Don't Get Robbed: The Mistake Moses made

Exodus 4:11-14
“The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite?"

Lately I’ve been camping out in the book of Exodus.  It’s amazing how reading the bible in different seasons of life brings out a whole new meaning and perspective to even the most familiar passages. 

This was one of those new seasons for me.  I’m reading the story of Moses.  I’ve probably read it over a dozen times, and watched the Charleston Heston version on TV over 25 times.  But this time I noticed something that I have never noticed before: Moses got robbed.

I don’t mean tangibly, in a monetary way.  I mean spiritually.  You see, God himself appeared to Moses through a burning bush.  God himself.  I can’t say I have that kind of experience on a daily basis. 

But as though that were not enough, God offered Moses something.  He offered him Himself.  “I will help you speak…I will teach you what to say…”.  Funny thing is, for Moses- that wasn’t enough.

He wanted the tangible.  He wanted help he could see, and feel, and touch.  He wanted assurance in human things, in familiar things, in physical things.  And at the end of the exchange, Moses exchanged the direct help of God himself…for the help of his brother Aaron. 

The funny thing is, I never really saw this passage that way before.  It completely boggles my mind.  I’m thinking, “Seriously, Moses?  Seriously?  You would rather have the help of your random brother than the help of God himself?”  It made no sense to me in the moment.  How foolish.  How weak.  How lacking in faith. 

But, like usual as I’m reading God’s word…the tables are turned.  “What about you, Deb?  I offer you myself every day, and many days that is not enough.”

And God was right.

There are so many days and seasons in my life where I am trying to believe, longing for faith, longing for more of God…and wanting some extra assurance on the side.

That extra financial boost, that relationship, that apology from a friend, that test grade, that approval.  There are so many times that I want the tangible more than I want the spiritual.  And just like Moses, that exchange is always a poor and pitiful choice.

You see, when we are relying on the tangible, we are missing so much of what God wants to do with us.  We are missing intimacy with Him in a powerful way.  An intimacy that can only come with Him guiding, Him leading, Him whispering in our ear.  Him speaking to us, and Him teaching us. 

But instead, we opt for what we can see, what we can feel, what we can touch.  We opt for the familiar.  And in the end, we, like Moses, get robbed.  We get robbed of knowing God in a deep and powerful way.  We get robbed of the opportunities to grow in our faith, in our trust, and in our reliance on Him and Him alone.

God didn’t argue with Moses.  He got angry at his lack of faith.  He was probably hurt by it.  But he didn’t argue.  Instead, he gave him the tangible instead.  He allowed Moses to choose whether he would have more of God, or more of what was comfortable.

What about you?  What assurances are you holding on to that are taking the place of God?  What tangible things are you leaning on when you should be leaning on Him? 

May we have faith to let go of the tangible, and exchange them for more of the supernatural.  For more of Him.

Who's Following Who?

Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord who determines his steps.

“We can’t just do whatever we want and then ask God to bless it.  No, we must ask Him what He wants us to do, and in that way-  it is always blessed.“- Faith Like Potatoes Documentary

I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea.  I believe if we could truly grasp the meaning of this concept our lives would be transformed.

So many times we get caught up in wondering why God isn’t blessing what we are doing, why He hasn’t answered our prayers, why He hasn’t done what we expect of Him. 

We blame ourselves: if only we could have more faith, if only we could be better people, if only we could sin a little bit less….then maybe things would go our way. 

We blame ourselves, and then when that doesn’t work- we blame God.  What in the world is He doing up there anyway?  Does He even hear our prayers?  If God is so good then why doesn’t he answer me?  Prosper me?  Bless me?

I think that we have it all backwards. Who is following who?

Our controlling, self-centered nature doesn’t grasp the magnitude and meaning behind this little verse: it is the Lord who determines our steps. 

He’s in charge.  He’s in control.  He knows the way.  He has the course in mind.  He can see what we cannot.  He knows what’s up ahead.  And better yet, His plans are greater, higher, more noble, and more remarkable than ours could ever be. 

Why is it we forget that? Why is it that we continue to pout, expecting Him to just follow along with our undersized dreams?  Why is it that we continue to plan, confused that He doesn’t allow us to get our petty and trivial way?  Why is it that we want Him to bless our agendas, not realizing that if He does- we are settling for much smaller portions than he intended?

I wonder how much we have missed because He has allowed us to have our way. 

One thing I know for sure: this year, things are going to be different.  Not just because it’s January 1st, 2010 and I’m inspired- no, but because I am choosing for them to be different. 

I am choosing to follow Him.  I am choosing to listen to His voice.  I am choosing to ask for His direction. I am choosing to look first to Him to guide the way.  I am choosing to refrain from taking one single step unless He has commanded me to. 

Because when He determines the path, failure is not an option.  When He determines the path, faith can manifest into complete confidence.  When He determines the path, there is no fear in what lies ahead…because He has tread it Himself.  

New Years Eve: Are You Living A Story Worth Telling?

Philippians 3:13-14
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all that I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling us up to heaven. 

A few days ago I started reading the latest book by Don Miller called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  I’m only a few pages into it at this point and I’m not sure exactly what the book will hold.  From what I gather, it’s a book about Don’s thoughts and feelings as he took part in the process of turning his memoir into a movie.  A movie about himself. 

If I gather nothing else from this book, there is one line on the first page that really struck a cord with me:

“The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won’t make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either.”

There is something truly profound about that statement.  It struck a cord with me, because in so many ways, that is how I want to live my life.  That is the word that I long to be identified by at the end of my story: meaningful.   

There are so many words that could define our lives, aren’t there?  So many words that could describe our very existence.  So many years, experiences, actions and memories can be summarized into one short word.  If you could choose your definition, what would it be? 

Depressed.
Bitter.
Selfish.
Loved.
Rich.
Lonely.
Beautiful.
Self-Absorbed.
Content.
Successful.
Kind.

So many words….so many definitions…so many ways to summarize our story.  But will the words that people choose to place upon our lives make a story worth telling?  Will they make a story that inspires others to live and grow and love?  Will they make a story that brings a smile to God’s face?  Will they make a story that would make us proud to call it our own?

I don’t know about you, but I want to live a story that is worth telling.  I want to live a life that is nothing less than meaningful.  I want to take these precious moments and days and years that God has given me, and give them back to Him in a way that is nothing short of meaningful.  Nothing short of what He meant for it to be. 

At the close of 2009, I challenge you to take a look at your life.  Take a look around you.  Take a look of how far you have come.  Take a look at where you are.  Take a look at who you have become.  Take a look at how you have used your moments and your days. 

And then, look ahead.  Look beyond your mediocre plans for your life and embrace the magnificence that He has designed for you.  Let go of the empty definitions that have been bogging you down and begin to take on those which will give your life purpose and meaning.  Those which you were meant to carry all along. 

This New Year, may you be compelled to live toward meaning.  May you be inspired to live this life as if it were your last to live.  May you be encouraged to define your life by words that you have never been able to use before.  May your life be filled with the seeds of hope, meaning, and purpose that will take root and begin to grow.  This New Year, may you strive to live a story worth telling.

Happy New Year Everyone.

The Real Deal About New Years Resolutions:

Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

Christmas is all over.  The floor is lined with remnants of brightly colored paper and curly ribbons.  The anticipation of giving and receiving has subsided.  The sun of this year has slowly set, and we await the dawning of the new year. 

The New Year.  For most, this brings a sense of excitement.  A new beginning of sorts.  A time to refresh, reshape, reprioritize, and rethink the goals of the past. 

But for the forgotten others, the New Year may bring with it a sense of failure.  It may bring with it the disappointment that comes with things hoped for that were not accomplished, things prayed for that were not answered, things dreamed that did not come to pass.  For many, it brings a sense of regret.  Things promised that were not followed through, things started that were not finished, things done that cannot be erased. 

I recently met a woman who dreaded this time of year, loaded with the nonsense of New Years Resolutions.  The time of year when we fool ourselves into thinking that we’ve started fresh. The time of year where we lie to ourselves, trying to believe we have the power to accomplish what we cannot.  The time of year where we set high expectations that can never be accomplished.  The time of year where we set ourselves up for one thing alone- failure. 

There is something pessimistically honest about her perspective.  There is something refreshing hidden beneath the negativity and despair of her statement.  Because, you see, in many ways she is right. 

When we begin to view our success and accomplishments as our sole responsibility- failure is inevitably right around the corner.  There is only so much our feeble humanity can accomplish.  Only so much we can dream, only so much we can try, only so much we can hope.  Only so much we can fail…without growing weary.  Whether we come to this conclusion early in life, or whether we are enlightened the moment before our eternal departure- this one truth we cannot avoid facing: our human limitation. 

Though, unlike this woman, this does not bring me despair- rather, it causes me to rejoice.  It causes me to find freedom from the burdens of accomplishment that I tend to place upon my shoulders.  It causes me bring my chains of human expectation before a God who holds the keys of ultimate sovereignty in His hands.  It causes me to rest in the truth that I am in His care, remembering that the great things He began in me will not be neglected.

It may tarry, but it will come.  It might not be in our limited perspective of time, and it might not be before the new year, but one thing is certain:

He who began a good work in you, will complete it. 

Friends, may your failures and your regrets be replaced with new hope, freedom, and a renewed sense of anticipation as you await the completion of His great works in your life.  Amen.

From Christmas to Crucifixion:

1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins, in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.  By His wounds you have been healed.

Christmas Eve is right around the corner.  There is lots of excitement building.  John and I are planning on sleeping in, opening our gifts to one another, and enjoying a homemade brunch together, before heading off to spend the holidays with family.  There is so much to be grateful for.  So much to find joy in.

This is Christmas.  Or is it?  You see, for so many of us, Christmas has lost it’s sacredness.  It’s lost it’s awe.  It’s lost it’s meaning in our lives.  Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t think it’s wrong to celebrate our holiday traditions, to enjoy friends and family, to attend Santa-themed parties, exchange gifts, and enjoy delicious food. 

But we are missing so much by forgetting the foundation of these joys.  I was reminded of this last weekend, preparing for our Bible Study small group.  We have been going through the book of John and our Christmas study happened to land on John 19- the crucifixion of Christ. 

To be honest, I’m not really accustomed to reading about the Crucifixion around Christmas time.  Frankly, we save that for Good Friday.  How silly we are to compartmentalize our Lord in that way, yet we do.

Reading about the crucifixion that day, there was something sobering in remembering that this was the reason Christ was born.  There was something sacred in realizing that this was the intended end when baby Jesus entered into our world.  This was the purpose.  This was the intent. 

Though Jesus gave His life on the cross that day, in reality, He had given his life 33 years before.  He had already given it the instant he received it- the moment of his precious birth. 

This Christmas, I challenge you to truly contemplate the gift of Christ.  This Christmas, as you gather around your tree, I challenge you to stand in reverence as you worship a Lord who humbled himself and hung on his tree in order to bring salvation.  This Christmas, I challenge you to consider the means by which you have been saved, the life that was given for you to truly live, and the wounds that were inflicted allowing us to be healed.

Lord, more than anything else, we thank you for the gift of Christ. 

Learning to Hear God's Voice: Gentle Whisper

 

 

Gentle Whisper

1 Kings 19:11-12
Then a great a powerful wind tore the mountains apart, and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

There is something to be said about the gentleness of our God.  There is something to be said about the fact that He is never pushy.  There is something comforting knowing that He is never loud.  He does not choose to enter into our lives with a roar.  He does not resort to force in order to make Himself known.  No, He comes gently.  He comes softly.  He comes sensitively, allowing us to choose whether or not we will be the recipients of His glory and majesty. 

We, on the other hand, find it difficult to fathom that kind of God, for we have developed our own way of making ourselves known.  For most of us that way requires great volume.  It requires generating a loudness that can be heard among the other voices. 

And so, with that mentality, we live our lives looking for a God who comes like a rushing wind.  We spend our time trying to listen for a God that comes like the shattering of the rocks, to see Him in the blaze of a fire, and to feel Him with the intensity of an earthquake. 

And in the end, He is not there.  In the end, we find that we have missed Him.  In the end, we realize that in our search for immensity, we have missed His gentle whisper.  There is something to be said of a God who approaches us with such softness.  A God who requires us to get quiet, to get close, and to get intimate in order to hear his gentle voice whispering in our ears.  A God who does not choose to compete with the clamor and clatter of this world. 

A God who comes into our worlds with the tenderness of a babe, revealing Himself to us as a soft whisper.  A God who can be heard by those who are intimately listening for His voice. 

May you be patient to wait for the wind to pass, for the fire to subside, and for the earthquake be still.  And in the end, may you choose to listen for His gentle whisper in your life. 

Jesus Wrapped in Papers and Boxes: Learning to Give Yourself

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

My friend Andrew C. just sent me a video on YouTube that got me thinking.  It’s a promo video for an organization called advent conspiracy, it’s purpose aimed at challenging believers to refocus their priorities this Christmas season.

The video talks about how much money Americans spend every Christmas season: 450 Billion Dollars. The numbers are astounding…and disgusting all at the same time.  Lights, trees, gifts, decorations, food…all the things that we believe will fill us with joy. And at the end of it all, Jesus is thrown out with all the papers and the boxes that we wrapped Him in to begin with.  

And then the video says something profound.  It poses the question, “How did Jesus celebrate?”  The answer: He gave, He gave Himself.  What a sobering thought.  He gave of Himself on so many levels, with everything He had to give.  What a challenge this Christmas season, to let this year be the year we truly celebrate by following in His example. 

Last weekend I got up early to pass out Christmas boxes of food in the projects.  The event was sponsored by the Dream Center Peoria and Food For All. My alarm was set for Saturday morning: 7am.  For those of you who know me…I’m not much of a morning person.  In fact, I hate getting up early…especially on cold winter days.  I have to admit, when my alarm went off that morning I wasn’t in good spirits.  It was a struggle getting up and getting ready…I had to fight my flesh, begging me to stay under the warm covers. 

But, as always, interacting with my friends downtown that morning left me blessed far beyond how I blessed them.  I may have left them with boxes of food that will last them a few weeks, but they left me with smiles full of joy, and hearts full of gratitude that will stir a passion in me for many years to come. 

That’s the crazy thing about giving of yourself.  In the end, it’s a selfish thing.  In the end, you come out more blessed than you ever could have imagined.  In the end, there is left a smile on your face that cannot be wiped away, a high that comes with serving people that cannot be replicated, and a joy so strong that it can not be subdued.  

So this Christmas season, let’s celebrate like Jesus did.  Let’s give of ourselves, to our friends, to our neighbors, to our family, to the poor, to strangers…and ultimately, to our Lord.