Tag: Lent

Hide and Seek

Consider the Birds

 

shesharestruth

This seems to have been such a LONG week…..I am kinda glad it’s over and the weekend will be here shortly!  Not that the weekend makes anything that happened this week less important but it just feels like hopefully the air will be a little lighter that’s all!

It is also She Shares Truth Friday!  I am not sure how many of you are participating in the Jonah study from She Reads Truth but it has been really amazing; the thought that the Lord wanted Jonah so badly that he pursued him across an ocean is incredible.  When you add in that he was being a stubborn and flat-out running in the opposite direction of his call it makes the story drip with God’s grace and mercy!  And not just for the Ninevites, but for Jonah, and ultimately for you and me.

I read the first two chapters of Jonah (you can read them here if you would like) and was honestly shocked at how fast and far Jonah ran away.  He heard his call from the Lord and immediately boarded a ship that would take him basically across His known world in the opposite direction of where God had called him.  Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he decides to go take a nap in the bottom of the ship while a storm rages above him.  It’s almost like he was trying to get as far away from God as possible; like he was saying “Go ahead, and try to find me here!”

And God found him, and took him even deeper; to the bottom of the ocean in the belly of a huge fish!  Can you imagine? Not only was Jonah’s faith completely outdone by the heathen crew (when they heard he was a Hebrew, they showed so much more fear and respect for the living God than Jonah did), but it took being in the belly of a fish to prove to Jonah that God will NEVER fail!

I wonder how differently we would live our lives if we truly believed that He never fails?  If we could step back and look at the mountains in our lives and keep climbing knowing that with God we will not fall!  We may not be able to see what the plan is exactly (Jonah thought he was gonna bring the judgement of God down a sinful city) but trusting His heart can make it easier to walk His way.

And Jonah’s salvation came through the Lord alone.  In the belly of that giant fish at the bottom of the ocean Jonah called out to God and He heard.  In that moment Jonah realized His God would never fail!  It didn’t matter how far he tried to run, or where he tried to hide;  GOD NEVER FAILS! And His grace will chase us to the depths of the earth if that’s where we run!

Another great song from Hillsong United;  God is Able

Have a great weekend!

Distraction

Consider the Birds

The sun is out and I can see some of the grass in my yard that has been covered since early November!!!  It’s a good Friday!

shesharestruth

Today is also She Shares Truth Friday!  So I am devoting my post today to Psalm 38.

I have to tell you this one was difficult for me; it’s a really heavy Psalm!  Especially for a girl who is trying to write about joy!  You can read Psalm 38 here.

Many Bible scholars feel it was written by David right after his “situation” with Uriah (you know the one where he arranged a murder to cover up an affair).  What resonates with me the most is the heavy and overpowering sense of guilt that David is facing.  This guilt has made him sick, angry, and isolated.  He is completely distracted by his sin.  His guilt has taken him really low.  But even in the deepest pit he still called out to God for help.

Psalm 38 is full of David’s longing to restore his relationship with the Lord.  I think you see the full spectrum of his emotions.  He feels abandoned by God and mistreated by his friends.  Ultimately, he realizes that he is the one to blame and lays it all out before the Lord.  He confesses his sin and says he will wait as long as it takes to restore the relationship.

David has always been one of my favorites in the Bible.  He was a man after God’s own heart, but we still see him struggle with sin.  When I look at David I see someone who is gut-honest with God!  When you read his Psalms you can see him at his highest and at his lowest.  He sings his God’s praises.  He proclaims God’s righteousness and the wonders of His creation.  But he also cries out in desperation for God’s attention, and writes about feeling forsaken by the One he loves.  He begs to feel close to Him again.

Much like David, in Psalm 38, I find myself getting so distracted by my own version of things.  I get distracted by my own sin.  My own grief and unanswered prayers steal my focus.  In an honest moment I would have to say that there have been times I have turned completely away from Him because of distraction and blame.  If God would have just come through in the way I thought was best everything would be perfect; right?

And I feel far away.  And God seems distant.  And I feel low.

But God never leaves.  He never gets distracted from His love for me.  He never tires of forgiving me and helping me find the right direction.  He is as close as the mention of His name; all we have to do is call.  And that is what David does in this psalm.  Even though he feels low and far away, he still calls out to the One he knows will save him.  That is where we can find joy in this very heavy writing.  Even though David felt he was far from the Lord and was distracted by his sin, there was still forgiveness waiting for him.

Lent is about coming back to Christ.  Lent is about giving up distractions and turning our focus to the One who saves us.  David came back to the Lord and he was saved from his sin.  God waited for David, just like He waits for us to turn back to him.  Let’s find joy in the One who never leaves us and waits for us even when we are distracted.