an extremely hot part of the world.  He moved around on foot.  There was no air conditioned way to travel. No wheels to take Him where He needed to go. The Amplified Bible says He was weary from His journey. The Son of Man, tired and spent. Oh can we relate?  The ins and outs. The ups and downs of life. The burdens, challenges, issues, pain and trials.  Jesus knows. He has been there.  He has been here! 

And so He came to the well.  A perfect metaphor for us....He came and sat down for a rest...by the well. Our Savior needed a break.  So don't we?  We need to be wary of our addiction to busyness, our need to be needed, to be relevant, our desire to fix things, our desire to make all things right, for everyone.  Our need to play god.  We need to stop sometimes. Often actually. We need to come and sit. Rest. We were made to drink from the well.  We need to go to the Rivers of Living Water and drink deeply and knowing that He has us in the shelter of His wings.

So as He sits there, the woman comes.  They engage.  He asks her to serve Him a cup of water (oh the irony there-Him asking her for water); He begins to use the moment to reveal Himself to her. Just a day like every other day. The Son of God came to her and turned her life upside down.  The mercy and grace of God. He begins to speak of water that exists, a spring from within, of refreshing, satisfying living water. Again the amplified: water  that flows, bubbles up, continuing unto eternal life. Forever. Clear, pure, cool, refreshing, satisfying, thirst quenching water.

I love verse 10 where He says, "If you had only known and had recognized God's gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink you would have asked Him instead and He would have given you living water."

Do I recognize God's gift when He comes to me? Do I come to Him? Do I ask?  Do I want the living water? Or do I just want my prayers answered, my life sorted out, things to do that seem fulfilling, at least for the moment. It is Him my heart longs for.  It is Him that over-rides  the things that plague my heart and mind.  It is Him that truly satisfies with purity and clarity.  It is with Him that my heart rests and is restored.

Her thirst revealed she cries out, "SIR! Give me this water!!"  Demanding.  The need in us is so great.        That is me.

So LORD, I come to You. I lay at your feet all that concerns Me. Thank you that I can rest by the well when I am weary. Thank You that as I come to You, You bubble from within as Your Spirit leads and guides. Thank you that my heart is secure and safe.  Thank You that I can worship You and know that You Are The One Who came...to/for me.

Made in His Image

People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison, Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God.                 James 3:7-9

How often it is, that God convicts me, reminding me of something I said have said.  It is so true that what I say is a reflection of what is inside of me. It is like holding up a mirror.  Oh why, why, why did I say that ugly thing? When will that ugliness be rooted out of my heart?  My mouth is a barometer of what's up on the insides of me. A barometer of how much more time I need to spend with Him so there is more of Him in me coming out and less of insecure, impatient, judgemental me.  If I am conscious of Him I have the patience and insight to deal with difficult situations, people. When I have more of myself hidden in Him, I have no need to protect myself, defend myself, or promote myself.  He is enough. He really is!

The part that I love here actually is when James refers to people as "those who have been made in the image of God."  That is the key really.  If I can remember that when I look upon another, I am looking at one made in God's image it makes all the difference.  He loves us all so deeply, He died for us.  So no matter how messed up we are, we are so loved by God. We were created in His image. Everyone. Astonishing really.

Help me Lord to see others as you see them.  Help me to be patient, kind, loving, slow to speak, thoughtful, and most of all understanding and forgiving.  We are all bent and broken yet You have chosen to love us still.  Help me to love well. Forgive my rash, selfish, judgmental words but more than that, heart.  Help me to come from a place grounded in You; help me to see from Your perspective, to have Your wisdom, to show Your love. And thank you for having all of that towards me.  Forgive me for thinking I need it any less than anyone else.  Help me to reflect your Image, Your Love.