I have come to the conclusion that wireless is one of the greatest blessings of this Century. Lounging in a large plush chair drinking orange and cream soda in a coffee shop with music playing in the background and my Bible at my side is wonderful...added to that my laptop connected on-line, it's stupendous.
I arrived safely back to school (home away from home) several days ago, and have since dived headlong into college life. My parents gave me the Bible on CD for Christmas, so I listened to Romans and part of I Corinthians on the way up...it was glorious. It's truly amazing how different it is to Listen to God's Word as opposed to reading it--especially the entirety of a book in one sitting.
Right around Romans 4 a very familiar verse jumped out at me and I was lost in thought for the rest of the chapter. The Bible says that Abraham was "strong in faith, giving glory to God." Because faith has been the theme of what Christ has been teaching me again and again in the past several years, it automatically jumped out at me. Abraham gave glory to God by being strong in faith. His trust in God was implicit, therefore glorifying God in His rightful position as Sovereign, All-Wise, Loving, Holy God.
The reverse of that is true as well, however, which I thought on quite a bit. When I don't have faith in my God, I rob Him of the glory due His majestic name. I say, perhaps even subconciously, "I don't feel like You know what is Best, I will not trust Your Wisdom or Your Sovereignty, and I certainly don't think You're doing what is very Loving." I become a mini-god on the throne of my own little world, my faith becomes horrifically mis-placed, and I rob God of His glory.
Faith really is a phenomenal concept. The more I learn and the more the Lord leads me and guides me and teaches me in the way of faith, the more I see the vastness of how much I have to learn...and the greater the temptation to be discouraged at my lack of faith, in the very face of the greatness (and faithfulness) of my God. But this itself is a lack of faith, and faith brings hope and joy and consolation in the plan and purpose of God.
As the Lord allows, I'm sure there will be other blogs on faith. It is the central part of my life now--the facet of my being. But until then, may you be strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Missions
"Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15, ESV.)
"...God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 1:9-11, ESV.)
My parents and I were praying tonight and as we prayed for missions and missionaries, praying the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more laborers, I again felt an increasing burden for the thousands of people groups who have never heard the name of Christ. One day every tribe, every nation, every people group will kneel before the King of kings---and how many of them will have never heard of Jesus Christ?
Go to the cities, they say. Send missionaries to the cities, where more people are. By all means, yes--go to the cities if the Lord leads you there. But what about the people in the mountains of Uzbekistan? What about the tribes who live in the middle of nowhere, content with their cultural tradition and heritage? What about them? Who will take the Gospel there, where there is danger and suffering and pain and disease?
In some ways I wish I lived in the era of Amy Carmichael and Mary Slessor, who just went! They were women of God whose passion for Him led them to leave their homes and suffer any cost. That's the kind of vision, the kind of passion, the kind of desire that we need to have as 21st century disciple-makers. They went, they lived with their people, they died with their people.
I am both zealous and idealistic, which is a somewhat dangerous combination. Missions today is not what it was even 50 years ago. But above all else, may we risk all, give all, offer all, that we might gain all. We need people to stay here, yes. But if you can go, by all means Go. Go--and don't waste your life. Every knee Will bow. Every tongue Will confess.
"I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying "my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose...I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." Is. 46:9b-11.
"...God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 1:9-11, ESV.)
My parents and I were praying tonight and as we prayed for missions and missionaries, praying the Lord of the Harvest to send forth more laborers, I again felt an increasing burden for the thousands of people groups who have never heard the name of Christ. One day every tribe, every nation, every people group will kneel before the King of kings---and how many of them will have never heard of Jesus Christ?
Go to the cities, they say. Send missionaries to the cities, where more people are. By all means, yes--go to the cities if the Lord leads you there. But what about the people in the mountains of Uzbekistan? What about the tribes who live in the middle of nowhere, content with their cultural tradition and heritage? What about them? Who will take the Gospel there, where there is danger and suffering and pain and disease?
In some ways I wish I lived in the era of Amy Carmichael and Mary Slessor, who just went! They were women of God whose passion for Him led them to leave their homes and suffer any cost. That's the kind of vision, the kind of passion, the kind of desire that we need to have as 21st century disciple-makers. They went, they lived with their people, they died with their people.
I am both zealous and idealistic, which is a somewhat dangerous combination. Missions today is not what it was even 50 years ago. But above all else, may we risk all, give all, offer all, that we might gain all. We need people to stay here, yes. But if you can go, by all means Go. Go--and don't waste your life. Every knee Will bow. Every tongue Will confess.
"I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying "my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose...I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." Is. 46:9b-11.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Much to Learn
I have so, so much to learn. It seems so increasingly true that the more you learn, the more you see how much you have to learn. This evening I was looking at my journal from last year and marveling at how much the Lord was teaching me and molding me...but I feel as though I know so little of my God and that my spiritual walk has yet to reach the "walk" part! God's majestic, infinite character dwarfs my tiny, finite mind. An eternity of lifetimes could never exhaust the bottomless well of the person and works of God. He is so great--and we are so, so small!
It makes me wonder it amazement (and frustration) how and why I could ever have a lack of faith in His purpose and plan for me. He Whose steadfast love is better than life...He Who purchased me at His own incredible cost...He Who is my Maker...and yet I doubt? And yet I fear? And yet I worry and agonize and cling to self-sufficiency? How arrogant and self-righteous I am. But still He chastens, still He loves, still He is faithful. He is such a wonderful Father. There is no god like Him. "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." (Ps. 107:9.) May you find your satisfaction in Him Alone today.
It makes me wonder it amazement (and frustration) how and why I could ever have a lack of faith in His purpose and plan for me. He Whose steadfast love is better than life...He Who purchased me at His own incredible cost...He Who is my Maker...and yet I doubt? And yet I fear? And yet I worry and agonize and cling to self-sufficiency? How arrogant and self-righteous I am. But still He chastens, still He loves, still He is faithful. He is such a wonderful Father. There is no god like Him. "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." (Ps. 107:9.) May you find your satisfaction in Him Alone today.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Romans 8:28
"Every good poised to bless us, and every evil arrayed against us, will in the end help us boast only in the Cross, magnify Christ, and glorify our Creator." ~Piper
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Back Again
Having returned to the "Lower 47", as my brother calls it, I now attempt to re-join the blogging world, having left behind my old Xanga account and moved on to better things.
I wasn't sure if I was going to keep blogging; college definitely hampers it. Which brings up the question, Why blog in the first place? Blogs that are glorified journals, including foods inbibed during the space of a day or repetitive sequences of daily events seem very pointless, not to mention monotonous.
The Lord has brought me back again and again to the poignant realization that He, our Maker, created us Solely for His glory. Every thing we do, including eating and drinking, is to magnify Him above all else. He is our Treasure, our Delight--His love is truly "better than life" as David says in Psalm 63. Why blog? Because I believe that in doing so, He can be exalted and lifted up and believers can be edified and encouraged. I am no theologian. I am not wise--nor would I classify myself even as "smart." Any and every thing in my life is a gift from a loving and gracious Heavenly Father, to which I can hold no claim or possession or right. I'm glad for the verse in Corinthians that tells us He has chosen to use the weak and beggarly elements. We have His Treasure in vessels of clay so that in all things, He might have the pre-eminence...that God might be all in all.
There is no God like Him. In Psalm 43:4 David begs for God's light and His truth, after which he proclaims: "Then will I go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise You with the lyre, O God, my God."
God My Exceeding Joy. May you find His precious face to be your Exceeding Joy this day.
I wasn't sure if I was going to keep blogging; college definitely hampers it. Which brings up the question, Why blog in the first place? Blogs that are glorified journals, including foods inbibed during the space of a day or repetitive sequences of daily events seem very pointless, not to mention monotonous.
The Lord has brought me back again and again to the poignant realization that He, our Maker, created us Solely for His glory. Every thing we do, including eating and drinking, is to magnify Him above all else. He is our Treasure, our Delight--His love is truly "better than life" as David says in Psalm 63. Why blog? Because I believe that in doing so, He can be exalted and lifted up and believers can be edified and encouraged. I am no theologian. I am not wise--nor would I classify myself even as "smart." Any and every thing in my life is a gift from a loving and gracious Heavenly Father, to which I can hold no claim or possession or right. I'm glad for the verse in Corinthians that tells us He has chosen to use the weak and beggarly elements. We have His Treasure in vessels of clay so that in all things, He might have the pre-eminence...that God might be all in all.
There is no God like Him. In Psalm 43:4 David begs for God's light and His truth, after which he proclaims: "Then will I go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise You with the lyre, O God, my God."
God My Exceeding Joy. May you find His precious face to be your Exceeding Joy this day.
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