God's Heart

God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people. Jonah was not happy that God saved the city. Jonah became angry. He complained to the Lord and said, “Lord, I knew this would happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that time I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city, so I decided to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God. I knew that you show mercy and don’t want to punish people. I knew that you are kind, and if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans to destroy them. So now, Lord, just kill me. It is better for me to die than to live.” Then the Lord said, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 3:10-4:4)

Don't be surprised when God acts 180-degrees from how you thought he'd act! God is always more concerned with our hearts than he is anything else. When the people moved to change their ways instead of continue in their depravity, Jonah was caught a little off-guard. He likely never expected God to just 'spare' their lives and show them all that grace. There are times when we need a whole lot of grace - like those 'belly of the whale' moments, or entanglement with the seaweed moments. It can sometimes be hard for us to realize God treats ALL sinners the same way - with love, grace, and hope. Even the most 'vile' of sin can be forgiven when one seeks his forgiveness. This is how Ninevah responded, and in turn, God seemingly 'changed his mind' about destroying them. Don't for a moment forget God knows the end from the beginning - sinners seeking grace is not a new thing for him!

Jonah thought he knew God's plan, but when the 'plan' changed, he didn't understand how that could happen. If we understand God sending him to deliver the message as a 'warning' that could give them a chance to repent, then we come a little closer to understanding the extreme love of God. He doesn't delight in evil things happening, nor does he delight in the depravity of sin and what it brings with it into a man's life. He does delight in any response that acknowledges the path a man has been traveling hasn't been right and has been destroying lives. He can 'work with' that acknowledgement and the desire to change. The actions that led God to send Jonah were still sinful and destructive to a whole nation. Change was needed and that is exactly what the King of Ninevah and the people acknowledge. God is always open to receiving a repentant soul.

Did God really 'change his mind', or did he know they would repent if given the right opportunity? We don't really know this because we have no other way of describing God's actions than to say he must have had a 'change of mind'. On the outside, that is how it looks. Did God know the message would evoke repentance? I honestly believe he did, but he wasn't through with Jonah's heart yet. It needed a bit more attention. We might think God is going to do something one way, but when he doesn't 'perform' as we thought, we can sometimes question if we heard God correctly. We might question if God really intended to do what he said. We don't need to second-guess God. We need to trust him when he asks us to do things we don't understand - even when they lead to greater things we still don't understand. He has a reason we may not comprehend, but he has a heart we can fully come to appreciate. Just saying!

You 'wear' that differently

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for." (Matthew 5:5,7)

In the older translations the word for meek was used to indicate a person was humble and patient with others. Most of us really don't use the word "meek" or "meekness" in our vocabulary all that often today, opting for the more commonly used word "humble". Mercy seems to be something we pretty much understand - at least in theory, if not in perfect practice yet in our lives! Now, you may not have seen either word in these passages, but if you go to a more "traditional" translation, you will observe: 5 Blessed are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth! and 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! Jesus says we are blessed (happy, joyous) when we become content with just who we are. We enter into a state of no longer trying to keep up with everybody else, being settled into the place where God has us, and just enjoying it to the fullest. Meekness is really the result of being right where God wants us and doing exactly what God wants us to do. We find our behavior is the result of the inner working of God in our lives. There is an inward "tempering" of our spirit that helps us accept everything God is doing in our lives as "good" - even when it may not appear so on the surface. 

When we see meekness in another, we see the ability and willingness of the person to accept God's dealings without disputing them or putting up a ton of resistance. It is more than being "resigned" to what God is doing - it is being intentional in the pursuit of what he is doing, because we know the activity of his Spirit in us only produces the best results, even when the journey may get a little "rough". Meekness in today's vernacular is really what many will call "self-control". This trait is not weakness, or the absence of a backbone. It is the evidence of inward power - the type of power that does not come naturally to any of us. It is the result of the inner working of Christ in us. It is the reliance upon the limitless resources of his power within. When we exhibit true meekness we are showing less "self-assertiveness" or "self-interest". We are revealing "control" of self - not self in control. Many times people equate meekness with weakness - like someone just standing there and "taking it". It is just the opposite, for meekness is really "active participation" in resisting the urge to take control and doing things our own way.

Mercy is "partnered" with meekness simply because we learn the lessons of mercy most in the midst of learning the lessons of meekness! In fact, as we journey through the things God wants us to walk through with him in order for his power to be revealed in us, we find we need a whole lot of his mercy to embrace the actions of meekness being produced. Self will rise up repeatedly, resisting the actions of God - we need mercy to put self back into place! I think we believe mercy is just needed for dealing with sin in our lives. The truth be told, we need mercy each breath we breathe! Mercy is what helps us relate to the goodness of God and it is what helps others see the goodness of God in our lives. Mercy is the trait of being "cared for" and then sharing an equal amount of care for another when they most need it. It is the trait we sometimes equate with "empathy" - being compassionate with others who often struggle with exactly the same things you have or are presently struggling with. We often "behave" in a manner quite the opposite of being merciful, don't we? In fact, when we see the behavior in another, we often are critical of it. Letting God express his mercy in our lives is one thing - extending the same mercy to another takes it up a notch!

We need to continuously look at mercy in conjunction with meekness. When we begin to realize ALL go through the same struggles of dealing with our "determined self-will", we might begin to recognize the behavior in another as simply a manifestation of the same things we might have already "struggled through". We probably "resisted" a little at first, leaning heavily on God's grace to help us through, and we needed a whole lot more mercy each step we took toward breaking free of that struggle with our "self-will". As we actively participated with what God was doing in our lives, we began to see the evidence of God's "re-creating work" in us as meekness began to take root. In the course of time, responding to what God was doing became easier and we actually "resisted" less. The thing is, we all go through this similar "up and down" kind of struggle until the change is evident. Repeatedly we will need to lean upon the mercy of God and others. Repeatedly we will need to rely upon the "strength" of meekness learned in our last lessons to get us through our present. Meekness is really a "strength", not a weakness. Mercy is really the ability to live above being critical of self and others, because we all are going through the same stuff, the outward appearance of the struggle may just look a little different. Just sayin!

Make that a double-stack, please!

Is there anybody here this morning that just needs grace? Wait - I just felt that gust of wind as all our hands went up in the air simultaneously! For some of us, we think grace (mercy) is probably the thing we need most, but have no idea how much those around us also need that same grace. We all have moments when mercy is the furthest thing from our minds when it comes to what the 'other person' deserves (but remember that grace is really undeserved favor). If we were totally honest today, there are times when we neither want to extend mercy to another, nor are we actively seeking it from another! We just want to get "even" and hope no one notices our silliness (or shall I say 'foolishness'). I am so glad we don't serve a God who looks for opportunities to "get even" with us! Consider this for a moment. Just how much grace do we really need? A whole lot and then some more (oh yeah....and some more)!

God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. (Psalm 145:8-9)

There is only one thing to say to this: WOW! All God does is "suffused" with grace. I had to look that one up because it isn't a common word in my vocabulary and I found it means "overspread with" grace. Think of a big stack of pancakes, just off the griddle, piled high upon your plate. The butter dripping down the sides, the rich maple syrup flowing down in rivulets, enveloping the entire stack in luscious richness and radiant beauty. Now, that is a probably a silly picture of God's grace, but I think that picture helps us understand what it means to be 'suffused with grace'!

Don't miss the truth in the first verse - He is ALL mercy and grace. There is not just a tiny part of his being that is "graceful" or "merciful". He is totally and thoroughly (completely, wholly) mercy and grace. Some may want to question this with something form of questioning such as, "Then why do some die without being saved?" Good question, but it never negates the fact of God being ALL mercy and grace - the individual just didn't embrace that grace. Even the time he allowed the person, the extension of his grace and mercy time and time again, all point to his being ALL mercy and grace.

Did you realize that even in our 'understanding' struggle, God (who is ALL mercy and grace) points us toward the object of our faith each and every time - Jesus! We all have the opportunity to embrace our flaws/imperfections/problems, in turn embracing more and more of Jesus each day. Sometimes, we don't see God's grace and mercy in the same manner he does. We "expect" God's mercy to look one way - we want it to fit our picture of mercy. In looking back in my life, I can honestly say God's mercy and grace have seldom appeared in the same way I imagined they would! But...it never negates the fact God is ALL mercy and grace. Even in sickness, certainly in loneliness, abundantly in need, and magnificently in deliverance!

God is good to one and all. Even the time we are granted is a gift of his goodness. Each breath we take is another opportunity to experience his goodness - in his grace and his mercy. Never discount God! He is ALL mercy and grace! I am listening to the song, "Indescribable", sung by Chris Tomlin. The words echo, "Indescribable! Uncontainable! All powerful! Untameable! You are amazing God!" This indeed describes our God - 'suffusing all things' with his grace and mercy! Just sayin!

But...it is justice I seek

Have you ever been looking so hard for something, only to find it was right there in front of you? I have struggled to find a particular tool when I most needed it, only to have my grandson walk in a couple weeks later and hold it up right from where it always was (the exact spot it was supposed to be in the first place). We even do this with God - knowing he was supposed to be right there, but unable to see that he is. I imagine all of us have stood at one time or another just wondering how some people could ignore that God is right there in their circumstances - but they are just too stubborn or blind to see it - us included. They know they should heed the warnings they have received, but they plunge full-force into whatever seems to be what will give them the "immediate" thrill of the moment, or with some 'scheme' that will 'make do' because they want an easier way of doing things. Then they (and we) complain when things don't work out! It is possible to possess the revelation of God (know what to do) BUT then completely ignored it.

The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from your revelation. I watch for your ancient landmark words, and know I'm on the right track. But when I see the wicked ignore your directions, I'm beside myself with anger. (Psalm 119:51-53)

Go with me to a time when Jesus is teaching a large crowd, when in walk the finely dressed, perfectly 'righteous' religious leaders, intent on stoning a woman to death. She had been "caught" in the act of adultery - that means they probably walked in on her and the guy she was with in the very act! They were attempting to set a trap for Jesus that day - not really looking for "wisdom" in how to handle this woman's sin, or even what to do with the adulterous male involved in this relationship! They had an "ulterior" motive for what they were doing - narrowly focused on that intent and nothing else. They begin this encounter by citing the Law of Moses - it said they should stone her for her immoral behavior - so they ask, "What say you, Jesus?" In almost a "fatherly" manner, Jesus delays answering. He bends down, writes something in the dirt with his finger, and remains silent. They cannot abide his silence - so they badger him for an answer. I doubt they really wanted the answer they received - as they were already intent on what they wanted to do! This is how we are sometimes - we have our own "agendas" with God - intent on what we want and not really open to seeing things with a new perspective or in a way he might imagine for us.

This is actually what an ulterior motive is - it is having a secret or hidden agenda! There is something hidden in our actions - we might say one thing, but we are thinking and acting on another. Jesus rises to his full height, looks them squarely in the eyes, and states openly, "The sinless among you go first. Throw the stone." He was pointing out the need for mercy - they were focused on the need for judgment and the desire to corner him into disagreeing with the Law. Which do you suppose this lady needed most - alignment with the "Law", or forgiveness for her 'moral slip'? When the wicked ignore clearly defined directions, it can make us angry. We just don't "get it". How can something so plain as the need for "mercy" in the face of all we have been forgiven be such a hard thing for us to grasp? Yet, it is! We grapple with this idea of "judging" others when we would be absolutely beside ourselves if another judged us for exactly the same thing! The Old Testament is full of stories of mercy. It starts with Adam and Eve and continues to present day time. Sure, the Law set out some standards for living upright lives - but God never left out the fact that mercy was needed for our many sins! In fact, when Moses received the instructions for the Tabernacle, one of the many furnishings was the "Mercy Seat" of God. God 'planned' for mercy being needed - our sin never caught him off-guard!

The Mercy Seat was just above the Ark of the Covenant (the place of God's Word). The promises attached to the Mercy Seat were simply: "I will meet with you there! I will talk with you there!" The Mercy Seat was a place of communion with God. At the feet of Jesus that day, the woman met with God! She "communed" with him. She experienced his mercy. We might not always remember the grace of God in our own lives - yet in those moments when we are angered by the "sin" of another, we might do well to ponder the fact, "There for the GRACE of God go I!" Sometimes we "ignore" the revealed will of God, too. When we find ourselves in the place of "ignoring" what is right before us, we want "mercy" - not judgment, not anger, and certainly not rejection. It is a natural response to judge - it is a Christ-like response to extend mercy. The choice is ours, but we best choose wisely. Just sayin!

Stooping down

"Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar." (William Woodsworth) There are moments in time where we find ourselves unable to soar, feeling like we are in our darkest days, when it is time for us to 'stoop' because we just find it impossible to rise up until we have spent a little time prostate before God. It may be one of those moments for you today, and that is okay if it is, because God isn't put off by our lowest moments. The darkest days are oftentimes the times he shows us the greatest light and our lowest moments are the ones that help launch us into times when we will once again soar.

How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it. (Psalm 119:9-16 MSG)

In the darkest moments, we find ourselves recognizing any place in our lives where we have failed to remain 'single-minded' in pursuit of the grace and goodness of God. We find where it is we falter a little in our faith - where our moments of doubt all culminate and perhaps where it is they actually began. In these moments of recognition, there is but one 'constant' - God's grace. His goodness extends into the lowest of places and meets with us there - not to condemn, but to lift up; not to point out failure, but to help us see the signs he has posted that show us the pathway into his presence once again.

God asks us to 'bank' his promises - not so much because we don't have them written down for us in scripture - but because when we need them the most we won't realize where to find them as much as if they are already safely in the vault of our hearts and minds. Our hearts and minds are to be filled with his promises - not to just 'take up space', but to help us know his goodness in any circumstance we are in. The Words of God 'mulled over' time and time again in the moments when we are able to 'soar high' are oftentimes those we will fall back upon when we are deep within the pit, stooped low and hungry for just a morsel of his truth.

You know, Jesus stooped low one day to write something in the dirt as men who claimed 'righteousness' stood in condemnation of a woman caught in the sin of adultery. He stooped down to draw the child close when arguments ensued as to who had the greatest importance. He wasn't afraid to show us where mercy is found - at his feet! Just sayin!

SO very incredible....

It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. (Ephesians 2:1-6)

The scripture sure knows how to "peg" us with the reality of our sinful nature - mired and stagnant, following the advice of someone who is just as unaware of the destructiveness of their path as we are! Look also at how simply he puts his amazement that God has compassion on such a wayward lot of hopeless, sin-filled people - people often so messed up that even they don't have a clue how they came to be such a mess! Mired lives - yep, that about sums up the reality of where I was prior to giving my heart to the Lord. As a matter of fact, there are some moments in present day living when I wonder if the "mire" was completely washed away! My choices seem to indicate I may just be living a little bit by my own motivations, and listening to the wrong source for my life choices on occasion. The difference today is that listening to the world's advice and using those sources as my chief way of living is not a consistent thing - I march to the beat of a different drummer now!

Look at all God has done for us in salvation. First, he exhibits the greatest of restraint in not just zapping all of us with his "fire from on high" and doing away with us! Paul puts it in politically correct terms when he says "he didn't lose his temper".  To be truthful, there are some days I'd "zap" the whole lot of us if I were God! That is why I am not God - I don't have infinite mercy and I am far from long-suffering on occasion! He has immense mercy - far beyond what we can even imagine or comprehend with our finite minds. It is not just his mercy for those messes of yesterday or some time in the future - it is new every morning and present even before we need it (or think to ask for it)!

God is SO very incredible in love - he'd have to be to exhibit that kind of unconditional mercy and compassion for a lost world. We simply don't understand this kind of committed love today. We live in a society so "free" to give love and just as "free" to walk away from it when things get tough that we don't really understand the covenant (permanent, binding, unbreakable) love of God. It is that depth of love that reaches out to us even before we are aware that we need to be reached out to - he initiates the love, keeps it going, and embraces us over and over again, even when that love may not be immediately reciprocated. Bask in that revelation for just a while!

In the end, he pulls us out of the muck and mire of our lives. Mired lives simply mean that we are bogged down, entangled in stuff that causes us to sink deeper into the sinful and rather self-focused condition we are living in. Jesus provided us the way out of the "bog" of our sinful existence and provided the extreme opposite of that entanglement - total access and freedom to sit at the side of a holy and loving God. The amazing part of all of this is that God provides it all without ONE iota of work on our part! It is a gift. The opportunity to be "in Christ" is a gift. The opportunity to be loved and embraced by a loving God is a gift. The freedom to no longer be led into things that entangle us and bog us down is a gift. The freshness of mercy new every morning is totally a gift. We may have received gifts in the past that "under-whelmed" us - making us head for the "exchange" line as quickly as possible. God's gift to us through his Son and his ongoing gift "in us" through his Son IN us is certainly a "keeper" - no exchange necessary! Just sayin!

Impress me

Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his deep love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others. Don’t worry about making a good impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently. (Colossians 3:12 TLB)

Do you worry about making that "good impression" when you are with other people? If you spend even six or seven minutes in front of the mirror everyday, you probably are concerned even slightly with the impression you make from a physical stand-point. Even if all that time is spent shaving a little stubble from your face, or putting on a minimal amount of make-up, it is still 'work' that goes into the 'impression' you give to others. I doubt you do it entirely for yourself! We can spend a great deal of time 'perfecting' the outward 'impression' we display, but I wonder if we spend equal amount of time on the inward 'impression' we will display? It might come as a shock to you, but that inward impression isn't always going to display as 'tenderhearted mercy' or 'kindness to others' if we don't allow some inward 'work' to be done!

Inward change is what most affects the outward impression we portray to others anyway. The more God works his Word into the fibers of our inner man, the more God works his grace outward through every action and word which will leave 'impressions' on others. When I sit at the breakfast bar, I have a tendency to wrap my feet around the pub legs of the stools that line that space. If I am there more than fifteen minutes, like I can be if I have taken my laptop to the counter to write my blog, there are 'impressions' left in my calves where I have wrapped them against the corners of those stool legs. Those grooves left by the chair's legs go away in a few minutes, but they begin to hurt if I assume that position way too long. The grooves become noticeable to me after a certain time, requiring me to reposition myself. The impression left by our actions in life isn't always that easily 'erased' - sometimes it leaves 'painful grooves' in the lives of others, and even in our own lives!

An impression is left in more than a physical sense whenever our actions are less than kind or merciful, though. There are the immediate sensations left on the intellect, emotions, and sometimes the physical being. There can also be lasting sensations (impressions) left when the immediate becomes a little more 'prolonged' in nature. While we can never fully control how another perceives our actions, we are in control of most of that impression - or at least we should be! This is why it is so important to allow God to 'work into' us what will bring out the tender mercies and unending grace which leaves the lasting impressions of his love and mercy long after we are gone! Just sayin!

Re-homed

Every now and again I manage to catch a good show on the tube. I like to watch those wilderness shows, and even the ones with the vets working with animals. I watched one recently in which a family went to one of the most devastated areas of the recent floods and brought back to the Denver area a massive truckload of dogs and cats who needed to be "re-homed" due to the flooding. You would think they would have brought back the healthiest of the dogs and cats, but let me tell you, they were a mess! One needed a leg amputation, a whole litter of puppies needed sulfur baths for weeks to deal with the nasty ringworm that had ravaged their skin, and one of the dogs was completely deaf. The end of the story is that each of these were placed into homes where they could flourish and grow old together - a great end to a pretty awful period in their lives. What society would have otherwise rejected and given up on, the rescuers extended mercy toward, and in the end the ones given mercy became a huge blessing!

O God, you have declared me perfect in your eyes; you have always cared for me in my distress; now hear me as I call again. Have mercy on me. Hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1 TLB)

It is indeed good for the soul to recognize the Savior isn't looking for the perfect to "re-home", but the wounded, scarred, "un-whole" of this world. Jesus even reminded some of the more "religious" Jewish leaders who criticized those who came to him for help that the "well" don't seek out a doctor - it is the sick who do! The "well" don't recognize their need - the sick do and they desire deliverance! Mercy isn't something sought by those who are self-righteous and "upright" in their own eyes. It is sought by those who recognize how retched their condition really is.

The most awesome part of the show was seeing how each animal served a "purpose" in their "re-homing". The one who lost his hind leg became a vibrant family pet to two children who had a huge backyard, lots and lots of energy to help him stand strong and run hard on the three legs he was left with. The ones with the hugely ugly skin condition, emaciated by the disease of the parasites living on them, they all ended up with no sign of the disease, wholly well and fully nourished - each placed in loving homes able to provide good environments for them to continue to grow into adulthood. 

The deaf dog, although loving as all get out, had no other way to connect with her world than to lay down and offer her belly to the someone to stroke. She craved attention, finding companionship in a home of a deaf owner! The one who understood her the most became the one to guide her into being a very smart dog who actually understood and responded to sign language! There are times we mock someone and say they are like the blind leading the blind. I wonder if God looks at who he "pairs us up with" in life and recognizes the one thing we need most is the help of one who knows what we are living with and has gone through it themselves?

The mercy of God doesn't just reach out, it also "re-homes" us into a place where we can heal, grow, and become strong in our walk. Just sayin!

What we should never fear...

God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ, a plan he decided on in mercy long ago; and this was his purpose: that when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are—in heaven or on earth—to be with him in Christ forever. (Ephesians 1:9-10 TLB)

If you could be "in the know" about why something happened a certain way, wouldn't you want to be? To be the "inside track" isn't all that hard when it comes to understanding God's intense love for his people. His love is at the basis of all he does - especially as it comes to our redemption from sin and his provision of mercy. 

The plan of mercy didn't just get "worked in" to already made plans. God knew by creating man with a free-will there would come a time he'd choose to "stretch the limits" of that will. He knew there would come the opportunity for compromise, but he also knew there would be absolutely no way anything else would fill that void in our lives he created for his Spirit to dwell. He also knew we'd need a means to bridge the gap between our need and his faithfulness. 

This morning mom came to me and told me she didn't know why, but she was afraid. She felt fear for some reason. Nearing her ninety-ninth birthday, mom has her challenges, especially as it relates to just how much longer she may be with us on this earth. While she isn't too keen about living with her aches and pains, she also "fears" a little the unknown she will find in leaving this earth. I don't think that is all that unusual, for taking steps toward the end of one's life is a little frightening.

Some things we should never fear: 

1) God's love - for it goes beyond our imagination and it is always reaching for our hearts. 

2) God's mercy - for it covets our souls and pursues us with an intensity we cannot comprehend.

3) God's plan - for it is encompassing of the hungry, hurting, and helpless.

These we should never fear, nor doubt. His grace makes a way for all of mankind to know his great love and his love makes a way for all of us to partake in his plan. That is indeed "good news". Just sayin!

Letting the horse out of the barn

Choose:  To make a choice, to select, or to be inclined toward some course of action.  We all make choices each and every day - some much easier than others.  If you have ever had one of those truly "bad hair days", when no matter what you do to make it look "good", it has a mind of its own - you know you may choose to just "go with it" or you douse your head with water under the tap and begin again!  Both actions are within your control - what is not within your control is your hair! We often think we are the ones in control, but where it comes to God's mercy, only he is!

Because he said to Moses, “I will show mercy to whomever I choose to show mercy, and I will demonstrate compassion on whomever I choose to have compassion.” The point is that God’s mercy has nothing to do with our will or the things we pursue. It is completely up to God. (Romans 9:15-16 VOICE)

God will show mercy to whomever he chooses to show mercy. It is a really awesome thing he chooses to show mercy each and every time you and I need it!  God's mercy truly does not have anything to do with how well we have performed before we need it, but solely upon God's heart of love toward us! Recently I allowed some words to come out of my mouth which I immediately regretted.  One would think I would have thought before I spoke, because after all, it is what I am supposed to do.  Truth be told, I wouldn't have said what I said had I not have been rehearsing those thoughts within my mind for quite some time.  My choices to think upon those emotions and allow them to "brew" for a while gave way to my actions of allowing those words to be spoken in a not so nice manner.  

There is a lesson for me in this moment of "indiscretion" - I am not always "in control" because I often allow things to spin out of control in my mind.  There is no greater opportunity to stop a particular course of action than to have not allowed it to be considered in the first place!  When we "consider" things long enough, eventually those things begin to "manifest" in our behavior (as my words did).  Yes, the one those words were spoken to was hurt.  Yes, she extended forgiveness.  But, as my dad used to say...once the horse leaves the barn, there is no stopping the horse!  We need God's help (his mercy) when the "horse" does leave the barn, but what we are more in need of is his grace to never let the horse into the barn in the first place!

God's mercy has nothing to do with what we pursue, or even our "will-power" to restrain ourselves from some sort of action.  In fact, at best we "narrowly avoid collision" with the thing we were trying to avoid!  God's greatest opportunity to reveal his mercy in our lives isn't when we fail to do as we should, but before we even consider the action in the first place.  That may not make sense to some, but if you truly consider that God wants to extend his mercy by changing the way we contemplate (consider, think upon) things, or in plainer terms, what we allow into the "barn" which may eventually want out of the "barn", then we might just understand it.  His mercy begins "before" the action manifests itself, but we have to be open to receive it sooner! Yes, grace "covers" our sin, but wouldn't it be better to have grace keep us from sinning in the first place?  Just sayin!

Stop complicating things!

There are times when we just get our priorities mixed up - when we want something so badly and then forget about all the rest which really matters more than that one thing we are focusing on so intently.  If you have ever been a caregiver of an elderly parent or the parent of small children, you know what I am about to say next is true.  There are times when you just want the simplicity of your "old life" back - when you could come and go as you want, eat cereal for dinner, and not worry if the house was too cold for their thin blood or the objects in their world could topple over and hurt them.  The times were "simpler", but were they really any "better"?  The other day I saw a comedian describe what it is like trying to get out of the house with two small children.  I went through that phase - finding jackets, struggling to get shoes on feet (if we could even find that one which had somehow disappeared since the last time it was worn a few hours ago), and then the dreaded "I have to go potty" cry as we were just about to skedaddle for the car.  Yep, life was a little less complicated, but the thing missing was the "multiplied love" we recognize when life get a little "complicated" by the addition of those "extra bodies" in our lives!  Those we welcome into our lives are held in a pretty special regard, are they not?  Ever stop to consider the high regard God has for those who are welcomed into his life - those for whom he has prepared a special place in his presence?

You’re not a God who smiles at sin; You cannot abide with evil.  The proud wither in Your presence; You hate all who pervert and destroy what is good.   You destroy those with lying lips; the Eternal detests those who murder and deceive. Yet I, by Your loving grace, am welcomed into Your house; I will turn my face toward Your holy place and fall on my knees in reverence before You.   O Eternal One, lead me in the path of Your righteousness amidst those who wish me harm; make Your way clear to me.  (Psalm 5:4-8 VOICE)

We find ourselves in a mix of "welcome" and "unwelcome" guests at times in the circumstances of life we either create for ourselves, or have created by the developments around us.  There are those times when we embrace quickly everything and everyone who is in our lives at the moment; but there are probably more memorable moments when we wanted to turn tail and run away from who or what was coming into our lives.  This is just part of life - learning to "deal" with the unpleasant and appreciate the pleasant is just how it is.  God doesn't create chaos in our lives, but he isn't removed from us when it exists.  

He doesn't bring evil people into our lives to cause us grief, but he doesn't leave our side when they amble in with their evil intent.  His "carefulness" over our lives is evident all around us, just as the parent of the small child, or the caregiver of an elderly parent takes such care to protect and surround them with love.  God in our lives doesn't mean we are immune from the presence of evil - it just means we have a means by which we are protected from the destructiveness of evil and can walk strong in the midst of it.  

God doesn't smile at sin, nor allow evil to abide in his presence.  Maybe this is why he is quick to bring conviction into our lives - so we won't be inclined to make an "unwelcome" guest a permanent resident in our lives!  Sin doesn't make us evil, but it creates an atmosphere where God's presence has a hard time dwelling.  It doesn't keep us from being loved by him, but it is met with grace and mercy.  God's way for us isn't always clear, but he is quick to set us upon that path whenever we seek to know what it is he holds for us!

Sometimes we "look back" at life the way it used to be - thinking it was a little simpler because we didn't have to deal with the "conviction" of our present lives.  If you were truthful here, you might just say there have even been those times when you longed for the "simpler life" of just being your own "master" and not having to give an account to anyone other than yourself for your actions, attitudes, or accomplishments.  I have to challenge us to recall how messed up our lives became when we were the ones in charge!  Evil cannot beget good, and sin cannot beget righteousness.

There is something we don't always appreciate about our life - the "complexity" of being loved - of seeing "multiplied love" at work in our lives repeatedly.  God's love toward us isn't ever content to grow stagnant.  It grows and is revealed in new ways each day.  As he leads us down the path away from those things which have brought us harm, or intend to do so in our lives, he isn't doing it with judgment, but with mercy and love.  He is tenderly guiding us away from harm and into grace.  

As we stop to consider how much life is "complicated" by saying "yes" to Jesus, we might just want to reconsider that one - for life without Jesus was much more complicated than you might imagine!  Just sayin!

Anew is not Again

New starts - what exactly are they?  In everyone's life, there come opportunities to "begin again", "make a fresh start", or have a "do-over".  The thing about each of these is the "carry-over" from the old into the new.  Let me explain what I mean.  Take a tablet or pad of paper and a pencil or pen.  Now write these words: "I just failed".  Go ahead - do it.  Now, tear off that sheet of paper and throw it away.  What you are left with is a "clean" tablet of paper - right? Not really! Gently run your fingers over the surface of that table of paper and then hold it up to the light at an angle.  See or feel it?  Yep, there is a tell-tale sign of the old message you wrote there, isn't there?  As much as we thought we go rid of the old, we still had some indication of it being there.  It isn't much different from that every time we go to make a fresh start, begin again, or attempt a do-over in life!  We have those tell-tale signs of the old which act as reminders to us of the whole reason we are "beginning again" in the first place.

The Lord’s love [loyalty] never ends; his mercies [compassion] never stop. They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty [faithfulness] is great [abundant]. (Lamentations 3:22-23 EXB)

You may know this verse from the good old King James: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  Either way, the message is the same - we can count on God's mercy to be new every morning.  His compassion never stops.  His love never ends.  I think to understand this we also need to consider in light of one other verse:  And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.  (Psalm 103:12 ERV)  God's mercies are new because he doesn't just tear off the sheet which contain the list of our sins or shortcomings, but he actually gives us a new tablet of paper upon which we may right our life's story anew!

That might be tough for each of us to fully grasp, but when we finally do, it is a life altering experience!  The way we see things is through the eyes of "beginning again".  The way God sees things in our lives is through the eyes of "beginning anew" - in a new form or a new manner.  In other words, we don't do it in our power, but in the power and grace he provides.  We don't pick up the same tablet of paper and try to rewrite the story - he gives us the new tablet and helps us begin to pen the words which reflect the beauty and liberty of his grace in our lives.  In our common day language, again and anew are used interchangeably.  In God's way of doing things, again means we pick up the pieces - anew means he does it!

A pastor friend of mine can frequently be heard saying, "As long as we do what we have always done, we will get what we have always gotten".  Now, I know that may not be good grammar, but the point is poignant.  "Starting again" is like doing what we have always done, but with maybe this little "alteration" in how we will approach the problem.  "Starting anew" is doing it completely in a different manner - because we want a different outcome!  We don't want repeats - we want an entirely new result.  There is a contemporary Christian song which has the words, "It's day one of the rest of your life..."  The idea is that of beginning anew.  Renewed mercies each time we fail.  Not just "refilled" mercies, but renewed mercies.  They are new - because we need new starts.

Again suggests it is the same person or place.  If we have written something upon the tablet we may not think of as "good" or "right", and then attempt to "rewrite" the outcome in exactly the same "place" or by the same "efforts" of the person who managed to write the "wrong" outcome in the first place, then we will likely see the messages from the past "bleeding through" on the pages of our lives!  If we understand what God says about how he forgives and removes our sins (shortcomings, failures, negative outcomes), then we understand he isn't asking us to have the same "person" start again.  He is giving us the ability to start anew because his mercies bring the life of his Son alive in us and it is by his power we begin "anew".  Just sayin!

His mercies are all I need

Do you ever engage in "self-talk"?  You know what I mean - those moments when you just have to look yourself in the mirror and give yourself a stern talking to in order to bring correction to your attitude, behavior, or direction you are taking in life.  I think we all must do this from time to time, but we may be shy about admitting we actually talk to ourselves!  Especially if we could be labeled as a little "touched in the head" for that type of activity! Nonetheless, the things we tell ourselves in those moments of self-talk can be very "corrective" to our behavior.  I think God often lets us talk things out so we can become aware of the answer he wants to bring forth from us.  In a matter of minutes, we find ourselves coming to conclusions which bring clarity, give us hope, and move us in a new direction.  Why?  God helped us remember we might be "finished" with something which frustrates us or gives us too much worry, but he isn't!  He has something special planned if we will just accept the mercies he has prepared for us in those moments.

I tell myself, “I am finished! I can’t count on the Lord to do anything for me.” Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. Then I remember something that fills me with hope. The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, “The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!” (Lamentations 3:18-24 CEV)

As I was listening to a newer song which came on the radio yesterday, I was reminded of this passage.  The theme of the song was the fresh start God gives us no matter how many times we have to make that same start!  As I listened to an interview with the artist who performs the song, I was touched by something he said.  He recounted how he used to think he had to count the days he remained "sin-free".  You know what he means don't you - the belief that we aren't really growing or changing in the right direction unless we actually make it a full day without engaging in that particular sin we are seeking to overcome.  His revelation was a blessing to me, though, as he recounted that God doesn't ask us to count the days, but to know we always have a fresh start even when we slip up.  God's mercies are truly new each and every morning - or as many times in the day as we need to ask for them!  This is indeed the good news of God's grace!

His mercies never fail - his kindness never dries up or withers away.  His grace is there time and time again - even when we think there could not possibly be anymore of it left for our particular shortcoming!  We find ourselves at the point the prophet Jeremiah pens the words above the nation of Israel has realized the destruction of Jerusalem.  The five chapters contain a kind of "funeral dirge" lamenting the destruction of the great city by the Babylonian armies in the face of Israel's repeated sins against their God.  The chapters give us an insight into something we often do when we realize our rebellion and sinful actions have taken us into a place of great despair.  At first, we complain - not really willing ourselves to take responsibility for our actions, but "lamenting" or "complaining" about the circumstances we find ourselves in.  Then as we continue with our lament, we find ourselves converting at some point to the place of recognition - the place where we recognize we have a part to play in the place we find ourselves standing and circumstances with which we are faced.

Herein is the moment of transition - for the lamenting leads to the place of repentance.  At first, we think the walls are caving in around us (just as Israel lamented the walls of Jerusalem being torn down).  Then as we talk a little longer, we realize our despair over "our" loss is really based in some way we might have been acting or responding which was less than desirable (just as Israel did when they realized they had turned to the traditions of the nations around them, intermarried, and done exactly what God had told them not to do as they entered into the land of Canaan).  In those moments between our whining and complaining about where we are - those moments we might call our "funeral dirge" - and the light bulb coming on at that moment of recognition, we can take heart in one thing - God doesn't stop listening just because we start lamenting!

He brings us through our lament into the place where we find we are ready to repent!  As we recognize our involvement in the present mess we are in, we come to the place of asking for God's forgiveness - reaching out for the one thing we know we can count on again and again - his mercies!  Many of us have to do this more than once before we will ever overcome the pull toward what gives us so much grief in our lives - so don't be discouraged when you find yourself having that "talk" with yourself a few more times than you'd like to.  If we are honest, the "talk" changes a little each time - even though it may only be a subtle difference between this time and the last!  The point is - when we allow God to take our lamenting and turn it into a place where we admit our need for his mercy, we come to a new place in our lives each and every time. His mercies make all things new - each and every time!

At the moment of confession we find his mercy.  At the point of mercy, we find a way "out" of what got us deep into the lamenting in the first place.  We might not get it right the next time or even the next twenty times we try, but each time we come to him his mercies are consistent and their "process" is the same. The "process" I am referring to is that of renewal.  His mercies make all things new - it is as though we never slipped in the first place!  WE don't understand this - so we have this thing called shame attached to our repeated failures. God does understand his mercy and he has this thing called forgiveness which he attaches to each failure.  The thing is - when God attaches forgiveness to the failure, it is like the failure is gone.  All he sees is his Son in us - nothing else! This is what mercy does - it exchanges the lament we bring with the glory he provides.  Just sayin!

Recounting his mercy, love and grace

What we choose to remember often makes the difference when our journey gets a little bumpy along the way.  Memory is a powerful tool in either our arsenal of defense, or our battery of offense.  Memory is the process of being able to "recall" or "rethink" again.  When our memory begins to go with the advancing of age or because of some trauma to the brain, it is indeed a troubling affair for us.  Last night, mom sat musing over why she still remains on this earth - since she cannot any longer enjoy the sense of sight, has impaired hearing, and often cannot even remember the simple things like calling to make a hair appointment.  Her question:  "What did I do to 'deserve' all this in my old age?"  I just sit and listen, because I really don't know why her course has been directed as such, and I know the answer that she is nearly 96 doesn't really make all she is dealing with seem "fair" by any means. One thing I do tell her frequently is how much the past six years have mattered to me - for she has been my constant companion through these years - something I know she has enjoyed and in which I have taken much pleasure, as well.  Memories have been formed - they will be remembered long after she is gone.  The power of memory can be directed toward what we choose to "rethink" - either good or bad.  The choice of how we "rethink" a matter is what often makes the difference between the memory being "pleasant" or "painful".

I always remember that the Lord is with me.  He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me.  So my heart and soul will be very happy.  Even my body will live in safety, because you will not leave me in the place of death. You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.  You will teach me the right way to live.  Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.  (Psalm 16:8-11 ERV)

Our psalmist finds solace in remembering who is with him as he walks through the various things he must face in this thing we call "life".  It is God he chooses to remember - his companionship, closeness, and comfort.  There is something powerful in "rethinking" his companionship, in "refreshing" our impression of his closeness, and in "regenerating" the comfort he brings by the closeness of his breath.  The process he describes is that of bringing back into the "conscious mind" the things he has "stored up" in his unconscious mind.  This is the process of remembering - this "bringing forward" what has been stored up for future reference.  It is like when I go to the shelves in my pantry and move a few cans around to find that one can of that one ingredient I need to complete the meal for the night.  It was "stored up" for that particular meal - it takes on purpose when it is taken from the recesses of the shelf and put into service for the meal at hand.  

In remembering God's constancy of companionship, we come to the conclusion we NEVER walk alone.  In recounting his closeness, we draw upon the strength of his presence being there right alongside in the midst of what may not be the "friendliest" of trials.  In returning into our thoughts his constancy of companionship and closeness of presence, we are able to find comfort in the midst of even the toughest of circumstances.  This idea of "returning into thought" is what David often referred to in the psalms he penned.  They actually are sung today in thousands of churches as a means of "returning into thought" the many blessings of his goodness, love, and grace.  This is indeed the power of memory - the ability to "return into thought" those things which we may have forgotten because of the complexity of issues invading the space of our brains at that moment.  In settling his mind long enough to "recount" the blessings of God in his life, he finds peace again and presence of purpose in the midst of the battle.

In recall, we are bringing into our present thoughts "matters" which were previously considered.  In other words, we are "mulling over" the former things which were "put in" our minds which may not have served their purpose until this very moment when they are remembered.  This is the power of allowing scripture to "get into" our minds - we may not gather all the "meat" from it the first time around, but what gets into our minds has the ability to be "recalled" when the need exists for that direction.  We often choose to "mull over" some things which only make the matter at hand worse - like the impossibilities of whatever it is we are going through at the moment.  I am a list maker - not our of necessity, but it helps me remember what it is which needs to be accomplished, and then I can go back over how much I have accomplished already.  This "going over" the accomplished tasks is often the reminder to me that what still lies ahead is "small change" considered to the things already completed!  I don't get as defeated by what still lies ahead because I can recount what has already been undertaken successfully.

The power of memory is also this concept of "figuring out" a matter at hand. In the ability to remember or recall, mull over, and come to conclusions, we enter into this place of "figuring out" what it is we are needing to know for the moment at hand.  Memory "stored up" what we needed for the moment at hand.  This is how God's mercy, love and grace so often work in our lives.  We store up bits and pieces of each of these along the way in our lives.  When we most need mercy, we "recount" the many ways mercy has been there for us in the past.  We take heart in remembering God is consistent in his character, so his mercy will never end.  We find comfort in considering again his mercy - unmerited favor shown on our behalf.  The same is true of his love and grace. They are considered time and time again - bringing new insight into our present "moments" - forming again and again new thoughts which will be placed within our memories.  In time, we will not only have the old memories of his love and grace, but these new ones, as well.  This is probably what David meant when he referred to God "teaching him the right way to live".  In the recounting of God's mercy, love and grace, we are allowing God to teach us the right way to live.

We find true life because of his mercy.  We continue in this walk through the constancy of his love.  We stand assured of making it through to the end simply because God's grace is making the way for us to finish well.  There is much power in "recall" - choose well what you think upon today, for in the moments of memory we will find the "fuel" to propel us forward!  Just sayin!

Cleaned Slates

About a week or two ago, my daughter took down all her Christmas decorations, storing them away for another year.  All, that is, except one - a chalkboard on the mantle.  You see, it is erasable - so it can be sketched on every now and again to just change it to the appropriate "theme" of the season.  So, the chalkboard remains.  It was interesting to me because she posted a photo on Instagram showing this cleaned slate - with the thoughts of her hardly being able to wait to see what would come next.  I think we might just take a lesson from my daughter - for our lives have the ability of being made "clean slates", made ready for the next season in our lives.  I think we sometimes don't remember this part of how God sees our sin - erased, totally gone, no sign of it having been there.  This is the basis of grace - the removal of all which hinted of the first, and the readiness to be "written upon" anew with the freshness of the next "season" in our lives.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
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He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.  For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.  The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.  (Psalm 103:8-13 NIV)

I like this same passage taken from The Message Bible - especially: God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love.  He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever.  He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.  As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him.  And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.  The part I like best is that he separates us from our sins - it isn't just that he wipes them away - he actually separates us from them.  As far as the east is from the west - sunrise from sunset - no longer connected to them.  Think on that one just a moment. As far as the east is from the west - I cannot reach that far, can you?  So, what does this have to do with our lives being "clean slates"?  Simply put, what has been erased has been "separated" from us - we are no longer in connection with it!  Our sins are no longer part of who we are - there is no "lifeline" connecting us.

This idea of being a "clean slate" implies a couple of things I think we might just need to latch onto this morning:

- Blank vs. Clean:  A slate has but one purpose - to be written upon.  Look up the meaning of blank slate in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and you will observe that a blank slate is really someone or something that is still in its original state and that has not yet been changed by people, experiences, etc. Hmmm...I don't think that accurately reflects the condition of our "slate", does it?  A "clean slate" is the ability to start over without prejudice - no unfavorable opinion or view of the one starting over.  This might just more accurately define what God's grace does for us - it gives us the ability to disconnect from what caused us so much concern in the past and to start over without "prejudice".  Yes, I think God creates us "anew" - kind of like a "blank slate", but really, we the slate has been "written upon", so he is actually helping us to "clean" the slate - to start over, disconnected from what was there, able to begin afresh.

- Ready to be written upon:  A slate has but one purpose - to be written upon. Until it fulfills this purpose, it is just a thin piece of rock.  What makes the slate valuable is also what God does with a "clean slate" - our "clean" state is his ability to write upon us as he imagines us to be - not as our life experiences have rendered us!  I think we have the hardest time with this one because we don't understand how much God desires to "write afresh" upon our hearts, minds, and souls.  He wants to take the "slate" of our hearts and transform them by the words of his grace and love.  We are cleaned in order to be "rewritten" - not just remain "blank".

- Slate is dull:  Until the slate is written upon, it is nothing but a bluish, grey dull surface.  What gives it life is what is written upon its surface.  In time, the "dullness" of the slate begins to be transformed by what is written upon it. Our lives are awfully dull without Christ - they taken on new life when he begins to write upon them the words of his grace and love.  To see the words of our "past" replaced with the words of our "present" and "future", God has to erase the past and begin to write anew those which will define our present and prepare us for our future.  It is only as my daughter will take up the chalk into her hands that the slate she has readied for her use will come to life again.  It is only as God takes up the "chalk" of his grace and love that our "cleaned slates" will come to life again.

These may not be profound words, but the truth is, God's Word is most profound - he separates our sin from us - cleaning the slate, so we might be rewritten with his graces.  That is indeed profound - just sayin!

Squirrels hide their nuts - trees given them away!

Astonishment is a state of amazement, surprise, and overpowering wonder. If you have ever been astonished at the ways another acts when they don't seem to be concerned that anyone is watching them, or perhaps the totally selfless giving of another, you probably have experienced this sense of amazement or wonder on occasion.  Some ways we might experience such astonishment are when a newborn is brought into the world, the unexpected bonus is placed in our paycheck, or the small child takes his first steps.  What it does to us inside is often expressed on the outside.  We begin to emanate a kind of cheerfulness and glee.  There might be a moment of stilled awe, but eventually the emotions begin to bubble forth and the ability to contain our "awe" is no longer possible - it spills forth.  God has a way of bringing about such awe within us - delighting our soul, raising out spirit, and filling our thoughts with all types of wonder and awe.

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, "He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon.  His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out."  This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.  (2 Corinthians 9:8-11 MSG)

God's blessings are not just a matter for our own personal blessing - in fact, they are just the opposite.  Although we might enjoy them immensely, experiencing the tremendous awe they inspire within, we are given much so we might give much in return.  God's blessings in our lives are always more for the "other guy" than for our own enjoyment.  Even when his blessings come in the form of a transformed life - finally being set free from some enslaving habit - God wants us to "give" out of that transformation, so another might experience the same transformation!  

I like the expression "God is more than extravagant..." - it says it all, doesn't it?  "More than" expresses something we have a hard time laying hold of at times, because we live in a "finite" world and don't understand the "infinite" world of our God.  "Finite" blessings come to an end, don't they?  "Infinite" blessings have a way of continuing to "awe" us over and over again - even as those blessings spill over into the lives of others.  Extravagance is often thought of as being a little too much of an "over-spender", while stinginess is though of as just he opposite - being a little too much of an "under-spender".

God is neither - his "extravagance" is really just going beyond the bounds of what is deserved or is justifiable in our lives.  If we were at the mercy of God to "give" based upon what we deserved, we'd be miserable people!  If we were at the mercy of God to "give" based on what could be justified in our lives, we'd be working a long, long time to show some form of justification for the great gift he has given in his Son!  We neither deserve, nor are we justified to receive the gifts he bestows - this is why we call them extravagant!

It is because of his mercy and grace that we receive "out of" God's reckless abandon.  It isn't that God doesn't think before he shares his tremendous blessings with us - it is that he doesn't focus on whether we deserve them or not.  He focuses on what we need, not what we deserve.  That one thought should evoke a moment of awe in each of us - because we give based on what another "deserves" - what they have earned.  He gives based on what we could never earn and would never be good enough to deserve!  This is why we call his "gifting" as extravagant, awe-inspiring, and life-transforming!

God's purpose in blessing our lives is so we can give away what we have been given - a concept contrary to our natural instinct.  A few years back, I had the privilege of going to the Teen Challenge facilities here in Phoenix.  It was for something they called "Saturday Sunday School" - a bus ministry outreach to the areas of Phoenix plagued with poverty, gang activity, and socioeconomic issues.  These kids ranged from the little tots to the teens.  They'd come in droves - bus load after bus load.  

One thing which will never leave my heart was the unselfishness of the older brothers and sisters toward their younger siblings.  Cookies were shared, often with the older siblings going without - passing their cookies down the line in order that the younger would have their fill.  They "gave away" what others might have held onto or enjoyed themselves.  Why?  I think it was because they had learned to provide because the adults in their lives had not done a very adequate job of it themselves.  This example spoke deeply to me of how God goes about meeting the needs no other had the ability to meet. His sacrifice on our behalf was without boundaries - his eyes were on our need, not his own comfort.

I don't know about you, but God has given me many a "cookie" in my life.  I sometimes squirrel away what God gives, thinking it just for me.  Then there are other times I find I am passing it along so others may have their needs met in full.  I hope we all can become better at being less of a "squirrel" with God's extravagance in our lives.  Just sayin!

Mercy is a great "counter-attack"

Yesterday we began to explore the importance of mercy being an action on our part which connects others with Christ - it connects the "value" of an individual's changed life to the actions of Christ on their behalf.  It is the action of another on the part of one incapable of the same action which puts on display the grace and beauty of Christ.  Today, I'd like to expand upon this idea of how it is we display the mercy of Christ in our lives.  It is a "practice" of real love which displays Christ to others, isn't it?  All the words in the world don't display mercy - they might direct someone to consider mercy - but the action is what makes the connection between the words and the heart.  One of the toughest things for us sometimes is the first step.  The first step toward mercy when it is undeserved is sometimes the hardest one we will ever take.  The first step toward the unloving requires the commitment to love even when love is not returned.  The first step toward the hurting is often in direct opposition to their hurtful actions.  These are pretty big steps, indeed. Yet, we are responsible for these first steps.  Nothing speaks louder than the first display of God's mercy. 

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.  (I John 3:18-24 MSG)

Probably one of the things which holds us back from taking our first steps is the fear of getting a little "burned" in the process.  Hurtful people have a way of leaving us a little "singed" on the surface, right?  So, taking the first step may be a little fearful at first, but when we realize mercy's ability to touch what others have been afraid to touch for a long time, we just trust God to protect us in the process.  Since the first step is the hardest, it often builds our faith in taking it.  There is not building up of our faith as long as we remain rigidly planted in place - the step toward the hurting is what calls upon our faith and challenges us a little.  I love the part of our passage which declares God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.  Truth is - he knows more about the hurting heart we are stepping toward, as well.  Don't ever think he hasn't placed you directly in their path of pain for a reason!  He placed you there as much for your own growth as for their healing!

Did you ever stop to consider how it is you treat the person you cannot stand the most?  I am always amazed when I read the accounts of the testings of Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4).  Jesus faced a plethora of emotional and spiritual tests, not to mention the physical ones.  Tired, hungry, alone - these play upon our emotions and physical well-being, don't they?  When I get tired and hungry, I get a little testy!  Bring someone into my path who is out to hurt me and do me wrong, and I can probably go from nice to nasty in about 30 seconds!  Yet, Jesus withstood the urge to "take on" his enemy with hurtful and damaging return of his evil intentions with emotional outbursts, hurtful replies, or destructive actions.  Instead, he was gracious in his responses. Now, this should give us some food for thought - how we treat our enemy in the midst of the worst of times is often the only way others will see the "value" of Christ the clearest.  Mercy-touched people understand the value of being merciful even when the times and tests don't always make it the easiest to be mercy-filled and merciful.

The greatest "counter-attack" to our enemy's attack is mercy - not striking out in more hurtful actions, words, or emotions.  It is probably the clearest indication of a life change when mercy becomes the "norm" for how we treat those who are the least likely to be loved because of their actions toward others.  One of my pastors once said the best way to get rid of an enemy is to turn them into a friend.  Tough one, huh?  For most of us, the repulsiveness of actually being "nice" to an enemy is hindering us from taking the first step toward them in mercy.  When we finally lay down our resistance to the first step, the second, third, and subsequent steps become a little easier in time. If we are all very honest here, we will soon admit we all sin - falling short of some mark at one time or another.  Even forgiven people sin again - it is part of our nature.  When we fall, we want to know it is okay to get back up.  We want to know someone will be modeling what it is we need the most in our circumstance - mercy and grace.  Mercy connects the dots for the fallen - bringing them face to face with the very thing they need to finally free them from the misery of their hurting.

Jesus spoke often and with great passion about the need to live a life of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not an emotional response to another's plea for mercy - it is a continual action of wiping the slate clean, even when we don't feel they deserve it.  Mercy and forgiveness are partners in this walk we are endeavoring to take together.  Mercy moves us toward the one who is hurtful, forgiveness keeps us near them when others would have been repelled by their deeds.  Most of the time, the individual we struggle with the most is the one who has not learned to receive mercy yet - so, we need to continually put it on display, for in the frequency of being extended mercy we often learn how it is we actually receive what it is we deserve the least.  Just sayin!