Inhaling Grace

"But He gives us more grace..."

James 4:6

 

No matter how hard I try to fight it, I constantly find myself wrestling with habitual sins I can't seem to shake and a love affair with the world that continues to grow.   On my own, I am a sinful mess consumed by failure and condemnation in desperate need of a Savior.

But He gives us more grace...I love how these six, small, powerful words gently nourish and replenish my soul.  Meditating on this verse, I find myself inhaling the grace of Christ and watching as it washes over my infinite sins and shortcomings.  He gives us more grace and His grace is more than enough!  

  

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord."

2 Peter 1:2

As we continue to draw near to God and seek to know Him more, I pray we will experience an abundance of His grace and peace.  May it wash over us and replenish our souls!

Remembering Our Song

"I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search...And I said, 'this is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.'  I will remember the works of the Lord...I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.  Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?  You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength to the peoples."

Psalm 77:6,10-14 NKJV

I think we've all walked through seasons marked by pain, anguish, and despair.  Some of us more often than we would like to remember.   In Psalm 77 we see the Psalmist wrestling in the night, unable to sleep, and crying out, "my soul refused to be comforted...I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed...I am so troubled that I cannot speak." (verses 2-4)   Have you ever felt so troubled you couldn't even speak?

But he goes on to declare, "I call to remembrance my song in the night..."  Even in the midst of his anguish, we see the Psalmist choose to remember and meditate on the works of the Lord--"Who is so great a God as our God?"

There are two important points I think we can draw from Psalm 77.  First, notice that the Psalmist doesn't hide his feelings.  He cries out and tells God he's troubled, inconsolable, and overwhelmed.  When faced with suffering, we don't need to be afraid to pour our hearts out to God and tell Him how we're feeling.  God is a God who daily bears our burdens, we need to allow ourselves the freedom to cry out.

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Psalm 62:8

Additionally, instead of settling for inconsolable, we see the Psalmist rising up and choosing to remember his song and meditate on who God is and who God has been in His life.  In my Bible, the title of Psalm 77 reads, "The Consoling Memory of God's Redemptive Works."  Don't you love that?!?  I pray that when we're faced with pain, we will remember our song of God's redemption and power and allow it to bring us comfort and strength!

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death."

Psalm 68:19-20

Are there songs, verses, or memories of God's power that bring comfort to your heart or hope in despair?  Mine changes from time to time, but currently the classic hymn "In Christ Alone" has been a great comfort to me in recent months.  My friends Mary Elizabeth and Meade included it in the funeral for their three week old son Warren back in February. Ever since then, I can't sing it or even read the lyrics without my eyes filling with tears.  The faith and confidence in God's sovereignty they display by singing it in the midst of their loss blows me away. 

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

(verses 1 and 2)

My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand...Lord, may I always remember the song of your sovereignty and redemption.  Thank you that you are a God who saves.  May my spirit continue to hunger and thirst for more of you day after day.   When my heart is troubled, I pray I will remember your song.

Soaking Him In

Pretty much all the time, Oswald can say it better:

"...In our Lord's life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others...If you waste your time in overactivity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God's redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
-An excerpt from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 19th

It's so easy to be consumed by the activity and busyness in the world we live in. Sometimes, we even find ourselves maxed out on Christian activities, studies, dinners, and fellowship, that we forget to spend time alone nourishing our souls by being still and resting in the Lord's presence.

When I'm in need of some quality soaking time, I often turn to some good worship music and close my eyes to rest in God's nourishing presence. At our Bible study last night we talked about different songs that are resonating in our hearts during our various seasons. One person mentioned the song, "Give me Jesus" by Jeremy Camp. It is a perfect "soaking song."

In the morning when I rise,
Give me Jesus

When I am alone,
Give me Jesus

When I come to die,
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.
(lyrics paraphrased)

Here's a little snippet from a great live version I found:

That is the cry of my heart--beyond the stress, busyness, activity, just Give me Jesus.

Jesus, you are what I need. You are the One my heart longs for!

Even if it's just five minutes, try to spend some time today soaking Him in and being rooted in the promises and redemption of Jesus.

Pushing Back On Procrastination

A few months ago, I noticed that the lining of our shower curtain was developing some mildew on the bottom. As the weeks went on, the mildew continued to grow and soon enough the shower curtain was pretty much covered. What did we do about it? NOTHING. Every time I stepped into the shower instead of enjoying the chance to be refreshed and cleansed, all I saw was the growing fungi invading my shower, yet I just sat back and watched it grow.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I resolved that this couldn't last one more day, so I went to the store and for $5.00 I purchased a new liner. Within five minutes of walking into my apartment, the old liner was out and new liner was perfectly in place.

$5.00 and 5 minutes. That was all it took. Afterwards, it was as if the whole bathroom had been transformed and the shower was once again a relaxing haven.

Why had I been putting it off for so long?

Maybe it's just me, but this pattern isn't just with my cleaning. I tend to put things off because I don't want to deal with them, but the longer I wait, the more it grows, and the harder it is to actually face them. In my life I see myself taking this approach in all kinds of areas--relationships, forgiveness, and even my prayer life. Thinking things like:

"I really need to talk to this person about how I feel, but now isn't a good time...I'll do it next time I see them."

"My heart is plagued with unforgiveness, but I'll tackle that in a few week when things aren't so crazy."

"It's been months since I've had some quality time praying and reading God's word, but I want to wait until I have a good hour so I can really focus."

I find myself waiting for the "perfect time," that never seems to come. The longer I put things off, the harder it is to address them. Sometimes taking small steps towards facing the things I'm avoiding can be a great approach. Whether it's e-mailing a friend to set up a time to talk instead of waiting for the "right time;" opening up to someone about my unforgiveness so they can help me; or beginning to pray just three minutes a day instead of waiting for the hour when I have no distractions...is it ever easy to find an hour in the day with no distractions? It's possible to start with simple, manageable ways to slowly begin tackling the things we try so hard avoid.

The shower curtain was one small part of a growing mess in our apartment, but once I finally took the initiative to address it, I found myself more willing to tackle bigger projects like messy closets, disorganized cupboards, and piles of mail that I never wanted to sort.

Today if you find yourself putting something off like relationships, forgiveness, faith, or even a shower curtain full of fungus, try thinking of one simple step you can take towards slowly addressing whatever you're avoiding.

When I feel plagued by procrastination or avoidance there is such comfort in knowing that I'm not alone. Whatever mountain we're putting off, God is ready and willing to take our hand and lead us through. Don't let your heart be discouraged, but be still and rest calmly in His rich mercy.

"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."
Isaiah 41:13