Day Thirty-One

Day thirty-one. There were some days I felt like giving up, but here we are - the last day. For some reason I'm wiping away tears. I can't explain them.

I have loved writing about this God who is ever present, this Holy One who sits enthroned in the highest heaven and longs to hear my voice and hold me close. I confess, it is so much easier to write the words than to live them out. Forgive me Father. How can it possibly be true?

Why do I choose other things over You? Why is it so hard to stop caring about the way others see me and be satisfied with Your tender look of love? Why, when you reach out to me do I turn the other way and pursue those other gods - the ones I've let take up residence in the place that is rightfully Yours? Why do I find it difficult to trust - to come to You with open hands and let You take what You must and give what is best? Why, when I have been given priceless treasure do I settle for cheap imitations? And why, after all those things, do You love me so passionately?

I let the questions roll down my cheeks and know that this journey can never end. It reaches to the end of my days and then into eternity.

It is a bit of a conundrum this seeking after God - for He wants desperately to be found. It is that thought that brings the tears. The tenderness, the love, the longing of a Father who spared nothing that we might find Him. From this thirty-one days I take a longing to love Him well, to drink deeply, trust fully, walk ever mindful that He is always with me. I pray it is the same for you. He loves you.

Blessings,
Linda

Pursuing Happiness - Day 30

"Happiness recedes from those who pursue her."
 Phillip Yancey

When I was much younger and not very wise, I thought I had the right to happiness. I had somehow developed a bit of my own theology wherein, if I did my very best then surely the Lord would see to it that my life would be one titled "Happily Ever After."

It didn't take long before I realized there was a bit of hole somewhere in my theological reasoning, but I couldn't figure it out. Why would God allow all these troubles to come to me when I was trying my best to obey all the rules?

I began to feel a bit out of sorts with God for not keeping up His end of the agreement I had drawn up. So I decided to find happiness on my own. I looked in all the places other people seemed to be finding it. My troubles didn't vanish into a cloud of euphoria, but I felt happier.....for a while.

Somehow this brand of happiness seemed to be rather superficial. It didn't satisfy. I found I had to work harder and harder at it for there to be any measure of satisfaction. Where was this elusive happiness my soul craved?

In the midst of my frantic searching someone whispered, "God is far more interested in making you more like Jesus than He is in your happiness."

I could hardly take it in. Really? Would He allow me to be miserable? It sounded painfully like truth. So I bent my knees. I asked Him to do the work in me He wanted to do. Not without a bit of fear and trembling and not without a secret little hope that He would relent and just make me happy.

It turns out He really is more concerned about molding and shaping me into the image of Jesus than giving me everything my little heart desires. I have seen Him do miraculous things, and I have seen Him allow difficult circumstances that shake me to the foundation of my soul, but always, always He has been there.

I have discovered that joy is much more substantial than happiness. It under-girds suffering and shines through tears of  sorrow. It is His gift, wrapped in a love which does what is best in spite of the pitiful cries for happiness.

Blessings,
Linda

Through the Valley - Day 29

Tears coursed down her cheeks as she told me the story. Many years had passed, but the memory was as fresh as today. Her Mother had fought valiantly against the cancer that consumed her body, but it was clear the battle was nearly over. She lay on a hospital bed in the living room - a dearly loved daughter and husband constantly by her bedside.

I had known the family nearly all my life. This daughter, my sister-in-law, several years younger than I had become like a sister to me. We talked easily about the things stored deep within our hearts. We've been through a lot together. So I felt I could ask the question - one I'd pondered off and on for a long time.

"Was she afraid?"

It seemed a foolish question. Her Mother was a strong Christian. She had served on all of the same boards as my own Mother; they had been good friends. Her faith was without question. Still I wondered. How is it for a child of God knowing they will soon be going home?

Her answer surprised me. "Yes," she said, "she was."

In fact, she became so troubled they called their Pastor and asked him to come and visit. This sweet, Godly woman tearfully told him of her fear - the fear of going into the unknown - alone.

He listened. He didn't admonish her for being fearful, instead he tenderly assured her she would never be alone. He read from the 23th Psalm:

"Even when the way goes through
    Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
    when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
    makes me feel secure."
(The Msg.)

Our journey will one day take each of us through the valley of the shadow of death, but we will not walk alone. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us - not for one single second. Those words falling on the ears of a dying woman brought her peace. Just a gentle reminder that we are always in His presence. We have nothing to fear.

Our Father understands the things that make us tremble. We know heaven is perfect and wonderful in every way. It is the going - the way we must travel - that can cause us to be afraid. So He promises we won't have to travel alone. He will walk beside us and bring us safely home. 

Blessings,
Linda

Seek Him - Days 27 & 28

"Let the first act on waking be to place yourself, you heart, mind, faculties, your whole being, in God's hands. Ask Him to take entire possession of you, to be the Guide of your soul, your Life, your Wisdom, your Strength. He wills that we seek Him in all our needs, that we may both know Him truly, and draw closer and closer to Him and in prayer we gain an invisible force which will triumph over seemingly hopeless difficulties."
Henrietta Sidney Lear (1824-1896)

Joining dear friends Sandy and Deidra:





Blessings,
Linda

Immanuel - Day 26

One of the names given to Jesus is Immanuel. It means God with us. When He walked this earth He told His disciples that if they had seen Him they had seen the Father. There He was, quite literally, God walking, talking, sleeping, eating, doing miracles with us.

There are days I long for His physical presence. I imagine sitting at His feet, resting my head against His knee and feeling His hand caress my head. Most days, that would be enough. But there are other days I long to hear His voice. I want to lie still, tucked beneath my quilt, and hear Him tell me the things He has on His heart. After all, I talk all the time, and He listens - oh how He listens.

The reality is, both of those things happen all the time. I may not see Him with my physical eyes or feel His touch, but He is here with me. I may not hear His audible voice, but He speaks to me.

I was reminded of this in a movie theater one afternoon several years ago. It was a movie I really wanted to see despite the R rating. I'm a big girl, after all, and can filter out the bad stuff. Besides, my favorite actors were in it. No one else was available to go - so I went by myself.

It was an early afternoon showing, and I literally had the little theater almost to myself. I was surrounded by a sea of empty chairs. I relaxed into my seat as the the lights dimmed and the movie began. It was a good movie. It really was. However the language was really rough. I became increasingly uncomfortable. I looked at the empty seat next to me and imagined Jesus sitting there. After all, He goes everywhere I take Him. He resides in my heart. So there He was, and I felt such sadness sweep over me.

I made a decision that afternoon, to never go anywhere or listen to anything I didn't think Jesus would be comfortable with. I confess, I have messed up a couple of times, but for the most part this knowing He is always with me has shaped my choices.

I don't say this is right for everyone, but for me it is exactly right. My imagination and sensitivity is such that I don't do well storing up certain things in my heart. There are some things there I wish I had never seen or heard.  He knows what is best for me. I think He showed up that afternoon to gently get that point across.

Immanuel - God with us.

Blessings,
Linda

With Us - Day 25

I'm very late today. It has been a full day with little time to write.

We voted.

I picked up my new glasses - progressive lenses! I finally had to admit I can't see very well - not to read, not to work on the computer and not to see long distance. So....I am walking around as though the ground beneath my feet has suddenly turned to water, trying very hard not to get sea sick. Also, it feels as though someone is pulling at my eyeballs. They say it takes time to get used to them. sigh.....growing old is not for the faint of heart.

Then we met friends for lunch. Good food and great conversation, sprinkled liberally with laughter. We all came back here to our house to continue the talk.

It was a good day. And He was with us - every single moment:

     - as we voted with hearts turned toward Him; I felt the privilege deeply today
     - as I slipped on new glasses - everything came into sharp focus, and I thought about seeing things      through His eyes
     - as we gave thanks for the abundant provision of our daily lives
     - as we shared our faith with one who is still seeking
     - praying throughout the day for the deep, deep needs of dear friends

This is what it is to be in His presence. He is with us - even in the ordinary. There is never a moment He is not near. We are so blessed.

Blessings,
Linda

In the Valley - Day 24

I like it on the mountain top. I like the feel of sunshine on my face, the clear, fresh breeze, the amazing vistas spreading out below me. From my point of view, the limited earthbound one, it would be wonderful to live there. No worries, no cares - just sunshine and puffy white clouds. Wouldn't it be easy to feel the presence of God all the time?

The truth is, it is far more likely I will find Him in the valley. When dark clouds hang heavy, obscuring the sun, and I am surrounded by mountains of suffering and fear I run to Him. It happens in my life over and over again. Those seasons of despair, in the hands of a loving Father, do a deep work in my heart. I find in Him all I need. I find His promises are true. I draw closer to Him.

"But without a valley
How would I ever know
That His strong and gentle hand
Would never let me go
How would I know for sure
That I'm secure and safe wherever I go
Without a valley
How would I know"
Rodney Griffin

Blessings,
Linda

We Will Remember - Day 23

A look back, in remembrance, through the words of Tommy Walker:

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands.
We will stop and give You praise
For great is Thy faithfulness.

You're our creator, our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort, our joy.
Throughout the ages, You've been our shelter
Our peace in the midst of the storm.

With signs and wonders, You've shown your power
With precious blood, You showed us Your grace.
You've been our helper, our liberator
The giver of life with no end.

When we walk through life's darkest valleys
We will look back at all You have done
And we will shout, our God is good
And He is the faithful One.

I still remember the day You saved me
The day I heard You call out my name
You said You loved me and would never leave me
And I've never been the same.



Blessings,
Linda

Looking Back - Day 22

When I think of seeking God, I picture a pursuit. In many ways that is true, but I have learned in the course of doing this series it is not nearly as difficult as I have sometimes imagined. The staggering truth is, the Father first pursued me. Apart from that I would be wandering, lost in a world I can never call home. Once captured by love and grace, I am never separated from Him.

Now begins the process we've talked about over the past three weeks - this passionate pursuit of Him. I imagine myself running hard and laying aside the things that hinder my progress. But what if part of that progress is going back?

Not too long ago I heard someone say (and I can't remember who), "Sometimes seeking is looking back, remembering what God has done." It is stopping, turning and retracing the steps of faith. It is kneeling beside the markers we've placed in remembrance of those times when God met us in a special way.

Perhaps it was a moment of sheer joy - a prayer answered, a gift given, a glimpse of His face in the face of a loved one, a gentle whisper of the Spirit, a deep time of worship.

Or it may have been during a time of great suffering when you knew He was there - a sense of peace in the midst of turmoil, a word of encouragement when it seemed all hope was gone, a sense of His presence in the darkest night, joy in spite of great sorrow, a breaking of the chains, a deliverance, a healing, a miracle.

Every once in a while, especially when the landscape of your soul looks like a desert and you are parched and dry, it is good to look back and see the faithfulness of the One who loves you with unfailing love. To be reminded of the ways He has loved and cared for you.

He never changes. What He has done before, He will do again. And in the pursuit, we rest a while.

Blessings,
Linda

Prayer of Humility - Day 21

"Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me decrease that Thou mayest increase; let me sink that Thou mayst rise above."
A Prayer - A.W. Tozer

Blessings,
Linda

In Your Presence - Day 20

 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

Joining Sandy and Deidra this weekend:

Blessings,

Linda

 

Pretense or Peace - Day 19

My heart has been preoccupied with thoughts of seeking God - of drawing near to Him and knowing He is with me. In the midst of a world that seems to have lost its center, I long for the One who never changes. In the midst of chaos, I long for peace.

I have been learning, on this journey of seeking, it isn't the outward circumstances alone that rob me of the peace that Jesus has promised. More often than not it is self - the me that screams for attention and approval...

This Friday is my day to write at Laced With Grace. If you'd like, you can come there and read the rest. 

Blessings,
Linda

Rest - Day 18

When Jesus takes up residence in our hearts, He brings with Him priceless treasure. He offers, with open hands, the gifts He has promised, but they are not ours until we claim them. Often times there are other things we call "treasure" filling the nooks and crannies of our hearts, and He is hard pressed to find room for the ones He brings.

Jesus has said:

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart and you shall find rest for you souls."
Matt. 11: 28,29

Rest. Don't we all long for it? Our days are filled from the moment are feet hit the floor in the morning until we climb wearily into bed at night. We are burdened with so many things. But is it things that weigh us down? Mr. Tozer believes the real burdens are found within the heart.

The first one is pride:

"The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. The heart's fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable - challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another is preferred before them."

This one hits home. Pride wears many different masks. This one fits me well. This longing to find approval in the sight of others. This need to find favor and nursing every perceived slight. It is all so exhausting.

Jesus stands quietly offering the gift. He tells me the way to rest is meekness - a humble heart. It is a knowing how weak and full of failure I am and at the same time recognizing my worth in His eyes.

"He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him, and he has stopped caring. He is willing to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own."

In the meantime, there is rest. No more striving to be noticed; instead a willingness to leave my honor in His hands. 

There are other soul burdens. Their names are Pretense and Artificiality. We'll talk about them tomorrow.

Blessings,
Linda

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart -Day 17

Today a hymn:

"Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
 Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
 Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
 And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

 Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;
 Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
 To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
 Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

 Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
 One holy passion filling all my frame;
 The baptism of the heav'n-descended Dove,
 My heart an altar; and Thy love the flame."

George Croly

Blessings,
Linda

A little confession....we were out all day and then spent the evening watching the debate. I didn't have time to write an in-depth post. :)

Intentions of the Heart

So we set our hearts to follow hard after God and before the day is two hours old, we've blown it. What then? Will He somehow hold Himself aloof - pull away and become cool and distant? Hear what Tozer says:

"The man of God set his heart to exalt God above all; God accepted his intention as fact and acted accordingly. Not perfection, but holy intention made the difference."

God looks beneath the surface to the heart of things and knows our intentions. He understands our weakness and with great grace and mercy accepts us right where we are. We do not have to be perfect to know His presence in our lives. He honors our choice and our efforts to exalt Him above everything and everyone else. Everything He allows into our lives is directed toward making us all we desire to be.

"The position (to exalt God) is one not easy to take. The mind may approve it while not having the consent of the will to put it into effect....The whole man must make the decision before the heart can know any real satisfaction. God wants us all...."

Blessings,
Linda

A Right Relationship - Day 15

"I am that I am', says God, 'I change not."

In a world where life can change in a moment, it is of great comfort to know One who never changes. Everything the Lord has ever said about Himself is as true now as it was when it was first written or spoken. He is not capricious. He doesn't have days when His moods determine His actions and reactions. He is the same - every moment of every day for all eternity. How can we not long to draw close to such a One?

The difficulty comes when we, in our flesh, want to change Him just enough to fit our needs and desires. His truth never changes, and yet we would like Him to accommodate our particular shade of gray - the one we've become quite comfortable with. He requires things of us we are not willing to give, and we beg Him to see things our way. At times He withholds the very thing we believe we desperately need, and we beg Him to change His mind.

The relationship we long for requires complete submission on our part. We stand weighted down by the fear that we will lose everything in such a relationship. Once again the very opposite is true.

"Be thou exalted is the language of victorious spiritual experience. It is a little key to unlock the door to great treasures of grace. It is central in the life of God in the soul.
Let no one imagine he will lose anything of human dignity by this voluntary sell-out of his all to his God. In exalting God over all he finds his own highest honor upheld."
Tozer

We'll talk a little more about this tomorrow.

Blessings,
Linda

The Heavens Proclaim - Days 13 and 14

We long to hear His voice, to know that He is with us. We have but to step outside our doors and "listen" with our eyes. His voice rings out through creation, and we know the wonder of who He is.

¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
² Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
³ They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
⁵ It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
⁶ The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

  Psalm 19

This is just a bit of what He spoke on my walk today. It leaves me speechless.

Joining my friends Sandy and Deidra again this weekend.

Blessings,

Linda

The Eyes of Faith - Day 12

"When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on this  
  earth."
  Tozer

An essential element to our drawing near to God is faith. As Tozer says, the Bible does not go to great lengths to define faith for us. We are told it is a gift of God and that it comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. He goes on to say that "look" and "believe" are synonymous terms in scripture. We look with our physical eyes and believe with the heart: "faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God."

Jesus walked this earth with His eyes lifted to the Father. In the same way, for us "faith is not a once-done act, but a continuous gaze of the heart at the Triune God." Our believing is our constant focus on Jesus.  "Faith is occupied with the object upon which it rests and pays no attention to self at all." A tall order for most of us. "Unbelief has put self where God should be... Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line."

Belief, faith, is foundational to everything else - prayer, Bible study, church attendance, work and activity. It gives meaning to it all. Without faith it all becomes merely duty.  Tozer suggests that "social religion is perfected when private religion is purified." Perhaps this is the answer we've all been looking for, this unbroken gaze of the heart at God.

"When the habit of inwardly gazing Godward becomes fixed within us we shall be ushered onto a new level of spiritual life more in keeping with the promises of God and the mood of the New Testament. The Triune God will be our dwelling place even while our feet walk the low road of simple duty here among men." 

Blessings,
Linda

Thanks to Mr. Tozer for once again doing so much of the writing for me. 

God Speaking - Day 11

I confess, this writing for 31 straight days is not easy. Today I did some other writing. Before I knew it, it was time to go to choir rehearsal. It's late now, and my little brain is a bit weary. So I will let the amazing A.W. Tozer write this one for me. He has a few words to share about communication and the way God speaks to us. The truth is, it wouldn't be much of a relationship if there was no conversation. So how do we hear God speaking to us?

"The facts are that God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak. The Bible is the inevitable outcome of God's continuous speech. It is the infallible declaration of His mind for us put into our familiar human words.... a word of God once spoken continues to be spoken."

Don't you love that? " His mind for us put into our familiar human words..." He bends low and whispers to those who will listen. His voice is heard in creation. It took human form when He sent His Son - Immanuel - God With Us. By His Spirit, He takes words written hundreds of years ago and speaks life into them for our todays.

"Whoever will listen will hear the speaking of Heaven."

Blessings,
Linda

God Is Near - Day 10

"If we co-operate with Him in loving obedience God will manifest Himself to us...it will be the difference between a nominal Christian live and a life radiant with the light of His face."
 Tozer

The Father longs to reveal Himself to us.

"...it is not the nearness of place, but the nearness of relationship. We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts. It is for increasing degrees of awareness that we pray."
 Tozer

God does not hold Himself aloof from His children, nor does He play favorites - giving more of Himself to a chosen few. As in any relationship, the more we press into Him, the better we will know Him. When that gentle voice whispers come aside, or there is a gentle tug on the heart to draw near - those who respond will find more of Him. We will find more of Him to the degree we are willing to pursue.


"Let any man turn to God in earnest....and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped in his leaner and weaker days."

" And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him, if we will but respond to His overtures.
And this we call pursuing God!"
  Tozer

Blessings,
Linda

For the rest of the series go here.

Stepping Through the Veil

"Why do we content to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God?"
 Tozer

It is a question that makes my heart ache because the answer, is of course, I am not willing to seek Him with an undivided heart. My old nature is at war with the new, and I struggle to surrender the things I've come to treasure. Things that have somehow slowly worked their way into a heart designed to hold but One.

I'm not sure any one thing is easier to surrender than another. We become comfortable with our habits, and it is hard to think of giving them up. Some seem so insignificant we can somehow justify their place in our hearts. After all - it isn't hurting anyone.

If it's hard to surrender those things, how much more difficult to lay down the good things in our lives - our family, our ministry, our good works. Surely God wouldn't want us to give Him those things too.

Why are we so reluctant to gather up our most prized possessions and lay them at His feet?

"We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety - especially if they are loved ones. Everything is safe which we commit to Him - nothing is really safe which we haven't"
 Tozer

Can that be true? Are we afraid to trust Him with what we value most? I wrote a post about my struggle with this a while back. You can find it here.

It is that "upside-down kingdom" again - this taking what we believe and turning it on its head. We clutch to our hearts the things we treasure, afraid if we give them to Him He will either do something we won't like or require something we cannot give.  And this great God, whose heart overflows with love for us, looks with longing and asks, "Do you love me? Will you trust me?"

If we will look at Him, and see with eyes of faith we will know that there is no safer place than His arms. He will take whatever we give Him, and He will do all that He has promised. It won't be easy. There will be a "death" of sorts - times of struggle and sorrow.  But:

"When the painful work is finished and the suffering victim dies then comes resurrection glory and power...the veil is taken away and we have entered in actual spiritual experience the presence of the living God."
 Tozer

Blessings,
Linda

 

Totally His - Day 8

"The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things."
 Tozer

It is true. The God who holds the worlds in His hands, who is holy and righteous and rules in perfect wisdom and justice wants to reveal Himself to us. He waits for us to come to Him. He will not force His way into our hearts.

He does, however, require something of us. In order for us to fully know Him, we must have a heart turned totally toward Him. He cannot come fully to a heart crowded with other things.

"Since the fall men have now by nature no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned there no longer, but there in the moral dusk stubborn and aggressive usurpers fight among themselves for first place on the throne."
 Tozer

The usurpers may not necessarily be bad things. In fact, they are often the very gifts God has given us. Subtly, without our meaning it, they take the place reserved for only One. It may be a loved one or a ministry that takes possession of our hearts. Good things, until the gift becomes more important that the Giver.

It sounds so easy - put God first in your heart and you will experience His presence. So why is it so hard?

We'll talk about it tomorrow.

Blessings,
Linda

Near to the Heart of God - Day 7

"There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God.
  A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God.
  O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God,
  Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God.

  There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God.
  A place where we our Savior meet, Near to the heart of God.
  O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God
  Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God."
   Cleland B. McAfee



May you find rest near to the heart of the Father this Sabbath.

Blessings,
Linda

His Presence - DAY 6

For the weekend - words from A.W. Tozer's  "The Pursuit of God"

"At the heart of the Christian message is God Himself waiting for His redeemed children to push in to conscious awareness of His presence.....
 He waits to show Himself in ravishing fullness to the humble of soul and the pure in heart."

Blessings,
Linda

Picture from my dear friend Patricia. She is writing "31 Days of just ONE thing." You will be blessed.

Going quiet for the weekend. 

Linking to more dear friends: Sandy and Deidra



 

Simple Obedience

We faced each other across the table, sipping coffee and speaking of deep things. We've had this conversation many times before. I always pray it will go differently. It never does.

"I believe in God, but I don't believe He's interested in everything that goes on in our lives. He's just sort of out there and doesn't get involved with what goes on down here."

How I long to convince him otherwise. The truth is, God is very interested in everything about us and is actively involved in our lives and world. He knows each of us intimately, and He wants us to know Him as well.

I often want to complicate the simple. After all, if I don't have to work hard at something how valuable could it be? The Father calls me to the simplicity of faith with the assurance that, although He is far above me in every way, He wants to be known by me. I don't have to jump through a complicated set of hoops. He tells me that He is easily found.

"So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.
  His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
  And He will come to us like the rain,
  Like the spring rain watering the earth."
  Hosea 6:3

We press into Him, and He promises to come.

In the next several days we'll talk about ways that we can know Him. Nothing complicated or difficult. When I began thinking about this topic I expected to find all the ways it was so hard to truly step into the presence of God. I have found it isn't so.

So....nothing deep. I'll leave that to others. Simple obedience, which in and of itself can be excruciating at times. But nothing His grace cannot carry us through.

Blessings,
Linda

Predestination vs. Free Will

I was just a little girl when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. It was a simple act of faith, and because Jesus always keeps His promises, He came right in. He has never, for one single second since that moment, forsaken me.

According to scripture, God knew before I was born I would make that choice. In fact, Psalm 139 says my whole life, every single day, was recorded in God's book before I was born:

   ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Could we then conclude that I was predestined to be His child? What then of free will? Did I not have a choice in the matter? One of the most familiar verses in scripture says I did :

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
 John 3:16

It was my choice to believe, and it is one that is available to everyone. No one is forced to accept the gift of salvation. You may choose to reject it. It is a choice made of your own free will. 

Great theological minds have wrestled with this seeming paradox down through the ages. I do not possess a great theological mind. However a Pastor once shared this illustration which has somehow settled this issue of predestination vs. free will for me. 

Picture a door. Over the top of the door there is sign that reads: " Whosoever Will May Come." You decide to open the door. With trembling hand you grab hold of the handle and open it wide. As you step inside and close the door your eyes drift upward - and there, over the door is another sign. It reads: "Chosen Before the Foundation of the World."

"God has secrets known to no one..."  
  Deuteronomy 29:29

Blessings,
Linda

Seekers

^" For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened."
  Luke 11:10

Have you ever been on the outside looking in? It is a lonely, desolate sort of place. Everyone and everything you want to be a part of is just out of reach. Try as you might, no one stops long enough to even notice you standing there - certainly not that one you so admire and would desperately like to call friend. 

There is a place where everything one could ever want or need in the way of true riches is open to anyone who comes seeking. The One who rules over this kingdom is so far above us, we can hardly imagine He would invite us in. He is rich beyond our wildest imaginings, wise beyond our knowing,and more powerful than anyone or anything. He loves lavishly and unconditionally - and He is perfect. 

To our utter astonishment He extends an open invitation to come. Come not only into a place of eternal riches, but come and know Me. "We have all the time in the world to get to know one another," He says. "In fact, we have a life-time and forever." 

There is not one seeker with a true heart who will be left standing on the outside looking in. He is no respecter of persons. He stands with arms open wide longing to draw us in. He waits.

We are only three days into this journey and already we have come smack up against one of those "mysteries" tucked into the pages of scripture. You know - the ones we love to discuss over and over again,  only to walk away without a definitive answer. 

How is it that we are chosen and yet we have the assurance that whoever who seeks finds? Predestined or chosen?
We'll talk a little bit about it tomorrow.

Blessings,
Linda