Destiny

time to reflect

This summer I have been enthralled with reading a couple of old books by Agnes Sanford (The Healing Light and Behold Your God).  I would love to share more about her remarkable experiences with healing prayer which make me want to re-visit my John 14:12 blog, but right now the message that is being formed in my mind is about our destiny as children of the God of the Universe.

  

not meant to just go 'round and 'round

I looked up destiny and the dictionary said “The predetermined course of events often conceived of as a resistless power” and “that to which any person or thing is destined”.  Destine means “to decree beforehand, as by divine will”.  So how do you and I think about our destiny or  the  purpose of our lives most days?  If you are like me, it’s probably in terms of things we do, schedules to keep, commitments made, relationships we're in.  But in quiet moments of prayer or worship, I think more deeply about who I am and the purpose of my life. 

he is uniquely and beautifully made!

Psalm 139:16 has been powerful in my journey of psychological healing -  “your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”   That is such a comfort because it says that it’s not up to me to invent myself!  People talk about re-inventing themselves, and if that means having the freedom to change, then I can see the positive in that.  But if you believe that you’re just plopped down on the earth and expected to make something of yourself, then that feels like a lot of pressure to me.

So what might God mean about his children having a destiny and days ordained for them?  I think that everyone restored through Christ has a part to play in God’s original plan for His children to be fruitful, subdue the earth, and rule over the other living creatures (Genesis 1:28).  And in Christ we are part of Jesus’ plan for His brothers and sisters to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19).  The part of these plans that each of us is built to fulfill is something which becomes more apparent as we grow in our relationship with God, develop the skills we have, use our gifts and discover our passions. 

God has created each of us with a calling beyond ourselves, and it is a truly glorious purpose for our life.  Do you hear it as a loud and clear desire, or has it been reduced to a faint whisper in your heart?   Be strengthened and encouraged that you have unique wiring and unique experiences that give you a perspective on something that God wants to use to bless others. 

heading for the heights

There is no way to miss the messages bombarding us about life and our place in it, but if we truly believe what God says (and who God is!), what might happen?  Where might He lead us and what might He accomplish through us?  I heard a friend say that the concept of limits on her life had no meaning to her.  I had to track her down and ask her to explain this bold statement!  She said that God’s potential to do something through her was so far beyond her own imagination that the idea of limitations seemed irrelevant.  She was thinking in terms of what would limit God, not what could limit her.  She saw no limit to God’s acceptance and love of her or God’s desire to use her for His Kingdom.  Therefore she saw no limits on what she could do in life.

 What might you do if you knew from the outset that you could not ultimately fail?  That's a great question because in Christ, we can't.  We may have hardships and challenges and pain, but because Christ is our victory, we cannot fail -- unless we give up or don't try in the first place.

what lies ahead in your land?

I have always thought the story of the Israelites first look at their Promised Land was so tragic.  The men who went to explore found it as wonderful as God had said it would be, but they had no faith that He would keep His promise to give it to them.  They saw very real blessings and very real obstacles, but not a very real God with them.  They looked at the giants in the land and felt like grasshoppers.  They forgot the miracles God had done on their behalf.  They forgot that He was giving them the land destined to be their home.  They had only to believe and stand firm in God’s promises to possess that home.

So it’s all about God and all about His love.  So, once again let us stand firm!  Let us not be moved from God’s love! Stand firm in God's love, in your forgiveness, in your blessedness, in your righteousness before Him.  Take up your helmet and shield and sword.  Praise your God and Savior for his outrageous grace.  Boldly defy the enemy who has lost the battle already.  Eat hearty at the table God has prepared before you in the presence of your enemies and drink from your overflowing cup.  His goodness and love do follow after you and go before you all the days of your destiny pursuing life!  For you belong in his house forever!! (from Psalm 23:5-6)

Standing Firm

Have you ever been just zipping along the path of life, and wham - you are hit by something you never saw coming?  It could be a shiver of unexplained anxiety or a paralyzing dread; a melancholy mood, or a black hole of depression; a disappointment; a crushing diagnosis; an accident.  I wonder if your first thought is "I am so loved and blessed by God!" ?  Well, maybe not, but the command to "stand firm" is about getting there as soon as possible.

weapons of earthly warfare; White Sands, NM

We definitely have an enemy called the “father of lies” and our “adversary” and “accuser” who wants to separate us from our comfort and strength in God anytime he can.  Whether or not he is involved in the events that happen, he is behind every attack on our faith in Christ.  His Word says that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV).

Christ triumphed over him by the cross (Col 2:15)

We who have put our trust in Jesus know that God's love is as important to our life and well-being as is the air we breathe.  We can survive physically without love, but we only thrive as living souls when we are loved well and have enough to give away to others.

Before we know God, the spiritual forces of evil fight to keep us fearful of Him, doubtful of His love, blind to Jesus, feeling unworthy, guilty, rejected, and/or angry, rebellious and proud.  Beyond the narrow gate of eternal life they still seek to distort and disrupt the relationship that has been established with our Father by drawing our focus to shame of our shortcomings, attempts to earn acceptance and love, and dependence on ourselves to find meaning and satisfaction in life.

Our Father knows that we are vulnerable to the enemy's lies and schemes.  The Bible is filled with encouragement and truth, and examples to ground us in His unfailing love.  Ephesians 6:10-18 describes God's provision for protection in terms of supernatural armor.  In this passage God commands us (through Paul) to stand firm and God doesn't command unless He gives us the means to obey.

God's love is a strong tower

Standing firm became a clear, powerful and effective weapon for me when I saw that it just meant "hold fast to the love of God for you".  It's not about my behavior and whether I've made the right choices, or whether I feel strong or weak, good or bad, because my actions and my attitudes will falter.

“Stand firm, then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”.  The truth is, God’s love is not conditional.  He is with me always.  Because Jesus took all the penalty of my sin, He will never leave me or forsake me.  I belong to Him and in His family.  Every promise in the Bible is “yes and amen” for me because I'm His child (2 Corinthians 1:20)!

“With the breastplate of righteousness in place”.  My righteousness is from Christ in me.  He met every requirement of the law for me – it is as if I have fulfilled the law in God’s sight.  It is as if I never sinned.  This is my position in Christ.  It is unassailable.  All the enemy can do is lie to me and hope that I will believe him.  He is quick to accuse when I fall short, but it doesn't matter because God loves me and nothing can separate me from that love -- ever.  God's love is my lifeline and He is holding on to me.  How simple that is.  How profoundly and powerfully true. 

2 Corinthians 1:21

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

James 5:8

"You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near"
2 Chronicles 20:17
You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem..."
Exodus 14:13
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today..."

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong..."

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you...

Blessedness (revised)

When I first think of being blessed, I think of having good things – enough money to live well, health, friends, a job…  Those things are blessings, but they are not the whole picture, or even the most important part of it.

"the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us" (Eph.1)

King David realized this: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him...” (Psalm 32:1-2)  What an incredible blessing to know that our holy God will never hold my sin against me!  Because of Jesus, his wrath was satisfied.

  

And beyond this, Paul tells us that God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” by choosing us “before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” and predestining “us to be adopted as his sons” (Ephesians 1:3-5), and in Romans 8:2, that “through Jesus Christ the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death”.  Now that’s a blessing!!  It’s a blessing that is yours and mine forever no matter what circumstances we land in.

blessed assurance, Jesus is mine

In fact this last statement from Romans 8:2 refers back to the end of chapter 7 where Paul is crying out in desperation over his helplessness to stop doing the things he doesn’t want to do and inability to do the things he does want to do.  He’s crying out for rescue from his “body of death”, and then rejoices that Jesus has rescued him and that the Spirit of life has set him free!  That’s us, too.  Have you ever been there!?  But we are blessed that in our lowest moments “the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

in every season we are truly and fully blessed

Our Father knows, and sent Paul to help us know, that even if we can’t see all this working out right now, there is no condemnation for our imperfections (8:1).  So that “…if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (8:25) because “the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (8:26) and “the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (8:27)!  And “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…” ! (8:28)  He does not promise that we will never see "tribulation, distress, persecution, famine or nakedness or danger or sword", but that they will never separate us from His love. (8:35 & 39)

Is God's love enough, then?  That is a question each of us answers in our own heart and will.  Perhaps that is why it is faith that pleases God.  We put our faith in His sufficiency to meet us in every extreme of circumstance.  My own experience says that when I believe God's love is enough, I experience it to be so.  If I don't, I end up unsatisfied, restless and feel unblessed to some degree.  I look for more, but it never satisfies.

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!  We are so blessed and it helps us so much to remember that we are!   When my fleshly side catches me up with dissatisfaction and frustration over my attempts to manipulate circumstances, may I remember Who is on my side, Who is praying for me, Who died with all my sins, and that my life is now “hidden with Christ in God.”  (Colossians 3:3)  Amen!

(P.S.  all the emphasis in the scriptures quoted is mine!)

Free to forgive

The theme of this blog, if it has one, is that once you have chosen to forsake every hope except Jesus for life, you find that you have not lost all, but gained everything. 

But have you noticed that there continue to be times when the path narrows and another gate stands before you?  I see these “gates” as places in life where we make the decision to go God’s way or go our own way.  The issue can take many forms, but one is choosing to forgive.

before the game begins

I had a chance to make that choice on the trip my husband and I took this spring.  We were visiting friends in Los Angeles and had tickets to a baseball game because my husband, Dan, had always wanted to see the Dodger’s stadium.  That night turned out to be our 27^th anniversary, but it felt like our whole two week trip was an anniversary gift!

We had great seats from Stub Hub and it was a beautiful night.  We were enjoying everything – except for one little problem.  There was a young woman sitting on the other side of Dan.  She was with friends, including a guy, but her attention seemed to be focused on my husband the most of all.  They had quite a conversation going, cracking jokes, and he seemed to be enjoying it too much for my taste!  I thought this girl was obnoxious, horning in on our “double date” but apparently Dan did not.

the path narrows

Maybe you know what it’s like to be in public hiding your true feelings.  There was nothing I could do that wouldn’t be awkward, so I ignored them.  I don’t remember the words or how it happened, but at some point she left her seat and I made a comment.  Dan looked shocked and asked if I was mad - as if that would be unbelievable.  When I told him that yes, I was, in fact, upset; I felt an unexpectedly powerful surge of anger wash over me!  It was not a good time or place to have a discussion, so the issue kind of hung there throughout the rest of the game and I continued to feel unwanted tension on the way home.

I felt justified in not liking that my husband was responding to this flirty girl on our anniversary, but I also knew him and that he meant absolutely nothing by it. If I had to say just what it was I didn’t like, it was that he wouldn’t be sensitive to my side of it.  That he wouldn’t see how this could take away from the night being a little extra special or romantic for us even though it was a baseball game. 

blooming among the rocks

Sometime later, trying to go to sleep in our hosts’ bedroom, the Holy Spirit came to my aid by showing me that I could make a choice. I could nurse my wound and try to get an apology or some recognition that my feelings were legitimate, or I could choose to forgive Dan for his behavior and move on.  I could let more precious hours of our wonderful trip together be stolen or I could just let it go.  I thank the Lord for the ability to see that and for the ability to forgive because the rest of me did not want to.

Honestly, when I look at this now, I can still feel some sense of entitlement.  But I also see that my husband’s heart was pure.  He loves me!  He shows me love every day and we have a history together of faithfulness.  I made the choice to forgive and renounce my expectations.  I asked God to give me the grace to appreciate what I have, to put this aside, and to enjoy all the good things that were happening.  He did it and the enemy gained nothing!

I know there are much more grievous sins that we are commanded to forgive.  I know that to forgive can be like a death.  It is a death of sorts.  We die to our revenge, or to our sense of justice.  We die to our pride, and to our right to whatever has been taken by another.  Sometimes the damage is so bad that being able to forgive involves a process that God must take us through.    

nurtured

Now dying on top of being wronged doesn’t sound very attractive does it?  But God says in Colossians 3:3 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”  We choose to be crucified just a bit when we forgive but we are raised with Christ as well in his resurrection.  In the life which is hidden with Christ in God we get to move on free of the toxicity of anger, resentment, or bitterness.  The part that stays in the grave will bring us down if we do not get rid of it!  In resurrection life we get to flourish in our future while God takes care of the past His way.  Jesus is Lord, after all, and He holds the ultimate outcome of every situation in His nail scared hands.

The capacity to forgive is a privilege.  And it is freeing.  God’s narrow gates always lead to life!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Love Never Fails

“I once was blind, but now I see.”  Have you ever had that experience?  I had one recently and I’d like to share it. 

I am involved with a prayer/healing ministry at my church and I have the privilege of participating on teams which met with people who desire an in-depth prayer experience.  We come together expecting God to be there because we know that in ourselves alone, we have nothing but an hour of kind sympathy and good intentions to offer.  We meet trusting God for the promises of His Word, expecting to see lives changed by the finished work of Jesus on the cross. 

This particular time the one who had called was being overwhelmed by some pain that she could no longer hide.  Trying to cover up or just “move on” beyond things that had happened in the past was no longer possible.  They were hidden away for a reason, but she couldn’t keep them there anymore.

relentless, powerful waves illustrate God's dependability

When this started happening to me personally I found that things in my life were causing reactions all out of proportion to the situation.  It felt so right to feel the way I did, but I had friends who could see more objectively.  It is so hard when this happens, but it can be such a blessing if you trust that God is in it and that He allows pain to surface for a purpose.  He wants us to be free and whole so hurt places must be opened up and cleaned out.  Lies of the enemy, fear, and shame are removed just like an infection in a wound.  So in our ministry we believe that God is ready, willing and able to bring healing and restoration when someone comes seeking help.  I was able to say confidently to my sister, “It’s time.”

We prayed surrendering our own agenda, our judgements, our conclusions, our ideas.  We asked for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus to take charge of the hour.  He was so faithful to bring our hurting friend through steps of healing.  All of us were blessed by His presence and love.

"...in him there is no darkness at all" 1John 1:5b

Later in the evening at home, I began to feel unsettled.  When I went to bed I was restless.  Thoughts about my weight and eating began picking away at me.  This is an ongoing issue.  I am not terribly overweight, but my eating and my weight go up and down and threaten to get out of hand.  When that happens I become afraid that I am out of control and that my size will balloon up and up.  I feel shame about my failures.  It doesn't make sense to be so afraid of something like this, but it can hang over me almost like death.

As I prayed about it, I realized that I felt helpless about ever making a permanent change in this pattern.  What felt true was that I will always be a victim because I am unable to make another choice.  This is where the light went on.  I suddenly thought "I’m feeling as if I do not have the power to make decisions for myself.  I don’t mean that it felt like my will was to do the wrong thing, I felt I had none at all.

That lie was obvious to me.  God created us in His image and that includes a will.  It makes us human and it is honored by God Himself.  Even He does not violate our free will so it must be very important.

Finding that we are agreeing with unbiblical thoughts is a great step.  I saw hope immediately.  I did not have to lie down in acceptance of my predicament.  I immediately started telling myself the truth.  I have a will and I am not trapped in any way.  My will is to believe and trust God!  I may not be experiencing consistent victory yet, but it has been won by Jesus Christ on my behalf.  Every child of God is in position to receive the deliverance of God.  By the stripes of Jesus we are healed - spiritually, emotionally and physically.  No problem is too great for Him and no person is excluded from His compassionate mercy and grace.

The reason this night was so special was its connection to being in the presence of God’s love so powerfully earlier that day. It was palpable.  My spirit had been strengthened and my faith was increased by that.  My sense of who I am as God’s beloved daughter could not co-exist with the message of being a victim, bound and empty of her birthright - a  healthy and functioning will.

Weeks later, I can say that my fear is still gone.  I'm not in the best place eating-wise right now, but I do not feel doomed, desperate or helpless.  I have real hope (assurance) that I will overcome.  The fruit of the spirit includes self-control, and God's love will continue to replace whatever need I try to fill with eating.  Exercise is looking a lot more attractive, too!

Whatever our struggles, God’s love is the answer.  That’s a blanket statement, but I do believe it.  I’ve seen how healing begins to flow when a person's heart is touched by God's pure and unqualified love for them personally.  Being in the presence of His love changes how we see.  It pours light into blind spots where lies can operate without being discovered.  Circumstances may or may not change right away, but we are not the same in them.  We begin walking in their midst with different responses because we are not the same on the inside.  The Gospel is that God's grace is here to make that change.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)  
Save: "sozo" - to deliver, protect, heal, make whole