We've Been Set Up (In a Very Good Way)

“And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for Your truth and Your wisdom; Then, I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.”—Psalms 119:45-46, Message

It is good to love the Word of God, to have the Word shape our lives, to trust in it, to depend on it, to guard it in mind and heart. Especially in these times of extreme confusion and uncertainty, it is far better to fully engage in Extreme Bible Reading than to train half-heartedly; or worse, to sit on the sidelines satisfied with mixing junk food and an occasional workout.  But it’s also easy to stand so firmly on the wonderful truths and wisdom of the Word that the incredible Person of the Word gets stuck to the ribs of our insides, and we forget the part about letting Him out through us for others to not just hear, but see and touch.

Or, maybe more accurately, we don't really know how to go about it without being weird. Who can do this?

 

It seems like a small step, but a simple day-starter prayer, “Word of God, speak; open my eyes and help me be aware of what You're doing as I stride freely through the wide open spaces of a new day,” could wind up triggering an incredible faith-building or even Life-changing moment in the most ordinary of places. It's also one you can be sure to which God will always reply, "Yes and amen."

“All around us — where we work, play and live — is an absolute setup. God has uniquely placed us in the center of His kingdom activity, and He has specially gifted us to be and to express Good News to those in whom He has already been working. Our only task is to open our eyes and ears to begin to see signs of His presence and to touch all around us…”

— Gary Best, “Naturally Supernatural”

Positive ID

"When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours." (Romans 1:12, New Living Translation)

Some days are better than others, but the best one are not necessarily when everything seems to go well. In fact, some of the very best ones may not be going great at all. The best days are when you get a text, an email, a card in the mailbox, a phone call, or even a look-in-the-eye conversation that digs through all the dirt, rubble, and mud of what the daily grind can do to a person...and unearths not more of same, but gold.

Finding treasure in who someone is in God's eyes (no matter what others have said or labeled in the past, or the negative, accusatory tapes that play from time to time), and then showing it to them, is more than a "don't worry, be happy" moment. It is one of the juciest fruits of a lifestyle of worship. It is rebroadcasting the truth of who God is and how He sees us. And not just in general terms, but the way in which He uniquely made and shines through you and me in some fashion.

From the calling of young Joshua to be a leader, to the calling of the first Christ-ones to hold fast to what is true, to life on planet earth in late August 2016, God's good and forth-telling message has been the same:

"From the beginning of time, I have ordained encouragement, and it is good, and it has a purpose beyond speaking mere words. Because when you encourage someone in Me, you don't just make them feel good, you strengthen them for who they really are in My eyes, and for the Great Adventure I have for them ahead. Even if it is just strength to take the next step. Even if it is something as simple and rock-solid true as this positive ID: 'See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown us, that we should be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!...' And if someone beats you to it today and calls out the gold in you, please....pay it forward (yes, that was My idea, too)."

"It is easy to laugh at men's ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word." (William Barclay)

Living Large, One Step At a Time

"A man’s mind plans his way as he journeys through life,
But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.”—Proverbs 16:9, Amplified

If you are a goal-oriented, tackle-the-list, dream big “what-if?” dreams kind of person (and everyone is to some extent), then it’s good to know that God is on our side. He built us that way, and He thinks goals and plans and thoughtful strategies are a very good thing. In fact, when choosing to be a Kingdom person, they’re essential.

And yet, there is this as well: We think paths and highways to the goal line; God is more into steps, one at a time. 

Many of those steps seem very routine if not boring. Because while He may be cheering on our goals and dreams, God always seems to be more excited about growing roots in the soil of the day-to-day, when not much seems to be happening (even if most of it is pleasant), or when things don’t make much sense, the hours are full of distraction, and everything seems far-removed from any cherished goal or dream. It is here, where we all live most of our lives, where God seems to know best that faithfulness and trust must take root and grow strong for the challenges and trials and stresses—including those pertaining to our goals and dreams—that will inevitably come along.

Even the testing of everything in which we say we believe,which is just about any routine day you turn on the news.

The upside-down simplicity of God’s call on our lives may not be so much about arriving at the huge thing we’re planning or dreaming about, but rather learning to walk in friendship with Him in all things big and small. Especially the small and ordinary of the moment, of the gift of today—to tune in to what He might be seeing, to hear what He is saying now or has already said in His Word for this particular moment, this busy sidewalk, this loved one or friend, this life situation. To know, as friend walking with Friend, when to be silent and just pray, and when to respond...

Lord, help me to remember that in the goodness of setting goals and dreaming big dreams to not only strive to keep things simple, but also to keep it personal. You are called "our Father" for a good reason. So, let my first goal for this simple walk with You always be 'today'—even right now, when no one is around to see. Let my conversation with You be unending, unreligious, and filled with hope even amidst a lot of questions, and to remember that You are perfectly cool with grammatically incorrect sentences, and then to listen—to be still and listen for Your good pace as You direct each one of my steps so very well. And then especially, to remember this:

"Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him. Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy.
Bring about Your kingdom. 
Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven.
Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive those who owe us something. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be, and let it be powerful and glorious forever. Amen."

(Matthew 6:7-13, Voice)

Good News in the Midst of Any Storm

“Only by Your power can we push back our enemies; only in Your Name can we trample our foes.”—Psalm 44:5, New Living Translation

The Sons of Korah who penned several of the Psalms weren’t just random people in history to be brushed aside. First, they were in King David’s inner circle of servants of the Lord: musicians, songwriters, and writers, and with a prophetic gifting. We can relate to them in the sense that, in this Great Adventure we’re on, there’s nothing better than to be so intimate with the King that all that you are and do is driven for His pleasure and yours (but mostly, His). But we can also relate to the Korah guys in another way: They were warriors, familiar with battles of good vs. evil in all of its manifestations, goodness vs. injustice, and of ones (a lot, in fact) that simply didn’t seem fair or make any sense.

Even if you’re in a good place this morning, and your “Life is Good” t-shirt feels especially comfortable, the Sons of Korah in Psalm 44 offer some great nuggets on dealing positively with the battles of life smorgasbord the next time they show up. Because even though no one signs up for them, as Jesus reminds us, we all get them simply because broken things, broken systems, and broken people have always been the end result of Eden gone bad.

There is much good news flowing from the Korah boys—things we know, perhaps, but tend to forget in the heat of the moment….

• It’s good to remember that in the battles of life, while it is true we are to put on the spiritual armor that the Lord has provided us, and to stand our ground, we can rest assured that God's motive is always love and never meanness; the battle and outcome is always His on our behalf because of His great heart toward us. (“They [those who have gone before us] did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was Your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from Your face that helped them, for You loved them.” —vs. 3)

• It’s good to remember that while battles may make us more vulnerable when we are tired, we shouldn't be shocked when they show up while “Life is Good,” and we feel especially tight with God.  (“All this has happened though we have not forgotten You. We have not violated your covenant.”—vs. 17). Life happens to all, but He is in it all for the good, even when He seems nowhere to be found: "He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

• It’s good to remember that God is not shocked with our “Where are You?!” cries. (“Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way?”—vs. 23-24). God not only can handle it, He may even delight in it in a sense because it is a sign of relationship, of “get real” communion. He longs for that intimate fellowship with us more than anything, just as He has since Adam walked in the garden. Seek Him—He cares for you, even in the midst of this whatever.

• It’s good to remember that in our “Where are You?!” to stir up faith-building truths of His faithfulness at all other times in your life, of promises always kept, of a Love that will never, ever quit. (“Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of Your unfailing love.”—vs. 26)

 

It’s especially good to remember the best news of all: “In the world, you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer—take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.”—John 16:33, Amplified Classic

“Believing in the Gospel is not a passive, one-time decision; it is an active, continual fight for faith in what God says is noble, true, and good. We fight to believe that Jesus is more precious, satisfying, and thrilling than anything else this world has to offer. This is faith in the Gospel: the grand announcement that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and evil through His own death and resurrection, and is making all things new — even us.” — Jonathan Dodson, “Gospel-centered Discipleship”

Unshakable Things Worth Repeating

O God, my heart is steadfast, in the confidence of faith; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises, even with all the faculties and powers of one created in Your image… For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great and high as the heavens. Your truth and faithfulness reach to the skies!”—Psalm 108:1, 4 Amplified

No matter how crazy and uncertain things may get during any given day or week, there is power and hope in following the psalmist’s lead and regularly speaking out some unshakable things:

God’s MERCY is poured out to us daily

God’s LOVING-KINDNESS is relentlessly embracing us

God’s TRUTH is ready to break through to stabilize and drive us forward, and

God’s FAITHFULNESS is behind us, ahead of us, all around us, and living through us.

What could be better news than that? But wait...“I will sing, yes, I will sing praises…” Once is good, but the psalmist is on to something here: more is better! Because even unshakable things spoken, and unshakable things internalized only once may not immediately quell low energy or mood that, on their own, would rather not even hum a few bars. But say them again, think them again, choose to believe it all again, and something miraculous begins to occur:

The pity party leaves the building—the building that is you. And in its place, God’s power and love begin to once more fill the void like waves at high tide, reminding your soul for the umpteenth time that they are as enormous as He promised they would be.

The power is not in the song, or in the shout, or in the verbalization. The power of praise is in the Truth and faith behind it all (even weak faith), believing without necessarily “feeling it,”  and in choosing to declare to the enemies of doubt, confusion, and whatever else tries to knock us on our keister that “…though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet!” 

If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear Your voice
I’ll hold on to what is true though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith
I will believe
I remind myself of all that You’ve done
And the life I have because of Your Son...

("Love Came Down" - Brian Johnson)

Above and Beyond the Noise

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you large sea animals and all the oceans,
lightning and hail, snow and mist,
    and stormy winds that obey him,
mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
    crawling animals and birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
    princes and all rulers of the earth,
young men and women,
    old people and children.

Praise the Lord,
    because he alone is great.
    He is more wonderful than heaven and earth.

—Psalm 148: 7-13, New Century Version

When you live in the country, it’s pretty easy to climb onto the set of Psalm 148. The writer heads to the great outdoors to get perspective. And peace and quiet. Looks like a good hike or a long walk. Perhaps the world around him has gone as mad as ours. Just…walk…away for a moment and head to Reality. The steps become more labored, but the heart is pounding hard only because the vista ahead is so spectacular.  The rock he chooses for a breather is living on the edge a bit, but then that’s pretty appropriate. And in his back pocket, a dog-eared notebook. Slowly, he looks all around and above, then back all around, perhaps especially within, and passes on wisdom for the ages…

“Who made all of this? Wait, I know! Surely, nothing so magnificent just explodes onto the scene.

And yet how could there be such beauty...so constant, and yet some of it changing every minute or day as though with a swipe of a high-definition celestial paint brush?

Who does that?! Wait, I know!

Everywhere I look: Perfection—the uniqueness of every tree leaf, every flower and blade of grass, and every bird's song.

Even the trees sway in rhythm when the wind blows.

Life’s chaos and uncertainties may be pounding on the door for my attention

But here, I see only Reality once more, and true peace and security symbolized in all that You have made…’He put them in place forever and ever; He made a law that will never change.’

Isaiah was right: In quietness and trust is Your rest, indeed.

Out here, I think I finally see and understand why You loved Enoch.

You may have had very little to say about him, but what You did say was a clarion call:

A man who undertook a simple walk of quiet trust, daily communion, and joy-filled Love songs.

And that’s pretty much it?

That’s pretty much it.

I’m sure there was an overflow in there somewhere, but I guess it’s the bedrock that You’re after.

And if that’s the kind of quiet trust walk that pleases You, then I want to dial it all down to the simple essentials one more time

And be that guy.

But where was I? ...

Above all else, everywhere I look, in everything my eyes and senses take in,

I see just what I need to see most, one more time: Your faithfulness.

Even in the silence, it shouts:

‘If I AM faithful in the beauty of creation, know that I am even more faithful in working in and through every situation, and especially My beautiful creation of you.’

Help me never to take such jaw-dropping goodness for granted, but instead:

‘Let them—creation, mankind, me—praise the Name of God. It’s the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky...’

Wow, even my pen must be praising, because I can’t even read my own writing.

How does that happen?! Wait, I know!"....

"When I write, my perspective shifts. The mundane becomes a minefield for inspiration. My daily routine becomes an adventure, an opportunity to look for living hope where others may see none. And when I find that hope, I rejoice in the God who gave it to me. Whether I respond to beauty with a blog post, a song, or a prayer, my response is worship because I’m noticing God’s beauty and celebrating it...celebrating Him." (Ashley Abramson, Relevant Magazine)

Lifting the Weight

”An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”—Proverbs 12:25

This message may be on Heaven's loudspeaker today. Certainly, this past week. It's always good to sing, and praise, and pray, but this could be the most life-changing overflow of worship any of us does today…or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday….

Lord, we lace up our sneakers once more and seek to follow in Your footsteps, remembering this is true about You: "A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out." (Matthew 12:20). Help us, at every turn, to speak Life.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my firm, immovable rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

ADAPTED FROM 3-16-14