Devoted

Recently I’ve started to read through a Psalm and an Proverb each day. Typically, this is a spiritual discipline I try to start each day with. I am reminded of this hopeful expectation from the Scripture: I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11 ESV). In the Scriptures, Jesus reminds us to abide in Him (see John 15:3-5). Because your relationship with Christ is the most important thing you will ever cultivate, I pray that you will spend time in prayer, studying the Scripture, and private worship every day.

Today I read through Psalm 107, there is a repeated theme throughout the text: Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. (Psalm 107:6) As you read the Psalm, you’ll discover a pattern: People wander and suffer apart from God, their suffering causes them to cry out to and seek the Lord, and in His gracious love, the God of creation does what only He can do.

As I look back over my life, there have been so many instances of great suffering, pain, grief, trials, and tribulation that drove me to my knees. In those moments, the Spirit of God graciously called me to Him and I experienced the love, grace, mercy, kindness, presence, and help of God. There seems to be a frustrating reality at work: In prosperity, man seems to forsake His creator. It often takes pain and suffering for God to capture our attention, then our affection, and then our heart.

I wonder how dramatically different our lives might look if instead of coming to God as our last resort, He was our first response. I wonder if instead of expecting a vibrant, intimate, strong relationship to happen by accident, we intentionally, intelligently, and regularly drew near to the Lord. There seems to be a spiritual premise in the Scripture where God calls on us to seek Him and draw near to Him as He draws near to us.

The writer of James reminds us this way: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8 ESV) I’m reminded that the type of relationship with God my soul is desperate for won’t happen by accident. This really shouldn’t be a surprise… every strong, meaningful, lasting relationship requires intentionality, perseverance, and determination. Here is the beautiful thing, when we draw near to God in faith, because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, our loving heavenly Father draws near to us!

Today, I hope it won’t take trials and tribulations to drive you into the presence of God. It is my hope that each of us learns to truly treasure and yearn for a deeper relationship with God. Simply, let us learn to walk with Christ in prosperity and in pain. Let us draw near to Christ in the good times and the bad. Let us trust our gracious God with both the blessings and the frustrations. No matter where life finds you today, I hope you will cry out to the Lord and when He delivers you from your distress, praise Him and testify of His incredible love!

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble (Psalm 107:1-2 ESV)

As I think about the nine years I’ve spent walking with Jesus, I have experienced a lifetime of events that have left me radically changed by His grace. From the loss of a job that eventually led to the foreclosure on my first home, the repossession of a car, and total bankruptcy, Jesus was there. When I didn’t have enough money to buy Christmas presents for my kids, Jesus was there. Through the car wreck that stole my late wife and four year old daughter, Jesus was there. As I lay fighting for my life and lay helplessly unable to be there for my son as we both struggled to live after the same wreck, Jesus was there.

In my brief time here on earth I’ve come to understand the only certain thing, the only unchanging thing is God and His faithful promises. His love and mercy have sustained me through life’s toughest moments. In the pain and prosperity Jesus has been faithful and has showered me with grace and mercy when I needed Him most. 

One of my life’s defining moments was when in my deepest, darkest moment Jesus posed a simple question: “is My grace not enough?” From that moment in 2011 God has shattered the walls I built up around my pride, sin, and arrogance. I discovered the desperate need that I have (that you have too) for the God of the universe who created and loves us. 

The power verse for my life is 2 Corinthians 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. It is here in my deepest weakness that I find the unending strength of Jesus. Sometimes I just can’t… but my God always can. From the deepest hurts of life to the greatest moments of blessing, God is faithful and will never leave us or forsake us.

Today I want to encourage every follower of Jesus with this reminder: nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). If you find yourself wounded, weary, and exhausted from the constant daily struggles of life, you are not alone. When you are weary and burdened, trust in the Lord. He will sustain you and give you strength you need to fight on (Isaiah 40:30-31). 

I want to leave you today with the lyrics from He Giveth More Grace as a reminder of the unending grace and love of our good God. Don’t give up, God isn’t through with you yet!

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase
To added affliction He addeth His mercy
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again

You’ll have to forgive me if I associate thoughts in life with kids movies… what can I say? I have five kids under the age of 12. With that said I am well acquainted with all the Disney classics, and I especially prefer musicals. I think music within itself is a powerful language to communicate thought, and I’m amazed at the countless songs the human mind can memorize. 

Tonight as I write this message, I am thinking about the classic Trolls and a particularly hilarious scene where the classic “Sound of Silence” is sang by one of the movies heroes (Poppy). Although the song itself has no bearing on this message, except to bring a smile to my face as I think about Branch throwing Poppy’s guitar in the fire (I love Branch), I think the title of the song speaks volumes. 

Can I share a vulnerable confession with you? I hate silence. In fact I almost never sit in silence, even as I pray. As I write this message tonight I have instrumental music softly playing in the background. The old saying: “silence is deafening” may help you get the picture of why silence is hard for me. The honest truth is I don’t like myself and when I am alone, in the silence with just my thoughts, I have to face that silence.

The Scripture tells us that God communicates to us through a still small voice, a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13). Sometimes I wish God would just communicate to me in some grand fashion where His voice would be unmistakable in the midst of my chaotic life; but that’s not how God has chosen to communicate.

Tonight as Psalm 46:10 comes to mind, God is asking me (and you) to do something important. He is asking us to “be still” and as a result, silent before Him. In the stillness and silence of that moment with our minds turned fully towards God seeking His heart, I am confident that His peace will flood our souls. The problem plainly isn’t that God doesn’t speak, for me it is historically that I am so busy and afraid of the stillness of that moment that I don’t hear Him. But the moments I have heard Him speak have transformed my life…

Tonight (or whenever you are reading this), I hope that you won’t be afraid of that silence. Turn off the music, the TV, and whatever else is distracting your mind. Enter into a secret place and shut the door, quietly still yourself physically before the Lord and turn your heart towards Him. Focus your mind and attention and let His peace and joy flood your heart as you remember: He is God.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6 NLT)