Change your life

Today: Joel

If you ask people about their life goals or New Year's resolutions, often you'll hear answers like this:

"I want to lose weight."

"I'm hoping to pay off my credit card debt."

"I want to travel more."

Those goals are all good. But have you ever noticed that most people (myself included at times!) try to change external factors without changing root issues that cause their external problems?

For example, the people in the examples above could potentially be more successful if their goals sounded more like this:

"I want to change my perspective on this body God's given me--to take better care of it because God made it and has entrusted it to my care."

"I'd like to be a better care-taker over the resources I've been given. I want to be a responsible saver and a generous giver."

"I want to be passionate about my life again."

When I read today's passage, I noticed an excerpt where God was challenging people to change their hearts instead of just changing their exteriors. Take a look:

Change your life, not just your clothes.

Come back to God, your God.

And here's why: God is kind and merciful.

He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot,

This most patient God,

extravagant in love,

always ready to cancel catastrophe.

Who knows?

Maybe he'll do it now,

maybe he'll turn around and show pity.

Maybe, when all's said and done,

there'll be blessings full and robust for your God!

I really like this excerpt because it's another stunning picture of God's character. At a moment when His people are distant and deep in sin, these verses highlight His patient and extravagant love. When we genuinely approach Him and ask for forgiveness, He grants it--not begrudgingly, but instantaneously. So amazing!

Tomorrow: Amos 1-5

Stone to strong-soft hearts

Today: Ezekiel 9-12

Have you ever been driving and had a moment when you ask yourself, "How did I get here?"

I realize that may sound a little scary, but most people drive certain routes--to work, school or home--on autopilot. We are so familiar with these trips that we drive them in a semi-conscious awareness. When you think about it, that's pretty scary.

The autopilot approach impacts how many of us drive--but how else does it affect our lives? And more importantly, how we view--or even act--in sin?

In today's passage, God gives Ezekiel some prophetic visions of hard times for His people, but He also gives glimmers of hope--how He planned to help them change and overcome sin:

True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands.

All the same, I've provided you a temporary sanctuary

in the countries where you've gone.

I will gather you back

from those countries and lands

where you've been scattered

and give you back the land of Israel.

You'll come back and clean house,

throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols.

I'll give you a new heart.

I'll put a new spirit in you.

I'll cut out your stone heart

and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart.

Then you'll obey my statutes

and be careful to obey my commands.

You'll be my people!

I'll be your God!

I love the way God gives so many word pictures to Ezekiel and to us. When we live in sin and are far from God, it's like we have stone hearts--or like we're driving on autopilot, unaware of the people, dangers and harm that we're causing to ourselves or others. Sometimes when we live in sin, we think we're being strong and independent--but we're not. A heart of stone isn't strong--it's a dead, lifeless heart.

When we allow our hearts and our lives to be transformed by God, He promises to give us "red-blooded, firm-muscled hearts." What does that really mean?

I think what God's describing is a strong-soft heart. That may sound like a contradiction, but hear me out. Muscle tissue is softer than stone--the heart in your body lives, beats and feels. Yet at the same time, God describes the heart He gives as "firm-muscled." I like that. It seems like He's saying that having a heart sensitive to sin is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. God gives people strong-soft hearts so that they passionately feel when they sin, love and live. People with strong-soft hearts are not boring, lifeless or wishy-washy nice: They're fiery, dynamic and contagious, yet they are not manic roller coasters of emotion.

Here's a question to think about: What does a strong-soft heart look like in real life?

I think part of the answer is living with a conscious conscience. It means living life with awareness and feeling--recognizing sin in your life and absolutely loving God and people deeply. That means that you'll be hurt, but it also means that you'll feel the love, joy and peace of God and people in your life--and that instead of missing or ignoring those amazing blessings, you'll treasure them with gratitude.

Today I pray that God will give you and I those strong-soft hearts--that we'll see people, sin and situations through His eyes. That we'll hurt when His heart hurts and love what He loves.

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 13-15

There's no place like home

Today: Jeremiah 49-50

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

I've heard Judy Garland say these words a bazillion times in "The Wizard of Oz." At one point, it was my youngest sister's favorite movie. It was the point in her childhood when she wanted to read, watch and listen to her favorite books, movies and music over and over and over again. We used to immerse ourselves in the world of "The Wizard of Oz"--pretending to ride bikes along with the evil Miss Gulch and sing along with the Lollipop Guild. And we desperately wanted to float in a cotton-candy colored sparkly bubble like Glinda.

When you're a kid watching "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time or the 100th time, you don't fully grasp the significance of, "There's no place like home." When you're older, your definitions of "home" may change. Is home just a place? People you love? A feeling? A combination of all of those things?

In today's passage, God talked about home for His people. At this point in Scripture, His people rejected Him. As a consequence for their sin, they were taken into captivity--they were literally taken from home. However, in this excerpt, God prophesies the turnaround of Israel and Judah. I think His depiction of home describes more than land. Take a look:

In those days, at that time"—God's Decree—

"the people of Israel will come, And the people of Judah with them.

Walking and weeping, they'll seek me, their God.

They'll ask directions to Zion and set their faces toward Zion.

They'll come and hold tight to God,

bound in a covenant eternal they'll never forget.
"My people were lost sheep.

Their shepherds led them astray.

They abandoned them in the mountains where they wandered

aimless

through the hills.

They lost track of home,

couldn't remember where they came from.

Everyone who met them took advantage of them.

Their enemies had no qualms:'Fair game,' they said. 'They walked out on God.

They abandoned the True Pasture, the hope of their parents.'

Wow. God's people were in bad shape. They didn't just lose land, cows and houses--they lost who they were. They lost purpose and a sense of their spiritual legacy. They didn't just need Google maps to find home--they needed God's direction and hope.

I love that later in this passage, God foresees something good:

But Israel I'll bring home

to good pastures.

He'll graze on the hills of Carmel and Bashan,

On the slopes of Ephraim and Gilead.

He will eat to his heart's content.

In those days and at that time"—God's Decree—

"they'll look high and low for a sign of Israel's guilt—nothing;

Search nook and cranny for a trace of Judah's sin—nothing.

These people that I've saved will start out with a clean slate.

Isn't that amazing? God didn't just envision His peoples' return to their cities--He saw a restoration of their hearts. And if home is where the heart is, finding a clean heart and the love of God's heart? There's no place like home.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah 51-52

From black-and-white to brilliant color

Today: Isaiah 23-27

If you've ever watched "The Wizard of Oz," you'll remember the moment when Dorothy opens a door to Oz--and your screen suddenly changed from boring black-and-white to brilliant color.

Becoming a Christian is kind of like that...or like getting glasses for the first time. You start to see in new ways and notice things that you were blinded to before.

In today's passage, there was an excerpt that illustrated this phenomenon. The speaker is talking to God and contrasting the view of God's people compared to others:

Who you are and what you've done

are all we'll ever want.

Through the night my soul longs for you.

Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you.

When your decisions are on public display,

everyone learns how to live right.

If the wicked are shown grace,

they don't seem to get it.

In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living,

blind to the splendor of God.
You hold your hand up high, God,

but they don't see it.

Open their eyes to what you do,

to see your zealous love for your people...

God, order a peaceful and whole life for us

because everything we've done, you've done for us.

Here are a few of my observations today from this passage:

• God is enough to fill a hungry soul.
  The first part of this excerpt addresses a human need that we actually talked about a few days ago (see "Hunger and wholeness"). Instead of chasing after other people or "stuff" to fill their souls, we can first look to God Himself.
  
• Without God, people can be blind to grace.
  Have you ever heard people say things like, "I never knew what love was until I had a child"?
  
  I think the same experience can happen for people when they first get a glimpse of the grace and pure love of God. There's nothing that could compare to the pure love of God in human flesh dying for you . You don't deserve that kind of love, but there's nothing you can do to make Him love you more or less. There's nothing you can do to earn a ticket to Heaven--that's God's free gift to those who simply believe in Him and accept Him as Savior(see Romans 10:9). It's overwhelming when you really start to get that God loves you that much--that He knows your name and has a plan for your life.
  
• God's the one who opens people's hearts and eyes to His love.
  Some well-intentioned Christians share their faith in God with aggressive, forceful tactics resembling guerrilla marketing. Should Christians be bold with their faith? Yes. But Jesus didn't force His message on people: He loved, cared and served others. God is not a product to be sold. It's Christians' responsibility to love, care and serve people. It's our responsibility to talk about God when we're given the opportunity and prompted by the Holy Spirit. However, it's important to remember that we're the messengers--God's the Savior. He's the one who opens hearts and changes lives.
  
• Christians can impact people through their lives...and recognition of God's transformation.
  The most important message every Christian delivers does not even require words--it's how you live your everyday, ordinary life. When Christians are content, happy and at peace with God and others, we shine. Our lives are a big signal of God's transformational power at work--a practical proof point that He's really doing something in and through us. A key thing to remember? Don't take all the credit--because everything good that we've done, God started, provided for and allowed us to finish.

Tomorrow: Isaiah 28-30

Teaching, hula hoops and childhood faith

Today: Psalm 70-73

Today is Mother's Day. And of all things, today I tried to teach my mother how to hula hoop. She works with elementary-aged kids who dared her--on the playground--to learn how. I hadn't hula hooped in about 20 years, but I picked up the hoop she brought home and found that surprisingly, I could still swing with the best of them! :) As I was instructing my mom, "You have to move your hips like this and keep your feet planted like that...", I thought about some of the many things she taught me (so far, anyway!).

My mom taught me how to sing. She taught me (and dozens of other kids!) how to read and how to write. She gave me life--but she also introduced me to some of the best things in my life. Perhaps most importantly, she and my Dad taught me about God.

Today my pastor prayed a prayer of salvation with people who invited God to lead their lives. He asked the congregation, "How many of you remember this moment in your own life?" I do. For me, that moment did not happen at a church altar in front of thousands of people. It happened on my front porch. It happened when I was a preschooler who said something like, "Mommy--I want to ask Jesus to live in my heart." That day, Mom led me in the most important prayer of my life.

I thought about that day and lessons from my parents when I saw David's words to God here:

You keep me going when times are tough—

my bedrock, God, since my childhood.

I've hung on you from the day of my birth,

the day you took me from the cradle;

I'll never run out of praise...

You got me when I was an unformed youth, God,

and taught me everything I know.

Now I'm telling the world your wonders;

I'll keep at it until I'm old and gray.

I realize that everyone reading this post may not identify with it or with my life story. And that's okay. The main point of this post (and this excerpt from the passage) is to confidently express the fact that God is Someone you can lean on--whether you start at 4 or 104!

Maybe no one told you that when you were a child. My Mom and Dad didn't know God until they were in their 20s...they were learning about Him as they were teaching me and my sisters. They taught us to trust in God and they also taught us to never stop learning. I am forever grateful. Free hula hoop lessons could never make up for that...but I'll keep teaching them anyway. :)

Tomorrow: Psalm 74-77

Hope in hard times

Today: Job 11-13

Hope is a necessity for life. But having hope in hard times? Not easy.

We've already talked about the hard things that Job faced--losing his possessions, his children and his health. To top it off, most of Job's friends abandoned him or pointed judgmental fingers at him--saying things equivalent to, "Well--you must have done something wrong for all this tragedy to come into your life!"

In the midst of this criticism, Job's faith remained strong. He continued to have hope that God would work things out for his good. Here's what he said about God:

Because even if he killed me, I'd keep on hoping.

I'd defend my innocence to the very end.

Just wait, this is going to work out for the best—my salvation!

Hope is confidence when life doesn't make sense. It's an unshakable trust. Hope is courage to have faith in the face of tragedy. It propels you to get back up and believe God's still there, still loving and still in control. Hold on to hope with all of your heart.

Tomorrow: Job 14-16

Plain listening

Today: 1 Samuel 15-17

It's entirely possible to do the right thing the wrong way or with the wrong heart--especially when you fail to listen.

Today's passage included a story about Saul that depicted this concept. God instructed Saul to completely wipe out an enemy. He specifically instructed Saul to leave no living thing. However, Saul kept the best livestock and let the king live. He said that he was planning to sacrifice the best livestock and wealth to God. Really?!? Here's how the prophet Samuel responded:

Then Samuel said,

Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—

empty rituals just for show?

He wants you to listen to him!

Plain listening is the thing,

not staging a lavish religious production.

Not doing what God tells you

is far worse than fooling around in the occult.

Getting self-important around God

is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.

Because you said No to God's command,

he says No to your kingship.

Saul tried to outplay God--which never works. It's not like God asked him for anything he wasn't capable of doing. God just wanted him to listen and obey. God's focus was on Saul's motives and his heart.

Tomorrow: 1 Samuel 18-20

When God takes trouble to heart

Today: Judges 10-12

Have you ever been around drama people? I'm not talking about people who have a love for Shakespeare or Andrew Lloyd Webber--but people who have rollercoaster emotions and relationships?

Thankfully, I haven't been closely tied to many of them. But if you've ever watched a few minutes of a daytime talkshow or "The Bachelor," you probably know what I'm talking about. As I've read the book of Judges, I feel like I'm watching some drama people--God's people. Throughout Judges and even today's passage, they go through a continuous cycle--disobeying and denying God, crying out in desperation and asking for forgiveness, and then returning to God...for awhile anyway. Take a look at this part of the passage:

Then the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to go to war

also against Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim.

Israel was in a bad way!
The People of Israel cried out to God for help:

"We've sinned against you! We left our God and worshiped the Baal gods!"
God answered the People of Israel:

"When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians—

even Amalek and Midian!—oppressed you

and you cried out to me for help,

I saved you from them.

And now you've gone off and betrayed me,

worshiping other gods.

I'm not saving you anymore.

Go ahead! Cry out for help to the gods you've chosen—

let them get you out of the mess you're in!"
The People of Israel said to God: "We've sinned.

Do to us whatever you think best, but please, get us out of this!"
Then they cleaned house of the foreign gods and

worshiped only God.

And God took Israel's troubles to heart...

I love the last line of this, "And God took Israel's troubles to heart..." Wow. I think God's response to the people is so amazing. Time and time again, He forgave them and took them back after multiple betrayals.

It's exactly like He forgives me every single day when I mess up, when I put other things or other people first, when my motives and attitudes are bad, when I'm a jerk to the people around me....and so many other things. When I simply ask Him for forgiveness and try to turn in a better direction, He takes me back and loves me unconditionally--as if I never messed up in the first place. And when things in my life are messed up--even due to my own missteps--He takes my troubles to heart, just as He did with the Israelites. That kind of love is so amazing that I can't fully comprehend it. I wish that more people had a glimpse of that kind of love--the real kind.

Tomorrow: Judges 13-15

The Bachelor and the wandering heart

Today: Deuteronomy 3-4

This is my most dramatic post ever...

Okay, maybe not. But I am going to talk about a television show that regularly uses similar phrases. Can you guess? That's right, dear readers and friends--today we're going to talk about "The Bachelor."

One bachelor + twenty-five beautiful bachelorettes = A ton of drama. I don't know what it is about the show, but periodically, "The Bachelor" sucks me in. Maybe it's because I love people--and the show is all about interesting people (some are pretty funny, actually!) put in interesting situations? Or maybe it's the drama of one person with so many choices...or on the flip side, the idea of being one person chosen from among the many options?

As fascinating as it is (sometimes), I actually dislike the show at its core. My matter-of-fact sister may have put her finger on it when she said, "The Bachelor's concept is fatally flawed. One guy with 25 girlfriends does not a monogamous husband make."

Of course, I laughed when she said it. But I think she's probably right (with perhaps a few very rare exceptions). The best relationships are based on trust--and how can you honestly trust someone who "has strong feelings," dates or kisses 24 other people while simultaneously "falling in love" with you?

That said, I think being the Bachelor or the Bachelorette would be tough, too. Call me a little bit traditional, but instead of having 25 great options, I'd rather have the clear choice of one AMAZING guy who completely ignored or forgot about all the other choices available to him. I'd rather have that amazing guy decide to choose, pursue and love me first (and preferably, not in front of millions of viewers!).

Believe it or not, I thought about "The Bachelor" when I read today's passage. In these chapters, Moses is still in the midst of his message to the Israelites (what I referred to yesterday as the Cliffs Notes summary of their journey through the desert). Take a look at this part:

What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them

the way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?

And what other great nation has rules and regulations

as good and fair as this Revelation that I'm setting before you today?
Just make sure you stay alert.

Keep close watch over yourselves.

Don't forget anything of what you've seen.

Don't let your heart wander off.

Stay vigilant as long as you live.

Teach what you've seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

The line, "Don't let your heart wander off" grabbed me today. Ultimately, God's greatest desire (and commandment) is that we would love Him with all of our hearts, minds and souls. But like the Bachelor, our hearts are often tempted to wander...to other things or people, the gods of our world.

Why would we choose other options, when the very best--God Himself--has clearly chosen and loved us first?

It sounds crazy, but it happens. This passage calls God jealous--not because He's mean-spirited, but because He deeply loves us (with the purest kind of love that totally surpasses romantic love). Still, our hearts wander...to money, other people, jobs, habits, ourselves, sports, music, false spirituality...you name it. Whenever your heart wanders, remember this:

But even there, if you seek God, your God,

you'll be able to find him if you're serious,

looking for him with your whole heart and soul.

When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you,

in future days you will come back to God,

your God, and listen obediently to what he says.

God, your God, is above all a compassionate God.

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy 5-7

What now, God? moments

Today: Genesis 19-21

(Confession: I actually wrote this post on another blog in 2008....but thought of it again when I re-read the passage today. I hope it encourages anyone reading this now.)

Have you ever had a "What now, God?" moment?

I have.

And most people I know have faced at least one--sometimes they happen when something unexpected occurs--or on the flip side, when something you do expect doesn't. So what exactly should we do in the "What now?" moments?

Today's passage included a story about a woman in the Bible named Hagar with a pretty serious moment like this. Hagar was a servant whose master, Abraham, couldn't have children with his wife (even though God promised he would be the father of nations). So his wife told him in effect, "Sleep with Hagar--maybe she'll give you a child." And it happened--but not the way God intended.

As always, God came through on His promise and Abraham and his wife had a child--the Plan A promised child. And Abraham's wife got nervous,so she kicked Hagar and her son to the curb (okay, the desert to be exact).

This was definitely Hagar's "What now, God?" moment. I'm sure she felt abandoned. As a servant, she probably didn't have much choice in the circumstances that led her to the desert--she was in a desperate situation.

But some things about Hagar's story caught my attention, so I thought I'd share a bit of it with you:

She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba.

When the water was gone,

she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so.
She said, "I can't watch my son die."
As she sat, she broke into sobs.
Meanwhile, God heard the boy crying.
The angel of God called from Heaven to Hagar,

"What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid.
God has heard the boy and knows the fix he's in.
Up now; go get the boy. Hold him tight.

I'm going to make of him a great nation."
Just then God opened her eyes.
She looked.
She saw a well of water.
She went to it and filled her canteen and gave the boy a long, cool drink.
God was on the boy's side as he grew up.

Even though she may have felt deserted, desperate and alone, God was with Hagar in her "What now?" moment. God cared about what was wrong in her life and encouraged her to let go of her fear. But the words that are repeated stand out to me--"God heard." In our moments of confusion or sadness, God hears us.

The other thing I noticed? An answer to Hagar's prayers was right in front of her face--she just had to look for it.

I think sometimes we have expectations for exactly how and when God will answer our
prayers--and those expectations drive how we look at our situations. Sometimes we just have to get a fresh perspective and look at things in a new way. Because in the "What now?" moments, God is always there. We just have to trust He's listening and have the faith to look for His answers.

Tomorrow: Genesis 22-24

Pride and prejudice

Today: 1 Peter

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen is my all-time favorite book. I've read it at least once every year, since high school English class when I read it for the first time. I love the characters and the dynamics. Unlike many women, I don't really love Mr. Darcy (or Colin Firth, for that matter). What I love most is the story...and how something written hundreds of years can still ring true today.

Pride and prejudice are dynamics we all face. Have you ever thought about their impact on your life as a Christian? Their impact on your relationships with people who don't share your faith? Take a look at a portion of today's passage:

Friends, this world is not your home,

so don't make yourselves cozy in it.

Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.

Live an exemplary life

among the natives

so that your actions

will refute their prejudices.

Then they'll be won over to God's side

and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Hmm...it's interesting that the ego of the Christian is mentioned in a passage that also talks about prejudice from people who don't believe in God. Why?

When we let go of our egos, our souls--and Jesus at work in them--can shine through our "exemplary lives." If our egos are in the way, people see our pride instead of Christ--it's a big turn-off that may make them prejudiced against Him. Ouch. Let's win them over by living lives of love, letting God shine through our everyday actions, attitudes and hearts.

You know my heart...

Today: 1 Corinthians 1-4

In high school, I was a writer and editor for our school newspaper (I know--shocker, right?). For one story assignment around Valentine's Day, I interviewed married teachers and staff members about their spouses, how they met, fell in love and all that mushy gushy stuff. I don't remember most of the stories. But I do remember one.

"What do you love most about your husband?" I asked an administrator.

She paused. Then she replied simply, "He knows me best and loves me most."

It's been over 10 years and I never forgot that. I don't why exactly. Maybe it's because I'm still looking for that guy, for that kind of love. Perhaps it's because I still need to be that kind of person--to have the ability to love someone that way.

"He knows me best and loves me most," is a pretty powerful statement when you think about it. I can barely imagine a guy who knows me better than anyone--seeing me in the morning before Frizz-Ease and Bouncy Cream tame my hair and Starbucks makes me...conscious. To think that same guy could see me at those moments and when I'm sick, moody, or selfish...and still love me--still choose me--above anybody else?!? That pretty much proves love is a miracle. :)

The amazing thing is that God's love is even beyond that. Even when I marry that guy, he won't be able to read every one of my thoughts, motives, and attitudes (and that's probably a good thing for both of us!)...but God does...and still loves me more than any one person ever could. Here's what the Word said in today's passage:

For who do you know

that really knows you,

knows your heart?

And even if they did,

is there anything they would discover

in you

that you could take credit for?

Isn't everything you have

and everything you are

sheer gifts from God?

So what's the point of all this comparing and competing?

You already have all you need.

You already have more access to God than you can handle.

All right, so the part of this I didn't address earlier is the fact that you and I can't take all the credit for the good stuff that's in us. I didn't make my eyes, voice or mind--so I can't take full credit for anything good that comes from them. I've been given everything I have and everything I am--that doesn't mean that I should walk around with an arrogant attitude like "God's given the world the gift of Me! Muah ha ha!" (In the words of Whitney Houston, "Hell to the no!!!") :)

In this passage, I believe Paul's encouraging people to be confident...but at the same time, humble, thankful for what God has done and more importantly, for who God is. He knows our hearts inside and out...let's just try to get a glimpse of His.

Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 5-8

Head and heart love

Today: Acts 18-20

There are some things I can love only with my head--like spiders, for instance.

I can love spiders with my head because I know that God made them and because I know that they actually catch other bugs. But I do NOT love spiders with my heart--I do not feel any sense of compassion, empathy or affection for them. At all. :)

On a similar note, John Mayer sings a song ("I Don't Trust Myself") where he asks, "Who do you love? Me? Or the thought of me?" In this song, John illustrates the difference between head and heart love. Both are actually essential when it comes to really loving people...and when it comes to loving God.

I love what Paul asked some new Christians in today's reading:

"Did you take God into your mind only,

or did you also embrace him with your heart?

Did he get inside you?"

Those are powerful questions. When God is in our minds only, we may respect Him. We may revere Him. Those qualities are important and essential to a real understanding of who He is. But we may not really love Him.

To really love Him--the real Him--is different when your heart is involved. Love from the heart means loving God when He doesn't make sense (to us anyway) or when things aren't peachy "on paper" perfect. It means that we have to stop projecting our own (sometimes ridiculous!) thoughts of who He is onto Him...and start seeing and knowing the real Him.

God wants my whole head, heart and life. Saying "I love you" to Him should not be routine and robotic, but real...and forever.

Tomorrow: Acts 21-23

Names on my parents' fridge...and Jesus' heart

Today: John 16-18

I will finally admit this, at least to the world of Facebook and anyone reading this blog: My parents are cool...for at least a few reasons. Today is their 33rd wedding anniversary (Yay--that's one!). Another reason (and perhaps part of why they've stayed together that long!) is because they believe in the power of prayer.

How do I know this? Well, there are lots of reasons, actually. But one way I know it's true is because of the names on their refrigerator--my parents pray for people they don't actually know.

Yes, they prayed for me and my sisters before we were ever born. They've prayed for my husband (probably about that same length of time!)--one of the most amazing guys on this planet!--who still remains a bit of a mystery to all of us. And I'm sure they've prayed for their grandkids already (yeah, there aren't any of those yet either). None of those names are on the fridge list, though.

The names on their fridge rotate periodically--when they hear about an extended family member who is addicted to drugs, for example. Or when a friend-of-a-friend is in a car accident. Or when someone they met in the church parking lot is struggling with MS. My parents don't actually know a lot of the people listed on their fridge. But these are the names and situations they think about each time they get a cup of water, reach for some blueberries or grab the milk.

Do you know that someone prayed for you before you were born?

Maybe it wasn't your mom, dad or grandma. But guess what? Jesus did...in the passage we read today.

Take a look (the parentheses are mine...hopefully that's kind of obvious) :)

I'm praying not only for them (the disciples)

But also for those who will believe in me (umm...this could include you!)

Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—

Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

The same glory you gave me, I gave them,

So they'll be as unified and together as we are—

I in them and you in me.

Then they'll be mature in this oneness,

and give the godless world evidence

That you've sent me and loved them

In the same way you've loved me.

There you go...Jesus prayed that you would be "one heart and mind" with Him and with other people who believe in Him, too. Even more amazing? He said that the same glory God gave Him was given to us. Holy cow! He prayed that love and unity would bind us together--and that love and unity would show people that God is real. Your name may not have been on Jesus' fridge, but it was always on His heart...and it's on mine, too...at this very second.

Tomorrow: John 19-21

The Jesus who defied, rebeled and hated

Today: John 5-6

Have you ever had times when you've read the Bible and thought to yourself, "Holy cow those people were dumb!"?

I had a few of those moments while reading today's chapters. But then I realized that when it comes to God, I can be a bit clueless myself.

One of the biggest problems I saw with the people in these chapters was their own expectations. They expected Jesus to fit their ideal timing, their visions of what the Messiah would "look" like, and meet their needs exactly as they asked.

Hmm...have you ever been in that same boat? I have.

But here's the thing about God--if He's going to defy anything, it's human expectation. If He's going to rebel against anything, it's injustice. And if He's going to absolutely hate anything, it's complacency. Jesus did not conform to the commands of people--and thank God for that!

Here's a few examples if you wanted to take a second look:

• Defying human expectations for "the perfect timing": After Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath, He said, ""My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I."
  
  Love this! God doesn't have to wait to start working in our lives...but sometimes, He does delay miracles. He's God--He can do whatever He wants. That's the point of Jesus' message here.
  
• Rebeling against injustice: When Jesus walked around, He forgave peoples' sins. And that really angered religious leaders--particularly because Jesus wasn't afraid to help people who they considered second class (prostitutes, Samaritans, women, tax collectors, children, etc.).
  
  Here's what He said, "The Son gives life to anyone he chooses. Neither he nor the Father shuts anyone out. The Father handed all authority to judge over to the Son so that the Son will be honored equally with the Father. Anyone who dishonors the Son, dishonors the Father, for it was the Father's decision to put the Son in the place of honor..."
  
• Hating complacency and hypocricy: There were plenty of people who liked the status quo of religious rules and regulations during Jesus' time. Maybe it was because they were profiting from it or because it gave them superior social status.
  
  But Jesus called out hypocrites when He said, "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.
  
  "I'm not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God's love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me.
  
• Not conforming to the demands of people: When people saw Jesus multiply bread and fish, they were amazed...and basically asked him to do it again, saying, "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
  
  But Jesus replied, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world."

The last one is perhaps my favorite example in this passage because it show God's heart--not to simply give us what we ask for. It's not because He's mean, but because He offers us so much more than what we ask or imagine. We don't always see His answers or the value of them. Our blindness doesn't mean that God's not there offering to free us from sin, heal our souls, and help us to run...and see...again.

Tomorrow: John 7-8

Bread and a broken heart

Today: Mark 8-9

If I said or wrote, "I have a broken heart," what would you think?

You may think that I fell in love and lost it. You might think I got laid off. Or you could assume that some serious health issue was plaguing me, my family or a close friend.

But would you ever guess that I'd say, "I have a broken heart" because my friends were hungry?

Didn't think so.

(And by the way, I don't have that kind of a broken heart at the moment. These are the little mind games you can play as a writer for dramatic effect...mwah ha ha.) :)

But in today's chapters in Mark, Jesus did:

At about this same time he again

found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands.

He called his disciples together and said,

"This crowd is breaking my heart.

They have stuck with me for three days,

and now they have nothing to eat.

If I send them home hungry,

they'll faint along the way—

some of them have come a long distance."

Interesting. Most of the time when I think of Jesus having a broken heart, it's because of something more serious-- a man who is blind, a woman bleeding non stop, a little girl who is dead. But He gets a broken heart when people are hungry?

Let's be clear--the kind of hunger in this chapter doesn't even seem as compelling as those ads for World Vision with starving children with wide-eyed pain staring at you from the screen. The hungry people Jesus saw were not suffering because of a famine or widespread poverty. They were mostly regular people who just listened to Him and were so drawn into His message that they didn't stop to eat. That's all. But their hunger breaks Jesus' heart.

So what does He do? He multiples seven loaves of bread and feeds thousands. It's a miracle--but it's a miracle that meets a very basic, practical need.

When I think about this story, I think of people who believe God doesn't really care about them. They may believe God exists, but feel like He's got bigger issues (world poverty, war, famine, etc.) to deal with than providing them with a job, a roof over their heads, transportation or food for their family. But Jesus is different--this chapter shows us that His heart breaks over things like that. He cares--about the big things in our lives, but also the basic things.

It's interesting in these chapters that the topic of bread comes up again. A few paragraphs later, the disciples start arguing because they forgot to bring food on a trip. Here's Jesus' interesting reaction:

Jesus overheard and said,

"Why are you fussing because you forgot bread?

Don't you see the point of all this?

Don't you get it at all?

Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand?

How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?"
They said, "Twelve."
And the seven loaves for the four thousand—

how many bags full of leftovers did you get?"
"Seven."
He said, "Do you still not get it?"

I think Jesus' questions show us that He was trying to teach the disciples...and us...something through these stories. What do you think it was?

I'm guessing that it's something like this--God cares about you and your specific needs. He takes care of you. Remember that He took care of you before. He'll do it again. And He's bigger than your expectations--He can give you more than you need. He keeps His promises. Believe it--and remember.

Tomorrow: Mark 10-11