Faith in God

A simple concept..right? Not really. We may be putting our faith in ourselves and our ability to figure things out..and we might not even realize it. As I sat in church this morning I saw the subtle error in my prayers lately. Help me see things clearly Lord. Show me what to do next Lord. Point me in the right direction. Did you notice the one little word that keeps showing up? Me..that’s the clue. Me. Me. Me.

Here I am asking God for things..believing that I am praying in faith. In reality I am asking Him to give me things..so it will be easier for me to trust Him. He is not answering. He is waiting. He wants me to pray in a different way. He wants me to have faith in Him..to be willing to let go of my desire to know things..my longing to understand..my faithlessness..my unbelief. I can’t do any of that on my own. I need Him to carry me..to comfort me and to give me courage as I continue to walk forward with Him.

Our faith is in God..not in what we can see..not in what we believe or know. Our faith is the God who created it all..our Redeemer. He has given us memories so we are able to remember His promises and our past experiences with Him. He was with us..He is with us..He will be with us. Amazing..a God we can trust fully with every detail of our lives. He is faithful to us no matter how much we struggle or doubt. He will never forsake us.

“Commit everything you do to the Lord..trust Him and He will help you.”

You want me to do what?

God has a way of asking for the impossible and making it sound reasonable. He can sneak right up on us..when we are not expecting it and ask us to move in a brand new direction..taking risks that seem very unrealistic. But..if you think about it..isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? Nothing He did while He was here made a lot of sense.. humanly speaking…one reason we may have trouble interpreting the gospel stories.

His way is counter-intuitive. He does not see our lives through the lens of our reality. He views them from His perspective..the author of the larger story. He stands over the small stories of our lives and sees the beginning..the middle.. and the end. We can’t do that..no matter how much we may try. He prepares us step by step to leap forward into His arms. He asks us to do things that no one will truly understand. He urges us to move in step with Him..not looking back..preparing to turn the next corner with no real idea of what lies ahead.

A life filled with risk..surprises..unexpected ideas..twists and turns. The abundant life that He has promised us.. is not comfortable, quiet, or safe. In fact.. once we taste of His creativity and ability to do new things with us and in us..there will be no peace until we say “Yes Lord” to everything He is asking for. He desires to transform us..to shape us and to take us on new adventures. He is a radical God..an out of the box God..Our Creator!

“Who knows if perhaps you were made Queen for such a time as this!”               

(from the book of Esther)

True Security

We don’t find it in the world..do we? Or in our circumstances. Do you long for it? A place where you are safe..some feeling of stability..a resting place. I need this in my life and so do you. We may try and get it from other people..seeking security in our relationships. It never works. It turns into idolatry and becomes unhealthy. People disappoint us..they fail..we fail..the relationship deteriorates.

Our circumstances are never predictable..we cannot rest there either. So where do we find this place of peace? Inside the heart of God. He is our safe place. He never changes..He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We can wake up each morning knowing that we are safe and secure in Him. He watches us as we chase after false comforts longing for us to tire of our own solutions. He waits with infinite patience as we try to get our needs met without Him.

When we finally get tired and worn out..He is ready to take us in His arms and renew us..to restore us..to hold us..to refresh us. We have this amazing God who created us in His image and understands us perfectly.. there is nothing more we need to feel totally secure.

” The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Empty Canvas

Continuing with the theme of moving into the new year..this seems like an appropriate picture. Since I only paint with watercolors.. there is no canvas..but there is that blank piece of watercolor paper that I tape to my painting board. Usually I just take the paper and tape it without any idea of what I am going to paint. It may stay blank for days..or weeks. I wonder what if I will ever paint anything again.

Suddenly there is the first glimpse of a picture that springs to mind..and hope returns. Maybe I will actually paint again..maybe all my creativity is not used up. This process often happens during seasons of disappointment..sometimes in winter.. when the challenge is to remember the beauty of spring..new life..new beginnings. Painting revives that part of my heart that is feeling old, cranky, and tired.

We all need to discover those things that fill us up..that encourage our weary hearts..that bring hope..that remind us that there is more. God works through creativity..after all He is the creator.  He is with us as we use the gifts He has given us..even when we really just feel like folding up and forgetting it. Look for the empty canvas in your life. It might be right in front of you..waiting for you to see it.

Meanwhile I am going to get out the watercolor paper..tape it to the board..and wait. Just take the next step..you don’t need to see down the road..He is in front of you clearing the path and preparing the way.

” Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Colors

I just pulled out my watercolor painting called ” Colors of Worship.” It has been a long time since I looked at it and I decided to hang it up so I could add some color to the room where I write this blog. As I was hanging it I realized that it said something that I need to remember. God gives us a colorful life..one that is interesting..exciting..challenging and surprising. Colors speak to me..in nature..in art..in food..in clothes..in my home..everywhere. Colors breathe life into our lives.

Can you imagine living life in black and white? Not me. I love the colors that God uses to communicate things to us. Right now I can see orange trees from my window..I have an orange rose blooming on my walkway. I just added a teal blue lamp to my desk. My mouse is sitting on a lavender book. My laptop is pink. All of these things do something for me..God invented color. He uses it in creation to soothe us..to delight our eyes..to refresh our spirits..to remind us of His creativity and ours.

How do we respond to Him? With grateful hearts that recognize that every good gift is from His hand. We show Him we love Him by how we live our lives..by our choices..by living sacrificially..by realizing His sovereignty..by giving Him everything and trusting Him totally. These are the colors of worship.

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.”

Overreacting

Have you ever done this? If you are saying no.. I don’t believe you. We all do this. Something happens and we find ourselves reacting too strongly to the situation..losing sleep over something small. This can be a sign that God is up to something. Often we condemn ourselves.. the truth is we need to stop and ask God what is happening..why do I feel the way I feel? Is there something you are trying to show me? Help me understand what is happening and why.

When we do this..He will reveal new things that we cannot see on our own. Sometimes we are experiencing feelings from the past..they are being triggered by the present circumstances. It is an opportunity for healing. Old wounds being re-opened to bring us into a new level of freedom. I have written about this before.. the topic is so rich and important I know we need to hear about it over and over again. We all carry around emotional baggage and at times it rears its head. God wants to help us sort through it so He can remove it.

The goal of this process is transformation and freedom. So the next time you are feeling too emotional and over the top about something..ask Him what He is up to. Don’t judge yourself..let Him show you what you need to see so you can live more fully in the present. We are complex beings and only God can bring healing in the deepest places.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous…you saw me before I was born…How precious are your thoughts about me.”

Obscurity

An online dictionary defines this word as “unknown” or “inconspicuous.” Living in obscurity means not being in the limelight..not receiving recognition..being unknown.

We live in a culture where this is very undesirable. The rich and famous are in the public eye continually..they receive attention day after day for no real reason. Their character may be terrible..they may be dysfunctional..immoral..greedy and self-centered. Yet we are enticed into believing that being a celebrity of any kind is better than living in obscurity.

In the Kingdom of God..the opposite is true. God uses people who are obscure and unimportant in the eyes of the world. Everyone who lives fully for Him has a part to play in the bigger story. There are no celebrities in the Kingdom of God..only followers. So called “Chrisitan celebrities” are only people who have in some way made a name for themselves. They are not necessarily more godly or more committed than you or me. I wonder if the whole concept of “famous pastors or teachers” is one that pleases God. Doesn’t He want us to keep our focus on Him and learn from Him and grow because we draw near to Him? Not because we learn from someone who is an “expert” on Him.

These are challenging ideas because we find it so easy to look up to people who may know more than we do and who seem to be so sure of their own views. I truly believe God is saying “be careful.. don’t depend upon man ( or woman) seek my face and I will teach you and lead and keep you safe. Trust me and remember that I am with you.”

” When the spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard…The spirit will tell you whatever He receives from me.”

Risk

You will find this word in many of my posts. Over the years I have become convinced that God is a huge risk taker. The fact that He gave us free will confirms this. He certainly could have created us without the capacity to choose. He did not. Not only did He give us choices, He gave us the ability to reject Him totally. Think about that. The creator of the universe took the risk of losing every one of us..His beloved.. His bride.. His chosen ones.

Once we choose life with Him..we begin to live on that same edge. Life with God reminds me of what it must be like to ride waves on a surfboard. The sea is glassy and calm and then a wave comes..you have to catch it and stand up to ride it in to shore. As you ride the crest of the wave you can see the coastline and the beauty of the ocean. Your heart expands as you get your balance. You did it.. you made it.. Wow! Then you do the whole thing all over again and again and again. Ride after ride after ride.

Are you willing to take that next ride? It may not be safe..but it will be an adventure. It can’t be done without Him. It requires faith and trust in His goodness. Your next move may look crazy to anyone but God. In fact others may not see it at all. Only you know what God is calling you to do. You are the only one who hears His voice for your life. If you are waiting for Him to show you the next step..stay hopeful. You are not forgotten. He will speak and He will reveal all that you need to know in His time. Prepare yourself for that next big wave. It is coming. The sea cannot stay calm and glassy forever. Trust Him to carry you to shore.

“What do you want me to do for you?”Jesus asked.

Creativity

Our Creator made us and He made us with the ability to be creative. Every work of art or piece of music that moves us is a result of that creative link we have with God. The colors and shapes in nature..the beauty of the ocean..the forest..lakes..clouds..flowers.. we could go on and on. All of these things are His handiwork..created for our enjoyment and to bring life to our weary hearts.

I am so grateful that we have the capacity to enjoy beauty and to create beauty. So much of life is dedicated to responsibilities and tasks. It is so important to have times when there is nothing that has to be done..times when we just appreciate beauty and allow it to sooth us..to renew us. Maybe going a step further is even more healing.. create something wonderful..something that you can dive into.. forget your present troubles and worries. Let yourself be more of who God created you to be. Find that creative side that may be buried under a pile of overly responsible activities.

Enjoy this beautiful place..go into creation..listen to music..go to the art museum..the aquarium..the beach..the park..the mountains..walk through your neighborhood..take a bike ride..swim..dance..sing. He made you and He wants you to enjoy your life..to live freely.

“I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.”