Hey! Obey!

Yes, yes, it's time once again to beat that drum. 

OBEDIENCE!

I'm currently on vacation, so I'll make this brief. First, some excellent perspectives from a few disciples not named in Scripture:

We would hold fast if we wanted to. When we have the Word of God in us, the Enemy cannot steal it; the problem is, we abandon it. ~ Lt. Colonel Marie Juliano USMC (RET)

Do not let doubt and reflection take the place of spontaneous obedience. ~ Pastor Bryan McGrouty

I sometimes think that when you have that feeling that you should do something to help someone, you should do it within the first ten seconds, or you may think yourself out of doing it. ~ Michael Jr., Comedian

And now for some Bible:

1 Pet. 1:1,2 CJB Peter was writing to those God had chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for obeying Yeshua the Messiah and for sprinkling with his blood. Chosen for obedience to Jesus Christ! If you have been born again, if you believe Jesus Christ to be the only way --your only way to forgiveness and reconciliation with God, you have been chosen for the same purpose. Do we get great bennies? Certainly, but none of us was handed a fire insurance policy and told to have a great life until we're dead. The bennies --at least the one's on this side of glory --come with the change God's Holy Spirit works in us. But there is no change, no success without obedience. If we're unwilling to obey and unwilling to be changed, will we ever be happy in heaven? Can we long to spend eternity in the presence of our King when we have no desire to follow Him into holiness now?

1 Jn. 2:3,4 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. And what does Scripture say will be the end of those who do not obey, who do not know Jesus? Matthew 7:21-23 tells us they get just what they've earned --separation from God, eternally. Let's not kid ourselves; it is not out of ignorance we do not obey; it is out of rebellion. It is not for lack of opportunity we don't obey; it is for lack of desire. It is not for lack of others to hold us accountable that we do not obey; it is because we do not seek and submit to accountability. 

Obedience to a holy God is an individual, one hundred-eighty degree move away from serving ourselves, away from all that our flesh desires, away from living as though we are not part of something greater and holier. And while obedience can be tough, it is really, eternally worth it! 

Midweek: Bring It On!

The brokenness we experience in this life was never meant to be. Humanity was cursed by our own rebellion and all of creation with us. HOWEVER, that is not to say God doesn't use even the worst of circumstances to draw us to Himself. He is not cursed. In fact, He has used the curse for a much greater Redemption Story! But to fix hope on some kind of utopia in this world is to aspire to something much less than what He has purchased for those who serve Him. To claim the blood-bought life must be adorned with an abundance of earthly things is to contend life in this world is enough. 

God doesn't want His people to experience famine. God never allows His Church to experience drought. God never meant for His children to struggle to make ends meet. God doesn't allow true believers to suffer grief, or loneliness, or pain. God desires all His people to live in homes free of crisis and work in places where things are fair and uncomplicated. 

Oh, really? 

Hunger keeps our soul aching for Bread. John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

Thirst keeps our soul panting for Water. John 4:13, 14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Poverty keeps our eyes fixed on Treasure. Matthew 13:14 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Darkness keeps us dependent upon Light. John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Unrest keeps us longing for Peace. Ephesians 2:14-16 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

So let hunger and thirst, poverty and darkness, conflict and turmoil come for us, and may they take us down to our knees and before the throne of our conquering King!

Rid Me of the Oppression of These Trees

What is it going to take to get you to obey?!

Sounds like a desperate mother pleading with her child, doesn't it? This was the voice I heard in my heart one day, the "voice" of a Father who knows how important obedience is, for my own good. My eating was out of control. My exercise and starving myself --the means used to cover the outward effects of overeating --were equally out of control. Every means of behavior modification had failed. My knees ached and stress fractures signaled their arrival with sharp twinges. I knew my behavior was idolatry, disobedience, ingratitude, and a host of offenses toward the God who loves me, made me, and called me. Each morning, I shed tears of contrition and repentance; I could no longer go on like this; I could no longer dishonor God with my rebellion or continue to harm myself. But when chaos encircled me midafternoon, when I felt small and alone and powerless, when I had no clue how to navigate all that was happening around me and in me --in those moments of sheer panic, the pause to pray or speak God's Word over situations or praise God for His presence, were habits I'd not yet developed. Inner turmoil was real; it had been with me for as long as I could recall. And not that God is not real or I do not believe that He is, but without developing some counter-reflex to the natural reflexes I'd developed since youth, He could not be as real to me as the emotional anarchy I followed into disobedience.

When done with discretion, following gives comfort. Imagine walking through a dense wood at night. How comforting it is to grasp tightly the shirttail of one who knows the way. Stay close, I'll get you through this. Fear, anger, jealousy, worry, and grief were some of the trees in my wood. Emotions triggered by circumstances. But rather than cling to my Guide, I chose to follow bad behaviors, false guides, ungodly guides, dangerous guides. Evil escorts that have us warring against our emotions (our "trees") or paralyzed in fear before them; the gullible following of false guides that only brings us deeper into the woods and to further despair, disobedience, and self-harm. Rid me of the oppression of these trees!  

Psalm 118:10-12 says:

All nations surrounded me,
But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
They surrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
They surrounded me like bees;
They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

When I read "in the name of the Lord," I think of Crusades marching under banners emblazoned with the cross, or Gideon's army shouting from the hillside, conquering in God's name, claiming territory for Him and with His blessing. But Robert Alter renders this repeated phrase, "With the LORD's name I cut them down" (emphasis mine). That by calling on the name of the Lord, by praying to Him, speaking His words, praising Him --loudly, if necessary, and at all times --those feelings like fear, anger, jealousy, worry, grief and the reflexes I have developed to mitigate them might be cut down! No more running into trees, scratching and clawing at them until my fingers are raw and burning. With the Lord's name, I cut them down. A simple step, a conscious desire to move toward my God and remain with Him there continually, long before circumstances reached maelstrom levels. No longer could I close my Bible after morning devotions with a see-You-when-I-see-You flourish and expect to find myself close to Him hours later. The habits of prayer, speaking God's truth, and praise throughout the day had to be cultivated. Spiritual disciplines had to be practiced. Who likes discipline, right? But faithful are the wounds of a friend. Jesus, our Savior and Friend, the Way, Truth, and Life, the Word of God made flesh transforms and corrects our nature as we draw near to Him throughout the day --in prayer, in meditating and speaking the Word hidden in our hearts, in worship. Obedience comes; bad behavior ceases. 

Stay close, I'll get you through this.