In the depths of my sin I cry out to you oh God. Cleans me and wash me. Sanctify my soul that I may stand blameless in your midst.
I desire the corrupt and the profane. I do not set my eyes on things that are pure. I put the world and its pleasure before you. Fallen and filthy I am undone.
People love me for the things I hate. They laugh at what I am not proud. I am elevated in my filth. No glory goes to you from my life.
My loved ones have been removed. The people of providence no longer stand with me. They are no longer a comfort to my soul. My possessions are scattered. I am alone, broken and afraid.
You oh Lord are my Rock! May I say that Jesus is all I need! I do not hide the bruises! I kiss the hurt that brings me closer to you! I cast my lot with Him who supplies Hope. May my end be much better than my beginning.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My 1st Love
I am addicted to love. I cant get enough of it. As people we all have this inner desire to be made much of. For someone to come along and elevate us. To say “I want you more than all the others”, “you are my favorite”, I love you!”. We all deep down long for a romance to be loved and thought much of. I am a selfish sinner and I want my pride fed.
Romance and love in and of it self is not wrong. It’s a good thing two be loved and two love others. No one would fault a father for the love that he bestows on his son, it would not be thought wrong for lovers to spend countless hours on the phone and to be consumed by the thought of the other. My concern is why don’t I love and long for Jesus in this way. I constantly put the things and people that I love above him. That is wrong!
I think of the story that most believers know so well: Abraham and Isaac Gen22: God tells Abraham to offer up his only son to Him. He has been promised so much in this child. It was many years in his coming. But this man of faith takes his son and walks up that hill because he put nothing and no one in front of his God! He followed a big God, one whom he trusted to do the best and highest good for him. So many times we put the weight of our lives on the shoulders of others. We expect those whom we love to always be there for us to lift us up and bring us out of the pain and sorrow. We put them in the place of God, we make them idols. Abraham did not, he knew that God was his all his hope his life his breath, and if he wanted to take his only son from him than this mighty God who he served would fill the void. Not only feel it but be his Joy.
John Piper says “Nothing has a personal worth great enough to meet the deepest longing of our hearts”, we all long to be completed. But He is the only one who can take that longing away. We must be willing to take the ones we love and place them on the alter. We say “God you are all I want! You are all I need! I want no one, and nothing to keep me from the true highest and best making much of you”. To do this will not bring sorrow but joy! Jesus the hope of the gospel the true treasure we should long for, he will take the place of those we place before him.
I don’t want to love those I hold dear less. That is not my goal. Loving them is not wrong. Putting them before God or placing them in a roll that is meant for him alone is what is to be avoided. I want to love wide open to hold nothing back. To do this I must put Him as my first love. When I can do that I will love those I cherish more deeply and in the truest since of the word.
I pray that The God of all grace will give me the strength to lift up all those i put in His place. I give all my relationships to Him. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord. May I love them more deeply by his great power and for His Glory!
Romance and love in and of it self is not wrong. It’s a good thing two be loved and two love others. No one would fault a father for the love that he bestows on his son, it would not be thought wrong for lovers to spend countless hours on the phone and to be consumed by the thought of the other. My concern is why don’t I love and long for Jesus in this way. I constantly put the things and people that I love above him. That is wrong!
I think of the story that most believers know so well: Abraham and Isaac Gen22: God tells Abraham to offer up his only son to Him. He has been promised so much in this child. It was many years in his coming. But this man of faith takes his son and walks up that hill because he put nothing and no one in front of his God! He followed a big God, one whom he trusted to do the best and highest good for him. So many times we put the weight of our lives on the shoulders of others. We expect those whom we love to always be there for us to lift us up and bring us out of the pain and sorrow. We put them in the place of God, we make them idols. Abraham did not, he knew that God was his all his hope his life his breath, and if he wanted to take his only son from him than this mighty God who he served would fill the void. Not only feel it but be his Joy.
John Piper says “Nothing has a personal worth great enough to meet the deepest longing of our hearts”, we all long to be completed. But He is the only one who can take that longing away. We must be willing to take the ones we love and place them on the alter. We say “God you are all I want! You are all I need! I want no one, and nothing to keep me from the true highest and best making much of you”. To do this will not bring sorrow but joy! Jesus the hope of the gospel the true treasure we should long for, he will take the place of those we place before him.
I don’t want to love those I hold dear less. That is not my goal. Loving them is not wrong. Putting them before God or placing them in a roll that is meant for him alone is what is to be avoided. I want to love wide open to hold nothing back. To do this I must put Him as my first love. When I can do that I will love those I cherish more deeply and in the truest since of the word.
I pray that The God of all grace will give me the strength to lift up all those i put in His place. I give all my relationships to Him. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord. May I love them more deeply by his great power and for His Glory!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
New Leader
We have made history as a nation! We have elected the first black man into the white house(I know he is half white). No matter if you voted for him or not this is a monumental piece of history. Not only that but after 8yrs of Republican reign we have given over the Executive branch to the Democrats. This is what the people want. But not only that it’s what God wants. That is my point in this little piece. Psm 135:6- “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps". Isa 46:11b-“I have spoken and I will bring it to pass. I have purposed and I will do it.” My God is not too small. The election and all that comes out of it is in His almighty and sovereign hand.
By no means do I mean to say that God blesses all those that He places in leadership. Pharaoh was put in place to honor God by his holding back the people of God and being tormented by the plagues (Romans 9). But just as in that time God had His plan, He does again here. All our days are in His mind and have been since before time (Psm 139). So let us not forget that the choice has been made and it was outside of us. It brings me so much joy and comfort to look at my big God and say that you know what is best whether it be punishment or blessing.
So, knowing that our awesome God is in control and that He does what He pleases, what is our role? If our man is not in the oval office, or even if he is it’s the same; to pray for him and trust God. We should stand up against injustice, we should not let our rights be taken from us, we should voice our opinions and lament when sin is made law. But we should do so in a spirit of humility and seasoned with grace. Righteous anger over injustice is fitting and right. But let us as believers in this great God show him through our life, in the way we love, and let us show others that we cannot be shaken.
Christians have not painted good pictures of Christ in the past when they did not like a leader. We have not shown love and we have not been Christ’s hands and feet in the political arena. We have another chance here to leave a mark on this country. Let us praise God and pray for those over us. Let us show the world that we cannot be shaken. Let us shine no matter what takes place. I pray that the God of all grace and peace will guide our new leader in right choices. That our Nation would be stronger than it was before. Let him be kept safe from harm and may he be touched by God to do all that He wills. And Lord may we, your people, show who we really are: unmovable, God-worshiping lovers of Christ. Amen.
By no means do I mean to say that God blesses all those that He places in leadership. Pharaoh was put in place to honor God by his holding back the people of God and being tormented by the plagues (Romans 9). But just as in that time God had His plan, He does again here. All our days are in His mind and have been since before time (Psm 139). So let us not forget that the choice has been made and it was outside of us. It brings me so much joy and comfort to look at my big God and say that you know what is best whether it be punishment or blessing.
So, knowing that our awesome God is in control and that He does what He pleases, what is our role? If our man is not in the oval office, or even if he is it’s the same; to pray for him and trust God. We should stand up against injustice, we should not let our rights be taken from us, we should voice our opinions and lament when sin is made law. But we should do so in a spirit of humility and seasoned with grace. Righteous anger over injustice is fitting and right. But let us as believers in this great God show him through our life, in the way we love, and let us show others that we cannot be shaken.
Christians have not painted good pictures of Christ in the past when they did not like a leader. We have not shown love and we have not been Christ’s hands and feet in the political arena. We have another chance here to leave a mark on this country. Let us praise God and pray for those over us. Let us show the world that we cannot be shaken. Let us shine no matter what takes place. I pray that the God of all grace and peace will guide our new leader in right choices. That our Nation would be stronger than it was before. Let him be kept safe from harm and may he be touched by God to do all that He wills. And Lord may we, your people, show who we really are: unmovable, God-worshiping lovers of Christ. Amen.
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