Hope Does Not Disappoint

It is a funny thing how we can get in in our minds that surrendering is a one time thing.  2 Corinthians states that 'we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  We must understand that it is impossible for the life of Christ in us to be revealed without us surrendering or dying to who we are by the natural man.  Christianity is not meant to be lived by our own power.  Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can the life of Christ be manifested, and that, only as we lay our self down. 

I saw myself with my heart tied to a string while I am walking through mud and mire just pulling it along saying "come on already".  What I am still learning, is that my heart does not belong to me anymore to treat with contempt, to despise it, to drag it through a spiritual sewage plant and then expect good things to come from it.

I find more and more that temptation to sins of the flesh are not an issue so much as is the temptation to not wait long enough on God.  As we mature we should be seeing and hearing more clearly the Holy Spirit revealing to us the things to come, but with that comes the temptation to circumvent Gods order and timing to bring about what He has revealed.  The good thing is that we know from Romans 5 that tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope and that hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy spirit who was given to us.

 

God is much more interested in our character than our temporary comfort for he knows that character is what produces the hope that does not disappoint and enables us to wait, no matter how long, for God to bring to pass what He has promised.  

Life or Death

God sets before us life and death.  The problem is I sometimes choose death because choosing life requires more of me than I am willing to give. Ouch!

Jesus said "Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it".  Huh? You see, it may seem at first that choosing life will cost more than we might be willing to give, but the truth is, choosing not to die to ourselves will cost us way more than we thought.

 

The choice has always been there before us, but until we come to the cross we are helpless to choose life as Jesus offers to us because the life He offers lies beyond the cross. It is only in our surrender that we are empowered to choose life, and even then we will have to fight for it.  We have a formidable foe who is determined to keep us from life as God intended.

 

We might climb a mountain or go around it or even in some cases tell it to move, but for those who desire life there is only one way and that is through the cross because only those willing to die to themselves will find true life as that life is in Christ.


 

If anyone desires to come after Me let him deny

 himself and take up His cross and follow Me. 

 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

 Matthew 16:24-25

 

Suffering.....God's Will?

A little over a week ago one of our beloved cats disappeared without a trace, this makes the second cat in a month to vanish. Cats don’t get lost, run over maybe, but not lost. What added to my anguish and confusion was that on the spur of the moment the night before I had prayed specifically for his safety and protection.    

For people who have never had a cat it’s hard to imagine the trauma of losing one let alone the torment when you don’t know what happened. Most people will tell you they would rather find out their beloved feline met their demise with a motor vehicle than to be left wondering. Even in hind sight it can seem trivial but that is only because of Gods amazing grace, because in the week following Oreo’s disappearance I was distraught to be honest, from his sudden disappearance, my confusion about God allowing it, and the belief that my cats have gone missing at the hand of a neighbor; a neighbor to whom I must be as Christ. Suffering…… something’s are sent by God, but even what isn't, is used by God.

 1 Peter 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

We forget sometimes  we are possessors of nothing and stewards of everything, even the gifts God gives us. He graciously reminded me that He was Oreo’s creator and could take care of him quite well, thank you. I had to come to realize that even if Oreo had been taken and dumped in the middle of nowhere I was not anyone to question Him about it. I was reminded of Job, not because of his suffering (nothing I’ve been through ever could compare to his suffering) but because the Lord addresses Job as ‘one who darkens His counsel with words without knowledge’, how well I could relate, because that is where I was living for several days.

God understands how hard it can be in the midst of suffering to continue to do good, especially if you believe that someone else is responsible for the suffering. But I can tell you without a doubt God’s grace is sufficient for His strength is made perfect in weakness. There are times in our life when we will suffer on account of God’s will. Suffering not only because of what we are experiencing, but going through it the way we as believers in Christ are commanded in scripture to respond. 

1 Peter 4:12 Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

So no only are we to not think it strange, but we are to rejoice! Seriously?  I mean after all I am a believer, doesn’t that make me immune to certain types of suffering? The truth is, no it does not make us immune, however as believers how we go through suffering can and should be different.  

One thing I have come to realize over the years is, if we as believers never suffer anything how are unbelievers ever going to know just how incredible God’s grace is? We sometimes forget that grace encompasses everything about our life, not just getting saved. Grace is God’s divine ability to do that which would otherwise be impossible. God requires some hard things of us, but He also gives us the ability to do what He requires. How awesome is that!  If we are going to be a strange sight to draw the attention of those who don’t yet know Him, then we will be as the bush on fire in the desert that drew Moses aside.  The bush was on fire yet not consumed. God's primary goal for our life is to conform us to the image of Christ.  Remembering that helps change my perspective about suffering.

Don't Hide

     While in search of a rough copy of a poem I wrote a few years ago I came across this writing, and since being “unveiled” is about transparency  this is a great glimpse into the honesty of my relationship with the Lord. I am amazed how much He has changed me since I wrote this. This was after an offer on a house  was not accepted. I was disappointed at the time but he had something much better in mind.

Christ loves me the way the Father loves him. I am to abide in Christ’s love.

     This is the problem with me. I have not been abiding in Jesus’ love for me. Even in spite of all the revelation he has given me on this, even as intensely as I have felt His love, I shamefully admit that lately I have not been abiding in it. I’ve been abiding in everything but. Dwelling in unbelief, doubt, worry, fear, anxiety and on and on the list goes. I have felt like I am failing at my relationship with you. So I hide. If I hide it is impossible to abide. I can hide or abide but I can’t do both. I think also that I have allowed myself to be offended by you because sometimes I don’t like the way you do things or don’t do things. Or how you don’t tell me what is going on, even though you don’t owe me an explanation, I feel entitled to one. That’s a whole other problem in itself. I not only have preconceived ideas about me and my life, I have preconceived ideas about you! How foolish. I told you I’m not very good at this intimacy thing. I knew I would mess it up somehow. Please forgive me for my horrible presumption. If the truth be told I was not only disappointed about the house, I was actually offended out of pride, pride in myself because I seldom pray about material things. I thought you would be impressed. I’m sorry.

     No matter how hard I try to avoid it, I still have pictures and boxes in my head that you for obvious reasons are under no obligation to fill. How is it after all these years and all I have been through there could be even one shred of doubt in me that you know better? I really didn’t think I thought that, but I know it is true. Why is it so hard for me to surrender? It’s like a constant battle. Sometimes it seems to me like I did some things better when I was a baby than I do now that I’m mature. Why is that? Sometimes I am angry that your will means I have to suffer—I’m sorry. It’s not that your glory isn’t more important to me than mine, it is. But to be honest, sometimes I’m angry about what that means for me. Because of some dreams I had that have never come to pass and having to accept that some never will, even though it’s not your fault, somehow I blame you. Somehow it causes me to question your sovereignty, your almightiness. I know to the tips of my toes all of this is wrong, but the truth is, it is what I feel and I need to quit hiding it (not that I can but you know what I mean),or pretending I don’t feel this way. I guess it’s like Jonah being angry about the vine. I am so sorry.

     I don’t understand how I could end up here, offended at you, offended at the God who loves me, offended at the one who gave everything to redeem me.  Please have mercy on my soul; please forgive me for all the things I think and feel that I know are so wrong. I know that you already know this so why pretend? I have to be honest with you. Even though it scares me to think what others would think about me if they knew I felt this way. How awful. What’s worse is I’m not sure how to fix this. Don’t know if this is something that can be “fixed” actually. Let’s face it, you came to save sinners, I should be at the top of the list. I obviously need some help here.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know,
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

    Jesus can handle our honesty, without it there can be no intimacy. We are the ones who have a problem with what we really think and feel sometimes.

Life

Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:25-26

The safest place to be is the place of total surrender to the Lord.

Until we are conviced that the Life Jesus offers us is better than the life we are trying to save  we will continue to hold on, even if that life is actually producing death. We can't be sure until we know his heart and his love for us and we can't really know that unless we spend time with him. Not time doing for him but time being with him.