10 Oct 2015

31 Days : The God Who is Speaks

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The God Who Speaks

In a digital world, we are capable of hearing anyone speak from anywhere in the world anytime we care to.

But, I feel there is more to the “talk” when its live.  I remember the first time I heard Louie Giglio, John Piper, and David Platt live.  I remember hearing pastors week in and week out  – those who were not only brilliant but also passionate and engaging and pastoral.

I can tell you that sitting with a friend, talking while sipping on chai, is much better than communicating via text (though if that’s all you have its awesome).

Also, when my husband travels for his work and we have to rely on calls, texts, or emails – it is a joy to hear him say hello in person when he returns.

Some people in the Bible got to have audible conversations with God.  They also had people called prophets who were mouthpieces for God – communicating truth to the hearers.

David knew, as he was confessing his sin to a holy and just God – that the Creator would be justified in whatever he said, even if he chose not to respond.  Truth that would be fitting to the situation.

Today, we have the voice of God in written form.  It may not be quite the same as hearing God audibly, but the Word is living, active and purely true.  We can stake our life on it.  We can accept it.  We need to cherish it.  And I know I need to know it and love it more.  And I will eagerly look forward to the day when I hear the voice of God – live in his presence.

Psalm 51:4

Others: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 19

9 Oct 2015

31 Days : The God Who is Just

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The God Who is Just

In our world, I don’t know if there are many things that are out there that really help us capture what true justice is.  There are ministries out there who are helping recapture what justice is – fighting for the lowly, the outcast, the hurting.

Our great God has great justice for those.  He is also JUST.  He is right.  He is perfect.  Everything He does is perfectly set in that truth.  There is no injustice in Him.

That is why King David knows that no matter what the Lord says in response to David’s sin, confession, and praise – God is completely right in any response He would give – even if that was no response at all.

This is absolutely helpful to know in our world brimming with injustice.  Every time we watch the news, get on social media, discipline our children (that’s not fair), we are faced with injustice.  Isn’t it time we look to God and know his complete perfectness and rest in that?  We can come to him with all the injustice that we see and know that He is working.  He is working in the world.  He is working in our lives to root out injustice and entitlement in us.  He is working to see His justice in the world.

Psalm 51.4

8 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who Welcomes Sinners

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God Welcomes Sinners

I love practicing hospitality.  I love welcoming people in my home, and into my life.  I love deep friendships.  Hospitality isn’t about cooking the best food or having the most comfortable guest suite or the classic Pottery Barn magazine look everywhere.

God doesn’t need any of that to welcome sinners.  We just learned that God is holy and right in all that He does.

And at the same time, God knows our sin much better than we o and He still welcomes us.  He bids us come.  He desires that we be near Him.

How totally cool is that?  God knows the ugliness of our sin – is holy – and welcomes us through Jesus to sit with him, learn from him, be loved by him, be healed through him.

Psalm 51.3-4

Further reading: Matthew 11:28 and listen to this song

8 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who is Holy

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God is Holy

Sometimes, life is more important than getting a blog together.  I wrote yesterday’s post yesterday in my quiet time early in the morning – but the day got in the way.  I had errands to run, we went for a hike as a family, then the gym and church.  I was going to do it when I got home and the boys got to bed.  However, I cooked dinner for my mister and did the dishes only to find out that the garbage disposal was causing a leak. So…it was a longish night, and I didn’t wan to type it up at midnight.

So you will get two posts today on the attributes of God found in Psalm 51.

I’ve learned more about sin, confession, and repentance in the four years I’ve been married and three years of being a mommy than all 34 years of life before that.

Sin affects you and the world around you much more than you think it does.  It breaks relationships and hinders community and the shalom of your life.  Sin damages and sin is at war within you.

I’ve learned my first (and natural, sinful) tendency is to blame shift.  Traffic.  Kids’ temper tantrums. Others’ incompetence. My husband’s sin. But, sin doesn’t wait on other’s sin to be active in my heart.  Sin is deadly.  The Spirit is the best warrior in my life fighting against sin.

Also, I’ve learned to confess to God.  Usually, I’m just a confess to the person I’ve offended type person – and that is something that needs to happen. But, I need to confess to God first.  Because first and foremost my sin is against God.

But, why is that such an important thing to remember?  Because God isn’t like us.  He created us in his image – but He is Holy.  That means he is not dwelling in sin – there is no sin anywhere in him. He can’t sin.  He is perfect.  He doesn’t know sin intimately like we do.

And because He is holy – He can offer the solution for our sin – which He did.  Jesus was completely perfect and He became our sacrificial – holy – perfect sacrifice.

Psalm 51:4

Other: 2 Cor 5:21, 1 Peter 1.13-21

6 Oct 2015

31 Days: The Who Takes Care of My Rebellion and Helplessness

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The Lamb of God

The mister and I were talking last night about this series I’m studying and writing.  I told him about yesterday’s post on generosity and how that’s one of the traits I desire to see in both of our boys and also how I want it to define our lives as well.

Then, almost as a discouragement, I said “this side of heaven we’ll never be generous with completely pure motives.”  I’m often aware of the yucky motives that fill my head and heart.  There are times when these motives surprise me and discourage me – apart from Christ.  I know that Christ has redeemed me and the Spirit is working to sanctify all of me.  It is such a long journey.

I doubt David – when he was in the fields with the sheep – thought to himself “I’m going to be a murderer and an adulterer when I grow up.”  But, that is the deceitfulness of sin.  Sin settles in on every part of our lives.  No part is left unaffected.  David had sin in his heart and blatantly stepped over the boundaries that God had set for sexual purity and protecting life.

David also would have been familiar with the sacrificial system of the Jewish religion.  HE knew of the blood that was given during the sacrifices.  He knew the stained alters and the stained hands.  He also know that only one person could cleanse those stains.

And he believed in One who would later come from his family who would fulfill the forever requirements of the sacrificial system and take away every rebellious act and every way our lives are scarred by the affects of the Fall.

Psalm 51:1-2

Further reading: John 1:29, Exodus 29:38-46

 

5 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who is Abundant With His Children

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The God Who Is Abundant With His Children

I think every mom could tell you that one of the most difficult traits to “cure” your toddler of is selfishness.  They always want their toys, their food, their way, “mine mine mine”, etc.

One of the constant reminders I give to one of my sons (no need for name calling) is “share your toys” and when I see the act of generosity take root in his little heart – even for a second – I comment him for that.  When that generosity spills forth from his life – from our lives – we are shorting something of our heavenly Father to the world.  We bear his image of abundance.

When David calls on God to act according to his character – he doesn’t just ask for mercy – which of course would be plenty  – but David begs God that he would act according to his abundant mercy.  To his overflowing, spilling out all over the place, no room left for any more, bursting at the seams mercy.

And you know what – God answers David’s prayer.  He gives him this abundant mercy – extravagant mercy – generous mercy that he was asking for.  And that’s what He did for us.  God chose to radically and abundantly show us truly amazing mercy in the gift of Jesus.  The one who birthed the stars was born of a virgin – in a stinky stall.  All for sinners who would reject Him.

Oh, Father help me to be mindful of this outpouring the next time I’m tempted to be less than generous.

Psalm 51:!

For further reading: James 1:17, Matthew 7:9-11

“You can never love without giving.” – Amy Carmichael

4 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who Dwells in Steadfast Love

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God who Dwells in Steadfast Love

The longer you know a person – the more you know their character.  You can normally predict how they are going to act in or respond to a situation before it even happens.

I’ve only known my husband less than five years.  I suspect that when twenty years pass I will know him even better than I do now. Same with my children – how their little personalities are taking shape – how they will be even when they wake in the mornings.

David had walked with God for quite a while at this point in his life. David had known the Lord while David was a boy, a shepherd, a warrior, an animal-wrestler, a king, a husband, and all the while a sinner. In my thought, the greatest attribute or character trait of God that covers everything is his steadfast love.  This is especially true for how He relates to sinners.

David calls on this early in this heart-penetrating psalm.  He pleads for the Lord to act according to his steadfast, constant, unchanging, never fading love. The reason I think he does this is because he has truly experienced the steadfast love of the God. He has known that never-changing love of His Shepherd King.

Amazing how this works. And so telling to think of how much I’ve experienced this love and then how I often I fail to love others in the same way. Whether it is to friends who have hurt me or my sons who have disobeyed – how I’ve not shown an unconditional love in response.

The gospel has given me this love.  This gospel will allow me to persevere when I fail in demonstrating this love. This gospel will keep me at the feet of Jesus – having my wear head covered in this unfailing love.

Psalm 51:1

More reading: Genesis 15; Songs 2.4

 

3 Oct 2015

31 Days: The Who God Shows Tender Mercies

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The God Who Shows Mercy

Parenting has taught me a lot about this idea of mercy.  I think children need both discipline and mercy.  Of course they need to learn obedience, but they also need to be shown mercy sometimes when they fail.  They need to be shown mercy if for no other reason that to get a fuller picture of the God that created them.  Mine need mercy so they won’t spend 4 hours in time out each day.

I am a daughter.  I have a merciful heavenly Father.  I am so thankful that he shows me great mercy every day.  How often do I speed without getting a ticket?  How often do I say something out of anger or spite to a family member only to be shown radical mercy and not what I deserve?  How often do I sin and am not struck down dead like some in the Bible?

I think if we realized the holiness of God and the sinfulness of our hearts than we would always start every prayer with mercy pleas.

David knew a trusted communion with God and he know he had sinned greatly.  That communion was broken.  The only was David was going to be in a right relationship with God again was if that just God showered mercy down on him. So, he opens his heart wrenching psalm with this plea.

This mercy that God showed to David didn’t stop there.  All of God’s mercy toward us was brought to completion on the cross.  Christ took all of the wrath of God for us – in other words – he got no mercy from his just Father.  He got penalty, he got death, he got the absence of His Father’s presence.

In Christ, let us also rejoice and plead for great mercy.

Psalm 51:1 ” Have mercy on me, O God.”

Other readings: Psalm 86:5; Psalm 145.9; Ephesians 2:4-5, Hebrews 4:16

2 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who Listens

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The God Who Listens

If I’m honest, sometimes I tune out the constant chatter of my boys.  Either I’m trying to concentrate on driving through the city of Atlanta with getting us injured, or trying to follow a recipe, or I can’t understand what they are saying anyway.

I’m so glad to know that God never tunes out our humble repentant, constant, loud (or whispered), silent prayers to Him.  His ears are always open.

The other night while putting our three year old to bed I was reminded again of how God – the Almighty Creator – listens and attends our prayers.  The little was still wired and it was already past his bedtime.  He wasn’t wanting to read and get settled in for the night.  I finally just put him in bed and said let’s pray.  I took his little hand and started to pray aloud even in my rushed and impatient state.  About three sentences into the prayer of help and patience and need, my soul was quieted and my son was more still.

I can imagine the psalmist David praying this psalm aloud – maybe on his knees, maybe saying it all out the window as Nathan stood with him, or maybe it was after Nathan had left that he laid on his bed and cried these words to the God he knew so well.  I can also imagine him experiencing the quick answer and favor of the Lord – the restoration and joy that he so deeply desires later in the psalm.

God listens to a repentant heart.  He is not one to continue to play spiteful games when his children have requests the pure joy of his presence again.  He doesn’t hold us at arms length when we seek restoration.

And for me, as a daughter of the King, that is so reassuring that he bids me come and also it helps me see my sin when I don’t readily respond to my husband and children when they seek restoration.

I often still hold contempt or make them work for my community again.  I need to remember the sweet mercy of God – how he attends my prayers.  I need to love to see that in my own life and relationships.

Other reads: 1 John 5:14, Psalm 66.19-20, Hebrews 4.15-16

 

1 Oct 2015

31 Days: The God Who Is

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31 Days of Adoration

Its always a struggle for me to think of one topic that I want to write about for 31 days – that I also think will be a benefit to others.  I mean, I could talk about how I love my mister and our two sons, I could tell you 31 things to do in ATL with children (you get the drift) – but those are very specific topics.  I usually like to choose something that will be both edifying to me as I write each day and edifying to the reader.

The past two times I’ve read through Psalm 51 I’ve written down all the characteristics that the psalmist David says about God – the God who forgives him of his great and infamous sin with Bathsheba.  Most people today think of that chapter in the Bible as a how-to for repentance or asking forgiveness.  It is that.  But, I don’t think it has that one idea as its main theme.  I think its main theme is the God who does the forgiving.

So, I’ve read through and written down 31 characteristics that the Bible (God, the author) tells us about Himself in those 19 verses.  I hope you will join along on my journey.