Dispel Disappointment

As Mary traversed the rocky terrain leading to Jesus' crucifixion, questions concerning His suffering jolted her heart and mind. Her preconceptions of how Messiah would save His people from oppression hardly matched what unfolded during the arduous days we now celebrate as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Mary's disappointment and grief numbed her as she observed Jesus' torture.

Why did it happen that way? Why didn't He just call down heaven's troops and overthrow his opponents? Why didn't He vindicate Himself?

Sometimes, we read God's inklings of the future like Rorschachs, making their pieces fit our best longings. That's quite possibly what Mary did as she waited for Jesus to reveal Himself as Israel's Messiah, for she had expected a throne, not a cross; vindication, not death. She had misinterpreted how God would save.

Like her, at times we miscalculate how God is going to intervene. Our why's jolt us to consider that God does not always act according to our best hopes. But, when we unpretentiously rely on God's wisdom and our relationship with the risen Christ, we learn to reinterpret setbacks and heart wrenching disappointment with the truth. God's ways are beyond our understanding.

Even after three days, there might not be a clear answer. However, a new glimpse that our Savior suffers with us and also triumphs over suffering, reintroduces the Prince of Peace as a faithful companion. We discard grave clothes, link arms to steady us on uneven terrain, and smile into Jesus' eyes. Each glimpse of glory dispels disappointment and we discover new power to trust God's ways. 

After all, our Savior knows what He's doing. 

For Your Consideration

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).

As you meditate on Jesus' death for the world, what might the Holy Spirit reveal about God's ways? Are there implications you can draw for your own circumstances?

How did Jesus arm Himself against why's and what-if's?

Thank Offerings

The last thing we want to do when things are going bad is thank God. We plead, we ask for help, we complain, but we don't typically give thanks.

That's why scriptures refer to the sacrifice of praise. "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name" (Hebrews 13:15).  Isaiah says, He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God" (Psalm 50:23). When we sacrifice thank offerings, we prepare the way for God's salvation. Amazing! 

The only way to give thanks and praise in bad times is to intentionally shift focus. We look away from terror to Truth, from fear to Faithfulness, and we change. Not only do we find strength to persevere (see Hebrews 12), but we experience an other worldly peace that keeps our hearts and minds focused on what is true and lovely (Philippians 4:6-8)--a far cry from anxiety.

It's not Pollyanna thinking. We have to admit our challenges before Jesus our Intercessor. But as we start looking for things for which to give thanks, the Holy Spirit cleans our lenses and adjusts their focus. We become more aware that God's power and love far surpass our needs. Soon we learn to see the Almighty's hand in our lives even after we've shrunk back from some of the ugly gift wrapping.

This rediscovery (that we can trust God) prepares us to lay down worry and fear. It deactivates our default complaint button. The sacrifice of thanks and praise accustoms our eyes to behold our Savior in grander dimensions, including ones that speak to our needs.

While it's not easy or natural, sacrificing thank offerings honors God. It lays out the red carpet for Jesus, our Savior, to show us the stuff of His salvation.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Is there a situation in your life that is dragging your attention away from Christ and diminishing your sense of God's great care and presence? How might your sacrifice of thanksgiving impact your well being?

What aspect of God's salvation in your life is God revealing? 

Thank God anew for a time when your sacrifice of praise refocused you on God's presence and perspective. 

Jesus Wants You

"Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted" (Mark 3:13, NIV).

I almost overlooked it.

He wanted them. Yes, Jesus chose them, but He wanted them. Every last one of them, including Judas.

Mark tells us that He appointed them so they could be with him (verse 14, italics mine).

He wanted their company. He wanted to teach them. He wanted to send them out to preach good news and to have authority to drive out demons. He wanted each one, and their names are recorded in the Scripture.

Jesus' desire to have these men spend time with Him was so they could experience, not merely teachings about God, but God in flesh. He would reveal Himself through miracles, teaching, disappointment, grief, and triumphs. There was no way to know what they would discover: awe, confusion, suffering, and joy. At the time of their call, they had already encountered Jesus as the compassionate healer and the authoritative rabbi. Their years with Him would expand their pebble ideas of God into wondrous mountain ranges.

Encouraging, isn't it, that Jesus also calls us to Himself. He wants us to bring His Kingdom near through His presence in us. But more than that, He wants to reside in us,  express His love and delight in us, and make us one with God. Eventually, as we give ourselves to God's purposes, we discover that in all turns of life, God is working to etch Christ Jesus in and through us.

Oh, dear Lord, thank you for wanting me. Thank you for calling me to spend time with You, and for giving Yourself to me so completely!

For Your Consideration

Reflect on your life. Why does Jesus want you to spend time with Him?

What key lessons has Jesus taught you in recent years about (a) His love for you, and (b) your part in letting Him love people through you?

Keep Looking at Me

I know that God cares about me when He repeatedly instructs me with a particular scripture. In the past several weeks, the Holy Spirit has spotlighted different verses in Hebrews 12. Using this favorite passage, my Coach is retraining me to jump hurdles. On my own, I can't, but the Spirit of God in me can.  So I choose to keep looking to Jesus, the 'champion who initiates and perfects [my] faith' (see Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT).

As I face a succession of challenges--unfamiliar doctors, pain, broken machinery--I deliberately remember the biggies are beyond my ability and intentionally turn and look into Jesus' face. That focus, rather than the jarring circumstances, slowly renews my relationship with Him. Though confidence is thin at times, I remember it is well placed. Jesus Himself could face great suffering because He was closely linked with Father, so I ask for a stronger link: close, tight, and unshaken by circumstances. I read and pray the Scripture, applying it to the issue, and look to Truth to coach me in running the race set before me.

Interestingly, I rediscover my Helper created me to look confidently to Him at all times, not just when I see rough terrain ahead. My Creator loves me to trust and dialogue with Him. God desires to guide, strengthen and love me. So I'm looking, again and again, and learning new confidence in God's ways even when they don't make sense. It's relationship He's after.

Keep looking at Me, My child. Look into My eyes. I am looking at you.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  (Hebrews 12:1-2, NTL).

Are you facing a challenge that draws your eyes away from the One who is making you into a champion?

What can you do to refocus keenly on your Coach, Jesus Christ?

Spend at least one minute giving thanks for specific evidence of God at work in your life.

Think Beyond Yourself

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in our thinking be adults (1 Corinthians 14:20, NIV).

Haven't you met people who thought the world existed to meet their needs? And haven't you, at times, been one of those people?

Some have had all they longed for handed to them by Mommy and Daddy. The clothes, schools, networks, jobs--all, with more piled on, were offered endlessly. No demands, no responsibility. If Jared failed, Mommy would come behind him hushing his cries and doing her best to keep the teacher's wrath at bay. If Jessica fell down, Daddy would soothe his princess to a fault so she didn't have to pick herself up and keep running.

Others didn't. They had to scrap and work hard for everything. They easily concluded that they deserved to call the shots and enjoy the perks no matter what. After all, nothing was handed to them on a platter. Rejection and loss were companions they learned to ditch, and their temptation might be to do what they want, when and how, without concern for others. That is, only if it suited them.

But if we are to grow up, regardless of where we fall on that continuum, we have to become God centered. We discover that means thinking like Jesus. God's Word challenges us to seek not our pleasure primarily, but God's. Like Jesus did. When we start responding to God's desires for us, instead of wallowing in self-centeredness, we speak the truth about our situation. That opens a door to a life changing perspective.

In hardship, we can discover fresh intimacy with the Lord. His presence transforms us as we realign our thinking according to God's revealed Word. We grow into adults--worshipping adults. And others will come along to worship.


FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Read 1 Corinthians 14:12 - 25.

Has The Lord been alerting you to self-centered thinking that's begging to be replaced?

What specifically needs to be addressed, and what kind of help will you need in making that transition?

One consequence of mature obedience to God is others might be drawn to worship. 
(Verse 25: So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!")

Holds Your Hand

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

I had no idea I had blockages. The cardiologist's plan to cut my artery and send a camera through my arm after an prolonged episode of atrial fibrillation was both a relief and an anxiety.

 A cousin sent me Isaiah 41:13. I figured God had sent it to me for a reason, and started meditating on it.

It gave me fresh encouragement. I needed God and He took the initiative to hold my hand. He used  a familiar promise but in a new way. The doctor planned to go through my right wrist and the Word promised me God would hold my right hand. God's Spirit had taken hold of my hand before. Several times. Now He would help me again.

When I was nine years old, I realized God wanted a personal relationship with me. With time, His Word became increasingly alive to me and knew I could count on what He said. Precious words that I had encountered before came back to steady heart and hand. I focused on what was true: God's hand had taken hold of mine! God up close, personal--my little hand covered by His eternal one.

Once when our then five year old daughter was ill, our routine bedtime prayer was punctuated by her little voice, Mummy, I can feel Jesus holding my hand!  At the time I marveled. I didn't know if it was her imagination or a special gift. God used that memory to fan my faith. God was holding my hand. Yes, even my right hand--roadway to my heart.

So when I fear, I squeeze Jesus' hand and ask Him to remind me that His hand holds mine. He can replace fear with faith, and anxiety with peace. And I breathe more easily knowing He's with me all the way.

Now that's comfort and power. And I'm holding tight.

For Your Consideration

Read Isaiah 41:13 slowly, and read it several times. After each reading, listen to how the Holy Spirit might  address your needs. 

If you knew the Lord was actually holding your hand and looking into your eyes, what fear would He ask you to release to Him? What help could you ask for?

Enjoy His love for you and rest in His desire to meet your needs as you face a New Year.

Favor with God

Mary must have had a great love for God's Word and a great respect for God's work. She was looking for Messiah to come and deliver the Jews from the Romans as much as any other Jew.

I'm sure God's reasons for selecting her to carry His Son were many, but the one the angel gave her was that she found favor with God.

Was it that she was pure and loved the Most High God with all her heart, soul and mind? Was she astute, wise beyond her young years, always looking for God's presence in life around her? I expect she hungered for righteousness and regularly found God's filling.

When Gabriel informed her of the holy pregnancy and gave instructions in naming the Son of the Most High, Mary wondered at the impossibility of the assignment. Gabriel proceeded to give her some general information then reminded her that "Nothing is impossible with God."

She would have known about the impossible crossing of the Red Sea on dry land; God's provision of manna in the desert; the commandments that sprung out of God's covenant love for His people. She knew the Lord was capable of pulling off the impossible and often did so using humans who obeyed God's instructions.

So, beyond the first greeting, after which Gabriel told her not to be afraid, there is no hint that Mary started worrying. Though she was young, I'm sure she was no fool. She trusted God to take care of the details. She would have been well aware that this role would be demanding, that the village gossips would have a heyday with her growing belly. She didn't know yet about the sword that would pierce her side, and the horror God's Son would face, but God chose her because she would trust Him implicitly.

What she did know was she had found favor with God and she wanted to give everything she had to do His will.

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." (See Luke 1:38, NIV.)


For Your Consideration:

What might give you favor with God?

What does the Most High treasure about your availability?

Can you wholeheartedly say, I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said?

May we enjoy the blessings of walking in full surrender to the Lord's will for our lives this Christmas and in the coming year.