bible

Calling God’s Truth To Mind

bible, Christian lifestyle, spiritual formation

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” – Lamentations 3:21

What a struggle it is to recall the good when everything around us is failing. Perhaps that is my negative perspective, but I am sure I am not the only one who is challenged when people say things like, “Just trust in God, it’ll be okay.” or “God is good, He will work it out.” Oh boy, do those statements rattle me. I get the good intention, but I feel they do not lead to the most peaceful results. Because the reality of an anxious and weary heart is a daily battle against lies that we are truly not strong enough to fight off on our own.

This morning I finished reading Lamentations. Now, I certainly had many thoughts as I read through it, but what struck me most was a reference I found to Matthew 28:20. In this verse Jesus says, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In the notes section of my Bible, this verse was used, alongside Deuteronomy 31:8, to support the hope that the author of Lamentations speaks about. Honestly, this caught me off guard, because the verses that end the book are not the most hopeful.

They state: “Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us for so long? Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.”

Surely this prayer might sound familiar to the ones we cry in our low moments, I know it does for me at least. Which is exactly why Matthew 28:20 nearly brought me to tears. Now I may not be the greatest at seeing the bright side of things, but that does not change what Christ did in the past. Knowing that I would doubt His love, He still gave His life for me.

Whether I ever see another miracle or not in my life, Jesus still went through death and back to express His love and desire for us. What could be more meaningful than that?

The conviction hit hard as I realized this morning, more often than praises, my prayers reflect a discontent heart. Whether it be anxieties, disappointments, fears, or doubts, I have come to a point where my honesty with God stops right there. At simple honesty. Not vulnerability.

A professor once told me that honesty and vulnerability were in fact not the same thing. One (honesty) gives information on the past or present while keeping a wall between us and any change. Kind of like just stating hidden facts. Meanwhile, the other (vulnerability) is to open up about the reality of our situation and actually allow outsiders to influence us through wisdom or discipline.

I wrote a blog about lamenting a long time ago , but I feel I may have become complacent with the freedom of honesty, leaving me to forget the whole point of why lamenting is different and better than complaining. What lamenting does, is “honors the honesty of pain and anger while also honoring the truth that God is the one who reigns and whose hesed love never fails.” (quoted from a book called The Justice Calling).

When we lament, we are to do exactly what we see in Lamentations, which I am sure is surprising haha. Truly though, if you look at the structure of these chapters, we see a pattern of honesty that turns into vulnerability as the author reminds himself of the truth of God’s heart and authority.

Thus, directs us back to the head quote. Lamentations 3:21 states:

“Yet..”, meaning in spite of his reality of despair. “..this..”, referring to the truth about to follow in verses 21-27. “..I call to mind..”, disciplining himself to taking captive his thoughts for the glory of God. “..and therefore..”, surrendering his concerns to the reality of God’s sovereignty over all, “..I have hope.”, choosing to walk in belief that God is who He says He is and will remain faithful to His word.

We have a choice when it comes to our feelings, to either desperately call to mind the truth of God’s love and mercy, or to make room for the lies to take root in our hearts.

Those common phrases that I mentioned aggravate me in the beginning of this blog may actually be the kind of simple truth we need to stop overlooking as “basic” or “shallow”. They may not be specific to our current trials, but that does not make it any less true or powerful.

God is good. His timing is perfect. His love is unconditional. His mercies are new every morning. And surely, He is with us “always…to the very end of the age.”

My dear friend, lamenting is beautiful because it is the practice of being vulnerable with a God who longs deeply for a relationship with you. His truths sound so simple, but they can be some of the hardest things to remember to live in. Yet calling His reality to mind is the only way to win the war against the lies in an anxious and weary heart.

There is a hope we can rest in despite our circumstances because we serve a God who already claimed victory over the lowest, darkest place.

Thoughts to consider:

Would you say that you make room for God’s truth to transform you in your doubts or do you dwell more on your anxieties?

What difference would it make in your life if you started living more vulnerable with God instead of just honest?

What is a discipline you can practice to help store His truth in your mind so that you have a defense when lies begin to overwhelm you?

Consider the growth you could experience in your relationship with God if you started living from His victory instead of trying to dig yourself out of the grave.

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” – Lamentations 3:21

June Musings: Only Our Daily Bread

bible, Christian lifestyle, prayer

“I am weary, God, but I can prevail.” – Proverbs 30:1

Mere satisfaction seems unattainable in a society where excess is still not enough. Food portions are growing, new clothing is being stocked daily, smartphones are gaining new abilities every year, and social media is reminding you every hour of the things you are missing out on or what must buy to keep up with the trends. In all honesty, it is a draining lifestyle to live. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying eating good food, shopping, or being on Instagram, is terrible. I do every single one of those myself. The point I want to highlight though, is that we live in a place and time where we have so much available to us, that contentment is only found in the abundant fulfillment of our wants. No longer is the satisfaction of our needs enough for us.

Now that certainly creates a problem with materialism, but I want to focus on how that mindset impacts our relationship with God more specifically.

I was reading through Proverbs and came across an incredible chapter. And no, it’s not the infamous chapter 31. It’s the one just before it. The one that starts off with such a vulnerable and comforting statement: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail.“

That quote alone captures the reality of so many of us. But lets be real, sometimes we only can muster up the first four words of that sentence. Whether it be a trial, an internal struggle, or our doubts that wear us down, the truth we hear from God does not always leave us content.

“God, if I could have just one sign/miracle/spiritual encounter/etc.” is a prayer many may be familiar with.

I want to be very clear; seeking any of those is certainly not wrong. But there is a danger we can face when we pray that prayer with the mentality that only the fulfillment of our “wants” is enough.

Read verses 5-9:

“Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
 Do not add to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
    Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.
 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.”

The author was honest in his struggle at the beginning, though his confidence in his prevail was not because of his own strength, but God’s. In fact, in analyzing his request, we see him start off with reverence to the Lord and submission to His Word being perfect and sufficient.

I find this fascinating because in our current time, we have access to the Word of God via the Bible. A book of living truth – that which is timeless. And though the trials of each of us vary, our purpose and our place of refuge are found in the same source.

However, with the agenda society is pushing, the perfection, wholeness, and truth in God’s Word can be a tough belief to stand firmly behind. Because as much as we believe it is all we need, our wants prevent us from true contentment. Over consumption is all around us and encouraged by many. So it surely has the power to trickle into our perspective on God.

But take a look back at verses 8-9. Here we find the author giving us a key to guarding ourselves from that dangerous way of thinking.

“but give me only my daily bread”…

Similar to the “not my will but Yours be done, oh Lord”, statement we tend to repeat or rephrase in our own prayers as we saw Jesus teach us in Scripture, this plea in Proverbs, for just what we need, ought to be one we mention daily as a defense against the selfish desires we battle with.

It may not change your circumstance or even your mind immediately, but repetitively allowing truth to be spoken over your hearts desires will in fact change you and your perspective, not because of the phrase itself, but the power of the One who you are saying it to. Faith comes when we put belief into action. This kind of prayer is not encouraged for the sake of getting what we want. No, it is a necessity to live a life believing God is truly all you need.

My dear friend, we are tempted so often to raise our bar for what we consider “enough”. But that way of living does not stem from the God we serve. It rises from a broken humanity that believes we not only know what we need, but can attain by our own means. This mentality could not be more wrong. When will we notice our striving for “enough” is the very reason we never find it? Nothing can satisfy us nor provide all we need besides the One who created us and gives us our purpose.

Perhaps then, in the pursuit of our perfect, wholesome, and Holy God, we will realize He not only provides our daily bread, but exceeds our every desire in the way they were intended to be filled.

Thoughts to consider:

Is there any area of your life you find yourself tempted with over consumption?

Has the mentality of always needing more ever influenced your view of or relationship with God – expectations, requests, doubt, etc.?

Are there areas of your life or seasons where you seek what God can give you more than you seek Him as Himself?

Consider the ways you can challenge yourself to daily live out in faith, the belief that God is truly all you need.

“I am weary, God, but I can prevail.” – Proverbs 30:1

Turn Your Eyes to See: The Value of a Small Perspective

bible, Christian lifestyle, encouragement

“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.” – Proverbs 4:1

Proverbs is undeniably focused a lot around wisdom, but I must say, as I reflected on this verse and the thoughts God has been pressing on my heart lately, I find this portion of Scripture to be convicting regarding the practice of gratitude as well.

Reading so much into wisdom recently has made me recognize the countless vessels God is actually capable of using to pour into us. The devotional I have been reading discussed the value of being “teachable”. I found this fascinating as it emphasized the importance of good counsel and community. But what captivated me was how it revealed the beauty in so many perspectives.

The world will often promote a singular point of view; one that idolizes yourself and encourages relative truth. Meanwhile, one of the most common pieces of advice from Christian’s is to “step back and try to see God’s broad perspective”. The idea of a garden is typically the metaphor people refer to as a way to encourage those who lack hope in tough situations.

Though I agree that stepping back and seeking to view things the way God does is valuable…unfortunately, at the end of the day, we are still not God and we are still limited by what we do not know. This, my friend, is what grabbed my attention when reading through Proverbs and seeing phrases like “pay attention”, “commit yourself”, “listen”, “turn your ear”, repetitively encouraged by the writer.

The Lord is indeed aware of our shortcomings. He knows we cannot see the end of every circumstance that stirs up anxiety in us, but here is the beautiful truth: He gently reminds us that we do not need to know the specifics of how our trials will end in order to be confident in His faithfulness to get us through it. In fact, throughout scripture, and especially in Proverbs, we are directed to consider the beauty, love, faithfulness, and grace of the Lord in what He has done in the past and what He is doing all around us everyday in the present.

With the endless supply of distractions this world offers, we are so susceptible to missing the small things. But how many blessings must we ignore before we realize there is so much value in the limited perspective we sometimes have. When we are stuck in the weeds of this supposed garden of beauty God is making with our lives, I would argue there is still a way to worship Him and there are still things to thank Him for.

The weeds may be tall. They may be rooted deep. And they may seem to cover every good thing around us. But beloved child of God, that does not mean the only hope in reach is when you manage to get out of the rubble and look back. Perhaps the “little” blessings under our noses wouldn’t seem to be so small at all if we valued them as much as God does, knowing it’s those very things that have the power to shape us into who God designed us to be.

My dear friend, maybe it’s not a broader perspective you need. Maybe if you turned your eyes to see – and I mean truly seek out with expectancy – you may just recognize the endless beauty in the “little” things all throughout your life.

Thoughts to consider:

What circumstances in your life have you just been waiting on a big breakthrough to solve it rather than challenging yourself to see the hidden blessings?

Are there any things in your life that you may be taking for granted? (family, school, friends, a job, finances)

What are three ways you can challenge yourself to look at the circumstances in your life more deeply so that you can actually create space and time to identify the little blessings amidst your trials?

Consider the effect that stewarding every area of your life intentionally, with gratitude towards God, can have on you and those you interact with.

“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.” – Proverbs 4:1

April Musings: A Hope in Reach

bible, Christian lifestyle

“All things are wearisome, more than one can say…” – Ecclesiastes 1:8

When I look at the way things are and how my heart mourns the world’s shallow depth, I become quite disappointed. Not just because I longed for more than what I could find, but because of the shame I held against myself for feeling such a way.

“Just keep smiling until it’s real.” “Life is too short to be upset.” “Just don’t dwell on the bad things”… are all statements I would hear over and over again from those trying to help the ones who seem to be stuck in despair. Though I understand their good intention, I think a lament with such great depth cannot be comforted by a mask of a cure. Surely, I thought, there must be a greater hope. For why else would a soul long for what they never saw? How could a heart demand comfort from an embrace it never once felt?

A friend once told me that, “baptism begins in the heart.”

I sat with that for a while, thinking how simple, yet deep that statement was. From eternal death to life, salvation reveals our ability to be redeemed. And baptism is the physical visual of the redemption of our souls.

When we consider the meaning of redemption, we see that Christ has saved us from what we sold ourselves to. Yes, we became slaves to sin, but before that, we had community with God. A relationship rooted in love and honor.

I was always told that reading through Ecclesiastes would be the more depressing route to find hope. But I would argue, this Scripture is one of the most comforting.

For a while, I fought with myself for feeling grief towards the brokenness of what was meant to be beautiful. Friendships have become shallow, work has become an idol, and our status has dictated our worth and purpose for far too long. When I looked at the world, I struggled for a long time to see how others could spot the joy so easily. But as I began this passage of God’s Word, I found it captivating that a book like this was written by a man whose wisdom was rooted in God and who had attained nearly everything riches could purchase. He had it all material-wise. But more importantly, He had insight on what God considered truly rich.

It was not money, a career, a social status, nor ignorance that lead to a hopeful life in such a broken world. Rather, it was the fact that our hearts were designed for something greater, and that greater thing is fully in reach because of Christ. We may not see it in full glory on this side of Heaven, but perhaps that allows us to find joy in the glimpses of His Grace as it reveals His heart for us, even as we are now. Maybe, in our pursuit of sanctification, one of the greatest things we could acquire is a perspective of unconditional love and compassion towards and amidst all that is broken.

My dear friend, it is not easy to wipe the sorrow off your face. Constant disappointment often rids our soul of every ounce of hope we manage to scrounge up. But may you be encouraged that the grief felt over a lost world presses on God’s heart too. He mourns over what is broken, for it did not used to be that way. Though may you also be aware of the two powerful paths grief can lead you towards…

As disappointment takes a toll on one’s heart, it is your decision to allow despair to take root and cultivate shame or to respond in lament towards the God who provides the greater hope we so desperately long for.

“Baptism begins in your heart”…transformation must begin at the core of who we are. The desires we have must be disciplined to wait for satisfaction by God alone. For until we recognize that our longing for more originates from what we truly once had, we will never be lead to pursue anything beyond what we see offered by the world.

A greater hope was what we were created for. And by the grace of God, it is in reach, even as we stand in the grave, because of Jesus, the One who reached out first. Your soul’s desire is justified, but how you satisfy it determines whether you establish a hope in all that is meaningless, or in the only thing that is everlasting.

Praise God, for He welcomes the weary and offers a hope that we don’t even realize our whole being is starving for.

On the Significance of God’s Righteousness

bible, Christian lifestyle

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭

Shame has been on my mind lately. It is an quite an interesting concept when broken down.

Though our bodies have a survival instinct, when shame is present, it is as if we give that up. Rather than fighting for life, we give into fighting ourselves into this belief that we are not worthy of good, and sometimes, not even worthy of life itself.

Shame holds the power to turn a soul against itself.

Now we have heard the value of God’s love preached a million times over. His love is what drove Him to fight for us even when we rejected Him. But what I recently came across was the significance of His righteousness. His justice. The characteristic that demands the virtuous thing. The just thing.

When I read this verse above, it was not just the cost of my sin that seemed to be forgiven, but also the effects of my sin that were overcome.

Yes, God loves us, and we can rest in that truth. But God also demonstrated His justice on the cross and through the empty tomb.

The cross paid the debt. The cost of our wrongdoings. The punishment we were responsible for.

And the empty tomb revealed that death, and it’s grip on our lives, has no power over those redeemed by Christ.

My dear friend, shame speaks death that has already been defeated. It is rooted in a punishment that has already been paid. And it bounds us in chains that are already broken.

The sacrifice and resurrection was not just the perfect display of love, but the perfect act of righteousness for the sake of making freedom available to those who did not deserve it.

Shame will come often. And as our hearts tends to forget the significance of God’s righteousness, shame tends to distract us from the reality we now live in; the reality of redemption and grace.

This is not that we may walk in our own pride, as Paul says in verse 27, “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.”

No, rather, we walk in confidence of the perfect atonement for our sins – being just that…perfect. Forgiveness for our straying, and freedom for our bounded souls.