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!

God running this place?

There was one day when the Prophet Isaiah was speaking with the people, reporting on how Israel was finally at rest in the Promised Land, enjoying their feasts and festivals. There was worship in the land. They were finally 'settled' - no longer wandering hither and yon. The land was a blessing - providing for their needs in a great way. They were protected from attack - secure in their new homes. One of the best parts of the report was these words: "God runs this place and he'll keep us safe." When God is in control of our lives, we will be safe. If we take back that control, or just 'let it go' because we aren't paying attention, we will open the gates wide to disaster and destruction.

Just take a look at Zion, will you? Centering our worship in festival feasts! Feast your eyes on Jerusalem, a quiet and permanent place to live. No more pulling up stakes and moving on, no more patched-together lean-tos. Instead, God! God majestic, God himself the place in a country of broad rivers and streams, but rivers blocked to invading ships, off-limits to predatory pirates. For God makes all the decisions here. God is our king. God runs this place and he’ll keep us safe. (Isaiah 33:22)

We are often guilty of not continuing in the things God has provided within our lives. We read the Word, but do we take time to allow it to actually speak to us? We pray on occasion, but do we take time to listen to things he tells us throughout the day in those tiny prompts, lifting up prayers for him to be in control of those things? We hang out with friends, but do we invest in these relationships so they grow in Christ? Festivals and feasts are a good thing, but if they have become the center of our 'worship' relationship with Jesus, we are a bit out of sync with what God desires in the form of intimate relationship with us.

Does God 'run this place' and is he keeping it safe? The place? Your heart - your mind, will, and emotions. Your spirit - the place of our connection with Jesus. Is it possible to be a Christian and not have our mind surrendered to Jesus? Absolutely, and many of us actually hold onto thoughts that we know aren't right - they actually dishonor God and show how much we don't trust him. Can we determine to serve Christ and still have a struggle of the will? You betcha! The will is influenced by the mind and played upon by the emotions. Why do you think God put that scripture in his Word that reminds us the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak? (Matthew 26:41)

If God is truly 'running this place' (your heart, will, emotions), there will be a continual stirring within. You might think becoming a Christian means we will always know peace and contentment. God keeps us safe - but safety doesn't mean inactivity. When God is in control, maybe we will be stirred into activity when we'd rather be at rest. Obedience isn't always convenient, but when God is 'running this place', there will be a strength and security like no other. It is time to really 'be safe' - to go all in for Jesus once again. Just sayin!

I did it again!

Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success. (C.S. Lewis)

If you have ever tried to read trail signs on some forest trail, or around some preserve land, you may have noticed that it is kind of like an art you must master. Certain symbols mean that the path will go straight, increase your climb, maneuver through harder territory, or even turn you toward a new destination. Those markers are there for a reason - to help you find your way. Have you ever been off-course so badly you totally missed a few of those signs? I have! In fact, I have blazed new trails where no one seems to have gone before! I don't just mean the paths in the forest, my friends, because I have blazed paths into relationship faux-pas where none have gone, cut trail through 'new idea' territory that didn't end so well, and stumbled through some character choice pathways that some would never even consider traversing! What did I learn from these 'not so well-traveled paths'? As Lewis indicated, these failure paths became 'milestones' on the road to actually finding the right course to take!

For all my wanting, I don’t have anyone but You in heaven. There is nothing on earth that I desire other than You. I admit how broken I am in body and spirit, but God is my strength, and He will be mine forever. Psalm 73:25-26 VOICE

I am prone to repeated failure - it is something I do well! I am not sure why I find myself blazing new paths, or worse yet, traversing old ones that only ended up in me pursuing wrong choices. I guess it is because I am human and I am definitely not perfect yet. I open my mouth and out comes words best left unspoken. I act upon impulse and the reverberations of that impulse create relationship aftershocks I have to maneuver through time and time again. Am I much different than the rest of us? Probably not! We don't realize how much the other person right next to us is struggling to get through repeated failures until we stop long enough to recognize the 'pathway signs' that eventually become evident in their lives.

The other day I shared with my BFF my continued concern with managing my emotions when I have to continuously remind mom that she needs to do the simplest of tasks, or answer the same question for the twentieth time in a day. At 101, mom doesn't remember a long series of tasks, so the fewer I give her at one time, the more successful she will be in doing them. That works most of the time, but with age comes this thing called 'short-term memory failure'. Plain and simple - she can ask the same question twenty times over, never even realizing she has already asked it. At times, I can let a little of my frustration come through because it is the twentieth time I have told her what day it is, what we are having for dinner, or that we are the only two people in the house. Mom hears that frustration and thinks I am mad at her. Yup, there I go down the relationship faux-pas path!

If you think it is easy caring for an elderly parent, think again. There can be constant frustrations on both sides of the fence. Hers perhaps because she can no longer do the things she once did and mine because she puts herself in danger every time she tries to do one of those things. If you think it is easy caring for a toddler, husband, wife, or even a good friend in all the 'right ways' that we are supposed to 'take care' of them, it isn't. We all face times when we are going to go down the wrong path in these relationships - what we do in those moments makes all the difference. I have had to learn to step back, allow mom time, not demand so much from her, being willing to step in and do what she cannot. The one who cares for the toddler has to learn to model good behavior, love them when they are acting like spoiled little kiddos, and gently give them guidance to grow in all the right ways.

The thing I have found is that as important as the path is that we are choosing to travel, it is more important that we keep the right traveling companion on that path with us. When our psalmist reminds us that God is his strength, he isn't just spouting 'religious' words. Broken in body and spirit, but God is his strength forever. We learn from the repeated failures - never alone in the journey. Just sayin!

Get a little Biblical - why don't ya!

Contributions vary depending upon talent, time, or treasure - or at least that is what we'd like to think.
I have heard many a person hopelessly announce with a finality to their declaration, "I don't have anything to contribute." In considering what they "have" in the light of how they may compare to another, they see their own talents or treasures as "deficient". This is totally not true of any of us - we all have something to contribute! I believe scripture plainly addresses the issue. Each of us is given a measure of talent - NEEDED talent. It has a purpose - even if it is a small one 'compared' to someone else's. Look at the widow with the one tiny mite (not even a single penny). She gave it all - nothing compared to the "sizable" monetary offerings of the others who came to the temple that day, but it was EVERYTHING to her. Faithful hands and a yielded heart is all God ever wants. He isn't going to turn anyone away who comes with those two things!

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)

Faith begin to arise from within us as we begin to yield our lives to God in whole-hearted surrender. As we "center" our focus and thoughts on him, we begin to feel the "settling" influence of his Spirit in our lives - first a little, then a little more, until we become 'solid' in our footing and beliefs. This very "settling" of our emotions (fears) begins to allow us to "rest" in him. This "rest" becomes the place out of which we begin to "give" out of what he has given to us. At first, the "giving out" from what God has given us may seem like it is small, and even insignificant, but it is a SIZABLE thing in God's eyes!

God can (and does) pour on the blessings - and he does it in ways so astonishing we may not fully be able to comprehend it! I have learned God seldom meets my need in the exact manner I imagined. In fact, he often has some other awesome way of meeting it which I would never have considered! One thing I know for certain - God is not limited by our imagination - and thank goodness for that! His presence in our lives makes all things different. His very presence is what gives us the ability to stand when we are weak, trust when all seems to be falling apart, give when it hurts, and reach out when retreating to a place of refuge would be so very much easier. It is God's unique way of blessing us - give and it shall be given - give again and it comes back in even bigger measure. God knows no limitations. I rarely get to the place of "throwing all caution to the wind", yet it is commonplace for God to do so! He delights in pouring into our lives - his presence, his peace, his love. Whatever the need - he is ready. What he gives, he desires to use as a blessing not only for us, but for those whose lives we will touch in turn. I honestly believe this is one small way he is able to show his limitless love and power! He uses his blessing in our lives to touch the lives of others (no matter how small it may seem).

We always have something we can give away. I frequently get the calls from the agencies who run the various thrift shops in town. They are seeking donations of used goods they might be able to sell within their various stores. The concept is simple (and it is kind of biblical actually). It is in the giving of what we have so that others are put to work in a productive manner. As the donation is made, the truck drivers have a mission (a purpose). The donation is sorted by others who needed productive work and income for their daily needs. The items are distributed to the various stores to be resold to those looking for that bargain find. In so doing, even this small gift of what we saw as no longer useful in our lives becomes a huge blessing to many, many others. The one who purchases the item is only the recipient of it after it has been a blessing to many others along the way! Throw caution to the wind, my friends! God wants both the things of our abundance AND of our need! He delights in seeing us give from our abundance, but he is overjoyed when he sees us giving out of "need"! In so doing, we are blessing him - but we also see the many blessings of others being touched by what God is doing in our lives. In learning to give in such a way, we are learning to live "robust lives" in God's goodness and grace! Just sayin!

Finding your way back

Have you ever taken a detour, or found yourself lost on some road? I have and it gets a little bit 'intimidating' to be lost! You feel like the world as you know it is just not right! Some of us have been 'lost' for a little while, just wandering around in some form of 'life muddle' and it is likely we want to just find our way out! Have you ever just felt like it was past time for God to intervene in your life to help you out on this mess you are in - the wait has been so long, you have endured so much, and all you want is some kind of deliverance from the pressure you have been under. I imagine we all face this kind of 'loss' or 'frustration' from time to time, wondering IF God even hears us when we pray, thinking he may have his attention focused on something or someone else. The important thing in the midst of our 'muddled mess' is the object of our focus WITHIN the mess! The object of focus needs to be God himself - his Word will bolster us and get us back on track.

It's time to act, God; they've made a shambles of your revelation! Yea-Saying God, I love what you command, I love it better than gold and gemstones; Yea-Saying God, I honor everything you tell me, I despise every deceitful detour. (Psalm 119:126-128)

We are often caught between right choices and EASY choices. Have you ever noticed just how much EASIER the easy choices are? They seem quicker, to the point, and likely don't seem to cost you much up front, The "easy" choice just seems to come "naturally" to us, falling into step with wherever that choice leads us without much effort at all on our part - it is like we can do it without even thinking. On the other hand, standing up for what is right, not compromising the values God teaches in his Word, is not always the easiest path! Let me correct that - it is rarely the easiest path!
We get all kinds of little warning voices to not do something and then without anymore thought, we turn right toward those choices! Ever find yourself there?  Frustrating, huh?

What probably amazes me the most is how immensely patient God is with us when we do this! He takes us back to the Word, reminds us what he says, and then sets us on course again. If you are finding yourself dealing with a little "guilt" over not ending something very well, don't fret. God has already prepared the route for you to get back "on track" in the area of your struggle. This is the great thing about God's Word - it stands the test of time. It has the staying power of generation after generation. Put to the test, it continues to do the job it was intended to do - guide and direct our course. We may have despised "every deceitful detour" we've taken from the truth revealed in the Word. We can come full-circle into the place of renewed faith, determined obedience, and refocused perspective. The Word may bring conviction, but it is because we need to be convicted and respond with obedience! It is in this conviction where we find our way back to where we find our greatest hope! The "easy" path may have taken you somewhere you really don't want to be. If so, allow God's Word to guide your steps back to the path he designed just for you! Just sayin!