At Hand

Do you find yourself fueling your day with the dreams of tomorrow? Do you find yourself powering through your day with caffeine? Do you find yourself numbing your feelings with alcohol? Or gossip? Or stress-relief techniques?  Do you find yourself dreaming of the future so that you don't have to submit to the reality of the present?  Do you find yourself looking to the world as a solution to the world?  

Often I find that when I am in my deepest yearning for peace and comfort, I numb my current state with something of the earth. Isn't it so funny how we believe that the answer to pain, sadness and grief can be found in the place where those feelings originate?

We have been called as followers of Jesus to submit ourselves to God. We have been commanded to seek Him in the midst of our tired and weary state. 

"Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4: 7-8 

When we draw near to the earth, it does not draw nearer to us. When we seek comfort from the earth, the comfort does not grow in the knowledge of what our world is. In fact, isn't the opposite true?  Yet, our God lavishes His love and His peace on us as we submit to Him and find our answer in Him. Our world is a stagnant world. It cannot grow close to us. It cannot comfort us. It cannot turn our mourning into laughter.  

Let us always remember that our God yearns for the spirit that He has made to dwell within us!  (James 4:5) When we befriend the world, we lose the precious connection God planted within us from our conception.  The Spirit in us as believers is only nurtured after submission to God. By befriending the world and seeking its aid for our distress, we show our God that HE is not GOOD enough! We show the world that HE cannot SATISFY! Yet the reality is that the entire time we grieve, and cry and seek understanding from our world, He looks at us from afar saying, "Child...I am JEALOUS for you and the spirit within you!"

Why do we not seek him when we need energy? Why do we not seek him when we face confusion? 

Even when the world seems closer and "at hand", our GOD is even closer than that. While the earth stands still, our God seeks us with all of himself. And, who can be closer than that..?  

A Turbulent Heart

Yesterday I had the opportunity to serve on the "Student Panel" for High Point University' Admissions event, Presidential Scholarship Weekend. One young man in the crowd asked me a question that in the past, I had routinely answered without pause. He stated, "What was the toughest for you about the transition from highschool to college?" In the past, I had immediately responded, "not having my family close by", "meeting a new group of friends", or "being in a new environment." Instead, yesterday, I responded differently. And I said something-that at the time- did not make sense to me. I woke up this morning wondering why I said it, and where it even came from.
"You know, I believe the most important aspect of the transition is having a contentment of knowing where you are-and understanding that you will be in this new environment for four years. Know where you are, and thrive in it for four years. "
I think it is very interesting how often the words we speak are the ones that WE need to hear-not our audience. I had never said anything like that before to someone when they asked about college life. I continually create a lack of contentment within me- and continually find myself anxious for the future.

This morning I was reading a chapter in one of my favorite books of the Bible, Isaiah 40. It discusses comfort for God's people, that is guaranteed when we are in the grasp of our Lord. I noticed multiple verses that mention a common theme...

"Make straight the desert a highway for our God" (v. 3)
" Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and the uneven ground shall become level" (v. 4)
"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together" (v. 5)

Isn't it so true that often our hearts feel one of two ways- like we are in the desert-thirsting for something more to quench the overwhelming desire we have within us. Or, we feel as though our hearts are turbulent-filled with mountains and valleys (sometimes within a 24 hour period!) and laden with uneven ground.

Just as roads transform rocky, sandy, shaky desert ground to solid highways, and turbulent hearts become stable and level, our Lord will do a work within us in the same manner.

He is the steadier of our hearts, the One who smooths the terrain, and the One who calms the violent emotions that take place within us every day.  This is how he comforts us! Often, He doesn't comfort us simply by throwing joy at us-maybe he comforts us by the steadying of our hearts, and smoothing  the rocky nature of our emotions.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken to his people, and continues to speak into our hearts every day. 

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Philippians 4:11-12 

The Lord God Almighty-with strength and power that we cannot fathom takes the time to mold our hearts and steady them. How beautiful is the image of the Lord, that shaped us and formed us, continues to take the time every moment of every day to speak truth to our souls. He does not tire, he does not grow weary, even when his followers do. He does not lose heart when our Hearts lost focus, grow dry or grow turbulent. 

Allow your heart to be steadied by Him. It is His beautiful way of comforting us. 

Contentment is found in the understanding of permanence. Even though we will not be found permanently on this earth, we can stay content where we are because of the over-arching, permanent, steadiness found in Him. 

Act Before You Think

My heart aches this morning. I have recently learned about the theatre shootings in Aurora, CO. The news is filled with correspondants and interviewees questioning, "what has this world come to?!" 


Now, I ask myself, "What has this world become?" How does creation kill creation? What is the motive? What are we doing incorrectly as humans to bring murder and death into this world?


It has just been revealed that the shooting suspect was a 24 year old neuro-science student from the University of Colorado. He was a near graduate of a prestigious program, and now stands behind bars after the killing of twelve innocent human beings. Once again, "how does the world entertain these horrific events?"


James Holmes is a brilliant man who stepped into great, unimaginable sin. Holmes studied the brain, and its intricate functions. He knew the power of the human mind, and all that it could accomplish. 


When we begin to think of the power we have as human beings, it is frightening. We have the ability to direct our lives through free will, end our own lives, or end the lives of God's creation. The only thing we cannot do, is prompt our own lives. We cannot create life. Our God gave His precious children immense, unfathomable responsibility. God knew that when His children were born into a world where sin was present, we would need direction and security in the promise of Heaven. 


James Holmes, I believe, saw his life as a dead end. He became so entranced in the academics of the human mind, will, and capacity that sin was allowed to creep into his psyche. 



<sup>Romans 12:9-13 


9</sup> Love must be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in LOVE. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Our Heavenly Father gave us direction in His word so that we may avoid scary thoughts and sinful actions, as well as grieve the repercussions of sin. The above verse from Romans, is an example of His direction. No matter how confused we become or the depth of our depression, we can never forget our sole purpose on this earth. We are to LOVE one another and LOVE our Savior. We are to engage in genuine love that does not have any motive other than to please our father in Heaven. We are called to never be over come by evil, "but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). 


"But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always." Hosea 12:6


Life becomes simple once we study His word. Our mind will fail us, and our mind will make us confused. Our minds are feeble and failing organs in an aging body. Our souls may only be renewed through pursuance of Truth and of Justice and of Mercy. Our souls will be renewed as we follow Jesus, and never allow our minds to fall to the complicated, confusing, and depressing state of our earth. 


I often allow thoughts, criticism, academic research, and ridicule to get in the way of love, hopes, dreams, and prayers. And, I certainly allow negative emotions to block steadfast truth. Why? We are humans, in bondage to flesh, yet eternally set free by a savior. Our emotions will be strapped to a sinful complex as that is our condition. I stand in awe that we are no longer a part of this earth once our human bodies fall away. 


We are allowed to think, dream and imagine, because God owns the concept of an imagination. He gave them to us so that we may do GOOD. So that we may imagine a world where He is ruler and He is physically present.

 I am beginning to see though, before we think, sometimes we must act. This stands in direct contrast to the world's advise of "thinking before acting". Maybe, we should display love, extend mercy, and seek justice, before we allow our mind to wander. It is then that we will think clearly and think under his commandments. It is what He commanded after all, and He is the Great Authority. 

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."  John 14:15


"Love, it will not betray you betray you, dismay, or enslave you, it will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be. There is a design, an alignment, a cry of my heart to see, the beauty of love as it was made to be."-  Sigh No More, Mumford and Sons. 

Waste

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

-2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Posting Bible verses as a facebook status, or a tweet brings mixed responses. Some may be offended. Others, may try to make the status "light" and remove any serious-ness of the words. And some, benefit from the encouraging words that are posted. I pray many of you are the latter. 

I posted the above verse as a facebook status, and was awaiting any comments. I received two. One stated, "Alexa! I just read that passage this morning!".  I thought, "awesome...The Lord is building her up through the Gospel."  Then, I saw another comment posted by a family friend. The words said, "Well, I think my outer-self is just fine thank you very much.." The words caught me off-guard, yet I believe this reveals a fascinating component to the human life on earth. 

Paul wrote these inspired words of God while in prison. He also wrote these words as he was aging. His outer self, his physical body, was falling apart. He was slowly dying to the outside world. Yet, He was beginning to truly live in Christ. 

This brings up something mind-blowing. First, the world does not have to inhibit spiritual growth or moral transformation. Temptations will be there, yet growth in Christ can continue with or without the allowance of the world. Second, it is never too late to grow in Christ. We do not know how long we will be on this earth, but God never stops working within us until the day we depart for Heaven. 

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

-Phillipians 1:6

Paul also understood that sometimes it isn't until we realize the calamity and depravity of this earth can we begin to imagine the perfection and glory of heaven. Until we are on our deathbed, or witness a tragedy within our family, we cannot comprehend the complete beauty of Heaven. Maybe this is part of the reason those that are elderly begin to have a sage character, and guide us during our spiritual journey. They have lived enough life to understand that the world cannot fulfill them. 

Paul was undergoing what he considered "light momentary affliction." Wait..what?! Paul was experiencing living hell on Earth. Yet he understood that any corruption and destruction the earth brought him, could not distract him from the end all reality of meeting his savior. 

Our outer self is wasting away every single day. And let us thank God for it.  Physical suffering allows us to be strengthened in the spirit. Suffering does not bring us a benefit, but once it is seen in contrast to the beaming light of God, and Heaven's glorious light, the dark world becomes something we want no part of. 

 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

-2 Corinthians 5:1-5