A Life Worthy

…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).

I have, on occasion, taken Scripture verses a bit too literally.

Once upon a time, I ran a marathon.  Actually, that’s not quite accurate; I ran part of a marathon and hobbled the rest.  This verse kept running through my mind.

My hope was in the Lord.

And yet…

My strength was depleted.

Though I was sore, I did not soar.

I ran, and grew quite weary.

I walked, and was faint.

I crawled, and was blistered.

So maybe God wasn’t talking about marathon running.  Maybe he was talking about our spiritual life.

And yet…

Sometimes I feel like my spiritual life is a lot like that marathon.  The pressures crowd in on me from every side, and I can’t find peace.  My hope is in him, but I just feel weak and low and tired and afraid.  It doesn’t look like my hopes will ever be made real.

I’m sure you never feel this way—thanks for putting up with my dysfunction.

As I write this, my mind goes to two places—painful and awkward, but that’s how my brain works.  First, I think of yesterday’s verse: Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.  My hope cannot be based in my circumstances; it must be based in God’s character.  Second, I have to realize that this race is not over yet.  I may feel like I’m about to drop, but I haven’t.

Does that resonate with you, even a little?  Because I hate to feel alone.

You feel like you’re about to drop, but you haven’t.

By his grace, you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

And that is our hope.

I remember the end of that marathon.  After doing the death crawl for several eternities, I reached the 25 mile marker.

1.2 miles to go.

I prayed that God would give me the strength to finish at a run…and he did.

I ran the end of the race.

One might even say that I soared…but one would be wildly mistaken.

Still, I finished strong in that race.

And I will finish strong in this race.

And so will you, Beloved—that’s a promise.

Happy Friday

…God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. (Colossians 1:27).

I don’t understand how.

I can’t fathom why.

I just know what.

And the what is that the Lord of the Universe has chosen to make his home in you.  Somehow, someway he lives in your heart, and that makes you completely, irrevocably his in a way that will always be a mystery.

It is, nevertheless, true.

And that truth is what gives us hope.  The security, the strength, the love that we can never earn is ours by right because we are his.  We are like street urchins who learn that we are, in fact, the lost heirs to the throne of the kingdom.  Vast, unimaginable riches are ours by birthright.  You don’t need to mourn the past—those debts are paid.  You don’t need to fret over the future—glory awaits.  You need only to let him live in and through you today, to let him build his home in your heart.  And that is exactly what he wants to do.  And that is your hope.

You are his Beloved.

You are his, Beloved.

This is going to be a crazy week for me.  I hope you don’t mind repondering this series from last year.  Somehow, I think it’s still appropriate.

This week we focus on Hope, because…

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).

There’s a whole lot of sick hearts out there.

We hope, we hunger, we long for something, and it tears at us. We feel a hole in our hearts, and we yearn for that which will fill it. And then, after weeks, months, years of patience, we obtain our hope, and all is bliss.

Except when we don’t.

And it isn’t.

Then what?

I’m going to open the week with a simple question:  What do you hope for?

I said simple; I never said easy.

Do us both a favor; don’t tell me—or God, or yourself, for that matter—what you think we want to hear.  Because, “I hope for Christ’s return, when I will be glorified with him and made complete in him,” sounds incredibly spiritual, and is a gold star answer in Sunday School, and is probably even true.

But it’s not all, is it?

Dump out your heart this morning.  Sift through all the bits and bobs.  What do you find yourself yearning for, aching for, hoping for?

What is missing?

Just something to ponder as you head into your week.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.  But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me (Psalm 131:1-2).

This image is so powerful—a small child walking quietly along, holding his mother’s hand and going wherever she leads.  The child is not worried about where they are going or when they will get there or how they will pay the rent or who will be President.  Mom is there, and so all is well.  And that’s all that matters.

God is here.

Isn’t that all that matters?

Take his hand today, Beloved.  Walk quietly with him, content that he is here, and so all is well.

Breathe deeply, and have a peaceful Thursday.

I’ve got a theme this week: Rest in Him.

I think we can all use it.

The Lord your God is with you; he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing  (Zephaniah 3:17).

There’s a whole lot of great theology packed into this verse.  Walk through it with me, would you?

The Lord your God is with you The God of the Universe, he who created everything—by which I mean everything—with his spoken word, is on your side.  He wants you to succeed; he wants you to prosper.

He is mighty to save  This one who is on your side is the Lord of the Universe.  He has the power to protect you, to care for you.  Look, I love you, my friend, but what can I do?  God, on the other hand—when he says he’ll protect you, you know you’re protected.

He will take great delight in you  This same Lord of the Universe we’re talking about?  He doesn’t just love you.  He likes you.  He delights in you.  You, Beloved.  You make his heart sing.

He will quiet you with his love  God’s love has the power to calm that stressed out heart of yours.  I remember when my kids were little. Sometimes they would be upset, and I could scoop them up into my arms, hold them close, and feel their anxiety melt away.  God wants to do that with you, Beloved.

He will rejoice over you with singing   You.  Your Father is filled with joy over you.

Notice, nothing is said about how much you deserve all this—or don’t—so get the self-incrimination out of the way.  Just read the words—two or three or ten times—and let them sink deep.  Let him quiet you with his love this morning.

Happy Monday, Beloved.