Monday, September 13, 2010
Saltiness
In Matthew, Christ tells us that we are the salt and light of the world. That we are to be those elements in the world that radically rock it and illuminate their lives with the love of God. In that verse there is one part that states that is salt loses its saltiness, it becomes useless and has no use other than to be trampled by horse and men. As I thought about this, the more I realized that first salt doesn't lose its saltiness and second if it does than its not salt. That saltiness is what makes that element salt. That saltiness is what makes that element so useful in seasoning and in being an antiseptic. With this God began to speak to my heart; as a matter of fact he began to break through my heart. We have been told that we are his salt in this world. We are his tools to season the lives of others with the love of God and to break through the infection that has plagued it for so long. No matter what we have done in the past, no matter how many times we have messed up, he will always have a plan and will use us as a powerful force for his kingdom as long as we are willing to lay aside our regrets and our past and allow him to direct us in his ways. This is something that has been so encouraging to me. I know that I am like any other human and have my struggles that I do give into at times. However, to know and understand that God still loves me and because of his grace he will still allow me to be part of his grand plan to reach into the lives of those who need him and to make a difference in this world. Thank you Lord for that opportunity regardless of imperfect humanity. Take my life and direct it for your ways.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Hannah's Supplication
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, the author presents to us the predicament that Hannah is in. Married to a man that she loved and who loved her, but was incapable of giving him children. His other wife had given him many children and she taunted and tortured Hannah with it everyday. One time during a festival, Hannah promises God that if he gives her a son she would return him back to him for God's work. Eli the priest comes to her and although he first thought she was drunk, saw her desperation and encouraged her to keep her faith and that God would bless her supplication. God did bless her and she gives Samuel back to God, leaving him at the temple to be raised by the priest/God. Later it is mentioned that she blessed with more children. Its incredible to me the faith of Hannah. A woman who lived in a culture where women recieved their respect from being married and how many children she had given her husband, yet she had no children. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for her to watch as her husband's other wife have the joy of these children while she was barren, especially while the other woman flaunted this fact in front of Hannah. Yet she remained faithful even to the point of desperation and tears! She laid out her supplication and kept her eyes on God and she was blessed with not just samuel who she gave back to God, but other children after him.I pray to have that kind of faith. Even in times where it seems impossible, I keep my eyes on God and keep my faith fixed in him. I know that God has great things promised to me and I hope that even in the most desperate of times I can keep the faith in those promises!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A New Veil
"Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks split."
~Matthew27:51
With the death of Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah, the veil that symbolized the separation that sin had created between us and God was torn and removed. That is so many times what we see when we read this passage in Matthew 27, but lately I have found myself looking pat that. I'm so grateful for that act of grace and mercy, but I see a new veil being created in each person's life as they enter into that relationship with God. A veil that provides a separation between the world and that place of peace and isolation with God. I love this place. The veil, in my mind, is sound proof, blocking out the chaotic discord of the world. Its a thick wall that keeps the trouble and worry of the world from seeping in and distracting me from the face of God. It provides a place where I can be vulnerable with God. A safe haven where I can resst without sleeping with one eye open. A place where I can receive the spiritual sustanance that quenches my thirst and hunger for God. This is my favorite place in the world.
~Matthew27:51
With the death of Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah, the veil that symbolized the separation that sin had created between us and God was torn and removed. That is so many times what we see when we read this passage in Matthew 27, but lately I have found myself looking pat that. I'm so grateful for that act of grace and mercy, but I see a new veil being created in each person's life as they enter into that relationship with God. A veil that provides a separation between the world and that place of peace and isolation with God. I love this place. The veil, in my mind, is sound proof, blocking out the chaotic discord of the world. Its a thick wall that keeps the trouble and worry of the world from seeping in and distracting me from the face of God. It provides a place where I can be vulnerable with God. A safe haven where I can resst without sleeping with one eye open. A place where I can receive the spiritual sustanance that quenches my thirst and hunger for God. This is my favorite place in the world.
Friday, March 27, 2009
To Love and Be Loved.
"In one way or another everything we do is tied to this unfolding story of love between us and God. How does God love? He chooses, he pursues, he resucues, he woos, he protects, and he lavishes."
1 John 4:7-11 talks about how important love is in our lives because love is the nature of God. We cannot serve God and be considered one of his own if we do not love. We are directed to love God, but also to take the love he has shown us and love one another. Its amazing to me sometimes how we sit in church and told that we are all self-centered and selfish because of the society we live in. How we have been tempted and shaped by our self-centered society, but in if we really look at it is this really true? Do we really live our lives in such a selfish way?
One of the things I have noticed as I have gone about my own life and as I have been part of others' lives is that rarely do we allow ourselves to be loved. Many times we have no problem showing others love; looking past their mistakes and seeing the precious being that God created and loves. Love is the root of our being. We were created for and out of love. Our purpose is to love God and to love others. God created the heaves and the earth to be a visible expression of his glory. Everything created to express preaise, but more than that he wanted the love and relationship that came with humans and their praise. God created the earth as a place where we could fulfill that role. He then created us with that same innate desire to be part of a relationship where we give and receive love. Where we can be ourselves and be loved for that. We were created in his own image to have that person, intimate, loving relationship with God for eternity. He gave us free will so that we could choose to worship him out of faith, love, loyalty, and gratitude rather than out of guilt, force, and obligation. He gave us the choice to love him with a pure love. With a love that stems from the love he has for us. A love that provides freedom. A love that broke sin's hold on us through the sacrifice of Christ.
This is something that can only be recieved through free will. God holds it in his hands for us to take. He won't make us take it from him. He allows us to choose. Here is where I don't see the entirety of the self-centeredness that so many preachers and religious gurus claim this society, both Christian and secular, hold. If you were to ask many people if they truly believed they were capable of being loved; that someone should or could love them I'm betting that a large percentage of them would to tell you know. That even though they may look past the mistakes of others and love them for who they are, they don't think anyone should do that for them. Its so sad. A generation filled with young women who don't believe that they deserve true love because of mistakes they made so they settle with the cheap shallow love that comes attached to lust and self gratification. A generation of young men who are tempted every day and told that they are terrible sinners when they do fall into the temptation. Told that they are not real men if they allow the idea of love become a need of theirs. A generation of children, teens, young adults, parents, and grandparents who doubt their own self worth and refuse to accept the fullness of the love given to them by other people and by God.
A friend once told me that you cannot give what you do not have. One day the expectations to be loved that you hold for yourself are going to fall onto someone else whether you mean for it to or not. It becomes a quickly reproducing problem that gets out of hand very fast. Its time that we allow God to love us the way he created us to be loved. Fully and purely. Its time that we accept that love so that we can share it with others. We need to allow those that God has placed in our lives to love us to truly love us. To let them show us the care and compassion that God has given to them to share as he has with you.
I pray that the heart of whoever reads this sees their worth. That whatever has haunted them from their past would take its place behind them and move out of the way between them and the love that God has for them. I thank you Lord for the grace and love that you gave us. The undeserving favor that was granted to us through your son and his wonderful sacrifice. Thank you so much!
~Amen
1 John 4:7-11 talks about how important love is in our lives because love is the nature of God. We cannot serve God and be considered one of his own if we do not love. We are directed to love God, but also to take the love he has shown us and love one another. Its amazing to me sometimes how we sit in church and told that we are all self-centered and selfish because of the society we live in. How we have been tempted and shaped by our self-centered society, but in if we really look at it is this really true? Do we really live our lives in such a selfish way?
One of the things I have noticed as I have gone about my own life and as I have been part of others' lives is that rarely do we allow ourselves to be loved. Many times we have no problem showing others love; looking past their mistakes and seeing the precious being that God created and loves. Love is the root of our being. We were created for and out of love. Our purpose is to love God and to love others. God created the heaves and the earth to be a visible expression of his glory. Everything created to express preaise, but more than that he wanted the love and relationship that came with humans and their praise. God created the earth as a place where we could fulfill that role. He then created us with that same innate desire to be part of a relationship where we give and receive love. Where we can be ourselves and be loved for that. We were created in his own image to have that person, intimate, loving relationship with God for eternity. He gave us free will so that we could choose to worship him out of faith, love, loyalty, and gratitude rather than out of guilt, force, and obligation. He gave us the choice to love him with a pure love. With a love that stems from the love he has for us. A love that provides freedom. A love that broke sin's hold on us through the sacrifice of Christ.
This is something that can only be recieved through free will. God holds it in his hands for us to take. He won't make us take it from him. He allows us to choose. Here is where I don't see the entirety of the self-centeredness that so many preachers and religious gurus claim this society, both Christian and secular, hold. If you were to ask many people if they truly believed they were capable of being loved; that someone should or could love them I'm betting that a large percentage of them would to tell you know. That even though they may look past the mistakes of others and love them for who they are, they don't think anyone should do that for them. Its so sad. A generation filled with young women who don't believe that they deserve true love because of mistakes they made so they settle with the cheap shallow love that comes attached to lust and self gratification. A generation of young men who are tempted every day and told that they are terrible sinners when they do fall into the temptation. Told that they are not real men if they allow the idea of love become a need of theirs. A generation of children, teens, young adults, parents, and grandparents who doubt their own self worth and refuse to accept the fullness of the love given to them by other people and by God.
A friend once told me that you cannot give what you do not have. One day the expectations to be loved that you hold for yourself are going to fall onto someone else whether you mean for it to or not. It becomes a quickly reproducing problem that gets out of hand very fast. Its time that we allow God to love us the way he created us to be loved. Fully and purely. Its time that we accept that love so that we can share it with others. We need to allow those that God has placed in our lives to love us to truly love us. To let them show us the care and compassion that God has given to them to share as he has with you.
I pray that the heart of whoever reads this sees their worth. That whatever has haunted them from their past would take its place behind them and move out of the way between them and the love that God has for them. I thank you Lord for the grace and love that you gave us. The undeserving favor that was granted to us through your son and his wonderful sacrifice. Thank you so much!
~Amen
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Guard your Heart
Friendships are fascinating entities. Sometimes they are simple and other times they are the most complicated things ever. They can be the most incredible things and then they can be the thing that destroys your world. I've learned how two sided things are. How we live in such a binary world. Its important to choose friends wisely and to be careful what you pour out to them. Be wise in your investments and remember that your heart is a precious commodity that can never be replaced and rarely is made completely whole again. Its a fragile part of you and its has been given to you as a responsibility. Cherish it and be careful not to fully put it into the hands of someone else. Be kind to it and guard it. Just some words of wisdom.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Resonating Thoughts: The Replay from the Past.
So I wrote this back in October. Its something from my journal and its a rare occurence that something like this is ever shared from journal on such a public avenue, but its something that has been echoing in my thoughts and heart especially lately. Please bare with me as I know that some of my posts aren't as happy or enlightening lately. Just trying to get things out of my head. I hope that maybe this will resonate with someone who may feel the same way. Blessings!
October 25th, 2008
I sit in the darkness feeling the whole world crash down on me. Voices everywhere demading my presence and my obedience. I feel the grips of cold, thin hands pulling me to their desired destination for my life. All of the commotion and noise and yet so alone I feel. The masks I where hide who I am inside showing only what I want the cold hands and shrill voices to see. I give all of them what want while I sit in the dark conrer alone. I only want to be seen, to be heard, but I know the pain that perhaps may follow and allow the complacency I have chosen to overcome me. I become stagnant and numb. Haunted by every choice, every past failure with no one to protect me. I just want someone to hear me and not hurt me; to love me and not leave me. I wan thte arms that will hold and guard without breaking me. I sit here tired and worn with only the dark walls to turn to. Someone hear me. Uncover my eyes and shield me from the fight. Give me a chance to live without doubts and without worries. See me for who I am and love me for that.
October 25th, 2008
I sit in the darkness feeling the whole world crash down on me. Voices everywhere demading my presence and my obedience. I feel the grips of cold, thin hands pulling me to their desired destination for my life. All of the commotion and noise and yet so alone I feel. The masks I where hide who I am inside showing only what I want the cold hands and shrill voices to see. I give all of them what want while I sit in the dark conrer alone. I only want to be seen, to be heard, but I know the pain that perhaps may follow and allow the complacency I have chosen to overcome me. I become stagnant and numb. Haunted by every choice, every past failure with no one to protect me. I just want someone to hear me and not hurt me; to love me and not leave me. I wan thte arms that will hold and guard without breaking me. I sit here tired and worn with only the dark walls to turn to. Someone hear me. Uncover my eyes and shield me from the fight. Give me a chance to live without doubts and without worries. See me for who I am and love me for that.
Nothing More, Nothing Less: Your Presence and My Sacrifice
On the altar once more. That's where I am at. All of me. Not pieces or parts, but my entire being. In the Holy of Holies, just you and me. No one else allowed in. The rope around my ankle disconnected so that no one can hear or drag me away from you. Behind the curtain where no one can interrupt. With you and you alone. Here. I stand. I lay down the sacrifice, ME. I know that I'm not the best of the flock, young and pure, but rather weak, crippled, darkened by the storms and erosions of life. I know that I'm not the best of them all. I know that I'm filthy, but its what I have. Its the best that I have. The best of my supply. Its all of what I have in my possession. Just you and me here. Alone. Take me Lord! This is yours, me. Nothing more do I have. I lay it all down, undone before you ready to be consumed by your fire. Burn away the chaff, the impurities, the caked on filth that has collected over years of guilt, shame, insecurities, pain, mistakes, lies, failures, selfishness, and disloyalty. Nothing More, Nothing Less do I bring to you my dear father. Nothing more do I have. Please accept this offering. Do with it what you may. Keep me here in your presence. Just you and me. For there is nothing more, and I want nothing less.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)