There once was in man a true happiness of which now remain to him
only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all
his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not
obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infi-
nite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that
is to say, only by God Himself.
-Pascal
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
come Thou long awaited Emmanuel
How sweet are the days when I truly yearn for Christ and His return. May they be more often, may they be deeper. May they compel me to seek, find and enjoy the Lord in joy and love.
come Thou long expected Jesus
born to set Thy people free
from our fears and sins release us
let us find our rest in Thee.
Come Thou long awaited Emmanuel!
Come Thou long awaited Emmanuel!
come Thou long expected Jesus
born to set Thy people free
from our fears and sins release us
let us find our rest in Thee.
Come Thou long awaited Emmanuel!
Come Thou long awaited Emmanuel!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Change
My soul waits and longs and hopes for change. Change in the worldly sense has always quickened my heart in excitement; I grow easily bored with circumstances and as I find myself in the midst of one milestone, I am hasting to look to the next one ahead. This has always been the case for me. Whether its going away to college or leaving to study abroad or finishing college hockey or getting married, I continue to look with excitement to the challenges and newness that change brings.
I have seen the capacity for both sin and righteousness to spring from my love of change. As Paul says to "be content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want" (Philippians 4:12), I know I must guard against the discontentedness that is rooted in my joy and hope being in my circumstances and not my Savior. I must also fight the desire to escape present circumstances that are uncomfortable and painful, yet are intended as discipline and santification for my soul. As Job proclaims in the midst of calamity, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him...Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance" (Job 13:15-16), I long to believe steadfastly in who our God is and the promises He has given us, that I may remain faithful in the midst of trials and be filled with a joy that is found in the presence of God and not the presence of wordly comforts and peace.
I have also seen the good that desire for change brings. It allows me to be open-handed with the present things God is giving me. It allows me to see a vision of what could be and what is to come and to pray with expectation of what the Lord will do. It gives me zeal for the present, knowing that so much must change in me that I might reflect the Lord more fully and remain faithful in any and every circumstance.
This is the change that the Lord is giving me a vision for right now- the change that He promises is His will for me. Sanctification. That I will not remain the same, stuck in my sin, hindered in spiritual progress by the same things over and over again. That as I follow Him, pressing deeper into His Word, being renewed by His mercy and grace morning after morning, and being compelled by His Spirit that dwells within, He promises change. Change of the heart and soul to reflect the Son. Change of the inner person that is more sure than any circumstancial change could be. Sanctification. He promises "that we all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18). That the things I am excited yet feel unprepared to do right now- be a godly wife, love younger women with wisdom, be gracious in relationships, be humble and servant-like, are the product of beholding the glory of God now. Fixing my eyes on Him now. Tasting and seeing the goodness of God now that changes the soul to be more like Jesus to equip me for the future things He has for me.
I pray that we would desire to look more like Jesus, knowing that only He can change us, and that pursuit of His glory is for our joy both now and in the future.
I have seen the capacity for both sin and righteousness to spring from my love of change. As Paul says to "be content in any and every situation, whether living in plenty or in want" (Philippians 4:12), I know I must guard against the discontentedness that is rooted in my joy and hope being in my circumstances and not my Savior. I must also fight the desire to escape present circumstances that are uncomfortable and painful, yet are intended as discipline and santification for my soul. As Job proclaims in the midst of calamity, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him...Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance" (Job 13:15-16), I long to believe steadfastly in who our God is and the promises He has given us, that I may remain faithful in the midst of trials and be filled with a joy that is found in the presence of God and not the presence of wordly comforts and peace.
I have also seen the good that desire for change brings. It allows me to be open-handed with the present things God is giving me. It allows me to see a vision of what could be and what is to come and to pray with expectation of what the Lord will do. It gives me zeal for the present, knowing that so much must change in me that I might reflect the Lord more fully and remain faithful in any and every circumstance.
This is the change that the Lord is giving me a vision for right now- the change that He promises is His will for me. Sanctification. That I will not remain the same, stuck in my sin, hindered in spiritual progress by the same things over and over again. That as I follow Him, pressing deeper into His Word, being renewed by His mercy and grace morning after morning, and being compelled by His Spirit that dwells within, He promises change. Change of the heart and soul to reflect the Son. Change of the inner person that is more sure than any circumstancial change could be. Sanctification. He promises "that we all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18). That the things I am excited yet feel unprepared to do right now- be a godly wife, love younger women with wisdom, be gracious in relationships, be humble and servant-like, are the product of beholding the glory of God now. Fixing my eyes on Him now. Tasting and seeing the goodness of God now that changes the soul to be more like Jesus to equip me for the future things He has for me.
I pray that we would desire to look more like Jesus, knowing that only He can change us, and that pursuit of His glory is for our joy both now and in the future.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
Lamentations 3:21-32
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
Lamentations 3:21-32
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
the rest is loss
whatever was to my profit, i count it all as loss, compared to the surpassing grace of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things.
i read these words today and they cut straight to my heart. thinking about the trivialities of life that my heart gets caught up in, that i am no where near counting these things as unimportant or seeing them with indifference, let alone counting them as loss. paul's words are bold and challenging. what's getting in the way of knowing christ? too much sleep? too little sleep? busyness? relationships? laziness? building a reputation? paul challenges us to count it all as LOSS. to hate it. to repent of it. to see it as the horrific distraction from the REAL TREASURE that is CHRIST HIMSELF. Jonah 2:8 declares that "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs". the grace is Christ himself and the surpassing joy of knowing him. the idols are anything but Christ that distract us and vye for our ultimate affection.
i have to know that paul's words are implying a battle that must be fought. he brings the heat when he says to count these things as loss, to declare them rubbish. there's an intensity in his approach to anything that gets in the way of his affection for Christ. satan must take great joy in satiating me with such easy distractions as my own comfort, legalistic busyness and emotional hangups. its time to hate the ploys that alter my eyes from the true treasure of Christ.
what comfort there is in knowing that we were created by Him and for Him thus anything but Him won't be enough. it makes us search and strive, it makes us long and groan and ache and desire nothing apart from that which can satisfy- we must know and believe that that is Christ himself. our precious Savior is the only one able to combat the sinfulness, the futility, the neediness, the pain, that is our humanity. nothing else will do.
i pray for eyes to see Christ, a heart that longs for Him above all, and the strength to fight for my affections to remain rooted in Him.
i read these words today and they cut straight to my heart. thinking about the trivialities of life that my heart gets caught up in, that i am no where near counting these things as unimportant or seeing them with indifference, let alone counting them as loss. paul's words are bold and challenging. what's getting in the way of knowing christ? too much sleep? too little sleep? busyness? relationships? laziness? building a reputation? paul challenges us to count it all as LOSS. to hate it. to repent of it. to see it as the horrific distraction from the REAL TREASURE that is CHRIST HIMSELF. Jonah 2:8 declares that "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs". the grace is Christ himself and the surpassing joy of knowing him. the idols are anything but Christ that distract us and vye for our ultimate affection.
i have to know that paul's words are implying a battle that must be fought. he brings the heat when he says to count these things as loss, to declare them rubbish. there's an intensity in his approach to anything that gets in the way of his affection for Christ. satan must take great joy in satiating me with such easy distractions as my own comfort, legalistic busyness and emotional hangups. its time to hate the ploys that alter my eyes from the true treasure of Christ.
what comfort there is in knowing that we were created by Him and for Him thus anything but Him won't be enough. it makes us search and strive, it makes us long and groan and ache and desire nothing apart from that which can satisfy- we must know and believe that that is Christ himself. our precious Savior is the only one able to combat the sinfulness, the futility, the neediness, the pain, that is our humanity. nothing else will do.
i pray for eyes to see Christ, a heart that longs for Him above all, and the strength to fight for my affections to remain rooted in Him.
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