For Nothing

One of the commands we seem to struggle with from time to time is, "Be anxious for nothing." The heart of the king is in His hand. The nations of the world are like a drop in a bucket to Him--a big bucket. Any nation that rises to power has only done so because God intends to use them for His glory. And soon "the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Yes, that's a promise. And He is just as hands on in our individual lives as well. He shepherds us through each day. We always have access to His throne room--and He adores our prayers for help. He always shares our burdens with us; He pleads with us to give up our cares and worries by casting them on His omnipotent shoulders. He promises us rest to cure our weariness if we will do so. He rewards a mustard seed of faith. In the winds of adversity, He gives us eagle's wings so we can soar on those very winds into the heavenlies of His peace and His joy. When everything that can go wrong does go wrong, He gives us hind's feet to dance and sing on the mountains--to dance and sing in the confidence that He is our Savior. No one can takes us from His hands. Nothing can separate us from His love for us. Nothing at all. No one at all. He tells us to fret not about evil doers; they will reap what they sow. We, however, are free from condemnation; no longer objects of His wrath. So quit worrying. All these truths should motivate us to faithful living, to faithful discipleship each and every day. We can live by faith because we know who controls all the outcomes. And we know that He is our loving, faithful Father. Quit being anxious. Do what you know is right. Pray with thanksgiving. Radiate your confident joy that all will be well. His faithful children overcome the world.

This

My students often ask me, "Why do we need to pray if God already knows what we need?"  They miss the purpose of prayer.  Prayer is not trying to get God to change His will to fit your desires.  It's certainly not a way to fulfill your wants.  Neither do we pray to prove that God answers prayer--He answers every prayer His children pray to Him.  No, the purpose of prayer is to know God's will for your life and to embrace it--to surrender to the things He is bringing into your life to accomplish His purpose for your life--which is to transform you into His image so that you can be Christ-in-the-room wherever He sends you.  He as the Light of the World has passed on that responsibility to His disciples--His children.  So when I go to Him in prayer--and always be completely honest in presenting your requests to Him--and ask for physical needs or for circumstances to change or for whatever is on my heart, I can be sure that the "answer" He gives reveals exactly what I need to be transformed into His likeness.  If I don't get the physical things I pray for, it's because those physical things would be a detriment to my spiritual growth.  If I plead with Him to change my circumstances and He doesn't, it's because these trials are what I need to be conformed to His image--to become more like Him.  I have prayed weeping that God would change circumstances in my life, to allow anything to happen but "this one thing."  And His answer has been "this one thing" is what I'm going to use to make you more like Me so you can touch other lives with My presence.  He knows what I need.  I pray to understand that "this" is what I need, and then I must surrender to His will.  I must pray the prayer of My Savior.  "Father, let this cup pass from Me, but if not, nevertheless Thy will be done."  Yes, the purpose of prayer is to surrender to His will, to trust in His love, to trust in His wisdom, to deepen my commitment--my earnest desire--to be more like Him so that He can use me as a witness to His character--a living example of Him in the place He has planted me.
If I don't pray the prayer of surrender, I still must bear the cross.  But if I pray the prayer, nevertheless, Thy will be done,"  He changes me in three ways (at least).  Hebrews tells us that "for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Father."  When I surrender to His will in the "this," He empowers me with His joy--the joy that empowered Him to endure the cross.  I become the joy of Jesus to those around me.  And in the "this," His joy enables me to bear the "this" for His glory.  I become a reflector of His joy.  I live a joyous life in the midst of the trial.
He, also, gives me His peace.  "In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God--which is beyond human comprehension--will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."  And the peace of God teaches me to be content in every situation.  And contentment teaches me that "I can do all things through Christ who is my strength."  The surrender in those prayers?  They are prayed "with thanksgiving"--with a heart that knows that He knows what I need and that no matter what happens my heart and mind will be fortified with His peace--God's peace, the peace that humans can't comprehend.  In the midst of the "this," I can continue to love right and think right because I have prayed, "nevertheless, Thy will be done."  I become a reflector of His peace to all those around me.
The prayer of surrender transforms me into His likeness in another way.  It empowers me to love with a holy love.  It enables me to be able to pray--even for those people who are responsible for my cross, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do."  By surrendering to His will, I become a reflector of God's holy love to those around me--a love that forgives, a love that is not diminished by whatever the response to my love might be.
The purpose of prayer is surrender to His perfect will--even to the "this" He has brought into my life.  And the answer to that prayer of surrender is the fullness of joy, the guarding power of God's peace in my heart and mind, and the empowerment to have a heart like His heart--to love those in my life with a holy love--a love eager to forgive even when forgiveness is not even asked for. 
Is the deepest desire of your heart to be like Him?  Then, present the desires of your heart to Him.  And then pray, in complete surrender, "not my will but Yours."  He will transform you into a disciple that radiates His joy, His peace, and His love as you bear your cross daily and follow Him.  "Oh, to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer."

The Abundant Life

The "abundance" of the abundant life:

Cleansing through the Word
Spirit-empowered lives that bear fruit--that transform us into His likeness--glorifies Him--make the invisible God visible and His existence undeniable
Answered prayer
Humble dependence on Him--a ceasing of the impossible struggle to try to spiritualize the natural man through the flesh
Steadfast love
A deep sense of His love
The fullness of joy
The animosity of the world

Have a New Year

We are new creations in Christ Jesus.

Put off the old: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, idolatry, temper, rage, malice, slander, abusive speech, lies--all the things that pervert love.
Put on the new--compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness--all those things that deepen love

May the Spirit empower us to have a new year.

Prayers for 2019

As many of you know, I do not make resolutions to start a new year, but a prayer list instead. Here is my prayer list for 2019--some I pray every year; some are on my heart for "today."

1. May every student who enters my room feel safe physically, educationally, emotionally, and spiritually.
2. May I never let education get in the way of my meeting the needs of my students each day.
3. May I love with a holy love--with a love that is unaffected by the response of the ones I am called to love.
4. May I see the sorrow of the world and respond with action.
5. May those I love who are away from Him come home.
6. May I always have a heart filled with gratitude--may I always pray with thanksgiving.
7. May I honestly present my requests and petitions to Him and then, always, respond with the prayer of surrender--"not my will, but thine."
8. May I be Christ-in-the room--spontaneously respond with grace and truth--integrity--to all people and situations. May Christ be seen in me.
9. May I rejoice each day in the beauty of His old age gift to me--The Acres.
10. May each time that I share His Word one heart be moved to a deeper obedience--beside my own.
11. May I continue to struggle to learn contentment in all things.
12. May I rest in His inescapable love for me.
13. May my investments be in the heavenly treasures safe from rust and thieves.
14. May I live each day for Him as if it were my last on earth.
15. May I rest in Philippians 1--to be with Him is far better, but since He hasn't called me Home; yet, I must be about my Father's business.
16. May the words of my mouth be acceptable in His sight--may I not curse the deaf man or put a stumbling block in the path of the blind man.
17. May I have an insatiable hunger for His Word.
18. May He give me the strength I need for each day, and may I rely on it and not my own.
19. May I never forget to pray prayers of remembrance for the hurting.
20. May I commit myself each day to the life of His disciple--though none go with me, still I must follow.
21. May I be unaffected by the applause of men--or lack thereof.
22. May I always have a sense of His presence.

The Foot of the Cross

When I think of the faith of Mary and Joseph, I wonder if it can ever be put into words adequately. To be chosen by God to be the parents of His Son--can there be a greater commendation to a calling? And we know so little about them honestly. Spoken to by angels; obeyed and submitted to the impossible. The birth of the Child interrupted by a flock of shepherds. A visit to Jerusalem days later and to encounter Simeon and the prophecies concerning their Son. How do you take all that in and not be overwhelmed? Even terrified. Then, nothing for two years--why did they even stay in Bethlehem and not go back home? Suddenly, a visit from the Magi--and they bow down and worship your little boy as the King. Then, the escape to Egypt at night--Herod is trying to destroy your baby! (Of course, the gifts of the Magi will meet all expenses--God's provision.) And how do you raise a sinless two-year-old? A sinless teenager!!!!? Then to return and have to "hide" in Nazareth. And He and they knew who He was--"I must be about My Father's business"--at twelve! Implication--"Why did you not look here in the temple first? Where else would I be?" I can't imagine. But we do know how Mary (and I assume, Joseph, "handled" it all) "And Mary took all these things"--all these events--Shepherds, Simeon, Magi, Herod, Egypt, Nazareth, Temple--"and treasured them in her heart." She may not at times have understood--but she always loved her Treasure. And "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." And so where do we find her at last? Standing at the foot of the cross. How could love be anywhere else? I pray today that He is your treasure--the riches of your heart. So when you do not understand, you will take yourself to the foot of the cross--the place where love embraces love through all the tears.

Christmas

What does Christmas reveal to us about our God?

His love is for all--from poor shepherds in a field to the richest of men in a land far away
The power of faith: Mary: "I am His servant; I will do whatever He asks of me." Joseph: "His name is Jesus."
He celebrates the arrival into the world of the little ones; He loves the little children--the babies in their mother's arms.
The omnipotent God is humble.
The darkness cannot hide Him.
The angels adore Him.
He wants us to celebrate His coming with joy and with the sharing that He has come.
He loves the interconnections and beauty of family.
His ways are not our ways; yet, His ways are perfect.
He is the ruler of the stars.
His prophecies are true--they are unstoppable; then and now.
He loves His old saints too--His Simeon and His Anna.
God is with us.