The Holy One calls to me this morning. A new lesson has begun in my training as a bond slave of Jesus. While nothing changes the Sacred Romance, there are days when the depths of our love bond is being tested.
At one moment in my temporal marriage, when the mountain seemed too high to climb, I was on the verge of giving up and walking away. The voice of my Beloved spoke, "I know your hurt, your pain, even your confusion, but I want you to go back in there and die for Me one last time".
The death He was asking me to die wasn't anything more than pride, but it seemed so painful at the time. Little did I know that it was the "one last time" when I would have the opportunity in my marriage to serve the Lord's good purpose in my earthly husband's life. Within a few short seeks of that directive I became a widow.
Today there is much happening that can be twisted by an evil voice in the darkness to blame the God who created and loves us for the horrible tragedies we see and experience, or give up on the thought that goodness and mercy can prevail on a fallen earth, or that it might be a personal directive to serve our Lord in the heartbreaking realities of life in this darkened realm..
The temptation is to express words of despair or anger or unbelief, all worthless words that set a tone for more fear to dominate and impact others.
The Lord gently moves me on in my meditation. "Those devastated on earth need to hear truth. Truth can be hard but it does bring much comfort to the soul."
The Truth is that eternity looms large in front of all of us. There is no guarantee in this life as to the length or duration of the temporal. But if we live as if the temporal is all there is, the hardship or heartache brings on a despair so deep and dark, it chokes out the goodness that can be found as we pass through the land of the living.
The awe and wonder of our Creator is in His love and therein is where we find our hope. I Corinth 2:9 says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him". I can't even imagine.......
During the election cycles of the past, I focused on the words spoken by one who wanted to change the U.S.A. His words were superficially sweet but sent a chill up my spine for what it would mean for America to undergo such a change. I entered into a time of mourning for what I perceived to be the death of the country I love.
The Lord heard my weeping and put truth in my heart and mind. The Holy One told me then, "This land is not your home. It has never been anything more than the land of exile". Those were shocking words to my heart and my political agenda. I erroneously believed that somehow we could make America here like the Kingdom of Heaven in my heart. Until Jesus returns to rule and reign as the Majestic King that He is, no government on earth will ever be perfect.
This season is a time to remember those who have fought and died for the principles of freedom that America's government is based upon. We celebrate the ultimate sacrifice each has made. With humble gratitude we honor the fallen and those on the front lines still fighting to protect the "Land of the Free". We salute those who have returned home as heroes, having seen the horrors of war in other lands so others don't have to. Today, we are facing great challenges here, to fight for the restoration of our great republic and One Nation Under God.
For the Christian whose heart is fixed on Eternity, this land is not our home. No matter where we pitch our "tent" here on earth, we are just passing through.
Back in Jeremiah's day, when the Lord spoke through His Prophets, He gave a message to the Children of Israel on this very subject. Jeremiah sent a letter from the Lord to the "exiles" who were living in Babylon.
The Lord calls me to read it again and apply it's directive to life today.
Jeremiah 29: 4-7: " This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says to all of those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses, and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in numbers there and do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city (land) to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers so will you."
Tucked into this message is a picture of God's world view and His purpose in the world: His people, carried by Him into a land not their own with a commission and a command to live and prosper there. A quick read of the text brings a revelation of God's Will for us in this temporal life experience.
God moves His people into foreign places (whether neighborhood, communities or really foreign lands) to represent Him to the world around us. We lose His perspective when we wall ourselves off and isolate to live out all our "doomsday-prepper" scenarios. We may not be as "radicalized"as some but the walls between us are as fixed as the barbed wire around the compound.
What gets defeated in the practice of judgement and isolation is the Heavenly war for souls; those precious to the One who gave all men the breath of life, and the One who died that all may live in the Eternal Presence of Holiness.
There is great news for us as believers within the "Great News" for the world at large. The "Great News" for the world is that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, JESUS, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM (as the Son of God, what He did for us through His death and what He made available for us through His resurrection) WILL NOT PERISH, but WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
Within that great news of eternal life is the promise of His presence in the temporal world as well. God can and will make a distinction in the lives of His people. But never lose sight of His reason: That the world will see Him in us, and desire to join the family and community of believers in the one true God and His Son Jesus.
This is not about a bank account or all the "fixins" of a gilded life. The Gospel must be as true here as it is in 3rd world countries, just relative to our surroundings.
I pray for peace so that in each trial that will come, others will come to know His peace through my life and example. I pray for prosperity so that as I am taken care of, others will come to know the security of His provisions through my life and example.
Opportunities abound in the land of exile to represent Christ to the world around us just like in the final days of my marriage. The question to each one of us who "know" the Lord is: "Will we take them?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
At one moment in my temporal marriage, when the mountain seemed too high to climb, I was on the verge of giving up and walking away. The voice of my Beloved spoke, "I know your hurt, your pain, even your confusion, but I want you to go back in there and die for Me one last time".
The death He was asking me to die wasn't anything more than pride, but it seemed so painful at the time. Little did I know that it was the "one last time" when I would have the opportunity in my marriage to serve the Lord's good purpose in my earthly husband's life. Within a few short seeks of that directive I became a widow.
Today there is much happening that can be twisted by an evil voice in the darkness to blame the God who created and loves us for the horrible tragedies we see and experience, or give up on the thought that goodness and mercy can prevail on a fallen earth, or that it might be a personal directive to serve our Lord in the heartbreaking realities of life in this darkened realm..
The temptation is to express words of despair or anger or unbelief, all worthless words that set a tone for more fear to dominate and impact others.
The Lord gently moves me on in my meditation. "Those devastated on earth need to hear truth. Truth can be hard but it does bring much comfort to the soul."
The Truth is that eternity looms large in front of all of us. There is no guarantee in this life as to the length or duration of the temporal. But if we live as if the temporal is all there is, the hardship or heartache brings on a despair so deep and dark, it chokes out the goodness that can be found as we pass through the land of the living.
The awe and wonder of our Creator is in His love and therein is where we find our hope. I Corinth 2:9 says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him". I can't even imagine.......
During the election cycles of the past, I focused on the words spoken by one who wanted to change the U.S.A. His words were superficially sweet but sent a chill up my spine for what it would mean for America to undergo such a change. I entered into a time of mourning for what I perceived to be the death of the country I love.
The Lord heard my weeping and put truth in my heart and mind. The Holy One told me then, "This land is not your home. It has never been anything more than the land of exile". Those were shocking words to my heart and my political agenda. I erroneously believed that somehow we could make America here like the Kingdom of Heaven in my heart. Until Jesus returns to rule and reign as the Majestic King that He is, no government on earth will ever be perfect.
This season is a time to remember those who have fought and died for the principles of freedom that America's government is based upon. We celebrate the ultimate sacrifice each has made. With humble gratitude we honor the fallen and those on the front lines still fighting to protect the "Land of the Free". We salute those who have returned home as heroes, having seen the horrors of war in other lands so others don't have to. Today, we are facing great challenges here, to fight for the restoration of our great republic and One Nation Under God.
For the Christian whose heart is fixed on Eternity, this land is not our home. No matter where we pitch our "tent" here on earth, we are just passing through.
Back in Jeremiah's day, when the Lord spoke through His Prophets, He gave a message to the Children of Israel on this very subject. Jeremiah sent a letter from the Lord to the "exiles" who were living in Babylon.
The Lord calls me to read it again and apply it's directive to life today.
Jeremiah 29: 4-7: " This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says to all of those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, Build houses, and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in numbers there and do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city (land) to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers so will you."
Tucked into this message is a picture of God's world view and His purpose in the world: His people, carried by Him into a land not their own with a commission and a command to live and prosper there. A quick read of the text brings a revelation of God's Will for us in this temporal life experience.
God moves His people into foreign places (whether neighborhood, communities or really foreign lands) to represent Him to the world around us. We lose His perspective when we wall ourselves off and isolate to live out all our "doomsday-prepper" scenarios. We may not be as "radicalized"as some but the walls between us are as fixed as the barbed wire around the compound.
What gets defeated in the practice of judgement and isolation is the Heavenly war for souls; those precious to the One who gave all men the breath of life, and the One who died that all may live in the Eternal Presence of Holiness.
There is great news for us as believers within the "Great News" for the world at large. The "Great News" for the world is that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, JESUS, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM (as the Son of God, what He did for us through His death and what He made available for us through His resurrection) WILL NOT PERISH, but WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
Within that great news of eternal life is the promise of His presence in the temporal world as well. God can and will make a distinction in the lives of His people. But never lose sight of His reason: That the world will see Him in us, and desire to join the family and community of believers in the one true God and His Son Jesus.
This is not about a bank account or all the "fixins" of a gilded life. The Gospel must be as true here as it is in 3rd world countries, just relative to our surroundings.
I pray for peace so that in each trial that will come, others will come to know His peace through my life and example. I pray for prosperity so that as I am taken care of, others will come to know the security of His provisions through my life and example.
Opportunities abound in the land of exile to represent Christ to the world around us just like in the final days of my marriage. The question to each one of us who "know" the Lord is: "Will we take them?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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