Diving Into the Unending Wells of His Word

I have been confronted by many ideas lately that contradict the importance of opening up God’s Word everyday. Everybody seems to have his or her own ideals of what is proper, true, or expected. It comes from either what they’ve been taught or from personal experience. I have been pushed to go to the one place that never fails to offer unchanging truth and it says that nothing can substitute the intimacy and wisdom that God freely gives when we come to Him through His living and breathing passages.

This powerful weapon not only protects, guides, and sustains us during the natural grind we all face while living on this side of eternity but it opens our heart to be connected to His presence on a level that cannot be achieved elsewhere. Prayer, fellowship, service, and faith are all important to a Christ follower’s life but without intentionally seeking His presence through His written Word, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to other sources that seek our attention. I am often reminded of the life and loss of Solomon. God shows us that one can love Him with the greatest wisdom there is to have, yet still be lured away if we allow our hearts to lead.

This aspect in no way diminishes the reality of the Holy Spirit or the participation He plays in our life. In fact, the relationship between the Father, Son, and Spirit is truly seen and understood when we surrender and mature in God’s Truth that is gained from His Word. Only then will we recognize what God is doing in our life and the ever-growing false translations that slowly sneak into our everyday interactions.

It is the pride of man that cooperates with these tiny notions that yearn to be significant on our own that start to believe we are more then we are. It is a humble heart that is aware of our unworthiness that embraces the grace that Christ’s sacrifice did to make us significant. It is through a DAILY portion of God’s Word that keeps the second idea described from overtaking the first.

Looking at the Rippling Reflection in My Waters

Today while walking I thought a lot about my child. I tried to see the world through his eyes and wondered why he is so intent on not seeing the bigger picture. He appears to be running away from the lessons I thought I poured into him. I often catch myself saying, “A little bit of honey goes along way” cause I want him to understand that not everything has to be a battle of the wills. Sometimes there is an easier way and I know that patience and love works faster then arguing and trying to manipulate the situation. Even if one is right, it is often counterproductive to be abrasive when trying to get a point across.

Then God gracefully reminded me of myself at that age (and perhaps even now at times). I was very strong headed, opinionated, and could have been considered a bit rebellious. In fact, if I saw a trend go one way, I made the choice to go the exact opposite. Do you remember the band New Kids on the Block? Well, I distinctly made the decision that I wasn’t going to like them solely cause everyone else did. I was bound and determined to be different. I will not dissect the theories behind that defense but I will say that God knew my heart even then. He knew my ability to not be sucked into the culture as my peers defined it. Even if my motive was wrong at the time, He took that rebel in me, softened it up, and gave me a passion that could be used only for Him. I still struggle with how I am perceived and question whether I can be “the light” He calls us to be, but I have proclaimed Jeremiah 17:14 and rest in His promises to transform me. That determined spirit has been handed over to the One who has shown to be worthy of my trust and obedience to His will is overtaken mine.

Now my point is, if you have someone in your life that seems to be pushing the envelope in ways that doesn’t exactly make sense to you, please don’t loose hope. They may try to act like they don’t need, appreciate, or care what you think but I assure you it is only coming from a perspective that hasn’t fully matured yet. Their understanding of their position is so narrow that it’s like they have tunnel vision. They can only see the happenings of what is going on inside their perimeter therefore making it difficult to navigate within yours. My only real recommendation is to lift them up in prayer. I have no doubt that my mother’s continued prayer for my heart is what made the difference in my life. Never second-guess that power.

Wide Open Spaces

Romans 5:20 says “The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

At first glance this scripture might be misunderstood to explain away sin because Christ freely offers grace to overcome it all. However, it should be looked at like a stepping-stone to understand that grace is offered to everyone, without reservation. There are many people who feel that they are not worthy of a personal relationship with God because of the things they have done or things they are currently doing. This scripture clearly states that no one is capable of keeping the law and in fact that was the reason it was created. It showed that we are all sinful by nature and separated from God. It is only through Jesus Christ was our debt paid and the veil which separated us torn down.

However, once we encounter God’s unyielding grace, we should be prompted to seek His glory to a greater depth. This can only happen when we intentionally dig deep into His presence and obey without hesitation. This has often been difficult for me in situations that conflict with my pride.

When hurt, misunderstood, or judged, I tend to react on emotion. Even if its God that I think I am standing up for, I feel it’s my responsibility to set the record straight. This has been increasingly clear in my more intimate relationships and I am often confused where my loyalties should stand out in such cases. But if I looked closer to the evidence of how my reaction is portrayed, I am confident that God would want me to take a more subtle approach. There are some times when we may be prompted to run from relationships that continually cause us to sin, but other times, He ask us to stay put and be weary of our own heart in relation to it. Perhaps we can grow from those particular encounters by trusting God to reveal Himself through us to them in due time. Perhaps it is not about them at all but about teaching us to push through any resentment to find forgiveness and strength in Him alone. Perhaps we’ll never know or understand the true value in continuing that relationship other then knowing that obedience to God is key to our refining process.

I have to have faith in knowing that God is bigger then my pride and that the reward, which awaits me on the other side of this obedience, is well worth the hit to it. I also acknowledge the fact that the unending power to calm the raging seas will come to my rescue to calm my raging heart when I surrender them over to Him. It is up to me to allow Him the space to fill in those gaps that resonate in my nature and it is up to Him to figure out the process to do so. I may not always see or understand the path at which He chooses but I trust Him because of my narrow perspective.