Who He Is One-a-Day Monday 7/22/19

A life worthy

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.  (Psalm 22:3).

Oh yeah,

He’s God.

When we feel down, depressed, stressed, panicky, despairish, it’s easy to forget.

He’s God–with all that entails. 

And, he’s on our side.

Look, I don’t know what stressers your Monday holds–but it is Monday, so….

Let’s you and I follow David’s lead and remind ourselves who it is we cry out to.

The Praise of Israel

The Praise of Michael

The Praise of….

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Crying Out One-a-Day Friday 7/19/19

A life worthy

Oh my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent (Psalm 22:2).

David calls.

God is silent.

Well, that’s a bummer.

Now, David could take this several ways. He could give up on God and assume that he is a myth, and that David is entirely alone. He could become angry with God, raging at God’s injustice in allowing his child to be in such a place of pain. He could become sullen and resentful and show God that David doesn’t really need him; David will be just fine on his own, thank you very much.

Or, he can persist, knowing that his relationship with God is more than this moment, and the truth of God is more than this circumstance.

On Wednesday, just after I posted, my son and I hiked to the top of Mt. San Gorgonio. This, by the way, is why there was no post yesterday, as we didn’t get home until late Thursday afternoon. I am not a very experienced hiker, and I’m in only mediocre shape. These factors put climbing such a mountain in the “What are you thinking?” category. I thought of today’s verse as I limped my way up the last four miles of mountain. I felt, in those endless hours, as if the torture would pretty much be forever. Seems silly now, comfy in my chair with a good night’s sleep behind me and half a bottle of Ibuprofen coursing through me, but in that moment I think I got a glimpse of what David was feeling.  And I marvel at David’s persistence in crying out to the One who has delivered him time and again.

Cry out, Beloved. 

He is listening.

He is near.

He will answer.

Happy Friday

Where Are You? One-a-Day Wednesday 7/17/19

A life worthy

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?  (Psalm 22:1).

And yet he isn’t far, is he, Beloved?

I mean, we’ve been around long enough to realize that God is with us, even when we can’t feel his presence. He promised that he would never leave us, never forsake us, and we believe him.

But

that doesn’t change the way it feels.

I feel your pain, David my brother.

So I don’t know where you are today, emotions-wise. You may read this verse and think, “Wow, yeah, I remember feeling that way. So glad that’s over!”

For now

For someone out there, this verse is the echo of your own cry, of the pain and the sorrow and the terror of the “What if.”

As in, “What if I really am alone?”

“What if God really isn’t coming back?

or worst of all,

“What if he was never really there in the first place?”

If that’s you, all I can tell you is you’re not the first to feel this way, and you won’t be the last. You are not forgotten by the One who loves you.  If you can hang in and hang on, it will absolutely get better

in just a couple of verses.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Oh, and just so’s you know–I will be out of internet range tomorrow, so we’ll resume Friday! God bless you!

Forsaken One-a-Day Tuesday 7/16/19

A life worthy

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  (Psalm 22:1).

Forsaken

Deserted

Left utterly alone

David felt this. He looked around at the enemies arrayed against him and figured that God just wasn’t coming to the rescue this time. Maybe he was angry with David, or maybe he was too busy elsewhere. Whatever the reason, David was alone.

Beloved, I hope that you never feel that depth of aloneness. I hope your heart never tells you that you are abandoned by God, left to fend for yourself in a world that is against you. 

But, chances are, you have. 

Or you will

Or…you are

But

Your heart is mistaken.

You are not forsaken.

Jesus was forsaken for you. On the cross, Jesus was truly and completely separated from the Father as he took the punishment that we deserved. He took David’s words as his own as he cried out. He who had never in all eternity been alone suffered complete desolation

so that you will never have to.

You are not forsaken. Whatever your emotions or your circumstances or your chemistry tells you this morning, you are not forsaken.

You are remembered.

You are surrounded.

You are beloved.

Happy Tuesday

Amen One-a-Day Monday 7/15/19

A life worthy

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Philippians 4:23).

Well, Beloved…we did it.

The entire book of Philippians

Go us.

So…Paul signs off with a simple sentence, a benediction to his readers. But it’s more than a simple, “That’s all, folks!” He manages to encapsulate, in a few words, a big chunk of the Christian life:

  1. It’s grace–you can’t earn it.
  2. It’s Jesus–always, ever Jesus.
  3. It’s your spirit–God works from the inside out.

Take that reminder with you into your week.

The Lord of Everything chooses to love you, in spite of…well…you. He’s given you all you need to live and to serve and to be amazing.

So, go live.

Go serve.

Go be amazing.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

All My Needs One-a-Day Friday 7/12/19

A life worthy

And my God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

The key word here is needs.

And GodGod is always a key word.

And, you know, Christ Jesus.

But right now I’m talking about needs.

God will give me what I need, just like any loving father. Not every want or desire or whim of my flesh, but my every need. And what I need, more than anything…

is him.

This ties back into the idea of contentment. When I trust God I am satisfied with what I have, not stressed about what I don’t. This frees me to give. Aaaaaand…giving to God’s people brings me closer to him, which deepens my reliance on him, causing me to trust him more, producing greater contentment with my situation, which frees me to give, drawing me closer…

Let the circle be unbroken.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

The Secret One-a-Day Wednesday 7/10/19

A life worthy

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

The secret isn’t a what. It’s a who. 

Not the Dr. Seuss kinda who.

The Jesus kind

He is the answer to human nature–the one thing we truly can never get enough of.

Beloved, if you are in Christ, then what you have today is his provision for you. Rejoice in it–whatever it is. 

It is enough.

Beloved, if you are in Christ, then who you are today is the result of his work in you. Rejoice in it–whatever it is. 

You are enough.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Hunger One-a-Day Tuesday 7/9/19

A life worthy

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty (Philippians 4:12).

When I was 19 I lived alone in a little cabin in the mountains. I had just started a new job and didn’t know that paychecks often came a few weeks behind the actual work dates.

Surprise

At one point I was living off generic ramen noodles with the occasional egg tossed in. In the last day or two before payday, the eggs were long gone and the ramen ran out and I engaged in what I called a financial fast–code for no money with which to eat. I sat at an empty table and read my Bible during meal times, going for the whole spiritual food is more valuable than physical food deal.

It ranks as one of the best times of my life.

These days I never go hungry. At least, not physically.

Hmm.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

Content Under Pressure One-a-Day Monday 7/8/19

A life worthy

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances(Philippians 4:11).

The word I hold on to here is learned.

Learned gives me hope. It tells me that Paul wasn’t always content, either. That word lets me know that Paul was once like me, looking forward and backward and all around instead of being content with where he was, who he was, what God was doing in the moment. And if Paul can learn…

When I was a little kid I thought that content was a verb. The only time I encountered the word was on aerosol cans–you know, contents under pressure. I thought that meant that the stuff inside the can would do something–would content–if you squeezed it. I’m not sure what I thought it would do, exactly. Explode or something, I guess. The concept was intriguing and vaguely unsettling.

But content is not a verb, is it? It’s not something you do.

And that’s the point.

Happy Monday, Beloved.