Yet He Still Calls Us

I was thinking of Jesus today, waking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. I thought of the Author of Creation, feeling the sunshine on His shoulders, the Maker of heaven and earth, enjoying the beauty of a clear blue sky day and the sparkle of the sea. Strolling along He noticed four of His soon to be closest friends, His followers, His disciples.  Mark 1:16-20 says that He saw them tending their fishing nets and He called them to. He called to them and invited them to follow Him. And so they did.  Something deep within their hearts recognized the call of the Father. Their decision to follow Jesus was life changing. It was a learning process for them personally as He transformed them into amazing men of God. And as they were changed from fishermen to fishers of men, they helped change the world.

For some reason I thought of another time God walked about on the earth, in an exquisite garden in the cool of the day. It was in the beginning when there was just one man and one woman.  They lived in the beautiful garden that God, Himself, walked about in. One day God called to the man and the woman but the man and the woman were hiding, for they knew shame. But God called them still. He knew their condition. And as it was then it is now and He calls us yet. He sees us.  His nature is love and in that love He has a desire to be with us.  Our most primary desire is always for Him, to be with Him.

We know the story of the fall... but what I love is, here is Jesus, all this time later, and He is still calling to His people. His disciples then and to us now. God reaching out to us. Ever reaching out. He is still invested in His creation. He invested the life of His One and only Son. 

He saw these disciples and He sees me.  He calls me to be with Him.  God became a man and walked among us. Jesus on the shore enjoying the sunshine, the beauty of the sea and the people He came to save. There is still beauty all around. And His love beckons. Enjoy Him. Respond to Him. Follow Him.

Anticipation

Christmas Eve. This is when we remember a day long ago, that was like no other. A day of great expectation, of anticipation. Yet no one knew. No one knew  life on earth would never be the same. That day was the watershed day, the day everything was about to change. Forever.  The Light of the world was to be born. God in flesh.  A baby. The long awaited Light which dispels the enveloping darkness which shrouds our world. The Good Shepherd was about to enter the world of His sheep. Truth was going to become flesh. The Way was coming to us. Life would be eternal with this child.

Yet no one knew. The world went on about its business much like it is today, rushing about here and there. Pain all around yet we just power through as best we can.  Creation groaning not really knowing there was a plan of rescue in the works. Not our work but the work of a Father in heaven who loves us all. In ourselves, we have no hope. Yet we all have within us those yearnings for the King to set things right.  But we have no clue as to what that might look like. And a helpless baby born in a cave would be the last thing anyone would dream of. And so the day came that seemed like no other.  And the plan was set into motion. The plan which was conceived in the heart of our compassionate Father, God, before time began. D day. Nothing would ever be the same.

Emmanuel. God with us is His Name. We are no longer alone.  The baby came. Worshipped by shepherds and kings. Feared by worldly authority. The epic saga was lived out. Every part of the Life of Jesus was for us.  Our Redeemer King had come.  We no longer have to live without hope. That is the new Way of living. So one day we were alone and the next day a baby was born. Our Redeeming King.

Anticipation. Expectation. Hope. Those are the things of Christmas Eve.

Bread in this Desolate Place

Mark 8:4 And His disciples answered Him, "How can we feed these people in this desolate place?"  The huge crowds had followed Jesus for three days now and He recognized they were hungry.  His words? "I have compassion on the crowd."  Isn't that why He came?  In His compassion for us, He came to earth, to live and die a humble life for us.  That is the big picture.   The day to day story is He has compassion for us, in the little things too, like being hungry.  Such is the nature of Jesus Christ. He is there in the big things and the little things.  His love is all encompassing.

The disciples question was a good one actually.  They asked how.  How can these people be fed?  I think for them it was a rhetorical question that pointed out that there was no way these people could be fed. No way! They were pointing out the obvious to the Son of God. But gracious Jesus, ever teaching them, answered their question, "how?". He proceeded to show them that with Him anything is possible.  And after they followed His directions, the people (all 4,000 of them) ate and were satisfied.

That is our caring, compassionate Lord.  The One Who sees our needs, feeds us, satisfies us. The One Who teaches us to ask for His help and Who shows us how. How to live, day by day.

Help me Lord to believe.  To believe that you care, that you provide, even when there is deep hunger, pain, suffering, loss, and grief all around.  Help me to ask You, daily, how. How I can live in Truth and come into the Light.  This is about living in You and with You.  Thank You for Your patience with me Lord, as I forget. I get tired. I get my eyes on the wrong thing. Thank You that You continue to pour into me. Thank You for Your compassion. 

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:21

Alone with Him

I read today of the women caught in adultery. A familiar story.  The woman standing there, her shame revealed for all to see. Jesus casually asks the one with no sin to cast the first stone.  The oldest put down their stones first.  Soon everyone is gone and it is only Jesus with the women standing before Him.  He's there because it is Him! He is the One with no sin.  This perfect man, pure, sinless, holy and yet He merely tells her to go and sin no more.  We don't know what happened to her after that, whether or not she changed her ways.  But that is not the point.  The point is, Jesus, sinless and pure offered her, as He does us, the mercy, compassion and forgiveness of God. He really is the God of second chances. 

What convicted me today with this story (besides sheer gratitude for God's grace) is my tendency to be the one who wants to throw stones and not the one who exhibits the compassion and mercy of the Lord. How easy to point the finger at others and not at myself.

So the reminder.  We stand before God, alone, stripped down, known through and through.  The more aware of that, the better! His holiness and my sinfulness.  O God, thank you for your second chances.  Thank you for Your Son, Who made a way for us to even be able to stand before you at all.  Thank you for this beautiful picture of Jesus with this woman, His compassion and kindness shining through the centuries for us to see.  Help me to reflect Your kindness, Your forgiveness in my life! Thank You for your love.

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

⁹ 

The Lord is good to everyone.

    He showers compassion on all his creation.

¹⁰ 

All of your works will thank you,Lord,

    and your faithful followers will praise you.

Psalm 145:8-10 nlt

Expectations

Expectations. This word came to mind this morning so I pursued it.  Expectations are tricky.  We need to live in expectation, with hope. Yet false expectations can quickly lead us to disappointment, resentment and even despair. In Luke 7, Jesus talks about how John was rejected because of his unusual lifestyle and Jesus was rejected because He ate with sinners.  The people had their various expectations of what the Messiah was going to be like and that completely blocked their ability to actually see Him even though He was standing right in front of them. Some expected the coming Messiah to fix the world. Then there were those who were healed and just raced off in joy without looking back, without thanks, to fulfill their dreams. And then there were those who thought they had a lot to loose. They had built their own little kingdoms and they were not about to give up control, their love of being noticed and flattered.  Basically it is all rooted in self-absorption. All of that said, what they expected did not fit with the Servant King Jesus. And they certainly did not understand that He Himself, was the fulfillment their hearts cried out for.

I am so convicted of missing golden moments.  Moments of God's shining Presence before me, in a sweet interaction with someone or just an observation of the beauty of creation.  So often I am tapping my foot with impatience with someone or even myself, waiting for things to be "just so" and when they aren't I miss the significance of the way things actually are.  How much of my life has been wasted moments.  Personal frustration to actual pain when if I had a different mindset, different expectations I would have experienced God's peace, God's perspective, heartfelt trust, peace and even joy?  

All of this is so rooted in my selfishness and need to control things.  God help me see what you are doing in my life and the lives of others (independent of how it may effect me).  Help me to be patient and trusting and encouraging as you do Your work in me and those around me.  Thank You because You are always at work. John 5:17 - Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I to, am working." 

Father, help me to see.  Help me to turn aside and look as Moses did when He saw the burning bush.  Your Word says in Ex 3:4 "When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the burning bush, "Moses! Moses!"  Moses noticed and God saw that and called to him by name. Help me to turn aside from my task oriented, overly busy, life to see You at work, Lord.  To join You there.  To trust You even when I don't get it (which is often). 

Forgive me for missing so much of what was really going on in my life and all around me.  Thank You for Your mercy Lord. Help me to rest in your tender care. Help me live in great expectation but to hold loosely as to what that looks like. Help me enjoy the beauty of life that is all around me. Thank you for family and friends that enrich my life and bring me such joy.  Help me to be patient and trusting and merciful.  Thank You for your patience with me.  

"I do not to concern myself with great matters 

or things too wonderful for me. 

But I have stilled and quieted my soul; 

like a weaned child with its mother, 

like a weaned child is my soul within  me." 

Psalm 131:1-2

Like a Child

My heart is not proud, O Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
    like a weaned child with its mother,
    like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131

What a lovely picture of a peaceful soul.  Resting, leaning in, nestled in the arms of a loving mother.  This one of the most tender pictures, from the pages of scripture, of our relationship with our LORD. Yet how often am I off running around, doing, doing, doing? Resisting the rest, the nurture I need so desperately that is found only in/with Him. I so need to practice stilling and quieting my soul. How difficult that can be.  So interesting how this psalm ties this peaceful soul to surrender. And humility. I need to humble myself to Him and surrender the ideas I may have, of how I think things should to be.  Only the LORD knows the path of blessing for us, beginning to end.  He needs no help from me.

I surrender all I cling to, all I worry about, LORD, to You.  My hope is in You.  You alone see things that are too wonderful for me to even conceive of.  I am lost in the forest and can only see the trees. You see the entire forest nestled on a hillside surrounded by lush green meadows, fields of wild flowers, lofty mountain peaks, rivers, lakes and more.  Thank you that I can rest. I can lean on your shoulder in stillness and quiet and find peace for my soul. Thank you for being patient with me.  Thank You that You keep calling for me to come close to You. Thank You that you are always at work and You are good, all of the time. So much to be thankful for!

My Father's Kingdom

"Do not be afraid little flock, 

for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."  

Luke 12:32

This is Jesus to His disciples, His followers.  I love the tender way He addresses them.  He calls them little flock.  He is after all the Great Shepherd Who came to rescue His own.  This  Shepherd wants us to understand that God has given us everything we need. Everything. We are a part of His kingdom.  We are safe, secure and dearly loved.  But it takes so long for us to really get it, and so long to be able to live out of it!

He starts by addressing fear.  Always the the heart issue first. We come to Him, initially, full of fear, fending for ourselves in this hard and dangerous world.  How we fend for ourselves all depends on our circumstances but we all come from aloneness, using flawed coping skills in order to survive and live well.  Living well takes on different meanings as it is corrupted by our natural bent toward selfishness. So we come, a mess.  Jesus wants to assure us that we need not fear. We can lay down our weapons.  As His, we are residents of God's kingdom.  God was pleased to give us this amazing home which can never be taken from us.  

Then He goes on to give instruction in how to live as residents of this amazing kingdom.  He wants us to serve Him as we wait for the fulfillment of this kingdom life on earth.  We can only do this when we are focused on Him and the eternal perspective of our home with Him.  I am feeling a deep stirring within me to grasp the nature of my Father and His great love for me in order to let go of my grip of things that concern me too much.  He wants my heart to feel free and unencumbered, in order that I can look beyond myself to be of use in kingdom work.  But also, and maybe more importantly, so I can enjoy the moments I find myself in, trusting that He is there; I am safe and I am loved.  I am known, understood and valued.  Deep calling to deep.  My Savior calling to me, one of His little flock.  My Father, pleased to give to me, His kingdom.  If I could live completely out of that I would be free indeed. A heart untroubled by the cares of the world.

Help me Lord, to really know and understand, deep within my heart what You have been pleased to give me.  Forgive me for hanging on to things that are empty and useless, things I have no control over. Help me to see the opportunities you have place around me. Thank you for making a way for me by Your own sacrifice. Thank you for loving me and the entire world with your merciful grace.  The fact is,

For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:43

May I treasure You with all my heart!