Consecration

Our pastor gave us an assignment this week:  Be consecrated and ask God what you need to see in order to bring this about.  I was excited to see how God was going to answer my prayer.  This is my fifth day and to give a play by play would take up too much space.  But as I walked and reflected on the process this morning, here’s what I came up with:

God is in control.  I am not.  I can come up with all my wonderful spiritual plans and programs of what needs to be done.  But God has been teaching me now for several years, that my plans are like a balloon with no air unless I first go to Him completely dependent on His leadership.  I MUST relax my efforts to His control.  For a list-making, go by the book, black and white woman, this is a lesson that He seems to have to continue to teach me.  I’m just slow in getting it.  That’s one of the answers He’s been reminding me of this week.  Pray!   Always pray!  Pray without ceasing is what the Bible tells us.  (1 Thessalonians 5:17)  Ask Him!  He’ll show you.  (It’s also a lesson about patience.)

One of my thoughts was that in the bed I think of myself as a deflated balloon.  I must not even attempt to get up without first thanking Jesus for salvation and asking for His power to do everything according to His will.  He fills me up.  Two verses came to mind, both from Ephesians.  Phrases from those two verses are: “filled to the measure with all the fullness of God.” 3:19     “…a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” 4:13

We must not think that we have to be present and active for every problem in our lives.  We must, however, be praying and available for those problems.  He will be our power and guide as to how He will be glorified in every area.  We must be surrendered to His way of implementing action and results.  He doesn’t need our suggestions or our working.  He needs us to be dependent and ready.

Consecration!  Latin: consecrat-dedicated, devoted as sacred; verb: consecrare: con (expressing intense force) secrare (dedicate) sacer-sacred.  What I get from that definition: to express my life with intense force as dedicated to God.   And I with the songwriter, Frances R. Havergal, want to do this completely surrendered in everyway as her words express from the song, “Take My Life and Let it Be”:

“Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee” and as the song goes on to express as a list the things surrendered: life, moments, hands feet, voice, lips, silver, gold, intellect, will, heart, love, myself…  “ever, only all for Thee.”

Wisteria

The following is an excerpt from a letter written several years ago to someone who was discouraged in their struggle with sin.  I post it today, the first day of Spring, as we look forward to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Praise His Holy Name!  He has freed us from the power of sin!!

Wisteria is beautiful in the Spring.  It’s fragrant, lavender flowers and long running vines make it a  canopy of loveliness in many a garden.  Even after the blooms are gone, it is green and lush continuing now as a canopy of shade on a hot summer day.  But left to itself, it can take over large areas of gardens and trees leaving a trail of destruction hidden only by it’s rich foliage. Yes, wisteria is beautiful on the surface, but without proper pruning, it chokes the life out of everything that becomes entangled with it.

I began work on grooming my backyard.  I knew the wisteria was back there.  It had originated in my neighbor’s yard.  She had planted it long years ago as a small bush.  Now it had taken the woods behind her house and had made its way to the area behind my yard.  I was not prepared for the damage ahead.

The young, tender vines of the wisteria were like beckoning hands reaching out.  They reach out and wrap around a plant or tree.  These vines are easy to snip.  I could do it with my hands but I used my clippers.  They were everywhere trying to take over all plants behind our chain-linked fence.  I followed the vine back to its source.  It was not young and tender.  It was thick and tough.  I had to use my saw on those.  They had entwined a tree but no damage was done.  My saw released the tree from certain death.

As I traced further back, there was what looked like a small tree trunk, five to six inches in diameter.  My little saw was not going to work here.  It had wound itself into our chain-linked fence.  The fence was ruined in that spot.  I would have to wait for my husband to use his chain saw on this little trunk of destruction.

Back behind my fence was yet another tree that had been severely affected.  As I approached this tree, I realized it was beyond hope.  It was completely dead.  The thick brown vine was gnarled and twisted much like a boa constrictor and had choked the life from the tree.  It was so dead and dry, I could not cut it with my saw either.  But further down where it had rotted, my saw easily cut through.

Some trees were spared.  Some lost a limb or two.  Some lost their life.  What is my point?  The beautiful wisteria is much like sin.  In its appearance, it’s lovely, innocent, beckoning, fragrant and lush.  However, it will wound itself into whatever gets in its way and cause destruction.  My little saw was like the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God).  It cut into the thick vine until it was no more.  For one tree, it was too late.  But other trees and shrubs were freed from the destructive force.  They lost parts (painful) but once healed, they will be good as new and continuing to grow.  My arm became tired.  I wanted to quit many times.  But I had the drive to keep on through the fatigue.  The goal kept me motivated.  The little saw did what it was suppose to do.

The Bible is there to be used to cut through the sin that you have been entangled.  It is not going to be an easy process.  It will take effort, perseverance, patience (with others and yourself) and discipline.  Christ does not expect you to do it on your own.  He is there for you when you call Him.  If it takes moment by moment calling and He will be there for you.  Do not be deceived that He gets tired of hearing you call.  Sanctification is a process and our “gardens” are to be kept pruned in order to reflect the beauty of  our
loving and personal Creator. 

          

Stand Firm

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety {ALL YOUR ANXIETY} on Him because He cares for you.  {GOD-maker of the universe!!!! CARES for YOU!!!!}  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, {yes! ADVERSARY: opponent, enemy, antagonist, combatant, challenger, foe, (in case you still don’t get it)} THE DEVIL, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone (like you, believer in God) to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith (it says FIRM), knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself (now listen carefully to this…) perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever. AMEN."  1 Peter 5:6-11

Paul goes on to say, “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!”  In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to "take up the armor of God so that we can resist in the evil day and having done everything, to stand firm.”  There are many verses in the epistles that say to stand firm.  Many times we look at those verses and think that’s just talking about persecution.  These epistles were written to the believers to encourage them through the intense persecution they were experiencing.  However, we must be instructed by these same verses.  We may not yet experience the extreme persecution of those believers.  But as Christians, we are stalked by the same adversary.  And the battle we fight, whatever the battle, is intense.  Martin Luther’s great song of the faith, “ A Mighty Fortress”, pens it well:

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.”

This is the Word of the LORD:  “Stand firm…He, HIMSELF, will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  There are times in our lives when there is absolutely no strength.  We are weary, depressed, “undone”.  We may not know what to do in a particular situation.  But as believers, we know Whom we have believed and we can stand firm.  And the results, well observe the definitions of the words from 1 Peter 5:

Perfect (improve, polish, hone, refine, fine-tune) Confirm (verify, prove, validate, authenticate, vindicate, support, uphold, guarantee)  Strengthen (make strong, build up, buttress, toughen, reinforce) Establish (exhibit, manifest, institute, create, construct)

I really like the “exhibit” definition.  We are on exhibition.  We are walking exhibitions of the One True God.  Yes, we have bad days.  But we must not waver, doubt, despair, crash, or have a melt down.  We must stand firm.  Keep standing firm! 

Blog Fog

Why blog?  Not really sure the answer for everyone, but I know the answer for me.  I had no idea how many people do this.  I have followed one blog for a few years.  A dear artist friend from the past blogs her latest creations and it’s been fun to follow.  But recently, I did a search for a blog of the daughter of a friend.  The friend wanted me to see a post her daughter had made that was special.  Instead of waiting for the friend to send the link, I did my own search.  In opening the blog of the first person with the same name, I found a world of blogging I didn’t know existed.  I read a few posts of this “girl with the same name” and was saddened at the depth of the hopelessness she expressed.  I read in her blog disappointment, despair, and loneliness.  I wanted to respond to her with hope but responding took more an “act of congress” than I realized, being the baby-blogger that I was.   So that day I decided to start my own blog, a place to share spiritual insights God blesses me with as I study His word and pray.  I don’t see myself as profound.  We can look those people up by name in cyber space.  I am just an ordinary woman saved by the grace of God at the age of 23 and if by providence, you land on my blog, I pray God will use it to give you hope.  The hope I share comes from Him, and He continues to give me hope.  Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, The Life and He is my Hope.  He is not a  decision I made, but I am a transformation He made!  He transformed me from darkness to light, from despair to hope.  His foundation is solid and His peace is sure!  Amen and Amen!

Maudlin

I learned a new word from Andre Seu last week: maudlin.  I  knew what it “probably” meant from the context.  However, my sweet, young English tutor prodded me with the definition.  Now, my education is a bit more complete.   (Young friends are an asset to have, with their fresh, active brains.)   This same friend thought the following was a good truthlet and I share it by her request:

1 Peter 4:7 – “the end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers.”  In thinking about sober-minded, we Christians brag about not getting drunk but I’m afraid I get “drunk-as-a-skunk” on self-pity, defeat, distrust, faithlessness and that is not sober-minded or of God.  John MacAruthur says about this verse: “To be self-controlled and sober-minded implies here not to be swept away by emotions or passions, thus maintaining a proper eternal perspective on life.”

And the tie-in for “maudlin”:  self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness.  (This connection was also made by my young friend.)

And the moral of this truthlet?   Be right minded, maintaining a proper eternal perspective on life and make sure you have plenty of young friends.  

A Glass Darkly

From the main floor where I sat, I could hear whimpering, that quickly turned into crying.  I ran up to the loft to find the child locked out on our top deck.  As I made my way to the door, she could not see me but I could see that she was frantically searching for a way back through the door.  She climbed on the bench, looked off the deck, looked onto the roof, all while continuing to cry out.  I opened the door and she ran to me, tears on her face and a turned down mouth that burst into a smile of joy and relief!  We hugged while I explained that she was not the first to be locked out.  It happens to those who have not yet learned about this door.

About fifteen minutes later, I again heard a loud crying, this time not prefaced with a whimper.  Again, I ran up to the loft to the rescue.  As I topped the stair this time, the child was not frantically searching for a way back, she was standing at the door with her face pressed against the glass, mouth opened wide, letting her distress be known.  As I approached the door, she continued to cry.   Her continued crying showed me she was not able to see me as clearly as I could see her!  As I thought about it later, a favorite verse came to mind:  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I know even as also I am known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12

When I put my hand on the doorknob, she saw me! Her expression changed once again.  I picked her up and she buried her head in my shoulder in relief.  “Face to face…I know even as also I am known.”

Bless God

When I hear people say "bless God", it puzzles me.  How can we creatures bless the Creator?  Yesterday, I read John Piper on this subject:  "... in Scripture when God "blesses" men they are thereby helped and strengthened and made better off than they were before, but when men "bless" God He is not helped or strengthened or made better off.  Rather man's blessing God is an "expression of praising Thankfulness".  When the OT speaks of blessing God, it does not "designate a process that aims at the increase of God's strength".  It is an "exclamation of gratitude and admiration."  God is the fullness and source of all blessing.  If this is so, then a most natural burst of praise would be "You are blessed!"  The recognition and joyful exclamation of God's blessedness should be described as "blessing God".  That does not mean that we make God larger or higher."

With all this in mind, I began to think that God blesses us and out of His blessing, we return the blessing.  It all came from Him, just like Godly love, mercy, etc.  We are the product of what He has been teaching us and any expression of right attributes from us was only possible because they came from Him.  Like in His light, we see light and become light for those in darkness.

So, as I thought on these things today on my walk on this gloriously beautiful day, I began "blessing God" for health, strength of legs to walk, beautiful blue sky, white wispy clouds, pink blossoms of the tulip trees and the gentle breeze.  Bless You, God!  I bless You!

All of Grace

When faced with the rawness of the inability of the blatant unbeliever, I am reminded of the complete ability of drive, desire, and devotion of my own life is all of grace.  "ALL of Grace"!!  Why do I become so distraught and confused by the waywardness of unbelievers as though their rejection is toward me?  They are under the curse of sin as we all are from birth and only the quickening power of the blessed Holy Spirit gives us freedom from this curse and allows us to seek Him who took care of it at the cross!

Drama King

The dark-eyed boy sat in the corner, face full of frustration, sadness and hopelessness.  “I’ll NEVER get another monster truck!” he expressed emphatically.  This run to the corner and expression of distress came after finding out his mother had gone for a walk and I was unable to fill his request.  His request:  to do a job, earn a dollar, go to the dollar store, and get a monster truck.  And all this he wanted NOW.  On his mom’s return, she told me her son could at times be a “drama king”.  I laughed, went on my way and soon forgot it.  However, the next day I reflected on an interesting correlation.  I had tried to spend the remainder of yesterday praying.  It was a grueling try and I will not here go through all the land mines of that battle but at the end of the day, I too, “sat in the corner, face full of frustration, sadness and hopelessness”.  I cried, “I will NEVER” be able to talk to God.  He’s never going to answer my prayer!”  As I reflected on my evening, I thought of the young boy and suddenly he became my mirror.  “Drama Queen”! ( I know I have that tendency.)  I thought about his situation and I knew as I listened to him that his mother would come back, he would be able to do his job, get his dollar, go to the store and get his monster truck.  I knew all this could easily happen within a day or two.  But my situation is different!!??   Is it?  What about the following truths I say I know and believe:   “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” “I say, “My purpose will stand.”  “The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”  “As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the LORD is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.”  The list goes on and on and on!!       I’m a big girl!  I know all these things and more! Yet, I find I’m no different in the eyes of my Father than this innocent, inexperienced little boy was in my eyes.   And thankfully, my yesterday becomes a test taken and passed today.  “He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him.”  Amen and Amen!

References: Joshua 1:5,  Romans 4:20-21,  Isaiah 46:10-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Psalm 18:30