Friday, December 11, 2015

Who We Are Waiting For: The Rescuer

We all need to be rescued from something.  I need to be rescued from gluttonous eating and checking my phone while I'm with someone else. Last month I was not able to swallow or talk well, so I needed to be rescued from being malnourished and the limitations of myasthenia gravis.

My children need to be rescued from the agony of defeat when playing a family game.
  
My friend needs to be rescued from the fear of her son possibly having a bad infection. 

I have many, many friends who need to be rescued from anxiety, self-consciousness, and fear. 

The list can go on, I'm sure you can relate to something you need to be rescued from. 

We have a Rescuer. 

This sermon by Jared Mellinger is my initial source for our Lord being our rescuer. Jared highlights the excerpt from Acts 12 where Peter was rescued from prison; "and the chains fell off his hands" while he was basically sleepwalking.

So, I'm not literally in prison, but as I go about my day, my body and mind have limitations. We all do, and this is a good, yet trapping theory.  Good, in that we need to build a habit of reliance on the Lord's infinite power to give us all understanding and strength we need, and trapping, in that we have to get over our pride and ask Him for help.  

Here's an example in parenting:   
This is concert week, and we have our children in Suzuki Piano and string lessons. Both children are working on Jingle Bells for their concert this weekend. David, 5, grunted in frustration, "I'm asking God to help me play the right notes and it's just not happening!!" Shoulders slumped, defeat. Banging the keys. Aware of his limit. Consumed with frustration, bordering on head-hitting anger.
David, you just sat down! You can do this! You are five years old, so they playing it 5 times, and see how it goes by the fifth time. Or you can just give up. But I'd love to hear it after the 5 times. God can help you calm down and practice it, not magically 'poof' you into playing the right notes!" I cheered him on and held up 5 fingers until all the times were played. 
He did it! He was rescued from the anger, the agony of his limit, and the daunting idea of practicing.

So he was rescued from his pride of not being able to do it right away and we know from Proverb 16:18, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

He was rescued from anger, and we know from the Proverb 27:4, "anger is overwhelming" and does not produce the righteousness of God. 

He was rescued from a false view of God that he can be called upon, like a fairy god mother, to zap the right notes into his fingers. He is [momentarily] free of the idea that you can sloth around doing nothing, and then expect to produce something great. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15

Chris Tomlin has an apt rendition of John Newton's Amazing Grace, I'd meditate on the chorus: "my chains are gone, I've been set free."

 
So, who are you waiting for? 
 Yourself to buck up and get it right?
A fairy god mother to just make it all go away and poof you into a fancy carriage?
Or a super powerful Rescuer who can save you from your daily battles with pride, anger, gluttony, chains, oppression, anxiety and an infinite list shackles. 
"And the chains fell off his hands." Yours can, too.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Who We are Waiting For: The Refuge




Ambush.  Dread.  They’re coming.
Are you waiting for the refuge?
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Psalm 64:1
My prayers are usually: preserve me, preserve my family, preserve my friends.
It is a rare occasion that I pray: preserve me from dread.
Preserve me from the enemy?
Preserve me from dread of the enemy finding me. 
Preserve me from my to-do list?
Preserve me from dreading my to-do list.
Preserve me through my upcoming surgery?
Preserve me from dreading my upcoming surgery.
Preserve me from failing this exam.
Preserve me from dreading failing this exam.
So often our minds and emotions can be led by dread,  and it is exciting to know that the Lord is able to preserve us from dreading something.  He is able to preserve us from fear.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,  who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,  shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.  Psalm 64: 2-4
This is happening around the world. It must have been throughout the history of the world. We are pretty aware of it now with some global and much, much, manipulated, national media so to be rescued from dread is consistently an apt prayer.

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Who would do such horrible things?
They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”  They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.  They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done. Psalm 64:5-9
We could never know the depths of man’s heart.  But God knows and can turn anyone’s heart towards Him.
Lord, as you snatched up the apostle Paul, a major persecutor of your people, snatch up hearts who do not like justice, who are unmerciful, and forgive them.  Fix their eyes of  Jesus, their refuge. Teach them in the depths of their heart to love justice.
Can God possibly do this?  Yes. He can.
He is able to be a refuge not only to you, and me, but to every heart of every member of evil. 
Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult! Psalm 64:10

A song that will serve you well is I Have a Shelter from Sovereign Grace Music.  The song articulates the place of refuge very well.

Let’s sharpen each other to these truths.

Take Refuge.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Who We are Waiting For: The Shepherd

I’m feeling compelled to identify a name of Jesus for each day until Christmas. Hopefully, this will give me more insight to the reality of Jesus as a person, taking on roles just as any of us would. So here it goes.

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When the same Psalm comes to you multiple times in a few days span,  it’s time to pay attention.
Psalm 23 had this repetitive effect on me throughout the month of November. My friends would start texting me a song or tell me excerpts from Psalm 23, and my vivid recollections of being a short little woolly sheep, not able to see over a fence and trusting in a watchful Shepherd came flooding back.
My favorite messenge about Psalm 23 was when one of my sweet aunts wrote it out, to me.
Joanne, The Lord, your Papa, is your Shepherd, you shall not be in want! Your Papa makes you lie down in green pastures, your Papa leads you beside quiet waters. He WILL restore your soul!! Joanne, Your papa guides you in paths of righteousness for His name sake! Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you, Joanne, will fear no evil! For your Papa is with you; His rod and His staff will comfort you. Your Papa prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He anoints your head with oil; your cup, Joanne overflows! Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, Joanne, and you WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever!!  Wanted to bless you today with some of God’s precious promises love you Joanne!
Please, insert YOUR name and know that these promises and truths are for YOU!
From your Father,
who knows you,
guides you,
and is your Shepherd!
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Revelation 7:17 ESV
How can I respond in the moments I am not laying down in a green pasture and being still?
Lord, what do you have for me to do right now, today?  Peel away busy tasks that would distract from what I really need to do.
How can I respond when my heart palpitates before I even have a chance to take a thought captive?  
Lord, please put a song in my heart before it palpitates, lead my soul beside a still water, a still thought, a still mind.  Dissipate the lie that spurs me to anxiety. 
And sometimes I text a friend or my hubby to pray for me ♡
How can I grow in maturity and in community?
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  1 Peter 5:1-4 ESV
A great song to meditate on. The Lord Is by songwriters Bob Kauflin, Pat Sczebel performed by vocalist Devon Kauflin from the Album PSALMS, Sovereign Grace Music.