I was reading in Isaiah 6. At the time that God called Isaiah into ministry, Isaiah says "I saw the Lord...." He goes on to explain what all he saw, and in it all, he was overwhelmed by the HOLINESS of God. In fact, he was so overwhelmed by God's holiness that he immediately felt exposed in his impurity saying, "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips....'"
Just then a seraph (possibly an angel-like being) touched his lips with a hot coal saying, "'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'"
After that, the Lord says He needs someone, and Isaiah responds, "'Here am I. Send me!'" No feelings of shame for the impurity that existed in him before God cleansed him. And no sense of inadequacy for being used by God. I think he just knew he was clean and ready to go where God wanted to lead him.
What I'm most moved by is the idea of the hot coal. As believers today, we have Christ's atonement for our sin, and we have been purified through His death and resurrection. I see the coal as being the equivalent of Jesus' blood dripping down the cross. He calls us to drink His blood (i.e., wine as a symbol of His blood), which touches our lips and infiltrates our entire body, symbolizing the same cleansing of our entire being just as the coal cleansed Isaiah's unclean lips.
If we have accepted the atonement, we are guilt free! And we can stand purified, and move in freedom, and be ready for Him...whatever He has for us.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
"The Most Important Thing"
The other day my daughter, Allison, got an award for her thoughtfulness at school. Her teacher had noticed that many days during recess, Allison would walk around picking up trash. Wanting to acknowledge her efforts, her teacher announced her award to the entire school at their morning assembly.
A few days later, Allison and I were beginning a project of making pillows for her school's Marketing Day. Referring to being able to offer the pillows for sale to the other students, the conversation went like this:
Allison: Maybe other kids will like me now.
Me: The other kids don't like you??
Allison: That's what got me into picking up trash at recess.
Me: Well, they don't know what they're missing by not being your friend.
Allison: Well, it's okay. I have lots of other friends at home. Besides, the most important thing is knowing God loves you.
Oh, that our hearts would be able to acknowledge loss and desire and yet be so content...having the faith of a child.
A few days later, Allison and I were beginning a project of making pillows for her school's Marketing Day. Referring to being able to offer the pillows for sale to the other students, the conversation went like this:
Allison: Maybe other kids will like me now.
Me: The other kids don't like you??
Allison: That's what got me into picking up trash at recess.
Me: Well, they don't know what they're missing by not being your friend.
Allison: Well, it's okay. I have lots of other friends at home. Besides, the most important thing is knowing God loves you.
Oh, that our hearts would be able to acknowledge loss and desire and yet be so content...having the faith of a child.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Shackles Removed
I was worshipping God this morning with Chris Tomlin's song "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)". The first verse says,
"I once was lost"
How often do I live like I'm still lost!? ...but I am no longer lost. I need to live in the freedom of knowing I've been found.
"I once was blind"
...but I am no longer blind. He's given me eyes to see what needs to be seen. Will I look through His eyes?
"My chains are gone"
...I am no longer bound. I remember an analogy I heard once about how elephants are trained and controlled. I found this description online:
"If you have ever gone to the circus you’ve seen this “elephant trainers” principle in action. By that I mean the huge two-ton elephant shackled by one leg. At the end of the shackle is a small wooden stake dug into the ground. Hard to believe but true, that elephant is being limited by that short chain and the small stake. Obviously the elephant has enough power to free itself and roam around as he pleases. Yet the elephant has been conditioned to accept this limitation. You see as a youngster the shackle placed on his leg was able to hold him in place. After tugging on it for a certain period of time his leg became bruised. This created enough pain in him that he stopped attempting his own freedom. Once he accepts the limitation imposed on him it becomes a permanent belief, or in his case, a conditioned reaction. Now as he grows into adulthood, he has the power to easily pull the stake out of the ground, but his conditioning has taught him that the effort will not only be futile, it will be painful as well."*
I've also heard that the elephant's behavior remains controlled even after the shackle is completely removed...and he responds as if he is still shackled.
It occurred to me that I all too often live as if I'm still bound and shackled even though I have been freed by Christ Himself. I need to live like I've been freed.
If you have the song, or any version of Amazing Grace, I'd encourage you to put it on, turn it up, and remember, if you've accepted His gift of grace, how deeply amazing it is.
Our chains are gone!
We've been set free!
Let's live in the freedom of Christ today!
*http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Martinez1.html
"I once was lost"
How often do I live like I'm still lost!? ...but I am no longer lost. I need to live in the freedom of knowing I've been found.
"I once was blind"
...but I am no longer blind. He's given me eyes to see what needs to be seen. Will I look through His eyes?
"My chains are gone"
...I am no longer bound. I remember an analogy I heard once about how elephants are trained and controlled. I found this description online:
"If you have ever gone to the circus you’ve seen this “elephant trainers” principle in action. By that I mean the huge two-ton elephant shackled by one leg. At the end of the shackle is a small wooden stake dug into the ground. Hard to believe but true, that elephant is being limited by that short chain and the small stake. Obviously the elephant has enough power to free itself and roam around as he pleases. Yet the elephant has been conditioned to accept this limitation. You see as a youngster the shackle placed on his leg was able to hold him in place. After tugging on it for a certain period of time his leg became bruised. This created enough pain in him that he stopped attempting his own freedom. Once he accepts the limitation imposed on him it becomes a permanent belief, or in his case, a conditioned reaction. Now as he grows into adulthood, he has the power to easily pull the stake out of the ground, but his conditioning has taught him that the effort will not only be futile, it will be painful as well."*
I've also heard that the elephant's behavior remains controlled even after the shackle is completely removed...and he responds as if he is still shackled.
It occurred to me that I all too often live as if I'm still bound and shackled even though I have been freed by Christ Himself. I need to live like I've been freed.
If you have the song, or any version of Amazing Grace, I'd encourage you to put it on, turn it up, and remember, if you've accepted His gift of grace, how deeply amazing it is.
Our chains are gone!
We've been set free!
Let's live in the freedom of Christ today!
*http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Martinez1.html
Monday, November 5, 2007
A Lesson From Garfield
Why do we pray?
I mean, what are our motives behind praying? I think one reason we pray is because we want life to work. Our tendency is...
-if someone's sick, we pray they'll get better.
-if your car breaks down, you pray it will work.
-if I don't have money to pay my bills, I pray for money.
That's all fine...and it's good in the sense that God tells us to pray for what we need (Php. 4.6) and to cast our cares on Him (Ps. 55). He, too, cares about these things. I'm wondering, though, if our tendency to pray for health, wealth, comfort and ease is because that's where we find LIFE.
He, Himself, reminds us that He is the Life, not our circumstances. He certainly cares about our circumstances, but for now, the higher priority is character above circumstances and trials. He'll use the circumstances and trials to develop godly character in us and beautify us.
Evil is fighting for our hearts, and with our sinful nature, we will naturally gravitate toward the evil.
But God is passionate about our beauty. He's still creating beauty, and He will turn our ashes into beauty (Is. 61). Of course, we have to hand over our ashes....
Where I find life will be evident in my prayers. Will I trust that He has life for me? If I'm seeking life in Christ alone, certainly I will take my needs, cares and concerns to Him, and my prayers will sound more like Jesus' prayers:
“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matt. 26.42).
"Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one" (Matt. 6.11-13).
I know I cannot find LIFE apart from Him...so I run to Him asking Him to be the One to fill me...regardless of my circumstances.
In the words of an animated, self-absorbed cat, I began my prayer time with God today:
"Love me; feed me; never leave me." --Garfield.
I mean, what are our motives behind praying? I think one reason we pray is because we want life to work. Our tendency is...
-if someone's sick, we pray they'll get better.
-if your car breaks down, you pray it will work.
-if I don't have money to pay my bills, I pray for money.
That's all fine...and it's good in the sense that God tells us to pray for what we need (Php. 4.6) and to cast our cares on Him (Ps. 55). He, too, cares about these things. I'm wondering, though, if our tendency to pray for health, wealth, comfort and ease is because that's where we find LIFE.
He, Himself, reminds us that He is the Life, not our circumstances. He certainly cares about our circumstances, but for now, the higher priority is character above circumstances and trials. He'll use the circumstances and trials to develop godly character in us and beautify us.
Evil is fighting for our hearts, and with our sinful nature, we will naturally gravitate toward the evil.
But God is passionate about our beauty. He's still creating beauty, and He will turn our ashes into beauty (Is. 61). Of course, we have to hand over our ashes....
Where I find life will be evident in my prayers. Will I trust that He has life for me? If I'm seeking life in Christ alone, certainly I will take my needs, cares and concerns to Him, and my prayers will sound more like Jesus' prayers:
“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matt. 26.42).
"Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one" (Matt. 6.11-13).
I know I cannot find LIFE apart from Him...so I run to Him asking Him to be the One to fill me...regardless of my circumstances.
In the words of an animated, self-absorbed cat, I began my prayer time with God today:
"Love me; feed me; never leave me." --Garfield.
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