Nov 18, 2009 | Stories, The Good Word
I have been reading through Exodus lately. I’m in the section where the initial instructions are given for the Tabernacle, where the Lord will dwell among the Israelites while they are in the wilderness. You’ll know if you’ve read it — the instructions are incredibly specific — this item is to be gold, this one bronze, this one silver. This thing should be this length, that one that length, there should be rings to hold gold bars in order to carry this and that. The amount of workmanship and craftsmanship required to make this happen — it’s really incredible.
As you get into the intricacies of the Tabernacle, even the types of fabric to be used for the priests clothing or the curtains, there are lessons one after another. It is amazing how significant badger skin can be! But this morning I was reminded of what I think is one of the biggest lessons of all: A Wonderful, Holy God desires to dwell among us. He desires to be a part of our lives. And He wants us to build a space where He can dwell. Fortunately, you don’t need to get out your hammer, your badger skins, or your sewing machine for this. Because Christ came into the world, we have boldness and confident access to enter into the presence of God, and to welcome Him into our lives — not by our own works, as if we had the skills or talents or intrinsic goodness to make it possible — but simply because we’ve been forgiven, and we are acceptable, thanks to the work of Christ on the cross.
I asked the question, I suppose of myself and the Lord: What does it look like to build a space for the Lord? And time was my thought before any other. One of the most significant spaces you can build for just about anyone is a space of time in your life. You can write a cheque, you can do some good deed, but there is nothing like giving people time. At 15 months old, I can already see that my son would rather have my time — me playing with him or reading to him — than new toys.
We can build a space of time for the Lord in our days, where we read His word and seek His face. We can build a space for the Lord in our words — seizing opportunities for Him to speak to others through our mouths. We can build space for Him in our families, when we take the time to teach our children His ways, and when we pray and worship Him together.
In the goodness of God, He saw it fit to give us life — and we have the awesome privilege of opening up our lives to Him, and allowing Him into every space and sphere: our words and deeds, our work and relationships, our minds and hearts…the list goes on and on. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the Tabernacle that is your life, each day, and to open it up for the Lord to fill it will His presence. Take a moment to consider a new space He could fill — and then enjoy the privilege of inviting Him in and watch how He inhabits your life in a new way. Expect it to be glorious! Christ in you is the hope of glory!
Nov 5, 2009 | South Africa, Stories, The Good Word
I don’t know, dear reader, how close you are with your family. I would love to be closer with mine, in the metaphorical sense, but my distance from them, in the literal sense, sort of makes it difficult. I moved to Scotland in 2005, and then here to South Africa earlier this year, and though absence does make the heart grow fonder, the 7,000 odd miles I find myself away from home are quite a chasm when it comes to staying close. Thankfully we can still speak regularly through email and Facebook and on Skype, but ya know, it just ain’t the same sometimes!
Because of the distance I’ve made it a major priority to get home when possible…usually it worked out once in the summer when I could also meet with ministry partners and raise additional support, and again at Christmas, because it’s Christmas, and there’s no place in the world I’d rather be! After Mark and I married we decided we should alternate where we would be each year for Christmas. So our first Christmas was back in NC, and then the next year, for the first time in my life, I was not home in Washington, North Carolina at the same house I’d spent every Christmas since the day I was born. It was nice to be with Mark’s family in South Africa, but I really really missed my folks, my brother and sister, and the lovely life and light and spirit in the air that you find when you are home for Christmas.
This year, you’ll see if you’re following the narrative, should be a back-in-North-Carolina-for-Christmas year. And I sure do want it to be. Unfortunately, there is a strong possibility it might not be. I have to note here, that we have had the wonderful privilege of being at home a lot this year. Since we weren’t there last Christmas, we planned a trip early in the new year to see family and try to raise additional ministry support. And delightfully, last Christmas my sister got engaged, and we returned to NC in May to celebrate her wedding, which was an absolute joy. When we decided to move to South Africa, that meant we returned to the US a third time to meet with Samaritan’s Feet, discuss us coming on board with their ministry, and as always seems to be the case, to raise support again, while visiting family as well. Clearly, I cannot complain that I haven’t seen the fam a good bit this year.
At present we find ourselves in South Africa, and as you can imagine, the travels and the expenses of moving to a new country are fairly expensive. As a result, headin’ home for da holidays doesn’t seem financially feasible, or like a good stewardship decision. Yeah, we could probably juggle around finances and clear space on a credit card to make it possible, but we both feel like that’s the wrong move to make. There’d been a tiny whisper in the back of my mind telling me Christmas in the Carolinas might not happen this year… I’d been telling it to HUSH! But as we sat down and looked at the price of flights and our financial status at the moment, it became really clear that the right decision would be NOT to buy flights, and to wait and go sometime early next year, like hopefully when Rory and Sarah are getting married, which is also after my sister’s baby will be born so I’ll get to meet him/her too. (Yeah that was fast wasn’t it?) But dern, that is hard!
I cried a little. Okay a lot. But came to my senses and remembered that the Lord is good and that He can bring all these things together for good, even when they don’t look exactly how I would like for them to. I decided to press on to some quiet time with the Lord after a slightly weepy shower, and just continued along in my reading plan, which brought me to Exodus 14. And where might that be, you are wondering? Well, it’s the slice of history where Moses leads the Iraelites out of Egypt, and out of 400 years of slavery. I was hoping for the Lord to meet me in His Word — to give me a sense of His movement in the midst of my circumstances, and I stopped at verses 13 & 14.
“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. […] The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.â€
After reading this I thought — Okay, Lord, what is my deliverance? Should I be praying that something miraculous will happen that will enable us to head home for the holidays? Why doesn’t that feel right? Are you fighting for me? And as my prayer continued I began to realise that the Lord was fighting for me. He was not fighting for me to have my way — He was fighting for my heart, for me to realise that I should asking Him to lead me in His way, because His way is the best way. And I recognised in my heart, when I honestly took a look at it, that going home to see my family had become more important to me than listening to the Lord, and being where He wants me when He wants me.
It’s like the scene in Dumb and Dumber when Harry and Lloyd are going back and forth “Tag! You’re it…†“Tag… you’re it, quitsies!†“Tag, you’re it, stamped it!†“Tag you’re it, double stamped it!†and finally one of them sticks his fingers in his ears and says “Lalalalalala not listening! Lalalalalala†I think I might’ve been the one with my fingers in my ears…sort of sensing for a while the Lord’s desire for me to seek Him and His will, instead of chasing after my own.
What’s amazing is, the Lord orchestrated that tight spot — when the Israelites were facing the Red Sea in front of them, and the Egyptian army rolls up ready to take them by force, approaching faster and faster — to show His desire to be the Lord of His people, to demonstrate clearly that He desired their deliverance, and He would make a way for them. If they had a choice, they might not have chosen to cross the Red Sea. They might have chosen to take a different route, an easier route. But the route God chose for them — crossing the Red Sea — has been a pillar of faith for generations. Their children’s children’s children heard the stories about the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites, by their powerful and loving God.
In the same way, the Lord orchestrated a tight spot for me. I could choose to circumvent His will and get to North Carolina somewaysomehow, but the deliverance God provided for me, which I needed to walk in, was the deliverance from my desire to do what I want, at the expense of disobeying the Lord I’ve committed to serve, who loves me and knows what’s best for me. Our deliverance is often not the deliverance that provides us with everything we ever wanted, it’s the deliverance from the selfish and sinful nature, and the deliverance that helps us realise there is something better than our way — God’s way.
So, I’m hoping I’ve taken my fingers out of my ears, and stopped with my “lalalalalalanotlisteninglalala…†God has been too good to me for me not to trust Him when things aren’t going my way. I’d encourage you to look for God’s deliverance in your life today. I warn you — it may look different from what you expect. But from what I know of the goodness of God, He will work things out for your good, if you can love Him and walk His way.
Oct 31, 2009 | The Good Word
So sorry this is so delayed in its arrival, dear friends and readers!  We have been sick sick sick — and it was a struggle to do more than make sure we all had food to eat the past few days. Please forgive me! We’ve finally made it to the last post of the Cost of Discipleship series from Luke 9! I hope you like the bite-sized portions. I don’t think you would’ve read it all if it wasn’t. I probably wouldn’t have written it either. Let’s press on!
So last, another person showed up and said, “Lord, I’ll follow You. Just let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.†But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.†In some ways similar to the second person, this guy wanted to follow Jesus on his own terms. We might as well say, “Lord I want to follow you, as long as I can keep on beating my wife and getting snockered on the weekends,†or “Lord, I will follow you, but just don’t call me to share my faith with my neighbours. I don’t like that evangelism stuff.†Maybe even, “Lord, I will follow you, as long as it doesn’t involve me doing anything other than going to church on Sunday and cutting back on my cuss words.â€
Horse Drawn Plow, Photo credit to lapstrake @ Flickr
Matthew Henry’s Commentary spells out the issues with this guy’s attitude really well:
First, he looked upon his following Christ as a melancholy, troublesome, dangerous thing; it was to him as if he were going to die and therefore he must take leave of all his friends, never to see them again, or never with any comfort; whereas, in following Christ, he might be more a comfort and blessing to them than if he had continued with them. I never would’ve picked up on this. Thanks, Mr. Henry!
Second, he seemed to have his worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and than would consist with a close attendance to his duty as a follower of Christ. You probably picked up on that.
Third — seriously, I never would’ve thought of this — “he was willing to enter into a temptation from his purpose of following Christ. To go and bid them farewell that were at home at his house would be to expose himself to the strongest solicitations imaginable to alter his resolution; for they would all be against it, and would beg and pray that he would not leave them. Now it was presumption in him to thrust himself into such a temptation. Those that resolve to walk with their Maker, and follow their Redeemer, must resolve that they will not so much as parley with their tempter.” Wow. Enough said, methinks.
Jesus’ response to this is quite a rebuke. So what is this putting the hand to the plow and looking back stuff all about? Let’s break it down. Plowing happens before sowing. If you don’t properly plow the soil — for example, if you’re trying to push the plow forward while looking behind you — you can imagine that you’ll make a mess of the field you’re working, and it will not be fit to be sown in. You won’t be fit to receive the ‘seed’ of the kingdom of God, plowing and looking back, if we consider our hearts the field in this analogy. Or, you aren’t fit to scatter the seed, or the Gospel, if (in a different analogy) you are the sower. If your purpose is to ‘be about’ the work of God, you need to ‘be about’ it. I think Henry concludes these considerations very well:
“Those who begin with the work of God must resolve to go on with it, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back inclines to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. Those are not fit for heaven who, having set their faces heavenward, face about. But he, and he only, that endures to the end, shall be saved.â€
So if we tie all these lessons together, I think they meet in a pretty nifty conclusion: 1. You have a calling. 2. You should answer it. 3. You should answer the call of God, on His terms, under His conditions, in His timing.
The Cost of Discipleship is great. The path is narrow and there are few who find it. The road probably won’t be easy. (If it is, I have a feeling you’re on the wrong road.) But the reward is well worth it. To God be the Glory. Out of all of this, the Lord has been challenging me in my willingness to follow Him without looking back. That, too, is a story for another post — blessings as you continue your journey in the meantime!
Oct 28, 2009 | Stories, The Good Word
When we left off Monday, we were looking at the first of the three interactions described in the Cost of Discipleship section of Luke 9. I hope you’re enjoying it so far — if you missed the first post, you can check it out here. Let’s dig into part deux!
In the second interaction, Jesus does call someone. Real simple. “Follow me.†The hearer of this call replies with, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.†Mmmkay…? As they often are prone to disagreement, scholars have not come to a decisive conclusion about what this meant exactly. It is open to a couple of possibilities. This could mean this guy’s father had just died, or was sick and very close to it and he wanted to attend the services and be there for his family. However, it could also have meant that his father was perfectly well at the time, but he was waiting for his father to die, because he would then be coming into a good inheritance. He wanted to first receive his inheritance, felt like the call of God “came at a bad time†and therefore did not answer the call.
Image by Paul Bowman @ flickr
There’s also a third possibility, that his father was at home, and very sick, and he felt it his duty at that time to take care of him, and once that work was done, he would then set about the business of following the Lord. Whether he was waiting on an inheritance or not, consider this guy similar to any other person who might desire to obey the Lord in some thing the Lord has told him or her to do. The Lord might tell us to forgive someone. By His Spirit He might prompt us to speak to someone some word of encouragement or correction: but we in our own “wisdom” see it fit to wait a while, before doing the thing the Lord tells us to do.
Jesus responded to the guy’s excuse with, “Let the dead bury their own dead…you go and preach the Kingdom of God.†Does anybody else hear this and think, “Gosh, Jesus…a little harsh there.†?? Maybe it’s just me. Why should the dead bury their own dead? Well, we are continually instructed to care for our Mother and Father, to love our neighbours and our own relations. Jesus isn’t contradicting this — we simply are not to care for our relations to the point that it is a duty we place in front of our service to God. Even our service to our family cannot be an excuse for our non-service toward God. Perhaps if the guy followed Jesus, Jesus would’ve led him to his own house, healed his Dad, and they would’ve been on their merry way. Perhaps the guy had six brothers and sisters, also totally able to take care of their Dad on his deathbed. One way or another, we can trust that in the sovereignty of God, the issue was all worked out.
What does this mean for us? Well, it doesn’t sound like there are very many good excuses for not obeying the call of God. If God calls you to do something and you choose not to, perhaps because you care about what people think or you know there will be a cost involved, or because you’re waiting on some finances coming your way, or there’s something else on your plate that you think is more important, you are disobeying a Holy God. Each day has enough trouble of its own — and some new excuse will always be available, which will make us think we have just cause for not obeying. But we should obey God, (and seek His kingdom first) not because He will bless us or there will be a great reward (though the reward is great in heaven and I believe we will see God’s goodness in this lifetime as well). We should obey God because He is God. End of story. He has already shown us how much He loves us, in sending His Son to die for us. Obedience is a reasonable response! And though this potential disciple may have received his inheritance in his lifetime, or just pleased his family by sticking around instead of following Jesus, he missed his eternal reward as a result. Whether or not that was a good decision, I think you know the answer.
Considering the amazing goodness and exceeding mercies of God, and considering the sacrifice He made to give us life in Him — we have no excuse but to respond with thankful hearts, love and obedience. And the old hymn surfaces again! Trust and obey, for there’s no other way…
So we learned from part one, just because the call doesn’t sound the way you think it should doesn’t mean you don’t have a calling from God for your life. And from part deux, there is really no reason that will hold up in the day of judgement, as a suitable excuse for you not following Jesus. Now we can put these lessons together, quite simply:
1. You have a call. 2. You should answer it.
We will dig in to Part Three tomorrow! Feel free to read ahead. 😉
Oct 16, 2009 | South Africa, Stories
I went for a jog yesterday afternoon and was surprised by how sometimes doing some of the most simple things in life can teach you profound truth if you’re paying attention. We’ve moved into a big secure complex in Gordon’s Bay with houses and apartment buildings that sit on a beautiful harbour. There are lots of boats and geese and palm trees and the views of the nearby Hottentots Holland mountains are spectacular when the sun sets. There’s a boardwalk and brick path around part of the harbour that makes a great walking or jogging circuit.
On this particular afternoon I went out for a quick jog – I normally do this in the morning but the Bear woke me up during the night the night before and I was too tired at 6:00 am to get out of bed for a jog! The weather was a bit windy, but still nice and mild. There aren’t so many people here at this time of year, because so many people who own property in the complex just use it for a month or two out of the year. So besides a very occasional “Hello†or “enjoy†here and there, it was mostly me, my shoes and my thoughts.
A view from our new place. See the sweet wee harbour?
And one of those funny moments showed up – totally out of the blue – where you just start thinking, “Man life is good. This is so lovely. I’m in such a beautiful place. I am glad to be alive. God is good.†I kind of marvelled at ‘the moment’ showing up and just smiled thinking – wisdom has taught me – these moments never last long!
Then I turned a corner to continue the jog out onto the jetty wall which encloses the outermost section of the harbour and what should meet me but BLINDING GALE FORCE WINDS HOWLING PAST MY EARS AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP ME DEAD IN MY TRACKS… or blow me into the water. And as life often does, so I was presented with the choice, out onto the jetty as intended, or turn around and enjoy the wind on my back for a while. It’s an Irish proverb after all.
I instantly thought about the moment before. When everything seems to be cheesecake and chocolate soup, you will often come across a bump in the road or a fork in the path. There you meet the opportunity to take the path of least resistance, and it is especially tempting when you are afforded opportunities that will require you to work harder than you want to.
This challenge immediately translates to many areas of life – choosing to tell the truth regardless of the consequences, choosing to act according to what you know is right, instead of what everyone expects of you, or what will be easiest. It may mean fighting for a marriage that seems like a losing battle, or standing up to your boss when you know he’s doing something that isn’t right. Earlier in the day, for me it meant dealing with areas where I was holding offences against others, and asking them to forgive me. Especially if you want to live for what is right — you are consistently going to meet obstacles.
These opportunities are defining moments in our lives. The moments when we choose the path of most resistance, because it’s the right path, are the moments when our true character is revealed – the moments when it’s clear what we’re really made of.
I pressed out onto the jetty, all the way to the end, where I could give the fisherman a good afternoon and a wave, then turned around and started heading back. Although my character may not have vastly improved by that simple decision, choosing the path of most resistance will make me a little stronger for the next run, and perhaps even able to stand when the real gale force winds blow through our little housing complex, here in Gordon’s Bay. So my encouragement for you? Choose the path of most resistance today. And let me know what happens.
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