Sometimes, We Just Don't Understand...

One Another

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. —Proverbs 20:5
..dwell with [your wife] with understanding -1 Peter 3:7

ODB reflects: "This principle works both ways. Husbands want to be understood as well. Actually, we all do. Everyone, married or not, longs to be understood by others at the deepest possible level. We’re born with that need, and we never seem to outgrow it.

It’s feeble avoidance to say we can’t understand one another. We can and we must. It takes time—time spent in one another’s presence asking questions, listening intently, then asking again. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. No one, of course, can fully plumb the mystery of another person’s heart, but we can learn something new every day."

I am thankful for every day that I get to 'ask questions, listen intently and ask again about my love. It is so beautiful and wonderful to learn about his heart, every new day. And it is one of the blessings that has made this 27th year so beautiful for me. Lord, help me to draw this understanding out of the more difficult sources as well.

God's "Law"

¹¹ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues
God will speak to this people,

¹² to whom he said,
"This is the resting place, let the weary rest";
and, "This is the place of repose"—
but they would not listen.

¹³ So then, the word of the LORD to them will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there—
so that they will go and fall backward,
be injured and snared and captured. -Isaiah 28:11-13

Oh, will we ever learn? God's law in the beginning wasn't a law of rules and what to do, but we fell backward. God said that it was a resting place, a place of repose, but we saw it as rules. I am much too much like this. Yesterday I admitted I'm a Martha, and my friend Andrew called me out on it last night. It's true... discipline for all its helpful qualities causes these types of problems: following rules, set schedules, not taking advantage of a beautiful birthday breakfast for two because it would interfere with running and devotions and everything. I only hope that I can change, Lord. Help me to know Your resting place... and to deeply understand that Yours is not a law of rules or of doing but of love and grace... and rest.

A Heavenly View of Things

¹⁵All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶Only let us live up to what we have already attained.-Phillipians 3:15-16

This verse speaks of a heavenly view... searching for the prize of heaven. Sometimes I appreciate this acknowledgment in the Bible. While we try to understand, we should also humbly come before the Lord our God, knowing that we cannot understand everything, but also being confident that someday God will make it clear to us. What a beautiful promise! That's surely a reason to look forward to heaven! To understand all these mysteries and concepts that are just so difficult for me now. Help me to be content with where I have attained, where I am in my walk... but always continuing to walk closer with thee, my Lord- closer and closer in this next year.

Stay Focused! - Avoiding Distractions

Focus on Jesus

Martha was distracted with much serving. —Luke 10:40

I reread this familiar story this morning, and ODB pointed out this verse. It struck me this morning. The problem wasn't that Martha was serving, which is something essentially good. The problem is that Martha was distracted by the serving. We have here a classic case of 'not seeing the forest for the trees.' Martha 'couldn't see Jesus for the serving.' Instead of focusing on her Lord, she was focused on the perfect cut of meat and most delicious bread and beautiful tablescape. Had she forgotten that this was the guy who turned water to wine? If he wanted to, he could make a banquet fit for kings appear right there on the table! And here Martha was, running around, distracted by all her preparations.

Sometimes I'm much too much like Martha. I worry about having everything just so instead of paying attention to the beautiful blessing of being with people that are so wonderful in my life. But the thing I really have to watch out for is that all my good intentions- acts of service, prayer, study don't become something 'to do' (as Joseph put it last night). It's all about Jesus. We need to stay focused... so that it's just the opposite: We can't see the service for the Jesus.

God Focuses on Us

² In that day—
"Sing about a fruitful vineyard:
³ I, the LORD, watch over it;
I water it continually.
I guard it day and night
so that no one may harm it. -Isaiah 27:2-3

And our example is this- a Lord who loves us so much, who is so faithful that it's absolutely indescribable. When we are fruitful (truly His), He will water us... refresh our souls, guard us day and night... not testing us beyond what we can bear, and not letting harm come to our souls. His constansy should be an example of the way that we might focus our hearts and souls and minds all on loving Him forever... that itself will make this vineyard fruitful.

Focus on Others

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. -Phillipians 2:1-4

This morning I am feeling very challenged by these verses, because this past week I was selfish and vain. I usually make sure that I call or email all of my wonderful GCF friends who are such a blessing in my life and such a beautiful part of my Romans Bible study. But this week I was filled with selfish ambition- focusing too much on my studies perhaps or other things. If I truly had been considering others before myself, I would have been praying more and touching base with these wonderful brothers and sisters of mine. Lord, please teach me to love with Your love, so that I may be able to truly express this same love that I have for my brothers and sisters... I pray for them double this week.

It's important to know our distractions, and this week I think about what I would fill in the blanks:

Katie was distracted by much _____.

grading, studying, running...

Lord help me to see you first, to focus on You... not to be distracted by even good things. I also pray this prayer for all my brothers and sisters: Kara, Kristi, Dustin, Jorge, Kuang, Jasmine, Youngmin, Michelle, Shijie, Blake, Mike, Jess L, Jess V, Christine, Jennifer, Pacifica, Mary, Nicole, Joseph, and everyone in all of GCF.

Matter of Life and Death

²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²²If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! -Phillipians 1:21-22

Interesting that I read this passage this morning, because Brad and I were just talking about that all illusive topic "life" yesterday. How do we make the most of it? What is it to really "live"? This verse at first seems to be all about "liberation theology." And certainly, dying is gain... although as mortals it seems our bodies strongly resist the notion. It's not really about this heavenly earth, and we know that in heaven we'll be united with our Savior.

But another important aspect of this verse is that to live is Christ. To really really live is to be in Christ... I remember the vine and the branches. In this life, what we are meant to do is be fruitful. I'm listening to the song, "Take My Life" by Third Day this morning... with the beautiful chorus: "Please take from me my life, because I don't have the strength to give it away to you." Lord, sometimes we feel to weak, overcome by the stress of work and classes and research and so much... we don't have the strength, Lord. So please take our lives... and help us to live, as Paul meant... in a way that living is You, Christ.

This morning I especially pray for my love. I know it was a very hard week for him yesterday. I pray that you'd guide him through this week... give him balance, peace and a renewed sense of focus and energy. Take his life, Lord and be with him all day, and help him to know this and feel Your presence in a real way.

¹ See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth
and devastate it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter its inhabitants-

² it will be the same
for priest as for people,
for master as for servant,
for mistress as for maid,
for seller as for buyer,
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor. -Isaiah 24:1-2

And this verse speaks not of individual death but of the death of a people, the destruction that would come before the peace. And it is the same for all these people! Jesus is the great equalizer, and death has been called such as well. In our American graveyards we can see that all the tombstones are roughly the same... reminding us that in the end we are all more similar than we admit. The master and the servant, priest and people, all have to face death. But what we often forget is that because of Jesus, we are the same in life... Jesus came to all of us "the same: for the priest as for the people, for master as for the servant..." Lord, help us to remember in life and death that we are humbly Yours... all Your servants.

⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. -Phillipians 1:9-11

This morning this is my prayer for everyone in my small group. If this is a hard time of the semester for people like Brad and myself, some of the new students must also be feeling the pressure. I really pray that each one: Kara, Kristi, Dustin, Nicole, Mary, Kuang, Jasmine, Jorge, Youngmin, Blake, Jennifer, Jess V., Jess L., Shijie, Mike, Christine, Joseph and Pacifica may all be filled with knowledge and depth of insight... able to discern what is best (how to study and how to give time to God) -to the glory and praise of God. Lord help to give Blake and Jennifer peace now as they look forward to tests this week. Make them efficient and effective- calm their hearts and steady their minds.

Serving God = Serving All (and vice versa)

Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? —1 John 3:17

This verse is always very challenging to me... especially at these tough economic times. I do pass people who have need for something. That's why we tend to live in socially stratified neighborhoods. Imagine the university professor living next door to the one room apartment filled with 3 different immigrant families. They couldn't live with their mansion next to that. They would see the disparity every day... it would be harder for that professor to 'shut up his/her heart.' Perhaps that's what we need... as certain lots in Ocean City NJ are designated for business and others for personal dwellings and others for duplexes, perhaps we need a zoning system where there is a broad range of income levels on each block. Maybe then we would allow it to affect us in a real way and show God's love to people in need.

But, not everyone has a 'hardened heart.' Just this week my friend V had her bike stolen from her... unfortunately since she's only been here for a few months. And we were talking about how wonderful it is that someone would just give her a bike that they weren't using.... God's love, I'm sure is shown through people who care so much about their brothers and sisters to meet the needs whenever and however they can.

⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. ⁶Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. ⁷Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ⁸because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. -Ephesians 6:5-8

This is another one of those Paul verses that people try to avoid, but if you look closely it's quite similar to the wives and husbands text from the other day. It's a different rhetorical style for us, because the important piece comes last... whereas we're comfortable with it coming first. He starts off talking about slave only to reach his main point- that we should be 'slaves' of Christ... doing His will from our heart, no matter if we think His eye is on us or not. We should do it for the Lord and not for man. I have taken to sending my tithe into church, which is much easier for me, especially coming from Brazil where I'd give my tithe without anyone knowing. Not everyone had a tithe to give, so we didn't want to make a show of what we were doing.

I also always appreciated more the service projects where things could be given anonymously... so that people could appreciate that it was a gift from the Lord and not from certain people at all. Because it is not to our glory, so that our 'right hand may not know.' We don't need a reward for what we give or don't give or do or don't do, because that reward may hopefully be the reflection that people can see in the love of Jesus. I'd love to send cards to people in need... signing them simply: Jesus. It's all for Your honor, Lord. I give it all to You... teach me more and more how to serve you wholeheartedly and wholly for You.

Clarity in the Face of Distortion

Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. —1 Corinthians 2:5

I found my ODB reading this morning especially meaningful, as I reflected on how we can't rely on our own wisdom and understanding because as humans, we have a distorted view of things. We 'see through a mirror dimly' and 'see only in part.' We have human-colored glasses, but God can see it all. Lord, I put my faith in Your wisdom and in Your power that surpasses everything... because when things just get to be too much I lose it. I don't know where I am or what I should be doing. Lead me, Lord, and help me to be open and listening to that leading. I need you... and I need Your wise and complete view of things to give me perspective once again.

So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. -Isaiah 19:21

Lord, I pray that You make Yourself known to me, because I cannot see everything. This part of the semester is always one of the hardest for me. I remember last year. I just feel so out of balance, and I feel like I'm drowning. Lord, make Yourself known to me. Like the Egyptians, I long to see You all day every day and to follow You.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:31-32

This is a part of scripture that most people (especially feminists like myself) dislike intensely. But I read it with new eyes this morning... and I hope with a less distorted view. Paul is talking about Christ and the church, when he marvels at the mystery that 'man' has left his Father and been united to his 'wife.' To me this morning, I marveled at how Jesus left his Father to be united with us. Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to us... to teach us more about Your character, more about Your ways...guide us in Your wisdom so that we may see.

Let Your Life Sing...

Sing in Community

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. —Ephesians 5:19

This verse reminds me of my dear friend Kammy who came to our COB Young Adult Conference last year. When asked what she thought about it, she said, "You're a very sing-y group." It's true. We'd spend free time doing a special hymn sing. Our fun talent show night was mostly made up of musical acts. And we'd have worship 3 times a day with lovely songs... in at least 3 part harmony, of course.

I miss the days at Juniata where my friends would just sit around- taking song requests and singing together... and singing to the Lord. So wonderful, so simple, so completely for Him. But there's something else that strikes me about this verse- "speaking to one another..." We should learn to sing what we have to say, so that what we have to say may be a sweet melody to God. Lord, teach me to make my words (as I speak to others) a sweet melody that reflects my heart for You.

Sing in Response

⁷ All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing. -Isaiah 14:7

It's hard to imagine what it must've been like- to be living in slavery and bondage... to be waiting for freedom from their enemies. And to hear a promise like this for the future... about lands being a rest and breaking into singing. Actually, it's not so foreign to the world today. It's just that we conduct our 'business of war' in far off places where we can't see the fear and distress inflicted upon so many. But Lord, this morning, I do pray that all people may feel Your peace... that we may recognize that we are all brothers and sisters who can break into singing together, singing a song of peace and unity and Your love that binds us all together.

Sing in Actions

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. -Ephesians 5:8

All of these verses remind me of the song, "How Can I Keep from Singing," but especially this verse. I am convinced that when we "let our life sing," we need to not only sing with the 'semi-perfect pitch' we've acquired, but also with the notes we weave into our comings and goings and doings. As children of the light, we must learn what pleases the Lord and sing those songs... of goodness, righteousness and truth. Lord, teach me those melodies and help me to play them each day- joyfully and wholly for Your honor.

What to Expect, When You're Expecting...

What was Expected of Jesus

⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling ^a]">[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.

⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

⁸ The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea. -Isaiah 11:5-9

When you talk about "expecting," it's quite hard to do it without mention of the Jews waiting for their Messiah. They had the beautiful scriptures from Isaiah that promised them a Prince of Peace, filled with righteousness and faithfulness... and the earth would be filled with the knowledge of God. I really hope sometime I can study Isaiah more in depth.

But today it strikes me that some didn't believe... despite all of the promises, all of the scriptures that pointed to Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. Were they really expecting these promises to be fulfilled? I question myself about that sometimes... God's promises for us are so great and He is so faithful... but we are 'of little faith' and we doubt whether it can really be. But we need to wait in faithful expectance, or when His promises come true, we might not even see them. Lord, help me to have faith in the completion of Your promises in my life.

What We Expect from God

If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11

And we should expect such good things from the Lord. Now, I think the key here is that it doesn't say which good things. We don't tell our Father... ok... I'd like to order good thing #1- health, good thing #2- a beautiful home, good thing #3- job security, good thing #4- a handsome guy (well, that one's already taken care of anyway). I think some people think that, and so they become disheartened that God doesn't really "give good things to those who ask Him."

But perhaps it's more general. We ask God for blessings and protection, and He decides what gifts are good. Like a Father, he "knows best." Lord, thank You for all the good things that You have given to me... even when I was on the verge of giving up hope. I really was starting to doubt that I would meet someone like Brad. And I thank You for the many many good things that You have given to me- an education, the opportunity to travel and serve You, and the many good things to come. Further more, I thank You for Your wisdom. You know what is good, oh God. Help me to expect and appreciate the good things that You give to me... so that I may use them all for Your glory.

What God Expects from Us

¹As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. -Ephesians 4:1-3

Wow... what a powerful verse, especially the first one strikes me this morning. "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Imagine a world where all Christians were so on fire for Christ that they sought to live a life worthy of the calling they have received! It would be amazing! We are all called to certain things- humility, gentleness, patience, unity, etc. We also each have a calling.

Reading through Luke this week, what stood out to me was how different groups of people (soldiers, tax collectors, 'the crowd') all asked, "What shall we do?" It was good and right to ask this question, and they all received a very specific answer about what was required of them. So, I this morning ask this question, "What shall I do, Lord? What is your specific calling for me? What is required of me? I want to live a life worthy of the calling I have received." Thank You for the blessing of using me to complete Your work... fill me with your humility, gentleness, patience, so that I may honor You, always 'on fire' for my Lord, always living life for You.