Lovin' Jesus Today (and Always)

Not much to say about these verses, because I think they speak for themselves in giving glory to Jesus. I am slowly making my way through Colossians right now, trying to read no more than half a chapter a day in order to really soak it all in. I leave you with these verses today as you rejoice that you have been raised with Christ. Set your mind on Him today...

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

~ Colossaians 3:1-4 ~

Tidbits from Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is one of my favortite Psalms of all time. It's the Psalm David wrote after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and his murder of Bathsheba's huband. Although it was deeply personal for David, it also sets a beautiful example of what our hearts should look like before the Lord as we humbly seek His forgiveness...

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions." (V1)-  Here we see that God forgives us, not because of we deserve it. He forgives us according to His great name and character. He forgives us because He is the source of all love and mercy. He is love. He is mercy. Therefore, He forgives dirty sinners like us. It's for His name and His glory. What a great reminder to approach God with awe and humility. We have no worthiness to provoke His forgiveness. We are not entitled to His mercy.

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." (V4) - Our sin is against God. Yes, we can sin against others as well, hurt them, harm them, betray them, but ultimately our sin is against our sinless and Holy God. How often do I forget how depraved I really am in comparison to my absolutely pure and faithful God? But this verse reminds me time and time again to confess the utter failings of my heart to my forgiving God, instead of slipping into the pride and deceit of thinking "I'm not so bad..."

"Let the bones you have broken rejoice..." (V8) - The pain of God's discipline and conviction shoould lead to joyful repentnce! God' "breaks our bones" in a spiritual sense to ultimately heal us from sin and strengthen us in holiness.

"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." (V13) - The story of our own salvation and ongoing repentance should be shared. God's redemption in our own lives IS the Gospel and we are called to share it with others. God's work in our lives is a tool He uses to draw other sinners to Himself. So be honest about your sin and give the glory to God for the way He continues to save you from your flesh day after day!

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (V16-17) - God cares about our hearts more than our actions. He doesn't want religious followers who sacrifice and perform deeds out of a sense of pride or fear. Instead, He wants believers that do good works because of a heart that loves and worships a good God. Notice all the verses above reflect a heart that is contrite. Humbly asking for the Lord's mercy, humbly admitting sin, joyfully thanking God for His forgiveness, and joyfully sharing the Gospel. God delights in a humble, joyful heart.

Reward?

I am departing a bit from my usual structure of simply reflecting about what I am reading in God's Word during my own quiet times...

This past week at our Missional Community Group, we somehow stumbled upon discussing the idea of "reward" in heaven. One guy in our group asked "If I want to out-do people on earth, so I have more reward than them in heaven, is that wrong?" Yes, our pastor replied. Thank goodness. I don't think acting out of "selfish ambition" (Philippians 2 happened to be what were studying that night) - sinfully competing with your neighbor to earn God's blessing - is really going to get you any type of reward on earth OR in heaven.

A girl in our group quickly piped up and said that JESUS is our reward in heaven, which was considered the "John Piper" answer.

And another guy asked, why use the term "reward" at all then, if reward just means salvation or eternal life with Christ?

For some reason, I felt really fired up about all this. How could anyone even compare our idea of earthly rewards (money, fame, material goods, comfort, praise and acknowledgement) to the glory and goodness of KNOWING God and living eternally with Him? First, I have to admit that a few years ago, I might have had some of the same questions about reward, but as I see more and more of God's grace and goodness  in my own life, and reflect on the love He has for me that covers all my awful sin, the last thing in the world I am thinking about is what kind of "rewards" I will get in heaven. Are you kidding me? I get to go to heaven?!?!

So this conviction led me back to the Bible to search out what God really says about reward. For some reason, over the past twenty years or so (or maybe it just seems like the last twenty years, because those are the years I have been alive to see), it seems like there has been this growing idea about reward in heaven, an obsession with being honored by God there, the whole idea that good deeds on earth will result in jewels in one's crown later on or gifts or prizes or something like that.

But the Bible doesn't really talk about reward as jewels at all. Here are some examples:

God to Abram (soon to be Abraham): After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." (Genesis 15:1) This is right before God takes Abram outside to count the stars... indicating that the heritage God will build through Abram's line will be vast. The blessing is getting to be the earthly "father" of God's people. God's heritage. His sons and daughters. His blessed Israel. Pretty amazing reward if you ask me...better than a jewel in a crown or some heavenly sports car.

The Psalmist David writes in reference to God's commands: "Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:11). What is the reward here? Well, first of all following God's Word prevents us from folly and hardship (it "warns" us about sin). But secondly, the reward of following God is to have assurance of salvation and ever-increasing growth of character. The reward is being a more holy, obedient child of God. The reward is NOT trying to be more obedient so God will reward you.

Jesus says to his disciples "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6). I don't know exactly what Jesus meant by this (he said the same thing about the discipline of fasting as well... but here it seems to indicate some kind of earthly blessing. Intimacy with God perhaps. God's favor toward the prayer itself. Some kind of other blessing for obedience. It seems like a simple example of the way that God longs to reward and bless his obedient children during their earthly lives.

Paul says: What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (I Corinthians 9:18). Here Paul is talking about his responsibility and calling to share the Gospel. His reward IS getting to share the Gospel. How I wish I could be more like Paul....

And now my two favorites...

The writer of Hebrews, in the Hall of Faith, explains that Moses chose to forsake his comfortable Egyptian upbringing to live with his poor, enslaved Israelite poeple because "He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:26). Moses not really know of Christ like we know of Him. He probably had some vague idea that God would send a Messiah, but even that was probably pretty hazy. Yet, he was willing to suffer as Christ did, because He knew that God was great and worth suffering for. His reward was in heaven. In this same passage, the writer talks about all those who died without seeing much, if any, earthly blessing for their faith. Abel was brutally murdered by his brother. Noah lived through the flood. Abraham wandered around and lived in tents in order to obey God. Yet these men "all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16). The reward for their faith is to dwell with God in a heavenly city. I can't wait until the day I am there with them!

And finally, I think Colossians 3 says it best: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward (Colossians 3:23-24). Our inheritance is life with God. To be counted as sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. To be the brothers and sisters of our Savior Jesus Christ. Everything else pales in comparison. Any other blessing or reward is "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).

I'm not saying that blessings won't abound in heaven. I can't even imagine the goodness that awaits us there. The Bible doesn't say that much about it in detail, but Jesus promised he has prepared a place for us there, and I know there is going to be an amazing feast when the bridegroom, Jesus, celebrates with His bride, the chuch. Other than that, I don't really know what heavens rewards will look like... except that I know I will get to see the Father and the Son face to face, and there is NO better reward than that.

"Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance..." -Psalm 16:6

Trusting in Chariots

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

--Psalm 20:7

I am making my way through the Psalms once again (just read 37 today - a favorite), but I keep coming back to this idea I read earlier about trusting in chariots. How often do I trust in chariots instead of trusting in the Lord?

In the days the Psalms were written, chariots and horses were important. Psalm 20 is a Psalm of David. David was a mighty war hero and he used chariots and horses all the time. During his reign, the Israelites finally defeated many of their idol-worshiping, pagan enemies and claimed the Promised Land for Israel. The boundaries of Israel were constantly expanding and God's people were blessed. Basically, David was in his chariot A LOT. He was fighting other kingdoms that also had chariots and horses and other military equipment, and these tools and vehicles were often the deciding factor in who won the battle. Usually, he who had the most chariots claimed the victory. But David knew that God's strength is not contingent on man-made chariots. Sure, chariots were useful, but ultimately God decides the outcome of every battle, every challenge, every trial. And many times throughout the Old Testament, God gave victory to His people despite their lack of forces, horses, or weapons. God is sovereign over everything and He always has good planned for those who follow Him. We are just called to trust Him.

So what are the chariots I trust today? What chariots are you trusting? Now that I have this degree, I can finally get this job. Now that I have this new computer, my design company will take off. Now that I have this volunteer experience on my resume, I will get into grad school. Now that I lost ten pounds, I will finally feel confident and healthy. Now that I read this new article, maybe I can finally get my baby to sleep through the night. Now that I heard this speaker/read this book/downloaded this sermon, maybe I can finally overcome this sin that is plaguing me. If only we could buy a new house, we could finally be more hospitable and offer to host our Bible study. If we could only save up X amount of money, we could buy this item, start this program, donate to this cause. The list goes on and on. I am only trying to think of examples that seem relevant to the women in my own life.

A chariot is something that is good, useful, a blessing even, but it's also something that threatens to steal our trust. If we put our faith in chariots instead of in the Lord, we are foolish. God will decide if and when our business takes off or whether or not we get into grad school. He is sovereign over parenthood and those first uncertain, exhausting months of motherhood. He is sovereign over who reads our resume and whether or not we are hired for a job. He is the giver of our house and our money and has commanded us to be hospitable and genrerous, despite the number in our bank accounts or the square footage of our home. God is always good, and we are called to trust Him. We can be thankful for the chariots He has given us - the talents, material items, money, experiences that help us succeed in various worldly pursuits, but we must know that even if we lose those chariots, God is still good and He has promised to provide for us. He doesn't need chariots to bless or protect His children.

A Change of Mind...and Heart

So I've been thinking quite a bit this past week about ending this blog, and I might even go so far as to say I have been convicted about it. For some reason, God keeps placing it on my heart that this blog is significant. I don't really know why. I don't really think it's a phenomenal blog, but I've been thinking a lot about my other blog, where Micah and I tell funny stories about life in Arizona and the adventures of being newlyweds, and I've just been realizing that this blog is so much more important than that one. The other blog isn't bad. It's a lovely, funny glimpse into our lives, and I know our parents love reading it since we are so far away from them. But I am reminded daily, by the prompting of God's Spirit, that this blog, right here, is a meaningful endeavor to which God has called me.

Now granted, this blog does not have many followers and my other blog gets way more hits each day. But I know that the words here encourage certain women in my life (thank you all for your lovely comments), and I just think there is something valuable in that. I was talking to my best friend a few months ago, and she was explaining how so many of the stories in the Bible are new to her. She did not grow up in a Christian household and became a Christian after college. Her faith and her story are beautiful to me, and I love that she is so eager to learn more about the Bible. How often do I take for granted my own knowledge about the Bible? I was blessed to grow up in Christian home, go to a Christian elementary school, even to fall under the instruction of some amazing teachers at my church in college. I had the books of the Bible memorized by 2nd grade and could explain the main differences between Elijah and Elisha by the 3rd grade (Elijah came first, because "j" comes before "sh"...never forgot that little trick). But I am not normal. God has given me the gift of being raised to know His Word, and I want to share that gift with others. He has also given me the spiritual gift of teaching (which I realize everytime I find myself in classroom full of teenagers and somehow find myself at home there, despite my limited education, background, or skill as an educator), and He has given me the earthly talent of writing fairly well. Ever since middle school, I have always, always wondered how He wanted me to use writing for His glory, and this blog seems to be one simple way of doing just that. Truth be told, one of the biggest sins of my youth was not obeying the Lord, despite all I knew about His Word and His character. I wasted so many years of high school and college not really loving the Lord with my whole heart (and therefore not really obeying Him because the two go hand in hand), even though He had blessed me with so many opportunities to know Him and love Him and obey Him.

So here's the deal... I want to honor God with this blog.... even if that means encouraging or teaching the five or ten women who read it regularly. This blog is not perfect. I sometimes get nervous that some great pastor is going to stumble across this blog (I'm thinking of John Piper or C.J. Mahaney or Mark Driscoll here... as if they would ever spend their time reading my blog... ha!!!) and tell me that parts of it are theologically unsound. I pray that I am staying true to Scripture in what I write, and I rely heavily on the ESV Study Bible commentators to keep me on track. I want women to be able to use this Bible as a resource, whether they are looking for encouragement with a certain struggle or want to study a certain section of Scripture when preparing for a Bible study. Now I know there are many blogs that provide resources far better than mine (http://www.desiringgod.org/ is a favorite when prepping to teach a Bible study), but I want to use what God has given to me and share it with other women. So unless I hear God calling me in another direction, Flowers Fade is here to stay, and I plan to make it more searchable as it grows, so you can look up entries by topic or by book of the Bible. Thank you for being a part of this ongoing journey. I hope you are blessed by reading this blog as much as I am blessed to write it.