Enough Already

"Fear God"

Enough with the Christian cliche . Let's not put it on our Christian
t-shirts, on our Christian coffee mugs, on our Christian bumper stickers, on our Christian smart phone covers, on our Christian throw pillows, or on our Christian jewelry.

Instead, let's put it to real use in our Christian lives. Put it into our school work. Put it into our career decisions. Put it into our financia...l decisions. Put it into our friendships. Put it into raising our children. Put it into our marriage vows.

But keep it off our stuff!

It's not a slogan.

It's not a suggestion.

It's a way of life, and it's the only way that we can honestly approach God ready to worship. Please, do not confuse worship with music. Although music does have it's place, the two are not necessarily one and the same.

"Fear God"
It's a way of life.

Ecclesiastes 5:7

A Dusty Faith

     "Once they crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick. They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well."  Matthew 14:34-36

I love how these three verses are quietly and neatly tucked into the very end of this chapter. They follow the well known story of Peter's trek across choppy waters. Everyone is aware of Peter's doubt which caused him to sink and cry out for help, but very few people mention that Peter seemed to have been the only one in the boat with faith enough to take that first step.  Those verses, however, are not the center of focus today.

 After showing the disciples a valuable lesson in faith, Jesus and the disciples docked their boat and headed for shore. As they entered the city the citizens immediately recognized Jesus, and the town gossip spread the word of his arrival. People began to bring their sick loved ones to Jesus. They did not ask for medications or treatments. These people asked for a cure!

"They were begging Him that they might 

only touch the tassel on His robe."

 

Two observations:  First of all the tassels or fringe of his garment was not a decoration on his sleeve or an emblem on his shoulder. This was the fringe that swept the dusty dirt roads as he walked. This fringe had probably dragged a bit on the sea as he had walked out to his disciples. This fringe was the lowest place they could touch.

 

My point is this, the people did not ask, "Please, cure me and let me walk beside you." These people did not ask, " Please, heal me by letting me shake your hand." These people were saying how unworthy they felt in the presence of His holiness, and that they were willing to lay themselves down in order to be healed of their ailments.

 

The second observation is this:

 

  "And as many as touched it were made perfectly well."

 

These people were not only saying what they believed, they were showing it. These people didn't expect Jesus to say, "No, that will not be necessary. I can touch you and you will be healed." These people were willing to go to any length to receive the healing that Jesus offered, even if it meant that they would be required to humble themselves.

 

I wonder sometimes if when we pray, we say, "Jesus, please heal our...", "Jesus, please save our children from...", "Jesus, please provide for our...". And when we pray asking, we really believe that Jesus will and can answer those prayers; yet we never see those answers come to pass, because we are so busy asking for whatever it is that burdens us that we forget that our hearts are to be submitted to His will. I wonder if there is an area of our lives that we are not willing to let go of. I wonder sometimes, if we are not willing to truly humble ourselves in obedience and submission. I wonder if that is the reason we are not "...made perfectly well." I wonder what our prayer lives would look like, if we were willing to get a little dust in our faces, if we would truly lay down our lives for the healing  that Jesus still offers today.





Sufficient

 

"And he said unto me,

 My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength

 is made perfect in weakness.

 Most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities,

that the power of God may rest upon me."

 

II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

 

 

 

I hear this little voice in my head that is singing, "Gotta keep swimming, just keep swimming. Swimming. Swimming..." Yeah, it's Dory, the little blue fish from Finding Nemo. A cute little ditty that sometimes I sing to myself when I just want to quit, but what a messed up theology this is!  Since when has it become acceptable to take advice from a fictional scatter-brained sea creature anyway?

 

 

The thing is, I have learned that to just keep moving forward is not enough.

 

 

Maybe instead, my song should be, "Gotta keep praying. Just keep trusting. Praying. Trusting. Reading. Praying."

 

 

This life is too difficult for me to control and too overwhelming for me to just push my way through. I am so thankful for the hope of the gospel which grants me salvation from my sins, the power of the Holy Spirit to keep me and comfort me, and the grace of God which He has proclaimed Himself to be "sufficient."

Why I Did What I Did & Why I Do What I Do

The toys in my back yard no longer serve as play things but as reminders of times gone by.

I remember when picking up toys from the yard and the living room were constant chores in my every day life. I remember deep holes dug in my back yard. But they were more than that, they were trenches, fire pits, swimming pools and canyons.

 

Those days are long gone, yet

as recent as yesterday.

 

The children who played with these toys and romped around in these yards are growing up. They've traded in dolls for prom dresses, Tonka trucks for hunting rifles, board games for college books and felt food for oven mitts.

 

I am so blessed to have been able to be a stay at home mom so that I could be present for every bit of the change. I was honored to kiss boo boos, and wipe snotty noses. Now, I am blessed to watch as the fruits of my labor are ripe for the harvest. I am honored to watch as my children make their own choices and carve out lives of their own.

 

Blessed beyond measure

 

"We must not hide them from their children,

but must tell a future generation

the praises of the Lord,

His might, and the wonderful works

He has performed.

...so that a future generation -

children yet to be born - might know...

so that they might put their confidence in God

and not forget God's works,

but keep His commandments."

- Psalm 78:4-7 (HCSB)