Affliction, Need, and His Grace . . .

Friday, July 16, 2010 1:54pm

You have led me to the sadness
I have carried this pain
on a back bruised, nearly broken
I'm crying out to You

I will sing of Your mercy
that leads me through valleys of sorrow
to rivers of joy

When death, like a gypsy
comes to steal what I love
I will still look to the heavens
I will still seek your face
but I fear You aren't listening
because there are no words
just the stillness
and the hunger
for a faith that assures

I will sing of Your mercy
that leads me through valleys of sorrow
to rivers of joy

alleluia, alleluia
alleluia, alleluia

while we wait for rescue
with our eyes tightly shut
face to the ground using our hands
to cover the fatal cut
though the pain is an ocean
tossing us around, around, around
You have calmed greater waters
higher mountains have come down
[all of the above: jars of clay....the valley song]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During this afternoon...I’ve realized this in part.
It is only because of God’s amazing, wonderful, steadily-there Grace...
That we don’t become a horrible animal of a human, ready to slash everyone to pieces and swear off the sun after healing from a wound. A loss. A tragedy. A great pain. Affliction.
It’s only because of His grace.
And oh, how thankful I am for Him.
How grateful I am for His gift.
It’s amazing.
We would shrivel up like a scab over a wound if not for His grace.
Because of His grace, we can, someday, look upon hard times and extreme pain as a life lesson of sorts..
We will one day be able to look back and see a beautiful scar.
A beautiful wound that hurt worse than anything . . . being the cause of us shoved over a cliff into His arms. Depending on only Him for staying alive.
Because if pain killed, we’d all be dead.
We can’t change on our own; we can’t clutch the broken, shattered, ugly pieces of our life and hurts to ourselves. We can’t keep them. We have to begin with giving Him something. Something. Otherwise, we’ll choke on it one day.
And many of us have reached that ‘one day’ several times...
I wonder how long and how many times it will take for some of us to get a hint?
To get a clue that the mystery is not what matters, but how much we need to depend on Him?

A Conversation with God...

Moses said to the LORD, "See, you say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me.  Yet You have said, 'I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight.'  Now therefore, if I have found favor in Your sight, please show me now Your ways, that I may know You...

Consider too that this nation is Your people."

And He [the LORD] said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

And he [Moses] said to Him, "If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people?  Is it not in Your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and Your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?"

And the LORD said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name."

Moses said, "Please show me Your glory."

And He [the LORD] said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My name 'The LORD'.  And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I show mercy.  But," He said, "you cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live."

~Exodus 33:12-20

ESV

(photo courtesy of Fotolia)

Behold The Lamb

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Gen 22:7-8

From the very beginning, the first book of the Bible, the promise has been a lamb. 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

Did you read that? Jesus Christ, the Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world. 

That pertains to you and I. Today. Washed clean by His blood. 

A pure.

Spotless. 

Unadulterated lamb. 

Because we were unclean. 

Were unclean. 

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Acts 8:32

He didn't even try to avoid our penalty. He went before the mass of those screaming "Crucify!" willingly. No cry of desperation, or plea for someone to let Him go.

The cross. Calvary. Nails.

For this? 

An innocent Lamb. 

Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7

{What is this admonition? Get rid of the old yeast? Perhaps to remind us that we are a new creation, and because of that slain lamb we can live like a new creation. Unleavened and full of the Spirit. }

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11

There we find it. The answer. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb.

Jesus Christ, our passover lamb. Who died, then rose again. We would not have the ressurection had he not have been taken to the Cross first. Never discount the blood that was shed there. Never shrink back in horror at the death He bore so that we might have eternal life. 

Rejoice in Calvary. Weep at Calvary. Because it was there that your debt was paid. 

The sin of the world required blood, and blood is not pretty. {If you have a hard time understanding why, as Christians, our penance had to be paid with such a price, I would encourage you to find a Bible and read Leviticus. It's not too difficult to understand, and you will see the history of the sacrifices and what was required for each sin. Our Jehovah God is merciful, yet requires much.} 

Let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich"

Let the blind say, "I can see"

It's what the Lord has done in me

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

Through the river I will wade

There my sins are washed away

From the heavens mercy streams

Of the Savior's love for me

I will rise from waters deep

Into the saving arms of God

I will sing salvation songs

Jesus Christ has set me free

Hosanna, hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna, hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

As you reflect this Easter Sunday, and you think about all that our Savior, the Lamb, did for us. Rejoice in the resurrection, but don't forget to rejoice in the crucifixion also. As Believers in Christ, our victory is at the foot of the Cross. Our ability to overcome and not be defeated, is there. It's not in naming and claiming, nor is it in confessing, professing, or any other action we might try to do on our own.

It is simply in faith in the finished work of Christ. You cannot and absolutely will not overcome what has you held, until your faith is there. You will not be victorious through any work of your own kind. Oh, you can try.


More than likely you have, and probably have been disappointed by the short term results. It doesn't mean you're not saved! You might just be struggling with your very own self.


After such a sacrifice on His part, Let Jesus have you completely. Your failures and all.


I promise He knows what to do with them.

{Photo credit goes to Melinda at Abounding in Hope. Many thanks to her for so graciously letting me use her pictures of their family farm's sweet baby lambs to portray the Innocence of our Jesus.} 

I will praise You in the storm

by Heather E.

"I was sure by now God You would have reached down and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day."

How often have we thought this. Why isn't God rescuing me from this sorrow? Why is He silent?

"Once again, I say Amen and it's still raining"

I love this line! Even when we don't understand and nothing makes sense. With tears in our eyes and sorrow in our heart, we can say Thy will be done.

"As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, I'm with you. And as Yuor mercy falls. I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away."

And in that surrender, God blesses us beyond all imagination--That is when He showers us with mercy and grace. And that is how Job could say after losing everything, " "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21b)

"I will praise You in this storm. I will lift my hands. For You are Who You are, no matter where I am."

God is good, faithful and He never changes. No matter what our circumstances are, His truth is always the same.

"Every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand, You never left my side and though my heart is torn. I will praise You in this storm."

The world wonders how we are able to keep our faith. It's because He never leaves our side. How could any of us continue if we didn't know that God was going to see us through it?

"I remember when I stumbled in the wind, You heard my cry, You raised me up again. My strength is almost gone, how can I carry on? If I can't find You. "

How awesome is it that God picks us up again and again. I know I stumble so many times. God is always there to raise me up.

"As the thunder rolls. I barely hear You whisper through the rain. I'm with you."

Sometimes it's hard to hear God when it's raining. You have to listen closer but He's there. Never believe Satan's lie that Christ doesn't care. The Bible says He cares for the sparrows, so how infinitely more He cares for you, His own precious child.

pictures from google.

Lyrics from Casting Crowns

Entering His Rest - So That's How It's Done!

I was reading Hebrews chapter 4 this morning, when the Holy Spirit made something incredibly clear to me. (Don't you love it when you read God's Word and it comes alive?) I normally read with an NIV Bible, but this morning I had my KJV out, and a huge difference just leapt off the pages. My NIV translation refers to this passage as a Believers Sabbath-rest, while my KJV introduced it as simply the Promise of Rest. Really that interesting of a difference? Yes, very!

I'm not going to insert the entirety of the chapter here, because I really would like to encourage you to read it for yourself (with NIV and KJV/NKJV in hand). Not to mention, if I get too wordy here, I'll lose ya. Why? Because when I get too wordy I lose my own train of thought and that just doesn't get you anywhere fast.

Before I say what I'm here (at this extremely late hour) to say, let me mention that for my entire Christian walk (most of my life, as I was raised in a God-fearing home) I've never, let me repeat, NEVER given heed to the differences of Biblical translations. I realize some people can become extremely legalistic about this issue, and I'm not even going to go there.

However, the older I've gotten, and the more I have grown in the Word, the more aware I have become that there are differences in translations. That is a totally different post for another time, but I will say that if your heart is yearning for the truth, and your spirit is surrendered, the Holy Spirit will show you the important differences. I promise you. It's literally like a member of the Godhead has whipped out a high-powered super bright flashlight and pierced the smallest sliver of a shadow you never knew was there.

Got your Bible? Good, start reading. Chapter 4. Rest. Got it. I'm going to keep this short and simple because I want you to check it out for yourselves. You're probably going to read this and say "Huh?" so I want you to chew on it for a bit.

• At the end of 6 days worth of creating the universe, God, the Creator, rested. His work was finished.
• The Old Testament law required a Sabbath rest as an act of obedience to God, as a way to enter His rest. (Keep in mind that everything that took place in the Old Testament was a type and shadow of Christ and what He was going to do in the coming days.)

• Christ came, lived, and died. Fulfilling prophecy, saving mankind from the curse of sin, His finished work at the Cross. Completed. 

We enter His rest, how? (Check out verse 10) By ceasing our works, just as God did when he finished Creation, and (dun dun dunnn!) entering His rest.

Sabbath-rest is, in essence, a work of the flesh. Just as the entirety of the Old Testament laws were nothing more than acts of human effort trying to make up for imperfect man-offered sacrifices.

Rest, just simple entering into God's rest - requires we cease our works, which to me translates into FAITH. Faith in that finished work of Christ's atonement.

Do you see what I'm saying here?

*tap tap tap*

There is a HUGE difference between Sabbath-rest and entering the Promise of Rest. It's like Old Testament sacrifice versus THE sacrifice of a pure and spotless lamb Christ Jesus. That is a HUGE difference! HUGE!

• God finished his Creation, ceased his work, and entered into His rest. 
• Christ finished it ALL, ceasing all need for the Old Testament law of works so WE can enter into His rest. 
• We enter his rest when we obey the call to place our Faith wholly and completely in Christ Jesus and what He did on the Cross. When we look anywhere else for our rest (whether that be serving, self reliance, legalism, self righteousness, works, etc...) we're in disobedience and no longer are we resting in Him (verse 6) - wowzers! 

I told ya I was going to keep this short (for me, anyway!) because seriously, you need to read this for yourselves. I'm not arguing works vs faith, or even keeping a Sabbath day. I'm simply pointing out that God totally just gave me a revelation about my faith in the finished work of Christ and it ROCKED.MY.SOCKS.

It's not about what we do. When we do it. Where, or how. It's about truly, and I do mean truly putting our faith in Christ Jesus. Something as sacred to our Christianity as a Sabbath day really has no bearing in whether or not we are in the beautiful Rest of our Father. All He wants from us is our Faith.

And just so you know, simple Faith is easier said than done. No wonder our human nature relies so heavily on works. To do works is the easy way, but Faith requires submission. Surrender. Absolute, complete, total, one hundred percent genuine surrender.

But, man! The reward is so worth it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's nearly midnight and I'm going to go to bed with a smile on my face, because I'm resting in Him. And it feels GREAT. 

John 12:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Surrender is mandatory for the Christ Follower. It Is good, it is beautiful, but it is painful. So painful.
I lay my dreams on the alter time and time again, only to watch them burn to ashes before my eyes, my lips moving in silent pleading prayer: “Your Will be done.” Even as my heart screams, no no, no, no, keep them, keep the precious darling dreams and maybe you can figure something out, maybe you can work it out, maybe you can make them happen.
I can’t. I know that, know that deep inside.
Would I want to anyhow? Even if I could wave a magic wand, and magic of magic’s there I would be on the mission field, with my darling husband and sweet babies? If I could love more, help more, and radiate Christ more, all on my very own effort?
God gives us these dreams, desires and hopes and then asks gently for them back. So He can have His way. So He can be glorified. More than if I conjured up something, more than if I pushed and prodded. With brokenness I hand Him every precious one until I can’t see them anymore.
I am left bereft, empty of all. A blank slate for Him to write on.
With nothing to hold to except Him.
Yet, isn’t that exactly where we should long to be? Exactly where I need to be? With Jesus and Jesus alone.
It is most hardest, this surrender thing, when I can see the barest hopeful glimmer of possibility. Even then, He asks for that possibility to be placed in His hands. With tearful pleading I place it there, again and again, and pray and hope, and contemplate, maybes and hows and whys…but He asks me to give up even those and just die. (Mark 8:35)
Surrender feels like death, but death can be a lovely thing when life awaits around the corner. Eternal, marvelous life in Jesus.
Trust in Me.
Wait on Me. Hope in Me.
These are all things Jesus is teaching me, showing me by His love and grace during this particular time of surrender. (‘cause surrender never ends ya know =-)
Perhaps one day these dreams will be resurrected, in a more breath-taking manner than I could have imagined. Perhaps they won’t. I don’t know. Only God knows. That is as it should be…
Not my will but Yours, Lord Jesus. Even as my dreams lay broken like shattered glass, the veil torn from my eyes and hope blazing in my heart. I will surrender again, again, again. Till all of me is Yours.