Reawakening awaits

Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. (Psalm 85:4-7)

Is revival more than an awakening? It begins with an awakening of our spirit and then it continues with a new sense of purpose and an 'inner fervor' that we have somehow lost along the way. Most of us need a bit of 'revival' at times, all because we allow that 'inner fervor' we once had to become 'dulled' by the details of life as they creep in. We soon lose sight of our purpose, finding ourselves a bit too inactive in our faith - what some may call being a little 'too stagnant' in our faith. In truth, what has happened is that we have lost our 'clear direction', leading us to a slower and slower 'faith progress', until one day, we find we aren't moving at all.

Truth be told, God isn't calling someone else - he is calling you, right now, requiring immediate action to 'return' and be made 'whole'. Faith is a growing thing, but if it is neglected too long, it will wither and be extremely 'non-productive'. There is a level of commitment required for revival - for the reawakening to occur, we have to desire it. That desire may come at the end of a rope, at the bottom of a bottle, or with the last pill popped. Regardless of the thing that took us into our slumber, when we begin to reawaken, we will want to shake that thing off and be free of its 'dulling' influence.

Remember what Jesus taught when he told us about baptism - it is the outward evidence of an inward change. That inward change begins when we begin to respond to his movement within our lives. What will that movement look like? It varies by the individual who experiences it, but you will recognize it as a desire for something different or more than what you have been experiencing. At first, it may just be an 'uneasiness' with where you are at right now in either your actions or your 'feelings'. Little by little, he will make it clear that we need to choose a different course of action. 

Notice - it is a course of 'action' - not one of inaction. Revival always begins with ACTION. There is no room for inaction when we want to experience the resurrection power of Jesus in our lives. Just sayin!

A hole filled cross

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (Galatians 5:24-25)

Hey, does your cross have a bunch of holes where the nails have been driven time and time again? I know I have a seen God drive a nail home when he convicts me of something he wants to change in my life, then after a while, there I am with the hammer trying to remove that nail! Nail and hammer in hand, I go about doing the very thing God asked me to allow him to nail to the cross! It is likely we all struggle with that from time to time, all because we want to control the course of our lives just a bit too much. The 'control thing' is really a combo of our pride and our lusts getting the best of us. We want what God says we should not have, then we struggle with the desire to possess it, before long giving into that desire instead of leaving that thing nailed to the cross where he helped us to secure it in the first place. God's greatest hope is that we give him the hammer and allow it to remain there!

Passions and desires are not a bad thing unless they are moving us away from Christ's best for our lives. When God convicts, our response is usually repentance. That conviction leads to God taking up the hammer and driving the nail home - we experience a change in our actions because that sin was nailed to the cross. Whenever we take our eyes off Jesus, we find our desires soon gravitate once again toward what we were asked to leave on that cross. Taking up the hammer and trying to remove that nail will only leave holes in the cross and 'holes' in our heart! We need to leave it there - like it or not. The struggle to do what God says we shouldn't do is real, but the more we lean into Christ, the less likely we will be to feel the pull away from the cross. 

We have frequently explored the need to keep the right focus, but it cannot be said enough. What we focus upon, we lean upon. When the cross is what we lean upon, we will find there is less likelihood of us trying to take back what God asked us to leave there. The cross isn't a 'temporary holding place' for our sins - it is the place where they find permanent death. In order for death to occur, they have to stay on the cross! If you find you have your hammer at the ready almost immediately after God asks for you to relinquish control of some sin in your life, nailing it to the cross, then it is time to also give him the hammer. We may not want to immediately relinquish the hammer, but the more we lean against that cross, the quicker the death to that sin will actually be. Just sayin!

What we behold, we become

The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error. (Voltaire)

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. (Proverbs 28:13-14)

Voltaire also reminded us that "God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." How well are we living today? Some will say their life is 'pretty good', others will remark that 'it could be better'. Either way, we still have room for improvement no matter how long we live. We can never 'outlive' doing right any more than we can outlive doing wrong! We need to be honest with ourselves when we don't live up to what God desires of us and confess that we need his help to 'do better'. Mankind has always made haste to get into trouble. What we need is God's help to make haste to move away from sin's pull! 

Concealing our sin gets us nowhere. Confessing it is the beginning of true change, but confession alone is not enough. We need to repent - do a '180' so we no longer are pursuing that sin. A man makes the greatest 'progress' toward righteousness when his eyes are on the one who can make him strong enough to resist the pull of sin. Repentance changes our focus - that '180' actually changes what we are focusing upon. Too many times, our focus remains on the thing that entices us away from God's right-living and then we wonder why we are so easily caught in the snare of sin. What we 'behold' we 'become'. 

Why are we slow to turn from our sin? It is probably because it 'promises' something we secretly desire, and we haven't asked or trusted God to change those desires. If we want to be free of sin, we need to ask for God's help. When he offers that help, we cannot pick and choose what we part of his help we will utilize - we must utilize ALL of it. He gives us the scriptures so we can identify our sin. He provides the Holy Spirit so we can be taught how to resist that sin. He affords us the opportunity of relationship with others who also walk with him so we can have the encouragement of others to live well. Use all of them and we might just see our way onto a new path and away from sin's pull. Just sayin!

Upbeat?

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. (Psalm 119:1-3)

Would you say you are 'upbeat' about all the steps of obedience God asks you to take in life? If you are anything like the rest of us who serve Jesus, you have your moments when being 'joyful' about a step of obedience God seeks isn't exactly your first response. In fact, your first response may be, "You've got to be kidding!" When he asks us to forgive someone who has hurt us deeply and doesn't really seem to be remorseful, we might respond like that. When he asks us to let go of some habit we have been holding onto forever, we might balk at the request because we know how hard it will be to let go. We don't always respond with an 'upbeat' attitude when obedience is requested, do we?

Joyful are people of integrity - who follow the instructions of the Lord. It could take us more than once to hear we need to take certain steps toward full obedience in our lives, but when we finally 'get there', we find the transition from resistance to repentance seems to be easier than we imagined. Sometimes God is waiting on us to come to the end of our resistance much longer than he'd like, but he is patient with us, isn't he? We toy with the idea of being 'mostly obedient', then wonder why we aren't all that 'joy-filled' with the half-hearted steps we took. It isn't that God isn't pleased with some movement forward, it is that he desires so much more for us, and we know it!

Be perfectly honest with me today - is that step of obedience God is asking you to take actually 'pleasurable'? It could be that we see it as just a bit 'unpleasant', so we resist. I would like to propose that remaining in disobedience can produce a much greater sense of 'displeasure' in our lives. We may not think that at first but given enough time operating in the realm of 'partial obedience', we will soon realize it isn't all that 'good'. God asks us to not compromise with evil. Period. Partial obedience is compromising with evil - maybe not outward forces of evil, but at least our own inward ones! Just sayin!

Hmmm...seeing things differently now?

Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. (Psalm 51:10)

Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  He was so true in this perception!  The problems we create will never be overcome or changed until we change the way we have been thinking about them!  To change our thought process we often need to change what we are focusing on so often or intensely. If we always see the problem, we will never see the solution standing just beyond it! If all we see is the river in front of us, raging out of control and making it hard to pass over to the other side, we will likely not see the bridge being lowered from the other side!

Restoration is a process of not only being "clean" of the sin in our lives, but of being able to look beyond the sin.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have done something we are not happy we have done, but if all we keep thinking about is that thing we asked forgiveness for, will we never move beyond that thing? It will still be the thing we focus on - anchoring us to the same place we have always been! We want to move beyond it, but we didn't take our eyes off it long enough to see our way beyond it! The drawbridge was being lowered, but we missed it because all we saw was the raging waters of our sin!

Our psalmist reminds us we need a sense of being brand new in order to see what moves us from where we always have been into the place we want to be. I don't know how you "sense" things in your life, but I have to "picture" myself or the object I am trying to move toward in a certain way. If I want to see flowerbeds take shape in my backyard, I have to first walk the space to see how far I want them to extend into the yard, looking carefully at where the sprinkler system could be tied in so I can get water to the beds. In my mind's eye, a picture is being created. I am seeing something which is not yet there, but which I am envisioning will take shape. I am sensing what it will be like to realize the beauty of the bed in that place.

The same is true when we want to move beyond those "problematic" areas in our lives which might plainly be called "sinful areas". If we want to move beyond them, we have to picture something different than what we have been doing, saying, or thinking! We have to allow a new focus to take form within our mind's eye! I don't think we do this in a vacuum, though. It isn't something WE create, but rather it is something which is created within us - in seed form. It is part of being "cleansed" of our sin.  We receive that seed form of what change will look like, but for full restoration to take place, we have to cultivate the seed! We have to believe growth is possible. We must do what we know to do and leave the rest up to God to help with the growth process. We don't "bring forth" the growth - he does!

What we can do is begin to change ou focus. When you focus is on the problem exclusively, all we see is the lack of growth. Restoration begins when we have a new "vision" in our minds of how something will be different. All change begins by seeing things differently than we have always seen them. We don't always control the means by which change will be accomplished, but we can control what we focus on while the change is taking place!  Just sayin!

There are always consequences

 Have you ever wondered if your rebellion has an effect on others? Wonder no longer! We cannot live outside of God's will for very long without it having an effect on those around us. Either they will suffer direct consequences of our rebellion, such as when a drug addict brings drugs into the home and an innocent child gets hurt by them, or they will be indirect, such as when a spouse engages in an extramarital affair and there is a division of family through divorce. The effects of your rebellion are felt by many more than just you.

Jonah said to the men, “I know I did wrong—that is why the storm came on the sea. So throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm.” Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the shore, but they couldn’t do it. The wind and the waves of the sea were too strong—and they were becoming stronger and stronger. So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t say we are guilty of killing an innocent man. Please don’t make us die for killing him. We know you are the Lord, and you will do whatever you want.” So the men threw Jonah into the sea. The storm stopped, and the sea became calm. When the men saw this, they began to fear and respect the Lord. They offered a sacrifice and made special promises to the Lord. (Jonah 1:12-16)

Jonah knew he was in the wrong. He knew he was outside of God's will, and I believe he knew the storms these sailors were enduring was a direct result of his rebellion. He even goes so far as to acknowledge that he knows he did wrong, but he still isn't at the point of turning away from his rebellion and doing what God desired. Isn't it amazing how we can be unwilling to do what God asks and then when we realize we have been 'found out', we still choose to continue on in our rebellion? Given the chance to confess that he was wrong and then to ask God's forgiveness, he chooses to just be 'thrown overboard' and take his chances. 

Sin has a way of convincing us that our 'chances' might be okay on our own, when God clearly knows they will not be good at all. The choice to rebel against God's will ALWAYS has consequences. If not immediate, the cumulative effect of those choices will lead to some form of consequences in the end. We cannot outrun God - nor can we expect others to not suffer when we choose rebellion over obedience. It is never easy acknowledging our sin, but it is always more difficult to endure our rebellion. Just sayin!

Was that in there?

...if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If my people - notice that God doesn't say 'when', but 'if'. There is a condition - we must make the first move when it comes to repentance. This message isn't written to those who don't already have a relationship with him - it is written to those 'called by his name'. These are believers who obviously have grown cold, a little too apathetic and indifferent. This is where we find ourselves whenever we allow our focus to become clouded by the things of this world - coldness drifts in, hunger begins to be fulfilled by something other than his presence. If we want to 'come back' from wherever it is we have drifted, it begins by humbling ourselves and asking for his help to return!

Humble yourself, pray, and look for him - these are three very specific actions that are involved in repentance. First, we must recognize we aren't on the right path. This oftentimes requires more than a bit of humility because we might just want to hide our misguided adventures and not be very open about them. When we are finally willing to admit them, we are on the path to restoration. Then we are to pray - talk with God about what we realize to have been our failure. At this point, don't be surprised when God shows us something entirely different that led to the choices we have made. We might think it is one thing that got us off course, but when he shows us there is something quite different that led to the compromise, we need to listen intently.

Look for him - it is only in seeking that we find things. Have you ever noticed the urgency that comes when we are seeking something we have need of or have misplaced? We uncover a good many other things in the process, don't we? Things we may have forgotten about entirely, but that clutter up our lives. When we move toward confession, we might just discover there are a few more things we uncover that we need to lay out on the table before God, as well. Perhaps this is where the 'turning away' comes. As we discover the 'stuff' we didn't realize was tucked away, we don't want to just leave it there - we want to get it out in the open and rid ourselves of it. Repentance isn't always convenient, easy, or without complications. It is necessary, though! It is where we find ourselves ridding ourselves of what only clutters our lives and makes things more difficult for us. Just sayin!

A curb appeal

Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn’t by obeying the Law of Moses. God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life’s blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

I live in a neighborhood with regular trash pick-ups. Each week we put out the black can for our regular household trash and the blue can for everything we will recycle. One day a month, we put out all our "bulk" trash, such as large limbs from the trees, broken furniture, or scraps from building projects. I have faith the trucks will be around each week and on that one week each month when they will come with the tractor with the scooper-jaws to pick up all the bulk stuff. What is the difference between what I do with the various components of trash from my home vs. what God does in my life with the things which are really kind of "rubbish-like"? Simply put, he does the work of removing the rubbish, recycling what can be made new again, and creating a place which brings honor to him. He asks us to submit to his "terms" of removal, though! Just like I have to submit to the "terms" of removal my local government established related to my household trash/rubbish, I have to submit to God's plan for removing the things from my life which no longer belong.

That plan is simply Christ Jesus. All the Law ever did was point out the blood sacrifice required to remove our sin. It pointed out the futility of trying to do things on our own terms - because we'd have to do them again and again. I have to take out the trash each week at my house - because this is the means by which I can rid my household of the smelly stuff! I could not just "say" I am "law-abiding" and never move the black can to the curb. In time, it would simply smell worse and worse as it fermented in the hot sun. I could opt to take it out on my own terms - like every other week or maybe even once a month. In the meantime, I deal with all that trash. The garbage truck comes by faithfully each week, but it bypasses my home. The garbage man might "want" to deal with my trash, but until I give him access to it, he cannot take it away to the dump! Until we give Christ access to the rubbish of our lives, we are managing our "rubbish"! I don't know about you, but I don't do a good job with this on my own! All the Law pointed out for the Israelites back in the time of Moses was how God wanted to be the one to remove the sin from their lives. He didn't ever expect them to be the ones to actually do it themselves!

Each Tuesday night the cans are moved to the curb. Why? We have faith the rumbling trash compacting truck will make its way through our neighborhood, "consuming" all the stuff contained in those cans and leaving us with "room" to leave more next week. God does the work of "removing" the rubbish in our lives in stages - once at the point of our saying yes to Jesus, then as faithfully as he will always be, he keeps on coming around to leave us with "room" for the next batch of stuff we will lay at his feet! God isn't a glorified trash-man, but you get the idea - he is at the ready to remove what doesn't belong in our lives anymore. Sin needs to be removed far away from us - to a place where it can meet its final doom! His actions on our behalf remain ever so faithful - yet there are some actions on our behalf which allow him to do what only he can do. Just as we have to put the black and blue cans on the curb each week, so we have to faithfully do our part in bringing to God what only he can deal with through the Blood of Jesus. Rather than attempting to deal with what will eventually become an overwhelming pile of mess in our lives, isn't it much better to finally get it to the curb so Jesus can take it away? Just askin!

Ready to 'join up'

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. (Psalm 46:10)

I have a hard time being 'still'. It is as though there has to be some 'activity' going on, even if it is thought. I spend a good deal of time thinking on things, then I usually take action after learning what I can from thinking on the subject. I think about what is for dinner, plan a menu in my head, and then execute the preparation of the meal. I think on my next woodworking project, plan the tools I will use, bits and blades needed, any finishes I will utilize, and the types of woods I will incorporate into it. Then I execute the steps to see what I envisioned created. It is never wrong to just 'be still' - for in the stillness, we often 'hear' much clearer and 'plan' much better than we do without all that thought!

To 'be still', one might imagine we need to cease all movement, but there can be movement in stillness. I have observed a creek so still that you'd think there was no movement at all, yet the water is stagnant, nor is it really 'still' - it is just moving at a very steady, but 'still' pace. Based on this observation, I might have believed being 'still' meant there was nothing to be heard, but even in the 'stillness' of that little creek, there were things to be heard. Birds sang from the treetops, wind gently moved the leaves above, and an occasional cricket chirp could be heard. Not all 'stillness' means absolute silence - it just may mean we get 'silent' enough to really listen and observe.

I have been watching how horses are tamed. It is amazing to me to see the purpose in making them 'move' around the corral time and time again until they are ready to 'join up'. Maybe being 'still' means we stop resisting. We lay down our reluctance, give up on our 'wild plans', and come close enough to the one who wants that relationship with us. The horse eventually does this - settling down, realizing they can trust the person in the corral with them, and they just 'settle'. Reluctance means we are not willing to be obedient to God's plan yet, so we might just resist 'settling down' into the stillness he asks for because we aren't quite ready to 'join up' with him. 

When we finally get 'still enough' to listen and observe, chances are we will be convicted of any place in our lives where we are a little too 'reluctant' to move into obedience to what God desires for us. This is the moment for action - conviction leading to confession and confession leading to repentance. We lay down our 'wild ways' and 'incessant circling' in order to settle into a trusting relationship with Jesus. The moment of 'joining up' comes when the horse 'stills' and just stands near the one in the corral with him. We cannot 'join up' until we trust fully the one who is asking us to come near to him. How about you? Have you been circling the corral of obedience in your life? Are you finally ready to 'join up'? Is it time to just 'be still' and know that he is God? Just askin!

Confess, but repent

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

I remember undertaking the task of repainting a dock on an empty pond at a Girl Scout camp in Southern California. You have to scrape the old paint before you put on the new, but you also have to use a very thick, oil-based paint to redo the dock. Why? It helps preserve it from rotting. As my friend and I undertook the task, the weather got warmer as the day progressed, the task was less than interesting at some point, and we got a little mischievous at some point. We were at the point of applying the paint when all of a sudden, an all-out 'let's paint each other' rebellious attitude overtook us. There we were, swiping oil-based blue marine paint across each other's faces, arms, legs, and even our painting clothes. We were a mess by the end, but we had a few good laughs along the way. But then...we realized that the paint would not wash off! It required turpentine to remove it! As you can imagine, it took us way longer to remove that stuff than it did to have that momentary insanity we called 'fun'. That is how sin is - it is momentary, but with a very lasting effect that is almost impossible for us to remove ourselves.

Wash yourselves and be clean was almost impossible - we each needed the assistance of the other to remove all the signs of the paint. Even then, we weren't without telltale signs of having undergone the folly of the day, for our skin was reddened, dry, and very irritated from all the scrubbing with turpentine! Sin isn't easy to remove from our lives - there will be telltale signs of it if all we do is endeavor to wash ourselves clean from its nastiness. We need God's help to be truly clean - “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool." (vs 18) There is only so much we can do for ourselves - such as confession of our sin and repentance (turning away from it). We require a good deal 'scrubbing up' that isn't possible alone. We need God to remove the very evident sign of sin in our lives - completely, without harm, and as only his blood can do. We needed the aid of turpentine to be 'clean' from the marine paint. God needed only one thing to leave us perfectly clean - the blood of his Son, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Confession is one part of 'being cleansed'. We also need repentance in order to really 'walk clean'. Repentance is more than just asking God for forgiveness - it means those sins are no longer our pursuit. We 'put them out of sight', not by masking over them, but by having God's help to remove ourselves from their influence any longer. Eventually, the paint on the brushes dried and we could no longer pursue the folly of flinging paint at each other. Sin doesn't quite behave the same way, though. It lingers and wants to get us all dirty again. If we are to be free of its 'attachment' to us any longer, we need to walk away from it. We do this by first having a change of thinking about the pursuit of that sin. Since all action begins with thought, whether we believe it or not, our thinking requires change if we are to walk away from the pursuit of that sin. When we change our mind, we change our behavior. If you put down the paint brush, no more paint will be hurled your way! Confession allows us to get out the words that show we no longer want to pursue that sin, while repentance incorporates new actions, so we won't go that direction any longer. Just saying!

Don't lament, repent

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! (Psalm 30 11-12) 

If we stop to consider what sin does to the emotions, physical body, and even our spirit, perhaps we'd describe it much as being in a state of great loss and mourning. It strips us of our joy, but it also strips us of our hope. We wallow in our downfall much as the mourner 'wallows' in the extreme sorrow over their loss. Mourning involves a deep ache for what was lost - there is an internal agony that often makes its way to the surface. Sin has a way of stripping us down - laying us bare, causing us to bemoan our losses, agonizing that we don't have a 'way back'. We might be incapable of finding our 'way back', but God has already set the 'way back' into motion - we just need to call out for his mercy.

As some may be able to relate, sin leaves an agony that is hard to describe. The 'mental' aspect of sin is hard on both the body and the spirit. It leaves us tormented and in deep misery - unable to see our way past it and 'wallowing' in the mire of it. For a while, we 'mourn' out loud - as though lifting our woeful lament would be enough to 'do penance' for our sinful actions. Yet, all the woeful lament is doing is creating more and more turmoil deep within our soul. We can lament our sin, or we can repent of our sin. There is a big difference - one just keeps us wallowing in the mire, while the other lifts us out, cleans us up, and clothes us with garments of great beauty. Grace's garments are most beautiful when they adorn the sinner's now clean body, soul, and spirit!

Look again at our passage - God is the one who 'disrobes' us of our clothes of mourning and replaces them with those 'grace garments'. We cry out, but God does the work of clearing away the mess within our emotions, bringing renewed strength to our bodies, and creating a right spirit within. Our response is to sin and dance before him. Does the mourner dance? Not at all, for the depth of the sorrow is like an anchor that keeps him tethered to the place of bemoaning his sin. Does the one who has been lifted from the pit of sin dance? You betcha! For the soul set free is unable to refrain from the display of the joy that comes when the soul is set free from the misery of sin's darkness and mire. Just sayin!

Does Plan B negate Plan A

Do God's plans ever change? It is a question I have often asked when things seemed to be going one way and then all of a sudden, they are all headed the opposite direction. Is it possible the 'turn of events' that happened was really all of the original plan? Could it be that I just didn't see the 'whole plan' when I set out on the journey? Is it possible God's plans for us include much more than we see right now? Perhaps God has things more 'under control' than we might think because he frequently reminds us that even before we were born, the plans for our lives were already marked out.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. (Galatians 1:15-16)

Home birth or hospital birth? High School grad or Post-Graduate studies? Single or Married? A home filled with children or no children? High-paying career or farmer? Upstanding citizen or criminal? Think of all the various ways our lives 'could have gone' but didn't. There are probably thousands of examples of 'what could have been' that we could enumerate, but the fact remains that God knows the plan - the beginning doesn't really define the outcome - he does! It always amazes me to know that God uses sinful men and women to carry out his plan - a plan established even before they were born.

If we are following Christ, living a righteous life, it makes sense that God can use us, but what about when we mess up a whole lot along the way and struggle with this sin nature we have? Can he still use us? Absolutely! In fact, he might even use some of the things we learn as a result of our sin to help others who struggle along the way, too. Did he plan for us to sin? Absolutely not, but he provided a way for us to be forgiven for that sin - grace. Could it be that God's 'Plan A' has always been in effect even when we chose to follow our own 'Plan B'?

Our calling is established - we might veer from it on occasion, but the calling remains. That means the empowerment to walk within that calling is still there even when we choose to follow our own plan for a while. Is there a way back? Always! God's grace is sufficient, his love is enduring, and his renewing power is available to those who seek a way back into his 'plan'. Plan B need never negate the power of Plan A. Just sayin!

Filthy?

Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. (Psalm 16:4) 

As we are reminded in Proverbs 17, "Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth." (vs. 24-25) Run away from God and toward anything else that we embrace in place of God in our lives, and we will soon know the bitterness that comes from pursuing these 'false gods'. Kids do a wide variety of things that parents may label as 'sweet', 'cute', or 'precious', but God will always label our wayward desire to put anything else in his place in our lives as 'sin'. Reject God by not putting him in his right place as Lord of our lives and we will soon reap the 'reward' of that rebellious spirit - the consequences may not be all that kind to us. If you have been anything like me, you might just know there is a certain amount of deep sorrow and regret that accompanies rebellion. Try as we might, we cannot escape the sorrow that accompanies sinful pursuits. We can try to escape them, but the truth of the matter is that sin leaves a 'tell-tale sign' of its presence. It is like walking down a dusty path, not even noticing just how much dust is gathering about our ankles until we strip away the shoes and socks. All of a sudden, we realize the 'filth' of the journey!

The 'filth' was 'unseen' as long as we were walking that path, but as soon as we broke from that path, attempting to recover from the journey, we notice the unsightly 'filth' that has gathered. Sin is like that - we follow the path for as long as we want and then when we attempt to 'recover' from the journey down that path, we begin to notice just how much 'filth' has gathered inside of us. We begin to sense regret and perhaps even a bit of guilt. We might dwell on that regret and guilt over and over again, leading us to feel a great deal of shame over having taken sin's path. Filth upon filth - guilt and shame. As much as we want to wash away the dirt of the dusty trail, we desire to be free of the filth of our sins. Chase after other 'gods' and you will soon notice the 'gathering filth' of that chase. We choose the path we will take - we choose who will be at the center of our lives. 

It could be we choose ourselves - wanting nothing more than to be the leader of our own lives. I daresay I have tried that pathway, and it didn't work out so well for me. We could choose to worship something else - like a career, material things, or even another person, but I will also tell you that pathway will have a 'dirt' all its own that will leave you feeling just as 'filthy'! We must not have any other 'god' in our lives - that is pretty clear in scripture. What do we do if we have allowed someone or something else to take God's place? We confess our sin, repent (turn away from it), and give him his rightful place. As we do, we will likely notice we need a good 'washing' in order to get rid of the filth we have allowed to gather. Repentance involves cleansing - so don't be afraid to be 'washed'. It is God's way of restoring the beauty he desires for each of us. Just sayin!

Sin means judgment

I have read through scripture a number of times but have always struggled a bit with how God could 'get angry' and still be a merciful and kind God. My guess is that I am not alone in this quandary. What I have deduced is that God gets 'angry' when people sin - sin gets his anger stirred up. He is slow to anger, but that doesn't mean his patience can be taken for granted. God is the judge of human character - not us. We would like to sit in judgment on occasion, but we are not qualified to judge simply because we have this sin nature at work within each of us. 

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Whenever we think we are above the judgment of God, we are in a very troubling place. We may want to take revenge when we have been wronged, but God's concern will always be with the one who has done the wrong. Scripture reminds us that God is on the side of the innocent - he will judge the one who brings harm to them. Does that mean they will burn in the lake of fire? Not necessarily! It means he will bring enough 'discomfort' into their lives that they will be driven to make a decision to either repent of their sins or face that ultimate judgment.

The principle is that of harvesting whatever it is we sow. When we sow all manner of derision and discontent in this world, we can be assured that God's patience with us will someday come to an end. He will begin to bring 'judgment' into our lives. That means we may not always come out of things 'smelling rosy'. There may be consequences we did not intend when we set out on our sinful path. It isn't that God causes the consequences as much as it is that he doesn't stand in the way of them. Always keep in mind that God's intent is that no man should be separated from him - he provided grace for all who would seek it.

When we are engaged in wrongdoing, we can expect consequences. When we are seeking forgiveness for our wrongdoing, we can expect grace. God's plan is the latter - that we would seek his forgiveness and be restored to right relationship with him. All God asks is for us to take a close look at our own actions - if they don't align with his principles, we should repent. If they do, we should press in a little closer for sin's pull is always just around the corner. God doesn't like to judge, but he isn't going to allow sin to have the upper hand in our lives. Just sayin!

Driven by guilt

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. (Psalm 51:1-4)

How is it that we don't always make a beeline to God when we sin? There are excuses uttered - thinking we can somehow justify our offense as though it were impossible for us to have resisted the temptation. We find ourselves turning this way or that, in hopes of not encountering God over the issue, but find ourselves feeling the guilt 'prick' at us like thorns on a rosebush. I don't think we intended to give into the temptation, and we don't really think the excuses or 'running' will keep us away from dealing with the sin, but we respond this way for some inexplicable reason. Guilt is that 'pin prick' in our conscience that should cause us to run TOWARD restoration, not AWAY from it!

David never said he was sinless - in fact, he recognized his sin and that also made him realize his need for confession, repentance, and restoration. Confession is the admission of guilt - repentance is the action one takes to turn away from the actions of sin. Put together, we find ourselves in a place where restoration can actually happen. David showed us that when we 'do wrong', we need to be quick to admit it. That admission may be to God alone, or it could be we need to go to another to admit our 'wrongdoing' to them (because they were affected by our wrongdoing). There is something quite humbling in admitting we were wrong, isn't there? Could it be that repentance actually begins when we put down our pride and humble ourselves enough to seek forgiveness?

There are times when our sin involves us and God - others haven't been involved. We find ourselves taking actions - thinking about things in a way that we shouldn't - all without involving another in those actions or thoughts. Be humble enough to admit your sinfulness the first time you feel the 'pinprick' of guilt and you will save yourself a whole lot of 'guilt-ridden anxiety' over the matter at hand! There are no greater words we can utter than "have mercy on me". There is no better place to find healing for our sin-sick hearts and minds than at the feet of Jesus. Guilt might drive us there, but grace helps us get up again and move beyond the guilt. Just sayin!

Gotta make a course change now

Some years ago, I saw this sign: God allows U-Turns. Profound statement, right? So many times, the roads we travel upon are marked with all kinds of restrictions - U-Turns being one of them. Isn't it good to know in God's grace, he allows U-Turns? Sometimes we don't pay as close attention to the things God tells us to focus on, getting ourselves down a road or two which don't "fit" the plan as well as we'd hoped. When we find ourselves traveling in the wrong direction, I wonder if we are bold enough to do a U-Turn? When the road is wide and no traffic seems to be coming, this seems a whole lot easier, does it not? But...get a little bit more traffic, take that road down to a two lane narrow passageway, with no shoulder or "wiggle room", and you might find a U-Turn a little more difficult. Why? Maneuvering room is limited! This is the way it is sometimes - we get ourselves on paths which allow very little maneuvering room! When we need to make a U-Turn, we find ourselves almost hesitant because the room needed is not always apparent to us.

You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

Why do we find ourselves requiring the U-Turn in the first place? Isn't it because we either missed something we intended to find in the first place, or we totally went the wrong way? Considering the two reasons for U-Turns, I guess we'd do well to avoid both - so why don't we? In the first instance, it is because we weren't paying close attention and something we were aiming for totally got missed along the way. In the second, we just made bad "turns" in life. Both are equally as frustrating - but the most frustrating part is how long it takes for us to find we missed our mark in the first place! Once we get that figured out, then we have to find the "appropriate" place in the road we are on where we figure we can make a "successful" U-Turn maneuver. Did you ever notice how hard those are when you are looking to make one? There just doesn't seem to be the right spot - so we find ourselves traveling just a little bit further out of our way because we need "maneuvering" room.

We can never assume that we are all paying close attention. We get to the destination, not because we paid close attention, but because God's grace "looped us around" to where we needed to be! We get good instructions, sometimes moment by moment, like from our little GPS units on the car. If we are at all distracted by the plethora of choices we have to choose from at certain intersections, it is easy to bear right, just not far enough right! We find ourselves going in the wrong direction because the directions were good, we just didn't follow them to the "t". We don't have any room for excuses. God makes a way for U-Turns, but it is quite clear in scripture he leaves no room for excuses when we need to make them. It is part of growing up to own up to our mistakes and to admit we have been going the wrong way or just plain not paying attention. It is also part of growing up to recognize the U-Turn doesn't really require all that much maneuvering room. Even in the tightest of spaces, it is possible. It may not be easy, but it is possible! This holds true when we need to make life changes which aren't easy. What we fail to recognize is what the sign says: God ALLOWS U-Turns. He has already made "provision" for the U-Turn! It is already "mapped out" for us - we just need to listen to his voice carefully as to when, where, and how to accomplish it!

God's grace provides the "maneuvering room". It also provides the "instruction" to help us through the turn. It is like he is out there directing the turns in our lives - hand signals carefully directing us into those tight and uncomfortable maneuvers which will get us back on track again. Conduct changes because there is a course change. Plain and simple. Conduct does not change because we stay on the wrong course, or completely ignore all the stops put in our path. In fact, conduct goes from bad to worse whenever we ignore the advice to make the U-Turn! A U-Turn is really a 180 degree turn. You head from where you are going into the completely opposite direction. This is the definition of repentance in scripture - a "180". To maneuver is to take the action to change direction. Therefore, a U-Turn is really a series of actions which change the direction of our lives. Repentance is often a series of actions which completely and radically change the direction of our choices. Considering this, maybe it is time we accept the wisdom of the words: God ALLOWS U-Turns. Just sayin!

A little sway in your steps?

Have you ever stopped to really consider what it means to repent?  If we are to consider it in the most frequently used meaning of this word, most would say it means to stop doing something, but it may not carry the idea of doing something else instead.  When we are wanting to understand something as important as repentance, we must turn to the scriptures to really see how God describes the action.  It means to turn your heart toward your first-love (God himself).  It also carries the idea of "re-dedication".  In the simplest terms, this means we choose to be set apart unto him - devoting ourselves wholly (not just some of our parts) and with an earnestness which expresses both a sincerity and intensity of desire to see ourselves doing something differently in our lives.

Even now, turn back your heart and rededicate yourselves to Me; show Me your repentance by fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Now return to the Eternal, your True God.  You already know He is gracious and compassionate.  He does not anger easily and maintains faithful love. (Joel 2:12-13 VOICE)

When we examine our passage today, repentance involves the heart needing a little redirecting.  That signifies our hearts get a little distracted or off-course.  If we think of the heart as the seat of our emotions, we can easily understand how this can happen, as emotions can become very distracting at times.  When I am having a particularly challenging day, my emotions can range from elation to extremes of disappointment, frustration, and even anger.  They can be all over the place - up, down, here and there.  So, it stands to reason my "heart" can get a little swayed in one direction or another.  When I lived in the bay area we had some very strong winds on occasion.  One particular year, the winds were so strong they had to close the Golden Gate Bridge because of the tremendous amount of sway occurring on this grand suspension bridge leading into San Francisco.  The cars couldn't maintain their "grounding" on the roadway because the bridge was moving so violently with the force of the winds.  I'd like us to think of repentance as that which brings things back to "center" in our hearts - removing the "sway" and giving us "grounding" again to focus as we should and make "safe passage" in our daily choices.

The second thing we come to understand from our passage is this idea of "showing" our re-dedication.  In other words, repentance is more than words.  It is more than asking forgiveness for some offense and then moving on.  There is some action on our part which reveals our commitment to what we are saying we want to do differently.  Whenever I have drifted into some form of "sway" in my life, I know there is going to be some "clean up" activity required.  It stands to reason we cannot just expect things to be perfect just because we ask for forgiveness - the winds may have died down, but every "storm" in life leaves some type of debris to be dealt with!  A couple of things are pointed out - actions which express our determination to turn again to doing what we know to be right and true in our lives AND the willingness to take the steps to "return" to "center" again.  

The most important part of repentance is the assurance we need to have of being accepted into God's welcoming arms, no matter how much we have drifted off-center or how much grounding we have lost in life.  He is gracious and compassionate.  He's not easily angered, and he has maintained (and will always maintain) his intense love for each of us.  The winds of life may have afforded the opportunity to put a little "sway" into our lives, but it doesn't mean we need to lose hope.  The "return to center" is what brings about the re-grounding of our lives.  Just sayin!

Man! That lid is on there tight!

Repent (metanoeo):  To change one's mind and subsequently one's actions. The idea of repentance in scripture is not always fully understood, but when Peter preached to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem after Jesus was taken up into heaven following his death, burial, and resurrection, he told them to change their hearts and lives.  The idea of repentance is that of change.  Change is something we all kind of struggle with, ranging from all out determination to not let go of the past to an eager desire to be rid of what weighs us down, but without the wherewithal to actually let go.  The biggest thing we need to recognize about the biblical definition of repentance is this idea of a changed mind.  All change in life begins at the point of our thinking - without a change of mind, we will eventually return to the same conclusions and patterns of action we once pursued.

People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.  (Romans 8:5-8 ERV)

If we haven't figured this one out yet, then maybe we better really spend some time understanding why it is so important for us to have this "change of mind" as it applies to finally being "free" of whatever it is which has been holding us captive.  If we begin to understand what Paul was telling us in the passage above, we will see some important points:

1. When we are determined to do things our way, within the confines of what we can manage to accomplish, self-determined in our course, we are living apart from Christ.  At the point we invite the Spirit of God into our lives, we begin to see a change in our thinking.  If all action begins with thought, and try as we might to argue differently this is exactly where all action begins, then it is not unreasonable to recognize a change in thinking will likely result in a change in action.  Most of us don't change our thinking overnight - this is why we sometimes vacillate a while on decisions - it takes a while for our "emotions" to match our thoughts and then to get our actions following that thought pattern. 

2. Old habits die hard because we don't want to allow a change in our thinking. If repentance is really a change in our thinking, it is possible that repentance is not just a "one time" thing.  In other words, if we don't change our way of thinking as quickly as we can switch on the light with a light switch on the wall, then it is quite possible we might not fully accomplish the change in action which accompanies that change in thought.  It may be entirely possible that repentance begins with the willingness to admit we are desperately "thinking" and therefore "acting" in a wrong manner.  The "act" of repentance may be a one time thing - the results of repentance may take a little longer because they involve a change in our way of thinking about those actions.

3. Thought requires effort.  I believe many of us imagine repentance as some kind of mystical moment in time when we "admit" to our failure and then expect some instant "re-creative" work done by Christ in our lives.  While this is partly true, there is some action on our part which is required beyond our "confession".  We often confuse confession and repentance.  One is the admission of guilt - the other is the walking out of our new way of thinking. We are not "saved" (made right with God) by any of our good deeds.  Scripture is clear on that one, but there is some "effort" on our part as it comes to changing our way of thinking about what we "used to do" and how we "used to think". We can only fully recognize the total transformation of repentance once we understand the mindset change which will drive the new actions which result from the desire to turn away from what has been problematic in our lives.

While salvation doesn't count on our effort, our effort is paramount to repentance.  Repentance is a change in thinking which results in a change in both the type and consistency of our actions.  First the type of actions we take change, then there is this whole idea of consistency.  We have all heard the adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try again."  The reason we may not have succeeded is the type of effort we are applying to the issue at hand.  When I cannot get the jar lid undone I don't throw away the jar!  I get out that rubber mat thing which gives me a little more traction and try again.  If that doesn't work, I bang that jar lid with the handle of a knife to kind of break the seal a little.  If that still doesn't work, I go to someone with more strength than me!  

While life isn't like the jar of pickles which stubbornly remains "untapped" because I cannot remove the lid, there is something in the process we need to understand.  First, I desire the pickles (much like I might desire to be free of past issues).  Second, I am willing to take some effort to get at what I desire (even when that effort may not realize the result I desired at first).  Third, I don't give up on the desire just because their is resistance to my effort.  We cannot give up on living free of our past just because there is resistance in our mind or emotions to the effort.  We may just have to change the "tact" we are using to be free of it!  Lastly, sometimes the jar of pickles is within our ability to "tap into", while other times we need a "helping hand" from someone stronger than us.  Have you ever noticed how easily the lid comes off when the other person actually gets their hands on it?  All our efforts may not have accomplished the full result of getting at the pickles, but they certainly prepared the way for the one with just a little more strength than us to make easy work of the project!  God may just let us struggle a little with the "lids" in our lives to see how determined we are to get at what we desire.  If he does this, it isn't that our confession has been unsuccessful, it is that our minds needed to catch up with our determination and action!  Just sayin!

Wrong way drivers

If you have ever gone the wrong way, missed the turn-off on the highway, or found yourself turned around in some situation, you know that moment of "how'd I do that" which occurs.  You know what I mean - that moment of sheer panic or rise of stress level within which signals you have just done something you are so sorry you did!  Over recent weeks, there have been various accidents reported on local TV about several "wrong-way drivers" on the freeways around town.  In most cases, lives have been lost because of the "wayward" driving of some motorist heading the wrong direction, often for miles and miles.  What happened to get them on the freeway going in the completely wrong direction, and at what point did they recognize they were maybe headed against traffic? In most cases, there might not have been any warning to the drivers who were so impaired they chose the off-ramp instead of the on-ramp to enter the freeway. It wasn't for the lack of signage announcing they were going the "wrong way" clearly emblazoned on glow in the dark signs with bold white letters against a red background.  It wasn't for the lack of opposing traffic trying to get their attention with horns and lights flashing.  It wasn't for the lack of police officers trying to "catch" the driver to get them to stop.  All these warning signs and alerts, but none of them stopped without either doing serious damage to themselves, physical property, or even the taking of a life.  Some may ask what went wrong, while others might just simply jump to the conclusion they were all impaired drivers.  I cannot comment on either of these conclusions, but I can say this - something very wrong happened regardless of all the warning signs and attempted "advice" to turn back or just plain stop.  Life is kind of like that for us once things get "rolling along", isn't it?  We get so far down the road in some of our moments of wrong decision and find we are just "too far gone" to turn back!

He who is right in his walk is sure in his steps, but he who takes the wrong way will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9 NLV)

We thought we were "sure" in our steps, regardless of what they might have been, only to find we were facing "opposing" traffic in our lives!  We might not have even recognized we were going the "wrong way" until we came up to the place where we recognized we were actually "injured" in the process.  Wrong way decisions are eventually going to leave a mark in our lives - if not physically, there is the emotional and spiritual toll to be considered.  Most of these are compounded because we also hurt relationships we once valued and held so close to our heart.  Then in a moment's "wrong way" pathway we find ourselves bringing what appears to be irreparable harm.  The good news is that no pathway takes us to a place of total "non-repair" in God's hands.  What man may not be able to put together again, his hands have the power to restore and heal.  It would just have been easier to not have taken the path in the first place!

The same things hold true in our lives when we find ourselves walking paths which lead the wrong way.  It isn't because we don't get some kind of warning signs to avoid the "merging" into traffic which is totally opposed to the direction God wants us to take in life.  There are probably more warning signs than we might want to admit - we just block them out of our view or find we are distracted by other things and don't recognize them as they pass us by.  The same is true of all the warnings others attempt to give us.  We hear them talking to us much like the wrong way motorists hear the horns honking, but we just don't "connect" those "sharp blasts" of warning words as meaningful for our lives.  We may even hit a few hazards along the way, slowing us down a little like when a motorist careens into the center divider, but then just keeps on driving.  The vehicle is a little worse for the wear, but they limp along with the damage.  We aren't much different once we get going down the wrong way.  We somehow justify if we got this far there is no turning back.  Oh, we could not be more wrong!  If we'd just stop right there, we might find ourselves a little disoriented and surely in the middle of a muddle, but we often gain perspective if we just stop long enough to notice our dilemma!

Wrong way drivers eventually get "found out".  It is almost impossible to drive the wrong way and not encounter some form of "oncoming resistance" in our path.  Even when we try to row a boat upstream, we find the resistance makes the course we want to take a little more challenging, right?  Going with the flow is easiest most of the time, but trust me, we don't always find ourselves with the "bow of our boat" facing the right direction either!  What we cannot delude ourselves into believing is this idea that our course is too "determined" or "settled" to turn around.  We possess what we need to get back on course, we just have to give up on struggling to stay on course going the totally wrong way!  Often the thing which keeps us on the wrong course is our stubborn pride. We don't want to admit we have noticed we are going the wrong way!  We think this will make us look foolish.  Well, let me just assure you - it looks more foolish to be the only set of headlights headed south when all the other sets are headed north on that road!  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!