Choosing Wonder
I still do a lot of writing the old fashioned way, by hand. I realize that must sound very archaic, and it's one of the reasons why most of my musings don't turn up in this much-neglected blog! I just completed my last entry for this year in my journal, simply because there were no more empty pages! Time to start a new one. The following contains my ramblings from today's entry as I reflected on the events of Matthew 4....
I wonder if the devil came in some physical form when he came to tempt Jesus...
I wonder if angels have ever come to "attend" to my needs...
I wonder if Zebedee was ever angry with Jesus for taking his two sons and leaving him with all the work...
I wonder (and pray) if there can be a new move of God's power to sweep over modern day Syria, multiplying thousands upon thousands of Christ followers...
It just seems fitting to close this journal with questions, since mostly that is what I have for my Lord. The events of this year have once again confirmed my inability to figure things out, to have the answers. Too often, my questions come out of frustration and doubt. I'm reminded, however, of the potential to flip these moments into wonder. The Advent season is a great time to begin this practice, to leave the questioning and complaining behind (Chances are, we won't find the answers anyway!) and turn them into wonder. My prayer today is for expressions of wonder to permeate my being as I celebrate the first advent of Christ and look forward to his glorious return.
The Trust Factor
We live in a get-things-done world which places little value on trusting God and cooperating with him to accomplish things His way and in His time. What if we could approach each life challenge as an opportunity to grow in the area of trust? There are distinct benefits to growing in trust. Here are several (Based on Numbers 20:1-13):
- Get it Right the First Time
When we allow impatience and anger to control our decisions and actions, we often find ourselves doing clean up - going back and trying to repair the damage we’ve caused to the people around us. Or work and relationships suffer, both with people and with our heavenly Father. We succeed more often when we trust God by being patient, waiting for His leading and cooperating with His instructions in the Bible.
- Honor God in the Process
What happens when we burst out in anger or resentment, allowing our pride to get the best of us? It only serves to draw attention to ourselves rather than to our amazing God. We honor God by trusting him to work in impossible situations. It’s alright to say, “Lord I don’t know how You’re going to work this one out, but help me to honor Your great Name with my attitude and actions.” That takes trust!
- Do Less - Accomplish More
Do you ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels? You approach a challenge from a number of different angles, but nothing seems to work. It might even seem like you’re going backwards. Could it be time to trust more and do less? Sometimes I’m amazed at how much gets accomplished when I step back from a situation and surrender control to God.
As believers, we not only trust God for the outcome. We’re also called to trust Him in the process. In this way, the challenges we face daily become more than mere pass/fail tests. They become opportunities to learn the benefits of trusting God.
In My Lifetime
"The word of the Lord you have spoken is good, " Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime." - Isaiah 39:8 Let's work our way backwards from here. King Hezekiah had become deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah, acting on the word of the Lord, told the king to put his house in order because he was going to die. A despairing king seeks the Lord with tears and gets an answer few could hope for: an additional 15 years added to his life. Not a bad deal.
The truth is, all of Hezekiah's previous years were just as much a gift from God as those bonus 15 years which God subsequently gave him. The pressing question is, What will I do with the years of my youthful vigor when I don't feel a sense of urgency to do something for God? Those years are a gift from His hand (By the way, I'm afraid I've used up most of them!). To put it another way, How will I steward my time and resources when death is not staring me in the face and I feel like I have all the time in the world?
A dear colleague of mine just passed from this earthly life to his eternal home at the age of 51. That's only 5 years my senior! And let's face it. Most of us will never succeed in persuading God to give us an additional 15 years!
Ok, enough about death. Let's talk about life, abundant and eternal, without end. If you haven't heard, Jesus is the source of this life and gives freely to all who come to him.
When Hezekiah received his new lease on life, the first thing he did was worship. We might call this a song or a poem dedicated to the Giver of Life. How are you doing when it comes to thanking God creatively and continually in the moments, days, months and years He's given you? What could a "thank you" to God look like for you right now? Personally, I've noticed some room for improvement in this area of my life.
The next thing Hezekiah did following his recovery is not as impressive. In fact, it greatly displeased God. He flaunted the riches of his kingdom to some visiting representatives of the king of Babylon. He sought to impress and draw attention to himself rather than give glory to God. The consequence? God kept his original promise of 15 years for Hezekiah. He is faithful. However, the descendants of the king would not have it so good. They would be plundered and made slaves to the king of Babylon. Hezekiah's response? To paraphrase Isaiah 39:8, "As long as God's word has no immediate impact on me, I could care less."
Ouch! From gratitude to indifference in such a short amount of time! But let's face it. We've all been where Hezekiah has been. The contrast may not be as sharp, but nonetheless just as real. Gratitude to indifference. Feeling blessed to feeling the victim. Taking great care to caring less.
All of this begs the question, Is it enough to have "peace and security" in one's lifetime, or is there a greater cause which demands a new motto? Did God spare Hezekiah not only for his sake but for the sake of others- descendants that he would never see? Does God save us for certain causes which we cannot physically embrace this side of heaven and yet are no less important than the here and now?... Descendants who live and love even better than we do. Children and grandchildren who do great things for God. A legacy passed down to our great, great, great grandchildren. Yes, I believe my life can and should praise God beyond my death. And I believe the scriptures encourage us to live in such a way that causes a testimony to ring out long after we're dead and gone.
For me, peace and security in my lifetime just doesn't do the trick. I need a new motto. Anyone out there have a catchy one you'd be willing to share?