Two key verses related to what I'm pondering today:
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" Luke 10:19 (NIV).
&
"Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" 1 John 5:5 (NIV).
Continuing on in the same line of some of the things I've been writing about lately, I think these two verses are incredibly powerful when I keep in mind that the language of the Bible isn't accidental. It says here that those to whom Jesus was speaking were given the authority to overcome all the power of the enemy. I invite you to stop with me and think about that for a minute... the authority to overcome ALL the power of the enemy. No excuses, no worries. ALL power. Dang. That's amazing.
And, personally, I think the key to unleashing the power in this authority is found in this second verse. Who is it that overcomes?!? He who believes.
We have - within our very believing hearts - free and complete access to a power that overcomes ALL that is against us. Lord, teach us how to believe this fully. Let us walk in victory and shine as shining beacons of Your great light!
As always, I invite your comments, friends... love you!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Shield & the Sword
So, I've been thinking about the proverbial sword & shield lately. I feel like the Lord is trying to teach me something here, and I think I might be starting to "get" it. As of right now, here's what I'm understanding...
Let's make an assumption that I think we can agree to fairly universally - that the Word isn't accidentally thrown together, that the specific word choices aren't haphazard and that there's meaning on a multitude of layers in what is written there.
So, let's think about a couple things... first of all, the Bible is clear. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" Ephesians 6:11 (NIV). That's pretty clear. Not only is it clear instruction about what we're to do, but also the why. And, if the direct command of God isn't enough for ya, consider the impact in your own life.
I was thinking of this concept within the context of the provided metaphor: war. Now, to be fair, I'm no military expert - far from it. But, there are a few things that make sense to me sort of intuitively.
In training for battle, I need to be very clear on the tools I have protecting me: the shield of faith is one in this example (Ephesians 6:16). I think that I, personally, have put much effort into and focus on my own faith in recent years. God has been working on unbelief in my life, and teaching me how to hold up my shield; I want to extinguish every one of those flaming arrows, friends!
That said, if I were a military soldier going into any battle, I'd be quite foolish (and ill-equipped) if I'd given no thought to my opponent. Likewise, I'd better be very clear on what my weapons for proactive protection are... and not only what they are, but how they're best used. The sword in the Bible's instructive analogy is that of the Spirit, defined in the text as the Word.... The Bible itself is my weapon.
For today, I take two important points from this: 1) I am intended to fight. If all I was intended to do was sit by and pray for protection, or passively avoid trouble as best I could, I wouldn't need a sword. I'd be quite set with my shield of faith, breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation. But there's more to this passage, and that, I must believe, has purpose. This leads me to my second point:
2) As is affirmed in many places throughout the Word, the Word has power. It's alive and active. And if I allow it only to be salve to my wounds or encouragement for my heart, I'm missing part of its incredible power. Now, don't get me wrong; I need salve for my wounds, and Lord knows, I need encouragement for my heart - daily! But I am starting to believe that the Lord is showing me a new truth for my own personal life: Although I praise God daily for the ways in which I walk in victory today (strongholds, friends, that I once feared would own me forever), there is more there for me and for any believer. We are called to be more than overcomers, and there is an effective tool - THE effective tool sitting at my bedside, riding around within my purse, and available at every turn that I barely know how to hold. Like any sword, there is a better way to handle it, a skilled way to use it and wield it for maximum effect.
Lord, I pray that you will tutor my heart, mind and spirit in the ways of effectiveness when it comes to the word. Prepare me for battle, Lord, that I may fight in Jesus' name and live victoriously in my daily battles and those that serve the Kingdom purposes You have called out for me. Thank You, Father, for the amazing ways in which You mold and teach us! I praise Your name of righteousness and truth!!!
Let's make an assumption that I think we can agree to fairly universally - that the Word isn't accidentally thrown together, that the specific word choices aren't haphazard and that there's meaning on a multitude of layers in what is written there.
So, let's think about a couple things... first of all, the Bible is clear. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" Ephesians 6:11 (NIV). That's pretty clear. Not only is it clear instruction about what we're to do, but also the why. And, if the direct command of God isn't enough for ya, consider the impact in your own life.
I was thinking of this concept within the context of the provided metaphor: war. Now, to be fair, I'm no military expert - far from it. But, there are a few things that make sense to me sort of intuitively.
In training for battle, I need to be very clear on the tools I have protecting me: the shield of faith is one in this example (Ephesians 6:16). I think that I, personally, have put much effort into and focus on my own faith in recent years. God has been working on unbelief in my life, and teaching me how to hold up my shield; I want to extinguish every one of those flaming arrows, friends!
That said, if I were a military soldier going into any battle, I'd be quite foolish (and ill-equipped) if I'd given no thought to my opponent. Likewise, I'd better be very clear on what my weapons for proactive protection are... and not only what they are, but how they're best used. The sword in the Bible's instructive analogy is that of the Spirit, defined in the text as the Word.... The Bible itself is my weapon.
For today, I take two important points from this: 1) I am intended to fight. If all I was intended to do was sit by and pray for protection, or passively avoid trouble as best I could, I wouldn't need a sword. I'd be quite set with my shield of faith, breastplate of righteousness and helmet of salvation. But there's more to this passage, and that, I must believe, has purpose. This leads me to my second point:
2) As is affirmed in many places throughout the Word, the Word has power. It's alive and active. And if I allow it only to be salve to my wounds or encouragement for my heart, I'm missing part of its incredible power. Now, don't get me wrong; I need salve for my wounds, and Lord knows, I need encouragement for my heart - daily! But I am starting to believe that the Lord is showing me a new truth for my own personal life: Although I praise God daily for the ways in which I walk in victory today (strongholds, friends, that I once feared would own me forever), there is more there for me and for any believer. We are called to be more than overcomers, and there is an effective tool - THE effective tool sitting at my bedside, riding around within my purse, and available at every turn that I barely know how to hold. Like any sword, there is a better way to handle it, a skilled way to use it and wield it for maximum effect.
Lord, I pray that you will tutor my heart, mind and spirit in the ways of effectiveness when it comes to the word. Prepare me for battle, Lord, that I may fight in Jesus' name and live victoriously in my daily battles and those that serve the Kingdom purposes You have called out for me. Thank You, Father, for the amazing ways in which You mold and teach us! I praise Your name of righteousness and truth!!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Decision & then a Journey
I heard a teaching by Rick Warren on the decision to follow Christ. I won't be able to provide his exact quote, but it was something like, "The Christian life is a decision followed by a process." I'd like to add to this a reminder to let these two pieces come one at a time.
Friends, I am SO prone to feeling like I need to be perfect before I can come to Jesus. And, yeah, my initial surrender and salvation are one time events that I don't need to revisit, but I do it in lots of other ways too. I sometimes feel like I need to "understand" something or see it with a certain level of clarity before I can take it to the Lord.
I'm not sure exactly how to explain this strange process, but I can say with some certainty that it's rooted in a certain lack of humility. As if God needs me to "get it" in a certain way in order for Him to use it. As if, for that fact, I can get it in the way God gets it. Shoot. I mean, truly, I have to remind myself that there is a God, and that I'm not it!
So, in that same line, I was pondering this little bit of wisdom from Pastor Warren today, and reminding myself that in the little daily ways, this is also the way it goes. I decide to do what God wants; I surrender my will to Him, and I yield control to Him. Then I let that process unfold, both receiving the help He gives, and taking the actions that are mine to take. Eventually, I end up in that place that I sometimes think is the starting point. It's not.
Just a reminder... He takes us as we are, and we should take to Him - in all things - just the way we are today. Where He takes us from there is for Him to show us through His leading; we don't have to figure it out in order to get there. We just follow.
Friends, I am SO prone to feeling like I need to be perfect before I can come to Jesus. And, yeah, my initial surrender and salvation are one time events that I don't need to revisit, but I do it in lots of other ways too. I sometimes feel like I need to "understand" something or see it with a certain level of clarity before I can take it to the Lord.
I'm not sure exactly how to explain this strange process, but I can say with some certainty that it's rooted in a certain lack of humility. As if God needs me to "get it" in a certain way in order for Him to use it. As if, for that fact, I can get it in the way God gets it. Shoot. I mean, truly, I have to remind myself that there is a God, and that I'm not it!
So, in that same line, I was pondering this little bit of wisdom from Pastor Warren today, and reminding myself that in the little daily ways, this is also the way it goes. I decide to do what God wants; I surrender my will to Him, and I yield control to Him. Then I let that process unfold, both receiving the help He gives, and taking the actions that are mine to take. Eventually, I end up in that place that I sometimes think is the starting point. It's not.
Just a reminder... He takes us as we are, and we should take to Him - in all things - just the way we are today. Where He takes us from there is for Him to show us through His leading; we don't have to figure it out in order to get there. We just follow.
Love and What it Looks Like
I'm going to keep this brief... it's late, and I think what I have to say is best kept simple anyway.
The Bible says that people we know we are His by the fruit we bear in and through our lives.
And, although I don't have a particular scripture reference that comes to mind, I think general consensus would agree that part of our purpose (if not our entire purpose) in this life is to bring glory and honor to His name.
So, might it not follow then that the love we share and the love we experience in our lives should point us to Him? And, perhaps, by some extension, prompt those who watch us and see our lives to look to Him too?
Here's what I know. I had an amazing day today. I, really, have an amazing life. It's not an exaggeration to say that, at some points, the state of my life humbles me so much that I find myself crying on my knees. I really, really have a life that, truly friends, I don't think I ever believed I could.
Today, I got on my knees and prayed repentance over my unbelief in the good things He has planned for me. I asked for forgiveness for the lack of certainty I've had over where He would direct me to go. Each and every thing He gives me (all of which I'm more and more able to receive as I draw closer to Him) is better - FAR better - than what I ever could have dreamed up for myself.
This isn't particularly cohesive. And, apparently, that's okay. But what I want to say tonight is that I know His imprint is in my life when the life I live makes me want to turn to Him in praise. And the more I turn to Him in praise, the more I see that imprint in my life. It's a strange thing, relationship... but, in some ways, my relationship with Him is very similar to the others in my life. Or, more likely, since the pattern tends to follow its designer, my other relationships bear a striking resemblance to the relationship He's teaching me to have with Him. The more I love Him (and love is an action), the more I love Him. And the I love Him, the more I love in general. And the more I love, the more love I receive. And the more love I receive, the more I have to give. To Him, and to all those He loves. It's a crazy thing... but I have feared running out of so many things; I used to live in a constant terror of not having enough. But what I'm learning is that, in Him - when I let HIM be the source (the only source), love flows in abundance. And if that isn't the essence of Him, I don't know would be.
The Bible says that people we know we are His by the fruit we bear in and through our lives.
And, although I don't have a particular scripture reference that comes to mind, I think general consensus would agree that part of our purpose (if not our entire purpose) in this life is to bring glory and honor to His name.
So, might it not follow then that the love we share and the love we experience in our lives should point us to Him? And, perhaps, by some extension, prompt those who watch us and see our lives to look to Him too?
Here's what I know. I had an amazing day today. I, really, have an amazing life. It's not an exaggeration to say that, at some points, the state of my life humbles me so much that I find myself crying on my knees. I really, really have a life that, truly friends, I don't think I ever believed I could.
Today, I got on my knees and prayed repentance over my unbelief in the good things He has planned for me. I asked for forgiveness for the lack of certainty I've had over where He would direct me to go. Each and every thing He gives me (all of which I'm more and more able to receive as I draw closer to Him) is better - FAR better - than what I ever could have dreamed up for myself.
This isn't particularly cohesive. And, apparently, that's okay. But what I want to say tonight is that I know His imprint is in my life when the life I live makes me want to turn to Him in praise. And the more I turn to Him in praise, the more I see that imprint in my life. It's a strange thing, relationship... but, in some ways, my relationship with Him is very similar to the others in my life. Or, more likely, since the pattern tends to follow its designer, my other relationships bear a striking resemblance to the relationship He's teaching me to have with Him. The more I love Him (and love is an action), the more I love Him. And the I love Him, the more I love in general. And the more I love, the more love I receive. And the more love I receive, the more I have to give. To Him, and to all those He loves. It's a crazy thing... but I have feared running out of so many things; I used to live in a constant terror of not having enough. But what I'm learning is that, in Him - when I let HIM be the source (the only source), love flows in abundance. And if that isn't the essence of Him, I don't know would be.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Journeys
Hello friends... I want to start today's post by asking for your patience with me in this process. I have repeatedly felt clear that the Lord wants me to continue posting to this site... and yet, I am feeling almost completely unclear about what I am supposed to do beyond that! So, I'm experimenting with different formats, and trying to be prayerful and discerning in my process. Your prayers are invited and appreciated....
That said, I'm just going to share some thoughts today... reflections of my own, I suppose. The topic? The journey.
A scripture that really caught my attention in church this weekend was one that is very familiar to me, and probably to most in Western cultures... it's that one in 1 John about perfect love and it casting out all fear.
Without realizing it, I think I've always thought of this verse as if it were saying that, if the love in my life/heart/soul/spirit was perfect, then I would be without fear. As I've lived much of my life as a remarkably fearful and fear-driven person, I always struggled with this concept. Did it mean that God's love wasn't perfect? No, it wasn't that. In fact, the conclusion I think I usually came to was just that I must not have really embraced the perfect love offered to me by God... because, after all, if I had, I'd be free from all fear, right? Right?!?!
Well, as it turns out, I had a new thought about this verse today. Maybe it's not supposed to be such a passive process... maybe I don't sit around striving after perfect love and then, voila!, fear is gone. Maybe it's that I'm being reminded here that the perfect love that is always with me is the perfect weapon. So, when I find myself in the midst of fear, fighting against it, I can call upon that perfect love and believe that it can and will cast away all the fear. Maybe, instead of sitting by periodically checking my fear-levels as a measuring device for the amount of perfect love in my life, I am meant to take a more active approach. Maybe my action is to be believing in the power of His love, and then use that faith and this word to fight against one of the enemy's primary tools: fear.
What do you think? It's a battle of the mind; that's for sure. And I find myself fighting to let Him reclaim ground again and again... I find myself to be quite vulnerable to fear and its calling... although less so than I once was. (Praise God!) In any case, I find for myself today that I will be asking God to help fortify my belief in the power of that perfect love, and I will be calling upon that same power as I pray against the fear I feel. And then I will be believing (and praying for help with my unbelief.) Perfect love casts out fear. Period. Amen!
That said, I'm just going to share some thoughts today... reflections of my own, I suppose. The topic? The journey.
A scripture that really caught my attention in church this weekend was one that is very familiar to me, and probably to most in Western cultures... it's that one in 1 John about perfect love and it casting out all fear.
Without realizing it, I think I've always thought of this verse as if it were saying that, if the love in my life/heart/soul/spirit was perfect, then I would be without fear. As I've lived much of my life as a remarkably fearful and fear-driven person, I always struggled with this concept. Did it mean that God's love wasn't perfect? No, it wasn't that. In fact, the conclusion I think I usually came to was just that I must not have really embraced the perfect love offered to me by God... because, after all, if I had, I'd be free from all fear, right? Right?!?!
Well, as it turns out, I had a new thought about this verse today. Maybe it's not supposed to be such a passive process... maybe I don't sit around striving after perfect love and then, voila!, fear is gone. Maybe it's that I'm being reminded here that the perfect love that is always with me is the perfect weapon. So, when I find myself in the midst of fear, fighting against it, I can call upon that perfect love and believe that it can and will cast away all the fear. Maybe, instead of sitting by periodically checking my fear-levels as a measuring device for the amount of perfect love in my life, I am meant to take a more active approach. Maybe my action is to be believing in the power of His love, and then use that faith and this word to fight against one of the enemy's primary tools: fear.
What do you think? It's a battle of the mind; that's for sure. And I find myself fighting to let Him reclaim ground again and again... I find myself to be quite vulnerable to fear and its calling... although less so than I once was. (Praise God!) In any case, I find for myself today that I will be asking God to help fortify my belief in the power of that perfect love, and I will be calling upon that same power as I pray against the fear I feel. And then I will be believing (and praying for help with my unbelief.) Perfect love casts out fear. Period. Amen!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Lifestyle of Praise
I had a kinda blah day today. I am overtired and in definite need of some retreat & restore time. I had over-committed my week, and under-prioritized sleep. And now it was catching up with me. Okay, so, we've all been there, right? And, gosh, if nothing else, this is how we learn!
So, anyway, about late afternoon today, I started to feel downright surly. I was in the car, and thought, "Lord, help me out. I don't like feeling this way. Please help me know what to do." And, oh how I thank Him for His faithfulness... like clockwork, there popped a new thought into my head. I was reminded, quite unexpectedly, of something a friend of mine had recently written. She'd shared about an experience of hers and that, in the midst of a painful time, the act of praise had powerfully pulled her into a new place. Ah, thank you, and thank You!
I began the process of praise-ifying my night. At first, it was sort of rote, and didn't have a lot of heart behind it. "Lord, you are the maker of the beautiful sunset - I praise Your name for You creative and amazing beautiful works." And the words sound nice, but re-read them with a monotone voice, and that's about where I started. But, thankfully, I learned the principle of acting myself into "right thinking" rather than trying to think myself into "right acting" long ago, so I kept on. It's been several hours now, and I stepped outside just a moment ago to let my dogs out. I looked up at the stars and was honestly struck with wonder at His beauty; "Lord, I praise Your name as the maker of this wonder." And I meant it. And I feel certain He knew it. He always does.
I decided as my night had progressed, and my heart had been changed that I was going to adopt a new idea, and begin to pursue a "lifestyle of praise." It's like an attitude of gratitude (which also has my wholehearted endorsement!), but with a new slant.
In honor of this, and with the blessing of the Spirit's leading, I am going to close with this verse. May it dwell in you richly...
"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more" Psalms 71:14 (NIV).
I love You, Lord! I praise Your name for You are Glory!
So, anyway, about late afternoon today, I started to feel downright surly. I was in the car, and thought, "Lord, help me out. I don't like feeling this way. Please help me know what to do." And, oh how I thank Him for His faithfulness... like clockwork, there popped a new thought into my head. I was reminded, quite unexpectedly, of something a friend of mine had recently written. She'd shared about an experience of hers and that, in the midst of a painful time, the act of praise had powerfully pulled her into a new place. Ah, thank you, and thank You!
I began the process of praise-ifying my night. At first, it was sort of rote, and didn't have a lot of heart behind it. "Lord, you are the maker of the beautiful sunset - I praise Your name for You creative and amazing beautiful works." And the words sound nice, but re-read them with a monotone voice, and that's about where I started. But, thankfully, I learned the principle of acting myself into "right thinking" rather than trying to think myself into "right acting" long ago, so I kept on. It's been several hours now, and I stepped outside just a moment ago to let my dogs out. I looked up at the stars and was honestly struck with wonder at His beauty; "Lord, I praise Your name as the maker of this wonder." And I meant it. And I feel certain He knew it. He always does.
I decided as my night had progressed, and my heart had been changed that I was going to adopt a new idea, and begin to pursue a "lifestyle of praise." It's like an attitude of gratitude (which also has my wholehearted endorsement!), but with a new slant.
In honor of this, and with the blessing of the Spirit's leading, I am going to close with this verse. May it dwell in you richly...
"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more" Psalms 71:14 (NIV).
I love You, Lord! I praise Your name for You are Glory!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Listening, Believing Him & Hope
As I was praying about a topic for today's writing, I felt like like the Spirit told me to write about hope. So, as I set about doing my reading in the Word, I watched carefully for passages and verses about hope. God's funny like that; sometimes I think I've figured something out (what this really usually means is that I've tried to make Him formulaic, which He is not). Most times, when I get this particular "Oh, I see how this works" feeling, it's proven to me that I haven't seen anything yet.
So, here are the verses for this entry:
"I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built" Luke 6:47-48 (NIV).
Here is what I hear in this passage tonight. First, this passage is talking about someone who not only hears what Jesus says, but who also puts this instruction into practice. This may seem a little "duh," but let's think about this for a minute.
If I run into a friend on the street, and the friend says, "The sky is falling! You'd better run for cover", what am I going to do? Well, I guess one of three things: 1) I run for cover 2) I ignore my nutty friend and go on with my day or 3) I am alarmed by my friend's warnings, but not so sure they're credible; so I go on uncertain - probably trying to hedge my bets in some ways (maybe put some of my valuables under a heavy table or something) and, knowing me, I might also try to do a little more digging to see if I can find a corroborating voice somewhere out there.
So, if you will agree that these are 3 likely responses to my friend's warning, then let's look at what each of these responses really mean.
Scenario 1) I run for cover. Well, I think it's fair to say that I wouldn't run for cover unless I was certain that what my friend was telling me was correct. In other words, I trust my friend. I believe her and have confidence in the veracity of what she says.
Scenario 2) I ignore my friend and carry on with my life. I think it's reasonable to say I shouldn't refer to this person as my "friend" all that freely. I obviously do not believe that what she says has any truth to it at all; for whatever reason, I clearly do not feel there's any truth in what she says. In other words, I don't believe her. (I don't know about you, but I feel a twinge of conviction as I write this. I have a couple "friends" to whom I really might have this kind of a response; makes me realize I may need some prayerful consideration of those relationships....)
And, lastly, Scenario 3) I might kind of, sort of heed the warning, but I'm clearly not convinced. I may take my time, and most likely, I might start looking for some other source for information. Maybe this is a friend I don't know well, or a friend that I don't really know to have any authoritative knowledge in the area of the sky and its happenings. Whatever the case, I may have some reason to partially trust this person, but I'm still not absolutely certain that every word she speaks is absolute truth. Fair enough.
So, I suspect you can see where I'm going with this - at least for starters. In truth, these are three of the responses I can have to Jesus and His words. Sometimes, I act as if I don't think He has a clue. Sometimes, my interest is piqued, but I'm still looking for additional input. And, every now and then, He says I should jump, and my immediate response is "how high?" I'm learning on this front; always.
Alright, are you hanging in there with me? With this piece under our belts, let's move on to this second verse. What is it that is promised for those who listen to Him and put what He says into practice? Or, if you're willing to indulge my analogy, those of us who hear the voice of our Friend and immediately respond with action?
We get a firm foundation. Amen! He is that, isn't He? But, we get more... yes, more! When the torrents come, we will not be shaken. Not only are we not crumbled and destroyed, our homes are not even shaken. I'll take some of that!
And, friends, here's where the hope comes in. Biblical hope is about expectation. It's not just aimless uncertain cross-my-fingers kind of hope; it's hope that says, "I know this is coming, and I cannot wait!" This is hope rooted in knowledge of His word (the hearing of the words, in analogy to Jesus' teaching), and in not just hearing it, and not just knowing it, but in believing it. What I'm understanding in this parable is that while knowing what Jesus' words are is great, living a life because of the fact that it is what He said is better... and, at least speaking for myself, I don't actually live into direction unless its coming from someone I absolutely trust and believe. It's not a new concept, but the challenge in this for me is not just believing in Him; it's believing Him. As I'm journeying hand-in-hand with Him, I'm learning that the distinction is actually the door to a world of difference. I pray for your own insights as you let this mean whatever it will for you.
Much love tonight... He is good.
So, here are the verses for this entry:
"I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built" Luke 6:47-48 (NIV).
Here is what I hear in this passage tonight. First, this passage is talking about someone who not only hears what Jesus says, but who also puts this instruction into practice. This may seem a little "duh," but let's think about this for a minute.
If I run into a friend on the street, and the friend says, "The sky is falling! You'd better run for cover", what am I going to do? Well, I guess one of three things: 1) I run for cover 2) I ignore my nutty friend and go on with my day or 3) I am alarmed by my friend's warnings, but not so sure they're credible; so I go on uncertain - probably trying to hedge my bets in some ways (maybe put some of my valuables under a heavy table or something) and, knowing me, I might also try to do a little more digging to see if I can find a corroborating voice somewhere out there.
So, if you will agree that these are 3 likely responses to my friend's warning, then let's look at what each of these responses really mean.
Scenario 1) I run for cover. Well, I think it's fair to say that I wouldn't run for cover unless I was certain that what my friend was telling me was correct. In other words, I trust my friend. I believe her and have confidence in the veracity of what she says.
Scenario 2) I ignore my friend and carry on with my life. I think it's reasonable to say I shouldn't refer to this person as my "friend" all that freely. I obviously do not believe that what she says has any truth to it at all; for whatever reason, I clearly do not feel there's any truth in what she says. In other words, I don't believe her. (I don't know about you, but I feel a twinge of conviction as I write this. I have a couple "friends" to whom I really might have this kind of a response; makes me realize I may need some prayerful consideration of those relationships....)
And, lastly, Scenario 3) I might kind of, sort of heed the warning, but I'm clearly not convinced. I may take my time, and most likely, I might start looking for some other source for information. Maybe this is a friend I don't know well, or a friend that I don't really know to have any authoritative knowledge in the area of the sky and its happenings. Whatever the case, I may have some reason to partially trust this person, but I'm still not absolutely certain that every word she speaks is absolute truth. Fair enough.
So, I suspect you can see where I'm going with this - at least for starters. In truth, these are three of the responses I can have to Jesus and His words. Sometimes, I act as if I don't think He has a clue. Sometimes, my interest is piqued, but I'm still looking for additional input. And, every now and then, He says I should jump, and my immediate response is "how high?" I'm learning on this front; always.
Alright, are you hanging in there with me? With this piece under our belts, let's move on to this second verse. What is it that is promised for those who listen to Him and put what He says into practice? Or, if you're willing to indulge my analogy, those of us who hear the voice of our Friend and immediately respond with action?
We get a firm foundation. Amen! He is that, isn't He? But, we get more... yes, more! When the torrents come, we will not be shaken. Not only are we not crumbled and destroyed, our homes are not even shaken. I'll take some of that!
And, friends, here's where the hope comes in. Biblical hope is about expectation. It's not just aimless uncertain cross-my-fingers kind of hope; it's hope that says, "I know this is coming, and I cannot wait!" This is hope rooted in knowledge of His word (the hearing of the words, in analogy to Jesus' teaching), and in not just hearing it, and not just knowing it, but in believing it. What I'm understanding in this parable is that while knowing what Jesus' words are is great, living a life because of the fact that it is what He said is better... and, at least speaking for myself, I don't actually live into direction unless its coming from someone I absolutely trust and believe. It's not a new concept, but the challenge in this for me is not just believing in Him; it's believing Him. As I'm journeying hand-in-hand with Him, I'm learning that the distinction is actually the door to a world of difference. I pray for your own insights as you let this mean whatever it will for you.
Much love tonight... He is good.
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